US08230883B2
There is provided a gas piping system for a fuel cell in which a gas pipe is made of stainless steel containing no nickel and is fixed at normal room temperature to a suspension member or a fixing portion through a fixing tool by means of bolts/nuts. The fixing tool is constituted to include a bracket member and an elastic member, and this elastic member is arranged between the bracket member and the gas pipe. Moreover, the fixing tool is equipped with a notched portion such that the fixing tool may be self-ruptured when an excessive external force is applied to a fuel cell stack constituting a fuel cell system.
US08230877B2
A dosage system for feeding a fluid (A) to a static mixer (1), said system comprising a tank (2) containing said fluid (A) at a predetermined pressure, a fluid passage (3) connecting said container (1) and tank (2), a control valve (4) provided within said fluid passage (3) to control the flow of said fluid (A) from said tank into said container; and a controller (6) for receiving a target flow rate (SP_Q) of said fluid (A), and an actual flow rate (PV_Q) of said fluid (A), and for outputting a control signal (MV_L) to said control valve (4) indicating a valve position to adjust the flow rate. Further provided is a method for controlling said dosage system.
US08230876B2
An apparatus for handling a hose arranged in a hose housing. The hose is in successive order connected to a fuel supply connection, passes a first roll, passes a second roll and extends through an opening in the hose housing, towards a nozzle end of the hose. The first roll is attached to the housing by at least one resilient element and a first carrier part having the form of a swing lever, and the second roll is attached to the housing by at least a second carrier part, to allow extracting and retracting of the hose through the opening. Moreover, a method for handling a hose as well as a fuel dispensing unit are described.
US08230863B2
A medical assembly includes a platform which is securely mountable to an operating room fixture, and a plurality of arms or arm modules coupled to the platform and each with a grasper for holding a surgical instrument or port. The medical assembly is particularly applicable for laparoscopic surgery although it is not limited thereto.
US08230862B2
A flexible support for holding endotracheal and nasotracheal tubes in place on the face of a patient includes a pair of oppositely disposed adhesively mountable flanges for releasable mounting to the face of the patient, wherein the flanges are interconnected by a single narrow adhesive-backed elongate bridge-piece spanning between the opposite flanges, and wherein the bridge-piece is shaped so as to be mountable on either the filtrum or mandible of a patient, and wherein a pair of adhesive-backed wings are pivotally mounted by a flexible hinge to the bridge-piece for releasable adhesive mounting of the wings to a portion of the tracheal tube once intubated.
US08230860B2
A filter for a breathing device is flexible and can be manufactured in a simple manner. The filter includes a flexible frame (5) with a filter port (8) and with an end piece (9). The flexible frame (5) is provided between two filter mats (2, 3). The flexible frame (5) can be folded over along a bent edge (7) such that the filter port (8) and the second end piece (9) are arranged opposite each other.
US08230858B2
A method for controlling a respiratory gas monitor device, which includes at least one respiratory gas analyzer, a gas sampling line, a gas pump for sucking sample(s) of respiratory gas from the gas sampling line. Also included are a power supply and a processing unit, and a pressure sensor connected to the gas sampling line and electrically connected to the processing unit. A minimum value and a maximum value in a signal from the patient are detected by the processing unit, and a difference between the minimum value and the maximum value is calculated. The value of this difference is compared with a predetermined threshold value. If the calculated difference is below the threshold value, the pump is switched off or kept non-operating by the processing unit. If the calculated difference is over the threshold value, the pump is switched on or kept operating by the processing unit.
US08230849B2
An improved wall thimble as part of a venting apparatus for a heating appliance. Dual functionality is provided in a single wall thimble device by having a vent path for exhausting combustion by-products, and a separate air inlet path to draw in combustion air for use by the heating appliance. The wall thimble is preferably formed as a two-cylindrical part housing such that a first portion can be inserted into a second portion. When a smaller exhaust pipe is routed through the two-part housing, an annular region is formed between the exhaust pipe and the walls of the housing. A first air vent is formed in the first portion to draw combustion air into the annular region from outside. A second air vent is formed in the second portion to route the combustion air from the annular region out through the second air vent to be coupled with the combustion air inlet. A baffle is disposed in the first portion to preheat the combustion air. A duct assembly with an adjustable extension may be coupled to the second air vent to provide a below-grade installation.
US08230840B2
The invention relates to an injector including a needle mounted in a nozzle and having an end defining a valve, the needle being connected at the other end to an actuator including first, second and third portions, the first and third portions being provided on either side of the second portion, the three portions being tightened together in order to form a block having two axially opposite limits, the first portion being connected with the needle at one of said limits, and an excitation means for vibrating the second portion according to setpoint period τ. According to the invention, the length between the two limits of the block is such that the propagation time T of the acoustic waves generated by the vibrations of the second portion of the actuator and running along that length meets the equation: T=n*[τ/2], where n is an integer positive multiplication coefficient different from zero.
US08230833B2
A valve train for an internal combustion engine for actuating gas exchange valves includes a camshaft in the form of a camshaft tube driven by a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine. A selector shaft is disposed in the camshaft tube. A surface of the selector shaft includes a shifting contour having an axial gradient. At least one cam carrier is disposed on the camshaft and axially displaceable but rotationally fixed with respect to the camshaft. Each cam carrier includes an identical base-circle portion and a plurality of cam profiles. A rotationally fixed but axially displaceable shifting sleeve is disposed between the camshaft tube and the rotatable selector shaft of each cam carrier. Each shifting sleeve includes a hole. A shilling ball is disposed in the hole of each shifting sleeve. The shifting ball is coupled with the shifting contour of the selector shaft so as to be guided by the selector shaft so as to axially displace the shifting sleeve by rotation of the selector shaft. The shifting sleeve is operatively connected to the cam carrier via at least a driver for axial displacement of the cam carrier.
US08230832B2
A vane-type camshaft adjuster has a side plane that is arranged perpendicular to the center axis of the camshaft adjuster. A coil spring abuts the side plane and is connected between a rotor and stator to maintain the rotor at a certain angular position relative to the stator.In order to create a vane-type camshaft adjuster, the righting moments of which are adjusted in a particularly accurate manner, the coil spring has a rectangular profile, wherein a spring section is angled through the side plane such that the coil spring is supported relative to the stator or the rotor in a pivot-proof positive fitting manner.
US08230830B2
An electronically controlled hydraulic system for variable actuation of the valves of an internal combustion engine is constructed for fast filling of the high pressure side of the system.
US08230826B2
Systems and methods are provided for selectively storing gaseous reformate output by a fuel reformer for fueling an engine. Carbon monoxide produced by a fuel reformer may be continuously combusted in the engine and/or engine exhaust rather than being stored. In one example, reformate components produced by a fuel reformer, e.g., H2 and CH4, may be stored and buffered for use by an engine.
US08230822B2
A pet collar assembly is removably attached to a pet collar and carries a leash. The assembly allows for extending and retracting the leash and includes a housing, an actuator assembly for actuating retraction of the leash upon receiving force higher than a threshold retraction force, and a spool communicating with the actuator assembly and biased for coiling the leash. The actuator assembly has a button and a button shaft that mechanically communicates with a hook shaft attached to a hook. The hook engages a plurality of teeth disposed on the circumference of a rim of the spool. An elastic band applies force against the hook so that the actuator assembly remains in a locked configuration unless a force higher than the threshold retraction force is received by the button.
US08230818B2
A portable pet bed apparatus is provided that can be selectively side mountable to a bed assembly. The pet bed apparatus includes a carrier device that defines a bedding space thereof sized and dimensioned to accommodate a domestic pet therein. The pet bed apparatus further includes a mounting assembly having a support platform configured to vertically support the of the carrier device thereatop, and a frame assembly coupled to the support platform. The frame assembly can be moved between a stowed position and a deployed position. In the deployed position, portions of the frame assembly cooperate with the bed assembly for side mounting thereto. The carrier device can be removed from the mounting assembly, which enable independent functionality as a pet carrier.
US08230817B2
An improved poultry coop that facilitates the prevention of entry of predators and the transmission of pathogens to and between the housed birds. In a preferred embodiment, the coop, which advantageously meets bird flu guidelines, includes an insulated house, a covered run coupled to the house, and a covered feed house. All openings are preferably covered with ½ inch hardware cloth or mesh wire. The same cloth or mesh wire is preferably buried beneath the earth below the coop and coupled to the coop.
US08230809B2
A bird feeder comprising a seed container, a seed tray situated below the seed container, a shroud extending about the seed tray and having an opening therein to permit access thereto, a perch proximate the opening, a center tube mounted internally of the feed container and a non rotatable nut mounted within the center tube, a post being screwthreadedly engaged with the non rotatable nut to adjust spring tension, a cover about an upper end of the feed container, the arrangement being such that pressure from an animal such as a squirrel on either the cover or perch will cause the shroud to block the opening and deny access to the seed.
US08230808B2
A pet food dispenser has a container, a bottom lid and a receiving plate. The bottom lid is covered on a bottom opening of the container and has multiple through holes. The receiving plate is connected to the bottom lid. A gap is formed between the receiving plate and the bottom lid. The pet foods in the container drop out from the through holes of the bottom lid. Because the receiving plate collects dropped pet food, only some pet food is released for the pets to eat. The pets need to push the pet food dispenser to topple and roll so that more and more pet food is released. Therefore, the pet food dispenser efficiently leads the pets to move more by using food to attract the pets.
US08230805B2
A dispensing apparatus includes a frame, a support coupled to the frame, a gantry coupled to the frame, a first dispensing unit coupled to the gantry, a second dispensing unit coupled to the gantry, and an imaging system coupled to one of the frame and the gantry. The imaging system may be configured to capture at least one image of a first pattern and a second pattern, with the second pattern being identical to the first pattern. The dispensing apparatus further includes a controller configured to verify whether the first pattern and the second pattern are properly positioned on the support with respect to one another based on the at least one captured image to permit simultaneous dispense operations of the first dispensing unit on the first pattern and the second dispensing unit on the second pattern. Other embodiments and methods of dispensing are further disclosed.
US08230803B2
A runway selector is provided for selecting a runway at an airport which does not have traffic control and which has one or more numbered runways. The runway selector includes a first circular scale having azimuth indicia thereon. The runway selector also includes a second circular scale positioned on the first scale and which has runway number indicia thereon. One or more flat strips, which resemble runways, are selectively rotatably mounted over the scales. A wind direction pointer is selectively rotatably mounted over the scales. The runway selector enables a pilot to visually determine the proper runway to use so that the aircraft may land into the wind as closely as possible.
US08230802B2
Method for installing (or replacing) a unit on the tower of an offshore wind turbine, which unit comprises a rotor including a hub and one or two rotor blades, and a nacelle receiving a gearbox and a generator. The method is characterized by pre-assembling the substantially functional unit ashore or on a platform, placing the functional unit on a watercraft in such a manner that the center of gravitation of the unit lies in the region of the longitudinal axis of the watercraft and the rotor blades extend in the longitudinal direction of the watercraft, transporting the functional unit to the site of the offshore wind turbine, lifting the functional unit from the watercraft using a crane aboard the watercraft, placing the functional unit on the tower of the offshore wind turbine, and fastening the functional unit on the tower of the offshore wind turbine.
US08230799B2
The present invention is a shackle apparatus used for the lifting of subsea objects. The shackle apparatus includes a shackle body having a first leg and a second leg in which each of the legs has an eyelet formed therein. A pin is mounted through the eyelets of the legs of the shackle body. At least one latch extends radially outwardly of the pin and resides adjacent the first leg of the shackle body. A stop surface extends from the pin and is positioned adjacent the second leg of the shackle body. The pin has a generally pointed end so that a remotely operated vehicle can suitably guide the pin through the eyelets of the shackle body. A gripping member extends outwardly from an end of the pin so as to provide a surface whereby an ROV can grip the pin for installation into the shackle body.
US08230796B2
A combustor 110 is operative to effect therewith the combustion of fossil fuel 114′ in order to thereby both heat to a working fluid 102 and generate a flue gas 104. An air preheater 144 receives the flue gas 104 generated in the combustor 110. A blower 180 causes air 188 to flow to the air preheater 144 when operating in an air fired mode, and causes both O2 and recycled flue gas 188′ to flow when operating in the O2 firing mode. The air preheater 144 is operative to transfer heat from the flue gas 150 received thereby to the air 188 that is received when operating in an air fired mode or to both the received O2 and the recycled flue gas 188′ that is received when operating in the O2 firing mode in order to thereby effect a preheating of the air 188 or of both the O2 and recycled flue gas, 188′ depending upon the specific nature of the mode of operation thereof, and to thereby effect therewith a cooling of the flue gas received thereby. The preheated air 142 or both the preheated O2 and the recycled flue gas 142′, depending upon the specific nature of the mode of operation, is caused to flow from the air preheater 144 to the combustor 110 in order to thereby effect therewith a fluidization of the fossil fuel 114′.
US08230793B2
A nestable pallet includes an upper deck from which a plurality of feet extend downwardly. The upper deck includes an upper planar member and cross-ribs extending downwardly therefrom. The pallet is sturdy yet light weight and can be optionally provided with a reinforcement sheet secured to the lower ends of the ribs to provide a stronger, stiffer pallet.
US08230791B2
A device is provided for covering the sides of a spacing (4) between two vehicles coupled with each other, in particular rail cars (1, 2). The device has two side walls (10) running parallel to each other that deform at least in the longitudinal direction of travel. The side walls (10) are connected to each other in the upper and lower regions by braces (12). The braces (12) are connected to each other, so that they can move relative to each other, in the longitudinal direction of the travel by at least one accordion-like material strip (20).
US08230790B2
A fuze setting circuit in an artillery or tank shell having a case with a press-fitted head assembly is provided with an electromechanical fuze-wiring link that is completed electrically by mechanical assembly of a tracer-carrying projectile on the shell casing, and by the rotational attachment of a programmable fuze onto the projectile.
US08230788B2
A detonator assembly is provided for use in oilfield operations to detonate an explosive downhole including a capacitor discharge unit and initiator electrically connected together to form a single unit. Further, provided is a method of fabricating an integrated detonator. Additionally, a method of use for an integrated detonating unit is provided.
US08230780B2
Recyclable plastic film is efficiently collected for recycling at stores or other locations by compacting the plastic film as layers in plastic/cardboard bales. The plastic/cardboard bales can be formed using existing cardboard balers that stores typically already have for baling recyclable cardboard. In one embodiment, the plastic/cardboard bales are preferably formed with a bottom layer of cardboard, a middle layer of the recyclable plastic film, and a top layer of cardboard. The layered structure can be modified to omit one of the cardboard layers or to add additional plastic film and cardboard layers.
US08230764B1
The present invention discloses a ratchet wrench, which includes a body, a driving head, a fixing disk and a rotatable member. The body has a ring-shaped head with internal teeth therein. The driving head is located in the ring-shaped head and has a top portion which has a reception recess and a pawl is located in the reception recess. The pawl has engaging teeth on two ends of the front thereof and two curved surfaces are formed on the back of the pawl. A spring is located in the reception recess so as to bias the back of the pawl. The rotatable member is located on the top of the ring-shaped head and has two driving pins which shift the spring to pivot the pawl such that the engaging teeth in one of the two ends of the pawl are engaged with the internal teeth to control the driving head to rotate in one direction.
US08230757B2
A lever lockout assembly includes a pair of lever supports and a pair of slide supports mounted on a housing. A lever member is rotatably supported by the lever supports. The lever member has a pair of arms separated by a notch. A lockout slide is slidably supported by the slide supports. The lockout slide has a ridge portion and a recess portion. The lockout slide is slidable to a lockout position wherein the ridge portion is received by the notch and the ridge is engagable with the arms to prevent rotation of the lever member. The lockout slide is also slidable to an unlocked position wherein the recess portion is aligned with the notch and the arms are rotatable through the recess portion. A handle projects from an end of the lockout slide. The lockout slide is a rigid bar with a polygonal cross-sectional shape. An edge of the bar forming the ridge portion. The lockout slide includes a pair of detent recess formed in a surface thereof. A detent roller engages the lockout slide, and is releasably received by the detent recess to releasably hold the lockout slide in a selected positions.
US08230754B2
The present invention provides a safety unit comprising: a case; a rotary linkage disposed at one end thereof at the outside of the case and rotatably mounted at the other end thereof to the case; a force transfer shaft mounted to one side of the rotary linkage in such a fashion as to be oriented perpendicular to the rotating plane of the rotary linkage; a crank linkage rotatably mounted at one end thereof to the inner side of the case and adapted to abut against the force transfer shaft at the outer circumferential edge thereof so as to be transferred with an external force to be rotatably moved; and a support means rotatably connected to the other end of the crank linkage and adapted to allow for the rotation of the crank linkage when an external force having a value larger than a predetermined threshold value is exerted to the rotary linkage.
US08230752B2
An automated group transmission having a multi-stage main transmission (HG), a splitter group (VG) connected upstream from the main transmission (HG) and a two-stage range-change group (BG) connected downstream of the main transmission (HG), such that the splitter group (VG) is connected, via a controllable separator clutch, to a drive motor. The main transmission (HG) and the range-change group (BG) are of either a synchronized or an unsynchronized design and the shifting clutches of two respective transmission ratio steps, in at least one of the partial-transmissions (VG, HG, BG), are respectively combined in a common shifting packet with two shift positions and a neutral position. To speed up most range shifts, it is provided that in the main transmission (HG) the shifting clutches associated with the lowest transmission ratio step (G1) and with the highest transmission ratio step (G4 or G3) are combined in a common shifting packet (S1/4 or S1/3).
US08230751B2
A double clutch transmission with two clutches connected to a drive shaft and to one of two transmission input shafts. Fixed gears are coupled to the input shafts and engage idler gears. Several coupling devices connect the idler gears to a countershaft which have an output gear that couple gears of an output shaft such power shift forward gears and a reverse gear can be shifted. Two dual gear planes each comprising one fixed gear which is supported by an input shaft and two idler gears which are supported by a respective countershaft. In each dual gear plane at least one idler gear wheel can be used for at least two gears. Two single gear planes each comprise an idler gear wheel and a fixed gear wheel, so that at least one winding-path gear can be shifted via the shifting device and one winding-path gear via another shifting device.
US08230745B2
Method and system for a wet/wet differential pressure sensor based on microelectronic packaging process. A top cap with a hole can be attached to a topside of a MEMS-configured pressure sense die with a pressure sensing diaphragm in order to allow sensed media to come in contact with the topside of the pressure sensing diaphragm. An optional constraint with a hole for stress relief can be attached to a backside of the pressure sense die. Adhesive and/or elastomeric seals and/or solder can be utilized to seal the pressure sense die allowing sensed media to come in contact with both sides of the pressure sensing diaphragm without coming into contact with wirebonds and other metallized surfaces. The MEMS-configured pressure sense die can also be bonded to a substrate with standard die attach materials. Such microelectronic packaging processes yield a high performance and cost effective solution thereby providing wet-wet pressure sensing capability.
US08230744B2
A method is described for reducing a dead volume of a microfluidic circuit that includes, in one embodiment, a reservoir, an outlet, and a microfluidic flowpath fluidly connecting the reservoir and the outlet. The method includes providing a microfluidic flow component between the reservoir and the outlet for performing a function and in fluidic communication with the microfluidic flowpath, wherein the microfluidic flow component includes a total volume including a working volume and a dead volume. The working volume is a volume necessary for the microfluidic flow component to perform the function and the dead volume is a volume unnecessary for the microfluidic flow component to perform the function. The method includes configuring at least one of the reservoir, the microfluidic flowpath, and the microfluidic flow component to reduce the dead volume, such that the working volume of the component is substantially the same as the total volume.
US08230740B2
An angular speed sensor includes two oscillating portions arranged to oscillate in X-axis direction and Y-axis direction, where the oscillating portions are spaced from each other in X-axis direction. The sensor also includes two coupling beams capable of producing a standing wave oscillation, elongated in X-axis direction and spaced from each other in Y-axis direction, with the oscillating portions located therebetween. The coupling beams are connected to a supporting substrate via fixing posts. The coupling beams are bridged by first and second link portions, the first link portion being also connected to one of the oscillating portions and the second link portion to the other. The fixing posts are connected to the coupling beams at fixed points of the standing wave oscillation. The link portions include widened portions connected to the coupling beams at the fixed points of the standing wave oscillation.
US08230735B2
A flow rate of a fluid flowing in a tubing is determined using a flow meter. The flow meter measures a value related to the flow rate. The tubing has a valve for controlling the fluid flowing through the flow meter. The method of determination of the flow rate includes closing the valve and measuring a first zero flow rate value at a first time and a second zero flow rate value at a second time, estimating an error of the value measurement based on the first and second zero flow rate values, opening the valve and measuring value of the flowing fluid, applying an error correction to the measured value of the flowing fluid, and calculating a corrected flow rate based on the corrected value of flowing fluid.
US08230734B2
A leaf spring load measuring device of the present invention comprises a weighing mechanism, a measuring mechanism, a metering mechanism, and a control mechanism. The weighing mechanism applies a load heavier than a working load to a leaf spring, thereby bending the leaf spring in its thickness direction, and maintains the resulting state for a predetermined hold time. The measuring mechanism measures a load value of the leaf spring in a manner such that the spring is subjected to a load within a range of the working load. The metering mechanism meters a displacement of the spring when the load value is measured. The control mechanism controls the weighing mechanism, the metering mechanism, and the measuring mechanism, and has a timer function to meter the hold time.
US08230729B2
A fluid condition and level sensor is provided that includes a solenoid body, a coil, and an armature surrounded by the coil. The solenoid body defines an armature chamber in which the armature is movable in response to energizing of the coil. The sensor is mounted to a reservoir such that a first portion of the solenoid body extends into a cavity defined by the reservoir, and so that movement of the armature is substantially transverse to a direction of fluid level change in the reservoir. The first portion of the solenoid body defines an opening permitting fluid communication between the cavity and the armature chamber, such that fluid enters and is displaced from the armature chamber through the opening as the armature moves, movement of the armature within the armature chamber thereby being affected by fluid level in the reservoir.
US08230724B2
The invention relates to an apparatus comprising a measurement chamber and a resonator, which can be integrated in the measurement chamber via a quick-action closure, for the liquid sensor system and for verification and measurement of the concentration of materials, substances, particles and/or microorganisms in liquids. The invention is characterized in that the resonator is held only on its outer circumference by a thin elastomer ring, and in that at the radial distance of the external diameter of the resonator, the elastomer ring on the one hand rests on an upper sealing ring of the measurement chamber, forming a seal, and on the other hand rests on a holding ring.
US08230719B2
The present invention is directed to a method for multidimensional gas chromatography for separating the analytes of a complex sample. The method comprises the steps of introducing the sample onto a first column whereby the sample is separated into at least two segments, introducing at least one segment into a heartcut device whereby the segments are selectively separated into at least two heartcut fractions, introducing at least one of the fractions onto a second column whereby at least one fraction is further separated into at least two analytes, introducing at least one analyte from the second column to a gas chromatography connector, introducing the analyte from the connector to a third column, and introducing the analyte from the third column into a detector whereby the analyte is analyzed and identified.
US08230716B2
A diagnostic method and system is described for diagnosing an operating condition of a conductive particulate matter sensor. The sensor has a substrate and two electrodes on the substrate adapted to collect particulate matter between the electrodes, thereby establishing an electrically conductive path through collected particulate matter between the electrodes that can be detected by measuring electrical resistance between the electrodes, Relect. The diagnosis is performed by detecting whether water vapor condensate may be present between the electrodes and if it is, then measuring resistance between the electrodes while subjecting the sensor to conditions sufficient to evaporate any water vapor condensate and diagnosing a validation that the sensor is in proper operating condition if resistance increases in a manner consistent with evaporation of condensate.
US08230713B2
An elevated temperature forming die apparatus comprising a lower die part having a first upper surface positioned to engage a lower surface of a first region of such a workpiece, an upper die part supported for reciprocal motion relative to the lower die part, the upper die part having a lower surface that engages an upper surface of a second region of a sheet material workpiece, heaters in thermal communication with the die parts, and a third die part having an upper surface that engages a lower surface of the second region of a sheet material workpiece whose first portion is positioned between the upper and lower die parts, the third die part being supported for reciprocal motion relative to the upper die part such that closure of the upper die part along the first stroke portion against the third die part will clamp the first portion of the workpiece between the upper and third die parts, and the third die part being supported for reciprocal motion relative to the lower die part such that, once the first portion of a workpiece has been clamped between the upper and third die parts a draw region of the workpiece extending adjacent an interface between the first and second portions of the workpiece can be drawn by displacing the lower die part relative to the clamped-together upper and third die parts along a second portion of the die set stroke.
US08230711B2
A rolling mill (1) for rolling a metal workpiece (2) that is provided with at least one roll stand (3) as well as with a conveyor (4) for the material to be rolled (2) extending on both sides of the roll stand (3) for a predetermined length (L) is based on the object that in the area of the longitudinal extent of the conveyor (4) at least one holder (5) for a coil (6) of the metal workpiece (2) is provided that can be positioned in a first position (A) in which it does not disturb the transport of the metal workpiece (2) along the conveyor (4) and that can be positioned in a second position (B) in which the coil (6) is positioned close to the roll stand (3) on the conveyor (4) for unwinding or winding up the coil (6).
US08230710B2
A method includes providing a shaft having a coupling section. The coupling section has a generally cylindrical exterior surface. The method includes applying a coating to the coupling section to form an engaging surface. The method further includes cold-forming the shaft and the coating such that a plurality of protrusions is formed in the engaging surface. The cold-forming of the shaft and the coating is performed contemporaneously.
US08230709B2
An elongated workpiece is treated, e.g. rolled, in a production system where treatment devices move the workpiece longitudinally in a horizontal travel direction and at a generally constant travel speed along a horizontal longitudinal path and a control computer is connected to the treatment devices. Straightness of the workpiece is measured by gripping the workpiece at a pair of longitudinally spaced supports, applying tension to a longitudinally extending horizontal portion of the workpiece between the supports, and continuously moving the workpiece in the travel direction at the travel speed with a lower surface of the portion substantially unsupported. At least periodically a vertical spacing is measured between the portion and a straight longitudinal reference line extending in the direction between the supports parallel to the workpiece at the supports. The vertical-spacing measurement are fed to the computer for use controlling the devices.
US08230706B1
A coupling assembly for coupling a first handcuff bracelet and a second handcuff bracelet together, each bracelet including a locking mechanism for opening and closing the bracelet, the coupling assembly comprising: a swivel assembly for permitting angular rotation of at least one of the bracelets in a predetermined first rotational direction relative to a longitudinal axis extending through the swivel assembly and the first and second bracelets, the swivel assembly preventing the bracelets from being rotated in a second rotational direction opposite from said first rotational direction.
US08230703B2
It is disclosed a method for making SPME fibers. The SPME fibers consist of metal-oxide coatings on fused-silica fibers. The coatings are prepared from a water-based solution containing a predetermined amount of metal ion and a predetermined amount of a reactant. The water based solution and the fused-silica fibers are kept at the temperatures below 100° C. for a predetermined time to obtain SPME fibers. The SPME fibers are applied for extraction of pesticides and other organic compounds such as 1,4-dichloro-2-nitrobenzene; Biphenyl; and Acenaphthene in the water based solution and cooling gas of a power generator respectively.
US08230696B2
To prevent incorrect operation of an operating member provided in an electric component box without giving complicated processing on a front panel. An opening formed in the front portion of a housing (11) to correspond to a machine room (14) is closed with a front panel (20). A suction louver (25) and a delivery louver (26) are formed in the front panel (20). An inserting/withdrawing opening (28) used for inserting/withdrawing a filter (34) is opened above the position for forming the suction louver (25) in the front panel (20). A base portion (38) being fitted in the inserting/withdrawing opening (28) to close the opening (28) is formed above the filter (34). A power switch (43) and a service switch (44) are provided on the front of the electric component box (42) arranged in the machine room (14). The portion for arranging the power switch (43) and the service switch (44) in the electric component box (42) opposes the rear of the inserting/withdrawing opening (28). When the filter (34) is fixed to the front panel (20), the front side of the power switch (43) and the service switch (44) is covered with the base portion (38).
US08230695B2
Provided is an indoor unit of an air conditioner. The structures of the indoor unit, such as the relationship between an inlet and an outlet, the shape of a rear guide, and the relationship between the outlet and a vane, are improved. Therefore, the airflow of the indoor unit is stable, and the noise level of the indoor unit is low.
US08230689B2
A climate control system includes the interim heating/cooling component that operates in the interim duration prior to the heating and cooling systems reaching a desired state of readiness. The interim heating/cooling device uses the Peltier effect to transfer heat between first and second sides depending on a polarity of current. Controlling which of the two sides is heated provides the desired heating or cooling of the air. Once the heating or cooling system reaches the desired state of readiness, the interim heating/cooling device is turned off.
US08230683B2
In an exhaust gas turbocharger turbine for an internal combustion engine having a housing including a turbine wheel rotatably supported in the housing, wherein the housing has an exhaust gas flow guide section including an exhaust gas flow control arrangement with a guide vane structure for directing exhaust gas onto the turbine rotor, an adjustment mechanism with an axially movable control slide is provided which is movable by an operating fork which is slidably supported on a guide element and engages the control slide at opposite sides so as to prevent cogging of the movable control slide during movement into, and out of, the exhaust gas flow guide section.
US08230676B2
An exhaust system for an internal combustion engine, includes an exhaust line, an exhaust gas treatment device, an injection device arranged upstream from the exhaust gas treatment device for injecting a liquid educt into the exhaust line and a mixing and/or evaporation device for the sprayed educt situated downstream from the injection device and upstream from the exhaust gas treatment device. At least one section of the exhaust line carrying exhaust gas is formed by an exhaust pipe that has an end section arranged downstream from the injection device and upstream from the exhaust gas treatment device. The mixing and/or evaporation device is integrally formed on the end section of the exhaust pipe.
US08230665B2
Apparatus and methods of producing embossed promotional cards which minimize nesting of adjacently embossed cards in a stack, the apparatus and method provide for offsetting the embossed indicia between adjacently stacked cards or for varying the embossed indicia between adjacently stacked cards.
US08230657B2
The composite joist floor system includes joists supported by supporting members. Corrugated steel decking is positioned over the joists such that the corrugations are substantially perpendicular to the joists. Self-drilling, self-tapping, stand-off screws are spaced along the length of the joist, aligned with the deck corrugations. These stand-off screws provide the required shear transfer between the joist and concrete slab to form a composite floor system. The placed concrete encapsulates the upper non-threaded shank portions of the stand-off screws and the end of the joists. After the concrete has cured, the resultant system comprised of steel joists, steel decking, stand-off screws, and concrete, act together to form a composite system with greater load carrying capacity and less vertical deflection. The stand-off screws connect the joist upper chords to the concrete slab allowing the joist and concrete slab to act as a unit, by transferring shear between the two joined components.
US08230656B2
A roof membrane is disclosed, for use in simulating a standing seam metal roof when applied to a roof surface and a roof system is also provided, that employs the roof membrane, disposed between longitudinal, but spaced-apart, generally parallel roof battens. Underlayments of various constructions are also provided, beneath the membrane, as an option. Caps are provided for upstanding legs of the roof battens.
