US08313154B2
A spoked wheel is described that uses flexible spokes having a termination on each end that couple with a rim using nipples. The flexible spokes are supported mid-span by a hub flange cradle that transfers torque from the hub to the rim via two sub-spokes. The hub flange cradle determines whether a sub-spoke is tangential or radial. A plurality of spokes may be used on each side of the wheel.
US08313145B2
A fitting (10) for a vehicle seat is provided having a seat part and a backrest. The fitting includes a first fitting part (11), a second fitting part (12) in geared connection with the first fitting part (11) for a relative rolling for adjusting the inclination of the backrest between several use positions, a drive motor for driving the relative rolling, a third fitting part (74) for manually free-pivoting of the backrest into a non-use position, the third fitting part (74) being releasable locked with a detent element (75), and a first coupling element (104) and a second coupling element (105) between the third fitting part (74) and the detent element (75). The first coupling element (104) and the second coupling element (105) are inactive in the normal case and become active in the misuse case, when the third fitting part (74) is unlocked and the backrest is in the non-use position and the drive motor is moving the detent element (75) backwards.
US08313143B2
An office chair is provided having a back assembly which is configured to provide supplemental support to the back of a chair occupant in addition to the support provided by the primary support surface of the chair back. The chair back includes a lumbar support unit having a lumbar support pad wherein asymmetric support is provided to the left and right halves of the lumbar pad. As such, the asymmetric support loads are independently adjustable to more comfortably support a chair occupant. The chair back also includes a pelvic support pad which is disposed vertically adjacent to the lumbar support.
US08313136B2
A vehicle includes a vehicular frame, a utility bed, and a locking device. The utility bed is pivotally coupled with the vehicular frame and is pivotable between a hauling position and a dumping position. The locking device is operable between a locked position and an unlocked position and is configured to prevent the utility bed from pivoting to the dumping position when the locking device is in the locked position.
US08313125B2
A coupling arrangement (12) includes a housing (6), at least one locking element (14) designed to at least partly surround the housing (6) forming a first area of contact (18) with the housing (6) via a positive locking or frictional connection to limit rotational movement of the housing (6), and a connecting element (16). The connecting element (16), arranged at least partly circumferentially around the housing (6) and being cylindrical with a center axis (X), has at least one locking recess (20) designed to at least partly take in the respective locking element (14) to limit rotational movement of the connecting element (16) via positive locking. The housing (6), the locking element (14) and the connecting element (16) are designed and arranged such as to limit movement of the housing (6) relative to the connecting element (16) at least in one direction of the center axis (X).
US08313122B2
A trailer includes reference marks that depict the position whereby cargo may be placed for proper installation on the trailer. The reference marks may be applied by affixing a label onto the frame of the trailer respective of the trailer axle. One or more reference marks may be applied depicting the multiple positions, one for each of differently sized cargo, which may be welding power supplies. Instructions may also be used in conjunction with the labels for instructing placement of the welding power supply at the appropriate position respective of the trailer axle.
US08313117B2
A child's riding vehicle such as a tricycle has a secondary steering column through which the parent walking behind the tricycle may steer the tricycle. The secondary steering column is coupled to the first steering column by a pair of rods that are attached at their respective ends to a first flange around the primary steering column and a second flange around the secondary steering column. The steering rods also act as steering limiters by contacting the wheel fork tube at a predetermined maximum steering angle and resisting further rotation of the flange. The mechanism lies entirely within the hollow frame of the tricycle for safety. The child's steering handle can be disengaged from the fork tube to allow the parent to completely control the steering without interference from the child.
US08313110B2
The invention relates to a wheel suspension system for motor vehicles having a wheel carrier, which has a wheel-side support element, which mounts in a rotatable manner a vehicle wheel, and an axle-side support element, between which is connected an actuating member, on actuation of which the wheel-side support element can be pivoted through a pivot angle (φ) relative to the axle-side support element for the purpose of adjusting a track and/or camber angle (δ, ε). According to the invention, the actuating member has a wheel-side rotational part and an axle-side rotational part, both of which can be rotated about their axes of rotation relative to each other, and the wheel-side rotational part can be deflected through the pivot angle (φ) relative to the axle-side rotational part when the two rotational parts are rotated.
US08313102B1
A board game apparatus and method for entertaining people by supporting unlimited numbers of participation. Players chose a political party then proceed by rolling dice to navigate the quadruple arch-shaped, color-coded, time-stamped, spaces on the game board. The spaces direct players to a plurality of cards explaining presidential decisions to be made after which players refer to one or more of three devices. Device one is reference material provided to aid players in developing confidence, leadership and public speaking skills. Device two calculates the impact on the Federal Budget and determines how many of player's proposed bills are passed through congress. Device three assist in a majority-minority voting technique to achieve impact on Approval Rating scores which feeds into players goal of acquiring the highest score. Players showcase their personal knowledge of politics and people skills to sway voter opinions.
US08313098B2
A paper transport device is configured to independently drive a paper ejecting roller when predetermined abnormal events occur. When paper-jamming occurs and if no paper is present downstream of a jammed paper or a preceding paper that is present most downstream is located upstream of a predetermined position, the paper ejecting roller is stopped to prevent ejection of papers outside of the paper transport device. When paper-jamming occurs and if a preceding paper that is present most downstream is located downstream of the predetermined position, the paper ejecting roller is independently driven to complete ejection of the preceding paper.
US08313094B2
A detent system that includes a plurality of detent recesses formed in a first component, a detent pin that selectively engages at least one of the detent recesses, a linkage connected to the detent pin, and a detent button that is associated with a second component. There is preferably a slot formed in at least one of the detent button and the detent pin, where each slot slidably receives an end portion of the linkage. The detent system is preferably configured and arranged such that applying a force to the detent button to move the detent button in a first direction causes the linkage to move in a second direction, which is different than the first direction, thereby resulting in disengagement between an engaging portion of the detent pin and a relevant one, or more, of the detent recesses. Such disengagement allows for relative movement between the two components.
US08313086B2
A multiple axle lift system having a column mechanism and a carriage assembly is provided. The column mechanism has a base member with a central support member extending therefrom. The carriage assembly is slidably connected to the column mechanism and includes a centerline, a first lift pad assembly with a first lift pad for engaging a vehicle tire and a second lift pad assembly with a second lift pad for engaging a vehicle tire. The first and second lift pads are configured to face away from the centerline.
US08313076B2
A collapsible folding stand for use with an object that is attached to the stand. In the closed position, the stand is generally vertically oriented with the object attached to a top frame. To open the stand a locking mechanism is released which enables a folding mechanism supporting the top frame to unfold in a manner whereby the rear legs having wheels that separate from forward side struts which contact the ground, with the center of gravity of the object being positioned between the wheels and the front ground contact points so that the weight of the object tends to separate the same and bring the top frame into a generally horizontal position. To move the stand to its closed position, the handle is lifted to move the top frame to its generally vertical closed position.
US08313065B2
A pipe support clamp, a system using the clamp, and a method of supporting a pipe with the clamp are disclosed. The pipe support clamp includes two housings, and a number of high temperature inserts, where at least one high temperature insert is coupled to the first housing and at least one high temperature insert is coupled to the second housing.
US08313064B2
A fixing system for fixing a cord-like material to a support comprises a base piece for application to the support and a housing plate for the cord-like material. A spacer for connecting the housing plate to the base piece is provided. In the first connected state, the spacer and the housing plate are connected to each other such as to be displaceable relative to each other in the direction of the cord-like material and, in a second connected state, the spacer is connected to the housing plate and the base piece and the housing plate is fixed relative to the spacer. The fixing system is very user-friendly.
US08313054B2
A wire payoff structure includes a plurality of arm members, a first ring, a second ring, and a third ring. The first ring is coupled with each of the arm members. The second ring is coupled with each of the arm members and is spaced radially outwardly from the first ring. The third ring is coupled with each of the arm members and is spaced radially outwardly from the second ring. A portion of each arm member passes beneath the third ring to facilitate contact with an underlying wire stack.
US08313049B2
A shower faucet includes a housing having a press bar axially connected; a tube member installed in the housing and including a seat having a second room to distributing water and a displace room; a distributing valve core pushed to move between a higher and a lower positions of the second room to generate a first and a second waterings; a button element biased against by the press bar to actuate a rotary positioning member to engage with the distributing valve core to generate the second watering, wherein the positioning member is retained on ratchet members of the displace so that the second watering is kept without pressing the press bar continuously, a resilient element used to push the distributing valve core so that the positioning member is rotated and pushed to disengage from the ratchet members, such that watering levels are switched by pressing the press bar easily.
US08313039B2
A remote climate control system for a vehicle includes a remote climate controller to be positioned at a vehicle for starting an electrically powered climate control system based upon a remote climate control handheld unit and causing the electrically powered climate control system to run for a run time period before shutting it off. The remote climate controller is resettable based upon the remote climate control handheld unit to cause the electrically powered climate control system to run for an additional run time period before shutting it off. The remote climate control handheld unit has an indicator for providing an indication to a user prior to expiration of the run time period to permit a user to reset the run time period while the electrically powered climate control system is still running and before shutting off the electrically powered climate control system.
US08313037B1
Simulated magnetic stripe card system and method for use with magnetic stripe card reading terminals
A system to read magnetic stripe card(s) into a database, to select a specific card from the database, and to output the data related to that specific card to existing merchant card reader equipment with no modification. A simulated magnetic stripe card can be tethered to a cell phone via the headset jacks. A more complex design uses an un-tethered, simulated magnetic stripe card by including BLUETOOTH (or other wireless) communications on the card. This dual purpose invention is intended to eliminate the need to carry multiple magnetic stripe cards in a wallet or purse by consolidating all of the individual card information into a form to be reproduced onto the simulation card when needed by the user. It can also be used at a merchant POS card reader to allow an existing MSD reader to be converted to use in wireless cell phone transactions e.g. BLUETOOTH or NFC.
US08313036B1
This disclosure relates to storing a secure application directory within a contactless smart card. The contactless smart card include secure memory area for storing software applications and may include a default application directory for listing the software applications stored within the contactless smart card to an external card reader. A second application directory is stored with an access key and a listing of a second set of software applications within the same contactless smart card. The second application directory includes improved application directory entries, where each application directory entry includes an application identifier, a starting memory block byte value, and a size byte value for each of the second set of software applications.
US08313035B2
The invention provides a circuit which provides a stabilized boosting in the case where a semiconductor device typified by a non-contact ID chip includes a circuit which requires a higher voltage than a logic circuit does. By inputting an alternating signal inputted from an antenna to a charge pump circuit as it is or through a logic circuit, a charge pump can operate with a stabilized frequency that a clock frequency is not affected by a variation of elements and the ambient temperature, thus a stabilized boosting can be provided.
US08313031B2
An apparatus and method is provided for focusing an image of a target object. The apparatus comprises imaging circuitry for analyzing an image reflected from a target object that is projected onto an imaging sensor coupled to the imaging circuitry. A fixed imaging lens having an optical axis in alignment with the imaging sensor focuses the reflected image onto the imaging sensor. One of a plurality of apertures located within a selectable aperture of varying sizes is selected for optically enhancing the fixed imaging lens. An actuator is coupled to the selectable aperture for selectively selecting the one of the plurality of apertures in a direction transverse to optical axis for optically enhancing the fixed imaging lens.
US08313027B2
A card reader may include a card insertion port, a card feeding passage along which a card is carried, a card surface abutting member such as a shutter member capable of abutting with a surface of the card, an abutting member sensor for detecting a position of the shutter member, a card insertion detection mechanism, and a control section for discriminating whether the card is a special shaped card or not on a basis of detection results of the abutting member sensor and the card insertion detection mechanism. A control method may include a shutter opening step, a feeding and stop step in which the card is carried by a first feeding distance in a taking-in direction and stopped, a shutter closing step in which the shutter member is moved in a direction for closing the card feeding passage, and a discrimination step in which the card is discriminated whether the card is a special shaped card or not on the basis of a detection result by the open-and-close sensor after the shutter closing step.
US08313025B2
A wireless display tag, adapted to fit within the C-channel of a shelf-edge, or otherwise usable as a hang tag or small identification device, includes, depending on implementation, an active transceiver, a passive transceiver, or both, with analog and digital control portions for managing communications with a host.
US08313022B2
Apparatuses, methods, and systems pertaining to the verification of portable consumer devices for 3-D Secure Systems are disclosed. In one implementation, a verification token is coupled to a computer by a USB connection so as to use the computer's networking facilities. The verification token reads identification information from a user's portable consumer device (e.g., credit card) and sends the information to a validation entry over a communications network using the computer's networking facilities. The validation entity applies one or more validation tests to the information that it receives from the verification token. If a selected number of tests are passed, the validation entity sends a 3-D Secure datum to the verification token. The verification token may enter the 3-D Secure datum into a hidden field of a Purchase Authentication Page appearing on the computer's display.
US08313020B2
An automated banking machine operates responsive to data bearing records such as user cards. The machine is operative to accept financial checks. The arrangement enables a card-based deposit at a deposit accepting machine to be carried out even when the deposit becomes jammed in the machine prior to transaction recordation.
US08313001B1
A container with a granulated or powdered product stores a scoop in or on a threaded closure for the container, in such a way that the scoop will not sink down into the product. Several embodiments are disclosed, including different ways for retaining the scoop on the closure.
US08313000B1
A foldable pot has a base, a folding body, two supporting shafts and two handles. The base is a metal basin and has a locking groove formed around an opening top of the base. The folding body is mounted on the opening top of the base and has a connecting ring, a folding segment and a mouth. The connecting ring is mounted in the locking groove and has a linking section. The folding segment is formed on and protrudes from the linking section and has two folding rings and a connecting section. The mouth is formed on the folding segment and has two pairs of through holes. The supporting shafts are transversely mounted in the mouth at intervals and each supporting shaft has two connecting arms. The handles are detachably connected to the connecting arms of the supporting shafts beside the folding body and each handle has an inserting hole.
US08312988B2
A luggage conveyor system includes a frame, a plurality of pallets movably supported by the frame each having a load carrying surface configured to convey luggage thereon, and a drive assembly. The drive assembly includes a chain formed by a plurality of chain links connected to each other. At least one chain link of the plurality of chain links is coupled to one of the plurality of pallets. The drive assembly further includes a motor-driven drive wheel, and a plurality of driven wheels coupled to and driven by the drive wheel. The plurality of driven wheels are arranged such that at least two of the driven wheels simultaneously contact the same one of the plurality of chain links to frictionally drive the chain.
US08312983B2
An apparatus for stacking electrode plates includes a first and second transfer conveyor units, and an electrode plate support. The first transfer conveyor unit includes an addressing conveyor and a movable conveyor, and a power unit drives the movable conveyor upward and downward to vary the angle between the movable conveyor and the addressing conveyor. The second transfer conveyor unit has a plurality of conveyors located at different heights. The electrode plate support has a plurality of support plates which are placed vertically parallel to one another. The electrode plate support is moved upward and downward in a vertical direction via a conveyor device to move the support plates to positions adjacent to their own corresponding conveyors of the second transfer conveyor unit at different heights, and each of the support plates accepts an electrode plate from its own corresponding conveyor of the second transfer conveyor unit.
US08312978B2
A people mover comprising a plurality of steps or palettes to carry and move people. A transmission chain formed into an endless loop is connected to the steps or palettes via which the steps or palettes are moved. The transmission chain comprises consecutive chain links connected in a hinged manner to each other such that the chain links are bendable in relation to each other in a first direction (I) and in a second direction (II). Two turning elements are provided around which the transmission chain is arranged to pass. The consecutive chain links of the transmission chain bend in relation to each other in the first direction (I) when passing around the respective turning elements. A bending limitation mechanism is arranged to limit bending of the transmission chain occurring in the second direction (II).
US08312973B2
The method and system for increasing accuracy of clamping force of electric aircraft carbon brakes, once braking has been commenced, provides a first pair of electric brake actuators with a range of low brake clamping force responsive to low brake clamping force commands, and a second pair of electric brake actuators with a range of high brake clamping force responsive to high brake clamping force commands. The first pair of electric brake actuators is actuated to apply a minimum residual braking force once wheel braking is commenced, and the second pair of electric brake actuators is actuated only when the commanded braking force is in the high range of brake clamping force.
US08312972B2
Brake equipment for holding and braking an elevator car in an elevator installation, which is arranged to be movable along a brake track in two directions of travel, includes a mount with a brake lining which automatically adjusts under friction couple with the brake track on movement of the elevator car relative to the rail and in that case tightens a first tightening means, which can be released by an actuator. The first tightening means tightens the mount together with the brake lining against the brake track by a biasing force. The brake equipment produces, with unmoved brake equipment and an unreleased state of the actuator, a holding force acting in both directions of travel. The holding force is determined substantially by the biasing force acting on the mount.
US08312969B2
A lubrication system for an aircraft engine includes a lubrication fluid tank and a fluid passage communicating with the tank to define an entry of the passage inside the tank. The entry is positioned in a location submerged in the lubrication fluid for delivery of the lubrication fluid under a pressure differential, from the tank to the lubrication system regardless of the tank or aircraft attitude.
US08312967B2
An escape system (1) for evacuation is disclosed including a chute (2) comprising a succession of linked and spaced apart shaping sections (7), the succession including a number of shaping sections being connected by elastic cords (9) and linking successive shaping sections in a direction corresponding to a longitudinal axis (18) of the succession of shaping sections, and at least one tunnel-like device (6) being adapted to enable a person (16) who is being evacuated to move from a first position (3) to a second position (4) through the tunnel-like device, and wherein the chute (2) is arranged to have a self adjusting length (20, 22) and hereby operable at least two relative different chute lengths (20, 22) when the chute (2) has been launched and the chute is hanging substantially vertically from the higher position to the lower position, and the escape system comprises length limiting means (32, 36, 38) for changing between operation modes (24, 26) between the at least two relative different chute lengths (20, 22).
US08312962B2
A sound absorber comprises an elongated gas channel, through which a flowing gas passes in operation of the sound absorber; and at least one helical fixture mounted in a longitudinal section of the gas channel. The helical fixture defines a helical gas passage through the longitudinal section of the gas channel. Further, the helical fixture defines at least one longitudinal Helmholtz resonator within the gas channel which is excited by sound waves propagating in the flowing gas passing through the at least one gas channel.
US08312947B2
The present invention relates to a Power Take Off (PTO) coupler and a hitch equipped with such a PTO coupler. The PTO coupler comprises a power transmission coupler; and a securing mechanism. The securing mechanism is adapted for fixedly securing an extremity of the power transmission coupler to the hitch. The securing mechanism comprises a position adjustment mechanism for allowing planar movement of the power transmission coupler within the securing mechanism. The securing mechanism may further comprise a compression adjustment mechanism for adjusting pressure received by the power transmission coupler.
US08312937B2
A power tool has a mechanism for ejecting a battery pack which includes a receiving frame which defines a cavity to receive a battery pack. A receiving member is adjacent the cavity. The receiving member meshes with a member on the battery pack to hold the battery pack in the cavity. A biasing member is in the cavity adjacent the receiving member. The biasing member ejects the battery pack from the ejecting mechanism. A member retains the biasing member in the cavity. The member guides a portion of the battery pack meshing with the receiving member into contact with the biasing member such that when the battery pack is locked onto the frame, the biasing member is in a compressed condition and when the battery pack is an unlocked position, the biasing member ejects the battery pack from the frame.
US08312929B2
In a method of treating a sandstone-containing formation penetrated by a wellbore, a treatment fluid comprising an aqueous fluid containing a Bronsted acid, a hydrogen fluoride source and an organic acid or salt thereof that is substantially soluble in the aqueous fluid is formed. The treatment fluid contains less than about 2% of fluoride (F−) by weight of the fluid and from 2% or less of sodium (Na+) by weight of the fluid. The treatment fluid is introduced into the formation through the wellbore as a single-stage without introducing an acid-containing fluid preflush into the formation prior to introducing the treatment fluid.
US08312915B2
An apparatus is described for the casting of a composite metal ingot having two or more separately formed layers of one or more alloys. An open ended annular mould is provided having a divider wall dividing a feed end of the mould into at least two separate feed chambers. For each pair of adjacent feed chambers, a first alloy stream is fed through one of the pair of feed chambers into the mould and a second alloy stream is fed through another of the feed chambers. A self-supporting surface is generated on the surface of the first alloy stream and the second alloy stream is contacted with the first stream. By carefully selecting conditions and positions where the alloy streams meet, a composite metal ingot is formed in which the alloy layers are mutually attached with a substantially continuous metallurgical bond.
US08312913B2
A method of casting including coating at least a portion of a mold with a non-porous coating, placing the mold in a chamber capable of inducing pressure, and applying pressure to the chamber to press material into a cavity in the mold. Another method of casting including coating at least a portion of a mold with a non-porous coating, placing a first fill tube in a material, applying a vacuum to a second fill tube to establish a vacuum within the non-porous coating, and allowing atmospheric pressure to inject the material into the mold without placing the mold in a chamber capable of inducing pressure.
US08312903B2
A pneumatic tire for use on trucks, the tire comprising: a tread, the tread having a non-skid depth (NSK), the tread including a first and second shoulder rib and two or more inner ribs, and circumferential grooves interposed between the ribs. The tread pattern is asymmetric, wherein the first shoulder rib has a rib width ratio in the range of about 1.2 to about 1.8, and the second shoulder rib has a rib width ratio in the range of about 1.0-1.6.
US08312898B2
A plug has a plug body having an upper face and a lower face and a deformable member having opposed pipe engagement ends. A support structure is carried by the plug body and spaced from the lower face. The support structure supports the opposed pipe engagement ends of the deformable member. An actuator extends outward from the lower face of the plug body and is connected to the deformable member. The actuator adjusts the distance of a central portion of the deformable member from the lower face of the plug body to cause the engagement ends to move between a retracted release position and an extended engagement position. The actuator is actuated from the upper face of the plug body.
US08312897B2
A diverter valve is disclosed for use in a shower mixer valve or the like. It is constructed to reduce the force needed to be applied by the bather to actuate the diversion. There is a diverter stem that is moveable between a non-diverted and diverted position. The diverter stem includes an upstream portion and a reduced cross sectional waist portion downstream of the upstream portion. The reduced portion interacts with the diverted fluid to reduce the force required to move the diverter stem from the non-diverted to the diverted position.
US08312896B2
A compressed gas-aided coating dispensing device includes a valve controlling the flow of compressed gas through the device. The device includes a port for coupling to a source of compressed gas and a port through which the compressed gas flows downstream from the valve. The valve includes a first valve member and a first seat cooperating to control flow through the device, and an operating member for controlling the relative positions of the first valve member and first seat. The valve further includes a second valve member and a second seat. The operating member also controls the relative positions of the second valve member and the second seat. The operating member controls the relative positions of the first valve member and first seat and the second valve member and second seat.
US08312893B2
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an axial drag control valve which includes an internal disk stack trim and an internal actuator. The fluid inlet and outlet of the valve are disclosed along a common axis, which is further shared with both the plug and the actuator. The plug and actuator move along this particular axis to control the fluid flow rate, pressure, or temperature of the system. The valve actuator may be powered by an operating fluid such as air supplied from an external source. A special, two-part packing with a lantern ring and leak-off port provides protection and safety for the actuator.
US08312887B2
A dishwasher basket for use with baby bottle nipples includes a specially designed rack that maintains baby bottle nipples in an upright position during the washing and drying. The base of the nipple is also prevented from resting upon the surface of the rack. Feeding straw and valve holders are also provided that can be attached to the dishwasher basket. The dishwasher basket is able to be opened using only one hand.
US08312886B2
Provided is a moist smokeless tobacco product including a hydrated membrane coating and a portion of tobacco material. Preferably, the tobacco material is pre-portioned and formed to include at least one dimple and/or at least one hole through the tobacco material so as to increase the surface area of the tobacco product.
US08312876B2
Described is a respirator (1) comprising a mask body (2) which can be used in a universal and constructionally simple way. To this end a first holder (4) is provided for a first filter material (5), which holder is to be detachably fastened to the mask body (2) via a first fastening device (9). The first holder (4) is to be detachably connected via a second fastening device (16) to a second holder (6) for a second filter material (7).
US08312874B2
A campfire support unit for burning firewood. The unit has a metal frame that includes a metal support ring with metal tabs and support legs. The frame is made and arranged to support wood for a wood fire in a near-vertical ring position around a central core which contains wood supported in a near-vertical position. An internal core fire is started, using wood placed inside the metal ring. Then wood is leaned against the outer rim of the metal ring. The tabs support the wood leaned against the outer rim, preventing it from falling before, during, and after the outer wood is ignited by the internal core fire.
US08312871B1
An electronically controlled, brushless DC, electromagnetic induction drive apparatus for use in a paintball marker active loader capable of directly driving the feeder element in the active loader while providing user selectable torque transfer capability and rotational speed whether used to continuously or intermittently rotate the loader feeder element. A plurality of selectively polarity reversible electromagnets are disposed in the loader housing and act to move a plurality of magnetic drive elements disposed on the rotating feed cone to rotate the feed cone and cause paintballs to be fed into the paintball marker via a feed tube. A controller linked to the marker firing sequence manages the sequential polarity changes of the electro-magnets to cause the feed cone to rotate in response to movement of paintballs in the feed tube. The spatial relationship between the drive electromagnets and the driven magnetic elements is user adjustable to enable variation in the torque transfer of the drive apparatus to suit specific paintball characteristics.
US08312869B2
An underwater hunting gun of the crossbow type uses push-rods for tensioning elastic links, the push-rods being placed laterally on a moving headpiece activated by a lever-operated arming system. The elastic links run freely around the push-rods such that front ends of the elastic links are permanently and preferably fixed to the base and rear ends are fixed under no tension in a slot of a bolt or arrow. The sliding of the moving headpiece in the forward bolt-support segment intensifies the drawing of the elastic links from the back forwards over and under the push-rods, thus optimizing, at the time of firing, the range of the bolt without recoil of the crossbow through the fact that the bolt is expelled in the manner of a whiplash. The crossbow incorporates a power regulator and an arrow rail offering stealthy firing suited to the range to the target.
US08312867B2
A fuel delivery system for a fuel burning engine of a vehicle and a method of operating the fuel delivery system is provided. As one example, the method includes separating a first fuel and a second fuel from a fuel vapor on-board the vehicle, said fuel vapor including at least an alcohol component and a hydrocarbon component and said first fuel including a higher concentration of the alcohol component than the fuel vapor and the second fuel; condensing the separated first fuel from a vapor phase to a liquid phase; delivering the condensed liquid phase of the first fuel to the engine; and combusting at least the condensed liquid phase of the first fuel at the engine.
US08312864B2
In a method and a device for the volume flow control of an injection system, a seat valve (3) is used for the volume flow control. For this purpose, the influence of the pressure present upstream of the seat valve (3) is taken into consideration in the volume flow control.
US08312859B2
An improved rotary engine system has two stationary buffer seals located at the two ends of the minor axis of a rotor housing that divide the rotor housing into two separate volumes. A first volume is an intake and compression volume and a second volume downstream to the first volume is an expansion and exhaust volume. A rotating combustion chamber flow control device (CCFC) is synchronized with a rotor, for receiving compressed fluid from the first volume, for receiving fuel injected by a fuel injector located within a corresponding CCFC, for igniting and burning an air-fuel mixture, to allow combustion products to expand in the second volume, and for transferring the combustion products to the second volume. In one embodiment, the CCFC is synchronized with two longitudinal shafts fitted at centers of first and second housings, respectively, in each of which are located a pair of side by side rotors.
US08312851B2
A switchable finger lever (1) for a valve train of an internal combustion engine is provided. The finger lever includes an inner lever (2) with a U-shaped cross-section having, on one end (3), outer arms (4) which are made separately from each other and are pivotable relative to the inner lever (2). The outer arms extend, while flanking outer walls (6) of the inner lever (2), in a direction of the other end (5), and have on upper sides (7), running surfaces (7a) for high-lift cams. A support (10) having integrally connected lateral guide tabs (11) for at least one gas exchange valve extend on an underside (8) of a crossbar (9) of the inner lever (2) in a vicinity of the one end (3). An insert (12) having a contact surface (13) for a head of a support element is installed on the another end (5) between side walls (14) of the inner lever (2), and has a coupling slide (15) for an optional connection of the outer arms (4) to the inner lever (2). At least one resetting spring (16) is clamped between the inner lever (2) and the outer arms (4) in the region of the other end (5), and at least one of the inner lever (2), alone, or the inner lever (2) and the outer arms (4) are made of thin-walled sheet metal.
US08312849B2
In a dual intake valve arrangement for an internal combustion engine, a variable valve lift system controls two intake valves for one or more engine cylinders. In each cylinder, one of the intake valves includes an associated two-step actuation device, and the other includes an associated valve deactivation device. To improve in-cylinder air flow turbulence, one valve may be operated in a high-lift or low-lift state while the other valve may be deactivated.
US08312843B2
Structures constructed from an artificial material facilitate the setting and growing of oysters, other mollusks, and other organisms for the purposes of food production, artificial reefs/breakwaters, and the like. The artificial material is a composite that acts as both an attractant and nutrient environment for mollusks and other aquatic organisms. The binder for the composite material includes both cement and an organic material. The organic material is selected to attract and feed the aquatic organisms.
US08312840B2
Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus and method. The substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber (10) providing an internal space, in which a process is carried out onto a substrate; a gas supply unit (40) supplying a source gas to the internal space; a coil (16) generating an electric field in the internal space to generate plasma from the source gas; and an adjustment ring (50) disposed on a flow path of the plasma toward a support member to adjust the flow of the plasma. The chamber (10) includes a process chamber (12), in which the support member is provided and the process is carried out by the plasma; and a generation chamber (14), in which the plasma is generated by the coil (16), provided on the upper surface of the process chamber (12), and the adjustment ring (50) is installed at the lower end of the generation chamber (14).
US08312837B2
A support assembly for a stent and a method of using the same to coat a stent are provided. The support assembly provides for minimum contact between the stent and the support assembly so as to reduce or eliminate coating defects.
US08312818B2
The invention relates to a vibratory floor consisting of independent vibratory modules that can be pre-fabricated and are strictly controlled before being put into place in structures for storage or transport of bulk products. Each vibratory module consists of a frame (14) in which a support material (12) is arranged, on which a metal sheet (9) is mounted, said metal sheet being attached to a vibratory element (10) and a stiffener (19) and held in place only by a peripheral sealing membrane (11), optionally supported by compression springs (13). The filling material can comprise ribs (30) for deforming the metal sheet in the form of transversal waves (31) under the effect of the weight of the stored product. The vibratory modules constructed in this way are dust-tight, do no transmit vibrations to the surrounding structure, and effectively drain any lumpy or powdery product from silos, ships, railroad cars, or other containers.
US08312814B2
A hand grenade simulator includes a hand grenade simulator housing configured to simulate the appearance of a hand grenade. The hand grenade simulator also includes a trigger mechanism coupled to the hand grenade simulator housing. The hand grenade simulator further includes a timer coupled to the trigger mechanism. The hand grenade simulator additionally includes at least one transmitter coupled to the timer. The transmitter is operable to transmit the first signal simulating a hand grenade blast pattern a first amount of time after activation of the trigger mechanism.
US08312813B2
A deployable fairing is driven off of high-pressure gun gases to reduce aerodynamic drag and extend the range of the artillery shell. An artillery shell is provided with a fabric fairing and a piston attached thereto in a rear section of the shell in a stowed state and a chamber. During launch high-pressure gun gasses are captured and stored in the chamber. Once the shell clears the end of the artillery tube, the pressure aft of the shell drops from the high pressure inside the tube to atmospheric pressure outside the tube. The high pressure gun gasses stored in the chamber act over the top surface of the piston to drive the piston aft against the much lower pressure behind the projectile to deploy the fabric fairing attached thereto to reduce the base area of the projectile creating or extending the boat-tail of the shell, hence reduce aerodynamic drag. The aft driven piston engages a locking mechanism that locks the piston in a deployed position.
