US08661554B2
There is described an image forming apparatus, which makes it possible to securely prevent the secret information from leaking out to unauthorized personnel. The apparatus includes: a display section to display a first document that includes secret information; an operating section to designate a concealing position in the first document and establish a disclosable range of the secret information, therefrom; a storage control section to store document data, designation positional information and disclosable range information, while correlating them with each other; an authenticating section to determine whether or not a user coincides with the disclosable range, based on identification information of the user; and a printing section to print either at least a copy of the first document, when the user coincides with the disclosable range, or copies of a second document, when the authenticating section determines that the user does not coincide with the disclosable range.
US08661549B2
First source code of a computer program having a plurality of lines of instructions is received. An obfuscation process is performed on the first source code, including at least two of a shuffling operation, a fertilizing operation, an aggregating operation, and a neutralizing operation. Second source code is generated based on the obfuscation process, where the second source code, when executed by a processor, produces an identical result as the first source code.
US08661543B2
A mobile terminal having security diagnosis functionality and a method of making a diagnosis on the security of the mobile terminal are provided. The mobile terminal includes a system check unit, an interface unit, a blacklist check unit, and a security diagnosis unit. The system check unit collects the basic information of the mobile terminal by performing a system check on the mobile terminal. The interface unit provides the basic information of the mobile terminal to a user and receives a control command from the user. The blacklist check unit checks whether at least one application installed in the mobile terminal is present in a blacklist registered on a server. The security diagnosis unit checks whether an abnormality has occurred in the corresponding application based on results of the comparison between the basic information of the mobile terminal with preset abnormality detection reference information and the control command.
US08661540B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed wherein a portable memory storage device is provided for interfacing with a communications port of the computer system. During operating system start up of the operating system of the computer, fields relating to security of the operating system are prompted for. The portable memory store retrieves from memory therein data for populating said fields and provides same to the computer system mimicking a data entry device other than a portable memory store.
US08661525B2
An implementation method and system of a virtual private network (VPN) are provided in the invention, wherein, the VPN dedicated mapping table of the VPN is stored in the mapping plane in the identity and location separation network, and it is determined whether to achieve the communication between the VPN end host users in the VPN or not according to the VPN dedicated mapping table, thereby the VPN is efficiently achieved in the identity and location separation network, meeting the user requirements for the VPN, eliminating the influence of the identity and location separation technical solution on the traditional VPN service, and reducing the changes on the existing devices and software tools due to the implementation of VPN.
US08661524B2
Techniques for selective desktop control of virtual private networks (VPN's) in a multiuser environment are provided. A multiuser desktop/workstation includes a first user that establishes a VPN session on the desktop for accessing protected resources. Other users are permitted to simultaneously access non-protected resources of the desktop during the VPN session. Other users are also permitted to log into the desktop during the VPN session. However, if the other users attempt to access the protected resources, the access attempts are denied.
US08661517B2
A method and system for accessing to a network through public equipment are provided. The method includes: after an access service node (ASN) receives a network access request message from a user on public equipment, the ASN sending the network access request message to an authentication center (AC), wherein, the network access request message comprises at least the user's account and password; the AC verifying validity of the account and the password, if the verification is passed, sending the user's access identifier (AID) to the ASN; and after the ASN receives the user's AID, the ASN sending the user's AID to the public equipment, the public equipment taking the user's AID as a virtual AID and using the virtual AID to send and receive user's messages. By the present invention, users who access to the network through the public equipment can be tracked and traced effectively.
US08661515B2
An audible authentication of a wireless device for enrollment onto a secure wireless network includes an unauthorized wireless device that audibly emits a uniquely identifying secret code (e.g., a personal identification number (PIN)). In some implementations, the audible code is heard by the user and manually entered via a network-enrollment user interface. In other implementations, a network-authorizing device automatically picks up the audible code and verifies the code. If verified, the wireless device is enrolled onto the wireless network.
US08661514B2
An information processing device including a flow definition memory unit configured to store flow definition information in which a process flow of image data read by an image reading unit is defined, and an authentication screen generating unit configured to determine plural processing units that execute a part of the process flow based on the flow definition information, acquire item information indicative of items of authentication information corresponding to a part or all of the plural processing units which require authentication from the part or all of the plural processing units which require the authentication, and generate authentication screen definition information used for displaying an authentication screen integrating and showing the item information.
US08661493B2
A method and an apparatus for playing broadcast content in a broadcasting system are provided. The method and the apparatus enable a viewer to watch an entire event by broadcasting the event through different networks in a condition that the event may not be broadcast from start to finish over a single broadcasting network.
US08661491B1
Methods of operating a network server device are provided. The methods may include establishing a session with a client device. The methods may also include transmitting a first base segment providing first base content for a first time segment to the client device. The methods may additionally include transmitting a second base segment providing second base content for a second time segment to the client device. The methods may further include transmitting an additive segment including additive content for the second time segment to the client device. Also, the additive content may be synchronized with the second base content. Related methods of operating client devices are also described, as are related network server devices and related client devices.
US08661479B2
Methods and arrangements for caching video object portions. A request for stand-alone content in a video object is received, the content neither being cached nor being adjacent to a cached video object portion, and a first portion of the video object is cached. A value is assigned to the first video object portion. A subsequent request for content in the video object is received, the subsequent request corresponding to access to the first video object portion and a second, uncached portion of the video object. The value of the first video object portion is updated. For the second video object portion, an amount to cache and a value are determined.
US08661475B2
A method and system for providing selected content displays to users of mobile electronic devices and more specifically to a method and system for broadcasters to provide a marketing portal presented in the form of displayed customized broadcaster content.
US08661457B2
Support sharing resources in a computer system. An operating system within the computer system, the operating system having a kernel level and a user level with the kernel level configured with a first container and a second container. The first container is assigned to a first namespace and the second container is assigned to a second namespace. Both the first and second namespaces are isolated from each other and at the same time in communication with at least one shared object. Communication across the containers is created through a socket in the namespace of the shared object of one or both of the containers. In addition, a conduit is formed between the containers by connecting the container absent the created socket to the container with the socket.
US08661452B2
A service exception resolution framework provides a centralized exception handling console (EHC) used to reprocess unfulfilled service requests that have result in service request exceptions. The EHC allows an operator to analyze multiple service request exceptions simultaneously from disparate applications and domains. The framework greatly reduces the time, cost, and resource expenditures needed to analyze and resolve service request exceptions and reprocess service requests regardless of the applications and domains from which the service request exceptions result.
US08661447B1
A method and apparatus for managing execution of a plurality of computer tasks based on availability of computer resources is provided. In one embodiment, a method for managing execution of a plurality of computer tasks includes processing a schedule for executing the plurality of computer tasks, analyzing the schedule using dynamic timeout data to determine at least one overdue computer task of the plurality of computer tasks and modifying at least one resource requirement of the at least one overdue computer task of the plurality of computer tasks in accordance with the dynamic timeout data.
US08661438B2
The embodiments related to systems and methods for virtualization planning. A set of target machines may employ one or more virtualization technologies to divide resources of the given target computer system into multiple execution environments for virtual machines. Overhead profiles are determined based on a configuration of a given target computer system, the virtualization technology, and work performed by the virtual machines. The overhead consumed by the virtualization technologies is estimated for the proposed allocation of virtual machines. Performance of the proposed allocation of virtual machines is then modeled and various performance measures are provided.
US08661435B2
The disclosure relates generally to managing assignment of tasks among instruction processors (IPs) within a computer system having multiple IPs, and more particularly to binding emulated IPs with a host system's IPs (e.g., processor cores) for facilitating control over affinity-based assignment of tasks among the host system's IPs by a task manager (e.g., OS) that is executing on the emulated IPs, rather than running directly on the host system's IPs. Certain embodiments provide techniques for binding emulated IPs with actual IPs of a computing system that is hosting the emulated IPs, thereby enabling better control of management of the system by a task manager executing on the emulated IPs. For instance, in certain embodiments, a dispatcher (e.g., of an OS running on emulated IPs) performs affinity-based management of task assignment for tasks performed for an application program among IPs of a host system that is hosting the emulated IPs.
US08661431B2
Timing parameters that influence an install time interval for installing a product on computing machines in a test environment in accordance with an installation configuration option are identified. A test value of the timing parameter and a test value of the install time are determined for each of the computing machines. The test values of the timing parameter and the install time determined for the sample computing machines are analyzed to determine an install time calculation expression for the installation configuration option. For installation in accordance with the installation configuration option in a normal operating environment, a current value of each of the timing parameters of the predetermined install time calculation expression for the installation configuration option. The install time interval in the normal operating environment is estimated based on the current value of the timing parameters and the install time calculation expression.
US08661430B2
A device and a portable storage device which are capable of transferring a rights object (RO) and a method of transferring an RO are provided. The method includes enabling a device to transmit an installation request message to a portable storage device for installing a copy of an original RO present in the device in the portable storage device, enabling the device to install the copy of the original RO in the portable storage device, and enabling the device to receive an installation response message indicating that the copy of the original RO has been successfully installed in the portable storage device from the portable storage device.
US08661428B2
A method for updating and formatting a local file is described. An update file, having a newer version of the local file, is accessed from a server over a network and a list of new hash values corresponding to data blocks of the update file is retrieved. Divisions between the data blocks are located when a value of a rolling checksum reaches a particular value, the data blocks being of variable size. New hash values of the update file are compared with local hash values of the local file. For each of the new hash value not having a matching local hash value, the corresponding data block is downloaded from the server and written to a new file. For each of the new hash value having a matching local hash value, the corresponding block is copied from the local file to the new file.
US08661422B2
Methods, apparatus and computer software product for local memory compaction are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a processor in connection with a memory compaction module identifies inefficiencies in array references contained within in received source code, allocates a local array and maps the data from the inefficient array reference to the local array in a manner which improves the memory size requirements for storing and accessing the data. In another embodiment, a computer software product implementing a local memory compaction module is provided. In a further embodiment a computing apparatus is provided. The computing apparatus is configured to improve the efficiency of data storage in array references. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.
US08661417B2
A method of debugging a function upon function exit includes pausing program execution at the time of initializing the function, wherein the function initialization includes saving a set of registers on the stack, recording the value of the stack pointer, configuring a watchpoint register based on the recorded value, wherein the watchpoint register is configured to trap memory references of the function based on the recorded value of the stack pointer, and executing the function. Program execution will pause when it is exiting the function because of stack references made by the function epilogue to restore registers saved on the stack and the configured watchpoint registers.
US08661410B2
A computer-implemented method, system, and medium is disclosed for implementing a hybrid application server. The server is configured to determine that a bundle deployed onto a dynamic module system defines a component that is manageable by an application server component container. In response to the determining, the application server deploys the component onto the component container and creates an instance of the component in the container so that the container can manage the component. Finally, the application server registers a proxy handle to the component as a service in the dynamic module system. Thereafter, the proxy handle is discoverable and invocable by another component.
US08661407B2
The disclosure describes a method for programming applications for embedded systems such as sensor nodes. In an embodiment, this comprises writing embedded system applications in a high-level language such as C# or Java using a software development framework which includes a set of tools and class libraries. The class libraries contain pre-written code to carry out tasks which may be required of an embedded system. The class libraries may be extended following identification of a need for a particular function in an embedded system. Developed applications may be subsequently stored on the embedded system but executed on a gateway computing device which interacts with the embedded system. This means that the application(s) can be executed without requiring the presence of a virtual execution system located on the embedded system while allowing a high-level programming model for application programmers.
US08661406B2
A computer system and method for software delivery that include articles of manufacture having two or more installed, functional software applications organized in a protoset, the protoset configured to enable creation of one or more subsets (also called reduced metasets) from the two or more installed, functional software applications, each of the one or more subsets configured to be operable with a predefined computer system independent of the protoset; and a protoset module configured to operate on the protoset to enable creation of the one or more subsets of the two or more installed, functional software applications, the module responsive to one or more requests for the creation of the one or more reduced metasets.
US08661393B2
A disclosed method for evaluating placement context sensitivity in the design of an integrated circuit includes accessing a standard cell library comprising a database of standard cells and determining generating boundary data for each of the standard cells. The boundary data for a standard cell indicates the layout of features located within boundary regions of the standard cell. The method includes merging or consolidating boundary data for any two standard cells if their boundary data is the same to determine a canonical or minimal set of boundary regions. The disclosed method further includes enumerating and evaluating all combinations of pairs of the canonical boundary regions and, responsive to identifying of a proximity-based sensitivity or exception, modifying, notating, or otherwise remediating the applicable one or more standard cells that correspond to the boundary region combination that raised the exception.
US08661385B1
A method for designing a system on a target device includes performing delay annotation where a first delay associated with a first aspect of the system is determined by a first software thread and a second delay associated with a second aspect of the system is determined by a second software thread and the first and second software threads operate in parallel. Ensuring independence between each aspect of the system will facilitate efficient parallelism (i.e. minimal synchronization) while still maintaining serial equivalency.
US08661379B1
Techniques for generating an integrated circuit (IC) design configuration file are provided. The techniques include compiling a design file to generate a compiled IC design. The design file may include multiple constraints that are associated with the design. Status reports are generated based on the compiled IC design and the associated constraints. At least a portion of the generated status reports is encoded. A configuration that includes the encoded portion of the status reports is generated based on the compiled IC design is generated.
US08661370B2
A computer-implemented method, article of manufacture, and computer system for optimization of a manufacturing process of an integrated circuit or IC layout. The method includes: receiving input; organizing IC patterns; selecting IC patterns amongst the organized IC patterns; and optimizing a design of a manufacturing process of the IC layout based on the selected IC patterns.
US08661361B2
Methods and systems are described for navigating between visual components. A first visual component, of a first operating application in a plurality of operating applications, is detected in a first application region of a presentation space of a display device. A first navigation control is presented, in a first navigation region determined based on the first application region, for navigating to a second visual component, of a second application in the plurality, in a second application region in the presentation space. A user input corresponding to the first navigation control is detected. In response to the detected user input, navigation information is sent to navigate to the second visual component.
US08661350B2
A mobile terminal and an operating method of the mobile terminal are provided. The mobile terminal may be coupled, either wirelessly or by wire, to an external terminal and the mobile terminal may thus receive sync data including information regarding a webpage currently being displayed by the external terminal from the external terminal or a server. The mobile terminal may display the same webpage as is currently being displayed by the external terminal based on the received sync data.
US08661337B2
A snapshot of a page is stored in response to navigation away from the page. When the user navigates back to the page, the snapshot is displayed while the page is loaded. When the page is sufficiently loaded, the snapshot is replaced by the (fully or partially) loaded page. Determining whether the page is sufficiently loaded is based on monitoring of pre-selected criteria.
US08661336B2
In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for mapping an object type to a document type. A computer system stores configuration templates that each identify a mapping of an object type to a markup language document type. The computer system displays a graphical user interface that permits a user of the computing system to select a configuration template. The computer system displays a list of the at least some attributes and, for each of the attributes, the associated markup language attribute or element that is identified by the selected configuration template. The computer system receives second user input that changes an association of one of the attributes so that the attribute is instead associated with a different markup language attribute or element. The computer system stores an updated mapping of the object type to the markup language document type.
US08661335B2
A method of identifying content of interest in a structured electronic document by an electronic device having a processor, an input device, and a display device, includes rendering a structured electronic document to the display device; receiving through the input device at least two separate indications of content elements within the rendered structured electronic document; and identifying with the processor a common characteristic of the indicated content elements, and identifying any further content element within the rendered structured electronic document sharing the common characteristic with the indicated content elements.
US08661333B2
A Web server function is provided for an image processing apparatus including a scanner for reading an image on a document, a printer for printing an image, an E-mail transmission/reception function, a FAX transmission/reception function, and the like to make the image processing apparatus generate a list of information about the status of various jobs and image data stored in a storage unit as a Web page. A user can browse and operate this Web page by using the Web browser of a computer connected to the apparatus through a LAN. The user of the computer can therefore grasp and manipulate information about a plurality of jobs executed by the image processing apparatus and information about image data at a remote place from the image processing apparatus.
US08661329B1
A system evaluates a hierarchical name set such as names produced by hardware descriptor language (HDL) synthesis and generates shorter, unambiguous names for each of the hierarchical names in the name set. A directed graph and/or a tree is generated using a hierarchical name set. Each name is evaluated using the directed graph and/or tree to identify hierarchical components or tokens of the name required in the short name. Name length can be reduced even in a system having large numbers of common hierarchies.
US08661324B2
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data processing. As an example, a data processing circuit is disclosed that includes a data detector circuit, a biasing circuit, and a data decoder circuit. The data detector circuit is operable to apply a data detection algorithm to a series of symbols to yield a detected output, and the detected output includes a series of soft decision data corresponding to non-binary symbols. The biasing circuit is operable apply a bias to each of the series of soft decision data to yield a series of biased soft decision data. The data decoder circuit is operable to apply a data decoding algorithm to the series of biased soft decision data corresponding to the non-binary symbols.
US08661321B1
Error detection and error location determination circuitry is provided for detecting and locating soft errors in random-access-memory arrays on programmable integrated circuits. The random-access-memory arrays contain rows and columns of random-access-memory cells. Some of the cells are loaded with configuration data and produce static output signals that are used to program associated regions of programmable logic. Cyclic redundancy check error correction check bits are computed for each column of an array. The cyclic redundancy check error correction check bits are stored in corresponding columns of cells in the array. During normal operation of an integrated circuit in a system, the cells are subject to soft errors caused by background radiation strikes. The error detection and error location determination circuitry uses parallel processing to continuously monitor the data to identify the row and column location of each error.
US08661318B2
A computer-implemented method of managing a memory of a non-volatile solid state memory device by balancing write/erase cycles among blocks to level block usage. The method includes monitoring an occurrence of an error during a read operation in a memory unit of the device, where the error is correctable by error-correcting code, and programming the memory unit according to the monitored occurrence of the error, where the step of monitoring the occurrence of an error is carried out for at least one block, and wherein said step of programming includes wear-leveling the monitored block according the error monitored for the monitored block.
US08661316B2
This can relate to non-regular parity distribution of a non-volatile memory (“NVM”), such as flash memory, and detection of the non-regular parity via a metadata tag. For example, each codeword of the NVM can include one or more parity pages that may be distributed at random through the NVM. To identify the page as a parity page, a parity page marker can be included in the metadata of that page. During power-up of the NVM, an address table including the logical-to-physical address mapping of the pages can be created. Pages including a parity page marker, however, can be skipped during the creation of this address table. Additionally, by having two or more parity pages associated with a codeword, an additional layer of protection can be provided for repairing errors in that codeword.
US08661312B2
Data is read from a memory array. Before being stored in a data buffer, a Hamming code detection operation and a Reed-Solomon code detection operation are operated in parallel to determine if the data word has any errors. The results of the parallel detection operations are communicated to a controller circuit. If an error is present that can be corrected by the Hamming code correction operation, this is performed and the Reed-Solomon code detection operation is performed on the corrected word. If the error is uncorrectable by the Hamming code, the Reed-Solomon code correction operation is performed on the word.
US08661309B2
In conventional Backplane Ethernet systems, data is transmitted over two pairs of copper traces in one direction using a PAM-2 scheme and a baud rate of 10.3125 GHz, giving an effective bit rate of 10.3125 Gbps. The rate at which data can be transmitted in Backplane Ethernet systems, while still being reliably received, is typically limited by ISI caused by the dispersive nature of the copper traces, frequency dependent transmission losses caused primarily by skin effect and dielectric loss of the copper traces, and cross-talk from adjacent communication lines. The present invention is directed to systems for overcoming these and other signal impairments to achieve speeds up to, and beyond, twice the conventional 10 Gbps limit associated with Backplane Ethernet systems.
US08661308B2
The present invention discloses a method for fast cyclic redundancy check (CRC) encoding, and includes: mapping a CRC encoding generator polynomial to generate an (r+1)-order transfer matrix J; deleting a first row and a first column of said (r+1)-order transfer matrix J to obtain an r-order transfer matrix; forming a r×1 column matrix by first columns of 2nd to r+1th rows of said (r+1)-order transfer matrix; obtaining a zero input transfer matrix and a zero state transfer matrix of CRC encoding by the r-order transfer matrix and the r×1 column matrix; adding dummy bits before an input bit stream; and obtaining a CRC encoding check sequence according to the zero input transfer matrix, the zero state transfer matrix and the input bit stream after adding the dummy bits. The present invention further discloses an apparatus for fast cyclic redundancy check encoding.
US08661305B2
The various embodiments of the present invention provide a method for automatically generating a unique set of test vectors for verifying design intent of integrated circuit chips. The method includes obtaining configuration parameters associated with a plurality of integrated circuit chips, generating an Executable Verification Plan pertaining to the configuration parameters of a plurality of integrated circuit chips in one or more execution PCs (EPs), creating a plurality of data structures corresponding to the configuration parameters, communicating the data structures created to a DCMS server, mapping the data structures of the Execution PCs with one or more data structures present in a database of the DCMS server, customizing the executable verification plan based on changes in the configurations of the integrated circuit chips, generating a unique set of test vectors based on mapping of the data structures and performing automatic design verification of the plurality of integrated circuit chips.
