US08146034B2

A mechanism is provided for efficient redundancy identification, redundancy removal, and sequential equivalence checking with designs including memory arrays. The mechanism includes an array merging component to optimally merge an array output such that if the address is out-of-bounds or the port is not asserted, the array output is converted to a random output. The mechanism also includes a component for determining the equivalence of enabled array outputs rather than the array outputs directly and creating an enabled array output. The mechanism also includes a component that precludes potentially-redundant array cells from participating in the sequential redundancy removal determination. This component first checks for compatibility of the corresponding arrays, then the corresponding read port enables and addresses, then the corresponding initial values, and finally checking that writes to the corresponding columns yield a compatible set of values.
US08146031B2

A method for generating and evaluating a table model for circuit simulation in N dimensions employing mathematical expressions for modeling a device. The table model uses an unstructured N-dimensional grid for approximating the expressions. The method includes the steps of: (a) establishing a function domain having boundary limits in the N dimensions; (b) performing an accuracy partitioning operation to establish accuracy partitions; the mathematical expressions being satisfied within each accuracy partition within a predetermined error criteria; (c) performing a continuity partitioning operation to establish continuity partitions ensuring continuity of solutions of the mathematical expressions across boundaries separating adjacent accuracy partitions; (d) performing a grid refining operation to configure the continuity partitions to assure monotonic solutions of the mathematical expressions in the continuity partitions; (e) if a continuity partition is altered during the grid refining operation, returning to step (c), else proceeding to next step; (f) ending the method.
US08146029B2

The invention relates to a method of synthesizing an electronic circuit for performing a function. The method comprises programming the function using a programming language by defining one or more terms, each term comprising one or more functional constants. Game semantics are applied to interpret the programmed function. Each term is interpreted as one or more strategies defined on moves. Each of the constants of the programmed function is associated with a sub-circuit. Each move is associated with at least one input or output port of the associated sub-circuit, and a move occurrence defined by a strategy produces a change of state of an associated port. The associated sub-circuits are combined to provide a synthesized circuit for performing the function.
US08146025B2

A method for correcting layout pattern is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a layout pattern having at least one segment; forming a rule-checking rectangle from the segment, wherein the rule-checking rectangle comprises at least one square; verifying whether the square of the rule-checking rectangle overlaps other layout pattern; removing the portion of other layout pattern overlapped by the square to obtain a corrected layout pattern; and outputting the corrected layout pattern to a mask.
US08146018B2

Methods and apparatus for controlling movement of multiple independent animated objects such as characters displayed on a display use zone detection and touch stroke direction. A player wishing to move the digital objects can use a stylus or other touch to draw strokes or gestures on the screen. Different strokes can correspond to different types of control inputs. For example, based on where a stroke begins and ends on the screen relative to character position, different animated characters can be selected and controlled. Some strokes control only one animated character to move in a particular direction, whereas other strokes can control multiple objects to move in a coordinated manner.
US08146014B2

A method of controlling a display of an electronic device for displaying a list of electronic messages. The method includes comparing a width of a designated space for a field of the electronic messages to a minimum width to determine if the width is sufficient, and if the width is determined to be sufficient, maintaining the width of the designated space, otherwise increasing the width of the designated space.
US08146013B2

Mechanisms to allow authorized popup windows on a website are provided. With the mechanisms, one or more identifiers of authorized popup window sources are associated with website content. When the website content is downloaded to a client device in response to a request, the one or more identifiers are also provided to the client device. A popup blocker application resident on the client device uses the one or more identifiers to generate a filter list of authorized popup window sources against which the source of popup windows may be compared when the popup window attempts to be loaded into the browser. If the source of the popup window that is attempting to be loaded is not present in the list of authorized sources of popup windows, then the loading and output of the popup window content is blocked.
US08146001B1

The present invention relates to an electronic mail (e-mail) delivery system and more particularly to a method and apparatus for selecting a specific e-mail message from a visual list of stored e-mail messages, selecting an advertisement from a plurality of advertisements stored in an associate database, and then downloading the selected e-mail message to a recipient's e-mail receiving device and inserting the selected advertisement into the e-mail message, preferably in the e-mail message header or between the header and body (text) or after the text, as it is downloaded to the e-mail receiving device which receives and displays the downloaded e-mail message with the inserted advertisement in response to receiving a selection signal from the e-mail receiving device indicating that the recipient wishes to read the selected e-mail message.
US08145996B2

Methods and systems are provided for controlling pagination in computer software applications. Abstract classes and methods are provided with programming interfaces to improve the ease with which developers can create applications that allow for co-pagination with arbitrary object types, and can create arbitrary object types that can co-paginate with arbitrary applications.
US08145991B2

Methods and devices for optimizing the processing of documents of the XML type comprising components are described. After having identified the required XML document and the processing mode that is to be performed on this document, for example forward or backward, the client sends a request comprising this information. On receipt of this request, the server accesses the document identified and the sequencing according to the processing mode that has to be performed before transmitting it. If the processing mode is of the backward type, it is not necessary to process all the document in order to transmit it, it may be transmitted gradually as sequencing takes place. The algorithms for sequencing and processing the components of an XML document are adapted to process the simple components and the components having circular references.
US08145987B2

LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) codes with corresponding parity check matrices selectively constructed with CSI (Cyclic Shifted Identity) and null sub-matrices. An LDPC matrix corresponding to an LDPC code is employed within a communication device to encode and/or decode coded signals for use in any of a number of communication systems. The LDPC matrix is composed of a number of sub-matrices and may be partitioned into a left hand side matrix and a right hand side matrix. The right hand side matrix may include two sub-matrix diagonals therein that are composed entirely of CSI (Cyclic Shifted Identity) sub-matrices; one of these two sub-matrix diagonals is located on the center sub-matrix diagonal and the other is located just to the left thereof. All other sub-matrices of the right hand side matrix may be null sub-matrices (i.e., all elements therein are values of zero “0”).
US08145984B2

A method for operating a memory (28) includes storing data, which is encoded with an Error Correction Code (ECC), in analog memory cells (32) of the memory by writing respective analog input values selected from a set of nominal values to the analog memory cells. The stored data is read by performing multiple read operations that compare analog output values of the analog memory cells to different, respective read thresholds so as to produce multiple comparison results for each of the analog memory cells. At least two of the read thresholds are positioned between a pair of the nominal values that are adjacent to one another in the set of the nominal values. Soft metrics are computed responsively to the multiple comparison results. The ECC is decoded using the soft metrics, so as to extract the data stored in the analog memory cells.
US08145982B2

Aspects of a method and system for redundancy-based decoding of voice content in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system are provided. A WLAN receiver may determine whether a decoded portion of a received packet comprises voice content and may select a redundancy-based decoder to decode a remaining portion of the packet when voice content is detected. The redundancy-based decoder may be a Viterbi decoder. The redundancy-based decoder may be selected to decode a determined number of subsequent packets or to decode subsequent packets for a determined amount of time. After decoding the remaining portion of the packet and any subsequent packets, the WLAN receiver may select a standard Viterbi decoder to decode additional received packets. The WLAN receiver may generate at least one signal to select the redundancy-based decoder and the standard Viterbi decoder.
US08145981B2

Data stored in non-volatile storage is decoded using iterative probabilistic decoding. An error correcting code such as a low density parity check code may be used. In one approach, initial reliability metrics, such as logarithmic likelihood ratios, are used in decoding sensed states of a set of non-volatile storage element. The decoding attempts to converge by adjusting the reliability metrics for bits in code words which represent the sensed state. Soft data bits are read from the memory if the decoding fails to converge. Initial reliability metric values are provided after receiving the hard read results and at each phase of the soft bit operation(s). In one embodiment, a second soft bit is read from the memory using multiple subsets of soft bit compare levels. While reading at the second subset of compare levels, decoding can be performed based on the first subset data.
US08145976B1

In one or more embodiments, a method, computer-readable media, and/or computational unit acts or is capable of receiving, from a single, integrated memory, current and previous iterations of Log Likelihood Ratio (“LLR”) parameters for a current iteration of a Low-Density Parity-Check code (“LDPC code”) error-correcting process. These may then perform an LDPC code error-correcting algorithm using the current and previous iterations of LLR parameters. Following this, these embodiment(s) may overwrite the previous iteration of LLR parameters with a now-current iteration of LLR parameters and treat the current iteration of LLR parameters as a now-previous iteration of LLR parameters. Both of these iterations of LLR parameters for the now-current iteration may then be received following overwrite of the previous iteration of LLR parameters with the now-current iteration of LLR parameters. With these now-current and now-previous iterations of LLR parameters these embodiment(s) may perform the LDPC code error-correcting algorithm.
US08145974B2

Virtual limited buffer modification for rate matching. A reduced-size memory module is employed within a communication device to assist in storage of log-likelihood ratios (LLRs) employed in accordance with turbo decoding. This architecture is also applicable to other types of error correction code (ECC) besides turbo code as well. The memory size is selected to match the number of coded bits (e.g., including information bits and redundancy/parity bits) that is included within a transmission. The received signals may be various transmissions made in accordance with hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) transmissions. When the LLRs calculated from a first HARQ transmission is insufficient to decode, those LLRs are selectively stored in the memory module. When LLRs corresponding to a second HARQ transmission is received, LLRs corresponding to both the first HARQ transmission and the second HARQ transmission are passed from the memory module for joint use in decoding.
US08145972B2

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for coding in a communication system. The coding method includes generating an information codeword vector from an information vector, generating a first vector in the information vector from an information part of a parity check matrix, generating a first parity codeword vector by performing an exclusive OR operation of the first vector and a second vector corresponding to a cyclically shifted version of the first vector, and generating a second parity codeword vector by performing an exclusive OR operation of the first vector, the first parity codeword vector, and a third vector. The third vector is a cyclically shifted version of a vector resulting from the exclusive OR operation of the first vector, the first parity codeword vector, and a fed-back third vector.
US08145971B2

A data processing system for processing digital data with a low density parity check (LDPC) matrix includes: a storage device for storing a plurality of indices representing a plurality of shifting numbers, where the LDPC matrix comprises an array of elements, and at least one element of the LDPC matrix represents a cyclic permutation matrix that is produced by cyclically shifting columns of an identity matrix to the right according to one of the shifting numbers; and a processing circuit, coupled to the storage device, for retrieving at least one index to recover at least one element of the LDPC matrix according to the index and performing data processing according to the LDPC matrix.
US08145968B2

A method and apparatus to determine a binary signal of a memory cell capable of decreasing an error rate of binary signal determination that occur due to neighboring cells and noise, the apparatus including: a data collection unit to collect target data stored in a target cell in a memory and binary neighboring data of data stored in at least one neighboring cell that neighbors the target cell; a data correction unit to correct the target data collected from the target cell by using the target data and the binary neighboring data collected by the data collection unit and a parameter; and a binary signal determination unit to determine a binary signal of a corrected signal output from the data correction unit.
US08145967B2

A system and method for verifying the receive path of an input/output device such as a network interface circuit. The device's operation with various different input sources (e.g., networks) and output sources (e.g., hosts, host buses) is modeled in a verification layer that employs multiple queues to simulate receipt of packets, calculation of destination addresses and storage of the packet data by the device. Call backs are employed to signal completion of events related to storage of packet data by the device and modeling of data processing within the verification layer. Processing of tokens within the verification layer to mimic the device's processing of corresponding packets is performed according to a dynamic DMA policy modeled on the device's policy. The policy is dynamic and can be updated or replaced during verification without interrupting the verification process.
US08145964B2

A circuit includes a control flip-flop inputting a scan control signal and a scan path chain formed of scan storage elements serially connected. The scan path chain performs a shift operation as a first mode when the control flip-flop outputs a first status value, and performs a normal operation as a second mode when the control flip-flop outputs a second status value. When the scan control signal is switched from the first status value to the second status value, the control flip-flop outputs the second status value to the scan storage elements in synchronization with a first clock pulse, after the switching, of a clock provided to the scan storage elements. When the scan control signal is switched from the second status value to the first status value, the control flip-flop outputs the first status value to the scan storage elements at a timing of the scan control signal switching.
US08145962B2

This disclosure describes a reduced pin bus that can be used on integrated circuits or embedded cores within integrated circuits. The bus may be used for serial access to circuits where the availability of pins on ICs or terminals on cores is limited. The bus may be used for a variety of serial communication operations such as, but not limited to, serial communication related test, emulation, debug, and/or trace operations of an IC or core design. Other aspects of the disclosure include the use of reduced pin buses for emulation, debug, and trace operations and for functional operations. In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, an interface select circuit, FIGS. 41-49, provides for selectively using either the 5 signal interface of FIG. 41 or the 3 signal interface of FIG. 8.
US08145957B2

Herein described is at least a method and system for processing a read or write operation when one or more defects are mapped using one or more fractional sectors. The method comprises using one or more fractional sectors to map defects and to store data symbols. Furthermore, a first algorithm is used for translating a logical block address into a physical starting location such that one or more fractional sectors may be processed during a read or write operation. A second algorithm is used for temporally processing one or more portions of a track of a disk drive, wherein the one or more portions may comprise one or more defective fractional sectors, non-defective fractional sectors, frame remainders, and servo sectors. The system comprises a memory, a processor, and software resident in memory. The process executes the software that implements the first and second algorithms.
US08145953B2

A program-controlled unit including a monitoring device, which compares a value, depending on the flow of the program executed by the program-controlled unit, with a preset value, in response to a particular event or in relation to a particular point in time. Errors occurring in a program-controlled unit can thus be detected in a reliable and economical manner under all circumstances.
US08145947B1

An apparatus and method are described for defining, maintaining and displaying a checkpoint result set to facilitate identification of desirable checkpoints during system recovery. The checkpoint result set may be mapped to a user-customizable namespace. The user customizes the namespace by selecting one or more characteristics of desirable file system checkpoints. Being able to customize the namespace in this manner enables the user to be provided a more streamlined checkpoint result set in the event of data corruption. As a result an appropriate checkpoint can be more quickly selected for use in recovery.
US08145945B2

Packet loss at a standby server during failover results when the primary fails. There is currently always some amount of packet traffic that is inbound to the primary that is lost during the failover interval. With existing solutions, this packet loss during failover is inevitable. The problem is that when this information is lost, the standby has the state of the last commit, so the standby will have the state information that is old and representative of system state accurately only to the system state at the time of the last commit. One solution is a method in which all inbound data packets targeted to be delivered to a primary software application, such as a virtualized software application, running in a primary virtual machine, are continuously monitored and copied by a Network Replication Device for simultaneous delivery to a backup image of the software application running on a standby system.
US08145940B1

A method and system for updating or recovering a computer device's software image using a single portable operating system image stored on a bootable, secure partition on local storage (hard drive); a method and system utilizing delta image patching technology to allow the single image to work on a large number of diverse computer device platforms; and a method for distributing software patches and updates via a, secure local partition to ensure patches and updates are applied to well known software images that have not been modified to include malicious software and do not include any other undesirable changes that have been made to the primary, running operating system image.
US08145937B2

Provided are a system and method for processing communication errors in an outside channel combination environment. The system includes: first and second outside-affairs servers connected with a plurality of user terminals and having respective outside-affairs processing applications to perform outside affairs associated with a plurality of outside authorities; first and second outside channel combination servers for processing outside affairs associated with the outside authorities, the first and second outside channel combination servers having respective message relaying and communication applications to interwork with the first and second outside-affairs servers; first and second active and standby network devices respectively connected in parallel with the first and second outside channel combination servers, the first and second active network devices performing normal outside affairs, and the first and second standby network devices being activated when a communication error is generated to perform the normal outside affairs; and first and second switching devices respectively provided between the first and second active and standby network devices and the outside authorities to selectively connect the first and second active and standby network devices when the communication error is generated. Thus, communication errors can be minimized and system resources can be efficiently managed by distributing system loads.
US08145935B2

A clock signal generator can include a clock signal generation unit that is configured to generate a clock signal. A clock signal control unit is configured to count a number of pulses of the clock signal during a reference time, and to compare the number of pulses with a reference value to provide a comparison result, and to generate a control signal based on the comparison result, where the clock signal generation unit increases or decreases the number of pulses of the clock signal based on the control signal.
US08145934B1

A soft start sequencer is disclosed for starting a plurality of voltage regulators, the soft start sequencer comprising a first clock for clocking a plurality of soft start circuits, wherein each soft start circuit for ramping a reference signal from a first value to a second value over a ramp time after a delay time. Each soft start circuit comprises a divider operable to divide the first clock by an integer N to generate a second clock, a first counter clocked by the first clock, the first counter operable to time the delay time, and a second counter clocked by the second clock, the second counter operable to time the ramp time after the delay time.
US08145931B2

An imaging device with an adaptive power saving behavior conserves power by establishing reduced power mode entry and/or exit timeout values based on device usage statistics. Such an imaging device in some embodiments comprises at least one interface and a processor communicatively coupled with the interface, wherein under control of the processor the imaging device determines usage statistics for the imaging device based on jobs received on the interface and selects a power save entry timeout value for the imaging device based on the usage statistics.
US08145924B2

At the time of initial start-up, two or more storage units are started as a start-up control unit so that the total power consumption will not exceed specified electric power.Upon initial start-up of additional chassis, a CPU 214 for a basic chassis 400 selects, based on predicted power consumption for additional chassis 410, 412, etc., N additional chassis as a start-up control unit so that total power consumption for the basic chassis 400 and the respective additional chassis 410, 412 as recognized by an external power source 600 will not exceed the specified electric power; and the CPU 214 then turns on auxiliary power switches 510, 512 for the additional chassis 410, 412 belonging to the selected start-up control unit.
US08145920B2

Techniques for collaborative power management for heterogeneous networks are described. An apparatus may include a first node having a managed power system and a power management module to manage power states for the managed power system. The power management module may be operative to communicate power state information with a second node over a communications connection, and manage the power states for the managed power system based on power state information for the second node. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08145911B2

One aspect of the invention is a method for generating a certified electronic document that includes receiving identification information associated with a signatory user from a computer. From the same computer, identification information associated with a notary user is also received. At least one electronic document that requires certification is identified on a display. A first user command is received from the computer identifying the assent of the signatory user to the execution of the at least one electronic document. A second user command is received from the computer identifying the assent of the notary user to the certification of the at least one electronic document. Official indicia associated with the notary user is applied to the at least one electronic document to create at least one certified document.
US08145903B2

An embodiment relates generally to a method of preventing resource access conflicts in a software component. The method includes intercepting a lock operation in the software component and testing an associated lock type of the lock operation against a set of rules. The method also includes determining an action based on the associated lock type conflicting one of the rules of the set of rules.
US08145891B2

A data storage device includes a computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program that, when executed communicates with a basic input/output system (BIOS), receives a user selection from the BIOS to wipe the data storage device and performs a wipe of the data storage device. In an embodiment, the wipe of the data storage device includes writing a series of 1s and/or 0s to substantially all data bits of the data storage device.
US08145879B2

In one embodiment, a serial processor is configured to execute software instructions in a software program in serial. A serial memory is configured to store data for use by the serial processor in executing the software instructions in serial. A plurality of parallel processors are configured to execute software instructions in the software program in parallel. A plurality of partitioned memory modules are provided and configured to store data for use by the plurality of parallel processors in executing software instructions in parallel. Accordingly, a processor/memory structure is provided that allows serial programs to use quick local serial memories and parallel programs to use partitioned parallel memories. The system may switch between a serial mode and a parallel mode. The system may incorporate pre-fetching commands of several varieties. For example, towards switching between the serial mode and the parallel mode, the serial processor is configured to send a signal to start pre-fetching of data from the shared memory.
US08145878B2

A system may comprise one or more source agents, target agents, and a plurality of directory agents, which may determine the target agent to which one or more transactions generated by the source agents is to be sent. A controller may identify one of a plurality of directory agents to process the transactions. The directory agent may determine the control and status registers of the target agents to which the transaction is to be sent. The target agent may complete the transaction after receiving the transaction from the directory agent. The directory agents may store a memory map to resolve the target agent to which the transactions is to be sent. The directory based distributed CSR access may provide scalability to ever increasing number of heterogeneous agents in the system.
US08145877B2

For address generation, a block size and a skip value are obtained, and at least one address, at least one increment value, and a step value are initialized. For a count index not in excess of a block size, iteratively performed are: selection of an output address for output from at least one phase responsive to at least the at least one address; first update of the at least one address as being equal to summation of the at least one increment and the at least one address modulo the block size; and second update of the at least one increment as being equal to summation of the at least one increment and the step value modulo the block size. The selection and the first and second updates are iteratively repeated responsive to increments of the count index to output a sequence of addresses.
US08145871B2

Mechanisms for dynamic reallocation of memory to an application, the memory being from a pool of virtual real memory allocated to a virtual client that executes the application, are disclosed. In one embodiment, a virtual client is allocated a pool of virtual real memory. A subset of this pool of virtual real memory is a block of memory allocated for use by an application. The allocation may be stated as a range of allocated memory with an upper and lower limit. The application calls a kernel service when it thinks it needs a new allocation of memory. The new allocation is established by a power hypervisor connected to the virtual client. Memory is exported by way of a Paging Space Partition.
US08145866B2

The present disclosure includes methods, devices, modules, and systems for storing selective register reset. One method embodiment includes receiving an indication of a die and a plane associated with at least one address cycle. Such a method can also include selectively resetting a particular register of a number of registers, the particular register corresponding to the plane and the die.
US08145849B2

A wake-and-go mechanism is provided for a data processing system. The wake-and-go mechanism is configured to issue a look-ahead load command on a system bus to read a data value from a target address and perform a comparison operation to determine whether the data value at the target address indicates that an event for which a thread is waiting has occurred. In response to the comparison resulting in a determination that the event has not occurred, the wake-and-go engine populates a wake-and-go storage array with the target address and snooping the target address on the system bus without data exclusivity. In response to the comparison resulting in a determination that the event has occurred, the wake-and-go engine issues a load command on the system bus to read the data value from the target address with data exclusivity.
US08145833B1

An embedded device is hibernated by storing state data of the embedded device to a non-volatile data storage medium, and powering off the embedded device. The embedded device is later woken up in response to the detection of a wakeup event from a wakeup source. The state data stored in the RAM of the embedded device comprises one or more registers of a Central Processing Unit (CPU) of the embedded device, one or more registers of a system-on-chip (SOC) of the embedded device, and the system and applications code and data. Waking the embedded device comprises loading, from the non-volatile data storage medium, initial memory sections that are used to run a kernel of the embedded device. State data that is stored in the RAM of a system is compressed by dividing the RAM into a plurality of sections and independently choosing, for each section in the plurality of sections, a compression arithmetic. For each section, a compression arithmetic that has a high decompression speed is selected. The selected compression arithmetic is used to compress data in the section.
US08145832B2

An improved non-volatile erase block memory device apparatus and method is described that incorporates an improved addressing scheme to provide for extended addressing allowing redundant erase blocks that are not utilized to repair general use erase blocks of the main memory array to be accessed and utilized as additional storage space by an end user. The additional storage space formed by the unused redundant erase blocks and the specified storage space of the main memory array is presented to the end user as a single contiguous address space. Additionally, the redundant erase blocks can be utilized to repair any damaged erase block in the memory array of the non-volatile erase block memory or Flash memory device regardless of bank placement.
US08145831B2

A memory system, which is connected to a host device, includes a memory, a host interface which receives a command and an address, which are output from the host device, and a controller which operates in one of a first mode in which the controller converts the address which is received by the host interface and accesses the memory by using the converted address, and a second mode in which the host device directly accesses the memory by using the address which is received by the host interface, the controller controlling switching between the first mode and second mode in accordance with the command.
US08145828B2

In a data center, there is a limit in power capacity supplied to a storage apparatus, and the rated power consumption of the storage apparatus may exceed the power supply capacity by addition of storage capacity. A storage apparatus according to the invention includes one or plural packages mounting plural flash memories and a circuit controlling the flash memories as well as information of power supply capacity. The number of flash memories performing writing, erasing or reading at the same time is designated with respect to each package based on the information of power supply capacity.
US08145810B2

There is provided a system and method for managing communication ports on a computer device. The method comprises the steps of scanning the system file structure, determining port assignments for active devices from a known location in the system file structure, scanning additional locations in the system file structure, determining port assignments for dynamic devices from the additional locations in the system file structure, and displaying the active devices, dynamic devices and the corresponding determined port assignments. The system comprises a memory for storing instructions, and a processor for executing the instructions stored in the memory. The executed instructions generate a system file structure scanner component for scanning the system file structure and generating device data based on the scanned system file structure, a device data structure for storing the device data received from the computer system file structure scanner component, and a port assigner component for assigning communication ports based on the device data structure.
US08145809B1

An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a system for synchronizing independent time domain information. The synchronization of the device resource access information allows a memory access device to reliably access memory in a time domain independent of a device issuing requests. The system may synchronize device resource information for requests made by a processor to access (e.g., read/write) locations of a memory device. The present invention synchronizes the device access information without restricting pulse width of a read/write signal or requiring a high speed clock.
US08145807B1

A computer system for software development and debugging for an embedded system includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a host computer comprising a USB driver interfaced with the USB, wherein the USB driver can multiplex application data and debug data to and from the USB, and an embedded system comprising a USB module interfaced with the USB. The USB module can multiplex the application data and the debug data to and from the host computer via the USB.
US08145797B2

A processor supporting thread-execution-state-sensitive supervisory commands provides a mechanism for executing supervisory commands for live threads. The commands may be sent from a service processor or another primary processor in the system or may be supplied by the processor itself through supervisory software control. Since the state of execution of one or more threads may change dynamically within a processor core, an external processor will not know the thread execution state at the time the command operates. The method and apparatus provide a command set and logic that supports selective execution of particular commands directed at “alive” threads (or threads in some other determinable execution state), whereby the command is performed only on resources and/or execution units depending on the actual state of thread execution when the command operates within the processor.
US08145794B2

Encoding and/or decoding of messages. On the encoding end, a composite encoder encodes message from an internal format that is used by internal system components into an external format. However, the composite encoder may encode the outgoing messages into different external formats on a per-message basis. For incoming message, a composite decoder decodes incoming messages from any one of a plurality of external formats into the internal format also on a per-message basis. A per-message report mechanism permits internal system components and the encoding/decoding components to communicate information regarding the encoding or decoding on a per message basis. This permits a higher level of collaboration and complexity in the encoding and decoding process.
US08145790B2

A computer network system for interconnecting nodes using dynamic updates includes a first network device configured to receive an information packet including a destination address for a source node. The first network device includes a first translation table for use in translating the destination address into an address indicator to replace the destination address in the information packet. The computer network system includes a second network device configured to receive the information packet, and to include a second translation table for use in translating the address indicator into the destination address. At least one of the first and second network devices are adapted to dynamically update at least one of first and second translation tables using updated information transferred using the computer network system.
US08145781B2

A data distribution system can select paths easily with flexibility when paths are generated. In the data distribution system, a management device includes a node bandwidth information acquisition unit to acquire and hold information on data transmission-enabled bandwidth of each of the plurality of nodes on the network; a content rate acquisition unit to acquire and hold a bandwidth for content to be distributed; a bandwidth splitting information acquisition unit to acquire and hold bandwidth splitting information, which is a splitting ratio to split the content to be distributed into a plurality of bandwidths; and a connection destination decision unit to determine a connection destination of the content to be distributed, which is split based on the bandwidth split information being held in the bandwidth splitting information acquisition unit.
US08145780B2

An apparatus for reliably transferring media over a network from a sending node to a receiving node. The sending node includes a media ascertaining element configured to ascertain if media to be transmitted from the sending node to the receiving node is either time-sensitive or not time-sensitive. The sending node also includes a transmission element that is configured to (i) transmit the non time-sensitive media from the sending node to the receiving node by adjusting the rate of transmission of the non time-sensitive media at the sending node based on network conditions and (ii) transmit the time-sensitive media from the sending node to the receiving node. The receiving node includes a media loss ascertaining element configured to ascertain at the receiving node if a predetermined acceptable network transmission loss level is met. The receiving node also includes a receipt report generator configured to (iii) generate one or more low priority requests for the retransmission of any missing time-sensitive media lost during transmission if the predetermined acceptable network transmission loss level is met and (iv) generate one or more low priority requests for the retransmission of any missing non time-sensitive media lost during the transmission. The transmission element of the sending node retransmits the missing time-sensitive media in response to the low priority requests when bandwidth on the network becomes available in excess of what is needed for the transmission of time-sensitive media.
US08145768B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus are directed towards managing a network communication. A Secured Socket Layer (SSL) session identifier (ID) is received within an SSL handshake protocol message for establishing an SSL connection. The SSL session ID is combined with a pre-determined ID associated with a network device to generate another ID. The other ID may comprise a plurality of information associated with an operation for caching the SSL session ID and/or for caching other information usable in re-establishing an SSL session over the SSL connection. The plurality of information may comprise an expiration time, a cache line, a cache ID, and a unique ID. Based on at least a portion of the other ID, a failure statistic associated with re-establishing the SSL session for the SSL connection is determined. A session cache and/or the operation for caching are tuned based on the failure statistic.
US08145760B2

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide systems and method for automatic inference and adaptation of a virtualized computer environment. Certain embodiments of a system include a virtual topology and traffic inference framework tool adapted to monitor traffic for an application on a virtual network to produce a view of network demands for the application. The system also includes a monitoring tool adapted to monitor performance of an underlying physical network associated with the virtual network using traffic for the application. Further, the system includes an adaptation component adapted to automatically adapt the application to the virtual network based on the measured application traffic, the monitored network performance, and one or more adaptation control algorithms.
US08145758B2

This document describes tools for 1) structuring concurrent programming with untrusted beings; 2) creating multi-threaded programming in concurrent programming environments; and 3) creating a responsive feedback application model.
US08145757B2

The present invention relates to a method for changing service quality of a content adaptively. When service quality updating action for a connection is received the present method invokes an action, used for requesting allowance of a new access to a network, to a device conducting traffic transfer services in order that service quality of the connection may be changed. The invoked action carries input arguments including traffic descriptor of the connection, carried by the service quality updating action, which a traffic handle for identifying the traffic descriptor uniquely has been allocated in.
US08145754B2

A system is disclosed that maps IP addresses and geographic regions to particular categories or “segments” reflective of user profiles. The mappings may be based on behavioral data reflective of user browsing activities, offline data (e.g., survey data or demographic data), or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the mappings are generated using data collected by a plurality of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) regarding their subscribers. The system also includes a query interface that enables content providers to retrieve segment data associated with particular IP addresses.
US08145751B2

A validation method can include the step of identifying a host within a grid environment, wherein the host is a software object. A ghost agent can be associated with the host, where the ghost agent can move within the grid environment. The actions of the host can be replicated by the ghost agent. Data related to the replicated actions can be compared with validation data. Validation output can be generated based upon the comparison.
US08145749B2

Data processing in a hybrid computing environment that includes a host computer and an accelerator, the host and the accelerator adapted to one another for data communications by a system level message passing module and a plurality data communications fabrics of at least two different fabric types, the data processing including: monitoring data communications performance for a plurality of data communications modes; receiving, from an application program on the host computer, a request to transmit data according to a data communications mode from the host computer to the accelerator; determining, in dependence upon the monitored performance, whether to transmit the data according to the requested data communications mode; and if the data is not to be transmitted according to the requested data communications mode: selecting, in dependence upon the monitored performance, another data communications mode for transmitting the data and transmitting the data according to the selected data communications mode.
US08145746B1

A device may distribute client packets to multiple servers, transmit health check packets with a specific window size to the multiple servers, capture the client packets and the health check packets, and extract the health check packets from the captured packets. In addition, the device may capture packets, detect a connection problem, transmit a reset packet with a specific window size, and extract the reset packet from the captured packets.
US08145744B2

