US08538324B2

A mobile telephone docking station that makes use of a TV as a display and that allows use of a standard keyboard and mouse to have a faster, more comfortable means to control the phone. Access to all of the cell phone's functions is allowed through the docking station/TV.
US08538322B1

A system for performing transmit power and admission control for a satellite based wireless communication systems. Admission control uses centralized admission and distributed admission controls. Centralized admission control uses a maximum persistence value broadcasted from a hub to terminals. Persistence is the probability that a transmission will timely occur. Each terminal transmits a persistence that is no greater than the maximum persistence value. If the transmission fails, the transmission is repeated using the same probability. Lowering the persistence introduces a delay for alleviating congestion. Power control is performed using centralized and distributed power control. Centralized power control uses power control commands transmitted from the hub to each terminal. When an acknowledge is not received, a backoff and recovery procedure is performed. Distributed power control is performed during the recovery process when a terminal fails to receive an acknowledgment message after a predetermined number of attempts.
US08538317B2

An image elimination apparatus includes a first reader configured to read a status of a sheet, a first judgment portion configured to judge whether the read sheet is reusable or not, an image eliminator configured to eliminate an image formed on the sheet, a second reader configured to read the sheet passing through the image eliminator, a second judgment portion configured to judge whether the image formed on the sheet is eliminated or not, and a controller configured to control the first reader and the second reader so as to read with different reading precision.
US08538315B2

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming apparatus main body, an image forming unit that is provided in the image forming apparatus main body and forms an image on a recording medium, and a transport unit transporting the recording medium, wherein the image forming apparatus main body has a forward port for forwarding the recording medium having the image thereon by the image forming unit to outside of the image forming apparatus main body, and further has a guide unit by which the recording medium forwarded to the outside of the image forming apparatus main body is guided to be retrieved into the image forming apparatus main body, and to be led to the transport unit.
US08538314B2

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form an image on a printing medium; a discharging roller capable of transporting the printing medium which passes through the image forming unit in forward and reverse directions; a driving source to supply a rotation driving force in clockwise and counterclockwise directions to the discharging roller and the image forming unit; a duplex roller to transport the printing medium towards the image forming unit, which was transported in the reverse direction by the discharging roller; and a swing gear unit to receive the rotation driving force in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions to transmit a driving force to the duplex roller in a uniform direction.
US08538297B2

A charging apparatus including a charging tube which has an outer surface contacting a photoconductive medium and electrically charges a surface of the photoconductive medium, a shaft which is disposed in the charging tube and to which a charging voltage is applied, and a conductive member which is connected to the shaft and contacts an inner surface of the charging tube. A friction coefficient between the conductive member and the inner surface of the charging tube may be less than a friction coefficient between the photoconductive medium and the outer surface of the charging tube, so that a slip phenomenon of the charging tube is prevented.
US08538292B2

An image forming apparatus includes a case, a photosensitive drum, a developing cartridge, a supporting member set, a force-exerting member set and a resilient member. The photosensitive drum forms a toner image. The developing cartridge, movably disposed within the case, includes a developing tank and a developing roller. The developing roller, mounted on the developing tank and positioned opposite the photosensitive drum, transfers toners to the photosensitive drum. The supporting member set is disposed on an inner wall of the case. The force-exerting member set, disposed on an outer wall of the developing tank, interacts with the supporting member set to maintain steady contact pressure between the developing roller and the photosensitive drum. The resilient member, disposed between the developing tank and the case, provides a restoring force for counteracting a weight of the developing tank and urging the developing roller towards the photosensitive drum.
US08538290B2

An image forming apparatus includes a holding part that holds a detachable constituent component so that the detachable component is displaced to a detachment operating position and primary and secondary mounting completed positions as a result of link with opening/closing operations of an opening/closing part, and a connection part that is provided on the opening/closing part and in which a guide groove is formed which guides a projecting portion provided on the holding part. The guide groove of the connection part includes a narrow portion through which the projecting portion is caused to pass while the detachable constituent component is being displaced from the detachment operating position to the primary or secondary mounting completed position. The narrow portion has a groove width which is narrower than an outer dimension of the projecting portion.
US08538289B2

A developing device includes a developer transport body that transports developer to develop an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier, a housing that holds the developer transport body and defines an exposed portion and an unexposed portion, the housing including a storage portion storing the developer, and a layer-thickness regulation member that regulates a layer thickness of the developer transported to the exposed portion and includes one side close to a surface of the developer transport body, a first portion, and a second portion. The housing includes first faces that define both ends of the storage portion in the rotation axis direction of the developer transport body, a second face, and a third face. The developing device further includes a closing member that closes a gap between the layer-thickness regulation member and the second and third faces, and a magnet provided between the second and third faces.
US08538285B2

A system and printer are provided for fusing toner on a receiver medium having a toner pile that extends at least about 50 μm above a receiver. In one aspect, a system has a first energy source to apply a first energy to raise a temperature of a first portion of the toner pile to a range of elevated temperature levels below a glass transition temperature of the toner and a second energy source to apply a second energy to raise a temperature of a second portion of the toner pile above the glass transition temperature and to allow the second portion to transfer energy to the first portion. The second energy is provided at a level that allows the transferred energy to raise the temperature of the first portion from the range of elevated levels to a range of temperatures above the glass transition temperature for the toner.
US08538284B2

An image forming apparatus capable of improving the reliability of intermediate transfer belt shift control and attaining a high quality image. The image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt onto which a toner image is transferred and formed, a shift position detecting sensor that detects a shift position of the belt, a shift control roller that changes the shift position of the belt, and an angle adjustment cam and an angle adjustment arm that correct an inclination angle of the roller. An amount of correction for the inclination angle is calculated by an ASIC based on the belt shift position detected by the sensor. In a Kf multiplier and a Kr multiplier, coefficient values used for the calculation of the amount of correction for the inclination angle can variably be changed independently for respective directions of control for the roller inclination angle.
US08538282B2

An image forming apparatus including: one or a plurality of photosensitive drums; a plurality of chargers each having a grid, a voltage applying unit generating a charging voltage; a plurality of grid constant voltage circuits, each of the plurality of grid constant voltage circuits including: a voltage detecting unit that detects a voltage based on a grid voltage which is generated in the grid; a first current detecting unit detecting a first current; a voltage control line making the grid voltage constant; and an operation control device performing a feedback control such that the detected voltage has a predetermined voltage value; at least one of a second current detecting units detecting a second current flowing; and a controller controlling the voltage applying unit such that a sum of the first current and the second current corresponding to one of the plurality of chargers becomes a predetermined current value.
US08538277B2

A coherent optical receiver circuit is disclosed in which various components of the optical receiver may be provided or integrated, in one example, on a common substrate. Further integration is achieved by incorporating various optical demultiplexer designs that are relatively compact and conserve space on the surface of the substrate. The optical receiver circuit may be used to demultiplex quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) optical signals.
US08538266B2

An optical fiber hub includes an upstream port for receiving a light signal from a upstream host, a light splitting element, N downstream ports, and a light converging element. The light splitting element is configured for splitting the light signal into N light beams. The N downstream ports are optically communicated with the light splitting element, and each of the downstream ports is used for receiving a corresponding one of the light beams and transmitting the corresponding light beam to a corresponding downstream peripheral, and receiving a light signal from the corresponding downstream peripheral, wherein N is an integer which is equal to or greater than 2. The light converging element is used for converging light signals from the N downstream ports and transmitting the converged light signals to the upstream port.
US08538265B2

An optical communication device comprises a variable dispersion compensator, a photoelectric converter, and a processor. The variable dispersion compensator compensates an amount of wavelength dispersion of an optical signal received from an optical transmission line. The photoelectric converter converts the compensated optical signal into an electrical signal. The processor is operative to extract a frequency of the converted electrical signal, and to discriminate bit information of the electrical signal based on the frequency extracted using a decision phase and a decision threshold. The processor is operative to detect bit error information that is information related to an error of the discriminated bit information, and to control the amount of wavelength dispersion based on the detected bit error information.
US08538253B2

A photographic stitching device that has a generally planar structure having an offset aperture, a capture device mount proximate to the offset aperture, and a mounting structure to accommodate a camera frame. The photographic stitching device allows a photographer to capture a matrix of precisely overlapping photographs that can later be electronically stitched together to create a higher resolution composite image, a panoramic image, a vista, a stereoscopic image, a 3-D image, an artistic rendering, or similar custom and unique photographic products.
US08538245B2

A recording control apparatus includes the following elements. A receiving unit is configured to receive, from each of a plurality of recording apparatuses, recording schedule information set on a recording apparatus and available-recording-capacity information of the recording apparatus. A determination unit is configured to determine a program to be recorded. A control unit is configured to perform control to select one of the recording apparatuses on the basis of the recording schedule information and the available-recording-capacity information received from the plurality of recording apparatuses and to transmit, to the selected recording apparatus, information for scheduling the recording of the determined program.
US08538228B2

A housing including a plurality of openings for receiving fiber optic connectors and protecting the polished end face of the connectors from damage while the connectors are stored within a telecommunications connection cabinet. A module with a plurality of optical fiber cables connected to a first optical fiber cable and terminated by a fiber optic connector. Each of the connectors are inserted within openings in a connector holder for storage and protection until the cables need to be connected to a customer equipment cable.
US08538218B2

A long haul optical fiber transmission system includes a transmitter having a modulated bit rate of at least 40 Gb/s. A receiver is optically coupled to the transmitter with a composite optical fiber span. The optical fiber includes a first optical fiber coupled to the transmitter and a second optical fiber coupled to the first optical fiber. The first optical fiber has an effective area of at least 120 μm2, an attenuation of less than 0.180 dB/km, and a length L1 from about 30 km to about 90 km. The second optical fiber has an effective area of less than 120 μm2, an attenuation of less than 0.180 dB/km, and a length L2. The sum of L1 and L2 is at least 160 km. The composite optical fiber span does not include a repeater along the length of the span between the transmitter and the receiver or any rare earth dopants.
US08538210B2

Techniques for designing optical devices that can be manufactured in volume are disclosed. In an exemplary an optical assembly, to ensure that all collimators are on one side to facilitate efficient packaging, all collimators are positioned on both sides of a substrate. Thus one or more beam folding components are used to fold a light beam up and down through the collimators on top of the substrate and bottom of the substrate.
US08538205B2

A system for processing an image including multiple pixels and intensity data thereof. An image memory is adapted for storing the image. An arithmetic core is connectible to the image memory and adapted for inputting the intensity data. The arithmetic core includes a multiple function processing units. One or more of the function processing units includes (i) a processing core adapted for computation of a function of the intensity data and for producing results of the computation, (ii) a first and (iii) a second accumulator for summing the results; and storage adapted to store the results. The function processing units are configured to compute the functions in parallel and sum the results simultaneously for each of the pixels in a single clock cycle.
US08538199B2

Non integer scaling of images to reduce artifacts is presented herein. One embodiment includes determining a scaling resolution based on a pixel resolution of the image and a pixel resolution of an output device (i.e., factors of the scaling resolution). The image is converted to the scaling resolution to change (e.g., increase) the pixels of the image by the first factor. A grid is generated to scale the converted image. The grid has a number of sections defined according to the second factor times the pixel resolution of an output device. The converted image is sectioned according to the grid. Each section of the grid includes an integer number of pixels of the converted image. The color values of the pixels of the converted image are averaged within each section of the grid to compute a single color value for each section of the grid and scale the image.
US08538192B2

An image processing device that sequentially generates a synthetic image by joining a first image, which is a single image or constituted by a plurality of the images joined together, and a second image that is input, every time when the second image is input, includes: an overlapping region obtainment portion 14 that obtains a motion vector on the basis of the second image and an image input immediately before the second image among the images constituting the first image, and obtains an overlapping region where the image input immediately before and the second image overlap each other on the basis of the obtained motion vector; a brightness-value conversion factor calculation portion 16 that calculates a brightness conversion factor for converting a brightness value of the first image or a brightness value of the second image on the basis of the brightness value of the first image and the brightness value of the second image in the overlapping region so that a change in the brightness values between the first image and the second image becomes small; and a synthetic image generation portion 12 that generates the synthetic image by converting the first image or the second image using the brightness conversion factor and by joining the first image and the second image.
US08538186B2

An image processing apparatus includes a parameter setting unit which sets a noise reduction processing parameter for use in noise reduction processing for applying onto an original image signal including a plurality of color components; a correlation arithmetic processing unit which calculates coefficients of correlation between each of the color components in the original image signal; a parameter correcting unit which corrects the noise reduction processing parameter based on the coefficient of correlation; and a noise reducing unit which reduces noise in the original image signal using the corrected noise reduction processing parameter.
US08538185B1

A computer-implemented method for optimizing bounds checking in a structured lattice having a regular pattern of neighboring nodes, includes the steps of: visiting a node in the lattice in a determined order, including bounds checking the node and performing a neighborhood process on the node; when said node is an interior node, calculating a distance k to a specified node in the determined order; visiting the next k nodes in the determined order without performing bounds checking and performing a neighborhood process on each of the next k nodes; and at least one of displaying or storing a result of the neighborhood process for the node.
US08538179B2

An image coding device including: an edge detecting section configured to perform edge detection using an image signal of a reference image for a coding object block; a transform block setting section configured to set transform blocks by dividing the coding object block such that a boundary between the blocks after division does not include an edge on a basis of a result of the edge detection; and a coding processing section configured to generate coded data by performing processing including an orthogonal transform of each of the transform blocks.
US08538175B1

A method of and machine for representing an image or images includes detecting features of the image and representing the areas of one or more images. The method further includes detecting features and representations of the areas are encoded. Furthermore, a method of and machine for decoding and reproducing one or more images encoded based on the features and represented areas of one or more images is provided.
US08538173B2

A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for adding image identification information is provided. The process includes: calculating first feature vectors for partial regions selected from a target image to be processed; and adding a piece of first identification information indicating content of the target image to the target image using a group of decision trees that are generated in advance on the basis of second feature vectors calculated for partial regions of a learning image and a piece of second identification information added to the entire learning image.
US08538172B2

In an apparatus, an applying unit applies selected classifiers in sequence to an object image. A score calculating unit calculates, each time a classifier is applied to the object image, a summation of an output of an at least one classifier already applied to the object image to thereby obtain an acquisition score as the summation. The output of the at least one already applied classifier is weighed by a corresponding weight. A distribution calculating unit calculates, each time a classifier is applied to the object image, a predicted distribution of the acquisition score that would be obtained if at least one unapplied classifier in the classifiers, which has not yet been applied to the object image, were applied to the object image. A judging unit judges, based on the predicted distribution, whether to terminate an application of the at least one unapplied classifier to the object image.
US08538170B2

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.
US08538169B2

A computer-implemented method, program, and system for calculating similarity between nodes in a graph by computer processing. The method includes: calculating a new label value of a node on the basis of a label value of a node adjacent to the node with respect to each of the nodes in one or more graphs; correcting the new label value of the adjacent node to remove an influence of the label value of a target node with respect to each of the target nodes for the calculation of the similarity between the nodes; and calculating the similarity between the target nodes by using the corrected new label value of the node adjacent to one target node and the corrected new label value of the node adjacent to another target node.
US08538164B2

Described herein are various technologies for generating descriptors for image patches. An image patch can be received, and gradients of pixels in the image patch can be determined. The gradients are normalized based upon an average magnitude of the gradients in a local spatial region with respect to a given pixel under consideration. A four-dimensional histogram is defined that takes into consideration pixel orientation, and normalized gradients are selectively assigned to bins of the histogram. The bins are binarized as a function of a number of gradients assigned thereto, and the binarized bins can be utilized as a descriptor for the image patch.
US08538163B2

A method for detecting edges within an image. An edge strength indicator for each pixel within the image is determined and the edge strength indicator is classified into at least three classes to generate a map having one value associated to each class. The classified map is then separated into individual maps depending on the classification. A dilation process is applied to at least a part of the individual maps. The processed and/or individual maps are finally combined by logical operation to obtain a final map indicating edges without nearby texture.
US08538158B1

Techniques are described for controlling communication devices using image analysis. For instance, when a communication is received by a communication device, the communication device outputs an alert to notify users of the received communication and accesses one or more images of an area proximate to the communication device. The one or more images cover an area proximate to the communication device at a time during which the communication device is outputting the alert. The communication device analyzes the one or more images to determine whether a user is present in the one or more images and in a position to perceive the received communication. The communication device handles at least one aspect of the received communication based on the determination of whether a user is in a position to perceive the received communication.
US08538149B2

A data processing apparatus for registering image data includes a network processing unit configured for acquiring image data through a network, an image correction unit for analyzing the image data, extracting a background image and a subject image from the image data, and correcting the extracted background image according to a correction condition, and a database unit for storing the corrected image data such that the image data is associated with the corrected image data.
US08538144B2

A system and method for color correction of 3D images including at least two separate image streams captured for a same scene include determining three-dimensional properties of at least a portion of a selected image stream, the three-dimensional properties including light and surface reflectance properties, surface color, reflectance properties, scene geometry and the like. A look of the portion of the selected image stream is then modified by altering the value of at least one of the determined three-dimensional properties and, in one embodiment, applying image formation theory. The modifications are then rendered in an output 3D picture either automatically and/or according to user inputs. In various embodiments, corrections made to the selected one of the at least two image streams can be automatically applied to the other of the image streams.
US08538140B2

The present invention is directed to a method for detecting or predicting (302, 602) whether a test image is blurred. In one embodiment, the method includes extracting a training statistical signature (366) that is based on a plurality of data features (362, 364) from a training image set (14, 16), the training image set (14, 16) including a sharp image (14) and a blurry image (16); training a classifier (368) to discriminate between the sharp image (14) and the blurry image (16) based on the training statistical signature; and applying (302, 602) the trained classifier to a test image that is not included in the training image set (14, 16) to predict whether the test image is sharp (18) or blurry (20). The step of extracting can include measuring one or more statistical moments (576, 776) for various levels (L0-L5), estimating a covariance (577, 777) between adjacent levels (L0-L5), and/or extracting various metadata features (364, 664) from the images (14, 16). The step of training (300, 600) can include training a non-linear support vector machine (300) or a linear discriminant analysis (600) on the training statistical signature of the training image set (14, 16).
US08538138B2

A method for registering multiple 3D point sets by determining optimal relative positions and orientations of the 3D point sets. Initial values are determined for the rotation matrices corresponding to the relative orientations of reference frames of the 3D point sets. A registration error cost function is optimized on a product manifold of all of the rotation matrices to determine optimal values of the rotation matrices. The optimal values of the rotation matrices are used to determine optimal values for translation vectors corresponding to the relative positions of the reference frames of the 3D point sets. The 3D point sets are registered on a common reference frame using the optimal rotation matrices and the optimal translation vectors.
US08538136B2

A system and method are provided for analyzing 3D digital content to determine whether a watermark is detectable. The watermark may exist in 2D content that is converted to 3D, and in such cases, the survivability of the watermark to the conversion process is evaluated. An anticipated location of the watermark in left and right 3D images may be determined, and the detectability based upon the anticipated location. A report may indicate whether the watermark survived the conversion in one or both images, or neither. The process may be performed for single frames, sequences of single frames, or entire files containing many image frames. Watermark placement may also be proposed for locations in 2D content, 3D content, or both. Watermarks may similarly be placed in the content.
US08538134B2

Provided are a method and apparatus for receiving and generating an image data stream including a three dimensional (3D) image. The method of receiving an image data stream includes receiving an image data stream including at least one of two dimensional (2D) and 3D image data periods; extracting local 3D image parameters, which are parameters of each image data period, from the image data stream; and restoring at least one of 2D and 3D images by using the local 3D image parameters. In the method, each 3D image is composed of at least one of a base image and an additional image, and the local 3D image parameters include stereoscopic arrangement order information representing an arrangement order of the base image and additional image of the 3D image.
US08538126B2

A method of and apparatus for grading a characteristic of an animal is described. The animal is guided to a detection area whereupon an image of the back of the animal is captured. Analysis of the image identifies anatomical points and determines angles at these points. The angles are then used to calculate a grading for a characteristic of the animal. An embodiment is presented for automating the determination of body score condition in dairy cows using seven angles determined at three anatomical points from an image over the back of the cow.
US08538122B2

Automated localization of a valid area of a blood smear and, thus, localization requiring less effort and being more objective is enabled in that a picture of the blood smear pixels are classified at least into first pixels, which represent blood cells, and second pixels, which do not represent the blood cells, and the valid area is then found on the basis of a local frequency of pixel clusters of at least Amin first pixels, Amin being a minimum threshold for a number of first pixels of a pixel cluster, and a local average size of the pixel clusters for laterally distributed areas of the blood smear.
US08538121B2

This invention provides a method of dynamic cell tracking in a sample comprising the steps of, generating a correspondence measure between cells in two consecutive time-elapsed images of a sample, evaluating said correspondence measure to generate events linking individual cells in the two images, the events being selected from the group: unchanged, cell removal, cell migration, cell collision and cell division, and providing a tracking output of events linking individual cells in the two images. In the invention, the step of establishing linking events involves verifying the correctness of generated cell collision and cell division events, by calculating an adaptive threshold value for each such event and comparing the threshold value with an event parameter. There is further provided a system for dynamic cell tracking in a sample.
US08538118B2

Provided is a method of removing a moiré in a fluoroscopic X-ray image that preliminarily complements a defective pixel with no disturbance in regularity of a moiré pattern to ensure that no trace of the defective pixel and no ghost thereof create even when the fluoroscopic X-ray image contains the defective pixel. A moiré frequency derivation section determines frequency of the moiré that appears in the fluoroscopic X-ray image, a defective pixel preliminary complement section forms a preliminary complement image, a moiré removal section conducts frequency analysis of the preliminary complement image to form a moiré removed image, an image smoothing section performs an image smoothing process to the preliminary complement image to form a smoothed image suitable for complement of the defective pixel, and a first defective pixel recomplement section recomplements the defective pixel by superimposing the moiré removed image on the smoothed image.
US08538115B2

A three dimensional image, in a phased array magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system is provided. Three dimensional k-space data within an auto calibration signal (ACS) region and outside the ACS region are acquired. The k-space data within the ACS region are converted into hybrid space ACS data. Compression matrices and alignment matrices of the compression matrices for the hybrid space ACS data are found along a readout direction. Alignment matrices are multiplied to the compression matrices to achieve the properly-aligned compression matrices along the readout direction. All k-space data are converted into hybrid space. The properly-aligned compression matrices are applied to the hybrid space data to provide compressed data with fewer channels. The compressed data are used to form a three dimensional image.
US08538112B2

Methods and computer-readable mediums are provided. In one embodiment, the method acquires patient data. The peak value in the patient data is determined. The patient data is divided into two data segments (i.e., one data segment representing the data before the peak value occurs and a second data segment representing the patient data after the peak occurs). The slopes of the first and second data segments are calculated. Thereafter the slopes are used to determine an appropriate adaptive framing protocol. A number of frames and duration of each frame in the adaptive framing protocol can be calculated or the adaptive framing protocol can be selected from a plurality of framing protocols. Embodiments of the invention also include computer-readable mediums that contain features similar to the features in the above described method.
US08538099B2

A method and system for controlling image reconstruction in an imaging system are provided. The method includes receiving scan data from an imaging system, and determining regularization parameters for a plurality of portions of an image for reconstructing the image based on the received scan data, wherein the regularization parameters vary for the plurality of portions of the image.
US08538086B2

An image inspection apparatus that compares a reference image with an inspection image obtained by scanning a printed medium on which the reference image has been printed, to determine whether the printed medium is acceptable is provided. The image inspection apparatus includes a first inspecting unit that compares the reference image exclusive of an edge in the reference image with the inspection image exclusive of an edge in the inspection image to perform inspection; a line-image detecting unit that detects a line image that contains the edge from each of the reference image and the inspection image; a second inspecting unit that compares the line image detected from the reference image with the line image detected from the inspection image to perform inspection; and a determining unit that determines whether the printed medium is acceptable based on results of these inspections.
US08538082B2

The present invention provides a system and method for detecting and tracking a moving object. First, robust change detection is applied to find initial candidate regions in consecutive frames. These initial detections in consecutive frames are stacked to produce space-time bands which are extracted by Hough transform and entropy minimization based band detection algorithm.
US08538078B2

A method for identifying an object based at least in part on a reference database including two-dimensional images of objects includes the following steps: (a) providing a three-dimensional model reference database containing a plurality of estimated three-dimensional models, wherein each estimated three-dimensional model is derived from a corresponding two-dimensional image from the two-dimensional reference database; (b) sampling at least one image of an object to be identified; (c) implementing at least one identification process to identify the object, the identification process employing data from the three-dimensional model reference database.
US08538077B2

Technology is described for detecting an interest point in an image using edges. An example method can include the operation of computing locally normalized edge magnitudes and edge orientations for the image using a processor to form a normalized gradient image. The normalized gradient image can be divided into a plurality of image orientation maps having edge orientations. Orientation dependent filtering can be applied to the image orientation maps to form response images. A further operation can be summing the response images to obtain an aggregated filter response image. Maxima can be identified in spatial position and scale in the aggregated filter response image. Maxima in the aggregated filter response image can be defined as interest points.
US08538076B2

An image processing device receives a captured image as input from an image capturing device installed in a conveying mechanism that conveys and tests works. The image processing device causes the image capturing device to capture images a plurality of times at a predetermined time interval. Based on the position of the work detected from the captured image output from the image capturing device by capturing the images at a predetermined time interval and the target position set by the user's operation, the image processing device derives the delay time required for capturing the image at the timing when the work is positioned near the target position, and sets the derived delay time for the image capturing timing of the image capturing device.
US08538070B2

The invention discloses motion detecting method and apparatus thereof. The method and apparatus are utilized to detect a motion condition of a target pixel. The motion detecting method comprises the following steps: receiving a composite signal including a target frame and a reference frame; selecting a first reference pixel from the target frame and selecting a second reference pixel and a third reference pixel from the reference frame; generating a first signal according to the pixel values of the target pixel and the first reference pixel; calculating a first difference between the target pixel and the first reference pixel and a second difference between the second reference pixel and the third reference pixel, and generating a second signal according to the first difference and the second difference; selecting a plurality of first pixels from the target frame and a plurality of second pixels from the reference flame, according to the target pixel, wherein the second pixels correspond to the first pixels; generating a third signal according to the averaged value of the first pixels and the averaged value of the second pixels; and determining a motion condition of the target pixel according to the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal.
US08538062B1

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for validating an aspect of media data processing utilizing a signature. In use, media data is received in a system. Additionally, at least one signature of at least a portion of the media data is generated. Furthermore, at least one aspect of processing of the media data by the system is validated utilizing the at least one signature.
US08538061B2

A balanced armature motor assembly has a circuit board mounted to a bobbin. A first end of a wire coil is secured to a first terminal on the circuit board and passes through a first cutout of the bobbin. A second end of the wire coil is secured to a second terminal on the circuit board and passes through a second cutout of the bobbin. The first end of the wire coil is oriented along a first line tangent to a center post of the bobbin, and the second end of the wire coil is oriented along a second line tangent to the center post of the bobbin. In another embodiment, a compressed polymer material is interposed between a first magnet and a post located on the bobbin and between a second magnet and the post on the bobbin. The polymer material forces the first and second magnets into contact with the pole piece such that the magnets can be welded to the pole piece.
US08538050B2

Data is transferred to and from a hearing aid by transmitting an audible carrier having a frequency greater than 5 kilohertz, modulating the carrier with data, and detecting the modulated carrier in the hearing aid with a narrow band filter. The frequency is in a region where impairment occurs and there are many other sounds, thereby masking the communication, yet not interfering with it.
US08538049B2

A hearing aid includes a microphone to convert sounds into electrical signals, a transceiver configured to communicate with a computing device through a wireless communication channel, and a processor coupled to the microphone and the transceiver. The hearing aid further includes a memory accessible to the processor and configured to store a table including plurality of hearing aid profile identifiers (IDs). Each of the plurality of hearing aid profile IDs corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of hearing aid profiles. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor cause the processor to identify a hearing aid profile ID from the table based on a sound sample, retrieve a hearing aid profile from the computing device using the hearing aid profile ID, and apply the hearing aid profile to modulate an audio output signal.
US08538040B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and devices for controlling a command signal applied to a load. In embodiments of the invention, current through and voltage across a load are determined and the values of both are used to generate a hybrid control signal. For example, in some embodiments the hybrid control signal is generated by taking a weighted summation of the current and voltage control signals. In other embodiments, a percentage of the difference between the current and voltage control signals is added to one of the current or voltage control signals to generate the hybrid control signal. In one embodiment, a potentiometer is used to generate the hybrid control signal.
US08538037B2

An audio signal decorrelator for deriving an output audio signal from an input audio signal has a frequency analyzer for extracting from the input audio signal a first partial signal descriptive of an audio content in a first audio frequency range and a second partial signal descriptive of an audio content in a second audio frequency range having higher frequencies compared to the second audio frequency range. A partial signal modifier modifies the first and second partial signals, to obtain first and second processed partial signals, so that a modulation amplitude of a time variant phase shift or time variant delay applied to the first partial signal is higher than that applied to the second partial signal, or for modifying only the first partial signal. A signal combiner combines the first and second processed partial signals, or combines the first processed partial signal and the second partial signal, to obtain an output audio signal.
US08538032B2

A load detection technique for a load comprising multiple frequency-dependant sub-loads comprises measuring a representation of the impedance characteristic of the load; providing stored representations of a multiplicity of impedance characteristics of the load; each one of the stored representations represents the impedance of the load when at least a particular one of the sub-loads is in a fault condition; and comparing the measured representation of the current impedance characteristic of the load with each one of the stored representations and in case that the measured representation matches a stored representation, identifying the sub-load or sub-loads being in a fault condition by the corresponding stored representation.
US08538030B1

In a computer system having a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU), a system, method and computer program product for recovering a password used to encrypt a plaintext, including (a) generating N passwords on the CPU; (b) providing the N passwords to the GPU; (c) for each of the N passwords, calculating a transformed value from the password on the GPU, wherein the calculating is performed in parallel for all the N passwords provided to the GPU; (d) providing the N transformed values to the CPU; (e) at the CPU, testing the N transformed values for correctness; and (f) if none of the N transformed values are correct, repeating steps (a)-(e) for the next set of N passwords; (g) informing the user of a correct password.
US08538029B2

