US08397305B2
A system and method for connecting remote player devices to regulated host gaming devices in a network to provide remote game play. A host gaming device is configured to provide game information to a plurality of remote player devices to allow remote play of the host game device. Whether each remote player device is permitted to receive gaming data is based upon, at least in part, the geographic location of the remote player device.
US08397302B2
A system for analyzing a process, comprising a model engine to generate a model of the environment using multiple components defining adjustable elements of the model and including components representing a process for provisioning and de-provisioning of access credentials for an individual in the environment and a risk analyzer to calculate multiple randomized instances of an outcome for the environment using multiple values for parameters of the elements of the model selected from within respective predefined ranges for the parameters, and to use a results plan to provide data for identifying the security risk using the multiple instances.
US08397300B2
A system for detecting security vulnerabilities in computer software, including a cryptographic API identifier configured to identify a cryptographic API among the instructions of a computer software application, a path-to-source tracer configured to trace an information flow path among the instructions between the cryptographic API and a source that directly or indirectly provides data that are input to the cryptographic API, where a cryptographically-sensitive information carrier lies along the information flow path, a path-to-sink tracer configured to trace an information flow path among the instructions from the cryptographically-sensitive information carrier to a sink, and a security vulnerability identifier configured to provide a notification that the information flow path between the cryptographically-sensitive information carrier and the sink represents security vulnerability if the information flow path between the cryptographically-sensitive information carrier and the sink does not pass through a cryptographic API.
US08397299B2
A method and system for enhancing flow of behavior metrics and evaluating security of a node are described. Instead of sending behavior metrics from a trustee node to a trustor node, the trustor node sends an evaluation function to the trustee node. The trustee node performs security evaluation and sends a result to the trustor node. Alternatively, the trustee node and the trustor node may send behavior metrics and an evaluation function to a trusted broker, respectively. The trusted broker evaluates the security of the trustee node using the evaluation function and the behavior metrics, and sends a security evaluation result to the trustor node and the trustee node. There may be multiple trusted brokers. The behavior metrics may be accumulated by each node as the behavior metrics flow downstream. The nodes may submit behavior metrics to an intermediary periodically and may be accumulated by intermediaries.
US08397294B2
A device and method are provided for a device that communicates security information to a user entering content into the device. In an aspect, the device may access content from a server over a connection through the network. The device displays the content on a user interface of the device. The device detects information entered into a field of the displayed content and evaluates a security state of the device. If the security state is below a security threshold and, if the entered information is identified as protected information based on stored criteria, the device displaying a visual indication on the user interface.
US08397279B2
A novel method for online authentication of an authorized website is described to prevent the circulation of forged web pages on the World Wide Web. The novel feature of the instant invention is encryption-independent method of securing online transactions by authenticating the server to the client and client to the server. In the instant invention the approach is deployed in curbing the menace of spoofed websites on the World Wide Web by allowing the delivery of only those web pages that are authentic and hosted on an authorized remote server. The method comprises of a graphic representation of the identity of the authorized remote server on the visible portion of the web page served by that remote server. Such graphic representation is capable of being scanned, read and allowed access, only if resolved to the identity of the authorized remote server every time that web page is requested by another authorized computer connected to the Internet.
US08397275B1
Time-varying CAPTCHA tests are provided to distinguish a human user from a computer software agent in an online application. A test generator generates an original image and a set of (X,Y) positions. The (X,Y) positions can be a random or repeating sequence. The test generator then separates the original image to form a plurality of secondary images. The secondary images are configured to the (X,Y) positions and the original image so that when the secondary images are displaced over time responsive to the (X,Y) positions at least one of the (X,Y) position reveals the original image, or a portion thereof. A test program generator generates an executable program adapted for execution on a client device. The executable program is encoded with the (X,Y) positions and the secondary images, and configured to displace the secondary images over time responsive to the set of positions.
US08397274B2
A system, devices and methods for verifying an administrator computing device to a guest computing device, verifying the guest device to the administrator device and outputting a list of the guest device capabilities for the administrator device such that the guest device is capable of verifying the administrator device, for example to ensure it does not divulge its capabilities to imposters, and the administrator device is capable of identifying whether the list of device capabilities is authentic. Verification can be achieved through cryptographic hashes of private certificates, digital signatures or expected output from verified modules. The list of device capabilities may be restricted based on the authorization granted to the administrator computer and may be altered or watermarked for verification. A failure to verify the administrator device may restrict execution of instructions on the guest device to prevent unauthorized access to the guest device's capabilities.
US08397273B2
A system and method for policy based provisioning in a computing environment. In an example embodiment, the system is adapted to selectively allocate usage rights and access privileges to computing resources of a computing environment. The system includes a provisioning policy; a centralized resource provisioning module; one or more applications in communication with the centralized resource provisioning module; and software running on the resource provisioning module, wherein the software is adapted to initiate selective provisioning of computing resources offered by the one or more applications to a user in accordance with the provisioning policy.
US08397272B2
Multiple video streams can be transmitted over a high speed link. A connection with a receiver can be detected by a transmitter. The transmitter can then establish a link with the receiver. Multiple streams of video data can be packed into a transfer unit. The transmitter can then transmit the transfer unit with the multiple stream video data over one or more lanes of the link to the receiver. A high speed communications link between a receiver and a transmitter can transmit data for multiple video streams over a single lane within a data link. The high speed communication link is scalable in bandwidth and video/audio streams transmitted, and backward compatible with other types of video data communication connections. The high speed link may support up to eight video/audio streams simultaneously, thereby enabling full use of data link bandwidth.
US08397261B2
One embodiment may take the form of an apparatus for providing separate user classifications and interfaces to multiple users of a set-top box of the television system. Each user classification may be configurable to provide different interfaces, menus and available features to the users of the set-top box. Further, each user classification may include several sub-classifications to further personalize the set-top box to the various users of the system. Also, each user classification may also monitor the habits and usage of each class and store such information for use by the set-top box to suggest settings of the set-top box that the user may be interested in, such as a favorite channel list.
US08397258B2
A method and an apparatus may provide thumbnail images for a display. A plurality of thumbnail images may be generated based on television channels that have been tuned during a first prescribed time period. A channel list including the plurality of thumbnail images may be provided for output to a display. At least one additional thumbnail image may be generated based on at least one additional television channel that has been tuned during a second time period, the second time period being a time period subsequent to the first time period. The channel list may be updated to further include the at least one additional thumbnail image with the plurality of thumbnail images. The updated channel list may be output to a display.
US08397251B2
A sticker media disk may be easily stuck on an old CD, DVD, or other optical disk as a base. The combination then becomes a media disk completely playable with content in audio players, computers drives, DVD, and/or high definition (HD) disk players.
US08397244B2
Techniques for managing messages in computer systems are provided. In one embodiment, in response to a publisher attempting to enqueue a message in a queue, a determination is made whether a condition is satisfied. The condition is based on the current usage of the queue by the publisher. Based on whether the condition is satisfied, a decision is made whether to enqueue the message in the queue. The decision whether to enqueue the message may comprise restricting the publisher from enqueueing any more messages in the queue until the same or a different condition is satisfied.
US08397242B1
A method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium for managing operations within virtual machines are provided. According to one embodiment, a virtual machine manager monitors the internal operations of the virtual machines by redirecting a reference from a first address to a second address. The first address is an address of a function to be executed by the virtual machine. The second address is an address of a memory location in the memory page. The virtual machine manager installs an execution event at the memory location. In response to a request resulting in the memory location being accessed, an execution event is triggered. In response to the triggering of the execution event, a message is sent to the hypervisor. The message indicates that the memory location has been accessed.
US08397238B2
Methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media are disclosed for reducing power by reducing hardware-thread toggling in a multi-threaded processor. In a particular embodiment, a method allocates software threads to hardware threads. A number of software threads to be allocated is identified. It is determined when the number of software threads is less than a number of hardware threads. When the number of software threads is less than the number of hardware threads, at least two of the software threads are allocated to non-sequential hardware threads. A clock signal to be applied to the hardware threads is adjusted responsive to the non-sequential hardware threads allocated.
US08397235B2
An apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising analyzing a plurality of tasks, determining a privilege level for each of the task, determining a schedule for each of the tasks, and scheduling the tasks for execution based on the privilege level and the schedule of each task. Included is a memory comprising instructions for determining a privilege level for each of a plurality of tasks, wherein the privilege levels comprise periodic real-time, aperiodic real-time, and non-real time, determining an execution time for each of the tasks, and scheduling the tasks for execution on a processor based on the privilege level and the execution time of each task.
US08397230B2
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for software updates using delta patching are described. A first computer may compare a first image representative of a plurality of software stacks, and a second image representative of at least one and less than all of the plurality of software stacks to determine a difference between the second image and the first image. The first computer may generate a file representative of the difference between the second image and the first image. The file may include data of instructions for removing each software stack of the plurality of software stacks represented in the first image and not represented in the second image from a second computer. Data representative of the file representative of the difference between the second image and the first image may be recorded to a computer-readable storage medium.
US08397226B2
A computer programming language, computer-readable medium and method for pattern matching over structured literals (e.g., XML literals, object literals, type literals, code literals, etc.). The programming language may have a pattern defined in an object-oriented programming language. The pattern may be a structured literal that is capable of matching a value contained in an incoming data stream. The structured literal may include one or more variables, which may be bound to the value if the pattern matches the value.
US08397225B2
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for optimizing just-in-time (‘JIT’) compiling for a application executing on a compute node, the compute node having installed upon it a Virtual Machine (‘VM’) capable of supporting the application, that include: identifying, by an application manager, a particular portion of the application; assigning, by the application manager, a JIT level to the particular portion of the application; and jitting, by the VM installed on the compute node, the particular portion of the application in dependence upon the JIT level assigned to that particular portion of the ava application.
US08397211B2
Web portal application customization methods and systems using profiles allow developers to expose different functionalities and a different look and feel to users belonging to different user profiles. Specifically, the method allows a developer to define default and profile-specific transitions as well as default and profile-specific states. Upon request of a transition by a workflow engine, the system transparently provides the workflow engine with a profile-specific transition if a profile-specific transition associated with the user is available. If a profile-specific transition is not available, the system provides the application with a default transition. Likewise, the system transparently provides the application with a profile-relevant state according to the profile of the user and the availability of a profile-specific state. Accordingly, the method may implement highly customizable functionalities and look and feel effectively and cost-efficiently.
US08397210B2
The logical architecture of an existing or target application or software system is modeled in the form of one or more architecture diagrams. The existing and target diagrams may be compared. A diagram may be modified by associating physical artifacts from an architecture discovery system or by selecting artifacts identified via a query statement. Rules are associated with the diagrams and validation performed based on the rules and the physical artifacts associated with the diagrams. A report may be produced facilitating further modifications to evolve the architecture represented by the diagrams to the target architecture.
US08397208B2
Techniques are provided for baselining across multiple domains. Relationship information that associates a collection of requirement objects with a set of configuration management objects is stored. The collection of requirement objects is defined in a requirement management system for a software product, and the set of configuration management objects is defined in a configuration management system that is operable to manage the development of the software product. A particular requirement object from the collection of requirement objects is determined. Based on the relationship information, one or more configuration management objects that are associated with the particular requirement object are determined. A baseline that includes copies of the one or more configuration management objects is created and stored, where the copies include specific versions of the one or more configuration objects.
US08397205B2
A system and method for specifying timing relationships among nodes in a graphical program. User input specifying desired timing of a first node with respect to timing of a second node may be received. In various embodiments, any kind of timing relationship or timing constraint between the first node and the second node may be specified. Timing information may be displayed on the display to visually indicate the timing of the first node with respect to timing of the second node. In one embodiment, displaying the timing information may comprise displaying a timing wire between the first node and the second node. The graphical program may be executed in such a way that the visually indicated timing of the first node with respect to timing of the second node is satisfied.
US08397202B1
Systems and methods for performing a signature analysis on sorted data to identify one or more outliers in a dataset. The method includes determining, with a control platform, a percentile range of a sorted dataset, wherein the percentile range includes a first plurality of qualified vector patterns; determining a signature of the percentile range; determining a signature of a second plurality of vector patterns, wherein the second plurality of vector patterns includes a first test vector pattern that is outside of the percentile range; and comparing the signature of the percentile range to the signature of the second plurality of vector patterns. The method further includes, based at least in part on the comparing, identifying the first vector pattern as one of (i) a qualifying vector pattern or (ii) an outlier.
US08397199B2
In an embodiment, an aging analysis tool may be configured to identify transistors that are expected to experience aging effects according to worst case stress vectors and/or designer identified worst case conditions. The aging analysis tool may modify a representation of the circuit (e.g. a netlist), replacing the identified transistors with aged transistors (e.g. by modifying parameters of the transistors in the netlist). The aging analysis tool may process the modified netlist over a range of conditions at which the circuit is expected to operate, to ensure that the design meets specifications after aging. The process may be repeated until the aged design meets specifications (with circuit modifications made by the designer to improve the design).
US08397195B2
A method and system for compiling a representation of a source circuit including one or more source subchannels associated with portions of source logic driven by a plurality of clock domains are described. Each source subchannel may generate packets carrying signal data from one of the portions of the source logic. A representation of a destination circuit may be compiled to include one or more destination subchannels associated with portions of destination logic replicating the source logic. Each destination subchannel may forward the signal data via the packets to one of the portions of the destination logic. A switching logic may be configured to map the source subchannels to the destination subchannels as virtual channels to forward the packets from the source subchannels to the destination subchannels. A single queue may be configured to couple with the switching logic to record packets from the source subchannels into a packet stream for a delay period to distribute to the destination subchannels. The destination logic may emulate the source logic synchronized with the plurality of clock domains delayed by the delay period.
US08397192B2
An UNSAT core may be reused during iterations of a bounded model checking process. When increasing the bound, signals corresponding to signals within the UNSAT core may be used to represent the functionality of the model during cycles between the original bound and the increased bound. In case, consecutive unsatisfiability is determined in respect to different bounds, the same UNSAT core may be reused instead of computing a new UNSAT core.
US08397187B2
A verification tool receives a finite precision definition for an approximation of an infinite precision numerical function implemented in a processor in the form of a polynomial of bounded functions. The verification tool receives a domain for verifying outputs of segments associated with the infinite precision numerical function. The verification tool splits the domain into at least two segments, wherein each segment is non-overlapping with any other segment and converts, for each segment, a polynomial of bounded functions for the segment to a simplified formula comprising a polynomial, an inequality, and a constant for a selected segment. The verification tool calculates upper bounds of the polynomial for the at least two segments, beginning with the selected segment and reports the segments that violate a bounding condition.
US08397185B1
A graphical user aid that may be used for migrating source devices, such as programmable logic designs (PLDs or FPGAs) into target devices, such as equivalent or substitute application-specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”) is provided. A device selector guide is provided for evaluating migration prospects from the source device to the target device before completing the migration.
US08397184B2
A library cell is designed, and then the width of the polys is increased, and the polys and contacts are shifted in order to maintain poly-to-poly and contact-to-poly spacing. The method can be used in association with a 45 nm digital library cell. Specifically, a library cell having 40 nm polys is designed, and then the width of each of the polys is increased by 5 nm to 45 nm, and the polys and contacts are shifted in order to maintain poly-to-poly and contact-to-poly spacing. The poly lines and contacts can be shifted by starting at the center and going out radially, or by beginning at the perimeter and moving radially inward. The method can be used with any library cell design which is entirely GDS based, including, for example, 32 nm library cell design.
US08397171B2
A method for use in controlling user interface operation of a communication device when visually displaying a map involves the steps of causing a viewable map region of the map to be visually displayed in a display, the viewable map region having a plurality of selectable map elements; maintaining a list of element identifiers which includes element identifiers corresponding to the selectable map elements in the viewable map region, each element identifier being associated with a pair of x, y coordinates for visual display; controlling end user selection of the selectable map elements via a positioning mechanism in left and right directions in accordance with a numeric order of the x-coordinates; and controlling end user selection of the selectable map elements via the positioning mechanism in up and down directions in accordance with a numeric order of the y-coordinates.
US08397169B2
An image forming system including a management device, an image forming apparatus including an auxiliary storage device, and a plurality of information processing devices, which are coupled to one another via a network, the image forming system being configured as follows. The management device is designed to: acquire a box information file regarding a document box created on the auxiliary storage device from the image forming apparatus via the network; and transmit the box information file to each of the plurality of information processing devices in its original format and a state after conversion thereof into a predetermined format. The plurality of information processing devices each control a printer driver compatible with the image forming apparatus to read the received box information file.
US08397166B2
With a map displayed on a displaying apparatus 6, a user touches a touch panel 16 with his or her finger to draw an operation trajectory passing through his or her desired area on the map. A user's designated area is specified based on the operation trajectory. Images shot in the designated area are automatically selected to be displayed and the order of displaying the images is set in accordance with a drawing operation of the operation trajectory such that the image shot at a shooting spot closest to the start point of the operation trajectory is displayed first and the image shot at a shooting spot closest to the end point of the operation trajectory is displayed last. The image selecting operation and the image displaying order setting operation can be easily performed at the same time.
US08397157B2
In one embodiment, a method comprising accessing a first data object and a second data object of a data structure representing electronic content, the second data object being associated with the first data object, selecting, based on first content included in the first data object, a grammar rule included in a grammar, the grammar rule including a grammar rule item, and based on second content included in the second data object, selecting the grammar rule item included in the grammar rule, and based on the second content and the grammar rule item, generating a portion of a textual representation of the electronic content.
US08397156B2
A method disclosed herein includes the acts of receiving a document that has a people tag assigned thereto, wherein the people tag comprises first data that is indicative of an identity of a first individual that corresponds to the document, and wherein the people tag is assigned to the document by an assignor, and accessing contact data pertaining to a second individual, wherein the contact data comprises second data that is indicative of identities of contacts of the second individual, wherein the second data comprises data that is indicative of the identity of the first individual. The method also includes comparing the contact data with the first data, and displaying the document on a computer screen in conjunction with text that identifies the first individual to the third individual, wherein the text indicates a name of the first individual as assigned to the first individual by the second individual.
US08397151B2
The invention relates to a method for checking the integrity of a set of data packets received by a receiving communication device from a sending communication device, the data packets of the set being received in unpredictable order. The invention also relates to a communication device implementing a method according to the invention, in particular to a smart card.
US08397150B1
A chunk of branch metric computation bits is generated including bits that correspond to transition bits of a possible chunk of transition bits that could have been generated by a state transition of a convolutional encoder of a transmitter. The bits of the chunk of branch metric computation bits are scrambled. A branch metric for the received chunk of soft scrambled code bits is calculated as a function of the scrambled bits of the chunk of branch metric computation bits and the soft scrambled code bits of the received chunk of soft scrambled code bits. The branch metric is indicative of the probability that the received chunk of soft scrambled code bits was originally generated by the convolutional encoder as the chunk of transition bits corresponding to the generated chunk of branch metric computation bits.
US08397143B2
An apparatus generally having a first circuit, a second circuit and a third circuit is disclosed. The first circuit may be configured to calculate a plurality of preliminary syndromes from a plurality of received symbols. The second circuit may be configured to calculate a plurality of normal syndromes by modifying the preliminary syndromes using at most two Galois Field multiplications. The third circuit is generally configured to calculate an errata polynomial based on the normal syndromes.
US08397135B2
A recording apparatus includes a first operation unit that calculates an EDC intermediate value from first data in a first region at least including data to be read after an EDC when reading data in a second sequence in a first sector from a data buffer that stores a block, a data memory that stores at least part of the first data used for operation by the first operation unit, a second operation unit that reads data excluding the first data from the block as second data from the data buffer and calculates the EDC based on the second data and the EDC intermediate value, and an integration unit that integrates the first data, the second data and the EDC, wherein the integration unit receives the EDC and the second data from the second operation unit, receives the first data from the data memory, and integrates and outputs them.
US08397129B2
Various embodiments include apparatus, methods, and systems that operate to extend the processes of reading, modifying, and writing data stored in or being provided to a memory array without interrupting a continual stream of data to be written into the memory array. Embodiments may include an apparatus comprising a memory array, and an error code module coupled to the memory array with a data buffer having a plurality of data burst registers operable to receive a plurality of data bursts to be written to the memory array on a corresponding plurality of consecutive clock cycles. The error code module is operable to perform a read/modify/write process on each of the plurality of data bursts within a time period no longer than a period of two consecutive cycles of the plurality of consecutive clock cycles.
US08397125B2
A system and method is capable of performing a Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) coding operation on-the-fly without using a generator matrix. The system and method includes an input configured to receive data and an output configured to output a plurality of codewords. The system and method also includes a processor coupled between the input and the output. The processor is configured to encode the received data and produce the plurality of codewords using a plurality of parity bits. The processor creates the plurality of parity bits on-the-fly using a portion of an LDPC matrix and a protograph matrix.
US08397122B2
Disclosed are an Unequal Error Protection (UEP) method and apparatus of video signals based on a dynamic link in a broadband high frequency wireless system.A UEP transmission apparatus based on a dynamic link includes a UEP transmission controller to verify, based on a channel state when video data is inputted, a bit field size and a bit separation point of separating a priority for each pixel element being comprised of a pixel of the video data, and to control an error correction coding for correcting relatively many errors occurring in information with a high priority for each pixel element to be used, a bit separator unit to separate the video data pixel based on the priority for each pixel element, and a channel coding unit to perform a corresponding error correction coding through the control of the UEP transmission controller based on the priority for each pixel element.
US08397111B2
Detecting leaky memory during the execution of an application in a data processing system. A memory controller identifies a leaky section of memory and delegates to an allocation component to allocate more memory. An isolator component isolates the memory section and further divides the memory section into subsections. Each section and each subsection are tested to determine if memory resources are strained to identify an application or its component causing the strain. Each section and subsection are further divided and isolated until the leaky portion of memory is identified, and as a result, the software component causing the leak can also be identified.
US08397110B2
Apparatus, and an associated method, for estimating a bit error rate of data communicated to a receiving station of a digital communications system, such as a GSM/EDGE cellular communication system. Soft decision values, indicative of confidence levels that decided values have been correctly decided are compared with threshold values by a comparator. A count is accumulated by a counter whose counted value is representative of decided data values having low levels of confidence that the decided values are correct. The count value is used in the formulation of the BER estimation.
US08397109B2
An improved bit mapping method and apparatus for a communication system is provided. A bit mapping method of the present invention includes arranging coded bits in a codeword in an order of recovery capability. A shift region including a number of coded bits is set. The coded bits are rearranged in the shift region by shifting the shift region by a number of bits equal to a number of bits that is indicated by a shift factor. The rearranged coded bits are mapped into a modulation symbol in an order of reliability from a lowest reliability bit position to a highest reliability bit position of the modulation symbol.
US08397105B2
This invention provides a system including a computer and a storage-subsystem comprising at least either a first storage area for storing data sent from the computer or a second storage area to be associated with the first storage area, for storing replicated data of data stored in the first storage area. This system includes a replication processing status referral unit for referring to a replication processing status of data of the first storage area and the second storage area to be associated, and an output unit for outputting first performance information concerning data I/O stored in the first storage area, and outputting second performance information concerning data I/O stored in the second storage area together with the first performance information when the replicated data is being subject to replication processing from the first storage area to the second storage area as a result of referring to the replication processing status.
US08397101B2
Method and apparatus for ensuring a most recent version of data is retrieved from a memory, such as a non-volatile flash memory array. In accordance with various embodiments, a controller is adapted to sequentially store different versions of an addressable data block having a selected logical address in different locations within a memory. The controller assigns a revision indication value to each said version, with at least two of said stored versions concurrently sharing the same revision indication value. In some embodiments, the revision indication value constitutes a repeating cyclical sequence count that is appended to each block, or logically combined with a code value and stored with each block. The total number of counts in the sequence is less than the total number of versions resident in the memory.
US08397099B2
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for using pulses to control work ingress. Generally, embodiments of the invention use a variable-speed clock for accepting work for lower-priority services. A clock rate is controlled by a load monitor. The load monitor periodically collects sensor measurements of resources available after allocations by higher-priority services. Based on the sensor measurements, the load monitor adjusts the clock speed up or down (i.e., depending on the amount of resources available after allocations by higher-priority services). At the boundary of the lower-priority service (e.g., where work enters the system), work requests are enqueued to be associated with a future pulse of the clock. Work is accepted or rejected based on a determination of whether the work request can be allocated a clock pulse within a defined period of time.
US08397098B2
A method for countervailing clock skew between a first clock signal and a second clock signal in a core logic circuit. The second clock signal is sampled based on the first clock signal in a sampling cycle to obtain a sampling result. When the sampling result indicates a non-compliant pattern, the phase of at least one of the first clock signal and the second clock signal is adjusted. Desirably, the core logic circuit keeps on working with the current first and second clock signals while continuing the sampling procedure of the second clock signal based on the first clock signal when the sampling result indicates a compliant pattern.
US08397096B2
An integrated circuit includes physical media attachment (“PMA”) circuitry that includes two different kinds of transceiver channels for serial data signals. One kind of transceiver channel is adapted for transceiving relatively low-speed serial data signals. The other kind of transceiver channel is adapted for transceiving relatively high-speed serial data signals. A high-speed channel is alternatively usable as phase-locked loop (“PLL”) circuitry for providing a clock signal for use by other high- and/or low-speed channels. A low-speed channel can alternatively get a clock signal from separate low-speed PLL circuitry.
US08397094B2
A node-to-node synchronizing apparatus includes an information generating unit. Before receiving a synchronization request for synchronization, the information generating unit receives, from each process in each computing node, a mask generation request requesting to generate process location information (mask) indicating the location of processes that participate in synchronization. The information generating unit then automatically generates the process location information based on the mask generation request.
US08397091B2
In Gigabit Ethernet Systems, the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is designed to provide trust and security to a platform through integrity measurement, protected storage, and other cryptographic functions. The present invention relates to a TPM-LAN chip with separate TPM and LAN power management. The TPM-LAN chip is designed such a way that power is reduced significantly in different power management modes compared to the legacy devices. This is accomplished by turning off certain clocks during certain operating modes.
US08397090B2
Methods and apparatus to operate various logic blocks of an integrated circuit (IC) at independent voltages are described. In one embodiment, supply of power to one or more domains in an IC is adjusted based on an indication that power consumption by components of the corresponding domain is to be modified. Other embodiments are also described.
US08397089B2
Arrangements reducing power consumption of an air conditioner and a storage device. A control method with a management server apparatus for a plurality of storage devices and an air conditioner includes calculating plural combinations of allocating the work amount to the plurality of storage devices, calculating the heating value of each storage device included in the plurality of storage devices for each of the plural combinations, calculating the quantity of heat conducted to the air conditioner, based on the heating value and positional information of the plurality of storage devices and the air conditioner, calculating the power consumption to cool the quantity of heat conducted to the air conditioner, selecting a combination included in the plural combinations based on the power consumption of the air conditioner, and issuing a move of the data stored in a first storage device to a second storage device, based on the selected combination.
US08397088B1
A system and method of scheduling tasks, comprising receiving activity and performance data from registers or storage locations maintained by hardware and an operating system; storing calibration coefficients associated with the activity and performance data; computing an energy dissipation rate based on at least the activity and performance data; and scheduling tasks under the operating system based on the computed energy dissipation rate.
US08397086B2
An electronic device includes a power supply circuit, a load circuit, a main device, a memory, and a holding circuit. The power supply circuit has a controlled output terminal that selectively supplies a second power supply voltage according to a power supply output control signal. The controlled output terminal supplies the second power supply voltage in response to the power supply output control signal being at a first level. The main device has a built-in power supply controlling microprocessor. The memory stores a program that is processed by the power supply controlling microprocessor. The holding circuit temporarily holds the power supply output control signal at the first level when the commercial power supply is connected to the power supply circuit such that the power supply circuit supplies the second power supply voltage from the controlled output terminal until the power supply controlling microprocessor loads the program from the memory and starts up.
US08397082B2
A method (200) and program (100) for inhibiting attack upon a computer (120) is provided. The address (104) of a process (106) is produced (612), and encrypted (616) to produce an encrypted address (518), which is then stored in memory (128). When needed, the encrypted address (518) is retrieved (702) from memory (128) and decrypted (704) to reproduce the original process address (104). The reproduced process address (104) is then verified (708). If the process address (104) is determined (708) to be valid, i.e., there was no attack, then the process address (104) is placed (712) in the program counter (318), and a valid process (106) is executed. If the process address (104) is determined (708) to be invalid, i.e., there was an attack, then the address (108) of a crash and terminate process (110) is placed (716) in the program counter (318) and the computer (120) crashes. A nonce value (512) may be generated (602) and encrypted (616) and decrypted (704) in conjunction with the process address (104). The nonce value (512) may then be verified (710) independently, thereby increasing security.
US08397076B2
A method and system are provided for resetting a password using a first device and a second device. The second device stores data encrypted using a content protection key, which itself is stored in encrypted form using the password, and is also stored in encrypted form using a key encryption key. The first device receives a public key from a second device. The first device uses the public key and a stored private key to generate a further public key. The further public key and a new password are sent to the second device. The second device uses the further public key to generate the key encryption key, which is then used to decrypt the encrypted content protection key. A new content encryption key is created, and encrypted using the new password.
US08397074B2
The current invention describes a method for long term archiving of qualifiedly signed data in accordance with the current invention, which comprises the steps of hashing the data, encrypting the data through a cryptography algorithm, hashing the encrypted data, signing the hashed data with an advanced time stamp, generating a hash tree over the whole data file or the subgroups thereof and signing the hash tree(s) with a qualified time stamp. Furthermore, a computer system for conducting the method is disclosed.
US08397071B2
The present invention relates to an authorization key generating method and an authorization key updating method in a mobile communication system. A terminal and a base station generate an authorization key by using a terminal random value and a base station random value that are exchanged in an authorization key generating procedure as input data. In addition, a lifetime of an authorization key is established to be shorter than a lifetime of a root key, and the authorization key is updated with an updating period that is shorter than that of the root period.
US08397069B2
Various embodiments provide methods and systems that utilize a protocol which enables media content protection by establishing a secure communication channel and, in some embodiments, a secure data channel, between a device such as a computing device running a protected content playback application, and a downstream component such as an associated driver, such as a graphics driver, of an associated display device such as a monitor, flat panel LCD, television and the like.
US08397062B2
A method and system for authentication is provided. A central node for issuing certificates to a plurality of nodes associated with the central node in a network is also provided. The central node receives a first key from at least one node from among the plurality of nodes and generates a second key based on the received first key and generates a certificate for the at least one node. The generated certificate is transmitted to the at least one node.
US08397057B2
In a method and system for increasing security when accessing a business system, a generic hub receives a request having a first transfer protocol from a user to access an application or application data maintained in an application server. In response to the user request, the generic hub verifies the authorization of the user to access the application server. If the user is authorized, a user interface to the application is presented to the user and input data is received from the user interface. The input data is checked for validity based on application-specific metadata and type checks bound to this metadata associated with fields in the user interface, and any extraneous or non-expected data is removed from the input data. The input data and user request of a first transfer protocol are tunneled to the application using a second transfer protocol.