US08230655B2
The invention relates to an under rafters insulation system for a steep roof, comprising at least two mutually parallel extending building elements (3) which are spaced from each other, and insulation elements (4), in particular mineral fiber insulation elements, are arranged in a space between the building elements (3). The building elements (3) are mountable to rafters (2) of the steep roof by means of holding elements (5). For further developing an under rafters insulation system of the described type to the effect that the insulation elements (4) are easily supported between the building elements (3) at least over a period of time in which the under rafters insulation system (1) is not yet completed with a final cover, it is proposed that the holding elements (5) additionally secure the insulation elements (4) against falling out of the space between the building elements (3).
US08230654B2
A tray substrate for a modular tile flooring system is disclosed that allows installation of medallion floating tiles into the flooring system. This tray substrate is designed to be a smaller medallion type tray substrate installed amongst larger tray substrates in a shape that is twisted at an angle to the grout lines of the other tiles. This is known as a medallion which is inserted in the layout.
US08230649B2
A construction panel includes a pane, a construction substrate, and a frame that form an air gap there between. An electrical generator, a water circulator, and an air venting system are in the air gap. First and second reflective coatings are respectively on first surfaces of the pane and the construction substrate. The first surfaces face the air gap. The reflective coatings reflect IR to heat water in the water circulator and heat air in the air gap. First and second antireflective coatings are respectively on a second surface of the pane and on the first reflective coating. The second surface faces away from the air gap. The antireflective coatings transmit electromagnetic radiation to the electrical generator for electricity generation. The heated water, heated air, and electricity may be used in a building to which the construction panel is attached. The solar-construction panel includes a multiple-pane window integrally formed therein.
US08230642B2
The animal trap of the present invention includes a tubular body with an open forward end and a closed rear end. A spring loaded restraint is pivotally mounted on the body so as to be movable between open and closed positions. A latch on the body engages the restraint to set the restraint in the open position. A trigger on the body engages the latch to set the trap. The trigger is movable in opposite forward and rearward directions by an animal, such as a raccoon, reaching its paw into the housing and pushing or pulling the trigger leg, such that the latch is disengaged and releases the restraint, which is forced by a spring to the closed position to catch the animal's paw in the tubular body.
US08230638B1
A novel and improved turkey motion decoy and decoy mounting system is disclosed. The mounting system comprises a plurality of movable frames to support a decoy body and tail, to thereby provide a decoy capable of moving its body parts to imitate the realistic mating behavior of a turkey.
US08230634B1
A two piece upper receiver for a firearm including a first piece having a front end, a rear end, a top, and a bottom, the first piece constructed to operatively carry a bolt carrier and bolt, and to have a barrel coupled to the front end. The bottom is constructed to have a lower receiver coupled thereto. The first piece includes a backbone extending along the top between the front end and the rear end, the back bone having upwardly directed indexing surfaces. A second piece overlies the backbone and includes mating surfaces engaging the indexing surfaces, aligning the second piece with the first piece. A receiving structure is opposite the mating surfaces for receiving accessory devices mounted thereon. Fasteners fixedly attach the second piece to the first piece to form a complete upper receiver.
US08230620B2
A foot pad for relieving pain while engaging in weight bearing activity is provided. A pad can include an arch portion fitting under and adjacent to the medial longitudinal arch of the foot, offsetting the soft tissue of the medial longitudinal arch thereby supporting the calcaneo-navicular ligament structure, wherein the arch portion extends from front to rear, of the longitudinal medial arch, and the arch portion extends from the medial side towards the lateral side, of the longitudinal medial arch. Furthermore, the pad can provide a heel portion of the pad fitting under the heel of the foot, the heel portion connecting a medial side portion of the pad to a lateral side portion of the pad, cushioning and reduces soreness and pressure from the sole of the foot by offsetting the soft tissue of the medial longitudinal arch, thereby supporting the calcaneo-navicular ligament structure reducing over-pronation and increasing supination of the foot during weight bearing activity, offsetting and cushioning the soft tissue of the outer portions of sole of the heel and offsetting the central portion of the heel from the surface immediately below the pad at a distance of approximately the thickness of the pad, during weight bearing activity.
US08230615B1
A combined hair dryer and hair dryer drape includes a hair dryer which has a semi-spherical dome provided with a cavity for receiving a user head therein during hair drying procedures. The hair dryer drape includes a plurality of sleeves contiguously and respectively formed along an entire perimeter of the hair dryer drape. The drape further includes a plurality of L-shaped spools situated at opposed corners of the hair dryer drape and partially extending along the corresponding sleeves. The drape further includes a plurality of hair dryer drape extensions wound about the corresponding spools and housed within the sleeves respectively. The hair dryer drape is made from water impermeable top and bottom layers pinched together along respective outer edges thereof and a plurality of insulating layers contiguously intercalated between the top and bottom layers for defining a core section.
US08230613B2
A clothes treating apparatus is disclosed. The clothes treating apparatus includes a cabinet in which an accommodating space for receiving clothes is defined, a steam generator for generating steam to be supplied into the accommodating space, and a supply unit for supplying the steam, generated in the steam generator, into the receiving space and collecting water condensed from the steam.
US08230610B2
Orientation-sensitive signal output, in which a neutral position of a device is automatically determined in relation to at least a first axis, an angular displacement of the device is measured about at least the first axis, and shaking of the device is detected. A selection of the first control is received, and an output signal is output based at least upon the selection and the angular displacement or based upon detecting the shaking of the device.
US08230609B1
Embodiments of the present invention comprise devices, systems, and components for use with a survey pole positioning system. For example, embodiments of the invention provide a survey pole positioning system that efficiently, easily, and safely allows a surveyor to position a survey pole, and thus position a surveying device on a surface where a surveyor cannot directly stand. In one embodiment, a hinged member couples a survey pole to a positioning rod such that the positioning rod can rotate with respect to the survey pole. A surveyor can then use the positioning rod to position the survey pole on a surface where the surveyor cannot directly stand.
US08230606B2
The electric tool includes a base having an opening portion and a bottom face; a blade being projected downward from the bottom face of the base through the opening portion of the base, the blade being capable of cutting while sliding the bottom face of the base on an upper face of a work piece; a motor driving the blade; a housing accommodating the motor. The bottom face of the base is at least partially coated with a resin including fluorine.
US08230599B2
Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing a hydrodynamic bearing in which a metal bearing made of sintered metal powder is internally subjected to chemical etching, to form hydrodynamic pressure grooves thereon, thus assuring a high-precision and reliable hydrodynamic bearing. The method includes: compressing metal powder that is a raw material of the bearing in a press unit, and sintering the compressed metal powder at a predetermined temperature, thus preparing a sintered bearing; removing foreign substances adhering to the sintered bearing through a deburring process, and pressing the sintered bearing into a desired shape; forming a hydrodynamic groove, configured to generate hydrodynamic pressure, on an internal surface of the shaped bearing using chemical etching; and conducting a post treatment of cleaning the bearing including the hydrodynamic grooves thereon and drying the bearing.
US08230597B2
A method for forming a component includes forming a workpiece into a hollow preform cylinder concentric with an axis and including an inner surface that extends along the axis, placing within the preform cylinder a mandrel having an outer surface, flow-forming the inner surface and the outer surface of the preform cylinder such that the inner surface of the cylinder conforms to at least a portion of the outer surface of the mandrel, and cutting the flow formed cylinder transversely with respect to the axis into segments, each segment having an axial length.
US08230594B1
A tube matrix and the corresponding method of joining a plurality of tubes to a base plate to create the tube matrix. The tube matrix has a base plate from which a plurality of parallel tubes extend. The base plate has holes formed though it to receive the tubes. The tubes are placed into the holes on the base plate. The tubes may have end flares that abut against the base plate and prevent the tubes from completely passing through the base plate. Once the tubes are in place in the holes of the base plate, the tubes and base plate are welded together with individual laser welds. The laser welds enable a very dense matrix of tubes to be welded to the base plate without damaging or obstructing the tubes.
US08230593B2
In assembly of probe arrays for electrical test, a problem can arise where a bonding agent undesirably wicks between probes. According to embodiments of the invention, this wicking problem is alleviated by disposing an anti-wicking agent on a surface of the probe assembly such that wicking of the bonding agent along the probes toward the probe tips is hindered. The anti-wicking agent can be a solid powder, a liquid, or a gel. Once probe assembly fabrication is complete, the anti-wicking agent is removed. In preferred embodiments, a template plate is employed to hold the probe tips in proper position during fabrication. In this manner, undesirable bending of probes caused by introduction or removal of the anti-wicking agent can be reduced or eliminated.
US08230587B2
A carrier adapted to receive and align multiple electronic components, the carrier having receptacles each being adapted to receive an assigned one of the multiple electronic components, a first plate comprising a plurality of first abutting sections, the first abutting sections form one of boundaries of the respective assigned receptacles, a second plate comprising a plurality of second abutting sections, the second abutting sections form another of the boundaries of the respective assigned receptacles, and the first plate and the second plate are arranged slidably relative to each other.
US08230585B2
A method and device for wire termination on stators (1) wherein the wire (15) is wound about poles (6) distributed by a flyer (10), guided by shrouds (16) that move radially with respect to the stator (1) overlapping the respective pole (6). Wire termination operations are provided on the wire ends (15) into the terminals (4) with the aid of the flyer (10), carried out by an apparatus equipped with a termination device (20), comprising a first deflector (21), a second deflector (22), a blade (23), and a clamp formed by a movable gripper (24) and a fixed gripper (25). The movable gripper is suitable for closing onto the fixed gripper for gripping the wire (15). The device (20) can carry out the steps of catching, moving, introducing and cutting the wire (15) with movements parallel to its own axis (27), or to the axis (7) of the stator (1).
US08230577B2
In a sensing unit according to the present invention, a spring portion having a support portion and a movable portion is conductive. A signal of a sensor portion provided on the movable portion of the spring portion is transmitted via the spring portion. Hence, the sensing unit according to the present invention has a simple constitution with a small number of components, and a wire does not necessarily have to be provided for each sensor portion. As a result, a reduction in manufacturing cost, simplification of the manufacturing process, and so on are achieved.
US08230571B2
A self-attaching fastener and panel assembly wherein the free open end of the tubular barrel portion is coined, collapsed axially, flattened and deformed radially inwardly and outwardly and axially against a panel surrounding the panel opening. The method of installation includes driving the free end of the tubular barrel portion against a substantially planar die surface, deforming an end portion radially, then collapsing an intermediate portion over the radially deformed end portion, flattening the end portion, substantially thickening the tubular barrel portion and forming an annular surface engaging and supporting the panel surrounding the opening. The die member includes an annular moat surrounding a central die post and a planar die surface extending generally perpendicular to the axis of the die button.
US08230569B2
A method for repairing damaged bolt holes in a flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced bolt holes therein, with each bolt hole defining a center axis and the flange defining an outer diameter edge. The method includes removing parent material of the flange in a first pattern, and metallurgically joining a replacement detail to the parent material of the flange a location where the parent material of the flange was removed in the first pattern. The first pattern is bounded by first, second, third and fourth points. The first point corresponds to the center axis of a first of the plurality of bolt holes, the second point corresponds to center axis of a second of the plurality of bolt holes, and the third and fourth points are defined at the outer diameter edge of the flange circumferentially spaced from each other.
US08230556B2
A clamp includes a flat strip whose ends coil onto themselves in the shape of a ring and are fastened by a retaining pawl and a hook that are coupled in a retaining bridge and an orifice, respectively, for a further constriction of the clamp, that is brought to its optimal tightening position by pliers or other appropriate tools through tightening and deformation of the clamp bridge, which bridge is provided with a deformation that imparts said bridge greater inertial resistance and that in such tightening and advance movement of one end underneath the other an engagement has been provided for both ends by a tongue located at one end and a recess at the other end of the strip.
US08230554B2
A hinge has a pintle, a spacer assembly, a stationary bracket and a rotating bracket. The pintle is mounted through the spacer assembly and is connected to the stationary and rotating brackets. The spacer assembly has multiple spacers stacked with each other. Each spacer has a ring segment and a bearing segment. The ring segment is mounted around the pintle. The bearing segment has an absorbing space to absorb the stress acting on the ring segment. Therefore, the spacer sustains less stress to prevent breakage easily and a lifespan of the spacer is extended. Therefore, the hinge has a longer lifespan.
US08230552B2
A glider that attaches to the bottom of the legs of a walker is disclosed. The glider, preferably a ball made from wood, provides the walker with additional stability and mobility. The glider includes a hole with a rubber stopper that secures the glider to the leg of a walker. A screw is first inserted into the glider and then a design is created on the glider. The screw is removed and then a hole is drilled over the same spot, large enough to fit the leg of a walker. A rubber stopper is inserted into the hole to help secure the leg of the walker to the glider. A scribe line can be included around the opposite end of the glider to inform users of when to replace the glider.
US08230538B2
Innerspring dampening foam inserts are disclosed in various combinations with mattress innersprings having a plurality of helical form coils interconnected in an array in which the coils are generally aligned in rows and columns, each of the coils having a generally cylindrical coil body formed by helical turns of wire with openings between each of the helical turns of wire, and first and second ends to the coil body also formed by the wire, each of the coil bodies being spaced apart in the array. At least one innerspring insert is inserted into an innerspring in spaces or channels between the spaced apart coils. The innerspring dampening inserts, which are preferably made of foam, may have a generally H-shaped configuration with upper and lower parallel lateral members and a transverse member that extends between and bisects the upper and lower lateral members. In another embodiment, the innerspring inserts may be generally T-shaped having a lower lateral member, a vertical member which is perpendicular to and bisects the lower lateral member and a lateral extension which extends outward from one side of the vertical member. The innerspring inserts may create or define zones or regions of the innerspring which have different support characteristics from other zones or regions by dampening or altering the spring rates and support characteristics of the innerspring in the areas or regions where the insert are located. The innerspring inserts may also be placed at or near the border or edges of the innerspring to provide increased stability in the perimeter or edge areas of the support surface of a mattress.
US08230530B2
A protective cover for drains and other holes is provided which prevents spills and unwanted liquids from flowing therein. The protective cover includes a durable backing layer and a pliable, tacky sealing layer adjacent a portion of the durable backing layer which conforms and adheres to a surface surrounding the drain to reduce or eliminate the flow of liquids into the drain. The pliable, tacky sealing layer can have a periphery inside the periphery of the durable backing layer.
US08230525B2
This invention relates to a sock for use in sports activities. The sock, includes cushioning in the area of the Achilles tendon for absorbing frictional and impact stresses without force being applied to the Achilles tendon. In one embodiment, the cushioning comprises elongated vertically spaced apart cushions that are in a bent shape. In another embodiment the cushioning comprises vertically spaced apart cushions that are divided by a vertically oriented ridge.
US08230522B1
A pair of work gloves with an attached directional illumination device is disclosed. A miniature illumination device is affixed thereto the back of the hand area of the work glove via hook-and-loop fasteners. The lighting device takes the form of a small enclosure that houses batteries and a lens with a reflected array of forward facing high-intensity light emitting diodes (LED's). A pushbutton switch is located on top of the case for on/off operation. In use, the apparatus provides a high level of illumination directly in front of the person's hands allowing use while working at night, when light levels are low, as well as in cramped areas where nearby objects restrict the effectiveness of remote lighting devices. The invention is especially valuable in situations where it is impossible to hold a flashlight such as when one needs both hands to perform work.
US08234708B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing device and a memory management method that enable execution of memory management processing for simultaneously starting up two types of applications. During execution of an application in the form of a Java application, the application starts up another an application in the form of Flash data, and then a native software in the form of a Flash Player causes a memory management unit to secures a prescribed memory area from a memory area for the native software. A native software then starts up the other application using the secured memory area.
US08234705B1
Contagion isolation and inoculation is disclosed. In some embodiments, a request is received from a host, e.g., via a network interface, to connect to a protected network. It is determined whether the host is required to be quarantined. If the host is required to be quarantined, the host is provided only limited access to the protected network. In some embodiments, a quarantined host is permitted to access the protected network only as required to remedy a condition that caused the quarantine to be imposed, such as to download a software patch, update, or definition; install, remove, and/or configure software and/or settings as required by a policy; and/or to have a scan or other diagnostic and/or remedial operation performed. In various embodiments attempts to communicate with hosts not involved in remediation are redirected to a quarantine system, such as a server, that provides information, notices, updates, and/or instructions to the user.
US08234701B2
A system is provided for accessing and/or controlling at least one first computer connected to a local computer network (target computer) from at least one remote computer (being remote from the local computer network), that includes: a server computer operable to act as an intermediary between the target computer and the remote computer; and at least one proxy computer linked to the server computer and the target computer that is send digital signal(s) to the target computer as a proxy computer. The server computer is responsive to a remote computer request and then sends a communication directing the proxy computer to send the digital signal(s) to the target computer. The target computer receives the digital signal(s) from the proxy computer and thereby achieves a state in which the target computer is operable to act on the digital signal.
US08234698B2
An anonymous authentication-based private information management (PIM) system and method are provided. The PIM method includes receiving an anonymous certificate not including user information from an anonymous certification authority; generating an anonymous document including the anonymous certificate and some of the user information; and providing the anonymous document to a web service provider so as to be authenticated and thus provided with a web service by the web service provider. Thus, only a minimum of user information may be provided to the web service provider. In addition, it is possible to strengthen a user's right to self-determination and control over the exposure and use of his or her personal information by allowing a user to manage his or her own personal information or entrusting the PIM server to manage user information. Moreover, it is possible to protect the privacy of a user by preventing the exposure of user information.
US08234689B2
A system and method for generating target area information. The system comprises a first processor effective to receive first information of a first classification level and a second processor effective to receive second information of a second classification level distinct from the first classification level. A cross domain processor is in communication with the first and second processors. The second processor is effective to receive a request from a requesting entity about a region of interest and interrogate a first sensor regarding the request. The second processor is further effective to receive first information from the first sensor and send the request through the cross domain processor to the first processor. The first processor is effective to interrogate a second sensor regarding the request and receive second information from the second sensor. The first processor is further effective to filter the second information based on the first and second classification levels to produce filtered information and send the filtered information through the cross domain processor to the second processor. The second processor is further effective to integrate the first information and the filtered information to produce integrated information and send the integrated information to the requesting entity.
US08234686B2
A system and method of the present invention creates a security application for a programmable cryptography module, which includes a security policy software module and mirror security policy data structures. A processor determines a security policy for an implementation specific application as a set of rules governing cryptographic security policy functions of the security policy software module. The processor is operative for generating a binary security policy file representative of the security policy and comparing the binary security policy file with the mirror security policy data structures to determine a violation of the security policy or a successful comparison.
US08234675B2
Disclosed are a method of constructing information on associate meanings between segments of a multimedia stream, which can describe the cause/effect or abstract/detail relationship between segments of the video streams to efficiently browse the video stream and a method of browsing a video using the same. The present invention defines the cause/effect or abstract/detail relationship between the segments, event intervals, scenes, shots, etc. existing within one video stream or between the video streams, and provides a method of describing the relationship in a data region based on the content of a video stream as well as a method of browsing a video by using the information on the cause/effect or abstract/detail relationship obtained by the aforementioned method. Accordingly, a video browsing on associate meanings is available with easy manipulation and easy access to a desired part, thereby providing an effective video browsing interface for easy browsing of desired segments in a short period of time.
US08234673B2
An information server apparatus 116 includes a communication portion 118 receiving a request for getting information including a set of information source specifying information and time specifying information from a client, a user request information analyzing portion 122 and a table reference portion 129 analyzing the request for getting information and selecting information to be transmitted to the client terminal apparatus based on the result of analysis. Further, communication portion 118 returns the selected information to the client.
US08234657B1
A system and method communicates address and state information from a browser to a rich Internet application to allow the Rich Internet Application to start at a location, or preload variables, corresponding to the state information. The system and method communicates address and state information from the Rich Internet Application to the browser to allow such information to be displayed by the browser for use or retrieval. The system and method allows the user to navigate within the Rich Internet Application using the browser's forward and back buttons.
US08234653B1
A data processing architecture includes multiple processors connected in series between a load balancer and reorder logic. The load balancer is configured to receive data and distribute the data across the processors. Appropriate ones of the processors are configured to process the data. The reorder logic is configured to receive the data processed by the processors, reorder the data, and output the reordered data.
US08234645B2
An apparatus, program product and method support the deallocation of a data structure in a multithreaded computer without requiring the use of computationally expensive semaphores or spin locks. Specifically, access to a data structure is governed by a shared pointer that, when a request is received to deallocate the data structure, is initially set to a value that indicates to any thread that later accesses the pointer that the data structure is not available. In addition, to address any thread that already holds a copy of the shared pointer, and thus is capable of accessing the data structure via the shared pointer after the initiation of the request, all such threads are monitored to determine whether any thread is still using the shared pointer by determining whether any thread is executing program code that is capable of using the shared pointer to access the data structure. Once this condition is met, it is ensured that no thread can potentially access the data structure via the shared pointer, and as such, the data structure may then be deallocated.
US08234642B2
Processing within a computing environment is facilitated by filtering requests of the computing environment. A processing unit that receives a request determines whether it is to perform the request. This determination is made by, for instance, comparing an identifier of the request with an identifier of the processing unit making the determination. If there is a mismatch, then the request is blocked. Other processing within the computing environment is also facilitated by selectively using buffer entries. The selection criteria is based, for instance, on identifier information.
US08234641B2
Techniques are disclosed for controlling and managing virtual machines and other such virtual systems. VM execution approval is based on compliance with policies controlling various aspects of VM. The techniques can be employed to benefit all virtual environments, such as virtual machines, virtual appliances, and virtual applications. For ease of discussion herein, assume that a virtual machine (VM) represents each of these environments. In one particular embodiment, a systems management partition (SMP) is created inside the VM to provide a persistent and resilient storage for management information (e.g., logical and physical VM metadata). The SMP can also be used as a staging area for installing additional content or agentry on the VM when the VM is executed. Remote storage of management information can also be used. The VM management information can then be made available for pre-execution processing, including policy-based compliance testing.
US08234635B2
In a multi-processor system for performing a parallel processing, each of a plurality of processors includes a communication processing unit for performing control between the processors in a data flow machine-type data-driven control method; and a program processing unit for performing control in each processor in a Neumann-type program-driven control method. The communication processing unit performs a communication between the processors in synchronization with the program processing unit, and has a function of detecting a communication data hazard between the processors. The program processing unit performs a processing based on an execution code stored in a local memory, and has a function of executing or suspending the execution code, according to a result of detecting the data hazard.
US08234634B2
A method, computer program and system for consuming reusable software assets, said assets being described with elements and attributes, said assets containing at least one variable element (VPs) themselves containing at least one variant. The user executes a program on a computer by first choosing the asset to be consumed. A decision tree corresponding to the asset is traversed, each decision point corresponding to a variable element. The decision point is processed by asking the user inputs to modify the variants of the corresponding variable elements. The modified variable elements are stored. The dependency of the decision point is indicated by a dependency attribute in the variable element.
US08234631B2
The present invention provides a method and system for tracing and monitoring of distributed transactions spanning multiple threads or processes, running on multiple host systems, connected by a computer network. The correlation of distributed transactions is based on information that uniquely may identify execution paths within a virtual machine, additional to information which uniquely may identify the virtual machine that processes the execution path. The correlation information is transferred from a monitored thread to threads that are activated by the monitored thread and allows to reconstruct parent-child relations between different threads. Participating threads may run in different processes, in different virtual machines or on different host systems.
US08234628B2
Software architecture for a mobile terminal for a wireless telecommunications system and for other applications. The software architecture includes a plurality of layers arranged in order from layers providing higher level services to layers providing lower level services, at least one software module in each layer, and interface means for permitting communication among software modules pursuant to a set of defined dependency rules.
US08234602B2
A semiconductor-device manufacturing method includes steps of performing a sidewall fabrication thereby forming a first pattern structure; measuring an amount of displacement of line portions of the first pattern structure; correcting an overlay specification for an overlay of the first pattern structure and a second pattern structure dynamically based on the amount of displacement; and determining whether an error in the overlay of the first pattern structure and the second pattern structure meets the corrected overlay specification.
US08234597B2
A tool and method is provided to graphically correlate process and test data with specific chips on a multi-project wafer. The tool and method is configured and implemented to select certain sites and export these sites to an industry standard map that can be used in a variety of chip picking or test tools. In one embodiment, the method includes importing a wafer floor plan with chips of different design parameters and importing manufacturing logistical information of the chips. The method further includes graphically rendering each chip on the wafer to scale within a unit cell using the imported wafer floor plan and the manufacturing logistical information.
US08234591B1
A method and system for generating a first thumbnail of the image, one or more second thumbnails corresponding to at least one edit operation on a section of the image and identifying the one or more second thumbnails with respect to at least one of the first thumbnail, and/or the image, is disclosed. Embodiments of the invention also relate to displaying the thumbnails so generated.
US08234590B2
A method and an apparatus for displaying an icon of a multimedia file on a user interface, and a recording medium thereof are provided. In the present method, a file quality grade of the multimedia file is obtained first. A resolution of the icon of the multimedia file is subsequently adjusted according to the file quality grade and the adjusted icon is displayed on the user interface. As a result, the user can quickly determine the quality of the multimedia file by determining whether the icon is clear or not, thereby more conveniently opening the multimedia file that meets the file quality requirement.
US08234588B2
Method and arrangement for panning and zooming a displayed image on a display screen of a handheld electronic device 300 using the same auxiliary user input device 328 is described. The displayed image can be toggled between panning and zooming modes that respectively pan and zoom the displayed image by successively actuating the auxiliary user input device 328.
US08234584B2
Provided is a computer system including an information providing server and a computer which is coupled to the information providing server, and which collects information, the computer being configured to: record status histories including a history of an operation to a screen which shows a status of the computer, and which is displayed on the computer in chronological order to constitute a set of the status histories; and divide, in a case where a history of an operation of switching the screen is detected from the set of the status histories, based on the history of the operation of switching the screen, the set of the status histories. Accordingly, when a user collects information, navigation information is provided by taking the fact that the user has actually reached useful information into consideration.
US08234566B2
Architecture that facilitates the calculation of the final margins and positions of all objects in one formatting pass, without the need to reformat an object in the margin neighborhood. Clearance objects, float objects, and empty objects are taken into account. The one-pass algorithm computes the positions of objects on the document due to collapsing margins, determines the sizes of the resulting collapsed margins, and correctly places empty objects, floats, and clearance objects in the document. Clearances due to objects that belong to the neighborhood are processed as well as clearances due to objects outside of the neighborhood.
US08234564B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a way to perform transforms and animations using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). CSS may be used to define colors, fonts, layout, and other aspects of document presentation, such as for a webpage. Embodiments of the present invention provide CSS properties for transforms and animations of document content. New CSS properties for transforms allow for rotation, translation, scaling, skewing, perspective, origin, and the like. CSS properties are also provided for animating document content, such as movement, transitions, and the like.
US08234562B1
A method for displaying a form involves checking an input to determine whether an error exists, where the input corresponds to a field within the form, updating a tally of errors for the form reflecting the error when the error is contained in the field within the form, and visualizing the tally of errors by concurrently displaying the tally of errors and the form, where the field corresponding to the error is identified within the form.
US08234553B2
Performing multiple Reed-Solomon (RS) software error correction coding (ECC) Galois field computations simultaneously in a RISC processor. Galois field computations are performed in parallel with one another. Processor, memory, and plurality of adders and/or multipliers are implemented appropriately to allow parallel Galois field computations to be performed. Multiplexing can be performed to govern the writing of resultants (generated using the adders and/or multipliers) back to the memory via feedback paths. This approach allows for parallel (as opposed to serial) implementation of the software ECC corrections with minimal area and power impact. In other words, very little space is required to implement this approach is hardware with nominal increase in power consumption, and this slight increase in power consumption provides a significant increase in ECC correction capability using this approach.
US08234545B2
A method for operating a memory includes encoding input data with an Error Correction Code (ECC) to produce input encoded data including first and second sections, such that the ECC is decodable based on the first section at a first redundancy, and based on both the first and the second sections at a second redundancy that is higher than the first redundancy.Output encoded data is read and a condition is evaluated. The input data is reconstructed using a decoding level selected, responsively to the condition, from a first level, at which a first part of the output encoded data corresponding to the first section is processed to decode the ECC at the first redundancy, and a second level, at which the first part and a second part of the output encoded data corresponding to the second section are processed jointly to decode the ECC at the second redundancy.
US08234538B2
An optical communication system includes a bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM) coder; and a low-density parity-check (LDPC) coder coupled to the BICM coder to generate codes used as component codes and in combination with a coherent detector.
US08234534B2
A method of supporting data retransmission in a mobile communication system is disclosed according to the present invention. A method of supporting a hybrid automatic repeat and request (HARQ) at a user equipment in a mobile communication system comprises transmitting a first packet to a network, receiving a reception status signal for the first packet from the network, obtaining a negative acknowledgement signal (NACK) by decoding the reception status signal, and receiving supplemental control information indicating that the reception status signal is a positive acknowledgement signal (ACK).
US08234525B2
A method, system and article of manufacture are disclosed for detecting anomalies in a software program. The method comprises the steps of running the software program as a client; and the software program sending to a server a multitude of tokens at specified points in the program, each of the tokens having information about the software program. The server implements code to analyze said tokens and to compare information in the tokens to stored data to identify anomalies in the software program. In a preferred embodiment, the tokens identify patterns of operation of the software programs, and the implementing step includes the step of comparing these program patterns with stored acceptable patterns to identify anomalous program patterns. This comparing may be done by the logging, as potential anomalies, selected ones of the program patterns that do not match any of the stored acceptable patterns.
US08234517B2
Various techniques are described for improving the performance of a shared-nothing database system in which at least two of the nodes that are running the shared-nothing database system have shared access to a disk. Specifically, techniques are provided for recovering the data owned by a failed node using multiple recovery nodes operating in parallel. The data owned by a failed node is reassigned to recovery nodes that have access to the shared disk on which the data resides. The recovery logs of the failed node are read by the recovery nodes, or by a coordinator process that distributes the recovery tasks to the recovery nodes.
US08234516B2
The invention provides a topology collection method and dual control board device applicable to a stacking system comprising dual control board devices. A master control board of a dual control board device advertises through a stack port the topology information of the member device in which the master control board resides, including information about the master control board and, if a slave control board is present, information about the slave control board; and stores the topology information or updates the existing topology information upon receiving the topology information of the stacking system through the stack port, and backs up the stored topology information of the stacking system to the slave control board after the slave control board is inserted. This invention is applicable for collecting the topology information of a stacking system comprising distributed dual control board devices.
US08234509B2
A portable power supply device for a mobile computing device is provided. The portable power supply device comprises a retention structure to retain the mobile computing device, a power source, and an inductive signal interface. The inductive signal interface is used to inductively signal power from the power source to a corresponding inductive signal interface of the mobile computing device.
US08234498B2
A system of screening servers, screener client computers, and screening kiosks distribute an applicant screening process among multiple sites and multiple participants. To facilitate and secure communications of screening results and applicant actions, a personal identification code is provided that identifies individual sets of screening results. In this manner, the applicant is authenticated and can then enter appropriate applicant profile data into a secure screening account, such as via a screening kiosk. Screening results may be generated by the applicant in association with a unique personal identification code. This code can then be communicated to the screener, who can access the screening results along with a recommendation, if desired, by sending the code to a screening server. The screener can also enter appropriate screening information into another secure screening account. Based on these screening results, the screener can make a decision about the application and communicate an applicant action to the application.