An encryption key may be fragmented into n encryption key fragments such that k
US08538011B2

The invention discloses a system for enhancing trust in transactions, most particularly in remote transactions between a plurality of transactional parties, for instance a seller and buyer(s) of goods and/or services over a public computer network such as the internet. Trust is disclosed to be a multivalent commodity, in that the trust that is to be enhanced relates to information about the subject matter of the transactions (e.g., the suitability of the goods and services sold), the bona fides of the supplier of the goods and services, the appropriateness of a pricing structure for a particular transaction or series of transactions, a quantum of additional transactional value that may be imparted to the transactional relationship, security of information exchange, etc. An important contributor to trust for such aspects of the transaction is disclosed to be the use of highly-secure steganographic computer processing means for data identification, authentication, and transmission, such that confidence in the transaction components is enhanced. By providing an integrated multivalent system for enhancing trust across a variety of categories (for a variety of transaction species, including those in which the need for trust is greater on the part of one party than of another, as well as those in which both require substantial trust enhancement), the invention reduces barriers to forming and optimizing transactional relationships.
US08538009B2

An apparatus and method are provided for determining the donned or doffed state of a headset. In one example, a headset includes a processor, an acoustic transducer, and a detector operably coupled to the processor, the detector providing an output charge pattern corresponding to a state selected from the group consisting of the headset being donned and doffed. Advantageously, the present disclosure provides for reliably determining a donned or doffed state of a headset for efficiently routing calls, text messages, and/or otherwise being used for notifications and requests in a system.
US08538007B2

In order to provide unbalanced ringing when an exchange line card provides a balanced ringing output the interface provides a ringing detector in circuit with a customer pair. On detecting balanced ringing signals from the line card, the interface takes over the customer line pair and provides unbalanced ringing signals to the customer and monitors for customer answer. By inserting the interface in circuit at the main distribution frame of an exchange, legacy customer premises equipment which is unable to respond to balanced signalling can be provided with an appropriate ringing signal without the necessity to provide differing line cards at the exchange.
US08538006B1

Embodiments of the present invention provide computer program products, methods, and systems for providing an interactive interface to a particular agent of a plurality of call center agents. In various embodiments, display criteria for providing the interface are defined that relate to a performance parameter associated with the plurality of call center agents. Further, in various embodiments, interaction criteria for providing an opportunity to interact with the interface are defined that relate to a second performance parameter associated with the plurality of call center agents. Thus, in particular embodiments, the interactive interface is provided to the particular agent as a result of the agent having a measurement of the performance parameter meet the display criteria and/or a measurement of the second performance parameter meet the interaction criteria. Once the interactive interface has been provided, the agent may be awarded with an award based on the agent's interaction with the interface.
US08538001B2

Provided is a method that includes receiving a redirect request from one or more switches of a telecommunications network, receiving, from one or more switches of the telecommunications network, a connect request that requests connection of a transmitter device to a receiver device associated with the normal subscriber number, and configuring the telecommunication network to connect the transmitter device to a receiver device associated with the modified subscriber number, independently of the switch serving the normal receiver device being operable or inoperable. The redirect request comprises a normal subscriber number and a modified subscriber number.
US08538000B2

The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer program products for performing message deposit transaction screening. One method includes receiving a call setup signaling message for a call for which a message deposit transaction is indicated and determining a message deposit transaction parameter associated with the message deposit transaction based on the signaling message. At least one message deposit transaction screening criterion is determined for the message deposit transaction based on the at least one message deposit transaction parameter. A message deposit transaction screening action is performed based on application of the screening criterion to the message deposit transaction parameter.
US08537998B1

Systems and methods for using caller data to add a phone number to an outbound-call list. In one aspect, a method involves (i) a record manager receiving caller data corresponding to a phone-call; (ii) responsive to the record manager receiving the caller data, the record manager retrieving from a data storage, a first school-record corresponding to the received caller data, wherein the first school-record is associated with a second school-record; (iii) the record manager retrieving the second school-record; (iv) the record manager making a determination that the first school-record is associated with a closed operational-status; and (vi) responsive to the record manager making the determination that the first school-record is associated with the closed operational-status, the record manager causing an administrator phone-number corresponding to the second school-record to be added to an outbound-call list associated with a workstation terminal.
US08537996B2

In a telephone network, an incoming call is once received using an automatic voice response. A ring tone is not played immediately after the incoming. In the automatic response, an authorization sound that is necessary every time connection to the caller is made is generated each time by superimposing a background sound on a random number generated through random number generation processing. The caller is notified of the authorization sound. A ring tone is played in response to only incoming calls that return a valid response value, and not played in response to incoming calls that return an invalid response value.
US08537994B2

A system granting access to application data and methods thereof are provided in the present disclosure. Application data can be sent that can be utilized by applications resident within a telephony switching system or end devices involved in a call. When the calling party dials the called party, the switching system can be triggered to substitute a database key into the calling party number. The switching system can use the act of making the call to enable permission for the called party to access the data referenced by the database key. The telephony switching system, having provided the key, is capable of mapping the key back into the original calling party number. This allows the calling party number, through the database key, to be stored as a contact or dialed from a call log, which can provide backwards compatibility to devices that do not support this feature.
US08537991B2

The present disclosure describes systems and methods for performing reverse least cost routing and price management. In particular, a telecommunications carrier monitors network traffic for a wholesale carrier customer using the carrier's telecommunication services. A new pricing scheme and/or rate for network usage by the wholesale carrier may be generated based on a set of policies created by the carrier, such as when it is determined that the wholesale customer's network usage has decreased. The generated rates and/or pricing schemes may be provided to the wholesale carrier customer in real time.
US08537988B2

A message relay server includes a call state control section that acquires call state data containing data identifying telephones from a line switching server which controls speech communication calls; a call state storage section storing the call state data for each of the calls; a message relay section receiving a message, which includes the identification data of a first telephone, from a first client terminal, and specifying a second telephone; and a message storage section configured to store the message and identification data of the second telephone. The message relay section receives a message inquiry, to acquire a message which includes the identification data of the second telephone, from a second client terminal, and transmits the stored message for the identifier data.
US08537986B1

Systems and methods for customizing messages are described. The apparatus may include an interaction engine to enable interactions between a customer and an agent, a user interface module to display a listing of life events and a life event engine to retrieve the listing from a data store. The method may include receiving a life event indication and playing one of a plurality of life event messages using at least the life event indication.
US08537985B2

The subject matter herein relates to computer software and client-server based applications and, more particularly, to a mobile business client. Some embodiments include one or more device-agnostic application interaction models and one or more device specific transformation services. Some such embodiments provide one or more of systems, methods, and software embodied at least in part in a device specific transformation service to transform channel agnostic application interaction models to and from device or device surrogate specific formats.
US08537967B2

A spectrometer includes a rigid body having a first planar face with an orientation and a second planar face with a different orientation than the first planar face. The first and second planar faces are configured to position Bragg diffraction elements, and the orientation of the first planar face and the different orientation of the second planar face are arranged to convey a predetermined spectral range of the electromagnetic radiation to non-overlapping regions of the sensor location via the diffraction elements.
US08537956B1

A demultiplexer circuit separates input data having different data rates into output data. A phase-locked loop circuit generates first clock signals having average frequencies that are based on a frequency of a second clock signal times a fractional, non-integer number. A serializer circuit serializes a set of the output data to generate serial data signals in response to one of the first clock signals generated by the phase-locked loop circuit.
US08537940B2

A wireless communication system includes: a frequency down-converting circuit for receiving a wireless signal and for performing frequency down-conversion on the wireless signal to output a frequency down-converted signal; a first training circuit for performing frequency comparison between the frequency down-converted signal and a plurality of candidate carrier signals having different frequencies so as to determine a plurality of selected carrier signals from the candidate carrier signals; a second training circuit for performing phase comparison between the frequency down-converted signal and phases of a pseudo-noise sequence at each of the selected carrier signals so as to determine a matching phase and a matching carrier; and a demodulator for demodulating the frequency down-converted signal according to the matching carrier and the matching phase so as to generate a demodulated signal.
US08537939B2

Disclosed herein is a reception apparatus including: a spectrum inversion detection section configured to detect the occurrence or absence of spectrum inversion in a received signal complying with the Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial 2 standard known as DVB-T2, using a P1 signal constituting the received signal; a spectrum inversion section configured to perform a spectrum inversion process on the received signal if the occurrence of the spectrum inversion is detected at least by the spectrum inversion detection section; and a demodulation section configured to demodulate the received signal having undergone the spectrum inversion process if the occurrence of the spectrum inversion is detected by the spectrum inversion detection section, the demodulation section further demodulating the received signal yet to undergo the spectrum inversion process if the absence of the spectrum inversion is detected by the spectrum inversion detection section.
US08537938B2

A method involves receiving an LDPC coded bitstream and demultiplexing the received LDPC coded bitstream using an optimized demultiplexer, the optimized demultiplexer being designed by: substituting Q levels of a constellation mapper by Q parallel binary erasure channels; optimizing a density evolution of erasure probability over said binary erasure channels for a plurality of demultiplexer offsets; and identifying from the plurality of demultiplexer offsets those with a minimum number of check node decoder collisions.
US08537929B2

Methods and systems for coding multicast information signals are disclosed. Signal transformations imposed by communication links with a plurality of receivers that are grouped into subsets of receivers can be determined. In addition, a coding design can be generated by employing dimension parameters that are related to achievable capacity rates of the subsets of receivers and are determined by constraining a sum of the dimension parameters to be less than or equal to a dimension of a union of subspaces of signal values that are receivable by the receivers. Output signals can be generated by applying the coding design to multicast information to compensate for the signal transformations. Further, the output signals can be transmitted to the plurality of receivers.
US08537926B2

This invention describes a cognitive radio receiver architecture where multiple specialized receiver algorithms are executed in parallel. For example, maximal ratio combiner and beam forming algorithms may be running parallel. The receiver system computes solutions using different hypotheses of channel conditions and chooses the best result, i.e. is able to decode data from one of the parallel receivers.
US08537923B2

A method and apparatus is provided for determining a modulation and coding scheme in a Multiple Input Multiple Output system with a Maximum Likelihood Detector (MIMO-MLD), in which an upper bound and a lower bound of a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) for the MIMO-MLD are determined, an effective Signal to Noise Ratio (eSNR) is computed using a relation between the upper bound and the lower bound, a channel quality is estimated using the eSNR, and a modulation and coding scheme is determined using the estimated channel quality.
US08537912B2

Disclosed is an apparatus that includes a plurality of parallel digital signal transmitters that each receive one of a plurality of digital sub-signals wherein each of the plurality of digital signal transmitters is configured to transmit one of the plurality of digital sub-signals that each have about the same bandwidth. The apparatus also includes a combiner coupled to the transmitters and configured to shift some of the plurality of digital sub-signals and to combine the plurality of shifted digital sub-signals into a combined digital signal that has a total bandwidth of that is approximately equal to the sum of the bandwidths of the plurality of digital sub-signals. The total bandwidth comprises a plurality of shifted bandwidths of the plurality of digital sub-signals at about the same offset with respect to each other. The combined digital signal is transmitted over a digital subscriber loop.
US08537905B2

The present invention relates to adjustment of interconnect power levels in high-speed differential serial links. In an example embodiment, a digital signal received at a digital input port is converted in a driver into a corresponding differential signal and provided to output ports connected to a differential transmission line for provision to a receiver. For adjusting the interconnect power levels between the driver and the receiver a voltage regulator is interposed between a voltage source and the driver. The voltage regulator provides regulated supply voltage to the driver. In operation, the voltage regulator receives from control circuitry a control signal indicative of a predetermined regulated voltage for provision to the driver for a pre-selected type of data transmission. In dependence upon the received control signal the voltage regulator selects the corresponding reference voltage and provides it to the driver. The adjustment of interconnect power levels is highly beneficial by enabling a substantial reduction of power consumption.
US08537904B2

The invention relates to a method of processing an image of a video image sequence, wherein it comprises the following successive steps: a step for computing a complexity value representative of the complexity of said image; a first step of morphological processing applied on said image, said first step generating a first processed image; a second step for mixing said image and said first processed image depending on said complexity value, said second step generating a mixed image; a third step of morphological processing applied on said mixed image, said third step generating a second processed image; and a fourth step for mixing said mixed image and said second processed image depending on said complexity value.
US08537900B2

Disclosed herein are techniques and computer readable media containing instructions arranged to determine a bit allocation for a temporal base layer and at least one temporal enhancement layer. The techniques are enhanced to yield improved reproduced quality for the case where both a temporal base layer and at least one temporal enhancement layer is being used. An exemplary method for determining a bit allocation to one base layer includes initializing a bit allocation between the base layer and the at least one enhancement layer, determining a quality difference between the base layer and the at least one enhancement layer, expressed, for example, in the Quantizer Parameter of the last picture of each layer within a GOP, and determining a new bit allocation between the base layer and the at least one enhancement layer based on the quality difference and at least one constant factor.
US08537897B2

Encoding and decoding a motion vector according to one of a plurality of encoding modes that is selected based on a coding unit depth.
US08537896B2

An apparatus and method provide logic for processing an image. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided to process an image. The method receives information associated with pixels of the image disposed in pixel blocks, and selects one of the pixel blocks as a target block. A motion vector associated with a translation of pixels of a portion of the target block from reference positions in a previously-encoded image is computed at less than integer precision. The method computes predicted image data for the pixels of the target block based on at least the received information and the motion vector, and filters the predicted image data according to a predetermined process. The predetermined process is applied to predicted image data associated with pixels adjacent to a boundary pixel of the target block.
US08537894B2

There are provided methods and apparatus for inter-layer residue prediction for scalable video. An apparatus is described for an encoder for encoding a block of a picture, or a decoder for decoding a block of a picture, by applying inverse tone mapping to an inter-layer residue prediction process for the block, wherein the inverse tone mapping is performed in the pixel domain. Methods for encoding or decoding a block of a picture are also described; and performed by applying inverse tone mapping to an inter-layer residue prediction process for the block, wherein the inverse tone mapping is performed in the pixel domain.
US08537880B2

Provided is a frame synchronization apparatus capable of reducing the amount of total computation and computation delays when a receiver of a satellite communication system calculates correlation between an input signal for frame synchronization and a signal sequence of the receiver, since the receiver uses no multiplier. The frame synchronization apparatus includes a correlator to obtain a correlation value of a unique word of a receiver with respect to a symbol data stream of a frame received from a transmitter of the satellite communication system, a comparator to compare the correlation value to a predetermined threshold value, and a determiner to determine whether the frame has been synchronized, based on the result of the comparison by the comparator.
US08537878B2

A method for communicating comprises generating at least one spreading code from a preferred Golay generator and/or a preferred generalized Golay generator. The preferred generalized Golay generator may comprise a plurality of preferred Golay generators. The outputs of the preferred Golay generator are logic 0 and 1. Each stage of the preferred Golay generator may comprise a single basic storage unit, such as a Flip-Flop. Generalized Golay codes comprise pseudo-complementary sequences having code lengths that differ from Golay complementary sequences and are characterized by low autocorrelation sidelobes relative to the autocorrelation peak.
US08537871B2

A high power cladding light stripper and high power laser systems using the same are described. A cladding light stripper includes a housing, a section of fiber disposed in relation to the housing wherein a portion of the section of fiber has an exposed cladding region, a plurality of glue regions sequentially arranged adjacent to each other along the section of fiber and covering the exposed cladding region, and wherein at least one glue region between a first glue region and a last glue region of the plurality of glue regions has a refractive index higher or lower than both an adjacent previous glue region and an adjacent subsequent glue region.
US08537870B2

A laser diode includes a substrate having a lattice constant of GaAs or between GaAs and GaP, a first cladding layer of AlGaInP formed on the substrate, an active layer of GaInAsP formed on the first cladding layer, an etching stopper layer of GaInP formed on the active layer, a pair of current-blocking regions of AlGaInP formed on the etching stopper layer so as to define a strip region therebetween, an optical waveguide layer of AlGaInP formed on the pair of current-blocking regions so as to cover the etching stopper layer in the stripe region, and a second cladding layer of AlGaInP formed on the optical waveguide layer, wherein the current-blocking regions having an Al content substantially identical with an Al content of the second cladding layer.
US08537865B1

A fiber is laser is pumped by radiation from a plurality of diode-laser bars which are wavelength-locked by a single feedback mirror in combination with a single band-pass filter. The locked wavelength of the plurality of diode-laser bars is tunable by tilt-tuning the band-pass filter.
US08537860B2

Systems for switching traffic include a physical machine running source and destination virtual machines (VMs). The source VM issues a data unit addressed to the destination VM. The physical machine has a physical network interface in communication with the VMs. The physical network interface transmits a sub-packet, which includes a partial portion of the data unit, over a network while a majority portion of the data unit remains at the physical machine. A network switch on the network receives the sub-packet transmitted by the physical network interface. The network switch performs one or more OSI Layer 2 through Layer 7 switching functions on the sub-packet and returns that sub-packet to the physical network interface. The physical network interface identifies the data unit stored in the memory in response to the sub-packet returned from the network switch and forwards the identified data unit to the destination VM.
US08537859B2

A system comprises a processor, a reassembly buffer that receives mini-packets, and at least one data structure that comprises bits. The bits indicate the presence or absence of each of the mini-packets in the reassembly buffer and further indicate whether one of the mini-packets is a final mini-packet in a series of the mini-packets. The processor uses the bits to determine whether all mini-packets forming the series are present in the reassembly buffer. As a result of the determination, the processor causes the series to be read from the reassembly buffer.
US08537856B2

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a wireless terminal may include an application subsystem and a communication subsystem. The communication subsystem in one embodiment may enable a virtual direct interface to a remote network to be presented to the application subsystem via a wireless communication system air link interface. The communication subsystem may allow applications of the application subsystem to be independent of any particular radio technology or network implementation of a wireless communication system air link interface. Once a session is established between the communication subsystem and the wireless communication system air link interface, the application subsystem may gain access to the remote network through the communication subsystem via a transport interface.
US08537854B2

An approach provides interdomain traversal to support packetized voice transmissions. A request for establishing a voice call is received from a source endpoint behind a first network address translator of a first domain, wherein the request specifies a directory number of a destination endpoint within a second domain. A network address is determined for communicating with the destination endpoint based on the directory number. Additionally, existence of a second network address translator within the second domain is determined. If the network address can be determined, a media path is established between the source endpoint and the destination endpoint based on the network address to support the voice call.
US08537851B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which access allocations to a spectrum band and transmit rights to the access allocations are defined. Real-time auction bids for the transmit rights to the access allocations to the spectrum band are sent from a participating device, and the participating device iteratively increments the bids until a maximum bid is reached or a transmit right is awarded to the participating device.
US08537850B2

A method and system for wireless communication in a wireless network is provided. One implementation involves a requesting wireless station directionally transmitting a request to a coordinator for access to a communication channel; the request packet includes a field indicating the length of the desired reservation period; and upon successfully receiving the request from the wireless station, the coordinator reserving a channel time period for data transmission by the requesting wireless station, and at least pseudo-omni-directionally broadcasting a packet to all wireless stations in the network indicating the reservation. All other stations refrain from contending the channel during the reserved channel time period.
US08537843B1

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for providing initial filter criteria with a time limit for providing an application service. In a particular embodiment, a method includes receiving a service request for an application into an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). The method further provides, in the IMS, processing the service request to generate initial filter criteria that includes a first logic component that has a first time limit to control provision of the application to the user and transferring the initial filter criteria from the IMS and receiving the initial filter criteria into an application server. Additionally, the method includes, in the application server, before the first time limit expires, providing the application to the user based on the initial filter criteria with the first logic component, and after the first time limit expires, providing the application to the user based on the initial filter criteria without the first logic component.
US08537834B2

A method and system for providing quality of service in an IP telephony session between a calling party and a called party establishes a high quality of service ATM virtual circuit for the session between first and second devices, each of the devices having ATM capability and IP capability. The first and second devices provide bidirectional translation between IP media and ATM media. The system transports IP media for the session between the calling party and the first device, and between said called party and a second device. The virtual circuit transports ATM media for the session between the first and second devices. An intelligent control layer provides IP and ATM signaling to set up the session.
US08537831B2

A routing apparatus comprises memory including a common group identifier correlated to a plurality of values each derived using a specified network parameter, memory including a common group action correlated to the common group identifier, a parse action module configured for accessing the common group identifier correlating memory and for associating the common group identifier with a packet configured with the specified network parameter, and a common group action module configured for accessing the common group action correlating memory and for determining the common group action be applied to the packet. Determining the common group action to be applied to the packet includes selecting the common group action dependent upon the common group identifier.
US08537828B2

An interface device for a compute node in a computer cluster which performs Message Passing Interface (MPI) header matching using parallel matching units. The interface device comprises a memory that stores posted receive queues and unexpected queues. The posted receive queues store receive requests from a process executing on the compute node. The unexpected queues store headers of send requests (e.g., from other compute nodes) that do not have a matching receive request in the posted receive queues. The interface device also comprises a plurality of hardware pipelined matcher units. The matcher units perform header matching to determine if a header in the send request matches any headers in any of the plurality of posted receive queues. Matcher units perform the header matching in parallel. In other words, the plural matching units are configured to search the memory concurrently to perform header matching.
US08537820B2

In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to an integrated endpoint having a virtual port coupled between an upstream fabric and an integrated device fabric that includes a multi-function logic to handle various functions for one or more intellectual property (IP) blocks coupled to the integrated device fabric. The integrated device fabric has a primary channel to communicate data and command information between the IP block and the upstream fabric and a sideband channel to communicate sideband information between the IP block and the multi-function logic. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08537813B2

Middleware may accommodate both packet data and circuit data services in the same cellular telephone. A cellular telephone may travel between networks that are packet and circuit data service based. A protocol middleware may determine whether packet data services are available, and, if so, may determine the mobility management state of the system. Depending on the mobility management state of the system, inappropriate applications may be closed or suspended.
US08537808B2

Provided is service for transmitting and receiving a file between a calling device and a call receiving device without depending on a capacity of a proxy server.An SIP telephone set (calling device 11) which makes a call through a proxy server 13 to establish a session for a voice path with a call receiving device 12 conformed to SIP, comprising a request issuing unit 111 which requests the call receiving device 12 to establish a session for a data path by the pressing of a specific extension at the time of establishment of a session for a voice path, a session establishing unit 112 which obtains an access authentication result by the pressing of the specific extension to establish a session for a data path with the call receiving device 12, and a file obtaining unit 113 which obtains a file managed by the call receiving device 12 from the call receiving device 12 independently of the proxy server 13 after a session for a data path is established.
US08537807B2

A method for processing Ethernet data and may include receiving Ethernet data via at least one Ethernet physical interface transceiver (PHY) integrated within a single Ethernet IP telephone chip. At least one secure application key may be received from a secure server by an on-chip security module (OSM) integrated within the Ethernet IP telephone chip for processing the received Ethernet data. The Ethernet IP telephone chip may be authenticated prior to the processing of the received Ethernet data using a security processor integrated within the OSM. The received Ethernet data may be processed by the Ethernet IP telephone chip based on the received at least one secure application key. The at least one secure application key may be communicated only from the secure server to the Ethernet IP telephone chip. The received Ethernet data may include one or both of video data and/or voice data.
US08537806B2

Methods and systems for an Ethernet IP phone chip are provided. In this regard, data may be received via a first port of an Ethernet switch in the Ethernet IP phone chip, and the port(s) via which the data is forwarded may be determined based on characteristics of the data. The Ethernet switch may receive data from a network via a first port, and communicate the received data to one or more on-chip interfaces via a second port. The on-chip interfaces may process the received data and may communicate video contained in the data to an off-chip video processing device. The Ethernet IP phone chip may receive video data from an off-chip video processing device via one or more on-chip interfaces, packetize the video data into one or more Ethernet packets; and communicate the packet(s) onto a network link via the Ethernet switch.
US08537803B2

A system and method for arbitrating channel access in a wireless device including co-located network transceivers are disclosed herein. A wireless device includes a first wireless transceiver and a second wireless transceiver. The first transceiver is configured for operation with a first wireless network. The second transceiver is configured for operation with a second wireless network. The wireless device further includes logic that determines which of the first and second transceivers is enabled to transmit at a given time. The logic causes the first transceiver to transmit a notification signal indicating a time period during which the second transceiver of the wireless device will perform a first wireless transaction, and during which, based on receiving the notification signal, a different wireless device performs a second wireless transaction via the second wireless network without transmitting a notification signal.
US08537801B2

A wireless OFDMA telecommunications system comprising a transmitter adapted to transmit, by means of an OFDM modulator, a plurality of data packets destined for receivers of a plurality of users, via the same plurality of transmission channels, the transmission channel of a user being associated with a group of sub-carriers of the OFDM multiplex and a set of OFDM symbol times of a transmission interval, each receiver being adapted to signal to the transmitter the loss of a packet transmitted over the transmission channel of the corresponding user, said transmitter further comprising a packet scheduler adapted to control retransmission of each packet lost by means of said modulator. Each receiver comprises detection means of an outage situation of the transmission channel of the corresponding user and signals this to said transmitter by means of an outage information (OUTAGE/NOUTAGE). In the event of outage, said scheduler prohibits any retransmission of a packet lost over said channel during a predetermined time (Tout) greater than or equal to the coherence time of said channel.
US08537799B2

Wireless radio devices that communicate in close proximity to each other typically suffer from interference. Such interference between collocated wireless radio devices can lead to degradation in performance of one or both of the wireless radio devices. Functionality can be implemented to coordinate communications of collocated WLAN and WWAN devices to minimize interference between the WLAN device and the WWAN device. The WWAN device can determine a WWAN communication time interval associated with the WWAN device for performing WWAN communication operations and a WLAN communication time interval associated with the WLAN device for performing WLAN communication operations. In response to determining that the WWAN communication time interval is in progress, WWAN communication operations can be performed at the WWAN device. In response to determining that the WWAN communication time interval is not in progress, the WWAN device can delay performing the WWAN communication operations.
US08537788B2

An apparatus and method of transmitting ACK/NACK (acknowledgement/negative ACK) information in downlink and an apparatus and method of receiving the ACK/NACK information are disclosed. The present invention configures ACK/NACK information on multiple UL codeword transmission using a PHICH and at least one NDI, whereby the ACK/NACK information on the multiple UL codeword transmission is transmitted to a user equipment without additional PHICH resource allocation. The present invention extends the conventional HI codeword and/or arranged position on a signal constellation, thereby transmitting ACK/NACK information on multiple UL codeword transmission to a user equipment without additional PHICH resource allocation.
US08537786B2

A method of improving CPC for a UE in a wireless communications system includes receiving a reconfiguration message, determining the content of a second information element, abbreviated to IE, included in a first IE when the first IE is included in the reconfiguration message, wherein the first IE is used for indicating timing information of a discontinuous transmission and discontinuous reception, abbreviated to DTX-DRX, operation and the second IE is used for selecting a timing of the DTX-DRX operation, and using the content of the first IE without storing the content of the first IE when the content of the second IE is a new timing.
US08537783B2

Provided is a wireless communication terminal (100) that includes a handoff determination unit (150a) for determining whether or not to perform handoff based on a measuring result of quality of a signal transmitted from a base station (200) and a handoff threshold, a QoS rate readjustment unit (150b) for readjusting a QoS rate for a base station to which handoff is performed when handoff is performed while a QoS is being set, and a handoff threshold setting unit (150c) for setting a handoff threshold which facilitates handoff when a QoS rate is lowered before and after handoff as a result of readjustment by the QoS rate readjustment unit (150b) and for setting a handoff threshold which impedes handoff when the QoS rate is raised.
US08537782B2

Soft handoff in an OFDMA system is disclosed. If the pilot signal strength for a base station exceeds the defined threshold, the base station is added to an active set list. Subcarriers in a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols are divided and allocated into subchannels. The OFDM symbols are divided and multiplexed. A soft handoff zone with a first dimension of the subchannels and a second dimension of the divided and multiplexed OFDM symbols is defined. The soft handoff zone has subcarriers with a subchannel definition, for example, an identical permutation.
US08537775B2

A method and apparatus for performing a handover are disclosed. An Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) client registers with an IMS network and establishes an MIH session with an MIH application server using an SIP. The IMS client establishes a session for IP-based service, (e.g., VoIP), with a communication peer using SIP messaging. MIH messages are exchanged for handover with the MIH application server over IP using SIP messages by encapsulating the MIH messages in SIP instant messages. Alternatively, the MIH messages may be exchanged with the MIH application over IP by sending equivalent SIP messages in place of the MIH messages.
US08537772B2

In general, this disclosure relates to techniques for quieting data transmission functionality during spectrum sensing operations. In one aspect, a method for spectrum sensing comprises detecting, during at least one time interval, whether any channel of a spectrum is available for use, and refraining, during the at least one time interval, from transmitting any data from a communication device.
US08537770B2

A mobile application gateway configured to interconnect mobile communication devices on a cellular network with an enterprise network is provided. The mobile application gateway includes a voice and data signaling gateway configured to provide routing functionalities, service functionalities and admission control. A gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) is configured to establish a secure data session between one or more of the mobile communication devices and the enterprise network by establishing a GPRS tunneling protocol (GTP) tunnel between a carrier-hosted serving GPRS support node (SGSN) and the GGSN.
US08537769B2

A bandwidth efficient subscriber unit initialization and synchronization method and apparatus is described. The inventive subscriber unit initialization and synchronization method and apparatus uses a combination of an access burst format and a data transportation technique to efficiently use bandwidth when initializing and synchronizing subscriber units in a time-synchronized communication system. Advantageously, the present invention provides a mechanism for a base station to receive multiple access bursts from multiple subscriber units in a single contiguous time period. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, bandwidth is efficiently utilized by searching for multiple initial access bursts from multiple mobile stations during a single time period known as a new access opportunity. The preferred embodiment of the present invention initializes and synchronizes subscriber units in a “contention-based” manner.
US08537768B2