US08312810B2
A printing cylinder for a printing machine or printing sleeve for forming a printing cylinder that includes a plurality of cups for forming a supporting inner structure of the printing cylinder or printing sleeve. Each cup includes a central disc, a radially outer edge, and a first conical surface part. The first conical surface part of one cup at least partially bears against an adjacent cup in order to form a connection between the one cup and the adjacent cup. The radially outer edges of the plurality of cups together define a substantially cylindrical surface.
US08312809B2
Screw press, with small dimensions, particularly suitable for the compaction of solid waste for disposal also using sorted-waste collection. The screw press comprises an initial large-diameter screw section with a wide-pitch helix, communicating laterally with the bottom opening of the loading hopper (1) in order to remove the material from the hopper and feed it to a following small-diameter screw section with a small-pitch helix, surrounded by an internally scored stator body. This produces the feeding and compaction of the material which also occurs in conjunction with the action of a constriction which acts on the discharge mouth of this latter screw section. A press of this type has the two screw sections (3, 4) which are separated and arranged parallel to each other and one above or around each other, so as to form overall a press which no longer has as its length the sum of the lengths of the two screw sections. Instead, it has a length corresponding to the length of the longer of the two screw sections. The two screw sections are operated at different speeds, with the second compacting screw section (4) rotating at a speed greater than that of the first feeder screw section.
US08312807B2
A cooking apparatus comprising a top end having a generally concave cooking surface adapted to also act as a base stand; and a bottom end comprising a plurality of posts adapted to also act as a food preparation device holder upon vertically rotating the apparatus.
US08312802B2
A toroidal cloth is provided comprising a plurality of closed-loop toroids interconnected together, the method comprising: providing a first toroid having a first proximal portion and a distal portion; providing a second toroid having a second proximal portion and distal portion; providing a third toroid having a third proximal portion and distal portion; overlapping the second toroid and the third toroid; forming an interconnection between the first, second and third toroids by looping the first proximal portion through the second and third toroids, the first proximal portion passing through the interior of the first toroid adjacent to the first distal portion to cause the first distal portion to be positioned adjacent to the second and third proximal portions; and wherein the interconnection and each subsequent interconnection is formed to provide a triangulated toroidal cloth structure.
US08312795B2
A multiple-link tool assembly includes an elongated handle, an exchangeable extension link, and an exchangeable tool link. The exchangeable extension link has a first connecting end removably linked to the handle, and a second connecting end defining a sectioned cavity. The sectioned cavity includes a reduced-diameter internally serrated cavity section and an enlarged-diameter non-serrated cavity section. An adjustable geometric fitting having an externally serrated base is received and retained within the sectioned cavity. A spring is located within the non-serrated cavity section, and is adapted for normally urging the externally serrated base of the geometric fitting into the internally serrated cavity section. The exchangeable tool link has a proximal end removably joined to the geometric fitting of the extension link, and a fastener-engaging distal end adapted for engaging a threaded fastener.
US08312789B2
A foot pedal module (1) including an enclosure (3), a rotor (11), a foot pedal (15), two springs (17, 19) and a circuit board (33). The enclosure (3) has a trunnion (5), an outer ring (29) and a cover (39) for accommodating and protecting the rotor (11). The rotor (11) is linked with a bushing (7), a tappet, a lever (13), two haptic springs (17, 19), two damping elements (21, 23) and a driving element (27). The circuit board (33) carries an inductor array (25) which are designed as flat coils and located opposite the damping elements (21, 23). The foot pedal (15) is linked to the lever (13) and bushing (7) by a ball joint (35) and a socket (27).
US08312782B2
A self-contained momentum control system (MCS) for a spacecraft is provided for small satellites. The MCS features a miniaturized gyroscopic rotor with a rotational speed in excess of 20,000 RPM. The MCS includes at least three control moment gyroscopic mechanical assemblies (CMAs) rigidly mounted within a single enclosure, where each CMA mounted in an orientation whereby the longitudinal axis of each CMA is either orthogonal to every other CMA or is parallel to another CMA but in the opposite orientation. In order to further reduce the size of the MCS, an electronics package that is configured to interface command and control signals with and to provide power to the CMAs is included within the MCS enclosure. A plurality of shock isolation devices are used to secure each of the CMAs to the enclosure in order to reduce the launch load upon the CMAs thereby allowing the use of smaller rotor spin bearings. The MCS enclosure surrounding the CMAs and support structure is hermetically sealed.
US08312772B2
A method for evaluating a manufacturing process is described. The method includes generating an optical pump beam pulse and directing the optical pump beam pulse to a surface of a sample. A probe pulse is generated and directed the probe pulse to the surface of the sample. A probe pulse response signal is detected. A change in the probe pulse varying in response to the acoustic signal forms the probe pulse response signal. An evaluation of one or more manufacturing process steps used to create the sample is made based upon the probe pulse response signal. Additionally the method may be used for process control of a CMP process. Apparatus are also described.
US08312770B2
A capacitive acceleration sensor that prevents sticking of a mass body, made of silicon, to a first sealing substrate or a second sealing substrate, made of glass. The capacitive acceleration sensor includes a first sealing substrate and a second sealing substrate each made of glass. The mass body is suspended between the first and second sealing substrates by a beam attached to a substrate, and one or both of the sealing substrates is processed such that the mass body only contacts with a subsection of the substrate surface.
US08312754B2
A method of making a composite panel. A panel is formed by sandwiching a core between first and second facesheets. A longitudinal slot is formed in the panel passing through the first facesheet into the core, including forming a pair of curved flanges in the core. A bend is formed in the panel by bending the panel about the longitudinal axis of the slot, including bringing the curved flanges substantially into conformal engagement with the second facesheet.
US08312752B2
A kinematic system of movement for the clamping/pressing unit of a semifinished piece, that is to say of sheet metal or the like, of panelling machines, the kinematic system comprising a frame on which a presser unit is hinged to a pin and which is free to make angular movements around the pin, the presser unit consisting of elements v fixed to a head supporting the upper presser tool, the presser unit being moved angularly by at least one connecting rod driven by a first lower crank, in which the presser unit is driven by a second upper crank, the first and second crank defining an articulated mechanism, for driving the punch-presser unit, with two degrees of freedom in sequence that can be activated independently or simultaneously.
US08312751B2
A method for producing a high alloy pipe having a minimum yield strength of 758.3 to 965.2 MPa, comprising: preparing a high alloy pipe having controlled amounts of C, Si, Mn, Ni, Cr, Mo, Cu, and N, the balance being Fe and impurities by a hot working or further by a solid-solution heat treatment; and then subsequently subjecting the high alloy pipe to a cold rolling. The cold rolling is performed such that the working ratio Rd, in terms of the reduction of area, in the final cold rolling step falls within a range of larger than 30% and equal to or less than 80%, and the following formula is satisfied: Rd(%)>(MYS−520)/3.1−(Cr+6×Mo+300×N) wherein Rd and MYS signify the working ratio (%) in terms of the reduction of area and the targeted yield strength (MPa), respectively, and Cr, Mo and N signify the mass % of the individual elements.
US08312749B2
A lock and key mechanism reduces exposure to lock picking by including an extension into a key slot to receive and conceal tapered end portions of key pins. The only portions of key pins exposed in a key slot are cylindrical portions that are difficult to move from a resting position. A key includes a beveled leading edge and a spring-loaded pin activation element at the leading edge of the key. As the key is inserted into the key slot, the spring-loaded pin activation element is compressed to permit entry into the key slot. As the pin activation element reaches a pin, an aperture in the extension allows the spring-loaded pin activation element to move toward the key pin and move the key pin from its resting position. In this activated position, the tapered end portion of the key pin is exposed for further activation by the beveled leading edge of the key. The process is repeated until the pin activation element engages and activates each successive key pin and allows full insertion of the key.
US08312748B2
A blocking apparatus is disclosed for selectively blocking movement of a deadbolt actuation lever on a door. The apparatus includes a base mounting plate for mounting on the door, the base mounting plate including an engaging portion for positioning against the inside surface of the door and a deadbolt receiving portion for positioning against the edge surface of the door. The apparatus also includes a mounting shaft mounted on and extending from the engaging portion and a blocking member mounted on the mounting shaft and movable between a block position and an unblocked position. The block position is characterized by the blocking member blocking movement of the deadbolt actuation lever from the locked orientation to the unlocked orientation. The unblocked position of the blocking member is characterized by the deadbolt actuation lever being free to move without interference by the blocking member.
US08312746B2
The invention relates to a stain-removing machine consisting of two tubes (2 and 3) which are joined to one another by a conventional closure and adjustment mechanism (6) including at least one rubber sealing section (7), the fabric (4) to be cleaned being clamped taut between said tubes with a fluid (5) flowing therebetween. The invention can also include a fill/discharge valve (8) for supplying/releasing the fluid (5) and said valve is moved by propulsion mechanisms or systems, such as mechanically or manually operated pistons (9, 9′). When the machine includes only one piston (9) the other tube (3) is provided with an elastic membrane (10) or a moving part. Optionally, the ends at which the tubes (2, 3) are joined are provided with securing and friction membranes or screens (13) or moving plates. The machine can be coupled to a professional stain-removing table (14) or to a domestic propulsion and suction source.
US08312745B2
An automatically controlled washing machine having a detergent dispensing unit that is arranged in an upper machine space of the washing machine. A drawer is arranged in the detergent dispensing unit and accessible from the front panel of the washing machine. The drawer has at least one chamber for hand-metered addition of washing powder or washing liquid. At least one storage unit in the upper machine space stores liquid or gel-like washing aid. A receptacle unit of the storage unit receives a transportable storage container that contains the liquid or gel-like washing aid and a metering unit automatically meters the liquid or gel-like washing aid. The metering unit is connected to the receptacle unit by a fluid connection and has an outlet opening that opens into a stationary chamber of the detergent dispensing unit.
US08312744B2
There is provided a burner for producing glass fine particles, including: a glass material gas discharge port; a combustible gas discharge port that is provided so as to surround the glass material gas discharge port, a center of the combustible gas discharge port being positioned on a center of the glass material gas discharge port; and a plurality of small-diameter oxidizing gas discharge ports that are provided within the combustible gas discharge port in one or more concentric circles with respect to the glass material gas discharge port. Here, small-diameter oxidizing gas discharge ports in a same circle have a same focus length, each of the plurality of small-diameter oxidizing gas discharge ports has: a gas introducing portion at which the small-diameter oxidizing gas discharge port branches from a common main tube; and a fastening portion that is positioned between the gas introducing portion and an end of the small-diameter oxidizing gas discharge port that is opposite to the gas introducing portion, and D1>D3 and D2>D3 when D1 denotes an inner diameter of each of the plurality of small-diameter oxidizing gas discharge ports at the fastening portion, D2 denotes the inner diameter of the small-diameter oxidizing gas discharge port at the gas introducing portion, and D3 denotes the inner diameter of the small-diameter oxidizing gas discharge port at a different portion than the fastening portion and the gas introducing portion.
US08312742B1
A baffle assembly for controlling settle blow air delivery to a blank mold of a glassware forming machine, includes a baffle head, a holder and an outer ring. The baffle head has an air impervious base, a conical outer surface and an annular face. The holder has an air passage that opens at a position outside of the baffle head base. The outer ring has a first portion that slidably surrounds the holder, a second portion that surrounds the baffle head and has a conical inner surface, and a third portion for selectively engaging the mold and having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the baffle head base. The baffle assembly is adapted for displacement through an intermediate position in which the baffle head separates from the outer ring so that settle blow air flows between the outer ring and the baffle head, and into the mold.
US08312738B2
The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for the operation of a distillation tower containing a controlled freezing zone and at least one distillation section. The process and tower design are utilized for the additional recovery of hydrocarbons from an acid gas. In this process, a separation process is utilized in which a multi-component feedstream is introduced into an apparatus that operates under solids forming conditions for at least one of the feedstream components. The freezable component, although typically CO2, H2S, or another acid gas, can be any component that has the potential for forming solids in the separation system. A dividing wall is added to at least a portion of the lower distillation section of the apparatus to effect the separation of at least some fraction of the hydrocarbons in that portion of the tower.
US08312721B2
An exhaust gas assembly includes an exhaust gas manifold which is connected with an exhaust gas inlet of a manifold and an adjusting member arranged in the manifold. The adjusting member is configured to supply exhaust gas to a low pressure connection and/or a high-pressure connection of the manifold, wherein on the high-pressure side a high-pressure turbine housing is connected to the manifold and on the low pressure side a low pressure turbine housing is connected to the manifold. A connecting channel extends through the manifold and connects a high-pressure exhaust gas outlet) of the high-pressure turbine housing with a low pressure exhaust inlet) of the low pressure turbine housing.
US08312712B2
A control system comprises a combustion control module and a regeneration control module. The combustion control module controls operation of a vehicle in a first mode during which a combustion engine is off and in a second mode during which the combustion engine is on. The regeneration control module is in communication with the combustion control module and activates an electric heater during the first mode to heat an inlet of a particulate matter (PM) filter. Exhaust gas produced by the combustion engine enters the inlet and initiates a regeneration cycle of the PM filter in the second mode.
US08312709B2
An internal combustion engine is operated with direct fuel injection into the combustion chambers. Furthermore, the internal combustion engine is operated with sub-optimum ignition angle efficiency and an apportionment of a fuel quantity, which is to be injected before the start of a combustion, into at least two partial injections. A torque loss which results from the sub-optimum ignition angle efficiency and/or from the apportionment of the fuel to be injected is compensated by means of an increased charge of the combustion chambers. The fuel quantity and the charge are coordinated with one another in such a way that the air ratio lambda of the combustion chamber charges is greater than 1. The method is characterized in that a measure for a temperature of the catalytic converter, in particular a measure for the temperature at the inlet of the catalytic converter, is determined and in that a quantity of reducing exhaust-gas constituents is increased by means of at least one intervention into the control of the internal combustion engine if the measure for the temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature threshold value. The approach according to the invention permits rapid heating of the catalytic converter, wherein the hydrocarbon emissions when the catalytic converter is cold are at the same time as low as possible.
US08312708B2
A closely-coupled exhaust aftertreatment system includes a first exhaust conduit comprising a first valve operable between a first position promoting an exhaust flow within the first exhaust conduit to an inlet of a first oxidation catalyst and a second position promoting the exhaust gas flow within a second exhaust conduit. It also includes a third exhaust conduit fluidly coupled to an outlet of the OC and comprising a second valve operable between a first position promoting an exhaust flow within the third exhaust conduit to an inlet of a particulate filter (PF) and a second position promoting the exhaust gas flow through a fourth exhaust conduit to an inlet in the second exhaust conduit. It further includes a turbocharger fluidly coupled to the second exhaust conduit downstream of the inlet and a selective catalyst reduction (SCR) catalyst that is located downstream of the turbocharger and upstream of the PF.
US08312703B2
A solar-thermal gas turbine generator is equipped with a compressor, a heat receiver, and a turbine. Additionally, there is a generator that is driven by the solar-thermal gas turbine to generate power; and a steam power generation cycle in which high-temperature air exhausted from the turbine is introduced into a steam generator and in which a steam turbine that is operated with steam generated at the steam generator drives a generator to generator power, wherein a solar-thermal steam generator that generates steam by being heated with heat collected by the light collector is provided upstream of the steam turbine of the steam power generation cycle, and a distribution ratio for distributing the sunlight collected by the light collector to the heat receiver and the solar-thermal steam generator is adjusted in accordance with the sunlight intensity.
US08312691B2
Method for producing a heating panel, and heating panel resulting therefrom. In a first platform, a stack of a sound-proof and moisture-proof material and a thermal insulating material, through which shock-absorbing poles having protecting caps are inserted by a predetermined interval, is prepared. A lower thermal energy storage plate is attached to the thermal insulating material in a second platform, a heat conduction steel plate is attached to the lower thermal energy storage plate in a third platform, and an upper thermal energy storage plate is attached to the heat conduction steel plate in a fourth platform. Rivet holes are perforated through the thermal energy storage plates, heat conduction steel plate, and protecting caps in a fifth platform, and rivets are into the holes in a sixth platform. The rivets are riveted in a seventh platform, completing the complex heating panel. The completed panel is transported in an eighth platform.
US08312689B2
A weather strip includes a bottom wall that faces or is in contact with an end face of a fixed window glass that closes a window opening of a side door. An outer wall extends from the bottom wall on an outer side of the vehicle body with respect to the fixed window glass, and an inner wall extends from the bottom wall on an inner side of the vehicle body with respect to the fixed window glass so that the inner wall and the outer wall sandwich a peripheral portion of the fixed window glass in a thickness direction. The inner wall is provided with a spacing groove for creating a space between the fixed window glass and the inner wall.
US08312687B2
A support frame system for placing and securing reinforcing bars, which includes an elongated beam member which includes a plurality of saddles at a predetermined spacing. Support legs extending from the beam member hold the beam member, and thus also the re-bars, at a fixed distance above the mold. Once re-bars have been laid in the desired saddles, mating clips can be placed around each re-bar and locked onto the beam member to prevent movement of the re-bars during a subsequent concrete pour. Two or more of these beam members can be connected together end-to-end using mating prongs and holes at opposite ends of each beam member.
US08312682B2
The present system and method enables water entering a dwelling or structure to be contained and removed, while preventing evaporation of the water into the interior of the dwelling. Embodiments of the present invention can comprise a waterproofing system comprising a waterproofing form, affixable to a first surface of a wall at a mounting angle, and comprising a vapor barrier retainer for detachably affixing a vapor barrier to the waterproofing form, and a gutter channel, disposed at a pitch angle, and in fluid communication with the first surface of the wall, the vapor barrier, and a collection area, where the pitch angle and the mounting angle are the same angle, and where the pitch angle causes the water to flow through the gutter channel to the collection area for removal.
US08312667B2
A scope adjustment system includes a turret cap assembly, a saddle assembly, and a quick spanner assembly. The turret cap assembly includes a ring with a plurality of regularly spaced apart teeth residing circumferentially around the ring. The saddle assembly includes a transportation element in mechanical communication with a plunger. The saddle assembly includes a click element to engage the teeth of the ring. The quick spanner assembly includes a bolt that may be coupled to the transportation element, a cam lock hinged to the bolt, and a pressure plate residing between the bolt and the cam lock. The bolt can be screwed into the transportation element, and the cam lock can be set to apply a force on the pressure plate such that the transportation element engages the plunger. When engaged, the plunger is responsive to rotations of the turret cap to adjust, e.g., an aiming reticle.
US08312658B2
A firearm firing system substantially reduces the force necessary to fire the weapon yet enhances its ability to remain safe when a firing command is not issued. The sear and hammer interact at two distinct locations so as to reduce the force necessary for the sear to be removed from the sear ledge of the hammer resulting firing of the weapon. By redistributing forces to a secondary point on the hammer during firing the primary sear/hammer interaction can be maintained during non-firing modes to safe the weapon. Additionally a cavity is presented at the sear/sear ledge interaction such that residue and foreign material are removed so not to interfere with the firing mechanism.
US08312655B2
A sticker includes a backing layer, a sticker body including a top layer and an adhesive layer, and a security arrangement cutting through the top layer only and being stopped at an adhesive layer to ensure the sticker body being completely removed from the backing layer without tearing the top layer apart. The security arrangement includes a plurality of lead edge notches evenly provided along the outer flange of the top layer, and a cutting line structure formed at the top layer. After the sticker body is completely removed from the backing layer and is applied for sticking on an object surface, the sticker body becomes a self-destructive layer by the security arrangement to be torn apart at the time when the sticker body is removed from the object surface so as to ensure the sticker body being unable to be removed completely from the object surface.
US08312649B2
A rotary snow tiller, for grooming the snow surface of ski slopes and designed to advance in a travelling direction, has a frame; a shaft rotating about an axis transverse to the travelling direction, and having teeth for breaking up the snow surface; a further shaft located behind the shaft, rotating about a further axis transverse to the travelling direction, and having further teeth for further breaking up the snow surface; and a finish mat located behind the further shaft.
US08312647B2
The invention relates to a shoe, particularly to a sports shoe, with a sole (1), wherein the sole (1) comprises at least one spring element (2), which spring element increases the bending stiffness of the sole (1) around an axis (Q) which is oriented horizontally and perpendicular to a longitudinal direction (L) of the sole (1). To create a shoe which sole has a sufficient bending stiffness and spring properties respectively without employing separate measures, i. e. without employing a spring element, the invention proposes that the sole comprises at least one receiving groove (3) for the at least one spring element (2), in which the spring element (2) is arranged in such a manner that it can slide at least along a part of its extension in longitudinal direction (L) relatively to the sole (1).
US08312641B2
The present invention is related to an UV LED curing apparatus, and more particularly, to a portable UV LED curing apparatus with improved illumination and timer control to solidify a UV hardening gel, such as acrylic gel. The present invention provides an UV LED curing apparatus comprising a housing and an UV LED lighting assembly enclosed in the housing. The housing is provided with a light aperture allowing UV light shone from an UV LED light source on the UV LED lighting assembly and controlled by a timer and a current regulator integrated thereon. The UV LED lighting assembly is further provided with an optical element to direct and confine UV light shine toward the light aperture of the housing, capable of providing a focused illumination and preventing leakage of UV light outside of the housing. The UV LED light source is preferably of a short wavelength such as between 360 nm and 410 nm, and the current supplied from a power supply to the UV LED light source on the substrate is preferably controlled automatically by the timer and the current regulator integrated thereon to shine UV light toward the light aperture of the housing for a prescribed period of time preferably less than 30 seconds triggered by a switch electrically connected thereto.
US08312632B2
A handsaw includes a handle and a blade. The handle includes a lock assembly. The blade is releaseably mountable on the handle and includes a lock engaging region located toward one end thereof. The lock assembly includes a lock structure and a manually enagageable actuator. The lock structure is movable between a lock position in which it lockingly engages the lock engaging region to lock the blade to the handle, and a release position in which the lock structure is released from engagement with the lock engaging region to enable the blade to be released from the handle. The actuator is manually actuatable to move the lock structure from the lock position to the release position.
US08312631B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to a bearing assembly including at least one superhard bearing element having at least one bearing registration feature configured to facilitate orientating of a curved, pre-machined bearing surface thereof with respect to a bearing body, methods of fabricating such bearing assemblies, and bearing apparatuses incorporating such bearing assemblies. Subterranean drilling systems incorporating such bearing assemblies are also disclosed.
US08312626B2
To make the fracturing position controlled conveniently with high precision when the substrate end of the probe contact is fractured and cut off.By compressing the front face of the substrate end portion with the pushing member, brittle fracture is generated on the substrate along the carved groove, and the substrate end portion is cut off from the substrate. The fracturing position in the above-mentioned fracturing is controlled so as to be along the fracturing position whose extension puts thereon the stress concentrating ends of two fracturing control structures. Here, the fracturing control structure is located with high positional precision on the front face of the substrate through the alignment technique of photolithography. In this way, resilient armatures constituted of the tips projected from the fracturing position coming to be the end of the substrate 11a can be stably formed with high precision.
US08312624B1
A method for manufacturing a heat dissipation structure of a printed circuit board includes: forming a barrier layer on the dimple in the first copper plating layer; forming a nickel plating layer; removing the nickel plating layer and the barrier layer on the dimple; forming a second copper plating layer to make the total height of the first copper plating layer and the second copper plating layer in the second opening higher than that of the first copper plating layer in the first opening; filling the dimple in the second copper plating layer with an etching-resistant material; removing the second copper plating layer; removing the nickel plating layer and the etching-resistant material to make the second copper plating layer in the second opening being at the same height as the first copper plating layer in the first opening; and forming the heat dissipation structure by photolithography.
US08312623B2
A device including a heat sensitive substrate and an electrical conductor disposed thereon is provided. In certain examples, the heat sensitive substrate may be configured to degrade at or above a sintering temperature. In other examples, the electrical conductor may be processed, prior to disposal on the heat sensitive substrate, at the sintering temperature on a second substrate that can withstand the sintering temperature. Methods and kits are also disclosed.
US08312615B2
A toolholder connector having one threaded end and one end with a male quick change portion is threadingly engaged with a first toolholder having a threaded bore. The quick change connector also has a male quick change portion that is engaged within a side activated receiver of a second toolholder. Prior to activating the receiver, an alignment pin associated with the first toolholder is lined up with alignment slot associated with the second toolholder such that when the two are brought together, a pre-determined radial alignment will be retained.
US08312610B2
A method of constructing a retail display system includes creating a first display article including a support panel and hanging the first display article. Creating the first display article includes editing an original photograph of a clothing product for sale to appear similar to a mannequin wearing the clothing product for sale in an edited photograph. Hanging the first display article includes hanging the first display article in a display area using a mounting bracket secured to a back surface of the support panel. The method further includes positioning a retail good corresponding to the clothing product depicted in the photograph in proximity to the first display article. Retail display systems and methods of construction provide additional advantages.
US08312607B2
A tool for installing a flexible impeller on a drive shaft in the impeller cavity in a water pump including a gripping surface extending about an upper portion of the tool and an open ended channel extending axially through the tool for receiving and releasably retaining a flexible impeller therein in a compressed state. The channel has an upper portion circumscribed by an annular outwardly inclined impeller abutment surface and a lower constant radius portion circumscribed by a depending cylindrical wall. The inclined impeller abutment surface terminates in the constant radius portion.
US08312605B1
A self-propelled apparatus for the seaming of roof assemblies for a building structure, wherein the apparatus includes belt components for the alignment of panel edges in order for engagement of horizontal rollers to perform the seaming procedure is provided. Such an apparatus exhibits a greatly reduced propensity for potentially marring, distorting, or otherwise misaligning the panel edges due to uniform pressures exerted on the target panel surfaces during use. In addition, the inventive belt-drive apparatus exhibits a much lower potential for slippage during use than an apparatus utilizing multiple rollers to apply proper force during a seaming operation. The method of seaming with such an apparatus is also encompassed within this invention.
US08312603B2
A buckle includes a base engaged with a body of swimming/diving goggle. A head strap is extended through a slot in a rear end of the base. A cover is engaged with the body. A space is defined between the cover and the base. A button is mounted in a groove of the cover and made of flexible material. An engagement plate is formed on the button and includes a catch releasably engaging with teeth of the head strap. First and second supporting points are defined between the button and the base. A pressing section is formed between the first and second supporting points. The catch can be disengaged from the teeth of the head strap to allow movement of the head strap in a loosening direction by pressing the pressing section or manually moving the grip.
US08312599B2
A device for holding bags containing pet waste is disclosed. In certain embodiments the device comprise a body having a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side; an interior pathway through the body, the interior pathway configured for receiving and retaining a leash; and a latching mechanism configured to secure a bag to the body of the device.
US08312598B2
A clamp assembly including: a clamp frame including a first portion including a first opening which accepts a fastener, and a second portion interposed between the first portion and a third portion, wherein the third portion includes a second opening and a third opening, each of which accepts a fastener, a threaded rod disposed through the first portion of the clamp frame; and a clamp pad on an inner end of the clamp rod.
US08312593B2
A vacuum cleaner includes a dust collector that compresses dust stored inside a dust container to minimize the volume of the dust. The dust collector would include one or more pressing plates that are used to compress the dust stored in dust collector. Various methods are used to control movements of the movable pressing plates to facilitate the compression operations. Also, various methods are used to determine when the dust collector is full and needs to be emptied.
US08312590B2
Embodiments of a switched reluctance (SR) motor for use in a integrated vacuum system for a vehicle are disclosed. The SR motor may receive input voltage directly from an electrical storage device used to start up an engine of the vehicle. The SR motor may include an encoder that triggers an optical sensor to provide signals to a motor controller. The motor controller may energize stator poles based on the received signals. The encoder may be mechanically phase-advanced with respect to poles of the rotor to ensure proper start-up of the SR motor. Commutations of the motor may occur before a point of maximum inductance where the rotor and stator are aligned. In a preferred embodiment, the input voltage received by the SR motor is in a range of 9-16 Volts DC, a maximum drawn current is 36 amps, and the phase advance is between 9-11 degrees.
US08312571B2
Disclosed are cushioned toilet seats. They have an upper cushion supported on a more rigid base. The base may be removably connected to the cushion via a snap-fit connection, and the cushion can include zones having different durometers around its circumference. The upper cushion may have flexible support legs that extend into a cavity between the base and cushion. In other forms a kit is provided to allow the upper cushion of the seat to be customized by the consumer.
US08312570B1
A quick-installation structure of a toilet seat cover assembly includes two positioning rods which are fixed on a toilet and two connection devices which are disposed on the toilet seat cover assembly and correspond to the two positioning rods, respectively. Each of the connecting devices includes a sleeve formed on a toilet seat, a rotating axle fixed to a cover, a connecting block connected to the rotating axle, a connecting sleeve fitted on the connecting block and a button connected to the connecting sleeve. The connecting block includes a main body, an engaging plate and a first restoration spring. The main body is longitudinally formed with a positioning hole. The engaging plate and the first restoration spring are laterally and pivotally connected to the main body above the positioning hole. The engaging plate is moved to swing by pressing the button. The positioning rod has an annular groove at an upper portion thereof and a cone with an inclined surface. The engaging plate of the connecting device can be swing to engage with the annular groove of the positioning rod which is inserted in the connecting device, such that the toilet seat cover assembly can be assembled on or disassembled from the toilet quickly.
US08312565B1
A fabric flap for attaching to an infant garment such that the flap is within reach of an infant at all times, so that the infant can grasp the flap in a hand, particularly when the infant flails about while crying. The flap is a comfort object that sooths and comforts the infant, replacing a security blanket or other type of lovey. With the flap, the infant can touch a cheek and a chin, but the flap cannot reach and block a nose or a mouth, removing the threat of suffocation. The infant can freely move an arm holding the flap. The flap attaches to a one-piece garment that extends over an infant torso to a crotch, the crotch of the garment selectively fastened closed. In a further embodiment, the flap attaches to a torso harness that extends from the neck to the fastened closed crotch.
US08316454B2
Method and system for protection of user information registrations applicable in electoral processes
The present invention describes a method and system for protecting the integrity and authorship of a piece of registration information of the user, applicable in voter information registration, by means of biometric techniques. To that end, after a first stage of entering a piece of registration information, a second stage of protecting the integrity of the registration information is implemented. In this second stage, an item of integrity proof of said information is generated and said item of integrity proof is displayed to the user who wishes to protect it. In a third stage of generating an item of non-repudiation proof of the registration information, an item of biometric proof of the user which contains the item of integrity proof displayed is obtained, an item of non-repudiation proof is constructed from said item of biometric proof, and finally the item of non-repudiation proof is stored.The invention also includes optional stages which allow verifying the pieces of registration information from the items of non-repudiation proof, as well as verifying the authenticity and uniqueness of the items of non-repudiation proof.
US08316452B2
A method and system for operating a network server to discourage inappropriate use are disclosed. The method provides for altering files on the server in such a way so as essentially not affect acceptable, desired file types in any noticeable way, and to substantially corrupt undesirable file types. The method may be applied to every file copied to or from a memory of the server. In the alternative, the method may be applied only to selected files or types of files on the server. In particular, the files corrupted by altering according to the invention are executable software files and compressed files, that are generally not fault-tolerant. Fault tolerant files, such as uncompressed text and graphics files in common Internet-compatible formats, are not noticeably affected. The network server will therefore no longer be useful for storing or transferring undesirable files, and such use will be discouraged. According to a related embodiment of the invention, a system comprises a server having an application that performs one of the embodiments of the method according to the invention.
US08316442B2
Secure data is prevented from leaving the perimeter of a network such as an enterprise network or corporate network (“corpnet”) by an arrangement in which a hash of the secure data is periodically computed, and the hashes are pushed out to an edge device on the network such as a firewall where they are stored for later access. The edge device is configured so that it has access to all traffic that flows between the enterprise network and an external network, such as the Internet, that is located outside the enterprise network perimeter. Whenever a user attempts to send data to the external network, a process running on the edge device computes a hash for the outbound data and compares it against the stored hashes associated with the secure data. If a match is made between the hash for the outbound data and a stored hash for secure data, then the edge device blocks the outbound data from leaving the network perimeter.
