US08108708B2
Logic circuits of a digital device may be biased to operate over specific external clock frequency ranges by programming a desired clock oscillator frequency range into a configuration memory of the digital device. In addition, clock source selection may also be programmed into the configuration register. Bias circuits are then configured so that the internal logic of the digital device will operate over the desired clock oscillator frequency range. Non-volatile memory may be used to store the contents of the configuration memory so as to retain the configuration during power down of the digital device. The non-volatile memory may be programmable fuse links, electrically erasable and programmable memory (EEPROM), FLASH memory, etc.
US08108698B2
A primary computing device and a secondary computing device couple with an internal storage component of the primary device powered by, and data accessed by either the first or secondary computing device. The internal storage component includes multiple connectors for connecting internal buses and external buses over which data can be accessed, internally or externally. It includes an internal storage unit (in general, at least one storage unit, and multiple storage units are supported) to which data can be written and from which data can be read. It also includes arbitration and isolation circuitry that makes it possible to access the internal storage unit (for read/write data access, etc.) over one of the buses. The arbitration and an isolation circuitry also facilitates powering the internal storage component employing power supplied by an internal power source, or via an external power source, such as power from an USB connection.
US08108697B2
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that controls a power utilization of a computer system by adjusting a cooling fan speed. During operation, a relationship between information related to the cooling fan speed and the power utilization is determined. Then, the cooling fan speed is adjusted based on the determined relationship to control the power utilization of the computer system.
US08108688B2
Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus that processes content data supplied in a format that has at least a metadata region in which metadata of a content is stored, the apparatus including: acquisition means configured to acquire the content data in the aforementioned format and decryption information for decrypting the metadata that is encrypted, the content data containing the encrypted metadata stored in the metadata region; decryption means configured to decrypt the encrypted metadata stored in the metadata region using the decryption information; and supplementary service providing means configured to provide a supplementary service related to the content based on the metadata decrypted by the decryption means.
US08108685B2
A method of presenting password information to a user, the method comprising: receiving a password; determining the number of unique character sets utilized in the password; and displaying the number of unique character sets that are contained within the password.
US08108675B2
External signature device for a PC, with capacity for wireless communication with the computer, which can be used immediately in electronic banking and electronic commerce or in any other system based on electronic signature requiring a high level of security with a relatively small amount of data for signature, said device including a communication interface with wireless connection to the PC, an alphanumeric display (2) for displaying the data for signature, a keyboard (1) for user interaction with the device, a signature system responsible for processing the operations relating to signature of the data received, and an internal battery (4).
US08108662B2
A method, apparatus, and program product checkpoint an application in a parallel computing system of the type that includes a plurality of hybrid nodes. Each hybrid node includes a host element and a plurality of accelerator elements. Each host element may include at least one multithreaded processor, and each accelerator element may include at least one multi-element processor. In a first hybrid node from among the plurality of hybrid nodes, checkpointing the application includes executing at least a portion of the application in the host element and at least one accelerator element and, in response to receiving a command to checkpoint the application, checkpointing the host element separately from the at least one accelerator element.
US08108660B2
Each of processors has a barrier write register and a barrier read register. Each barrier write register is wired to each barrier read register by a dedicated wiring block. For example, a 1-bit barrier write register of a processor is connected, via the wiring block, to a first bit of each 8-bit barrier read register contained in the processors, and a 1-bit barrier write register of another processor is connected, via a wiring block, to a second bit of each 8-bit barrier read register contained in the processors. For example, a processor writes information to its own barrier write register, thereby notifying synchronization stand-by to the other processors and reads its own barrier read register, thereby recognizing whether the other processors are in synchronization stand-by or not. Therefore, a special dedicated instruction is not required along barrier synchronization processing, and the processing can be made at a high speed.
US08108654B2
The present invention provides system and method for a group priority issue schema for a cascaded pipeline. The system includes a cascaded delayed execution pipeline unit having a plurality of execution pipelines that execute instructions in a common issue group in a delayed manner relative to each other. The system further includes circuitry configured to receiving an issue group of instructions, reordering the issue group of instructions using instruction type priority, and executing the reordered issue group of instructions in the cascaded delayed execution pipeline unit. The method, among others, can be broadly summarized by the following steps: receiving an issue group of instructions, reordering the issue group of instructions using instruction type priority, and executing the reordered issue group of instructions in the cascaded delayed execution pipeline unit.
US08108643B2
In a semiconductor memory system having a loop forward architecture, the command, address and write data stream and the separate read data stream in form of protocol-based frames transmitted to/from memory chips in the following order: memory controller to the first memory chip, to the second memory chip, to the third memory chip and to the fourth memory chip and the read data stream is transferred from the fourth memory chip to the memory controller. With each command usually one of four memory chips is accessed for data processing, while three of four memory chips have only to fulfil a simple re-drive of CAwD stream and read data stream. By separately transferring a rank select signal not embedded in the frame from the memory controller to each memory chip a lot of more flexibility for these tasks can be achieved. Each memory chip includes a rank select switching section receiving the separately transferred rank select signal and decoding therefrom signal states which are used to select whether a CAwD signal stream is to be sent to the own memory core and processed or re-driven to the next memory chip and whether a read data stream is to be taken from its own memory core or from a read data input interface to be re-driven to the next memory chip.
US08108639B2
The invention provides a technology applicable to technologies other than a main frame technology and monitors data recovery available time while suppressing a monitoring error within a certain range in a storage system that performs Asynchronous Remote Copy among storage devices. A management computer in the storage system stores latest or quasi-latest management data corresponding to data staying in a buffer of the first storage device with temporal information at certain monitoring intervals, calculates an estimated value of the data recovery available time which is time of data stored in the second storage device corresponding to data stored in the first storage device, based on the temporal information stored, and based on a certain management data among earliest or quasi-earliest management data or a number of the data staying in the buffer at the certain time and displays the estimated value on a display section.
US08108638B2
Methods and systems back up deduplicated data to data storage media, the deduplicated data comprising a plurality of data blocks referenced for deduplication. In one embodiment, the existence of multiple references to each of the data blocks is determined; and at least two copies of at least each data block having multiple references thereto is stored, each to a separate data storage media. In another embodiment, the references to each of the data blocks is determined; the total of multiple references is compared to a percentage threshold; and multiple copies are stored for all the data blocks where the percentage threshold is exceeded.
US08108637B2
A problem is to support to realize the efficient power saving according to the status of a remote copy in an information processing system provided with a storage apparatus. When newly using any one of volumes of a first storage apparatus and a second storage apparatus, a management apparatus of the present invention extracts a candidate volume to screen-display the extracted volume so that the volumes, whose power control characteristics are the same or similar, are collected in the same array group.
US08108633B2
A method and an apparatus that allocate a stream memory and/or a local memory for a variable in an executable loaded from a host processor to the compute processor according to whether a compute processor supports a storage capability are described. The compute processor may be a graphics processing unit (GPU) or a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, an application running in a host processor configures storage capabilities in a compute processor, such as CPU or GPU, to determine a memory location for accessing a variable in an executable executed by a plurality of threads in the compute processor. The configuration and allocation are based on API calls in the host processor.
US08108629B2
Provided is a method of managing, in a computer including a processor and a memory that stores information referred to by the processor, the memory. The memory includes a plurality of memory banks, respective power supplies of which are independently controlled. The respective memory banks include a plurality of physical pages. The method includes collecting the physical pages having same degrees of use frequencies in the same memory bank, selecting the memory bank, the power supply for which is controlled, on the basis of the use frequency, and controlling the power supply for the memory bank selected.
US08108628B2
Instruction execution includes fetching an instruction that comprises a first set of one or more bits identifying the instruction, and a second set of one or more bits associated with a first address value. It further includes executing the instruction to determine whether to perform a trap, wherein executing the instruction includes selecting from a plurality of tests at least one test for determining whether to perform a trap and carrying out the at least one test. The second set of one or more bits is used in the determination of whether to perform the trap; and the plurality of tests includes a matrix test that determines whether a data value being stored as pointed to by the first address value is escaping from one of a plurality of managed memory types to another one of the plurality of managed memory types and generates a trap in the event that the data value is determined to be escaping from one of the plurality of managed memory types to another one of the plurality of managed memory types, wherein the matrix test is based on a matrix associated with garbage collection and a matrix entry located using at least some of the first set of one or more bits and at least some of the second set of one or more bits.
US08108624B2
A microprocessor includes first and second functional units and a data cache having a data array having a write port, a modified bit array having a read port and a write port, and a tag array having a read port, each array having the corresponding predetermined organization. The first functional unit writes data to a cache line of the data array. The first functional unit sets a modified bit in the modified bit array to indicate that the corresponding cache line in the data array has been modified. The second functional unit reads the modified bit from the modified bit array to determine whether or not the cache line has been modified. The second functional unit reads a partial status of the corresponding cache line from the tag array. The partial status does not indicate whether the cache line has been modified. The tag array does not include a port by which the first functional unit may update the partial status of the corresponding cache line.
US08108620B2
A method of caching data in a global cache distributed amongst a plurality of computing devices, comprising providing a global cache for caching data accessible to interconnected client devices, where each client contributes a portion of its main memory to the global cache. Each client also maintains an ordering of data that it has in its cache portion. When a remote reference for a cached datum is made, both the supplying client and the requesting client adjust their orderings to reflect the fact that the number of copies of the requested datum now likely exist in the global cache.
US08108609B2
A hardware description language (HDL) design structure embodied on a machine-readable data storage medium includes elements that when processed in a computer aided design system generates a machine executable representation of a device for implementing dynamic refresh protocols for DRAM based cache. The HDL design structure further includes a DRAM cache partitioned into a refreshable portion and a non-refreshable portion; and a cache controller configured to assign incoming individual cache lines to one of the refreshable portion and the non-refreshable portion of the cache based on a usage history of the cache lines; wherein cache lines corresponding to data having a usage history below a defined frequency are assigned by the controller to the refreshable portion of the cache, and cache lines corresponding to data having a usage history at or above the defined frequency are assigned to the non-refreshable portion of the cache.
US08108590B2
A flash system has multiple channels of flash memory chips that can be accessed in parallel. Host data is assigned to one of the channels by a multi-channel controller processor and accumulated in a multi-channel page buffer. When a page boundary in the page buffer is reached, the page buffer is written to a target physical block if full, or combined with old data fragments in an Aggregating Flash Block (AFB) when the logical-sector addresses (LSA's) match. Thus small fragments are aggregated using the AFB, reducing erases and wear of flash blocks. The page buffer is copied to the AFB when a STOP command occurs. Each channel has one or more AFB's, which are tracked by an AFB tracking table.
US08108589B2
A wear leveling method for non-volatile memory is provided, by which the non-volatile memory is substantially divided into a plurality of blocks and the blocks are grouped into a data area and a spare area. The method includes selecting a block based on an erased sequence when getting the block from the spare area. The method also includes performing a wear leveling procedure.
US08108585B2
Crossbar circuitry, and a method of operation of such crossbar circuitry, are provided. The crossbar circuitry has an array of data input paths and data output paths where the data output paths are transverse to the data input paths. At each intersection between a data input path and a data output path, a crossbar cell is provided that comprises a storage circuit programmable to store a routing value, and a transmission circuit. In a transmission mode of operation the transmission circuit is responsive to the routing value indicating that the data input path should be coupled to the data output path to detect the data input along the data input path, and to output an indication of that data on the data output path at the associated intersection. Control circuitry is used to issue control signals to the crossbar cells, and during a configuration mode of operation the control circuitry re-utilizes at least one of the data output paths to program the storage circuitry of one or more of the crossbar cells. Such a construction of crossbar circuitry provides a very regular design, with uniform delay across all paths, and which requires significantly less control lines than typical prior art crossbar designs. Such crossbar circuitry is readily scalable to form large crossbars.
US08108582B2
A method of notifying asynchronous events to a host of a data storage system is presented. The method comprises the steps of: detecting an asynchronous event; generating an interrupt message in response to the detected asynchronous event; and communicating the generated interrupt message to the host.
US08108578B2
A computing system with an adaptive input mechanism that facilitates intuitive and powerful user/computer interaction is disclosed. One example embodiment includes a logic subsystem, a display link configured to connect a display subsystem to the logic subsystem, and an adaptive device link configured to operatively couple an adaptive device to the logic subsystem. The embodiment further includes an active desktop to host an active application and present the active application on the display subsystem, the active application having active focus. An active-desktop director may pass non-adaptive-device input to the active application having active focus. The embodiment further includes a hidden desktop to host a hidden application having hidden focus specific to the adaptive device while the active application has active focus on the active desktop. A hidden-desktop director may route adaptive-device input to the hidden application having hidden focus.
US08108575B2
A method according to one embodiment includes receiving a request to perform a backup of data associated with an application running on multiple servers; calculating a time value based on communications with the servers, the time value calculation including at least one of a latency of at least one of the communications, and a difference between a reference time clock value and a time clock value of at least one of the servers; and communicating with I/O Handlers on the servers for initiating a coordinated backup operation on the data at about a same start time. Additional systems, methods, and computer program products are also disclosed.
US08108569B1
A system and method for transferring data flows, such as streaming video or audio signals, between end devices that are members of the same end device group is provided. A network examining module identifies end devices having an active data flow. A data session populating module populates a data store for an end device group identifying end devices having active data flows. A managing module determines which end devices are compatible for a data flow to be transferred. The data flow transferring module transfers the active data flow from one group member end device to another group member end device.
US08108566B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server including a memory and a controller that is programmed to receive a first User Interface (UI) device configuration from a first computing device that is associated with a first gamer and to provide configuration data over a network to a second computing device for presentation of a Graphical User Interface that displays a plurality of UI device configurations including the first UI device configuration. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08108563B2
A processing system and method for communicating in a processing system over a bus is disclosed. The processing system includes a receiving device, a bus having first, second and third channels, and a sending device configured to address the receiving device on the first channel, and read a payload from the receiving device on the second channel, the sending device being further configured to select between the first and third channels to write a payload to the receiving device.
US08108553B2
A method and apparatus is provided to allow telephony or other types of media communications and services to be provided for a device having a private network address that resides behind a firewall and network address and port translation (NAPT) module (which is not aware of the underlying protocol for the communications and services). Examples of the underlying protocol includes the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Real-Time Protocol (RTP). A path through the firewall and NAPT module is defined by use of keep-alive messages communicated through the firewall and network address translator. Addresses that are allocated by the firewall and NATP module are associated with the device for both signaling and media communications. A feature of the firewall that enables the provision of telephony and media communications through the firewall that is protocol-unaware is that the firewall allows responses to messages initiated by the device back through the firewall.
US08108540B2
A system for aggregating context information for messages. The system includes a context container. The context container associates names with context values and metadata for context entries. The system further includes a network protocol component configured to read messages from a network transport, an encoder component configured translate messages from a raw format into a canonical message format. The canonical message format is an enveloped message containing an application payload and message metadata. The context container is associated with a message in the canonical format. The system further includes an extraction component configured to retrieve context from a native network transport protocol and insert the context values and metadata into the context container, a plurality of additional protocol components configured to add, remove, or modify entries in the context container, and one or more higher level application components configured to operate on the canonical message using the context entries.
US08108539B2
A method for the temporal synchronization of data packets of at least one media data flow with scene data files describing at least one scene and/or the data packets of said data files, in a unidirectional broadcast system. The data packets of the media data flow are each provided with a first time mark relating to a first reference time, and the scene data files and/or the data packets thereof are each provided with a second time mark relating to a second reference time. At least one time mark allocation data flow is transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver, the first time marks of the media data flow and the second time marks of the scene data files and/or the data packets thereof being respectively associated with a third time mark relating to a third reference time.
US08108536B1
A computer-implemented method for determining the trustworthiness of a server may comprise: 1) identifying a streaming application that originates from a server, 2) determining a trust level for the server, and then 3) determining, based on the trust level, whether to stream the streaming application from the server. The trust level for the server may be determined by comparing current streams (or portions of current streams) received from the server with prior streams to detect change, by communicating with peer computing systems or reputation services, and/or by analyzing locally stored information. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08108522B2
A method, information processing system, and computer program storage product for associating jobs with resource subsets in a job scheduler. At least one job class that defines characteristics associated with a type of job is received. A list of resource identifiers for a set of resources associated with the job class is received. A set of resources available on at least one information processing system is received. The resource identifiers are compared with each resource in the set of resources available on the information processing system. A job associated with the job class with is scheduled with a set of resources determined to be usable by the job based on the comparing.
US08108517B2
System and method for collecting and analyzing information on application-level activity and other user information on a mobile data network. A platform non-intrusively and transparently monitors data activity on a mobile data network in real-time so that user-level information can be reported to an operator. The platform comprises a plurality of collectors, a data manager, and a report manager. The collectors communicate with network routers to almost all network data. The collectors inspect the data for IP addresses and correlate them to user mobile phone numbers. The data manager receives the data and augments it with information obtained by querying carrier information. The data manager stores the data and monitors it to see if it satisfies a set of defined real-time reports. The report manager then works with the data manager to develop and test new reports based on operator instructions for a specific report.
US08108514B2
A method, information processing system, and computer program storage product manage network layer addresses in a cluster multi-processing environment. Network address assignment in a cluster multi-processing environment is monitored. A network address currently assigned to a first network interface is determined, in response to monitoring network address assignment, to have been assigned to a second network interface. The first network interface is triggered to send an update message to at least one computing node communicatively coupled to the first network interface triggering in response to determining that a network address currently assigned to a first network interface has been assigned to a second network interface. The update message informs the computing node to transmit data associated with the network address to the first network interface.
US08108510B2
In an OSS, storing a plurality, typically less than all, of name-value pairs from a sample space and calculating a “representative” value based on values in the entire sample space. Optionally, a “remainder” value can be generated based on name-value pairs in the sample space that were not stored as part of the plurality of name-value pairs. Displays may be generated based on the top “M” name-value pairs, with “M” typically being set by the user at some number less than “M.”
US08108509B2
A system for converting content data transmitted over a computer network from a first computer to a second computer is disclosed. Content data comprising text or audio data is input into the first computer. The content data is digitized to produce digitized content data. If the content data comprises audio data, the data is digitized through a speech to text process. Parameters controlling the modification of the digitized content data are received from a user of a second computer. The parameters are input into a graphical user interface provided for the user and dictate output voice characteristics such as, gender, expression, accent, and language. The digitized content data is altered in accordance with the content data output characteristics specified by the user, and then provided to the second computer for output as modified voice data.
US08108495B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for managing network devices. A central management system stores shared configuration objects in a central configuration database. A network device stores shared configuration objects and device-specific configuration objects in a local configuration database. The local configuration database's shared configuration objects correspond to shared configuration objects in the central configuration database. The network device can be configured locally or using the central management system.
US08108489B2
To allow many users to efficiently use functions of a processing server that performs predetermined processing, via a network and also prevent a time during which an user can use the processing server, from being shortened due to a difference between the times recognized by the user side and processing server side. In a content supply system 100, in order to use a streaming server 102 to perform a live distribution, an user PC 106 to be used makes a reservation for a time zone, etc. to a server reservation control center 101 over the Internet 103. When the reservation is accepted, the server reservation control center 101 sends the real time information of the service provider side that controls the service time of the streaming server 102 based on the reservation, over the Internet 103.
US08108485B1
A method of operating a communication server system is provided. The method includes monitoring communications exchanged between a first communication device and a second communication device for a transmission of data from the first communication device to the second communication device, and in response to detecting the transmission of the data, storing a copy of the data. The method further includes receiving a request for the data from a third communication device, and in response to the request, transmitting the data to the third communication device. The method also includes receiving a download credit from the third communication device in response to transmitting the data to the third communication device, and transmitting the download credit to the first communication device.
US08108480B2
A pull-based parallel video server system and method of implementation useful in an on-demand video system includes a plurality of slave admission schedulers operating in parallel with a master admission scheduler to back up the master admission scheduler that controls access to an array of pull-based video servers according to a protocol that accounts for jitter and loss of packets, as well as network delays. A transport protocol is provided that improves video data throughput under such conditions. To determine the architecture and functional requirements of the redundant admission schedulers, an analytical tool in the form of a performance model has been developed that incorporates network delays, delay jitters and packet losses on the communication links between the clients, schedulers and servers.
US08108479B2
The invention provides a technique of automatically checking the validation of a destination address to which electronic mail is to be transferred. If the destination address is validated, the transfer of the mail to the address is permitted, so that no mail is transferred to the wrong address. An electronic mail management device (1, 2) for managing the destination addresses to which electronic mail is to be transferred comprises: means for receiving a request to set a destination address corresponding to a receiving mail address, and means for checking the validity of the destination address.
US08108470B2
A message management system and method is described. A message control unit includes a dispatch rule, a role table, and a dispatch engine. The dispatch rule defines system identification, message type, and corresponding client identification and mail role. The role table defines client identification, mail role, and corresponding message recipient. The dispatch engine receives a plurality of messages from a plurality of systems, and transmits the messages to corresponding recipients according to the dispatch rule, the role table, and content.
US08108459B1
A Virtual Collectible Distribution Network generates and distributes Virtual Collectible objects, each potentially possessing unique properties, over a computer network such as the Internet, to a group of users. The Distribution Network utilizes a client-server system. The client software can be standalone or embedded in another application, such as a web browser or game. In one scenario, the client software observes certain behaviors of the user, and communicates such behavior to the server, which process is transparent to the user. The server, based on the communications from the client, predefined algorithm, and other factors, may decide to award the user with a Virtual Collectible. In another scenario, the user may interact with other users on the Distribution Network by communicating and trading the Virtual Collectibles with one another, as well as participating in single-player or multiplayer online games that utilizes Virtual Collectibles.
US08108453B2
A system and method are provided for efficiently switching a loop bandwidth using stored values in a digital filter of a phase-locked loop system. In a first timeslice, an input signal is digitally filtered using base coefficients multiplied by stored filter output and input values from previous timeslices. The filter output value is used to acquire the input signal frequency in a first bandwidth. In response to changes in the input signal frequency, the input signal is digitally filtered in a predetermined number of first intermediate period timeslices using transient coefficients multiplied by stored filter output and input values from previous timeslices. As a result, the first filter output value is maintained within a predetermined range. In a second timeslice, the input signal is digitally filtered using base coefficients multiplied by stored filter output and input values from previous timeslices to acquire the input signal frequency in a second bandwidth.
US08108443B2
A statement is provided having a clause that can specify an aggregate function that is performed on a set of data. The statement may alter the data in the data set by deleting or updating the data. The clause may be a returning clause that accepts one or more aggregate functions for its arguments, operates on the set of data, and returns the result of the aggregate function without returning the entire set of data. Alternatively, a statement is provided for changing multiple sets of data without the need to place the multiple sets in a single array.
US08108442B2
According to one embodiment, a data storage system includes a storage medium coupled to a compression appliance. The compression appliance is operable to selectively compress data that is stored on the storage medium. The compression appliance selectively compresses the data according to a lower compression threshold and an upper compression threshold such that a useful compression level is achieved while balancing processor loading.
US08108436B2
An electronic calendar includes such features as recurring reminders, dividing unpredictable work loads into equal pieces, template free parsing, a reminders scheduling algorithm to reduce spikes, dynamic delivery and recovery algorithms, methods for splitting the work load between controllers and workers and for monitoring progress, all within the context of a calendar architecture for a large enterprise.
US08108427B2
A method and system for controlling access to stored data is provided. The storage access control system leverages a preexisting security infrastructure of a system to inform the proper access control that should be applied to data stored outside of its original location, such as a data backup. The storage access control system may place similar access control restrictions on the backup files that existed on the original files. In this way, the backed up data is given similar protection as that of the original data.
US08108418B2
An agent based system assists in preparing an individual for an upcoming meeting by helping him/her retrieve relevant information about the meeting from various sources based on preexisting information in the system. The system obtains input text in character form indicative of the target meeting from a calendar program that includes the time of the meeting. As the time of the meeting approaches, the calendar program is queried to obtain the text of the target event and that information is utilized as input to the agent system. Then, the agent system parses the input meeting text to extract its various components such as title, body, participants, location, time etc. The system also performs pattern matching to identify particular meeting fields in a meeting text.
US08108403B2
A content server receives metadata describing content that is to be uploaded from a client computer to the content server. A prediction is made as to how long it will take to upload and/or process the content. Based on this predication, an appropriate-length user engagement content is transmitted to the client computer for a user to view while the content is being uploaded and/or processed.
US08108395B2
The present invention relates to the field of network computing, and in particular to method and system for designing a Web Portal comprising a hierarchical structure of portal pages and portlets for accessing Web contents accessible via the Portal. A typical larger enterprise's portal contains large numbers, e.g., thousands of pages and portlets. Due to the complexity of an enterprise portal, manual administration is inefficient as it is time-consuming, error-prone and thus expensive. In order to overcome these disadvantages, it is proposed that a Portal according to the invention performs some mining of the portlet markup and/or that of the portlet description in order to autonomously compute and propose an enhanced portal content structure. This helps to provide a user-friendly content structure that reflects well the relationships between portlets.
US08108394B2
A system, method and computer-readable medium provide for assigning sampling methods to each input stream for arbitrary query sets in a data stream management system. The method embodiment comprises splitting all query nodes in a query directed acyclic graph (DAG) having multiple parent nodes into sets of independent nodes having a single parent, computing a grouping set for every node in each set of independent nodes, reconciling each parent node with each child node in each set of independent node, reconciling between multiple child nodes that share a parent node and generating a final grouping set for at least one node describing how to sample an input stream for that node.
US08108390B2
A system is described for targeting data to a site referenced on a page based on a condition. The system may include a processor, a memory, and an interface. The memory may be operatively connected to the processor and the interface and may store a data, a site, a condition, and a page containing content. The interface may be operatively connected to the memory and the processor and may communicate the page to a user. The processor may identify the data, site, condition, and page containing content. The processor may add the data to the page if the content of the page satisfies the condition.
US08108385B2
Systems and methods, including user interfaces, are provided for implementing searches using contextual information associated with a Web page (or other document) that a user is viewing when a query is entered. The page includes a contextual search interface that has an associated context vector representing content of the page. When the user submits a search query via the contextual search interface, the query and the context vector are both provided to the query processor and used in responding to the query.
US08108382B1
Optimizing the execution of a query in a multi-database system includes identifying a region within a table, the table being referenced in the query. The region is stored on a data-storage device on a first of the system databases in the multi-database system. The region is stored on a data-storage device on a second of the system databases in the multi-database system, the second system database being a different system database than the first system database. A first access plan for the query is developed, the first access plan comprising accessing the version of the region stored on the first system database. A second access plan for the query is developed, the second access plan comprising accessing the version of the region stored on the second system database. A selection is made between the first access plan and the second access plan to execute the query. The query is executed using the selected access plan to produce a result. The result is stored.
US08108363B2
A system analyzing apparatus analyzes a processing state of a computer system that includes a plurality of types of unit processing. The system analyzing apparatus includes a selecting unit that selects a plurality of representative unit processing based on similarities between individual units of the unit processing; and a grouping unit that groups each unit processing based on similarity between the each unit processing and each of representative unit processing selected by the selecting unit.
US08108358B2
A file management method of a server is implemented on a Linux operating system of the server. The method includes the steps of determining if there is a file deleted; when the result is yes, searching for an actual disk block location at which the deleted file is originally located and then recovering the deleted file; moving the recovered file to a predetermined location; and changing an access privilege level of the Linux operating system.
US08108349B1
A system for directory replication and integration is provided. The system comprises a computer system and an application, that when executed on the computer system, analyzes a first structure of a first directory services database and generates a plurality of configuration files based on the analysis of the first structure of the first directory services database. The system also creates a second structure using the configuration files and tests the second structure using load and performance profiles and adjusts the second structure based on the results of the tests. The system also replicates entries in first directory services database to a second directory services database according to the second structure.
US08108344B2
A system includes a server to receive a request representing changes to data residing at a device. The request is received from the device that is coupled to the server. The server includes a first synchronizer to identify the changes via web services description. The server further includes a second synchronizer to synchronize the identified changes with the data at the device to update the data at the device.
US08108341B2
A method of enabling identification of information content having enhanced desirability to a user comprises collecting content into an information database, updating the collected content according to one or more updating schedules, filtering the updated content by reference to at least one theme, associating each of the filtered content items with a respective visual representation, and labeling the respective visual representations with one or more visual cues corresponding to one or more discrimination criteria. A system for enabling same comprises an information database configured to store collected content and accessible via a content server, an aggregator configured to update the collected content, an interactive content selection application configured to provide a user interface enabling filtering of the updated collected content, and a visualization module configured to associate the filtered content items with a visual representation and label each with one or more visual cues.
US08108338B2
Techniques for replicating data in a system having a data tier with a plurality of data sources and an application tier with a plurality of applications are provided. Such techniques can include creating an instance of an information model of the data that is specified by a schema. The model can be created in a form that is suitable for manipulation by at least one of the applications and that forms at least a portion of a model tier that is intermediate the data tier and the application tier. A replica of an instance of the information model can be created in a form suitable for remote transmission, and a consistency policy can be obtained that specifies a level of consistency required between the instance of the information model and the replica.
US08108333B2
Probability densities are calculated. According to an example embodiment, a Gaussian probability density is computed for a set of data representing a multivariate Gaussian distribution (Gaussian) by matching moments of truncated distributions. A distribution is projected onto dimensions of the set of data to generate cavity-local Gaussians. For the set of data, site-local univariate Gaussians are selected so that the moments match cavity-local univariate Gaussians (the moments of the product of the cavity-local Gaussians and the selected site-local univariate Gaussians, match the moments of the product of the cavity-local Gaussians and the cavity-local truncations). The selected site-local univariate Gaussians are aggregated globally to form a new global Gaussian.
US08108329B2
A system and process for incorporating recommendation boosting in an automated recommendation system includes receiving recommendation boost instructions, receiving a request for one or more recommendations, receiving a set of recommendations from one or more automated recommendation systems, with each recommendation system utilizing selection models or user models and modifying the set of product recommendations according to the recommendation boost instructions.
US08108327B2
A system and method for a computer-based training in which a user is presented with a first training session associated with a learning strategy. Quantitative data concerning the first training session is gathered and evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the learning strategy for the user. A user is presented with a second training session associated with a different learning strategy based on the determined effectiveness of the first learning strategy.
US08108324B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for training a Support Vector Machine (SVM) on a subset of features (d′) of a feature set having (d) features of a plurality of training instances to obtain a weight per instance, approximating a quality for the d features of the feature set using the weight per instance, ranking the d features of the feature set based on the approximated quality, and selecting a subset (q) of the features of the feature set based on the ranked approximated quality. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08108323B2
Embodiments are directed towards using a community of weighted results from local and global message classifiers to determine whether a message is spam. Each local classifier may receive a message that is to be evaluated to determine whether it is spam. A local classifier receives the message and performs a classification of the message. The local classifier may receive predictions of whether the message is spam from at least one global classifier. The local and global predictions are combined using, in one embodiment, a regression analysis to generate a single local message classification. Combining the local and global predictions is directed towards enabling a community of predictions to be used to classify messages. The user may then re-classify this output, which in turn is used as feedback to modify weights to the local and received global predictions for a next message.
US08108322B2
Systems and methods of insuring payment of a proper amount of postage, comprise receiving payment for an amount of postage, affixing a postage indicia to a piece of mail, wherein the postage indicia includes the postage amount in a format readable only by machine, and adjusting the postage amount at a time subsequent to receipt of payment.
US08108309B2
A method and system are described for protecting a manufactured item from counterfeiting. The manufactured item, which is marked with an identifier, such as a serial number, is associated with a code generator that has secret functions and data for generating verification codes. The manufactured item is then supplied along with the corresponding code generator. Thereafter, the identifier from the manufactured item and the verification code generated by the code generator are used to verify authenticity of the manufactured item.