In a mobile communication system in which an space of a physical downlink control channel for a mobile station apparatus to search is defined based on a mobile station identity assigned from a base station apparatus, the base station apparatus places a physical downlink control channel including a first mobile station identity or a physical downlink control channel including a second mobile station identity in a search space of a physical downlink control channel corresponding to the first mobile station identity when the base station apparatus assigns a plurality of mobile station identities to the mobile station apparatus, and when a plurality of mobile station identities is assigned from the base station apparatus, the mobile station apparatus performs decoding processing of the physical downlink control channel including the first mobile station identity and the physical downlink control channel including the second mobile station identity in the search space of the physical downlink control channel corresponding to the first mobile station identity.
US08537761B1

The present invention provides methods for incorporating and operating a mesh base station in a wireless network. The mesh base station may utilize common wireless resource allocations as a corresponding wireless base station while transmitting to wireless subscriber stations during the same time period. The mesh base station obtains a data packet from the wireless base station over a backhaul link during a scheduled time period and transmits the data packet to the designated wireless subscriber station during another scheduled time period. The wireless base station and the mesh base station may also receive data packets from wireless subscriber stations during a same time period. A wireless network may be configured with two mesh base stations at an approximate boundary of two adjacent sector coverage areas, where a coverage area is supported by a wireless base station and each mesh base station supports wireless subscriber stations within a coverage radius.
US08537759B2

A device and a method within a communication system where at least some part of the transmission is executed by means of radio waves, and where symbols are transmitted by means of Orthogonal Frequency Divisional Multiplexing, so called OFDM-technology, between a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, at which the symbol transmission is executed over a transmission channel in blocks of binary digits with a guard interval GI between said blocks, where transmitting unit is equipped with means to control the length of the guard internal (GI) with regard to the physical condition for/of the transmission channel, so that the guard interval can be reduced without the disturbance susceptibility being increased, but instead increasing the capacity/throughput of the transmission channel by the time that is set free/made available being used to transmit information. One embodiment of the invention includes a guard interval adjustment unit connected to other OFDM-equipment in transmitting and/or receiving unit.
US08537758B1

A method for selectively blocking Voiceover4G services within a wireless communications network is provided. A request for access to Voiceover4G services is received from a device connected to a wireless communications network. A location of the device is determined from information contained within the request. A determination is made of whether Voiceover4G services are provided at the location by the wireless communications network at the location of the device indicated within the request. The device is configured to communicate over the wireless network using Voiceover4G services responsive to a determination that the Voiceover4G services are provided at the location of the device or is configured to communicate over the wireless network using circuit switched services responsive to a determination that the Voiceover4G services are not provided at the location of the device.
US08537756B2

A radio base station (eNB) according to the present invention includes: a Back-off Indicator transmission unit (14) configured to transmit a Back-off Indicator notifying a Back-off value when a usage situation of an RA preamble satisfies a predetermined condition, in a random access procedure, wherein the Back-off value is a value relating to a timing of transmitting the RA preamble in a mobile station (UE).
US08537752B2

The present invention discloses an information multiplexing method, comprising: coding multiple feedback information according to number of the feedback information and a linear block code sequence, and truncating corresponding coded information according to a target length of the feedback information coded (S302); dividing the truncated coded information into multiple feedback information logic units sequentially, and multiplexing together the multiple feedback information logic units, multiple rank indication information logic units, multiple control information logic units and data information logic units are; wherein the control information logic units, the multiple rank indication information logic units, the data information logic units, and the feedback information logic units contain the same bit number (S304). Transmission of more than two ACK/NACKs is achieved by the present invention and transmission performance of the system is improved.
US08537749B2

Within a user device to which a radio communication network infrastructure transmits data carried by a sequence of frames broadcast to the user device, each frame comprising a first section comprising data and a second section comprising redundancy information associated with the data of a predetermined number B of previous frames in the sequence, a number of consecutive lost frames is compared to a threshold dependent on the number B of previous frames with which said redundancy information is associated and encoding parameters that generate said redundancy information, and a request to retransmit at least one of the consecutive lost frames is sent to the radio communication network infrastructure if the number of consecutive lost frames exceeds said threshold.
US08537744B2

In a wireless communication network (300) comprising a plurality of devices (100), a method of discovering a route for transmitting data from a source device (110A) to a destination device (110D) via multi-hop relay, includes broadcasting from the source device (110A) a route discovery request for transmitting data to the destination device (HOD). The route discovery request includes: a first field indicating a hop-count limit, a second field indicating a number of slots, X, required for transmitting the data, a third field indicating an ID for the source device (110A), and a fourth field indicating an ID for the destination device (HOD). The source device (110A) then receives a route discovery response indicating a route from the source device (110A) to the destination device (HOD). The route discovery response includes a first field indicating a number of hops between the source device (110A) and the destination device (HOD).
US08537741B2

For use in packet-switched networks, a method is provided for using external information regarding the degree of misordering of packets, to make header compression more robust against such misordering.
US08537734B2

The present invention relates to an arrangement and a method in a user equipment of saving radio resources in a communication network system comprising a communication network node (15) communicating withto one or more user equipments (18) on uplink (17) and downlink (16) data channels over a radio interface, whereby a transmission power 5 value on said uplink data channel (17) is determined by adding a power offset value to a pre-determined reference power value. A carrier-to-interference (C/I) value on said uplink data channel (17) is determined and said power offset value is then determined based on said determined carrier-to-interference value, whereby said power offset value is determined in said user equipment (18) instead of being received over said radio interface 10 from said communication network node (15).
US08537733B1

In ad-hoc wireless networks, functionality can be implemented to dynamically enable/disable an ad-hoc power save mode depending on whether or not the WLAN device is in a continuous traffic environment. The WLAN devices in the ad-hoc wireless network can use beacon frames to transmit a power mode switch request, to respond to a received power mode switch request (to indicate acceptance or rejection of the received power mode switch request), and to indicate a power mode switch status. The WLAN devices switch the power mode if all the WLAN devices in the ad-hoc wireless network accept the power mode switch request. Changing the power mode depending on the environment can improve power savings, data throughput, and reliability.
US08537730B2

A method and apparatus for sensing channel availability in a wireless network are described including switching to a first candidate channel for operational data transmission and reception sensing a previous operating channel for availability, determining if the previous operating channel is available, switching back to the previous operating channel if the previous operating channel is available and one of continuing to use the candidate channel for operational data transmission and reception and immediately switching to a second candidate channel for operational data transmission and reception and switching to the second candidate channel for operational data transmission and reception after a pre-determined period of time. Also described is a system for sensing channel availability in a cognitive network including an RF unit, for switching channels, a sensing unit for sensing channel availability and a media access control unit for controlling the sensing unit and the RF unit.
US08537728B2

A communication apparatus with echo cancellation includes a transmitter, a receiver, a digital echo cancellation circuit, a parameter control circuit, and an analog echo cancellation circuit. The digital echo cancellation circuit determines an echo estimation component according to a digital output signal, and performs a digital echo cancellation on a digital input signal according to the echo estimation component. The parameter control circuit generates a control signal according to the echo estimation component. The analog echo cancellation circuit includes a first echo cancellation resistor and a second echo cancellation resistor, wherein the resistances of the first echo cancellation resistor and the second echo cancellation resistor are adjusted according to the control signal.
US08537727B2

According to a first aspect the invention relates to a device forming a central controller (C) intended to be linked to a remote peripheral (P1-PN) by way an electrical power line (L), comprising a power transmitter (1) and a low-pass litter (CC—BF) arranged between the power transmitter and the electrical line, as well as means for transmitting/receiving data (3) in baseband and a high-pass filter (CC—HF) arranged between the data transmission/reception means and the electrical line, the electrical line being of the kind mutualized for the transmission of power at low frequency from the central controller to the remote peripheral and for the simultaneous bidirectional transmission of data in baseband at high frequency between the central controller and the remote peripheral. The invention also relates to a remote peripheral (P1-PN) as well as to the system comprising a central control linked to one or more remote peripherals by an electrical line mutualized for the transmission of power and of bidirectional data simultaneously.
US08537726B2

A method and system are disclosed that secure data transmission in a communications system employed to control safety-relevant processes, through the provision of cooperating evaluators arranged in a shared manner in communications stations in order to evaluate safety-oriented data in a simple and cost-effective way. In the disclosed method, a data report is transmitted from a first station, by means of a communications system designed for serial data transmission, to a second station and said data report is checked by means of a second evaluator arranged in the second station. Depending on the results of the check of the data report, an acknowledgement report is transmitted from the second station to the first station, which acknowledgement report likewise is checked by the evaluator arranged in the first station. Furthermore, the disclosed system carries out the method.
US08537721B2

A method (400) for scheduling transmissions of global beacons in a body area network (BAN). The BAN includes master nodes and slave nodes where master nodes are arranged in a tree topology. The method comprises propagating ascending global beacons (AGBs) from leaf nodes to a root node of the tree during an ascending period (S420), wherein an AGB includes at least reservations of time slots during a time round; processing AGBs by the root node to determine time slot occupancy information (S430); propagating descending global beacons (DGBs) from the root node to leaf nodes during a descending period (S440), wherein a DGB includes at least reservations of time slots during the time round; and processing DGBs by master nodes other than the root node to update at least the slot occupancy information included in the DGBs (S450).
US08537717B2

In distributed networks of cooperating nodes, it is useful to perform resource discovery in a manner that is efficient but that also minimizes communication complexity. A system and method in which nodes in a network efficiently are provided with information about the presence of, and other information about, other nodes in the network provides tangible benefits. In general, in one aspect, a system and method according to the invention features a distributed method for communicating information among a plurality of nodes. The method includes communicating from the first node to the second node information about the first node and nodes that the first node is aware of. The method further includes adding or merging, by the second node, the information about the first node and nodes that the first node is aware of with information about nodes that the second node is aware of.
US08537709B2

A network device includes a plurality of wide area network (WAN) interfaces, and a multi-WAN interface selection module. The WAN interfaces transmit session requests. The multi-WAN interface selection module communicates with the WAN interfaces and includes a monitoring unit, a quality table management unit and a network selection unit. The monitoring unit monitors and records network QoS corresponding to each WAN interface to obtain corresponding QoS information. The quality table management unit establishes a QoS information table according to the QoS information from the monitoring unit and updates the QoS information table in real time, and the network selection unit queries the QoS information table to select and distribute a WAN interface to send a new session request.
US08537700B1

Methods and apparatuses are provided for identifying and selectively controlling reverse-noise contribution on a per-access terminal basis. In an embodiment, an access node provides wireless service to access terminals, and measures reverse noise rise (RNR) during at least one turn of a round-robin process involving access terminals taking turns transmitting data or taking turns not transmitting data. The access node thereby determines a respective RNR contribution of at least one access terminal based at least on the measurement of RNR taken during the access terminals' turns. A high-contributor set of one or more access terminals is identified and then instructed to reduce reverse-link transmission power.
US08537697B2

A method and apparatus for performing packet time measurements. In one embodiment, the method comprises transmitting a packet in the network from a sender to a receiver through a plurality of devices; creating a plurality of packets by copying the packet at each of the plurality of devices as the packet is being transmitted through the plurality of devices, including adding a time stamp to each packet in the plurality of packets, wherein time stamps of plurality of packets are generated with data from time stamp engines synchronized to a global clock; sending the plurality of packets with their time stamps to a tool; and performing analysis on the plurality of packets using the tool.
US08537692B2

A network failure detecting method for detecting a failure of a network including a number of transferring devices by tracing data flow rates of the transferring devices based on physical topologies of the transferring devices for the network, composing a group of the transferring devices adjacent to one another, data flow rates of which have failed to be obtained, as one virtual transferring device; and replacing physical topologies of the group of the transferring devices adjacent to one another, data flow rates of which have failed to be obtained, with a physical topology of the composed virtual transferring device.
US08537683B2

A method for estimating a quality of experience of a user receiving an information content stream distributed through a telecommunications network, includes: collecting a plurality of measures of at least one characteristic parameter of the information content stream during the distribution thereof through a telecommunications network; deriving from the collected measures an abstract representation in terms of gaps in the information content stream, wherein a gap corresponds to a value of a collected measure below a predetermined threshold; determining a temporal distribution of the gaps in the information content stream; and calculating an index of perceived quality of experience based on the temporal distribution of the gaps in the information content stream, wherein the index of perceived quality is related in a non-linear way to the temporal distribution of the gaps.
US08537682B2

A method for processing data packets in a communication network includes establishing a path for a flow of the data packets through the communication network. At a node along the path having a plurality of aggregated ports, a port is selected from among the plurality to serve as part of the path. A label is chosen responsively to the selected port. The label is attached to the data packets in the flow at a point on the path upstream from the node. Upon receiving the data packets at the node, the data packets are switched through the selected port responsively to the label.
US08537674B2

A system and methodology that performs data bundling and controls fast dormancy based on user interaction with a user equipment (UE) is provided. Moreover, the system provides a balance between saving battery power of the UE and reducing signaling and processing load in a radio resource controller (RRC). Specifically, the system observes user inputs and data flow requests to identify “interactive” and “non-interactive” data flows. On receiving a data flow request, the system determines whether the data flow can be bundled together and transmitted over a single connection with disparate data flows, based on the classification of the data flow. Additionally, on completion of a data flow, the system determines whether a fast dormancy timer can be disabled/delayed to transmit a next data flow over the current connection, based on the classification of the data flow.
US08537671B2

Embodiments of the invention include a method performed in a packet processor core for policing a packet through a hierarchical policer coupled to one or more policing requestors. The hierarchical policer has a plurality of meter levels including an initial level and one or more subsequent levels. The hierarchical policer creates a meter result at the meter of each meter level using packet characteristics and a meter state for that meter level. The hierarchical policer generates meter level outputs that classify the packet for each meter level and for at least one of the subsequent levels the meter level output is based on the meter level output from a previous meter level. The hierarchical policer performs a meter combine operation that produces a final packet output attribute from the combination of the meter level outputs. The hierarchical policer returns the final packet output attribute to a policing requestor.
US08537666B2

A mobile station performing a voice communication by using a radio resource, including a determination unit configured to determine whether an inputted packet is in a talk-spurt state or in a silent state; a message generating unit configured to generate a resource release request, when the determination unit determines that the inputted packet is in the silent state; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the resource release request to a radio base station.
US08537663B2

A recovery network may provide communication recovery and backup services to a carrier having a service area. The recovery network may be configured to communicatively couple the carrier to the public communication network (PCN) using one or more alternative communication paths, such as a satellite network. The alternative communication paths may couple the recovery network to the carrier independently of the PCN. When the carrier detects a failure in its uplink to the PCN, it may failover to the recovery network, which may service the communication requests using the alternative communication path(s). Similarly, the recovery network may be used to service inbound communication requests directed to the carrier or other organization, such as a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). When used with a PSAP, the recovery network may be configured to access and/or provide metadata related to inbound communication requests.
US08537662B2

A process is disclosed for identifying and recovering from resource leaks on compute nodes of a parallel computing system. A resource monitor stores information about system resources available on a compute node in a clean state. After the compute node runs a job, the resource monitor compares the current resource availability to the clean state. If a resource leak is found, the resource monitor contacts a global resource manger to remove the resource leak.
US08537660B2

A system and method supporting efficient, scalable stateful switchover of transport layer connections in a telecommunications network element. One method involves receiving, at a network element comprising an active transport protocol process coupled to a standby protocol process, a request to configure a first transport layer connection maintained at the active transport protocol process for stateful switchover; receiving an event associated with the first transport layer connection; creating a message containing replicated event information based on the received event; sending the message to the standby transport protocol process; and processing the message at the standby transport protocol process, wherein the standby transport protocol process replicates state information for the first connection.
US08537654B2

In an optical disk including at least a rewritable phase change material and comprising a recording layer having a reflectivity of more than 15%, an address output value as an address pit signal component occupying in a reproduced signal in a non recording state is prescribed to be 0.18 though 0.27 or a numerical aperture of an address pit signal occupying in a reproduced signal in a non recording state is prescribed to be more than 0.3.
US08537653B2

An optical information recording medium includes at least one recording layer, a protective layer that transmits a focused laser beam, and a super-resolution functional layer that changes an optical characteristic in a local region smaller than the diffraction limit determined by the optical performance of the focusing optical system and the wavelength of the laser beam during at least the period of irradiation by the focused laser beam. The maximum thickness (K) between the light incidence surface of the protective layer and the recording layer is 0.083 mm.
US08537650B2

An optical read/write apparatus as an embodiment of the present invention includes: a light-splitting element configured to split a light beam emitted from a light source into multiple light beams including a write beam and a read beam; an optical system configured to converge the write and read beams onto the same track on an optical storage medium; a photodetector including a light receiving element configured to detect the read beam reflected from the optical storage medium and output an electrical signal; and a divider configured to generate a read signal by dividing the signal detected by the light receiving element by a signal that represents a write modulated component and that is obtained by detecting a part of the light beam emitted from the light source.
US08537643B2

A manufacturing method of a light source chip for a thermally assisted head comprises steps of (a) providing a light source bar with a surface coating formed thereon; (b) forming several blind holes on the predetermined positions of the light source bar by etching, the blind hole having a top hollowed on the surface coating and a bottom hollowed on the light source bar, and the blind hole having a first biggest width at its top; (c) cutting the light source bar along every two adjacent blind holes by a cutting machine. The cutting machine has a cutting means with a second biggest width that is smaller than the first biggest width of the blind hole, thereby cutting down an individual light source chip without contacting the side edges of the blind hole.
US08537640B2

An active sonar system includes at least one transmitter to transmit an acoustic signal, at least one receiver to receive a reflected acoustic signal, and an electronic cabinet to control the at least one transmitter to transmit the acoustic signal and the receiver to receive the reflected acoustic signal. At least one transmitter includes at least one carbon nanotube transmitting transducer. At least one carbon nanotube transmitting transducer includes at least one first electrode, at least one second electrode, and an acoustic element. The acoustic element includes a carbon nanotube structure that is electrically connected to at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode.
US08537639B2

An environmental monitoring system including at least one underwater measurement device and a transmitter for transmitting data from the measurement device to an above water station using a magnetically coupled antenna.
US08537638B2

Method for converting seismic data to obtain a subsurface model of, for example, bulk modulus or density. The gradient of an objective function is computed (103) using the seismic data (101) and a background subsurface medium model (102). The source and receiver illuminations are computed in the background model (104). The seismic resolution volume is computed using the velocities of the background model (105). The gradient is converted into the difference subsurface model parameters (106) using the source and receiver illumination, seismic resolution volume, and the background subsurface model. These same factors may be used to compensate seismic data migrated by reverse time migration, which can then be related to a subsurface bulk modulus model. For iterative inversion, the difference subsurface model parameters (106) are used as preconditioned gradients (107).
US08537635B2

A semiconductor device comprises a floating body type transistor and first and second circuits. The transistor has a floating body and a source-drain path inserted between first and second circuit nodes. The first circuit supplies a first signal to the gate of the transistor, and the first signal changes between a first logic level that holds the transistor in a non-conductive state and a second logic level that directs the transistor into a conductive state. The second circuit supplies a first voltage level near the second logic level to the first circuit node and supplies a second voltage level near the second logic level to the second circuit node, each as a level in a state where the transistor is not utilized. Thereby the gate capacitance of the transistor can be kept small as viewed from the gate, and high-speed operation and a reduction in consumption current can be achieved.
US08537634B2

A system and method that includes a memory die, residing on a stacked memory, which is organized into a plurality of mats that include data. The system and method also includes an additional memory die, residing on the stacked memory, that is organized into an additional plurality of mats and connected to the memory die by a Through Silicon Vias (TSVs), the data to be transmitted along the TSVs.
US08537622B2

A semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of memory cells provided in a matrix and having a charge storage layer, a plurality of word lines provided on the charge storage layer, and an application section. When reading data from a selected memory cell selected from the plurality of memory cells, the application section applies a voltage having an opposite polarity to the voltage applied to a selected word line to non-selected word lines arranged on both adjacent sides of the selected word line.
US08537616B2

A nonvolatile memory device includes a plurality of memory blocks and a high voltage application unit configured to apply a high voltage to a word line of a memory block unselected from among the plurality of memory blocks and float the word line, during the erase operation.
US08537611B2

In a non-volatile memory system, a multi-phase programming operation is performed. In one phase, faster-programming storage elements have a higher bit line bias (Vbl) than slower-programming storage elements. In a next phase, the faster- and slower-programming storage elements have a lower Vbl. Further, a drain-side select gate voltage (Vsgd) can be adjusted in the different programming phases to accommodate the different Vbl levels. A higher Vsgd can be used in the one phase when Vbl is higher to avoid unnecessary stress on the SGD transistor and reduce power consumption. Vsgd can be reduced in the next phase when the lower Vbl is used. The higher Vbl is a slowdown measure which can be applied when the Vth of a storage element is between lower and upper verify levels of target data states, or throughout a programming phase.
US08537593B2

A circuit for supplying a high voltage to load is described. An example of such a circuit could be used in the peripheral circuitry of a non-volatile memory device for supplying a program voltage from a charge pump to a selected word line. The circuit includes a charge pump that generates the high voltage and decoding circuitry that is connected to receive this high voltage and selectively apply it to a load. The decoding circuitry receives the high voltage through a switch, where the switch is of a variable resistance that progressively passes the high voltage in response to a control signal. In a particular example, the switch includes a transistor connected between the charge pump and the decoding circuitry, where the control gate of the transistor is connected to the output of a second charge pump that is connected to receive the high voltage and a settable clock signal as its inputs.
US08537564B2

An electronic device can include different components providing different functionality. Some electronic devices can include a proximity sensor for determining when a user's face is near the device. The sensor can include an emitter and a detector that are separated by a foam block to limit cross-talk between the emitter and detector. A sheet can be placed over the foam block to define openings for each of the emitter and detector. Some electronic devices can also include a camera. A glass cover secured to the device enclosure can protect the camera. To improve an adhesive bond between the glass cover and a metal enclosure, an ink layer can be placed between an adhesive and the glass. In addition, the camera or another component may need to be grounded to ensure proper operation. During assembly, however, the position of the camera can shift due to closing an enclosure. A grounding assembly that maintains contact with the camera in its initial and final positions can be provided.
US08537560B2

An electronic device includes a chassis, a receiving tray received in the chassis, a drive bracket slidably received in the receiving tray, and a connecting assembly. The receiving tray includes a first clasping portion, and a first circuit board is located in the receiving tray. A storage device is received in the drive bracket. The storage device is electronically connected to the circuit board. The connecting assembly includes a flexible cable electronically connected to the first circuit board and a mounting member. A first extending piece is located on the mounting member. The first extending piece is clipped to the first clasping portion, and the mounting member is attached to the flexible cable.
US08537558B2

An electronic module (100) comprises a base portion (1) having a receiving space (110), a panel portion (2), a printed circuit board (3) disposed in the base portion and a latch mechanism assembled to the base portion. The latch mechanism includes an actuator member (63), a fastening member (64) connected with one end of the actuator member, a pull tape (65) connected with another end of the actuator member, an elastic member (61) and a slider member (62). The fastening member is assembled to the slider member, and the elastic member is shielding outside the slider member.
US08537556B2

The invention specifies a holding apparatus comprising a support element and a circuit board. A trench for receiving the circuit board is embodied in the support element. At least one first clamping element is arranged on one or both longitudinal sides of the circuit board and/or at least one second clamping element is arranged in the trench. As a result, the circuit board received by the trench is fixed in the trench in a clearance-free fashion.
US08537548B2

Some embodiments of a method, apparatus and computer system are described for vortex generator enhanced cooling. The computer system may include a housing and an apparatus. The apparatus may include one or more vortex generators coupled to a heat spreader and positioned in close proximity to an electronic component, and a flow of air to provide for an exchange of thermal energy, where the flow of air is provided by a configuration of the housing, and where the one or more vortex generators may promote turbulence to enhance the exchange of thermal energy of the electronic component. In some embodiments, an air mover may be used to increase the flow of air in the housing. Other embodiments are described.
US08537538B2

A computer case includes outer panels forming an internal space sized and shaped to accommodate at least a motherboard, a plug-in card and a hard drive; and an inner panel arranged in the internal space and which physically forms a separate lower section of the internal space from an upper section of the internal space, wherein the upper section is arranged above the lower section of the internal space such that the upper section of the internal space accommodates the motherboard and the plug-in card and the lower section of the internal space accommodates the hard drive.
US08537526B2

A capacitor includes a capacitor element, a bottomed, cylindrical, metallic case, a metallic terminal plate, and a sealing rubber. A flange is provided along the outer circumference of the terminal plate. The flange is brought into contact with the bottom face of the sealing rubber for positioning. The case is wrung from the outside thereof so as to compress the sealing rubber. The sealing rubber has at least one of a ring-shaped top projection wall projecting between the metallic case and the terminal plate on the top face thereof, and a ring-shaped bottom projection wall projecting between the metallic case and the flange on the bottom face thereof.
US08537507B2

A device for controlling an electrical current includes control circuitry, a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) switch in communication with the control circuitry, the MEMS switch responsive to the control circuitry to facilitate the interruption of an electrical current, a Hybrid Arcless Limiting Technology (HALT) arc suppression circuit disposed in electrical communication with the MEMS switch to receive a transfer of electrical energy from the MEMS switch in response to the MEMS switch changing state from closed to open, the HALT arc suppression circuit including a capacitive portion, and a variable resistance arranged in parallel electrical communication with the capacitive portion of the HALT arc suppression circuit, the variable resistance to dissipate a portion of the transferred electrical energy.
US08537506B2

An information storage device includes a magnetic track and a magnetic domain wall moving unit. The magnetic track has a plurality of magnetic domains and a magnetic domain wall between each pair of adjacent magnetic domains. The magnetic domain wall moving unit is configured to move at least the magnetic domain wall. The information storage device further includes a magneto-resistive device configured to read information recorded on the magnetic track. The magneto-resistive device includes a pinned layer, a free layer and a separation layer arranged there between. The pinned layer has a fixed magnetization direction. The free layer is disposed between the pinned layer and the magnetic track, and has a magnetization easy axis, which is non-parallel to the magnetization direction of the pinned layer.
US08537504B2

A current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) or giant magnetoresistance (GMR) read sensor with ferromagnetic buffer, shielding and seed layers is proposed for high-resolution magnetic recording. The ferromagnetic buffer layer is preferably formed of an amorphous Co—X (where X is Hf, Y, Zr, etc.) film. It provides the CPP read sensor with microstructural discontinuity from a ferromagnetic lower shield, thus facilitating the CPP read sensor to grow freely with preferred crystalline textures, and with ferromagnetic continuity to the ferromagnetic lower shield, thus acting as a portion of the ferromagnetic lower shield. The ferromagnetic shielding layer is preferably formed of a polycrystalline Ni—Fe film. It exhibits magnetic properties exactly identical to those of the ferromagnetic lower shield, thus acting identically as the ferromagnetic lower shield, and a uniform columnar grain morphology, thus initiating a uniform large grain morphology in the CPP read sensor.
US08537499B2

A slit is formed between two opposite side portions of a metal base made of an electrically conductive material. The slit penetrates the metal base thicknesswise and extends longitudinally relative to the metal base. An insulating layer is formed on the metal base. A first conductor is formed within the slit. The first conductor extends longitudinally relative to the metal base along the slit. A second conductor is formed on the insulating layer. The second conductor faces the first conductor across the insulating layer. The second conductor extends longitudinally relative to the metal base along the first conductor. The metal base and the first conductor consist of a common base material, such as a stainless-steel plate. The first conductor is formed by etching the base material.
US08537498B2

A cylindrical boss portion is press-formed on a baseplate of a disk drive suspension. The boss portion is penetrated by a ball insertion hole relative to the thickness of the baseplate. The baseplate is formed of stainless steel. A chemically-polished surface is formed on an inner circumferential wall of the ball insertion hole by chemically polishing the baseplate after heat-treating it. The boss portion is inserted into a mounting hole of an actuator arm. A ball having a diameter larger than the inside diameter of the ball insertion hole is passed through the ball insertion hole. As the diameter of the boss portion is enlarged by the ball, the boss portion is fixed to the actuator arm.
US08537495B1

A method and system for providing a magnetic transducer are described. The magnetic transducer includes a first pole, a write gap, a second pole, a first coil, and a second coil. The first pole has a front portion on which at least a portion of the write gap resides. The second pole includes a split yoke that includes a first portion and a second portion. At least a portion of the first coil resides between the first portion of the split yoke and the first pole. At least a portion of the second coil resides between the second portion of the split yoke and the first pole.
US08537494B1

A method and system for providing a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) are described. The magnetic transducer includes a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) pole, an additional pole, a stitch, a shield, a write gap between the PMR pole and a portion of the shield, and at least one coil that energizes at least the additional pole. The PMR pole has a first front portion proximate to the ABS, while the additional pole is recessed from the ABS. The stitch resides between the PMR pole and the additional pole and has a stitch front portion between the front portion of the PMR pole and the additional pole. At least a portion of the write gap resides on the front portion of the PMR pole. At least a portion of the additional pole resides between the PMR pole and the shield.
US08537488B2

Embodiments of the present invention help to reduce damage of a head element portion or a magnetic disk in a procedure for specifying a heater power value for adjusting a clearance between the head element portion and the magnetic disk. In an embodiment of the present invention, an HDC/MPU sequentially performs data writing and reading while increasing heater power. The HDC/MPU further determines whether or not a head slider has retrieved the data properly. When the data cannot be retrieved properly, the HDC/MPU specifies a heater power value in a normal operation based on the heater power value at which the data could not be retrieved properly.
US08537479B2

A wide field video endoscope objective and method of assembly the objective including four groups with five lenses, a mechanical housing containing the entire image forming elements, a aperture stop, a centering member and a retainer sleeve. The centering member is at first centered over the photo sensitive area of the chip and bonded to the surface of the cover glass. The retainer sleeve slides over said centering member and is glued to the centering member and the housing of the video chip. The objective housing with the optical elements is screwed on the centering member to adjust for focusing.
US08537477B2

A lens barrel comprises barrier blades that open and close in a directional orthogonal to an optical axis; an optical system retention frame that includes a first surface along a direction orthogonal to the axis, the optical system retention frame retaining the optical system and movable with respect to the barrier blades in a direction along the axis; and a coupling plate includes a second surface relatively movable with respect to the first surface, the coupling plate causing the barrier blades to open and close by the coupling plate rotating about the axis; wherein, when the barrier blades are opened, the first surface is can move in the axis direction without abutting against the second surface and, when the barrier blades are closed, the first surface abuts against the second surface and movement of the first surface in the axis direction is restricted.
US08537476B2

