US08601429B1

An automated system and method for determining flip chip connections involves generating a first projection that includes representations of bumps arranged over a core of the flip chip and generating a second projection that includes representations of I/O pads arranged around the core. The first projection is generated by drawing a line through each bump between a location of the flip chip and an outer portion of the flip chip and marking a location where the line terminates at the outer portion with a representation of the bump. The outer portion of the flip chip is traversed, and the first projection is generated based on the order in which bump representations are encountered. The second projection is generated by drawing a line through each I/O pad between a location of the flip chip and an outer portion of the flip chip and marking a location where the line terminates at the outer portion with a representation of the I/O pad. The outer portion of the flip chip is traversed, and the second projection is generated based on the order in which I/O pad representations are encountered. Connections between bump and I/O representations are made and connecting between bumps and I/O pads determined based on the connections between bump and I/O pad representations of respective first and second projections. The determined connections can be adjusted according to a hierarchy of bump representations to reduce or eliminate congestion, e.g., by changing a sequence of or deleting bump representations.
US08601418B1

Method, apparatus and product for performing instruction-by-instruction checking on an acceleration platform. The method comprising: simulating by a hardware accelerator an execution of a testcase on a circuit design enhanced by a tracer module, wherein during the simulation the tracer module is configured to collect and record information regarding instruction which are completed by the circuit design and regarding register value modifications; and off-loading the recorded information from the hardware accelerator to a computerized apparatus, whereby based on the off-loaded recorded information, the computerized apparatus can perform an instruction-by-instruction checking that each recorded register modification is justified by an instruction which is was completed prior to the register modification.
US08601414B2

A system and methods are provided for verifying a hardware design for an electronic circuit. The method may include: providing a hardware design description for the electronic circuit; extracting a set of design constraints from the hardware design description, where the set of design constraints represents the electronic circuit in terms of signals and logical operations performed on the signals; creating an abstraction model from the set of design constraints, where the abstraction model abstracts one or more of the logical operations in the set of design constraints by replacing the abstracted logical operations with uninterpreted functions; and property checking the abstraction model in relation to one or more design properties. When a violation in the electronic circuit is detected by the property checking step, the feasibility of the violation is then checked and, if the violation is deemed infeasible, the abstraction model is refined.
US08601410B2

Methods of forming arrays of small, densely spaced holes or pillars for use in integrated circuits are disclosed. Various pattern transfer and etching steps can be used, in combination with pitch-reduction techniques, to create densely-packed features. Conventional photolithography steps can be used in combination with pitch-reduction techniques to form superimposed patterns of crossing elongate features with pillars at the intersections. Spacers are simultaneously applied to sidewalls of both sets of crossing lines to produce a pitch-doubled grid pattern. The pillars facilitate rows of spacers bridging columns of spacers.
US08601409B1

A method comprises (a) providing an integrated circuit (IC) layout comprising data representing a plurality of circuit patterns to be formed on or in a single layer of an IC by multi-patterning; (b) dividing the plurality of circuit patterns into two or more groups; (c) assigning the circuit patterns within each group to a respective mask to provide mask assignment data, for forming each group of circuit patterns on or in the single layer of the IC; (d) compressing the mask assignment data; and (e) storing the compressed mask assignment data to a non-transitory machine readable storage medium for use by an electronic design automation tool configured for reconstructing the mask assignment data from the compressed data.
US08601406B2

A method of generating a photo mask layout includes providing a first photo mask layout including main patterns and sub-resolution assist features (SRAF) patterns, defining a plurality of mesh cells by dividing the first photo mask layout into regions, generating a rule based table including correction information for correcting defects in the SRAF patterns for at least one of the plurality of mesh cells, and correcting the SRAF patterns by applying values of the correction information to the SRAF patterns corresponding to each mesh cell.
US08601400B2

A retrieval and display device includes an ascending-direction reading out section and an descending-direction reading out section, which read outs a folder name from a folder-name storing section, in response to an operating-direction signal from a storing and operation direction discriminating section and a display-linage signal stored in a display-linage section; and a mark-position changing section, which changes the position of a mark according to whether an operation is done in the ascending direction or in the descending direction. A display folder-name creation processing section places the mark on a folder name desired to be selected in the top line at the operating direction, and creates a display folder name such that the next candidate folder is displayed in the display screen.
US08601399B2

A system and method for a computer implemented display of information organizes a visual screen display to a user in such a way that the user is able to efficiently select information content, and then be presented with topical associations relating to that content. The display enables selection of a particular information segment having an association with particular information content. A selected information segment has multiple topical associations with various categories and sub-categories of information. A user may navigate to a particular segment of information content, and then be presented with a string of topically related segments, as well as with one or more connecting categories of information, which may otherwise not have been readily apparent to the particular selected segment, but for the display system and method. One or more of the information segment indicators can optionally include a publication date and/or a source identifier.
US08601389B2

Some embodiments of the invention provide a method that defines several menu items having a particular order. The method provides a display area for displaying a portion of the menu items in the particular order. The method provides a selection window in the display area for indicating that a menu item is presently selectable. The display area is also for receiving input to (i) scroll the menu items through the selection window in the particular order and (ii) select a particular menu item when the particular menu item is displayed in the selection window. In some embodiments, the display area is a linear display area, while in some embodiments it is a semi-circular display area or other shape.
US08601388B2

A method of efficiently adjusting a timeline in a time window. An application program displays a window that includes a graphical user interface (GUI), at least a portion of time-based data, a timeline, and a slider bar. If a click and drag occurs while a cursor is over the slider bar, the application moves the slider bar and changes a position of data displayed in the window by an amount corresponding to the movement. The application increases the timeline scale if the slider bar reaches an edge of the timeline. If a click and drag occurs while the cursor is over a handle on an edge of the slider bar, the application resizes the slider bar and adjusts the timeline scale to correspond to the slider bar scale. If additional time-based data is available and is not displayed, the application displays an indicator on a corresponding edge of the timeline.
US08601387B2

A user interface is described, having a search box for entering a search query. The search box and other components remain stationary when conducting a search. A toolbox is provided with links to different views for conducting category-specific searches, and the links are editable.
US08601364B2

In various example embodiments, systems and methods for a domain split display are provided. A first request call directed to a first domain is received. In response, first served content including content retrieved based on the first domain is transmitted to a client device. The first served content is used by the client device to generate a parent page comprising a content iframe, which is associated with a second domain. A second request call directed to a second domain is received and second served content is transmitted to the client device. The second served content includes content retrieved from the second domain. The second served content causes a data receiver iframe associated with the first domain and an event receiver iframe associated with the second domain to be displayed within the content iframe. User-generated content for display in the data receiver iframe is then transmitted. The user-generated content is retrieved from the second domain, whereby the second domain is different from the first domain. The data receiver iframe may communicate a size required to display the user-generated content to the event receiver iframe, which in turn, communicates the size to the parent page.
US08601354B1

Methods and apparatus are provided for processing a plurality of data blocks. In accordance with embodiments of the invention, a correction flag for each of the data blocks can be received, along with information on at least one error event for each of the data blocks. Using this received information, a search trellis corresponding to the data blocks can be determined. Determining the search trellis can include determining a plurality of branches and computing a branch metric for each of the branches. A search on the search trellis can be performed to identify at most one error event for each data block, where the search is based on the branch metrics.
US08601342B2

In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, methods and apparatus allowing for an efficient design of an LDPC decoder suitable for a range of code-block sizes and bit-rates, which is also suitable for both ASIC and FPGA implementations, are provided. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the overhead associated with correction data sent along the transmission channel can be minimized. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, an LDPC decoder is suitable for both ASIC and FPGA implementations. Method and apparatus allowing for an efficient design of an LDPC decoder suitable for a range of code-block sizes and bit-rates are presented. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, such an LDPC decoder can be implemented in both ASIC and FPGA implementations. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention such an LDPC decoder can be optimized for either eIRA based H matrices or for general H matrices, as may be desirable. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, an H parity matrix can be constructed and/or manipulated to arrange the bit-node message “columns” to facilitate mapping to MPB “columns” and corresponding access via LUT pointer tables to minimize processing cycles so as to, for example: (i) minimize address conflicts within the same MPB that will take multiple access cycles to resolve; (ii) minimize splitting of bit-node messages across MPB “columns” that will take multiple access cycles to resolve; and (iii) balance the bit-node computations across all the MPB/LUT “columns” so that they will complete their computations at nearly the same time.
US08601337B2

In row calculation, a value which is obtained by subtracting an offset according to a minimum of the absolute values of column LLRs from the minimum of the absolute values of the column LLRs is set as a row LLR corresponding to a column of the column LLRs.
US08601335B2

A method of delivering digital information includes joining a multicast group, and receiving a segment from a server directed to the multicast group. Further, the method further includes determining a transmission error has occurred resulting in an incomplete segment, and sending an error notification to the server requesting retransmission of at least a portion of the incomplete segment. Additionally, the method includes receiving a retransmission of the at least a portion of the incomplete segment. The at least a portion of the incomplete segment may be received through an IP unicast connection or as a multicast retransmission.
US08601333B2

A method of and an arrangement for testing connections on a printed circuit board between boundary-scan compliant circuit terminals of one or more boundary-scan compliant devices mounted at the printed circuit board and comprising a boundary-scan register of boundary-scan cells of the boundary-scan compliant circuit terminals. Under control of an electronic processing unit, boundary-scan properties of the or each boundary-scan compliant device are retrieved, a list comprising boundary-scan compliant circuit terminals is displayed, and a selection of at least a first and second boundary-scan compliant circuit terminal is received. Based on this selection, a boundary-scan cell of a first boundary-scan compliant circuit terminal of a boundary-scan compliant device is operated as a driver and a boundary-scan cell of a second boundary-scan compliant circuit terminal of a boundary-scan compliant device is operated as a sensor. The driver is controlled through data provided to the boundary-scan register. Data sensed by the sensor are latched in the boundary-scan register. The driver and sensor data are analyzed for a connection between the first and the second boundary-scan compliant circuit terminals and the result of the analyses is presented.
US08601331B2

A non-volatile memory device includes a block remapping system that offsets an input block address by the addresses of non-functional blocks to provide an output block address that is used to address the memory device. The system generates the output block addresses by, in effect, adding to the input block address the addresses of all non-functional blocks of memory that are between an initial address and the output block address. The system performs this function be comparing the input block address to the address of any defective block. If the address of the defective block is less than or equal to the input block address, the addresses of all defective blocks starting at the block address are added to the input block address. The system then iteratively performs this process using each output block address generated by the system in place of the input block address.
US08601319B2

A technique determines which configuration change(s) caused an application invocation failure of a computer application without the need for a knowledge database. To determine which configuration change is the most likely cause, the cause analysis program checks other computers that have experienced the same configuration changes. The cause analysis program checks and counts the application invocation results before and after each configuration change is done. If the same configuration changes are found in the other computers, the program checks whether each configuration change caused or cured the same problem in that computer. The program counts the similar cases for all of the computers. Subsequently, the program calculates the ratio of those instances involving a change from success to failure and the ratio of those instances involving a change from failure to success out of all instances for each configuration change.
US08601315B2

A device is configured with components to enable debugging of the device's entry into and exit from a low power mode. The device includes: core logic, debug components, and a power management module (PMM). When the device exits a low power mode in which the states of the debug components are lost, the PMM prevents the core logic from resuming processing operations until the debug components have been re-configured to their prior states. The PMM either holds the core logic in reset or alternatively withholds power to the core logic. Reconfiguration of the debug components is initiated by a connected debugger, which can set one or more control and status (CS) register values within the device. The CS register values determine when the PMM prevents the core logic processing from resuming and when the PMM enables core logic processing to resume following the device's return from low power mode.
US08601311B2

Redundant “parity” RAID (5, 6, 50, 60) is a well-known technique for increasing data reliability beyond the failure rate of an individual storage device. In many implementations of redundant RAID, when a storage element is lost, a replacement or spare element is required to restore redundancy. A typical solid state storage device is over-provisioned with more storage media than is required to satisfy the specified user capacity. Embodiments of the present invention utilize the additional over-provisioned capacity and potentially modify the stripe size to restore RAID redundancy when a storage element or path (i.e., page, block, plane, die, channel, etc.) has failed. In some cases, this may also involve reducing the RAID stripe size.
US08601309B2

A method includes providing a persistent common view of data, services, and infrastructure functions accessible via one or more shared storage systems of a plurality of shared storage systems of a virtual shared storage system. The method includes applying different governance policies to two or more shared storage systems of the plurality of shared storage systems. The method includes restricting access to first content accessible via a first shared storage system of the plurality of shared storage systems based on a security level associated with a data consumer. The first content corresponds to at least one of first data, a first service, and a first infrastructure function.
US08601306B1

A method of loading configuration data within an integrated circuit that includes multiple dies is disclosed. The method can include receiving configuration data in encrypted form within a first die of the multiple dies of the integrated circuit and decrypting the configuration data within the first die to generate configuration data in unencrypted form. A portion of the configuration data in unencrypted form can be distributed from the first die to each other die of the multiple dies through an interposer to which each die is attached.
US08601294B2

A control apparatus for controlling multiple electronic devices includes a receiving unit, a relay, and a processing unit. The receiving unit receives control signals. The relay is connected between the device to be controlled and a power supply to power on/off the device to be controlled. The processing unit is connected to the receiving unit and the relay. When the processing unit receives the control signals from the receiving unit, the processing unit compares the received control signals with a reference control signal and determines whether to drive the relay to control the device according to the result of the comparison.
US08601284B2

An embodiment of the invention provides a system including a secure media device having one or more security keys stored therein. The secure media device is housed in a device that is connected to a television unit and a network. Secure application environments are housed in the device, wherein each secure application environment is operationally isolated from one another. The secure application environments receive and process information sent over the network only if the information includes a security code corresponding to the security key in the secure media device. The security code is obtained from a clearinghouse when the information satisfies predetermined criteria. More specifically, the clearinghouse receives a copy of the security key from a manufacturer of the secure media device and creates the security code based on the security key.
US08601283B2

In some applications, it may be more convenient to the user to be able to log in the memory system using one application, and then be able to use different applications to access protected content without having to log in again. In such event, all of the content that the user wishes to access in this manner may be associated with a first account, so that all such content can be accessed via different applications (e.g. music player, email, cellular communication etc.) without having to log in multiple times. Then a different set of authentication information may then be used for logging in to access protected content that is in an account different from the first account, even where the different accounts are for the same user or entity.
US08601277B2

An information processing system, an information processing method for use with the system, an information providing system, and information providing method for use with the system, an information processing apparatus, an information processing method for use with the apparatus, a doll, an object, a program storage medium, and a program for authenticating users reliably are provided. A user acquires beforehand a doll called Pochara the Good Friend incorporating an IC chip that stores a user ID for authenticating the user. When the user mounts the doll on a platform 23 connected to a personal computer 22, the user ID is read from the IC chip by a reader housed in the platform 23 and transmitted over the Internet 1 to a Pochara service server 9. The server 9 has a Pochara database 10 holding personal information about users of the service. The transmitted user ID is checked against the personal information in the database for authentication. This invention applies advantageously to servers offering services through networks.
US08601268B2

Described are a system and method for securing an online transaction. A request is output from an electronic device to a verification server to perform an online transaction. The verification server generates a challenge request. The challenge request is encrypted with a private key of a pair of cryptographic keys. The encrypted challenge request is decrypted with a public key of the pair of cryptographic keys. The decrypted challenge request and the challenge request generated by the verification server are compared. A verification result is generated in response to the comparison.
US08601265B2

A method of improving storage security in a cloud environment includes interfacing a secure microcontroller with a storage controller associated with a client device in the cloud environment to authenticate a platform associated with the storage controller and registering the storage controller with an authentication server configured to be set up in the cloud environment. The method also includes authenticating the storage controller based on a communication protocol between the client device, the authentication server and the storage controller, and obtaining, at the client device, a signature data of the storage controller following the authentication thereof. The signature data is configured to be stored in the secure microcontroller interfaced with the storage controller.
US08601261B2

Methods and systems for handling on an electronic device a secure message to be sent to a recipient. Data is accessed about a security key associate with the recipient. The received data is used to perform a validity check related to sending a secure message to the recipient. The validity check may uncover an issue that exists with sending a secure message to the recipient. A reason is determined for the validity check issue and is provided to the mobile device's user.
US08601260B2

A method for creating a digital certificate for a user issued by a reliant party, where the reliant party relies on an established cryptographic infrastructure by a registration or certificate authority is described. The registration authority, typically a large financial or credit institution, has already performed the initial overhead steps necessary for a digital authentication system using a chip card. These steps include minting and distributing the chip card, establishing that the key pair and card are given to the right person, and creating the certificate library. The reliant party leverages this cryptographic infrastructure to issue its own digital certificate and certificate chain to a user already having a chip card from the registration authority. Consequently, a user can have additional digital certificates issued to him and stored at a user-specific memory in a remote certificate library without having the chip card modified.
US08601251B2

The present invention provides a low-cost semiconductor integrated circuit on which two CPUs are mounted. The semiconductor integrated circuit integrated in a single chip includes a standby microcomputer, a main microcomputer, and a block circuit which blocks a signal between both microcomputers. The standby microcomputer includes a first Read Only Memory (ROM) which stores a first boot program and a first processing unit which executes the first boot program. The main microcomputer includes a second ROM which stores a second boot program and a second processing unit which executes the second boot program. The first processing unit executes the first boot program when the first power source is switched ON, while the second processing unit executes the second boot program when the second power source is switched ON.
US08601250B2

A method identifies a plurality of PCI devices in a computer system by an associated PCI device handle, wherein each of the PCI devices is also associated with a default EFI device driver. The method further identifies a target PCI device to be disabled from within the plurality of PCI devices, provides a dummy driver that enables fewer functions for the target PCI device than would the default EFI device driver, and binds the dummy driver to the target PCI device instead of binding the default EFI device driver associated with the target PCI device. The dummy driver may be used to effectively disable the target PCI device so that the POST does not hang up or completes faster without loading the default EFI device driver.
US08601249B2

A method for starting up the communication device includes searching a non-volatile storage unit of the communication device for start up data of the communication device according to a predetermined identifier of the start up data, loading the start up data into a volatile storage unit of the communication device, starting the communication device according to the start up data in the volatile storage unit. The method also includes searching the non-volatile storage unit for data except for the start up data, load the data except for the start up data into the volatile storage unit.
US08601246B2

An apparatus includes an instruction decoder, first and second source registers and a circuit coupled to the decoder to receive packed data from the source registers and to unpack the packed data responsive to an unpack instruction received by the decoder. A first packed data element and a third packed data element are received from the first source register. A second packed data element and a fourth packed data element are received from the second source register. The circuit copies the packed data elements into a destination register resulting with the second packed data element adjacent to the first packed data element, the third packed data element adjacent to the second packed data element, and the fourth packed data element adjacent to the third packed data element.
US08601233B2

A processor including logic to execute an instruction to synchronize a mapping from a physical address of a guest of a virtualization based system (guest physical address) to a physical address of the host of the virtualization based system (host physical address), and stored in a translation lookaside buffer (TLB), with a corresponding mapping stored in an extended paging table (EPT) of the virtualization based system.
US08601208B2

A medium access device includes a writer configured to write information in a logical storage space of a storage medium which has a physical storage space comprising two or more layers of physical storage locations. Each physical storage location has a physical address. The logical storage space includes storage locations within a first layer of the layers and within a subsequent layer of the layers. The storage locations in the logical storage space have contiguously numbered logical addresses. The access device further includes an address limit memory containing at least a value for a parameter indicating maximum value of the logical addresses of the storage locations in the first layer; and a processor configured to change the maximum value in the address limit memory and to provide an output when the maximum value cannot be changed to avoid attempting changing the maximum value.
US08601206B1

A method including creating a transaction object for a transaction identified by a TOI and associated with an object identified by an OID, storing a TE and a MD frag for the transaction object, receiving a write request to write data to the transaction object, storing second TE including a TOI and offset and a data frag including the data, storing an entry including a hash value and a physical address of the data frag, and receiving a commit request to commit the transaction. In response to the commit request storing a third TE and a second MD frag for the transaction object, where the second MD frag identifies the object and specifies that the transaction is committed and updating a second entry including a second hash value and a second physical address for a second data frag to replace the second physical address with the physical address.
US08601204B2

A memory apparatus includes multiple memory circuits an interface circuit having one or more first components of a first type and one or more second components of a second type different from the first type, each of the one or more first components and second components being electrically couplable to a host system. The interface circuit is operable to present to the host system a simulated memory circuit where there is a difference in at least one aspect between the simulated memory circuit and at least one memory circuit of the plurality of memory circuits. The at least one aspect includes a timing that relates to a refresh operation latency, in which each memory circuit of the plurality of memory circuits is electrically coupled to at least one first component and to at least one second component.
US08601196B2

A connector assembly includes first and second connectors, a flexible printed circuit board, first and second peripheral component interconnection express (PCIe) slots, and a jumper card. When the jumper card is plugged into the first PCIe slot, pins of the jumper card are connected to pins of the first PCIe slot for transmitting signals to the pins of the first PCIe slot and to the pins of the first connector in that order. When the first connector is connected to the second connector, signals at the pins of the first PCIe slot are transmitted to pins of the second PCIe slot.
US08601194B2

A method and system for dynamically allocating interrupt vectors on demand. A computer system measures a rate of activities associated with an event. Based on the rate of activities, the computer system determines whether to allocate a dedicated interrupt vector to the event. The rate of activities can be an interrupt request (IRQ) rate.
US08601191B2

Disclosed herein is a deadlock avoidance circuit including: a previous-transaction-information management section; a transaction-issuance-termination determination section; and a response-outputting control section.
US08601190B2

A control system may be provided for a controlled system such as a drive or inverter system. To provide for control in such system, a master controller may be present to receive, via a second communication protocol from a cabinet controller coupled to the master controller, status information of a controlled device, generate control information based at least in part on the status information, and transmit the control information to the cabinet controller via the second communication protocol. In turn, the cabinet controller can generate and communicate a control packet to the controlled device via a first communication protocol. This packet can be interleaved within another message communicated from the cabinet controller to the device.
US08601183B2

An apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving data in one-to-one communication are provided. A first buffer for temporarily storing file data and a second buffer for temporarily storing message data are connected to a data transmitter for transmitting data and a data receiver for receiving data, respectively or vice versa, according to a request for data transmission or reception. The buffer for storing file data and the buffer for storing message data are differently constructed, thereby reducing the waste of memories of the buffers and achieving the miniaturization and high-speed data transmission of a portable terminal device.
US08601179B1

Method and system for a data transfer operation to a device memory is provided. The method includes setting a counter to an initial value; detecting the data transfer operation; determining if information is written to a first memory location of the device memory; counting in a first direction when a total transfer size (N) is written to the first memory location of the device memory; and counting in a second direction when data is written in memory locations other than the first memory location of the device memory, wherein the data transfer operation is complete when a counter value transitions from a non-initial value to an initial value.
US08601177B2

A method may include distributing ranges of addresses in a memory among a first set of functions in a first pipeline. The first set of the functions in the first pipeline may operate on data using the ranges of addresses. Different ranges of addresses in the memory may be redistributed among a second set of functions in a second pipeline without waiting for the first set of functions to be flushed of data.
US08601172B2

Systems and methods for detecting end of a transaction in a computing environment are provided. The method comprises determining a target area in a graphical user environment displayed on a display screen, wherein a change is expected to occur when end of a transaction is reached; masking the target area at least partially to remove content included in the target area that is present before or after the transaction was initiated; monitoring the target area for change in content; and detecting the end of the transaction when the content of the target area has changed.
US08601168B2

An information processing apparatus registers, in a reservation list, transmission reservation data including a transmission start time and a transmission completion time of charging counter information that is a type of operation information to be regularly transmitted according to a predetermined cycle. The information processing apparatus then registers, in the reservation list, with respect to other types of the operation information to be regularly transmitted (e.g., firmware information), transmission reservation data including a transmission start time and a transmission completion time that are determined so that the operation information is regularly transmitted in a different period than regular transmission of operation information corresponding to transmission reservation data already registered in the reservation list. The information processing apparatus controls transmission of the operation information by a regular transmission thread to a management apparatus according to the reservation list.
US08601166B2

In an information processing system, a client terminal includes a client process executing section issuing a request; a client execution control section generating a distribution rule based on an instruction from the server apparatus and operation environment data of the client terminal; a distributing section determining whether or not the request should be processed by the client terminal or by the server apparatus, based on the distribution rule, distributing the request to the server apparatus when it is determined that the request should be processed by the server apparatus, and returning a received processing result to the client process executing section; and a client side server process executing section executing the request when it is determined when the request should be processed by the client terminal, and notifying a processing result to the distributing section. A server apparatus includes a server side server process executing section executing the request received from the client terminal through the network and notifying a processing result to the distributing section; and a system execution control section issuing the instruction to the client execution control section based on operation environment data of the server apparatus.
US08601153B2

A method for optimizing media playback quality for a wireless handheld computing device is disclosed. The system includes a client request manager that may be responsible for controlling or instructing a web browser on what file segments should be downloaded next to the wireless handheld mobile computing device to insure optimal video playback quality for the computing device. The request manager may be dynamic in that it may continually monitor elements of an application subsystem as well as the modem subsystem. The request manager may select one or more file segments for download that optimizes media playback on the wireless handheld computing device based on the data received from at least one of the application subsystem and modem subsystem.
US08601150B1

A particular method includes sending outgoing data in a first outgoing data block from a first processing system to a second processing system. The method also includes updating a first data structure at the first processing system. The first data structure indicates an order of transmission of the first outgoing data block relative to one or more other outgoing data blocks. When a first frame ends, an outgoing caboose packet is generated based on the first data structure. The outgoing caboose packet including information identifying the order of transmission of the first outgoing data block and the one or more other outgoing data blocks during the first frame. The method also includes sending the outgoing caboose packet from the first processing system to the second processing system.
US08601148B2

Systems and methods provide for on-the-fly alteration of apparent playback rate for content sent to a client based on a request from the client to alter the playback speed of the content. The system and method can use existing, open protocols and the media files served are playable by standard media playback clients. The method includes receiving a request for media content from a client, including instructions for adjusting the number of frames of the requested content to affect an apparent change in the playback speed of the content. The adjustment to the frames may include inserting frames, removing frames, and/or inserting markers to trigger the client device to duplicate frames.
US08601145B2

Manageability ports for inter-processor communication links, along with associated systems and methods, are generally provided.
US08601140B2

A method for acquiring a traversal resource includes the following steps. A peer to peer (P2P) entity generates a message carrying a request for collecting a network address translation (NAT) traversal resource, and sends the message carrying the request for collecting the NAT traversal resource to a destination P2P node. A middle P2P node and the destination P2P node receiving the message carrying the request for collecting the NAT traversal resource collect the NAT traversal resource. The middle P2P node and the destination P2P node send the collected NAT traversal resource to a first P2P node. A P2P node and a P2P system are also provided.
US08601138B2

A method for processing request for network address/port translation in a communication network includes: firstly, the first network entity transmits a network address/port request message which carries the priority information of the request; after receiving the request, the second network entity allocates the corresponding network address/port for the first network entity according to the priority information in the request message; finally, the second network entity returns the allocated network address/port information to the first network entity, and the allocated network address/port information is used for performing the network/address translation. By realizing the invention, the service having high priority, e.g. emergency service, can be processed for the network/address translation firstly to ensure the reliability of high priority service communication. Furthermore, it can provide distinguished process service of the network address/port translation during a network operation, and thereby enhancing the flexibility of the network operation.
US08601136B1

A system and method of preferred embodiments include at a signaling gateway of a first region, receiving a communication invitation of a first endpoint from a communication provider; signaling the communication invitation to a communication-processing server in a second region; in response to communication processing of the communication-processing server, dynamically directing signaling and media of the communication according to processing instructions and resources available in at least the first and two regions; wherein dynamically directing signaling and media communication of the communication comprises selectively routing media communication exclusively through communication resources of the first region if resources are available in the first region or selectively routing media communication between the first endpoint, the gateway, and at least the communication-processing server if media resources are not in the first region.
US08601125B2

A service processing method, a service processing system, and a PCRF entity are disclosed to overcome this defect in the prior art: The prior art is unable to handle services discriminatively according to the policy context information when different services require the same QoS level. The method includes: receiving bearer priority information from a PCRF entity, where the bearer priority information includes: bearer priority information of a service data stream, bearer priority information of an IP-CAN session, and/or bearer priority information of an IP-CAN bearer; and handling services according to the bearer priority information. In the embodiments of the present invention, the policy context information is converted into bearer priority information so that the PCEF handles services according to the bearer priority information. In this way, different services that require the same QoS level are handled discriminatively according to the policy context information.
US08601123B2

This invention is directed to a method and system of managing the processing and removal of media such as CD's and DVD's through a media processing device having a management database and a storage unit for storing processed media. The media processing system comprises an administrator PC, a plurality of user PCs, and a disc publisher interconnected through a LAN. The media processing device has a server function which writes to recordable media for forming processed media using media production data generated from media production commands from the user PCs. A user or system administrator can remove processed media from the media storage unit by entering user or system administrator authentication data into the system. If the system administrator removes all processed media from the media storage unit an e-mail message is sent to each user linked through the management database to the media processed by such user.
US08601114B1

Embodiments disclosed herein may intercept, quarantine, and moderate communications internal to an uncontrolled system. An example of an uncontrolled system may be a Web application associated with a social networking site. In accessing the social networking site, a user may type in a message. An instance of the uncontrolled system running on the user's device may prepare a request containing the message. Some embodiment disclosed herein may determine that the message is subject to moderation, intercept the request, and place the message in a queue. This determination may be based on the destination of the request as well the type of the message. Some embodiments may reconstruct the original request for resubmission. If the session is expired, some embodiments may log in for the user and resubmit the reconstructed request. Some embodiments may simply wait for the next time the user logs in to resubmit the reconstructed request.
US08601102B1

A method for managing access to network resources by a first network device may include establishing a communication session with the first network device. The method may also include receiving information from the first network device during the communication session, the information indicating that the first network device is not in compliance with at least one security-related rule. The method may further include determining whether to modify access by the first network device to at least one of the network resources based on the received information.
US08601101B1

Various embodiments of a system and method for each node in a cluster including a peer-to-peer communication channel compiling and maintaining its own cluster membership are disclosed. In one embodiment, each cluster node may be coupled to every other node and commonly-accessible storage through a network. When a node starts up and attempts to join the cluster, it may access cluster information data stored in the commonly-accessible storage. This information may include a list of all nodes that are potential cluster members. Based on the cluster membership information, the joining node may request a peer-to-peer connection with each potential cluster member. When such a request results in establishment of a connection, the joining node may add the name of the target node to its cluster membership list. Likewise, when a member node grants a connection to a node, it may add the joining node to its cluster membership list.
US08601099B1

A system and method are described for managing a plurality of sever nodes. In one embodiment, the sever nodes are organized into groups referred to as “instances.” Each instance includes a group of redundant sever nodes and a dispatcher for distributing service requests to each of the sever nodes. In addition, a central message passing architecture is defined which allows the various instances to communicate with one another. In one embodiment, a hierarchical configuration data object is stored within a database and is centrally accessible by all of the servers from all of the instances. The hierarchical configuration data object organizes configuration data and binary data in a logical hierarchy which simplifies sever node management in an enterprise network.
US08601094B2

A method and computer program produce provide the capability to use UDP to send messages that include more data than can be handled by a single UDP packet. A method for performing data transfer implemented in a computer system comprises transmitting a request for data, receiving a response to the request for data comprising a portion of the requested data and an indication that additional data is available, and transmitting a request for additional data.
US08601090B1