US08661298B2
Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for controlling nanostore operation based on monitored performance are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises monitoring performance of a nanostore, the nanostore including compute logic and a datastore accessible via the compute logic, and controlling operation of the nanostore in response to detecting a performance indicator associated with wearout of the compute logic to permit the compute logic to continue to access the datastore.
US08661297B2
Disclosed are methods, systems and products, including a method that includes monitoring one or more service providing components implemented using at least one processor-based device, the one or more service providing components being connected to an interfacing system configured to control requests for service received from client units that require servicing from at least one of the one or more service providing components. The interfacing system is also configured to assign the requests to the one or more service providing components. The monitoring is initiated by equipment associated with one or more of the interfacing system and at least one of the one or more service providing components. The method also includes generating information regarding the operability of at least one of the one or more service providing components based on data generated in response to monitoring the one or more service providing components.
US08661293B2
A method, data processing system, and computer program product for testing a computer system. A sequencer tests the computer system using test modules arranged in a first sequence, wherein each of the test modules is for testing at least a portion of the computer system. The sequencer determines if an operator is available, in response to an interrupt generated by a test module. If an operator is available, the sequencer arranges the test modules into a second sequence based on a first policy. If an operator is unavailable, the sequencer arranges the test modules into a third sequence based on a second policy.
US08661288B2
Systems and methods are provided for performing diagnostics on a removable media drive. An example system includes a monitoring unit configured to collect information about a media access to the media drive and a media access to a removable media contained in the media drive. The example system also includes a storage unit having a threshold table with at least one threshold value for the media access to the media drive. A processing unit is configured to compare the collected information of the monitoring unit to the at least one threshold value contained in the threshold table. The processing unit is also configured to determine diagnostic data relating to the removable media drive in accordance with the comparison.
US08661282B2
A system and method for energy savings on a PHY/MAC interface for energy efficient Ethernet. Power savings for a PHY due to low-link utilization can also be realized in the higher layer elements that interface with the PHY. In one embodiment, subrating is implemented on a MAC/PHY interface to match a subrating of the PHY with a remote link partner. This subrating is less than the full capacity rate and can be zero.
US08661281B2
A USB HUB is provided. The USB HUB comprises a wireless communication module, a storage module, a USB interface connected to a host outside of the USB HUB and a HUB controller. The storage module stores a driver program of the wireless communication module. The USB interface transfers data with the host. The HUB controller is coupled to the USB interface, the wireless communication module and the storage module. The HUB controller disables the storage module and enables the wireless communication module when the driver program has been installed in the host.
US08661274B2
Adaptive voltage scalers (AVSs), systems, and related methods are disclosed. The AVSs are configured to adaptively adjust voltage levels powering a functional circuit(s) based on target operating frequencies and delay variation conditions to avoid or reduce voltage margin. In one embodiment, the AVS includes a database. The database can be configured to store voltage levels for various operating frequencies of a functional circuit(s) to avoid or reduce voltage margin. The database allows rapid voltage level decisions. In one embodiment, a voltage offset is added to a voltage level retrieved from the database corresponding to a target operating frequency of the functional circuit(s). In another embodiment, a voltage level is retrieved from the database corresponding to a target operating frequency for and a temperature level of the functional circuit(s). The AVS may partially or fully controllable by a software-based module that consults the database to make voltage level decisions.
US08661272B2
Based on bounds of a period of reduced operation for a base device, a base device generates a power management message for transmission to a peripheral device. In the power management message, the base device inserts bounds of a period of reduced operation for the peripheral device. As a result, the periods of reduced operation conserve battery power in both devices and the two devices may reestablish a communications channel upon reaching the end of the period of reduced operation and resuming normal operations.
US08661270B2
An electronic apparatus is provided. A management hoard includes: a control section; a real-time clock that outputs data indicating current date and time to the control section; a memory that stores fiscal data including the data indicating the current date and time and fiscal information under the control of the control section; and a power source that supplies power to the real-time clock through a power supply path. A housing box includes a box main body and a cover. The housing box that houses the management board. When the cover is in a closed state, the power supply path is formed and the power is supplied to the real-time clock. When the cover is placed in an open state, the power supply path is shut off and the power supplied to the real-time clock is shut off.
US08661268B2
Methods and apparatus for intelligently powering an electronic device are provided. In one embodiment of the invention, a systems management controller controls a power interface to intelligently negotiate power distribution with a peer, client, or a host device. The primary data path is unaffected by the system management controller communications. Various aspects of the present invention are demonstrated with respect to an exemplary implementation of a unified interface, consisting of an optical link (data path) and a USB link (power). As described, one exemplary embodiment of the invention provides a device with power at levels which are much increased over prior art USB solutions.
US08661267B2
Systems and methods for processing encoded messages at a message receiver. A received encoded message is decoded and stored in a memory. The stored decoded message can subsequently be displayed or otherwise processed without repeating the decoding operations. Decoding operations may include signature verification, decryption, other types of decoding, or some combination thereof.
US08661266B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for protecting secret device keys, such as High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) device keys. Instead of storing secret device keys in the plain, a security algorithm and one or more protection keys are stored on the device. The security algorithm is applied to the secret device keys and the one or more protection keys to produce encrypted secret device keys. The encrypted secret device keys are then stored either on chip or off-chip.
US08661264B1
An application includes: a programming model including a service provider, first components, second components, and sinks communicating via messages. Each of the second components is assigned a unique capability. A given one of the first components routes a message from the given first component to second component(s) and then to a sink. Each of the second component(s) sends the message to the service provider. The service provider creates a token corresponding at least to a received message and a unique capability assigned to an associated one of the second component(s) and sends the token to the associated one of the second component(s). The selected sink receives the message and a token corresponding to each of the second component(s), verifies each received token, and either accepts the message if each of the received tokens is verified or ignores the message if at least one of the received tokens is not verified.
US08661263B2
The invention described herein generally relates to systems and methods of securely storing data so that the data contains information about the data and/or the encryption of the data, systems and methods of providing secure access to real world data through data transformations, and systems and methods of managing security parameters for data.
US08661252B2
A network in which a client receives a network credential, such as a valid network address, following an exchange of messages with a credential server that includes security information. The security information may validate the credential, avoiding rogue devices inadvertently or maliciously distributing credential information that can interfere with clients attempting to connect to the network or with the network itself. If obtaining a network credential requires an exchange of information about the configuration of the client that could reveal security vulnerabilities, the security information may be used to ensure the confidentiality of that configuration information. The security information may be incorporated into messages according to a known protocol, such as by incorporating it into options fields of DHCP messages.
US08661251B2
A method for creating a group signature of a message to be implemented by a member of a group in a system, the system including a trust authority, the group including at least the member provided with a secure portable electronic entity including storage elements and computing elements wherein are implanted a cryptographic algorithm. The method includes the following steps: generating via the computing elements a signature of the message using a private key common to the members of the group and integrating a data identifying the group member and a temporal data representing a temporal information of the member's membership to the group and of the date of the signature of the message, the private key common to the members of the group, the identifying data and the temporal data being stored in the storage elements.
US08661249B2
Systems and methodologies that facilitate delegation of keyset management to a platform presenting a centralized health-related data repository are provided. Effectively, a central keyset manager is provided that generates, manages and distributes key material to client applications and servers deploying the platform. Thus, communications with the platform storing sensitive health-related data can be secured without incurring the costs associated with implementing and enforcing policies associated with key generation and expiration among a plurality of servers and client applications. Additionally, the innovation can scale keyset management to meet short term demand needs.
US08661235B2
In at least some embodiments, a computer system includes a processor and a firmware storage medium in communication with the processor. The firmware storage medium stores a default image invoked during a boot process and selectively stores a customized image. If the customized image is stored by the firmware storage medium, the boot process selectively substitutes at least part of the default image with at least part of the customized image.
US08661234B2
An individualized per device initialization of a computing device is unique relative to the initialization of other computing devices. A common initialization program, common to all computing devices of a particular type such as a game console, may be modified to be unique for each computing device. Modification may comprise the application of at least one individualized per device secret, e.g., key, to at least a portion of the common initialization program such as at least one initialization stage. Initialization is tied to one or more device specific identities. In this way, initialization vulnerabilities discovered on a particular device cannot be exploited en masse on other computing devices because each initialization program stored in each computing device is unique. The device specific nature of the initialization program may be extended to other information input to the computing device in order to prevent unauthorized sharing of information with other computing devices.
US08661232B2
In a data processing apparatus 1 having registers 6, when a state saving trigger event occurs while a result value of a data processing operation is still to be written to a destination register then saving and restoring control circuitry 12 selects a state saving sequence defining a temporal order for saving register values to a backup data store 10. The sequence is selected to provide the destination register with a position within the sequence corresponding to a time after the result value has been written to the destination register. The register values are then saved to the backup data store 10 in the order of the selected state saving sequence. A similar technique can be used when a state restoring trigger event triggers loading of the data values from the backup data store 10 to the registers 6.
US08661224B2
A memory device includes a plurality of memory modules and a memory management module. A memory module of the plurality of memory modules includes a plurality of memory cells and a memory millimeter wave (MMW) transceiver. The memory management module determines a main memory configuration for at least some of the plurality of memory modules. The memory management module also determines physical addresses for the main memory configuration and determines a MMW communication resource table that includes an allocation mapping of one or more MMW communication resources to one or more of the at least some of the plurality of memory modules.
US08661210B2
A management device and management method capable of improving usability of a storage system is proposed. The management device and the management method for managing data migration between volumes in a storage system in which normal volumes to which fixed storage areas are allocated in advance and virtual volumes to which storage areas are dynamically allocated according to use status coexist as types of volumes for reading and writing data is arranged so that information regarding each volume is collected, and based on the collected information, at least a total logical capacity that is a summation of logical capacities determined in advance for the respective volume is separately displayed for normal volumes and virtual volumes.
US08661206B2
Embodiments of the invention relate a hybrid hardware and software implementation of transactional memory accesses in a computer system. A processor including a transactional cache and a regular cache is utilized in a computer system that includes a policy manager to select one of a first mode (a hardware mode) or a second mode (a software mode) to implement transactional memory accesses. In the hardware mode the transactional cache is utilized to perform read and write memory operations and in the software mode the regular cache is utilized to perform read and write memory operations.
US08661194B2
A cache control method for a hybrid hard disk drive (HDD) comprising a nonvolatile cache (NVC) and a hard disk. When the hybrid HDD is operating in a non-parallel mode of operation, the control method sequentially searches the NVC and then reads the hard disk for requested data, but when the hybrid HDD is operating in a parallel mode of operation, the control method simultaneously searches the NVC and reads hard disk for the data requested.
US08661180B2
Disclosed herein is a memory controlling device including: an address converting section configured to convert a logical address included in a request issued from a plurality of clients into a physical address of a memory; a request dividing section configured to divide a converted request converted by the address converting section by a command unit for the memory on a basis of the physical address of the converted request; and an arbitrating section configured to perform arbitration on a basis of the physical address indicated in a divided request output from the request dividing section.
US08661173B2
A striping system and method for distributing a payload of data across a plurality of parallel USB cables from a source to a destination is described. The striping devices reside in the architecture of a source and destination connected by more than one standardized USB bus cable. The striping devices increase the bandwidth between the source and the destination by providing more lanes of data traffic and utilizing segmentation and reassembly to ensure that the data is split up and then reassembled correctly into the original stream at the destination. The striping devices allow for user determination of usability along with self diagnostics as to the source's and destination's ability to handle striping. Other embodiments are described.
US08661168B2
An apparatus comprises a memory device to store a pre-generated Universal Serial Bus (USB) command before a USB peripheral device is coupled to a USB. The apparatus also includes a processing device to retrieve the pre-generated USB command from the memory device and transmit the pre-generated USB command to the USB peripheral device over the USB. A method comprises identifying a Universal Serial Bus (USB) peripheral device is coupled to a USB. The USB peripheral device is coupled to the universal serial bus after a pre-generated USB command is stored in a memory device. The method further includes transmitting the pre-generated USB command to the USB peripheral device over the USB in response to identifying the USB peripheral device is coupled to the USB.
US08661166B2
A system and method for monitoring a data-path between a plurality of devices which are communicably interfaced with a bus for a transaction. The transaction is copied to a replicate transaction, and the original transaction is allowed to proceed to whichever of the plurality of devices to which it is uniquely addressed according to the transaction. A destination address of the replicate transaction is modified to a specified memory device which is also communicably interfaced with the bus, and the replicate transaction is then released onto the data-path, thus allowing the replicate transaction to proceed to the specified memory device based on the modified destination address.
US08661158B2
A client computer hosts a virtual private network tool to establish a virtual private network connection with a remote network. Upon startup, the virtual private network tool collects critical network information for the client computer, and sends this critical network information to an address assignment server in the remote network. The address assignment server compares the critical network information with a pool of available addresses in the remote network, and assigns addresses for use by the client computer that do not conflict with the addresses for local resources. The address assignment server also provides routing information for resources in the remote network to the virtual private network tool. The virtual private network tool will postpone loading this routing information into the routing tables of the client computer until the client computer requests access to a specific resource in the remote network. When the client computer requests access to a specific resource in the remote network, the virtual private network tool will only provide the routing table with the routing information for that specific remote resource.
US08661153B2
Embodiments disclosed herein provide a control device and a method executing thereon for allocating network bandwidth to users accessing a controlled network. In response to a user connecting to the control device using a user device, the control device obtains a user bandwidth allocation profile for that user based on user credentials. The user bandwidth allocation profile may be stored local or remote to the control device. A provisioning module running on the control device can map attributes in the user bandwidth allocation profile to a traffic control rule and associate the traffic control rule with the user based on the user credentials and considering information identifying the user device used by the user to connect to the control device. A traffic conditioning module running on the control device can regulate the network bandwidth usage by the user utilizing the traffic control rule associated with the user.
US08661147B2
Requested content is monitored and metadata for the content is accessed and reported to an administrator communication device. The reported metadata may be indicative of a classification of the requested content, an address of the requested content, a title of the requested content, or portions (e.g., video images) of the requested content. Administrators are enabled to receive dynamic updates regarding requested and received content in real time and may block viewer requested content or send messages to the viewer that are related to the content.
US08661146B2
In a system and method for establishing communications in a communications network, a network service provider can assign IP addresses to mobile devices dynamically to conserve IP address resources. A network service provider can also implement network address translation to further conserve IP address resources and to provide improved security. If a requestor seeks to obtain an IP address of a mobile device and the address is a local address, the system determines if the mobile device has a network address translation (NAT) binding that associates the IP address of the mobile device with a public IP address. If the mobile device does not have a NAT binding, the system creates a NAT binding that associates the IP address of the mobile device with a public IP address.
US08661140B2
According to one embodiment, an interface apparatus includes a connector which establishes connection with a plurality of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) terminals which each include communication functions defined by SIP and with an SIP network to one port, a first processor which executes exchange processing for the plurality of SIP terminals, a second processor which executes exchange processing for the SIP network, and a sorting unit which sorts a control signal into the first processor or the second processor based on transmission destination identification information or transmission origin identification information in the control signal regarding exchange received by the connector.
US08661138B2
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for group based allocation of terminal server network bandwidth. Output packets are classified into groups based on classification criteria. Output packets for each group are queue into a corresponding queue. During a queue flush cycle each queue containing data is flushed for an essentially equal amount of time. Flushing each queue essentially equally reduces the negative impact that can otherwise result when a subset of sessions (or even a single session) request(s) a disproportional share of terminal server network bandwidth. Responsiveness can be further increased by distributing the essentially equal amount for each queue across the queue flush cycle.
US08661137B2
An information processing method and system, and a mobility management network element are provided by the embodiments of the present invention. Wherein, the information processing method includes: receiving a message that includes data information of a user equipment UE; determining that the UE is a UE of low data usage; and sending the received data information of the UE to a machine type control server. By using the method, no bearer is activated, and the network side does not need to allocate bearer resources for data transmission of the UE. Therefore, the network load is reduced.
US08661125B2
A multi-level monitoring system is provided for monitoring multiple performance aspects of a cloud service concurrently in order to generate a full and reliable performance analysis of the cloud service. The multi-level monitoring system may include a set of components for carrying out the performance analysis of the cloud service which may be deployed together to operate externally, internally, or concurrently with the cloud service. The component framework of the multi-level monitoring system may include a main component, a plug-in associated with the main component, a definition database, a log database, and an output database. The main components of an example multi-level monitoring framework may include a probe runner component for probing the cloud service, a monitor component for generating alerts based on probe results, and a responder component for processing the alerts and taking appropriate actions to improve the cloud service performance.
US08661119B1
IP address-user number estimates may be determined by accepting IP address usage information associating various IP addresses with various client identifiers, and generating an estimate of a number of users for at least one of the IP addresses using the IP address usage information. If the client identifiers include cookies, the estimate of a number of users for at least one of the IP address can be generated by determining a number of cookies for the at least one IP address for a given period of time, and multiplying the number by a second, predetermined, ratio of a number of users per cookie for the given time period. Other user identifying information includes user-agent parameters, browser parameters, and uncookied network traffic. The estimate of a number of users per IP address can be generated by determining a ratio of unique sets of user agent, browser parameters, and/or uncookied network traffic.
US08661111B1
The present invention is a system, method and computer program product for tracking and measuring digital content that is distributed on a computer network such as the Internet. The system collects online advertisement data, analyzes the data, and uses the data to calculate measurements of the prevalence of those advertisements. The system processes raw traffic data by cleansing and summarizing the traffic data prior to storing the processed data in a database. An advertisement sampling system uses site selection and definition criteria and a probe map to retrieve Web pages from the Internet, extract advertisements from those Web pages, classify each advertisement, and store the data in a database. A statistical summarization system accesses the processed raw traffic data and the advertisement data in the database to calculate advertising prevalence statistics including the advertising frequency, impressions, and spending.
US08661108B2
A method for determining a status of a presentity by determining a success rate for a plurality of transactions of the same transaction type that are initiated by at least one entity in a first computer network-based communications system in a plurality of corresponding transaction requests, where the transactions relate to a presentity, identifying a status descriptor that has a predefined association with the transaction type, identifying a condition that has a predefined association with the status descriptor and the transaction type, and associating the status descriptor with the presentity if the success rate meets the condition.
US08661106B2
The invention relates to a method of synchronizing the clock of different clusters including a first cluster (1) and a second cluster (2) which are connected by means of a connecting element (3) wherein the timing of the second cluster (2) is at least almost aligned to the timing of the first cluster (1), wherein the timing of the second cluster is determined by a node (4) of the second cluster which is connected to a reference node of the first cluster and wherein the node of the second cluster synchronizes itself with the reference node's timing and transfers an offset correction to the second cluster.
US08661105B2
An integrated video service peer to peer network system, includes: a media source system, configured to divide video service data into one or more segments and each of the one or more segments into a plurality of blocks, and to generate a media description file based on segment dividing information and media format information, wherein, each of the plurality of blocks is of a self-description type and comprises a block head and a block body, the block body including media data; a media distribution management system, configured to store media distribution information, wherein, the media distribution information represents the information of the storage status of divided video service data segments at a peer source node and the information of the serving capability status of the peer source node; and a plurality of the peer source nodes, configured to store the video service data, and to transmit the video service data to a service requesting node. With the present invention, the range of sharing can be effectively extended, the usage of the client resources can be optimized, while the provider system and the client system are significantly simplified, so the cost of the operation and maintenance are reduced.
US08661101B2
A method of internet protocol (IP) address de-aliasing that involves obtaining IP addresses from devices in a network, pinging pairs of the IP addresses by sending packets to pairs of the IP addresses, obtaining ping response orders for the packets, and determining whether the pairs of IP addresses are aliases of the same network device based on the obtained ping response orders.
US08661099B2
In order to prevent unnecessary APIPA process from being executed in a LAN environment which does not adopt APIPA, an ICMP echo request for a predetermined IP address is broadcast. Whether there are more than N apparatuses using APIPA is checked based on the replies, and if there are, IP address setting by APIPA is executed. In a LAN environment which adopts APIPA, whether the IP address to be assigned to an apparatus is already being used by another apparatus is checked. If the date and time when the another apparatus was assigned the IP address is earlier than the date and time when the apparatus was assigned the IP address, APIPA is executed to decide the IP address of the apparatus.
US08661095B2
In one example, a device includes a network interface configured to present a command interface to receive input comprising a command and an indicator, wherein the command conforms to an execution format and specifies one or more parameters to be applied during execution of the command, and wherein the indicator indicates, at least in part, that the command is not to be executed, and a control unit configured to reformat, based on the indicator, the command to conform to an extensible markup language (XML) format such that the reformatted command complies with a syntax supported by a script processing module of the network device and specifies the command and the one or more parameters in the XML format in a format that can be executed by the script processing module, and to output the reformatted command via the command interface. Thus, the device may provide XML formatted equivalents for commands.