US08316440B1
Detection for pharming attacks and specifically for changes in name-to-IP resolutions on a computer system using rules is described. The DNS settings and the Hosts file on a computer system are monitored and their modification information is saved as a part of the historical data over time. When an IP address is determined for a host name, various rules are applied to the IP address in connection with the saved historical data, such that each rule produces a score based on various criteria. Different rules may have different weights assigned to their scores. The scores of all the rules are summed up to produce a final score. If the final score is above a predefined value, then there is a suspicious change in the IP address, and an alert is sent. Otherwise, the host name and the IP address are saved as a part of the historical data.
US08316437B2
An electronic object carries out at least one operation on one element of an application installed in a computer. The method includes transmitting a random value of the electronic object to the computer, when such operation is completed, while maintaining in the electronic object the right of access to the electronic object by the user; storing the random value in the computer; giving access to the electronic object by the application and, in the case of a new access to the electronic object by the application; transmitting the random values stored in the computer to the electronic object; comparing, in the electronic object, the random value received from the computer with the random value previously transmitted to the computer; and, in case the random values are matching, re-establishing the previously acquired rights in the electronic object and thereby giving the application the access to the electronic object.
US08316435B1
An MPLS-aware firewall allows firewall security policies to be applied to MPLS traffic. The firewall, which may be integrated within a routing device, can be configured into multiple virtual security systems. The routing device provides a user interface by which a user specifies one or more zones to be recognized by the integrated firewall when applying stateful firewall services to the packets. The user interface allows the user to define different zones and policies for different ones of the virtual security systems. In addition, the user interface supports a syntax that allows the user to define the zones for the firewall by specifying the customer VPNs as interfaces associated with the zones. The routing device generates mapping information for the integrated firewall to map the customer VPNs to specific MPLS labels for the MPLS tunnels carrying the customer's traffic.
US08316429B2
A host computer system is categorized according to uniform resource locator (URL) information extracted from a digital certificate purportedly associated with said host. Thereafter, a secure communication session (e.g., an SSL session) with said host may be granted or denied according to results of the categorizing. If granted, messages associated with the secure session may be tunneled through a proxy without decryption, or, in some cases, even though the secure communication session was authorized messages may be decrypted at the proxy.
US08316405B2
A presence information sharing apparatus is provided which includes a video acquiring unit for acquiring predetermined video contents from a content distribution server, a status information notifying unit for transmitting presence information containing acquisition source information on video contents acquired from the content distribution server to a presence server via a communication network, a status information acquiring unit for acquiring presence information transmitted by at least one another user from the presence server, a presence video acquiring unit for acquiring a video of video contents being viewed by the another user as a presence video from the content distribution server based on the acquisition source information contained in the presence information received by the status information acquiring unit, and a display controlling unit for displaying the video contents being acquired by the video acquiring unit and the presence video being acquired by the presence video acquiring unit on a display.
US08316404B2
A multimedia playback control apparatus and method for a mobile terminal are provided and include an apparatus and method for determining whether a fast forward (FF) command or a rewind (REW) command is input while replaying multimedia content, displaying, if a fast forward command or a rewind command is input, reference frames of the multimedia content, determining whether a release command is input while displaying the reference frames, and restarting the playback of the multimedia content from a playback position corresponding to an instant at which the release command is input.
US08316402B2
A communication system where an input port on a transmitter or receiver is configured to receive input data that is either audio data or video data. A processor in the transmitter or the receiver is configured to detect if the input data is either audio data or video data. The processor selects an audio path if the input data is audio data. If the input data is video data, the processor selects a video path. The selected audio path or video path sends audio output data or video output data to an output port. The output port is configured to send the audio output data or video output data.
US08316401B2
A method for processing program information and a broadcast receiver are disclosed. The method includes selecting a program from a service guide screen, identifying a group to which the selected program belongs, and displaying a group list of programs included in a signaling table that signals information of the identified group.
US08316400B1
A method of receiving media content at a networked media viewing device at a first location includes receiving a request to establish a roaming profile session at the networked media viewing device at the first location. A request to establish the roaming profile session with a source device at a second location capable of transmitting media content to the first location is provided to a central authority. Content from the second location is received via a content link established with the source device at the second location.
US08316394B2
Methods and systems are disclosed that allow a user to efficiently navigate media selections in an interactive media guidance application and easily identify media for viewing. The disclosed methods and systems provide an environment wherein video assets are displayed according to a user preference on a mosaic page with multiple cells. A subset of the assets appropriate for display in a particular cell is determined based on the user preference. Relevance scores of the assets meeting the user preference are computed, and the asset having the greatest relevance for the user is selected and displayed the corresponding cell. The relevance scores can be computed based on the user's historic viewing habits, user interaction with a media guidance application, or on specific user input.
US08316391B2
This video signal processing apparatus includes a first resolution conversion portion, a first analog video output portion, a digital video output portion and a control portion. The control portion is so formed as to make the first resolution conversion portion convert a video signal to a digital video signal of high definition and make the digital video output portion output the digital video signal of the high definition when recognizing that connection between the digital video output portion and a display is in an on-state, also in a case where a broadcast signal includes a signal for restricting output of the video signal of the high definition.
US08316381B2
An example of a solution provided here comprises receiving as input at least one event (chosen from an event generated by an application probe, and an event generated by a component probe), and providing graphical output based on the inputs, whereby a user correlates a component problem with a performance problem affecting an application. Methods connected with graphics for end to end component mapping and problem-solving in a network environment, systems for executing such methods, and instructions on a computer-usable medium, for executing such methods, are provided.
US08316378B2
A method includes receiving data in a first data processing module, and enabling a second data processing module when at least one signal time slot of the received data comprises data that complies with a first data transmission standard. The method also includes exchanging signals between the first data processing module and software executing in a processor, and determining that a software configuration of the second data processing module has been completed. The method also includes processing the data in the second data processing module for the at least one signal time slot, and enabling a third data processing module upon a completion of processing at least one data block in the second data processing module, and determining that a software configuration of the third data processing module has been completed, the at least one data block comprising multiple signal time slots.
US08316371B2
A hierarchy of project and personal tasks is maintained for users associated with multiple projects. The hierarchy is maintained using a computer server machine having a processor and network connection to a client machine having a computer display. A user-task list is obtained. The user-task list includes a first-project task having an initial first-project task score, wherein the first-project task is associated with a first-project, the first-project having a first-project task list including the first-project task The user-task list also includes a second-project task having an second-project task score, wherein the second-project task is associated with a second-project, the second-project having a second-project task list including the second-project task. The user-task list also includes an initial user-task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and second-project task based on the initial first-project task score and the second-project task score.
US08316370B2
A method of accessing a shared data structure in parallel by multiple threads in a parallel application program is disclosed. A lock of the shared data structure is granted to one thread of the multiple threads, an operation of the thread which acquires the lock is performed on the shared data structure, an operation of each thread of the multiple threads which does not acquire the lock is buffered, and the buffered operations are performed on the shared data structure when another thread of the multiple threads subsequently acquires the lock. A corresponding apparatus and program product are also disclosed.
US08316366B2
Facilitating transactional execution in a processor that supports simultaneous speculative threading
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system that executes a transaction on a simultaneous speculative threading (SST) processor. In these embodiments, the processor includes a primary strand and a subordinate strand. Upon encountering a transaction with the primary strand while executing instructions non-transactionally, the processor checkpoints the primary strand and executes the transaction with the primary strand while continuing to non-transactionally execute deferred instructions with the subordinate strand. When the subordinate strand non-transactionally accesses a cache line during the transaction, the processor updates a record for the cache line to indicate the first strand ID. When the primary strand transactionally accesses a cache line during the transaction, the processor updates a record for the cache line to indicate a second strand ID.
US08316365B2
In scheduling shared processing that has a higher priority than LPAR processing, giving precedence to physical CPUs running idle LPARs prevents prolonged hold-up of LPAR processing. In a system is comprised of multiple physical CPUs, multiple LPARs to which these physical CPUs are allocated and which execute programs under their guest OSes, and a management program managing these LPARs, a few additional units are introduced: a guest OS monitoring unit that can grasp the states of guest OSes running on these LPARs and a dispatcher unit that allocates one of these physical CPUs to shared processing requested by the management program, which has a higher priority than LPAR processing. When a request for shared processing arises, the dispatcher unit interrogates the guest OS monitoring unit and, based on the information obtained from it, gives priority of allocation to the physical CPU processing an idle LPAR.
US08316364B2
A software package of interest is identified, and information about a latest version of the package is retrieved. Then, data corresponding to the latest version are downloaded from a peer-to-peer network, and the downloaded package is installed. Alternative methods and systems for use in particular environments are also described.
US08316351B2
A schema is provided that supports documenting API elements that is flexible and captures current technologies as well as evolves without interfering or breaking the definitions of the existing elements. The schema utilizes a flexible and extensible element that can be used to define various elements of the APIs and can be extended to define new technology when it is introduced.
US08316349B2
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to deployment scripts. In aspects, in conjunction with creating a package for deploying software to a target, an installation script is also created. The installation script includes instructions for deploying the software in the package to one or more targets. The installation script is human-readable and readily modifiable. A software development tool may provide a seamless interface that allows a software developer to view, edit, execute, and debug the installation script on a local or remote target.
US08316346B2
A method and system for selecting a technology to implement a service integration. Functional and non-functional service requirements are received. Technology preference relative weights for a pre-defined set of technologies and requirement relative weights for the requirements are received. Responses are received. The responses are associated with the requirements and with the requirement relative weights in a one-to-one correspondence. The responses are associated with the technology relative weights in a many-to-one correspondence. Each response indicates a characteristic that satisfies a requirement. A technology for implementing the service integration is selected from the pre-defined set of technologies based on the technology preference relative weights and the requirement relative weights.
US08316343B2
A system, method, and computer-readable medium for generation of a controlled device Module are provided. Various components are provided to a Module designer for selection, and the designer defines the interface APIs specifying the component functionalities. The designer may specify custom commands or events for the Module including Commands, Properties, and Parameters, and custom components corresponding to the custom commands are generated. A self-describing capabilities component is then generated for each component, and a composite capabilities component may then be generated from the capabilities components of each of the components. The completed Module package is then produced by an integrated development environment station.
US08316337B2
A system for connecting an interface of an electronic device between first and second fabrics includes a constraint generator that associates first and second conditions with the interface, a first equation solver that solves one or more first equation to select a first plurality of connectors in the first fabric and a second plurality of connectors in the second fabric that satisfy the first condition based on an optimality criterion for the interface; and a second equation solver that solves one or more second equation to select one of the first plurality of connectors in the fabric and one of the second plurality of connectors in the second fabric that satisfy the second condition based on the optimality criterion for the interface.
US08316325B2
A mobile terminal capable of allowing a user to rapidly and easily recognize a list of multi-tasks being executed is provided. The mobile terminal includes one or more bodies, an input unit performing a key input or a touch input, a display unit displaying a task execution screen and a controller displaying a list of tasks being executed when the mobile terminal is in a preset operation mode set by operating the body or the input unit.
US08316316B2
Described is a system and a computer program product for visually delineating a relationship between diverse, but related graphical objects in a graphical user interface. An icon that has specified color scheme is associated with the diverse, but related but graphical objects. When one of the related graphical objects is displayed, the icon is displayed within the displayed graphical object. The persistence of the icon with the specified color scheme in the displayed graphical objects allows them to be recognized as related. In a particular instance, the icon is displayed with each graphical object in a series of graphical objects that represent an evolution of progression of development.
US08316313B2
A selector shape may serve as the background to a configurable composite shape and may include one or more expressions that are evaluated to select between several composite shape definitions via links to the definition. Each selector shape includes an animation expression and a lookup table converter to select an identifier of the composite definition to be loaded and displayed. When the value of the animation expression changes, the value may be matched to the name of a new composite definition using the lookup table, and the new definition may be displayed. The previously-used composite definition may then be marked for removal by a caching system, and removed. These selector shapes also enable the same graphic element to be used in displays designed for different types of display devices, such as display devices having large display screens, standard computer screens and very small display screens.
US08316310B2
A system, method and computer program product for verifying an avatar owner as a human user of an avatar in a virtual world environment in which users interact through avatars via client devices in network communication with a server device. A request for challenging an avatar in the virtual world environment is received to determine whether that avatar is controlled by an application program user (bot). A user client device associated with a challenged avatar is identified and a Human Identification Proof (HIP) message for detecting a human user versus a bot controlling the challenged avatar is generated and communicated, for receipt at the identified user client device. It is determined from the response, whether the user is a bot or a human user. If a challenged avatar is determined to be a bot, then the server device prevents the challenged avatar from further interaction in the virtual world environment.
US08316290B2
A device for the safe threshold-detection of state information from an analog signal including a decision component and at least two acquisition diversity channels including in series a safe adaptation circuit, an electronic analog-to-digital conversion circuit, and a unit for comparing the digital output signal of the analog-to-digital conversion circuit with a reference signal is provided.The device comprises a fault detection circuit for the mutual comparison of digital output signals from the conversion circuits and supplies a consistency result.The output of the decision component is a function of the consistency result supplied by the fault detection unit and of the comparison results from the comparison units associated with the respective acquisition channels.
US08316286B2
A system and method for rate matching to enhance system throughput based on packet size is provided. A method for transmitting information includes encoding a block of N bits, where N is an integer, demultiplexing the encoded block of N bits into at least one subblock of systematic bits and at least one subblock of parity bits, and permuting the at least one subblock of systematic bits and the at least one subblock of parity bits to generate at least one permuted subblock. The method also includes forming at least one output block from the at least one permuted subblock, computing a starting position of a redundancy version for a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) transmission based on a relationship between N and a threshold, and transmitting the redundancy version. The redundancy version begins at the computed starting position and ends when a specified number of bits has been transmitted.
US08316285B2
Methods and apparatus for performing error correction of data bits are disclosed. A forward metric calculation may be performed during a first window to generate a first group of calculated data. The first group of calculated data from the forward calculation may be stored in a memory location. A forward metric calculation may be performed during a second window to generate a second group of calculated data. The first group of calculated data may be read from the memory location and the second group of calculated data may be stored in the same memory location. The first group of calculated data may be used to calculate reverse metrics.
US08316283B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for generating a hybrid error correction code for a data block. The hybrid code, which may be a residual arithmetic-Hamming code, includes a first residue code based on the data block and a first parity code based on the data block and a Hamming matrix. Then the generated code along with the data block can be communicated through at least a portion of a datapath of a processor. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08316274B2
Presented herein are systems and methods for checking the integrity of data transmissions between or within one or more digital processing systems by identifying a data characteristic that is likely to change if there is an error in transmission. According to one embodiment, data messages are modified to achieve a selected characteristic according to a predetermined protocol, and changes to the data are recorded in a longitudinal check code (LCC) word, which is used by the receiver to decode the data message and restore the original data.
US08316273B2
The invention provides a method for reading information of an optical data storage medium. First, one sector of the optical data storage medium is obtained. The sector is then decoded to check if the sector is reliable. When the sector is not reliable, a data rescue process referring to spec-defined or pre-defined information of the physical specification of the sector is performed in order to obtain disc fundamental information of the optical data storage medium.
US08316272B2
In one embodiment, an LDPC decoder has a controller and one or more check-node units (CNUs). The CNUs generate check-node messages using a scaled min-sum algorithm, an offset min-sum algorithm, or a scaled and offset min-sum algorithm. Initially, the controller selects a scaling factor and an offset value. The scaling factor may be set to one for no scaling, and the offset value may be set to zero for no offsetting. If the decoder is unable to correctly decode a codeword, then (i) the controller selects a new scaling and/or offset value and (ii) the decoder attempts to correctly decode the codeword using the new scaling and/or offset value. By changing the scaling factor and/or offset value, LDPC decoders of the present invention may be capable of improving error-floor characteristics over LDPC decoders that use only fixed or no scaling factors or fixed or no offsetting factors.
US08316270B2
An apparatus and a method for supporting an HARQ scheme in a wireless communication system are provided. In a method for operating a base station, whether a resource used for a system of a different standard and a resource used for one of an HARQ reply and an HARQ retransmission packet by a synchronous HARQ scheme collide with each other is estimated. A collision packet ID is allocated to an HARQ subburst corresponding to one of an HARQ reply and an HARQ retransmission packet estimated to collide, and an offset of the one of the HARQ reply and the HARQ retransmission packet is changed. A MAP message including at least one of the collision packet ID, and changed offset information is generated. The MAP message is transmitted.
US08316268B2
A transmission apparatus receives information used to identify data unsuccessfully received by a reception apparatus. Then, the transmission apparatus determines whether the data corresponding to the received identification information should be retransmitted based on whether the reception apparatus has a function of displaying the display area of the data corresponding to the identification information by using data having the display area corresponding to the data corresponding to the identification information.
US08316263B1
A method of predicting disk drive failure at a central processing facility using an evolving drive failure prediction algorithm (DFPA) is disclosed. A set of quality metric values are transmitted from each of a plurality of remote disk drives to the central processing facility. The DFPA is executed at the central processing facility in response to the quality metric values to detect an impending failure of at least one of the remote disk drives. The DFPA is evolved at the central processing facility in response to a reference data base of quality metric values and a corresponding failure indicator. The processes is repeated so as to improve the accuracy of the DFPA over time.
US08316258B2
A system and method for error detection in a data storage array includes one or more storage medium interconnected with a controller through a network. A data integrity engine in the controller applies a first error detection process to a data object to create one or more data blocks and associated parity codes. First and second error detection processes are applied to detect and repair errors in the data object.
US08316256B2
The present invention sets forth a method and a system for powering a graphics processing unit (GPU) with a power supply subsystem. In one embodiment, the method includes generating an offset in response to an operating voltage need of the GPU; and applying the offset to information associated with a first operating voltage of the GPU; wherein the offset causes the first operating voltage to change to a second operating voltage of the GPU.
US08316252B2
A method, computer program product, and system are provided for controlling a clock distribution network. For example, an embodiment of the method can include programming a predetermined delay time into a plurality of processing elements and controlling an activation and de-activation of these processing elements in a sequence based on the predetermined delay time. The processing elements are located in a system incorporating the clock distribution network, where the predetermined delay time can be programmed in a control register of a clock gate control circuit residing in the processing element. Further, when controlling the activation and de-activation of the processing elements, this activity can be controlled with a state machine based on the system's mode of operation. In controlling the activation and de-activation of the processing elements, the method described above can not only control the effects of di/dt in the system but also shut off clock signals in the clock distribution network when idle, thus reducing dynamic power consumption.
US08316248B2
The virtual PC management system includes: a unit which acquires a power on/off state of a virtual machine from a computer via the network and stores it in a storage; a unit which acquires a power on/off state of a computer from the computer via the network and stores it into the storage; a unit which receives a start-of-use request for a virtual machine from the client machine and searches stored data of the storage unit for a computer which is in a power-on state and to which a virtual machine is not allocated, as an allocation candidate; a unit which allocates the virtual machine in accordance with the start-of-use request to the computer of the allocation candidate; and a unit which notifies, via the network, the computer of the allocation candidate of an instruction to turn on the power of the virtual machine.
US08316244B1
A system and method are provided for storing request information in separate memory, in response to the detection of a power failure. This is accomplished by detecting the power failure and, in response, storing the request information in separate memory utilizing a secondary power source. By this feature, the request information is safely stored during a period of power failure. To this end, in various embodiments, the request information may be stored for later use in satisfying corresponding requests when power is restored.
US08316242B2
The invention relates to an electronic circuit comprising: a first random-access data storage element, a processing module designed to delete the first storage element, and an access terminal which is connected to the processing module and receives a first power signal supplied by a first power source external to the electronic circuit. The circuit also includes a second random-access storage element in which a key is stored, said key being used to encrypt the data and a second power source which is built into the electronic circuit and supplies a second power signal to the processing module. The processing module is designed to detect an unauthorized access attempt by comparing the first and second power signals and to delete the key when the processing module is powered by the second power source.
US08316235B2
A method for the manipulation-proof transmission of data from a transmitter to a receiver, a test part being generated in the transmitter from the data using a secret key and communicated together with the data to the receiver, where a verification test part is generated from the received data using the same secret key and is compared to the received test part. Before the generation of the test part, the data are nonlinearly compressed using at least one feedback shift register. In addition, a device for the manipulation-proof transmission of data.
US08316223B2
In a wired data telecommunication network power sourcing equipment (PSE) coupled to a powered device (PD) carries out an inline power discovery process to verify that the PD is adapted to receive inline power, then a plurality of classification cycles are carried out to convey a series of inline power classes back to the PSE. The series of inline power classes may all be the same, in which case the PD is legacy equipment and is adapted to receive the power level corresponding to that class. If they are not all the same, information is thus conveyed to the PSE which may, for example, correspond to a specific power level to be applied or to other information.
US08316222B2
In an industrial automation system comprising a plurality of industrial control devices connected to an industrial communication network, control and/or supervision functions of the industrial automation system are provided by services implemented by computer-based objects in industrial control devices. A computer-based object is assigned a first qualifier enabling the computer-based object to be accessed and/or modified during configuration of the respective service and/or a second qualifier enabling the computer-based object to be accessed and/or modified during runtime of the respective service. Upon a request for access to a computer-based object by a service consumer, the service consumer's operational state is determined. Depending on a set first and/or second qualifier of a computer-based object and depending on a determined operational state of a service consumer, access to the computer-based object is granted to the service consumer.
US08316212B2
In an embodiment, a TLB is partitioned into regions. The TLB may be set associative, and each section may include a portion of the locations in each way of the set associative memory. The TLB may reserve at least one of the sections for access by a subset of the request sources that use the TLB. For requests from the subset, the reserved section may be used and a location in the reserved section may be allocated to store a translation for a request from the subset that misses in the TLB. For requests for other request sources, the non-reserved section or sections may be used. In one embodiment, each way of the reserved section may be assigned to a different one of the request sources in the subset.
US08316210B2
The invention provides a data storage device. In one embodiment, the data storage device comprises a storage medium, a random access memory, and a controller. The storage medium stores a plurality of link tables. The random access memory comprises a plurality of storage units respectively corresponding to a plurality of logical address ranges. The controller receives a target logical address from the host, determines a target link table corresponding to a logical address set comprising the target logical address, determines a target storage unit corresponding to a logical address range comprising the target logical address, determines whether the target storage unit has stored the target link table, and when the target storage unit has stored the target link table, determines a target physical address mapped to the target logical address according to a mapping relationship stored in the target link table, and accesses data stored in the storage medium according to the target physical address.
US08316205B2
A storage system having a primary storage apparatus for storing data from a host computer in a primary logical volume, and a secondary storage apparatus connected to the primary storage apparatus, for providing a secondary logical volume for storing a copy of the data, the storage system comprising: a search unit for checking whether or not data exists in each primary slot area formed by partitioning a storage area in the primary logical volume into predetermined storage areas; a transmission unit for sending, if no data is held in the primary slot area, a notice indicating no data stored to the secondary storage apparatus; and a data write unit for writing, when the notice is received from the primary storage apparatus, zero data in the secondary slot area.
US08316199B2
Data processing control method, information processing apparatus, and data processing control system
In a system which realizes to prevent leakage/loss of secret information by prohibiting a write operation to a secondary storage apparatus and a write operation to an external medium, an automatic collection of secret data to a server is executed, an existing application mode of PC is not damaged, and then an update of OS and an application is executed. The present invention places a secondary storage apparatus write control driver on the lower level than a file system, and redirects a write operation to the secondary storage apparatus, setting up a memory to be a primary cache, and cache data file on a cache server of a network destination to be a secondary cache. Thereby, the write operation to the secondary storage apparatus is not executed, and difference data is stored on the cache server, so that the automatic collection of secret data to the server can be realized.
US08316194B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for executing a transactional memory (TM) transaction in a first thread, buffering a block of data in a first buffer of a cache memory of a processor, and acquiring a write monitor on the block to obtain ownership of the block at an encounter time in which data at a location of the block in the first buffer is updated. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08316187B2
Disclosed is a cache memory, design structure, and corresponding method for improving cache performance comprising one or more cache lines of equal size, each cache line adapted to store a cache block of data from a main memory in response to an access request from a processor; and a predict buffer, of size equal to the size of the cache lines, configured to store a next block of data from said main memory in response to a predict-fetch signal generated using at least one previous access request.
US08316177B2
Data in less than all of the pages of a non-volatile memory block are updated by programming the new data in unused pages of either the same or another block. In order to prevent having to copy unchanged pages of data into the new block, or to program flags into superceded pages of data, the pages of new data are identified by the same logical address as the pages of data which they superceded and a time stamp is added to note when each page was written. When reading the data, the most recent pages of data are used and the older superceded pages of data are ignored. This technique is also applied to metablocks that include one block from each of several different units of a memory array, by directing all page updates to a single unused block in one of the units.
US08316175B2
There is disclosed a memory system and method. The memory system may include a plurality of memory planes including two or more data memory areas, and a memory controller adapted to controlling reading, writing, and erasing of the plurality of memory planes. When any one of the data memory areas is occupied with one of a write operation and an erase operation, the controller may reconstruct data stored in the one occupied data memory area by reading parity information and data stored in the plurality of memory areas other than the one occupied data memory area.
US08316173B2
A method according to one embodiment includes gathering monitor data information from a plurality of memory devices having finite endurance and/or retention, the monitor data being data of known content stored in dedicated memory cells of known write cycle count; analyzing the monitor data information; and taking an action relating to at least one of the devices based on the analyzing. Additional systems, methods, and computer program products are also disclosed.
US08316172B2
Interruption facility for adjunct processor queues. In response to a queue transitioning from a no replies pending state to a reply pending state, an interruption is initiated. This interruption signals to a processor that a reply to a request is waiting on the queue. In order for the queue to take advantage of the interruption capability, it is enabled for interruptions.
US08316169B2
In an embodiment, a translation of a physical bus number to a hierarchical bus number is written to a south chip. The south chip receives a configuration write command that comprises a physical bus number. The south chip sends the configuration write command to a device via the bus identified by the physical bus number, and the device stores the physical bus number in the device. In response to a received message from a device that comprises the physical bus number, the south chip replaces the physical bus number in the message with the hierarchical bus number. The south chip sends the message to a north chip via a point-to-point serial link. Both the physical bus number and the hierarchical bus number identify a bus with which the device connects to a bridge in the south chip.
US08316167B2
A system including a network interface module, a first processor, a hard disk control module, and a second processor. The network interface module is configured to communicate with a network. The first processor is configured to (i) communicate with the network interface module, and (ii) perform processing related to communication of a hard disk drive with the network via the network interface module. The hard disk control module is configured to (i) communicate with the first processor, and (ii) control operation of the hard disk drive. The second processor is configured to (i) communicate with the hard disk control module, and (ii) perform processing related to storing data on the hard disk drive. The second processor and the hard disk control module are configured processes packets communicated via the network interface module using a hyper-text transfer protocol, a peer-to-peer sharing protocol, and an Internet protocol-based small computer system interface standard.
US08316165B2
A device has a controller and a function module configured to be in communication with the controller as a result of the controller receiving a pass-through vendor specific command. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to receive the pass-through vendor specific command from an application software module of a host through an interface that is configured in accordance with a standard that does not allow communication to occur between the controller and the function module.
US08316161B1
Described are techniques for indicating a state associated with a device. A request is received over a path for information about a device. A response to the request is sent. The response indicates a state regarding the device on the path. The response has a response status of good and a payload of a varying size. The payload is truncated at a location prior to that at which a device identifier for the device is expected. In accordance with the response, a state regarding the device on the path is determined.
US08316159B2
A method, apparatus, and program product retrieve data for a task utilizing demand-based direct memory access (“DMA”) requests. The method comprises, prior to the execution thereof, analyzing a first portion of a task to determine whether data required for execution thereby is stored in a local memory, and, in response to determining that the data required for execution by the first portion of the task is not stored in the local memory, proactively issuing a first DMA request for the data required for execution by the first portion of the task. The method further comprises, in response to determining that the first DMA request is not complete, determining whether to proactively analyze a second portion of the task prior to the execution thereof for a determination whether data required for execution thereby is stored in the local memory.
US08316149B2
A server includes a request information receiving section which receives request information, a correspondence information storage section which stores correspondence information indicating the correspondence of a plurality of content holding devices with content information including fragment content information held by each of the plurality of content holding devices, a specifying section which specifies two or more content holding devices and a plurality of fragment content information elements included in the content information held by the two or more content holding devices, using the correspondence information, so that a series of content information elements requested in the request information can be configured by the plurality of fragment content information elements, and an instruction information transmitting section which transmits instruction information, instructing that specified fragment content information be transmitted to the content receiving device, to a specified content holding device.
US08316138B2
A plug-and-show USB portable disk, applied to a wireless presentation system including a computer, a wireless gateway wireless networking with the computer and a display apparatus connected with the wireless gateway, includes an image capturing and analyzing program and a plug-and-show program. The computer, further having a screen and a USB transmission port, is to transmit at least a presentation frame data to the screen for displaying respective presentation frame image. The image capturing and analyzing program is to capture and analyze the presentation frame data transmitted from the computer to the wireless gateway and to generate and forward an analysis result of the presentation frame data to the wireless gateway through the computer. The plug-and-show program is to control the computer to execute the image capturing and analyzing program as the USB portable disk engages with the USB transmission port.
US08316128B2
A software application for managing routing of communiqués across one or more communication channels supported by a data-packet-network includes one or more workspaces for segregating communication activity; one or more unique user identities assigned per workspace; and one or more contact identities assigned to and approved to communicate with a workspace administrator of the one or more workspaces using the assigned user identities. In a preferred embodiment the application enforces a policy implicitly defined by the existing architecture of the workspaces and associated user and contact identities.
US08316126B2
A first transaction attribute is received from a first monitoring agent. The first transaction attribute includes a plurality of identifiers and is associated with a transaction. A second transaction attribute is received from a second monitoring agent. The second transaction attribute is associated with the transaction. The transaction is monitored through a plurality of application environments by associating at least a portion of the first transaction attribute with at least a portion of the second transaction attribute.
US08316120B2
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to detecting needed updates. In aspects, an update agent receives a request to scan for updates for a target. The target may include a virtual or non-virtual device. The request may include one or more rules that indicate resources to check to determine attributes of the device. The update agent utilizes a resource accessor to access the resources indicated by the rules. The resource accessor maps resource names indicated by the update agent to corresponding resource names of the target. The update agent may provide results of evaluating the rules to an update source in a multi-pass protocol designed to eliminate irrelevant updates.
US08316095B1
A computer-implemented system and method for facilitating conversation within a group through heterogeneous message delivery is provided. A conversation thread including messages shared by recipients collectively formed into a group is identified. The messages from one recipient are queued in an intermediate format pending delivery through type-specific message interfaces to the other recipients. A message type corresponding to each other recipient is determined. An identifier is formatted and each message's content is structured from the intermediate format into the message type for the other recipients. The delivery of each message within the group is managed. First, the message is sent to the other recipients via the message interface corresponding to the message type of the other recipient. The delivery of the message is tracked by monitoring an acknowledgement of a receipt of the message. Last, an alternate message type is selected upon non-acknowledgment of message receipt by the other recipient.
US08316091B2
System(s) and method(s) are provided for management of content(s) directed to a wireless digital media frame (WDMF). Management is facilitated by a service provided by a mobile network platform. A service subscription allows a subscriber to establish femto cell coverage in a location that host a subscribed WDMF(s); determine content(s) delivery preferences; and extend the service to a group of auxiliary subscribers. Various sources of content such as a mobile station, a non-mobile device, or a content server associated with a service platform (e.g., an internet service provider) can deliver content(s) and signaling. Integrity of content(s) and signaling is provided through access protocol(s) that exploits credentials associated with a source of content. Content(s) are managed through a content interface that conveys available content(s) in a source of content and an intended WDMF. Various alarm(s) can be delivered to a WDMF as a part of the content management service.
US08316075B2
Control messages are sent from a control processor to a plurality of attached processors via a control tree structure comprising the plurality of attached processors and branching from the control processor, such that two or more of the plurality of attached processor nodes are operable to send messages to other attached processor nodes in parallel.
