US08364683B2

A namespace exploits individual resource identity attributes of an application to allow the integration of resource instances from applications into a configuration management database (CMDB), prior to any data cleansing or namespace harmonization activities. An approach for incremental reconciliation of resource instances within the CMDB is defined.
US08364682B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, for refining log file join data. In one aspect, a method includes receiving first join data defining first joins of records in a first log file to records in a second log file. Each first join of a record in the first log file to a record in the second log file is based on an association of the first identifier of the record in the first log file to the second identifier of the record in the second log file. Associations of the first identifiers to the second identifiers in the first join data that meet a confidence threshold are stored in a mapping of first identifiers to second identifiers as a mapped association. For each mapped association, records that include the first identifier from the first log file are associated with records that include the second identifier from the second log file.
US08364678B2

Methods and apparatus for household level segmentation are disclosed. An example method to classify consumers in clusters includes receiving population data indicative of a population of consumers and receiving a plurality of profiles, at least one profile to evaluate partitioning of the population of consumers. The example method also includes selecting at least one of the plurality of profiles based on a count limit value in accordance with a classification tree dimension split.
US08364675B1

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for searching for an n:th array element in an unsorted array in a computer memory. The n:th array element is selected as an initial pivot element. A smaller subset of array elements, including the pivot element, is iteratively selected until the smaller subset includes a predetermined number of array elements. In each iteration, an array element corresponding to the n:th array element in the smaller subset is searched for. Array elements are iteratively added onto the subset of array elements, until the number of array elements is equal to the number of array elements in the initial unsorted array. In each iteration, the larger set of array elements is partitioned based on a pivot element located at a position corresponding to the n:th position in a smaller subset of array elements. The n:th array element in the final array is finally selected.
US08364668B2

A method includes receiving a search query, identifying a document based on the search query, and providing a search result based on the document. The search result includes, for example, an image associated with the document, an excerpt from the document that is associated with the search query, and links to other excerpts in the document that are associated with the search query. The method may also include providing other information associated with the document.
US08364664B2

An Internet infrastructure contains a search server that delivers search result pages of web sites to client devices based upon a search string. Maxima categories are provided that sort search results or web pages based upon popularity and/or context similarity. A web browser contained within a client device is coupled to display various search result pages of web sites delivered by the search server. A maxima determination module within the search server responds to the delivery of the initial search string by first categorizing search results applicability to the search string on the basis of maxima or by generating maxima categories with search results contained therein that correlated to the search string. These search results within each applicable maximum are then sorting on the basis of popularity within each of the maxima categories to effectuate popularity ranks for each search result or web page. User interaction with search results are monitored to better select search maxima and popularity ranks for subsequent search result requests for this search string, whereby the desirability of search results provided to the user improves over time.
US08364662B1

A method for managing a pre-existing website of a business includes receiving, from the business, business information comprising a business name, a location, an industry, an address, a phone number, and a business description, generating a business profile comprising the business information, obtaining, from a keyword provider, a plurality of keywords relating to the business, generating a title comprising the business name, the location, and the plurality of keywords, generating a footer comprising the industry, the address, the phone number, and the plurality of keywords, generating a website content item comprising the business description and the plurality of keywords, generating a first modified website based on the pre-existing website of the business, publishing the first modified website to a network, and inserting, into the business profile, a first hyperlink comprising a first uniform resource locator (URL) pointing to a first network location of the first modified website.
US08364658B2

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method of actively engaging a user of a search system can include receiving from the user a search query for a search of a corpus of information and providing the user with search results for the search. The user can also be prompted to participate in a search-related activity wherein at least one aspect of the search-related activity is dependent on a context of the search. User input for performing the search-related activity can be accepted and an activity response can be provided to the user.
US08364655B2

The invention is directed to off-peak and just-in-time (JIT) retrieval of directory information to reduce network traffic and load on directory servers and/or data sources by requesting only the information that is currently needed from the directory server, while subsequently updating the directory information during an off-peak period in the case that the directory information retrieved in a JIT manner is outdated. In these embodiments, a hybrid integrator operable with an integration directory capable of retrieving directory information in a JIT manner provides this functionality.
US08364650B2

A method and a system for maintaining coherence of cache contents in a multi-tiered architecture of servers are described. This includes a front tier of satellite servers, each operating a local cache, and a middle tier of central servers each operating a central cache. Central servers interface with databases through database servers to retrieve the data elements used to construct objects and store them in central caches. Once constructed, objects are attributed a time-to-live (TTL) and stored in central caches then, forwarded to the satellite servers where they are stored in local caches before being delivered to the software applications that have requested them. They are invalidated when outdated and reconstructed from a central server from where they are forwarded to all central caches and to the local caches where they are needed.
US08364645B2

A file system transfer designation section for transferring the file system matching with file system transfer rules from the first volume of the first storage apparatus to the second volume of the second storage apparatus based on the first file system transfer rules, a file system storage information manager for updating storage information of the file system in accordance with transfer of the file system by the file system transfer designation section, and transmitting the updated file system storage information, and a search information manager for updating search information for searching the files based on a file search request from the client apparatus using the file system storage information sent by the file system storage information manager are provided.
US08364639B1

A method and system for generating and managing snapshots of Virtual Machine (i.e., virtual snapshots) and creating a centralized integrated backup for the Virtual Machine (VM). Proposed method and system allow users to roll back to any previous version of the VM and instantiate this version using the logic encapsulated in a virtual snapshot of the VM. The virtual snapshots taken at various times are combined into a chronological tree viewable via a virtual snapshot image viewer. The snapshot trees for different VMs are combined into centralized integrated system backup (CIB) that can be managed by a central console including a GUI of the virtual snapshot image viewer.
US08364634B2

A replication system which improves fault tolerance with low latency. The replication system includes a plurality of database server units that behave as replicas in which each replica sends a first processing result to a client which receives the first processing result as an optimistic result after each replica receives and processes a transaction process request from the client device. At the same time, each replica requests generation of replication by other replicas, and sends a committable common transaction log as a second processing result to the client, which receives the second processing result as a pessimistic result. If a conflict in a transaction process does not occur, transaction processes based on requests from a plurality of clients are executed at low latency, thereby providing a replication system and method for improving fault tolerance without increasing the load of each server unit.
US08364630B1

The system contains a plurality of sensors outputting sensor data. A processor is in communication with the sensors to receive the sensor data. A logic system is in communication with the processor. The logic system evaluates a likelihood of a plurality of hypotheses, generates a representation of the likelihood of the plurality of hypotheses in a coordinate system, and connects trajectories between a plurality of discrete hypothesis aspects of the plurality of hypotheses. An output of the processor provides at least one likely outcome and a confidence level for each of the likely outcomes. At least one likely outcome is selected based on contours of the representation of the likelihood to of the plurality of hypotheses in the coordinate system.
US08364626B2

IN a method and a device for determining a probability of occurrence that an overall system fulfills a predefined system performance, the overall system is composed of instances of different classes of partial systems, and each class of partial systems has an associated class fault tree. The method has the following steps: (a) calculating (S1) an overall performance for each failure combination of the number of non-failed instances within a class; (b) automatic selection (S2) of failure combinations, the calculated overall performance of which fulfills the predefined system performance; (c) automatic generation (S3) of an overall fault tree based on the class fault trees of partial systems as a function of the selected failure combinations; and (d) evaluating (S4) of the generated overall fault tree for calculating the probability of occurrence of a fulfillment of the predefined system performance by the overall system.
US08364618B1

A system for generating a model is provided. The system generates, or selects, candidate conditions and generates, or otherwise obtains, statistics regarding the candidate conditions. The system also forms rules based, at least in part, on the statistics and the candidate conditions and selectively adds the rules to the model.
US08364617B2

A classification system is described for resilient classification of data. In various embodiments, the classification system divides a full set of the training data into a positive subset and a negative subset. The positive subset contains all training data with a positive classification value and the negative subset contains all training data with a negative classification value. The classification system constructs several subsets of the training data wherein each subset contains data randomly selected from both the positive subset and the negative subset. The classification system then creates at least two classifiers based on each of the randomly created subsets of the training data.
US08364614B2

A method that imputes missing values while building a predictive model. A population of solutions is created using a data set comprising missing values, wherein each solution comprises parameters of each of the predictive models and the missing values of a data set. Each of the solutions in a population is checked for fitness. After the fitness is checked, the solutions in a population are genetically evolved to establish a successive population of solutions. The process of evolving and checking fitness is continued until a stopping criterion is reached.
US08364604B1

According to embodiments of the present invention, licenses for various industries are applied for and managed. Embodiments of the present invention provide for centralizing and standardizing the obtainment, completion, and submission of various license forms for applicants (e.g., any entity/person applying for, renewing, or otherwise requesting some type of license, renewal, extension, or other license related item) across plural jurisdictions. The license forms and other materials are collected from various sources. Embodiments of the present invention provide and maintain all relevant existing licenses or license applications, and further provide project management and calendar functions for licenses and license renewals. Users may be alerted when licenses require renewal, and/or license renewal date information may be integrated with user calendars. In addition, embodiments of the present invention generate attachments for license forms in the event the license form is unable to accommodate the amount of requested information being provided.
US08364585B1

A system and method to receive a financial transaction and transfer funds associated with the financial transaction into an account associated with an originator of the financial transaction to settle the financial transaction on the same day that the financial transaction is originated. The financial transaction may be one of a plurality of financial transactions and the financial transaction is identified as being eligible for same-day settlement using routing or transit numbers associated with an entity that receives the financial transaction.
US08364556B2

A method and system to automate payment for a network-based commerce transaction provide a buyer an option to enable an automatic payment service, wherein automatic payment service automatically provides payment to a seller upon a termination event of a network-based commerce transaction. Payment information of the buyer is provided to a network-based payment system upon the occurrence of the termination event.
US08364552B2

Systems and methods of conducting a payment transaction using a mobile phone having a camera. The systems and methods receive an image of a merchant access device and optionally location data from a mobile device of a user engaged in the transaction. The systems and methods also receive transaction information associated with the transaction and account information associated with an account of the user. The systems and methods use the information to authorize or decline the transaction.
US08364549B2

This relates to the products and services for funeral homes (for pets, animals, and humans), general memorabilia, general awards, pet awards, human awards, and general gifts, along with the customization of those items (for humans and pets). The customization can be done with the computer or through an interface with the Internet, such as a dedicated web site. It relates to items such as football theme dog, cat musical globe, graduation awards, hand-made objects, small gifts, urn, music box, jewelry box, personalized item, or prize. It relates to the software and business method that makes the customization on the Internet or any other computer or telecommunication network. It relates to the shape and accessories for urn, engravings, material choices, and urn structure. It relates to the box for ashes for animals or people, with different shelves, trays, doors, caps, hinges, and containers, with various functions, and with various figurines and plates, as described here, as some of the optional features.
US08364547B2

A system is presented that facilitates transactions for products to be completed and product inventory tracking to be performed in real-time even if the products are brought to the location of a customer prior to the transaction. The system completes transactions by accepting and settling cash, credit card, debit card and other forms of payment in real-time. In general, the system includes three basic components: an application module, a back office portal and a portable device. These components may be placed in communication with each other in various configurations to perform various functions that enable product tracking and transaction completion.
US08364540B2

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for using a monetization platform server to associate sponsored content with contextual information relating to mobile content, and storing the sponsored content-contextual information association in a data facility for future use in optimizing the delivery of a sponsored content to a mobile communication facility based at least in part on a display datum associated with the mobile communication facility, wherein the display datum includes a contextual datum.
US08364517B2

Systems and methods for reconciling a forecast are presented. A method can be used that receives a plurality of hierarchical forecast data sets. An output child data set including an index value and a status indicator representing an unprocessed state is generated. A particular parent data set forecast is identified from a parent data set. Locations for a group of one or more child data set forecasts that are children of the particular parent data set forecast are identified and accessed. A reconciliation operation is performed, a particular child data set forecast is adjusted and stored in a record, and a status indicator for the record is modified.
US08364513B2

Technician control, in which a control system is configured to control scheduling and dispatch operations for work orders being handled by technicians. Multiple technician devices are each associated with one or more technicians, are configured to communicate, over a network, with the control system, and also are configured to provide output in response to communications that are received from the control system and that are related to the scheduling and dispatch operations performed by the control system. A set of scheduling configuration options may be pre-defined and user input weighting at least one of the scheduling configuration options relative to other of the scheduling configuration options may be received. A scheduling application used by the control system to perform scheduling operations may be configured based on configuration data that reflects the weighting and scheduling operations may be performed using the configured scheduling application.
US08364511B2

Efficient heuristic methods are described for approximating the optimal leader strategy for security domains where threats come from unknown adversaries. These problems can be modeled as Bayes-Stackelberg games. An embodiment of the heuristic method can include defining a patrolling or security domain problem as a mixed-integer quadratic program. The mixed-integer quadratic program can be converted to a mixed-integer linear program. For a single follower (e.g., robber or terrorist) scenario, the mixed-integer linear program can be solved, subject to appropriate constraints. For embodiments applicable to multiple follower situations, the relevant mixed-integer quadratic program and related mixed-integer linear program can be decomposed, e.g., by changing the response function for the follower from a pure strategy to a weighted combination over various pure follower strategies where the weights are probabilities of occurrence of each of the follower types.
US08364510B2

Disclosed are various embodiments for determining discounts that optimize revenue for customers or customer subsets. Transaction records that are associated with a customer and a merchant are obtained. Each transaction record identifies a corresponding purchase of a quantity of one of multiple items by the customer from the merchant at a corresponding unit purchase price. A normalized unit purchase price is generated for each transaction record by normalizing the respective unit purchase price relative to a respective unit retail price at the time of purchase. A demand curve is generated for the customer for the items based at least in part on the transaction records and the normalized unit purchase prices. The demand curve identifies a quantity of units that the customer is predicted to purchase at a range of normalized unit purchase prices.
US08364493B2

A spoken dialogue apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a speech recognition unit, a retrieval unit, a calculation unit, and a selection unit. The speech recognition unit performs speech recognition of an input speech to obtain a recognition candidate. The retrieval unit updates a retrieval condition by use of the recognition candidate and outputs a retrieval result. The calculation unit calculates estimated numbers of data as costs concerning a first response and a second response based on the retrieval condition and the retrieval result. The selection unit selects a response having a lowest cost and presents the response to the user.
US08364486B2

A speech recognition system includes a mobile device and a remote server. The mobile device receives the speech from the user and extracts the features and phonemes from the speech. Selected phonemes, supplemental non-verbal information not based upon or derived from the speech, and measures of uncertainty are transmitted to the server, the phonemes are processed for speech understanding remotely or locally based, respectively, on whether or not the audible speech has a high or low recognition uncertainty, and a text of the speech (or the context or understanding of the speech) is transmitted back to the mobile device.
US08364480B2

A method and corresponding apparatus for coded-domain acoustic echo control is presented. An echo control problem is considered as that of perceptually matching an echo signal to a reference signal. A perceptual similarity function that is based on the coded spectral parameters produced by the speech codec is defined. Since codecs introduce a significant degree of non-linearity into the echo signal, the similarity function is designed to be robust against such effects. The similarity function is incorporated into a coded-domain echo control system that also includes spectrally-matched noise injection for replacing echo frames with comfort noise. Using actual echoes recorded over a commercial mobile network, it is shown herein that the similarity function is robust against both codec non-linearities and additive noise. Experimental results further show that the echo-control is effective at suppressing echoes compared to a Normalized Least Mean Squared (NLMS)-based echo cancellation system.
US08364466B2

The teachings described herein generally relate to a multilingual electronic translation of a source phrase to a destination language selected from multiple languages, and this can be accomplished through the use of a network environment. The electronic translation can occur as a spoken translation, can be in real-time, and can mimic the voice of the user of the system.
US08364456B2

A system generates a state diagram model in a graphical modeling system, where the state diagram model includes at least one state. A condition statement is associated with the at least one state, and defines a condition upon which one or more actions associated with the at least one state are executed.
US08364426B2

A flow device is provided. The flow device includes at least one conduit (20) and a pick-off (30) providing a pick-off signal (35) for measuring motion of the at least one conduit (20). The flow device also includes a drive (40) that receives a first signal (55) for vibrating the at least one conduit (20) at a resonance frequency and that receives a second signal (56) for vibrating the at least one conduit at a frequency that is different than the resonance frequency. One or more electronics (50) is provided. The one or more electronics (50) generates the first and second signals (55, 56), receives the pick-off signal (35) from the pick-off (30), and measures changes in a time shift between the second signal (56) frequency applied by the drive (40) and the second signal (56) frequency detected by the pick-off (30).
US08364425B2

A method for determining properties of an asphalt material include measuring respective current deformations of a plurality of samples of the asphalt material, repeating the measuring step over a plurality of temperatures that change at a predetermined rate, calculating a plurality of measured total strain values as a function of the deformations and the temperatures, calculating respective creep strains, at different ones of the plurality of temperatures, based on the total strains as a function of applied stresses, calculating respective creep stiffnesses as a function of the temperatures, determining a combined creep curve based on the respective creep stiffnesses, deriving a theoretical creep curve, and fitting the theoretical creep curve with the combined creep curve to determine a master creep curve function and a time-temperature shift function.
US08364423B2

Chemical compositions in the blood may be selectively or preferentially excited by the application of scores comprising a series of at least four energy inputs to a blood vessel.
US08364420B2

A flame temperature estimator includes an adiabatic flame temperature module that estimates an adiabatic flame temperature. A temperature reduction module estimates a temperature reduction for the adiabatic flame temperature based on an air-to-fuel ratio of an engine. A combustion temperature trend module generates a combustion temperature trend based on the temperature reduction and the adiabatic flame temperature.
US08364419B2

A system, device and methods, for determining at least two analytes, wherein the system and device include at least one resonant sensor circuit that includes a sensing material that predictably affects the resonant complex impedance response of a sensor electrode. The sensing material has at least two material properties that change when the materials are exposed to two or more analytes. The system and device also include a processor that generates a multivariate sensor response pattern that is based at least in part on a change in the two material properties of the sensing material.
US08364402B2

Various embodiments may include a method and system for testing data defining one or more navigation routes. A starting location may be input at a computer remote from the starting location. A destination location may also be input. Map data including GPS information based on the starting location input and the destination location input may be received. Route data may also be received. Based on the map data and the route data, data defining one or more navigation instructions may be generated for one or more routes. The one or more navigation instructions may be executed at the computer and compared to the map data. Based on the comparison, an accuracy of the navigation instructions may be determined. The data defining the navigation instructions may be corrected if the data is determined to be inaccurate.
US08364400B2

Techniques are described for providing a meeting notification and automatic modification service. A system may be configured to identify an appointment in a calendar application, identify a geographic location of the appointment, and identify, before the appointment time, a geographic location of a first participant of the appointment. Based on the geographic information, the system may identify a route extending from the geographic location of the first participant to the geographic location of the appointment, and may identify a travel time associated with the route. Based on the travel time and the appointment time, the system may determine whether the first participant is estimated to arrive at the appointment on time and, based on the determination, the system may send a message to participants of the appointment or dynamically reschedule the appointment.
US08364396B2

The present invention relates to an electronic communication device, a portable electronic device, a method, a computer program product, a computer program element, and a system for organizing electronic media data in relation to fix points of geographic locations. The method for organizing electronic media data in relation to fix points of geographic locations, according to the present invention, comprises: obtaining at least one said fix point related to a scheme (step 804), obtaining at least a link to electronic media data under the control of a user (step 808), obtaining at least a link to electronic media data under the control of a user (step 808), determining position of said user (step 810), and associating said obtained data with said at least one fix point (step 816), so that a link from said at least one fix point to the associated data can be provided to the user.
US08364390B2

An environment prediction device can acquire sufficient information regarding the behavior of an object in the vicinity of a host-vehicle for appropriate traveling assistance. An environment prediction device 1 includes a road information acquisition section 4 which acquires road information regarding a road A, a host-vehicle position prediction section 61 which predicts the position of a host-vehicle 81 after a predetermined time has elapsed, and a prediction period setting section 62 which sets a prediction period T on the basis of the road information and the position of the host-vehicle 81 after the predetermined time has elapsed. With this configuration, it is possible to acquire sufficient information regarding the behavior of an object in the vicinity of the host-vehicle.
US08364377B2

In a method and a device which allow determination of the combustion lambda value of an internal combustion engine having at least two combustion chambers without using a lambda sensor, a predetermined first fuel quantity is metered to the first combustion chamber and a predetermined second fuel quantity is metered to the second combustion chamber, the first fuel quantity is reduced by a predetermined amount and the second fuel quantity is increased by the same predetermined amount. A first engine noise, associated with the first combustion chamber, and a second engine noise, associated with the second combustion chamber, are determined. The combustion lambda value is determined based on the first engine noise value and second engine noise value.
US08364375B2

A system of monitoring the performance characteristics of a turbocharged engine and forecasting a performance parameter based on measured data include sensor components for measuring various performance parameters such as pressures and temperatures. The measured data may be received by electronic components that forward the data through networking components to computing components. The data may be stored in a database. Methods for forecasting turbocharger performance and indicating turbocharger malfunctions include retrieving measured data, performing calculations to correct at least a portion of the measured data, retrieving input from a user, performing regression analysis to determine a forecasting model used to forecast future values, and determining a time when the future values reach a user-specified level.
US08364373B2

A method of operating a hybrid powertrain having an internal combustion engine monitors a throttle intake pressure and calculates a first torque capacity from a pressure model using the throttle intake pressure as an input. The method determines a maximum expected air mass from the monitored throttle intake pressure and calculates a second torque capacity from an air mass model using the maximum expected air mass volume as an input. The method calculates a final torque capacity as a function of the first torque capacity and the second torque capacity, and sends the final torque capacity to the hybrid control processor. An engine control module receives a torque request calculated as a function of the final torque capacity. A manifold pressure request is calculated as a function of the torque request, and a throttle is actuated as a function of the manifold pressure request.
US08364371B2

A method is provided for detecting a level of functional integrity of a braking system. The method includes applying a brake actuator, sensing via a first sensor the displacement of the braking actuator, and sensing via a second sensor the hydraulic pressure in the braking system. The method also includes determining whether the sensed hydraulic pressure corresponding to sensed displacement is within a predetermined acceptable range.
US08364365B2

The method for controlling a safety system (102-108) of a vehicle (10) determines a reference velocity from a first front wheel sensor (20A) and a second front wheel speed signal from a second front wheel sensor (20B). An axle speed sensor (20C) may be used to determine an axle speed signal. A first rear speed signal and a second rear speed signal are determined from the reference velocity, a slip effect and a yaw signal. The yaw signal may be determined from a yaw rate sensor (28). Safety system (102-108) may be controlled in response to the first rear wheel speed signal and the second rear wheel speed signal.
US08364364B1

A control system for a vehicle having a dry dual clutch transmission (DCT) includes a launch condition detection module, a vehicle stop module, and a vehicle launch module. The launch condition detection module detects a launch condition based on whether (i) the vehicle is on an uphill grade and (ii) a driver of the vehicle has requested power via an accelerator. The vehicle stop module stops the vehicle when the launch condition is detected by (i) commanding an on-coming clutch of the dry DCT to a predetermined position and (ii) applying brakes of the vehicle. The vehicle launch module launches the vehicle after the vehicle is stopped by (i) fully engaging the on-coming clutch of the dry DCT and (ii) opening a throttle to a desired position corresponding to the power request.
US08364360B2

A motor vehicle with insertable four-wheel drive, including an engine having a crankshaft, a pair of main driving wheels constantly connected to the crankshaft by interposition of a gearbox provided with a first clutch, and a pair of secondary driving wheels, which may be connected to the crankshaft by an insertable transmission system. The insertable transmission system presents a second clutch, which is connected on one end with a fixed transmission ratio to the crankshaft upstream of the gearbox and on the other end with a fixed transmission ratio to the secondary driving wheels. A percentage of motive torque to be transmitted to the secondary driving wheels by the second clutch is determined according to dynamic parameters of the motor vehicle detected by respective sensors.
US08364359B2

In control apparatus and method for an automatic transmission, a gear shift state of a stepwise variable transmission mechanism is controlled to a target gear shift state by releasing a first engagement section according to a reduction in a capacity of the first engagement section and, simultaneously, by engaging a second engagement section according to an increase in the capacity of the second engagement section, in accordance with a torque inputted to the stepwise variable transmission mechanism and, during an inertia phase, either one of the first and second engagement sections functions as a gear shift state control side engagement section and the capacity of a gear shift state non-control side engagement section which is the other engagement section is increased when determining that it is impossible to make the gear shift state follow up the target gear shift state at the gear shift state control side engagement section.
US08364352B2

A monitor position adjustment device comprises: a backseat monitor which is provided at a backward position of a front seat in a vehicle such that an angle of a screen thereof is electrically adjusted toward a backseat; an angle detection unit configured to detect the angle of the backseat monitor; an operation input unit which is provided at a position where an operation by an operator on the front seat can be performed, and on which the angle of the backseat monitor after screen change can be input; a front seat display which is provided in front of the front seat and includes a screen toward the front seat; and a processing unit configured to perform display control of the front seat display based on a detection result of the angle detection unit, wherein the processing unit controls the front seat display to display current angle information of the backseat monitor.
US08364344B2

Operation of a vehicle is controlled based on the presence of or absence of one or more identified foreign objects within one or more monitored zones about the vehicle. One or more transceivers receive information about the one or more foreign objects. Based on the received information and the one or more corresponding zones, one or more controllers identify a response, which may include notifying the user about the foreign object and/or generating a signal that inhibits the ignition from turning on. Controllers identify a response, which may include notifying a user about a present or absent object or generating a signal that inhibits the ignition from turning on.
US08364331B2

An intercepting vehicle, which is being towed by a towing vehicle, may home in on and attach to a retrievable vehicle that catches up to the intercepting vehicle from behind. Then, the intercepting vehicle, with the retrievable vehicle docked thereto, may be brought to the towing vehicle by reeling in the intercepting vehicle with the retrievable vehicle docked thereto.
US08364329B2

Methods and apparatuses for displaying and receiving tactical and strategic flight guidance information are disclosed. A method in accordance with one aspect of the invention includes displaying at least one first indicator to an operator of the aircraft, with a first indicator corresponding to a first instruction input by the operator for directing a first aircraft behavior and implemented upon receiving an activation instruction from the operator. At least one second indicator corresponding to a second instruction for directing a second aircraft behavior at least proximately the same as the first aircraft behavior is displayed, with the at least one second instruction to be automatically implemented at a future time. The at least one second indicator is at least approximately the same as the at least one first indicator. Indicators can be hierarchically organized to simplify presentation and reduce pilot training time.
US08364295B2

An audio system attachable to a computer includes a sound reproduction device for producing audible sound from audio signals. The sound reproduction device includes a radio tuner and a powered speaker. The audio system further includes a connector for connecting the sound reproduction device with a computer. The computer provides audio signals from a plurality of sources, the sources including a computer CD player, digitally encoded computer files stored on the computer, and a computer network connected to the computer. The sound reproduction device further includes control buttons for controlling at least one of the computer CD player, the digitally encoded computer files and the computer network.
US08364294B1

Tools and techniques are provided to allow the user of a signal editing application to retain control over individual changes, while still relieving the user of the responsibility of manually identifying problems. Specifically, tools and techniques are provided which separate the automated finding of potential problems from the automated correction of those problems. Thus, editing is performed in two phases, referred to herein as the “analysis” phase and the “action” phase. During the analysis phase, the signal editing application automatically identifies target areas within the signal that may be of particular interest to the user. During the “action” phase, the user is presented with the results of the analysis phase, and is able to decide what action to take relative to each target area.
US08364293B2

Systems and methods providing statistical analytics of golf performance including text, tabular, graphic, and image-based outputs that include trends information for the golfer, all based upon actual golf play on course situations, wherein the golfer inputs shot data during play, without interrupting the flow of the game, and uploads the shot data for analytics and review online, including detailed diagrammatic representations of golf performance analytics, including scattergraph diagrams having the directionality of any shot being uniformly and consistently oriented to provide a zeroed-out orientation for each shot.
US08364284B2

A lead assembly includes a lead with a distal end and a proximal end. The lead includes a plurality of electrodes disposed at the distal end and a plurality of terminals disposed at the proximal end. The lead also defines at least one central lumen and a plurality of outer lumens. The central and outer lumens extend from the proximal end to the distal end such that the plurality of outer lumens extend laterally from the at least one central lumen. The lead further includes a plurality of conductive wires. Each conductive wire couples at least one of the plurality of electrodes electrically to at least one of the plurality of terminals. At least two conductive wires are disposed in each of the plurality of outer lumens.
US08364273B2

The present application relates to a new stimulation design which can be utilized to treat neurological conditions. The stimulation system produces a combination of burst and tonic stimulation which alters the neuronal activity of the predetermined site, thereby treating the neurological condition or disorder.
US08364258B2

An apparatus for enhancing an immune response in a vertebrate subject is described. The apparatus includes providing at least one energy stimulus configured to modulate one or more nervous system components of the vertebrate subject, and administering one or more immunogen to the vertebrate subject, wherein the at least one energy stimulus and the one or more immunogen are provided in a combination and in a temporal sequence sufficient to enhance an immune response in the vertebrate subject.
US08364257B2

A wearable device or electric stimulation of a users body fits a portion of the user's body and includes at least one electrode embedded in the wearable device transferring a stimulating current to the user's body. A connection point is an intermediate connection between the at least one electrode and a control unit. The control unit is configured to generate the stimulating current. A detector is configured to detect if a change in a physical relationship between the connection point and the at least one electrode exceeds a predetermined threshold value, thereby enabling detection of misuse and tampering with the device.
US08364256B2

A method and apparatus for the treatment of intravascular blockages includes introducing a medicament and ultrasound to the blockage, monitoring the blockage or bleeding to determine a status thereof and controlling the agent introduced to the blockage based upon the monitoring.
US08364251B2

Methods for performing cardiac signal analysis in an implanted medical device, and devices configured to perform illustrative methods of cardiac signal analysis. A cardiac signal is captured by an implanted device using implanted electrodes and, during at least certain conditions, the cardiac signal undergoes heuristic filtering. In some embodiments, heuristic filtering is achieved by modifying a signal or value that is used as an indicator of received signal amplitude. In an illustrative example, the heuristic filtering includes periodically incrementing or decrementing the signal or value toward a desired quiescent point, where the heuristic filter period is significantly longer than the sampling period for the signal itself. In another illustrative example, the heuristic filter frequency can be adjusted dynamically to keep the signal average near the desired quiescent point.
US08364237B2

A catheter and catheter system can use energy tailored for remodeling and/or removal of target material along a body lumen, often of atherosclerotic material of a blood vessel of a patient. An elongate flexible catheter body with a radially expandable structure may have a plurality of electrodes or other electrosurgical energy delivery surfaces to radially engage atherosclerotic material when the structure expands. An atherosclerotic material detector system may measure and/or characterize the atherosclerotic material and its location, optionally using impedance monitoring.
US08364228B2