US08661090B2
A method and system for acceleration of access to a web page using next page optimization, caching and pre-fetching techniques. The method comprises receiving a web page responsive to a request by a user; analyzing the received web page for possible acceleration improvements of the web page access; generating a modified web page of the received web page using at least one of a plurality of pre-fetching techniques; providing the modified web page to the user, wherein the user experiences an accelerated access to the modified web page resulting from execution of the at least one of a plurality of pre-fetching techniques; and storing the modified web page for use responsive to future user requests.
US08661086B2
A system for immunizing a computer network against adverse effects caused by the receipt of a corrupting message. Each message transfers into a protocol-based controlled environment for a specific recipient where message criteria determine whether the incoming message is deemed to be a valid or suspicious message. Transmission criteria determine the final message disposition. If the message is valid, it is delivered to a recipient computer system in the network. If the incoming message is suspicious, the message is isolated in the controlled environment where the transmission criteria may provide remote access to the recipient.
US08661076B2
Various embodiments described or referenced herein are directed to different devices, methods, systems, and computer products for providing information external to an organization in an information feed. A message may be received from an information service provider in accordance with a previously defined request. The defined request may include one or more parameters specifying requested data. The message may include data provided in accordance with the one or more parameters. The data in the message may be processed to create a data object. The data object may include at least a portion of the data provided in accordance with the one or more parameters. The data object may be stored in a database. The data object may then be provided for display on a display device in an information feed associated with the record.
US08661062B1
A method is used in managing analysis of activity data. Activity data is analyzed for a security investigation by using a content bundle. The content bundle specifies a set of actions. The set of actions are performed based on a set of inputs provided to the content bundle. Results of analysis of the activity data is provided in a format based on a set of outputs configured for the content bundle.
US08661058B2
To provide a human relationships registering system, a method and a server for registering human relationships, a program for registering human relationships, and a medium storing human relationships registering program and readable by a computer, all of which are used to establish wide and close relationships with members having a variety of occupations or engaged in various technical fields and to obtain expert knowledge or information. The human relationships registering system comprises first data processing units 2 and 3 including sections for receiving personal data of a new member, and a second data processing unit including a section for storing the received personal data. The second data processing unit stores the personal data of the new member in correlation to an existing member when the existing member confirms the new member.
US08661054B2
The invention provides a file management method and system for managing file retrieval and access. The method operates at the operating system level within a file system of a computer device and allows creating file move links upon detection of a file move request. The file move link associates the file source location with the file target location and is stored within a file move link table of the file system for subsequent file access request. File path to target location is automatically retrieved and file reached transparently for the user.
US08661052B2
Techniques are disclosed that allow for automated tracking of changes to software modules between two or more software projects that use functionally similar but otherwise different software modules. The techniques can be used, for instance, to manage similar or identical changes to multiple otherwise independent software products. Thus, in accordance with an example embodiment, a software change that has been successfully applied to a first software product having a given functionality can be readily identified and applied to another software product that is independent of the first software product but can benefit from a similar software change.
US08661046B2
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that infers activity-related context information from a message. Upon receiving the message, the system looks for activity-related keywords in the message, wherein the activity-related keywords are from a content database. If one or more activity-related keywords are found in the message, the system infers message-related context information from the one or more activity-related keywords. Next, the system uses the message-related context information to facilitate recommending an activity to a user.
US08661043B1
Embodiments are directed to generating feature values for selectable features using feature recombination. In one scenario, a computer system accesses a set of selectable features where each feature includes one or more feature values. The computer system encodes the accessed set of selectable features, so that the feature values are available for selection by various different users. The computer system generates a first population of feature values from the encoded set of selectable features and ranks each feature value in the first population of feature values based on which feature values are selected by the users. The computer system also generates a second population of feature values by recombining the feature values proportional to the ranking, and further generates subsequent populations of feature values by recombining the values across multiple iterations of expression of preference by different users. These feature values then converge on a subset of preferred feature values.
US08661042B2
Systems, methods, and machine readable and executable instructions are provided for collaborative filtering. Collaborative filtering includes representing users and objects by rows and columns in a binary ratings matrix having a particular dimensional space. Unknown values in the binary ratings matrix are weighted with a weight matrix having the particular dimensional space. The binary ratings matrix and the weight matrix are hashed into a lower dimensional space by one of row and column. The hashed binary ratings matrix and the hashed weight matrix are low-rank approximated by alternating least squares. A result of the low-rank approximation for the one of row and column is updated using the binary ratings matrix and the weight matrix. A recommendation of one of the objects can be generated for one of the users based on the updated result.
US08661039B2
A process for evaluating cross-domain clusterability upon a target domain and a source domain. The cross-domain clusterability is calculated as a linear combination of a target clusterability and a source-target pair matchability, by use of a trade-off parameter that determines relative contribution of the target clusterability and the source-target pair matchability. The target clusterability quantifies how clusterable the target domain is. The source-target pair matchability is calculated as an average of a target-side matchability and a source-side matchability, which quantifies how well target centroids of the target domain are aligned with the source centroids and how well source centroids of the source domain are aligned with the target centroids, respectively.
US08661038B1
Method and system for utilizing location data for automatic categorization of financial transactions
A system and method for utilizing location data for automatic categorization of financial transactions utilizes data indicating a user's location at various times, and mapping databases, including mapping and/or merchant websites, to determine a likely merchant payee associated with a financial transaction and the products sold by that merchant payee. This data is then used to determine, at least in part, a financial category to be assigned to the financial transaction.
US08661029B1
Systems and techniques relating to ranking search results of a search query include, in general, subject matter that can be embodied in a computer-implemented method that includes determining a measure of relevance for a document result within a context of a search query for which the document result is returned, the determining being based on a first number in relation to a second number, the first number corresponding to longer views of the document result, and the second number corresponding to at least shorter views of the document result; and outputting the measure of relevance to a ranking engine for ranking of search results, including the document result, for a new search corresponding to the search query. The subject matter described in this specification can also be embodied in various corresponding computer program products, apparatus and systems.
US08661027B2
Various embodiments of a method, system, and apparatus related to query based on vertical search are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of query based on vertical search receives a user query. The method obtains a first category model from a category model warehouse based on the user query to generate a first query result. The first category model includes one or more commodity categories that correspond to one or more keywords in the user query. The method also obtains one or more commodity categories corresponding to the user query from a commodity warehouse to generate a second query result. The method further generates a final query result by combining the first query result and the second query result.
US08661025B2
A system and methods for third-party access to a network-based system for providing location-based upcoming event information are described. The location-based upcoming event information may be accessed from the network-based system by a server-side web application implemented by a third party. The server-side web application may be configured to communicate with the network-based system that provides online marketplace and ticket fulfillment services and to generate a query based upon the location of a user and other event criteria. The server-side web application may communicate the query to the network-based system and, in response, receive location-based upcoming event information which may be displayed to a user as a list and/or information on a map. The location-based upcoming event information may comprise an aggregate of ticket inventory available from multiple online marketplaces providing the user with multiple purchasing options. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08661016B2
Improved descriptive query techniques are provided. More particularly, techniques are provided for specifying and processing descriptive queries for data providers grouped into provider kinds with hierarchical containment relationships. The query may include arbitrary boolean combinations of arbitrary tests on the values of attributes of the data providers.
US08661011B2
A path request is generated by a secondary platform application, such as a word processor, and is received by invention. The path request may contain the location of a library required for the application to function, or a document saved previously by a user. The path request comprises a complete path for the requested file. The complete path is formatted for a file system and file structure for expected by the application.The elements of the path request, such as directories, disks, filenames, file types, etc. are analyzed by the invention in order to provide another complete path. The path provided by the invention is formatted for a different file system and file structure. The file pointed to by the path provided for the invention enables the secondary platform application to find and use the requested file.
US08661008B2
An Internet infrastructure supports a timed window and version-based historical search service comprising a search server that receives a search string from a client device and a historical data repository from where the historical Internet data is retrieved when searching. A client device has a network browser that accesses a historical data support module that facilitates searching of historical data and displaying the historical Internet data to user. The network browser provides options for inputting a search string, accepting user search preferences, viewing timeline-based historical information, or viewing version-based historical search results. The network browser supports refinement of timeline searches with different historical version access, and vice versa.
US08661002B2
System, methods and computer program products for creating and maintaining an address book are described. The address book may collect or update its existing contact information from sent or received communications. Contact information associated with the existing contacts also may be collected (or updated based on information received) from outside sources (e.g., external to an application hosting or accessing the address book). The address book may intelligently combine profile data from various sources to enrich the existing records associated with the contacts.
US08660990B2
A content reproduction apparatus includes a communication unit that communicates with a content-providing apparatus. The content reproduction apparatus also includes a reproducing unit that reproduces content data. Further, the content reproduction apparatus includes a controller that transmits a request to the content-providing apparatus. The request indicates whether a data streaming reproduction service is available. The controller receives and reproduces a first one of an order of content data which is ordered by the content-providing apparatus based on the request. The controller also receives, after a determination that a second one of the order of content data exists, an attribute of the second one of the order of content data.
US08660974B2
An inference system responsive to omitting links from indexes in semantic network elements is described. The inference system prioritizes strategies that avoid trying to follow links from an index from which they may have been omitted.
US08660971B2
Respiratory insufficiency is detected by classifying preliminary breaths identified through a capnogram as being valid or artifact. Individual breaths are classified as being valid or artifact by determining values of a plurality of breathing parameters for a given breath, inferring a value for a key parameter from the determined values for the plurality of breathing parameters, and comparing the inferred value for the key parameter to a predetermined threshold.
US08660970B1
The different advantageous embodiments may provide a method, apparatus, and computer program product for passively learning and autonomously executing tasks on behalf of a user. The different advantageous embodiments may provide an apparatus that comprises a processing unit and a synthetic representation process executed by the processing unit. The synthetic representation process may be capable of executing a number of tasks for a user.
US08660969B1
A plurality of highest intrinsically-ranked parser outputs are scored using an extrinsic metric that is relevant to one or more downstream applications. The parser can be trained by using an extrinsically highly-ranked parse selected from among the intrinsically highly-ranked parses. The selected parse need not be the highest intrinsically-ranked parse. In this way, a parser can be trained to produce better results for downstream applications.
US08660965B1
A method for transmitting an order from a mobile device to a physical location of a merchant involves receiving, by the mobile device, the order while the mobile device is outside a predetermined distance from the physical location, storing the order to a storage device, and determining, by the mobile device and after storing the order, that the mobile device is within the predetermined distance from the physical location. The method further involves receiving, by the mobile device, a request from the user to submit the order after determining the mobile device is within the predetermined distance from the physical location, retrieving the order from the storage device in response to the request, and transmitting the order to the merchant after retrieving the order when the mobile device is within the predetermined distance of the physical location.
US08660962B2
The present invention provides systems and methods which afford a technical application for insuring, bonding, and underwriting a transmission of a data set, streaming data, and/or document over the Internet through TCP/IP and all other electronic media such as WAP, VOIP, fiber optic channels, microwave channels, and through standard electrical switches, electrical outlets and power lines. The present invention includes a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions to cause a system perform a method for insuring, bonding, and/or underwriting data transmission. The method includes enabling a first remote client coupled to a communications network to insure, bond, and/or underwrite a transmission of an electronic data set, streaming data, and/or document, with a selected coverage type for a selected coverage amount, from the first remote client to one or more second remote clients. The method includes charging a fee to an appropriate account for the selected coverage type and amount.
US08660956B2
A system that includes computer hardware, computer software, apparatus, and methodology that enables individuals, businesses, and all types of organizations (both for profit and non-profit) to capture and securely transmit check images (including, but not limited to, personal checks, business checks, travelers checks, money orders, merchant coupons, food coupons, line of credit checks, etc.), deposit information, and other information from remote locations (i.e., locations that could include the financial institution's remote locations, other financial institution's locations, businesses, private residences, etc.), for the purpose of having those checks credited to the depositing individual's or organization's bank account(s) and having the check images (and/or physical checks) entered into the bank check clearing channels for ultimate delivery to the maker bank for payment out of the maker's account.
US08660955B2
Method and apparatus for facilitating a commercial transaction between an account holder and a merchant. The account holder has an account that is associated with respective account information. The account information includes at least one criterion for pre-authorizing a transaction. When the consumer initiates a purchase transaction, a transaction approval request is generated which includes information relating to the commercial transaction. A purchase approval entity compares the received transaction approval request to the account information to determine whether the at least one criterion for pre-authorizing the transaction is satisfied. The transaction approval request is denied when a determination is made that the at least one criterion for pre-authorizing the transaction is not satisfied.
US08660950B2
An Internet based bill payment system and method is provided that allows a consumer to push payments and/or information to any payee from the consumer's credit card account. One embodiment of the invention allows the customer to make a payment to any payee from an enterprise credit card or any other credit account of the enterprise, referred to as “Bill Pay advance.” One embodiment of the invention is provided which allows an enterprise's consumer credit card customers to sign up for and use the enterprise's bill pay advance system, whether or not the consumer has a demand deposit account (DDA) account. The invention allows the customer to designate either source of funds for payment and for any payee they choose to pay. One embodiment of the invention offers an interchange push methodology with customer choice of the payment source of funds and intelligent routing.
US08660946B2
Method for detecting fraud includes receiving a fraud alert. The fraud alert is investigated by analyzing social graph information and other available information of one or more users associated with the fraud alert to determine likelihood of the users being involved in fraud. When it is determined that a fraud was committed based on the analysis, chain of fraudulent transactions related to the fraud are reversed and fraud events data related to the fraud are updated into a fraud event database for subsequent analysis.
US08660942B2
A system for managing loans and loan leads is described. The loan and loan lead management system features software and hardware that permit loan applications to be received, submitted, and processed in an automated electronic process while also generating leads based on loan applicants whose loan applications are rejected or withdrawn that may be sold to other lenders. Another module of the system's software permits loan applicant information to be cross-checked against databases containing details concerning defaulted borrowers to enhance the ability of lenders to engage in collection efforts against debtors. The system may also be installed at a retail location to provider store-level loan application submission and processing that can generate resalable leads that can be transmitted by a system administrator to lead purchasers.
US08660938B2
A system and method are provided that, among other things, can reduce the burden on receiving computers, increase data throughput, reduce system failure, and provide components of a scalable and flexible network architecture. Specifically, the system and method provide a multichannel-multicast network environment for use in dynamically assigning data to channels. This configuration is particularly useful in a trading network environment, as it effectively performs channel reassignments in a way not to disturb the receipt of the underlying data. While the example embodiments described herein pertain to electronic trading, the principles of the present invention may be equally applied in other environments where the advantages presented herein are beneficial.
US08660937B1
Techniques for determining a suggested bid value that surpasses a selected bid are disclosed. A user selectable facility is provided. In response to receiving a selection event associated with the user selectable facility: (1) the value of the selected bid, which is other than the first ranked bid value, is established; (2) the suggested bid value is calculated by applying a predetermined minimum differential value to the selected bid value; and (3) the suggested bid value is conveyed to a user.
US08660935B2
Computer-implemented systems and methods for computing a transaction cost metric for a transaction (or trade order) involving a tradable financial product, such as a FX currency pair. The transaction cost metric can be computed pre-trade and compared to a quoted price for the trade from a dealer to evaluate the quoted price. The computed transaction cost metric, which is based on a slippage premium for the trade order, is based on at least a notional size for the trade order. The slippage premium represents a difference between an effective price at which the trade order is filled and a price for the financial product at inception of the trade order. The transaction cost metric may be computed as an average of a strip of options, where the values of the options are computed using an option pricing formula. The strip of options may comprise one or more options, each with different tenors, where the tenors correspond to the expected time periods for orders to arrive to fill the trade order.
US08660934B2
Various embodiments disclosed herein relate to order entry. In the electronic trading process, order entry involves setting one or more order entry parameters, sending one or more order entry parameters, or both setting and sending one or more order entry parameters. As will be described in more detail below, various order entry actions, such as moving a cursor across an order entry line, moving a cursor into an order entry region, pressing an order entry button, or performing a gesture, may be used to trigger the setting, sending, or both setting and sending of one or more order entry parameters. At least some embodiments relate to enabling an order entry action before the order entry action is able to set, send, or both set and send one or more order entry parameters.
US08660932B2
An internal auction system may generate a quotation for the quantity of a product included in an auction published on the seller's e-commerce site so that the appropriate quantity of the product is identified and/or available on the successful completion of the auction. In conjunction with generating the quotation, a message may be sent to a seller's business information management system, such as for example an inventory control system, reserving an existing and/or anticipated quantity of the product to meet the quantity specified in the auction. This quotation may be rescinded if the auction does not successfully conclude. Otherwise, an order may be created in the business information management system anticipating the winner performing the necessary auction checkout procedures. The order may contain a block in order to prevent it from being further processed until the completion of the auction checkout process by the winning bidder. Upon completion of the auction checkout process, any blocks on the order that may exist are removed and the ordered is released.
US08660918B2
A virtual system and method is disclosed for administering, evaluating, and processing financial aid for post-secondary students. The subject virtual system is preferably hosted in a web-based environment and is accessible by and/or interactive with various entities such as students, educational institutions, student financial aid processing centers, government agencies related to educational funding, and loan guarantors. Particular features and methodology are preferably provided in accordance with the virtual system such that a student can conveniently obtain educational funding within a completely automated and integrated online process. The virtual system preferably provides features such as direct links to applications for federal funding, an electronic messenger service to communicate among networked system entities, and a financial aid estimator to predict amounts of aid for which a student is eligible. A user of the virtual system can apply for a personal identification number (PIN) and complete a student interview process to initiate a financial aid processing. Such information is then preferably combined into a personalized user file with information electronically obtained and verified from outside sources. This file then undergoes a review process, including compliance checks, quality control, and loan certification. Once a file is sufficiently reviewed, aid can then be routed to a student's specified institution for use towards his or her educational expenses. Review and reporting services are preferably available throughout this automated process such that a user can conveniently track certain information, including progress of the financial aid process steps.
US08660916B2
Systems and methods are provided which make use of outbound calling systems to automate notification campaigns. Automated campaigns using outbound calling systems can provide a number of significant advantages over the traditional notification campaign, potentially resulting in faster, more efficient, more accurate, and more cost-effective notification campaigns.
US08660907B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus for determining motivator counts associated with purchase selections are presented herein. A data store can be configured to store purchase selections of respective products. A server can be configured to determine an incremental purchase time between a first purchase selection of the purchase selections and a second purchase selection of the purchase selections. Further, the server can be configured to determine a standard deviation of incremental purchase times between respective purchase selections of the purchase selections. Furthermore, the server can be configured to increment a prime motivator count associated with the second purchase selection based on the incremental purchase time and the standard deviation.
US08660901B2
Providing online advertisements includes selecting, among a plurality of advertising sources provided by a seller, a selected plurality of advertising sources that meet a predefined condition; generating a plurality of keyword sets that correspond to the selected plurality of advertising sources; establishing a programming model according to a set of predefined constraints, wherein the programming model represents match of the selected plurality of advertising sources and the plurality of keyword sets; and determining a substantially optimal match between at least some of the plurality of advertising sources and the plurality of keyword sets by solving the programming model.
US08660897B2
A method includes providing, through a server device, a number of wearable apparel garments to an entity and monitoring readings of near-field communication tags associated with the number of wearable apparel garments procured from the entity through a number of reader devices of a corresponding number of another human mammals. The method also includes transmitting a profile information of the human mammal wearing the wearable apparel garment to the reader device of the another human mammal and/or a geospatial information of the reader device to the server device configured to collect information from the number of reader devices. Further, the method includes obtaining, through the server device and/or another server device, information related to market intelligence based on the transmitted profile information and/or the geospatial information.
US08660892B2
A coupon generation and redemption method that includes displaying on a video display associated with a computing device at least one product on which at least one promotion is available. An input device that is associated with the computing device is used to select at least one of the at least one product for which the consumer desires to receive at least one coupon. The at least one coupon is printed using the computing device. The at least one product referenced in the at least one coupon is purchased. The at least one coupon is redeemed.
US08660888B2
Systems, computer-readable medium having computer program, and related computer implemented methods are provided to determine the relative market value of a sale group and to generate a genetic merit scorecard. Such systems, computer-readable medium having computer program, and related computer implemented methods utilize the genetic merit estimates of relatives of a sale group, along with associated economic weighting factors to determine the relative market value of the sale group. The genetic merit scorecard reflects the relative market value and ranking of the genetic merits of the sale group, as compared to the industry.
US08660884B2
Market demand is estimated for a firm under crisis, beginning with an operational demand forecast of a firm as input, correcting that forecast to account for the impact of a pandemic or other extraordinary market-disrupting circumstance, and providing a corrected operational demand forecast as output. The correction to account for the impact of an extraordinary market-disrupting circumstance is based on an estimated economic impact of the disruption and an estimated reduction of the firm's sales force attributable to the disruption.