US08397050B2
A Simulator and a simulating method for running a guest program in a host are disclosed. The simulator includes: an initialization device configured for setting content of a hypervisor page table in the host, the hypervisor page table mapping a guest physical address space to a host physical address space. The simulator further includes a binary translation device configured for employing a program logical address to perform a memory access in code translation. The simulator also includes a miss handling device configured for updating a guest translation look-aside buffer by treating a miss in a host translation look-aside buffer caused by the execution of the translated code as a miss in the guest translation look-aside buffer, wherein the host translation look-aside buffer is configured to buffer entries for mapping addresses in a guest program logical address space to addresses in the guest physical address space. The simulator further includes an update tracing device configured for, in response to the update to the guest translation look-aside buffer, perform the update to the host translation look-aside buffer. Also disclosed is a method for running a guest program in a host.
US08397047B2
A recording medium storing a logical volume configuration information distribution program causing a computer to execute processing based on logical volume configuration information that defines a correspondence relation between a virtual storage area in a logical volume defined virtually and a real storage area in a storage unit, the logical volume configuration information distribution program includes: when the correspondence relation between the virtual storage area and the real storage area is changed, referencing an access node list storage unit for storing an access node list in which identification information of the access node is registered, and transmitting update information that indicates an updated correspondence relation concerning the virtual storage area whose correspondence relation with the real storage area has been changed, to the access node indicated in the access node list via the network.
US08397044B2
Memory management by garbage collection involves a memory area that is allocated in a computer. Data is created in the memory area in accordance with a program executed by a processor of the computer, and it is checked whether or not data necessary to execute the program exists in the memory area to be released, in response to an explicit instruction to release the memory area. As a result of the check, if data necessary to execute the program does not exist in the memory area, the memory area is released. As a result of the check, if data necessary to execute the program exists in the memory area, the data is moved to a memory area different from the memory area to be released.
US08397032B2
A method for recovery in a shared memory environment is provided in the illustrative embodiments. A core in a multi-core processor is designated as a user level core (ULC), which executes an instruction to modify a memory while executing an application. A second core is designated as a operating system core (OSC), which manages checkpointing of several segments of the shared memory. A set of flags is accessible to a memory controller to manage a shared memory. A flag in the set of flags corresponds to one segment in the segments of the shared memory. A message or instruction for modification of a segment is received. A cache line tracking determination is made whether a cache line used for the modification has already been used for a similar modification. If not, a part of the segment is checkpointed. The modification proceeds after checkpointing.
US08397027B2
Provided are methods and systems for multi-caching. The methods and systems provided can enhance network content delivery performance in terms of reduced response time and increased throughput, and can reduce communication overhead by decreasing the amount of data that have to be transmitted over the communication paths.
US08397024B2
A technique for efficiently handling write operation failures in a memory device which communicates with an external host device allows a page of data to be re-written to a memory array from a page buffer. The host provides user data, a first write address and a write command to the memory device. If the write attempt fails, the host provides a re-write command with a new address, without re-sending the user data to the memory device. Additional data can be received at a data cache of the memory device while a re-write from the page buffer is in progress. The re-written data may be obtained in a copy operation in which the data is read out to the host, modified and written back to the memory device. Additional data can be input to the memory device during the copy operation. Page buffer data can also be modified in place.
US08397022B2
A spilt backup agent model where a component on a host and a component on the block storage device function together logically to provide a backup agent. In certain embodiments, the mechanism provides a split backup agent model using a NDMP protocol. The NDMP protocol is an industry standard protocol that allows for backup of hosts with a single backup agent that is compatible with multiple independent software vendor (ISV) backup software. Thus with the present invention, proprietary backup software dependent host agents are not required. The NDMP protocol provides for separation of control and data connections where the control path runs between the data server on the host that needs to be backed up and backup software (e.g., a Data Management Application (DMA)) and between the backup device and the backup software. The data path runs between the host and the backup device.
US08397020B2
A memory device includes a plurality of memory arrays, each memory array being coupled to an input data bus and an output data bus, a clock generator that generates an internal clock signal to form at least one transfer cycle to control timing of data transfer to and from the plurality of memory arrays, and a controller that controls read and write operations from and to the plurality of memory arrays. In one embodiment, the controller receives a command word containing at least a first command and a second command and executes the first and second command on the same transfer cycle.
US08397017B2
A volatile management memory stores management information for managing a use state of a storage medium. A management information storing unit divides the management information into plural division pieces and individually stores them in the storage medium. A main controller receives a command from a host device while the division pieces are being stored, performs data processing for the storage medium in response to the command between each division piece is stored, updates the management information divided into the division pieces according to the data processing content, and creates a log representing an update content of the management information. A log storing unit stores the log in the storage medium. A restoring unit reads the division pieces stored in the storage medium to the management memory as the management information, updates the management information according to the log stored in the storage medium, and restores the updated management information.
US08397012B2
A data storage subsystem includes a volatile memory in which stored data can be denoted as being data that should be preserved in the event of an interruption in the power supply to the volatile memory. The available capacity for such data storage is dynamically allocated between multiple firmware client components of the storage subsystem, such that each client component has its own (varying) allocation of the available capacity. A higher priority for the storage of such data is given to client components on which other client components depend, such as lower layers of the software stack, thereby allowing them to get a larger share of the available capacity for such data storage when needed and complete their input/output requests faster.
US08396995B2
The present disclosure includes methods and devices for a memory controller. In one or more embodiments, a memory controller includes a plurality of back end channels, and a command queue communicatively coupled to the plurality of back end channels. The command queue is configured to hold host commands received from a host. Circuitry is configured to generate a number of back end commands at least in response to a number of the host commands in the command queue, and distribute the number of back end commands to a number of the plurality of back end channels.
US08396993B2
A data packer of an input/output hub of a computer system packs and formats write data that is supplied to it before the write data is written into a memory unit of the computer system. More particularly, the data packer accumulates write data received from lower bandwidth clients for delivery to a high bandwidth memory interface. Also, the data packer aligns the write data, so that when the write data is read out from the write data packer, no further alignment is needed.
US08396985B2
Described embodiments provide a network processor that includes a security sub-processor to prevent replay attacks on the network processor. A memory stores an anti-replay window corresponding to a data stream of the network processor. The anti-replay window has N bits initialized to correspond to data packet sequence numbers in the range 1 to N. The anti-replay memory is stored in a plurality of data words. A plurality of flip-flops store word valid bits corresponding to each of the data words. A multiplexer selects the word valid bit corresponding to a data word requested by the security processor, and an AND gate performs a bitwise AND operation between the selected data word and word valid bit. When the network processor receives a data packet, the security sub-processor determines a value of the received sequence number with respect to minimum and maximum values of a sequence number range of the anti-replay window.
US08396977B2
Methods using a portable USB communication device that is plug connectable to an external USB port of a first computing device for enabling phone calling. Upon plug connecting the portable communication device to the first computing device, a phone calling application running at the first computing device is enabled by employing at least in part a phone calling software component stored in the portable communication device. The portable communication device includes a controller unit to facilitate installation of at least part of phone calling software for running at the computing device. Subsequent to disconnecting from the first computing device, the user may also alternatively connect the portable communication device to an Ethernet port of a second computing device for enabling Internet access and phone calling without the first computing device.
US08396963B2
Systems, methods, and devices are presented herein for monitoring usage of at least one utility by a utility consuming system. One aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a method of managing information in a utility monitoring system that includes a host computer and an array of monitoring devices operatively coupled together on a peer-to-peer network. The array of monitoring devices includes first and second monitoring devices each with a respective memory. The first and second monitoring devices are configured to receive and transmit data. The method includes: storing data received by the first monitoring device in the first memory; storing data received by the second monitoring device in the second memory; responsive to the first memory being below a threshold storage capacity, transferring data received by the second monitoring device to the first monitoring device; and storing the transferred data in the first memory.
US08396960B2
An architecture for streaming data from a sending endpoint to a receiving endpoint which are connected to each other by multiple networks is provided. Each of the sending endpoint and the receiving endpoint has multiple physical interfaces each for interfacing to a respective one of the multiple networks. The architecture is implemented on both of the endpoints. The architecture includes a traffic monitor for gathering performance characteristics of each of the multiple physical interfaces, and a software library for controlling sending and receiving of the data stream between the endpoints. The traffic monitor and the software library communicate information to each other. The software library instantiates a plurality of bondable virtual interfaces for splitting the data stream into multiple data sub-streams and for combining the multiple data sub-streams into the data stream, and a data organizer for designating one of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces.
US08396957B2
Service requests may be routed to services in a service framework provided by a plurality of hosts. A candidate host zone including a plurality of service hosts may be selected to service the request. The candidate host zone may be selected based at least in part on an aggregation of service latencies associated with the service hosts associated with the candidate host zone. A service host belonging to the selected candidate host zone may be selected to service the request.
US08396955B2
According to one embodiment, a method may include instantiating a first maintenance end point on a first port of a first network element. The first maintenance end point may determine whether a heartbeat message has been received from a second maintenance end point instantiated on a second port of a second network element. In response to determining that the heartbeat message has been received, the maintenance end point may analyze the heartbeat message to determine an identifier for the second network element and an identifier for the second port. Based on the determination of the identifier of the second network element and the identifier of the second port, the network element may store information to an adjacency list, the information indicating at least one of an adjacency of the first port to the second port and an adjacency of the first network element to the second network element.
US08396948B2
Improved techniques for controlling operation of a portable electronic device are disclosed. Portable electronic devices which interact with a host electronic device can have their operational settings (e.g., configurations or preferences) remotely controlled. As a result, a host electronic device can offer a more sophisticated user interface and portable electronic devices need less local user interface features because these operational settings can be remotely controlled. The remotely-controlled (i.e., host controlled) operational settings are transferred to the portable electronic devices, whereby the portable electronic devices can thereafter operate in accordance with such settings.
US08396944B2
A rich media file is a self-contained file, including both the information to be viewed by a user and the viewer that displays the information to the user. The information can be formatted however the client likes: for example, the information can be split across several pages, and can include text and still and animated images. There can also be web links to pages on a network, and e-mail forms to simplify sending an e-mail message to the client. The rich media file can include viewing limitations, so that only the proper password can unlock the file, or that the rich media file will automatically expire after a specified condition occurs. The rich media file also assists the user in obtaining the latest version of the rich media file, by offering to retrieve a newer version for the user.
US08396941B2
Audio and video (A/V) content information is acquired from each of a group of web-based servers located outside of a home network. The A/V content information identifies A/V content stored in association with each of the group of web-based servers. The A/V content information acquired from each of the group of web-based servers is aggregated. The aggregated A/V content information is provided to a DLNA client device within the home network. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US08396936B2
A server receives information that identifies which chunks are stored in local caches at client computers and receives a request to evict a chunk from a local cache of a first one of the client computers. The server determines whether the chunk stored at the local cache of the first one of the client computers is globally oldest among the chunks stored in the local caches at the client computers, and authorizes the first one of the client computers to evict the chunk when the chunk is the globally oldest among the chunks stored in the local caches at the client computers.
US08396934B2
The goal of the present invention is to improve the useful data efficiency and reliability in the use of commercially available ETHERNET controllers, in a distributed real time computer system, by a number of node computers communicating via one or more communication channels by means of TT ETHERNET messages. To achieve this goal, a distinction is made between the node computer send time (KNSZPKT) and the network send time (NWSZPKT) of a message. The KNSZPKT must wait for the NWSZPKT, so that under all circumstances, the start of the message has arrived in the TT star coupler at the NWSZPKT, interpreted by the clock in the TT star coupler. The TT star coupler is modified, so that a message arriving from a node computer is delayed in an intelligent port of the TT star coupler until the NWSZPKT can send it precisely at the NWSZPKT into the TT network.
US08396930B2
A method for facilitating creating one or more calendar entries in one or more client devices. The method may include includes receiving an iTIP message from a first client device associated with a first user and having a first calendar application. The iTIP message may be addressed to at least a second user, wherein the second user may be associated with a second client device having a second calendar application. The method may also include generating an iMIP message using the iTIP message. The method may also include providing at least one of a copy of the iTIP message and a copy of the iMIP message to a least one of the second client device and a second communication server device connected to the second client device for enabling the second calendar application to generate a calendar entry in the second client device.
US08396925B2
An information processing device includes: a first receiving unit to receive, from a first other information processing device, equipment information of a second other information processing device that differs from the first other information processing device, via a first communication and first connecting information useful for connecting with the second other information processing device by a second communication that differs from the first communication; a first transmitting unit to transmit second connection information that is useful for connecting with the device itself by the second communication to the first other information processing device, via the first communication; and a second receiving unit to receive content data transmitted from the second other information processing device by the second communication, based on the first connection information and the second connection information.
US08396923B2
One conferencing system allows conference participants to share all or a portion of the display seen on their computer screens. The conferees may be at sites removed from each other, or may view a recorded presentation or archived conference at different times. Conference participants are either “presenters” who can modify the display or “attendees” who cannot modify the display. A pointer icon, which can be labeled to identify the conferee, is displayed on the shared image area. Each conferee can modify the position of his or her own pointer, even when not presenting, so that every participant can see what each conferee is pointing to, should a conferee choose to point to an element of the display. These and other features apply to other data streams shared in the conference or in meetings where there is no shared-image data stream.
US08396917B2
According to the present invention, it is possible to rearrange an arrangement unit on an appropriate storage device at a more appropriate timing in a complex computer system. A computer system according to the present invention includes a plurality of storage devices of different performance, and provides a virtual volume, the storage devices allocating a segment of the plurality of storage areas to an arrangement unit, which constitutes the target of a virtual volume, in accordance with the arrival of a write request from the business server, and managing, on the business server, an execution time and a predicted execution time of a job to be executed, and a time at which the storage area segment was allocated to the arrangement unit, inferring the relationship of the arrangement unit and the job from the job execution time and the time at which the storage area segment was allocated, and changing the storage area segment allocated to this arrangement unit to another storage area segment at a time decided based on the specified relationship and the predicted execution time.
US08396901B2
A method, an apparatus and a computer program product for converting an XML encoded dataset into a minimal set of SQL tables and provided. In the method, a hierarchical structure in the XML encoded dataset is identified. A node element set for the XML encoded dataset is determined, wherein each node element in the node element set is a discrete level of the hierarchical structure of the dataset. One or more nodes of the XML encoded dataset are determined, each node being an instance of a node element. A unique node identifier is allocated to each node. Then, an SQL node table containing one or more records is generated, each record corresponding to a respective one of the allocated node identifiers. An SQL ancestry table is optionally generated to define the inter-relationships among nodes of the identified hierarchical structure of the XML encoded dataset.
US08396895B2
A file switch, logically positioned between client computers and file servers in a computer network, distributes user files among multiple file servers using an aggregated directory mechanism. A hierarchical directory structure is created on the file servers and used to store metadata files, which store metadata for each user file to indicate where data files, containing portions of the user file, are stored. The file switch automatically spreads the data files and metadata files over a large number of distinct directories on multiple file servers, preventing large number of data files from being stored in a single directory on a single file server. In response to a directory enumeration request from a client computer, one or more directories of metadata files on one or more of the file servers are enumerated, instead of enumerating the data file that store the user file portions.
US08396892B2
There is provided methods and systems to transform unstructured information into structured information. First, the system accesses a rule specifying a condition for assigning data to the data item, the condition based on the content of the data item, the assigned data to provide structure to the data item. Second, based on a detecting that the condition has been met, the system applies the rule to assign the assigned data to the data item. Third, the system stores, in a database, the data item and the assigned data as the data item structured information.
US08396891B2
The web portal's contents management becomes complex and sometime tedious job. There are needs for an efficient and cost effective way to manage large volumes of the web contents for web portals. The posting and withdrawing operation of the present invention has provided a means for making the tasks of updating and managing web portal's contents become much easy and efficient due to the principle of the parallelism can be deployed.
US08396889B2
A computer-implemented method of semantically linking, by a computing device, a citing document to a cited document in a corpus of documents includes locating at least one citation present in the citing document, determining a reason-for-citing for at least one citation, and determining a cited-text-area present in the cited document, wherein the cited-text-area corresponds with the reason-for-citing. The method further includes populating a citation entry of a citation-pairing metadata file with a citing-document identifier, a reason-for-citing identifier, a cited-document identifier, and a cited-text-area identifier. The citation-pairing metadata file includes a plurality of citation entries and is stored separately from the citing document and the cited document.
US08396887B2
A facility management system providing method includes the operations of storing an object file in a first database (DB) if an object is inserted into drawing information according to an application, wherein the object file includes object information about the inserted object, attribute information about the inserted object, and object space information based on a location on the drawing information into which the object is inserted, and updating object text information corresponding to the object file on the basis of the object space information in a second DB, wherein the second DB stores text information corresponding to the first DB.
US08396881B2
A system and method are provided for generating transcoding instructions to identify and extract a subset of data from a web page. Input describing the subset of data is received where the input describes one or more data fields and, for each data field, respective field values from at least two sample web pages of a web page family for the web site. For each field, respective web page code defining the respective field values may be compared for commonality to find a matching pattern with which to locate the respective field values. The matching pattern comprises a signature for the data field. Transcoding instructions are defined using the matching pattern to locate and extract field values within web pages of the web page family. The subset of data may be expressed in a target format to transcode the web page for particular client machines (e.g. a wireless mobile device).
US08396874B2
A system and method for using topic messages to understand media relating to an event. An event (such as a live event or broadcast event), is selected where at least a portion of the content of the event is stored as at least one media object, such as, for example a video or audio recording in digital format. A plurality of topic messages relating to the broadcast event is retrieved over a network and are analyzed to identify a plurality of content segments within the event. The topic messages are further analyzed to identify at least one key actor related to the event. Segment and key actor data relating to the event is stored to a computer readable medium in association with the media objects, whereby the segment data identifies the plurality of content segments within the media objects and the key actor data identifies key actors in the event.
US08396872B2
Clustering data analysis that is robust to noise and is able to extract the most reliable information from sequential data comprises the ranking all of the measurement values across a third dimension of a 3D dataset in a selected one of an increasing order or a decreasing order and producing a three dimensional array of ranked values therefrom. It further comprises identifying coherent 3D patterns from the 3D array of ranked values, and counting the number of identified coherent 3D patterns. Each coherent 3D pattern parameters with a similar ranking and across subsets of the set of elements to a same group defines a cluster.
US08396867B2
The most common automated search methods produce less-than-ideal results when searching online resumes, profiles, and the like (“biographies”) for the identities of people with a searcher-selected qualification (“candidates”). Keywords, their proximities, and their repetitions are less informative in biographies than in other informational documents. Similarly, chains of social connection (“referral paths”) do not always reveal the likelihood or ease of a searcher's introduction to a candidate. In both cases, the display order of results may be unrelated to any estimate of merit. To answer the question “Whom do I need and how do I reach them?” a classifier system uses heuristics or algorithms adapted to match the reactions of human experts on the selected qualifications. Terms in biographies, regardless of structure, are standardized and disambiguated for accurate comparisons, meaningful context is preserved, and biographies and referral paths are scored based on expected usefulness to the searcher.
US08396859B2
A search system associates contextual metadata with search terms and/or stored terms to facilitate identification of relevant information. In one implementation, a search term is identified (4304) from a received search request. The search term is then rewritten (4306) in standard form and the standard form term is then set (4308) as the current search parameter. A source database is then searched (4310) using the current search parameter. If any results are obtained (4312) these results may be output (4320) to the user. If no results are obtained, a parent classification of the search term is set (4316) as the current search parameter and the process is repeated. The invention thereby provides the ease of use of term searching with the comprehensiveness of category searching.
US08396858B2
In an embodiment, a threshold value is calculated for a current entry in a first column of an index. If the current entry has been read a number of times by execution of an execution plan that is more than the threshold value and the current entry points to at least one row in a table and not all of the at least one row have been selected by the execution plan for inclusion in a result set as satisfying a query that the execution plan implements, then a new entry is added to the index.
US08396853B2
Inverse search systems and methods operate on identifiers of content items in a corpus such as the World Wide Web In an inverse search, the user submits a query that includes an identifier of a target content item in the corpus and receives information (metadata) about the target content item being returned to the user. Many types of metadata can be returned, including ratings or other metadata related to the target content item obtained from users, popularity data specific to the target content item, information about previously submitted forward search queries that led to the target content item being identified as a hit, and metadata extracted from the target content item.
US08396850B2
A statistical analysis parses documents for phrases in the documents. Each document is analyzed with a phrase analysis engine to determine a key phrase that frequently occur throughout each document. One or more documents are grouped together based a corresponding statistically improbable phrase.
US08396843B2
Techniques and mechanisms are provided to instantly clone active files including active optimized files. When a new instance of an active file is created, a new stub is generated in the user namespace and a block map file is cloned. The block map file includes the same offsets and location pointers that existed in the original block map file. No user file data needs to be copied. If the cloned file is later modified, the behavior can be same as what happens when a de-duplicated file is modified.
US08396840B1
Embodiments may include a consistency measurement component that utilizes memory-efficient sets (e.g., Bloom filters) to generate consistency metrics for read operations performed on different replicated data objects of distributed storage system. Based on the consistency metrics, the consistency measurement component may identify a subset of replicated data objects associated with low levels of consistency. The consistency measurement component may target this subset for consistency improvement by generating instructions to improve the consistency of the subset. In other cases, the consistency measurement component may notify a consistency improvement component about the targeted subset. In response, the consistency improvement component may generate instructions to improve the consistency of the targeted subset.
US08396836B1
A system and method for reducing latency when re-routing at least partial client communications from a first, active data center site to a second data center site due to a virtualization service disruption. Configuration data is imported from the first file virtualization device, wherein the configuration data represents object relationships and mapping information between components in the first data center site and the second data center site. An instruction is received for the back-up file virtualization device to begin handling at least one virtualization service that is disrupted at the first data center site. A most recent import of the configuration data is loaded for the one or more disrupted virtualization services and enabled such that the back-up file virtualization device performs the disrupted virtualization service with one or more storage devices in the second data center site using the at least a portion of the imported configuration data.
US08396835B2
Provided are a computer system and its data control method that enable safe backup of data and reduction in the capacity of data to be backed up. A control processor refers to a differential and, if a differential bit is “0,” encrypts data of an online VOL with an encryption circuit by using key information, and transfers the encrypted data to a second storage system. If the differential bit is “1,” the control processor performs redundancy elimination processing to journal data, thereafter compresses the journal data with a compression circuit, encrypts the compressed journal data with an encryption circuit according to the key information, and transfers the journal data that was encrypted after compression to the second storage system.
US08396832B2
Maintaining a generation value for each fileset that is distinct from a corresponding fileset manager preserves the independence of nodes while also allowing distributed fileset management. A fileset manager can maintain a value that reflects consistency snapshots for that node (“node generation”) separately from a value that reflects consistency snapshots for a particular fileset (“fileset generation”).
US08396829B2
A document management system includes a memory and a controller. The memory stores access privilege information configured to define, for each display style of a document element displayed in an electronic document, privileges of users or user groups regarding access to a document element having a display style. In response to a request from a user to perform an operation on a document element in an electronic document, the controller controls whether the operation is executed or not on the document element, using the access privilege information stored in the memory, in accordance with a privilege among privileges of the users or user groups for a display style of the document element, the privilege being a privilege of the user or a user group to which the user belongs.
US08396828B2
Distributed and local processes analyze usage data and transform it into objects including timestamps and dimensions. Objects include a position vector to represent dimension analysis and additional attributes associated with measurements of different types. The objects are stored in a multidimensional database indexed on the vector and timestamp attributes.
US08396825B2
An enhanced temporal decision tree is described that allows a temporal feature to be tested at a node not merely at a given time instant but, rather, over a time window. Further, the recorded temporal data can be multi-source, with features recorded from multiple sources; multi-resolution, through subsampling; multi-scale, based on varying time windows; and multi-domain, through sampling in the frequency domain, for example. By allowing features to be tested over a time window, enhanced temporal decision trees can be used to classify any temporal data or time series.
US08396822B2
Embodiments are directed towards clustering cookies for identifying unique mobile devices for associating activities over a network with a given mobile device. The cookies are clustered based on a Bayes Factor similarity model that is trained from cookie features of known mobile devices. The clusters may be used to determine the number of unique mobile devices that access a website. The clusters may also be used to provide targeted content to each unique mobile device.
US08396808B2
A method and system for transferring an electronic payment between a purchaser and a merchant that includes assigning a role of a merchant account to a first account and a role of a purchaser account to a second account within a payment system, adding an item from a product catalog stored in the payment system to a purchase list, obtaining a user ID token of a purchaser from a merchant terminal, communicating identity confirmation information associated with the user ID token to the merchant terminal, and transferring funds for the purchase price total from the purchaser account to the merchant account.
US08396803B1
A system for securing patient medical information for communication over a potentially vulnerable system includes separating patient's medical file into a demographics layer and a data layer, separately encrypting the demographic layer and data layer using different encryption keys, and providing servers in a communication and processing system with a decryption key for the layer processed by such server. Medical file data may be separated into more than two layers. Users accessing the system are authenticated using standard techniques. By separately encrypting different parts of a patient medical record, processing and communication of patient medical files by intermediary servers is enabled without risking disclosure of sensitive patient information if such servers are compromised.
US08396800B1
A method and system for providing a personalized entertainment experience that is customized for each user. User actions and user control actions may be associated with each played composition and captured as user feedback about each composition. A targeted time between playbacks of a composition may be determined by using said control actions. A customized sequence of compositions may be automatically generated for each user by utilizing a history of the user actions and/or control actions. The personalized sequence may automatically adapt to changing user preferences and feedback over time. The user's collection of compositions may be automatically integrated with the generated customized sequence. Additional compositions and samples, that are new to a user, may be automatically chosen based on the prior user feedback/history and may be added to the user's collection when indicated by user action(s).
US08396791B2
A financial terms alert generation system comprises an information retrieval module, a financial terms comparison module, and an alert transmission module. The information retrieval module is configured to retrieve financing information, customer information, and product information from one or more sources accessible on a network. The financial terms comparison module is configured to compare a customer's current financial arrangement to a potential new financial arrangement to determine whether the customer is able to enter into a new financial arrangement on terms favorable to the customer. The alert transmission module is configured to transmit an alert to a dealer in cases in which the financial terms comparison module determines that a customer is able to enter into a new financial arrangement on terms favorable to the customer. Such alerts identify the customer and the favorable financial terms.
US08396787B2
Presented is a method for calculating and distributing quoting share revenue to exchange members that contribute quote data to market data feeds. First, the method reads in trading data chronologically for a particular day. Using an object oriented framework, the method divides the symbols and orders into groups of objects to facilitate the tracking of the total price, quantity, and seconds displayed for each symbol. The timestamp of each message is read and the seconds field is parsed ignoring fractional seconds. Credits are awarded for each second the quote is displayed at the National Best Bid/Offer (“NBBO”) by multiplying the price, quantity, and elapsed whole seconds. These quote credits are stored by the system for each member and symbol. Members are eligible to earn quote credits on either the bid or the offer or both at the same time.
US08396778B2
The present invention relates to a credit index, a system and method for structuring a credit index, a system and method for operating a credit index, and a system and method for determining the liquidity of a credit.
US08396777B1
This disclosure provides a database, methods and associated software to implement and manage a prediction market. By collecting individual predictions as a set of predicted outcomes, such as a range of outcomes, the principles presented herein permit aggregation of overlapping predictions to generate a cumulative probability distribution, effectively using “crowd wisdom” to build a probability model of an event. Through the use of “roll-up” and “roll-down” techniques, this disclosure provides a way of applying new information not only to an event being predicted, but also to the outcomes of other, related events. Conversion to a common probability distribution format may be used to simplify and accelerate mathematical operations, easing the burden in quickly calculating and updating a cumulative probability model for events in each affected dimension in the predicted market. These teachings may be applied to a wide variety of applications, including gaming, blog and opinion sites, spreadsheet programs, and date, logistics, accounting and other forecasting tools.
US08396776B2
Systems and methods for setting up dynamic calculations within compensation software are described in the present disclosure. According to one embodiment among many, a compensation module for managing compensation for a number of employees includes a dynamic calculation set-up module allowing a user to set up a dynamic calculation. The dynamic calculation includes a calculation for one column of a worksheet based in part on a value in another column. The compensation module also includes a condition builder allowing a user to enter a condition and a result as part of a dynamic calculation. In particular, a column associated with the result receives a calculated value when the condition is met.
US08396775B1
Methods are provided for allocating assets of defined benefit or defined contribution investing plans that yield the highest post-employment standard of living given a level of risk acceptable to plan participants, and that minimize saving rates and risk. The Nash equilibrium glide path representing a series of time-dependent investment portfolios including multiple asset classes is generated, taking into account demographic data for plan participants and at least one selected risk tolerance level, and utilizing computer-implemented optimization. Multiple moments of a stochastic present value of future cash flows are calculated, and a matching distribution is selected. Risk analysis of the glide path and financial commitments utilizes this matching distribution.
US08396770B2
A method for administering an annuity-based retirement funding in which an investor's funds or current income is used to make incremental purchases of immediate annuity benefits at market rates, with the annuity payments received from previous purchases being applied purchase additional annuity benefits. The investor allocates a first allocated portion of each received benefit into an account and the reinvested funds are thereafter available in combination with new investment payments from the investor for the purchase of additional immediate annuity benefits. At the direction of the investor, typically after retirement, all or part of the received annuity payments can be received for the use of the investor.
US08396768B1
A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate consistent interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. Messages are generated in a consistent format to take advantage of the consistent interfaces. Specifically, messages include a hierarchically organized message package that allow receiving interfaces to process the received message according to the message package's the hierarchical structure. The receiving application can then generate an appropriate response according to the hierarchical organization of the received message package.
US08396758B2
Techniques for confirming purchases of products from a retail establishment using a mobile device allow for loss prevention personnel at a retail establishment to confirm that users exiting the retail establishment in possession of physical products have legitimately purchased those products via their mobile devices while within the retail establishment. When a purchase facilitating server, in communication with a user's mobile device, transacts the user's purchase of one or more products within the retail establishment, the purchase facilitating server may generate a purchase confirmation as a receipt of the transaction. The receipt may include a purchase confirmation code and/or one or more visual indicators of an estimated likelihood of theft associated with the corresponding transaction. The receipt may be transmitted to a loss prevention device at the retail establishment, for use by loss prevention personnel in matching against the user's physical cart before the user exits the retail establishment.
US08396748B2
A purchaser of a CE device informs a retail clerk, at the point of sale (POS) of features of the CE device the purchaser wishes to employ, some of which require a license. The CE device is vended without the licenses but the clerk can upload the desired features to a server, which correlates the features to licensable components and which returns to the POS the license codes needed to enable the components. The codes can be provided to the CE device using RFID at the POS, or storing the codes on a removable storage at the POS and giving the storage to the purchaser, or by printing the codes as bar codes in the sales receipt at the POS and giving the receipt to the purchaser, who later scans the codes past a camera of the CE device to enable the associated licensable components.
US08396745B2
A method and system is disclosed for creating additional advertising space by sensing the position of an element on a web page or other client viewer, and upon interaction of a user with that element positioning the appearance of additional web page elements not limited by the boundary of the initial element. Marketing methods enabled thereby are disclosed where among other possibilities this created advertising space can be sold to pay for placement of instances of the invention, where licensees are motivated to themselves place instances of the invention in exchange for usage rights, or further be compensated with a share of income from built-in links, where instances of the invention can carry value added content so that hosting sites will pay for the placement or carry it at no charge, and where a content provider might pay for having its content programmed or provide it for free for promotional value, where instances of the invention maintain links back to a generator site for its own propagation, where a web presence can be created across multiple sites for any commercial or social purpose as a conglomerate world wide billboard, where any instance of the invention can be reconfigured on any site where it resides in real time protected by optional password, and other alternatives more fully described in the specification.