A system and method for transdermal sampling wherein at least one pair of sample electrodes is adapted to provide voltage pulses capable of creating capillary openings in a subject's stratum corneum. Methods for using a transdermal sampling system by creating capillary openings in a subject's stratum corneum via the application of a series of voltage pulses to the stratum corneum and contacting at least a portion of at least one of the sample electrodes with interstitial fluid from the capillary openings are also presented.
US08364225B2

According to embodiments, estimated values for a signal transform may be generated using estimated values for the signal. Signal parameters may then be determined based on the estimated signal transform. A first portion of a signal may be obtained. A second portion of the signal may be estimated. The second portion of the signal may correspond to a portion of the that is unknown, that is not yet available and/or that is obscured by noise and/or artifacts. A transform (e.g., a continuous wavelet transform) of both of the signal portions may be performed. One or more parameters corresponding to the signal may then be determined from transformed signal.
US08364216B2

A user replaceable cover for a flip part of an apparatus, such as a mobile cellular telephone. The user replaceable cover may overlie a display on the exterior of the flip part of the phone. The display is not visible through the cover in ambient lighting. However, when the display is activated the content of the display is visible through the cover.
US08364215B2

A mobile terminal includes a first body, a second body, and a slide-tilt module that slides the first body relative to the second body within a first section and tilts the first body to a preset angle relative to the second body within a second section, the slide-tilt module including a sliding unit to slidably connect the first body and the second body to each other and a tilting unit to tilt the first body to the preset angle, such that the tilting unit is inactive and the first body is slid in the first section, and the tilting unit is activated in the second section such that the first body is tilted.
US08364204B2

A dual-standby portable terminal and a method for connecting an audio path thereof are provided. A method for connecting an audio path of a dual-standby portable terminal capable of simultaneously accessing at least two communication networks includes determining whether a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) should be switched while in a master SIM mode, switching to a slave SIM mode if it is determined that the SIM should be switched, and outputting audio signal data, received by a slave SIM control unit through a corresponding communication unit, to an audio output unit through an audio path operated by a master SIM control unit.
US08364190B2

A mobile station 100 monitors, in Slotted mode, a Paging Channel Slot in a monitor cycle. The mobile station 100 includes: a user interface 53 which receives a PTT setting operation from a user for setting a PTT (Push to Talk) mode; a PTT communication control unit 51 which transmits an allocation request to the radio base station when the PTT setting operation is received; a slot cycle switching unit 52 which switches, when the PTT setting operation is received, the monitor cycle to a predetermined short cycle which is shorter than a cycle at the time of receiving the PTT setting operation; and a voice signal processing unit 40 which receives a voice packet after a PTT CALL is detected in a message transmitted from the radio base station to the mobile station, and reproduces a voice based on the voice packet.
US08364189B2

A communication network for a fleet of vehicles is disclosed. The communication network has a first group of the fleet of vehicles having a first level of priority on the network and a second group of the fleet of vehicles having a second level of priority on the network. A first vehicle in the first group is assigned as a supervisor of a second vehicle in the second group.
US08364186B2

Satellite communications systems, methods, and related devices are described. In one embodiment, a satellite communications system is configured to dynamically allocate bandwidth and frequencies among different beams. Bandwidth request data may be received and compiled from the terminals. The satellite may be configured with different beam coverage areas, and may dynamically allocate bandwidth and particular frequency channels to different beam coverage areas based on the requests. In each of a series of one or more epochs, and according to the bandwidth requests, there may be allocations among carrier groups, traffic classes, and particular terminals. The setup of slot structure and selection of modes for particular terminals is also addressed.
US08364183B2

A cell phone which has been modified by the addition of software which responds to the press of one or more Busy keys by automatically sending a pre-typed text message to the sender of the latest text message just received or automatically answering an incoming call immediately upon pressing the Busy key and playing a pre-recorded audio message. The outgoing text or audio message can inform the sender of the incoming text or the caller that the user is driving or otherwise engaged and cannot respond immediately. In some embodiments, one or more Busy keys can be added keys or one or more existing keys on the cell phone or on the keypad of the cell phone or on a touchscreen or a visual depiction of a keypad on a touchscreen of the cell phone.
US08364180B2

A telecommunications system provides a facility for communicating a Short Message Service (SMS) message to a mobile user equipment using a subscriber identity number when the mobile user equipment is communicating via an Internet Protocol network using an Internet Protocol (IP) communication being terminated on the IP network. The system comprises an SMS network including a Short Message Service Center (SM-SC), a gateway mobile switching center (GMSC), the SMS network providing a facility for communicating SMS messages, and an Internet Protocol/SMS (IP/SMS) gateway for communicating between the SMS network and the IP network. The system also includes a home location database for maintaining address data identifying a current location of a mobile user equipment. The gateway mobile switching center is operable in response to the SMS message to interrogate the home location database for an address to which the SMS message should be sent. The home location database is operable to provide the gateway mobile switching center with an address of the IP/SMS gateway, which has been stored in association with the subscriber identity number. The gateway switching center is operable to send the SMS message to the IP/SMS gateway. The IP/SMS gateway is operable to retrieve an Internet Protocol address corresponding to the mobile subscriber number pre-stored in an IP/SMS database associated with the IP/SMS gateway. The IP/SMS gateway communicates the SMS message to the mobile user equipment at the retrieved IP address via the IP network.
US08364175B1

Exemplary methods and systems involve a determination of when a rapid page attempt should be made in the sector where a mobile station's last call ended, before zone-based paging is initiated. An exemplary method may involve a radio access network: (a) determining that a mobile station should be paged; (b) before sending the page, the RAN determining whether or not both: (i) a rapid page attempt to the mobile station is likely to succeed, wherein a last call of the mobile station ended in a sector within a first paging zone, and (ii) the rapid page attempt to the mobile station is likely to reduce paging-channel occupancy in the first paging zone; (c) if it is determined that both: (i) the rapid page attempt to the mobile station is likely to succeed and (ii) the paging-channel occupancy is above the threshold level in at least one other sector in the first paging zone, then the RAN making a rapid page attempt in the sector of the radio access network in which the last call ended; and (d) otherwise, the RAN using a zone-based paging scheme to page the mobile station.
US08364168B2

The invention relates to a method for computing the geographical location of a mobile terminal (MT) in a cellular telecommunications network. The method includes the steps of collecting identifiers of possible serving cells for the mobile terminal, selecting from a first database (A) geographical coordinates (LONG, LAT) whose expected serving cell ID matches any one of the identifiers of possible serving cells, comparing, for each selected geographical coordinate (LONG, LAT), pairs of cell identifiers and corresponding expected received signal values associated with the geographical coordinate (LONG, LAT) in the first database (A) with pairs of cell identifiers and corresponding actual received signal values of the possible serving cells to determine the geographical locations (LONG, LAT) having a number of matches (NMATCH) greater than a predetermined match threshold (THRESHOLD-NMATCH) and finally processing the geographical locations so determined (LONG, LAT) to obtain the geographical location of the mobile terminal (MT).
US08364167B1

Location information for a mobile terminal is made available by a wireless telephone service provider once a location request is authorized by the user of the mobile terminal. The present invention facilitates sharing of the location information for the mobile terminal with any web server that is capable of providing location based services.
US08364165B2

A method and system in accordance with the present invention integrates information from cell phone coverage maps with a user's GPS system, thereby making possible the suggestion of alternative routes based on coverage strength and chances of dropping calls in different geographical areas. The method and system in accordance with the present invention can also generate warnings if a user is approaching an area of low or nonexistent coverage, so that the user can take action, such as utilizing a different route or telling the party on the line that the connection may be dropped or disconnected.
US08364164B2

Systems and methods are described for determining location of wireless devices using signal strength of signals detected by the wireless devices. The strength of signals received from identifiable sources is typically compared to reference signal strength measurements collected or estimated at known locations. Information identifying the source of the signals is typically obtained from data provided in the signals. Mappers associate combinations of reference signal strengths with geometrically shaped geographical regions such that signal strength measurements can be used as indices to locate a region in which a wireless device can be found. Systems and methods are described for receiving signal strength information from known locations where the information can be used to update and improve mapping system databases.
US08364162B2

In the embodiments of the present invention, proposed is a method in which a CoMP enabled UE chooses the BSs to be in its cooperating set and a BS partitions its bandwidth to serve its own UEs and UEs from other cells that have requested it to be in its cooperating set.
US08364161B2

A controller which is assigned with the wireless resources for a plurality of wireless zones and a plurality of wireless base stations communicably connected to the controller, wherein the controller is operable to assign a part of the assigned wireless resources to the wireless zone formed by any of the wireless base stations. According to this, it is possible to introduce and run a great number of wireless base stations at a low cost without increasing or modifying the number of the superordinate devices such as RNC.
US08364160B2

The present invention can flexibly adjust trade-off between the radio network capacity and the radio quality by changing increase step of uplink user data in accordance with the congestion of uplink or the uplink user data type. A transmission rate control method according to the present invention includes the steps of; notifying, at a radio network controller RNC, an increase pattern of the transmission rate of the uplink user data to a mobile station UE, when setting, with the mobile station UE, a user data channel connection for transmitting the uplink user data; and increasing, at the mobile station UE, the transmission rate of the uplink user data in accordance with the increase pattern, when receiving, from a radio base station Node B, a relative rate control channel RGCH for indicating that the transmission rate of the uplink user data should be increased.
US08364146B1

Disclosed are various embodiments for implementing wireless service for a wireless device. In a representative embodiment, a service initiation system is executed in a computing device that communicates with a service provider system over a network to activate a wireless service associated with a newly purchased wireless device. The service initiation system also generates a network page to send to a client over the network, where the network page has a component that initiates a porting of a contact designation associated with a prior wireless device to the newly purchased wireless device separate from the activation of the wireless service for the newly purchased wireless device.
US08364145B2

A method for altering man machine interface (MMI) configurations for use in a device is provided. The method comprises the following steps. A status of a service is queried after detecting that an inspection condition is satisfied. The queried status is acquired from the currently associated network. A menu item of a service menu is enabled when the queried status indicates that the service is available. Otherwise, the menu item of the service menu is disabled or the menu item is removed from the service menu when the queried status indicates that the service is unavailable, preventing a user from requesting the service via the menu item.
US08364143B2

A system and method for automatically detecting Anti-Steering of Roaming activity is disclosed. This method can be used by a monitoring system on a home network that continuously monitors all international MAP signaling with a visited network. Anti-Steering of Roaming is detected by estimating a number of roaming subscribers of different types, including a number of unique active roamers, a number of unique steered roamers, and a number of unique anti-steered roamers. The numbers of subscribers of the different types, either alone or in combination, are compared to threshold values. If the numbers exceed the threshold value, then the monitoring system alerts the home network that a visited network may be using Anti-Steering of Roaming technology.
US08364142B1

To correct any discrepancies between the system identifiers captured in a Most Recently Used (MRU) list and those in the latest system preference list (e.g. Preferred Roaming List (PRL) or Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) list), a mobile device will periodically check a system selection that utilized the MRU list against the carrier's system preference list and when necessary initiate a new scan to select a system based on the current preference list. The device then updates system identification in the MRU list, based on the new system selection obtained in accordance with the preference list.
US08364130B2

A method may include generating a discovery ID, wherein the discovery ID identifies an IP connection between a network device and a user device. The method may further include receiving a short message service (SMS) message from the user device, wherein the SMS message includes the discovery ID. The method may further include determining a telephone number associated with the user device based on a sender ID of the SMS message. Further, the method may also include transmitting a value indicative of the telephone number to the user device through the IP connection based on the discovery ID received in the SMS message.
US08364121B2

A method of authentication in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is provided. After receiving a Register message from a User Equipment (UE), a Proxy-Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) locates a Connection Location Function (CLF) according to information contained in the Register message and a pre-configured corresponding relationship between the information contained in the Register message and the CLF. The P-CSCF obtains a query result by querying the CLF about attachment information of the UE in an access network, and sends the Register message carrying the query result to an Interrogating-Call Session Control Function (I-CSCF). The I-CSCF forwards the Register message carrying the query result to a Service-Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF). The S-CSCF authenticates the UE according to an authentication mechanism obtained from a User Profile Service Function (UPSF) or a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), and sends an authentication result to the UE.
US08364120B2

The identity of a user of a mobile device is verified by the mobile device accessing the location of the mobile device over recent time to obtain a current route, comparing a feature of the current route to characteristic features of previous routes stored on the mobile device. The user is verified if the feature of the current route matches a characteristic feature of previous routes. The previous routes may be obtained by tracking the location of the mobile device over time to obtain a number of routes, identifying characteristic features of the routes, and storing the characteristic features of the routes.
US08364119B2

A communications base station is installed at a selected new location and the base station, prior to going “online” monitors the wireless traffic from other base stations within interference range of the new base station's coverage area. The new base station also monitors the wireless traffic between mobile devices within its coverage area and these other base stations. Based upon these monitored conditions, as well as other known conditions, the new base station then determines the transmitting parameter configuration it should imply in order to achieve a desired optimization between capacity and coverage area. After the new base station is online, a central control can monitor the entire network to determine if any additional changes are necessary and if so the new transceiver, or any other transceiver, can be instructed to monitor itself with respect to interference and to take corrective action to improve overall network coverage and capacity.
US08364109B2

A receiver including an amplifier module, a control unit, a mixer and an IF amplifier is provided. The amplifier module, including multiple amplifier units with different gains, amplifies an input signal. The control unit enables at least one of the amplifier units according to a gain control signal, wherein the enabled at least one amplifier unit generates an output RF signal in response to the input signal. The mixer coupled with each amplifier unit in series down-converts the output RF signal into an IF signal according to a local oscillation frequency. The IF amplifier having a variable gain is coupled to the mixer for amplifying the IF signal to an output signal according to the gain control signal. The control unit obtains the gain control signal according to the output signal and a reference signal.
US08364108B2

A control circuit may be provided. In this case, an output of the control circuit is connected to a control input of a signal generator. Depending on internal signals which identify an operating state of a signal processing device, the control circuit generates a regulating signal at the output. The operating point of the signal generator is thereby set in such a way that a current consumption of the signal processing device is reduced, so that the signal quality is ensured in a sufficient manner.
US08364107B2

Implementations are directed to predicting signal degradation at receivers used to display a programming service. The receivers capture signal strength data that is then transmitted to a processing location, which may be associated with a provider of the programming service. A signal degradation detector at the provider operates to predict whether or not a future unacceptable signal quality will occur within a time interval. The prediction may be based on a test quantity calculated from signals captured at the receiver and based on a figure of merit for the geographic locale in which the receiver is located. A maintenance call may be initiated for those receivers that have such a poor signal quality.
US08364103B2

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a transmission circuit configured to dynamically adjust a number of active transistor cells within a power amplifier based upon a signal quality measurement determined from a feedback. The transmission circuit comprises a transmission chain having a power amplifier configured to provide an output signal. A feedback loop extends from the output of the power amplifier to a control circuit and is configured to provide measured information about output signal (e.g., phase, amplitude, etc.) to the control circuit. The control circuit utilizes the measured signal information to evaluate a measured signal quality of the output signal. The control circuit dynamically adjusts a number of active transistor cells within a power amplifier based upon a signal quality measurement until the power amplifier is optimized to operate at an operating point for low current and good transmission quality.
US08364101B2

An amplifying device includes an amplifier including a first amplifying element with a drain voltage thereof being controlled, and a second amplifying element, the amplifier amplifying a transmission signal with the first and second amplifying elements, synthesizing the transmission signals amplified by the first and second amplifying elements, and outputting the synthesized transmission signal; a distortion compensator part which performs distortion compensation on the input signal in accordance with a compensation coefficient derived from a difference between a input signal and a feedback signal generated from a portion of a signal output from the amplifier; and a controller part which controls the drain voltage of the first amplifying element in response to a result of a comparison between a power level of the input signal prior to the distortion compensation operation by the distortion compensator part and a threshold value.
US08364087B2

A system and methods for asymmetrical multicarrier interference avoidance in a communication from a network to a subscriber device. The asymmetrical multicarrier interference avoidance technique comprises measuring signal-to-noise ratio interference values and sorting the measured values into two tables for selecting an anchor and a non-anchor frequency carrier pairs. The system is self-tuning based on changes in the network, the subscriber and the surrounding environment.
US08364076B2

A feedback signal cancellation apparatus includes a first RF receiver configured to down-convert a received RF signal to a predetermined frequency band, a subtractor configured to subtract a replica of a feedback signal from the down-converted signal, a transmission signal generator configured to generate a repeater output signal using a feedback cancelled signal, a RF transmitter configured to transmit the repeater output signal, a second RF receiver configured to down-convert a RF signal outputted from the RF transmitter to a predetermined frequency band, a reference signal generator configured to receive the RF signal and generate a reference signal having no DC pilot, and a replica generator configured to generate a filter coefficient using correlation between the feedback cancelled signal and the reference signal and to generate a replica of the feedback signal using the generated filter coefficient and the down-converted signal of the second RF receiver.
US08364075B2

In a relay scheme, a wireless source apparatus, a wireless destination apparatus and a wireless relay apparatus cooperate for handling transmission failures by space/time diverse channels. In the case of the successful direct transmission, reduced or no additional overhead for the relay selection is incurred. Thus, for a good SNR between source and destination, the inventive protocol has similar performance as a standard approach. In the case of a transmission failure e.g., due to small scale fading, a transmission via different communication paths implementing spatial diversity via a selected relay is supported. The device is to only activate the overhearing of signals in case of weak signal quality between sender and receiver. This selection of relay devices is done of demand only. A specific protocol for the reservation of the wireless medium for the entire cooperative communication has been specified.
US08364074B2

Provided is an on-channel repeater capable of removing feedback signals based on pilot partitioning, which can efficiently remove a feedback signal by quickly coping with even a situation in which a feedback channel changes rapidly, by reducing a filter-coefficient update interval, i.e., increasing the number of times of filter-coefficient creation, through pilot partitioning, and a method thereof. The on-channel repeater includes: a receiver for receiving a signal; a subtractor for subtracting a replica of a feedback signal from the signal received in the receiver to remove the feedback signal; a replica creator for creating a filter coefficient using pilot partitioning, creating a replica of the feedback signal using the created filter coefficient, and feeding back the created replica to the subtractor; and a transmitter for transmitting an output signal of the subtractor.
US08364068B2

A fixing device includes: a belt member provided to be circularly movable; a first fixing member disposed inside the belt member; a second fixing member that is disposed to be in press contact with the first fixing member across the belt member, and forms a press contact portion between the belt member and the second fixing member; a pressing member that presses the belt member against the second fixing member, the pressing member having a pressing surface that presses an inner peripheral surface of the belt member on a downstream side of the press contact portion in a moving direction of the belt member; and a suppressing unit that suppresses looseness in a portion of the belt member in the width direction thereof, the portion being located on the downstream side of the press contact portion and an upstream side of the pressing surface in the moving direction of the belt member.
US08364062B2

In a fixing unit in which at least one of a heating roller and a pressing roller is provided as a fixing roller and is replaceably supported along the axial direction of the fixing roller, a sliding member is formed integrally to the inside of the fixing roller, so that the sliding member slides on the outer circumference of a roller guiding shaft upon replacing the fixing roller.
US08364058B2

An image forming device includes a process frame, and a process cartridge. The process cartridge is detachably insertable in the process frame in an inserting direction. The process cartridge includes a shutter unit. The shutter unit is pivotally movably supported to the cartridge body. The shutter unit includes an operating section and a shutter section. The operating section is abuttable on the process frame during insertion of the process cartridge into the process frame, and is pivotally movable in accordance with an insertion of the process cartridge into the process frame in the inserting direction. The shutter section is pivotally movable, in interlocking relation with the pivotal movement of the operating section, between a covering position covering a part of the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum and an exposing position exposing the part of the outer peripheral surface to an atmosphere in accordance with the pivotal movement of the operating section.
US08364057B2

A post processing apparatus, placed on a floor, and placed next to a downstream side of an image forming apparatus also placed on the floor in a sheet conveyance direction, to perform a post processing operation onto sheets ejected from the image forming apparatus, including a plurality of joining sections to join the image forming apparatus, wherein the plurality of the joining sections include an elastic member.
US08364055B2

An image forming apparatus having a cleaner for cleaning a surface of a dust-proof glass disposed on a housing of a laser scanning unit for irradiating a photosensitive member with a laser modulated in accordance with image data. The cleaner is supported by a frame of the image forming apparatus body such that the cleaner is movable while keeping in contact with the dust-proof glass and such that the cleaner stays in a stand-by position while keeping out of contact with the dust-proof glass and the housing of the laser scanning unit.
US08364051B2

A fixing device includes a cylindrical fixing member, having an external circumferential surface including a crown portion curved radially outward and a inverted-crown portion curved radially inward, a pressing unit including a convexity and a concavity formed on a facing surface facing the fixing member, a first heating member to heat the fixing member, corresponding to the crown portion of the fixing member, a second heating member to heat the fixing member, corresponding to the inverted-crown portion of the fixing member, a temperature detector to detect a surface temperature of the fixing member, and a controller to control the first heating member and the second heating member independently. The pressing unit presses against the fixing member while the crown portion and the inverted-crown portion of the fixing member match the concavity and the convexity of the pressing unit, respectively, forming a curved fixing nip therebetween.
US08364045B2

An optical transmission device in which: a first cyclic filter with a fixed transmission wavelength characteristic and a second cyclic filter with a variable transmission wavelength characteristic are combined, and the transmission wavelength characteristic of the second cyclic filter is changed according to a target wavelength, to thereby control the relative phase relationship of the transmission wavelength characteristics of the first and second cyclic filters. Moreover a light source is controlled according to a monitored value of the transmittance of the second cyclic filter with respect to the control target light, to thereby match the wavelength of the control target light with the target wavelength. Consequently, it is possible, with a simple configuration using a combination of two cyclic filters, to variably control wavelength at arbitrary wavelength intervals at a high level of precision.
US08364042B2

An optical interconnection arrangement for use in high data applications is presented that eliminates the need for extensive serialization/de-serialization (SERDES) functionality by utilizing pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) techniques to represent the data in the optical domain while utilizing a separate channel for transmitting an optical clock signal, eliminating the need for clock recovery circuitry on the receive end of the arrangement.
US08364041B2

The present invention relates to a transceiver unit in a PON, Passive Optical Network, for receiving an optical input signal and transmitting an amplitude modulated optical output signal. Further, the present invention relates to a method in a transceiver unit for receiving an optical input signal and transmitting an amplitude modulated optical output signal.
US08364039B2

An optical network and an optical signal modulation method thereof are provided. The optical network includes an optical fiber and a remote node (RN). The RN receives a continuous carrier wave from the optical fiber and modulates the continuous carrier wave to generate a first frequency offset carrier wave The frequency of the first frequency offset carrier wave is different from that of the continuous carrier wave. A first user device re-modulates and loads data to the first frequency offset carrier wave to generate a first upstream signal. The frequency of the first upstream signal is the same as that of the first frequency offset carrier wave. The RN inputs the first upstream signal into the optical fiber.
US08364037B2

A method, system and network for routing a multiplexed signal through an optical network (1) comprising nodes (A to F) for routing signals along links (2 to 9) of the network (1), each node (A to F) comprising a lower order matrix (100) and/or a higher order matrix (110). Each matrix (110, 120) is capable of switching segments of the multiplexed signal between interfaces (NL5H) of the matrix (110,120), the lower order matrix (110) capable of switching smaller segments comprising fewer channels than the higher order matrix (120). The method comprises allocating a cost to using each interface (NL5H) of each matrix (110, 120), the allocated cost taking into account a relative value of the lower order matrix (110) to the higher order matrix (120) due to the capability of the lower order matrix (110) to switch smaller segments of the multiplexed signal, generating a cost function associated with possible routes for the signal through the network (1) from the allocated costs, and determining a route for the signal through the network (1) by optimizing the cost function. The system and network are arranged to carry out this method.
US08364034B2

A method comprises: acquiring, for a number nSOP of varied State-Of-Polarization analysis conditions of the input optical signal, nSOP polarization-analyzed optical spectrum traces; mathematically discriminating said signal contribution from said noise contribution within said optical signal bandwidth using said polarization-analyzed optical spectrum traces, said mathematically discriminating comprising: obtaining a differential polarization response that is related to the optical spectrum of said signal contribution by a constant of proportionality; estimating the constant of proportionality of a differential polarization response to the optical spectrum of said signal contribution; estimating the optical spectrum of said noise contribution from said input optical signal, within said optical signal bandwidth using said constant of proportionality and said differential polarization response; and determining said in-band noise parameter on said input optical signal from the mathematically discriminated noise contribution.
US08364026B2

A method in a video playback system for playing a video with a specific playback speed in accordance with a video feature and a playback record is described. The system allows the playback record records a preceding playback speed corresponding to the video previously played to learn user preferences for a user. This makes the specific playback speed more suitable for the user without any adjustment. In addition, the system also allows the user input a resetting playback speed to actively adjust the specific playback speed if the original specific playback speed is not suitable for the user.
US08364020B2

The present invention discloses a textual annotation system for video recordings. Such a system can include a video recording, an annotation interface, and an annotation manager. The annotation interface can be configured to accept and execute a set of user-selectable commands for creating, modifying, and transmitting a user-created annotation set. The user-created annotation set can contains multiple textual annotations with associated placement data. The annotation manager can be configured to display the user-created annotation set synchronously with the video recording such that the contents of the video recording are unaltered.
US08364019B2

A video decoding device includes a decoder configured to decode a plurality of separate partial areas of each of pictures included in encoded video data and a motion vector indicating a positional relationship between each of the partial areas and a partial area of a different picture referenced in order to encode the partial area; an error detector configured to detect, as an error area, a partial area that is unable to be decoded by the decoder from among the plurality of partial areas; a referenced area determiner configured to determine a referenced area of a third picture that has already been decoded, the referenced area corresponding to the error area; a concealment unit configured to conceal the error area using data included in the referenced area; and an image integrator configured to reproduce the first picture.
US08364010B2

Disclosed is an image reproduction apparatus that comprises a reproduction unit for reproducing an image recorded on an image recording medium, a display control unit for displaying, on a display unit such as a monitor display, the image reproduced by the reproduction unit, a renewal unit for renewing the image displayed on the display unit, and a control unit for, in accordance with the number of images recorded on the recording medium and the number of images renewed by the renewal unit, changing the interval at which the renewal unit renews displayed image.
US08364007B2

Improving storage efficiency for a digital video recorder is provided. It is determined whether television programming is being presented on a high definition channel or a standard definition channel. The television programming is recorded using the digital video recorder in response to determining that the television programming is being presented on a standard definition channel without making any resolution changes to the television programming. It is determined whether the content of the television programming originates in high definition or standard definition. When the television programming originates in standard definition, it is determined whether a corresponding standard definition channel is available. In response to determining the corresponding channel is available, the television programming is recorded in standard definition from the corresponding channel. Otherwise, the television programming is downscaled on the high definition channel to a standard definition resolution.
US08363995B2

A set of planar, two-dimensional optical devices is able to be created in a sub-micron surface layer of an SOI structure, or within a sub-micron thick combination of an SOI surface layer and an overlying polysilicon layer. Conventional masking/etching techniques may be used to form a variety of passive and optical devices in this SOI platform. Various regions of the devices may be doped to form the active device structures. Additionally, the polysilicon layer may be separately patterned to provide a region of effective mode index change for a propagating optical signal.
US08363993B2

A combined optical and electrical interconnection module includes a flat cable comprising an optical transmission line and an electrical wire, and a printed circuit board including a light receiving module for receiving optical signals and/or a light sending module for sending optical signals and an optical waveguide for the optical signals to be transmitted therethrough or an optical block for bending the optical paths of the optical signals. The printed circuit board is electrically and optically connected to both ends or one end of the flat cable.
US08363991B2

Bidirectional wavelength cross connects include a plurality of ports, each configured to receive an input optical signals, each input optical signal having a plurality of spectral bands. At least one of the plurality of ports is disposed to simultaneously transmit an output optical signal having at least one of the spectral bands. A plurality of wavelength routing elements are configured to selectively route input optical signal spectral bands to output optical signals.
US08363987B2

A mode-selective add/drop unit for a mode division de/multiplexing device includes an optical ADU waveguide adapted for coupling to an input optical waveguide. The optical ADU waveguide includes at least one region providing optical signal coupling between the ADU waveguide and a multi-mode waveguide; and, one or more phase matching regions for controlling a relative or absolute phase difference between an electromagnetic wave (EMW) carried in the ADU waveguide and the multi-mode waveguide. The mode-selective add/drop unit may further include a transition region connecting the coupling region and a phase matching region, wherein a shape of a transition region is governed by a polynomial function, exponential function, logarithmic function, trigonometric function or, any combination of these functions.
US08363986B2

A high speed silicon-based optical modulator with control of the dopant profiles in the body and gate regions of the device reduces the series resistance of the structure without incurring substantial optical power loss. That is, the use of increased dopant values in areas beyond the active region will allow for the series resistance to be reduced (and thus increase the modulating speed of the device) without incurring too large a penalty in signal loss. The dopant profiles within the gate and body regions are tailored to exhibit an intermediate value between the high dopant concentration in the contact areas and the low dopant concentration in the carrier integration window area.
US08363983B2

Disclosed herein is a real-time face detection apparatus. The real-time face detection apparatus includes a down-scaling unit and a face region comparison unit. The down-scaling unit down-scales an input image at at least one ratio. The face region comparison unit creates a plurality of windows for the image down-scaled at the at least one ratio, acquires face region confidence of each of window images within the created windows by comparing the window image with a classifier, and determines whether the window image corresponds to a face region.
US08363977B2

There is a situation in that, although a speckle interference optical system is effective for clarification of a process of deformation of a specimen, resolution is insufficient, and execution of a phase shift method for improving the resolution involves a costly apparatus.A phase shift image for an initial fringe pattern is acquired, and a phase variation between phase information on an initial image and a next image is derived by a phase shift method. After that, a phase shift image for the next image is computed by calculation based on the acquired information.
US08363975B2

There is provided an image determining device including a frequency band signal detecting unit for dividing an image into a plurality of local regions and detecting for each local region signals of a plurality of frequency bands from the image signal; an average value calculating unit for calculating an average value of a characteristic value corresponding to an amplitude, for each local region and for each signal of the plurality of frequency bands; a local region selecting unit for selecting at least one local region based on image information; an average value selecting unit for selecting the average value corresponding to the selected local region; a relative value calculating unit for calculating a relative value of one average value with respect to another average value both of the average values being of the selected average values; and an image determining unit for determining an image based on the relative value.
US08363973B2

System and method of generating feature descriptors for image identification. Input image is Gaussian-blurred at different scales. A difference of Gaussian space is obtained from differences of adjacent Gaussian-blurred images. Key points are identified in the difference-of-Gaussian space. For each key point, primary sampling points are defined with three dimensional relative positions from key point and reaching into planes of different scales. Secondary sampling points are identified for each primary sampling point. Secondary image gradients are obtained between an image at a primary sampling point and images at secondary sampling points corresponding to this primary sampling point. Secondary image gradients form components of primary image gradients at primary sampling points. Primary image gradients are concatenated to obtain a descriptor vector for input image. Descriptor vector thus obtained is scale invariant and requires a number of additions equal to number of primary sampling points multiplied by a number of secondary sampling points.
US08363968B2