US08660872B1
Systems and methods for facilitating identification and prioritization of opportunities for marketers of goods and services. According to one aspect of the disclosed system, upon identification of one or more opportunities for a marketer, the system verifies whether or not the one or more opportunities satisfy certain preexisting threshold criteria. Those opportunities that satisfy certain preexisting threshold criteria are then scored, prioritized and presented to marketers. The disclosed system generates opportunity scores by analyzing various kinds of lead- and non-lead-based information and data. Aspects of the disclosed system are communicably coupled to marketers, leads, and third party information services to extract such information and data.
US08660868B2
A benchmarking computing application is configured to create a benchmark run for a segment of customer profiles. Customer profiles from the segment include a parameter, termed an adjustment parameter, that may affect energy consumption by the associated customer. The results of the benchmark run include energy consumption values for individual customer profiles in the segment, an average energy consumption value for the entire segment of customer profiles, and also adjustment energy consumption value. The adjustment energy consumption value reflects the portion of energy consumption by a particular customer attributed to the difference between the average value of the adjustment parameter for the segment and the value of the adjustment parameter for the particular customer profile.
US08660863B2
A variable universal life insurance product that includes a death benefit and associated investment vehicles is selectively offered. A life insurance policy chassis is provided by an insurance company to an asset manager. The asset manager combines the life insurance policy chassis with one or more associated investment vehicles managed by the asset manager to form a variable universal life insurance product. The asset manager selectively makes the insurance product available to respective clients of the asset manager. The insurance company providing service for the death benefit and the asset manager providing service for the associated investment vehicles.
US08660862B2
Healthcare insurance coverage is determined using an account within a payment processing system. A transmission addressed to the payment processing system is formed including an account number of an account associated with the payment processing system, a description of a healthcare related commodity rendered to a patient deriving healthcare insurance through an insured, and request for a specification of financial responsibility of the insured for the described said healthcare related commodity. A transmission is received from the payment processing system including the requested specification of financial responsibility.
US08660854B1
In a computer; a computer readable medium for providing rapid syndrome analysis includes instructions for measuring a plurality of CUSUMs simultaneously and generating CUSUM data in response to an observed value. It also includes instructions for comparing the CUSUM data with a predetermined plurality of threshold values and instructions for generating a signal when the CUMSUM data exceeds any of the plurality of threshold values by a predetermined amount.
US08660851B2
A decoding device reduces abrupt changes in the number of channels in a decoded signal when transmission errors occur as a result of lost frames in an encoding/decoding system for multichannel signals. In the device, a demultiplexer receives an encoded monaural signal and an encoded differential signal and detects change over time in the received encoded differential signal. An M signal decoder decodes the encoded monaural signal and obtains a decoded monaural signal. An S signal decoder decodes the encoded differential signal and obtains a decoded differential signal. A smoothing unit performs smoothing on the decoded differential signal by means of a computation involving the decoded differential signal and coefficients corresponding to the change over time detected by the demultiplexer. An L/R signal computation unit computes a decoded stereo signal from the decoded monaural signal and the smoothed decoded differential signal.
US08660849B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable storage medium related to operating an intelligent digital assistant are disclosed. A user request is received, the user request including at least a speech input received from a user. The user request including the speech input is processed to obtain a representation of user intent for identifying items of a selection domain based on at least one selection criterion. A prompt is provided to the user, the prompt presenting two or more properties relevant to items of the selection domain and requesting the user to specify relative importance between the two or more properties. A listing of search results is provided to the user, where the listing of search results has been obtained based on the at least one selection criterion and the relative importance provided by the user.
US08660847B2
A system for integrating local speech recognition with cloud-based speech recognition in order to provide an efficient natural user interface is described. In some embodiments, a computing device determines a direction associated with a particular person within an environment and generates an audio recording associated with the direction. The computing device then performs local speech recognition on the audio recording in order to detect a first utterance spoken by the particular person and to detect one or more keywords within the first utterance. The first utterance may be detected by applying voice activity detection techniques to the audio recording. The first utterance and the one or more keywords are subsequently transferred to a server which may identify speech sounds within the first utterance associated with the one or more keywords and adapt one or more speech recognition techniques based on the identified speech sounds.
US08660839B2
A system for leaving and transmitting speech messages automatically analyzes input speech of at least a reminder, fetches a plurality of tag informations, and transmits speech message to at least a message receiver, according to the transmit criterions of the reminder. A command or message parser parses the tag informations at least including at least a reminder ID, at least a transmitted command and at least a speech message. The tag informations are sent to a message composer for being synthesized into a transmitted message. A transmitting controller controls a device switch according to the reminder ID and the transmitted command, to allow the transmitted message send to the message receiver via a transmitting device.
US08660834B2
Systems and methods of classifying user input are disclosed. The user input can be, for example, in the form of Roman characters. An ambiguous word (e.g., a word that is a non-pinyin word written in Roman characters and a valid pinyin word) can be identified in the user input. Contextual words (e.g., words adjacent to the ambiguous word) are classified as a pinyin context or a non-pinyin context. The ambiguous word is classified based on the context of the contextual words.
US08660833B2
An apparatus for providing an interactive network simulator may include processing circuitry configured to at least perform receiving an indication of messages or responses exchanged between a testing platform simulating one or more external systems and a system under test, storing data corresponding to the indications received, and providing for a visual display of information related to the indications received to a user interacting with the testing platform. A corresponding method and computer program product are also provided.
US08660832B2
The invention relates to a method for configuring a test arrangement for a device to be tested, which is one component of a system containing, several components. The components of the system are described by data records, which have elements that describe relationships of components with one another. The method includes linking the data records to generate a system description based on the linked data records, simulating of the system by a simulation based on the system description, wherein an image of the device to be tested is in the simulation. The method also includes removal of the image of the device from the simulation and provision of one or more test interfaces in hardware for communication between the simulation facility and the device.
US08660831B2
An extension of COSMO-SAC to electrolytes (eCOSMO-SAC) combines the COSMO-SAC term for short range molecule-molecule, molecule-ion and ion-ion interactions with the extended symmetric Pitzer-Debye-Hückel term for long range ion-ion interactions. The extension recognizes that like-ion repulsion and local electroneutrality govern the surface segment contacts, and introduces a dual sigma profile concept for electrolyte systems. The eCOSMO-SAC formulation predicts activity coefficients of several representative electrolyte systems.
US08660830B2
Emulator computer program methods using an emulator module are disclosed. A computer program method includes a computer usable medium having computer readable program code for emulating a process of a machine having actuators and mechanical elements. The computer readable program code includes computer readable code instructions configured to display a graphical user interface having input fields corresponding to the actuators and mechanical elements, and to display a graphical representation of output response data of the machine using inputted parameters. Computer readable code instructions for receiving a plurality of parameters inputted into the plurality of input fields, and for emulating a mechanical operation of the machine using the plurality of parameters inputted into the plurality of input fields by simulating the programmable logic controller code are included. Output response data based on an emulation of the mechanical operation of the machine is generated and displayed.
US08660828B2
A hybrid simulation system to model cascading events within a black box system may include a tessellated field operable to allow a plurality of black box components to execute on a processor and communicate without needing a direct connection between the black box components. The black box components have transfer functions defined over a common coordinate system and time.
US08660826B2
A diving computer, a computer program, and a method for determining ascent time in a diving computer. Determining ascent time is accomplished by initially receiving initial data on the available gases and measuring the prevailing pressure and diving time. Then, based on information received in connection with the initial data, the gases are divided into at least primary (A) and secondary (B) gases, and an optimal dive plan is calculated based on the initial data of the primary gases (A), the prevailing pressure, and a surfacing model.
US08660825B2
Methods and systems for modeling a porous physical object for layered manufacturing are provided. A model of an object includes geometric and material porosity models, each of which are divided into two-dimensional layer representations. Each two-dimensional layer represents a cross-section of the geometric model and material porosity model of the object, respectfully. The material porosity layer representations specify a material porosity variation for the layer. Geometric and material porosity contours of the model are created by iso-Z surface extraction for each layer. Using the contours, a boundary constrained line representation of each two-dimensional layer representation is generated using continuous space-filling fractal curves to characterize the material porosity variation for each two-dimensional layer.
US08660824B2
Embodiments of methods and systems for improved gridding of complex networks such as geological fractures are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, a method in accordance with the present disclosure includes adjusting a location of at least one non-fixed pillar of an initial grid, including: establishing a multi-point stencil of pillars that includes the at least one non-fixed pillar; selecting a fixed pillar of the initial grid toward which the non-fixed pillar is to be adjusted; determining a distance from each pillar of the multi-point stencil to the selected fixed pillar; calculating an inverse-distance weighted mean position based on the determined distances of the pillars of the multi-point stencil; and adjusting a position of the at least one non-fixed pillar to the inverse-distance weighted mean position.
US08660817B2
There is provided a hardware test and diagnosis system including a diagnostic computer and a cellular communication device. The cellular communication device includes a peripheral chipset on a circuit board and a cellular baseband controller on the circuit board, wherein the cellular baseband controller is configured to execute an agent software on the circuit board. The agent software is configured to communicate with the diagnostic computer, the agent software further configured to communicate with the peripheral chipset, and provide a virtual communication channel between the diagnostic computer and the peripheral chipset.
US08660814B2
A product integrity tracking shipping label includes a label body for attaching to a product to be shipped or to packaging containing the product. One or more movement monitoring configured with the label body detects a movement metric of the product. A microprocessor configured with the label body and in communication with the one or more movement monitoring devices time-tags the movement metric when the movement metric exceeds a pre-selected threshold. A product integrity tracking system includes a movement monitoring device with one or more sensors for attachment to a product or packaging containing the product. The movement monitoring device senses at least one movement event during handling of the product. A processor compares the movement event with a pre-selected event threshold, and time-tags and stores above-threshold movement events in a memory. Information in the memory is readable via an interrogation device during shipment or at product delivery.
US08660810B2
According to one aspect, embodiments of the invention provide a system for monitoring a plurality of circuit branches coupled to an input line, the system comprising a communication bus, a plurality of sensor circuits, each configured to be coupled to the communication bus and at least one of the plurality of circuit branches, wherein each sensor circuit is further configured to sample current in the at least one of the plurality of circuit branches, a controller configured to be coupled to the communication bus and the input line; wherein the controller is further configured to sample voltage on the input line, and wherein the controller is further configured to synchronize, via the communication bus, current sampling performed by the plurality of sensor circuits with the voltage sampling performed by the controller.
US08660804B2
The invention relates to the non-destructive measurement of components, in particular the functional assessment of the bonding of cast-in parts, eg. in pistons for internal combustion engines. With such a measurement or functional assessment, it is a question of assessing the function and completeness of the bonding between the base material and the material cast in or otherwise joined. The quality of the component or its suitability for a specific purpose can thus be assessed and/or quality monitoring of the production process, e.g. in the foundry or during production, can take place. According to the invention, this purpose is served by a multi-stage correction procedure, wherein the measured values ascertained by means of a suitably devised measuring arrangement and method, e.g. using ultrasound, are subjected to a multi-stage determination process, which minimises universally and for each individual measurement the disturbing factors which, being inherent in the system, occur in the measurement and ascertains therefrom the desired results. A correspondingly devised system minimises both error influences, which occur in the performance (especially with the setting-up/adjustment) of such a measurement, as well as measurement errors and incorrect assessments in the performance of the measurement, which occur due to geometrical tolerance deviations or differences between a number of components to be measured or due to differences in the material or structural composition, as well as other disturbing influences.
US08660802B2
A medical device for providing information for glycemic control is provided, wherein the device comprises a storage unit arranged to store information on an initial dose of insulin and to store information on a blood glucose level measured after the initial dose of insulin was administered and after specific food was consumed, and a determining unit arranged to determine a subsequent dose of insulin to be administered before the specific food is consumed based at least on said information on the initial dose of insulin and said information on the blood glucose level.
US08660801B2
Described are mathematical models and method, e.g., computer-implemented methods, for predicting tumor sensitivity to radiation therapy, which can be used, e.g., for selecting a treatment for a subject who has a tumor.
US08660798B2
Seismic data representing the propagation of seismic energy through a geologic volume of interest is processed. The seismic energy propagates through the geologic volume of interest from one or more source locations at or near the geologic volume of interest to one or more detector locations at or near the geologic volume of interest. In processing the seismic data, the seismic energy is modeled as beams (e.g., Gaussian beams). The processing includes determining a filter for the seismic data that attenuates aliasing which may be present in the seismic data due to spacing between detector locations.
US08660796B2
Processing gamma count rate decay curves using neural networks. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods comprising obtaining a gamma count rate decay curve one each for a plurality of gamma detectors of a nuclear logging tool (the gamma count rate decay curves recorded at a particular borehole depth), applying the gamma count rate decay curves to input nodes of a neural network, predicting by the neural network a geophysical parameter of the formation surrounding the borehole, repeating the obtaining, applying and predicting for a plurality of borehole depths, and producing a plot of the geophysical parameter of the formation as a function of borehole depth.
US08660795B2
A navigation apparatus has a road learning function. When a new road is learned and a new road link is connected to one of a map road link present in a ready-made map data and a previously-learned road link, the navigation apparatus designates the one of the map road link and the learned road link as a base link and generates a supplement link that extends along the base link from a base-link-side end point of the new road link to an end point of the base link. The navigation apparatus specifies an entrance link and an exit link connected to a process target point on the guidance route, and determines content of the route guidance by using the base link corresponding to the supplement link when the entrance link or the exit link is the supplement link.
US08660791B2
A method of tracking a fleet of machines operating at a common worksite is disclosed. The method may include receiving at a central controller an unacknowledged message from communicating devices onboard the fleet of machines, the unacknowledged message including a current location of each of the fleet of machines determined by locating devices onboard the fleet of machines. The method may also include updating a location listing of the fleet of machines with the current location, and repetitively multicasting the location listing to the communicating devices.
US08660789B2
With real-world spatial networks the edge travel-times are time-dependent, where the arrival-time to an edge determines the actual travel-time on the edge. To speed up the path computation, exact and approximate techniques for computation of the fastest path in time-dependent spatial networks are presented. An exact fastest path computation technique based on a time-dependent A* search can significantly improve the computation time and storage complexity of existing approaches. Moreover, for applications with which approximate fastest path is acceptable, the approximate fastest path computation technique can improve the computation time by an order of magnitude while maintaining high accuracy (e.g., with only 7% increase in travel-time of the computed path on average). With experiments using real data-sets (including a variety of large spatial networks with real traffic data) the efficacy of the disclosed techniques for online fastest path computation is demonstrated.
US08660788B2
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: configuring a preference; selecting an introduction point based on the preference; composing an introduction message about the introduction point; and displaying a non-intrusive notification for the introduction message on a device.
US08660787B2
Systems, methods, and programs store a plurality of combinations of departure points and destination points that have been set in the past, store pre-update map information, and store post-update map information. The systems, methods, and programs compare, for each of the combinations of departure points and destination points, a route retrieved using the pre-update map information and a route retrieved using the post-update map information, and transmit the comparison results to the navigation apparatus so that a user of the navigation apparatus can appreciate the benefits of updating map information.
US08660783B2
Systems and methods for identifying ownship deviation from assigned taxi-clearance in the area of taxiway intersection. An exemplary system provides alerts in the event of a significant deviation from the assigned clearance, but does not give unwanted alerts when the flight crew is performing normal turning maneuvers in the area of an intersection.
US08660781B2
A commuter groups service (CGS) allows commuters to join commuter groups so that they are able to socialize while commuting. Through the commuter groups, the users may share commuting routes, traffic updates, road conditions, and other information. Group members may arrange car pools, short term riding arrangements, and may anonymously or directly contact each other. The CGS may collect group member position information, e.g. GPS information, to enable the CGS to calculate traffic conditions and to select location specific information for group members. The system may include an on-line service accessible through a computer or wireless networking device. The user may log into the CGS, create or modify a user profile, and join groups of their choosing. Groups may be associated with specific events or with getting to/from work. Commuter groups may be formed for commuters that use private vehicles and/or public transportation.
US08660773B2
A delay time is provided in a calculation process until an instructed throttle opening is outputted after a required cylinder inside air filling efficiency is inputted. When calculation timing of a fuel injection quantity comes, an actual cylinder inside air filling efficiency which is achieved in a time ahead by the delay time from the present time is estimated by using an air response model. When a read-ahead time from the present time to closing timing of an intake valve exceeds the delay time, a change amount of the actual cylinder inside air filling efficiency which occurs by the time the read-ahead time elapses from a time point when the delay time elapses is estimated by using an air response model with a deviation between an estimated actual cylinder inside air filling efficiency after the delay time and a target cylinder inside air filling efficiency as a step input value.
US08660771B2
A method for detecting the opening of a thrust reverser for a jet engine of an aircraft is disclosed. According to the method, an operating parameter of the turbojet (1) is determined being responsive to the opening of a mobile element (2a, 2b) of the thrust reverser and reacting to such an opening by a sudden variation of the value thereof, the parameter is measured continuously and the mobile element (2a, 2b) is considered as being opened when the sudden variation is detected.
US08660759B2
To provide a traveling crane operation control apparatus and method enabling an operator to operate a traveling crane quickly and accurately by one hand and by a motion of his or her body with a controller worn thereon, without the need to gaze at his or her hand, and also allowing variable-speed control and fine speed control of each drive unit.An operation control apparatus for a traveling crane has an operation control circuit section 1 including a base unit 2 wearable on an arm 4 of an operator and a control unit 3 operable by a hand. The base unit 2 has base unit tilt detecting means detecting a tilt direction and tilt angle of the base unit 2 in a vertical plane, base unit direction detecting means detecting a direction in which the base unit 2 points in a horizontal plane, and command signal generating means generating a travel command signal and a travel speed command signal for a travel motor, a traverse command signal and a traverse speed command signal for a traverse motor, and an elevation command signal and an elevation speed command signal for an elevation motor. The traveling crane can be controlled to perform travel, traverse, lifting and lowering operations simply by pointing the base unit 2 in a direction in which travel and traverse motions are desired to occur and in a vertical direction in which a lifting or lowering motion is desired to occur, and actuating the control unit 3.
US08660755B2
A power relay is provided in a power line, which supplies power from a power source to a motor through an inverter circuit, to shut off power supply from the power source to the inverter circuit when an abnormality arises. A microcomputer diagnoses a short-circuit failure of the power relay when a steering wheel is not steered during a normal control operation of assisting the steering operation of the steering wheel. An EPS shuts off power supply by the power relay when the steering wheel is not steered, so that the short-circuit failure of the power relay is diagnosed without affecting the assist operation for the steering wheel.
US08660754B2
The invention provides a steering system for a vehicle, a ship etc. The steering system has a steering handle for the operator of the vehicle, a set of signal processors, a sensor which determines a position of the steered element of the vehicle, and a controller which moves the steered element. The steered element could e.g. be the front wheels of a car. The signal processors are adapted to determine an error between the desired position of the steered element and an actual position of the steered element. In order to make the steering system more fault tolerant, the error signal is amplified based on the speed by which the steering handle is moved, and an error in the sensor therefore becomes less critical. The invention further provides a steering method, a steering control unit and a vehicle provided with a steering system of the mentioned kind.
US08660750B2
A system for controlling a vehicle having a brake assembly for exerting braking force on at least one wheel on the basis of a number of control parameters is provided. The system has a vehicle stability control system configured to generate the control parameters as a function of a control quantity associated with the intensity of the braking force to be exerted on the wheels; and a vehicle handling enhancement system configured to calculate, in the presence of cornering acceleration of the vehicle, a reference vehicle yaw rate on the basis of at least the longitudinal velocity of the vehicle and the steer angle of the vehicle, and to adjust the control quantity to zero the difference between the actual yaw rate and the reference vehicle yaw rate.
US08660748B2
A control wheel for controlling at least one function of a system by a user includes a moveable engagement wheel for engagement by the user and an actuator coupled to the engagement wheel for providing force or haptic feedback to the engagement wheel in response to movement of the engagement wheel. A sensor for sensing movement of the engagement wheel is provided and a control system is coupled to the sensor for receiving information about positioning and movement of the engagement wheel, and is also coupled to the actuator for controlling force to the engagement wheel. The control system also provides control of the at least one function of the system.
US08660745B2
A control arrangement for a trailer vehicle comprises a brake system, a lighting system, a control device for controlling the lighting system, and a data transfer system for transferring data between the control device and the brake system. The control device and the brake system are arranged such that information about the status of the lighting system is transferred to the brake system by means of the control device, and/or information about the brake system is transferred to the control device for changing the status of the lighting system.
US08660738B2
Methods and systems are disclosed for evaluating performances of a piece of equipment and equipment operator. One disclosed method includes sensing a plurality of operating parameters of the equipment. The method then includes resolving a plurality of segments the equipment is sequentially performing from the sensed operating parameters to provide a sequence of resolved segments. The method then includes resolving what application the equipment is performing based upon the sequence of resolved segments to provide at least one resolved application. The method then includes applying at least one metric to the resolved application to provide at least one applied application metric. Then, the method includes evaluating the performance of the equipment and operator using the applied application metric. Various systems for installation on existing work equipments or new work equipments such as loaders and excavators are also disclosed.