A support system for a vibrating component of an optical assembly that is adjacent to a frame, wherein the component is driven to vibrate along an X-direction of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. The support system includes a support member connected to the frame. The support system has contact elements that are adjustable for movement into and out of contact with the vibrating component to constrain motion of the vibrating component in the Y-direction and in the Z-direction, without constraining motion of the vibrating component in the X-direction.
US08537473B2

Provided is a lens module for imaging an object on an image plane. In the order from the object side to the image side of the lens module, the lens module includes a first lens made of glass and having positive refraction power, a second lens made of plastic and having negative refraction power, a aperture stopper, a third lens having positive refraction power, and a fourth lens having negative refraction power. The lens module satisfies the following formula: Vd1−Vd2≧35; wherein, Vd1 is the Abbe number of the first lens in d light and Vd2 is the Abbe number of the second lens in the d light.
US08537471B2

A zoom lens system, in order from an object side to an image side, comprising a front unit and a rear unit, wherein the rear unit, in order from the object side to the image side, comprises: a subsequent first lens unit and a subsequent second lens unit having negative optical power and being a focusing lens unit which moves along an optical axis at the time of focusing from an infinity in-focus condition to a close-object in-focus condition, the subsequent first lens unit comprises a first-N sub lens unit having negative optical power and a first-P sub lens unit having positive optical power, and the first-N sub lens unit or the first-P sub lens unit is an image blur compensating lens unit which moves in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis in order to optically compensate image blur; an interchangeable lens apparatus; and a camera system are provided.
US08537467B2

An antiglare film and an antiglare sheet with which an image display apparatus excelling in contrast while maintaining excellent antiglare performance is obtained, and a simple process for producing them are provided. In the antiglare film of the present invention, a rugged shape in a first direction is substantially different from a rugged shape in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Preferably, an average gradient angle θa1 of the rugged shape in the first direction is larger than an average gradient angle θa2 of the rugged shape in the second direction. More preferably, a difference Δθa=θa1−θa2 between the average gradient angle θa1 and the average gradient angle θa2 is 0.5° to 30°.
US08537460B2

A reflective optical element and an EUV lithography appliance containing one such element are provided, the appliance displaying a low propensity to contamination. The reflective optical element has a protective layer system includes at least two layers. The optical characteristics of the protective layer system are between those of a spacer and an absorber, or correspond to those of a spacer. The selection of a material with the smallest possible imaginary part and a real part which is as close to 1 as possible in terms of the refractive index leads to a plateau-type reflectivity course according to the thickness of the protective layer system between two thicknesses d1 and d2. The thickness of the protective layer system is selected in such a way that it is less than d2.
US08537459B2

An electronic circuit for controlling a laser system consisting of a pulse source and high power fiber amplifier is disclosed. The circuit is used to control the gain of the high power fiber amplifier system so that the amplified output pulses have predetermined pulse energy as the pulse width and repetition rate of the oscillator are varied. This includes keeping the pulse energy constant when the pulse train is turned on. The circuitry is also used to control the temperature of the high power fiber amplifier pump diode such that the wavelength of the pump diode is held at the optimum absorption wavelength of the fiber amplifier as the diode current is varied. The circuitry also provides a means of protecting the high power fiber amplifier from damage due to a loss of signal from the pulse source or from a pulse-source signal of insufficient injection energy.
US08537458B2

An optical fiber for optical amplification has: a core portion doped with at least erbium and aluminum; a cladding portion formed around the core portion and having a refractive index smaller than that of the core portion; a peak value of absorption coefficient of 35 dB/m or greater at a wavelength around 1530 nanometers; normal dispersion characteristics and an effective core area of 20 μm2 or larger, at a wavelength of 1550 nanometers; and a power conversion efficiency of a conversion from pumping light to amplified light having a wavelength of 1550 nanometers is 30% or more.
US08537455B2

A display device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a plurality of display units and a plurality of partitioning walls. The second substrate is disposed above the first substrate. The display units are disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and each of the display units has a dielectric solvent. The partitioning walls are disposed between adjacent display units correspondingly, and a dielectric constant of each of the partitioning walls is less than that of the dielectric solvent adjacent thereto. Because the dielectric constant of the partition walls is less than that of the dielectric solvent adjacent to the partition wall, a capacitance value induced at the partition wall by a driving voltage can be decreased. Thus, crosstalk phenomena can be avoided in the display unit that is not driven.
US08537453B2

A display method and device using photonic crystal characteristics are disclosed. In the display method using photonic crystal characteristics when a plurality of particles having electric charges is dispersed in a solvent, an electric field is applied to control inter-particle distance.
US08537452B2

An optical spectrum generator is disclosed, which is based on generating conjugate optical frequencies via the use of two or more nonlinear interactions, where filters are used to select the conjugate output of the preceding nonlinear interaction as the input to the following nonlinear interaction. The cascaded nonlinear interaction is seeded with an incoming optical beam and pumped with multiple pump beams. The conjugate output of the last nonlinear interaction can be fed-back to the input of the first nonlinear interaction thus creating a recirculating path. An add-drop multiplexer is implemented for efficiently combining the pump beams with conjugate beams. The generated output frequencies are related to the difference in frequency between the pumps which can be changed as a function of time to create a time-varying output frequency. The magnitude of the variation in output frequency can be magnified by recirculating the signal through the system multiple times.
US08537449B2

An optical scanning device has a light source comprising a plurality of light emitting points arranged on a plane two-dimensionally; a deflector for deflecting beams emitted from the light emitting points in a main-scanning direction; a first optical system for directing the beams emitted from the light emitting points to the deflector; and a second optical system for directing the beams deflected by the deflector to a photosensitive member and for imaging the beams on a surface of the photosensitive member. The plurality of light emitting points are arranged in a parallelogram lattice composed of M by N lattice points, wherein M and N are integers equal to or greater than six, with none of the light emitting points allocated on central (M−4) by (N−4) lattice points.
US08537448B2

A mirror actuator has a first pivot portion which is pivotally supported on a base member, and a second pivot portion which is pivotally supported on the first pivot portion. A mirror is disposed in the second pivot portion. A first coil is disposed in the first pivot portion, and a second coil is disposed in the second pivot portion. A first elastic member connects between the base member and the first pivot portion. A second elastic member connects between the first pivot portion and the second pivot portion. The first elastic member and the second elastic member are connected by a circuit pattern. With the provision of the first elastic member, the second elastic member and the circuit pattern, a current is supplied to the first coil and to the second coil.
US08537433B2

An ergonomic, compact scanner operation is achieved by providing a flatbed scanner and a sheet fed scanner in a space efficient arrangement with optimal access features for users. Documents traverse the sheet fed scanner along a path that allows inclusion of an easily accessible flat bed scanner.
US08537427B2

A method of adjusting line data is provided, where a dot pattern for one line is represented by dot data indicative of dot formation and blank data indicative of no dot formation. The method includes: determining whether X or more blank data are arranged consecutively, the X or more blank data including adjacent blank data adjacent to dot data on at least one side of the dot data, where X is an integer greater than or equal to one (X≧1); and converting Y consecutive blank data including the adjacent blank data into dot data if it is determined that the X or more blank data are arranged consecutively in the determining step, where Y is an integer greater than or equal to one and less than or equal to X (X≧Y≧1).
US08537423B2

A method for predicting an appearance of a rendering by a printer of a digital halftone representation of a continuous-tone image includes calculating a predicted absorptance value of a dot of a rendered halftone of the digital halftone representation. The dot corresponds to a pixel of the digital halftone representation. The predicted absorptance value is based on a configuration of pixel values of pixels in an immediate neighborhood of the pixel, and on a weighted contribution of a pixel value of each pixel in an outer neighborhood of the pixel. The method may be incorporated into a halftoning technique. Relating computer program product and data processing system are also disclosed.
US08537413B2

When printing by generating a composite low-frequency image based on an input image, performing dodging processing, and changing a size of the input image to an output image size, if the output image size is much smaller than the input image size, wastefulness occurs in the composite processing of the low-frequency image, and the overall performance of the printing process deteriorates. To solve these problems, a plurality of blurry images having a different blurriness level from an input image are generated, print setting information to be used in printing of the input image is input, a size of a composite low-frequency image is calculated based on the print setting information, a composite low-frequency image is generated in the calculated size from the plurality of blurry images, and dodging processing is performed on the input image using the generated composite low-frequency image.
US08537410B2

A computer-readable tint block image generation program that causes a computer to execute a tint block image generation step of generating tint block image data including a latent image portion and a background portion which have different output densities to be reproduced during copying has: a camouflage pattern registration step of inputting and storing in a memory multi-grayscale camouflage pattern data; and a tint block image data generation step of generating a latent image portion image data based on a latent image portion screen for an area corresponding to the latent image portion, and generating a background portion image data based on a background portion screen for an area corresponding to the background portion, for grayscale values of the multi-grayscale camouflage pattern data.
US08537409B2

An automated system and a method for extracting a region of interest from a digital image are disclosed. The method includes identifying a subset of training images from a larger set of training images, each training image in the set having a respective identified region of interest. The subset is identified based on a measure of similarity between the digital image and the images in the set of training images. At least one region of interest is extracted from the digital image based on an analysis of the identified regions of interest in the subset of training images.
US08537406B2

A data processing apparatus determines a color range based on a dot counting value of a number of colors smaller than a number of colors subjected to thinning processing. Thus, even if the number of ink colors subjected to the thinning processing is great, a processing load of the determination of the color range can be reduced.
US08537400B2

A method for controlling and monitoring, from a server, transfers of jobs from clients connected in the network to shared resources connected in the network.
US08537399B2

In one embodiment, a registry of network-connected printers that are members of a social print group is maintained at a computer system. Content is obtained. A request is received from a first network-connected printer that is a member of the group, the request to provide the content to a second network-connected printer that is a member of the group. The content is provided to the second printer in response to the request.
US08537392B2

A method and system for follow-me printing, including a data-processing apparatus and rendering device in communication with a network. A user can elect a print request to be rendered at any one of the rendering devices, upon user authentication. A Follow-Me Printer Driver can be installed on a data-processing device in order to create a job ticket upon initiation of a print request. The job ticket can be sent to a designated rendering device and shared with all of the rendering devices connected to the network. The job ticket can then be retrieved at a destination rendering device upon a user authentication and a user selection of the print request. The job ticket can then be released for rendering at the destination rendering device.
US08537379B2

A document reading apparatus includes an integral display portion integrally provided with the area sensor portion and a main CPU for controlling screen display of the integral display portion, in which reflection light from an object placed on a screen of the integral display portion is detected by the area sensor portion. Based on an area of reflection light from the object detected by the area sensor portion, the main CPU determines whether or not the object is a document, and when determined that it is a document, it sets a document reading mode for reading the document placed on the screen by the area sensor portion.
US08537378B2

An image forming device includes a control unit and a storage unit, where the control unit determines whether or not data for printing which has been inputted while a power save mode is being executed has a control command appended to reduce electrical power consumption. If it is data for printing to which the control command is appended, then the control unit does not execute any image forming operation, but instead stores this data for printing with the control command appended in the storage unit. However, if data for printing to which no control command is appended is inputted, then the control unit, after performing an image forming operation for this data, performs an image forming operation for data for printing with the control command appended within the storage unit, which has the same identification information as the data for printing to which no control command is appended.
US08537376B2

A device sends a first light beam to a target which returns a portion of the first beam as a second beam. First and second motors direct the first light beam to a first direction determined by first and second angles of rotation about first and second axes. First and second angle measuring devices measure first and second angles of rotation. A distance meter measures a first distance between device and target. A second portion of the second beam passes through a diffuser and onto a position detector which produces a first signal in response. A control system sends a second signal to the first motor and a third signal to the second motor, the second and third signals based on the first signal. The control system adjusts the first direction of the first beam to the target position. A processor provides a 3D coordinate of the target.
US08537372B2

A coordinate measuring machine for determination of at least one spatial coordinate of a measurement point on an object to be measured. The coordinate measuring machine comprises a stationary base, a probe head for approaching the measurement point and a frame structure for linking the probe head to the base. A first reference path is provided by an optical reference beam, wherein the reference beam extends along a guide of a linear drive mechanism so that the reference path is parallel to a first direction. Furthermore, at least one displacement sensor is assigned to the reference beam, the reference beam and the displacement sensor being designed and arranged in such a way, that a displacement of the movable member of the linear drive mechanism relative to the first reference path is measurable being indicative of a translational and/or rotational displacement of the movable member from its ordinary bearing position.
US08537371B2

A method for mechanically communicating, from a user to a laser tracker, a command to control operation of the laser tracker includes providing the tracker with an angular encoder, providing a rule of correspondence between each command and each rotational pattern of a portion of a tracker, and selecting a first command. Also, rotating by the user, between first and second times, the portion of the tracker in a first rotational pattern, the first rotational pattern corresponds to the first command, and obtaining a collection of first angular readings from the angular encoder, wherein the angular readings are obtained between the first and second times. Also, determining the first command based at least in part on processing the first angular readings according to the rule of correspondence, and executing the first command with the tracker.
US08537365B1

The present invention is a mass gauging interferometry system used to determine the volume contained within a tank. By using an optical interferometric technique to determine gas density and/or pressure a much smaller compression volume or higher fidelity measurement is possible. The mass gauging interferometer system is comprised of an optical source, a component that splits the optical source into a plurality of beams, a component that recombines the split beams, an optical cell operatively coupled to a tank, a detector for detecting fringes, and a means for compression. A portion of the beam travels through the optical cell operatively coupled to the tank, while the other beam(s) is a reference.
US08537363B2

A method for characterizing a sample is described. The method includes applying a first pulse of electromagnetic radiation to the surface of the sample and thus creating a propagating strain pulse within the sample. A second pulse of second electromagnetic radiation is applied to the surface of the sample so as to intercept the propagating strain pulse. The first and second pulses are applied through a structure, such as a reflector, that is disposed over the surface of the sample at a distance predetermined to form an optical cavity; the cavity having a width related to a wavelength of the second electromagnetic radiation. The method includes detecting at least one optical property of a reflection of the second pulse from the sample. The detected optical property(ies) of the reflection are associated with a characteristic of the sample. An apparatus, computer-readable medium and structure are also described.
US08537357B2

In a color imaging system, multiple rendering devices are provided at different nodes along a network. Each rendering device has a color measurement instrument for calibrating the color presented by the rendering device. A rendering device may be a printer in which the measuring of color samples on a sheet rendered by the printer is provided by a sensor coupled to a transport mechanism which moves the sensor and sheet relative to each other, where the sensor provides light from the samples to a spectrograph. A rendering device may also be a display having a member supporting a color measuring instrument for receiving light from an area of the screen. The color measuring instruments provide for non-contact measurements of color samples rendered on a display or a sheet, and are self calibrating by the use of calibration references.
US08537351B2

An object mounting mechanism includes: a plate member on which an object is mounted. Bumps are arranged on an upper surface of the plate member which faces a reverse face of the object. In addition, the bumps are arranged sparsely in an area of a surrounding part of the plate member and densely toward an area of a center part of the plate member.
US08537350B2

A surface inspection system, as well as related components and methods, are provided. The surface inspection system includes a beam source subsystem, a beam scanning subsystem, a workpiece movement subsystem, an optical collection and detection subsystem, and a processing subsystem. The system features a variable polarization a polarizing relay assembly arranged to selectively permit the scattered light having a selected polarization orientation to pass along a detector optical axis to a light detection unit in the detection subsystem. The system also features a collector output width varying subsystem for varying the width of an output slit in response to changes in the location of the location scanned on the workpiece.
US08537348B2

A light emitting diode (LED) verification system is provided having a mounting module for securing an LED board for testing. The mounting module includes a thermal management system for controlling the temperature of the LED board. A mounting plate is provided for centering the LED board. A clamp is provided for securing the LED board. A hood is positioned over the mounting module. The hood has a top and a base. The mounting module is positioned at the base of the hood. The mounting plate centers the LED board with respect to a centerline of the hood. A light meter is positioned at the top of the hood and centered with respect to the centerline of the hood. The light meter measures light emitted from the LED board.
US08537345B2

A method of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) whereby the derivative or rate of change of a signal backscatted from a fiber is measured. The change, or derivative of the phase measured in this way has a much smaller amplitude than the signal itself if the difference between the two times at which the signal is measured is much less than the period of the signal being measured, resulting in lower sensitivity. Frequency shifts can be applied to temporally displaced return signals to compare the rate of change, for example by employing an output interferometer arranged to modulate the signal in each arm by a different frequency shift.
US08537339B2

A light source transmits detecting light toward an object. The object reflects the detecting light and forms a reflected light. A sensor is used for sensing the reflected light. Then, an exposure control unit coupled to the sensor performs luminance convergence on the reflected light according to luminance of the reflected light sensed by the sensor. And a distance measurement device coupled to the sensor detects a distance between the object and the light source and/or the sensor according to an image position of the reflected light on the sensor.
US08537320B2

A liquid crystal display device includes a gate line on a substrate including a display region and a non-display region; odd and even data lines crossing the gate line to define a pixel region in the display region; a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and one of the odd and even data lines; a pixel electrode in the pixel region and connected to the thin film transistor; first and second data link lines electrically connected to the odd and even data lines, respectively, and formed with a gate insulating layer therebetween; and first and second data pad electrodes at one ends of the first and second data link lines, respectively.
US08537316B2

A vertical alignment liquid crystal layer is sealed between a first substrate having a first electrode and a second substrate having a second electrode, each pixel region has a reflective region and a transmissive region, and a gap adjusting section is provided on one of sides of the first substrate and the second substrate which sets a thickness (gap) d of the liquid crystal layer which controls a phase difference of incident light to the liquid crystal layer so that a gap dr in the reflective region is smaller than a gap dt in the transmissive region. An alignment controller which divides alignment of the liquid crystal within a pixel region is provided in the pixel region on at least one of the sides of the first substrate and the second substrate. It is also possible to optimize by changing the gap in red, green, and blue.
US08537315B2

A liquid crystal display (LCD) structure is provided. A first alignment layer and a first electrode layer are disposed on a liquid crystal layer. A second electrode layer and a second alignment layer disposed under the liquid crystal layer. The first alignment layer and the second alignment layer respectively have a plurality of alignment areas with different aligning directions. At least one of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer includes a substrate material and a plurality of openings, and at least includes a plurality of electrode areas. The boundaries of the electrode areas correspond to the boundaries of the alignment areas. The directions of the openings in the electrode areas are between the aligning directions of the corresponding alignment areas of the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer.
US08537302B2

Exemplary embodiments include a backlight assembly for an electronic display wherein said backlight assembly is comprised of a plurality of tiles. Each tile has a plurality of lights attached to it, such that when a single light or group of lights fail, the tile may be replaced without having to replace the entire backlight assembly. The lights in the assembly may be any one of the following: light emitting diodes (LED), organic light emitting diodes (OLED), field emitting display (FED), light emitting polymer (LEP), and organic electro-luminescence (OEL). Embodiments also allow tiles to be removed from the rear of the display and dissipate heat from the lights to the rear of the backlight assembly.
US08537301B2

A method of fabricating a bottom chassis is provided. The method of fabricating the bottom chassis includes, for example, forming a bottom chassis using a steel plate having a thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 0.9 mm, the steel plate having a stack structure including an inner layer containing 0.001 to 0.1 weight percent (wt. %) carbon (C), 0.002 to 0.05 wt. % silicon (Si), 0.28 to 2.0 wt. % manganese (Mn), balance iron (Fe), and other impurities, an electro-galvanized layer formed on the inner layer, and a polymer chromium (Cr)-free contamination resistant layer formed on the electro-galvanized layer, and performing a burring process and a tapping process on the bottom chassis to form a burring part to receive a bolt for an engagement.
US08537300B2

A display device includes a display panel unit and a backlight unit which radiates light toward the display panel. The display panel unit includes a display panel on an upper surface of a box-shaped panel housing which has first projecting portions on side walls of the housing. The backlight unit incorporates a light source in a bottom portion of a box-shaped light source housing which has second projecting portions on side walls of the light source housing. By bringing the first projecting portions and second projecting portions into contact with each other, a distance between the light source of the backlight unit and the display panel can be held. Further, by forming third projecting portions which project further than the first projecting portions on the panel housing, handling of the display panel unit is facilitated.
US08537298B2

In a liquid crystal display device of IPS mode with a smaller number of layers, a gate electrode is formed on a TFT substrate. A gate insulating film is formed to cover the gate electrode, on which a semiconductor layer is formed. A drain electrode and a source electrode are placed on the semiconductor layer. A planar pixel electrode is formed from ITO on the gate insulating film prior to the formation of the drain electrode, source electrode, image signal line, and the like. This process is performed to prevent the image signal line, the drain electrode, the source electrode, and the like, from being consumed by the cell reaction through a developer during the patterning of the ITO when a pin hole is present in the ITO, in order not to cause disconnection. As a result, it is possible to improve the production yield and achieve high reliability.
US08537295B2

A method of switching an electrically actuated variable transmission layer is disclosed. The layer is between a first electrode and a second electrode, and when a sufficiently high frequency alternating electric field is applied between the first and second electrodes, a selective region of the layer in between the first and second electrodes is switched. Apparatus for use as a glazing pane having a sheet of glazing material and an electrically actuated variable transmission layer facing the sheet of glazing material is also disclosed. The layer is sandwiched between a first electrode and a second electrode. There is an electric field generator in electrical communication with the electrodes and being configured to produce an alternating electric field of sufficient strength and of a sufficiently high frequency to switch a selected region of the layer in between the first and second electrodes.
US08537287B2

Screws that fasten a screen unit to a body are inserted from the front side of the body, a front cover that covers and conceals the screws is provided on a front surface of a frame, this front cover is fastened to the body by screws inserted into the body from its rear side, a rear cover that covers and conceals the screws is provided on a rear surface of the body, a front safety switch that detects opening of the front cover and a rear safety switch that detects opening of the rear cover are provided, and emission of a laser light beam of an optical engine is stopped when a detection signal of at least one of the front safety switch and the rear safety switch is output.
US08537282B2

Embodiments of the invention include a subtitling format encompassing elements of enhanced syntax and semantic to provide improved animation capabilities. The disclosed elements improve subtitle performance without stressing the available subtitle bitrate. This will become essential for authoring content of high-end HDTV subtitles in pre-recorded format, which can be broadcast or stored on high capacity optical media, e.g. the Blue-ray Disc. Embodiments of the invention include abilities for improved authoring possibilities for the content production to animate subtitles. For subtitles that are separate from AV material, a method includes using one or more superimposed subtitle layers, and displaying only a selected part of the transferred subtitles at a time. Further, colors of a selected part of the displayed subtitles may be modified, e.g. highlighted.
US08537280B2

A display apparatus can avoid a load increase and display rapidly the video of a selected channel. The display apparatus includes a synchronizing unit. The synchronizing unit adjusts a timing, in which a video is displayed based on a predetermined reference frame received and decoded at first after channel selection, toward shifting earlier than a time of original display of the video based on a time information attached to the reference frame.
US08537279B2

A microform imaging apparatus comprising a chassis including a microform media support structure configured to support a microform media within a plane substantially orthogonal to a first optical axis, a fold mirror supported along the first optical axis to reflect light along a second optical axis that is angled with respect to the first optical axis, a lens supported along one of the first and second optical axis, an area sensor supported along the second optical axis, a first adjuster for moving the area sensor along at least a portion of the second optical axis and a second adjuster for moving the lens along at least a portion of the one of the first and second optical axis.
US08537274B2

An image capture apparatus includes an imaging-unit storing portion, a memory-card storing portion, and a lid. The imaging-unit storing portion stores an imaging unit capturing an image. The memory-card storing portion is arranged in the rear of the imaging-unit storing portion and includes a card slot for loading a memory card that stores an image signal obtained by capturing the image in the imaging unit. The lid covers the card slot arranged to the memory-card storing portion, and opens and closes by sliding along a side surface of a body of the image capture apparatus from a position covered therewith.
US08537268B2

A zoom lens system, in order from an object side to an image side, comprising a first lens unit having negative optical power, a second lens unit having positive optical power, a third lens unit having positive optical power, and a fourth lens unit having positive optical power, wherein in zooming, the intervals between the respective lens units vary, the third lens unit comprises a plurality of lens elements, and the condition (I-1): 0.47<|f31/fG3|<1.00 (fT/fW>2.0, f31: a focal length of a most object side lens element in the third lens unit, fG3: a focal length of the third lens unit, fT: a focal length of the entire system at a telephoto limit, fW: a focal length of the entire system at a wide-angle limit) is satisfied, having a high resolution and a short overall optical length (overall length of lens system), and still having a view angle of 70° or greater at a wide-angle limit, which is satisfactorily adaptable for wide-angle image taking, and yet having a large aperture with an F-number of about 2.0 at a wide-angle limit; an imaging device; and a camera.
US08537266B2

Provided are a digital image processing apparatus for determining a focused portion in an image and showing the focused portion to a user and a method of controlling the same. The digital image processing apparatus includes a digital signal processor (DSP) which extracts the intensity of edges from an image and displays the combination of the extracted intensity of edges on the image. A user may determine whether a region of interest is successfully focused or not without additionally operating the digital image processing apparatus.
US08537264B2

An image capturing apparatus includes an image pickup unit including an image pickup element that captures a plurality of colors in ranges of visible and invisible light incoming through an image capturing lens, a pixel value calculating unit that calculates a pixel value of each pixel regarding at least one of the captured colors, a contrast value calculating unit that calculates a contrast value for each color based on the calculated pixel values, a correction value calculating unit that calculates a focus correction value for a distance from a current position of the image capturing lens to a focus position based on a temporal change in the calculated contrast values of the at least one color, and an image capturing lens driving unit that drives the image capturing lens based on the calculated focus correction value.
US08537256B2

The solid-state image sensor of this invention includes an array of pixels and light-transmitting portions 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d. The array is divided into unit pixel blocks, each of which is made up of N pixels (where N is an integer that is equal to or greater than two). The light-transmitting portions are arranged so that each light-transmitting portion faces an associated one of the pixels. Each of the light-transmitting portions is divided into M striped areas (where M is an integer that is equal to or greater than two). The respective areas have had their optical transmittances set independently of each other. The arrangement pattern of the optical transmittances of the light-transmitting portions 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d vary from one block to another. The image capture device of the invention further includes a shifting section for shifting the image in a first direction on an imaging area, and reads pixel signals before and after the image is shifted, thereby generating an image, of which the resolution is higher than what is defined by the pixel pitch.
US08537254B2

According to the embodiment, a feedback clamp circuit is included, which increases or decreases a clamp parameter so that a black level approaches a target value while controlling a change amount of the clamp parameter, which sets the black level, based on the black level read out from OB pixels.
US08537252B2

A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel unit in which pixels that perform photoelectric conversion are arranged in an optical black region and a valid pixel region; a readout processing unit that applies, to a readout signal of the pixel unit, readout processing corresponding to a reference signal subjected to clamp processing; and a clamp processing unit that clamps, referring to a readout signal level in the optical black region, a reference signal in the valid pixel region with an acquired clamp value, which is a value with which the signal level is reduced to zero. The clamp processing unit acquires, when information concerning readout is changed, a clamp value predicted from the clamp value before the change and a ratio of charge accumulation times before and after the change, and the readout processing unit performs first signal readout processing after the change with a reference signal clamped by the predicted clamp value.
US08537250B2

A zoom lens according to the invention includes in order starting from an object side a first lens group having a positive refractive power; a second lens group having a negative refractive power and selectively moveable along an optical axis for zooming; an aperture stop; a third lens group having a positive refractive power and including a third-A lens group including a doublet lens including a positive lens and a negative lens and having at least one aspherical surface, selectively moveable along the optical axis for image blur compensation, and having a positive refractive power, and a third-B lens group including a positive lens and a negative lens; and a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power and selectively moveable along the optical axis to compensate for a variation in an image plane caused by the zooming and to perform focusing.
US08537248B2

Systems and techniques to provide image capture and manipulation. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes receiving an input stream including image data from a source, displaying the input stream in real-time including displaying a plurality of instantiations of the stream at a same time, each stream different, the step of displaying including applying a filter to each instantiation of the input stream, and receiving a prompt to select one of the instantiations of the stream.
US08537239B2

The image processing apparatus includes an image inputting part configured to acquire a captured image produced by an image pickup system including an optical system and an image sensor, a filter producing part configured to produce an image restoration filter, and a restoration processing part configured to perform an image restoration process on the captured image by using the image restoration filter to produce a restored image. The filter producing part is configured to set amplification factors for respective frequency components in the image restoration filter according to a frequency characteristic of an alias signal that may be generated in the image sensor.
US08537234B2

A method for imaging includes receiving an input image that includes a matrix of pixels (32) having input pixel values. The input pixel values are processed so as to detect a region of saturation in the input image. A first image filtering operation is applied to the input pixel values of at least the pixels that are outside the region of saturation, so as to generate first filtered pixel values. A second image filtering operation is applied to the input pixel values of at least the pixels that are within the region of saturation, so as to generate second filtered pixel value. An enhanced output image is generated by stitching together the first and second filtered pixel values.
US08537231B2

The user interaction system comprises a portable pointing device (101) connected to a camera (102) and sending pictures to a digital signal processor (120), capable of recognizing an object (130) and a command given by the user (100) by moving the pointing device (101) in a specific way, and controlling an electrical apparatus (110) on the basis of this recognition. (Characteristic) pattern generation means (116) can be included in the system for facilitating object recognition.
US08537226B2

A voice coil motor includes an outer shell, a moveable frame, a coil of wire, a number of magnetic members and a first elastic member. The outer shell includes a number of sidewalls connected to each other end-to-end. The moveable frame is moveably received in the outer shell. The coil of wire is wrapped around the moveable frame and is received in the outer shell. Each of the magnetic members is attached to a corner formed by two inner surfaces of two adjacent sidewalls. The magnetic members and the coil of wire are configured for cooperating to drive the movable frame to move in the outer shell. The first elastic member is attached to the moveable frame and received in the outer shell. The first elastic member is configured for providing an elastic restoring force.
US08537224B2