US08234493B2
A method for transmitting content to a user device from a home server in a home network is provided. The method includes: receiving an allocated user public key and a user private key of a user to whom the home server belongs; generating an arbitrary session public key and a session private key, generating an encrypted session private key by encrypting the session private key using a device public key that is a public key of the user device, and transmitting the encrypted session private key to the user device; and transmitting the content encrypted using a predetermined content key and a content key encrypted using the session private key to the user device. According to the method, by binding the content to each user, instead of to each device, the content can be safely and conveniently shared.
US08234491B2
The disclosed technology provides a system and method of securely communicating data. An encryptor located at a transmitter can provide encrypted data to the transmitter. The transmitter can maintain a packet number indicating a particular packet for carrying the encrypted data and a sub-packet number indicating a position within the packet where the encrypted data is to be stored. The encryptor can produce the encrypted data using an encryptor seed generated based on the packet number and sub-packet number. A receiver can maintain a receiver packet number indicating a number of previously received packets and can compute a receiver sub-packet number. The receiver can receive a packet containing encrypted data and can decrypt the encrypted data using a decryptor seed generated based on the receiver packet number and sub-packet number.
US08234478B1
One embodiment of the invention sets forth a mechanism for using the L2 cache as a buffer for data associated with read/write commands that are processed by the frame buffer logic. A tag look-up unit tracks the availability of each cache line in the L2 cache, reserves necessary cache lines for the read/write operations and transmits read commands to the frame buffer logic for processing. A data slice scheduler transmits a dirty data notification to the frame buffer logic when data associated with a write command is stored in an SRAM bank. The data slice scheduler schedules accesses to the SRAM banks and gives priority to accesses requested by the frame buffer logic to store or retrieve data associated with read/write commands. This feature allows cache lines reserved for read/write commands that are processed by the frame buffer logic to be made available at the earliest clock cycle.
US08234477B2
A method of restricting file access is disclosed wherein a set of file write access commands are determined from data stored within a storage medium. The set of file write access commands are for the entire storage medium. Any matching file write access command provided to the file system for that storage medium results in an error message. Other file write access commands are, however, passed onto a device driver for the storage medium and are implemented. In this way commands such as file delete and file overwrite can be disabled for an entire storage medium.
US08234475B2
Backing up data blocks is disclosed, including: receiving an indication that a first backed up data block is to be processed; determining that the first backed up data block and a second backed up data block are related at an application level and are to remain stored together; and processing together the first and second backed up data blocks based at least in part on the determination that the first and second backed up data blocks are related at an application level and are to remain stored together.
US08234471B2
A remote copy system includes: a first storage system having a first logical volume accompanied with a first plurality of disk drives in the first storage system; a second storage system having a second logical volume, which is a virtual volume not accompanied with a second plurality of disk drives in the second storage system, the virtual volume configuring a first remote copy pair with the first logical volume; and a third storage system having a third logical volume accompanied with a third plurality of disk drives in the third storage system, the third logical volume configuring a second remote copy pair with the virtual volume and storing a copied data of data stored in the first logical volume. If the second storage system receives write data sent from the first storage system to the virtual volume, the second storage system transfers the write data to the third logical volume in the third storage system.
US08234466B2
A flash memory storage system and a data writing method thereof are provided. The flash memory storage system includes a controller, a connector, a cache memory, a SLC NAND flash memory and a MLC NAND flash memory. When the controller receives data to be written into the MLC NAND flash memory from a host system, the data is temporarily stored in the cache memory first and then is written into the MLC NAND flash memory from the cache memory. And, the controller may backup the data stored in the cache memory to the SLC NAND flash memory. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce a response time for a flush command, thereby improving a performance of the flash memory storage system.
US08234456B2
A method of controlling the exclusivity mode of a level-two cache includes generating level-two cache exclusivity control information at a processor in response to an exclusivity mode indicator, and utilizing the level-two cache exclusivity control information to configure the exclusivity mode of the level-two cache.
US08234455B2
An apparatus for controlling memory access in a multithreaded processor supporting a plurality of threads is provided. The apparatus includes a processor core; a cache memory storing data accessible by each of the plurality of threads; a main memory storing data accessible by a plurality of threads; an incoherency detection module; and a memory arbiter. The incoherency detection module is connected between the processor core and the memory arbiter, and the memory arbiter is connected between the incoherency detection module and the main memory. There is a separate request queue for each thread for read and write requests sent from the cache memory to the memory arbiter. The incoherency detection module stores an indication of a memory address for each write request sent from the cache memory to the main memory in a write address memory, and compares the address of each subsequent read request sent from the cache memory with indications in the write address memory. If the address of the subsequent read request matches an indication, the incoherency detection module inserts a barrier corresponding to the read request into the request queue of the thread to which the matching indication belongs. The memory arbiter prevents the read request from accessing the memory bus until the corresponding barrier has been received by the memory arbiter.
US08234448B2
The present invention relates to a redundancy protected mass storage system with increased performance, and more specifically to a mass storage system with multiple storage units. According to the invention, the resources that are essentially provided for compensating the damage of one or more storage units are also used to enhance the system performance. For this purpose during reading or writing the storage system just waits for the responses of a minimum number of required storage units to start reading or writing, respectively.
US08234442B2
A method and apparatus for performing a hold operation while keeping the data in place as the data is in a hold state. Such a method and apparatus substantially eliminates the need for a copy operation and thus provides advantages cost and management savings. The method and apparatus define a hold delete operation along with hold life points in a CAS system.
US08234433B2
An interface monitoring device can be used with at least one differential interface port with a positive and a negative data line for connecting a peripheral device. The interface monitoring device has a monitoring circuit and a deactivation circuit. The monitoring circuit is designed to monitor at least one signal level dependent on the signal level of the positive and/or the negative data line and the deactivation circuit is designed to stop data traffic via the positive and/or the negative data line of the at least one interface port.
US08234431B2
Technologies are generally described herein for handling interrupts within a multi-core processor. A core specific interrupt mask (“CIM”) can be adapted to influence the assignment of interrupts to particular processor cores in the multi-core processor. Available processor cores can be identified by evaluating the CIM. An interrupt with an interrupt service routine (“ISR”) that is received by the multi-core processor can be assigned to one or more of the available processor cores identified by the CIM.
US08234417B2
A system and method for determining media to be exported out of a media library is described. In some examples, the system determines a media component to be exported, determines the media component is in the media library for a specific process, and exports the media component after the process is completed.
US08234411B2
Methods, systems, computer readable media, and apparatuses for providing enhanced content are presented. Data including a first program, a first caption stream associated with the first program, and a second caption stream associated with the first program may be received. The second caption stream may be extracted from the data, and a second program may be encoded with the second caption stream. The first program may be transmitted with the first caption stream including first captions and may include first content configured to be played back at a first speed. In response to receiving an instruction to change play back speed, the second program may be transmitted with the second caption stream. The second program may include the first content configured to be played back at a second speed different from the first speed, and the second caption stream may include second captions different from the first captions.
US08234394B2
A new industrial control system and method are disclosed allowing for communication between multiple control devices of the system and remote devices via the Internet. The system includes a web access interface that is capable of being coupled to the remote devices via the Internet, and is coupled to the control devices by way of a network. A program executed by the interface receives an Internet signal having socket API data and formatted in accordance with the TCP/IP protocol, and extracts the data from the Internet signal. Another program executed by the interface receives the data and transmits a network signal, which includes the data but is not formatted in accordance with the TCP/IP protocol, to an appropriate one of the control devices, each of which has a respective web server program. The data is processed by the server program at the appropriate control device.
US08234388B2
An Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) device includes a memory configured to store a subscriber profile, where the subscriber profile includes at least one criterion relating to an event that occurs after a session request has been forwarded to a terminating party. The IMS device further includes a processor configured to invoke at least one application service for a session based on the at least one criterion in the subscriber profile.
US08234387B2
Systems and methods are described for performing policy-managed, peer-to-peer service orchestration in a manner that supports the formation of self-organizing service networks that enable rich media experiences. In one embodiment, services are distributed across peer-to-peer communicating nodes, and each node provides message routing and orchestration using a message pump and workflow collator. Distributed policy management of service interfaces helps to provide trust and security, supporting commercial exchange of value. Peer-to-peer messaging and workflow collation allow services to be dynamically created from a heterogeneous set of primitive services. The shared resources are services of many different types, using different service interface bindings beyond those typically supported in a web service deployments built on UDDI, SOAP, and WSDL. In a preferred embodiment, a media services framework is provided that enables nodes to find one another, interact, exchange value, and cooperate across tiers of networks from WANs to PANs.
US08234379B2
A method is provided for distributing limited resources. The method comprising the following steps. A plurality of limited resources about to expire on a given day is determined. The plurality of limited resources is made available simultaneously. Resource requests from a plurality of clients for a registration period are allowed starting at a predetermined time. The resource requests are processed after the registration period by correlating the limited resources with the received resource requests.
US08234378B2
A method and system for managing applications in a managed execution environment is disclosed. Prior to performing a garbage collection the magnitude of the garbage collection or the allocated memory is compared to a threshold value. If the threshold value is exceeded at least a portion of an application currently executing in the environment is redistributed prior to the garbage collection occurring.
US08234377B2
Techniques are described for providing capabilities to dynamically migrate computing nodes between two or more computer networks while the computer networks are in use, such as to dynamically and incrementally migrate an entire originating first computer network to a destination second computer network at a remote location. For example, the first computer network may include one or more physically connected computer networks, while the second computer network may be a virtual computer network at a remote geographical location (e.g., under control of a network-accessible service available to remote users). The provided capabilities may further include facilitating the ongoing operations of the originating first computer network while a subset of the first computer network computing nodes have been migrated to the remote destination second computer network, such as by forwarding communications between the first and second computer networks in a manner that is transparent to the various computing nodes.
US08234376B2
A server apparatus receives a query message, calculates an identifying data based on an address and a query name containing in the query message, creates a response message containing the identifying data for requesting a redirect reply or a response message containing an answer to the query name, determines whether the query message is a redirect message and further determines whether the response message containing the answer is larger than a threshold value, and finally transmits either one of the response messages.
US08234367B2
Techniques are presented for hierarchical report tool session management. A user interacts with a hierarchical reporting tool during a first session and reaches a specific nested level within the tool for a particular hierarchy being accessed by the user. At some point in time the user exits the tool (normally or abnormally). The specific nested level is maintained on behalf of the user. So, when the user initiates a second and subsequent session with the tool, the user is presented with the specific nested level when the tool is started for that subsequent session.
US08234364B2
In an internet connection system for connecting a terminal in each of a plurality of predetermined locations to internet accessed by the terminal, each location, in which a terminal in communication is provided, is discriminated. The used communication band is recorded for each location, and a communication fee is determined based on the used communication band recorded for each location. The communication extent of the access line connected via the gateway is compared for each location, and the terminal is connected to internet via the gateway, to which a less communication extent access line is connected.
US08234359B2
The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for remotely re-imaging a computer system. In one example, a method is provided for executing a re-imaging process for replacing an original image on an active system of a remote computer system with a new image. The method includes receiving a command to initiate the re-imaging process from a remote location and downloading the new image onto the active system. The re-imaging process is performed to replace the original image with the active image and remote location may be informed of the re-imaging process's success. The computer system is rebooted.
US08234355B2
Information for performing path control is added to a signaling message used in a network including a higher-level path which accommodates a lower-level path. When a state change occurs in the higher-level path, a communication device extracts using the information a lower-level path to be controlled for the same control item as the control item indicating the state change in the higher-level path. A path to be controlled is selected from among the lower-level paths accommodated in the higher-level path. By controlling the extracted path, a plurality of paths can be easily controlled when there are accommodation relationships among layers.
US08234343B2
An electronic device includes a receiving unit configured to receive a plurality of e-mails having a message body and an attached file, a determination unit configured to judge whether or not the message body and the attached file of each e-mail thus received by the receiving unit have been checked, a mail management unit configured to manage mail information with respect to the plurality of e-mails, including at least determination results obtained by the determination unit, a display unit, and a display control unit configured to display the mail information on the display unit.
US08234341B2
A system and method for linking terrestrial mail to the global computer network, e.g., the Internet, are provided. The system and method of the present disclosure will enable a user, e.g., a sender and/or recipient of a document, to link all types of terrestrial mail to the global computer network, e.g., the Internet, so that they can digitally access, reply and/or utilize the content of the mail. The system and method provides for receiving an identifier associated with a terrestrial document; accessing an electronic version of the terrestrial document using the received identifier; creating a reply to the accessed document; and forwarding the reply to a sender of the terrestrial document. The reply document can be forwarded by e-mailing the reply to the sender, faxing the reply to the sender and/or printing the reply and delivering the printed reply by a terrestrial delivery service.
US08234334B2
Systems and methods for carrying on marketing dialogues are disclosed. Specifically, embodiments of the systems and methods presented may allow marketing dialogues to be carried on with a set of participants by sending a communication to each of the participants. Another set of participant may be assembled from the initial participants and an action may then be taken with respect to this second set of participants.
US08234332B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for dynamically updating computer memory and modifying function requests within virtual computing environments. Methods for updating computer memory environmental variables may comprise methods for modifying, computer processes, methods for providing client applications to capture and respond to information requests, and methods for configuring application frameworks to capture and respond to information requests.
US08234324B2
This invention relates to a process for producing a pulsed sampled waveform comprising generating a baseband signal representing the integral of a desired output waveform; sampling and differentiating the baseband signal to produce frequency images of the baseband spectrum at multiples of the sampling rate; employing an analog bandpass filter to pass the spectral image centered at the desired up-conversion frequency band. This invention also relates to an apparatus for creating a high frequency output waveform signal comprising a means for generating a baseband signal representing the integral of a desired output waveform; a means for sampling the baseband signal; a means for generating a time delayed baseband signal by Δt; a means for inverting the delayed baseband signal; a means for summing the inverted the delayed baseband signal with the sampled baseband signal; a means for filtering to pass the high frequency signal.
US08234319B2
A method of completing a two's complement operation includes receiving a plurality of byte values and splitting the plurality of byte values into a first portion and a second portion. Further, the method includes inputting the first portion to a first segment of a first four-to-two compressor, performing a first four-to-two compression operation on the first portion to generate a first set of results having a first row and a second row that is offset one bit from the first row, and carrying in a first value of one to complete a first two's complement operation. The method also includes inputting the second portion to a second segment of a second four-to-two compressor and adding two values of one immediately to the right of the second portion in order to carry in a second value of one to the second portion to complete a second two's complement operation.
US08234318B2
At least two devices having different characteristics are provided as one file system, and the file system stores a file in a device according to the file purpose. In file system operation, a device characteristic acquiring unit acquires characteristic information of the respective devices by using a device characteristic database, a device characteristic acquiring interface, and stores the information in the device characteristic holding. In file operation for preparing file management information in file storing process, a file purpose interpreting unit interprets the purpose and attribute of the file and registers a characteristic flag representing the characteristic of the file in the file management information. In file operation for actually writing a file, a storage device decision unit decides a file storage location device on the characteristic flag in the file management information and information of the device characteristic holding unit to perform a device free region securing process.
US08234315B2
Generally described, the present invention is directed to a network operating system that provides more effective ways of leveraging the connectivity of computer networks. In one embodiment, an XML virtual machine is implemented that accepts high-level application code written in an XML programming language as input. Functionality is provided to interpret or translate the application code written in an XML programming language into code that is suitable for execution across computer platforms. Moreover, the XML virtual machine supports the Model View Controller (MVC) design paradigm that facilitates true data abstraction from applications to a common data model. Multi-instance applications, with each instance potentially supporting multiple views, may be created and executed.
US08234313B2
Some aspects relate to reception of a selection of a business intelligence report element in a first business intelligence report of a first file format, creation of a serialized description of the business intelligence report element in a second file format based on a business intelligence report element data model, reception of an instruction to add the business intelligence report element to a second business intelligence report of a third file format, and addition of the business intelligence report element to the second business intelligence report in the third file format based on the serialized description of the business intelligence report element.
US08234309B2
A method and system are provided to support automated modification to a multiple node tree structure. Each clause and each logical operator are defined in the tree structure as nodes. In addition, each link emanating from a child node to a parent node is defined as a child link, and each link emanating from a parent node to a child node is defined as a parent link. The selection and location of an operator for placement in the tree structure will be automated in response to the position selected.
US08234308B2
Systems and methods for providing application services through business object views. In one aspect, a definition of at least one business object (BO) is included in a metadata of an application platform. The definition includes descriptions of entities of the BO, and an identification of a service provider of the BO. The service provider instantiates the business object in response to an application service request. In a further aspect, a definition of a business object view (BOV) is included in the metadata of the application platform. The definition includes description of entities of the BOV, and an identification of the BO. The BO is a data source of the BOV. In one other aspect, a transformation describes a mapping of BOV entities to data source BO entities. A service corresponding to a core service of a BOV entity is called at the BO service provider based on the mapping.
US08234304B2
A theft deterrent cable may be provided. First, a plurality of unique codes may be created. Then a plurality of indicia may be placed periodically and longitudinally on the cable. The plurality of indicia may respectively correspond to the plurality of unique codes. In a database, the plurality of unique codes may be assigned to an organizational entity. The organizational entity may comprise a first enterprise. Next, an indication that the cable is to be transferred from the first enterprise to a second enterprise may be received. In response to the received indication, the plurality of unique codes may be assigned in the database from the organizational entity comprising the first enterprise to the organizational entity comprising a second enterprise.
US08234303B2
Systems and methods for conversion and importation of models that describe system behavior into a UML meta model-based representation, include parsing through the textual model for the plurality of elements, searching for an element semantic definition, element view definitions corresponding to a semantic definition, or an element view containing diagram definition within the textual model for each of the plurality of elements, generating element reference nodes for placement on an internally constructed custom tree, attaching a listener to each of the element reference nodes, wherein the listener is configured to await population of the element reference node with an equivalent unified modeling language semantic element, wherein a listener awaiting population is an awaiting sequenced listener, completing an inheritance hierarchy between the element reference nodes up to a parent node inferred from the diagramming definitions and resolving awaiting sequenced listeners that are made aware of an awaited unified modeling language value.
US08234293B2
An autocomplete method and system provides suggested completions for partial data entries based upon predefined coordinates, operands and/or commands. In one embodiment, the partial data entry may be in an active cell of a spreadsheet and the predefined coordinates may be queried from a separate, preconfigured, multi-dimensional database linked to the active cell or the spreadsheet.
US08234286B2
A media list server communicating with a plurality of media database servers and a client device comprises a receiving module, a storing module, a recording module, a determining module, a calculating module and a list generating module. The receiving module receives a user identification information and vote information. The storing module stores properties of the media and weights of the properties. The recording module records the vote information. The determining module determines whether a user has logged in for the first time according to the user identification information, and determines a popularity of each media according to the vote information. The calculating module calculates similarities of the media according to the properties and weights of the properties. The list generating module generates the favorite media list according to the popularity and the similarities of the media.
US08234281B2
A method of generating an advertising list using a seed, which can include a plurality of advertisers or a plurality of keywords with an identical property in a single seed and thereby can display various types of advertising information of the plurality of advertisers, which are included in the seed, according to a single condition, and an advertising matching system is provided. According to the present invention, it is possible to provided a method of generating an advertising list using a seed, which can determine a property of a content page using a seed, and thereby can display various types of advertising information of a plurality of advertisers with the determined property, as contextual advertising, for a user, and an advertising matching system using the method.
US08234250B1
A method and apparatus for deduplication of files of a storage system is described. During a gathering phase, a file may be simultaneously processed by two or more threads to produce and store content identifiers for data blocks of the file. Each file may be sub-divided into multiple file sub-portions, each file sub-portion comprising a predetermined number of data blocks. A thread may be assigned to each sub-portion of a file for processing the data blocks. The currently assigned sub-portion for each thread may be recorded and used upon a system crash to restart each scanner thread at the currently assigned sub-portion to minimize the data blocks that are re-processed. The size of a file sub-portion may be predetermined based on the organization of inode data structures representing the files (e.g., based on the maximum number of pointers that an indirect block in the inode data structure may contain).
US08234246B1
A method and apparatus comprising a replication appliance that is coupled to a backup media server. The media server communicates with the replication appliance via either an in-band communication or an out-of-band communication that informs the replication appliance of the completion of a backup within backup software. Upon receiving the notification of the event, the replication appliance will replicate the change data forming a replicated image of that data for storage either locally or remotely from the replication appliance. This replicated image may be used for archival purposes.
US08234237B2
Systems and methods for automatically generating a return letter are disclosed. The system may include a computer usable medium in communication with a processor. The processor may determine whether a source document with contact information includes one or more fields requiring data. In response to the determining, a response document based on the required data may be automatically generated. A document identifier based on the contact information and the response document may be automatically generated. The response document may be transmitted to a recipient based on the contact information. In response to receiving response data from the recipient, the response data may be matched with the source document using the document identifier. The response data may be electronically merged with the source document to yield a merged document.
US08234224B2
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for brokering the purchase and/or sale of mixed-color glass and/or cullet, optionally over a computer network. In one embodiment, the broker facilitates the purchase and/or sale of three color mixed cullet between beneficiators, MRFs and/or glass plants, in order to supply, for example, glass plants with and/or allow glass plants to purchase desired quantity and/or quality (e.g., cleanliness) of cullet.
US08234222B2
A benefit management system and method provides a portal-based information management and collaborative business process application. Preferably, the system and method is focused at the benefit broker/consultant and is configured to capture employee benefit management data, such as demographic data and plan data. Further, preferably, one or more users are provided with customized user access to the centralized application for use in performing one or more various benefit plan management functions, such as, for example, marketing, plan design; enrollment; administration; and communication between one or more application users.
US08234214B2
A system and method of payment of an end-user account with a service provider includes a computer system that makes payments to service providers on behalf of end-users and that is operable to exchange information with a terminal at the point of sale or a web-enabled computer system operated by the end-user and with the computer system of the service provider. In one embodiment, the computer system of an intermediary receives a request to make a payment on an end user's account with a service provider. The computer system of the intermediary may communicate with the computer system of the service provider by logging on to the web page of the service provider as the end-user, and entering a universally accepted open system number and the amount of the payment received from the end user's source of funds to effect payment on the end user's account with the service provider. In another preferred embodiment, a payment router together with an issuing/sponsoring bank and a processor, as implemented by their computer systems, facilitate payment transactions in which the router transacts at least thousands of payments for at least hundreds of payors with at least dozens of payees using at least one open system card association network, preferably in a day.
US08234207B2
Disclosed herein are various systems and methods for improving the establishment and management of vending machine subscriptions, including systems and methods for constructing, communicating, and registering subscriptions, as well as various methods for processing the redemption of vending machine subscription items. Several additional embodiments are disclosed, including various alternate methods of promoting longitudinal machine-customer relationships.
US08234205B1
A system and method for generating and securing in a broker an interest in future real estate transactions by a client, while reducing a broker's costly and constant pursuit to satisfy current business generation needs. The broker may be a real estate broker, mortgage broker, or some other form of broker offering services related to real estate. A broker network may be provided comprised of a some combination of different types of brokers or several brokers from the same broker firm. The right is a future right associated with an opportunity for the broker to later provide services related to the property, or another property.
US08234202B2
Market depth information pertaining to the hedging side is utilized to intelligently break a non-hedging order into multiple orders, such that the orders rest at cascading price levels. This way, the trader can benefit from sweeps in the book and still properly account for the market depth on the hedging side. Further, there is a greater probability of receiving “partials” on the spread order. In addition, hedge orders may be sent at multiple price levels, or sent to the market in pieces over time. By applying a more intelligent process to hedge orders (as opposed to “fire and forget”) an alternative beyond limit orders that can be leged or market orders is provided.
US08234193B2
Systems and methods for providing online promotions integrated with social network-based platforms are disclosed. Promotion details such as rules, offered prizes, incentives and descriptions, survey questions, display banners, terms and conditions, privacy policy, and social networks to integrate the promotion with, are provided by the sponsoring organization to a server. The server generates a custom promotion application and/or widget for integrating with the organization's social network webpage and/or webpages external to social networks. A participant enters the promotion through these webpages or other links and lists friends in the social network to receive an invitation to enter the promotion. Viral features such as friend invite features, newsfeeds, minifeeds, other features that display online activities of users and people in the users' social network, notifications, requests, and other social network-based platform features to deliver messages to members of the one or more social network-based platforms further spread the word about the organization's promotion.
US08234192B2
The invention proposes a fully automated, computer-aided intervention apparatus (80) with an operational stabilization apparatus (10) and an appropriate method for operational apparatuses (41), where appropriate intervention means (40) are activated by means of an activation apparatus (203) if an intervention event detected by means of at least one pickup apparatus (401) is picked up. The intervention means (40) may comprise, in particular, automated alarm, monitoring and/or control apparatuses.
US08234179B2
Method and system for training a categorization application are provided. An example method comprises applying a classifier to listing data, generating a set of training data for the category structure based on the applying of the classifier to the listing data, and training the categorization application with the set of newly generated training data. The plurality of listings are from at least one of supply data or demand data.
US08234174B1
A method and system for managing inventory information by a host company forming an inventory based information network having multiple tiers of access with at least one host server and at least one remote company user. The host server has an interactive inventory listing, manages remote company user access to the inventory listings, and enables remote access to the host server for the remote company user to create and manage inventory listings. The interactive inventory listing builder creates a new inventory listing, generates an associated unique listing code, and adds a photo file and text data. The method generates interactive advertisements and websites. The interactive advertisement builder creates a new advertisement, chooses a target media outlet, inserts the inventory listing, and generates and saves advertisement. The interactive website builder allows a user to select a template, add object files, choose domain names, and save the website.
US08234173B1
A method for product life cycle maintenance involves receiving warranty information associated with a first product from a first vendor of a multitude of vendors and receiving warranty information associated with a second product purchased by the customer from a second vendor of the multitude of vendors. The method also involves storing, by a computer processor, the warranty information associated with the first product to a customer account associated with the customer and a first vendor account associated with the first vendor, storing, by a computer processor, the warranty information associated with the second product to the customer account and a second vendor account associated with the second vendor, receiving a request to access warranty information, and providing warranty information pursuant to the request.
US08234172B2
An authorization system and computer program for provision and process of a personal identification number (PIN) via a short-message-service (SMS) text message to a mobile communication device. The authorization system and computer program receive a communication from the user indicating a one-time-authorization mode. The authorization system and computer program retrieve information from a point-of-sales location and process a unique identifier for the mobile communication device. A text message is sent to the identified mobile device. The message communicates a one-time-use PIN with required PIN return via the point-of-sales system. The confirmation is processed, which authorization only occurring after confirmation. The PIN response period is voided after a short time, further improving security of the transaction.
US08234171B2
A point of sale computer system that allows a customer to select and consummate a sale himself. The system may include graphics storage media configured to store two- and three-dimensional graphics data relating to the sale, as well as business rules storage media, configured to store business rules that specify the graphics that should be displayed during the selection and consummation process based on input received from the customer. The technology allows a presentation to be made to the customer that is entertaining and that maintains the attention of the customer throughout the sale selection and consummation process.
US08234169B2
Method and apparatus for direct marketing comprising establishing a first communications link between a prospective customer using a device having a unique identification number and a communications device, automatically transmitting the unique identification number associated with the prospective customer's device to the communications device, establishing a second communications link between the communication device and a computer operably connected to a tangible memory apparatus having a prospective customer database comprising prospective customer information associated with the unique identification number of the prospective customer's device.
US08234164B2
Accordingly some embodiments, a merchant server receives an indication of acceptance by a customer of an offer for a subsidy from a second merchant of a purchase of at least one item from a first merchant. The customer agrees to participate in an additional transaction with the second merchant in exchange for having the subsidy applied against the purchase from the first merchant. In one embodiment, after selling the at least one item to the customer, the merchant server determines that the customer did not participate in an additional transaction with the second merchant as the customer agreed to, and assesses a penalty against the customer.
US08234163B2
Inventive systems and methods offer a high-perceived savings value to an end-user while maintaining the perception of product value. Further, systems and methods for providing a discount are described which impose little or no cost on the service or product provider. An embodiment of an inventive method includes presenting a display of a price paid by a consumer without access to the virtual currency along with a display of an amount payable by the end-user in actual currency in combination with virtual currency. The end-user perceives a benefit to using the virtual currency since the price paid in actual currency is less than the displayed price to be paid by a consumer without access to the virtual currency.
US08234155B2
A computer system for modeling a portfolio of products in a financial system to determine the rate of a target product. The products are defined by attribute values, an attribute being any criteria that impacts product rates. Linear associated product rules are used by the computer system to create an optimized scenario of total profit and overall volume of sales for the portfolio. From the optimized scenario a rate for the target product can be determined which maintains a financial institution's strategic and business objectives. The optimizing process includes applying the associated product rules to products actively contributing to key performance indicators. Densification is then used to infer the rate for all other products in the portfolio. Finally, if the starting rate of a product violates an associated product rule, the starting rate is relaxed to avoid the violation.
US08234152B2
A method and apparatus for spawning and management of online surveys is provided. An administration and redirector subsystem (ARS) is used manage ongoing surveys for a plurality of sites. Surveys can be added to or removed from individual sites using the ARS. The ARS also tracks statistics for individual surveys. Redirector tags invite users to participate in surveys and track user survey participation through cookies. The system can be used to conduct advertisement effectiveness studies. Tracker tags and corresponding cookies are used to track users who have viewed content containing the tag. Each study is issued a unique content tag, but uses the same redirector tag.
US08234151B1
Certain embodiments disclosed herein provide devices, systems, and methods of using location-based virtual audience feedback to estimate interest in an attraction at one or more venues. Certain embodiments provide devices, systems, and methods of using location-based virtual audience feedback and/or other audience data to estimate interest in a plurality of attractions or other items of interest at a particular venue.
US08234148B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed for tracking and reporting electronic commerce activity over a web site that is stored on a first server coupled to a wide area network. The web page is programmed to include data fields reflecting commerce transaction activity and data mining code. The web page is uploaded to a visitor computer responsive to a request over the wide area network from the visitor computer. Commerce information is accepted within the data fields of the web page at the visitor computer to form a completed web page. The data mining code is operated on the visitor computer to obtain technical and commercial data and sent to a second server on the wide area network for logging and analysis.
US08234145B2
A validation matrix computation system automatically computes a validation matrix to analyze performance and efficiency of a global logistics process. The present system comprises identifying metrics and automatically computing the metrics to derive a validation matrix from the metrics. The system comprises a metric capture module installed at all participant locations in the global logistics process. The metric capture module captures, from logs generated at a node, metrics that measure performance at the node. The system generates the validation matrix from the captured metrics and uses the validation matrix to evaluate performance. The metrics comprise quantitative and qualitative metrics; quantitative metrics are automatically computed by correlating logs generated at the nodes and qualitative metrics are computed using surveys completed by participants in the global logistics process.
US08234143B1
A method for staffing a project, involving receiving a staffing request for the project, wherein the staffing request includes at least one attribute of the project, and wherein the project is a task to be completed internally by an organization, automatically searching a plurality of user profiles to identify a subset of user profiles from the plurality of user profiles, wherein user data stored in each of the subset of user profiles matches the at least one attribute of the project, displaying the subset of user profiles, and receiving a selection of at least one user profile from the subset of user profiles for staffing the project.
