US08156567B2
The present invention relates to a software installation system and a method for copy protection. The software installation system includes a support server in which first installation data for installing software is stored; a recording medium in which an RFID tag storing URL information of the support server is installed and second installation data for installing the software is recorded; a computer having a computer interface unit and a data reading unit reading the second installation data recorded in the recording medium; an RFID reader for reading the RFID tag installed in the recording medium; a portable information processing terminal including a wireless communication unit accessing the support server through wireless Internet, a terminal interface unit connected to the computer interface unit of the computer, and a terminal controller downloading the first installation data and controlling the computer through the terminal interface unit and the computer interface unit.
US08156566B2
Code is associated to a target based on an inspection of the code. A target may be a device or a user. A number of code components may be inspected at one time and then transferred or otherwise associated to a target based on the target's profile. A code component may be a policy of an information management system.
US08156562B2
An information processing apparatus determines whether an authentication portion on an image forming apparatus side can authenticate user authentication information input on the information processing apparatus side. If it is determined that the authentication portion on the image forming apparatus side can authenticate the user authentication information input on the information processing apparatus side, transmission of image data from the information processing apparatus to the image forming apparatus is controlled.
US08156557B2
A method includes monitoring outgoing request packets transmitted by a node in a protected network over a link connecting the protected network to an external network. Incoming response packets that originate in the external network and are destined for transmission to the node are also monitored. One or more of the incoming response packets that were not solicited by any of the outgoing request packets are identified responsively to monitoring the outgoing request packets and the incoming response packets. A characteristic that differentiates between the identified incoming response packets and the incoming response packets that were solicited by the outgoing request packets is determined. A guard device in the external network is instructed to inhibit the transmission over the link of subsequent unsolicited response packets based on the characteristic.
US08156552B2
A method for implementing an online transaction security product includes downloading an online transaction security product program from a web site to an information handling system. The security product program includes an anti-malicious code program configured to detect malicious code on the information handling system. Lastly, the security product program is executed, wherein the anti-malicious code program of the security product program operates to detect malicious code on the information handling system.
US08156550B2
In one embodiment, a host entity may create a trusted connection with a guest entity. The host entity may encrypt a trusted connection invitation for an external guest entity using a proof of possession of a trusted token for the external guest entity. The host entity may transmit the encrypted trusted connection invitation to the external guest entity. A guest entity may decrypt the trusted token, and then use the proof of possession to decrypt the trusted connection invitation.
US08156549B2
A system is disclosed which facilitates authentication processes with web-enabled wireless devices, including those that do not support the use of cookie files. To facilitate such authentication, a web server analyzes an HTTP request file from a communication device for the presence of security token data. Where none is found, a client is directed to a login page for input of authentication data, such as a user name and password information. Upon proper authentication, the client's communication device is issued a security token using standard HTML-INPUT tags. Thereafter, the web server determines if each additional HTTP request file received from the client includes a security token before responding to the request.
US08156546B2
Enterprise users access several applications and services routinely to carry out their work-related activities on a day-to-day basis. These applications and services could be hosted within an enterprise or on a third-party data center. The enterprise users login into the applications and services so as to gain access to the applications and services. In the case of single sign-on, it is expected that the users authenticate once to a specific application/service/system and obtain access to any other application/service/system. In such a scenario, it is important to ensure that during the course of this authenticated access grant, the right users are provided access to right information. This is achieved by a re-authentication system that demands minimum re-authentication effort from “right” users and maximum re-authentication effort from “non-right” users. A system and method of on the fly re-authentication involves a novel challenge-response mechanism.
US08156545B2
A method and system for authorizing a communication interface between a first and second module comprises detecting a coupling between a first module and a second module, certifying a first pairing certificate is valid between the first module and the second module, and issuing a first operating certificate and storing the first operating certificate on at least one of the first module and the second module.
US08156538B2
One embodiment includes a method which may be practiced in a computing environment where resources are distributed. The method includes acts for obtaining policy information defining restrictions on resources distributed in the computing environment. The method includes sending a request to a server for metadata about one or more resource protection policies at the server. In response to the request, metadata about one or more resource protection polices at the server is received from the server. The metadata from the server is analyzed. Based on analyzing the metadata, one or more resource protection policies stored at the client are updated.
US08156534B2
Seamless channel changing in a digital-television-based entertainment network can be implemented, for example, by providing an intra frame to a client device upon a change to a new channel even when the broadcast video data is previously compressed. In an exemplary implementation, a method includes: receiving a stream of broadcast video data that is encoded; continuously decoding the stream of broadcast video data into successive decoded images; and transmitting, responsive to a channel change message received from a client device, an intra frame that has been encoded from a decoded image of the successive decoded images. Other exemplary implementations are described herein.
US08156524B2
A content preference degree calculating method and system that calculates preference degrees of viewers to contents such as broadcast programs in conformity with the actual viewing pattern. In a preference degree calculating unit, the value of a function which is based on at least the rate Ru (=Dw/Lu) of a viewing time (Dw) of the content concerned to a unit time (Lu) and the rate Rc (=Dw/Lc) of the viewing time (Dw) of the content concerned to the time length (Lc) of the content concerned. When the preference degree (Pr) increases as the rate (Ru) is increased and the preference degree (Pr) increases as the rate (Rc) is increased is calculated as a preference degree (Pr) of a viewer to the program concerned from program viewing record data. A formula is Pr=Ru+Rc=(Dw/Lu)+(Dw/Lc). In a preference degree renewing unit, the preference degree (Pr) is added to a pre-renewal preference degree (Po) recorded in a preference data base by some rate, and the preference degree (Pn) after the addition is recorded as a post-renewal preference degree into the preference data base.
US08156522B2
A method of providing an interactive expert link within a linked information system configured to obtain a set of media content related to at least one tracked theme or topic within a field and to generate a set of links between media content from the set of media content as a function of a relevance to the at least one tracked theme or topic, the method including the steps of identifying a new development within a topic from the at least one tracked theme or topic, obtaining a set of independent expert inputs related to the new development from a set of experts, wherein an expert meets a set of predefined expert criteria related to the field or topic, providing access to the set of independent expert inputs to the set of experts, enabling experts to provide expert commentary to one or more independent expert inputs from the set of independent expert inputs and providing access to the expert commentary to the set of experts.
US08156521B2
A receiver has a tuner for receiving a TV broadcast program and a modem for receiving an e-mail. Also, the receiver outputs a message if there exists any unopened e-mail. In addition, the receiver has a camera for sending a videophone image. A viewer in front of the receiver is recognized, and it is determined whether or not the recognized viewer matches the addressee of the unopened e-mail. If a result of the determination is negative, a message output operation is prohibited.
US08156520B2
Various embodiments of apparatus and/or methods are described for skipping, filtering and/or replacing content from an audio/video stream using text data associated with the audio/video stream. The text data is processed using location information that references a segment of the text data of the first audio/video stream to identify a location within the first audio/video stream. The location within the first audio/video stream is utilized to identify portions of the audio/video stream that are to be skipped during presentation. The portions of the audio/video stream that are to be skipped are filtered from the audio/video stream, and some of the skipped portions of the audio/video stream are replaced with substitute content. The filtered video stream, including the substitute content, is outputted for presentation to a user.
US08156519B1
A system, method and computer program product are provided for calculating the cost of an advertisement. Initially, data reflecting an advertisement and usage of the advertisement may be provided. The data provided may then be rated. A cost may then be calculated based on the rated data.
US08156514B2
An auto-balancing device, and a disc chucking device and a disc driving device equipped with the auto-balancing device are disclosed. The auto-balancing device may include: a housing, which is coupled with a rotating body, and on which a boss is formed; multiple balancing members, which are rotatably supported by the boss, and in at least one of which a hole is formed; and a guiding roller, which is inserted in the hole, and which guides a movement of the balancing member. The auto-balancing device can be utilized to reduce noise and vibration for a rotating body during acceleration and deceleration and during high-speed rotations.
US08156506B2
The invention relates to data processing apparatus and methods for method oriented invocation (MOI) of data processing service modules. MOI Adapters and methods interface compound messages with service modules that process them, advantageously reducing memory and processing time utilization. Compound messages may be progressively parsed and processed, identifying the constituent information items needed by a service module and invoking the service module when all needed information items are available, without using resources to maintain and process superfluous message data. Multiple service modules may be addressed by a single MOI Adapter.
US08156503B2
A method for accessing a memory space allocated to a virtual machine, the method includes: receiving a request from the virtual machine to generate, for another virtual machine, a memory credential associated with a certain memory space allocated to the virtual machine; generating, in response to the request, a cryptographically signed credential; sending the cryptographically signed credential to the other virtual machine; receiving from the other virtual machine an access request to access at least one memory entry within the certain memory space; and accessing the at least one memory entry, if the access request complies with the memory credential.
US08156502B1
A method of allocating computer resources to workloads involves monitoring utilization of computer resources by workloads to generate utilization as a function of time data. The utilization data is used to classify workloads into demand types as a function of the utilization data. A workload manager plans and implements an allocation of computer resources to the workloads in part as a function of the demand types of the workloads.
US08156501B2
A method, apparatus and computer program product implement dynamic authority for a user to perform tasks on a resource. A user selected task on a resource is identified and analyzed to determine whether the task changes a state of the resource. When determined that the task changes a state of the resource, then a relationship of the resource to related resources is analyzed. Access to tasks on the resource is dynamically determined for the user based upon the identified relationship of the resource to related resources. Based on the analysis performed, access is denied or a summary of side effects with confirmation is presented.
US08156499B2
A distributed computing system includes at least first and second distinct computers each having a different operating system. First processes are compatible with the first operating system and second processes are compatible with the second operating system. A third scheduling computer, coupled to the first and second computer via a communication network, includes a scheduler for scheduling the first processes and the second processes to execute respectively on the first and second computers. The scheduler accesses a master schedule that defines an executing sequence of the first processes and the second processes. The master schedule can define conditional inter-relationships between the first processes and the second processes.
US08156498B2
A mechanism is provided for biasing placement of a software thread on a currently idle and dispatched processor. The operating system starts with the last logical processor on which the software thread ran and determines whether that processor is idle and dispatched and considers each logical processor until a currently dispatched and idle logical processor is found. If a currently dispatched and idle logical processor is not found, then the operating system biases placing the software thread on an idle logical processor.
US08156496B2
A method of optimizing a thread in a system comprising a plurality of processors, the method comprising: determining performance of the thread on each of the processors; comparing the determined performances; and selecting a processor for executing the thread based on the comparison.
US08156494B2
Techniques for implementing a scalable DOM and a pluggable DOM are provided. A scalable DOM implementation manages a DOM tree in memory to free unreferenced nodes, avoid generating nodes unnecessarily, and avoid storing multiple versions of the same data on disk. A pluggable DOM implementation includes an abstract interface that is defined between the API layer and the data layer of a DOM implementation. An implementation of the abstract interface is defined for each data source that is plugged in to the pluggable DOM implementation and that stores XML data in a different format.
US08156490B2
A system includes a network, a number of server computing devices, and a management server computing device. Each server computing device has a virtual host computer program running thereon to support one or more virtual machine computer programs. Each virtual machine computer program is able to execute an instance of an operating system on which application computer programs are executable. The management server computing device monitors the server computing devices, and causes the virtual machine computer programs supported by the virtual host computer program of a first server computing device to dynamically migrate to the virtual host computer program of a second server computing device, upon one or more conditions being satisfied. The conditions may include the first server being predicted as failure prone, the first sever consuming power less than a threshold, and the first server having resource utilization less than a threshold.
US08156487B2
A facility for automatically processing software patches is described. The facility receives in a computing system a distinguished patch package for modifying the behavior of a programmatic entity. The facility automatically extracts from the distinguished patch package (1) patch application information that identifies a distinguished programmatic entity against which the patches to be applied, and (2) patch behavior information that specifies a manner in which to modify the behavior of the distinguished programmatic entity. The facility automatically adds to a patch table a distinguished entry containing the extracted patch application information and patch behavior information.
US08156486B2
A patching device and method thereof for patching a firmware function by a patch function. When a fetch address from a processor does not correspond to the firmware function, the patching device outputs an instruction of the fetch address to respond to the processor. When the fetch address corresponds to the replaced firmware function, the patching device outputs an artificial instruction to respond to the processor. The artificial instruction is one of series of machine codes corresponding to a plurality of patch intermediary instructions utilized to direct the processor to jump to the beginning address of the patch function.
US08156485B2
One or more pluggable install components may be used with a modular install configuration engine. Each install component carries instructions that allow an install components to be used with the configuration engine. Each install component also carries payload files for deployment onto a user's end system. Each install component may be created and updated by a plurality of vendors or programming groups. Upon installation, the install component and the modular install configuration engine are integrated to create a unique install program tailored to the needs of a particular customer.
US08156484B2
A system in which a plurality of performance objects are stored in computer memory, where each performance objects contains at least one input template and a corresponding optimized code path program product. A template matcher intercepts an input set destined to a directory server, and then determines a match between the intercepted input set and one of the templates. A code path selector then retrieves the corresponding optimized code path program product stored in a performance object associated with the matched template. Finally, a code processor executes the retrieved optimized code path program product on the intercepted input set, and stores the result in a tangible computer media through alteration of a physical property of the media.
US08156483B2
A method and system of detecting vulnerabilities in source code. Source code is parsed into an intermediate representation. Models (e.g., in the form of lattices) are derived for the variables in the code and for the variables and/or expressions used in conjunction with routine calls. The models are then analyzed in conjunction with pre-specified rules about the routines to determine if the routine call posses one or more of pre-selected vulnerabilities.
US08156474B2
A method, system, and computer program product are disclosed for automatic test generation for a compiler. In one approach, the method, system and computer program product represent a test case for the compiler in a structure with one or more elements of a programming language, associate at least one syntactic rule and semantic rule with the one or more elements in the structure, create a test with the structure compiling the test with the compiler, and display results of the test.
US08156465B2
A plurality of cells are disposed in a chip region and wires are disposed between the cells in order to connect the cells over a plurality of layout steps. The layout method comprises (1) a placement restricted region placement step for disposing, in the chip region, a placement restricted region in which placement of predetermined cell types is prohibited or permitted in accordance with different layout steps, (2) a first layout step for disposing a desired cell in the chip region in conformity with the cell types that are prohibited or permitted in accordance with the first layout step of the disposed placement restricted region, and (3) a second layout step for disposing a desired cell in the chip region in conformity with the cell types that are prohibited or permitted in accordance with the second layout step of the disposed placement restricted region.
US08156464B2
Systems and method for automatically generating a set of shared processor datapaths from the description of the behavior of one or more ISA operations is presented. The operations may include, for example, the standard operations of a processor necessary to support an application language such as C or C++ on the ISA. Such operations, for example, may represent a configurable processor ISA. The operations may also include one or more extension operations defined by one or more designers. Thus, a description of the behaviors of the various standard and/or extension operations that compose the ISA of an instance of a standard or configurable processor is used to automatically generate a set of shared processor datapaths that implement the behavior of those operations. In addition, certain aspects may take one or more operations as well as one or more input semantics and either re-implement the input semantics automatically, or combine the input semantics with each other or with one or more other operations to automatically generate a new set of shared processor datapaths.
US08156460B2
In a method of estimating a leakage current in a semiconductor device, a chip including a plurality of cells is divided into segments by a grid model. Spatial correlation is determined as spatial correlation between process parameters concerned with the leakage currents in each of the cells. A virtual cell leakage characteristic function of a cell is generated by arithmetically operating actual leakage characteristic functions. A segment leakage characteristic function of a segment is generated by arithmetically operating the virtual cell leakage characteristic functions of all cells in the segment. Then, a full chip leakage characteristic function of the chip is generated by statistically operating the segment leakage characteristic functions of all segments in the chip. Accordingly, computational loads of Wilkinson's method for generating the full chip leakage characteristic function can remarkably be reduced.
US08156454B2
A computer-aided circuit design application has a virtual node feature and a design tool. The virtual node feature is adapted to access design specification information in a first data format and to represent the accessed design specification information as a virtual data node object within a list of node objects in a second data format. The design tool is operable on the list of node objects and the virtual data node object.
US08156436B2
An information processing apparatus includes a broadcast reception unit that receives broadcast content. A communication unit transmits request information to an external device and receives, in response to the request information, content related information related to the broadcast content. The information processing apparatus also includes a storage medium that stores a plurality of contents and identification information related to the plurality of contents. A display unit displays a notification of whether the broadcast content has been recorded on the storage medium. A judging unit judges whether the broadcast content has been stored in the storage medium by comparing the content related information and the identification information. A control unit controls the display unit to display the notification of whether the broadcast content has been recorded on the storage medium, in response to a judgment, based on the content related information and the identification information, by the judging unit.
US08156433B2
An embodied music system. The system creates an interactive interface between a listener and the external environment. The system includes a physical device located in the environment that provides sensory input to the listener. An audio signal of the system is adapted to be heard by the listener. An encoder embeds inaudible control data into the audio signal. A decoder extracts the control data from the audio signal and transmits the control data to the physical device, thereby controlling operation of the device. Finally, an audio reproduction device is connected to the decoder and plays the audio signal for the listener. The embodied music system allows the listener to experience multi-sensory compositions.
US08156431B2
In order to maintain consistencies of relations between objects and page attributes in document data, a document editing apparatus for editing document data including a plurality of pages, includes a determination unit which determines, when a process is executed for the document data, whether or not the process includes a move process or copy process of an object across pages, a composition unit which composites, when it is determined that the process includes the move process or copy process, information associated with a page attribute of an editing source page on which the object is currently laid out to the object to generate a composite object, and a layout unit which lays out the composite object as an object on an editing destination page as a move destination or copy destination.
US08156430B2
A system and method for clustering nodes of a tree structure is provided. A plurality of messages is maintained. Each message is represented as a node in a tree structure. A word vector is assigned to each message. Pairs of the nodes are identified based on relationships in the tree structure. The nodes of one or more of the pairs are combined into clusters. Boundaries of each cluster are adjusted, including at least one of placing a root node into one such duster having a closest related child node, separating children nodes into distinct groups and retaining a relationship between a parent node and one such group including a nearest child node, and transferring a parent node to one such cluster having all children of the parent node. A digest of the messages, including one or more of the clusters is formed.
US08156427B2
A Mixed Media Reality (MMR) system and associated techniques are disclosed. The MMR system provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types (e.g., printed paper as a first medium and digital content and/or web link as a second medium). In one embodiment, an MMR document is retrieved based on recognition of a paper document. Responsive to a comparison of the paper document and a virtual multimedia document, a set of actions is displayed to a user. Responsive to a user selection, the user-selected action is performed. In another embodiment, a captured list of names is used to assist a user with labeling a media file.
US08156422B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that automatically acquires data from an application and imports the data into a second application. During operation, the system receives at a data-acquisition tool a command from a user to acquire data from the application. In response to the command, the system overlays a semi-transparent layer over at least a portion of a display which is generated by the application, so that the data within the display is still visible to the user. Next, the system receives a drawing command from the user to draw a shape around an item of data within the display. In response to the drawing command, the system draws a shape around the item of data within the display, wherein the shape is drawn on the semi-transparent layer. The system then acquires the item of data bounded by the shape.
US08156421B2
Computer implemented methods, programs and systems for displaying statistical data in a graphical user interface are provided. According to the method, baseline data is imported from a first report which corresponds to a trouble-free period. Similarly, critical data is imported from a second report corresponding to a trouble period. The imported data is compared and analyzed to create a results table, each cell in the results table corresponding to a timestamp and a statistical item. The cells in the results table contain a visual identifier according to the criticality of the comparison of the statistical items from the baseline data and the critical data. The results table is presented on a display to the user.
US08156418B2
An image service uses a uniform resource locator (URL) or other location identifier to retrieve static images embedded in dynamic content presentations from the Internet. The image service uses a set of imaging parameters to extract one or more static images embedded in the dynamic content presentation that can be consumed by the static display device. URLs to existing web pages are entered into a configuration interface on the image service. The image service parses the web pages, identifies a direct location identifier for the embedded image, and passes the direct location identifier to the static display device for direct retrieval of the embedded image. In another implementation, the image service dynamically pulls the selected embedded images from the identified web sites, and downloads the static image files for display on the static display device.
US08156416B2
A notary processor can be dedicated to performing the security-based variable information printing. A method resolves the availability of resources required by a document template and a security map, replaces the data placeholders with dynamic data, replaces the data placeholders with the dynamic data to produce a complete, printer-ready secure document, sends the document directly to a user-specified, authorized output printing device capable of handling the security features, deletes the dynamic data and the document, and can notify the calling application of the sending of the document to the output device, all automatically and all using the dedicated notary processor.
US08156404B1
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method for implementing ECC protection in an on-chip L2 cache. When data is written to or read from an external memory, logic within the L2 cache is configured to generate ECC check bits and store the ECC check bits in the L2 cache in space typically allocated for storing byte enables. As a result, data stored in the L2 cache may be protected against bit errors without incurring the costs of providing additional storage or complex hardware for the ECC check bits.
US08156393B2
To provide a memory system which determines a memory state such as an exhaustion level and allows a memory to be efficiently used.The memory system includes a NAND type flash memory 1 in which data can be electrically written/erased, a nonvolatile memory 2 which counts the number of erase operations of the NAND type flash memory 1 and retains the number of erase operations and a maximum number of erase operations, and a controller 3 which has a connection interface 31 to be given a self-diagnosis command from a computer 4, and retrieves the number of erase operations and the maximum number of erase operations from the nonvolatile memory 2 based on the self-diagnosis command and outputs the number of erase operations and the maximum number of erase operations to the computer 4 through the connection interface 31.
US08156392B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for bad block remapping. A bad block identifier module identifies one or more data blocks on a solid-state storage element as bad blocks. A log update module writes at least a location of each bad block identified by the bad block identifier module into each of two or more redundant bad block logs. A bad block mapping module accesses at least one bad block log during a start-up operation to create in memory a bad block map. The bad block map includes a mapping between the bad block locations in the bad block log and a corresponding location of a replacement block for each bad block location. Data is stored in each replacement block instead of the corresponding bad block. The bad block mapping module creates the bad block map using one of a replacement block location and a bad block mapping algorithm.
US08156385B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a table-free technique for detecting all temporal and spatial memory access errors in programs supporting general pointers. Embodiments of the invention provide such error checking using constant-time operations. Embodiments of the invention rely on fat pointers, whose size is contained within standard scalar sizes (up to two words) so that atomic hardware support for operations upon the pointers is obtained along with meaningful casts in-between pointers and other scalars. Optimized compilation of code becomes possible since the scalarized-for-free encoded pointers get register allocated and manipulated. Backward compatibility is enabled by the scalar pointer sizes, with automatic support provided for encoding and decoding of fat pointers in place for interaction with unprotected code.
US08156383B2
An method of, apparatus for, or storage device medium having instructions for publishing a first notification within a data processing system where the data processing system comprises a first source generating the first notification, a first destination device, and a second destination device. The source may be a storage unit, a printer, a processing unit, or any other device which is a component of the data processing system. The destination device is typically a monitor, a workstation, a computer, a PC, or other input/output type workstation. The method comprises of having the first destination device subscribe to receive notifications from the first source. In addition, the second destination device subscribes to receive the notifications serially republished from the first destination device. Upon the publication of a notification from the first source to the first destination device, the first destination device will publish the notification to the second destination device.
US08156376B2
A method, device and system for storing data in a cache in case of power failure are disclosed. The method includes: in case of power failure of a storage system, receiving configuration information from a central processing unit (CPU); establishing a mapping relationship between an address of data in the cache and an address in a storage device according to the configuration information; sending a signaling message that carries the mapping relationship to the cache, so that the cache migrates the data to the storage device according to the signaling message.
US08156372B2
A method, system and computer program product for operation of a cable modem in response to Alternating Current (AC) power outage is described herein. When a loss of AC power is detected, the cable modem is switched to battery backup mode of operation using a single upstream and a single downstream channel. This switch occurs prior to receiving instructions from a cable modem termination system to use a single upstream and a single downstream channel. The cable modem notifies the cable modem termination system of the switch to battery backup mode of operation.
US08156366B2
A digital baseband processor is provided for concurrent operation with different wireless systems. The digital baseband processor includes a digital signal processor for executing digital signal processor instructions, a microcontroller for executing microcontroller instructions, and a timing and event processor controlled by the digital signal processor and the microcontroller for executing timing-sensitive instructions. The timing and event processor includes a plurality of instruction sequencers for executing timing-sensitive instruction threads and a time base generator for generating timing signals for initiating execution of the instruction threads on each of the plurality of instruction sequencers.
US08156354B2
An exemplary power-saving system for a computer includes a sensor connected between a standby power pin and ground, an amplifier, two resistors connected in series between the standby power pin and ground, a comparator, an electronic switch, and an MPU. The amplifier has two amplifier input terminals respectively connected to an output of the sensor and ground, and an amplifier output terminal grounded via an integrator. The comparator has two comparator input terminals respectively connected to the integrator and a node between the two resistors, and a comparator output terminal connected to a first terminal of the electronic switch. A first pin of the MPU is connected to a second terminal of the electronic switch, and connected to the standby power pin via a third resistor. The MPU has second and third pins connected to a system power pin and the BIOS of the computer respectively.
US08156353B2
Techniques for communications based power management based on system states are described. An apparatus may comprise a communications sub-system having a control policy module, a controller and a first transceiver capable of operating at different communications rates. The control policy module may be operative to receive computing power state information and communications state information, determine a communications rate parameter for the first transceiver based on the computing power state information and the communications state information, and instruct the controller to modify a communications rate for the first transceiver based on the communications rate parameter. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08156345B2
A slave device may receive commands from a host device communicatively coupled to the slave device, via a secure interface configured between the slave device and the host device over that coupling. An integrated memory within the slave device may be configured into a plurality of memory portions or regions based on the received commands. The memory regions may be utilized during operations associated with authentication of subsequent commands from the host device. A first memory region may enable storage of encrypted host commands and data. A second region may enable storage of decrypted host commands and data. A third region may enable storage of internal variables and/or intermediate results from operations performed by the slave device. Another region may comprise internal registers that enable storage of information only accessible to the slave device. Access to some of the memory regions may be controlled and/or restricted by the slave device.
US08156339B2
A license-data transmitter (in a case of recording, a recording device 100 serves as a license-data transmitter, and in a case of readout, a storage device 200 serves as a license-data transmitter) verifies a certificate C[KPdx] (the license-data receiver and the license-data transmitter will be represented by “x” and “y”, respectively) of a license-data receiver (in a case of recording, a storage device 200 serves as a license-data receiver, and in a case of readout, a reproducing device 300 serves as a license-data receiver), following which the license-data transmitter transmits a certificate C[KPdy] thereof to the license-data receiver in the form of challenge information E(KPdx, Kcy)//C[KPdy]. Then, the license-data receiver verifies the certificate C[KPdy] of the license-data transmitter. Only in a case that the license-data transmitter device has been authorized, the license-data receiver transmits the session information E(Kcy, E(KPdy, Ksx)//KPpx) to the license-data transmitter in response to the challenge information. The license-data transmitter provides the license data to the license-data receiver using the key Ksx and KPpx thus received.
US08156330B2
A terminal and a method for exchanging electronic business cards that can guarantee privacy and guarantee complete and consistent communications to the user are provided. The terminal for exchanging electronic business cards with a device connected via a communications network stores the first public key and the first secret key, the first electronic certificate that includes the first public key and components of an electronic business card. The terminal prepares a first electronic business card from the components of an electronic business card that have been read from the memory, transmits the first electronic business card, together with the first electronic certificate that has been read from the memory, receives data encrypted by using the first public key, and decodes the encrypted data that has been received by using the first secret key that has been read from the memory.
US08156325B2
Generating a binding between a source address and one or more roles of a user accessing the network and distributing the binding to a filter node. The source address is currently assigned to the device. The binding may be generated by one or more nodes on an ingress path used during authentication of the user. The binding may be distributed to the filter node on demand or without any request from the filter node. Responsive to a determination that the user is associated with a new source address, a new binding is generated to associate a new source address with the one or more roles for the user. The new binding is distributed to the filter node. Another aspect is a method of enforcing a role based security policy at a filter node, using bindings of source addresses to roles.
US08156324B1
Systems, methods, and computer program products are defined that provide for secure online financial transaction text chat. According to present embodiments, the security provided to the text chat stream is less likely to be intercepted by a network attacker during communication. In addition to providing heightened security to text chat transmissions, methods, systems and computer program products provide for an alternate platform for delivering the text chat application in the form of a game console. In this regard, the methods, systems and the like provide for text chat on platforms other than personal computers, laptops and/or telephones.
US08156319B2
A method and apparatus for self-monitoring to identify an occurrence of a threshold and rebooting in response to the occurrence of the threshold is provided. In an embodiment, a data processing apparatus comprises one or more processors; logic coupled to the one or more processors and comprising one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to obtain a threshold associated with the apparatus; self-monitor the apparatus to identify an occurrence of the threshold; and self-reboot the apparatus responsive to the occurrence of the threshold.
US08156318B2
A device management system for securely storing an encryption key associated with a device management session. The device management system includes an encryption key generator to generate an encryption key, a client device to receive an encrypted bootstrap data file transmitted by a base station, and a network interface controller coupled to the client device, the network interface controller to store the encryption key separate from a system memory of the client device. Embodiments of the device management system ensure user credentials do not exist in the client device in plaintext form outside of the network interface controller, thus preventing software and/or malware executed on the host from extracting such credentials.
US08156315B2
Provided is a service processor (SVP) 10 that validates a configuration of a storage system 1 having a server device 30, a storage device 20 providing the server device with a storage area, and a FC switch 40 coupling the storage device 20 and the server device 30. The SVP 10 includes a configuration information storing part 11 which acquires predetermined constituent element information from the storage device 1 and stores the predetermined constituent element information on a configuration management table 200; a configuration change detecting part 12 which compares constituent element information stored in the configuration management table 200 and the acquired constituent element information, and determines whether there is a change in a constituent element, and if there is a change, determines whether, in a vendor certification information database 50, there is a constituent element after changing which has received certification; a vendor certification test conducting part 13 which conducts a vendor certification test targeted for a storage system 1, if there is no constituent element having received certification; and a data storing part 14 which stores a result of the vendor certification test in a constituent element determination table 400 of the storage system 1.
US08156312B2
An expanded arithmetic and logic unit (EALU) with special extra functions is integrated into a configurable unit for performing data processing operations. The EALU is configured by a function register, which greatly reduces the volume of data required for configuration. The cell can be cascaded freely over a bus system, the EALU being decoupled from the bus system over input and output registers. The output registers are connected to the input of the EALU to permit serial operations. A bus control unit is responsible for the connection to the bus, which it connects according to the bus register. The unit is designed so that distribution of data to multiple receivers (broadcasting) is possible. A synchronization circuit controls the data exchange between multiple cells over the bus system. The EALU, the synchronization circuit, the bus control unit, and registers are designed so that a cell can be reconfigured on site independently of the cells surrounding it. A power-saving mode which shuts down the cell can be configured through the function register; clock rate dividers which reduce the working frequency can also be set.
US08156297B2
Valuable information can be retained upon a storage device, such as a flash memory unit. Due to the portable nature of the memory, there can be increased likelihood of theft, less back up of important files not a reliable medium, legal physical transfer of the device between parties, and the like. When an operation is requested to take place related to the device, a check can take place if the operation should be allowed based upon device metadata, such as physical location of the device, device history, and so forth. A determination can be made on if the operation should automatically occur based upon a result of the check. If it is determination that the operation should not automatically occur, then the operation can be denied or a request can be made to an owner of the device on if the operation should be allowed to occur.