US08108307B1
A system, method and apparatus for exchanging value using a smart card in a financial transaction is disclosed. The system includes a smart card having a contact interface and a contactless interface interactive with a closed purse application and an open purse application controlled by a microprocessor. The closed purse application contains application-specific value, while the open purse contains general value. The application-specific value and general value are each compatible within the system of the invention to perform and settle the financial transaction. The financial transaction may include the smart card communicating with a load terminal or a transaction terminal to add or change the amount of value on the smart card. Further, the present invention include auto-load functionality for adding an amount of value to the smart card. Finally, applications such as a transportation application and a loyalty application are described.
US08108299B1
An aspect comprises: (a) receiving data describing a trading order; (b) checking the data to determine whether a first set of conditions is satisfied, wherein the first set of conditions is associated with a first set of trading algorithms, and determining that the first set of pre-defined conditions is satisfied; (c) selecting first trading algorithms from the first set of trading algorithms, for execution of the trading order; (d) commencing execution of the trading order; (e) checking, during execution of the trading order, status of the trading order and the first set of conditions; (f) if the first set of conditions is no longer satisfied, checking whether a second set of conditions is satisfied; and (g) if the second set of conditions is satisfied, switching execution of the trading order to second trading algorithms selected from a second set of trading algorithms associated with the second set of conditions.
US08108297B2
A fair exchange is disclosed to reduce potential inequities in an electronic trading environment. Market data is sent from a host system to client devices through one or more synchronized local communication servers such that the data can be displayed simultaneously or nearly simultaneously at each client device. Market data sent to client devices might include price information. Likewise, a host system may transaction data sent from client devices via the local communication servers. The ordering of transaction data is based, at least in part, on when the local communication servers received the transaction data from the client devices. Transaction data sent to a host system might include order information.
US08108296B2
A method of making payment. A request is received to effect payment between a buyer and a seller for a transaction having established terms. The terms include a payment amount and a settlement date. Messages are exchanged between the buyer and the seller that include an offer and acceptance of new terms for payment other than the established terms. The new terms include an adjusted amount of payment to be made at a particular time after an event associated with the transaction. An electronic notification that the event has occurred is received, and after the notification, payment between the buyer and seller is effected under the new terms. In one implementation, a digital signature indicating acceptance of the new terms is received. Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a method of effecting payment that includes receiving requests to effect a set of transactions with a set of entities. Requests for offers of terms different than the established terms are sent to the entities, and the different terms are to apply to payment made at a particular time after the event. Offers are received in response to the requests, and a set of offers among the offers is selected based on a set of one or more criteria. Requests for offers and selection of the offers may be made based on a goal seeking process. Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a method of making payment involving a buyer, seller and a third party, such as a financial institution. A system for making payment is also described.
US08108292B1
Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, methods and computer program products for automatically reallocating assets by directing assets from a primary fund to secondary fund, where the primary and secondary funds have distinct but complementary investment strategies. For example, to reallocate assets held in a primary portfolio of a mutual fund, embodiments of the present invention create a secondary portfolio within the mutual fund. Then, using earnings from the primary portfolio, embodiments of the present invention purchase at least one asset to be held in the secondary portfolio and grow that asset by continuing to direct earnings from the primary portfolio to the secondary portfolio. When the asset reaches a predetermined size, embodiments of the present invention transfer the asset to a newly created and separately managed mutual fund.
US08108282B2
A method for funding IP procurement for non-profits such as universities and other non-profits that conduct research, includes providing a fund to hold interests in intellectual properties of a non-profit organization, receiving investments from investors to add to the fund to fund acquisition of intellectual properties of the non-profit, by machine, storing information regarding the investments, intellectual properties, and the investors into a database and distributing shares in the fund according to the value of investments made in the fund.
US08108272B2
A financial institution computer maintains one or more lists of account identifiers for accounts enrolled in a prioritized payment program including pre-authorization of certain payment requests by select creditors. The computer estimates a value of one or more prioritized payments associated with a first account and authorizes a first sweep payment to a second account at a second financial institution from a third stand-in account at a payroll processor, so that the estimated value is held back in the stand-in account. Then the computer receives an automatic deposit associated with an account identifier for a first account. The financial institution computer generates prioritized payments from the first account to select creditors and generates a second sweep payment, if necessary, from the first account to the second account, responsive to the incoming automatic deposit. The second account can be, for example, a demand deposit account or a prepaid card account.
US08108268B1
The disclosure enables a buyer to beat an advertised price and make a deal and a donation via a network by specifying at least one of a product and a service desired for purchase by the buyer, calculating a price range from a real-time network search of a comparable advertised product or service and making an offer to at least one registered seller based on a graded price from the price range comprising the seller's asking price. Furthermore, the disclosure transacts a deal between the buyer and a seller and transfers a difference between the graded price and the seller's asking price to a charity or a third party of the buyer's choice. Also, a loss difference to the seller between the seller's asking price and a graded price may be donated to a charity of the seller's choosing from the seller's proceeds and a difference with the graded price.
US08108264B1
A method and apparatus allows offering and selling items based on a non-public target price. The target price is initially established in advance for a given item and is not known to potential buyers. Offers for the item are accepted and a transaction is completed if an offer exceeds or is equal to the target price. A target price sale may be conducted in conjunction with a traditional auction. During such an auction-phase, bids are accepted in a traditional manner and the item is sold if the ending bid is higher than a reserve price. The establishment of a target price allows the seller to define an acceptable price in a private sale independent of circumstances, and the non-public nature of the target price allows the seller to control the process. In the case that a traditional auction is also conducted, the existence of both target sale and auction phases can maximize the expected sale price of the item.
US08108249B2
A method and system for predicting the profit attributable to a proposed sales promotion of a product, wherein the product has a wholesale price and a manufacturing cost per unit sales, including establishing a base volume for sales of the product in the absence of promotions; determining a sales lift for the plurality of single promotions; and correlating the sales lift with promotion information to provide a sales lift model. The method and system also include proposing a promotion having a cost per unit sales for a promotion time period and having a planned sale price for the product; applying the sales lift model to the proposed promotion to predict sales of the product for the promotion time period; and calculating manufacturer profit based upon the product's predicted sales, cost per unit sales for promotion, wholesale price, and manufacturing cost per unit sales during the promotion time period.
US08108240B2
An Internet (or World-Wide-Web or other such public or private network) based business card and contact management system capable of conveying and managing advertising as well as traditional and other non-traditional business contact information. The invention is a system that: (1) accepts a Universal Contact Locator (UCL) as encoded on a business card in man and/or machine readable format and, when the Universal Contact Locator (UCL) is entered into a client program running on a client computer, (2) causes a web browser (or like program) and associated communications software to establish a communications session with a remote server computer which (3) accesses the stored contact and advertisement and news information of the card issuer associated with the Universal Contact Locator and (4) downloads the business contact and/or personal contact information and targeted advertisements and news items associated with the Universal Contact Locator to a client program running on a client computer which (5) loads the contact data into the Contact Management or Personal Information Management (PIM) system of the users choosing running on the users client computer and (6) stores the advertisements and news items downloaded from the server computer on the client computer's secondary storage device (i.e. hard disk) and (7) causes the advertisements and news items stored on the client computer's secondary storage device to be displayed to the user on a predetermined schedule in a portion of the client computer's output device (i.e. CRT or LCD panel).
US08108237B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for an optimizing operations at a contact center. In one embodiment, an integrated contact center comprises: a workforce manager comprising a scheduler and a tracking function; and a lesson assignment function configured to receive at least one indicator of performance of the agent, and further configured to assign a lesson to the agent based on the at least one indicator.
US08108231B2
Disclosed herein is an improvement to a reservation booking website for rental vehicle reservations wherein the functionality of managing customer profiles/accounts is expanded upon to provide customers with greater control over the profile data stored in their associated personalized accounts/profiles, particularly in connection with the “favorite” or “preferred” branch locations for rental vehicle reservations that are stored in the customer profiles/accounts. Also disclosed herein is an improvement to a reservation booking website wherein customers who plan to travel via general aviation (GA) are provided with a GA reservation creation path that is responsive to their GA travel needs. Also disclosed herein is an improvement to a reservation booking website for rental vehicle reservations wherein customers are provided with a streamlined ability to log into their customer profiles/accounts. Preferably fields for customer entry of a password for a customer profile/account (and optionally a field for customer entry of a user name for a customer profile/account) are provided on several of the displayed web pages (e.g., a choose vehicle page, a renter information page, a choose location page etc.), or more preferably, on all of the web pages that are displayed to the customer when the customer has not yet logged into his/her profile/account.
US08108225B2
A method, system, and software for analyzing third party payments for provider service includes processing third party payment information data and processing provider services billing data provided to the third party to request payment. The method automatically validates provider services billing data against other provider services data and generating a report listing discrepancies between the third party payment information data, the provider services billing data, and the other provider services data.
US08108215B2
An apparatus and method for recognizing paraphrases of uttered phrases, such as place names. At least one keyword contained in a speech utterance is recognized. Then, the keyword(s) contained in the speech utterance are re-recognized using a phrase including the keyword(s). Based on both recognition results, it is determined whether a paraphrase could have been uttered. If a paraphrase could have been uttered, a phrase corresponding to the paraphrase is determined as a result of speech recognition of the speech utterance.
US08108214B2
Embodiments of a dialog system that utilizes contextual information to perform recognition of proper names are described. Unlike present name recognition methods on large name lists that generally focus strictly on the static aspect of the names, embodiments of the present system take into account of the temporal, recency and context effect when names are used, and formulates new questions to further constrain the search space or grammar for recognition of the past and current utterances.
US08108209B2
The present invention proposes a new method for improving the performance of a real-valued filterbank based spectral envelope adjuster. By adaptively locking the gain values for adjacent channels dependent on the sign of the channels, as defined in the application, reduced aliasing is achieved. Furthermore, the grouping of the channels during gain-calculation, gives an improved energy estimate of the real valued subband signals in the filterbank.
US08108207B1
Configurations herein provide a language processing mechanism operable to define a machine vocabulary and identify a machine language version of the words that preserves context and identifies the proper definition of the words by identifying and preserving context of a particular set of words, such as a sentence or paragraph. The machine vocabulary includes a definition section for each definition of a word. Each definition section includes a set of one or more definition elements. The definition elements include a predetermined format of definition fields, and each has a corresponding mask indicative of significant definition fields. The set of definition elements corresponding to a particular definition describe the usage of the word in a context matching that particular definition. Each definition element captures a characteristic of the definition according to fuzzy logic such that the definition elements collectively capture the context.
US08108204B2
A method of providing weighted concepts related to a sequence of one or more words, including: providing on a computer an encyclopedia with concepts and a document explaining each concept, forming a vector, which contains the frequency of the word for each concept, for each word in the encyclopedia, arranging the vector according to the frequency of appearance of the word for each concept, selecting the concepts with the highest frequencies for each word from the vector, truncating the rest of the vector, inducing a feature generator using the truncated vectors; wherein the feature generator is adapted to receive as input one or more words and provide a list of weighted concepts, which are most related to the one or more words provided as input.
US08108202B2
Disclosed is a machine translation method for a PDF file. A machine translation device extracts source language text and non-text from the input source language PDF file through image transformation, corrects the extracted source language text by using the source language text extracted from text information, restores a part that is contextually separated by the non-text from among the extracted source language text, generates a source language XML/HTML file by rearranging the extracted text and non-text so as to satisfy the contextual flow of the source language PDF file, separates source language text from a tag of the source language XML/HTML file, generates target language text by using translation knowledge and a transformation engine specified for the technical field corresponding to the source language PDF file, inserts the translated target language text other than source language text into XML/HTML file, and transforms the generated target language XML/HTML file into a target language PDF file to be output.
US08108200B2
A system includes a client and an interface component. The client includes (i) a device manager associated with a field device in a process control system and (ii) a first emulator configured to emulate a communication manager. The device manager defines a user interface associated with the field device. The interface component includes (i) a second emulator configured to emulate the device manager and (ii) the communication manager. The communication manager is configured to communicate with the field device over a communication link using a specified protocol. The client is physically separated from the interface component. The communication manager could represent a communication Device Type Manager (DTM), and the device manager could represent a device DTM. Also, the first emulator could emulate at least some functions of the communication DTM, and the second emulator could emulate at least some functions of the device DTM.
US08108191B1
Apparatus to exercise electrical motor drivers by electrically simulating a geared electric or electrical motor by providing an electronic load for the power signals that are applied to it. Current levels in the load are monitored in real-time using gate array logic and digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms to determine torque, acceleration, velocity and/or position data of the motor and gear train. Motor and gear train positional signals are generated and fed back to the motor driver device to close the servo loop. Control algorithms within the gate array and DSP accurately simulate the motor inertia and act to simulate a physical motor under varying load conditions. A control interface modifies critical motor parameters such as inertia, losses, gear ratio, and loading.
US08108190B2
A joint simulator for duplicating the biomechanical properties of body segments with joints. In one embodiment, the joint simulator includes a body model of the body segment to be simulated, controllable drive elements which are coupled mechanically with the body model in such a way that movements of the body model which correspond to real biomechanical joint movements of the body segment to be simulated can be effected by controlling the drive elements, a sensor arrangement for detecting forces and movements introduced by an examining person on the body model and a programmable control device for controlling the drive elements, whereby the control device is configured such that the measured signals processed by the sensor arrangement are introduced into a computer.
US08108187B2
A method and system of surface analysis or product design comprising using a plurality of input scans, commonly orienting the scans, establishing a common origin, creating a ray mesh having a plurality of rays extending from the origin, calculating intersections of the rays with the input scans, analyzing the intersection along each ray, generating percentile envelopes by connecting similar percentile points on each ray, and designing products using percentile envelopes as a guide. The system may comprise a device for scanning surfaces, a fit plan setting forth predetermined guidelines for the product, a coordinate transformation algorithm, an envelope processor comprising an intersection calculation algorithm for analyzing data sets and generating output surfaces, and an output file.
US08108183B2
A computer-based method for load testing a web application. The computer-based method includes selecting one or more uniform resource locator (URL) parameters, identifying the selected parameters by parameter type, and loading the web application with URLs created by randomly generating the selected URL parameters. An electronic system adapted to load test a web application utilizing random parameter generation.
US08108177B2
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to systems and methods for detecting, calculating, and displaying the time-of-flight or hang-time of a moving and jumping object such as a skier or snowboarder by using at least one accelerometer secured within a small wearable device. In one embodiment, the device includes: a static acceleration detection device for detecting the static acceleration of the object over at least first, second, and-third periods of time as the object respectively moves, jumps in at least first, second, and third trajectories, and lands at least first, second, and third times along the surface thereby defining at least respective first, second, and third time-of-flight events; a calculating device for determining the approximate time-of-flight of the object during the first, second, and third time-of-flight events; and a display device for displaying in a readable format the approximate time-of-flights associated with the first, second, and third time-of-flight events.
US08108174B2
The present invention relates to process I/O controllers for semiconductor manufacturing to which a tool host can delegate data collection, monitoring and control tasks. In particular, it relates to process I/O controllers that can perform more than one of data collection, monitoring, control and response to commands from a tool host with statistically repeatable performance and precision. Embodiments described use prioritized real time operating systems to control of semiconductor manufacturing tools and data collection from tool associated with the sensors. Statistically repeatable responsiveness to selected commands and to sensor inputs during selected recipe steps effectively reduces jitter.
US08108173B2
A sensor that determines information related to a gaseous analyte in a body of fluid. The sensor comprises an emitter, a luminescable medium, a radiation sensor, and a processor. The emitter emits electromagnetic radiation having an oscillating intensity. The luminescable medium communicates with the body of fluid and emits luminescent radiation in response to the received electromagnetic radiation. The radiation sensor receives the luminescent radiation, and generates an output signal based on the intensity of the received luminescent radiation. The processor samples the output signal generated by the radiation sensor at two or more predetermined periodic points over the oscillation of the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation to determine information from the samples related to a phase difference between the oscillation of the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter and oscillation of the intensity of the luminescent radiation received by the radiation sensor.
US08108171B2
Calibration systems and methods simultaneously calibrate a magnetic compass and gyroscopes. An exemplary embodiment rotates the field calibration system. Based upon the rotation sensed by the magnetic compass and the gyroscopes, the field calibration system determines compensation for both the magnetic compass and the gyroscopes.
US08108170B1
A method and system for increasing optical instrument calibration and prediction accuracy within and across different optical instrument platforms can comprise two main submethods or routines. The first routine can include one for correcting differences among optical instruments of different model types regardless of the manufacturer and correcting differences among optical instruments of the same model type. The second main routine or sub-method can include one for analyzing new samples of a product over time and maintaining prediction accuracy as compared to a reference method over time. The first routine can include a “TRANS” procedure, a “MIN” procedure, and checkcell tests. The second main routine provides techniques on how a product database can be cleaned, condensed, and expanded automatically as it is used by one or more different optical instruments.
US08108160B2
Methods and systems for determining a state of charge of a battery are provided. A first component of the state of charge is calculated based on a first property of the battery. A second component of the state of charge is calculated based on a second property of the battery. The first component of the state of charge is weighted based on a rate of change of the first property relative to a change of the state of charge. The second component of the state of charge is weighted based on a rate of change of the second property relative to a change of the state of charge. The state of charge is determined based on the first and second weighted components.
US08108156B2
Methods, program products, and computer systems for estimating a stress of a toughened structural adhesive polymer are provided. One method comprises selecting a strain, a strain rate, a temperature, or a combination thereof at which the stress is to be estimated. A value of a strain-hardening stress of the toughened structural adhesive polymer is determined, wherein the value of the strain-hardening stress is dependent on the temperature and the strain. A value of a non-strain-hardening stress of the toughened structural adhesive polymer is determined, wherein the value of the non-strain-hardening stress is dependent on the strain, the strain rate, and the temperature. The value of the strain-hardening stress is added to the value of the non-strain-hardening stress to obtain an estimated total stress.
US08108155B2
A system for monitoring the quality of maintenance performed on a wind turbine. A restoration factor is used to determine the quality of maintenance performed of the wind turbine. A restoration factor determined after a scheduled maintenance is compared to historical and comparative references to determine the quality of the maintenance performed on the wind turbine. Based upon these comparisons, maintenance of the wind turbine may be modified to increase the capacity of the wind turbine.
US08108153B2
The disclosed technology relates to the creation of creating an indexing system. The indexing system is created by selecting a macromolecule structure and determining a reference mass and an adjacent ion mass. The reference mass and the adjacent ion mass associated with the macromolecule structure are then stored in the indexing system.
US08108138B2
A method is present for generating a route for a vehicle. A start point and an end point are identified for the vehicle. A spatial model of terrain encompassing the start point and the end point is identified to form an identified spatial model. The route for the vehicle is generated from the start point to the end point using the spatial model based on a cost to traverse a grid point within a grid to meet a number of criteria for energy management for the vehicle.
US08108136B2
The invention is an intelligent advisory system, which may be based on fuzzy rule-based logic to guide a vehicle driver in selecting an optimal driving strategy to achieve best fuel economy. The advisory system includes separate controllers for providing advisory information regarding driver demand for power and advisory information regarding vehicle braking, which are conveyed to the driver.
US08108125B2
Engine surge includes oscillations in engine torque resulting in bucking or jerking motion of a vehicle that may degrade driver experience. The present application relates to increasing reformate entering an example engine cylinder in response to engine surge.
US08108123B2
A system and method for using a sliding mode control algorithm to control flow rates from air handling actuators and fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine. The sliding mode control is based on an engine model that represents the engine in terms of pressure and oxygen content states of the intake and exhaust manifolds (as a linear term) and controllable flow rates (as a nonlinear term).
US08108110B2
An agricultural working or harvesting machine has at least one working unit and a driver's cab in which, in a basic electronic display area of a display unit, several machine and/or crop material parameters set up in different functionality windows are visualized. The machine and/or crop material parameters set up in the functionality windows are activated and controlled using an operating device, and, in the working mode at least, at least one additional display area that includes the functionality window superimposed on the basic display area is displayable in the display unit, it being possible to control and activate the at least one functionality window of the additional display area using at least one separate operating device.
US08108106B2
A motion control system is applied to a vehicle, which has front wheel side suspensions with an anti-dive geometry and rear wheel side suspensions with an anti-lift geometry. When abrupt steering operation is started from a straight-ahead driving state of the vehicle in a non-operating period of a brake pedal of the vehicle, a controller controls a hydraulic unit such that a brake force is applied to a radially outer one of front left and right wheels, which is located on an outer side in a radial direction of an arc of turn of the vehicle upon starting the steering operation, and also to a radially inner one of rear left and right wheels, which is located on an inner side in the radial direction of the arc of the turn for a predetermined short time period.
US08108105B2
In a control method for an electric power steering apparatus having a steering member, a steering mechanism, and a motor for assisting steering, a steering torque applied to a steering wheel is detected, frequency analysis is performed on the detected torque, and a determination is made as to whether or not a torque component having a frequency equal to or higher than a predetermined value is included in the result of the frequency analysis. When such a torque component is included in the frequency analysis result, a predetermined rotary torque is generated in a single direction.
US08108101B2
A traveling speed reduction gear lubricating oil cooling device has a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of lubricating oil to be installed outside a wheel mounting sleeve without running the risk of damage to a lubricating oil pump in a cold work environment. A startup operation reference speed lower than a reference speed for normal operation is set so as to ensure that air intake does not occur. A startup operation comparison device compares the speed detected by a speed sensor with the startup operation reference speed. If the detected speed is lower than the startup operation reference speed, a drive motor for the lubricating oil pump is engaged in operation at a speed lower than a normal operation speed. If the detected speed is higher than the startup operation reference speed, the drive motor for the lubricating oil pump is turned off.
US08108095B2
An apparatus for troubleshooting a computer system of a vehicle is disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus for accumulating information pertaining to a computer for use in diagnostic evaluation comprises: a computer having an operating system controlling at least one process; a memory coupled to the computer, the memory containing stored program instructions executable by the computer, the instructions comprising: monitoring the at least one process; and obtaining software diagnostic data regarding the at least one process; and a wireless device coupled to the memory and configured to connect to an network, and configured to transmit the software diagnostic data over the network.
US08108093B2
A diagnostic tool for a vehicle, includes a signal translator communicating with the vehicle in at least one protocol, an input unit for inputting information, a processor controlling a software according to the input information from the input unit and communication with the vehicle from the signal translator, the processor controlling a reception of diagnostic data of the vehicle through the signal translator, an input and output unit receiving and transmitting audio and video signals controlled by the processor, a memory storing a software controlled by the processor, the memory storing audio and video information, and transferring the audio and video information through the input and output unit; and a display unit displaying information according to the received and processed audio and video signals stored in the memory.
US08108092B2
A method for enhancing operational efficiency of a remote vehicle using a diagnostic behavior. The method comprises inputting and analyzing data received from a plurality of sensors to determine the existence of deviations from normal operation of the remote vehicle, updating parameters in a reference mobility model based on deviations from normal operation, and revising strategies to achieve an operational goal of the remote vehicle to accommodate deviations from normal operation. An embedded simulation and training system for a remote vehicle. The system comprises a software architecture installed on the operator control unit and including software routines and drivers capable of carrying out mission simulations and training.
US08108087B2
An aircraft control system is delineated for a host aircraft, the system comprising a processor for executing one or more instructions that implement one or more functions of the aircraft control system, a transceiver for transmitting information from and receiving information for the host aircraft, and memory for storing the one or more instructions for execution by the processor to implement the one or more functions of the aircraft control system to: receive from the transceiver information from another aircraft, and generate from the received information a signal for use in the host aircraft to control separation between the host aircraft and the other aircraft while the aircraft are within a predefined range of a location where the aircraft plan to land.
US08108074B2
A method includes determining how to adjust one or more manipulated variables using at least one model. The one or more manipulated variables are associated with a sugar dryer. The method also includes generating one or more control signals to control one or more controlled variables associated with the sugar dryer. The one or more controlled variables include an outfall temperature associated with the sugar dryer, and the one or more manipulated variables include a rate at which wet material is provided to the sugar dryer. The sugar dryer could include multiple sugar dryers. At least two of the sugar dryers could operate using different fuels. The one or more control signals could be generated to control the rates at which the wet material is provided to the multiple sugar dryers based on costs associated with the different fuels.
US08108073B2
A method for controlling dosage of a reagent in a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system includes the step of providing the system with a plurality of reagent injection nozzles, each nozzle being configured and adapted to be independently calibrated during an SCR reaction when the system is in operation. The method further includes determining an influence coefficient for each injection nozzle for a catalyst independently of the other injection nozzles, and optimizing the flow of reagent from each injection nozzle to minimize a sum of deviation across a surface of the catalyst. A system performs selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and a machine readable medium contains program instructions to controlling dosage of a reagent in a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system.
US08108069B2
A robotic instrument system and method, comprising at least two instrument drive assemblies each detachably coupled to a respective instrument assembly. Each instrument assembly comprising an elongate, flexible guide instrument configured to be inserted into a patient's body. The instrument drive assemblies comprise one or more motors configure to operate a respective instrument assembly. One or more controllers are operatively coupled to the instrument drive assemblies. The method comprises maneuvering a distal end of each of the respective guide instruments into a patient's heart by actuating the respective drive assembly performing a procedure controlled by the one or more controllers.
US08108066B2
An apparatus and associated method directed to encoding data from an object in order to simultaneously identify a serialization value of the object from the data while incrementally tracking the object's position from the data.
US08108063B2
Dye transfer in a dying machine or washing machine is controlled via a user display by showing a dialog having with color level indicators for setting a threshold to trigger a dye transfer control action, and with threshold adjustment controls; responsive to the threshold adjustment controls, changing transfer control parameters for initiation of control actions; responsive to the threshold being triggered, performing a control action by opening an abatement valve communicative to a reservoir holding a substantially liquid or gel form of a dye scavenger or inhibitor substance; and continuing to monitor the triggering of the threshold, and responsive to the threshold being triggered, continues to open the abatement valve until at least one condition is detected of a desired color threshold being met, a desired color threshold being regained, until a user intervention occurs, and until a particular wash stage is activated.
US08108061B2
According to one aspect of the invention a system and method for minimizing assembly line manufacturing including an override is provided. Each workstation is equipped with a docking station. A first database is in communication with the programmable controller and the docking station, and the docking station is also in communication with the workstation tools as well as the programmable controller. The override is disposed on a docking station. The system includes a checklist of tasks that each workstation tool is to perform. Accordingly the first database will receive the checklist for each part and will record whether or not each particular part had each of its tasks performed properly. The override may be actuated so as to allow a part to flow downstream the assembly line even though the all the tasks were not completed properly, thus minimizing manufacturing disruptions.
US08108055B2
A system, method and apparatus for controlling an electrical device are provided. At least one image of at least one moving entity is processed, for determining if the at least one moving entity is at least one of entering and exiting a monitored area, and for determining if the at least one moving entity comprises at least one triggering shape. If the at least one moving entity is determined to be at least one of entering and exiting the monitored area, and the at least one moving entity comprises the at least one triggering shape, then control of the electrical device is triggered and a counter for counting triggering shapes present in the monitored area is triggered.
US08108042B1
One or more inductors and one or more capacitors are physically disposed relative to one another in series and are electrically connected to one another in parallel to form a bandstop filter. Chip inductors and chip capacitors having spaced apart conductive terminals are physically arranged in end-to-end abutting relation to minimize electrical potential between adjacent conductive terminals. The bandstop filter may be hermetically sealed within a biocompatible container for use with an implantable lead or electrode of a medical device. The values of the inductors and the capacitors are selected such that the bandstop filter is resonant at one or more selected frequencies, such as an MRI pulsed frequency.
US08108028B2
In vivio deep brain medical probe systems include: (a) an NMRI compatible cannula comprising a plurality of concentric axially extending tubes with a receiving bore; and (b) an elongate antenna member with a conductor and an insulating layer configured to slidably advance through cannula bore to define an MRI receive antenna.
US08108024B2
A system for generating registered diagnostic images (58, 62), such as nuclear and magnetic resonance (MR) images, of a subject includes a nuclear imaging device (10) for generating emission diagnostic images (58) and optionally also intermediate transmission or emission images (56). A second imaging device (12), such as an MR imaging device generates magnetic resonance diagnostic images (62) and optionally also intermediate images which are more readily registered with images from the nuclear imaging device than the diagnostic MR images. Processing for the images includes a preprocessing portion (64) for generating a transform for aligning common anatomical structures in images (56, 58, 60, 62) generated by the nuclear imaging device and the MR imaging device and a diagnostic image registration portion for applying the transform to bring the emission and magnetic resonance diagnostic images into registration (58, 62).
US08108022B2
Method and apparatus for noninvasively monitoring parameters of a region of interest in a human body
Apparatus and methods including a probe device for monitoring a parameter of a region of interest in a human body. A support structure of the device carries an arrangement of light output ports of a light source assembly, light input ports of a light detection assembly, and an acoustic output port of an acoustic unit. The arrangement is such as to enable selection of a light output port, a light input port, and an acoustic output port for an operating condition at which, acoustic waves from the acoustic output port and illuminating light from the light output port overlap in a region within the region of interest in the body thereby inducing tagging of light by the acoustic waves, and the light input port collects light scattered from the overlapping region and light scattered from outside the region of interest. Other embodiments are also described.
US08108021B2
Communications structures including antennas with filters between antenna elements and ground sheets
A communications structure may include a ground sheet, a feed conductor, and an active antenna branch electrically coupled to the feed conductor. A parasitic antenna branch may be electrically coupled to the ground sheet, and the active and parasitic antenna branches may be spaced apart. Moreover, the parasitic antenna branch may be between portions of the active antenna branch and the ground sheet.
US08108019B2
A sliding hinge includes a base body, a sliding body slidably coupled with the base body, and a pushing component placed between the base body and the sliding body and having a torsion spring and a swinging arm. The torsion spring has a first elastic arm with a free end thereof pivotably connected to the base body, and a second elastic arm. The swinging arm defines a first end pivotably connected to the base body and a second end pivotably connected with a free end of the second elastic arm, and has a portion adjacent to the first end pivotably connected with the sliding body. The sliding body is pushed to bring the swinging arm to oscillate so that the second elastic arm can approach the first elastic arm for storing an elastic force which will be subsequently released to drive the swinging arm to make the sliding body slide automatically.
US08108017B2
A portable terminal is provided where the portable terminal has an upper body including an upper surface and a lower surface, a lower body having an upper surface, the upper body being slidably connected to the lower body for movement between a closed position and an open position to expose a portion of the upper surface of the second body, and a first moving unit connected between the upper body and the lower body, the first moving unit being configured to permit tilting of the upper body with respect to the lower body such that a portion of the lower surface of the upper body is lower than the exposed portion of the upper surface of the second body.
US08108009B2
An in-vehicle hands free device includes: a voice line coupling element for coupling with an external communication network through a voice line; a communication element for providing a communication link with a cell phone, wherein the communication element receives a reception signal from the network through the cell phone; and a controller for controlling reception of the signal from the cell phone when the communication element receives the signal. The controller determines whether it is possible to control the reception of the signal from the cell phone. The controller prohibits reception signal notice action of the cell phone when the controller determines that it is impossible to control the reception of the signal.
US08108007B1
Directory information is displayed on a mobile handset of a user when a dialed telephone number is a directory-capable number. A directory processor receives the dialed telephone number and checks whether the dialed telephone number appears in a database of directory-capable telephone numbers. A gateway pushes a data message including a data address of a directory server to the mobile handset. The directory server stores directory information for a plurality of call destinations with respective destination identifiers and respective access rules. A client application in the mobile handset responds to the data message. The directory server identifies relevant directory information based on the dialed telephone number and transmits it to the client application via the data call. The client application displays the relevant directory information and the user selects a call destination.
US08108001B2
Systems and methods for communicating through a mobile phone are disclosed with a buttonless mobile phone including a power supply with means for capable of enabling or disabling the a power supply; and memory to store a phone number directed to a remote station; a remote station to receive a call from a user causing the mobile phone to call the remote station, the remote station comprising allowing a human operator and access to a database describing at least one contact unique to the user; and wherein the human operator uses the database of contact information to facilitate a communication from the user to the contact in the database.