A system, method and computer-readable medium for client-side processing of resource identifiers. A client request for content is returned that includes information for generating a request for translation information and a number of embedded resource identifiers. Based on the information for generating a request for translation information, the client generates and obtains translation information and processes the embedded resource identifiers to obtain resources from a service provider.
US08601084B2

Systems and methods for controlling, filtering, and monitoring mobile device access to the internet are disclosed. According to an embodiment a server is responsible for controlling, filtering and monitoring internet activity. For every request, the server interacts with back-end databases that categorize requests, and based on user/carrier/corporate settings, allow or disallow access to particular content.
US08601076B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for manipulating electronic multimedia content to a user. One method includes generating a plurality of biometric models, each biometric model corresponding to one of a plurality of people; receiving electronic media content over a network; extracting image or audio data from the electronic media content; detecting biometric information in the image or audio data; and calculating a probability of the electronic media content involving one of the plurality of people, based on the biometric information and the plurality of biometric models.
US08601071B2

Methods and systems are disclosed for displaying a first video in an html compliant email on a computerized device. The method may comprise defining a predetermined number of frames to be included in the first video and creating at least one first video file comprising the frames. In embodiments, the frames may be ordered in a selected sequence. The method may also comprise storing the first video file on a server and embedding a link in an html code of the email to automatically call the first video file from the server and to display the video frames of the first video file in an email page of the email when the email is opened or otherwise viewed.
US08601070B2

A method for individualizing message nicknames is provided. The method includes creating a nickname conversion table that contains a message address and the corresponding nicknames; receiving messages, converting the sender nickname or recipient nickname in the message according to the nickname conversion table; and sending the converted message out. An apparatus for individualizing message nicknames is also provided. The method and apparatus enable a user to set individualized nickname information; the nickname information can be shared by multiple terminals of a user uniformly, and can be stored in a server securely and reliably. A message server and terminal are also provided.
US08601064B1

In one embodiment, a server computer determines whether an email entering a private computer network is malicious (e.g., part of a directory harvest attack or bounce-source attack) by determining the recipient email address of the email and the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the source of the email. When the server computer determines that the email is malicious, the server computer may reject the email by sending a non-deterministic response to the source of the email. The non-deterministic response may include an error message that is different from the actual reason why the email is being rejected. The rejection may be sent as an immediate reply or postponed, for example.
US08601062B2

A system and method for searching messages is disclosed that includes searching a message repository to identify one or more messages relevant to a search query, Each identified message belongs to a respective conversation, where each conversation includes one or more messages which share a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria. For at least one of the identified messages, the conversation to which it is associated is identified as well as a message content portion from identified message. The content portion includes content relevant to at least one search term of the search query. The conversation is produced as the search result, including the content portion.
US08601052B2

A method and system for performing domain name service (DNS) pre-fetching, content pre-fetching, or a combination thereof, are disclosed for a wireless portable computing device (PCD). The system and method may include rendering a web page on a display screen of the PCD and performing a DNS pre-fetch for any visible links within the web page. Further, the method may include determining whether a screen changing operation (i.e., a scrolling operation) is being performed and placing one or more DNS pre-fetch tasks in a queue for each link that is displayed on the display screen when the screen changing operation is performed. The method and system may reduce wait times for a wireless PCD when it is rendering webpages on its display screen.
US08601049B2

The invention includes systems, methods, and software applications for centrally maintaining information and automatically distributing relevant portions of the information to remote users. In one embodiment, a central server stores the information, which is maintained on the central server. Periodically, or each time the server information is updated, the server identifies the portion of the information that is relevant to each user and downloads the relevant portion of information to each user, for example to a mobile device such as a Blackberry™. The invention may be used to maintain and timely distribute information related to emergency response procedures, sales or servicing schedules, and delivery schedules, among other things.
US08601043B2

An equalizer for equalizing an input signal includes an infinitive impulse response (IIR) filtering portion for filtering the input signal to produce N filtered outputs; a gain-adjusting portion coupled to the IIR filtering portion with N gains for adjusting the N filtered outputs to produce N gained outputs, respectively; and an adder for summing the N gained outputs to generate an equalized output signal. N is an integer larger than 2.
US08601040B2

A processor includes a shift overflow detector for rapidly detecting overflows that may result during execution of a shift instruction. Shift indication signals are generated in response to changes in logic state between adjacent pairs of bits of a received shift data word. A received shift amount is decoded to produce decoded shift signals that indicate an amount of shifting for the received shift data word. An overflow condition is detected in response to the generated shift indication signals and the decoded shift signals and an indication of the detected overflow condition is provided.
US08601018B2

An apparatus and method for dynamically providing web-based multimedia to a mobile phone are described. According to one embodiment, an RSS feed is received that references multimedia files meeting one or more criteria. A playlist is generated dynamically from the multimedia files. The playlist is a single virtual multimedia file. An updated RSS feed is received that references one or more additional multimedia files meeting the one or more criteria. A second playlist is generated dynamically from the multimedia files and the one or more additional multimedia files.
US08601004B1

A method of selecting information items in connection with an electronic message includes selecting a plurality of information items satisfying a predefined popularity condition and identifying any one from the selected information items whose associated keyword is found in the electronic message. A set of candidate items are selected periodically based on their respective popularity metrics. The popularity metric of an information item may be its click-through rate during a predefined time period. Each candidate information item has one or more keywords and the number of the keywords found in the electronic message determines the item's relevancy to a user accessing the message. In some embodiments, the method selects a subset of the information items using user geographical information associated with a user accessing the electronic message from a client and at least one of the selected information items is set to target users at a location corresponding to the user geographical information.
US08600997B2

A system and method of indexing a plurality of entities located in a taxonomy, the entities comprising sets of terms, comprises receiving terms in an index structure; building a posting list for an entity with respect to the locations of the set of terms defining the entity and data associated with the respective terms; and indexing a name of a group comprising the entities within this group at the location of the entities with the data of the group comprising the name of the respective entity at each location. The building of the posting list comprises storing the location of the term and data associated with the term in an entry in the posting list for the term. The method comprises indexing aliases of the name of the group comprising the term, and using an inverted list index to associate data with each occurrence of an index term.
US08600985B2

A system for classifying documents in a collection of documents according to their intended readerships includes: a computer configured to select a document in the collection of documents; and a computer to determine a characteristic of the selected document, the characteristic being: misleading when the document includes one or more features that are determined to be for a purpose other than reading the document; commercial when the document includes features that are presented for a commercial purpose; or personal when the document includes features of a personal opinion. A computer classifies the selected document as misleading, commercial, or personal according to its determined characteristic; and a computer repeats the steps of select document, determines a characteristic of the selected document, and classifies the selected document for additional documents in the collection. At least some documents are classified as misleading, some as commercial, and at least some as personal.
US08600979B2

An online article is enhanced by displaying, in association with the article, supplemental content that includes entities that are extracted from the article and/or entities that are related to entities that are extracted from the article. The supplemental content further includes information about each of the entities. The information about an entity may be obtained by searching for the entity in one or more searchable repositories of data. For example, the supplemental content may include, for each entity, video, image, web, and/or news search results. The supplemental content may further include information such as stock quotes, abstracts, maps, scores, and so on. The entities are selected using a variety of analyses and ranking techniques based on contextual factors such as user-specific information, time-sensitive popularity trends, grammatical features, search result quality, and so on. The entities may further be selected for purposes such as generating ad-based revenue.
US08600977B2

Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for capturing and utilizing information related to query plans exhibiting interesting characteristics. A database server receives a request to execute a command. The database server executes the command according to a query plan. In response to determining that the command matches one or more pre-defined criteria, the database server captures information related to the execution of the first command. The criteria may include, for example, whether or not the command is repeatable, the existence of bind variables, access of a particular object, high resource utilization, receipt from a particular user, client, or application, etc. The information recorded may include, for example, performance statistics collected during execution of the first plan, data indicating the execution context during execution of the first plan, and properties of the first plan. The recorded information may subsequently be utilized by the database server in executing other database other database commands.
US08600974B2

A system and method for automatically determining a plurality of pieces of different information about a textual document from the text of the textual document are provided in which one or more particular characteristics of the text of the textual document are identified to generate a file containing the text of the textual document with the particular characteristics marked up within the text. In addition, any negative treatment of other textual documents from the text of the textual document is determined to generate negative treatment information, a data record is produced indicating a depth of treatment for each other textual documents cited in the text of the textual document, the source of a quotation in the text of the textual document is verified to generate verified quotation information, any subject matter text that is applicable to the text of the textual document is determined to generate subject matter headings associated with the text of the textual document, and a data record is generated containing the identified characteristics of the textual document, the negative treatment of other textual documents cited in the textual document, the depth of treatment of other textual documents cited in the textual document, the verified quotation information, and the subject matter text associated with the textual document so that all of the information is accessible.
US08600973B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for removing substitution rules. According to one implementation, a method includes identifying a revised search query that was revised to include a substitute term of a query term; identifying search results that were generated using the revised search query, wherein each search result references a resource; determining, by one or more computers, that none of the resources referenced by a subset of the search results include the substitute term of the query term; and in response to determining that none of the resources referenced by the subset of search results include the substitute term of the query term, incrementing a no-match score for the substitute term.
US08600970B2

An email server receives an email sent to an email account and including one or more attachments. The one or more attachments are extracted from the email into one or more temporary storage elements. Content from the temporary storage elements is indexed. The indexed content is stored along with an identifier of the email in an index corresponding to the email account. The one or more temporary storage elements is disposed of after the indexing.
US08600969B2

A user interest pattern modeling server includes a history collection unit, a keyword extraction unit, a time pattern extraction unit, a keyword extension unit, a time pattern analysis unit and a pattern modeling unit. The history collection unit collects a user's use history of a content. The keyword extraction unit extracts a keyword from the use history of the content. The time pattern extraction unit extracts a first time pattern of the keyword. The keyword extension unit extracts an extended keyword through searching related words of the keyword. The time pattern analysis unit analyzes a second time pattern of the extended keyword based on the first time pattern. The pattern modeling unit models a user interest pattern for the keyword and the extended keyword based on the first and second time patterns.
US08600963B2

A system and a method that manages a user query by a single interaction between a server and a client. A plurality of clients send queries for search results to a server. The server receives these queries and performs multiple searches to generate multiple sets of search results. These sets of search results are ranked, consolidated and passed to the requesting client. The client stores these multiple sets of search results. The client then displays these search results in accordance to the boundary defined by the user. This boundary defines the portions of the search results that the user desires to view. The user may re-define the boundary. The client identifies the search results corresponding to the boundary and displays them.
US08600961B2

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for providing summarizations of data and transactions based on the status of the summarization and the data and transactions being summarized. According to one embodiment, a method for providing summarizations of data and transactions related to one or more applications can comprise initiating a first summarization of the data and transactions related to the one or more applications. The first summarization can be paused in response to a request to evaluate the data and transactions being summarized. Data and transactions available for summarization can be evaluated in response to and based on the request. The first summarization can be resumed upon a completion or a timeout of the evaluating of the data and transactions being summarized.
US08600960B2

Processing proposed changes to data includes notifying a server of a proposed change to master data, receiving, from the server, an indication as to whether there is a concurrent change to the master data, where the concurrent change corresponds to a change to the master data in addition to the proposed change, and deciding whether to make the proposed change or to abort the change.
US08600958B2

Policy information stores policy setting information and identification information of a policy in correlation with each other, the policy setting information correlating setting content of the policy with each data type information indicating whether data for which the policy is set is original data or derived data. A data information storage stores identification information of data for which a policy is set in correlation with the data and identification information of the policy attached to the data, and information for identifying that the data is the derived data. A searching unit identifies, in response to a searching request, identification information of a policy correlated to the data whose identification information is designated in the searching request, identifies whether target data of the searching request is the original data or the derived data.
US08600956B2

A method to provide an improved method for providing first POI information and second POI information which conflicts with the first POI information, and providing an accuracy confidence level of each of the first POI information and the second POI information. Embodiments may further solicit feedback (e.g. a selection) from a user regarding the user's determination of which of the first POI information and the second POI information is accurate. The method may also include updating the accuracy confidence level of each of the first information and the second information in response to receiving the selection.
US08600947B1

A computer-implemented method for providing backup interfaces may include (1) identifying a backup policy configured to back up a source system according to a backup configuration, (2) identifying a request to display the backup policy within a graphical user interface, and in response to the request, (3) portraying the backup policy within the graphical user interface as a flow diagram, the flow diagram including (i) a first box representing the source system, the first box displaying an identifier of the source system, (ii) a second box representing a backup stage of the backup policy, the second box displaying an identifier of the backup stage, and (iii) a directed edge connecting the first box and the second box, the directed edge indicating a sequence beginning with the first box and progressing to the second box. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08600943B1

Migrating data from an old storage device to a new storage device includes transferring the data from a first logical device on the old storage device to a second logical device on the new storage device, determining replication relationships for the first logical device, transferring the replication relationships; and transferring logical devices used for the replication relationships from the old storage device to the new storage device. The replication relationships may include a clone of the first logical device. Migrating data from an old storage device to a new storage device may also include suspending writes to the first logical storage device prior to transferring the data for the first logical storage device. The replication relationships may include at least one snapshot.
US08600940B2

Various embodiments of a system and method for backing up data from a plurality of backup server computers in a first backup storage tier to a backup server computer in a second backup storage tier are disclosed. According to one embodiment of the method, a group of backup data sources may be associated with a writer on the backup server computer. Each backup data source may comprise data to be backed up from one of the backup server computer systems in the first backup storage tier. The writer may keep track of the write speed at which data from the group of backup data sources is written to a target storage device, and the number of backup data sources in the group may be automatically adjusted based on the write speed.
US08600931B1

The disclosure discusses an Automated Online Data Submission/Application tool that assists a user in submitting data responding to an online data posting. An embodiment of the invention is described as a job application utility. The user registers with a central data management system. This may be achieved by uploading a resume and/or manually providing registration data. Alternately, the registration data may be derived from parsing an uploaded resume that is analyzed and stored. In another embodiment, a user may simply answer a series of registration questions to register, while also creating a resume. Once the identifying information is finalized, the user may search the broad range of job listings. The user is able to forward identifying information to respond to a job listing by forwarding an uploaded/system created resume to an email address in the job listing or conduct an auto-fill of a linked online job application form.
US08600926B2

An integrated interest and expertise-based discovery system and method infers interest and expertise levels of users and generates recommendations for delivery to the users in accordance with the inferred interest and expertise levels. The inferences of expertise may be relative to other users and may be combined with expertise calibration information in generating expected expertise levels for users with respect to one or more topics. The generation of recommendations may be informed by the degree of inferred interest in topical areas, by the comparison of expertise levels among users, and by information regarding the user expertise levels that are appropriate with respect to specific items of content. Explanations may be provided to recommendation recipients as to why they received recommendations.
US08600918B2

According to one embodiment, an action history search device receives an inquiry from a user and outputs a inquiry time and a target of inquiry, decides a range for searching action history information representing history of the user's action together with a time of the user's action using the target of inquiry, and calculates an elapsed time from the time of the user's action within the range to the inquiry time. The device judges using the elapsed time and a narrowing-down model a probability on each response candidate to the inquiry based on the history of the action within the range. The narrowing-down model is used for judging according to the elapsed time the probability that the response candidate to the inquiry obtained from the history of the action is the user's desired response. The device outputs the response candidate according to the probability.
US08600916B2

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for content prediction. Differences between a sample set of cells and a target set of cells are compared to identify a pattern based on regular expression analysis. A preview of content prediction changes is presented for a user selection. Content predictions changes are made to the user selection in response to receiving a preview acceptance accepting the preview.
US08600915B2

One embodiment of a system of the present invention for monitoring computer resources includes means for retrieving a set of resource-metric records for a predetermined time interval, means for forming a first mathematical matrix containing metric's values arranged on date-time and resource-metric axes, means for creating a second mathematical matrix containing features and a third mathematical matrix containing weights, means for building a feature relationship tree, means for generating a predicted value for the resource-metric identifier, means for determining a variance between predicted value and metric's value, and means for triggering an alert if the variance exceeds a predetermined alert threshold.
US08600909B2

Systems and methods of insuring payment of a proper amount of postage, comprise receiving payment for an amount of postage, affixing a postage indicia to a piece of mail, wherein the postage indicia includes the postage amount in a format readable only by machine, and adjusting the postage amount at a time subsequent to receipt of payment.
US08600898B2

The present invention provides a digitally originated check (DOC) through an electronic payment system (EPS) which captures payor metadata instructions regarding the intended payment to a payee. The metadata is stored in a database or the like for further processing instead of printing a paper check. The EPS is operable to clear the DOC through either paper or electronic Check 21 mechanisms.
US08600895B2

A method of controlling access to records stored within databases, each record having associated access rules, a location identifier, and a content identifier maintained in a centralized index, comprising: receiving a request, communicated from a requestor to a security processor, the request containing a specified content identifier; querying the centralized index to find entries corresponding to the specified content identifier; for each entry, applying the access rules for the record to determine whether the record is accessible; for each accessible record, automatically communicating from the security processor to the database storing the accessible record sufficient information to determine whether it is releasable per a set of native access rules of the database; logically associating the releasable accessible records into a linked set of releasable records; and communicating the linked set of releasable records to the requestor.
US08600893B2

As banking transactions are processed by a bank teller, all of the relevant information with respect to the transaction (e.g., dollar amount) is captured in an electronic file. Each of the electronic files from the various branches of the bank are forwarded to a central back office processing center where the electronic files are combined into a single Transaction Repository. At the end of the branch day, all of the paper associated with the transactions is forwarded from the branches to the back office processing center. The paper transactions are imaged in the conventional manner and the Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) data is read from the paper. The present invention then automatically correlates the images and MICR data captured from the paper with the complete transaction record contained in the Transaction Repository. Most of the conventional back office processing can now be performed without the need to perform character recognition and without the need for excess human intervention.
US08600884B2

A payment receipt system is provided. The payment receipt system comprises: a receipt management database for managing at least information on the payers who have to pay and the payment amount that the respective payers have to pay for a certain period; and a payee server including an information extracting part for extracting information including the information on the payers and the payment amount from the receipt management database, a code converting part for converting the extracted information into a two-dimensional (2D) code, a bill forming part for making out a bill for payment with the converted 2D code attached thereto, a bill transmitting part for transmitting the bill for payment to a receiver of the payer, and a controller receiving information on the payers who have completed a payment from a financial institution server.
US08600881B2

A system, apparatus, and method for using a point of sale (POS) terminal as part of an electronic payment transaction. A unique number, code, alphanumeric character string, or other form of identification is assigned to each terminal manufacturer. Each terminal manufacturer then assigns a unique global identifier to each terminal they manufacture. The identifier assigned by the manufacturer may incorporate or be derived from the unique identifier assigned to each manufacturer. In the course of an electronic payment, other form of transaction, or other function or operation of the terminal, the POS terminal's unique global identifier is provided to a payment processor or other electronic payment network entity. This information, alone or in combination with portable consumer device data and transaction data, may be used to provide new services, content, and products to consumers or merchants.
US08600878B2

The present invention relates to a method for transmitting a code to a user in which the user transmits his or her financial account identifier information to a code allocation unit 3, the code allocation unit 3 transfers an amount of money to the financial institution 5 specified by the user and/or transfers an amount of money from the financial institution 5 specified by the user, thereby submitting the account identifier information and the code to be transmitted as additional information with this transfer and/or this debit, and the financial institution 5 forwards a receipt for the transfer and/or debit together with the additional information to the user.
US08600863B2

An approach is provided that displays visual indicators on a financial services card, such as a credit or debit card, that indicates the user's balance at a financial services provider. Available funds data is received at a financial services card that includes visual indicators (e.g., LEDs, etc.), a memory, a processor, a power source, and a wireless transmitter. The available funds data is received via the wireless transmitter. Visual indicators are selected based on the available funds data received from the financial services provider. The selected visual indicators are activated by providing power to the indicators from the power source. In one embodiment, the power source is a piezoelectric material, such as a piezoelectric crystal, that generates power to activate the visual indicators and run the processors and wireless transmitter based on manipulation of the card (e.g., applying pressure, etc. to the card) by the user.
US08600857B2

The present disclosure relates to comparison shopping and usage based service analysis for consumers, primarily for financial products. A consumer may not be aware of a provider's services, options, terms, conditions, costs, or how the service options change based on the consumer's particular usage characteristics. The disclosed comparison shopping method uses the consumer's actual or predicted service usage data. Service provider information is used to present the consumer with relevant alternative service offering options. Transaction data is gathered from a user's financial account and is analyzed for a savings opportunity indication. The analysis is used to match a savings opportunity from a database of savings opportunities, and the savings opportunity may be displayed in a statement of a user's financial account. Past responses to a savings opportunity indication may be gathered and analyzed. In one example, a savings opportunity is presented with a statement of the consumer's financial account.
US08600843B2

A method or a machine determines minimum (s) and maximum (S) inventory control levels (s, S) for inventory items based upon a demand history of the inventory items, such as demand inter-arrival times (IA) and demand requisition sizes (RS). An expected cost is computed including two or more inventory item cost components of expected cost of ordering, expected cost of carrying inventory, or expected cost of outstanding backorders for the inventory control levels (s, S), directly from frequency statistics of different demand IA and demand RS on an inventory item basis. An optimal inventory control level (s, S) of an inventory item is searched that minimizes the cost of ordering, carrying inventory, and/or backorders, based upon the generated expected cost.
US08600839B2

An aggregation of functionality related to a product within an electronic catalog hosted by a wholesaler web system is provided by presenting on a client computing device a webpage in which a single product is directly associated with a single access point. The single access point provides a means by which plural wholesaler web system functions related to the single product are made available to a consumer. A listing of the plural wholesaler web system functions related to the single product is displayed within the webpage in response to an activation of the single access point by the consumer. In response to a selection by the consumer from the displayed listing the wholesaler web system initiates a performance of the one of the plural wholesaler web system functions so selected.
US08600836B2

A system for distributing packages and channels to a device includes associating weights with the packages and channels. The default ordering of packages on a device display and the default ordering of channels on a program guide is determined according to the weights. In addition, the weights may be used to differentiate functions and conditions that apply to packages and channels.
US08600826B2

A method and apparatus to present information relating to a good. A product identification code is received via a cellular telephone, the product identification code identifying the good. The information relating to the good is presented via a network and using the product identification code.
US08600823B1

System and method for computing price adjustment values associated with vehicle history attributes including a vehicle history database with vehicle history datasets, a transaction database, a vehicle history knowledge determination module adapted to determine whether a sale transaction related to a transaction record occurred with buyer's knowledge of the vehicle history attributes associated with the vehicle of the transaction record and to classify each transaction record based on whether buyer possessed knowledge of the vehicle history attributes, and a price adjustment module adapted to determine price adjustment values for the vehicle history attributes based on the vehicle history datasets and classification of the plurality of transaction records. In accordance with one aspect, the present invention may be implemented as a computer readable medium with instructions.
US08600819B2

A random weight item transaction system include a scale with label RFID tag functionality, service person RFID tag functionality and customer RFID tag functionality. A slicer in proximity to the scale may include service person and bulk food product RFID functionalities. The scale may make weigh transaction data available to a computerized checkout system via a communications link or via writing the information to the label RFID tag.
US08600813B2

A first message from a client device, received at a server, can include a request to provide at least one media item matching at least one audience parameter. In response to the first message, the server can access a database storing media item information associated with multiple media items to be retrieved using servers other than the server receiving the first message. The media item information can include, a media item identifier, a media item location identifier, and description information. Media items are selected based on a comparison of the audience parameter with the description information and the server sends a reply to the first message, including a list of media items and their location identifiers.
US08600808B2

Targeted or other advertising may comprise one or more advertisements presented in a virtual world environment constructed according to consumer parameters, with the advertisements presented according to rules, scripts, or other parameters defined by the advertiser(s). For instance, one or more consumer computing device(s) can access data defining a brand name, logo, and/or message and can access data defining consumer preferences for the context in which advertisements are to be presented. For example, the context may vary according to viewer identity, programming content, time of day, and the like. Then, the consumer computing device(s) can render a virtual world based on the consumer preferences with the virtual world also comprising the advertisement(s) generated based on advertiser definitions.
US08600802B1

A marketplace (or aftermarket) for advertisements or ad combinations is established. A first on-line advertisement is identified in which a performance of the first advertisement during a past ad campaign is above a threshold. A second on-line advertisement is identified based on a matching criterion between the first and second advertisements, in which a performance of the second advertisement during a past ad campaign is lower than the first advertisement. The first advertisement or a representation of the first advertisement and performance data of the first advertisement are provided to a sponsor of the second advertisement.
US08600788B2

Data is received that characterizes one or more terms within a task initiation request. These terms are then associated with a task template. At least a portion of such a task template is populated based on the terms so that the populated task template can be presented to the user to enable a user to conduct one or more actions associated with the presented populated task template. Related techniques, apparatus, systems, and methods are also described.
US08600783B2

An Internet-enabled automatic rental vehicle transaction system, the system comprising a web service connector in communication with a rental vehicle software program, the web service connector being configured to (1) receive, via a network, a document from a computer system of an authorized purchaser of rental vehicle services on behalf of another, the document comprising a web service rental vehicle reservation request, (2) process the received document in accordance with a web service specification document to create one or more data objects having a format supported by the rental vehicle software program, and (3) communicate the one or more data objects to the rental vehicle software program, and wherein the rental vehicle software program is configured to automatically process the one or more data objects for fulfillment of the reservation request.
US08600776B2

An electronic device for aggregating electronic medical records, in which electronic medical records are aggregated from multiple electronic repositories and displayed as a single set of records. The multiple electronic repositories may store records for a particular patient using varying identifying/access information to facilitate anonymous access to the electronic medical records. Emergency medical services providers may be able to access medical records for a patient using the electronic device after being authenticated as a valid/licensed medical services provider.
US08600759B2

Methods, systems, and products measure health data related to a user. A spoken phrase is received and time-stamped. The user is identified from the spoken phrase. A window of time is determined from a semantic content of the spoken phrase. A sensor measurement is received and time-stamped. A difference in time between the time-stamped spoken phrase and the time-stamped sensor measurement is determined and compared to the window of time. When the difference in time is within the window of time, then the sensor measurement is associated with the user.
US08600754B2

Various embodiments of methods and systems for providing informational updates, such as directional updates, to a user of a computing device are disclosed. The method and system may recognize an active conversation and monitor the conversation for a lull. During a detected lull, the method and system may deliver the informational updates. Certain embodiments may include receiving a voice update while the user is using other functionality of the computing device, such as a telecommunication function. Embodiments may also include scheduling an update window within which the update may be delivered. The update window may be a predetermined time window in which a voice update is broadcast, for example. Embodiments may also include alerting the user to a pending update.
US08600749B2

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for training adaptation-specific acoustic models. A system practicing the method receives speech and generates a full size model and a reduced size model, the reduced size model starting with a single distribution for each speech sound in the received speech. The system finds speech segment boundaries in the speech using the full size model and adapts features of the speech data using the reduced size model based on the speech segment boundaries and an overall centroid for each speech sound. The system then recognizes speech using the adapted features of the speech. The model can be a Hidden Markov Model (HMM). The reduced size model can also be of a reduced complexity, such as having fewer mixture components than a model of full complexity. Adapting features of speech can include moving the features closer to an overall feature distribution center.
US08600737B2

Methods of audio coding are described in which an excitation signal for a first frequency band of the audio signal is used to calculate an excitation signal for a second frequency band of the audio signal that is separated from the first frequency band.
US08600735B2

Computer based methods, systems and interfaces for analyzing machine readable data repositories having text documents, and for generation of new product specifications, for evaluation of these specifications and for the generation of new product designs and products therefrom. Language analysis of the data repository results in a list of properties of a product being properties to be varied linked to a list of functions of the product. The property statements can be first parts of speech such as adjectives, or adjectival phrases or adjectival statements being definitions of properties of a product. The function statements can be second parts of speech such as verbs, or verb-like phrases or statements being definitions of functions. The list of property statements, optionally with related first parts of speech, linked to the respective function statements optionally with related second parts of speech are stored as a database of indexed property statements/function statement tuples.
US08600734B2

A system, method, and computer program product for determining the emotional content of an electronic correspondence to route or prioritize the information, to set the expectations of a customer support worker, to flag those workers who are using inappropriate language with the customer, or to determine another best course to send the correspondence. In a preferred embodiment, a customer sends an electronic correspondence to a company via email. Emotionally charged words or symbols in each sentence are detected. The message is then given an emotional ranking which is used to determine what future action is most appropriate for the correspondence.
US08600726B1

A method of running a target device in a hardware-in-the-loop network simulation via a host computer may include launching a network application on a host computer each having a protocol stack and a network device connected to a simulated network of target devices, interposing, on the host computer, a target device interface and adaptor between the protocol stack and the network device and transferring data and control information between the network application and the target device via the network device, whereby the target device runs on the host computer as if the target device were running directly on a host computer having a network device directly compatible with the target device.
US08600724B2

An improved method of verifying a processor design using a processor simulation model in a simulation environment is disclosed, wherein the processor simulation model includes at least one execution unit for executing at least one instruction of a test file. The method includes tracking each execution of each of the at least one instruction, monitoring relevant signals in each simulation cycle, maintaining information about the execution of the at least one instruction, wherein the maintained information includes a determination of an execution length of a completely executed instruction, matching the maintained information about the completely executed instruction against a set of trap elements provided by the user through a trap file, and collecting the maintained information about the completely executed instruction in a monitor file in response to a match found between the maintained information and at least one of the trap elements.
US08600720B2

A load of a stimulating task on an examinee with a resting task being unstable is excluded, and an accurate answer of an examinee to presentation of a stimulating task is enabled. A stimulating task presentation device in a living body optical measurement device includes a stimulation presenting unit configured to present a stimulation to an examinee, a brain function measurement device for measuring a brain function of the examinee in parallel to presentation of the stimulation, and a stimulation presentation controller configured to control the stimulation presented by the stimulation presenting unit, and the stimulation presentation controller has a function of setting a resting task and a stimulating task to be presented to the examinee, a function of detecting an answer of the examinee to the resting task and the stimulating task, and a task presentation control function of determining the degree of stability on the basis of the detection result when the resting task is presented, and controlling presentation of the resting task or the stimulating task on the basis of the degree of stability.
US08600718B1

Systems and methods for determining a functional relationship between pairs of cellular constituents are provided. A plurality of datasets is received. Each dataset represents an experimental condition and comprises measurement data for a plurality of cellular constituents from each of a plurality of organisms. Each respective dataset is represented by correlation coefficients. Each correlation coefficient for a respective dataset in the plurality of datasets represents a correlation between abundance measurement data for a pair of cellular constituents across the dataset. The plurality of correlation coefficients that represents a first dataset in the plurality of datasets is clustered, thereby determining their order. This order is applied to each remaining dataset thereby forming a plurality of correlation matrices. When a conserved area in the plurality of matrices is identified, the functional relationship between the first cellular constituent and the second constituent is determined to be present.
US08600715B2

Methods for generating predicted product values of a product produced by a machine and for predicting a process of a machine are disclosed. A method for generating predicted product values of a product manufactured by a machine controlled by programmable logic control code includes presenting a machine input fields requesting parameters associated with actuators and mechanical elements, and presenting product input fields requesting desired product properties. The method further includes receiving parameters from the machine input fields, receiving desired product properties from the product input fields, and calculating output response data by an emulation of a mechanical operation of the machine using the parameters and the desired product properties. The output response data is provided to a product model that calculates predicted product values based on the output response data provided. The method further includes presenting the one or more predicted product values.
US08600710B2