US08156294B2
Disclosed herein is a memory control apparatus including: a plurality of buffers configured to store data; a plurality of input ports configured to input the data to be written into the buffers; a plurality of output ports configured to output the data read from the buffers; a write control circuit configured to write the data inputted via each of the input ports into an unused one of the buffers; and a read control circuit configured to read the data written into the unused buffer, and supply the read data to a particular one of the output ports corresponding to a destination of the data.
US08156293B2
A unified storage system for executing a variety of types of storage control software using a single standardized hardware platform includes multiple storage control modules connected to storage devices for storing data related to input/output (I/O) operations. A first type of storage control software is initially installed and executed on a first storage control module for processing a first type of I/O operations. A management module replaces the first type of storage control software by installing a second type of storage control software onto the first storage control module. When the second type of storage control software is installed and executed, the first storage control module processes a second type of I/O operation, different from the first type of I/O operation. Control of volumes originally accessed by the first storage control module may be transferred to a second storage control module having the first type of storage control software installed.
US08156291B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed that operate to encode register bits to generate encoded bits such that, for pairs of addresses, an encoded bit to be coupled to a first address in a memory device may be exchanged with an encoded bit to be coupled to a second address in the memory device. Apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed that operate to invert encoded bits in logic circuits in the memory device if original bits were inverted. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08156274B2
A method and system for transferring data between two slave devices. A system includes a master device and first and second slave devices coupled to the master device by a peripheral bus. The master device is configured to configure the first slave device as a source for a read operation, configure the second slave device as a target for a write operation, provide a clock signal to both the first slave device and the second slave device, and initiate a read operation of the first slave device. Initiation of the read operation causes the first slave device to provide data onto the peripheral bus. Responsive to the master device initiating the read operation, the second slave device receives the data provided on the peripheral bus by the first slave device. The master device is configured to ignore the data provided on the peripheral bus by the first slave device.
US08156267B2
The present invention provides a switching apparatus, which includes at least one first USB hub, one second USB hub and a controller. The first USB hub includes at least one first USB port for connecting N image input apparatus respectively; N is a positive integer. The second USB hub includes at least one second USB port for connecting M peripheral apparatus respectively; M is a positive integer. The controller is connected to the first USB hub and the second USB hub, for selecting at least one target image input apparatus from the N image input apparatus, and controlling the at least one target image input apparatus to communicate with at least one of the peripheral apparatuses.
US08156266B2
A method for determining transfer rate comprising selecting a first transfer rate of a plurality of transfer rates, transmitting a message at the first transfer rate over a Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) line of a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) network, determining whether an acknowledgment to the message having been transmitted at the first transfer rate is received, storing, in the event the acknowledgment to the message having been transmitted at the first transfer rate is received, the first transfer rate and storing, in the event no acknowledgment is received, a default transfer rate of the plurality of transfer rates.
US08156265B2
A data processor includes a single-token-record memory, a sequence circuit, and a memory controller. The single-token-record memory has a plurality of first storage locations. The sequencer circuit is coupled to the single-token-record memory. The sequencer circuit, responsive to a request to place a token in a tail-end of a queue, either stores said token into one of the plurality of first storage locations if the single-token-record memory stores no greater than a predetermined number of tokens associated with the tail-end of the queue, or stores the token with at least one additional token and a pointer to a next storage location into one of a plurality of second storage locations otherwise. The memory controller is coupled to the sequencer circuit to store the token with the at least one additional token and the pointer in a location of a multi-token-record memory having the plurality of second storage locations.
US08156264B2
A digital output sensor includes a sensor module for providing digital data representative of a sensed parameter, a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) memory having a single port memory, and an output port for transmitting the digital data. The digital data from the sensor module is pushed into the FIFO memory buffer via the single memory port, and the digital data is popped out of the FIFO memory buffer via the single memory port for receipt by the output port.
US08156259B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing a DMA process. Accordingly, a DMA process is initiated for moving data from contiguous first locations to contiguous second locations and to a third location or third locations. Within the DMA process the data from each of the contiguous first locations is retrieved and stored in a corresponding one of the contiguous second locations and in the third location or corresponding one of the third locations. The DMA process is performed absent retrieving the same data a second other time prior to storing of same within the corresponding one of the contiguous second locations and in the third location or corresponding one of the third locations.
US08156255B2
A portable mass storage device is used to store large files such as digital pictures, movies and music. The mass storage device has firmware with security mechanisms that limit access to read write operations to ensure reliable operation of the device to prevent unwanted copying or storing of secure content such a copyrighted material. Although the security mechanisms generally limit access, the firmware is operable to work with a virtual machine and allows the virtual machine to access the secure content and work in conjunction with the firmware to read and write data to the mass storage memory, if the virtual machine is present. The virtual machine is either loaded but not activated at the time of manufacture, or is downloaded and activated post manufacture. Any royalty for the virtual machine is paid for only if and when the virtual machine is both present and activated in the device.
US08156253B2
The disclosed is a computer system enabling a plurality of LPARs on a plurality of physical computers to share an SR-IOV device that requires an interface between a PF and a VF. In an environment where a PCI SR-IOV device is allocated to virtual machine monitors on a plurality of physical computers through an I/O switch, a PF is allocated to a first virtual machine monitor and a plurality of VFs is allocated to an LPAR on an optional virtual machine monitor. When a second virtual machine monitor detects an event that is generated from a VF to the PF, the second virtual machine monitor communicates the detected event to the first virtual machine monitor to which the PF is allocated, and allows the first virtual machine monitor to execute the PF event. Further, when the first virtual machine monitor detects an event that is generated from the PF to a VF, the first virtual machine monitor communicates the detected event to the second virtual machine monitor to which a target VF is allocated, and allows an LPAR on the second virtual machine monitor to execute the VF event.
US08156251B1
The Advanced Logic System (ALS) is a complete control system architecture, based on a hardware platform rather than a software-based microprocessor system. It is significantly different from other PLC-type control system architectures, by implementing a FPGA in the central control unit. Standard FPGA logic circuits are used rather than a software-based microprocessor which eliminate problems with software based microprocessor systems, such as software common-mode failures. It provides a highly reliable system suitable for safety critical control systems, including nuclear plant protection systems. The system samples process inputs, provides for digital bus communications, applies a control logic function, and provides for controlled outputs. The architecture incorporates advanced features such as diagnostics, testability, and redundancy on multiple levels. It additionally provides significant improvements in failure detection, isolation, and mitigation for the highest level of integrity and reliability.
US08156244B2
In one embodiment, a method can include: determining a topology of digital picture frames in a frame network; identifying a lead picture frame from among the digital picture frames; sending the digital picture frame topology to a client coupled to the lead picture frame; receiving in the lead picture frame and from the client, media content for display on a destination digital picture frame in the frame network; and routing the received media content to the destination digital picture frame using router functionality in at least one of the plurality of digital picture frames.
US08156235B2
A communication apparatus for remote communication may include a first local module configured to intercept a first stream. The first stream may utilize a first transmission protocol and may be destined to a remote destination over a network. The first local module may be configured to make a determination whether to direct the first stream over a first connection to a first destination utilizing the first transmission protocol or to direct the first stream over a second connection to a second destination utilizing a second transmission protocol. The determination may be based on one or more of the following: a configuration or a network condition. The first local module may be configured to direct the first stream to the first destination or the second destination based on the determination. The second transmission protocol is different from the first transmission protocol. A machine-readable medium and a method are also disclosed.
US08156230B2
An apparatus for offloading network, block and file functions from an operating system comprises a network interface coupled to a network for receiving packet flows; one or more processors each having one or more processor cores; a computer-readable medium carrying one or more operating systems and an input/output networking stack which are hosted in one or more of the processor cores. The networking stack is shared among the operating systems. The networking stack comprises instructions which when executed cause receiving a request for data transfer from one of the operating systems at internal network, block and file system interfaces, and permitting data to be transferred between the internal interfaces and a plurality of external interfaces by preventing the operating systems from performing the data transfer and performing the data transfer on behalf of the operating systems.
US08156229B2
A wireless device transmits beacon packets at periodically occurring time intervals across a wireless channel. When the wireless communications device has not formed a piconet with one or more remote devices, the device scans the wireless channel for a predetermined amount of time immediately following each of the periodically occurring time intervals. During this time a remote device may respond to the beacon packet.
US08156228B1
A method of facilitating a blind referral comprising producing a referral communication for referring a client computer from a connection with a first server to a second server, wherein the referral communication comprises first server information defining a location of the first server, generating a placeholder for the first server information in the referral communication, and replacing the first server information with the placeholder in communications with the second server during the referral communication.
US08156217B2
Dynamically balancing load for servers. Servers that are able to respond to requests directed at the system are monitored for. After discovery of a server, a performance metric is obtained for the discovered server. The performance metric for the discovered server is stored in a table. When a request is received, the request is routed to a selected server in the system of servers based on the performance metric, wherein the system of servers comprises the discovered servers.
US08156212B2
Methods, systems and apparatuses for managing computer processes in a computing environment may be described. An exemplary method may include the defining of a plurality of computer processes; the defining of a sequence that dictates the starting and stopping of the plurality of computer processes; the Defining of any process dependencies for the plurality of computer processes; the defining of a first networked environment where the plurality of computer processes run; the determining of an action to take following a system event; and the executing of the action.
US08156209B1
Several keep-alive messages of point to point (PPP) sessions received from a remote system are aggregated into a single packet in an aggregation device (e.g., network access server). The aggregated packet is sent to a peer aggregation device (e.g., home gateway) at the other end of the PPP session. The peer aggregation device may send the status of the sessions in a single packet. As a result, the data traffic on a communication backbone due to keep-alive status checks may be reduced. Without waiting for the peer aggregation device to provide the status information, a proxy reply may be generated from the aggregation device.
US08156184B2
A dialog server which provides dialogs made by at least one user through their respective avatars in a virtual space. A method and a computer readable article of manufacture tangibly embodying computer readable instructions for executing the steps of the method are also provided. The dialog server includes: a position storage unit which stores positional information on the avatars; an utterance receiver which receives at least one utterance of avatars and utterance strength representing an importance or attention level of the utterance; an interest level calculator which calculates interest levels between avatars based on their positional information; a message processor which generates a message based on the utterance in accordance with a value calculated from the interest levels and the utterance strength; and a message transmitter which transmits the message to the avatars.
US08156183B2
An aggregation machine including: a smart phone including a display, and networking hardware connecting the smart phone to the Internet, the smart phone programmed so that the aggregation machine connects to a plurality of servers via the Internet, and then authenticates itself with each of the plurality of servers, and then retrieves information from each of the plurality of servers, and then parses the information from each of the plurality of servers so as to produce an aggregation of the parsed information, and then renders the aggregation as output via the display.
US08156178B2
URL or address associated with a user's home page is modified in such manner as to cause a web browser application to direct a request to a server that hosts a highlighting service, which service is invoked to display highlights on the version of the home page returned to the user. In one embodiment this is accomplished without requiring a user to download client-side application software. In another embodiment this is accomplished without requiring the user to register for the new service. In a third embodiment, the user has to neither download application software, nor register for the service.
US08156171B1
In one aspect, there is provided a digital logic circuit that comprises circuitry for generating a new iteration xn+1 of the reciprocal square root of A from the previous iteration xn by (i) multiplying the previous iteration xn by the number A; (ii) multiplying the result of (i) by the previous iteration xn; (iii) subtracting the result of (ii) from 3; and (iv) multiplying the result of (iii) by half of the previous iteration xn. According to another aspect there is provided a calculator unit for determining an initial value for use in a iterative process for calculating an estimate of the reciprocal square root of a number A, the calculator unit comprising circuitry for (a) rounding the number A to the nearest number of the form 2J, where J is an integer; (b) if J is odd, rounding J up to the nearest even number to give J′; (c) if J is even, setting J to J′; and (d) calculating 2−(J′/2) to determine the initial value for the reciprocal square root of A.
US08156170B2
A method and arrangements for increased precision in the computation of a reciprocal square root is disclosed. In accordance with the present invention, it is possible to achieve fifty three (53) bits of precision in less processing time than previously possible.
US08156169B2
A signal processing method includes a first step of calculating a value indicating a value obtained by multiplying a ratio of the number of times of inputting the input signal having any one of values from p to m, where m is a maximum value of values of input signal which are subject to said signal processing and p is a value smaller than m and not a minimum value of the input signal, within a predetermined period to the number of times of inputting the input signal within the predetermined period, by the variable range of the converted value; and a second step of subtracting the calculated value from a maximum value within the variable range of the converted value or a value near the maximum value, wherein the input signal is converted according to the conversion characteristic specified based on a value obtained by subtraction.
US08156166B2
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that facilitates the selection of a doctor for a user. The system provides a list of doctors to the user based on an observed experience level of the listed doctors with a condition or a procedure. During operation, the system receives from a user a selection criteria for selecting of a doctor. The system also receives from the user a medical profile for the user. Next, the system receives from a third-party a plurality of doctors' profiles. Then, the system ranks the plurality of doctors' profiles into a ranked list based on the selection criteria and conditions within the medical profile. Finally, the system sends the ranked list to the user.
US08156163B1
A storage controller is operable concurrently as an independent storage server and as at least a portion of a node of a storage server cluster. A network storage system comprises multiple storage controllers and multiple independent storage servers, each storage server implemented in a separate storage controller, each of the storage server configured to present to users a separate system image of stored data. The storage servers are independently operable and manageable. The system further includes a storage server cluster that includes cooperating storage server nodes, distributed among the storage controllers. The storage server cluster presents to users a single system image of data stored in the server cluster independently of the node or nodes in which said data resides. The storage server cluster is operable independently of the independent storage servers and is operable concurrently with operation of at least one of the independent storage servers.
US08156154B2
Techniques to manage vocabulary terms for a taxonomy system are described. An apparatus may comprise a managed taxonomy system having a vocabulary management module to manage a taxonomy of formal vocabulary terms organized in a hierarchical structure. The taxonomy may include a category for informal vocabulary terms stored as a list of keywords. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08156150B2
A database system combines a general ledger and a multi-dimensional database. The general ledger and multi-dimensional database are mapped such that relationships between the general ledger and multi-dimensional database are characterized with metadata dimensions. Using the mapping, data can be received into the general ledger and stored in both the general ledger and multi-dimensional database substantially simultaneously. Further, a synchronization of the data copies changes to the data automatically from the general ledger to the multi-dimensional database. Thus, there is no manual copying of data between the general ledger and the database. Further, the latency between the general ledger and database is minimal ensuring accurate analysis even contemporaneous with the input of the data.
US08156148B2
Recreating an electronic data interchange (EDI) schema from a file. The file is received from a source and the file includes a plurality of data values. The plurality of data values is identified. The plurality of data values is analyzed to determine the structure of the EDI schema. A set of decoding rules is analyzed to the analyzed plurality of data values. The EDI schema is recreated as a function of the applied set of decoding rules and the analyzed plurality of data values.
US08156145B2
A method for processing queries is provided. A database server receives and executes a query to generate a relation. The query comprises first one or more clauses and a model clause. The model clause comprises a rule that has a left-side expression and a right-side expression. In one embodiment, the right-side expression of the rule includes a window function, which specifies one or more partition columns. In an embodiment, the left-side expression comprises a for-loop predicate. The for-loop predicate is unfolded after the database server compiles the query. In one embodiment, the left-side expression of the rule comprises one or more existential predicates, where each existential predicate evaluates to a Boolean value.
US08156134B2
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for using different groups of query graph transform modules to generate execution plans for queries for different database types. A plurality of first type query translator modules include information indicating a first data store type to which the first query translator modules apply and a plurality of second query translator modules include information indicating a second data store type to which the first query translator modules apply. A query is received to query a target data store. A determination is made as to whether the target data store is of the first data store type or the second data store type. The first query translator modules are used to translate the received query to a query execution plan in response to determining that the target data store is of the first data store type. The second query translator modules are used to translate the received query to a query execution plan in response to determining that the target data store is of the second data store type.
US08156130B2
A system and method for collapsing search results. User input is received to perform a search of a communications network. The search results and multiple selection elements are displayed for removing each of the search results. A user selection of a selection element associated with a search result is received. A determination is made of irrelevant results that are similar to the search result. The search results are collapsed to remove the search result and the irrelevant search results.
US08156126B2
The present invention is a method for the allocation of data on physical media by a file system that eliminates duplicate data. Efficient searches are employed using a unique algorithm when a compare on hash is used to achieve realtime operation of the file system. The in memory feature of the invention allows the search to be performed in constant time. Also, the on disk representation of search structures enables the present invention to maintain these critical search structures in a highly efficient, self-consistent and resilient manner.
US08156122B2
An information processing apparatus that connects with an external apparatus via a network includes a transmitter that transmits a request for page information to the external apparatus. A receiver receives the page information, which includes identification information corresponding to content data and the content data. A memory stores the content data, based on the identification information independently of the page information. An interface outputs the content data along with the page information. A controller detects whether the memory is storing the content data independently of the page information, controls the interface to output the content data stored by the memory without an inquiry via the network when the controller detects that the memory is storing the content data independently of the page information, and controls the receiver to receive the content data from the external apparatus via the network when the content data is not stored in the memory.
US08156121B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide machines, program products, and computer-implemented methods of file management, storage, and display. A user is displayed an icon palette having a palette boundary and including icons representing a plurality of predetermined categories representing notable events in a life of the user. An unsorted file is assigned to at least one predetermined category through a user action so that dragging and dropping a file across the palette boundary onto an icon on the icon palette assigns the file to a category. The user is prompted to fill out a questionnaire associated with the file. The questionnaire includes any additional categories, album data, a journal entry, event information, and display information. The display device then displays an album of files using pre-selected formats, responsive to the questionnaires. Through the questionnaire, the user can specify the file for inclusion in a randomized slide show of files.
US08156116B2
A context-aware targeted information delivery system comprises a mobile device, an MMR matching unit, a plurality of databases for user profiles, user context and advertising information, a plurality of comparison engines and a plurality of weight adjusters. The mobile device is coupled to deliver an image patch to the MMR matching unit which in turn performs recognition to produce recognize text. The recognized text is provided to a first and second comparison engines to produce relevant topics and relevant ads. The relevant topics and relevant ads are adjusted with information from a user context database including information such as location, date, time, and other information from a user profile. The weight adjusted relevant topics and relevant ads to a third comparison engine. The third comparison engine compares the weighted relevant topics and relevant ads to produce a set of final ads that are most related to the topics of interest for the user and delivered for display on to the mobile device.
US08156112B2
Included are embodiments for determining sort order. At least one embodiment of a method includes determining a plurality of search results associated with at least one search criteria. Some embodiments of a method include determining a first distance between at least one of the search results and a home page associated with the at least one search result and determining a display order for the plurality of search results.
US08156111B2
Methods and apparatus are described for identifying implicitly temporally qualified queries, i.e., queries for which a time period is implied but not explicitly stated, and for expanding such queries to include one or more temporal references.
US08156106B2
Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata or indexes of content of files. In one exemplary method, notifications to update a metadata database or an index database are combined into a combined notification. According to other aspects, an order among logical locations on a storage device is determined in order to specify a sequence for scanning for files to be indexed. According to another aspect, a method includes determining whether to index a file based on a path name of the file relative to a plurality of predetermined path names.
US08156101B2
Disclosed herein is a method and system for integrating an enterprise's structured and unstructured data to provide users and enterprise applications with efficient and intelligent access to that data. Queries can be directed toward both an enterprise's structured and unstructured data using standardized database query formats such as SQL commands. A coprocessor can be used to hardware-accelerate data processing tasks (such as full-text searching) on unstructured data as necessary to handle a query. Furthermore, traditional relational database techniques can be used to access structured data stored by a relational database to determine which portions of the enterprise's unstructured data should be delivered to the coprocessor for hardware-accelerated data processing.
US08156099B2
A search query may be interpreted as a number of possible interpretations, and each interpretation may be explored before the results of the search are sent to a user. In one embodiment, a device may split the search query into partitions. Each of the partitions may be submitted, as a search query, to search repositories. Confidence scores based on the results returned from the repositories may be used to determine a measure of confidence of the repository in the search query interpretation.
US08156098B1
Methods, systems, and computer program products for dynamically generating and displaying a contacts list for one or more services of a computing system. The method may include identifying one or more contacts having associated contact information. The contacts may be associated with a user of the computing system and may be identified across one or more information services or sources associated with the computing system. The method may also include determining a subset of the contacts and associated contact information based on a set of predefined criteria; generating a list of the subset of contacts and associated contact information; and displaying the generated list of contacts and associated contact information on a user interface.
US08156092B2
Provided is a system and method for the de-duplication and modification detection of documents collected during document production. The disclosed technology provides a simple, legally defensible, rapid and cost-efficient system for collecting responsive electronic document sets, identifying and eliminating unnecessary documents by comparing a collected document to previously collected documents and copying only information that has not been duplicated. The disclosed technology provides a method for copying the unduplicated information without transmitting or storing the duplicated portions. In addition, the claimed subject matter provides a system for detecting whether or not a document being submitted to a project archive is a modification of a previously submitted document. A document being submitted that represents a modification of a previously submitted document is prevented from being added to the project document archive.
US08156091B2
A data processing apparatus, a data processing method, and a data processing program for use in a data processing system is provided, the system including the data processing apparatus which includes an RDBMS storing information shared among a plurality of organizations and a business application execution apparatus which is employed when either one of the organizations uses the information stored in the RDBMS of the data processing apparatus and which is communicably connected to the data processing apparatus. An inherent item table managed by the data processing apparatus is kept unchanged even if an organization is added.
US08156090B1
A computer system comprises an operating system that provides a file system for storage of objects. A compile manager creates a repository within the file system in response to a compilation request. A directory stores file names previously generated by the compile manager during a compilation process. In response to the request for compilation of one of the objects, the compile manager automatically creates the repository within the file system with a unique file name based at least in part on an object name associated with the requested object and a number of file names within the directory that match at least a portion of the object name. Each filename may include one or more characters from a filename portion of the name of an object and one or more characters from a version portion of the name of the object.
US08156079B1
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for tracking a plurality of objects being stored are disclosed. In an embodiment, this comprises concatenating at least a portion of the name of each object being stored into a hint; and storing the hint in an index. The portion of the name is the entire name, the first n characters, the last n characters, or every nth character, and this may be selected based on the application associated with the objects. Either the hint or the longest pathname containing the objects can be stored, and this may be selected based on the application.
US08156075B2
Network operators can control how data replication services use available bandwidth, in order to make the most efficient usage of that bandwidth, using parameters applied to a data object to be replicated. The parameters may be both time dependent and also relate to how urgently that object needs to be replicated. A change log lists all objects at the device and/or server to be replicated and the parameters then comprise a weight associated with each object that defines how urgently that object needs to be replicated; the weight of each object is then locally compared to a threshold at a given time and the outcome of the comparison determines whether the object is sent for replication or not at that time. This combination of weight and threshold gives a flexible way to control the timing of data replication and hence make the best use of bandwidth.
US08156066B2
An embodiment of a method includes receiving a content request including a first set of attribute values, using at least one of the attribute values from the first set of attribute values to determine a second set of attribute values, traversing a hierarchy of decision nodes, wherein each decision node implements business logic based on one of the attribute values from the first set of attribute values or the second set of attribute values, and generating a decision from a last node in the hierarchy, wherein the decision dictates how to respond to the content request.
US08156060B2
An interactive virtual agent (avatar) system includes a plurality of databases configured to store at least one of client specific information and non-client specific information, internal resources configured to provide access to information sources, the character interface configured to receive information from a user, and respond to the user with information based on the received information, a processing engine coupled with the client knowledge database, the basic knowledge database, the internal resources, and the character interface.
US08156056B2
Method and system of classifying, ranking and relating information based on weights of network links
What is disclosed is an automatic method of classification, qualification and relation of information that is based on a network built starting from the semantic, numeric, conceptual, etc. relationships between elements of different sets that are structurally alike. Through the topological properties of the network, we generate a vector of relations for each element that allows us to analyze the similarity among them, improve and facilitate the clustering processes, carry out personalized dynamic ranking, analyze conduct patterns as well as maintain the auto evolving dynamic of the network through the interaction and feedback of its elements, among other characteristics.
US08156055B2
Systems and methods are provided for collecting waveform data for a plurality of appliances that may be found in a residential or commercial setting using multi-port outlet monitoring devices to obtain power consumption profiles that indicate power consumption on a per-appliance and/or per-location basis and/or per user basis. The plurality of appliances is reliably identified from the power consumption profiles. In accordance with a method embodiment, waveform data transmitted from an unknown appliance is independently metered via a multi-port monitoring device over an elapsed time period. The metered waveform data is wirelessly transmitted from the multi-port monitoring device to a co-located system controller which constructs an appliance signature. The process may be repeated to generate multiple appliance signatures. The one or more appliance signatures are compared to a database of pre-stored canonical signatures to determine if there is a match to identify the appliance.
US08156051B1
Recruiting or the process of locating and qualifying potential candidates for employment is largely a manual process consuming significant resources. The employment recruiting system automates many of the services related to employment recruiting. Position advertisements and candidate resumes are stored in computer searchable data bases. A data processing device automatically searches the data base containing candidate resumes in response to a search parameter associated with a position advertisement. The system automatically contacts screens candidates.
US08156049B2
Embodiments of the present invention allow a system or client device to process multiple Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems and formats using a universal DRM client. The universal DRM client can operate based on a universal license so that it may use the same DRM scheme or format used by the content provider. A DRM system may then build a universal license that includes information for gaining access to the content in the DRM package. In turn, a DRM package and the universal license may be provided to the universal client. Based on the information in the universal license, the client device can access the protected content even if it does not have the specific client program code for the DRM format used originally by the content provider.
US08156038B2
A method of and system for terminating or assigning outstanding OTC derivative transactions between a plurality of financial institutions (banks). The system comprises: a processing station arranged to receive transaction data describing a plurality of transactions from a plurality of banks via the Internet. The processing station comprises: a linking module for linking different versions of the same transaction received from different parties to that transaction; an analysis module for determining a set of linked transactions between a plurality of different banks, wherein each bank has debts and claims towards other banks in the set; a calculation module arranged to calculate an aggregated value of each set of linked transactions and select the set of linked transactions which has an aggregated value within bank-specified tolerance limits acceptable for executing a termination; and an execution module for executing a termination or assignment of the selected set of linked transactions.
US08156032B2
A method of providing advertising services selects a finite set of topics, and arranges the selected set of topics into a hierarchical structure. The method classifies impression items into the nodes within the hierarchical structure, and allows bidding against the nodes within the hierarchical structure. Some embodiments allow a bidder to request a refinement of the hierarchical structure. These embodiments receive such a request, and compare the request to a set of criteria. If the request meets the set of criteria, the method divides a first node in the hierarchical structure to at least a second and third node. The method allows bidders to bid on each of the first, second, and third nodes. The method optionally measures a performance for the nodes within the hierarchical structure. Based on the measure of performance for the nodes, the method preferably removes an under-performing node from the hierarchical structure.
US08156023B2
An automated marketplace is separated into tiers, with behavioral requirements for each tier. Tier eligibility is a “structural incentive” for market participants to exhibit desirable behavior and eschew undesirable behavior. Tiered eligibility also reflects the natural imbalance of liquidity in the market and the need to preserve the identity of a class of liquidity providers, which further leads to a structure that can preserve the integrity of person-to-person trading relationships even in an automated environment. Within each tier, participant behavior leads to a ranking for that participant. When specific events occur, these events are allocated based on participant ranking. Participant ranking is an “activity incentive” that influences the behavior of market participants. Certain events are defined as desirable or undesirable, and when performed by a market participant, lead to positive incentives or negative incentives, of structural and/or monetary type.
US08156016B2
A method and a system for accounting supporting Quality of Service (QoS) change during a session, and an AAA client and an accounting processing unit are disclosed. The method includes: detecting by an AAA client a QoS change notification of a session; obtaining by the AAA client the accounting information of the session; and sending the accounting information to an accounting processing unit of a AAA server; implementing by the accounting processing unit an accounting operation for the user of the session according to the accounting information. The system includes the AAA client and the accounting processing unit of the AAA server. By the embodiment of this invention, the accounting for a radio access network user may be more accurate and reasonable.
US08156015B1
Various embodiments of a network page are provided. In one embodiment, at least one server serves up a network page to a client to be rendered on the client in a networked environment. The network page is associated with a network site that facilitates a purchase of items. The network page includes a graphical representation of a selected one of the items, and a plurality of destination regions, each of the destination regions being associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of shipping addresses. The network page is configured to facilitate an association of the selected one of the items with a respective one of the destination regions.
US08156012B1
A method of and device for enabling the requisitioning of items over a network. The network is coupled to a server, thereby allowing communication between the server and a generating-user, a requisitioning-user and an initiating-user. The server generates a requisition template in response to input received from the generating-user. The server sends an initial e-mail message to the requisitioning-user's e-mail address in response to direction received from the initiating-user. The initial e-mail message includes the requisition template. The initial e-mail message is configured to result in the creation of a reply e-mail message in response to the requisitioning-user selecting to reply to the initial e-mail message from the e-mail application that is accessing the initial e-mail message, the reply e-mail message including the requisition template.
US08156011B2
A cenotaph memorial facility comprising a plurality of walls containing crypts is dedicated to an honoree who is not interred within the facility. The facility may comprise a large external memorial structure to protect the walls and individual crypts. The cenotaph memorial facility includes a plurality of video cameras to permit remote viewing of various portions of the facility. The video cameras are controlled by a computer system that allows remote access via a network, such as the internet. An individual enters authorization data and, upon authorization, can remotely view one or more portions of the facility. An on-line auction processor can automatically conduct auctions of selected articles using a timed auction over a prolonged bidding period or a real-time auction. In another aspect, a virtual reality (VR) image capture system captures images that may be remotely viewed using VR technology. This may include 3-D imaging, holographic imaging, or the like. Image viewing may be remotely controlled using conventional controls or VR controls.
US08156003B2
A web browser 11 of a client 10 requests a transfer of a parent document having a banner advertisement and a news article included therein from a document processing module 21. Upon receiving their file names, a transfer rate determination module 24 instructs the document processing module 21 to check on a band and to stand by for transferring the news article. When the document processing module 21 completes the band check, the transfer rate determination module 24 calculates a transfer rate of the banner advertisement and a transfer rate of the news article and instructs the document processing module 21 to transfer the banner advertisement and the news article at the transfer rates. The transfer rates assure that the banner advertisement is displayed for a predetermined period of time before the news article is fully displayed.
US08155991B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for supporting at least one allocation process for an allocation of objects in at least one application by way of an allocation framework pre-configured for the allocation process, with at least one monitoring and control unit and at least one working unit. In one implementation, the allocation process is pre-configured in the allocation framework by presetting process steps and defining their sequence. At least one work stock that can be retrieved via the allocation framework is made available and managed by the working unit for the allocation process to be supported, in which work stock allocation type-specific and application-specific allocation instructions that can be input via the allocation framework or are preset in a rule-based manner, are filed. In addition, the at least one pre-configured allocation process to be supported in the allocation framework may be instantiated and started by the working unit of the allocation framework, wherein in order to carry out the allocation process the associated work stock is processed fully automatically, partly automatically or manually as desired, and if necessary the application connected via an interface predetermined by the allocation framework is automatically addressed for performing allocation actions associated with the respective allocation process steps.
US08155989B2
An automated user-implemented method for optimizing cost, schedule and performance of maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) on manmade structure, such as pavements. The method utilizes a database containing information on the condition of the manmade structure, the information on condition further including a condition index; applies one or more algorithms to data in the database to yield schedule and budget for M&R of the manmade structure; correlates the type of M&R and schedule for performing the M&R with alternative budgets that a user may enter into the software supporting the method and outputs and displays work plans associated to each of the alternative budgets for use by managers in planning future M&R work and predicting performance thereof by evaluating past work on the manmade structure. The system may be implemented by a user on the internet as well as on individual personal computers. Specific implementations include PAVER™ and microPAVER™ software.