US08107965B2
Distributed computation of precoding weights for coordinated multipoint transmission on the downlink
In a Coordinated Multi-point (CoMP) system, the base station (BS) in each serving cell (or sector) is allowed to use not only its own antennas, but also the antennas of neighboring BSs to transmit to mobile terminals in the serving cell to form a floating CoMP cell. The serving BS in each floating CoMP cell computes tentative linear precoding weights for transmissions from the coordinating BSs in the floating CoMP cell to users in the serving cell of the floating CoMP cell. The serving BS determines the power availability for transmit antennas in the floating CoMP cell that are shared with other floating CoMP cells, and scales the tentative precoding weights based on the power availability of the shared transmit antennas to determine final precoding weights so that the power constraints of the shared transmit antennas will not be violated.
US08107963B2
A positioning module positions a location of a mobile communication apparatus. A processor determines whether the location falls within a predetermined range, wherein the predetermined range is equal to or greater than an effective communication coverage of a neighboring base station. If the processor determines that the location is within the predetermined range, a signal detection module measures the signal from the neighboring base station. By detecting the signals of the neighboring base stations earlier, the present invention is able to function while the mobile communication apparatus moves at high speeds and successfully switch the connections between the base stations.
US08107954B2
Systems and methods are provided for wireless network selection by multi-mode devices. A mobile device maintains an indication of any wireless network services currently provided to the mobile device. According to an embodiment of the application, the mobile device automatically scans for both GSM wireless networks and CDMA wireless networks in order to acquire a wireless network that can provide a service that is not currently provided to the mobile device. Therefore, the mobile device avoids partial service or limited service when better service is available.
US08107951B2
Upon reset of a control node (261) of a radio access network (24) which controls connections with user equipment units (30) in a connected mode, a message (102) indicative of the reset is sent between nodes of the radio access network. The message results from occurrence of a reset procedure (104) affecting the control node. The message includes an element which collectively indicates that a subset of the connections (i.e., not all of the connections) controlled by the control node are to be released. Inclusion in the message of the element, also known as the subset reset element, facilitates return to an idle mode of the user equipment units involved in the subset of the connections. By virtue of inclusion of the subset reset element, the message need not go to one extreme of listing individually each of the connections affected by the reset, nor to another extreme of specifying all connections controlled by the control node.
US08107950B2
In one of its aspects the technology concerns a method of operating a telecommunications system comprising a serving radio base station and a candidate radio base station. The serving radio base station comprises a radio base station to which a wireless mobile station provides measurement reports. The serving radio base station and the candidate radio base station are different with respect to at least one of frequency and radio access technology. The method comprises the serving radio base station allowing the mobile station to obtain information broadcasted by the candidate radio base station. The information is either information for locating Cell Global Identity (CGI) of the candidate radio base station or the Cell Global Identity (CGI) itself of the radio base station. The mobile station obtains the information from the candidate radio base station during at least one reading gap. The reading gap is a time period in which the mobile station does not receive information from the serving radio base station.
US08107947B1
The present invention provides systems and methods for controlling the volume of a remote communication terminal (RCT) based on the amount of force asserted on the session button of an originating communication terminal (OCT). The OCT may include a force-sensor that detects the force exerted on the session button and provides an output corresponding with the detected level of force. While the force is being exerted on the session button, the OCT receives voice from the user and transmits a representation of the voice via the communication interface for receipt by the RCT and for playout of the voice by the RCT. The OCT includes with the transmitted representation of the voice a playout-volume directive that corresponds with the output from the force-sensor, and causes the RCT to play out the voice at a volume level corresponding with the detected level of force.
US08107946B2
A system and method for sending a response message over a wired communication channel in an automation network is disclosed. The method includes the operation of defining a radio frequency (RF) network between a central controller and a plurality of automation devices. A control signal is transmitted from the central controller to at least one of the plurality of automation devices over the RF network. A response message is sent from at least one of the plurality of automation devices to the central controller using a wired network.
US08107944B2
Systems and methods for providing security and control of mobile communications device activity including at least one mobile communication device with software operable thereon for receiving rules provided by an authorized user of the device(s) and in accordance with those rules administering actions to provide for controlling and security data stored or generated on the device(s), including logging data and activities related to the mobile communications device, blocking and filtering calls, messages, websites, emails, and combinations thereof, via wireless communication with a remote server computer having a corresponding software module operable thereon for managing and implementing the rules.
US08107941B2
A contact is determined to be unavailable if a predetermined period of time has elapsed since an instant message was sent to the contact and an expected notification for the instant message was not received during that predetermined period of time by the device that sent the instant message. If the expected notification is a delivered notification, then the contact is deemed unreachable. If the expected notification is a read notification and a delivered notification for the instant message has been received by the device that sent the instant message, then the contact is deemed busy.
US08107940B1
An advertisement display system and method of advertising has an initial step of loading a graphic advertisement onto a mobile computer-readable medium of a mobile device. The graphic advertisement has a time passage indicator for indicating the passage of time. An idle-time sensor determines an idle-time period in which updated application information cannot be presented on a display of the mobile device due to data processing activity by the processor, data transfer activity, congestion or latency in the wireless network, or any other activity that occupies resources in the mobile device to prevent the updating of the display. The graphic advertisement is displayed when the mobile device is in the idle-time period, animated to indicate the passage of time, and removed once the idle-time period has ended.
US08107933B2
The present invention relates to a method for identifying a telecommunications subscriber. According to the method, a call from a second telecommunications device (MFG2) of a second telecommunications subscriber is first signaled to a first telecommunications device (MFG1) of a first telecommunications subscriber. Device information (GI1), which indicates the type of subscriber data that the first telecommunications device is configured to process, is then sent from a first to a second telecommunications device. Subscriber data (TD2) is subsequently transmitted from the second to the first telecommunication device, in accordance with the information from the first device. It is also conceivable that device information (GI2) can be transmitted from the second to the first telecommunications device, in accordance with which subscriber data (TD1) can finally be transmitted from the first to the second telecommunications device. The use of device information that is exchanged between two telecommunications devices and indicates which subscriber data should be transmitted to the respective other telecommunication device thus permits a reduction in the data flow between two telecommunications devices with respect to subscriber data, as only the desired subscriber data is transmitted.
US08107924B2
A wireless local area network (WLAN) includes a plurality of wireless access points (APs) which provide communications for a plurality of mobile communication devices. One of the APs is designated as a provisioning AP and is set to have a substantially smaller RF coverage area than RF coverage areas of the other APs. A mobile device is positioned within the provisioning RF coverage region and associates with the provisioning AP with use of a provisioning service set identifier, for establishing layer-2 communications with the WLAN, and for accessing and operating in a provisioning virtual local area network (VLAN) of the WLAN. While the mobile device is associated with the provisioning AP and operating in the provisioning VLAN, the mobile device receives via the provisioning AP an IP address which is assigned to the mobile device, for establishing layer-3 communications with the WLAN. After the layer-3 communications are established, the mobile device participates in an authentication procedure via the provisioning AP with a provisioning server of the provisioning VLAN. After positive authentication of the mobile device using the authentication procedure, the mobile device participates in a provisioning procedure with the provisioning server via the provisioning AP, for receiving provisioning information from the WLAN for programming in the mobile device.
US08107920B2
An emergency detection and notification system containing a short wireless transceiver collects sensor information from onboard sensors and or remote sensors and detects conditions that require attention.Upon detection of an exception, the emergency detection and notification system issues an audible request, and awaits a confirmation from the user.If a confirmation is not received, the emergency detection and notification system instructs a remote terminal or a VOIP service to dial a phone number, to issue messages, and to issue vocal signals corresponding to sensor information.
US08107903B2
Embodiments of apparatuses, methods, and systems for a radio frequency amplification circuit utilizing a variable voltage generator are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08107892B2
A directional coupler has first to fourth input/output terminals, a first phase shifting unit which is connected between the first input/output terminal and the second input/output terminal, phase-shifts a supplied signal by 90° and outputs a resulting signal, a second phase shifting unit which is connected between the third input/output terminal and the fourth input/output terminal, phase-shifts a supplied signal by 90° and outputs a resulting signal, a first amplifier having an input connected to the third input/output terminal and an output connected to the first input/output terminal, and a second amplifier having an input connected to the fourth input/output terminal and an output connected to the second input/output terminal.
US08107874B2
An image forming apparatus capable of guiding a printing medium in a smooth manner by minimizing resistance to the printing medium feed and preventing a developer from adhering and accumulating on a printing medium guide device. The image forming apparatus includes a printing medium guide device to guide a printing medium in a print path to a discharge path or guide the printing medium in the discharge path to a reverse path, and the printing medium guide device includes rollers to rotate by contacting the printing medium.
US08107867B2
An image fixing device, having a belt-driving method to drive an endless belt which is entrained about at least two supporting members, including: a first supporting member on which a light transmitting area is provided; a heater which is housed within the first supporting member; a sensor which is mounted at a position to detect light rays, emitted from the heater and passed through the light transmitting area; and a control section which is configured to detect a lateral displacement of the endless belt in a width direction, based on a detected result of the light rays, detected by the sensor.
US08107865B2
An image forming apparatus including a fixing device having first and second rollers to press against each other with a sheet of paper to be transferred therebetween. The apparatus includes a roller frame to support the first roller; a separation claw, which, when disposed in an operational position on an outer circumferential surface of the first roller, separates the sheet of paper from the first roller; a claw frame to support the separation claw, which is movably attached to the roller frame to allow the separation claw to move between the operational position and a withdrawal position, at which the separation claw is withdrawn from the operational position; and an elastic member coupled between the claw frame and the roller frame, to bias the claw frame such that biasing force applied to the claw frame causes the separation claw to move from the withdrawal position to the operational position.
US08107864B2
A fixing device includes a fixing roller and a pressing roller that are in pressure contact with each other. A separating plate is placed opposite to the fixing roller with a certain gap in between them. Positioning portions are installed on the separating plate to be in contact with width-direction ends of the fixing roller for determining the gap. The positioning portions are arranged such that edges of contact portions of the positioning portions on the width-direction center side in contact with the fixing unit are positioned outside an image area and inside a paper-passing area for a recording medium of a maximum passing-capable size.
US08107861B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a development device, a developer collection device, a detector, and a controller. The image carrier carries a latent image. The development device develops the latent image into a toner image, and includes a developer carrier opposing the image carrier and carrying a developer. The developer collection device collects the developer from the development device when the development device is driven. The detector detects a state in which the developer carrier does not carry the developer. The controller starts driving the image carrier, starts driving the development device to cause the developer collection device to start collecting the developer, and stops driving the image carrier when the detector detects the state in which the developer carrier does not carry the developer, to collect the developer from the development device.
US08107858B2
A discharger is provided, which can eliminate charge from a surface of a photoconductor. The discharger includes: a light source; a light guide member; a cover which covers the light guide member to expose at least an opposed surface of the light guide member to the photoconductor; and an adhesive tape which uses nonwoven fabric as a substrate, which is disposed between the light guide member and the cover so that the opposed surface of the light guide member is disposed between the tape and the photoconductor, and which bonds the light guide member and the cover to each other.
US08107856B2
A fixing device including a heating member, a pressing member that presses the heating member, a switching unit that switches a press contact force of the pressing member and a container body that accommodates the heating member, the pressing member, and the switching unit, wherein the switching unit, includes a drive member that moves the pressing member in a predetermined direction and an auxiliary drive member that is connected to the drive member and relatively moves with the drive member, and the auxiliary drive member, in a case where the container body is placed in an image forming apparatus including a lid, switches between a operative association state and a nonoperative association state, and the auxiliary drive member including a returning section that returns a tip of the auxiliary drive member to a position crossing a movement trajectory of the lid in the nonoperative association state.
US08107847B2
An image exposure apparatus is provided and includes: an optical unit that emits light to form an exposure image on a photosensitive material; a casing that houses the optical unit and that has an image exposure window through which the light is allowed to pass for forming the exposure image; a transparent dustproof member at the image exposure window; and a shutter member switched between a shield position for covering a region above the dustproof member, which serves as a passage region of a cleaning member for cleaning a surface of the dustproof member, and an open position for allowing the light to pass through the dustproof member to form an exposure image on a surface of the photosensitive material. When the shutter member is located at the shield position, at least a part of the shutter member goes into the passage region of the cleaning member.
US08107845B2
A printing apparatus performs print processing on a plurality of sheets according to print data input by an input unit, and sets the printing unit to a first operation state in which monochromatic print processing is capable of being performed or to a second operation state in which color print processing is capable of being performed. The printing apparatus enables selection between a first print mode and a second print mode. In the first print mode, a sheet is conveyed at a defined speed in the monochromatic print processing and is conveyed at a speed lower than the defined speed in the color print processing. In the second print mode, a sheet is conveyed at a speed lower than the defined speed both in the monochromatic print processing and in the color print processing.
US08107834B2
An image forming apparatus that transfers a toner image from includes a transfer belt to a sheet via to carry a toner image, a transfer roller. The image forming apparatus transfers the toner image by applying a transfer bias voltage to either the transfer roller or to make contact with the transfer belt to transfer the toner image onto a sheet from the transfer belt, an opposite roller facing the transfer roller across the transfer belt. The transfer bias voltage is decided by adding a transfer roller correction voltage, based on a voltage detected by a voltage detection unit when a predetermined current is applied to either the transfer roller or the opposite roller by a current application unit when no sheet is present in a transfer position, and a sheet correction voltage, based on a sheet kind and an intra-apparatus humidity.
US08107833B2
A determining unit determines whether a difference between a temperature value and a temperature detected by a temperature detecting unit is equal to or larger than a first value. A pattern forming unit, when the determining unit determines that the difference is equal to or larger than the first value, forms a pattern for measurement including sub-patterns of a plurality of colors on a transfer medium. A calculating unit calculates a misregistration-amount for each sub-pattern based on a detected position of the sub-pattern and a predetermined position of the sub-pattern. A correcting unit corrects a position on which the sub-pattern is to be formed based on the misregistration-amount. An image forming unit forms an image for each color factoring in corrected position for each color.
US08107827B2
An apparatus and method are provided for receiving an optical signal having an optical carrier component and at least one information-bearing optical sideband. In general, an optical filter arrangement (110) is used to separate the optical carrier component from the information-bearing optical sideband. First and second optical splitters (126, 128) divide the optical power in the optical carrier and the optical sideband, respectively, into corresponding sub-components. The sub-components of the optical carrier have substantially orthogonal polarisation states, which is an optional characteristic of the sideband sub-components. First and second optical coupling devices (142, 144) respectively each combine one of the optical carrier sub-components with a corresponding one of the optical sideband sub-components. Optical detectors (158, 160) detect the outputs of the combiners (142, 144). The arrangement is able to achieve a number of the benefits of coherent optical heterodyne receivers, particularly when used in combination with advanced coding and modulation methods, while avoiding the need, and associated complexity, of providing an optical oscillator at the receiver.
US08107826B2
A method of communicating digital information over a dispersive optical channel includes encoding the digital information into a plurality of data blocks, each of which includes a number of bits of the information. A time-varying electrical signal is generated which corresponds with each of said data blocks. The time-varying electrical signal is applied to an optical transmitter (122) to generate an optical signal which includes an asymmetrically amplitude limited transmitted signal modulated onto an optical carrier. The optical signal is then transmitted over the dispersive optical channel (106). At a receiving apparatus (104) the optical signal is detected to produce an electrical signal which corresponds with the asymmetrically amplitude limited transmitted signal. A frequency domain equalization of the electrical signal mitigates the effect of dispersion of the optical channel (106) on the transmitted optical signal, and the equalized signal is decoded to recover the encoded data blocks and the corresponding transmitted digital information. The method enables bipolar signals to be transmitted over a dispersive unipolar optical channel, and reduces or eliminates the need to apply a high optical bias level at the transmitter, thereby improving optical power efficiency and enabling output power levels to be maintained below applicable safe levels, while simultaneously enabling the effects of channel dispersion to be substantially mitigated.
US08107824B2
In a passive optical network system in which communication signals from a master station to a plurality of subsidiary stations are multiplexed by time division and transmitted, after converting (modulating) data with a high transmission speed to a low transmission speed, a base speed, in the master station, a header including an identifier destined for each subsidiary station is attached to the data with a low transmission speed and the converted data, respectively, the data and the header being multiplexed by time division inside a frame and transmitted to the subsidiary stations at the base speed. In the subsidiary station having received the concerned frame, only the data destined for the station itself is read, on the basis of the identifier included in the header, and by means of demodulation, the converted data are reconverted to the original high speed data and supplied to a user terminal.
US08107823B2
In an optical transmission module having a communication module which is freely movable in a case, when a tensile force is generated on an optical cable after connection of an optical transmission module, optical coupling surface and an optical axis center follow each other and thus stable optical transmission can be constantly performed.
US08107822B2
Methods for managing an optical network through out-of-band communication between optical transceiver modules in a heterogeneous network fabric are disclosed. The disclosed methods include methods for performing fabric discovery, communicating error messages, detecting intrusion. Methods are also disclosed for communicating between transceivers of differing protocol versions and memory capacity.
US08107819B2
An optical network device of a passive optical network is introduced. The optical network device includes a light source, a control unit, and a variable optical attenuator. The light source can generate an optical signal. The control unit can generate a magnetic signal based on a control signal capable of providing information relating to a distance between the optical network device and an optical line termination. The variable optical attenuator can adjust a polarization angle of the optical signal based on the magnetic signal.
US08107807B2
A lighting device including a substrate, and at least three light emitting elements mounted on the substrate, each having an upper light emitting surface in rectangular shape and side light emitting surfaces in rectangular shape. The light emitting elements are positioned to surround a light-gathering region where the light emitting elements are not located, and one of the side light emitting surfaces of each light emitting element is directed to face approximately a central portion of the light-gathering region.
US08107795B2
A multimedia visual progress indication system that provides a cache bar that is overlaid onto the program material or displayed on a dedicated display. A cache bar indicates the length of a recording session or the length of stored program material and expands to the right when material is being recorded. Index and/or bookmark indicators are displayed next to the cache bar. A position indicator moves within the cache bar and tells the user visually where his current position is within the program material. Numeric time or counter mark of the current position is displayed in the vicinity of the cache bar. The trick play bar and its associated components are displayed for a predetermined time period.
US08107789B2
The present invention is the playback apparatus 400 for (i) mounting thereon the BD-ROM 200 in which a plurality of data groups and an application program that refers to each of the data groups are stored and (ii) playing back each of the data groups by executing the application program. The playback apparatus 400 comprises: the playback processing unit 412 operable to control the execution of the application program; the network IF unit 419 operable to obtain, from an external server including therein one or more alternative data groups, an alternative data group to replace part of the data groups; and the HDD unit 418 that stores therein correspondence information showing a correspondence between a storage location where on an internal recording medium the alternative data group is stored and a storage location where on the external recording medium the part of the data groups to be replaced. Here, at a time when the application program in execution reads a data group being referred to, the playback processing unit 412 (i) judges based on the correspondence information whether an alternative data group for replacing the data group being referred to exists on the internal recording medium, and (ii) specifies, as a data retrieve destination, a storage location of the alternative data group indicated by the correspondence information when the judgment is affirmative.
US08107788B2
A BD-ROM contains plurality of Titles which can be branched among and a Java application executable upon reproduction of each Title. Each Title has an AV Clip and an application management table. The application is a program described in a virtual-machine oriented programming language. The application management table correlates an application to an application run attribute in the corresponding Title. The run attribute may be a continuation attribute (Persistent) for continuing the application state in the branch origin or an AutoRun attribute for automatically running the application when the application is in a non-run state in the branch origin.
US08107780B2
The present invention is directed to a display which presents an image along a line of sight of an observer, such that the image is overlaid on a real world scene has a first waveguide and an image source device to inject the image into the first waveguide. The first waveguide has a first grating to direct the image internally and to output the image from the first waveguide. A second waveguide has a coupling grating to receive the image from the first waveguide and to direct the image along the second waveguide. The second waveguide has an exit grating to diffract the received image out of the second waveguide towards the observer. The exit grating diffracts the image out of the second waveguide off axis to a normal axis of the second waveguide.
US08107768B2
An image processing apparatus which makes it possible to automatically defining a processing area in which image processing is to be performed according to the type of image processing, to thereby improve user friendliness. A starting point and an ending point are designated on an image displayed on a display, and coordinates as information on the designated points are acquired. A type of image processing to be performed on the displayed image is selected from among a plurality of types of image processing, and information on the selected type is acquired. An editing area on the displayed image, in which the displayed image is to be subjected to the selected type of image processing, is defined according to the information on the designated points and the selected type of image processing. The display of the image in the defined editing area can be changed.
US08107761B2
A method for determining the boundary strengths of edges in a block-based digitally encoded image is disclosed. The method includes setting the boundary strength of two adjacent blocks in an Inter macroblock to a first strength value if any one of the two adjacent blocks contains non-zero prediction residual in the encoding data and setting the boundary strength thereof to a second strength value if the two adjacent blocks are located in the same motion compensation block. An edge with boundary strength equal to the second strength value will be skipped in a deblocking process.
US08107759B2
In a photograph and image compression system equipped with a camera, a low luminance noise cancellation algorithm is selectively applied to photographs and video images including a low luminance noise, by determining whether the low luminance noise is included in a portion of an input image, and if it is determined that low luminance noise is included, the low luminance noise cancellation algorithm is executed on the input image.
US08107753B2
A pixel block (300) is compressed by sub-sampling at least a portion of the pixels (310) into subblocks (320, 330). Predictions are determined for the property values of these subblocks (320, 330) by calculating a variance measure based on property values of neighboring pixels (310)/subblocks (320, 330) in two prediction directions in the block (300) relative to a current subblock (320, 330). If the variance is below a threshold, the prediction is calculated based on neighboring property values in both directions. If the measure exceeds the threshold, the neighboring property values in only one of the two predictions directions are used for calculating the prediction. A guiding bit (450) descriptive of the selected direction is also provided. A prediction error is calculated based on the property value and the calculated prediction. The compressed block (400) comprises an encoded representation (460) of the prediction error and any guiding bit (470).
US08107743B2
The image processing device of the present invention includes: an image acquiring section (2) acquiring image data; an image data generating section (32) generating attribute data including each attribute value indicative of an attribute to which each of a plurality of pixels constituting an image indicated by the image data acquired by the image acquiring section (2) belongs among predetermined attributes; and image data reducing section (34) reducing the attribute data by converting, to one attribute value, at least two attribute values included in the attribute data generated by the attribute data generating section, according to a priority given to the each attribute value. Therefore, it becomes possible to realize an image processing device that can reduce the attribute data while keeping important information included in the attribute data, and further improve encoding efficiency of the attribute data.
US08107733B2
A method of imaging a coding pattern disposed on a surface of a substrate. The method comprises the steps of: (a) operatively positioning an optical reader relative to the surface and capturing an image of a portion of the coding pattern; (b) sampling and decoding x-coordinate data and y-coordinate data within the imaged portion; and (c) determining a position of the pen. The coding is specially adapted to minimize space occupied by coordinate data. The imaged portion has a diameter of at least (l+q)√2 and less than (2 l)√2, where l is the length of a square tag in the coding pattern and q is the width of a central column or row of data within each tag.
US08107732B2
A method of imaging a coding pattern disposed on a surface of a substrate. The method comprises the steps of: (a) operatively positioning an optical reader relative to the surface and capturing an image of a portion of the coding pattern; (b) sampling and decoding x-coordinate data and y-coordinate data contained in the imaged portion; and (c) determining a position of the pen. The imaged portion has a diameter of at least one tag diameter and less than two tag diameters. The x-coordinate data and y-coordinate are each replicated in the tag.
US08107724B2
A method for scaling an original color mapped image are disclosed. The method performs steps of: transforming the original color map into the scaled color map based on the original color map and the original image independently of the scaled image; scaling the original image into the scaled image; for each pixel of the scaled image: determining a set of contributing pixels in the original image, which define a color of the pixel; determining the color of the pixel based on colors of the contributing pixels and geometric proximity of the pixel to the contributing pixels; establishing correspondence between the color of the pixel and a color in the scaled color map; and determining a corresponding color map index thereof; and setting the determined color map index in the scaled pixel map. A corresponding system for scaling digital images is also provided.
US08107719B2
The system 10 of the preferred embodiment includes a structural subsystem 20 to provide both a stable platform and vibration isolation, a camera subsystem 30 to capture the image of a moving object when the object moves into a viewing area, a lighting subsystem 50 to illuminate a moving object, and a controller to selectively activate the lighting subsystem 50 to allow observation of the reflectance of complex objects under different conditions. The system 10 has been specifically designed for illuminating and capturing the image of a moving object, such as the connecting terminals (e.g., leads, ball grids, and pads) of packaged electronic components in a manufacturing facility. The system 10 may, however, be used to illuminate and capture the image of any suitable moving or non-moving object.
US08107715B2
The invention relates to a device for detecting a sample in a longitudinal sample container (10), comprising a sample container holder (30) for holding the sample container in a housing. Said sample container holder comprises a side viewing window in the region of at least one longitudinal side of the sample container, and a front viewing window (35) in the region at least one front side of the sample container. Said device also comprises a first illumination arrangement for illuminating the sample container through the front viewing window, a second illumination arrangement for illuminating the sample container through the side viewing window, and an imaging photodetector for detecting a first image of the sample illuminated by means of the first illumination arrangement, and a second image of the sample illuminated by means of the second illumination arrangement. Said detection takes place through the side viewing window. Said device further comprises a digital data processing unit for overlaying the first and second images and for representing the resulting overlay image on a display device connected to the data processing unit.
US08107707B2
A system (500) for visualizing a vascular structure represented by a three-dimensional angiography dataset is disclosed. Respective voxel values are associated with respective voxels. The dataset represents a vascular structure. The system comprises means (502) for establishing respective filling values; means (504) for identifying respective minimum filling values; means (506) for computing respective deficiency values; and an output (514) for providing a visualization in dependence on the deficiency values. A respective filling value is indicative of an amount of blood flow at the respective position in the vascular structure. A respective minimum filling value is a minimum of the filling values associated with the positions upstream of the respective position. A respective deficiency value is indicative of a difference between the filling value associated with the respective position and the minimum filling value associated with the respective position.
US08107703B2
Stress test analysis is facilitated through the acquired and manipulated use of a sequence of volumetric data regarding the heart (and may particularly comprise the left ventricle) for the assessment of the health state of the heart. Several provided and illustrated examples specifically relate to ultrasound volumetric data, but the volumetric data may be obtained through the use of any imaging modality (e.g., CT, MRI, X-ray, PET, SPECT, etc.) or combination thereof, and may be used to compute one or more functional quantitative metrics (e.g., ejection fraction.) The volumetric data may also be used to render one or more views of the heart, and particularly of the left ventricle. This disclosure relates to these and other uses of such volumetric data, and to some various implementations thereof, such as methods, systems, and graphical user interfaces.
US08107702B2
A process for the automatic recognition of abnormalities in anatomical structures is described together with a processing system and a computer program for implementing the aforesaid process, comprising the operations of: acquiring (10) a plurality of two-dimensional images of at least one portion of a patient's body capable of forming a three-dimensional representation of at least one anatomical structure under observation, segmenting (20) a region of interest in the said three-dimensional representation which potentially contains anomalies, selecting (30, 40) volume image elements (voxels) from the segmented region which are likely to form a part of abnormalities in the anatomical structure represented, on the basis of predetermined morphological parameters, agglomerating (60) the said voxels into analysis units on the basis of the distribution of the spatial density of the voxels selected, and classifying (70) the said analysis units as elements suspected of being parts of abnormalities or as elements which are not part of abnormalities.
US08107692B2
A circuit having a fingerprint for identification of a particular instantiation of the circuit is disclosed. The circuit may include a plurality of digital circuits or gates. Each of the digital circuits or gates is responsive to a configuration voltage applied to its analog input for controlling whether or not the digital circuit or gate performs its intended digital function and each of the digital circuits or gates transitioning between its functional state and its at least one other state when the configuration voltage equals a boundary voltage. The boundary voltage varies between different instantiations of the circuit for a majority of the digital circuits or gates and these differing boundary voltages serving to identify (or fingerprint) different instantiations of the same circuit.
US08107686B2
In an image processing apparatus which processes time-series images picked up by an imaging device in time series, a motion-vector calculating unit calculates a motion vector between plural images constituting the time-series images with respect to plural pixel regions set in the image. A newly-appearing-rate estimating unit estimates a newly-appearing rate which is a rate of a region newly appears in an image between plural images based on the motion vector. A display-time determination coefficient calculating unit calculates a display time of an image according to the newly-appearing rate.
US08107650B2
In a piezoelectric electroacoustic transducing device which is to be incorporated in an electronic apparatus such as a portable telephone, and which is used as a sound source, the sound pressure of the low-frequency range is improved, the productivity is improved, and acoustic characteristics are stabilized. A piezoelectric electroacoustic transducing device 10 has: a frame 15; a piezoelectric vibrator 11 in which piezoelectric elements 12A, 12B are bonded to a metal plate 13; and a plate- and ring-like support member 14 which supports a peripheral portion of the piezoelectric vibrator 11 on the frame 15. A step 14C corresponding to the thickness of the metal plate 13 is disposed in the support member 14, and the metal plate 13 is adhered to the inside of the step 14C in an embedded manner.
US08107649B2
A ribbon for a ribbon microphone having a magnet forming a magnetic gap, the ribbon which is arranged in the magnetic gap and is vibrated by a sound wave, an electrode for outputting an electric signal which is generated when the ribbon vibrates in the magnetic gap, and a frame for holding the magnet and the electrode; the ribbon has patterns of a large waveform which are formed so as to progress in a longitudinal direction of the ribbon and are formed so that ridge lines face a direction which perpendicularly crosses the longitudinal direction of the ribbon, and small patterns which are smaller than the patterns of the waveform and are formed along the longitudinal direction of the ribbon.
US08107648B2
A bone conduction earphone in which a large magnetic force can be generated and which can achieve improvement of sound quality and reduction of power consumption is provided. A vibration part 3 is provided to include a first magnet 32 and a second magnet 34, which coaxially secure a voice coil 2 on an inner surface 12a of an upper wall 12 of a cylinder-shaped frame 10 having an open lower part and are located in an inner side region and an outer side region of the voice coil 2, and a diaphragm 36 which connects the first magnet 32 and the second magnet 34 to the frame 10. A vibration transmission cushion 5 is provided to a lower part of the frame 10 in order to transmit a vibration of the voice coil 2 and the vibration part 3 to a human body.
US08107647B2
A ring transducer comprising an outer metal ring and an inner ceramic ring provides a device for the conduction of ultrasonic signals directly in the ear canal, thereby providing an efficient means for the conduction of such signals. In an alternate embodiment, stacks of piezoelectric film, optionally shaped into a ring, may be used for placement in the ear or outside the ear, such as on the ends of eyeglasses.
US08107640B2
A car-use extended device is applied to electrically communicate to a car-use audio device to form a car-use control system, so as to simulate a user-to-machine operation interface for controlling an electronic computing device installed with an operation system to execute at least one preset assignment. The car-use audio device comprises an operation interface comprising a trigger element and at least one working signal input element. The extended device comprises a micro control unit comprising an interface-function setting program. When the trigger element is triggered, a triggering signal is generated and sent to the micro control unit, and the interface-function setting program is provided to define the preset assignment that the working signal input element represents. Hereafter, when the working signal input element is triggered, the micro control unit outputs a working signal to the electronic computing device, so as to make the electronic computing device execute the preset assignment.