The method of modeling thermal problems using a non-dimensional finite element method is a computerized method for modeling thermal systems that relies on the variational principle. The variational principle specifies the total potential of the system, given by a scalar quantity Π, which is defined by an integral form for a continuum problem. The solution of the continuum problem is a function that makes Π stationary with respect to the state variables. The governing equation of the problem is used to calculate the potential Π. The non-dimensional form of the potential is obtained by insertion of the defined non-dimensionless parameters. The element non-dimensional stiffness matrix and the non-dimensional load vectors are then obtained by invoking the stationarity of the non-dimensional potential Π with respect to a non-dimensional temperature vector {θ}.
US08600696B2

A method and a device for determining a reaction signal for a selected location in an information processing system (2) in response to at least one input signal (XIn) over an application period T. The effect of an input signal (XIn) on the information processing system is determined by: a) applying input signal(s) (X) to the information processing system (2), b) detecting output signal(s) (Yout) associated with a selected location in the information processing system in response to the input signal(s) (XIn), c) forming a value set (XIn, YOut, Zt) for an output signal (YOut) at the selected location in response to an input signal (XIn) for a given time (Zt), and d) determining the reaction signal (YOutMax) for the selected location.
US08600688B2

Geometrically based system and method for receiving capacitive sensory input. User input may be received by a capacitive sensing pad. A signal may be generated by the capacitive sensing pad. The signal may indicate a size of an area in which the user input is received. The signal may be received by an input composed in processing circuitry and coupled to the capacitive sensing pad. A location of the user input may be determined by the processing circuitry based on the signal.
US08600678B2

A system and method for presenting lightning strike information in a manner so as to be easily understood and appreciated by viewers of televised weather report presentations and the like. Lightning strike information is displayed with a marker and textual indication of the lightning strike location in a viewer friendly format, e.g., a street address. Lightning strike data from a lightning strike data source is filtered to select individual lightning strikes to be displayed and processed to obtain the viewer friendly lightning strike location information to be presented overlaid on a geographic map or satellite image background. Personalized lighting strike information indicating the distance of a lighting strike from a viewer location of interest may be generated and provided directly to individual viewers via the interne, cellular phones, and/or other wired or wireless communication channels.
US08600674B1

A prediction method that estimates the real-time position of a mobile device based on previously observed data is provided. The present invention can be used in real-time navigation, including providing real-time alerts of an upcoming destination and notifications of emergency events in close geographic proximity. The prediction method utilizes neural networks and/or functions generated using genetic algorithms in estimating the mobile device's real-time position. The prediction method provides reliable Location-Based Services (LBS) in events where traditional positioning technologies become unreliable. It is also seamless, as the user remains unaware of any interruption in accessing the positioning technology.
US08600669B2

A mobile computing device, including a main body, a processor and associated memory housed within the main body, a display screen housed within the main body and responsive to signals from the processor, an optical sensor fixed to the main body for capturing successive images and providing image signals representative of the captured images to the processor, and a navigation module associated with the processor for determining, based on the image signals, a relative movement between the main body and a reference surface and moving a pointer on the display screen based on the determined relative movement.
US08600661B2

A multi-function appliance for use in a satellite navigation data distribution system is described. A computer includes an input/output interface and a memory the computer is configured with a plurality of modules. The plurality of modules includes a satellite signal receiver, a packetizer, a network interface, a concentrator, and a decoder. The satellite signal receiver is configured to obtain satellite navigation data from satellite signals. The packetizer is configured to packetize satellite navigation data to produce a reference packet stream. The network interface is configured to transmit packet streams towards a network. The concentrator is configured to remove duplicate packets within reference packet streams to generate a combined packet stream. The decoder is configured to decode satellite data from packet streams. In this manner, the computer may be configured to perform a reference station function, a hub function, or a server function in the satellite navigation data distribution network.
US08600660B2

A state is added to a Kalman filter to model GPS multipath errors. The multipath states may be modeled as either a random walk model or a Gauss-Markov process. The choice of the model depends on the characteristics of the multi-path error and the GPS receiver. Adding this state to the Kalman filter to model multipath improves the navigation system's robustness when operating as a deeply integrated system when multipath is present.
US08600653B2

The invention relates to an electronic monitoring system enabling real fuel consumption and CO2 emissions to be calculated for a machine in motion, stopped, or working, with optional exclusion of thefts of fuel, the system comprising both a sentinel onboard a machine that itself comprises at least an engine, a tank, an electrical power supply circuit, and also a non-mobile surveillance tool to which the onboard sentinel is suitable for being connected by wire or wireless means.
US08600652B2

A crane operation evaluation device for evaluating an operation status of an operator of a crane performing a crane work by using drive power of an engine. The crane operation evaluation device includes: a display device provided at a position of the crane that is visible to the operator and serving to display predetermined data; a detector for detecting a state of a given part of the crane; and a data control unit that, after a stopping operation of the engine, derives a first fuel consumption index for analyzing a fuel consumption efficiency of the crane work performed between the most recent start of the engine and the stop of the engine by the stopping operation and a first work index for analyzing content of such crane work, on the basis of detection data of the detector, and causes the display device to display the derived first fuel consumption index and first work index.
US08600643B2

A suspension control system for a vehicle includes a pressure increasing module and a compressor control module. In response to a startup of the vehicle, the pressure increasing module: selectively sets a pressure increase signal to a first state when an air pressure within air bags of a suspension system is less than a predetermined pressure; and selectively sets the pressure increase signal to a second state when the air pressure is greater than the predetermined pressure. In response to the startup of the vehicle, the compressor control module: operates an air compressor of the suspension system when the pressure increase signal is in the first state; and disables operation of the air compressor when the pressure increase signal is in the second state.
US08600634B2

A method is provided for controlling a normal force in a frictional contact of a continuously variable transmission including an input pulley and an output pulley where between an endless transmission element is arranged that is held between and in frictional contact with two pulley discs of each respective pulley under the influence of a respective normal force, wherein, as part the control method, the normal force at one pulley is actively oscillated, wherein a resulting oscillation of one of, or a ratio or difference between both of, a rotational speed of the input pulley and a rotational speed of the output pulley is determined and wherein at least one normal force is controlled in dependency on a correlation between the active oscillation and the resulting oscillation. The method includes a calibration step wherein a phase difference between the active oscillation and the resulting oscillation is determined.
US08600627B2

The invention relates to a monitoring device and to a method for monitoring the function of the components of an agricultural implement, with a vibration sensor for providing signal values containing information on mechanical vibrations generated by moving components of the implement, an operating state detecting device for providing a signal containing information on the operating state of components of the implement, and a calculating device for generating state information on the basis of the state of the components of the implement. The calculating device can be operated to divide the signal values of the vibration sensor on the basis of the corresponding signals of the operating state detecting device into different classes, which correspond to different combinations of the operating states of the components in the detection of the signal values, and to compare the signal values divided into classes or data derived from these signal values with comparison values for generating state information.
US08600615B2

A method of heating a cabin in a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine employing a coolant to remove engine heat, and a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system using the coolant to heat the cabin is disclosed. The method includes detecting a request to achieve a predetermined temperature inside the cabin. The method also includes selecting a first baseline mode of engine operation to supply thermal energy to the coolant, and selecting a second mode of engine operation to supply additional thermal energy to the coolant if the predetermined temperature has not been achieved via the first mode of operation. The method additionally includes selecting a third mode of engine operation if the predetermined temperature has not been achieved via the second mode of operation. The predetermined temperature may also be maintained by supplying thermal energy to the coolant after the predetermined temperature has been achieved.
US08600613B2

A sensor module generates a momentary tire pressure signal, and a transmitting module transmits the momentary pressure information. A management module receives and processes the information and includes a first predetermined pressure value corresponding to a higher speed for the vehicle, and a second predetermined pressure value corresponding to a lower speed, the first predetermined pressure value being greater than the second predetermined pressure value. The method includes comparing the momentary pressure value to a target pressure value, the target pressure value corresponding to either the first predetermined pressure value or the second predetermined pressure value, selecting the first predetermined pressure value as the target pressure value when the momentary pressure is too low relative to the second predetermined pressure value, and selecting the second predetermined pressure value as the target pressure value when the momentary pressure is too high relative to the first predetermined pressure value.
US08600602B1

Two architectures for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and a method for executing a mission plan are provided. One architecture for a UAV includes a flight command and mission execution (FCME) component making strategic decisions, a flight technical control manager (FTCM) making tactical decisions and a vehicle management system (VMS) providing navigational support. The FCME and FTCM execute on one processor and the VMS executes on a separate processor. The second architecture includes redundant processors for executing the FCME and FTCM as well as redundant processors for executing the VMS. The UAV executes a mission plan, which may include flight plan(s), communication plan(s), weapons plan(s), sensor plan(s), and/or contingent flight plan(s). The UAV may control various optical sensors, training sensors, and lights as well.
US08600601B2

A positioning method that calculates a lower accuracy positioning solution and applies an offset to the lower accuracy positioning solution to form a final positioning solution if a higher accuracy positioning solution is unavailable. The offset represents a difference between the lower accuracy positioning solution and the higher accuracy positioning solution at a point in time when the higher accuracy positioning solution was last available.
US08600600B2

Disclosed is a system for driving a spherical wheel that includes a rotating sphere having a plurality of magnetic modules and a fixed body. The fixed body has coil modules that generate a magnetic field by current and partially enclose the rotating sphere so that a portion of the rotating sphere is exposed. A support wheel disposed between the rotating sphere and the fixed body is configured to maintain a substantially constant distance between the rotating sphere and the fixed body and rotatably support the rotating sphere. A sensor provided in at least one of the rotating sphere and the fixed body is configured to measure a rotational speed and a position of the rotating sphere, and a control device is configured to receive driving signals, the rotational velocity and the position measured by the sensor and to transmit a control signal supplying a current to the coil module.
US08600599B2

A FC vehicle includes a long distance hill climbing detector for detecting long distance hill climbing and a controller for, in the case where the long distance hill climbing detector detects the long distance hill climbing, controlling the allocation amount of electric power outputted from an FC such that the allocation amount is larger than the allocation amount before the detection of the long distance hill climbing.
US08600595B2

A vehicle includes a motor, an alternating current (AC) power bus, a power inverter module (PIM), and a controller. The PIM includes a semiconductor die assembly with semiconductor power switches arranged in electrical parallel for delivering AC power to the motor via the bus. The controller determines an operating mode of the vehicle, selects and activates a designated one of the switches during a threshold low-current state of the PIM, and selects and activates all of the switches during a high-current state of the PIM. A PIM assembly for the vehicle includes the die assembly and controller. A method for optimizing energy efficiency of the vehicle includes providing the die assembly noted above, automatically determining the operating mode, and selecting and activating one of the switches when the operating mode corresponds to the threshold low-current state, and all of the electrical switches during the threshold high-current state of the PIM.
US08600582B2

The invention describes an apparatus for cutting grass comprising a lawn mower, predisposed to operate at least within a cutting area (A) delimited by a perimeter cable; a management device, suitable for propagating an electrical signal (S) through the perimeter cable; operative modules, suitable for checking the position of the lawn mower with respect to the perimeter cable; a command unit suitable for commanding a movement of the lawn mower based on the position of the lawn mower with respect to the perimeter cable.
US08600581B2

A mobile terminal capable of performing a human body communication is provided. The mobile terminal includes an authentication information storage unit, a control unit, and a human body communication unit. The authentication information storage unit stores authentication information of each authentication level. The control unit transmits authentication information of a preset authentication level to a human body communication unit when a communication path is established between the human body communication unit and a vehicle control apparatus externally located. The human body communication unit transmits the authentication information received from the control unit to the vehicle control apparatus.
US08600575B2

Various embodiments provide an apparatus and method for collecting and distributing power usage data from Rack Power Distribution Units (RPDUs) using a wireless sensor network. An example embodiment includes: establishing communication with a plurality of Rack Power Distribution Units (RPDUs) deployed at particular points in a facility, each RPDU of the plurality of RPDUs being configured to monitor power consumption of a plurality of electronic devices in the facility; periodically obtaining system data from each of the plurality of RPDUs, the system data including power consumption data corresponding to associated electronic devices, the system data being received from the plurality of RPDUs via a wired data connection; using a wireless bridge device to aggregate the system data from a plurality of associated RPDUs, the wireless bridge device transferring the aggregated system data to a gateway via a wireless sensor network; and using the system data to control operation of the plurality of electronic devices in the facility via the wireless bridge device and the plurality of associated RPDUs.
US08600573B2

A system and method for simultaneously restoring power to loads in a distribution network that experienced an outage. The pickup load on the feeder in the distribution network is estimated and the load limit on the feeder is determined. The load on the feeder is divided into groups based on the load limit. A restoration load control process is determined, and power is restored to each of the groups simultaneously based on the power restoration control process.
US08600569B2

An ET based irrigation system includes a stand alone irrigation controller with a seasonal adjust feature and a stand alone weather station including at least one environmental sensor. The ET based irrigation system further includes a stand alone ET unit operatively connected to the irrigation controller and the weather station. The ET unit includes programming configured to calculate an estimated ET value using a signal from the environmental sensor and to automatically modify a watering schedule of the irrigation controller through the seasonal adjust feature based on the estimated ET value to thereby conserve water while maintaining plant health.
US08600564B2

A method of managing a site includes monitoring an activation of a proximity detection function of a plurality of sites, with each site having a first zone as a home zone and a second zone having a boundary that is away from the first zone. The method proceeds by displaying an indicator within a web-based GUI enabling each user of each site to activate and deactivate use of the proximity detection function. Each site can include multiple users associated with each respective site. The method proceeds by detecting the multiple users as being home or away using the proximity detection function and then altering an operating condition of a network device located at at least one of the plurality of sites in response to a last user of the multiple users leaving the first zone.
US08600563B2

A hybrid heating system and method including: (a) a heat pump water heating system; (b) a conventional heating system including a conventional heater having a surface heat exchanger, and a primary circulation arrangement fluidly communicating with the surface exchanger, the primary circulation arrangement adapted to effect an exchange of heat between the surface heat exchanger and a flow of liquid to produce a heated flow of liquid; (c) a plurality of sensors associated with the heat exchange system; (d) an input arrangement adapted to provide cost data pertaining to a first power cost for supplying power to the heat pump system, and to cost information pertaining to a second power cost for operating the conventional system, and (e) a processor including a memory storing criteria specifying when to operate the heat pump water heating system, and when to operate the conventional heating system.
US08600562B2

A household energy management system uses measurements of the household electricity supply to identify and to determine the energy consumption of individual household appliances. From these measurements, models can be built of the behavior of the occupants of the house, the thermal properties of the house and the efficiency of the appliances. Using the models, the household appliances—in particular heating and cooling appliances—can be controlled to optimize energy efficiency; and maintenance programs for the appliances and for the house itself can be recommended to the householder or arranged with a service company.
US08600556B2

A building manager includes a communications interface configured to receive information from a smart energy grid. The building manager further includes an integrated control layer configured to receive inputs from and to provide outputs to a plurality of building subsystems. The integrated control layer includes a plurality of control algorithm modules configured to process the inputs and to determine the outputs. The building manager further includes a fault detection and diagnostics layer configured to use statistical analysis on the inputs received from the integrated control layer to detect and diagnose faults. The building manager yet further includes a demand response layer configured to process the information received from the smart energy grid to determine adjustments to the plurality of control algorithms of the integrated control layer.
US08600544B2

The carrying device comprises a carrying mechanism carrying a fluid vessel containing liquid, a detection device detecting depth information changing with depth of the liquid in the fluid vessel, and a control device controlling the carrying mechanism. The control device comprises: an information acquisition unit acquiring the depth information detected by the detection device; a computing unit calculating a maximum value of an acceleration which can be given to the fluid vessel when carried based on the depth information acquired by the information acquisition unit; and a carry command unit giving the carrying mechanism a command for carrying the fluid vessel at acceleration of the maximum value or smaller. The computing unit calculates a greater value as the maximum value of the acceleration as the depth of the liquid in the fluid vessel increases, and a smaller value as the maximum value of the acceleration as the depth of the liquid in the fluid vessel decreases.
US08600540B2

A method for continuous, non lot-based manufacturing of integrated circuit (IC) devices of the type to each have a unique fuse identification (ID) includes: reading the fuse ID of each of the IC devices; advancing multiple lots of the IC devices through, for example, a test step in the manufacturing process in a substantially continuous manner; generating data, such as test data, related to the advancement of each of the IC devices through the step in the process; and associating the data generated for each of the IC devices with the fuse ID of its associated IC device.
US08600539B2

A substrate processing apparatus which can securely show the status of recipe transition is provided. In a substrate processing apparatus 100 including a main control unit 312 which sends a control instruction to process a substrate, and a sub control unit 314 which carries out control of the apparatus in accordance with the control instruction from main control unit 312, the main control unit 312 has a memory unit 317 which stores plural recipes, a display control unit 336 which accepts an execution instruction to cause an arbitrary recipe of the plural recipes to be executed, and a display unit 334 which displays the arbitrary recipe designated by the display control unit 336, on an operation screen 308. When an execution instruction to cause another recipe stored in the recipe storage means to be executed is received during the execution of the arbitrary recipe, the arbitrary recipe and this another recipe are displayed on the operation screen 308 together with a factor which has generated the execution instruction to cause this another recipe to be executed.
US08600533B2

A digital signal processing system and method transforms pairs of channels selected from a multichannel signal into the frequency domain. Vector operations are performed upon the frequency-domain data by which signal components unique to one of the input channels are routed to one of the output channels, signal components unique to the other of the input channels are routed to another of the output channels, and signal components common to both channels are routed to a third and optionally to a fourth output channel. The frequency-domain output channels are then transformed back into the time-domain, forming a plurality of time-domain output channels. The vector operations are performed in a manner that preserves the overall information content of the input data.
US08600528B2

The present invention relates to a method and system for providing real-time packet-level quality assurance of digital data that controls an electromechanical device transmitted through a network between a transmitting computer and at least one terminal computer. Specifically, all data packets transmitted between the transmitting computer and the at least one terminal computer are passively monitored, and those data packets containing digitized data that controls an electromechanical device of a pre-determined format are selectively recorded to a database. The selectively recorded data packets are then analyzed for determining whether a current set of digitized data that controls an electromechanical device transmitted between the transmitting computer and the at least one terminal computer during a current session would lead to a harmful or undesirable outcome by the electromechanical device being controlled. Finally, the analysis results are displayed in a real-time manner to provide real-time packet-level quality assurance of the digitized data that controls an electromechanical device.
US08600524B2

A control system, a safety system, etc., within a process plant may each use one or more state machine function blocks that can be easily integrated into a function block diagram programming environment. Such a state machine function block may include one or more inputs, which may cause astute machine implemented by the state machine function block to change states. The state machine function block may determine a next state to which it is to transition based, at least in part, on data indicative of the next state to which to transition, if any. The configuration data may be retrieved from a database based on the current state of the state machine and at least one of the inputs. The state machine function block may also include one or more outputs that are generated based on the state of the state machine.
US08600512B2

Methods for treating seizures caused by brain stimulation include providing a stimulator, programming the stimulator with one or more stimulation parameters configured to treat a medical condition, applying at least one stimulus with the stimulator to a stimulation site within the brain of a patient in accordance with the one or more stimulation parameters, and monitoring the patient for a seizure caused by the at least one stimulus.
US08600507B2

A connector for an electrical stimulation system includes an assembly of individual contact modules arranged along a common axis. Each contact module includes a body having a seat and at least two insertion apertures. An aperture contact is associated with each of the insertion apertures and is configured and arranged to electrically couple to a terminal of an elongated member when the elongated member is inserted into the associated insertion aperture. A seal plate is disposed in each seat of an associated one of the contact modules such that the seal plate is sandwiched between adjacent contact modules. Each seal plate is configured and arranged to electrically isolate the aperture contacts of the associated contact module from the aperture contacts of the other contact modules.
US08600481B2

These are subcutaneous cavity marking devices and methods. More particularly, upon insertion into a body, the cavity marking device and method enable one to determine the center, orientation, and periphery of the cavity by radiographic, mammographic, echogenic, or other non-invasive imaging techniques. Also, the device contains a bioabsorbable or non-bioabsorbable marker. The device may be combined with various substances enhancing the radiopaque, mammographic, or echogenic characteristics of the marker or the body allowing it to be observed by any non-invasive imaging techniques. This is further a method of marking a subcutaneous cavity using a bioabsorbable material and a bioabsorbable or non-bioabsorbable marker in conjunction with the material. The method also may combine any of the features as described with the device.
US08600480B2

The present invention is directed to a system and method for assessing interference to a signal caused by magnetic field. The system includes a magnetic field generator configured to generate a magnetic field. The system further includes a first magnetic field sensor configured to detect a magnetic field and to generate a first signal representative of the magnetic field detected thereby. The system still further includes a second magnetic field sensor. The second magnetic field sensor is configured to detect a magnetic field and to generate a second signal representative of the magnetic field detected by the second magnetic field sensor. The system yet still further includes a processor. The processor is configured to receive and process the second signal to determine whether said magnetic field detected by said second magnetic field sensor may cause distortion to said first signal, as well as the magnitude of such distortion.
US08600472B2

Cardiac catheters, including a lasso catheter, are provided for use in a system for electrical mapping and ablation of the heart has an array of raised, circumferential ring bump electrodes wherein each circumferential electrode has multiple perforations, which are in fluid communication with a cavity or chamber formed under the surface of the circumferential ring. The cavity is formed 360° around the outer surface or loop lumen of the lasso segment of the catheter which is in fluid communication with a breach hole (or holes) drilled through loop lumen and in fluid communication with an irrigating lumen. Each circumferential ring has a breach hole (or holes) that range from smaller to larger from the proximal end of the loop segment to the distal end of the loop segment in one embodiment.
US08600437B2

A docking display unit for physically engaging a portable computing unit and a combination of the same. The display unit may include or exclude a central processing unit and includes a housing with a hinged first and second region. The first region includes a display screen and the second region includes a keyboard. A recessed docking port is provided in the second region and is configured to receive the portable device therein. At least one connector is provided in the docking port to operationally link a central processor in the portable device with the display screen and keyboard. A touchscreen on the portable device provides a user interface for controlling the combined display unit and portable device. The portable device preferably is a smartphone.
US08600435B2

A multi-standard transceiver includes a first subunit configured to perform signal processing according to a first communication standard and a second subunit configured to perform signal processing according to a second communication standard. Furthermore, the multi-standard transceiver includes an interference cancellation unit configured to drive an estimated interference signal from a first signal generated by the first subunit by performing the signal processing according to the first communication standard, and perform interference cancellation on a second signal generated by the second subunit by performing the signal processing according to the second communication standard based on the estimated interference signal.
US08600422B2

Communication between a requesting unit and target units in a wireless network is disclosed. Searching is performed to locate target units by comparing identifying information with information received by the requesting unit from a user. Calculating, in real time during a communication, an amount of time left in the communication based on speed, direction and location of the target units and the speed, the direction and the location of the requesting unit may also be performed.
US08600421B2

A client device performs a method for priority scanning of groups across multiple disparate connected networks which includes the client device creating a scan list having a designated priority group in response to user input that monitors the activity of a plurality of communication groups on a first wireless network that has a one-to-one mapping to a second plurality of logically equivalent communication groups provisioned on the multiple wireless networks. The client device also receives an indication from a communication server that a group on the scan list is active and automatically and preemptively joins the active group using resources on the first wireless network.
US08600417B1

An apparatus, a method, and a computer program are disclosed. According to one example the apparatus may be configured to receive via the receiver a message from a mobile device to connect with an agent. The apparatus may also be configured to determine and select an available agent via the processor in order for the mobile device to communicate with the available agent, and transmit via the transmitter an agent availability message to the mobile device, wherein the agent availability message requires an acknowledgement from the mobile device prior to connecting the mobile device with the available agent.
US08600401B2

In a method for approximating a location of a user equipment in a wireless network, a mobile location signature is determined based on a measurement report received from the user equipment, and a location of the user equipment is approximated based on the mobile location signature. The mobile location signature being indicative of a region of the wireless network in which the user equipment is located.
US08600399B2

An antenna (2-20) for use in a mobile device (1-1) includes elements for receiving (2-5, 3-1, 4-1, 5-1, 6-5) a signal from a satellite positioning system; a first layer of dielectric material (2-4a, 2-4b, 3-2, 3-3, 5-2, 4-3, 5-2, 5-3, 6-4, 6-15) and a second layer of dielectric material (2-4a, 2-4b, 3-2, 3-3, 5-2, 4-3, 5-2, 5-3, 6-4, 6-15), wherein the elements for receiving (2-5, 3-1, 4-1, 5-1, 6-5, 7-6) the signal is at least partly between the first dielectric layer (2-4a, 2-4b, 3-2, 3-3, 5-2, 4-3, 5-2, 5-3, 6-4, 6-15) and the second dielectric layer (2-4a, 2-4b, 3-2, 3-3, 5-2, 4-3, 5-2, 5-3, 6-4, 6-15).
US08600396B2

A radio scheduling apparatus in a radio communication system in which a modulation scheme is selected in accordance with radio quality includes radio quality acquisition means and scheduling means. The radio quality acquisition means acquires radio quality information indicative of radio quality for each mobile station. The scheduling means determines the degree of urgency for assigning a radio channel according to the radio quality, based on the radio quality information acquired by the radio quality acquisition means, and preferentially assigns a radio channel to a mobile station having a high degree of urgency.
US08600386B2

Femtocell coverage can be extended across a coverage area by providing a cluster of femtocell access points (FAPs). Each FAP is independently registered with a core network and provisioned with a location area code common to each FAP. At hand-in from the macrocell network, an association is made between the mobile station and the hand-in FAP, which becomes an anchor FAP for the duration of the mobile station's presence within the cluster. Calls between the mobile station and the core network are routed via a servicing FAP of the cluster and the anchor FAP.
US08600384B1

Technologies are described herein for parameter optimization of at least one interlayer handover in a multilayer wireless cellular communication network. Performance information for the communication network is retrieved. The retrieved performance information for the communication network is then averaged over a predetermined period of time. A determination is made based on the performance information as to whether optimization of the communication network is required. If so, the interlayer handover is optimized by capturing a current set of configuration parameters for the interlayer handover, generating a new set of configuration parameters for the interlayer handover based on the retrieved performance information and the current set of configuration parameters, and applying the new set of configuration parameters to the communication network.
US08600369B2

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed which relate to a USSD assisted remote ring tone control service allowing a first mobile device to remotely add a ring tone and activate the ring tone of a second mobile device. A first mobile device contains a remote ring-tone control logic. The remote ring-tone control logic interacts with a USSD gateway server to send a ring tone to a second mobile device and remotely activates the ring tone. This requires authorization by a policy server which is in communication with the USSD gateway server. Once authorized, the first mobile device can upload a ring tone to a ring tone cache or find a ring tone on a network. The first mobile device then sends a URL to the second mobile device pointing to the ring tone either in the ring tone cache or elsewhere on the network. The second mobile device then downloads the ring tone. Once the download is confirmed the second mobile device activates the ring tone. The next time the first communications device makes a call to the second mobile device, the ring tone sounds through the second mobile device.
US08600368B2

A visual voicemail system can convert visual voicemail message content to an alternate format based on the location of the recipient device, whether and how the recipient device is in motion, a priority of the message content, user preferences, or other criteria. Alternately, a recipient wireless device may also convert content to an alternate format based on the similar criteria. Content may be presented automatically to a user on recipient device based on such criteria. Content may be converted from audio to text, text to audio, or from any format to any other format. Location, motion data, user preferences, etc. may be obtained from a location based service system, a recipient wireless device, or any other source.
US08600365B2

A method and apparatus for managing a communication history data according to a communication mate in a mobile terminal are provided. When a received or transmitted signal is sensed, a communication mate of the received or transmitted signal is detected. Communication history data containing the detected communication mate is generated, and the communication history data is stored in a directory corresponding to the detected communication mate.
US08600363B2

A unified messaging system, method, apparatus, individual components and the like are disclosed. The unified messaging system comprises a server, a client and a synchronization application for synchronizing voicemail messages and fax messages on both the server and the client is disclosed. The server messages may include received messages and sent messages, each of which is indexed according to their respective indices and read/unread statuses. Similarly, the client messages may include received messages and sent messages, each of which is indexed according to their respective indices and read/unread statuses.
US08600360B1

A system and method for connecting people in a social network using information from a user's digital address book. A social network member can unilaterally friend any contact in her address book. Optionally, a member can only friend a contact and be friended by a contact if she is in that contact's address book. An central server keeps track of friended members of the social network and contacts.
US08600356B2

One embodiment of the invention provides a mobile communication network architecture that includes a first base station (e.g., a first base station controller and/or a first transceiver station), a second base station (e.g., a second base station controller and/or a second transceiver station), a mobile client, and a server coupled to the mobile client via either the first base station controller or the second base station. The first base station is coupled to an authentication center that authenticates an intended user so that the user can communicate a message between the mobile client and the server via the first base station. A credential (or status) of the authentication made at the authentication center is then transmitted from the first base station to the second base station when the mobile client moves to utilize the second base station to communicate with the server.
US08600350B2

The present invention provides a protection setting method and a protection releasing method for a portable device. The protection setting method comprises: selecting a lock function having a first unlocking condition, displaying a protection condition list including a plurality of protection conditions, selecting a protecting condition from the plurality of protecting conditions, and further setting the selected protection condition as a second unlocking condition for the lock function. When the portable device is locked, the protection releasing method comprises: displaying a password input window for entering a first unlocking input, detecting a second unlocking input, verifying whether the second unlocking input matches with the second unlocking condition, and verifying whether the first unlocking input matches with the first unlocking condition.
US08600347B2

A network component comprising a processor configured to implement a method comprising: detecting a state of a mobile station and sending a state message to a connection service network using an accounting protocol wherein the state message comprises a state data indicating the state of the mobile station is disclosed. Also disclosed is a network component comprising a processor configured to implement a method comprising: receiving a message intended for a mobile station determining whether the mobile station is in an idle state and storing the message until the mobile station exits the idle state.
US08600342B2

This invention provides a means of sending emergency messages. When in the state of emergency, the user activates or initiates a communication device to execute the positioning procedure. The communication device, converts the current location into a text or voice message and delivers the text or voice message to at least one person on the contact list that is preset in the communication device. By using this invention, the amount of electricity consumption is low therefore charges last longer, the cost decreases, and the user does not experience the pressure of being traced.
US08600340B1

An unintentional dialing event is detected by characterizing some action of a portable phone, e.g., its movement or its surroundings. The action can be characterized by a sensor, and that sensor can be for example an accelerometer, a camera in the phone, or a microphone in the phone, or some other way. The movement can be characterized to see if it is synchronous with entries on the keyboard, which would likely represent the unintentional dialing event or “but dialing”. The environment can also be characterized other ways, for example by using a microphone in the phone to text sound profiles or to detect sounds in sync with the entries, or can be characterized using a camera in the phone to detect a light profile.
US08600336B2

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate increased communication channel bandwidth efficiency in association with scheduled time periods that allocate channel access to particular stations. According to various aspects, systems and methods are described that facilitate providing and/or utilizing reverse direction grants in connection with scheduled channel access. Such systems and/or method can mitigate an amount of unused channel access time after a station completes data transmission prior to an end of the allocated period.
US08600332B2

Electronic devices contain radio-frequency receivers such as direct conversion receivers. A receiver may receive radio-frequency antenna signals from an antenna in an electronic device. The receiver may include notch filters that attenuate signals in the center of the communications channel that is being received by the receiver. An electronic device may include a clock source. The clock source may be used to clock electrical components in the electronic device. During operation, the clock source may produce radio-frequency interference signals at an associated interferer frequency. The potential for the interference signals to disrupt operation of the receiver can be reduced by configuring the electronic device so that the interferer frequency is aligned with the center of the communications channel. The clock source may be adjusted dynamically to accommodate changes in the communications channel.
US08600330B2