The invention concerns a device for remote reading of states, comprising a communication network (1), a plurality of peripherals (31 to 33) each of which adopts an instantaneous state (STAT—1 to STAT—3), and a controller (2) periodically scanning said peripherals (31 to 33) to read therefrom the instantaneous state (STAT—1 to STAT—3). The invention is characterized in that the communication network (1) electromagnetically connects the peripherals (31 to 33) to the controller (2), and said peripherals (31 to 33) are supplied with electrical energy via said communication network (1). The invention is useful for managing calls in lifts by means of peripherals not provided with any galvanic connection and with any individual power source.
US08145743B2

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for administering devices that include creating a user metric vector including a plurality of disparate user metrics, creating a user metric space including a plurality of metric ranges, determining whether the user metric vector is outside the user metric space, identifying an action in dependence upon the user metric vector if the user metric vector is outside a user metric space, and executing the action.
US08145736B1

A system and method related for performing lookup operations for objects distributed among different nodes in a peer-to-peer network are disclosed. Various nodes in the peer-to-peer network may store objects. Objects stored on a given node may be accessed by other nodes in the peer-to-peer network. To access an object, a node may first perform a lookup operation to determine where the object is stored, i.e., to determine which node in the peer-to-peer network stores the object. The peer-to-peer network may utilize a method to improve the performance of object lookup operations. In one embodiment, the method may allow object lookup operations to be performed with a latency on the order of one hop.
US08145728B2

Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products for servicing advertisements for offline display on mobile devices are provided. In a first aspect, a channel is received at a mobile device server from one or more providers, including a first web page, an advertiser web page, and an advertisement image file. The received channel is transmitted to the mobile device. In an offline mode, when displayed, the first web page includes an image contained by the advertisement image file. A user viewing the first web page on the mobile device can select the displayed image of the advertisement image file to traverse a link to cause the advertiser page to be displayed on the mobile device. In another aspect, a plurality of advertisement image files are received and stored at a mobile device. The display of the advertisement images on a first web page is cycled each time the first web page is displayed on the mobile device.
US08145725B2

In a method of updating virtual worlds, a specification of a data store of a user is received from the user. The data store is external to the virtual world. Data from the data store of the user is automatically gathered in response to receiving the specification. A representation of the data is generated. The representation of the data is transmitted to the virtual world. A data store of the virtual world is updated based on the representation of the data. The data store of the virtual world is displayed in a personal area of the user in the virtual world responsive to updating the data store. An icon representing the data store of the virtual world is displayed in the personal area of the user. The data store of the virtual world is kept private to the user.
US08145723B2

A remote update programming idiom accelerator is configured to detect a complex remote update programming idiom in an instruction sequence of a thread. The complex remote update programming idiom includes a read operation for reading data from a storage location at a remote node, a sequence of instructions for performing an update operation on the data to form result data, and a write operation for writing the result data to the storage location at the remote node. The remote update programming idiom accelerator is configured to determine whether the sequence of instructions is longer than an instruction size threshold and responsive to a determination that the sequence of instructions is not longer than the instruction size threshold, transmit the complex remote update programming idiom to the remote node to perform the update operation on the data at the remote node.
US08145717B2

A telecommunications system includes a network; a plurality of client devices operably coupled to said network, said plurality of client devices adapted to set one or more time contact parameters for buddies on a contact list; and a presence server including a timer, and adapted to maintain a timing of time contacts for selected contacts responsive to said parameters.
US08145716B2

The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for contextualization of electronic messages, for example, by determining at least one cost metric for an electronic mail message based at least in part upon an identified context, automatically generating metadata representing the at least one cost metric, and associating the metadata with the electronic mail message.
US08145712B2

An instant messaging (IM) system has an IM server connected to a communication network, and logic operable on the IM server enabling a first user to browse contacts associated with a second user. In some cases the first user can add and list contacts accessed by browsing the contacts associated with the second user.
US08145706B2

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for automatic notification and response based on communication flow expressions having dynamic context. A message is provided from a sender to at least one recipient in accordance with a communication flow having a plurality of potential paths. The communication flow is controlled by a communication flow expression having a dynamic context, wherein the communication flow expression contains at least one primitive keyword indicating how the message should be processed. The dynamic context of the communication flow expression may be established using one or more labels or a context function. A number of primitive keywords are provided that allow a communication flow expression to react to a dynamic context.
US08145701B2

A distributed group activity network system and corresponding method over a computer network. It synchronizes and provides access by system users to shared data files of a group activity. The distributed group activity network system comprises one or more server computers and client computers that are connected to the server computer(s) by network connections. Each of the server computers comprises a network server and a memory system. The network server runs on the server computer and provides basic network services that are available at the server computer. The memory systems of the server computers store synchronization files and shared data files of the group activity. Each of the client computers comprises a memory system and a system module running on the client computer. The system modules of the client computers use the memory systems of the client computers and the available basic network services at the server computer(s) to synchronize and provide access to the shared data files by the system users by also using the memory systems of the client computers and the available basic network services at the server computer(s) to synchronize access to and access the synchronization files.
US08145698B1

A first and second peer devices can exchange information about a set of additional peer devices capable of providing one or more portions of one or more files. The first peer device can further communicate with the second peer device regarding specific portions of files available from the second peer device. Additionally, a subset of the set of additional peer devices available for communication can be identified based at least in part on the exchanged information. The first peer device can communicate with one or more of the identified subset of additional peer devices, at least in part, to transmit and/or receive one or more portions of one or more files. In addition, an intermittent communication between the first peer device and at least one of the set of additional peer devices can be established, at least in part, to identify another set of additional peer devices available for communication.
US08145693B2

A coefficient compensating unit 33 calculates based on a loop point and a cross-fade point of impulse response coefficient data renewed compensation impulse response coefficients specified for a cross-fade period defined between the cross-fade point and an end point of the impulse response coefficient data, and stores the calculated impulse response coefficients in a compensation coefficient memory 34, wherein the cross-fade point corresponds to a beginning point of the cross-fade period in which a cross-fading is performed to smoothly connect the end point with the loop point. A product-sum operation unit 36 reads audio signal data from an audio signal buffer 35 and reads from the compensation coefficient memory 34 impulse response data including the compensated impulse response coefficients specified for the cross-fade period, and multiplies the audio signal data by appropriate impulse response coefficients to obtain multiplication data and accumulates the multiplication data, outputting the accumulated data.
US08145691B2

Techniques are presented for randomly generating bits. A seed is inverted and a non repeating portion of the resulting digits from the inversion are retained. The inverted seed is then raised to a power to acquire another non repeating portion or additional digits. This process is repeated for a desired number of iterations. The resulting digits are then selectively combined to generate a stream of randomly generated bits with an infinite period.
US08145690B2

Information collections defining a common subject such as a codified or uncodified body of law are stored on a computer readable medium in association with temporal information indicating the state or status with respect to time of parts of the information collection, including different versions of the same part. Parts that are different versions of each other have different temporal information associated therewith and can be accessed based on the temporal information. Thus, the temporal information may be used to control access to and display of parts of the subject in a computer system based on time as a search or request parameter. Parts of the common subject may be organized and stored according to various schemes, including hierarchical schemes such as topic trees, a relational database, a file system or a structured document system (e.g., using XML). Parts of the common subject and temporal and other information may be associated in various ways, including linking (e.g., hyperlinking), with pointers, or by including them in the same file, record or document. A hierarchical arrangement of hyperlinked, structured documents collectively provide a table of contents (TOC) to the subject.
US08145684B2

A plurality of sources are registered. A plurality of schemas are constructed, based on the plurality of sources. A desired output is obtained as a conjunctive query. A list of potential connections between at least selected ones of the sources is provided. A plurality of join plans are developed, based on the connections.
US08145681B2

Systems and methods consistent with the invention may include generating, using a processor of the computer system, a definition file of a first format for the data object, generating a database table, generating a mapping between the definition file and the database table, linking the definition file to a data source by including a path of the data source in the definition file, the data source including an attribute, executing, using the processor, a query to extract the attribute from the data source, importing the extracted attribute into the database table using the mapping between the definition file and the database table, and storing, in the memory device, the definition file, the database table, and the attribute for generation of the data object with the attribute.
US08145679B1

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes inferring labels for videos, users, advertisements, groups of users, and other entities included in a social network system. The inferred labels can be used to generate recommendations such as videos or advertisements in which a user may be interested. Inferred labels can be generated based on social or other relationships derived from, for example, profiles or activities of social network users. Inferred labels can be advantageous when explicit information about these entities is not available. For example, a particular user may not have clicked on any online advertisements, so the user is not explicitly linked to any advertisements.
US08145677B2

A tangible computer readable medium encoded with instructions for automatically generating metadata, wherein said execution of said instructions by one or more processors causes said “one or more processors” to perform the steps comprising: a. creating at least one feature vector for each document in a dataset; b. extracting said one feature vector; c. recording said feature vector as a digital object; and d. augmenting metadata using said digital object to reduce the volume of said dataset, said augmenting capable of allowing a user to perform a search on said dataset.
US08145671B2

A critical parameter/requirements management process model for managing a development program for a product and an associated product structure-driven critical parameter/requirements management tool and environment is provided. In one embodiment, the process includes a product structure classification scheme, a parameter/requirements classification scheme, a parameter/requirements process and maturity model, and in-process and requirements conformance views. In one embodiment, the tool includes a user interface layer, a business layer, a data layer, and a database. The user interface layer may include a product structure feature group, an add/edit/link feature group, a manage maturity feature group, and a manage conformance feature group. The tool may be implemented as a web server accessible to user workstations operating as thin clients. The tool may be integrated with one or more other product development tools, such as a document-driven requirements management, configuration management, manufacturing/production control system, problem management, and phased product delivery process tools.
US08145658B2

The present invention provides a system and method for processing a database query between one or more clients and one or more databases. The database query, which is formatted using a first protocol, is received from one of the clients. One of the databases is selected to process the database query and the database query is translated from the first protocol to a second protocol. The translated database query is then sent to the selected database for processing. A response to the database query, which is formatted using the second protocol, is received from the selected database and the response is translated from the second protocol to the first protocol. The present invention determines which of the clients sent the database query and sends the translated response to the client that sent the database query. This method can be implemented as a computer program embodied on a computer readable medium.
US08145656B2

A method for matching media objects includes receiving a plurality of reference objects, and computing respective reference feature vectors (104, 106) of one or more of the reference image frames (86, 88) in each of the reference objects. Upon receiving a query object, a respective query feature vector (110) of at least one of the query image frames is computed. The reference feature vectors are searched to find one or more candidate objects among the reference objects, such that a respective reference feature vector of one of the reference image frames in each of the one or more candidate objects matches the query feature vector. At least one additional reference image frame is compared to at least one additional query image frame in order to determine that one of the candidate objects is a match for the query object.
US08145640B2

A method for evaluating a patent document is described, which includes the steps of introducing a set of one or more patent indices, characterizing different aspects of the patent document; combining said patent indices into a Patent Quality index (the PQ), characterizing value of the patent document; and visualizing the value of the patent document by using a color coding of the patent document according to the value of the PQ index. Conveniently, a correspondence between the value of the Patent Quality index of the patent document and the wavelength of a selected color of a visible part of the light spectrum is provided. A corresponding method and system for visualizing results of evaluation of a patent portfolio are also described.
US08145635B1

A dimensional data explorer for an enterprise system is disclosed. Dimensional data exploration includes providing a list of dimensions by which aggregated data in a report can be disaggregated and reaggregated. Aggregated data comprises a set of measures that have been aggregated for each object of a set of objects. Dimensional data exploration further includes providing the aggregated data disaggregated and reaggregated using a dimension from the list of dimensions.
US08145633B1

A configurable item finder user interface (UI) is provided that helps users locate desired items within data stores of item data and item attribute data. The configurable item finder UI presents a set of selectors through which users can quickly indicate the desired attribute values. In contrast to a request-response model in which users are required to select desired values for individual attributes serially and iteratively and wait for matching results to be displayed on a page, the configurable item finder UI dynamically adjusts its result display based on user interaction with the one or more selectors. Instances of the configurable item finder UI can be configured by a content management service to be used at various times and in various locations within a deployed or third party environment.
US08145630B1

A first set of search results responsive to a first query during a search session is identified. A snippet is identified for each search result related to the first query. The snippet can be selected based on the location the search tokens from the query in the search result. A second set of search results responsive to a second query during a search session is identified. Repetitive search results can be identified. A second snippet for the repetitive search result is identified. The second snippet can be selected based on the location of the second search tokens in the repetitive search result and the content of the first snippet.
US08145629B2

The invention introduces a system and method for bursting (or segmenting) reports in a business intelligence system having a report authoring application. The method comprises defining a query, defining a burst specification, storing the burst specification, integrating the burst specification with the query, sending the integrated query to a database to produce a data stream, producing from the data stream a business report having columns and items, bursting the business report based on the burst specification to produce one or more burst reports, and distributing the one or more burst reports according to the burst specification.
US08145616B2

Virtual attribute logic adds virtual attributes to a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (“LDAP”) response, and meta-virtual attribute logic adds additional virtual attributes to provide further information about the virtual attributes. For example, a Distinguished Name (“DN”) of an entry that provided a virtual attribute may be added by the meta-virtual attribute logic.
US08145604B2

Relocating a file system journal within a partitioned memory space is described. In one embodiment, a method, which involves relocating an active file system journal, includes writing the changes for relocating the metadata structures into the new file system journal before the file system journal is activated so that journaling remains active during relocation and the corresponding file system remains consistent throughout the relocation.
US08145603B2

A storage system maintains a journal and a snapshot of one or more data volumes. Two journal entry types are maintained, an AFTER journal entry and a BEFORE journal entry. Two modes of data recovery are provided: “fast” recovery and “undo-able” recovery. A combination of both recovery modes allows the user to quickly recover a targeted data state.
US08145600B1

Techniques for version preview and selection are described, including detecting a plurality of versions of an asset in a compound document, receiving an input indicating selection of a version, wherein the version is one of the plurality of versions, and updating the compound document with the version.
US08145594B2

Systems, methods and computer readable media are disclosed for a localized gesture aggregation. In a system where user movement is captured by a capture device to provide gesture input to the system, demographic information regarding users as well as data corresponding to how those users respectively make various gestures is gathered. When a new user begins to use the system, his demographic information is analyzed to determine a most likely way that he will attempt to make or find it easy to make a given gesture. That most likely way is then used to process the new user's gesture input.
US08145591B2

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a method comprising identifying a suspect; determining that the suspect has moved a first distance in a target zone around a target during a first time period; determining a suspect-target distance between the suspect and the target; determining a suspect-potential destination distance between the suspect and a potential destination in the target zone for the suspect; determining that the suspect has moved a second distance in the target zone during a second time period; determining a suspect zone around the suspect; determining a movement characteristic index associated with the suspect zone when the suspect has moved the second distance, and determining, by a computer, a probability of hostility of the suspect, wherein the probability of hostility is obtained from the movement characteristic index and a ratio of the suspect-target distance and the suspect-potential destination distance.
US08145585B2

The present disclosure provides an automated method for the detection and identification of money service business transactions, including: performing a preprocessing operation, wherein the preprocessing operation includes filtering a dataset; performing a feature extraction operation, wherein the feature extraction operation includes extracting predetermined features from a transaction signal; performing a statistical analysis operation for the testing of significance of extracted features and dimension reduction; and performing one or more of a nonlinear classification operation and a linear classification operation, wherein the nonlinear or linear classification operation includes classifying data that appears to be related to a money service business transaction.
US08145566B1

A standalone notification system, including a notification server which generates electronic messages for alerting customers of potentially fraudulent activity on one or more of their financial accounts. Alternatively, or in addition thereto, the notification system may be used to forward transaction code(s) to customers for verification of a request for high risk transaction(s) with respect to a customer's financial account. The transaction code is generated in response to a high risk transaction request and sent to through an identified customer notification means, e.g., e-mail, short message service (“SMS”), facsimile, mobile phone, telephone, etc. The customer must enter the transaction code within a predetermined amount of time in order to verify the high-risk transaction request.
US08145562B2

The disclosed method and apparatus combine interactions and transactions in order to detect fraud acts or fraud attempts. In one embodiment, one or more interactions is correlated with one or more transactions, the interactions is and transactions features are combined, and features are extracted from the combined structure. The features are compared against one or more profiles, and a combined risk score is determined for the interactions or transactions. If the risk score exceeds a predetermined threshold, a preventive/corrective action can be taken.In another embodiment, behavioral characteristics extracted from one or more interactions associated with a transaction, with a risk score obtained by analyzing the transaction. The behavioral characteristic are used to enhance suspicion level related to a transaction being fraudulent, and to enable the taking of measures related to the transaction or to the person handling the transaction. The combination thus enables better assessment whether a particular interaction or transaction is fraudulent, and therefore provides for better detection or prevention of such activities. In addition, making the fraud assessment more reliable enables more efficient resource allocation of personnel for monitoring the transactions and interactions, better usage of communication time by avoiding lengthy identification where not required, and generally higher efficiency.
US08145552B2

A computer-implemented method for managing collateral risk associated with financial instrument trading and a data processing system includes a processor and memory/database configured to store user-definable rulesets relating to a desired trade. A search module identifies and stores accounts that could accept potentially eligible security positions based upon user-selectable search criteria, and identifies potentially eligible security positions for consideration as collateral for the trade. A user configurable collateral analysis module determines eligibility of security positions as collateral for the trade by applying one or more user-definable rulesets in an algorithm that operates in a processor to determine collateral position eligibility of security positions for the trade by testing eligibility along one or more logical paths defined by user-definable rulesets. The processor outputs either a collateral eligibility or ineligibility indication via a user interface for various security positions based upon the collateral position eligibility analysis, including all reasons for ineligibility.
US08145549B2

A system and method for communicating an offer to apply for a credit instrument is provided. A processing allows for processing credit history data. A calculating step allows for calculating a first plurality of interest rates based on the credit history data. A determining step allows for determining a second plurality of interest rates based on the first plurality of interest rates, wherein the second plurality of interest rates corresponds to a plurality of credit risk scores. Finally, a communicating step allows for communicating the offer to apply for a credit instrument in an initial communication with an offeree, the offer disclosing the second plurality of interest rates. An apparatus that calculates the interest rates used in the offer is also provided.
US08145541B2

A method and a system facilitate merchandising for higher bids. In example embodiments, a proposed price for a first listing may be received from a user. In response to receiving of the proposed price, a message may be conveyed to the user when the proposed price is lower than an expected price for the first listing. In supporting the message, the user may be provided with price and popularity information related to one or more second listings similar to the first listing.
US08145530B2

A reservation system can identify available placements based on targeting criteria provided by advertisers and placement inventory data provided by publishers. The reservation system can receive reservation data for the available placements from the publishers and provide the reservation data with the available placements to the advertisers. The available placements and can be ranked and presented to the advertisers based on a first precision with which the placement can satisfy the advertiser's targeting criteria. A second precision can be determined for each placement that has enabled targeting rules. In turn, the reservation system can rank and present the placements based on the first and second precisions.
US08145529B2

A system comprised of a Tool Bar equipped with the ability to: a) encrypt emails that are sent to computer users who must download and maintain a copy of the Tool Bar to receive the encryption keys needed to decrypt emails; b) display Advertisements in an area of the Tool Bar designed to support text, graphics and video advertisements; c) display various multi-media sessions that allow the user to watch Internet videos, listen to Internet music, read RSS content and engage in other Internet media applications; d) carry out a process by which the computer user can install the Tool Bar in a number of computer applications. e) carry out a process by which the video, radio and RSS functions of the Tool Bar can be continuously viewed as the user moves between software applications.
US08145528B2

An ad is placed in a movie, by analyzing inherent characteristics of the movie, analyzing viewed characteristics of the movie, analyzing viewer characteristics of a viewer of the movie, obtaining advertiser preferences for placement of the ad in the movie, determining costs of placing the ad in the movie based on the inherent characteristics of the movie, the viewed characteristics of the movie, the viewer characteristics and the advertiser preferences, and placing the ad in the movie in accordance with the inherent characteristics of the movie, the viewed characteristics of the movie, the viewer characteristics, the advertiser preferences and the determined costs.
US08145521B2

A computer-implemented method includes generating, using an embedded client application, a keyword context for a container document holding the embedded client application; generating, using the embedded client application, a geographic context associated with a device on which the container document is displayed; submitting the keyword context and the geographic context to a remote server; and displaying an interactive application using information obtained in response to the submission of the keyword context and geographic criteria.
US08145516B2

A cross-world framework for providing integrated scheduling and reservation of virtual resources. Users are allowed to access the scheduling application from a website or an in-world interface. According to one embodiment, the framework uses the iCal industry standard calendaring format, and includes user configurable cross-channel notifications.
US08145509B2

A corporate owned life insurance product with death benefits (COLI-DB) that has no cash value and is minimally funded. The policy holder selects an election to mark to market accounting for life insurance. Thus, the COLI-DB has no cash surrender value. The net present value of the COLI-DB can be more than zero (and quite high) so there is no impact to net income and there may even be net income in the first year. The COLI-DB system may optimize returns by using new accounting rules in contrast to the traditional approach of COLI-CV, and returning death benefits through a captive to increase returns.
US08145508B1

A system and method and method for generating substantial net positive cash flows to fund organizations by initiating life insurance policies through asset-backed security transactions with no out-of-pocket expense to either the organizations or to the insureds, requiring no use of policies' cash value or transfer of ownership or beneficiary of the life insurance policies, and providing guaranteed funding to the organizations regardless of when deaths occur while keeping the original insurable interest intact, thereby creating a marketable, tradable uncorrelated security.
US08145495B2

An integrated voice navigation system 40 is disclosed. The voice navigation system (40) includes a voice messaging system (44), a speech recognition system (46), a voice channel (50) and a control link (52). A caller is connected to the voice messaging system (44) via PSTN (42). The voice messaging system (44) is in turn connected to the speech recognition system (46). Specifically, the voice messaging system (44) and speech recognition system (46) are connected via both the voice channel (50) and the control link (52). The voice channel (50) provides an audio communications pathway between the caller and the speech recognition system (46), while the control link (52) provides an out-of-band communications pathway between the voice messaging system (44) and the speech recognition system (46).
US08145490B2

An apparatus for predicting a resultant attribute of a text file before it has been converted to an audio file by a text-to-speech converter application. In accordance with an embodiment, the apparatus includes: a receiver component for receiving a text file and a request to determine a resultant attribute of the text file before it is converted to an audio file, by a text-to-speech converter component; a calculation component for determining a file type associated with the received text file and the size of the received text file; a calculation component for identifying an attribute associated with the determined file type; and a calculation component for determining from the identified attribute and the size of the received text file a resultant attribute of the text file before it is converted to an audio file by the text-to-speech converter component.
US08145483B2

The invention can recognize any several languages at the same time without using samples. The important skill is that features of known words in any language are extracted from unknown words or continuous voices. These unknown words represented by matrices are spread in the 144-dimensional space. The feature of a known word of any language represented by a matrix is simulated by the surrounding unknown words.The invention includes 12 elastic frames of equal length without filter and without overlap to normalize the signal waveform of variable length for a word, which has one to several syllables, into a 12×12 matrix as a feature of the word. The invention can improve the feature such that the speech recognition of an unknown sentence is correct. The invention can correctly recognize any languages without samples, such as English, Chinese, German, French, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Cantonese, Taiwanese, etc.
US08145476B2

A disclosed received voice playback apparatus includes a characteristic acquiring unit configured to acquire first frequency characteristic values obtained by resolving digital vocal signals that are based on received vocal signals into predetermined frequency bands, wherein each first frequency characteristic value corresponds to one of the predetermined frequency bands; a setting unit configured to obtain second frequency characteristic values, wherein each second frequency characteristic value is set for one of the predetermined frequency bands; a computing unit configured to compute a gain for each of the predetermined frequency bands based on a difference between the first frequency characteristic value and the second frequency characteristic value; and a characteristic changing unit configured to change the first frequency characteristic values of the digital vocal signals by multiplying the digital vocal signals by each of the gains corresponding to one of the predetermined frequency bands of the digital vocal signals.
US08145475B2

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.
US08145474B1

The present invention is directed, in one embodiment, to an system that lexically analyzes a behavior-descriptive input stream to provide a tokenized equivalent, syntactically parses the tokenized equivalent to provide a parser output, semantically analyzes the parser output to provide an indication of at least one of a behavior and type of behavior described by the input stream, and, based on the indication, selects an appropriate response.
US08145469B2

A memory mapping system for compactly mapping dissimilar memory systems and methods for manufacturing and using same. The mapping system maps a source memory system into a destination memory system by partitioning the source memory system and disposing memory contents within the partitioned source memory system into the destination memory system. In one embodiment, the mapping system factorizes a source data width of the source memory system in terms of a destination data width of the destination memory system to form at least one data sub-width. A source memory sub-region is defined for each data sub-width. The memory contents associated with each source memory sub-region are disposed within the destination memory system in a side-by-side manner across selected destination memory registers of the destination memory system. The mapping system thereby can compactly map the memory contents into the destination memory system without a loss of valuable memory space.
US08145455B2

Described herein is a system for predicting resource usage of an application running in a virtual environment. The system comprises a first hardware platform implementing a native hardware system in which an application natively resides and executes, the native hardware system operating to execute a predetermined set of benchmarks that includes at least one of: a computation-intensive workload, a network-intensive workload, and a disk-intensive workload; a second hardware platform implementing a virtual environment therein, the virtual environment operating to execute the predetermined set of benchmarks; a third hardware platform operating to collect first resource usage traces from the first hardware platform and second resource usage traces from the second hardware platform; wherein the third hardware platform further operating to generate at least one prediction model that predicts a resource usage of the application executing in the virtual environment based on the collected first and second resource usage traces.
US08145451B2

A digital filtering system, method, and recording medium thereof are described. In the system, firstly a sensor obtains an analog physiological signal, a quantizing module transforms the physiological signal to a digitalized frequency domain signal, and then a specification parameter module obtains a feature model satisfying the frequency domain signal by matching, for a deciding process module to determine which decision parameter should be used. A filter-Clustering management module starts a relevant filter module according to the matching decision parameter to filter the frequency domain signal. On the contrary, when the frequency domain signal is an abnormal signal, the quantizing module outputs the abnormal signal to a back-end server system. The server system builds more than one updating parameter to update all the decision parameters and feature parameters. Therefore, the decision parameters and the feature parameters are updated on real time, and the physiological signal filtering result is quickly obtained.
US08145450B2

Techniques for distributed testing are provided. Resources are identified for performing tests over a network. The tests and policies are sent to the resources and a proxy. The proxy delivers data for the tests to the resources and enforces the policies during the tests. The proxy also gathers statistics and results from the resources, which are executing the tests, and the proxy reports the statistics and results to one or more third-party services for subsequent manipulation and analysis.
US08145441B2

A portable electronic apparatus for collecting impact information includes a body, a piezoelectric element, a processing element, and a storage element. The piezoelectric element covers the body and generates an electrical signal when experiencing a force from an impact. The processing element, connected to the piezoelectric element, converts the electrical signal from the piezoelectric element into impact information. The storage element stores the impact information.
US08145440B2

A forward/reverse mechanics calculation of an accurate model of a human body having bone geometrical data and muscle/cord/band data is carried out at high speed. When a new skeleton geometrical model is given, a mapping between the new skeleton geometrical model and a pre-defined normal body model representing a normal body is defined to automatically produce a new body model. A processing unit reads model data to be subjected to mechanics calculation, reads a produced force f of a wire/virtual link exerted on the body model, reads the angle, position and velocity of the current rigid body link, calculates the Jacobian JL of the length of each wire concerning the joint angle, converts the read produced force f of the muscle/cord/band into a generalized force τG according to the defined Jacobian JL, stores the generalized force, determines the acceleration of the whole body of a motion produced when the generalized force τG is exerted on the body and calculates the velocity and position of each rigid body link, and stores them.
US08145439B2

A system and method for using path-averaged concentration measurements for estimating the amount of substance being released from a particular location. One or more open-path sensing systems are set up in appropriate locations around possible substance release sites and tuned to detect a particular substance of interest. Path-averaged concentration measurements of the particular substance are collected over time and communicated to an open-path back calculation algorithm. The algorithm calculates time-averaged measurements for a plurality of time periods. Back calculation is then performed with the time-averaged measurements to estimate the release rate and the total release of the substance.
US08145436B2

Method of identifying a microRNA-recognition element and of generating microRNAs are disclosed. System and computer programs for performing such methods are disclosed. Recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprising a heterologous coding sequences and one or more MREs are also disclosed as are isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising one or more MRE sequences and being free of a coding sequence operably linked to regulatory elements. MicroRNA generated by a methods of the invention and the use of the microRNAs to downregulate gene expression are disclosed.
US08145430B2

A computer-implemented method for calculating a value representative of interaction (VRI) of a proposed ligand with a specified receptor. Hydrophobic interactions between one or more ligand atoms and one or more receptor atoms are scored by a method that awards a bonus for the presence of hydrophobic enclosure of one or more ligand atoms by the receptor. Also, charge-charge hydrogen bonds between a ligand and a receptor are scored by setting a default value for a charge-charge hydrogen bond and awarding a bonus above the default value when one or more specialized predetermined charge-charge hydrogen bond criteria is satisfied. Various charge-charge hydrogen bond criteria are used. Zwitterions, charge, salvation, geometry and electrostatic energy are accounted for.
US08145429B2

A device for sampling fluid from an earth formation is disclosed. The device includes: an inlet port disposable in fluid communication with the fluid in a borehole; an injector including an injection chamber in fluid communication with the inlet port, the injector configured to receive a portion of the fluid and direct the fluid toward an analysis unit for analyzing constituent materials in the fluid; and a high pressure valve configured to admit the portion of the fluid at a borehole pressure and release the portion of the fluid into the injector, the portion having a volume that is less than or equal to about one microliter. A system and method for analyzing constituents of fluid in a borehole in an earth formation is also disclosed.
US08145428B1

Determining a Recovery Deficiency Indicator™ (RDI™) for a petroleum reservoir provides a novel leading indicator and metric that is designed to quickly assess the potential for increases in reserves and ultimate recovery of petroleum from an operating petroleum reservoir. The RDI™ is determined by relating the Recovery Efficiency (RE) and the Ideal Recovery Efficiency (IRE) (e.g., by dividing RE by IRE to obtain RDI™). The Recovery Efficiency (RE) is determined as the product of areal displacement efficiency (EA), vertical displacement efficiency (EV), and pore displacement efficiency (ED). The Ideal Recovery Efficiency (RE) can be determined by empirically assuming that EA and EV equal 100%.
US08145426B2

Techniques are provided for displaying a route symbol with narrative driving directions. A route symbol for a particular maneuver may be used to represent the road to which the maneuver relates. For example, one type of a route symbol that may be used to represent a road may be an interstate route symbol that has substantially the same appearance (e.g., substantially the same or similar shape, and/or substantially the same coloration) as an interstate route sign used to mark the interstate itself. Another example of a type of a route symbol that represents a road is an highway route symbol that looks substantially the same as a highway route sign used to mark a state highway. A route symbol used for the display of a maneuver also may include route symbols that are related to the type of maneuver, such as the type of a turn, described by the maneuver.
US08145421B2

A facility searching device includes a road selecting unit for selecting an arbitrary road from road data stored in a storage unit, and a road facility searching unit for searching for facilities located along the road selected by the road selection unit. Therefore, the facility searching device can search for facilities located along an arbitrary road by allowing users to select the arbitrary road regardless of whether or not a route is provided.
US08145417B1