US08234142B2
A strategic planning, project organization, electronic and hardcopy file management system is disclosed that provides its users a quick data capture, data archiving and data retrieval system implemented within a software or hardware database system. Daily use of this system provides its users the capability to utilize either an electronic and hardcopy means to manage their projects in mobile or stationary settings.
US08234137B2
Projects of any type require sophisticated management software programs. In reality, these management software programs are provided by various vendors and for different professional fields. For example, scheduling programs for construction professionals, blue print programs for drafting professionals, accounting programs for cost-control professionals. In addition, there are numerous other unofficial and official documents generated by managers of different levels for reporting or track-record-keeping purposes using popular word processing programs and spread-sheet programs. Documents generated by different software programs can only be viewed under the programs they are generated under or compatible programs. This poses a problem in that there is a lack of organized control resulting in difficulty in locating and viewing documents in a timely manner. The present invention provides an one view software program that would be able to provide an organized control and viewing of all documents regardless which software programs they are generated under.
US08234117B2
In a speech-synthesis device, it is possible to determine whether or not a user dictionary that supports processing for reading aloud a specific phrase associated with specific reading should be used. The speech-synthesis device includes a speech-synthesis unit configured to perform read-aloud processing, a user dictionary provided to support processing for reading aloud a specific phrase associated with specific reading, and a control unit that includes a plurality of functions achieved by using information about the read-aloud processing, that determines whether or not the user dictionary should be used according to which of the functions is used so as to perform the read-aloud processing, and that makes the speech-synthesis unit perform the read-aloud processing.
US08234112B2
Provided are an apparatus and method for generating a noise adaptive acoustic model including a noise adaptive discriminative adaptation method. The method includes: generating a baseline model parameter from large-capacity speech training data including various noise environments; and receiving the generated baseline model parameter and applying a discriminative adaptation method to the generated results to generate an migrated acoustic model parameter suitable for an actually applied environment.
US08234111B2
An audio signal generated by a device based on audio input from a user may be received. The audio signal may include at least a user audio portion that corresponds to one or more user utterances recorded by the device. A user speech model associated with the user may be accessed and a determination may be made background audio in the audio signal is below a defined threshold. In response to determining that the background audio in the audio signal is below the defined threshold, the accessed user speech model may be adapted based on the audio signal to generate an adapted user speech model that models speech characteristics of the user. Noise compensation may be performed on the received audio signal using the adapted user speech model to generate a filtered audio signal with reduced background audio compared to the received audio signal.
US08234108B2
A method for building and contracting a linguistic dictionary, the linguistic dictionary comprising a list of surface forms and a list of normalized forms, each normalized form being associated with a surface form, the method comprising the steps of: comparing each character of a surface form with each character of the surface form's normalized form; in response to the comparing step, determining an edit operation for each character compared; and generating a transform code from the set of the edit operations in order to transform the surface form to its normalized form.
US08234104B2
A method for simulating a circuit. The method includes, in response to a first mode change triggering event at a first time point and in response to a first data transfer triggering event at a second time point after the first time point, generating a random value of at least a first random value and a second random value. In response to the generated random value being the first random value, a first input value of an input of the circuit is assigned to an output of the circuit. In response to the generated random value being the second random value, an output value of the output of the circuit is maintained. In response to a second data transfer triggering event at a third time point after the second time point, a second input value of the input of the circuit is assigned to the output of the circuit.
US08234097B2
Disclosed herein are devices, systems and methods for the automated design and manufacture of patient-specific/patient-matched orthopedic implants. While the embodiments described herein specifically pertain to unicompartmental resurfacing implants for the knee, the principles described are applicable to other types of knee implants (including, without limitation, other resurfacing implants and joint replacement implants) as well as implants for other joints and other patient-specific orthopedic applications.
US08234091B2
A measuring unit obtains measurement data of an object measured on the basis of a signal from a GPS satellite and angular velocity of an object output from an angular velocity sensor. An offset value computing unit estimates a running condition of the object on the basis of the measurement data and the angular velocity. The offset value computing unit sequentially derives temporary offset values while changing combination of the measurement data and the angular velocity in accordance with the estimated running condition of the object and, after that, executes statistical process on the temporary offset values, thereby deriving an offset value. An angular velocity conversion coefficient computing unit sequentially derives temporary angular velocity conversion coefficients on the basis of the measurement data and the angular velocity and, after that, executes statistical process on the temporary angular velocity conversion coefficients, thereby deriving an angular velocity conversion coefficient. An angular velocity converting unit derives final angular velocity on the basis of the angular velocity conversion coefficient, the offset value, and the angular velocity.
US08234081B2
A system measures the strain of an object. The system includes a laser source for generating an output radiation, a strainable optical fiber having first and second facets, and means for calculating a measure of a strain of the optical fiber. The first facet is coupled to the laser source to receive the output radiation and transmit a guided radiation over the optical fiber towards the second facet. The second facet is adapted to receive the guided radiation and to reflect a corresponding reflected radiation towards the first facet. The laser source is a self-mixing type adapted to receive at least part of the reflected radiation and to mix the output radiation with the received radiation. The calculating means calculate the measure of the strain of the optical fiber based on a self-mixing effect in the laser source that is caused by the linear displacement of the second section.
US08234078B2
Multimodal optical spectroscopy systems and methods produce a spectroscopic event to obtain spectroscopic response data from biological tissue and compare the response data with an empirical equation configured to correlate the measured response data and the most probable attributes of the tissue, thus facilitating classification of the tissue based on those attributes for subsequent biopsy or remedial measures as necessary.
US08234069B2
Embodiments consistent with the invention are an apparatus for and method of generating data on current utilization of powered industrial vehicles, generating preferred routing assignments for powered industrial drivers, and presenting preferred routing assignments for powered industrial vehicle drivers.
US08234067B2
A swarm navigation system is disclosed. The swarm navigation system includes a plurality of mobile agents, each having a receiver and capable of receiving a collision avoidance signal or a target attraction signal from a remote source. A stereo antenna system and memory storing instructions cause the mobile agent to determine the intensity and direction of the received collision avoidance signal or the received target attraction signal and to navigate the mobile agent substantially towards the received target attraction signal and substantially away from the received collision avoidance signal. Each mobile agent may further include a collision avoidance beacon mounted to the mobile agent and adapted to broadcast a collision avoidance signal, and a target attraction beacon mounted to the mobile agent and adapted to selectively broadcast a target attraction signal.
US08234062B2
A method for adjusting displayed map using sensors is disclosed, applied in a navigation device. The method includes steps of: calculating a GPS-based rotating angle of the navigation device based on location information detected by a GPS module of the navigation device when a coordinate error value of the navigation device is less than a predetermined value; using a sensor of the navigation device to detect the sensor-based rotating angle of the navigation device when the coordinate error value of the navigation device is greater than the predetermined value; rotating a map on the screen according to one of the GPS-based rotating angle and the sensor-based rotating angle depending on the coordinate error value.
US08234046B2
A method and apparatus for selectively activating a power down mode of a hydraulic system during operation of a lift gate. An electronic control circuit is added to hydraulic control circuitry and is configured to selectively interrupt the gravity down mode or power down mode of operation of the hydraulic system based on either a manual input (override) or a sensed condition and switch to the other mode of operation.
US08234044B2
A steering control section has a first steering angle correction amount calculating section, a second steering angle correction amount calculating section, and a motor rotational angle calculating section. The first correction amount calculating section calculates a first correction amount based on a vehicle speed and an actual steering wheel angle. The second correction amount calculating section calculates a second correction amount through multiplying a control gain corresponding to the vehicle speed with a value calculated by low-pass filtering a differential value of steering wheel angle. The motor rotational angle calculating section calculates a motor rotational angle corresponding to the value adding the first and second steering angle correction amount, and outputs it to a motor driving section so as to drive an electric motor for correcting the steering angle. Thereby, an unstable vehicle behavior due to a resonance of a yaw motion caused in the steering operation can be suppressed.
US08234040B2
An air-conditioner controlling device includes a first control unit and a second control unit. The first control unit changes an air-conditioner operation from a standard to an energy-saving, when a vehicle is determined to be located in a target area. The target area is defined by a predetermined interval from a target point of the vehicle. The second control unit changes the air-conditioner operation from the energy-saving to the standard, after the first control unit changes the air-conditioner operation from the standard to the energy-saving, in a case that a destination of the vehicle is estimated to be different from the target point.
US08234034B2
Remote sensor units for a vehicle are described. A remote sensor unit may comprise an electronic assembly. The electronic assembly may comprise an electronic component. The electronic assembly may comprise one or more signal terminals coupled to the electronic component. The electronic assembly may comprise a protective enclosure arranged to encapsulate the electronic component. The protective enclosure is arranged to isolate the electronic component from thermal energy, pressure or residual material stress associated with one or more satellite housings. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08234031B2
A parallel hybrid vehicle launches from rest or near rest with its electric motor and blends in its internal combustion engine at a vehicle speed such that the electrical energy provided to the motor from an energy storage device is only as much energy as can be recovered during deceleration of the vehicle to rest or near rest.
US08234029B2
On a restart of an engine accompanied with a change from a motor drive of a hybrid vehicle to a hybrid drive, when a temperature of a catalyst in a catalytic converter located in an exhaust pipe of the engine decreases below a preset reference temperature to be out of a specific temperature range of ensuring sufficient catalyst performance, a power restriction value is set according to the catalyst temperature and an EV drive time representing a time duration of the motor drive. An engine power demand to be output from the engine is set under output restriction with this power restriction value. The engine and two motors are then controlled with the set engine power demand. This arrangement effectively prevents poor emission and ensures good driving performance of the vehicle even in the event of a temperature decrease of the catalyst by the motor drive of the vehicle.
US08234028B2
A hybrid vehicle has as a travel mode an EV mode for traveling while stopping the engine, and an HV mode for operating the engine. An ECU includes first and second traveling distance operating units, and a determination unit. The first traveling distance operating unit calculates an EV traveling distance indicative of a total traveling distance in the EV mode. The second traveling distance operating unit calculates the engine use traveling distance indicative of a total traveling distance when the engine is operated. The determination unit determines the necessity of maintenance of predetermined elements included in the vehicle based on the EV traveling distance and the engine use traveling distance.
US08234024B2
A marine vessel propulsion system includes first and second propulsion devices arranged to be mounted on a hull, a first operation lever arranged to be operated by a marine vessel maneuvering operator to control the first propulsion device to have a shift state selected from among a forward drive state, a neutral state, and a reverse drive state and to control a power output of the first propulsion device, a second operation lever arranged to be operated by the marine vessel maneuvering operator to control the second propulsion device to have a shift state selected from among a forward drive state, a neutral state, and a reverse drive state and to control a power output of the second propulsion device. A control unit is programmed to set a target pivoting speed according to the positions of the first and second operation levers.
US08234020B1
A terrain awareness and warning system (“TAWS”) provides input to a terrain alert (“TA”) processor from at least one real-time aircraft system or sensor and a source of terrain data; the processor determines a terrain clearance surface and a terrain airspace alert surface, and if one surface penetrates the other, the processor generates an alert signal and provides an alert signal to a crew alerting system. The two surfaces are determined by the processor by executing an algorithm(s) embedded in software containing the disclosed embodiments and methods. At least one criterion used to define an aircraft terrain alert surface is programmed to include real-time and/or static input factor data provided by at least one system or sensor input from an aircraft. Such input factor could be used to define a terrain clearance surface.
US08234016B2
The transfer and usage of a modulated carrier signal within a power signal on a power line communication system is described. The modulated signal comprises metadata which is transmitted at a different frequency than the transmitted power. The metadata, including such elements as energy costs, providers, renewable source status and originating location, may be used by consumers to make subsequent purchasing decisions. Additionally, the energy costs of any given computer node commonly distributed in a grid architecture may be collected by a workload dispatcher in order to make more accurate cost and energy source based dispatch decisions. The consumer may be able to communicate directly back to the power provider. The use of computer-readable medium and product containing instructions that are implemented on a computer is also covered. Finally, the invention may be deployed on behalf of the consumer by a third party service provider.
US08234014B1
An irrigation control system with a programmable controller having a high speed central processor and a touch screen monitor for independent and simultaneous operation of multiple watering stations and schedules. The touch screen monitor allows for quick entry of changes to irrigation schedules that can be made while the system is in use, thus preventing service interruption. The irrigation control system will accommodate multiple watering stations with precise accuracy and allows for independent start times for each station. Multiple output terminals permit connection to various watering stations as a pre-programmed, removable thumb drive containing the operating system and application software is connected through a USB port to a high speed central processor. The irrigation method describes using the controller for optimum plant growth and health.
US08234013B2
A semiconductor manufacturing system includes a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a first controller for controlling the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, an auxiliary machine for the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a second controller for controlling the auxiliary machine, and a third controller for electrically coupling the first and second controllers. The second controller outputs an auxiliary machine-in-operation signal to the third controller when the auxiliary machine is operating, outputs an auxiliary machine-stopping signal to the third controller when the auxiliary machine is stopping, and operates or stops the auxiliary machine according to an instruction signal received from the third controller. The first controller receives the auxiliary machine-in-operation signal or the auxiliary machine-stopping signal via the third controller, and keeps the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in operation or on standby when the first controller is receiving the auxiliary machine-in-operation signal. The third controller stops the auxiliary machine when the third controller detects that the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is on standby, and outputs the auxiliary machine-in-operation signal, instead of the auxiliary machine-stopping signal received from the second controller, to the first controller.
US08234007B2
During operation of a vending machine, an image is obtained of an area of interest in the vending machine. As a product selected by a customer moves toward a product retrieval location, images of the area of interest are obtained and transmitted to the data base. Images in the data base are compared to determine whether or not the selected product has moved to the area of interest.
US08234006B1
Disclosed are various embodiments involving assignment and use of sort bins in a materials handling facility. A manifest is generated in at least one computer system that directs a picking of items from inventory locations in a materials handling facility. Each of the items is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of groups of items. Sort bin assignments are generated for each of the items. Each sort bin assignment specifies a corresponding one of a selected subset of a plurality of sort bins located in a sorting station of the materials handling facility. The selected subset of the sort bins is designated to coalesce together the group of items that includes the respective item for further processing. Each sort bin assignment is based at least in part on a dimension associated with the respective sort bin and at least one attribute associated with the respective item.
US08234005B2
A storage library is described including a first tape drive that is identified as a target tape drive to a host via a first address and a second tape drive that is masked from being identified by the host. The storage library further includes a controller that is linked with a switch system that shifts the first address to the second tape drive, from the first tape drive, such that after the shift, the second drive is identified as the target drive to the host and the first tape drive is masked from being identified by the host.
US08234004B2
Techniques are described for assigning an item to a slot in an item storage facility, such as a warehouse or a distribution center. A plurality of scores are determined, each score associated with an item and slot pair, the slot chosen from a plurality of slots and each score representing a degree of conformity of the item to a desired sequence of item and slot pairs, wherein the degree of conformity is measured in a simulated pairing of the item with the slot chosen from the plurality of slots in a sequence of other item and slot pairs and a different slot is chosen from the plurality of slots for each simulated pairing with the item. The item is physically assigned to a best slot associated with a highest score among the plurality of scores.
US08233998B2
Secure data write apparatus and methods for use in safety instrumented process control systems select a parameter associated with a process control element within the process control system and send first data associated with the parameter to the process control element. A confirmation associated with a request to write the first data to the process control element is received from a user and the second data is sent to the process control element in response to receiving the confirmation. The first and second data are compared at the process control element and the first or second data are written to a location in the process control element associated with the parameter if the first and second data are at least substantially identical.
US08233995B2
An implantable restriction system having an antenna capable of being readily and predictably movable to achieve a desired orientation that is effective to communicate with an external device is provided. The antenna can be movably coupled to a housing such that the antenna can float and/or move freely with respect to the housing. The housing can be part of a gimbal element or another component of the system. The antenna can include a weight or a magnetic element to help it achieve the desired orientation. Methods for transcutaneously communicating with an implantable restriction device are also provided.
US08233984B2
The invention is directed to a trial stimulation system and, more particularly, an indicator device within the trial stimulation system that measures and indicates energy amplitude levels for electrical stimulation therapy delivered to a patient. Specifically, the indicator device simultaneously indicates energy amplitude levels, such as electrical voltage, current, power, and electrical charge, as well as the polarity for each electrode in real-time without affecting the therapy delivered to the patient. For example, the indicator device may activate a number of lights in an array of lights in proportion to the measured energy amplitude level for each electrode and may activate a green LED or a red LED when a corresponding electrodes acts as a source or sink, respectively. In this manner, the indicator device allows a clinician to visualize the electrical fields produced by each electrode and, therefore, may assist stimulation steering, trouble shooting, and lead placement.
US08233973B2
A method for calculating a variability value that is indicative of AF by obtaining a signal sequence of a plurality of RR intervals by monitoring electrical activity of a patient's heart. Each RR interval is converted into an instantaneous heart rate value and sorted into ascending order. The difference between each successive heart rate is calculated, discarding the two largest differences. The variability value is calculated by adding the retained differences.
US08233972B2
A system for heart performance characterization and abnormality detection includes an interface that receives a signal representing electrical activity of a patient heart occurring during individual heart cycles of multiple sequential heart cycles. A signal processor decomposes the received signal into multiple signals comprising a heart cycle signal primary wave and one or more heart cycle signal wavelets occurring at corresponding successively higher frequencies. The signal processor determines multiple amplitude representative values of the heart cycle signal primary wave and the one or more heart cycle signal wavelets. A comparator compares the multiple amplitude representative values with corresponding multiple predetermined threshold values to provide comparison indicators. A patient monitor in response to the comparison indicators indicating at least one of the amplitude representative values exceeds a respective predetermined threshold value, generates an alert message associated with the respective predetermined threshold.
US08233969B2
A system for measuring/monitoring the vital signs of a patient especially blood pressure, comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged at least in the waistband of an undergarment, and means for deriving measurements from the electrodes using pulse-transit times.
US08233961B2
In a method and a device for automatic determination of perfusion by using a magnetic resonance system, multiple first MR data sets are thereby acquired from a volume element over time with a perfusion-sensitive imaging sequence, and multiple second MR data sets of the same volume element are acquired over time with a control imaging sequence, in particular a perfusion-insensitive imaging sequence. These first MR data sets and the second MR data sets are subjected to a statistical time series analysis in order to determine the perfusion in the volume element.
US08233957B2
A sensor module (130) for a catheter (110), the sensor module (130) comprising a biofilm detection unit (131) adapted for detecting a characteristic of a biofilm (132) and electric circuitry (135, 800) for providing an output signal indicative of a result of the detection.
US08233951B2
Aspects relate to provision of enterprise call capabilities to mobile devices. For example, a mobile device can indicate, over a data channel, that a PBX is to make a call on its behalf to a called party. The PBX can call back the mobile device, call the called party, and bridge those call legs to establish the call. The mobile device can employ mechanisms that a particular incoming call is made by the PBX. These mechanisms can include using ANI information, sending, and receiving audible verification codes over the voice channel established after answering the incoming call. The verification codes can be selected based different behaviors of the mobile devices.
US08233937B2
Provided is an information processing apparatus including a first and second communication units: the first for non-contact communication with a first/second external apparatus through a first path; and the second for communication with the first/second external apparatus through a second path. The apparatus also includes a unit for controlling the second communication unit to start communication with the second external apparatus through the second path, by a request for such communication transmitted from the second external apparatus to the first communication unit. The apparatus also includes a unit for managing information to be held when the request is received. The information indicates a state of communication with the first external apparatus through the second path at the reception of the request. Under the control, communication with the first communication unit specified by the information starts through the second path, where communication with the second external apparatus has been terminated.
US08233931B2
A method and a wireless mobile device for initiating selective dynamic group (SDG) calls in an application on a push-to-talk (PTT) capable wireless network using a concatenated sequence of PTT mobile numbers. The PTT mobile numbers are separated by PTT call identifiers in a concatenated sequence. The PTT mobile numbers are validated and a PTT SDG call sequence is generated using the plurality of validated PTT mobile numbers when a call initiator input is received. The PTT SDG call is then initiated on the wireless network to the PTT mobile numbers in the sequence.
US08233930B1
A method and apparatus for setting up a conference communication between a remote party and a plurality of local parties. A base unit may engage in communication with a remote party. Thereafter, the base unit may apply a floor control process with respect to the local parties to limit the number local parties that can have dedicated channels at any give time. More particularly, the base unit may receive from a local party a request for a new dedicated channel to transmit conference bearer data and responsively establish the new dedicated channel with the local party only if a present number of established dedicated channels with local parties is less than a predetermined threshold. The base unit may then receive conference bearer data and responsively transmit the conference bearer data over a broadcast channel for receipt by the plurality of local parties.
US08233922B2
A paging method in a mobile communication system, in which a preconfigured frequency range, split into a plurality of frequency subbands, is utilized for communicating within the mobile communication system, includes the steps of selecting at least one frequency subband for transmitting paging information, and transmitting paging information from a network entity, for initiating paging, utilizing the selected at least one frequency subband.
US08233921B2
A method and system for transmitting/receiving data in a communication system are provided, in which upon generation of IM service data to be transmitted to a second MS, a first MS requests paging to a second MS to an IM server, the IM server transmits a paging message to the second MS in response to the paging request, and the second MS receives the IM service data from the first MS, after receiving the paging message.
US08233909B2
A radio base station (eNB) is configured to start the transmitting-side timer and a Polling timer which is set to expire earlier than the transmitting-side, upon transmission of a last piece of downlink data accumulated in a transmission buffer to the mobile station. When the Polling timer expires, the radio base station (eNB) notifies the mobile station (UE) of the expiration, and restarts the transmitting-side timer, and the mobile station (UE) restarts a receiving-side timer in response to the notification.
US08233908B2
A method and an apparatus to perform efficient dynamic frequency selection between basic service sets in the same channel for wireless LAN using a 5 gigahertz frequency band. Provided also are a method and an apparatus to perform efficient channel selection corresponding to basic service sets in the same channel regardless of negotiation capability of a second device by performing negotiation corresponding to a channel to be used by a first device and a channel to be used by a second device and selecting a channel to be used by the first device based on a negotiation result.
US08233907B1
A conventional wireless device constantly measures the signal strength of its server base station and the strength of signals from surrounding base stations for handoff purposes. The wireless device transmits this information to its serving base station, which discards the information a short time afterward, following handoff. The present system and method store the formerly discarded information in one of several existing network elements or in a separate computer system. This information is used to generate a carrier to interference ratio, which indicates the level of interference between station pairs, and to also generate a carrier to interference matrix, including identifying potential interference for each station pair. The frequency of occurrences during predetermined desired periods of time and the volume of traffic affected by each level of interference may also be calculated. This provides comprehensive, continuous, real-time information for wireless frequency planning.
US08233900B2
An embodiment method of informing a network of a change of user equipment capability includes receiving, by a network, a register request message carrying information of new user equipment capability to from a user equipment, analyzing, by the network, the register request message, and storing the information of new user equipment capability for reference by subsequent establishment of a session, stopping a current registration timer on the server side set for the user equipment, initiating a new registration timer on the server side for the user equipment, and sending a response message carrying information of the new registration timer on the server side to the user equipment so as to reset a registration timer on the user side based on information of the new registration timer on the server side in the response message. The capability change is informed to the network in time.
US08233899B1
Disclosed is a method and system to help reduce the extent of roaming or use of lower priority coverage areas in a wireless communication system, by selectively managing the level of noise in a preferred coverage area. A network entity will detect that a particular coverage area has a high rate or roaming or that another coverage area (e.g., a collocated or adjacent coverage area) has a high rate of use, and the network entity will responsively reduce a noise threshold in the particular coverage area so as to then tolerate less noise in the coverage area before taking affirmative action to reduce the level of noise, and thus optimally to reduce the extent of roaming or use of less preferred coverage.
US08233897B2
Embodiments herein provide methods and systems for quantifying idle radio spectrum access across a geographic region. In an embodiment, a method for quantifying idle radio spectrum access across a geographic region includes selecting geo-referenced locations from within the geographic region to form a geo-referenced set of observation locations, independently integrating go-referenced coverage areas for one or more wireless devices within the geographic region to form an assessment of multidimensional radio spectrum conditions across the geographic region, and computing geo-referenced portions of idle multidimensional radio spectrum access across the geographic region. The method may additionally include expressing the geo-referenced portions of idle multidimensional radio spectrum access in terms of spatial statistics, aggregate statistics, and a combination of spatial statistics and aggregate statistics.
US08233896B2
A mobile communication unit is provided that employs a propagation algorithm to determine connectivity loss boundaries that define connectivity loss regions based on one or more forward projected position vector paths of the mobile communication unit and connectivity data. The mobile communication unit further comprises a map renderer configured to provide map display data that includes the map area data, situational awareness location data and the determined connectivity loss boundaries, and a display configured to display the map display data as a geographical map area with an icon of the mobile communication unit located in a geographic location of the geographical map area and drawn connectivity loss boundaries that define connectivity loss regions in a geographic location of the geographical map area.
US08233881B2
In a portable communications device, information provided by an identification means is used to establish communication between communication means and a second device, such as a point of sale machine, to ensure that the correct portable communications device is connected to the second device where there may be a large number of second devices and a large number of portable communications devices in close proximity.
US08233870B2
A transceiver includes a receiver section and a transmitter section. The receiver section converts an inbound Multiple Frequency Bands Multiple Standards (MFBMS) signal into a down converted signal, wherein the inbound MFBMS signal includes a desired signal component and an undesired signal component. In addition, the receiver section determines spectral positioning of the undesired signal component with respect to the desired signal component and adjusts at least one of the MFBMS signal and the down converted signal based on the spectral positioning to substantially reduce adverse affects of the undesired signal component on the desired signal component to produce an adjusted signal. The transmitter section converts an outbound symbol stream into an outbound MFBMS signal.
US08233845B2
Provided are a method for measuring a variable bandwidth wireless channel, and a transmitter and a receiver therefor. The transmitter, includes: a pre-processing unit for performing variable over-sampling and band-limited filtering on an original sequence for measuring the wireless channel according to a pre-determined digital-to-analog (D/A) operation speed and measurement bandwidth, and creating and storing a probing sequence whose frequency is up-converted into a fixed transmitting intermediate frequency; and a real-time processing unit for transmitting a probing signal that the stored probing sequence is converted according to the D/A operation speed to the wireless channel.
US08233839B2
A system and method are disclosed for providing streaming data information to a receiver. The system accesses one or more information service providers for providing respective information signals, input buffers for storing portions of the streaming information, a digital broadcast transmitter for broadcasting the contents of the input buffers as transmission bursts, a digital broadcast receiver for receiving the transmission bursts for storage in a receiver input buffer, and an application processor for converting the transmission bursts to an information transmission stream. The digital broadcast receiver is synchronized with the transmitter broadcasts to allow for powering down between selected transmission bursts.
US08233825B2
A housing of a developing apparatus is provided with a conveying member in a developer supplying and recovering portion, and with two agitating members rotating from the below to the above in portions opposed to each other in a developer agitating portion. A guide is provided in an inner bottom surface of the housing between two agitating members. A braking portion suppressing a discharge of a developer is provided in a downstream side of the developer agitating portion in a developer conveying direction of the second agitating member, and a discharge portion is provided in a downstream side of a disc of the braking portion.
US08233818B2
A toner container that can pass not only air but a toner, has toner sealing ability, and does not allow toner leakage even during transportation and an inner pressure change of the container, by placing an air permeable member at the fitting part in the casing part. An inner cap including at least the air permeable member is placed in the casing part of the inner cap, wherein the inner cap is used for a toner container that is detachably mounted to a developing unit in an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographical method, and the toner container includes at least a container main body, the inner cap, and an outer cap.
US08233816B2
A developer cartridge according to one aspect of the invention is attachable to a photoconductor unit that comprises a photoconductive drum. The developer cartridge comprises: a developing frame; a developing roller rotatably supported by the developing frame, and pressed to the photoconductive drum in a pressing direction when the developer cartridge is attached to the photoconductor cartridge; a memory unit attached to the developing frame; and a terminal electrically connected to the memory unit and disposed at an outer portion of the developing frame at a position substantially opposite to the developing roller with respect to the pressing direction.
US08233815B2
Disclosed is an image forming apparatus comprising a control section to display a job scheduling screen in a display section and a storage section to store tray-paper information relating to a paper of each of trays, and the control section specifies a tray or a paper to be used in each of the jobs and displays the reservation information for a length corresponding to the number of sheets of paper planed to be used in each of the jobs in the second axis at a position on the first axis corresponding to the tray or the paper which is specified and the control section determines whether a job having a stopping cause which stops at least a part of the image forming process is reserved or not, and the control section displays job information relating to the job having the stopping cause in the job scheduling screen when determining that the job having the stopping cause is reserved.
US08233796B2
A timing interface module with daughter timing reference modules. The timing modules are provided in a rack platform to eliminate routing problems and which is compliant with all relevant industry standards. The timing reference module includes a face plate having first and second substantially rectangular openings, the face plate further comprising mounting slots for receiving mounting hardware therein and first and second timing modules, the first and second timing modules disposed within the first and second substantially rectangular openings. The first and second timing modules provide timing terminations for timing reference signals for network elements of a synchronized optical network.
US08233795B2
Disclosed is an apparatus and method for medium access control (MAC) in an optical packet-switched network. The MAC apparatus may comprise a bandwidth allocation module and an MAC processor. The bandwidth allocation module determines a data transmission limit based on a probabilistic quota plus credit mechanism for each node of the network, dynamically informs all downstream nodes of unused quota and allows the downstream nodes to use remaining bandwidths of the upstream node. Through a control message carried by a control channel, the MAC processor determines uploading, downloading and data erasing for a plurality of data channels, and updates the corresponding contents in the control message.
US08233794B2
A wavelength selective switch (WSS) based on an array of MEMS mirrors tiltable in 1-dimension about only one axis exhibits “hitting” or unwanted port connections during switching. Two WSS's can be cascaded to create M×N switching functionality in a hitless manner by the inclusion of block ports at specified positions in one or both of the WSS's. Greater use efficiency of ports can be achieved if quasi-hitless performance is acceptable.
US08233787B2
A photographic device using a focus method includes a zoom lens, an image analyzing module, a focus distance providing module and a processing module. The zoom lens is used for capturing image information of a plurality of positions. The image analyzing module is used for analyzing contrast values of the image information of the plurality of positions. The focus distance providing module is used for providing a non-equivalent and a constant focus distance interval for capturing the image information of the plurality of positions. The processing module is electrically connected with the zoom lens, the image analyzing module, and the focus distance providing module. Whereby, the photographic device acquires the image information of the plurality of positions by the non-equivalent focus distance interval, acquires a coarse focus position, and acquires an accurate focus position by the constant focus distance according to the coarse focus position.
US08233786B2
Provided is an image shake correction apparatus including: an image taking optical system for taking an image of a subject; an angular velocity detection unit for detecting an angular velocity applied to the apparatus and outputting a first signal; an acceleration detection unit for detecting an acceleration applied to the apparatus and outputting a second signal; an axial rotation angular velocity calculation unit for calculating an axial rotation angular velocity component about a principal point of the image taking optical system based on the first signal; a revolution angular velocity calculation unit for calculating a revolution angular velocity component about the subject based on the second signal and a result of the calculating by the axial rotation angular velocity calculation unit; and a control unit for performing image shake correction control based on a difference between the axial rotation angular velocity component and the revolution angular velocity component.