US08396743B2
Targeted products are offered over a communications network. Product data for a plurality of products from a plurality of distributors for the products is received. Customer data from a plurality of customers comprising personal information about customers is received. Using the data, at least one user-specific product offering from the plurality of products is generated. Automated messages comprising the at least one user-specific product offering to the one or more customers are then sent.
US08396739B2
A quotation system and method are provided (see FIG. 1). A relational database (10) allows various departments (14, 16, 18, 20) to prepare a quotation. The relational database centralizes data to increase efficiency, and the data may be modified as needed, for particular quotation solutions.
US08396729B2
Systems, computer program products, and methods are disclosed for tracking an improvement event. An embodiment includes an event interface configured to receive a plurality of entries related to each of a plurality of improvement events. The plurality of entries includes a project identifier for the improvement event, a creation date, an objective, an action related to reaching the objective, and a first deadline related to the improvement event. A database interface is configured to store the plurality of entries in an event database.
US08396728B2
Disclosed herein is a reservation booking website wherein customers who plan to travel via general aviation (GA) are provided with a GA reservation creation path that is responsive to their GA travel needs.
US08396721B2
A system of machines, databases, user interfaces, graphical displays and data input systems produces comparisons of community health conditions, recommendations to achieve community health improvements and other tangible outputs. The creation, selection and evolution of promising health practices and best health practices is facilitated and continuously reported.
US08396717B2
There is provided an audio encoding device capable of maintaining continuity of spectrum energy and preventing degradation of audio quality even when a spectrum of a low range of an audio signal is copied at a high range a plurality of times. The audio encoding device (100) includes: an LPC quantization unit (102) for quantizing an LPC coefficient; an LPC decoding unit (103) for decoding the quantized LPC coefficient; an inverse filter unit (104) for flattening the spectrum of the input audio signal by the inverse filter configured by using the decoding LPC coefficient; a frequency region conversion unit (105) for frequency-analyzing the flattened spectrum; a first layer encoding unit (106) for encoding the low range of the flattened spectrum to generate first layer encoded data; a first layer decoding unit (107) for decoding the first layer encoded data to generate a first layer decoded spectrum, and a second layer encoding unit (108) for encoding.
US08396709B2
Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for performing speech recognition using dock context. In one aspect, a method includes accessing audio data that includes encoded speech. Information that indicates a docking context of a client device is accessed, the docking context being associated with the audio data. A plurality of language models is identified. At least one of the plurality of language models is selected based on the docking context. Speech recognition is performed on the audio data using the selected language model to identify a transcription for a portion of the audio data.
US08396707B2
A method and device for coding an input sound signal in at least one lower layer and at least one upper layer of an embedded codec comprises, in the at least one lower layer, coding the input sound signal to produce coding parameters, wherein coding the input sound signal comprises producing a synthesized sound signal. An error signal is computed as a difference between the input sound signal and the synthesized sound signal and a spectral mask is calculated as a function of a minima of a spectrum related to the input sound signal. In the at least one upper layer, the error signal is coded to produce coding coefficients, the spectral mask is applied to the coding coefficients, and the masked coding coefficients are quantized. Applying the spectral mask to the coding coefficients reduces the quantization noise produced upon quantizing the coding coefficients.
US08396704B2
Generally speaking, embodiments of the present invention relate to speech processing such as, for example, speech recognition. Speech processing according to one embodiment of the present invention can be performed based on the occurrence of events within the electrical signals representing speech. Such events need not comprise instantaneous occurrences but rather, an occurrence within the electrical signal spanning some period of time. Furthermore, the electrical signal can be analyzed based on the occurrence and location of these events so that less than all of the signal is analyzed. That is, the spoken sounds can be processed based on regions of the signal around and including the events but excluding other portions of the signal. For example, transition periods before the occurrence of the events may be excluded to eliminate noise or transients introduced at that part of the signal.
US08396703B2
A band-limited voice signal is processed to reduce its spectral envelope or harmonic structure, or both. The resulting reduced signal is moved into a frequency band above the upper limit frequency of the band-limited voice signal, and then combined with the band-limited voice signal to form a band expanded signal with improved quality and comprehensibility, free of unnatural high-frequency resonances and unnaturally strong high-frequency harmonics.
US08396702B2
An analyzing apparatus includes a result-data storing unit that determines whether result data that is calculated as a result of analysis is restorable by linear interpolation. If the result data is determined to be unrestorable by the linear interpolation, the result-data storing unit stores the result data in a predetermined storage unit. Moreover, the analyzing apparatus includes a data restoring unit that reads the result data from the storage unit. The data restoring unit performs the linear interpolation using the result data acquired, thereby restoring the result data.
US08396697B2
An error compensation method for multi-axis controlled machines generates an error compensation model for compensating for geometric error of a multi-axis controlled machine by separating an error matrix of a tool tip from an error synthesis model of a multi-axis controlled machine and calculates an error compensation value using the error compensation model and an inverse kinematic model so that the error matrix becomes an identity matrix. The error compensation method can reduce calculation error and calculation time due to complicated numerical analysis and compensate for error in the multi-axis controlled machine, regardless of its configuration.
US08396691B2
A controller of a cell phone serving as the position detector reads time-sequentially anteroposterior positional information Pi−1, Pi+1, together with interest positional information Pi that is an object of determination (S103), and calculates, for example, vectors V1 and V2 showing a shift from Pi−1, to Pi and a shift from Pi to Pi+1, respectively (S104, S105), in order to calculate an amplitude of fluctuation representing a direction of change. The amplitude of fluctuation representing a direction of change is expressed by a value of dot product of the calculated vectors V1 and V2 (S106). When the value of dot product is lower than a predetermined value (S107: YES), a position is shown to greatly deviate in the vicinity of the interest positional information Pi. Therefore, the amplitude of fluctuation representing a direction of change is judged to be large, and the positional information is determined to be error (S108).
US08396689B2
A method for analyzing the operation of a gas turbine is provided. A neural network based upon a normal operation of the gas turbine is learned. A dynamic pressure signal is read by a pressure sensor in or on the compressor of the turbine, and an operating parameter is read by a further sensor. The dynamic pressure signal is subjected to a frequency analysis, a parameter of a frequency spectrum of the pressure signal being determined. Based upon the measured operating parameter and the parameter of the frequency spectrum of the pressure signal, the neural network is learned. The measured operating parameter and the parameter of the frequency spectrum are input parameters, and a diagnostic characteristic value representing a probability of a presence of normal operation of the gas turbine as a function of the input parameters is output.
US08396685B2
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to determining a distance from a mobile device to a remote object or a size of the remote object. An embodiment of the disclosure rotates a rotatable micro-reflector to direct energy toward a remote surface, said rotatable micro-reflector disposed in a mobile device, wherein said rotating is relative to said mobile device. An embodiment of the disclosure further measures a distance based at least in part on reflected energy from said remote surface resulting from said directed energy.
US08396678B2
An integrated Energy Management and/or Control System method and apparatus that continually monitors power consumption on each piece of equipment 24/7 and performs detailed analyses of energy consumption curves including derivatives and compares data to historical data on the same equipment as well as going online and acquiring manufacturers specs and comparing to that as well as the same model number equipment in the same or other locations, in order to detect anomalies, abnormal energy consumption or provide early warning of equipment failures.
US08396675B2
The object is to facilitate determination of a flow rate of fluid discharged from a discharge opening.Intensity of a supersonic wave generated at and propagated from a discharge opening in association with discharge of the fluid from the discharge opening is determined at a determinate site distant from the discharge opening. And, a propagation distance from the discharge opening to the determination site is determined or investigated. Then, based upon a correlation existent among the intensity of the propagated supersonic wave, the propagation distance and the fluid discharge flow rate from the discharge opening, the fluid discharge rate is obtained from the determined or investigated supersonic wave intensity and the propagation distance.
US08396674B2
A vibration-type measuring device includes an exciter arrangement which exerts a time-dependent force with at least one sinusoidal component at an adjustable excitation frequency on a measuring tube, through which a medium can flow, and causes the measuring tube to oscillate. The measuring device includes first and second sensors which are fitted to the measuring tube at different locations. The first and second sensors output first and second measurement signals, respectively. The measuring device includes an evaluation unit which determines a first phase shift between the first and second measurement signals and uses the determined phase shift to determine a measurement variable of the medium. The measuring device includes a phase comparator, which determines a second phase shift between the force and the average value of the first and second measurement signals, and a frequency generator which sets the excitation frequency on the basis of the second phase shift.
US08396660B2
A road map data structure includes road network data Rn, representing roads by a connection relation of a plurality of links L, in a hierarchical structure of a plurality of levels, in which, as a link ID for each link L at a lowest level, consecutive serial IDs, according to a connection order of the links within a link line ML formed of a plurality of the consecutive links having a common attribute, are assigned to first links L1 which have a corresponding link existing at a higher level, and a permanent ID, irrelevant with the connection order of the links, is assigned to a second link L2 which does not have a corresponding link existing at a higher level.
US08396659B2
Devices, methods, and programs provide vehicle navigation. A speculative heading error is acquired that corresponds to the reliability of the vehicle heading, which corresponds to an estimated vehicle position that was calculated using a previous vehicle position as a reference. A best candidate position or the estimated vehicle position is set as the vehicle position depending on whether a heading difference between the vehicle heading and a heading when the estimated point is corrected to the best candidate position falls within the speculative heading error. Therefore, false matching can be further reduced and prompt recovery is possible even if a false match occurs.
US08396658B2
The accuracy of a reverse geocode for a GPS fix in a mobile phone navigation device is improved significantly by considering together the user's last known location on an original route, the elapsed time between the last known location on the original route and the latest GPS fix, and the likelihood that the user could have traveled from the last known location on the original route to one of numerous candidate locations (generated from the reverse geocode) in the elapsed time. The navigation server relies only on a GPS fix, timestamps, and a back-end routing database to provide improved or superior accuracy of reverse geocoding a GPS fix (selection of a point on a road) when a relevant user has deviated from the intended route. The reverse geocoding allows for accurate and functional re-routing capabilities.
US08396657B2
Techniques to improve location accuracy for a map are described. An apparatus may comprise a mobile computing device. The mobile computing device may include a map management module to move a location identifier representing a location from a first position to a second position on an electronic map in accordance with digital map correction information as defined by a user. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08396653B2
A dynamic range display system for a vehicle. The system includes a camera, a distance sensor, a display, and a controller. The camera is configured to capture an image and to generate a signal representative of the image. The distance sensor is configured to detect an object of interest within a path of the vehicle and to generate a signal that identifies a distance between the vehicle and the object of interest. The display is configured to provide a visual image, and the controller is configured to receive the signal from the camera and the signal from the distance sensor. The controller generates an image on the display representing the image detected by the camera and a dynamic vehicle path line overlaid over the camera image. The dynamic vehicle path line provides an indication of a distance between the vehicle and the object of interest.
US08396642B2
An adaptive cruise control system for a motor vehicle includes a service brake comprising an electronic controller programmed/configured to detect driving data of the vehicle and distance data to a preceding vehicle, to calculate a movement prediction based on the driving and distance data, to influence the movement of the vehicle by influencing driving and braking, and to output a warning signal to the vehicle driver if the prediction indicates that, assuming a predetermined limiting braking retardation, a probability of an impact with another vehicle, with the adaptive cruise control system being activated, exceeds a predetermined impact probability threshold value without any intervention on the part of the driver. The controller is configured to detect braking parameters, based on which a maximum braking retardation that can be achieved with the service brakes can be calculated, and to reduce the limiting retardation, if the maximum retardation is below a predetermined value.
US08396637B2
A control system for an automatic transmission coupled to an engine by a torque converter includes a torque module and a first clutch control module. The torque module determines an input torque to the transmission based on an output torque of the engine. The first clutch control module adjusts an acceleration of a turbine of the torque converter during a down shift of the transmission based on the input torque. The first clutch control module adjusts the acceleration of the turbine by adjusting a first pressure of fluid supplied to an off-going clutch of the transmission based on the input torque. The first clutch control module adjusts the first pressure based on a mathematical model that relates a torque capacity of the off-going clutch, the input torque, and the acceleration. A method is also provided.
US08396634B2
A powertrain system includes an engine mechanically coupled to an electro-mechanical transmission selectively operative in one of a plurality of transmission operating range states and one of a plurality of engine states. A method for controlling the powertrain system includes determining a current transmission operating range state and engine state, determining at least one potential transmission operating range state and engine state, providing an operator torque request, determining preferability factors associated with the current transmission operating range state and engine state, and potential transmission operating range states and engine states, preferentially weighting the preferability factors for the current transmission operating range state and engine state, and selectively commanding changing the current transmission operating range state and engine state based upon the preferability factors and the operator torque request.
US08396632B2
A grain moving system providing for single point unloading of harvesters to a grain cart. There are a plurality of harvesting machines including a first harvesting machine and a second harvesting machine. The first harvesting machine being configured to deliver grain to the grain cart. The first harvesting machine receiving grain from the second harvesting machine. The first harvesting machine being configured for the coordination of grain transfer.
US08396630B2
An apparatus and method for monitoring driver fatigue and inattention. A device introduces a controlled disturbance requiring driver compensation into a steering system of a vehicle and monitors for an expected driver compensation in response to the disturbance. When the actual compensation does not sufficiently match the expected compensation the driver is alerted and vehicle functions can automatically be activated or reduced.
US08396625B2
A head restraint actuation system is provided having a receiver configured for receiving an image signal, a transmission status signal, a head restraint request signal and a seat information signal. A mirror controller is configured for communicating with the receiver for analyzing the received signals and selecting a rearview mirror mode. A user interface is configured for communicating with the mirror controller for displaying the image signal based on the selection of a first mode, and for enabling transmission of a head restraint request to the mirror controller based on the selection of a second mode. A transmitter is configured for communicating with the mirror controller for transmitting the head restraint request to a seat controller based on the selection of the second mode. A head restraint actuator receives the head restraint request and actuates a corresponding head restraint.
US08396623B2
An object of the invention is to provide a drive recorder that can detect acceleration so that the acceleration exerted on a vehicle traveling around a curve will not be erroneously detected as excessive acceleration, as long as the steering wheel is operated in a usual manner. More particularly, the invention provides a drive recorder that includes an acceleration sensor for detecting a first acceleration along a traveling direction of a vehicle and a second acceleration along a transverse direction of the vehicle, and a control unit which obtains a combined acceleration based on the first acceleration and on a value obtained by subtracting a correction value from the absolute value of the second acceleration, and when the combined acceleration exceeds a threshold value, records video information received from an image capturing unit onto a recording device.
US08396622B2
A diagnostic system for a vehicle, includes a computer storing software on a computer readable media, configurable for setting up recording of vehicle operations, selecting from a plurality of customizable triggering operations according to Boolean logic, and a vehicle communication interface detachably connected to the computer, being setup by the computer for recording of vehicle operation while the vehicle is operating and recorded information stored in a computer readable media of the vehicle communication interface being reviewed by the computer, and detachably connected to the vehicle for recording of the vehicle operations.
US08396620B2
The present invention relates to a patrol device and a patrol path planning method. The patrol device includes an operating unit configured to establish a plurality of patrol paths, each of which has an Average Patrol Omission (APO) value and an Average Patrol Quality (APQ) value, and to determine an optimum patrol path from the plurality of patrol paths according to the APO value and the APQ value; and a moving unit configured to move along the optimum patrol path. The method includes providing a plurality of patrol paths, each of which has an Average Patrol Omission (APO) value and an Average Patrol Quality (APQ) value; and evaluating the plurality of patrol paths according to the respective APO values and the respective APQ values so as to select an optimum patrol path therefrom.
US08396619B2
A vehicle control system with a hybrid drive comprising an engine and an electric motor and a plurality of functional components each divided into a strategy sub-component, a control sub-component and an actuator sub-component. The functional components include at least engine, transmission and hybrid functional components. The strategy sub-component (8) of the hybrid functional component (4) comprises an operating status prescription module (17) which reads in a first quantity of data from functional components in order to determine a prescribed value for the operating status of the hybrid drive, processes the read in data in order to produce a second quantity of output variables, and in a second sub-module (29), determines the prescribed value for the operating status of the hybrid drive using the output variables from the first sub-module (27) and with the help of automatic status-determining mechanism.
US08396616B1
A present novel and non-trivial system, module, and method for presenting surface symbology on an aircraft display unit are disclosed. Symbology image data representative of an image depicting a runway highlighter adjacent to the assigned runway is generated by a symbology generator based upon assigned runway information and airport surface information provided by a flight management data source and the navigation reference data source, respectively. Such runway highlighter comprises a plurality of runway edge highlighters and a plurality of chevrons pointing in the direction of the assigned runway. The image could include one or more directional runway identifiers. Additionally, the generated image could include the depiction of township location, a line-up distance docking indicator, and/or a groundspeed indicator based upon information provided by a navigation data source. Additionally, the generated image could include the depiction of a wind barb based upon information provided by a weather data source.
US08396612B2
An avionic system includes computers (11a, . . . , 1n, 12a, . . . 12n, 13a . . . 13n) of the generic computer type that can be adapted by software programming to avionic functions for which at least some of these computers have means that combine electronic resources for data processing, computation and communication by analog or digital bus with electric power management resources so as to create modular avionics with integrated power.
US08396588B2
A conveyor system has a plurality of sensors coupled to a computer system, the computer system being programmed to check a number of safety functions greater than the number of sensors. A method of controlling the safety function of the conveyor comprises providing signals from a plurality of sensors disposed in relation to the conveyor to a computer system; operating the conveyor in a learn mode; during operation in the learn mode determining in the computer system the relationship between the sensor output signals and pre-stored logic in the computer system which describes the physical geometry of the possible conveyor types and permissible operating characteristics thereof and determining the relationship between the sensor output signals to establish the safety integrity of the sensors, and storing sensor signal patterns as a reference pattern; and subsequently operating the conveyor in a run mode in which safety functions are monitored; and during the run mode comparing in the computer system the pattern of sensor signals with the reference pattern and with the pre-stored logic so as to establish the safety integrity of the sensors, of the computer system and of the operation of the conveyor.
US08396585B2
A method and system for inventory placement according to expected item picking rates. In one embodiment, a method may include determining a respective expected picking rate for each of a number of inventory items, and dependent upon the expected picking rate, selecting a corresponding one of a number of zones of an inventory storage area for each of the items. The zones may be physically arranged within the inventory storage area such that a first, innermost zone is successively and at least partially surrounded by one or more other zones. The method may further include storing each of the items within the corresponding zones, such that the expected picking rates of members of a given group of items stored in a given zone are less than the expected picking rates of members of another group of items stored in a successive zone that at least partially surrounds the given zone.
US08396583B2
The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes collecting a plurality of manufacturing data sets from a plurality of semiconductor processes, respectively. The method includes normalizing each of the manufacturing data sets in a manner so that statistical differences among the manufacturing data sets are reduced. The method includes establishing a database that includes the normalized manufacturing data sets. The method includes normalizing the database in a manner so that the manufacturing data sets in the normalized database are statistically compatible with a selected one of the manufacturing data sets. The method includes predicting performance of a selected one of the semiconductor processes by using the normalized database. The selected semiconductor process corresponds to the selected manufacturing data set. The method includes controlling a semiconductor processing machine in response to the predicted performance.
US08396581B2
A customizable scheduling tool is used in a system for managing and controlling manufacturing processes planned by enterprise resource planning (ERP) and produced by a plant floor. A manufacturing executing system (MES) implements the planned manufacturing process and controls the corresponding production at the plant floor. The scheduling tool contains a set of built in data relating to the plant floor forming a data model and built in formula templates. The scheduling tool contains measures for defining new data, and the measures are operable to edit new fields to expand the built in set of data, and measures for modifying a built-in formula template. Ideally a manufacturing executing system (MES) contains such a tool and utilizes a method of using the tool.
US08396580B2
An information processing apparatus includes: a screen configuration unit 102 which configures a screen for receiving synchronization specifying information specifying whether each of the commands, of which a process sequence is specified, stored in a command storage unit 101 is executed in synchronization with or in asynchronization with other commands; a screen output unit 103 that outputs the configured screen; a specifying information receiving unit 104 that receives the synchronization specifying information through the outputted screen; and a command execution unit 106 which executes the commands stored in the command storage unit 101 according to the process sequence so as to execute a command specified to be synchronously executed after an execution end of an immediately previous command and a command specified to be asynchronously executed without waiting for an execution end of an immediately previous command with reference to the synchronization specifying information.
US08396577B2
Systems and methods for providing object-oriented audio are described. Audio objects can be created by associating sound sources with attributes of those sound sources, such as location, velocity, directivity, and the like. Audio objects can be used in place of or in addition to channels to distribute sound, for example, by streaming the audio objects over a network to a client device. The objects can define their locations in space with associated two or three dimensional coordinates. The objects can be adaptively streamed to the client device based on available network or client device resources. A renderer on the client device can use the attributes of the objects to determine how to render the objects. The renderer can further adapt the playback of the objects based on information about a rendering environment of the client device. Various examples of audio object creation techniques are also described.
US08396575B2
Systems and methods for providing object-oriented audio are described. Audio objects can be created by associating sound sources with attributes of those sound sources, such as location, velocity, directivity, and the like. Audio objects can be used in place of or in addition to channels to distribute sound, for example, by streaming the audio objects over a network to a client device. The objects can define their locations in space with associated two or three dimensional coordinates. The objects can be adaptively streamed to the client device based on available network or client device resources. A renderer on the client device can use the attributes of the objects to determine how to render the objects. The renderer can further adapt the playback of the objects based on information about a rendering environment of the client device. Various examples of audio object creation techniques are also described.
US08396571B2
A process for optimizing maintenance work schedules for at least one engine includes the steps of retrieving at least one set of data for an engine from a computer readable storage medium; selecting at least one scheduling parameter for the engine; selecting a set of maintenance rules for the engine; selecting at least one maintenance work decision; selecting at least one objective for the engine; optimizing the at least one objective to generate at least one optimal maintenance work decision; and generating at least one optimal maintenance work schedule for the engine.
US08396567B2
To provide radio-frequency (RF) bandstop filtering within an implantable lead for use in reducing lead heating during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures, parallel inductive-capacitive (LC) filters are provided within the lead. In one example, the ring electrode of the lead is configured to function as one of the capacitive elements of the parallel LC filter to help provide LC bandstop filtering along the ring conductor of the lead. In another example, capacitive plates are provided that sandwich an inductor mounted near the tip of the lead to provide parallel LC bandstop filtering along the tip conductor of the lead.
US08396558B2
Central pain syndrome (CPS) is a debilitating condition that affects a large number of patients with a primary lesion or dysfunction in the central nervous system. Despite its discovery over a century ago, the pathophysiology underlying the development and maintenance of CPS is poorly understood. The present invention is drawn to novel methods of treating CPS. In certain aspects, the invention is drawn to the novel discovery of the role of the zona incerta (ZI) in CPS and methods of exploiting this novel discovery for the treatment of CPS.
US08396556B2
A neurostimulation device includes an external neurostimulator worn by a patient using a bracing element that braces a portion of the patient's body. The external neurostimulator delivers neurostimulation to modulate a cardiovascular function of the patient. In one embodiment, the external stimulator delivers the neurostimulation transcutaneously to a stimulation target in the patient's body using surface stimulation electrodes placed on the body approximately over the stimulation target.
US08396554B2
A medical device delivers a therapy to a patient. Posture events are identified, e.g., a posture of the patient is periodically determined and/or posture transitions by the patient are identified, and each determined posture event is associated with a current therapy parameter set. A value of at least one posture metric is determined for each of a plurality of therapy parameter sets based on the posture events associated with that therapy parameter set. A list of the therapy parameter sets is presented to a user, such as a clinician, for evaluation of the relative efficacy of the therapy parameter sets. The list may be ordered according to the one or more posture metric values to aid in evaluation of the therapy parameter sets. Where values are determined for a plurality of posture metrics, the list may be ordered according to the one of the posture metrics selected by the user.
US08396552B2
A pacing system delivers cardiac protection pacing to protect the heart from injuries associated with ischemic events. The pacing system detects an ischemic event and, in response, initiates one or more cardiac protection pacing sequences each including alternative pacing and non-pacing periods. In one embodiment, the pacing system initiates a cardiac protection pacing sequence in response to the detection of the onset of an ischemic event, such that a pacing concurrent conditioning therapy is applied during the detected ischemic event.
US08396548B2
Methods and systems are disclosed for selective drug or fluid delivery in a lumen through a coating or fluid delivery channels. One system includes an elongate catheter having a proximal end and a distal end with an axis therebetween, the catheter having a radially expandable balloon near the distal end and an energy delivery portion proximate the balloon for transmission of energy, a thermally changeable coating having a releasable drug coupled to the balloon, the thermally changeable coating being oriented to be urged against the body tissue when the expandable balloon expands and an energy source operatively coupled to the energy delivery portion configured to energize the energy delivery portion to heat and liquefy the thermally changeable coating to release the drug to the body tissue.
US08396545B2
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for analysis of electromagnetic activity of prefrontal cortex neurons in subjects are provided. The methods, apparatuses, and systems of the present invention can be used as a means to screen for cognitive modulators. They can be used to predict the effects of compounds such as psychostimulants and other drugs on prefrontal cortex-dependent cognition.
US08396542B2
A heart monitor is disclosed. The monitor computes ST segment deviations and stores the results in heart rate based histograms. Periodically, the monitor analyzes the histogram data to determine a median value of ST deviation. Subsequently, beats are excluded from the computation of the time series if their ST deviations both varies too far from the long term median value and varies too far from the then current time series value.
US08396522B2
A motor and a method of operating the motor are provided. The motor includes a plurality of cylinders. Each cylinder includes a piston configured to move within the cylinder. Each cylinder further includes a high-temperature superconductor material at a temperature. The superconductor material is in a superconducting state in the presence of an external magnetic field below a critical field strength, wherein the critical field strength is a function of the temperature of the superconductor material. Each cylinder further includes a permanent magnet mechanically coupled to the piston and configured to move within the cylinder and to have a magnetic field that interacts with the superconductor material. A sum of a non-zero time-invariant magnetic field strength and a time-varying magnetic field strength cycles between at least a first field strength below the critical field strength for the superconductor material at the temperature and at least a second field strength above the critical field strength for the superconductor material at the temperature, such that the superconductor material cycles between a superconducting state and a non-superconducting state. A time-varying force is applied to the magnet by an interaction of the magnet's magnetic field with the superconductor material.
US08396518B2
A mobile communication terminal and a controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which reception performance of the mobile communication terminal can be enhanced while SAR is reduced. According to an embodiment, the terminal includes a body part comprising a circuit board having radio communication parts mounted thereon and a display to output images of prescribed information; a grounded part for selectively grounding at least one of the circuit board and the display; and a ground controlling part configured to enable at least one of the circuit board and the display to be selectively connected to the grounded part for grounding.
US08396517B2
Providing an electronic device adaptively responsive to advance motion is disclosed. Displayed information on a multi-touch display is altered based on the electronic device detecting motion and user input.
US08396513B2
A communication system has a base station having an adaptive antenna with a plurality of main array antenna elements for generating a plurality of communication beams. The system further includes a gateway station coupled to the base station. The gateway station forms a plurality of beams commands by communicating plurality of a control signals to the base station to form the communication beams.
US08396510B1
Generally described, a method and system are provided for establishing a communication service. Upon detecting the insertion of a card into a wireless transceiver, a control system retrieves information from the card. The control system processes the information and selects communication service software for the card and communication service data for a communication network. The communication service software is transferred to the card and the communication service data is transferred to the communication network. The communication service software is installed on the card and one or more network elements in the communication network are provisioned.
US08396505B2
A large cell base station 100 according to an embodiment is configured to form a large cell and includes: an upper-limit value determination unit 124 configured to determine an upper-limit value Icap of an amount of interference which is received by the large cell base station from each of the radio terminals based on a permissible value Itotal of a total amount of interference which is received by the large cell base station from the radio terminals and the number of the small cell base stations within the large cell; and a wired communication unit 140 configured to transmit upper-limit value information indicating the upper-limit value Icap determined by the upper-limit value determination unit 124 to the small cell base stations.
US08396499B2
A method of measuring a state of a plurality of channels is provided. The method includes transmitting to a second device test signal information needed to transmit/receive a test signal for measuring the state of the plurality of channels; receiving an information received response from the second device, indicating that the second device has received the test signal; if the information received response is received, transmitting the test signal to the second device, using the test signal information, via the plurality of channels; and receiving from the second device the state information regarding the plurality of channels which has been measured by using the test signal.
US08396490B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided to enable real-time communication with people, groups and devices in accordance with certain embodiments. Typically, a phone number, address, or login information (“traditional identification information”) is needed to initiate a communication with a specific person. However, there are many situations where this traditional identification information is not known, but individuals still wish to communicate with others whose traditional identification information they do not know. By selecting criteria such as geographical location information that is proximate to the device, a person can identify and communicate with others while not knowing their contact information. The criteria can also include attributes, visual information, or other characteristics of the target device.
US08396488B2
A wireless communication device transmits location information associated with a mobile worker, and provides an option to the mobile worker to disable such location transmissions. The use of the location transmission function is enhanced by interlocking the location tracking function with one or more other functions of the wireless communication device. When the tracking function is disabled, one or more other functions that the mobile worker finds valuable are also disabled, thus reducing the likelihood that the mobile worker will disable location tracking. Rules may be implemented to disable the other functions only in the event that disabling the tracking function violates a violated. Location monitoring for such workers is thereby enhanced.
US08396480B2
In a multi-access system, an access selection principle is achieved by selecting a signal strength threshold level based on a determined load level (ULOCAL) in a first access network. A new user in an area commonly covered by more than one access network attempts to allocate to the first access network if an experienced signal strength exceeds the signal strength threshold level. Communication utility can preferably be maximised or at least be taken into account by using suitable load level dependencies. By increasing the threshold when the load level approaches the capacity limit, a completely filled first access network is avoided. This gives an opportunity to let particularly well-suited users still have access to the first access network. At the same time, since the preferred access is decided before the actual access attempt, control signalling can be significantly reduced, even at very high traffic loads.
US08396476B2
A method for Mobility Management MM in a system architecture supporting mobility between different access systems having separate Core Network CN-level MM entities while using common MM Area is provided. When a User Equipment UE leaves the coverage of a first access system where it is in a Non Radio Connected state as seen from Radio Access Network RAN, but seen in Connected State from CN-level MM entity, for the coverage of a second access system where it is in Idle state as seen from CN-level MM entity, the UE is put into Idle state as seen from CN-level MM entity of said first access system.
US08396475B1
A system that automatically delivers telephony network services from a dual mode service technology platform to an external entity. The system includes a sensing component that detects the presence of a mobile handset registered on a cellular network, and registers the mobile handset with a wireless access network. Further, a provisioning component identifies calls to subscribers that are provisioned for the requested telephony network service. Once the calls are identified, the provisioning component extracts the requested data from the incoming calls and routes the data to an external entity for display.
US08396468B1
A call quality monitoring system allows a user of a mobile device to report on call quality or otherwise provide information relating to the quality of a wireless communication experience. The call quality monitoring system may allow the mobile device user to establish or accept a call placed on the wireless communication network. The call quality monitoring system may provide at least partially-automated user-feedback process for the user to specify information about the quality of the call from a device from which the call was placed or from a device located at or near a location of the call. The call quality monitoring system may collect information provided by the user in association with specifying information about the quality of the call.