US08155979B2
Systems and methods for processing textual messages which are integrated with one or more digital attachments is described. These systems and methods are useful in the electronic filing and processing of, for example, image data, and of textual data associated with the image data. One particular application of these systems and methods would be for the electronic filing and processing of dental x-rays with patient claim forms.
US08155962B2
The methods and systems described herein may asynchronously process natural language utterances to provide real-time response performance and natural interaction with users. In particular, the methods and systems described herein may use various natural language speech recognition and interpretation components to identify a request (e.g., a query or command) in an utterance. The request identified in the utterance may then be processed with one or more domain agents, which may submit duplicate queries to multiple different data sources to process the request. The domain agents may then asynchronously evaluate responses to the duplicate queries to return results to users in a timely and natural manner, and further to account the fact that the different data sources may respond to the queries at different speeds, provide unsatisfactory responses to the queries, or fail to respond to the queries at all.
US08155961B2
A user terminal may determine a phoneme distribution of a text corpus, determine an acoustic model gain distribution of phonemes of an acoustic model before and after adaptation of the acoustic model, determine a desired phoneme distribution based on the phoneme distribution and the acoustic model gain distribution, generate an adaptation sentence based on the desired phoneme distribution, and generate a prompt requesting a user speak the adaptation sentence.
US08155958B2
[PROBLEMS] To provide a speech-to-text system and the like capable of matching edit result text acquired by editing recognition result text or edit result text which is newly-written text information with speech data. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] A speech-to-text system (1) includes a matching unit (27) which collates edit result text acquired by a text editor unit (22) with speech recognition result information having time information created by a speech recognition unit (11) to thereby match the edit result text and speech data.
US08155956B2
A voice query extension method and system. The voice query extension method includes: detecting voice activity of a user from an input signal and extracting a feature vector from the voice activity; converting the feature vector into at least one phoneme sequence and generating the at least one phoneme sequence; matching the at least one phoneme sequence with words registered in a dictionary, extracting a string of the matched words with a linguistic meaning, and selecting the string of the matched words as a query; determining whether the query is in a predetermined first language, and when the query is not in the first language as a result of the determining, converting the query using a phoneme to grapheme rule, and generating a query in the first language; and searching using the query in the first language.
US08155952B2
In one embodiment, the invention provides a method, comprising: receiving a query from a user computer device; determining what custom messages are applicable based on the query; and delivering any applicable custom messages to the user computer device. The messages may be selected and customized based on a customization control parameter. In one embodiment, the customization control parameter may include the interface language, the regional settings, and the version of the product. Advantageously, trial versions of dictionaries may have different messages from paid or non-trial versions. For example, for the trial versions, a warning message will be sent informing the user that the trial period is about to expire. Additionally, the server device has the capability to detect whether the version used by a user is bootleg or not, and send customized messages to users of bootleg versions.
US08155949B1
A knowledge-based decision support system that allows for communication and learning to occur using natural language is presented. The system has a capability to automatically extract features from the natural language using symmetric reductions and random search. The iterative generalization of the rule base and checking of the resultant base against a case base from which the generalizations are induced is also provided. The decision support system can be used to search semi-structured databases and automatically learns new knowledge and search control knowledge where it is most needed based on the pattern of previous rule firings.
US08155948B2
A system comprises a user interface configured to receive natural language input from a user. An input module couples to the user interface and is configured to process the received natural language input for selected words and phrases. A user skill determination module couples to the input module and is configured to determine a skill level of the user based on the selected words and phrases.
US08155946B2
A method is disclosed for searching for text passages in text documents. The method uses computerized prediction-based and ontology-based semantic language processing. Both the text passages that are to be located, as well as the text of the documents that are searched, are transformed on the basis of surface-syntactic and deep-syntactic information to generate a semantic network structure. The semantic network structure is linguistically processed based on information about other parts of the semantic network structure in order to improve the accuracy of the semantic network structure. Nodes in the semantic network structure are classified by linking the nodes in the semantic network structure to nodes in a pre-existing ontological network structure representing concepts in a language.
US08155944B2
A translation apparatus includes: an image acquiring unit that acquires an original document image read from an original document including an original sentence in a first language; a translating unit that translates the original sentence into a second language; a line-space specifying unit that specifies a line-space region for each line of the original sentence; a first translation document creating unit that creates a first translation document by arranging a translation sentence in each line-space region of the original document image; a second translation document creating unit that creates a second translation document; a determining unit that determines whether a non-interference condition is satisfied on the basis of each line-space region; and an output unit that outputs the first translation document in a case where the non-interference condition is satisfied, or that outputs the second translation document in a case where the non-interference condition is not satisfied.
US08155942B2
The disclosed methods, systems, and software are described for optimizing well placement in a reservoir field. A geological model of a reservoir field, a grid defining a plurality of cells, one or more wells to be located within the plurality of cells, and an objective function are all provided. The geological model is associated with the grid defining the plurality of cells. The locations of the wells are represented by continuous well location variables associated with a continuous spatial domain. A gradient of the objective function is calculated responsive to the continuous well location variables. The locations of the wells are then adjusted responsive to the calculated gradient of the objective function. Iterative calculation of the gradient and adjustment of the wells continue until the well locations are optimized. A visual representation of the reservoir field can be generated based on the optimized well placements.
US08155932B2
A method and apparatus for creating a generalized response model for a sheet forming machine are provided. Sheet property profiles are measured while the setpoint of an actuator is changed. A response (or change) profile of the sheet property resulting from a setpoint change is calculated. A finite set of critical points are selected from the property response profile. Using the selected critical points, the property response profile is classified in one of a finite number of response types. Under each of the response types, the property response profile is fitted with a plurality of continuous functions associated therewith. These continuous functions are combined to form the response model that minimizes the deviation between the property response and the fitted combination of continuous functions.
US08155917B2
A pressure sensor senses a pressure of a fuel vapor system at a fuel vapor passage. An electronic control unit executes a post-depressurization period flow diagnosis to determine whether the fuel vapor passage is clogged based on a behavior of the pressure in the fuel vapor system, which is sensed with the pressure sensor in a sealed state of the fuel vapor system after introduction of a negative pressure into the fuel vapor system.
US08155906B2
A method of analysis wherein molecular interactions at one or more sensing surface areas are detected and respective response curves representing the progress of each interaction with time are produced, and wherein a resulting set of response curves is subjected to a quality assessment procedure which comprises representing the response curves with one or more quality descriptors, applying a quality classification method to the descriptors to find outliers, and removing the outliers. The invention also relates to an analytical system including means for classifying the response curves with regard to quality, a computer program for performing the classification, and a computer program product containing the program.
US08155901B2
A system for real-time monitoring of synchrophasors from an electrical power system serving multiple geographic areas can control system instability, without preset parameters or thresholds, detects power flow between the generation sources. If a change in power flow of at least 5% over at time period of 1 second or less occurs and the response to the change in power flow is greater than the change in power flow a signal is generated for corrective action.
US08155900B1
A method and system can provide building energy performance metrics that can help identify specific zones within a building which may have energy efficiency problems. The method and system can collect data from: indoor temperature sensors and humidity sensors present in each zone of a building; one or more temperature sensors and humidity sensors present outside of the building; one or more utility meters; and one or more HVAC devices. This data from the sensors can be aggregated and formed into a first profile. The energy efficiency calculation system can analyze the first profile to provide various energy performance metrics which can include, but are not limited to, energy efficiency ratios for air conditioners, the R-value or thermal resistance of the building, an amount of heat loss for the building, energy consumption by the building, current HVAC performance parameters, and utility usage comparisons.
US08155898B2
A method is provided for accomplishing energy changes for a power converter to minimize an impact of a disturbance. The power converter includes energy storage and switches. The method comprises determining a nature of the disturbance, evaluating an amount of energy to be added or removed from the internal storage, and computing operating times of the switches to minimize the impact of the disturbance on outputs of the power converter.
US08155889B2
Disclosed herein is a method for assessing the degree of reliability of a nucleic acid base sequence, by which a higher-accuracy assessment result of the degree of reliability can be obtained as compared to a case where the degree of reliability is assessed based on only the evaluation of analytical data. The method includes the steps: (A) when measured data is processed into analytical data, computing a processing evaluation value E1i for evaluating quality of measured data of an i-th base and contents of processing having been performed on the measured data of the i-th base; (B) computing an analytical data evaluation value E2i of the i-th base based on the processed analytical data; and (C) computing a degree of reliability by a predetermined calculation formula using the processing evaluation value E1i and the analytical data evaluation value E2i.
US08155886B2
A method in a computer system for the review and authentication of clinical laboratory result values is provided. The method includes receiving patient data. The method also includes accessing review criteria. The method further includes comparing the patient data and the review criteria to determine if the patient data should be routed for review. The method further includes routing qualified patient data to a review hierarchy including at least one review queue defined by at least one user.
US08155880B2
A computer-implemented method includes probing a first band along a centerline dimension for a distribution of Location Based Notifications (LBNs), the distribution including a majority of LBNs clustered along and overlapping with the centerline.
US08155879B2
A vehicle driving assistance apparatus includes a brake operation sensing device to sense a driver's brake operation, a steering operation sensing device to sense a driver's steering operation, a forward, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine whether there is a need for avoiding the obstacle, by examining a possibility of contact of the vehicle with the obstacle, and to produce a yaw moment to an obstacle avoiding direction advantageous for avoiding the obstacle, from the time of detection of the driver's brake operation, to the time of detection of the driver's steering operation, by adjusting a wheel brake/drive force distribution among wheels resulting from the driver's brake operation when there is the need for avoiding the obstacle.
US08155878B2
A system locates a user in a remote troubleshooting environment. An office device is utilized to perform at least one of a copy, a facsimile, a print, and an email. A headset facilities audio communication between the user and a remote troubleshooter. A compass is located proximate to the office device wherein the headset is placed in a predetermined location proximate to the compass to establish a datum point such that movement from the datum point is recognized as a location proximate to the office device. A remote processing component displays the location of the headset relative to the office device based on information provided by the compass.
US08155874B2
Provided are an integrated navigation apparatus and a method for providing navigation information using the same. The integrated navigation apparatus includes a first filter, a second filter, a mode probability updating unit, a first navigation information calculating unit, a second navigation information calculating unit, a fusion unit and a navigation information fusion unit.
US08155864B2
A method for controlling, during temporary stoppage, a four-stroke combustion engine including a block delimiting cylinders which define combustion chambers equipped with pistons into which opens an intake pipe and an exhaust pipe, both provided with valves that can move between open and closed positions. The method involves detecting conditions of a temporary stoppage of the engine and commanding the exhaust valves to be kept in the closed position once the engine has gone through an intake phase during the last engine cycle prior to the stoppage.
US08155855B2
A vehicle motion control apparatus includes a motion controlling process operating a pump for supplying brake fluid between a pressure difference control valve and a pressure increasing control valve and controlling the pressure difference control valve and the pressure increasing control valve, thereby pressurizing the wheel cylinder of the wheel to be controlled, a control amount adjusting process reducing a control amount of a motor when a frictional coefficient of a road surface is small, a load judging process judging a load condition of the motor when determining to reduce the control amount of the motor, and a pressure difference controlling process reducing the pressure difference when the load of the motor is in a high load condition.
US08155851B2
Disclosed is a method for increasing a braking effect in a motor vehicle with a hydraulic brake system. An energy supply unit, which is used to increase the brake pressure in at least one wheel brake, is switched on when the brake pressure adjusted by the driver in a master brake cylinder exceeds an activation threshold, which is determined depending on a detected vehicle deceleration. A check is made whether an unbraked trailer is coupled to the vehicle, and in that the activation threshold PAT is raised, if the presence of an unbraked trailer that is coupled to the vehicle is detected.
US08155849B2
A hydraulic actuating device (10) for an automotive friction clutch (12), has a master cylinder (14) whose master piston (16) can be impinged upon with a master force (FG) via an actuating mechanism (18) and can be displaced by a master travel (SG), and a slave cylinder (20) with a slave piston (22) which is hydraulically connected in series to the master piston via a liquid column and is functionally linked with a clutch-release member (24) of the automotive friction clutch. The actuating device may be provided with an adjusting unit (26) may have an adjusting piston (28). The adjusting piston is hydraulically connected in series to the master piston and can be impinged upon with a force and displaced via a transmission (30) that is driven by an electric motor. The actuating device further has a control unit (C) which is used to control the adjusting unit especially subject to a master variable (FG; SG).
US08155843B2
A vehicle control apparatus is provided, which comprises a mode setting unit and a control adjusting unit which are mounted in a vehicle. The vehicle is provided with control units that control behavior of a subject to be controlled which is mounted on a vehicle by each functional domain of the vehicle. The mode setting unit is provided independently from the control units and sets a vehicle mode depending on a vehicle environment in which the vehicle is placed. The control adjusting unit is also provided independently from the control units and adjusts behavior control performed by the control units based on the vehicle mode.
US08155838B2
A method for generating a return torque signal in an electric servo steering system of a vehicle, including the steps of: determining a current steering wheel position; determining a current vehicle speed; generating a return torque signal as a function of the steering wheel position and the vehicle speed; determining a current directional relationship between a torque exerted on the steering wheel and a speed of steering wheel rotation; determining a scaling factor dependent on the directional relationship; and multiplying the return torque signal by the scaling factor in order to obtain a modified return torque signal. Also, a servo steering system which is designed to carry out such a method.
US08155834B2
A lubricant circulation pump (46) which is driven by an electric motor (47) is provided in the course of a circulation path (41A, 41B) for circulating lubricant oil to a wheel mounting case (19) which is rotated together with a rear wheel (7). Turning on and off the lubricant circulation pump is controlled according to rotational speed of the rear wheel. When lubricant oil in the wheel mounting case sticks on inner peripheral surfaces thereof under the influence of centrifugal force as a result of the increased vehicle speed, the electric motor is turned off to suspend operation of the lubricant circulation pump. Consequently, the lubricant circulation pump does not suck lubricant oil in the wheel mounting case through an inlet opening (42A) of an intake pipe (42), thereby preventing the lubricant circulation pump from being put in a dry idling operation.
US08155825B2
A on-vehicle database system includes: a memory for recording an on-vehicle database connected to an on-vehicle LAN network and to an ECU for registering data inputted from respective ECU as attribute value data all at once; and data output means for registering data in the on-vehicle database when the data is inputted via I/O means and outputting the data to the ECU at the timing when the data is required by the ECU, by using the attribute value data in the on-vehicle database.
US08155820B2
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided to not only predict an impending fault, but also to avoid the occurrence of the fault such that continued operations are permitted with a reduced likelihood of the occurrence of the fault. In this regard, a plurality of features are provided to at least one model, such as a random forest classification model. The plurality of features include features representative of at least one prior operational sequence as well as features representative of at least one upcoming operational sequence. The plurality of features are then processed with at least one model to determine a likelihood of a fault during the upcoming operational sequence. The method also alters the characteristics of the upcoming operational sequence without requiring maintenance of the equipment to thereby permit the upcoming operational sequence to be conducted with a reduced likelihood of the fault.
US08155819B2
The effects of IMU gyro and accelerometer bias errors are significantly reduced in accordance with the present teachings by a system or method for commanding an IMU or vehicle through a series of preprogrammed maneuvers. The maneuvers can be designed to minimize the effects of other gyro errors including scale factor errors, nonlinearities, cross coupling/misalignment, and scale factor asymmetries. A sample maneuver is provided which demonstrates performance based on a sequence of roll and yaw maneuvers resulting in zero build up of error at the end of a maneuver cycle period as a result of these errors. Modification of the system involves the addition of control logic to determine the maneuver period, maneuver rate, and vehicle orientation. No additional hardware beyond possible fuel required to perform the maneuver is required.
US08155808B2
A system for monitoring track transportation to determine an abnormal status of a track is disclosed. The system includes at least one sensing module arranged at a predetermined monitoring point of the track, and each sensing module includes at least one force sensing unit and vibration sensing unit. A track status signal processing circuit is electrically connected to the sensing module for receiving the time domain force-related signal and time domain vibration-related signal, and these signals are converted to the digital signals. The digital signals are transferred to a signal calculating and processing unit, which includes a time domain/frequency domain force-related signal converting circuit, a time domain/frequency domain vibration-related signal converting circuit, and a frequency response function calculating unit. The frequency response function calculating unit divides the frequency domain vibration-related signal into frequency domain force-related signal to generate an input-output response frequency spectrum signal for determining an abnormal status of the track.
US08155803B2
A device and method for assisting in the management of an engine failure on an aircraft. The device automatically determines when an engine failure is detected, vectoring settings including speed, thrust and altitude settings designed to be implemented on the aircraft in such a manner as to allow it to fly to a particular airport.
US08155798B2
A device and method for determining a roll angle of a motorcycle are disclosed. The method includes the step of acquiring a rolling rate ({dot over (λ)}M) of the motorcycle. A first roll angle variable (λ1) is determined from the rolling rate ({dot over (λ)}M). At least one vehicle movement dynamics characteristic variable is determined from a velocity (v), a rotational speed ({dot over (ψ)}M), and/or an acceleration ({umlaut over (z)}M, ÿM) of the motorcycle. A second roll angle variable (λ2) is determined from one or more vehicle movement dynamics characteristic variables. The roll angle (λE) is calculated on the basis of the roll angle variables (λ1, λ2).
US08155795B2
A demand control system 1 according to the present invention includes a CPU 41 and a power database 45. The power database 45 stores actual data in a state where the actual data are classified according to environmental conditions, the actual data being based on a consumption integration value of power actually consumed by the power consuming device. The CPU 41 calculates a predicted integration value of power predicted to be consumed in the demand time period, by using contents stored in the power database 45 at a start or before the start of the current demand time period. Further, the CPU 41 lowers a power target value when the calculated predicted integration value falls below the power target value being a target value of the power to be consumed in the demand time period.
US08155794B2
A system is provided for control of a structure immersed in a fluid flow regime. The system comprises a plurality of flow sensors disposed on a surface of the structure, the flow sensors including at least one flow bifurcation point sensor. The system further comprises at least one structural sensor attached to the structure for measurement of a structural parameter. A data processor in communication with the flow sensors and the at least one structural sensor is configured for processing the data signals and for generating and transmitting one or more actuator command signals to effect a desired flow and structural state for the structure. The system also comprises at least one actuator in communication with the data processor. Each of the at least one actuator is configured for effecting, in response to an actuator command signal, one of the set consisting of a structural deformation in at least a portion of the structure, a change in configuration of a control surface of the structure, and an operational change in a flow control device embedded in the structure.
US08155788B2
To provide an automatic machine system for readily and reliably selecting a desired mechanism part from among the automatic machine systems composed of a plurality of mechanism parts and teaching the mechanism part.Each of a plurality of mechanism parts such as robots includes a first communication part. A teaching operation part includes a second communication part with directivity. When the second communication part of the teaching operation part is oriented to the first communication part included in a target mechanism part to select the same, the second communication part transmits selection request information to the first communication part. A controller for controlling the mechanism parts places the target mechanism part in an operable state based on the selection request information thereby operating the target mechanism part with the operation of the worker on the teaching operation part.
US08155785B2
A system and method for providing a satellite vend operation. A first (parent) vending machine is operable to dispense a product from a product storage display area located in a second (child) vending machine. The first (parent) vending machine can control or interact with the functions of the second (child) vending machine. A programming menu on the first (parent) vending machine is automatically configured for a satellite vend operation when the first (parent) vending machine pairs with the second (child) vending machine. An operator is provided, in the programming menu located on the parent vending machine, relevant information associated with the child vending machine and relevant information associated with the parent vending machine.
US08155776B2
Provided herein is a process for randomly patterning a plurality of carpet tiles, each tile having a composite pattern containing at least a base pattern and an overlay pattern. When installed, the random order of patterning results in random tile placement and an overall random appearance. The overlay patterns are randomly chosen from a library of patterns until each individual pattern has been used to create a tile series. The overlay patterns may be manipulated by rotating, mirror-imaging, rotating and mirror-imaging, or repositioning to produce additional variations and increase the number of tiles in the series. The base pattern may optionally be manipulated before being incorporated into the composite pattern. A tile collection, containing such randomly ordered composite patterns, is also described.
US08155772B2
A method and system for integrating a restriction object with a material object is provided. A reference is generated between a material object and a restriction object. A restriction note is received from a supplier having a material restriction for a material in the material object. A material position is searched in the material object using a material number of the material. A selection condition is determined based on which the material is chosen from the material position. A restriction condition is generated in the restriction object based on the material restriction and the selection condition.
US08155768B2
A projector that projects images includes a projection display module by which the projector projects the images, a network interface by which the projector can communicate with a network, and a web server module coupled to the network interface and to the projection display module. The web server module, in response to a request to provide a working status of the projection display module received through the network interface from a client over the network, sends working status information representing the working status through the network interface to the client over the network. The web server module also, in response to control information received through the network interface from the client over the network in response to the sent working status information, controls the working status by sending a control signal to the projection display module based on the control information.
US08155766B2
A power-saving computer system comprises a plurality of storage areas provided by one or more storage systems, including at least one first storage area which is always powered on and at least one second storage area which is periodically powered on and off according to a power control schedule. The at least one first storage area provides primary and secondary volumes of a first backup set that is scheduled as always paired. For a second backup set that is scheduled as normally suspended and resynchronized according to a backup schedule, a primary volume of the second backup set is included in the at least one first storage area and a secondary volume of the second backup set is included in the at least one second storage area. The at least one second storage area is powered on during every backup time for resynchronizing the second backup set according to the backup schedule.
US08155765B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that estimates the relative humidity inside a computer system. During operation, a set of performance parameters of the computer system and an external relative humidity outside of the computer system are monitored. Then, the relative humidity inside the computer system is estimated based on the set of performance parameters, the external relative humidity, and a relative humidity model, wherein training of the relative humidity model includes measuring an external training relative humidity outside of the computer system and a training relative humidity inside the computer system while monitoring the set of performance parameters of the computer system.
US08155762B2
In an instrumentation control system in which plural control devices are connected to each other through a network, and transfer of data is performed asynchronously, a reset switch is provided in one of a control device, and when this switch is depressed, an instruction to reset unreliable information in the respective control devices is transmitted to other control devices, the control device having transmitted the instruction and all the other control devices having received the instruction stop the reception of the unreliable information from the network for a definite period, the unreliable informations in the respective control devices are reset, and the unreliable informations in the whole network are reset.
US08155755B2
A pair of sheets defining a disposable sheath for covering the electrical leads in a monitoring system used for monitoring patient vital signs and secured together along edges and along spaced seams to define a plurality of longitudinally extending compartments. A plurality of tear lines extend along the spaced seams from the second end to a distance spaced from the first end for laterally separating the compartments into separate arms, and fingers, whereby electrical leads may be bundled together in the open distance at the first end and inserted into the arms and fingers. A seal seals the sheets about the electrical leads at the respective ends.
US08155753B2
The disclosure describes a system that measures the distance between one or more electrodes and tissue of a patient, and controls one or more parameters of the stimulation delivered to the tissue by the electrodes based on the measured distance. The system controls the measurement of the distance between the electrodes and the tissue as a function of activity of the patient. The system uses, for example, a piezoelectric transducer to sense activity of the patient, and may determine whether or how frequently to measure the distance between electrodes and tissue based on the sensed physical activity. A piezoelectric transducer may be used both to sense activity and to measure the distance between the electrodes and the tissue.
US08155748B1
Apparatus and methods for converting one type of speech processor unit into another type of speech processor unit.
US08155743B2
Disclosed herein is an implantable pulse generator feedthru configured to make generally planar electrical contact with an electrical component housed within a can of an implantable pulse generator. The feedthru may include a feedthru housing including a header side and a can side, a core within the feedthru housing, a generally planar electrically conductive interface adjacent the can side, and a feedthru wire extending through the core. The feedthru wire may include an interface end and a header end, wherein the header end extends from the header side and the interface end is at least one of generally flush with the generally planar interface and generally recessed relative to the generally planar interface.
US08155742B2
A medical information communication system and corresponding methods are described. The system can permit monitoring the performance of an implantable medical device (IMD) implanted within a body of a patient, monitoring the health of the patient, and/or remotely delivering a therapy to the patient through the IMD. The IMD can be capable of bi-directional communication with a clinician. Further, the system can comprise a communication availability indicator to indicate whether the IMD is available for communication.
US08155741B2
Atrial capture threshold testing is performed in accordance with an atrial capture threshold testing schedule. Monitoring for retrograde P-waves occurs at least during times other than times during which scheduled atrial capture threshold testing is performed. In response to detecting a retrograde P-wave indicative of sub-threshold atrial pacing during monitoring, an unscheduled atrial capture threshold test is performed and pacing of the atrium is adjusted based on the unscheduled atrial capture threshold test.
US08155739B2
Therapy optimization includes tracking electrode motion using an electroanatomic mapping system and generating, based on tracked electrode motion, one or more mechanical dyssynchrony metrics to thereby guide a clinician in therapy optimization (e.g., via optimal electrode sites, optimal therapy parameters, etc.). Such a method may include a vector analysis of electrode motion with respect to factors such as times in cardiac cycle, phases of a cardiac cycle, and therapy conditions, e.g., pacing sites, pacing parameters and pacing or no pacing. Differences in position-with-respect-to-time data for electrodes may also be used to provide measurements of mechanical dyssynchrony.
US08155737B2
Improved pharmacokinetic profiles for the iontophoretic delivery of sumatriptan are described.
US08155732B2
An ECG system is used in ECG signal measurement of intra-cardiac ECG using a catheter. The system includes a lead signal switch for disconnecting an amplifier input terminal from a reference point and reconnecting the input terminal to a patient limb electrode. An ECG signal processor amplifies the difference of a chest lead signal electronically connected to a catheter, and a patient limb signal provided by the reconnecting of the input terminal.
US08155726B2
A magnetic detection coil made of a single wire is constructed of one of superconducting and metallic materials. Four second-order differential coils are arranged so that a geometric figure obtained by connecting the respective centers of the four differential coils can form a parallelogram. By providing intersections between the four second-order differential coils, the values of magnetic flux respectively penetrating the differential coils are differentiated in three different directions.
US08155713B2
A mobile phone is disclosed. The mobile phone includes a communication system and an entertainment system. The communication system can independently provide communication function. The entertainment system can independently provide various entertainment functions. Each system includes two magnetic elements to allow them detachably connect them together. Each system also includes a connector to form an electrical connection between the communication system and the entertainment system when the systems are combined.
US08155708B2
An interface protocol for the functional manipulation of complex devices such as consumer electronic devices without the necessity of the visual feedback via textual or graphic data, wherein the sensor functions change with time rather than placement, so that a user action biases a binary state switch, which is correlated to a timed audible audio data stream, the correlation indicating the desired action selected by the user.
US08155697B2
A modular device formed with USB connectors. The USB can be used for connecting different kinds of devices, for example memories, user interfaces and the like. The USB devices can be piggybacked. In an embodiment, the USB devices can be located in a cavity formed inside the computer. Another embodiment forms a modular cellular telephone.
US08155685B2
A mobile station apparatus for determining reverse transmission power in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing system is provided. A reception module receives from a base station a Reverse-Link Assignment Message including a Packet Format (PF) field and a Reverse-Link Power Control (RLPC) field. A power level adjuster determines a nominal reverse transmission power level depending on information of the PF field, and determines a relative final transmission power level shifted by an offset value defined in the RLPC field from the nominal transmission power level.
US08155679B2
Disclosed are a method and system for peer-to-peer advertising between mobile communication devices. A subsidy program is set up based on a profile of an advertiser having at least one advertising media. A qualified subscriber is identified for the advertiser based on a profile of a subscriber. One or more advertisers and subsidy programs for the qualified subscriber is selected. In addition, when a communication transmission is received from a source communication device, at least one advertising media is associated with the communication transmission and the communication transmission is transmitted from a source communication device to a destination communication device.
US08155674B2
Apparatus, and an associated method, for paging an access terminal in a radio communication system. Dynamic configuration and reconfiguration of a quick page message is provided. Its configuration is dependent upon paging load in the system. Hash values are selected and used pursuant to the configuration, and use, of the message. A first hash value is selected within a first range. And, a second hash value is selected within a second range. The second range from which the second hash value is selected does not include the first hash value.
US08155671B2
A commercial mobile alert system and method for processing a broadcast message from a broadcast message originator for delivery to a broadcast target area served by a wireless mobile network using point to multipoint cell broadcasting capability of the wireless mobile telephone network. The system including a broadcast message interface for receiving a broadcast message record. The broadcast message record including the broadcast target area defined as geographical information, the broadcast message as created by the broadcast message originator, a message type as defined by the broadcast message originator, and broadcast message originator identifier uniquely identifying the broadcast message originator of the broadcast message. A broadcast control module having an processor, memory, computer executable instructions, an input interface, an output interface, a validating subsystem and a broadcast message routing subsystem. The validating subsystem is for validating the broadcast message record as a function of the broadcast message originator identifier and the broadcast target and for creating a validated broadcast message record. The broadcast message routing subsystem is for receiving the validated broadcast message record, identifying two or more message broadcasting network systems, and transmitting the validated broadcast message record over the output interface to one or more of the identified public service message broadcasting network systems.
US08155666B2
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for determining the location of a WLAN and cellular position system enabled device using a WLAN position estimate to select the best cellular positioning system location. The method can include estimating a position of the WLAN and cellular enabled device using a WLAN positioning system and an expected error estimate for the WLAN based position estimate, determining a set of possible cellular based position estimates for the WLAN and cellular enabled device using cellular measurements obtained from at least one cell tower, determining an uncertainty area around the WLAN location estimate based on the expected error of the WLAN location estimate, and determining the device location by selecting cellular based location estimates located within the uncertainty area.
US08155653B2
A mobile radio terminal stores transfer information indicating whether a base station to which the mobile radio terminal is connected is changed from a base station belonging to a second mobile communication network to a base station belonging to a first mobile communication network; and control the second communicating unit so as to search for a base station belonging to the second mobile communication network, when it is determined using the stored transfer information that the mobile radio terminal is on standby in a base station belonging to the first mobile communication network after the base station to which the mobile radio terminal is connected is changed from a base station belonging to the second mobile communication network to the base station belonging to the first mobile communication network.
US08155652B2
Systems and methods are provided for processing wireless signal components for a mobile wireless access broadband service. This can include processes for measuring signal strength of an alternative frequency by tuning away from an existing frequency associated with an existing communications path. Such processes allow determining if the alternative frequency supports a subsequent communications path in a mobile broadband wireless application. Upon the determination, the process can automatically select the subsequent communications path based in part on the measured signal strength.
US08155650B2
A method for selective buffering includes establishing a first connection with a mobile endpoint. The first connection provides for an exchange of data with the mobile endpoint via a first point of connection. The mobile endpoint is coupled to the first point of connection via a second connection. The method also includes characterizing the data exchanged with the mobile endpoint, and determining whether to buffer the data based on the characterization of the data. The method further includes receiving a request to transfer the mobile endpoint from the first point of connection to a second point of connection. The method also includes determining whether to forward the buffered data to the second point of connection based on the characterization of the data.
US08155643B2
A mobile terminal and system scan method thereof is provided for effectively acquiring system information. The system scanning method includes performing a first scanning process on entire channels registered to a Preferred Roaming List (PRL) for acquiring system information, calculating, when the system information is not acquired in the first scanning process, a power saving time and a second scan time on the basis of a first scan time taken for the first scanning process, the second scan time being equal to the first scan time, and performing a second scanning process and a power saving process, on the basis of the power saving time and the second scan time, alternately until the system information is acquired.