US08316069B2
The invention reduces unnecessary electromagnetic radiation noise associated with a step pulse of an output signal. A random number control register is a register for controlling start, standby, stop, timing or the like of output of random number data from a random number generation circuit. Random number data outputted by the random number generation circuit is stored in a rise/fall time variable data register. The data stored in the rise/fall time variable data register is replaced by random number data sequentially generated by the random number generation circuit. An output circuit is a circuit for outputting a signal from an internal circuit of a microcomputer to an external device, and the rise/fall times of the output signal from the output circuit are variably controlled in response to the random number data stored in the rise/fall time variable data register.
US08316067B2
A decimal calculation apparatus, which performs multidigit decimal calculation with the number of calculation digits set in a calculation instruction, includes a multidigit memory section which stores values with greater numbers of digits than the number of digits of a predetermined digit unit in a plurality of memory areas, a calculation-instruction memory section which stores the calculation instruction having the number of calculation digits and a type of calculation set therein, and a decimal calculation section which performs decimal calculation of sequentially calculating numerical values of corresponding digit units respectively stored in the plurality of memory areas of the multidigit memory section, digit unit by digit unit in the number of calculation digits set in the calculation instruction stored in calculation-instruction memory section, in decimal calculation according to type of calculation set in the calculation instruction stored in calculation-instruction memory section, and sequentially writing calculation results in the plurality of memory areas of the multidigit memory section digit unit by digit unit.
US08316064B2
Techniques for managing data objects of a data storage system are described herein. According to one embodiment, a perfect hash function is generated for data objects stored in a data storage system. For each of the data objects, a hash operation is performed using the perfect hash function to indicate whether the respective data object is alive. Resources associated with the respective data object is reclaimed if it is determined that the respective data object is not alive based on a result of the hash operation using the perfect hash function, where the reclaimed resources are released back to the data storage system as free resources. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US08316062B1
A method and system for automatically populating contact information using an voice message addressed to a distribution list. In one example method, a new distribution list is identified that contains the telephone numbers or other contact information of a group of intended recipients. The contact information for the recipients is identified, and the contact information databases at least one of the recipients is automatically populated with the contact information of the other recipients and/or the distribution list information.
US08316057B2
Provided are computer program product, system, and method for restoring deduplicated data objects from sequential backup devices. A server stores data objects of extents having deduplicated data in the at least one sequential backup device. The server receives from a client a request for data objects. The server determines extents stored in the at least one sequential backup device for the requested data objects. The server or client sorts the extents according to an order in which they are stored in the at least one sequential backup device to generate a sort list. The server retrieves the extents from the at least one sequential backup device according to the order in the sort list to access the extents sequentially from the sequential backup device in the order in which they were stored. The server returns the retrieved extents to the client and the client reconstructs the requested data objects from the received extents.
US08316051B1
Techniques for managing access to data in a database allow several policies to be applied simultaneously to the same row in a database table, and provide a pluggable module in the form of the database package that allows one or more access control security policies to be added to a common database server without taking the database server off line. Techniques include registering one or more packages of routines with a database management system. An access mediation routine in a first package is invoked for determining whether to allow operation on data in a first table associated with a first policy. Other techniques include, for each operation in an operation set, determining whether to perform the operation on a row of the table based on a set of labels associated with the row. The set of labels correspond to a policy set associated with the table.
US08316050B2
An identification and authorization system is provided that utilizes a national ID database and a number of application-specific databases. The national ID database contains unique individual ID numbers linked to unique biometric codes. The application-specific databases contain an applicable portion of the same unique individual ID numbers that are contained in the national ID database. To complete a transaction, a credential such as an ID card is scanned and a biometric scan of the individual is completed. The transaction information and the individual ID number is sent to the appropriate application-specific database. Verification of identity is completed at the national ID database, which compares the biometric code of the biometric scan with the biometric code linked to the unique individual ID number. A response from the application-specific database and a response from the national ID database is sent to the scanning location.
US08316038B2
A mechanism for collecting and analyzing user information available on a mobile computing device is described. Information is retrieved from different components of the mobile computing device and analyzed for relationships therein. Metrics and rules are applied to the information to generate results. The results are displayed or exported to one or more components of the mobile computing device or external devices.
US08316029B2
A system determines an extent to which advertisements are presented or updated within a document, a quality of an advertiser associated with an advertisement provided within the document, whether an advertisement in the document relates to an advertising document that has more than a threshold amount of traffic, and/or an extent to which an advertisement provided within the document generates user traffic to an advertising document related to the advertisement. The system generates a score for the document based, at least in part, on the extent to which advertisements are presented or updated within the document, the quality of the advertiser associated with the advertisement provided within the document, whether the advertisement relates to an advertising document that has more than the threshold amount of traffic, and/or the extent to which the advertisement generates user traffic to the advertising document. The system ranks the document with regard to at least one other document based, at least in part, on the score.
US08316022B2
Automatic sorting reflecting a user's intention is performed without prompting the user to perform a complicated sorting criterion setting operation. Images are sorted into groups in accordance with user's sorting operations. For each group, statistics of feature values of the sorted images are calculated. On the basis of the result of statistics, a feature value satisfying a predetermined criterion is determined as an automatic sorting criterion. The determined automatic sorting criterion is displayed. Thereafter, a plurality of contents are automatically sorted into the respective groups on the basis of the automatic sorting criterion.
US08316017B2
An inappropriate-access module is incorporated in a computer system along with other computer system modules. The inappropriate-access module is connected to a read address decoder and controlling logic located within various other modules. The inappropriate-access module detects inappropriate read accesses or the occurrence of the inappropriate access during operations performed on related sensitive system resources in accompanying computer system modules. The inappropriate-access module produces an inappropriate-access flag, made available to the rest of the system, which invokes responses in the accompanying modules such as a halt in processing and protective measures for system resources. Additionally, a related logic block is able to detect the inappropriate access and produce an inappropriate-access trigger which causes a halt to processing within the logic block as well as in related system modules.
US08316011B2
A value is computed for a feature in an instance of query content and compared to a threshold value. Based on the comparison, first and second bits in a hash value, which is derived from the query content feature, are determined. Conditional probability values are computed for the likelihood that quantized values of the first and the second bits equal corresponding quantized bit values of a target or reference feature value. The conditional probabilities are compared and a relative strength determined for the first and second bits, which directly corresponds to the conditional probability. The bit with the lowest bit strength is selected as the weakbit. The value of the weakbit is toggled to generate a variation of the query hash value. The query may be extended using the query hash value variation.
US08315998B1
Methods and apparatus for searching Semantic Web structured resources and presenting the search results to a user can increase the likelihood that the search can produce meaningful results. An index database can be constructed by parsing literal values from statements from the resources to obtain component words of the literal values, with the index relating the component words to the statements from which they were parsed. A search engine can obtain component words from the database that match search terms in a query prepared by the user and can obtain the related statements for the matching words. A servlet or other application using the search engine and database can obtain predicates, instances, types of said instances, and full literal values of said instances for the related statements. The search results can be presented to the user as a summary of the predicates, instances, types, and full literal values.
US08315996B2
A method, system and computer program product for configuring an application instance. A first path by which an application instance is configured to access a version of a resource is determined. Additionally, a determination is made as to whether a configuration associated with the application instance exists in a shared resource area. If the configuration does not exist, a base version of the resource is modified to generate a customized version. A second path is determined, and the customized version is stored thereat. If the configuration exists, the second path is determined such that the resource included in the configuration can be accessed thereat. A symbolic link having an origin of the first path and a destination of the second path is created. Using the present invention, multiple application instances can efficiently share customized versions of resources.
US08315985B1
A method and apparatus for optimizing a de-duplication rate for backup streams is described. In one embodiment, the method for optimizing data de-duplication using an extent mapping of a backup stream includes processing a backup stream to access an extent mapping associated with a plurality of data files, wherein the plurality of the data files are arranged within the backup stream and examining the extent mapping to identify at least one extent group within the backup stream, wherein the plurality of the data files are de-duplicated using at least one location of the at least one extent group.
US08315976B2
A data transmission system is disclosed which optimizes transfer and updates of information between systems by providing difference information between the systems. The system transmits data packages having instructions for manipulating user data. The data packages include a header identifying the respective packages, as well as transaction objects for effecting a change to user data on a device having object instructions.
US08315974B2
A computer network architecture for making procurement-related information that has been generated on a transaction level available to data warehousing techniques is described. The network includes a transaction processing layer with at least one accounting component with a general ledger data base for centrally storing information contained in accounted-related data sets, a data warehousing layer and an additional data sourcing layer. A duplicator receives the data sets that will be or have been stored in the general ledger data base and delivers duplicates of those data sets that fulfil a predefined criteria in a procurement context. A source data base stores the duplicated data sets on a data line level. An extractor of the data sourcing layer interfaces with the data warehousing layer and selectively moves data contained in data lines or sets of data lines from the source data base to the data warehousing layer.
US08315965B2
A method for object detection from a visual image of a scene. The method includes: using a first order predicate logic formalism to specify a set of logical rules to encode contextual knowledge regarding the object to be detected; inserting the specified logical rules into a knowledge base; obtaining the visual image of the scene; applying specific object feature detectors to some or all pixels in the visual image of the scene to obtain responses at those locations; using the obtained responses to generate logical facts indicative of whether specific features or parts of the object are present or absent at that location in the visual image; inserting the generated logical facts into the knowledge base; and combining the logical facts with the set of logical rules to whether the object is present or absent at a particular location in the scene.
US08315959B2
Described is a technology by which raw GPS data is processed into segments of a trip, with a predicted mode of transportation (e.g., walking, car, bus, bicycling) determined for each segment. The determined transportation modes may be used to tag the GPS data with transportation mode information, and/or dynamically used. Segments are first characterized as walk segments or non-walk segments based on velocity and/or acceleration. Features corresponding to each of those walk segments or non-walk segments are extracted, and analyzed with an inference model to determine probabilities for the possible modes of transportation for each segment. Post-processing may be used to modify the probabilities based on transitioning considerations with respect to the transportation mode of an adjacent segment. The most probable transportation mode for each segment is selected.
US08315956B2
A method and system for use in describing a phenomenon of interest. The method and system computes a decision rule for use in describing the phenomenon of interest using training data relating to the phenomenon of interest, labels for labeling the training data, and hidden information about the training data or directed distances obtained from the hidden information, as inputs.
US08315951B2
A method and apparatus are provided for providing authentication of an e-commerce server to a user engaging in e-commerce transactions. When the user begins an e-commerce session, the e-commerce server requests an authentication token from an authentication proxy with which it has registered. If the authentication proxy recognizes the e-commerce server, the authentication proxy generates an authentication token in the form of a simple image, and sends the authentication token to the e-commerce server over a trusted path. The e-commerce server sends the authentication token to the user. The authentication proxy also sends a copy of the authentication token to the user over a second trusted path to a second device or application accessible by the user. The user can then see that the authentication token presented by the e-commerce server matches the authentication token presented by the authentication proxy. Since the user has received the two authentication proxies over separate channels, one of which is typically secure, the user can be assured that the e-commerce server has been authenticated by the authentication proxy, and that the e-commerce server is therefore legitimate.
US08315941B2
An automated loan risk assessment system and method are described. The system is adapted to receive information about a loan or an insurance application requesting insurance to cover same. The system calculates a risk score for the loan based on a plurality of risk factors including at least two of a fraud risk factor, a credit risk factor and a property valuation risk factor. The risk score can be used by a loan service provider in deciding whether or not to fund or insure the loan.
US08315916B1
An online video distribution network includes an online video portal and an online video merchant. In one embodiment, when the consumer orders a video, the merchant provides a pick-up ticket to the consumer. The portal uses the merchant identity in the pick-up ticket to connect to the merchant, and the merchant uses a product identity in the pick-up ticket to retrieve and send the video to the portal. In another embodiment, the portal provides the consumer with a drop-off ticket, which is provided to the merchant. The merchant connects to the portal using the portal identity in the drop-off ticket, and sends the video and a customer identity in the drop-off ticket to the portal. The portal determines a consumer record associated with the consumer identity and stores the video in the consumer record. The consumer can then easily access the video at the portal.
US08315911B2
A method of presenting real estate data is provided. A plurality of property listings can be presented, and a selection of one of the presented property listings may be received from a user. The user may be associated with a financial profile, which may be specified via user input. In response to receiving the selection by the user, at least one loan offer corresponding to the property listing may be automatically presented, for example, together with the property listing. The loan offer may be at least partially based on the financial profile, and may also be based on a property corresponding to the selected property listing. For example, the property listing and the financial profile may be automatically transmitted to one or more loan providers in response to receiving the selection by the user of the property listing, and in response loan offers may be received from some of the loan providers.
US08315910B2
Auction methods, auction systems and servers which can satisfy requirements other than the price for a client are provided. An auction client selects a desired one from time slide schemes from a terminal, and enters a due date in an associated entry field. For example, a due date advance scheme is a scheme in which a person who offers the soonest possible trading date from a due date is determined as a successful bidder. Also, specific details (paying-in, delivery and so on) on the trading date for a payment or delivery of an article, requested to a partner, are specified. These bid condition data are transmitted to the server through a network, and the server collects participants in a bid on a home page. The server receives trading dates offered from terminals of participants, and determines a participant who offers the trading date that most satisfies the trade due date condition offered by the client as a successful bidder.
US08315903B2
A method to promote use of one communication service by associating it with another service and offering incentives to use the first service in return for use of the second service. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08315899B2
A method and apparatus for scheduling are disclosed. The apparatus applies tests to microscope slides, where the slides are loaded in trays. Each tray is treated as a batch, and batches may be interleaved to reduce the total running time of testing all slides in up to three batches. The batches of slides have protocols that define the application of reagents such as primary antibodies. The protocols define open times, where no common resources are used, and use times, where common resources are used. The scheduler operates to ensure that the use times between batches does not overlap, without leaving the next step in the protocol for an excessive period of time.
US08315895B1
A method and system for obtaining review and rating updates within a review and rating system whereby a review and rating system is provided and a given review or rating associated with a given business, service, product, or other content is submitted to the review and rating system. Contact information associated with the user submitting the given review or rating is also obtained and then upon the occurrence of one or more events, the user submitting the original review or rating is contacted and asked to update the original review or rating and/or to provide additional data. Once the user's update to the original review or rating, and/or any additional data, is/are obtained, the given review or rating is transformed to reflect the update to the original review or rating, and/or any additional data.
US08315893B2
A system of hardware and software provides a systematic and systemic method for performing assessment of the effectiveness of different levels within an institution. The system includes template driven definitions that span multiple tiers of hierarchically arranged operating units within the institution thereby providing flexibility and customization to handle a user-definable model of the institution's organization. In particular, instruments may deployed selectively to a variety of different recipients. The selected group of recipients may be based on, for example, demographic, course, program, institution, section, education experience, and section-related criteria.
US08315883B2
An examination-item database storing a plurality of types of examination items capable of examining a predetermined disease and attributes of these examination items so as to correspond to one another is prepared, the degree of risk for the predetermined disease is calculated based on individual physical information, a criterion for selection of an examination item for examining the predetermined disease is generated in accordance with the calculated degree of risk, and an examination item having an attribute meeting the selection criterion is searched out from the examination-item database. In addition, the calculated degree of risk and the examination-item database are displayed so as to correspond to the predetermined disease. This makes it possible to perform the optimal examination for each individual in accordance with the degree of risk, thereby improving the efficiency of detection of a disease. Moreover, reduction of superfluous examinations makes it possible to reduce physical and psychological burdens imposed on a patient by examinations.
US08315879B2
A computer implemented method, a computer program product, and a data processing system attach audio generated scripts to graphical representations of applications. A mobile device records an audio instruction. The mobile device then converts the audio instruction into a command script and associates the command script with a document identifier. The mobile device then forwards the document identifier and the associated command script to a target location. The command script can then be utilized at the target location to make changes to a document identified by the document identifier.
US08315858B1
A method for digitally recording an analog audio signal with automatic indexing, having the following steps: (a) an analog audio signal containing audio information and signal pauses is read in, (b) the analog audio signal is converted into digital audio data comprising audio information data and signal pause duration data, (c) the audio information data are stored as information data blocks and the signal pause duration data are stored as signal pause data blocks in a memory, (d) the stored data blocks are read sequentially and an index table is produced, any succession of information data blocks which is not interrupted by a signal pause with a predetermined duration being detected as one cohesive audio information data sequence whose start and end are stored in the index table.
US08315846B2
A design data merging apparatus includes a merging determining unit that determines, for a plurality of design data of which each has product name information and has a same identifier for uniquely identifying a product, whether the product name information given to the plurality of design data are the same, and a merged data creating unit that merges the plurality of design data when it is determined by the merging determining unit that the product name information given to the plurality of design data are the same, and creates merged data obtained by merging a plurality of design data.
US08315841B2
Systems and methods are provided for determining data center cooling and power requirements and for monitoring performance of cooling and power systems in data centers. At least one aspect provides a system and method that enables a data center operator to determine available power and cooling at specific areas and enclosures in a data center to assist in locating new equipment in the data center.
US08315837B2
A computer-aided method of obtaining a preliminary ply model of a composite component to be used in the manufacture of industrial parts by stacking and joining a plurality of plies of composite materials, comprising the following steps: a) obtaining from stress calculations a ply stacking sequence for the component subdivided into panels; b) automatically generating a stacking table containing the ply sequence for each different zone (defined by its ply sequence); c) automatically generating a grid table; d) optimizing said stacking table; e) performing the plies drop-off distribution by means of a tool that allows carrying out said distribution automatically according to a predetermined staggering rule; f) obtaining an output table containing the data required for representing the ply model in a CAD program.
US08315836B2
A radiation measuring device includes a computing unit that receives an input of a count value of a count portion configured to receive an input of a digital pulse from a pulse height discriminator and count the digital pulse in a fixed cycle and an integrated value of an adder-subtractor accumulation portion configured to add the digital pulse and subtract a feedback pulse and finds a first current rate on the basis of the count value and the integrated value and a second count rate on the basis of the integrated value, so that soundness of the adder-subtractor accumulation portion is diagnosed and outputted by comparing the first count rate with the second count rate. A radiation measuring device of a simple configuration and a diagnosis method thereof enabling a high-accurate self-diagnosis online on the count rate measurement that is the keystone of the radiation measurement can be thus obtained.
US08315831B2
A method includes receiving multiple measurements of an analog signal, where the measurements are taken using multiple measuring devices. The method also includes identifying whether any of the measurements are valid. In addition, the method includes, if at least one of the measurements is valid, generating a final measurement of the analog signal based on the at least one valid measurement.
US08315828B2
Disclosed are a battery management system that uses a source file for sensing of the cell voltages of battery cells by changing only declaration information of a header file using an MCU even when the number of battery cells is changed, and a driving method for the same. The battery management system is connected to a battery including at least one battery pack in which a plurality of battery cells are contained. includes a sensor including an AD converter connected to the battery cells, the sensor configured to sense cell voltages of the battery cells, a storage configured to store source data generated using an input external signal, and a controller configured to generate a source signal corresponding to the source data and forward the source signal to the sensor, the sensor being configured to sense the cell voltages of the battery cells according to the source signal.
US08315815B2
Computational methods and systems are described which accept input, identify one or more CYP450-family enzymes, identify one or more modulators of the CYP450-family enzymes, and communicate treatments to at least one system user, wherein the treatments include one or more of the identified at least one modulator.
US08315812B2
Embodiments include a system for determining cardiovascular information for a patient. The system may include at least one computer system configured to receive patient-specific data regarding a geometry of the patient's heart, and create a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of the patient's heart based on the patient-specific data. The at least one computer system may be further configured to create a physics-based model relating to a blood flow characteristic of the patient's heart and determine a fractional flow reserve within the patient's heart based on the three-dimensional model and the physics-based model.
US08315795B2
Even if a detailed map being displayed is continuously scrolled, the place of the detailed map being displayed is kept to a wide-area map. A map display system having a map display for displaying a plurality of maps and an information distribution server which is connected to the map display through a communication means and distributes map data to the map display comprises a display means for displaying a first map capable of being scrolled and a second map including the scope of the first map, a scroll control means for scrolling the first map, a condition judging means for judging whether or not to control the display form of the second map according to the result of the scroll of the first map by the scroll control means and a condition for controlling the display form of the second map set in advance, and a reduced scale control means for controlling the display form of the second map. The reduced scale control means controls the display form of the second map according to the result of the judgment of the condition judging means.
US08315791B2
An approach is provided for custom zooming of geographic representation. A custom zooming application determines an input specifying a level of zoom for rendering a geographic representation presented at a device, the geographic representation including a plurality of objects. The custom zooming application determines respective degrees of relevance of the plurality of objects based, at least in part, on the device, a user of the device, related context information, or a combination thereof. The custom zooming application determines to render one or more of the plurality of objects with at least one different level of visibility with respect to other ones of the plurality of objects based, at least in part, on the respective degrees of relevance, the level of zoom, or a combination thereof.
US08315780B2
There is provided a high pressure fuel pump control system for an internal combustion engine which enables fuel pressure control with high precision without being restricted by the number of cylinders of the internal combustion engine or the number of phase sensor signals and the number of cam noses which vertically drives a plunger of a high pressure fuel pump even when a camshaft phase varies by a variable valve timing mechanism by using the high pressure fuel pump with a solenoid valve. The control system has a means which changes an effective stroke by driving the solenoid valve in the high pressure fuel pump, and has a means which changes the drive timing of the high pressure fuel pump based on a cylinder recognition value of the internal combustion engine with the cam angle detecting means as an origin.
US08315770B2
A motorized wheelchair includes left and right drive wheels, left and right motors, rate-of-turn sensor, first and second speed sensors, and controller arranged to combine signals from the sensors in a manner that detects drift. Alternatively, the motorized wheelchair includes left and right drive wheels, left and right motors, first and second rate-of-turn sensors, and controller arranged to combine signals from the sensors in a manner that compensates for voltage offset errors. In another arrangement, the motorized wheelchair includes left and right drive wheels, left and right motors, first and second rate-of-turn sensors, input device, and controller arranged to combine signals from the sensors and input device in a manner that controls the motors using an integrated turn rate error. Several methods for controlling each wheelchair configuration are also provided. These methods process signals associated with desired, expected, or actual turn rate to determine if the wheelchair is off course.
US08315751B2
A method for controlling braking in a hybrid vehicle includes the steps of determining a value of a variable pertaining to operation of the hybrid vehicle and applying regenerative braking based at least in part on the value of the variable. The variable comprises a speed of the hybrid vehicle, a steering angle of the hybrid vehicle, or a rate of change of the steering angle.
US08315750B2
The invention relates to a method for improving the propulsion efficiency of vessels. The improvement is obtained by utilizing wave induced variations in propeller inflow, i.e. the speed of water flowing towards the propeller. The wave induced water speed variation is used to calculate the propeller speed in a way so that the propeller speed is optimal with respect to the total propulsion efficiency. The optimal propeller speed is determined by solving an optimization problem formulated as the maximization of the ratio of energy delivered by the propeller and the energy delivered to the propeller. The method may be used for vessels with one or more propellers.
US08315749B2
A system and method are disclosed for an innovative spacecraft (S/C) safing methodology. The system and method use wheel momentum to perform a rotisserie rotation so that the spacecraft can slew at a fast rate in a controlled fashion in order to keep the spacecraft power safe and maintain telemetry and command (T&C) coverage. The system and method involve a reaction wheel system and a spacecraft control processor (SCP). The SCP is in communication with the reaction wheel system. The SCP is operable to determine a rotisserie axis, and take the cross product of the rotisserie axis and a momentum vector to result in a unit vector. The SCP is further operable to slowly slew the spacecraft about the unit vector through an angle until the rotisserie axis aligns with the momentum vector, and rotate the spacecraft about the rotisserie axis to keep the spacecraft power safe.
US08315748B2
Provided is an altitude measurement apparatus and method that may measure an altitude of an aircraft without using a separate altimeter. The altitude measurement apparatus may include a camera unit being provided to a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft to collect an image of a circular mark formed on the ground, and a calculation unit to calculate an altitude of the VTOL aircraft based on the collected image. Accordingly, the altitude measurement apparatus may measure the altitude using a simple structure such as the circular mark formed on the ground, and be configured at inexpensive costs.
US08315747B2
In an electronic device whose source of electric power is a fuel cell and which has a heat radiator that radiates heat by evaporating water generated in accordance with electric power generation of the fuel cell, there are provided a use condition detector that detects use condition of the electronic device, a heat radiation suppression discriminator that discriminates whether to suppress heat radiation by the heat radiator based on use condition detected by the use condition detector, and a heat radiation suppression controller that controls to suppress heat radiation by the heat radiator as a result of the discrimination by the heat radiation suppression discriminator.
US08315741B2
A system comprises a rotary apparatus, a control law and a processor. The rotary apparatus comprises a rotor and a housing forming a gas path therebetween, and the control law controls flow along the gas path. The processor comprises an output module, a plurality of temperature modules, a thermodynamic module, a comparator and an estimator. The output module generates an output signal as a function of a plurality of rotor and housing temperatures defined along the gas path, and the temperature modules determine time derivatives of the rotor and housing temperatures. The thermodynamic module models boundary conditions for the gas path, and the comparator determines errors in the boundary conditions. The estimator estimates the rotor and housing temperatures based on the time derivatives, such that the errors are minimized and the flow is controlled.
US08315736B2
A system for picking and packing applications is provided. The system includes a plurality of robots and a plurality of robot controllers. Each robot controller includes a load re-balance subsystem, a load balance subsystem, a robot state change detector subsystem, a communicator subsystem, and a motion control subsystem. Each of the robot controllers is interconnected and in communication with one another via the communicator subsystems. Each of the robots has a workload that may be selectively balanced. A method for balancing the workloads of the robots using built-in processors which run motion control is also provided.
US08315733B2
An apparatus for distributing at least one product to consumers includes a housing and a plurality of belt conveyors for storing a predetermined quantity of such product. A serving tray is positioned externally to the housing for incrementally receiving one of the predetermined quantity of such product. Another belt conveyor is provided for incrementally obtaining such one of such product and for delivering it to the serving tray. A controller for selectively operating storage and delivery conveyors. A manually operable switch activates the controller to operate the delivery conveyor in order to deliver such one of such product. The apparatus is capable of capturing consumer personal data. Various methods contemplate use of these devices for delivering targeted marketing information, distributing product samples and for cross-marketing products.
US08315728B2
Provided is a component mounting condition determination method of a component mounter (200) that can improve a throughput of a whole production line. The method determines a mounting condition of the component mounter (200) that mounts components on boards, for use in a production line including the component mounter (200) including transportation lanes aligned parallel to each other. The method includes determining the mounting condition so that a line tact ratio among the transportation lanes approximates a predetermined ratio (S204 to S210).
US08315725B2
Appropriate content is determined from among multiple content items, and is reproduced. Content reproduction terminal devices having the content items recorded therein are connected with a content reproduction controlling apparatus. An acquiring unit acquires content information from each content reproduction terminal device, information indicative of the subject matter of the content items. A determining unit determines the content items to be reproduced, i.e., reproduction content based on the acquired content information. An extracting unit extracts the reproduction content from the content reproduction terminal device that has the reproduction content recorded therein. A reproducing unit reproduces and outputs the extracted reproduction content.
US08315722B1
A system and method for playing fantasy sports that replicates league competition for an individual user by competing in a simulated league against a plurality of system-generated teams, followed by competing in an elimination round and a plurality of tournament rounds against other users. The user can field more than one team, but each team competes in a different system-generated simulated league. The user selectively drafts a roster based on real players in a sport and the system randomly generates a plurality of rosters to complete a league schedule congruent with the sport season. At the conclusion of the schedule, at least a designated percentage of users having the best win record compete in a pool against each other in an elimination round. A plurality of top scoring users in the elimination round win a berth in a championship tournament using single elimination rounds to determine a champion.
US08315719B2
“DECENTRALIZED SYSTEM AND ARCHITECTURE FOR REMOTE REAL TIME MONITORING OF POWER TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS, CIRCUIT BREAKERS, INSTRUMENT TRANSFORMERS, DISCONNECT SWITCHES AND SIMILAR HIGH VOLTAGE EQUIPMENT FOR POWER PLANTS AND ELECTRIC POWER SUBSTATIONS”, remarkably consisting of intelligent sensors of the IED type that make concerning measurements in the high voltage equipment, interconnected through a communication network to a monitoring central computer, allowing user's remote access to the measurements and diagnosis of the equipment condition as well as emitting automatic alarms should any abnormality appear in it.
US08315714B2
In one embodiment, a kit, for securing a lead or cannula within a burr hole, comprises: a base structure to be positioned immediately adjacent to or partially within the burr hole; a lead securing member for securing the lead within the burr hole, the lead securing member comprising a first arm structure and a second arm structure, at least one spring loaded structure adapted to exert a force to bring the first arm structure and the second arm structure together; and a positioning tool having a distal end adapted to be inserted within the lead securing member; wherein when the distal end of the positioning tool is positioned within the lead securing member, the distal end holds the first and second arm structures a sufficient distance apart to receive a lead or a cannula between the first and second arm structures.
US08315711B2
A method and apparatus use resonant pulses to treat diabetes, carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis and other maladies by applying a stimulating signal to promote and manipulate blood flow. The stimulating signal may include a resonant sequence that includes at least three pulses, where the pulses of the resonant sequence are spaced relative to one another such that each pulse subsequent to a first pulse in the sequence is effective to progressively stimulate and create tension in a musculature that includes the muscle inwardly from the electrodes and towards the center of the musculature while maintaining the tension created in at least a portion of the musculature by each preceding pulse in the resonant sequence.
US08315697B2
A system and method for classifying cardiac complexes sensed during a tachycardia episode. A first cardiac signal and a second cardiac signal are sensed, where the first cardiac signal has a voltage. A first cardiac complex and a second cardiac complex of a cardiac cycle are detected in the first and second cardiac signal, respectively. A predetermined alignment feature is identified in the second cardiac complex. A datum is defined, or positioned, at a specified interval from the predetermined alignment feature of the second cardiac complex. Voltage values are then measured from the first cardiac complex at each of two or more measurement intervals from the datum. The voltage values are then compared voltage values measured from NSR cardiac complexes to classify the first cardiac complex is either a ventricular tachycardia complex or a supraventricular tachycardiac complex.
US08315691B2
The invention provides a non-invasive system and method for treatment of the heart. In a first aspect, a method for treatment of an anatomical site related to arrhythmogenesis of a heart of a patient comprises creating a target shape encompassing the anatomical site, directing particle beam radiation or x-ray radiation from outside the patient toward the target shape wherein one or more doses of radiation ablates the target shape and disregarding at least one orientation of cardiac motion while creating the target shape or directing the particle beam or both.
US08315689B2
MRI-Surgical systems include: (a) at least one MRI-compatible surgical tool; (b) a circuit adapted to communicate with an MRI scanner; and (c) at least one display in communication with the circuit. The circuit electronically recognizes predefined physical characteristics of the at least one tool to automatically segment MR image data provided by the MRI scanner whereby the at least one tool constitutes a point of interface with the system. The circuit is configured to provide a User Interface that defines workflow progression for an MRI-guided surgical procedure and allows a user to select steps in the workflow, and wherein the circuit is configured to generate multi-dimensional visualizations using the predefined data of the at least one tool and data from MRI images of the patient in substantially real time during the surgical procedure.
US08315685B2
A sensor is provided that includes a flexible wrap enclosure which is folded about the sensor. The flexible wrap includes primary flaps and at least one reinforcement flap. The reinforcement flap may be used to enclose areas of the sensor not enclosed by the primary wrap and/or may be used to provide reinforcement of the enclosure to prevent tearing of the flexible wrap enclosure. The sensor may be placed on a patient's finger, toe, ear, and so forth to obtain pulse oximetry or other physiological measurements.
US08315681B2
A method for noninvasive measurement of glucose in a tissue of a subject, including the steps of bringing an adaptation device, which has a shape similar to a measurement probe, into contact with a skin part of a subject for stretching the skin part of the subject under a pressure that is higher than a pressure per unit area applied by the measurement probe during the noninvasive measurement, maintaining the contact for a predetermined period of time followed by relieving the contact, bringing the measurement probe into contact with the stretched skin part of the subject for the noninvasive measurement, collecting signals emitted from the subject, and estimating a glucose concentration based on the collected signals.