US08396467B2
An event detection apparatus for a cellular communication system comprises a video upload processor (203) which receives video upload activity indications. Each video upload activity indication comprises an indication of a video upload from a remote station of the cellular communication system as well as a remote station location indication for the remote station from which a video clip is uploaded. An event processor (205) generates an event indication in response to the video upload activity indications meeting a criterion where the event indication comprises an event location indication generated in response to the remote station location indications. The event detection criterion may specifically be that more than a given number of video upload activity indications are indicative of video uploads within a given time interval and geographic area. The invention may allow improved event detection.
US08396463B2
A method and apparatus to manage notification service connections. In one embodiment of the invention, a mobile device schedules a notification service connection message transmission interval for each of a plurality of notification service connections. The mobile device also associates a notification service connection message transmission window with each notification service connection message transmission interval. The mobile device synchronizes transmission of notification service connection messages based on overlapping notification service connection message transmission windows. Responsive to receiving a notification message on one of the notification service connections, an icon badge is displayed on the mobile device for the appropriate application.
US08396462B2
Various embodiments of a searching method for a missing child using a two-dimensional bar code are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may include photographing a two-dimensional bar code possessed by a missing child through a missing child prevention program and receiving current position information through a GPS module and stores the received position information. The method may also include transmitting the two-dimensional bar code and the stored position information to a two-dimensional bar-code server, receiving child and guardian information of the missing child from the two-dimensional bar code server, and displaying the received child and guardian information. The method may also include connecting a call to the missing child's guardian by inputting a call connection key.
US08396459B2
A cellular communications system may include a plurality of mobile cellular communications devices each associated with a respective user, and at least one cellular base station for wirelessly communicating with the mobile cellular communications devices. The at least one cellular base station may have a capacity associated therewith. The system may also include a central station for determining available capacity of the at least one cellular base station based upon active wireless communications with the mobile cellular communications devices. Moreover, the system may also include a subscription server for cooperating with the central station to provide non-real time subscription data to users on respective mobile cellular communications devices via the at least one cellular base station when the determined available capacity thereof is greater than a threshold.
US08396458B2
Devices and methods are disclosed for determining that a traffic flow of a wireless end-user device is associated with a first service activity that includes a data communication associated with a particular application of a plurality of applications on the wireless end-user device; assigning, to the traffic flow, a flow tag configured to assist in preserving the association of the traffic flow with the first service activity when the traffic flow is processed by one or more device functions that operate on the traffic flow; monitoring an attempted or successful wireless access network service usage associated with the flow tag, the determining, assigning, and monitoring occurring in any order; and, after determining that the traffic flow is associated with the first service activity, applying a first service policy to the attempted or successful wireless access network service usage.
US08396454B2
A method and apparatus for representing a conversation of related messages is provided. In a message collection user interface for displaying messages sent and received by a communications device, a dynamic session placeholder is used for a respective conversation of related messages. The message collection user interface is displayed including any dynamic session placeholders in the list of messages. As messages from the conversation are occasioned, the dynamic session placeholder is updated. When the message collection is displayed, it is displayed in accordance with the updated session placeholder.
US08396446B2
An alarm system senses alarm conditions on a premises, reports the occurrence of an alarm condition to a remote monitoring facility and for selected alarm conditions establishes two way voice communications with a person at the monitored premises or elsewhere. Multiple modes of communication are available such as public switched telephone (audio or audio modulated data), GSM (cellular audio), GPRS (cellular packet data), GSM/SMS (cellular text), etc. The programmed processor selects the network and communication protocol to rely on data communications if only data reporting is required. When two way voice communications will be required, the processor can select a network (e.g., GSM) that can be used for both data and audio communications.
US08396432B2
A transmitter circuit is provided which is capable of reducing modulation distortion even when an output power of a power amplifying section 141 is low. A signal generation section 11 generates an amplitude signal and a phase signal. A regulator 12 outputs a current based on the amplitude signal. A phase modulation section 13 phase-modulates the phase signal, and outputs a phase-modulated signal. The power amplifying section 141 receives the current which is based on the amplitude signal and supplied as a bias current from the regulator 12, and amplifies the phase-modulated signal by using the supplied current. Further, to the power amplifying section 141, a predetermined DC voltage is supplied as a collector voltage.
US08396431B2
Wireless communication device antenna matching circuit tuning responsive to power control signals, and, optionally, responsive to received signal quality indicators in a traffic channel. Systems and methods are provided that increase the antenna efficiency in either the transmit frequency or the receive frequency as needed, based on fading and environmental conditions, non-ideal antenna efficiency balance, mobile station forward versus reverse link usage and system forward versus reverse link usage. The antenna efficiency may be changed incrementally or may be optimized completely for the transmit frequency or the receive frequency. The re-balancing is accomplished by tuning the antenna matching circuit. One way to tune the antenna matching circuit is to apply a voltage to a ferro-electric capacitor in the matching circuit, thereby changing the capacitance of the ferro-electric capacitor, thereby changing the impedance of the antenna system.
US08396408B2
A cleaning device includes a cleaning blade configured to clean a surface of a rotating subject, a solid lubricant configured to reduce the friction coefficient of the surface of the subject, and a lubricant coating device that includes a coating roller to shave the solid lubricant during normal rotation and a reverse rotation to coat the surface of the subject with the lubricant. The amount of lubricant supplied to the subject during normal rotation of the coating roller is different from a supply amount of the lubricant during reverse rotation of the coating roller, with more lubricant supplied during reverse rotation than during normal rotation.
US08396404B2
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for marking an image on a media substrate using an intermediate transfer printing arrangement. Specifically disclosed is an image transfer nip arrangement associated with a secondary transfer of an image which utilizes a constant current source to generate an electric field across the nip and transfer toner from an intermediate transfer surface to a media substrate.
US08396401B2
An anti-accumulation section is provided at a section where an inner surface of a developer container abuts a surface of a doctor blade on an upstream side of a rotation direction of a developing roller. An angle between a surface of the anti-accumulation section facing the developing roller and the surface of the doctor blade on the upstream side of the rotation direction of the developing roller is set to be larger than an angle between a circle concentric with a cross section of the developing roller perpendicular to an extending direction of the developing roller and the surface of the doctor blade on the upstream side of the rotation direction of the developing roller at the section where the surface of the anti-accumulation section facing the developing roller and the surface of the doctor blade on the upstream side of the rotation direction of the developing roller abut. This realizes, with a simple configuration, a developing device capable of forming images of high quality without nonuniform development.
US08396399B2
A toner bearing member is provided which includes a conductive support, an insulation layer provided on the conductive support, multiple electrodes arranged at regular intervals on the insulation layer, a surface layer covering the multiple electrodes, comprising a polymerized compound having a specific unit, and a voltage applicator that applies a voltage between the conductive support and the multiple electrodes while periodically reversing an electric field generated therebetween.
US08396398B2
The toner bottle exchangeably used in an image forming apparatus. The toner bottle includes a bottle body having a substantially cylindrical shape and configured to contain toner, a gear configured to rotate a part of the toner bottle, a cap attached to the bottle body and including an opening arranged in a circumferential surface of the cap and configured to output toner to a development apparatus of the image forming apparatus, a toner conveyance mechanism arranged in the bottle body and configured to convey the toner to the opening.
US08396396B2
An image forming apparatus includes developing units designed to have an appropriate developer storage capacity in consideration of developer consumption, and improved convenience of use. The image forming apparatus also includes an image carrier, and plural developing units arranged along a rotating direction of the image carrier to supply developers to the image carrier. The plural developing units include a first developing unit having the largest developer storage capacity and a second developing unit having the second largest developer storage capacity after the first developing unit.
US08396391B2
A color image forming apparatus for forming a color image on a sheet includes a plurality of cartridge mounting portions for demountably mounting a cartridge each of which includes a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive drum into a developed image and a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be used for development of the electrostatic latent image; a single intermediary transfer member which is provided opposed to the drums and onto which the developed images are transferred from the drums; an image forming unit containing the cartridge mounting portions and the intermediary transfer member and movable between a first position for transferring, onto the sheet, the developed images transferred onto the intermediary transfer member from the drums and a second position for permitting mounting and demounting of the cartridges relative to the cartridge mounting portion; an opening for permitting mounting and demounting of the cartridges relative to the cartridge mounting portions of the unit taking the a second position; and an opening-closing member movable between a closing position for closing the opening and an open position for opening the opening, wherein when the unit takes the first position, the cartridges take attitudes in which the developer is supplied to the developing roller by the weight thereof, and when the unit takes the a second position, the cartridges take attitudes in which the developer is not supplied to the developing roller by the weight thereof.
US08396390B2
An intermediate transfer body is provided. An intermediate transfer body includes an intermediate transfer belt and a belt cleaning section including a cleaning blade. A plurality of projecting portions extending in parallel with a rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt are provided on a surface of an elastic layer of the intermediate transfer belt. The cleaning blade is formed such that a width W1 of one end in a lateral direction thereof is longer than a width W2 of the elastic layer in a width direction of the intermediate transfer belt.
US08396387B2
This invention provides an image forming apparatus which performs sleep control for a shift to the sleep mode for each function and provides a user-friendly operation system, and a method of controlling the same. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus sets a shift time until a power state of the image forming apparatus shifts to the low-power state after execution of image formation; and performs control to shift the power state of the image forming apparatus to the low-power state, when the shift time is not more than the predetermined time, before an elapse of the shift time after execution of image formation by the printing function, while shifting the power state of the image forming apparatus to the low-power state, in response to an elapse of the shift time after execution of image formation by the copying function.
US08396384B2
According to one embodiment, a sheet type determination apparatus includes a tray, light source, detection unit, database, and operation unit. The tray is configured to hold a sheet bundle formed by stacked sheets. The light source emits illumination light to a first region. The detection unit detects a light intensity distribution of transmitted light emerging from a second region. The transmitted light is generated as the illumination light passes through the sheet bundle, and the second region is different from the first region. The database stores a table describing a relation between reference attenuation rates and types. The operation unit is configured to calculate an attenuation rate of the transmitted light based on the light intensity distribution, and determine a type of the sheets by comparing the attenuation rate with the reference attenuation rates.
US08396380B2
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, the apparatus includes a plurality of electrophotographic photosensitive drums; a cartridge which contains a developer and which is detachably mountable to a main assembly of the apparatus of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a cartridge mounting portion for mounting the cartridge; a plurality of cleaning members for removing the developers remaining on surfaces of the electrophotographic photosensitive drums; a removed-developer accommodating container for accommodating the developers removed by the cleaning members, the removed-developer accommodating container being detachably mountable to the main assembly of the apparatus in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, wherein the cartridges are disposed along a second direction, and the removed-developer accommodating container are adjacent to the cartridges and extends along the second direction so as to be overlapped at least partly with the cartridges as seen in the axial direction.
US08396375B2
A method for enabling bidirectional data communication using a single optical carrier and a single laser source with the aid of an integrated, colorless demodulator and detector for frequency modulated signals, and a reflective modulator. A receiving optical system holds a technique for demodulation and detection of optical frequency modulated signals, enabling remodulation of the incoming signal to establish bidirectional communication with the transmitting optical system, without introducing a high penalty. A colorless demodulator and detector, which provides the functionality of a periodic filtering device for demodulation of the downstream, and also detection capability. The principle of operation of the CDD relies on the introduction of a comb transfer function with the help of a Semiconductor Optical Amplifier, by providing a reflected feedback signal to the CDD's active element. This periodic transfer function is obtained by an optical cavity and allows for wavelength-independent operation on a given wavelength grid.
US08396372B2
An apparatus includes a non-solitonic all-optical communication path having serially connected first and second segments. The first segment end-couples to a lumped optical transmitter. The second segment end-couples to a lumped optical receiver. Each segment has a series of spans of transmission optical fibers. The all-optical communication path has an optical phase conjugator that optically end-couples the first segment to the second segment. The optical phase conjugator is positioned away from the path's midpoint.
US08396362B2
The light transmitting and receiving module includes a light outputting section; alight receiver which receives input light and which outputs an electric signal having an intensity corresponding to a light intensity of the input light; a first variably attenuation controller which variably attenuates the light output from the light outputting section; a second variably attenuation controller which variably attenuates the input light to the light receiver; a first switch which selectively switches a path through which the light from the first variably attenuation controller is output between a light transmitting path and an alternative path different from the light transmitting path; and a second switch which selectively switches light to be output to the second variably attenuation controller between light from an external entity and the light through the alternative path of the first switch.
US08396348B2
With this invention, at least one of a video file containing video information, a still picture file containing still picture information, and an audio file containing audio information and a management file having management information on a control method of reproducing the information in the file are recorded on an information storage medium. This realizes a data structure that causes the recording and deleting places on the information storage medium to correspond spuriously to places on a single tape, such as a VTR tape. Use of the data structure provides users with an easy-to-use interface.
US08396345B2
In a system for reproducing AV information from a recording medium, such as a DVD, not only are usual titles reproduced, but also related information relevant to specific stream information is acquired easily by making use of resources on a computer network. In a reproducing system with the function of reproducing the title information recorded on a DVD and displaying it on the screen of a display section, when the user clicks a Web mark on the screen, the CPU links to a Web server on the Internet via a modem and accesses the Web page related to the stream information on the screen. At that time, the related Web page is the selected information conforming to parental information, or attribute information, set in the system.
US08396338B2
An opto-electric hybrid module capable of shortening the distance between a light-emitting section or a light-receiving section of a semiconductor chip and a reflecting surface formed in a core to reduce optical losses between an opto-electric conversion substrate section and an optical waveguide section, and a method of manufacturing the same. A recessed portion (3a) is formed in a surface of an over cladding layer (3) of the optical waveguide section (W1). At least part of the light-emitting section (7a) or the light-receiving section of the semiconductor chip (7) for opto-electric conversion and at least part of a loop portion (8a) of a bonding wire (8) in the opto-electric conversion substrate section (E1) are positioned within the recessed portion (3a). This brings the light-emitting section (7a) or the light-receiving section of the semiconductor chip (7) and the reflecting surface (2a) formed in the core (2) closer to each other.
US08396337B2
By introducing magneto-optical garnets with high Faraday rotation and low optical loss in a ring resonator, a nonreciprocal phase shift is generated to split the resonance wavelengths of clockwise and counter-clockwise modes under magnetic field. There are three main applications based on this nonreciprocal effect, optical isolators, optical circulators, and tunable optical filters. The concept of the tunable filters and the design of optical isolators for TE and TM modes are described in the paper. With proper optical ring isolator configurations, optical circulators can be realized.
US08396333B2
In an image pickup apparatus of the present invention, a CCD 11 in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a two-dimensional array, thereof the number of effective horizontal pixels is H and the number of effective vertical pixels is V; a aspect switching operator 18 that sets one of a plurality of aspect modes including a first aspect mode and a second aspect mode; an image processor 141 that generates first image data for recording in the first aspect mode, and generates second image data for recording in the second aspect mode, wherein the first image data for recording is generated using image data that is generated with pixels being H1 horizontal pixels by V1 vertical pixels included in the pixels on the CCD 11 or image data that is obtained by subjecting said image data to predetermined processing, the second image data for recording is generated using image data that is generated with pixels being H2 horizontal pixels by V2 vertical pixels included in the pixels on the solid-state imaging device or image data that is obtained by subjecting said image data to predetermined processing, and the first image data for recording and the second image data for recording satisfy the following relationships: H2
US08396332B2
According to one embodiment, a face image list display process module classifies face images, which are extracted from video content data, into a first face image group belonging to a predetermined attribute section and a second face image group belonging to sections other than the predetermined attribute section. The face image list display process module displays, on a face thumbnail display area, the face images belonging to one group of the first face image group and the second face image group in such a manner that the face images belonging to the one group are distinguished from the face images belonging to the other group of the first face image group and the second face image group.
US08396330B2
A method for interpolation includes receiving an input image having a plurality of pixels. The edge direction proximate a first pixel of the input image is estimated using a first technique from a plurality of discrete potential directions. An edge direction is selected based upon the estimating the edge direction proximate the first pixel of the input image using a second technique. The pixels proximate the first pixel are interpolated based upon the selected edge direction. The pixels proximate the first pixel are interpolated based upon another technique. An output image is determined.
US08396328B2
Motion picture scenes to be colorized/depth enhanced (2D->3D) are broken into separate elements, backgrounds/sets or motion/onscreen-action. Background and motion elements are combined into composite frame which becomes a visual reference database that includes data for all frame offsets used later for the computer controlled application of masks within a sequence of frames. Masks are applied to subsequent frames of motion objects based on various differentiating image processing methods, including automated mask fitting/reshaping. Colors and/or depths are automatically applied to masks throughout a scene from the composite background and to motion objects. Areas never exposed by motion or foreground objects in a series of images may be partially or fully realistically drawn or rendered and applied to the occluded areas of the background and then automatically applied throughout the images to generate of minimal artifact or artifact-free secondary viewpoints when translating foreground objects horizontally during 2D->3D conversion.
US08396321B1
Systems and methods are provided for processing image data captured by a device. In one implementation, a system is provided to process primary image data based on motion of the device during generation of the image data, as detected by a secondary image sensor. In another implementation, a method is provided for processing image data by generating primary image data, generating secondary image data, calculating, using the secondary image data, at least one motion vector based on motion of the device during generation of the primary image data, processing the primary image data based on the at least one motion vector, and outputting the processed primary image data.
US08396318B2
An information processing apparatus includes: a first generating unit which generates, based on feature points detected on a cepstrum from an input image, a point-spread function that represents the degree of blurring generated in the input image; a second generating unit which generates a structure that represents an image obtained by reducing the input image with a size based on the point-spread function and enlarging this with the size, based on the point-spread function; and an updating unit which executes an updating process to update at least either the point-spread function or the structure such that the point-spread function and the structure approximate to a true value, with the updating unit repeatedly executing the updating process to set, of a structure component and a texture component making up the updated structure, the structure component as a new updated structure, and set the updated point-spread function as a new updated target.
US08396314B2
Provided are method and apparatus for inverse quantizing an image, the method including: determining a quantization step correction value for reducing a quantization error, which is a difference between an inverse quantization coefficient, obtained by inverse quantizing a quantization coefficient, and an original value of the transformation coefficient; and inverse quantizing the quantization coefficient using a second quantization step value, the second quantization step value being obtained by correcting a first quantization step value used for inverse quantizing the quantization coefficient using the determined quantization step correction value.
US08396301B2
Templates of known forms are stored in computer system. The templates are digitized pixels on which connected component analyses are performed resulting in a first list of components. Five to ten of those components are selected to create an ordered feature list for each form. The computer system then captures an optical image of a form positioned on the top of a stack of forms. The optical image is digitized and stored in the computer (or processor) system as a captured digital image of pixels. A connected component analysis is performed on the captured digital image that results in a second list of image components. Image components on the second list are compared to those on the first list and then each succeeding feature in one of the ordered feature lists. If the comparison is successful, the form is known and other marks on the form may then be processed. If the comparison is unsuccessful, a new feature list is tried.
US08396291B2
Provided is a component extraction/correction device, comprising: a decomposition unit that decomposes an original image signal into a plurality of frequency bands to generate a plurality of band signals; an extraction unit that extracts a skeleton component from among a plurality of components constituting the band signal; a first correction unit that corrects the extracted skeleton component by using the band signal and one component other than the skeleton component among the plurality of components; and a second correction unit that corrects the one component by using the corrected skeleton component and the band signal.
US08396288B2
An information processing apparatus inputs image data and calculates a relative magnitude between coefficient or pixel values of the input image data. The image processing apparatus generates verification data of the image data using the calculated relative magnitude.
US08396283B2
A three-dimensional-object can be effectively detected. A pair of image capture devices capture a three-dimensional-object and calculate disparity component data of subdivided-image regions, respectively. On a basis of the disparity component data, gray scale values indicative of distances from the image capture device are calculated and a gray scale image in which each region has its corresponding gray scale value is generated. A model of the three-dimensional-object is defined and correlation values is calculated to show the degree of a similarity between the model and the image subdivided regions in the gray scale image. The model is a two-dimensional image with a shaping characteristic when the three-dimensional object is viewed from positions of the image capture devices while each subdivided region of the two-dimensional image has a gray scale value indicative of a distance from the image capture device at a portion corresponding to the three-dimensional object. The correlation values are calculated on a basis of gray scale values of the model and those of the image region in the gray scale image. The model and an image region with the highest correlation value are detected in the gray scale image, so that a three-dimensional image is detected.
US08396278B2
A system for tracking currency bills comprises a currency scanning device. The scanning device includes a sensor that retrieves currency identification characteristic information of each bill processed. The currency identification characteristic information permits the unique identification of each bill processed. The system further comprises a customer identification means and means for associating each processed bill with the customer depositing the bill. Means for identifying the customer (or customer account) associated with a particular processed bill after the deposit transaction has been completed is also included in the system.
US08396272B2
A method for obtaining an image of tooth tissue directs incident light toward a tooth, wherein the incident light excites a fluorescent emission from the tooth tissue. Specular reflection of incident light from the tooth tissue is reduced. Fluorescence image data is obtained from the fluorescent emission. Back-scattered reflectance image data is obtained from back-scattered light from the tooth tissue. The fluorescence and back-scattered reflectance image data are combined to form an enhanced image of the tooth tissue for caries detection.
US08396271B2
An image processing apparatus includes: a category area dividing unit that divides each image constituting the time-series images of an object to be examined, which are captured in time series, into category areas including an examined area and an abnormal candidate area, the examined area showing the object to be examined, the abnormal candidate area being possibly an abnormal area showing an abnormal site of the object to be examined; an optical flow calculator that calculates optical flows of the examined area and the abnormal candidate area from images constituting the time-series images; and an abnormal area detector that compares the optical flow of the examined area and the optical flow of the abnormal candidate area, and detects the abnormal candidate area as the abnormal area according to the result of the comparison.
US08396269B2
Image quality is assessed for a digital image that is a composite of tiles or other image segments, especially focus accuracy for a microscopic pathology sample. An algorithm or combination of algorithms correlated to image quality is applied to pixel data at margins where adjacent image segments overlap and thus contain the same content in separately acquired images. The margins may be edges merged to join the image segments smoothly into a composite image, and typically occur on four sides of the image segments. The two versions of the same image content at each margin are processed by the quality algorithm, producing two assessment values. A sign and difference value are compared with other image segments, including by subsets selected for the orientation of the margins on sides on the image segments. The differences are mapped to displays. Selection criteria determine segments to be re-acquired.
US08396254B1
Methods and systems for estimating a location of a robot are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises a robot capturing range images indicating distances from the robot to a plurality of objects in an environment. The method further comprises transmitting to a server a query based on the range images, receiving from the server a mapping of the environment and, based on the distances and the mapping, estimating a location of the robot. In another embodiment, the method comprises receiving from a robot range images of an environment and, based on the range images, determining an inventory of objects in the environment. The method further comprises, based on the inventory, identifying the environment and transmitting to the robot a mapping of the environment.
US08396253B2
A method of recognizing a location of a user including detecting the user's two eyes and mouth of their face is provided, which includes calculating a ratio of a distance between the two eyes to a distance between a middle point of the two eyes and the mouth, calculating a rotation angle of the face according to the ratio, and detecting a distance between the face and the camera based on the rotation angle.
US08396245B2
A device and a method are disclosed for visualizing positions on a surface by means of a marking which is produced by an optically detectable radiation. In order to permit a residue-free marking which can be observed with a camera from partly extremely oblique observation directions, the device has an optical waveguide, which is coupled to a radiation source and whose light output region can be located at a desired position of the surface in order to emit optically detectable radiation at the desired position of the surface through the optical waveguide. As a result, the radiation is emitted at the desired position of the surface in various spatial directions.
US08396241B2
There is provided a sound field adjusting method that can provide an acoustic improvement effect tailored to the characteristics of various acoustic rooms, with small differences in reflection properties between sound receiving points. The diameters of a plurality of columnar reflectors are calculated so as to diffuse sound waves of respective different frequency ranges. An arrangement condition is calculated so that the columnar reflectors having the calculated diameters form a plurality of reflecting surfaces that reflect the sound waves of different frequency ranges in random reflection directions, with random reflection time delays, or in random phases. The plurality of columnar reflectors having respective different diameters are then arranged under the arrangement condition. The arrangement condition is calculated to form a reflecting surface for a sound wave of a higher frequency range near a sound source, and form a reflecting surface for a sound wave of a lower frequency range far from the sound source. A sound absorbing structure by using the internal space of the arranged columnar reflectors provides effective countermeasures against low-range standing waves.
US08396238B2
An In-The-Ear (ITE) device is disclosed. This ITE is adapted for connection to a cable from a Behind-The-Ear (BTE) device, the ITE device including a releasable mechanical retention device for the cable, such that the cable may be customized in length and may be attached to the retention device.
US08396222B2
A key distribution system for controlling access to content by rendering devices, comprising an epoch module to provide epochs, each epoch including service key periods, a service key module to provide a batch of service keys, a group module to provide group keys for each epoch such that each rendering device is assigned a group key grouping together the devices having the same group key, thereby defining groups, in different epochs the devices are grouped differently, an encryption module to encrypt, for each epoch, each service key in the batch of service keys, individually with each group key yielding a plurality of group-key-encrypted service keys from each service key, and a delivery module to distribute to the devices, for each one of the epochs, the group-key-encrypted service keys for the batch of service keys and the group keys of the one epoch. Related apparatus and methods are also described.
US08396214B2
A method and apparatus for protecting a remote computer connected through a network to a main computer, by creating a cryptokey on the main computer, supplying the cryptokey to the remote computer and mounting a partition on the remote computer using the cryptokey. The cryptokey is not persistently stored on the remote computer but rather saved in its memory, and the connection of the remote computer to the main computer is periodically tested. Once the remote computer is disconnected, the encrypted partition is unmounted and the cryptokey is erased form the memory, thus disabling access of an attacker to data stored in the encrypted partition. The method incorporates swap partition encryption using a cryptokey created each time during the boot of the remote computer.
US08396212B2
A method of generating a key stream for a precomputed state information table. The method comprises initializing a counter and an accumulator with non-zero values; combining state information identified by the counter with the accumulator; swapping state information identified by the counter with state information identified by the accumulator; combining the two pieces of state information; outputting the state information identified by the combination as a byte of the key stream; adding a predetermined number odd number to the counter; and repeating the above steps to produce each byte of the key stream.
US08396206B2
Embodiments of a multi-channel audio communication device and methods for reducing echoes are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In some embodiments, echo-reduction circuitry may insert training signals into digital audio signals at or below a noise floor and in a non-audible portion of the frequency spectrum based on a spectral mask. Training signals may be generated from spectrum estimates and training sequences. An adaptive filter may generate echo-cancellation signals using filter coefficients generated fawn the training sequences and return-path signals. The echo cancellation signals may remove echo signals from the return-path signals.
US08396204B2
A method for determining call center resource allocation can include modeling call center performance over an operations time period using a computer. A number of replicas of the modeled call center performance are simulated, using the computer, over a planning time period, each replica having random contact arrivals and contact service times following a stochastic arrival and service process according to a probability distributions of inter-arrival time and service time. Multiple iterations of each simulation are run on the computer to optimize call center resource allocation. A particular simulation iteration is tested against a criterion of convergence, and call center resource is allocated based on the particular simulation iteration with a successful criterion of convergence.
US08396199B2
Personal mobility, multiparty control, and device augmentation features are provided within a voice-over-Internet protocol environment, such as a distributed feature composition (DFC) telecommunications architecture. The personal mobility features allow a caller to be identified to a callee using a desired identifier in place of an identifier of the device from which a call is made. Such personal mobility features are made available in multiparty calling environments and after mid-call moves. Device augmentation features provide enhanced calling options to a device that may otherwise be unequipped to provide such options, thus enabling personal mobility and multiparty control features across a wide variety of telecommunications devices.
US08396193B2
A system for facilitating communications with an automated response system includes a database for storing an address book entry. The address book entry includes a location name and contact number for a location that employs an automated response platform that does not accept voice commands. The address book entry also includes at least one stored voice command related to a navigation command of the automated response platform and one stored associated assigned keystroke for the command. A voice response signal digital signal processor receives a voice input from a user corresponding to the stored voice command. A telephonic signal generator is included, such that when the user utters the voice input corresponding to the stored voice command, the system recalls the stored associated assigned keystroke and delivers a signal corresponding to the keystroke as a telephonic signal to the automated response platform.
US08396187B2
The different advantageous embodiments provide an apparatus and a method for inspecting a surface of a work piece. In one advantageous embodiment, an apparatus comprising a number of tracks, a support structure, connection system, and controller is disclosed. The number of tracks are configured for placement along a path. The support structure is configured to move on the number of tracks. The X-ray system is moveably connected to the support structure. The X-ray system is configured to send a plurality of X-rays toward a work piece and is configured to move along an axis through the support structure. The connection system is configured to removably connect the number of tracks to the work piece using a vacuum applied to a surface of the work piece. The controller is configured to activate and deactivate the X-ray system based on an amount of vacuum applied to the surface of the work piece.
US08396184B2
An X-ray CT system of an embodiment includes the following. An imaging region data acquisition part is configured to acquire a first imaging region and a second imaging region that have different widths from each other in the body axial direction based on a scanogram as imaging regions for performing scan imaging. An irradiation field control part is configured to obtain irradiation fields for the first and the second imaging regions, and control an irradiation field regulating part corresponding to the relative positions by a moving part so as to realize the irradiation fields obtained for each the imaging region. An X-ray control part is configured to control an X-ray generating part corresponding to the relative positions by the moving part so as to irradiate X-rays to the first and the second imaging regions for the scan imaging.
US08396182B2
A method to capture, retain and remove debris falling into a nuclear reactor fuel bundle assembly including a bundle of fuel rods mounted below an upper tie plate and housed in a hollow metal channel, the method includes: inserting a debris shield in the upper tie plate; maintaining the shield in the upper tie plate and above the fuel rods, and water rods, while the fuel bundle assembly is in an operating nuclear reactor core; capturing debris falling in the fuel assembly on the debris shield; after capturing the debris, removing the fuel bundle assembly with the inserted debris shield from the nuclear reactor core to a maintenance/fuel inspection pool and thereafter removing the debris shield from the upper tie plate, cleaning and then reinserting the cleaned debris shield back into the upper tie plate, and moving the fuel bundle assembly from the maintenance/fuel inspection pool back into the nuclear reactor core.
US08396179B2
Disclosed is a frame synchronizing device and method for a binary data transmission system wherein digital data are transmitted as a serial bit stream organized into frames, each frame including a pre-defined frameheader, wherein said serial bit stream is inputted into a serial input portion of a serial input parallel output shift register means having at least as many stages as the number of bits of a frame, and said frames are outputted in a consecutive order from a parallel output portion of said shift register means. The particularity of the present invention is that it is detected whether or not a frameheader is present in the output of said parallel output portion, and, if not, the outputting of a frame from said parallel output portion is delayed by at least one time period which is needed for shifting a bit in said serial input portion from a stage to a next one, until synchronization is reached.