US08155638B2
Disclosed is a system and method for testing mobile communications in a High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) mobile communications network by generating one or more virtual users. Specifically, a high speed downlink shared channel is scheduled for a user (e.g., a real user or a virtual user) in a plurality of users. One or more network resources are then allocated by a virtual user executable module to the high speed downlink shared channel for a virtual user in the plurality of users.
US08155636B2
Methods for remotely controlling a mobile station by a controller are provided. An embodiment of a method performed by the mobile station comprises the following steps. An action request comprising a remote control instruction issued by the controller is received. The remote control instruction is acquired from the received action request. The remote control instruction is executed to activate or deactivate a particular function resident on the mobile station or return data stored by the mobile station. The action request is received through a wireless network.
US08155635B2
A method for handling an incoming call in a screen lock state, a communication device and a recording medium thereof are provided. In the present method, when a communication device in a screen lock state receives an incoming call, the communication device exits the screen lock state and displays an incoming call frame. Then, the incoming call is handled according to an input instruction. After the completion of a handling of the incoming call, an idle time of the communication device that receives no operation is counted. When the idle time reaches a predefined value, the communication device returns to the screen lock state. As a result, a user may conveniently inspect and handle the incoming call even if the communication device is in the screen lock state.
US08155628B1
Multimedia content is broadcast from a mobile device. The multimedia content, or a portion thereof, can be downloaded to or generated by the mobile device. The mobile device can comprise a cellular phone, camera phone, video phone, PDA, or the like, capable of transmitting multimedia content. The multimedia content can include images, video, audio and/or sensor content. The multimedia content is transmitted to a broadcast server via a radio network for subsequent broadcast to intended recipients. For example a first responder at a disaster site can broadcast multimedia, via a mobile device, to other first responders, to an Incident Commander on the site, and/or to remote recipients such as city, county, and/or state Emergency Operations Centers. The multimedia content can be broadcast via a wireless broadcast network, an intranet, the Internet, or a combination thereof.
US08155626B2
A method and apparatus for enabling communication of IP multimedia content to a called user during a circuit-switched call between a calling terminal (A) having called a primary communication unit (B1), when the call has been forwarded to a secondary communication unit (B2). The calling terminal receives a connected number during a call set-up procedure, e.g. by subscribing to a called line presentation (COLP) service. The calling terminal stores the received connected number and determines multimedia capabilities of the secondary communication unit based on the connected number. Available multimedia options can then be determined based on the multimedia capabilities of the secondary communication unit.
US08155618B2
A waveform shaping circuit wave-shapes a demodulated signal after FM demodulation to generate a binary value. A smoothing circuit smoothes the demodulated signal to generate a reference voltage. A comparator compares the reference voltage with the demodulated signal to output the binary value. A potential difference limiting circuit determines whether a potential difference between the demodulated signal and the reference voltage exceeds a set voltage. When the potential difference exceeds the set voltage, the potential difference is controlled to a value less than the set voltage. At the initiation of signal reception or after a jamming signal stops, the reference voltage follows the demodulated signal, thus allowing data reception to rapidly begin.
US08155613B2
In a RF communications system, aspects for single weight antenna system for HSDPA may comprise receiving HSDPA signals via a plurality of receive antennas and individually adjusting a phase of a portion of the received HSDPA signals via a single weight. The phase adjusted portion of the received HSDPA signals may be combined with at least one of the received HSDPA signals to generate combined HSDPA signals. At least one control signal may control the adjusting of the phase of the received HSDPA signals. Discrete phases may be communicated to adjust the phase of the portion of the received HSDPA signals, where the plurality of the discrete phases may range from zero radians to substantially 2π radians. Phase shift channel estimates may be generated during the identified time to determine the discrete phase. A desired phase may be generated from the phase shift channel estimates, and the single weight may be generated from the desired phase.
US08155603B2
Systems and methods of unlicensed bi-directional communications over Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) band reserved for licensed communications are provided. A base transceiver station scans the UHF band to identify unused frequency bands. When an unused frequency band is detected, the base transceiver station transmits a tone indicating that the unused frequency band can be used for communicating with the base transceiver station. When the base transceiver station determines that the unused frequency band is being used, then the base transceiver station scans the UHF band to identify another unused frequency band for communications.
US08155599B2
A portable wireless communication apparatus is provided with antenna elements; a mobile phone signal processing circuit; a DTV tuner for receiving DTV low-band frequency signals and DTV high-band frequency signals; impedance matching circuits for the mobile phone signal processing circuit; and impedance matching circuits for the DTV tuner for receiving the DTV low-band frequency signals and DTV high-band frequency signals. A switch is changed to select either the DTV low-band frequency signals or the DTV high-band frequency signals, and output the selected signals to the DTV tuner. A tuner controller controls the switch to select the DTV high-band frequency signals by using the antenna element for transmission from the mobile phone signal processing circuit.
US08155592B2
A wireless communication system including a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter includes a first mixing module, a phase-locked loop module, reference oscillator, and a second mixing module. The first mixing module is configured to combine a low-frequency data signal and an audio signal, and to generate a first combined signal. The phase-locked loop module is configured to generate a phase error signal based on a reference signal and a frequency modulated signal. The reference oscillator generates the reference signal having a frequency based on the low-frequency data signal. The second mixing module is configured to combine the first combined signal and the phase error signal, and to generate a second combined signal. The transmitter generates the frequency modulated signal based on the second combined signal and transmits the frequency modulated signal. The receiver is configured to receive the frequency modulated signal, and extract the low-frequency data signal and the audio signal.
US08155591B2
Electronic communication method, electronic communication system, communication terminal, and server
A user information management unit of a terminal generates a management number for respective users. A terminal to terminal communication unit communicates with another terminal through ad hoc communication, acquires a unique user ID set for the other user, and stores the user ID in a friend information storing unit. The data generated in a data generation unit is transmitted to a server from a sending unit along with a destination user ID selected from user IDs stored in a friend information storing unit. A reception unit in the server stores the transmitted data in a data storing unit for each destination user ID. When the server receives a connection request from a terminal, a connecting user information acquisition unit in the server identifies a user ID of a connection origin and a data retrieving unit transmits the data to the terminal by retrieving a data storing unit based on the user ID, indicating the user requested for the connection as a destination.
US08155590B2
A mobile communication system and method for supporting an automatic Bluetooth connection are provided. The system includes a portable terminal and a Bluetooth device. When a coupling with a connection terminal of the Bluetooth device is detected, the portable terminal enables a Bluetooth function of the portable terminal, performs a pairing process and performs a communication connection with the Bluetooth device. After coupling with a connection terminal of the portable terminal, the Bluetooth device performs a process of pairing with the portable terminal and performs a communication connection with the portable terminal.
US08155589B2
A Bluetooth device and a bandwidth managing method thereof are disclosed. The Bluetooth device is connected to a remote device by establishing a synchronous connection oriented (SCO) channel. The intensity of the sound signal is monitored. If the intensity of the sound signal is larger than the default value, the slots of the SCO channel are used to transmit the sound value to the remote device. If the intensity of the sound signal is smaller than the default value, the bandwidth occupied by the slots is dynamically released to avoid the waste of the bandwidth.
US08155587B2
When wireless communications are performed with other communication devices, an inquiry message to discover other communication devices residing in the vicinity is wirelessly transmitted by having communication ranges altered at a plurality of stages; response messages to the transmitted inquiry message are received; information relating to a receiving state or frequency of receipt of the response messages from the respective communication ranges is preserved with respect to each communication device which is a source of the response message; and based on the preserved information relating to the receiving state or the frequency of receipt of the response messages a communication device to be a connection object for wireless communication is selected. By doing so, when short-range wireless communications are performed, communication services can be performed appropriately between required devices.
US08155583B2
A method and apparatus for providing broadband signals to a portable user device is disclosed. Broadband signals, such as satellite radio signals, are received at a base station having a plurality of antennas. The content of the broadband signals are then encoded using space time coding (STC), and the STC encoded broadband content is transmitted from the plurality of antennas via a first wireless network protocol. The STC encoded broadband content can be received at a portable user device having a plurality of antennas or at a wireless access point having a plurality of antennas, which then transmit the broadband signals via a second wireless network protocol.
US08155582B2
The presently claimed invention relates to methods and system employing digital content. One claim recites a method including: receiving indentifying data from a remotely located handheld device, the remotely located handheld device utilizing a multi-purpose electronic processor to extract the identifying data from data representing audible portions of an audio signal, the handheld device having captured the audio signal with a microphone; using the identifying data to identify a song corresponding to the audio signal; providing a tag including information pertaining to the song to an online-based music library associated with the remotely located handheld device or a user of the remotely located handheld device. A variety of other claims and combinations are also provided.
US08155574B2
A waste developer collecting device comprising: a collecting container; a collecting opening; a conveying unit; a filter; a partition wall; and an air inlet.
US08155571B2
A developing roller for providing a magnetic brush for a printer or copier has a substantially cylindrical outer surface. The outer surface includes a regular or irregular array of a number of isolated areas, each isolated area being provided by a recess in the outer surface. Each recess is completely surrounded on all sides and isolated from any neighbouring isolated area by separation zones being part of the substantially cylindrical outer surface.
US08155568B2
A toner container for replenishing toner to an image forming apparatus, including: a container main body having a toner outlet and a toner conveyance device which conveys the toner toward the toner outlet through rotation; a cap which covers the toner outlet and has a toner ejecting section; a toner ejecting member which conveys the toner from the container main body to the cap; and a holding ring which is fixed with the toner ejecting member, wherein the container main body has a first engagement member which engages with an engagement section of the holding ring such that the container main body, rotates together with the holding ring and the toner ejecting member, and wherein the cap has a second engagement member which engages with the holding ring such that the holding ring and the toner ejecting member are rotatable.
US08155566B2
A toner feed unit includes: a first feed portion having a first feed pipe for forming a first toner feed passage having a rectangular section and a first shutter member constructed so as to be rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the feed direction of the first toner feed passage and open and close the toner output end of the first toner feed passage; and a second feed portion having a second feed pipe for forming a second toner feed passage having a rectangular section and a second shutter member constructed so as to be rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the feed direction of the second toner feed passage and open and close the toner input end of the second toner feed passage.
US08155565B2
A developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an photoreceptor drum with a dual-component developer, includes: a developing hopper for storing the developer; an agitation roller for conveying the developer while agitating; a developing roller which supplies the developer to a developing area located opposing the photoreceptor drum; a layer thickness-regulating member for regulating the layer thickness of the developer being conveyed by the developing roller; a flow-guide plate for flowing down the surplus developer that was rejected to a position away from the layer thickness-regulating member; a multiple number of partitioning ribs arranged upright on the flow-guided plate for flowing down the surplus developer in a predetermined direction while diffusing the developer with respect to the longitudinal direction of the developer roller; and a downflow direction control mechanism for controlling the downflow direction of the surplus developer regulated by the partitioning ribs.
US08155557B2
A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a drum, first and second guidable portions guidable by first and second guides when the cartridge enters or advances in the main assembly, first and second regulatable portions provided at leading and trailing sides of the cartridge with respect to the advancing direction and regulated by a first main assembly regulator when the process is advancing in the main assembly, first and second positionable portions to be positioned at first and main assembly second positioners, respectively, by the urging force of a main assembly urging member after the first and second regulatable portions pass the first and second regulators, respectively. The cartridge is mounted to the main assembly with the first and second positionable portions at the first and second positioners, respectively, by the urging force of the urging member.
US08155547B2
Apparatuses useful for printing and methods of are provided. The apparatus includes a user interface for operating the printing apparatus, a fuser for fusing media, the fuser having a plurality of temperature settings, a gloss meter for measuring gloss of an image fused on the media, and a controller controlling the printing apparatus, wherein the controller: a) causes fusing of a plurality of media of a first type at a nominal fusing temperature, and then measuring a temperature of the pressure roll as a steady state pressure roll temperature, b) causes media of the first type to be input to the fuser to fuse an image onto the media, the fuser having a first fusing temperature, c) causes the gloss meter to measure a gloss level of the image fused on the media, and sending the measured gloss level with the first type of media to the controller, d) causes steps b) and c) to be repeated at various fusing temperatures different from the first fusing temperature, and saving the measured gloss levels with corresponding fuser temperatures, e) in response to a user indication of a desired gloss level received over the user interface, sets a temperature of the pressure roll to the steady state pressure roll temperature, and f) fuses media utilizing one of the measured fusing temperatures corresponding to the desired gloss level.
US08155535B2
An optical receiver for stably reproducing packets having different light receiving levels is disclosed. The optical receiver includes: a light receiving element for outputting a current in response to a light receiving level of an optical signal; a preamplifier for converting the current signal outputted from the light receiving element into a voltage signal; a circuit for detecting a consecutive same binary symbols portion from a binary symbols stream of the voltage signal outputted from the preamplifier to output a time constant switching signal in response to a detection result thereof; a level detecting circuit for detecting a voltage level of the voltage signal outputted from the preamplifier based upon a time constant which is switched/controlled in response to the time constant switching signal; and an amplifier for amplifying an output voltage of the level detecting circuit to apply a control voltage for controlling the gain to the preamplifier.
US08155533B2
A waveform converting unit gives a change to a clock signal as a periodic voltage fluctuation that drives a pulse carver unit carrying out shaping into an RZ waveform. The pulse carver unit receives a bias voltage applied thereto from a bias voltage applying unit, is driven by the clock signal that is given a change by the waveform converting unit and that is amplified by an amplifying unit, and outputs an RZ pulse whose duty has been changed.
US08155530B2
A system and method for increasing spectral efficiency, capacity and/or extending dispersion-limited reach in a communication link employs narrow filtering of a baseband signal to reduce the original bandwidth to a substantially smaller bandwidth for transmission across a transmission medium such as an optical fiber. By restricting the bandwidth, the rate of spreading is reduced significantly. The receiver at the other end of the transmission medium includes an equalizer for returning the received signal to its original bandwidth for retrieval of information contained in the signal.
US08155518B2
Systems and methods herein provide for load balancing Fiber Channel traffic. In this regard, a Fiber Channel load balancer may be operable to monitor Fiber Channel paths coupled to a host bus adapter and determine the speeds of the Fiber Channel ports within the Fiber Channel paths. The Fiber Channel load balancer may also be operable to determine certain characteristics of the Fiber Channel traffic being passed over the Fiber Channel paths. For example, a load balancer may determine Fiber Channel traffic sizes of pending requests and, based in part on the traffic sizes and operable normalized speeds of the Fiber Channel ports, adaptively route the pending original traffic across the Fiber Channel ports.
US08155516B2
In a fiber-optic communications system, a backup or redundant optical link is provided at the central office in parallel with the primary one in use. Parameters associated with the backup link, including its signal delay, its attenuation, etc. are stored at the time of installation. Upon failure of the primary link, switchover can be automatic, and the stored parameters are used to make adjustments necessary for the differences between the primary link and the backup link. In addition, having information on the differences between the two links, the central office is able to send control information downstream which is used at the remote site to control changes that must be made for upstream signals. For example, customer equipment can be signaled to adjust its timing for the next time slot or interface amplifiers can be adjusted to account for the change in attenuation. The central office could be provided with a corrected interface to accommodate the new link and a substantial buffer to account for the change in timing, and switchover to the new timing could be done gracefully.
US08155514B1
A portable device has a rear facing camera assembly and a front facing display assembly that includes at least a protective cover layer, a display stack that includes a plurality of display components arranged in a plurality of interconnected layers, the display stack providing an imaging service, and a flat support chassis arranged to provide support for the display stack. In the described embodiment, a protective cover can wrap around and protect at least the rear portion of the portable device without adversely affecting an image capture process carried out by the rear facing camera assembly.
US08155510B2
A universal underwater enclosure has a spherical shell having a hollow in which a camera, camcorder, or other device can be inserted, a lens attached to the shell that can be opened to insert a device, and glove assemblies extending into the hollow for manipulation of a device placed therein. The glove assemblies have fingers and not full gloves, reducing the dimensions of the enclosure—thereby minimizing buoyancy. A mounting system attaches to a device's tripod mount receptor, fixes the device, and allows it to be adjusted in three dimensions. A pressure equalization system relieves stress on the enclosure, which exhibits neutral buoyancy. A flash mounted on the shell operates independently of any device. Modular lens pods replace the lens to accommodate various other lenses. The glove assemblies have perimeter lips secured to the shell by fasteners and a bezel around teardrop-shaped cut-out holes in the shell. The fingers allow access to all of a device's controls.
US08155509B2
A device and method for providing a gaseous substance mixture which includes at least one reducing agent and/or at least one reducing agent precursor, includes a reservoir for an aqueous solution which includes at least one reducing agent precursor that can be flow connected to an evaporator chamber, and a device for dosing the aqueous solution in the evaporator chamber. A device can heat the evaporator chamber to a temperature higher than or equal to a critical temperature, in which the aqueous solution is at least partially evaporated. The device and method enable reducing agent to be provided for selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides in the exhaust of an internal combustion engine. Preferably, an evaporator unit is configured as the evaporator chamber and a hydrolysis catalytic converter is disposed outside the exhaust system. As a result, the size of the hydrolysis catalytic converter is reduced, allowing compact construction.
US08155498B2
Systems and methods for providing enhanced navigation of stored digital video content based upon an event index. Includes generation and storage of an event index, as well as navigation based on events in the event index. An example system is embodied in a digital video recorder that detects and stores black field and silent frame events for use in locating commercial groups. The commercial groups may be skipped or otherwise navigated based upon data pointers linking the stored events to corresponding locations in the video data file.
US08155494B2
A cable management panel including a chassis and a drawer. The chassis defining rear and side openings for cable entry and exit. The drawer having a front panel that may include angled adapters. The drawer having an open rear that accommodates cables entering from the rear openings of the chassis, and that accommodates the addition of a rear wall. The cable management panel being adaptable to provide a variety of cable routing configurations to accommodate a user's particular cable routing needs.
US08155483B2
An image measuring apparatus for enhancing an accuracy of an image captured by an optical system and a method thereof are disclosed. The apparatus includes a CCD camera for capturing the object and outputting the captured image, a lamp for generating white light to illuminate a capturing area of the object, an illumination controller for controlling the lamp to be turned on, a piezoelectric actuator for controlling a minute height of the optical system with respect to the object, an image capturing device for acquiring the image captured by the CCD camera, a driving signal generator for outputting a driving signal to the illumination controller and the piezoelectric actuator when an enable signal is generated from the CCD camera, and an image signal processor for estimating height information of the object from data transmitted from the image capturing unit.
US08155482B2
Techniques are provided for selecting channels for a wider bandwidth operation mode of a wireless network, such as wireless network that operates in accordance with the IEEE 802.11n amendment. Alignments of so-called primary and secondary channels are selected to mitigate interference. Interfering sources, such as other transceivers or external interferers, or the energy from their transmissions, are identified and channels are selected. The selected channels are analyzed to determine whether primary-secondary channel assignments for the selected channels are feasible.
US08155478B2
A method of controlling depth of field of an image by a computer after the image has been taken based on the data acquired while taking the images including, acquiring multiple images from the same perspective with different focal points, selecting parameters for preparing a displayable image, constructing an image using the data of the acquired multiple images according to the selected parameters; and displaying the constructed image.
US08155477B2
A proposition is to provide an image processing method, a carrier medium carrying an image processing program, an image processing apparatus, and an imaging apparatus capable of attaining line reproducibility and magnification distortion reduction in a well-balanced manner in an image. The image processing method is an image processing method for performing predetermined geometric transformation processing (h(θ)) on an image to be processed, in which the predetermined geometric transformation processing (h(θ)) includes geometric transformation processing for magnification distortion reduction (h=α tan (θ/2)^(κp)) that reduces discrepancy between circumferential magnification and radial magnification of the image to be processed, and at least one parameter (θp) that determines the strength or content of the predetermined geometric transformation processing (h=α tan (θ/2)^(κp)) is set according to the structure of the image to be processed.
US08155474B2
An image compensating system, medium, and method, including, a shadow area compensating system, medium, and method which may significantly increase the luminance of each pixel in a dark area with respect to pixels positioned in the vicinity of the corresponding pixel and slightly increase the luminance of each pixel in a bright area. The shadow area compensating method includes calculating a representative luminance Lav of each pixel having image information by reflecting the luminance of the corresponding pixel and the luminances of pixels positioned in the vicinity of the corresponding pixel, determining a compensation luminance ratio using the calculated representative luminance, and increasing an output luminance on the basis of the compensation luminance ratio.
US08155473B2
There is provided a method for deciding an image data reduction ratio in image processing which enables performance of stable positioning even on an unclear image, the method being a method for deciding an image data reduction ratio in image processing where an object to be searched that is similar to a pre-registered image is searched to be positioned out of the image to be searched by use of a pattern model corresponding to the registered image, the method including the steps of: computing a sharpness of each edge point based on the edge points with reference to an edge image where the edge points are extracted from image date; and deciding an image data reduction ratio based on each edge sharpness such that positional accuracy of the edge points becomes higher than a predetermined value.
US08155471B2
Image processing apparatus and method that may blur a background subject to highlight a main subject
An image processing apparatus and a method thereof are introduced herein. In the method, an image is divided into a plurality of blocks, and a corresponding image processing ratio is set to each of the blocks, wherein each of the blocks includes a plurality of image unit data. Next, the image processing ratios are stored in a filter table, wherein the image unit data of each of the blocks has the corresponding image processing ratio. Next, the filter table is read out and decoded to generate a plurality of filter coefficients, and the corresponding image unit data is obtained according to each of the filter coefficients. Next, filter operation is performed to the corresponding image data and the filter coefficient for outputting a filter operated image data. The image processing ratio can be a zoon ratio or a blur ratio.
US08155465B2
An image processing method, medium, and system. The image processing method includes classifying an input image into predetermined image categories based on a feature of a brightness histogram of the input image, and adjusting a brightness of the input image based on grayscale functions corresponding to the image categories and positions of pixels making up the input image.
US08155464B2
An image compression unit includes a block divider that divides image data into a plurality of blocks, a DCT portion that subjects the image data of each block to DCT, a quantization factor output portion that outputs a quantization factor as a numerical value indicative of fineness of quantization, a correction value computation portion that computes a correction value that is determined uniquely according to a position of a block of image data, a quantizer that quantizes the data having been subjected to DCT, based on a value obtained by multiplying the correction value by the quantization factor, and an encoder that encodes the quantized data and outputs compressed data. This configuration makes it possible to provide an image compression/decompression unit that is capable of varying a compression ratio in a frame, without encoding compression parameters of each block.
US08155463B2
Auxiliary information (150) representing binary or multi-level (M≧2) logical values is embedded into successive segments (110) of an audio, video or other data signal in response to a user request to download the data signal via an on-line distributor (350) on a computer network such as the Internet. To avoid unnecessary delays in providing the data signal to the user, the data signal is pre-processed to provide two sets or copies of data (230, 235). One set (230) of the data contains segments with an embedded binary “0”, while the other set (235) contains corresponding segments with an embedded binary “1”. Successive segments are selected from one of the two sets to provide a time-multiplexed composite data signal (230) that has the desired content, but with an embedded binary data sequence that identifies the user.
US08155460B2
The present invention is directed to an image information encoding apparatus, used in receiving compressed image information through network media when processing of such compressed image information is performed on storage media. A picture sorting buffer delivers information of picture type of frame Picture_type to a picture type discrimination unit. The picture type discrimination unit transmits command to a motion prediction/compensation unit on the basis of that information. The motion prediction/compensation unit generates predictive picture by using filter coefficients having the number of taps lesser than that of P picture with respect to B picture for which operation quantity and the number of memory accesses are required to more degree as compared to P picture on the basis of that command.
US08155456B2
A method and apparatus for the block-based compression of light-field images. Light-field images may be preprocessed by a preprocessing module into a format that is compatible with the blocking scheme of a block-based compression technique, for example JPEG. The compression technique is then used to compress the preprocessed light-field images. The light-field preprocessing module reshapes the angular data in a captured light-field image into shapes compatible with the blocking scheme of the compression technique so that blocking artifacts of block-based compression are not introduced in the final compressed image. Embodiments may produce compressed 2D images for which no specific light-field image viewer is needed to preview the full light-field image. Full light-field information is contained in one compressed 2D image.
US08155454B2
Devices and methods for processing multimedia data to generate enhanced quality multimedia data at the receiver based on encoder assisted post-processing. In one aspect, processing multimedia data includes identifying an indicator of a post-processing technique, encoding first multimedia data to form first encoded data, processing the first encoded data to form second multimedia data, the processing comprising decoding the first encoded data and applying the post-processing technique identified by the indicator, comparing the second multimedia data to the first multimedia data to determine difference information indicative of differences between the second multimedia data and the first multimedia data, and generating second encoded data based on the difference information.
US08155453B2
A system and method for displaying groups of cluster spines is provided. Groups of cluster spines are obtained. Each group includes one or more spines with one or more clusters each associated with at least one concept. Group concept score vectors are generated for each of the spine groups by aggregating the concepts for that spine group. The group concept score vectors for the spine groups are compared and those spine groups that are unique are identified. The unique spine groups are placed into a display by arranging the unique spine groups at equal distance angles around a center ring provided in the display.
US08155449B2
A method for comparing a first drawing and a second drawing generated by a shape-based computer system includes: (a) In no particular order: (1) identifying shapes present in the first drawing; and (2) identifying shapes present in the second drawing. (b) In no particular order: (1) identifying deleted shapes; the deleted shapes being present in the first drawing and not present in the second drawing; and (2) identifying new shapes; the new shapes being present in the second drawing and not present in the first drawing. (c) In no particular order: (1) indicating the deleted shapes in the first drawing; and (2) indicating the new shapes in the second drawing.
US08155444B2
Converting text may be provided. A user selectable element may be used to select a text. The selected text may include a first text within an electronic document and a second text within an image. The second text within the image may be converted to character information by receiving the image. The image may have image character information and an image type. An aspect of the received image may be adjusted based on the image type. Optical character recognition may be performed on the adjusted image to extract character information. The character information may include characters and corresponding location information for the characters. The extracted character information may be evaluated to improve the recognition quality of the extracted character information as compared to the image character information.
US08155442B2
A method and corresponding computing device and computer readable storage media containing instructions for modifying the histogram of a grayscale image to improve contrast by extracting black connected components from the grayscale image that touch at least one of the margins of the grayscale image, computing the histogram of the portion of the grayscale image covered by the extracted black connected components, and updating the histogram of the grayscale image by subtracting the histogram of the portion of the binary image covered by the extracted black connected components from the histogram of the grayscale image or by subtracting a function of number of pixels of the portion of the binary image covered by the extracted black connected components from the histogram of the grayscale image. The function may be a property of a document containing the grayscale image, such as the size of the document. In this case, pixels outside of the document boundaries are removed from the histogram during the updating of the histogram.
US08155434B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for image enhancement. Some embodiments comprise color detection, color mapping and differential processing based on color characteristics. Some embodiments comprise tonescale processing. Some embodiments comprise application of dither pattern noise to an image to reduce contouring artifacts.
US08155429B2
For generating a two-dimensional representation of an object portion arbitrarily arranged within an object, a first image comprising the object, and subsequently a second image comprising the object are generated by means of an imaging device while the object and the imaging device are moving relative to each other. By means of a signal processor, information about a position and a shape of the object portion of interest within the object and its relative motion is received so as to combine, on the basis of the information received, image portions, within the first and second images, which are associated with the object portion of interest.
US08155426B2
The invention relates to a method for optical inspection of the hirsuteness of a surface. The method comprises directing a light beam (B) to the surface (2) of a wooden piece (1) under study in a direction (D), which deviates from the normal to the surface. The surface is imaged with a camera (8) having an image plane (9) formed by several optoelectronic light-sensitive pixels by imaging at predetermined intervals the surface of the wooden piece moving relative to the camera, each image being in the form of electronic image data. The image data of two consecutive electronic images are subtracted from each other, yielding a set of pixel-related difference data describing the wooden surface under study, and the difference data are used for stating varitions in the surface roughness of the surface under study.
US08155424B2
A coin detecting apparatus has: a light source for emitting a light beam onto either of two surfaces of a coin; a half mirror for splitting the light beam reflected on the surface of the coin into a transmitted light beam and a reflected light beam; a full area sensor for obtaining a full image of the surface of the coin in accordance with one of the transmitted light beam and the reflected light beam; and a regional area sensor for obtaining a partial image of the surface of the coin in accordance with the other one of the transmitted light beam and the reflected light beam. By doing this, it is possible to provide a coin detecting apparatus capable of improving accuracy in coin detection and shortening time therein.
US08155422B2
It is described a method for dynamically optimizing the signal-to-noise ratio of attenuation data related to two different X-ray energies for reconstructing an image of an object under examination. The method comprises (a) estimating the thickness and the material composition of the object at a plurality of different projection angles, (b) for each of the various projection angles calculating for a variety of combinations of different first and second X-ray energies a corresponding common signal-to-noise ratio, (c) for each of the various projection angles choosing the first and the second X-ray energy causing the maximum corresponding common signal-to-noise ratio, and (d) for each of the various projection angles acquiring X-ray attenuation data of the object whereby the two X-ray energies are the X-ray energies causing a maximum signal-to-noise ratio assigned to the respective projection angle.
US08155414B2
Devices, systems and methods of in-vivo varix detection. For example, a system may include a processor to automatically detect a varix in an in-vivo image. The processor may automatically identify a protrusion into a lumen of a gastro-intestinal tract. The processor may automatically identify substantially blue areas of the protrusion. The processor may generate an indication to a user that a varix was detected in an in-vivo image.
US08155403B2
Devices, such as computer readable media, and methods, such as automated methods, for labeling and/or matching. Some of the devices and methods are particularly useful for anatomical labeling of human airway trees. Some of the devices and methods are particularly useful for matching branch-points of human airway trees from represented in two or more graphs.
US08155402B2
A compact and highly accurate downward irradiation type finger vein authentication device achieved by providing a structure that stabilizes the finger and also prevents adverse effects caused by the left and right fingers. The finger vein authentication device comprises a center finger stand for mounting the finger for authentication; a light source for irradiating infrared light onto the finger; an image capture unit for capturing an image of the finger veins by way of light from a light source; an aperture to open in the image capture direction of the image capture unit; a storage device to store the finger biological information; an authentication processor unit to extract the features from the image captured by the image capture unit and match the features with the biological information stored in the storage device; and a left and right finger stand for the fingers on the left and right of the finger for authentication. This left and right finger stand is installed at a position somewhat higher than the center finger stand. This left and right finger stand is also made from a light blocking member and a light source is installed in the lower section.
US08155392B1
The present invention is directed to a security system and method for child safety. Advantageously, the present invention includes displaying an image of a child, and for departure, the child recognizing the image of himself/herself, and being informed upon seeing his/her image that a person has arrived who is authorized to leave a setting such as a day care center, with the child. The invention is particularly useful in the case of young children unable to read, but capable of identifying their own images.
US08155390B2
Indicating a precise geographic extent and a precise geographic location of a dig area at a work site at which excavation is planned, to facilitate detection and/or marking of a presence or an absence of an underground facility in the dig area. A graphical user interface includes an aerial image of a geographic area proximate to and including the work site and the dig area, and a drawing tool to facilitate placement of one or more dig area indicators on the aerial image. A user uses the drawing tool to delimit the precise geographic extent and the precise geographic location of the dig area(s) on the displayed aerial image so as to form the dig area indicator(s), representing unbuffered dig areas, and thereby generate a marked-up aerial image. Geographic coordinates are determined corresponding to the unbuffered dig area(s) represented by the dig area indicator(s). A locate request ticket is generated that includes the marked-up aerial image itself, the geographic coordinates corresponding to the unbuffered dig area(s), and/or a link to a webpage at which the marked-up aerial image may be viewed and/or the geographic coordinates may be accessed.