US08233774B2
A video recorder includes a schedule reconfiguration section having: a local deterioration determining module that determines whether a local deterioration in a recording state occurs by performing simulating the recording state obtained when the reallocated resources are used for performing the programmed recordings and comparing the simulated recording state with a recording state obtained when the resources before the reallocation is used for performing the programmed recordings; and an allocation restoring module that restores the reallocated resources at a part causing the local deterioration to the resources allocated before the reallocation when the local deterioration determining module determines the occurrence of the local deterioration.
US08233769B2
A content data processing device includes: a stability score computing unit to compute a stability score corresponding to the stability of an image for each frame, based on the image data of each frame making up content data; and a playing segment selecting unit to select a playing segment from the content data based on the stability score computed with the stability score computing unit.
US08233767B2
One object of example embodiment is to provide arrangements for enabling a user to willfully record a highlight position and highlight importance without having to perform any burdensome procedure during highlight scene shooting. When a highlight button acquisition information and weight information input from a user interface 103 are acquired in a situation where a system control section 101 retains a predetermined time-shift time, the system control section 101 calculates marker information that includes the weight information and the information about a position earlier by the time-shift time, and records the marker information on a recording medium 105 via a drive control section 104.
US08233765B2
A computing system that has access to a streamed multimedia sample that is stored on a storage medium applies a zero-based presentation timestamp numbering scheme to the data packets of the multimedia sample, on-the-fly, and after each seek operation. After seeking to a desired starting point, the computing system reads ahead a maximum number of data packets within each media stream of the multimedia sample. A smallest timestamp (normalizing presentation timestamp) is identified and then subtracted from the timestamps of the data packets that are transmitted to the appropriate rendering devices, thereby creating appropriate presentation timestamps for the data packets for synchronizing the playback of the multimedia sample.
US08233764B2
A program recording method receives and records a desired program, the recording of which is set based on at least a broadcast time period and a broadcast channel. The method includes obtaining an electronic program guide and, when the desired program recording is set, searching a character string in a predetermined region of the electronic program guide including the broadcast time and broadcast channel, and changing the broadcast time period to a new time period when a predetermined word is included in the character string. A program recording apparatus for performing the method is also provided. The program recording apparatus and method ensure that a situation does not occur in which an end portion of the desired program is not recorded.
US08233757B2
An optical chassis includes a mount substrate an optoelectronic device on the mount substrate, a spacer substrate, and a sealer substrate. The mount substrate, the spacer substrate and the sealer substrate are vertically stacked and hermetically sealing the optoelectronic device. An external electrical contact for the optoelectronic device is provided outside the sealing. At least part of the optical chassis may be made on a wafer level. A passive optical element may be provided on the sealer substrate or on another substrate stacked and secured thereto.
US08233753B2
An electric field sensor or a magnetic field sensor includes an optical fiber and an electro-optic layer or a magneto-optic layer. The electro-optic layer or a magneto-optic layer is provided on an end surface of an end portion of the optical fiber. The end surface of the optical fiber is a convex shape. The optical fiber may have the end portion with a shape of a substantial cone formed by extending the end portion, and the electro-optic layer or the magneto-optic layer may be formed on a side surface of a front end of the substantial cone. A dielectric layer may be further included between the optic layer and the end surface.
US08233748B2
Provided is an image-resolution-improvement apparatus and method which can increase the resolution of an input image at a high magnification to thereby obtain a high-quality final image. The apparatus includes a textured-region-detection unit to detect a texture region in an input image; and a final-image-generation unit to synthesize a first intermediate image and a second intermediate image, which are obtained by applying different interpolation techniques to the texture region and a non-texture region excluding the texture region and generating a final image.
US08233744B2
An image enlargement apparatus (108) includes: an interpolation unit (104 and the like) that generates a high-resolution interpolation image (OL) from a low-resolution image (101); a synthesis unit (105) that generates a first high-resolution image (FIG. 11B, alternate long and short dash line data in a lower part of FIG. 45, and the like) by synthesizing the interpolation image and a correction amount; and a re-correction unit (106) that generates a second high-resolution image (FIG. 11D, solid line data in the lower part of FIG. 45, and the like) by re-correcting the first high-resolution image using a generated feature value.
US08233740B2
Systems and methods for constructing photorealistic mosaics are described. One embodiment of the invention includes capturing an image of a sheet that includes a plurality of pieces of material, determining the location of each piece of material on the sheet from the captured image, extracting images of each piece of material on the sheet from the captured image, storing an image of each piece of material and information concerning the location of the piece of material in a database and using the images in the database and the target image to identify pieces of material to be used in the construction of the photorealistic mosaic.
US08233739B1
Systems and methods for performing image editing operations may use patch transforms and inverse patch transforms to reconstruct output images from input images and to refine them using patch jittering such that visual artifacts are repaired. The methods may include generating one or more jittered versions of patch(es) initially assigned to nodes of the output image and using them as candidate patches for a refined image. Jittered versions of patches may be shifted by a small number of pixels in one or more directions. The number of jittered versions and amount of jittering exhibited by each may be configurable (e.g., programmatically or by a user) and/or may be dependent on the amount of overlap between the patches. Belief propagation may be used to replace patches in the output image with jittered versions in the refined image. The methods may be implemented as program instructions executable on a CPU and/or GPU.
US08233730B1
Systems and methods for identifying motion between a previous frame and a current frame. The system may include a fast Fourier transform calculator that generates low pass frequency domain outputs and high pass frequency domain outputs of previous frame data and current frame data. The system may further include a phase difference calculator that calculates a first phase difference between the low pass frequency domain outputs and a second phase difference between the high pass frequency domain outputs. An inverse Fourier transform calculator may be included to generate a first inverse Fourier result and a second inverse Fourier result based on the first and second phase difference respectively, and a motion vector calculator may be included for generating motion vectors based on the inverse Fourier results.
US08233728B2
In an image generation and rendering system, a quality stamp indicative of image fidelity is embedded in image data units resulting from image data compression/encoding. At decoding, the image quality stamp is captured and when the decoded image is rendered, a fidelity indicator is displayed along with the image.
US08233723B2
In an example embodiment, a method is provided for image categorization. Here, images are displayed. In turn, a user input that describes a characteristic shared between the images from a comparison between the images is received. The user input may then be classified into categorization data.
US08233722B2
An image management method and system provides for storing, indexing, searching, and/or retrieving image data. Keypoints are identified in images, including keypoints in a query image of a query document, and keypoints in potential target document images of a collection of potential target documents. Fingerprint information from the keypoints are generated, and the fingerprint information of a query image is compared with fingerprint information of potential target document images, found in the collection of potential target documents. A best match is determined between the fingerprint information of the query image and the potential target document images. At least one target document image is retrieved based on the determined best match. The retrieved at least one target image may then be displayed, printed or transmitted.
US08233717B2
A system and method for extracting feature data of dynamic objects selects sequential N frames of a video file up front, where N is a positive integer, and divides each of the N frames into N*N squares. The system and method further selects any n frames from the N frames, selects any n rows and n columns of the n frames to obtain n*n*n squares, where n is a positive integer. The system and method further extracts feature data from the video file by computing averages and differences for pixel values of the n*n*n squares.
US08233713B2
An image processing method, for receiving an input image and separating pixels having text characteristics and pixels having figure characteristics, includes: applying a first filtering processing for the input image to derive a first image processing result; applying a second filtering processing for the first image processing result to derive a second image processing result, wherein a distribution of filtering parameters of the first filtering processing is different from a distribution of filtering parameters of the second filtering processing; deriving a set of first reference values according to the first image processing result and the second image processing result; and determining whether each pixel within the input image is a text pixel or a figure pixel according to at least the set of the first reference values and a predetermined threshold.
US08233694B2
A method to detect and rank appearance distortions includes creating virtual models of a reference panel and a processed panel, including a first reference patch and the processed panel, respectively. Projecting a first simulated light pattern on the reference panel and the processed panel, and viewing the first reference patch and the first processed patch from a first viewpoint with respect to the first simulated light pattern. The method compares a first reference reflection at the first reference patch with a first processed reflection at the first processed patch, and creates a first index value from optical variations between the appearance of the reference and processed reflections. The first index value is output in a computer readable format. The method may compare the first index value to a predetermined index value and determine whether the processed panel is within an acceptable appearance quality threshold.
US08233691B2
The invention relates to a system for adapting a plurality of model meshes to a plurality of image data. The system has a registration unit for registering the plurality of model meshes with the plurality of image data on the basis of a computation of a registration transformation for transforming the plurality of model meshes, and an adaptation unit for adapting the plurality of registered model meshes to the plurality of image data on the basis of a computation of locations of mesh vertices of the plurality of model meshes. The described system is capable of reducing motion artifacts in tomographic images computed from data acquired at a plurality of different cardiac cycle phases.
US08233689B2
A method and system are provided to mask out the background in dynamic PET images, to perform pre-normalization on the masked dynamic PET images, and to apply multivariate image analysis (e.g., principal component analysis PCA) on the masked pre-normalized dynamic PET images in order to improve the quality of the dynamic PET images and the PET study. A masking operation applies PCA to untreated dynamic PEET images before any pre-normalization in order to mask out the background pixels. This masking operation uses the Otsu method. A first normalization method is background noise pre-normalization where pixel values are corrected for background noise. A second normalization method is kinetic pre-normalization where the contrast within an image is improved. Multivariate analysis such as PCA may be applied on the whole volume to find the largest variance in the structure.
US08233687B2
An ultrasonic probe and a transmitter/receiver scan a 3D region using ultrasonic beams by raising the scanning line density of the transmission of ultrasonic beams for a region of interest compared to the scanning line density of the transmission of ultrasonic beams for regions other than the region of interest among the 3D regions. An image-generating part generates ultrasonic-image data of the 3D region, based on the received beams that have been obtained by the scan.
US08233686B2
A method of processing image data from an imaging system for locating a plurality N of objects embedded in a body includes receiving data for a first two-dimensional image of a region of interest of the body containing the plurality N of objects, the first two-dimensional image being obtained from a first imaging setting of the imaging system relative to the region of interest; receiving data for a second two-dimensional image of a region of interest of the body containing the plurality N of objects, the second two-dimensional image being obtained from a second imaging setting of the imaging system relative to the region of interest; and receiving data for a third two-dimensional image of a region of interest of the body containing the plurality N of objects, the third two-dimensional image being obtained from a third imaging setting of said imaging system relative to said region of interest.
US08233685B2
A method comprises performing a first T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) on a subject; injecting the subject with a contrast agent after performing the first T2WI; and waiting a predetermined period of time before performing a second T2WI on the subject. The first T2WI and second T2WI are then co-registered. The co-registered first T2WI and co-registered second T2WI are then trimmed. A ΔR2 map is then determined based on each pixel of the trimmed first T2WI and corresponding pixels of the trimmed second T2WI. A three-dimensional map is constructed based on the ΔR2 map.
US08233682B2
A method of improving a resolution of an image using image reconstruction is provided. The method includes acquiring scan data of an object and forward projecting a current image estimate of the scan data to generate calculated projection data. The method also includes applying a data-fit term and a regularization term to the scan data and the calculated projection data and modifying at least one of the data fit term and the regularization term to accommodate spatio-temporal information to form a reconstructed image from the scan data and the calculated projection data.
US08233674B2
An image is acquired including a red eye defect and non red eye defect regions having a red color. An initial segmentation of candidate redeye regions is performed. A location and orientation of one or more faces within the image are determined. The candidate redeye regions are analyzed based on the determined location and orientation of the one or more faces to determine a probability that each redeye region appears at a position of an eye. Any confirmed redeye regions having at least a certain threshold probability of being a false positive are removed as candidate redeye defect regions. The remaining redeye defect regions are corrected and a red eye corrected image is generated.
US08233662B2
The present invention aims at providing a method for detecting a color of a signal light from a moving vehicle such as railroad train. The method includes capturing an image from a camera mounted on the moving vehicle and extracting candidate regions in the image that contain light region. The method further includes classifying the candidate regions as a signal light region or a non-signal light region and identifying the color of the signal light region.
US08233651B1
A hearing prosthesis includes both a hearing aid adapted to sense and amplify low frequency acoustic sound signals and a cochlear implant system adapted to sense high frequency acoustic sound signals. The hearing aid has a first microphone adapted to sense the low frequency acoustic sound signals, amplify these sensed low frequency acoustic sound signals, and present the resulting amplified low frequency acoustic sound signals in the ear canal of a user, thereby enabling the user to better hear these amplified sounds using his or her normal hearing processes. The cochlear implant system includes a second microphone adapted to sense the high frequency acoustic sound signals and selectively stimulate the inner ear with electrical stimulation that will be perceived as high frequency acoustic sound signals. Both the cochlear implant system and the hearing aid system are coupled to operate on the same ear of the user. Feedback within the hearing aid portion of the system is eliminated by positioning the first microphone at a location that is acoustically remote from the ear canal where the amplified low frequency acoustic sound signals are presented. High frequency acoustic sound signals are better sensed by placing the second microphone at a location that is in or near the ear canal where the amplified low frequency acoustic sound signals are presented.
US08233647B2
This television set includes a first speaker portion and a second speaker portion provided on prescribed left and right positions of a display screen portion respectively, a driving portion turning the display screen portion and a control portion controlling the first speaker portion and the second speaker portion so that the first speaker portion and the second speaker portion output different sounds enabling the user to identify the distances from the first and second speaker portions to the user respectively when the driving portion turns the display screen portion.
US08233642B2
In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect an initial listening zone wherein the initial listening zone represents an initial area monitored for sounds; detect an initial sound within the initial listening zone; and adjust the initial listening zone and forming the adjusted listening zone having an adjusted area based wherein the initial sound emanates from within the adjusted listening zone.
US08233636B2
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program, which can suppress a low frequency range component with a small amount of calculation, and can achieve a noise suppression of high quality, are provided. The noise superposed in a desired signal of an input signal is suppressed by converting the input signal to a frequency domain signal; correcting an amplitude of the frequency domain signal to obtain an amplitude corrected signal; obtaining an estimated noise by using the amplitude corrected signal; determining a suppression coefficient by using the estimated noise and the amplitude corrected signal; and weighting the amplitude corrected signal with the suppression coefficient.
US08233630B2
A sound element is generated by synthesizing, from a base sound, a frequency component of a sinusoidal wave one octave higher than the base sound. The base sound is a frequency component of one sinusoidal wave with an integer multiple of periods thereof matching a sample count represented by a power of 2. Sound elements having a frequency serving as a musical scale in a temperament are selected from the sound elements. The selected sound element is outputted in a predetermined pattern of time and a musical scale, so that a test tone is produced in a melody-like fashion.
US08233621B2
Slice-based prioritized secure video streaming comprises a transmitter receiving a slice comprising a plurality of macroblocks and selecting an encryption key based at least in part on a relative importance of secure transmission of the macroblocks. If the importance is high, a master key is selected. If the importance is medium, a first key derivable by applying a one-way function to the master key is selected. If the importance is low, a second key derivable by applying the one-way function to the first key is selected. The slice is encrypted using the encryption key. A receiver receives the encrypted slice, decrypts a header of the slice using the master key, to obtain an indication of a relative importance of secure transmission of the macroblocks. The receiver selects a decryption key based at least in part on the indication, and decrypts the slice using the decryption key.
US08233617B2
A system and method are provided for enabling a symmetric key to be derived, the method comprising: obtaining a plurality of key parts, wherein the plurality of key parts when combined equal the symmetric key; encrypting a first of the key parts using a first cryptographic algorithm to generate a first encrypted value; encrypting one or more remaining key parts of the plurality of key parts using respective cryptographic algorithms to generate one or more additional encrypted values, wherein each key part encrypted is encrypted using a different cryptographic algorithm; and providing the first encrypted value and the one or more additional encrypted values to an other entity to enable the other entity to derive the symmetric key.
US08233590B2
The present invention relates to a method of automatically controlling the volume level of communication speech for Mean Opinion Score (MOS) measurement, which, before evaluating the quality of communication speech using a MOS measurement method, automatically controls the volume level of actual communication speech to a predetermined optimal level, thus improving the reliability of MOS values.The present invention provides a method of automatically controlling a volume level of communication speech for MOS measurement using MOS measurement equipment, the MOS measurement equipment calculating an MOS value based on results obtained by comparing a speech signal, which is received via a voice communication network, with a reference speech signal, the method comprising the steps of (a) when an audio signal, including a speech signal, is received from counterpart MOS measurement equipment in a predetermined format, measuring the volume level of the speech signal and comparing the volume level of the measured speech signal with a reference volume level; (b) transmitting a predetermined intrinsic audible frequency signal, which corresponds to ‘proper,’ ‘excess’ or ‘insufficiency’ information resulting from the comparison, to the counterpart MOS measurement equipment; and (c) the counterpart MOS measurement equipment interpreting the predetermined intrinsic audible frequency signal, which corresponds to the ‘proper,’ ‘excess’ or ‘insufficiency’ information, and controlling the volume level of the communication speech.
US08233586B1
We present an iterative method for reducing artifacts in computed tomography (CT) images. First, a filter is applied to the experimental projection data that adaptively expands the detector element size in regions with low photon counts, until the desired number of photons are detected. The initial image is then calculated using an existing reconstruction technique. In each iteration, artifacts and noise in the current image are reduced by using an edge-preserving blur filter. Metal pixels (determined from the initial image) are replaced with smaller values. The resulting image is forward projected. Rays that go through metal are replaced with the forward projected values. Rays that do not pass near metal are kept at the experimental values. Filtered backprojection is then performed on the new projection data to determine the updated image. Finally, after the last iteration, metal pixels are copied from the initial image.
US08233581B2
The present invention relates generally to a process for a pressurized water reactor. The pressurized water reactor includes a primary circuit and a reactor core. The process includes adding a sufficient amount of an organic compound to coolant water passing through the primary circuit of the pressurized water reactor. The organic compound includes elements of carbon and hydrogen for producing elemental carbon.
US08233579B2
The disclosure relates to a device comprising at least one delay line for applying a variable delay to a clock signal and a controller for controlling the variable delay of the delay line. Each delay line comprises a plurality of concatenated delay banks which provide different delay values with respect to each other, a bypass parallel over each of said the delay banks, and switching elements associated with each of the delay banks for selecting either the respective delay bank or the respective bypass. Each of the delay banks is provided with a delay bank status indicator for indicating propagation of the clock signal through the delay bank towards the controller. The controller is provided for taking the indicated propagation of the clock signal into account upon setting said switching elements. Devices according to this disclosure are, amongst other uses, suited for use in Ultra Wide Band (UWB) receiving or transmitting devices, in particular those devices, designed for low power consumption, by enabling power on and off switching of parts of such devices as analog to digital converters and integrators, during timing windows.
US08233578B2
A phase lock loop frequency synthesizer includes a phase rotator in the feedback path of the PLL. The PLL includes a phase detector, a low pass filter, a charge pump, a voltage controlled oscillator (“VCO”), and a feedback path connecting output of the VCO to the phase detector. The feedback path includes a phase rotator connected to the output of the VCO and to an input of a frequency divider. Coarse frequency control is implemented by adjusting the input reference frequency to the phase detector or by adjusting the divider ratio of the frequency divider. Fine frequency control is achieved by increasing or decreasing the rotation speed of the phase rotator. The phase rotator constantly rotates phase of the VCO output, thereby causing a frequency shift at the output of the phase rotator.
US08233577B1
A signal routing apparatus comprises a register bank to store a set of data signals. A delay locked loop generates a set of phase displaced clock signals. A phase controlled read circuit sequentially routes the set of data signals from the register bank in response to the phase displaced clock signals. A Low Voltage Differential Signaling buffer connected to the phase controlled read circuit transmits the data signals in a Low Voltage Differential Signaling mode. The phase displaced clock signals operate in lieu of a higher clock rate in order to reduce power consumption.
US08233575B2
An error between the rate fsym at which data are received and the rate fs at which the data are sampled in is determined by processing a received signal with a nonlinear operator, performing a DFT on the processed signal to produce a plurality of DFT bins each characterized by a respective frequency, determining a dominant spectral component k0 from at least two of the DFT bins whose frequencies are substantially close to the frequency of the dominant spectral component k0, and determining the data rate fsym from the dominant spectral component k0.
US08233563B2
Radiofrequency transmission system including a digital module producing a first complex digital signal quantised on N bits, a module transforming the first complex digital signal into two second complex digital signals with an identical and constant envelope that are phase-shifted with respect to one another, sigma-delta filters quantising the two second signals into third M bits signals, M being less than N, a digital-to-analogue converter converting the third signals into analogue signals, band-pass filters selectively filtering the analogue signals in a predetermined transmission frequency band, amplifiers amplifying the filtered analogue signals, and filters recombining the amplified analogue signals for transmission.
US08233558B2
Methods and systems for space-time coding for distributed cooperative communication.
US08233554B2
Numerous embodiments are provided that may be used to provide enhanced capacity and/or Quality-of-Service for OFDM-based systems such as LTE and/or WiMAX. Various service/device modes and/or applications are also provided. According to embodiments of the invention, a transformation may be performed on a data vector by a transmitter, prior to the transmitter transmitting the data vector, to distribute elements of the data vector over an available frequency space, thus providing robustness to channel anomalies such as fading and/or interference. The transformation may be based upon a Fourier transform or a truncated Butler matrix. At a receiver, an inverse of the transformation may be applied to recover data. The receiver and/or transmitter may be configured with an antenna array that may comprise a two-dimensional lattice of antenna elements, and may further be configured to estimate a number of resolvable signal paths and to form a spatial filter/rake that is matched to the number of resolvable signal paths. Embodiments relating to architectures, systems, methods, devices, software, firmware and/or computer program products are provided.
US08233550B2
Method of removing blocking artifact by filtering pixels in a horizontal and then vertical direction
In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining quantization information of a first block, and determining a filtering coefficient based on values obtained from a table using the quantization. Four successive filtered pixel values in horizontal direction are obtained based on the filtering coefficient, and four successive filtered pixel values in the vertical direction are obtained based on the filtering coefficient after obtaining the four successive filtered pixel values in the horizontal direction.
US08233544B2
The disclosure describes FGS video coding techniques that use cycle-aligned fragments (CAFs). The techniques may perform cycle-based coding of FGS video data block coefficients and syntax elements, and encapsulate cycles in fragments for transmission. The fragments may be cycle-aligned such that a start of a payload of each of the fragments substantially coincides with a start of one of the cycles. In this manner, cycles can be readily accessed via individual fragments. Some cycles may be controlled with a vector mode to scan to a predefined position within a block before moving to another block. In this manner, the number of cycles can be reduced, reducing the number of fragments and associated overhead. The CAFs may be entropy coded independently of one another so that each fragment may be readily accessed and decoded without waiting for decoding of other fragments. Independent entropy coding may permit parallel decoding and simultaneous processing of fragments.
US08233542B2
Moving picture motion compensation coding/decoding predicts a motion vector in a coding block from a motion vector of the adjacent position and codes a differential motion vector calculated from the motion vector to be coded and its prediction motion vector. The coding is performed by switching the coding accuracy between a coding accuracy of the differential motion vector (1) and a coding accuracy of the prediction motion vector and the coding motion vector (2) for each block. Moreover, when decoding the motion vector from the differential motion vector coded by the aforementioned coding, a reversed processing with respect to the coding is performed.
US08233540B2
A method and an apparatus for converting multimedia data of a digital format to multimedia data of an analog format, such as NTSC or PAL is disclosed, multimedia synchronous digital multimedia interfaces may be supported in a similar manner. The digital format includes image data and timing data where the timing data includes presentation times stamp information for the image data and is compatible with a communication system in which the transmitter and receiver operate based on a global clock, such as a GPS clock.
US08233538B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and systems for ordering, communicating and applying pixel intra-prediction modes.
US08233534B2
Frame buffer video compression on an input video stream to efficiently allocate and utilize memory used for storing reference frames in a video decoder includes parsing a video header to obtain a maximum number of reference frames (N), dividing an available frame buffer memory to hold [N+1] compressed frames, controlling a compression process to limit a size of each frame such that said size is not less than a frame buffer memory size divided by [N+1], parsing messages that contain reference frames by looking ahead in an input video stream buffer of the input video stream, and allocating memory for compressing a given reference frame based on a number of needed frames at a frame buffer. A quantization of the compression process may be adjusted to improve a picture quality of the input video stream.
US08233524B2
Embodiments include transceivers and transmit IQ imbalance correction methods. A transmitter lineup, which includes an equalizer and an RF modulator, receives a stream of baseband samples having real and imaginary components, processes the real components along a first channel, and processes the imaginary components along a second channel to produce processed real and imaginary components. The equalizer equalizes at least one of the processed real components and the processed imaginary components to compensate for offset frequency-dependent components of transmitter IQ imbalance. The RF modulator receives and modulates analog versions of the equalized samples, resulting in an analog RF signal. An embodiment also includes a balancer adapted to apply IQ gain and phase correction to the equalized samples to compensate for offset frequency-independent components of the transmitter IQ imbalance. A calibration processing subsystem determines filter coefficients used by the equalizer and IQ gain and phase correction values used by the balancer.
US08233523B2
In one embodiment, a system includes one or more digital feedback equalizers (DFEs) that include one or more residual intersymbol interference (ISI) detectors, one or more column balancers, and one or more weight selectors. The residual ISI detectors produce a first output signal indicating whether the residual ISI of a received input signal has a positive sign or a negative sign. The column balancers select one of the first output signals to produce a second output signal. The weight selectors access one of the weight values. The weight value corresponds to the column balancer, the residual ISI detector, and the sign of the residual ISI, and has a magnitude that is dependent on the sign of the residual ISI. The weight selectors produce a third output signal based on the weight value and the sign of the residual ISI.
US08233522B2
The conventional decision feedback equalizer has a drawback that can't decide symbols correctly because a simple slicer is used as a symbol detector. A decision feedback equalizer as a symbol detector uses a Trellis Coded Modulation (TCM) decoder whose Trace Back depth is 1 (TBD=1), to thereby decide symbols correctly without decoding delay.
US08233521B1
A cable modem termination system may include a number of receivers and a number of input ports configured to receive bursts of data from a number of cable modems on a number of channels. At least one receiver of the number of receivers may be configured to receive and decode bursts of data on at least one channel according to a first control signal. An input selector may be connected between the number of input ports and the number of receivers. The input selector may be configured to route bursts of data from the number of input ports to the number of receivers according to a second control signal.
US08233520B2
A radio frequency (RF) signal communication system provided with amplifier predistortion comprises an antenna for wireless communication. Through the antenna and a receiving path of the system, RF signals are received and transmitted to a baseband module. The transmission path of the system comprises a predistorter and an amplifier, in which the predistorter performs predistortion to compensate signal distortion under the amplification by the amplifier. A coupler is utilized to sample a portion of RF signals output by the amplifier as the feedbacks for the predistortion.
US08233518B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method to produce a modulation signal comprising combining at least two modulation signals, for example, BOCs or derivatives thereof, having portions (chip or a number of chips) thereof with respective relative phases or states ({++, −−} and {+−, −+}) selected such that the average of a plurality of said portions at least reduces cross spectral terms of the composite complex spectrum of said at least two modulation signals.
US08233516B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for use in devices operatively enabled to perform waveform correlation result processing.
US08233509B2
The invention relates to a device (1) for generating short pulses, said device being characterized in that it comprises: a polarized pulse laser (10, 2, 3) having a polarization direction; a bi-refringent optical fiber (6) having bi-refringence axes, wherein said polarization direction is not co-linear with said bi-refringence axes; an output polarizer (9) provided at the output of said fiber, said polarizer being capable of selecting a polarization at the output of said fiber; wherein said pulse laser in a longitudinally quasi-single mode laser.
US08233505B2
A wireless network (300) operates with at least two different types of wireless devices, including Type-A wireless devices (320) that communicate using a first transmission scheme and Type-B wireless devices (310) that communicate using a second transmission scheme. Type-A wireless devices (320) can transmit Type-A beacons (325) using the first transmission scheme. Type-B wireless devices (310) can transmit and receive Type-B beacons (315) using the second transmission scheme. Type-B wireless devices (310) can also transmit Type-A beacons (325) using the first transmission scheme, but cannot receive the Type-A beacons (325). Before establishing communications in a new channel, a Type-B wireless device (310) performs power sensing to detect the presence of any non-Type-B wireless devices (200), and if such wireless devices (200) are detected, it switches to another channel. Otherwise, it transmits a Type-A beacon (325) and a Type-B beacon (315) to establish communications in the channel.
US08233500B2
A method of scheduling upstream bandwidth. This method comprises: 1) anticipating the need for the upstream bandwidth in advance of any specific request for said upstream bandwidth; and 2) scheduling the upstream bandwidth in accordance with such need.
US08233492B1
An apparatus including an operation manager for an Internet Protocol (IP) telephony system. The operation manager is configured to identify a gateway which is associated with a system fault, and determine an impact of the system fault on the IP telephony system, or on an external network that is interfaced to the IP telephony system by the gateway. The impact of the system fault may be determined according to a dial pattern associated with a call routed to the gateway.
US08233485B2
The present invention relates to a method in a communication network for connecting at least one application server (AS) (213) of an internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) (200) to an intelligent network (IN) (100) through an interface unit (301). The IMS (200) comprises a call server control function (CSCF) unit (205) connected to the at least one AS (213) arranged for processing call signaling. In the method the interface unit (301) directs the call signaling to the at least one AS (213) through the CSCF unit (205) and the at least one AS (213) processes the call signaling and sends the processed call signaling through the CSCF unit (205) back to the interface unit (301). Based on the information received in the call signaling processed by the at least one AS (213), the interface unit (301) then directs the call to a destination.
US08233480B2
A network clustering facility is described. The network clustering facility receives a message having a location identification that identifies a destination for the message and comprises at least two components, selects a network node identified by the components of the location identification, determines whether a link exists to the selected network node, and identifies a best link to the selected network node. The network clustering facility comprises a clustering subsystem, an advertising subsystem, and a routing layer.
US08233477B1
Methods of operating a packet network device having multiple serial channels crossing a backplane are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, a management function performs dynamic modifications to the packet network device configuration in response to detected backplane errors. These modifications can directly alter a characteristic of a channel that is generating errors, or can indirectly affect such a channel by directly altering a characteristic of an “aggressor” channel that is indicated as producing crosstalk on that channel. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08233475B2
A Data-Over-Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) cable modem system is coupled to: i) via a local area internet protocol (IP) network, a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) device operating Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for signaling a VoIP media session; and ii) via a DOCSIS network, a cable modem termination system (CMTS) via a network. The cable modem system comprises instructions stored in a memory and executed by a processor. The instructions comprise: i) in response to receiving a frame via the local area IP network, determining if the frame is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) invite message signaling a VoIP session with a remote endpoint; and ii) in response to determining that the frame is a SIP invite message, generating a DOCSIS message to the CMTS to request an addition of reserved bandwidth on the DOCSIS network for the VoIP session.
US08233474B2
Techniques for providing location information describing a communication device configured to exchange telephony information over a computer network. A switching device of the computer network receives a first message according to a node-to-node communication protocol, the first message indicating that the endpoint communication device includes a configuration for a mode of operation on behalf of a telephone service account. The switching device determines from the first message an identifier of the telephone service account and sends the determined identifier in a second message via the computer network, the second message in support of a location service.