US08315672B2
A method of controlling a portable electronic device that has a touch screen display includes providing a graphical user interface on a touch screen display, detecting a touch event at a first location on the touch screen display, providing a navigation indicator in the graphical user interface in response to detecting the touch event at the first location, and in response to detecting movement of the touch event from the first location to a second location while touch contact is maintained on the touch screen display, changing the position of the navigation indicator in the graphical user interface by a distance that is greater than a distance of movement of the touch event on the touch screen display, a direction of change of position of the navigation indicator is based on a direction of movement of the touch event on the touch screen display.
US08315661B2
Method and system for power headroom reporting in a mobile device capable of supporting multiple radio transmissions via different channels. The available maximum power variation of a second channel is estimated based on power usage in radio transmission of a first channel. A plurality of measures related to radio transmission via the second channel are them computed. Whether one or more conditions for power headroom reporting of the second channel are met is tested in accordance with a configuration with respect to power headroom reporting. The power headroom is computed based on the estimated power variation relating to the first channel and the radio transmission measures relating to the second channel. A power headroom report is then generated based on the computed power headroom and such a report is then transmitted, typically from the mobile device to a base station.
US08315658B2
A method of allocating radio resources in a wireless communication system is disclosed. A method of allocating radio resources from a network of a wireless communication system in accordance with a plurality of scheduling modes comprises transmitting first scheduling information to a user equipment to allocate radio resources to the user equipment in accordance with a first scheduling mode, the first scheduling information including a first user equipment identifier, and transmitting second scheduling information to the user equipment to allocate radio resources to the user equipment in accordance with a second scheduling mode, the second scheduling information including a second user equipment identifier.
US08315642B2
Provided is a radio communication device which can prevent interference between SRS and PUCCH when the PUCCH transmission bandwidth fluctuates and suppress degradation of CQI estimation accuracy by the band where no SRS is transmitted. The device includes: an SRS code generation unit (201) which generates an SRS (Sounding Reference Signal) for measuring uplink line data channel quality; an SRS arrangement unit (202) which frequency-multiplexes the SRS on the SR transmission band and arranges it; and an SRS arrangement control unit (208) which controls SRS frequency multiplex so as to be uniform in frequency without modifying the bandwidth of one SRS multiplex unit in accordance with the fluctuation of the reference signal transmission bandwidth according to the SRS arrangement information transmitted from the base station and furthermore controls the transmission interval of the frequency-multiplexed SRS.
US08315641B2
A method of controlling uplink synchronization state at a user equipment in a mobile communication system is disclosed. The method of controlling an uplink synchronization state at a user equipment in a mobile communication system comprises receiving control information associated with controlling uplink synchronization state of the user equipment from a network, releasing uplink resources allocated from the network if the uplink synchronization state is shifted from a synchronization state to an asynchronous state based on the control information.
US08315633B2
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate supporting uplink soft handoff in a UMTS TDD wireless communication environment. A virtual active set (VAS) for each user device can be generated at the network side of the communication environment, and sectors listed in each VAS can be informed of their respective listings. Sectors in a user device's VAS can be provided with a scrambling code and resource assignments from a nominal sector serving the user device, which information can be employed to attempt to receive and demodulate uplink signals from the user device at all base stations in the VAS thereof. Additionally, such resources can be employed to transmit power control and reverse activity commands to the user device on the downlink.
US08315624B2
A hybrid cordless telephone system allows a user to place or receive a call over either a data network or a PSTN network. In one aspect, a system router and PSTN unit are coupled with a communications manager to avoid extensive redesign of router components and PSTN components while providing a wireless user with data network and PSTN connectivity. In another aspect, the system router of the hybrid cordless telephone system includes a communications manager configured to provide termination of data network calls or PSTN calls at the system router. Accordingly, a plurality of handsets can each access the system router to place or receive calls from the data or PSTN networks.
US08315619B1
A device to automatically provide differing information levels according to a predetermined social hierarchy includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores social templates corresponding to unique social signatures and being selectable to provide, for each level of the predetermined social hierarchy, a corresponding differing amount of information to each member of the predetermined social hierarchy and/or a social networking service. The processor receives sensor data from a sensor set which detects sensor data related to an environment of a communication device, creates a detected social signature from the received sensor data, determines which of the social signatures of the social templates has the greatest correspondence with the created social signature, retrieves from the memory the determined one social template having the greatest correspondence, and provides only as much information as allowed in the retrieved social template.
US08315600B2
The present invention discloses methods and devices for setting user-side white list and paging UE, and relates to the field of communication. To solve the problem that the user-side white list is inconsistent with the network-side white list, the method for setting a user-side white list includes: Acquiring and storing information of CSG to be deleted from a user-side white list; receiving a second NAS message originated from a UE; and sending the UE a response message of the second NAS message, so that the UE deletes CSG specified by the information of the CSG from the user-side white list. To solve the problem that the MME may fail to pages the UE through the network-side white list when the user-side white list is inconsistent with the network-side white list, the method for paging UE includes: acquiring and storing information of CSG to be deleted from a user-side white list; and sending a UE paging message to CSG specified by the information of the CSG. The embodiments of the present invention can be applied to a mobile network accessed through an HeNB.
US08315599B2
A wireless device capable of being located over a network by a requesting party comprises a phone, and a display to display a visually-continuous location privacy slider having at least five stops. Each of the at least five stops corresponds to a given combination of settings within the phone relating to a privacy of reporting of location of the wireless device to a requesting device.
US08315597B2
A cell phone system which has been modified by the addition of software and hardware to determine the speed of at least phones to which incoming text messages are directed and determine whether or not to send an automated text message response to the sender indicating the user to which the text is directed cannot respond immediately. If such a response message is to be sent, automatically generating and sending said text message. If not, forwarding the text message to the cell phone to which it is directed.
US08315590B2
An emergency information reporting method, wherein a broadcast equipment (CBC) transmits an emergency information reporting message including a distribution area and emergency information to a switching center (MME) corresponding to the distribution area, the switching center (MME) generates an emergency information reporting message including cell identification information and transmits the message to a wireless base station (eNB) which manages the cell corresponding to the distribution area included in the received emergency information reporting message, and the wireless base station (eNB) broadcasts the emergency information included in the received emergency information reporting message to the cell corresponding to the cell identification information included in the emergency information reporting message.
US08315585B2
A difference between an output current signal (mos) of the mixing circuit (MC) and a current from a controlled current source (CCS) is conducted to an input of an operational amplifier (A). A control voltage (cv) for said current source is a voltage at the output of the operational amplifier (A) being filtered by a low-pass filter, whose limiting frequency equals a low frequency limit of the modulation signal in the received signal (rs). The method is speeded up in that the limiting frequency of the low-pass filter is increased by two to three orders of magnitude at the beginning and is gradually lowered to said value. A rather short time duration of the transient process is achieved so that the working point with a low voltage of the DC component and low-frequency components is set at least five times faster than so far.
US08315584B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit for broadcast receivers, which integrates an RF circuit, a mixer, an IF circuit, and an intermediate-frequency signal processing circuit onto a single chip, additionally includes a second RF circuit whose input terminal is grounded through an impedance equivalent to or almost the same as the output impedance of an antenna circuit, and a second mixer downstream of the second RF circuit. The second RF circuit and the second mixer each has an input impedance equivalent to that of the received signal subsystem; therefore, a spurious component equivalent to the spurious component contained in the output signal of the received signal subsystem is detected in the second RF circuit and in the second mixer, and cancels out the spurious component contained in the output signal of the received signal subsystem. Accordingly, the effects of noise due to spurious can be effectively reduced.
US08315581B2
Systems and method for implementing a transmitter with hybrid closed loop power control in a communication device.
US08315577B2
A multiband high-frequency circuit comprising a first switch SPDT1 for switching the connections of a multiband antenna to transmitting circuits 11bg-T, 11a-T and receiving circuits 11bg-R, 11a-R of first and second communications systems, and a transmitting/receiving circuit BLT-TR of a third communications system, a diplexer circuit Dip1 for branching a high-frequency signal to 11a-R and 11bg-R or BLT-TR and a diplexer circuit Dip2 for branching a high-frequency signal to 11bg-T and 11a-T, both of which are disposed downstream of SPDT1, each diplexer circuit Dip1, Dip2 comprising a lower-frequency-side filter and a high-frequency-side filter, a bandpass filter BPF1 being disposed downstream of the lower-frequency-side filter of the diplexer circuit Dip1, and a second switch SPDT2 being disposed downstream of the bandpass filter BPF1.
US08315567B2
A method and apparatus are provided for wireless communication between an integrated circuit device and a monitoring station. Each integrated circuit device has one or more antennas that permit wireless communication with an external monitoring station. A signal destined for an integrated circuit device is transmitted by the monitoring station using an associated antenna. An antenna associated with the destination integrated circuit receives the transmitted signal. The antenna(s) may be embodied, for example, as pins that are external to the integrated circuit device, or printed or etched on the integrated circuit device itself. Greater bandwidth can be achieved, if necessary, by pooling the bandwidth of several antennas.
US08315564B2
The present specification describes techniques and apparatus that enable wireless devices to communicate effectively at short ranges. In one implementation, the transmit power of a transmitting device is reduced to permit a receiving device to demodulate a signal.
US08315558B2
Partner relay systems and methods are provided in which relaying is performed by a pair of partner relays. Signals received from a base station are translated by a first of the pair of partner relays to a different transmission resource for communication between the pair of partner relays, and then upon reception by a second of the pair of partner relays, the signal is translated back to the original transmission resource and re-transmitted towards the receiver.
US08315541B2
An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive member; a charging device for electrically charging the photosensitive member; a developing device for developing with toner an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member electrically charged by the charging device; a transfer device for transferring a toner image from the photosensitive member onto an image-receiving member; and an auxiliary charging device for electrically charging untransferred toner on the photosensitive member to a normal charge polarity before the photosensitive member is electrically charged by the charging device; wherein effective widths WPM, WCD, WDD, WTD, and WACD of the photosensitive member, the charging device, the developing device, the transfer device, and the auxiliary charging device satisfy: WPM>WCD>WACD≧WTD>WDD.
US08315540B2
An image forming apparatus to be placed on a desktop includes a first body, a second body which is pivotally mounted above the first body, a light emitting unit disposed in the second body, an image forming unit disposed in the first body so as to form a C-shaped paper feeding path, a first power supply unit and a second power supply unit disposed on a bottom surface of the first body, a controlling board disposed on a first side wall of the first body, and a power transmission unit disposed on a second side wall of the first body.
US08315537B2
A plurality of photosensitive bodies is juxtaposed in a conveying direction, in which a recording medium is conveyed, with confronting the conveying unit. Each of a plurality of developing units is configured to move between a first position where the developing unit is capable of supplying developer to the corresponding photosensitive drum and a second position where the developing unit separates from the corresponding photosensitive drum. A cleaning member is configured to move between a third position where the cleaning member is capable of collecting a waste developer deposited on the conveying unit and a fourth position where the cleaning member separates from the conveying unit. A receptacle is slidably supported on one of the developing units and accommodates the collected waste developer. The cleaning member moves integrally with the receptacle. The receptacle and the one of the developing units are integrally detachably mounted on the main casing.
US08315536B2
An image forming apparatus includes a cover configured to open/close with respect to an apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus, a pullout unit, a locking member configured to lock the pullout unit according to an operation of inserting the pullout unit into the apparatus main body, and an abutting member movable between a position where the abutting member regulates the closure of the cover by abutting against the cover and a position where the abutting member does not regulate the closure of the cover. When the locking member does not lock the pullout unit, the abutting member is positioned at the position where the abutting member regulates the closure of the cover.
US08315533B2
A developing device comprises a developer unit that contains a developer including a color material and a magnetic powder, the color material being used to develop an electrostatic latent image held by an image holding member; a collecting unit that collects a part of the developer contained in the developer unit via a passage; and a measuring unit that measures a concentration of the color material included in the developer based on a magnetic property of the developer moving through the passage.
US08315530B2
A fixing device includes a heating roller that is internally provided with a heat source member and is rotated by a drive unit; an endless fixing belt that is entrained around the heating roller and heated thereby, and is provided with a surface layer that contacts a recording medium, and the yield stress of a material forming the surface layer is varied according to the temperature of the material; a pressure member that is provided facing the heating roller and presses the recording medium, on which a toner image has been formed, against the fixing belt; a travel direction alteration member that contacts the fixing belt and changes the direction of travel of the fixing belt by bending the fixing belt; and a drive control section that operates the drive unit and rotates the heating roller after the heating roller has been heated such that the endless fixing belt is heated by the heating roller to a predetermined temperature where the yield stress of a material forming the surface layer of the fixing belt is larger than the stress acting on the surface layer when the travel direction of the fixing belt is altered by the travel direction alteration member.
US08315527B2
A transmission speed of a protection (backup) line using 1G-OLT unit and 1G-ONU unit is set to be lower than a transmission speed of a working (primary) line using 10G-OLT unit and 10G-ONU unit. A priority and band of each communication service in ONU are preset individually and separately every LLID for a working (primary) line and a protection (backup) line. When bands are allocated to the protection (backup) line, the band allocation is performed so as to secure a minimum number of bands of each communication service. A monitoring controller refers to a predetermined band information table according to an operation state of the working (primary) line or the protection (backup) line with respect to a downstream signal packet.
US08315523B2
When a frame is received from one of PON ports 12a to 12c of ONUs 1a to 1c, an OLT 3 compares VPIDs contained in Preamble/SFD regions A of the received Ethernet® frame with VPIDs assigned to LAN ports 31 and 32 of the OLT 3. Upon coincidence, a PON MAC process is started. When a frame is received from a PON port 33 of the OLT 3, each of the ONUs 1a to 1c compares a VPID contained in a Preamble/SFD region of the received Ethernet® frame with VPIDs assigned to the ONUs 1a to 1c. Upon coincidence, a PON MAC process is started.
US08315522B2
A wavelength routing system includes a plurality of nodes (1, 2, 3, 4) and an array waveguide grating (40) having a routing property and optically connected to the plurality of nodes. Each of the nodes has a plurality of light sources (TLS) outputting lights at different wavelengths to the array waveguide grating, respectively, and a wavelength demultiplexer (125, 225, 325, 425) having a periodic property, demultiplexing a light output from the array waveguide grating, and outputting demultiplexed lights. The wavelength demultiplexer is set a channel period which is different from that of the array waveguide, and which is more than or equal to a number of output ports of the wavelength demultiplexer.
US08315516B2
A signal transmitter includes: a main transmission line-transmitting portion that transmits optical signals through main transmission lines; a backup transmission line-transmitting portion that transmits the optical signals through backup transmission lines paired with the main transmission lines; a selector that selects a transmission line to be used for transmitting the signals from any of the transmission lines through which the signals are transmitted by the main transmission line-transmitting portion and the backup transmission line-transmitting portion; and a controller that, when a fault occurs on at least one main transmission line, outputs a switching command to the selector based on information identifying the main transmission line with the fault, thus causing the main transmission line-transmitting portion to stop transmitting the signals to the main transmission line with the fault, while causing the backup transmission line-transmitting portion to transmit the signals being transmitted to the main transmission line with the fault to the backup transmission lines.
US08315514B2
An image capture apparatus comprises: a moving unit configured to move a focus position of a photographing lens relative to an image sensor at a predetermined amplitude by changing a distance in an optical axis direction between the photographing lens and the image sensor; detection unit configured to detect a focus state of an image obtained from the image sensor; and defocus correction unit configured to perform defocus correction on the image obtained from the image sensor during motion performed by the moving unit, based on the focus state detected by the detection unit, so that the focus state of each image for display on the display device at least approaches the focus state for an in-focus image.
US08315510B2
A light emitting type heat treatment apparatus includes relatively low rated power density filament lamps and relatively high rated power density filament lamps, in which a heat treatment including a temperature raising heat process for raising a work piece quickly to a predetermined heat treatment temperature by light emitted from the filament lamps, and a constant temperature heating process succeeding the temperature raising heating process in which the work piece is heated while the predetermined heat treatment temperature is maintained, and a control unit which controls lighting state of the filament lamps so that while at least filament lamps with relatively high rated power density are lighted in the temperature raising heating process, in the constant temperature heating process, only filament lamps with relatively low rated power density are lighted.
US08315509B2
A system for playing digital video at varying playback speeds can include a fetcher module configured to retrieve encoded pictures from a data store and an allocator module configured to selectively delete encoded pictures from an input cache. The system further can include a decoder module and an output cache module. The decoder module can decode pictures received from the input cache. The output cache module can store a plurality of decoded pictures and provide selected ones of the pictures as output. Pictures are processed within each of the modules according to a priority corresponding to each picture.
US08315506B2
A provisioning device intercepts program content from a video client or another multimedia device, where the program content includes copy-protection encryption, and receives additional content from a local router or another networked device, where the additional content is Internet protocol (IP) content. The provisioning device removes the copy-protection encryption from the program content and combines the additional content with the program content. The provisioning device also adds copy-protection encryption to the combined additional content and program content, and sends the copy-protected combined content to a display device.
US08315498B2
A telecommunications termination panel includes a housing having a top, a bottom, a first side and a second opposing side defining a front opening and a rear opening. The housing defines a cable entry adjacent the rear opening and a cable exit adjacent the rear opening, wherein the rear opening is adjacent the first side. A tray is pivotably mounted within the front opening of the housing, pivoting about a vertical axis located adjacent the first side and including a cable entry and a cable exit adjacent the vertical pivot axis and a plurality of connection locations. A cable path is defined between the rear opening of the housing and the tray, the cable path defined by a cable guide defining a channel for receiving cables, the cable guide including a slidable structure configured for pushing cables into the channel defined by the cable guide.
US08315496B2
Disclosed is an optical element which includes a support substrate and a thin plate of single crystal stacked on the support substrate through a thermoplastic adhesive, having the advantages of easily regulating the phase of light waves and restoring the regulated state to the original state. The optical element includes a support substrate 4 and a thin plate 1 of single crystal stacked on the support substrate 4 through a thermoplastic adhesive 3. The optical characteristics of the optical element are regulated by applying stress within an elastic limit to at least a part of the thin plate in a state where the thermoplastic adhesive is softened by heating the optical element, forming a concavo-convex part 10 in the thin plate, and then cooling the optical element to fix the concavo-convex part.
US08315494B2
An optical fiber includes a center core portion; an inner core layer formed around an outer circumference of the center core portion, a refractive index of which is less than that of the center core portion; an outer core layer formed around an outer circumference of the inner core layer, a refractive index of which is less than that of the inner core layer; and a cladding portion formed around an outer circumference of the outer core layer. A refractive index of the cladding portion is substantially equal to that of the inner core layer. At a wavelength of 1550 nm, an effective core area is equal to or larger than 130 μm2 and a bending loss is equal to or less than 100 dB/m when the optical fiber is bent with a diameter of 20 mm. A cable cut-off wavelength is equal to or less than 1530 nm.
US08315490B1
An optical apparatus can include an optical port array having an M×N array of fiber collimator ports. The array of ports is configured such that there is a gap within each column of ports located between two rows of ports. The gap is wide enough to permit a hitless beam switching trajectory to pass between the two rows of ports from one side of the array of ports to an opposite side.
US08315480B2
An image processing apparatus includes a sensor unit configured to include a plurality of line sensors to read image data having a plurality of channels; a correcting unit configured to correct the image data read by the sensor unit to obtain a plurality of frames of image data in which reading positions on an original image by adjacent line sensors among the plurality of line sensors are shifted by less than a pixel in a main scanning direction or/and a sub-scanning direction; and a high-resolution converting unit configured to perform interpolation by using the plurality of frames of image data obtained by the correcting unit so as to obtain monochrome image data having resolution higher than resolution of the line sensors.
US08315473B1
A system and method for performing integral histogram convolution for filtering image data is disclosed. The method may include applying a filter window to a first portion of an image, wherein the filter window includes an interior region and a border region. The method may include generating a plurality of histograms for the pixels in the filter window. The method may include generating spatial weight coefficients for the pixels in the border of the filter window. The method may include generating a plurality of color weight coefficients for the pixels in the filter window. The method may include performing a filtering operation on the pixels in the filter window by applying a respective spatial weight coefficient and a respective color weight coefficient to the values in the plurality of histograms for each respective pixel in the filter window. The methods may be implemented by program instructions executing in parallel on CPU(s) or GPUs.
US08315472B2
A method for reducing dimensionality of hyperspectral images may include receiving a hyperspectral image having a plurality of pixels. A basis vector set including a number of members may then be established, wherein each of the members comprises a basis vector. For each of the plurality of pixels, a spectral vector for the pixel may be read and decomposed with the members of the basis vector set to derive a residual vector for the pixel. A basis vector for the pixel may then be added to the members of the basis vector set if the residual vector for the pixel has a magnitude exceeding a predetermined threshold, and the basis vector set may then be optimized to eliminate one of the members of the basis vector set, whereby the optimized basis vector set includes the number of members. A system configured to perform the method may also be provided.
US08315468B1
An image encoding apparatus. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises an encoding engine coupled to a source of a block of pixel data, the encoding engine enabled to encode the block of pixel data to a quality level, the encoding engine coupled to a network interface; and a state sequencer, the state sequencer enabled to obtain an indication of scan block persistence, build state information and encoding parameters to control the quality level.
US08315462B2
An apparatus and a method for character string recognition for correctly recognizing a character string placed on a medium, even in a recognition process system in which a plurality of formats are handled. An image processing area is set on a medium. The image processing area is divided in a placement direction of character strings so as to make up a plurality of segments. An image data projection in a direction of character strings is calculated for each segment. The number of character string lines for each segment is calculated according to the image data projection. The number of character string lines is determined for the image processing area as a whole, according to the number of character string lines for each segment, and it is judged whether or not the character strings are predetermined character strings.
US08315460B2
Disclosed is a method of recognizing a text from an image. The method includes dividing the image into a predefined number of regions through a clustering technique; setting a certain area of the regions as a background region; identifying the outer peripheral pixel and inner peripheral pixel of each region except for the background region of the divided regions; setting a region identified as having one of its outer peripheral pixel and its inner peripheral pixel corresponding to a pixel of the background region, as a boundary region; and setting a region identified as having any of its outer peripheral pixel and its inner peripheral pixel not corresponding to a pixel of the background region, as a center text region, and excluding the boundary region from a binary-coding object of the text.
US08315453B2
A method for defect analysis includes identifying single-class classifiers for a plurality of defect classes, the plurality of defect classes characterized by respective ranges of inspection parameter values. Each single-class classifier is configured for a respective class to identify defects belonging to the respective class based on the inspection parameter values, while identifying the defects not in the respective class as unknown defects. A multi-class classifier is identified that is configured to assign each defect to one of the plurality of the defect classes based on the inspection parameter values. Inspection data is received, and both the single-class and multi-class classifiers are applied to the inspection data to assign the defect to one of the defect classes.
US08315452B2
A method and a device for obtaining a volume data set of a mobile tissue or organ of a patient by a C-arm X-ray device are provided. An electromagnetic sensor of a position detection system is arranged indirectly on the tissue or organ. The X-ray device obtains a plurality of X-ray projections from the tissue or organ from various projection directions. A first method consists of reconstructing a volume data set from the X-ray projections, in which the electromagnetic sensor adopts a position characterizing a displacement phase of the tissue or organ. A second method consists of reconstructing a volume data set from the X-ray projections captured when the electromagnetic sensor was located in a position characterizing a displacement phase of the tissue or organ. A third method does not capture an X-ray projection for the reconstruction if the electromagnetic sensor is located in a position characterizing a displacement phase.
US08315438B2
An image reproduction apparatus for displaying images of image files including an image of a target point to be observed by using image files located adjacent to the target point. A method of reproducing an image of an image file on an electronic map including the image file so that position information of the image file matches position information on the electronic map includes: (a) selecting a target point to be observed on the electronic map and obtaining position information of the target point; (b) setting a search range of image files on the electronic map; (c) searching for image files including an image of the target point within the set search range; and (d) displaying images of the found image files on the electronic map.
US08315432B2
The invention relates to a method and to devices for the real-time tracking of one or more substantially planar geometrical objects of a real scene in at least two images of a video stream for an augmented-reality application. After receiving a first image of the video stream (300), the first image including the object to be tracked, the position and orientation of the object in the first image are determined from a plurality of previously determined image blocks (320), each image block of said plurality of image blocks being associated with an exposure of the object to be tracked. The first image and the position and the orientation of the object to be tracked in the first image define a key image. After receiving a second image from the video stream, the position and orientation of the object to be tracked in the second image are evaluated from the key image (300). The second image and the corresponding position and orientation of the object to be tracked can be stored as a key image. If the position and the orientation of the object to be tracked cannot be found again in the second image from the key image, the position and the orientation of this object in the second image are determined from the plurality of image blocks and the related exposures (320).
US08315428B2
Automatic line identification and pairing for nuclear imaging collimator vector map characterization
A method for measuring a SPECT collimator's hole orientation angles includes obtaining a set of stepped radiation line images of a line radiation source by scanning/stepping the line radiation source across a first collimator in a first direction; obtaining a second set of stepped radiation line images of the line radiation source across the first collimator in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction; and obtaining two sets of stepped radiation line images for a second collimator, wherein one of the two collimators is a reference collimator and the other is a collimator being measured. Calculating the collimator hole orientation angles requires determining offset distances along the two directions for each pair of lines between the reference collimator's line images and the measured collimator's line images by identifying and pairing the lines from the reference collimator line images and the measured collimator line images. The method provides an automated way of identifying and pairing the lines.
US08315424B2
An image processing apparatus configured to embed embedment information in image data includes an embedment information acquisition unit configured to acquire embedment information to be embedded in the image data, an information embedment manner determination unit configured to determine an information embedment manner to embed the embedment information according to one of the acquired embedment information and image data to be generated by embedding the acquired embedment information in the image data, and an information embedment unit configured to embed the acquired embedment information in image data according to the information embedment manner determined by the information embedment manner determination unit.
US08315418B2
A sound receiver includes a casing having multiple cavities which house multiple microphones and through which sound waves are received. A first sound wave is directly received by microphones. A second sound wave is reflected by an inner wall of the cavities and changes in phase corresponding to the material of the inner wall. The material of the inner wall differs for each cavity, thereby effecting a different change in phase of the second sound wave at each of the inner walls.
US08315400B2
An earpiece (100) and a method (640) for acoustic management of multiple microphones is provided. The method can include capturing an ambient acoustic signal from an Ambient Sound Microphone (ASM) to produce an electronic ambient signal, capturing in an ear canal an internal sound from an Ear Canal Microphone (ECM) to produce an electronic internal signal, measuring a background noise signal, and mixing the electronic ambient signal with the electronic internal signal in a ratio dependent on the background noise signal to produce a mixed signal. The mixing can adjust an internal gain of the electronic internal signal and an external gain of the electronic ambient signal based on the background noise characteristics. The mixing can account for an acoustic attenuation level and an audio content level of the earpiece.
US08315389B2
Geosecurity methods and devices using geotags derived from noisy location data from multiple sources
In a geo-security system, a device receives RF signals from multiple distinct classes of RF communication systems and extracts location-dependent signal parameters. A current geotag is computed from the parameters by fuzzy extractors involving quantization of the parameters and Reed-Solomon decoding to provide a reproducible unique geotag. The current geotag is compared with a stored geotag, and a geo-secured function of the device is executed based on the result of the comparison. The use of multiple signal sources of different types, combined with special fuzzy extractors provides a robust geotag that allows both lower false rejection rate and lower false acceptance rate.
US08315387B2
Apparatus and method for a secure communication network using AlphaEta quantum encryption is provided. A polarization insensitive optical receiver based on a 90 degrees hybrid coupler is used for the detection and digitization of optically encrypted signals. Once digitized, such signals can be decrypted, stored, or re-transmitted over arbitrary media such as using RF wireless means. Alternatively, the signal can be generated directly for transmission over RF wireless nodes. The system may include nodes for retransmitting the signal without decrypting it, allowing for secure communication among specific users.
US08315386B2
A method for performing an encrypted voice call between a first terminal and a second terminal supporting a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)-based voice call. In the method, the first and second terminals generate and store a bio key using biographical (bio) information of a user in advance before performing a voice call, the first terminal sends a request for a voice call to the second terminal and establishing a session, the first and second terminals exchange and store a bio key stored in each terminal, and the first and second terminals generate a session shared key using the exchanged bio key and starting a Secure Real-time Transport Protocol (SRTP) session, and a restored bio key by acquiring bio information from received data. User authentication is then performed by comparing the bio key with the restored bio key.
US08315379B2
A full duplex talking audio circuit uses a single transducer ZT which, even when various characteristics including the strength of a transmission signal change from moment to moment, enables the adequate operation of an echo canceling function and sufficiently compensates for the deterioration of the frequency characteristics of the transmission signal due to the acoustic transfer characteristics of the human body.
US08315374B2
A recording system has an interface enabled to monitor interaction between an agent of an enterprise and a second person, recording apparatus enabled to record the interaction and to store the recording in a data repository, and software stored in and executing from a machine-readable medium, the software providing functions for controlling the recording apparatus. The software responds to inputs from the second person to control the recording apparatus.
US08315371B2
Methods are disclosed for programming shortcut keys on a computing device, such as a digital telephony device. One method comprises extracting user context information for a user from a server in communication with the digital telephony device. Key feature grouping information can be created based on the user context information. A key mapping layout can be generated for the digital telephony device by applying rules to designate an order in which selected groups in the key feature grouping information are assigned to selected keys on the digital telephony device to generate a key mapping layout. The keys on the digital telephony device can be programmed using the key mapping layout.
US08315370B2
A system for scheduling resources and rules for routing includes a server connected to a network, a scheduling application executable from the server, and at least one programmable software agent for scheduling routing rules. The scheduling application receives statistics about forecast arrival rates for incoming interactions and current resource availability data and schedules resources and routing rules according to the forecast requirements the software agent propagating the portion of scheduling relative to the routing rules.
US08315366B2
A system and method for determining a speaker's position and a generating a display showing the position of the speaker. In one embodiment, the system comprises a first speakerphone system and a second speakerphone system communicatively coupled to send and receive data. The speakerphone system comprises a display, an input device, a microphone array, a speaker, and a position processing module. The position processing module is coupled to receive acoustic signals from the microphone array. The position processing module uses these acoustic signals to determine a position of the speaker. The position information is then sent to other speakerphone system for presentation on the display. In one embodiment, the position processing module comprises an auto-detection module, a position analysis module, a tracking module and an identity matching module for the detection of sound, the determination of position and transmission of position information over the network. The position processing module comprises a position display module and a position translation module for receiving position information from the network and generating a user interface for display. The present invention also includes a method for determining speaker position and presenting position information.
US08315362B2
Systems and methods for voicemail avoidance are shown and described. The method can include issuing an invitation to an audio communications session to a first one of the end-points, receiving, in response to the invitation to a first one the end-points, an indication that the first end-point is available for the audio communication session and that the invitation to the first one of the end-points did not terminate with a voicemail service associated with the first one of the end-points, and issuing, in response to the indication, an invitation to join the audio communications session to a second one of the end-points.
US08315357B2
A method of reducing a total number of beam segments in a dose distribution for a radiation therapy field is provided. The method includes providing a multiobjective radiation therapy treatment plan using a suitably programmed computer, where the multiobjective radiation therapy treatment plan includes a radiation beam dose performance objective and a fluence map sparsity objective in a given fluence function domain, and providing a Pareto frontier of tradeoff criteria between the beam dose performance and a total number of radiation segments (or sub-fields) of the multiobjective radiation therapy treatment plan using the suitably programmed computer, where an achieved set of radiation beam dose distributions associated with efficiency points of the Pareto frontier are evaluated using a clinical acceptance criteria, where a clinically acceptable radiation beam dose distribution having a smallest number of the multileaf collimator segments is a final solution for the multiobjective radiation therapy treatment plan.