US08107637B2
A signal processing device includes: a filter processing unit configured to execute noise reduction operations by subjecting sound-collected signals from a sound-collecting unit to filtering processing based on preset filter properties and providing with signal properties for noise reduction; a noise-unreduced signal obtaining unit configured to obtain noise-unreduced signals obtained in a state where noise reduction operations by the filter processing unit are stopped; and a filter property selecting unit configured to obtain a difference between the noise-unreduced signals and noise-reduced signals obtained at the time of executing noise reduction operations with preset filter properties set to the filter processing unit as a candidate filter property, thereby obtaining a noise reduction effect indicator regarding the candidate filter property, and selecting filter properties to be set to the filter processing unit based on the noise reduction effect indicator.
US08107632B2
A digital signal processing apparatus in which a first digital filter reproduces that part of an impulse response that responds fast, and a decimation filter converts the output of a delay device of the first digital filter to a digital signal having a sampling rate of ½. The digital signal is supplied to the second digital filter that reproduces that part of the impulse response that responds slowly and outputs data representing the response characteristic of this part of the impulse response. An interpolation filter converts an input signal to a signal having the same sampling rate as the digital audio signal input to the digital signal processing apparatus, and the output signal of the interpolation filter is supplied to an adder circuit.
US08107631B2
A method of ambience extraction includes analyzing an input signal to determine the time-dependent and frequency-dependent amount of ambience in the input signal, wherein the amount of ambience is determined based on a signal model and correlation quantities computed from the input signals and wherein the ambience is extracted using a multiplicative time-frequency mask. Another method of ambience extraction includes compensating a bias in the estimation of a short-term cross-correlation coefficient. In addition, systems having various modules for implementing the above methods are disclosed.
US08107620B2
The present invention provides encryption schemes and apparatus, which are more efficient than the existing single pass authenticated encryption schemes, while providing the same level of security. The initial vectors, which are an essential part of these schemes, are chosen in an incremental and safe fashion. This also leads to an incremental method for generating the pair-wise differentially uniform sequences or XOR-universal sequences which are another essential part of such schemes. The incrementality of the generation of these sequences extends to even across different plain-text messages being encrypted, leading to substantial savings in time to encrypt. A further step of encryption is shown to be redundant and leads to savings over earlier schemes. Another embodiment describes splitting the plain-text blocks into two sets, and using the block-cipher in encrypt mode on one set and the block-cipher in decrypt mode on the other set, leading to beneficial hardware solutions.
US08107617B2
An audio processor of a loud speech communication system including a speaker and a microphone is provided. The audio processor includes: an adaptive filter wherein an amount of update in a learning event is set to an arbitrary value, and a filter coefficient is serially determined corresponding to the set amount of update; a semi-fixed filter adapted to an echo cancellation process of an audio input signal input from the microphone; adaptive filter assessment unit that calculates a length of an update vector based on the filter coefficient determined by the adaptive filter and a length of an update vector based on a filter coefficient set in the semi-fixed filter and that performs assessment of the filter coefficients in accordance with the update vectors; and coefficient specifying unit that sets an optimal filter coefficient among the filter coefficients into the semi-fixed filter in accordance with the result of the assessment of the filter coefficients performed by the adaptive filter assessment unit.
US08107612B2
Session-based data, such as call detail accounting information, is tracked and distributed to a plurality of servers in a distributed telephony environment. One type of session is a telephone call between participants. Session-based data includes information about a session provided by the switches along the media path. Session-based data further includes information related to the session obtained from the application layer (e.g., user input metadata). A network proxy maintains a participant list to which the session data is distributed. The network proxy sends updates to the participants and determines the network status to implement fault tolerance of data distribution.
US08107606B2
A method and system for initiating a connection between at least a first communication device and a second communication device respective of a first party and a second party. According to the present invention initiating a connection includes obtaining a destination subscriber identifier from the first party, wherein the destination subscriber identifier is a string including at least one character different than a numeric character and is respective of the second party. Then, a resolution request that includes data indicative of the destination subscriber identifier is conveyed to a hosting information storage server respective of the destination subscriber identifier, a resolution response including a destination address respective of the second communication device wherein the second party is available is obtained, and then, the present invention includes initiating a connection between the first communication device and the second communication device.
US08107605B2
A simplified computer device is provided and may be used by persons having memory loss to connect via a network, such as the Internet, to one or more other computer devices. The simplified computer device is operable to obtain image, text and/or audio files from the other computer device for displaying on a display screen or for playing on an audio player, as the case may be, of the simplified computer devices to assist the persons with memory loss in recalling the identity and/or other information about their family members, friends, caregivers, and other acquaintances. Using a limited set of buttons on the simplified computer devices, the persons having memory loss can automatically link to one or more predetermined other computer devices and retrieve the image files and associated text and audio files. A local input module is coupleable to the simplified computer device and is usable for entry of images, text, and/or audio directly into the memory of the associated simplified computer devices for storage therein and/or for transmission to other devices of the network.
US08107604B2
A communication device for consecutively rendering one or more conversations. The device includes a receiver configured to receive at the communication device media associated with the one or more conversations over a network. The one or more conversations include a defined set of conversations to be consecutively rendered in accordance with a defined priority hierarchy. The device also includes a sequencing element, which sequences the received media associated with the defined set of conversations into a sequence order at least partially based on the defined priority hierarchy. A rendering element consecutively renders the received media associated with the defined set of conversations in the sequence order.
US08107594B2
A security system with call management functionality is disclosed and includes a security controller having at least one first interface to at least one user identification device and a second interface to a call management controller. The security controller also includes logic to determine a security status of a user based on identification information received from the at least one user identification device and to communicate the security status of the user to the call management controller, where the call management controller enables, disables, or modifies a communication service based on the security status of the user.
US08107587B2
A digital logic circuit includes a plurality of transistors of a same conduction type. In at least one embodiment, a first transistor has a source, gate and drain connected to a first circuit node, a second circuit node and a first power supply line, respectively. A second transistor has a source, gate and drain connected to the second node, the first node and the first supply line, respectively. A third transistor has a drain connected to the first node. A fourth transistor has a gate and drain connected to a third circuit node and the second circuit node, respectively. A fifth transistor has a gate and drain connected to the first and third nodes, respectively. Such a circuit may be used, for example, as a latch in a shift register of an active matrix addressing arrangement.
US08107581B2
A method of digitally controlling a timing recovery loop to control jitter and reduce word-length in a recovered clock is provided. A timing error detector provides an output identifying the error sign. First and second randomizing digital attenuators provide first and second estimates of the phase error in a timing signal. A controller receives the first estimate and provides a signal to an NCO. An output from the NCO provides feedback to the error detector to complete a first order feedback loop, providing a first estimate phase error compensation. An integrator receives the second estimate and provides an output estimate for frequency offset of the timing signal that is received by the controller and the sign and magnitude of the integrated phase error are calibrated to provide a frequency offset. The controller determines a number of additional updates to the NCO required to minimize jitter and reduce word-length.
US08107580B2
A phase detector generates a phase dependent control signal according to the phase relationship between a first and second clock signal. The phase detector includes first and second phase detector circuits receiving the first and second clock signals and generating select signals having duty cycles corresponding to the phase relationship between the clock edges of the first and second clock signals. The phase detector also includes a charge pump that receives select signals from the phase detector circuits and produces an increasing or decreasing control signal when the first and second clock signals do not have the predetermined phase relationship, and a non-varying control signal when the first and second clock signals do have the predetermined phase relationship. The control signal may be used to adjust the delay value of a voltage-controlled delay circuit in order to adjust the phase relationship between the first and second clock signals to have a predetermined phase relationship.
US08107578B2
A method for identifying receipt of a sync word in a stream of signal data is provided. The method includes receiving a signal value representing an incoming bit in the stream of signal data. The method also includes inserting the signal value into a first shift register having the same length as the sync word. The method further includes calculating a bit value from the signal value. The method also includes storing the bit value into a second shift register having the same length as the sync word. The method further includes counting the number of matches between the bit values in the second shift register and the corresponding bits in the sync word. The method also includes computing a correlation of the signal data and the sync word by summing the product of each signal value in the first shift register and the corresponding bit in the sync word. The method further includes producing a normalized correlation by dividing the correlation by the energy. The method also includes outputting a signal indicating the presence of a sync word if the number of matches is at least equal to a predetermined hard correlation threshold and if the normalized correlation is at least equal to a predetermined soft correlation threshold.
US08107574B2
A filter tuning circuit for a wireless communication system is provided. A filter tuning circuit includes a comparator and a counter which control a transconvertance value of a differential transconverter to tune a filter.
US08107573B2
An embodiment of the proposed invention is primarily applied to compensate the BLW in communication systems using THPs in their transmitters, especially suitable for the 10GBase-T Ethernet application. The present apparatus includes an additional decision device (slicer) used to generate DC offset information (error signal) and an extra modulus unit after our BLW compensator to reconvert compensated symbols to correct 16-PAM signals. In addition, the estimated error signals in our method are generated from the difference between the input of the BLW compensator and the output of the decision device. These error signals are then weighted to alleviate the impact of erroneous DC offset information on the performance of the BLW compensator. Therefore, a more direct and accurate DC offset information can be derived to improve the inaccurate BLW estimation in previous works.
US08107570B2
A mobile communication system is designed with an input circuit coupled to receive a first plurality of signals (rj(i+τj), i=0−N−1) during a first time (T0-T1) from an external source and coupled to receive a second plurality of signals (rj (i+τj), i=N−2N−1) during a second time (T1-T2) from the external source. The input circuit receives each of the first and second plurality of signals along respective first and second paths (j). The input circuit produces a first input signal (Rj1) and a second input signal (Rj2) from the respective first and second plurality of signals. A correction circuit is coupled to receive a first estimate signal (αj1), a second estimate signal (αj2) and the first and second input signals. The correction circuit produces a first symbol estimate ({tilde over (S)}1) in response to the first and second estimate signals and the first and second input signals. The correction circuit produces a second symbol estimate ({tilde over (S)}2) in response to the first and second estimate signals and the first and second input signals.
US08107566B2
Techniques for deriving and using noise estimate for data reception in a wireless communication system are described. A noise estimate may be derived for each packet received in a data transmission. Data detection may then be performed for each packet using the noise estimate for that packet. For noise estimation, a first sample sequence and a second sample sequence may be obtained from each receiver used for data reception. A phase offset between the first and second sample sequences may be determined and applied to the first sample sequence for each receiver to obtain a third sample sequence for that receiver. A noise estimate may then be derived based on the power of the differences between the second and third sample sequences for the at least one receiver.
US08107543B2
A diversity transmission scheme uses a number of antennas that is greater than the limitation of two transmitting antennas in the well-known Alamouti scheme. In an embodiment comprising four antennas, the antennas transmit in pairs such that each antenna transmits a block that is used in the Alamouti scheme. This increases the transmission rate. For example, the transmission of two signals at a given time slot increases transmission rate by a factor of two. The invention not only increases the number of antennas, but also increases the transmission rate. At the receiver end, the code is decoded without matrix inversion and without much noise enhancement. Moreover, noise enhancement stability is increased by a simple, partial interference cancellation scheme, that results in improved decoding performance.
US08107531B2
A video codec efficiently signals that a frame is identical to its reference frame, such that separate coding of its picture content is skipped. Information that a frame is skipped is represented jointly in a coding table of a frame coding type element for bit rate efficiency in signaling. Further, the video codec signals the picture type (e.g., progressive or interlaced) of skipped frames, which permits different repeat padding methods to be applied according to the picture type.
US08107522B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for determining receiver filter coefficients for a plurality of phases. One or more coefficients for a receiver filter are determined by determining a first coefficient for a first phase of a data eye; and determining a second coefficient for a second phase of the data eye. The receiver filter may be, for example, a decision-feedback equalizer. The first and second coefficients may be determined by performing an LMS adaptation of decision-feedback equalization coefficients. In another embodiment, the first and second coefficients may be determined by obtaining eye opening metrics from a data eye monitor corresponding to each of the respective first phase and the second phase; and determining the respective first and second coefficients based on the eye opening metrics. The first and second phases can correspond to odd and even phases.
US08107510B2
A method and apparatus of reducing interference between wireless communication protocols is disclosed. The method comprises reducing interference between a first wireless communication protocol operating in a first frequency band and a second wireless communication protocol operating in a second frequency band by generating noise to cause interference with one or more frequencies in the second frequency band and performing Adaptive Frequency Hopping (AFH) in the second wireless communication protocol to avoid the one or more frequencies in the second frequency band in which interference is caused by the noise.
US08107507B2
A primary surface 23a of a supporting base 23 of a light-emitting diode 21a tilts by an off-angle of 10 degrees or more and less than 80 degrees from the c-plane. A semiconductor stack 25a includes an active layer having an emission peak in a wavelength range from 400 nm to 550 nm. The tilt angle “A” between the (0001) plane (the reference plane SR3 shown in FIG. 5) of the GaN supporting base and the (0001) plane of a buffer layer 33a is 0.05 degree or more and 2 degrees or less. The tilt angle “B” between the (0001) plane of the GaN supporting base (the reference plane SR4 shown in FIG. 5) and the (0001) plane of a well layer 37a is 0.05 degree or more and 2 degrees or less. The tilt angles “A” and “B” are formed in respective directions opposite to each other with reference to the c-plane of the GaN supporting base.
US08107505B2
A compressively-encoding-resultant video signal resulting from compressively encoding a video signal, a first compressively-encoding-resultant audio signal resulting from compressively encoding a first audio signal having a synchronized relation with the video signal, a reference clock information signal relating to synchronization between the compressively-encoding-resultant video signal and the first compressively-encoding-resultant audio signal, and an indication timing information signal designating an indication timing of the video signal are multiplexed to get an AV multiplexing-resultant signal. A second audio signal is compressively encoded to get a second compressively-encoding-resultant audio signal. A sound-production-timing information signal is added to the second compressively-encoding-resultant audio signal to get a substitution playback audio signal. During playback, the substitution playback audio signal can be reproduced instead of the first audio signal while being synchronous with the video signal. The sound-production-timing information signal responds to the reference clock information signal, and relates to synchronization with the video signal.
US08107503B2
A method of synchronizing data between two devices can include starting, in a first device, a first synchronization operation comprising transmitting a first data set to be received by a second device, the first data set comprising changes to multiple different data elements in the first device that have occurred since a prior successful synchronization operation between the first device and the second device; receiving at least one of separate acknowledgements for each of the multiple different data elements, each such acknowledgement indicating that a change to one of the multiple different data elements in the first device has been applied to a corresponding data element in the second device; and when the first synchronization operation is interrupted, initiating a second synchronization operation to synchronize the changes of the first data set for which a separate acknowledgement was not received during the first synchronization operation.
US08107493B2
A method and an apparatus are provided for enabling a legacy station to perform virtual carrier sensing when a plurality of stations with heterogeneous capabilities coexist in a wireless network. The method includes receiving first data compliant with a first protocol, and transmitting second data compliant with a second protocol, where the first protocol is downward compatible with the second protocol.
US08107489B2
A baseband processing module for use within a Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver includes a downlink/uplink interface, TX processing components, a processor, memory, RX processing components, and a turbo decoding module. The RX processing components receive a baseband RX signal from the RF front end, produce a set of IR samples from the baseband RX signal, and transfer the set of IR samples to the memory. The turbo decoding module receives at least one set of IR samples from the memory, forms a turbo code word from the at least one set of IR samples, turbo decodes the turbo code word to produce inbound data, and outputs the inbound data to the downlink/uplink interface. The turbo decoding module performs metric normalization based upon a chosen metric performs error detection operations, and extracts information from a MAC packet that it produces.
US08107487B2
A packet communication device for communicating a packet to be transferred in constant cycle, comprising one of a logic inversion section configured to invert a logical value with respect to at least one bit included in a first string of bits included in a first packet; and a register section configured to store another string of bits having a logical value different from a given logical value of the first string of bits; and a selector section configured to select one of the first string of bits and a second string of bits that is output from one of the logic inversion section and the register section to designate any one of a plurality of devices, wherein the packet communication is performed when a selected string of bits selected by the selector section conforms to a setting value of a receiving side.
US08107480B2
Methods and apparatuses to enhance delivery capacity for traffic in a communication network are disclosed. Traffic is received to a Delivery Function with originally coded Quality of Services (QoS). A specification of requested QoS is received to the Delivery Function. The originally coded QoS is established to be higher than the requested QoS. The received traffic is transcoded into requested QoS. Optionally, the traffic is buffered with originally coded QoS and at request, the buffered traffic is retrieved.
US08107473B2
A method of using a point-to-point (P2P) label switched path (LSP) to transmit multicast data packets partially through a multiprotocol label switched (MPLS) network when one or more label switched routers (LSRs) of the MPLS are not multicast label distribution protocol (mLDP) enabled. The P2P LSP can be used to transmit multicast data packets to the head end of a point-to-multipoint (P2MP) LSP created with mLDP enabled LSRs. The P2MP LSP can be used to transmit the multicast data packets through the MPLS network to intended receivers that are external to the MPLS network. When configuring the P2MP LSP, an mLDP enabled LSR receives a first message from a non-mLDP enabled MPLS core router in response to sending a label mapping message to the non-mLDP enabled MPLS core router. In response, a directed LDP session is created between the mLDP enabled LSR and an edge LSR in one embodiment in response to receiving the first message from an MPLS enabled core router. The directed LDP session can be used to transmit a label mapping message to an ingress LSR.
US08107472B1
A gateway may be used as a common entry point for a network. Subscribers may request network services through the gateway. The gateway may identify management entities that are appropriate for a particular subscriber's request by contacting a network information collector (NIC). The NIC may include one or more, possibly distributed, resolver components and information collection agents. The resolvers are responsible for the resolution process, which may be based on a resolution process that specifies resolution functions that are required to identify the management entities. The information collection agents may be customizable software agents that collect state information from other elements in the network.
US08107452B1
Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, methods, and computer storage media for customizing a user agent profile for a mobile communications device. The mobile communications device communicates a request for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (http) compatible data to a gateway device. The capabilities of the mobile communications device are identified to create an options page. The options page includes selectable options associated with an identified selection of the capabilities of the mobile communications device. A selection of the selectable options of the options page are selected to identify one or more preferences of a user of the mobile communications device. A user agent profile is created based, in part, on the selection of the selectable options of the options page. Based on the user agent profile, the requested data compatible with http is converted to correspond with the preferences indicated by the user agent profile.
US08107451B2
Deallocating resources allocated to a network communications session, including extrapolating an expected location of a selected node that belongs to a communications path of a network communications session, determining if the extrapolated location is beyond a predefined range from a neighboring node that belongs to the communications path of the network communications session and that immediately neighbors the selected node along the communications path, and deallocating any resources allocated to the network communications session if the extrapolated location is beyond the range.
US08107440B2
For a mobile radio connection having at least two uplink flows, a determination is made whether one of the uplink flows from a non-serving cell has a better radio link quality than another of the uplink flows from a serving cell. A congestion condition in the radio access transport network is monitored for those uplink flows. If congestion in the radio access transport network for the non-serving cell uplink flow is detected when that uplink flow is associated with the better radio link quality, then a message is generated for transmission to the mobile radio terminal to reduce a rate at which the mobile radio terminal transmits data for the connection to the radio access transport network rather than the non-serving cell discarding uplink data packets.
US08107437B2
A multi-mode mobile communication device may include a processing device, a memory sub-system, a communication sub-system operable to communicate with the plurality of wireless access networks, and a protocol stack stored in the memory sub-system and executed by the processing device. The protocol stack may include a first access stratum, a second access stratum, a non-access stratum and an access stratum manager. The first access stratum may communicate with a first wireless access network via the communication sub-system. The second access stratum may communicate with a second wireless access network via the communication sub-system. The non-access stratum may communicate with a core network. The access stratum manager may interface the non-access stratum with the first and second access strata, and may be operable to activate the first access stratum to establish a communication link with the core network over the first wireless access network. The access stratum manager may be further operable to maintain the communication link between the non-access stratum and the core network while transferring the communication link from the first access stratum to the second access stratum.
US08107421B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting PilotReportRequest message in a wireless communication system is described. A PilotReportRequest message comprising an 8 bit MessageID field and an 8 bit ReportFormat field is generated, wherein the ReportFormat field indicates the format of the PilotReport being requested from an access terminal. The PilotReportRequest message is transmitted over a communication link.
US08107414B2
An apparatus and method (200) are disclosed for expanded coverage in a mesh network (100). A communication device (140) incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a controller (302) managing operation of a transceiver (320) in communication with the mesh and programmed to acquire (202) a network identification from a mesh node (120), transmit (204) the network identification and appear as another mesh node to clients, and forward traffic from wireless clients to the mesh node. The communication device can operate (206) as a node in the mesh using the network identification and operate (208) as an independent router using a separate wireless router identifier. In another embodiment, the controller can be programmed to detect a network identification of an access point within a coverage area of a communication device (120), transmit a join message, and transmit authenticating information and security associations. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US08107412B2
Methods and apparatus' for operating a communication system between an aircraft and a communication center are provided. One method includes using an aircraft communication addressing and reporting system (ACARS) of an aircraft to control a gatelink communication system of the aircraft.
US08107409B2
A method of routing calls includes receiving a first call at a first distributed mobile architecture gateway (dMAG) from a legacy communication network. A routing path for the first call is determined based on register data associated with a mobile station, the routing path including at least one component of each of the first dMAG, a first dMA node, and a private Internet Protocol (IP) network. One or more command messages are sent to reserve the components of the first dMAG, the first dMA node, and the private Internet Protocol (IP) network. One or more confirmation messages are received indicating that components of the first dMAG, the first dMA node, and the private IP network are reserved to route the first call. The first call is connected to the mobile station via the reserved components of the first dMAG, the first dMA node, and the private IP network.
US08107406B2
In various embodiments, RFID events are pre-processes with filtering logic by a mobile interrogator/reader before being inserted into tables of a local relational database on the mobile device when the mobile device cannot otherwise communicate collected events to a centralized data hub. The RFID events are stored in a normalized format that provides a simple, efficient, and standard interface for persisting the RFID events such that local access from applications on the mobile device is provided.
US08107401B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for providing a virtual assistant to at least one party of a communication. The virtual assistant is injected into the communication, for example, by a VXML engine. The operation of the virtual assistant is controlled by one or more software modules that are obtained from a proxy node. The software modules allow commands received from or destined for the party to be interpreted. The virtual assistant may optionally be customized based on a selection of the one or more supported external applications. The proxy node provides at least one method for the party that allows the party to access functionality provided by at least one external application. The proxy node interprets signals from the virtual assistant; converts the signals from the virtual assistant into commands for the external application; and converts one or more of commands, messages and data from the external application into signals understood by the virtual assistant.
US08107392B2
A method and apparatus for packet aggregation in a power line communication network (PLC) are provided. The method of aggregating packets includes: by performing a PLC channel estimation, determining whether or not a channel condition is good; if the channel condition is good, determining whether or not the data desired to be transmitted is suitable for packet aggregation according to the type of data; and if the channel condition is good and the data desired to be transmitted is suitable for the packet aggregation, aggregating packets of the data desired to be transmitted. Since a decision on whether or not to aggregate packets is determined according to a channel condition at a physical level and the type of data at an application level, packet aggregation can be performed in appropriate response to the frequently changing condition of a channel and the characteristic of the data desired to be transmitted.
US08107391B2
Methods and systems for sharing white space with primary services and other emerging services are provided. Signal distribution within a specified location, such as a dwelling, is performed using a home gateway that identifies unused white space, reserves such white space spectrum, and delivers data to one or more devices at the respective location using the reserved spectrum. Signalling between the devices and the gateway is performed over a shared signalling channel, which enables the gateway to advise the devices from where and when to receive data. The gateway also uses a common spectrum reservation OFDM symbol to advise the neighboring gateways of the local spectrum reservation.
US08107389B2
The present invention relates to communicating between a network and a mobile terminal in a wireless communication system. The invention includes receiving a first message from the network for processing a first procedure, and receiving a second message from the network for processing a second procedure, wherein execution of the second procedure is dependent on an outcome of the first procedure.
US08107388B2
One or more network elements that modify type of service values in a network are detected by sending route tracing messages having increasing time-to-live values and a designated type of service value from a first network element to a second network element. Type of service values are monitored in respective time exceeded messages received from respective network elements on a given network path between the first network element and the second network element responsive to the route tracing messages. At least a particular one of the network elements on the given network path that has made a modification in type of service value relative to the designated type of service value is identified, based on the monitored type of service values in the respective time exceeded messages.
US08107384B2
Transmission of contents from a transmitting apparatus to a plurality of receiving apparatuses is performed, while putting restrictions on a communication area and the number of receiving apparatuses in conformity with a definition of DTCP.In a case of a need to distribute literary works such as movies and the music within a single home network, while preventing the transmission of the literary works to other home networks, a degree of freedom in communication is raised in a case where a communication delay time is short so that a high possibility exists that the communication delay time falls within a specific range. Conversely, in a case where the communication delay time is long so that a low possibility exists that the communication delay time falls within the specific range, the degree of freedom in communication is lowered. Thus, it is allowable to implement a system that ensures a high barrier to unauthorized content distributions, and also, does not have any remarkable restrictions on a rightful home use.
US08107373B2
A method for realizing QoS guarantee in a MPLS network, a method for establishing a QoS data path, a method for terminating QoS data transmission, an edge router for a MPLS network and a MPLS network for realizing QoS guarantee are provided. The method for realizing QoS guarantee in a MPLS network includes: creating individual QoS resource list in each edge router to record resource state corresponding to a path; the each edge router assigning resources to a user terminal which makes a request based on the QoS resource list and updating the QoS resource list.
US08107369B2
A method of managing a data packet queue in a buffer associated with the radio layers of a wireless network, the buffer storing packets prior to their transmission over the radio interface. The method comprises defining minimum and maximum threshold levels for the packet queue, and for a data packet received by the buffer 1) performing a congestion avoidance procedure if the buffer queue exceeds said maximum threshold level, or 2) not performing said procedure if the buffer queue is less than said minimum threshold level, or 3) if the buffer queue lies between said maximum and minimum thresholds, performing said congestion avoidance procedure for said packet, and not performing the procedure for at least one or more subsequent packets.
US08107367B2
The invention discloses a method of establishing an adaptive mobile cluster network. The method comprises the steps of: (a) determining a network service requested by a mobile communication device; (b) according to the requested network service, determining at least one communication parameter needed by the mobile communication device; (c) according to the needed communication parameter, selecting a header device from a plurality of wireless communication devices by the communication device; (d) selecting a plurality of agent devices from the remaining wireless communication devices by the header device; and (e) selecting a plurality of normal devices from the remaining wireless communication devices by the agent devices, so as to establish the adaptive mobile cluster network.
US08107366B2
A system for centrally controlling packet network communications may include an input/output (I/O) unit configured to communicate data packets over a packet network with multiple network communications devices, a processing unit in communication with the I/O unit and configured to communicate with the network communications devices via respective node segments, and a memory in communication with the processing unit and configured to store a table. The processing unit may be configured to receive and store network performance information of node segments generated by the network communications devices. The network performance information may be stored in the table in association with indicia representative of the node segments, respectively. The processing unit may further be configured to control network communications by the network communications devices over the node segments based on the network performance information stored in the table.
US08107358B2
A communication between network node elements (routers), according to which the routes communicate with one another using a link-state protocol, e.g. IS-IS or OSPF and the failure of a network node element can be identified more rapidly than by the evaluation of hello messages disclosed in prior art is provided. A link-state message is received by a first network node element from a neighboring second network node element, the link states that are contained in the link-state message are compared with at least one stored link state of a network node element that lies adjacent to the first network node element and the compared link states are evaluated as a criterion for a failure of a neighboring network node element. The topology is recalculated, taking into consideration the failure of the neighboring network node element, without waiting for a dead interval based on period link (hello) message to elapse.
US08107350B2
An objective lens including: a first region to respectively converge first and second light beams onto recording surfaces of first and second optical discs; and a second region located outside of the first region and configured to converge the first light beam onto the recording surface of the first optical disc and not to converge the second light beam onto the recording surface of each of the first and second optical discs, and wherein the first region is divided into a plurality of refractive surface zones concentrically formed about an optical axis and has a first step, a diffraction order at which a diffraction efficiency is maximized for each of the first and second light beams passing through the first step in the first region is a first order, and the objective lens satisfies a condition: 0.80<((Sout−Sd)/Sout)2/ηin<1.45 (1).
US08107348B2
An optical pickup apparatus for use on multi-layered optical information storage medium in which influences of reflected light, which result in crosstalk from adjacent layers in a multi-layered optical disk, are mitigated. In an astigmatic optical system of the optical pickup, a first composite segmented wave plate having a segmentation direction that is in the same direction as the focal line that is close to the astigmatic optical system, a second composite segmented wave plate of the same segmentation direction, and an analyzer are inserted.
US08107345B2
An optical disk discriminating method and an optical disk device which can detect reflected rays for making discrimination among kinds of optical disks with high accuracies. By switching a plurality of lasers and moving a spherical aberration corrector while moving an objective lens to cause it to approach or keep away from an optical disk, rays reflected light from the optical disk can be detected with high accuracies. Discrimination among the kinds of a plurality of optical disks can be made on the basis of signals generated from the detected reflected rays. This ensures that the kind of an optical disk can be determined through one operation of sweeping.
US08107339B2
A highly efficient and reliable reproduced signal evaluation method and an optical disc drive using that method in which assuming that the number of 2T's appearing successively in a predetermined evaluation bitstream is i, the evaluation bitstream is divided into a main bitstream (5+2i) long and sub bitstreams at the ends of the main bitstream. The check process to determine whether a predetermined evaluation bitstream is included in the binarized bitstreams is replaced with a main bitstream agreement check. This can prevent an increase in the circuit size. At the same time, by separately summing up for each main bitstream the calculated results of Euclidean distance between the reproduced signal and the target signal corresponding to the evaluation bitstream, the size of an evaluation summing circuit can be reduced.
US08107332B2
A drive apparatus of the present invention includes a recording/reproduction section and a drive control section. The drive control section performs a process including: determining a first track of the plurality of tracks, based on the physical address corresponding to the logical address included in the recording instruction and the track management information; determining whether or not the first track is a closed track; when the first track is determined to be the closed track, performing a process including: determining a second track different from the first track, the second track being an open track; determining as a next writable address a physical address indicating a location at which data can be recorded next in the second track, based on the last recorded address in the second track; pseudo-overwrite recording the data at the next writable address as a replacement location.
US08107331B2
An optical disk apparatus appropriately adjusts the optical paths of a reference light beam and information light beam in an optical path forming section of an optical pickup, condenses the reference light beam and information light beam using an objective lens, and performs position control of the objective lens in the focusing and tracking directions so as to focus the reference light beam onto a reference track in a target mark layer, thereby focusing the focal point of the information light beam condensed by the objective lens onto a target track TG in the target mark layer.
US08107323B1
Provided is a boomer that is a type of a seismic source generator for marine seismic survey. In the boomer for marine seismic survey according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of transducer coupling parts capable of separating and coupling a transducer are disposed on a bottom of a board floating on a surface of water, the transducer coupling parts are disposed along a straight line L forming left and right center of gravity of the board, and a transducer coupling member for mounting a transducer is provided. Further, the support is mounted on the bottom of the board, the transducer coupling part is disposed on the support, and the support is formed to control a distance from a bottom point of the board to the transducer coupling part.
US08107321B2
The invention relates to a method for localizing and tracking acoustic sources (101) in a multi-source environment, comprising the steps of recording audio-signals (103) of at least one acoustic source (101) with at least two recording means (104, 105), creating a two- or multi-channel recording signal, partitioning said recording signal into frames of predefined length (N), calculating for each frame a cross-correlation function as a function of discrete time-lag values (τ) for channel pairs (106, 107) of the recording signal, evaluating the cross-correlation function by calculating a sampling function depending on a pitch parameter (f0) and at least one spatial parameter (φ0), the sampling function assigning a value to every point of a multidimensional space being spanned by the pitch-parameter and the spatial parameters, and identifying peaks in said multidimensional space with respective acoustic sources in the multi-source environment.