A method is described that allows a first mobile device to persistently lock onto a second mobile device, thereby allowing the first mobile device to not only constantly monitor the dynamic location of the second mobile device but also to adaptively navigate in real-time to the dynamic location associated with the second mobile device. The dynamic location may include a current location of the second mobile device or a final destination for travel of the second mobile device.
US08145414B2

There is provided a method and a device for accurately estimating traffic information of a link having no traffic information even if different types of roads are mixed. The device finds a parameter characterizing a damping curve of a quantity of change of relative speed based on stored traffic information for links on a city center side on a minimum-time cost route connecting the city center and suburbs, finds a quantity of change of relative speed of the link having no observed traffic information and estimates its traffic information based on the damping curve. The device also calculates a ratio of quantities of change of relative speed of two links whose road types change as a speed change similarity ratio and estimates traffic information of the link of a second road type from known traffic information of the link of a first road type by using that ratio.
US08145411B2

An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: calculating a knock magnitude N by dividing an integrated value lpkknk obtained by integrating the magnitude of vibration in the knock detection gate by BGL; controlling ignition timing according to a result of comparison between knock magnitude N and a determination value VJ; stopping updating of a standard deviation σ when it is determined that determination value VJ to be compared with knock magnitude N is to be changed; updating a median value VM by increasing an update amount of median value VM; and updating BGL according to median value VM and standard deviation σ.
US08145408B2

A procedure for checking the functionality of a metering valve (310) of a reducing agent system of a combustion engine, at which the metering device (105) is advanced from a tank (100) to the metering valve (310) with the aid of a controllable pump (12) at a constant pressure, comprising the metering valve (310) is impinged with a control variable that characterizes the causing of a status change of the metering valve (310), a variable is detected that characterized the flow rate of the pump (120), from this variable that characterizes the flow rate the functionality of the metering valve (310) is assumed.
US08145406B2

An abnormality diagnosis device for diagnosing abnormality in a positive crankcase ventilation apparatus including a PCV passage, which is for supplying blow-by gas to an intake passage of an engine, and a PCV valve, which is for regulating the flow rate of blow-by gas in the PCV passage. The diagnosis device varies a control amount of the PCV valve to determine the occurrence of an abnormality in the PCV passage and PCV valve and performs abnormality diagnosis in a first determination mode when the amount of fuel components in the blow-by gas is less than a reference amount and in a second determination mode when the amount is greater than the reference amount. A varying amount of the control amount of the PCV valve in the second determination mode is smaller than that of the control amount of the PCV valve in the first determination mode.
US08145405B2

An internal-combustion engine for motor vehicles, for example a petrol-fuelled engine or a gas-fuelled engine, is provided with an electronically controlled hydraulic system for variable actuation of the intake valves. The system of variable actuation of the intake valves is governed by an electronic control unit that is programmed for performing at least once, at the start of the life of the engine, an activity of supervision of the functions of self-adaptive control of the air-fuel ratio. The supervision activity is based upon identification of a constant ratio between a delta in the value of the crank angle used by the electronic control unit and the error in the estimation of the air-fuel ratio by the electronic control unit when the system of actuation of the intake valves operates in late-opening mode. The activity of supervision envisages that the electronic control unit detects and stores the variation in the value of the crank angle (crank-angle delta) that must be applied to the value of the crank angle used by the electronic control unit in order to reach an estimated value of the mass of air taken in that basically coincides with the real value.
US08145402B2

System and method for controlling vehicle operating characteristics. The method includes receiving, at a vehicle, global positioning system (GPS) data, and, based on the received GPS data, determining the vehicle's location. The method also receives data from another vehicle. The method then modifies one or more vehicle operating characteristics based on the determined location and on data received from another vehicle, the characteristics including a suspension dampening characteristic, a spring rate characteristic, ABS braking characteristics, stability control system characteristics, a seat shock absorber characteristic, etc.
US08145401B2

An accelerator pedal system includes a pedal control unit that receives a vehicle speed signal and a signal from a switch, and compares the two signals. If the vehicle speed exceeds a preselected speed, the pedal control unit outputs a control signal to control a reaction force of an accelerator pedal on the basis of the preselected speed and a selected mode. The system also includes a reaction device that receives the control signal and controls the accelerator pedal according to the selected mode. The reaction device includes an actuator for generating power on the basis of the control signal, a power delivery unit for selectively transmitting the power generated by the actuator, and a wheel for receiving the power from the power delivery unit and transmitting the power to the accelerator pedal.
US08145398B2

A method of controlling an automatic transmission of a machine includes a step of identifying an upcoming gear ratio change from a current gear ratio to a proposed gear ratio. An estimated power output value, based on the proposed gear ratio and a current engine speed, is determined. The estimated power output value is adjusted based on a derated operating condition. If the estimated power output value is greater than or equal to a current power output value, a gear evaluation identifier is set to a first value. If the estimated power output value is less than the current power output value, the gear evaluation identifier is set to a second value.
US08145397B2

A hybrid powertrain system includes a transmission operative to transfer power between an input member and a torque machine and an output member coupled to a driveline coupled to a wheel including an actuable friction brake. The torque machine is operative to react torque transferred from the wheel through the driveline to the output member of the transmission. The torque machine is connected to an energy storage device. A method for operating a hybrid powertrain system includes monitoring an operator torque request input to an accelerator pedal, determining a minimum available power output of the energy storage device, determining a preferred output torque reacted through the output member to the driveline based upon the minimum available power output of the energy storage device, determining a regenerative braking torque capacity comprising a torque range between the preferred output torque reacted through the output member to the driveline and the operator torque request input to the accelerator pedal, and controlling operation of the hybrid powertrain based upon the regenerative braking torque capacity.
US08145389B2

A system for assisting an operator in driving a vehicle. The system calculates risk potential associated with the vehicle. Responsive to an acceleration command issued by the operator via an operator-controlled input device to perform an intended acceleration operation, the system conveys information related to the calculated risk potential by modifying a relationship of an amount of acceleration corresponding to an operation amount of the operator-controlled input device, based on the calculated risk potential.
US08145387B2

A communications network for a passenger protection system of a vehicle has an electronic control unit and a plurality of sensors, which is bus-connected to the electronic control unit. Each of the sensors includes a current detection circuit for detecting a current of the sensor, and a control circuit including a memory. The control circuit sets a specific address for the sensor in the memory when the detected current attains a predetermined relation to a predetermined threshold current. The control circuit transmits a notification of completion of setting the specific address to the electronic control unit, and controls a mode of the sensor to a specific mode, which consumes current less than the predetermined threshold current.
US08145385B2

A vehicle driving control apparatus is provided with an obstacle detecting device, a future position estimating device, an obstacle avoidance control device, and a lane change intent detecting device. The obstacle detecting device detects an existence of an obstacle positioned laterally of a host vehicle. The future position estimating device estimates a future position of the host vehicle after a prescribed amount of time. The obstacle avoidance control device executes an obstacle avoidance control. The lane change intent detecting device detects an intent of a driver to effect a lane change and a direction of the intended lane change. Therefore, when it is detected that the driver intends to move to an adjacent lane located on the opposite side of the vehicle as the side containing the obstacle, a control suppressing portion of the obstacle avoidance control device suppresses the obstacle avoidance control.
US08145383B2

The present invention discloses a process for controlling air quality within an interior of a motor vehicle. The process can include providing a motor vehicle with a heating-venting-air conditioning (HVAC) system, the HVAC system having an internal air supply option and an external air supply option. The process can also include providing a reinforcement learning system that can increase the air quality within the motor vehicle as a function of user preferences with respect to choosing the external air supply or the internal air supply.
US08145381B2

Data of a telematics terminal is transmitted through an apparatus including a multimedia player, an audio interface, an embedded system, and a switch operatively connected between the audio interface and the embedded system. The multimedia player is configured to generate audio data, and the audio interface is configured to output audio data generated by the multimedia player. The switch is operatively connected between the audio interface and the embedded system, and is configured to selectively control the output of audio data or program data from the multimedia player.
US08145374B2

A method for dynamically controlling rollback in an electric vehicle having a motor for providing motive power to the electric vehicle and a shift lever for selecting either forward or reverse motion of the vehicle includes determining if the electric vehicle is moving in a direction opposite the direction of motion indicated by the shift lever. If the vehicle is moving in a direction opposite the direction indicated by the shift lever, the rollback acceleration of the vehicle is calculated. A power request for driving the electric motor is then determined such that the rollback of the vehicle is controlled. The determined power request is then applied to the electric motor thereby driving the electric motor and dynamically controlling the rollback.
US08145354B2

Systems and methods are presented that enable a legged robot to maintain its balance when subjected to an unexpected force. In the reflex phase, the robot withstands the immediate effect of the force by yielding to it. In one embodiment, during the reflex phase, the control system determines an instruction that will cause the robot to perform a movement that generates a negative rate of change of the robot's angular momentum at its centroid in a magnitude large enough to compensate for the destabilizing effect of the force. In the recovery phase, the robot recovers its posture after having moved during the reflex phase. In one embodiment, the robot returns to a statically stable upright posture that maximizes the robot's potential energy. In one embodiment, during the recovery phase, the control system determines an instruction that will cause the robot to perform a movement that increases its potential energy.
US08145351B2

The invention relates to a storage machine (1) for objects, comprising a compartment system (4) with a plurality of compartments (3) which are at least partially enclosed by a machine housing (2) or some other surround, and with at least one closure mechanism (7) which can be displaced relative to a central, predefined access orifice (6) in the machine housing (2) to release or prevent access to a specific individual compartment (3) or a specific group of adjacent compartments (3). The storage machine (1) also has at least one drive system for displacing the closure mechanism (7) in a controlled manner and the ability of the closure mechanism (7) to move is dependent on an access right which can be checked by a control system. This storage machine (1) has at least one safety system (28) for affording extensive, increased personal safety with respect to risks posed by automated sequences or with respect to its displacement drives which can be activated automatically.
US08145350B2

A palletizer for automatically building a load with product from an infeed area is disclosed. It includes means for defining a desired volume of a load including a length sensor, a width sensor, and a height sensor. It also includes means for transporting product from an infeed area to the load. A controller is associated with means for defining the desired volume, the controller being configured to receive signals from the sensors and to automatically control movement of the means for transporting. The controller is configured to automatically determine when the volume is filled. In another aspect, a method of building a load with product from an infeed area is provided. The method includes defining a desired volume of the load using a length sensor, a width sensor, and a height sensor. It also includes automatically filling the volume with product, and determining when the volume is filled.
US08145347B2

In a numerical control apparatus, a rotation-axis filtering processor subjects an angle change amount between interpolation points between rotation angles of a rotation axis to moving average filtering thereby smoothing the angle change amount between the interpolation points. A translation-axis timing synchronization unit subjects a moving amount between interpolation points between tool-tip positions of a translation axis to moving average filtering, to synchronize timing of rotation of the rotation axis being smoothed and timing of movement of the translation axis. A coordinate transformation unit transforms the tool-tip position into coordinates of a machine position of the translation axis according to a configuration of the machine tool, from each tool-tip position after timing synchronization between axes of the translation axis is performed and from each rotation angle of the rotation axis after being filtered.
US08145346B2

A method of monitoring the physical state of a hot-rolled sheet or hot-rolled strip while controlling a plate rolling train for the reversing working a hot-rolled sheet or hot-rolled strip. For the reversing rolling of the hot-rolled sheet or hot-rolled strip a rolling stand is provided. At a starting point, an initial state of the hot-rolled sheet or hot-rolled strip in a model is determined, from which state at least one physical state variable is derived. Further, a cyclical updating of the state during the working of the hot-rolled sheet by using the model of the hot-rolled sheet or hot-rolled strip and the plate rolling train is provided, wherein monitoring of the path of the hot-rolled sheet or hot-rolled strip and operating parameters influencing and/or reproducing the state are taken into account.
US08145338B2

The present disclosure relates to systems and processes for detecting and rejecting defective absorbent articles from a converting line. In particular, the systems and methods may utilize feedback from technologies, such as vision systems, sensors, remote input and output stations, and controllers with synchronized embedded clocks to accurately correlate inspection results and measurements from an absorbent article converting process. As such, the systems and methods may accurately apply the use of precision clock synchronization for both instrumentation and control system devices on a non-deterministic communications network. In turn, the clock synchronized control and instrumentation network may be used to control a reject system on converters of absorbent articles. In some embodiments, the controller will reject only defective absorbent articles without the need to reject non-defective absorbent articles.
US08145336B2

Real-time assembly and part validation (or “containment”) and auto-disposition in a manufacturing environment. Validation and auto-disposition are performed in a real-time, proactive manner where the validation and auto-disposition processing are not coupled to the installation process. Validation problems or issues may therefore be identified and resolved before an assembly or part is needed for installation.
US08145334B2

A control systems and methods are presented for controlling a production system, in which a model-based planner includes a formulation, such as a SAT formulation representing possible actions in the production, with a solver being used to provide a solution to the formulation based at least partially on production and diagnostic goals and the current plant condition, and a translation component translates the solution into a plan for execution in the plant.
US08145331B2

A media player/recorder, and a method and computer program product for same comprises a wireless receiver to receive a signal representing encoded media data; a storage device to store the encoded media data; a processor comprising a storage controller to retrieve the encoded media data from the storage device, and a digital signal processor to decode the encoded media data retrieved by the storage controller; and an output circuit to output the decoded media data from the processor.
US08145330B2

A plant growing environment control terminal (P) comprises an image data receiving section (1a) for receiving image data on the image of a plant from a plant growing facility (Q), an image display section (1b) for displaying the plant image according to the received image data, a growing environment data receiving section (1c) for receiving growing environment data, and a growing environment data transmitting section (1f) for transmitting the received growing environment data to the plant growing facility (Q). The end user can grow the plant in his (her) own way while checking the growth progress on the image even from a remote place. Therefore, a plant growing environment control terminal (P) effectively producing generally called healing effect is provided.
US08145326B2

A perimodiolar electrode for cochlear implantation includes an electrode carrier having a front end and a back end. The electrode carrier includes one or more contacts and a hydrophilic segment that swells after insertion in a cochlea and detaches at least in part from the carrier. In accordance with related embodiments, the hydrophilic segment may detach from the electrode carrier between the front end and the back end. The detached hydrophilic segment may surround the modiolus of a scala tympani of the cochlea or the inner wall of a scala tympani of the cochlea.
US08145320B2

An implantable medical device (IMD) and method are provided in which a telemetry module in the IMD includes a configurable polling interval at which the telemetry module is powered up from a low power inactive state to perform sniff operations for detecting whether communication signals are being received from an external device. The IMD includes at least one sensor for sensing at least one parameter, a controller receiving data from the sensor, and the telemetry module coupled to the controller for facilitating communication between the IMD and an external device. The polling interval of the telemetry module is configured based upon the parameter(s) sensed by the sensor, such that the polling interval is configured to conserve power consumption of the IMD. The polling interval is either decreased or increased to respectively increase or decrease the frequency of the sniff operations based on the parameters sensed at the IMD.
US08145315B2

An implantable lead adaptor is disclosed that includes an encapsulated thermoplastic housing defining a proximal end portion and a distal end portion. The proximal end portion has a first receptacle configured to receive a first type of connector assembly associated with a first implantable cardiac lead, and a second receptacle configured to receive a second type of connector assembly associated with a second implantable cardiac lead. An elongated flexible lead portion extends from the distal end portion of the adaptor housing. A connector assembly is operatively associated with a distal end section of the flexible lead portion of the adaptor for connection to an implantable pulse-generating device, such as, for example, an implantable pacemaker or defibrillator. Low resistance conductor wires electrically connect the connector assembly associated with the distal end section of the lead portion with the first and second receptacles of the adaptor housing.
US08145305B2

A subcutaneous cardiac device includes a subcutaneous electrode and a housing coupled to the subcutaneous electrode by a lead with a lead wire. The subcutaneous electrode is adapted to be implanted in a frontal region of the patient so as to overlap a portion of the patient's heart.
US08145303B2

Methods and apparatus for treating fibrillation utilize biphasic waveforms. A cardiac stimulator includes a defibrillation circuit that uses a pulse width modulated capacitive discharge to generate various biphasic waveforms, one or more of which may be delivered to the heart to treat the fibrillation.
US08145298B2

An electronic input device with piezoelectric sensor is provided, the electronic input device includes a housing, a piezoelectric sensing layer provided on the surface of the housing, an electrode plate provided and served to cover on top of the piezoelectric sensing layer. When a user's skin is in contact with the electrode plate, galvanic skin signals that represent the user's physiology status are transferred to the input device, meanwhile the piezoelectric sensing layer sends piezoelectric signals corresponding to the pressing level pressed by the user. When the piezoelectric sending layer is pressed to a proper level, effective galvanic skin signals are determined to the input device.
US08145296B2

Cardiac devices and methods provide adaptation of detection windows used to determine a cardiac response to pacing. Adapting a detection window involves sensing a cardiac signal indicative of a particular type of cardiac pacing response, and detecting a feature of the sensed cardiac signal. The cardiac response detection window associated with the type of cardiac pacing response is preferentially adjusted based on the location of the detected cardiac feature. Preferential adjustment of the detection window may involve determining a direction of change between the detection window and the detected feature. The detection window may be adapted more aggressively in a more preferred direction and less aggressively in a less preferred direction.
US08145293B2

A medical imaging system adaptively acquires anatomical images. The system includes a synchronization processor for providing a heart rate related synchronization signal derived from a patient cardiac function blood flow related parameter. The synchronization signal enables adaptive variation in timing of acquisition within successive heart cycles of each individual image frame of multiple sequential image frames. An image acquisition device initiates acquisition of anatomical images of a portion of patient anatomy in response to the synchronization signal. A display processor presents images, acquired by the acquisition device and synchronized with the synchronization signal, to a user on a reproduction device. The image acquisition device adaptively selects image pixel resolution of individual image frames of the multiple sequential image frames in response to data identifying a heart cycle segment so that successively acquired image frames have different image pixel resolution within a single heart cycle.
US08145289B2

An esophageal catheter comprises an insertion element (1) able to be inserted into a patient's esophagus and having a distal end (2) and a sheath (3) containing the cables (7) for connection to at least two temperature sensors (4) fitted along the element (1) in the vicinity of the distal end, the sensors being mounted in predetermined positions relative to one or more positioning elements (5, 6) defining a temperature detection zone (8).
US08145288B2

A sensor may be adapted to reduce signal artifacts by deflecting the effects of outside forces and sensor motion. A sensor is provided with a rigid annular structure adapted to reduce the effect of motion of a sensor emitter and/or detector. Further, a method of deflecting or minimizing outside forces and sensor motion is also provided.
US08145283B2

A wireless earphone includes a body, a microphone and an earphone. The body includes a microphone end and an opposite earphone end. The microphone is disposed at the microphone end of the body. The earphone is retractably disposed at the earphone end of the body. The invention also includes a portable electronic device using the wireless earphone.
US08145282B2

A rotating mechanism is used for a portable electronic device including a housing body and a display. The rotating mechanism includes a primary plate, a subsidiary plate and the connecting plate. The primary plate is pivotally connected to the housing body. The subsidiary plate is pivotally connected to the primary plate. The connecting plate is rotatably connected to the subsidiary plate. The connecting plate is fixed to the display allowing the display to hold a variety of positions relative to the housing body.
US08145278B2

A system and method for shuffling ringtones. An identifier associated with a calling party is received. A selection of ringtones is received. The identifier is associated with the selection of ringtones. A communication is received from the calling party. Playback of one of the selection of ringtones is initiated on a communications device based on a user preference in response to determining the communication is associated with the identifier.
US08145266B2

A portable audio/video playback apparatus of the present invention comprises an apparatus main body 1 and a broadcast receiver unit 4 removably attached to the apparatus main body. The apparatus main body 1 includes interfaces 32, 33 for connecting thereto the broadcast receiver unit; an audio processing circuit 22 connected to one interface 32 for processing and feeding an external audio signal to a speaker 24; and a video processing circuit 27 connected to the other interface 33 for processing and feeding an external video signal to a display 13. The broadcast receiver unit 4 includes interfaces 55, 56 connected to the foregoing interfaces 32, 33 and decoders 47, 48 for feeding an audio signal and a video signal included in a received television broadcast signal to the interfaces 55, 56.
US08145261B2

Electronic devices are provided with ejectable component assemblies that can be substantially flush with the external surfaces of the housings of the devices, despite variations in their manufacture. The ejectable component assemblies may include connectors coupled to circuit boards of the devices, and trays that can be loaded with removable modules, inserted through openings in the housings of the devices, and into the connectors for functionally aligning the removable modules with the circuit boards. The ejectable component assemblies may also include ejectors coupled to the housings of the devices for ejecting the trays from the connectors and, thus, from the devices themselves.
US08145256B2

A system, method and mobile unit to sense objects and/or text and retrieve related images, text or translations. The system may allow users to instantly access information about an object or text with a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, pager, personal digital assistant (PDA) or lap top computer.
US08145252B2

A method for reducing inter-cell interference (ICI) in a mobile communication system controls transmission signal power of an uplink signal from a terminal based on signal power measurement for a signal received from a base station of a neighboring cell. A terminal receives a signal from a base station of a neighboring cell via a wireless channel, measures a channel response against a threshold value across an applicable frequency band by using the received signal, determines a transmission signal power for each frequency band used for data transmission based on the measured channel response, and transmits data to a home cell base station according to the transmission signal power for each frequency band. The terminal may measure a channel response based on signals received from multiple base stations in multiple neighboring cells, and may also evaluate signal power of a signal transmitted from the home cell.
US08145251B2

A wireless communication entity schedulable in a wireless communication network, including a controller (603) communicably coupled to a power amplifier (608), wherein the controller varies a maximum transmit power of the wireless communication entity based on the radio resource assignment information receiver by the radio receiver.
US08145249B2

A method for providing a push-to-talk proxy media service includes receiving a plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams over a high bandwidth connection and mixing the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams into a mixed communication stream. The method also includes transmitting the mixed communication stream to a user endpoint over a low bandwidth connection.
US08145237B2

A computer system determines and stores antenna probabilities for defined sub-areas (41, 43) of a geographical area (4), e.g. for squares arranged in a grid (40), based on field strengths expected in the small sub-areas (41, 43) from the antennas (A1, A2 A3, A4). The antenna probabilities indicate for the antennas (A1, A2 A3, A4) of a mobile radio network the probability that a mobile communication terminal uses a respective antenna (A1, A2 A3, A4) when located in a particular sub-area (41, 43). The computer system determines the current location of the mobile communication terminal based on the antenna probabilities associated with the antenna used by the mobile communication terminal. The antenna probabilities make it possible to locate the mobile communication terminal in the geographical area (4) in a location area much smaller than the area each antenna covers physically, but without the need for measuring at the mobile communication terminal signal properties such as signal strength or observed time differences.
US08145235B2

A local positioning system comprises a plurality of sensor elements that may communicate with mobile units in a wireless fashion. The responsiveness of the mobile units is measured by yes/no answers and averaged so as to provide a measure of the distance of a mobile unit to a specified sensor element. Based on this measure and the known positions of the sensor element, the position of the mobile unit is estimated, for instance by a model of ideal springs.
US08145229B1

A multi-carrier base transceiver system is configured to improve sector throughout by selectively allocating available carriers to subscribers based on Quality of Service (QoS) requirements, as well as the prevailing radio frequency (RF) environment for the subject subscriber. In one embodiment, the base transceiver may provide three separate carriers, each represented as a forward link channel in which individual time slots are separately allocated according to a scheduling protocol. Once the QoS requirements and prevailing RF conditions are determined, a number of the available carriers are allocated such that the desired throughput is achieved using a fewest number of carriers.
US08145228B2

In a communication system (100), a method and apparatus provide for efficient control of call requests from mobile stations (102-104) to base station (101). Mobile station (102-104) receives an initial call request block probability from base station (101), determines an elapsed time from an effective time of the initial call request block probability, and adjusts the initial call request block probability based on an elapsed time. Mobile station (102-104) uses the adjusted initial call request to block call request.
US08145227B2

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system and UE providing wireless communication services, and a method of determining the operation mode of a base station, that is, the connection mode (access mode) of a cell, based on which UE's connection is allowed by a base station in an evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) that has evolved from a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, and it may be an object of the present invention to provide a process of determining the connection mode of a cell by checking the existence of a subscriber group identity if it is determined that the connection mode of a cell is not allowed for one or more UEs belonging to a particular subscriber group.
US08145225B2

A system and method for making vehicle originated calls to a telematics service provider or other call center. The method includes identifying a call type associated with a desired wireless communication of speech or data to the call center, and then carrying out one of a number of different call connection processes depending on the call type. For voice channel cellular connections, an in-band modem cellular connection is preferably established in most instances using a connection retry strategy that includes primary, secondary, and possibly tertiary connection attempts. The system and method can be carried out in connection with various cellular system technologies, but is especially suited for use with GSM systems.
US08145222B2

A method, mobile communication device, and system for selective downloading to a mobile communication device are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method on a mobile communication device for downloading data from a content source to the mobile communication device, the mobile communication device being configured for connecting to at least cellular data networks and wireless local area networks (WLANs), the method comprising: receiving a request to download data; determining if the requested data comprises a media file; selecting a communication medium for downloading the requested data in accordance with whether the requested data comprises a media file; and downloading the requested data to the mobile communication device using the selected communication medium.
US08145220B2

In making a switching by hand-over, it takes a shorter time to redecide a radio base station of destination candidate to be connected that is capable of securing a required radio band, even in case the radio base station of destination to be switched to refuses the connection to a radio communication terminal. Therefore, the radio base station is configured to acquire the service band information of another radio base station, and notify the radio communication terminal of the radio base station information of a destination candidate to be connected to, based on the acquired service band information, in case of refusing a connection switching request from the radio communication terminal performing the hand-over.
US08145217B2

Method and apparatus for effecting handoff in a system supporting both wireless and packet data service communications. In one embodiment, the serving network provides information to the target network sufficient to establish the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connections for handoff. In an alternate embodiment, the serving network and the target network do not share capabilities with respect to concurrent multiple service instances. When the serving network knows the status of the target network, the serving network takes responsibility for the handoff.
US08145214B2

The present invention discloses a solution for improving scan time in a co-banded mobile communication device. The solution can maintain a set of records within a data store of a co-banded mobile communication device. The set of records can include two or more communication rasters that represent an overlap between frequency bands used by different access technologies supported by the mobile communication device. A frequency band for a first access technology can be scanned for communication rasters allocated for that access technology. For each occupied communication raster, a related record of the set of maintained records can be updated to indicate that the communication raster is occupied. A frequency band for a second access technology can then be scanned within a previously determined time threshold of the first scan. The second scanning attempt can skip those communication rasters indicated as occupied by the set of records.
US08145209B2

A method and system are provided for delivering a stream in a mobile broadcast system that receives stream contents of broadcast services (BCAST) from a content creation and provides the broadcast services to one terminal or one group of terminals via one of a broadcast distribution system (BDS) and an interaction network. The method involves requesting assignment of a bearer in which the stream is to be delivered, assigning a bearer in response to the bearer assignment request, adapting the stream to be appropriate for the assigned bearer, and delivering the adapted stream to the terminal in the assigned bearer.
US08145202B2

A method for allowing remote control of the usage of a networked wireless device including incoming communications, outgoing communications, and application launching. Controlling entities, such as parent cellular telephones or web sites, are provided with the ability to select a list of approved anytime incoming communications, or approved incoming and outgoing communications based on time and day. Incoming communications include text messaging and telephone calls. Further, the controlling entity is provided with the ability to reroute to the controlling entity any usage of the wireless device such as incoming communications, outgoing communications, and application launching. Access to usage logs of the wireless device is provided to the controlling entity.
US08145201B2

The invention relates to communications devices for reduced energy communications in an ad hoc network. The communication device includes a first low-powered transceiver for initiating communications with other communications devices and a second transceiver for transmitting data messages to the other communications devices once communication is initiated. The communication device also includes a communications control processor for determining times at which the other communications devices will be available to receive communications based on scheduling data received from those communication devices. The communications control processor can also take into account requests for reserved bandwidth.
US08145199B2

This provides for controlling mobile device functions and features, along with systems incorporating these devices and methods. For example, it limits or disables the use of some of mobile device features which could cause distraction to the user, when the user is engaged in another activity. In an example, it enables other mobile device features based on occurrence of events related to the user or environment. Another example addresses controlling the mobile device features, such as SMS, while the user is in a vehicle or driving. Another example restricts the ability of the driver of a vehicle to text, while the vehicle is in motion, by automatically disabling the texting ability of mobile device within and around the perimeter of the driver's seat. Other variations, examples, improvements, detection mechanisms, models, techniques, calculations, verification mechanisms, and features are also described in details.
US08145195B2

In a non-limiting and exemplary embodiment, a method is provided for arranging authentication of mobility related signalling messages in a mobile communications system. An authentication code is generated on the basis of a previous authentication code stored in connection with a preceding authentication code generation event. The newly generated authentication code is stored for subsequent authentication code generation event. In response to change of the mobile device to an access network of the network entity, a control message comprising the authentication code is transmitted from a mobile device to a first network entity, for verifying the authentication code by the first network entity or by a second network entity of a previous access system.
US08145193B2

A method and apparatus for managing a session key for allowing a mobile terminal to access a wireless local area network (WLAN). The invention provides for establishing a first secure channel between an access point and a virtual operator, and suggesting a session key to the virtual operator from the access point. A second secure channel is established between the virtual operator and a user, and the session key is sent to the user via the second secure channel upon successful user authentication. The mobile terminal accesses the WLAN using the session key.
US08145167B2

A method of operating a RF device having a first RF gain stage (34) comprising a programmable attenuator (36) coupled to a RF amplifier (38) and a second narrowband gain controlled amplifying stage (24) for amplifying a signal in a wanted bandwidth, comprises selecting a gain setting of the first RF gain stage to maximize the signal-to-noise (SNR) by minimizing the total noise in a wanted signal and a gain setting of the second narrowband amplifying stage to provide a substantially constant level output. In order to select the gain setting of the first RF gain stage, the RF device includes a control stage (40) which takes into account the gain settings of the first RF stage and the second gain controlled amplifying stage, the distortion noise (referred to the RF input) and the thermal noise (referred to the RF input) when selecting a gain setting to be applied to the programmable attenuator to minimize the total noise.
US08145152B2

A gain temperature compensation circuit producing a relatively small loss of power, and enabling modification of a variation width of the attenuation amount in a predetermined temperature range is provided. A gain temperature compensation circuit includes a circulator and a thermistor. The circulator outputs a signal being input to a first port to a second port, and outputs the signal being input to the second port to a third port. The thermistor being connected to the second port reflects the signal being output from the second port by varying the power of the signal according to temperature, so as to input to the second port, in order to adjust the attenuation amount of the signal.
US08145151B2

In one aspect of the exemplary embodiments of this invention a method includes determining, based at least in part on a number of resource blocks to be transmitted, where the resource blocks may be spectrally contiguous or spectrally non-contiguous, a ratio of power to be provided by a switched mode power supply to power to be provided by a linear mode power supply; controlling the switched mode power supply and the linear mode power supply in accordance with the determined ratio to supply a total amount of power and providing the total amount of power to a supply voltage input of a polar transmitter.
US08145146B2

A radio frequency (RF) transmitter front-end includes a digital to analog conversion module and a power amplifier module. The digital to analog conversion module is coupled to convert amplitude information into analog amplitude adjust signals when a first mode is active and is coupled to convert power level information into analog power level signals when a second mode is active. The power amplifier module is coupled to amplify first phase modulated RF signals in accordance with the analog amplitude adjust signals to produce first outbound RF signals when the first mode is active and is coupled to amplify second phase modulated RF signals in accordance with the analog power level signals to produce second outbound RF signals when the second mode is active.
US08145144B2