A filter arrangement for filtering a radio signal comprising at least a first filter stage is presented wherein the at least first filter stage comprises a divide stage for dividing a filter stage input signal into several signal portions. The signal portions are filtered in at least two parallel filter elements. A combine stage combines the separate filter output signals into a single filter stage output signal.
US08600323B2

A method, a device, and a system for sending reference signals (RSs) are provided, which are capable of least modifying an original system and controlling the system overhead of the RSs. The method includes: grouping expanded transmitting antennas, wherein each group includes two transmitting antenna ports; and in two adjacent RS periods 2T, the RSs sent through the two transmitting antenna ports of each group are [a*s1, b*s1*ejw] respectively in a first period T and [a*s2, −b*s2*ejw] respectively in a second period T. The method, the device, and the system for sending RSs are applicable in design of transmitting antennas of an LTE Advanced system.
US08600315B2

Methods and systems for a configurable front end are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include a transceiver on a single chip that may comprise a power amplifier (PA) and a low noise amplifier (LNA). The PA may amplify signals to be transmitted over a range of output transmit power. An upper limit for a power range may of substantially 12 dBm. The LNA may be tolerant to PA signals by, for example, being configured to follow signal voltages generated from an output of the power amplifier. For example, each input transistor of the LNA may be isolated from other transistors in the LNA. Accordingly, the input transistors may float since they may not be tied to a voltage level via other transistors. This may allow the input transistors to avoid damage. The transceiver may also be configured for differential RF input, differential RF output, single-ended RF input, and/or single-ended RF output. In some configurations, the transceiver may also support use of a power amplifier external to the transceiver to amplify RF signals communicated by the transceiver.
US08600299B2

The disclosed embodiments include a method, system, and device for conducting ultrasound interrogation of a medium. The novel method includes transmitting a non-beamformed or beamformed ultrasound wave into the medium, receiving more than one echoed ultrasound wave from the medium, and converting the received echoed ultrasound wave into digital data. The novel method may further transmit the digital data. In some embodiments, the transmitting may be wireless. The novel device may include transducer elements, an analog-to-digital converter in communication with the transducer elements, and a transmitter in communication with the analog-to-digital converter. The transducers may operate to convert a first electrical energy into an ultrasound wave. The first electrical energy may or may not be beamformed. The transducers also may convert an echoed ultrasound wave into a second electrical energy. The analog-to-digital converter may convert the electrical energy into digital data, and the transmitter may transmit the digital data.
US08600295B2

An ultrawideband radio transceiver/repeater provides a low cost infrastructure solution that merges wireless and wired network devices while providing connection to the plant, flexible repeater capabilities, network security, traffic monitoring and provisioning, and traffic flow control for wired and wireless connectivity of devices or networks. The ultrawideband radio transceiver/repeater can be implemented in discrete, integrated, distributed or embedded forms.
US08600291B2

An opportunity can arise while a user is engaging a first multimedia service, commonly when the service is engaged upon a personal electronic device. A trigger can have the first multimedia service changed to an alternative service based upon the opportunity. Upon completion of the opportunity, there can be an automatic return to the first service or a request to the user on how to leave the opportunity. In addition, a notice can transfer to the user that the opportunity is coming to an end and a request can be made for the user to determine how to proceed from the opportunity or that the opportunity is ending.
US08600288B2

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a first sheet stack portion, a sheet output section, and a post processing unit. The image forming unit forms an image on a sheet. The first sheet stack portion is provided at an upper face of the image forming unit. The sheet output section outputs the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming unit from one side of the image forming apparatus to the first sheet stack portion. The post processing unit is provided adjacent to a lateral side of the image forming unit at an upstream side of the sheet output section to execute post processing on the sheet. A sheet subjected to post-processing by the post-processing unit is output to the first sheet stack portion from the same direction as a sheet not subjected to post-processing by the post-processing unit.
US08600282B2

The present invention provides an image forming apparatus including: an intermediate transfer member having an elastic layer, to which a toner image on an image bearing member is transferred at a primary transfer portion; a transfer device configured to transfer the toner image on the intermediate transfer member to a recording material at a secondary transfer portion; a cleaning unit configured to be in contact with the intermediate transfer member and clean the intermediate transfer member; and a detection device configured to detect the position of the recording material stopped in the image forming apparatus due to conveyance failure. In a returning operation including driving control of the intermediate transfer member performed after the stopped recording material has been removed, the driving control of the intermediate transfer member is performed according to the detection result of the detection device.
US08600280B2

A fixing device includes a rotating fixing body fixes a toner image on a recording medium by heating, the rotating fixing body having a cylindrical metal core formed of a magnetic shunt alloy and having a thickness less than a magnetic-field permeation depth at a temperature higher than or equal to a Curie temperature of the metal core, a coil provided along an outer surface of the rotating fixing body so as to generate magnetic flux that subjects the rotating fixing body to induction heating, and an electrically conductive arch-shaped saddle ring member disposed at a position opposing the coil with the metal core being disposed therebetween and in an orientation such that magnetic flux leakage associated with loss of ferromagnetism of the metal core penetrates the ring member.
US08600276B2

A heat conduction unit includes a flexible endless belt, a heat conductor disposed in proximity to an inner circumferential face of the endless belt and having a cross-section substantially identical to a cross-section of the endless belt, a heat source that heats the heat conductor to heat the endless belt, a pressing roller disposed opposite the heat conductor to rotate the endless belt in accordance with rotation of the pressing roller, a nip formation member disposed opposite the pressing roller and within a loop formed by the endless belt to form a nip between the endless belt and the pressing roller, and a pushing member disposed within the loop to support the nip formation member. The heat conductor has at least two different cross-sectional shapes perpendicular to a long direction of the heat conductor at different positions in the long direction of the heat conductor.
US08600253B2

An image forming apparatus which is capable of detecting occurrence of an abnormality that a fixing member which is actually in an unpressurized state is detected to be in a pressurized state, and supply of electric power to a heating member is continued. A fixing device includes a fixing belt and a pressure roller. The fixing belt and the pressure roller are pressed against each other such that a nip is formed therebetween, for nipping and conveying a transfer material through the nip while heating and pressing the same. A pressurizing unit selectively switches between a pressurizing state and an unpressurizing state. When the pressurizing unit is in the pressurized state, a heater heats the fixing belt. The heating of the fixing belt is stopped based on a temperature detected by a thermistor after a lapse of a predetermined time period from start of the heating.
US08600252B2

A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressing member, and a driving unit. The fixing member and the pressing member define a nip portion where a toner image is fixed on a recording material. The driving unit is provided to the fixing member and the pressing member to individually control linear velocities of outer circumferential surfaces of the fixing member and the pressing member. In feed mode in which the outer circumferential surfaces sandwich the recording material to fix the image on the recording material, the driving unit drives the fixing member and the pressing member such that the outer circumferential surfaces move at individual linear velocities to reduce a feed speed difference between front and rear surfaces of the recording material. In non-feed mode, the driving unit drives either one of the fixing member and the pressing member such that another member is driven by the one member.
US08600251B2

An image forming apparatus including: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a transfer section, which is pressed against, and is separated from, the image bearing member, for transferring a toner image on the image bearing member onto a recording medium when being pressed against the image bearing member, a transfer section drive section for driving the transfer section to rotate; and a control section configured to control the transfer section drive section to carry out constant speed control and constant torque control, to drive said transfer section to rotate at a constant speed, and at a constant torque, respectively, wherein the control section carries out the constant torque control while the transfer section is pressed against the image bearing member, in accordance with a drive torque detected when the constant speed control is carried out while the transfer section is separated from the image bearing member.
US08600247B2

An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a toner image forming unit that forms a toner image on the image carrier; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image on the image carrier to a transfer target having ridges and valleys on a surface thereof; an adjusting unit that adjusts a ratio of A/B, where A is a transfer ratio [%] from the image carrier to a valley portion of the transfer target while B is a transfer ratio [%] from the image carrier to a ridge portion of the transfer target, based on an adjustment input by a user; and a control unit that controls a transfer condition of the transfer unit based on the ratio of A/B adjusted by the adjusting unit.
US08600244B2

A developer cartridge includes a housing and a detection gear having a detection protrusion detectable by detecting device of an image forming apparatus. The detection gear is rotatable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the detection protrusion is detectable by the detecting device and a gear toothed portion opposes an agitator gear. In the second position, the detection protrusion is undetectable by the detecting device and a toothless portion opposes the agitator gear. When the detection gear is in the first position, an urging portion of the housing contacts the detection gear and applies rotational force to urge the gear toothed portion toward the agitator gear. When in the second position, the urging portion contacts the detection gear and regulates the position of the detection gear in the rotational direction to cause the toothless portion and the agitator gear to oppose each other.
US08600240B2

The invention relates to an optical network element (100; 300′), particularly optical line terminal, OLT, or remote node, RN, for transmitting and/or receiving data via an optical network (200) that comprises at least one optical fiber link (210), wherein said optical network element (100; 300′) has a primary optical interface (110; 310) configured to be connected with said optical fiber link (210) to transmit and/or receive data to/from said optical network (200).The inventive optical network element (100) is characterized by at least one secondary optical interface (120a, 120b; 320a, 320b) configured to provide optical pump power (PPa, PPb) to at least one further network element (RN5, RN10; RNa, RNr) via a further optical fiber link (220a, 220b; 220g, 220h), preferably a dedicated pump fiber link, thus enabling true scalability of the optical network (200) regarding network size, particularly link length and the number of remote nodes.
US08600236B2

An optical communication module for optical wavelength division multiplexing includes a plurality of light devices emitting or receiving light beams having different wavelengths, a single optical fiber, and an optical elements arranged between the plurality of light devices and the single optical fiber and having a plurality of lens areas to converge a light beam starting from a single point at a plurality of points or light beams starting from a plurality of points at a single point. In the optical communication module, the plurality of lens areas are arranged such that the center points of the plurality of lens areas are located at the same distance from a point, and the single point and the plurality of points are located at the opposite sides with respect to the optical element.
US08600233B2

A method, bus controller, and computer program product for arbitrating use of a communication bus for a certain one of a plurality of interconnected nodes that share the bus. The method includes the steps of: presenting a data frame on the transmitter and receiver side of the bus, where the certain node presents at the transmitter side, where the data frame has a embedded clock of a predetermined timing and a header field, synchronizing, by the certain node, with the embedded clock in the data frame at the receiving side of the bus, successively presenting, by the certain node, an idle pattern on the bus determined by a preassigned node ID, emitting light, by the certain node, on the bus at a predetermined timing preassigned to the certain node, and monitoring light emission on the bus that indicates a bus access request from another one of the nodes.
US08600232B2

A method and a device process data in an optical network. At least one dedicated time slot is used for transmitting time critical information from an optical network unit towards an optical line terminal. Due to the dedicated time slot, previous long delays in channel switching are decreased or substantially avoided.
US08600228B2

A protected passive optical communications system includes terminals, a main head end, and a back up head end allowing communication with the terminals when a fault occurs. The main and back up head ends transmit frames that include header and payload portions to the terminals. The main head end normally transmits control instructions in the header and user data in the payload. The back up head end, in response to a fault, transmits control instructions in the payload, and a control message in the header. The control message indicates control instructions in the payload. If a control message is in the header, each terminal interprets the payload as control instructions for changing operational attribute(s) of a terminal. If a control message is not in the header, each terminal interprets the payload as user data that it forwards to external user(s) external based on an address from the user data.
US08600225B2

Disclosed herein is an electronic device connected to a camera main body and having an actuator, the electronic device including: a detection terminal adapted to come into contact with a terminal used by the camera main body to detect the connection to the electronic device when the electronic device is connected to the camera main body; a detection section adapted to detect the voltage of the detection terminal; a connection detection section adapted to detect the connection status to the camera main body based on the change in the voltage detected by the detection section; and a control section adapted to control the operation of the actuator based on the connection or disconnection to or from the camera main body detected by the connection detection section.
US08600223B2

An integrated in-line heater for a liquid food or beverage preparation machine, in which liquid is circulated through the heater and then guided into a brewing chamber for brewing a food or beverage ingredient, for instance within a pod or capsule, supplied into the brewing chamber. An upstream part of the brewing chamber may be formed by the heater. One or more electric components may be incorporated into the heater and rigidly connected to a printed circuit board. The heater may have a tubular inner core that is eccentric with respect to a tubular or prismatic outer member which form together a helicoidal heating chamber of variable cross-section.
US08600221B2

The present invention provides a writing/reading control method of HD stream in a DVD recorder, by which HD broadcast signals are write in a DVD medium. The present invention includes the steps of storing a plurality of HD streams in the HDD by demodulating HD broadcast signals received from a tuner/demodulator, creating a stream file in a DVD medium to record a specific one of a plurality of the HD streams stored in the HDD, recording the specific HD stream in the stream file, opening to read the HD steam file recorded in the DVD medium, buffering the read HD stream file in the HDD, and reading the buffered HD stream file using a video decoder.
US08600220B2

A system for loading videos includes an interactive video player is with a loader. A product configuration file in operation configures files for a user in creation of a custom video. External assets are configured for a design of an interactive layer of the video. The interactive video player in operation creates in real-time a custom video that includes a plurality of video segments.
US08600219B2

Disclosed is a video-signal recording and playback apparatus for recording or playing back a video signal, the video-signal recording and playback apparatus comprising: extracting means for extracting a static picture from a sequence of video signals with a predetermined timing; judgment means for forming a judgment as to whether or not a static picture extracted by the extracting means can be used as a representative picture; and setting means for setting the static picture as a representative picture in accordance with an outcome of a judgment formed by the judgment means.
US08600217B2

A video decompression system and method are disclosed. In one preferred embodiment, the video decompression system comprises a memory with logic, and a processor configured with the logic to receive a compressed video stream that includes frame pictures and detect a scan mode indicator in the compressed video stream, wherein the scan mode indicator indicates whether a progressive scan format was used during the creation of the frame pictures.
US08600213B2

What is disclosed is a system and method for reconstructing a video signal such that selected signal components have been emphasized. Methods are disclosed for reducing the source video data to its independent signal components for selection. The source video is reconstructed, in a manner more fully disclosed herein, such that the selected component(s) are emphasized in the reconstructed video during video playback. The methods disclosed herein provide a solution for filtering an original video such that technicians can use the reconstructed video to visually examine, for instance, a dominant region of a patient's vital signals. The teachings hereof find their uses in a wide array of remote sensing applications and, in particular, the telemedicine arts.
US08600212B2

A left view graphics stream and a right view graphics stream recorded on a recording medium each include one or more display sets, and the display sets are data groups used for displaying one screen worth of one or more graphics objects. The one or more display sets included in the left view graphics stream are in one-to-one correspondence with the one or more display sets included in the right view graphics stream, and an identical playback time for the video stream on the playback time axis is set in each of the corresponding display sets. Each display set includes state information indicating whether the data is all data necessary for displaying one screen worth of one or more graphics objects, or is a difference from the immediately previous display set, and the state information included in corresponding display sets indicate identical content.
US08600203B2

A system for routing optical signals includes a waveguide array and a cylindrical resonator lying across the waveguide array, the cylindrical resonator having independently controllable tangential interfaces with each of the waveguides within the waveguide array. A method of selectively routing an optical signal between waveguides includes selecting a optical signal to route; determining the desired path the optical signal; tuning a first controllable interface between a cylindrical resonator and a source waveguide to extract the optical signal from the source waveguide; and tuning a second independently controllable interface between the cylindrical resonator and a destination waveguide to deposit the optical signal into the destination waveguide.
US08600202B2

An enhanced 3D integration structure comprises a logic microprocessor chip bonded to a collection of vertically stacked memory slices and an optional set of outer vertical slices comprising optoelectronic devices. Such a device enables both high memory content in close proximity to the logic circuits and a high bandwidth for logic to memory communication. Additionally, the provision of optoelectronic devices in the outer slices of the vertical slice stack enables high bandwidth direct communication between logic processor chips on adjacent enhanced 3D modules mounted next to each other or on adjacent packaging substrates. A method to fabricate such structures comprises using a template assembly which enables wafer format processing of vertical slice stacks.
US08600201B2

An optical device implemented on a substrate (such as silicon) is described. This optical device includes a wavelength-sensitive optical component with a high thermal resistance to a surrounding external environment and a low thermal resistance to a localized thermal-tuning mechanism (such as a heater), which modifies a temperature of the wavelength-sensitive optical component, thereby specifying an operating wavelength of the wavelength-sensitive optical component. In particular, the thermal resistance associated with a thermal dissipation path from the thermal-tuning mechanism to the external environment via the substrate is increased by removing a portion of the substrate to create a gap that is proximate to the thermal-tuning mechanism and the wavelength-sensitive optical component. Furthermore, the optical device includes a binder material mechanically coupled to the substrate and proximate to the gap, thereby maintaining a mechanical strength of the optical device.
US08600191B2

In a first aspect of the invention, a method is provided for forming a group image. In accordance with the method, a set of imaging information is obtained depicting a scene over a period of time. Elements in the set of imaging information are distinguished and attributes of the elements in the set of image information are examined. Imaging information is selected from the set of imaging information depicting each element with the selection being made according to the attributes for that element. A group image is formed based upon the set of imaging information with the archival image incorporating the selected image information.
US08600186B2

The subject innovation provides for systems and methods to facilitate obtaining an overall well focused catadioptric image by combining portions of multifocal images in a fast and reliable manner. The resulting images benefit applications where high image resolutions are desirable over a large field of view. In an aspect, shallow depth of field imaging with respect to the caustic volume boundary can be correlated to annular shaped best focal regions for multifocal image sets. These annular regions are generally independent of scene composition and generally dependant on optical system parameters allowing fast computation of overall well focused output images comprising concentric best focused annulus areas from a multifocal image set.
US08600185B1

Methods and systems for restoring image integrity in an image are described. The described methods and systems are particularly applied against an image after determining whether the image has undergone at least one of a color mutation, a non-color mutation, or a combination of a color mutation and a non-color mutation.
US08600184B2

A system and method of the present disclosure provides a block, or region, based error diffusion process for reducing artifacts in images. The system and method allows for the generation and the control of the spatial frequency of a masking signal, e.g., noise, in a way that it can be easily passed through the compression process. The system and method provides for selecting a block size of pixels of the image, adding a masking signal to the image, determining a quantization error for at least one block in the image, and distributing the quantization error to neighboring blocks in the image to mask artifacts in the image. An output image is then encoded with a compression function.
US08600182B2

An information processing apparatus includes a display time acquiring unit that acquires a display time for each predetermined unit region of an image and a compression control unit that controls compression of the image for each unit region based on the display time.
US08600181B2

There is provided a method for compressing images and an image format. The method comprises performing a transform on pixel portions of image data and evaluating resulting coefficients from each transform in terms of a flatness condition. If the transform is found to be flat then the result from the transform is quantized according to a first quantizing scheme. If the transform is found not to be flat then the result from the transform is quantized according to a second quantizing scheme being different from the first quantizing scheme. Different block arranging schemes are proposed for the quantizing schemes. An indicator is stored in the block indicating that the image block is flat or not flat. The resulting bits are written into a compression data structure.
US08600180B2

Disclosed is a method of compressing an image (1301) using one of a plurality of candidate compression methods (1120, 1130), said method comprising the steps of (a) processing a portion of the image to determine, for at least some of the candidate compression methods, associated compressibility scores (220) and corresponding pairs of thresholds (230), the compressibility scores and the pairs of thresholds being dependent upon the proportion of the image that has been processed, (b) comparing (240, 260) the compressibility scores to the corresponding pairs of thresholds, (c) selecting (250), if a compressibility score satisfies the corresponding pair of thresholds, the associated candidate compression method, and (d) compressing the image (1301) using the selected candidate compression method.
US08600167B2

Devices, methods, and software are disclosed for capturing a frame of image data having a representation of a feature. In an illustrative embodiment, a device includes an imaging subsystem, one or more memory components, and a processor. The imaging subsystem is capable of providing image data representative of light incident on said imaging subsystem. The one or more memory components include at least a first memory component operatively capable of storing an input frame of the image data. The processor is in communicative connection with executable instructions for enabling the processor for various steps. One step includes receiving the input frame from the first memory component. Another step includes generating a reduced resolution frame based on the input frame, the reduced resolution frame comprising fewer pixels than the input frame, in which a pixel in the reduced resolution frame combines information from two or more pixels in the input frame. Another step includes attempting to identify transition pairs comprising pairs of adjacent pixels in the reduced resolution frame having differences between the pixels that exceed a pixel transition threshold. Another step includes attempting to identify one or more linear features between two or more identified transition pairs in the reduced resolution frame. Another step includes providing an indication of one or more identified linear features in the reduced resolution frame.
US08600165B2

A system, method, and apparatus for mark recognition in an image of an original document are provided. The method/system takes as input an image of an original document in which at least one designated field is provided for accepting a mark applied by a user (which may or may not have been marked). A region of interest (RoI) is extracted from the image, roughly corresponding to the designated field. A center of gravity (CoG) of the RoI is determined, based on a distribution of black pixels in the RoI. Thereafter, for one or more iterations, the RoI is partitioned into sub-RoIs, based on the determined CoG, where at a subsequent iteration, sub-RoIs generated at the prior iteration serve as the RoI partitioned. Data is extracted from the RoI and sub-RoIs at one or more of the iterations, which allows a representation of the entire RoI to be generated which is useful in classifying the designated field, e.g., as positive (marked) or negative (not marked).
US08600162B2

The invention provides an image identification device uses a separating plane to classify block images into the categories. The image identification device includes a target image input unit inputting a target image, a block image generation unit generates block images, a feature quantity computing unit computes feature quantities of the block images, and a category determination unit determines whether the block images are classified into the categories or not. The feature quantity computing unit uses local feature quantities of the block images and a global feature quantity of the target image as a whole, and also in a feature quantity space using features of the block images as coordinate axes, uses coordinate positions of feature quantity vectors optional areas in the feature quantity space to count the block images and causes the global feature quantity to include the number of the block images thus counted.
US08600159B2

Some embodiments of the invention provide novel methods for converting the color region of images. For instance, the method of some embodiments converts the color of an image from one color region (e.g., from a Rec. 601 color region) to another color region (e.g., to a Rec. 709 color region). In some embodiments, the method receives the image in a first color format that is non-linearly encoded within a first color region. Without performing a linearization operation to linearize the color component values of the image, the method then converts the image into a second color format that is defined with respect to a second color region. In some embodiments, the color-converted image is non-linearly encoded in the second color region.
US08600151B2

A method of producing a digital stereoscopic image using a processor is disclosed. The method includes providing a plurality of digital image files which include digital images and the time of capture of each image and using time of capture to identify candidate pairs of images. The method further includes using the processor to analyze the image content of the candidate pairs of images to identify at least one image pair that can be used to produce a stereoscopic image; and using an identified image pair to produce the digital stereoscopic image.
US08600147B2

A computer-implemented method for measuring full field deformation characteristics of a deformable body. The method includes determining optical setup design parameters for measuring displacement and strain fields, and generating and applying a dot pattern on a planar side of a deformable body. A sequence of images of the dot pattern is acquired before and after deformation of the body. Irregular objects are eliminated from the images based on dot light intensity threshold and the object area or another geometrical cutoff criterion. The characteristic points of the dots are determined, and the characteristic points are matched between two or more of the sequential images. The displacement vector of the characteristic points is found, and mesh free or other techniques are used to estimate the full field displacement based on the displacement vector of the characteristic points. Strain tensor or other displacement-derived quantities can also be estimated using mesh-free or other analysis techniques.
US08600145B2

The method may be used in the devices for banknote detecting, counting or sorting; it may be used to determine the banknote main characteristics: its currency type and denomination. The method is based on a computational processing of the banknote digital image formed in the device during scanning. Increase in the banknote processing speed is the technical result. The first variant of the method envisages a preliminary classification and further checking of correspondence to selected possible classes according to several criteria typical for each particular class. For checking of correspondence, an admissibility of the value of interrelation characteristic for two areas is validated. According to the second variant, there is made classification on the base of a banknote digital image and for each possible class the measure of the banknote correspondence to the image is calculated and used for ranking, the banknote is referred to the class closest to it by the measure of correspondence.
US08600144B2

A new morphological feature referred to herein as profile weighted intensity feature is provided, useful for automated classification of objects, such as cells, that are depicted in digital images. In certain embodiments, the profile weighted intensity feature is determined by automatically identifying a border of a cell in an input image, determining a distance image for the cell, computing a profile function for the cell, and computing a mean intensity of at least a portion of the input image weighted by the profile function for the cell.
US08600142B2

Various embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for optimally staining biological samples for analysis. In one embodiment, images of a sample are recorded before and after the application of a staining reagent and a decolorization reagent. A difference image is then generated based at least in part on a comparison of the images of the sample recorded before and after the application of the staining and decolorization reagents. Application parameters of the staining and decolorization reagents are then corrected based at least in part on the difference image such that the reagents may be optimally reapplied to generate a final image of the sample that may enable a user to better differentiate at least one target of interest in the sample. In one example, embodiments of the present invention allow for the generation of images that show only Gram-positive bacteria or only Gram-negative bacteria.
US08600141B2

In a method and a device for the segmentation of a lesion, a quantity of candidate regions for the lesion is determined proceeding from a starting region by means of a candidate unit. The candidate regions are arranged substantially concentrically to the starting region. A candidate region closest to the lesion is selected automatically by means of a selection unit or manually by means of a correction unit from the quantity of candidate regions. The selected candidate region is a reliable and robust basis for a classification of the lesion.
US08600139B2

A method of processing a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging data set (30) acquired of a subject includes independently localizing each positron-electron annihilation event of the PET imaging data set based on time of flight (TOF) localization of the positron-electron annihilation event to form a generated image (34). The generated image may be displayed. The generated image is suitably used as the basis for an initial image of an iterative reconstruction (40) of the PET imaging data set (30) to produce a reconstructed image (42). A spatial contour (56) of an image of the subject in the PET imaging data set (30) is suitably delineated based on the generated image (34). A subject attenuation map (62) for use in PET image reconstruction (40) is suitably constructed based in part on the spatial contour (56).
US08600138B2

A method to process images for interventional imaging, wherein a 3D image of an object is visualized with a medical imaging system, the medical imaging system comprising an X-ray source and a detector, is provided. The method comprises acquiring a plurality of 2D-projected images of the object along a plurality of orientations of the imaging chain, wherein a rectilinear instrument has been inserted into the object. The method also comprises determining a 3D reconstruction of the instrument such that a plurality of 2D projections of the 3D image of the instrument, along the respective orientations in the 2D-projected images of the object were acquired, are closest to the acquired 2D-projected images of the object. The method further comprises superimposing the 3D reconstruction of the instrument over the 3D image of the object so as to obtain a 3D image comprising the object and the instrument.
US08600135B2

A system and method for automatically generating sample points from a series of medical images and identifying a significant region are presented. An image acquisition system acquires the medical images of a region of interest (ROI) and an automated mask generator reviews the images to generate a parenchyma mask. Using the parenchyma mask, an automated sample point generator then detects portions of the medical images indicative of a material expected to be in a ROI and designates sample points therefrom. A target-tissue identification system uses the sample points to create a mathematical description of a target tissue and an enhanced target-tissue. A target-tissue change detection system then detects changes in the mathematical descriptions from those created using prior images. Finally, a significant region detector, which includes a training process to generate a quantitative definition of significance, automatically identifies a significant object in the series of medical images.
US08600130B2

A treatment planning apparatus comprises a means for receiving a three dimensional representation of a patient, a means for displaying at least a part of the representation, a means for user-designation of sub-regions of the representation, and a computing means adapted to segment the representation into a region within an anatomical structure and a region outside the anatomical structure on the basis of the locations of the sub-regions, the degree of similarity of voxels to neighboring voxels in the representation, and a dataset representing an a priori assumption of the correct segmentation. •The dataset preferably comprises a probability distribution of each pixel being within the segmentation, e.g. obtained from a segmentation of a previous image of the patient, for example by smoothing the previous segmentation. The at least part of the representation comprises one or more sections through the representation, such as axial, sagittal and/or coronal views of the patient. The computing means can segment the representation by minimizing a function.
US08600121B2

Apparatus for face recognition, the apparatus comprising: a face symmetry verifier, configured to verify symmetry of a face in at least one image, according to a predefined symmetry criterion, and a face identifier, associated with the face symmetry verifier, and configured to identify the face, provided the symmetry of the face is successfully verified.
US08600118B2

A system for managing scouting images, including a scouting camera configured to record and store images of subjects at a particular location and an image management device which has a processor that creates a predictive statement based on image content of the images stored on the scouting camera or copies thereof and a display conveying the predictive statement to a user, wherein the predictive statement indicates a portion of a future time period that subjects are most likely to be at the particular location as compared to remaining portions of the future time period.
US08600116B2

Multiple-object speed tracking apparatuses are disclosed, including a camera configured to capture a set of images of a monitored area (e.g., a roadway). The camera's longitudinal axis may be positioned at any viewing angle relative to a longitudinal axis of a roadway such that at least two moving objects moving on the roadway are included in a set of high or low resolution images. A computer system is configured to analyze the set of images to detect the two moving objects and substantially simultaneously determine a calculated rate of speed of at least one of the two moving objects. The computer system also provides an on-site speed calibration process for transforming locations of an image among the set of images into real-world coordinates by considering both perspective and scale of the image. An apparatus mount for at least one of either the camera or the computer system is also disclosed.
US08600105B2

Systems and methods for detecting visual objects by employing multiple cues include statistically combining information from multiple sources into a saliency map, wherein the information may include color, texture and/or motion in an image where an object is to be detected or background determined. The statistically combined information is thresholded to make decisions with respect to foreground/background pixels.
US08600102B1

A system and method is provided wherein, in one aspect, a processor determines whether multiple street level images have captured a nearly-identical face. If so, the images are processed to determine whether the face appears to be part of an advertisement. Once it is determined that the face is displayed on an advertisement, the boundaries of the advertisement may be determined and the location of the advertisement is stored for future use, e.g., potentially replacing the advertisement in the image with a different advertisement.
US08600094B2

A device for mounting a communication headset to a helmet includes a mounting panel having a seat in a front surface thereof that includes a set of electrical contacts and a guide, a printed circuit board 110 in electrical connection with the electrical contacts, and an elongated tongue affixed to the mounting panel. The tongue is configured for insertion between an inner shell and an outer shell of a protective helmet. Also, a wireless communication device can have such a tongue affixed to it. The tongue can be forked or otherwise arranged to have plural broad surfaces extending to a free end.
US08600091B2

An electronic device includes a main body, a speaker, and a supporting component. The speaker is disposed in the main body. The supporting component supports the main body. The supporting component combines with the main body, and a flat surface connected between the main body and the supporting component to form a triangular resonant space for the speaker.
US08600088B2

The present invention refers to a hearing device system which comprises: at least a first hearing device (10) including a first control unit (14) and a second hearing device (30) including a second control unit (37) for processing acoustic signals. Each of the hearing devices includes a transceiver (20, 34) for establishing a data communications link (40) between the first and the second hearing devices. At least one of the hearing devices including a sensing means (18, 33) for detecting, whether a telephone handset (19) is placed close to the hearing device. Each of the control units includes at least a first and a second control mode. Both hearing devices are adapted for outputting the processed acoustic signals in the first control mode. Upon detection of the telephone handset the first hearing device is shifted to the second control mode for inhibiting the output of the processed acoustic signals and establishing the data communications link for transmitting the processed acoustic signals to the second hearing device. The second hearing device is also shifted to the second control mode for receiving the processed acoustic signals transmitted from the first hearing device and outputting the transmitted acoustic signals.
US08600087B2