US08155387B2
A method and system of position determination using image deformation is provided. One implementation involves receiving an image of a visual tag, the image captured by an image capturing device, wherein the visual tag has a predefined position associated therewith; based on the image determining a distance of the image capturing device from the visual tag, and determining an angular position of the image capturing device relative to the visual tag; and determining position of the image capturing device based on said distance and said angular position.
US08155382B2
The invention described herein is generally directed to methods for analyzing an image. In particular, crowded field images may be analyzed for unidentified, unobserved objects based on an iterative analysis of modified images including artificial objects or removed real objects. The results can provide an estimate of the completeness of analysis of the image, an estimate of the number of objects that are unobserved in the image, and an assessment of the quality of other similar images.
US08155380B2
A method and apparatus for recognizing obstacles in an environment about a motorized vehicle moving along a roadway is presented. The apparatus includes an optical sensor and a data processing device. A method using the apparatus includes taking images with the optical sensor which contains at least a first and a second image. The first and the second image are each transformed above and below a plane as viewed by the optical sensor to further determine upper and lower difference images by the data processing device. The data processing device further determines whether an obstacle is located in the travel path of the vehicle by evaluation of the lower and upper difference images.
US08155369B2
An ear hook microphone comprises an ear hook, a cable pole, a cable pole receiving device and a cable pole adjusting device. The ear hook comprises an injection position. The cable pole receiving device is fixed in the injection position and comprises an underlying flange. The cable pole adjusting device is fixed in the cable pole receiving device, which includes a fixed block, a pressing block, a button and a plurality of flexible members. The fixed block includes a base plate. A button hole is formed in the middle of the base plate. Two side plates upwardly extend from the two opposite ends of the base plate respectively. Each of the two side plates opens a through hole at the cable pole. The pressing block is placed between the two side plates. The top end of the button inserts through the button hole then connects with the pressing block. The button comprises a bar. The top end of the bar has a perforated hole. An upborne flange protrudes from the lower portion of the bar. The upborne flange shall be placed on the underlying flange. The plurality of flexible members are fixed to press the cable pole tightly. The cable pole is inserted into the two through holes and the perforated hole.
US08155368B2
A shoulder/neck supporting electronic appliance includes a wireless head set wherein the head set includes a supporting unit adapted for wearing on a user's collar from behind, a wireless audio device comprising a wireless transceiver supported by the supporting unit for receiving an audio signal, and a power source electrically coupled with the wireless transceiver; and a headphone member provided at the supporting unit in vicinity of the user's ear, such that an overall weight of the wireless head set is adapted for being supported and distributed on the collar of the user to minimize stress on the user's head when the user's wears the wireless head set.
US08155367B2
A hand-held, portable electronic device is provided with a retainer port for removably coupling an attachable wireless audiophone thereto. By removably coupling the attachable wireless audiophone, the retainer port may detachably retain the attachable wireless audiophone on the hand-held, portable electronic device. The hand-held, portable electronic device may include a first transceiver adapted to communicate with a second transceiver of the attachable wireless audiophone over a wireless communication link. As one example, a cell phone may removably receive a portion of a wireless headset in a retainer port on the cell phone housing for holding and/or in situ charging the wireless headset, such as Bluetooth wireless headset. Both the cell phone and the wireless headset may include a battery, respectively. A shared or common charger may charge the battery of the cell phone and the battery of the wireless headset in situ.
US08155361B2
The invention provides a device and method for inserting a deep-in-the-ear-canal (DIC) hearing aid into the ear canal. The method may be performed by a DIC hearing aid user self-inserting the hearing aid or by a second person assisting the user. Embodiments of a DIC hearing aid insertion device include a base configured to fit into the conchal cavity of an ear, a chimney configured to fit into the ear canal projecting distally from the base and having a channel sized for a DIC hearing aid, and a piston. The piston is supported by a support structure such that the piston's longitudinal axis is collinear with the channel and the piston is moveable into the channel. A method of using the insertion device includes seating the DIC hearing aid in the insertion device, positioning the base of the insertion conformably within the conchal bowl of the ear, and inserting the hearing aid deep into the ear canal. Other embodiments of the invention are directed to in situ activation and programming of the DIC hearing aid, as well as its removal from the ear canal.
US08155350B2
An amplifier controller for controlling a plurality of amplifiers connected therewith is provided. Each of said amplifiers is provided with one or more audio output channels. The amplifier controller operates in two modes of solo mode and normal mode. When the solo mode is initiated, the amplifier controller instructs all of the amplifiers to turn off output of all audio output channels provided in the amplifiers, and only in the solo mode, according to selection of an output channel for which solo output is to be performed, the amplifier controller instructs the amplifier provided with the selected channel to turn on output of the channel, and instructs each of the amplifiers provided with an audio output channel other than the selected channel to turn off output of the audio output channel.
US08155348B2
A post phase-inverter master volume regulator for use in combination with a tube-type musical amplifier having a phase-inverter tube. The signals at both sides of the phase-inverter tube's DC voltage plate are extracted from the amplifier for processing by the master volume regulator. In one embodiment, such signals are extracted by inserting a male/female tube base between the amplifier's phase-inverter tube and its socket. The two voltage plate signals are then transmitted through a multiconductor umbilical to an exterior enclosure. Each signal is connected to ground through its respective user adjustable rheostat, permitting the user to simultaneously change the inverter-tube's two voltage signals (and vary the amplifier's volume). The regulator may also include circuitry adapted to provide a bass-boost, and/or a high frequency cutoff. Sometimes, first and second volume controls may be provided to permit a user to quickly change between two volume settings. In another embodiment, a dual-ganged pot, for controlling the volume, would be mounted directly in the tube base, thereby eliminating the need for an umbilical and an exterior enclosure.
US08155343B2
Microphones are provided at an air inlet of the engine and a vehicle-cabin-side wall surface of an engine room, and engine sounds are picked up. The engine sound is processed by a signal processing section, and the processed engine sound is output from a speaker provided in a vehicle cabin. The signal processing section is provided with a filter which simulates a sound insulation characteristic of the vehicle cabin and a transformation section for processing the engine sound according to driving condition. A spectrum transformation characteristic of the transformation section is determined according to values detected by a vehicle speed sensor, an engine speed sensor, and an accelerator depression sensor, and a spectrum of the engine sound is transformed by means of specification of the spectrum transformation characteristic, thereby enhancing an engine sound.
US08155342B2
An multimedia device integration system is provided. One or more after-market audio or video devices, such as a CD player, CD changer, digital media device (e.g., MP3 player, MP4 player, WMV player, Apple iPod, portable media center, or other device) satellite receiver (e.g., XM or Sirius receiver), DAB receiver, video device (e.g., DVD player), cellular telephone, or any other device or combinations thereof, is integrated for use with an existing OEM or after-market car stereo or video system, wherein control commands can be issued at the car stereo or video system and data from the after-market device can be displayed on the car stereo or video system. Control commands generated at the car stereo or video system are received, processed, converted into a format recognizable by the after-market device, and dispatched to the after-market device for execution. Information from the after-market device is converted into a format recognizable by the car stereo or video system, and dispatched to the car stereo or video system for display thereon. One or more auxiliary input sources can be integrated with the car stereo or video system, and selected using the controls of the car stereo or video system. A docking station is provided for docking a portable audio or video device for integration with the car stereo or video system. Wireless integration between the portable audio or video device and a car stereo or video system is provided, and voice recognition and speech synthesis capabilities are provided in the portable audio or video device or the car stereo or video system.
US08155338B2
An earplug is described for insertion in an auditory duct. The earplug includes a loudspeaker for connection to a playback device. When inserted in a user's ear, the loudspeaker is in acoustic communication with the ear's canal. A transmitter is provided that transmits ambient sound to the ear canal with an adjustable damping level. A regulating unit regulates a damping level depending on detection of control signals to the loudspeaker. When the user does not listen to, for instance, music of the playback device, the user can simply observe ambient sounds without removing the earplug from the ear.
US08155334B2
An ANR circuit, possibly of a personal ANR device, reduces the degree of feedforward-based ANR that it provides in response to receiving an indication of the operation of a manually-operable control. The reduction of degree of feedforward-based ANR may be effected by turning off or otherwise deactivating the provision of feedforward-based ANR, reducing a range of frequencies of environmental noise sounds attenuated by the feedforward-based ANR to provide less attenuation of sounds detected by a feedforward microphone that are in a range of frequencies deemed to be those of human speech, and/or creating a notch in the range of frequencies of environmental noise sounds attenuated by the feedforward-based ANR to provide less attenuation of sounds detected by the feedforward microphone that are in a range of frequencies deemed to be those of human speech.
US08155326B2
System, method, and apparatus for using the sound signature of a device to determine its operability
A system for monitoring the operation of one or more devices is provided. The system includes a microphone acoustically coupled to one the monitored device. An analog-to-digital-converter samples the microphone and a processor examines the resultant digital signal for the occurrence of an abnormal event.
US08155323B2
A method for improving the spatial perception of multiple sound channels when reproduced by two loudspeakers, generally front-located with respect to listeners, each channel representing a direction, applies some of the channels, such as sound channels representing directions other than front directions, to the loudspeakers with headphone and crosstalk cancelling processing, and applies the other ones of the sound channels, such as sound channels representing front directions to the loudspeakers without headphone and crosstalk cancelling processing. The headphone processing includes applying directional HRTFs to channels applied to the loudspeakers with headphone and crosstalk cancelling processing and may also include adding simulated reflections and/or artificial ambience to channels applied to the loudspeakers with headphone and crosstalk cancelling processing.
US08155322B2
A robust computational secret sharing scheme that provides for the efficient distribution and subsequent recovery of a private data is disclosed. A cryptographic key may be randomly generated and then shared using a secret sharing algorithm to generate a collection of key shares. The private data may be encrypted using the key, resulting in a ciphertext. The ciphertext may then be broken into ciphertext fragments using an Information Dispersal Algorithm. Each key share and a corresponding ciphertext fragment are provided as input to a committal method of a probabilistic commitment scheme, resulting in a committal value and a decommittal value. The share for the robust computational secret sharing scheme may be obtained by combining the key share, the ciphertext fragment, the decommittal value, and the vector of committal values.
US08155317B2
An encryption processing circuit includes: a decoder configured to convert a binary input data used for predetermined encryption computing into a first plurality of bit data of a constant hamming weight independently of a hamming weight of the input data; a wiring network configured to receive the first plurality of bit data converted by the decoder, the wiring network further configured, for the purpose of the predetermined encryption computing, to change a bit pattern of the received first plurality of bit data by replacing bit positions of the first plurality of bit data, and to generate a second plurality of bit data; and an encoder configured to convert the second plurality of bit data generated in the wiring network into a binary output data.
US08155316B1
A method of displaying an image includes generating a contract in the display engine, transferring the contract to the memory controller before the end of a sweep, generating a contract amendment in response to changes in the display engine, transferring the contract amendment to the memory controller, making a decision whether the contract amendment can be processed, fetching data from the memory controller according to the contract incorporating the contract amendment if the decision is that the contract amendment can be processed, sending the fetched data to the display engine in an isochronous stream; and processing the fetched data using the display engine.
US08155310B2
Key derivation algorithms are disclosed. In one key derivation application, a segment of the master key is hashed. Two numbers of derived from another segment of the master key. A universal hash function, using the two numbers, is applied to the result of the hash, from which bits are selected as the derived key. In another embodiment, an encoded counter is combined with segments of the master key. The result is then hashed, from which bits are selected as the derived key.
US08155309B2
An apparatus and method is provided for protecting data in a non-volatile memory by using an encryption and decryption that encrypts and decrypts the address and the data stored in the non-volatile memory using a code read only memory that stores encryption and decryption keys that are addressed by a related central processing unit at the same time data is being written or read from the non-volatile memory by the central processing unit.
US08155306B2
Encrypting data in a cascaded block cipher system may be accomplished by applying a first encryption algorithm using a secret shared between first and second parties as a key to generate a secret inner key; applying a second encryption algorithm for a predetermined number of rounds using the secret inner key to generate a plurality of blocks of ciphertext data from a plurality of blocks of plaintext data; and repeating the applying the first encryption algorithm and the applying the second encryption algorithm steps.
US08155305B2
An easy to use electronic device is provided. The electronic device functions as a telephone and has a display portion, an audio input portion, an audio output portion, and operation keys. The display portion has a passive element, and the operation keys have LEDs. The direction of an image displayed by the LEDs is switchable.
US08155303B2
A system and a method for canceling an echo is disclosed. In accordance with the system and the method, a plurality of independently and variably delayed adaptive algorithm blocks are selectively applied to a delayed feedback signal to generate a plurality of echo components in parallel, thereby canceling the echo component from an input signal.
US08155292B2
According to one embodiment, a telephone system includes a plurality of telephone exchange apparatuses generate call information events specifying a plurality of telephone terminals to which call connections are made, a server apparatus which is connected to the plurality of telephone exchange apparatuses through the transmission paths, and a management unit executes call-state management of the plurality of telephone terminals, wherein each of the plurality of telephone exchange apparatuses include a determining unit which determines presence or absence of disconnections of call connections among the plurality of telephone exchange apparatuses and a transmitter which adds identification information to the call information event to be transmitted to the server apparatus, and the server apparatus includes a controller which controls execution and stop of the call-state management by the management unit based on the identification information, when the identification information is added to the received call information event.
US08155281B2
The subject mater herein relates to voice mail systems and, more particularly, cross-media voice mail notification and delivery. Various embodiments described herein provide systems, methods, software, and data structures that operate to, or facilitate, dispatching of voice mail notification messages to voice mailbox owners. In some embodiments, the notifications are sent to the voice mailbox owners in a text format, such as a short message service text message, email, or other text based service. These and other embodiments are described herein.
US08155280B1
Embodiments of the invention provide a system for generating an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) database, the system comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory comprising a list of telephone numbers associated with one or more destinations implementing IVR menus, wherein the one or more destinations are grouped based on a plurality of categories of the IVR menus. Further the memory includes instructions executable by said processor for automatically communicating with the one of more destinations, and receiving at least one customization record from said at least one destination to store in the IVR database.
US08155276B2
An IVR session brokering service provides as one core mechanism, a pool of intelligent software agents residing on a cluster-able software services platform. These agents could be designed to act as stateful and customized interaction brokers for interacting automatically and semi-automatically with existing IVR systems. Customers and users would use this brokering service as an IVR normalization and aggregation mechanism for centralizing and personalizing their user experience with a full range of IVR systems that are of interest to them. The service could consume, operate on and transform voice and touchtone communication information that is transmitted between IVR systems and the end-user customers that are currently using those IVR systems.
US08155268B2
A method is provided for screening lead concentration compliance of objects, particularly consumer products such as toys, using x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. The measured intensity ratio of the characteristic Lα and Lβ x-rays of lead provides an indication of whether the lead is located primarily in a coating (e.g., paint) layer on the object, or in a thin or thick bulk material. If the intensity ratio indicates that the lead is located in a coating layer or distributed in a thin bulk material, an areal density of lead is determined from at least one of the characteristic x-ray intensities, and the measured areal density is compared to specified lower and upper limits to determine whether the object is unambiguously compliant, unambiguously non-compliant, or indeterminate.
US08155263B2
The present invention discloses a computed tomography imager comprising: an x-ray source disposed in a gantry; a detector assembly for receiving an x-ray emission from an x-ray source, the x-ray source and the detector assembly rotatable about an imaging target; an imager control system for selectively modulating a kVp operating value in the x-ray source during a scan slice in accordance with an x-ray modulation software program; and a computer for receiving data from the detector assembly, and for providing control signals to the imager control system by executing the x-ray modulation software program for at least a portion of the total possible rotational scanning range of the x-ray source.
US08155248B2
An equalizing structure and method for a wireless communication system receiving device, in which two or more transmit signals transmitted in parallel from one or more transmitters are received in received signal vectors representing two or more received data streams, the signals including information modulated onto carrier signals according to a modulation scheme, all possible transmit signals being represented by candidate constellation values in the signal constellation of the modulation scheme. A processor calculates an estimate for a constellation value of a received signal and determines a number of candidate constellation values in the vicinity of the estimated constellation value in the signal constellation. A metric value calculator calculates metric values based on the received signal vectors and the product of channel estimation values with candidate signal vectors, each candidate signal vector including a candidate constellation value for each of the two or more transmit signals, wherein the metric values are calculated for each constellation value of the number of candidate constellation values and the estimated constellation value. A maximum likelihood detector detects one of the candidate signal vectors having a minimum Euclidean distance to a respective receive signal vector as a most likely transmit signal vector based on the metric values.
US08155243B2
Method for the detection of symbols by a receiver, each symbol (S0, S1) being transmitted from a transmitter in the form of a succession of pulses (3a, 3b, . . . , 3n; 4a, 4b, . . . , 4n) representing a predetermined sequence of numerical values, the numerical values having respective nominal weights within each predetermined sequence. According to this method, a succession of pulses corresponding substantially to a symbol (S0, S1) transmitted from the transmitter is received at the receiver. A sequence of numerical values (Sr) corresponding to the said received succession of pulses is determined, the said numerical values having respective weights within the determined sequence. The received symbol is chosen as a function of the determined sequence of numerical values, the choice comprising a weighting of the numerical values of the determined sequence, chosen to re-establish the respective nominal weights of the said numerical values.
US08155242B2
A frequency shift keying digital signal receiving apparatus includes a detecting portion detecting a new signal on the basis of a signal, from which a correlated ambient noise is filtered out by an adaptive filter, a holding portion holding a first electric power for the signal received before a new signal is detected, a calculating portion calculating a second electric power for the signal received after the new signal is detected, a comparing portion comparing levels of the first and second electric powers, a selector selecting the signal, from which the correlated ambient noise is filtered out, when the first electric power is higher than the second electric power and selecting the signal bypassing the adaptive filter when the first electric power is lower than the second electric power, and a demodulating portion demodulating a desired signal on the basis of the signal selected by the selecting portion.
US08155237B2
A multi-carrier transmitter and methods thereof are provided. For example, a multi-carrier transmitter comprises a processor operable to receive a plurality of baseband signals. Each of the plurality of baseband signals correspond to a separate data communication. A modulator is in communication with the processor. A non-linear device is in communication with the modulator. The processor is further operable to combine the plurality of baseband signals to generate a composite baseband signal. The modulator is operable to modulate a carrier signal with the composite baseband signal to generate a multi-carrier signal. The multi-carrier signal is provided to an input of the non-linear device.
US08155233B1
A method of decoding a signal transmitted via a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication channel includes obtaining a first set of parameters associated with a first plurality of transmitters transmitting a plurality of intended streams, obtaining a second set of parameters associated with an interference source, receiving a plurality of streams including the plurality of intended streams; and decoding the plurality of intended streams using the first set of parameters and the second set of parameters.
US08155226B2
A training sequence helps optimize SNR degradation in a wireless communication. Various sets of training sequences may be stored in a repository, and transmitters and receivers encoded with such sequences transmit at least one of the sequences between them as part of the wireless transmission of data.
US08155217B2
Systems and methods for providing multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) detection, comprising a leaf node predictor for receiving a processed communications stream, computing at least one channel metric corresponding to the communications stream for a given channel realization by optimizing a predetermined probability, and analytically generating at least one parameter to output, which at least one parameter corresponds to at least one predicted best leaf node candidate for the given channel realization. The leaf-node predictor may generate, in real-time and without using a look-up table, at least one parameter directly from a given channel metric. Some embodiments analytically generate at least one parameter value for use by a MIMO detector corresponding to a channel metric and store the generated at least one parameter value and corresponding channel metric in a look-up table.
US08155216B2
A receiving circuit which receives information using a multi-carrier signal comprises a phase rotation amount calculator which calculates a first and a second phase rotation amount of a multi-carrier signal included in a first and a second frequency band according to a pilot-sub carrier included in the first and the second frequency band, a phase storage which stores the first and second phase rotation amount and a phase rotation amount determination unit which calculates a correction amount based on the first phase rotation amount stored in the phase storage and an input multi-carrier signal when the input multi carrier signal is included in the first frequency band, and calculates a correction amount based on the second phase rotation amount stored in the phase storage and an input multi-carrier signal when the input multi-carrier signal is included in the second frequency band.
US08155213B2
A method of temporal error concealment for generating the image data of the missing macro-blocks in the current frame by using the previous frame and the correct data of the current frame is disclosed. The method includes the steps: first using Optimal Regression Plane to estimate the space motion vectors for each block in the missing macro-blocks; selecting appropriate motion vectors from the estimated space motion vectors and the correct temporal motion vectors in the previous frame as the candidate motion vectors; dividing the missing macro-block into sub-blocks with optimal size; fine tuning the candidate motion vectors as the predicted motion vectors; and using the predicted motion vectors to generate the predicted image data for the missing macro-block and further concealing the effect of the missing macro-blocks upon the image quality of the current frame. The method reduces the computation time, speeds up the process, and improves the image quality.
US08155205B2
A method provides for dynamic changes in a software video player. The method includes learning of a dynamic change from an input pin of a decoder filter, recording states of the decoder filter and a renderer filter, stopping the decoder and the renderer filters without changing a state of a source filter, and setting parameters for an output pin of the decoder filter. The parameters include setting a decoding mode. If the decoder filter output pin and a renderer filter input pin remain connected, a ReconnectEX function is used to set a new media type at the decoder filter output pin. Otherwise the method calls a Connect function to connect the pins and set the new media type. The method further includes changing to a decoder core in the decoder filter appropriate for the dynamic change and restoring the decoder and the renderer filters back to their original states.
US08155204B2
The image decoding apparatus and the image decoding method according to one aspect of the present invention have a configuration for storing an image decoded in the past as a reference picture into a frame memory, in a field structure in which top lines in the reference picture are stored in a top area and bottom lines in the reference picture are stored in a bottom area, in order to use a part of the image decoded in the past as a reference block in a picture being presently decoded; and selectively copying and storing an uppermost top line or an uppermost bottom line in the reference picture to areas on the uppermost top line and the uppermost bottom line in the reference picture in the top area and the bottom area in the frame memory, and selectively copying and storing a lowermost top line or a lowermost bottom line in the reference picture to areas under the lowermost top line and the lowermost bottom line in the reference picture in the top area and the bottom area in the frame memory.
US08155203B2
An input data stream coded using a first coding method and containing at least one coded digitized image is converted into an output data stream that is coded using a second coding method. The input data stream has first intra-blocks, each of which is coded in a first prediction mode of a plurality of first intra-prediction modes, and the output data stream has second intra-blocks, each of which is coded in a second prediction mode of a plurality of second intra-protection modes. The second prediction modes of one or more second intra-blocks are determined with the aid of the first prediction modes for one or more first intra-blocks and the second intra-blocks are coded using the second prediction modes that are thus determined. In particular, prediction errors that are assigned to the first intra-blocks are taken into consideration for the determination of the second prediction modes.
US08155188B2
A moving picture coding method for coding a picture with switching between frame coding and field coding adaptively on a block-by-block basis includes: determining the maximum number of reference indices for field coding for specifying fields which are to be referred to at the time of field coding, using the maximum number of reference indices for frame coding for specifying frames which are to be referred to at the time of frame coding; and assigning to fields the reference indices for field coding for specifying fields which are to be referred to at the time of field coding, within a range of the determined maximum number thereof, using the reference indices for frame coding for specifying frames which are to be referred to at the time of frame coding.
US08155182B2
Digital multimedia includes intraframe information and interframe information. In addition to sending separate complete intraframes that are referenced by interframes, some interframes (“hybrid” frames) contain partial intraframe information, so that if a complete intraframe is lost, referencing interframes can obtain at least some intraframe information from the hybrid frames.
US08155172B2
Provided is a matched filter whose circuit scale can be made significantly smaller by reducing the number of multipliers for a despreading process and the number of adders for an accumulating process. For each in-phase/orthogonal component, the matched filter includes a dual-port RAM that separates written samples into 128 groups each of 32 samples which are collectively read out group by group in order at a speed faster than a write speed in write mode, a bit separating section that separates data read group by group into 32 samples and simultaneously outputs the 32 samples, and 32 despreading/accumulating circuits that, with 16 samples sequentially input from 16 groups being taken as one block, sequentially despread individual samples, accumulate despreading results, and output accumulated values for each block. The matched filter further includes an accumulating section that accumulates absolute values for each block from in-phase/orthogonal outputs of the despreading/accumulating circuits, and outputs correlation value data.
US08155170B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for modulating a communication signal in a code division multiple access (CDMA) environment using orthogonal N by N Hadamard spread spectrum codes Orthogonal spreading codes are used that have lengths that are not a power-of 2 to provide additional channel variability for various multimedia applications and increase the flexibility of the number of channels/bandwidth relationship. The Hadamard codes are multiples of 4 (4n) and demonstrate a good cross-correlation property, making them very useful in the flexible design of code division multiple access (CDMA) systems. A transmitter encodes each of N data streams (N not being a power of 2), to be transmitted using a 4n codeword, Ni. The received signal is passed through a filter matched to the characteristics of the appropriate codeword, Ni, and PN spreading sequence.
US08155164B2
The objective of this invention is to provide a circuit that generates a spread frequency spectrum waveform with shaped frequency spectrum distribution. The waveform generator has a spread spectrum waveform generating circuit that generates a waveform with a spread spectrum and frequency spectrum distribution shaping circuit that shapes the frequency spectrum distribution of the spread spectrum waveform. In one embodiment, distribution shaping circuit can perform shaping such that the spread spectrum waveform has a frequency spectrum distribution having a spectrum reducing part in at least one band. Also, in one embodiment, the frequency of the spread spectrum waveform can vary periodically or nonperiodically.
US08155159B2
A method is provided to calibrate a monitor photodiode that measures the optical output power generated by an optoelectronic transceiver module that includes a burst mode laser diode. The method includes disabling the power control loop that controls an average optical output power generated by the laser diode during a laser burst. A series of logic zero signals is applied to a data input of the transceiver module and the logic zero level of the optical signal generated by the burst mode laser diode while applying the series of logic zero signals is measured. The logic zero bias level applied to the laser diode is adjusted until the measured logic zero level of the optical signal reaches a first desired value. While maintaining the optical signal at the first desired value, a first value of a current generated by the monitor photodiode in response to optical energy received from a back facet of the laser diode is stored. The first value of the current represents the calibrated value of the monitor current that will be measured when the laser generates a proper logic zero optical signal.
US08155152B2
In one embodiment, the method includes receiving audio frame data having at least first and second channel data. The first and second channel data include a plurality of blocks, where the blocks are classified by a block type. The first and second channel data are provided jointly if the first and second channel data are paired with each other. The embodiment further includes obtaining block information indicating the block type, and lossless decoding the first and second channel data based on the block information.
US08155148B2
The present invention provides telecommunications transport methods and systems for the transparent mapping/demapping of client data signals without the insertion/deletion of idle characters for client data signal rate adaptation. These methods and systems include mapping an incoming client data signal to and demapping an outgoing client data signal from a transport frame comprising: a first segment that is dedicated to client data; a second segment that is dedicated to fixed stuff, wherein the fixed stuff comprises, for example, network management information; a third segment that is dedicated to justification data for supporting a client data signal rate adaptation function; and a fourth segment that is dedicated to justification control information for indicating whether the third segment is used for client data or fixed stuff, wherein the justification control information is redundant for error protection purposes.
US08155139B2
Systems and methods for band hopping and power conservation in a wireless network are described. At least one embodiment is directed a method of hopping channels by a device within a wireless network. The method comprises hopping from a first channel to a target channel, resetting a virtual carrier sense after hopping to the target channel to enable service on the target channel, waiting for a pre-determined period of time, and setting a virtual carrier sense on the target channel after expiration of the pre-determined period of time and prior to hopping to a next target channel.
US08155135B2
A network interface device includes a bus interface that communicates over a bus with a host processor and memory, and a network interface that sends and receive data packets carrying data over a packet network. A protocol processor conveys the data between the network interface and the memory via the bus interface while performing protocol offload processing on the data packets in accordance with multiple different application flows. The bus interface queues the data for transmission over the bus in a plurality of queues that are respectively assigned to the different application flows, and transmits the data over the bus according to the queues.
US08155121B2
A system for using accelerometer-based detection of physical movement for document sharing provides easy and intuitive ways to securely share documents, even without passwords, between computing devices. The system of the present invention includes: at least two computing devices that each have a motion detection device capable of detecting sudden movements and generating a unique signature. The unique signature can then be used to generate signatures or shared secrets for controlling the transfer of data between devices. The motion detection device is capable of detecting sudden movement such as the tapping of the two computing devices together, tapping a stack of computing devices, tossing a computing device in the air. The system may optionally include an intermediary device such as a server for transferring the documents or files between computing devices such that only a small decryption key and file pointer is needed to share records between computing devices. The present invention also includes a novel method for accelerometer-based detection of movement for transferring data between computing devices.
US08155118B2
One embodiment disclosed relates to a method of mirroring network traffic. A data packet is received by a network device, and an algorithm including randomization is applied to determine whether the data packet is selected to be mirrored. The packet is sent to a destination port, and if the data packet is selected to be mirrored, then the packet is also sent to a mirror port. Another embodiment of the invention relates to a networking device. The networking device includes at least a plurality of ports, a switching/routing engine, and a mirroring engine. The plurality of ports receive and transmit packets therefrom, and the switching/routing engine is coupled to the ports for transferring the packets therebetween. The mirroring engine is configured to apply an algorithm including randomization to select data packets for mirroring. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US08155108B2
A method for submitting a TCP segment stream to a in-line content analysis comprises: receiving from a TCP emitter a first TCP data segments stream corresponding to a given TCP connection between the TCP emitter and a TCP receiver; extracting and re-assembling a first byte stream from the TCP segment stream; passing a second byte stream, which is derived from the first byte stream, to a content analyser (200) adapted to perform a content analysis on the second byte stream; relaying to the TCP receiver a second TCP data segment stream with a byte stream content totally consistent with the byte stream passed to the content analyser. In order to keep the device (100) that implements the method as stealthy as possible, the second TCP data segment stream has the same number of data segments as the first TCP data segment stream, all segments in the second TCP data segment stream being of same size and having the same header as corresponding segments in the first TCP data segment stream.
US08155106B2
A method of performing cell search includes receiving a primary synchronization signal (PSS) comprising a primary synchronization code (PSC) and receiving a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) comprising a first secondary synchronization code (SSC) and a second SSC, wherein the SSS includes a first SSS and a second SSS, the first SSC and the second SSC are arranged in that order in the first SSS, and the second SSC and the first SSC are arranged in that order in the second SSS. Detection performance on synchronization signals can be improved, and cell search can be performed more reliably.
US08155103B2
A method of conveying transport block size (TBS) information includes determining TBS parameters for a wireless transmission of data between a first node and a second node based on a first number of transmission layers associated with the wireless transmission. The method also includes generating a control message indicating the TBS parameters and transmitting the control message to the second node. The method also includes transmitting a transport block to the second node in accordance with the TBS parameters indicated by the control message. The transport block is transmitted over a first number of transmission layers. The method also includes retransmitting the transport block to the second node in accordance with the TBS parameters indicated by the control message. The transport block is retransmitted over a second number of transmission layers that differs from the first number of transmission layers.
US08155102B1
There are provided measures for channel access control. Such measures may exemplarily include obtaining a contention window assignment including at least an assignment of a size of a contention window for contention-based channel access, accessing at least one logical channel in a contention-based manner according to the contention window assignment, including allocating resources to the at least one logical channel for data transmission, and modifying the size of the contention window based on a result of the resource allocation in terms of an aggregated bit rate allocated for data transmission and an aggregate target bit rate requirement of prioritized bit rates of the at least one logical channel.