A method and apparatus for providing a hearing aid compatible wireless electronic device is disclosed. The apparatus may include a lower housing having a wireless transceiver, upper housing including an earpiece, hinge assembly, and a pair of reactive matching element along with predefined placement of the wireless transceiver. The reactive matching element can be implemented at different chassis inductances to achieve hearing aid compatibility within other design constraints. Implemented as a switched circuit or reactance filter circuit to create a reactance appropriate for a band of operation during transmission in that band.
US08145143B2

When a power supply switch is turned on and an RF signal and an LO signal are input to a bipolar transistor, a mixed signal of both signals is output as an IF signal. When the power supply switch is turned off, the bipolar transistor operates as two diodes connected between a base terminal and an emitter terminal and between the base terminal and a collector terminal. When the IF signal and the LO signal are input, the input signals are mixed with each other by the diodes and the RF signal is output. Accordingly, one frequency conversion is performed by the use of one frequency converter, an external circuit such as a signal path switching switch is not necessary.
US08145139B2

An oscillator is provided that is arranged to function as a simplified receiver. The oscillator has a resonator portion and a non-linear portion, which cooperate to generate an oscillating signal. The resonator portion is positioned to receive a modulated signal. In one configuration, the oscillator operates at a frequency offset from the frequency of the carrier for the modulated signal. In this simple arrangement, the oscillator functions as an active mixer, and generates a product output signal. The output signal is extracted from a high impedance point of the oscillator's non-linear device. The output signal is a demodulated or mixed signal, and may be further processed to detect a data signal.
US08145137B2

A received total wideband power (61A) in a wireless communications system is measured a number of times during a time interval. Preferably, also code powers ((C/I)i) are measured, directly or indirectly. A probability distribution of a first power quantity (63A, 63B), typically total received power is estimated from the set of measurements, preferably using Kalman filtering techniques, and preferably also a probability distribution of a second power quantity (62A, 62B) related to noise and interference signals. A conditional probability distribution of a noise rise measure to be determined is based at least on the probability distribution of the total power (63A, 63B). From that conditional probability distribution, a value of the noise rise measure is calculated. In a preferred embodiment, the noise rise measure is based on a quotient between total power and a noise floor, and the conditional probability distribution of the noise rise is therefore based on a conditional probability distribution of noise floor quantity (64). The conditional probability distribution of the noise floor quantity (64) is in turn based on the probability distribution of the extreme value of a second power quantity (62A, 62B) related to noise and interference signals and a prior determined probability distribution of a noise power floor.
US08145135B2

A method includes determining a first time period during which evaluation should be performed of whether a received radio frequency signal meets at least one criterion, the first time period based at least partially on a second time period of discontinuous reception or transmission. The method also includes performing the evaluation of the received radio frequency signal using measurements obtained within the first time period, and determining, based on the evaluation, whether an event should be triggered. The method further includes triggering the event in response to a determination that the event should be triggered.
US08145129B2

A portable communication device having a matching function and a portable communication system and a communication method thereof are provided. The portable communication device includes an operating interface, a wireless communication module, a determining unit and a displaying unit. The operating interface is capable of generating a first user data. The wireless communication module is capable of receiving a second user data transmitted by another portable communication device. The determining unit is capable of determining whether the first user data and the second user data satisfy a matching condition. The displaying unit is capable of showing a noticing figure if the first user data and the second user data satisfy the matching condition.
US08145127B2

The present disclosure describes a method and apparatus for transmit power calibration in a frequency division multiplexed wireless system (100). The method may include receiving (315) an uplink scheduling grant at a user equipment (120), establishing (320) a desired power level based on at least the uplink scheduling grant, and setting (325) hardware power settings based on the desired power level. The method may also include transmitting (330) data in a first subframe at a first power level based on the hardware power settings, measuring (335) the first power level in the first subframe, and determining (340) a difference between the desired power level and the measured first power level. The method may additionally include modifying (345) the hardware power settings based on the difference and transmitting (350) at a second power level based on the modified hardware power settings in a next transmission corresponding to the transmission in the first subframe.
US08145112B2

A heating rotating body includes: a rotating body that generates heat due to electromagnetic induction in a magnetic field and whose magnetic permeability starts to decrease continuously from a magnetic permeability change start temperature that is in a temperature region that is greater than or equal to a set temperature and less than or equal to a heat-resistant temperature, and an eddy current cutting-off structure that is formed on the rotating body and cuts-off a portion of eddy current generated by the electromagnetic induction.
US08145108B2

An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a transfer member transfers the image carried on the outer circumferential surface of the image carrier onto a recording medium; a holding member that holds, on an outer circumferential surface of the transfer member, the recording medium fed to the transfer member; and a control unit that performs control so that in first image formation operation in which images of plural colors carried by the image carrier are sequentially transferred onto a single recording medium one color at a time, the holding member holds the recording medium on the transfer member, and in second image formation operation in which an image of a single color carried by the image carrier is transferred onto a single recording medium, the holding member does not hold, the recording medium on the transfer member.
US08145098B2

An image forming apparatus disclosed includes a body, a cover to open and close an opening of the body, a plurality of photosensitive members provided in the body, a light scanning device to irradiate a light beam to the plurality of photosensitive members, the light scanning device including a plurality of passage windows corresponding to the plurality of photosensitive members, and a shutter device to open and close the respective passage windows in accordance with opening and closing movements of the cover.
US08145092B2

A switching mechanism for a toner cartridge includes a base and a sliding member. The base is mounted to a housing. A chamber is defined between the housing and the base for receiving the sliding member. The base has a guiding slot. The sliding member has a body received in the chamber, a suspension arm extending from the body, a hook disposed on the suspension arm, and a post extending from the suspension arm and received in the guiding slot. When the sliding member is moved to different positions, an outlet of the toner cartridge can be closed or opened. The post moves along the guiding slot to cause an elastic deformation of the suspension arm for changing the position of the hook such that an erroneous operation of the switching mechanism can be avoided, and a mold for the switching mechanism is easy to manufacture to reduce the manufacturing costs.
US08145091B2

A toner image is formed on an image carrier using a toner supplied from a developing roller to which a controlled bias voltage is applied; the toner image is primarily transferred onto an intermediate transfer member; the toner image is secondarily transferred onto a recording sheet using a transfer voltage applied to the secondary transfer roller; and the bias voltage is applied to the secondary transfer roller as a cleaning voltage necessary for cleaning the secondary transfer roller; and the toner adhered to a circumferential surface of the secondary transfer roller is reversely transferred onto the intermediate transfer member.
US08145090B2

A cleaning device of a wire includes: a first cleaning member that cleans a wire when the first cleaning member comes into contact with the wire; a second cleaning member that wipes off the wire when the second cleaning member comes into contact with the first cleaning member while the wire is being interposed between the first and the second cleaning member; and a holding and moving body that holds and reciprocates the first and the second cleaning members in a direction in which the wire is stretched. The second cleaning member is contacted with the wire at a protruding portion in which the second cleaning member protrudes from a rear end portion of the first cleaning member in the direction at least at the time of a going-back movement of the first cleaning member.
US08145086B2

An image forming apparatus capable of executing a mode for decelerating a rotation speed of a fixing member and a pressure member between sheets in a continuous print than that during a fixing operation.
US08145084B2

An image forming apparatus controls the conveyance speed of a transfer material at the time a leading edge of the transfer material enters a transfer nip, to be slower than the moving speed of an image bearing member. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus controls the conveyance speed of the transfer material at the time a trailing edge of the transfer material exits the transfer nip, to be faster than the moving speed of the image bearing member.
US08145082B2

The image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor including a photoconductive layer and an overcoat layer containing electroconductive particles; a charging unit charging the photoconductor to first potential; an exposure unit setting an exposure region to have second potential smaller than the first potential in absolute values; a development unit including a developer carrier and a power supply setting the developer carrier to have third potential; a potential setting unit setting the third potential smaller than the first potential and larger than the second potential in a first image forming operation, and setting it larger than the first potential in a second image forming operation, in absolute values; a current setting unit setting an inflowing current to a fixed current value in the second image forming operation; a detection unit detecting image density in the second image forming operation; and a controller controlling toner supply according to the image density.
US08145081B2

When image forming is to be successively performed on recording sheets having different sizes, an image forming apparatus suitably executes adjustment processing on a fixing apparatus or the like used in the image forming, and maintains image quality as well as suppresses a drop in productivity. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus specifies the size of a printing material onto which an image is to be performed, and with use of the specified printing material size and the size of printing materials on which images have been formed immediately previously, determines whether it is necessary to execute adjustment processing for maintaining image quality. Specifically, adjustment processing is executed only if the size of the printing material on which an image is to be formed is greater than the size of the printing materials on which images were formed immediately previously.
US08145078B2

The present disclosure provides for an imaging machine having an imaging member including a method for maintaining a toner concentration. The method for maintaining the toner concentration comprises: determining a toner concentration (TC) measurement using a sensor; computing a state estimator output from the TC measurement and a pre-stored estimator gain matrix, Ke; computing an estimated target state from the state estimator and a pre-stored controller gain matrix, K; computing a duty cycle from the estimated target state, pixel count data, and pre-stored target decomposer output; and, updating the duty cycle by repeating the above method for the next TC cycle.
US08145068B2

A channel alignment system in an optical communication network includes logic to sample power of a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) channel at a component downstream from a QAM modulator. The system determines if the sampled channel power has a sufficient level. The system signals power control logic of the QAM modulator to adjust a gain of the sampled channel.
US08145067B2

An optical transmitter includes a light source that outputs light superposed with a pilot signal having a predetermined frequency; an optical modulating unit that modulates the light from the light source according to an input electric signal; a detecting unit that detects a high-output-side maximum value of signal light output from the optical modulating unit, a fluctuation width of the high-output-side maximum value, and a fluctuation width of a low-output-side minimum value; a bias-potential adjusting unit that adjusts a bias potential of an electric signal to be input to the optical modulating unit based on the detected maximum value; and an amplitude adjusting unit that adjusts an amplitude of the electric signal to be input to the optical modulating unit based on the fluctuation width of the high-output-side maximum value and the fluctuation width of the low-output-side minimum value.
US08145066B2

Predistortion logic for an optical communications laser or optical modulator, includes predistortion logic embodied in a field programmable gate array (FPGA). A first analog to digital converter (ADC) provides a representation of an RF signal at an input of the FPGA. A digital to analog converter provides a representation of an output of the FPGA to a laser or modulator.
US08145056B2

A network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising obtaining a wavelength availability information for a path, determining whether to implement a wavelength assignment based on the wavelength availability information, updating the wavelength availability information when the wavelength assignment is to be implemented, and forwarding the wavelength availability information. Also included is a method comprising obtaining a wavelength availability information, comparing a number of wavelengths in the wavelength availability information to a threshold, determining whether to implement wavelength conversion along a path when the number of available wavelengths is less than or about equal to the threshold, and resetting the wavelength availability information when wavelength conversion is to be implemented.
US08145049B2

An apparatus comprises a face position detection section for detecting at least a position at which is present a person's face inside a frame using an image signal obtained from an image sensor for photoelectrically converting an object image captured by a photographing optical system, a focus control section for controlling the photographing optical system by referencing in-focus positions of the object image obtained inside focus detection areas for detecting focus states of the object image positioned in the frame, and a control section for controlling the focus control section so as to reference at least one or the other of an in-focus position obtained in a first focus detection area in which is present a person's face and an in-focus position obtained in a second focus detection area in which is expected to be present a body of a person determining from the position of the face of the person.
US08145043B2

A recordable and/or rewriteable recording medium for storing still picture data, and recording and/or reproducing method and apparatus therefor. The recording medium stores still picture group information for grouping a plurality of still pictures in order to manage the still picture at a group level, and stores audio group information for grouping additional audio data added to the still picture data after the still picture data are recorded. Therefore, large-capacity still picture data and additional audio data added thereto can be recorded using a minimum amount of management information. Further, during reproduction, data can be displayed and edited in units of the respective still pictures. Also, it is possible to cope with after-recording of the audio data.
US08145040B2

According to the present invention, a recording instruction signal including channel information on the program that the user is viewing at present is transmitted from a communication terminal with a television receiving function; this recording instruction signal is received by a recording and reproducing apparatus; and the recording processing of the program indicated by the received recording instruction signal to be recorded is controlled, so that the program viewed using a communication terminal away from home can be viewed using a recording and reproducing apparatus at home.
US08145031B2

A recording apparatus which can provide a video signal and an audio signal in synchronization even when the input signal is discontinuous. The recording apparatus includes: an input unit which receives 60P or 60I video and audio signals; a control unit which detects a discontinuity of a pulldown sequence; a recording command information generation unit which generates video recording command information and audio recording command information so that the video signal is recorded as a 24P signal; and a recording unit which provides to-be-recorded video data and to-be-recorded audio data in accordance with the video recording command information and the audio recording command information. The control unit determines the state of recording as the non-record state for a predetermined period of time during which recording of the video signal is suspended following the discontinuity detection of the pulldown sequence and after a lapse of which the recording of the video signal is resumed so that the pulldown sequence of the recorded video signal becomes continuous. The recording command information generation unit generates the video recording command information and the audio recording command information according to the determined state of recording.
US08145021B2

Disclosed is a cable for use in a concentrating photovoltaic module. The cable includes at least one strand wrapped with an optically pervious or reflective sheath. The pervious sheath is made of a material that exhibits a penetration rate of 90% and survives a temperature of at least 140 degrees Celsius. The reflective sheath is made of a material that exhibits a reflection rate of 95% and survives a temperature of at least 140 degrees Celsius. The cable is used to connect an anode of the concentrating photovoltaic module to a cathode of the same. The material of the reflective sheath may be isolating.
US08145017B2

In an optical module, a waveguide unit has a wavelength filter having a ring resonator structure. A semiconductor laser is connected to the input terminal of an input waveguide. A semiconductor Mach-Zehnder modulator is connected to the output terminal of an output waveguide. A first photodiode is connected to the output terminal of a branch waveguide. A second photodiode is connected to the through port of the input waveguide. A temperature adjustment unit adjusts the temperature of the waveguide unit. A laser output controller is connected to the first photodiode and the semiconductor laser to control an output from the semiconductor laser based on an output signal from the first photodiode. A temperature adjustment controller is connected to the second photodiode and the temperature adjustment unit to control the temperature adjustment operation of the temperature adjustment unit based on an output signal from the second photodiode.
US08145010B2

An image processing system includes a first memory for storing a first image data, the first image data having a plurality of pixels; a second memory for storing at least one mapping table, the mapping table recording the mapped positions of at least a portion of pixels; a direct memory access control unit for accessing the first memory and the second memory; a first processing unit for accessing the first image data and the mapping table via the direct memory access control unit so as to produce a second image data; and a third memory for storing the second image data.
US08145009B2

Provided are an apparatus for removing ringing noise and an apparatus for removing noise. The apparatuses includes a representative value setting block dividing pixel data in one block including a plurality of pixel data into two groups through a K-means algorithm and setting a representative value in each of the groups; a parameter generator block calculating intervals and approaches between all the pixel data in the block and a pair of the representative values; and a correction block correcting an inputted pixel data value using the intervals and the approaches.
US08145006B2

According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes a decoder, an acquisition module, a sharpening module, and a controller. The decoder decodes an encoded image to obtain a decoded image. The acquisition module acquires quantization information indicating the accuracy of quantization upon generating the encoded image. The sharpening module performs sharpening on the decoded image. The controller controls the effect of the sharpening based on the quantization information such that the effect of the sharpening is reduced as the accuracy decreases.
US08145005B2

A method for discriminating textured regions and homogeneous or flat regions in an image. A multi-scale or multi-resolution measurement is performed with respect to the image. Alternatively or additionally, the image is analyzed by using a prior measured noise value and a local variance value in or with respect to the image.
US08145000B2

An image data compressing method, including: storing a plurality of data components of an original image data; assigning a value to a first bit sequence, where the first bit sequence includes a first group of bits associated with zero data components in the plurality of data components and a second group of bits associated with non-zero data components in the plurality of data components, each bit of the first group is assigned a first value, each bit of the second group is assigned a second value different from the first value; counting a first number which is a number of the first value continuing in the first bit sequence; obtaining a significant bit length of at least one of the plurality of data components; translating a combination of the first number and the significant bit length to a code obtained by looking up a coding table; and joining the code to a bit stream of a compressed image data.
US08144997B1

A method of processing an image includes the steps of receiving selection of the first region of interest (ROI) of an image, processing the first image data related to the first ROI, displaying the first image ROI based on the first image data, receiving selection of the second ROI of the image, which at least partially overlapping the first ROI, processing the second image data related to a portion of the second ROI that does not overlap the first ROI, combining the processed second image data with the processed first image data that overlaps the second ROI, and displaying the second image ROI based on the combined processed second image data and the processed first data.
US08144996B1

According to an embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes a generation unit. The generation unit generates a texture image by searching for a similar pixel area to a processed pixel area near a processing target pixel in the texture image from a neighboring area at a position corresponding to the processing target pixel in a sample texture image and assigning the processing target pixel a pixel value near the similar pixel area in accordance with a positional relationship between the processed pixel area and the processing target pixel. The generation unit searches for the similar pixel area based on a similarity between a pixel value in a pixel area in the neighboring area and a pixel value in the processed pixel area and a determination result indicating whether each pixel in the neighboring area expresses a same object as that expressed by the processing target pixel.
US08144992B2

A driver's eye condition detection is conducted by an eye condition detection apparatus including a right/left near-infrared light sources, a camera and an ECU installed therein. The right side near-infrared light source is positioned on a right side relative to the camera in a driver's view, and a light axis of the right side near-infrared light source is tilted to the right by 15 to 45 degrees relative to an imaging direction of the camera. Further, the left side near-infrared light source is positioned on a left side relative to the camera in a driver's view, and a light axis of the right side near-infrared light source is tilted to the left by 15 to 45 degrees relative to an imaging direction of the camera. In this manner, detection errors of the driver's eye condition are reduced.
US08144989B2

Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods for determining text orientation in a digital image.
US08144987B2

A method is arranged to segment a surface in a multi-dimensional dataset comprising a plurality of images. Data processing and data acquisition steps can be temporally or geographically distanced, so that the results of a suitable data segmentation are accessed. Next, suitable plurality of image features resembling possible spatial positions of the surface conceived to be segmented are selected and accessed. The features are subsequently matched for all image portions, whereby for each feature a matching error is assigned. A pre-defined selectivity factor is accessed defining a maximum allowable variable fraction of the features having largest matching errors which can be discarded. The segmentation of the sought surface is performed, whereby the discarded features are not taken into account for evaluating the quality of fit of a candidate deformation. The resulting surface is displayed on a suitable display means.
US08144986B2

A method, computing device, and associated computer readable storage media containing instructions for binarizing a grayscale image by manually determining a first threshold that yields optimal binarization values to one or more images in a set of images, calculating the histograms of each of the images determined using the first threshold, calculating a set of statistical parameters such as the mean, standard deviation and variance of each histogram, determining a second threshold as a function of the set of statistical parameters, and comparing each pixel of the grayscale image to the second threshold. The second threshold T may be a function of the mean m, standard deviation s and variance v and is calculated by fitting a third degree polynomial curve T=a0+a1m+a2s+a3v, where the coefficients A=[a0 a1 a2 a3]T are found using a minimum mean square error algorithm. Grayscale values above the second threshold are assigned a first binarization value and grayscale values below the second threshold are assigned a second binarization value.
US08144982B2

An adjusting portion adjusts values of lightness, chroma, and hue. A change-amount setting portion sets an amount of change for each of lightness, chroma, and hue. A weighting-curve storing portion stores weighting curves for each of lightness, chroma, and hue. A weighting-factor determining portion determines, based on the weighting curves, weighting factors for the values of lightness, chroma, and hue. A specific-color-index determining portion determines a specific color index by multiplying each of the weighting factors determined by the weighting-factor determining portion. An adjustment-amount determining portion determines an adjustment amount by multiplying, by the specific color index, the amount of change set by the change-amount setting portion, and determines adjusted values of lightness, chroma, and hue based on the adjustment amount. An adjusted-color-image obtaining portion obtains an adjusted color image based on the adjusted values.
US08144981B2

In an image-encoding scheme, an input image is decomposed into image blocks comprising multiple image elements. The image blocks are then encoded into encoded blocks. An encoded block comprises a first color codeword, a second color codeword, a color modifier codeword and a color index sequence. The color codewords are representations of a first and second base color located on a first line in color space. The modifier codeword is a representation of at least one color modifier for modifying the first base color along a second line to obtain multiple color representations along the line. The second line has a different direction as compared to the first line. The index sequence comprises color indices associated with a color representation selected form i) the representations on the second line and ii) at least one representation based on the second base color.
US08144971B2

The pattern matching processing system includes: a recognition pattern-storage unit which stores a first image data obtained by picking up an image of at least a portion of a lead frame or a substrate of a first object and the second image data obtained by picking up an image of at least a portion of a lead frame of a second object that is different from the first object, respectively, and also stores one of the first image data and the second image data as an ordinary recognition pattern, and the other as an auxiliary recognition pattern; and a recognition unit, which recognizes input image data by a first pattern matching with the ordinary recognition pattern stored in the recognition pattern-storage unit, and also carries out the second pattern matching with the auxiliary recognition pattern when an error is caused in the first pattern matching.
US08144969B2

A pattern evaluation method includes: acquiring data of a design pattern for an evaluation pattern to detect a first edge of the design pattern; acquiring an image of the evaluation pattern to detect a second edge of the evaluation pattern; dividing the first edge into first linear parts and first corner parts; performing matching of the first and second edges to obtain correspondence between the first and second edges; dividing the second edge into second linear parts and second corner parts based on the correspondence between the first and second edges; and evaluating the evaluation pattern based on at least one of the second linear parts and the second corner parts.
US08144968B2

A method and apparatus for scanning and acquiring 3D profile line data of an object, illustratively for use in an optical inspection system. A 3D scanning subsystem is provided in relative movement to the object being scanned. The subsystem is capable of simultaneously scanning different regions of the object with different exposure lengths.
US08144961B2

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus for providing on a display an ultrasound image including a target object and a pointer movable on the ultrasound image, comprises: an ultrasound image providing unit configured to provide an ultrasound image including a target object; a contour line extracting unit configured to extract a contour line of the target object in the ultrasound image; a coordinate recognizing unit configured to detect cross points while the pointer crosses the contour line and recognize the coordinates of the corner points; a user input unit configured to receive instructions from a user, said instructions including a selection instruction to select measure points among the cross points and a measure instruction to measure a size of the target object; a measuring unit configured to measure a size of the target object in response to the measure instruction based on coordinates of the measure points selected in response to the selection instruction; and an output unit configured to output the ultrasound image, the pointer, the contour line, the measure points and the size of the target object.
US08144956B2

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described which acquires 3D data sets of the heart including the myocardium. The epicardial and endocardial surfaces of the myocardium in the data sets are identified by automated or semi-automated border detection. A 3D image of the myocardium is produced from the defined surfaces. The 3D image illustrates the wall thickness of the myocardium and can be segmented into defined regions, with quantified measures made for each defined region.
US08144954B2

Methods, systems, and devices for generating textured 3D models are provided. The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and devices for combining multiple images onto a 3D model. In some instances, the textures of the images are applied to the 3D model dynamically so that the textured 3D model is viewable from different viewpoints in real time on a display. The present disclosure also describes methods, systems, and devices for selecting the images and, in particular, the portions of the selected images to map to defined portions of the 3D model. In addition, the present disclosure describes how to adjust the images themselves to remove the effects of directional lighting. Some aspects of the present disclosure are particularly useful in the context of a 3D modeling of dental preparations. In some instances, a 3D digitizer is used to produce 3D models of dental preparations that are rendered on a display in real time and are fully 3D dimensional, while accurately depicting the surface textures of the item(s) being digitized.
US08144942B2

The present invention enables permanent biometric authentication without the risk of forgery or the like. The present invention enables living-tissue discrimination as well as biometric authentication. The roughness distribution pattern of deep-layer tissue of the skin covered with epidermal tissue is detected, thereby extracting a unique pattern of the living tissue. Then, biometric authentication is performed based upon the detected pattern. The roughness distribution pattern of the deep-layer tissue of the skin is optically detected using difference in optical properties between the epidermal tissue and the deep-layer tissue of the skin. In this case, long-wavelength light, e.g., near-infrared light is used as illumination light cast onto the skin tissue. A fork structure of a subcutaneous blood vessel is used as the portion which is to be detected, for example. The portion which is to be detected is determined based upon the structure of the fork structure. In this case, the living-tissue discrimination may be made using the subcutaneous blood vessel.
US08144937B2

A method for automatically updating a graphical information system (GIS) type database using aerial imagery. The method may involve processing a new image to identify at least one target region therewithin; analyzing the target region to determine image invariant moments thereof; using feature vector data to generate a template of a target feature from an old image; analyzing the template to generate image invariant moments thereof; and comparing the image invariant moments of the target region with the image invariant moments of the template to identify a feature change between the target region and the template.
US08144935B2

A movement detection method that includes calculating a first mean of a signal designed to be supplied by at least one pixel of a pixel matrix which corresponds to a captured image. The movement detection method further includes calculating a second signal, second mean, third mean and fourth mean wherein a movement is detected from the result of at least one comparison made of the signal and the second, third and fourth mean.
US08144932B2

In order to detect a specific detection object from an input image, a color serving as a reference is calculated in a reference image region. The difference for each color component between each pixel in the detection window and the reference color is calculated. Whether or not the detection object is included in the detection window is discriminated by a feature vector indicating how the difference is distributed in the detection window.
US08144929B2

A human pursuit system includes a plurality of cameras, shooting directions of which are directed toward a floor, are installed on a ceiling, a parallax of an object reflected in an overlapping image domain is calculated on the basis of at least a portion of the overlapping image domain where images are overlapped among shot images shot by the plurality of cameras, the object equal to or greater than a threshold value predetermined by the calculated parallax is detected as a human, a pattern image including the detected human object is extracted, and a pattern matching is applied to the extracted pattern image and the image shot by the camera to thereby pursue a human movement trajectory.
US08144920B2

An implementation of automated location estimation using image analysis is described. In this implementation, an image of a place is obtained and matched with previously stored images. The matching may be achieved by employing methods based on key feature extraction algorithm, color histogram analysis, pattern matching or other image comparison techniques. Upon determining a match, the location information associated with the matched previously stored images provides the location. The location information may be in the form of location tags or location keywords and the location information may be used by the user or other applications for the purposes of location determination. The above technique also allows for the user to enter location information to improve accuracy. The location information may also be assigned to the previously stored images residing in local and remote databases for users and applications to automatically assign information or keywords to images.
US08144919B2

The present invention relates to a method to make effective use of non rectangular display space for displaying a collage. In an embodiment of the invention, a heterogeneous set of images can be arranged to display the region of interest of the images to avoid overlapping regions of interest. The background gaps between the regions of interest can be filled by extending the regions of interest using a Voronoi technique. This produces a stained glass effect for the collage. In an embodiment of the present invention, the technique can be applied to irregular shapes including circular shapes with a hole in the middle. In an embodiment of the present invention, the technique can be used to print labels for disks.
US08144912B2

A manufacturing method of a paper making part for a loudspeaker has freedom of adjusting a characteristic and a sound quality, and has a higher productivity. Accordingly, a fibrillating step of a paper making material is achieved by an explosive crushing step. Alternatively, the step is achieved by a mixing step of a paper making material and a liquid, a material micro-fabricating step of applying a pressure to a mixed solution obtained by the mixing step so as to pass through an orifice and thereafter run into a device wall, and a paper making step including the micro-fabricated material.
US08144909B2

The present invention relates to recipient customization of a bone conducting hearing device. Customization of the bone conducting hearing device may include attaching the bone conducting hearing device to a recipient, establishing communication between the hearing device and an external device, generating at least one control setting with the external device, and storing the at least one control setting in a memory device in the hearing device.
US08144902B2

A stereo image can be widened by converting a stereo audio signal into a sum-difference audio signal, applying HRTF processing to the difference channel, and producing an output stereo audio signal. A stereo image can also be widened by receiving a stereo signal, converting the stereo signal into a sum-difference signal, applying HRTF processing to only the difference channel, upsampling the sum-difference signal, applying distortion, downsampling the sum-difference signal, and converting the sum-difference signal into a stereo signal. A system for widening a stereo image can comprise an input module configured to convert a stereo audio signal into a sum-difference audio signal, an HRTF module configured to apply HRTF processing to only the difference channel, a distortion module configured to apply a first distortion to the sum channel and a second different distortion to the difference channel, and an output module configured to produce an output stereo audio signal.
US08144901B2

The present invention provides a sound image position correction system that applies sound image position correction processing to a voice signal so that an optimal sound image position is obtained. There is provided a sound image position correction system which corrects the position of a sound image output from a plurality of speakers in a multichannel reproduction system having three or more channels, which includes a speaker moving section that moves the positions of the plurality of speakers provided in the multichannel reproduction system, a speaker position detection section that detects the positions of the plurality of speakers moved by the speaker moving section, and a sound image position correction section that applies sound image position correction processing to a sound signal to be supplied to the plurality of speakers based on the positions of the speakers detected by the speaker position detection section.
US08144896B2

A system that facilitates blind source separation in a distributed microphone meeting environment for improved teleconferencing. Input sensor (e.g., microphone) signals are transformed to the frequency-domain and independent component analysis is applied to compute estimates of frequency-domain processing matrices. Modified permutations of the processing matrices are obtained based upon a maximum magnitude based de-permutation scheme. Estimates of the plurality of source signals are provided based upon the modified frequency-domain processing matrices and input sensor signals.Optionally, segments during which the set of active sources is a subset of the set of all sources can be exploited to compute more accurate estimates of frequency-domain mixing matrices. Source activity detection can be applied to determine which speaker(s), if any, are active. Thereafter, a least squares post-processing of the frequency-domain independent components analysis outputs can be employed to adjust the estimates of the source signals based on source inactivity.
US08144888B2

A filter apparatus for reducing noise from a primary noise source, comprising a secondary source signal connector for generating secondary noise to reduce said primary noise and a sensor connector for connecting to a sensor for measuring said primary and secondary noise as an error signal. A first control filter is arranged to receive a reference signal and calculate a control signal for the secondary source signal. A second control filter is arranged to receive a delayed reference signal and calculate an auxiliary control signal; wherein an adaptation circuit is arranged to adapt said second control filter while receiving an error signal as a sum of the auxiliary control signal and an auxiliary noise signal. The auxiliary noise signal is constructed from a difference of the delayed filtered error signal and a delayed control signal. The first control filter is updated by a copy of said updated second control filter.
US08144881B2

In one disclosed aspect, dynamic gain modifications are applied to an audio signal at least partly in response to auditory events and/or the degree of change in signal characteristics associated with said auditory event boundaries. In another aspect, an audio signal is divided into auditory events by comparing the difference in specific loudness between successive time blocks of the audio signal.
US08144868B2

At a transmitter, a program is encrypting according to a one program key, the program key is encrypted, and the encrypted program, the encrypted program key, and non-encrypted PSI data to a receiver are transmitted. At a receiver, the encrypted program, the encrypted program key, and the non-encrypted PSI data are received, the encrypted program key is decrypted, the encrypted program is located according to the non-encrypted PSI data, and the located encrypted program is decrypted according to decrypted program key.
US08144843B2