A noise reduction is provided for a hearing apparatus, with which both stationary and also non-stationary interference noises can be attenuated in an input signal. An output signal is in this way to convey a quite sound impression. A signal processing is provided, which effects a noise reduction on the basis of two different methods. Provision is made on the one hand for a noise reduction for stationary interference noises and on the other hand for a noise reduction for spatially oriented interference noises. A selection facility selects between the two noise reductions.
US08600080B2

Electronic devices and accessories such as headsets for electronic devices are provided. A microphone may be included in an accessory to capture sound for an associated electronic device. Buttons and other user interfaces may be included in the accessories. An accessory may have an audio plug that connects to a mating audio jack in an electronic device, thereby establishing a wired communications link between the accessory and the electronic device. The electronic device may include power supply circuitry for applying bias voltages to the accessory. The bias voltages may bias a microphone and may adjust settings in the accessory such as settings related to operating modes. User input information may be conveyed between the accessory and the electronic device using ultrasonic tone transmission. The electronic device may also gather input from the accessory using a voltage detector coupled to lines in the communications path.
US08600070B2

A signal processing apparatus includes a signal transforming unit transforming a first sound signal obtained by dividing a sound signal represented by a time function and by the predetermined time width into a second sound signal represented by a frequency function; a calculating unit determining a third sound signal which has a reduced influence of the operation sound by using the second sound signal and a sound signal representing the operation sound; a correcting unit performing a correction, by setting a sound signal representing the target sound as a reference signal, on the third sound signal based on the reference signal; and a signal inverse transforming unit inverse-transforming a sound signal on which the correction is performed from the sound signal represented by the frequency function into the sound signal represented by the time function.
US08600068B2

A system for inducing an effect in a raw audio signal comprises a computing device for receiving a first audio signal and a second audio signal from a signal source, and the second audio signal comprises the first audio signal induced with an effect. The system further comprises logic that parameterizes the effect in the second audio signal into an artificial neural network (ANN).
US08600067B2

A test signal emitted by an earpiece is compared against the acoustic signal to determine if a sealing section of the earpiece is sealed properly. The degree of acoustic sealing is used to adjust the attenuation level of a sealing section of the earpiece or alert the user of the seal status of the sealing section.
US08600064B2

An information processing apparatus transmits, to another information processing apparatus, designation information that is used to specify at least one of an encrypted secret keys that can be decrypted using a first apparatus secret key, out of an encrypted secret key set contained in a first key management information, receives from the another information processing apparatus, the encrypted secret key specified by the designation information out of the encrypted secret key set contained in a second key management information, obtains a second secret key contained in the second key management information in a secret manner by decrypting the encrypted secret key received by the receiving unit using the first apparatus secret key, and performs the authentication process with the another information processing apparatus using the second secret key.
US08600063B2

The key distribution system comprises a terminal and a server which establish encrypted communication with each other by use of a common key cryptography using a communication secret key. To issue a new communication secret key, the terminal generates a secret value and encrypts it with a public key and sends the encrypted secret value to the server. The server decrypts the encrypted secret value with a private key paired with the public key. The server issues the new communication secret key, and encrypts it with a common key cryptography using the secret value, and sends the encrypted new communication secret key to the terminal. The terminal decrypts the encrypted new communication secret key with the secret value, thereby obtaining the new communication secret key. Thereafter, the terminal and the server use the new communication secret key.
US08600057B2

An example method includes encapsulating, by an optical network device, at least a portion of a data packet to form a passive optical network (PON) frame. The method further includes applying, by the optical network device, a scrambling polynomial to at least a portion of the PON frame to generate a scrambled PON frame. The method further includes determining, by the optical network device, that the scrambled PON frame comprises a consecutive identical digit (CID) sequence greater than a threshold length. The method further includes replacing, by the optical network device the determined CID sequence with a correction pattern to generate a modified scrambled PON frame. The method further includes transmitting, by the optical network device, the modified scrambled PON frame.
US08600054B2

A method for preventing abuse of an Authentication Vector (AV) and a system and apparatus for implementing the method are provided. Access network information of a non-3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access network where a user resides is bound to an AV of the user, so that when the user accesses an Evolved Packet System (EPS) through the non-3GPP access network, even if an entity in the non-3GPP access network is breached, or an Evolved Packet Data Gateway (ePDG) connected to an untrusted non-3GPP access network is breached, the stolen AV cannot be applied to other non-3GPP access networks by an attacker.
US08600051B2

Provided are a system and a method for quantum cryptography. The method includes generating the same quantum cryptography key in a transmitter and a receiver by measuring a composite-quantum-system made of a plurality of sub-quantum-systems in each of the transmitter and the receiver connected to each other through a quantum channel, wherein a part of the sub-quantum-systems is confined within the transmitter in order not to expose the entire composite-quantum-system to an outside of the transmitter and the composite-quantum-system cannot be determined without disturbing the composite-quantum-system at the outside of the transmitter.
US08600039B2

The present invention relates to design and implementation of low complexity adaptive echo and NEXT cancellers in multi-channel data transmission systems. In this invention, a highly efficient weight update scheme is proposed to reduce the computational cost of the weight update part in adaptive echo and NEXT cancellers. Based on the proposed scheme, the hardware complexity of the weight update part can be further reduced by applying the word-length reduction technique. The proposed scheme is general and suitable for real applications such as design of a low complexity transceiver in 10GBase-T. Different with prior work, this invention considers the complexity reduction in weight update part of the adaptive filters such that the overall complexity of these adaptive cancellers can be significantly reduced.
US08600034B2

A system, device and method is provided for handling customer-agent interactions. An unsuccessful interaction may be detected between a customer and a first agent unable to resolve a problem. A successful interaction may be detected between the customer and a second agent that resolves the problem. The first agent may be sent a report summarizing the successful interaction by the second agent.
US08600027B1

A system for conference calling having a memory having at least one user record associated with a system user, the user record having telephone number and an electronic address. A conference call request receiving function is executable by the processor to receive a conference call request email, the conference call request email has calendar information and an electronic address of one or more participants. A scheduling function is executable by the processor to schedule a conference call on the system server between the one or more participants that are system users at the time of the conference call according to the calendar information in the conference call request email. Also provided is a method for conference calling whereby a conference call request is received via email.
US08600025B2

A system and method for merging a first voice call and a second voice call. A first topic discussed during the first voice call is compared to a second topic discussed during the second voice call. If the first topic matches the second topic, the first voice call may be merged with the second voice call. A semantic analysis may be performed on the first topic and the second topic to determine if the first topic and the second topic match one another. Filter criteria may be defined by participants of the first voice call and the second voice call that identify criteria that may preclude merger of the first voice call and the second voice call.
US08600020B2

In a system and method for facilitating an telephony carrier to make transactions with carrier customers and/or carrier suppliers, one or more parameters are monitored and the telephony carrier is automatically to be triggered to send an offer to at least one of the carriers when at least of the parameters reaches a predetermined threshold. Preferably, the parameters are related to telephone capacity handled by the telephony carrier, and the offer is an offer to buy capacity from existing or new carrier suppliers or an offer to sell capacity to carrier customers. Thus, the efficiency of transactions is substantially increased.
US08600019B1

A method and apparatus of extracting and sharing user preference information is disclosed. One example method may include receiving a call from a user device, retrieving user information from a user account stored in a user databank in response to receiving the call, and transmitting a targeted offer to the user device based on the user information retrieved from the user account. The method may also include receiving feedback from the user device regarding the offer, updating the user information in the user account, and determining a next offer to transmit to the user device.
US08599998B2

An object is to provide a semiconductor device with improved operation. The semiconductor device includes a first transistor, and a second transistor electrically connected to a gate of the first transistor. A first terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to a first line. A second terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to a second line. The gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to a first terminal or a second terminal of the second transistor.
US08599997B2

A multiple-modulus divider and an associated control method are provided. The multiple-modulus divider includes a divisor loader, a multiple-modulus dividing circuit and a modulus controller. The divisor loader downloads a divisor when a download signal indicates a start of a division period. The multiple-modulus circuit includes a plurality of cascaded divisors, and provides an output frequency according to an input frequency and the divisor. The dividers respectively output a plurality of modulus output signals, and each is operable under either a close-loop state or an open-loop state. The modulus controller selects and controls one of the dividers according to the divisor, and ensures the selected divider is maintained at the open-loop state when the division period ends. The download signal corresponds to one of the modulus output signals.
US08599992B2

A method and apparatus for providing a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) jet pump inlet-mixer integral slip joint clamp to constrain the inlet mixer and diffuser to mitigate inlet mixer flow induced vibration of a BWR jet pump assembly. The slip joint clamp includes horizontally projecting flanges with vertical sidewalls that protrude toward a lowest distal end of the inlet mixer. Fasteners penetrating the flanges provide a biasing load on the diffusers by being tightened to press against an upper crown on the diffuser. One or more flanges may be used. Laterally disposed gaps between the flanges may provide a clearance for guide ears of the diffuser to fit between the flanges.
US08599982B2

An interface system is used for interfacing a synchronous circuit with an asynchronous circuit, wherein the synchronous circuit generates, in response to a clock signal, a first control signal for indicating that a first data signal contains valid data, and wherein the asynchronous circuit generates, according to an asynchronous communication protocol, a second control signal indicating the state of transmission of a second data signal.
US08599977B2

The invention is suitable for use in an OFDM system, such as the 3GPP-LTE mobile phone system. A method of estimating Doppler spread in a mobile communications device includes: (a) selecting a channel estimate from each of a sequence of time slots at each of a series of selected sub-carrier frequencies; (b) performing a Digital Fourier Transform (DFT) on the selected channel estimates at each selected sub-carrier frequency to thereby compute DFT components at different frequency bins; (c) summing the DFT components at all selected sub-carrier frequencies for each different frequency bin; (d) detecting the frequency bin at which the summed DFT components first falls below a predetermined threshold; and (e) converting the detected frequency bin into a Doppler spread estimate.
US08599976B2

Some of the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method within a wireless communication network, the method comprising, receiving by a user equipment (UE), a signal and interference component, wherein the interference component was transmitted in an unknown direction; and decoding, by the UE, the signal based at least in part on the interference component. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08599974B2

A method of determining a set of Zero Correlation Zone (ZCZ) lengths, comprises: determining the length of a root sequence, and selecting such a set of ZCZ lengths that, for any cell radius, the maximum number of preambles obtained from a ZCZ length which is selected from the selected set of ZCZ lengths is closest to the maximum number of preambles determined from a ZCZ length which is selected from the set of all integers, wherein the maximum number of preambles is determined from the length of the root sequence and a ZCZ length selected. This disclosure provides a technical solution for selecting a better limited set of ZCZ lengths by which signaling overload is reduced.
US08599973B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the detection of synchronization marks in data storage and retrieval. According to one embodiment, synchronization marks are detected from the output of a matched filter, upstream of the Viterbi detector. This approach avoids the delay associated with the latency of the Viterbi output, thereby allowing time to align parity framing and to properly start the time-varying trellis. Certain embodiments disclose 34- and 20-bit primary synchronization marks located at the beginning of a data region. Other embodiments disclose 16-, 20-, and 24-bit embedded synchronization marks located within a data region.
US08599970B2

A received RF signal is down-converted to a baseband or low-IF digitized signal in order to search for a pilot signal that indicates a presence of a DTV signal such as an ATSC DTV signal. The pilot signal characteristically resides in a fixed frequency range for all valid DTV signals and is extracted by processing the baseband or low-IF signal in multiple stages. The first stage reduces signal information to that pertaining to the frequency band covering all valid pilot frequencies, thereby reducing the sampling rate and computational complexity of subsequent operations. A second stage operates on this reduced rate signal to focus on a series of particular pilot frequencies for interrogation. For each such candidate frequency, the cyclostationarity of the signal is measured and tested for statistical significance relative to the background energy to yield an effective test that is invariant with respect to background noise level.
US08599967B2

Methods and apparatuses for calculating the location of an optimal sampling point for a receiver system are disclosed. In brief, a first method comprises determining a maximum voltage margin and a maximum timing margin of a received signal, and from these margins, determining an optimal sampling point, which includes a reference voltage level (Vref) and a relative sample phase. The location of the optimal sampling point is based on the locations of the sampling point of the maximum voltage margin and the sampling point of the maximum timing margin. A second method comprises establishing an initial sampling point, and then successively refining each of the voltage and timing components of the sampling point until an optimal sampling point is reached.
US08599966B2

A data receiver, a method of operating a data receiver, and an integrated coupling system in a data receiver are disclosed. In one embodiment, the data receiver comprises an input terminal for receiving an input data signal, an input amplifier for amplifying selected components of the input data signal, and an input signal path for transmitting specified high-frequency components and a baseline component of the input data signal from the input terminal to the input amplifier. The data receiver further comprises a feed-forward resistive network connected to the input terminal and to the input amplifier. This feed forward resistive network is used to forward a low-frequency drift compensation signal from the input terminal to the input amplifier, using a passive resistive network, to compensate for low frequency variations in the input data signal, and to develop a desired bias voltage at the input amplifier.
US08599961B2

A method for crest factor reduction of a multi-carrier signal is disclosed. The method comprises determining a plurality of signal values of a plurality of single-carrier signals prior to combining the plurality of single-carrier signals to form the multi-carrier signal. The method further comprises performing a joint potential peak detection on the plurality of signal values, producing a temporal position of a possible peak in the multi-carrier signal, generating a plurality of cancellation pulses, and injecting the plurality of cancellation pulses to the plurality of single-carrier signals at temporal injection positions which correspond to the temporal position of the possible peak in the multi-carrier signal. The single-carrier signals are then combined to form a crest factor reduced multi-carrier signal. A corresponding circuit and corresponding computer program product useable during manufacture and operation are also disclosed.
US08599954B2

A method from transmitting data via multiple antennas. In this method, four information bits to be transmitted are multiplexed by using either one of a code division multiplexing scheme or a second code division multiplexing scheme combined with a real and imaginary multiplexing scheme, to generate a code division multiplexed symbol including four vectors. Then, the code division multiplexed symbol is repeatedly transmitted by alternatively applying two transmit diversity schemes via four transmission antennas.
US08599948B2

The present invention relates to a method and arrangement for symbol mapping in wireless communication systems utilizing OFDM transmission technology in combination with advanced coding schemes. In the method according to the present invention, adapted for use in a wireless communication system utilizing OFDM transmission technology, an OFDM grid is defined by at least a first dimension and a second dimensions from the dimensions time, frequency or space. The advanced coding scheme, for example Alamouti coding, outputs symbols that are related via the coding. At least some of the symbols, defining a code related symbol group should experience identical, or at least very similar, radio channels. According to one embodiment of the present invention, symbols from the same code related symbol group is placed as close together in the OFDM grid as possible.
US08599946B2

Precoding methods and method for performing precoding and methods of transmitting feedback information for precoding or transmitting a signal using a multi-codebook and method of transceiving precoding information in a multi-antenna system, where a signal transmitting method in a multi-antenna system, and more particularly, a method of transceiving precoding matrix information for a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) system is disclosed. The present invention proposes a method of performing communications using an expanded unitary matrix generated from shifting a phase of a base unitary matrix. The present invention is applicable to single user MIMO, multi-user MIMO, beam forming, etc.
US08599932B2

A system configured to decode video data in a packetized elementary stream (PES) including frames of image data. The system includes a processor configured to receive a transport stream including control information associated with the image data including video metadata parameters associated with application specific functions applicable to the image data. The processor is also configured to receive the PES including the frames of image data in video access units. The processor is configured to retrieve and decode the retrieved video access units using the control information to form a signal including the frames of image data. The system also includes a storage device configured to store the frames of image data and the control information.
US08599929B2

A distributed video decoder and a distributed video decoding method are provided. The distributed video decoder includes a key picture decoding unit which reconstructs a key picture received from an encoder, a hash information selecting unit which determines necessary hash information using the reconstructed key picture and/or generated previous side information, and a side information generating unit which generates side information using the reconstructed key picture and/or hash information selected based on information determined by the hash information selecting unit. The distributed video decoder further includes a channel code decoding unit which estimates a quantized value by using a parity bit received from the encoder and the generated side information, and a video reconstructing unit which reconstructs a current picture as a decoding target by using the quantized value estimated by the channel code decoding unit and the generated side information.
US08599921B2

A partition subset selection module selects a subset of available partitions for a macroblock pair of the plurality of macroblock pairs, based on motion search motion vectors generated by a motion search section, and further based on a macroblock adaptive frame and field indicator. A motion refinement module generates refined motion vectors for the macroblock pair, based on the subset of available partitions for a macroblock pair.
US08599896B2

A laser amplifier system is provided which comprises a resonator with optical resonator elements which determine a course of a resonator radiation field which propagates along an optical axis and at least one laser-active medium (LM). The resonator is designed as a split resonator and has a first resonator section which extends from a first virtual plane of separation and a second resonator section which extends from a second virtual plane of separation. The resonator sections are dimensioned optically such that the resonator radiation field has radiation field states corresponding to the same resonator modes in each of the virtual planes of separation. An amplifying unit optically independent of the resonator is arranged between the first and the second virtual planes of separation. The amplifying unit comprises the at least one laser-active medium and couples the radiation field states in a neutral manner with respect to the resonator modes.
US08599893B2

Disclosed is a terahertz wave generator which includes a dual mode semiconductor laser device configured to generate at least two laser lights having different wavelengths and to beat the generated laser lights; and a photo mixer formed on the same chip as the dual mode semiconductor laser device and to generate a continuous terahertz wave when excited by the beat laser light.
US08599892B2

Provided is a method for controlling a laser oscillator. Such a laser oscillator is applicable to a laser processing machine and includes a plurality of oscillator modules each adapted to be driven to oscillate a laser beam. Also, such a laser oscillator is configured to collect laser beams oscillated by driven modules for output. The method includes determining the number of modules to be driven, of the plurality of oscillator modules.
US08599891B2

Embodiments of the invention provide a laser light source comprising: a plurality of lasers connected in series; and a laser driver controllable to simultaneously drive a substantially same current through a combination of the lasers selectable from different combinations of lasers in the plurality of lasers and not through lasers in the plurality of lasers that are not in the combination.
US08599880B1

Methods and systems are provided for utilizing the mobile-station simultaneous hybrid dual receive (SHDR) capability to improve femtocell performance. A femtocell provides service to one or more SHDR mobile stations, each having (1) a transmit and primary receive chain (T×R×0) for communicating with and via the femtocell and (2) a secondary receive chain (R×1) for monitoring a macro network, including monitoring a detected signal strength of one or more pilot channels of one or more macro-network coverage areas. The femtocell receives reports from at least the SHDR mobile stations to which the femtocell is providing service, the reports reflecting at least the detected signal strengths of the respective macro-network pilot channels. The femtocell uses the received reports for making and carrying out decisions as to whether or not to instruct one or more SHDR mobile stations to handoff to the macro network.
US08599877B1

An information packet preclassification system and method are provided. The method receives a packet of information and differentiates the packet into segments. Using a decision tree with multiple levels, segments in the packet are compared to a node at a tree level, where each node includes a plurality of node reference segments and corresponding node comparison operators. The reference segment may be a different segment from the packet, or a predetermined segment value stored in memory. One, or more classification attributes are accessed in response to comparing segments, and the classification attributes are assigned to the packet. Then, the packet is processed in response to the classification attributes.
US08599875B2

A transmission stream (TS) generating apparatus includes an adaptor which receives general data and generates a stream having a plurality of packets, and which provides adaptive field in some of the plurality of packets, and an inserter which inserts additional data into all the payload areas of some of the plurality of packets that are not provided with the adaptive fields. Because additional data is transmitted, without requiring adaptive field header in certain packet, a data transmission rate is increased.
US08599874B2

The details of an apparatus and method for handling cell update during reconfiguration in universal mobile telecommunications system user equipment are disclosed herein. When a UE receives a Reconfiguration request from a UTRAN, it sets an activation time for execution of the reconfiguration. Where a cell update is required when the reconfiguration has not yet been applied, the UE delays the execution of the cell update procedure until after the reconfiguration has been applied. If the trigger which initiated the cell update procedure is no longer relevant, the cell update is unnecessary and may be cancelled.
US08599873B2

Disclosed is a system and method for routing a call to a dual mode wireless device. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a network node receives a call. The network node determines that the call is associated with a dual mode wireless device. Once this determination is made, the network node then selects one of a plurality of networks (e.g., cellular network or packet-based network, such as a VoIP network) for use in connecting the call to the dual mode wireless device. The network node then routes the call to the dual mode wireless device via the selected network. During the call, the network node re-routes the call to another network if the network node determines that this other network is now better suited for the call.
US08599870B2

A system and method are provided for prioritizing network processor information flow in a channel service manager (CSM). The method receives a plurality of information streams on a plurality of input channels, and selectively links input channels to CSM channels. The information streams are stored, and the stored the information streams are mapped to a processor queue in a group of processor queues. Information streams are supplied from the group of processor queues to a network processor in an order responsive to a ranking of the processor queues inside the group. More explicitly, selectively linking input channels to CSM channels includes creating a fixed linkage between each input port and an arbiter in a group of arbiters, and scheduling information streams in response to the ranking of the arbiter inside the group. Finally, a CSM channel is selected for each information stream scheduled by an arbiter.
US08599869B2

Systems, modules, methods and computer readable mediums for adaptive removal of delay jitter and low end-to-end delay are provided. The method may include the following operations at a delay buffer: calculating a holding time for a plurality of packets input into a network; buffering each of the plurality of packets for the duration of the holding time; and arranging the buffered packets in a sequence indicative of an order in which the buffered packets were input into the network. The holding time may be based on a difference between a current maximum delay of the plurality of packets in a current time window and a delay of a first packet of the plurality of packets in the current time window. The method may also include playing back the buffered packets at a selected playback time. Playing back the buffered packets may be performed at a reception mechanism.
US08599865B2

An example method is provided and includes receiving a request from a mobile node for an Internet protocol (IP) address and establishing a point-to-point (PPP) link for the mobile node. The method also includes provisioning a first tunnel associated with a first communication flow for the mobile node, and provisioning a sub-tunnel with the first tunnel for a second communication flow. The second communication flow is associated with a high priority type of data to be transported on the sub-tunnel. In more specific embodiments, a call admission control (CAC) mechanism is used to establish the sub-tunnel with the first tunnel for the second communication flow. Additionally, an inner label is installed in a header of a packet associated with the second communication flow in order to identify the sub-tunnel.
US08599858B1

A packet processor is described that performs keep alive message processing using a bifurcated aging table approach. The packet processor includes an aging table, a binding module and an aging daemon. The aging table includes a plurality of records corresponding to a plurality of network links supported by the packet processor. Each record in the aging table is used to track an aging status of a corresponding network link. The binding module associates a received message with a record in the aging table based on information in the received message. The aging daemon scans the aging table, updates the aging status of each network link, and determines that a network link has failed when the updated status for the respective network link exceeds a predetermined threshold. In an embodiment, the aging table includes a base aging table that uses a first number of bits to track the aging status of each network link and an extended aging table that uses a second number of bits that is larger than the first number of bits to track an aging status of a network link on which a number of not received keep alive messages exceeds a threshold.
US08599855B2

Techniques for routing a payload of a first network protocol, which includes header information for a second network protocol, include communicating a packet. In a circuit block, a first type for the first network protocol and a second type for the second network protocol are determined. The circuit block stores a classification that indicates a unique combination of the first type and the second type. A general purpose processor routes the packet based on the classification. Processor clock cycles are saved that would be consumed in determining the types. Furthermore, based on the classification, the processor can store an offset value for aligning the header relative to a cache line. The circuit block can store the packet shifted by the offset value. The processor can then retrieve from memory a single cache line to receive the header, thereby saving excess loading and ejecting of cache.
US08599854B2

Techniques are described for identifying destinations in a virtual network by defining virtual entities such as a port profile as the destination for network policies, such as redirect or span to be a logical set of ports (i.e., ports belonging to a port-profile or a port group) where the members of the set of ports may be added/removed dynamically without requiring any changes to the network policy. Further, a network administrator (or other user) may predefine the destinations for a network policy even before some or all of the destinations are active on a given virtualized system. In such cases, the network policies may go into effect when the required entities become available.
US08599852B2

Apparatus and method are provided for distributing service domain reachability information across domain boundaries, thereby allowing domain management systems to determine routing for cross-domain services even when the domains have different technologies or administrators. A Service Domain Manager within each domain advertises to neighbouring domains which services it supports. A domain which receives such advertisements forwards the advertisement on to other domains. Each SDM builds a routing information table which specifies the service, the domain, the next hop, and optionally user defined metrics. The routing information table does not include end-point addresses, in order to keep the size of the table manageable. In this way, the NMS of each domain obtains an end-to-end view of service routes.
US08599851B2

A routing system and method for flows within a network provides multicast flow transport for one or more groups. Transit routers comprising processing units that run overlay processes route one or more flows based on overlay group identifiers. Access nodes issue requests for overlay groups in order to receive flows from the transit routers. The overlay processes utilize a mapping service that maps overlay group identifiers to native multicast group identifiers. A control channel between the access nodes and transit routers is used for communicating access nodes requests, overlay group identifiers, and native multicast group identifiers.
US08599850B2

Techniques for provisioning single or multistage networks using Ethernet Service Instances (ESIs). In one embodiment, an ESI is a logical entity or object that stores information that may be used to provision a network. An ESI may represent a logical entity that identifies a grouping of elements of a network or network device and associated attributes. Hierarchical relationships may be created between ESIs. The hierarchical relationships are used to perform packet-level processing including performing network packet encapsulations.
US08599843B2

Disclosed herein is a route optimization that allows packets flowing between a mobile node (MN) and a correspondent node (CN) to bypass local mobility anchors (LMAs), thereby improving flow efficiency and/or reducing network traffic. Specifically, the MN's mobile access gateway (MAG) and the CN's MAG may participate in a proxy binding update (PBU)/proxy binding acknowledgement (PBA) exchange with each other to establish the MN's and CN's state in the opposing MAG. After doing so, the two MAGs may send MN-CN packets directly to each other, e.g. without sending such packets to the LMAs. In one embodiment, the route optimization is applied to a situation where the MN's MAG and the CN's MAG are associated with the same LMA. In another embodiment, the route optimization is applied to a situation where the MN's MAG and the CN's MAG are associated with different LMAs.
US08599840B2

The battery life of a mobile device operating in a wireless network environment is extended by terminating network communication activities after a specified period of time. Network communication activities may be restored when any one of a specified number of user actions are detected.
US08599829B2

Aspects of the invention may be found in a system and method for hardware acceleration in a hybrid wired/wireless local area network. In according with various embodiments of the invention, hardware acceleration may comprise creating at least one policy to be distributed among one or more of a plurality of access point groups. At least one policy may be associated with a particular one of the access point groups. The associated policy may be identified and distributed to one or more access points in an access point group. The distribution of the policy may be conditioned on the occurrence of an event. An identified policy may be distributed to a particular access point group upon occurrence of the event.
US08599828B2

A method and apparatus are provided for identifying a cell and a sub-frame by detecting a part of a secondary synchronization signal including a sequence of N OFDM symbols. For each OFDM symbol, the method obtains a set of metrics, each metric being associated with a predetermined combination of a cell identifier and a sub-frame alignment (CID/SF). For each metric, the method counts the number of times a metric exceeds a first predetermined threshold, delivering a summed value, and applies an M of N criterion to the summed value, delivering a ratio value. The ratios values are analyzed in order to identify the cell and the sub-frame, corresponding to a cell identifier and a sub-frame alignment, associated to a particular ratio value among the ratios values, which exceeds a second predetermined threshold.
US08599827B2

The present invention comprises methods and apparatuses for maintaining radio network timing synchronization across an asynchronous communication link between a Radio Equipment Controller (REC) and an item of Radio Equipment (RE). An REC-side adaptor sends first and second asynchronous packet flows over the asynchronous communication link, including a downlink packet flow comprising CPRI basic frames and overhead information encapsulated in asynchronous communication link packets, and a synchronization packet flow comprising CPRI clock data. An RE-side adaptor recovers the CPRI clock from the synchronization packet flow, and uses the recovered clock to re-synchronize the downlink data recovered from the downlink packet flow. For the uplink, the RE outputs uplink traffic in a synchronous, CPRI-compliant stream that is then encapsulated for asynchronous transport by the RE-side adaptor. The REC-side adaptor reconstitutes the asynchronously received uplink data as a synchronous, CPRI-compliant stream for input to the REC.
US08599816B2

A method for limiting Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) reporting from a User Equipment to a network node is provided where a User Equipment can transmit CQI reports to a network node, such as e.g. a base station, when the User Equipment is operating in low transmission and/or low reception activity mode. A limited CQI reporting is obtained by triggering the reporting according to one or more predefined rules, which to at least some extent depend on CQI specific information provided to the User Equipment from the network node. A User Equipment and a network node adapted to operate in accordance with the suggested method are also provided.
US08599808B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide an information transmission method and apparatus. The method includes: encoding an information bit sequence corresponding to data stream control information and Precoding Control Indication (PCI) information to obtain a code sequence; and sending the code sequence to a NodeB by carrying the code sequence on a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH). With the present invention, a User Equipment (UE) in a macro diversity state feeds back PCI information to the NodeB of the non-serving cell in time.
US08599801B2

A device, system, and method are directed towards determining a start and/or an end time for a spontaneous event. A mobile device user creates a group for the spontaneous event, and sends the members an invite. During the event, members share media content and/or text messages with other members. Based, in part, on a flow of media content and/or text messages between the members, a determination of a start time and/or end time of the spontaneous event is automatically performed. The start time may be based on when the group is created and/or revised when a flow rate of the media content and/or messages exceed a threshold. The end time may be based on the flow rate being less than another threshold. The location of the spontaneous event may also be determined based on a location of the member's mobile devices during the event.
US08599787B2

Routing a packet flow in a communication session includes facilitating a communication session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint. A permanent anchor of a home network receives path offers sent by the first endpoint. An optimized path offer corresponds to an optimized path passing through a transient anchor of a visited network and bypassing the permanent anchor. A default path offer corresponds to a default path passing through the permanent anchor. The permanent anchor determines whether packet flows between the first endpoint and the second endpoint are to be routed along the optimized path. The default path offer is removed if the packet flows are to be routed along the optimized path. The optimized path offer is removed if not. The remaining path offer is forwarded to the second endpoint.
US08599785B1

A wireless device receives a command for transmission of a random access preamble on a first cell. The wireless device transmits the random access preamble in parallel with a first packet and/or at least one second packet. If a total calculated transmission power exceeds a predefined value, the wireless device adjusts transmission power of one or more of the at least one parallel uplink transmission considering a higher priority for the transmission power of the random access preamble.
US08599782B2

There is provided a method for allocating subframes in a radio communications system that performs communication by using a radio frame including a plurality of subframes, the method including: selecting a backhaul downlink subframe in which a base station is to transmit a signal to a relay station; and allocating the backhaul downlink subframe to a substitution subframe which is not limitation subframes, when the selected backhaul downlink subframe corresponds to one of the limitation subframes, wherein the limitation subframes are subframes in which the relay station is to transmit essential information to a relay user equipment. Therefore, it is possible to overcome a limitation that is present in a link between the base station and the relay station, perform an HARQ operation, and improve the efficiency of radio resource allocation.
US08599778B2

A method of signaling in a wireless communication system (300) comprising a first network element (310) serving a wireless communication unit (325) with at least one packet data network (PDN) connection. The method comprises transmitting, by the first network element (310) to the wireless communication unit (325), a signaling message relating to a wireless communication unit (325) uplink (UL) PDN transmission, where the signaling message comprises a parameter indicative of at least one aggregate maximum bit rate (AMBR) value.
US08599775B2

A method for efficiently scheduling virtual resource blocks to physical resource blocks is disclosed. In a wireless mobile communication system, for distributed mapping of consecutively allocated virtual resource blocks to physical resource blocks, when nulls are inserted into a block interleaver used for the mapping, they are uniformly distributed to ND divided groups of the block interleaver, which are equal in number to the number (ND) of physical resource blocks to which one virtual resource block is mapped.
US08599766B2