An image coding method for run-length coding (RLC), including quantizing a coefficient string representing a plurality of pixel values to generate a first quantization coefficient string, determining a cutoff quantization coefficient in the first quantization coefficient string, discarding a part of quantization coefficients of the first quantization coefficient string according to the cutoff quantization coefficient, and forming remaining quantization coefficients of the first quantization coefficient string as a second quantization coefficient string, and performing image coding to the second quantization coefficient string with the RLC.
US08363961B1

A clustering method for high-dimensionality data includes identifying a set of nearest neighbors of a point in a multidimensional space and determining the centroid of the set of nearest neighbors, where the centroid is a member of the set of nearest neighbors. The method is then repeated using the neighbors identified around the computed centroid. In one embodiment, the method may terminate when the computed centroid becomes stationary over successive iterations. The resulting centroid may be returned as a mode of the data set. Points of the data set having common modes may be assigned to the same cluster.
US08363948B2

A system for modifying a classification scheme for classifying hand-written characters. The system includes a memory storing the classification scheme containing a plurality of user dependent allographs, each allograph representing a respective style of a respective letter; and a processor configured for: receiving data representing a handwritten character; selecting an allograph representing the handwritten character; modifying the allograph in accordance with the selection; and storing a modified classification scheme which includes the modified allograph.
US08363944B2

An information processing system includes a signature apparatus and a signature verification apparatus which may be provided separately. The signature apparatus includes a document image generating unit and a print image generating unit. The document image generating unit generates a document image to be signed including document image data and error correction data for character images contained in the document image data. The print image generating unit synthesizes the document image and a code image to generate a print image. The signature verification apparatus includes a restoring unit that restores, from a print image, document image data included in a document image to be signed, using error correction data contained in the document image, and a signature verification unit that performs signature verification using the restored document image data and document image data included in a document image to be signed extracted from the print image.
US08363943B2

The invention relates to an electronic device, which includes a calendar application (CAL), in which event (EVENT) information is arranged to be maintained and processing means (CPU, OCR), which are arranged to form event information from the image information for the calendar application, which image information is formed from an information source with a location-independent layout. In the invention, the event information is arranged to be formalized by the processing means for the calendar application. In addition, the invention also relates to a corresponding method and program product.
US08363940B2

An image processing apparatus of the present invention includes: a separation section that separates image components having different attributes contained in electronic document data expressing an original image; a selection section that selects which mode from plural modes including a reusability emphasis mode for performing predetermined re-laying out of the image components with emphasis on reusability; and a generation section that re-lays the image components separated by the separation section according to the mode selected by the selection section, and generates software data corresponding to software for use.
US08363937B2

A first aberration correcting unit respectively correcting, for the first wavelength and the second wavelength, amount of distortion by a correction value for a chromatic aberration of magnification at the image height, and a first position calculating unit estimating, for respective pixels corresponding to the reference wavelength, amount of displacement of an image location due to a distortion by using a basic equation expressing a relation between amount of distortion at the image height and amount of displacement, and estimating, for respective pixels corresponding to the first wavelength and the second wavelength, amount of displacement of an image location due to a distortion including a correction for the chromatic aberration of magnification by replacing the amount of distortion in the basic equation with the amount of corrected distortion.
US08363936B2

There are provided methods and apparatus for reduced resolution partitioning. An apparatus includes an encoder for encoding video data using adaptive tree-based frame partitioning, wherein partitions are obtained from a combination of top-down tree partitioning and bottom-up tree joining.
US08363935B2

An image processing apparatus includes a red eye candidate detecting section, a gold eye candidate detecting section, and a red eye-gold eye-correcting section. Herein, the red eye candidate detecting section detects a red eye candidate, which is an area of a color included in a color range of a predetermined red color, from image by using a detecting threshold value differentiating a red eye from a gold eye. The gold eye candidate detecting section detects a gold eye, which is an area of a color included in a color range of a predetermined gold color that is not overlapped with a color range of the predetermined red color, from image by using the detecting threshold value. The red eye-gold eye-correcting section performs a predetermined red eye correcting process to a red eye candidate detected by a red eye candidate detecting section, and performs a predetermined gold eye correcting process, which is different from a predetermined red eye correcting process, to a gold eye candidate detected by a gold eye candidate detecting section.
US08363930B1

Methods and systems for merging scanned images of objects using materials and appearance information are described. An example method may include receiving material information and 3D geometry information for surfaces of an object based on a first and second viewpoint. The first viewpoint may differ from the second viewpoint by an amount of motion within a common reference system and the material information may identify given points of the surfaces of the object as being of a given material. The method may also include determining an alignment within the common reference system between first and second 3D geometry information. A processor may determine an error metric between both the 3D geometry information and the material information at multiple positions of the alignment, and adjust the alignment based on error metrics at the multiple positions so as to converge to a minimum error metric.
US08363915B2

A problem inherent to radiographic images, which may occur when an independent component analysis technique is applied to energy subtraction carried out on radiographic images, is solved to achieve separation of image components to be separated with higher accuracy. As preprocessing before the independent component analysis, a spatial frequency band which contains the components to be separated is extracted, pixels of the radiographic images are classified into more than one subsets for each radiographic image based on a value of a predetermined parameter, and/or nonlinear pixel value conversion is applied to the radiographic images based on a value of the predetermined parameter. Alternatively, nonlinear independent component analysis is carried out according to a model using the predetermined parameter.
US08363914B2

In a method and apparatus for processing medical imaging data of a subject are disclosed, the data having a physiological or anatomical feature of interest, from a first set of the imaging data, an intensity projection line along a specified axis of an image volume of the data is generated. The projection line is converted to a monogenic signal and phase information extracted from the signal. A function of the phase information is calculated, and the thus processed phase information is used to locate the feature of interest in the first data set, or to register the feature of interest with a second data set.
US08363907B2

A biometrics system captures and processes a handprint image using a structured light illumination to create a 2D representation equivalent of a rolled inked handprint. A processing unit calculates 3D coordinates of the hand from the plurality of images and maps the 3D coordinates to a 2D flat surface to create a 2D representation equivalent of a rolled inked handprint.
US08363902B2

A moving object detection method includes: extracting NL long-term trajectories (NL≧2) over TL pictures (TL≧3) and NS short-term trajectories (NS>NL) over TS pictures (TL>TS≧2), using movement trajectories; calculating a geodetic distance between the NL long-term trajectories and a geodetic distance between the NS short-term trajectories (S205); calculating an approximate geodetic distance that is a geodetic distance between the NS movement trajectories over the TL pictures, based on the calculated geodetic distance between the long-term trajectories and geodetic distance between the short-term trajectories (S206); and performing segmentation based on the calculated approximate geodetic distance (S207).
US08363901B2

A radiographic tomography apparatus includes a tomosynthetic image capturing section for applying radiation from a radiation source to an examinee at a plurality of different angles, and detecting the radiation transmitted through the examinee with a radiation conversion panel to capture a plurality of tomosynthetic tomography images of the examinee. The radiographic tomography apparatus further includes a still image capturing section for capturing a plurality of still images of the examinee in one image capturing position at different times, and a body motion detector for detecting a body motion of the examinee based on the still images captured by the still image capturing section.
US08363899B2

A method includes receiving paper comprising information regarding a vehicular violation, the information comprising a unique vehicle identifier and a violation classification, extracting from the paper the unique vehicle identifier and the violation classification via automated pattern recognition, uploading the extracted unique vehicle identifier and the violation classification to a database, determining whether the extracted unique vehicle identifier is associated with a predefined plurality of vehicles, responsive to a determination that the unique vehicle identifier is associated with a vehicle of the predefined plurality of vehicles, charging a violation fee for the vehicular violation to a party that was responsible for the vehicle at the time of the vehicular violation, responsive to a determination that the unique vehicle identifier is not associated with the predefined plurality of vehicles, disputing responsibility for the vehicular violation.
US08363897B2

The invention provides a method for detection of a moving object when signal-to-noise ratio is low. A field of view is presented as a regularly updated frame of data points. A state of the object is defined by an “azimuth-speed” pair (i.e., a hypothesis). On each update, a detection system performs two steps. At the first step, the brightness of data points of a new frame is replaced by the average brightness of points surrounding this point. At the second step, the brightness of data points of this frame is being accumulated separately for each hypothesis. On each update, one of hypotheses produces the accumulated frame with the brightest point. This hypothesis is considered the best; its frame is displayed on a screen. The object is detected when the best hypothesis stabilizes in a sequence of updates and the movement of the brightest point becomes consistent with this hypothesis.
US08363889B2

An image data processing system includes an image input module, a bit map generation module and an encoding module. The image input module receives an image and secret information and obtains at least one gray-level image according to image. The bit map generation module generates a bit map image according to gray-level image and generates an ordered dithering block truncation coding (ODBTC) image according to bit map image and gray-level image. The encoding module generates an encoded gray-level image according to bit map image and secret information, wherein the encoding module divides gray-level image into image blocks, finds candidate blocks with close black and white pixel numbers among the image blocks, selects high frequency blocks belong to the high frequency region of the image from candidate blocks, and randomly embeds secret information into high frequency blocks to generate encoded gray-level image with secret information embedded therein.
US08363871B2

A bone conduction device, comprising: a sound input element configured to receive an acoustic sound signal; one or more functional components, wherein at least one of said one or more functional components is an electronics module configured to generate an electrical signal representing said acoustic sound signal; and a transducer configured to generate motion of a mass component based on said electrical signal so as to generate one or more mechanical forces resulting in one or more of motion and vibration of a recipient's skull thereby causing sound perception, wherein said mass component comprises at least one of said one or more functional components.
US08363856B2

An electronic audio amplifier circuit, operable in two modes and a battery powered portable audio apparatus incorporating the circuit; and associated apparatuses and methods. When in the first mode the audio apparatus is designed for the direct driving of headphones or a speaker. When in the second mode the audio apparatus is designed to drive a line input of an external amplifying apparatus with a signal that having a higher voltage amplitude for a given signal content than when driving headphone or a speaker. The circuit has common output stage circuitry for use in both modes, and a dual mode power supply circuit, ideally a charge pump circuit, for supplying the output stage in the first mode with a lower supply voltage than in the second mode.
US08363850B2

An audio signal processing method for processing input audio signals of plural channels includes calculating at least one feature quantity representing a difference between channels of input audio signals, selecting at least one weighting factor according to the feature quantity from at least one weighting factor dictionary prepared by learning beforehand, and subjecting the input audio signals of plural channels to signal processing including noise suppression and weighting addition using the selected weighting factor to generate output an output audio signal.
US08363846B1

A system and method for processing close talking differential microphone array (CTDMA) signals in which incoming microphone signals are transformed from time domain signals to frequency domain signals having separable magnitude and phase information. Processing of the frequency domain signals is performed using the magnitude information, following which phase information is reintroduced using phase information of one of the original frequency domain signals. As a result, high pass filtering effects of conventional differential signal processing of CTDMA signals are substantially avoided.
US08363845B2

A speaker array apparatus capable of performing directivity control with ease even when sound emission is performed based on audio signals of different frequency ranges. The speaker array apparatus includes a speaker unit for emitting high-frequency range sound, and another speaker unit for emitting low- and high-frequency range sound. A signal processed by a high pass filter is used for generation of both audio signals used by these speaker units to emit the high-frequency range sounds. Since both the audio signals are rotated in phase similarly to each other, the phases of audio signals supplied to both the speaker units are in coincidence with each other in high-frequency range, which makes it easy to carry out directivity control.
US08363844B2

Systems and methods for contextual audio switching for a USB controlled audio device coupled to a processor-based host are presented. Two or more USB audio endpoints associated with a singular output audio transducer or transducer set are declared at the USB controlled audio device. The two or more USB audio endpoints are monitored to identify an audio signal presence at the two or more USB audio endpoints. A priority audio signal may be determined responsive to identifying the audio signal presence at two or more USB audio endpoints.
US08363842B2

There is provided a playback method for decode-processing and playing back coded audio data which is transmitted with necessary stereo process information required for a stereo process intermittently multiplexed into coded information of a monaural audio signal. The playback method includes a first step of outputting stereo audio signals using the monaural audio signal if the necessary stereo process information is not supplied; a second step of starting updating stereo variables within filters, and outputting the stereo audio signals using the monaural audio signal until all the state variables are updated, if the necessary stereo process information is supplied; and a third step of performing the stereo process based on stereo process information acquired by the necessary stereo process information, on the monaural audio signal to generate and output stereo audio signals, if all the state variables within the filters are updated.
US08363841B2

A method for managing keys making it possible for a user to access one or more given services S in a communication system, in which the user is not able to be continuously connected to this service. A key K(t) is generated, which provides access to the service of day [t] for all the t
US08363839B2

An image forming apparatus is supplied capable of preventing an information leakage even if encrypted print data outflows from the image forming apparatus. In the image forming apparatus, a first encryption key storing section stores a first part encryption key generated by a part of an encryption key; a second encryption key storing section stores a second part encryption key generated by other part of the encryption key; an encryption key generating section reads out the second part encryption key when the second encryption key storing section is attached, reads out the first part encryption key, generates the encryption key, and stores it into a volatility memory; an encryption processing section encrypts print information through using the encryption key, and makes encryption print information; a nonvolatility storing section stores the encryption print information; a decryption processing section reads out the encryption print information and the encryption key, and decrypts the print information; and an image forming section forms an image of the decrypted print information.
US08363826B2

A multiplication value decision unit (12) decides a multiplication value which is a positive value or a negative value corresponding to a bit value of each bit contained in a binary bit string constituting a scramble pattern generated in a pattern generation unit (11). A multiplication processing unit (13) multiplies symbol data representing each symbol value in the symbol data string formed by the multinary symbol containing a predetermined pair of a positive value and a negative value having an identical absolute value, in the value area, by the multiplication value decided by the multiplication value decision unit (12). Here, the multiplication processing unit (13) successively executes the multiplication between the symbol data for one symbol and the multiplication value decided corresponding to the bit value of the one bit contained in the scramble pattern until the number of symbols expressed by the symbol data string is reached. The present invention scrambles the data string by a simple operation and performs scramble by a simple processing even when the function channel content is changed.
US08363823B1

Disclosed are methods and devices for communicating between a user device, such as a mobile terminal, and a three wire headset assembly having two microphones coupled thereto. The methods provide two microphone uplink communication and stereo audio playback on a three wire headset assembly without requiring a fourth wire or the addition of a separate voice processor. The headset assembly includes a primary microphone and secondary microphone spaced some distance apart for applying techniques of noise reduction and suppression. The headset assembly includes two speakers. Controlled switches are also included in both the user device and headset assembly to achieve dual use for a single wire of the three wires. The three wire headset may advantageously support both stereo playback and two microphone voice processing. In some embodiments, two microphone noise suppression for a wired headset mode of the user device is provided.
US08363817B2

A system for monitoring contact sessions of a contact center. The system comprises a work assignment engine for allocating contacts received at the contact center to resources of the contact center and a monitoring module, arranged to detect an allocation of a contact to a resource to determine a skill requirement of the contact. The work assignment engine is further arranged to fork a session between an originator of the contact and the resource, to a monitor resource, in response to the detected skill requirement satisfying a monitor resource skill requirement.
US08363814B2

A system and method for automatically and seamlessly routing telephone calls across a telephone network. The system includes a telephone network interface box having a computer, a master file and client file stored in the computer. The master file is dynamically linked to the client file at routing time to produce a selected client location telephone number which is transmitted across the telephone network. In one embodiment, the system utilizes Automatic Number Identification to identify the calling party. The master file has a plurality of records having a telephone number and a spatial key and is updated frequently. The client file has a plurality of records having a spatial key and a client telephone number. Another embodiment utilizes a spatial coordinate of an instantaneous location of a caller's mobile device as an input to a real-time process which identifies one or more client service locations corresponding to the location of the caller's device.
US08363808B1

The present invention provides methods, devices, and systems for allowing a conference participant to politely join a conference already in progress. The conference participant may attempt to connect to the conference and the conferencing system may wait to allow the participant access to the conference until a polite moment occurs in the conference. Upon such an occurrence of a polite moment, the participant may be joined to the conference and the participant's presence may be announced.
US08363798B2

A system for providing highly-customized telecom devices has a variety of standardized component parts, a library of device-specific software providing a variety of functions, including soft keys and icons related to soft keys, and an interactive interface provided by software executing from a machine-readable medium coupled to an Internet-connected server. The interactive interface provides functions for a person to indicate to the system a combination of needs and personal characteristics, the system illustrates to the person special features associated with the combination of needs indicated, and the person is enabled to select to configure a telecom device with individual ones of the special features.
US08363789B2

Apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture to predict vectored digital subscriber line (DSL) performance gains are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes determining a model coefficient of a noise-to-margin ratio (NMR) model from performance data measured for a DSL subscriber loop prior to provisioning of vectoring for the DSL subscriber loop, computing, using the model coefficient, a first NMR value with disturbers enabled and a second NMR value with disturbers disabled, and estimating an expected vectoring performance gain for the DSL subscriber loop based on the first and second NMR values.
US08363788B2

A method of detecting that a condition exists that adversely impacts a digital subscriber line service (DSL) over a telephone line shared by the DSL service and a telephone service. The method includes obtaining information regarding operation of the DSL service over a plurality of different time periods, comparing the information for a first of the plurality of time periods with the information for a second of the plurality of time periods, and determining the condition exists based on the comparison.
US08363787B2

An x-ray tube includes a cathode and a target assembly positioned to receive electrons emitted from the cathode. The target assembly includes a target, and a spiral groove bearing (SGB) configured to support the target. The SGB includes a rotatable component having a first surface and a first material attached to the first surface, a stationary component having a second surface and a second material attached to the second surface, the stationary component positioned such that a gap is formed between the first material and the second material, and a liquid metal positioned in the gap, wherein at least one of the first and second materials comprises tantalum.
US08363785B2

One provides (101) a plurality of different treatment plans for a given patient, wherein at least one such plans is provided by using deformation information that is obtained by using historical information for persons other than the given patient regarding physical changes over time as correspond to at least one volume within the given patient and/or calculated information regarding physical changes as correspond to the at least one volume within the patient. Obtained data (102) as pertains to the patient is then used to select (103) a particular one of the aforementioned plurality of different treatment plans.
US08363773B2

This invention discloses a phase interpolation controller for a clock and data recovery circuit receiving an indication of a phase relationship between a first and a second signal, the phase interpolation controller comprises a plurality of serially coupled bi-directional shift-registers, wherein when the received indication indicates the first signal is ahead of the second signal in phase, the plurality of serially coupled bi-directional shift-registers shifts in one of the bi-directions, and when the received indication indicates the first signal is behind the second signal in phase, the plurality of serially coupled bi-directional shift-registers shifts in the other of the bi-directions.
US08363772B2

A circuit for reducing phase distortion of a first signal and a second signal is provided, wherein the first and the second signals are complementary. The circuit includes a detecting circuit for detecting a first edge of the first signal and a second edge of the second signal, wherein the second edge immediately follows the first edge and is in a same direction as the first edge; an output node; and a signal regenerator connected to the detecting circuit and the output node. The signal regenerator is configured to generate an output signal having an additional first edge and an additional second edge. The additional first edge and the additional second edge are opposite edges substantially aligned to the first edge and the second edge, respectively. The additional first edge and the additional second edge are immediate neighboring edges.
US08363768B2

In a method for estimating a deviation between a free-running transmitter clock and a reference clock, at a receiver stationary with respect to a transmitter, a transmitter signal generated by the transmitter on the basis of the transmitter clock is received. On the basis of the reference clock, a time of arrival of the transmitter signal and a beat phase of the transmitter signals carrier is determined. On the basis of a clock error model, the time of arrival and the beat phase, the deviation between the transmitter clock and the reference clock is estimated. The clock error model is derived by fitting a correlation function of a stochastic model to a measured auto correlation function of the transmitter clock. Deviations for a plurality of transmitters may be estimated and the transmitters may be virtually synchronized based on the estimations.
US08363753B2

Transmit diversity coding of symbols employing four antennas is disclosed. An exemplary embodiment of the invention comprises providing blocks of symbols to four transmit antennas, the blocks of symbols being determined by transforming input blocks and extending the blocks by adding zeroes in groups before or after groups of elements in the blocks.
US08363747B2

Systems and methods that implement compress-forward (CF) coding with N-PSK modulation for the relay channel are disclosed, where N is greater than or equal to two. In the CF scheme, Wyner-Ziv coding is applied at the relay to exploit the joint statistics between signals at the relay and the destination. Quantizer design and selection of channel code parameters are discussed. Low-density parity check (LDPC) codes are used for error protection at the source, and nested scalar quantization (NSQ) and irregular repeat accumulate (IRA) codes for Wyner Ziv coding (or more precisely, distributed joint source-channel coding) at the relay. The destination system decodes original message information using (a) a first signal received from the source in a first interval and (b) a second signal that represents a mixture of transmissions from the source and relay in the second interval.
US08363745B2

A method is provided for transmitting radio signals. Two channels are defined by two transmit antennas, having two orthogonal directions, together with two receive antennas, having two orthogonal directions. An optimal quality of one received signal is determined by signal processing, which emulates a rotation of the two orthogonal receive directions, and a mutual interference of the signals received on the two channels, due to a polarization mismatch, is cancelled, based on a corresponding optimal rotation angle.
US08363737B2

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a carrier signal transmitted by a base station according to either a first data-transmission protocol or a second data-transmission protocol; detecting a first field gap in the carrier signal indicating initiation of a data transmission by the base station; and determining whether a reference duration is present in the carrier signal after the first field gap. The method includes, if the reference duration is present in the carrier signal after the first field gap then, according to the first data-transmission protocol, determining a calibration value for the data transmission based on the reference duration and decoding the data transmission by measuring durations between successive subsequent field gaps and determining whether each duration as measured is a binary 1 or binary 0 based on the calibration value.
US08363733B2

A video encoder apparatus using a distributed video coding (DVC) includes a Wyner-Ziv frame encoder for forming a predictive image of a Wyner-Ziv frame on the basis of coded key frames, and determining, according to the fallibility of the transform coefficients of the predictive image with respect to the transform coefficients of an original image based on the Wyner-Ziv frame, the amount of error correction codes to be transmitted so as to transmit the error correction codes corresponding to the determined amount. When no errors are found between the transform coefficients of the original image of the Wyner-Ziv frame and the predictive image, information indicating that no errors are found is sent out instead of the error correction codes for the Wyner-Ziv frame in question.
US08363729B1

Methods and systems for using a video data compression algorithm with parallel processing capability are provided. AC and DC coefficients associated with blocks of the video data, along with quantization errors, may be encoded using a variable length code. The quantization errors may be encoded using a scheme that assigns priorities to the quantization errors based on the position of their associated AC and/or DC coefficients in a block of the video data. The quantization errors may be appended to a bitstream in an order based on these priorities that enables parallel coding of the quantization errors and AC and DC coefficients in each block of video data. Data packing schemes may also be applied to the coded data to maximize the use of bandwidth resources in encoding and/or decoding.
US08363720B2

A moving image processing device (200) includes a face detector (3) (specific target detector), a compression ratio controller (4), and a quantizer (9) (video compressor). The face detector (3) detects a person's face included in an input image and extracts a face region. The compression ratio controller (4) generates and outputs a compression control instruction for reducing the compression ratio of the face region extracted by the face detector (3) so that a degree of reduction in the compression ratio of the face region is small in the case where the ratio of the area of the face region to the entire area of the input image is relatively large and so that the degree of reduction in the compression ratio of the face region large in the case where the ratio of the area of the face region to the entire area of the input image is relatively small. The quantizer (9) performs a quantization processing of the face region according to the compression control instruction given from the compression ratio controller (4).
US08363719B2

An encoding apparatus comprises, a detection unit configured to determine a characteristic of the image of each of a plurality of blocks and to detect whether visual degradation in each block is noticeable, a determination unit configured to determine a quantization parameter of each block based on a detection result, a transformation unit configured to perform orthogonal transformation of the block and quantization using the quantization parameter, an encoding unit configured to perform variable-length encoding of a transformation result, an inverse transformation unit configured to inversely transform the transformation result to generate a locally decoded image, and a calculation unit configured to calculate a reference value to change a criterion to determine the characteristic of the image, wherein the detection unit detects a block having noticeable visual degradation by changing the criterion in accordance with the reference value.
US08363713B2

A method for loading image data required by a motion estimation into a storage medium, the method includes: determining if an overlap portion between a current search range and a previous search range exists; and if the overlap portion exists; keeping image data corresponding to the overlap portion stored in the storage medium; identifying a non-overlap portion between the current search range and the previous search range; dividing the non-overlap portion into at least one sub-block; and loading image data corresponding to each sub-block into the storage medium for utilization by the motion estimation.
US08363711B2

An apparatus and method for partially updating a tap coefficient and for reducing a hardware size are provided. The apparatus includes a channel estimator, an update period setting unit, and an adaptive algorithm processor. The channel estimator estimates a channel for a received signal. The update period setting unit sets a window corresponding to a filter coefficient update period using channel estimation information of the channel estimator. The adaptive algorithm processor acquires a filter coefficient of the set window interval and performs an equalization algorithm.
US08363704B1

Information is sent through a bandwidth-constrained communications channel using overlapping signals separated using deconvolution to distinguish between the overlapping symbols. Input data representing the information are convolved with a kernel and transmitted through a communication system, then deconvolved with respect to the kernel for outputting the information resulting from the deconvolution.
US08363703B2

A method may include performing a logical exclusive OR and a logical inverse exclusive or on an input reference signal and an output signal to generate an XOR signal and an XNOR signal, respectively. The method may also include generating a switch control signal indicative of whether a first phase of the input reference signal leads or lags a second phase of the output signal. The method may additionally include: (i) transmitting the XOR signal to an output of a switch if the first phase leads the second phase; and (ii) transmitting the XNOR signal to the output of the switch if the first phase lags the second phase. The method may further include generating a phase detector output signal indicative of a phase difference between the second phase based on a signal present on the output of the switch.
US08363698B2

A mobile station is provided for transmitting an acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) signal, including a multiplying unit configured to multiply an ACK/NACK signal either by a first value for rotating a constellation of the ACK/NACK signal by 0 degrees or by a second value for rotating the constellation of the ACK/NACK signal by N degrees, which is different from 0 degrees. In a case where a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) index used by the mobile station is in a first PUCCH index group, the multiplying unit multiplies the ACK/NACK signal by the same value for both transmitting in a first slot and transmitting in a second slot, and in a case where the PUCCH index used by the mobile station is in a second PUCCH index group, the multiplying unit multiplies the ACK/NACK signal by different values for transmitting in the first slot and transmitting in the second slot, respectively.
US08363697B2

Synchronized broadcast transmits a same broadcast content using a same waveform from multiple transmitters. Transmitters each apply a same spreading code for broadcast transmissions. In a spread-spectrum communication system having a time division multiplexed forward link, a synchronized broadcast transmission is inserted into a broadcast slot. One embodiment employs an Orthogonal Frequency Divisional Multiplex (OFDM) waveform for the synchronized broadcast. An OFDM receiver is then used to process the received synchronized broadcast transmission. An alternate embodiment implements a broadcast Pseudo-random Noise (PN) code for use by multiple transmitters. An equalizer is then employed to estimate the synchronized broadcast transmission.
US08363696B2

A system for implementing an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing scheme and providing an improved range extension. The system includes a transmitter for transmitting data to a receiver. The transmitter includes a symbol mapper for generating a symbol for each of a plurality of subcarriers and a spreading module for spreading out the symbol on each of the plurality of subcarriers by using a direct sequence spread spectrum. The symbol on each of the plurality of subcarriers is spread by multiplying the symbol by predefined length sequences. The receiver includes a de-spreader module for de-spreading the symbols on each of the plurality of subcarriers. The de-spreader module includes a simply correlator receiver for obtaining maximum detection. The correlator produces an output sequence of a same length as an input sequence and the de-spreader module uses a point of maximum correlation on the output sequence to obtain a recovered symbol.
US08363693B2

In a wireless network system, the nodes share a frequency hopping pattern. A method comprises providing a channel list table which includes, for each transmitting node, one or more channel lists, each channel list containing conditions of the channels of the shared frequency hopping pattern that include at least one available channel for communications with a target node; selecting a channel of a next allocated time slot from the shared frequency hopping pattern at the transmitting node; selecting the channel list for the target node from the channel list table, to which the transmitting node transmits; checking if the selected channel is available based on the selected channel list; setting the selected channel at the transmitting node if the selected channel is available; and calculating a substitute channel from the channel list if the selected channel is not available.
US08363690B2

A codeword synthesizing system and a correlation system for use with a spread spectrum communications system. In one embodiment, the codeword synthesizing system typically associated with a transmitter includes a base sequence generating subsystem, a modifier sequence generating subsystem and a concatenating subsystem. The base sequence generating subsystem is configured to create base sequences having a length less than a synthesized codeword. The modifier sequence generating subsystem is configured to create a modifier sequence, and the concatenating subsystem is configured to produce the synthesized codeword by multiplying each of the base sequences by an element of the modifier sequence. In one embodiment, the correlation system typically associated with a receiver includes a partial correlating subsystem, a memory subsystem and a combining subsystem. The partial correlating subsystem correlates base sequences of a synthesized codeword to a template and derives multiple partially correlated resultants. The memory subsystem temporarily stores the partially correlated resultants, and the combining subsystem sums weighted values of the partially correlated resultants to provide a correlated value of the synthesized codeword.
US08363684B2

The present invention discloses a method of detecting and correcting skew across a plurality of transmitting lanes. Through the use of an N framer system, including a frame start signal and a frame synchronization signal, skew can be detected and corrected by writing data from a plurality of framers into offsetting bit locations of a plurality of buffers. The present invention also provides a method of transmitting data in a multiple lane distribution (MLD) transmission system.
US08363678B2

Method and apparatus to synchronize packet rate for audio information are described.
US08363676B2

According to the present invention, there is proposed a method of adding/detecting an adaptive and extendable segment index for re-segmentation and an apparatus thereof. According to the present invention, the method of adding a segment index comprising steps of determining whether a re-segmentation happens; looking for in a re-segmentation header of a current block a bit indicating the end of the re-segmentation header and the start of other information if it is determined a re-segmentation happens; and inserting two bits immediately before the bit indicating the end of the re-segmentation header and the start of other information, a first bit indicating a higher level re-segmentation has happened, and a second bit indicating one part generated in this re-segmentation.
US08363674B2

Techniques to efficiently schedule and serve stations in a wireless network are described. An access point may aggregate stations with flows carrying traffic having similar characteristics, e.g., VoIP flows. The access point may schedule these stations together in an overall service period. The access point may serve each station in a respective service period within the overall service period. The access point may send a multi poll frame at the start of the overall service period to indicate the start time and/or service period for each station. Each station may decide to power down until its start time. The service periods for the stations may overlap one another. The service period for each station may cover an initial transmission as well as additional transmission and/or retransmission. If additional transmission and/or retransmission are not needed for a given station, then the next station may be served right away.
US08363663B2