US08315354B2
A dynamic radiographing system enables determination of an evaluation value of the heart function of a subject by plain radiography. The dynamic radiographing system comprises a radiographing apparatus, an image processing apparatus, and a console for diagnosis. The radiographing apparatus dynamically radiographs the heart of a subject and creates radiographs in plural time phases (Step S1). The image processing apparatus calculates an evaluation value of the heart function by using the radiographs in plural time phases (Step S4). The console for diagnosis displays information on the calculated evaluation value on the display section (Step S5).
US08315352B2
An imaging system includes an x-ray source that emits a beam of x-rays toward an object, a detector that receives high frequency electromagnetic energy attenuated by the object, a data acquisition system (DAS) operably connected to the detector, and a computer operably connected to the DAS. The computer is programmed to compute detector coefficients based on a static low kVp measurement and a static high kVp measurement, capture incident spectra at high and low kVp during fast kVp switching, compute effective X-ray incident spectra at high and low kVp during fast kVp switching using the captured incident spectra, scan a water phantom and normalize the computed detector coefficients to water, adjust the computed effective X-ray incident spectra based on the normalized detector coefficients, compute basis material decomposition functions using the adjusted X-ray incident spectra, and generate one or more basis material density images using the computed basis material decomposition functions.
US08315342B2
A computationally-simplified approach to expected symbol value determination is based on classifying soft bit information corresponding to symbols in a received communication signal as being reliable or unreliable, and computing expected symbol values for the symbols based on the classified soft bit information. Classification can be carried out by “quantizing” the soft bit information to coarsely indicate whether individual symbol bits are known with high or low probability. Using quantized soft bit information greatly simplifies expected symbol value calculation, yet the calculated values still reflect a scaling corresponding to the underlying reliability of the soft bit information. Where the expected symbol values are computed for interfering symbols in a composite signal that also includes desired signals, preserving the underlying reliability knowledge in this manner effectively scales the amount interference cancellation applied to the composite signal in dependence on the reliability to which the interfering signal values are known.
US08315336B2
Methods and systems for vector combining power amplification are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a plurality of signals are individually amplified, then summed to form a desired time-varying complex envelope signal. Phase and/or frequency characteristics of one or more of the signals are controlled to provide the desired phase, frequency, and/or amplitude characteristics of the desired time-varying complex envelope signal. In another embodiment, a time-varying complex envelope signal is decomposed into a plurality of constant envelope constituent signals. The constituent signals are amplified equally or substantially equally, and then summed to construct an amplified version of the original time-varying envelope signal. Embodiments also perform frequency up-conversion.
US08315334B2
A digital television (DTV) transmitting system is provided that includes an encoder, a group formatter, a packet formatter and a transmission unit. The group formatter forms data groups where the plurality of second known data sequences are spaced 16 segments apart within at least one of the data groups that includes a transmission parameter inserted between the first known data sequence and the plurality of second known data sequences and the first known data sequence has a first M-symbol sequence and a second M-symbol sequence, the first M-symbol sequence and the second M-symbol sequence have a first pattern, each of the plurality of second known data sequences has a second pattern other than the first pattern, and the second pattern is positioned from a last symbol to a previous N symbol in each of the plurality of second known data sequences.
US08315329B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for applying successive multi-rank beamforming strategies (e.g., successive precoding strategies) for the design of precoders over a set of parallel channels. Successive beamforming is applied to a narrow band channel model and is also applied for finer quantization of a single beamforming vector (e.g., recursive beamforming). A first embodiment provides the optimal approach with high complexity. An alternative embodiment provides successive beamforming for near optimal precoding selection with medium complexity. A low complexity method for precoder selection is also provided wherein a channel representative matrix for the set of parallel channels is determined and successive beamforming on the calculated channel representative is applied.
US08315325B2
A method for transmitting a multiple codeword (MCW) in a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) communication system is disclosed. A method for transmitting a multiple codeword (MCW) in a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) communication system includes performing a channel coding and modulation process for each codeword of the multiple codeword (MCW), multiplying the channel-coded-modulated result by a rotation matrix decided by either a spatial multiplexing rate or a layer (R), and performing a codeword permutation (CP) on the multiple codeword (MCW), performing a MIMO encoding on the multiple codeword (MCW), and transmitting the multiple codeword (MCW) via a multi-antenna.
US08315323B2
An improvement in a method of transmit beamforming between a transmitter and a receiver in an OFDM wireless system having a plurality of subcarriers for a time varying fading channel comprises performing successive beamforming for each of the plurality of subcarriers using less than complete knowledge of the previous fading blocks for the subcarriers by beamforming an adaptive codebook, C=(C1; . . . ; c2N}, of a current fading block for the subcarriers by correlating inter-frame and/or inter-subcarrier signals among the plurality of subcarriers.
US08315316B2
A digital broadcasting transmission and/or reception system having an improved reception performance and a signal-processing method thereof. A digital broadcasting transmitter comprises a TRS encoder for to TRS-encode a MPEG-2 transmission stream having null data for inserting a Known data and a TRS parity at predetermined positions, randomizer to input and randomize data stream from the TRS encoder, a null packet exchanger to replace the null data for inserting the Known data to the known data, and an encoder for encoding a data streams to which the Known data is inserted. Accordingly, the present invention detects the known data from a signal received from a reception side and uses the detected known data for synchronization and equalization and further uses the TRS parity for correcting error of the received signal, so that the digital broadcasting reception performance can be improved at poor multipath channels.
US08315310B2
A transcoder and methods of encoding inter-prediction frames of a downsampled video wherein the downsampled video is a spatially downsampled version of a full-resolution video. Full-resolution motion vectors are downscaled and a weighting factor is calculated for each downscaled motion vector based upon the transform domain residual coefficients associated with that full-resolution motion vector. A motion vector prediction is made based on the weighted average using the downscaled motion vectors and their weighting factors.
US08315308B2
The disclosure is directed to video coding techniques that support spatial scalability using a generalized fine granularity scalability (FGS) approach. Various degrees of spatial scalability can be achieved by sending spatially scalable enhancement layers in a generalized FGS format. Spatially scalable enhancement bitstreams can be arbitrarily truncated to conform to network conditions, channel conditions and/or decoder capabilities. Coding coefficients and syntax elements for spatial scalability can be embedded in a generalized FGS format. For good network or channel conditions, and/or enhanced decoder capabilities, additional bits received via one or more enhancement layers permit encoded video to be reconstructed with increased spatial resolution and continuously improved video quality across different spatial resolutions. The techniques permit spatial scalability layers to be coded as FGS layers, rather than discrete layers, permitting arbitrary scalability. The techniques may include features to curb error propagation that may otherwise arise due to partial decoding.
US08315307B2
Method and apparatus for frame prediction in hybrid video compression to enable temporal scalability
The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for providing temporal scaling frames for use in digital multimedia. The method involves using a removable unidirectional predicted temporal scaling frame communication along with intra-coded frames and/or inter-coded frames. The method involves the ability to selectively remove the temporal scaling frame(s) from being transmitted or decoded in order to satisfy, for example, power limits, data rate limits, computational limits or channel conditions. Examples presented include encoders, transcoders and decoders where the decision to drop the removable temporal scaling frames could be made.
US08315304B2
A method of encoding transform coefficients and a transform coefficient encoding apparatus, and a method of decoding transform coefficients and a transform coefficient decoding apparatus are provided. The method of encoding the transform coefficients includes reading transform coefficients in a current block, determining whether a first transform coefficient having an absolute value greater than a predetermined threshold value exists in the transform coefficients in the current block, generating first flag information indicating whether the first transform coefficient exists, dividing the first transform coefficient from information of a second transform coefficient that is remaining transform coefficients excluding the first transform coefficient, and encoding the first transform coefficients and the second transform coefficients separately, thereby more efficiently using a correlation between each of the transform coefficients.
US08315303B1
Apparatus and methods apply pre-emphasis to the phase rather of a signal than to the amplitude of a single. This approach can provide superior pre-emphasis performance than the conventional amplitude pre-emphasis techniques in certain situations, such as when a non-linear slicer is present in the signal path. For example, electrical-to-optical (E/O) and optical-to-electrical (O/E) converters can effectively slice a signal.
US08315302B2
A modulator using a polynomial interpolator is described herein. In a simple circuit implementation of the modulator, coefficients of a representative polynomial are generated with interpolation filters in the polynomial interpolator. Crossing points may be identified for each sampling period by incorporating a virtual carrier waveform with the representative polynomial to generate a switching output control. Among other applications, the described modulator may be used in a Class-D amplifier. The described implementations may further confer benefits such as micro-power low voltage operation, low sampling rate, and low harmonic distortion.
US08315301B1
A transceiver including an equalizer, and a control circuit. The equalizer includes i) a unity tap comprising a coefficient input configured to receive a coefficient equal to 1, ii) a first plurality of taps including a first plurality of coefficient inputs—each configured to receive a respective one of first coefficients, wherein the first plurality of taps generate a first output signal based on an input, iii) a second plurality of taps including a second plurality of coefficient inputs—each configured to receive a respective one of second coefficients, wherein the second plurality of taps are configured to filter the first output signal to generate a second output signal. The control circuit is configured to limit a sum of the first coefficients and the second coefficients to a first predetermined range based on the coefficient of the unity tap.
US08315300B2
A decision feedback equalizer includes an input path for receiving a bitstream with inter-symbol interference, and a feedback signal path is coupled to the input path for correcting a sampled value of an incoming bit of the bitstream based on inter-symbol interference of a preceding bit. The feedback signal path includes a controllable delay circuit for receiving the preceding bit. A feedback path controller is coupled to the controllable delay circuit to regulate a delay introduced to the preceding bit. The delay is a function of an accumulated value of data of early-late events of a sampling instant of the bitstream for different data pulse patterns.
US08315299B2
A multiple carrier communication system includes a primary impulse shortening filter that receives an output signal of an analog to digital converter and accepts coefficients. A secondary impulse shortening filter receives the output signal of the analog to digital converter, outputs an output signal, and passes coefficients to the primary impulse shortening filter. A reference signal generator outputs a reference signal. A comparator compares the output signal and the reference signal and outputs a resulting error signal. An adaptive processor computes coefficients for the secondary impulse shortening filter based on the error signal.
US08315297B2
An embodiment of the invention provides a method for classifying a received signal. The method includes determining a covariance matrix of signal values of the received signal, and determining an eigenvalue matrix of the covariance matrix. The eigenvalue matrix includes the eigenvalues of the covariance matrix. A first function is determined from at least one eigenvalue of the eigenvalues of the covariance matrix. A second function is determined from at least one eigenvalue of the eigenvalues of the covariance matrix, wherein the second function is different from the first function. Dependent from a comparison between a value of the first function and a value of the second function, the received signal is classified into a signal comprising data or into a noise signal.
US08315288B2
To reduce the laser threshold by efficiently exciting a light-emitting body in a solid-state dye laser with light having high density, thereby facilitating emission of laser beams, and to miniaturize a solid-state dye laser including an excitation light source. A solid-state dye laser capable of emitting laser beams by efficiently introducing light from an excitation light source to a light-emitting body incorporated in an optical resonator structure and exciting the light-emitting body with light with high density, is realized.
US08315278B2
At least some exemplary embodiments of the invention enable a node to transmit synchronization information to other near-by nodes in a cognitive radio network during a transmission period. In one exemplary embodiment, an internal clock is compared to received synchronization information, a length of a next transmission period is set as a function of the comparing, and synchronization information is transmitted only once during the next transmission period.
US08315277B2
The present invention concerns a modem box, a splitting module, and an integrated access device. The modem box comprises upside communication means for coupling with central equipments through central signals, the latter being modulated for at least one of the central equipments, downside communication means coupling the modem box with terminal equipments through terminal signals, transfer means between the upside and downside communication means, and modem means for doing transformation between the modulated central signals and demodulated signals among the terminal signals. The modem box comprises an outer contact surface receiving a splitting module, which does transformation between the central signals and grouped signals formed with a multiplexing of the latter, and the upside communication means comprise at least one connection element arranged with that contact surface, in contact with at least one respective connection element of the splitting module.
US08315266B1
A set top box including a network extender and a media player in communication with the network extender. The network extender is connectable to a residential gateway of a local area network through a wired connection. The media player includes a computing processor executing instructions to format a signal received from the network extender for use by a media device. The set top box also includes at least one wireless transceiver in communication with the network extender.
US08315258B2
This invention relates to a method of routing for a message via an IMS system is disclosed. A message is received at an ICSCF. Address information is obtained for one of an application server, server or gateway for which said message is intended. The message is sent to said application server, server or gateway in accordance with said address information.
US08315256B2
A packet switch appliance includes a plurality of ports. One of the plurality of ports is configured to operate as a network port connected to a packet-switching network. Another of the plurality of ports is configured to operate as a first instrument port connected to a network instrument. To filter packets, one or more packets or copies of packets received through the first network port are examined prior to the packets or copies of packets being sent out the first instrument port to determine a current state of a state-based protocol, which includes a plurality of potential states. A filter is created or modified for the first network port or the first instrument port based on the determined current state of the state-based protocol.
US08315253B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing sales or customer support using a telephone having a camera to capture at least a partial image of a product or service; wherein the at least partial image is used to select a database updated by one or more knowledgeable persons on the product or service.
US08315226B2
Techniques for performing power control and handoff are described. In an aspect, power control (PC) is supported with multiple PC modes such as an up-down PC mode and an erasure-based PC mode. One PC mode may be selected for use. Signaling may be sent to indicate the selected PC mode. If the up-down PC mode is selected, then a base station estimates the received signal quality for a terminal and sends PC commands to direct the terminal to adjust its transmit power. If the erasure-based PC mode is selected, then the base station sends erasure indications that indicate whether codewords received from the terminal are erased or non-erased. For both PC modes, the terminal adjusts its transmit power based on the power control feedback (e.g., PC commands and/or erasure indications) to achieve a target level of performance (e.g., a target erasure rate for the codewords). The erasure indications may also be used for handoff.
US08315224B2
Methods and systems and computer program products for reusing radio resources in a medical telemetry networks are provided. The method receives at a server, traffic information for a plurality of mobile transceivers, from a plurality of distributed receivers. The method identifies time slot assignments and frequency channel assignments of the plurality of mobile transceivers based on traffic information. The method then updates one or more time slot assignments and/or one or more frequency channel assignments based, at least in part, on traffic information. Finally, the method broadcasts updated instances of the time slot assignments and updated instances of frequency channel assignments.
US08315223B2
A mobile station that receives multibeam data in precoding Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) from a base station, using a plurality of antennas, includes: a code book that includes contents identical to contents of a code book installed in the base station and that includes information of beam selection for precoding; and a control unit that determines a weight for carrying out optimum beam selection for precoding at time of searching information in the code book, based on a state of a beam in each resource block of received data that is divided into a plurality of resource blocks in a radio communication band, to transmit the weight as feedback information to the base station.
US08315216B2
A device receives code division multiple access (CDMA) capacity/resource information via a first direct interface with a radio network controller (RNC) associated with a CDMA radio access network (RAN), and determines, based on the CDMA capacity/resource information, a capacity associated with the CDMA RAN. The device also determines, based on the CDMA capacity/resource information, a resource availability associated with the CDMA RAN, and determines, based on the capacity and the resource availability associated with the CDMA RAN, a CDMA RAN resource allocation.
US08315211B2
Aspects of the invention provide a method and system for location based configuration of a wireless access point and an access device in a hybrid wired/wireless network. A method for providing location based configuration in a hybrid wired/wireless network may include identifying a location of a network device within the hybrid wired/wireless network. Configuration information corresponding to the determined location of the network device may be determined. The determined configuration information may be communicated to the networking device in order to facilitate location based configuration of the network device. The network device may include, but is not limited to, an access device, an access point and a switching device.
US08315210B2
A communication system includes a downlink indicator channel for the transmission of an indicator signal indicating that a data packet is scheduled to be transmitted on a downlink data channel from a primary station to a secondary station. In response to detection of the indicator signal, the secondary station transmits a status signal, for example a negative acknowledgement signal, on an uplink channel to the primary station immediately before transmission of a positive or negative acknowledgement signal to indicate the status of the received data packet. By providing the primary station with two chances to detect the case where the secondary station fails to detect the indicator signal, peak power requirements of the uplink channel can be reduced, thereby reducing system interference levels.
US08315209B1
A method and system for providing voice based host services with CRM data without an end user's phone number for loyalty program is disclosed herein. A VoIP application is resident on a mobile communication device of an end user. The VoIP application allows the end user to control how the loyalty program will identify the end user (without the end user's phone number) when the end user requests loyalty program services from the loyalty program using the end user's mobile communication device.
US08315206B2
A proxy mobile IP system comprises: a mobile terminal including a time management/notification unit; the time management/notification unit alerting time information, managed by the mobile terminal itself, to an access gateway at the time of access authentication in proxy mobile IP (Internet Protocol) communication; the access gateway; the access gateway including a time information acquisition/management unit alerting the time information, received from the mobile terminal, to a mobility anchor, at the time of performing proxy mobile IP registration in the proxy mobile IP communication, as the time information received from the mobile terminal is carried on a registration notification message; and the mobility anchor; the mobility anchor including a time information acquisition/management unit alerting the registration notification message including the time information to a proxy mobile IP registration unit responsible for performing proxy mobile IP registration.
US08315200B2
A communication system includes: a transmission device configured to transmit predetermined information; and a reception device configured to receive the predetermined information; wherein the transmission device includes an encoding unit configured to encode the information such that the error rate of the information in the case of a signal-to-noise ratio being greater than a first signal-to-noise ratio is at or below a predetermined value, and the error rate in the case of a signal-to-noise ratio being smaller than a second signal-to-noise ratio becomes 1/2; and wherein the reception device includes a decoding unit configured to decode the information subjected to encoding by the encoding unit.
US08315194B2
A method and a UE apparatus for radio resource management in a mobile communication system. When a discontinuous reception period or an inactivity period of a UE exceeds a threshold, an ENB releases resources for uplink control information transmission allocated to the UE, and the UE recognizes the release of the resources and stops transmitting the uplink control information through the resources. This reduces the explicit reconfiguration procedure through an RRC message, which is otherwise necessary whenever the UE enters a new discontinuous reception mode.
US08315192B2
A method and system for configuring a media access control header to reduce a header overhead is provided. The method includes establishing a connection between a transmitter and a receiver. The method also includes determining a size of a length field in the MAC header of a MAC protocol data unit (PDU) of the connection based on one or more parameters. The method further includes transmitting the MAC PDU to the receiver. The system includes a transmitter to determine a size of a length field of the media access control (MAC) header based on one or more parameters and to transmit a MAC protocol data unit (PDU) having the MAC header to a receiver. The system also includes the receiver to receive the MAC PDU and to determine the size of the length field in the MAC header based on a connection identifier in the MAC header.
US08315191B2
Techniques for detecting mode and guard length and estimating timing offset for an OFDM transmission are described. Multiple hypotheses for different combinations of mode and guard length that might have been used for the OFDM transmission are evaluated. For each hypothesis, correlation is performed on received samples for a hypothesized guard interval to obtain correlation results. The energy of the hypothesized guard interval is determined. A first metric is derived based on the correlation results and the energy. The first metric may be filtered, e.g., averaged. Noise is estimated, e.g., based on a set of elements for the filtered first metric at locations determined by an estimated timing offset for the hypothesis. A second metric is derived based on the filtered first metric and the estimated noise. The second metric for all hypotheses may be used to determine the mode, guard length, and timing offset for the OFDM transmission.
US08315187B1
A dynamic HOL allocation module that supports, dynamically configurable classes of service, virtual output queues that support dynamically configurable HOL blocking factors, and dynamically configurable queue assignment schemes, is described. A user may define classes of service assigned to a source port within a network switch and may configure each class of service with a set of virtual output queues, or queue set. Each queue set may be configured to include a user configured number of virtual output queues based on an HOL blocking factor, e.g., 1:1, 1:24, etc., selected by the user for the class of service. Further, the assignment scheme used to assign packets received on a source port to a class of service and the assignment scheme used to assign packets assigned to a class of service to a virtual output queue may be dynamically configurable based on day, day/time, traffic load, alarm events and/or other factors.
US08315179B2
A system and method for authorizing test traffic over a network. A request is received to perform a throughput test. A state of the network is determined. The throughput test is authorized in response to the determined state of the network being acceptable for performing the throughput test. The throughput test is terminated in response to the determined state of the network being unacceptable for performing the throughput test.
US08315168B2
Methods and apparatus for communicating data are disclosed. The example method includes allocating tokens to a first token bucket of a first two-rate, three-color meter (trTCM) at a first rate and allocating tokens to a second token bucket of the first trTCM at a second rate. The example method further includes allocating tokens to a first token bucket of a second trTCM at a third rate and allocating tokens to a second token bucket of the second trTCM at a fourth rate. The example method also includes reallocating tokens allocated to the first token bucket of the first trTCM to the first token bucket of the second trTCM when a token count of the first token bucket of the first trTCM exceeds a first capacity and reallocating tokens allocated to the second token bucket of the first trTCM to the second token bucket of the second trTCM when a token count of the second token bucket of the first trTCM exceeds a second capacity.
US08315164B2
A method, program and apparatus for estimating a bandwidth of a channel from a transmitter to a receiver. The method comprises: receiving a packet stream at the receiver from the transmitter; receiving from the transmitter an indication of data transmitted from the transmitter to one or more other recipients than said receiver between packets of said packet stream; and determining at the receiver, using said indication, an estimate of the bandwidth of said channel. The estimate may enable transmission of packets from the transmitter to be controlled.
US08315162B2
Systems and methods for determining that a maximum number of IP sessions have been established are provided. There are instances when the mobile device transmits a request to the wireless network. According to an aspect, in the event that the maximum number of IP sessions is already established for the mobile device, the wireless network transmits a response indicating that the request cannot be fulfilled. The mobile device determines based on the response that the maximum number of IP sessions is already established, which allows the mobile device to determine the maximum number of IP sessions that can be supported so that IP sessions can be managed accordingly.
US08315158B2
A telecommunications system including a plurality of switches defining an Ethernet ring; a plurality of virtual local area networks defined on the Ethernet ring, defining a number of virtual local area networks (VLANs) equal in number to the number of links; and a ring recovery system configured to recover from a link failure by rerouting traffic to a destination on the Ethernet ring via a VLAN not including a failed link.
US08315151B2
A transmitting station (TS), for transmitting a plurality of symbols of a data signal in a communication system, comprises a process module (PM) arranged for adding subset of the symbols of the data signal to symbols of a predetermined signal prior to proceed to transmission of the data signal.
US08315147B2
In a multilayer optical recording medium having at least three recording layers, an influence of interlayer crosstalk due to unnecessary light is suppressed. Each of the recording layers includes an information recording area, and the recording layers other than the nearest recording layer and the farthest recording layer when viewed from a light incident side include a first annular area having uneven patterns formed thereon, and a second annular area having uneven patterns formed thereon, the first annular area being adjacent to an inner side of the information recording area, the second annular area being adjacent to an outer side of the information recording area.
US08315145B2
An optical recording medium is provided, the optical recording medium including a plurality of zones configured to store data corresponding to an adaptive write pulse, the adaptive write pulse including a first pulse, a last pulse, and a multi-pulse train, the adaptive write pulse being different for each of the plurality of zones, the plurality of zones being reflected by a grouping table, the grouping table being configured to generate an adaptive write pulse waveform by varying a position of a rising edge of a first pulse of a mark to be written according to a length of the mark to be written and a leading space, the adaptive write pulse waveform being generated without regard for a trailing space of a present mark being written using the adaptive write pulse waveform, the adaptive write pulse being configured to correspond to the adaptive write pulse waveform, and store rising edge data of the first pulse of the adaptive write pulse waveform varying according to corresponding stored values of lengths of marks to be written. A width of the first pulse is varied by varying the position of the rising edge.
US08315144B2
A small form factor disc drive is structured to hold and play an optical data storage disc measuring approximately 32 mm in diameter and containing 1 GB of data per layer. The disc drive contains a blue wavelength laser, an objective lens having a numerical aperture in the range of 0.70-0.78 and conventional DVD-compatible controller electronics. This unique combination of elements allows a full-length movie or a video game to be displayed with DVD-quality on a cell phone or other portable hand held device.
US08315133B2
An optical-disc player having a reader and a controller. The reader derives out-of-band information from surface marks of an optical disc, where the controller controls operations of the reader based on the derived information. The controlled operations may involve the reading and rendering of embedded data of the optical disc. For example, a person writes the words “Spanish” and “widescreen” on the surface of a DVD with a marker and inserts the DVD in a DVD player. The DVD player scans the surface of the DVD and sends the resulting image data to an optical character recognition (OCR) module. The OCR module outputs a text file containing the words “Spanish” and “widescreen” to a controller (e.g., Microsoft HDi runtime). In response, the controller sets the playback language to Spanish and the screen format to widescreen.
US08315130B2
An objective lens is made of a resin material and focuses incident rays, which have a wavelength of 410 nm or less and are emitted from a light source, on an optical disc at a numerical aperture of 0.8 or more, wherein when a lens tilt sensitivity is defined as an amount of a 3rd-order coma aberration caused per a lens tilt of 1 degree which is an angle formed between an optical axis of the objective lens and a system optical axis of an optical system including the objective lens at 0° C., the lens tilt sensitivity is 130 mλrms/degree or less.
US08315126B2
An antenna device includes an oscillating body capable of oscillating at a predetermined natural frequency, and being displaceable by external magnetic field, and a converter for converting motion of the oscillating body to an electrical signal. When a radio wave signal of a frequency band at which the oscillating body resonates comes, the oscillating body resonates with a magnetic field component of the radio wave signal, and the converter converts the motion to the electrical signal, whereby an electrical signal corresponding to the radio wave signal is outputted.
US08315113B2
Disclosed is a non-volatile semiconductor memory circuit with an improved resistance spread characteristic distinguishing set data and reset data. The non-volatile semiconductor memory circuit includes a memory cell array, and a read/write circuit block configured to differentiate the current drivability based on the mode of operation, wherein the current drivability is provided in response to a bias signal based on set or reset state of data.
US08315108B2
According to one embodiment, a differential circuit receives, as differential inputs, a readout signal read out from a semiconductor storage element and a reference voltage. An equalizing circuit controls, taking into account a state of a past input signal output from the differential circuit, the potential of the present differential signal output from the differential circuit. A sense amplifier detects a state of the differential signal output from the equalizing circuit. A state holding circuit holds a past state of the differential signal detected by the sense amplifier and supplies the state to the equalizing circuit.
US08315105B2
An erasing method of post-programming in a nonvolatile memory device. The method includes post-programming dummy memory cells; verifying whether threshold voltages of the dummy memory cells are greater than or equal to a first voltage; post-programming normal memory cells; and verifying whether threshold voltages of the normal memory cells are greater than or equal to a second voltage. The first voltage is different from the second voltage.
US08315099B2
Techniques for providing a direct injection semiconductor memory device are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a direct injection semiconductor memory device including a plurality of memory cells arranged in an array of rows and columns. At least one of the plurality of memory cells may include a first region coupled to a respective bit line of the array and a second region coupled to a respective source line of the array. At least one of the plurality of memory cells may also include a body region spaced apart from and capacitively coupled to a respective word line of the array, wherein the body region may be electrically floating and disposed between the first region and the second region. At least one of the plurality of memory cells may further include a third region coupled to a respective carrier injection line of the array and wherein the respective carrier injection line may be one of a plurality of carrier injection lines in the array that are coupled to each other.
US08315076B2
The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for producing an alternating voltage or an alternating current from a unipolar direct current source having an inverter relating to a neutral conductor. The direct current source is connected to an inverter which converts the unipolar voltage of the direct current source into a bipolar intermediate circuit voltage that is stored in a buffer circuit (C1, C2) which is connected to the inverter. The inverter comprises a clocked switch (So) and an energy converting unit which is configured as a dual coil (DR1,DR2) having two windings (W1,W2) which are closely coupled to each other.
US08315071B2
A 24-pulse composite AC-to-DC converter is a converter using two or more conversion methods in parallel. The converter may include a main rectifier receiving at least a portion of an input AC signal, an autotransformer having an output voltage with lower amplitude than the input AC signal, and a plurality of auxiliary bridge rectifiers, each receiving the output from each leg of the autotransformer. In one embodiment of the invention, the main rectifier may receive a substantial portion of the load current, allowing each of the auxiliary bridge rectifiers to be generally smaller than the main rectifier.
US08315066B2
A printed circuit board (PCB) includes a top layer, a memory controller, two gaps, and two connectors. The memory controller is located on the top layer. A number of golden fingers are respectively set on the top layer near each gap and electrically connected to the memory controller. Each connector includes a first slot to hold the gold fingers near a corresponding one of the gaps and a second slot to hold a number of gold fingers of a corresponding one of two memory chips. The first slot is electrically connected to the second slot. Each memory chip and the PCB are coplanar.
US08315053B2
The invention relates to an improved aircraft electronics cooling system for an aircraft having a liquid cooling system (2), the aircraft electronics cooling system providing a thermal coupling between an electronic device (40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, 42, 44) to be cooled and the liquid cooling system (2) of the aircraft. A coolant delivered by the liquid cooling system (2) may flow through a board of the electronic device (40a, 40b, 40c, 40d), through a heat sink on which the electronic device (42) is arranged and/or through a housing in which the electronic device (44) is arranged. The coolant may be permanently in the liquid state in a cooling circuit. The coolant may vaporize at least partially while cooling the electronic device.
US08315051B2
Disclosed is a portable electronic device having an interceptor for cutting off foreign substances such as water, dust or the like from being entered between the coupling surfaces thereof. The portable electronic device includes: a first case; a second case to be joined with the first case; and an intercepting part integrally formed with at least one of the first case or the second case, wherein the intercepting part is sealingly engaged with the coupling surface of the first case or the second case to prevent foreign substances and waterproof the device thereof.
US08315049B2
A cover latch is provided for coupling a blade server cover to a blade server when the cover latch is in a locked state. Embodiments include a locking surface at one end of the cover latch; a user interface at an end of the cover latch opposite from the end with the locking surface; wherein when the cover latch is in the locked state, the locking surface engages a locking surface enclosure of the blade server cover; wherein when the cover latch is in an unlocked state, the user interface is rotated into the blade server and the locking surface is rotated outward from the blade server, wherein when the locking surface is rotated outward from the blade server, the locking surface is disengaged from the locking surface enclosure of the blade server cover; and a rotational limiter hole in the cover latch that surrounds a peg of the blade server, wherein the rotation of the locking surface and the user interface is limited by the rotational limiter.
US08315040B2
The present invention provides for a protective enclosure comprising a base comprising a first continuous mating surface and at least one conveyance aperture, a cover comprising a second continuous mating surface, wherein the second continuous mating surface is configured to form a seal with the first continuous mating surface, and a clamp, wherein at least a portion of the clamp is coupleable to the base, wherein a mouth of the clamp is configured to be offset from the aperture when the clamp is coupled to the base, wherein the clamp comprises a first sealing layer, and wherein the clamp is configured to seal the aperture against contaminants. The protective enclosure may be configured for use in a remotely controllable model vehicle to protect a control module.
US08315038B2
A thin-film capacitor has a high insulation resistance value with high reliability. The thin-film capacitor includes a dielectric thin film and electrodes opposing each other through the dielectric thin film, the dielectric thin film containing a perovskite-type composite oxide having a composition expressed by (1), Mn, and at least one kind of element M selected from V, Nb, and Ta; wherein the dielectric thin film has an Mn content of 0.05 to 0.45 mol with respect to 100 mol of the composite oxide; and wherein the dielectric thin film has a total element M content of 0.05 to 0.5 mol with respect to 100 mol of the composite oxide: AyBO3 (1) where A is at least one kind of element selected from Ba, Sr, Ca, and Pb, B is at least one kind of element selected from Ti, Zr, Hf, and Sn, and 0.97≦y≦0.995.