An electronic image capture device including an image capture array, an optional image stabilization gyro, a processor, and a display is configured to detect the amount shaking of the device either prior to, or during image capture. When the shaking of the device exceeds a threshold required for the capture of quality images, the user of the image capture device is notified through the display that excessive shake has been detected and may be advised on methods to reduce or eliminate the shake.
US08537211B2

In an image managing apparatus connected to: an image processing apparatus receiving an image signal from an imaging apparatus capturing a medical examination image; and an image recording apparatus recording a captured image, an apparatus information storage stores an image processing apparatus type. An apparatus ID acquiring unit acquires an image processing apparatus identifier from the connected image processing apparatus. An apparatus type acquiring unit reads out the type of the connected image processing apparatus based on the image processing apparatus identifier acquired by the apparatus ID acquiring unit. If the image processing apparatus type read by the apparatus type acquiring unit indicates that the apparatus can transmit an image file directly to the image recording apparatus, a file acquiring unit reads out from the image recording apparatus an image file that the image processing apparatus stores directly in the image recording apparatus.
US08537202B2

According to one embodiment, a histogram generator configured to generate a histogram based on luminance levels of pixels represented by video signals; and a determination module configured to determine whether the video signals represent a stereoscopic video based on the histogram.
US08537194B2

A video overlay device of a mobile telecommunication terminal comprises a multiplexer for outputting at least one of a first video data and a second video data; and a video overlay unit for overlaying at least one of the first and second video data with graphic data in accordance with a predetermined ratio. The multiplexer selectively outputs at least one of the first and second video data based on input video selection signals provided by a central processing unit (CPU).
US08537188B2

According to one embodiment, a portable thermal printer is disclosed. The portable thermal printer comprises: a housing provided with a thermal printer head; a cover openably attached to an opening portion of the housing by a pivotal shaft, the cover being provided with a platen roller arranged to make contact with the thermal printer head when the opening portion of the housing is closed by the cover; and a drive power source provided within the housing. The drive power source, the pivotal shaft and the platen roller are connected by a belt mechanism.
US08537187B2

A thermal transfer printing device includes a thermal transfer printing module and a paper ejecting module. The paper ejecting module includes a D-shaped ejecting roller, a driving gear, a switching roller, a spring, and a stopper. During a thermal transfer paper is printed by the thermal transfer printing module, the spring provides a friction force to the switching roller. In response to the friction force, the switching roller is driven by the driving gear, and the D-shaped ejecting roller is not contacted with the thermal transfer paper. After the printing task of the thermal transfer printing module is completed, the friction force provided by the spring allows the D-shaped ejecting roller to transport the thermal transfer paper.
US08537183B2

According to one embodiment, a printing device includes a printing unit configured to print on a recording medium including a wireless tag and a conveying unit configured to convey the recording medium to the printing unit along a conveying path. The printing device further includes an antenna unit configured to write data on the wireless tag by radiating an electromagnetic wave, a moving unit configured to move the antenna unit along the conveying path, and a control unit configured to control the moving unit to move the antenna unit so that the antenna unit is capable of writing data on the wireless tag, while the conveying unit is conveying the recording medium to the printing unit.
US08537180B1

A system and method for viewing content on a mobile device may include outputting, at a display coupled to a mobile computing device, content viewable at the display, and receiving a first gesture indicative of scroll input having a first velocity. The content may be scrolled at a first effective scroll rate based on the first velocity. A size of the content may be altered by a first zoom factor that is based on the first effective scroll rate. A second gesture indicative of scroll input may be received while the content has a residual zoom factor, the second gesture having a second velocity. The content may be scrolled at a second effective scroll rate based on the second velocity and the residual zoom factor. A size of the content may be altered by a second zoom factor that is based on the second effective scroll rate.
US08537173B2

A graphics rendering apparatus including a scaling coefficient determination unit operable to determine, based on polygon data representing a polygon onto which a texture is to be mapped, a scaling coefficient that is a basis for scaling first vector data from which the texture is to be generated; a vector data conversion unit operable to generate second vector data by scaling the first vector data based on the scaling coefficient; a texture generation unit operable to generate a texture based on the second vector data; and a texture mapping unit operable to map the texture generated by the texture generation unit onto the polygon.
US08537172B2

A method of assembling an image. The method comprises receiving an image depicting a pattern, identifying a stochastic field and a deterministic field of the pattern, separately increasing resolution of each the stochastic and deterministic fields, and assembling the resolution increased stochastic and deterministic fields to create an additional image of the pattern. The pattern in the additional image having a higher spatial resolution than in the image.
US08537169B1

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method for accessing, from within a graphics processing unit (GPU), data objects stored in a memory accessible by the GPU. The method comprises the steps of creating a data object in the memory based on a command received from an application program, transmitting an address associated with the data object to the application program for providing data associated with different draw commands to the GPU, receiving a first draw command and the address associated with the data object from the application program, and transmitting the first draw command and the address associated with the data object to the GPU for processing.
US08537168B1

A method and system for deferred coverage mask generation in a raster stage of a graphics processor. The method includes receiving a graphics primitive for rasterization in a raster stage of a graphics processor and performing a bounding box test on the graphics primitive to define a bounding rectangle for the graphics primitive. A combined coverage mask is then generated after the completion of the bounding box test. The combined coverage mask indicates a plurality of pixels that are covered by the graphics primitive. The combined coverage mask is divided into a plurality of sub-portions. The sub-portions are allocated to a plurality of raster components to determine sub-pixel coverage for the sub-portions.
US08537160B2

Systems and methods for generating distributed dataflow graphs and processing data elements in parallel utilizing the distributed dataflow graphs are provided. A sequential dataflow graph is formed from incoming data elements, and a variety of heuristics is applied to the sequential dataflow graph to determine which of the data transformation steps within the graph are capable of being processed multiple times in parallel. Once determined, the sequential dataflow graph is divided into subgraphs, which are then replicated, e.g., based on available resources and.or external constraints. The resulting subgraphs are connected, based on the semantics of each vertex, and a distributed dataflow graph is generated, which can efficiently process data elements, for instance, for data warehousing and the like.
US08537159B2

The invention relates to visualization of medical images, and in embodiments to the visualization of the left ventricle of the human heart or other organs. A method of visualizing one or more sets of voxel data is disclosed. The method comprising: providing one or more sets of voxel data, providing and segmenting the voxel data in accordance with a segment model. The segmented voxel data is reformatted to fit a reference shape (20) being defined by at least an inner (22) reference surface and an outer (23) reference surface. The reformatted voxel data is mapped to a target shape being defined by at least a first (29) target surface and a second (200) target surface. The target shape is moreover visualized. The mapping of the reformatted voxel data to a target shape is a mapping of one or more property values from the inner reference surface to the first target surface, and from the outer reference surface to the second target surface, and where a direction (26, 27) extending along the inter-surface distance of the reference shape is maintained in the target shape.
US08537153B2

A source driver includes a first differential amplifier, a first output stage, a second differential amplifier, a second output stage and a multiplexer. The first differential amplifier is utilized for receiving a first differential input signal pair to generate a first differential output signal pair. The second differential amplifier is utilized for receiving a second differential input signal pair to generate a second differential output signal pair. The multiplexer couples the first differential amplifier to the first output stage and couples the second differential amplifier to the second output stage under a first configuration, and couples the first differential amplifier to the second output stage and couples the second differential amplifier to the first output stage under a second configuration.
US08537150B2

A method and a control board for eliminating power-off residual images in a display and a display using the same are provided. The method includes the following steps of providing a first voltage to compensate a second voltage which is used for sequentially turning on all scan lines within a display panel when the display is in power-off, and then forming a third voltage to turn on all scan lines within the display panel according to the compensated second voltage.
US08537145B2

According to the invention, the system automatically locates effective visibility zones from which an element to be viewed is visible. For this purpose, for this purpose, the inventive system makes use of the location of potential visibility zones (obtained from data such as sitting, morphology and orientation of the element to be viewed, potential visibility distance assigned to said element, etc.) and the morphology of the region in which the effective visibility zones are to be located. Said system avails of means of appraising the degree of visibility of different visibility zones according to the level of compliance achieved in relation to the criteria for locating visibility zones. By means of a sample practical application, the element to be viewed could be an advertising medium and the effective visibility zones could be defined by effective visibility axes that correspond to the streets of an urban environment in which other parameters can also be considered, such as the number of individuals and the transport means that pass through said streets, the direction of traffic, the time, etc.
US08537139B2

An optical touch control device includes a detection area, a plurality of image capturing modules, for capturing a plurality of images on the detecting area, and a processing module, coupled to the plurality of image capturing modules, for determining a touch status of the detection area according to variations of the plurality of images, wherein a plurality of capture angles of the plurality of image capturing modules relative to the detection are greater than 90°.
US08537135B2

A two-dimensional sensory structure for the capacitive touch panel is provided. The provided two-dimensional sensory structure includes a substrate having plural first metal structures and second metal structures on a first surface thereof, a dot-like insulating layer located on the substrate and composed of plural insulating dots, and an electrode layer located on the dot-like insulating layer and composed of plural conductive traces. The insulating dots are each corresponding to the first metal structures respectively, and thereby a first portion of the conductive traces arranged along a first direction are electrically connected to each other, and the conductive traces that are arranged along a second direction are electrically insulated therefrom. The thickness of the touch panel according to the invention is effectively reduced.
US08537132B2

The present invention pertains to improved feedback mechanisms for touch pads. One aspect relates to devices capable of illuminating the touch sensitive surface of the touch pad. Another aspect relates to methods for providing visual feedback at the touch pad.
US08537130B2

A method unlocks a portable electronic device using a stylus. A user can remove the stylus received in a receiving space of the portable electronic device to unlock the portable electronic device. In an unlocking procedure, a detection circuit detects whether the stylus has been removed from the portable electronic device and outputs a corresponding logic value of the portable electronic device. If the logic value of the detection circuit has changed from “0” to “1”, the locked portable electronic device is unlocked.
US08537121B2

A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for providing a touch-sensor device. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving data indicative of movement of a conductive object on a first area of a touch-sensor device. The method further includes detecting data indicative of a presence of the conductive object in one of a plurality of one dimensional positions on a second area of the touch-sensor device, the second area being different than the first area, and determining in which one of the plurality of one dimensional positions is the presence detected.
US08537119B1

Devices including an audio mechanism and a processing device coupled to display on-screen buttons on a touch-screen display are described. The processing device is configured to detect a conductive object proximate to the touch-screen display and to determine a position of the conductive object on the touch-screen display. The processing device is configured to provide different sounds via the audio mechanism for different ones of the on-screen buttons when the position of the conductive object is determined within the different on-screen buttons to allow detection of a reference location on the touch-screen display.
US08537114B2

A mouse device is operable with a variable button-pressing force. The mouse device includes a mouse base, a mouse case, a button disposed on the mouse case, a pressing plate contacted with the button, and the sliding member contacted with the pressing plate. The sliding member is partially protruded out of the mouse base, and movable with respect to the mouse base. When the sliding member is moved to a first position and contacted with a first touching part of the pressing plate, the force required for pressing the button is equal to a first downward external force. Whereas, when the sliding member is moved to a second position and contacted with a second touching part of the pressing plate, the force required for pressing the button is equal to a second downward external force.
US08537112B2

Systems and methods are described for navigating through a data space. The navigating comprises detecting a gesture of a body from gesture data received via a detector. The gesture data is absolute three-space location data of an instantaneous state of the body at a point in time and physical space. The detecting comprises identifying the gesture using the gesture data. The navigating comprises translating the gesture to a gesture signal, and navigating through the data space in response to the gesture signal. The data space is a data-representational space comprising a dataset represented in the physical space.
US08537105B2

An electro-phoretic display apparatus is disclosed. The electro-phoretic display apparatus mentioned above includes a plurality of pixel unit lines, a plurality of common voltage transferring lines, and a common voltage generator. The common voltage transferring lines extend and connect to a common line segment directly along a layout direction. The common voltage generator generates a common voltage and provides the common voltage for directly electrically connecting to a connection point on the common line segment. Moreover, the transfer timing delays of transferring the common voltage from the connection point to the first common voltage transferring line and the last common voltage transferring line are the same.
US08537102B2

A backlight control apparatus for controlling luminance of a backlight panel includes an image information memory and a detection and automatic switching circuit. The image information memory is for storing the image information. The detection and automatic switching circuit is for detecting the updated frequency of the updated image information and then sets a displaying mode for adjusting the luminance of the backlight panel according to the updated frequency.
US08537098B2

A “burn-in” is purposely performed on an LCD panel. The “burn-in” is calculated to compensate for an artifact or malfunction of a display using the LCD panel. The “burn-in” may be calculated, for example, to compensate for brightness levels in a light field emanating from the backlight of a dual modulation display. The burn in performed, for example, during periods of “power-off” of the display (e.g., when the backlight of an LCD is off).
US08537093B2

There is provided a source driver capable of controlling the timing of source line driving signals in a liquid crystal display device. The source driver includes a plurality of output circuits, each output circuit including an output buffer and a switch. The output buffer amplifies an analog image signal, and the switch outputs the amplified analog image signal as a source line driving signal in response to a control signal. The source driver further comprises a control circuit for generating the control signal, the control circuit comprising: a delay circuit delaying a switch signal and generating a delayed switch signal; and a multiplexer selecting one of the switch signal and the delayed switch signal in response to a selection signal and outputting the selected signal as the control signal.
US08537092B2

Methods of driving source lines and/or circuits/systems for driving source lines are provided. Source lines of a display device are driven by comparing first data for driving a first buffer associated with a first source line of the display device and second data for driving a second buffer associated with a second source line of the display device and selectively disabling the second buffer and driving the second source line of the display device with the first buffer based on the comparison of the first and second data.
US08537088B2

The present disclosure discloses a source driver chip comprising a reference voltage input terminal and a data signal output channel in which an operational amplifier for outputting a data signal is disposed. When at least one of the operational amplifiers is in idle instead of being used for outputting the data signal, the operational amplifier in idle is connected to the reference voltage input terminal and used to amplify a reference voltage inputted to the reference voltage input terminal; or the operational amplifier in idle is connected to an external circuit and used to amplify an external circuit signal other than the reference voltage. The present disclosure can save the operational amplifiers in the peripheral driving circuit, and reduce the cost of the peripheral driving circuit as well as the power consumption.
US08537081B2

The present invention comprises: a display unit having a plurality of pixels arranged therein, each pixel including an organic EL element 24, a switching TFT, and a drive TFT; a data signal drive circuit for receiving image data for each frame period and outputting an image signal based on the image data; a scanning signal drive circuit for outputting a scanning signal for controlling a timing at which the switching element of each of the plurality of pixels receives the image signal; and a current source (a light emission power supply unit and a cathode potential control circuit together) for outputting a current supplied to the light emitting unit of each of the plurality of pixels through its drive element; wherein the current source modulates the value of the output current within each frame period.
US08537076B2

The invention relates to a video circuit (1) for processing video signals which show images on a display panel with linear light transition, comprising a gamma correction circuit (3), a quantizer (11) and a sub-field generator circuit (8). To save computing time, a random-access memory (7) replaces the quantizer (64).
US08537064B2

An antenna retaining device includes two spaced upright beams, two movable mechanisms, each movable mechanism slidably mounts on one of the upright beams, a retaining mechanism includes two connecting elements a connecting rod connecting rod rotatably and movably mounted on the connecting elements. A retaining board is located on the connecting rod, the retaining board holds the antenna. The first connecting element is rotatably mounted on one of the movable mechanisms, the second connecting element is rotatably mounted on the other movable mechanism. Two driving mechanism, each driving one of the movable mechanisms to move along the their respective bar. When the motors drive the movable mechanisms to move at different speeds, the first connecting element and the second connecting element rotate relative to the their respective loading boards and move along the connecting rod, to adjust a direction of the connecting rod and retaining board.
US08537062B1

A low-profile antenna assembly includes at least two antennas co-located under a cover. At least one of the at least two antennas includes an antenna configured for use with AM/FM radio. And, at least one of the at least two antennas includes an antenna configured for use with at least one or more of SDARS, GPS, cell phones, Wi-Fi, DAB-VHF-III, DAB-L, etc.
US08537052B2

An antenna includes a dielectric substrate, a ground electrode provided on a first surface of the dielectric substrate, a first antenna element and a second antenna elements provided to a second surface of the dielectric substrate, the first and second antenna elements having an identical resonance frequency and an identical Q value, a transmission line connecting the first and second antenna elements, and a feed part provided in the transmission line.
US08537051B1

A phased array antenna includes an array of antenna elements configured to transmit signals that form an antenna beam. A corresponding set of amplifiers supplies a respective set of continuous wave (CW) signals to the antenna elements for transmission. The CW signals having respective different frequencies that are offset from each other by incremental offset frequencies such that the different frequencies are spaced over a frequency range at intervals. Phases of the set of CW signals are aligned such that, at periodic instants, all of the CW signals have simultaneous zero crossings. The frequency and phase relationships among the set of CW signals cause the antenna elements to radiate an antenna beam that scans a field of view in a raster pattern. The resulting ultra-fast scan rate effectively delivers short pulses to any given point within the field of view, making the radiated signal suitable for three-dimensional imaging.
US08537044B2

An interleaved analog to digital converter with digital equalization includes a conversion-measurement-equalization unit and residual distortions reduction unit, and is operative in a calibration mode and converter mode. The conversion-measurement-equalization unit includes a composite ADC containing N sub-ADCs, equalizer, responses measurement unit and a coefficients calculator. The residual distortions reduction unit uses received measured frequency responses and equalizer coefficients, both from the conversion-measurement-equalization unit, as a base to calculate corrected frequency responses that are applied to the coefficients calculator for generation of equalizer coefficients for application to the equalizer. A residual distortions calculator of the residual distortions reduction unit, is responsive to measured frequency responses from the composite ADC and a current set of equalizer coefficients applied to the equalizer, to calculate residual frequency distortions that should have been expected to appear in the output signal of the ADC system if the current equalizer coefficients remain applied to the equalizer.
US08537043B1

A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) includes a resistor leg that is switchably connected to a first voltage reference via an n-channel MOSFET and to a second voltage reference via a p-channel MOSFET, and a generator circuit. The generator circuit further includes a first sub-circuit for generating a drive voltage (Vgn) and a second sub-circuit for a) offsetting the first drive voltage by an offset voltage to generate a second drive voltage, and b) supplying the second drive voltage to a gate of one of the first NMOS and the first PMOS.
US08537026B2

A computing device includes an audio signal processing unit, a light module, and driving circuits. The audio signal processing unit decompresses digital audio data into an audio signal. The driving circuit drives the light module to light according to the audio signal, in such a manner that the intensity/brightness of the light module corresponds to amplitude of the audio signal in real-time.
US08537019B2

The sniffing leak detector comprises a sniffing probe, a suction device and gas detector. An operator-activated switch initiates the beginning of a measuring operation. The switch starts a time measurement, wherein an alarm signal is generated by a signal transmitter at the end of a predetermined measuring period. The sniffing leak detector allows for an operator guidance from measuring point (MP) to measuring point, wherein the measuring period is predetermined and an adherence to the measuring period is monitored.
US08537016B2

Devices and methods for protecting a radio frequency identification (RFID) device from electronic reading prior to the sale of the RFID device where a package includes an upper layer comprising a radio frequency shielding material covering at least the upper and side portions of an RFID device. The package also includes a lower layer covering the lower portion of the RFID device, where the lower layer is connected to the upper layer. The package also includes a tamper indicator that provides a physical indication of when the package has been at least partially opened or damaged. The package may be composed of plastic sheeting incorporated with radio frequency shielding material, such as a ferrous material, and in some embodiments may include a plastic film envelope incorporated with radio frequency shielding material encasing the RFID device.
US08537014B2

A system, techniques, and apparatus for determining RFID tag movement are disclosed. The system includes an RFID reader that is configured to detect an RFID tag's motion by comparing backscattered signals received from the tag. The system can also generate and filter alerts according to pre-defined business rules based on the detection.
US08537010B2

A system and method to enhance vault security and management. An identity of a user is electronically validated. A floor plan of the vault and associated location of an authorized resource is retrieved in access computer. The user is then signaled a location of the resource within the vault.
US08537009B2

A dosimeter is disclosed for use in container including outer walls defining an interior volume, the dosimeter including: a radon detection element adapted to detect a radon level for the interior volume; a neutron detection element adapted detect a neutron level for the interior volume. The dosimeter is adapted to measure the radon level and neutron level for a period of time, compare the measured radon level to a first threshold, compare the measured neutron level to a second threshold, and determine information indicative of the presence or absence of fissile material within the interior volume based on the comparisons.
US08537006B2

A portable, high-capacity data storage device for storage, transport, and retrieval of multi-terabyte-level data sets comprises a plurality of individual main data storage units coupled to a data bus and a controller isolated from the data bus. The data storage device can be coupled to an external system to establish data access connections between the external system and the individual main data storage units via a first communication path comprising the data bus, with the controller and external system communicating with one another via a second communication path logically isolated from the first communication path. The data storage device can be provided with sensors that enable the controller to monitor the surrounding environment, and can be provided with a non-volatile display.
US08537002B2

A method and system of facilitating communication between a finder of an article and an owner of the article including providing a unique ID to the owner and allowing the owner to register an association between the ID and owner contact information, allowing the owner to associate the ID and a virtual locale with the article, and forwarding communications of the finder of the article to the owner where the finder may provide no more information to the virtual locale than the ID and the communication.
US08536999B2

A method and apparatus for creating a dynamic GeoFence area by determining an instant reference point using a first set of pseudorange measurements received by a GeoFence device, defining the dynamic GeoFence area referenced to the instant reference point, determining a position fix using a second set of pseudorange measurements, and comparing the position fix to the dynamic GeoFence area. In one aspect, an alert message based on the comparison results is presented to a user.
US08536997B2

An apparatus is provided for operating a lighting system of the type including one or more lighting devices disposed on an off-highway vehicle. The apparatus includes: one or more input devices, operable to detect an operating condition of the off-highway vehicle and to generate a signal thereof; and a lighting controller operatively coupled to the input devices and to the lighting devices. The lighting controller is programmed to selectively power the lighting devices from an electrical power source of the off-highway vehicle based on predetermined responses to the signals from the input devices.
US08536992B2

Content reproducing apparatus and method of a mobile terminal are disclosed. During the reproduction of content, vibration pattern corresponding to content is detect or generated. The vibration pattern is synchronized with an audio signal during the reproduction of content.
US08536988B2

This invention relates to methods and systems for providing data from a distributed array. In one aspect, the array is a sensor array that includes sensor nodes that are each associated with one or more sensors, and the data includes sensor data acquired from the sensors by the sensor nodes. The sensor array employs modular and interchangeable sensor nodes that are capable of self-organizing in response to a network disruption while maintaining a flow of synchronized data to the event monitor. This self-organizing characteristic enables the overall network of nodes to be self-healing and easily extensible. The improved fault resilience makes it possible to deploy the sensors without requiring complex monitoring or fault diagnosis. Embodiments of the invention can be employed in any number of applications, including without limitation, tunnel activity detection, seismic/acoustic monitoring/detection and other applications where gathering sensor data may be desired.
US08536984B2

The present invention relates to a semi-automatic method of replacing a ballast within a lighting control system, such that the new replacement ballast can operate in the same manner as the ballast that was replaced. If multiple ballasts in a lighting control system are removed from the system and multiple new ballasts are installed to replace those ballasts, any operational configurations such as group configurations or area information associated with each removed (missing) ballast must be assigned to the proper new replacement ballast. The semi-automatic replacement method relies upon the operational configurations of the removed ballast to help a user identify which new ballast should replace each missing ballast.
US08536977B2

A barrier movement operator system having a receiver for receiving, learning and responding to transmitted rolling code type access codes; at least one trained transmitter for operating the system by transmitting a rolling code type access code to the receiver; at least one learning transmitter for learning the rolling code type access code from said trained transmitter in order to operate the system; a controller for evaluating the relationship between the learning transmitter rolling type access code and the trained transmitter rolling type access code; and a device for providing a barrier movement in response to access codes received by the receiver. The barrier movement operator provides a method of learning valid security codes by a security code receiver comprising the steps of receiving a first security code, then within a predetermined period of time receiving a second security code, having a predetermined relationship to the first security code; and storing a representation of the second security code as a valid security code.
US08536976B2

Systems and methods for authenticating electronic transactions are provided. The authentication methods employ a combination of security features. These security features can be based, for example, on unique knowledge of the person being authenticated, unique personal features and attributes of the person, the ability of the person to respond, and to do so in a fashion that a machine cannot, and so forth. Methods for enrolling the person prior to authentication are also provided, as well as systems for enrollment and authentication.
US08536973B2

An over-current protection device includes two metal foils and a PTC material layer. The PTC material layer is laminated between the two metal foils and has a resistivity less than 0.4 Ω-cm. The PTC material layer includes crystalline polymer and electrically conductive ceramic filler dispersed in the crystalline polymer. The conductive ceramic filler is of HCP structure and includes 70-95% by weight of the PTC material layer. The trip jump value of the over-current protection device after 300 times trip is less than or equal to 25. The resistance repeatability of the device can be effectively improved by adding the conductive ceramic filler.
US08536965B2

An analog pointing key structure includes a rigid body key top; a surrounding member having a hole for exposing the key top; a support member, to which the key top is fixed, having an elastic returning part that permits the key top to move in a direction along a surface thereof and to cancel the movement; a ring-form magnetic member fixed to the support member on a back surface of the surrounding member so as to be interposed between the key top and the returning part; a magnetic sensor that measures a change in magnetic flux density due to displacement of the magnetic member which moves together with the key top; a ring-form screen plate provided on a surface of the magnetic member so that an inner-peripheral part of the plate is positioned within the above hole; a key top support plate, to which the key top is attached, an outer-peripheral part of the support plate being positioned on a back surface of the screen plate, and the support plate having an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter of the screen plate, and; an elastic member, fixed to a back surface of the support member, permitting the key top to move in a thickness direction of the support member and to cancel the movement.
US08536963B2

An electronic device includes a substrate, a stationary electrode provided above the substrate, a movable electrode that is provided to face the stationary electrode, a wall portion that is provided on the substrate and surrounds the movable electrode and the stationary electrode, a film member that is fixed to the wall portion and seals space including the movable electrode and the stationary electrode, and a support portion that is provided, on an inner side of the wall portion on the substrate, in addition to the movable electrode and the stationary electrode to support the film member from within the space.
US08536961B2

A reversible unit (20) has a pair of interlock plates (21, 22) detachably connected to operation indication pieces (4a, 4b) of a pair of electromagnetic contactors (1a, 1b) and moving in the same direction as the moving direction of the operation indication pieces, a lock piece (23) connecting with the pair of interlock plates (21, 22), a first normally-closed contact (24), and a second normally-closed contact (25). In a closing operation of one of the electromagnetic contactors (1a), the lock piece (23) moves one of the interlock plates (21) and prohibits the movement of the other interlock plate (22). The first normally-closed contact (24) is connected in series in a power supply circuit to an exciting coil (6b) of the other electromagnetic contactor (1b). One of the interlock plates (21) has a first opening operation engagement portion (34) releasing the first normally-closed contact (24) when the interlock plate (21) moves.
US08536959B1

Provided is a substrate with a built-in electronic component that can minimize occurrence of functional anomaly, damage, or the like in a filter function section of an elastic wave filter that is caused by a deformation of a hollow cover of the elastic wave filter that is built into the substrate. The substrate with a built-in electronic component includes: an SAW filter built into a substrate, a filter function section of the SAW filter being covered by a hollow cover; and a stress absorbing layer that faces the hollow cover of the SAW filter through an insulating layer in the substrate.
US08536958B2

A transmission elastic wave filter element and a reception elastic wave filter element each flip-chip mounted to a principal surface of a substrate are sealed off by a sealing member. The sealing member includes a base portion in contact with the principal surface of the substrate and made of a first dielectric material, and a lower dielectric-constant portion made of a second dielectric material having a dielectric constant lower than that of the first dielectric material and arranged in at least one of a region of the sealing member that faces the transmission elastic wave filter element on a side opposite from the substrate with respect to the transmission elastic wave filter element, and a region of the sealing member that faces the reception elastic wave filter element on the side opposite from the substrate with respect to the reception elastic wave filter element.
US08536953B1

A quartz oscillator module includes a first quartz oscillator, a second quartz oscillator, a first electronic switch, and a second electronic switch. The first and second quartz oscillators provide two different clock signals. When the first electronic switch is turned on, the first quartz oscillator is activated. When the second electronic switch is turned on, the second quartz oscillator is activated.
US08536946B2

An output error compensation method adapted to a multi-input operational amplifier is disclosed. The output error compensation method includes following steps. A plurality of original transconductances of a plurality of differential pairs is obtained regarding a specific combination of input voltages received by the differential pairs. Transconductance differences of a plurality of adjustable differential pairs among the differential pairs are obtained according to the original transconductances. Adjusted transconductance of the adjustable differential pairs are obtained according to the original transconductances and the transconductance differences. Transconductances of the adjustable differential pairs are respectively adjusted according to the adjusted transconductances, so that an output voltage can match an expected value when each of a plurality of combinations of the input voltages is received.
US08536941B2

An amplifying device which amplifies a signal, includes: an amplifier which amplifies an input signal by a power supplied from a power node; a first power source which supplies a fixed voltage to the power node; a second power source which supplies a variable voltage to the power node based on an envelope signal relating to the input signal and voltage of the power node; an active short device which reduces impedance of the power node when the first power source supplies the power to the power node and the second power source does not supply the power to the power node; a synthesizer which synthesizes the envelope signal and a cancel signal so that the second power source does not supply the power to the power node according to voltage variation of the power node by the active short device.
US08536940B2

The invention relates to a method for amplifying a carrier signal (CS1) by using a power amplifier (PA1), the power amplifier (PA1) is feed with a supply voltage (PASV1) of a power supply (SMPS1). The method comprises the step of adapting a value of the supply voltage (PASV1) to a value related to a mean signal power of an input signal (DS) of a power amplifier system (PAS1).
US08536939B2