US08660735B2
A method of providing information to a vehicle involves selecting content, and a source from which the information is retrievable. The information pertains to the content and the content is associated with an entity. The vehicle is tracked in real time. Via a telematics unit of the vehicle, vehicle data obtained from the tracking (including at least a then-current vehicle location and speed) is uploaded to an offboard server. The data is utilized, by a processor associated with the offboard server, to identify the entity that is within proximity of the vehicle. Information from the selected content source is obtained via the offboard server. The information is associated with the entity. The information is transmitted to the telematics unit. The information that is displayed to the vehicle is associated with an object representing the entity that is within the field of view of a vehicle occupant.
US08660725B2
A hybrid vehicle includes a motor generator used for driving the vehicle, an engine used in combination with the motor generator, an accelerator sensor arranged in an instructing unit instructing increase and decrease in required drive torque, and a control device starting the engine when a required engine output value exceeds a start threshold. The controller decreases the start threshold according to at least increase in required drive torque, and preferably decreases the start threshold further according to decrease in vehicle speed sensed by a vehicle speed sensor.
US08660722B2
A target vertical speed, to be applied to the aircraft upon the initiation of the aircraft's flaring phase, is defined in relation to the ground. An optimized ground slope associated with an approach path to be tracked during the landing, is then determined as a function of the determined target vertical speed and of at least one outside parameter. This optimized ground slope is at least equal to a predefined ground slope. Upon interception by the aircraft with the approach path, the aircraft is guided to track the determined optimized ground slope associated with the approach path and reach the target vertical speed upon initiation of the flaring phase.
US08660721B2
A device for controlling engine speed of a multi-engine aircraft includes a series of components for automatically controlling the speed of the engines during the take-off, so as to avoid discrepancies in the engine speeds. To this end, as long as all engines of the aircraft do not have, at least at given intermediary moment of the take-off, a driving parameter value equal to a preset intermediate value of the parameter, the speed of all of the engines cannot exceed an intermediate speed associated with the preset intermediate value. Thus, all engines must reach the intermediate speed so that the acceleration to a higher take-off speed can continue simultaneously for all engines.
US08660716B1
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are described herein for providing comparative vertical situation displays of multiple flight routes. According to embodiments presented herein, information regarding a currently active flight route of an aircraft and one or more proposed alternate flight routes is combined with airborne constraint data to display a comparative vertical situation display for each of the active route and/or the proposed routes. Each of the comparative vertical situation displays shows the vertical component of the corresponding flight route along with the vertical components of one or more airborne constraints along the corresponding flight route. The comparative vertical situation displays are concurrently shown on a display unit, allowing the flight crew of the aircraft or route planning personnel to compare the impact of the airborne constraints along the vertical component of each of the flight routes.
US08660707B2
Disclosed is an automatic cutoff apparatus that automatically cuts off a power source in a space where people go in and out when it is confirmed that no one is in the space. The apparatus includes: an entrance sensor; at least one moving object sensor; a controller connected to the entrance sensor, the moving object sensor, and configured to cut off the resources in the specific object device when the entrance sensor senses a passage of a moving object but the moving object sensor does not sense a presence of the moving object.
US08660702B2
A novel central cooling and circulation energy management control system is provided, including an energy management controller device, a central cooling system, and associated methods, according to various embodiments. In one illustrative embodiment, a central cooling energy management controller device includes one or more signal connections, one or more electronic memory elements, and one or more processors. The controller device has access to resources that are either stored on the electronic memory elements or are accessible via the signal connections. The resources include an equipment data table, an equipment and operational configuration table, an operational efficiency matrix, and executable instructions. The processor determines operational control signals for energy-efficient operation of a central cooling system, based on sensor input from the central cooling system, and on data from the equipment data table, the equipment and operational configuration table, and the operational efficiency matrix; and provides the operational control signals via the signal connections.
US08660701B2
A water heater has a modular control system. The water heater comprises a tank, a heating element, a first controller, and a second controller. The heating element is coupled to the tank. The first controller is mounted on the tank and has a first communication port. The second controller has a second communication port communicatively coupled to the first communication port of the first controller. The first controller is configured to control the heating element in accordance with any desired algorithm in an absence of the second controller, and the second controller is configured to perform at least one function in addition to or in lieu of the first controller.
US08660699B2
A behavior control system capable of controlling the behavior of an agent (robot) such that the agent securely applies a force to a moving object. The behavior control system calculates the degree of overlapping of a time-series probability density distribution between a predicted position trajectory of an object (ball) and a position trajectory candidate of a counter object (racket). Further, a behavior plan of the agent (robot) is generated such that the counter object is moved according to a desired position trajectory, which is a mean position trajectory or a central position trajectory of a position trajectory candidate of the counter object which has the highest degree of overlapping with the predicted position trajectory of the object among a plurality of position trajectory candidates of the counter object.
US08660695B2
Aspects of the subject technology relate to a robotic finger digit including a distal finger joint coupled between a distal finger part and a middle finger part, a middle finger joint coupled between the middle finger part and a proximal finger part and an extend tendon coupled at a first end to the distal finger joint, and coupled at a second end to an actuation device. In certain aspects, the robotic finger can further include a flex tendon coupled at a first end to the distal finger joint, and coupled at a second end to the actuation device, wherein the actuation device is configured to move the extend tendon and the flex tendon substantially the same distance in order to flex and/or extend the robotic finger digit.
US08660691B2
An automatic machine includes an output unit, a storage unit and a control unit. The storage unit stores a motion pattern corresponding to a command and recording N predetermined motion information and N time tags. The control unit receives the command, reads a current motion information of the output unit, looks the motion pattern up in the storage unit according to the command and the current motion information, determines that the current motion information is between the i-th predetermined motion information and the (i+1)-th predetermined motion information, calculating a time adjusting information by the (i+1)-th predetermined motion information, the (i+1)-th time tag and the current motion information, and controls the output unit to execute the (i+1)-th predetermined motion information according to the current motion information, the first time tag through the i-th time tag, and the time adjusting information.
US08660683B2
Printer driver systems and methods for automatic generation of embroidery designs are disclosed. An example method includes identifying intersections of line segments from different ones of first polygonal objects, determining relationships between the line segments based on the intersections, removing a redundancy between at least two of the line segments, generating, using a computer, second polygonal objects based on the intersections and the line segments, and outputting, from the computer, embroidery data representative of the second polygonal objects.
US08660681B2
A process monitoring system may detect out-of-control situations on the basis of a single criterion for a plurality of different lithography processes. To this end, each data set related to a specific type of lithography process may be processed so as to determine relative data, which may be centered around the same mean value for each of the different process types for a standard control situation.
US08660680B2
Methods of monitoring an acceptance criteria of pharmaceutical manufacturing processes are described and disclosed herein. Consequently, the methods provide a means to perform validation and quality control on an integrated level whereby a pharmaceutical manufacturer can ensure data and product integrity and minimize cost.
US08660678B1
A method for audio processing includes receiving in an electronic processor an audio input from a performance of a musical piece having a score. A two-dimensional state space is defined, including coordinates modeling the performance, each coordinate corresponding to a respective location in the score and a tempo of the performance. For each of a plurality of times during the performance, a probability distribution is computed over the two-dimensional state space based on the audio input. Based on the probability distribution, the performance is matched to the score.
US08660676B2
Mitigation of nonlinear echoes by dynamic range compression may be provided. An audio output may be evaluated to determine whether nonlinear echoes are interfering with an audio signal. In order to reduce such nonlinear echoes, a dynamic range compression algorithm may be applied to the audio signal prior to output. The signal may be modified according to a compression wave and/or subjected to an attenuation factor.
US08660665B2
A lead has a paddle body with a non-conductive material and multiple electrodes disposed within the non-conductive material. At least one of the electrodes includes one or more anchoring arrangement, such as opening(s) through the electrode through which the non-conductive material can pass; anchors that extend away from the electrode and into the non-conductive material of the paddle body; or flow-through anchors attached to the electrode with an opening through which the non-conductive material may pass.
US08660658B2
Apparatus and methods for converting one type of speech processor unit into another type of speech processor unit.
US08660656B2
A cuff assembly includes a frame assembly configured to be positioned about a limb of a user and support a functional electrical stimulation system, and an over center closure mechanism coupled to the frame assembly and configured to secure the frame assembly relative to the limb, the over center closure mechanism being located on a medial side of the limb when the frame assembly is positioned about the limb.
US08660652B2
Various embodiments disclosed herein relate to a device having a base and a stimulation module that can be attached to a patient's skin and actuated to mask the pain caused when sharp objects penetrate the skin. The stimulation module is designed to generate vibration energy, or alternatively, is designed to generate both vibration and electrical energy.
US08660637B2
A miniaturized spectrometer is adapted for placement within a body near tissue to be characterized. The spectrometer includes a light source and a plurality of light detectors. The light source generates light to illuminate the tissue. The detectors detect optical signals from the illuminated tissue and convert these optical signals to electrical signals. The miniaturized spectrometer can be disposed at the distal end of an interventional device. Optical conduits, such as fiber optic cables or strands, extending the length of the interventional device are not required when the miniature spectrometer is employed.
US08660623B2
A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing, a circuit board carried by the portable housing, a wireless communications circuit carried by the circuit board, and an audio circuit carried by the circuit board. The device may further include an antenna assembly including an antenna carrier frame coupled to the circuit board and defining a cavity therein, and at least one antenna element carried on the carrier frame and coupled to the wireless communications circuit. The device may also include an audio output transducer carried within the cavity of the antenna carrier frame and coupled to the audio circuit.
US08660622B2
The disclosure is directed at a roller assembly for a mobile communication device having a top portion and a bottom portion, the top and bottom portions slidably connected, the roller assembly comprising a slide plate; a guide plate including guide rails for receiving the slide plate; an actuator connected to the slide plate and the guide plate; a shuttle portion, located within the slide plate; and a cam portion for engaging with the shuttle portion, the cam portion including an intermediate detent portion; whereby when the slide plate is moved between open and closed potions, the slide plate can be stopped in an intermediate position by the intermediate detent portion.
US08660619B2
An apparatus and method for replacing a battery in a portable terminal are provided, in which there are a main battery and an auxiliary battery, a cover removal sensor senses the removal of a battery cover, and a controller switches from the main battery to the auxiliary battery for supplying a power in response to the battery cover removal, wherein the auxiliary battery supplies the power to some component of the portable terminal under the control of the controller.
US08660616B1
A mobile communications device includes a computer processor and logic executable by the computer processor. The logic is configured to implement a method. The method includes calculating a decibel level of ambient noise. In response to receiving an incoming call from a calling device, and prior to activating a ringtone on the mobile communications device, the method includes determining that the decibel level exceeds a threshold value, and sending an automated response to the calling device in lieu of connecting the call to the mobile communications device.
US08660614B2
A computer program product for instant message communication in a wireless and non-wireless environment. A message is sent from a mobile unit device over a wireless communication network. The message includes a destination address, information associated with the mobile unit device's user, message content and message address. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device's user at the instant message system, the destination address is associated with an instant message function, the associated instant message function is executed at the instant message system using the information contained in the message content, if required as determined by the associated instant message function. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device's user, the destination address is associated with an instant message name, an instant message is created according to the message content and is sent to the user with the associated instant message name.
US08660613B2
A system and method for providing a message on the graphic display of a wireless device while the wireless device is connecting to an application download server across a wireless network. When the wireless device attempts to communicate with an application download server or changes files while navigating an application download server, a message is transmitted across the wireless network to the computer platform of the wireless device and displayed to the user of the wireless device. The message can be transmitted to the wireless device from the same application download server that the wireless device is attempting to connect to or navigate, or alternately, the message can be transmitted from another server on the wireless network.
US08660612B2
An electronic device may include a housing including a speaker compartment, processing circuitry within the housing, and wireless transceiver circuitry within the housing and coupled to the processing circuitry. The electronic device may also include NFC transceiver circuitry within the housing and coupled to the processing circuitry, a speaker in the speaker compartment and coupled to the processing circuitry, and an NFC antenna positioned within the speaker compartment and coupled to the NFC transceiver circuitry.
US08660607B2
Method, system, and device for remote operation of a wireless communication device. The method for remote operation of a wireless communication device using an accessory involves establishing a communication channel between the accessory and the wireless communication device, providing output to a user on the accessory, receiving user input on the accessory, processing the user input and generating control signals for transmission to the wireless communication device to initiate one or more actions on the wireless communication device. The accessory comprises a touchscreen for presenting information to a user and receiving user input. The accessory may optionally be a hinged accessory with a dual touchscreen.
US08660602B2
A telecommunication device (e.g., mobile phone, smart phone, tablet, laptop computer, personal computer) and method are described herein that utilize multiple communication applications (e.g., phone call, SMS, email, social networking applications (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn . . . )) and a smart address book device (e.g., master contact list, user approved contact lists) to enable a user to send a communication event (e.g., voice call, SMS, email, social networking communication, multimedia session, web based real time communication session) to one or more recipients.
US08660601B2
Provided is a communication system for a multi-cell cooperative communication. A serving base station and at least one neighboring base station may communicate with at least one terminal through mutual cooperation. Each of the serving base station and the at least one neighboring base station may shift a phase of at least one element among elements included in a precoding matrix, using a phase shift matrix, and precode at least one data symbol. A terminal may feed back preferred phase shift matrix information to the serving base station, so that the serving base station and the at least one neighboring base station may adaptively determine a phase shift matrix. The terminal may calculate the phase shift matrix with small calculation amounts. The serving base station, the at least one neighboring base station, and the terminal may pre-store a plurality of candidate matrices with respect to the phase shift matrix.
US08660596B2
An electronic apparatus includes a processing unit. The processing unit, when detecting a frequency offset between an radio frequency (RF) module and a corresponding base station (BS), controls an oscillator to change a frequency of a first reference clock signal outputted therefrom by a first frequency variation, and controls a compensation unit to change a frequency of a second reference clock signal outputted therefrom by a second frequency variation. Wherein the compensation unit receives and adjusts the first reference clock signal from the oscillator to output the second reference clock signal, and the frequency offset substantially equals the first frequency variation plus the second frequency variation.
US08660590B2
A method to provide a unified and integrated view of the SMS Interaction history with other channel messages (irrespective of the Interaction channel) based on Case ID (Case Identifier) in a CRM application. The method parses the incoming SMS message text for the Case Identifier. The Interaction Thread belonging to the same Case ID is retrieved from the CRM application database and the incoming SMS message is added to that Interaction Thread. The whole interaction history pertaining to the same Case ID is displayed on the CRM application user interface at one place along with latest received massage via SMS along with various other channels of communication in order to enable proper management of the customer interaction. In case there is no Interaction Thread having same Case ID, a new Interaction Thread is created and all subsequent messages are threaded to the new Interaction Thread.
US08660581B2
A method for indoor navigation in a venue derives positioning of a mobile device based on sounds captured by the microphone of the mobile device from the ambient environment. It is particularly suited to operate on smartphones, where the sounds are captured using microphone that captures sounds in a frequency range of human hearing. The method determines a position of the mobile device in the venue based on identification of the audio signal, monitors the position of the mobile device, and generates a position based alert on an output device of the mobile device when the position of the mobile device is within a pre-determined position associated with the position based alert.
US08660577B2
A method and apparatus are provided for on-device positioning using compressed fingerprint archives. The method and apparatus may be configured to provide compression of localization fingerprints, to facilitate efficient on-device positioning based on the RF fingerprint model, and to estimate the physical distance between two or more devices. Embodiments of the method may receive a space-to-access point histogram that corresponds to an access point as observed in a space. The histogram may be normalized and a mean and standard deviation may be calculated from the histogram. A weight may be assigned to the access point corresponding to the frequency with which the access point is observed within the space.
US08660573B2
A technique to allow a server such as a location server to throttle concurrent or closely timed location requests for the position of a given wireless device such that within a certain time period preferably only one location request will be initiated to the positioning engine and the remaining closely-timed location requests will be buffered or cached. When a position for the given wireless device is returned per the outstanding location request, then the retrieved position will be used to respond to each of the buffered location requests. Thus, a plurality of location requests are satisfied with a single request to the positioning engine. By optimizing the use of cached position requests, throttling of location requests per the invention reduces network traffic significantly, increases the efficiency of a positioning server (therefore reducing business cost), and provides for an improved grade or quality of location based services in general.
US08660571B2
A method for estimating the location of a terminal operating in a communication system having at least two networks having overlapping areas of coverage, each network supporting at least one method for estimating the location of the terminal, and the terminal being in communication with a first one of the networks, the method comprising: assessing which of the networks is likely to form the more accurate estimate of the location of the terminal; and if that is the first one of the networks, estimating the location of the terminal by means of the first one of the networks, and if that is a second one of the networks, handling over the terminal to the second one of the networks and estimating the location of the terminal by means of the second one of the networks.
US08660563B2
Provided is a handover method of a wireless communication system using a hierarchical cellular scheme. In the method, signal quality of a serving node is measured, so that whether to start scanning for a handover is determined. When the scanning for the handover starts, signal qualities of a serving cell including the serving node and one or more neighbor cells are measured through a first preamble including a first identifier for distinguishing a cell. An intra-cell handover or an inter-cell handover is selected using the signal qualities of the serving cell and the neighbor cells. Therefore, a terminal can easily distinguish between the inter-cell handover and the intra-cell handover, and an overhead during a handover can be reduced because an intra-cell handover procedure is simplified.
US08660556B2
Systems and methods that utilize femtocell access points (FAP) to perform radio frequency (RF) network sweeps are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes: predicting an availability of an access point (AP) to perform an RF network sweep; and determining that the access point is available to perform the RF network sweep based, at least, on a prediction that a mobile device on a white list for the access point is not likely to access the access point during a time interval associated with performing the RF network sweep. In another embodiment, a method includes: comparing a network quality characteristic for a wireless channel associated with a FAP with a network quality characteristic for a wired network communicatively coupled to the FAP. The network quality characteristics can be the same. The method can then include employing the comparison to determine to which network an impairment is attributable.
US08660554B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for optimization of bearer resources for IMS roaming are disclosed. According to one aspect a system for optimization of bearer resources for IMS roaming includes a home media resource function controller module (HMRFC) for managing local media resources and for selecting a visited media resource function controller module (VMRFC) to provide media resources to a home subscriber that is roaming in the visited network (“visiting subscriber”), and a VMRFC for managing media resources within the visited network and for providing media resources to the visiting subscriber in response to a request to provide media resources to the visiting subscriber.
US08660553B2
The invention provides a method for bypassing intelligent services of a called user, applied in the case that a GMSC and VMSC are not the same MSC. The method comprises: the GMSC sending information to the VMSC as to whether the intelligent services of the called user are bypassed in the GMSC; the VMSC determining whether the intelligent services are bypassed in the GMSC, and determining whether the intelligent services are bypassed in the VMSC; and when the VMSC determines that the intelligent services are bypassed in the GMSC and are not bypassed in the VMSC, the VMSC not triggering the intelligent services; when the VMSC determines that the intelligent services are not bypassed in the GMSC and are bypassed in the VMSC, the VMSC sending a call release message to the GMSC. The invention further provides a system and VMSC for bypassing intelligent services of a called user.
US08660552B2
An onboard device for receiving a signal coming from an aircraft at a distance d from the device, said signal resulting from the combination of multiple propagation paths, one of the paths corresponding to the main echo of the transmitted signal, said device including an equalizer of processing depth T. The device includes means for estimating the distance covered by the second path, means for deducing therefrom a delay value τ associated with it, means for estimating when τ is greater than or equal to T the interfering signal associated with the main echo and for reducing the contribution of said signal to the total level of interference received. Also a system of communication between aircraft using the onboard device.
US08660547B2
A method, apparatus and a non-transitory computer readable medium include comparing two or more access points in a wireless communication network based upon one or more scenarios to minimize energy consumption, identifying one or more energy conservation constraints in the wireless communication network and controlling each of the two or more access points by selectively distributing traffic based upon the one or more energy conservation constraints.
US08660543B2
A method, performed by a user device, may include detecting an incoming call; determining whether the incoming call is associated with a very important person contact; directing the incoming call to a voicemail system, when the incoming call is not associated with a very important person contact; and providing, when the incoming call is associated with the very important person contact, an instant response message to a device associated with the incoming call without answering the incoming call. The method may further include providing reminder, including a ranked callback list of missed calls, to the user at particular intervals.
US08660540B2
Techniques for supporting positioning for terminals in a wireless network are described. In an aspect, a message is prepared and transmitted with a message segment including a version of a protocol used to encode the message and a compatibility level associated with inter-operable protocol versions, wherein different compatibility levels indicate non-compatibility between protocol versions. In another aspect, a message is received with a message segment including a version of a protocol used to encode the message and a compatibility level associated with inter-operable protocol versions, wherein different compatibility levels indicate non-compatibility between protocol versions. The compatibility level included in the received message is compared to an internal compatibility level and a response message is prepared and transmitted with a message segment including the internal compatibility level.
US08660537B2
A system for the centralized storage of messages on a telecommunications network includes a processor, memory, and a storage device. The storage device has a message store portion for storing message information, a transaction segment portion for storing segment information, and a message device status portion for storing device information. The message store portion is associated with the transaction segment portion and the device status portion.