US08396176B2
An OFDM receiving device for settling a problem of complicated configuration is provided, in that the OFDM receiving device receives an OFDM signal where no smaller than one specific sub-carriers among plurality of sub-carriers are modulated by a known modulation signal sk(t), and includes a converting means for converting the received OFDM signal into the received signals for each sub-carrier, an extracting means for extracting the ingredient caused by a frequency drift and a phase noise based on received signal rk(t) of the specific sub-carrier and the known modulation signal sk(t), and a compensating means for H) compensating the received signal of the sub-carrier using the extracted ingredient.
US08396170B2
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided in which a payload is received, the payload having a known portion and an unknown portion. The payload is decoded through correlation, where correlation includes the generation of a plurality of payload hypothesis based on possible combinations of the unknown portion and using the known portion and the generation of a metric value based on each of the plurality of payload hypothesis. The received payload is selected through a determination of the payload hypothesis having a largest generated metric value.
US08396164B2
A receiving device includes a receiving circuit and an impedance control circuit. The receiving circuit receives a signal transmitted through a communication line. The impedance control circuit is coupled with the receiving circuit and has a detecting part. The detecting part detects a physical value of the signal and the physical value includes at least one of a voltage, an electric current, and an electric power. The impedance control circuit changes an input impedance based on the detected value so that a ringing of the signal is reduced.
US08396159B2
Methods and apparatus to communicate between a local component and a remote component, where the local component is connected to the remote component using a non-deterministic communication link. A local clock is synchronized with a remote clock to within a maximum offset. A rate message from the remote component is received at the local component, where the rate message includes a first time stamp. A data rate is adjusted using the rate message when the time of the local clock substantially matches a time determined using the first time stamp. A data message is sent to the remote component using the adjusted data rate, where the data message includes a second time stamp for use in processing data in the data message. In some implementations, the time determined using the first time stamp is also determined using information about a communication link delay and/or a clock offset.
US08396152B2
A data-optimized communication system provides support for legacy access terminals, such as access terminals operating under the 1xEV-DO standard. The system also supports multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications with access terminals configured to support MIMO. A number of MIMO spatial signatures are predefined or negotiated. MIMO rank and an identifier of the spatial signature determined at the MIMO access terminal are sent on the I-Branch and Q-Branch of the existing 1xEV-DO structure. In one embodiment, 1-bit rank and 3-bit spatial signature are transmitted through the I-Branch as a 4-bit symbol, replacing the data rate control (DRC) channel. In another embodiment, a 4-bit spatial signature is transmitted through the I-Branch, also replacing the DRC channel. A 2-bit rank is transmitted together with a 4-bit DRC channel through the Q-Branch. The 2-bit rank and the DRC channel can be distinguished because they are sent using different orthogonal codeword Walsh covers.
US08396145B2
A transmission band of an analog signal including successive symbols to be transmitted is notched, where each symbol includes sub-carriers to be modulated. In particular, in each symbol the sub-carriers corresponding to a part of the transmission band to be notched are suppressed. In addition, in each symbol a chosen part of the remaining sub-carriers to be modulated is also suppressed.
US08396139B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for sending information over under-utilized channels in wireless systems. In one embodiment, a method for use in a cellular system in which a channel allocated to a primary user is underutilized at times, comprises: creating a unique 0-1 valued permutation code to transmit bits of a secondary user on a channel of the primary user; creating one or more codewords based on a first set of symbols to be transmitted for the primary user and the permutation code; and transmitting the one or more codewords on the channel.
US08396135B2
A video coding method, comprising the following steps: a) successive images (F) of a video sequence are coded to generate coding parameters, b) the coding parameters are included in an output stream (Φ) to be transmitted to a station (B) including a decoder (2), c) back channel information on reconstruction of the images of the video sequence by the decoder is received from said station, d) the back channel information is analyzed in order: d1) to identify a reconstructed image that includes a portion that has been lost in the decoder, d2) to identify in the subsequent coded images between said reconstructed image and a current image to be coded an image portion that refers to said lost portion identified in the step d1), e) said current image of the video sequence is coded in a coding mode that is a function of the identification or non-identification of a lost portion in the step d).
US08396132B2
A moving picture coding apparatus (10a) according to the present invention includes a level analyzer (100a) that decides the maximum number of intra frame pixels which can be coded (Nfpx) and the maximum number of storage pixels which can be stored in a picture memory of a decoding apparatus (Nspx) on the basis of a level identifier (Lst) indicating a coding level that is designated by the user, thereby judging whether coding of an input image is possible or not and calculating the maximum number of reference pictures (Nrpn) as the number of reference candidate pictures which can be referred to at inter picture prediction coding, on the basis of the maximum number of intra frame pixels (Nfpx) and the input image size (the number of vertical pixels (Nhpx) and the number of horizontal pixels (Nwpx)). A decoding apparatus to which a bit stream from the moving picture coding apparatus (10a) is supplied can always decode the bit stream satisfactorily, and perform inter picture prediction decoding corresponding to the inter picture prediction coding on the coding end. Consequently, memory areas of a coding apparatus and a decoding apparatus that are adapted to a coding method in which there is no restraint on the capacity of the memory area can be designed.
US08396131B2
A method and a system for obtaining motion vectors and boundary strengths of an image are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: S202, determining motion vector prediction direction information and motion vector calculation method information of a block to be decoded currently according to a type of the block to be decoded currently and a type of a macroblock/sub-macroblock in which the block to be decoded currently is located; S204, obtaining related information needed to calculate a motion vector of the block to be decoded currently using the motion vector prediction direction information according to the motion vector calculation method information; and S206, calculating the motion vector of the block to be decoded currently using the related information obtained, and calculating a boundary strength of the block to be decoded currently using the motion vector of the block to be decoded currently.
US08396129B2
A mipmap generator generates pairs of mipmaps that are each of a lower resolution that its respective source image. A single-pass, gradient-based motion vector generator generates an image motion vector map having values that represent the motion trajectories for pixels in the first and second source images. An image interpolator generates an interpolated image based on the source images and the image motion vector map. A motion detector generates a motion factor map based on a pair of mipmaps from those generated by the mipmap generator that represents a detected degree of motion between the first and second source images. The blending module generates a blended, upconverted new image using the motion factor map, the interpolated image and one of the first and second motion maps.
US08396122B1
Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to a video codec that facilitates parallel processing operations is implemented on a graphics processing unit or other hardware device. The codec encodes video frames by dividing a frame into macroblocks and processing the macroblocks in parallel either via plane fitting operations or by motion estimation adjustments. A gathering operation writes the data of each macroblock onto an output stream in a parallel processing operation to accelerate writing the output from the memory of the graphics processing unit to a main memory of a hardware system.
US08396120B2
An encoding manager facilitates robust single-pass variable bit rate video encoding of a video sequence. Before encoding the video sequence, the encoding manager determines the size of a buffer to use for keeping track of over/under used bits generated during encoding. The encoding manager uses the target bit rate for the video sequence and the length of the video sequence to determine the size of the buffer. After allocating bits to a frame of the sequence, the encoding manager determines the quant to use to encode that frame. The determination of a quant to use to encode a frame is informed by the fullness of the buffer. The encoding manager adjusts the quant to use (and thus the aggressiveness of its encoding) in response to the amount of overflow generated thus far by the encoding of the video sequence.
US08396119B1
A method for compressing data samples using randomized quantization bins is disclosed. The method generally comprises steps (A) to (C). Step (A) may generate a size signal having a quantization step size corresponding to the data samples in an input signal using a compression circuit. The data samples generally reside in a range of numbers. Step (B) may generate the randomized quantization bins in the range based on a pseudorandom process. Step (C) may generate a plurality of quantized samples in a compressed signal by quantizing the data samples based on the randomized quantization bins.
US08396115B2
A video processing system is provided with video encoding apparatus 1 and video decoding apparatus 2. The encoding apparatus 1 outputs a maximum delay time that is incurred by backward prediction, in addition to encoded data D1 resulting from encoding of video data D0. The decoding apparatus 2 effects input of the maximum delay time that is incurred by backward prediction, in addition to encoded data D1 from the encoding apparatus 1. Then the decoding apparatus 2 decodes the encoded data D1 with reference to the input maximum delay time to generate motion video data D2.
US08396114B2
A video encoding system encodes video streams for multiple bit rate video streaming using an approach that permits the encoded bit rate to vary subject to a peak bit rate and average bit rate constraints for higher quality streams, while a bottom bit rate stream is encoded to achieve a constant chunk rate. The video encoding system also dynamically decides an encoding resolution for segments of the multiple bit rate video streams that varies with video complexity so as to achieve a better visual experience for multiple bit rate streaming.
US08396113B2
Provided is a data receiving device and method for shortening a channel switching time in a DMB system. The device includes a CDM channel for receiving a broadcasting signal from a DMB satellite, demodulating the broadcast signal, and generating a MPEG2-TS packet. a GOP buffer for receiving the MPEG2-TS packet, checking whether or not the received MPEG2-TS packet is a key frame, and, when it is determined that the received MPEG2-TS packet is the key frame, initializing the buffer and storing the received MPEG2-TS packet as a GOP unit, a channel switch for switching a channel of a DMB service to the GOP buffer, an A/V reproducing buffer for buffering a predetermined amount of A/V data to reproduce the A/V data of the GOP buffer; and an A/V decoder for receiving and decoding the A/V data.
US08396112B2
A variable power supply voltage generator generates a variable power supply voltage Vvar and supplies it to other circuits. A transmitting circuit 130 (or 140), operative at the variable power supply voltage Vvar, generates multi-value analog signals Smulti and transmits them to other circuits. A receiving circuit 140 (or 130), operative at the variable power supply voltage Vvar, receives the multi-value analog signals Smulti and subjects them to A/D conversion to generate multi-value digital signals. The threshold voltage generator generates threshold voltages used for A/D conversion from the variable power supply voltage Vvar or from a signal having a voltage value proportional to that of the variable power supply voltage Vvar and supplies them to the receiving circuit. An analog clock generator 120 generates an analog clock signal having a cyclical analog waveform. In response to the analog clock signal, a clock pulse generator 150 generates a clock pulse signal having a cycle period of 1/N of the cycle period of the analog clock signal. The clock-synchronous circuits 130, 140 operate synchronously with the clock pulse signals generated by the clock pulse generator 150.
US08396097B1
In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, a device includes: a first frequency search engine configured to receive input values and determine a frequency of a signal to be within a first frequency band; a second delay component configured to store at least a portion of the plurality of input values; and a second frequency search engine configured to determine the frequency of the signal to be within a second band that is a subset of the first band. The first frequency search engine includes: a shift register configured to store bits of the input values; a combining circuit configured to combine bits of the plurality of input values; a first delay component configured to serially store a plurality of accumulator values; and a feedback circuit configured to add a function of the first delay component output to a next accumulator value to obtain a modified next accumulator value.
US08396095B2
The present invention relates to a method for decoding a composite radio signal at a receiver in an OFDM based radio communication system, said composite radio signal being a superposition of at least two signals sent by at least one transmitter, each signal having signal properties, in particular modulation scheme, coding scheme, said at least two signals being transmitted using the same radio resource on a set of frequency subchannels of said OFDM system.According to the present invention, the method comprises the steps of: gathering at said receiver information on said signal properties of the respective signals comprised in said composite radio signal; selecting, depending on said signal properties of said respective signals, the signal to be decoded first out of said composite radio signal; decoding said signal to be decoded first according to its signal properties, and subtracting the contribution of said signal to be decoded first from said composite radio signal.
US08396092B2
An optically pumped semiconductor apparatus having a surface-emitting semiconductor body (1) which has a radiation passage area (1a) which faces away from a mounting plane of the semiconductor body (1), and an optical element (7) which is suitable for directing pump radiation (17) onto the radiation passage area (1a) of the semiconductor body (1).
US08396090B2
A laser system employs a window integrated in the surface of a weapon platform. A high energy laser is mounted in the weapon platform to provide a laser beam which is received by a Coude' path for internal direction of the beam. A beam director receives the laser beam from the Coude' path and employs an outer steering assembly and an inner steering assembly to cooperatively provide pointing of a centerline of the laser beam at a substantially single location on the window for a full conical field of regard.
US08396080B2
A method of processing control information in a mobile communication system is disclosed, by which an RRC connection setup can be quickly completed and by which control information can be processed without an unnecessary standby of a mobile terminal. The present invention includes the steps of receiving a plurality of protocol data units transmitted plural time from a transmitting side via one common logical channel by an RLC (radio link control) entity operating in a UM (unacknowledged mode) and having a receiving window and a timer, re-ordering a plurality of the received protocol data units using sequence numbers of a plurality of the received protocol data units, the receiving window and the timer, reassembling at least one service data unit by processing a plurality of the re-ordered protocol data units, and delivering the at least one service data unit.
US08396074B1
Methods for appending additional device, location, and/or presence information to a mobile-originated short message are taught herein. One such method for appending additional device information includes receiving a MO short message at a message center. The MO short message includes a content request. Message center sends a query to a subscriber directory for device information corresponding to the device of the requesting subscriber. The subscriber directory searches for the device information and generates a response to be sent to the message center, the response including the device information. The subscriber directory sends the response to the message center, which appends the device information to the MO short message. The message center then sends the short message to the destination, for example, a content provider. Methods for appending location and/or presence information are also taught.
US08396065B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus can be used to filter packet reflections. In various implementations, packets received on a subscriber side of a device having a source address identifying a service provider device can be dropped. In other implementations, portions of packets forwarded to a subscriber side of a device can be cached and compared to portions of packets received on a subscriber side of the device.
US08396064B2
A packet network employs frame aggregation to reduce the number of physical-layer frames employed to transfer a given amount of user data. A packet network might employ physical (PHY) and medium access control (MAC) layers of a wireless local area network (WLAN) operating in accordance with one or more IEEE 802.11 standards. Frame aggregation combines several separate, higher-layer frames with user data into one PHY-layer frame, thus increasing the amount of user data per PHY-layer frame transmitted. Frame aggregation improves the efficiency by reducing both PHY-layer overhead and MAC-layer overhead.
US08396058B2
In one form of the invention, a process of sending real-time information from a sender computer (103) to a receiver computer (105) coupled to the sender computer (103) by a packet network (100) wherein packets (111,113) sometimes become lost, includes steps of directing (441) packets (111) containing the real-time information from the sender computer (103) by at least one path (119) in the packet network (100) to the receiver computer (105), and directing packets (113) containing information dependent on the real-time information from the sender computer (103) by at least one path diversity path (117) in the packet network (100) to the same receiver computer (105). Other forms of the invention encompass other processes, improved packets and packet ensembles (111,113), integrated circuits (610), chipsets (DSP 1721, MCU), computer cards (1651), information storage articles (1511,1611), systems, computers (103,105), gateways (191,193), routers (131,133), cellular telephone handsets (181,189), wireless base stations (183,187), appliances (1721,1731,1741), and packet networks (100), and other forms as disclosed and claimed.
US08396047B2
A wireless communication device receives at least a section of a subframe from a base station in a wireless communication system. The subframe includes transmission resources multiplexed onto subcarriers of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) symbols. A first set of OFDM symbols includes a reference signal and at least a second set of OFDM symbols includes information other than the reference signal (e.g., channel-coded data). The wireless device determines which OFDM symbols of the subframe constitute the first set of OFDM symbols based on an identifier associated with a base station that transmitted the subframe. The wireless device may then process the reference signal from the OFDM symbols that are determined to be the first set of OFDM symbols. The wireless device may also determine which OFDM symbols of the subframe constitute the second set of OFDM symbols and process non-reference signal information from OFDM symbols of the second set.
US08396034B2
A method of determining a cell identity in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The present invention includes the steps of obtaining a segment ID and a sequence index from an SA-preamble (secondary advanced preamble) sequence received from a base station and determining the cell identity using the segment ID and the sequence index. In this case, the cell identity corresponds to one SA-preamble sequence and a cell identity adjacent to the cell identity corresponds to an SA-preamble sequence having a complex conjugate relation of the one SA-preamble sequence.
US08396024B2
A method (300, 400, 500, 600) of communicating with a subscriber station (102). Responsive to determining that a supplemental communication link with the subscriber station is desirable, at least a second access point (106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116) can be identified to establish the supplemental communication link with the subscriber station. Information can be communicated to the second access point. The information can identify the subscriber station and a pilot zone in which downlink supplemental data is to be transmitted from the second access point to the subscriber station. Downlink supplemental data (150) also can be communicated to the second access point. The downlink supplemental data can improve integrity of data transmitted from a first access point (104) to the subscriber station when the downlink supplemental data is transmitted to the subscriber station from the second access point.
US08396023B2
A ‘smart’ sub-channel hopping control mechanism executes one or more sub-channel selection discriminators to enable the communications controller of a spectral reuse transceiver to delineate on which of a plurality sub-channels the spectral reuse transceiver may transmit, so as to substantially improve FEC performance.
US08396020B2
Among a plurality of point-to-multipoint control channels provided by a cell, a particular point-to-multipoint control channel is selected according to a preferred way of receiving the point-to-multipoint service. Control information related to the point-to-multipoint service is received through the selected point-to-multipoint control channel, and then the point-to-multipoint service is received according to the control information.
US08396016B2
A method and apparatus are provided for transmitting data to access terminals by an access node in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system operating at least 128 Medium Access Control Identifiers (MAC IDs) in one sector. A preamble set for transmitting a multi-user packet (MUP) is configured to a specific access terminal, information on the preamble set is provided to the terminal, and data is transmitted to an access terminal having a MAC ID of 128 or higher using a preamble corresponding to the MAC ID. If a specific access terminal has a MAC ID of 128 or higher, the preamble set includes at least one preamble with which the access terminal determines whether the MUP is received. The access node provides information on the preamble set to the access terminal during session configuration.
US08396003B2
An apparatus controlling multiple radio processes for simultaneous operation At least one of the radio processes uses a substantially continuous transmitter. A controller is configured to determine an interference level and change parameters in the transmitter in order to reduce the interference level. Parameters controlled by the controller include the transmission frequency, modulation method, signal level and a received signal quality.
US08396002B2
The disclosed embodiments provide apparatus and methods for establishing a group communications session with selected ones of a plurality of communications devices that define a call group. The apparatus includes a dispatch module operable to receive event information and communication device information associated with each of the plurality of communications devices. The dispatch module is further operable to define the members of the call group based on a predetermined relationship between their respective device information and the event information. Additional embodiments include apparatus and methods for dispatching event information to such an ad hoc call group.
US08395985B2
A base station receives uplink signals from a wireless device and transmits at least one time alignment command computed based, at least in part, on timing of the received uplink signals. The time alignment command comprises a time adjustment value and an index identifying a carrier group.
US08395980B2
When information is recorded or reproduced on or from an optical information medium having three or more recording layers using blue light, interference by another layer light is reduced and, when information is reproduced from an optical information medium using red light, an S/N ratio is held excellently high.An optical head device includes a first laser light source (1) which emits blue light, a second laser light source (2) which emits red light, an objective lens (11) which focuses the blue light onto a recording layer of a first optical disc (12) or focuses the red light onto a recording layer of a second optical disc (13), a photodetector (9) which receives the blue light reflected by the recording layer of the first optical disc (12) or the red light reflected by the recording layer of the second optical disc (13) and outputs an electric signal in accordance with an amount of the received blue light or red light, and a wavelength selective light blocking region (7x) which blocks a predetermined range of the blue light including an optical axis thereof to prevent the predetermined range from reaching the photodetector (9), and transmits the red light.
US08395973B2
Incident light can be efficiently converted into near-field light whose spot size is small. A waveguide 10 includes: a metallic member 11 made of a metallic material; and a dielectric member 12 made of a dielectric material. The metallic member 11 includes a first interface 16 and a second interface 18 so as to sandwich the dielectric member 12. The first interface and the second interface are provided so that an inter-interface distance therebetween may decrease from ends 16c and 18c to ends 16d and 18d. The first interface 16 and the second interface 18 have flections P16 and P18, respectively.
US08395968B2
Providing indoor location, position, or tracking of a mobile computer using building information is disclosed. The mobile computer determines the dimensions of a room in a building using range determination or a range finder in the mobile computer. The determined dimensions of the room are compared to the building information to locate, position, or track the mobile computer in the building.
US08395967B2
A walkaway VSP survey is carried out with receivers located in a borehole under a salt overhang. Redatuming of the multicomponent data to virtual sources in the borehole followed by vector Kirchhoff migration using a simple velocity model provides an accurate image of the salt face.
US08395966B2
A technique includes obtaining seismic data acquired by seismic sensors of a composite seismic signal that is produced by the firings of multiple seismic sources. The technique includes modeling the seismic data as being a function of models for the sources and linear operators and defining desired constraints on the models. The technique includes simultaneously determining the models based on the modeling and the desired constraints. The datasets are generated based on the determined models. Each dataset is indicative of a component of the composite seismic signal and is attributable to a different one of the seismic sources.
US08395963B2
A circuit and method erase at power-up all data stored in a DRAM chip for increased data security. All the DRAM memory cells are erased by turning on the transistors for the DRAM storage cells simultaneously by driving the wordlines of all the cells to an activated state. With all the devices turned on, the data stored in the memory cells is erased as the voltage of all the cells connected to a common bitline coalesce to a single value. In a preferred embodiment, the wordlines are all turned on simultaneously during a power on reset period. Preferably a power on reset signal is used to drive each logic gate of the pre-decoder portion of the address decoder in order to assert all the wordlines.
US08395947B2
A memory device with increased communication bandwidth is described. In this memory device, control logic routes data signals from a memory array using inactive bitlines in response to a read command. These data signals are then placed on an adjacent unused input/output (I/O) line or routing channel, as opposed to a proximate I/O line that is in use. For example, unused bitlines located on the top and bottom of the memory array may be used to route data signals to adjacent local I/O lines. In particular, the data signals can be placed on unused local I/O lines which are associated with adjacent bitline sense amplifiers. The resulting increased communication bandwidth can overcome the constraints imposed by the limited number of local I/O lines in the memory device without appreciably increasing the chip size, power consumption, or cost.
US08395930B2
A method includes applying a first polarity writing voltage pulse to a metal oxide layer to change its resistance state from high to low into a write state, applying a second polarity erasing voltage pulse different from the first polarity to the metal oxide layer to change its resistance state from low to high into an erase state, and applying an initial voltage pulse having the second polarity to the metal oxide layer before first application of the writing voltage pulse, to change an initial resistance value of the metal oxide layer. R0>RH>RL and |V0|>|Ve|≧|Vw| are satisfied where R0, RL, and RH are the resistance values of the initial, write, and erase states, respectively, of the metal oxide layer, and V0, Vw, and Ve are voltage values of the initial, writing, and erasing voltage pulses, respectively.
US08395928B2
A threshold device including a plurality of adjacent tunnel barrier layers that are in contact with one another and are made from a plurality of different dielectric materials is disclosed. A memory plug having first and second terminals includes, electrically in series with the first and second terminals, the threshold device and a memory element that stores data as a plurality of conductivity profiles. The threshold device is operative to impart a characteristic I-V curve that defines current flow through the memory element as a function of applied voltage across the terminals during data operations. The threshold device substantially reduces or eliminates current flow through half-selected or un-selected memory plugs and allows a sufficient magnitude of current to flow through memory plugs that are selected for read and write operations. The threshold device reduces or eliminates data disturb in half-selected memory plugs and increases S/N ratio during read operations.
US08395927B2
A memory device in a 3-D read and write memory includes memory cells. Each memory cell includes a resistance-switching memory element (RSME) in series with a steering element. The RSME has a resistance-switching layer, a conductive intermediate layer, and first and second electrodes at either end of the RSME. A breakdown layer is electrically between, and in series with, the second electrode and the intermediate layer. The breakdown layer maintains a resistance of at least about 1-10 MΩ while in a conductive state. In a set or reset operation of the memory cell, an ionic current flows in the resistance-switching layers, contributing to a switching mechanism. An electron flow, which does not contribute to the switching mechanism, is reduced due to scattering by the conductive intermediate layer, to avoid damage to the steering element. Particular materials and combinations of materials for the different layers of the RSME are provided.
US08395919B2
A power inverter system includes a DC to AC inverter configured to convert DC voltage from a DC power source to AC voltage. A DC link couples the DC power source and the inverter. An inverter pre-charger operates to pre-charge the inverter to achieve a desired DC link voltage prior to connecting the power inverter system to an AC power grid. A phased lock loop synchronizes the pre-charged inverter to the AC power grid prior to connecting the power inverter system to the AC power grid. The pre-charged inverter regulates the DC link voltage to about the minimum voltage level that allows control of AC grid currents via the inverter subsequent to connecting the power inverter system to the AC grid. The inverter operates in a maximum power point tracking control mode only subsequent to a first voltage transient caused by connecting the DC power source to energize the power inverter system.
US08395917B2
A redundant AC-DC power supply system and method is disclosed. A first AC-DC power converter is configured to generate a first output voltage and a first relay is configured to selectively couple and decouple the first AC-DC power converter to an output of an output circuit. A second AC-DC power converter is configured to generate a second output voltage. A second relay is configured to selectively couple and decouple the second AC-DC power converter to the output. A controller is configured to operate the first and second AC-DC power converters and the first and second relays to provide redundant sources of power for the output and to mitigate circulating current flow between the first and second AC-DC power converters.
US08395910B2
Methods and systems for transforming electric power between two or more portals. Any or all portals can be DC, single phase AC, or multi-phase AC. Conversion is accomplished by a plurality of bi-directional conducting and blocking semiconductor switches which alternately connect an inductor and parallel capacitor between said portals, such that energy is transferred into the inductor from one or more input portals and/or phases, then the energy is transferred out of the inductor to one or more output portals and/or phases, with said parallel capacitor facilitating “soft” turn-off, and with any excess inductor energy being returned back to the input. Soft turn-on and reverse recovery is also facilitated. Said bi-directional switches allow for two power transfers per inductor/capacitor cycle, thereby maximizing inductor/capacitor utilization as well as providing for optimum converter operation with high input/output voltage ratios. Control means coordinate the switches to accomplish the desired power transfers.
US08395907B2
A multi-sensor alarm apparatus, may prevent and/or may deter a theft and/or a removal of one or more articles from a display stand. A base, a main body and a head unit are provided. The base and the main body are secured to the display stand. The multi-sensor alarm apparatus monitors an integrity of the attachment of the main body to the base with a separation sensor. Further, the multi-sensor alarm apparatus monitors sensors connected to the head unit and/or to the main body. The sensors may be removed and/or added as needed depending on the articles to be secured.
US08395901B2
Vertically-stacked electronic devices having conductive carbon films are disclosed. The vertically-stacked devices exhibit non-linear current-versus-voltage response over a voltage sweep range in various embodiments. The vertically-stacked devices may be assembled into arrays where the vertically-stacked devices may be electrically addressed independently of one another. Uses of the vertically-stacked electronic devices and arrays as two-terminal memory devices, logic units, and sensors are disclosed. Crossbar arrays of vertically-stacked electronic devices having conductive carbon films and nanowire electrodes are disclosed.
US08395896B2
Redundant cooling systems and methods are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a method for redundant cooling system of computer systems and other electronics may comprise thermally connecting a cooling fluid to one or more heat-generating components to absorb heat from the heat-generating components during operation. The method may also comprise thermally connecting the cooling fluid to a primary coolant and a secondary coolant. The method may also comprise exchanging heat between the cooling fluid and the primary coolant or the secondary coolant to remove heat from the cooling fluid even if one of the cooling sources is unavailable.
US08395895B2
An image reading device, and more particularly an image reading device having a cooler capable of preventing introduction of impurities and reducing vibration and noise. The image reading device includes a body having a reading unit, and a cooler disposed in the body cooling the reading unit. The cooler includes a housing, a cooling unit disposed in the body and moving air into the body, a filter member disposed apart from the cooling unit and removing dust contained in the air, and a damper member having one side supported by the filter member and the other side supported by the cooling unit.
US08395894B2
Disclosed is a three-layer protective enclosure that provides resistance to water, dust, dirt, and bump protection for sensitive computers. In one embodiment, an inner membrane layer is provided, which is a thin, flexible layer that protects portions of a computer and allows the user to interact with keyboards, push buttons and other interactive features of the computer. A protective hard shell fits tightly over the membrane and provides additional sealing and rigidity to the protective enclosure. A stretchable cushion layer is placed over the hard shell which conforms to the hard shell and seals moisture, dust and dirt from entering the hard shell. The stretchable cushion layer provides cushioning and also allows access to certain controls on the computer. In another embodiment, a touch screen cover may be used with, or without, a membrane over other portions of the computer.
US08395880B2
A thin-film device system includes a substrate and a plurality of pillars. The plurality of pillars project from a surface of the substrate. Each of the plurality of pillars have a perimeter that includes at least four protrusions that define at least four recessed regions between the at least four protrusions. Each of the at least four recessed regions of each of the plurality of pillars receives one protrusion from an adjacent one of the plurality of pillars. A thin-film device is fabricated over the plurality of pillars.
US08395866B1
A disk drive suspension circuit has copper signal conductors connected by vias through an insulative layer to respective stainless steel flying leads. The stainless steel flying leads are activated and plated with one or more metals, with a final layer over the flying lead being a layer such as gold, suitable for bonding to form bond pads. The gold bond pads may be attached using thermosonic welding, solder ball bonding, or other suitable methods to an electrical component such as wires or a the disk drive's pre-amp circuit.
US08395865B2
A suspension load beam for use in supporting a transducer head in a data storage system includes a front beam section, a rear beam section, and a middle beam section. The front beam section is configured to connect to a slider assembly carrying a transducer head. The rear beam section is configured to connect to an actuator arm. The middle beam section is located between the front beam section and the rear beam section. The middle beam section comprises a top thermal insulation layer, a bottom thermal insulation layer and a rigid layer between the top and bottom thermal insulation layers.
US08395862B2
The disk drive device includes a base member, a hub, a bearing unit which is arranged on the base member and which rotatably supports the hub, and a spindle drive unit which drives the hub to rotate. The spindle drive unit includes a stator core having a salient pole, a coil wound around the salient pole and a magnet opposed to the salient pole. The hub formed of magnetic material includes an outer cylinder portion engaged with an inner circumference of a recording disk and an inner cylinder portion to which an outer circumference of the magnet is fixed. The base member having a wire hole through which a wire from the coil passes, and a concavity that is formed at a bottom surface of the base member wherein the wire passes through the wire hole along a bottom face of the base member to a wiring member at the concavity.
US08395861B2
A disk drive device includes a fixed body section, a rotating body section, a bearing unit and a drive unit. The bearing unit includes a shaft that is a rotation center, a sleeve that has an accommodating portion in which the shaft is accommodated and that permits relative rotation around the shaft, a radial space defined by an inner wall surface of the sleeve-accommodating portion and an outer wall surface of the shaft, first and second radial dynamic pressure grooves that generate a radial dynamic pressure in at least one of the inner wall surface of the sleeve and the outer wall surface of the shaft that define the radial space, a lubricant charged into the radial space, and a porous filter that is disposed in at least a portion of the charging space in which the lubricant is charged, for capturing foreign matter contained in the lubricant.
US08395859B2
According to one embodiment, a method of detecting contact of a magnetic head with a magnetic disk by changing the dynamic flying height of the magnetic head in a magnetic disk drive is disclosed. The method can change control of a spindle motor configured to rotate the magnetic disk, from feedback control to open loop control. The method can detect a change in rotational speed of the magnetic disk during the open loop control. The method can detect contact of the magnetic head with the magnetic disk based on the detected change in the rotational speed.