US08107317B2
A technique includes providing a source in a first well and a seismic receiver in a second well to detect a seismic event that is caused by the source. The technique includes referencing clocks in the source and receiver to a common reference time frame and determining a time in the reference time frame at which the seismic source generates the seismic event.
US08107313B2
A plurality of cell arrays are assigned different addresses. An access information unit holds access enable information indicating the number of the cell arrays to be simultaneously activated. An array control unit activates at least one of the cell arrays corresponding to the access enable information, in response to an access request, and forcibly activates at least one of the cell arrays not corresponding to the access enable information, in response to a forced access request. Consequently, it is possible to activate the inactivated cell array not corresponding to the access enable information before the supply of the access request. Therefore, even when the number of the cell arrays to be simultaneously activated is small, it is possible to execute access operations without interruption. As a result, it is possible to access the cell arrays with minimum power consumption without lowering access efficiency.
US08107305B2
Some embodiments include apparatus and methods having a memory cell included in a device, a control line configured to receive a control signal to access the memory cell, and a first line configured to transfer information to and from the memory cell. The control signal has a first level during a first time interval and a second level during a second time interval of a memory operation. The apparatus and methods also include a module configured to reduce difference between a value of a voltage on the second line and a value of a voltage on a node of the device during a first time portion of the second time interval. Additional apparatus and methods are disclosed.
US08107301B2
A memory controller for writing data in a first semiconductor memory including a plurality of memory cells having series-connected current paths and charge storage layers includes a host interface which configured to be receivable of first data from a host apparatus, a second semiconductor memory which temporarily holds second data, and an arithmetic unit which generates the second data in accordance with the state of the first semiconductor memory, temporarily holds the second data in the second semiconductor memory, and writes the first and second data in the first semiconductor memory. When writing the second data, the arithmetic unit does not select a word line adjacent to a select gate line, and selects a word line not adjacent to the select gate line.
US08107297B2
A method of reading a nonvolatile memory device may include, after an nth erase operation is performed, reading dummy cells on which a program operation has been performed based on a first read voltage, where n is an integer greater than zero, counting a number of dummy cells that are read as having a threshold voltage lower than the first read voltage, when the number is a critical value or more, resetting a read voltage, and performing, based on the reset read voltage, a read operation on memory cells that belong to the same memory cell block as the dummy cells and on which a program operation has been performed on the memory cells after the nth erase operation has been performed.
US08107269B2
An apparatus to convert a direct current to an alternating current includes a power module disposed between an input terminal of the direct current and output terminal of the alternating current, the power module comprising an on/off switch element, a first smoothing condenser connected in parallel with the power module, a second smoothing condenser connected in parallel with the power module, the second smoothing condenser comprising an electrostatic capacity less than the first smoothing condenser, a first wiring connecting the power module and the first smoothing condenser, and a second wiring connecting the power module and the second smoothing condenser, the second wiring comprising an inductance greater than the first wiring.
US08107262B2
There is provided a variable switching frequency type power supply that can achieve high efficiency by fixing a switching duty cycle to 50% and varying switching frequency. A variable switching frequency type power supply according to an aspect of the invention may include: a switching unit switching input power; a transformation unit converting a voltage level of the power switched by the switching unit into a predetermined voltage level; a rectification unit rectifying the power converted by the transformation unit; and a control unit fixing a switching duty cycle of the switching unit to a predetermined switching duty cycle, and varying switching frequency of the switching unit according to a voltage level of output power.
US08107235B2
An electronic device comprises a first module, a second module, a flexible printed circuit board, a first protecting cover and a second protecting cover. The first module comprises a bottom plate. The second module is disposed below the first module and comprises a top plate. The flexible printed circuit board connects the first module and the second module. The first protecting cover is disposed below the top plate. The second protecting cover is disposed below the top plate, wherein an end of the second protecting cover is fixed on the bottom plate. When the first module slides relative to the second module from a first position to a second position, the bottom plate forces the second protecting cover to change from a closed state to an opened state to totally cover the flexible printed circuit board.
US08107232B2
The present invention discloses an external hard disk box. An upper cover and a lower cover of the box are positioned and fixed by soft silicon rings or silicon covers, without requiring any screw. In addition, a data transmission line associated with the external hard disk box can be accommodated; therefore, a user needs not to carry another data transmission line when going out. A top of the soft silicon ring is provided with grooves and a bottom of the soft silicon ring is provided with pillars which can act as foot pads to connect with the grooves of another external hard disk. Therefore, the present invention is provided with functions of stacking and shock-proofing.
US08107227B2
A cover mechanism for an electronic device includes a protective cover and a resisting member. The protective cover includes a cover portion, and an arm portion. The arm portion allows the protective cover to rotate relative to the electronic device. The resisting member is attached to the electronic device, and prevents the arm portion from separating from the electronic device.
US08107212B2
A fingerprint sensor in accordance with the invention includes a non-conductive substrate providing a first surface onto which a user can apply a fingerprint to be sensed. A sensor circuit is applied to a second surface of the non-conductive substrate opposite the first surface to sense a fingerprint when juxtaposed proximally thereto. An electrostatic discharge conductor is applied to the non-conductive surface and is located between an area where a fingerprint is swiped and the sensor circuit. The electrostatic discharge conductor discharges electrostatic charge resulting from a user swiping a fingerprint across the first surface.
US08107210B2
A control method of the magnetic actuator system includes the following steps. A first initial orientation step is to move a magnetic actuator to a first position in accordance with a first position signal, and generate a first position sense signal by a position sensor. A second initial orientation step is to move the magnetic actuator to a second position in accordance with a second position signal, and generate a second position sense signal by the position sensor. An orientation step is to perform an interpolation in accordance with the above signals and a target position signal to obtain a target position sense signal. A moving step is to move the magnetic actuator to an actual position in accordance with the target position signal, and output an actual position sense signal by the position sensor. An adjustment step is to move the magnetic actuator to a target position in accordance with the target position sense signal and the actual position sense signal.
US08107207B2
A potted electrical circuit is enclosed within a housing and has a first and second fiberglass layer that is laid upon a top surface of the potted electrical circuit. A lid of the housing seals the electrical circuit there within and an opening formed in a side wall allows circuitry wiring to extend there from out. The first fiberglass layer is a woven layer while the second fiberglass layer is a padding-like layer. Circuitry wiring pushes through the woven first fiberglass layer before extending out through the opening in the housing. The first fiberglass layer is tucked in and around the electrical circuit and adheres to the inside of the housing by attaching to the potting material while it hardens. In a preferred embodiment, the electrical circuit in combination with the insulation material is used within a transient voltage surge suppression device.
US08107205B2
An output unit outputs a trip current based on current amount data obtained by sampling a current amount at a first end of a power line at a predetermined timing and current amount data received from a device at a second end of the power line. A clock generating unit generates a clock to be used as a reference for the predetermined timing. A receiving unit receives a GPS signal and extracts a time synchronization signal from the GPS signal. A correction-signal generating unit generates a correction signal for synchronizing the clock with the time synchronization signal. A correcting unit corrects the clock with the correction signal.
US08107195B2
A first sleeve rotatably extends around a shaft. First and second flanges are fixed to the shaft. A second sleeve extending around the first sleeve is fixed thereto. A first annular member fixed to the second sleeve surrounds the first flange. A second annular member fixed to the second flange surrounds a portion of the second sleeve. A first capillary seal includes a clearance between the first flange and the first annular member. A second capillary seal includes a clearance between the second annular member and the second sleeve. Lubricant is provided in the clearances in the first and second capillary seals. The second annular member and the second sleeve are designed so that the lubricant in the clearance in the second capillary seal can be viewed from a point in a radial position which is outward of the second sleeve as seen in an axial direction.
US08107193B2
According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole including a write magnetic pole layer for recording, the write magnetic pole layer comprising magnetic layers being antiferromagnetically coupled via a thin non-magnetic conductor layer between the magnetic layers, wherein the write magnetic pole layer for recording has a flare section which gradually widens in a height-wise direction of a throat height section. The main magnetic pole also includes a non-magnetic cap layer laminated above an uppermost layer of the write magnetic pole layer, the non-magnetic cap layer being textured to provide anisotropy, and a subsidiary magnetic pole layer for supplementing the recording laminated above the non-magnetic cap layer. The head also includes an auxiliary magnetic pole, a magnetic shield positioned via a non-magnetic layer on a trailing edge and both sides of the main magnetic pole in a track width direction, and a coil for generating a recording magnetic field.
US08107188B2
A self servo writing disk controller detects a plurality of spiral sync marks and a plurality of spiral bursts corresponding to one of a plurality of servo spirals from a read signal from the read/write head. A timing reference signal is generated based on timing of at least one of the plurality of the spiral sync marks. A position error signal is generated based on timing of at least one of the plurality of spiral sync marks and a magnitude of at least one of a plurality of spiral bursts. The timing reference signal and the position error signal are used by the disk drive for timing and positioning in self writing initial servo wedges to the disk.
US08107182B2
A system and method for providing an interface an interface between a read channel and a disk controller. The interface includes a plurality of differential pair signal lines operable to communicate data and control signals between the read channel and the hard disk controller. The data and control signal lines communicate operations for transferring data between the disk controller and the read channel.
US08107174B2
A wide-angle lens includes, in order from an object side, a first lens group G1 having negative refractive power, and a second lens group G2 having positive refractive power. The first lens group includes at least one negative meniscus lens having a convex surface facing the object side. The second lens group includes, in order from the object side, a positive lens, a negative lens and a positive lens. Given conditional expressions are satisfied.
US08107171B2
A zoom lens system comprises, from an object to an image side: a first, a second, a third, a fourth, and a fifth lens units, wherein all units move during zooming so that an interval between the first and second lens units is larger, an interval between the second and third lens units is smaller, an interval between the fourth and fifth lens units is larger, at a telephoto end than those at a wide angle end, and an interval between the third and fourth lens units varies; and a focal length of the second lens unit, a focal length of an entire system at the wide angle end, a movement amount of the fourth lens unit in zooming from wide angle end to telephoto end, and intervals between the third and fourth lens units at the wide angle end and at the telephoto end are set appropriately.
US08107165B2
A translucent projector screen on which light from a display unit disposed obliquely forward of the screen is projected, said projector screen integrally includes: a sheet-shaped main body; a plurality of convex lenses integrally formed on a surface of the main body; and a plurality of reflective members disposed on the main body corresponding to the convex lenses and respectively reflecting the display light emitted to the convex lenses in a specific incident angle toward the convex lenses other than the convex lenses to which the display light is emitted. The convex lenses have spherical surfaces or aspheric surfaces so that respectively collect the display light to the reflective members, and emit the display light reflected by the reflective members in a specific output angle.
US08107157B2
A method is provided for making a micromirror unit which includes a frame, a mirror forming base, and bridges connecting the frame to the mirror forming base. The method includes the following steps. First, a first mask pattern is formed on a substrate for masking portions of the substrate which are processed into the frame and the mirror forming base. Then, a second mask pattern is formed on the substrate for masking portions of the substrate which are processed into the bridges. Then, the substrate is subjected to a first etching process with the first and the second mask patterns present as masking means. Then, the second mask pattern is removed selectively. Then, the substrate is subjected to a second etching process with the first mask pattern present as masking means. Finally, the first mask pattern is removed.
US08107154B2
An optical modulator includes, a first polarization separation and combination portion, a second polarization separation and combination portion, a first polarization plane-maintaining optical fiber, a second polarization plane-maintaining optical fiber, a third polarization plane-maintaining optical fiber of which a first end is coupled with the second input and output terminal of the second polarization separation and combination portion, the third polarization plane-maintaining optical fiber including a first optical coupler, to which control light that is linearly polarized light is input, a fourth polarization plane-maintaining optical fiber of which a first end is coupled with the third input and output terminal of the second polarization separation and combination portion; and a first polarization plane conversion portion that optically communicates with a second end of the third polarization plane-maintaining optical fiber and a second end of the fourth polarization plane-maintaining optical fiber.
US08107151B1
A plasmonic logic device can include a dielectric substrate, and first and second metallic input strips that are placed on the substrate. The input metallic strips can be made of different metals that support propagation of surface plasmons at different frequencies. The input metallic strips can be separated by a predetermined gap that causes for the surface plasmons to constructively combine or destructively cancel each other, according to the gap distances and strip materials chosen, to accomplish the desired logic function. A metallic output strip can be placed on the substrate at a distance from the metallic input strips that allows for selective propagation to accomplish different logic functions. The metallic output strip can further be chosen from a material that allows for propagation of surface plasmons over a broad frequency range to allow for evanescent coupling of a surface plasmon from the metallic input strips.
US08107148B2
A curvature correction device used in an optical scanning unit includes a holder and a pushing unit. The optical scanning unit includes a light beam emitter to emit a light beam, a deflection unit to deflect the light beam in a main scanning direction, and a reflection mirror to reflect the light beam. In at least one embodiment, the curvature correction device includes a holder and a pushing unit. The holder holds the reflection mirror in a state in which the reflection mirror is forcibly bent in a first direction. The pushing unit pushes the reflection mirror held by the holder to bend the reflection mirror in a second direction opposite the first direction. The curvature correction device corrects the curvature of the main scanning line by adjusting an amount at which the pushing unit pushes the reflection mirror. The holder has a stiffness larger than the reflection mirror.
US08107144B2
A method and a device for manufacturing a hologram recording medium that has an arrangement by which different original images are reproduced when observed from different positions. The method includes preparing a plurality of original images, setting a predetermined recording plane, setting a predetermined reference light, setting a plurality of observation regions, computing an interference fringe pattern, and forming the interference fringe pattern on a physical medium. When computing an interference fringe pattern, computations of only the light components of each original image which would reach the respective observation region are performed.
US08107138B2
An image sensing apparatus having a large depth of focus (DOF) and being compact in size is provided. The image sensing apparatus includes a plurality of light sources that shines light beams on an illumination portion of a document; a first mirror that receives incident light scattered by reflection from the document, to reflect the scattered light in the secondary scan direction; a plurality of first concaved aspheric mirrors that collimates light beams from the first mirror, to reflect therefrom the collimated light beams as substantially collimated light fluxes; an aperture mirror that reflects therefrom the light beams from the respective first aspheric mirrors, through apertures each having a light-shielded portion formed therearound and selectively passing the light beams therethrough; a plurality of second concaved aspheric mirrors that receives the light beams incident from the respective aperture mirror, to reflect the incident light beams as converging light beams; a second mirror that reflects the light beams in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the document, disposed on a path of the light beams to be converged by means of the second aspheric mirrors; a plurality of light receivers each having a light-receiving area that receives the light beams from the second mirrors, to form images according to the light beams from the respective apertures; and a casing where the first and second aspheric mirrors are disposed on a first side of the casing in the secondary scan direction, and the aperture mirror is disposed on a second side thereof in the secondary scan direction.
US08107134B2
A transfer member to transfer a document at different transfer speeds according to transfer sections of a document transfer path includes a first transfer roller and a second transfer roller, both of which are respectively mounted at upstream and downstream sides of the document transfer path, and a driving unit to drive the first and second transfer rollers such that the speed of the second transfer roller is higher than that of the first transfer roller under the control of a control unit is further included. The control unit reads an image pattern on a test document using a read device, acquires speed compensation information to compensate for a transfer speed of the transfer member, and controls an operation of the transfer member according to the speed compensation information at the time of transferring the document.
US08107133B2
Disclosed herein is an image production apparatus, including a light source; an optical modulation apparatus of the one-dimensional type; and a projection optical system including a scanning optical system; the scanning optical system including a main scanning optical system, and a sub scanning optical system for carrying out scanning in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis, and a scanning direction by the main scanning optical system, the sub scanning by the sub scanning optical system is carried out between frames of the main scanning by the main scanning optical system, a frame rate and an average of substantial numbers of times of movement until the sub scanning optical system returns from a sub scanning origin to the sub scanning origin satisfy a relationship of Rf/Ns>15 where Rf is the frame rate and Ns is the average of substantial numbers of times of movement.
US08107132B2
An image forming apparatus and a control method thereof are disclosed. The disclosed image forming apparatus includes a white reference sheet provided at one side of a flat bed, for scanning an object, an image sensor module including an image sensor to detect light reflected from the white reference sheet in a scanning operation for the white reference sheet and light reflected from an image on the object in a scanning operation for the object, and to output analog image signals respectively corresponding to the reflected lights, an analog front end (AFE) to convert each analog image signal output from the image sensor to a digital image signal, a shading memory to store shading data obtained in the scanning operation for the white reference sheet, and a controller to calculate differences among outputs from R, G, and B channels of the image sensor, using the stored shading data, to correct the stored shading data, based on the calculated output differences, and to correct image data outputs generated from the R, G, and B channels in the scanning operation for the object, based on the calculated output differences. The image forming apparatus can correct different physical offset values possibly present at different color channels in a color scanning operation. Accordingly, it is possible to adjust the color balance of a scanned image, and thus to achieve an enhancement in the color quality of the image.
US08107131B2
In a scanner for optical and electrical scanning of a document having a transponder associated therewith a glass plate is provided for placement of the document. An optical scanning device scans the document via a mirror. At least one antenna for transmission of electromagnetic signals to the transponder and for reception of electromagnetic signals from the transponder is provided.
US08107129B2
Disclosed are a method and apparatus for embedding or detecting watermarks in a text, which belong to the field of document protection. The method and apparatus overlay an additional layer of shade in a document for recording a large amount of information from watermarks. The shade comprises the dots arranged under certain rules. Shifts of the dots record each bit string within the watermark. According to the method and apparatus, a large amount of information can be embedded and the watermarks embedded in the shade are dispersed together with the document which can be digitized by a scanner for being detected.
US08107117B2
An information processing device includes: a memory that stores function identifiers assigned to functions built into the information processing device, and function identifiers assigned to functions not built into the information processing device; a display controller that causes a display unit to display the function identifiers stored in the memory; a manipulation unit that accepts manipulation for specifying one of the function identifiers displayed by the display controller; and a transmission unit that transmits, if the one of the function identifiers which has been specified by the manipulation is assigned to one of the functions not built into the information processing device, the specified one of the information identifiers or an information item indicating one of the functions to which is assigned one of the information identifiers which has been specified by the manipulation, to a predetermined device.
US08107099B2
A watermark is provided for use with images or image portions, such as saturated text. The watermark is provided as a modulation to the optical density of a public image or image portion wherein both modulated and unmodulated portions of the public image or image portion have an optical density that is beyond a threshold optical density beyond which the human visual system has a low sensitivity to optical density variations. Alternatively, the modulation is made at such a low amplitude as to be difficult to perceive by the human visual system. The modulation may be applied via an overprinting operation. Alternatively the modulation may be applied to image data prior to printing.
US08107097B2
An information processing apparatus includes a receiving unit for receiving a control command including first identification information; an identification information obtaining unit for obtaining the first identification information from the control command thus received; a storage unit for storing second identification information related to a specific user; an identification information comparing unit for comparing the first identification information with the second identification information; and a control command processing unit for performing a first process when the first identification information matches to the second identification information and performing a second process when the first identification information does not match to the second identification information.
US08107096B2
A printer may be connected with an information processing device in a communicable manner. The printer includes a first command receiving device, a job directory creating device, a storage device, and an address sending device. The first command receiving device receives a job creating command including first print data. The first print data includes a plurality of second print data. The job directory creating device creates a job directory address in the case where the job creating command is received by the first command receiving device, and creates a file address for each of the plurality of second print data included in the first print data. Each of the created file addresses includes the created job directory address as its superior address. The storage device stores the job directory address and the file addresses created by the job directory creating device. The address sending device is capable of sending the job directory address and the file addresses stored in the storage device to the information processing device by using a file sharing protocol.
US08107087B2
A dimple position detection device for detecting a position of a dimple formed on a load beam is provided with an illumination device, imaging device, and image processing section. The illumination device directs illumination light toward the dimple. The imaging device receives reflected light from the dimple. The image processing section binarizes an image obtained by the imaging device. The image processing section maximizes a binarization level, binarizes the reflected light image, determines whether an area of a light spot region or on-region above the binarization level has a predetermined value, reduces the binarization level when the area of the light spot region is less than the predetermined value, and calculates the gravitational position of the light spot region with the predetermined value reached by the light spot region area.
US08107078B2
A detecting device of unevenness of a glass substrate includes a light source emitting a light; a polarizer polarizing the light; a standard cell including opposing outer surfaces, the glass substrate attached to one of the opposing outer surfaces, the polarized light passing through the standard cell and the glass substrate; an analyzer detecting and analyzing the light passing through the standard cell and the glass substrate.
US08107077B2
A terahertz spectroscopic apparatus includes a polarization beam splitter transmitting or reflecting a linearly polarized terahertz wave, a quarter wave plate imparting a phase difference of 90° to a terahertz wave impinging thereon, and an optical member guiding a circularly polarized terahertz wave impinging thereon from the polarization beam splitter via the quarter wave plate to an irradiation surface.
US08107073B2
A zoned order sorting filter for a spectrometer in a semiconductor metrology system is disclosed with reduced light dispersion at the zone joints. The order sorting filter comprises optically-transparent layers deposited underneath, or on top of thin-film filter stacks of the order sorting filter zones, wherein the thicknesses of the optically-transparent layers are adjusted such that the total optical lengths traversed by light at a zone joint are substantially equal in zones adjacent the zone joint. A method for wavelength to detector array pixel location calibration of spectrometers is also disclosed, capable of accurately representing the highly localized nonlinearities of the calibration curve in the vicinity of zone joints of an order sorting filter.
US08107072B2
The present invention has been accomplished to provide an atomic absorption spectrophotometer capable of obtaining measurement data always in the state where the lowest detection limit performance is optimized, without depending on the frequency of the power supply. In a control program which runs on the microcomputer chip 42 mounted on the atomic absorption spectrophotometer 110, a plurality of lighting periods of the light sources 11 and 12 and extraction periods of the sampling data are memorized, whose lowest detection limit performance are optimized for the frequencies (50 Hz and 60 Hz) of the AC power source for driving the AC motor 22. In using the apparatus, by the control program, the frequency of the power source used in this apparatus is identified, the lighting period and sampling data extraction period corresponding to the identified frequency and the measurement mode that a user of the apparatus has previously set are selected from among a plurality of memorized values, and the appropriate lighting period is set to the hardware (PLD 43). Accordingly, without depending on the frequency, it is possible to obtain measurement data always in the state where the lowest detection limit performance is optimized.
US08107071B2
A molecular analysis light detection apparatus is formed by: a sample plate provided with an enhancing member which is disposed at a small predetermined area of a sample contact surface contacting with a sample containing a substance to be analyzed and which generates an enhancing field for enhancing light generated from the substance to be analyzed at the predetermined area relative to the light at other areas of the sample contact surface when predetermined excitation light is applied; an excitation-light applying optical system for applying the excitation light to an illumination area which contains the predetermined area of the sample contact surface provided with the enhancing member and which is larger than the predetermined area; and a signal detector unit for detecting fluctuation of the light, which is enhanced by the enhancing field, generated from the substance to be analyzed.
US08107070B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods of melamine detection and quantification. In particular, embodiments of the present disclosure include the detection of very low concentrations of melamine using silver nanorod array substrates fabricated by oblique angle deposition (OAD) technique.
US08107066B2
A tray-shaped container comprising at least one cavity or recess for receiving the particular test objects, wherein these at least one recess comprises structured inner surfaces. Through this, a considerable reduction or even full reduction of interfering reflections and other optical irritations is achieved. In particular, the container constitutes an incubation tray for test stripes, having several longitude extending recesses. The inner surfaces of the recesses preferably comprise a grove-shaped and/or stair-shaped structure. The tray-shaped container may constitute an incubation tray for test stripes which are used in medical diagnostics.
US08107062B2
A sensor and method of determining the orientation of an object, such as the alignment characteristics of a tire and wheel assembly mounted on a vehicle, includes projecting a plurality of light planes from a first light projector onto a tire and wheel assembly to form a plurality of generally parallel illumination lines on a tire of the tire and wheel assembly, receiving a reflected image of at least some of the illumination lines with a photo electric device reflected from the tire at an angle relative to a projecting angle of the first light projector, and determining a plane defined by spatial coordinates from a selected point located on each illumination line imaged by the photo electric device, with the plane representing the orientation of the tire and wheel assembly.
US08107054B2
The disclosure relates to a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, as well as related components, methods and articles made by the methods. The microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes an illumination system and a projection objective. The illumination system can illuminate a mask arranged in an object plane of the projection objective. The mask can have structures which are to be imaged. The method can include illuminating a pupil plane of the illumination system with light. The method can also include modifying, in a plane of the projection objective, the phase, amplitude and/or polarization of the light passing through that plane. The modification can be effected for at least two diffraction orders in mutually different ways. A mask-induced loss in image contrast obtained in the imaging of the structures can be reduced compared to a method without the modification.
US08107053B2
An apparatus configured to de-gas a liquid includes a semi-permeable membrane having a first side on which the liquid is provided; and (i) a vaporizer configured to provide vapor of the liquid to a second side of the membrane; or (ii) a gas inlet configured to provide a gas to the second side of the membrane, the gas adapted to dissociate when dissolved in the liquid and an ion exchanger for the liquid downstream of the semi-permeable membrane.
US08107051B2
An exposure apparatus exposes each of a plurality of regions arranged on a substrate. The apparatus includes a processor configured to i) cause a measurement device to acquire an image signal of an alignment mark formed in each of plural regions which are at least a part of the plurality of regions and to measure a position of the alignment mark under a plurality of measurement conditions, ii) calculate a feature value of the signal acquired with respect to each of the plural regions under each of the plurality of measurement conditions, and iii) calculate, with respect to each of the plurality of measurement conditions, a coefficient of a transformation equation which transforms a coordinate of a designed position of the alignment mark to a value that approximate the feature value corresponding to the designed position, and a console configured to display information of the calculated coefficients.
US08107050B2
A display material and method and device thereof are provided. The display material is first formed by evenly mixing appropriate weight ratios of DFLCs, incurable nanoparticles, curable nanoparticles, and a photoinitiator. Next, the evenly mixed mixture is disposed between two parallel conducting transparent substrates, wherein an electrical field is conducted thereto and the DFLCs therein aligned to the direction of the applied electrical field. Concurrently, under the applied electrical field, some curable nanoparticles within the evenly mixed mixture, form short nano chains, initiating the photo initiator. The frame structure of short nano chains stabilize both the clear and scattering states, thereby the bistable characteristic was improved and the contrast ratio was enhanced as applied to bistable displays.
US08107034B2
A backlight module (20) includes a light guide plate (200) and a light source (210). The light guide plate includes a light incident surface (202). The light source includes light emitting diodes (LEDs) (211) and a light concentrating and scattering structure (214). The light concentrating and scattering structure is disposed between the LEDs and the light incident surface and is away from the light incident surface by a predetermined distance, light emitting from the LEDs is focused and then scattered into the light incident surface.
US08107030B2
A multi-domain vertical alignment liquid crystal display that does not require physical features on the substrate (such as protrusions and ITO slits) is disclosed. Each pixel of the MVA LCD is subdivided into color components, which are further divided into color dots. The drive component areas, i.e. where switching elements and storage capacitors are located, are converted to associated dots by adding an electrode that can be electrically biased. The voltage polarity of the color dots and associated dots are arranged so that fringe fields in each color dot causes multiple liquid crystal domains in each color dot. Specifically, the color dots and associated dots of a pixel are arranged so that associated dots have opposite polarity as compared to neighboring color dots.
US08107024B2
An exemplary three-dimensional display device includes a flat panel display and a light regulating sheet positioned on the flat panel display. Light beams emitted from the flat panel display and input to the light regulating sheet are adjusted by the light regulating sheet and output from the light regulating sheet at predetermined angles relative to their input angles. The light regulating sheet includes at least one light regulating ring divided into a plurality of light regulating units. The flat panel display includes a plurality of display units corresponding to the plurality of light regulating units. Each display unit displays a two-dimensional image of an object viewed from a predetermined viewing angle position. Each light regulating unit limits the two-dimensional image to within a viewing angle range corresponding to the predetermined viewing angle position, and the two-dimensional images of the object displayed in the display units are different from each other.
US08107023B2
A projection display which includes first and second waveguide elements, wherein the first waveguide element has a two input regions for injecting image bearing light into the first waveguide element. In this manner, the total field of view of the image to be displayed at the second waveguide element is divided into two sub-images prior to injection of one sub-image into one input region and the other sub-image into the other input region of the first waveguide element. This results in a smaller first waveguide element, thereby reducing obscuration of an observers view of a forward scene over which to the image to be displayed is overlaid.
US08107015B1
A system and method that processes video to extract a keyframe-based adequate visual representation. The method utilizes a hierarchical processing technique. The first stage in the hierarchy extracts a chromatic difference metric from a pair of video frames. An initial set of frames is chosen based on the chromatic metric and a threshold. A structural difference measurement is extracted from this initial set of frames. A second threshold is used to select key frames from the initial set. The first and second thresholds are user selectable. The output of this process is the visual representation. The method is extensible to any number of metrics and any number of levels.
US08107013B2
An apparatus for recovering a chrominance signal from a sequential color with memory (SECAM) composite video baseband signal (CVBS), and more particularly, to a frequency demodulator and method of recovering a SECAM chrominance signal which can utilize both a real number portion and an imaginary number portion, and generate a frequency-demodulated chrominance signal using an arctangent approximation, and thereby can simplify a circuit configuration of a frequency demodulator to perform a fixed-point calculation is provided. A frequency demodulator for recovering a chrominance signal, the frequency demodulator comprises a phase differentiator generating a phase difference component between neighboring samples from an input signal and a phase estimator calculating a phase difference between the neighboring samples by using an arctangent approximation, based on the generated phase difference component, wherein the frequency demodulator generates a frequency-demodulated chrominance signal and the phase difference corresponds to the chrominance signal.
US08107012B2
The image processing apparatus 100 acquires the image signal F1 and includes a steepening amount calculation unit 110, a contour shift amount calculation unit 120, an integration correction amount calculation 130 and an image generation unit 140, which generate a corrected image signal F9 in such a way that there is an intersection between waveforms, and that there are two regions with different areas bordered by the waveforms which overlap at the intersection point, the waveforms expressing changes in each value in image spaces displayed by the image signal and the corrected image signal respectively, when a waveform which expresses changes in the differential values of the image signal relative to the image spaces is symmetrical in a contour region of the image shown by the image signal.
US08107010B2
Media content is received in a windows management application. The media content is from a set of content including zero or more television signal content and zero or more application content. The media content is incorporated into a television signal containing a window configuration. The television signal is then sent from the windows management application to a television where it is displayed.
US08107000B2
The present invention includes: a plurality of lens portions, each having at least one lens; a plurality of image pickup regions which are provided to correspond to the lens portions, respectively, and each of which has a light receiving surface substantially perpendicular to a direction of an optical axis of the corresponding lens portion; an image pickup signal input portion 133 which receives image pickup signals generated by the image pickup regions; a transfer range determining portion 144 which determines a transfer range of the image pickup signals transferred from the image pickup regions to the image pickup signal input portion 133; an image pickup region driving portion 132 which drives the image pickup regions such that the image pickup signals corresponding to the transfer range determined by the transfer range determining portion 144 are transferred to the image pickup signal input portion 133; and a parallax calculating portion 142 which calculates a parallax based on the image pickup signals transferred to the image pickup signal input portion 133, and the transfer range determining portion 144 switches between a first operating mode in which the image pickup signals generated by at least two image pickup regions of the plurality of image pickup regions are determined as the transfer range and a second operating mode in which the image pickup signals different from those of the first operating mode are determined as the transfer range.