A system and method for providing easy access to messaging services in a telecommunications network having office switches that are used by different providers of telephone and messaging services. The system uses a supplementary services database to maintain customer records including whether the customer uses messaging services and whether the customer subscribes to a short dialing sequence service for access to the messaging services. The customer is connected to the central office switch, which analyzes the dialing sequences generated by the customer. When the customer attempts access to the messaging services, the customer dials a short dialing or message sequence, such as *XX. The central office switch triggers a query to the supplementary services database for a call forwarding number to the messaging service used by the customer when the selected short dialing sequence is recognized by the switch. When the central office switch receives the call forwarding number, the number is used to route the customer to the messaging service.
US08144841B2

Determining unwanted multimedia message originated from a multimedia call. An interface receives a multimedia message from a telecommunication service operator, and multimedia message is stored on a storage area. A unified communication system manages communication message delivery to at least one of the following access points for the recipient, and the unified communication system includes a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions for identifying a voice portion from content of the received multimedia message. An anti-spam engine is applied to analyze a textual representation of the identified voice portion, and a confidence ranking of the representation is generated in response to the analyzed representation. It is determined whether the multimedia message is an unwanted multimedia message as a function of the confidence ranking and the analyzed representation.
US08144840B2

One embodiment of the disclosures made herein is a method for facilitating mediated communication. In such an embodiment of the disclosures made herein, a voice-based communication request transmitted from a first communication device is received by a mediation system. The voice based communication request is requesting voice-based communication between the first communication device and a second communication device. In response to receiving the request for voice-based communication, a capability of the first communication device for communicating via a prescribed text messaging protocol is determined. Facilitating presentation of a text messaging follow-through action at the second communication device is performed in response to determining that the first communication device is capable of communicating via the prescribed text messaging protocol.
US08144838B2

The invention concerns an automated task classification system that operates on a task objective of a user. The system may include a meaningful phrase generator that generates a plurality of meaningful phrases from a set of verbal and non-verbal speech. Each of the meaningful phrases may be generated based on one of a predetermined set of the task objectives. A recognizer may recognize at least one of the generated meaningful phrases in an input communication of the user and a task classifier may make a classification decision in response to the recognized meaningful phrases relating to one of the set of predetermined task objectives.
US08144821B2

CDMA code channels are acquired using a crystal oscillator that is not temperature compensated and that generates a tuning signal with relatively large frequency error (e.g., +/−5 ppm). Channel acquisition is first attempted at no offset from a start frequency that is obtained by fitting an ideal temperature/frequency error curve to available actual data points. Following unsuccessful pilot acquisition, the offset frequency is stepped in a “spiral” manner, and pilot acquisition is retried. When the pilot and synchronization channels are successfully acquired, but the system identification is unexpected, an adjacent channel image has been acquired, and the offset frequency is bumped by a large step (e.g., 15 kHz). Pilot acquisition is retried using spiral stepping. The crystal oscillator is calibrated after each successful acquisition of the pilot, synchronization and paging channels by retaining a data point in a frequency adjustment table for the temperature at which frequency acquisition was successful.
US08144815B2

The communications terminal and acquisition method is for use with Continuous Phase Modulation (CPM) and Phase Shift Keying (PSK) modulation-type signals, each modulation-type signal having a respective preamble phasing sequence. The communications terminal may include a wireless communications device to receive a modulated signal having one of the CPM and PSK modulation types, and having a symbol rate. A controller may be included to cooperate with the wireless communications device to perform a transform process, such as a Fourier Transform (FT) process, on the received modulated signal to detect the modulation type and the symbol rate of the received modulated signal based upon the preamble phasing sequence. Carrier phase and frequency of the received modulated signal may be estimated based upon bin amplitudes. Also, symbol timing may be estimated based upon a phase difference between tones associated with the preamble phasing sequence.
US08144813B2

A receiving method according to the present invention adjusts a level of an output voltage signal by switching a gain to be used for converting an inputted current signal to a voltage signal, in a preamplifier. Performing offset compensation on the output voltage signal in an offset compensator, in a post amplifier. Adding a reset signal, whose polarity is made opposite to a polarity of the output voltage signal, to the output voltage signal, in the preamplifier. Detecting the reset signal having added to the output voltage signal, and resetting the offset compensator by use of the detected reset signal, in the post amplifier.
US08144808B2

A communication apparatus and method include: selecting, as a precoding matrix, one of pre-stored at least one matrix Wi, where i is a natural number, and precoding a data stream desired to be transmitted based on the precoding matrix, wherein each diagonal block, among a plurality of blocks included in each of the at least one matrix Wi, includes a nonzero matrix, the nonzero matrix excluding a zero matrix, and wherein each remaining block among the plurality of blocks, excluding the diagonal blocks, includes the zero matrix.
US08144806B2

Briefly, some embodiments of the invention may provide devices, systems and methods of in-phase and quadrature mismatch analysis and correction. For example, a method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention may include re-encoding an estimated symbol of an input signal having an in-phase component and a quadrature component, based on an analysis of a mismatch between said in-phase component and said quadrature component.
US08144792B2

A method and system provides for execution of calibration cycles from time to time during normal operation of the communication channel. A calibration cycle includes de-coupling the normal data source from the transmitter and supplying a calibration pattern in its place. The calibration pattern is received from the communication link using the receiver on the second component. A calibrated value of a parameter of the communication channel is determined in response to the received calibration pattern. The steps involved in calibration cycles can be reordered to account for utilization patterns of the communication channel. For bidirectional links, calibration cycles are executed which include the step of storing received calibration patterns on the second component, and retransmitting such calibration patterns back to the first component for use in adjusting parameters of the channel at first component.
US08144790B2

A broadcast receiver, and a method of processing data are disclosed. The broadcast receiver includes a receiving unit, a RS frame decoder, a decoding unit, and an output unit. The receiving unit receives a broadcast signal multiplexed mobile broadcast service data including a first information associated with safety/security and main broadcast service data. The RS frame decoder performs CRC-decoding and RS-decoding on the RS frame, thereby correcting errors occurred in the corresponding mobile broadcast service data. The decoding unit extracts the first information from the error-corrected mobile broadcast service data, thereby decoding the extracted data with at least one of an audio decoder, a video decoder, and a data decoder. The output unit outputs the first information decoded by the decoder in a form of at least one of a text, a voice message, and an image.
US08144788B2

A digital television receiving system includes a frame encoder, a data randomizing and expanding unit, a group formatter, a block processor, a deinterleaver, and a multiplexer. The frame encoder encodes an enhanced data frame for error correction. The data randomizing and expanding unit randomizes the encoded enhanced data and expands the randomized enhanced data. The group formatter forms a group of enhanced data having head, body, and tail regions and inserts the expanded data and transmission parameters into the body region. The block processor codes the group of enhanced data, and the deinterleaver deinterleaves the coded enhanced data. The packet formatter formats the deinterleaved enhanced data into enhanced data packets.
US08144785B2

A video decoder, encoder, and corresponding methods for processing video signal data for an image block and a particular reference picture index to predict the image block are disclosed that utilize adaptive weighting of reference pictures to enhance video compression, where a decoder includes a reference picture weighting factor unit for determining a weighting factor corresponding to the particular reference picture index; an encoder includes a reference picture weighting factor assignor for assigning a weighting factor corresponding to the particular reference picture index; and a method for decoding includes receiving a reference picture index with the data that corresponds to the image block, determining a weighting factor for each received reference picture index, retrieving a reference picture for each index, motion compensating the retrieved reference picture, and multiplying the motion compensated reference picture by the corresponding weighting factor to form a weighted motion compensated reference picture.
US08144781B2

A video processing system includes a video encoder that encodes a video stream into an independent video layer stream and a first dependent video layer stream that requires the independent video layer for decoding. A scrambling module scrambles the independent video layer stream to produce a scrambled independent video layer stream and leaves the first dependent video layer stream unscrambled.
US08144779B2

A motion vector detecting apparatus includes a first generation unit that generates a first evaluation value table from an image signal of a first level, a second generation unit that generates a second evaluation value table from an image signal of a second level higher than the first level, a correction unit that corrects the first evaluation value table on the basis of the second evaluation value table, a first extraction unit that extracts first candidate vectors using the first evaluation value table, a second extraction unit that extracts second candidate vectors using the corrected first evaluation value table, and a detection unit that detects a motion vector from the first and second candidate vectors.
US08144777B2

A motion vector detection method includes extracting a first block from the m-th picture, extracting second blocks having a large correlation with respect to the first block from a (m+n)-th picture ((m+n)>m-th), detecting first motion vectors between the first and second blocks, extracting a third block located in spatially the same position as that of the first block from a (m+i)-th picture ((m+n)>(m+i)>m-th), computing second motion vectors of (n−1)/n times the first motion vectors, extracting a fourth block corresponding to a movement position of the third block from the (m+n)-th picture according to the second motion vector, and selecting an optimum motion vector maximizing a correlation between the third and fourth blocks from the first motion vectors.
US08144766B2

A next position selector for motion estimation iterative search improves the efficiency and quality of the integer-pel motion estimation iterative search by easily and quickly determining the center point of the next search area. By taking a position of the SAD value of the present search area and mapping that position to a center point of the next search area, the process of determining the next search area is very efficient. A local minimum avoidance scheme improves avoids being trapped in a local minimum. By remembering the previous position/direction, the search is able to continue in the correct direction to ensure that the search continues without a back and forth search that is trapped in a local minimum. Applications of this improved motion estimation search include stabilizing an image as well as many other applications where motion vectors are used.
US08144765B2

A coding apparatus for hierarchically (layering) coding top field data and bottom field data divided from each of a plurality of picture data composing a moving picture image has a first coding unit (12) configured to encode one field data between two field data of the top field data and the bottom field data divided from the picture data, a conversion unit (13) configured to interpolate first predicted image data generated by the first coding unit encoding above one field data and generate a second predicted image data of a scanning position of the other field data between the two field data, and a second coding unit (14) configured to encode the other field data between the two field data based on the second predicted image data generated by the conversion unit.
US08144763B2

To provide a system, apparatus and method of changing frame rate of cameras according to the detector that has sent an alarm signal, in order to optimize utilization of hardware resources. An apparatus for setting a frame rate under which images are captured by a camera in an image capturing system having a plurality of cameras and a plurality of detectors, the apparatus including: detector interface for receiving a first signal from at least one of the sensors; association unit for associating the first signal with information related to the camera; calculation unit for calculating a frame rate of each of the plurality of cameras based on the association between the first signal and the information related to the cameras; setting unit for setting the frame rate of the camera calculation by the calculation unit; and second reception unit (capture card) for receiving image data from the camera at a frame rate set by the setting unit.
US08144762B2

A band extending apparatus (1) is provided with: first generating device (111, 112) for generating a baseband signal (XB(n)) by up-sampling an input signal (X(n)) and then transmitting it through a low-pass filter; a second generating device (21) for generating a high-frequency signal (XH(n)), by extracting a signal component on a higher-frequency side of a signal which is obtained by squaring a band limited signal (Xb(n)) which is a signal component with a predetermined band of the baseband signal; and a third generating device (141) for generating an output signal (XE(n)) by adding the high-frequency signal to the baseband signal.
US08144756B2

The present invention relates to a jitter measuring system, comprising: a delay circuit for receiving a clock signal and delaying the clock signal to generate a delay signal; a jitter amplifier for receiving the clock signal and delay signal to generate a first signal and a second signal; and a converter for converting a phase different between the first signal and the second signal into a relevant digital code; wherein the phase difference between the first signal and the second signal is an amplification of jitter.
US08144754B2

The present invention relates to a method for detecting the presence or the absence of a spread spectrum signal in a frequency band of interest of a received signal, wherein: the autocorrelation function of said received signal is calculated for a set (S*) of non-zero time shift values (m); at least one cyclic correlation coefficient on (Rekα(m)) of the autocorrelation function is determined for said time shift values; the energy of the autocorrelation function is estimated from the quadratic sum of the values assumed by said cyclic correlation coefficient for said time shift values; the thereby estimated energy is compared with a predetermined threshold value and the presence or absence of said spread spectrum signal in the received signal is inferred from the result of the comparison.
US08144752B2

Disclosed is a receiver and a method for receiving a radio-electric navigation signal modulated by a carrier at a frequency fp, a sub-carrier at a frequency fsp and a pseudo-random code at a frequency fc, in which the radio-electric signal is converted into a two-way base band I, Q, characterized in that K modified pseudo-random codes, where K=α·fsp/fc, a being a predetermined integer, are generated locally by a modified code generator, each modified code having, during a time duration Tk where Tk=1/α·fsp, the shape of the pseudo-random code without the sub-carrier, and being offset in time by a duration Tk of the preceding modified pseudo-random code; in both ways, the signal is multiplied by the K modified codes and is phase- and quadrature-correlated by two phase and quadrature sub-carriers generated locally.
US08144750B2

A receiver includes an equalizer and a decoder which decodes data from a signal. The signal is based upon an output of the equalizer. The receiver also includes an encoder, which re-encodes the decoded data, and an error generator, which generates an error vector based upon the signal and the encoded data and which weights the error vector according to a reliability that the decoder accurately decoded the data from the signal. A controller controls the equalizer in response to the weighted error vector.
US08144730B2

An automated system for translating datalink information and producing a computer code based on the translated datalink information. The computer code may subsequently be used to establish datalink communications between pieces of equipment having different communication protocols. The automated production of computer code reduces time and errors during software development for applications used in communicating between different datalinks.
US08144726B2

A design structure is provided for a microelectronic serial driver. The serial driver is operable to transmit a differential pattern signal during a burst interval and a predetermined common mode voltage level during a second interval between adjacent burst intervals, the serial driver including at least one pre-driver and a driver coupled to an output of the pre-driver for transmitting the differential communication signal. A switching circuit is operable to switch the serial driver between a first power supply voltage level for the burst interval and the predetermined common mode voltage level, wherein the predetermined common mode voltage level is independent of variations in power supply voltage conditions and temperature conditions.
US08144717B2

A wireless communication network comprises an association unit and a plurality of stations. At least part of the stations store association information indicative of an associated route for transmission of messages from the station to the association unit. The association information is generated by installing the stations in a not-associated state; transmitting association request messages from stations in the not-associated state; and transmitting association grant messages in response to the association request messages. Each association grant message is transmitted only from the association unit or, at least when the station that has transmitted association request message is outside a reception range of the association unit, from one of the stations that is in an associated state. Each station that has received the association grant message in response to its association request message is switched to the associated state. Association information is stored that indicates the station that has sent the association grant message as part of the associated route to the association unit.
US08144695B2

A method for diverting a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message is provided. The method includes receiving a SIP message comprising a Globally Routable User Agent Uniform Resource Identifier (GRUU). The method further includes evaluating a diversion rule including a condition comprising whether the first GRUU matches a second GRUU, wherein the second GRUU is contained in the condition.
US08144694B2

A system and method for equal access over a wireline and/or wireless packet-switched network including a receiver to receive, from a requestor, a request for equal access to a service provider, and a processor to present one or more equal access criteria to be satisfied by the requestor, and in the event the one or more equal access criteria are satisfied by the requestor, to allow, to the requestor, equal access over a wireline and/or wireless packet-switched network to the service provider.
US08144693B1

A method and system of an embodiment of the present invention may involve receiving an invite message at a network port of a device to initiate a communication session with the device; identifying an address associated with the invite message; when the address corresponds to a first address, performing a first session initiation process to establish first communications via an audio port of the device; and when the address corresponds to a second address, performing a second session initiation process to establish second communications via the audio port of the device; wherein the second session initiation process differs from the first session initiation process. In addition, access to the audio port may involve determining a priority of the invite message; rejecting the invite message when the priority of the invite message is inferior relative to a priority of a current dialog; and accepting the invite message when the priority of the invite request is superior to the priority of the current dialog.
US08144690B2

A method that provides for multicast delivery of information in a DSL network includes creating transmission paths between a single source port and multiple destination ports in a DSL network; receiving information at the source port; determining which of the destination ports is to receive the information; and distributing the information from the source port to selective ones of the destination ports based on the prior referencing step. A DSL system for providing multicast delivery of information includes an ATM network layer for sending information, a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) coupled to the ATM network layer for receiving the information, and a network control system for controlling selective multiplexing of the information through the digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM).
US08144689B2

A mechanism for controlling asynchronous clock domains to perform synchronous operations is provided. With the mechanism, when a synchronous operation is to be performed on a chip, the latches of the functional elements of the chip are controlled by a synchronous clock so that the latches are controlled synchronously even across asynchronous boundaries of the chip. The synchronous operation may then be performed and the chip's functional elements returned to being controlled by a local clock in an asynchronous manner after completion of the synchronous operation. This synchronous operation may be, for example, a power on reset (POR) operation, a manufacturing test sequence, debug operation, or the like.
US08144674B2

Aspects of a method and system for inter-PCB communications with wireline control may include setting up a microwave communication link between a first PCB and a second PCB via a wireline communication bus. The initialization may comprise adjusting beamforming parameters of a first antenna array communicatively coupled to the first PCB, and of a second antenna array communicatively coupled to the second PCB. The first PCB and the second PCB may communicate data via the microwave communication link. The microwave communication link may be routed via one or more relay PCBs, when the first PCB and the second PCB cannot directly communicate satisfactorily. Control data may be transferred between the first PCB, the second PCB, and/or the one or more relay PCBs, which may comprise one or more antennas. The relay PCBs may be dedicated relay PCBs or multi-purpose transmitter/receivers.
US08144672B2

The disclosure relates to techniques and technologies for providing mobile wireless broadband coverage. In one implementation, Wireless Wide Area Broadband (WWAB) network elements are provided in a Vehicular Area Network (VAN) that also includes a Mobile Network Controller (MNC). The WWAB network elements in the VAN include at least one WWAB base station (BS). A mobility protocol tunnel is provided between a Mobility Management Server (MMS) and the MNC to make mobility of the WWAB network elements in the VAN transparent to the WWAB network elements in the fixed infrastructure. The WWAB BS and the MNC can allow a WWAB-enabled mobile station (MS) to connect to WWAB network elements in the fixed infrastructure.
US08144669B2

A system and method for increasing bandwidth usage between an access point and a wireless device are described. One embodiment can include an access point, a prioritizer, and a priority storage device. These components can increase bandwidth usage between an access point and a wireless device by allocating previously unused transmission slots.
US08144661B2

The present invention relates to a packet data support node (10A) in a core network and connectable to at least one radio access network over a radio network control node. The packet data support node (10A) comprises duplicating means (12A) for duplicating original downlink data packets intended for a mobile station for which a hand-over is performed from the packet data support node acting as source node to a packet data support node acting as target node, control means (HA) for activating sending of the duplicated data packets to the packet data support node acting as a target node for forwarding to the mobile station such that the original downlink data packets are sent to the mobile station over a source radio access node from the source packet data node (10A). The duplicated data packets are sent to the mobile station over a target radio access node from the packet data source node acting as target node.
US08144652B2

A client in a home entertainment network can communicate with other components, including the server, over both a wired and a wireless link, with the particular path being selected based a component preference, and/or a bandwidth capability, and/or an occupancy ratio. Both links may be simultaneously used.
US08144649B2

In order to send a sender side a transmission band control Msg indicating that a band has become narrow consistently with the minimum arrival time when performing communication while compensating for insufficient band of one wireless communication path with another wireless communication path, a communication control apparatus 100 and a wireless communication apparatus 300 are provided with transmission band control information generating units (109, 309) for generating transmission band control information indicating that a transmission band has become narrow based on the packets received through one wireless communication path 10A, transmission band control information generating units (109, 309) for generating transmission band control information indicating that a transmission band has become narrow based on the packets received through another wireless communication path 10B, and transmission band control information transmission path control units (115, 315) for selecting the most suitable transmission path for sending generated transmission band control information based on the band statuses of a plurality of wireless communication paths.
US08144646B2

A method and system for interconnecting a broadband wireless network with a wired network includes interconnecting a broadband wireless access (BWA) network with an optical access (OAN) broadband network at any reference point among reference points T, a, ODN, and V in the OAN broadband network, and interconnecting them with a digital subscriber line (DSL) network by the reference point V in the DSL network. The method of the present invention can solve the problem of the interconnection between the worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) network and the OAN broadband network, and the DSL network. An evolution approach is provided for the OAN broadband network operator and the DSL network operator to develop the WiMAX network.
US08144643B2

Systems and methods for supporting more flexible coverage areas and spatial capacity assignments using satellite communications systems are disclosed. Antenna elements are arranged in one or more phased arrays. The phased arrays may be used to receive uplink communications, transmit downlink communications, or both receive uplink communications and transmit downlink communications. Beam forming networks (BFN's) associated with the one or more phased arrays may be dynamic, allowing for movement of the locations of the receive beams, the transmit beams, or both the receive beams and transmit beams. The beams may then “hop” from location to location according to a predefined or dynamic hopping pattern. In some embodiments, the hopping patterns may be time-varying and may be changed or updated on-the-fly.
US08144639B1

A wireless communication system comprises a mode transition control system. The mode transition control system comprises a communication interface and a processing system. The communication interface is configured to receive first information for a first user. The processing system is configured to process the first information and select a first mode transition sequence for the first user, wherein the first mode transition sequence comprises an active mode to sleep mode to idle mode transition, and an idle mode to sleep mode to active mode transition. The communication interface is configured to receive second information for a second user. The processing system is configured to process the second information and select a second mode transition sequence for the second user, wherein the second mode transition sequence comprises an active mode to sleep mode transition, and a sleep mode to active mode transition. The communication interface is configured to receive third information for a third user. The processing system is configured to process the third information and select a third mode transition sequence for the third user, wherein the third mode transition sequence comprises an active mode to idle mode transition, and an idle mode to active mode transition. The communication interface is configured to transfer the first mode transition sequence to the first user for use by the first user, transfer the second mode transition sequence to the second user for use by the second user, and transfer the third mode transition sequence to the third user for use by the third user.
US08144632B1

One example embodiment of the invention is a method for communicating streaming data between a plurality of users participating in a real-time communications event over a packet based data network, the method comprising the steps of: a source identifying a first sink corresponding to a request, the request including at least a method, one or more method parameters, and a time to live value; the source using a sink data repository to identify a first sink address corresponding to the first sink, the sink data repository comprising sink addresses for a plurality of different sinks; the source communicating the request to said first sink; and, the first sink returning an error message if the time to live has expired, and if the time to live has not expired the first sink processing the request through one or more steps of: acting as a resource by executing the method using the method parameters and communicating a response to the source; acting as a filter by forwarding the request to a second sink; and, redirecting the request back to the source for communicating to a second sink.
US08144630B1

Apparatuses, systems, methods, algorithms, and software for distributed control and/or configuration of network switching devices. The apparatus generally comprises a plurality of network I/O ports, a local control I/O port, and a controller configured to, when the apparatus is a master, receive control input data from at least one of the network I/O ports, process the control input data, and provide control output data to at least one of the network I/O ports, and when the apparatus is a slave, receive the control input data from the local control I/O port, provide the control input data to at least one of the network I/O ports, receive the control output data from at least one of the network I/O ports, and provide the control output data to the local control I/O port. The present disclosure advantageously enables control and/or configuration of a stack of network switch devices by communicating through a local control port of at least one of the devices in the stack.
US08144627B2

The connectivity information provided by a variety of inference engines is integrated to provide a set of inferred links within a network. A consolidation is performed among inference engines that operate at a base level of connectivity detail to create a model of the network at this base level. The connectivity information provided by inference engines at each subsequent higher level of connectivity abstraction is then overlaid on the base level connectivity. By separately consolidating the connectivity information at each level of abstraction, the rules for dealing with conflicts can be simplified and/or better focused to resolve the conflict. By assuming that the more detailed lower level information is likely to be more accurate, rules can be developed to modify the connectivity models produced by the higher level techniques to conform to the lower level connectivity details while still maintaining the integrity of the higher level connectivity models.
US08144626B2

According to particular embodiments, determining disjoint paths includes receiving a graph representing a network comprising nodes and links. The graph is transformed such that the number of intermediate nodes of a path indicates the number of regenerators for the path. A set of seed paths from a source node to a destination node of the transformed graph is generated. For each seed path, a shortest path from the source node to the destination node is determined to yield one or more pairs of disjoint paths from the source node to the destination node. An optimized pair of disjoint paths is selected, where the optimized pair of disjoint paths has an optimized number of regenerators.
US08144621B2

Disclosed is a node that includes a distributed hash table generation means that generates a distributed hash table which indicates the next node to which a message is to be transferred, using a link state routing protocol, a link state information that exchange unit sends and receives link state information, and a tree delivery control unit that determines the transfer destination of the link state information so that the link state information is delivered along a tree where the source node of the link state information is a root.
US08144619B2

A method for providing unequal allocation of rights among agents while operating according to fair principles, comprising assigning a hierarchal rank to each agent; providing a synthetic economic value to a first set of agents at the a high level of the hierarchy; allocating portions of the synthetic economic value by the first set of agents to a second set of agents at respectively different hierarchal rank than the first set of agents; and conducting an auction amongst agents using the synthetic economic value as the currency. A method for allocation among agents, comprising assigning a wealth generation function for generating future wealth to each of a plurality of agents, communicating subjective market information between agents, and transferring wealth generated by the secure wealth generation function between agents in consideration of a market transaction. The method may further comprise the step of transferring at least a portion of the wealth generation function between agents.
US08144615B2

A method for controlling rate matching in a communications system includes calculating a rate matching parameter containing a basic variable for an input bit string, and evaluating an additional parameter reflecting a current channel status of the transport channel receiving the input bit string. The input bit string generated in the upper layer is mapped to a physical channel of a Physical Layer by performing bit repeating or bit puncturing. If the bit repeating is executed on the input bit string on the basis of the first basic variable, and a second basic variable is calculated using the first basic variable and the additional parameter. A communication device to control rate matching between a physical channel and a transport channel includes a parameter calculator, an additional parameter generator, and a rate matching executioner to execute bit repeating or bit puncturing.
US08144614B2

The invention concerns a method and an apparatus for detecting vocal data flow in a packet data flow characterised by at least two measurable variables (X5Y). A distribution function (P{x 1 C}, P{y I C}) is provided of the values of each variable (X5Y) in a vocal data flow, and the values (x,y) of each variable (X,Y) are measured in order to obtain a sequence of measured values (x(k), y(k)) on a number (k) of blocks. Each measured value (x(k), y(k)) is therefore applied to the respective distributiion function (P{x 1 C}, P{yI C}) in order to generate a sequence of likelihood values Formula (I) from which respective average likelihood values (E [Bx],E[By]) are generated. The average values are processed in order to generate a reference likelihood value (B) which, when compared with a threshold likelihood value (Bmin) enables the presence of vocal data flow in a packet data flow to be detected.
US08144612B2

Systems, methods, and processor readable media are disclosed for encoding and transmitting first media content and second media content using a digital radio broadcast system, such that the second media content can be rendered in synchronization with the first media content by a digital radio broadcast receiver. The disclosed systems, methods, and processor-readable media determine when a receiver will render audio and data content that is transmitted at a given time by the digital radio broadcast transmitter, and adjust the media content accordingly to provide synchronized rendering. In exemplary embodiments, these adjustments can be provided by: 1) inserting timing instructions specifying playback time in the secondary content based on calculated delays; or 2) controlling the timing of sending the primary or secondary content to the transmitter so that it will be rendered in synchronization by the receiver.
US08144607B2

The present invention relates to a method that provides for advertising a network node to a managing node in a communication network. To this end, at the network node, position data of the network node are determined. At the managing node, at least one condition to be satisfied by the network node is set and a request message containing the at least one condition is transmitted by the managing node. Then, the request message containing the at least one condition is received at the network node and the at least one condition is evaluated at the network node. In case a specified combination of conditions is satisfied, the network node replies with a reply message containing at least a network protocol address and the determined position data of the network node. The present invention further relates to a corresponding system and network entities involved.
US08144606B1

Devices, systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with a network device for interfacing a host with a network are described. One example network device includes a transmit path, and a receive path. A loopback path connects the transmit path and the receive path. A frame detection logic is configured to monitor network traffic on the transmit path to identify loopback frames. When a loopback frame is detected, a loopback logic routes the identified loopback frame onto the loopback path and then to the receive path. The rerouted loopback frame may then be received by a host or an embedded client from the receive path.
US08144603B2

IP state-vector manager determines state vector value by updating token numbers of IP state vector according to source and destination IP addresses of the received packet, and obtains state number of state vector value by counting state vector value. Port-number state-vector manager determines state vector value by updating token numbers of port-number state vector according to source and destination token numbers of packet, and obtains state number of state vector value by counting state vector value. Entropy calculator calculates entropies related to IP address and port number, based on number and state number of state vector values related to IP state vector and port-number state vector. Anomalous event determiner determines whether there is anomalous event in network based on calculated entropies. Anomalous event can be efficiently detected with minimized false negative and positive rates.
US08144598B2

A system for automated installation of a communication line using an optimal route between a source location and a destination location is disclosed. The system includes a routing engine providing an automated design process for rendering the optimal route. The routing engine utilizes a routing algorithm to select the optimal route from a graph of capacity links defining a plurality of possible routes between the source and destination locations. If, at any time during the design process, the optimal route or capacity links defining the optimal route are detected as unavailable for any reason, the routing engine re-initiates the design process and thereafter selects a new optimal route based upon a new capacity graph built without the previously unavailable capacity link. Once designed, the available optimal route is provided to a command and control engine, which, in turn, manages the installation of the communication line using the optimal route. The command and control engine manages the process for assigning the optimal route in the provisioning system.
US08144595B1

A system comprising a plurality of nodes forming a network and a link-state packet capable of being transmitted by a source node in the network to a destination node in the network over a communication link; wherein the source node subtracts a transmission cost associated with the communication link from a time-to-live value associated with the link-state packet prior to transmitting the link-state packet to the destination node. Each node in the network may be configured to use a routing protocol, such as a no-sight routing protocol, to assign the transmission cost to the communication link.
US08144590B2

A system and method for resource allocation includes, in a network having nodes and links, injecting units of flow for at least one commodity at a source corresponding to the at least one commodity. At each node, queue heights, associated with the at least one commodity, are balanced for queues associated with each of one or more outgoing paths associated with that node. An amount of commodity flow is pushed across a link toward a sink, where the amount of commodity flow is constrained by a capacity constraint. Flow that reached the sink is absorbed by draining the queues.
US08144587B2

A system and method for load balancing network resources. Network performance information regarding data flow through a network is gathered using performance information packet data packets. The data flow is distributed through access points of the network using connection control admission control engines. The distributing includes routing the data flow to more efficiently use the network resources based on the PIP data packets.
US08144586B2

A system and method for controlling network bandwidth. Network performance information that includes information regarding real-time data packets using performance information packet data packets is gathered. The network bandwidth is throttled for each of a number of customers in a communications network using one or more connection admission control (CAC) engines based on the network performance information and quality of service guarantees.
US08144582B2

Mechanisms for differentiating traffic types per host system blade in a multi-root PCI Express environment are provided. The mechanisms generate a first mapping data structure that, for each single-root virtual hierarchy in the multi-root data processing system, associates a plurality of traffic classes with a plurality of priority groups and maps each traffic class in the plurality of traffic classes to a corresponding virtual channel in a plurality of virtual channels. Moreover, a second mapping data structure is generated that maps each virtual channel in the plurality of virtual channels to corresponding per host system blade virtual links in a plurality of virtual links of the multi-root data processing system. Traffic of a particular priority group is routed from a single-root virtual hierarchy to a particular virtual link in the plurality of the virtual links based on the first mapping data structure and second mapping data structure.
US08144581B2