A method is described for routing data from a first node to a second node via a gateway. The second node is detected at the gateway, which determines a local identifier of the second node. A name and a global address are associated with the second node. The name and the global address are published to a name service, such that the first node can retrieve the global address based on the name. The gateway receives data from the first node that is addressed to the global address and transmits the data to the second node using the local identifier. The gateway includes software implementing a service-oriented architecture (SOA). Any number of additional services may be added to process messages passing through the gateway.
US08363661B2

A method, system and program for transmitting a data stream in a network of interconnectable end-user nodes comprising a source node, a plurality of recipient nodes and a plurality of further nodes, wherein each end-user node executes a communication client application. The method comprises: the source receiving a command to transmit the data stream to the plurality of recipients; selecting from the plurality of further nodes at least one relaying node to relay the data stream between the source node and the plurality of recipients; the source establishing a connection to the at least one relaying node; the at least one relaying node establishing a connection to each of the plurality of recipients; transmitting the data stream from the source to the at least one relaying node; and transmitting the data stream from the at least one relaying node to the plurality of recipients.
US08363659B2

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure automatically generate Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) configuration data from a logical data flow between intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) of a process control (PC) system in accordance with a standardized configuration representation of the system. The process IEDs, switches of an Ethernet switch-based communication network to which the IEDs are connected, and connecting cables are made aware of the assigned VLANs. Any performance analysis or diagnosis on these components can show design problems with VLANs and communication architecture already at engineering or communication system design time.
US08363657B2

Middleware is provided as a control plane for WiMAX control messaging. Each ASN in a WiMAX system is associated with a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server. A plurality of Functional Entities (FEs) are distributed across the ASNs, wherein each FE (or a group of FEs) associated with a SIP agent. Each FE is operable to control a function associated with a subscriber station (SS). The function controlled by a first FE is transferred to a second FE by employing the SIP agents to establish a SIP session between the first and second FEs. WiMAX control messages are then exchanged over the established session to transfer the SS function from the first FE to the second FE. The first and second FEs may be in the same ASN—i.e. the SS mobility is intra-domain—or, the first and second FEs may be in different ASNs—i.e. the SS mobility is inter-domain.
US08363656B2

A method and apparatus allow multiple virtual machines to share the same IP address on an external network address space. The virtual machines reside on one or more physical host computer systems. A virtual network manager handles network traffic from a physical interface on the host computer and forwards network data to the appropriate virtual machine based on a destination port number. Data packets on the external network each have a destination and source port number. The virtual network manager uses a port range table that associates each virtual machine with a range of destination port numbers for incoming data packets. Each of the virtual machines is assigned a unique destination port range in the port range table and incoming data traffic on the external network is routed to the receiving virtual machines based on the destination port number in the data packet.
US08363655B2

A router device has a line relay processing unit including a PUSH processing unit for adding a label to a frame and forwarding the frame and a POP processing unit for removing the label from the frame and forwarding the frame, and a relay processing unit including a SWAP processing unit for swapping the label of the frame and forwarding the frame.
US08363654B2

A network switch includes a predictor using data in a packet to predict a flow for the packet. A forwarding engine forwards at least a portion of the packet on a switch fabric to an egress port in the switch determined from the predicted flow. The forwarding engine is operable to forward the packet on the switch fabric to the egress port determined from the predicted flow prior to a lookup module determining a flow from a lookup.
US08363651B2

The present invention relates to the domain of video equipment. It concerns more specifically a transmission device able to transmit packets, said device comprising the means to extract image ticks from a synchronisation signal, the means to initialise an image counter from said image ticks, the means to initialise a CPT_PCR counter every “m” passage through zero of the image counter, CPT_PCR producing counting ramps CSE_PCR with a range M, the means to sample the counting ramps CSE_PCR every Tech period, where Tech is from a time base synchronised on all the stations of said network, and the means to transmit packets comprising a PCRe sample of the CSE_PCR counting ramp. According to the invention, it also comprises the means to insert in the packet:—an Num index identifying the CSE_PCR counting ramp from which the PCRe sample is realised, and—a time label Datejnit indicating a CSE_PCR counting ramp timestamp passage through a reference value PCR_REF comprised between 0 and M-1.
US08363640B2

Methods and apparatus for handling a communication session for an unregistered Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) device are disclosed. An example method comprises receiving an IMS session initiation message from an un-registered user endpoint, determining whether the IMS session initiation message is directed to an exception endpoint, and establishing an IMS session on behalf of the unregistered user endpoint when the IMS session initiation is directed to the exception endpoint.
US08363639B2

A method for initiating a call is disclosed. In the method, after selection of a carrier type for the call, an attention command string including an indication of the selected carrier type is sent to a communication device from a device. The communication device may then initiate a call set-up procedure based on the indication of the selected carrier type included in the attention command string.
US08363634B2

In a system in which a host and a plurality of terminals simultaneously communicate with each other under the SDMA scheme, transmission parameters to be used for generating frames for SDMA transmission to the respective terminals are adjusted in consideration of the transmission time durations necessary for transmission of other frames to be transmitted simultaneously with the first-mentioned frames, so that differences between the frame transmission time durations are reduced.
US08363633B2

A method of transmitting data in a multiple antenna system includes transmitting first data through a first pilot pattern zone in which pilots are arranged in a specific pilot pattern in a permutation zone having at least one tile comprising a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols and a plurality of subcarriers, and transmitting second data through a second pilot pattern zone in which pilots are arranged in another pilot pattern different from the pilot pattern of the first pilot pattern zone in the permutation zone. Accordingly, a plurality of pilot patterns can be simultaneously used in one permutation zone, and thus waste of radio resources caused by the use of unnecessary pilots can be reduced by adaptively assigning pilots according to various channel environments and performances of user equipments.
US08363626B2

A mechanism is provided to enable a station to discover link/network/service information about a potential wireless point of attachment by extending the set of information that is available before the station actually authenticates and associates to the wireless point of attachment. The mechanism includes a method for interworking between a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), including that defined in IEEE 802.11 Standard Protocol, and one or more other networks, including a 3GPP, 3GPP2 or IEEE 802.16), featuring extending a set of information that is available before a network node actually authenticates and associates to the wireless point of attachment. The network node may be a station (STA), and the beacon may contain the set of information, where the beacon is extended with information that allow a terminal to identify if mobility (handoff) to an access point (AP) implies an L3 handoff or only an L2 handoff, including information about a subnet prefix of a subnet a new AP belongs to. When a station (STA) listens to the beacon, the STA discovers that the AP can provide additional information. If the STA is interested, the STA sends a probe request indicating which information it requires, and the AP returns available information in a probe response based on the information.
US08363623B2

The invention provides a method of operating a communication network and a network itself. The network comprises a plurality of wireless stations, each station being able to transmit and receive data so that the network can transmit a message comprising a plurality of data packets from an originating station to a destination station via at least one intermediate station. At least some of the stations have a controllable antenna system operable to direct a null selectively. The method includes selecting, at each station, one or more probing channels for the transmission of probe signals to other stations. At stations having a controllable antenna system, the presence of interference on said one or more probing channels is detected, and one or more nulls are selectively directed towards the source or sources of the interference. Typically, a null is directed towards a source of interference where the level of the interference exceeds a predetermined level. Each station transmits neighbor gathering probe signals on the selected probing channel or channels, and other stations which receive the neighbor gathering probe signals from a probing station respond directly or indirectly to thereby indicate to the probing station their availability as destination or intermediate neighbor stations. The presence of the nulls affects the ability of other stations to receive the neighbor gathering probe signals, and the resulting variations in the connectivity between stations provides variations in the availability of neighbor stations to each station.
US08363619B2

A method, apparatus and system for establishing S1 signaling connections in an evolved network are disclosed. A source evolved NodeB (eNodeB) sends a HANDOVER REQUEST message that carries original S1 signaling connection parameter information to a target eNodeB to initiate a process that a user equipment (UE) is handed over to the target eNodeB. When the UE enters the target cell, the target eNodeB allocates a new S1 signaling connection parameter and sends a HANDOVER COMPLETE message that carries the original S1 signaling connection parameter and the new S1 signaling connection parameter of the new eNodeB to an evolved packet core (EPC). The EPC receives the HANDOVER COMPLETE message that carries the new S1 signaling connection parameter and the original S1 signaling connection parameter. With the present disclosure, the inability of the target eNodeB to establish an S1 signaling connection with the EPC in the related art is effectively solved.
US08363611B2

Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to a technique for releasing semi-persistent scheduling resources and for immediate entering an energy saving mode of operation at a user terminal.
US08363604B2

A network entity includes a processor configured to regulate the data rate of transmissions over a wireless channel from a base station to a subscriber station based on feedback from the subscriber station, the feedback relating to the wireless channel conditions, the processor being further configured to determine a substitute data rate for one or more transmissions over the wireless channel.
US08363601B2

A method for supporting coexistence with a wireless personal area network (WPAN) is provided. A method for supporting coexistence with a WPAN in a mobile station which periodically receives a beacon signal for local wireless communication includes, at the mobile station, calculating the numbers of uplink frames which overlap with the beacon signal, configuring a bitmap using the calculated frame numbers, and transmitting coexistence information including the bitmap to a base station. Accordingly, when a broadband wireless access system and WiMedia or ZigBee are simultaneously used, a beacon signal of WiMedia or ZigBee can be efficiently protected from the interruption of the broadband wireless access system and thus WiMedia or ZigBee can be normally operated.
US08363598B2

In a communications system where a mobile node seeks to establish contact with a server node within or outside the home network of the mobile node by first providing the general location information and the server type of the server node to a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server. The DHCP server then matches the provided information with its record in storage to arrive at an IP (Internet Protocol) address of the sought server node. The DHCP server then sends the IP address to the mobile node, thereby allowing the mobile node to directly access the server node.
US08363597B2

Techniques for wireless communications using two different physical layers with a common medium access control layer are provided.
US08363589B2

Various methods for generating and utilizing communications shortcuts are provided. One example method includes associating a contact information detail to an unassigned shortcut for implementing one of at least one communications method associated with the contact information detail, and configuring the unassigned shortcut to initiate a communication session with a party associated with the contact information detail in response to a selection of the unassigned shortcut. Similar and related example methods and example apparatuses are also provided.
US08363584B2

A communications controller according to the present invention includes a network interface, and a control unit for, when the network interface receives a request information for requesting establishment of a new multicast communications flow, judging whether or not the new multicast communications flow can be established with respect to a base station, based on communications quality parameters of the other multicast communications flows already established with a plurality of base stations, and a communications quality parameter of the new multicast communications flow, the new multicast communications flow being to be transferred by way of the base station, and establishing the new multicast communications flow if result of the judgment on the base station is YES, the new multicast communications flow being to be transferred by way of the base station.
US08363578B1

Selection between first and second communication channels of differing bandwidths for communication between communication devices may be chosen by a method, an apparatus, or a computer-readable medium wherein the first channel is employed as a communication channel, a determination is made whether a criterion associated with the communication channel is met, and, if the criterion associated with the communication channel is met, an evaluation of the second channel is performed and one of the first and second channels is chosen to subsequently employ as the communication channel based on the evaluation of the second channel.
US08363577B2

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed that utilize the discrete Fourier transform of time domain responses to generate beamforming weights for wireless communication. In addition, in some embodiments frequency subcarriers constituting less than all of the frequency subcarriers allocated for communication to a user may utilized for generating the beamforming weights.
US08363575B2

A method and system for using frequency resources in a communication system are provided. In the method and system, a total frequency band is divided into at least two frequency subbands and there is a guard interval between frequency subbands. A first frequency subband includes a TDD UL frequency subband and a TDD DL frequency subband. A second frequency subband includes an FDD UL frequency subband. A BS sets a frequency band between the TDD UL frequency subband and an FDD UL frequency subband as an additional UL frequency subband, and receives a signal from an MS in the additional UL frequency subband.
US08363573B2

A method of ringcasting with improved reliability, in which a participant who is the source of content saves the signal in which the content is found, and compares received signals with the signal in which the content is found to ensure that the content has made it completely around the ring. If any particular piece of the content does not complete the ring, the content is re-transmitted from the participant around the ring. Sequence indices within the signal informs each participant of the sequence in which any particular piece of content is to be received so that, even if any particular piece of content is received out of order, it will be replaced in its proper sequence by a recipient.
US08363558B2

The present invention provides a system and method of modifying policy settings in a network having a plurality of subscriber devices. An embodiment includes a plurality of base stations, each capable of wirelessly transmitting across a geographic region. A cell-phone, capable of roaming between regions is operable to establish a wireless link with the base stations. The network contains a communication policy determining from which other communication devices a subscriber device can receive voice calls. A copy of this policy is stored on each subscriber device as a database and periodically updated as the devices make contact with the base stations or other subscriber devices. When receiving a voice call, the device first determines who the originator of the call is and then determines whether it is allowed to receive the call from that originator according to its policy database. The policy database can be updated either by subscriber devices or by base stations.
US08363552B2

A method may include storing rules associated with processing calls. Each of the rules may include a maximum number of calls per unit of time. The method may also include determining whether the maximum number of calls per unit of time associated with a first one of the rules is greater than a threshold. The method may further include allocating by a first node, when the maximum number of calls per unit of time is greater than the threshold, a number of calls per unit of time to the first node based on the number of calls satisfying the first rule that were received by the first node and a total number of calls satisfying the first rule that were received by all of the nodes.
US08363544B2

A system and method of determining a quality ranking of user traffic directed from at least one traffic producer Web site to a traffic consumer Web site. A reference for the traffic consumer is established on a Web site of the traffic producer. The reference includes a link from the traffic producer to a traffic quality intermediary and a unique identifier to identify the traffic consumer. The traffic quality intermediary receives user traffic data associated with the user traffic directed from the traffic producer and determines a quality ranking of the user traffic based upon the user traffic data.
US08363540B2

A method for generating a transmit sequence in a single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) transmitter is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes generating a first time domain sequence, transforming the first time domain sequence to a first frequency domain sequence according to a first transform, distributing the first frequency domain sequence among a subset of subcarriers among a plurality of subcarriers in a second frequency domain sequence, transforming the second frequency domain sequence to a second time domain sequence, and adding a cyclic prefix to the second time domain sequence to form a transmit sequence. In one exemplary embodiment, the first time domain sequence is a plurality of pilot symbols that have known properties e.g., a constant amplitude, and zero autocorrelation (CAZAC).
US08363539B2

An FFT unit generates a frequency domain signal by converting an OFDM signal using Fourier transform. A delay amount calculation unit generates a delay profile of the OFDM signal. The control determination unit detects a main wave and an interference wave using the delay profile. When the time difference between the main wave and a preceding wave is larger than a guard interval of the OFDM signal, an FFT window control unit sets the start position of the FFT window at a position shifted forward from the symbol start position of the main wave by an amount corresponding to the guard interval.
US08363526B2

An optical pickup apparatus, which reads signals recorded on first and second signal recording layers of an optical disc, includes: a laser diode; an objective lens to condense a laser beam to the first and second signal recording layers; and a collimating lens disposed in a light path of the laser beam between the laser diode and the objective lens and configured to correct a spherical aberration by moving in a light axis direction of the laser beam, and the objective lens includes a bifocal lens and is configured such that a second focal point does not coincide in position with the second signal recording layer when a first focal point coincides in position with the first signal recording layer, and the first focal point does not coincide in position with the first signal recording layer when the second focal point coincides in position with the second signal recording layer.
US08363512B2

Sound and image are sampled simultaneously using a sound/image sampling unit incorporating a plurality of microphones and a camera. Sound pressure waveform data and image data are stored in a storage means. Then the sound pressure waveform data are extracted from the storage means, and a graph of a time-series waveform of the sound pressure level is displayed on a display screen. A time point at which to carry out a calculation to estimate sound direction is designated on the graph, and then sound direction is estimated by calculating the phase differences between the sound pressure signals of the sound sampled by the microphones, using the sound pressure waveform data for a calculation time length having the time point at the center thereof. A sound source position estimation image having a graphic indicating an estimated sound direction is created and displayed by combining the estimated sound direction and the image data sampled at the time point.
US08363505B2

A two transistor word line driver is disclosed. An example disclosed word line driver is simplified with common signals on the gates of the p-type and the n-type transistors. An example disclosed word line driver consumes less power by applying a negative voltage to a word line driver selected from multiple word line drivers.
US08363500B2

Methods for measuring the resistance of multiple memory elements are disclosed. The memory elements may be multi-bit memory and through precise measurement of resistance of the multi-bit memory elements, determination of how many and which memory elements fall into specific memory ranges can be accomplished. Furthermore, storage and/or display of this information may allow for the creation of resistance distribution histograms for modeling of one or more memory arrays.
US08363496B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a mask information storage circuit that stores therein mask information indicating an area for which the self refresh operation is not performed among a plurality of areas in a memory cell array, a mask determining circuit that is activated by a self refresh command and generates a match signal in response to a detection of a match between a refresh address and the mask information, and a refresh operation control circuit that disables the self refresh operation in response to an activation of the match signal. When a test mode signal is activated, the mask determining circuit is also activated by the auto refresh command. With this configuration, it is possible to perform a test of a partial array self refresh function without actually entering a self refresh mode.
US08363491B2

In a system having a plurality of non-volatile memory cells, a method includes performing hot carrier injection on a first non-volatile memory cell in a first mode of programming. In the first mode, current flows from a first current electrode to a second electrode of the first non-volatile memory cell and charge is transferred from the current to a floating gate of the first non-volatile memory cell at a location nearer the first current electrode than the second current electrode. The method further includes performing hot carrier injection on the first non-volatile memory cell in a second mode of programming. In the second mode, current flows from the second current electrode to the first electrode of the first non-volatile memory cell and charge is transferred from the current to the floating gate of the first non-volatile memory cell at a location nearer the second current electrode than the first current electrode.
US08363480B2

A nonvolatile semiconductor storage device including a NAND cell unit having a first and a second select gate transistor, a plurality of memory cell transistors series connected between the first and second select gate transistors that are coupled to corresponding word lines, and a peripheral circuit erase verifying the NAND cell unit by turning on the first and second select gate transistors, applying a predetermined voltage level on the source line, making a voltage level applied on one or more of the word lines coupled to the memory cell transistors relatively closer to the second select gate transistor larger than that applied on one or more of the word lines coupled to the memory cell transistors relatively closer to the first select gate transistor, and verifying data erase of the memory cell transistors.
US08363478B1

Apparatuses, methods, and other embodiments associated with group based read reference voltage management in flash memory are described. According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes an interval logic configured to create a finite set of timer intervals, a partition logic configured to selectively assign a Vref value to a set of flash memory cells as a function of a given timer interval during which the set of flash memory cells are programmed, and an adaptation logic configured to selectively adapt a given Vref value associated with a flash memory cell upon determining that the flash memory cell has been read.
US08363468B2

A semiconductor memory device of the invention comprises a memory cell array which includes a first region that has a plurality of memory cells each capable of storing n-bit data (n is a natural number) and a second region that has a plurality of memory cells each capable of storing k-bit data (k>n: k is a natural number), a data storage circuit which includes a plurality of data caches, and a control circuit which controls the memory cell array and the data storage circuit in such a manner that the k-bit data read from the k/n number of memory cells in the first region are stored into the data storage circuit and the k-bit data are stored into the memory cells in the second region.
US08363467B2

A non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array of data-rewritable non-volatile memory cells or memory cell units containing the memory cells, and a plurality of word lines each commonly connected to the memory cells on the same row in the memory cell array. In write pulse applying during data writing, a high voltage for writing is applied to a selected word line, and an intermediate voltage for writing is applied to at least two of non-selected word lines. The beginning of charging a first word line located between the selected word line and a source line to a first intermediate voltage for writing is followed by the beginning of charging a second word line located between the selected word line and a bit line contact to a second intermediate voltage for writing.
US08363458B2

A memory controller provides interfaces for one or more thin film memory circuits. The controller may include an analog interface for one or more thin film memories. Such an analog interface may accept analog signals representative of an associated thin film memory's memory state, condition and sense the signal, and encode the signal into a digital value.
US08363452B2

Disclosed is a semiconductor device functioning as a multivalued memory device including: memory cells connected in series; a driver circuit selecting a memory cell and driving a second signal line and a word line; a driver circuit selecting any of writing potentials and outputting it to a first signal line; a reading circuit comparing a potential of a bit line and a reference potential; and a potential generating circuit generating the writing potential and the reference potential. One of the memory cells includes: a first transistor connected to the bit line and a source line; a second transistor connected to the first and second signal line; and a third transistor connected to the word line, bit line, and source line. The second transistor includes an oxide semiconductor layer. A gate electrode of the first transistor is connected to one of source and drain electrodes of the second transistor.
US08363450B2

A method and apparatus for reading data from a non-volatile memory cell. In some embodiments, a cross-point array of non-volatile memory cells is arranged into rows and columns. A selection circuit is provided that is capable of activating the first block of memory cells while deactivating the second block of memory cells. Further, a read circuit is provided that is capable of reading a logical state of a predetermined memory cell in the first block of memory cells with a reduced leak current by programming a first resistive state to the block selection elements corresponding to the first block of memory cells while programming a second resistive state to the block selection elements corresponding to the second block of memory cells.
US08363447B2

A storage device capable of reducing a number of cycles necessary for a verify at a time of multi-bit recording is provided. An initial value of a potential difference VGS between a gate and a source of a switching transistor at the time of the verify is set to a value varied based on a resistance value level of multi-bit information. In the case of recording 2 bits when “01” is the information, an initial value VGS01 is set to be smaller than VGS=1.7 V corresponding to the target resistance value level “01”, and when “00” is the information, a value is set to be lower than VGS=2.2 V corresponding to the target resistance value level “00” and higher than the above-described VGS01. This can reduce the number of cycles necessary for the verify process.
US08363444B2

A bridge device architecture for connecting discrete memory devices. The bridge device is used in conjunction with a composite memory device including at least one discrete memory device. The bridge device includes a local control interface for connecting to the at least one discrete memory device, a local input/output interface for connecting to the at least one discrete memory device, and a global input/output interface. The global input/output interface receives and provides global memory control signals and also receives and provides write data to and read data from the at least one discrete memory device.
US08363443B2

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to semiconductors and memory technology, and more particularly, to systems, integrated circuits, and methods to implement circuits configured to compensate for parameter variations that affect the operation of memory elements, such as memory elements based on third dimensional memory technology. In at least some embodiments, an integrated circuit includes a cross-point array comprising memory elements disposed among word lines and bit lines, where a parameter can affect the operating characteristics of a memory element. The integrated circuit further includes a data signal adjuster configured to modify the operating characteristic to compensate for a deviation from a target value for the operating characteristic based on the parameter. In some embodiments, the memory element, such as a resistive memory element, is configured to generate a data signal having a magnitude substantially at the target value independent of variation in the parameter.
US08363442B2

Various embodiments are directed to an apparatus comprising a semiconductor memory array with non-volatile memory unit cells arranged into a NAND block. Each of the unit cells comprises a resistive sense element connected in parallel with a switching element. The resistive sense elements are connected in series to form a first serial path, and the switching elements are connected in series to form a second serial path parallel to the first serial path. Each resistive sense element is serially connected to an adjacent resistive sense element in the block by a tortuous conductive path having a portion that extends substantially vertically between said elements to provide operational isolation therefor.
US08363439B2

An power converter that is operable to convert AC power into DC power that may be delivered to a load. The power converter includes a transformer and a controllable switch. The switching frequency of the power converter is configured to be dependent on the level of the AC voltage of an AC power source. The switching frequency may be proportional to the AC voltage to provide a constant magnetic flux density swing for the transformer in the power converter. The switching frequency may be controlled by using a circuit that converts the AC voltage from the AC power source into a frequency signal that is proportional to the AC voltage.
US08363436B2

A start up circuit constituted of: a first alternating current lead; a second alternating current lead, said second alternating current lead exhibiting an opposing phase of said first alternating current lead; a first capacitor, a first end of said first capacitor coupled to said first alternating current lead; a second capacitor, a first end of said second capacitor coupled to said second alternating current lead; a breakdown diode coupled between a second end of said first capacitor and a second end of said second capacitor; and a third capacitor coupled in parallel with said breakdown diode. A direct current power is developed across the breakdown diode without requiring dissipative elements.
US08363432B2

This DC-DC converter circuit includes: first and second switching elements (S1, S2); an output transformer (T) that includes a first primary winding (P1) connected in series between the positive electrode sides of the first and second switching elements (S1, S2), a second primary winding (P2) connected in series between their negative electrode sides, a secondary winding (S) for obtaining an output voltage, and tertiary windings (n3, n4); a first voltage source (C1), connected between a first connection point at which the first primary winding (P1) is connected to the second switching element (S2) and the first switching element (S1), that applies a voltage to the first switching element via the first primary winding; a second voltage source (C2) connected to locations symmetric with those of the first voltage source (C1); and a control unit (CT) that turns the first and second switching elements (S1, S2) alternatingly ON and OFF, and first and second regeneration snubber circuits (SN1, SN2) for regenerating the charge in snubber capacitors (C3, C4) to the voltage sources (C1, C2); and these regeneration snubber circuits (SN1, SN2) include third and fourth switching elements (S3, S4) driven by the output voltages of the tertiary windings (n3, n4).
US08363423B2

A mounting device for a printed circuit board includes a supporting board, a connecting piece and a mounting member. The supporting board includes non-metallic material. The connecting piece is configured to secures the supporting board to a chassis. The connecting piece has a connecting claw penetrating into the supporting board. The mounting member assembly is attached to the supporting board.
US08363421B2

A semiconductor device has a wiring board having a wiring, a semiconductor chip that is mounted on the wiring board, and an electric conductor reference plane provided in the inside of the wiring board, in which in top view. The wiring includes a first region that overlaps the electric conductor reference plane and a second region that is the whole region except for the first region. A conductor chip is mounted above the second region.
US08363417B2

The present invention is directed to a printed circuit board assembly having a circuit board with opposing side edges and an open frame housing with parallel mounting frames extending along the side edges of the circuit board. Each mounting frame has a body portion having a support shelf and an overhang ledge forming a channel, the channel nesting an associated side edge of the circuit board. A mounting peg is supported to extend transversely to the entry of the channel, and temporary deforming of the ledge permits entry of the associated side edge into the channel, the circuit board having a complementary peg retention hole appropriately sized to receive the mounting peg.
US08363414B2

A server system includes a chassis, a first cover, and a second cover. The chassis defines an opening. The first cover is secured to the chassis and defines a recess for receiving a disk drive. The second cover is secured to the chassis. The first cover is rotatable between a first position, where the first and second covers cover the opening, and a second position, where the first cover is rotated away from the second cover. The recess is located outside the chassis when the first cover is in the first position.
US08363406B2

Apparatuses are provided for compressing a thermal interface material between a heat generating electronic component and a cooling electrical component. Embodiments include a rotatable latch fastened to the heat generating electrical component, the rotatable latch including a hook; wherein when the rotatable latch is in an engaged position, the hook of the rotatable latch engages a pin extending from the cooling electrical component such that the thermal interface material adhered to the heat generating electrical component is coupled to the cooling component; when the rotatable latch is in an unengaged position, the hook of the rotatable latch is not engaged with the pin of the cooling electrical component; a load screw; wherein when the rotatable latch is in the engaged position, threading the load screw into the rotatable latch moves the rotatable latch into a locked state; and a spring leaf that is coupled to the heat generating electrical component.
US08363403B2

As a result of a lower arm side having a small thermal resistance being positioned downstream of the coolant flow, cooling efficiency of the lower arm positioned on the downstream side of the coolant flow becomes higher than that of an upper arm positioned on an upstream side. Hence, rise in coolant temperature on the upstream side can be suppressed, and the first and second semiconductor chips disposed upstream and downstream can be effectively cooled. Alternatively, even when the coolant temperature rises on the upstream side, the first and second semiconductor chips disposed upstream and downstream can be effectively cooled by sufficient cooling being performed on the downstream side based on the high cooling efficiency. Therefore, the rise in semiconductor chip temperature on the downstream side to a temperature higher than that on the upstream side can be suppressed.
US08363394B2

An expansion card module includes an expansion card, an adapter card electrically coupled to the expansion card, and a box enclosing the expansion card and the adapter card. The expansion card includes a fixing plate fixed to the box. The adapter card includes a connector to be electrically coupled to a motherboard of the computer by a cable. A mounting bracket for a storage device is not occupied by the storage device, but receives the box of the expansion card module therein.
US08363393B2

An auto-closable flexible display device including a flexible display (38); a spreader mechanism (50) operably connected to the flexible display (38), the spreader mechanism (50) having a latch assembly (36) to maintain the spreader mechanism (50) in an open position; an acceleration sensor generating an acceleration signal; and an acceleration processor responsive to the acceleration signal and generating a close signal when the acceleration signal exceeds a predetermined acceleration limit. The latch assembly (36) is responsive to the close signal to release the spreader mechanism (50) from the open position.
US08363384B2

Metal getter systems for use in electronic devices are provided. The getter systems taught herein include compartmentalized, metal getter systems for use in electrolytic environments present within electrolytic devices, such as electrolytic capacitors, without the problem of getter passivation. Such systems (50) can include a composite getter system (10) inserted into a central portion of an electrolytic capacitor (50) having a container (51), electrodes (52), and electrical contacts (54,54′).
US08363383B2

A dielectric ceramic composition includes BaTiO3 as a main component; as subcomponents, with respect to 100 moles of BaTiO3, 0.9 to 2.0 moles of an oxide of RA in terms of RA2O3, where RA is at least one selected from Dy, Gd and Tb; 0.3 to 2.0 moles of an oxide of RB in terms of RB2O3, where RB is at least one selected from Ho and Y; 0.75 to 2.5 moles of an oxide of Yb in terms of Yb2O3; and 0.5 to 2.0 moles of an oxide of Mg in terms of Mg. when contents of oxide of RA, oxide of RB and oxide of Yb with respect to 100 moles of BaTiO3 are defined as “α”, “β” and “γ”, respectively, “α”, “β” and “γ” satisfy relations of 0.66≦(α/β)≦3.0 and 0.85≦(α+β)/γ≦2.4. According to the present invention, a dielectric ceramic composition having good properties can be provided.
US08363377B2

An electrostatic chuck and an apparatus having the electrostatic chuck are provided. The electrostatic chuck may attract a substrate during a substrate assembling process for manufacturing a flat display panel. An elastic layer made of an elastic material may be provided in a base part of the electrostatic chuck, thus preventing non-uniform stress from being distributed on the substrate due to external force, therefore maintaining the flatness of the substrate and improving the quality of assembled substrates. The electrostatic chuck may include an electrostatic force generating part provided on an upper surface of the base part, the force generating part including an insulating layer, an electrode layer, a dielectric layer. The base part may be provided with the elastic layer made of the elastic material having elastic restoring force.
US08363374B2