US08106996B2
An image pickup apparatus includes a face detector configured to provide a face detection process based on image data obtained from an image pickup optical system that includes a focus lens configured to provide a focus control, a focus lens position extractor configured to extract a focus lens position at which the face detector has actually provided a successful face detection process from among focus lens positions set as a candidate position for the focus lens to be arranged when the face detector provides the face detection process, a focus control range setting part configured to set a focus control range in a focus range that contains the focus lens position extracted by the focus lens position extractor, and an autofocus controller configured to provide autofocus control in the focus control range set by the focus control range setting part.
US08106993B2
A diffractive imaging lens 10 includes a surface on which a diffraction grating pattern is formed. The diffraction grating pattern is formed of a plurality of steps formed concentrically with an optical axis (25) at a center. The diffraction grating pattern is formed such that a first portion where amounts (di) of the steps are substantially the same in a radial direction of concentric circles and a second portion, outside of the first portion, where amounts (di) of the steps decrease with distance from the optical axis 25 are provided, or such that the amounts (di) of the steps decrease with distance from the optical axis 25 over the entire diffraction grating pattern.
US08106978B2
An image capturing apparatus includes a first image sensor unit, a second image sensor unit, and a spatial frequency reduction unit. The first image sensor unit is capable of subjecting an object image formed by an imaging lens to a photoelectric conversion to output a first image signal having a first resolution and constituted by a first number of colors. The second image sensor unit is capable of subjecting the object image formed by the imaging lens to a photoelectric conversion to output a second image signal having a second resolution that is lower than the first resolution and constituted by a second number of colors that is larger than the first number of colors. The spatial frequency reduction unit reduces a spatial frequency of the object image formed on a light receiving surface of the second image sensor unit by the imaging lens.
US08106976B2
The present invention corrects the insufficient peripheral light amount due to the lens shading and correcting the non-uniformity of light amount at the periphery due to a distortion resulting from a precision of the lens or a poor mounting precision of the lens. A peripheral light amount correction circuit is structured by an image synchronization signal generation circuit, a coordinate conversion circuit and a luminance value correction computing circuit. An integrated value of luminance values is calculated at the coordinate conversion circuit to extract light amount information. Coordinate values to be input to the luminance value correction computing circuit are generated based on an integrated/averaged value of the light amount information. In the luminance value correction computing circuit, peripheral light amount correction functions are converted based on the input coordinate values from the coordinate conversion circuit to perform appropriate correction on the input image.
US08106963B2
Provided are a flicker correcting device and a flicker correcting method which are capable of reducing the frequency of occurrence of a flicker during detection of the flicker. A nonvolatile memory stores information on a power source frequency of illumination under an image pickup environment. A control unit performs a setting related to flicker correction of an image pickup unit based on the information stored in the nonvolatile memory. A signal processing circuit detects a flicker from image data acquired in the set state. The control unit writes the information on the power source frequency of illumination under the image pickup environment into the nonvolatile memory based on a result of flicker detection by the signal processing circuit.
US08106962B2
An image correction apparatus comprises an image capture unit configured to capture image data, a separator unit configured to separate the image data into luminance data and color-difference data, a conversion unit configured to convert the color-difference data into a set of amplitude values in a spatial frequency domain, a light-source state detector configured to detect a light-source state when the image capture unit captures the image data, a correction unit configured to correct the set of amplitude values based on the light-source state so that a predetermined amplitude value is decreased, an inverse-conversion unit configured to inversely convert the set of the amplitude values which is corrected by the correction unit to produce corrected color-difference data, and a corrected image generator configured to generate corrected image data from the corrected color-difference data and the luminance data.
US08106953B2
A highly thermal conductive member is filled in a gap between a base portion and a movable portion of a spring stage in an image shift type imaging apparatus. Heat from a heat generating surface of a cooling element is conducted from the movable portion to the base portion through the highly thermal conductive member, and it is further conducted to an inner lid and discharged to the outside of an imaging apparatus housing.
US08106952B2
An imaging device unit includes: an imaging device having an imaging surface located on one side thereof in a width direction thereof and a rear surface located oppositely to the imaging surface; a heat radiating plate radiating heat generated in the imaging device, the heat radiating plate being arranged at the rear surface of the imaging device; and a signal processing substrate causing the imaging device to be operated. The heat radiating plate and the signal processing substrate are arranged opposedly to each other with a spacer being interposed therebetween and with a space portion being obtained therebetween.
US08106943B2
A microscope image pickup system is one having a microscope apparatus enabled to change an observation state by driving one or more optical members, which comprises: an image pickup unit for picking up an image of an observation object; an image process unit for applying an image process to an image picked up by the image pickup unit; an input unit for inputting a process factor of the image process unit, wherein an observation state of the microscope apparatus and/or an image pickup condition of the image pickup unit are set up and an image is picked up so as to pick up an image of an image quality being equal to, or better than, that of an image to which an image process is applied on the basis of the process factor input from the input unit.
US08106936B2
A system for low-latency, high-resolution, continuous motion panoramic video imaging includes a plurality of high-resolution video cameras, each video camera generating about at least 500 kilopixel near-real time video. The cameras can be supported for positioning the plurality of cameras at predetermined angular locations to generate a full 360 degree field of view. The system can also include an image processor for processing video image signals in parallel and providing panoramic images. In one embodiment, the system can include a display to provide seamless panoramic images.
US08106935B2
An optical scanning apparatus includes a light source configured to emit a light beam which scans an object to be scanned, a light source retainer configured to retain the light source, a holder including an engaging portion and configured to detachably hold the light source retainer in an optical axis direction of the light source, and a first biasing member configured to bias the light source retainer engaging the engaging portion against the engaging portion in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction, so that the light source retainer is pressed against the engaging portion. A contact position of the light source retainer and the first biasing member in the optical axis direction is within an engaging area where the engaging portion and the light source retainer engage in the optical axis direction.
US08106926B2
A computer-implemented method is for controlling display of an image, in a display area, by a display device. A plurality of elements of a sequence is determined based on operation of an input device. A position in the entire image is determined, associated with the determined one of the plurality of elements in the sequence. Based on the determined position in the entire image, a corresponding portion of the entire image is caused to be displayed in the display area.
US08106923B2
A graphical display station of arbitrary shape such as channel letters or other shaped structures is populated with pixels which are components of flexible pixel strings which can be arranged to fit the arbitrary shape(s). The flexible pixel strings provide for straightforward and cost effective fabrication of channel letter or other shaped displays. The invention also includes pixel units which comprise lighting elements together with such control circuits as are needed to properly drive the lighting elements to form a graphical image. Addressing of the particular pixels is provided to accommodate the arbitrary arrangement of pixels of the flexible pixel strings. Methods of fabricating a channel letter display are also disclosed.
US08106914B2
A functional unit is added to a graphics processor to provide direct support for double-precision arithmetic, in addition to the single-precision functional units used for rendering. The double-precision functional unit can execute a number of different operations, including fused multiply-add, on double-precision inputs using data paths and/or logic circuits that are at least double-precision width. The double-precision and single-precision functional units can be controlled by a shared instruction issue circuit, and the number of copies of the double-precision functional unit included in a core can be less than the number of copies of the single-precision functional units, thereby reducing the effect of adding support for double-precision on chip area.
US08106907B2
A leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic and a storage medium having a computer program executing the same are described. First, an initiator and generators are set. After several times of iterating, a transitional object is formed. Then, a leaping recursion is performed based on this transitional object. When performing the leaping recursion, a generator of each of the iterations is designed by a single pattern converted from a structural result of a previous iteration added with a base object. Since the result of each of the iterations keeps the original structure, the structure is used as the input initiator. The initiator of the first iteration can be a feature of different iteration objects. Since the input structure of iterations are the same, the advantage of reducing computing resources and avoid system overload are reachable.
US08106906B1
Users define the aperture shape and brightness characteristics of a virtual lens system to generate optical system effects in computer graphics images. An image sample point is associated with a aperture point within the aperture. The location of the aperture point may be based on the shape of the aperture. The image sample point value may be scaled based on a brightness value of an associated aperture point. Alternatively, the aperture point location may be based on brightness characteristics of the aperture. An optical system transmission function based on the brightness characteristics of the aperture specifies the density distribution of aperture positions within the aperture. The aperture points locations are distributed according to this optical system transmission function so that the out of focus regions or bokeh of images mimic the shape and brightness characteristics of the aperture. The aperture points, image sample points, and three-dimensional scene data are provided to a renderer to create images including optical system effects.
US08106905B2
A volume of a patient can be mapped with a system operable to identify a plurality of locations and save a plurality of locations of a mapping instrument. The mapping instrument can include one or more electrodes that can sense a voltage that can be correlated to a three dimensional location of the electrode at the time of the sensing or measurement. Therefore, a map of a volume can be determined based upon the sensing of the plurality of points without the use of other imaging devices. An implantable medical device can then be navigated relative to the mapping data.
US08106904B2
A method and computer program product are provided for generating a shader program. Included is a file associated with a graphics effect. In use, a shader program is generated based on processing of the file to apply the graphics effect to an object.
US08106893B2
Human contact/non-contact is detected speedily and accurately. A measurement section measures capacitance of each of sites to which a plurality of electrodes are connected where a human body touches, a comparison section compares the capacitance with a threshold value for each contacting electrode, and a control section determines whether a human body has come in contact based on the comparison result. A reference value calculation section calculates a reference value serving as electrode-specific reference capacitance based on the measurement results corresponding to the plurality of electrodes cumulatively stored in a storage section, a difference calculation section calculates an absolute difference value between the electrode-specific reference capacitance and a plurality of measurement results, and a threshold value adjustment section adjusts the threshold value by subtracting from the electrode-specific threshold value a value of the sum of the calculated absolute difference value for each of the electrodes other than the absolute difference value of each of the electrodes. The present invention can be applied to a touch sensor.
US08106892B2
A touch screen driver that can be used with a resistive touch screen includes an input/output module that supplies at least one input signal to at least one of a plurality of input/output ports of the touch screen and that generates at least one output signal, in response to the at least one input signal, and in accordance with at least one control signal. A controller module generates the at least one control signal and that generates a position signal representing a resolved position in accordance with a plurality of contemporaneous touches of the resistive touch screen.
US08106887B2
A display apparatus for a mobile terminal including: an input unit for receiving a user's instruction; a controller for simultaneously executing two or more tasks and transferring the received instruction to at least one display unit; a first display unit for performing displaying according to the received instruction; and a second display unit placed at a position where a user can view it together with the first display unit. The mobile terminal can simultaneously process a plurality of tasks through a plurality of display units to allow the user to perform multitasking substantially.
US08106877B2
A driving apparatus of a liquid crystal display device for reducing or automatically restoring a driving current of a light source by being inversed or re-inversed a phase of a driving current with which a light source of a liquid crystal display device is supplied by the human body is disclosed.In the driving apparatus of the liquid crystal display device, a driving controller reduces or restores a duty ratio of a driving control signal which controls a generation of a driving current of a backlight assembly in accordance with whether a predetermined enable signal is applied or not. A master inverter reduces or restores a level of a driving current of the backlight assembly in accordance with a duty ratio of a driving control signal from the driving controller. A slave inverter reduces or restores a level of a driving current of the backlight assembly in accordance with a duty ratio of the driving control signal. And a current limiting circuit applies the predetermined enable signal to a ground or the driving controller in accordance with a phase of feedback currents of the master inverter and the slave inverter.
US08106876B2
The invention relates to a color display device with backlighting unit using organic light-emitting diodes and to a method of implementation. The color display device comprises, from rear to front towards an observer, a multicolor backlighting unit using organic light-emitting diodes and an electro-optical array for switching of the backlighting by pixels, the backlighting unit being a surface comprising a periodic pattern of a group of at least three adjacent illuminating lines of different base colors that are parallel to each other. According to the invention, the pixels of the switching array and the illuminating lines of the backlighting unit are substantially aligned in order that a given pixel allows the forward transmission of only the corresponding base color to be controlled and that a cylindrical lens is disposed along each illuminating line on the backlighting unit in order to form a light beam with substantially parallel edges directed towards the front and through the switching array, the lens having a length substantially equal to the length of the illuminating line.
US08106874B2
A shift register of the present disclosure comprises a plurality of shift register units using alternating clock signals to shift signals. The shift register outputs signals having substantially no overlap with adjacent signals. The shift register may be employed in a liquid crystal display.
US08106869B2
An exemplary liquid crystal display includes parallel data lines, a data driver configured for driving the data lines, a coupling line crossing the data lines, a common electrode layer, and a common voltage generator configured for applying common voltages to the common electrode layer. The common voltage generator is connected to the coupling line. When data driver applies a plurality of data signals to the data lines, the data signals generate an influence signal at the coupling line. The common voltage generator adjusts common voltages applied to the common electrode layer according to the influence signal. A related method for driving the liquid crystal display is also provided.
US08106867B2
A grey tone display and a driving method are described. The display comprises a light influencing layer, an electrode pad located adjacent to the layer at one side of the layer in order to define a pixel in the layer, an n-channel field effect transistors connected to the electrode pad at its source terminal, a p-channel field effect transistors connected to the electrode pad at its source terminal, a first control line connected to the drain terminal of the n-channel field effect transistor, a second control line connected to the drain terminal of the p-channel field effect transistor, a third control line connected to the gate terminals of the n-channel field effect transistor and the p-channel field effect transistor, and a control circuit for supplying control signals to the first, second and third control lines. By this configuration, the voltage of the electrode pad can be arbitrarily controlled by adjusting the input level at the gate terminals.
US08106865B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a display device in which problems such as an increase of power consumption and increase of a load of when light is emitted are reduced by using a method for realizing pseudo impulsive driving by inserting an dark image, and a driving method thereof. A display device which displays a gray scale by dividing one frame period into a plurality of subframe periods, where one frame period is divided into at least a first subframe period and a second subframe period; and when luminance in the first subframe period to display the maximum gray scale is Lmax1 and luminance in the second subframe period to display the maximum gray scale is Lmax2, (½) Lmax2
US08106853B2
An effective method to create very large electronic displays forms the structure using fiber or tube arrays or electroded sheets containing wire electrodes. The electroded sheets are formed by embedding wire electrodes into the surface of a polymer substrate and electrically connecting a patterned transparent conductive electrode lines to the wires. The wire electrodes are used to carry the bulk of the current and the transparent conductive electrode is used to spread the charge or voltage from the wire electrode across the line of pixels. In most display applications, the electroded surface of the electroded sheet has to be flattened. The electroded sheets may be used to form many different types of displays.
US08106850B1
In various embodiments, an adaptive spectral surface is provided including an upper layer having a frequency selective surface, a lower layer being at least partially reflective, and an active dielectric material layer therebetween. The active dielectric material may include a dielectric material with an adjustable permittivity, permeability, or thickness. The active dielectric material may be a dielectric material adapted to change its dielectric constant in response to at an applied electric field, an applied magnetic field, or/and thermal stimulus. Some embodiments allow shifting of the resonance of the spectral absorptive/reflective emissions of the adaptive spectral surface. Some embodiments allow modification of the electromagnetic signature of an adaptive spectral surface apparatus.
US08106849B2
A planar antenna array and articles of manufacture using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, close-packed antenna elements, disposed on a substrate, number N where N=3x and x is a positive integer. Each of the close-packed antenna elements includes a substantially continuous photonic transducer arranged as an outwardly expanding generally logarithmic spiral having six turns. Each of the outwardly expanding generally logarithmic spirals may be a golden spiral. As an article of manufacture, the planar antenna array may be incorporated into a chip, such as a cell phone, or an article of clothing, for example.
US08106848B2
A programmable antenna includes a fixed antenna element and a programmable antenna element that is tunable in response to at least one antenna control signal, wherein tuning the programmable antenna element changes an impedance of the antenna. A programmable impedance matching network is tunable in response in response to at least one matching network control signal to adjust for the changes in the impedance of the antenna.
US08106843B2
An integral high frequency communication apparatus comprises a case, a waveguide apparatus having an extension portion, and a transceiver module having two waveguide openings. The transceiver module having two waveguide openings is retained in the case. The case has an opening through which the extension portion extends outside of the case. The integral high frequency communication apparatus can receive and transmit high frequency signals by the extension portion.
US08106837B2
A device comprises a housing and antenna elements. The housing has an outer surface portion and a plurality of projection portions. The projection portions dissipate heat and are disposed to extend to a first height from the outer surface portion. The antenna elements are disposed below the first height at a position of the outer surface portion and in between the projection portions. Accordingly, the antenna elements are protected by the projection portions.
US08106829B2
Aspects of a method and system for an integrated antenna and antenna management are provided. In this regard, one or more reactances coupled to an antenna in a hybrid circuit may be tuned and signals may be transmitted and/or received based on the tuning. The hybrid circuit may comprise an integrated circuit (IC) bonded to a multi-layer package. The antenna may be embedded within and/or on the multi-layer package. The reactances may be within and/or on the IC and/or the multi-layer package. In this regard, the IC may be bonded to or mounted to an underside of the multi-layer package. The reactances may be tuned via one or more switching elements and/or logic, circuitry, and/or code within the IC. The reactances may comprise one or more inductors and/or capacitor arrays. The multi-layer package may comprise one or more layers of ferromagnetic and/or ferrimagnetic material.
US08106824B2
Techniques, systems and apparatus are described for tracking a satellite signal. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a tracking module to generate a satellite-based measurement result by tracking a satellite signal received from a satellite. The tracking module includes sub-tracking modules with each sub-tracking module configured to generate the satellite-based measurement result by using a different integral time.
US08106820B2
Disclosed are systems; apparatus and methods for tracking or locating a person that is lost or has an emergency. Personal locating apparatus is employed comprising a plurality of buttons, and/or a keypad and display, that define an on/off element, an OK element, a help element and a 911 emergency element, wherein the elements are used to select and deselect one of a predetermined number of operational modes. A global positioning system (GPS) receiver in the apparatus processes GPS signals received from GPS satellites to generate location data indicative of the location of the apparatus. A satellite transmitter is coupled to the processor that transmits the location data and a desired operational mode signal to a remotely located processing center via one or more communication satellites. A processor is coupled to the GPS receiver and the satellite transmitter that is programmed to respond to user selections to generate the desired operational mode signal, process the location signals from the GPS receiver, the desired operational mode signal, and optionally a user message, generate a signal for transmission to the processing center, and transmit the signal to the remotely located processing center via one or more communication satellites. The message is processed at the processing center and sent as an email message to one or more designated email addresses, as a short message service (SMS) message to one or more designated cell phones, or as a message to a 911 emergency center.
US08106815B2
Disclosed is a system for positioning a terrestrial user. The system includes navigation satellites placed in medium altitude orbits, management satellites placed in high orbits, able to manage the navigation satellites and communicate with the Earth. The management satellites can include a set of at least three management satellites each placed in a high orbit, having a plane that is inclined with respect to the plane of the terrestrial equator and cuts the equator along a diametral straight intersection line with respect to the Earth. Two external diametral straight intersection lines can form an angle of longitude of at least 90 degrees.
US08106811B2
A system and method for determining the roll rate and roll angle of a spinning platform in a jamming environment, by suppressing the interference signals from the received GPS signals and using the measured phase and amplitude differences between the GPS satellite signals received on two or more antennas. The measured signal differences and the navigation solution from a GPS receiver are processed in a roll filter to obtain the desired information. Data from non-GPS measurement sources is optionally provided to update the navigation solution. Although of wide applicability, the invention is uniquely suited to the measurement of roll rates and roll angles of fast spinning platforms with small baselines in the presence of jamming, and where the antennas are separated from each other by distances that are a fraction of the GPS signal wavelength.
US08106810B2
An electromagnetic radiation filter uses a plurality of dipole antennas to mitigate the transmission of electromagnetic radiation. The dipole antennas can form one or more arrays that scatter electromagnetic radiation. Examples of application include mitigating the reception of a difference frequency in non-linear radar, use in protective goggles, and use in a protective shield.
US08106807B2
Embodiments of a flash analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that can detect and suppress bubbles in a thermometer code of a flash ADC are provided herein. Bubbles can result in large sparkle errors, which degrade the bit error rates (BER) of flash ADCs. The present invention utilizes a bubble correction module that is configured to provide a bubble corrected one-of-N code by suppressing at least one of any two tops that are not separated by at least two levels within a one-of-N code.
US08106806B2
Disclosed herein is an AD converter, including, a reference voltage generator, a plurality of amplifiers, a plurality of averaging resistance elements, and a plurality of first averaging auxiliary circuits each including a first amplifier and a first resistance element.
US08106804B2
A video decoder (10) with reduced power consumption includes a power management controller (45) that is operative to select one of a plurality of different power consumption states for a video decoder (10), and, in response to the determination, vary power consumption of at least one operational portion of the video decoder (10). In addition, in one example, a method (200) for reducing power consumption for a video decoder (10) includes determining input stream encoding description data (34) to select one of a plurality of different power consumption states for a video decoder (10) and, in response to the determination, varying power consumption of at least one operational portion of the video decoder (10).
US08106801B2
An apparatus configured for built in self test (BiST) of analog-to-digital convertors (ADCs) is described. The apparatus includes an ADC to be tested. The apparatus includes a ramp generator. The ramp generator provides a voltage ramp to the ADC. The apparatus further includes feedback circuitry for the ramp generator. The feedback circuitry maintains a constant ramp slope for the ramp generator. The apparatus includes an interval counter. The interval counter provides a timing reference.
US08106797B2
A method for assigning codes to Huffman trees and repairing invalid Huffman trees is disclosed using a calculated delta and moving nodes within the Huffman tree by adjusting their encode register entries.
US08106784B2
A combination smoke and heat detector which allows, in spite of a simple structure, light emitted from an indication lamp to be visually confirmed from a wide range of directions. The combination smoke and heat detector (100) includes a body base (10), a printed circuit board (1), a thermosensitive element (2), a dark chamber (3), an indication lamp (4) mounted to the printed circuit board (1), a protective cover (30), and a bar-like light guide (5) for guiding light emitted from the indication lamp (4) to the outside of the protective cover (30). The light guide (5) passes through a light guide through-hole (35) formed in the protective cover (30) so as to be mounted therein, with one end surface thereof facing the indication lamp (4), and another end surface thereof protruding to the outside of the protective cover (30) by a height substantially equal to or larger than a protruding height of the dark chamber (3). Further, the light guide (5) is arranged opposite relative to the thermosensitive element (2), with the dark chamber (3) being sandwiched therebetween.
US08106783B2
An input apparatus for a vehicle includes: an operation element operable by an occupant of the vehicle; a biological information acquisition element acquiring biological information of the occupant; an unawakened state detection element detecting an unawakened state of the occupant based on the biological information, wherein the unawakened state is defined by a predetermined state different from an awakened state; and an operation disabling element disabling an operation input from the operation element when the unawakened state detection element detects the unawakened state.
US08106780B2
A glucose monitoring system, includes a glucose sensor strip or package of strips. The strip includes a substrate and a glucose monitoring circuit that has electrodes and a bodily fluid application portion of selected chemical composition. An antenna is integrated with the glucose sensor strip. A RFID sensor chip is coupled with the glucose sensor strip and the antenna. The chip has a memory containing digitally-encoded data representing calibration and/or expiration date information for the strip.
US08106779B2
A door and method of constructing a door whereby a security system antenna is routed through channels that are incorporated within the outer perimeter of the door, and completely or partially hidden from sight. The channels are sized to retain at least a portion of the security system antenna therein. The door can be purchased with the antenna wires already embedded therein and hidden from sight and installed at a facility without the need to mount the antenna wires on a pedestal or dig up floors and/or walls to embed the antenna coils. Existing doors can be retrofitted to install the antenna wires. Such antennas may be used, for example, in an RFID marker system or a magneto-acoustic EAS marker system.
US08106777B2
A method and electronic article surveillance (“EAS”) system reduce interference. The EAS system includes a detection zone. At least one reference pattern of transmission windows for an interfering EAS system is provided. The reference pattern indicates a sequence of time slots for which the interfering EAS system is transmitting. A sample pattern of signals is received. Each signal has a corresponding amplitude. The received sample pattern is compared to the at least one reference pattern. Responsive to determining that the received sample pattern matches the at least one reference pattern, the at least one reference pattern is used to trim samples received during receive windows corresponding to the time slots for which the interfering EAS system is transmitting.
US08106776B2
The present invention is directed to reading short distance emission RFID tags to locate items in a container. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: receiving, by a plurality of first RFID tags, a signal broadcast by an RFID reader, the signal initiating a reading sequence of the plurality of first RFID tags, wherein each first RFID taq is associated with a respective item located in the container, and wherein each first RFID tag emits an identification (ID); capturing the ID emitted by each first RFID tag using a plurality of second RFID tags located in a vicinity of the first RFID tag, wherein the IDs emitted by the first RFID tags are not captured by the RFID reader; the RFID reader interrogating the plurality of second RFID tags to obtain the captured IDs; and determining a physical location of an item in the container based on the captured IDs.
US08106769B1
A system for automated house damage detection and reporting may comprise at least one subsystem configured for receiving a damage detection signal detecting potential damage to a building from at least one sensor operably connected to the building, and at least one subsystem configured for automatically communicating damage detection data using the received damage detection signal to a remote system outside the building for further analysis.
US08106761B2
An apparatus, method and computer program product are provided for directing a device to emit a perceivable physical indication (e.g., noise, light, vibration, smell, etc.), in order to indicate to a user that the device provides a particular service of interest to the user. A user may request a list of the instances of a service (e.g., printer service, audio service, display service, etc.) available within a certain area. Upon receipt of the list of instances of a particular service, the user may select respective instances one by one such that the device on which each instance is executed emits a perceivable physical indication. This physical indication enables the user to determine where the device is located and how it is situated, information which the user can use to determine which device, or instance of the service, he or she should select.
US08106760B2
Vehicle 4-way emergency flasher circuits are modified by circuit branches which enable flashing selected pairs of emergency lamps at a higher frequency or in other discernible different ways. These selected lamps become visible and recognizable as right or left turn signals while the 4-way flasher circuit is operating.
US08106759B2
A system and method is provided for controlling the operation of notifying drivers of the fluid level. Primary and secondary keys are adapted to be associated to primary and secondary drivers. A key ignition device is positioned on the primary and secondary keys and generate driver status signals. A fluid level sensing device is operable to generate a fluid level signal indicative of the fluid level. A controller is coupled to the fluid level sensing device and the key ignition device. The controller determines whether the driver of the vehicle is the primary or secondary driver in response to the driver status signals. The controller notifies the primary or secondary driver of the fluid level in response to the fluid level signal. The controller selectively controls the operation of notifying the primary or the secondary driver based on whether the driver is the primary or secondary driver.
US08106758B2
A tire localization system for locating the position of a tire of a vehicle having five or more wheels, includes a number of tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) wheel modules of a vehicle TPMS, each wheel module being attached to each one of the wheels or a tire thereof, respectively. Each TPMS wheel module includes a radio, frequency identification (RFID) reader. The system further includes a number of RFID tags, each RFID tag being associated with and storing wheel position information of one of the wheels, and each RFID tag being positioned externally of its associated wheel. Each of the RFID readers is arranged, upon activation, to interrogate its associated RFID tag, and the associated RFID tag is arranged, upon interrogation, to transmit its stored position information to the RFID reader for transmission by the TPMS wheel module to a central control unit. A tire localization method is also provided.
US08106753B2
A transponder module for vehicles. The module has a substantially universal vehicle sensor input interface capable of receiving sensor input from different types of vehicle sensors and from different types of vehicles. One or more processors and memory, in real time, receive vehicle sensor input data via the input interface. Based on a vehicle type stored in the memory, the processor(s) use the sensor input data to determine conditions of subsystems the vehicle. Based on the determined conditions, the processor(s) determine performance capabilities of the vehicle. The transponder module outputs information as to the stored vehicle type, determined conditions, and vehicle performance capabilities.
US08106752B2
A multi sensor detection and disabling lock system includes detector cases for holding interchangeable detectors that sample for chemical, biological and radiological compounds, agents and elements, with each detector case disposed in or upon the monitored product whereupon light alarm indicators (color coded) on the detector case light up when a specific compound or agent is detected whereupon the detector case transmits detection information to a monitoring computer terminal and transmits a signal to a lock disabler engaged to the product to lock or disable the product's lock thereby preventing untrained, unauthorized and unequipped individual's from gaining access and entry to the product, and also preventing further contamination of the area. An authorized individual resets the detection system, and the system's power source is electrical, battery or computer generated. In addition, the detection system can be interconnected to surveillance towers scanning detector cases disposed at seaport docks, freight depots and rail terminals for monitoring containers being prepared for shipment or sitting on docks for long periods of time.
US08106743B2
An electronic apparatus is remotely controlled based on a remote control signal transmitted from a remote controller using radio wave. The electronic apparatus contains a communication module that receives the remote control signal transmitted from the remote controller and an electronic apparatus main body that performs predetermined processing based on the remote control signal from the remote controller. The remote control signal is received by the communication module. The communication module has an intermittent operation mode in which the communication module operates intermittently when the electronic apparatus main body shifts to a standby state thereof. The period of off time of the communication module in the intermittent operation mode thereof is shorter than a period of transmission time of the remote controller for transmitting a power-on signal that causes the electronic apparatus main body to shift the standby state thereof to a normal state thereof.
US08106742B2
According to one general aspect, a method according to the present application includes remotely controlling wirelessly networked devices via a mobile unit. The method includes receiving, at a mobile unit and from a user, an input, analyzing the input to identify a networked device associated with the input, determining whether the networked device is presently accessible via a wireless network; determining whether to establish a connection with the networked device based on whether the networked device is determined to be presently accessible via the wireless network. The method also includes establishing a connection with the networked device if it is determined that the networked device is accessible via the wireless network and enabling the user to interact with the networked device through the mobile unit to remotely control the networked device.
US08106732B2
A relay includes a base and a switch built into the base. A first terminal that is built into the base, is connected to one end of the switch, and is provided on a bottom of the base, a second terminal that is built into the base, is connected to the other end of the switch, and is provided on the bottom, and a third terminal that is connected to the first terminal in the base, is provided on a top of the base. No other terminal is provided on the top.
US08106722B2
A multi-layered device includes an inductor electrode layer connected between one end of a first viahole inductor conductor and a side-surface ground electrode, and arranged substantially in parallel to a dielectric sheet, when the first and second viahole inductor conductors are arranged in such a positional relation that a distance between the first and second viahole inductor conductors is smaller than 1.5 times a length of the first viahole inductor conductor.
US08106712B2
Systems and methods for providing a self-mixing adaptive bias circuit that may include a mixer, low-pass filter or a phase shifter, and a bias feeding block. The self-mixing adaptive bias circuit may generate an adaptive bias signal depending on input signal power level. As the input power level goes up, the adaptive bias circuit increases the bias voltage or bias current such that the amplifier will save current consumption at low power operation levels and obtain better linearity at high power operation levels compared to conventional biasing techniques. Moreover, the adaptive bias output signal can be used to cancel the third-order intermodulation terms (IM3) to further enhance the linearity as a secondary effect.
US08106708B2
A multi-mode driver and method therefore includes a plurality of amplifiers, an adjustable load block, and adjustable current supply circuitry that selectively adjusts current magnitudes supplied to at least one of the plurality of amplifiers. The multi-mode driver can operate in a KR mode with a higher voltage supply, an SR4 mode with the higher voltage supply, and an SFI mode with a lower voltage supply. To support these modes, the multi-mode driver selectively operates a plurality of amplifiers, adjusts current magnitudes supplied to the amplifiers, and selectively adjusts an adjustable load. Thus, the multi-mode driver is operable to selectively and efficiently produce high swing and low swing output signals and to efficiently operate with any one of a plurality of supplies. The driver includes selectable loads and parallel-coupled amplifier devices that are selected based on mode.