US08395855B2
A shape memory alloy actuation apparatus comprises a camera lens element supported on the support structure by a plurality of resilient flexures that guide movement of the movable element along the optical axis. A shape memory alloy actuator biassed by the resilient flexures and an additional resilient biassing element is arranged to drive movement of the camera lens element. An end-stop limits movement of the camera lens element at a position where the shape memory alloy actuator has a predetermined length that is above the length corresponding on the local maximum resistance by an amount not greater than 15% of the difference between (i) the length corresponding to the local maximum resistance and (ii) the length corresponding to the local minimum resistance.
US08395851B2
The present invention provides an optical lens system comprising, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface; a second lens element with negative refractive power; a third lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface and a convex image-side surface; a fourth lens element; and a fifth lens element having a concave image-side surface, the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric and at least one inflection point being formed on the image-side surface. Such arrangement of optical elements can effectively minimize the size of the optical lens system, lower the sensitivity of the optical system, and obtain higher image resolution.
US08395847B2
A zoom lens includes sequentially from an object side a first lens group having a negative refractive power; a diaphragm; and a second lens group having a positive refractive power. Zoom from a wide angle edge to a telephoto edge is performed by displacement of the second lens group along an optical axis, toward the object side. Correction of imaging plane variation accompanying the zoom, is performed by displacement of the first lens group along the optical axis. The second lens group includes sequentially from the object side, a positive first lens having at least on aspheric surface and a positive second lens. Furthermore, a first condition υd21>63 and a second condition υd22>70 are satisfied, υd21 being the Abbe number for a d-line in the first lens of the second lens group and υd22 being the Abbe number for a d-line in the second lens of the second lens group.
US08395835B2
A 3D image display device with a 2D or 3D image mode switching barrier is provided. The image display device includes an image panel, color change regions spaced apart from each other in a repetitive pattern and selectively change into light transmission regions or light blockage regions, and a barrier having the color change regions.
US08395834B2
The deflecting mirror includes a fixed base member; a mirror having a reflection surface; a support member swingablly supporting the mirror; a pair of driving beam members, each having a first end connected with the fixed base member and a second end connected with the support member to support the support member from both sides; and a piezoelectric member fixed to each driving beam member and extending from the first or second end of each driving beam member while having length not longer than about half the length of the driving beam member. The piezoelectric member and the driving beam members constitute piezoelectric unimorph or bimorph structure. By applying voltage to the piezoelectric member, the driving beam members are driven at the same time in the same direction, thereby vibrating the support member in a direction perpendicular to the reflection surface of the mirror, resulting in swinging of the mirror.
US08395826B2
A scanning device comprising a first image sensor, a second image sensor module and a housing. The first image sensor module has a first image array sensor for scanning information from a first side of media. The second image sensor module is mounted opposite the first image sensor module so that the media can move to a scanning region between the first image sensor module and the second image sensor module. The second image sensor module has a second image array sensor for scanning information from a second side of the media. A housing is attached to the second image sensor module. When the media moves to the scanning region between the first image sensor module and the second image sensor module and exits the scanning region, when the media reenters the scanning region, the media impacts a convex region of the housing that causes the second image sensor module to move with respect to the first image sensor module and to thus provide sufficient separation distance between the second image sensor module and the first image sensor module to allow the media to re-enter the scanning region.
US08395823B2
Provided is a device that prevents unauthorized copying of a document to which copy inhibition information is added.
US08395822B2
An image processing method combining compression and watermark techniques is provided. In the method, a block is taken as a unit, and two ordered dither arrays mutually conjugate are used to code an original image, so as to insert information of a watermark into the original image during the coding process. Accordingly, the method generates a compressed image gives consideration to the compression ratio, the image quality and the data safety. On the other hand, the method also provides a procedure to extract the watermark from the compressed image, in order to verify whether the compressed image has been modified illegally.
US08395820B2
An image processing apparatus which sends attribute information to an output correction unit configured to determine based on the attribute information whether to print with only a black coloring material (K) or to print with a plurality of coloring materials (CMYK), includes an attribute change unit configured to make a determination to perform processing for changing the attribute information of compressed data, whose rendering color is monochrome and which is compressed by a compression format (MMR) for compressing a monochromatic image, from an attribute which is printed with a plurality of coloring materials to an attribute which is printed with only a black coloring material, and to perform the processing for changing the attribute information based on the determination.
US08395817B2
An image processing apparatus determines the attribute of a pixel block, which is composed of a prescribed number of pixels extracted from image data, and the attribute of an area in which each pixel of the pixel block belongs. Then, based upon the determined attribute of the image block and the determined attribute of the area in which each pixel belongs, the apparatus subjects the image data to processing, pixel by pixel.
US08395808B2
The technique of the present invention enhances the workability of bonding and improves the finish in poster printing. The procedure first sets multiple areas adjacent to one another in an image expressed by master image data, where each of the multiple areas corresponds to each unit page to be printed. The procedure then enlarges each of the adjacent areas by preset dimensions (corresponding to an enlarged area in marginless printing) and sequentially extracts image data included in each enlarged area. The procedure subsequently magnifies the extracted image data by a predetermined magnification to generate each piece of page image data. The area actually printed is a little greater than the size of each sheet of printing paper. This arrangement thus enables an image part, for example, each part of a letter ‘A’, to be printed to the top, bottom, left, and right sides of each sheet of printing paper. The image part printed in each sheet of printing paper is continuous with the image part printed in an adjoining sheet of printing paper.
US08395793B2
In an information processing apparatus that uses a stamp function to register and edit a stamp, the stamp function is used to set a variable character string or image as variable stamp information. When a document is printed in a printer, print data is generated by affixing the preset variable stamp information to the document.
US08395785B2
A sensor system and method for analyzing a feature in a sensing volume. The system projecting a pattern onto the feature and imaging the pattern where the pattern intersects with the feature, where the pattern is a series of lines that are encoded to identify at least one line of the series of lines.
US08395778B2
A soot number determining device has an intake line for taking in a soot-containing gas through a filter paper that has been introduced into the intake line. A transport apparatus transports a soot spot, which is produced at an intake position by virtue of the gas being taken in on the filter paper, by transporting the filter paper further to an evaluation position. A device is used to determine the extent of blackening of the filter paper.
US08395775B2
A fluorescent agent accumulation concentration measuring apparatus is configured to include a single-wavelength LED to radiate excitation light to a test bottle loaded in the inside, a barrier filter to transmit only fluorescence from the test bottle, a photoreceptor to receive the fluorescence through the barrier filter and output an electric signal, a detection processing circuit to conduct signal processing of the electric signal from the photoreceptor and detect the fluorescence intensity, and an operation circuit 26 to compare the detection result from the detection processing circuit with an analytical pattern stored in a pattern storage portion and calculate the peak time of the accumulation concentration in a tissue of a sample in the test bottle.
US08395773B2
Optical devices and methods for measuring samples while minimizing stray light are described. Such methods and devices are applicable to multiple fluid chambers with multiple sources as an integrated optical element. Light sources can be embedded onto a chip or microarray with multiple chambers, or can be part of an instrument arrangement.
US08395772B2
A sensor for an immersion system is disclosed. The sensor comprises: a sensing device, a transparent layer and an opaque patterning layer. The sensing device is configured to sense a property of a beam of radiation. The transparent layer is configured to allow the passage of a beam of radiation therethrough. The transparent layer covers the sensing device. The opaque patterning layer is configured to impart a pattern to the beam of radiation. In the patterning layer is an opening in which is located an infilling material. The infilling material is transparent to the beam of radiation and has a similar refractive index to that of the transparent layer.
US08395770B1
Spectroscopic chemical analysis methods and apparatus are disclosed which employ deep ultraviolet (e.g. in the 200 nm to 300 nm spectral range) electron beam pumped wide bandgap semiconductor lasers, incoherent wide bandgap semiconductor light emitting devices, and hollow cathode metal ion lasers to perform non-contact, non-invasive detection of unknown chemical analytes. These deep ultraviolet sources enable dramatic size, weight and power consumption reductions of chemical analysis instruments. Chemical analysis instruments employed in some embodiments include capillary and gel plane electrophoresis, capillary electrochromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, flow cytometry, flow cells for liquids and aerosols, and surface detection instruments. In some embodiments, Raman spectroscopic detection methods and apparatus use ultra-narrow-band angle tuning filters, acousto-optic tuning filters, and temperature tuned filters to enable ultra-miniature analyzers for chemical identification. In some embodiments Raman analysis is conducted along with photoluminescence spectroscopy (i.e. fluorescence and/or phosphorescence spectroscopy) to provide high levels of sensitivity and specificity in the same instrument.
US08395769B2
A method for assessing the presence of a pathogenic microorganism in a sample. A sample is illuminated to thereby produce a first plurality of interacted photons which may be scattered, emitted, reflected and/or absorbed by the sample. The first plurality of interacted photons are assessed to thereby generate a Raman data set representative of the sample. This Raman data set is analyzed to thereby determine at least one of: the presence of a pathogenic microorganism in said sample and the absence of a pathogenic microorganism in said sample. The Raman data set may comprise at least one of a Raman spectrum and/or a Raman chemical image representative of the sample. The analysis may comprise comparing said Raman data set to at least one reference Raman data set representative of a known sample. This may be achieved using a chemometric technique.
US08395765B2
In a wavelength monitor that monitors a wavelength of laser light emitted from at least two semiconductor lasers formed in parallel on a semiconductor substrate, the wavelength monitor includes a collimating lens that collimates laser light from each of the semiconductor lasers, an etalon that is arranged so that laser light collimated by the collimating lens is capable of entering and has a periodicity, and a photodetector that receives laser light transmitted through the etalon and detects a light intensity, wherein a beam propagation angle in the etalon of laser light emitted from each of the semiconductor lasers becomes a predetermined angle obtained by formula 1.
US08395763B2
A passive optical element defining an optical propagation path is tested by coupling a buffer fiber between an input of the propagation path and an optical time domain reflectometer. The OTDR launches optical radiation into the buffer fiber via one end thereof, measures power level of return light received at the OTDR via the buffer fiber, and creates an OTDR signature representing power level of return light as a function of distance from the end of the buffer fiber. The OTDR selects a first marker point by applying data reduction to a portion of a segment of the OTDR signature corresponding to the buffer fiber, selects a second marker point downstream of the input of the optical propagation path, and calculates a first power difference value as difference between a power level at the first marker point and a power level at the second marker point.
US08395762B2
Highly accurate measurement of chromatic dispersions of a device under test that is an optical component is enabled with a simple structure comprising: propagating pump light having a wavelength λpump and probe light having a wavelength λprobe through the device; calculating the generation efficiency of the idler light with respect to the wavelength λpump by measuring the power of idler light having a wavelength λidler output from the device according to four-wave mixing generated in the device; seeking the frequency difference or wavelength difference between the pump light and the probe light that makes an extremum of generation efficiency of the idler light; calculating phase mismatch among the pump light wavelength having such frequency difference or wavelength difference, the probe light wavelength, and the idler light wavelength; and on the basis of such calculation results, calculating the chromatic dispersion of the device at the wavelength λpump.
US08395758B2
While one ends of ropes are respectively tied to a −Y side leg section and a +Y side leg section of a frame caster, the other ends of the ropes hang down in a −Z direction via a plurality of pulleys fixed to the upper sections of frames that are each separated from an apparatus main body, and a weight having a weight corresponding to a half the weight to be reduced is tied to each of the other ends. In this case, even if the apparatus main body oscillates in vertical or lateral directions (normal directions of the pulleys) owing to the action of a vibration isolation table, the position of the weight only vertically moves by rotation of the pulleys, and the reduced amount of the apparatus weight does not vary. Further, since any coil springs are not used, sympathetic vibration with the apparatus main body and the vibration isolation table does not occur, which allows the attenuation characteristics of the vibration isolation table to be improved. Therefore, the exposure apparatus can be increased in size without inducing the cost rise.
US08395753B2
The disclosure relates to a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, as well as related components and methods. In some embodiments, a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes an illumination system and a projection objective, where the illumination system can illuminate an object plane of the projection objective and the projection objective can produce the image of the object plane on an image plane. A polarization-dependent transmission can be produced in the illumination system such that, for at least one polarization distribution in respect of the light impinging on the object plane, a non-homogeneous intensity distribution in the object plane is obtained. The non-homogeneous intensity distribution can afford a homogeneous intensity distribution in the image plane by virtue of polarization-dependent transmission properties of the projection objective.
US08395751B2
Digital cinema exhibition facilities make use of a show play list (SPL) specifying a time sequence of the events to occur during the presentation of digital cinema content. One or more cues in the show play list trigger certain activities, such as displacing the screen curtain and dimming the house lights. To achieve an aesthetic, showman-like presentation, the cues in the show play undergo re-cueing. For each cue, a determination is made automatically of the prefire interval, that is, the interval by which the cue should be advanced. The execution the cue to trigger a corresponding activity is advanced by the automatically determined prefire interval.
US08395746B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a display device where expansion of a frame portion over a substrate, which results from formation of a lead wiring over an active matrix substrate, is minimally suppressed to realize a narrow frame. According to one feature of a display device of the present invention, a chamfer portion is formed at least at an end portion of an active matrix substrate having a pixel portion of a pair of substrates disposed to be opposed to each other, and wirings (a source line, a gate line, a storage capacitor line, a leading out wiring, and the like) over the active matrix substrate are electrically connected by a common wiring formed in the chamfer portion.
US08395732B2
A liquid crystal panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a liquid crystal cell; a first polarizer placed on one side of the liquid crystal cell; a second polarizer placed on another side of the liquid crystal cell; a biaxial optical element placed between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizer; and a negative C plate placed between the second polarizer and the biaxial optical element. A direction of an absorption axis of the first polarizer is substantially perpendicular to a direction of an absorption axis of the second polarizer. A refractive index ellipsoid of the biaxial optical element has a relationship of nx>nz>ny and a direction of a slow axis of the biaxial optical element is substantially parallel to the direction of the absorption axis of the first polarizer. A refractive index ellipsoid of the negative C plate has a relationship of nx=ny>nz. A wavelength dispersion value (D1) of the biaxial optical element and a wavelength dispersion value (D2) of the negative C plate satisfy a relationship of D1≧D2.
US08395727B2
The present invention relates to a VA-mode liquid-crystal display device comprising a front-side polarizing element (14), a rear-side polarizing element (12), a VA-mode liquid-crystal cell (LC) disposed between the front-side polarizing element and the rear-side polarizing element, and a first retardation region (16) comprising one or more retardation layers between the rear-side polarizing element and the VA-mode liquid-crystal cell, wherein the first retardation region satisfies 0 nm≦Re(590)≦10 nm, and |Rth(590)|≦25 nm. Re(λ) means retardation (nm) in plane at a wavelength λ nm, and Rth(λ) means retardation (nm) along the thickness direction at a wavelength λ nm.
US08395719B2
A display device and a light source block used therein are provided. The display device includes the light source block, a film set, and a display panel. The light source block has a reflective surface, a film supporter intersecting the reflective surface at an edge, and a panel supporting surface. The film supporter connects an end of an extremity surface, and the panel supporting surface connects the other end of the extremity surface. The film set is disposed on the film supporter, and the display panel is disposed on the panel supporting surface. The display panel has a display area and a light-shielding unit disposed outside the display area. The edge between the reflective surface and the film supporter falls into a vertical projection of the light-shielding unit.
US08395713B2
A multi-screen television receiver remote control system includes a multi-screen television receiver including a plurality of television receivers, and a remote controller for controlling the multi-screen television receiver. In the multi-screen television receiver remote control system, the remote controller includes a determining section, a manipulating section, a remote control command generating section, and a transmitting section. The multi-screen television receiver includes a receiving section, a recognizing section, and an executing section.
US08395700B2
The quality of moving picture image with a large moving amount is prevented from deterioration due to moving compensation type frame rate conversion (FRC) processing. The image display device is comprised of an FRC unit (10) that interpolates an image signal subjected to moving compensation processing between frames so as to convert the number of frames of the input image signal, a moving amount judging unit (14) that judges whether a moving amount of the input image signal between the frames is larger than a predetermined value or not, and a control unit (15). The FRC unit (10) is provided with a moving vector detecting unit (11e) that detects a moving vector between the frames of the input image signal, an interpolation vector evaluating unit (11f) that allocates an interpolation vector between the frames on the basis of the moving vector information and an interpolation frame generating unit (12d) that generates an interpolation frame from the interpolation vector. In the case where the moving amount between the frames of the input image signal is larger than the predetermined value, the control unit (15) sets the moving vector detected by the moving vector detecting unit (11e) to be zero-vector, and it invalidates the moving compensation processing of the FRC unit (10).
US08395692B2
A solid-state imaging device includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion units disposed on an imaging surface of a substrate; and a plurality of inner-layer lenses that are disposed in correspondence with each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units on the upper side of the photoelectric conversion units and are formed in shapes protruding in directions toward the photoelectric conversion units, wherein each of the plurality of inner-layer lenses is formed to have different lens shapes in the center and in the periphery of the imaging surface.
US08395684B2
Image data pixels indicative of the pixels in a noise-reduction target area having a size of 5×5 pixels is extracted from a plurality of types of CCD-RAW data having red, green and blue color components. A filter for reducing uncorrelated noise is calculated. Uncorrelated noise is removed by performing a filter operation using the calculated filter while correlativity of the CCD-RAW data is maintained. These processing steps are repeated for one frame of CCD-RAW data. After uncorrelated noise has been removed, spatial pixel processing such as an aperture correction is applied.
US08395674B2
A device for taking long-distance images includes, successively: an assembly, formed of spherical mirrors, having a first focal length, an optical relay assembly designed to render afocal the optical combination of this optical relay assembly and the assembly of spherical mirrors, a lens unit and an image sensor placed in the focal plane of the lens unit; the optical relay assembly being designed, for at least one focal length of the lens unit, to form the image from the exit aperture of the assembly constituted of mirrors on the entrance aperture of the lens unit. Preferably, the optical relay assembly is designed to form an image from the exit aperture of the spherical mirrors assembly in the entrance aperture of the lens unit.
US08395662B1
The aviation emergency response system includes a number of ground subsystems located on an airport, and a number of subsystems installed in an aircraft. The ground subsystems may include dispensers along the edges of the runway(s) for dispensing foam, water, and/or deicing fluid, and an array of cameras installed along the runway edges. Low lateral retaining dams may be provided along the edges of the runway(s), and appropriate drainage is also provided for the runway. A tire-puncturing apparatus may also be installed in the surface of the runway, and energy-absorbing overruns are provided at the runway ends. A control center including appropriate monitoring and control systems is also provided on the airport. Aircraft may be equipped with external cameras for monitoring the condition of the aircraft in flight, and corresponding annunciator systems placed in the aircraft cockpit for appropriate response(s) by the flight crew.
US08395660B2
A three-dimensional movie browser or editor is disclosed. In one aspect, video frames are quads in space. A movie plays at full quality by moving the quads in space at a speed of the movie and having a camera follow the quads. A focus frame in the movie is put forward by a cover-flow/dock like expansion around it. Video frames are loaded at a resolution and with an interval that depends on their position regarding a focus point or the optical flow between the frames.
US08395657B2
A method and system for stitching two or more images to generate a resultant image of good quality is disclosed. The disclosed method and system represents a way to stitch two or more images captured through fisheye lenses. The method and system converts two fisheye hemispherical images to two triangles, which are thereafter stitched together to form a rectangular image. Herein each single pixel in the hemispherical images at the beginning represents one single pixel in the resultant rectangular figure at the end of the process. Thus, the resultant stitched image comprises of the same concentration of pixels at the end as was in the initial images to be stitched and occupies lesser storage space than equirectangular images or videos.
US08395653B2
A videoconferencing apparatus automatically tracks speakers in a room and dynamically switches between a controlled, people-view camera and a fixed, room-view camera. When no one is speaking, the apparatus shows the room view to the far-end. When there is a dominant speaker in the room, the apparatus directs the people-view camera at the dominant speaker and switches from the room-view camera to the people-view camera. When there is a new speaker in the room, the apparatus switches to the room-view camera first, directs the people-view camera at the new speaker, and then switches to the people-view camera directed at the new speaker. When there are two near-end speakers engaged in a conversation, the apparatus tracks and zooms-in the people-view camera so that both speakers are in view.
US08395650B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for displaying a videoconference includes receiving a first video feed. The first video feed includes a first plurality of video signals, each video signal from at least one source and originating from one or more sites. The method also includes assigning for a videoconference each video signal of the first plurality of video signals to a zone of a plurality of zones of a display window. Each zone of the plurality of zones is able to display one video signal at a time. The method further includes, for each zone of the plurality of zones of the display window to which more than one video signal has been assigned, switching the current video signal to be displayed in the zone to another video signal assigned to the zone based on a switching protocol.
US08395644B2
The exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a liquid crystal display device and a driving method thereof. The liquid crystal display device according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention comprises: a liquid crystal display panel wherein data lines and gate lines are disposed crosswisely each other; a controller modulating a first color input data and a second color input data with a first modulation width, and modulating a third color input data and a fourth color input data with a second modulation width higher than the first modulation width; a panel driving circuit supplying a first modulated color data, a second modulated data and a third modulated data to the liquid crystal display panel for a first period, and supplying the first modulated color data, the third modulated color data and a fourth modulated color data to the liquid crystal display panel for a second period; and a backlight device irradiating lights corresponding to the first, second and third modulated color data to the liquid crystal display panel for the first period, and irradiating lights corresponding to the first, third and fourth modulated color data to the liquid crystal display panel for the second period.
US08395642B2
A method synthesizes virtual images from a sequence of texture images and a sequence of corresponding depth images, wherein each depth images stores depths d at pixel locations I(x, y). Each depth image, is preprocessed to produce a corresponding preprocessed depth image. A first reference image and a second reference image are from the sequence of texture images. Then, depth-based 3D warping, depth-based histogram matching, base plus assistant image blending, and depth-based in-painting are applied in order to synthesize a virtual image.
US08395639B2
The color processor includes: a conversion source color data acquiring part acquiring a conversion source color dataset in a first color space; a color data pair acquiring part acquiring color data pairs each composed of color datasets in the first and second color spaces, the color datasets being used to calculate a color conversion characteristic model; a color conversion characteristic model calculator assigning weight to the color dataset in the first color space, according to a color difference distance from the conversion source color dataset, and calculates the model by use of color data pairs each including a weighted color dataset in the first color space; and an evaluation value calculator calculating an evaluation value indicating an evaluation on influence of the color data pairs on color conversion accuracy of the model. The color conversion characteristic model calculator adjusts the weight according to the evaluation value, when calculating the model.
US08395634B2
An information processing apparatus for encoding image data, includes a filter unit for performing a filtering operation on the image data in a layer fashion to generate a plurality of subbands including coefficient data segmented on a per frequency band basis, an intermediate data storage unit for storing intermediate data generated in the middle of the filtering operation of the filter unit, a coefficient storage unit for storing the coefficient data generated in the filtering operation of the filter unit, and a coefficient rearranging unit for performing a rearranging operation to rearrange the coefficient data stored on the coefficient storage unit so that the coefficient data is output in a predetermined order. The intermediate data storage unit writes and reads data thereon at a speed higher than the coefficient storage unit and being smaller in storage capacity than the coefficient storage unit.
US08395632B2
A computer-program product may have instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform operations including managing execution of application functions that access data in a shared buffer; determining if a first instruction that is stored at a first memory location causes, upon execution, data to be read from or written to the shared buffer; and when it is determined that the first instruction causes data to be read from or written to the shared buffer, 1) identify one or more replacement instructions to execute in place of the first instruction; 2) store the one or more replacement instructions; and 3) replace the first instruction at the first memory location with a second instruction that, when executed, causes the stored one or more replacement instructions to be executed.
US08395630B2
A format conversion apparatus which converts image data of a band interleave format into image data of a band separate format is provided. The apparatus includes a memory which stores image data of a band interleave format; and a converting module which reads the memory by increasing a read address of the memory for each stride, and converts the image data of the band interleave format into image data of a band separate format.
US08395628B2
A method for intercepting graphics device interface invocations by using filter driver which is transparent to graphics device interface engine and real display driver is disclosed. The method comprises steps of duplicating DDI function table returned from said real display driver, modifying DDI functions of said real display driver required for capturing screen update, creating auxiliary buffer area as updating buffer area for said screen update, and further processing said updating buffer area. With the method of the present invention, the support to video and 3D acceleration in the local computer can be realized by means of software, and the user can be provided with high-quality picture and display effect. Compared with the Mirror system in the prior art, since the present invention doesn't employ the Mirror system, the graphics device interface engine of the inventive system are not aware of the existence of the filter driver, the video and 3D acceleration function of the graphic card still remains. As a result, the function can be supported in the system, and applications employing video and 3D acceleration can be executed normally.
US08395627B2
A technique for generating splines in two dimensions for use in electronic game play is disclosed. The technique includes generating a computer graphic of a shape to be animated that is formed by one or more splines. The shape also includes at least one joint. When the position or orientation of the joint is changed, the orientation and/or position of the splines corresponding to the joint are changed resulting in changes to the shape.
US08395601B2
A touch sensing system which senses a touch position on a screen, including a light source to emit light; a light deflection unit to deflect the light emitted from the light source, a light guide plate which is arranged opposite to the screen and guides the light deflected by the light deflection unit to different positions on the screen according to an incident position, a light detector to receive at least part of the light reflected in a touch position on the screen, and a controller to calculate the touch position on the screen based on a point of time when the light detector detects the light.
US08395600B2
A user interface device detects a fingertip placed on an imaging range. The imaging range is located or arranged so that a user inserts and place a hand along a predetermined direction. A device detects a tip area corresponding to the fingertip from the imaging range. The device determines whether the detected tip area is a finger or not. The determination can be performed by evaluating a size of the tip area, for example, whether the width is in an appropriate range or not. If the tip area is verified as a finger, a position of the fingertip is calculated. According to the device, it is possible to determine whether it is a finger or not by using a relatively simple algorithm. As a result, it is possible to eliminate objects other than finger and to provide sufficient accuracy for detecting the fingertip.
US08395599B2
Various embodiments of capacitive touchscreen driving and sensing circuits are disclosed, where during a first phase the mutual capacitance between a given drive electrode and a given sense electrode is charged up to a first charge value corresponding substantially to a drive voltage times the mutual capacitance. During a second phase the charge storage capacitor is charged up to a value corresponding approximately to a difference in touchscreen capacitance network charges occurring during the first and second phases. The first and second phases do not overlap in time. Dark frame signals may also be acquired from the touchscreen to calibrate differences in touchscreen capacitance network charges.
US08395597B2
Disclosed is a method (50) and device (100) for providing an equi-potential touch screen. The method can include: providing (52) a capacitive touch screen including transmit electrodes and receive electrodes combined to form a grid structure configured to provide capacitive signals that allow position of touch to be resolved; and driving (54) a substantially central transmit electrode with equi-potential connection points. The method (50) and device (100) provide a touch screen device which allows drive lines to be split on either side of the touch screen device, while being highly linear. For example, the frame area surrounding the touch screen can be made narrower or thinner, for minimal real estate and optimizing design layout.
US08395588B2
A touch panel includes a light guide including a first face for detecting the position of an object in contact therewith and a second face opposite the first face, and a line sensor for receiving light emitted from a side face of the light guide plate, wherein, of light irradiated from the second face side, the light guide guides toward the side face the portion of light reflected by the object.
US08395580B2
There is provided a method for driving an electrophoresis display device equipped with a plurality of pixel electrodes, each of the pixel electrode being provided for every pixel, a common electrode provided to oppose the plurality of pixel electrodes, and an electrophoresis element containing electrophoresis particles, the electrophoresis element being sandwiched by the plurality of pixel electrodes and the common electrode. The method includes driving the electrophoresis element and updating a display by a common voltage swing drive method in which a rectangular wave in which a first potential and a second potential are repeated is applied to the common electrode for not less than one cycle during a display update time in which the first potential or the second potential for moving the electrophoresis particles is applied to each of the pixel electrodes. A frequency of the rectangular wave is not less than 20 Hz.
US08395568B2
The present invention provides an electronic apparatus, such as a lighting device comprised of light emitting diodes (LEDs) or a power generating apparatus comprising photovoltaic diodes, which may be created through a printing process, using a semiconductor or other substrate particle ink or suspension and using a lens particle ink or suspension. An exemplary apparatus comprises a base; at least one first conductor; a plurality of substantially spherical or optically resonant diodes coupled to the at least one first conductor; at least one second conductor coupled to the plurality of diodes; and a plurality of substantially spherical lenses suspended in a polymer attached or deposited over the diodes. The lenses and the suspending polymer have different indices of refraction. In some embodiments, the lenses and diodes have a ratio of mean diameters or lengths between about 10:1 and 2:1. The diodes may be LEDs or photovoltaic diodes, and in some embodiments, have a junction formed at least partially as a hemispherical shell or cap.
US08395567B2
A display device including pixels has formed therein at least two driving blocks each made up of pixel rows, and includes: a signal line driving circuit that outputs a signal voltage to an output line disposed in each of pixel columns; and a selector circuit that controls a selector disposed in each of the columns for providing a signal voltage outputted from the output line to one of a first signal line and second signal line disposed in each of the columns, and selectively provides a standard voltage or the signal voltage outputted from the output line to one of the first signal line or the second signal line. Each of the pixels includes a current control unit and an organic EL element. Pixels in the k-th driving block are connected to the first signal line and pixels in the (k+1)-th driving block are connected to the second signal line.
US08395565B2
A circuit for a flat panel display includes an image data storage and processing block, a display and timing controller block, an image pixel matrix containing a multitude of row and column arranged pixel elements, one or more controlled row and column driver blocks, and a tagged multi line addressing (TMLA) pixel element display operation. That TMLA operation comprises a decomposition of image data by searching all lines of an image for groups of identical lines by tagging each of these lines with a unique code and thus decomposes image data into multi line and single line domain data in such a way, that lines with matching tags, indicating their common and identical contents, are outputted as image data into related groups of the multi line domain with no left over residual image data and thus the related groups in the single line domain data are all zeroes.
US08395560B2
A satellite antenna device is provided. The satellite antenna device includes a body, a wave guide, and a dielectric member. The wave guide is connected to the body. The dielectric member is connected to the wave guide, wherein the dielectric member comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion has a protruding structure, the protruding structure is formed surrounding a central axis of the wave guide, the second portion has a concave structure, and the concave structure corresponds to the protruding structure, and is matched therewith.
US08395557B2
A broadband antenna includes a first antenna element having first and second ends spaced apart by a surface thereof. A second antenna element is substantially co-planar with the first antenna element, the second antenna element having first and second ends spaced apart by a surface thereof. The first end of the second antenna element is spaced apart from the second end of the first antenna element by a first air gap. A conductive structure is spaced apart from the first end of the first antenna element by a second air gap, the conductive structure being configured to provide for structural excitation of the antenna over a lower frequency range of an available broadband antenna bandwidth, such as may be a continuous operating bandwidth.
US08395552B2
A broadband integrated circulator antenna (BICA) module for receiving and transmitting signals with high efficiency and high gain. The BICA can have a bandwidth of over 70% of a radar band and can operate in frequencies from UHF to S-band and above. The BICA has a stack configuration that includes a low profile antenna, a reflecting layer or a metamaterial substrate layer, and a circulator. The circulator is placed proximal to antenna, which greatly reduces the size of the BICA. The circulator can be a stripline Y-junction ferrite circulator and the antenna can be a coaxial center fed bow-tie antenna. The reflecting layer or metamaterial substrate layer can comprise electronic bandgap metamaterial and a high permeability ferrite substrate. The high permeability ferrite substrate can be cobalt substituted Z-type barium hexaferrite.