US08315035B2
A multilayer capacitor which can prevent chattering noises from occurring and improve the packaging density and packaging yield, and a method of manufacturing a multilayer capacitor are provided. Even when an electrostrictive vibration is generated in this multilayer capacitor upon voltage application, a joint surface of a metal terminal can flex, so as to mitigate the electrostrictive vibration, thereby preventing chattering noises from occurring. The joint surface is formed with a cutout and thus can fully secure its flexibility. In this multilayer capacitor, a step formed by a terminal connecting surface, a substrate connecting surface, and the joint surface is positioned within an area overlapping a capacitor element body as seen in the laminating direction of dielectric layers. Therefore, solder fillets do not protrude out of the capacitor element body, whereby the packaging density on a mounting substrate K can be improved. The state of solder fillets is easy to see from the outside, and a connection yield can also be secured.
US08315029B2
A plasma processing system for processing a wafer is provided. The system includes an electrostatic chuck (ESC) positioned inside a plasma processing chamber and configured to support the wafer. The ESC includes a positive terminal for providing a first force to the wafer and a negative terminal for providing a second force to the wafer. The system also includes a first circuit arrangement configured to measure at least a first voltage for determining a value of a positive load current applied to the positive terminal. The system further includes a second circuit arrangement configured to measure at least a second voltage for determining a value of a negative load current applied to the negative terminal. The system yet also includes circuitry configured to adjust a bias voltage using the values of the positive load current and the negative load current for balancing the first force and the second force.
US08315025B2
A circuit arrangement for protection against electrostatic discharges comprises an shunt device, which is connected between a first and a second terminal of the circuit arrangement and has a control input, via which the conduction of the shunt device can be controlled. In addition there is a trigger element, which has a trigger output for issuing a trigger signal in dependence on a voltage between the first and the second terminal of the circuit arrangement. The circuit arrangement additionally comprises an interruption unit that can be controlled via a deactivation input by means of a sendable deactivation signal and which is connected on the input side to the trigger output and on the output side to the control input. In addition, a method for shunting electrostatic discharges is shown.
US08315019B1
A method and system for providing a magnetic transducer is described. The method and system include providing a magnetoresistive structure having a plurality of sides. At least one oxidation buffer layer covers at least the plurality of sides. The method and system also include providing at least one oxide layer after the oxidation buffer layer is provided. The oxide layer(s) reside between the sides and the oxidation buffer layer(s).
US08315018B2
Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium capable of effectively and reliably removing foreign materials on the surface of a magnetic recording medium, preventing a mask layer from remaining on the surface of the magnetic recording medium, and forming the pattern of a magnetic layer with high productivity. The method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium includes: a step of forming a magnetic layer on a non-magnetic substrate; a step of forming a mask layer on the magnetic layer; a step of patterning the mask layer to form a mask pattern; a step of forming a magnetic recording pattern on the magnetic layer using the mask pattern; a step of burnishing the surface of the mask pattern with an abrasive; and a step of removing the mask pattern.
US08315007B1
Some of the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a disk drive system comprising a disk drive system comprising a disk having a track upon a surface of the disk, the track including a first data-storing sector and a second data storing sector, and a servo sector located between the first data-storing sector and the second data-storing sector, the servo sector including a first flying height (FH) field having a predetermined pattern. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08314988B2
One embodiment contemplates a polarization insensitive optical circuit constructed of an input/output signal separator, such as an optical circulator or a 1×2 or 2×2 coupler or N×M coupler, a polarization sensitive operator, and a polarization rotator reflector. In an alternate embodiment, the invention contemplates a polarization insensitive optical circuit including a polarization rotator reflector, and a polarization sensitive operator which may include, for example, a first polarization rotator, an operator/coupler, and a polarization beam combiner. Preferably, at least one of the components in the optical circuit is constructed integrally from the substrate upon which the optical circuit is based. For examples the polarization rotator and/or polarization sensitive operator may be monolithic.
US08314978B2
A model-based halftone independent method for characterizing a printer equipped with a plural of halftone screens comprises: printing a target set of basic patches comprised of a fundamental binary pattern independent of a halftone screen; measuring true color printer response from the target set; modeling a halftone independent characterization of the printer with the mathematical transformation using the measured response; modeling a first halftone dependent characterization of the printer with the mathematical transformer to generate a first predicted result using a selected halftone screen; comparing a measured response of the printer using the halftone screen with the predicted result to define a correction factor corresponding to the halftone screen; and modeling a halftone dependent characterization of the printer using a predicted response of the fundamental binary pattern and the correction factor.
US08314975B2
A first main-scanning-position correction unit divides a surface to be scanned into first areas in a main scanning direction into areas, sets a separate clock-pulse timing for first area, and corrects a main-scanning position error. A second main-scanning-position correction unit divides the surface into second areas in the main scanning direction based on first-scanning-position correction data, sets a separate clock-pulse timing for each second area, and corrects the main-scanning position error.
US08314972B2
An image processing apparatus includes: a quadrangular or polygonal area setting unit that sets a quadrangular or polygonal area that surrounds a group of pixels that has predetermined characteristics for image data; a background setting unit that measures frequency distribution of tone values outside the quadrangular or polygonal area, measures a brightest tone value B in a margin range, which is a range of tone values in which the image data is distributed significantly, measures a most frequent value M in the margin range, and sets a background range, which is a range that includes the most frequent value M as a median point and further includes the brightest tone value B as one end of the range; a black edge statistics unit that measures frequency distribution of tone values of black edge inside the quadrangular or polygonal area and measures a greatest brightness value b in a black edge range, which is a range of tone values in which the black edge is distributed significantly.
US08314970B2
An image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention, includes an image input unit which inputs main image information defined by first, second and third color component information corresponding to at least three colors, a modulation unit which modulates a color difference grid pattern by sub information, a superposing unit which superposes the modulated color difference grid pattern on each of the first, second and third color component information after the modulated color difference grid pattern and each of the first, second and third color component information are rotated relative to each other through a predetermined angle, and a composition unit which composites the first, second and third color component information to generate color image information.
US08314968B2
The present invention discloses an image processing controller includes: a pixel number determining unit determining the number of print pixels included in the pixel block based on a gradation of a pixel of the pre-conversion image data; a print pixel location unit filling the pixel block with the print pixels in the rows or columns and executing a first location mode where the print image becoming a fraction in the row or column is drawn in a random direction or a second location mode where the print image becoming the fraction in the row or column is drawn near to the circumjacent pixel block having a larger number of print pixels; and a switching unit switching between the first and second location modes to be executed by the print pixel location unit based on predetermined information possessed by the pre-conversion image data.
US08314948B2
When a client PC receives a request for printing output data, an imaging apparatus captures an image of a user. The image data of the user captured by the imaging apparatus and the output data is transferred to a management server. The management server performs predetermined image processing on the acquired image data, calculates a characteristic amount of the image data of the user, and registers the calculated characteristic amount and the output data by associating with each other. When the user requests printing of the output data from an image forming apparatus, image data of the user captured by the imaging apparatus is transferred to the management server. The management server calculates a characteristic amount of the acquired image data of the user, compares the calculated characteristic amount with the characteristic amount in the management server, and transfers the output data to the image forming apparatus.
US08314941B2
In a measurement device for measuring a peripheral position in a Cartesian coordinate system, a rotating laser source is configured to emit a laser beam along a radius of a rotator. A reflector is configured to reflect the laser beam in a direction orthogonal to a path of the laser beam, and a scale having a pattern of transparent and reflective areas is positioned at a peripheral position of the measurement device. A detector is configured to provide a sequence of pulses by detecting a reflex or transmission of the rotating laser beam while the laser scans over the scale. The sequence of pulses correspond to Cartesian coordinates of the system.
US08314940B2
A probe microscope includes a cantilever having a probe for contact with an object, first and second displacement detection optical systems, and an object lens. The first displacement detection optical system includes a first light source and a first displacement detecting section that detects displacement of the cantilever. The second displacement detection optical system includes a second light source and a second displacement detecting section that detects displacement of the object. The object lens is provided between the cantilever and the first light source and between the cantilever and the second light source. The object lens has a focal position for the light that is emitted from the first light source and has a first wavelength at the position of the cantilever and has a focal position for the light that is emitted from the second light source and has a second wavelength at the position of the object.
US08314939B2
A reference sphere detecting device used for a reference sphere position detecting device comprises an optical unit having a laser light source, a collective lens for collecting light from the laser light source and irradiating the light to a reference sphere positioned at or near a front focal position, a first image pickup device for receiving and detecting reflected light from the reference sphere, the first image pickup device being disposed at a rear focal position of the collective lens; driving units for rotationally moving the optical unit about a reference point; and a control unit for controlling the driving units on the basis of the position at which the reflected light is received and rotationally moving the optical unit so that the reflected light reaches a predetermined reference position of the first image pickup device.
US08314933B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to techniques for improving optofluidic microscope (OFM) devices. One technique which may be used eliminates the aperture layer covering the light detector layer. Other techniques retain the aperture layer, reversing the relative position of the light source and light detector such that light passes through the aperture layer before passing through the fluid channel to the light detector. Another technique adds an optical tweezer for controlling the movement of objects moving through the fluid channel. Another technique adds an optical fiber bundle to relay light from light transmissive regions to a remote light detector. Another technique adds two electrodes at ends of the fluid channel to generate an electrical field capable of moving objects through the fluid channel while suppressing rotation. These techniques can be employed separately or in combination to improve the capabilities of OFM devices.
US08314930B2
An inspection device for inspecting defects of an inspection object including a light source for irradiating a luminous flux to the inspection object; an optical system for guiding reflected light from the inspection object; a photoelectric image sensor having a plurality of photoelectric cells arranged, for converting the light guided to detection signals; a detection signal transfer unit having channels each constituted by a signal correction unit, a converter and an image formation unit, and corresponding to each of a plurality of regions formed by dividing the photoelectric image sensor, respectively; and an image synthesis unit for forming an image of the surface of the object by synthesizing partial images outputted; the inspection device inspecting defects of the object by processing the synthesized image; whereby it becomes possible to correct a detection signal from said photoelectric cell close to a predetermined reference target value.
US08314929B2
A defect inspection apparatus is capable of inspecting an extremely small defect present on the top and edge surfaces of a sample such as a semiconductor substrate or a thin film substrate with high sensitivity and at high speed. The defect inspection apparatus has an illumination optical system, a plurality of detection optical units and a signal processor. One or more of the detection optical units receives either light diffracted from an edge portion of the sample or light diffracted from an edge grip holding the sample. The one or more of the detection optical units shields the diffracted light received by the detection optical unit based on a signal obtained by monitoring an intensity of the diffracted light received by the detection optical unit in order to inspect a sample portion located near the edge portion and a sample portion located near the edge grip.
US08314925B2
A fiber-optic based thrust load measurement system is coupled to a bearing housing. The measurement system includes at least one fiber optic sensor configured to detect one or more parameters related to the bearing housing. An optical coupler is configured to regulate light signals emitted from a light source and light signals reflected from the fiber optic sensor. A detector system is configured to receive light signals from the optical coupler. A processor is configured to receive an output from the detector system and to determine a thrust load on a thrust bearing based on the detected one or more parameters related to the bearing housing.
US08314924B2
A CMOS-implementable TOF detector promptly collects charge whose creation time can be precisely known, while rejecting collection of potentially late arriving charge whose creation time may not be precisely known. Charges created in upper regions of the detector structure are ensured to be rapidly collected, while charges created in the lower regions of the detector structure, potentially late arriving charges, are inhibiting from being collected.
US08314922B2
A telecentricity corrector is incorporated into a microlithographic projection system to achieve telecentricity targets at the output of the microlithographic projection system. The telecentricity corrector is located between an illuminator and a projection lens of the projection system, preferably just in advance of a reticle for controlling angular distributions of light illuminating the reticle.
US08314921B2
An exposure apparatus for producing exposed structures in a photosensitive layer arranged on an object is provided. An object carrier and an exposure device, which can be moved relative to one another in an advance direction, enable exposure spots to be produced on the photosensitive layer in a position-controlled manner. The exposure device has at least one exposure unit with a series of radiation exit regions which are arranged successively in a series direction and from which exposure beams emerge, by means of each of which, passed through an imaging optical system, an exposure spot can be produced on the photosensitive layer and each of which can be deflected by a deflection unit in a deflection direction running transversely to the series direction, such that each exposure beam can produce exposure spots that at least partly overlap one another in a multiplicity of successive positions in the deflection direction.
US08314918B2
A display includes a display device having a first polarizer and a second polarizer or a reflector, and a display layer disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer or the reflector. A liquid crystal layer is disposed between the display layer and one of the first polarizer and the second polarizer or reflector. The liquid crystal molecules of at least one region of the liquid crystal layer are switchable between a first state in which the display has a first display mode with a first viewing angle range and a second state in which the display has a second display mode having a second viewing angle range smaller than the first viewing angle range. In the second state, liquid crystal molecules of the at least one region are tilted with respect to the normal axis of the display over at least a portion of the thickness of the liquid crystal layer, and lie substantially parallel to a plane defined by the normal axis of the display and the transmission axis or absorption axis of the first polarizer or one of the first and second polarizers.
US08314915B2
A liquid crystal display panel includes a pair of substrates having a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. One of the substrates includes a plurality of scanning lines and signal lines which are arrayed on a display region so as to form a matrix shape, a common wiring formed on a peripheral area surrounding the display region, an interlayer film, pixel electrodes, an inter-electrode insulating film, and a common electrode that is electrically connected to the common wiring. On the surface of the common electrode, or between the common electrode and the inter-electrode insulating film, a conductive layer, which is composed of a material of a conductivity superior to a conductivity of the transparent conductive material composing the common electrode, is formed at locations overlapped with locations at which the plurality of scanning lines and the signal lines are formed.
US08314914B2
A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate facing a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates, a first electrode disposed on the first substrate and being planar, and a second electrode disposed on the first substrate with branch electrodes overlapping the first electrode. The branch electrode includes boundary regions disposed at opposing ends thereof and at least two main regions disposed between the boundary regions. The main regions include a first main region adjacent to a second main region. A first angle, formed by the branch electrode in the first main region with respect to a first direction, is different from a second angle formed by the branch electrode in the second main region with respect to the first direction. A third angle, formed by the branch electrode in the boundary regions with respect to the first direction, is larger than the first and second angles.
US08314908B2
A liquid crystal display device that has a higher contrast ratio in a wide viewing angle and that can be easily produced at low cost. The liquid crystal display device may include polarizers and multiple birefringent layers. A first birefringent layer (I) can have an in-plane slow axis forming an angle of about 45° with an absorption axis of the first polarizer; the second birefringent layer (I) can have an in-plane slow axis substantially orthogonal to the in-plane slow axis of the first birefringent layer (I).
US08314902B2
Disclosed is a transparent display device that includes a LCD panel; a light source at one side of a lower portion of the LCD panel to emit light; a first polarizing plate polarizing light emitted from the light source; a light guide plate at a lower portion of the LCD panel to totally reflect the light polarized to an axis by the first polarizing plate to a lateral surface and supply to the LCD panel, and transmit natural light from a lower direction; a second polarizing plate at an upper portion of the LCD panel to control the amount of polarized light passing through the LCD panel; and an optical sheet at a lower portion of the light guide plate to change the polarized state of a first polarized light from the light guide plate and reflect the light, and transmit a second polarized component from the lower portion therethrough.
US08314901B2
Disclosed are a backlight unit and a display device. The backlight unit includes a bottom cover including first and second longer sides and first and second shorter sides, a light emitting module disposed on at least one of the first and second longer sides and the first and second shorter sides in the bottom cover, a light guide plate having at least a part disposed on the light emitting module in the bottom cover, an optical sheet on the light guide plate, a support member connected to the bottom cover and having at least a part disposed on the optical sheet, and a top cover disposed on the support member and connected to the bottom cover.
US08314891B2
A digital broadcast receiving system and a method for controlling the same are disclosed. The method includes the steps of receiving a broadcast signal having mobile service data and main service data multiplexed therein, extracting transmission parameter channel (TPC) signaling information and fast information channel (FIC) signaling information from a data group within the received mobile service data, wherein the FIC signaling information includes a current/next (C/N) indicator, and wherein the TPC signaling information includes FIC version information, and detecting ensemble configuration information of a current MH frame.
US08314869B2
An imaging system capable of black level calibration includes an imaging pixel array, at least one black reference pixel, and peripheral circuitry. The imaging pixel array includes a plurality of active pixels each coupled to capture image data. The black reference pixel is coupled to generate a black reference signal for calibrating the image data. Light transmitting layers are disposed on a first side of a pixel array die including the imaging system and cover at least the imaging pixel array and the black reference pixel. A light shielding layer is disposed on the first side of the pixel array die and covers a portion of the light transmitting layers and the black reference pixel without covering the imaging pixel array.
US08314866B2
A color pixel array includes a plurality of micropixels. Each micropixel includes a photosensitive element and a color filter optically aligned with the photosensitive element to filter incident light prior to reaching the photosensitive element. The micropixels are organized into a repeating pattern of triangular macropixels each having a triangular shape within the color pixel array.
US08314862B2
A filter circuit includes: a first weight-coefficient calculating unit calculating first weight coefficients concerning pixel levels in a first pixel and second pixels surrounding the first pixel; a first weight-coefficient adjusting unit replacing, when the first weight coefficients of a pair of the second pixels symmetrically arranged across the first pixel are different from each other, the first weight coefficient of the second pixel having a larger one of the first weight coefficients of the pair of the second pixels with the first weight coefficient of the second pixel having a smaller one of the first weight coefficients; a third weight-coefficient calculating unit integrating the first weight coefficients and second weight coefficients concerning positions of the pixels to calculate third weight coefficients of the pixels; and a correction processing unit correcting the pixel level of the first pixel using the third weight coefficients and the pixel levels of the pixels.
US08314851B2
When calculating the amount of color blur suppression based on gradient values at edge portions of image data, the degree of color blur suppression has been different between a non-addition readout method and an addition readout method even with an identical subject. To solve this problem, there is provided an image processing apparatus that calculates a suppression coefficient so as to suppress color blur when a gradient value exceeds a threshold value, and sets up the threshold value so that the gradient value range required for color blur suppression when an image sensor is driven by the addition readout method to generate image data is wider than the gradient value range required when the image sensor is driven by the non-addition readout method.
US08314847B2
An apparatus, method, computer useable medium, and processor programmed to automatically generate tone mapping curves in a digital camera based on image metadata are described. Rather than having a static tone mapping curve for all images, the curve can be varied automatically based on, e.g., the brightness histogram of the image. In one embodiment, a certain percentage of the least bright pixels and a certain percentage of the brightest pixels can be disregarded, while the remaining pixels can be linearly stretched to encompass the original range of brightness values. Based on the distribution of the resultant stretched brightness histogram, slopes for the low end (S0) and high end (S1) of the tone mapping curve can be independently determined, and the tone mapping curve can be automatically generated. The improved, automatically generated tone mapping curve may be able to lift shadows more aggressively and/or increase the dynamic range of the image.
US08314841B2
An exemplary image stabilizer includes a stationary supporting frame, a moveable frame, a driving assembly and a resilient assembly. The moveable frame is moveably received in the stationary supporting frame and spaced from the stationary supporting frame. The driving assembly includes a first magnetic member and a second magnetic member. The first magnetic member is positioned on the stationary supporting frame. The second magnetic member is positioned on the moveable frame. The driving assembly is configured for driving the moveable frame to rotate relative to the stationary supporting frame through interaction between the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member. The resilient assembly interconnects the stationary supporting frame and the moveable frame and is configured for counter-rotating the moveable frame relative to the stationary supporting frame.
US08314839B2
A concealment (10) for equipment (13) including imaging devices, audio equipment, and sensors. The concealment comprises a frame (12) which, when assembled, forms the outline of a naturally occurring or manmade object. A covering (22) fits over the assembled frame. An outer surface (24) of the covering has a texture and finish that passes for the outer surface of the natural or manmade object the concealment represents. The frame provides a mounting for the equipment installed within the concealment, with the equipment being positioned to provide surveillance of an area (A) within which the concealment is located. The frame and covering are both made from materials which do not interfere with the transmission of signals from the equipment to a monitoring site, nor the reception of signals from the monitoring site to the equipment installed within the concealment to control operation of the equipment.
US08314838B2
A mobile device (104) interacts with a media collection system (102). The media collection system has a communication nodes (106) placed at various locations in a region, area, or facility where the mobile device may be carried by a user. The mobile device interacts (306) with the media collection system over a short range radio link (206) to request media collection service. The media collection system then uses media collection devices (107) in the same region, area, or facility as the communication nodes to record media, thereby producing a record of the user's experiences in the region, area, or facility. The collected media is stored on a database (112) which accessible by the user using an access identifier.
US08314811B2
Mip-map construction is provided for three-dimensional rendering from an anisotropic dataset. One or more mip-map levels are generated by down sampling in the world space rather than texture space. The down sampling may be by an arbitrary scale factor rather than a power of two. For example, the voxels may be down sampled along one dimension by less than half (e.g., 16 to 12). The scale factors may be different along different dimensions. This non-uniform reduction in voxels may result in the mip-map being more isotropic than the anisotropic dataset.
US08314805B2
The present invention provides a control method for switching display between a plurality of OSs as well as a computer system. The method comprises: detecting that the currently displayed guest operating system (GOS) is required to be switched from a first GOS to a second GOS; determining whether the first GOS satisfies a preset switching condition, and switching the currently displayed GOS to the second GOS if the preset switching condition is satisfied, and otherwise, prohibiting the switching from the currently displayed GOS. With the method and the computer system, it is possible to avoid picture distortion or blurring or system collapse in switching display between a plurality of OSs.
US08314801B2
Embodiments described herein are directed to automatically generating an animation for a transition between a current state and a new state. In one embodiment, a computer system accesses state properties of a visual element corresponding to a current state the visual element is in and a new state the visual element is to be transitioned to. The state properties include visual properties and transition description information. The computer system determines the differences between the visual properties of the current state and the new state and automatically generates an animation based on the determined differences between the visual properties for the current state and the new state, such that the animation is playable to transition the visual element from the current state to new state.
US08314794B2
Disclosed is a method for generating a digital representation of a surface of an object from point data indicative of coordinates of points on the surface. The method comprises receiving a point data item indicative of coordinates of a point in a first one of a plurality of sub-volumes of a volume to be scanned; determining whether a first predetermined trigger condition is fulfilled for the first sub-volume; and if the first trigger condition is fulfilled, computing a local surface representation associated with the first sub-volume from received point data items associated with at least the first sub-volume; determining whether a second predetermined trigger condition is fulfilled; and if the second trigger condition is fulfilled, computing a surface representation of the surface of the object from a set of computed local surface representations associated with respective sub-volumes.
US08314790B1
Computer-implemented methods for automatically adjusting an opacity of layers in a three-dimensional (3D) object are provided. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a request to display data for a 3D object having a plurality of layers, and providing, for display, data for a view of the 3D object. An opacity of each of the layers of the 3D object in the view is adjusted based on a position of the view of the 3D object. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.
US08314787B2
Driver IC 1 including a built-in charge pump power supply is mounted on display panel 5. Among wirings connected to driver IC 1, the width of FPC mounting pad 4 of connection wiring 3 leading to a driver built-in power supply is widened as compared with pads 4 of other wirings 2. In addition, a portion of terminal intervals of a terminal array of FPC mounting pad 4 is widened as compared with other terminal intervals so that a wiring path from pad 4 to driver IC 1 is reduced. Similar terminal widths and terminal intervals are adopted for terminal 6 on the side of flexible substrate 7 electrically connected to FPC mounting pad 4 by pressure bonding.
US08314786B2
The present invention proposes a wireless control system and method which may be mainly used in illumination networks. The wireless control system and method of the invention distributes data signals to be transmitted at a control terminal in different time slots of different frequencies for transmission, while each node in the system will only receive its corresponding data signal in a predetermined time slot of a predetermined frequency. Thus a high operating rate can be obtained at the control terminal while maintaining the operating rate of the node unchanged. This helps to greatly reduce the cost of the wireless transceiver of each node, thereby correspondingly reducing the cost of the whole system and realizing a high expansibility.
US08314785B2
A plasma display device includes a plasma display panel, a chassis base and circuit board assemblies mounted on the chassis base. The plasma display panel includes: a front substrate, a rear substrate, and a plurality of electrodes between the front and rear substrates; and an electrode pattern formed on the rear substrate and separate from the plurality of electrodes. The chassis base is adjacent the rear substrate. The electrode pattern is configured for transmitting power and signals utilized to drive the plurality of electrodes from at least one of the plurality of circuit board assemblies.
US08314767B2
Elements of the present invention relate to systems and methods for generating, modifying and applying backlight array driving values. In some embodiments, color ratios are used to determine backlight array driving values that reduce color shift at side-view angles. In some embodiments, backlight color values may be adjusted to also reduce color shift from side-view angles.
US08314766B2
A liquid crystal display panel includes a display area, a wiring area, and an external circuit area, wherein the wiring area is between the display area and the external circuit area. The liquid crystal display panel includes many pixel structures, external pads and wiring sets. Each wiring set includes a plurality of upper-layer main wires disposed on one plane and lower-layer main wires disposed on another plane, wherein the two planes are parallel. In addition, each upper-layer main wire corresponds to one lower-layer main wire and the shadow which the upper-layer main wire vertically projects on the surface overlaps a part of the corresponding lower-layer main wire. The light leakage around the display area can be eliminated by proper arrangement of main wiring sets, and therefore the display quality is improved.
US08314758B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a display device. In an embodiment, the display device includes a scanning signal line for transferring a scanning signal, a data line crossing the scanning signal line and transferring a data voltage, a switching transistor connected to the scanning signal line and the data line, a driving transistor connected to the switching transistor, a first transistor connected between the driving transistor and a driving voltage terminal, and a light-emitting element connected between the driving transistor and a common voltage terminal. The first transistor operates in a saturation region, and the driving transistor operates in a linear region. In this way, display characteristics may be improved by reducing deviation of a driving current due to deviation of characteristics of a driving transistor or a driving voltage.
US08314756B2
This invention relates to pixel driver circuits for active matrix optoelectronic devices, in particular OLED (organic light emitting diodes) displays. We describe an active matrix optoelectronic device having a plurality of active matrix pixels each said pixel including a pixel circuit comprising a thin film transistor (TFT) for driving the pixel and a pixel capacitor for storing a pixel value, wherein said TFT comprises a TFT with a floating gate.
US08314752B2
In a method for driving a display device, an address counter is used for generating a plurality of address variables corresponding to data of a scan line. Next, an address mapping circuit generates a first target address by data-mapping an address variable, and generates a second target address by data mapping data stored in an address look-up table memory. Subsequently, a row buffer memory accesses data corresponding to a first scan line based on the first target address, and accesses data corresponding to a second scan line based on the second target address.
US08314745B2
A reflector antenna includes a reflector, a primary radiator, an arm, and a feed unit (a coaxial cable and a coaxial connector). The reflector has a reflecting surface for reflecting a radio wave, and the reflecting surface is shaped as a paraboloid of revolution. The primary radiator is arranged on a focus side of the reflector, and radiates a radio wave from the focus side toward the reflecting surface. The arm is arranged to extend from the reflecting surface side to the focus side of the reflector, and supports the primary radiator so as to be rotatable with respect to the reflector. The feed unit feeds the primary radiator via the arm so that the direction of the arm and the direction of polarization of the radio wave radiated from the primary radiator are perpendicular to each other.
US08314743B2
A portable electronic device includes a circuit board and an antenna coil installed on the circuit board. The antenna coil includes a magnetic core and a coil wound at either side of an unwound portion. The winding direction of the coil is changed at either side of the unwound portion. When the length of the magnetic core is defined as X and the distance between two intersecting points at which a virtual line formed by projecting the central line of the magnetic core onto the circuit board intersects the outer periphery of the circuit board is defined as Y, the antenna coil satisfies Y≧X≧0.8Y.
US08314736B2
Some embodiments use scanning devices to characterize radio signals received at a number of locations within a geographical area of interest. The signal characteristics along with the location information associated with the characteristics are stored in a centralized reference database. A mobile device characterizes signals it receives at a certain location and compares the characteristics with the signal characteristics stored in the reference database to obtain accurate location information of the certain location.
US08314734B2
A GPS, GLONASS or Galileo receiver for radio positioning signals wherein at least a part of the computing of position related data based on radio signals received from a plurality of space vehicles is carried out by a graphics or sound processor. The receiver thus makes use of available computing resources, thus achieving a lower bill of material.
US08314733B1
A radar system tracks targets, and for each target determines the maximum acceleration of the target which can be tracked. The target acceleration is compared with the maximum acceleration that the radar can maintain in track, and if the decision is that the radar cannot maintain track, the radar data rate is increased, at least for that target. In at least some cases in which the target acceleration is such that the target can be maintained in track, the data rate for that target is decreased.
US08314730B1
Methods and mobile platforms are disclosed for using vehicles to gather meteorological data. A method identifies a location that is relevant to a particular meteorological model based on modeling parameters of the particular meteorological model. Meteorological data is collected aboard a vehicle. The meteorological data is indicative of a meteorological condition in an area within sensor range of the vehicle. At least a portion of the meteorological data is transmitted to a modeling station remote from the vehicle in response to determining that the vehicle is proximate the location.
US08314729B2
A remote control having a touch-sensitive key pad, an energy store, a transmitter, two plates joined together on which these are arranged, and a position sensor which provides an on/off function depending on its position or orientation.
US08314726B2
A circuit and method for providing a digital output indicative of the time at which an event occurred is disclosed. In one aspect, the circuit includes a fine timing circuit configured to determine in which sub-interval of a clock period the event occurred, and a correction circuit configured to correct an erroneous offset between a first and second clock signals in the fine timing circuit. The correction circuit includes a synch circuit configured to determine in which half of the clock period the event occurred so as to correct for erroneous offset in the fine timing circuit.
US08314725B2
In one embodiment, an analog-to-digital conversion in an integrated circuit is evaluated by an on-die testing circuit. For example, the on-die test circuit 370 can characterize one or both of the linearity and monotonicity of the digital-to-analog conversion. The value of a conversion output for a digital input code may be compared to the value of a prior conversion output of a prior step to provide digital difference values for each step of a sweep of digital input codes. Digital difference values may be compared to one or more predetermined limits to provide one or more pass/fail tests on-board the die. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08314723B2
A ghost key detecting circuit includes at least first and second scan lines, at least first and second return lines, a plurality of switch elements, and a level detecting circuit. The level detecting circuit is used for performing level detection upon measured voltage values at the first and second return lines. When a measured voltage value at a return line is greater than or equal to a reference voltage value, the level detecting circuit generates a logic signal for indicating that a switch element corresponding to the return line at a current scan line is turned off. When the measured voltage value is smaller than the reference voltage value, the level detecting circuit generates a logic signal for indicating that the switch element is turned on.
US08314717B2
A meter reading system includes a meter reading wireless mesh network having wireless meter reading nodes in communication with an access point. Each wireless meter reading node has an address associated therewith. The meter reading wireless mesh network is configured to establish a network address field for each wireless meter reading node based upon a length field and a value field of a respective address, and communicate within the wireless mesh network using the network address fields.
US08314716B2
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel for a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) sensor used for building automation controls. The OLED display will transmit information to the building occupant relating to heating ventilation and air conditioning outputs.
US08314705B2
This invention relates generally to a method and system for storing, retrieving, and managing data for tags that are associated in some manner to any type of object. More particularly, the present invention writes data to these tags, reads data from these tags, and manages data that is written to and/or read from these tags.In addition, the invention accesses and/or stores data associated with tags from or into repositories, constructs and maintains data structures from these repositories and responds to queries using the data structures.
US08314702B2
A proximity information device includes a body, a radio frequency identification (RFID) integrated circuit (IC) supported by the body, and a threshold detector coupled to the RFID IC. The RFID IC is operative to transmit a response message in response to an interrogation signal if the threshold detector indicates that a detected magnetic and electric field and the relative strength of magnetic field compared to the electric field satisfy a predetermined threshold.