US08233473B2
An IP telephone terminal includes an identification data receiving unit that receives, over an Internet, identification data identifying another IP telephone terminal. A communicating unit establishes IP telephone communications with the other IP telephone terminal identified by the identification data via the Internet. An IP telephone function controlling unit controls execution of an IP telephone function used to implement a telephone call with the other IP telephone terminal via a communicating unit that establishes IP telephone communications with the other IP telephone terminal. A terminal data acquiring unit acquires terminal data included in the identification data when acquisition data is determined to be included in the identification data. A process data transmission controlling unit controls transmission of a process data to the other IP telephone terminal, the process data being data used in the function identified by the terminal data acquired by the terminal data acquiring unit.
US08233453B2
A control method in a mobile communication system with a buffer unit for temporarily storing packet data to be sent, includes dropping the packet data stored in the buffer unit before sending when a drop timer corresponding to the packet data before sending reaches a given value or when a drop condition required by a drop mechanism accompanying the buffer unit is satisfied, and dropping the packet data stored in the buffer unit after sending when a drop timer corresponding to the packet data after sending reaches a given value.
US08233448B2
In various embodiments, a method, computer-readable storage medium, and apparatus for scheduling prioritized best effort (BE) service flows through a wireless network base station includes a controller coupled to a memory. If any one of a plurality of BE service flows are congested, a minimum reserved traffic rate (MRTR) algorithm is used by the controller to ensure that at least a highest priority BE service flow is maintained at least at an associated MRTR. If none of the plurality of BE service flows are congested, a maximum sustained traffic rate (MSTR) algorithm is used by the controller to enable the highest priority BE service flow to be set to at least at an associated MSTR before lower priority service flows are increased. If none of the plurality of BE service flows are congested and each service flow is at their associated MSTR, the controller is configured to distribute any excess bandwidth to each service flow in accordance with an initial set of priority BE traffic flow ratios.
US08233445B2
An apparatus and method for dynamic resource allocation in a wireless communication system are provided. A method of operating a Base Station (BS) includes configuring a bitmap to indicate whether radio resources are allocated to respective Access Terminals (ATs) according to resource scheduling, generating a resource allocation message including at least one of the configured bitmap, bit allocation information of the bitmap, and bit deallocation information of the bitmap, and transmitting the resource allocation message.
US08233440B2
A method and an apparatus for determining transmission power are disclosed. A gain factor of an E-DPDCH in a compressed mode is determined according to the number of E-DPDCH used for initial transmission of data; and the transmission power of the E-DPDCH is determined according to the gain factor of the E-DPDCH in compressed mode. As the gain factor of E-DPDCH in compressed mode is determined according to the number of E-DPDCH for initial transmission of data, the gain factor of the E-DPDCH in compressed mode can be determined accurately, and thus the transmit power of the E-DPDCH can be determined accurately according to the gain factor of the E-DPDCH. Therefore, the waste of transmit power of the E-DPDCH is reduced, and thus the system capacity is improved.
US08233426B2
An apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving packet data using multiple antennas in a wireless communication system is provided. In a wireless communication, system using multiple antennas, the apparatus and method can efficiently transmit and receive packet data according to channel conditions without a waste of transmission bandwidth.
US08233423B2
A display generating device includes a display screen generator generating a display screen showing connection status between each wireless communication device in a wireless network in which a plurality of the wireless communication devices operate in an autonomous and distributed manner, and a detector detecting an operation of changing connection status performed by a user via the display screen generated by the display screen generator, wherein, when the operation of changing connection status is detected by the detector, the display generating device performs a change process of reflecting the content of the operation of changing connection status.
US08233421B2
A method for reducing times of receiving overhead information by a mobile multimedia broadcast terminal, comprising the following steps: a mobile multimedia broadcast system multiplexes different services according to service type, generates different overhead information, and adds an overhead information update indication in a corresponding service data segment for indicating whether the overhead information in the next frame will be updated; a receiving terminal monitors whether the overhead information will be changed according to the overhead information update indication in the service data segment; when the overhead information update indication indicates the overhead information in the next frame will not be updated, the receiving terminal will not receive the overhead information and only receive necessary service data in the next frame; when the overhead information update indication indicates the overhead information in the next frame will be updated, the occurrence of the update will be recorded, and the receiving terminal will determine whether to read the updated overhead information according to whether it is necessary to receive other services other than the current service.
US08233416B2
In a communication system in which a roaming node seeking network access among different networks which are implemented with different network interface layer protocols, handoff schemes are instituted whereby the node may freely move from one network to another with reduced levels of interruptions with respect to the network access. Prior to and at the onset of a handoff, the node receives an indication for the handoff. The indication may be embodied in various forms such as a signal message indicating a change of the SID (System Identification), NID (Network Identification), or PZID (Packet Zone Identification). Alternatively, the indication can be in the form of information straightforwardly included in a data packet sent to the roaming node prior to the handoff. As another alternative, the indication can be implemented as distinguishable message patterns sent to the node in which different message patterns can be sent by different networks supporting different network interface layer protocols.
US08233411B2
A service broker system is presented for mediating events or messages to be sent to or received from a plurality of applications to control service interaction and to provide service blending in a communications system. The service broker system includes steplet functional components that determine a desired mediation for feature interaction or service blending associated with an event or message, along with a message manager component with a dispatcher for the steplet functional components, where the message manager creates and maintains a unique message object for a received request message. A user and end point data manager component is provided to obtain user data and endpoint data and to bind attribute data to a user ID associated with a current service session, and a session context component for binding attribute data to session ID associated with the current service session. In one embodiment, the system includes two or more message manager components individually associated with a different message type.
US08233409B2
An apparatus for non-intrusively monitoring and recording data (e.g., speech data) associated with a call(s) as well as addition and/or removal of a user(s) to/from a communication may include a processor capable of receiving speech data generated by a user of a device that subscribes to a network(s). The processor is further capable of receiving trigger control signals and determining whether the trigger control signals contain data indicating whether recording and monitoring of the data is required as well as addition and/or removal of a user to a communication is required. The processor is further capable of generating one or more copies of the speech data when the determination reveals that the recording and monitoring of the speech data is required and is further capable of generating sound corresponding to the speech data when the determination reveals that the recording and monitoring of the speech data is not required.
US08233408B2
A simplified future mobile terminal system converging multiple wireless transmission technologies by utilizing a cost-effective and spectrum-efficient mobile cloud solution based on the innovative virtual mobile server system of the open wireless architecture (OWA) platform.
US08233403B2
The invention provides a method and an element for determining a measurement time of an inter-frequency measurement, used for the dual mode UE supporting FDD mode and TDD mode in the FDD mode to perform the inter-frequency measurement to the TDD cell. If a whole timeslot is found within the measurement time, the PCCPCH mapped from the broadcast channel bearing the system information being located in the timeslot, the measurement time is taken as the valid measurement time for measuring the measurement performance. Accordingly, a method for measuring inter-frequency is also provided. A credible valid measurement time and a credible inter-frequency measurement may be realized according to the invention. Thus, the accuracy for evaluating the measurement performance and the measurement accuracy may be improved.
US08233399B2
There are disclosed a computing device, storage medium, and method for generating packets. The computing device may include a memory divided into a kernel space and a user space and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor may execute an application program operative in the user space and a generic packet generator operative in the kernel space. The application program may cause the computing device to generate a first stream definition including a first background data template and one or more first user defined fields. The generic packet generator may cause the computing device to generate a first plurality of transmission-ready packets, wherein each packet of the first plurality of transmission-ready packets comprises the first background data template overlaid by the one or more first user defined fields.
US08233393B2
The VoIP quality speech process is activated when a subscriber accesses a speech quality sensitive resource or in response to an activation of the feature by the subscriber, or when it is determined that the originating subscriber terminal device requires the transmission of high quality speech signals. A transmit buffer, associated with the port circuit that serves the originating device, stores a predetermined number of packets as they are transmitted from the originating device. In the case of lost or damaged packets, the VoIP quality speech system activates the transmit buffer to retransmit the missing or damaged packet to the destination device. Intelligent buffer management is provided, where the destination device can regulate the size of the transmit buffer as well as the size of its jitter buffer.
US08233392B2
One or more flow control modules, implemented on various types of network topologies, provide a number of functionalities for controlling the flow of IP packets (such as TCP/IP packets) over a network connection. The flow control modules may be implemented within a sender and/or receiver or may be deployed into a network as a separate device without requiring significant additional resources.
US08233389B2
In a vehicle ad-hoc network (VANET), a transceiver node is arranged in a vehicle. The node includes a protocol stack, which includes an application layer, a link layer; and a congestion control layer arranged between the application layer and the link layer. The congestion layer transfers short messages between the application layer and the link layer. The short messages are defined according to a standard for the VANET, and the congestion layer optimizes a network-wide rate allocation for the short messages.
US08233387B2
A network element implementing Multiprotocol Label Switching to automatically create an optimal deterministic back-up Label Switch Path (LSP) that is maximally disjointed from a primary LSP to provide a reliable back up to the primary LSP. The network element receives a request for a generation of an LSP, determines that the request for the generation of the LSP is for the back-up LSP, locates each link of the primary LSP in a traffic engineering database, modifies each link of the primary LSP to have a link cost significantly greater than an actual link cost to discourage use of each link of the primary LSP in the back-up LSP, executes a Constrained Shortest Path First algorithm to obtain the back-up LSP, wherein the back-up LSP has a maximum disjointedness from the primary LSP due to a modified cost of each link of the primary LSP, and returns the back-up LSP.
US08233385B1
A method may include establishing a first Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session on an interface, receiving an indication of a layer one failure, omitting for a period of time, an indication that the first PPP session on the interface is down, based on the indication of the layer one failure, establishing a layer one switchover to another interface based on the indication of the layer one failure, and attempting during the period of time, to establish a second PPP session on the other interface.
US08233384B2
The present invention provides a redundancy mechanism for packet-based communication environments without requiring localized redundancy of session control entities. These session control entities are generally referred to as service nodes, which may act as proxies on behalf of the communication terminals being served. Instead of having a dedicated backup service node, other active service nodes, which primarily serve different groups of communication terminals, are configured to provide backup support when another service node fails. In operation, a communication terminal will periodically attempt to communicate with its primary service node. When the communication terminal detects that the attempts to communicate with the service node are unsuccessful, the communication terminal will attempt to register with a selected alternate service node, the alternate service node being a currently active service node primarily supporting another group of communication terminals. The alternate service node can then accept and support the communication terminal.
US08233369B2
Exemplary embodiments are provided for recording and reading optical information using holography in which a first recording operation is performed in a first recording region in an overlapping manner by allowing a reference beam and a signal beam with data loaded to interfere with each other in the first recording region, the reference beam being angularly multiplexed at predetermined intervals. And a second recording operation is performed in a second recording region located adjacent to the first recording region or overlapped with the first recording region by allowing the reference beam and the signal beam to interfere with each other in the second recording region, the reference beam being angularly multiplexed between the predetermined intervals.
US08233366B2
A media player may occasionally be unable to play or continue to play a particular item of media. When that occurs, the media player outputs an error indication that is related to the type of media that the problem media item is representative of. For example, if the problem item is a movie, then the media player may display an error indication having the appearance of broken movie film. If the problem media item is music, then the media player may display an error indication having the appearance of a broken compact disc (“CD”). Thus whatever the type of media that is not playing, the media player outputs an error indication that is appropriate for that type of media. The error indications output by the player are therefore context-based or media-appropriate.
US08233358B2
A TAMR (Thermal Assisted Magnetic Recording) write head uses the energy of optical-laser generated plasmons in a plasmon antenna to locally heat a magnetic recording medium and reduce its coercivity and magnetic anisotropy. To enable the TAMR head to operate most effectively, the maximum gradient of the magnetic recording field should be concentrated in the small region being heated. Typically this does not occur because the spot being heated by the antenna is offset from the position at which the magnetic pole concentrates its magnetic field. The present invention incorporates a magnetic core within a plasmon antenna, so the antenna effectively becomes an extension of the magnetic pole and produces a magnetic field whose maximum gradient overlaps the region being heated by edge plasmons being generated in a conducting layer surrounding the antenna's magnetic core.
US08233357B2
An encoder is capable of being used to compensate for the tilting of a movable object in an apparatus. The encoder includes a fixed scale, and a movable scale integrated with an object that moves during an operation of the apparatus and having a plurality of patterns that are out of phase from each other with respect to the direction of movement of the object. The encoder may be employed by a hard disk drive (HDD) and a servo track recording apparatus. The movable scale is integrated with an actuator arm of the HDD for positioning a read/write head of the HDD, and the fixed scale is fixed to the housing of the HDD. The servo track recording apparatus can use the encoder to record servo track information precisely on a disk.
US08233356B2
Timepiece with an hour circle formed by a module placed around the movement. The module cover comprises openings at the position of each hour. Inside the module are rockers with decorations in two particular positions. An oscillating mass moves when the inclination of the plane of the timepiece changes and moves the rockers from one position to the other.
US08233355B2
An alarm device includes a first portion housing an alarm component for producing an audible sound upon actuation in response to an alarm event and a second portion housing a vibration-inducing component for producing shaking movement in the device upon actuation in response to an alarm event. The first and second portions are pivotably engaged with one another to permit swiveling movement of one of either the first or second portion relative to the other portion. The first and second portions are pivotable between a first position, wherein opposing surfaces of each of the first and second portions are substantially fully aligned with one another, and a second position, wherein opposing surfaces of each of the first and second portions are substantially exposed.
US08233346B2
There is provided a start-up circuit of an internal power supply of a semiconductor memory, including: an odd number of inverters that are connected in series and output a signal indicating whether or not to start to supply power from an internal power supply circuit of the semiconductor memory to an internal power supply circuit, and a discharge unit that is connected to an output side of an inverter at an odd-numbered stage and discharges charges remaining at the connection point between the inverter at the odd-numbered stage and the inverter at the stage immediately thereafter, after supply of power to operate the inverters is stopped.
US08233342B2
An apparatus for implementing a write assist for a memory array includes a common discharge node configured to provide a discharge path for precharged write data lines and bit lines selected during a write operation of the memory array; negative boost circuitry configured to introduce a voltage lower than a nominal logic low supply voltage onto the common discharge node following the discharge of the common discharge node, write data lines and bit lines; and a clamping device coupled to the common discharge node, the clamping device configured to limit the magnitude of negative voltage applied to common discharge node by the negative boost circuitry so as to prevent activation of non-selected bit switches.
US08233337B2
An SRAM delay circuit that tracks bitcell characteristics. A circuit is disclosed that includes an input node for receiving an input signal; a reference node for capturing a reference current from a plurality of reference cells; a capacitance network having a discharge that is controlled by the reference current; and an output circuit that outputs the input signal with a delay, wherein the delay is controlled by the discharge of the capacitance network.
US08233333B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a reference voltage generator for generating a plurality of reference voltages each having different voltage levels in response to a self refresh enable control signal, and a voltage comparator for generating a result signal that controls a self refresh operation cycle by comparing each of the plurality of reference voltages with a temperature information voltage that represents an internal temperature of an integrated circuit.
US08233328B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory comprises a memory cell array in which a plurality of memory cell transistors capable of storing data according to a threshold voltage; a row decoder having a plurality of transfer MOS transistors connected at first ends to a plurality of word lines which are respectively connected to control gate electrodes of the plurality of memory cell transistors; and a word line driver which selects supplied voltages and supplies the selected voltages to second ends of the plurality of transfer MOS transistors. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory further comprises a voltage generation circuit which supplies voltages to the word line driver; and a control circuit which controls operation of the row decoder, the word line driver and the voltage generation circuit.
US08233324B2
Methods and devices for simultaneously verifying or reading multiple states in non-volatile storage are disclosed. Methods and devices for efficiently reducing or eliminating cross-coupling effects in non-volatile storage are disclosed. Methods and devices for efficiently performing reads at a number of voltages to search for the threshold voltage of a memory cell are disclosed. Memory cells on different NAND strings that are read at the same time may be tested for different threshold voltage levels. Memory cells may be tested for different threshold voltages by applying different gate-to-source voltages to memory cells being tested for different threshold voltages. Memory cells may be tested for different threshold voltages by applying different drain to source voltages to the memory cells. Different amounts of compensation for cross-coupling affects may be applied to memory cells on different NAND strings that are read or programmed at the same time.
US08233322B2
A multiple partition memory and architecture for concurrent operations reduces circuit overhead by providing a common read sense amplifier and program path for multiple partitions. Long separate datalines for read and algorithm operations allow concurrent operation and blockout of multiple operations in a single block of the memory.
US08233321B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory cell transistors arranged in a matrix; a plurality of word lines commonly coupling the control gates of the plural memory cell transistors present in a identical first direction; a plurality of source lines commonly coupling the sources of the plural memory cell transistors present in the identical first direction; a plurality of bit lines commonly coupling the drains of the plural memory cell transistors present in a identical second direction intersecting the first direction; a first transistor having a drain coupled to the source line; a second transistor having a drain coupled to a source of the first transistor, a gate coupled to the word line and a source grounded; and a control line commonly coupling the gates of the plural first transistors.
US08233320B2
A two transistor NOR flash memory cell has symmetrical source and drain structure manufactured by a NAND-based manufacturing process. The flash cell comprises a storage transistor made of a double-poly NMOS floating gate transistor and an access transistor made of a double-poly NMOS floating gate transistor, a poly1 NMOS transistor with poly1 and poly2 being shorted or a single-poly poly1 or poly2 NMOS transistor. The flash cell is programmed and erased by using a Fowler-Nordheim channel tunneling scheme. A NAND-based flash memory device includes an array of the flash cells arranged with parallel bit lines and source lines that are perpendicular to word lines. Write-row-decoder and read-row-decoder are designed for the flash memory device to provide appropriate voltages for the flash memory array in pre-program with verify, erase with verify, program and read operations in the unit of page, block, sector or chip.
US08233319B2
A memory unit includes a magnetic tunnel junction data cell electrically coupled to a bit line and a word line. The magnetic tunnel junction data cell is configured to switch between a high resistance state and a low resistance state by passing a unipolar voltage across the magnetic tunnel junction data cell. A diode is electrically coupled between the magnetic tunnel junction data cell and the word line or bit line. A voltage source provides the unipolar voltage across the magnetic tunnel junction data cell that writes the high resistance state and the low resistance state.
US08233318B2
The present disclosure includes devices and methods for operating resistance variable memory cells. One or more embodiments include applying a programming signal to a resistance variable material of a memory cell, and decreasing a magnitude of a trailing portion of the applied programming signal successively according to a number of particular decrements. The magnitude and the duration of the number of particular decrements correspond to particular programmed values.
US08233316B2
An improved memory array architecture and cell design in which the cell employs two access transistors. In one embodiment, the two access transistors in each cell are coupled at one of their channel terminals to a memory element, which in turn is connected to a bit line. The other of the channel terminals are effectively tied together via reference lines. The word lines (i.e., gates) of the two access transistors are also tied together. The result in a preferred embodiment is a cell having two access transistors wired and accessed in parallel. With such a configuration, the widths of the access transistors can be made one-half the width of more-traditional one-access-transistor designs, saving layout space in that (first) dimension. Moreover, because the word lines of adjacent cells will be deselected, the improved design does not require cell-to-cell isolation (e.g., trench isolation) in the other (second) dimension. The result, when applied to a phase change memory, comprises about a 37% reduction in layout area from previous cell designs.
US08233314B2
Apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable writing data on, and reading data of, multi-state elements having greater than two states. The elements may be made of magnetoplastic and/or magnetoelastic materials, including, for example, magnetic shape-memory alloy or other materials that couple magnetic and crystallographic states. The writing process is preferably conducted through the application of a magnetic field and/or a mechanical action. The reading process is preferably conducted through atomic-force microscopy, magnetic-force microscopy, spin-polarized electrons, magneto-optical Kerr effect, optical interferometry or other methods, or other methods/effects. The multifunctionality (crystallographic, magnetic, and shape states each representing a functionality) of the multi-state elements allows for simultaneous operations including read&write, sense&indicate, and sense&control. Embodiments of the invention may be used, for example, for storing, modifying, and accessing data for device, sensor, actuator, logic and memory applications. Embodiments may be particularly effective for non-volatile memory or other read&write, sense&indicate, and/or sense&control functions in computer or other applications; such simultaneous operation of two (or more) of said multiple functionalities open new pathways for miniaturization of devices.
US08233310B2
According to one embodiment, a resistance-change memory includes bit lines running in a first direction, word lines running in a second direction, and a memory cell array includes memory cells each includes a selection transistor and a variable resistance element. In a layout of first to fourth variable resistance elements arranged in order in the first direction, the first variable resistance element and the second variable resistance element sandwich one word line therebetween, the third variable resistance element and the fourth variable resistance element sandwich one word line therebetween, a first pair includes the first and second variable resistance elements and a second pair includes the third and fourth variable resistance elements sandwich two word lines therebetween, and a column is constructed by repeating the layout in the first direction.
US08233307B2
A ferroelectric memory having a plurality of ferroelectric memory cells, each ferroelectric memory cell including a ferroelectric capacitor is disclosed. The ferroelectric memory includes read and write lines and a plurality of ferroelectric memory cell select buses, one select bus corresponding to each of the ferroelectric memory cells. Each of the ferroelectric memory cells includes first and second gates for connecting the ferroelectric memory cell to the read line and the write line, respectively, in response to signals on the ferroelectric memory cell select bus corresponding to that ferroelectric memory cell. A write circuit causes a charge to be stored in the ferroelectric capacitor of the ferroelectric memory cell currently connected to the write line, the charge having a value determined by a data value having at least three states. A read circuit measures the charge stored in the ferroelectric capacitor of the ferroelectric memory cell currently connected to the read line to generate an output value, the output value corresponding to one of the states.
US08233303B2
An integrated circuit (IC) package includes an interface die and a separate storage die. The interface die has a synchronous interface to receive memory access commands from an external memory controller, and has a plurality of clockless memory control interfaces to output row and column control signals that correspond to the memory access commands. The storage die has a plurality of independently accessible storage arrays and corresponding access-control interfaces to receive the row and column control signals from the clockless memory control interfaces, each of the access-control interfaces including data output circuitry to output read data corresponding to a given one of the memory access commands in a time-multiplexed transmission.
US08233300B2
A device for converting an electrical current includes at least one phase module with an AC voltage connection and at least one DC voltage connection, a phase module branch disposed between each DC voltage connection and the AC voltage connection and each phase module branch having a series circuit of submodules, each of which has an energy accumulator and at least one power semiconductor and closed-loop control means for regulating the device. The device can regulate circulating currents in a targeted manner by providing each phase module with at least one inductance and configuring the closed-loop control means to regulate a circulating current that flows through the phase modules.
US08233296B2
A front-end circuit of a power converter has a power connection wiring detecting circuit, a power switch and a control unit. The power connection wiring detecting circuit is connected to an AC power. The control unit is connected to the power connection wiring detecting circuit. The power switch is connected to the power loop. The control unit turns on or off the AC power loop through the power switch. When the power connection wiring is correctly connected with the AC power, the control unit turns on the power switch and the front-end circuit outputs the AC power to the back-end circuit. When the power connection wiring is incorrectly connected with the AC power, the control unit turns off the power switch and the AC power is not outputted to the back-end circuit.
US08233277B2
A heat dissipation device for dissipation of heat from an electronic component includes a base for contacting the electronic component, a shroud connected to the base and multiple fins arranged on the bottom section of the shroud. The shroud comprises a bottom section defining an opening therein and a plate within the opening and connected to the bottom section by multiple beams. Multiple fins in the form of a fin assembly are mounted on the bottom section. The base includes a plate and multiple latch hooks extending upwardly from the plate. The latch hooks are extended into the bottom section to lock with the bottom section, thereby securing the base onto the shroud.
US08233276B2
An electronic device includes a first section, a second section attached to the first section, and a tilt mechanism. The tilt mechanism connects the first section to the second section. The tilt mechanism includes a plate and two hinge assemblies. The plate hinges the first section. Each of the hinge assemblies includes a sleeve and a main shaft rotatably assembled in the sleeve. The sleeve is secured on the second section; the main shaft non-rotatably fixed to the plate. The second section slides relative to the first section, the plate and the main shaft rotate relative to the second section, the plate further supports the second section to a tilted orientation.
US08233275B2
A monolithic combination radiator grill and retention structure for computer add-in cards includes a longitudinally extending rectangular frame defining a longitudinally extending rectangular aperture. Transversely extending crossbars traverse the aperture. The crossbars are spaced so as to leave transversely extending gaps therebetween. The crossbars have transversely extending and upwardly facing grooves. Each of the grooves is dimensioned for receiving and retaining an end of a computer add-in card or extension to an add-in card.
US08233269B2
An apparatus is provided with an enclosure defining an inner volume and including a first aperture, and a housing containing the enclosure and including a second aperture. The enclosure may be rotatable such that the first and second apertures may be in registration to permit insertion of the electronic device, and the first and second apertures may not be in registration to prevent insertion and/or removal of the electronic device. An actuating element may rotate the enclosure into a desired orientation within a vehicle. The apparatus may improve the viewing quality of information displayed on the electronic device. The electronic device may be secured within the vehicle without having to supervise the device when the vehicle is parked, turned off, etc. The apparatus may employ environmental controls to control/condition temperature, humidity, and/or vibration within a desired range to protect the electronic device from becoming temporarily or permanently non-functional.
US08233267B2
The capacitor includes element (1) provided with electrodes at its both ends; metal case (2) with cathode electrode (1c) of element (1) joined to a joint part on the inner bottom surface of metal case (2), containing cathode electrode (1c); and a terminal plate with anode electrode (1b) of element (1) joined to a joint part on the inner surface of the terminal plate, sealing the opening of metal case (2). S1
US08233262B2
A multilayer capacitor array 1 comprises a capacitor element body 2 having first, second, third, and fourth inner electrodes 13 to 16, and first to fourth terminal electrodes 3 to 6 disposed on the outer surface of the capacitor element body 2 and respectively connected to the inner electrodes 13 to 16. The first and second inner electrodes 13, 14 form a first capacitor section C1, while the third and fourth inner electrodes 15, 16 form a second capacitor section C2. The multilayer capacitor array 1 is mounted to a circuit board such that the first and third terminal electrodes 3, 5 are connected to first leads 22, 23, while the second and fourth terminal electrodes 4, 6 are connected to a second lead 24.
US08233259B2
A reformed inductor, a surge protection device, and a surge protector with the reformed inductor and the surge protection device are disclosed. The surge protector includes a main body, a power plug, at least a socket, and a power protection device; wherein the power protection device include a reformed inductor, a plurality of fuses, and a plurality of surge absorber. The design of the surge protector can be used to reduce surge and stabilize current by connecting with circuit of the power outlet.
US08233249B2
A magnetic tunnel junction transistor (MTJT) device includes a source-drain region comprising a source electrode and a drain electrode, a double MTJ element formed between the source electrode and the drain electrode and comprising a free magnetic layer at a center region thereof, and a gate region adjacent to the source-drain region and comprising an insulating barrier layer formed on an upper layer of the double MTJ element and a gate electrode formed on the insulating barrier layer. The MTJT device switches a magnetization orientation of the free magnetic layer by application of a gate voltage to the gate electrode, thereby changing a resistance of the source-drain region.
US08233245B2
A piezoelectric element with electrode is capable of preventing an assembling error. The piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric body configured to deform according to polarity in response to a voltage applied thereto, electrodes formed on surfaces of the piezoelectric body, respectively, a non-electrode part formed on at least one of the surfaces of the piezoelectric body, the non-electrode part continuing to the one electrode that is on the at least one surface of the piezoelectric body, and a boundary between the non-electrode part and the one electrode. The boundary has a pattern to indicate the polarity of the piezoelectric element.
US08233241B2
A method of reducing oscillation at the read write element of a hard disk drive, is described. In one embodiment, a flex cable for conducting data signals from a head stack assembly to a connector is provided. One or more weights are then coupled with the flex cable at one or more predetermined locations. The one or more predetermined locations are selected based upon mass distribution along the flex cable.
US08233238B2
In a disk drive suspension including a baseplate and a load beam, a boss portion and protrusions are formed on the baseplate. The protrusions are formed in positions on a first surface of the baseplate off a reference mounting surface in contact with a suspension bearing surface of an actuator arm. Further, the protrusions are formed on a second surface located opposite from the first surface and project relative to the thickness of the baseplate. These protrusions serve to prevent a plurality of baseplates from closely contacting one another during their manufacture.
US08233232B2
A data storage apparatus and associated method is provided involving a data storage disc that is rotatable around a first axis. An actuator is rotatable around a second axis to operably position a data transfer member between an innermost radial location of the data storage disc and an outermost radial storage location of the data storage disc. A snubber is supported by the actuator and has a distal edge configured as being, in relation to a reference plane including the first axis and the second axis when the actuator is rotated to position the data transfer member at the innermost radial location, arcuate along a first radius on one side of the reference plane and arcuate along a second radius different than the first radius on the other side of the reference plane.
US08233231B2
A method for verifying a tape cartridge is presented. One method includes introducing a tape cartridge into a tape library wherein when introduced, the tape cartridge can then be loaded in a tape drive in an attempt to bring the tape cartridge to a functionally ready state with the tape drive. In loading the tape cartridge in the tape drive, the loading performance of the first tape cartridge can be assessed based on bringing the first tape cartridge to a functionally ready state. A record of the performance information can then be stored on a central data base and/or on a medium auxiliary memory device located in the tape cartridge.
US08233226B2
A construction of an objective is configured which includes a plurality of lens groups including at least one cemented lens group; a plurality of inner frames to hold the lens groups, each including a contact projection; and a tube to hold the plurality of inner frames stacked inside. At least one cemented lens group is secured to the inner frames by causing the periphery of a cemented surface between cemented lenses to come into contact with the contact projection.
US08233213B2
An electrophoresis display panel including an active device array substrate and an electrophoresis display film is provided. The active device array substrate includes a plurality of active devices and a shielding pattern. The electrophoresis display film is disposed on the active device array substrate. The electrophoresis display film includes a conductive layer, a dielectric layer and a plurality of electrophoresis display mediums. The dielectric layer is disposed on the conductive layer and has a plurality of micro-cups arranged in area array. The dielectric layer is between the conductive layer and the active device array substrate. Light passing through the dielectric layer is prevented from irradiating onto the active devices by the shielding pattern. In addition, the electrophoresis display mediums are filled within the micro-cups, respectively.
US08233212B2
An electro-optic display includes a “matrix” for confining moving elements of the display (e.g., rotating or twisting elements). The matrix (or at least the viewable portions thereof) may have a high reflectivity, comparable to that of white paper. This results in an overall “whiter” or brighter display. The matrix may include channels to facilitate inter-cell fluid transport and high-density element packing. In some cases, the matrix elements provide a hexagonal arrangement of cells for holding the rotating elements. The rotating elements of the display may be electrically and optically anisotropic hemispherically coated spheres. The hemispherical coating typically provides the necessary charge to create electrical anisotropy.
US08233204B1
An apparatus for providing an optical display includes an optical substrate for propagating light received from a light source, a first set of one or more switchable diffractive elements in the substrate, and a second set of one or more switchable diffractive elements in the substrate. Each diffractive element in the second set corresponds to a diffractive element in the first set. Each of the diffractive elements in the first and second sets is configured to switch between on and off states. One of the states is for diffracting light and the other state for allowing light to pass through. Each of the first set of diffractive elements is configured to diffract the light at an angle for propagation in the substrate. Each of the second set of diffractive elements is configured to diffract the light for display.