A transmission device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a random access channel generation portion that generates a random access channel; an assignment portion that performs one of a continuous frequency assignment and a discontinuous comb-shaped frequency assignment for each user; and a transmission portion that transmits the random access channel with variable multi-bandwidth in accordance with the assignment, in a frequency band assigned to a contention-based channel.
US08599762B2

A method of receiving a signal at a user equipment (UE) from at least two cells in wireless communication system is disclosed. Receiving module may receive data and at least one reference signal from a CoMP (Coordinated Multi-Point) set including at least two cells. Decoding module may decode the received data and the received at least one reference signal. In this case, a power level of the data is same as a power level of the at least one reference signal, or a power ratio between the data and the at least one reference signal is a scaled value. Also, the power level of the data and the at least one reference signal are same for each of the at least two cells. A power ratio between the data and the at least one reference signal is a same scaled value for each of the at least two cells.
US08599760B2

A scheme of error decoupling for carrier aggregation techniques to support a communication system is provided. The communication system operates with up to 2 codewords for up to 5 carriers, each codeword of each carrier having one acknowledgement/negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) or discontinuous transmission (DTX) to enable Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) to operate in each carrier. The scheme involves the steps of: performing separation of bits related to ACK, NACK, DTX for each carrier using up to 2 codewords; determining a maximum number of bits related to ACK, NACK, DTX when decoupling is not performed after a maximum number of carriers are used; and grouping the carriers such that separation between ACK, NACK, DTX of each carrier is optimized as long as the maximum number of bits is not exceeded.
US08599748B2

An adaptable decision parameter is used to determine whether to react to resource utilization messages. The decision parameter may comprise a decision threshold that is adapted based on received resource utilization messages. The decision parameter may comprise a probability that is used to determine whether to react to a received resource utilization message. Such a probability may be based on, for example, one or more channel conditions, the number of interferers seen by a node, the number of received resource utilization messages, or some other form of resource utilization message-related information.
US08599747B1

A method of conducting a lawful intercept of real time media packet traffic involves redirecting real time media packet streams between a caller and callee through a media server; replicating the media packet streams within the media server; modifying packet headers of the replicated packet streams; and directing the modified packet streams to at least one monitoring port.
US08599746B2

Particular embodiments provide power usage management for network devices according to historical traffic pattern data. Network traffic statistics for traffic flowing through a network device may be determined. Traffic pattern for a time period based on the traffic flowing through the network device is then determined. The network device may then manage power based on the pattern. For example, when a pattern indicates that traffic flowing through the network device is light during a time period, then the network device may operate in a lower power mode, such as a standby mode and when it indicates that there is higher usage, the network device may operate in a normal power mode. A power usage policy may be determined based on the historical traffic patterns and is automatically enforced by the network device. The power usage policy also may be dynamically adjusted over time based on network traffic statistics.
US08599736B2

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus, comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: select at least two relay stations from a plurality of relay stations; determine a transmission mode for cooperatively forwarding a data packet by the selected relay stations; schedule a resource allocation for the selected relay stations based at least in part on the transmission mode; and notify the selected relay stations of the resource allocation, is disclosed.
US08599734B1

A system and method enable the transmission of messages between a source device and a wireless station. A first message is received at an access point from the source device. The access point transmits the first message to the wireless station and stores a copy of the first message in a memory. The access point receives an acknowledgement message from the wireless station and transmits a proxy acknowledgement message to the source device. The access point transmits a control message to the source device to limit the number or size of additional messages sent from the source device based on a number or size of messages currently stored in the memory and a maximum number or size of messages that can be stored in the memory.
US08599728B2

Various example embodiments are disclosed herein. According to an example embodiment, a method may include receiving at a mobile station from a base station in a wireless network, a message including a group switch instruction instructing the mobile station to switch from a current group to a new group, attempting, by the mobile station, to switch to the new group in response to receiving the group switch instruction, and sending, from the mobile station, an acknowledgement message that acknowledges either the success or failure of the attempting to switch to the new group.
US08599727B2

A method for transmitting information data by using a Reed-Muller coding scheme in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method includes the steps of configuring a number of resource elements for transmitting the information data; dividing the information data to first information data and second information data if a bit size O of the information data is equal to or larger than a predetermined number; applying RM coding on each of the first information data and the second information data; concatenating the coded first information data and the coded second information data, and transmitting the concatenated data by using the predetermined number of resource elements, wherein a minimum value Q′min for the number of resource elements is defined by a sum of a minimum value Q′min—1 for the number of resource elements corresponding to the first information data and a minimum value Q′min—2 for the number of resource elements corresponding to the second information data.
US08599725B2

Methods and systems are disclosed for receiving data from each of a plurality of components in a network, the components being arranged as a plurality of multicast trees, the data from each of the components indicating a structure of a portion of the network and at least one attribute associated with the respective component. The disclosure further provides for determining, based on the data, a structure of at least some of the multicast trees, receiving search criteria, and determining which of the multicast trees meet the search criteria.
US08599724B2

The present invention relates to a distributed paging system. The distributed paging system includes a combined data and digital audio network and a plurality of paging system consoles. Each paging system console includes an operator interface to select one or more paging destinations and is arranged to transmit data packets including paging destination data across the network. A number of addressable amplifier modules are provided in communication with the network and are responsive to the data packets. Each of the amplifier modules has an associated address and is arranged to operate according to whether paging destination data contained within the data packets relates to the associated address.
US08599720B2

A Quality of Service (QoS) interface maps virtual-to-real QoS instances and vice versa in order to make transparent to a network and to user equipment when network-initiated QoS is not supported by both.
US08599714B2

A method and a system for implementing local switching are disclosed. The method includes: after receiving the uplink data sent by a sending MS, determining, according to information carried in the uplink data, information about location of a receiving Mobile Station (MS) that is to receive uplink data; and implementing, according to local switching rules that specify a local switching control mode, local switching for data transmitted between the sending MS and the receiving MS if determining, according to the information about location of the receiving MS and information about location of the sending MS, that the data transmitted between the sending MS and the receiving MS meets local switching conditions. In this way, network transmission resources are saved in the process of transmitting data, transmission delay is shortened, and data transmission efficiency is improved.
US08599709B2

Methods and apparatus for reduction of interference between a plurality of wireless interfaces. In one exemplary embodiment, a device having a first (e.g., Wi-Fi) interface and a second (e.g., Bluetooth) interface monitors interference between its interfaces. A reduction in transmit power of the Wi-Fi module causes a disproportionately larger reduction in undesirable interference experienced at the Bluetooth antennas. For example, when the Bluetooth interface detects interference levels above acceptable thresholds, the Wi-Fi interface adjusts operation of one or more of its transmit chains based on various conditions such as duty cycle, Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), etc. Various embodiments of the present invention provide simultaneous operation of WLAN and PAN interfaces, without requiring time division coexistence, by reducing power on a subset of interfering antennas.
US08599707B2

Methods and apparatus for operating a mobile device based upon a power capability of the mobile device are disclosed. In one embodiment, the mobile device includes a network selection component configured to select a particular transceiver for communication based upon the power capability of the mobile device and a quality of service associated with available networks. In addition, a cache management component is configured to increase, based upon an indication of the power capability of the mobile device, a size of the cache that is available for requested content so as to increase the likelihood that subsequent requests for the content will be loaded from the mobile device. Moreover, some variations of the mobile device are capable of providing an indication of a power capability of the mobile device to a remote server so the remote server may modify the requested content based upon the power capability.
US08599691B2

Manageability tools are provided for allowing an administrator to have better control over switches in a lossless network of switches. These tools provide the ability to detect slow drain and congestion bottlenecks, detect stuck virtual channels and loss of credits, while hold times on edge ASICs to be different from hold times on core ASICs, and mitigate severe latency bottlenecks.
US08599690B2

A method and an apparatus for fairly allocating resources to network users are provided. The method for fair resource allocation to network users allows the resource allocation apparatus to collect flow information between a user terminal and a service server and aggregates the flow information based on at least one of a user terminal address, a service server address, a user terminal, a service server address, and a service. The allocation resource of the user is controlled to the predetermined recommended bandwidth by using the ratio of the aggregated flow information.
US08599687B1

A system as described herein offers flexible and high-performance packet processing, and a unique scaling technology that matches the resource requirements with the demands of the individual application and operating environment. According to one aspect, the architecture enables wire-speed execution of any Packet Handling application, at any packet size. According to another aspect, the invention provides a general-purpose computing platform that enables Packet Handling applications to be dynamically developed and put into service, for a configurable set of traffic and with configurable amounts of processing power. According to a further aspect, the dynamically scalable architecture of the invention enables the processing power of the appliance to be freely adjusted to the performance requirements of a given application, without requiring any special configuration changes. According to another aspect, the present invention provides an internal traffic management scheme that ensures fair allocation of system resources from network traffic loads and guarantees proper load distribution among the various application processors. According to another aspect, arbitrary numbers of network interfaces and network processors to scale the amount network processing throughput in accordance with the needs of the device and/or managed network(s).
US08599685B2

Methods and apparatus for enabling a layer 2 node associated with an open systems interconnection (OSI) reference model to perform resource reservation protocol (RSVP) processing are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention a layer 2 device associated with an OSI reference model includes a first interface, a processing arrangement, and a second interface. The first interface intercepts a message associated with a on-path signaling protocol for at least one selected from a group including resource reservation and admission control at a layer above layer 2. The processing arrangement processes the message, and the second interface sends the message.
US08599683B2

Multicast traffic is transferred, via routers, from a sender to receivers through a delivery tree that is determined based on a multicast routing protocol and includes delivery paths each communicably coupling the sender and one receiver. A router includes a multicast routing table used for transferring the multicast traffic through the delivery tree. The router generates delivery path information on first and second delivery paths each communicably coupling the sender and the router. Upon detecting a link failure on the first delivery path, the router performs delivery-path change processing that switches a first pair of interfaces along the first delivery path to a second pair of interfaces along the second delivery path without waiting for the multicast routing table being updated using the multicast protocol, and transmits a delivery-path change message to routers along the second delivery path so that the routers perform the delivery-path change processing.
US08599681B2

Techniques for computing a path for a local repair connection to be used to protect a connection traversing an original path from an ingress node to an egress node. The computed path originates at a node (start node) in the original path and terminates at another node (end node) in the original path that is downstream from the start node. A Constraint Shortest Path First (CSPF) algorithm may be used to compute the path. The computed path is such that it satisfies one or more constraints and does not traverse a path from a first node in the original path to a second node in the original path, wherein the first and second nodes are upstream from the start node in the original path and the second node is downstream from the first node in the original path. A local repair connection may then be signaled using the computed path.
US08599677B2

Systems and methods for multi-user detection in a multiple access system are provided. In one aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a processing unit configured to process received chips into received symbols for a plurality of users and a computation unit configured to compute a multi-user matrix using a Hadamard matrix, wherein the multi-user matrix relates user symbols for the plurality of users to the received symbols. The apparatus further comprises a detection unit configured to detect the user symbols for the plurality of users using the received symbols and the computed multi-user matrix.
US08599676B2

The optical disc comprises a substrate layer, a read-only data layer having a pit/land data structure with an average pit width, arranged in tracks on the substrate layer, and a nonlinear layer with a super-resolution structure disposed on the data layer, wherein a super-resolution pit following a super-resolution land and a preceding diffractive pit is enlarged in width with regard to the average pit width, and a diffractive pit preceding a super-resolution land and a subsequent super-resolution pit is reduced in pit width with regard to the average pit width.
US08599672B2

Provided is an objective lens including a diffraction portion provided on a laser beam incident plane or output plane. The diffraction portion includes first second, and third diffraction regions, wherein first laser beams corresponding to a first optical disc having a first transmissive layer are condensed on a data recording portion of the first optical disc, second laser beams corresponding to a second optical disc having a second transmissive layer thicker than the first transmissive layer are condensed on a data recording portion of the second optical disc, and third laser beams corresponding to a third optical disc having a third transmissive layer thicker than the second transmissive layer are condensed on a data recording portion of the third optical disc. An evaluation parameter calculated on the basis of an in-plane efficiency distribution function has a value corresponding to a symbol error rate that is less than a predetermined value.
US08599670B2

A Viterbi detector includes an ACS circuit that performs addition of a path metric and branch metrics, comparison of the path metric values and path selection based on the result of comparison. The ACS circuit performs a path decision based on the path metric values and the reproduced signal supplied to the Viterbi detector at the time instant that is a specified number of channel clocks earlier during the path selection. The ACS circuit selects a mark-continuing path if the reproduced signal at the time instant that is the specified number of channel clocks earlier has an amplitude corresponding to any mark, and performs path decision based on the path metric values if the reproduced signal does not have the amplitude corresponding to any mark.
US08599666B2

A change in a property of a signal is detected, the signal having been sensed from a storage medium by a disk drive. A count is determined, the count corresponding to a first location on the storage medium at which the change in the property of the signal sensed from the storage medium is detected. The count is used to predict a second location on the storage medium corresponding to the change in the property of the signal sensed from the storage medium. Relative to the first location on the storage medium, the second location on the storage medium is closer to an actual location of a feature on the storage medium that causes the change in the property of the signal sensed from the storage medium.
US08599664B2

An unbalanced disc determining apparatus is provided. The unbalanced disc determining apparatus includes a noise reduction unit configured to reduce noise components of a center error signal obtained from a signal configured to detect light reflected by a disc revolved by a spindle motor, and a determination unit configured to determine whether the revolving disc is unbalanced by determining whether the center error signal of which noise is reduced exceeds a reference value.
US08599661B2

The present invention can properly correct spherical aberration.An optical disk device (10) displaces an objective lens (18) so that the objective lens is displaced to a reference lens position as a reference. The optical disk device (10) controls an information light condensing point changing mechanism (55) so as to adjust the focus (FM) of an information light beam (LM) to a recording depth (X) at which the information light beam (LM) is to be applied in a state of the objective lens (18) being placed at a reference lens position (SL). The optical disk device (10) controls a servo light condensing point changing mechanism (35) so as to adjust the focus (FS) of a servo light beam (LS) to a servo layer (104) in the state of the objective lens (18) being placed at the reference lens position (SL).
US08599656B2

A TAMR (Thermal Assisted Magnetic Recording) write head uses the energy of optical-laser excited surface plasmons in a scalable planar plasmon generator to locally heat a magnetic recording medium and reduce its coercivity and magnetic anisotropy. The planar plasmon generator is formed as a multi-layered structure in which one planar layer supports a propagating surface plasmon mode that is excited by evanescent coupling to an optical mode in an adjacent waveguide. A peg, which can be a free-standing element or an integral projection from one of the layers, is positioned between the ABS end of the generator and the surface of the recording medium, confines and concentrates the near field of the plasmon mode immediately around and beneath it.
US08599653B1

Systems and methods for reducing condensation along an air bearing surface of a slider in an energy assisted magnetic recording system are provided. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a slider configured to reduce condensation along an air bearing surface in an energy assisted magnetic recording system, the slider including an air bearing surface (ABS), a write transducer including a portion disposed at the ABS, a hot spot region disposed along the ABS, where the hot spot region includes the portion of the write transducer at the ABS, and a trench surrounding the hot spot region.
US08599646B2

The method comprises: a) the emission of an ultrasound burst repeated at a predetermined recurrence frequency; and b) after each emission and for the duration of a time frame (n−1, n, n+1, . . . ) separating two consecutive emissions, the reception of a plurality of successive signal spikes appearing in the course of the same frame. These spikes include spurious spikes (E′n−1, E′n, E′n+1, . . . ) originating from the emitter of another drone, and a useful spike (En−1, En, En+1, . . . ) corresponding to the distance to be estimated. To discriminate these spikes, the following steps are executed: c) for two consecutive frames, comparison of the instants of arrival of the p spikes of the current frame with the instants of arrival of the q spikes of the previous frame and determination, for each of the p.q pairs of spikes, of a corresponding relative time gap; d) application to the p.q gaps determined in step c) of a selection criterion making it possible to retain just a single spike of the current frame; and e) estimation of the distance as a function of the instant of arrival of the spike thus retained.
US08599642B2

A method of generating a dynamic port enable signal for gating memory array data to an output node includes generating a programmable leading edge clock signal derivation of an input dynamic clock signal; generating a programmable trailing edge clock signal derivation of the input dynamic clock signal, wherein the leading edge clock signal derivation and the trailing edge clock signal derivation are independently programmable with respect to one another; and gating the generated programmable leading and trailing edge clock signal derivations with a static input enable signal so as to generate the port enable signal such that, when inactive, the port enable signal prevents early memory array data from being coupled to the output node.
US08599640B2

A memory integrated circuit has control circuitry that accesses memory cells of the memory integrated circuit. The control circuitry is responsive to commands including a first command and a second command. The first command specifies a high order set of address bits. The second command specifies a low order set of address bits. The high order set of address bits and the low order set of address bits constitute a complete access address of the memory integrated circuit. The first command and the second command have different in command codes.
US08599639B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit device has a negative voltage generation circuit provided at each power supply circuit unit for six memory macros. Therefore, the response with respect to variation in a negative voltage is increased. In a standby mode, a negative voltage supply line for the six memory macros is connected by a switch circuit, and only a negative voltage generation circuit of one power supply circuit unit among six negative voltage generation circuits of the six power supply circuit units is rendered active. Thus, increase in standby current can be prevented.
US08599635B2

A fuse circuit includes a program unit, a sensing unit and a control unit. The program unit is programmed in response to a program signal, and outputs a program output signal in response to a sensing enable signal. The sensing unit includes a variable resistor unit that has a resistance that varies based on a control signal, and generates a sensing output signal based on the resistance of the variable resistor unit and the program output signal. The control unit generates the control signal having a value changed depending on operation modes, and performs a verification operation with respect to the program unit based on the sensing output signal to generate a verification result. The program unit may be re-programmed based on the verification result.
US08599634B1

A circuit is configured to be operatively coupled to a plurality of memory devices arranged into one or more logical ranks. Each logical rank may correspond to a set of at least two physical ranks. The circuit is configured to be operatively coupled to a memory controller of a computer system to receive a logical rank refresh command. In response, the circuit can initiate a first refresh operation for one or more first physical ranks and then initiate a second refresh operation for one or more second physical ranks. The circuit can further include a memory location storing a refresh time (tRFC) value accessible by the memory controller and based at least in part on a calculated maximum amount of time for refreshing the logical rank.
US08599630B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a column redundancy fuse block having a fuse set array having a plurality of fuse sets including a plurality of column address fuses, and a fuse blowing information block configured to output a fuse blowing determination signal of a corresponding column based on a cutting state of the column address fuses, wherein the column redundancy fuse is disposed in the edge area, wherein the fuse blowing determination signal is inputted to a column control block through upper portion of a memory cell array of a corresponding bank.
US08599619B2

A memory system includes a controller and a memory part including a memory cell array including memory cells, word lines, bit lines including bit line pairs each composed of an even bit line and an odd bit line adjacent to each other, and sense amplifiers provided to the bit line pairs and configured to detect data in selected memory cells connected to a selected word line. When reading data is performed from first memory cells to which writing data is performed first in memory cell pairs each including two adjacent memory cells respectively connected to one of the even bit lines and one of the odd bit lines, the controller controls the memory part so as to change a read level voltage applied to the selected word line depending on a data write state of second memory cells in the memory cell pairs to which writing data is performed later.
US08599618B2

A circuit is configured to supply a first gate voltage (PG1) at a first voltage bias (VP1) to a source of a first transistor providing an output (WLS), providing the first voltage bias (VP1) to a second transistor and supplying a second voltage bias (VN1) and a second gate voltage (NG1) to a third transistor, the second transistor coupled in series to the third transistor and in parallel with the first transistor, to supply a third voltage bias (VP2) and a third gate voltage (PG2) to a fourth transistor, and a fourth voltage bias (VN2) and a fourth gate voltage (NG2) to a fifth transistor, the fourth transistor coupled in series to the fifth transistor, and the fourth and fifth transistors coupled to a gate of the second transistor, and to provide a fifth voltage bias (VN3) to a line connecting the third transistor to the fifth transistor.
US08599615B2

Disclosed herein is a device that includes a plurality of first word lines each extending from an associated one of the first terminals in a second direction toward to the second terminals and terminating between the first and second terminals, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and a plurality of second word lines each extending from an associated one of the second terminals in a third direction toward to the first terminals and terminating near to an end of an associated one of the first word lines, the third direction being opposite to the second direction, each of the second word lines being substantially aligned with an associated one of the first word lines.
US08599611B2

A method for operating a memory (28) includes storing data in a group of analog memory cells (32) of the memory as respective first voltage levels. After storing the data, second voltage levels are read from the respective analog memory cells. The second voltage levels are affected by cross-coupling interference causing the second voltage levels to differ from the respective first voltage levels. Cross-coupling coefficients, which quantify the cross-coupling interference among the analog memory cells, are estimated by processing the second voltage levels. The data stored in the group of analog memory cells is reconstructed from the read second voltage levels using the estimated cross-coupling coefficients.
US08599610B2

A non-volatile semiconductor storage device according to an embodiment includes a memory cell array and a control circuit configured to execute a read operation. The control circuit refers to data of a reference memory cell which is adjacent to a selected memory cell and in which data is written after a data write operation on the selected memory cell. The control circuit applies a first read pass voltage to a non-selected word line adjacent to the selected word line, when the data of the reference memory cell is data causing the shift of the threshold voltage of the selected memory cell. The control circuit applies a second read pass voltage lower than the first read pass voltage to the non-selected word line, when the data of the reference memory cell is data not causing the shift of the threshold voltage of the selected memory cell.
US08599609B2

A Flash memory system and a method for data management using the system's sensitivity to charge-disturbing operations and the history of charge-disturbing operations executed by the system are described. In an embodiment of the invention, the sensitivity to charge-disturbing operations is embodied in a disturb-strength matrix in which selected operations have an associated numerical value that is an estimate of the relative strength of that operation to cause disturbances in charge that result in data errors. The disturb-strength matrix should also include the direction of the error which indicates either a gain or loss of charge. The disturb-strength matrix can be determined by the device conducting a self-test in which changes in the measured dispersion value are provoked by executing a selected operation until a detectable change occurs. In alternative embodiments the disturb-strength matrix is determined by testing selected units from a homogeneous population.
US08599601B2

A memory device has a crossbar array including a first array of first electrodes extending along a first direction. A second array of second electrodes extends along a second direction. A non-crystalline silicon structure provided between the first electrode and the second electrode at an intersection defined by the first array and the second array. The non-crystalline silicon structure has a first layer having a first defect density and a second layer having a second defect density different from the first defect density. Each intersection of the first array and the second array defines a two-terminal memory cell.
US08599596B2

In a semiconductor device of a stacked structure type having a control chip and a plurality of controlled chips, wherein the control chip allocates different I/O sets to the respective controlled chips and processes the I/O sets within the same access cycle, the controlled chip close to the control chip and positioned to a lower position in the stacked structure has I/O penetrating through substrate vias connected to penetrating through interconnections. The penetrating through interconnections are extended to an upper one of the controlled chips that not use the penetrating through interconnections and, as a result, all of the penetrating through interconnections have the same lengths as each other.
US08599594B2

A nonvolatile memory device includes at least a memory cell block including memory cells that are coupled to a plurality of word lines, respectively, and store data; a content addressable memory (CAM) block including CAM cells that are coupled to the word lines, respectively, and store chip information for operations of the nonvolatile memory device; and a block switching circuit configured to couple the word lines with global word lines; and a voltage supply circuit coupled to the global word lines, for supplying a first read voltage to a selected global word line while supplying a first pass voltage to unselected global word lines in reading the memory cell block, and supplying a second read voltage to a selected global word line while supplying a second pass voltage to unselected global word lines in reading the CAM block, wherein the second pass voltage is lower than the first pass voltage.
US08599588B2

A distributed power system wherein a plurality of power converters are connected in parallel and share the power conversion load according to a prescribed function, but each power converter autonomously determines its share of power conversion. Each power converter operates according to its own power conversion formula/function, such that overall the parallel-connected converters share the power conversion load in a predetermined manner.
US08599584B2

The present invention relates to a power feedback device, including: an AC input power source, which is three-phase or multi-phase AC, or three-phase or multi-phase AC in which the output terminal is connected in series with an inductor, for generating power; a plurality of power converting units, the input terminals of which are respectively connected with two phases of the AC input power source, for power converting the two phases of AC generated by the AC input power source respectively; an isolating transformer, the primary side of which is a three-phase winding and connected with a power network, the secondary side of which is multi-path of three-phase windings and connected with the output terminals of the plurality of power converting units, for feeding the AC converted by the plurality of power converting units back to the power network. The power feedback device according to the present invention can improve the waveform coefficients of the current of the power generation device, and increase the power factors and the utilization rate of the device, and also, the device matches power networks of different voltage levels, thereby improving the waveform coefficients of the current fed back to the power networks and lowering harmonic component.
US08599573B2

A dual function air-gap switch actuator (26) is incorporated into the generally planar face of a wall box dimmer. The switch actuator is finger operated and provides both a main power disconnect via air-gap contacts (211) and the means (212) to activate a secondary function. The dual function air-gap switch actuator is optionally fitted with an indicator lamp (265).
US08599572B2

The present invention relates to, for example, printed circuit boards having a thin film battery or other electrochemical cell between or within its layer or layers. The present invention also relates to, for example, electrochemical cells within a layer stack of a printed circuit board.
US08599559B1

A cage assembly is provided for receiving a pluggable module. The cage assembly includes a cage having a front end, a mounting side, and an internal compartment. The front end is open to the internal compartment of the cage. The internal compartment is configured to receive the pluggable module therein through the front end. A heat sink is mounted to the mounting side of the cage. The heat sink has a module side that is configured to thermally communicate with the pluggable module. An electromagnetic interference (EMI) gasket extends along at least a portion of an interface between the mounting side of the cage and the module side of the heat sink. The EMI gasket includes electrically conductive spring fingers that are engaged with and electrically connected to the mounting side of the cage.
US08599557B2

A cooling apparatus for a printed circuit board assembly is disclosed. The cooling apparatus comprises a main printed circuit (PC) board 202. The main PC board 202 has a plurality of connectors 210 mounted, in a parallel row, onto the top side of the main PC board 202. A first liquid cooling manifold 204 is positioned along one end of the parallel row of connectors 210 and a second liquid cooling manifold 206 is positioned along the other end of the parallel row of connectors 210. A plurality of heat sink devices 208, each having an elongated shape, run parallel to, and on each side of, the plurality of connectors 210. The plurality of heat sink devices 208 are coupled to the first and second liquid cooling manifolds.
US08599553B2

A handheld electronic device including a first body, a second body, a third body, a gear set and a pivot member pivoted on the first body is provided. The second body having a first rack is slidably coupled with the first body. The third body having a second rack is slidably coupled with the pivot member. The gear set is disposed on the first body and coupled with the first rack and the second rack. When the third body shifts a first distance relative to the first body along a first operating direction and drives the gear set, the second body is driven to shift with respect to the first body along a second operating direction opposite to the first operating direction and exposed by the third body. After the second body is exposed by the third body, the third body is tilted with respect to the first body.
US08599551B1

A cooling system includes a heat sink to absorb heat that is generated by a component of a device, where the heat sink includes a base to dissipate the heat, and a group of fins via which the heat, that is dissipated by the base, is transferred; and an inverted heat sink to receive the heat via the fins. The inverted heat sink includes another base to prevent a portion of the heat, transferred into an environment where another component is located, from causing a temperature, of the environment, to increase above a threshold; a heat pipe to transfer another portion of the heat, not transferred into the environment, to a portion of the other base; and another group of fins to receive the other portion of the heat via the portion of the other base. The inverted heat sink is also to transfer the other portion of the heat to another environment to prevent a temperature, of the component, from increasing above another threshold.
US08599548B2

A mounting apparatus includes a chassis, a first fastener, a bracket, and a second fastener. The chassis includes a bottom plate. The first fastener is secured to the bottom plate and defines a through hole and a positioning slot in the inner wall of the through hole. The bracket configured for securing PCI cards. A securing piece is located on the bracket and placed on the first fastener. A securing hole is defined in the securing piece and aligned with the through hole. The second fastener includes a base portion and a blocking portion. The base portion is engaged in the securing hole and the through hole. The securing piece is positioned between the blocking portion and the first fastener. A positioning portion is located on the base portion and engaged in the positioning slot.
US08599545B2

A portable folding electronic device has a base with a longer length dimension and a shorter width dimension and a user interface on one surface. The user interface may be oriented for use when the base has a portrait orientation. The device also has a screen unit with a longer length dimension and a shorter width dimension and a screen on one surface. A linkage connects the base to the screen unit. The linkage provides at least two degrees of freedom between the base and the screen unit such that the screen unit may be moved to a first position folded onto the base, with the length dimension of said screen unit aligned with the length dimension of the base, and to a second position tilted with respect to the base, with the length dimension of the screen unit aligned with the width dimension of the base.
US08599526B2

Exemplary embodiments are directed to engineering of protection lockout functionality in a Substation Automation (SA) system. The system includes a breaker IED having protection-zone related intelligence in a lockout function block lockout function instances are assigned to respective protection zones, and are specified for each protection function which protection-zone(s) it shall trip and reset after lockout. Hence for switch yard configurations and power networks where a protection function trips multiple breakers by using several bay control or protection devices a more efficient implementation of lockout functionality is possible.
US08599524B2

A spark gap device includes an optional insulating layer formed on a substrate, a metal layer formed on a surface of the insulating layer, a solder resist layer formed on a surface of the metal layer, and first and second contacts. The metal layer includes a central portion and a peripheral portion separated by an air gap that surrounds the central portion of the metal layer and exposes the insulating layer. The solder resist layer includes a central portion disposed on the central portion of the metal layer having a first opening exposing a central region of the central portion of the metal layer, and a peripheral portion disposed on the peripheral portion of the metal layer having a second opening exposing a peripheral region of the peripheral portion of the metal layer. The first contact is formed in the first opening and the second contact is formed in the second opening.
US08599519B2

A head rotator assembly (22) for positioning a head (20) of a tape drive (10) relative to a storage tape includes a head supporter (230) and a supporter mover assembly (232). The head supporter (230) is coupled to and supports the head (20). The supporter mover assembly (232) rotates a portion of the head supporter (230) about an axis (241) to move the head (20) in an azimuth direction relative to the storage tape as the storage tape moves over the head (20). The head rotator assembly (22) includes a controller (16) that controls movement of the supporter mover assembly (232) based on a positioning signal. The supporter mover assembly (232) can include a first actuator (234A) that moves a first lever (236A) to rotate the head supporter (230) to move the head (20) in the azimuth direction. The first actuator (234A) biases the first lever (236A) to rotate part of the head supporter (230) to move the head in the azimuth direction.
US08599517B1

A spindle motor of a disk drive apparatus includes a base unit, a stator, a covered cylindrical rotor hub, a rotor magnet, and a bearing mechanism. The rotor magnet is an Nd—Fe—B bond magnet. The thickness of the rotor magnet in the radial direction is about 0.7 mm or more and about 1.0 mm or less. The distance between the rotor magnet and the stator core in the radial direction is about 0.15 mm or more and about 0.20 mm or less. A torque constant Kt of torque generated between the stator and the rotor magnet is about 4 mN·m/A or more and about 6 mN·m/A or less. A motor constant Km is about 2 mN·m/(A·√Ω) or more and about 4 mN·m/(A·√Ω) or less.
US08599516B2