US08660534B2
A system and method provide parental and corporate control for a wireless camera. An administration authority web site is provided that enables an owner of a wireless camera to log into a server and establish a set of control policies that specify what actions on the phone are authorized for what user. The control policies are downloaded to the wireless camera, and the wireless camera is then operated such that a user of the wireless camera is only able to perform actions authorized by the control policies. In a further embodiment, a control policy is provided that requires the wireless camera to upload captured images to the server for review by the wireless camera owner. In addition, the images may be quarantined until the wireless camera owner authorizes their release to the user.
US08660532B2
A user authentication method for access to a mobile user terminal including one or more movement sensor supplying information on movements of the mobile terminal, includes authenticating a user on the basis of a movement performed handling the mobile terminal. A test pattern of values is sensed by one or more movement sensor related to a movement performed in a predetermined condition corresponding to an action for operating the mobile terminal. In a biometric recognition phase the acquired test pattern is compared to a stored pattern of values obtained from the one or more movement sensor by a training phase executed by an accepted user performing the action for operating the mobile terminal. The comparison includes measuring a similarity of the acquired test pattern to stored pattern. An authentication result is obtained by comparing the measured similarity to a threshold.
US08660528B2
The embodiments disclosed herein relate to a system and method for redirecting unauthorized user equipment (UE) from a femto base station (BS) to a macro network. The system checks whether the UE is authorized or not by comparing the identifier of the UE with a list of authorized UE that are stored in the memory of the femto BS. If the UE is found to be unauthorized, the UE is redirected to the macro network.
US08660525B2
A system and method are disclosed for segregating transactions in a multimode communication device. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device (102) has a controller (206) for managing operations of a wireless transceiver (202) that supports a plurality of access technologies. The controller can be programmed to update (301) a phonebook stored in the communication device, wherein each entry in the phonebook comprises a calling number and one among a plurality of account designations, and submit (344) the phonebook to a network management system (110) for segregating (514) billing of incoming and outgoing calls directed to and from the communication device on each of the access technologies according to a corresponding account designation retrieved (510) from the phonebook according to said calls.
US08660522B1
Architecture for offering enticements to cellular customers that will lead the customers to use the available services at times away from peak usage. For example, the provider can offer incentives (or enticements) that direct users to make phone calls during off-peak times of the hour or day. An incentive can include charging customers reduced minutes (e.g., 0.75 minutes) for each minute used from the customer plan when the customer uses services during off-peak time of the day. This applies to text messaging where users can attach files such as images and short video clips for communication to other cellular users, and to cellular devices via which users can access websites. In general, any services supported by the wireless provider can benefit by providing incentives to move users away from times of high network usage during the day.
US08660519B2
An apparatus, method, and computer program product are provided for permitting mobile devices to generate a location alert in response to receiving activation signals. The apparatus may receive a signal, determine if the received signal is a predefined activation signal representative of a location request, and generate an alert if the received signal is a predefined activation signal.
US08660518B2
A subscriber of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) receiving an EAS alert message can obtain additional multimedia information in based upon the location of the subscriber. The additional multimedia information can include information pertaining to available shelter, medical facilities, the location of emergency supplies, a plume map, evacuation routes, or the like. In an example embodiment, the Global Positioning System or other device location systems is utilized to determine the location of the subscriber. The location information along with EAS alert information is used to query a database to obtain the additional information.
US08660514B1
A multiple mode RF circuit includes a switching network to switch the RF circuit between a mixer mode and amplifier mode of operation. Two differential amplifier stages coupled to a differential transistor pair form the core of the circuit. A differential local oscillator (LO) source is selectively coupled to the two differential amplifier stages for mixer operation by the switching network and a feedback loop is selectively coupled between the input of the differential transistor pair and the output of the two differential amplifier stages by the switching network for amplifier operation. Gain is controlled in both modes by varying the DC bias on the two differential amplifier stages so that partial cancellation of the amplified signal from the differential transistor pair occur at the RF output. The multiple mode RF circuit operates over a large dynamic range by adjusting a bias current to scale linearity.
US08660513B2
Methods, systems, and apparatuses, and combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for down-converting an electromagnetic (EM) signal are described herein. Briefly stated, in embodiments the invention operates by receiving an EM signal and recursively operating on approximate half cycles (½, 1½, 2½, etc) of the carrier signal. The recursive operations can be performed at a sub-harmonic rate of the carrier signal. The invention accumulates the results of the recursive operations and uses the accumulated results to form a down-converted signal. In an embodiment, the EM signal is down-converted to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. In another embodiment, the EM signal is down-converted to a hasehand information signal. In another embodiment, the EM signal is a frequency modulated (FM) signal, which is down-converted to a non-FM signal, such as a phase modulated (PM) signal or an amplitude modulated (AM) signal.
US08660510B2
Provided is a receiving apparatus for processing an analog baseband signal in an information terminal that communicates using a dielectric. The receiving apparatus includes an electrode for receiving an electric-field signal; a first gain adjuster for gain adjustment by amplifying the received signal; a channel selection filter for selecting a signal corresponding to a receive channel bandwidth from the gain-adjusted signal; a second gain adjuster for gain adjustment by amplifying the selected signal; a comparator for converting a signal output from the second gain adjuster into a digital signal; an oversampler for oversampling the digital signal at a frequency fClock higher than a receive channel frequency fSignal; a demodulator for demodulating the oversampled signal; and a clock generator for providing necessary a clock signal to the oversampler and the demodulator.
US08660506B2
There is provided with a residual signal generating circuit in which the capacitive DA converter generates a first difference signal with respect to an input signal based on a criterion voltage, the criterion voltage being indicative of an input range of the input signal, the reference voltage generating circuit divides the criterion voltage to obtain at least one partial voltage signal, the residual signal generating section generates 2N−1 first residual signal according to a difference between the first difference signal and 2N−1−1 first reference signal, the 2N−1−1 first reference signal being 2N−1−1 partial voltage signal among said at least one partial voltage signal generated by the reference voltage generating circuit, the comparator compares the 2N−1 first residual signal with a fixed voltage to obtain 2N−1 first comparison signal each indicative of a logical value, and the decoder decodes the 2N−1 first comparison signal to obtain first data of N bits.
US08660505B2
Methods and systems for an integrated leaky wave antenna-based transmitter and on-chip power distribution are disclosed, and may include supplying one or more bias voltages and ground for a chip including a plurality of power amplifiers (PAs) utilizing bias voltage and ground lines. One or more leaky wave antennas (LWAs) may be communicatively coupled to the power amplifiers. Wireless signals may be transmitted utilizing the LWAs integrated in the lines in the chip. Radio frequency (RF) signals may be transmitted via the plurality of LWAs. The RF signals may include 60 GHz signals and the LWAs may include microstrip and/or coplanar waveguides. A cavity length of the LWAs may be configured by a spacing between conductive lines in the microstrip and/or coplanar waveguides. The LWAs may be configured to transmit the wireless signals at a desired angle from a surface of the chip.
US08660501B2
Handheld electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry has simultaneous reception functions that allow the handheld devices to simultaneously receive multiple communications signals in a single communications band. The handheld electronic devices may include cellular telephones with music player functionality or other portable devices. The handheld electronic devices may have local wireless communications capabilities for supporting local wireless links such as WiFi and Bluetooth links. Using the simultaneous reception functions of the wireless communications circuitry, users of the handheld electronic devices can simultaneously receive signals such as WiFi and Bluetooth signals.
US08660494B2
Methods and apparatuses for automated configuring of user preferences. In one aspect of the present invention, a method to operate a data processing system, includes: detecting whether or not a portable device is connected to the data processing system; and automatically configuring one or more user preferences of the data processing system according to an identity of the portable device in response to a change in whether or not the portable device is connected to the data processing system. In one aspect of the present invention, call forwarding of at least one of a land line phone and a mobile phone is automatically configured when the mobile phone is brought close to the land line phone or when the mobile phone is taken away from the land line phone.
US08660484B2
Methods and systems for a configurable finite impulse response (FIR) filter using a transmission line as a delay line are disclosed and may include selectively coupling one or more taps of a multi-tap transmission line to configure delays for one or more finite impulse response (FIR) filters to enable transmission and/or reception of signals. The delays may be configured based on a location of the one or more selectively coupled taps on the multi-tap transmission line. The FIR filters, which may include one or more stages, may be impedance matched to the selectively coupled taps. The multi-tap transmission line may be integrated on the chip, or a package to which the chip is coupled. The multi-tap transmission line may include a microstrip structure or a coplanar waveguide structure, and may include ferromagnetic material. The distortion of signals in the chip may be compensated utilizing the FIR filters.
US08660482B2
A broadband satellite having a payload subsystem configured to provide dual frequency conversion and bandwidth aggregation is communicatively coupled (i) to at least one gateway by a feeder link operating at a first frequency band; and (ii) to a plurality of user terminals by user links operating at a second frequency band. The payload subsystem has a first and a second frequency converter a satellite feeder link antenna feed, and a satellite user link antenna feed. The first frequency converter down converts, to a third frequency band, as an aggregated block, signals received at the satellite feeder link antenna feed from the gateway via the feeder link. The third frequency band is substantially lower than both the first and second frequency band. The down converted signals are routed to the second frequency converter for up converting to the second frequency band for transmission over the user link to the user terminals.
US08660473B2
An intermediate transfer device including an intermediate transfer body having a primary transfer portion and a secondary transfer portion which bears a secondary image formed by transferring a primary image from an image bearing member; a pair of secondary transfer rollers having a secondary transfer roller and a support roller provided in contact with each other via the intermediate transfer body at the secondary transfer portion, which transfers the secondary image to a recording medium at the secondary transfer portion; a variation detection device that detects an amount of variance occurring to a transfer rotation body when the recording medium is transferred to the secondary transfer portion; and an adjustment device that adjusts the distance between the pair of the secondary transfer rollers according to the amount of variance detected by the variation detection device.
US08660471B2
A developer supply device is provided, which includes a developer retrieving member disposed to face a developer holding surface of a developer holding member across a predetermined distance in a position downstream relative to a developer supply position where the developer holding member faces an intended device to be supplied with development agent in a direction perpendicular to a main scanning direction parallel to an axial direction of the developer holding member. The developer retrieving member is driven to rotate around an axis parallel to the main scanning direction and configured to retrieve the development agent from the developer holding surface under a retrieving electric field that is generated when a retrieving voltage is applied between the developer retrieving member and the developer holding member.
US08660470B2
A developing device includes first and second developer carriers facing each other in a facing region, a regulating member that regulates a layer thickness of developer, and a separation member. The first and second developer carriers respectively include first and second magnetic members that are respectively magnetized with first and second facing magnetic poles having opposite polarities. The separation member separates the developer so that the developer is supplied toward the first and second developer carriers. The separation member is disposed such that distances between the separation member and the first and second developer carriers are the smallest in a region in which a magnitude of a combined magnetic field of the first and second magnetic poles locally decreases as compared with a case where at least one of the first and second developer carriers is independently disposed due to interaction between the first and second facing magnetic poles.
US08660465B2
Presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to layers that are useful in imaging apparatus members and components, for use in electrophotographic, including digital, apparatuses. More particularly, the embodiments pertain to an electrophotographic imaging member having its outer surface patterned such that friction with the cleaning blade is significantly reduced.
US08660463B2
An image forming apparatus includes a main body that includes a first engagement part, a first unit configured to be removably installed in the main body, and a second unit configured to be removably installed in the main body. The first unit includes a frame, a pivot shaft formed on the frame, a grip part that is rotatable around the pivot shaft and that includes a second engagement part that is configured to engage with the first engagement part, a pivot shaft hole that is configured to receive the pivot shaft, and a user operable operation part. When the second unit is laid on the first unit, the second unit presses the operation part and causes the grip part to rotate in a first direction such that the second engagement part engages with the first engagement part.
US08660456B2
An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly, an image forming portion for forming a toner image using an electrophotographic process, an air supply opening for fluid communication between an inside and an outside of the main assembly, and an air supply device for supplying ambient air into the main assembly through the air supply opening. In addition, an exhausting device discharges air from inside of the main assembly, and a mounting portion selectively mounts, to the air supply opening, one of a cooling device for taking the ambient air in and for decreasing a temperature of the air taken in, and a cover for partly blocking the air supply opening and forming an air passage portion. When the cooling device is mounted to the mounting portion, the air supply device supplies the cooled air into the main assembly, and when the cover is mounted to the mounting portion, the air supply device supplies the ambient air directly into the main assembly through the air passage portion of the cover. When the cooling device is not mounted to the mounting portion, a control device continues air supply from the air supply opening irrespective of a detected temperature, and when the cooling device is mounted to the mounting portion, the control device controls on and off of the cooling device on the basis of an output of the detecting device, and on and off supply of air from the air supply opening in interrelation with the cooling device.
US08660445B2
A fuser unit includes: a cylindrical member; a heat generator; a nip member; a backup member, which configures a nip part between the cylindrical member and the backup member with the cylindrical member; a conductive member, which is arranged to cover the heat generator at the inside of the cylindrical member; a temperature detection unit; a wiring; a first frame having insulation, which is arranged at an opposite side to the heat generator with respect to the conductive member being interposed therebetween at the inside of the cylindrical member, and which extends along the conductive member; and a second frame, which is arranged at an opposite side to the conductive member with respect to the first frame being interposed therebetween at the inside of the cylindrical member, and which extends along the first frame, wherein the wiring is arranged between the first frame and the second frame.
US08660441B2
An information storage device installed in a removable device configured to be removably installed in an image forming apparatus body, includes: an information storage unit that stores information communicated between the image forming apparatus body and the removable device; a terminal that comes in contact with a body side terminal; and a substrate that holds the information storage unit and the terminal and includes a hole configured to be engaged with a protruding section installed in the image forming apparatus body. The terminal includes a plurality of terminals each including one of a plurality of metallic plates arranged in a transverse direction thereof. An earth terminal, which comes in contact with a body side earth terminal formed in the protruding section, is formed in the hole. The hole is disposed at a position sandwiched between two metallic plates among the plurality of metallic plates.
US08660439B2
A transimpedance amplifier for a burst mode optical communication converts a burst current signal into differential output voltage signals. Using a multi-level digital AGC mechanism, the transimpedance amplifier is rapidly adapted to a burst signal whose amplitude varies in a wide range. By using an adaptive level detection method, a multi-level digital AGC can be implemented without using ADC. In addition, because the transimpedance amplifier uses a selective reset generation scheme that performs a reset operation for itself after a high power burst, a burst mode operation can be performed without external reset signals. Accordingly, the transimpedance amplifier can be integrated with an optical detector within a TO-can. Furthermore, the transimpedance amplifier can have the burst mode capability and the best sensitivity.
US08660437B1
A fiber optic network reduces distortion present in modulated optical signals received at an optical receiver from an optical transmitter via a fiber optic link. The optical receiver analyzes a received modulated optical signal, where the wavelength of the received signal is periodically varied at the transmitter around a center wavelength over a wavelength range. Based on the analysis, the receiver generates a link transmission curve indicative of the optical power of the received signal over the wavelength range. The network disclosed herein subsequently uses the link transmission curve to reduce the distortion caused by misalignment between the operating wavelength of a transmitter laser and a peak power wavelength at the peak power of the link transmission curve. For example, the transmitter may adjust the laser operating wavelength based on a control signal received from the receiver and generated at the receiver based on the link transmission curve.
US08660435B2
A system for delivering optical power over optical conduits includes more than one optical power source and an optical power distribution node configured for selectively delivering optical power to multiple optical power sinks.
US08660426B2
For determining OSNRreal of a real optical signal carried in an optical network link, the following has been proposed: tapping a portion of the real optical signal, altering the tapped signal portion by adding to it in-band artificial noise signal, thus obtaining a combined signal, scattering the combined signal by stimulated Brillouin or Raman scattering (SBS or SRS) in an optical element, extracting a signal back reflected by SBS/SRS from the optical element, determining OSNRcomb of the back reflected signal and deriving the OSNRreal from the OSNRcomb knowing absolute and/or relative power of the added artificial noise.
US08660422B2
Disclosed herein are a combined communication and broadcasting dual switching system and method. The system includes broadcasting transmission means, an Optical Line Terminal (OLT), an optical detection unit, an active path determination unit, an optical switch unit, and a combining unit. The broadcasting transmission means converts a Radio Frequency (RF) broadcast signal into an optical signal. The OLT includes dual lines and selectively outputs an Internet data signal. The optical detection unit detects a line from which the Internet data signal is being output. The active path determination unit determines that the line is an active path. The optical switch unit receives the optical signal from the broadcasting transmission means, and switches to the active path. The combining unit receives the optical signal output after having been switched, receives the Internet data signal from the OLT, and multiplexes the received optical signal and the received Internet data signal.
US08660420B2
A dual lens camera includes a main circuit board, two lens modules positioned on the main circuit board, a controller positioned on the main circuit board, a position sensors positioned on each lens module, two tilting mechanisms positioned on the main circuit board, and each tilting mechanism being connected to a corresponding one of the lens modules, and two flexible circuit boards connecting the position sensors to the main circuit board. The controller controls the tilting mechanisms to tilt the lens modules to a position detectable by the position sensors.
US08660419B2
A lens barrel includes a fixed portion with an optical system including a focusing lens. An operation member is placed so as to be movable to first and second positions along an optical axis of the fixed portion, and turnable around the optical axis at the first and second positions. A turning member turns along with the operation member when moved to the second position, and does not operate with the operation member when moved from the second position to the first position. Positioning means position the operation member at the first or second position through a plurality of balls. When the operation member is at the first position it is urged to the first position by the plurality of balls. When the operation member is at the second position, it is urged to the second position by the plurality of balls.
US08660418B2
An apparatus and method of adjusting an auto focus are provided. The apparatus includes: an imaging pickup device for generating an image signal by capturing light passing through an imaging lens; a shutter for controlling light exposure of the image pickup device; a focus detector that calculates a contrast value from the image signal and detecting a focus from the contrast value; and a release controller for controlling a release operation constituting a photographing operation of a still image, wherein the release controller includes, as driving modes, a first mode that directs a focus lens included in the imaging lens to be driven while driving the shutter, and a second mode that directs the focus lens not to be driven while driving the shutter. Accordingly, a photographing time is reduced.
US08660414B2
A thermal processor including a rotatable hollow drum including a drum core having an interior surface and an exterior surface, and a radiant heater positioned within an interior of the drum and configured to provide radiant energy to heat the drum, wherein at least one radiant energy absorption characteristic of the interior of the drum varies across its longitudinal width Wd so that selected areas of the interior of the drum absorb more radiant energy than other areas of the interior of the drum so as to compensate for non-uniform heat loss from the drum and to provide the exterior surface of the drum core at a desired temperature which is substantially uniform across the longitudinal width of the drum core.
US08660393B2
Fiber optic cables and methods of manufacturing fiber optic cables are disclosed herein. According to one embodiment, a fiber optic cable includes a plurality of optical fibers. The fiber optic cable also includes strength material having a relatively long lay length, the strength material surrounding the plurality of optical fibers and a polymer jacket surrounding the strength material. Each of the optical fibers is configured to exhibit a bend-induced optical attenuation of less than or equal to about 0.5 dB when wrapped one turn around a 10 mm mandrel at a wavelength of 850 nanometers.
US08660392B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose an optical cable and an optical cable system, where the optical cable includes an SZ-shaped optical cable skeleton and a plurality of optical fiber units. Skeleton slots is recessed in a periphery of the optical cable skeleton, and the plurality of optical fiber units is grouped and respectively disposed in the corresponding skeleton slots, thereby having the advantages of being easy to strip and draw, high reliability, and long lifetime. Moreover, the optical fiber does not need to be connected when being diverged on floors during installation, thereby reducing the fusion splicing/termination connection time, simplifying the optical cable wiring, greatly reducing deployment cost of an Optical Distribution Network (ODN), and speeding up the scale deployment of the FTTX ODN; in addition, interference among the optical fibers is avoided when the optical fibers are drawn, thereby increasing reliability of the optical fibers after installation.
US08660391B1
Embodiments of the invention utilize optical structures created by processes in the wafer fabrication foundry to form optical isolators and circulators. Grating coupling structures are utilized to couple light having a chosen polarization component into free space through non-reciprocal rotation material; said light is captured by another set of grating coupling structures after experiencing a 45 degree rotation of the polarization. By non-reciprocally rotating the polarization, the input and output ports of the optical isolator will be different depending on the direction of the light propagation.The amount of non-reciprocal rotation material utilized by embodiments of the invention may be small, and the grating coupling structures may be efficiently made to couple to each other as their field profiles may be matched and their position may be precisely defined by lithographic means.
US08660388B2
An optical modulation apparatus including: a Mach-Zehnder optical modulator having two optical waveguides, two output optical waveguides and a join-and-branch portion; a phase adjustment circuit configured to output a phase control signal to phase adjustment electrodes provided respectively on the two optical waveguides; a drive circuit configured to output a modulation signal to modulation electrodes provided respectively on the two optical waveguides as a differential signal, the modulation signal modulating lights propagated in the two optical waveguides; and a signal polarity reversal circuit configured to reverse a polarity of the differential signal to be output from the drive circuit.