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a PE-ASBR (Provider Edge-Autonomous System Boundary Routers) having a controller to receive new routing information without an attribute of origin, insert a site of origin of the PE-ASBR into the new routing information if the PE-ASBR is dual-homed to another MPLS-VPN cluster, and broadcast to other network elements the new routing information with the site of origin of the PE-ASBR. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US08144573B2

A method and apparatus that utilizes the synchronization channel (SCH) by the user equipment (UE) to obtain time synchronization information and to perform cell search. In order to perform the SCH detection, only a correlation between the known SCH signal and the received sequence is needed, hence the FFT is not involved in the synchronization step. Typically the SCH and pilot symbols are transmitted with a constant power which is the same for all base stations. Hence, based on the serving cell (SC) SCH and pilot symbols, the power relation between these signals is estimated and the ratio applied when performing time synchronization to other cells (i.e. correlation the received sequence with the SCH from that particular NC) to estimate the pilot signal strength for the NB cell.
US08144572B2

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for detecting interference in a wireless communications system. The invention compares the receiver FFT output of a received signal against known sequences such as the packet synchronization sequence, frame synchronization sequence, and channel estimation sequence. By comparing the reference signal to the known sequences, the invention estimates the instantaneous signal to noise ratio (SNR) for each tone of a wireless transmission. To improve the SNR estimate, the invention computes a weighted average across multiple OFDM symbols. The invention looks for significant increases (spikes) in the SNR as a way of distinguishing interfering signals from noise. The invention can store separate SNR estimates for each transmitter in a wireless network. One embodiment of the invention uses Viterbi branch metrics in conjunction with the estimated SNR to determine the presence of an interfering signal. If interference is detected the invention feeds the inverse of the SNR estimate into the Viterbi decoder or declares and erasure for that symbol.
US08144569B2

Each layer includes a data recording area and a test writing area divided into a plurality of small areas, wherein the small areas of the test writing area are recorded in advance so that other each layer can make a combination of recorded and unrecorded states with respect to the small area, where OPC is carried out, in a layer where OPC is carried out. Moreover, OPC is carried out to each small area, where a combination of recorded/unrecorded states of other each layer differs from each other, to thereby calculate, as the optimum power, an average value of the result of each OPC or a central value of the dispersion thereof.
US08144562B2

An optical disc apparatus includes an optical pickup for outputting an output signal according to reflected light from an optical disc medium and a comparison signal output unit for outputting a comparison signal indicating whether a level of the output signal is higher than a threshold value, relatively moves an objective lens with respect to a surface of the medium within a predetermined range to measure a maximum level of the output signal, sets a value determined according to the maximum level as a threshold value used by the comparison signal output unit, and measures a level of a reflected signal corresponding to reflected light from each of a plurality of signal surfaces based on the output signal in a time period in which the comparison signal indicates that the level of the output signal is higher than the set threshold value, while moving the objective lens.
US08144534B2

Methods and memory devices for repairing memory cells are discloses, such as a memory device that includes a main array having a plurality of sections of memory cells. One such main array includes a plurality of sets of input/output lines, each of which may be coupled to a respective plurality of memory cells in each section. One such memory device also includes a redundant section of memory cells, corresponding in number to the number of memory cells in each of the sections of the main array. An addressing circuit may contain a record of, for example, sections that have been determined to be defective. The addressing circuit may receive an address and compare the received address with the record of defective sections. In the event of a match, the addressing circuit may redirect an access to memory cells corresponding to the received address to memory cells in the redundant section.
US08144531B2

A latency control circuit includes a path calculator configured to calculate a delay value of a path that an input signal is to go through inside a chip and output the delay value as path information, a delay value calculator configured to output delay information representing a delay value for delaying the input signal based on a latency value of the input signal and the path information, and a delayer configured to delay the input signal by a delay corresponding to the delay information.
US08144526B2

A method and circuit are given, to realize a Bit-Line Sense Amplifier with Data-Line Bit Switch (BS) pass transistors for Random Access Memory (RAM) products as Integrated Circuit (IC) fabricated in CMOS technology with optimized operating characteristics of said RAM product with respect to good write stability and high write speed and wherein the layout area of the BS FET-switches and thus also the die size is minimized. This is achieved by using a two thickness technique of oxide layers for crucial internal circuit parts of the chip.
US08144522B2

A hot hole erase operation as described herein can be utilized for a flash memory device having an array of memory cells. The erase operation employs an adaptive erase bias voltage scheme where the drain bias voltage (and/or the gate bias voltage) is dynamically adjusted in response to an erase pulse count corresponding to a preliminary erase operation during which a relatively small portion of a sector is erased. The adjustment of the erase bias voltage in this manner enables the rest of the sector to be erased using erase bias voltages that are better suited to the current erase characteristics of the sector.
US08144520B2

A non-volatile memory device includes a row decoder and a memory cell array. The row decoder generates a read voltage, and first, second and third drive voltages. The memory cell array includes a selected word line receiving the read voltage, a first neighboring word line of the selected word line receiving the second word line drive voltage, a second neighboring word line of the selected word line receiving the third word line drive voltage, and a non-neighboring word line of the selected word line receiving the first word line drive voltage.
US08144519B2

An initial verify read operation is performed after each programming pulse. The verify voltage starts at an initial verify voltage for the first word line and increases for each word line that is verified up to a maximum verify voltage. A second verify read operation is then performed after the program/verify operation. The second verify read operation uses a verify voltage that is substantially close to the maximum verify voltage used during the program/verify step.
US08144518B2

The semiconductor device includes a nonvolatile memory, having a memory array containing 1-bit twin cells, each composed of electrically rewritable first and second storage devices, the first and second storage devices holding binary data according to difference of their threshold voltages, and having different retention characteristics depending on difference of the binary data thereof; a read circuit for differentially amplifying complementary data output from the first and second storage devices of the twin cell selected for read, and judging information stored in the twin cell; and a control circuit. Two memory cells constituting a twin cell are arranged to hold different data. Therefore, even when the retention performance of one memory cell deteriorates, the difference between data held by the two memory cells can be maintained. Hence, differential amplification of such difference enables acquisition of proper stored information. Thus, retention performance of an electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory cell is improved.
US08144517B2

A method and device for adaptive control of multilayered nonvolatile semiconductor memory are provided, the device including memory cells organized into groups and a control circuit having a look-up matrix for providing control parameters for each of the groups, where characteristics of each group are stored in the look-up matrix, and the control parameters for each group are responsive to the stored characteristics for that group; the method including organizing memory cells into groups, storing characteristics for each group in a look-up matrix, providing control parameters for each of the groups, where the control parameters for each group are responsive to its stored characteristics, and driving each memory cell in accordance with its provided control parameters.
US08144514B2

The 1T floating-body DRAM cell device includes a floating body for storing information of the DRAM cell device, a source and a drain formed on respective sides of the floating body, a gate insulating layer formed on a top of the floating body, a gate electrode formed on a top of the gate insulating layer, a gate stack formed under the floating body and configured to have a charge storage node for storing electric charges, and a control electrode formed on a lower side of the gate stack or partially or completely surrounded by the gate stack. The DRAM cell device performs “write0” and “write1” operations or a read operation. The DRAM cell device performs a non-volatile program operation or a non-volatile erase operation.
US08144509B2

Systems, circuits and methods for controlling write operations in Spin Transfer Torque Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (STT-MRAM) are disclosed. A reduced bit cell size is achieved by arranging the source lines (SL) substantially in parallel with the word lines (WL) and substantially perpendicular to the bit lines (BL). Further, in one embodiment during a write operation, a high logic/voltage level is applied to the bit lines of unselected bit cells to prevent an invalid write operation.
US08144507B2

A method of measuring a resistance of a memory cell in a resistive memory device can be provided by applying a data write pulse to a selected cell of the resistive memory device, applying a resistance read pulse to the selected cell after a delay time measured from a time of applying the data write pulse, measuring a drop voltage at the cell responsive to a pulse waveform output when applying the resistance read pulse to the selected cell, measuring a total current through the cell using the drop voltage and an internal resistance of a test device coupled to the cell, and determining a resistance of the resistive memory device using the total current and a voltage of the resistance read pulse.
US08144504B2

Provided is a method of operating a magnetic random access memory device comprising a switch structure and a magnetoresistance structure. According to the method, current variation depending on the direction of the current can be reduced by controlling a gate voltage of the switch structure when supplying current to write data to the magnetoresistance structure.
US08144499B2

A variable resistance memory device includes: a first common line; a second common line; plural memory cells each formed by serially connecting a memory element, resistance of which changes according to applied voltage, and an access transistor between the second common line and the first common line; a common line pass transistor connected between the first common line and a supply node for predetermined voltage; and a driving circuit that controls voltage of the second common line, the predetermined voltage, and voltage of a control node of the common line pass transistor and drives the memory cells.
US08144497B2

A semiconductor die having a functional circuit (e.g., a memory array) and a decode circuit suitable for use in a stacked die semiconductor component (e.g., a random access memory component) is described. The decode circuit permits individual die in a stacked die structure to automatically determine their location or position in the stack and, in response to this determination, selectively pass one or more external control signals (e.g., chip select and clock enable signals) to the decode circuit's associated functional circuit based on inter-die connection patterns. This “self-configuring” capability permits all die designated for a specified functionality (e.g., a memory module including four vertically aligned die) to be uniformly or consistently manufactured. This, in turn, can reduce the cost to manufacture stacked die components.
US08144490B2

A method of operating a three level converter includes controlling the output voltage of the converter when a DC link voltage of the three level converter is lower than one-half of a rated DC link voltage of the converter by, for each leg of the converter, alternately connecting an output terminal of the leg to the positive terminal or the negative terminal of the DC link. When the DC link voltage is at least one-half of the rated DC link voltage, the method includes controlling the output voltage of the converter by, for each leg, selectively connecting the output terminal of the converter to the positive terminal, the negative terminal, or a mid-point of the DC link.
US08144488B2

The resistors of a filter block \in a voltage source converter station are connected with a floating neutral point.
US08144483B2

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a casing, a board contained in the casing, a support surface provided in the casing and supports the board, a first fixing portion provided integrally with the support surface and holds the board between itself and the support surface, and a second fixing portion provided integrally with the support surface. The second fixing portion is elastically displaced between a first position where the second fixing portion engages with the board and a second position where the projecting portion is removed from the board.
US08144482B2

A circuit board device includes: plurality of wiring boards (101 and 102) in which terminals are provided on the front and back surfaces and vias are provided for connecting the terminals together, an anisotropic conductive member (103) arranged between wiring boards (101 and 102) for connecting the electrodes of one wiring board to the electrodes of another wiring board, a functional block (104) composed of a metal material and arranged between the wiring boards (101 and 102) to enclose anisotropic conductive member (103), and a pair of holding blocks (105 and 106) composed of a metal material arranged to clamp the plurality of wiring boards (101 and 102), wherein the plurality of wiring boards (101 and 102), while in a state of being clamped between the pair of holding blocks (105 and 106), is connected together by the anisotropic conductive member (103) and the terminals provided on each of the wiring boards (101 and 102), the functional block (104), and the holding blocks (105 and 106) are electrically connected.
US08144475B2

The present invention can facilitate the coupling between electrical components and a circuit board after the circuit board is inserted into a housing of an electronic device. An electrical component can be integrated with a flexible circuit of another electrical component. The flexible circuit can be electrically and mechanically coupled to the circuit board after the circuit board is inserted into the housing. Alternatively, electrical contacts can be disposed on a body of the electrical component and a complementary set of electrical contacts can be disposed on the circuit board. When the circuit board is disposed within a receptacle of the electrical component, the electrical contacts on the electrical component are coupled directly to the electrical contacts on the circuit board.
US08144473B2

An electro-optical apparatus comprising an electro-optical panel including a display section, a flexible printed circuit board, and a rigid circuit board. The flexible printed circuit board includes a first terminal connected to the electro-optical panel and a second terminal connected to an external circuit. The rigid circuit board includes a first surface on which electronic components are mounted and a second surface mounted to the flexible printed circuit board. The second surface of the rigid circuit board is opposite to the first surface. An entirety of the rigid circuit board is stacked on the flexible printed circuit board within the flexible printed circuit board. The rigid circuit board is electrically connected to the flexible printed circuit board. The flexible printed circuit board is bent toward the external circuit.
US08144472B2

A conductive line pattern of a pad area includes a plurality of terminals arranged side by side. Each terminal includes an opening portion that surrounds a bonding pad of the substrate and with a side edge and a line portion connecting with the side edge of the corresponding opening portion. The relative position of each line portion and the corresponding opening portion varies according to the location of the terminal in the pad area. A pattern of conductors (74) on a film (72) is to be bonded to the bonding pads at the openings (64) and the line portions (66) positional correspondence to the conductors (74) is used to detect alignment error. If any of the line (66) are located in the middle of a conductor (74) it serves to indicate an improper shift of the film (72).
US08144456B1

A mobile information handling assembly comprising a mobile information handling device further comprising a plurality of peripheral device connection ports and a plurality of card slots, a data processing device electronically coupled to said mobile information handling device, a communications interface for providing communication between the mobile information handling device and the data processing device, and a carrying assembly, comprising a strap and at least two anchor assemblies further comprising an attachment device receiving assembly configured to receive an attachment device. The at least two anchor assemblies are configured to attach to the mobile information handling device at least two corners of the mobile information handling device.
US08144453B2

A suspension system for a differential-pressure touch sensitive panel suspended over force sensors, for use in either fixed or mobile devices such as point of sales terminals, kiosks, laptops, monitors, PDAs, cell phones, UMPCs and more. In one embodiment, each side of the lens is encircled and supported by a looped string, monofilament or flexible wire, which is then looped around the back cover or base plate, forming a figure-8. The figure 8-loops bring the lens into a fixed state in the xy-plane without the addition of any friction causing physical contact. Other alternative implementations include continuous suspensions, bender suspensions and 3-dimensional force suspensions. Moreover, the present invention proposes the use of a flexible padding under the force sensors to allow the sensors to be slightly preloaded, which reduces the dependency on extremely tight mechanical tolerances.
US08144452B2

A supporting mechanism includes a base, a supporting stand, a revolving plate, and a limiting bar. The supporting stand is fixed to the base, and defines a cavity. The revolving plate is rotatably connected to the supporting stand, and defines a guide groove. An end of the limiting bar is rotatably connected to the supporting stand, and the other end of the limiting bar is movably received in the guide groove. The cavity is sealed or opened dependent on the rotation of the revolving plate. An all-in-one computer using the supporting mechanism is also disclosed.
US08144451B2

An improved mobile electronic device is disclosed. The mobile electronic device (10) can include: a housing (12) including a front cover (14) and a rear cover (16), the rear cover (16) configured to interconnect with the front cover (14), defining an enclosure (18) for electrical components; a plurality of connectors (20) located on walls (22) of the front cover (14) and rear cover (16); the plurality of connectors (20) including a male portion (24) and a female portion (26) being substantially complementarily configured to receive the male portion (24). Advantageously, the connectors (20): provide a resilient interconnection, forming a robust housing; take up a minimal amount of room in the enclosure (18), for maximizing the area available for electronic component placement therein; and help to allow the profile, from the front cover (14) to rear cover (16), to be designed ultra thin.
US08144449B2

An electronic component includes an electronic component main body including opposed first and second main surfaces, opposed first and second side surfaces, and opposed first and second end surfaces and also includes first and second external terminal electrodes disposed on the first main surface. The first and second external terminal electrodes are spaced apart by a gap region. When a dimension in a longitudinal direction being a direction linking the first and second end surfaces of the electronic component main body is L, a dimension in a width direction being a direction linking the first and second side surfaces is W, and a dimension of the gap region along the longitudinal direction is g, W(L−g)/2 are satisfied.
US08144440B2

An appliance comprises: an appliance main body for employing an AC power supply, and a power supply unit, which outputs a DC voltage and an AC voltage to the appliance main body as power supply voltages. The power supply unit comprises: a power supply circuit for converting the input AC into DC, which is insulated from the AC power supply; relays for turning ON and OFF a supply of the AC power supply voltage; and an earth leakage sensing circuit provided between contact points of the relays and the appliance main body, for turning OFF the relays while earth leakage is sensed. While the earth leakage occurs, the sensing circuit turns OFF the relays so as to stop the supply of the AC voltage. It is possible to avoid a failure caused by earth leakage in advance, and also, the relays are turned OFF during a standby mode.
US08144437B2

An orthogonalizing bias function part formed at a rear part of an MR part in a DFL structure influencing a substantial orthogonalizing function of first and second ferromagnetic layers in respective magnetization directions thereof, non-magnetic metal layers formed to abut both ends of the MR part in a width direction and separated from both ends of the MR part by respective insulation layers, each of the non-magnetic metal layers being in a two-layer structure configured with a first non-magnetic metal layer positioned at a lower side as a lower layer and a second non-metal layer positioned at an upper side as an upper layer are configured, and relationship R2
US08144432B2

An actuator for selectively positioning a portion of a communication channel formed by a cable circuit having a protuberant component connected at a proximal end to a flexible base, whereby the actuator defines a heat transfer surface operably disposed in thermal conductivity with a distal surface of the protuberant component for sinking heat from the component to the actuator.
US08144425B2

A compact magnetic recording head is provided. The recording head includes a write pole and a substantially planar yoke, which is coupled to the write pole. The yoke is configured to support a substantially single vortex configuration of magnetization.
US08144424B2

A servo head capable of verifying at least one timing based pattern printed on media is provided. The servo head includes a magnetic structure having at least one magnetic element arranged and configured to form at least one magnetic gap parallel to the timing based pattern. In one embodiment, the magnetic element is arranged and configured to have a plurality of magnetic gaps being parallel to each other but not co-linear to each other. In the second embodiment, the magnetic element is arranged and configured to have a magnetic gap being parallel to and co-linear to the timing based pattern.
US08144419B1

A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk surface by a microactuator, and a fly height actuator operable to adjust a fly height of the head. A servo control voltage is applied to the microactuator, and the fly height actuator is adjusted to decrease a fly height of the head. The servo control voltage is filtered to generate a filtered voltage. A touchdown signal is generated in response to the microactuator and the filtered voltage, wherein the touchdown signal indicates when the head contacts the disk.
US08144417B2

Techniques are provided herein for reducing vibrations in various modes of a dynamic system. One such technique comprises incorporating vibration limiting and sensitivity constraints into a partial fraction expansion equation model of the system so as to reduce vibrations to specific levels. Another technique comprises shaping a command determined using the partial fraction expansion equation model to produce a desired output. The entire command may be shaped or only selected portions thereof which produce vibrations. Another technique involves commanding in current to produce saturation in voltage. By doing this it is possible to command voltage switches. The times at which the switches occur can be set to reduce system vibrations. Other techniques are also provided. These include varying transient portions at the beginning, middle and/or end of a move and using Posicast inputs, among others.
US08144414B2

Methods and apparatus for interleaving data in a multitrack tape drive and for writing data on a multitrack tape in the tape drive. One method includes: partitioning the data into m(2n+k) data blocks, where each data block has a logical array of rows and columns of data bytes; error-correction coding a row and a column of the logical array to produce an encoded block; assigning the coded row to a respective location in a logical interleave array having L rows and 2n+k columns of locations; and writing a sequence of assigned coded rows simultaneously in respective data tracks on the multitrack tape. The coded row is assigned such that the minimum Euclidean distance on the multitrack tape between the coded rows is maximized. The apparatus includes units for performing the methods and the computer program product includes a program code means for causing a computer to perform the methods.
US08144409B2

A prism monomer for use in a digital light processing projection device includes a plastic triangular prism having a hypotenuse surface and a glass sheet. The glass sheet has two opposite surfaces. One surface of the glass sheet is attached to the hypotenuse surface of the plastic triangular prism and the other surface of the glass sheet is formed with an anti-reflective coating.
US08144407B2

An exemplary CNT-based actuator includes a first electrode, a second electrode opposite to the first electrode, and a CNT layer sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode. The CNT layer includes two opposite surfaces in contact with the first and the second electrodes respectively, and a plurality of CNTs substantially parallel to each other. The first electrode and the second electrode are configured for cooperatively creating therebetween an electric field with an electric field direction substantially parallel to the CNTs so as to adjust a thickness of the CNT layer, thereby moving the second electrode relative to the first electrode.
US08144401B2

A zoom lens includes a first lens group, a second lens group, a third lens group, and a fourth lens group. The first lens group including three lenses is disposed between a magnified side and an reduced side, and the first lens group has a negative refractive power. The second lens group including two lenses is disposed between the first lens group and the reduced side, and the second lens group has a positive refractive power. The third lens group including one lens is disposed between the second lens group and the reduced side, and the third lens group has a positive refractive power. The fourth lens group including seven lenses is disposed between the third lens group and the reduced side, and the fourth lens group has a positive refractive power.
US08144397B2

A laminated sheet for a display screen. The laminated sheet includes a multilayer sheet A including two or more layers with different linear expansion coefficients. The laminated sheet further includes a single sheet B which is a sheet other than the multilayer sheet A. When all sheets are stacked, a viewing-side sheet is convex on an image light source side, and an image light source-side sheet is convex on the viewing side, or the viewing-side sheet and the image light source side-sheet are both convex on the image light source side, and a curvature of the viewing-side sheet is greater than a curvature of the image light source-side sheet.
US08144393B2

A stereomicroscope includes a microscope main body and a camera for assistant. The microscope main body includes therein an objective optical system, a zoom optical system and an eyepiece optical system. The camera for assistant is detachably mounted to the microscope main body. The microscope main body provides to a main operator a pair of optical images including a certain binocular disparity as viewed from an observation direction of the main operator. The camera for assistant provides to an assistant a pair of electron images including a certain binocular disparity as viewed from an observation direction of the assistant. The observation directions of the main operator and the assistant cross at a certain angle. The camera for assistant outputs the pair of electron images into a stereo viewer which is separated from the microscope main body.
US08144392B2

A waveguide amplifier, disposed on a substrate, composed of sputtered film of chalcogenide glass doped with Erbium is disclosed. The amplifier includes a substrate, a thick film of chalcogenide glass disposed on the substrate, a pumping device, and an optical combining device, wherein the waveguide is operable to amplify the optically combined signal. This type of amplifier has been shown to be compact and cost-effective, in addition to being transparent in the mid-IR range as a result of the low phonon energy of chalcogenide glass.
US08144390B2

An image display apparatus and method are disclosed. The image display apparatus includes a light source unit to include at least one light source, an optical unit to generate a directional light using a light projected from the light source unit, a variable diffuser unit to control diffusion of the directional light, a pixel unit to selectively generate one of two-dimensional (2D) images and three-dimensional (3D) images to correspond to the control of the variable diffuser unit, and a vertical diffusion unit to diffuse the 3D images in a vertical direction.
US08144386B2

There are provided particles for display media capable of properly controlling change in an amount of charge by heating and an information display panel, by using the particles for display media capable of eliminating a display failure and reduction in contrast ratio. The present invention are particles for display media used for an information display panel, in which at least one kind of display media constituted as a group of particles including chargeable particles are sealed between two opposed substrates, at least one of two substrates being transparent, and in which the display media are made to move so as to display information, wherein two or more kinds of charge control agents (CCA) are contained in at least one kind of particles for display media, at least one kind of charge control agent is positively chargeable and at least one kind of charge control agent is negatively chargeable, the positively chargeable charge control agent is a salt comprising a compound containing a quaternary ammonium cation group and an anion and the negatively chargeable charge control agent is a salt comprising a complex anion comprising a salicylic acid derivative and a metal atom, and a cation.
US08144384B2

To provide a light controller allowing for an enhanced positional precision in assembly of a spatial light modulator and a random phase mask, and to provide a light controller adapted to prevent positional deviations between a spatial light modulator and a random phase mask against impacts or vibrations, allowing for an enhanced operational integrity, a light controller includes a substrate, a light modulation unit disposed on the substrate and configured for modulation of light, and a random phase mask stacked on the light modulation unit on an optical axis of the light modulation unit.
US08144380B2

A drive mechanism @is comprised with a set comprising a plurality of magnetic bodies, means for supplying a frequency signal to said set, and means for producing movement caused by the attraction/repulsion between the magnetic bodies. The movement is the driving source of the drive mechanism.
US08144366B2

Values at nodes of a LUT which is arranged as a rectangular grid of cells are populated, wherein the populated values model an underlying process that transforms from a first color space to a second color space, and some of the cells of the LUT are completely inside a constraint boundary of the underlying process and some of the cells are not completely inside the constraint boundary. The cells are indexed in a certain order. Samples of the underlying process are accessed. Values of nodes for cells whose nodes are all within the constraint boundary are populated first by using the samples of the underlying process. Values of nodes for cells whose nodes are not all within the constraint boundary are populated second by visiting such cells in the indexed order and populating values for the unpopulated nodes using populated ones of the nodes of such cells and the accessed samples.
US08144363B2

There is disclosed a technique for outputting image data by applying a process that suits an input condition and an output condition to the image data.An image process system applies a specific process to image data inputted via an input device and outputs the image data, to which the specific process has been applied, to an output device, which includes: an input information acquisition portion that acquires information about the input device through which the image data is inputted; an output information acquisition portion that acquires information about the output device to which the image data inputted via the input device is to be outputted; a process execution portion that executes the specific process to the image data inputted via the input device on the basis of the information acquired by the input information acquisition portion and the output information acquisition portion; and a data output portion that outputs the image data, to which the specific process has been applied in the process execution portion, to the output device.
US08144362B2

When a replaceable unit is mounted, a CPU of an image forming apparatus recognizes whether or not a corresponding machine type code and a corresponding country code are stored in a main body NVM. When the corresponding machine type code and the corresponding country code are not stored in the main body NVM, the CPU reads a machine type code and a country code stored in the unit NVM of the mounted replaceable unit from the unit NVM. The CPU stores the machine type code and the country code read from the unit NVM in the corresponding machine type code and the corresponding country code of the main body NVM.
US08144361B2

A document authenticating method is disclosed by which numerous small-sized two-dimensional barcode stamps are generated and placed in a distributed manner on a printed document. The small-sized barcode stamps collectively encode the content of the document to be used for document authentication. In one example, the stamp size is about ¼ by ¼ inches or less and the tile size for the stamps is 4 by 4 pixels at a resolution of 400 dpi. The document is segmented into segments each containing a paragraph or a line of text. For each segment, a set of barcode stamps encoding the authentication data for the segment is placed in the vicinity of the segment. They may be placed in the empty space in the last line of each paragraph, in the empty space between adjacent paragraphs, or at the beginning or end of each line.
US08144359B2

An image processing system performs a specific process on first image data to generate second image data, and estimates, if it is specified that the second image data is to be stored into a portable storage medium, a necessary time for the second image data to be generated. If the necessary time is longer than a predetermined period of time, depending on a selection made by a user, the image processing system stores the second image data into the portable storage medium after the second image data is completely generated, or, alternatively, stores, identification information including a storage location of the second image data into the portable storage medium, and then, stores the second image data into an image data storage portion. The image processing system, then, transmits, to a terminal, the second image data stored in the image data storage portion in accordance with a request from the terminal.
US08144336B2

A digitized image of an object may include representations of portions of the object that are obscured, occluded or otherwise unobservable. The image may be a multi-dimensional visual representation of dentition. Characteristics of the dentition and its surfaces, contours, and shape may be determined and/or analyzed. A light may be directed toward and reflected from the dentition. The reflected light may be combined with a reference to determine characteristics of the dentition, including obscured areas such as subgingival tissue.
US08144331B2

Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and tangible computer-readable storage media for wide field imaging interferometry. The method includes for each point in a two dimensional detector array over a field of view of an image: gathering a first interferogram from a first detector and a second interferogram from a second detector, modulating a path-length for a signal from an image associated with the first interferogram in the first detector, overlaying first data from the modulated first detector and second data from the second detector, and tracking the modulating at every point in a two dimensional detector array comprising the first detector and the second detector over a field of view for the image. The method then generates a widefield data cube based on the overlaid first data and second data for each point. The method can generate an image from the widefield data cube.
US08144327B2

A photoacoustic apparatus obtains information on a specimen by receiving photoacoustic waves which are generated from the specimen resulting from light irradiated to the specimen. The apparatus includes a light source for irradiating light to the specimen, an acoustic wave receiver for receiving the photoacoustic waves, and a light reflection member for causing the light, which is radiated out of the specimen by optical diffusion thereof after having entered an interior of the specimen from the light source, to reenter the interior of the specimen, wherein the light reflection member allows elastic waves to pass therethrough. As a result, a photoacoustic apparatus and a probe are provided which can confine scattered light from the specimen into the specimen, and which can reliably prevent photoacoustic waves from being generated from a receiving element region of the probe by the scattered light.
US08144323B2

A system is provided that includes a cavity ring-down spectrometer and a processor. The spectrometer is configured to pass, through a cavity resonator, a modulated, continuous-wave electromagnetic signal at each of one or more selectable, transmission frequencies in the Terahertz region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The spectrometer includes a transmitter that, with the cavity resonator, is configured so as to excite a single resonant mode of the cavity resonator. The processor is configured to receive a measurement of the passed portion of the modulated electromagnetic signal, and determine a phase shift of the modulated electromagnetic signal based upon the measurement. The processor is then configured to calculate a ring-down time of the cavity resonator as a function of the phase shift.
US08144321B2

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system for encoding an optical spectrum includes a dispersive element, a digital micromirror device (DMD) array, a detector, and a controller. The dispersive element receives light from a source and disperses the light to yield light components of different wavelengths. The digital micromirror device (DMD) array has micromirrors that modulate the light to encode an optical spectrum of the light. The detector detects the light that has been modulated. The controller generates an intensity versus time waveform representing the optical spectrum of the detected light.
US08144319B2

A system and a method are disclosed for combining a soil sample and extractant in a mixing chamber to produce a liquid extractant-soil mixture. A portion of the liquid extractant-soil mixture is directed from the mixing chamber through a sample measurement chamber coupled to the mixing chamber. The sample measurement chamber is coupled to a light source so that light propagates from the light source through the portion of the liquid extractant-soil mixture to an optical detector which generates an attenuation spectrum indicating light received by the detector at different wavelengths. The sample measurement chamber may include an attenuation cell having a specified optical path between a first measurement window and a second measurement window and angular surface directing particulates in the liquid extractant-soil mixture away from the attenuation cell.
US08144316B2

The present invention provides an instrument and method for measuring total luminous flux of luminous elements, which forms an approximately uniform spatial intensity distribution by simultaneously lighting a plurality of luminous elements for measurement in an integrating sphere when comparing a total luminous flux standard lamp with the luminous elements to measure the total luminous flux of the luminous elements, thus not requiring spatial mismatch error correction.
US08144314B2

The present invention relates to a spectral measurement apparatus and measurement method utilizing Brillouin scattering, which judge the state of the temperature or strain of an optical fiber more quickly. The spectral measurement apparatus comprises a light source, an analysis section, and an anomaly judgment section. The light source outputs pumping light and probe light. The pumping light and probe light thus output are caused to enter in opposite directions to the sensing fiber. The analysis section analyzes the gain received by the probe light as a result of the Brillouin scattering. The anomaly judgment section judges the state relating to the temperature or strain of the sensing fiber on the basis of the analysis result of the analysis section. The frequency difference ν between the pumping light and probe light is set within a predetermined frequency difference setting range. The frequency difference setting range is a range which includes the frequency difference at which the peak value of the reference gain spectrum of the gain received by the probe light is obtained when the temperature or strain of the sensing fiber is in the reference state and is set at or below the line width of the reference gain spectrum
US08144313B2