US08155093B2
A MANET may include a plurality of MANET nodes each including a wireless transceiver, a position determining device, and a controller cooperating with the wireless transceiver and position determining device for establishing a wireless communication link with an adjacent MANET node based upon a time division multiple access (TDMA) implementation. The TDMA implementation may use time slots without using a range dependent guard time therein. The controller may further determine a range to the adjacent MANET node, and schedule time slots to offset a link delay in a received signal from the adjacent MANET node based upon the determined range.
US08155088B2
A method for allocating resources in an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) network, where each cell in the network has a center region and an edge region. The cell center region uses a frequency band orthogonal to the frequency band used by the cell edge region. The frequency band is made up of resource blocks (RBs) or non-overlapping sets of subcarriers. Upon availability of cell-center RBs, cell-center user equipment (UEs) are assigned resource blocks. A fixed number of cell edge regions from a few adjacent cells form a cluster, and only the cell edge regions with the highest achievable throughput rate within each cluster gets to transmit in a given scheduling instance.
US08155085B2
A technology is disclosed in which, when a normal mobile node (that does not newly provide a dedicated function) is used, signaling for reconfiguring a tunnel during a mobile node movement is reduced and, furthermore, packet loss is reduced. In the technology, when an MN moves from under the control of an AR2 that is a movement origin to be under the control of an AR3 that is a movement destination, the AR3 receives an NS transmitted from the MN to the AR2. The AR3 that receives the NS destined to the AR2 transmits a “Location Update” to the AR2. The AR2 that receives the “Location Update” uses an MN management table of the relevant MN and creates “Prefix Information” and returns the “Prefix Information” to the AR3. A tunnel is established between access routers of the AR2 and AR3 through use of the “Prefix Information”, and a packet destined to the MN is transferred to the MN via the tunnel.
US08155076B2
Apparatus, methods, and machine-readable medium wherein a global session state for communications between an access terminal and a plurality of network functions in the access network is maintained, and a local session state for communications between the access terminal and one of the network functions in the access network is also maintained.
US08155070B2
A method for transmitting information of resources for use in transmission of ACK/NACK signals in a mobile communication system is disclosed. An example method for receiving ACK/NACK signals in a mobile communication system is also disclosed. When resources for transmission of data and resources for transmission of control information of the data are scheduled through virtual unit resources, the method identifies information of resources for receiving an ACK/NACK signal for transmission data mapped to information of at least one of a virtual unit resource allocated to the transmission data and a virtual unit resource allocated to control information of the transmission data, and receives the ACK/NACK signal for the transmission data through the information of resources for receiving the ACK/NACK signal.
US08155062B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting common control information by a base station in a wireless communication system are provided. The base station determines whether a first system and a second system different from the first system coexist in a wireless communication system. When the wireless communication system is a coexistence system, the base station indicates information for coexistence of the first system and the second system, position and size information of a resource allocation zone where common control information for the second system can be transmitted, and information necessary for decoding of the resource allocation zone, through a first information element in a downlink subframe where resources are occupied for the first system. The base station transmits the common control information of the second system in the resource allocation zone where the common control information can be transmitted.
US08155057B2
A wireless local network reconnecting system and method is provided. The method detects a connection-lost signal generated when a network node of the wireless local network group lost connection. A reconnecting coordinate is calculated according to the connection-lost signal and transmitted to the connection-lost network node through an external communication network. Afterwards, the method guides the connection-lost network node to move to the reconnecting coordinate and reconnect with the wireless local network group wirelessly. Since the external communication network is used to connect with the connection-lost network node, the connection-lost network node is able to reconnect with the wireless local network group through the proposed method.
US08155047B2
A communication station receives data from a transmission station, transmits a reception response representing the data reception condition, and determines, based on reception responses from other communication stations, whether communication station which has not normally received the data from the transmission station exists among the other communications. Upon normally receiving the data from the transmission station, and determining that the communication station which has not normally received the data from the transmission station exists, the communication station transfers, to the communication station which has not normally received the data, the data received from the transmission station. upon transferring, it is decided, based on a predetermined priority order, whether or not to perform the transfer to the communication station which has not normally received the data.
US08155046B2
An apparatus and method for interference cancellation and synchronization maintenance over interference channel estimation in a communication system are provided. An interference channel estimator fixes synchronization and estimates an interference signal. An interference signal controller eliminates the estimated interference signal from a received RF signal. A synchronization unit unfixes fixed synchronization and tracks synchronization when the interference signal cancellation is stable. A data buffer stores data from which the interference signal is canceled.
US08155039B2
Redistribution of multimedia signals or the like within a service area is performed by identifying one or more pieces of white space in the VHF/UHF spectrum, selecting a carrier frequency for each piece of white space spectrum, parsing the signal into a like number of components and modulating each component over a carrier frequency. The receiving device performs the reverse operation for reconstructing the signal.
US08155032B2
Adaptation is introduced into allocation of uplink and downlink subframes in wireless communication systems that support full-duplex and half-duplex mobile terminals, thus reducing interference between mobile terminals. In an exemplary method for allocating uplink and downlink timeslots in a wireless communication system supporting full-duplex and half-duplex mobile terminals, a base station determines that a mobile terminal is capable of only half-duplex operation and allocates one or more uplink subframes and one or more downlink subframes to the first mobile terminal, for each of a plurality of frames, so that none of the allocated uplink subframes overlaps in time with an allocated downlink subframe. The allocation of uplink subframes and downlink subframes is varied between consecutive ones in at least a first series of frames according to a pre-determined pattern. In some embodiments, the method further includes transmitting an allocation message to the first mobile terminal, designating the pre-determined pattern.
US08155027B2
According to an embodiment of the invention, a method of dynamically creating a network of a plurality of nodes operable to communicate with objects in operating sectors comprises establishing a first communication link between a first node and a second node of the plurality of nodes. The first communication link is established upon determining that the first communication link between the respective ones of the plurality of nodes would not cross an existing communication link in the network of the plurality of nodes between two of the plurality of nodes or upon determining that the first communication link would be shorter than any existing communication link in the network of the nodes between two of the plurality of nodes that the first communication link would cross. The first communication link has a first communicative line of sight between the first node and the second node.
US08155024B2
A system and method can manage network connectivity of a customer premises equipment (CPE) using a cable modem termination system (CMTS). The CMTS connects to the CPE via a cable modem, and connects to a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server via a network. The CMTS includes a connection unit that is operable to inform the CPE to request the DHCP server to get a new internet protocol (IP) address when the cable modem changes a radio frequency (RF) channel to different IP domains, and control the CPE to communicate with the CMTS according to the new IP address.
US08155023B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a method to efficiently enable Network MIMO for use in the downlink direction. An association is established between a primary NodeB in a first cell and a secondary NodeB in an adjacent second cell. A set of downlink transmission resources is reserved for use by both the primary NodeB and the secondary NodeB. A transport block is transmitted from the secondary NodeB simultaneously with the primary NodeB to a user equipment (UE) near the edge of the first cell in response to a schedule provided by the primary NodeB. A time instance of the reserved transmission resources is released by the secondary NodeB when no simultaneous transmission of a transport block is scheduled within a minimum time.
US08155017B2
A plurality of antennas transmit a first spread spectrum signal having an associated code. The first spread spectrum signal is received at the wireless user. For each received first spread spectrum signal, a second spread spectrum signal is transmitted having an associated code having a same phase as that received first spread spectrum signal. The second spread spectrum signals are received at the plurality of antennas. A distance measurement is determined between each antenna and the wireless user based on in part a received timing of the second signals. The wireless user's location is determined based on in part the distance determinations.
US08155002B2
An intermediate network element/device intercepts TCP packets/segments from a client and alters them before forwarding them to a server. This facilitates an increase in effective receive window size value over that which is contained in the segments. One aspect alters a TCP segment by replacing the receive window value with a value determined according to a formula and then forwards the segment on to the server. Another aspect alters a scaling factor in a SYN segment and forwards the altered SYN segment on to the server. The server stores the scaling factor to a memory connected thereto and multiplies the scale factor by receive window size values in subsequently received TCP segments. The server uses the product to determine how many segment-bytes to send to the client. The predetermined scaling factor and predetermined formula may both be stored on a memory at the intermediate element for processing thereby.
US08154995B2
A method of managing data transmission is provided and includes measuring a first number of payload bits communicated over a bearer during a first time period. The first number of measured payload bits is divided by a length of the first time period to yield a short term average bit rate for the first time period. Also, a bit rate margin is added to the short term average bit rate for to yield a total bearer bit rate for the first time period. Further, a bearer bit rate can be selectively provisioned based on the total bearer bit rate for the first time period. The bearer bit rate can be provisioned based on whether the bearer is a fixed bearer or an adaptive bearer.
US08154994B2
A header conversion device allowing reduced amount of hardware and memory and high-speed line switching is disclosed. In an ATM switching device having redundant incoming line systems, a header conversion table stores a set of header conversion information for one of the redundant incoming line systems. A header converter converts the header of an ATM cell received from each of the redundant incoming line systems by referring the same set of header conversion information.
US08154993B2
The present disclosure relates to a method for providing substitute routes in rapid response to the failure of a link between two routing domains in a packet-oriented network. After the failure of a link has been identified, substitute routes are provided for routes which have been interrupted by said failure by locally selecting alternative routes and propagating messages along the substitute routes. In order to provide substitute routes, an inter-domain router checks whether the router contains a substitute route. If there is no substitute route, a request message is transmitted to at least one adjacent inter-domain router and the transmission of at least one substitute route is thus requested. If there is a substitute route in the adjacent inter-domain router, the inter-domain router making the enquiries is informed of this in a response message. The present disclosure thus results in the improved provision of substitute routes in response to disruptions in inter-domain routing.
US08154992B2
A system for maintaining routing capabilities in a router having a failed control plane provides an active control plane in the router in communication with at least one external node, the active control plane running at least one routing process. A backup control plane may be interconnected with the active control plane, so that the active control plane may periodically transmit synchronization signals to the backup control plane. The backup control plane may update its state based on these synchronization signals. Moreover, the backup control plane may be programmed to take over the routing process of the active control plane if the active control plane fails.
US08154979B2
Disclosed is an objective lens used for an optical pickup apparatus to perform writing and/or reading of an optical information recording medium, comprising an antireflective film on a surface of a light source side, wherein a light flux of wavelengths including a wavelength λ1 of 380 nm≦λ1≦420 nm and a wavelength λ2 of 630 nm≦λ2≦810 nm, is condensed on the medium, a numerical aperture on the light source side with respect to the wavelength λ1 is within a range of 0.8-0.9, and that with respect to the wavelength λ2 is 0.7 or less, and a band of the antireflective film is within a range of 700 nm-800 nm in a state where a reflectance of a light flux perpendicularly entering a central portion of the surface in a wavelength region from 400 nm to 1200 nm is 3.0% or less.
US08154975B1
The present techniques provide methods and systems for controlling the recording of micro-holograms using multiple counter-propagating light beams over multiple data tracks of a holographic disk. Imperfections in a holographic disk or movement of the disk during a recording process may cause signal beams to deviate from target data tracks. In some embodiments, a tracking beam is directed to a reference layer in the disk. Deviation of the reference beam from a target groove in the reference layer may be indicative of tracking errors. A detector may detect reflections of the tracking beam and generate an error signal in response to detected tracking errors. Servo-mechanical devices may actuate (e.g., radially, tangentially, or axially translate, rotate, and/or tilt) one or more optical components through which the counter-propagating light beams are emitted to compensate for tracking errors.
US08154972B2
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data processing. As an example, a data processing circuit is discussed that includes a summation circuit, a data detector circuit, an error feedback circuit, and an error calculation circuit. The summation circuit subtracts a low frequency offset feedback from an input signal to yield a processing output. The data detector circuit applies a data detection algorithm to a derivative of the processing output and provides an ideal output. The error feedback circuit includes a conditional subtraction circuit that conditionally subtracts an interim low frequency offset correction signal from a delayed version of the derivative of the processing output to yield an interim factor. The error calculation circuit generates an interim low frequency offset correction signal based at least in part on the interim factor and a derivative of the ideal output. In such embodiments, the low frequency offset feedback is derived from the interim low frequency offset correction signal.
US08154966B2
An information reproducing apparatus (1) is provided with: an offset adding device (19-1, 19-2) for adding an offset value (OFS) which can be set to be variable, to a read signal (RRF) read from a recording medium (100); a correcting device (18) for correcting waveform distortion occurring in a read signal corresponding to a long mark, of the read signal to which the offset value is added; and a waveform equalizing device (18) for performing a waveform equalization process on the read signal in which the waveform distortion is corrected.
US08154963B2
The invention relates to a method of writing data to a disc (OD). The method comprised: a) performing a plurality of writing actions in which a plurality of data portions are written to the disc, b) performing a plurality of verification actions in which written data portions are at least partly verified and at least part of the data portions are replaced if needed. The method further comprises a2) performing a decision action for each writing action in which a decision whether or not to perform the verification action for a specific written data portion is taken.
US08154956B2
Data is collected from the integral timing sensor of a marine acoustic source such as an airgun, typically used for seismic measurements. Artefacts in the firing data are used to monitor the firing pressure and optionally the correct functioning of the marine acoustic source.
US08154954B1
The present disclosure relates to a method and system for finding and physically altering underground targets. Multiple projectiles are dispersed into the ground and determine their spatial orientation using seismic waves, and then operate as an array to locate and properly time kinetic pulses to focus seismic waves on the target.
US08154944B2
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor memory device which prevents the voltage of a select bit line from being reduced due to the action of coupling capacitance between the select bit line and a non-select bit line, reduces current consumption, and enables high speed reading of bit lines. The semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory banks, a plurality of second bit lines, a plurality of selector circuits, a voltage supply circuit. Each of the memory banks includes a plurality of first bit lines, a plurality of word lines, and a plurality of memory banks which are installed between the first bit lines and the word lines. The voltage supply circuit holds non-select bit lines of the first bit lines at the GND level at all times.
US08154936B2
A single-ended bit line based storage system. The storage system includes a first set of storage cells, a second set of storage cells, a first set of reference storage cells, a second set of reference storage cells, and a differential sensing block. The memory core is split vertically in half vertically to form the first set of storage cells and the second set of storage cells. The first set of reference storage cells provides a discharge rate lower than the discharge rate of said first set and second set of storage cells for storing data. The second set of reference storage cells provides a discharge rate lower than the discharge rate of said first set and second set of storage cells for storing data. The differential sensing block is coupled to the first set of storage cells and the second set of storage cells for generating an output data signal on receiving a control signal.
US08154935B2
A system and method are provided for delaying a signal communicated from a system to a plurality of memory circuits. Included is a component in communication with a plurality of memory circuits and a system. Such component is operable to receive a signal from the system and communicate the signal to at least one of the memory circuits after a delay. In other embodiments, the component is operable to receive a signal from at least one of the memory circuits and communicate the signal to the system after a delay.
US08154929B2
Flash memory device controlling common source line voltage, program-verify method, and memory system
Disclosed is a flash memory device and a program-verify method. The flash memory device includes; a plurality of memory cells connected between a bit line and a common source line, and a data input/output circuit connected to the bit line and configured to store program data for a selected one of the plurality memory cells. The data input/output circuit maintains the program data during a program-verify operation and controls a voltage level on the bit line in accordance with the program data.
US08154927B2
A nonvolatile memory device comprises a memory cell array, a row selection circuit and a voltage generator. The memory cell array comprises a first dummy memory cell, a second dummy memory cell, and a NAND string comprising a plurality of memory cells coupled in series between a string selection transistor and a ground selection transistor through the first dummy memory cell and the second dummy memory cell. During a read-out operation mode, a dummy read-out voltage is applied to a first dummy wordline coupled to the first dummy memory cell, and to a second dummy wordline coupled to the second dummy memory cell. The dummy read-out voltage has a lower magnitude than a read-out voltage applied to an unselected memory cell during the read-out operation mode.
US08154923B2
A non-volatile memory device capable of reading and writing a large number of memory cells with multiple read/write circuits in parallel has features to reduce power consumption during read, and program/verify operations. A read or program verify operation includes one or more sensing cycles relative to one or more demarcation threshold voltages to determine a memory state. In one aspect, selective memory cells among the group being sensed in parallel have their conduction currents turned off when they are determined to be in a state not relevant to the current sensing cycle. In another aspect, a power-consuming period is minimized by preemptively starting any operations that would prolong the period. In a program/verify operation cells not to be programmed have their bit lines charged up in the program phase. Power is saved when a set of these bit lines avoids re-charging at every passing of a program phase.
US08154921B2
A process is performed periodically or in response to an error in order to dynamically and adaptively optimize read compare levels based on memory cell threshold voltage distribution. One embodiment of the process includes determining threshold voltage distribution data for a population of non-volatile storage elements, smoothing the threshold voltage distribution data using a weighting function to create an interim set of data, determining a derivative of the interim set of data, and identifying and storing negative to positive zero crossings of the derivative as read compare points.
US08154917B2
A magnetic storage device includes a plurality of MRAM memory cells connected to a data transfer line, a clamp transistor connected between the data transfer line and a reading signal line and configured to fixedly hold the potential of the data transfer line, and a reading circuit which is connected to the reading signal line and which reads the storage information of the memory cell. The reading circuit includes a hold switch connected between the reading signal line and a reading node N and configured to hold the potential of the node N, a capacitor connected between the node N and a ground end, a precharging switch connected between the node N and a power source and configured to charge the capacitor, and an inverter to which the potential of the node N is input to generate a digital signal.
US08154909B2
A resistance variable memory apparatus (100) of the present invention includes a current suppressing element (116) which is connected in series with each resistance variable layer (114) and whose threshold voltage is VF, and is configured to apply a first voltage V1 to a first wire (WL) associated with a selected nonvolatile memory element, apply a second voltage V2 to a second wire (BL) associated with the selected nonvolatile memory element, apply a third voltage V3 to a first wire (WL) which is not associated with the selected nonvolatile memory element and apply a fourth voltage V4 to a second wire (BL) which is not associated with the selected memory element when writing data or reading data, wherein V2≦V3
US08154907B2
Disclosed herein is a method for manufacturing (In)—(Sb)—(Te) (IST) nanowires and a phase-change memory device comprising the nanowires. The method comprises providing a substrate and vapors of In, Sb and Te precursors in a chamber and allowing the vapors to react with each other on the substrate in the chamber at a temperature of 230-300° C. and a pressure of 7-15 Torr. With the method, IST nanowires can be fabricated cost-effectively.
US08154903B2
A sensing circuit is disclosed. The sensing circuit includes a first path including a first resistive memory device and a second path including a reference resistive memory device. The first path is coupled to a first split path including a first load transistor and to a second split path including a second load transistor. The second path is coupled to a third split path including a third load transistor and to a fourth split path including a fourth load transistor.
US08154902B2
An integrated circuit including a plurality of bit lines, a memory array, and a bit line decoder. The memory array includes a plurality of memory cells, wherein each memory cell is respectively coupled to (i) two corresponding bit lines of the plurality of bit lines. During sensing of a state of a given memory cell, the bit line decoder (i) precharges a first bit line of the two corresponding bit lines to which the given memory cell is coupled to a first voltage potential, including precharging all other bit lines on a same side of the memory array as the first bit line to the first voltage potential, and (ii) precharges a second bit line of the two corresponding bit lines to a second voltage potential, including precharging all other bit lines on a same side of the memory array as the second bit line to the second voltage potential.
US08154889B1
Particular embodiments generally relate to detecting an operating mode of a flyback converter. In one embodiment, a voltage of a flyback converter is measured. A waveform for the voltage includes a first rate of change when the flyback converter is in a first mode of operation and a second rate of change when the flyback converter is in a second mode of operation. The presence of the first rate of change or the second rate of change is detected based on the waveform. The first mode of operation or the second mode of operation is determined depending on whether the first rate of change or the second rate of change is detected.
US08154886B2
A cable organization unit includes a housing. A tray is attached to the housing by at least one slide, and is movable between a first position and a second position relative to the housing. A hood is removably secured to the tray. A user may remove the hood from the tray to access adapters attached to a bulkhead on the tray. The tray may include a latch for securing the tray to the housing in the first position, and the hood may be removed from the tray while the tray is in the first or second positions. A retainer is optionally attached to the housing. The retainer includes an adjustable opening which may be reduced in size such that edges of the opening frictionally engage and hold a jacket of a cable passing therethrough.
US08154880B1
A method and apparatus for active line interface isolation have been described.
US08154878B2
An exemplary chip card holder used in a portable electronic device for holding a chip card is provided. The chip card holder includes a body member, a card receiving space disposed on the body member, an elastic piece and a releasing piece. The elastic piece is disposed at one end of the card receiving space and is configured for elastically resisting against the chip card to provide a pushing force to the chip card. The releasing piece is releasably disposed at the other end of the card receiving space opposite to the elastic piece and being configured to hold and release the chip card. The chip card locking device has simple structure and is easy to operate to lock or unlock the chip card.
US08154877B2
An expansion system for portable electronic devices is provided. A portable electronic device includes: a main logic board; an expansion device for expanding functionality of the portable electronic device; a flexible interconnection for logically connecting the expansion device to the main logic board; and a package for enclosing the main logic board and the expansion device together. The main logic board is mechanically isolated from the expansion device. The expansion device is physically spaced from the main logic board when enclosed in the package. An intrinsic expansion for a portable electronic device includes: an expansion board for expanding functionality of the portable electronic device, an expansion interface for logically connecting the expansion board to a main logic board of the portable electronic device, and a flexible interconnection for interconnecting the expansion board and the expansion interface. The expansion device is mounted in the portable electric device so as to be physically spaced from the main logic board when assembled.
US08154861B2
A hard drive deck is described. A base portion comprises a first fastening portion, a second fastening portion and a support leg. The support leg has a positioning hole and the first fastening portion has a plurality of slots such that the base portion is fastened to a computer housing. A hard drive housing is secured on the base portion. The hard drive hosing comprises an insert opening and a third fastening portion, wherein the insert opening allows a hard disk drive to be plugged into. A L-shaped frame comprises a first screw hole and a second screw hole. The first screw hole and the second screw hole are located on two ends of the L-shaped frame. The second fastening portion and the third fastening portion are secured to the first screw hole and the second screw hole.
US08154860B2
A foot pad structure includes a retaining member and an elastic pad member. The retaining member is mounted to a receiving portion formed on a bottom of an electronic system and has a second through hole communicable with a first through hole formed in the receiving portion to thereby communicate with external environment via the first through hole. The elastic pad member internally defines an air chamber that communicates with the second through hole. The elastic pad member is retained between the retaining member and the receiving portion with a lower part thereof downward protruded beyond the receiving portion. When the elastic pad member is compressed, air in the air chamber is expelled into the external environment via the first and second through holes, allowing the elastic pad member to deform for the electronic system to stably position on a work surface without wobbling when the electronic system is operated.
US08154845B1
An apparatus for interfering with locomotion of a target by conducting a current through the target. The apparatus includes, according to various aspects of the present invention, a transformer, a resistance in series with the secondary winding of the transformer, and a detector that detects the current through the resistance. The current provided through the target flows through the resistance. The detector operates to detect an amount of charge provided to the target.
US08154839B2
An arrester includes at least one elongate outer first housing made of an electrically insulating material, a pair of electrical terminals at opposite ends of the first housing, an array of electrical components arranged in the first housing that form a series path between the terminals, and a voltage grading arrangement for providing a substantially uniform voltage gradient along the arrester, wherein the voltage grading arrangement includes (i) an elongated outer second housing, and (ii) capacitor circuitry arranged in the outer second housing, and wherein the outer second housing is arranged external to the outer first housing.
US08154837B2
Circuit arrangement (2,3,4,5) in an electronic control device which is connected to at least one wheel speed sensor channel (6,7,8,9) transmitting wheel speed information, in particular in the form of a current signal, the circuit arrangement (2,3,4,5) having at least one monitoring module (U1,U2,U3,U4) for the at least one wheel speed sensor channel (6,7,8,9), where this at least one monitoring module (U1,U2,U3,U4) is suitable for monitoring an excess current fault on at least one wheel speed sensor channel (6,7,8,9), in which, when an excess current fault is detected by the at least one monitoring module (U1,U2,U3,U4) the respective wheel speed sensor channel(s) (6,7,8,9) is/are blocked by a blocking circuit (10,11,12,13) of the circuit arrangement (2,3,4,5), and/or in which the circuit arrangement (2,3,4,5) causes the blocking of the respective wheel sensor channel or channels (6,7,8,9) from outside the circuit arrangement (2,3,4,5).
US08154832B2
A leak detecting and leak protecting circuit comprises a rectification circuit comprising positive and negative power output ends, current limiting resistors, a diode, a silicon control comprising control poles, a switch capable of linking to a resetting button, and a tripping coil comprising a built-in iron core. The rectification circuit outputs DC power. The tripping coil, switch, and silicon control are connected in series and then are connected to the positive and negative power output ends of the DC power output from the rectification circuit. The control poles of the silicon control are capable of connection with a shielding layer of output wires through at least one of the current limiting resistors and a diode. And, when the switch is in a resetting state, the switch is closed, and, when the switch is in a tripped state, the switch is open.
US08154831B2
A leakage current detection interrupter with fire protection means comprising: (i) a movable assembly housing; (ii) two fixed contact holders each having a fixed contact point; (iii)) two movable contact holders each having a fixed end and a movable end with a movable contact point; (iv) a movable assembly that moves between a first position and a second position; (v) a resetting component; (vi) a resetting component spring; (vii) an electromagnetic tripping component, which, when energized, which is responsive to a fault condition, causes the movable assembly to be in the second position from the first position; (viii) an leakage current protection circuit assembled on a printed circuit board for detecting the fault condition; and (ix) a set of three electrical wires: a first wire, a second wire, and a third wire to an appliance, wherein the first wire and the second wire are protected by a plurality of protective shields.
US08154819B2
The flying heights of magnetic heads of a disk drive are set using an FOD (flying on demand) method in a bank mode. A first signal for adjusting the flying height of a magnetic head is issued to each magnetic head and the value of the first signal is scaled by scale values set for the magnetic heads, respectively, with one of the scale values differing from the others. The value of the first signal is changed until the magnetic head associated with the scale value different from the others touches down. A flying height for the magnetic head which touched down is determined based on the value of the first signal at the time of touch-down. The process is repeated, however with a different bank of scale values each time and set in such a way as to cause the sequential touch-down of the remaining magnetic heads, and determinations of flying heights for the magnetic heads.
US08154818B2
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for adaptive channel bit density estimation. For example, various embodiments of the present invention provide methods for adaptively estimating channel bit density. Such methods include providing a storage medium (178) that includes information corresponding to a process data set, and accessing the process data set from the storage medium (505). A first channel bit density estimate (535) is computed based at least in part on a first portion of the process data set (520-530), and a second channel bit density estimate (535) is calculated based at least in part on the first portion of the process data set, a second portion of the process data set (520-530) and the first channel bit density estimate (535).
US08154815B2
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data equalization. For example, various embodiments of the present invention provide methods for generating equalization data. The method includes inputting N bits of an equalization data pattern into respective stages of a shift register, wherein inputting the N bits occurs synchronous to a system data clock having a system data rate, and shifting the N bits of equalization data to next adjacent next stages of the shift register synchronous to an equalization data clock having an equalization data rate N times the system data rate.
US08154805B2
Liquid lens cells are used in a variable power optical system. In one embodiment, a stop is located between a first lens group comprising at least a first liquid lens cell and a second lens group comprising at least a second liquid lens cell. In one embodiment, a liquid lens cell controls an incident angle of light rays on an image surface.
US08154804B2
A lens is presented in which the lens includes a substrate and an electrode layer. The electrode layer is positioned upon the substrate. The electrode layer has radially alternating rings of electrodes and resistive material. When voltage is applied across two adjacent electrodes the profile of the electric field therebetween is linear. When voltage is applied to the rings of electrodes, the optical phase profile of the lens closely approximates the optical phase of ideal spherical aberration correction.
US08154791B2
Disclosed is a light control film comprising: two transparent electroconductive resin substrates; and a light control layer sandwiched between the two transparent electroconductive resin substrates, the light control layer containing: a resin matrix; and a light control suspension dispersed in the resin matrix, wherein the light control film has a primer layer on the light control layer side of at least one of the transparent electroconductive resin substrates, and the primer layer is formed by using a phosphoric ester having in the molecule thereof one or more polymerizable groups. By virtue of the above constitution, the light control film has an improved adhesion between a film matrix and a substrate, and has a stable light control function.
US08154790B2
This invention relates to a display device comprising a plurality of display cells, wherein said display cells are separated by slanted partition walls. This invention also relates to a display device comprising a plurality of display cells, wherein said display cells are separated by indented partition walls having indented areas. The electrophoretic structures of the present invention may be manufactured by a continuous or semi-continuous roll-to-roll manufacturing process. The structures in which display cells are separated by slanted partition walls or partition walls having indented areas are capable of providing enhanced color states.
US08154783B2
A method and apparatus of driving a motor in a light scanning arrangement. The method includes the following steps: (1) driving a drive coil with a drive signal to oscillate a scan mirror and a light beam reflected from the scan mirror; (2) generating a feedback signal having zero crossings during oscillation of the scan mirror by a feedback coil in proximity to the drive coil; (3) integrating the feedback signal to generate an integrated feedback signal; and (4) processing the integrated feedback signal to generate a periodic drive signal that has the same time period as the feedback signal.
US08154779B2
A method is provided for processing image data read from a book document placed on a platen of an image reading apparatus. The method includes determining a background pixel of the image data based on a luminance difference or a color difference between neighboring pixel arrays, identifying a shadow region based on a luminance change between the neighboring background pixel arrays, discriminatively detecting a shadow of a binding portion and a shadow of a front edge in a document region with reference to a changing direction of shadow luminance, and performing a luminance correction on the shadow region according to characteristics of the shadows.
US08154777B2
A color correction method includes for each of a plurality of color separations of a digital image, establishing a tone reproduction curve in the form of a vector. The vector is a function of a plurality of basis vectors. The basis vectors account for colorant interactions between a primary colorant with which the color separation is to be rendered and at least one secondary colorant with which at least a second of the plurality of color separations is to be rendered. The vector includes modified input values corresponding to input values for the color separation which vary, depending on the input values of at least the second color separation. For a pixel of interest in the digital image, a modified input value for the color separation which corresponds to the input value of the given color separation is identified from the vector.
US08154766B2
An image processing device includes plural image processing units that perform image processing on print data; a delivery unit that delivers a whole set of print data formed of plural segments to the plural image processing units; and a sending unit that sends a processing request command that specifies which segment of print data should be subjected to image processing to the plural image processing units, respectively, each of the plural image processing units including a conversion unit that converts print data for a segment specified by the processing request command sent by the sending unit into image information as bitmap data for primary colors.
US08154763B2
The present invention claims and discloses an image forming device for generating color data contained in a second color gamut of a second device based on color data contained in a first color gamut of a first device. The image forming device comprises a color data generation unit that divides the first color gamut into two or more layers based on a grid point coordinate of a color conversion lookup table; a color gamut compression unit that generates a chroma value of each layer of the second color gamut based on a chroma value of each layer of the first color gamut; and an LUT generation unit that generates the color conversion lookup table based on the generated second color gamut.
US08154757B2
Embodiments disclosed herein can facilitate delivery of a document from a source to a destination over a network where an initial delivery attempt has been unsuccessful. Actions to be taken are based upon input conditions which may include a time-variable set of input conditions such as identifying non-business days and/or hours at the destination. The document can be a fax, an email, or a voice mail. The actions may include resubmitting the document to the network for a next delivery attempt, cancelling the document, sending a request to the source or destination for additional delivery information, identifying the destination as a technical problem, or a combination thereof.