US08233188B2
The present invention is intended to prevent appearance of streaks in head scanning direction at the joint of print data of the image to be printed. Print data composed of a multiplicity of dot information is supplied to a printing head having a plurality of dot forming elements arrayed along a sub-scanning direction. The printing head and the printing medium relatively move in main scanning direction and sub-scanning direction each other, and an image is printed on the surface of the printing medium. In the print data supplied by every main scanning action of the printing head, a deformed data portion of concave and convex shapes of waveform are formed, for example, so that dots may not be arrayed in parallel continuously in the main scanning direction of the printing head, at the joint of the ends of the sub-scanning direction. The undulation profile of this waveform is set in an ambiguous state, and the ambiguous state of the profile is not a state of a continuous profile line when the printed profile is observed visually.
US08233187B2
When performing marginless printing for content data of a size which is the same as the sheet size, white streaks occur in the print result due to a convey error. Further, when object-data items included in the content data are simply magnified, a necessary object-data item may not be printed partly and/or entirely. Therefore, the present invention provides a printer magnifying the object-data items included in the content data appropriately on the printer side. The sheet size described in the content data is compared to the size of a sheet set in the printer and the content data is magnified so that an object-data item such as a text-data item considered as necessary for a user does not extend off the sheet size.
US08233161B2
An image reading and recording apparatus which can prevent a reading unit from unexpectedly being opened even when an operation of a reducing unit such as a damper for reducing an opening/closing force of the reading unit is added to an interlocking motion caused by a force adapted to open a pressure plate portion is provided. The apparatus has: a recording unit which records images onto a recording medium; and a reading unit which is openably and closably arranged for the recording unit and has an original plate on which an original document is put and a pressure plate portion which presses the original onto the original plate. A restricting unit which can restrict the reading unit to the closed state is provided. In the closed state of the pressure plate portion, the restricting unit is made inoperative. In the open state of the pressure plate portion, the restricting unit is made operative.
US08233153B2
The invention relates to a position detection system for the contactless interferometric detection of the location of a target object. A target object unit comprises a reference light transmitter, which is configured such that it transmits a reference light beam having curved light wave fronts. The target object unit comprises at least one detector array having a plurality of detector pixels, which is fixed to the target object unit such that the reference light beam of the reference light transmitter impinges on the same.
US08233151B2
An optical sensor includes at least a portion of an optical waveguide having a hollow core generally surrounded by a cladding. The cladding substantially confines a first optical signal and a second optical signal within the hollow core as the first optical signal and the second optical signal counterpropagate through the optical waveguide. Interference between the first optical signal and the second optical signal is responsive to perturbation of the at least a portion of the optical waveguide.
US08233145B2
A pattern defect inspection apparatus capable of detecting minute defects on a sample with high sensitivity without generating speckle noise in signals is realized. Substantially the same region on a surface of a wafer is detected by using two detectors at mutually different timings. Output signals from the two detectors are summed and averaged to eliminate noise. Since a large number of rays of illumination light are not simultaneously irradiated to the same region on the wafer, a pattern defect inspection apparatus capable of suppressing noise resulting from interference of a large number of rays, eliminating noise owing to other causes and detecting with high sensitivity minute defects on the sample without the occurrence of speckle noise in the signal can be accomplished.
US08233144B2
An optical cable identification apparatus for identifying an optical cable by disturbing an optical fiber, existing inside an optical cable desired to be identified, from outside the optical cable. An optical unit transmits two optical signals to a single strand of optical fiber inside the optical cable, and detects a phase difference, a time difference, and light intensity between two optical signals which are reflected due to the disturbance from the outside. A single-fiber ending unit generates the time difference. A signal processing unit removes noise from the two reflected optical signals and demodulates the optical signals. A sound output unit outputs the optical signals from the signal processing unit as sounds.
US08233143B2
A depth sensor includes a light source, a detector, and a signal processor. The light source transmits a source signal to the target according to a transmit control signal having reference time points. The detector receives a reflected signal from the source signal being reflected from the target. The signal processor generates a plurality of sensed values by measuring respective portions of the reflected signal during respective time periods with different time delays from the reference time points. The signal processor determines a respective delay time for a maximum/minimum of the sensed values for determining the distance of the target.
US08233142B2
In a monitoring method of an exposure apparatus, a top critical dimension (TCD) and a bottom critical dimension (BCD) of the test pattern formed on a photo-sensitive material layer are measured. A dose deviation (ΔE) and a focus deviation (ΔF) are calculated by following equations: TCD+BCD=αΔE+(TCD0+BCD0) TCD−BCD=β1ΔF+β2ΔF3 Here, α, β1 and β2 are constants, ΔE=E−E0, ΔF=F−F0, E represents a real exposure dose, F represents a real exposure focus, E0 represents a dose defined when a middle critical dimension of the test pattern is equal to a predetermined value, F0 represents a focus defined when TCD of the test pattern is equal to BCD thereof, and TCD0 and BCD0 are theoretical values in case of E0 and F0.
US08233133B2
A liquid immersion photolithography system has an exposure system that exposes a substrate with electromagnetic radiation and includes a projection optical system that focuses the electromagnetic radiation on the substrate. A liquid supply system provides liquid flow between the projection optical system and the substrate. In addition, a plurality of nozzles are arranged so as to provide a substantially uniform velocity distribution of the liquid flow between the substrate and the projection optical system.
US08233122B2
A liquid crystal display device has pixel regions defined by gate lines and data lines perpendicular to the gate lines. The gate electrodes of thin film transistors (TFTs) at a first side of the data lines project from the gate lines. Active layers are disposed on the gate electrodes. Source electrodes overlap the active layers. Drain electrodes are parallel to the gate lines, spaced from the source electrodes and overlap the active layers. Pixel electrodes formed on the pixel region are connected to the drain electrodes. This structure prevents poor picture quality by minimizing the differences between the parasitic capacitance formed between the gate electrode and the drain electrode in adjacent pixel regions even if Y- or X-axis misalignment occurs.
US08233112B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel and a lighting device. The liquid crystal panel has a liquid crystal layer provided between a pair of glass substrates. The lighting device supplies illumination light to the liquid crystal panel. At least one of the glass substrates has a photonic crystal formed in a position so that it stops light from reaching a luminance point defect occurrence portion in the liquid crystal layer that is a cause of a luminance point defect. The photonic crystal absorbs light having a color displayable in the luminance point defect occurrence portion.
US08233111B2
An LCD device is disclosed. The LCD device is configured to include a plurality of insulation films between a balancely printed circuit board and a bottom cover and to form a plurality of air layers between the plurality of insulation films. Accordingly, noise caused by vibrations from electric currents flowing through lamps can be minimized.
US08233110B2
A liquid crystal module is provided. A cell guide is attached to a rear frame and including at least a vertical plate portion and a convex portion provided on the vertical plate portion. A liquid crystal panel is mounted on the cell guide. A relay substrate is attached to the cell guide such that the relay substrate is provided along the vertical plate portion of the cell guide. A chip on film electrically connects the liquid crystal panel and the relay substrate. A lower end portion of the relay substrate is interposed between the vertical plate portion and the convex portion of the cell guide.
US08233107B2
An object of the present invention is to increase the reliability in the assembly of display devices. The display device according to the present invention is provided with: a display panel; a mold frame for containing the above described display panel; and a front panel provided on a surface of the above described display panel on the viewer side, and the form of the above described mold frame in a plane is rectangular, with four corners, and at least two corners on a diagonal line, from among the above described four corners, have a cut structure with a diagonal side which is inclined relative to the two sides forming the corner.
US08233103B2
A viewing system for viewing video displays having the appearance of a three dimensional image.
US08233093B2
Disclosed is an automatic video gain control circuit, which includes an analog to digital converter, an envelope detector and an extreme value detector. The analog to digital converter converts an analog video signal to a digital video signal. The envelope detector detects a baseband amplitude signal according to the digital video signal. The extreme value detector generates an extreme value to control RF signal gain.
US08233092B2
Provided is a video signal processing device capable of judging the viability of phase locking at a PLL circuit and, in accordance with the judgment, automatically switching between the PLL circuit and a DLL circuit to use to generate a sampling clock of an input analog video signal, the device including an AD converter for AD converting an analog video signal, and a clock signal generating circuit for supplying a clock signal to the AD converter. The clock signal generating circuit includes: a PLL circuit for generating a first clock signal on the basis of a horizontal synchronous signal acquired from the analog video signal; a DLL circuit for generating a second clock signal on the basis of a composite synchronous signal acquired from the analog video signal; and a clock selecting portion for selecting and outputting either the first clock signal or the second clock signal on the basis of output of a PLL-dedicated phase comparator.
US08233086B2
A method for efficient digital capturing of analog video signals of computer game consoles is provided. The video format of the signal is changed from 480p to 720p, without any scaling artifacts. The number of active horizontal resolution lines and active vertical resolution lines is reduced in the higher definition space, so that the output picture is a pixel-for-pixel transformed replica of the 480p image.
US08233080B2
To provide a flash apparatus and a camera provided with the same which can carry out more appropriate adjustment of the light distribution field angle. An electronic flash apparatus with a variable light distribution field angle wherein the light distribution field angle is determined according to a focal length of a photographic lens and a photographic region on an imaging area, comprising a plurality of light distribution field angles corresponding to one combination of one of the focal length and one of the photographic region, and one light distribution field angle is selectable from among the plurality of light distribution field angles.
US08233074B2
A lens unit having a first lens (2) whose optical surface on the imaging surface side is made of resin (32), a first lens holder (3) for holding the first lens (2), a second lens (6) placed to the imaging side of and spaced in the optical axis direction from the first lens (2), and a second lens holder (4) for holding the second lens (6). The first lens (2) and the second lens (6) are movable relative to each other. A second lens holder recess (8) which a resin projection (33) of the first lens (2) can enter and exit from is formed in the second lens holder (4).
US08233069B2
An embodiment of the present invention may be directed to a multi channel imaging system. The multi channel imaging system may include an input for a light signal and a plurality of channel circuits. Each of the channel circuits may have an analog signal processing chain converting some portion of the light signal into to a digital representation, the plurality of channel circuits may operate in parallel. The multi channel imaging system may further comprise at least one dither circuit coupled to a point in at least one of the analog signal processing chains to add dither.
US08233067B2
A solid-state imaging device includes: a plurality of pixel circuits each including a photoelectric conversion element; reading signal lines connected to the pixel circuits; a reference signal output circuit outputting a reference signal whose voltage level varies; a reference signal line connected to the reference signal output circuit; and comparators each having a first input terminal and a second input terminal and each inverting its output depending on a voltage relation of the first input terminal and the second input terminal, wherein the first input terminals of some of the comparators are connected to the reading signal lines and the second input terminals thereof are connected to the reference signal line, and wherein the first input terminals of the other of the comparators are connected to the reference signal line and the second input terminals thereof are connected to the reading signal lines.
US08233060B2
Image data are compressed such that they do not visually deteriorate. Nonlinear compression and DPCM compression are performed in series. A compressing unit 41 that uses nonlinear transform inputs image data (L bits per pixel) of each color component. Image data are compressed to M bits (M
US08233051B2
A method is provided for testing a camera function of an electronic device. The electronic device communicates with a testing device. The method comprises the following steps. Parameters are configured by a parameter module of the electronic device. A camera of the electronic device takes pictures according to the configured parameters. The pictures and the configured parameters are sent to the testing device by a sending module of the electronic device. The pictures and the configured parameters are received by a receiving module of the testing device. Parameters of the pictures are got by a judging module of the testing device, and the judging module judges whether the parameters are identical to the configured parameters.
US08233050B2
An infrared imaging system used for providing images from a plurality of views. The multiple view infrared imaging system includes a plurality of lens and infrared focal plane array (FPA) pairings, wherein each pairing can be used to provide an image and/or sample scene data of a distinct view. A single set of processing circuitry and a single set of one or more output elements may be utilized to provide such images. A multi-input switch may be utilized in combination with the single set of processing circuitry and output elements to provide images from any of the lens and FPA pairings based on the positioning of the switch.
US08233047B2
A detection system that uses a plurality of input devices with different sensitive wavelengths as image and signal acquisition devices for detecting an intruding object and which performs coordinated processing on at least two or more pieces of information to avoid issuing false alarms during an intruding object detection. Based on the position or size of an object detected by processing an input from one of the input devices, an area range in which to process an input from other input devices is defined. According to one or more of processing results, a check is made as to the presence or absence of an intruding object.
US08233038B2
An image-signal processing unit comprising a first and second luminance calculation block, a correction-value calculation block, and a subtraction block, is provided. The first luminance calculation block calculates a first luminance corresponding to the sum of a plurality of primary color light components. Each of them is multiplied by a coefficient from a first coefficient combination. The second luminance calculation block calculates a second luminance corresponding to the sum of a plurality of the primary color light components. Each of them is multiplied by a coefficient from a second coefficient combination. The correction-value calculation block calculates a luminance correction value according to the second luminance if the first luminance is greater than a threshold value. The subtraction block calculates a corrected luminance by subtracting the luminance correction value from the first luminance.
US08233034B2
A direct view display provides a light modulating panel and a backlight including first and second sets of spectral emitters. The first set of spectral emitters generate a first light bundle and the second set of spectral emitters generate a second light bundle. Several modes of operation may be provided including (1) an advanced 2D mode, (2) an enhanced color gamut mode employing simultaneous illumination of the first and second set of spectral emitters, (3) a privacy screen mode, (4) a channel multiplexed mode, and (5) a stereoscopic image mode. The latter three modes utilize the first and second set of spectral emitters to alternately illuminate a portion of the light modulating panel. Images and representations generated by the direct view display operating in the latter three modes are viewed using appropriate eyewear having filters with passband characteristics to transmit the respective light bundle.
US08233033B2
A visual display system includes a display device having an image display region for presenting images to a viewer. The system includes one or more illumination sources that at least partially peripherally surround the image display region and/or project illumination radiated therefrom so as to illuminate a region visually appearing to the viewer to at least partially peripherally surround the image display region. A control device controls light radiation emitted in use from the one or more illumination sources in response to at least one of image and audio indicative signals so as to provide at least a partial spatial extension of the image display region.
US08233028B2
A system is disclosed that enables a first call participant, such as an agent at a call center, to project a carefully-controlled appearance towards a second call participant, such as a customer calling for technical support, while on a video call. Using the real-time image of the first call participant while on a video call, as well as additional information, the system of the illustrative embodiment selects and superimposes a visual background that appears to the caller as being behind the agent. The visual background can be selected to cater towards what the caller expects or wants to see, or what the message is that the agent-represented business wants to convey. The system of the illustrative embodiment can dynamically change the visual background during a call or from one call to another, depending on factors related to the calling party, factors related to the called party, and so forth.
US08233025B2
A mobile terminal including an input unit configured to receive an instruction from a first user to perform a video call communication with at least a second user, a display unit, a voice recognition module configured to recognize input voice statements conducted during the video call communication between the first and second users, and a controller configured to perform the video call communication between the first and second users based on the instruction from the first user, to control the display unit to display images of the first and second users, to detect a voice statement from the first user designating the second user by examining the voice statements recognized by the voice recognition module, and to emphatically display the image of the second user compared with the image of the first user based on the detected voice statement from the first user.
US08233022B2
It is determined whether a low density area in which pixels having density less than a predetermined density exist in succession is included in an image signal or not, and if the low density area exists, an image is formed by irradiating the laser light in a first condition for a pixel to be interested in each pixel area within the low density area and irradiating the laser light in a second condition being different from the first condition for other pixels in the pixel area. In this way, it is possible to improve reproducibility of a highlight area in a high resolution image and improve reproducibility of characters and line images or the like.
US08233021B2
Systems and methods for reducing the degradation of image quality due to banding in an image processing system by detection of both integrated intensity and peak intensity of a laser beam reflected from the polygon mirror facet(s) of a motor polygon assembly. A banding detector is adapted to enable measurement of peak intensity and integrated intensity of the laser beam(s) reflected from the polygon mirror facet(s). Polygon facet induced banding can be determined from the measurements and can be used for sorting/manufacturing raster output scanners and/or compensating for the induced banding.
US08233020B2
Methods for imaging patterns of features by thermal transfer involve controlling intensities of a plurality of beams. The intensities of beams that image edge portions of a feature may be set to be different from the intensities of beams that image interior portions of the feature. Beams that image home and away edges of a feature may be controlled to have different intensities. Apparatus for imaging patterns of features may comprise a controller configured to maintain intensity information for channels of a multi-channel imaging head. The controller uses the intensity information to set intensities of those channels that correspond to edge portions of features being imaged in a current swath of the imaging head.
US08233014B2
For further reducing power consumption of a color sequential display, a frame rate or a field rate is reduced according to conditions, which include whether a received frame is dynamic or static and whether a backlight mode is activated, for reducing power consumption. Besides, images may be outputted in forms of color images or of grey levels selectively so as to reduce an amount of processed data and related data transmission.
US08233011B2
A viewpoint information calculation unit (710) calculates a difference value (α) between reference position and orientation information and position and orientation information held by a camera viewpoint storage unit (207), and a difference value (β) between the reference position and orientation information and position and orientation information held by a CG viewpoint storage unit (208). If |α|≧|β|, a physical space image is shifted by a shift amount calculated in accordance with the resolution of a display unit (213), a difference amount, and the angle of view of a camera (203), and is composited with a virtual space image. If |α|<|β|, the virtual space image is shifted by the shift amount, and is composited with the physical space image.
US08233004B1
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for improving graphics rendering efficiency by processing pixels in a compressed format whenever possible within a multi-sampling graphics pipeline. Each geometric primitive is rasterized into fragments, corresponding to screen space pixels covered at least partially by the geometric primitive. Fragment coverage represents the pixel area covered by the geometric primitive and determines the weighted contribution of a fragment color to the corresponding screen space pixel. Samples associated with a given fragment are called sibling samples and have the same color value. The property of sibling samples having the same color value is exploited to compress and process multiple samples, thereby reducing the size of the associated logic and the amount of data written to and read from the frame buffer.
US08233002B2
An image transfer apparatus includes a display configured to display multiple sets of content. A display image data generator is configured to generate display image data for each of the content, at least part of the content being displayed on the display. A storage controller is configured to relate connected image projection apparatus to the generated display image data and store the display image data related to the image projection apparatus in a storage device. A transfer unit is configured to transfer the display image data to the corresponding image projection apparatus.
US08232995B2
A node-link structure is laid out in a space with negative curvature, such as the hyperbolic plane. Nearby relationship data are obtained for an element in the structure, indicating information about nearby node-link relationships; then layout data for the element are obtained, based on the nearby relationship data. The layout data indicate the element's position relative to a parent in the negatively curved space. The layout data can indicate a position displacement and an angle displacement between the parent and the element. The nearby relationship data can be obtained by counting grandchildren of the parent for each child of the parent that is in a set that are being or have been laid out. The counts can be used to obtain a radius and an angle for each child in the set, and the radii and angles can be used to obtain the position displacement and angle displacement. The nearby node-link relationships can thus include only relationships among the parent and its children and grandchildren.
US08232982B2
A variation in threshold may be suppressed by structuring an analog switch by a MOS transistor and forming a signal synchronized to a clock by making the clock which is a common signal in continuity or discontinuity. An object of the present invention is to reduce the variation in the signal synchronized to the clock by the variation in threshold of the MOS transistor in a circuit which is synchronized to the clock.
US08232978B2
An optical reflective touch panel and pixels and a system thereof are provided. Each pixel of the optical reflective touch panel includes a display circuit and a sensing circuit. The display circuit controls the display of the pixel. The sensing circuit is coupled to the display circuit for sensing a sensitization state of the pixel during a turned-on period and a turned-off period of a backlight module and outputting a digital signal to notify an optical reflective touch panel system that whether the pixel is touched or not.
US08232958B2
A method and device for providing a display having increased viewability are provided. The display assembly includes a backlight layer, an electrochromic layer formed over the backlight layer, a surface layer formed over the electrochromic layer and including at least one substantially translucent graphical element thereon, and a power supply. The electrochromic layer is switchable between a substantially transparent state and a substantially reflective state upon application of a switching voltage from the power supply, where the state being selected is based on a lighting condition of the display assembly.
US08232946B2
A liquid crystal display and a driving method thereof having a plurality of common electrodes to which a common voltage is independently applied, and divided into more than two portions to change a potential of a common voltage into divided common electrode units, and reducing amplitude of a scanning pulse to prevent a deterioration of a display quality by a feed through voltage.
US08232944B2
The deterioration (darkness) of image quality due to a reduction in the brightness of a single color as a result of the conversion from RGB pixels to RGBW pixels is prevented and a reduction in the power is achieved.A processing portion for conversion from RGB to RGBW 106 is formed of a W generating circuit 201, which is the same as in the prior art, a sub-pixel rendering circuit 202, a W intensity calculating portion 203 which transmits a W intensity setting value 205 to a W generating circuit 201, and a low power backlight control circuit 204 which expands data on the basis of the RGBW pixels generated by the sub-pixel rendering portion 202 and lowers the backlight in accordance with the amount by which the data is expanded. The inputted RGB data is used as the RGBW data with the W intensity calculated by the W intensity calculating portion 203. A backlight control signal is generated in accordance with the amount of data expansion in the sub-pixel rendering portion 202.
US08232942B2
A liquid crystal display includes scanning lines organized in sets of at least two, data lines overlapping the scanning lines at intersection regions, pixels located at the overlaps, a scanning line driver sequentially scanning the sets of scanning lines, a data line driver applying a voltage corresponding to an image data to each pixel through a corresponding data line, and a common electrode applying a reference voltage to the pixels. The sets of scanning lines each include adjacent first and second scanning lines. First and second pixels are associated with the first and second scanning lines, respectively. The scanning line driver drives the second pixel after the first pixel in a first period and the first pixel after the second pixel in a second period. The data line driver inverts a polarity of the pixel voltage with regard to the reference voltage every N horizontal scanning periods (N is an integer equal to or larger than 2).
US08232935B2
Disclosed herein is a display apparatus, including: a pixel array section including a plurality of pixels, a writing transistor, a driving transistor, a first switching transistor, a holding capacitor, and a second switching transistor; a first scanning section configured to drive the writing transistor in a unit of a row of the pixels; a second scanning section configured to drive the switching transistors in synchronism with scanning by the first scanning section; and a third scanning section configured to control the second switching transistors to a non-conducting state within a period after the image signal is written by the writing transistor until the signal writing period of the same row of the pixels ends but to a conducting state within any other period.
US08232927B2
An antenna element is disclosed. A conductive plate is adapted to be electrically connected to an electric ground, and has a first edge. A second edge opposes the first edge and is formed with a first slit elongated in a first direction. A third edge intersects the first edge. A recessed part intersects the first edge and the third edge. A conductive member elongates from the second edge in the first direction.
US08232918B2
An advanced multiple-beam GPS receiving system is achieved that is capable of simultaneously tracking multiple GPS satellites independently, detecting multiple interference signals individually, and suppressing directional gain in the antenna pattern of each beam in the interference directions. The GPS receiving system can be used for both planar and non-planar receiving arrays, including arrays that are conformally applied to the surface of a platform such as an aircraft. The GPS receiver combines spatial filtering and acquisition code correlation for enhanced rejection of interfering sources. Enhanced gain in the direction of GPS satellites and the ability to shape the beam patterns to suppress gain in the direction of interfering sources make the GPS receiving system largely insensitive to interfering and jamming signals that plague conventional GPS receivers.
US08232914B2
A distance measuring apparatus comprising a transmission antenna to radiate a transmission radio wave; a reception antenna to receive a reflected signal from a target; an analog-to-digital converter to perform an analog-to-digital conversion for converting a reception signal; and a signal processing unit to process the converted signal and to detect the target, in which a transmission frequency of the transmission radio wave to be radiated is switched at a timing synchronized with a sampling frequency of the analog-to-digital conversion, the transmission frequency is switched in accordance with an arbitrary pattern within a frequency band, and the reception signal is rearranged in order on the basis of the arbitrary pattern at a time of the transmission to then be subject to a radar signal processing.
US08232906B2
There are provided an image processing system and a control method thereof. The image processing system includes a control terminal which outputs control information for controlling an operation of at least one image processing apparatus according to a preset input through a wireless communication protocol, and a relay unit which converts the control information outputted from the control terminal into an infrared code and outputs the converted infrared code to the image processing apparatus, to control the operation of the image processing apparatus according to the control information.
US08232904B2
A folding analog-to-digital converter including: a reference voltage generator, a track-and-hold circuit and a first pre-amplification circuit. The reference voltage generator generates a plurality of reference voltages. The track-and-hold circuit generates a sampling control signal having a voltage level lower than or equal to a level of a power supply voltage by maintaining an initial level of a boost capacitor voltage at a level lower than a level of a power supply voltage, and samples and holds an input voltage signal in response to the generated sampling control signal to generate a sampled signal. The first pre-amplification circuit amplifies each of voltage differences between the sampled signal and each of the plurality of reference voltages.
US08232900B2
A navigation system provides guidance for performing a U-turn. The navigation system includes a processing unit, which acquires guidance route information and road information to determine whether the guidance route requires a turning around in a divided two-lane road. If a turning around is required, the processing unit specifies an extension distance of a connection road of the divided two-lane road. U-turn guidance is provided if the extension distance is at or below a predetermined length, or otherwise, to guidance is provided to prompt a double turn.
US08232899B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for automated notification systems. A representative method, among others, can be summarized as follows: engaging in a communication session with a personal communications device, based upon impending arrival or departure of one or more mobile things in relation to a location; during the communication session, providing a plurality of arrival or departure times in relation to a location and enabling selection of one of the times; and causing a mobile thing to arrive at or depart from the location at substantially the selected time. A representative system, among others, is a computer system that has been programmed to perform the foregoing steps.
US08232894B2
Mobile systems are provided for charging electronic toll collection accounts for parking fees. The systems are configured to wirelessly request and receive tag data from an electronic toll device. Some embodiments include a vehicle and a boom, some embodiments include a handheld device, and other embodiments include combinations thereof. Methods of charging an electronic toll payment system are also provided. A mobile scan system wirelessly requests and receives tag data from an electronic toll device on a customer's vehicle which is checked for validity, and then an electronic toll collection account is charged a fee for parking.
US08232893B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a parking assisting apparatus which can selectively determine an appropriate target parking position, which can be used for parking assisting, with an appropriate priority, by appropriately using obstacle detecting means and parking space detecting means in a coordinated fashion. The present invention is a parking assisting apparatus for assisting parking a vehicle, comprising the obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle near the vehicle; and parking section line detecting means for detecting a parking section line painted on the ground; wherein if the parking section line is detected by the parking section line detecting means, the apparatus calculates the target parking position based on the detected parking section line.
US08232889B2
Presented is a communication system in a motor vehicle which is designed to participate in a chain-like ad-hoc radio network comprising a number of traveling motor vehicles. The system includes a control unit, a transmission/reception unit in communication with the control unit, and an orientation unit configured to determine an orientation of the motor vehicle relative to a reference direction, the orientation unit being in communication with the control unit. The control unit is configured to determine the orientation of the motor vehicle with respect to an orientation of at least one other motor vehicle which is received by the transmission/reception unit.
US08232886B2
The invention provides a battery management system which can reliably and easily manage a power unit of an electric vehicle. The power unit includes a plurality of battery modules. The battery management system includes: a power source for a motor, the power source being constituted by a plurality of battery modules having battery cells; battery module status sensors mounted on the battery modules on the one to one basis, detecting voltages and temperatures of the battery modules; and a control unit judging statuses of the battery modules on the basis of data detected by the battery module status sensors. The battery module status sensors are mutually connected in series by a communication line for transmitting numbering data, and each battery module status sensor assigning itself with an ID code on the basis of ID information received from an upstream battery module status sensor, and transmitting the ID information as well as the ID code to a downstream battery module status sensor. The control unit is connected to the battery module status sensors via the communication line for transmitting the numbering data and a communication line for transmitting various data except for the numbering data, and locates an abnormal battery module on the basis of detection information received via the communication line for transmitting the numbering data and the communication line for transmitting various data except for the numbering data.
US08232884B2
A detection device and detection device system are provided, wherein the detection device includes a housing, a first detector device and a second detector device. The first detector device is configured to detect at least one smoke particle. A second detector device configured to detect at least one gas particle, wherein the first detector device and the second detector device are substantially enclosed in the housing. The detection device further includes an audible enunciator configured to emit an audible noise when at least one of the first and second detector devices detect at least one smoke and gas particle, and a test button, wherein the audible enunciator emits an audible sound when the detection device is operating improperly and the test button is activated.
US08232878B2
A security system for detecting physical intrusion in a monitored area including a plurality of radio units arranged in a network around the monitored area to determine received signal strength and pass variations thereof through the radio units to a base station.
US08232855B2
A substrate layer for use in an inductor is provided. The substrate layer comprises traces disposed on a first side of the substrate layer, wherein the traces are configured to facilitate conduction of current in a winding of the inductor, a sealing layer disposed on a second side of the substrate layer, wherein the sealing layer is configured to provide a sealing border for an electrically isolated cooling channel and an interconnect foil disposed on the second side of the substrate layer, wherein the interconnect foil is configured to facilitate operationally coupling the substrate layer to a second substrate layer. Further, the first substrate layer and the second substrate layer may be operationally coupled to form a winding for use in an inductor with an electrically isolated cooling channel in between.
US08232853B2
The present invention relates to a transmission line in which a physical value of an inductive element can be changed in various ways while minimizing a size. The transmission line of the present invention includes a transmission unit, a ground unit and inductive elements. The inductive element connects the transmission unit and the ground unit, and has a predetermined pattern. The inductive element is provided between two surfaces of a substrate. According to the present invention, a physical value of the inductive element, in particular, an inductance value can be changed in various ways while not increasing an overall size. Accordingly, a transmission line can be designed freely according to its application.
US08232851B2
A Lange coupler having a first plurality of lines on a first level and a second plurality of lines on a second level. At least one line on the first level is cross-coupled to a respective line on the second level via electromagnetic waves traveling through the first and second plurality of lines. The first and second plurality of lines may be made of metal, and the first level may be higher than the second level. A substrate may be provided into which the first and second plurality of lines are etched so as to define an on-chip Lange coupler.
US08232847B2
An oscillation circuit includes a piezoelectric oscillator, a resistive element, and an exciting circuit connected between an input node and an output node in parallel with one another, a first capacitor connected between the input node and a ground node, and a second capacitor connected between the output node and the ground node. The exciting circuit includes a NAND circuit and first and second inverters that are cascade-connected. Oscillation of the piezoelectric oscillator is started when an enable signal input to the NAND circuit is switched to an H level.
US08232846B1
In one embodiment, an RC oscillator is provided. The oscillator includes a current generator circuit configured to generate a current. A capacitor is configured to be charged by the current. An inverter includes an input coupled to the capacitor. An output of the inverter goes high when a voltage across the capacitor reaches a threshold voltage of the inverter. A switch coupled to the output of the inverter and the capacitor is configured to close when the output of the inverter goes high. This discharges the capacitor. The output of the inverter goes low when the capacitor is discharged and the switch is opened. Clock generator logic is configured to receive the output of the inverter and generate a clock signal. The current is proportional to the threshold voltage of the inverter.