The present invention provides a paper sheet recognizing apparatus for recognizing paper sheets having different sizes and colors for each type, by using a sensing unit including a line sensor that detects a light quantity of reflected light or transmitted light obtained by irradiating a paper sheet being transported with a plurality of lights having different source wavelengths. The apparatus includes a storing unit that stores therein reference size data and reference light quantity data generated beforehand for each type of paper sheets to be recognition candidates; a first determining unit that selects a recognition target type from the recognition candidates based on detected size data of the paper sheet detected by the sensing unit and the reference size data; and a second determining unit that determines a type of the paper sheet by comparing detected light quantity data of the paper sheet detected by the line sensor with the reference light quantity data of the recognition target type.
US08144312B2

A telescope with internal scanner utilizing either a single optical wedge scanner or a dual optical wedge scanner and a controller arranged to control a synchronous rotation of the first and/or second optical wedges, the wedges constructed and arranged to scan light redirected by topological surfaces and/or volumetric scatterers. The telescope with internal scanner further incorporates a first converging optical element that receives the redirected light and transmits the redirected light to the scanner, and a second converging optical element within the light path between the first optical element and the scanner arranged to reduce an area of impact on the scanner of the beam collected by the first optical element.
US08144306B2

A gas gauge proximity sensor supplying gas in a reverse flow direction from the injection chamber to the measurement chamber. Supplying gas in a reverse flow direction enables the transient behavior in the sensor to more rapidly stabilize, with a resulting increase in bandwidth. Optionally, a scavenger chamber can be used to remove the excess gas by locating a scavenger aperture of the scavenger chamber in close proximity to the exit aperture of the injection chamber. A bridge proximity sensor can be used with a reference chamber to receive gas flow from a location close to the exit aperture of the injection chamber in order to reduce common mode errors.
US08144288B2

A display unit (1) includes a lighting apparatus (3) having a light source (5) consisting of a fluorescent tube extending in one direction and a back chassis (4) for covering a rear side of the light source (5) and for holding both ends of the light source (5), and a display panel (2) positioned in opposition to the lighting apparatus (3), which illuminates the display panel (2). On the lighting apparatus (3), provided is an isolation chamber (20) which is arranged at the rear side behind the back chassis (4) in opposition to the end of the light source (5) and has an opening (20b) at its rear side. As a benefit of attachment of the isolation chamber (20), when vibration of the back chassis (4) which is caused by on/off switching of the light source (5) is transmitted into the isolation chamber (20), vibration is partly reflected and vibration components with each phase inverted to each other are combined to be released from the opening. As a result, any abnormal noise caused by vibration of the back chassis (4) can be reduced. The display unit (1) is available for a television receiver with a built-in liquid crystal display panel.
US08144281B2

An electro-optical device includes a light-shielding portion that covers a semiconductor layer of a transistor. A first conductive film and a second conductive film are connected through a contact hole through an interlayer insulating film. The light-shielding portion has an extended portion that extends into a corner of an aperture region of each pixel corresponding to the pixel electrode. The contact hole at least partially overlaps the extended portion as viewed in plan.
US08144280B2

A liquid crystal display to prevent light leakage with an improvement of aperture ratio and a reduction of load of a data line is provided. The liquid crystal display includes a gate line and a storage electrode line formed on a insulating substrate and apart from each other, a first data line and a second data line intersecting the gate line, a first pixel electrode defined by the gate line and the first data line, and a second pixel electrode defined by the gate line and the second data line and neighboring the first pixel electrode. Also, a blocking electrode between the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode is included, wherein at least portion of the first data line is disposed under the first pixel electrode, and at least portion of the blocking electrode is disposed under the second pixel electrode and apart from the first data line.
US08144271B2

High-resolution, scalable multi-touch sensing display systems and processes based on frustrated total internal reflection employ an optical waveguide that receives light, such as infrared light, that undergoes total internal reflection and an imaging sensor that detects light that escapes the optical waveguide caused by frustration of the total internal reflection due to contact by a user. The optical waveguide when fitted with a compliant surface overlay provides superior sensing performance, as well as other benefits and features. The systems and processes described provide true multi-touch (multi-input) and high-spatial and temporal resolution capability due to the continuous imaging of the frustrated total internal reflection that escapes the entire optical waveguide. Among other features and benefits, the systems and processes are scalable to large installations.
US08144256B2

A repeater unit includes an input circuit having an input terminal that can be connected to output of an upstream repeater unit through a signal cable for inputting a video signal from the input terminal; an output circuit having an output terminal that can be connected to input of a downstream repeater unit through a signal cable for outputting a video signal to the output terminal; and a selection circuit that can be connected to a video signal output device for outputting a video signal and outputs the video signal input from the video signal output device to the output circuit. The input circuit and the output circuit have termination resistors matched with each other. When the repeater units are daisy-chained, termination matching is conducted.
US08144251B2

An ambient, beautiful, entertaining visual experience that can be displayed on a TV requiring little or no user interaction beyond initiation. Multiple image layers that may be still or moving video, photos, etc, or a combination thereof can be overlaid on each other.
US08144235B2

An easy-to-carry image pickup device is provided to obtain images with multiple view angles in which a target subject is positioned in an appropriate size. When capturing an image of a person as a target subject, the size and position of the person's face in the image are detected as a specified part, and a zoom magnification ratio for a lens unit and a shift amount of the incident light position for a light-axis shifting unit are automatically controlled based on the detected size and position of the person's face, so that the person's face has a predetermined size and is positioned in a predetermined position in the image.
US08144230B2

A graph 261, in which “aperture” is configured on the vertical axis, and “shutter speed” is configured on the horizontal axis, is displayed as superimposed on a through image. On this displayed graph 261, at a position of a parameter value corresponding to a determined photographic scene, an icon 262 of the photographic scene is displayed. When the icon 262 is operated and moved by a user, the display of the icon 262 is changed to a position on the graph 261 where the icon 262 is operated and moved, and values of the vertical axis and the horizontal axis are read off and the corresponding parameter stored in a RAM is updated. When the shutter key is operated, photographic processing is carried out with parameters stored in the RAM, and image data obtained by this photographic processing is recorded in the storage memory.
US08144228B2

An apparatus and method for calibrating a ramp slope value of a ramp signal to increase the accuracy of the slope of the ramp signal used within CMOS image sensors. An image sensor includes an active pixel sensor (APS) array, a ramp signal generator and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The APS array is configured to generate a reset signal and an image signal for a pixel of a selected row of the APS array. The ramp signal generator is configured to generate a ramp signal, a ramp slope value of the ramp signal being adjusted based on a slope control signal. The ADC is configured to generate a digital code based on the ramp signal and a difference between the reset signal and the image signal.
US08144227B2

The present invention is applied to an image pickup device with a CMOS solid-state image pickup element, in which an analog-to-digital conversion circuit is disposed in a surface on an opposite side from an image pickup surface in a semiconductor chip 2.
US08144222B2

A pixel-interpolation processing unit generates a sensitivity level value of an insufficient color component according to interpolation processing of image signals. A sensitivity level value of an insufficient color component in a pixel of attention is calculated, according to an arithmetic operation corresponding to an acquired color component of the pixel of attention, by assuming a geometric figure including sensitivity level values of acquired color components as vertexes. As the geometric figure, the same figure is used irrespectively of which color component the acquired color component is.
US08144214B2

An imaging apparatus captures a large dynamic range image of a scene including a backlit person with a blue sky background in a manner that the person's face has an appropriate luminance level without saturating the background sky. An imaging unit obtains analogue image signals through exposure control that prevents a highlight from being saturated, an A/D converter converts the analogue image signals to digital image signals, and a signal processing unit linearly increases the dynamic range of the digital image signals. The image signals with the increased dynamic range are nonlinearly compressed to have a dynamic range of 100% or less through nonlinear dynamic range compression that intensively compresses a highlight portion. The imaging apparatus with this structure first increases the dynamic range of an image and efficiently compresses the increased large dynamic range of the image.
US08144205B2

An electronic camera includes an image sensor, and an object scene image is repetitively output from the image sensor. A CPU repetitively determines whether or not the object scene image output from the image sensor has a face image turned to the imaging surface prior to a half depression of a shutter button. A face detection history including a determination result is produced on a face detection history table by the CPU. The CPU decides a face image position on the basis of the face detection history described in the face detection history table when the shutter button is half-depressed. An imaging condition such as a focus, etc. is adjusted by noting the determined face image position.
US08144198B2

An imaging system, particularly a thermal imager, has a detector operating in at least two sensitivity modes. The detector is read on a pixel-by-pixel basis in each of at least two modes and output therefrom is substantially simultaneously displayed so that a wide range of thermal sensitivities are simultaneously displayed. The detector is, preferably, read out at maximum and minimum sensitivity levels at least half the field rate and, advantageously, at the field rate of a display. In a preferred embodiment, color is added to the normally provided gray scale output from the detector ranging from black for the coolest object through white and yellow to red for the hottest object.
US08144194B2

Method that includes: enabling the user to track a user-identified target on a currently presented image of periodically transmitted images from an imaging apparatus; calculating a distance between the estimated location of the user-identified target in view of the user's tracking and the estimated location of the pointing point of the imaging apparatus at said future time, wherein the estimation relate to a future time by which a command control currently transmitted by the user reaches the imaging apparatus; and calculating a command control required for s directing the pointing point of the imaging apparatus onto the user-identified target, based on said calculated distance, the estimated average velocity of the user-identified target and further based on all previous control commands that had been already transmitted by the user but have not yet affected the currently presented image due to the delay in the communication link.
US08144181B2

In one embodiment, a method for managing ad hoc telepresence sessions is described. The method includes sensing a presence of a user in an ad hoc telepresence zone. The method also includes managing a list of contacts associated with the user. The method also includes determining an availability of a remote user at a remote telepresence zone. The remote user is selected from the list of contacts associated with the user. The method also includes displaying a list of available remote users. The method also includes initiating a telepresence session between the user and the remote user according to an input from the user to select the remote user from the list of available users.
US08144173B2

According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes following units. The image display unit includes a light source unit provided with light sources, each source being controlled respectively, and a liquid crystal panel displaying on a display area. The luminance calculation unit calculates a light source luminance of the light source based on a signal level of a divided area into which the display area virtually divided. The luminance distribution calculation unit calculates an entire luminance distribution of the light source unit. The transform unit transforms a signal level of the input image into a transformed image based on the entire luminance distribution. The luminance correction unit calculates a correction coefficient based on an average value or a sum of the light source luminance, and collects each of the light source luminance by the correction coefficient. The controller unit controls the liquid crystal panel and the light source unit.
US08144170B2

An apparatus for outputting an image by scaling an original image to a different size is disclosed. The apparatus includes an interpolator and at least one line buffer. The interpolator generates lines of the output image, at least one of which is derived by interpolation of lines of the original image, and the line buffer temporally stores pixels on a same one of the lines of the original image for the interpolation, in which the line buffer has single-port memories and each of the single-port memories is accessed for reading and writing values of the pixels which are non-adjacent to one another. A line buffer is also disclosed herein.
US08144166B2

Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for improving output rendering in anti-aliased rendering scenarios. A pixel snapping mode of operation is turned on and off to improve output rendering. When the system detects that an animation has started, the pixel snapping mode is turned off, and when the system detects that the animation has stopped, the pixel snapping mode is resumed. Techniques for providing a smooth transition can be used when turning pixel snapping on. One example of a transition technique includes turning off pixel snapping when an animation begins by immediately lowering the strength of an effect of the pixel snapping mode to zero. Another example includes turning on pixel snapping when the animation finishes by raising the strength of the effect of the pixel snapping mode over a period of time until the strength is full strength.
US08144164B2

A display image of a frame is input in time series. An inverse colored image to cancel the display image is generated. The display image is divided into a plurality of subfields, and the inverse colored image is also divided into a plurality of subfields. A time divisional image is generated by disposing a display time of a subfield of the inverse colored image before and after a display time of a corresponding subfield of the display image. While displaying the time divisional image on a screen, a light from the screen is transmitted in synchronization with display timing of the display image in a display time of the time divisional image, and the light is cut off in synchronization with display timing of the inverse colored image in the display time of the time divisional image.
US08144163B2

A display device which includes a display panel having a plurality of pixels and displaying images. Each pixel includes a data line, first and second gate lines, a first sub-pixel connected to the first gate line and the data line, and a second sub-pixel connected to the same data line and the second gate line, and a display driving unit receives an image signal, converts the image signal into a first sub image signal and a second sub image signal, supplies the first sub data voltage to the first sub-pixel through the data line and then supplies the second sub data voltage to the second sub-pixel through the same data line. The first sub data voltage corresponding to the first sub image signal, and the second sub data voltage corresponding to the second sub image signal.
US08144162B2

Provided is a method and apparatus for rendering 3D graphics data. By calculating the size of a primitive, which is a basic constituent unit of objects indicated by the graphics data, on a screen, selecting one of a plurality of resolutions supported by a video stream according to the calculated size, generating a video frame image having the selected resolution from the video stream, and rendering the graphics data using the generated video frame image, the amount of memory space used and power consumed are reduced. In addition, since when rendering is performed using a video frame image decoded at a low resolution, a processing speed increases, and since rendering can be performed using video frame images decoded at various resolutions, image quality increases.
US08144159B2

Techniques to generate partial display updates in a buffered window system in which arbitrary visual effects are permitted to any one or more windows (e.g., application-specific window buffers) are described. Once a display output region is identified for updating, the buffered window system is interrogated to determine which regions within each window, if any, may effect the identified output region. Such determination considers the consequences any filters associated with a window impose on the region needed to make the output update.
US08144158B2

A floating point rasterization and frame buffer in a computer system graphics program. The rasterization, fog, lighting, texturing, blending, and antialiasing processes operate on floating point values. In one embodiment, a 16-bit floating point format consisting of one sign bit, ten mantissa bits, and five exponent bits (s10e5), is used to optimize the range and precision afforded by the 16 available bits of information. In other embodiments, the floating point format can be defined in the manner preferred in order to achieve a desired range and precision of the data stored in the frame buffer. The final floating point values corresponding to pixel attributes are stored in a frame buffer and eventually read and drawn for display. The graphics program can operate directly on the data in the frame buffer without losing any of the desired range and precision of the data.
US08144150B2

Graphic elements and graphic displays are provided for use in a process environment to display information to one or more users about the process environment, such as the current state of devices within a process plant. The graphic elements and displays include one or more objects, each of which includes a visualization, which depicts an entity within the process environment, a property associated with the depicted process entity and a routine that operates in conjunction with the visualization and the property to cause a change in the-visualization based on a change in the property, or to cause a change in the process environment based on user input through the visualization. In this manner, the graphic objects can be used to create displays that graphically illustrate, through animations and other visual operations, the changing state of the process or detected events within the process. These same graphic elements may be used to enable users to interact with a visualization on a user interface screen, such as through a mouse or a keyboard device, to cause a change in the object property, which may then provide an input to a device within the process plant.
US08144149B2

The present disclosure is directed to novel methods and apparatus for managing or performing the dynamic allocation or reallocation of processing resources among a vertex shader, a geometry shader, and pixel shader of a graphics processing unit. In one embodiment a method for graphics processing comprises assigning at least one execution unit to each of a plurality of shader units, the plurality of shader units comprising a vertex shader, a geometry shader, and a pixel shader, wherein an execution unit assigned to a given shader unit performs processing tasks for only that shader unit, determining that one of the plurality of shader units is bottlenecked, and reassigning at least one execution unit from a non-bottlenecked shader unit to the shader unit determined to be bottlenecked.
US08144147B2

Hierarchical bounding of displaced parametric surfaces may be a very common use case for tessellation in interactive and real-time rendering. An efficient normal bounding technique may be used, together with min-max mipmap hierarchies and oriented bounding boxes. This provides substantially faster convergence for the bounding volumes of the displaced surface, without tessellating and displacing the surface in some embodiments. This bounding technique can be used for different types of culling, ray tracing, and to sort higher order primitives in tiling architectures.
US08144139B2

In a display panel module, a first group and a second group of data driver chips are separately cascaded on a first side of a display panel. A scan driver chip is disposed on a second side of the display panel. A first flexible printed circuit (FPC) is connected between a printed circuit board (PCB) and the display panel for transmitting signals to the first group of data driver chips, the second group of data driver chips and the scan driver chip, respectively.
US08144136B2

An apparatus, method, system, computer program and product, each capable of controlling display based on user instruction.
US08144135B2

A thumbwheel input device oriented on an incline and comprising a wheel such that a first input is generated by rotation of the wheel about its axis, and a holder also having an axis of rotation and a portion thereon to receive the wheel whereby a second input is generated by rotation of the holder about the second axis.
US08144124B2

An optical scrolling module includes a prism, a light source, an image sensor and a first condenser. The prism is disposed at an opening of an upper shell of a mouse and has a light incident surface, a reflective surface, a contact surface and a light emitting surface. The contact and light incident surfaces are respectively connected between the reflective and light emitting surfaces. The contact surface is exposed by the opening. A light beam from the light source is transmitted to the contact surface via the light incident and reflective surfaces. When an object with a pattern structure puts on the contact surface, the light beam is scattered and a portion of the light beam is transmitted to the image sensor via the first condenser. When the object is removed from the contact surface, the light beam is reflected to the light emitting surface by the contact surface.
US08144123B2

A system provides for controlling a cursor on a screen automatically and dynamically when using a video camera as a pointing device. A computer displays static or dynamic content to a screen. A video camera connected to the computer points at the screen. As the video camera films the screen, frames captured by the video camera are sent to the computer. A target image is displayed by the computer onto the screen and marks the position of the screen cursor of the video camera. Frames captured by the video camera include the target image, and the computer dynamically moves the target image on the screen to ensure that the target image stays in the center of the view of the video camera.
US08144119B2

A display coupling apparatus includes a first circuit board having a display connector end. A first cable coupling pad is located on the first circuit board. At least one trace on the first circuit board extends from the display connector end to the first cable coupling pad. The display coupling apparatus is used to electrically couple a display to an information handling system.
US08144118B2

In one implementation, a first captured image is accessed. The first captured image includes (1) a first display produced at a first point in time, and (2) a user interacting with the first display and not part of the first display. A second captured image is accessed. The second captured image includes (1) a second display produced at a second point in time, and (2) the user interacting with the second display and not part of the second display. The first captured image and the second captured image are compared. The motion of the user is determined based on a result of the comparing of the first captured image and the second captured image. The determined motion of the user is related to a portion of one or more of the first and second captured images.
US08144112B2

An exemplary backlight modulation circuit includes a backlight source, a backlight driving circuit, a rough modulation key, a fine modulation key, a scaler, and an illumination modulation signal processing circuit. The backlight driving circuit is configured for driving the backlight source. The rough modulation key and the fine modulation key are configured for generating a rough triggering signal and a fine triggering signal. The scaler is configured for receiving the rough triggering signal and the fine triggering signal, and generating an illumination modulation signal. The illumination modulation signal processing circuit is configured for receiving the illumination modulation signal, and processing the illumination modulation signal to generate one of a rough modulation controlling signal to modulate illumination of the backlight source in a large range and a fine modulation controlling signal to modulate the illumination of the backlight source in a small range.
US08144106B2

A liquid crystal display (LCD) and a driving method thereof, which synchronize a panel with an inverter to prevent backlights from being turned off during a display mode change. The LCD includes a signal converter to convert selectively input analogue video signals into digital video signals according to a predetermined sampling clock, a scaler to sample the digital video signals output from the signal converter at a preset resolution according to a predetermined sampling clock and to extract a horizontal synchronization signal from the sampled digital video signals, an inverter to drive backlights in synchronization with the horizontal synchronization signal extracted by the scaler, a panel driver to receive the sampled digital video signals in a predetermined signal format and to display the received signals on a liquid crystal panel, and a controller to detect the horizontal synchronization signal from the input video signals to determine a display mode, to output sampling clock signals to the signal converter and the scaler according to the display mode, and to generate inverter on/off signals whenever the display mode is changed.
US08144093B2

A display device is provided that comprises a liquid crystal display panel for displaying an image by spatial light modulation, and circuitry for switching liquid crystal in the panel between having a first configuration in a first mode to cause an image displayed using the panel to be discernible from a wide range of viewing angles, and having a second configuration in a second mode to cause an image displayed using the panel to be discernible substantially only from within a narrow range of viewing angles. Several types of display panel to achieve such in-panel switching between public and private viewing modes are disclosed.
US08144091B2

A method of driving a liquid crystal display element includes a first step for initializing a liquid crystal in a pixel and displaying an initial grayscale at the pixel and a second step for displaying a desired grayscale lower than the initial grayscale by making a cumulative time difference between low grayscales lower than a reference grayscale longer than a cumulative time difference between high grayscales higher than the reference grayscale, where the cumulative time differences are a difference between a cumulative voltage application time of voltage pulses cumulatively applied to display a grayscale lower than the initial grayscale and a cumulative voltage application time of the voltage pulses cumulatively applied to display a grayscale one level lower than the grayscale lower than the initial grayscale.
US08144088B2

A surface lighting device has one single light source and a light-guide-board. The board includes a light-guiding-section and a light-emitting-section. A shorter side of the light-guiding-section is not more than 8 mm, and an area of the light-emitting-section is not less than 500 mm2. The light-emitting-section has the following features: (1) a ratio of min. luminance vs. max. luminance of is not less than 0.3; (2) an average luminance ranges from 1 cd/m2 to 200 cd/m2, and (3) a change value in luminance per unit length is not more than (average luminance)×100 cd/m3. Employing plural light-emitting-elements in the light source allows the lighting device to produce versatile colors. The light source, light-guide-board and a holder are structured and shaped in optimum way, so that unevenness in luminance of the device is reduced. An LCD unit incorporating this surface lighting device increases its display quality, and a portable terminal incorporating this LCD unit produces easy-to-lead display.
US08144087B2

Disclosed herein is a color LED driver, which is capable of being implemented by a compact structure without a feedback structure and accompanying a small size and low cost, by directly connecting a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor to a driving current path of a color LED applied to an LCD backlight to compensate a characteristic variation of the LED due to a variation in a temperature. The color LED driver includes a driving constant voltage source 100 which supplies a predetermined driving constant voltage VD; a driving circuit 200 which converts the driving constant voltage VD of the driving constant voltage source 100 into a plurality of driving currents, for driving color LEDs, the plurality of driving currents including red LED driving current Ird, green LED driving current Igd and blue LED driving current Ibd; a temperature compensation unit 300 which compensates variations in the red LED driving current Ird and the green LED driving current Igd due to a variation in a temperature, among the plurality of driving currents from the driving circuit 200; and an LED unit 400 including a plurality of color LEDs which are turned on by the driving currents from the temperature compensation circuit 300 and the driving current from the driving circuit 200.
US08144082B2

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for driving a plasma display panel that can be driven at a low voltage and prevent undesired discharge from being generated under high temperature environment.
US08144076B2

A display apparatus has an image display unit that displays a virtual image by projecting an image light to a windshield, and an obstacle detector that detects an obstacle existing around the vehicle as well as a safety determination unit that determines safety of the vehicle relative to the detected obstacle based at least on one of a distance from the obstacle and a relative speed of the vehicle relative to the obstacle. The display apparatus also has an image control unit that controls a position of the virtual image to circle around the obstacle in a view of a driver when the obstacle is determined to be unsafe by the safety determination unit.
US08144074B2

A liquid crystal display element includes a G display unit, serving as a first display unit, R and B display units and, serving as second and third display units, that are laminated on the G display unit and have display regions arranged so as to correspond to a display region of the G display unit, and a display control unit that performs a reset process of changing the display region to the same display state on the G display unit and then starts the reset process of the R and B display units.
US08144060B2

An antenna unit includes one or more antenna circuits coupled to one or more antenna structures. Each antenna structure includes a first feed point and a second feed point to receive signals from a transceiver unit or transmit signals to the transceiver unit. The first feed point of each antenna structure is configured to maximize coupling into an associated antenna structure at a first frequency band and the second feed point of each antenna structure is configured to maximize coupling into an associated antenna structure at a second frequency band. Each antenna structure has a slot that separates each antenna structure into a first patch associated with the first feed point and the first frequency band and a second patch associated with the second feed point and the second frequency band. Each antenna circuit is operatively coupled to the transceiver unit without an intervening multiplexing functionality or circuitry.
US08144055B2

A handheld electronic device, such as a GPS-enabled wireless communications device with an embedded camera, a GPS-enabled camera-phone or a GPS-enabled digital camera, determines whether ephemeris data needs to be obtained for geotagging digital photos taken with the device. By monitoring user activity with respect to the camera, such as activation of the camera, the device can begin pre-acquisition of a GPS position fix by obtaining needed ephemeris data before the photograph is actually taken. This GPS pre-acquisition improves the likelihood that a position fix (GPS lock) is achieved by the time the photo is taken (to enable immediate geotagging). Alternatively, the photo can be geotagged retroactively by appending the current location to the metadata tag associated with the digital photo. An optional acquisition status indicator can be displayed on a user interface of the device to indicate that a position fix is being obtained.
US08144049B2

In a radar with a non-uniformly spaced antenna array, an extractor estimates a number of arrivals of echoes to the antenna array. A setter sets a number of azimuths corresponding to a number of extracted peaks as a number of tested azimuths greater than the number of arrivals of echoes by a preset number. A determiner determines a level of correlations among steering vectors respectively corresponding to the tested azimuths. A selector selects, from the tested azimuths, azimuths as power-estimation targets based on the determined level of the correlations among the steering vectors. A first estimator estimates a received power level from each power-estimation target. A second estimator estimates, from the power-estimation targets, an azimuth of the target based on the estimated received power level from each power-estimation target. The estimated received power level from the azimuth is equal to or greater than a preset threshold level.
US08144047B2

A current mode dual-slope temperature-to-digital conversion device is disclosed. The conversion device comprises a temperature dependent current source and a reference current source. Firstly, a capacitor is charged by the temperature dependent current source. Next, the capacitor is discharged by the reference current source. The capacitor is coupled to at least one trigger, and the trigger sends out a first digital signal to a logic controller by the voltage of the capacitor. Then, the logic controller sends out a second digital signal to a time-to-digital converter according to the first digital signal. When the capacitor is discharged by the reference current source and before the first digital signal is varied, the converter receives the second digital signal and a clock signal to generate a corresponding digital output value. The present invention achieves the requirement of the high linearity resolution with the dual-slope architecture lest the curvature effect resulted from the time-domain circuit be occurred.
US08144045B2

A timing signal generator circuit includes a DA converter converting an input digital value into an analog voltage, and a VT converter converting the analog voltage into a corresponding delay time. The DA converter includes a current source circuit, which supplies a current (n×Is) (“n” is a number corresponding to the input digital value) selected from a total supply current (N×Is) as a current Iout to the resistors, and supplies the remaining current (N−n)×Is as a current Idump to the resistors, outputs a voltage across the resistors as an analog voltage Vdac, and outputs a voltage across the resistor as a reset voltage Vreset. The VT converter charges the integration capacitor with a constant current from the constant current source by using the reset voltage as an initial voltage, and outputs a timing signal when the integral voltage exceeds the analog voltage.
US08144036B2

The embodiments described herein include a switch system having a frame. The frame may have at least one feedback device is attached thereto. The feedback device provides a discernable feedback upon the receipt of a control signal. Additionally, at least one switch is connected to the frame wherein the switch causes the generation of the control signal when engaged.
US08144035B2

A slim self-luminous keyboard structure comprises a keyboard unit and luminous units. The keyboard unit has a press plane containing a plurality of press members, and a baseplate is arranged below the press plane and supporting the press members. The luminous units generate light, and the light is conducted to a luminous space defined by the press plane and the baseplate to make the luminous space have brightness sufficient to enable users to recognize the press members. The slim self-luminous keyboard structure does not use a backlight plate. Therefore, the present invention can reduce the thickness of a self-luminous keyboard and facilitate fabricating a slim self-luminous keyboard.
US08144033B2

A vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus includes an image capturing device, a display device and an image processing device. The image capturing device is configured and arranged to capture a first original image of a region rearward of a vehicle and a second original image of a region laterally rearward of the vehicle. The display device includes a first display area and a second display area disposed on a lateral side of the first display area. The image processing device is configured to display a first displayed image from the first original image in the first display area and to display a second displayed image from the second original image in the second display area to form a combined image on the display device with the second displayed image being horizontally compressed from the second original image to at least a greater degree than the first displayed image.
US08144019B2

An image forming apparatus is supplied capable of improving distance precision and relative position precision of a RFID tag and RFID unit so as to heighten communication quality of image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus comprises attachable and removable image forming unit which has a RFID tag, and a RFID unit which is located in a LED head installing section and communicates with the RFID tag through radio communication, wherein the RFID tag is located on a side wall of the image forming unit and faces the RFID unit.
US08144018B1

A combination EAS/RFID antenna for use in an EAS/RFID surveillance system. The antenna includes an EAS antenna element and an RFID antenna element. The EAS antenna element includes an EAS loop antenna defining an interior portion. The RFID antenna element includes an RFID patch antenna having a hatched conductor pattern. The RFID antenna element is situated proximate the EAS loop antenna in such a fashion that the overall size of the antenna is reduced.
US08144014B1

An electronic article surveillance system utilizing infrared communication is disclosed wherein added security is obtained by using dynamic passcode protection. The system includes tags, deactivators, a base control system and perhaps one or more remote management stations. Each tag, base station, remote station and deactivator includes an accurate clock generator, a microprocessor, infrared communication capabilities, and machine readable instructions encoded for performing an algorithm for generating multiple passcodes. At a specified time, each active tag possesses a changeable passcode. The base station further includes infrared communication capabilities with an infrared communication path between each tag and each base station, the path enabling interchange of information between each tag and each base station. Each tag replaces the passcode at a specified interval, or at a specified point in time.
US08144011B2

A secure communication link (24) is provided between a movable bather operator (23) and a peripheral system (20). Information conveyed via this link is used by one, the other, or both such elements to further inform or direct their respective actions.
US08144006B2

With a growing number of personal and shared devices that may be connected to the Internet, the number of devices on which a person may receive a message increases. Privacy in message delivery may become an issue when a message may be received on a shared device, for example, a television. Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods for displaying message alerts on shared and private devices according to user preferences.
US08144005B2

A method for advanced condition monitoring of an asset system includes monitoring a variable of an asset system using the at least one sensor of a smart sensor system; determining whether the asset system has departed from normal operation; and identifying the variable of the asset system indicating the departure from normal operation. In another method, the time sequential values of the monitored variable is analyzed by using a Rank Permutation Transformation test, a Hotelling's T2 statistic test, and a Likelihood Ratio Test; and a change of an operating condition of the asset system is determined using the analyzed values. An alert is provided if necessary. A smart sensor system includes an on-board processing unit for performing the method of the invention.
US08143994B2

An apparatus and method for authenticating a telematics terminal are disclosed to receive a first telematics service based on inputted user authentication information and then easily receive a second telematics service based on the inputted user authentication information. The method for authenticating a telematics terminal in a vehicle including: storing user authentication information inputted to receive a first telematics service through a mobile communication network; and requesting a second telematics service to an information providing center through the mobile communication network based on the stored user authentication information.
US08143993B2

A trimmable component network of switched parallel paths is described, each path contains a component, typically a resistor, with a portion of the component bypassed by fuses. The bypassed portion represents the same percentage of the component's value for each of the trimmable components in the parallel paths. A component is measured against a specification and if the specification is not met a prescribed number of fuses are cut to bring the component within its specification. A TRIM CODE may be used to identify the specific fuses to be cut, and thus the specific fuses that are to remain intact. The same TRIM CODE is applied to the components in the parallel paths.
US08143988B2