A disk drive device includes: a hub on which a recording disk is to be mounted; a base member; a bearing unit configured to support the hub in a manner in which the hub can be relatively rotated with respect to the base member; an extended annular groove portion provided in part of the hub around the rotational axis of the hub; and a weight member that is installed in the extended annular groove portion to adjust a rotational balance when the recording disk is being rotated with the hub. The weight member has a fixing mechanism that is slidable, when installed, in the direction of the extended annular groove portion and that can substantially maintain a stopped state at a fixing position.
US08599511B2

In a controller of a tape drive, when a command processor receives a command for moving to the end of data (“EOD”) or the like, an operation signal output unit suspends the moving of a tape and a cartridge memory (“CM”) input/output unit stores therein a state of the tape in which the moving has been omitted. Then, when the command processor receives a command for writing data in this state, the CM input/output unit writes the data to a cartridge memory. Subsequently, for example, when a head passes a proper position at which the data should be actually written to the tape, the CM input/output unit reads the data from the cartridge memory, and the channel input/output unit writes the data to the tape at the proper position.
US08599490B2

A variable-focus liquid lens is provided. The liquid lens includes a membrane and a fluid. The membrane is made of a transparent elastomer, and the fluid fills a predetermined space to contact at least a lens surface of the membrane. The membrane and the fluid are respectively made of materials repulsive to each other, for example, hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials or oleophilic and oleophobic materials. Accordingly, a repulsive force between the fluid and the membrane can prevent the absorption or leaking of the fluid into/through the membrane.
US08599489B2

A tunable super-lens (TSL) for nanoscale optical sensing and imaging of bio-molecules and nano-manufacturing utilizes negative-index materials (NIMs) that operate in the visible or near infrared light. The NIMs can create a lens that will perform sub-wavelength imaging, enhanced resolution imaging, or flat lens imaging. This new TSL covers two different operation scales. For short distances between the object and its image, a near-field super-lens (NFSL) can create or enhance images of objects located at distances much less than the wavelength of light. For the far-zone, negative values are necessary for both the permittivity ∈ a permeability μ. While well-structured periodic meta-materials, which require delicate design and precise fabrication, can be used, metal-dielectric composites are also candidates for NIMs in the optical range. The negative-refraction in the composite films can be made by using frequency-selective photomodification.
US08599488B2

A lithographic projection apparatus includes a projection system having a spherical lens element from which an exposure light is projected through liquid in a space under the spherical lens element, a member disposed adjacent to a surface of the spherical lens element through which the exposure light does not pass, and a gap formed between the member and the surface of the spherical lens element. The gap communicates with the space and includes lower and upper portions. A wafer is moved below and relative to the spherical lens element and the member, and the liquid is retained between the spherical lens element and the member on one side and an upper surface of the wafer on the other side. The liquid locally covers a portion of the upper surface of the wafer to expose the wafer by projecting the exposure light onto the wafer through the liquid in the space.
US08599485B1

An apparatus emits a laser light beam with a first aspect ratio of etendue R1, wherein the optical invariant with respect to a first direction is less than half the optical invariant with respect to a second orthogonal direction. A first cylindrical lens collimates the beam in the first direction. A second cylindrical lens collimates the light beam in the second direction. A bisecting reflective surface has an edge that splits the collimated beam into undeviated and first deviated beam paths. A folding reflective surface redirects the first deviated beam path back toward the bisecting reflective surface, optically parallel with and displaced from the undeviated beam path with respect to the first direction. At least a portion of the redirected first deviated beam path passes the edge and combines with the undeviated path to form an output beam having a second aspect ratio of etendue R2 not equal to R1.
US08599464B2

An optical image shutter is disclosed. The optical image shutter includes an optical filter having a fixed refractive index and an optical filter having a variable refractive index. The optical filter having a fixed refractive index may include two layers having different refractive indexes and stacked alternately at least once. Alternatively, the optical filter having a variable refractive index may include at least one refractive index variable layer, and two layers having different refractive indexes and stacked alternately at least once. The optical image shutter may further include a transparent electrode for applying an electric field to the at least one refractive index variable layer.
US08599463B2

The invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for the design and manufacture of MEMS anchoring structures for light modulators in order to address the stresses of beams mounted on them.
US08599461B2

A dimmer wheel which is formed to absorb large amounts of light and to disperse the light that is absorbed. The dimmer wheel has a bottom surface that is irregular, and a reflective material in that bottom surface to scatter the light. A light absorbing material also receives some of the light.
US08599454B2

An image reading apparatus includes: a reading device; and a control unit, wherein the control unit configured to perform: an image reading process of controlling the reading device; a line ground-color-density detection process of detecting a ground-color-density of respective lines; a line count process of counting the number of adjacent lines, which is the number of lines that are adjacent to each other and a difference of the ground-color-densities of the lines falls within a reference range; a document ground-color-density extraction process of extracting a ground-color-density of a line in an area having the largest number of adjacent lines from a read image of the document image; and a density determination process of determining whether the ground-color-density of the document image is a reference density or lower, and a ground color correction process of performing.
US08599449B2

Disclosed is a system and method for capturing technical documents and reading and commentating captured documents thereof. The system may comprise a capturing system and a reading with commentating system. The capturing system selects related drawings from a group of technical documents. It then provides important information and the related drawings onto an image for the readers' review. The reading with commentating system allows the readers to process technical classification, management and export/import for the group of technical documents. Readers may make comments on an information sharing platform after reviewing the technical documents. Besides, other materials collected or generated from the technical analysis on the technical documents may be attached to the information sharing platform.
US08599439B2

An apparatus and a method are described for processing and reproducing a document including both text and half-tone images without generating undesirable image artifacts. A band-pass FIR filter with a predetermined frequency response is used to transform pixels in an input image to sharpen text edge and smooth pre-half-toned areas, and perform error diffusion and cluster dot screening methods on the transformed pixels. The FIR filter has unity gain at DC to preserve image brightness. An integrated error diffused cluster-dot screening approach is used to suppress moiré and other image artifacts, while providing a robust, crisp output.
US08599433B2

An image processor includes: a first storage; a rendering unit; a second storage; a creation unit; and a control unit that performs: a first control that makes the creation unit create sequentially variable images corresponding to respective records of variable data, and output the created variable images; and a second control that, in a case where variable image creating format data corresponding to format definition data conforming to the records embedded by the creation unit is not stored in the second storages makes the rendering unit render from the format definition data conforming to the records stored in the first storage to the variable image creating format data, and makes the creation unit output the variable image in which the recodes are embedded in the variable image creating format data rendered by the rendering unit separately from the output of the variable image by the first control.
US08599426B2

A writing-back task unit alternately performs writing-back of data of a second storage unit in two storage areas of a non-volatile memory according to a flag value of an updating flag. At this time, a counting process of a counter for obtaining a count value according to written-back data amount is performed. At a power-on time, it is determined whether or not all the counters have writing-back completion values. When all the counters have the writing-back completion values, if the updating flag=1, the data of the first storage area are written in a first storage unit of a RAM. On the other hand, if the updating flag=0, the data of the second storage area are written in the first storage unit of the RAM.
US08599425B2

An image processing apparatus includes a processing block, a first control block, and a second control block. The first control block issues a write request signal for inputting a first write pulse to a register of the processing block. The second control block issues a second write pulse cliffs differing from the first write pulse with timing independent of the first control block. The processing block includes the register, a write pulse generating circuit which generates the first write pulse according to the write request signal from the first control block, and a switching circuit which selects either the first write pulse or the second write pulse and inputs the selected pulse to the register.
US08599424B2

Printer cartridge microchips that can be used in conjunction with several different types of printer cartridges and/or printer models or families are described. Several printer cartridge microchips are provided that respond to data or information requests and/or commands from the printer (e.g., the printer processor). If the correct data or information is stored on the microchip, the printer can then function with that particular cartridge. In order to optimize the memory requirements of the microchip, at least one separate read-only memory subunit and at least one writable memory subunit is provided in the memory element. Each of the read-only memory subunits can correspond to a particular printer model or family type. In this manner, several different printer model or family types can function with the use of a single microchip for the printer cartridge.
US08599423B2

In an image processing apparatus, an image memory handler (IMH) sets an engine descriptor for an engine unit and a virtual descriptor for a virtual video input driver, thereby controlling moving of image data from a local memory (MEM) to a hard disk drive (HDD). In a process in which the engine unit writes the image data into the MEM in such a manner defined by settings described in the engine descriptor, the virtual video input driver handles occurrence of an interrupt to a PCI direct access in such a manner that the image data is moved from the MEM to the HDD properly.
US08599417B2

A network apparatus configured to perform data communication using an address includes a value input unit configured to input a value describing at least one part of the address, a first mark input unit configured to input a mark for separating a plurality of values describing the address in a plurality of parts, and a second mark input unit configured to continuously input a plurality of marks.
US08599416B2

An image forming apparatus transfers image data stored in a first storing part of a side of a first control part to a side of a writing engine. A second storing part temporarily stores the image data from said first storing part. When data stored in the second storing part reaches a data amount to be previously stored in order that continuous transfer of the image data to the side of the writing engine from the second storing part is available at a predetermined transfer rate, even when a predetermined delay occurs in a transfer operation of the image data from the first storing part to the second storing part, reading of the image data from the second storing part is started for starting image forming operation.
US08599409B2

A printing control apparatus is provided. The printing control apparatus includes a user interface to set a printing option for a document to be printed, an extraction unit to determine whether the set printing option is a printing option for pre-processing, a generation unit to generate a setting file corresponding to the pre-processing printing option if the printing option is the pre-processing printing option, a conversion unit to convert an XPS file into an enhanced XPS file that includes the generated setting file, and a controller to transmit the enhanced XPS file to the image forming apparatus.
US08599405B2

A system for printing queued print jobs includes a user interface and a job submission component. The user interface communicates user input. The job submission component submits print jobs to at least one print queue. The job submission component communicates with the user interface to receive the user input therefrom. The job submission component includes at least one parameter associated with printing an identification sheet with all of the at least one print job in the at least one print queue when a predetermined condition occurs, the predetermined condition includes at least one of a temporal condition, a periodic temporal condition, a threshold number of pages, and a threshold number of print jobs in the at least one print queue.
US08599397B2

According to one embodiment, a deriving operation control device obtains derivation control information and a derivation attribute. A deriving operation propriety determination unit extracts the number of times of previously-performed derivation from the derivation attribute. The deriving operation propriety determination unit extracts the upper limit number of times enabling derivation from the derivation control information and determines that a deriving operation is possible when the number of times of previously-performed derivation is equal to or below the upper limit number of times enabling derivation. A deriving operation execution unit executes the deriving operation.
US08599396B2

An image forming apparatus includes: a reading mechanism having an original placement portion on which an original document is placed for reading an image; a recording mechanism having a medium supply tray on which a recording medium is set, the recording mechanism being disposed in such a manner that a longitudinal direction of the medium supply tray is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the original placement portion; an angular casing that houses the reading mechanism and the recording mechanism while stacking the reading mechanism and the recording mechanism vertically; and a cartridge holder that houses an ink cartridge and is disposed in a space located at a corner position of the casing below the reading mechanism and surrounded by a circumferential wall of the casing and a side wall of the medium supply tray.
US08599388B1

Methods and computer program products for super-resolution mapping of nanoprobes having spectrally distinguishable coherent scattering properties. A sample containing a plurality of nanoprobes is illuminated with broadband light, and coherent scattering by the nanoprobes is detected. Scattered light is spectrally associated with respective nanoprobes, allowing a position associated with each nanoprobe to be mapped.
US08599386B2

An interference signal processing method includes: dividing, into a measuring light beam and a reference light beam, each of a plurality of luminous fluxes which respectively have predetermined wavelength bands different from each other and which are emitted by sweeping the wavelength in the respective predetermined wavelength bands; detecting, for each of the luminous fluxes, an interference light signal between the reference light beam and a reflected light beam which is reflected from a measuring object at the time when the plurality of measuring light beams are irradiated onto the measuring object; calculating at least phase information of a plurality of detected interference light signals; and using, as a reference, the phase of the interference light signal obtained from the luminous flux of a first wavelength band, and of generating a corrected interference light signal by correcting, based on the phase information, the phase of the interference light signals obtained from the luminous fluxes of the plurality of wavelength bands different from the first wavelength band.
US08599384B2

A handheld wavelength meter that includes a housing that encloses a non-stable reference signal source, an interferometer with rotating retroreflectors, optical-electrical converters, a frequency multiplier, and a controller.
US08599373B1

In accordance with the present invention, an ultra-sensitive Raman chemical sensor is provided that is based on an enhanced spontaneous emission as a result of cavity quantum electrodynamic effects. More specifically, the sensor in accordance with the present invention makes use of a double resonance of a microcavity with both the excitation laser frequency and the Raman frequency. As such, the Raman shift corresponds to an integer times the free spectral range of the microcavity. Because the Raman frequency directly depends on the excitation laser's frequency, the fulfillment of the resonance condition for the excitation laser frequency guarantees that resonance with the Raman frequency is also satisfied.
US08599369B2

A defect inspection method wherein illumination light having a substantially uniform illumination intensity distribution in a certain direction on the surface of a specimen is radiated onto the surface of the specimen; wherein multiple components of those scattered light beams from the surface of the specimen which are emitted mutually different directions are detected, thereby obtaining corresponding multiple scattered light beam detection signals; wherein the multiple scattered light beam detection signals is subjected to processing, thereby determining the presence of defects; wherein the corresponding multiple scattered light detecting signals is processed with respect to all of the spots determined to be defective by the processing, thereby determining the sizes of defects; and wherein the defect locations on the specimen and the defect sizes are displayed with respect to all of the spots determined to be defective by the processing.
US08599365B2

A method and apparatus for identifying individual trees and its canopy shape in LiDAR data determines if the view of each LiDAR data point is blocked by one or more neighboring LiDAR data points. LiDAR data points that do not have neighboring LiDAR data points that block the view are considered to be a central part of a tree canopy. In one embodiment, those LiDAR data points that are central part of a canopy are added to an output file that stores clusters of data points for each canopy detected. The central part of the canopy area can be analyzed to predict one or more characteristics of the tree.
US08599359B2

An exposure apparatus is equipped with a coarse movement stage which can move along an XY plane and includes a first section and a second section that can come close to and separate from each other, a fine movement stage which holds wafer W and is supported relatively movable at least within the XY plane by the coarse movement stage, and a drive system which drives the fine movement stage supported by the coarse movement stage independently or integrally with the coarse movement stage. Further, the exposure apparatus is equipped with a relay stage which can deliver the fine movement stage to/from the coarse movement stage.
US08599355B2

Disclosed is LCD device and a method of manufacturing the same, which increases a margin between the channel width and length (W/L) of a thin film transistor having a multi-gate structure, wherein the device comprises a substrate where a plurality of pixel regions are defined by a data line and a gate line; an active layer formed at each of a plurality of pixel regions of the substrate; a gate electrode comprising a plurality of multi-patterns overlapping with the active layer with an insulation layer therebetween; and a data electrode electrically connected to the active layer, wherein the multi-patterns are formed in straight by compensating pattern distortion of an edge portion of a gate pattern, and formed with the gate pattern which is designed to comprise a plurality of compensation patterns.
US08599352B2

A liquid crystal display device and method includes a pair of substrates with liquid crystal sandwiched therebetween, a plurality of intersecting scanning signal lines and image signal lines, a thin film transistor formed corresponding to each intersection, a pixel electrode which is formed in a pixel region and connected to the thin film transistor, a gate insulating film, and a protective insulating film. At least one of the scanning signal lines and the image signal lines are each formed of a laminated film including a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer is formed of a copper film having a purity of at least 99.5%, and the second layer is formed of an alloy film containing copper as a main component. The first layer and the second layer are collectively subjected to wet etching with an etchant having a predetermined pH.
US08599349B2

A display panel includes a first substrate, scan lines, data lines, pixel units, a second substrate, a display medium, and a color filter layer. The scan lines and the data lines are disposed on the first substrate. The pixel units are electrically connected to the scan lines and the data lines. Each pixel unit includes first, second, third, and fourth pixels. An extension direction of slit patterns of the first and second pixels is different from an extension direction of slit patterns of the third and fourth pixels. The color filter layer includes a first color filter pattern, a second color filter pattern, a third color filter pattern, and a fourth color filter pattern respectively corresponding to the first, second, third, and fourth pixel. The color of the fourth color filter pattern is different from the colors of the first, second, and third color filter patterns.
US08599345B2

VA-mode liquid crystal display device having a high display quality is provided. A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer; a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other with the liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween; a first electrode provided in the first substrate on the liquid crystal layer side and a second electrode provided in the second substrate on the liquid crystal layer side; and a first alignment film provided between the first electrode and the liquid crystal layer and a second alignment film provided between the second electrode and the liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of pixel areas located in a matrix. Each of the plurality of pixel areas includes a first liquid crystal domain in which a tilt direction of liquid crystal molecules at the center and in the vicinity thereof in a layer plane and in a thickness direction of the liquid crystal layer when a voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode is a predetermined first direction, a second liquid crystal domain in which such a tilt direction is a predetermined second direction, a third liquid crystal domain in which such a tilt direction is a predetermined third direction and a fourth liquid crystal domain in which such a tilt direction is a predetermined fourth direction; and a difference between any two among the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and the fourth direction is approximately equal to an integral multiple of 90°.
US08599342B2

A liquid crystal display panel including liquid crystal sandwiched between a pair of substrates is prepared. A light-transmitting reinforcing plate is prepared. A photocuring resin is provided between the liquid crystal display panel and the reinforcing plate. Light is irradiated to a side surface of a laminated body constituted of the liquid crystal display panel, the reinforcing plate and the photocuring resin. The photocuring resin is arranged to face the liquid crystal in an opposed manner. The light is allowed to advance to the inside of the photocuring resin from an edge portion of the photocuring resin. The light is allowed to advance to the inside of the reinforcing plate from an edge portion of the reinforcing plate, is propagated in the inside of the reinforcing plate, and is irradiated to the photocuring resin from the reinforcing plate at a position away from the edge portion of the reinforcing plate.
US08599340B2

Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device having a wide viewing angle in which compensation films are provided between a liquid crystal display panel and each polarizer so as to change polarized states of input and output light of the liquid crystal display panel via the polarizers, thereby preventing light leakage in a diagonal direction of the liquid crystal display device in a normally black mode.
US08599329B2

A liquid crystal display device has a liquid crystal display module, including: a bottom chassis having a bottom side on which an open hole is formed, a printed circuit board adjacent to the open hole and supported at an inner face of the bottom side on which a plurality of light emitting diodes are is mounted, and a coupling part which extends from the printed circuit board, passes through the open hole and contacts an outer face of the bottom side of the bottom chassis, so as to maintain coupling between the bottom chassis and the printed circuit board.
US08599322B2

Provided are a 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional image display device and a method of manufacturing the same. The display device includes: an image display panel including first and second substrates with a first liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween; a switching panel including third and fourth substrates with a second liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween; and a backlight unit for supplying light to the image display panel and the switching panel.
US08599305B2

A solid-state imaging device having a pixel array section in which pixels including photoelectric conversion elements are arranged in a matrix form, and sweeping out unnecessary charges by setting a predetermined number, two or more, of adjacent rows or a predetermined number, two or more, of adjacent columns, in the pixel array section, to a single group, and by applying a shutter pulse in units of groups before storing signal charges, and sequentially reading the signal charges in the units of groups. In the solid-state imaging device, a pre-shutter pulse is applied to pixels belonging to at least a single row or a single column within a succeeding group and adjacent to a preceding group, prior to the shutter pulse, before a reading timing for the preceding group, to sweep out unnecessary charges stored in the pixels.
US08599303B2

The present invention determines the dimensions and volume of an object by using a novel 3-D camera that measures the distance to every reflective point in its field of view with a single pulse of light. The distance is computed by the time of flight of the pulse to each camera pixel. The accuracy of the measurement is augmented by capture of the laser pulse shape in each camera pixel. The camera can be used on an assembly line to develop quality control data for manufactured objects or on a moving or stationary system that weighs as well as dimensions the objects. The device can also ascertain the minimum size of a box required to enclose an object.
US08599301B2

Arrayed imaging systems include an array of detectors formed with a common base and a first array of layered optical elements, each one of the layered optical elements being optically connected with a detector in the array of detectors.
US08599295B2

Disclosed herein is an imaging element including a pixel array section, a first current source, a first ground line, a first switch, a first capacitive element, a second switch, and a current control circuit.
US08599269B1

The embodiments of the invention here are automated systems and processes for testing a camera device. The processes can detect dark signal non-uniformity (DSNU) within a digital image that has been captured by a solid-state imaging sensor of the camera device under test. Techniques that may be able to detecting localized and global color drifts of various shapes have been described and claimed.
US08599268B2

An image signal processing unit partitions a frame image into a plurality of partitioned blocks and calculates for each partitioned block luminance information, color information, contrast information, and a motion vector quantity. A grouping unit groups the partitioned blocks into an image area of the same object based on the luminance information and the color information of each partitioned block. A moving amount calculating unit calculates a moving amount of an object contained in a grouped image area based on the motion vector quantity of each partitioned block, a detection value of a motion detection sensor, and a focal length calculated by a focal length calculating unit. A tracking object selecting unit selects an object in the image area of the highest contrast value as a tracking target object out of objects each having a moving amount exceeding a threshold value.
US08599237B2

Video send and receive capabilities of participants are determined by the respective machines determining available combinations, as well as preferences for the receivers. Receiver capabilities are forwarded to the source for computation of negotiated video capabilities through a logic intersection of the determined capabilities based on desired number of streams and resolutions. If a resolution of a send capability exists within the receive capability, the highest frame and/or bit rate may be selected for transmission.
US08599226B2

A method and system for converting color image data (data outputting from element 202) from a, for example, three-dimensional color space format to a format usable by an n-primary display (206), wherein n is greater than or equal to 3. The system (converter 204) may define a two-dimensional sub-space having a plurality of two-dimensional positions, each position representing a set of n primary color values and a third, scaleable coordinate value for generating an n-primary display input signal (signal inputting toi display 206). Furthermore, the system may receive a three-dimensional color space input signal including out-of range pixel data not reproducible by a three-primary additive display, and may convert the data to side gamut color image pixel data suitable for driving the wide gamut color display.
US08599224B2

An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display comprises: an OLED; a driving transistor for supplying driving current to the OLED; a data line for transmitting a corresponding data signal to the driving transistor; a first transistor having a first electrode connected to one electrode of the OLED and a second electrode connected to the data line; and a second transistor having a first electrode connected to the data line and a second electrode connected a gate electrode of the driving transistor, wherein the first transistor, the second transistor, and the driving transistor are turned on, a first current and a second current are respectively sunk in a path of driving current from the driving transistor to the OLED through the data line, and a threshold voltage and mobility of the driving transistor are calculated by receiving a first voltage and a second voltage applied to the gate electrode of the driving transistor corresponding to sinking of the first current and the second current through the second transistor and the data line, and the data signal transmitted to the data line is compensated.
US08599223B2

A display device includes a first reference pixel section configured to be driven to emit light at a predetermined luminance, a second reference pixel section configured to be driven to emit light when an amount of luminance degradation is to be detected, and a correcting unit configured to correct luminance degradation of effective pixels that contribute to display on the basis of a detection result of luminances of the first reference pixel section and the second reference pixel section.
US08599221B2

An image processing device includes a first display section configured to display an image, an input receiving device configured to receive an input associated with the image, and a computer processing unit (CPU). The CPU is configured to determine a selected portion of the image based on the input, to reduce a scaling factor associated with the selected portion of the image as an amount of time that the input device continuously receives the input increases, and to apply the scaling factor to the selected portion of the image to generate a scaled image. The device also includes a second display section configured to display the scaled portion of the image.
US08599215B1

An apparatus and method for joining two MRI image data sets to form a composite image. The images are joined together at one or more places along the common area by processing the first and second image data using the square of the normalized intensity difference between at least one group of pixels in the first image data and another group of pixels in the second image data.
US08599212B2

The present invention discloses a character display method and apparatus. The method includes: obtaining a display color value of a character; obtaining a background color value of the character according to a position of the character; obtaining a difference between the display color value and the background color value; obtaining an outline of the character when the difference is smaller than a preset threshold; and displaying the character that has the outline. By adopting the present invention, the character may be clearly displayed in a background without changing a color of the character and a color of the background.
US08599210B2

Techniques for surface caching are described in which a cache for surfaces is provided to enable existing surfaces to be reused. Surfaces in the cache can be assigned to one of multiple surface lists used to service requests for surfaces. The multiple lists can include at least a main list and an auxiliary list configured to group existing surfaces according to corresponding surface constraints. When a surface is requested, the multiple lists can be searched to find an existing surface based on constraints including, for example, the type of surface and size requirements for the requested surface. If an existing surface is discovered, the existing surface can be returned to service the request. If a suitable surface is not found in the multiple lists, a new surface is created for the request and the new surface can be added to a corresponding one of the multiple surface lists.
US08599205B2

A method and apparatus for displaying a battery residual quantity of a portable terminal having a self-luminescence display are provided. The brightness of an image frame is determined by analyzing a histogram of the image frame output through the self-luminescence display. A power consumption of the self-luminescence display is determined based on the brightness of the image frame output through the self-luminescence display. A battery voltage and a battery voltage variance value are determined. The battery residual quantity is displayed in accordance with the power consumption of the self-luminescence display and the battery voltage variance value.
US08599202B1

A system and method for performing tessellation of three-dimensional surface patches performs some tessellation operations using programmable processing units and other tessellation operations using fixed function units with limited precision. (u,v) parameter coordinates for each vertex are computed using fixed function units to offload programmable processing engines. The (u,v) computation is a symmetric operation and is based on integer coordinates of the vertex, tessellation level of detail values, and a spacing mode.
US08599198B2

A plurality of basic depth models indicate depth values of a plurality of basic scene structures. Statistical amounts of pixel values in predetermined areas in a non-3D image are calculated to generate first evaluation values. A statistical amount of pixel values in a whole of the non-3D image is calculated to generate a second evaluation value. The basic depth models are combined into a combination result according to a combination ratio depending on the generated first evaluation values. Depth estimation data is generated from the combination result and the non-3D image. A texture of the non-3D image is shifted in response to the generated depth estimation data and the generated second evaluation value to generate a different-viewpoint picture signal. The generated different-viewpoint picture signal and a picture signal representative of the non-3D image make a stereo pair representing a pseudo 3D image.
US08599194B2

A system includes an analysis system for performing an analysis and a motion capture environment interfaced with the analysis system. The motion capture system includes at least one sensor-tracker for tracking a location of a tracked object within the motion capture environment and one or more computers collectively operable to generate a virtual reality environment corresponding to the analysis.
US08599190B2

A decoder includes a first sub-decoder that receives a first level voltage set and outputs voltages selected according to lower L-bits of N-bit data, a second sub-decoder that receives a second level voltage set and outputs voltages selected according to the lower L-bits, a third sub-decoder that selects, according to higher M-bits, one voltage from the voltages selected by the first and second sub-decoders, a fourth sub-decoder that outputs voltages selected according to lower P-bits from among a third level voltage set, a fifth sub-decoder that selects one voltage selected according to higher Q-bits from the voltages output from the fourth sub-decoder, and a sixth sub-decoder that controls conduction and non-conduction based on K-bits, between one output among outputs of the first sub-decoder, and one output among outputs of the fourth sub-decoder; output of the third sub-decoder and output of the fifth sub-decoder are connected to an output terminal; the first, second, and third sub-decoders are configured from transistor switches of said first polarity, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth sub-decoders are configured from transistor switches of said second polarity.
US08599185B2

A driving apparatus of a display is disclosed. The driving apparatus mentioned above includes a digital-to-analog converter circuit and an output buffer circuit. The digital-to-analog converting circuit receives a display data with a digital format for generating a gray-level voltage. The output buffer circuit has an output terminal to output an output signal. The output buffer circuit receives the gray-level voltage, a pre-charge enable signal and the output signal and provides a pre-charge output signal to the output terminal of the output buffering circuit according to the pre-charge enable signal and a comparison result of the gray-level voltage and the output signal.
US08599184B2

Provided is a boosting voltage generating element used in a semiconductor integrated circuit, more particularly, is a charge pump. The charge pump includes a first converting unit and a second converting unit. The first converting unit is configured to receive a first voltage in response to a first clock signal to generate a first pumping voltage. The first converting unit is also configured to alternately output the first pumping voltage to a first terminal and a second terminal. The second converting unit is configured to receive the first pumping voltage through the first terminal or the second terminal in response to a second clock signal and a third clock signal respectively, to generate a second pumping voltage The second converting unit is also configured to provide the second pumping voltage to an output terminal. The second converting unit is configured to provide the second pumping voltage to the output terminal for at least half of a period of the second clock signal or the third clock signal.
US08599181B2

A photo detector is disclosed. The photo detector includes a substrate, a first patterned semiconductor layer, a dielectric layer, a patterned conductive layer, an inter-layer dielectric, a second patterned semiconductor layer, two first electrodes disposed on the inter-layer dielectric and two second electrodes disposed on portions of the second semiconductor layer. The first patterned semiconductor layer having a first doping region and a second doping region is disposed on a transistor region. The dielectric layer is disposed to cover the substrate and the first semiconductor layer, the patterned conductive layer is disposed on the dielectric layer, and the inter-layer dielectric having at least two openings adapted to expose the first doping region and the second doping region is disposed to cover the dielectric layer. The second patterned semiconductor layer is disposed on a photosensitive region and the first electrodes are electrically connected to the first patterned semiconductor layer.
US08599173B2

The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can utilize photo-sensors embedded in a substantially transparent layer of a UI display for tracking objects that approach or hover over the UI display. The photo-sensors can be configured to detect light of certain wavelengths (e.g., visible light, infrared light) that are propagated toward the UI display, while ignoring light emanating from the UI display when displaying content. Accordingly, by examining various characteristics of the incoming light such as intensity, the architecture can identify a location of a shadow incident upon the display caused by an approaching or hovering selector object blocking portions of incoming light. Additionally or alternatively, the architecture can identify a location of higher intensity for light emanating from the selector object.
US08599167B2

A touchscreen system for increasing the dynamic range of the system comprising a touchscreen coupled to an offset cancellation element and a capacitance measuring element. The offset cancellation element is configured to be dynamically changed in capacitance such that it offsets parasitic and sensor capacitances of the touchscreen sensors thereby leaving only touch event capacitance to be measured by the measuring element. The offset cancellation element is able to adjust to the initial unwanted capacitances of each sensor as well as dynamically adjust to changes in the unwanted capacitance due to the environment. In some embodiments, the offset cancellation element is a capacitance digital-to-analog converter that is controlled by a controller for offsetting the unwanted capacitance. As a result, the touchscreen system is able to utilize a small integrating capacitor thereby lowering cost and improving the dynamic range of the system.
US08599160B2

A touch keyboard includes a touch panel, a light guide plate, a keyboard layer, and a controller. The controller is connected to the touch panel. When a user touches the touch panel, the controller determines the touch position by detecting changes in the current of the touch panel, and generates a command signal. The keyboard layer is sandwiched between the touch panel and the light guide plate. The keyboard layer includes a film and a plurality of keyboard signs printed on the film, and the positions of the keyboard signs are recorded in the controller.
US08599156B2

An electronic apparatus and a method for processing an input signal are provided. In the present invention, a signal conversion module is provided, and the signal conversion module registers into an operating system. A raw data corresponding to an input signal is obtained from the operating system through the signal conversion module, when the input signal is received from a human interface device. And a reference value is obtained from a driver of the human interface device through the signal conversion module. The raw data is converted into a coordinate data according to the reference value through the signal conversion module, and the coordinate data is sent to an application program through the signal conversion module.
US08599153B2