An operational amplifier can include a plurality of amplifiers connected to form a plurality of amplification paths extending from an input terminal to an output terminal of the operational amplifier. An amplifier in one of the amplification paths can include an intrinsic amplification-transistor capacitance connected between a first amplifier input and a first amplifier output, and a cross-coupling capacitor connected between the first amplifier input and a second amplifier output. A plurality of the amplification paths can include series-connected amplifiers connected in parallel with the cross-coupled amplifier. The cross-coupling capacitor can have a capacitance value selected as a function of the intrinsic capacitance and a gain experienced between the amplifier inputs and outputs. The operational amplifier can include an AC coupling capacitor connected in series with the cross-coupled amplifier. The operational amplifier can be arranged in feedback configuration.
US08536933B2

The present invention relates to circuits and methods for limiting the operating area of a transistor in a constant current source. The circuits and methods use a detector and a driver to limit the operating area of a transistor. The detector and driver have parameters selected so that, when the voltage at the drain of the transistor satisfies a reference condition, the driver causes drain current of the transistor to decrease. The reference condition is determined relative to the maximum safe drain-to-source voltage at the design drain current of the constant current source.
US08536932B2

A temperature compensation circuit may include a temperature coefficient generator configured to generate a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal is proportional-to-absolute-temperature (ptat) and the second signal in negatively-proportional-to-absolute temperature (ntat), a first programmable element configured to multiply at a first programmable ratio an amplitude of a third signal having a negative temperature coefficient from a first temperature to a second temperature, and a second programmable element configured to multiply at a second programmable ratio an amplitude of a fourth signal having a positive temperature coefficient from the second temperature to a third temperature.
US08536927B1

A method for providing an interpolated output signal includes, in at least one aspect, receiving a plurality of phase signals applying each phase signal of the plurality of phase signals to switching elements of a first set of switching elements receiving a plurality of select signals, applying an asserted select signal to a first switching element of a second set of switching elements to provide a connection between a first switching element of the first set of switching elements and a first output terminal, and applying the asserted select signal to a second switching element of the second set of switching elements to provide a connection between a second switching element of the first set of switching elements and a second output terminal.
US08536926B2

A Gilbert mixer (200) comprising four switching transistors (Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6), two intermediate frequency transistors (Q1, Q2), and one or more DC decoupling components (202). The one or more DC decoupling components (202) are coupled between the switching transistors (Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6) and the intermediate frequency transistors (Q1, Q2) in order to DC decouple the switching transistors (Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6) from the intermediate frequency transistors (Q1, Q2).
US08536924B2

Apparatus and methods for an integrated circuit, high-impedance network are provided. In an example, the network can include an anti-parallel diode pair coupled between first and second nodes. The anti-parallel diode pair can include a first diode including a P+/NWELL junction and a second diode including N+/PWELL junction. In an example, the first diode and the second diode can include a common substrate.
US08536910B2

A phased-locked loop (PLL) circuit which comprises a phase-frequency detector (PFD) configured to receive a reference signal, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) configured to produce a VCO signal, and a divider configured to divide the VCO signal thereby producing a feedback signal based on the feedback signal not being locked to the reference signal. Based on the feedback signal not being locked to the reference signal, the PFD is configured to compare an edge of the reference signal with an edge of the feedback signal to produce an error signal. Based on the feedback signal being locked to the reference signal, the PFD is configured to compare the edge of the reference signal to an edge of the VCO signal to produce an error signal and the divider is configured to be disabled.
US08536907B2

A power on reset signal generating apparatus is provided. The power on reset signal generating apparatus includes a trigger capacitor, a reference current supplying circuit, and a current regulator. One end of the trigger capacitor is coupled to a ground voltage, and the other end of the trigger capacitor generates a power on reset signal. The reference current supplying circuit is coupled to a signal generating end. The current regulator is coupled to the signal generating end, and the signal generating end draws a splitting current to adjust the value of the current received by the trigger capacitor.
US08536901B2

A method and an apparatus to drive an analog signal into a sensory tissue. The apparatus includes an analog-to-digital converter converting an original analog signal to a digital signal at an analog-to-digital converter sample rate. The apparatus includes a digital transceiver communicating wirelessly with the analog-to-digital converter to receive the digital signal. The apparatus includes a digital data buffer receiving the digital signal from the digital transceiver. The apparatus includes a digital-to-analog converter communicating with the digital data buffer and converting the digital signal into a reconstructed analog signal at a digital-to-analog converter sample rate faster than the analog-to-digital converter sample rate, the analog signal comprising a plurality of intensity values. The apparatus includes a pixel clock matching the digital-to-analog converter sample rate. The apparatus includes a bio-interface array comprising a plurality of electrodes and operably proximate to the sensory tissue.
US08536900B2

An apparatus comprises a supply voltage divider, a state machine, two comparators and a threshold selector. The supply voltage divider divides a VCC into N states SK, and acquires the border voltages VK and VK+1 corresponding to the SK through a resistor divider. The threshold selector acquires a corresponding voltage VK from the supply voltage divider according to the current state SK outputted by the state machine and then sends the acquired VK as VH to a first comparator, and acquires a corresponding voltage VK+1 and sends the acquired VK+1 as VL to a second comparator. The state machine determines whether or not the VH and the VL are matched with the current state SK. If matched, the OSC of the state machine will be turned off, otherwise, the next state Sk+1 or Sk−1 of the SK will be outputted.
US08536889B2

The terminals of a device under test are temporarily electrically connected to corresponding contact pads on a load board by a series of electrically conductive pin pairs. The pin pairs are held in place by an interposer membrane that includes a top contact plate facing the device under test, a bottom contact plate facing the load board, and a vertically resilient, non-conductive member between the top and bottom contact plates. Each pin pair includes a top and bottom pin, which extend beyond the top and bottom contact plates, respectively, toward the device under test and the load board, respectively. The top and bottom pins contact each other at an interface that is inclined with respect to the membrane surface normal. When compressed longitudinally, the pins translate toward each other by sliding along the interface. The sliding is largely longitudinal, with a small and desirable lateral component determined by the inclination of the interface.
US08536888B2

An integrated circuit (IC), comprises a receiver on an IC substrate. The receiver is configured to receive a stressed input signal. A built in self test (BIST) circuit is provided on the IC substrate for testing the receiver. The BIST circuit comprises an encoder configured for receiving an input signal and identifying whether a first condition is present, in which two or more consecutive input data bits have the same polarity as each other. An output driver circuit provides the stressed input signal corresponding to the two or more consecutive input data bits. The stressed input signal has an amplitude that is larger when the encoder identifies that the first condition is present and smaller when the encoder identifies that two or more consecutive input data bits have different polarity from each other.
US08536872B2

An apparatus is provided to estimate a charged state of a vehicle provided with an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, a starter that initially rotates the crankshaft when the engine is started, and a battery that powers the starter. The apparatus comprises a detection device and an acquisition device. The detection device detects a voltage of the battery and a discharge current from the battery for a period of time over time instants before and after starting the engine. The acquisition device acquires information indicative of an amount of the discharge current from the battery when the detected voltage of the battery becomes a minimum due to starting the engine.
US08536870B2

The present invention is a portable in-bore shim coil insert suitable for correcting high-degree and high-order magnetic field inhomogeneities over a limited examination zone in a magnetic resonance assembly operating above 3 T magnetic field strengths, wherein the magnetic resonance assembly includes at least a MRI magnet having an internal bore of known configuration and volume, at least one set of gradient coils, and an arrangement of radio frequency coils. The in-bore shim coil insert and corresponding method of use is able to produce higher degree and order shimming effects on-demand (i.e., the correction of at least some 3rd to 6th degree field terms or inhomogeneities) and will markedly improve the quality of in-vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy and/or imaging of any desired anatomic site, i.e., any or all of the various organs, tissues, and systems present in the body of a living subject.
US08536861B2

A wire rope flaw detector includes a magnetizer having a pair of exciting magnets disposed on a back yoke such that polarities thereof are opposite to each other, and forming a main magnetic path in a predetermined segment in an axial direction of a wire rope; and a leakage magnetic flux detection section disposed in the predetermined segment in the axial direction, and detecting leakage magnetic flux generated from a damaged portion of the wire rope. Each of the exciting magnets are formed so as to have a cross-section of a shape that embraces the wire rope when each exciting magnet is cut along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the wire rope, and has magnetic orientation, on the cross-section of the exciting magnet, oriented from at least two directions toward the wire rope.
US08536850B2

A high side controller capable of sensing input voltage and output voltage of a power conversion circuit, including: a first switch, having a control end and two channel ends, the control end being coupled to a gate signal, and one of the two channel ends being coupled to a voltage signal, wherein the voltage signal is proportional to a negative version of the input voltage when the gate signal is active; an inverting amplification circuit, having an input end coupled to the other one of the two channel ends, and an output end for providing a first processed voltage; and a first sample and hold circuit, having a control input end coupled to the gate signal, an input end coupled to the first processed voltage, and an output end for providing a first sample voltage.
US08536847B2

A semiconductor device includes high-side and low-side switching elements totem-pole-connected between high-voltage-side and low-voltage-side potentials; a high-side drive circuit, having high-voltage and low-voltage terminals which are connected to a floating power supply, which supplies either a voltage at the high-voltage terminal or a voltage at the low-voltage terminal for driving the high-side switching element; and a low-side drive circuit driving the low-side switching element and a reference voltage circuit generating a reference voltage between the voltages at high-voltage and low-voltage terminals of the high-side drive circuit. The reference voltage circuit supplies the reference voltage to a connection point between the high-side and low-side switching elements. The semiconductor device includes a charging switching element having a control terminal, a first terminal connected to the low-voltage terminal of the high-side drive circuit, and a grounded second terminal.
US08536846B2

A converter arrangement includes a converter device (200) with a clocked operating mode and a non-clocked operating mode, having a signal input (Si), a control input (Se), and a signal output (So), and a control device (100) for controlling the converter device (200) with a control signal of a constant frequency and at least minimal pulse length in the clocked operating mode. The control device (100) is coupled to the control input (Se) of the converter device (200), and an input of the control device (100) is coupled to the signal output (So) of the converter device (200). An input (1) of the converter arrangement supplies a signal to be converted, that is coupled to the signal input (Si) of the converter device (200). For providing a converted signal, the converter arrangement has an output (2) that is coupled to the signal output (So). Furthermore, a corresponding method for preparing a converted signal is disclosed.
US08536839B2

A method is provided for monitoring and/or analysis of electrical machines during operation. An electrical machine has at least one generator with a shaft, an exciter system and drive device that drives the shaft. In this case, a first signal, which describes a voltage across a rotor winding, and a second signal, which describes a current flowing through the rotor winding, are measured simultaneously. The two signals are supplied to an analysis unit. The signals are split into individual frequency components in the analysis unit. The impedance of the rotor winding is then determined in order to identify fault states in the electrical machine.
US08536837B1

An over-voltage detection and correction system for a transmitter of a mobile terminal that accounts for battery droop during a transmit burst is provided. In general, prior to ramp-up for a first transmit burst, a voltage of the battery of the mobile terminal at a no-load condition is measured. After ramp-up for the transmit burst, the voltage of the battery is measured at full-load, and a current provided to a power amplifier of the transmitter at full-load is detected. Based on the measured voltage of the battery at no-load, the measured voltage of the battery at full-load, and the detected current provided to the power amplifier at full-load, a resistance of the battery is determined. The resistance of the battery is thereafter used to compensate for battery droop during over-voltage detection and correction for one or more subsequent transmit bursts.
US08536829B2

A charging system conveniently allows an electric device to be quickly disconnected and taken by a user. The charging system comprises at least one adapter unit and a power supply unit, wherein the adapter unit and the power supply unit utilize magnetic attraction to achieve a desire junction effect. It does not only form a power transmission between the power supply unit and the electronic product, but also separates the electronic product from the power supply unit by slightly imposing forces such that the electronic product can be quickly taken without influencing the operation of the electronic product.
US08536828B2

An electronic device includes a contactless integrated circuit card function unit, a contactless charging function unit, and a switching unit. The contactless integrated circuit card function unit includes a clamp circuit and realizes a contactless integrated circuit card function. The clamp circuit suppresses excessive voltage of a signal received at an antenna whose operating frequency is a predetermined frequency. The contactless charging function unit commonly uses the antenna and realizes a contactless charging function. The switching unit invalidates or reduces the function of the clamp circuit when the contactless charging function unit is used.
US08536827B2

A device for mounting a mobile electronic device to an alternating current charger is provided. The mount allows the user to charge a mobile electronic device with the alternating current charger provided by the original equipment manufacturer of the mobile electronic device. The mount also protects the mobile electronic device from damage.
US08536824B2

A system and method dynamically equalizes battery voltages with low inherent power losses in a string of series connected electrochemical batteries. The method includes charging/discharging a group of batteries using magnetic storage in a transformer with bipolar magnetic excursion, individually isolated circuits and pulsed energy transfer. A method also exchanges current between batteries using direct current transfer between them and limiting inductance. Using this method, battery voltage may be measured from an isolated circuit, thus enabling information transfer to a central monitoring system. The method also has the benefit of providing an estimation of battery internal resistance from isolated circuits in the series of batteries.
US08536822B2

A stepper motor driver system includes: a digital signal controller configured to digitally synthesize synthesized analog voltage signals that will induce a desired velocity of a stepper motor when applied to a pair of stepper motor windings; and voltage amplifiers, communicatively coupled to the digital signal controller, configured to amplify the synthesized analog voltage signals to produce amplified analog voltage signals and to output the amplified analog voltage signals; where the digital signal controller is configured to synthesize the analog voltage signals by affecting at least one of a phase or an amplitude of each of the analog voltage signals as a function of the desired velocity of the stepper motor.
US08536819B2

To provide a power supply device which can reduce energy loss caused due to the forward-direction voltage of a flywheel diode. In a load circuit for subjecting an electronic switch T1 provided between a DC power supply VB and a motor M1 to the PWM control to thereby drive the motor M1, a MOSFET (T2) is provided in parallel to the motor M1. A parasitic diode Dp of the MOSFET (T2) is provided in a manner that its forward direction is in opposite to the flowing direction of a load current ID. The MOSFET (T2) is turned on during a part of a period during which the electronic switch T1 is placed in an off state to thereby flow a circulation current flowing through the motor M1 into the MOSFET (T2). Thus, the energy loss can be remarkably reduced as compared with the case of using the flywheel diode.
US08536810B2

When performing PWM control in accordance with an overmodulation mode, an ECU variably sets a switching determination value, which is used for determination of switching control modes between the overmodulation mode and a sinusoidal wave modulation mode, based on a switching state of an inverter at present. Then, the ECU compares the degree of modulation, which is calculated from voltage command values, with the switching determination value so as to determine whether to switch to the sinusoidal wave modulation mode or to maintain the overmodulation mode. In particular, when an influence of a dead time is likely to cause generation of a voltage command that requires switching to the overmodulation mode just after switching to the sinusoidal wave modulation mode, the switching determination value is variably set to prevent the transition from the overmodulation mode to the sinusoidal wave modulation mode. This prevents chattering in which the control modes are frequently switched therebetween.
US08536808B2

A modified bootstrap circuit utilized, for example, in a high voltage DC/DC CMOS buck converter to convert a high input voltage (e.g., 24V) to a regulated voltage (e.g., 4V) for use, for example, by an LED driver circuit. The bootstrap circuit utilizes a feedback diode and a PMOS switch to avoid high reverse diode voltages across a low voltage bootstrap diode. A bootstrapped buck converter implements the bootstrap circuit to generate a high gate voltage on a high-side NMOS switch during all operating phases. The PMOS switch is controlled by the NMOS switch's output voltage to pass a system voltage (e.g., 5V) through the bootstrap diode whenever the output voltage drops low (e.g., 0V), and to shut off when the output voltage subsequently rises such that the feedback diode forward biases to pass the output voltage to the anode of the bootstrap diode.
US08536805B2

Technologies are described herein for an illumination device and a corresponding fixture device. The illumination device includes a luminary module for the emission of light and an identification circuit containing identifying data, while the fixture device includes a driver module for supplying power to the illumination device and a controller module. When the illumination device is connected to the fixture device, the controller module communicates with the identification circuit of the illumination device to retrieve the identifying data and causes the driver module to supply the appropriate power to the luminary module of the illumination device.
US08536788B2

A thermal protection circuit, and system and method including same, is provided. The circuit includes a variable impedance circuit configured to be coupled to a constant current source and a plurality of solid state light sources. The constant current source provides a current to the plurality of solid state light sources and provides an output voltage to establish a supply voltage for the circuit. The circuit also includes a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the plurality of solid state light sources. The circuit also includes a control circuit configured to receive the supply voltage and to drive the variable impedance circuit based on the sensed temperature, to adjust the current to the plurality of solid state light sources when the supply voltage is a least a minimum supply voltage of the control circuit.
US08536785B2

An organic light emitting display includes a first substrate including a plurality of anode electrodes on an insulating layer and a plurality of pixel definition layers around the plurality of anode electrodes. An impact absorbing layer is spaced from the plurality of pixel definition layers, and a spacer is on an upper surface of the impact absorbing layer. A second substrate faces the first substrate and is spaced from the first substrate by the spacer.
US08536775B2

A field emission lamp, capable of increasing the number of electron emitting points thereof, and of increasing the uniformity and the intensity of the light output therefrom by installing a mesh cathode is disclosed. The field emission lamp comprises: an outer shell having an inner surface, a mesh cathode unit surrounded by the outer shell, an anode unit formed on a portion of the inner surface of the outer shell, and a phosphor layer formed on a portion of the anode unit. Wherein, the light generated by the phosphor layer, due to the bombardment of the electrons, can output from the field emission lamp of the present invention, through the outer shell where none of the anode unit is formed thereon.
US08536774B2

A headlamp 1 includes a laser diode 3 that emits a laser beam, a light emitting part 7 that emits light upon receiving the laser beam emitted from the laser diode 3, and a reflection mirror 8 that reflects the light emitted from the light emitting part 7. According to the headlamp 1, the light emitting part 7 has a luminance greater than 25 cd/mm2, and an area size of an aperture plane 8a perpendicular to a direction in which an incoherent light travels outward from the headlamp 1 is less than 2000 mm2.
US08536773B2

An electron beam source includes a base and a tip fixed to the base and extending from the base. The tip includes a core and a coating applied to the core. The core has a surface that includes a first material. The coating includes a second material which is different from the first material. The second material forms a surface of the tip, and the second coating includes more than 30% by weight of a lanthanide element.
US08536766B2

A device using a piezoelectric element includes a layered piezoelectric element and a driven member. The layered piezoelectric element includes an active portion formed of stacked piezoelectric layers each being sandwiched between a first internal electrode layer and a second internal electrode layer, and an inactive portion (first end inactive portion) formed of a first end piezoelectric layer stacked on the active portion. The driven member is bonded to the top surface of the first end piezoelectric layer by means of an adhesive. The piezoelectric layers and the first end piezoelectric layer are formed such that the porosity of the inactive portion is greater than that of the active portion. Therefore, since numerous open pores are emerged on the top surface of the first end piezoelectric layer, the adhesive enters into the open pores to have the driven member be strongly bonded to the top surface.
US08536765B2

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for unlocking a portable terminal, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for unlocking a portable terminal capable of canceling a hold state of the portable terminal without using a hold key. A portable terminal may include at least one piezoelectric sensor. When a squeeze operation signal is generated as pressure is applied to the at least one piezoelectric sensor, the hold state of the portable terminal is canceled.
US08536748B2

An internal permanent magnet machine has multiple rotor sections, each section having multiple rotor laminations. Permanent magnets are placed asymmetrically in lamination openings to attenuate oscillations in torque caused by harmonic components of magnetic flux. Asymmetry is achieved by placing adjacent permanent magnets or magnet sets on the rotor periphery with different rotor magnetic pole arc angles.
US08536745B2

Disclosed herein is a linear vibrator having a mass body which is accommodated in a casing defining an internal space and is vibrated. The linear vibrator includes a bracket supporting the linear vibrator from a lower position. The bracket has a depression in a bottom thereof such that a coil lead wire of a coil is placed in the depression, thus preventing friction between the coil lead wire and a movable unit.
US08536741B2

A system comprising a photovoltaic module and a terminal box. Two terminals of the box output voltage generated by the photovoltaic module. A thermal switch shorts the two terminals in response to temperature rise to a threshold temperature and is structured to prevent short-circuit due to the temperature rise of the normally operating photovoltaic module and bypass diodes in the terminal box.
US08536739B2

A power transfer system includes a power transmission device and a power reception device. A central conductor and a peripheral conductor are formed near the upper surface of a casing of the power transmission device. The peripheral conductor surrounds the central conductor in an insulated state from the central conductor. An alternating voltage generating circuit is provided for the power transmission device and applies an alternating voltage between the central conductor and the peripheral conductor. A central conductor and a peripheral conductor are formed near the lower surface of a casing of the power reception device. The peripheral conductor surrounds the central conductor in an insulated state from the central conductor. A load circuit is provided for the power reception device, and a voltage induced between the central conductor and the peripheral conductor is applied to the load circuit.
US08536724B2

An ocean wave energy converter comprising a structure that is supported above the water and that has means to stabilize the structure, an array of guided independently operated elongate floats that operate from the structure above via two or more guidance arms, wherein each guidance arm is attached to the structure so that the floats pivot about the horizontal axis parallel the length of the floats, each float is attached to the guidance arms at the center of buoyancy of the float, and the floats are substantially parallel to the wave fronts.
US08536723B2

A hydroelectric power-generating apparatus comprising: (1) a fluid inlet, (2) a diffuser having (a) at least one vane supporting a diffuser hub and (b) a rotor rotatably supported by the diffuser hub and having (i) impeller blades, (ii) an impeller hub, and (iii) a shroud at the periphery of the rotor, the shroud including at least one magnet, and (3) a housing surrounding the shroud and having a rigidly-attached stator including laminations and at least one electrical coil, whereby a flow of fluid through the diffuser and rotor causes the rotation of the rotor and the at least one magnet induces an electric current in the at least one coil.
US08536716B1

Embodiments disclosed herein may relate to supply voltage or ground connections for integrated circuit devices. As one example, two or more supply voltage bond fingers may be connected together via one or more electrically conductive interconnects.
US08536711B2

A semiconductor device includes a through electrode that penetrates through a silicon substrate, an isolation trench provided to penetrate through the silicon substrate to surround the through electrode, a first silicon film in contact with an inner surface of the isolation trench, a second silicon film in contact with an outer surface of the isolation trench, and an insulation film provided between the first and second silicon films.
US08536702B2

Microelectronic die packages, stacked systems of die packages, and methods of manufacturing them are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a system of stacked packages includes a first die package having a bottom side, a first dielectric casing, and first metal leads; a second die package having a top side attached to the bottom side of the first package, a dielectric casing with a lateral side, and second metal leads aligned with and projecting towards the first metal leads and including an exterior surface and an interior surface region that generally faces the lateral side; and metal solder connectors coupling individual first leads to individual second leads. In a further embodiment, the individual second leads have an “L” shape and physically contact corresponding individual first leads. In another embodiment, the individual second leads have a “C” shape and include a tiered portion that projects towards the lateral side of the second casing.
US08536699B2

In a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device by forming a structure film on a substrate in a reaction chamber of a manufacturing apparatus, cleaning inside the reaction chamber is performed. That is, a precoat film made of a silicon nitride film containing boron is deposited on an inner wall of the reaction chamber, a silicon nitride film not containing boron is formed as the structure film on the substrate in the reaction chamber, and the inner wall of the reaction chamber is dry etched to be cleaned. At this time, the dry etching is terminated after boron is detected in a gas exhausted from the reaction chamber.
US08536692B2

A mountable integrated circuit package system includes: mounting an integrated circuit die over a package carrier; connecting a first internal interconnect between the integrated circuit die and the package carrier; and forming a package encapsulation over the package carrier and the first internal interconnect, with the integrated circuit die partially exposed within a recess of the package encapsulation.
US08536686B2

According to an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first frame, a semiconductor element fixed to the first frame, a second frame, a third frame and a resin package. The second frame faces the first frame and is away from the first frame, the second frame being electrically connected to the semiconductor element via a metal wire. The resin package covers the semiconductor element, the first frame, and the second frame. The first frame and the second frame are exposed in one major surface of the resin package. The third frame juxtaposed to one of the first frame and the second frame, the third frame being continuously exposed from the major surface of the resin package to a side surface in contact with the major surface.
US08536683B2

Structures of a system on a chip are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system on a chip (SoC) includes an RF component disposed on a first part of a substrate, a semiconductor component disposed on a second part of the substrate, the semiconductor component and the RF component sharing a common boundary, and a conductive cage disposed enclosing the RF component. The conductive cage shields the semiconductor component from electromagnetic radiation originating from the RF circuit.
US08536678B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor die having a substrate with a front side and a back side includes fabricating openings for through substrate vias on the front side of the semiconductor die. The method also includes depositing a first conductor in the through substrate vias, depositing a dielectric on the first conductor and depositing a second conductor on the dielectric. The method further includes depositing a protective insulator layer on the back side of the substrate covering the through substrate vias.
US08536676B2

The present invention is drawn to an MMIC capacitor comprising a dielectric material interposed between a metal top plate and a metal bottom plate; and a passivation layer having the composition of the dielectric material and applied to the capacitor components such that thickness of the layer eliminates a corona effect. The invention also includes a method for passivating a layer of SiN material onto a top plate having a thickness sufficient to reduce a corona effect dependent on an applied voltage.
US08536672B2

An image sensor package includes an image sensor die having an active side and a backside, wherein an image sensor device region and a bond pad are provided on the active side. A through-silicon-via (TSV) structure extending through the thickness of the image sensor die is provided to electrically connect the bond pad. A multi-layer re-distributed interconnection structure is provided on the backside of the image sensor die. A solder mask or passivation layer covers the multi-layer re-distributed interconnection structure.
US08536669B2

According to an embodiment of the invention, a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element includes a reference ferromagnetic layer, a storage ferromagnetic layer, and an insulating layer. The storage ferromagnetic layer includes a CoFeB sub-layer coupled to a CoFe sub-layer and/or a NiFe sub-layer through a non-magnetic sub-layer. The insulating layer is disposed between the reference and storage ferromagnetic layers.
US08536662B2

A method is disclosed for manufacturing a semiconductor device, including providing a substrate comprising a main surface with a non flat topography, the surface comprising at least one substantial topography variation, forming a first capping layer over the main surface such that, during formation of the first capping layer, local defects in the first capping layer are introduced, the local defects being positioned at locations corresponding to the substantial topography variations and the local defects being suitable for allowing a predetermined fluid to pass through. Associated membrane layers, capping layers, and microelectronic devices are also disclosed.
US08536659B2

A channel stop is provided for a semiconductor device that includes at least one active region. The channel stop is configured to surround the semiconductor device, to abut the at least one active region at a periphery of the semiconductor device, and to share an electrical connection with the at least one active region.
US08536648B2

In an embodiment of the invention, a semiconductor device includes a first region having a first doping type, a channel region having the first doping type disposed in the first region, and a retrograde well having a second doping type. The second doping type is opposite to the first doping type. The retrograde well has a shallower layer with a first peak doping and a deeper layer with a second peak doping higher than the first peak doping. The device further includes a drain region having the second doping type over the retrograde well. An extended drain region is disposed in the retrograde well, and couples the channel region with the drain region. An isolation region is disposed between a gate overlap region of the extended drain region and the drain region. A length of the drain region is greater than a depth of the isolation region.
US08536646B2

The present invention provides a trench type power transistor device including a semiconductor substrate, at least one transistor cell, a gate metal layer, a source metal layer, and a second gate conductive layer. The semiconductor substrate has at least one trench. The transistor cell includes a first gate conductive layer disposed in the trench. The gate metal layer and the source metal layer are disposed on the semiconductor substrate. The second gate conductive layer is disposed between the first gate conductive layer and the source metal layer. The second gate conductive layer electrically connects the first gate conductive layer to the gate metal layer, and the second gate conductive layer is electrically insulated from the source metal layer and the semiconductor substrate.
US08536645B2

According to an exemplary embodiment, a trench field-effect transistor (trench FET) includes a trench formed in a semiconductor substrate, the trench including a gate dielectric disposed therein. A source region is disposed adjacent the trench. The trench FET also has a gate electrode including a lower portion disposed in the trench and a proud portion extending laterally over the source region. A silicide source contact can extend vertically along a sidewall of the source region. Also, a portion of the gate dielectric can extend laterally over the semiconductor substrate. The trench FET can further include a silicide gate contact formed over the proud portion of the gate electrode.
US08536644B2

A semiconductor device including a buried gate and a method for forming the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a buffer layer formed on a surface of a trench in a semiconductor substrate, and a gate electrode configured to partially bury the trench and formed of the same material as in the buffer layer.
US08536639B2

The present invention discloses a floating gate structure of a flash memory device and a method for fabricating the same, which relates to a nonvolatile memory in a manufacturing technology of an ultra-large-scaled integrated circuit. In the invention, by modifying a manufacturing of a floating gate in the a standard process for the flash memory, that is, by adding three steps of deposition, two steps of etching and one step of CMP, an -shaped floating gate is formed. In addition to these steps, all the other steps are the same as those of the standard process for the flash memory process. By the invention, a coupling ratio may be improved effectively and a crosstalk between adjacent devices may be lowered, without adding additional photomasks and barely increasing a process complexity, which are very important to improve programming speed and reliability.
US08536626B2

A pH sensor is provided. The pH sensor comprises a substrate and an ion sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET) die comprising an ion sensing part that responds to pH, wherein the ISFET die is located over the substrate. The pH sensor also comprises a protective layer formed over at least a portion of an outer surface of the ISFET die and at least a portion of the substrate. Further, the pH sensor comprises a cover member mechanically coupled to the protective layer, wherein the cover member houses the ISFET die and the substrate, and wherein the cover member defines an opening proximate to the ion sensing part.
US08536625B2

An electronic image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface configured for accepting illumination to a pixel array disposed in the substrate. An electrically-doped channel region for each pixel is disposed at a second substrate surface opposite the first substrate surface. The channel regions are for collecting photogenerated charge in the substrate. An electrically-doped channel stop region is at the second substrate surface between each channel region. An electrically-doped shutter buried layer, disposed in the substrate at a depth from the second substrate surface that is greater than that of the pixel channel regions, extends across the pixel array. An electrically-doped photogenerated-charge-extinguishment layer, at the first substrate surface, extends across the pixel array. A substrate bulk region between the shutter buried layer and the photogenerated-charge-extinguishment layer is characterized by an electrical resistivity enabling independent electrical bias of the photogenerated-charge-extinguishment layer from electrically-doped regions of the substrate.
US08536616B2