A fault tolerant synchronous rectifier regulator system and method are disclosed. In the system and method, a high side switch is operable to be coupled to an electrical bus, and a low side switch is coupled to a common ground. In addition, a first fuse is coupled to the high side switch and the low side switch, and operable to open in response to a first fault. Furthermore, a second fuse is coupled to the high side switch and the first fuse, and operable to be coupled to a current source and to open in response to a second fault.
US08363370B2

An over-voltage protection circuit is disclosed herein for protection against over-voltage of an energy storage device while charging. The circuit operates within the operational limits of a battery-operated device, such as a mobile or handheld device. The over-voltage protection circuit comprises an over-voltage protection device, and an over-voltage protection controller. The controller allows current to flow to the over-voltage protection device only when an energy storage device is experiencing over-voltage. In allowing current to flow to the over-voltage protection device only when the voltage across the energy storage device is above a predetermined voltage, power conservation is achieved.
US08363360B2

A disk drive includes a head for accessing a disk, a suspension for supporting the head, a carriage coupled to the suspension, a pivot-bearing assembly, an adhesive, and an adhesion inhibitor. The pivot-bearing assembly is housed in a hole of the carriage that is configured to rotate in such a way that the carriage is configured to oscillate. The adhesive is disposed between the pivot-bearing assembly and an inner circumferential surface of the hole for bonding the pivot-bearing assembly with the carriage. The adhesion inhibitor is disposed on the same surface as the adhesive for controlling a region of adhesion.
US08363358B2

An integrated pivot-carriage for a hard-disk drive. The integrated pivot-carriage includes a carriage having a center-bore with an integrated bearing-spacer portion. The integrated pivot-carriage also includes a pivot-shaft configured to provide support for rotation of the carriage. The pivot-shaft is disposed within the center-bore of the carriage. In addition, the integrated pivot-carriage includes at least one raceless ball-bearing that is configured to allow rotation of the carriage about the pivot-shaft. The raceless ball-bearing is disposed between the pivot-shaft and the carriage.
US08363356B2

A base layer for a suspension. The base layer includes a structure. The structure has a slider end portion and a tail portion. The structure includes an opening in the tail portion. The opening provides access to a conductive assembly coupleable there with. The structure also includes a strengthening member integrated within said opening.
US08363353B2

In a spindle motor, a lead wire extending from a coil includes a first solder portion coated with a first solder. The lead wire is arranged to extend downward through a base hole portion and a board hole portion. The first solder portion is soldered to a circuit board through a second solder portion. An upper end portion of the first solder portion is arranged above an upper surface of the circuit board such that d1>(d2−d3)/2 is satisfied, where d1 denotes the axial distance between the upper end portion of the first solder portion and the upper surface of the circuit board, d2 denotes an opening width of the board hole portion, and d3 denotes the diameter of the lead wire.
US08363345B2

An apparatus, system, and method for automatic unthreading and storage of storage media helps prevent damage to the media, which can otherwise occur when the storage media is left threaded in a storage media drive over an extended period or under adverse conditions. A sensing device may generate a signal or a detector may receive a signal indicating that a predetermined period of time has lapsed or that some other criteria has been met indicating that the storage media should be removed from the storage media drive. An unthread module in the storage media drive receives the signal and automatically unthreads and stores the storage media. A location on the storage media can be marked by the unthread module prior to unthreading such that the media may be returned to the location upon rethreading.
US08363344B2

An information handling system includes a free fall sensing system having an amplifier and sampling circuit, a sampling data analyzer, a sampling clock duration controller, and a sampling clock generator. The amplifier and sampling circuit is configured to sample data signals from the free fall sensor based on an initial sampling signal and based on a variable sampling signal. The sampling data analyzer is configured to compare a magnitude of sampled data point to a predetermined magnitude, to output an alert signal when the magnitude of the sampled data point is below the predetermined magnitude. The sampling clock duration controller is configured to vary a duration and a frequency of a sampling signal control in response to the alert signal. The sampling clock generator is configured to send a variable sampling signal to the amplifier and sampling circuit in response to the variation of the duration and the frequency of the sampling signal control.
US08363341B2

A fixed-focus lens module includes an outer lens barrel, an inner lens, a first lens, and a second lens group. The outer lens barrel includes a first open end, a first cavity, and a second open end arranged in the order from the object side to the image side of the outer lens barrel. The inner lens barrel is received in the outer lens barrel adjacent to the first open end. The first lens is received in the inner lens barrel. The second lens group is received in the outer lens barrel adjacent to the second open end. An gap is defined between an outer wall of the inner lens barrel and an inner wall of the outer lens barrel at the first open end, and the center axis of the inner lens barrel is adjustable relative to the outer lens barrel for adjusting the alignment between the first lens and the second lens group.
US08363338B2

A fixed focal length optical lens system includes a lens group and a diaphragm. The diaphragm is located in front of the lens group. The lens group includes three lenses, respectively the first, the second and the third lens, which are sequentially arranged as a “negative-positive-positive” separated focal power system. The first lens is a plano-concave negative lens, the second lens is a positive meniscus lens, and the third lens is a double convex positive lens. All of the curved surfaces of the second lens are bent in the direction towards the diaphragm, wherein, the focal length of the entire optical system is f, the focal lengths of the first, the second and the third lens are respectively f1, f2, and f3, and which satisfies the following requirement: −0.6
US08363334B2

A lens barrel capable of increasing the degree of freedom of installation of a detection unit and capable of making the lens barrel compact in size. The lens barrel includes third and fourth lens groups disposed adjacent to each other and movable in a common optical axis direction. In a first movement section, the third lens group moves in unison with the fourth lens group. In a second movement section adjacent to the first movement section, only the third lens group moves. When a photointerrupter fixed to a cover of the third lens group is light-shielded by a light shield plate formed on a lens holder of the fourth lens group, it is detected that a distance between the third and fourth lens groups becomes a predetermined distance.
US08363333B2

A macro lens system includes a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, and a negative fourth lens group, in that order from the object. Upon focusing from an infinite photographic distance to a life-sized photographic distance, the first lens group remains stationary with respect to the imaging plane, and the second and third lens groups move along the optical axis direction. The macro lens system satisfies the following condition: −4.6
US08363328B2

A liquid lens including at least two phase liquids covered with a protection member having transparent portions allowing transmission of light includes an elastic film configured to separate the at least two phase liquids within the protection member, a connection portion configured to connect the protection member to the elastic film, and a movement unit configured to move the connection portion within the protection member.
US08363327B2

A projection lens includes a first lens group, a second lens group, and a third lens group. The first lens group is composed of a first lens. The first lens has a concave surface and a convex surface, and the concave surface of the first lens faces a reducing side of the projection lens. The second lens group has positive refractive power, and includes a second lens having positive refractive power and a third lens having negative refractive power. The second lens is a biconvex lens, and the third lens has a concave lens facing the reducing side. The third lens group is composed of a fourth lens, and the fourth lens has a convex surface facing a magnifying side of the projection lens. The first lens group, the second lens group, and the third lens group include at least two aspheric lenses.
US08363320B2

A method and apparatus for decorrelating coherent light from a light source, such as a pulsed laser, in both time and space in an effort to provide intense and uniform illumination are provided. The techniques and apparatus described herein may be incorporated into any application where intense, uniform illumination is desired, such as pulsed laser annealing, welding, ablating, and wafer stepper illuminating.
US08363302B2

Disclosed is an electrochromic device that includes a first electrode and a second electrode facing each other, an electrochromic layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, and an electrolyte between the first electrode and the second electrode and being in contact with the electrochromic layer. The electrochromic layer may include a plurality of oxide semiconductor particles, a metal oxide on the surface of the oxide semiconductor particles, and an electrochromic material. An energy bandgap of the oxide semiconductor particles is in a range of about 3 eV to about 5 eV and an energy bandgap of the metal oxide is in a range of about 3 eV to about 5 eV, and a difference of conduction band energy levels of the oxide semiconductor particles and the metal oxide is about 0.5 eV or less. A method of manufacturing the electrochromic device may also be provided.
US08363294B2

Disclosed is an image processing apparatus and a method of controlling the same. A color contact image sensor (CIS) module employing a single channel line sensor can be used to produce substantially the same performance as a color CIS module employing a three-channel line sensor and having color filters to, for example, reduce manufacturing costs. Moreover, a blurring phenomenon that can occur in a scanned image can be reduced and the quality of the scanned image can be improved.
US08363291B2

In a method of scanning an image on an original, an optical sensor including sensor elements for each of a number of basic colors is used to generate pixel values of rows of pixels of the scanned image. The sensor elements are used to generate grey scale pixel values representing different parts of the image. A first sensor element for each of the basic colors is used to generate pixel values of odd pixels of rows on the original, and a second sensor element for each of the basic colors is used to generate pixel values of even pixels of rows of the original. Each grey scale pixel value is generated mainly on the basis of a pixel value of at least one of the first sensor elements and a pixel value of at least one of the second sensor elements for adjacent pixels.
US08363289B2

An image reading apparatus for use in an office machine includes a first image sensor and a second image sensor. The first image sensor is disposed in an automatic document feeder of the office machine for sensing and reading a first side of a document. The first image sensor includes a first optical module, a first correction element and an elastic sustaining element. The first optical module includes a first light source, a first light-sensing element and a glass surface. The first correction element is arranged at an opposite side of the first optical module. The elastic sustaining element has a free end sustained against the glass surface of the first optical module, thereby facilitating a close contact between the document and the glass surface. The second image sensor is disposed in an office machine main body for sensing and reading a second side of the document.
US08363270B2

An image processing method displays a simulation image of an image formed on a print medium under a first light-source color on a display under a second light-source color. The method includes an acquisition step of acquiring image data to be simulated in a format according to the second light-source color, a step of calculating a reflective color obtained when the acquired image data is processed to represent an image corresponding to the image data illuminated by an achromatic light-source color, a step of converting the first light-source color into the format according to the second light-source color, and calculating a glossy color of the image data based on the converted first light-source color, and a generation step of generating an image to be displayed by adding the reflective color calculated in the reflective color calculation step and the glossy color calculated in the glossy color calculation step.
US08363261B1

Methods, software, circuits and apparatuses for detecting a malfunction in an imaging device. The methods generally comprise orienting an image at an angle on an image detecting device; detecting the image; determining an error in the image; and correlating the error to a malfunction in the imaging device. Software instructions can be adapted to determine an orientation angle of an image; analyze the image to detect an error; and calculate a location of a malfunction in the imaging device. The circuits generally include a memory element; logic configured to calculate the orientation of an image; a processor configured to analyze the image and locate a fault; and logic configured to determine a location of the fault in the image and correlate the fault to a malfunction in an imaging device. The present invention advantageously provides a lower cost technique for detecting a malfunction in a high resolution imaging device.
US08363256B2

An image processing apparatus includes an input unit inputting image data, a memory having a storage region for storing the image data inputted by the input unit, a printer printing the image data in response to an user's instruction of printing the image data stored in the storage region, a transmitting unit transmitting set information indicating setting of the storage region to an other image processing apparatus, and a control unit controlling the transmitting unit not to transmit the set information to the other image processing apparatus when a pass word for accessing the storage region is included in the set information, and to transmit the set information to the other image processing apparatus when the pass word for accessing the storage region is not included in the set information.
US08363242B2

An image processing apparatus which has a reading unit configured to read an image of a document and generate image data acquires a process definition file which defines a content of reading processing to be executed and a content of transmission processing for transmitting the generated image data, causes the reading unit to execute the reading processing to generate image data according to a definition described in the acquired process definition file, requests an external apparatus to transmit the generated image data according to the definition described in the acquired process definition file, adds, to the acquired process definition file, a description for causing the external apparatus to execute processing for notifying a result of the transmission by the external apparatus, and makes the request by transmitting, to the external apparatus, the generated image data and the process definition file to which the description is added.
US08363241B2

An image acquiring unit acquires an image. A storage unit stores therein the image acquired by the image acquiring unit. An information embedding unit embeds first information in the image acquired by the image acquiring unit. An information extracting unit extracts second information from the image stored in the storage unit. An information registering unit registers the first information in association with second information extracted from an image in which the first information is embedded.
US08363240B2

A method an apparatus for responding to an access request, the method and apparatus including storing ordinary display data and simplified display data used to respond to an access request, storing the simplified display data, accepting an access request, determining whether a power consumption state is in a power saving or ordinary power consumption state when receiving the access request, and responding to the access request using either the ordinary display data or the simplified display data depending on the power consumptions state.
US08363236B2

An information processing apparatus is provided in which a device driver configured to control a plurality of devices is installed. The information processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire function information relating to a function of the device, a storage unit configured to store the acquired function information in a storage medium, a determining unit configured to determine whether the device driver controls the devices, and a control unit configured to control an operation of the device through the device driver based on the stored function information. When the determining unit determines that the device driver controls the plurality of devices, function information acquired by the acquisition unit after the determination is made is abandoned without being stored in the storage medium and/or the acquisition unit is prohibited from acquiring function information.
US08363229B2

A method for height triangulation measurement particularly for measuring the height of an object on a surface, the method includes: a) illuminating said object from a known angle with a narrow strip of light, having a large numerical aperture along said light strip and a small numerical aperture perpendicular to said light strip; b) imaging said object from a known angle having a large numerical aperture along said light strip and a small numerical aperture perpendicular to said light strip, having an image of said object illuminated by said light strip; and c) calculating the height of said object from the location of said light strip on said image.
US08363228B2

Provided is a device for determining the surface topology and associated color of a structure, such as a teeth segment, including a scanner for providing depth data for points along a two-dimensional array substantially orthogonal to the depth direction, and an image acquisition means for providing color data for each of the points of the array, while the spatial disposition of the device with respect to the structure is maintained substantially unchanged. A processor combines the color data and depth data for each point in the array, thereby providing a three-dimensional color virtual model of the surface of the structure. A corresponding method for determining the surface topology and associated color of a structure is also provided.
US08363221B2

The present invention relates to a method for the assessment of quantity and quality parameters of biological particles in a liquid analyte material. The method comprises applying a volume of a liquid sample to an exposing domain from which exposing domain electromagnetic signals from the sample in the domain can pass to the exterior, and exposing, onto an array of active detection elements such as CCD-elements, a spatial representation of electromagnetic signals having passed from the domain, the representation being detectable as an intensity by individual active detection elements, under conditions permitting processing of the intensities detected by the array of detection elements during the exposure in such a manner that representations of electromagnetic signals from the biological particles are identified as distinct from representations of electromagnetic signals from background signals. The size of the volume of the liquid sample is sufficiently large to permit the assessment of the quantity and quality parameters to fulfill a predetermined requirement to the statistical quality of the assessment based on substantially one exposure.
US08363216B2

The present invention provides a system and method for continuous measurement of acid gas concentration or amine loading in a basic solution using Raman spectroscopy.
US08363213B2

A method is provided for detecting not fully set coatings and liquid or smearing impurities on a surface, in which in a first step a film is pressed onto a surface of a coating using a predefined press-on pressure, the film having a relative motion with respect to the surface of the coating, thereafter the film is pulled off the surface of the coating and finally it is determined whether impurities are adhering to the film. A device is also provided for performing the method, including at least one film, which may be pressed against a surface to be tested, at least one press-on roller having a surface by which the film is pressed against the coating, and at least one device for determining whether there are impurities adhering to the film.
US08363212B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods to produce a high performance, feature rich TOF system, phase-based or otherwise using small TOF pixels, single-ended or preferably differential, as well as TOF systems so designed. IC chip area required for pixels is reduced by intelligently off-loading or removing from within the pixel certain components and/or functionality. In some embodiments during a single TOF system capture period, analog values from each pixel are repeatedly sampled and converted to digital values, which are combined and manipulated on the sensor chip. Combining this plurality of values enables appropriately compact data from the sensor chip. Embodiments of the present invention implement a TOF system with high ambient light resilience, high dynamic range, low motion blur and dealiasing support, while advantageously reducing pixel area size relative to prior art TOF pixels.
US08363197B2

The occurrence of the poor electric connection between the outer circuit and the liquid crystal display device can be reduced in the manufacturing method of the outer circuit and liquid display device of this invention. The liquid crystal display device has the pixel region 100P and the outer connection region 107. There are the gate metal layer 15 disposed on the gate insulating film 12, the interlayer insulating film 16 covering the gate metal layer 15, the first conductive layer 19 covering the gate metal layer 15 located on the interlayer insulating film 16, the passivation film 20 with the second opening 22 exposing the part of the first conductive layer 19 that covers the gate metal layer 15, and the second conductive layer 26 covering the first conductive layer 19 exposed from the second opening 22 in the outer connection region. The metal bump 50 of the outer circuit is connected on the second conductive layer 26 through thermal pressure treatment.
US08363194B2

In a liquid crystal display panel, a pixel electrode includes at least a main electrode strip and a plurality of sub electrode branches. The sub electrode branches extend outwardly from two opposite edges of the main electrode strip. The main electrode strip includes at least a node-controlling portion, the controlling width of the node-controlling portion are different from a trunk width of the main electrode strip. Otherwise, a plurality of first sub electrode branches and a plurality of second sub electrode branches are extend outwardly from two opposite edges of the main electrode strip respectively. Relating to the position of the first sub electrode branches, the second sub electrode branches has a position-shift amount along the extending direction of the main electrode strip. The position-shift amount is smaller than the branch width of the first or second sub electrode branch.
US08363190B2

A liquid crystal display (LCD) device and a method of fabricating the same includes a gate line arranged in one direction, a data line arranged in a perpendicular direction to the gate line, a pixel electrode arranged in a pixel region defined by the gate and data lines and having a diagonal side adjacent to a crossing portion of the gate and data lines, and a light blocking pattern arranged in a parallel direction with respect to the diagonal side of the pixel electrode and preventing light leakage.
US08363187B2

The present invention provides a color liquid crystal panel in an o-mode of an IPS mode, which has a multi-gap structure, and in which a contrast in an oblique direction is enhanced.A first polarizer 1 is provided on a color filter 6 side of a liquid crystal cell 10 and a second polarizer 8 is provided on a liquid crystal layer 5 side of the liquid crystal cell 10. Further, a retardation film 2 is provided between the second polarizer 8 and the liquid crystal cell 10. The liquid crystal cell 10 has a configuration in which the color filter 6 is laminated on a glass substrate 3, and a liquid crystal layer 5 is interposed between the color filter 6 and a glass substrate 7. Regarding the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 5, a thickness dB of a region in contact with the blue color filter 6B is smallest, and a thickness dG of a region in contact with the green color filter 6G and a thickness dR of a region in contact with the red color filter 6R increase in this order. That is, the liquid crystal cell 10 has a multi-gap structure in which the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 5 varies depending upon the colors of the color filter 6.
US08363183B2

The present invention is a lengthy-shaped polarizing plate comprising a linearly-polarized light separation element, a linear light polarizing film and a protection film in this order, wherein said linearly-polarized light separation element includes a layer composed of a resin A whose inherent birefringence value is negative and has a linearly-polarized light transmission axis in a crosswise direction.
US08363182B2

The color gamut of a liquid crystal display device of the field sequential system is sufficiently improved.A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention is a liquid crystal display device of the field sequential system including: an illumination element including a first light source for emitting light of a first color, a second light source for emitting light of a second color which is different from the first color, and a third light source for emitting light of a third color which is different from the first and second colors, the illumination element being capable of emitting light of the first, second, and third colors independently by time division; and a liquid crystal display panel for modulating the light emitted from the illumination element. The liquid crystal display panel of the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a first color filter exhibiting a high transmittance for light of the first color.
US08363180B2

A liquid crystal display device performs suitable overshoot drive, even if a panel temperature is changed due to a change of the backlight emission luminance. The liquid crystal display device includes: a temperature sensor which detects the temperature in the device; an emphasis conversion section, which obtains, after the elapse of one vertical display period, an emphasis conversion parameter for making the transmissivity of the liquid crystal panel reach the transmissivity specified by input image signals, and which outputs applying voltage signals for the liquid crystal panel on the basis of the emphasis conversion parameter; and a main microcomputer which corrects the panel temperature of the liquid crystal panel on the basis of the changed light emission luminance when the light emission luminance of the backlight is changed. The emphasis conversion section variably controls the emphasis conversion parameter on the basis of the panel temperature corrected via the main microcomputer.
US08363176B2

With a display device using a pixel which includes a sub-pixel, the display device with improved viewing angle and quality of moving image display is provided without increase in power consumption by driving of the sub-pixel. A circuit which can change conducting states by a plurality of switches is provided, and charge in a plurality of sub-pixels and a capacitor element is transported mutually, so that desired voltage is applied to the plurality of sub-pixels without applying voltage in plural times from external. Moreover, a period in which each sub-pixel displays black is provided in accordance with transfer of charge.
US08363166B2

A Gaussian filter 2 having a first cutoff frequency extracts a low frequency component signal of a video signal. A subtracter 3 extracts a high frequency component signal by subtracting the low frequency component signal from the video signal. A low pass filter 5 having a second cutoff frequency higher than the first cutoff frequency extracts a lower high frequency component signal, which is a low-frequency-side signal of the high frequency component signal. A multiplier 6 generates a corrected component signal by multiplying the lower high frequency component signal by a predetermined gain G1. An adder 7 adds the corrected component signal to the video signal.
US08363162B2

A video display system for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The video display system includes a display screen configured for single display mode and dual display mode. The display screen further includes a left image portion and a right image portion associated with a left external input port and a right external input port, respectively.
US08363154B2

Provided are a digital image processing device and an operation method therefor, and more particularly, a focus error adjusting apparatus and a method therefor whereby a focus error can be adjusted when a digital image processing device is manufactured or used. The focus error adjusting apparatus includes a photographing unit photographing a first image whose focus is adjusted, and photographing a plurality of images by changing movement values of a focus motor by referring to the first image; and a digital signal processing unit outputting a focus motor control signal to the photographing unit for the photographing, detecting an image having the greatest evaluation value of a high frequency component from among the first image and the plurality of images, and adjusting movement of the focus motor by as little as a variation value of the focus motor with respect to the image having the greatest evaluation value of the high frequency component.
US08363152B2

A method for focusing the shooting lens of a motion picture or video camera onto a moving or stationary object, which is imaged on a monitor of a display instrument is provided.
US08363142B2

An apparatus includes a plurality of pixels including a photoelectric conversion unit and a pixel amplification unit for amplifying a signal transmitted from the photoelectric conversion unit and outputting an amplified signal, a sequential averaging unit configured to sequentially average signals read a plurality of times via the pixel amplification unit, and a memory configured to store a signal obtained by sequential averaging.
US08363137B2

An image sensing apparatus comprising on a single semiconductor substrate: a pixel array; a vertical scanning unit; a horizontal scanning unit; a counter which starts a counting operation to count the number of the clocks before a start of the first period, and stops the counting operation before a start of the second period during the first period; and a generation unit which generates a first control signal for causing the vertical scanning unit to drive a pixel, the generation unit including a signal generation unit which generates a second control signal in accordance with the counted value output from the counter, and a delay unit which delays the second control signal to generate the first control signal and output the first control signal to the vertical scanning unit.
US08363128B2

An image processing apparatus and image processing method generate a motion picture with smooth zooming changes when a user manually operates a zoom lens while the motion picture is being captured. The image capturing apparatus includes a recording unit in which a plurality of images that are captured while a zoom lens, which enlarges or reduces images of an object, is manually operated by a user, and in which focal lengths corresponding to the plurality of images are recorded; a focal length calculating unit that calculates smoothing focal lengths based on the recorded focal lengths for smooth chronological variations of focal lengths; and an image generating unit that generates smoothing images having a viewing angle corresponding to the smoothing focal length based on the smoothing focal length, the recorded focal lengths, and the recorded image data.
US08363127B2

A movement signal generation apparatus is disclosed which can convert an analog position signal of an optical adjustment unit into digital signals representing a movement amount and a movement direction of the optical adjustment unit and output the digital signals. The movement signal generation apparatus includes an analog signal output section which outputs an analog signal in accordance with the position of the optical adjustment unit, and a digital signal generation section which generates two digital signals in accordance with a movement amount and a movement direction of the optical adjustment unit based on the analog signal.
US08363117B2

A digital cinematographic and projection process that automatically adjusts for object motion within motion pictures in order to eliminate blur while increasing perceived impact of fast motion. The process includes, capturing an image having static and moving elements at a first frame rate, analyzing the image for motion/velocity components to detect the fast moving elements, reducing the static elements to a second frame rate, the second frame rate being slower than the first frame rate and retaining the fast moving element at the first frame rate.
US08363115B2

The invention concerns a method for digital image stabilization for removing jitter from an original sequence of images (10) generated by a camera. The original sequence (10) is applied to a stabilization algorithm (11). The global motion of a camera is estimated and filtered (110) using a default motion filter. Predetermined parameters (13, 140, 141) are extracted from both the original (10) and stabilized (12) sequences of images. A measure value is computed in order to evaluate (15) the stabilization quality and compared to a threshold. Depending on the results of the evaluation (O15, O′15) the stabilization algorithm (11) uses an alternative filter, in order to improve stabilization quality, or continues to use the default filter.
US08363103B2

A drive assist display apparatus displays the backward or frontward of a vehicle. It is assumed that planes are perpendicular with the front-back direction, the downward, leftward and rightward directions being perpendicular with the front-back direction. Square subjects assumed to be on the planes are displayed as squares or rectangles having equal to one another on respective regions in accordance with the direction. The regions include a forward correction image display region in the vicinity of other display regions. The vicinity area has the same display image corresponding to a straight line coincident with a vertical straight line with respect to the ground surface or being in the vehicle front-back direction. The bottom side of a leftward or rightward correction image display region and the left or right side of a downward correction image display region are straight lines coincident with respective vehicle front-back direction straight lines.
US08363096B1

A sample and hold display such as a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitor that is capable of displaying video signals at a high frame rate, usually at over 120 frames per second, is described. The goal of the monitor is to enable the end user to view stereoscopic 3D images with the use of circular polarized glasses. The display switches between a left perspective view displayed with left handed circular polarization and a right perspective view displayed with right handed circular polarization as stereoscopic 3D images that are viewed with passive analyzing glasses. A horizontally segmented impulse backlight is used to control the timing of the images displayed in synchrony with a horizontally segmented liquid crystal modulator that performs the circular polarization. The impulse backlight and LC modulator eliminate crosstalk while maintaining brightness and high image contrast. Additionally, a unique driving scheme eliminates the appearance of individual segments.
US08363090B1

A system and method for stereoscopic pair layers includes aligning a left eye image and a right eye image of a first stereo image pair layer according to a first calibrated offset to produce an aligned first stereo image pair layer that appears at a first depth in a display environment. A left eye image and a right eye image of a second stereo image pair layer are aligned according to a second calibrated offset to produce an aligned second stereo image pair layer that appears at a second depth in the display environment that is different than the first depth. The aligned first stereo image pair layer and the aligned second stereo image pair layer combined to produce a calibrated stereoscopic image that is suitable for display.
US08363089B2

Any given part is cut out from a distorted circular image photographed by use of a fisheye lens and converted into a planar regular image with less distortion. A virtual sphere H having a radius R on a distorted circular image S on an XY plane is defined, thereby allowing a user to designate a cut-out center point P, a magnification m, and a planar inclination angle φ. A visual line vector n passing through an intersecting point Q immediately above the point P is determined to define an UV orthogonal coordinate system having an orientation depending on the angle φ on a plane orthogonal to a visual line vector n at a point G in which a distance between two points OG is given as m·R. The UV orthogonal coordinate system is curved along the side face C of a “virtual cylindrical column in which the point G forms one point on the side face to have a straight line V′ parallel to the V axis and also passing through the point O as a central axis,” thereby defining the UV curved coordinate system. Correspondence relationship equations between a point Ci (ui, vi) on the UV curved coordinate system and a point Si (xi, yi) on the XY coordinate system are used to obtain an image in the vicinity of a point P on the UV curved coordinate system, and the image is expanded on a plane T to obtain a planar regular image.
US08363082B2

Laser printers are plagued with an assortment of alignment issues. In color laser printers the issues are exacerbated. Variations in distance from the mirror to the drum can lines in different color planes to vary in size. Variations in angles in the facets of the mirror can cause alignment issues between lines. Even lack of synchronization between the dot clock and start of line indication can cause misalignment between rows. In addition, a cosine distortion occurs due to the non-constant linear velocity of the laser scan of a single line. A very high speed master clock can drive the laser scanning unit. By using a very high speed clock, the control circuitry has the resolution to compensate for many of these distortion types, by appropriately counting clock cycles and indicating such to the laser modulator.
US08363080B2

A multi-beam image forming apparatus and a method using the same. The image forming apparatus includes: an image process module to divide first image data into a plurality of second image data; a light scanning unit to scan the plurality of second image data using a plurality of laser beams; and a controller to control the formation of an electrostatic latent image of the first image data on a photosensitive body in an overlapping manner, using at least two of the plurality of laser beams.
US08363072B2

An organic electroluminescent display device includes: first and second substrates facing and spaced apart from each other, the first and second substrates including at least one pixel region having first, second and third sub-pixel region; a gate line and a data line on the first substrate, the gate line and the data line crossing each other to define the at least one pixel region; a first electrode on the first substrate in each of the first, second and third sub-pixel regions; first, second and third organic patterns on the first electrode in the first, second and third sub-pixel regions, respectively, the first, second and third organic patterns having a zigzag shape along a first direction parallel to the gate line with respect to a virtual line passing through a central portion of each of the first, second and third sub-pixel regions; and a second electrode on the first, second and third organic patterns.
US08363066B2

A method allowing display of time-varying merged high resolution and low resolution image data with a smooth frame rate. In one embodiment the high resolution data is structural image data and the low resolution image data is functional image data. The functional image data is gathered (20) into groups and each group is rendered and merged (24) together. The merged images produced are then stored (28) in a First In First Out (FIFO) buffer for display. While the merged images are displayed the next set of functional image data is merged and rendered and supplied to the FIFO buffer, allowing a smooth frame rate to be achieved. A computer program and a medical imaging apparatus using the method are also disclosed.
US08363057B2

A method for real-time, goal-directed performed motion alignment for computer animated characters. A sequence of periodic locomotion may be seamlessly aligned with an arbitrarily placed and rotated non-periodic performed motion. A rendering application generates a sampling of transition locations for transition from a locomotion motion space to a performed motion space. The sampling is parameterized by control parameters of the locomotion motion space. Based on the location and rotation of a goal location at which the performed motion is executed, a particular transition location may be selected to define a motion plan to which a performed motion sequence may then appended. Advantageously, by utilizing a look-up of pre-computed values for the control parameters of the motion plan, the rendering application may minimize the computational cost of finding the motion plan to move the character to a location to transition to a performed motion.
US08363053B2

Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for rendering outlines of multimedia character images for rendering the outlines. The method consists of: (a) detecting parameter values that include a screen width, a two-dimensional screen point, a three-dimensional view point, and a field of view on both ends of the screen width from a position of a user, which are associated with the character to be displayed on the screen from the driven multimedia contents; (b) calculating positional information on an x-axis direction of the character for a two-dimensional screen, on which the character is displayed, based on the parameter values; (c) calculating outline thickness factor of the character in three dimensions, based on the positional information of the x-axis direction of the character on the two-dimensional screen; and (d) performing and processing an outline rendering on the character based on the calculated outline thickness.
US08363052B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products feature providing a rendering of a three-dimensional assembly of components. An explosion sequence for separating first components of the assembly is determined. The explosion sequence comprises stages in which each stage represents a different spatial relationship between two or more of the first components. A first input is received from an interactive control. A first stage in the explosion sequence is selected based on the first input. The rendering of the assembly is updated, responsive to the first input, to show the first stage of the explosion sequence. A second input is received from the interactive control. A different second stage in the explosion sequence is selected based on the second input. The rendering of the assembly is updated, responsive to the second input, to show the second stage of the explosion sequence.
US08363051B2

A computer implemented method, a tangible computer storage medium, and a data processing system generate a non-real-time image snapshot in a virtual world. A backend rendering system receives a scene description from a virtual world server. The backend rendering system then retrieves a high fidelity graphics from a visual database. The visual database contains both the high fidelity graphics and a lightweight graphics. The lightweight graphics are utilized to render the virtual world at a virtual world client application. The backend rendering system then renders the non-real-time image snapshot, and processes the non-real-time image snapshot into the desired format. The non-real-time image snapshot can then be delivered to a client.
US08363045B2

In a class AB amplifier circuit, an input stage circuit includes a first differential pair configured to receive a differential signal and a first current mirror circuit connected with the first differential pair through a first node. A middle stage circuit includes a floating constant current source connected with the first node, a first transistor whose gate is applied with a bias voltage, and a first constant current source connected with the first node through the first transistor. A last stage circuit includes a first output stage transistor whose gate is connected with the first node and which controls a voltage of an output terminal. A first phase compensation capacitance has one end connected with a first connection node between the first constant current source and the first transistor and the other end connected with the output terminal.
US08363036B2

A stylus retaining mechanism for portable electronic device includes a housing and a locking assembly. The housing includes a fixing portion, an opening and a receiving chamber communicating with the opening. The receiving chamber is configured to receive a stylus, the housing included. The locking assembly is attached to the fixing portion, and includes a button and an elastic member. The button defines a passage to allow the stylus to extend through and slide along a landscape orientation of the stylus. A protrusion is formed in the passage. The stylus is locked in the stylus retaining mechanism by engagement between the latching portion and the protrusion. The latching portion is disengaged from the protrusion when the button is depressed.
US08363028B2

A flexible pressure sensor has a first set of substantially parallel conductors in the x direction, a second set of substantially parallel conductors in the y direction, and a composite material disposed between the first set and second set of conductors. The composite material is capable of returning to substantially its original dimensions on release of pressure. The composite material includes conductive particles at least partially embedded in an elastomeric layer that have no relative orientation and are disposed within the elastomeric layer for electrically connecting the first set and second set of conductors in the z direction under application of sufficient pressure there between.
US08363027B2

Displays with touch sensing circuitry integrated into the display pixel stackup are provided. An integrated touch screen can include multi-function circuit elements that can operate as circuitry of the display system to generate an image on the display, and can also form part of a touch sensing system that senses one or more touches on or near the display. The multi-function circuit elements can be, for example, capacitors in display pixels that can be configured to operate as storage capacitors/electrodes, common electrodes, conductive wires/pathways, etc., of the display circuitry in the display system, and that may also be configured to operate as circuit elements of the touch sensing circuitry.
US08363023B2

An electronic analysis circuit of a multicontact passive-matrix tactile sensor including an electrical supply mechanism powering one of two axes of the matrix, and a mechanism detecting electrical characteristics along the other axis of the matrix, at intersections between the two axes. The supply axis and the detection axis are alternated. A multicontact passive-matrix tactile sensor includes an electrical supply mechanism powering one of the two axes of the matrix, a mechanism detecting electrical characteristics along the other axis of the matrix, at the intersections between the two axes, and such an electronic circuit.
US08363016B2

A transparent touch panel comprises a transparent first substrate (110) and a second substrate (130) that each has a transparent electro-conductive layer (111, 131) on one surface and that are arranged with a predetermined interval between each other such that the transparent electro-conductive layers (111, 131) are facing each other. Each of the transparent electro-conductive layers (111, 131) has a pair of electrodes (112, 112) and (132, 132) disposed on each end. Lead-out terminals (114, 114) and (134, 134) are connected to each electrode (112, 132) through surrounding circuits (113, 133) formed on the peripheral edges of the transparent first substrate (110) and the second substrate (130). Lead-out terminals (114, 134) are arranged on each of the opposing surfaces of the transparent first substrate (110) and of the transparent second substrate (130), and a plurality of holding members (80, 80), (81, 81) for holding the edges of the transparent first substrate (110) is provided. Each holding member (80, 81) is formed of an electro-conductive material. That portion of the holding member that is inserted between the transparent first substrate (110) and the second substrate (130) is disposed so as to be in contact with each lead-out terminal (114, 134). The transparent touch panel can be reduced in size and cost.
US08362995B2

A multi-domain LCD panel includes data lines, scan lines and pixels. Each pixel includes first and second sub-pixels respectively having first and second storage capacitors. A first data switch is selectively coupled to a first terminal of the first capacitor and one of the data lines. A second data switch is selectively coupled to a first terminal of the second capacitor and one of the data lines. First and second bias lines are respectively coupled to second terminals of the first and second capacitors. When a corresponding scan line is enabled, the first and second data switches turn on such that a signal on the data line is transmitted to the first and second sub-pixels. After the scan line is disabled, levels of the first and second bias lines are changed such that pixel voltages of the first and second sub-pixels differ from each other.
US08362993B2

The present invention provides a liquid crystal display panel having a narrower frame region than in the conventional art. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a liquid crystal layer 42 interposed between a first substrate 10 and a second substrate 20, and a sealant portion 32 that surrounds the liquid crystal layer, the sealant portion 32 being made of a sealant containing a photocurable resin and conductive beads. The first substrate 10 includes a recess 14a in which an organic insulating film 14 is not present in a non-display region. At least a portion of a black matrix 22a overlaps the recess 14a. A portion of the sealant portion 32 is disposed in the recess 14a. An opposite electrode 24 is not formed in a region of the second substrate 20 that faces the recess 14a.
US08362992B2

A dual view display system to display two different images in substantially opposite direction using a single transparent display to time-multiplex the images and shutter devices to alternately block each side from being viewed according to the image being displayed.
US08362979B2

In a plasma display panel, a protective layer of a front plate includes a base protective layer and a particle layer. The base protective layer is formed of a thin film containing magnesium oxide. The particle layer is formed by sticking, to base protective layer, agglomerated particles in which a plurality of single-crystal particles of magnesium oxide are agglomerated. A panel driving circuit drives the panel in a manner that subfields are temporally disposed so that a luminance weight is monotonically decreased from a subfield in which an all-cell initializing operation is performed to a subfield immediately preceding a subfield in which a next all-cell initializing operation is performed.
US08362978B2

A plasma display is disclosed. The display includes driver circuitry which drives the display so that a low level luminance can be generated in a subfield despite high luminance efficient pixels.
US08362969B2

An adjustable antenna baffling system includes a mounting plate for antenna radiating elements, baffles, connecting links that connect the baffles to the mounting plate, limit brackets that limit movement of the connecting links, an actuator and a housing. Pushing or pulling a handle on the actuator rotates the connecting links and extends or retracts the baffles to adjust the beamwidth. The housing encloses the components of the system except the handle and a lock tab on the mounting plate. The handle is secured to the lock tab to lock the baffles in the selected position.
US08362967B2

An antenna architecture with enhanced emission directivity is disclosed. The antenna comprises a dielectric structure positioned over a plurality of radiator elements. The dielectric structure comprises columns of dielectric disks positioned above each radiator element. The antenna is driven by beam forming networks to form multiple, simultaneously steerable beams or a single main beam that can be dynamically steered.
US08362963B2

A satellite antenna for transmitting and receiving an electromagnetic signal has at least one parabolic reflector, a source arm, and a high-power amplifier, in which antenna the high-power amplifier includes a traveling wave tube on the source arm and a high-voltage power supply off the source arm and adapted to supply power to the tube. A satellite mobile telecommunications station includes such a satellite antenna and a storage structure into which the antenna is folded and in which the high-voltage power supply sits.
US08362962B2

An antenna comprising an IMD element, and one or more parasitic and active tuning elements is disclosed. The IMD element, when used in combination with the active tuning and parasitic elements, allows antenna operation at multiple resonant frequencies. In addition, the direction of antenna radiation pattern may be arbitrarily rotated in accordance with the parasitic and active tuning elements.
US08362952B2

Radiolocalization receiver with a massively parallel array of correlators, comprising a data compression module (199) to compress the incoherent integration values accumulated into the incoherent integration memories (176). By compressing incoherent integration values, relevant memory saving can be obtained or, in alternative, loss of data by excessive prescaling can be avoided or attenuated. The invention proposes a simple compression scheme based on offset subtraction which allows save memory size.
US08362948B2

A long range millimeter wave imaging radar system. Preferred embodiments are positioned to detect foreign object debris objects on surface of the runway, taxiways and other areas of interest. The system includes electronics adapted to produce millimeter wave radiation scanned over a frequency range of a few gigahertz. The scanned millimeter wave radiation is broadcast through a frequency scanned antenna to produce a narrow scanned transmit beam in a first scanned direction (such as the vertical direction) defining a narrow, approximately one dimensional, electronically scanned field of view corresponding to the scanned millimeter wave frequencies. The antenna is mechanically pivoted or scanned in a second scanned direction perpendicular to the first scanned direction so as to define a two-dimensional field of view.
US08362945B2

Systems and methods for detecting and tracking a gun using millimeter waves are provided. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a method for detecting and tracking a gun using radio frequency waves at millimeter wavelengths, the method including storing empirical data, for up to N types of guns, including information indicative of a resonant frequency of a barrel of each of the N guns, generating pulse energy including at least one sequence of pulses at millimeter wave frequencies for each of the N guns, transmitting the pulse energy, receiving reflected pulse energy, filtering the reflected pulse energy to a preselected bandwidth for each of the N guns, determining a first maximum value of the filtered reflected pulse energy in each of the preselected bandwidths that exceeds a preselected threshold, determining a second maximum value among the first maximum values, and correlating a frequency of the second maximum value with the stored resonant frequencies of the N guns to identify a gun.
US08362937B2

An integrated circuit that is capable of converting an analog signal to at least one digital signal is provided. The integrated circuit includes a first input end capable of receiving a first analog signal. A first set of 2n-1 inverters are capable of quantizing the first analog signal and outputting a first set of 2n-1 digital values. Each of the first set of 2n-1 digital values is either 0 or 1. A first adder is coupled with the first set of 2n-1 inverters. The first adder is capable of summing the first set of 2n-1 digital values, outputting a first integer value that is capable of corresponding to at least one digital signal.
US08362935B2

The present invention relates to device and method for controlling a reference voltage of a digital-to-analog converter for minimizing variation of output voltages among LED driving chips which drive an LED (Light Emitting Diode) backlight.
US08362931B2

Functionality is described for compressing and decompressing mass spectrometry data, therefore making it easier to store, retrieve, transfer, and process the mass spectrometry data. The functionality operates by mapping data values (e.g., mass-to-charge data values or intensity data values) into index values, and then mapping the index values into delta values. The functionality then uses an encoding algorithm (such as a coding tree) to represent the delta values in compressed form. In a decoding stage, the functionality can interpret each encoded delta value with reference to a chain of preceding delta values, which ultimately link to an initial data value that is expressed in non-relative form. In one implementation, the functionality can define multiple such initial data values which correspond to multiple access points in a stream of compressed mass spectrometry data.
US08362930B2

The present invention relates to a portable electronic device and an external keyboard thereof. The portable electronic device comprises a first port comprising a circular earphone plug and a keyboard plug. The external keyboard comprises a main body, a keyboard array and a second port. The keyboard array is disposed on the main body and comprises a plurality of scan signal lines. The second port is electrically coupled to the scan signal lines of the keyboard array, and is capable of inserting into the first port of the portable electronic device so as to electrically couple to the keyboard plug. Therefore, the external keyboard can be connected to an earphone jack in a plug-and-play fashion without necessarity to add a new port such that the external keyboard is convenient to use and carry and can be freely rotated in any angle.
US08362923B2

A traffic control system and device is provided. The traffic control system of the instant invention permits two-way communication between a plurality of traffic signal devices and/or other devices or locations. Each traffic signal device locally controls the state of the traffic signals, while communication between the traffic signal devices is used to synchronize the internal timers or clocks of the plurality of traffic control devices.
US08362920B2

A method and device for locating each of the wheels of a pair of twinned wheels mounted on a vehicle. Each twinned wheel is equipped with an electromagnetic receiving antenna, and these two twinned wheels are provided with elements of relative blocking rotation-wise designed to make it possible to obtain an offset by a predetermined angle (α), such that (α) is different from 0° and 180°, between the receiving antennas with which the two twinned wheels are equipped. The vehicle is equipped with a fixed source of emission of an electromagnetic signal suitable for covering an area passed through by the receiving antennas, and the electromagnetic field received by each of the receiving antennas is measured, so as to deduce, from the analysis of the time offset between the variations of the two measured electromagnetic fields, the location of each of the twinned wheels.
US08362911B2

Device for vehicle seat occupancy detection, wherein a base frame which can be adjusted in the height direction of a vehicle seat and which is composed of at least two scissors arms which are connected to one another is arranged between a seat part of the vehicle seat and a vehicle body part, the device comprising a first detector which is attached to at least one of the scissors arms and which, when the vehicle seat is occupied by a minimum weight, detects a predefinable height setting of the scissors arm which is lower than a maximum possible height setting, and at least one spring which is fixed to at least one of the scissors arms and the predefinable pretensioned spring force of which corresponds at most to the downward-acting weight force due to the minimum weight and counteracts the latter.
US08362903B2

A system and method for providing enhanced weight alert notification during automated patient management is presented. A plurality of weight measurements in an automated patient environment from a weight monitoring device for a patient during an observation period is remotely obtained. A raw baseline weight for the patient is determined based on a function of the weight measurements. Irregularities in the weight measurements are identified. The raw baseline weight is processed into a baseline weight by application of a correction coefficient to the irregularities. Weight remotely measured in the automated patient environment for the patient on a substantially regular basis is obtained. Changes in the weight are identified by periodic comparison to the baseline weight. An alert notification is generated in response to the change in weight.
US08362902B2

A radio frequency identification (RFID) reader may extract a reception from the extracted reception power, and analyze the power pattern. Next, the RFID reader may determine whether the RFID tag is identified based on an power from a tag signal transmitted from an RFID tag, generate a power pattern analysis result of the power pattern.
US08362901B2

A system and method for controlling the surveillance conducted by lost or stolen electronic devices dependent upon the location of such electronic devices is provided. A data repository contains data that specifies, for each of a plurality of geographic regions (e.g. legal jurisdictions), a set of surveillance methods that are permissible in the respective region. At least some of the geographic regions have different respective sets of permissible surveillance methods than others. A computer system is operable to communicate with the devices over a computer network, and programmed to use received information regarding a location of a potentially lost or stolen device, in combination with the data in the computer data repository, to cause the potentially lost or stolen device to initiate surveillance according to the set of permissible surveillance methods (and/or other actions) corresponding to the location.
US08362900B2

A satellite aided location tracking and data services with user interface. A graphical user interface is provided that enables users to monitor the status of movable assets. Detailed information in a position history enables the user to obtain status information (e.g., starts and stops) at each position report. This status information promotes visibility into the journey of each movable asset.
US08362897B2

A method and a device for locating tires mounted on a vehicle. High frequency signals are captured by way of a first transmit/receive device arranged on a vehicle, said high-frequency signals originating from a wheel electronic system arranged on the vehicle, said wheel electronic system interacting with tires of a first tire group that are mounted on the vehicle. A trigger signal having a frequency that is clearly lower than the frequency of the high frequency signal, is emitted by the first transmit/receive device. The first transmit/receive device is arranged on the vehicle in such a manner that the tires of the first tire group are mounted on the vehicle and the level of the first trigger signal is selected in such a manner that only one part of the wheel electronic system, which is associated with the tires of the first tire group, captures the first trigger signal and the high frequency signals which originate from the part of the wheel electronic system of the tires of the first wheel group that has captured the first trigger signal, contains information on the obtained first trigger signal.
US08362887B2

A geo-fence is defined and established automatically based on a current location of an asset along with some range or distance, avoiding the need for a user to manually specify a location by drawing a perimeter, specifying a point location, or by any other means. Once established, the geo-fence can be activated so as to notify the owner of the asset and/or some other entity of movement of the asset beyond the boundary specified by the geo-fence. In one embodiment, the geo-fence can be automatically activated upon certain conditions, or can be manually activated, or any combination thereof.
US08362886B2

A remote control system for a vehicle of a type including a data communications bus extending throughout the vehicle and connecting a plurality of vehicle devices within the vehicle may include a remote transmitter and a vehicle remote function controller being responsive to the remote transmitter. The vehicle remote function controller may include a controller data link interface. The remote control system may include a multi-controller data bus adaptor for adapting the vehicle remote function controller to communicate via the data communications bus and may include an adaptor data link interface coupled to the controller data link interface. The multi-controller data bus adaptor may be operable with a given set of controller codes for the vehicle remote controller from among a plurality of different sets of controller codes for a plurality of different vehicle function controllers.
US08362884B2

A device provides a radiant electromagnetic energy output. During standby operation of the device, the output is provided at one or more frequencies selected to dissipate excess power through atmospheric absorption. Circuitry is included to tune the output of the device to a second frequency different than the first frequency for various directed energy applications that make use of the excess power. The circuitry can be arranged to further utilize frequency agility for power dissipation, to provide different operating modes involving a radiant output, or the like.
US08362879B2

Provided are a reader-tag integrated RFID apparatus and a method for controlling the same. The apparatus includes a tag unit for communicating with an external reader, and transmitting a response signal and data corresponding to a signal transmitted from the external reader to the external reader, a reader unit for selecting a channel between other reader and the reader-tag integrated RFID apparatus with a different delay time, and communicating with an external tag using a random value to minimize collision; and a controller for selectively activating one of the tag unit and the reader unit if it necessary.
US08362876B2

A network of interlocks and input devices and a system for tracking their use and control, in which each interlock and input device is associated with a machine which performs a process. Machines are associated with input devices by reading machine identifications from Data Storage Devices (DSDs) with input devices. To disarm an interlock prior to using a machine, the input device is used to read one or more DSDs containing information required to track the process. The input device sends the DSD data to a CPU which then sends an authorization signal to a machine interface. Upon receiving the signal, the machine interface enables the machine to be turned on. The CPU logs the process and DSD data. Once the operator turns off the machine, it cannot be restarted until the operator reads the DSDs required by the machine.
US08362875B2

A secure system for user authentication comprised of an authentication interface having a character dial and alignment markers is provided. A passcode input module receives user commands to move the character dial with respect to the alignment markers and to record a configuration of the characters with respect to the alignment markers, thereby creating alignment configuration data. A passcode generation module receives at least one of said alignment configuration data from passcode input module and generates a plurality of passcode hypotheses. An authentication module receives the passcode hypotheses and compares the passcode hypotheses with the passcodes of registered users stored in a data store. The passcode hypotheses are updated after each new alignment configuration data entered by the user. The authentication module authenticates a user upon finding a passcode hypothesis matching a stored passcode.
US08362869B2

A thermistor based on a composition having the general formula (I): Re2-x-yCraMnbMcEyOz wherein Re is a rare earth metal or a mixture of two or more rare earth metals, M is a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, copper, magnesium and mixtures thereof, E is a metal selected from the group consisting of calcium, strontium, barium and mixtures thereof, x is the sum of a+b+c and is a number between 0.1 and 1, and the relative ratio of the molar fractions a, b and c is in an area bounded by points A, B, C and D in a ternary diagram, wherein point A is, if y<0.006, at (Cr=0.00, Mn=0.93+10−y, M=0.07−10−y), and, if y≧0.006, at (Cr=0−00, Mn=0.99, M=0.01), point B is, if y<0.006, at (Cr=0.83, Mn=0.10+10−y, M=0.07−10−y), and, if y≧0.006, at (Cr=0.83, Mn=0.16, M=0.01), point C is at (Cr=0.50, Mn=0.10, M=0.40) and point D is at (Cr=0.00, Mn=0.51, M=0.49), y is a number between 0 and 0.5−x, and z is a number between 2.5 and 3.5.
US08362867B2

A multi-winding inductor includes a first foil winding and a second foil winding. One end of the first foil winding extends from a first side of the core and wraps under the core to form a solder tab under the core. One end of the second foil winding extends from a second side of the core and wraps under the core to form another solder tab under the core. Respective portions of each solder tab are laterally adjacent under the magnetic core. A coupled inductor includes a magnetic core including a first and a second end magnetic element and a plurality of connecting magnetic elements disposed between and connecting the first and second end magnetic elements. A respective first and second single turn foil winding is wound at least partially around each connecting magnetic element. Each foil winding has two ends forming respective solder tabs.
US08362861B2

Electromagnetic actuator having an armature unit which is axially guided in a housing and movable by passing current through a coil device and in particular against a return force of a return spring out of a first stop position defined by means for limiting the stroke, the means for limiting the stroke having a stop element which is mounted terminally in the housing and manufactured by a shaping, stamping, sintering and/or injection molding method, and which is designed to cooperate with a plunger unit which can be actuated outside the housing and is designed for mechanically moving the armature out of the first stop position.
US08362858B2

An electromagnetic switch includes an electromagnetic coil, a fixed core, a movable core, and a diode. The electromagnetic coil is configured to form an electromagnet when energized. The fixed core is arranged to be magnetized by the electromagnet. The movable core is arranged to be attracted by the magnetized fixed core to move in a movement direction toward the fixed core. The diode is electrically connected in parallel with the electromagnetic coil. The diode includes a main body and has a pair of leads respectively extending from a pair of ends of the main body which are opposite to each other in a lead arrangement direction of the diode. The lead arrangement direction of the diode is parallel to the movement direction of the movable contact.
US08362851B2

A high isolation power divider is disclosed, which includes a substrate, a first split arm, a second split arm, a signal input unit, a connection unit, a ground layer, a slit. The signal input unit is coupled to the first split arm and the second split arm for receiving an input signal and dividing the input signal to the first split arm and second split arm. The connection unit is coupled to the first split arm and the second split arm, wherein the connection unit, the first split arm, and the second split arm are deposited on a first plane of the substrate, and surround a first area. The ground layer is deposited on the second plane of the substrate for providing grounding. The slit is formed in the ground layer, wherein at least a part of the slit is formed within a second area corresponding to the first area.
US08362850B2

A circuit includes a first node, a second node, a third node between the first and second nodes, a first field effect transistor coupled between the first and third nodes, a second field effect transistor coupled to the third node including a second gate terminal coupled to a second resistor, a third field effect transistor coupled to the third node including a third gate terminal coupled to a third resistor, a first capacitor coupled to the second field effect transistor, a second capacitor coupled to the third field effect transistor, a third capacitor coupled between the second and third nodes, and a fourth field effect transistor coupled between the second and third nodes.
US08362849B2

In some embodiments, the technology includes a balun. The balun includes an un-balanced line, a balanced line, a double-y transition section, a first connection section, and a second connection section. The un-balanced line includes a ground trace and a signal trace. The balanced line includes a first and second signal trace. The double-y transition section includes a first slot trace and a second slot trace. The first slot trace couples the ground trace of the un-balanced line to the first signal trace of the balanced line. The second slot trace couples the signal trace of the un-balanced line to the second signal trace of the balanced line. The first connection section couples the first slot trace to the first signal trace of the balanced line. The second connection section couples the second slot trace to the second signal trace of the balanced line.
US08362848B2

A supply-regulated VCO exhibits reduced or no supply sensitivity peaking. The VCO includes an oscillator whose supply current is regulated to control the oscillating frequency of the oscillator. A VCO input signal controls the supply current so that there is a relationship between the input signal and the oscillator output frequency. Power supply noise that might otherwise affect oscillator operation is shunted from a supply current input lead of the oscillator to ground by a bypass capacitor. In one example, an auxiliary circuit supplies an auxiliary supply current to the oscillator, thereby reducing the amount of supply current a supply regulation control loop circuit must supply. In another example, a supply regulation control loop circuit supplies a control current to a main oscillator, but the bypass capacitor is not coupled to this oscillator but rather is coupled to a slave oscillator that is injection locked to the main oscillator.
US08362847B2

Noise immunity of an oscillator circuit is improved by either increasing the oscillation amplitude of the core's oscillating signal or configuring a built-in low pass filter.
US08362844B2

A delay circuit includes a delay unit having a first and a second power supply terminals, a pair of differential signal input terminals and a pair of differential signal output terminals. The signals entered to the pair of differential signal input terminals are delayed and output at the pair of differential signal output terminals. The delay circuit also includes a current controller that exercises control to cause a current of a current source, controlled by a current control terminal, to flow through the first and second power supply terminals of the delay unit. The delay circuit also includes a voltage controller that exercises control to provide for a constant potential difference between the first and the second power supply terminals (FIG. 1).
US08362837B2

A system and a method are provided. The system may include (A) a measurement circuit arranged to measure at least a current power level of the input signal; (B) multiple non-linear power amplifiers; wherein different non-linear power amplifiers are associated with different power ranges; (C) a control circuit arranged to: (a) select at least one selected non-linear power amplifier to be used to amplify a second signal based on at least: (i) the current power level of an input signal; (ii) an association between the different power ranges and the different non-linear power amplifiers; (iii) an identity of at least one previously selected non-linear power amplifier; and (b) assist in an activation of the at least one selected non-linear power amplifier; and (D) a signal processing module, configured to process the input signal to provide the second signal such as to at least partially compensate for a non-linearity of each of the at least one selected non-linear power amplifier.
US08362836B2

An amplifier includes an amplifier section having selectable signal paths to provide discrete gain settings, and logic to incrementally select the signal paths. The logic may be configured to increment the gain in response to digital gain control signals or an analog gain control signal. Another amplifier has an input section with one or more input cells and an output section with one or more output cells. Either the input section or the output section includes at least two cells that may be selected to provide discrete gain settings. A loop amplifier is configured in a feedback arrangement with the input section. The input and output sections may have multiple selectable cells to provide coarse and fine gain steps. The gain of the loop amplifier may be coordinated with the gain of the input section to provide constant bandwidth operation.
US08362824B2

Described herein are switched capacitor charge pump designs for a 2n× voltage converter. The 2n× voltage converter is constructed by cascading n units of substantially identical unit cells, which are respectively composed of cross-coupled single cell doubler circuits. Dynamic inverters are used to completely activate and deactivate the power switches in the respective unit cells to increase area efficiency. The charge pump designs described herein are implemented with standard high-voltage CMOS processes without requiring MOSFET transistors with different threshold voltages, giving the charge pump a regular structure that simplifies design and layout and reduces production costs. In addition, techniques for constructing a charge pump according to the designs provided herein are described.
US08362818B2

A clock adjustment circuit includes: first and third switching elements to be in a conductive state when in-phase and reverse-phase clock signals in a high level are applied to input terminals, respectively; second and fourth switching elements whose input terminals are connected to output terminals of the first and third switching elements, respectively, which become in the conductive state when the in-phase and reverse-phase clock signals in a low level are applied to output terminal, respectively; first and second capacitor elements whose one terminal is connected to an output terminal of the first and third switching element, respectively; and a shift detection unit detecting potential difference between the output terminals of the first and third switching elements and outputs the detection signal as a signal for adjusting a duty ratio of the clock signal.
US08362817B2

The present disclosure provides a phase comparator including, a first latch, a second latch, a first detection circuit, a second detection circuit, and a charge-pump circuit having the function of a changeover switch.
US08362805B2

In an embodiment, an integrated circuit may include one or more power managed blocks and a power manager circuit. The power manager circuit may be configured to generate a block enable for each power managed block and a block enable clock. The power managed block may generate local block enables to various power switches in the power managed block, staggering the block enables over two or more block enable clock cycles. In particular, the power managed block may include a set of series-connected flops that receive the block enable from the power manager circuit. The output of each flop may be coupled to a respective set of power switches and may enabled those switches. The change in current flow due to enabling and/or disabling the power managed block may thus be controlled. In an embodiment, the frequency of the block enable clock may be set to a defined value independent of process, voltage, and temperature conditions in the integrated circuit.
US08362803B2

A voltage translator circuit includes an input stage adapted for receiving an input signal referenced to a first voltage supply, a first latch circuit adapted for connection with a second voltage supply and operative to at least temporarily store a logic state of the input signal, and a voltage clamp coupled between the input stage and the first latch circuit. The voltage clamp is operative to set a maximum voltage across the input stage to a prescribed level. The voltage translator circuit generates a first output signal at a first output formed at a junction between the first latch circuit and the voltage clamp. A second latch circuit is connected to the first output in a feedback configuration. The second latch circuit is operative to retain a logical state of the first output signal as a function of at least a first control signal supplied to the second latch circuit regardless of a state of the first voltage supply.
US08362800B2

A three dimensional semiconductor device is described with two transistor layers overlaid. The first transistor layer comprises a plurality of flip-flops each having an input and an output, wherein the inputs are selectively coupleable to the second transistor layer.
US08362797B2

A wafer translator and a wafer, removably attached to each other, provides the electrical connection to electrical contacts on integrated circuits on a wafer in such a manner that the electrical contacts are substantially undamaged in the process of making such electrical connections. Various embodiments of the present invention provide a gasketless sealing means for facilitating the formation by vacuum attachment of the wafer/wafer translator pair. In this way, no gasket is required to be disposed between the wafer and the wafer translator. Air, or gas, is evacuated from between the wafer and wafer translator through one or more evacuation pathways in the gasketless sealing means.
US08362791B2

A test apparatus includes: test modules that communicate with the device under test to test the device under test; additional modules connected between the device under test and the test modules, each additional module performing a communication with the device under test, the communication being at least one of a communication performed at a higher speed and a communication performed with a lower latency, in comparison with a communication performed by the test modules; a test head having a plurality of connectors that connect the test modules and the additional modules, respectively, the test modules and the additional modules are mounted on the test head; a performance board placed on the test head that connects between at least a part of terminals of the plurality of connectors and the device under test. The test modules are connected to the additional modules without through the performance board.
US08362785B2

A semiconductor device includes: a well of a second conductive type formed on or above a semiconductor substrate of a first conductive type; a first diffusion layer of the second conductive type formed in a surface portion of the well; a second diffusion layer of the first conductive type formed separately from the first diffusion layer in the surface portion of the well; first to third first-layer conductive layers formed above the well; and first to third second-layer conductive layers formed above the first to third first-layer conductive layers. The first second-layer conductive layer, the first first-layer conductive layer, the first diffusion layer and the well are conductively connected as a first conductive path. The second second-layer conductive layer, the second first-layer conductive layer, and the second diffusion layer are conductively connected as a second conductive path. The third second-layer conductive layer, and the third first-layer conductive layer are conductively connected as a third conductive path.
US08362782B2