US08395549B2
A triple band antenna includes a feed-in portion, a first radiating portion, a second radiating portion, a third radiating portion and a grounding portion. The first radiating portion is connected to a first side of a first end of the feed-in portion. A second end of the second radiating portion is connected to a second side of the first end of the feed-in portion. The third radiating portion is connected to a third end of the second radiating portion. The grounding portion is located at two sides of the feed-in portion.
US08395545B2
A global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver comprising one or more regular channel circuits and one or more sniff channel circuits may be operable, utilizing the sniff channel circuits, to monitor power levels of currently visible GNSS satellites which are not being utilized by the regular channel circuits. An alternative GNSS satellite from the currently monitored GNSS satellites may be selected by the GNSS receiver based on the monitored power levels. GNSS signals received from the selected alternative GNSS satellite may be processed by a regular channel circuit. The GNSS receiver may be operable to detect, for example, signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) or carrier-to-noise density ratios (C/N0s) of the currently visible GNSS satellites utilizing the sniff channel circuits. The sniff channel circuits may not be utilized to generate GNSS measurements so that functionality of each of the sniff channel circuits may be reduced.
US08395538B2
A singled-ended, successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter convert an analog input voltage to a digital representation comprising m upper order bits and a number of lower order bits. The SAR ADC comprises SAR logic, a resistive network, multiple switches, and first and second LSB capacitors. The switches also comprises two sets of switches coupled to the resistive network, each set of switches is configured to couple a selected tap to each of the first and second LSB capacitors. When determining the lower order bits, the SAR logic is configured to control the sets of switches to change the first and second taps from one cycle in which one of the lower order bits is determined to a next cycle in which the next of the lower order bits is determined so that the voltage of both taps changes by a decreasing amount with each succeeding bit being determined.
US08395537B2
MIFARE applications (MIA) are organized in at least one sector comprising sector data being arranged in data blocks and a sector trailer. A compressing method for MIFARE application comprises: searching for consecutive occurrences of same data values in the sector data and replacing the detected consecutive data having the same data value by a sequence comprising said data value and a number indicating the number of consecutive sector data having that data value; and/or searching for all different sector trailer values and replacing all sector trailers by references to respective ones of the different sector trailer values.
US08395531B2
Devices, systems, and methods for reinforcing a traffic control assembly are provided. In some embodiments, a retrofitted traffic control assembly configured to reinforce a traffic signal assembly in high wind conditions is provided. The reinforcement devices include connection assemblies for reinforcing the portion of a traffic control assembly positioned between a traffic signal disconnect hanger and an upper span wire, for example. In certain embodiments, one or more stiffening members may be placed in, on, or adjacent to a traffic signal and/or a traffic signal disconnect hanger to further reinforce the traffic signal assembly.
US08395523B2
A method and system for preventing fuel theft includes one or more tamper detection sensors mounted on a fuel dispenser, the tamper detection sensors being operable to detect dislocation of one or more portions of the fuel dispenser's shell. A dispenser security controller is communicatively coupled to the one or more tamper detection sensors and is operable to generate a trigger signal in response to receiving a tamper detection signal from the one or more tamper detection sensors. A dispenser transaction-termination switch is electrically coupled to the fuel dispensing circuit and in signal communication with the dispenser security controller and is operable to simulate a fuel pump handle hang up and/or a transaction not-authorized condition in response to a trigger signal from the dispenser security controller.
US08395520B2
A device for monitoring a voltage of a motherboard includes a first monitoring circuit, a second monitoring circuit, and an indicating circuit. The first and monitoring circuits are connected to output a control voltage. A value of the control voltage is determined according to a value of the voltage of the motherboard. The control voltage is reduced to control the indicating circuit. The indicating circuit indicates whether the voltage of the motherboard is normal.
US08395517B2
A filter monitoring device which detects variances in pressure of fluid flowing through a filter element in a filter assembly includes (1) an indicator for conveying data of changes in the differential pressure of the fluid in the filter assembly and (2) a temperature sensor for transmitting data showing any changes in temperature of the fluid being filtered. A microcontroller converts data received about changes in differential pressure and temperature sensing means to digital format and transmits the data along two differential digital lines to a driver and output connector.
US08395515B2
A system and associated processes monitor hand hygiene compliance. The system includes hand hygiene product dispensers positioned within areas of concern (AOC) in a facility in which hand hygiene events are to be monitored. The dispensers detect dispense events initiated at the dispenser and transmit a dispense event signal indicative that a dispense event occurred along with dispenser identification information. The system also includes a plurality of compliance badges, each worn by a different person in the facility. Each compliance badge receives dispense event signals corresponding dispenser identification information associated with dispense events initiated by the wearer of the compliance badge. The badges store dispense event records associated with each dispense event initiated by the wearer and thus keep track of all dispense events initiated by the wearer of the compliance badge. One or more data gathering stations positioned at various locations through the facility receive the dispense event information from the individual badges when they come within range. The dispense event information may then be transferred to a local or remote computer for analysis and reporting on hand hygiene events taking place within the facility.
US08395514B2
An optical system is proposed which is configured to detect an obscuration of the optical components and to optionally initiate measures, which either warn the driver and/or activate a heater which reduces the detected obscuration of the image. The system is controlled by a method for detecting an obscuration, which comprises a high reliability for detecting obscurations through the evaluation of additional sensors.
US08395511B2
A reminder device for alerting or triggering the memory of a vehicular occupant includes one or more visual, auditory and tactile indicators which the occupant associates with the presence of a person, pet, plant or inanimate object located in the vehicle.
US08395507B2
In one embodiment the present invention includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) system with a shorting loop. The shorting loop at least partially surrounds the antenna. The shorting loop distorts the electromagnetic field generated by the antenna to improve the definition of the border of the read region of the antenna. In this manner, the RFID system provides more accurate discrimination between RFID tags inside the read region versus RFID tags outside the read region (i.e., improves the accuracy of determining that a particular RFID tag is inside the read region).
US08395505B2
Methods and apparatuses for selecting a subset of RFID tags are provided in some embodiments. These methods and apparatuses utilize the susceptibility to light by persistent nodes found in passive tags. Light can be used to intentionally reduce persistence times in a particular subset tags or even an individual tag. Then, persistent nodes can be used as a selection criterion to distinguish previously illuminated tags from non-illuminated tags. In other embodiments, a power circuit receives a RF input source and generates a direct current (DC) output voltage. The circuit includes a bias circuit to supply a gate to source bias, which is independent of the DC output voltage. The circuit further includes a voltage multiplier circuit that is coupled to the bias circuit. The voltage multiplier circuit has MOS transistors with one transistor to receive the gate to source bias.
US08395501B2
A hazardous condition detection system with a sensor package employing a reduced resource microprocessor capable of dynamic alarm sensitivity adjustment having volatile and non-volatile memory which receives periodic raw sensor readings from the sensor package and preprocesses each received periodic raw sensor reading by employing at least three distinctive filtering constants which are compared to alarm thresholds stored in memory to generate an alarm condition signal when ionization levels in the ambient environment exceed stored thresholds.
US08395495B2
A location mechanism for a mobile device, in which an electronic communication including a code is received at the mobile device and the code is parsed from within the received electronic communication. The code parsed from within the electronic communication is used to determine whether to classify the received electronic communication as a coded electronic communication, and the received electronic communication is classified as a coded electronic communication based on results of the determination. In response to classification of the electronic communication as a coded electronic communication, a process is initiated that facilitates location of the mobile device. For instance, volume control settings at the mobile device may be overridden and an audible alert at the device may be invoked, and/or a response electronic communication that includes location information indicative of a current location of the communication device may be generated and sent.
US08395476B2
A consumable holder is provided for use with the appliance configured to perform a physical cycle of operation on an article. The consumable holder is configured to communicate with the appliance using a well formed command according to a taxonomy dataset.
US08395471B2
An electronic component having a coil includes a laminated body formed by laminating a plurality of magnetic body layers. The coil is formed by connecting coil electrodes in the laminated body. Nonmagnetic body layers are disposed on the laminated body to have a gap with the coil when seen in a plan view from a coil axis direction of the coil. The embodiment of an electronic component has a stair-like direct-current superposition characteristic.
US08395470B2
An asymmetrical planar transformer having controllable leakage inductance is provided. The asymmetrical planar transformer includes a circuit board, a winding rack, a primary winding, a secondary winding, and a magnetic core assembly. Via hole is formed on circuit board. Winding rack includes several annular plates, a tubular shell, and a through hole. The first, second, and third annular plates are arranged in parallel. Position of through hole is corresponding to that of via hole. Primary winding is disposed between first and second annular plates, and is electrically connected with circuit board. Secondary winding, with annular shape, is disposed between second annular plate and third annular plate, and is electrically connected with circuit board. Magnetic core assembly includes magnetic column which is passed through via hole of circuit board and through hole of winding rack. Through hole is extended through secondary winding, first annular plate, second annular plate, and third annular plate.
US08395445B2
The invention intends to supply a power amplifier enable to correct a distortion correctly by linearizer corresponding to each amplifier if plural amplifiers are used at any operation points. A power amplifier according to the invention includes a number of amplifiers connected with multiple stages and a number of linearizers connected with multiple stages and correcting non-linear distortions of the amplifiers. In the invention, a distortion in the amplifier of a former stage is corrected by the linearizer of a later stage.
US08395443B2
A Doherty amplifier includes a first amplifier, a second amplifier, a transmission line, a synthesizer, and an output load. The first amplifier amplifies an RF input signal according to a voltage applied to a supply terminal thereof. The second amplifier amplifies a peak component of the RF input signal according to a voltage applied to a supply terminal thereof. The transmission line is coupled to an output terminal of the first amplifier. The synthesizer is coupled to an output terminal of the transmission line and an output terminal of the second amplifier. It is set such that the voltage applied to the supply terminal of the first amplifier is lower than the voltage applied to the supply terminal of the second amplifier, and that an impedance value of the transmission line is smaller than a value twice an impedance value of the output load.
US08395437B2
Provided is a charge pump circuit which is preferably used for reducing noise generated when electric charges are accumulated in a capacitor of the charge pump circuit. A load driving system 1 includes a charge pump circuit 2, a clock generation circuit 4, an amplifier circuit 6, and a load 8. The charge pump circuit 2 includes capacitors C1 and C2, a transistor PTr3 which is a P-channel MOS transistor and controls current supply to the C1, switching elements SW1 to SW3, and a supply current control circuit 20. The charge pump circuit 2 switches the SW1 to SW3, to thereby perform the accumulation of electric charges to the C1 and the transfer of the accumulated electric charges to the C2 for generating a negative power source. The supply current control circuit 20 includes a transistor PTr4, a switching element SW4, and a transistor NTr6 which forms a current mirror with a transistor NTr5 which constitutes an output stage of the amplifier circuit 6. The C1 is charged with a supply current which is positively correlated with a load current via the NTr6, the SW4, the PTr3, and the PTr4.
US08395413B2
Embodiments of circuits, methods and systems for powering various stages of a logic circuit are disclosed. Some embodiments include a circuit having a logic circuit with an input stage and an output stage; a heterojunction bipolar transistor configured to provide a first switched supply voltage to power components of the input stage; and a depletion mode field effect transistor configured to provide a second switched supply voltage to power components of the output stage. Other embodiments may also be described and claimed.
US08395411B2
A constant impedance driver provides controlled output slew rates. The driver includes a plurality of buffers, each with an output impedance that is multiple of the output impedance of the driver. Outputs of buffers are coupled in parallel to form the output of the driver. Inputs to the buffers are coupled to an input signal or delayed versions of the input signal. The buffer inputs may be selectively coupled to taps of a delay line to provide selected slew rates on the output of the driver. The buffers may be selectively enabled to change or calibrate the output impedance of the driver.
US08395404B2
An electronic device includes an electronic part and a wiring substrate. The electronic part includes a rewiring substrate, a semiconductor chip, and solder bumps arranged in a matrix form. The wiring substrate includes a wire and lands arranged in a matrix form corresponding to the solder bumps. Each of the lands is coupled with corresponding one of the solder bumps so as to form connection portions. The connection portions include nonfunctional connection portions that do not provide an electric connection between the semiconductor chip and the wire. The lands forming the nonfunctional connection portions include a power source land and a ground land arranged next to each other in a row direction or a column direction. The lands that are arranged next to the lands forming the nonfunctional connection portions in the row direction or the column direction are set to signal lands.
US08395396B2
A sanitary dispenser, particularly a paper or towel dispenser, contains a housing, in which a sanitary product to be dispensed and a discharge unit for the sanitary product to be dispensed can be arranged. An electric motor is provided for the discharge unit, the electric motor being activatable in a non-contact manner by a capacitive sensor from outside of the housing. The sensor capacitance of the capacitive sensor is formed by a planar electrode disposed inside the housing and by a surface of a body part and/or an object arranged outside of the housing.
US08395394B2
A method of testing a power system component is disclosed. The method includes coupling a test set to the power system component and displaying a test form on a display integral with the test set. The method also comprises inputting at least a first test control parameter into the test form using an interface integral with the test set. The method also comprises stimulating the power system component using the test set to produce a first response of the power system component, wherein the stimulating is performed based at least in part on the first test control parameter. The method also comprises displaying a first test result in the test form on the display, wherein the first test result is based on the first response.
US08395391B2
Methods to determine the location of an arc fault include a first method utilizing the inherent resistance per unit length of the wire. A second and a third method utilize an inherent inductance per unit length of the wire. The second method derives the inherent inductance from the output voltage and a rate of current rise. The third method derives the inherent inductance from a resonant frequency of an oscillating current. The information is useful to locate a fault emanating from a wire member of a wiring harness used to distribute power about an aircraft.
US08395390B2
A method of testing a battery including several steps described herein is provided.
US08395389B2
A generator generates electricity by non-combustion means. A battery stores the generated electricity. An electrical appliance is powered by the stored electricity. A metering device tallies an operating parameter indicative of the amount of electrical energy consumed by the appliance. A housing supports the generator, the battery, the appliance and the metering device. A device, including the generator, the battery, the metering device and the housing, is manually portable.
US08395388B2
A downhole induction resistivity assembly that comprises a downhole tool string component. The tool string component comprises an induction transmitter. The transmitter is adapted to induce an induction field in the surrounding formation. A first induction receiver is spaced apart from the transmitter and is adapted to measure the induction field. A magnetic field generating mechanism is disposed circumferentially adjacent the transmitter and adapted to guide the transmitter's signal into the formation.
US08395373B2
A method, device and computer program product for determining at least one property of a current (Ip) running through the primary winding of a transformer operating in saturation using an unreliable detected current (Is) running through the secondary winding of the transformer. According to the invention a first reliable extreme point (EP1) of a cycle of the current in the secondary winding is detected and compared with an absolute time reference. Based on the comparison a first property of the current running through the primary winding in the form of the phase angle is then determined.
US08395370B2
A capacitive coupling based sensor is disclosed. In some embodiments, a sensor comprises a transmitter and a receiver that are configured to be capacitively coupled when a coupling condition is satisfied as well as a circuit configured to determine whether a received signal that is received by the receiver matches a transmitted signal that is transmitted by the transmitter.
US08395368B2
The present invention discloses an adaptive voltage position DC-DC regulator and the method thereof, the regulator comprising a main circuit and a control circuit which includes a sensing unit, a feedback unit, a comparing unit, a PWM generator and a driver. The regulator realizes the adaptive voltage position control with simple internal circuit and fewer pins.
US08395365B2
In one embodiment, the controller of these teachings includes a nonlinear controller component capable of providing an amplitude determining input signal to a control signal providing component, the control signal providing component providing output having a predetermined amplitude substantially over one time interval from a number of time intervals or output having a predetermined average amplitude substantially over one time interval from a number of time intervals, the amplitude determining input signal corresponding to at least one predetermined system state variable. The nonlinear controller component is operatively connected to receive as inputs at least one predetermined system state variable. A relationship between the amplitude determining input signal and at least one predetermined system state variable is obtained by a predetermined method.
US08395363B2
A high voltage generation circuit for laser puncture in which the voltage for laser puncture can be boosted up to the laser oscillation level in a short time with low power loss. The high voltage generation circuit drives a laser unit for puncturing the skin by oscillating laser light. In the high voltage generation circuit, a capacitor is charged to supply power to the laser unit. A booster circuit supplies a current to the capacitor, and a voltage measurer measures the voltage of the capacitor. A controller controls the booster circuit based on an instruction from a user or the voltage of the capacitor to start precharge of the capacitor with a first current value at a first timing, and to start main charging of the capacitor with a second current value higher than the first current value at a second timing, later than the first timing.
US08395358B2
The invention relates to a method for managing the heat in an electric battery including a plurality of elements for generating electric power, the method including, when recharging said battery from an external power source, preconditioning said battery at an average temperature T0 and, when using said battery, determining the absolute value ΔT2 of the difference between the temperature T0 and the average temperature T of said battery, wherein said method includes activating a heat-conditioning device of the battery when the difference ΔT2 is higher than a setpoint C2, said setpoint being established on the basis of the state of charge (SOC) of said battery.
US08395357B2
A method for managing electric quantity of a battery is disclosed. The method includes charging a battery normally with a 4.2V voltage when a temperature of the battery is lower than a first threshold temperature; charging the battery continuously when the temperature of the battery is higher than the first threshold temperature and lower than a second threshold temperature and the electric quantity of the battery is lower than a first threshold voltage. On the contrary, the battery is not charged any more when the temperature of the battery is between the first threshold temperature and the second threshold temperature and the electric quantity of the battery is higher than the first threshold voltage or a first capacity. If the temperature of the battery is higher than a second threshold temperature, the battery is not charged any more regardless of the battery voltage.
US08395355B2
A vehicle includes a charging unit receiving electric power from an external power source and externally charging a power storage unit. When a connector unit is coupled to the vehicle and a state ready for charging by the external power source is attained, a controller predicts degradation ratio of the power storage unit at the time point of completion of external charging based on degradation characteristic of the power storage unit in connection with SOC and battery temperature obtained in advance, and sets target state of charge of each power storage unit based on the battery temperatures so that the predicted degradation ratio does not exceed tolerable degradation ratio at the time point of completion of external charging. Then, the controller controls corresponding converters such that SOCs of power storage units attain the target states of charge.
US08395345B2
In opening/closing control for the valve mechanism to which the return torque is applied in an opening direction or a closing direction of the valve, provided are a position control system for outputting a q-axis current command based on a position deviation between a target position command directed to the brushless DC motor and the coarse present position of the motor obtained by using the position detection sensor of a pulse output type, and a current control system in which a virtual current feedback is built for outputting a phase voltage command without a current sensor based on the q-axis current command and the coarse present position of the motor obtained by using the position detection sensor of the pulse output type.
US08395334B2
A refrigerator includes a drawer having a door and a receiving box attached thereto. The drawer may be automatically moved in forward and backward directions. A supply of standby voltage may be intercepted by a drawer driving mechanism when the door is closed so as to reduce power consumption and improve response time to drawer opening and closing commands.
US08395332B2
Disclosed is an improved light-emitting device for an AC power operation. An AC light-emitting device according to the present invention employs a variety of means by which light emission time is prolonged during a ½ cycle in response to a phase change of an AC power source and a flicker effect can be reduced. For example, the means may be switching blocks respectively connected to nodes between the light emitting cells, switching blocks connected to a plurality of arrays, or a delay phosphor. Further, there is provided an AC light-emitting device, wherein a plurality of arrays having the different numbers of light emitting cells are employed to increase light emission time and to reduce a flicker effect.
US08395331B2
A system and method is provided for preventing a dropout of an LED current. In one embodiment of the present invention, the system includes a voltage source, a first circuit, a second circuit, a controller, and at least one LED. The first circuit receives a reference voltage from the voltage source, receives set-point current data from the controller, and uses the reference voltage and the set-point current data to produce a threshold voltage. The threshold voltage is then provided to the second circuit, where it is converted into an output current, which is drawn through the LED. The second circuit then compares the threshold voltage to an output voltage corresponding to the output current, and provides an output to the controller. The controller then uses the output to determine whether a dropout has occurred. If a dropout has occurred, then second set-point current data is provided to the first circuit.
US08395322B2
A first radio frequency (RF) generator includes a first RF power source that generates an RF power output. A first sensor generates at least one sensor signal based on the RF power output. A first signal processing unit generates magnitude and phase signals associated with the at least one sensor signal. A second signal processing unit generates a first control signal to control a frequency and a phase of the first RF power source based on the magnitude and phase signals. The first RF power source determines, based on the magnitude signals, whether to generate the RF power output in response to the first control signal or in response to a second control signal received from a second RF generator.
US08395319B2
An encapsulated light-emitting device including a light-emitting system including an electroluminescent active layer positioned on a protective substrate and between two electrodes, a protective cover for the electroluminescent layer, attached to the substrate, a sealant sealing against liquid water and water vapor, a surround over the circumference of the device, made of at least one metal part or made of at least one plastic or glass part having a metal portion, the metal part or metal portion being used at least for a first electrical connection to one of the electrodes, or including at least one electroconductive layer deposited over one of the edges of the side of the substrate or of the cover and jutting out, between the surround and the substrate or the cover, for a first electrical connection to one of the electrodes.
US08395318B2
Methods and devices for cooling electronic circuits having at least one heat source are disclosed and described. One such thermally dynamic electronic device may include a layer of diamond material coated on a support substrate, and circuitry disposed on the layer of diamond material, the diamond material being configured to accelerate movement of heat away from the circuitry. Although the diamond material may be any known diamond material that functions to accelerate heat transfer, in one aspect the diamond material may be diamond-like carbon. In one specific aspect, the diamond-like carbon may be amorphous carbon. In another aspect, the diamond material may be crystalline diamond.
US08395303B2
To provide a piezoelectric transformer which can reduce the capacity of an input unit and realize a impedance matching with a drive circuit of an input side. A piezoelectric transformer includes: a piezoelectric substrate (11) having both main surfaces of a rectangular shape; and input side electrodes (12, 13, 15, 16) and output side electrodes (14, 17) formed on the both main surfaces of the piezoelectric substrate (11). A pair of opposing input side electrodes (12, 13, 15, 16) are arranged on the both surfaces of the piezoelectric substrate (11) in the first input unit (A1) and the second input unit (A2). At least one of the pair of input side electrodes (12, 13, 15, 16) is a partial electrode arranged at the center portion of the main surface of the piezoelectric substrate (11) in the first input unit (A1) and the second input unit (A2).
US08395301B1
A piezoelectric transformer includes a single crystal relaxor ferroelectric element poled along a [0 11] direction and selected from the group consisting of PZN-PT, PMN-PZT, PZN-PT and PMN-PT. The element has two opposed surfaces substantially perpendicular to the [0 11] direction with an input electrode and an output electrode positioned on one surface. The output electrode is isolated from electrical communication with the input electrode. A ground electrode is positioned on the second, opposed surface. Input electrical energy results in piezoelectric change in the element that is mechanically coupled through the element to generate piezoelectric output energy.
US08395296B2
A wrapped stator coil for use in a generator. The wrapped stator coil includes an electrical conductor bar, a laminate tape structure, and a conductive structure. The laminate tape structure is disposed about the electrical conductor bar and includes an insulative first layer adjacent the conductor bar and a conductive second layer bonded to the first layer. The conductive structure includes a first end portion, an intermediate portion and a second end portion. The first end portion is in contact with the electrical conductor bar. The intermediate portion is in contact with the conductive second layer and is not in contact with the electrical conductor bar. The insulating layer is disposed about the conductive structure and the laminate tape.
US08395286B2
The linear vibrator includes a base forming a hollow space, a suspension fixed on the base, and an oscillating portion suspended in the hollow space by the suspension. The suspension defines a flat part, a connecting portion bent downward from the flat part, and a spring portion extended horizontally in a direction parallel to flat part from the end of the connecting portion. The suspension is directly connected with the outside component, thereby transmitting the vibration to the outside component rapidly.
US08395284B2
A high-power switching module for directly feeding pulse energy to a load includes a plurality of series-connected switching stages. Each switching stage includes a semiconductor switch; a snubber capacitor and a synchronizing resistor; and a control network configured to act on the semiconductor switch and to be supplied with auxiliary power and switching pulses from a pulse driver so as to influence a switching of the semiconductor switch. The control network includes at least one control resistor, a control diode, an auxiliary diode, an auxiliary capacitor configured to decouple and store the auxiliary power so as to maintain an offset voltage at the semiconductor switch, and an adjustable time-delay element series connected to the control diode and connected in parallel with the control resistor. The adjustable time-delay element is configured to variably set the offset voltage for the semiconductor switch that determines the switching of the semiconductor switch.
US08395283B2
Described herein are embodiments of a source resonator optionally coupled to an energy source, and a second resonator, optionally coupled to an energy drain that may be located a distance from the source resonator. The source resonator and the second resonator may be coupled to provide κ/sqrt(Γ1Γ2)>0.2 via near-field wireless energy transfer among the source resonator and the second resonator over distances up to at least the characteristic size of a resonator.
US08395282B2
The electromagnetic energy transfer device includes a first resonator structure receiving energy from an external power supply. The first resonator structure has a first Q-factor. A second resonator structure is positioned distal from the first resonator structure, and supplies useful working power to an external load. The second resonator structure has a second Q-factor. The distance between the two resonators can be larger than the characteristic size of each resonator. Non-radiative energy transfer between the first resonator structure and the second resonator structure is mediated through coupling of their resonant-field evanescent tails.
US08395279B2
A solar-based power generation system may include an array of components responsive to solar radiance. The components may be disposed over respective locations on a field. The system may further include a plurality of optical fibers having respective first ends coupled to the array of components and arranged to receive solar radiance. The plurality of optical fibers may have respective second ends arranged to output respective optical signals indicative of respective levels of solar radiance over the respective locations of the field. Opto-electrical circuitry may be coupled to receive the respective optical signals from the plurality of optical fibers and generate a respective signal indicative of a shadow condition present over at least one or more of the respective locations of the field.
US08395274B2
A power unit connected to a power distribution bus operates in one of several modes to either store excess electrical energy from the power distribution or supply electrical energy to the power distribution bus to account for a detected demand/need. The power unit includes turbomachinery having components connected via a shaft, a generator connected to convert rotational energy associated with the turbomachinery to electrical energy for distribution on the bus, and a motor connected to convert electrical energy distributed by the bus to motive energy used to accelerate the turbomachinery components. A power controller monitors the voltage on the distribution bus. In response to excess voltage on the distribution bus, the power controller connects the motor to the bus to cause the excess electrical energy to be converted to motive energy that is used to accelerate the turbomachinery. In response to a voltage shortage on the distribution bus, the power controller connects the generator to the bus to convert rotational energy stored by the turbomachinery to electrical energy that is supplied to the bus.
US08395270B2
In an etching composition for an under-bump metallurgy (UBM) layer and a method of forming a bump structure, the etching composition includes about 40% by weight to about 90% by weight of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), about 1% by weight to about 20% by weight of an aqueous basic solution including ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) or tetraalkylammonium hydroxide, about 0.01% by weight to about 10% by weight of an alcohol compound, and about 2% by weight to 30% by weight of an ethylenediamine-based chelating agent. The etching composition may effectively etch the UBM layer including titanium or titanium tungsten and remove impurities. A method of forming a bump structure may employ such an etching composition.
US08395261B2
A semiconductor device includes an electrode pad provided on a semiconductor chip, the electrode pad includes aluminum (Al) of between 50% wt. and 99.9% wt. and further includes copper (Cu), a coupling ball that primarily includes Cu, the coupling ball being coupled to the electrode pad so that a CuAl2 layer, a CuAl layer, a layer including one of Cu9Al4 and Cu3Al2, and the coupling ball are vertically stacked in this order on the electrode pad, and an encapsulating resin that includes a halogen of less than or equal to 1000 ppm, the encapsulating resin covering at least the electrode pad and a junction between the electrode pad and the coupling ball.
US08395256B2
Microwave or millimeter wave system packaging having a system with a baseplate, transition board and cover. The baseplate includes microwave or millimeter wave components attached thereto. The transition board includes a first connector attached to a first side thereof and operatively connected to the components, and a second connector attached to a second side thereof and operatively connected to the components through the board. The cover and baseplate form a cavity containing the board and components, and the second connector may be operatively connected to a third connector such as a printed circuit board disposed outside of the cavity and on a higher level assembly. The transition board may further include a fourth connector operatively connected to the components for providing a signal to an external component or device or receiving a signal from an external component or device.
US08395253B2
A semiconductor package which includes a substrate formed from AlN and electrical terminals formed from tungsten on at least one surface of the substrate by bulk metallization to serve as electrical connection to a component within the package.
US08395252B1
An apparatus for packaging MEMS and ICs can include a semiconductor substrate, one or more MEMS devices, an enclosure, and one or more bonding structures. The semiconductor substrate can be bonded to a portion of the surface region. The semiconductor substrate can include one or more integrated circuits. Also, the semiconductor substrate can have an upper surface region. The one or more MEMS devise can overlie an inner region of the upper surface region formed by the semiconductor substrate. The enclosure can house the one or more MEMS devices. The enclosure can overlie a first outer region of the upper surface region. Also, the enclosure can have an upper cover region. The one or more bonding structures can be provided within a second outer region of the supper surface region.
US08395250B2
In a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus, a cathode electrode and an anode electrode are disposed at a distance from each other. The cathode electrode is supplied with electric power from an electric power supply portion. The anode electrode is electrically grounded and a substrate is placed thereon. The anode electrode contains a heater. In an upper wall portion of the chamber, an exhaust port is provided and connected to a vacuum pump through an exhaust pipe. In a lower wall portion of a wall surface of the chamber, a gas introduction port is provided. A gas supply portion is provided outside the chamber.
US08395249B2
Embodiments disclosed herein generally include methods of sealing a cavity in a device structure. The cavity may be opened by etching away sacrificial material that may define the cavity volume. Material from below the cavity may be sputter etched and redeposited over and in passageways leading to the cavity to thereby seal the cavity. Material may be sputter etched from above the cavity and redeposited in the passageways leading to the cavity as well. The sputter etching may occur in a substantially inert atmosphere. As the sputter etching is a physical process, little or no sputter etched material will redeposit within the cavity itself. The inert gases may sweep out any residual gases that may be present in the cavity after the cavity has been opened. Thus, after the sputter etching, the cavity may be substantially filled with inert gases that do not negatively impact the cavity.
US08395248B2
A semiconductor device includes a lead frame 1 having a first lead 6, a second lead 7 and a third lead 8. A power transistor 2 is placed on the first lead 6, and the power transistor 2 is connected to the first lead 6. The power transistor 2 has a drain electrode on one side opposite to a first lead 6 side, and this drain electrode is connected to a Cu chip 3 on the power transistor 2. The Cu chip 3 is connected to the second lead 7 via Al wires 4. As a result, during wire bonding of the Al wires 4, it becomes possible to absorb shocks due to wire bonding by the Cu chip 3, or disperse pressure due to wire bonding by the Cu chip 3, or diffuse heat due to wire bonding by the Cu chip 3.