US08106705B2
The electronic circuit comprises a functional module (10), a condition signaling module (20), a reference module (30) and a control circuit (40). The condition signaling module (20) generates an indication signal (Imeas) indicative for PVT conditions local to the functional module. The PVT conditions comprise a set of conditions relevant for a module comprising at least one of a voltage supplied to said module, a temperature within an area occupied by said module and the process conditions relevant for said area The reference module (30) generates a reference signal (Iref) having a value that is substantially independent of said PVT-conditions. The control circuit (40) compares the indication signal (Imeas) and the reference signal (Iref), and for generating a control signal (pvt<1>, . . . , pvt
US08106703B2
Booster circuit comprising: first transistor that is connected to first node; capacitor that has one end connected to first node, and that is charged with voltage of first node when first transistor is activated; and control signal generating circuit that provides control terminal of first transistor with control signal being in accordance with first clock, wherein when first transistor is de-activated, capacitor boosts voltage of first node to first voltage by voltage being applied to or end of capacitor, voltage applied to or end being at least ½ as great as first supply voltage, and control signal generating circuit sets voltage of control signal when first transistor is de-activated to be first voltage of first node, and sets voltage of control signal when first transistor is activated to be voltage, difference between voltage and first voltage being equal to or smaller than value of first supply voltage.
US08106702B2
A voltage generation system that can dynamically calibrate a time period for enabling the system includes: a voltage generation circuit, for providing an output voltage; an oscillator, coupled to the voltage generation circuit, for driving the voltage generation circuit to generate the output voltage at a specific frequency according to an enable signal; a limiter, coupled to the oscillator and the output voltage fed back from the voltage generation circuit, for generating the enable signal to the oscillator according to the output voltage; and an enable controller, coupled to the limiter, the oscillator, the voltage generation circuit and the enable signal generated by the limiter, for enabling the limiter, the oscillator and the voltage generation circuit according to an estimated time between enable signals, wherein the estimated time is dynamically calibrated.
US08106699B2
A level shifter has at least one of either a pull up or a pull down circuit. The circuit is made of electronic components with reliability limits less than a maximum signal level output by the level shifter. The level shifter also has a timing circuit coupled to at least on of either the pull up or pull down circuit. The timing circuit controls a time of application of an input signal to at least one of either the pull up or pull down circuit preventing a terminal to terminal signal level experienced by the electronic components exceeding the reliability limits.
US08106694B2
A delay locked loop (DLL) circuit includes a clock input buffer that generates a reference clock signal by buffering an external clock signal and outputs the reference clock signal by correcting a duty cycle of the reference clock signal in response to a duty cycle control signal. The DLL circuit also includes a timing compensation unit configured that generates a compensation reference clock signal by compensating for a toggle timing of the reference clock signal that is changed during the duty cycle correction operation in response to a timing control signal. The DLL circuit further includes and a duty cycle control unit that generates the duty cycle control signal and the timing control signal by detecting the duty cycle of the reference clock signal.
US08106689B2
A power-up signal generating circuit of a semiconductor memory apparatus includes a current source unit configured to supply a current to a first node; a current sink unit configured to be turned on when the level of a divided voltage dividing an external voltage is equal to or higher than a predetermined level to allow the current to flow from a first node to a second node; a control unit configured to control the turn-on timing of the current sink unit by controlling a voltage level of the second node; and a signal generating unit configured to enable a power-up signal depending on a voltage level of the first node.
US08106688B2
A power-on reset circuit includes a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit include a first NMOS transistor having a gate controlled by a low voltage supply VDD_L, a resistor connected between the source of the first NMOS transistor and a voltage supply VSS that is lower than VDD_L, and one or more diodes serially connected between a high voltage supply VDD_H and the drain of the first NMOS transistor. The second circuit includes a first PMOS transistor having a source connected to VDD_L, a second PMOS transistor having a source connected to the drain of first PMOS transistor, a second NMOS transistor connected between the drain of the second PMOS transistor and VSS, and an inverter configured to output a signal in response to the power on of the high voltage supply VDD_H and the low voltage supply VDD_L.
US08106683B2
Circuits comprising asynchronous linear pipelines and one-phase pipelines, and methods of forming asynchronous linear pipeline circuits and converting them to one-phase pipeline circuits are provided. Additional circuits, systems and methods are disclosed.
US08106673B2
A probe for high frequency signal transmission includes a metal pin, and a metal line spacedly arranged on and electrically insulated from the metal pin and electrically connected to grounding potential so as to maintain the characteristic impedance of the probe upon transmitting high frequency signal. The maximum diameter of the probe is substantially equal to or smaller than two times of the diameter of the metal pin. Under this circumstance, a big amount of probes can be installed in a probe card for probing a big amount of electronic devices, so that a wafer-level electronic test can be achieved efficiently and rapidly.
US08106667B2
An insulation measurement apparatus includes a path including a first resistor, a capacitor electrically floated from a ground, and a second resistor between a positive to a negative electrode side of a power supply, a first switching element between the power supply positive electrode side and the capacitor, a second switching element between the capacitor and the power supply negative electrode side, a detection section detecting a charge voltage on the capacitor and determining a power supply insulation state, and a voltage setting section executing a power supply voltage measurement mode controlling the first and second switching elements to charge the capacitor for a predetermined time period, and an insulation voltage measurement mode charging a terminal of a positive or negative electrode side of the capacitor via a resistor between the power supply positive or negative electrode and the ground for a predetermined time period.
US08106665B2
A reflector tool and a method are provided for three-dimensional integrated circuit (IC) failure analysis. An IC (die) has top and bottom surfaces, a perimeter, and a first side. The IC is electrically connected to a current sensing amplifier. The first side of the IC is scanned in the X plane with an infrared laser beam while changes in IC current flow are sensed. The sensed current changes are cross-referenced to the location of the infrared laser beam in the X plane. In one aspect, a plurality of scans are performed on the first side in the X plane, with at a corresponding plurality of steps in the Y plane, so that current changes can be cross-referenced to locations in the X and Y planes. Using this 2-D analysis through the IC side, a human operator or software program can determine defects in the IC.
US08106659B2
A borehole formation testing system that measures resistivity of near borehole formation in situ rather than the measuring resistivity of fluid drawn into a formation tester tool. A radially extendable probe assembly contacts and forms a hydraulic seal with the wall of a borehole using a pad. Electrode contacts are disposed on the contact surface of the pad and electrically contact the near borehole formation. Response of the electrode contacts are used to determine resistivity of the near borehole formation. This resistivity is with a deeper formation resistivity measurement to determine if virgin formation fluid is at or in the vicinity of the pad. Alternately, a plurality of resistivity measurements is made at the formation tester pad and virgin formation fluid at or near the pad is determined from the rate of change of the plurality of resistivity measurements.
US08106657B2
The present invention concerns an apparatus (1′) for NMR spectroscopy and/or NMR imaging of a sample. The apparatus comprises a static probe comprising an outer coil for excitation of nuclei of the sample by generating an incident radio frequency field at the Larmor frequency of the nuclei, and for reception of a return radio frequency field emitted by the sample, and a sensitive inner coil (6a′) which is mounted closely around or in contact with the sample container and which is wirelessly coupled to the outer coil by an electromagnetic radio frequency field. The sensitive inner coil is embedded in an inner spinning rotor (2) which is rotatively mounted inside the static probe and which is integral with the sample container, so that the filling factor and the radio frequency field amplitude in the sensitive coil are maximized.
US08106656B2
New MRI coil and resonators are disclosed based solely on superconducting inductive element and built-in capacitive elements as well as hybrid superconducting-metal inductive and capacitive elements having superior SNR. Single and multiple small animal MRI imaging units are also disclosed including one or more resonators of this invention surrounding one or more small animal cavities. Methods for making and using the MRI coils and/or arrays are also disclosed.
US08106651B2
Methods and apparatuses for calibrating eddy current sensors. A calibration curve is formed relating thickness of a conductive layer in a magnetic field to a value measured by the eddy current sensors or a value derived from such measurement, such as argument of impedance. The calibration curve may be an analytic function having infinite number terms, such as trigonometric, hyperbolic, and logarithmic, or a continuous plurality of functions, such as lines. High accuracy allows the omission of optical sensors, and use of eddy current sensors for endpoint detection, transition call detection, and closed loop control in which a process parameter is changed based on the measured magnetic flux density change in one or more processing zones.
US08106647B2
A rotation sensor for detecting rotation of an object includes a semiconductor substrate, a vertical Hall element, and a magnetoresistive element. The vertical Hall element is formed in the semiconductor substrate to detect a magnetic field parallel to a surface of the semiconductor substrate. The vertical Hall element outputs a detection signal corresponding to the detected magnetic field. The magnetoresistive element is formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate and has a resistance value changing with strength of the magnetic field. The magnetoresistive element outputs a resistance signal corresponding to the resistance value. The rotation is detected based on the detection signal and the resistance signal.
US08106646B2
Provided is a sensor circuit that is small in circuit scale, but is capable of temperature compensation. A reference voltage circuit (BL1) which compensates a temperature includes only a voltage divider circuit, and hence the sensor circuit is small in circuit scale. The sensor circuit is also capable of temperature compensation because temperature changes of a reference voltage (VTH1) and a reference voltage (VTH2) match a temperature change of an output signal (OUTA) of an amplifier circuit (AMP1) which is caused by a temperature change of an output signal of a Hall element (HAL1).
US08106645B2
A power saving system for a household electric appliance includes a signal processing unit, a step down network having an adjustable impedance for stepping down an input voltage, and an impedance control switch electrically connected with the step down network and configured for controlling the impedance of the step down network. The signal processing unit is electrically connected to impedance control switch and configured to monitor the working condition of the household electric appliance, calculate the current demanded by the household electric appliance at a next moment, and transmit a signal to the impedance control switch so as to control the impedance control switch to adjust the impedance of the step down network according to the calculation.
US08106643B2
A power supply apparatus is provided. The power supply apparatus includes two power suppliers coupled in parallel so as to simultaneously supply the electric power required by an electronic product in operation. The power supply apparatus provided by the invention may stably/accurately output the desired DC output voltage to the electronic product, and may further in advance increase a main power generated inside the other power supplier when one of the power suppliers is over voltage, thereby avoiding an oversized voltage drop from occurring in the DC output voltage.
US08106625B2
A noncontact transmission device (100) is provided with a monitoring clock oscillator (112) for outputting a monitoring clock (LF0) having a frequency lower than that of a system clock (CK0); a control circuit (108); a memory (114) having information (D) stored to be used by the control circuit (108); and a reset circuit (116). The control circuit (108) includes an internal storage circuit for storing the information (D) read out from the memory (114). The control circuit (108) reads out and updates the information (D) stored in the internal storage circuit from the memory (114) with an update period based on the monitoring clock (LF0). Furthermore, the control circuit (108) is reset with a reset period longer than the update period based on the monitoring clock (LF0), and, each time the control circuit (108) is reset, reads out the information (D) from the memory (114) and updates the information (D) stored in the internal storage circuit.
US08106622B2
A control system aims at converting, via a switching circuit, a direct current voltage into an alternating current voltage to be applied to multiphase windings of a multiphase rotary machine to thereby control rotation of the multiphase rotary machine. In the control system, a command voltage determiner determines a command voltage value for an alternating current voltage to be applied to the multiphase windings based on a zero crossing of a line-to-line current and a zero crossing of the amount of change in the line-to-line current. A driving unit drives the switching circuit on and off based on the determined command voltage value to thereby modulate the direct current voltage to the alternating current voltage to be applied to the multiphase windings.
US08106621B2
A control device includes a slip calculator that calculates a first slip frequency of an induction motor, a current detector that detects motor current that passes through the induction motor, an adder that calculates a primary frequency by adding a speed command and a second slip frequency that are given, a command voltage generation unit that generates first command voltage from the primary frequency, a voltage error observer unit that estimates a command voltage error from the first command voltage and the motor current, a slip correction unit that calculates a slip correction amount from the command voltage error, an adder that calculates the second slip frequency by adding the first slip frequency and the slip correction amount, and a voltage error correction unit that corrects the first command voltage using the command voltage error and outputs second command voltage.
US08106620B2
There is provided a vector control device for an alternating-current electric motor having a damping controller which automatically calculates an optimum damping operation amount and does not require any gain setting itself, whereby an adjustment work of a control system can be simplified. The vector control device is equipped with a vector controller 30 for executing vector control on the alternating-current electric motor 6 in accordance with a current command or a torque command, and a damping controller 40 for calculating a damping operation amount for suppressing variation of a capacitor voltage Efc. The damping controller 40 calculates a variation rate of the capacitor voltage Efc, operates the current command or torque command of the vector controller 30 on the basis of the damping operation amount corresponding to the variation rate and controls the inverter 4 so that current flowing in the inverter varies so as to suppress the variation thereof with respect to the variation of the capacitor voltage Efc.
US08106618B2
In a method and apparatus for calibrating a position sensor mounted on the shaft of a permanent magnet synchronous motor, to control the position of a rotor of the permanent magnet synchronous motor relative to a magnetic field produced by a stator of the permanent magnet synchronous motor, a DC test current is supplied to stator windings of the permanent magnet synchronous motor to generate a definite magnetic field. The motor speed caused by the DC test current is adjusted to zero by modifying the rotor position; and the position measured by the position sensor at zero motor speed relative to the magnetic field is used to calibrate the position sensor.
US08106616B1
A mobile robot along with a method and system for a mobile robot where the robot is reconfigurable between at least two form factors.
US08106608B2
A lighting system includes a power source, a switch, a time detecting circuit, a controlling circuit, a driving circuit and an LED lamp electrically connected together. The time detecting circuit could detect switching times and periods of the switch at an “on” and “off” positions, thereby producing corresponding signals to the driving circuit to lighten the LED lamp with different brightness levels.
US08106602B2
A backlight assembly includes a light-emitting apparatus, a multi-channel current controller and a heat distributor. The light-emitting apparatus includes a plurality of light-emitting diode (“LED”) strings. The multi-channel current controller includes a plurality of current control circuits, each of which includes an input channel electrically connected an LED string of the plurality of LED strings and which controls a magnitude of a driving current flowing through the LED string. The heat distributor is electrically connected to the input channel and the LED string, and is disposed adjacent to the input channel.
US08106592B2
The invention describes a method of driving a discharge lamp (1), wherein a blackening value (N) is determined, which blackening value (N) represents a level of blackening of the interior of the lamp (1), and a recovery parameter (2, T) is calculate based on the blackening value (N). When the lamp power is increased above the saturation power level, the lamp (1) is driven according to the recovery parameter (2, T) for the duration of a specific recovery time. The invention further describes a driving arrangement (70, 70′), and a projector system (10) comprising a high-pressure discharge lamp (1) and such a driving arrangement (70, 70′).
US08106591B2
An apparatus and method for detecting lamp failure is described for an array of lamps used in a rapid thermal processing system. The lamp failure detection system enables identification of a failed lamp among a plurality of lamps, and also provides identification of the failure type. The apparatus applies a lamp failure detection method to the voltage drop values measured across each lamp to determine if a lamp is in a failure state. In one embodiment, a field programmable gate array is used to apply a failure detection method to the lamp voltage values.
US08106590B2
Metal halide lamp suitable as projection lamp, for instance as a vehicle headlamp comprising a discharge vessel surrounded by an outer envelope with clearance and having a ceramic wall which encloses a discharge space filled with a filling comprising an inert gas, such as xenon (Xe), and an ionizable salt, wherein in said discharge space two electrodes are arranged whose tips have a mutual interspacing so as to define a discharge path between them, with the special feature that said ionizable salt comprises NaI, TlI, CaI2 and XI3 wherein X is selected from the group comprising rare earth metals.
US08106573B2
A spark plug and an alloy for an electrode tip of a spark plug is disclosed herein. The spark plug having: an insulator shell; a center electrode inside the insulator shell such that one end of the center electrode protrudes from the insulator shell; a metal shell exterior to the insulator shell; a side ground electrode having one end coupled to the metal shell and the other end facing the protruding end of the center electrode to form a spark discharge gap between the center electrode and the side ground electrode; and an electrode tip secured to at least one of the side ground electrode or the center electrode, located at the spark discharge gap, the electrode tip comprising a platinum-based alloy comprising 20 to 35% by weight of palladium, from greater than 0 to 15% by weight iridium, and the balance of the alloy being platinum, all % by weight being based on the total weight of the alloy.
US08106570B2
A cyclotron that includes a magnet yoke that has a yoke body that surrounds an acceleration chamber and a magnet assembly. The magnet assembly is configured to produce magnetic fields to direct charged particles along a desired path. The magnet assembly is located in the acceleration chamber. The magnetic fields propagate through the acceleration chamber and within the magnet yoke. A portion of the magnetic fields escape outside of the magnet yoke as stray fields. The magnet yoke is dimensioned such that the stray fields do not exceed 5 Gauss at a distance of 1 meter from an exterior boundary.
US08106563B2
A polyphasic multi-coil generator includes a driveshaft, at least first and second rotors rigidly mounted on the driveshaft so as to simultaneously synchronously rotate with rotation of the driveshaft, and at least one stator sandwiched between the first and second rotors. The stator has an aperture through which the driveshaft is rotatably journalled. A stator array on the stator has an equally circumferentially spaced-apart array of electrically conductive coils mounted to the stator in a first angular orientation about the driveshaft. The rotors and the stator lie in substantially parallel planes. The first and second rotors have, respectively, first and second rotor arrays.
US08106557B2
It is an objective to provide a permanent magnet synchronous motor that is highly efficient with low vibration and low noise. A stator 30 includes a stator core 1 that includes magnetic pole teeth 2 each formed between adjacent slots 3, and stator windings 4 that are provided in the slots 3 of the stator core 1. A rotor 40 includes a rotor core 5, a plurality of magnet retaining holes 8, permanent magnets 7 inserted in the magnet retaining holes 8, and a plurality of slits 6 in the rotor core 5 on an outer circumferential side of the magnet retaining holes 8. Among the slits 6, slits 6 in a vicinity of a magnetic pole center of the rotor core 5 are oriented in a direction where a magnetic flux generated by a permanent magnet 7 converges outside the rotor core 5, whereas slits 6 in a vicinity of a pole border portion of the rotor core 5 are oriented in another direction that is different from the direction of the plurality of slits 6 in the vicinity of the magnetic pole center of the rotor core 5.
US08106548B2
The electric motor device is provided. The electric motor device includes: a first drive member that has a plurality of permanent magnets; a second drive member that has a plurality of electromagnetic coils; and a clearance controller that shifts at least either one of the first drive member and the second drive member, thereby changing a size of a clearance formed between the first drive member and the second drive member.
US08106547B2
A rotary electric machine for vehicles is provided, which includes a rotor, a stator disposed opposed to the rotor, a frame made of aluminum and supporting the rotor and the stator, and a rectifier secured to an outer end face of the frame and having low-loss elements as rectifying elements. A heat insulator is disposed between the rectifier and the frame. With this configuration, deterioration can be prevented in the overall cooling properties, while at the same time the cooling properties of the rectifier can be enhanced.
US08106540B2
A system is provided for compensating a power transmission line having one or more non-conventional power generating sources connected to the power transmission line. At least one series compensation circuit is connected to a portion the power transmission line, and at least one damping circuit is connected in parallel with the series compensation circuit. The damping circuit reduces subsynchronous series resonance caused by the series compensation circuit on the power transmission line, and the series compensation circuit compensates the power transmission line.
US08106538B2
A DC voltage converting device is on the output side connected to a DC voltage source and, on the output side, supplies a converted DC voltage to at least one electrical consumer via a cable connection. To improve such a DC voltage converting device in that also with high DC voltages on the input side, a conversion into another DC voltage is possible without any special constructional efforts and high costs while complicated cooling means or the like, are avoided at the same time, the DC voltage converting device comprises a plurality of DC voltage converting units of which each is serially connected to the DC voltage source on the input side and connected in parallel with the cable connection on the output side for supplying the converted DC voltage.
US08106536B2
A universal power supply system is used for at least one electric consumer. The supply system comprises at least one AC source and a cable connection connecting said AC source to said electric consumer. The AC source has associated therewith an AC/DC converter for converting the AC voltage into DC voltage. The DC voltage generated in this way is adapted to be transmitted to the electric consumer via the cable connection. To improve such a universal power supply in such a way that it is possible to provide a high and stable voltage, even in the case of high power requirements in a reliable manner and at a reasonable price, without any additional components for e.g, heat dissipation being necessary, the AC/DC converter comprises as plurality of AC/DC converter components which, on the input side thereof, are connected in parallel with the AC source and which, on the output side thereof are connected serially to the electric consumer.
US08106534B2
A powering subassembly for a portable electronic device includes a main battery, a converter, a backup battery, and a controller. The main battery provides a main voltage and the backup battery can provide a backup voltage. The converter receives the main voltage and increases the main voltage to at least one operating voltage. The controller receives the operating voltage from the converter, monitors the voltage of the main battery, and compares the monitored main battery voltage to a main battery low voltage threshold. The controller transmits a disconnect signal to decouple the main battery from the converter if the monitored voltage from the main battery is less than the main battery low voltage threshold. The controller transmits a connection signal to couple the backup battery to the converter if the monitored voltage is less than the main battery low voltage threshold. The backup battery provides the power for a predetermined minimum amount of time.
US08106530B2
A particular technique provides power to a plurality of Power over Ethernet powered devices. The technique involves operating, during a first time interval, an initial set of Power over Ethernet powered devices (i.e., one or more powered devices) in a higher power consuming mode and the remaining Power over Ethernet powered devices of the plurality of Power over Ethernet powered devices that are not in the initial set in a lower power consuming mode to maintain total power consumption below a predetermined total power threshold. The technique further involves operating, during a second time interval after the first time interval, a different set of the Power over Ethernet powered devices in a higher power consuming mode and the remaining Power over Ethernet powered devices of the plurality of Power over Ethernet powered devices that are not in the different set in a lower power consuming mode to maintain total power consumption below the predetermined total power threshold.
US08106526B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a turbine to generate mechanical energy from kinetic energy, a generator coupled to the turbine to receive the mechanical energy and to output multiple isolated supply powers, and multiple power stages each coupled to the generator. Each of the power stages may receive at least one of the isolated supply powers.
US08106519B2
An integrated circuit described herein includes a substrate and a plurality of lines overlying the substrate. The lines define a plurality of first trenches and a plurality of second trenches. The plurality of first trenches extend into the substrate a distance different than that of the plurality of second trenches. Adjacent pairs of lines are separated by a first trench in the plurality of first trenches, and each pair of lines comprises a first line and a second line defining a corresponding second trench in the plurality of second trenches.
US08106518B2
In a semiconductor device in which a plurality of semiconductor chips are stacked, performance is enhanced without deteriorating productivity. The semiconductor device has a plurality of elements, an interlayer insulating film, a pad, and a bump electrode electrically connected with the pad sequentially formed on a main surface of a silicon substrate and has a back-surface electrode formed on a back surface of the silicon substrate and electrically connected with the bump electrode. The bump electrode has a protruding portion penetrating through the pad and protruding toward the silicon substrate side. The back-surface electrode is formed so as to reach the protruding portion of the bump electrode from the back surface side of the silicon substrate toward the main surface side and to cover the inside of a back-surface-electrode hole portion which does not reach the pad, so that the back-surface electrode is electrically connected with the bump electrode.
US08106516B1
A chip scale package implements solder bars to form a connection between a chip and a trace, formed in a substrate, such as another chip or PCB. Solder bars are formed by depositing one or more solder layers into the socket, or optionally, depositing a base metal layer into the socket and applying the solder layer to the base metal layer. The geometry of a solder bars may be rectangular, square, or other regular or irregular geometry. Solder bars provide a greater utilization of the connectivity footprint and increase the electrical and thermal flow capacity. Solder bars also provide a robust connection.
US08106512B2
The structures and methods described above provide mechanisms to improve interconnect reliability and resistivity. The interconnect reliability and resistivity are improved by using a composite barrier layer, which provides good step coverage, good copper diffusion barrier, and good adhesion with adjacent layers. The composite barrier layer includes an ALD barrier layer to provide good step coverage. The composite barrier layer also includes a barrier-adhesion-enhancing film, which contains at least an element or compound that contains Mn, Cr, V, Ti, or Nb to improve adhesion. The composite barrier layer may also include a Ta or Ti layer between the ALD barrier layer and the barrier-adhesion-enhancing layer.
US08106502B2
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: forming an external interconnect; forming a first planar terminal adjacent to the external interconnect and non-planar to a portion the external interconnect; mounting a first integrated circuit over the first planar terminal; connecting the first integrated circuit with the external interconnect; and forming an encapsulation over the first planar terminal covering the first integrated circuit and with the external interconnect extending from a non-horizontal side of the encapsulation and with the first planar terminal coplanar with the adjacent portion of the encapsulation exposing the first planar terminal.
US08106497B2
A semiconductor module having a semiconductor chip stack and a method for producing the same is disclosed. In one embodiment, a thermally conductive layer with anisotropically thermally conductive particles is arranged between the semiconductor chips. The anisotropically thermally conductive particles have a lower thermal conductivity in a direction vertically with respect to the layer or the film than in a direction of the layer or the film.
US08106489B1
A package and packaging method are provided that enable packaging of larger dies and/or smaller packages. Generally, the method includes steps of: (i) reducing a thickness of a portion of a top surface of leads of a leadframe extending into a package being formed; (ii) mounting a die to a paddle of the leadframe, the die extending past an edge of the paddle into a space created by reducing the thickness of the leads; and (iii) encapsulating the die and leadframe, including the reduced portion of the leads, in a molding compound. In one embodiment, the leads are reduced by half-etching the portion of the top surface. Preferably, the method further includes wire bonding pads on the die to etched portions of the leads to electrically couple the die to the leads. Alternatively, wire bonding is between the pads and non-etched portions of the leads. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US08106480B2
The invention, in one aspect, provides a semiconductor device that comprises a collector located in a semiconductor substrate and an isolation region located under the collector, wherein a peak dopant concentration of the isolation region is separated from a peak dopant concentration of the collector that ranges from about 0.9 microns to about 2.0 microns.
US08106449B2
To achieve a stable reading operation in a memory cell having a gain-cell structure, a write transistor is configured, which has a source and a drain that are formed on the insulating layer, a channel formed on the insulating layer and between the source and the drain and made of a semiconductor, and a gate formed on an upper portion of the insulating layer and between the source and the drain and electrically insulated from the channel by a gate insulating film and controlling the potential of the channel. The channel electrically connects the source and the drain on the side surfaces of the source and the drain.
US08106445B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises a memory cell configured to store data and a resistor element provided around the memory cell. The memory cell includes a charge storage layer provided above a substrate, a first semiconductor layer formed on a top surface of the charge storage layer via an insulating layer, and a first low resistive layer formed on a top surface of the first semiconductor layer and having resistance lower than that of the first semiconductor layer. The resistor element includes a second semiconductor layer formed on the same layer as the first semiconductor layer, and a second low resistive layer formed on the same layer as the first low resistive layer and on a top surface of the second semiconductor layer, having resistance lower than that of the second semiconductor layer.
US08106432B2
A pixel sensor cell having a semiconductor substrate having a surface; a photosensitive element formed in a substrate having a non-laterally disposed charge collection region entirely isolated from a physical boundary including the substrate surface. The photosensitive element comprises a trench having sidewalls formed in the substrate of a first conductivity type material; a first doped layer of a second conductivity type material formed adjacent to at least one of the sidewalls; and a second doped layer of the first conductivity type material formed between the first doped layer and the at least one trench sidewall and formed at a surface of the substrate, the second doped layer isolating the first doped layer from the at least one trench sidewall and the substrate surface. In a further embodiment, an additional photosensitive element is provided that includes a laterally disposed charge collection region that contacts the non-laterally disposed charge collection region of the photosensitive element and underlies the doped layer formed at the substrate surface.
US08106430B2
The invented ink-jet printing method for the construction of thin film transistors using all SWNTs on flexible plastic films is a new process. This method is more practical than all of existing printing methods in the construction TFT and RFID tags because SWNTs have superior properties of both electrical and mechanical over organic conducting oligomers and polymers which are often used for TFT. Furthermore, this method can be applied on thin films such as paper and plastic films while silicon based techniques cannot be used on such flexible films. These are superior to the traditional conducting polymers used in printable devices since they need no dopant and they are more stable. They could be used in conjunction with conducting polymers, or as stand-alone inks.
US08106426B2
A full color complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imaging circuit is provided. The imaging circuit is made up of an array of photodiodes including a plurality of pixel groups. Each pixel group supplies 3 electrical color signals, corresponding to 3 detectable colors. A color filter array overlies the photodiode array employing less than 3 separate filter colors. Each pixel group may be enabled as a dual-pixel including a single photodiode (PD) to supply a first color signal and stacked PDs to supply a second and third color signal. In one aspect, the color filter array employs 1 filter color per pixel group. In another aspect, the color filter array employees 2 filter colors per pixel group. In either aspect, the color filter array forms a checkerboard pattern of color filter pixels. For example, a magenta color filter may overlie the stacked PDs of each dual-pixel, to name one variation.
US08106423B2
A structure using pure silicon dioxide hard marsk for gate pattern. In an embodiment, the present invention provides a partially completed semiconductor integrated circuit device. The device has a semiconductor substrate and a dielectric layer overlying the semiconductor substrate. The device has a gate structure including edges and a substantially pure silicon dioxide mask structure overlying the gate structure. A thickness ranging from about 400 to about 600 Angstroms of the substantially pure silicon dioxide mask structure is included. The device has a dielectric layer forming sidewall spacers on the edges of the gate structure to protect the gate structure including the edges and an exposed portion of the pure silicon dioxide mask structure overlying the gate structure. The device has an epitaxially grown fill material in an etched source region and an etched drain region.
US08106422B2
An avalanche photodiode semiconductor device (20) for converting an impinging photon (22) includes a base n+ doped material layer (52) formed having a window section (72) for passing the photon (22). An n− doped material layer (30) is formed on the n+ doped material layer (52) having a portion of a lower surface (74) suitably exposed. An n+ doped material layer (32) is formed on the n− doped material (30). A p+ layer (24) formed on top of the n+ doped layer (32). At least one guard ring (26) is formed in the n− doped layer (30).
US08106421B2
Implementations of quantum well photovoltaic devices are provided. In one embodiment, a photovoltaic device includes an active layer that includes a first barrier layer, a well layer located on the first barrier layer and made of a nitride semiconductor, and a second barrier layer located on the well layer. A metal layer is located adjacent to the active layer.
US08106417B2
A method of fabricating semiconductor devices, such as GaN LEDs, on insulating substrates, such as sapphire. Semiconductor layers are produced on the insulating substrate using normal techniques. Trenches that define the boundaries of the individual devices are formed through the semiconductor layers and into the insulating substrate, beneficially by inductive coupled plasma reactive ion etching. A first support structure is attached to the semiconductor layers. The hard substrate is then removed, beneficially by laser lift off. A second supporting structure, preferably conductive, is substituted for the hard substrate and the first supporting structure is removed. Individual devices are then diced, beneficially by etching through the second supporting structure. A protective photo-resist layer can protect the semiconductor layers from the attachment of the first support structure. A conductive bottom contact (possibly reflective) can be inserted between the second supporting structure and the semiconductor layers.
US08106400B2
As a display device has a higher definition, the number of pixels, gate lines, and signal lines are increased. When the number of the gate lines and the signal lines are increased, there occurs a problem that it is difficult to mount an IC chip including a driver circuit for driving the gate and signal lines by bonding or the like, whereby manufacturing cost is increased. A pixel portion and a driver circuit for driving the pixel portion are provided over the same substrate, and at least part of the driver circuit includes a thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor interposed between gate electrodes provided above and below the oxide semiconductor. The pixel portion and the driver portion are provided over the same substrate, whereby manufacturing cost can be reduced.
US08106377B2
In a resistance change element (ReRAM) storing data by utilizing change in resistance of a resistance change element, the resistance change element is configured of a lower electrode made of a noble metal such as Pt, a transition metal film made of a transition metal such as Ni, a transition metal oxide film made of a transition metal oxide such as NiOx, and a lower electrode made of a noble metal such as Pt.