US08314689B2
A vehicular vision system includes a CMOS photosensor array including a plurality of photosensor elements. The photosensor array is disposed at an interior portion of a vehicle and has a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through the windshield of the vehicle at a windshield area that is swept by the windshield wipers. The photosensor array has a field of view forward of the vehicle that is generally in line with the vehicle's primary direction of forward travel. A control includes an image processor that processes image data captured by the photosensor array. The control may analyze image data captured by photosensor elements where an object exterior of the equipped vehicle is determined to be present more than the control analyzes image data captured by other photosensor elements where the determined object is not present.
US08314688B2
An ultra low power, low complexity, low collision, deterministic modulation method that also works as a massive medium access mechanism for communication systems is based on positioning data in a communication resource space, such as time and frequency, such that the position of a symbol in that space determines its value and its access to the medium. The number base of the symbol is determined by the size of the subset of the resource space it is positioning itself in and, thereby, a few sparsely located symbols can convey a large value, while the remainder of the space can be simultaneously and massively used by other sparsely resource using members of the network.
US08314686B2
A security system including an RFID subsystem for detecting entry of an RFID tag within a monitored area; an RFID token associated with a person accessing the monitored area; and an indicator system for providing an indication when the person enters into the monitored area.
US08314685B2
A method of detecting a signal in radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder (FIG. 1) is disclosed. The method includes receiving a signal (FIG. 7) having a first time in a first logic state (high) and having a second time in a second logic state (low). A weight (700, 702) is determined in response to the first time and the second time. An output signal (from A2D) is produced in response to the weight and one of the first and second logic states.
US08314668B1
In one aspect, a meter disconnect relay is described that is comprised of a base, an actuator, a shuttle and one or more disconnect switches. The shuttle is operably connected to and moved by a plunger of the actuator. The one or more disconnect switches can be opened or closed by movement of the shuttle, wherein each disconnect switch is comprised of a rigid, conductive bridging section comprising at least two contacts; a conductive source portion having a source contact and a conductive load portion having a load contact, wherein one or more of the source contact, the load contact and the at least two contacts of the bridging portion are at least partially comprised of silver refractory materials.
US08314666B2
A resonator, an elastic wave transmission element and a method for fabricating the transmission element are provided. The elastic wave transmission element has a first side and a second side. The elastic wave transmission element includes a plurality of structures sequentially arranged along a direction from the first side toward the second side. Each of the structures has a different defect which is different to each other. The impedance of the structures decreases gradually along the direction. As such, the elastic wave transmission element has an impedance match function.
US08314654B2
The present invention relates to a Multi-Band Doherty amplifier. Embodiments of the present invention provide an amplifying structure including a main amplifier configured to amplify a first signal, a peak amplifier configured to amplify a second signal, a tunable impedance inverter configured to perform impedance inversion to modulate a load impedance of the main amplifier, and a combining node configured to receive the amplified second signal from the peak amplifier and an output of the tunable impedance inverter. The tunable impedance inverter includes a tuner configured to tune the impedance inversion over at least one broad frequency band. The tuner is (i) at least one capacitor, (i) at least one varactor, or (ii) at least one open stub shunted by a diode.
US08314652B2
An RC filter is calibrated to a desired cutoff frequency by initializing the filter with a cutoff frequency. An input signal is filtered by the RC filter to provide a filter output signal having phase and frequency values. The cutoff frequency of the RC filter is adjusted based on the phase and frequency values of the filter output signal if the phase and frequency values do not satisfy a predetermined condition. The filtering and adjusting are repeated until the phase and frequency values of the filter output signal satisfy the predetermined condition. A calibration apparatus has a frequency generator, a resistor-capacitor (RC) filter, a phase comparator, a frequency detector, and a state machine. The phase comparator, frequency detector, and state machine are configured to calibrate the RC filter to a cutoff frequency specified by the reference signal based on a filter output signal of the RC filter.
US08314651B2
An internal voltage generator includes: a detection unit configured to detect a level of an internal voltage in comparison to a reference voltage; a first driving unit configured to discharge an internal voltage terminal, through which the internal voltage is outputted, in response to an output signal of the detection unit; a current detection unit configured to detect a discharge current flowing through the first driving unit; and a second driving unit configured to charge the internal voltage terminal in response to an output signal of the current detection unit.
US08314650B2
Disclosed is a reference voltage generating circuit including a constant current circuit which comprises: a first resistive element and a bipolar transistor connected in series between a supply voltage terminal and a constant potential point; a first MOS transistor having a gate connected to a node connecting the first resistive element with the bipolar transistor; a second resistive element connected in series between a source of the first MOS transistor and the constant potential point; a second MOS transistor connected between a drain of the first MOS transistor and the supply voltage terminal; and a third MOS transistor forming a current mirror in conjunction with the second MOS transistor, wherein a constant current generated by the constant current circuit or a current proportional to the generated constant current is converted to a voltage as a reference voltage.
US08314649B1
Provided is a semiconductor apparatus including a divided voltage generation circuit that includes a first resistor element and a first transistor connected in series between a first power supply and a second power supply and generates a divided voltage by dividing a voltage difference between the first power supply and the second power supply with a resistance ratio of the first resistor element and the first transistor specified according to a level of a first current flowing to the first transistor, and a current control circuit that includes a second transistor that is connected in a mirror configuration to the first transistor and determines the level of the first current by a control current flowing from a first terminal to a second terminal, and increases and decreases the control current according to an increase and decrease in a voltage difference between the first power supply and a ground power supply.
US08314646B2
The purpose is to detect minute electrical signals embedded in noise with a simple device configuration and easily reduce the area of the device by utilizing a semiconductor device in particular. This signal reproducing device (1) includes: N FETs (61 to 6N) each receiving a common input signal (VIN) at a gate terminal and having a bias voltage (VDD) applied to a drain terminal; and an adder circuit (4) connected to source terminals of the FETs (61 to 6N), for combining currents between the drain terminals and the source terminals of the FETs (61 to 6N) and outputting the resulting current, wherein the FETs (61 to 6N) and the bias voltage (VDD) are set so that a voltage at the gate terminal having the common input signal (VIN) applied thereto falls within a subthreshold region of voltages less than a threshold voltage of the FETs (61 to 6N).
US08314640B2
A driver circuit drives a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller. The driver circuit includes an enabling circuit, a power supply input control circuit, a stabilizing circuit, and a discharge circuit. The stabilizing circuit is electrically connected to the PWM controller. The power supply input control circuit is electrically connected between the enabling circuit and the stabilizing circuit. The discharge circuit is electrically connected between the stabilizing circuit and the ground. In response to the driver circuit working in normal operation, the enabling circuit enables the power supply input control circuit to output a working voltage to the stabilizing circuit, and in response to the process of the driver circuit restarting, the enabling circuit enables the power supply input to stop outputting power supply to the stabilizing circuit. The discharge circuit leads a residual voltage of the stabilizing circuit to the ground, during the process of the driver circuit being restarted.
US08314632B1
A core logic portion of a clocked digital circuit is switched to be powered by a standby mode power voltage lower than a normal mode power voltage when the circuit is switched into a low power standby mode (LPSM). The standby mode power voltage is too low relative to normal ground to deterministically drive a transition logic portion of the circuit. However, a special ground bus (GNDx) is provided in the transition logic portion and that special ground bus (GNDx) is pulled down to a negative voltage below normal ground when the circuit is switched into the low power standby mode (LPSM).
US08314631B2
The invention discloses a testing system and a testing method. The testing system includes a testing platform and a fetching device. The testing platform includes a metal base plate, a DUT board, a testing stand and a metal wall. The DUT board is disposed on the metal base plate. The testing stand is disposed on the DUT board. The metal wall is disposed on the metal base plate and surrounds the testing stand. The fetching device is movably disposed above the testing platform and used for placing a DUT on the testing stand. A metal covering plate of the fetching device corresponds to the metal wall of the testing platform. When the fetching device places the DUT on the testing stand, the metal covering plate cooperates with the metal wall and the metal base plate of the testing platform to form an isolated space, so as to isolate the DUT.
US08314629B2
A serial attached small computer system interface (SCSI) (SAS) interface output signal detecting apparatus includes an SAS female connector, an SAS male connector, and two subminiature version A (SMA) connectors. Each of the SAS female and male connectors includes first and second groups of data pins and a group of power pins. The power pins of the SAS female connector are connected to the power pins of the SAS male connector. The SMA connectors are connected to two data output pins of the second or first group of data pins of the SAS female connector in response to the first group of data pins of the SAS female connector being connected to the first group of data pins of the SAS male connector or the second group of data pins of the SAS female connector being connected to the second group of data pins of the SAS male connector.
US08314625B2
In a test structure for determining dielectric breakdown events of a metallization system of semiconductor devices, a built-in compliance functionality may allow reliable switching off of the test voltage prior to causing high leakage currents, which may conventionally result in significant damage. Consequently, further failure analysis may be possible after the occurrence of a dielectric breakdown event.
US08314618B2
Apparatus and methods for quantification of transverse relaxation times (T2) using steady-state free precession sequences (generally known as fast imaging sequences) and their sensitivity to a quadratic increase of the RF pulse phase, also known as RF spoiling. Using at least two image acquisitions with different partial RF spoiling increments, T2 can be assessed with high precision and with short acquisition times in the limit of large excitation angles being independent on the longitudinal relaxation time (T1) and magnetization transfer effects as compared to other SSFP based quantitative T2 methods. This invention is not restricted to any kind of target and may be applied in 3D as well as in 2D.
US08314614B2
A device for MRI of a body (7) placed in an examination volume includes a main magnet (2) for establishing a substantially homogeneous main magnetic field in the examination volume. Gradient coils (3, 4, 5) generate switched magnetic field gradients superimposed upon the main magnetic field. An RF antenna (6) radiates RF pulses towards the body (7). A control system (12) controls the generation of the magnetic field gradients and the RF pulses. A demodulator (10) receives and samples MR signals. A computer (14) forms MR images from the signal samples. The computer (1) is arranged to generate a series of MR signals by subjecting at least a portion of the body (7) to an MRI sequence, to acquire the MR signals as a plurality of k-space blades according to the PROPELLER scheme, to compute phase errors from the phase differences of pairs of k-space blades having different rotation angles, to perform a phase correction of the acquired k-space blades on the basis of the computed phase errors, and to reconstruct an MR image from the acquired and phase-corrected MR data set.
US08314611B2
A magnetic particle inspection (MPI) apparatus is disclosed that includes a chordal field coil pair and a radial field coil pair. The chordal field coil pair includes first and second chordal field coils configured to produce a chordally oriented magnetic flux about a test article.
US08314606B2
A method can include obtaining a voltage across a first transistor as an obtained voltage. The method can also include multiplying the obtained voltage by a predetermined multiple M to yield a multiplied voltage. The method can further include applying the multiplied voltage to a second transistor, wherein the second transistor is N times smaller than the first transistor. The method can additionally include providing an output current of the second transistor as an M/N scaled estimate of an output current of the first transistor.
US08314589B2
A battery pack is constructed with a rechargeable battery, a protection circuit part that protects the battery when the battery is charged and discharged, and a switching unit that turns on or off a power source of the protection circuit part. Also, the battery pack may be constructed with a rechargeable battery, a protection circuit part that protects the battery when the battery is charged and discharged, and electric wiring lines constructed so that the power source of the protection circuit part may be turned on and off. When the battery pack is not connected to a charger or a load by the switching unit or the electric wire lines, the power source of the circuit is blocked to prevent the battery pack from being shorted and to reduce the idle power. When the battery pack is connected to the charger or the load, the power source is applied to the circuit so that the circuit operates.
US08314583B2
An electrical submersible pumping (ESP) system can include a pump located in a wellbore, a motor attached to the pump, a power source located at the surface, a cable electrically coupling the power source and the motor, and a current sensor. The ESP system can also include a controller communicating with the current sensor to calculate a voltage drop associated with the cable responsive to an impedance of the cable. The controller can also control a power source output voltage responsive to the calculated voltage drop. For example, the controller can adjust the power source output voltage to minimize a cable current while maintaining a minimum motor voltage. The controller can also control a motor shaft speed by changing a power source output voltage frequency to compensate for changing slip and adjust the power source output voltage to minimize the cable current while maintaining a minimum motor voltage.
US08314579B2
A sensorless motor control device includes a magnetic pole position estimating unit that does not use a sensor to detect a magnetic pole position of a motor having a salient rotor, and overlays a high-frequency current on the motor to estimate the magnetic pole position of the rotor of the motor; and a high-frequency current control unit for changing a magnitude of the high-frequency current based on a magnitude of one of a torque and a current of the motor.
US08314573B2
A discharge lamp lighting circuit facilitates carrying out re-ignition and addresses a problem than can arise due to an influence of a capacitor in an auxiliary lighting circuit. A driving voltage generating portion supplies an AC driving voltage to a discharge lamp to be a driving target. An auxiliary lighting circuit is provided on a terminal side of the discharge lamp. An auxiliary lighting capacitor, an auxiliary lighting resistor and a switch are provided in series between the terminal of the discharge lamp and a fixed voltage terminal. A control circuit controls a conducting state of the switch. The switch is brought into an ON state before the discharge lamp is turned ON, and is brought into an OFF state after the discharge lamp is turned ON.
US08314570B2
A high pressure discharge lamp light source device is provided having a quartz glass discharge vessel enclosing two opposed electrodes that are spaced apart by at most 2.0 mm, each electrode having a projection formed at a tip end thereof, at least 0.20 mg/mm3 of mercury and a halogen; and a power supply device for supplying alternating current to the lamp, The power supply device is adapted to switch between a nominal electric power lighting mode and a low electric power lighting mode having a defined current value in a range of 40 to 70% of a nominal electric power consumption. In the low power mode, the power supply alternately supplies a base current in a range between 100 Hz and 5 kHz a boost current having a higher current value than that of the base current.
US08314567B2
A circuit for controlling illumination means in a display includes illumination means arranged in a series-connection that are supplied with an essentially constant current. For individually controlling the illumination means, switches are provided for bypassing individual illumination means, maintaining the essentially constant current in the series-connection. The switches are floating with respect to a ground potential. A coupling means is thus provided for proper control of the switches. In a development of the invention a floating local power supply is provided with each illumination means and switch for operating the switch. The local power supply is, in one embodiment, powered by the control signal that is used for controlling the bypass switch. In another embodiment provision is made for supplying power to the floating local power supply. A driving method according to the embodiments of the circuit is also described.
US08314560B2
An induction coil composed of n pieces of identically shaped coil elements (where n is equal to or greater than two), which are rotation-symmetrically arranged with respect to an axis normal to the surface of an object to be processed, is provided above the object, the coil elements being electrically connected in parallel. Each of the coil elements of the induction coil encircles the aforementioned axis, with the ground end and the feed end located at the same position on a projection plane on the object with the ground end under the feed end. Each coil element has a bottom portion shaped like an arc having a predetermined width and a central angle of 360°/n, with the ground end at one end thereof, and a feed portion shaped like an arc having a predetermined width, with the feed end at one end thereof, the feed portion being located above the bottom portion and electrically connected to the same bottom portion. It is also possible to assemble a plurality of coil elements so that the ground end of each coil element is located immediately below the feed end of another coil element.
US08314557B2
At an initial stage of a discharge start, a shield electrode is connected to a ground potential via a bidirectional voltage trigger switch. Thereafter, when an electrical charge within the shield electrode flows to the ground potential, by being triggered with this potential, both terminals of the bidirectional voltage trigger switch are disconnected therebetween. Thus, at an initial stage of discharge, charging of the shield electrode is suppressed to suppress a decline in discharge, and in a sustained discharge, destabilization due to an unwanted discharge from the shield electrode to the anode can be suppressed, and using such an electrode automatically allows improving the lighting performance of a discharge lamp.
US08314548B2
The light-emitting element of the present invention includes a light-emitting layer and a layer for controlling movement of carriers between a pair of electrodes. The layer for controlling movement of carriers includes a first organic compound having a carrier transporting property and a second organic compound for reducing the carrier transporting property of the first organic compound, and the second organic compound is dispersed in the first organic compound. The layer for controlling movement of carriers is provided in such a manner, whereby change in carrier balance with time can be suppressed. Therefore, a light-emitting element having a long lifetime can be obtained.
US08314538B2
A dielectric barrier discharge lamp (1) with a discharge vessel, which has an outer tube (2), which surrounds a discharge space (4) filled with a discharge medium, an outer electrode (6), which is arranged on the outer side of the outer tube (2), an elongate inner electrode (7), which is arranged axially within the outer tube (2), at least one retaining disk (8) with an axial bore, through which the elongate inner electrode (7) runs, the retaining disk (8) extending substantially from the inner electrode (7) up to the inner side of the outer tube (2), as a result of which the inner electrode (7) is centered at least indirectly within the discharge vessel. The retaining disk (8) is supported on both sides loosely in the direction of the longitudinal axis by means of a supporting means (9a-9c) on the left-hand side and a supporting means (10a-10c) on the right-hand side.
US08314535B2
A piezoelectric multilayer component has a stack of green piezoceramic layers arranged one on top of the other. A first electrode layer is applied onto a piezoceramic layer and contains a first metal. A structured sacrificial layer is applied onto a further piezoceramic layer, adjacent to the first electrode layer in the stacking direction, and contains a higher concentration of the first metal than does the first electrode layer. When the intermediate product is sintered, the first metal diffuses from the structured sacrificial layer to the first electrode layer and in the process leaves cavities which form a weak layer.
US08314532B2
A drive device includes a stator; a rotatably provided drive member; a piezoelectric element, which is nipped between the stator and the drive member in a tangential line direction of a rotation locus circle of the drive member, and expands and contracts in the tangential line direction at an expansion speed at the time of the expansion and a contraction speed at the time of the contraction, respectively, the expansion speed and the contraction speed different from each other; and a rotor provided concentrically with the drive member to touch the drive member with a pressure.
US08314528B2
An armature includes an insulator component with a wiring member arranged in a wiring fixing groove positioned outside of an outer wall portion of the insulator component. When a lead wire is wound around the insulator component, a winding start portion and a winding end portion of the lead wire are arranged to intersect with each other in a radial direction to define an intersection portion. The winding start portion is pressed by the winding end portion toward the outer wall portion. A lead wire escape portion spaced from a radially outer end portion of a coil is defined in the outer wall portion. This contributes to preventing the outer wall portion from being deformed by being pressed by the lead wire at the intersection portion, thereby preventing difficulty in arranging the wiring member on the insulator component.
US08314526B2
An engine generator is disclosed in which an engine drives a generator and causes a cooling fan to rotate to cool the generator. The generator includes an intake duct having an intake port provided in a lower portion thereof and oriented downward. Moisture-containing outside air sucked through the intake port impinges on a barrier plate disposed in the intake duct. The barrier plate is located above the intake port and faces the intake port. The moisture adheres to the barrier plate in the form of water droplets, which then fall toward the intake port after having separated from the outside air.
US08314520B2
Provided are a lens driving motor and an elastic member of the lens driving motor. The elastic member of a lens driving motor, the elastic member includes a first spring and a second spring. The second spring is different from the first spring and disposed together with the first spring on one side of a carrier to support the carrier. A first lead line of a coil and a first external power source are connected to the first spring, and a second lead line of the coil and a second external power source are connected to the second spring to supply power to the coil. Since the carrier can be assembled to other part after a (+) lead line and a (−) lead line of the coil are connected to the first and second springs, respectively, using solder, a process is simple and convenient.
US08314519B2
An Electromechanical linear drive with a housing (10) and with at least one piston rod (16) protruding on one side form the housing (10), extending through an opening on the end face housing lid (11), supported by a push element (15) arranged for longitudinal movement in the interior of the housing (10), wherein the push element (15) for its movement is supported by a drive shaft driven by a drive and the piston rod (16) is arranged eccentric to the drive shaft, is characterized in that the push element (15) supporting the at least one piston rod (16) is guided relative to the housing (10) with a force transmitting twist protection formed as interlocking guiding elements arranged at the housing (10) and the push element (15).
US08314508B2
The present invention relates to generating power using wind energy. According to some aspects, the invention uses a passive device to capture wind, and accelerate the wind toward off-the-shelf turbines and other fan blades to generate power in a confined structure. The passive devices to capture wind can have active electronic or mechanical controls to control the amount of wind flowing in the structure to generate power.
US08314507B2
A turbine replacement unit for replacement of at least one double runner horizontal submersible installation for a hydroelectric plant including at least one submerged coupling and at least one submerged bearing supported by a submerged bearing pedestal in which each of the two runners discharge a flow into a common draft tube. The replacement unit includes a single runner positioned to replace each of the two runners, the single runner receiving a flow and discharging the flow into the existing common draft tube. A dry pit assembly is positioned to surround the submerged pedestal and define an air space around the submerged pedestal and an oil-flooded bearing is positioned on the pedestal to replace the submerged bearing. A shaft supports the runner for rotation and is at least partially supported for rotation by the oil-flooded bearing. A generator is coupled to the shaft and is operable to produce an electrical power in response to rotation of the shaft.
US08314502B2
To provide a technique capable of positioning of a semiconductor chip and a mounting substrate with high precision by improving visibility of an alignment mark. In a semiconductor chip constituting an LCD driver, a mark is formed in an alignment mark formation region over a semiconductor substrate. The mark is formed in the same layer as that of an uppermost layer wiring (third layer wiring) in an integrated circuit formation region. Then, in the lower layer of the mark and a background region surrounding the mark, patterns are formed. At this time, the pattern P1a is formed in the same layer as that of a second layer wiring and the pattern P1b is formed in the same layer as that of a first layer wiring. Further, the pattern P2 is formed in the same layer as that of a gate electrode, and the pattern P3 is formed in the same layer as that of an element isolation region.
US08314498B2
An integrated circuit for use, for example, in a backside illuminated imager device includes circuitry provided on a first side of a substrate, a first conductive pad connected to the circuitry and spaced from the first side of the substrate, a second conductive pad spaced from a second side of the substrate, an electrically conductive interconnect formed through the substrate to interconnect the first and second conductive pads, and a dielectric surrounding the second conductive pad and at least a portion of the interconnect. Methods of forming the integrated circuit are also described.
US08314497B2
Stacked microelectronic dies employing die-to-die interconnects and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a stacked system of microelectronic dies includes a first microelectronic die, a second microelectronic die attached to the first die, and a die-to-die interconnect electrically coupling the first die with the second die. The first die includes a back-side surface, a surface depression in the back-side surface, and a first metal contact located within the surface depression. The second die includes a front-side surface and a second metal contact located at the front-side surface and aligned with the first metal contact of the first die. The die-to-die interconnect electrically couples the first metal contact of the first die with the second metal contact of the second die and includes a flowable metal layer that at least partially fills the surface depression of the first die.
US08314496B2
A semiconductor device and an inductor are provided. The semiconductor device includes a top level interconnect metal layer (Mtop) pattern. A below-to-top level interconnect metal layer (Mtop−1) pattern is disposed directly below the top level interconnect metal layer pattern. A first via plug pattern is vertically disposed between the top level interconnect metal layer pattern and the below-to-top level interconnect metal layer pattern, electrically connected to the top level interconnect metal layer pattern and the below-to-top level interconnect metal layer pattern. The top level interconnect metal layer pattern, the below-to-top level interconnect metal layer pattern and the first via plug pattern have profiles parallel with each other from a top view.
US08314493B2
Bump electrodes (conductive members) bonded onto lands disposed at a peripheral portion side than terminals (bonding leads) electrically coupled to pads (electrode pads) of a microcomputer chip (semiconductor chip) are sealed with sealing resin (a sealing body). Thereafter, the sealing resin is ground (removed) partially such that a part of each of the bump electrodes is exposed. The step of protruding the part of each of the bump electrodes from a front surface of the sealing resin is performed, after the grinding step.
US08314484B2
In a structure of a semiconductor device, a Si chip and a metal leadframe are jointed by metallic bond via a porous joint layer made of high conductive metal, having a three-dimensional network structure and using Ag as a bonding material, and a film containing Zn oxide or Al oxide is formed on a surface of a semiconductor assembly contacting to a polymer resin. In this manner, by the joint with the joint layer having the porous structure mainly made of Ag, thermal stress load of the Si chip can be reduced, and fatigue life of the joint layer itself can be improved. Besides, since adhesion of the polymer resin to the film can be enhanced by the anchor effect, occurrence of cracks in a bonding portion can be prevented, so that a highly-reliable Pb-free semiconductor device can be provided.
US08314477B2
A memory cell is provided that includes a semiconductor pillar and a reversible state-change element coupled to the semiconductor pillar. The semiconductor pillar includes a heavily doped bottom region of a first conductivity type, a heavily doped top region of a second conductivity type, and a lightly doped or intrinsic middle region interposed between and contacting the top and bottom regions. The middle region comprises a first proportion of germanium, and either the top region or the bottom region comprises no germanium or comprises a second proportion of germanium less than the first proportion. The reversible state-change element includes a layer of a resistivity-switching metal oxide or nitride compound selected from the group consisting of NiO, Nb2O5, TiO2, HfO2, Al2O3, CoO, MgOx, CrO2, VO, BN, and AlN. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US08314472B2
A semiconductor structure comprises a substrate and a metal layer disposed over the substrate. The metal layer comprises a first electrical trace and a second electrical trace. The semiconductor structure comprises a conductive pillar disposed directly on and in electrical contact with the first electrical trace; and a dielectric layer selectively disposed between the metal layer and the conductive pillar. The dielectric layer electrically isolates the second electrical trace from the pillar.
US08314465B2
A semiconductor device comprises a silicate interface layer and a high-k dielectric layer overlying the silicate interface layer. The high-k dielectric layer comprises metal alloy oxides.
US08314461B2
Methods and systems for monolithically fabricating a lateral double-diffused MOSFET (LDMOS) transistor having a source, drain, and a gate on a substrate, with a process flow that is compatible with a CMOS process flow are described.
US08314460B2
A semiconductor apparatus according to the present invention includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductive type, a low concentration base region of a second conductive type formed on the first semiconductor layer, a gate electrode formed in a trench with insulating film on an inner surface of the trench that is formed to reach the first semiconductor layer from a surface of the low concentration base region, a source region of the first conductive type formed, contacting the insulating film, on a surface of the low concentration base region, a first high concentration base region, a second high concentration base region provided below and separated from the first concentration base region, and a third high concentration base region of the second conductive type included inside the low concentration base region, provided below and separated from the second high concentration base region.
US08314457B2
Non-volatile memory devices are provided including a control gate electrode on a substrate; a charge storage insulation layer between the control gate electrode and the substrate; a tunnel insulation layer between the charge storage insulation layer and the substrate; a blocking insulation layer between the charge storage insulation layer and the control gate electrode; and a material layer between the tunnel insulation layer and the blocking insulation layer, the material layer having an energy level constituting a bottom of a potential well.
US08314454B2
A method is provided for forming an interconnect in a semiconductor memory device. The method includes forming a pair of source select transistors on a substrate. A source region is formed in the substrate between the pair of source select transistors. A first inter-layer dielectric is formed between the pair of source select transistors. A mask layer is deposited over the pair of source select transistors and the inter-layer dielectric, where the mask layer defines a local interconnect area between the pair of source select transistors having a width less than a distance between the pair of source select transistors. The semiconductor memory device is etched to remove a portion of the first inter-layer dielectric in the local interconnect area, thereby exposing the source region. A metal contact is formed in the local interconnect area.
US08314448B2
Embodiments of a semiconductor structure include a first current electrode region, a second current electrode region, and a channel region. The channel region is located between the first current electrode region and the second current electrode region, and the channel region is located in a fin structure of the semiconductor structure. A carrier transport in the channel region is generally in a horizontal direction between the first current electrode region and the second current electrode region.
US08314445B2
A thin-film plasmonic device including a layer of a conductive material positioned over an array of electrodes of alternating polarity.
US08314433B2
A flexible thermal energy dissipating and LED mounting arrangement includes a plurality of LEDs and a flexible thermally conductive sheet. The thermally conductive sheet defines a plurality of openings therethrough each sized to receive and securely hold therein a different one of the plurality of LEDs with the flexible thermally conductive sheet about the opening in physical, thermally conductive contact with the at least one side portion of the encapsulating material. The flexible thermally conductive sheet absorbs thermal energy generated within each of the plurality of LEDs as a result of current flow through the LED circuit and rejects the absorbed thermal energy to an ambient environment surrounding the thermally conductive sheet. The flexible thermally conductive sheet is formable to direct radiation from the plurality of LEDs in multiple directions while securely holding each of the plurality of LEDs within a corresponding one of each of the plurality of openings.
US08314425B2
A field-effect transistor includes at least a channel layer, a gate insulating layer, a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode, which are formed on a substrate. The channel layer is made of an amorphous oxide material that contains at least In and B, and the amorphous oxide material has an element ratio B/(In+B) of 0.05 or higher and 0.29 or lower.
US08314419B2
Provided is a light-emitting element including a cathode; an anode; a first light-emitting layer that is disposed between the cathode and the anode and emits in a first color; a second light-emitting layer that is disposed between the first light-emitting layer and the cathode and emits in a second color that is different from the first color; and an intermediate layer that is disposed between the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer so as to be in contact with these layers and has a function of controlling the migration of holes and electrons between the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer. The intermediate layer is constituted of a first layer that is in contact with the first light-emitting layer and is constituted of a hole-transporting material serving as a main material and a second layer that is in contact with the first layer and also with the second light-emitting layer and is constituted of a material mixture, serving as a main material, of a material having an acene skeleton and a hole-transporting material.
US08314418B2
An electroluminescent organic semiconductor element includes a substrate and a first electrode arranged on the substrate. The semiconductor element additionally contains a second electrode and at least one organic layer, which is arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode. The organic layer is a layer that generates light by recombination of charge carriers. At least one of the first and the second electrode contains a highly conductive organic sublayer.
US08314410B2
A combined laser and charged particle beam system. A pulsed laser enables milling of a sample at material removal rates several orders of magnitude larger than possible for a focused ion beam. In some embodiments, a scanning electron microscope enables high resolution imaging of the sample during laser processing. In some embodiments, a focused ion beam enables more precise milling of the sample. A method and structure for deactivating the imaging detectors during laser milling enables the removal of imaging artifacts arising from saturation of the detector due to a plasma plume generated by the laser beam. In some embodiments, two types of detectors are employed: type-1 detectors provide high gain imaging during scanning of the sample with an electron or ion beam, while type-2 detectors enable lower gain imaging and endpoint detection during laser milling.
US08314396B2
A portable radiographic image capturing device has: an image capturing unit at which is provided a radiation surface onto which radiation is irradiated at a time of capturing a radiographic image, and that captures a radiographic image expressed by radiation irradiated onto the radiation surface, and that incorporates therein a radiation detector that outputs electric signals expressing a captured radiographic image; and a control unit that is connected to the image capturing unit, and that incorporates therein a controller that controls image capturing operations of the radiation detector, and that can be changed between an expanded state in which the radiation surface is exposed to an exterior and a housed state in which the control unit covers the radiation surface.
US08314394B1
Systems and methods are described herein for performing three-dimensional imaging using backscattered photons generated from a positron-electron annihilation. The systems and methods are implemented using the pair of photons created from a positron-electron annihilation. The trajectory and emission time of one of the photons is detected near the annihilation event. Using this collected data, the trajectory of the second photon can be determined. The second photon is used as a probe photon and is directed towards a target for imaging. The interaction of the second probe photon with the target produces back scattered photons that can be detected and used to create a three-dimensional image of the target. The systems and methods described herein are particularly advantageous because they permit imaging with a system from a single side of the target, as opposed to requiring imaging equipment on both sides of the target.
US08314389B2
A measuring instrument includes a housing, a number of infrared light emitting devices, a number of infrared light receiving devices, at least two light sources, and a controller. The housing includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall substantially parallel to the first sidewall. The infrared light emitting devices are positioned on the first sidewall. The infrared light receiving devices are positioned on the second sidewall and receive infrared lights emitted by the infrared light emitting devices. The controller is electrically coupled to the infrared light receiving devices and the light sources. When one of the infrared light receiving devices does not receive infrared light emitted by a corresponding infrared light emitting device, the controller turns the light sources on.