US08395243B2
A semiconductor device has a multilayer doping to provide improved passivation by quantum exclusion. The multilayer doping includes a plurality M of doped layers, where M is an integer greater than 1. The dopant sheet densities in the M doped layers need not be the same, but in principle can be selected to be the same sheet densities or to be different sheet densities. M−1 interleaved layers provided between the M doped layers are not deliberately doped (also referred to as “undoped layers”). Structures with M=2, M=3 and M=4 have been demonstrated and exhibit improved passivation.
US08395240B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having improved contact structure includes providing a semiconductor substrate, forming a plurality of gate structures formed on a portion of the substrate, forming an interlayer dielectric layer overlying the gate structures, and forming a first copper interconnect layer overlying the substantially flat surface region of the interlayer dielectric layer. The method further includes forming a dielectric layer overlying the first copper interconnect layer, forming a second copper interconnect layer overlying the dielectric layer, and providing a copper ring structure enclosing an entirety of an inner region of the dielectric layer, the copper ring structure being provided between the first copper interconnect layer and the second copper interconnect layer to maintain the inner region of the dielectric layer. In addition, the method includes forming a bonding pad structure overlying a region within the inner region of the dielectric layer.
US08395237B2
A bipolar transistor includes: a substrate; a collector and a base layer with a p-conductive-type, an emitter layer with an n-conductive-type. The collector layer is formed above the substrate and includes a first nitride semiconductor. The base layer with the p-conductive-type is formed on the collector layer and includes a second nit ride semiconductor. The emitter layer with the n-conductive-type is formed on the base layer and includes a third nitride semiconductor. The collector layer, the base layer and the emitter layer are formed so that crystal growing directions with respect to a surface of the substrate are in parallel to a [0001] direction of the substrate. The first nitride semiconductor includes: InycAlxcGa1-xc-ycN (0≦xc≦1, 0≦yc≦1, 0
US08395234B2
A semiconductor device has: a signal pad; a power supply line; a ground line; an inductor section whose one end is connected to the signal pad; a terminating resistor connected between the other end of the inductor section and the power supply line or the ground line. The semiconductor device further has: a first ESD protection element connected to a first node in the inductor section; and a second ESD protection element connected to a second node whose position is different from that of the first node in the inductor section.
US08395233B2
An IC device (100) includes an IC body (106) having a base layer (108) and first and second upper layers (114, 116) on the base layer. The IC body includes a cavity region (104) extending through said base and first upper layers and at least a portion of said second upper layer. In the IC device, a portion of said second upper layer in the cavity region comprises a planar inductive element (102) having first and second contacting ends (140, 142). In the IC device, at least one support member (128, 130, 132) extends at least partially into said cavity region from said IC body in at least a first direction parallel to said base layer and intersects at least a portion of said planar inductive element.
US08395228B2
A method of improving the focus leveling response of a semiconductor wafer is described. The method includes combining organic and inorganic or metallic near infrared (NIR) hardmask on a semiconductor substrate; forming an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer on the combined organic NIR-absorption and the inorganic or metallic NIR-absorption hardmask; and forming a photoresist layer on the ARC layer. A semiconductor structure is also described including a substrate, a resist layer located over the structure; and an absorptive layer located over the substrate. The absorptive layer includes an inorganic or metallic NIR-absorbing hardmask layer.
US08395227B2
A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device includes a semiconductor substrate, a MEMS including a fixed electrode and a movable electrode formed on the semiconductor substrate through an insulating layer, and a well formed in the semiconductor substrate below the fixed electrode. The well is one of an n-type well and a p-type well. The p-type well applies a positive voltage to the fixed electrode while the n-type well applies a negative voltage to the fixed electrode.
US08395223B2
The present invention discloses a coaxial transistor formed on a substrate, particularly a coaxial metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (CMOSFET). The chips or substrates of the CMOSFETs can be stacked up and connected via through-holes to form a coaxial complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (CCMOSFET), which is both full-symmetric and full-complementarily, has a higher integration and is free of the latch-up problem.
US08395220B2
Nanowire-based devices are provided. In one aspect, a SRAM cell includes at least one pair of pass gates and at least one pair of inverters formed adjacent to one another on a wafer. Each pass gate includes one or more device layers each having a source region, a drain region and a plurality of nanowire channels connecting the source region and the drain region and a gate common to each of the pass gate device layers surrounding the nanowire channels. Each inverter includes a plurality of device layers each having a source region, a drain region and a plurality of nanowire channels connecting the source region and the drain region and a gate common to each of the inverter device layers surrounding the nanowire channels.
US08395215B2
Germanium field effect transistors and methods of fabricating them are described. In one embodiment, the method includes forming a germanium oxide layer over a substrate and forming a metal oxide layer over the germanium oxide layer. The germanium oxide layer and the metal oxide layer are converted into a first dielectric layer. A first electrode layer is deposited over the first dielectric layer.
US08395214B2
In one embodiment, a floating body field-effect transistor includes a pair of source/drain regions having a floating body channel region received therebetween. The source/drain regions and the floating body channel region are received over an insulator. A gate electrode is proximate the floating body channel region. A gate dielectric is received between the gate electrode and the floating body channel region. The floating body channel region has a semiconductor SixGe(1-x)-comprising region. The floating body channel region has a semiconductor silicon-comprising region received between the semiconductor SixGe(1-x)-comprising region and the gate dielectric. The semiconductor SixGe(1-x)-comprising region has greater quantity of Ge than any quantity of Ge within the semiconductor silicon-comprising region. Other embodiments are contemplated, including methods of forming floating body field-effect transistors.
US08395211B2
A semiconductor device includes a first conductive type semiconductor substrate; a first conductive type semiconductor region provided thereon in which first conductive type first pillar regions and second conductive type second pillar regions alternately arranged; second conductive type second semiconductor regions provided on second pillar regions in an element region to be in contact with first pillar regions therein; gate electrodes each provided on adjacent second semiconductor regions and on one of the first pillar region interposed therebetween; third semiconductor regions functioning as a first conductive type source region provided in parts of the second semiconductor regions located under side portions of the gate electrodes; and a second conductive type resurf region which is a part of a terminal region surrounding the element region and which is provided on first pillar regions and second pillar regions in the part of the terminal regions.
US08395210B2
The invention provides a DMOS transistor in which a leakage current is decreased and the source-drain breakdown voltage of the transistor in the off state is enhanced when a body layer is formed by oblique ion implantation. After a photoresist layer 18 is formed, using the photoresist layer 18 and a gate electrode 14 as a mask, first ion implantation is performed toward a first corner portion 14C1 on the inside of the gate electrode 14 in a first direction shown by an arrow A′. A first body layer 17A′ is formed by this first ion implantation. The first body layer 17A′ is formed so as to extend from the first corner portion 14C1 to under the gate electrode 14, and the P-type impurity concentration of the body layer 17A′ in the first corner portion 14C1 is higher than that of a conventional transistor.
US08395209B1
A single-sided access device includes an active fin structure comprising a source contact area and a drain contact area separated from each other by an isolation region therebetween; a trench isolation structure disposed at one side of the active fin structure, wherein the trench isolation structure intersects with the isolation region between the source contact area and the drain contact area; a sidewall gate disposed under the isolation region and on the other side of the active fin structure opposite to the trench isolation structure so that the active fin structure is sandwiched by the trench isolation structure and the sidewall gate, wherein the sidewall gate has multi-fingers that engage with the active fin structure; and a gate dielectric layer between the sidewall gate and the active fin structure.
US08395204B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device, includes an element unit including a vertical-type MOSFET, the vertical-type MOSFET in including a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer, a third semiconductor layer, a fourth semiconductor layer, a fifth semiconductor layer sequentially stacked in order, an impurity concentration of the second semiconductor layer being lower than the first semiconductor layer, an insulator covering inner surfaces of a plurality of trenches, the adjacent trenches being provided with a first interval in between, and a diode unit including basically with the units of the element unit, the adjacent trenches being provided with a second interval in between, the second interval being larger than the first interval.
US08395195B2
An integrated circuit structure includes a substrate and a germanium-containing semiconductor fin over the substrate. The germanium-containing semiconductor fin has an upper portion having a first width, and a neck region under the upper portion and having a second width smaller than the first width.
US08395178B2
A light emitting device package and a method of manufacturing the light emitting device package are provided. A base is first provided and a hole is formed on the base. After a light emitting portion is formed on the base, a mold die is placed on the light emitting portion and a molding material is injected through the hole. The mold die is removed to complete the package.
US08395168B2
Semiconductor wafers, semiconductor devices, and methods of making semiconductor wafers and devices are provided. Embodiments of the present invention are especially suitable for use with substrate substitution applications, such in the case of fabricating vertical LED. One embodiment of the present invention includes a method of making a semiconductor device, the method comprising providing a substrate; forming a plurality of polishing stops on the substrate; growing one or more buffer layers on the substrate; growing one or more epitaxial layers on the one or more buffer layers; and applying one or more metal layers to the one or more epitaxial layers. Additionally, the steps of affixing a second substrate to the one or more metal layers and removing the base substrate using a mechanical thinning process may be performed.
US08395167B2
A method to improve the external light efficiency of light emitting diodes, the method comprising etching an external surface of an n-type layer of the light emitting diode to form surface texturing, the surface texturing reducing internal light reflection to increase light output. A corresponding light emitting diode is also disclosed.
US08395165B2
A laterally contacted blue LED device involves a PAN structure disposed over an insulating substrate. The substrate may be a sapphire substrate that has a template layer of GaN grown on it. The PAN structure includes an n-type GaN layer, a light-emitting active layer involving indium, and a p-type GaN layer. The n-type GaN layer has a thickness of at least 500 nm. A Low Resistance Layer (LRL) is disposed between the substrate and the PAN structure such that the LRL is in contact with the bottom of the n-layer. In one example, the LRL is an AlGaN/GaN superlattice structure whose sheet resistance is lower than the sheet resistance of the n-type GnA layer. The LRL reduces current crowding by conducting current laterally under the n-type GaN layer. The LRL reduces defect density by preventing dislocation threads in the underlying GaN template from extending up into the PAN structure.
US08395164B2
Silicon carbide substrate wafers are prepared by transferring a monocrystalline silicon layer from a donor wafer onto a handle wafer, the silicon layer being implanted with carbon and annealed to form a monocrystalline SiC layer prior to or after transfer of the silicon layer.
US08395162B2
The semiconductor device of the present invention includes a semiconductor region made of a material to which conductive impurities are added, an insulating film formed on a surface of the semiconductor region, and an electroconductive gate electrode formed on the insulating film. The gate electrode is made of a material whose Fermi level is closer to a Fermi level of the semiconductor region than a Fermi level of Si in at least a portion contiguous to the insulating film.
US08395161B2
At least two TFTs which are connected with a light emitting element are provided, crystallinities of semiconductor regions composing active layers of the respective TFTs are made different from each other. As the semiconductor region, a region obtained by crystallizing an amorphous semiconductor film by laser annealing is applied. In order to change the crystallinity, a method of changing a scan direction of a continuous oscillating laser beam so that crystal growth directions are made different from each other is applied. Alternatively, a method of changing a channel length direction of TFT between the respective semiconductor regions without changing the scan direction of the continuous oscillating laser beam so that a crystal growth direction and a current flowing direction are different from each other is applied.
US08395146B2
Disclosed is a composition, an organic insulating film including the same, an organic thin film transistor including the organic insulating film, an electronic device including the organic thin film transistor and methods of fabricating the same. In the composition, an organic polymer material having a carboxyl group and an organic silane material having an electron-donating group are included to thus realize a structure which may further stabilize an unreacted crosslinking material. Thereby, a hysteresis phenomenon may be decreased and transparency may be increased, thus making it possible to assure stability upon exposure to air. Accordingly, the lifetime of the organic thin film transistor may be lengthened.
US08395145B2
A top-emitting organic light-emitting device (OLED) including a reflective first electrode layer; a semitransparent second electrode layer facing the first electrode layer; and an organic layer between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, wherein the organic layer comprises a first layer, a second layer, and an emission layer between the first layer and the second layer, wherein the sum of the thicknesses of the emission layer and the second layer is about 0.15 to about 0.30 times the thickness of the entire organic layer. The top-emitting OLED may have high efficiency, and thus driving voltage may be reduced.
US08395141B2
Semiconductor emitting devices that offset stresses applied to a quantum well region and reduce internal fields due to spontaneous and piezoelectric polarizations are disclosed. In one embodiment, a semiconductor emitting device includes a quantum well region comprising an active layer that emits light and at least one barrier layer disposed adjacent the active layer, a means for impressing an electric field across the quantum well region to inject carriers into the quantum well region, and a means for impressing an offset electric field across the quantum well region to offset the polarization field formed in the quantum well region.
US08395135B2
A device is described for curing patterns of a substance at a surface of a foil. The device a carrier facility for carrying the foil within an object plane, a photon radiation source arranged at a first side of the object plane for emitting photon radiation in a wavelength range for which the foil is transparent, and a first and a second concave reflective surface arranged at mutually opposite sides of the object plane for mapping photon radiation emitted by the photon radiation source into the object plane. Therein the photon radiation source is arranged between the first concave reflecting surface and the object-plane. The photon radiation of the photon radiation source is concentrated into the object plane by the first and the second concave reflective surface.
US08395132B2
A method that includes implantation of dopants while a III-nitride body is being grown on a substrate, and an apparatus for the practice of the method.
US08395110B2
An encoder apparatus comprises a first scale member with a scale region on which a scale is arranged; a detector that detects light from the scale region; and a retaining member with a retaining surface that is arranged so as to face a surface of the first scale member including the scale region via a predetermined gap, and that retains a liquid at least between the retaining surface and the first scale member.
US08395109B2
A motion sensor having a coiled member, light emitter, and light detector. The coiled member is bendable in response to lateral forces applied thereto. The coiled member defines an internal open ended channel having a first end opposite a second end. The emitter is adjacent the first end and emits light into the channel. At least a portion of that light travels through the channel toward the second portion. An amount of light reaching the detector is determined at least in part by how much the coiled member is bent. The detector is adjacent the second end and receives light from the channel. The detector is configured to transmit a signal indicating an amount of light received. The signal may be used by a motion capture system to animate a computer generated animation. Multiple motion sensors may be incorporated into a glove and positioned to detect bending of finger joints.
US08395103B2
A semiconductor photodetector may provide charge carrier avalanche multiplication at high field regions of a semiconductor material layer. A semiconductor current amplifier may provide current amplification by impact ionization near a high field region. A plurality of metal electrodes are formed on a surface of a semiconductor material layer and electrically biased to produce a non-uniform high electric field in which the high electric field strength accelerates avalanche electron-hole pair generation, which is employed as an effective avalanche multiplication photodetection mechanism or as an avalanche impact ionization current amplification mechanism.
US08395100B2
A microwave heating construct includes a movable portion defined at least partially by lines of disruption extending between adjacent edges of the bottom panel. The movable portion is adapted to be moved towards the interior space for maintaining a food item in an elevated position within the construct. A susceptor or other microwave energy interactive element may be joined to the movable portion to enhance heating, browning, and/or crisping of the food item.
US08395095B2
An electrothermal transfer device includes a substrate, a plurality of electrothermal components and a heating circuit. The electrothermal components are disposed on a surface of the substrate and arranged in a pattern. The heating circuit is electrically connected to the electrothermal components. In an electrothermal transfer method, at first, a transfer substrate is disposed on a workpiece substrate. Then, the electrothermal transfer device is disposed on the transfer substrate so that the electrothermal components contact with the transfer substrate. Thereafter, the heating circuit is used to heat the electrothermal transfer components so that the transfer substrate is heated to be transferred to the workpiece substrate. The electrothermal transfer device and the electrothermal transfer method can reduce cost.
US08395090B2
A fixing apparatus includes a fixing member for fixing an unfixed toner image on a sheet at a nip, a nip forming member for forming the nip cooperatively with the fixing member, a first heater for heating an external surface of the fixing member by contacting the external surface of the fixing member at a first position, and a second heater provided at a position upstream of the nip and downstream of the first position in a rotational direction of the fixing member, and for heating an external surface of the fixing member by contacting the external surface of the fixing member at a second position. The first heater has a thermal capacity larger than the second heater.
US08395088B2
A heat generating element for heating air in an electric auxiliary heater of a motor vehicle includes at least one PTC heating element and an insulating housing surrounding the PTC heating element as well as electric strip conductors lying against the PTC heating element at opposite sides. The housing is embodied in two parts with a housing shell element and a shell counter element which are lying against each other with the interposition of a sealing strip and sealingly surround the at least one PTC heating element. The present invention further relates to an electric auxiliary heater for a motor vehicle with a layer composition held in a frame, comprising the at least one heat generating element.
US08395084B2
A laser beam having homogeneous intensity distribution is delivered without causing interference stripes of a laser to appear on an irradiation surface. A laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator passes through a diffractive optical element so that the intensity distribution thereof is homogenized. The beam emitted from the diffractive optical element then passes through a slit so that low-intensity end portions in a major-axis direction of the beam are blocked. Subsequently, the beam passes through a projecting lens and a condensing lens, so that an image of the slit is projected onto the irradiation surface. The projecting lens is provided so that the slit and the irradiation surface are conjugated. Thus, the irradiation surface can be irradiated with the laser having homogeneous intensity while preventing the diffraction by the slit.
US08395080B2
A welding method includes sandwiching a first base material and a second base material between a first block and a second block, the first and second base materials being made of a light-transmitting resin, and welding the first and second base materials to each other by making a laser beam enter the second base material through a front surface of the second base material toward the first block from outside an outline of the second block at an acute entry angle with respect to the front surface of the second base material and by focusing the laser beam on the first and second base materials between the first and second blocks.
US08395070B2
Some embodiments relate to an electrical contact assembly for a plasma torch tip, and may include an electrical contact portion, a compressible portion in mechanical communication with the contact, and a mounting portion in mechanical communication with the compressible portion. Some embodiments may be adapted to maintain contact with an uneven substrate during translation of the torch tip.
US08395068B2
An object of the invention is to provide a device and a method for controlling a welding angle which is capable of resolving restrictions occurred when a conventional float type welding angle control device is used to manufacture a welded pipe, and giving full play to the ability of such a float type welding angle control device, by adopting a new mechanism for supporting and adjusting a fin roll. When the welding angle is controlled by inserting the fin roll between opposing edges of a band steel at a position located in an upstream side of squeeze rolls, the fin roll is attached to a link mechanism in which two arms are coupled so as to be pivotable within a plane defined by a pipe manufacturing line direction and a perpendicular direction thereof, and positions of gripping points of the arms are changed to adjust a position of the fin roll within the plane. Not only the mechanism of the device is simplified and an installation space can be reduced, but also the usage environment of the device and burdens for the maintenance work are considerably improved.
US08395067B2
According to an embodiment, a switchgear operating mechanism has a roller pin rotatably fixed to a leading end of a latch lever. A latch is fixed to a solenoid lever at a position different from the rotation axis of the solenoid lever, and has a leading end engageable with the roller pin. In a state where the switchgear operating state is shifted from the closed state to the cutoff state, the solenoid lever is pushed by an electromagnetic solenoid for cutoff so as to be rotated in an opposite direction to the biasing direction of the solenoid lever return spring, and the latch lever is rotated by a biasing force of the roller pin to release an engagement between the roller pin and the leading end of the latch, which causes a cutoff spring to discharge its energy to rotate the latch lever.
US08395066B2
A flashlight is described comprising a flashlight body comprising a tube with a first end and a second end, the tube configured to hold at least one battery; a bulb holder for holding an illumination source at the first end of the tube; and a circuit interruption and completion device forming a complete circuit between the illumination source and the battery, when the device is in a closed mode, the device comprising a pushbutton switch which is manually actuated between at least a first closed mode and a second mode. The switch controls multiple functions of the flashlight. The switch requires at least one of a force of less than about 1000 gf and a stroke of less than 4 mm to be operably actuated.
US08395060B2
An electronic device includes a housing defining an interior space with an opening, a lid, a first locking member, a restricting member, and a second locking member. The lid is coupled to the housing to close and unclose the opening. The first locking member is coupled to the lid and movable in a first direction between a closed position to lock the lid over the opening and an open position to unlock the lid from over the opening. The restricting member is mounted to the lid and movable between a restricting position to prevent the first locking member from moving to the open position and a retracted position to permit the first locking member to move to the open position. The second locking member is coupled to the lid and movable in the first direction to allow the restricting member to switch between the restricting position and the retracted position.
US08395059B2
The present invention is to provide an electromagnetic wave shielding material including a transparent substrate and a convex pattern layer composed of a conductive composition formed in a prescribed pattern on the transparent substrate, wherein the conductive composition contains conductive particles and a binder resin; and in observation of a transverse cross section of the convex pattern layer by electron microscopic photography, at least a part of the conductive particles has a fused continuation and a method for manufacturing the same. The electromagnetic wave shielding material and the method for manufacturing the same include a configuration capable of achieving a lower surface resistivity in an electromagnetic wave shielding material which is required to achieve a much more reduction in a line width of the pattern, specifically, a reduction to a line width of not more than 30 μm, and more preferably not more than 15 to 20 μm and a treatment method capable of reducing the surface resistivity by an easy and short-time treatment.
US08395048B2
A wire material includes at least two branch structures disposed so as to be continuous with each other, each of the branch structures including a conductor and a pair of branching conductors connected to the conductor. The branching conductors may be connected to a front surface and a back surface of an end of the conductor. The conductors may be in the form of a foil.
US08395040B1
An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method and system for electronic sensing of string instrument input. The method includes receiving a first signal from a peak detection circuit. The peak detection circuit is operable to sense string activation. A second signal is received from one or more capacitive sensors. The second signal may include finger placement information. The method further includes processing the first and the second signals to generate an audio signal and outputting the audio signal.
US08395032B1
A novel maize variety designated X13B627 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 X13B627 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X13B627 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X13B627, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X13B627. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X13B627.
US08395025B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1024249. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1024249. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1024249 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1024249 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08395024B2
The present invention discloses and claims stress-inducible plant promoters, DNA constructs with such promoters, transgenic plants containing such promoters and DNA constructs, isolated DNAs encoding such promoters, and methods of making and using such promoters, DNA constructs, transgenic plants, and isolated DNAs.
US08395019B1
A novel maize variety designated X00A012 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 X00A012 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X00A012 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X00A012, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X00A012. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X00A012.
US08395015B2
An absorptive article in which a terminal section of a sensor is less likely to be damaged in production, packaging, and transportation. An output terminal (115) of a sensor member (110) is placed at a side end of a front edge (180) of a urine pad (100). The side end of the front edge (180) is constructed only from a front face sheet (105) and a rear face sheet (106). The front face sheet (105) and the rear face sheet (106) are not joined together and are separably arranged. When the urine pad (100) is not in use, the output terminal (115) is covered by the front face sheet (105) and the rear face sheet (106). In use, the front face sheet (105) and the rear face sheet (106) are separated in the thickness direction and the output terminal (115) of the sensor member (110) is exposed.
US08395011B2
Devices, kits and methods described herein may be for wound healing, including the treatment, amelioration, or prevention of scars and/or keloids by applying and/or maintaining a predetermined strain in an elastic skin treatment device that is then affixed to the skin surface using skin adhesives to transfer a generally planar force from the bandage to the skin surface. Applicators are used to apply and/or maintain the strains, and some of the applicators are further configured to provide at least some mechanical advantage to the user when exerting loads onto the skin treatment device.
US08395005B2
A process for producing propylene and 1-butene is disclosed. The process comprises dimerizing ethylene in the presence of a dimerization catalyst to produce a dimerization mixture comprising 1-butene and 2-butenes. The dimerization mixture is distilled to produce a 1-butene stream containing 1-butene and ethylene, a 2-butenes stream, and a heavy stream. The 2-butenes stream is reacted with ethylene in the presence of a metathesis catalyst to produce a metathesis mixture comprising propylene, ethylene, and 2-butenes. Propylene is separated from the metathesis mixture.
US08395000B2
Disclosed are methods for producing fluorinated organic compounds, including hydrofluoropropenes, which preferably comprises converting at least one compound of formula (I): CF3CHXCH2X (I) to at least one compound of formula (II) CF3CZCHZ (II). where X is independently Cl, Br, I or F, and Z independently is H or F. In certain preferred embodiments, each Z is different.
US08394996B2
The invention relates to a method for producing aldehyde functional compounds by a cross-metathesis reaction of an olefinic compound having at least one hydroxy group and at least one C—C double bond with at least one at least monounsaturated fatty acid or at least one at least monounsaturated fatty acid derivative, in the presence of a metathesis catalyst at a maximum temperature of 180° C. and in the presence of at least one reagent that acts as a protective group-forming compound in relation to the aldehyde group of the aldehyde functional compounds.
US08394994B2
The present invention relates to [1] a process for producing a 2-alkyl-2-cycloalken-1-one represented by the following general formula (2), which includes the step of subjecting a 2-(1-hydroxyalkyl)cycloalkan-1-one to dehydration and isomerization in the co-existence of an acid and a platinum group metal catalyst, and [2] a process for producing an alkyl(3-oxo-alkylcycloalkyl)acetate which is useful as a perfume material, using the 2-alkyl-2-cycloalken-1-one: wherein n is an integer of 1 or 2; and R1 and R2 are each independently a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms with the proviso that R1 and R2 may form a ring through a carbon atom adjacent thereto.
US08394988B2
A process for producing acetic acid comprising the steps of reacting carbon monoxide and at least one of methanol and a methanol derivative in a first reactor under conditions effective to produce a crude acetic acid product; separating the crude acetic acid product into at least one derivative stream, at least one of the at least one derivative stream comprising residual carbon monoxide; and reacting at least a portion of the residual carbon monoxide with at least one of methanol and a methanol derivative over a metal catalyst in a second reactor to produce additional acetic acid.
US08394978B2
A compound comprising a sulfonated triorganophosphine of formula R1R2PR3[SO3M)]n, wherein R1 and R2 are selected individually from alkyl, aralkyl, and alicyclic groups; wherein R3 represents a branched divalent or polyvalent, alkylene or alicyclic radical that is bonded to the phosphorus atom and to one or more sulfonate substituents, and further wherein R3 does not contain any aryl moieties; M represents a monovalent cation; and n is an integer representing a total number of sulfonated substituents. The compound is useful as a ligand in transition metal-ligand complex catalysts that are capable of catalyzing the hydroformylation of an olefinically-unsaturated compound with carbon monoxide and hydrogen to form one or more corresponding aldehyde products. The ligand is incapable of alkyl-aryl exchange, thereby leading to reduced ligand usage and improving ligand and transition metal, e.g., rhodium, recovery and recycling, as compared with prior art ligands.
US08394976B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to a process for the production of surface functionalised nanoparticles, such as semiconductor quantum dot nanoparticles incorporating surface-bound functional groups suitable for enabling the dots to be incorporated into silicone polymers.
US08394964B2
Described herein are novel methods of preparing a compound of Formula II or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. In some embodiments, the method is for preparing betrixaban or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. Also described are compositions comprising substantially pure betrixaban free base or salt thereof.
US08394960B2
The present invention relates to novel Heterocyclic Ether or Thioether Derivatives, compositions comprising the Heterocyclic Ether or Thioether Derivatives, and methods for using the Heterocyclic Ether or Thioether Derivatives for treating or preventing a proliferative disorder, an anti-proliferative disorder, inflammation, arthritis, a central nervous system disorder, a cardiovascular disease, alopecia, a neuronal disease, an ischemic injury, a viral infection, a fungal infection, or a disorder related to the activity of a protein kinase.
US08394951B2
This disclosure concerns compounds which are useful as inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC) and are thus useful for treating a variety of diseases and disorders that are mediated or sustained through the activity of PKC. This disclosure 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.
US08394944B2
The present invention provides primers and probes to be used in a method of enhancing hybridization of a probe to a target nucleotide sequence when the target sequence is capable of forming intramolecular secondary structures that interfere with hybridization of the probe to the target sequence. In particular, the invention includes a primer for amplifying a target nucleotide sequence, wherein at least a portion of the target nucleotide sequence can form an intramolecular secondary structure. The primer of the invention includes a primer nucleotide sequence complementary to a portion of the target nucleotide sequence that does not form a secondary structure, and a blocking sequence substantially complementary to at least a portion of the secondary structure-forming region of the amplified target nucleotide sequence, wherein the blocking sequence hybridizes to a portion of the secondary structure-forming region of the amplified target nucleotide sequence and blocks the formation of the secondary structure.
US08394934B2
A method is disclosed for synthesizing 2′,3′-didehydro-2′,3′-dideoxynucleosides (d4Ns) from a nucleophile-mediated elimination, such as a telluride-mediated elimination reaction. After substitution of 2,2′-anhydronucleosides with a nucleophile, such as a telluride monoanion, a telluride intermediate is formed, and its elimination leads to formation of the olefin products (d4Ns). This disclosure describes this telluride-assisted (or nucleophile-assisted) reaction and how to facilitate the substitution and elimination in order to form d4Ns.
US08394932B2
The present invention relates to the discovery of the human survival motor-neuron gene or SMD gene, which is a chromosome 5-SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) determining gene. The present invention further relates to the nucleotide sequence encoding the SMN gene and corresponding amino acid sequence, a vector containing the gene encoding the SMN protein or a DNA sequence corresponding to the gene and transformant strains containing the SMN gene or a DNA sequence corresponding to the gene.
US08394925B2
The present application relates to a variant Fc region comprising the double mutation 428L/434S that increases serum half-life and the numbering is according to the EU index.
US08394903B2
The present invention relates to a novel initiating system for the preparation of a living diene elastomer functionalized at the chain end by an amine group by anionic polymerization. The novel initiating system comprises an organolithium compound and a tin amide.The invention also relates to processes for the preparation of modified elastomers comprising an amine group at the chain end. These modified elastomers prove to be particularly advantageous in reinforced rubber compositions for tyres as they confer improved dynamic and mechanical properties in the vulcanized state.
US08394899B2
A polyol composition comprising a polyol (a) and resin fine particles (b) dispersed in the polyol (a), and a method for producing the polyol composition are provided, wherein the resin fine particles (b) are particles such that an arithmetic standard deviation by volume of a particle size distribution of the particles, derived from respective values in 85 divisions of a range of 0.020 to 2000 μm determined by a laser diffraction/scattering particle size distribution analyzer, is not more than 0.6. A resin fine particle-dispersed polyol composition that, even if the resin particles dispersed in the polyol have a small particle diameter, allows the production of a polyurethane resin having an excellent mechanical strength such as elongation at break, and a method for producing the same, are provided.
US08394892B2
The present invention provides a thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising: 100 parts by weight of component (A), 10 to 100 parts by weight of component (B), 50 to 200 parts by weight of component (C), and 5 to 30 parts by weight of component (D). Component (A) is a propylene polymer having a melting point of 155° C. or more. Component (B) is a crystalline propylene-ethylene copolymer. Component (C) is an ethylene-α-olefin rubber having Mooney Viscosity of 30 to 100(ML1+4, 125° C.). Component (D) is a hydrogenated product of block copolymer comprising blocks of aromatic vinyl compound units and blocks of conjugated diene compound units.
US08394885B2
The present invention relates to a composition for imparting water repellency to porous mineral substrates and for producing a water repellency effect on the surface of the substrate and to a process for the preparation of such a composition, said composition being based on at least one silane oligomer, at least one hydrolysis or condensation catalyst, at least one fluorine-containing polymer, optionally water and/or at least one organic solvent, optionally at least one emulsifier and optionally further auxiliaries.