US08106374B2
A radiation image capturing system includes a first image capturing apparatus incorporating a radiation detector for detecting a radiation which has passed through a subject and converting the radiation into radiation image information, a second image capturing apparatus incorporating a stimulable phosphor panel for detecting a radiation which has passed through a subject, converting the radiation into radiation image information, and holding the radiation image information, and a processor for controlling the first image capturing apparatus and the second image capturing apparatus according to image capturing instruction information. The processor includes a priority activator for activating the second image capturing apparatus in preference to the first image capturing apparatus when the processor is activated.
US08106370B2
A cyclotron that includes a magnet assembly to produce a magnetic field to direct charged particles along a desired path. The cyclotron also includes a magnet yoke that has a yoke body that surrounds an acceleration chamber. The magnet assembly is located in the yoke body. The yoke body forms a pump acceptance (PA) cavity that is fluidicly coupled to the acceleration chamber. The cyclotron also includes a vacuum pump that is configured to introduce a vacuum into the acceleration chamber. The vacuum pump is positioned in the PA cavity.
US08106356B2
A beta-ray soot concentration direct readout monitor and a method for determining effective sample. The monitor includes a fume collection cell and a fume mass detection cell. The fume collection cell includes a fume sampling gun, a filter paper and a mechanical control auto form feed structure. The fume sampling gun includes a gathering tube, a pitot tube and a sheath tube. The gathering tube tail of the fume sampling gun is equipped with an upper cavity body and a corresponding lower cavity body. The filter paper passes through space between the upper and lower cavity bodies. A paper supporting gate is provided at the inlet of the lower cavity body. A smoke outlet is equipped at a lower part of the lower cavity body. The sampling area of the soot acquired from the upper cavity body is at least twice with the actual testing area of the filter paper.
US08106354B2
The invention refers to a mass spectrometer arrangement (10) comprising a housing (86) having a mass spectrometer forevacuum vacuum chamber (20) with a mass spectrometer forevacuum outlet (30), at least two mass spectrometer high-vacuum vacuum chambers (21, 22, 23), and an integrated turbomolecular pump (12) connected with the high-vacuum vacuum chambers (21, 22, 23) and having a forevacuum outlet (89). The two forevacuum outlets (30, 89) open into a common forevacuum chamber (98) in the housing (86), which in turn opens into a housing outlet (88).
US08106351B2
Provided are methods for measuring renin activity in a plasma sample using mass spectrometry. The methods generally involve ionizing purified angiotensin 1 from the sample and detecting the amount of angiotensin 1 ions generated. The amount of detected angiotensin 1 ions are then related to the amount of angiotensin 1 generated in the sample, which in turn is related to renin activity in the sample.
US08106350B2
A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed wherein distortions in a mass spectrum are corrected for by determining or estimating the number of ions Qi which arrived in an ith time bin, wherein: Formula (I) and wherein qi is the actual total number of ion arrival events recorded in the ith time bin and x is an integer corresponding to the number of time bins which correspond with an estimated deadtime period.
US08106349B2
A method and apparatus for aligning a device with a contactor is provided. The apparatus includes a pick and place device, for transporting the device. A first camera acquires an image of the device relative to device holder fiducials of the pick and place device. A second camera detects the location of the contactor relative to fiducials positioned on an alignment frame plate. A third camera to image frame and device holder fiducials to correlate the first and second camera coordinates. Given a processor determines the alignment difference between the device and the contactor. A plurality of actuators align the device with the contactor.
US08106339B2
A construct for heating, browning, and/or crisping a food item in a microwave oven includes a panel having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a microwave energy interactive material overlying at least a portion of the first surface, wherein the microwave energy interactive material generates heat when exposed to microwave energy, and a thermally stable coating overlying at least a portion of the second surface.
US08106338B2
The present invention relates to a heating element for heating at least one surface contacted at times by a user, with a plurality of heating conductors or heating conductor sections that are directly or indirectly connected electrically to one another, at least in part by mutual contact, with at least one heating conductor or heating conductor section which, upon exceeding a permissible maximum temperature, at least temporarily loses its electrical conductivity at least in part. It is provided that the electrical resistance of at least two heating conductors or heating conductor sections is dependent at least in part on its mechanical strain, that these heating conductors or heating conductor sections are electrically connected to one another in parallel, and that they are separated from one another at least in sections by a spacing zone in order to prevent electrical connection between them in spacing zone.
US08106325B2
The invention relates to an touch-surface electric control device (1) comprising a touch-surface sensor (29), a printed circuit board (33), connection means (42) for the electric connection between the touch-surface sensor (29) and the printed circuit board (33), the connections means (42) and the touch-surface (29) being flexible and including a connection tab (67), the touch-surface sensor (29) and the printed circuit board (33) being provided on the opposite faces of a common substrate (31) provided between said sensor (29) and said board (33), characterized in that a side face of the common substrate (31) includes a guiding protrusion (44) for the connection tab (67).
US08106323B2
A potential switching apparatus for a power adapter which transforms input power to output power delivered through a power output cord. The potential switch apparatus switches the potential of the output power. It includes a first body and a second body located on the power output cord. The first body has a first contact and a second contact. The second body has a switch element connectable to the first contact to deliver the output power at a first potential and connectable to the second contact to deliver the output power at a second potential. Thus the potential of the output power can be switched. The present invention improves the conventional potential switch device on the power adapter that is too bulky in size.
US08106318B2
A wiring standard selector switch is used in a wired computer network and has the ability to easily switch between various network wiring standards, such as, for example, Rolled, ATM loopback, T1, Cross-over, and Straight-through. Rotating the switching collar causes the printed circuit board containing a wiring standard printed circuit to change the input/output relationship of the individual wires in the input and output network cables.
US08106311B2
A patch panel rack including a front face and an opening formed in the front face configured and dimensioned to receive and accommodate for mounting with respect to the patch panel rack at least one patch panel, further includes a waterfall member connected to the front face of the patch panel rack, the waterfall member including a horizontally extending surface positioned in front of the front face just below the opening formed therein, and at least one curved drop-off portion positioned adjacent the horizontally extending surface and sized, shaped, oriented, and configured to permit electrical cables extending vertically upward from electrical equipment disposed beneath the waterfall member to the patch panel mounted above the waterfall member to maintain a desired bend radius. The patch panel rack may be mounted to a cable management pathway substantially above a telecommunications cabinet to allow cables passing therebetween to maintain a desired bend radius.
US08106309B2
A flexible printed circuit film includes a film including a first region of an adhesion region and a second region outside of the adhesion region, a signal wire formed on the second region, and reinforcement wiring connected to the signal wire and formed on the first region and the second region. The reinforcement wiring includes a bent portion having a plurality of inner corners and a plurality of outer corners, and the inner corners of the reinforcement wiring are spaced apart from a boundary between the first region and the second region. Accordingly, even though an external force is applied to the flexible printed circuit film, the reinforcement wiring may be prevented from being easily damaged.
US08106308B2
A printed circuit board for a package includes a first insulation layer, on one side of which an electronic component having a plurality of electrical contacts is mounted; a plurality of first bond pads formed on the other side of the first insulation layer in predetermined intervals, which are electrically connected with the electrical contacts; a second insulation layer stacked on the other side of the first insulation layer, with those portions removed where the first bond pads are formed; and a second bond pad, which is formed on a surface of the second insulation layer in correspondence with positions between the plurality of the first bond pads, and which is electrically connected with the electrical contacts. The bond pads can be implemented in two layers, as opposed to the case of forming the bond pads in one layer, in a predetermined area of a printed circuit board.
US08106302B2
The present invention provides a circuit board of a communication product and a manufacturing method thereof. The circuit board comprises a main body of a circuit board and an isolation cover. A surface of the main body of the circuit board has a power transistor, an insulating layer, a plurality of first openings disposed at intervals on the insulating layer and around the power transistor, and a plurality of soldering portions exposed from the first openings respectively. The isolation cover comprises a cover body and a plurality of second openings equidistantly opened on a lateral side of the cover body. The isolation cover is disposed on the surface of the main body of the circuit board, and is soldered to the soldering portions through a local spot soldering process.
US08106295B1
An electrical device cover having a base with a wall structure includes of at least a two pairs of opposing walls located perpendicular to each other and an opening in a back side large enough to receive an electrical device. An exterior surface of at least a first wall has at least one rails running perpendicular to a plane in which the back side of the base resides and the base of a detachable hinge component is slidably coupled to the at least one rail. The detachable hinge component further includes at least one hinge member that is parallel to the base of the hinge component and a lid includes at least one hinge tab in which the at least one hinge member seats such the lid is pivotally coupled to the hinge component.
US08106292B2
Volume compensation in photovoltaic device is provided. The photovoltaic device has an outer transparent casing and a substrate that, together, define an inner volume. At least one solar cell is on the substrate. A filler layer seals the at least one solar cell within the inner volume. A container within the inner volume has an opening in fluid communication with the filler layer. A diaphragm is affixed to the opening thereby sealing the interior of the container from the filler layer. The diaphragm is configured to decrease the volume within the container when the filler layer thermally expands and to increase the volume within the container when the filler layer thermally contracts. In some instances, the substrate is hollowed and the container is formed within this hollow. The container can have multiple openings, each sealed with a diaphragm. There can be multiple containers within the photovoltaic device.
US08106285B2
A system and method for detecting a refrain in an audio file having vocal components. The method and system includes generating a phonetic transcription of a portion of the audio file, analyzing the phonetic transcription and identifying a vocal segment in the generated phonetic transcription that is repeated frequently. The method and system further relate to the speech-driven selection based on similarity of detected refrain and user input.
US08106283B2
Performance interface system includes a motion detector provided for movement with a performer, and a control system for receiving detection data transmitted from the motion detector and controlling a performance of a tone in response to the received detection data. State of a performer's motion is detected via a sensor of the motion detector, and detection data representative of the detected motion state is transmitted to the control system. The control system receives the detection data from the motion detector, analyzes the performer's motion on the basis of the detection data, and then controls a tone performance in accordance with the analyzed data. With this arrangement, the performer can readily take part in the tone performance in the control system. For example, as the performer moves his or her hand, leg or trunk while listening to a manual or automatic performance of a music piece being carried out by a performance apparatus of the control system, the motion detector detects the performer's motion and transmits corresponding detection data to the control system, which in turn variably controls a predetermined one of tonal factors in the music piece performance. This arrangement can readily provide interactive performance control and thereby allows an inexperienced or unskilled performer to take part in a performance with enjoyment.
US08106279B1
Wind musical instrument moisture drying devices are disclosed. According to one embodiment, the drying device comprises a fan unit containing a fan mounted on a motor housed in an enclosure having opposite first and second ends, the fan is located within the enclosure near the first end and is configured for drawing air flow from the second end toward the first end while in operation, an electric energy source coupled to the fan unit via a cable, and an adjustable adapter radially coupled to outer perimeter of the enclosure of the fan unit, the adjustable adapter is so configured to be fit over an opening of the wind musical instrument's tubular body, where moistures accumulated inside the wind musical instrument are desired to be dried by the moisture drying device, which is deployed into the tubular body by inserting the fan unit into the opening.
US08106272B2
A cotton cultivar, designated L-9009-6, is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of cotton cultivar L-9009-6, to the plants of cotton L-9009-6 and to methods for producing a cotton plant produced by crossing the cultivar L-9009-6 with itself or another cotton variety. The invention further relates to hybrid cotton seeds and plants produced by crossing the cultivar L-9009-6 with another cotton cultivar.
US08106271B2
A cotton cultivar, designated L-1000, is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of cotton cultivar L-1000, to the plants of cotton L-1000 and to methods for producing a cotton plant produced by crossing the cultivar L-1000 with itself or another cotton variety. The invention further relates to hybrid cotton seeds and plants produced by crossing the cultivar L-1000 with another cotton cultivar.
US08106270B2
A soybean cultivar designated S090252 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S090252, to the plants of soybean S090252, to plant parts of soybean cultivar S090252, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar S090252 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety S090252, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S090252, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar S090252 with another soybean cultivar.
US08106258B2
Use of a low-oxygen environment before the transformation process can enhance transformation of plants. Low oxygen during regeneration can also increase the culturability of recalcitrant genotypes.
US08106252B2
This invention is related to the extraction of a protein from the seeds, cotyledons or plantlets of Lupinus genus, as well as to the way of producing it in recombinant form and of expressing it in genetically modified plants. Due to the exceptional characteristics exhibited by this protein in what concerns: its potent antifungal and anti-Oomycete activity, which confers great potential to the protein as a fungicide, (2) its strong plant growth promoter activity, particularly notorious on unhealthy or naturally weakened plants, (3) its extreme resistance to denaturation, which allows the use of the protein under field conditions, (4) its great susceptibility to proteolytic attack, which makes it harmless to the environment and nontoxic for man, and (5) its well balanced amino acid composition. It is claimed its use, or of any modification of the protein that maintains its biological properties, as a supplement in human or animal nutrition and as a fungicide, insecticide, growth promoter, fertilizer or in the preparation of genetically modified organisms.
US08106248B2
In one aspect, the inventive process comprises a process for pyrolyzing a hydrocarbon feedstock containing nonvolatiles in a regenerative pyrolysis reactor system. The process comprises: (a) heating the nonvolatile-containing hydrocarbon feedstock upstream of a regenerative pyrolysis reactor system to a temperature sufficient to form a vapor phase that is essentially free of nonvolatiles and a liquid phase containing the nonvolatiles; (b) separating said vapor phase from said liquid phase; (c) feeding the separated vapor phase and methane to the pyrolysis reactor system; and (d) converting the methane and separated vapor phase in said pyrolysis reactor system to form a pyrolysis product. In another aspect, the invention includes a separation process that feeds multiple pyrolysis reactors.
US08106241B2
An enhanced process is described for the synthesis of urea from ammonia and carbon dioxide, at a high pressure and temperature, with the formation of ammonium carbamate as intermediate, which includes a high pressure synthesis section, comprising at least one separation step by decomposition-stripping with ammonia of the non-converted ammonium carbamate, carried out in a vertical apparatus, commonly called stripper, characterized in that said step also comprises a feeding, in the lower part of said stripper, of a stream of CO2, heated to a temperature ranging from 130 to 230° C., in a quantity of 1 to 15% by weight with respect to the total weight of the fresh CO2 fed to the process, containing a passivating agent in such a quantity that its equivalent content of O2 in moles varies from 0.05% to 0.80% with respect to the moles of CO2 of said stream.
US08106232B2
The invention provides 3-carboxypropyl-aminotetralin compounds of formula (I): wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and R6 are defined in the specification, or a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt thereof, that are antagonists at the mu opioid receptor. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, methods of using such compounds to treat conditions associated with mu opioid receptor activity, and processes and intermediates useful for preparing such compounds.
US08106221B2
The present invention is directed to aspartic protease inhibitors. The present invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the disclosed aspartic protease inhibitors. The present invention is further directed to methods of antagonizing one or more aspartic proteases in a subject in need thereof, and methods for treating an aspartic protease mediated disorder in a subject using the disclosed aspartic protease inhibitors.
US08106214B2
The present invention is related to 2-imino-azolinone-vinyl fused-benzene derivatives of Formula (1) in particular for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of autoimmune disorders and/or inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, kidney diseases, platelet aggregation, cancer, transplantation, graft rejection or lung injuries.
US08106211B2
The present invention relates to novel substituted enaminocarbonyl compounds, to processes for their preparation and to their use for controlling animal pests, especially arthropods, in particular insects.
US08106208B2
The present invention relates to new compounds of formula I, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said compounds, and to the use of said compounds in therapy. The present invention further relates to processes for the preparation of compounds of formula I.
US08106199B2
A near infrared phosphorescent organometallic complex includes a cyclometalating ligand and a transition metal. The cyclometalating ligand includes a fused aromatic ring structure with carbon atoms, and a heteronuclear aromatic ring with a nitrogen atom. The transition metal is bonded to the nitrogen atom in the heteronuclear aromatic ring and one of the carbon atoms in the fused aromatic ring structure. The heteronuclear ring can be part of the fused aromatic ring. The organometallic complex is capable of phosphorescent emission with maximum emission intensity occurring at a wavelength in a range from about 650 nm to about 2000 nm.
US08106183B2
Disclosed is a synthesis suitable for large scale manufacture of an A2A-adenosine receptor agonist, and also relates to polymorphs of that compound, and to methods of isolating a specific polymorph.
US08106174B2
Recombinant polynucleotides and recombinant polypeptides useful for improvement of plants are provided. The disclosed recombinant polynucleotides and recombinant polypeptides find use in production of transgenic plants to produce plants having improved properties.
US08106173B2
The invention relates to the therapeutic use of stabilized oligoribonucleotides as immune modulatory agents for immune therapy applications. Specifically, the invention provides RNA based oligoribonucleotides with improved nuclease and RNase stability and that have immune modulatory activity through TLR7 and/or TLR8.
US08106170B2
The present invention provides compositions of binding molecules specifically binding to a coronavirus such as SARS-CoV and capable of neutralizing an infection caused by the virus. The compositions are suitable for diagnosing, preventing and/or treating a condition resulting from a coronavirus such as SARS-CoV.
US08106156B2
The present invention is directed to novel polypeptides and to nucleic acid molecules encoding those polypeptides. Also provided herein are vectors and host cells comprising those nucleic acid sequences, chimeric polypeptide molecules comprising the polypeptides of the present invention fused to heterologous polypeptide sequences, antibodies which bind to the polypeptides of the present invention and to methods for producing the polypeptides of the present invention.
US08106154B2
Compounds comprising a peptide moiety, a linker moiety and a water-soluble polymer moiety such as a poly(ethylene glycol) moiety are disclosed. Various linker moieties for use in these compounds are also disclosed, along methods for their synthesis.
US08106142B2
Polyacetylinic oligomers suitable for high-temperature polymer-matrix composites are provided. The polyacetylinic oligomers have the formula: D-A-D wherein D is an endcap including at least one crosslinking functionality; and A is backbone selected from the group consisting of imidesulfone; ether; ethersulfone; amide; imide; ester; estersulfone; etherimide; amideimide; oxazole; oxazole sulfone; thiazole; thiazole sulfone; imidazole; and imidazole sulfone. At least one ethynyl functional group, however, is incorporated into the backbone such that crosslinking is not only realized at the endcaps but also at the ethynyl groups within the backbone of the oligomer itself.
US08106138B2
The present disclosure is directed to random propylene/α-olefin compositions, articles, and processes for producing the same. The present compositions contain a random copolymer of propylene and α-olefin. Polymerization with an improved catalyst composition increases the molecular weight distribution of the copolymer and increases the randomness of comonomer distribution to yield random propylene/α-olefin copolymers with improved stiffness and/or improved optical properties.
US08106136B2
A method for ethylene slurry polymerisations in a loop reactor in the presence of ethylene monomer, diluent and catalyst and optionally co-monomer and hydrogen, wherein the polymerisation temperature is maintained below the swelling temperature, characterised in that the swelling temperature is calculated as a function of co-monomer concentration and the number average molecular weight of the polyethylene end-product.
US08106132B2
There is provided by the present invention a polyester resin composition containing a copolyester having hydroxy carboxylic acid units as constituent units or a polyoxycarboxylic acid, wherein hydroxy carboxylic acid units of 5 or less carbon atoms are contained in amounts of 2 to 75% by mol based on 100% by mol of all the constituent units contained in the composition, and a molar ratio SAA of hydroxy carboxylic acid units both of whose neighboring units are hydroxy carboxylic acid units to all the hydroxy carboxylic acid units contained and a molar ratio SBB of hydroxy carboxylic acid units neither of whose neighboring units is a hydroxy carboxylic acid unit to all the hydroxy carboxylic acid units contained satisfy the following formula: 0.03
US08106123B2
Processes for enhancing blown film processability and the blown films formed thereby are described herein. One embodiment of the processes generally includes providing a first propylene based heterophasic copolymer having a first melt flow rate, modifying the first propylene based heterophasic copolymer to form a second heterophasic polymer having a second melt flow rate, wherein the second melt flow rate is greater than the first melt flow rate, contacting the first heterophasic polymer, the second heterophasic copolymer or a combination thereof with a plurality of additives, wherein the plurality of additives include a nucleator, polyethylene and mineral oil to form a modified heterophasic copolymer and blowing the modified heterophasic polymer into a film.
US08106119B2
A thermally conductive silicone composition includes 25 to 50 volume % of a silicone, 30 to 60 volume % of a first heat conducting filler, and 20 to 40 volume % of a second heat conducting filler, and 1 to 2 volume % of a third heat conducting filler. The thermally conductive silicone composition has two heat conducting fillers with different sizes dispersed therein, thus the thermal impedance can be efficiently reduced.
US08106116B2
A pre-fiber gel material is described herein that includes: a) at least one amide-based and/or polyamide-based composition; and b) at least one lactam gelling agent, wherein the gel composition has sufficient viscosity and sufficient cohesiveness upon the mixing of the at least one amide-based or polyamide-based polymer and the at least one lactam gelling agent that the composition can be spun into a fiber. In addition, methods are provided herein that teach that the production of a pre-fiber gel composition, including: a) providing at least one amide-based compound; b) providing at least one lactam gelling agent; and c) mixing the at least one amide-based polymer and the at least one lactam gelling agent such that there is sufficient viscosity and to sufficient cohesiveness in the composition so that it can be spun into a fiber.
US08106114B2
The present invention relates to a drag reducing agent, composition, compound, product, process and method of use for use in petroleum pipelines and the like. A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a cryogenically-ground polyalphaolefin polymer at 15-25 wt. % of the commercial product formulation. The bulking agents comprise ethylene bis-stearamide alone or in combination with other polyethylene and/or polypropylene polymers at 2.0-5.0 wt. % of the commercial product formulation. In addition, diisobutyl ketone 20-60 wt. % of the commercial product formulation and propylene carbonate 2.8-8.4 wt. % of the commercial product formulation are used.
US08106113B2
Disclosed are an ink composition comprising at least a colorant (a) and a polymer (b) having a heterocyclic moiety forming a colorant, an image forming method including applying the ink composition to a recording medium by printing and curing the ink composition, and a printed article produced by curing the ink composition.
US08106108B2
The present invention relates to a UV absorbing optical element comprising a polymer optical element substrate, and a UV light absorbing amount of a tris-aryltriazine-based UV absorber incorporated in said substrate. The present invention also provides a method for forming a UV absorbing optical element.
US08106099B2
The invention relates to the combination of one or more IKr channel blockers and of one or more Kv1.5 blockers, in particular phenyl-carboxamides of the formula Ia or Ib or pharmaceutically tolerable salts thereof, and the use of the combination for the treatment of atrial arrhythmias.
US08106097B2
The invention concerns compositions comprising substituted 1,3-diphenylprop-2-en-1-one derivatives designed for therapeutic use. The inventive compositions are useful in particular for preventing or treating cardiovascular diseases, syndrome X, Ia restenosis, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, inflammatory diseases, cancers or neoplasms (benign or malignant tumors), neurodegenerative, dermatological diseases and disorders related to oxidative stress, for preventing or treating the effects of ageing in general and for example skin ageing, in particular in the field of cosmetics (occurrence of wrinkles and the like).
US08106095B2
The invention features 4-((phenoxyalkyl)thio)-phenoxyacetic acids and analogs, compositions containing them, and methods of using them as PPAR delta modulators to treat or inhibit the progression of, for example, dyslipidemia.
US08106092B2
The present invention relates generally to the field of cancer including tumor therapy. More particularly, the present invention relates to the treatment of solid cancers, including solid tumors, and the prevention or reduction of cancer metastasis, by chemoablation of cancer cells by an agent which also stimulates the generation of cancer-specific T-cells, a process referred to herein as immunostimulatory chemoablation. The present invention further contemplates combination therapy comprising immunostimulatory chemoablation and one or more other therapeutic regimens, which enhance, co-operate and/or synergize with the cancer-specific T-cells induced by the chemoablation. The present invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions for use in treating cancers.
US08106072B2
ObjectTo provide novel quinolinecarboxylic acid compounds serving as safe, strong antibacterial agents that are effective against drug-resistant bacteria that are less susceptible to conventional antibacterial agents.Solving MeansThere are provided 7-(4-substituted-3-cyclopropylaminomethylpyrrolidinyl)quinolonecarboxylic acid derivatives (such as 1-cyclopropyl-7-[(3S,4S)-3-cyclopropylaminomethyl-4-fluoro-1-pyrrolidinyl]-6-fluoro-1,4-dihydro-8-methoxy-4-oxo-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid) that exhibit strong antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria, such as MRSA, PRSP and VRE, while being safe. The compounds are shown by the following general formula (I):
US08106070B2
Certain novel substituted imidazoles are ligands of the human bombesin receptor and, in particular, are selective ligands of the human bombesin receptor subtype-3 (BRS-3). They are therefore useful for the treatment, control, or prevention of diseases and disorders responsive to the modulation of BRS-3, such as obesity, and diabetes.
US08106059B2
The present invention is directed to compounds of formula I, below, that have the dual property of acting as cathepsin S inhibitors and of inhibiting HCV replication. Such compounds are therefore useful in treating disease states that include hepatitis C, Alzheimer's disease, and autoimmune disorders. The present invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions containing these compounds, and processes for preparing the compounds.
US08106056B2
The present invention relates to a composition containing bifeprunox or its N-oxide, or at least one pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof: and L-DOPA or at least one pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof, for simultaneous, separate or sequential use in the treatment of disorders requiring recovery of dopaminergic function, including Parkinson's disease and restless leg syndrome.
US08106049B2
Conformationally constrained compounds that mimic the secondary structure of reverse-turn regions of biologically active peptides and proteins are disclosed. Such reverse-turn mimetic structures have utility as diagnostic and therapeutic agents for inhibiting or treating disorders modulated by Wnt-signaling pathway, such as cancer, especially colorectal cancer, restenosis associated with angioplasty, polycystic kidney disease, aberrant angiogenesis disease, rheumatoid arthritis disease, tuberous sclerosis complex, Alzheimer's disease, excess hair growth or loss, or ulcerative colitis. In one embodiment, these reverse-term mimetics have a general structure of formula (VI): wherein Ra, Rb, Rc, X1, X2 and X3 are defined as provided herein.
US08106040B2
The present invention is directed to improved liquid antibiotic formulations. In some embodiments, the present invention is directed to a composition comprising an antibiotic in a liquid comprising triglycerides, wherein the composition has less than about 5% water (w/v).
US08106038B2
This invention relates generally to the field of pharmacotherapeutics and the use of photodynamic therapy (“PDT”). In particular, the invention provides a method for reducing or preventing the effects of inflammation arising from normal dose photodynamic therapy (PDT), which method comprises exposing a target tissue in a subject that has been treated with normal dose PDT treatment to low dose light having a wavelength absorbed by a photosensitizing agent used in said normal dose PDT treatment for a time sufficient to reduce or prevent the effects of inflammation arising from said normal dose PDT treatment. The method is particularly useful in reducing or preventing the effects of inflammation arising from normal dose PDT treatment of ocular tissues.
US08106037B2
The present invention is directed to specific chromosomal rearrangements that are associated with prostate tumors that respond to compounds acting at estrogen receptors. Patients having the TMPRSS2-ERG fusion, may be treated with agonists of the estrogen beta receptor or antagonists of the estrogen alpha receptor.
US08106036B2
The invention provides compositions comprising formula 1 steroids, e.g., 16α-bromo-3β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-17-one hemihydrate and one or more excipients, typically wherein the composition comprises less than about 3% water. The compositions are useful to make improved pharmaceutical formulations. The invention also provides methods of intermittent dosing of steroid compounds such as analogs of 16α-bromo-3β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-17-one and compositions useful in such dosing regimens. The invention further provides compositions and methods to inhibit pathogen (viral) replication, ameliorate symptoms associated with immune dysregulation and to modulate immune responses in a subject using certain steroids and steroid analogs. The invention also provides methods to make and use these immunomodulatory compositions and formulations.
US08106023B2
This invention relates to Novel 1,4-benzothiepin-1,1-dioxide derivatives with improved properties, method for producing the same, drugs containing said compounds and use thereof.
US08106018B2
This invention provides monoclonal antibodies that recognize the Toll-like Receptor 4/MD-2 receptor complex, and monoclonal antibodies that recognize the TLR4/MD2 complex as well as TLR4 when not complexed with MD-2. The invention further provides methods of using the monoclonal antibodies as therapeutics. This invention also provides soluble chimeric proteins, methods of expressing and purifying soluble chimeric proteins, and methods of using soluble chimeric proteins as therapeutics, in screening assays and in the production of antibodies.
US08106012B2
The present invention provides methods for predicting an effectiveness of apheresis therapy on patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, which include adding, for example, sera or such collected from patients to 18-day-old chicken fertile eggs and measuring the left ventricular ejection fraction of the eggs. High reproducibility was achieved by using urethane as an anesthetic agent for the chicken fertile eggs, maintaining the eggs in incubation sand at 40° C. during measurement, and using an ultrasonic probe with a frequency of 10 MHz or more. When the left ventricular ejection fraction is less than 90%, apheresis therapy is likely to be effective. Indeed, it has been clinically demonstrated that the apheresis therapy is successful when the left ventricular ejection fraction is improved to 90% or more by the therapy.
US08106011B1
Methods for preparation of a heat stable hemoglobin based oxygen-carrier-containing pharmaceutical composition such that beta-beta cross-linking is favored are provided. Using the methods of the present invention, the oxygen affinity of the resultant molecule can be controlled so that hemoglobin based oxygen carriers tailored for specific applications can be produced. Lower oxygen affinity crosslinked hemoglobin is useful for applications requiring rapid tissue oxygenation (e.g. hemorrhagic shock) while higher oxygen affinity cross-linked hemoglobin is useful for applications requiring a slower rate of oxygenation (e.g. cancer adjunct therapy). A highly purified and heat stable crosslinked non-polymeric tetrameric hemoglobin having beta-beta cross-linking of greater than 40-60% and suitable for use in mammals without causing renal injury and vasoconstriction is produced. A high temperature and short time (HTST) heat processing step is performed to effectively remove any undesired dimeric hemoglobin, non-crosslinked tetrameric hemoglobin, and plasma protein impurities.
US08106001B2
The subject invention pertains to methods and reagents for the diagnosis of female infertility, prognostic indicators for female infertility, compounds for the treatment of female infertility, compounds and methods for contraception. Methods and compounds are based on the levels of ebaf in endometrial tissue. Methods for diagnosing endometrial receptivity and bleeding function by screening a biological sample such as an endometrial tissue sample, or bodily fluid for the presence of ebaf. A contraceptive compound containing an effective amount of ebaf and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. A diagnostic kit for timing contraception containing reagents for screening a sample for the presence of ebaf. A method of treating endometrial irregularities by down-regulating the expression of ebaf.
US08105998B2
Provided is a liquid composition for, at a low temperature in a short time, removing a photoresist residue and a polymer residue generated in a semiconductor circuit element manufacturing process A residue removing method using such composition is also provided. The composition removes the photoresist residue and/or the polymer residue generated in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor circuit element having a metal wiring. The composition includes a fluorine compound of 0.5-3.0 mass % and water not over 30 mass %, and has a pH of 4 or less.
US08105997B2
The embodiments provide substrate cleaning techniques to remove contaminants from the substrate surface to improve device yield. The substrate cleaning techniques utilize a cleaning material with solid components and polymers with a large molecular weight dispersed in a cleaning liquid to form the cleaning material, which is fluidic. The solid components remove contaminants on the substrate surface by making contact with the contaminants. The polymers with large molecular weight form polymer chains and a polymeric network that capture and entrap solids in the cleaning materials, which prevent solids from falling on the substrate surface. In addition, the polymers can also assist in removing contaminants form the substrate surface by making contacts with contaminants on the substrate surface. In one embodiment, the cleaning material glides around protruding features on the substrate surface without making a forceful impact on the protruding features to damage them. The present invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including a material (or solution), a method, a process, an apparatus, or a system.