This disclosure provides a multilayer inductor that includes a coil formed from coil electrodes each looping through a length of one turn and that is capable of preventing the occurrence of delamination. Each of a plurality of coil electrodes loops through a length of one turn on one of magnetic plurality of insulating layers so as to make a ring-shaped track when viewed in plan in a z-axis (stacking) direction. The coil electrodes include end portions located on the ring-shaped track and end portions located off the ring-shaped track, respectively. Additional coil electrodes are electrically connected to the plurality of coil electrodes. The additional coil electrodes include land portions, respectively, each overlapping a region surrounded by the end portions of the plurality of coil electrodes when viewed in plan in the z-axis direction.
US08143978B2

An electromechanical relay employing a movable first magnet and a nearby switching electromagnet is disclosed. The movable first magnet is permanently magnetized with a magnetic moment and has at least a first end. The switching electromagnet, when energized, produces a switching magnetic field which is primarily perpendicular to the magnetization direction of the first movable magnet and exerts a magnetic torque on the first magnet to force the first magnet to rotate and closes an electrical conduction path at the first end. Changing the direction of the electrical current in the switching electromagnet changes the direction of the switching magnetic field and thus the direction of the magnetic torque on the first magnet, and causes the first magnet to rotate in an opposite direction and opens the electrical conduction path at the first end. Multiple magnetic layers can be arranged to form closed magnetic circuits to facilitate switching and maintaining switched states. Latching and non-latching types of relays can be formed by appropriately adjusting various force magnitudes.
US08143967B2

An impedance matching method which is used to save electrical energy by virtue of the fact that the method switches between modes for controlling impedance matching and modes for regulation of the impedance matching depending on the situation. An algorithm which, on the basis of control signals from an external circuit environment, controls or regulates the impedance of a variable-impedance circuit element is implemented in a logic circuit LC.
US08143966B2

Methods and apparatus are disclosed, such as those involving an interconnection layout for an integrated circuit (IC). One such layout includes a plurality of differential pairs of lines. Each differential pair has two lines including one or more parallel portions extending substantially parallel to each other. Each pair also includes a shield line. Each of the shield lines includes one or more parallel portions interposed between the parallel portions of one of the pairs of differential lines. One or more of the shield lines are electrically connected to a voltage reference, such as ground. This layout is believed to reduce or eliminate intra-pair coupling as well as inter-pair coupling.
US08143962B1

Tuning circuits with a wide tuning range and a method of tuning an integrated circuit (IC) are disclosed. An embodiment of the disclosed circuits includes varactor banks coupled in series. Each of the varactor banks may include multiple variable capacitors coupled in parallel. A control voltage is routed through the series of varactor banks to adjust the frequency range of the tuning circuit. The control voltage can be selectively routed through one or more of the series of varactor banks based on the operating frequency of the tuning circuit. Enable circuits may be used to control how the control voltage is routed to achieve a specific frequency.
US08143961B2

In at least one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus includes an integrated circuit, which includes a first oscillator terminal and an oscillator discrimination circuit. The oscillator discrimination circuit is operative to generate an indicator of a capacitance value of a load capacitance external to the integrated circuit and coupled to one of the first and second oscillator terminals. The indicator is generated according to a charge time of a reference node coupled to a reference capacitor and a charge time of a node coupled to the first oscillator terminal. The node and the reference node are charged using substantially matched currents.
US08143960B2

According to one exemplary embodiment, a voltage controlled oscillator configured to operate in low and high band modes includes a low band section and a high band section. The voltage controlled oscillator further includes a multi-tap inductor having a high inductance portion coupled to the low band section and a low inductance portion coupled to the high band section. The low band section is configured to provide a low frequency band oscillator output in the low band mode and the high band section is configure to provide a high frequency band oscillator output in the high band mode. The low band section is disabled in the high band mode and the high band section is disabled in the low band mode. A center tap of the multi-tap inductor is coupled to a supply voltage.
US08143959B2

A jitter generation apparatus for applying a phase modulation to a PLL is controlled by a control unit so as to output a signal with the desired jitter based on a parameters. When a switching unit is switched to a first state, the control unit controls first and second level control units so that the desired jitter in which an amplitude of a first modulation signal matches the parameter is added to an output signal from a voltage controlled oscillator unit, and passes through a quadrature modulator. When the switching unit is switched to the second state, the control unit controls the first and second level control units so that a quadrature modulation is applied to a local signal, which is input to the quadrature modulator without adding any jitter to an output signal from the voltage controlled oscillator unit, and a quadrature-modulated local signal is output.
US08143946B2

A current to voltage converter which includes a common gate transconductance element having at least one input and one output. The current to voltage converter further includes a common source transconductance element having at least one input and one output, where the common source transconductance element is connected to the common gate transconductance element. The current to voltage converter further includes a feedback circuit including a resistor, where the feedback circuit connects any input having a polarity to any output having an opposite polarity.
US08143943B2

A system for processing an input signal, the system includes: a hardware memory module configured to store a lookup table; and a signal processing module, configured to process the input signal to provide a second signal, and to transmit the second signal to a power amplifier that is characterized by non-linearity and which is adapted to amplify the second signal to provide an amplified signal; wherein the signal processing module is configured to process the input signal in response to at least one filtering parameter to provide the second signal so as to at least partly compensate for the non-linearity of the amplifier; wherein the at least one filtering parameter is retrieved from the lookup table using a first, a second, and a third lookup table indexes, wherein the first index is responsive to a magnitude of the input signal at a first moment, the second index is responsive to a magnitude of the input signal at a second moment, and the third index is responsive to phases of the input signal at the first and the second moments; wherein the system includes a delay circuit for delaying the input signal before the input signal is provided to the signal processing module.
US08143932B2

A clock distribution network includes a plurality of clock drivers for outputting clock signals. At least one of the plurality of clock drivers has a driving capacity that is not equal to a driving capacity of at least another one of the plurality of clock drivers. The distribution network also includes a grid distribution network for distributing the clock signals output from the plurality of clock drivers.
US08143931B2

A flag signal generation circuit includes a first periodic signal detection unit, a second periodic signal detection unit, and a flag signal output unit. The first periodic signal detection unit is configured to detect a change in a level of a first periodic signal and generate a first detection signal. The second periodic signal detection unit is configured to detect a change in a level of a second periodic signal and generate a second detection signal. The flag signal output unit is configured to generate a pre-flag signal from the first and second detection signals, buffer the pre-flag signal in response to a mode register read signal, and output the buffered pre-flag signal as a flag signal.
US08143930B2

Various methods and apparatus can be used for amplifying a time interval in a variety of applications. In an embodiment, a feedback device is implemented in a time amplifier in conjunction with an output device of the time amplifier.
US08143925B2

A delay locked loop includes a replica delay oscillator unit, a division unit, a pulse generation unit, a code value output unit, and a delay line. The replica delay oscillator unit generates a replica oscillation signal having a period corresponding to a replica delay. The division unit receives the replica oscillation signal and a clock signal and divides the replica oscillation signal and the clock signal at a first or second ratio in response to a delay locking detection signal. The pulse generation unit generates a delay pulse having a pulse width corresponding to a delay amount for causing a delay locking. The code value output unit adjusts a code value corresponding to the pulse width of the delay pulse in response to the delay locking detection signal. The delay line delays the clock signal in response to the code value.
US08143923B2

A power supply circuit having a converter circuit and method for determining a current flowing into the converter circuit. A converter circuit includes an amplifier and a current-to-current converter module. The amplifier has a current sensing element coupled between its inverting and noninverting input terminals. The amplifier generates a sensing signal from a charging current flowing through the current sensing element. The sensing signal is input into the current-to-current converter module, which scales the charging current and modulates the scaled charging current. The current-to-current converter module converts the modulated current to a charging voltage that is representative of the charging current. The charging current is converted to a current that is representative of the input current to converter circuit. The input current to the converter circuit is added to an auxiliary load current to yield the current of the power supply circuit.
US08143918B2

An apparatus for driving a display device includes a plurality of stage connected to each other, wherein each stage includes first to seventh transistors and first and second capacitors, the seventh transistor is connected to one terminal of the first capacitor, and a ratio of an area of the first capacitor to a channel width of the seventh transistor is less than 40. Accordingly, since the ratio of the area of the capacitor to the channel width of the transistor is less than 40, deterioration may be remarkably reduced in a low temperature test.
US08143917B2

A transceiver for controlling a swing width of an output voltage includes a transmitter and a receiver for receiving an output voltage of a transmitter. The transmitter includes a first signal converter that outputs changed data generated by changing a voltage level of data in response to a mode control signal for selecting a test mode or a normal mode, an output voltage control circuit for controlling a voltage level of an output node of the transmitter in response to the changed data, and a first termination circuit for supplying a changed power supply voltage generated by changing a voltage level of a power supply voltage of the output node of the transmitter, or is turned off, in response to a test mode enable signal or the changed data. The receiver includes a second termination circuit that operates as a resistor having a resistance value that varies in response to the test mode enable signal or a test mode disable signal.
US08143915B2

Some embodiments provide a configurable integrated circuit (IC) comprising multiple deskew circuits for delaying data passage. Each of the deskew circuits comprises a stepwise delay circuit with multiple outputs and an input selection circuit with multiple inputs. Multiple outputs connect to multiple inputs.
US08143907B2

A capacitive occupant sensor includes a sensor mat having U-parts arranged in a first direction and, a second direction perpendicular to each other. The U-parts located adjacent to each other are connected in the second direction so as to define S-parts, in a manner that openings of the U-parts alternately open toward a first side of the first direction or a second side of the first direction. The S-parts located adjacent to each other are combined in the first direction, in a manner that the opening open toward the first side and the opening open toward the second side oppose to each other in the first direction. The mat has a meandering structure defined by the S-parts.
US08143900B2

Detecting ingress of a transmitted signal into a cable communication system due to a radio frequency signal transmitted from a moving vehicle and interrogation of transmitter location over a separate wireless link provides monitoring of shielding integrity or flaws there in a cable communication system. The location of a shielding flaw may then be precisely located in a closed loop fashion without risking overload of the cable communication system or interference with upstream signaling therein by detecting ingress signal strength and controlling transmitted signal strength while providing a user-perceptible indication of ingress signal strength which is compensated for the control of transmitted signal strength and thus indicates proximity of a hand-held instrument or transmitter to said shielding flaw.
US08143897B2

A method for electromagnetic surveying subsurface formations includes inducing an electromagnetic field in the subsurface formations by passing electric current through a transmitter. Response of the subsurface formations to the induced electromagnetic field is detected at a first plurality of spaced apart positions disposed longitudinally within a bipole length of the transmitter. A direct induction response is removed from the detected response.
US08143887B2

A method for measuring flow rate of at least one fluid in a multi-phase fluid comprises: providing a magnetic resonance module through which the fluid phases flow and at least one pre-polarization module of variable effective length upstream of the magnetic resonance module; and conducting a measurement by: i) setting the pre-polarization module to have a first effective length, ii) applying a RF pulse sequence to the fluid in the magnetic resonance module, iii) determining the intensity of a pre-determined number of spin echoes produced by the RF pulse sequence, iv) determining a line approximating the attenuation of the intensity during the RF sequence, v) determining slope and y-intercept of the line, vi) determining the ratio of the slope and intercept, vii) applying a calibration between the slope:intercept ratio and multi-phase flow rate so as to determine the flow velocity of the fluid in the multi-phase fluid.
US08143884B2

It is described a current interface (100, 200) with a blocking capacitor (128, 228). The blocking capacitor (128, 228) is attached to an additional pin (115, 215), thus allowing a supply voltage ripple rejection of an internal sensor circuit (130, 230). The supply lines (160, 260, 170, 270) are decoupled from the capacitor (128, 228) by a diode (125) or by a voltage regulator (226). Thereby, the use of a sensor element (132, 232) with the current interface (100, 200) does not restrict the size of the blocking capacitor (128, 228) because transient times of edges of output current signals of the current interface (100, 200) are not affected by a low-pass behavior of the blocking capacitor (128, 228) combined with a sensing resistor (171, 271) being typically used for measuring the amperage of the output current signals.
US08143876B2

A method and system for controlling a plurality of output voltages.
US08143875B2

An example integrated circuit controller for a power supply includes a modulator, a drive signal generator, a comparator, and a variable current limit generator. The modulator generates an enable signal having logic states responsive to a feedback signal. The drive signal generator either enables or skips enabling a switch of the power supply during a switching period in response to the logic state of the enable signal. The comparator asserts an over current signal to disable the switch if current flowing through the switch exceeds a variable current limit. The variable current limit generator sets the variable current limit to a first current limit in response to one logic state of the enable signal during a switching period and sets the variable current limit to a second current limit if the enable signal transitions logic states and the over current signal is asserted during the switching period.
US08143865B2

An average current-mode controlled converter has a buck mode, a boost mode, and a four-switch mode. In one example, the converter operates in one of the three modes, depending on the difference between the converter output voltage VOUT and the converter input voltage VIN. Whether the four-switch mode is a full-time four-switch mode or a partial four-switch mode is user programmable. The novel converter can also be programmed to operate in other ways. For example, the converter can be programmed so that there is no intervening four-switch mode, but rather the converter operates either in a buck or a boost mode depending on VOUT-VIN. The converter can also be programmed so that the converter always operates in a conventional full-time four-switch mode. In one embodiment, the converter is programmed by setting an offset between two internally generated ramp signals and by setting associated limiting and inverting circuits.
US08143857B2

A battery monitoring system includes a first module and a second module coupled to the first module. The first module shifts a reference signal to a first shifted signal. The second module shifts the reference signal to a second shifted signal and shifts the first shifted signal to a third shifted signal. The second module also monitors a set of cells through the first module and provides an output signal indicative of a status of the set of cells. The second and third shifted signals are usable for calibrating the output signal.
US08143855B2

A battery system is split into first and second battery subsystems. When the first battery subsystem reaches a first discharge level, the first battery system is decoupled from output terminals of the battery system and the second battery subsystem is coupled to the output terminals of the battery system.
US08143852B2

A state of charge optimizing device according to the present invention optimizes a state of charge of each of a plurality of cells which are connected in series to form an assembled battery, and conducts the optimization by discharging or charging a part or all of the plurality of cells so that the differences between the amount of charge after the optimization and the amount of charge in a predetermined state of charge become uniform.
US08143835B2

Under the same target voltage, a basic duty ratio depending on a target ON time is set, and prior and subsequent duty ratios before and after upper arm switching devices or lower arm switching devices are driven with the basic duty ratio are set as a basic duty ratio+α and a basic duty ratio−α, respectively. Gate drive signals, having the basic duty ratio and the prior and subsequent duty ratios, are supplied to the upper arm switching devices or to the lower arm switching devices, in order to turn on the upper arm switching devices or the lower arm switching devices.
US08143832B2

In a method for operating an electromechanical adjusting device, having an actuating part driven by a controller controlled motor, and which can be adjusted according to a manual specification for a controller operating element between a first and a second end position, the controller detects the precise position of a blockage of an adjusting movement from fed sensor signals, wherein user action performed on the operating element adjusts the actuating part by a first movement directed toward the end position to a position at which mechanical blockage occurs in order to determine a reference position, and adjusts the actuating part by a second movement into the second end position to examine the validity of the previously determined reference position by a test program which decides whether an automatic operating mode, in which an actuating process runs automatically, is activated, or blocked, as a function of the test result.
US08143819B2

An energy conservation system that realizes optimized power demand control for alternating current electrical motors equipped with variable frequency drives is implemented by switching an electrical motor via bypass systems from a variable frequency and speed drive mode of operation to a constant frequency and speed drive mode of operation and from a constant frequency and speed drive mode of operation to a variable frequency and speed drive mode of operation. The switching from one mode of operation to another is automatically executed based on the comparative analysis of historical and current trends of the electrical motor actual power demand at variable and constant speed drive modes of operation at various loads. The system optimizes the electrical motor operation by selecting the mode with the lower magnitude of cumulative power demand for the motor and motor drive at a given motor load.
US08143818B2

An ultrasonic motorized stage includes a base part, first and second tables, first and second linear ultrasonic motors which respectively drive the first and the second tables, and first and second optical linear sensors which respectively detect the amount of move of the first and the second tables. The first and the second linear ultrasonic motors and the first and the second optical linear sensors are arranged in positions, which are at sides other than the front side of the ultrasonic motorized stage and prevent wear debris generated when the first and/or the second linear ultrasonic motor is driven from affecting the first and the second optical linear sensors, so that the first and the second linear ultrasonic motors and the first and the second optical linear sensors do not protrude upward from the upper surface of the second table.
US08143817B2

An electromagnetic actuator includes a stator and a movable body. The stator includes a core provided with magnetic poles and a coil wound on at least one of the magnetic poles. The movable body includes a permanent magnet and supported in such a manner as to make reciprocating in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the permanent magnet opposes the magnetic poles. The movable body is reciprocated upon applying an alternating voltage to the coil. An electromagnetic actuator driving method for driving the electromagnetic actuator includes performing feedback control of the alternating voltage in which the alternating voltage is applied to the coil during a first half of a control period and in which an induced electromotive force generated in the coil during a second half of the control period is used as a control signal.
US08143808B2

A circuit is provided for actuating a lighting device in a motor vehicle. The circuit includes first and second light sources, that may include one or more light-emitting diodes. The light sources are connected in parallel, and each have a respective heat sink. Measuring means is configured to determine the functionality of the first and second light sources.
US08143802B2

A method for driving a discharge lamp that supplies an AC current to a discharge lamp having a first electrode and a second electrode so as to produce discharge and to cause the discharge lamp to emit light includes the steps of, during a steady operation in which the AC current is supplied to the first electrode and the second electrode, when power of the same amount is fed to the first and second electrodes, and a tip portion of the first electrode becomes higher than a tip portion of the second electrode in temperature, changing the duty ratio of the AC current to be supplied between the first electrode and the second electrode in accordance with a predetermined pattern, and setting a current value when the first electrode operates as an anode during one cycle so as to be smaller than a current value when the second electrode operates as an anode during one cycle.
US08143797B2

A direct current to alternating current (DC/AC) inverter is for driving a fluorescent lamp through quasi sine wave generation. The DC/AC inverter includes a frequency generator for generating a reference signal and a modulation signal, a pulse width modulator coupled to the frequency generator for providing a pulse width modulation signal according to said modulation signal, a driver circuit coupled to the pulse width modulator for generating at least one driving signal according to the pulse width modulation signal and the reference signal, a half bridge power switch unit coupled to the driver circuit, and a resonant tank coupled to the fluorescent lamp for outputting a quasi sine wave to drive the fluorescent lamp.
US08143791B2

A control system for a light-emitting device may include test circuitry, photodetectors, and process circuitry. The test circuitry is configured to sequentially drive individual groups of light-emitting elements in a light-emitting device during a test sequence. Each group of light-emitting elements includes one or more light-emitting elements. The photodetectors are configured to detect an intensity of light present at a plurality of locations of the light-emitting device during the test sequence and generate a detection signal corresponding to the detected intensity of light. The process circuitry is configured to process the detection signals and transmit an adjustment signal based on the processing. The light-emitting elements may then be driven such that at least one characteristic of light emitted by all of the plurality of light-emitting elements is substantially the same at each of the plurality of locations of the light-mixing region.
US08143782B2

An organic light emitting display that can avoid or reduce scratched wires and dark spot defects. The organic light emitting display includes a pixel substrate having an organic light emitting element formed on a pixel region and wires having pads formed around the pixel region, a passivation layer formed on the organic light emitting element and the wires, and an encapsulation substrate formed on the pixel substrate to protect the pixel region.
US08143778B2

An organic-inorganic lighting device and a method for fabricating the same is disclosed. Firstly, a conductive substrate is provided, and an inorganic conducting film layer and a seed layer are formed in turn on the conductive substrate. Next, an array of micro and nano zinc oxide wire is formed on the seed layer by using properties of the seed layer. Finally, an electrode layer is formed on the array of micro and nano zinc oxide wire. The invention solves the problem of low mobility of electrons in inorganic materials.
US08143772B2

The invention relates to a spark plug of an internal combustion engine, especially for use in Otto gas engines. Said spark plug comprises, supported by an insulating body (1), a preferably one-piece spark plug shell (2) and a center electrode (3), which is especially rod-shaped or has a plurality of electrode fingers, and at least one ground electrode (4), preferably a plurality of ground electrodes, the center electrode (3) and the at least one ground electrode (4) being surrounded by a chamber, especially a pre-chamber (5a) or a swirl chamber (5b) supported by the spark plug shell (2), or being located inside said chamber (5a, 5b). The invention is characterized in that the ground electrode(s) (4) has/have a support (6) secured to the spark plug shell (2) or arranged thereon as the base, or branch(es) off therefrom, and in that said ground electrode support (6) and every finger-type ground electrode (4) branching off therefrom is arranged at a distance (21) from the inner wall surface (7) of the chamber (5a, 5b).
US08143769B2

An LED lighting device comprises: a thermally conducting body having an at least one opening that connects with a cavity within the body and a plurality of LEDs mounted in thermal communication with a face of the body and positioned around the opening. One or more passages pass through the body from the cavity to an outer surface of the body and are configured such that in operation air moves through the cavity by thermal convection thereby to provide cooling of the body. Each passage is configured in a direction that extends in a direction at an angle of about 45° to a line that is parallel with the axis of the body toward the outer surface of the body away from the face. The body can be configured such that its outer surface has a form factor resembling an incandescent light bulb or halogen reflector lamp.
US08143766B2

An energy harvesting apparatus for deployment on a vehicle having a frame includes a spring assembly coupled to the frame and configured for compressions and extensions during vehicle travel. A piezoelectric device is mounted on the spring assembly for generating electrical energy in response to the strain imposed thereon. A rectifier is coupled to the piezoelectric device for converting AC electrical energy to DC.
US08143760B2

The present invention relates to a miniature electrical drive (1), in particular a rotating field drive with permanent magnet excitation, having a stator (2) and a soft-magnetic return path element (6) which cylindrically surrounds the stator (2) and has a multiplicity of sheet-metal laminates (22) which are in the form of annular disks and are arranged in layers to form a cylindrical laminated core (20). The sheet-metal laminates (22) in the laminated core (20) are held prestressed exclusively with a force fit and in an interlocking manner in the axial and radial directions, and without adhesive or integral joint means such as this, in a supporting sleeve (24) which coaxially surrounds said sheet-metal laminates (22).
US08143754B2

The invention relates to a power generating unit, comprising an electric generator with a rotor; at least one hydrostatic motor for the powering of the electric generator, wherein at least one of the hydrostatic motors is constructed as an internal gear motor; the rotor of the electric generator surrounds the internal gear motor concentrically, wherein the rotor combs a pinion via an internal gearing, said pinion being driven at least indirectly by the internal gear motor; a starting device is allocated to the internal gear motor.
US08143750B2

A compact linear motor is provided which is able to limit a rod, which linearly moves relatively to coils, from revolving.The linear motor comprises a rod (11) equipped with magnets (13), coils (4) surrounding the rod (11), and a housing (5) covering the coils (4), and the rod (11) is made to linearly move relatively to the coils (4) by magnetic fields from the magnets (13) and current made to flow through the coils (4). And the rod (11) comprises an outer circumferential surface on which spline grooves (10a) are formed so as to run along an axial direction of the rod (11). The housing (5) comprises a spline nut (8) that fits the spline grooves (10a) and limits the rod (11) from revolving around an axis line thereof.
US08143749B2

A dual current switch detection circuit with selective activation is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the switch detection circuit comprises an input node coupled to a switch to receive an input signal from the switch, a first current source coupled to the input node, a second current source coupled to the input node, and a detection circuit having an input coupled to the input node and an output coupled to the second current source to selectively activate the second current source.
US08143747B2

A flux control system for a three-phase active voltage conditioner that utilizes an injection transformer to apply calculated compensation voltage to a mains supply. The flux control system is configured to modify the compensation voltage to be applied to at least one primary terminal of the injection transformer so as to avoid magnetic saturation of the injection transformer. The flux control system includes magnetic flux model modules that are configured to calculate a core flux level of the injection transformer, flux offset modules that are configured to apply a first modification to the compensation voltage to gradually reduce any flux offset in the injection transformer, and peak flux modules that are configured to apply a second modification to the compensation voltage to prevent the core flux level from exceeding a preset range.
US08143746B2

In one embodiment, a wireless power transfer system has a wireless power transmitter and receiver. The transmitter has a transmitting resonant circuit that resonates at a first frequency and a signal generator that generates a signal at a second frequency. The transmitter also has a power detector that measures reflected power at the transmitting resonant circuit, and an auto-tuner that generates transmitter tuning parameters for adjusting the first and second frequencies to reduce reflected power. The receiver has a receiving resonant circuit that resonates at a third frequency based on a receiver tuning parameter. The receiver tuning parameter is generated by a power detector that measures power generated at the receiving resonant circuit, and an auto-tuner that generates the receiver tuning parameter to increase the load power.
US08143736B2

Devices and methods for capturing electrical energy from ocean and other waves at improved cost and efficiency are presented. The major innovations include capturing energy in two vectors simultaneously and connectedly, new applications of Bernoulli's principle, and an application of the breaker effect. The invention presents devices using related principles for use in surface and subsurface waves, and the placing of the devices in the water and wave farms. The full system of wave capture includes many connected parts and power generators.
US08143734B2

A method for the operation of a wind power plant 10) with a rotor (12), which has at least one angle-adjustable rotor blade (14), wherein the wind power plant (10) is operated in a first operating mode (71) and/or a second operating mode (75). In the first operating mode (71) a braking process of the rotor (12) is initiated when a rotational speed of the rotor (12) is exceeded, which lies above a first rotational speed threshold value. Also, a method for the operation of a wind power plant (10) with a rotor (12), which has at least one angle-adjustable rotor blade (14), wherein an operating parameter is monitored and a braking process of the rotor (12) is initiated when an operating parameter threshold value is reached.
US08143717B2

A package for use in encapsulating an electronic device is disclosed. The package includes a dielectric frame having first and second sides with a pair of apertures extending through the dielectric frame. These apertures are separated by a raised shelf span extending inwardly from an internal perimeter of the dielectric frame. The raised shelf span defines a first thickness of the dielectric frame and a raised sidewall extending outwardly from the second side along an external perimeter of said dielectric frame defines a second thickness of said frame, with the second thickness being greater than the first thickness. Also provided is a metallic component having a flange and a pedestal that extends perpendicularly from the flange. The flange is bonded to the first side of the dielectric frame and extends across one of the pair of apertures with the pedestal extending into that aperture. A gap between the pedestal and the dielectric frame having a width of at least 0.015 inch. This prevents debris from being trapped in the gap and minimizes a risk of particle impact noise detection (PIND) failure.
US08143715B2

The present invention relates to a semiconductor package transformer. There is provided a semiconductor package transformer including: a case where an opening into which a semiconductor package having a chip mounted on a substrate is inserted is formed on its front surface and an open part exposing is formed on its upper surface; and a plurality of holes that are formed on the bottom surface of the case.
US08143713B2

Provided is a chip-on-board package. The chip-on-board package may include a board, a grounding pad on a first surface of the board, the grounding pad including a body portion and at least one line portion, and at least two conductive pads on the first surface, the at least two conductive pads being arranged adjacent to the body portion. The at least one line portion may extend between the at least two conductive pads and the at least one line portion may have a narrower width than the at least two conductive pads.
US08143707B2

A semiconductor device includes a circuit base including an inner lead portion and an outer lead portion. The inner lead portion has a plurality of inner leads. At least part of the inner leads is routed inside a chip mounting area. On both upper and lower surfaces of the circuit base, a first and a second semiconductor chip are mounted. At least part of electrode pads of the first semiconductor chip are electrically connected to electrode pads of the second semiconductor chip via the inner leads.
US08143705B2

The invention relates to a tamper-resistant semiconductor device comprising a substrate (5) comprising an electronic circuit arranged on a first side thereof. An electrically-conductive protection layer (50, 50a, 50b) is arranged on a second side of the substrate (5) opposite to the first side. At least three through-substrate electrically-conductive connections (45) extend from the first side of the substrate (5) into the substrate (5) and in electrical contact with the electrically-conductive protection layer (50, 50a, 50b) on the second side of the substrate (5). A security circuit is arranged on the first side connected to the through-substrate electrically-conductive connections (45) and is arranged for measuring at least two resistance values (R12, R23, R34, R14, R13, R24) of the electrically-conductive protection layer (50, 50a, 50b) through the through-substrate electrically-conductive connections (45). The security circuit is further arranged for comparing the measured resistance values (R12, R23, R34, R14, R13, R24) with reference resistance values.
US08143701B2

In one embodiment, high doped semiconductor channels are formed in a semiconductor region of an opposite conductivity type to increase the capacitance of the device.
US08143699B2

An integrated circuit structure includes a chip having a first region and a second region. A first metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor is formed in the first region. The first MIM capacitor has a first bottom electrode; a first top electrode over the first bottom electrode; and a first capacitor insulator between and adjoining the first bottom electrode and the first top electrode. A second MIM capacitor is in the second region and is substantially level with the first MIM capacitor. The second MIM capacitor includes a second bottom electrode; a second top electrode over the second bottom electrode; and a second capacitor insulator between and adjoining the second bottom electrode and the second top electrode. The second capacitor insulator is different from the first capacitor insulator. The first top electrode and the first bottom electrode may be formed simultaneously with the second top electrode and the second bottom electrode, respectively.
US08143696B2

An IC inductor structure is provided which includes a first inductor element formed on a semiconductor substrate and at least a second inductor element formed on the semiconductor substrate proximate the first inductor element. The first inductor element has a first effective magnetic field direction associated therewith, and the second inductor element has a second effective magnetic field direction associated therewith. The first and second inductor elements are oriented relative to one another so as to create a non-zero angle between the first and second effective magnetic field directions.
US08143695B1

A fuse structure for a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) can include a first node comprising a region of a metal layer of an IC manufacturing process and a second node comprising a region of a conductive layer residing on a layer of the IC manufacturing process below the metal layer of the first node. The fuse structure can include a fuse link comprising a conductive material, positioned substantially perpendicular to each of the metal and conductive layers. An upper end of the fuse link couples to the first node and a lower end of the fuse link, that is distal to the upper end, couples to the second node.
US08143689B2

A sensor device for sensing air flow speed at the exterior of an aircraft, comprising a substrate having an upper side on which is mounted a diaphragm over an aperture or recess in the substrate, the diaphragm being thermally and electrically insulative, and mounting on its upper surface a heating element comprising a layer of resistive material, and wherein electrical connections to the heating element are buried in the diaphragm and/or the substrate, and provide electrical terminals at the lower side of the substrate. The heating element is exposed to the environment, but the remaining electrical parts of the device are not exposed.
US08143679B2

A semiconductor power device includes an active region configured to conduct current when the semiconductor device is biased in a conducting state, and a termination region along a periphery of the active region. The termination region includes a first silicon region of a first conductivity type extending to a first depth within a second silicon region of a second conductivity type, the first and second silicon regions forming a PN junction therebetween. The second silicon region has a recessed portion extending below the first depth and out to an edge of a die housing the semiconductor power device. The recessed portion forms a vertical wall at which the first silicon region terminates. A first conductive electrode extends into the recessed portion and is insulated from the second silicon region.
US08143674B2

A semiconductor device having a resistor and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first circuit region and a second circuit region. A lower interlayer insulating layer is provided over the semiconductor substrate. A first hole passing through the lower interlayer insulating layer in the first circuit region and a second hole passing through the lower interlayer insulating layer in the second circuit region are provided. A first semiconductor pattern and a second semiconductor pattern are sequentially stacked in the first hole. A first resistor having the same crystalline structure as the second semiconductor pattern is provided in the second hole.
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