US08660385B2
A method for deriving a representation of an image is described. The method involves processing signals corresponding to the image. At least one region of the image that is representative of the image is identified. In one embodiment, each identified region corresponds to a feature of the image. For each identified image region, a two dimensional function of at least part of the image region is derived and processed to obtain an intermediate representation of the at least part of the image region. A representation of the image is derived from the intermediate representation of at least one of the image regions.
US08660372B2
Techniques and structures are disclosed in which one or more distortion categories are identified for an image or video, and a quality of the image or video is determined based on the one or more distortion categories. The image or video may be of a natural scene, and may be of unknown provenance. Identifying a distortion category and/or determining a quality may be performed without any corresponding reference (e.g., undistorted) image or video. Identifying a distortion category may be performed using a distortion classifier. Quality may be determined with respect to a plurality of human opinion scores that correspond to a particular distortion category to which an image or video of unknown provenance is identified as belonging. Various statistical methods may be used in performing said identifying and said determining, including use of generalized Gaussian distribution density models and natural scene statistics.
US08660371B2
In one embodiment, there is provided a method for an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) system. The method comprises: recognizing an input character based on a plurality of classifiers, wherein each classifier generates an output by comparing the input character with a plurality of trained patterns; grouping the plurality of classifiers based on a classifier grouping criterion; and combining the output of each of the plurality of classifiers based on the grouping.
US08660366B2
A method for proactively creating a photobook includes identifying a group of images by a computer system and automatically creating a design for a photobook by the computer system without receiving a user's request for designing a photobook if the number of images in the group is determined to be within a predetermined range. Pages of the photobook incorporate a plurality of images in the group. The method further includes presenting the design of the photobook to a user for preview and receiving an order from the user for a physical manifestation of the photobook based on the design.
US08660358B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for selectively providing images. In one aspect, a method includes receiving image data that specify feature values for a plurality of images. The image data include, for each image, location data that specify a geographic location for the image. A group of images in which each image has location data specifying a geographic location that is within a threshold distance of a reference location are selected. Pairs of matching images are selected from the group of images. A reference image for the geographic location is selected from the pairs of matching images. Data that cause presentation in a map space of a photo collection image that includes a visual representation of the reference image are provided. The photo collection image is presented in the map space and at a map position for the geographic location.
US08660357B2
An overlap determining unit determines whether or not a stamp character string is readable using image data of a stamp image and image data of a scan image read by a scanner unit when the stamp image and the scan image area overlapped. A stamp image generating unit generates a correction stamp image obtained by correcting the stamp image to improve readability of the stamp characters when it is determined that the stamp characters are not readable. A synthesis image generating unit generates a synthesis image in which the correction stamp image and the scan image are overlapped. A printer unit forms the synthesis image on a printing medium.
US08660353B2
A method for modeling an object, particularly suited to complex objects such as anatomical objects, and manipulating the modeled object in a CAD environment includes obtaining volumetric scan data of a region and segmenting the scan data to identify a first object to produce a first set of signed distance values on a grid. Wavelet analysis of the first set of signed distance values provides a function-based representation of the object. A signed distance value model of a second object is obtained, and one or both sets of signed distance values are manipulated to perform a CAD operation.
US08660347B2
In an image processing apparatus for dividing image data into blocks having a predetermined number of pixels and processing each of the divided blocks in sequence, color data of pixels in a block to be processed is compared to identify a pattern flag that corresponds to a placement pattern of the color data included in the block. The identified pattern flag and the color data for the number of colors included in the block are output and, assuming that output color data that corresponds to a pixel at a predefined position in the block is first color data, the pattern flag, the first color data, and other color data that are output for each of the divided blocks are collectively stored in respectively different memory areas.
US08660342B2
A method that includes classifying photographs into categories; generating computational models of image aesthetics, each computational model of image aesthetics associated to one different category of the categories; extracting a plurality of features from a photograph, the plurality of features including simplicity features, global features computed in the whole image and/or low-level features in contrasting regions of an image of the photograph, the contrasting regions being partitions of the image obtained by applying an image segmentation algorithm based on feature contrast to the photograph; and applying a computational model of image aesthetics to at least part of the plurality of features extracted from the photograph, the computational model applied according to the category of the photograph, in order to assess aesthetic quality of the photograph.
US08660336B2
A defect inspection system is disclosed for easily setting inspection conditions and providing an inspection condition and a defect signal intensity to an operator. The defect inspection system digitizes a defective image, and a reference image corresponding thereto and a mismatched portion of the defective image and the reference image as a defect signal intensity and accumulates them in association with the inspection condition. The inspection conditions are changed to repeat evaluations while repeating accumulating works until the evaluation of all the inspection conditions in a set range is completed. A recipe file including the accumulated conditions having the high defect signal intensity and an inspection condition item distribution as a inspection condition recipe is automatically outputted and provided to the operator.
US08660330B2
A system comprising: one or more transmitters to transmit an excitation energy into an object under observation; one or more detectors to generate projection space data encoding an energy received by the one or more detectors in response to the transmitted excitation energy into the object under observation; a controller to control the one or more transmitters to transmit the excitation energy and the one or more receivers to generate the projection space data; and an image reconstructor having at least one processor to receive the projection space data and to process the projection space data by: computing a first quantity characterizing a difference between the projection space data and predicted projection data, wherein the difference between the projection space data and predicted projection data is associated with a projection gain; recording, in a data storage device, a first data encoding the difference; computing a revised first quantity based on recorded first data from preceding iterations; computing an update value using the revised first quantity; and reconstructing an object space image representing the object under observation using the update value.
US08660321B2
Unauthorized use of a biological pattern registered in a face image authorization system is made difficult. With respect to the previously registered biological pattern for authorization, additional information is held concerning a change that can be reproduced by a user having the biological pattern for authentication, and success or failure of the authentication is evaluated according to consistency between the biological pattern for authentication that is reproduced using the additional information and a pattern input at the time of authentication as an evaluation factor. By changing the additional information as necessary, unauthorized use of biological pattern data or the like is made difficult.
US08660318B2
A vein authentication apparatus registers vein data and vein characteristic amounts, determines comparison order at vein data identification time by sorting records in descending order of degree of similarity on the basis of vein characteristic amounts for comparison and the registered vein characteristic amounts, and makes vein data comparison in accordance with the comparison order. The vein authentication apparatus uses 32 frequencies obtained by performing a Fourier transform, 12 angles obtained by performing a Fourier transform, curvature directions in 36 angle areas, segment directions in 18 angle areas, and a vein amount as the vein characteristic amounts. By doing so, the accuracy of comparison order is improved and a comparison using a record for which a degree of similarity is low can be omitted. As a result, the speed of a comparison process and the maximum number of pieces of living body information which can be registered can be increased.
US08660316B2
Systems, devices, features, and methods for navigating on images are disclosed. For example, one method includes identifying a point selected on an initial image. An image component, such as a pixel, of the initial image corresponding to the identified point is determined. The image component of the initial image represents an origin. A route from the origin to a destination is generated, and the destination corresponds to another image component, such as another pixel.
US08660313B2
A CT angiography apparatus compensates for respiratory motion. During a helical scan, a radiation source and a detector generate data sets corresponding to a plurality of sub-volumes of a blood vessel over a plurality of cardiac cycles. Sub-volume data sets corresponding to a selected cardiac phase are reconstructed into a plurality of sub-volume images. Characteristic points in the sub-volume images are identified. A computer routine or processor calculates a respiratory motion vector based on the identified characteristic points in a plurality of the sub-volume images. An image reconstruction routine or processor reconstructs the original sub-volume data in the selected cardiac phase into a volume image representation using the calculated respiratory motion vector.
US08660311B2
A system for the assessment of reflective surfaces disposed along a roadway repeatedly illuminates an area along the roadway that includes at least one reflective surface using a light source. Multiple light intensity values are measured over a field of view which includes at least a portion of the area illuminated by the light source. A computer processing system is used to identifying a portion of the light intensity values associated with a reflective surface and analyze the portion of the light intensity values to determine assessment for that reflective surface. In one embodiment, a virtual nighttime drive through along a roadway is simulated using a plurality of intensity values to simulate reflections from each reflective surface disposed along the roadway during the virtual drive through.
US08660307B2
An example method includes analyzing frame pairs of a plurality of frame pairs captured over a period of time to identify a redundant person indication detected in an overlap region, the overlap region corresponding to an intersection of a first field of view of a first image sensor and a second field of view of a second image sensor, each of the frame pairs including a first frame captured by the first image sensor and a second frame captured by the second image sensor; eliminating the identified redundant person indication to form a conditioned set of person indications for the period of time; grouping similarly located ones of the person indications of the conditioned set to form groups; analyzing the groups to identify redundant groups detected in the overlap region; and eliminating the redundant groups from a people tally generated based on the groups.
US08660303B2
A system and method for detecting and tracking targets including body parts and props is described. In one aspect, the disclosed technology acquires one or more depth images, generates one or more classification maps associated with one or more body parts and one or more props, tracks the one or more body parts using a skeletal tracking system, tracks the one or more props using a prop tracking system, and reports metrics regarding the one or more body parts and the one or more props. In some embodiments, feedback may occur between the skeletal tracking system and the prop tracking system.
US08660298B2
The present disclosure relates generally signal processing. One claim recites an apparatus comprising: memory for storing a color video signal comprising first data and second data; and a processor. The processor is programmed for: modifying first color information and second color information of the first data by encoding a signal in the first color information such that the signal includes a first signal polarity, and encoding the signal in the second color information such that signal includes a second signal polarity that is inversely related to the first signal polarity, and modifying first color information and second color information of the second data by encoding the signal in the first color information such that signal includes the second signal polarity, and encoding the signal in the second color information such that the signal includes the first signal polarity. Of course, different combinations and claims are provided too.
US08660296B1
Systems and methods for facilitating video fingerprinting are provided. In one embodiment, a system can include: a memory, a microprocessor, a communication component that receives a video, and a video fingerprinting component that fingerprints the video with a subfingerprint (SFP). The video fingerprinting component can employ an SFP component stored in the memory and that comprises: a feature extraction component that determines local descriptors for at least one frame of a video; and a quantization component that quantizes the local descriptors to generate first frame information including a set of values for the at least one frame. The SFP component can also include: an accumulation component that accumulates first frame information over a snippet of the video; and an SFP generation component that computes the SFP associated with the snippet. The SFP can be computed based on a hash based on the accumulated first frame information over the snippet.
US08660292B2
A multifunctional vibrator includes a frame, a vibrating unit receiving in the frame and including a magnetic circuit part with a magnetic gap, a plurality of elastic members connecting the vibrating unit and the frame, and a voice coil partially inserted into the magnetic gap. Each elastic member includes a retaining portion assembling to an inner face of the frame, a connecting portion attached to the vibrating unit, and an elastic portion extending from the retaining portion to the connecting portion along a devious way. The elastic portion of elastic members includes a first arm capable of generating elastic deformation along a short axis direction of the vibrating unit and a second arm capable of generating elastic deformation along a long axis direction of the vibrating unit.
US08660291B2
A speaker device is disclosed. The speaker device is mounted in an electronic device that includes a plurality of positioning elements. The speaker device includes a speaker main body, at least one pair of buffer arms, a plurality of fixed elements, and a plurality of buffer members. One end of each buffer arms is connected to the speaker main body and located at the opposite sides of the speaker main body. The fixed elements is connected to the other end of each buffer arm and movably combined with each positioning element, such that the speaker main body is fixed in the electronic device. The members is mounted in between each fixed element and each positioning element, allowing the buffer arms and the buffer members to reduce vibration generated by the speaker main body passing to the electronic device when the speaker main body is vibrating.
US08660287B2
Seamless headsets and related systems and methods of manufacture are provided. In this regard, a representative headset includes: an earpiece assembly having a ribbon cable portion and an earpiece portion; the ribbon cable portion having a body and multiple elongated conductors, the body being formed of electrically insulating material; the earpiece portion extending from a distal end of the body, the earpiece portion being configured as a contiguous extension of the insulating material of the body such that the earpiece assembly exhibits a seamless transition from the ribbon cable portion to the earpiece portion.
US08660282B2
Certain embodiments of the present technology provide improved amplification circuits and hearing aids that can utilize such amplification circuits. In an embodiment, for example, an amplification circuit includes: a first sub circuit configured to create a voltage drop when a supply voltage is above a first voltage; and a second sub circuit configured to create a reverse voltage drop when the supply voltage is below a second voltage, wherein the first and second sub circuits operate to maintain idling current within a range. Certain embodiments of the present technology also provide hearing aids that include removable dampers.
US08660281B2
A method for a multi microphone noise reduction in a complex noisy environment is proposed. A left and a right noise power spectral density for a left and a right noise input frame is estimated for computing a diffuse noise gain. A target speech power spectral density is extracted from the noise input frame. A directional noise gain is calculated from the target speech power spectral density and the noise power spectral density. The noisy input frame is filtered by Kalman filtering method. A Kalman based gain is generated from the Kalman filtered noisy frame and the noise power spectral density. A spectral enhancement gain is computed by combining the diffuse noise gain, the directional noise gain, and the Kalman based gain. The method reduces different combinations of diverse background noise and increases speech intelligibility, while guaranteeing to preserve the interaural cues of the target speech and directional background noises.
US08660279B2
A loudspeaker driver (22) also suitable for compound applications comprising a rigid speaker frame (11, 13, 15, 19, 8) to which is attached a permanent magnet (13) with which a voice coil winding (9) is adapted to interact through electromagnetic force. The voice coil winding (9) is adapted to deliver axial motion to a diaphragm assembly (21), which includes an elastic outer section (2), whose outer rim (5) is attached to the outer part of the speaker frame (11). The diaphragm assembly (21) comprises an essentially rigid primary vibrating diaphragm (4) attached between the elastic outer section (2) and an elastic inner section (3), whose inner rim (10) is attached to the inner part of said speaker frame (8). Said voice coil winding (9) is fixed to the primary vibrating diaphragm (4) through said voice coil former (6), which is adapted to move said diaphragm assembly (21).
US08660268B2
A method and apparatus for client authentication using a pseudo-random number generation system. The pseudo-random number generation utilizes a secret key as well as state information as input into the hash function to generate a pseudo-random number. The state information that is part of the input can be any number of prior generated pseudo-random numbers. The authentication allows for synchronization of the client and server by exchanging state information. The authentication is not dependent on any absolute time and consequently the client and servers are not required to maintain a reliable shared time base.
US08660266B2
Delivering a Direct Proof private key to a device installed in a client computer system in the field may be accomplished in a secure manner without requiring significant non-volatile storage in the device. A unique pseudo-random value is generated and stored in the device at manufacturing time. The pseudo-random value is used to generate a symmetric key for encrypting a data structure holding a Direct Proof private key and a private key digest associated with the device. The resulting encrypted data structure is stored on a protected on-line server accessible by the client computer system.
US08660265B2
At least one of a keystream and a message authentication code are generated with a partial KASUMI block cipher, without utilizing a full KASUMI block cipher.
US08660263B2
Execution of the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) requires determination of a signature, which determination involves arithmetic operations. Some of the arithmetic operations employ a long term cryptographic key. It is the execution of these arithmetic operations that can make the execution of the ECDSA vulnerable to a power analysis attack. In particular, an attacker using a power analysis attack may determine the long term cryptographic key. By modifying the sequence of operations involved in the determination of the signature and the inputs to those operations, power analysis attacks may no longer be applied to determine the long term cryptographic key.
US08660238B1
A method of improving the detection of nuclear weapons in cargo containers. The container moves through an imaging region. An x-ray source emits a cone beam through the imaging region and to two or more detector columns, each detector column defining a fan beam. This hardware combines (1) the use of at least two detector assemblies, (2) use of both the current method and the photon counting method to determine x-ray intensities, and (3) use of large detector elements to increase the measured x-ray intensity by a typical factor of 270. The x-ray intensity for a pixel is read by each detector assembly at the appropriate time and the resulting x-ray intensities from each detector assembly are summed. A method of detecting a nuclear weapon includes identifying the nuclear device as the area of the image wherein a high absorption area is surrounded by a lower absorption area.
US08660234B2
There is broadly contemplated herein an arrangement whereby each event source feeds a small dedicated “pre-counter” while an actual count is kept in a 64-bit wide RAM. Such an implementation preferably may involve a state machine that simply sweeps through the pre-counters, in a predetermined fixed order. Preferably, the state machine will access each pre-counter, add the value from the pre-counter to a corresponding RAM location, and then clear the pre-counter. Accordingly, the pre-counters merely have to be wide enough such that even at a maximal event rate, the pre-counter will not be able to wrap (i.e., reach capacity or overflow) before the “sweeper” state machine accesses the pre-counter.
US08660226B2
Systems and methods for multichannel noise reduce are provided. One method includes acquiring a multichannel signal, obtaining a noise correlation between a plurality of channels of the multichannel signal, and obtaining a signal characteristic in each of the plurality of channels. The method also includes removing signal noise based on (i) the correlated noise and (ii) at least one of an uncorrelated noise in each channel or the obtained signal characteristic in each channel.
US08660218B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for detecting and/or measuring signals contained in modulated sample data, and that may be implemented in one embodiment to detect and measure signals by producing a representation and/or visualization of the signal information of the wide band spectral environment. Signals may be detected and/or measured by demodulating and estimating signal spectra from the modulated sample data that contain the individual signals, and by then forming a frequency representation of the demodulated Nyquist zone spectral estimates into a visual representation in which the frequency of the original signals is visible or otherwise indicated.
US08660216B2
Method and apparatus for mitigating the residual CFO effect on channel estimation for OFDM receivers
A CFO tracking loop module comprises: a numerically-controlled oscillator (NCO) that calculates a phase output; a CFO phase error block that generates a corrected NCO phase output by subtracting half of residual CFO phase error from the NCO phase output; a multiplier that corrects pilot subcarrier's phase by multiplying complex values of the pilot subcarriers by a conjugated complex value of the corrected NCO phase output; a pilot processor that generates a phase error by averaging phases over pilot subcarriers; and a loop filter that filters phase error from the pilot processor and updates the NCO with the filtered phase error.
US08660213B1
A wide-frequency band quadrature bandpass-sampling receiver is provided. An RF signal received at the antenna is amplified by an LNA and filtered by an image-reject filter. The filtered RF signal is then frequency-shifted to an intermediate frequency which is located in between 1 GHz to 4 GHz. A quadrature bandpass-sampling analog-to-digital demodulator down-converts and digitizes the frequency-shifted signal at the intermediate frequency to baseband yielding a bi-level in-phase component and a bi-level quadrature component.
US08660205B2
A method and apparatus employing statistical physics energy minimization methods to signal constellation design. By using statistical physics concepts, an energy-efficient signal constellation design algorithm (EE-SCDA) is described. In the presence of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise and channel impairments, we use EE-SCDA to determine a source distribution, and represent the signal constellation design as a center of mass problem. Furthermore a discrete-time implementation of D-dimensional transceiver as well as corresponding EE polarization-division multiplexed (PDM) system is described.
US08660204B2
Provided is a data transmission device and a symbol generation method of the same. A data processing unit of a data transmission device according to an embodiment of the present invention accesses a memory device for reading another data block while symbols for one data block are generated.
US08660199B2
To demodulate a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signal, a reception point is determined corresponding to a symbol in the QAM signal that is received where the symbol is mapped to one reference point of a plurality of reference points in a rotated constellation and the plurality of reference points are represented by an in-phase (I) coordinate and a quadrature-phase (Q) coordinate. A plurality of candidate points corresponding to a portion of the plurality of reference points are selected based on distances between the reception point and the respective reference points. The reception point is demapped by calculating a plurality of log-likelihood ratios based on the plurality of candidate points, the plurality of log-likelihood ratios corresponding to bits of data represented by the reception point.
US08660196B2
In a MIMO communications system a first communications device applies beamforming to a complete transmission packet including both synchronization data and either payload data or training symbols. A second communications device evaluates the beamformed synchronization data and determines and transmits a feedback information indicating minimum required synchronization data and/or a minimum number of training symbols. The first communications device tailors the synchronization data and/or number of training symbols on the basis of the feedback information. Beamforming the complete transmission packet facilitates signal suppression at defined locations. When the channel properties change, the second communications device may provide further channel state information to adapt beamforming in the first communications device without transmission of not beamformed training symbols. The communications system may be a powerline telecommunications system.
US08660193B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to parallel, pipelined, integrated-circuit implementations of computational engines designed to solve complex computational problems. One embodiment of the present invention is a family of video encoders and decoders (“codecs”) that can be incorporated within cameras, cell phones, and other electronic devices for encoding raw video signals into compressed video signals for storage and transmission, and for decoding compressed video signals into raw video signals for output to display devices. A highly parallel, pipelined, special-purpose integrated-circuit implementation of a particular video codec provides, according to embodiments of the present invention, a cost-effective video-codec computational engine that provides an extremely large computational bandwidth with relatively low power consumption and low-latency for decompression and compression of compressed video signals and raw video signals, respectively.