US08232841B1
An amplifier circuit includes an amplifier including an inverting input that communicates with an input signal, a non-inverting input, and an output. A first feedback path communicates with the inverting input and the output of the amplifier. A second feedback path communicates with the inverting input and the output of the amplifier. The first feedback path provides feedback at a lower frequency than the second feedback path. A first resistance has one end that communicates with the output of the amplifier. A first capacitance has one end that communicates with an opposite end of the load resistance. A second resistance has one end that communicates with the inverting input and an opposite end that communicates with the opposite end of the first resistance.
US08232836B2
The invention relates to an integrated circuit comprising a succession of N identical elementary circuits (CE1, CE2, . . . CEN), juxtaposed in the order of their rank j varying from 1 to N, N being at least equal to 50, and all having to receive two reference potentials Vref and V0 supplied by two conductors. An upstream input of the second conductor is situated geographically on the side of the rank 1 of the succession of juxtaposed circuits, and an upstream input of the first conductor is situated geographically on the side of the rank N of the succession of juxtaposed circuits. This reduces the error in the potential difference applied to the elementary circuits all along the succession, an error that originates from the non-zero resistance of the conductors. The integrated circuit is applicable to analog-digital converters or digital-analog converters with high resolution.
US08232833B2
Digital multilevel memory systems and methods include a charge pump for generating regulated high voltages for various memory operations. The charge pump may include a plurality of pump stages. Aspects of exemplary systems may include charge pumps that performs orderly charging and discharging at low voltage operation conditions. Additional aspects may include features that enable state by state pumping, for example, circuitry that avoids cascaded short circuits among pump stages. Each pump stage may also include circuitry that discharges its nodes, such as via self-discharge through associated pump interconnection(s). Further aspects may also include features that: assist power-up in the various pump stages, double voltage, shift high voltage levels, provide anti-parallel circuit configurations, and/or enable buffering or precharging features, such as self-buffering and self-precharging circuitry.
US08232829B2
In accordance with the present invention, the active rectifier is a circuit which directly takes the place of a passive rectifier by using a switching module (or simply a device in cases where a single device is used) controlled by a sensing circuit. Where passive devices have a single knee value determined by the physical properties of the semi-conductive material being used, the active circuit can be designed to a range of knee voltages and other performance criterion. Additional flexibility is available to the designer through the active rectifiers ability to allow for manipulation of the curve of response from the circuit in the knee region. Flexibility both in production, in designs, and in characteristics make the active rectifier highly valuable for engineering firms designing larger electronic circuits.
US08232826B1
A circuit with N primary outputs and a delay chain with M selection multiplexers. M can be less than N, and M is based on the number of primary outputs that simultaneously require a delayed signal from the delay chain. The N primary outputs may include core outputs and/or registers. Each of the M selection multiplexers feed directly or indirectly a subset of the N primary outputs.
US08232820B2
A method for using pins in different mode during different time is provided. The method is able to make at least one pin of a SOC be used in a first interface mode or a second interface mode during different time; wherein the SOC comprises a first interface circuit, a first pin, a second interface circuit, and a second pin; the first interface circuit comprises a first bidirectional PAD unit, a first signal interface unit of the first interface mode and a interface unit of the second interface mode; the second interface circuit comprises a second bidirectional PAD unit, a second signal interface unit of the first interface mode. The method comprises: selecting the output of the first signal interface unit or the output of the interface unit of the second interface mode to be connected with the first pin through the first bidirectional PAD unit during different time.
US08232810B2
An input device is provided with improved electrostatic discharge protection. Specifically, the input device includes a plurality of capacitive sensing electrodes configured for object detection. An electrostatic discharge (ESD) shunt is disposed near the capacitive sensing electrodes and configured to provide ESD protection to the capacitive sensing electrodes. The input device also includes an extended-proximity capacitive sensing electrode configured to for object detection of relatively distant objects. The ESD shunt has an associated first resistance, and the extended-proximity capacitive sensing electrode has an associated second resistance. The second resistance is greater than the first resistance such that an electrostatic discharge at a first exposed location would be attracted to the ESD shunt via a first potential discharge path instead of being attracted to the extended-proximity capacitive sensing electrode via a second potential discharge path, where the first discharge path is longer than the second discharge path.
US08232806B2
An insulation state detector detects an insulation state with respect to a ground potential portion of a DC power source on the basis of a charging voltage of a flying capacitor. The insulation state connector includes a detecting section that detects the insulation state of the DC power source by defining the charging voltage of the flying capacitor in the ground fault state as a charging voltage, in an unbalanced state where voltages across both ends of the positive-side Y capacitor and the negative-side Y capacitor are not equal to voltages obtained by dividing the voltage of the DC power source according to a voltage division ratio of the positive-side ground fault resistor and the negative-side ground fault resistor.
US08232803B2
A tool 1 is used in electrical investigation of geological formations GF surrounding a borehole BH. The tool 1 is comprised in a string of tools TS. The tool 1 comprises a current injection section CIS and a current return section CRS. The string of tools TS comprises at least one other section OS1. The current injection section CIS is electrically decoupled from the current return section CRS. The current injection section CIS is electrically decoupled from the at least one other section OS1 when the current injection section CIS and the at least one other section OS1 are adjacent to each other. The current return section CRS is electrically decoupled from the at least one other section OS1 when the current return section CRS and the at least one other section OS1 are adjacent to each other.
US08232798B2
A magnetic tracking system is particularly adapted for a combination with an imaging system, for example with a rotational X ray device. The magnetic tracking system includes pairs of first and second field generators that are disposed on opposite sides of a measuring volume. The first field generators may particularly be attached to a radiation source and the second field generators to a detector of the X ray device. Moreover, the first and second field generators may be constituted by coils with opposite magnetic polarity. Due to the attachment of the field generators to the X ray device, motions of the X ray device do not disturb the magnetic field in a frame of reference fixed to the imaging system.
US08232797B2
A device with separate emission/reception functions for making eddy current tests on an electrically conducting part comprising several emission rows (1-4) composed of emission windings (55), and several reception columns (a-h) each composed of reception windings (56) connected in series in at least one series, in which the emission windings associated with the reception windings in one series are powered by currents at different frequencies.
US08232796B2
A conduit sensor device includes first and second pairs of permanent magnets. First and second rotor shunts include first and second rotatable magnets and interposed between the first and second pairs of permanent magnets, respectively. A shunt shaft includes a first helical worm gear and a second helical worm gear mounted thereon. The first rotor shunt includes a first rotatable magnet and a first rotor gear locked together. The first helical worm gear meshing with the first rotor gear driving the first rotor gear and the first rotatable magnet. The second rotor shunt includes a second rotatable magnet and a second rotor gear locked together. The second helical worm gear meshes with the second rotor gear driving the second rotor gear and the second rotatable magnet. The surface areas of the first and second pairs of permanent magnets equals the surface area of the first and second rotatable magnets.
US08232791B2
A driver includes a boost converter, a pulse width modulator controlling the boost converter, and a timer controlling the pulse width modulator. The timer, such as a digital counter, causes the pulse width modulator to produce narrow pulses unless or until the end of a period is reached, at which point the pulse width modulator is not controlled by the timer.
US08232785B2
A programmable AC/DC or DC/DC power supply adapted to compensate for voltage drop in a cable extending to a portable electronic device. The invention reduces the number and size of cable wires and tip components needed to remotely control an output voltage level and an output current limit. The voltage and current programming components are outside the compensation feedback loop.
US08232784B2
A current sensing circuit includes a first resistor, a second resistor and a sense amplifier. The first resistor converts a current flowing through the first resistor to a voltage drop between positive and negative sides of the first resistor. The second resistor is coupled to the negative side of the first resistor. The sense amplifier is coupled to the positive side of the first resistor via a first pin of the sense amplifier, and coupled to the negative side of the first resistor through the second resistor via a second pin of the sense amplifier. The sense amplifier employs a negative feedback to generate a sensing current proportional to the current flowing through the first resistor.
US08232777B2
In an inverter generator having an engine generator unit generating alternating current, a converter converting the alternating current to direct current, an inverter that converts the direct current to alternating current, an inverter driver that drives switching elements with a PWM signal generated using a reference sine wave of a desired output voltage waveform and a carrier and makes the alternating current to the alternating current of a predetermined frequency, the alternating current supplied to an electrical load is detected, gains Gn (n: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, . . . m) of n-th harmonics of the reference sine wave and amplitudes An are calculated from the detected current, and the reference sine wave is corrected by a sum obtained by the calculated gains and amplitudes. With this, the reference sine wave is accurately corrected to reliably remove harmonic distortion components from the output voltage waveform.
US08232770B2
To provide a technology for obtaining a remaining capacity of a battery with high accuracy. A battery remaining capacity predicting apparatus predicting a remaining capacity of a battery based on an open-circuit voltage of the battery, detects a charge current or a discharge current of the battery, integrates the currents, obtains an estimated value of the open-circuit voltage that corresponds to an integrated value of the currents on the basis of conversion information representing a capacity necessary for the open-circuit voltage of the battery to change by a predetermined capacity, obtains a measured value of the open-circuit voltage on the basis of the detected current and information on internal impedance, and obtains the remaining capacity of the battery based on the estimated value of the open-circuit voltage by correcting the information on the internal impedance so that the measured value of the open-circuit voltage is equalized to the estimated value of the open-circuit voltage, or by correcting the conversion information so that the estimated value of the open-circuit voltage is equalized to the measured value of the open-circuit voltage.
US08232761B1
A two-stage voltage step-up converter and energy storage system is utilized for harvesting trickling electrons from benthic microbe habitats. A relatively random low voltage from the microbial fuel cell (less than about 0.8 VDC) is provided to the first stage step-up converter, which stores power in a first output storage device. A first comparator circuit turns on the second stage step-up converter to transfer energy from the first output storage device to a second output storage device. A second comparator circuit intermittently connects the load to the second output storage device. After initial start-up, the system is self-powered utilizing the first and second output devices but may use a battery for the initial start-up, after which an automatic switch can switch the battery out of the circuit.
US08232751B2
A position sensorless drive method capable of driving a permanent magnet motor by an ideal sine-wave current and enabling the driving from an extremely low-speed range in the vicinity of zero-speed is provided. A neutral-point potential of the permanent magnet motor is detected in synchronization with a PWM waveform of an inverter. The position of a rotor of the permanent magnet motor is estimated from the variation of the neutral-point potential. Since the neutral-point potential is varied in accordance with the magnetic circuit characteristics of an individual permanent magnet motor, the position can be detected regardless of the presence of saliency of the permanent magnet motor.
US08232713B2
Lamp connectors are provided. The lamp connectors include a swinging connector and a rotatable connector. The swinging connector is coupled to a pivot connection point disposed on a first exterior surface of a lamp. The swinging connector is operative to pivot between a first position close in proximity to the lamp and a second position at distance away from the lamp. A portion of the swinging connector may be received and retained by a second exterior surface of the lamp, when the lamp is in the first position. The rotatable connector is attached to an end of a lamp via a rotation mechanism. The rotation mechanism is disposed on the end of the lamp. The rotatable connector includes a surface and a pin protruding therefrom. The pin is offset from a central portion of the end of the lamp.
US08232711B2
A surface emission type electron source including a first electrode having a planar form, a second electrode having a planar form facing the first electrode, an electron passage layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, an insulator or semiconductor layer between the second electrode and the electron passage layer, and a power source part configured to apply a voltage to the second electrode and the first electrode. The electron passage layer includes plural quantum wires extending in a first direction from the first electrode to the second electrode. The quantum wires are made of silicon and spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals, and electrons are emitted from a front surface of the second electrode. Protrusions protruding toward leading ends of the quantum wires are formed on a back surface of the second electrode at positions corresponding to the quantum wires.
US08232708B2
To stably provide a KNN piezoelectric thin film element having piezoelectric characteristics replaceable with a PZT thin film. A piezoelectric thin film element includes: a piezoelectric thin film on a substrate, having an alkali niobium oxide series perovskite structure expressed by a general formula (K1-xNax)NbO3 (0
US08232707B2
A flexural vibration piece includes a flexural vibrator that has a first region on which a compressive stress or a tensile stress acts due to vibration and a second region having a relationship in which a tensile stress acts thereon when a compressive stress acts on the first region and a compressive stress acts thereon when a tensile stress acts on the first region, and performs flexural vibration in a first plane. The flexural vibration piece also includes a heat conduction path, in the vicinity of the first region and the second region, that is formed of a material having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the flexural vibrator and thermally connects between the first region and the second region.
US08232706B2
A stand-alone power generation device that provides power to an auxiliary system on an airborne platform, includes a piezoelectric energy harvesting device and an energy storage unit, including a battery and a power conditioner. The device extracts energy generated by turbulent airflow around the platform and stores the energy to meet future power requirements. The piezoelectric energy harvesting device is located on a portion of an inner surface of an outward shell of the platform. The stand-alone power generation device is electrically connected to the auxiliary system. The stand-alone power generation device also includes a router that connects the power generation unit to the platform electrical distribution system. Excess power generated by the device may be delivered to the platform electrical distribution system for use by other platform systems.
US08232705B2
Ultrasound transducers and methods of making ultrasound transducers with improved thermal characteristics are provided. An ultrasound transducer can include: a backing, a piezoelectric element attached to the backing, a first matching layer attached to the piezoelectric element, and a second matching layer attached to the first matching layer. The first matching layer can comprise metal and can have a thermal conductivity of about greater than 30 W/mK. The second matching layer can have a thermal conductivity of about 0.5-300 W/mK. The first matching layer can have an acoustic impedance of about 10-20 MRayl, and the second matching layer can have a lower acoustic impedance. The first matching layer can be thicker than the second matching layer. The ultrasound transducer can include a lens and a matching layer disposed between the piezoelectric element and the lens can be configured to conduct heat from the piezoelectric element to the backing.
US08232703B2
In an embedded magnet motor, radial magnets and first inclined magnets form north poles. The radial magnets and second inclined magnets form south poles. Core sheets each include preformed radial accommodating slots the number of which is expressed by P/2. Some of the preformed radial accommodating slots are short slots and the rest are long slots. The short slots are located at some parts of each radial accommodating slot along the axial direction. Radially inner ends of the short slots restrict the radial magnets from moving radially inward.
US08232687B2
The present invention comprises, in various embodiments, systems and methods for shutting down a laser system in an intelligent and flexible manner. An intelligent laser interlock system includes both hardwired components, and intelligent components configured to execute computing instructions. The hardwired components and the intelligent components are configured to shutdown the laser system to one or more alternative shutdown states in response to one or more interlock signals.
US08232686B2
A safety device for the emergency interruption of the drilling maneuvering in a drilling machine is provided with a guide tower or mast (17) and a device (10) for realizing the driving in the ground of drilling elements. The device includes at least a frame (12) fixed to the mast and provided with at least an arm or a door (11) rotating around an axis (Y) with respect to the frame. A microswitch (23) is activated by the movements of rotation given to the door (11) for stopping at least some of the dangerous drilling maneuvering.
US08232672B2
A power adapter for a peripheral device such as portable electronics device is disclosed. The power adapter includes a housing that contains electrical components associated with the power adapter. The power adapter also includes a data port provided at a surface of the housing. The data port is configured to provide external power to the peripheral device.
US08232671B2
A system of localized tapping sections (1, 2 or 3) is provided with air or ground units for the distribution of electrical energy and an assembly on the vehicle (4) for tapping the energy. The electrical energy distribution units are supported by distributing poles (5), only accommodate electrical voltage when the vehicle approaches the related section, and being disconnected when the vehicle (4) leaves the tapping section. The tapping sections are located in vehicle stopping zones, for example, stations (1), acceleration zones, and uphill gradients (2), in order to recharge and/or supply drive energy to the vehicle (4). The system is beneficial to autonomous urban public transportation which accumulates drive energy.
US08232670B2
The disclosure provides for an aircraft galley and lavatory energy system capable of independent operation from a separate aircraft energy generating system. The galley and lavatory energy system comprises an energy source providing electrical energy, heat energy, and at least one by-product; a plurality of galley and lavatory devices for receiving the electrical energy, the heat energy, and the at least one by-product; and, a plurality of connectors for connecting the electrical energy, the heat energy, and the at least one by-product to the galley and lavatory devices. The energy source comprises a fuel cell, a fuel module, and optionally, a supplemental fuel source.
US08232667B2
A method of transmitting data over a power line of a switch mode power supply system includes encoding a switch frequency of the switch mode power supply with the data. A ripple voltage is generated at the encoded switch frequency relative to a voltage generated by the switch mode power supply. The ripple voltage is conducted over the power line of the system. The ripple voltage is de-coupled from the power line and the data is decoded from the encoded switch frequency of the coupled ripple voltage.
US08232662B2
A start-up method of a wind turbine generator includes a step of increasing a pitch angle of a wind turbine blade from a feather pitch angle to a fine pitch angle. The step of increasing the pitch angle of the wind turbine blade includes steps of: determining based on first to n-th pitch angles (n≧2) greater than the feather pitch angle and smaller than the fine pitch angle and first to n-th rotational speed conditions associated with the first to n-th pitch angles, respectively, whether a control target rotational speed, which is a wind turbine speed or generator speed, satisfies the i-th rotational speed condition when the pitch angle reaches the i-th rotational speed out of the first to n-th pitch angles, the first to n-th pitch angles and the first to n-th rotational speed conditions being stored in a storage unit; decreasing the pitch angle to the (i−1)-th pitch angle or the feather pitch angle in a case that the control target rotational speed does not satisfy the i-th rotational speed condition when the pitch angle reaches the i-th pitch angle; and increasing the pitch angle to the (i+1)-th pitch angle or the fine pitch angle in a case that the control target rotational speed satisfies the i-th rotational speed condition when the pitch angle reaches the i-th pitch angle.
US08232656B2
Wire bonding method for reducing height of a wire loop in a semiconductor device, including a first bonding step of bonding an initial ball formed at a tip end of a wire onto a first bonding point using a capillary, thereby forming a pressure-bonded ball; a wire pushing step of pushing the wire obliquely downward toward the second bonding point at a plurality of positions by repeating a sequential movement for a plurality of times, the sequential movement including moving of the capillary substantially vertically upward and then obliquely downward toward the second bonding point by a distance shorter than a rising distance that the capillary has moved upward; and a second bonding step of moving the capillary upward and then toward the second bonding point, and bonding the wire onto the second bonding point by pressure-bonding.
US08232652B2
A semiconductor device includes: an interconnection substrate on which a semiconductor chip is mounted; electrodes formed on a surface of the interconnection substrate; and solder bumps formed on the electrodes. The solder bump includes a base section and a surface layer section that covers the base section. The surface layer section includes conductive metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ni, Au, and Ag, and Sn at least and a ratio of the number of atoms of the conductive metal to the number of Sn atoms per a unit volume is more than 0.01.
US08232650B2
A semiconductor device wherein destruction of a sealing ring caused by cracking of an interlayer dielectric film is difficult to occur, as well as a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device, are provided. A first laminate comprises first interlayer dielectric films having a first mechanical strength. A second laminate comprises second interlayer dielectric films having a mechanical strength higher than the first mechanical strength. A first region includes first metallic layers and vias provided within the first laminate. A second region includes second metallic layers and vias provided within the second laminate. When seen in plan, the second region overlaps at least a part of the first region, is not coupled with the first region by vias, and sandwiches the second interlayer dielectric film between it and the first region.
US08232648B2
Disclosed is a semiconductor article which includes a semiconductor base portion, a back end of the line (BEOL) wiring portion on the semiconductor base portion, a through silicon via and a guard ring. The semiconductor base portion is made of a semiconductor material. The BEOL wiring portion includes a plurality of wiring layers having metallic wiring and insulating material. The BEOL wiring portion does not include a semiconductor material. The through silicon via provides a conductive path through the BEOL wiring portion and the semiconductor base portion. The guard ring surrounds the through silicon via in the BEOL wiring portion.
US08232642B2
A printed circuit board includes a body part formed with connection pads on a first surface thereof; and a warpage compensating part formed over the first surface of the body part and having a height that increases from edges toward a center of the warpage compensating part so that an upper surface of the warpage compensating part facing away from the first surface of the body part is convex upward. The warpage compensating part comprises conductive layer patterns formed over the first surface of the body part to be electrically connected to the connection pads; and a solder resist formed over the first surface of the body part so as to expose the conductive layer patterns. The height of the solder resist gradually increases from both edges toward a center of the solder resist.
US08232641B2
A wiring substrate includes: a semiconductor chip on which a plurality of bumps are mounted, and a plurality of connection pads which are joined to the bumps mounted on the semiconductor chip in a flip chip method, wherein the connection pads of a peripheral portion of the wiring substrate are formed in a non-solder mask defined structure, and the connection pads of a center portion of the wiring substrate are formed in a solder mask defined structure.
US08232640B2
A mounting structure and a mounting method which are capable of securely electrically connecting wiring on a board and a device to each other in the case where the device is mounted on the board, and are capable of forming a finer bump, and increasing the number of pins are provided. A device includes at least one projection having a structure in which a surface of at least a tip part of a projecting section made of an elastic body is coated with a conductive film.
US08232637B2
A power module includes one or more semiconductor power devices bonded to an insulated metal substrate (IMS). A plurality of cooling fluid channels is integrated into the IMS.
US08232636B2
A frontside of a chip is bonded to a top surface of a chip carrier. Seal material is dispensed at a periphery of the top surface of the chip carrier. A solder TIM having a first side and a second side is provided. The first side of the TIM contacts a backside of the chip. A reflow is performed to melt the TIM. The second side of the TIM is bonded to a lid. The seal material is cured. The lid is attached to the top surface of the chip carrier. Backfill material is injected into a space between the top surface of the chip carrier and the lid. The backfill material abuts sides of the TIM. The backfill material is cured. TIM solder cracking and associated thermal degradation are mitigated.
US08232635B2
A hermetically sealed semiconductor package that includes a power semiconductor die having electrodes thereof electrically connected to the external surface mountable terminals of the package without the use of wirebonds.
US08232628B2
A method for manufacturing a microelectronic package (1) comprises the steps of providing two parts (13, 14) comprising electrically insulating material such as plastic; providing members (21, 22, 23) comprising electrically conductive material; providing a microelectronic device (30); positioning the electrically conductive members (21, 22, 23) and the microelectronic device (30) on the electrically insulating parts (13, 14); and placing the electrically insulating parts (13, 14) against each other, wherein the microelectronic device (30) and portions of the electrically conductive members (21, 22, 23) are sandwiched between the electrically insulating parts (13, 14). The electrically conductive members (21, 22, 23) are intended to be used for realizing contact of the microelectronic device (30) arranged inside the package (1) to the external world. An important advantage of the method having steps as mentioned is that the electrically conductive members (21, 22, 23) as such are provided, wherein it is not necessary to provide a conventional lead frame which has the disadvantage of causing considerable waste of metal material during its manufacturing process.
US08232623B2
A conventional semiconductor device has a problem that, when a vertical PNP transistor as a power semiconductor element is used in a saturation region, a leakage current into a substrate is generated. In a semiconductor device of the present invention, two P type diffusion layers as a collector region are formed around an N type diffusion layer as a base region. One of the P type diffusion layers is formed to have a lower impurity concentration and a narrower diffusion width than the other P type diffusion layer. In this structure, when a vertical PNP transistor is turned on, a region where the former P type diffusion layer is formed mainly serves as a parasite current path. Thus, a parasitic transistor constituted of a substrate, an N type buried layer and a P type buried layer is prevented from turning on, and a leakage current into the substrate is prevented.
US08232618B2
Disclosed are embodiments of a semiconductor structure having a contact-level air gap within the interlayer dielectrics above a semiconductor device in order to minimize parasitic capacitances (e.g., contact-to-contact capacitance, contact-to-diffusion region capacitance, gate-to-contact capacitance, gate-to-diffusion region capacitance, etc.). Specifically, the structure can comprise a semiconductor device on a substrate and at least three dielectric layers stacked above the semiconductor device. An air gap is positioned with the second dielectric layer aligned above the semiconductor device and extending vertically from the first dielectric layer to the third dielectric layer. Also disclosed are embodiments of a method of forming such a semiconductor structure using a self-assembly approach.
US08232608B2
A semiconductor device with a high-voltage transistor and a low-voltage transistor includes an isolation insulating film between a first element region of the high-voltage transistor and a second element region of the low-voltage transistor, a first gate insulating film on a semiconductor substrate in the first element region, a first gate electrode on the first gate insulating film, a second gate insulating film on the semiconductor substrate in the second element region, and a second gate electrode on the second gate insulating film. The isolation insulating film includes a first isolation region adjacent to a surrounding area of the first element region and a second isolation region adjacent to a surrounding area of the second element region. A bottom of the second isolation region is lower than a bottom of the first isolation region. The first gate insulating film is thicker than the second gate insulating film.
US08232599B2
An integrated circuit is provided that integrates an bulk FET and an SOI FET on the same chip, where the bulk FET includes a gate conductor over a gate oxide formed over a bulk substrate, where the gate dielectric of the bulk FET has the same thickness and is substantially coplanar with the buried insulating layer of the SOI FET. In a preferred embodiment, the bulk FET is formed from an SOI wafer by forming bulk contact trenches through the SOI layer and the buried insulating layer of the SOI wafer adjacent an active region of the SOI layer in a designated bulk device region. The active region of the SOI layer adjacent the bulk contact trenches forms the gate conductor of the bulk FET which overlies a portion of the underlying buried insulating layer, which forms the gate dielectric of the bulk FET.
US08232596B2
A method for fabrication of a semiconductor device is provided. A first type doped body region is formed in a first type substrate. A first type heavily-doped region is formed in the first type doped body region. A second type well region and second type bar regions are formed in the first type substrate with the second type bar regions between the second type well region and the first type doped body region. The first type doped body region, the second type well region, and each of the second type bar regions are separated from each other by the first type substrate. The second type bar regions are inter-diffused to form a second type continuous region adjoining the second type well region. A second type heavily-doped region is formed in the second type well region.
US08232582B2
A system and method employing at least one semiconductor device, or an arrangement of insulating and metal layers, having at least one detecting region which can include, for example, a recess or opening therein, for detecting a charge representative of a component of a polymer, such as a nucleic acid strand, proximate to the detecting region, and a method for manufacturing such a semiconductor device. The system and method can thus be used for sequencing individual nucleotides or bases of ribonucleic acid (RNA) or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The semiconductor device includes at least two doped regions, such as two n-type regions implanted in a p-type semiconductor layer or two p-type regions implanted in an n-type semiconductor layer. The detecting region permits a current to pass between the two doped regions in response to the presence of the component of the polymer, such as a base of a DNA or RNA strand. The current has characteristics representative of the component of the polymer, such as characteristics representative of the detected base of the DNA or RNA strand.
US08232581B2
Manufacturing an III-V engineered substrate involves providing a base substrate comprising an upper layer made of a first III-V compound with a <110> or a <111> crystal orientation, forming an intermediate layer comprising at least a buffer layer of a second III-V compound, wherein the intermediate layer is overlying and in contact with the upper layer of the base substrate. Then a pseudomorphic passivation layer made of a group IV semiconductor material is grown so as to be overlying and in contact with the intermediate layer. This can enable an unpinned interface. The substrate surface can be smoother, implying fewer problems from surface stress. It can be used in electronic devices such as metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), tunneling field effect transistors (TFETs), and optoelectronic devices.
US08232578B2
A light emitting semiconductor device includes a base substrate; a light emitting semiconductor element including a crystal growth basis and provided on the base substrate so that the crystal growth basis faces in opposite direction to the base substrate; a first transparent sealing medium which seals the light emitting semiconductor on the base substrate; and a second transparent sealing medium which seals the light emitting semiconductor over the first transparent sealing medium and contains phosphor. A thickness of the second sealing medium in a portion with high emission intensity is larger than that of the other portion of the first sealing medium; and the portion with high emission intensity is defined as a portion where light emission intensity from the light emitting semiconductor element is maximum.
US08232575B2
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display includes a display substrate including a display substrate including an organic light emitting element and a pixel defining layer having an opening defining a light emitting region of the organic light emitting element, an encapsulation substrate arranged opposite to the display substrate, a sealant arranged at an edge between the display substrate and the encapsulation substrate to seal a space between the display substrate and the encapsulation substrate from an outside and a filler filling the space between the display substrate and the encapsulation substrate, wherein the pixel defining layer has a thickness that varies by location, and a portion of the pixel defining layer closest to the sealant at edges of the display substrate having a thickness that is greater than a thickness of the pixel defining layer at all other portions of the display.
US08232573B2
Semiconductor chip assembly with aluminum post/base heat spreader and silver/copper conductive trace
A semiconductor chip assembly includes a semiconductor device, a heat spreader, a conductive trace and an adhesive. The semiconductor device is electrically connected to the conductive trace and thermally connected to the heat spreader. The heat spreader is aluminum and includes a post and a base. The post extends upwardly from the base into an opening in the adhesive, and the base extends laterally from the post. The adhesive extends between the post and the conductive trace and between the base and the conductive trace. The conductive trace includes a silver coating and a copper core and provides signal routing between a pad and a terminal.
US08232567B2
A light emitting device, includes a substrate; a first semiconductor layer on the substrate; an active layer on the first semiconductor layer; a second semiconductor layer on the active layer; a transparent conductive layer on the second semiconductor layer; and a plurality of pillar structures with a hollow structure in the portion surface of the first semiconductor layer, thereby, the light extraction efficiency of the light emitting device can be improved due to the pillar structures with a hollow structure.
US08232566B2
A light emitting device includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, an active layer adjacent to the first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type and provided adjacent to the active layer, and a passivation layer provided on a side surface of the active layer. The passivation layer may be a semiconductor layer of one of the first conductivity type, the second conductivity type or a first undoped semiconductor layer. A first electrode may be coupled to the first semiconductor layer and a second electrode may be coupled to the second semiconductor layer.
US08232556B2
An object is to provide a semiconductor device in which damages of an element such as a transistor are reduced even when physical force such as bending is externally applied to generate stress in the semiconductor device. A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor film including a channel formation region and an impurity region, which is provided over a substrate, a first conductive film provided over the channel formation region with a gate insulating film interposed therebetween, a first interlayer insulating film provided to cover the first conductive film, a second conductive film provided over the first interlayer insulating film so as to overlap with at least part of the impurity region, a second interlayer insulating film provided over the second conductive film, and a third conductive film provided over the second interlayer insulating film so as to be electrically connected to the impurity region through an opening.
US08232544B2
A method comprises applying a first electric field pulse to a nanowire comprising a channel and a charge trapping region configured to control conductivity of the channel, the first electric field pulse having a first polarity and a relatively large magnitude of integral of electric field during the pulse and, thereafter, applying at least one further electric field pulse to the nanowire, each further electric pulse having a second, opposite polarity and each respective further electric field pulse having a relatively small magnitude of integral of electric field during the pulse.
US08232542B2
A phase-change memory cell including, between two electrical contacts, a portion in a memory material with amorphous-crystalline phase-change and vice versa, as a stack with a central area located between two outmost areas. An interface, inert or quasi-inert from a physico-chemical point of view, is present between the active central area and each passive outmost area. Each passive outmost area is made in a material having a melting temperature higher than that of the material of the active central area.