A shear wave is generated at a borehole wall. A static magnetic field is applied with a radial direction and an oscillating magnetic field is applied tangential to the borehole wall. The frequency of the oscillating field is varied until a resonance condition occurs. Motion of the formation under resonance provides an indication of a resistivity property of the earth formation.
US08362774B2

A magnetic resonance apparatus includes a static field magnet, a gradient field coil, a cover which forms, inside the static field magnet and the gradient field coil, an internal space in which a bed top and a subject placed on the bed top are to be inserted, a radio frequency coil unit which includes a cylindrical base portion and first electronic elements and second electronic elements and is placed in the internal space, a first flow path which is formed between the base portion and the cover to cool the first electronic elements, a second flow path which is formed between the base portion and the cover and communicates with the first flow path to cool the second electronic elements, and a cooling unit which cools the radio frequency coil unit by generating a cooling gas flow flowing from the first flow path to the second flow path.
US08362772B2

In a magnetic resonance imaging system having a scanner having a magnetic field system, a radio frequency system and a control device, and a method for operating such a system, the control device generates a control signal sequence on the basis of a control protocol for the purpose of executing a number of scan procedures and a number of adjustments for adjusting the magnetic field system and/or the radio frequency system, at least the scan procedures are predetermined by the control protocol. The control protocol furthermore contains a number of local scan transition indicators assigned to the scan procedures, and on the basis of the scan transition indicators, in each case the control device checks to determine if, directly prior to a scan procedure, an adjustment may be applied. The control signal sequence is then automatically generated by the control device such that, if for a scan procedure the necessary adjustment may not be applied prior to that scan procedure, then the relevant adjustment will be executed in advance and/or adjustment parameter values from previously executed existing adjustments will be used.
US08362771B2

A fast, efficient, qualitatively high-grade shim is enabled in a magnetic resonance apparatus having a displaceable patient bed and an examination region of the patient that is to be examined is larger than an imaging region of the magnetic resonance apparatus. Field inhomogeneities are measured while the examination region is moved through the imaging region by a continuous displacement of the patient bed with the patient positioned thereon. Information representing field inhomogeneities is acquired at multiple positions of the patient bed from respective magnetic resonance signals received at these positions, by excitation of multiple respective slices before the readout of the echo of the first of these slices, with one echo train composed of multiple echoes being generated per excitation signal. Shim parameters of the magnetic resonance apparatus are adjusted dependent on the measured information.
US08362765B2

The invention relates to a method and a sensor device (1) for measuring a magnetic field comprising a first circuit (4) including a magneto sensitive sensor element (2) and a current source (5) and a second circuit (6) including a signal generator (7) and a coil (3) producing a excitational magnetic field at the sensor element (2), wherein the output signal of the sensor element is processible such that a second derivative of the sensor signal and the signal of the signal generator are derivable which are processible such that a countable signal is resulting being a measure of the magnetic field.
US08362754B2

A discharge control device in an electric power conversion system mounted to a motor vehicle turns off a relay in order to instruct an electric power conversion circuit to supply a reactive current into a motor generator, and thereby to decrease a capacitor voltage to a diagnostic voltage. After this process, the discharge control device outputs an emergency discharging instruction signal dis in order to turn on both power switching elements at high voltage side and a low voltage side in the electric power conversion circuit. This makes a short circuit between the electrodes of the capacitor in order to discharge the capacitor, and executes a discharging control to detect whether or not an emergency discharging control is correctly executed and completed. The discharge control device detects whether or not the electric power stored in the capacitor is discharged on the basis of the voltage of a voltage sensor.
US08362741B2

Disclosed is a method for use by a device to distinguish between a Charging Downstream Port (“CDP”) and a Dedicated Charging Port (“DCP”). The method comprises detecting that the device is attached to a charging port, and determining whether the charging port is the CDP or the DCP without causing a host coupled to the CDP to be able to detect the device if the charging port is the CDP.
US08362737B2

A blower motor assembly having a variable speed motor that is suitable for direct, drop-in replacement in a residential HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system that employs a PSC motor. The blower motor assembly includes at least a neutral input and two hot AC line connections, one for connection to the heating power source and the other to the cooling power source. A sensing circuit senses which of the inputs is energized by sensing either voltage or current on the inputs. The sensing circuit delivers a corresponding signal to a motor controller to control the speed of the variable speed motor. The blower motor assembly may also be equipped with additional hot AC inputs, more than one neutral line, and several sensing circuits for sensing current or voltage in the hot inputs and/or the neutral lines for controlling various aspects of the variable speed motor.
US08362735B2

A device for improving efficiency of an induction motor that soft-starts the motor by applying a voltage to the motor that is substantially less than the rated voltage then gradually increasing the voltage while monitoring changes in current drawn by the motor, thereby detecting when maximum efficiency is found. Once maximum efficiency is found, the nominal motor current is found and operating ranges are set. Now, the voltage to the motor is increased/decreased by measuring the phase angle between the voltage and the current to the motor and increasing the voltage when the phase angle is less than a minimum phase angle (determined during soft-start) and decreasing the voltage when the phase angle is greater than or equal to the minimum phase angle as long as the voltage does not fall below a minimum voltage determined during soft-start.
US08362730B2

In a synchronous machine starting device, an AC voltage detection unit detects AC voltage supplied to an armature of a synchronous machine through an electric power line from a power conversion unit. The AC voltage detection unit has a first output end and a second output end isolated from the electric power line, transforms AC voltage supplied through the electric power line at a first ratio to output the transformed voltage from the first output end, and transforms AC voltage supplied through the electric power line at a second ratio and then limits the transformed voltage to a prescribed positive voltage value or lower and a prescribed negative voltage value or higher for output from the second output end. Then, a detected voltage selection unit selects one of the voltage received from the first output end and the voltage received from the second output end, and outputs the selected one to a rotor position detection unit. The rotor position detection unit detects a rotor position of the synchronous machine based on the voltage received from the detected voltage selection unit. A power conversion control unit controls the power conversion unit based on the detected rotor position.
US08362728B2

A method of operating a WFSM in a motoring mode determines a relative position of a PMG rotor with respect to the WFSM rotor. A PMG is coupled to the WFSM via a coupling shaft. A relative difference between the WFSM rotor position and the PMG rotor position is determined based on carrier injection sensorless (“CIS”) stimulation signals. The relative difference between the PMG rotor and the WFSM main machine in conjunction with the PMG rotor position is used to determine the WFSM rotor position during motoring operation of the main machine. A stator of the WFSM main machine is energized to maintain operation of the WFSM in response to the detected main rotor position.
US08362726B2

When an output pattern (LLL or HHH) due to a signal with a prescribed logic level corresponding to a ground short or instantaneous interruption of an output signal line of Hall ICs 17 is supplied via the output signal lines, and if output patterns based on detection signals supplied before and after the output pattern are found to be different by comparing them, a decision is made that there is a possibility that a shift of a rotor 11 from a target position and counterrotation of the rotor 11 involved with it can occur.
US08362725B2

A motor control system for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) applications is described. The motor control system includes a thermostat and an electronically commutated motor (ECM) coupled to the thermostat. The ECM is configured to retrofit an existing non-ECM electric motor included in an HVAC application and to operate in one of a plurality of HVAC modes. The HVAC modes include at least one of a heating mode, a cooling mode, and a continuous fan mode. The HVAC mode is determined based at least partially on outputs provided by the thermostat.
US08362719B2

In an embodiment, an actuator includes a plurality of stator windings adapted to produce a first stator magnetic field that translates along a stator axis, and to produce a second stator magnetic field that rotates around the stator axis. In addition, the actuator includes a rotor, coupled to a shaft, and positioned within a central stator channel. The rotor is adapted to produce a first rotor magnetic field that translates along a shaft axis and to produce a second rotor magnetic field that rotates around the shaft axis. An actuator system includes an actuator and an actuator controller unit, which is adapted to produce actuator inputs. An embodiment of a method for controlling the actuator includes providing actuator inputs to produce a translating magnetic field in the stator, a translating magnetic field in the rotor, a rotating magnetic field in the stator, and a rotating magnetic field in the rotor.
US08362709B2

There are provided a current balance circuit having a protection function that prevents the current balance circuit from being damaged during a preset time period by maintaining a constant level of power being supplied to the lamp, and a power supply. The current balance circuit having the protection function includes a current balance unit maintaining current balance of lamp driving power supplied to a lamp unit including a plurality of lamps, and a protection unit detecting the lamp driving power supplied to the lamp unit from the current balance unit, cutting-off the lamp driving power after a preset time period when the lamp operates abnormally, and controlling a voltage level of the lamp driving power to a preset reference voltage level or lower during the preset time period.
US08362704B2

The present invention relates to a capacitance reducing method for a pulsed activated device and associated devices, especially to a pulsed activated device having a capacitor, which improves power factor as well as eliminating the need for large capacitance. The method comprises acts of rectifying an AC voltage to a pulsating DC voltage, sensing a zero-crossing point of the pulsating DC voltage, synchronizing the pulsating DC voltage, setting pulse duration in a pulse period and turning ON and OFF of a pulsed activated device. The device comprises a load, a rectifier, a capacitor, a driver, a controller and an optional PFC circuit.
US08362693B2

It is an object of the present invention to provide a reliable display device and a method for manufacturing the display device reducing the number of manufacturing steps, and with higher yield. A display device according to the invention includes a plurality of display elements each having a first electrode, a layer containing an organic compound, and a second electrode. The display device further includes a heat-resistant planarizing film over a substrate having an insulating surface, a first electrode over the heat-resistant, planarizing film, a wiring covering an end portion of the first electrode, a partition wall covering the end portion of first electrode and the wiring, a layer containing an organic compound, and a second electrode over the layer containing an organic compound.
US08362690B2

The present invention relates to a sealing method for a display element, and more particularly, to a sealing method for a display element which fundamentally prevents an error due to contact between light emitting bodies of upper and lower sealing members by protecting a surface of a light emitting layer and an electrode with a curing body of a photocurable transparent composition, enhances workability of a display element sealing, provides good moisture resistance and adhesiveness and improves an aperture ratio of a display element by making a top emission available to thereby make a thinner, larger display element.
US08362675B2

Mechanical resonating structures are described, as well as related devices and methods. The mechanical resonating structures may have a compensating structure for compensating temperature variations.
US08362660B2

An electric generator device includes a magnetic stator assembly, opposed coils, and a rotary-to-linear converter (e.g., cam). The coils are configured to reciprocate relative to the magnetic stator assembly or to linearly translate in a common direction relative to the magnetic stator assembly. The coils are coupled to the cam and, upon rotary or linear motion of the cam, reciprocate or linearly translate relative to the magnetic stator assembly. The reciprocation or linear translation of the coils creates an electric current flowing through the coils, which may then be harvested.
US08362658B2

A method for determining a load capability of a direct current (“DC”) voltage source connectable to an alternating current (“AC”) power grid having a predetermined frequency via an inverter and a grid disconnect switch includes controlling, while the grid disconnect switch is in an open position, the inverter so as to convert a DC input voltage to a test frequency different than the predetermined frequency of the AC power grid so as to increase a test load acting on the DC voltage source above an internal consumption of the inverter at the predetermined frequency. The DC input voltage is measured while the grid disconnect switch is in the open position.
US08362657B2

The size of a wireless chip is often determined according to an antenna circuit thereof. Power source voltage or power supplied to the wireless chip can be more easily received with a larger antenna. On the other hand, there has been an increasing demand for a compact wireless chip, and it is thus necessary to downsize an antenna. In view of this, the invention provides a wireless chip capable of data communication with a small antenna, namely a compact wireless chip having an improved communicable distance. A power source circuit of an ID chip of the invention generates a higher power source voltage than a power source voltage generated in a conventional ID chip, by using a boosting power source circuit having a boosting circuit and a rectifier circuit.
US08362648B2

An electric power supply system is provided for feeding an output of a DC power source to a load at high efficiency and, without complicated controlling, for allowing for interchange of electric power among a commercial power system, a DC power source and a load.An electric power supply system includes a DC bus line for connecting a DC generator, a load and system power. The electric power supply system comprises a DC/DC converter connected between the DC generator and the DC bus line for controlling an output voltage to the DC bus line at a voltage V1; an inverter connected between the system power and the DC bus line for operating a control in response to an input voltage V2 from the DC bus line; and an AC/DC converter connected between the system power and the DC bus line for controlling an output voltage to the DC bus line at a voltage V3, wherein the respective voltages are set as V1>V2>V3.
US08362647B2

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system includes an AC input configured to be coupled to an AC power source, an AC output configured to be coupled to a load, a power conversion circuit comprising a first converter circuit configured to receive power from a variably available power source, a second converter circuit coupled to the AC output, a DC link coupling the first and second converter circuits, and a switching circuit, e.g., a bypass circuit, configured to selectively couple and decouple the AC input and the AC output. The UPS system further includes a control circuit operatively associated with the power conversion circuit and the switching circuit and configured to cause concurrent transfer of power to a load at the AC output from the AC power source and the variably available power source via the switching circuit and the power conversion circuit, respectively.
US08362642B2

A method of adjusting a voltage supply to an electronic device coupled to a wired communication link in accordance with a performance metric associated with the wired communication link. A voltage adjust signal is generated based on the performance metric. The voltage adjustment signal is then used for updating the voltage supply to the electronic device.
US08362626B2

An SiP (semiconductor device) using a stacked packaging method for stacking a microcomputer IC chip over a driver IC chip in which circuits sensitive to heat or noise, including an analog to digital conversion circuit, a digital to analog conversion circuit, a sense amplifier circuit of a memory (RAM or ROM), or a power supply circuit of a microcomputer IC chip, are prevented from two-dimensionally overlapping with a driver circuit of the lower-side driver IC chip to reduce, during the operation, the effect of heat or noise, which the circuits sensitive to heat or noise of the microcomputer IC chip receive from the driver circuit of the lower-side driver IC chip, thereby improving the operation stability of the SiP (semiconductor device) using the stacked packaging method.
US08362616B2

A semiconductor device includes first and second wirings formed in a first wiring layer and extending parallel to an X direction, third and fourth wirings formed in a third wiring layer and extending parallel to a Y direction; fifth and sixth wirings formed in a second wiring layer positioned between the first and second wiring layers, a first contact conductor that connects the first wiring to the third wiring; and a second contact conductor that connects the second wiring to the fourth wiring. The first and second contact conductors are arranged in the X direction. According to the present invention, because the first and second contact conductors that connect wiring layers that are two or more layers apart are arranged in one direction, a prohibited area that is formed in the second wiring layer can be made narrower. Therefore, the flexibility of the layout of the second wiring layer is enhanced and the restriction on the wiring density can be relaxed.
US08362614B2

A semiconductor device has a semiconductor chip in which a plurality of semiconductor components and a plurality of pads are arranged, a plurality of external connection contacts arranged in grids, and a plurality of wires for electrically connecting the pads and the external connection contacts. The pads include a plurality of pad groups including a pair of electrode pads connected to the plurality of semiconductor components in common and a plurality of signal pads respectively connected to the semiconductor components connected to the electrode pads. In each pad group, each signal pad is arranged adjacently to one of the electrode pads; and each wire extending from each signal pad is extended along a wire extended from the electrode pad adjacent to each signal pad.
US08362610B2

An electronic component mounting configuration in which an electronic component chip having a plurality of protrusion-shaped electrodes distributed on its entire mounting surface is mounted through protrusion-shaped electrodes on a printed circuit board is provided which is capable of improving reliability of an electronic component by relieving thermal stress. The solder bumps are arranged so that intervals between solder bumps adjacent to one another become smaller from a central portion of a mounting surface of the electronic component chip toward the peripheral portion thereof. For example, an interval between the solder bump “1A” arranged in the central portion of the semiconductor chip and the solder bump “1B” arranged in an outer side thereof, adjacent to each other, is set to a pitch of P1. An interval between the solder bump “1B” and the solder bump “1C” formed arranged in an outer side thereof, adjacent to each other, is set to a pitch of P2 and an interval between the solder bump “1C” and the solder bump “1D” formed arranged in an outer side thereof, adjacent to each other, is set to a pitch of P3 (P1>P2>P3).
US08362602B2

A layered chip package includes a main body, and wiring that includes a plurality of wires disposed on a side surface of the main body. The main body includes: a main part including a plurality of layer portions; a plurality of first terminals disposed on the top surface of the main part and connected to the wiring; and a plurality of second terminals disposed on the bottom surface of the main part and connected to the wiring. Each layer portion includes a semiconductor chip. The plurality of second terminals are positioned to overlap the plurality of first terminals as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the main body. A plurality of pairs of first and second terminals that are electrically connected via the wires include a plurality of pairs of a first terminal and a second terminal that are positioned not to overlap each other.
US08362586B2

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device provided with a structure, which prevents withstand voltage deterioration and may be manufactured at a low cost, is provided. The semiconductor device is provided with a semiconductor substrate, a first conductive type semiconductor layer formed of silicon carbide formed on the substrate, an active region formed on a surface of the semiconductor layer, a second conductive type first semiconductor region formed on the surface of the semiconductor layer so as to surround the active region, a second semiconductor region provided on the surface of the semiconductor layer so as to contact the outside of the first semiconductor region to surround the first semiconductor region in which a second conductive type impurity region having impurity concentration and a depth identical to those of the first semiconductor region is formed into a mesh shape, a first electrode provided on the active region, and a second electrode provided on a backside of the semiconductor substrate.
US08362580B2

A system and method for forming a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) storage element utilizes a composite free layer structure. The MTJ element includes a stack comprising a pinned layer, a barrier layer, and a composite free layer. The composite free layer includes a first free layer, a superparamagnetic layer and a nonmagnetic spacer layer interspersed between the first free layer and the superparamagnetic layer. A thickness of the spacer layer controls a manner of magnetic coupling between the first free layer and the superparamagnetic layer.
US08362578B2

An integrated circuit structure includes a triple-axis accelerometer, which further includes a proof-mass formed of a semiconductor material; a first spring formed of the semiconductor material and connected to the proof-mass, wherein the first spring is configured to allow the proof-mass to move in a first direction in a plane; and a second spring formed of the semiconductor material and connected to the proof-mass. The second spring is configured to allow the proof-mass to move in a second direction in the plane and perpendicular to the first direction. The triple-axis accelerometer further includes a conductive capacitor plate including a portion directly over, and spaced apart from, the proof-mass, wherein the conductive capacitor plate and the proof-mass form a capacitor; an anchor electrode contacting a semiconductor region; and a transition region connecting the anchor electrode and the conductive capacitor plate, wherein the transition region is slanted.
US08362569B2

A semiconductor device fabrication method including: forming a gate conductor including a gate for a transistor in the first region, and a gate for a transistor in the second region, and a first film over a first stress film for covering the transistors; etching the first film from the second region by using a mask layer and etching the first film under the mask layer in the direction parallel to the surface of the semiconductor substrate by a first width from an edge of the first mask layer, and the first stress film from the second region; forming a second stress film covering the first stress film and the first film; etching the second stress film so that a portion of the second stress film overlaps a portion of the first stress film and a portion of the first film; and forming a contact hole connected with the gate conductor.
US08362567B2

In a semiconductor device, the degree of flatness of 0.3 nm or less in terms of a peak-to-valley (P-V) value is realized by rinsing a silicon surface with hydrogen-added ultrapure water in a light-screened state and in a nitrogen atmosphere and a contact resistance of 10−11 Ωcm2 or less is realized by setting a work function difference of 0.2 eV or less between an electrode and the silicon. Thus, the semiconductor device can operate on a frequency of 10 GHz or higher.
US08362563B2

In a thin film transistor, an increase in off current or negative shift of the threshold voltage is prevented. In the thin film transistor, a buffer layer is provided between an oxide semiconductor layer and each of a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer. The buffer layer includes a metal oxide layer which is an insulator or a semiconductor over a middle portion of the oxide semiconductor layer. The metal oxide layer functions as a protective layer for suppressing incorporation of impurities into the oxide semiconductor layer. Therefore, in the thin film transistor, an increase in off current or negative shift of the threshold voltage can be prevented.
US08362549B2

A trench gate semiconductor device is disclosed which has a trench gate structure including an insulator in the upper portion of a first trench, the insulator being on a gate electrode; a source region having a lower end surface positioned lower than the upper surface of the gate electrode; a second trench in the surface portion of a semiconductor substrate between the first trenches, the second trench having a slanted inner surface providing the second trench with the widest trench width at its opening and a bottom plane positioned lower than the lower end surface of the source region, the slanted inner surface being in contact with the source region; and a p-type body-contact region in contact with the slanted inner surface of the second trench. The trench gate semiconductor device and its manufacturing method facilitate increasing the channel density and lowering the body resistance of the parasitic BJT.
US08362547B2

A semiconductor device formed on a semiconductor substrate includes: an epitaxial layer overlaying the semiconductor substrate; a drain formed on back of the semiconductor substrate; a drain region that extends into the epitaxial layer; and an active region. The active region includes: a body disposed in the epitaxial layer, having a body top surface; a source embedded in the body, extending from the body top surface into the body; a gate trench extending into the epitaxial layer; a gate disposed in the gate trench; an active region contact trench extending through the source and the body into the drain region; an active region contact electrode disposed within the active region contact trench, wherein the active region contact electrode and the drain region form a Schottky diode; and a Schottky barrier controlling layer.
US08362546B2

Methods of forming an array of memory cells and memory cells that have pillars. Individual pillars can have a semiconductor post formed of a bulk semiconductor material and a sacrificial cap on the semiconductor post. Source regions can be between columns of the pillars, and gate lines extend along a column of pillars and are spaced apart from corresponding source regions. Each gate line surrounds a portion of the semiconductor posts along a column of pillars. The sacrificial cap structure can be selectively removed to thereby form self-aligned openings that expose a top portion of corresponding semiconductor posts. Individual drain contacts formed in the self-aligned openings are electrically connected to corresponding semiconductor posts.
US08362543B2

A nonvolatile semiconductor device and method having a plurality of series-connected memory cells with floating and control gate electrodes, and a first insulating layer formed between the gate electrodes. One of the memory cells has the floating gate formed to contact the control gate electrode through an aperture in the insulating layer. The insulating layer is removed to form spaces between the gate electrodes. A second insulating film is formed in the spaces between the gate electrodes. The dummy electrode supports the series of gate electrodes to maintain the spaces between the electrodes. The second insulating layer is formed to be continuous in the spaces and on side surfaces of the gate electrodes. The second insulating layer may have a stacked structure with n layers in the spaces and (n−1)/2 layers on the side surfaces.
US08362534B2

Flux-closed spin-transfer torque memory having a specular insulative spacer is disclosed. A flux-closed spin-transfer torque memory unit includes a multilayer free magnetic element including a first free magnetic layer anti-ferromagnetically coupled to a second free magnetic layer through an electrically insulating and electronically reflective layer. An electrically insulating and non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer separates the free magnetic element from a reference magnetic layer.
US08362528B2

A logic switch intentionally utilizes GIDL current as its primary mechanism of operation. Voltages may be applied to a doped gate overlying and insulated from a pn junction. A first voltage initiates GIDL current, and the logic switch is bidirectionally conductive. A second voltage terminates GIDL current, but the logic switch is unidirectionally conductive. A third voltage renders the logic switch bidirectionally non-conductive. Circuits containing the logic switch are also described. These circuits include inverters, SRAM cells, voltage reference sources, and neuron logic switches. The logic switch is primarily implemented according to SOI protocols, but embodiments according to bulk protocols are described.
US08362522B2

In a semiconductor film having a heterojunction structure, for example a semiconductor film including a SiGe layer and a Si layer formed on the SiGe layer, impurity concentration is controlled in such a manner that the concentration of impurity in the lower, SiGe layer becomes higher than that in the upper, Si layer by exploiting the fact that there is a difference between the SiGe layer and the Si layer in the diffusion coefficient of the impurity. The impurity contained in the semiconductor film 11 is of the conductivity type opposite to that of the transistor (p-type in the case of an n-type MOS transistor whereas n-type in the case of a p-type MOS transistor). In this way, the mobility in a semiconductor device including a semiconductor film having a heterojunction structure with a compression strain structure is increased, thereby improving the transistor characteristics and reliability of the device.
US08362516B2

An excellent light emitting element capable of improving problems caused by a material having high light-reflectivity and susceptible to electromigration, especially Al used for the electrode. FIG. 2A depicts semiconductor light emitting element having a first and second electrodes 20 and 30 disposed at a same surface side respectively on a first and second conductive type semiconductor layer 11 and 13. In the electrode disposing surface, the first electrode 20 comprises a first base part 23 and a first extended part 24 extending from the first base part, and a plurality of separated external connecting parts 31 of the second electrode 30 arranged side by side in extending direction of the first extended part.
US08362507B2

An optic assembly is provided. The assembly includes a housing having an upstream end and a downstream end. An LED is positioned in the upstream end of the housing. The LED is configured to generate excitation light therefrom. The excitation light has a first wavelength. An optic is positioned in the downstream end of the housing. The optic is positioned remotely from the LED so that a cavity is formed between the LED and the optic. The excitation light generated from the LED passes downstream through the cavity to the optic. Quantum dots are positioned on the optic. The excitation light excites the quantum dots so that the quantum dots produce emitted light having a second wavelength that is different than the first wavelength of the excitation light.
US08362501B2

The application illustrates a light-emitting device including a contact layer and a current spreading layer on the contact layer. A part of the contact layer is a rough structure and a part of the contact layer is a flat structure. A part of the current spreading layer is a rough structure and a part of the current spreading layer is a flat structure. The rough region of the contact layer and the rough region of the current spreading layer are substantially overlapped.
US08362498B2

A light emitting device array includes a first supporting member, at least two bonding layers disposed on the first supporting member, a second supporting member disposed on each of the at least two bonding layers, a light emitting structure disposed on the second supporting member, the light emitting structure comprising a first conductivity type semiconductor layer, a second conductivity type semiconductor layer and an active layer disposed between the first conductivity type semiconductor layer and the second conductivity type semiconductor layer, and a first electrode disposed on the light emitting structure.
US08362489B2

A method for producing an organic EL display device is disclosed. The display device comprises a substrate, a transistor disposed on the substrate, a flattened inter-layer insulation film covering the transistor, a pixel electrode, and an organic EL layer.
US08362488B2

The present invention is directed to a flexible backplane for direct drive display devices and methods for its manufacture. The flexible backplane has many advantages. Because there is no need for a polyimide layer and only one layer of metal foil is used, the backplanes may be manufactured at a relatively low cost.
US08362487B2

A light emitting element having an organic compound, which can be extended its longevity is provided. According to the present invention, there is provided a constitution in which, in order to protect a light emitting element from moisture, an inorganic insulating film 312a, a stress relaxation layer 312b having transparency and a hygroscopic property, and an inorganic insulating film 312c are repeatedly laminated over a cathode. The stress relaxation layer 312b having transparency and the hygroscopic property uses at least one film selected from the group consisting of a film comprising a same material as that of a layer 310, containing an organic compound, sandwiched between a cathode and an anode, a layer capable of being formed by vapor deposition, and a layer capable of being formed by coating.
US08362479B2

A semiconductor device which comprises a channel layer formed from a semiconductor channel component material in the form of crystalline micro particles, micro rods, crystalline nano particles, or nano rods, and doped with a semiconductor dopant.
US08362473B2

A manufacturing method of an organic EL device, comprising: providing a substrate on which a pixel electrode is arranged, forming a liquid repellent organic film on the substrate and the pixel electrode, radiating a light selectively to an area of the pixel electrode to be coated with an organic functional layer, to oxidize a surface of the pixel electrode, and to change the liquid repellent organic film on the area to a lyophilic organic film or to remove the liquid repellent organic film on the area, applying an ink containing an organic functional material on the area defined by the liquid repellent organic film to form the organic functional layer on the pixel electrode.
US08362462B2

A gated resonant tunneling diode (GRTD) that operates without cryogenic cooling is provided. This GRTD employs conventional CMOS process technology, preferably at the 65 nm node and smaller, which is different from other conventional quantum transistors that require other, completely different process technologies and operating conditions. To accomplish this, the GRTD uses a body of a first conduction type with a first electrode region and a second electrode region (each of a second conduction type) formed in the body. A channel is located between the first and second electrode regions in the body. A barrier region of the first conduction type is formed in the channel (with the doping level of the barrier region being greater than the doping level of the body), and a quantum well region of the second conduction type formed in the channel. Additionally, the barrier region is located between each of the first and second electrode regions and the quantum well region. An insulating layer is formed on the body with the insulating layer extending over the quantum well region and at least a portion of the barrier region, and a control electrode region is formed on the insulating layer.
US08362454B2

A resistive random access memory and a method for fabricating the same are provided. The method includes providing a bottom electrode formed on a substrate. A metal oxide layer is formed on the bottom electrode. An oxygen atom gettering layer is formed on the metal oxide layer. A top electrode is formed on the oxygen atom gettering layer. The previous mentioned structure is subjected to a thermal treatment, driving the oxygen atoms of the metal oxide layer to migrate into and react with the oxygen atom gettering layer, thus leaving a plurality of oxygen vacancies of the metal oxide layer.
US08362452B2

In one characterization, the present invention relates to a radiation-shielding assembly for holding a container having a radioactive material disposed therein. The assembly may, at least in one regard, be referred to as an elution shield and/or a dispensing shield. The assembly includes a body at least partially defining a cavity. There is at least one opening through the body into the cavity. The assembly may include a cap that at least generally hinders escape of radiation from the assembly through the opening. The cap may be releasably attached to the body in one orientation and may establish non-attached engagement with the body in another orientation. The assembly may include an adjustable spacer system for adapting the assembly for use with containers having different heights.
US08362451B2

A hand carry type portable curing apparatus using a long-arc UltraViolet (UV) lamp for concentrating the external air on the long-arc UV lamp and enhancing cooling efficiency by disposing a fan at a tilt angle and in addition installing a means for forcibly inducing a flow of air inside is provided. The apparatus includes a housing having an accepting part therein, the long-arc UV lamp installed in the accepting part of the housing, and a fan installed in the housing and cooling the long-arc UV lamp. The fan is installed on the slant to tilt toward the front in a front surface of the housing.
US08362447B2

The present invention is a low-cost, easily deployed, degradable taggant that can be dispersed over a wide area to serve as a witness to activity in the area and for queuing of other sensors. The taggant enables nearly real-time change detection within the treated area using one or more simple optical sensing techniques.
US08362444B2

A patterned beam of radiation is projected onto a substrate. A reflective optical element is used to help form the radiation beam from radiation emitted from a plasma region of a plasma source. In the plasma source, a plasma current is generated in the plasma region. To reduce damage to the reflective optical element, a magnetic field is applied in the plasma region with at least a component directed along a direction of the plasma current. This axial magnetic field helps limit the collapse of the Z-pinch region of the plasma. By limiting the collapse, the number of fast ions emitted may be reduced.
US08362442B2