The present invention provides a method for forming a multilayer substrate having a gallium nitride layer, wherein a mesh layer having a plurality of openings is formed on a substrate, and a buffer layer, three aluminum gallium nitride layers with different aluminum concentrations and a gallium nitride layer are formed in sequence on the substrate in the openings. The three aluminum gallium nitride layers with different aluminum concentrations are capable of releasing stress, decreasing cracks on the surface of the gallium nitride layer and controlling interior defects, such that the present invention provides a gallium nitride layer with larger area, greater thickness, no cracks and high quality for facilitating the formation of high performance electronic components in comparison with the prior art. The present invention further provides a multilayer substrate having a gallium nitride layer.
US08536610B2

A silicon-on-insulator wafer is provided. The silicon-on-insulator wafer includes a silicon substrate having optical vias formed therein. In addition, an optically transparent oxide layer is disposed on the silicon substrate and the optically transparent oxide layer is in contact with the optical vias. Then, a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor layer is formed over the optically transparent oxide layer.
US08536609B2

An organic light emitting diode display includes a substrate, an organic light emitting diode provided on the substrate and including a first electrode, an organic emission layer, and a second electrode, a packed layer on the organic light emitting diode, and a protective layer on the packed layer, the protective layer including at least one of a graphene oxide and a graphene nitride.
US08536605B2

Using compression molding to form lenses over LED arrays on a metal core printed circuit board leaves a flash layer of silicone covering the contact pads that are later required to connect the arrays to power. A method for removing the flash layer involves blasting particles of sodium bicarbonate at the flash layer. A nozzle is positioned within thirty millimeters of the top surface of the flash layer. The stream of air that exits from the nozzle is directed towards the top surface at an angle between five and thirty degrees away from normal to the top surface. The particles of sodium bicarbonate are added to the stream of air and then collide into the top surface of the silicone flash layer until the flash layer laterally above the contact pads is removed. The edge of silicone around the cleaned contact pad thereafter contains a trace amount of sodium bicarbonate.
US08536602B2

Disclosed is a light emitting device. The light emitting device includes a light emitting structure layer including a first conductive type semiconductor layer, an active layer on the first conductive type semiconductor layer, and a second conductive type semiconductor layer on the active layer, a first light extracting structure formed on an outer portion of the first conductive type semiconductor layer and having a plurality of side surfaces and a plurality of upper surfaces formed in a step structure, and a transmissive layer on the first light extracting structure of the first conductive type semiconductor layer.
US08536595B2

Solid state lighting (“SSL”) devices with improved contacts and associated methods of manufacturing are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an SSL device includes a first semiconductor material, a second semiconductor material spaced apart from the first semiconductor material, and an active region between the first and second semiconductor materials. The SSL device also includes a contact on one of the first or second semiconductor materials. The contact includes a first conductive material and a plurality of contact elements in contact with one of the first or second conductive materials. The contact elements individually include a portion of a second conductive material that is different from the first conductive material.
US08536594B2

Solid state lighting (SSL) devices (e.g., devices with light emitting diodes) with reduced dimensions (e.g., thicknesses) and methods of manufacturing are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an SSL device includes an SSL structure having a first region and a second region laterally spaced apart from the first region and an insulating material between and electrically isolating the first and second regions. The SSL device also includes a conductive material between the first and second regions and adjacent the insulating material to electrically couple the first and second regions in series.
US08536578B2

A thin film transistor includes nanowires. More specifically, the thin film transistor includes nanowires aligned between and extending to opposite facing lateral surfaces of source/drain electrodes on a substrate. The nanowires extend in a direction parallel to a major surface defining the substrate to form a semiconductor channel layer. Also disclosed herein is a method for fabricating the thin film transistor.
US08536565B2

A nitride-based light-emitting device includes a substrate and a plurality of layers formed over the substrate in the following sequence: a nitride-based buffer layer formed by nitrogen, a first group III element, and optionally, a second group III element, a first nitride-based semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer, and a second nitride-based semiconductor layer.
US08536552B2

A collimator is disclosed for a radiation detector including at least three spacing elements arranged on a radiation exit face of the collimator. In at least one embodiment, they are embodied so as to mount the collimator in a stable manner with respect to a radiation converter of the radiation detector. The at least three spacing elements enable a very precise and stable alignment of the collimator in respect of the radiation converter despite manufacturing-related curves or unevennesses in the radiation exit face and/or the mounting surface on the part of the radiation converter. At least one embodiment of the invention also relates to a manufacturing method for such a collimator, as well as a method for manufacturing a radiation detector.
US08536549B2

A system and a method of generating radiation and/or particle emissions are disclosed. In at least some embodiments, the system includes at least one laser source that generates a first pulse and a second pulse in temporal succession, and a target, where the target (or at least a portion the target) becomes a plasma upon being exposed to the first pulse. The plasma expand after the exposure to the first pulse, the expanded plasma is then exposed to the second pulse, and at least one of a radiation emission and a particle emission occurs after the exposure to the second pulse. In at least some embodiments, the target is a solid piece of material, and/or a time period between the first and second pulses is less than 1 microsecond (e.g., 840 ns).
US08536543B2

Provided is a super-resolution microscope for observing a specimen containing a substance having two or more excited quantum state, which includes: a light source section that outputs a first illumination light for exciting the substance from a stable state to a first quantum state, and a second illumination light for further transitioning the substance to other quantum state; an optical system including a microscope objective lens and condensing the first illumination light and the second illumination light, each outputted from the light source section, onto the specimen in a manner that these lights are partially overlapped with each other; a detection section that detects an optical response signal emitted from the specimen in response to condensing of the first illumination light and the second illumination light; and, a polarization controlling element provided with a polarizing member that converts a polarization state of the first illumination light or the second illumination light, and a phase modulation section integrally formed with the polarizing member and spatially modulating a phase of the second illumination light.
US08536534B2

The present invention provides a radiographic imaging including, provided at an insulating substrate, sensor portions for radiation detection that generate charges due to receive radiation or light converted from radiation, first signal lines that are connected to the sensor portions for radiation detection and through which flow electric signals that correspond to the charges generated at the sensor portions for radiation detection, and second signal lines having a substantially same wiring pattern as the first signal lines. Detection of radiation is carried out on the basis of a difference between an electric signal flowing through the first signal line and an electric signal flowing through the second signal line, or a difference between values of digital data obtained by digitally converting an electric signal flowing through the first signal line and an electric signal flowing through the second signal line, respectively.
US08536529B2

A surface chemistry measuring apparatus includes a processor, an array of tunable infrared laser spectrometers interfacing with the processor and configured for simultaneous measurement of surface chemistry across a surface to be measured using a range of infrared wavelengths and a display interfacing with the processor and adapted to display IR spectra of infrared wavelengths reflected from the surface to be measured.
US08536528B2

A system for supplying voltage to a downhole component is disclosed. The system includes: a pyroelectric material disposed in electrical communication with the component, the component configured to be disposed within a borehole in an earth formation; and a heating unit in operable communication with the pyroelectric material and configured to change a temperature of the pyroelectric material and cause the pyroelectric material to generate a voltage to activate the component. A method of supplying voltage to a downhole component is also disclosed.
US08536525B2

An improved method and apparatus for S/TEM sample preparation and analysis. Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide improved methods for TEM sample creation, especially for small geometry (<100 nm thick) TEM lamellae. A novel sample structure and a novel use of a milling pattern allow the creation of S/TEM samples as thin as 50 nm without significant bowing or warping. Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide methods to partially or fully automate TEM sample creation, to make the process of creating and analyzing TEM samples less labor intensive, and to increase throughput and reproducibility of TEM analysis.
US08536524B2

Systems and methods for high speed mud gas logging are described. A general workflow of mud gas logging uses tandem mass spectroscopy. The workflow involves first separating the volatile components of the hydrocarbons (typically C8 and below) from the drilling fluid using a fluid extractor (or degaser). Extracted gases are then diluted in air and transported to an analyzer, which measures the concentration of each of those gases in air. A tandem mass spectroscopy-based analyzer is used that is able to quantify each of those hydrocarbon components, including resolving isomeric species, while tolerating the presence of the non-hydrocarbons. According to some embodiments, triple quadrapole mass spectroscopy is used.
US08536523B2

The present invention involves a method and a device for sequentially desorbing and ionizing mixed analytes on a solid surface with a gradual temperature scan, and continuously collecting data for multiple times in the gradual desorption and ionization process. By gradually increase the temperature of at least one part of the sample, the analytes with different thermal desorption capabilities are sequentially desorbed from surfaces of the solid sample, thereby providing a sample pre-separation scheme, so as to reduce difficulties to subsequent mass spectrum detection. Meanwhile, since mass spectrum data of the analytes with different boiling points is collected for multiple times during a temperature scan, the analytes with a low boiling point can be detected first at lower temperature in order to avoid rapid exhaustion at higher temperature, thereby improving the detection efficiency of the analytes with low boiling points.
US08536522B2

A detachable and replaceable ion source for a mass spectrometer. The ion source comprises a housing which defines an ion source chamber, an ion source mounting means complementary to mounting means on the mass spectrometer to detachably couple with the mass spectrometer. This allows movement of the housing to bring the ion source chamber into a position of use at the inlet of said mass spectrometer and to take the ion source chamber from said position of use into a retracted position. Sealing means is provided to create an air tight seal between the housing and the mass spectrometer when the ion source chamber is in its position of use. A release mechanism is provided which cooperates with the mass spectrometer to allow the said movement of said housing.
US08536520B2

A method for identifying a biological analyte that is affected by a stressor is disclosed in which two substantially identical biological samples are provided, with a first sample being a control sample and a second sample being an experimental sample. The control sample is grown with a nutrient having an isotope of a first atom, whereas the experimental sample is grown with a nutrient having a second isotope of the first atom. The experimental sample is grown with a stressing agent and regimen. The samples are admixed, and the formed composite is mass spectroscopically assayed for analyte peaks. The ratio of first isotope to second isotope is determined for the peaks, as is a sample median isotopic ratio. The ratio for assayed analyte peaks is compared with the median ratio. An analyte whose isotopic ratio significantly deviates from the median ratio is an analyte affected by the stressing agent.
US08536518B2

A method and apparatus are described herein for the interface of an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) to a mass spectrometer (MS) that utilizes collisional focusing, through internal modification. Commercial standalone IMS instrumentation cannot be combined in tandem with a commercially available MS that utilizes collisional focusing due to the physics of the differentially pumped interface of the MS being an unsuitable environment for an IMS measurement. The invention provides for transfer of the ion beam from the IMS to the MS without distortion of the chemical species or temporal profile due to large scale collisions in the differentially pumped interface, by increasing the electric field strength between the orifice and skimmer, and decreasing the pressure in the differentially pumped interface, thereby reducing the number of background gas collisions encountered by the ion beam during transit from the IMS to the MS.
US08536514B2

A method of measuring the temperature of a sheet material in which the sheet material is arranged such that it forms at least one side of a cavity so as to enhance the effective emissivity of the sheet material in the vicinity of the cavity. The method involves a) generating a thermal image of at least part of the inside of the cavity using a thermal imaging device to detect radiation emitted by the cavity, the thermal image comprising a plurality of pixels each having a pixel value representative of radiation emitted by a respective region of the cavity; b) identifying a first subset of the plurality of pixels whose pixel values meet predetermined criteria; c) using the identified first subset of pixels to determine a line on the thermal image representative of optimal emissivity enhancement in the cavity; and d) selecting a second subset of the plurality of pixels based on the determined line and generating a temperature profile along the determined line derived from the pixel values associated with each of the second subset of pixels.
US08536506B2

An inspection system includes a CMOS integrated circuit having integrally formed thereon an at least two dimensional array of photosensors and providing an inspection output representing an object to be inspected. A defect analyzer is operative to receive the inspection output and to provide a defect report.
US08536504B2

The terrestrial solar tracking photovoltaic array includes a longitudinal support that may be constructed of discrete sections. The overall length of the array may be adjusted depending upon the necessary size of the array. A drive may be configured to rotate the longitudinal support in first and second directions about a first axis. Solar cell modules are positioned along the longitudinal support and may each include a rectangular case with a plurality of lenses that are positioned over corresponding receivers. Linkages may be connected to the solar cell modules and are axially movable along the longitudinal support to rotate the solar cell modules within second planes that each orthogonal to the first plane to further track the sun during the course of the day. The array may be configured to facilitate rotation about the first axis. The array may be constructed with a center of gravity of the array to extending through the longitudinal support.
US08536496B2

A layered heater is provided that comprises at least one resistive layer defining a circuit configuration, the circuit configuration comprising at least one resistive trace oriented relative to a heating target and comprising a material having temperature coefficient characteristics such that the resistive trace provides power commensurate with demands of the heating target. In one form, resistive traces of the resistive layer are a PTC material having a relatively high TCR and are oriented approximately perpendicular to a primary heating direction. In another form, resistive traces of the resistive layer are an NTC material having a relatively high BETA coefficient and are oriented approximately parallel to a primary heating direction.
US08536489B2

A hob includes a cooking surface with a glass ceramic defining a cutout in an outside edge of the glass ceramic, and an insert in the cutout including a material that is different from the glass ceramic and which is permeable to light in a blue spectral range.
US08536485B2

Systems and methods for forming apertures in microfeature workpieces are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes directing a laser beam toward a microfeature workpiece to form an aperture and sensing the laser beam pass through the microfeature workpiece in real time. The method can further include determining a number of pulses of the laser beam and/or an elapsed time to form the aperture and controlling the laser beam based on the determined number of pulses and/or the determined elapsed time to form a second aperture in the microfeature workpiece.
US08536475B2

Techniques disclosed herein include a conversion technique that converts an aircraft circuit breaker having male auxiliary connectors (micro switch connectors) to an aircraft circuit breaker having female auxiliary connectors, such as those conventionally used on European-made aircraft. Techniques include adding a barrier to a conventional aircraft circuit breaker approved for U.S. markets. This barrier includes female auxiliary connectors integrated with the barrier, as well as a flexible circuit that connects the male connectors with the female connectors such that the female connectors can still receive separate male connectors in the female receptacles. Such a technique converts conventional aircraft circuit breakers into a European-style breaker without requiring a full European rebuild and re-qualification. Embodiments can include single and multiple phase versions, and configurations for use with high and low amperage.
US08536474B2

A rotary switch includes a rotor that is insert molded so upper and lower contact pieces have a predetermined number of contact regions with a predetermined angular width in each of a plurality of annular zones defined by a plurality of concentric circles and are stacked in a disk part. The contact pieces are exposed in two surfaces of the disk part, an upper contactor holder and a lower contactor holder are placed to cover a lower half and an upper half of the disk part of the rotor. A plurality of elastic contacts are brought into elastic contact with lower and upper side surfaces of the disk part in a plurality of annular zones, and a rotating operation shaft is inserted through the rotor, the lower contactor holder, and the upper contactor holder, and can rotate the rotor.
US08536471B2

A pressure sensitive stylus, comprises a movable tip that recedes within a housing of the stylus in response to user applied contact pressure, wherein a displacement of the tip along an axis on which it recedes is a function of the applied contact pressure, and an optical sensor enclosed within the housing for optically sensing the displacement of the tip and for providing output in response to the sensing.
US08536453B2

A waterproof device for receiving an electronic device is disclosed. The waterproof device includes a housing including an outer surface. A receiving case including a body and covering portion extends from the body. The body is inside of the housing, and the covering portion abuts the outer surface of the housing. The body receives an object to be waterproofed. A cover is secured to the covering portion. A first installation washer is secured between the covering portion and the outer surface of the housing, the first installation washer seals a first gap between the housing and the covering portion. A second installation washer is secured to the cover and abuts each edges of the body, the second installation washer seals a second gap between the cover and the body.
US08536451B2

A high-voltage connection between two post insulators which can be moved relative to one another. In order to be able to implement such a high-voltage connection in the most compact form possible with regard to insulating air gaps, the high-voltage connection has a current conduction rod, which is surrounded by an insulating body and mounted at one end thereof on the one post insulator at an adjustable distance and at the other end thereof is held on the other post insulator. Outgoing current leads are connected to each end of the current conduction rod. An electric rail vehicle has at least two cars, each having a high-voltage line run in the roof and each having a post insulator on the roof in the area of the mutually facing ends of the cars. The high-voltage connection according to the invention is used in order to achieve an aerodynamically favorable design in the bridging area of the roof area of the cars.
US08536450B2

A sheath is disclosed which provides protection against radiation. The sheath surrounds or is configured to surround at least a neutral cable, a earth cable and a phase cable which are all connected to the power grid. The sheath includes an outer layer made from electrically insulating plastic which covers an inner layer made from electrically conductive material, elements being provided to connect the layer of electrically conductive material to an electrical conductor intended to be earthed. The conductor to be earthed takes the form of a wire, all or part of which is made from electrically conductive material that extends internally along the entire length of the sheath and which is in electrical contact, at least along part of the length thereof, with the inner layer of electrically conductive material.
US08536445B2

A method of forming a multijunction solar cell comprising an upper subcell, a middle subcell, and a lower subcell comprising providing first substrate for the epitaxial growth of semiconductor material; forming a first solar subcell on said substrate having a first band gap; forming a second solar subcell over said first subcell having a second band gap smaller than said first band gap; and forming a grading interlayer over said second subcell having a third band gap larger than said second band gap forming a third solar subcell having a fourth band gap smaller than said second band gap such that said third subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to said second subcell.
US08536440B2

The present invention provides nanowires and nanoribbons that are well suited for use in thermoelectric applications. The nanowires and nanoribbons are characterized by a periodic compositional longitudinal modulation. The nanowires are constructed using lithographic techniques from thin semiconductor membranes, or “nanomembranes.”
US08536438B2

An effector affixing device affixes an acoustic effector on a plate material. The effector affixing device includes an effector affixing base and a separation member. The effector affixing base is provided with an effector affixing component. The separation member includes supports erected below the vicinities of four corners of the effector affixing base. The effector affixing base and the separation member are separably coupled with each other. The effector affixing base includes a bottom plate and an effector holding piece. The bottom plate supports the effector. The effector holding piece is erected from an edge portion of the bottom plate. The effector affixing device includes a separation space having a height that at least allows shield lines to intersect with each other below the bottom plate in a state that the effector affixing base is coupled with upper portions of the supports.
US08536435B2

A support structure for a percussion instrument has a support member configured to suppress the transfer of vibrations to the floor surface, and provide stability during performance. The entire percussion instrument and a portion or all of the pedal device are elastically supported above the floor, on the support member through the first vibration isolating members. Vibrations from the percussion instrument member and the pedal device are dampened by the first vibration isolating members. The first vibration isolating members are provided between the support member and the percussion instrument member, to suppress the transfer of vibrations to the floor surface, while the support member is stably supported on the floor surface.
US08536424B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH780680. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH780680, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH780680 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH780680.
US08536404B2

The invention provides expression vectors comprising root-specific promoters in operative association with polynucleotides that are down-regulated in syncytia of nematode-infected plants, for use in methods of producing transgenic plants with increased resistance to nematode infestation. The invention also provides nematode-resistant transgenic plants and seeds comprising such expression vectors.
US08536400B2

An absorbent article 1 including a blood separating member 4 capable of separating blood into blood cells and plasma. The blood separating member 4 preferably has pores with a diameter of 6 μm or smaller in a proportion of 20% to 90% in a pore size distribution measured in accordance with ASTM F361-86. A nonwoven fabric obtained by calendering a fiber aggregate can be used as the blood separating member.
US08536396B2

A process for converting a hydrocarbon feedstock to provide an effluent containing light olefins, the process comprising passing a hydrocarbon feedstock, the feedstock containing at least one C1 to C6 aliphatic hetero compound selected from alcohols, ethers, carbonyl compounds and mixtures thereof and steam in an amount whereby the feedstock contains up to 80 weight % steam, through a reactor containing a crystalline silicate catalyst to produce an effluent including propylene, the crystalline silicate having been subjected to de-alumination by a steaming step and being selected from at least one of an MFI-type crystalline silicate having a silicon/aluminium atomic ratio of from 250 to 500 and an MEL-type crystalline silicate having a silicon/aluminium atomic ratio or from 150 to 800.
US08536380B2

The invention relates to an oleogel-forming agent which comprises at least one highly dispersed triterpene. The invention also relates to an oleogel which comprises a nonpolar liquid in an amount ranging from 80% by weight to 99% by weight based on the total weight of the oleogel and an oleogel-forming agent comprising a highly dispersed triterpene in an amount ranging from 1% by weight to 20% by weight based on the total weight of the oleogel. The invention also relates to a method for producing an oleogel.
US08536377B2

The present invention relates to a process for preparing N,N-substituted 3-aminopropan-1-ols by a) reacting secondary amine with acrolein at a temperature of (−50) to 100° C. and a pressure of 0.01 to 300 bar, and b) reacting the reaction mixture obtained in stage a) with hydrogen and ammonia in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst at a pressure of 1 to 400 bar, wherein the molar ratio of secondary amine to acrolein in stage a) is 1:1 or more and the temperature in stage b) is in the range from (−50) to 70° C. In a preferred embodiment, acrolein which has been obtained from glycerol based on renewable raw materials is used. The invention further relates to the use of an N,N-dimethyl-3-aminopropan-1-ol (DMAPOL) based on renewable raw materials as a catalyst for polyurethane preparation, as a scrubbing fluid in gas scrubbing, in the electronics chemicals and electroplating sectors, as a feedstock in organic synthesis, and as an intermediate in the production of pharmaceuticals and crop protection compositions.
US08536372B2

Disclosed are procatalyst compositions having an internal electron donor which include a substituted phenylene aromatic diester and optionally an electron donor component. Ziegler-Natta catalyst compositions containing the present procatalyst compositions exhibit high activity and produce propylene-based olefins with broad molecular weight distribution.
US08536363B2

This invention pertains generally to prostacyclin analogs and methods for their use in promoting vasodilation, inhibiting platelet aggregation and thrombus formation, stimulating thrombolysis, inhibiting cell proliferation (including vascular remodeling), providing cytoprotection, preventing atherogenesis and inducing angiogenesis. Generally, the compounds and methods of the present invention increase the oral bioavailability and circulating concentrations of treprostinil when administered orally. Compounds of the present invention have the following formula:
US08536361B2

1,4,6,10-tetra-double bond pentadec-carbon phosphonate of formula (4), and preparation method thereof are provided. The preparation method comprises: reacting a pseudo ionone of formula (2) with sulfonium salt to prepare a epoxide of formula (9), and then reacting the epoxide of formula (9) with magnesium bromide to prepare a C-14 aldehyde of formula (3); condensing the C-14 aldehyde of formula (3) with tetra-alkyl methylene diphosphonate to obtain 1,4,6,10-tetra-double bond pentadec-carbon phosphonate of formula (4). Furthermore, the preparation method of lycopene via 1,4,6,10-tetra-double bond pentadec-carbon phosphonate of formula (4) is also provided. The present method has the advantages of short route, easily obtained raw materials, and low cost.
US08536357B2

The invention relates to a process for esterifying free fatty acids in vegetable and animal fat with alcohols over heterogeneous acidic ion exchange resin catalysts at temperatures of 60 to 120° C.
US08536356B2

The present invention relates to an improved process for preparing a fluid concentrated ingredient based on crystals based on a fatty acid ester, and also to the use of this fluid concentrated ingredient.
US08536350B2

The invention relates to a new process for the preparation of dronedarone and its salts, in particular a synthesis process which allows said compound and its salts to be obtained with good yields, high purity and in an industrially expedient manner; the invention also concerns a new synthesis intermediate.
US08536346B2

N-hydroxy-3-[4-[[[2-(2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]amino]methyl]phenyl]-2E-2-propenamide and starting materials therefore are prepared by new synthetic methods.
US08536337B2

New compounds, namely, (7aS,2′S)-2-oxoclopidogrel and its pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof are disclosed for treatment or prophylaxis of thrombo-embolism and/or cardiovascular diseases.
US08536336B2

The present invention provides for compounds of formula (I) wherein A2, L2, R1g, R2A, R3A, R4A, R1a, R1b, q1, and z are as defined in the specification, are prodrugs of CB2 receptors ligands and as such are useful in the prevention and treatment of various diseases and conditions including, but not limited to, pain.
US08536329B2

A reactive dye is disclosed. The reactive dye has the structure of formula (I): wherein X, R1, R2, R3, n, Q1, Q2 and (HO3S)1-3 are defined in the specification. The reactive dye of the present invention has great build-up property, reproducibility and fastness.
US08536326B2

A method for preparing sucralose with high yield, comprising the following preparation steps: First, negative effects of other impurities on reaction are reduced by first preparing a pure Vilsmeier chlorinating reagent. Second, side reactions are prevented by adding composite catalyst to increase selectivity of chlorination reaction. Third, by extracting less polar impurities using less polar solvent when sucralose-6-ester is undergoing deesterification, products are qualified at the very first time so that refining steps are avoided. Accordingly, product loss is reduced and product yield is increased. By using the present invention to prepare sucralose, product yield could be increased to more than 40%.
US08536323B2

Modified nucleotides, and methods to modify nucleotides with a moiety or label, such as biotin, that permits their detection and results in a modified nucleotide, and methods of use of the modified nucleotide in quantitative and qualitative assays.
US08536318B2

The invention relates to a method for the chemical synthesis of RNA, comprising the following steps: a) bonding to a solid support of a monomer having formula (II) in which—X1 is a dimethoxytrityl group,—X6 is H or an OAc group or OX3, in which X3 is a group having formula (A), in which X is O or S, R′ is H or CH3 and R is selected from a linear or branched alkyl group at C1 to C4 and a R1—O—R2 group in which R1 is an alkyl group at C1 to C2 and R2 is a CH3 group or CH2CH2—O—CH3 or aryl; b) assembly with the monomer having formula (II) bound to the support thereof obtained in step (a) of at least one monomer having formula (III) in which X1, Bp, X3 are as defined for formula (II) and X5 is a hydrogen phosphonate monoester or phosphoramidite group, preferably a 2-cyanoethyl-N,N-diisopropylphosphoramidite group, which is used to obtain a protected single-strand RNA bound to a support.
US08536308B2

The present invention provides an isolated IL-6 antagonist including an antibody variable region that prevents IL-6 from binding to gp130. The present invention also provides compositions and methods for treating IL-6 related diseases based on the IL-6 antagonists of the invention.
US08536302B2

The purpose of the invention is to provide a novel purification system allowing the efficient and economical production and purification of a recombinant fused protein, whereby the elution time at a low temperature can be reduced, since it has been a problem to be solved in the existing purification method using dockerin and cohesin. In this purification system, a dockerin polypeptide characterized in that the 14th amino acid in the subdomain 2 of dockerin originating from Clostridium josui is substituted with another amino acid, and a method for purification of a recombinant fused protein are provided.
US08536296B2

A process is disclosed for making an aqueous emulsion of a silicone polyether having a viscosity greater than 10 kPa-s at 25 QC by combining; an SiH terminated silicone polyether copolymer having an HLB of less than 7, an organopolysiloxane having terminal unsaturated groups, a hydrosilylation catalyst, and an emulsifier to form an oil phase, and then admixing water to the oil phase to form an emulsion.
US08536277B2

A novel process for reducing the molecular weight of nitrile rubber in the presence of specific catalyst systems containing the metathesis catalyst and also a specific addition of fluorine-containing boron compounds is provided.
US08536270B2

To provide a resist composition including: at least one polymerizable compound having a viscosity of 100 mPa·s or less at 25° C.; a fluorine-containing compound A having a viscosity of 5,000 mPa·s or greater at 25° C., and a fluorine content of 10% by mass or greater; and a fluorine-containing compound B having a viscosity of 2,000 mPa·s or less at 25° C., and a fluorine content of 10% by mass or greater.
US08536266B2

A pneumatic tire having a tread, the tread comprising a rubber composition comprising: a copolymer comprising a polymeric backbone chain derived from a monomer comprising at least one conjugated diene monomer and optionally at least one vinyl aromatic monomer; and polymeric sidechains bonded to the backbone chain, the sidechains comprising a polymer capable of exhibiting a lower critical solution temperature (LCST); optionally, at least one additional diene based elastomer; and a filler selected from the group consisting of carbon black and silica.
US08536264B2

The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire comprising a component, the component comprising a rubber composition comprising a diene based elastomer and 1 to 100 phr of: A) a twin polymerization reaction product of a silyl ether; or B) a twin polymerization reaction product of a boronic acid ester; or C) a twin polymerization reaction product of a titanium compound derived from tetraethyl orthotitanate and furfuryl alcohol; or D) a twin polymerization reaction product of a tungsten compound; The invention is further directed to the corresponding rubber compositions.
US08536260B2

A resin composition for a seamless air bag cover or a resin composition for a seamless instrument panel having an air bag cover which comprises (A) 50 to 90% by mass of polypropylene, (B) 0 to 20% by mass of a thermoplastic elastomer and (C) 10 to 30% by mass of talc having an average particle diameter of 15 to 25 μm and a distribution of a particle diameter such that the content of particles having a diameter of 5 μm or smaller is 10% by mass or smaller and the content of particles having a diameter exceeding 40 μm is 10% by mass or smaller. The resin composition exhibits sufficient properties when an instrument panel is molded. A seamless instrument panel having an air bag cover can be obtained as an integrally molded product, which can be treated as a single article in recycling.
US08536258B2

The present invention provides a stabilizer containing, as a main component, a bisphenol monoester and a bisphenol-based compound, wherein the area of the bisphenol-based compound is 0.15 to 70 when the area of the bisphenol monoester is set to be 100 in a chromatograph obtained by liquid chromatography analysis of the stabilizer, a method of manufacturing the same, a thermoplastic polymer composition containing the stabilizer, as well as a stabilizer that can further improve the process stability of the thermoplastic polymer, as compared with the conventional one, by compounding the stabilizer into the thermoplastic polymer through a method of stabilizing the thermoplastic polymer using the stabilizer and a method of manufacturing the stabilizer.
US08536256B2