US08154756B2
A method includes receiving, with a printer, a cellular communication from a cellular device that provides an indication of a resource that is to be printed by the printer; accessing, with the printer, a network via which the resource can be retrieved; using the indication to retrieve the resource via the network; and printing the resource.
US08154752B2
A print management system may include at least one client device for generating print jobs, and a plurality of print servers for storing print job information based upon the generated print jobs. The print servers may cooperate to share the print job information therebetween. At least one printing station may retrieve the shared print job information, and selectively print print jobs based thereon.
US08154736B2
An image forming apparatus has at least one tray for feeding or discharging a sheet, and includes an input tray ID holding unit which holds an input tray ID that is optionally input so as to identify the tray, an initial tray ID holding unit which holds an initial tray ID set beforehand so as to identify the tray, a tray ID comparing unit which compares the input tray ID and the initial tray ID, and a tray ID allocating unit which allocates a new tray ID to the tray to which the initial tray ID is allocated, when the input tray ID and the initial tray ID are found overlapped as a result of the comparison by the tray ID comparing unit.
US08154734B2
Embodiments of environmental stimulus sensors comprising multiple sources and detectors for interrogating one or more optically resonant cavities that are responsive to one or more environmental stimuli are disclosed. Such sensors have, among other advantages, improved immunity to source and/or detector noise.
US08154733B2
The system and the method of the present invention differ from the prior art in that radii of curvature of any length of spherical and cylindrical test surfaces can be optically measured, with only a supplementary dual-focus lens being required in addition to an interferometer or an autocollimator. The supplementary dual-focus lens has a first focal plane, into which the surface vertex of the test surface is positioned, which establishes the cat's eye position (P(cat)), and a second focal plane into which the center of curvature of the test surface is moved, which establishes the autocollimation position (P(aut)) for the test surface. The radius of curvature of the test surface is determined from the distance between the focal planes (D(foc)) and the path of movement which can be reduced to zero.
US08154730B2
An arc flash detection method includes transmitting light via an optical fiber to a sensor and transmitting light from the sensor that includes components representative of acoustic waves and light for filtering and processing to detect an occurrence of an arc flash.
US08154724B2
The present invention provides methods and systems for particle detection and analysis using two-dimensional optical imaging to access enhanced detection sensitivity and expanded sensing functionality relative to conventional point and array detection-based optical particle counters. Methods and systems of the present invention provide a two-dimensional optical imaging-based particle sensing platform wherein system components and specifications are selected to generate reproducible and readily identifiable signals, including particle detection signatures, from optical scattering or emission from particles provided to the system. Systems and methods of the present invention are capable of accurately and sensitively detecting, identifying, and characterizing (e.g., determining the size of) particles in liquid phase or gas phase samples.
US08154722B2
Even when only a few antigens exist in a specimen, a change in a dielectric constant and a change in an optical spectrum accompanied thereto in the periphery of a conductive member are made larger, so that sensing at high sensitivity can be performed. A structure including a protrusion including a dielectric material protruded on a substrate and a conductive member provided on a first surface of the protrusion, in which the maximum value of the cross-sectional area in the cross-section in parallel with a first surface of the conductive member is larger than the area of the first surface.
US08154721B2
A method of online predicting maintenance of an apparatus is disclosed. Using an optical emission spectroscopy (OES) positioned on the apparatus and the change of emission spectrum intensity detected by the OES in the process, according to the detected results, measuring the parameter in the process, the function relation between the process parameter and spectrum intensity is acquired. A control threshold is decided by the processing requirement to the apparatus. When the parameter exceeds the control threshold, maintenance to the etching apparatus is engaged in order to avoid processing error caused by frequent shutdown or deficient maintenance which is estimated by experience, and hence decreasing the cost and increasing processing efficiency of substrates (such as silicon wafers) without changing apparatus and adding other online sensor, and improving production rate by avoiding waste substrates caused by error processing results. The method is suitable for semiconductor substrate etching maintenance of the apparatus and also other maintenance of the apparatus.
US08154718B2
Previously used examination devices and methods mostly operate with reflected visible or UV light to analyze microstructured samples of a wafer (38), for example. The aim of the invention is to increase the possible uses of said devices, i.e. particularly in order to represent structural details, e.g. of wafers that are structured on both sides, which are not visible in VIS or UV because coatings or intermediate materials are not transparent. Said aim is achieved by using IR light as reflected light while creating transillumination (52) which significantly improves contrast in the IR image, among other things, thus allowing the sample to be simultaneously represented in reflected or transmitted IR light and in reflected visible light.
US08154714B2
Gas analyzer systems and methods for measuring concentrations of gasses and in particular dry mole fraction of components of a gas. The systems and method allow for rapid measurement of the gas density and/or dry mole fraction of gases for a number of environmental monitoring applications, including high speed flux measurements. A novel coupling design allows for tool-free removal of a cell enclosing a flow path to enable in field cleaning of optical components.
US08154713B2
New diagnostic parameters or indexes for detection of absolute iron deficiency, latent iron deficiency, functional iron deficiency, or latent functional iron deficiency have been disclosed. The parameters include a RBC size factor, RSf1 defined by the formula of (MCV×MRV)1/2, or RSf2 defined by the formula of (MCV×MRV)/100, a volume-hemoglobin factor (VHf) defined by the formula of (MCV×Hgb)/100, and a volume-hemoglobin/distribution factor (VHDWf) defined by the formula of (MCV×Hgb)/(RDW×10). Further disclosed are the methods of using these parameters for detection of absolute iron deficiency, latent iron deficiency, functional iron deficiency, or latent functional iron deficiency. Also disclosed is a method of using RSf for detection of hemochromatosis.
US08154705B2
A method of defining patterns in a small pitch is described. A substrate having a target layer thereon is provided, and two laterally separate reflective structures with two opposite sidewalls are formed over the target layer. A photoresist layer is formed over the target layer between the two opposite sidewalls. An exposure step is performed allowing light to be reflected by the two opposite sidewalls in the lateral direction, wherein the two opposite sidewalls are spaced by a distance to cause the reflected light to produce a periodical intensity distribution in the photoresist layer in the lateral direction.
US08154704B2
A method for repairing a liquid crystal display. The method includes preparing a liquid crystal panel including a signal pad part and a repair pad part connected to signal lines; testing a driving circuit connected to the signal pad part on the liquid crystal panel; opening signal links connecting the signal lines and the signal pad part, connected to the driving circuit, if the driving circuit is detected in a defect as a result of the test; and mounting a repair driving circuit to be connected to the repair signal pad part on the liquid crystal panel.
US08154702B2
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device having an LED flexible substrate which requires no bonding by making a simple structural change. The liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel, an LED for providing a light to the liquid crystal display panel, and an LED flexible substrate having a seating portion for mounting the LED thereto, and first and second flat portions bent from the seating portion perpendicular thereto respectively, to form a flexible printed circuit (FPC).
US08154693B2
An object of the present invention is to increase the dichroic ratio of the built-in polarizing layer in reflective regions so that the display performance improves in a semi-transmission type liquid crystal display device having a transmissive display portion and a reflective display portion. The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device having first and second substrates which face each other with a liquid crystal layer in between, where a transmissive region and a reflective region are formed in each pixel on the above described first substrate, as well as: a reflective layer formed in the above described reflective region on the above described first substrate; a polarizing layer formed on the above described first substrate on the liquid crystal layer side of the above described reflective layer from chromonic liquid crystal molecules; a pixel electrode formed on the above described first substrate on the liquid crystal layer side of the above described reflective layer and electrically connected to a source electrode of a thin film transistor; and a protective layer formed in the reflective region between the above described polarizing layer and the above described pixel electrode which makes contact with the above described polarizing layer.
US08154691B2
A matte surface of a display screen is converted to an optically flat surface, for example, via an epoxy resin coating or the like which has a refractive index equal to that of the matte surface. A film with a substantially flat surface may be applied to the matte surface. Alternatively, the matte surface may be removed from the screen, and replaced with an optically smooth surface. The matte surface may be a diffusive surface formed on a birefringent film of an LCD screen. The display screen is the front screen of a multilevel three-dimensional display comprising layered screens, and altering the surface from matte to flat reduces the blurring of displayed images.
US08154689B2
A light-emitting element (1) includes a plurality of light-emitting diodes [3(R1, G11, . . . )] of two or more different colors, and a light-guiding member (4) for emitting, in the form of plane emission, light emitted by the plurality of light-emitting diodes [3(R1, G11, . . . )]. The plurality of light-emitting diodes are arranged in a predetermined order along the light-guiding member (4). A scattering member (31) for scattering light is provided on that side surface of the light-guiding member (4) which faces in a width direction (i.e., a direction along the direction that the light-emitting diodes (3) are arranged). Thus obtained is a white light source, free from coloration attributed to the color of a light-emitting diode disposed next to a side edge surface, whose colors have been sufficiently mixed.
US08154681B2
A display apparatus includes a front cover, a display panel, a rear cover configured to receive, with the front cover, the display panel, and a sheet member sandwiched by the display panel and the rear cover, the sheet member having a conductivity and shock absorption and vibration absorption properties.
US08154670B2
A video screen assembly for a vehicle seat is movable between an upper position and a lower position and includes a fitting and a pivoting arm. A belt drive connects the pivoting arm and the video screen such that a torque applied to move the pivoting arm results in a torque being transmitted to move the video screen by preferably a directly proportional angular amount. The video screen can be rotated to a storage position where the vide screen display is protected from cargo with in the vehicle.
US08154663B2
A method for contrast enhancement of a video signal comprises receiving a video signal frame, gathering statistics about the video signal frame, calculating the effective input dynamic range of the video signal frame, calculating the effective output dynamic range of the video signal frame, and constructing a transform to enhance the picture in the video signal frame by mapping the effective input dynamic range to the effective output dynamic range via the transform.
US08154656B2
A system, method, and computer readable medium for avoiding underflow of a caption buffer in a digital video encoding device. The method receives a sequence of digital video frames, and captions that correspond to the digital video frames in the sequence. The method receives first captions in a first caption carriage, and encodes the first captions, and the corresponding digital video frames, in a compressed video format. The method detects a switch from the first caption carriage to a second caption carriage, and stores second captions in the capture buffer, where each second caption is received in the second caption carriage and corresponds to one of the digital video frames in the sequence. The method examines the capture buffer and the second captions to determine whether underflow of the capture buffer is present or absent. When underflow is absent, the method encodes the second captions, and the corresponding digital video frames, in the compressed video format.
US08154647B2
An imaging apparatus and method enables an automated extended depth of field capability that automates and simplifies the process of creating extended depth of field images. An embodiment automates the acquisition of an image “stack” or sequence and stores metadata at the time of image acquisition that facilitates production of a composite image having an extended depth of field from at least a portion of the images in the acquired sequence. An embodiment allows a user to specify, either at the time of image capture or at the time the composite image is created, a range of distances that the user wishes to have in focus within the composite image. An embodiment provides an on-board capability to produce a composite, extended depth of field image from the image stack. One embodiment allows the user to import the image stack into an image-processing software application that produces the composite image.
US08154637B2
An image sensor, in particular a CMOS image sensor, for electronic cameras having a plurality of light-sensitive pixels which are arranged in rows and columns and whose signals are conducted via a plurality of column lines to column amplifiers, with a column amplifier being associated with each column line. At least one further column amplifier which is simultaneously also associated with at least one other column line is associated with the respective column line. A switching device switches the respective column line selectively to one of the associated column amplifiers.
US08154633B2
In one aspect, lines in image data of an event are automatically found and repaired. For example, the event may be a sporting event which is played on a field, and the line segment is a field line on the field which may be obscured by a player, game ball or other object. The line segment is automatically detected in a mask image, and a portion of the line segment which is occluded by the object is automatically determined, and the object is automatically removed. The line segment can also be repaired. Optionally, a virtual viewpoint of the event is provided from the image, with the line repaired and the object removed. In another aspect, an object in an image of an event is automatically located by detecting blobs in the image which meet at least one specified criterion, such as size, aspect ratio, density or color profile.
US08154619B2
An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging device outputting, during a unit period of time, a long-exposure-time image signal having a relatively long exposure time and a short-exposure-time image signal having a relatively short exposure time; a first clipping processing mechanism clipping a part not lower than a first signal level of a luminance signal obtained from the long-exposure-time image signal; a second clipping processing mechanism clipping a part not higher than a second signal level of a luminance signal obtained from the short-exposure-time image signal; and a signal processing mechanism generating a synthesized image signal having a dynamic range wider than dynamic ranges of both of the image signals by synthesizing the clipped image signals, wherein the second signal level is not lower than a signal level obtained by dividing the first signal level by a ratio in time of the long exposure time to the short exposure time.
US08154607B2
Signal processing techniques are applied to digital image data to remove the distortion caused by motion of the camera, or the movement of the subject being photographed, or defective optics, or optical distortion from other sources. When the image is captured, the effect of relative motion between the camera and the subject is that it transforms the true image into a blurred image according to a 2-dimensional transfer function. The 2-dimensional transfer function representing the motion is derived using blind estimation techniques or by using information from sensors that detect the motion. The transfer function is inverted and used to define a corrective filter. The filter is applied to the image and the blur due to the motion is removed, restoring the correct image. Another embodiment uses the transfer function to avoid blur by combining multiple consecutive images taken at a fast shutter speed.
US08154600B2
A method and system for distributed tracking of multiple targets is disclosed. Multiple targets to be tracked by a plurality of trackers are detected in a frame. The motion state variable of each of the plurality of trackers is calculated in the E-step of a variational Expectation-Maximization algorithm. Further, the data association variable of each of the plurality of trackers is calculated in the M-step of the algorithm. Depending on the motion state variable and the data association variable, the multiple targets are tracked.
US08154598B2
An unattended sensor is provided for use in a surveillance system. The sensor is generally comprised of: a detector; a signal processor; a radio transceiver; a power source; and a controller which configures the sensor in either a sensor mode or a relay mode. When configured in the sensor mode, the detector and signal processor are operational and the transceiver is non-operational. When configured in the relay mode, the transceiver is operational but the detector and signal processor are non-operational. In an alternative approach, the detector and the signal process may remain operational in the relay mode.
US08154594B2
A standard camera picks up a standard image, and a reference camera picks up a reference image. A flat area is extracted from the standard image and the reference image. An edge image is created by extracting the edges and feature points from the standard image and then a corrected edge image is created by removing the flat area. Object detection processing is carried out on the edges and feature points of the corrected edge image with reference to the reference image.
US08154584B2
An image capture system for a digital holographic printer is disclosed comprising a digital camera (22) having a relatively small horizontal field of view (29). The camera (22) is translated along a rail (21). As the camera (22) is translated along the rail (21) the camera (22) is also rotated so that it faces a target point of an object which is to be reproduced as an hologram. The image data which is obtained by the camera (22) is converted into image data which corresponds with image data which would have been obtained had a non-rotating camera having a substantially higher horizontal field of view been translated along the rail (21) and been used to capture images of the object.
US08154582B2
An image capture and display device is described. The device includes a liquid crystal display panel, which can switch between two states, a display state and the capture state. Wherein at least a portion of the display and a switchable diffuser become transparent in the capture state. One or more image capture devices are located behind the display. Holes or windows are provided in the backlight for the image capture devices to capture images of the scene in front of the device when in the capture state.
US08154581B2
An audio-video communication system comprises a wireless exterior module located proximate an entrance, a computerized controller running a software application, and a remote peripheral device. The wireless exterior module includes a proximity sensor for detecting a person at the entrance, a video camera for recording an image of the person at the entrance, a microphone for recording the person at the entrance, a speaker for playing audio to the person at the entrance, a transmitter for communicating sounds and images of the person at the entrance, and a receiver for receiving communications at the wireless exterior module. The computerized controller is disposed in wireless electronic communication with the wireless exterior module via the transmitter and the receiver of the wireless exterior module. The remote peripheral device is configured to electronically communicate with the computerized controller for viewing an image from the video camera communicated from the wireless exterior module.
US08154571B2
A thermal recording material of the invention contains, as a storability improver, tris(2-methyl-4-hydroxy-5-t-butylphenyl)butane trapping and containing water and/or methanol and having a crystal structure that shows a maximum X-ray diffraction peak at a diffraction angle 2θ of 6.58° according to X-ray diffraction measurement using an X ray having a wavelength of a Cu—Kα line. The recording material has improved heat resistance in non-printing sections while maintaining the moisture-and-heat resistance in printing sections. The thermal recording material of the invention has a thermal-recording layer that contains the tris(2-methyl-4-hydroxy-5-t-butylphenyl)butane in an amount of preferably 0.1 to 15% by mass with respect to the thermal-recording layer. The amount of the water and/or methanol trapped and contained in the tris(2-methyl-4-hydroxy-5-t-butylphenyl)butane is preferably 0.1 to 10% by mass in total.
US08154569B2
A modular display system and method assembles an external interface module with a display module to support built-to-order display configurations. The display module has display panel, timing controller and speaker components assembled in a display module housing that accepts a single LVDS and a single audio interface. The external interface module couples to the display module housing to form an integral display system. Selective assembly of the display system from plural types of external interface modules allows selective configuration of the display system with various television and information handling system display functionalities, such as to fill a purchaser order in a build-to-order manufacturing process.
US08154566B2
Disclosed herein is an active-matrix display apparatus, wherein if any particular one of N light emitting sub-devices pertaining to any specific one of pixel circuits is defective, the particular light emitting sub-device is electrically disconnected from the specific pixel circuit and the magnitude of a driving current supplied to the (N−1) remaining light emitting sub-devices pertaining to the specific pixel circuit is adjusted so that the (N−1) remaining light emitting sub-devices receive a driving current from a device driving transistor with a magnitude suppressed to a value equal to ((N−1)/N) times the magnitude of a driving current which is supplied to a normal pixel circuit not including a defective light emitting sub-device.
US08154563B2
A color conversion method and apparatus for a multi-primary display (MPD) are provided with analyzing an input image to determine a transformation parameter; interpolating at least two look-up tables for color conversion according to the transformation parameter, in order to calculate a look-up table for the input image; and applying the calculated look-up table to the input image to perform the color conversion. Accordingly, it is possible to provide good color reproduction and efficiently use a color gamut of an MPD having color coordinates that are different from those of primaries of an input image.
US08154560B2
A display drive circuit of the invention has: an initial-color-gamut-apex-coordinate-storing unit capable of storing initial color gamut apex coordinates; a user-target-color-gamut-apex-coordinate-storing unit capable of storing user target color gamut apex coordinates; a saturation-expansion-coefficient-deciding unit for deciding expansion coefficients of saturation data based on the initial and user target color gamut apex coordinates; and an expansion unit for expanding saturations of display data based on the saturation expansion coefficients. The expansion coefficients of saturation data are decided based on the initial and user target color gamut apex coordinates, and saturations of display data are expanded according to the expansion coefficients. Thus, the degree of expanding the saturations can be controlled for each color gamut or each of R, G and B color properties of an LC display panel.
US08154554B1
Systems and methods for providing a unified instruction set allow shader programs of different types to use a common instruction set. The unified instruction set provides easy access for new graphics hardware features and faster compile times for shader programs. Programmers may use the unified instruction set to write fragment, vertex, or geometry programs. Functions that use the unified instruction set can be included in shader, vertex, or geometry programs without modification. Existing shader programs may be compiled to produce shader microcode based on the unified instruction set. The shader microcode may then be executed by processing units designed to support the unified instruction set.
US08154553B2
Exemplary embodiments include an interception mechanism for rendering commands generated by interactive applications, and a feed-forward control mechanism based on the processing of the commands on a rendering engine, on a pre-filtering module, and on a visual encoder. Also a feed-back control mechanism from the encoder is described. The mechanism is compression-quality optimized subject to some constraints on streaming bandwidth and system delay. The mechanisms allow controllable levels of detail for different rendered objects, controllable post filtering of rendered images, and controllable compression quality of each object in compressed images. A mechanism for processing and streaming of multiple interactive applications in a centralized streaming application server is also described.
US08154547B2
A method and system for an early Z test in a tile-based three-dimensional rendering is provided. In the method and system for an early Z test, a portion which is not displayed to a user is removed prior to performing a rasterization process, and thereby performing the 3D rendering efficiently. The method includes segmenting a scene into tiles for performing a rendering with respect to a triangle; selecting a first tile of the tiles, which has a tile Z value less than a minimum Z value of the triangle; and performing the rendering with respect to the triangle in remaining tiles excluding the selected first tile of the tiles.
US08154546B2
A “Rational Z-Buffer” provides various techniques for reducing artifacts when rendering graphics using z-buffers. In particular, the Rational Z-Buffer reduces the likelihood of z-buffer collisions when using hardware or software z-buffer algorithms to render graphics by delaying homogenous division of pixels until after occlusion testing. Further, occlusion testing between any two pixels, p0 and p1, is accomplished by comparing rational depth values, r0={z0, w0} and r1={z1, w1}, for pixel p0 and p1 to determine which pixels are visible. Depth values are compared by determining whether the expression z0w1
US08154545B2
The invention relates to a method and a computer-aided modelling system for creating a technical drawing from at least two modelled 3D bodies that collide with one another. In a first step, one or more of the regions of the 3D bodies that are affected by the collision are selected. In a second step, a group of colliding faces of the selected regions of the two or more 3D bodies are combined to form a respective collision group and a technical drawing of the two or more colliding modelled 3D bodies is produced. A 2D edge or its associated boundary of a face that belongs to a collision group is treated by masking the other faces that are associated with the same collision group.
US08154540B2
A drive circuit of a display panel having wirings and display devices connected to the wirings includes a first switch that transits potential of the wirings toward a first potential, a feedback amplifier that maintains the potentials of the wirings at the first potential, and a second switch that selects whether or not to supply an output from the feedback amplifier to the wirings. In addition, a self switch controls the second switch by comparing the potential of the wirings with a reference potential that is higher by a predetermined value than the first potential. The first switch and the second switch are connected to the wirings in parallel, and a drive performance of the first switch is lower than that of the second switch.
US08154536B2
A control device is used in a method for controlling the pen based on an analog measuring signal from the force sensor by a processor comparing the analog measuring signal with a fixed reference signal and, based on the comparison, selectively initiating conversion of the analog measuring signal into a sequence of digital force values.
US08154532B2
The present invention relates to a method for driving a display device having a panel having a display region and a peripheral region, a first photosensor member formed in the display region, and a second photosensor member formed in the peripheral region. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of measuring an intensity of ambient light by the second photosensor member, and driving the first photosensor member according to the measured intensity of the ambient light, so as to sense a change of incident light caused by a touch on the display region.
US08154530B2
A touch panel includes a transparent substrate having a surface, a plurality of first touch sensor pads arrayed in a matrix on the surface, a plurality of second touch sensor pads arrayed in a matrix and staggered between the plurality of first touch sensor pads, a dielectric layer disposed upon the plurality of first touch sensor pads and the plurality of second touch sensor pads, a plurality of third touch sensor pads arrayed in a matrix on the dielectric layer, and a plurality of fourth touch sensor pads arrayed in a matrix on the dielectric layer and staggered between the plurality of third touch sensor pads. Each first touch sensor pad includes a first hollowed-out pattern, and each third touch sensor pad includes a second hollowed-out pattern and a solid portion formed around the second hollowed-out pattern, wherein a portion of the solid portion of each third touch sensor pad and a portion of the hollowed-out pattern of the first touch sensor pad overlap.
US08154527B2
The user interface system of the preferred embodiment includes: a layer defining a surface, a substrate supporting the layer and at least partially defining a cavity, a displacement device coupled to the cavity and adapted to expand the cavity thereby deforming a particular region of the surface, a touch sensor coupled to the substrate and adapted to sense a user touch proximate the particular region of the surface, and a display coupled to the substrate and adapted to output images to the user. The user interface system of the preferred embodiments has been specifically designed to be incorporated into an electronic device, such as the display of a mobile phone, but may be incorporated in any suitable device that interfaces with a user in both a visual and tactile manner.
US08154525B2
An excitation coil (19) surrounding the periphery of the position detecting area is connected to an oscillating circuit (21), which oscillates at a frequency f0, through a drive circuit (20). A CPU (18) supplies control signals to a selecting circuit (12), a sample-and-hold circuit (16), an A/D conversion circuit (17), and the drive circuit (20). Based on the control signal output from the CPU (18), the drive circuit (20) controls the power of the signal output from the excitation coil (19) to ON or OFF. Further, the strength of the excitation signal supplied from the excitation coil (19) is controlled based on information obtained by analyzing a signal received from a position indicator (40), such as the position indicated by the position indicator on the position detecting area and/or a strength of the signal received from the position indicator.
US08154514B2
A remote control device is provided. The device includes an attitude sensing unit that senses the attitude of a device; an axis determining unit that determines one axis in space according to the attitude; a direction input unit that receives a selection command input of one of two directions that are parallel to the axis and are in opposite directions to each other; and a transmission unit that transmits a control signal to move a predetermined graphics object in a direction corresponding to the selection command.
US08154513B2
At least two infrared light-emitting areas are displayed within a display screen of a liquid crystal display apparatus. The infrared light-emitting areas are areas for emitting light having a wavelength in the infrared region. Then, an image is captured by an operating device in the direction of a position pointed by the operating device. A position on the display screen that is pointed by the operating device is calculated based on the positions of the infrared light-emitting areas that are included in the captured image. This arrangement makes it possible to appropriately calculate the position on the display screen that is pointed by the operating device, independently of the distance between the operating device and the display screen of the liquid crystal display apparatus.
US08154506B2
A device and method for adjusting backlight brightness employed in a display. The device has a buffer, a counter, and a comparator. The buffer receives and stores an image data of a frame. The counter receives the image data and obtains an image-loading value of the image data. The comparator is coupled to the counter and compares the image-loading value with a preset image-loading value. The comparator outputs a control signal indicating the comparison result to a backlight module to adjust the brightness of the backlight module.
US08154493B2
It is an object to provide a display module which can display a correct gray scale by a field sequential driving method and an electronic device including the display module. One frame period is divided into a plurality of lighting periods, and in each of the plurality of lighting periods, signals are supplied to a pixel a plurality of times, whereby the transmissivity of a liquid crystal element is changed over time. Accordingly, even with the use of a liquid crystal element with low response speed as a display element, a correct gray scale can be expressed. In addition, the transmissivity of the liquid crystal element is set at 0% or a backlight is controlled not to emit light in switching of lighting of a backlight or switching of lighting periods, whereby a more correct gray scale can be expressed.
US08154492B2
A liquid crystal display panel including an active device array substrate, an opposite substrate, and a liquid crystal layer is provided. The active device array substrate has at least one pixel unit including two active devices, two first pixel electrodes, and two common lines. Each of the active devices has a gate, a source, and a drain. The gates are connected with one another, the sources are connected with one another, and the pixel electrodes are connected with the drains. A first signal source connected with one of the common lines is different from a second signal source connected with the other one of the common lines. The opposite substrate has a common electrode connected with the first signal source. The liquid crystal layer is disposed between the active device array substrate and the opposite substrate.
US08154490B2
A apparatus and method for driving a liquid crystal display that minimizes the generation of electro-magnetic interference (EMI) in a cost effective manner includes a gate control signal generator that generates a gate control signal using a externally inputted synchronizing signal, a data control signal generator that generates a data control signal using the synchronizing signal, a data aligner that re-aligns externally inputted video data, a plurality of buffers at output terminals of the gate control signal generator, the data control signal generator and the data aligner, and a control unit that applies control signals to the buffers to control current values of signals outputted by the buffers.
US08154486B2
The invention relates to a method of driving an electrowetting display device including a display element, the display element having an electrode for applying a voltage and providing a display state in response to a signal level of the voltage. The method comprises the following subsequent steps for maintaining a display state of the display element: (1) applying a first signal level (Va) during a first period (t1 t2) for the display state; (2) applying a second signal level (0) during a second period (t2-t3); and (3) applying the first signal level during a third period (t3-t4). The first period is longer than 1 ms and the first period plus the third period is longer than five times the second period.
US08154485B2
A display element comprising a single layer of porous material and a discrete drop of liquid. Application of a voltage between the liquid and the layer causes movement of the liquid and consequential optical changes to the element.
US08154477B2
A plasma display apparatus and a method of driving the same are disclosed. The plasma display apparatus driven in a frame comprised of a plurality of subfields includes a plasma display panel including a scan electrode and a sustain electrode, and a driver. The driver supplies a first signal, that rises from a first voltage to a second voltage, is maintained at the second voltage during a predetermined period of time, and falls from the second voltage to a third voltage smaller than the first voltage with a slope, to the scan electrode. The predetermined period of time is set at different values in at least two subfields.
US08154465B2
A portal antenna (10) particularly suited for enabling low frequency RFID devices carried by animals to be read when animals are proceeding through a stock race or the like. The portal antenna includes a portal structure (11) through which an animal can pass and about which is wound at least one coil (18/19) of antenna conductor. At least one elongate radiator element (21) preferably projects to at least one side of the portal structure (11). Preferably the radiator(s) (21) is/are of ferrous/magnetically conductive metal. The radiator(s) can form a separate structure or be part of the wall structure of a stock race.
US08154459B2
An antenna device included in a radio apparatus having a printed board includes a ground conductor provided in the printed board, a first sub-element, a second sub-element and a short circuit element. The first sub-element is formed as an area having a first side and a second side crossing each other. The first side faces a side of the ground conductor. The first sub-element has a feed portion around a crossing of the first side and the second side. The second sub-element is formed to branch off from the first sub-element around an end of the second side being farther from the crossing, to be open-ended and to be directed at least partially in a direction opposite a direction from the crossing to an end of the first side opposite the crossing. The short circuit element short-circuits one of the first sub-element and the second sub-element with the ground conductor.
US08154456B2
The present invention provides an RF powder-containing base including functional components, wherein forged cards, documents, bills, or the like are hard to be produced with respect to sheet-like subjects with high proprietary nature, such as various kinds of cards, bills, and securities, and each of a large number of particles can memorize information such as an identification number or the like. An RF powder-containing base 10 contains an RF powder (particles 11, 12, and 13), in which each particle of the RF powder provides an integrated circuit 15 formed on a substrate 14, an insulating layer 16 formed on the integrated circuit, and an antenna element 17 formed on the insulating layer, wherein each of the particles of the RF powder contained in the base has sensitivity to an electromagnetic waves having any of a plurality of different frequencies.
US08154452B2
A system and method for calibrating a modular phased array antenna after replacement of a component of the modular phased array antenna including a plurality of sub-arrays, each sub-array including a plurality of antenna elements. A complex correction coefficient is determined for correcting a phase and amplitude of one antenna element of the antenna elements in a first sub-array of the sub-arrays. This correction coefficient is then applied to a plurality of the antenna elements in the first sub-array. Therefore, automatic calibration of an entire sub-array of an electronically scanned antenna may be accomplished in the field without the requirement for special test equipment, and with a reduced time and energy requirement because calibration of each individual antenna element in the replaced sub-array is not required.
US08154447B2
A position calculating method includes: determining a positioning satellite used for position calculation on the basis of at least reliability of satellite orbits in a prediction target period corresponding to a position calculation point, the reliability of satellite orbits being set in long-term predicted orbit data in which satellite orbits of positioning satellites and reliability of the satellite orbits are associated for each prediction target period; and calculating a position on the basis of a positioning signal received from the determined positioning satellite.