A corrector (10) for an electron microscope is proposed which is less sensitive to fluctuations of the electrical power supply if a stigmatic intermediate image (9) of the axial fundamental rays (xα, yβ) is produced in the quadrupole field (1′) of a first quadrupole element (1) and this quadrupole field (1′) is set such that astigmatic intermediate images (12, 13) of the off-axial fundamental rays (xγ, yδ) are produced in the region of the center of the quadrupole fields (3′, 4′) of a third (3) and fourth multipole element (4) and there also, due to the setting of the quadrupole field (2′) of a second quadrupole element (2), the axial fundamental rays (xα, yβ) of the same section (x, y) as that, in which the intermediate images (12, 13) of the off-axial fundamental rays (xγ, yδ) are located, each exhibit a maximum.
US08362441B2

The present invention relates to a projection lens assembly module for directing a multitude of charged particle beamlets onto an image plane located in a downstream direction, and a method for assembling such a projection lens assembly. In particular the present invention discloses a modular projection lens assembly with enhanced structural integrity and/or increased placement precision of its most downstream electrode.
US08362436B1

Systems and methods determine the level, density, and/or temperature of a fluid based on the fluorescence of a material within an optical waveguide slab at least partially immersed in the fluid.
US08362432B2

The inventive optical sensor consists of an LED semiconductor material and elements (herein after the LED components) surrounded by a transparent encapsulant that allows much of the light produced by the LED components to pass while a certain small percentage of the light is internally reflected. The percentage of light internally reflected, depends upon whether at least a front face of the encapsulant is immersed in liquid or in air. The optical liquid sensor also consists of a strategically placed photo sensor that detects the intensity of light that is internally reflected by at least the front face of the encapsulant surrounding the LED. The photo sensor is able to detect the change in intensity of light being internally reflected by at least the front face of the encapsulated LED when the front face, for example, emerges from immersion in a liquid.
US08362429B2

The invention relates to a method for detecting the presence of hydrocarbons near an unmanned offshore oil platform. The method steps include monitoring reflected atmospheric and thermal radiation, detecting the presence of hydrocarbons, and generating an alert based on the presence of hydrocarbons.
US08362428B2

A transmission electron microscope has a target body position on the electron optical axis of the microscope, and an electrically conductive body off the axis of the microscope. The microscope also has an electron source for producing an axial electron beam. In use, the beam impinges upon a target body located at the target body position. The microscope further has a system for simultaneously producing a separate off-axis electron beam. In use, the off-axis electron beam impinges on the electrically conductive body causing secondary electrons to be emitted therefrom. The electrically conductive body is located such that the emitted secondary electrons impinge on the target body to neutralise positive charge which may build up on the target body.
US08362427B2

According to one embodiment, an electron beam irradiation apparatus comprises an objective lens configured to irradiate a specimen surface with an electron beam, an electron detector which is provided between the objective lens and the specimen surface and which is configured to detect reflected electrons or secondary electrons emitted from the specimen surface, and an antireflection mechanism which is provided between the electron detector and the specimen surface. The antireflection mechanism has a plurality of holes following spiral trajectories of reflected electrons or secondary electrons emitted from the specimen surface and is configured to prevent the reflected electrons or secondary electrons from being re-reflected toward the specimen surface and to direct a part of the reflected electrons or secondary electrons to the electron detector.
US08362426B2

The SEM has a dynamic range reference value setting unit for setting dynamic range reference values, a dynamic range adjustment unit for receiving an observation image signal delivered out of a secondary electron detector, adjusting the dynamic range of the observation image signal on the basis of the dynamic range reference values and outputting the thus adjusted observation image signal as an observation image signal after adjustment, a display image generation unit for determining luminous intensity levels of individual pixels of an image to be displayed based on the observation image signal after adjustment to generate a display image, a histogram generation unit for generating a histogram of luminous intensity levels of the display image and extracting, as a luminous intensity peak value, at which the frequency of luminous intensity is maximized, and a display unit for displaying the generated histogram and the extracted luminous intensity peak value.
US08362405B2

A reference heater energization delay time is established according to an engine conditions (shift range, cooling water temperature, intake-air temperature, ambient temperature, and oil temperature) during starting period. An extension delay time is established according to an engine condition after starting period. A final heater energization delay time is established by adding the extension delay time to the reference heater energization delay time. Until an elapsed time after starting period of engine reaches the final heater energization delay time, an energization of a heater of an exhaust gas sensor is inhibited. When the elapsed time after starting period of engine reaches the final heater energization delay time, the energization of the heater is started to heat a sensor element.
US08362402B2

A fluid warmer is disclosed. The fluid warmer includes a support surface, a heating element configured to selectively heat the support surface, and a switch assembly extending through the support surface. The switch assembly includes a switch, a movable switch plate, and a thermocouple. The switch has at least two states, one of which indicates the presence of an item on the support surface. The movable switch plate operably links to the switch to move the switch between the states and further includes a contact surface that contacts an item placed on the support surface. One or more thermocouples are embedded in the movable switch plate below the contact surface. The movable switch plate comprises a material having a thermal conductivity that permits the thermocouple(s) embedded in the switch plate to measure a temperature of an item placed on the support surface within a predetermined period of time.
US08362391B2

A high energy, high repetition rate workpiece surface heating apparatus is disclosed which comprise a XeF laser producing a laser output light pulse beam, an optical system narrowing the laser output light pulse beam in the short axis of the laser output light pulse beam and expanding the laser output light pulse beam to form in a long axis of the beam a workpiece covering extent of the long axis, the optical system focuses the laser output light pulse beam at a field stop with a magnification sufficient to maintain an intensity profile that has sufficiently steep sidewalls to allow the field stop to maintain a sufficiently steep beam profile at the workpiece.
US08362390B2

A method of laser welding of two members by their respective edges, on a first surface of a slideway section, wherein at least a first one of said members is welded by application of two parallel laser beams from a second surface of the slideway section, with a distance between the beams approximately corresponding to the thickness of the first member, to obtain a laser transmission welding in a single run.
US08362383B2

A multi-position switch includes a base and a cover. The base and the cover form a receiving space having a lateral surface. The cover defines a through hole and includes a bottom surface and a number of ratchet teeth protruding from the bottom surface and arranged around the through hole. A number of positive contacts and a negative contact are arranged on the lateral surface. The button includes a button body having a side surface and a number of protrusions protruding from the side surface. The button body passes through the through hole and is external to the cover. Each protrusion is located between two neighboring ratchet teeth and has a sloping end. A conductive member is arranged under the button body and includes a conductive rod having two ends configured for respectively contacting one of the positive contacts and the negative contact.
US08362377B2

A control key assembly for an electronic device includes a housing and a control key. The housing forms a receiving portion defining an opening having two spaced-apart arms. The control key is received in the receiving portion. The control key includes a first hook and a second hook. The first hook and the second hook are slidably engaged in the opening, and alternatively latch with the two arms when the control key is slid between first and second positions.
US08362375B2

A diaphragm-actuated pressure differential switch assembly includes a blade spring for switching an electrical circuit. The blade spring comprises a proximal end portion configured for electrically conductive attachment to an electrical terminal, a plurality of flexible tension arms extending from the proximal end portion, a pressure contact region configured to accept transmission of a physical force to bend at least one of the plurality of flexible tension arms, a distal end portion integral with the flexible tension arms, the distal end portion including an electrical contact, and a compression spring integral with the distal end portion extending generally proximally from the distal end portion, the compression spring including a first leg and a second leg. Methods of constructing and using the diaphragm-actuated pressure differential switch assembly and the blade spring are also disclosed.
US08362374B2

An apparatus is disclosed for mutual interlocking of two switches, in particular circuit breakers. In at least one embodiment, the apparatus includes two plungers which each engage in one of the two switches and can be moved in the plunger longitudinal direction, wherein, when one switch is being switched on, the plunger which engages in this switch is moved by pivoting of a control disk from its nil-point position to its opening position. In at least one embodiment, the apparatus includes a blocking device which blocks pivoting of the other control disk by moving the plunger to its opening position. In order to achieve a maintenance-free apparatus, in at least one embodiment it is proposed that at least one blocking element of the blocking device is moved by the plunger when this plunger is being moved to its opening position, such that pivoting of the other control disk with respect to the other plunger, which is located in the nil-point position, is blocked.
US08362373B2

Keys may be formed for keyboards. The keyboards may be attached to electronic devices such as computers or may be formed within a portable computer or other electronic equipment. A keyboard may be provided with a planar housing member such as a top plate. The top plate may have openings through which key caps protrude. Each key cap may be attached to a respective spring mechanism. The spring mechanism for each key may have first and second diving-board structures that flex about respective parallel flex axes. A dome switch may be mounted under each spring mechanism. The dome switch is compressed when the key cap is pressed and the first diving-board structure moves towards the dome switch. The top plate may have edge portions surrounding each key opening that form upstop structures that prevent the key caps and spring mechanisms from tilting when the dome switch is compressed.
US08362368B2

The system contains a substrate having at least one electrical trace formed thereon. An opening is formed in the substrate. The opening comprising at least one wall. An electrically conductive fill is formed in the opening. The electrically conductive fill is chemically bonded to the wall and electrically contacted with the electrical trace.
US08362363B2

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a prepreg with a carrier, comprising: a sheet-like base member; a first insulating resin layer provided to cover a surface of the sheet-like base member; a first carrier provided to cover the first insulating resin layer; a second insulating resin layer provided to cover a back surface of the sheet-like base member; and a second carrier provided to cover the second insulating resin layer, wherein the first and the second insulating resin layers have different resin compositions or the first and the second insulating resin layers have different thicknesses, and a front surface and a back surface of the prepreg with the carrier is visually identifiable.
US08362354B2

A photovoltaic apparatus includes a second groove so formed as to cut at least an intermediate layer, an insulating member so formed as to cover at least a cut portion of the intermediate layer in the second groove and extend along an upper surface of a second photoelectric conversion layer, and a third groove so formed as to pass through a first photoelectric conversion layer, the intermediate layer, the second photoelectric conversion layer and the insulating member on a region opposite to a first groove with respect to the second groove, wherein the insulating member is so formed as to extend up to at least a region opposite to the first groove with respect to the third groove.
US08362351B2

According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a TEG module, in particular for a power source (10), comprising a space (14) at least partially delimited by walls (16), at least one thermoelectric generator (20) for the conversion of heat into electricity, in which at least one electrically insulated wall part is in thermally conducting contact with a first side (52) of the thermo-electric generator (20), and the second side (54) is in heat-exchanging connection with an electrically insulated discharge element (12) for discharging heat used by the thermoelectric generator, as well as electrical conductors connected to the first and second side respectively (52, 54) for the conduction of generated electricity, with thermally conducting pressure means for applying pressure to the said second side being provided between the second side (54) and the discharge element (12), the said means comprises a thermally conducting flexible container (50), which is filled with a pressure medium in a state of over-pressure.
US08362350B2

A Wearable Trigger Electronic Music System that can simulate any kind of music, anywhere and at any time. For example one can create all the benefits of the percussion instrument, such as a drum kit, without its cost and burden. The same also applies to string, wind, and other types of instruments of any nation, culture, motif, era, age, etc. The system includes constituent components, including sensors, transducers, electronics, music modules, pre-amps, and amplifiers, wired or wireless, with connections for intra- and inter-modules, including final enjoyment by wired or wireless headphones or speakers. Also delineated is the process of creating music for the DIY enthusiast.
US08362339B1

A novel maize variety designated X8M130 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X8M130 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X8M130 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X8M130, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X8M130. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X8M130.
US08362336B1

A novel maize variety designated PH13HA and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH13HA with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH13HA through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH13HA or a locus conversion of PH13HA with another maize variety.
US08362331B1

A novel maize variety designated X7M626 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing maize variety X7M626 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X7M626 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X7M626, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X7M626. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X7M626.
US08362330B2

A hybrid sorghum, designated CB 7520 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of hybrid sorghum CB 7520, to the plants of hybrid sorghum CB 7520 and to methods for producing a sorghum plant by crossing the hybrid CB 7520 with itself or another sorghum plant that is not a plant of sorghum hybrid CB 7520. The invention further relates to hybrid sorghum seeds and plants. The invention further relates to methods for producing a sorghum plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic plants produced by that method and to methods for producing other hybrid sorghum derived from sorghum hybrid CB 7520.
US08362318B2

The present invention is related to biosynthetic oil compositions and methods of making thereof. In some embodiments, the invention relates to the use of endogenous enzymes in plants capable of synthesizing oil. In preferred embodiments, said plants are algae. In further embodiments, said algae are from the family Chlamydomonas, Nannochloropsis, Dunaliella, Chlorella and Scenedesmus. In still further embodiments, said endogenous enzymes are diacylglycerol acyltransferases.
US08362317B2

The present invention relates to excision of explant material comprising meristematic tissue from seeds, and storage of such material prior to subsequent use in plant tissue culture and genetic transformation. Methods for tissue preparation, storage, and transformation are disclosed, as is transformable meristem tissue produced by such methods, and apparati for tissue preparation.
US08362313B2

In various embodiments, the present disclosure describes processes and systems for recovery of styrene from a styrene-rich feedstock. The processes and systems maintain performance of an extractive solvent used in the styrene recovery. In general, the processes include introducing a styrene-rich feedstock to an extractive distillation column, removing a styrene-rich stream from the extractive distillation column, introducing the styrene-rich stream to a solvent recovery column, removing a styrene-lean stream from the solvent recovery column, separating and treating a portion of the styrene-lean stream to form a treated extractive solvent and recycling the treated extractive solvent. In some embodiments, the treating process also includes steam stripping. Styrene-recovery systems including an extractive distillation column, a solvent recovery column, a solvent treatment apparatus having at least one equilibrium stage and a continuous circulation loop connecting these components are also disclosed herein.
US08362308B2

A C4-olefin mixture having a 1,3-butadiene content of from 100 to 500 ppm and a content of 1,2-dienes of less than 10 ppm is described. The present invention further provides a process for preparing this C4-olefin mixture and provides for its use in a metathesis reaction for preparing 2-pentene and/or 3-hexene.
US08362307B2

Processes and reactor systems are provided for the conversion of oxygenated hydrocarbons to hydrocarbons, ketones and alcohols useful as liquid fuels, such as gasoline, jet fuel or diesel fuel, and industrial chemicals. The process involves the conversion of mono-oxygenated hydrocarbons, such as alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, furans, carboxylic acids, diols, triols, and/or other polyols, to C4+ hydrocarbons, alcohols and/or ketones, by condensation. The oxygenated hydrocarbons may originate from any source, but are preferably derived from biomass.
US08362306B2

A process for upgrading an organic acid includes neutralizing the organic acid to form a salt and thermally decomposing the resulting salt to form an energy densified product. In certain embodiments, the organic acid is levulinic acid. The process may further include upgrading the energy densified product by conversion to alcohol and subsequent dehydration.
US08362302B2

Isopropyl alcohol is a very useful chemical that is widely used in the industry as a solvent. Economical and easy process to make ispopropyl alcohol using novel composite catalyst is described in the instant application. Production of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) from dimehtyl ketone (DMK) and hydrogen (H2) in gas-phase using a ruthenium nano-particle-supported on activated charcoal/nano-zinc oxide composite catalyst is described. Gas phase production of isopropyl alcohol using DMK and hydrogen is also described using optimal time on stream, temperature, catalyst ratio and DMK/H2 ratio. Ruthenium nano-zinc oxide composite catalyst is formulated using different ratios of ruthenium activated charcoal and n-ZnO is described. CAT-IV is shown to be the best performer for the efficient production of isopropyl alcohol.
US08362298B2

Hydrolyzed nitrilotriacetonitrile compositions are disclosed prepared by a method characterized by a one-shot addition of an amount of nitrilotriacetonitrile to a solution containing an acid catalyst, where the reaction is complete in a time period of less than an hour. The method is also characterized by adjusting the pH of the reaction mixture to a pH of at least 8. The method is also characterized by oxidatively removing free cyanide to a desired low level through the addition of an oxidizing agent the produces environmentally benign by-products to the crude hydrolyzed NTAN to form hydrolyzed NTAN compositions having minimized, negligible, or substantially no free cyanide levels.
US08362295B2

Drilling fluids comprising graphenes and nanoplatelet additives and methods for production thereof are disclosed. Graphene includes graphite oxide, graphene oxide, chemically-converted graphene, and functionalized chemically-converted graphene. Derivatized graphenes and methods for production thereof are disclosed. The derivatized graphenes are prepared from a chemically-converted graphene through derivatization with a plurality of functional groups. Derivatization can be accomplished, for example, by reaction of a chemically-converted graphene with a diazonium species. Methods for preparation of graphite oxide are also disclosed.
US08362290B2

A compound having the formula: Each R1 is C1-C3 alkyl group or fluoridated C1-C3 alkyl group. The value n is a positive integer. Each R2 is alkylene group or polyethylene glycol group. Y1 is hydrogen, quaternary ammonium-containing group, or phenol-containing group. Y2 is quaternary ammonium-containing group or phenol-containing group. The quaternary ammonium-containing group is non-aromatic and contains no more than one quaternary ammonium.
US08362285B2

Synthetic methods for preparing deoxycholic acid and intermediates thereof are provided.
US08362278B2

The present invention discloses processes for producing substituted pyrrole compounds, such as 2,5-disubstituted pyrroles. Synthetic processes which directly convert substituted furan compounds to substituted pyrrole compounds, via a reaction of the substituted furan compound with ammonia and/or an ammonium salt in the presence of a catalyst, also are described.
US08362259B2

There is provided a process for preparing purified esomeprazole magnesium, comprising the steps of: providing esomeprazole magnesium; contacting said esomeprazole magnesium with a non-solvent comprising an aqueous component up to a maximum content defined by water saturation in the non-solvent; and recovering purified esomeprazole magnesium formed from the contacting step. The process is particularly suitable to obtain esomeprazole magnesium dihydrate, especially form A. The esomeprazole magnesium obtained is remarkably pure, stable and is resistant to form interchangeability.
US08362249B2

The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I): and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein R1 to R6, A, B, X, Y and n are as defined herein. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds, methods of using these compounds in the treatment of various diseases and disorders, processes for preparing these compounds and intermediates useful in these processes.
US08362245B2

Provided are processes for preparing intermediates of pemetrexed.
US08362235B2

Disclosed are carboxamide compounds as well as pharmaceutical compositions and methods of use. One embodiment is a compound having the structure in which R1, R2, R3, R4, T, p, q, w and x are as described herein. In certain embodiments, a compound disclosed herein activates the AMPK pathway, and can be used to treat metabolism-related disorders and conditions.
US08362225B2

Methods and compositions for modulating plant response, development and yield under varying environmental conditions are provided. Methods employing MAPKKK are provided. The MAPKKK sequences are used in a variety of methods including modulating root development, modulating leaf and/or shoot development, modulating tolerance under abiotic stress and modulating yield. Transformed plants, plant cell, tissues, seed and expression vectors are also provided.
US08362223B2

The inventors succeeded in isolating a novel hemopoietin receptor gene (NR10) using a sequence predicted from the extracted motif conserved in the amino acid sequences of known hemopoietin receptors. It was expected that two forms of NR10 exists, a transmembrane type and soluble form. Expression of the former type was detected in tissues containing hematopoietic cells. Thus, NR10 is a novel hemopoietin receptor molecule implicated in the regulation of the immune system and hematopoiesis in vivo. These novel receptors are useful in screening for novel hematopoietic factors capable of functionally binding to the receptor, or developing medicines to treat diseases related with the immune system or hematopoietic system.
US08362204B2

Described herein are methods for forming two or more dicarba bridges, as well as new compounds containing dicarba bridges.
US08362203B2

Described herein are methods of screening one of the RNA hairpins in the small ribosomal subunit of bacteria to identify peptides that bind to it. The RNA hairpin target may be the 970 loop (aka helix 31 (h31)) or a modified version thereof. The identified peptides may inhibit protein synthesis and, therefore, may be used as a model for new antibiotics.
US08362201B2

A series of potent and highly specific insecticidal toxins characterized by an amino acid sequences SEQ ID NO: 2-35.
US08362196B2

A thermally processable graft copolymer formed from a water soluble polymer and a water insoluble polymer, wherein the graft copolymer forms a hydrogel upon exposure to water.
US08362194B2

Disclosed is a polymerizable composition comprising Component (a): a polythiocarbonate polythiol, Component (b): an episulfide compound, and optionally Component (c): an organic compound having a functional group that is reactive to the episulfide compound. The polymerizable composition can be cured to provide a polythioether having excellent optical properties (a high refractive index and a high Abbe's number) as well as excellent mechanical properties (a high bending distortion and a high glass transition temperature) and thus exhibiting excellent properties as an optical material.
US08362185B2

The invention relates to linear copolymers of monomer units having both ammonium groups and polysiloxane groups. Amine oxide groups may be substituted for ammonium groups. The polymer backbone includes side chains having high densities of quaternary ammonium groups. The copolymers impart softening, antistatic, quick-drying and setting properties in the appropriate settings.
US08362178B2

The present invention provides 1-alkene-acrylate based copolymer prepared by a method comprising step of a radical polymerization reaction of 1-alkene and acrylate based monomer under presence of a metal oxide or Lewis acid. The 1-alkene-acrylated based copolymer according to the present invention is a random copolymer of 1-alkene and a polar monomer, and an amount of a polar group contained in the copolymer is very high so that the alkene is not crystalline. Accordingly, when the copolymer is processed into a polymer film, a transparency of the polymer is not affected. Due to such a feature, the copolymer can be used for optical products.
US08362177B1

High refractive index copolymers with reduced tack are disclosed. The copolymers, which are particularly suitable for use as ophthalmic device materials, comprise a benzhydryl methacrylate or benzhydryl methacrylate derivative monomer.
US08362172B2

The invention provides an infiltrant for dental application that comprises crosslinking monomers. In accordance with the invention the infiltrant has a penetration coefficient PC>50 cm/s, and comprises 0.05%-20% by weight of acid-group-containing monomers.
US08362168B2

The present invention provides an aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion having good mechanical characteristics and storage stability and containing substantially no fluorinated surfactant. The present invention is related to an aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion comprising a dispersed fluoropolymer particle with an average primary particle diameter of 50 to 400 nm, a surface layer of the dispersed fluoropolymer particle being obtained by emulsion polymerization of a monomer composition consisting of 99.999 to 98 mole percent of tetrafluoroethylene and 0.001 to 2 mole percent of a modifier monomer, a fluorinated surfactant content being not higher than 50 ppm, a fluoropolymer content being 20 to 75% by mass, and a nonfluorinated nonionic surfactant content being 2 to 15% by mass relative to 100% by mass of the fluoropolymer.
US08362167B2

The invention provides a compound and tautomeric forms thereof having the formula: wherein Rf1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a straight chain, branched secondary or branched tertiary C1-C20 perfluoroalkyl group optionally containing ether or thioether linkages and C1-C10 perfluoroalicyclic group optionally containing ether or thioether groups; Rf2 is a straight or branched C1-C20 perfluoroalkylene group optionally substituted with ether and thiother linkages; and X is selected from the group consisting of fluorine and The invention also provides perfluoroelastomeric compositions cured with the perfluoroimidoylamidines of the invention as well as combinations of perfluoroimidoylamidines and other curing agents.
US08362163B2

A supported metal complex comprising the reaction product of a transition metal complex of a polyvalent heteroaryl donor ligand containing at least one ortho-metallated aromatic ligand group and an ethylenically or poly(ethylenically) functionalized particulated organic or inorganic solid, a method for preparing the same and the use thereof as an addition polymerization catalyst.
US08362161B2

A method of treating a polymerization reactor effluent stream comprising recovering the reactor effluent stream from the polymerization reactor, flashing the reactor effluent stream to form a flash gas stream, separating the flash gas stream into a first top stream, a first bottom stream, and a side stream, wherein the side stream substantially comprises hexane, separating the first top stream into a second top stream and a second bottom stream, wherein the second bottom stream substantially comprises isobutane, and separating the second top stream into a third top stream and a third bottom stream; wherein the third top stream substantially comprises ethylene, and wherein the third bottom stream is substantially free of olefins.
US08362158B2

A polyglycolic acid resin composition having improved moisture resistance is obtained by adding a carboxyl group-capping agent and a polymerization catalyst-deactivation agent to a polyglycolic acid resin.
US08362145B2

A composition comprising a blend of a polyolefin, polylactic acid, and a reactive modifier. A method of producing an oriented film comprising reactive extrusion compounding a mixture comprising polypropylene, polylactic acid, a reactive modifier to form a compatibilized polymeric blend, casting the compatibilized polymeric blend into a film, and orienting the film. A method of preparing a reactive modifier comprising contacting a polyolefin, a multifunctional acrylate comonomer, and an initiator under conditions suitable for the formation of an epoxy-functionalized polyolefin wherein the epoxy-functionalized polyolefin has a grafting yield of from 0.2 wt. % to 15 wt. %.
US08362143B2

Disclosed herein is a non-glossy rubber modified aromatic vinyl-vinyl cyanide copolymer and a method for continuously preparing the same. The copolymer comprises about 80 to about 93% by weight of an aromatic vinyl-vinyl cyanide copolymer grafted onto about 7 to about 20% by weight of a diene-based rubber, and a dispersed phase of the copolymer has an average rubber particle diameter of about 6 to about 20 μm and a span of about 1.2 to about 2.8.
US08362126B2

A method for preparing a functionalized polymer comprising the steps of preparing a polymer by polymerizing conjugated diene monomer with a lanthanide-based catalyst, wherein the lanthanide-based catalyst comprises (a) a lanthanide compound, (b) an alkylating agent, and (c) a source of halogen, and reacting the pseudo-living polymer with at least one amide-containing functionalizing agent.
US08362112B2

The present invention relates to cure accelerators useful for anaerobic curable compositions, such as adhesives and sealants. The cure accelerators are constructed as urethane/urea/thiourethane (meth)acrylate resins from diols and include a unit embraced within structure A where X is C1-20 alkyl, C2-20 alkenyl, or C7-20 alkaryl, any of which may be interrupted by one or more hereto atoms, and which are functionalized by at least one and preferably at least two groups selected from —OH, —NH2 or —SH and z is 1-3.
US08362107B2

An ink set includes at least a cyan ink composition containing a self-dispersible pigment, a magenta ink composition containing a self-dispersible pigment, and a yellow ink composition containing a pigment coated with a water-insoluble polymer.
US08362106B2

Linear block copolymers that have at least one hydrophilic block and at least one hydrophobic block, wherein the hydrophilic block of the copolymer has at least one carboxylic acid functionality (or salt thereof) that can readily decarboxylate. These copolymers are useful as binders and/or dispersants in inkjet inks.
US08362101B2

A multifunctional Type II photoinitiator according to Formula (I): wherein X represents a structural moiety according to Formula (II): wherein: A represents a Norrish Type II initiating group; and L represents a divalent linking group positioning the Norrish Type II initiating group A and the CR2R3-group in a 1-5 to a 1-9 position wherein position 1 is defined as the first atom in the aromatic or alicyclic ring of A to which L is covalently bonded and the position 5 to 9 is defined as the carbon atom of the CR2R3-group to which L is covalently bonded, with the proviso that L does not contain an amine. Radiation curable compositions and inks include the multifunctional Type II photoinitiator.
US08362095B2

The invention relates to the defoaming of ionic liquids and also to compositions comprising at least one ionic liquid and at least one antifoam and, if appropriate, a solvent and/or further auxiliaries or additives.
US08362088B2

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for encapsulating a homeopathic ingredient with a second ingredient. A homeopathic carrier is prepared by applying the homeopathic ingredient to at least one element. The element is selected from the second ingredient, an excipient, and a capsule assembly. The second ingredient is encapsulated in a closed capsule assembly. The closed capsule assembly comprises the homeopathic carrier.
US08362086B2

The application relates to long acting injectable (LAI) formulations for combating ectoparasites and endoparasites in mammals. In particular, this invention provides for a LAI formulation comprising a subcutaneously volatile solvent, a biologically acceptable polymer, a bioactive agents and optionally one or more anti-ectoparasitically or anti-endoparasitically acceptable additive or excipient. Surprisingly, the liquid long acting injectable formulations of the invention solve the problems associates with previous injectable formulations by having long term stability, being able to accommodate smaller needle diameters and achieving long acting effects in the control of pests in a mammal. The unique formulations of the invention also allow for combating ectoparasites and endoparasites which have become resistant to macrolide antibiotics.
US08362085B2

The invention provides methods for administering memantine to a subject. Memantine in an extended release form containing 22.5 to 30 mg memantine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt is administered to a patient suffering from a neurological condition, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease or dementia. The extended release form achieves particular pharmacokinetic criteria such as change in plasma concentration of memantine over time and ratio of maximum memantine plasma concentration to mean memantine plasma concentration.
US08362078B2

The present invention relates to the use of polyunsaturated fatty acids and one or more components which have a beneficial effect on total methionine metabolism selected from the group consisting of vitamin B12 and precursors thereof, vitamin B6 and derivatives thereof, folic acid, zinc and magnesium, in the manufacture of a preparation for improving the action of receptors. This preparation is advantageously applied in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease, Huntington's chorea, epilepsy, schizophrenia, paranoia, depression, sleep disorders, impaired memory function, psychoses, dementia and ADHD.
US08362076B2

Ascorbic acid esters of resveratrol and topical compositions containing same.
US08362073B2

The present invention relates to compounds of the formula I, wherein A, Y, Z, R3 to R6, R20 to R22 and R50 have the meanings indicated in the claims, which are valuable pharmaceutical active compounds. Specifically, they are inhibitors of the endothelial differentiation gene receptor 2 (Edg-2, EDG2), which is activated by lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and is also termed as LPA1 receptor, and are useful for the treatment of diseases such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction and heart failure, for example. The invention furthermore relates to processes for the preparation of the compounds of the formula I, their use and pharmaceutical compositions comprising them.
US08362071B2

Vitamin E succinate derivatives according to formula I: are described. These compounds can be included in pharmaceutical compositions, and can be used for the treatment of cancers such as metastatic cancer and as antiadhesive agents.
US08362070B2

The invention relates to the new usage of puerarin in the field of pharmaceutical products, in other words, it relates to the application of puerarin in the preparation of drugs for P2X3 mediated pain/nervous system diseases. The experiment shows that puerarin can inhibit pain-related behavioral responses, subsequently immunohistochemical analysis, in situ hybridization, RT-PCR, protein blotting and other techniques were utilized to observe the inhibition of puerarin on mRNA and protein expression of P2X3 receptor in dorsal root ganglion of rats with neuropathic pain and in dorsal root ganglion and sensory nerve ending in the burn model of rats, it was found by using whole-cell patch clamp technique that puerarin can significantly reduce the electric current activated by P2X3 receptor agonist in the neuron of dorsal root ganglion of rats with neuropathic pain. The experiment proves that the mechanism for the inhibitory effects of puerarin on acute and chronic pain is to block the transmission of pain sense information that is mediated by P2X3 receptor in primary sensory neurons. The invention provides a kind of new method for the prevention and treatment on acute and chronic pain, and it also indicates that puerarin can act as a antagonist for P2X3 receptor, which will be helpful for the application of drugs in the prevention and treatment on P2X3 receptor involved nervous system diseases.
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