This invention relates to 9,10-Dihydro-9-Oxa-10-Phosphaphenantrene-10-oxide derived additive flame-retardants, which are useful in epoxy resin compositions. The epoxy resin compositions may be used in making prepregs or laminates for printed wiring boards and composite materials.
US08536240B2

An expandable polystyrene composition in the form of expandable beads, comprising by weight (1) 100 parts of a styrene polymer, (2) from 2.2 to less than 4.0 parts of at least one blowing agent, and (3) from 0.01 to 0.4 part of at least one plasticizing. The composition is particularly useful for manufacturing medium density expanded moulded polystyrene objects, particularly with a density from 40 to 190 g/l. A process for manufacturing such objects,is provided, together with pre-expanded beads with a buld density of 40 to 190 g/l, containing by weight (a) 100 parts of a styrene polymer, (b) from 0.5 to less than 3.0 parts of at least one blowing agent, and (c) from 0 to 0.4 part of at least one plasticizing agent.
US08536237B2

An ionomeric membrane formed of a sulphonic (per)fluorinated ionomer wherein the sulphonic groups are at the end of short side chains (SSC), said ionomer having: equivalent weight between 700 and 1600 g/eq; side chains of formula: —O—CF2—CF2—SO3−M+, wherein M is hydrogen or an alkaline metal; said membrane having the following combination of properties: size variations, for both the orthogonal directions xy of the plane, lower than 15%, measured after dipping of the ionomeric membrane, dried at 105° C. under vacuum for one hour, in demineralized water at 100° C. for 30 minutes; the membrane, dipped at the temperature of 50° C. for 22 hours in a water/ethanol mixture containing 40% by weight of alcohol, remains integral.
US08536231B2

The present invention provides methods and pharmaceutical formulations for treating diabetic foot ulcers.
US08536219B2

Methods for the prevention and/or alleviation of androgen-mediated disorders treatable by administering a chroman-derived anti-androgen compound are provided by the present invention. The invention further provides pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compositions containing chroman-derived anti-androgen compounds useful in the prevention and/or alleviation of androgen-mediated disorders, particularly prostate cancer.
US08536218B2

This invention relates to novel whitening agents for cellulosic substrates. The whitening agents are comprised of at least two components: at least one chromophore component and at least one polymeric component. Suitable chromophore components generally fluoresce blue, red, violet, or purple color when exposed to ultraviolet light, or they may absorb light to reflect these same shades. The whitening agents are further characterized by having a dispersion component value of the Hansen Solubility Parameter of less than or equal to about 17 MPa0.5. This invention also relates to laundry care compositions including but not limited to liquid and/or powder laundry detergent formulations and rinse added fabric softening (RAFS) compositions that comprise such whitening agents.
US08536213B2

The invention relates to (among other things) oligomer-dantrolene conjugates and related compounds. A conjugate of the invention, when administered by any of a number of administration routes, exhibits advantages over previously administered compounds.
US08536195B2

The present invention relates to bicyclic compounds useful as inhibitors of ion channels. The invention also provides pharmaceutically acceptable compositions comprising the compounds of the invention and methods of using the compositions in the treatment of various disorders.
US08536193B2

The instant invention provides for substituted [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]-1,5-naphthyridine compounds that inhibit Akt activity. In particular, the compounds disclosed selectively inhibit one or two of the Akt isoforms, preferably Akt1. The invention also provides for compositions comprising such inhibitory compounds and methods of inhibiting Akt activity, especially Akt1 by administering the compound to a patient in need of treatment of cancer.
US08536188B2

One aspect of the present invention relates to the use of sapacitabine, or a metabolite thereof, in the preparation of a medicament for treating a proliferative disorder, wherein the sapacitabine or metabolite thereof is administered in a dosing regimen comprising at least one treatment cycle, wherein said treatment cycle comprises administering a therapeutically effective amount of sapacitabine or metabolite thereof for about 2 to about 6 days per week, for 2 weeks out of 3 weeks. Another aspect of the invention relates to the use of sapacitabine, or a metabolite thereof, in the preparation of a medicament for treating cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).
US08536178B2

Disclosed herein is a method for treating diseases associated with beta amyloid accumulation, including administering to a patient a therapeutically effective amount of morpholine or piperazine based compounds including a sulfuric or carboxylic acid structure represented by the following chemical formula 1 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof: (wherein Z, R1 and R2 are as defined in the specification).
US08536175B2

The invention relates to compounds of formula (I) wherein the substituens are as defined in the specification, in free form or in the form of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate, ester, N-oxide thereof; processes for the preparation thereof; to pharmaceuticals containing such compounds, in particular for the use in one or more Protein tyrosine kinase mediated diseases.
US08536174B2

The invention is directed to Urotensin II antagonists. More specifically, the present invention relates to certain novel compounds, methods for preparing compounds, compositions, intermediates and derivatives thereof and methods for treating Urotensin-II mediated disorders. Pharmaceutical and veterinary compositions and methods of treating cardiovascular disorders and various other disease states or conditions using compounds of the invention are also described.
US08536172B2

The invention relates to JNK inhibitors and corresponding methods, formulations, and compositions for inhibiting JNK and treating JNK-mediated disorders. The application discloses JNK inhibitors, as described below in Formula I: wherein p, q, Y′, r, R1, R2, X, X1, X2, X3, and X4 are as defined herein. The compounds and compositions disclosed herein are useful to modulate the activity of JNK and treat diseases associated with JNK activity. Disclosed are methods and formulations for inhibiting JNK and treating JNK-mediated disorders, and the like, with the compounds, and processes for making said compounds, and corresponding compositions, disclosed herein.
US08536167B2

The present invention relates to methods for treating an ophthalmic, otic, or nasal infection comprising treating the infected tissue with a composition comprising finafloxacin or a finafloxacin derivative. The present invention also relates to antimicrobial compositions comprising finafloxacin or a finafloxacin derivative. The compositions are suitable for the treatment of ophthalmic, otic, or nasal infections.
US08536158B2

Compounds of general formula (I) wherein W is chloro or fluoro; R1 is phenyl optionally substituted with one or more substituents, selected from halo, —CN, —C1-C6 alkyl, —SOR3, —SO2R3, —SO2N(R2)2, —N(R2)2, —NR2C(O)R3, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —NO2, —OR2, —SR2, —O(CH2)pOR2, or —O(CH2)pO(CH2)qOR2 wherein each R2 is independently hydrogen, —C1-C6 alkyl, —C3-C8 cycloalkyl, aryl or heteroaryl; each R3 is independently, —C1-C6 alkyl, —C3-C8 cycloalkyl, aryl or heteroaryl; p and q are each independently an integer from 1 to 3; and R4 is hydrogen, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkyl substituted with aryl, aryl, (CH2)mOC(═O)C1-C6alkyl, ((CH2)mO)nCH2CH2X, (CH2)mN(R5)2 or CH((CH2)mO(C═O)R6)2; m is 1 or 2; n is 1-4; X is OR5 or N(R5)2; R5 is hydrogen or methyl; and R6 is C1-C18 alkyl; and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, hydrates, solvates, complexes or prodrugs are useful in orally administrable compositions for the treatment of allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis.
US08536153B2

The efficient synthesis of phosphatidylinositol mono- to hexa-mannoside (PIM1 to PIM6) is reported. The invention relates to these phosphatidylinositol mono- to hexa-mannosides carrying a linker and a reactive functional group, e.g. the sulfhydryl group, a protein, a fluorescent probe, or a solid phase. The invention further relates to vaccines comprising the PIMs linked to a carrier protein or an antigen.
US08536150B2

The present invention provides a method of myocardial perfusion imaging using reduced doses of (1-{9-[(4S,2R,3R,5R)3,4-dihydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]-6-aminopurin-2-yl}pyrazol-4-yl)-N-methylcarboxamide.
US08536147B2

A method for enhancing, by at least 10 fold, the antibacterial activity of an antisense oligonucleotide composed of morpholino subunits linked by phosphorus-containing intersubunit linkages. The method includes one or both of: conjugating an arginine-rich carrier to a 3′ or 5′ end of the oligonucleotide and modifying the oligonucleotide to contain 20%-50% intersubunit linkages that are positively charged at physiological pH. Also disclosed is an antisense oligonucleotide having enhanced antibacterial activity by virtue of one or both modifications.
US08536141B2

Pharmaceutical compositions and methods for protecting against atrophy of pancreatic islets in a mammal with metabolic syndrome, prediabetes or diabetes are disclosed. The method comprises administering to the mammal a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound having a chemical structure of formula (I) in an effective amount and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier: wherein R is H or COCH2COOH; m=3 or 4; n=0 or 1; o=2; and p=1 or 2.
US08536140B2

A method is described for treating inflammatory bowel disease in a subject in need thereof. The method comprises administering a formulation comprising at least one ganglioside to the subject, wherein the formulation comprises at least about 50% GD3 by weight of total ganglioside content.
US08536137B2

The present invention is directed to the use of a class of peptide compounds for treating tumor pain, in particular bone cancer pain, for treating chemotherapy-induced pain and for treating nucleoside-induced pain.
US08536132B2

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for and involving selectively targeting tumor lymphatics.
US08536130B2

Use of 1-phenyl-3-dimethylaminopropane compounds for the production of medicaments for treating neuropathic pain, preferably polyneuropathic pain, also preferably diabetic neuropathic pain, more preferably diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain, and furthermore preferably for treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
US08536128B2

The present invention relates to the expression and regulating growth factors in chrondrocytes and developing cartilage, particularly granulin-epithelin precursor (GEP). The invention relates to the modulation and manipulation of these growth factors, GEP, and/or the molecules they interact with, for instance COMP, in cartilage disorders, including arthritis. Assays and screening methods for the determination of the expression and activity of GEP, or of GEP-COMP, are provided, including for screening for the presence or extent of cartilage or arthritic disease and for identifying modulators or compounds/agents for treatment or prevention of cartilage or arthritic diseases.
US08536127B2

Provided are storage containers for proteinaceous pharmaceutical compositions which are characterized in, among other things, comprising (i) a wall portion, wherein an inner wall material thereof is selected from silica-coated glass, silicone-coated glass, polymers of non-cyclic olefins, cycloolefin polymers and cycloolefin/linear olefin copolymers and (ii) one or more closure portions not constituting part of the wall portion, and which contains a formulation of a protein. Also provided are new methods of storing proteinaceous compositions. In one aspect, the stored protein is characterized as having an amino-terminal γ-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) domain with 9-12 Gla residues.
US08536125B2

The invention relates to a method for stabilizing a bulk solution of recombinant protein for frozen storage, which comprises providing a partially-purified solution of recombinant protein which has a monovalent salt concentration of at least 100 mM, and adding a carbohydrate to said solution in an amount sufficient that, upon freezing, the solution has a glass transition temperature of −56° C. or higher.
US08536119B2

Fluorescent metal nanoclusters were prepared.
US08536118B2

The invention provides methods and compositions for modulating the HGF/c-met signaling pathway, in particular by inhibiting a hyperstabilized c-met protein.
US08536113B2

Short oligopeptides are provided which are capable of binding to the epidermal growth factor receptor on the surface of human tumor cells. Methods for using the peptides as targeting moieties in more complex compositions, such as conjugates of cytoxins, and/or structures, such as liposomal structures, for the purposes of drug delivery are also provided.
US08536108B2

The present application relates to care polymers and fabric and home care compositions comprising such care polymers, as well as processes for making and using such care polymers and such compositions. The performance of the care polymers that Applicants teach, can be further increased by following the emulsification teaching of the present specification and/or combining such care polymers with silicone materials.
US08536105B2

A medical instrument cleaning concentrate and method for cleaning medical equipment. The concentrate contains an active ingredient consisting essentially of (i) a biofilm permeation agent and (ii) a nonionic alkoxylated alcohol surfactant having an HLB ranging from about 5 to about 8, wherein a ratio of (i) to (ii) in the concentrate ranges from about 2:1 to about 4:1.
US08536104B1

The hand soap bar with tether is a bar of hand soap having a built-in tether. The tether includes an elastic band that can be attached to a user's wrist. An anchor member is encased in the soap bar. One end of the tether is attached to the anchor member. An elastic loop defines the other end of the tether.
US08536103B2

A liquid extreme pressure agent for use in lubricating compositions where the lubricating compositions comprise an oil of lubricating viscosity and the reaction product of: (a) a thiazole; (b) a composition comprising a carboxylic acid, a phosphorus containing acid or salt, or combinations thereof; and (c) an amine containing one or more branched hydrocarbyl groups. The invention also provides an additive composition comprising the reaction product described above and a process for making lubricating compositions, including greases, from the reaction product.
US08536098B2

Novel articles and methods to fabricate same with self-assembled nanodots and/or nanorods of a single or multicomponent material within another single or multicomponent material for use in electrical, electronic, magnetic, electromagnetic and electrooptical devices is disclosed. Self-assembled nanodots and/or nanorods are ordered arrays wherein ordering occurs due to strain minimization during growth of the materials. A simple method to accomplish this when depositing in-situ films is also disclosed. Device applications of resulting materials are in areas of superconductivity, photovoltaics, ferroelectrics, magnetoresistance, high density storage, solid state lighting, non-volatile memory, photoluminescence, thermoelectrics and in quantum dot lasers.
US08536094B2

Herbicide combinations (A)+(B), if appropriate in the presence of safeners, with an effective content of(A) broad-spectrum herbicides from the group (A1) glufosinate (salts) and related compounds (A2) glyphosate (salts) and related compounds such as sulfosate, (A3) imidazolinones such as imazethapyr, imazapyr, imazaquin, imazamox or their salts and (A4) herbicidal azoles from the group of the protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitors (PPO inhibitors) and (B) one or more herbicides from the group consisting of (B0) one or more structurally different herbicides from the abovementioned group (A) or (B1) foliar- and soil-acting herbicides effective against selectively in rice monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous harmful plants (residual action) or (B2) herbicides which are effective selectively in rice against dicotyledonous harmful plants and/or sedges, and/or (B3) foliar-acting herbicides which are effective selectively in rice against monocotyledonous harmful plants, and/or (B4) foliar- and soil-acting herbicides which are effective selectively in rice against monocotyledonous harmful plants, herbicides from several of groups (B0) to (B4) are suitable for controlling harmful plants in rice which consists of tolerant or resistant mutants or transgenic rice plants and the rice crops are tolerant to the herbicides (A) and (B), if appropriate in the presence of safeners, which are contained in the combination.
US08536093B2

A method for controlling noxious organisms in a field of soybean or corn, comprising the steps of: treating soybean or corn seeds with at least one neonicotinoid compound selected from the group consisting of clothianidin, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, dinotefuran, nitenpyram, acetamiprid, and thiacloprid, and treating the field with at least one PPO inhibitor compound selected from the group consisting of flumioxazin, sulfentrazone, saflufenacil, oxyfluorfen, and 3-(4-chloro-6-fluoro-2-trifluoromethylbenzimidazol-7-yl)-1-methyl-6-trifluoromethyl-2,4-(1H,3H)pyrimidinedione before or after the soybean or corn seeds treated with the neonicotinoid compound are sown in the field.
US08536090B2

A use of a tannin and non tannin material phytocomposition or phytocomplex, either in a dry or liquid form, applied to the seedling seeds or seedling agamic multiplication members, or to implanted seedlings, to promote the starter effect, i.e. strong stimulation of the seedling initial growth. The phytocomposition is made by leaching a biomass of one or more of the following species: Castanea spp., Juglans spp., Eucalyptus spp., Quercus spp., Salix spp., Vitis spp., Mimosa ssp., Schinopsis spp., Olea europaea, Onobrychis viciifolia, Rhamnus spp., Artemisia spp., Lawsonia inermis, either in a single form or in a mixture in all mixing ratios.
US08536087B2

A thermographic substrate assembly comprised of a colorant and a flexible substrate. This assembly also contains a thermosensitive layer, and the thermosensitive layer contains a binder, a multiplicity of hollow sphere organic pigments, and a thermal solvent.
US08536081B2

Supported catalyst system for the polymerization of olefins, having at least two different monocyclopentadienyl transition metal compounds, one or more activators including an ionic compound having (i) a cation and (ii) an anion having up to 100 non-hydrogen atoms and the anion containing at least one substituent comprising a moiety having an active hydrogen, and one or more support materials. The supported “mixed or dual site” catalyst systems having different monocyclopentadienyl catalysts when activated by specific ionic activators lead to catalyst systems showing an improved balance of properties which may be used to prepare LLDPE polymers having broad melt flow ratios.
US08536067B2

A memory element is formed by providing an organic compound between a pair of upper and lower electrodes. However, when the electrode is formed over a layer containing an organic compound, a temperature is limited because the layer containing the organic compound can be influenced depending on a temperature for forming the electrode. A forming method for the electrode is limited due to this limitation of a temperature. Therefore, there are problems that an expected electrode cannot be formed, and miniaturization of an element is inhibited. A semiconductor device includes a memory element and a switching element which are provided over a substrate having an insulating surface. The memory element includes first and second electrodes, and a layer containing an organic compound, which are provided on the same plane. A current flows from the first electrode to the second electrode. The first electrode is electrically connected to the switching element.
US08536065B2

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to the fabrication of integrated circuits and particularly to the deposition of a boron containing amorphous carbon layer on a semiconductor substrate. In one embodiment, a method of processing a substrate in a processing chamber is provided. The method comprises providing a substrate in a processing volume, flowing a hydrocarbon containing gas mixture into the processing volume, generating a plasma of the hydrocarbon containing gas mixture by applying power from an RF source, flowing a boron containing gas mixture into the processing volume, and depositing a boron containing amorphous carbon film on the substrate in the presence of the plasma, wherein the boron containing amorphous carbon film contains from about 30 to about 60 atomic percentage of boron.
US08536060B2

A method for clearing native oxide is described. A substrate is provided, including an exposed portion whereon a native oxide layer has been formed. A clearing process is performed to the substrate using nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and ammonia (NH3) as a reactant gas, wherein the volumetric flow rate of NF3 is greater than that of NH3.
US08536059B2

Etching equipment and methods are disclosed herein for more efficient etching of sacrificial material from between permanent MEMS structures. An etching head includes an elongate etchant inlet structure, which may be slot-shaped or an elongate distribution of inlet holes. A substrate is supported in proximity to the etching head in a manner that defines a flow path substantially parallel to the substrate face, and permits relative motion for the etching head to scan across the substrate.
US08536056B2

A method of forming conductive pattern is provided. A seeding layer is formed on an underlayer. By using an energy ray, an irradiation treatment is performed on a portion of a surface of the seeding layer. The seeding layer thus includes a plurality of irradiated regions and a plurality of unirradiated regions. A conversion treatment is performed on the irradiated regions of the seeding layer. A selective growth process is performed, so as to form a conductive pattern on each unirradiated region of the seeding layer. The irradiated regions of the seeding layer are removed, so that the conductive patterns are insulated from each other.
US08536052B2

When forming a metal silicide within contact openings in complex semiconductor devices, a silicidation of sidewall surface areas of the contact openings may be initiated by forming a silicon layer therein, thereby reducing unwanted diffusion of the refractory metal species into the laterally adjacent dielectric material. In this manner, superior reliability and electrical performance of the resulting contact elements may be achieved on the basis of a late silicide process.
US08536046B2

Partitioned vias, interconnects, and substrates that include such vias and interconnects are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a substrate has a non-conductive layer and a partitioned via formed in a portion of the non-conductive layer. The non-conductive layer includes a top side, a bottom side, and a via hole extending between the top and bottom sides and including a sidewall having a first section a second section. The partitioned via includes a first metal interconnect within the via on the first section of the sidewall and a second metal interconnect within the via hole on the second section of the sidewall and electrically isolated from the first metal interconnect. In another embodiment, the first metal interconnect is separated from the second metal interconnect by a gap within the via hole.
US08536040B1

Generally, the present disclosure is directed to techniques for using material substitution processes to form replacement metal gate electrodes, and for forming self-aligned contacts to semiconductor devices made up of the same. One illustrative method disclosed herein includes removing at least a dummy gate electrode to define a gate cavity, forming a work-function material in said gate cavity, forming a semiconductor material above said work-function material, and performing a material substitution process on said semiconductor material to substitute a replacement material for at least a portion of said semiconductor material.
US08536037B2

Electrically responsive devices and methods for fabricating electrically responsive devices involves applying an electrically responsive material (e.g., an electroactive material) over at least a portion of a surface of a substrate material and applying an electrode material over at least a portion of a surface of the electrically responsive material. At least one region of the electrode material is selectively removed exposing the electrically responsive material. At least some of the electrically responsive material is selectively removed in a region corresponding to the at least one region of the electrode material.
US08536030B2

A method of manufacturing a semipolar semiconductor crystal comprising a group-III-nitride (III-N), the method comprising: providing a substrate comprising sapphire (Al2O3) having a first surface that intersects c-planes of the sapphire; forming a plurality of trenches in the first surface, each trench having a wall whose surface is substantially parallel to a c-plane of the substrate; epitaxially growing a group-III-nitride (III-N) material in the trenches on the c-plane surfaces of their walls until the material overgrows the trenches to form a second planar surface, substantially parallel to a (20-2l) crystallographic plane of the group-III-nitride, wherein l is an integer.
US08536029B1

A method includes thinning a first region of an active layer, for form a stepped surface in the active layer defined by the first region and a second region of the active layer, depositing an planarizing layer on the active layer that defines a planar surface disposed on the active layer, etching to define nanowires and pads in the first region of the active layer, suspending the nanowires over the BOX layer, etching fins in the second region of the active layer forming a first gate stack that surrounds portion of each of the nanowires, forming a second gate stack covering a portion of the fins, and growing an epitaxial material wherein the epitaxial material defines source and drain regions of the nanowire FET and source and drain regions of the finFET.
US08536025B2

A resized wafer using a negative photoresist ring, methods of manufacture and design structures thereof are disclosed. The method includes forming a ring within a radius of a wafer. The method also includes patterning a photoresist formed on the wafer, by exposing the photoresist to energy. Additionally, the method includes forming troughs in a substrate of the wafer based on the patterning of the photoresist, wherein the ring blocks formation of the troughs underneath the ring. The method also includes filling the troughs with a metal and resizing the wafer at an area of the ring.
US08536024B2

Provided are a processing method for forming division originating points in a workpiece and a laser processing apparatus performing the method, which are capable of reducing light absorption in a processing trail, increasing light extraction efficiency from sapphire, and performing high speed processing. A pulsed laser beam is irradiated to a workpiece so that irradiation regions for each of unit pulsed beams of the pulsed laser beam of ultra-short pulse are formed discretely in the workpiece, and cleavage or parting of the workpiece is sequentially generated between the irradiation regions by a shock or a stress when each of unit pulsed beam is irradiated at an irradiation point, to thereby form originating points for division in the workpiece.
US08536011B2

A memory device includes a substrate and source and drain regions formed in the substrate. The source and drain regions include both phosphorous and arsenic and the phosphorous may be implanted prior to the arsenic. The memory device also includes a first dielectric layer formed over the substrate and a charge storage element formed over the first dielectric layer. The memory device may further include a second dielectric layer formed over the charge storage element and a control gate formed over the second dielectric layer.
US08536007B2

A first conductive layer and an underlying charge storage layer are patterned to form a control gate in an NVM region. A first dielectric layer is formed over the control gate. A sacrificial layer is formed over the first dielectric layer and planarized. A patterned masking layer is formed over the sacrificial layer which includes a first portion which defines a select gate location laterally adjacent the control gate in the NVM region and a second portion which defines a logic gate in a logic region. Exposed portions of the sacrificial layer are removed such that a first portion remains at the select gate location. A second dielectric layer is formed over the first portion and planarized to expose the first portion. The first portion is removed to result in an opening at the select gate location. A gate dielectric layer and a select gate are formed in the opening.
US08536005B2

Various methods are proposed for forming a gate insulation film, a metal gate layer, and others separately in an N-channel region and a P-channel region of an integrated circuit device having a CMIS or CMOS structure using a metal gate. One of the problems of the methods however has been that the process becomes complex. The present invention is that, in a manufacturing method of a CMOS integrated circuit device, a titanium-based nitride film for adjusting the electrical properties of a high-permittivity gate insulation film before a gate electrode film is formed includes a lower film containing a comparatively large quantity of titanium and an upper film containing a comparatively large quantity of nitrogen in an N-channel region and a P-channel region.
US08535997B2

Provided is a direct contact technology by which a barrier metal layer between a Cu alloy wiring composed of pure Cu or a Cu alloy and a semiconductor layer can be eliminated, and the Cu alloy wiring can be directly and surely connected to the semiconductor layer within a wide process margin. The wiring structure is provided with the semiconductor layer and the Cu alloy film composed of pure Cu or the Cu alloy on a substrate in this order from the substrate side. A laminated structure is included between the semiconductor layer and the Cu alloy film. The laminated structure is composed of an (N, C, F) layer, which contains at least one element selected from among a group composed of nitrogen, carbon and fluorine, and a Cu—Si diffusion layer, which contains Cu and Si, in this order from the substrate side. Furthermore, at least the one element selected from among the group composed of nitrogen, carbon and fluorine is bonded to Si contained in the semiconductor layer.
US08535995B2

A method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display device includes forming a silicon layer and a gate insulating film over a substrate having a transistor region and a capacitor region; forming a halftone photoresist over the substrate; patterning the silicon layer and the gate insulating film; forming a residual photoresist by subjecting the halftone photoresist to an ashing process to leave part of the halftone photoresist over the transistor region; and doping at least a portion of the silicon layer with impurities by applying the impurities over an entire region of the substrate.
US08535990B2

An integrated circuit containing logic transistors and an array of SRAM cells in which the logic transistors are formed in semiconductor material with one crystal orientation and the SRAM cells are formed in a second semiconductor layer with another crystal orientation. A process of forming an integrated circuit containing logic transistors and an array of SRAM cells in which the logic transistors are formed in a top semiconductor layer with one crystal orientation and the SRAM cells are formed in an epitaxial semiconductor layer with another crystal orientation. A process of forming an integrated circuit containing logic transistors and an array of SRAM cells in which the SRAM cells are formed in a top semiconductor layer with one crystal orientation and the logic transistors are formed in an epitaxial semiconductor layer with another crystal orientation.
US08535988B2

A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit package includes mounting a large panel leadframe having a substantially square shape to a ring. The large panel leadframe includes a plurality of die pads and a corresponding plurality of leads arranged in a matrix pattern. An integrated circuit chip is attached to each of the die pads. An encapsulant material is applied over the integrated circuit chips and at least a part of the large panel leadframe. Each of the die pads and its corresponding leads are separated from the large panel leadframe to form individual integrated circuit packages. The steps of attaching the integrated circuit chips and applying the encapsulant material are performed while the large panel leadframe is mounted to a taped ring.
US08535985B2

A method of making a semiconductor chip assembly includes providing a bump and a ledge, mounting an adhesive on the ledge including inserting the bump into an opening in the adhesive, mounting a conductive layer on the adhesive including aligning the bump with an aperture in the conductive layer, then flowing the adhesive between the bump and the conductive layer, solidifying the adhesive, then providing a conductive trace that includes a pad, a terminal and a selected portion of the conductive layer, then mounting a semiconductor device on the bump opposite a cavity in the bump, wherein a heat spreader includes the bump and a base that includes a portion of the ledge adjacent to the bump, electrically connecting the semiconductor device to the conductive trace and thermally connecting the semiconductor device to the heat spreader.
US08535977B2

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device manufacturing method includes producing a first substrate with an electrode, producing a second substrate with a through hole, stacking the second substrate on the first substrate, with an insulating layer intervening between the first substrate and the second substrate, making a hole reaching the electrode in the insulating layer under the through hole by etching the insulating layer with the second substrate as a mask, and filling the through hole and the hole with conductive substance.
US08535958B2

A method for fabricating a light emitting diode includes steps of: forming a light emitting structure of the light emitting diode on a substrate; arranging a photoresist layer on a first semiconductor layer of the light emitting structure; depositing a plurality of dielectric material structures on the first semiconductor layer through a plurality of voids of the photoresist layer; removing the photoresist layer to form a plurality of voids between the plurality of dielectric material structures; forming a plurality of metal material structures in the plurality of voids; and forming a reflective layer on the plurality of dielectric material structures and the plurality of metal material structures.
US08535953B2

Processes for selectively patterning a magnetic film structure generally include selectively etching an exposed portion of a freelayer disposed on a tunnel barrier layer by a wet process, which includes exposing the freelayer to an etchant solution comprising at least one acid and an organophosphorus acid inhibitor or salt thereof, stopping on the tunnel barrier layer.
US08535948B2

The invention provides improved crosslinkers which permit more efficient determination of protein interactions in biological samples.
US08535943B2

A novel induction method that effectively produces platelets from platelet precursor cells (e.g., hemopoietic stem/precursor cells) is disclosed. The method includes culturing platelet precursor cells in a culture solution in which a composite membrane is immersed so that the platelet precursor cells differentiate into platelets, the composite membrane including a porous support membrane and a porous thin membrane, the porous thin membrane being stacked on at least one side of the porous support membrane.
US08535942B2

It is an object of the present invention to identify a glypican-3-derived peptide which can bind to HLA-A2 and activate human killer T cells, so as to provide a means for carrying out an immunotherapy which is able to target approximately 40% of Japanese patients suffering from several types of cancers, which express GPC3 at a high level. The present invention provides a peptide of any of the following (A) or (B): (A) a peptide, which has the amino acid sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 3; or (B) a peptide, which has an amino acid sequence comprising a substitution or addition of one or two amino acids with respect to the amino acid sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 3, and which has ability to induce killer T cells.
US08535939B2

The present invention relates to a secretory signal, a plasmid containing the secretory signal, a transformed anaerobic bacterium transformed with said plasmid, a gene transfer carrier consisting of said anaerobic bacterium, and a pharmaceutical composition containing said carrier.
US08535938B2

A system and apparatus for sorting a mixture of stained particles in a fluid flow path, including stained particles. The system can include a pulsed electromagnetic radiation source for exciting fluorescence emissions from the stained particles, a photodetector for detecting the fluorescence emissions from the stained particles, a processor for classifying the stained particles; and a photo-damaging laser for damaging selected particles in the flow path.
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