US08154446B2
Disclosed is a method for acquiring a signal of a satellite by a receiver, including pre-storing weighting factors of satellites, which include possibility indexes of satellite signal acquisition with respect to positions and times of the receiver, receiving a request for acquisition of the satellite and initializing operational status information and search history information of the satellites, searching for the satellites in sequence according to the weighting factors, resetting the operational status information and search history information of the satellites based on whether signals of the satellites are detected, updating the weighting factor of a satellite having a signal that has been detected, and selecting the satellite having the signal that has been detected in consideration of the updated weighting factor, and acquiring the signal from the selected satellite.
US08154413B2
Systems and methods for monitoring the performance of a caregiver are disclosed. The systems may be configured to monitor the movement of each subject in a network of subjects. One such system includes a plurality of strips adhered in spaced-apart relation on a mattress pad, upon which a subject is positioned. One or more transmitter is provided coupled to the plurality of strips. A processor is connected to the one or more transmitter. The processor is provided with operating software to record and report caregiver activity or both caregiver activity and subject activity.
US08154407B2
A radio frequency identification (RFID) device includes an antenna linked to a receiving circuit, the antenna tuned to receive a radio frequency (RF) time-code signal from a public source, a controller circuit and an internal clock linked to the receiving circuit, a microcontroller linked to the receiving circuit, a memory linked to the microcontroller, and a battery linked to and powering the receiving circuit, controller circuit, internal clock, microcontroller and memory.
US08154396B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a vehicle disablement device that includes deployment of a tire puncture strip in front of the tire of a moving vehicle.
US08154395B2
A portable child safety seat system has three lightweight, easily transferable modular components. The system utilizes one or more pressure sensor switches configured to be placed under the cushion of a vehicle's infant seat or cushions of multiple infant seats to detect the presence of a child in that seat. Electrical lines connect the pressure sensor switch to an interface unit which contains a back-up electrical power source, i.e. a rechargeable battery. The interface unit is in turn connected by electrical lines to a controller component which has a plug section for receiving electricity and a display section to indicate the presence of the child in the infant seat. When a child is in the infant seat and the vehicle's engine is running, the pressure sensing switch is closed and electricity is directed to light the display section of the controller. When the engine is not running, electricity is directed from the back-up battery to light the display section. An optional voltage sensing circuit is provided for use with certain types of vehicles.
US08154392B2
The apparatus is typically constructed within a sock or shoe and interfaces the output of a source system/systems (not part of this invention and hereinafter referred to as “the source system” or “the source systems”) with an area of touch sensitive skin. Being a receiving, processing, interfacing and delivering apparatus, the uses of the apparatus are limited only by the imagination of those who invent the source systems. By using the wearer's sense of touch to convey information to the brain, outdoorsmen and soldiers can be kept constantly aware of the direction of north while keeping their eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and hands focused and dedicated to other tasks. The apparatus consists of a connection between the source system and the electronics which prepares and delivers the intelligible information to a touch inducer pad which is directly or indirectly, via an intermediate material, in contact with an area of touch sensitive skin specifically including but not limited to a bottom of a foot. A typical application is to electrically stimulate a point on the bottom of the foot and then move that point repeatedly through the center of the touch inducer pad in the direction of north.
US08154391B1
A door bell button for activation of a door bell is provided which includes a mounting base for attachment to a surface adjacent to a door, a switch secured to the mounting base and having a lighted actuator plunger, and a translucent bell button shaft having a first end and a second end, the second end abutted against the lighted actuator plunger and slidably disposed and capable of limited movement along an axis perpendicular to the mounting base. Light from the lighted actuator plunger shines through the translucent bell button shaft to light the shaft.
US08154389B2
A wireless sensor reader is provided to interface with a wireless sensor. The wireless sensor reader transmits an excitation pulse to cause the wireless sensor to generate a ring signal. The wireless sensor reader receives and amplifies the ring signal and sends the signal to a phase-locked loop. A voltage-controlled oscillator in the phase-locked loop locks onto the ring signal frequency and generates a count signal at a frequency related to the ring signal frequency. The voltage-controlled oscillator is placed into a hold mode where the control voltage is maintained constant to allow the count signal frequency to be determined.
US08154388B2
A method of demodulating signals of an electromagnetic field induced by a contactless transponder includes a step in which the signals from the transponder are detected at given times or frequency. The times or frequency of the detection are synchronized in phase with the electromagnetic field. An associated demodulator and reader are also disclosed.
US08154380B2
Sensor mount assemblies and sensor assemblies are provided. In an embodiment, by way of example only, a sensor mount assembly includes a busbar, a main body, a backing surface, and a first finger. The busbar has a first end and a second end. The main body is overmolded onto the busbar. The backing surface extends radially outwardly relative to the main body. The first finger extends axially from the backing surface, and the first finger has a first end, a second end, and a tooth. The first end of the first finger is disposed on the backing surface, and the tooth is formed on the second end of the first finger.
US08154379B2
An electrical PTC thermistor component includes a base that includes a peripheral surface, first and second faces on different sides of the component, and first and second conductive layers, each of which is on at least one of the first and second faces. The first conductive layer is not on the peripheral surface. The second conductive layer includes a cap that covers, and overlaps edges of, the at least one of the first and second faces.
US08154376B2
A configuration for fuses and a method of manufacturing is disclosed. A fuse body is made with slots on the ends, allowing solder a greater surface area to grip the body and form an excellent bond. The slots communicate with a central cavity in the fuse body. The improvements relate primarily to surface mount fuses because of the great volume of such fuses in commerce, but may be applied to fuses of any size.
US08154375B2
This invention relates to an overcurrent protection device, which comprises a housing having a first side mounted with first and second wire terminals and a second side installed with a button, an elastic element installed therein for abutting against the button, a memory alloy plate disposed therein and having a first end connected to the first wire terminal and a free end having a first contact, and an elastic metal sheet having two ends movably connected to the first and free ends respectively. When the button is pressed, an extended rod thereof can push the first contact and cause the memory alloy plate to be deformed for enabling the first contact to contact a second contact on the second wire terminal. When the button is released and shifted away from the first contact, a space will be provided for the first contact to return an original status prior to deformation.
US08154365B2
A micro-machined switching system for equalizing an electrical property, such as charge due to parasitic capacitance formed at an input and an output of a micro-machined switching device. The micro-machined switching device may be a MEMS relay or a MEMS switch. In addition to the micro-machined switching device, the switching system also includes a balancing module for equalizing the electrical property between the input and the output of the micro-machined switching device. In certain embodiments, the balancing module includes a switch operable in a first state causing charge due to the parasitic capacitance on the input and the output of the micro-machined switching device to substantially balance. The switch is also operable in a second state wherein parasitic capacitance can separately accumulate at the input and the output of the micro-machined switching device.
US08154364B2
A high-frequency transmission line includes: a dielectric substrate; a signal line formed on one surface of the dielectric substrate; a first and a second surface ground patterns formed so as to sandwich the signal line at a given distance from the signal line on the surface of the dielectric substrate; a backside surface ground pattern formed on another surface of the dielectric substrate; and a plurality of contacts penetrating the dielectric substrate for connecting the first and the second surface ground pattern to the backside surface ground pattern. In a given frequency range, the sum of the shortest distance from any point of the first and the second surface ground patterns to the nearest contact and the thickness of the dielectric substrate is shorter than ¼ of the effective wavelength of a transmission signal converted in the effective permittivity of the dielectric substrate.
US08154363B2
A phase cancellation circuit for a cavity filter including a sampler loop assembly arranged to receive an input signal, a variable loop assembly connected to the sampler loop assembly by a cable, wherein the variable loop assembly is arranged to transmit an output signal from cavity filter, wherein the sampler loop assembly samples a cancellation signal at an isolation frequency from the input signal and transmits the cancellation signal to the variable loop assembly via the cable, and, wherein the cable has a length equal to a multiple of a half-wavelength at the desired isolation frequency, wherein the cancellation signal undergoes a 180° phase shift by traveling through the cable, wherein the variable loop assembly combines the cancellation signal with the input signal to cancel the input signal at the isolation frequency due to the 180° phase shift for creating the output signal with a notch at the isolation frequency.
US08154359B2
The present invention provides a thin film balun includes: an unbalanced transmission line 2 including a first coil portion C1 and a second coil portion C2; a balanced transmission line 3 including a third coil portion C3 and a fourth coil portion C4 that are magnetically coupled to the first coil portion C1 and the second coil portion C2, respectively; a first balanced terminal T1 connected to the third coil portion C3; a second balanced terminal T2 connected to the fourth coil portion C4; and an auxiliary coil portion C5 provided between the third coil portion C3 and the first balanced terminal T1 and/or between the fourth coil portion C4 and the second balanced terminal T2.
US08154352B2
An oscillating circuit includes N nodes outputting oscillating signals, a main loop circuit including N inverting circuits, and a plurality of auxiliary loop circuits. Each inverting circuit in the auxiliary loop circuits is connected in parallel with even numbers of inverting circuits cascaded in the main loop circuit. The circuits for feeding back signals from outputs to inputs of the respective inverters of the main loop circuit have circuit configurations equivalent to each other. Each inverting circuit in the main loop circuit and the auxiliary loop circuits drives an output line such that a phase of an output signal is inverted with respect to a phase of an input signal and has driving power that becomes lower when the phases of the output signal and the input signal are inverted with respect to each other than when the output signal and the input signal are in phase with each other.
US08154347B2
An audio processing circuit is provided, receiving a microphone signal from a microphone to output a differential signal. A preamplifier receives the microphone signal to output a first preamplified voltage and a second preamplified voltage. A gain stage receives the first preamplified voltage and the second preamplified voltage to output the differential signal comprising a first differential output and a second differential output. In the preamplifier, a first operational amplifier is provided. A first voltage controlled current source is controlled by the output end of the first operational amplifier to provide a first current. A first transistor has a gate coupled to a ground voltage supply, a source coupled to the first voltage controlled current source for receiving the first current, and a drain coupled to a voltage ground. Likewise, a second voltage controlled current source and a second transistor are presented symmetrically to render the differential output.
US08154343B2
A low-power high dynamic range RF input stage (200) with a noiseless degeneration component, such as a capacitor (201), is provided. High dynamic range means a combination of low noise contribution by the stage (200) and a low level of intermodulation products occurring especially at high input levels. Low power means that the power consumption of a conventional input stage is about 5 times higher than the power consumption of the stage according to the invention, for the same noise, gain and distortion level. This new stage can be used in amplifiers, but also in the lower stage of double balanced mixers (300-400) commonly used in RF receivers, examples of which are applications, are provided.
US08154335B2
A system on chip (SoC) has a digital domain. An adaptive voltage/frequency scaling circuit includes a critical path replica circuit with respect to that digital domain. The critical path replica circuit generates a margin signal, and the adaptive voltage scaling circuit responds to the margin signal by decreasing bias voltage (and/or increasing clock frequency) applied to the digital domain of the system on chip so as to recover available margin. A fail-safe timing sensor is included within the digital domain of the system on chip. The timing sensor generates a flag signal when timing criteria within the digital domain are violated. The adaptive voltage scaling circuit responds to the flag signal by increasing the bias voltage (and/or decreasing the clock frequency) applied to the digital domain of the system on chip so as to implement a recovery operation.
US08154326B2
A power control circuit includes a check unit that receives a reference clock and generates a check signal for cyclically activating a feedback loop of a DLL circuit, a phase detecting unit that detects a phase difference between the reference clock and a feedback clock, and generates a phase difference detection signal, and a signal combining unit that generates a power cutoff signal in response to a locking completion signal, the check signal, and the phase difference detection signal.
US08154321B2
A time-differential analog comparator is disclosed. An example apparatus according to aspects of the present invention includes a source of a variable frequency signal having a frequency responsive to an analog input. A counting circuit is coupled to count cycles of the variable frequency signal. The counting circuit is coupled to count in a first direction for a first time interval and is coupled to count in a second direction opposite to the first direction for a second time interval that occurs after an end of the first time interval. An evaluation circuit is coupled to the counting circuit. The evaluation circuit is responsive to the count of the cycles of the variable frequency signal after an end of the second time interval.
US08154318B2
A signal transceiver apparatus suitable for a wired signal transceiver system includes a differential signal transmitter, an impendence matching control module and a signal receiver. The signal transmitter has an output terminal which is connected to a transceiver wire. The signal transmitter includes a first impendence tuner and is used to receive a control signal so as to tune impendence of the first impendence tuner according to the control signal. Moreover, the impendence matching control module generates the control signal according to a compare signal and a lock signal. Besides, the signal receiver generates the lock signal and the compare signal according to a compare result between a current flowing through the first impendence tuner and a reference current.
US08154317B2
An integrated circuit device inductive touch analog front end (AFE) excites selected ones of a plurality of inductive touch sensors, measures voltages across the coils of the plurality of inductive touch sensors, and provides analog output signals representative of these coil voltages. A physical displacement (touch) to the inductive sensor causes the inductance value of the inductive touch sensor to change with a corresponding change in a voltage across the coil of the inductive touch sensor. A digital processor controls selection of each one of the plurality of inductive touch sensors and receives the respective analog output voltage signal from the inductive touch AFE. When a sufficient change in the coil voltage is determined by the digital processor, that inductive touch sensor is assumed to have been actuated and the digital processor takes action based upon which one of the plurality of inductive touch sensors was actuated (touched).
US08154311B2
A method and device for determining the linear response of an electrical multi-port component has an “estimation procedure” in which an estimated admittance matrix is determined by applying voltages to the ports of the component and measuring the response of the component. The estimation procedure can e.g. consist of a conventional measurement of the admittance matrix. The method further has a “measurement procedure” in which several voltage patterns are applied to the port. The voltage patterns correspond to the eigenvectors of the estimated admittance matrix. For each applied voltage pattern, the response of the component is measured. This allows to measure the linear response of the component accurately even if the eigenvalues of the admittance matrix differ by several orders of magnitude.
US08154309B2
A configurable PSRO measurement circuit is used to measure the frequency dependent capacitance of a target through silicon via (TSV) or other conductive structure. Measurements of the target structure are aided by using adjustable resistors and a de-embedding structure to measure the effects of parasitic capacitance, CPAR. Current is measured to both the device under test (DUT) and the de-embedding structure. From these measurements, the frequency dependent capacitance of the DUT is calculated.
US08154306B2
Electronic devices operate in an analog world and their circuitry is subject to non-linear environmental effects that can cause operational problems. Selecting components for a design for a capacitor-charging circuit that incorporates a current-limiting resistor and uses non-linear power supplies, either means having to test every possible combination of elements, and suffering a resultant ‘combinatorial explosion’ as complexity increases, or choosing to over-engineer against untested surprise failure points. Doing the latter in a cost-efficient manner through a min/max/log-set testing series also enables use of non-linear power supplies whose parameters are not known due to competitive or trade secret protective efforts by their manufacturers.
US08154304B2
A printed circuit board (PCB) testing system includes two gear groups, a pair of transmission belts and a driver. The pair of transmission belts geared onto and driven by the two gear groups is parallel and respectively perpendicular to the PCB transmission guideway so as to define a PCB accommodation space therebetween. Each transmission belt includes a plurality of projections. The two gear groups are rotated synchronously and inversely. During operation, the projections on the pair of transmission belts, facing the PCB accommodation space, move down, the projections move away from each other and to the bottom of the corresponding transmission belts, and a PCB supported by the pair of projections drops onto the PCB transmission guideway.
US08154302B2
An electrical power supply device for a logic unit (1), includes a control member (7) that can transmit a control voltage (6), a power relay (3), transmitting a power voltage (2) when it is controlled, an electronic stage (8) controlling the power relay (3) when the electronic stage (8) receives a control voltage (6, 22) from the control member (7) or from the logic unit (1), a voltage regulator (12) transmitting a power supply voltage (20) to the logic unit (1) when it receives the power voltage (2) from the power relay (3) and a control voltage (6, 23) and a wake-up element (17) capable of transmitting an additional control voltage (24) to the voltage regulator (12) when the power relay (3) transmits the power voltage (2). The power supply is applicable to motor vehicle computers and to the detection of failure of the relay stage (3, 8).
US08154282B2
The invention concerns a magnetic field-sensitive component, a magnetic field sensing device and a memory structure each incorporating said component, and a method for detecting a magnetic field using said component. A component according to the invention comprises: at least one diluted magnetic semiconductor, first means for generating an electric current in said semiconductor along one predetermined direction, and second means for producing a signal representing a Hall voltage transverse to said direction, and it is so designed that the semiconductor is selected from the group consisting of II/VI and IV/IV type semiconductors and comprises a zone sensitive to said field which forms all or part of a magnetic quantum well, wherein are confined current carriers incorporated by doping in the semiconductor and inducing in said well ferromagnetic exchange interactions.
US08154280B2
Relating to a thin film lamination and a thin film magnetic sensor using the thin film lamination and a method for manufacturing the thin film lamination that realizes a thin film conducting layer having high electron mobility and sheet resistance as an InAsSb operating layer. A thin film lamination is provided which is characterized by having an AlxIn1−xSb mixed crystal layer formed on a substrate, and an InAsxSb1−x (0
US08154276B2
A method and an arrangement for influencing and/or detecting and/or locating magnetic markers in a region of action is disclosed, which method comprises the steps of: generating a magnetic drive field so that the magnetization of the magnetic marker changes, generating a magnetic selection field having a pattern in space of its magnetic field strength providing a magnetic field gradient in the region of action, acquiring a first signal by means of a first receiving probe and acquiring a second signal by means of a second receiving probe, the first receiving probe and the second receiving probe being located at different locations relative to the region of action, the first signal and the second signal depending on the magnetization of the magnetic marker in the drive field and in the selection field and further depending on the location of the magnetic marker, the magnetic selection field having a first magnetic field strength configuration, repeating at least once the acquisition of the first signal and of the second signal in the presence of the selection field having a second magnetic field strength configuration, computing an estimation of the location of the magnetic marker by means of the acquired signals.
US08154270B2
An input protection circuit (IPC) may prevent an input signal from propagating into a system, such as an integrated circuit (IC), when the voltage level of the input signal exceeds a specified value. The IPC may be configured to compare the input signal voltage, which may be that of an external input signal received by the system, with a reference voltage, which may be the power supply voltage. If the input signal voltage exceeds the reference voltage, the output of the IPC may be set to the value of a specified clamp voltage. If the input signal voltage does not exceed the reference voltage, the output of the IPC may track (or follow) the input signal voltage. For certain integrated circuits, the IPC may be configured to provide circuit protection for an input signal voltage ranging between 0V to 5V, and a power supply voltage ranging between 3.0V and 3.6V.
US08154268B2
A controller for a switching regulator is disclosed including a sense circuit, an error amplifier circuit, a filter and reference circuit, and a comparator circuit. The switching regulator includes a pulse switch circuit coupled to an output inductor for developing an output voltage. The sense circuit provides a sense signal indicative of current through the output inductor. The error amplifier circuit develops an error signal indicative of error of the output voltage. The filter and reference circuit high pass filters the sense signal to provide a filtered sense signal, and references the filtered sense signal and the error signal to a common DC level. The comparator circuit develops a pulse control signal used to control switching of the pulse switch circuit based on comparing the error signal with the filtered sense signal.
US08154261B2
A power converter and method of controlling a power switch therein to improve power conversion efficiency at low output current. In one embodiment, the power converter includes a first power switch coupled to a source of electrical power and a second power switch coupled to the first power switch and to an output terminal of the power converter. The power converter also includes a controller configured to alternately enable conduction of the first and the second power switches with a duty cycle in response to an output characteristic of the power converter. The controller is configured to control a level of current in the first power switch when the second power switch is substantially disabled to conduct.
US08154248B2
A rechargeable battery pack for a power tool can have a data terminal that provides a signal that is indicative of whether the voltage is below a threshold and can serve as both a pre-charge signal for a charger and as a stop-discharge signal for a power tool. A charger can include a power supply circuit and a voltage detection circuit. A charger control module can receive a signal indicative of the voltage of the battery pack and determine a pre-charge time based on the voltage and can monitor a change in the voltage of the battery pack during the pre-charge operation and stop the pre-charge operation based on the change in voltage and the time period.
US08154247B2
A portable telecommunications device comprises a charging interface for connection to an external power supply, a voltage and current ratio converter configured to convert an input voltage at the charging interface into an output voltage for charging a battery; and a controller configured to control the converter.
US08154228B2
A system and method are provided for improved dynamic braking in AC motors with an electronic drive, and more particularly to using a current regulation circuit to control the current supplied to the motor to be in phase with the internal EMF voltage of the motor such that the braking torque of the current is maximized per ampere of dynamic braking current when needed to stop the motor in case of a control failure or emergency. A current regulator produces a voltage command to the motor based on the current command input. The motor is still controlled by a d-q current regulator and the q-axis (torque axis) voltage is driven to zero while the d-axis (non-torque axis) is left in current control with a zero current command. This way the motor internal voltage drives a current in the terminals of the motor but the current is in phase with the internal voltage of the motor. Since the current loops are still active, current limiting may be implemented and the dynamic brake current amplitude can be well controlled and entirely goes into stopping the motor.
US08154226B2
An operating apparatus including a main body, a movable member, a drive unit having a drive source, and a control unit controlling the drive source to control the position of the movable member relative to the main body. The control unit including a position control system and an acceleration control system. The position control system including a position command portion, a first feedforward compensator outputting a first operation command to the drive source, a second feedforward compensator, a positional-information acquiring device obtaining information related to the position of the movable member, and a first feedback compensator outputting a second operation command to the drive source. The acceleration control system including an acceleration-information acquiring device obtaining information related to an acceleration of the main body, a third feedforward compensator, a second feedback compensator outputting a third operation command to the drive source.
US08154214B2
A system and method for powering a light-emitting element in an illumination device includes a DC power supply with the light-emitting element coupled across a positive output terminal and a negative output terminal of the DC power supply. A switching element is coupled between the light-emitting element and the negative output terminal. An average current value across the light-emitting element is measured each time the switching element is turned on. A control circuit generates a PWM signal having a pulse width determined based on the calculated average current value and a predetermined target value, and applies the PWM signal to drive the switching element on and off in accordance with the determined pulse width, and a current is generated across the light-emitting element.
US08154211B2
An apparatus and method thereof for igniting and operating a high intensity discharge (HID) lamp during an in service life, and powering down the lamp when an end-of-life (EOL) lamp condition is detected. The apparatus and method defines a series of thresholds of lamp voltage asymmetry, or rectification thresholds, and monitors the lamp rectification from ignition through normal operation. The detection scheme is masked off for a predetermined period of time when the lamp is initially started. Thereafter, the rectification threshold of the lamp voltage asymmetry is gradually reduced over time, until a defined minimum rectification threshold level is reached and maintained. The method continuously monitors the lamp voltage and records whenever the lamp voltage asymmetry is higher than the rectification threshold level at any lamp voltage cycle. An EOL lamp condition is determined to exist when a certain number of high asymmetrical cycles occurs in selected total number of lamp voltage cycles during a rolling measurement window.
US08154205B2
The present invention provides an energy-saving LED street lamp and a method of saving energy with said LED street lamp. A energy-saving LED street lamp comprises lamp body, power supply adapters, constant current actuating device, and LED lamps. said constant current actuating device is connected in series with the output end of the Power supply adapter, supplying power to said LED lamps. Said energy-saving lamp also comprises auto light-dimmer energy-saving controller; the signal output end of said auto light-dimmer energy-saving controller being connected with constant current actuating device. Said LED lamps compose a plurality of working module; each of the said working module is connected with an independent Power supply adapter. Said auto light-dimmer energy-saving controller has a plurality of routes of output signal, and each of the route of signal output end is connected with a constant current actuating device, and sequentially control the lighten and extinguish time of a working module. A method of saving energy with said LED street lamp is published, too. The working time each day of LED street lamp is divided into a plurality of working time period on the basis of the measure of light used, and then different quantities of working modules are turned on in different time period controlled by the auto light-dimmer energy-saving controller on the basis of the measure of light used.
US08154201B2
A display device is provided with a display panel displaying variable visual images, a transparent protective unit located at a front side of the display panel, an adhesive layer that is formed between the display panel and the transparent protective unit to adhere the transparent protective unit to the display panel, and a fixing member disposed at a rear side of the display panel and surrounding and fixing side surfaces of the display panel and the adhesive layer.
US08154200B2
Presented an organic light-emitting device (OLED) that includes at least one active region, at least one organic layer, a first glass plate on which the at least one active region is applied, and a second glass plate. The active region is disposed between the first and the second glass plates. The first and second glass plates are at least partially transparent in the near infrared spectral range. The OLED further includes a bonding material that includes a solder glass and is disposed between the first and second glass plates. The bonding material forms at least one frame that surrounds the active region and mechanically connects the first glass plate with the second glass plate and seals the active region. The bonding material absorbs near infrared radiation. The OLED further includes spacer particles that have a mean diameter that maintains a height between the first and second glass plates.
US08154199B2
An electroluminescent apparatus having a substrate and a transistor formed above the substrate and having a gate electrode and a semiconductor film. The electroluminescent apparatus having a first insulation film including a first contact hole and a junction electrode contacted to the semiconductor film through the first contact hole. The electroluminescent apparatus having a second insulation film formed above the junction electrode and the first insulation film and including a second contact hole and a pixel electrode formed on the second insulation film and contacted to the junction electrode through the second contact hole. The electroluminescent apparatus having an insulating layer formed above the second insulation film, an organic semiconductor film formed at an emitting region above the pixel electrode, and an opposite electrode formed above the organic semiconductor film and insulating layer. The insulating layer surrounding the emitting region and overlapping the second contact hole.
US08154195B2
An organic electroluminescence device includes: a cathode; an anode; and a single-layered or multilayered organic thin-film layer provided between the cathode and the anode. In the organic electroluminescence device, the organic thin-film layer includes at least one emitting layer, and the at least one emitting layer contains: at least one phosphorescent material; and a host material represented by the following formula (1). Ra—Ar1—Ar2—Rb (1) In the formula, Ar1, Ar2, Ra and Rb each represent a substituted or unsubstituted benzene ring or a substituted or unsubstituted condensed aromatic hydrocarbon group selected from a group consisting of a naphthalene ring, a chrysene ring, a fluoranthene ring, a triphenylene ring, a phenanthrene ring, a benzophenanthrene ring, a dibenzophenanthrene ring, a benzotriphenylene ring, a benzochrysene ring, a picene ring and a benzo[b]fluoranthene ring.
US08154179B2
The present invention is a LED lamp, which comprises an insulation body having a first end electrically installed onto a lamp holder and a second end electrically connected to the first end, a heat dissipation element sleeved on the insulation body, and a light source module electrically and movably connected to the second end, wherein the light source module includes at least one LED, each of the LED is electrically mounted on a lower surface of a printed circuit board, and a lower surface and a upper surface of a heat dissipation plate are connected to an upper surface of the printed circuit board and a lower surface of the heat dissipation element respectively. Since the light source module is electrically and movably connected to the second end, a user can replace the light source module without replacing the whole LED lamp when the light source module is damaged.
US08154177B1
A device for harvesting an external source of energy includes an electricity generating device, a flexure, and a first stop. Displacement of the flexure is limited by the first stop. The flexure has a vibration amplitude, wherein the vibration amplitude is amplitude the flexure would have if unconstrained by the first stop. The first stop allows the flexure to oscillate with a vibration amplitude that is higher than displacement of the flexure as limited by the first stop. The electricity generating device generates electrical energy while the first stop allows the flexure to oscillate with the higher vibration amplitude.
US08154171B2
A boundary acoustic wave device includes a first medium layer made of piezoelectric material, a second medium layer provided on the first medium layer, a third medium layer provided on the second medium layer, and an electrode provided at an interface between the second and third medium layers. The electrode drives the third medium layer to generate a transverse wave. A propagation speed of the transverse wave in the third medium layer is lower than a propagation speed of the transverse wave in the first medium layer. A propagation speed of the transverse wave in the second medium layer is lower than the propagation speed of the transverse wave in the first medium layer. This boundary acoustic wave device has a large electro-mechanical coupling coefficient.
US08154165B2
The present invention achieves an improvement in the power generation capacity of a general purpose engine provided for a power generation application while realizing reductions in the weight and size thereof. An optional external apparatus can be attached to one shaft part of a rotary shaft, and an axial gap type motor/generator constituted by power generating rotors (inner and outer rotors) and a stator is attached integrally to another shaft part of the rotary shaft.
US08154164B2
A system and method for device suspension and wireless power transmission are disclosed. According to one embodiment, an apparatus, comprises a suspended object having a wireless receiving circuit. A wireless transmission circuit is configured to transmit power to the wireless receiving circuit housed in the suspended object. A magnetic stabilization mechanism is beneath and not in contact with suspended object. A circuit is configured to magnetically control a position of the suspended object.
US08154154B2
A system including an input and a controller. The input is configured to receive a switch signal from multiple different types of switches. The controller coupled to the input and can determine the type of the switch by an analysis of the switch signals received from the switch through the input.
US08154144B2
A linear generator for power generation in a wave-driven power station is provided. The linear generator includes a primary part which has a plurality of annular primary coils, which are arranged concentrically with respect to an axis and are separated from one another by intermediate elements, and a secondary part which has a plurality of secondary coils, to which direct current can be applied. The secondary coils are arranged axially alongside one another with alternating polarity and have superconductor windings. The the arrangement of the primary coils in the primary part is in the form of an air-gap winding with intermediate elements composed of non-magnetizable material. The primary part or the secondary part is moved parallel to the axis, in an externally operated manner, by a buoy and the current which is induced in the primary coils by the relative movement between the primary part and the secondary part can be tapped off for power generation.
US08154138B2
An electrical generating assembly 10 which may be selectively used in combination with and/or as part of a municipal wastewater treatment facility 12 and which allows the wastewater treatment facility 12 to generate electrical energy 48, 62, 13 as received wastewater 14 is cleaned according to a plurality of diverse energy generating strategies.
US08154136B2
Method of fabricating thin-film transistors in which contact with connecting electrodes becomes reliable. When contact holes are formed, the bottom insulating layer is subjected to a wet etching process, thus producing undercuttings inside the contact holes. In order to remove the undercuttings, a light etching process is carried out to widen the contact holes. Thus, tapering section are obtained, and the covering of connection wiring is improved.
US08154132B2
A semiconductor device of the invention include a rectangular semiconductor element mounted on a substrate formed with an external input terminal, an external output terminal, and a plurality of wiring patterns connected to each of the external input terminal and the external output terminal. The semiconductor element comprises, a plurality of first electrodes formed along a first edge of a surface thereof, a plurality of second electrodes formed along an edge opposite to the first edge of the surface, a plurality of third electrodes formed in the neighborhood of a functional block, and an internal wiring for connecting the first electrodes and the third electrodes. The substrate comprises, a first wiring pattern for connecting the external input terminal and the first electrodes, a second wiring pattern for connecting the external output terminal and the second electrodes, and a third wiring pattern for connecting the first electrodes and the third electrodes.
US08154130B2
A method for forming germano-silicide contacts atop a Ge-containing layer that is more resistant to etching than are conventional silicide contacts that are formed from a pure metal is provided. The method of the present invention includes first providing a structure which comprises a plurality of gate regions located atop a Ge-containing substrate having source/drain regions therein. After this step of the present invention, a Si-containing metal layer is formed atop the said Ge-containing substrate. In areas that are exposed, the Ge-containing substrate is in contact with the Si-containing metal layer. Annealing is then performed to form a germano-silicide compound in the regions in which the Si-containing metal layer and the Ge-containing substrate are in contact; and thereafter, any unreacted Si-containing metal layer is removed from the structure using a selective etch process. In some embodiments, an additional annealing step can follow the removal step. The method of the present invention provides a structure having a germano-silicide contact layer atop a Ge-containing substrate, wherein the germano-silicide contact layer contains more Si than the underlying Ge-containing substrate.