An apparatus and a method for executing a hot key function of a mobile terminal provide that, if a motion of the mobile terminal is detected and a touch of a user is detected, a specific hot key function is executed, so that the user may input commands according to the touch of the user and the motion of the mobile terminal.
US08599151B2

An information processing apparatus is provided which includes a first display unit for displaying book data per page, a second display unit provided so as to be adjacent to the first display unit for displaying the book data per page, an axial part provided between the first and second display units, a first detecting unit for detecting rotational angular displacement of the first display unit around the axial part, a second detecting unit for detecting rotational angular displacement of the second display unit around the axial part, and a display page controller for displaying a page N displayed on the first display unit on the second display unit, or displaying the page N displayed on the second display unit on the first display unit, based on the rotational angular displacement of the first display unit and the rotational angular displacement of the second display unit.
US08599144B2

A touch-sensing device has a top and a bottom surface. A grounded connector is coupled to the bottom surface of the touch-sensing device and extends through the touch-sensing device to the top surface of the touch-sensing device. The touch-sensing device has a grounded layer. A first dielectric layer is on the grounded layer. A conductive layer of the touch-sensing device has an opening. The conductive layer is on the first dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer is on the conductive layer. The grounded connector is coupled to the grounded layer and extends through the opening of the conductive layer to the top surface of the second dielectric layer.
US08599142B2

An input device, especially for a vehicle, comprises a display to display an operating element, a touchscreen arranged above the display for recognition of the position of touching of an operating surface of the touchscreen, a force sensor connected to the touchscreen for measurement of the force exerted on the operating surface of the touchscreen, and a control to generate a warning during touching of the operating surface of the touchscreen in the region of display of the operating element or during pressing on the operating surface of the touchscreen in the region of display of the operating element, and to generate a control command assigned to the operating element, if, after generation of the warning, a force that exceeds a force limit value is exerted on the operating surface.
US08599141B2

An input device is provided. The input device contains a face sheet, coordinate-inputting means opposing the lower portion of the face sheet, and switching means opposing the lower portion of the coordinate-inputting means. The face sheet, the coordinate-inputting means, and the switching means are laminated in a thickness direction. The coordinate-inputting means has X- and Y-direction electrodes opposing each other and arranged on both surfaces of a base sheet in a grid manner. The switching means has a substrate with a switch contact portions in a grid arrangement. The switch contact portions are switched by the inversion of invertible plates. Projections are disposed between the coordinate-inputting means and the invertible plates.
US08599137B2

There is provided a handheld electronic device including a support structure, a display, a navigation tool assembly and a coil. The display is located on a front face of the device and upon which graphical user interface information is displayed to the user of the device. The navigation tool assembly is coupled to the support structure and includes a navigation tool that is moveable relative to the support structure. The navigation tool is configured to control motion of a selection or position indicator on the display. The coil is coupled to the support structure. A movement of the navigation tool relative to the support structure effects induction of current through the coil.
US08599135B1

A controller device transmits operation data to an information processing device. The controller device wirelessly communicates with the information processing device. The controller device includes an operation unit, a generating unit, and a communication unit. The operation unit includes at least a gyrosensor, an acceleration sensor, a direction input unit, and a touch panel. The generating unit generates operation data based on data obtained from the operation unit. The communication unit wirelessly transmits the operation data to the information processing device for each iteration of a predetermined cycle. The operation data transmitted in a single transmission includes: data representing a value obtained by adding together nine pieces of angular velocity detected by the gyrosensor; data representing one piece of acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor; data representing one piece of direction detected by the direction input unit; and data representing ten pieces of position detected by the touch panel.
US08599133B2

An interactive method and system include at least one detector (210) configured to detect the position of at least one user (240) in proximity of a panel (205), such as a transparent panel of a shop window (205). A processor (120) is provided which may be configured to activate a portion of the panel to display information. This portion, referred to as a private screen (230), may be substantially near the user's position. The processor (120) may be further be configured to move the private screen (230) so that it follows movement of the user (120). When a second user (245) is detected, then a second private screen (235) is activated substantially near the second user (245). The location of the second private screen (235) relative the location of the first screen (230) is such that interference is reduced between the two users or screens.
US08599126B2

In a method of local dimming of a light source including a plurality of light-emitting blocks, a dimming level of each light-emitting block of the plurality of light-emitting blocks is determined. A compensation dimming level of a predetermined light-emitting block is calculated based on dimming levels of peripheral light-emitting blocks disposed around a periphery of the predetermined light-emitting block. The predetermined light-emitting block is driven based on the compensation dimming level.
US08599123B2

A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal panel, a drive circuit, and a power circuit. The drive circuit includes a gate driver, a timing control circuit, and a wave signal generation circuit. The timing control circuit sends a timing control signal to the gate driver and the wave signal generation circuit. The wave signal generation circuit generates a control signal according to the timing control signal, and generates a wave signal according to the control signal. The gate driver generates scan signals according to the timing control signal and the wave signal. Before the voltage of the scan signal changes from a maximum voltage to a minimum voltage, the voltage of the scan signal decreases to an invariable middle voltage that is between the minimum voltage and the maximum voltage during a fall time of the scan signal.
US08599115B2

A pixel includes a load, a transistor which controls a current supplied to the load, a storage capacitor, and first to fourth switches. By inputting a potential in accordance with a video signal into the pixel after the threshold voltage of the transistor is held in the storage capacitor, and holding a voltage of the sum of the threshold voltage and the potential, variations of a current value caused by variations of threshold voltage of a transistor can be suppressed. Consequently, a predetermined current can be supplied to the load such as a light-emitting element. Further, by changing the potential of a power supply line, a display device with a high duty ratio can be provided.
US08599114B2

A display device displays an image having a substantially uniform brightness by compensating for variations of the threshold voltages of driving transistors and compensating for the deterioration of an organic light emitting diode. A pixel includes an organic light emitting diode, two transistors, a storage capacitor, and a compensation unit. A driving transistor supplies a current to an OLED corresponding to the voltage in the storage capacitor. The compensation unit controls a voltage of a gate electrode of the driving transistor corresponding to a deterioration of the organic light emitting diode, and couples one electrode of the driving transistor to the data line during a compensation period, during which a threshold voltage of the driving transistor is compensated.
US08599112B2

Any one of a write scanning line, a power source supply line, and a video signal line is structured as a subsidiary wiring disposed in the same layer as that having a lower electrode disposed therein. The subsidiary wiring is used in the power source supply line through which a power source drive pulse to be pulse-driven is transmitted, or other wirings (such as the write scanning line and the video signal line).
US08599106B2

A multi-screen user device and methods for logically controlling the display behavior of applications and other displayable data are disclosed. Specifically, when a dual-screen application is displayed to the primary and secondary screens of a device the dual-screen application can be minimized to a single screen by closing the device. When the device is reopened, the minimized dual-screen application is maintained in a minimized state on the screen to which it was minimized. Specific rules can be implemented to determine whether the dual-screen application will be maximized to run on the primary and secondary screens of a device upon reopening.
US08599094B2

A loop antenna is provided. The loop antenna includes: a substrate; an outer pattern including at least one loop on a surface of the substrate; and an inner pattern in an inner region of the at least one loop of the outer pattern, an end of the inner pattern being connected to an end of the outer pattern, wherein the inner pattern is configured so that an electric current flows in the inner pattern in a direction opposite to a direction in which the electric current flows in the outer pattern. Accordingly, an H-Field characteristic of the loop antenna can be enhanced, thereby allowing the loop antenna to have a decreased size and an improved performance.
US08599092B2

An antenna includes a coil that is formed such that one end of the coil is short circuited or open to a ground and a current standing wave is generated when a high frequency signal is applied to another end of the coil. The coil generates a magnetic field standing wave having a frequency corresponding to the high frequency signal, and thereby detects or radiates an electromagnetic wave having the frequency.
US08599082B2

A bracket assembly is used to mount a wireless telemetry component proximate a rotating component of a combustion turbine engine (10), wherein the wireless telemetry component includes an RF transparent ceramic cover (128). The bracket assembly comprises a first mounting bracket (125) on a surface proximate the rotating component that includes a first (138) and second (139) bracket member spaced apart from one another. The first (138) and second (139) bracket members are disposed generally perpendicular to a direction of centrifugal forces generated by the rotating component. At least one of the first (138) or second bracket (139) members is inclined toward the other bracket member and disposed at an acute angle relative to the surface (141) proximate the rotating component.
US08599081B2

The subject disclosure relates to solar energy collection and use in communications systems and to enhancements thereof. In an aspect, dual function antennas are disclosed that can simultaneously function as an antenna and as a solar energy collection system. In further aspects, disclosed embodiments can focus incident solar radiation to increase output voltage of conventional solar cells. Measured and simulated results demonstrate various aspects of the subject disclosure.
US08599076B2

The radio wave receiver includes the antenna. The device body and the closing member are coupled to each other by making the screw portion of the fixation screw being inserted through the through-hole of the metallic closing member engage with the screw portion of the device body. The coupling resin member having electrically insulating property is coupled to the irregularities of a nanometer size formed on a metal surface of the closing member, a through-hole is formed in the coupling resin member, and thereby electrical insulation between the metallic device body and the metallic closing member which are screwed together with the fixation screw is ensured so as to improve receiving sensitivity of the antenna.
US08599073B2

An antenna shaft of an antenna is first inserted through a shaft through-hole created on a lateral plate casing of a stationary-side front case. Then, a flange on the antenna shaft is screw-fixed in a screw hole created at a predetermined position on the lateral plate casing of the stationary-side front case. When the antenna shaft of the antenna is inserted through the shaft through-hole created on the lateral plate casing, an inserted tip of the antenna shaft abuts against a substantially V-shaped connection receiving unit, which is fixed on a circuit board in the stationary-side front case. As a result, an electric connection is established between the antenna and the circuit board.
US08599069B2

A global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver may be operable to quantize two-dimensional GNSS sample data with an in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) pair to two-dimensional quantized data with a magnitude and angle pair using the polar quantization, for example, an unrestricted polar quantization. The GNSS receiver may be operable to reduce a size of the two-dimensional quantized data for storage by representing the two-dimensional quantized data by the one-dimensional symbol data. The one-dimensional symbol data may be stored in a random access memory (RAM) for further processing. The I and Q pair associated with the one-dimensional symbol data stored in the RAM may be retrieved and processed by the GNSS receiver using a correlation such as a fast Fourier transform (FFT) correlation.
US08599068B2

Methods and systems for using W-code to extend anti-spoof capability to civilian GPS receivers for verifying locations of mobile terminals are disclosed. A system for verifying a reported location of a mobile terminal includes a receiver of the mobile terminal and a verification processor. The receiver processes the radio ranging signals to generate measured quantities related to the W-code to the verification processor. The receiver also provides the reported location of the mobile terminal to the verification processor. The verification processor generates expected quantities related to the W-code based on the reported location of the mobile terminal. The verification processor further compares the measured quantities related to the W-code to the expected quantities related to the W-code to verify the reported location of the mobile terminal.
US08599067B2

A global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver that includes a radio frequency (RF) receiver receiving a first GPS signal from a GPS satellite and a processor. The processor is configured to correlate the first GPS signal with a plurality of reference signals to produce a plurality of correlations, detect a transition between receiving the first GPS signal and receiving a second GPS signal from the GPS satellite based on a phase shift in the correlations, and if the transition is detected, compensate for the phase shift when computing a range to the GPS satellite.
US08599065B2

Disclosed herein is a Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) receiver. The SBAS receiver is configured to receive SBAS messages containing augmentation data and to provide one or more served GPS receivers with augmentation information based on the augmentation data extracted from the received SBAS messages. The SBAS receiver is designed to implement a Finite State Machine (FSM) intended to be common to all served GPS receivers, and configured to evolve based on the received SBAS messages and to store the augmentation data contained therein. The common FSM is further configured to cooperate with a number of correction modules equal to the number of served GPS receivers, each correction module being configured to receive GPS data from a corresponding served GPS receiver, and to compute an augmented position for the corresponding served GPS receiver based on the corresponding GPS data and on augmentation data retrieved from the common FSM. If the correction modules are implemented in the SBAS receiver, then the augmentation information provided by the SBAS receiver to each served GPS receiver is the augmented position computed by the corresponding correction module. If the correction modules are each implemented in a corresponding served GPS receiver, then the augmentation information provided by the SBAS receiver to the served GPS receiver is the augmentation data stored in the common FSM.
US08599062B2

A system and method are disclosed for the generation and processing of waveforms utilized to modulate the carrier frequency of a microwave sensor employed, to determine the range and velocity of an object of interest. The system and method result in improved performance in environments with high levels of interference.
US08599056B2

An embodiment of the present invention provides a digital-to-analog converter including: a primary modulator; a secondary modulator, connected to the primary modulator; a delay unit, connected to the primary modulator; a subtractor, connected to the delay unit and the secondary modulator separately; a first processing module, configured to perform decoding, dynamic matching, and digital-to-analog conversion in sequence on a B-bit digital signal output by the secondary modulator, so as to obtain a first analog signal; a second processing module, configured to perform decoding, dynamic matching, and digital-to-analog conversion in sequence on an (N−B+1) -bit quantization noise signal output by the subtractor, so as to obtain an analog noise signal; and an adder, connected to the first processing module and the second processing module separately, and configured to add the first analog signal and the analog noise signal, so as to obtain and output a second analog signal.
US08599051B2

A time-interleaved A/D converter apparatus has a primary signal A/D converter circuit group that is time-interleaved with a combination of N A/D converter circuits, a correction signal generation part operable to receive the input analog signal and a 1/m-sampling signal having a speed that is 1/m of a rate of the sampling signal inputted to the primary signal A/D converter circuit group, to extract a dispersion of a transmission line that is immanent in the input analog signal, and to output the dispersion as a dispersion compensation control signal used for digital signal compensation, and a signal processing part operable to convert the N digital signals into one digital signal based upon the dispersion compensation control signal and to compensate a dispersion included in the converted digital signal.
US08599048B2

A compression system configured to compress logical data objects into one or more accommodation blocks with a predefined size, and a method of operating thereof are provided. The compression system includes a compression engine capable of compressing input data with the help of sequential encoding one or more input strings and a counter operatively coupled to the compression engine. The counter is configured to keep its ongoing value indicative of a number of input bytes in one or more strings successfully encoded into a given accommodation block; and, responsive to unsuccessful compression of a string into the given accommodation block, to provide the compression engine with information indicative of starting point in the input stream for encoding into the next accommodation block, thus giving rise to a “start indication.”
US08599045B2

Systems and methods for improving pilot situational awareness in the airport vicinity. An example method determines if at least one of an aircraft or vehicle in a predefined vicinity of the airport is a conflict based on information about an installation aircraft, information received from the at least one aircraft or vehicle, and a predefined conflict envelope, when the installation aircraft is performing one of an approach to landing, a takeoff operation or a taxi operation at an airport. The method generates and outputs a conflict alert if the installation aircraft determines that the at least one aircraft or vehicle is a conflict. The method generates a clear-of-conflict advisory if the at least one aircraft or vehicle previously determined to be conflicting is determined to no longer be conflicting based on updated information received from the at least one aircraft or vehicle.
US08599037B2

The door mirror for an automobile including a light diffusing section disposed between the side object detection symbols and the first and second LEDs. Relative dispositions between the side object detection symbols and the first and second LEDs are such that the optical axis of the first LED intersects with a host vehicle display section and the optical axis of the second LED intersects with an other vehicle display section. The relative dispositions enable uniform illumination of the side object detection symbols using the two LEDs. Furthermore, the optical axis of the first LED intersects with a light non-transmissive portion of the host vehicle display section and the optical axis of the second LED intersects with a light non-transmissive portion of the other vehicle display section.
US08599031B2

A system for detecting stray voltage in a conductive object is disclosed herein. The system includes a pick-up element, electrical circuitry, a housing for enclosing the circuitry, a support for mounting the housing, and an indicator. The pick-up element is separated from the conductive object and capable of detecting an electric field from the conductive object. The support of the housing is such that the pick-up element remains separated from the conductive object. The electrical circuitry determines a voltage level corresponding to the electric field detected by the pick-up element and generates, based on a comparison of the determined voltage level relative to a reference voltage level, an indicator signal representative of whether stray voltage is present in the conductive object. Based on the indicator signal, the indicator indicates to a user of the system whether stray voltage is present in the conductive object.
US08599025B2

A method and system for determining the weight of an infant when the infant is either placed upon a support platform or removed from the support platform, where the support platform may be configured as a bed. A sensor is positioned beneath the support platform that provides a weight measurement to a control unit. The control unit determines a baseline weight for the bed and any object placed on the bed. The control unit calculate a recent weight estimate and determines whether the recent weight estimate is different from the baseline weight by more than a weight threshold. If the difference is greater than the weight threshold, the system generates a weight estimate to a user. Once the weight estimate has been generated, the system adjusts the weight threshold such that the adjusted weight threshold is used in additional processing and calculations of the infant weight.
US08599020B2

An embodiment of the invention provides an automated transaction apparatus including: an operation unit; a peep preventing cover that is provided in the operation unit; a sensor that detects removal of the peep preventing cover; and a control unit that performs control such that a transaction of the automated transaction apparatus is paused in accordance with a detection result of the sensor.
US08599015B2

A receiving device includes: a receiving section configured to output a detection flag indicating that warning information is transmitted or at least part of the warning information if the warning information is transmitted; and a controlling section configured to start processing for outputting warning if the detection flag or the at least part of the warning information is supplied, wherein the supply of the detection flag or the at least part of the warning information to the controlling section is carried out by input of the detection flag or the at least part of the warning information output from a pin of a first semiconductor chip on which the receiving section is mounted to a pin of a second semiconductor chip on which the controlling section is mounted.
US08599012B2

A temperature monitoring service in which remote monitoring units are distributed to customers who then set up monitoring as desired at their facilities. The devices may be registered through a web site using the Internet. Monitoring information may be communicated using a publicly available, wireless network, such as a cellular telephone network. The service may be provided with a system, including a server, which can deliver high levels of monitoring functionality. The server may support streaming monitoring information to a customer for analysis or sending a command activating a device connected to a remote unit. Remote units associated with the same location may be in a pool, comprising one active unit and one or more spare units, in which the server automatically identifies the active unit. The server may support analyzing monitoring information according to an expected cycle pattern of a ventilation system at the monitored facility.
US08599010B2

A firefighter tracking system is provided for use in conjunction with a fire truck to track firefighters at the scene of a fire. The system a plurality of portable wireless transceiver tags each carried by a respective firefighter, an accelerometer within each of the plurality of portable wireless transceiver tags, a motion processor within each of the plurality of portable wireless transceiver tags coupled to the accelerometer, the motion processor processes information from the accelerometer, detects an immobilized state of the respective firefighter and wirelessly transmits information including a notification of the detected immobilized state, a gateway carried by the fire truck that receives the transmitted information from each of the plurality of portable wireless transceivers and a status processor coupled to the gateway within the fire truck programmed to determine and display a status of at least some of the firefighters at the location of the fire via the received information including at least the immobilized state of the at least some of the firefighters.
US08599003B2

Methods and systems for remotely monitoring trailer or trailers attached to a vehicle is provided. The method includes associating an identification tag or ABS ECU that is configured to broadcast a trailer identification signal with a trailer. The method further includes receiving the trailer identification signal on-board the vehicle, associating the trailer identification signal with the vehicle, transmitting the trailer identification signal to a remote processor and receiving the trailer identification signal at the remote processor. The system comprises a mobile data terminal capable of generating and responding to telematic events comprising at least one processor, a graphical user interface, an input device, a memory and a set of executable instructions which may include a plurality of modules, such as a vehicle location module capable of receiving a GPS signal and transmitting the GPS signal to a remote processor for determining a location of a transportation unit.
US08598998B2

The present disclosure is grounded in field study of habits of many species of animals, such as birds and bats to provide some examples, as well as their anatomical composition. This study has allowed an understanding of ingrained responses of these animals that can be modified by a biological understanding of physiology, sound and ultrasound technology, laser technology, and intelligent animal recognition. The unique coordination between these specialized technologies provides for animal casualty prevention in a sustainable way that achieves unprecedented success in diverting or deterring animals from their collision course with objects, such as wind turbines or aircraft to provide some examples. Moreover, the present disclosure does not substantially affect the well-being of the animals and does not introduce substantially harmful side-effects to the animals, their environment, and any surrounding human population.
US08598997B2

An electromagnetic alarm device includes a current interrupter to interrupt an electricity supply to a coil on application of a self-excited voltage to oscillate a diaphragm with a moving core to generate a first alarm sound including a fundamental tone at a first predetermined frequency, when a switch is manipulated by an occupant. A proximity notification device includes an ultrasonic speaker to emit an ultrasonic wave, which is generated by implementing ultrasonic modulation on a proximity notification sound, to an outside of the vehicle for notifying a pedestrian of proximity of the vehicle, according to a traveling state of the vehicle and/or when a sensor detects a pedestrian. The ultrasonic speaker emits an ultrasonic wave, which is generated by implementing ultrasonic modulation on a second alarm sound including a fundamental tone at a second frequency, when the switch is manipulated.
US08598995B2

A graphical audio station of a nurse call system is operable to permit a user to perform one or more of the following functions: establish a two-way voice communication link with another computer device in another patient and/or with a another computer device located in another staff work area and/or with a wireless communication device carried by caregiver and/or with a telephone of the healthcare facility; broadcast a voice page to a group of other selected computer devices; compose and send a text message to a portable device that is carried by a caregiver and that has wireless communication capability; browse web pages and/or view multimedia content, such as videos, hosted on servers of the healthcare facility and/or that are accessible via the Internet; view and/or acknowledge and/or answer and/or cancel alerts or nurse calls originating in a plurality of patient rooms.
US08598988B2

Systems and methods are provided for monitoring a plurality of RFID tags. A receiver selection signal is sent along a receive path that includes a plurality of serially connected receivers. A receiver relays the receiver selection signal, listens for an RFID response signal, or operates in a standby mode based on the receiver selection signal. A transmitter selection signal is sent along a transmit path that includes a plurality of serially connected transmitters. A transmitter relays the transmitter selection signal, transmits an identification impulses, or operates in a standby mode based on the transmitter selection signal. The identification impulse is transmitted from the selected transmitter and an RFID response signal is received at the selected receiver.
US08598985B2

A communications system configured to execute data transmission between a transponder having no radio wave generating source thereof and a reader/writer is provided. The communications system includes, a service permission level notifier configured to tell a service permission level for associated with a received signal level for permitting service acceptance from the reader/writer to the transponder, and an access controller configured to determine in the transponder whether the received signal level from the reader/writer is at the notified service permission level to determine accessibility to the transponder from the reader/writer.
US08598975B2

An NTC thermistor having a metal base material, a thermistor film layer formed on the metal base material, and a pair of split electrodes formed on the thermistor film layer. A ceramic slurry is applied onto a carrier film to form the thermistor film layer, a metal powder containing paste is applied onto the thermistor film layer to form the metal base material, and further an electrode paste is applied onto the metal base material to form the split electrodes. Thereafter, the three substances are integrally fired.
US08598974B1

A coil filter includes a core member having two end members extended from two end portions, the left end member includes a front protrusion, a rear protrusion, and a middle protrusion extended upwardly beyond the core member, the front protrusion includes a width (W) greater than that of the rear protrusion and the middle protrusion, the second end member includes a rear projection, a front projection, and a middle projection extended upwardly beyond the core member, the rear projection includes a width (T) greater than the width (t) of the front projection and the middle projection, and a coil member wound onto the core member and disposed between the end members without wasting the spaces of the core member.
US08598964B2

A balun comprising first and second transmission lines having a shared intermediate conductor. The first transmission line may include first and second conductors. The first conductor may have a first end for conducting an unbalanced signal relative to a circuit ground and a second end for conducting a balanced signal. The second conductor may have first and second ends proximate the respective first and second ends of the first conductor. The first and second ends of the second conductor may be open-circuited. The second transmission line may include the second conductor and a third conductor having a first end connected to circuit ground and a second end for conducting the balanced signal. The second conductor may surround the first and third conductors, and one or more ferrite sleeves may surround the second conductor.
US08598961B2

The present invention relates to a transition arrangement comprising two surface-mountable waveguide parts and a dielectric carrier material with a metallization and a ground plane provided on a respective first main side and second main side Surface-mountable waveguide parts comprise a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall, which second and third walls are arranged to contact a part of the metallization, all the walls together essentially forming a U-shape, the surface-mountable waveguide parts also comprising respective bend parts. The metallization on the first main side is removed such that a first aperture and a second aperture are formed, the apertures being enclosed by a frame of via holes electrically connecting the ground plane with the metallization, the bend parts being fitted such that the apertures permit passage of a microwave signal propagating via the bend parts. Then the dielectric carrier material itself acts as a waveguide transition between the first aperture and the second aperture.
US08598959B2

A modulation apparatus comprising a first modulating section that outputs a first modulated signal having a fixed amplitude and a set phase; a second modulating section that outputs a second modulated signal having the fixed amplitude and a set phase; an adding section that outputs the output signal as the sum of the first and second modulated signals; a calculating section that calculates two phases to be set respectively in the first and second modulating sections, based on designated amplitude and phase; an allocating section that allocates, for the first and second modulated signals, the two phases calculated by the calculating section such that the first and second modulated signals are each connected more smoothly; and a setting section that sets the phase allocated for the first modulated signal in the first modulating section and sets the phase allocated for the second modulated signal in the second modulating section.
US08598954B2

A Doherty amplifier includes a carrier amplifier including a first FET, the first FET having a plurality of gate electrodes, and a peaking amplifier including a second FET, the second FET having a plurality of gate electrodes, a gate-to-gate interval of the gate electrodes of the second FET being shorter than a gate-to-gate interval of the first FET.
US08598951B1

A multi-mode RF power amplifier circuit that operates under dynamic power supply conditions. The power amplifier circuit operates under a high power mode and a low power mode. The multi-mode RF power amplifier includes a low power path and a high power path. Under the high power mode of operation, the high power path becomes active and the low power path becomes inactive. Each of the low power path and the high power path includes impedance matching networks and power amplifiers. Under either mode of operation, an inactive path will present at least five times higher input impedance than that of an active path. An impedance matching network connected between output terminals of the high power path and the low power path provides isolation between the output terminals of the high power path and the low power path.
US08598949B2

A method and a electronic circuit, the method includes: sending to a switching circuit, to a state retention power gating (SRPG) circuit and to a first power source a control signal indicating that the SRPG circuit should operate in a functional mode; coupling, by the switching circuit, a third power grid to a first power grid; supplying power from the first power source to the SRPG circuit via the first power grid, the switching circuit and the third power grid; supplying power from a second power source to a second circuit via a second power grid; sending to the switching circuit, to the SRPG circuit and to the first power source a control signal indicating that the SRPG circuit should operate in a state retention mode; coupling, by the switching circuit, the third power grid to the second power grid; supplying power from the second power source to the SRPG circuit via the second power grid, the switching circuit and the third power grid; supplying power from the second power source to the second circuit via the second power grid; and storing, by the SRPG state information.
US08598942B2

A current-voltage conversion circuit of a current correcting unit having a current detecting terminal connected to a sense terminal of a power semiconductor device converts a sense current into a voltage and detects the voltage. A temperature detecting unit detects the ambient temperature of the power semiconductor device, and a correction unit performs a predetermined operation for correcting a characteristic difference due to the temperature on the basis of the detected temperature and outputs a control signal to a variable voltage source. The variable voltage source changes an output voltage on the basis of the output control signal and adjusts the potential of the sense terminal of the power semiconductor device on the basis of the changed voltage value. In this way, the characteristic difference between a main region and a sense region of the power semiconductor device is corrected.
US08598939B2

A T/R switch applicable to an ultrasonograph and capable of transmitting a signal reflected from a living body over a wide band with low noise without causing erroneous operation of the switch or element destruction even when the potential of a transmission signal or reflected signal changes includes: a common source terminal commonly and serially coupling the source terminals of two MOS transistors; a common gate terminal commonly coupling the gate terminals of the two MOS transistors; a main switch, the drain terminals of which are connected to input/output terminals; and a floating voltage circuit which is connected to the common gate terminal and common source terminal, makes the common gate terminal potential follow, in phase, variation in the common source terminal potential, and sends a signal to turn the switch on or off to the common gate terminal.
US08598938B2

A power switch includes first and second MOS transistors in series between first and second nodes. Both the first and second transistors have a gate coupled to its substrate. First and second resistive elements are coupled between the gate of the first transistor and the first node, and between the gate of the second transistor and the second node, respectively. A triac is coupled between the first and second nodes. The gate of the triac is coupled to a third node common to the first and second transistors. A third MOS transistor has a first conduction electrode coupled to the gate of the first transistor and a second conduction electrode coupled to the gate of the second transistor.
US08598928B1

A semiconductor apparatus includes a DLL clock generation unit configured to compare phases of a clock and a feedback clock, determine a delay time of a delay line, delay the clock by the delay time through the delay line, and generate a DLL clock; a delay detection unit configured to detect the delay time of the delay line and enable a delay detection signal when the delay time is greater than or equal to a predetermined time; and a power-down control unit configured to prevent the DLL clock generation unit from being reset when the delay detection signal is enabled and reset the DLL clock generation unit when the delay detection signal is disabled, in a self-refresh operation under a power-down mode.
US08598914B2

A comparator circuit can achieve a reduction in current consumption with a simple configuration, and can suppress an increase in current consumption accompanying a rise in power source voltage. A current mirror circuit is connected to a power source, and gates of MOSFETs of the circuit are interconnected. An input signal is applied to a gate of an NMOSFET of the circuit. By determining the value of the signal with a constant voltage device, the voltage across a tail resistor is constant, even in the event that the power source voltage and the input signal change.
US08598899B2

An overvoltage protection circuit connected to protect electrical components from overvoltage conditions includes a blocking diode connected in series with a transient voltage suppression device (TVS) via a first node and includes a reference voltage for biasing the first node at a voltage sufficient to reverse bias the blocking diode during normal operations. A built-in test circuit associated with the overvoltage protection circuit includes a resistor connected to the first node and a switch connected in series with the resistor that is selectively turned On and Off. The built-in test circuit monitors voltage on a control line associated with the electrical components and at the first node while the switch is Off and while the switch is On, and detects fault conditions based on the monitored voltages.
US08598898B2

Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to testing of high-speed input-output devices. An embodiment of a high-speed input-output apparatus includes a transmitter and a receiver, and a loop-back connection from an output of the transmitter to an input of the receiver, the loop-back connection including a first connector and a second connector for transmission of differential signals. The apparatus further includes a first inductor having a first terminal and a second terminal and second inductor having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the first inductor being connected to the first connector and the first terminal of the second inductor being connected to the second connector, the second terminal of the first inductor and the second terminal of the second inductor providing a test access port for direct current testing of the apparatus.
US08598893B2

A sensor for detecting and measuring a load pressure applied to a support device comprises at least one capacitive cell including a flat condenser comprising at least one layer of a compressible insulating dielectric material interposed between two layers of conductive material. A support device capable of supporting the body of a person comprises at least one top layer composed of a plurality of air-filled inflatable cells communicating with inflation elements, characterized in that it comprises a sensor, of which said condenser is disposed under said top layer and connected to an electronic control and regulation device capable of controlling inflation or deflation elements.
US08598889B2

Various embodiments of an impedance calibration circuit are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the impedance calibration circuit may include a control unit configured to generate a plurality of first internal commands for defining an impedance calibration operation in response to an external signal, a temperature-adaptive control unit configured to generate a second internal command for defining an impedance calibration operation by detecting a temperature change, a timer counter configured to generate an operation control signal that prescribes a duration of time for an impedance calibration operation in response to the plurality of first internal commands and the second internal command, and an impedance calibration signal generation unit configured to operate for a predetermined time defined by the operation control signal and generate impedance calibration signals.
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