US08660189B2
A moving image encoding method of encoding a moving image while switching between variable-length encoding schemes. In this method, a continuous unit to be continuously reproduced is determined (S5201), a stream is generated by encoding the moving image without switching between variable-length encoding schemes in the continuous unit (S5202), and management information is generated that includes a first flag information indicating that a variable-length encoding scheme is fixed in the continuous unit (S5204, and S5205).
US08660188B2
An image coding apparatus reduces arithmetic processing and includes an intermediate stream generating unit generating an intermediate stream, by generating an intermediate code from image data, coding header information among coding conditions for image coding, and synthesizing the generated intermediate code and the coded header information. The image coding apparatus also includes a coded stream generating unit outputting a coded stream, by performing variable length coding on the intermediate code included in the intermediate stream to generate coded image data, and synthesizing the generated coded image data and the header information, and includes a parameter information extracting unit extracting, from among the coding conditions, parameter information required for performing variable length coding on the intermediate code. The coded stream generating unit generates the coded image data by performing the variable length coding on the intermediate code using the parameter information extracted by the parameter information extracting unit.
US08660185B2
A picture coding apparatus includes a motion vector estimation unit and a motion compensation unit. The motion vector estimation unit selects one method for deriving a motion vector of a block to be motion-compensated, depending on a motion vector of a block located in a corner of a decoded macroblock from among a group of blocks that compose the decoded macroblock corresponding to the current macroblock to be coded and determines the motion vector derived by the selected method for derivation to be a candidate of the motion vector of the current macroblock to be coded. The motion compensation unit generates a predictive image of the block to be motion-compensated based on the estimated motion vector.
US08660183B2
Re-encoding information indicating whether or not an input moving picture has been compression-encoded is provided to a mode determining unit. The mode determining unit determines an optimal encoding mode for the input moving picture, out of a plurality of encoding modes. The mode determining operation is controlled by the re-encoding information. According to a mode determination result of the mode determining unit, a prediction error value corresponding to the determined mode is selected by a selection switch, and then, an encoding process is performed. As the re-encoding information, a pre-determined value, a bit rate, and a quantization parameter, etc., could be provided.
US08660181B2
A method of receiving video data comprising the steps of: receiving at least one chunk of video data comprising a number of sequential key video frames where the number is at least two and, constructing at least one delta frame between a nearest preceding key frame and a nearest subsequent key frame from data contained in the either or each of the nearest preceding and subsequent frames.
US08660178B2
A video transmitter comprising a plurality of encoders may be operable to determine, for a transport stream, a constant overall number of bits per time interval corresponding to a frame in the transport stream. For each time interval corresponding to a start and an end of encoding of each of frames using each of the encoders, the video transmitter may allocate a target number of bits to each of the frames to achieve the constant overall number of bits. The allocation of the target number of bits may be based on frame types of the frames and CODEC types of the encoders, where the allocated target number of bits for each of the frames meets buffer overflow/underflow requirements associated with each of the encoders. A quantization parameter (QP) may be calculated and adjusted at each of one or more layers for generating an actual number of bits during encoding.
US08660177B2
Parallel coding of digital pictures is described. A digital picture is divided into two or more vertical sections. Two or more corresponding Stage 1 encoder units can perform a first stage of entropy coding on the two or more vertical sections on a row-by-row basis. The entropy coding of the vertical sections can be performed in parallel such that each Stage 1 encoder unit performs entropy coding on its respective vertical section and returns a partially coded Stage 1 output to a Stage 2 encoder unit. Each partially coded Stage 1 output includes a representation of data for a corresponding vertical section that has been compressed by a compression factor greater than 1. The Stage 2 encoder unit can generate a final coded bitstream from the partially encoded Stage 1 output as a Stage 2 output.
US08660170B1
A calibration technique to compensate for the quadrature phase error between the in-phase and quadrature sampling clocks controlling the quadrature bandpass sampling delta-sigma analog-to-digital demodulator (QBS-ADD) is provided. A low-frequency test tone is injected in the feedback path, up-converted to the radio frequency (RF) frequency, and added to the input of the QBS-ADD. The test tone is demodulated by the QBS-ADD into an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal. The in-phase and quadrature signals are converted into the frequency domain by the discrete Fourier transform. The quadrature phase error is quantified based on the complex Fourier complex coefficients; and the phase difference between the in-phase and quadrature sampling clocks is corrected.
US08660167B2
A device for decoding code symbols which are interfered with a distortion during a predetermined distortion time interval includes a reliability information generator to provide reliability information based on the code symbols and a decoder to decode the code symbols into code words. The decoder is configured to decode the code symbols based on weighted reliability information, wherein the weighted reliability information is generated from the reliability information by applying a first weight during times not coinciding with the distortion time interval, and by applying a second weight different from the first weight during times coinciding with the distortion time interval.
US08660165B2
An apparatus for detecting a spread spectrum signal in a wireless signal environment includes at least one antenna for receiving spread spectrum signals, such as UMTS signals, from a signal source in the wireless signal environment. In one embodiment, a detection circuit is configured for correlating a code in signal received by the apparatus with a set of possible codes for spread spectrum signals in order to detect the existence of a spread spectrum signal. In another embodiment, a detection circuit is configured for obtaining at least one reference frame of data from a received signal. The detection circuit is further operable for correlating a segment of the reference frame with a repeated segment of at least one subsequent frame of data in order to detect the existence of a spread spectrum signal. A repeater might incorporate such an apparatus wherein the variable gain of the repeater is adjusted based upon the correlation and the detection of a spread spectrum signal.
US08660158B2
A semiconductor laser drive circuit controlling a semiconductor laser diode connected to an output terminal by providing a drive electric current to the semiconductor laser diode includes: a constant electric current source configured to provide an electric current to the output terminal, the constant electric current source being connected to a first electric power terminal and the output terminal; a current sinking circuit connected to the output terminal and a second electric power terminal; a current sourcing circuit configured to provide a predetermined electric current to the output terminal or the current sinking circuit, the current sourcing circuit being connected to the first electric power terminal and the output terminal; and a terminating resistor having a resistance component equal to that of the semiconductor laser diode, the terminating resistor being connected to the circuit sinking circuit and the current sourcing circuit.
US08660155B2
A laser system having a cooling apparatus is disclosed. The laser system includes a resonator, a gain medium and multiple heat-absorbing discs. The resonator is formed by a first mirror and a second mirror. The gain medium, which is contained within the resonator, is collectively formed by a group of gain medium segments. Each of the gain medium segments is preferably in the shape of a cylindrical disc. The heat-absorbing discs are interleavely disposed among the gain medium segments to provide face cooling for the gain medium segments during the operation of the laser system.
US08660153B2
A method for frame number synchronization in a wireless communication network may be implemented by a base station. The method may include determining a current time from a timing source that is common to multiple other base stations. The method may also include determining a time offset between the current time and a reference time, wherein the base station and the multiple other base stations use the same reference time for determining the time offset. The method may also include determining a current frame number based on the time offset.
US08660150B2
A method and system in which a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) that is part of a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) system is able to provide synchronous services to end user equipment connected to the DSLAM via a DSL link and Customer Premises Equipment (CPE). A sniffer device having direct or indirect access to a Primary Reference Clock (PRC) of the DSL system calculates the phase difference between the PRC and the DSLAM's Local Timing Reference (LTR). The phase difference is sent to the CPEs requiring accurate reference clock frequency. The CPEs are able to derive the PRC from the phase difference information transmitted by the sniffer device thus enabling synchronous end user equipment operation.
US08660149B2
A data communication network system which enables an intended unit to determine a start point for a transmission schedule in communication is provided.In a data communication network system in which a plurality of electronic control units perform network communication through a communication line based on a time triggered communication protocol, a control section for previously putting the communication line in a communication inhibited state, and canceling the communication inhibited state at a predetermined time is included, and a predetermined one unit among the plurality of electronic control units transmits a message for synchronization, in a communication time, with the other units thereamong immediately after the communication inhibited state is cancelled.
US08660148B2
The present invention concerns a modem box, a splitting module, and an integrated access device.The modem box comprises upside communication means for coupling with central equipments through central signals, the latter being modulated for at least one of the central equipments, downside communication means coupling the modem box with terminal equipments through terminal signals, transfer means between the upside and downside communication means, and modem means for doing transformation between the modulated central signals and demodulated signals among the terminal signals.The modem box comprises an outer contact surface receiving a splitting module, which does transformation between the central signals and grouped signals formed with a multiplexing of the latter, and the upside communication means comprise at least one connection element arranged with that contact surface, in contact with at least one respective connection element of the splitting module.
US08660147B2
A digital broadcasting system and a method of processing data are disclosed, which are robust to error when mobile service data are transmitted. To this end, additional encoding is performed for the mobile service data, whereby it is possible to strongly cope with fast channel change while giving robustness to the mobile service data.
US08660146B2
A multiplexer/demultiplexer (MUX/DEMUX) system for multiplexing and demultiplexing information from a plurality of traffic channels is configured according to a Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy (PDH) standard into a composite signal transferred to and from a telecommunciations interface. A PDH traffic interface receives PDH channel signals from a plurality of PDH channels and a bit-pipe interface receives bit-pipe traffic transported as a packet data stream. A composite signal generation module and interface then creates, outputs and receives a single composite serial data stream including, in a single composite format, information from the received PDH channel signals as well as the packet data stream. The rate of the bit-pipe traffic may be adaptively modulated as a function of the composite rate.
US08660145B2
In one embodiment, a method for processing a series of MAC-hs protocol data units (PDUs) in an HSDPA-compatible (high-speed downlink packet access) receiver in a 3G wireless communication network, the method including: (a) receiving a MAC-hs PDU having: (i) a queue identification (QID), (ii) a transmission sequence number (TSN), and (iii) one or more MAC-d PDUs, (b) then disassembling the MAC-hs PDU (c) then distributing the one or more MAC-d PDU to a reordering queue indicated by the QID, and (d) then performing reordering processing for the corresponding reordering queue based on the TSN. Steps (a) and (b) are performed in a physical layer of the receiver. Steps (c) and (d) are performed in a data-link layer of the receiver.
US08660140B2
A method and an apparatus are provided for enabling a legacy station to perform virtual carrier sensing when a plurality of stations with heterogeneous capabilities coexist in a wireless network. The method includes receiving first data compliant with a first protocol, and transmitting second data compliant with a second protocol, where the first protocol is downward compatible with the second protocol.
US08660131B2
The present invention relates to a data storage unit for a communication system node, a method for data storage and a communication system node. More particularly it relates to storing buffering data and control data in a unit located outside of a Communication Controller on system or host-controller level, wherein a time-triggered protocol runs on the node. By locating control and buffering related data, including format and behavior, outside the Communication Controller it becomes far more flexible, extendable, and re-configurable as data buffering related restrictions, e.g. buffer sizes and number of buffers, are moved from Communication Controller level to system level.
US08660129B1
A layer-3 virtual router connects two or more virtual networks. Virtual networks are overlaid upon physical networks. Each virtual network (VN) is a layer-2 network that appears to expand an organization's LAN using virtual MAC addresses. The network stack forms a virtual-network packet with a virtual gateway MAC address of the virtual router to reach a remote virtual network. A VN device driver shim intercepts packets and their virtual MAC and IP addresses and encapsulates them with physical packets sent over the Internet. A VN switch table is expanded to include entries for nodes on the remote virtual network so that all nodes on both virtual networks are accessible. A copy of the VN switch table is stored on each node by a virtual network management daemon on the node. A Time-To-Live field in the virtual-network packet is decremented for each virtual hop and a checksum recalculated.
US08660109B2
Apparatus and method for communication are provided. The solution comprises communicating on a synchronized shared channel having a frame structure comprising symbols; receiving from a network element a given number for each frame or sub frame, and during the given number of symbol periods in the beginning of a frame or sub frame measuring interference and making a decision whether to transmit or not during the rest of the symbol periods of the frame or sub frame.
US08660107B2
HARQ feedback channel design for carrier aggregation (CA) is proposed in a multi-carrier LTE/LTE-A system. In one novel aspect, a predefined rule for HARQ feedback channel format switching is adopted by the system. Different HARQ formats are supported: single component carrier (non-CA) mode, carrier aggregation with small payload size (CA-S) mode, carrier aggregation with large payload size (CA-L) mode, and fallback mode. From the various CA and non-CA formats, the format to be used for uplink HARQ feedback channel is determined based on: UE capability for the maximum number of CCs supported; CC configuration information by RRC layer; and detection results of downlink schedulers. The CC configuration information may include the number of CCs that are configured and a specific HARQ format to be used. Because more reliable upper layer configuration is used to make the HARQ format-switching decision, the risk of UE and eNB mismatch is greatly reduced.
US08660106B2
The present invention relates to a method, arrangement and computer-readable medium for optimizing code utilization in a code division multiple access (CDMA) communication network comprising a first communication network entity (10), a second communication network entity (15) connected to said first communication network entity over a communication interface and one or more user equipments (18) transmitting data using a scrambling code to said second communication network entity (15) over a radio interface on an uplink channel (14). Firstly, in what type of radio environment said one or more user equipments are is identified. Secondly, a traffic activity over the radio interface is measured. Thereafter, when and how to use a secondary scrambling code is determined based on the type of radio environment and traffic activity.
US08660091B2
A method and apparatus for handling a call transfer from a circuit switched access network to a packet switched access network. A Mobile Switching Center Server receives a notification that a call for a terminal requires handover from a circuit switched access network to a packet switched access network. The MSC Server determines whether the terminal is currently registered in an IMS network and/or whether the MSC Server is registered such that it can perform handover from the circuit switched access network to the packet switched access network. If so, then return Single Radio Voice Call Continuity is invoked to perform a handover of the call from the circuit switched access network to the packet switched access network. If not then the MSC Server invokes error handling procedures.
US08660088B2
The invention relates to a method and arrangement in a serving Radio Network Controller, SRNC for controlling inter RAT handover to E-UTRAN of a UE with E-UTRA capability operating in a serving network comprising said SRNC, wherein the SRNC receives, from a Serving GPRS Support Node, SGSN, security keys generated at authentication and key agreement, AKA, upon attachment of the UE to the serving network; characterized in the steps of —determining (202) which type of UICC the UE is equipped with by analyzing the security keys received from SGSN; —using the knowledge of which type of UICC the UE is equipped with to base a decision (204) on whether to allow handover of the UE to E-UTRAN.
US08660080B2
Techniques for determining an uplink (UL) acknowledgment (ACK) resource based on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) carrying a resource allocation for a user equipment (UE) are disclosed. The mapping between the UL ACK resource and the PDCCH may be implicit, which may reduce overhead. The UL ACK resource may be associated with a time-varying cyclic shift of a base sequence used by the UE to send ACK information. The UE may send the ACK information based on the time-varying cyclic shift of the base sequence, which may randomize interference.
US08660076B2
A method and apparatus of transmitting a scheduling request to request uplink resources are provided. A user equipment receives a scheduling request (SR) configuration and a transmission indicator from a first serving cell. The transmission indicator enables the simultaneous transmission of the SR and a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). The user equipment transmits a SR on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) in a subframe to the first serving cell and transmits uplink data on the PUSCH in the subframe to a second serving cell.
US08660075B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. During operation, in a network with a private VLAN configuration, the switch allows a congestion notification message with an isolated virtual local area network identifier (VLAN ID) to be forwarded via an isolated VLAN port.
US08660060B2
A system and method for communications using spatial multiplexing with incomplete channel information are provided. A method for wireless communications includes receiving, at a controller, a reference signal transmitted by a communications device, computing channel statistics based on the received reference signal, computing a first beamforming vector and a second beamforming vector, and transmitting information to the communications device. The reference signal being transmitted using a subset of antennas used for data reception at the communications device, and the controller and the communications device utilize cross-polarized antennas. The computing being based on the channel statistics, the transmitting uses the first beamforming vector and the second beamforming vector, the first beamforming vector precodes information for a first antenna at the communications device, and the second beamforming vector precodes information for a second antenna at the communications device.
US08660058B2
A relay node includes a processor that determines, based on uplink scheduler information, a target frequency band from plural frequency bands assigned to signals received from plural user equipments and multiplexes the signals received from the plural user equipments and a wireless communication interface that transmits the signals as a single carrier signal to a base station based on the target frequency band.
US08660057B2
A decentralized communication device is provided that facilitates optimal positioning and orientation of one or more antennas for wireless communication with external devices. The decentralized communication device includes one or more master components and one or more slave components. The master and the slave components are physically separate and communicate wirelessly. In some embodiments the slave acts as a carrier frequency translator between the master and an external wireless device, where it communicates with the external device using a first frequency and communicates with the master using a second frequency which is different from the first frequency. In another embodiment the slave has most or all the physical layer to do the digital coding, digital modulation, data framing, data formatting and data packetization for communicating with an external device, in which case digital coding and digital modulation is distributed between the master and the slave.
US08660052B2
Various embodiments provide a method for transmitting control information in a broadcast multicast system, the method includes: broadcasting identifier information of N Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) areas to which the current cell belongs through a system message wherein N is an integer with N>1; transmitting indication information of control information of the N MBSFN areas through a system message or a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message; and transmitting the control information of the N MBSFN areas respectively through a Multicast Control Channel (MCCH) of the current cell according to the indication information. Various embodiments can guarantee normal working of a UE when the UE is located in an area overlapped by multiple MBSFN areas.
US08660051B2
A relay apparatus converts a received multicast frame to a unicast frame, sets a relatively higher communication rate than a specified communication rate, and forwards the converted unicast frame to a communication apparatus at the relatively higher communication rate. The relay apparatus attaches conversion information, which represents execution of the conversion, to the unicast frame. On reception of a unicast frame from the relay apparatus, the communication apparatus determines whether the received unicast frame is the converted unicast frame from the multicast frame, based on the conversion information attached by the relay apparatus. Upon determination that the received unicast frame is the converted unicast frame, the communication apparatus reconverts the received unicast frame to a multicast frame and transfers the reconverted multicast frame to an application installed in the communication apparatus to utilize a multicast frame. This arrangement enables the communication apparatus to effectively utilize a received unicast frame that is a converted unicast frame from a multicast frame.
US08660046B2
In a communications system including a base station capable of altering a frequency bandwidth which is used for transmitting broadcast data for providing point-to-multipoint broadcasting communications service and which is used for transmitting individual communications data for providing point-to-point individual communications service, and a mobile terminal capable of altering a receivable bandwidth which is used for receiving at least the broadcast data and the individual communications data transmitted from the base station, decision processing of making a decision as to whether the mobile terminal can receive reception-desired content it desires to receive among contents provided by the broadcasting communications service is executed in accordance with a frequency occupying bandwidth used for transmitting the reception-desired content. Thus, the mobile terminal becomes able to make a decision as to whether it can receive particular E-MBMS content considering its own UE position.
US08660039B2
The present invention provides systems and methods employing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to provide full summing and non-blocking, multi-channel, multi-access voice communication capabilities.
US08660029B2
A method for designating a dual region according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: enabling a terminal which is in communication with a first network to calculate a channel state threshold value corresponding to data; comparing the channel state value of the first network and the channel state value of the second network, acquired using a pilot signal of a second network, with the channel state threshold value; calculating a network evaluation score of the first network; comparing the network evaluation score of the first network with a network evaluation threshold value for designating a dual region, if the channel state value of the first network and the channel state value of the second network are larger than the channel state threshold value; and determining whether to designate a dual region in accordance with the result of the comparison using the network evaluation threshold value. The method of the present invention can reduce service cutoff or delay time during inter-radio access.
US08660022B2
A system and method for adaptive remote decision making includes steps of: receiving from an application layer a target range for a level of reporting quality for processed data; setting data collection parameters to meet the target range; collecting the data from a plurality of remote data collecting devices deployed in the distributed computing system, a portion of said data being compromised during the collecting process; processing the collected data to produce the processed data; evaluating the processed data based on observable metrics of current collected data and reported data losses; forecasting an expected reporting quality while continuing to collect the data; comparing the expected reporting quality with the target range; and reporting the processed data when the expected reporting quality falls within the target range for the level of reporting quality.
US08660017B2
A system processes calls in an Internet Protocol (IP) communications network. The system includes a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) database, an LDAP sever, and a redirect server. The LDAP database stores a group of IP communication service attributes. The LDAP server receive a request for a database update, extracts the group of IP communication service attributes from the LDAP database, and transfers the extracted IP communication service attributes to the redirect server. The redirect server stores the extracted IP communication service attributes and processes a call using the stored IP communication service attributes.
US08660014B2
The present invention discloses a method and system for processing an MPLS-TP tunnel protection, including: a tail node of a multiprotocol label switching transport profile (MPLS-TP) tunnel, after receiving a data message, querying a private network label table of the tail node according to a private network label carried in the data message, and acquiring a value of a protection flag field; when judging that a protection type of the MPLS-TP tunnel is 1+1 according to the value of the protection flag field, acquiring a value of a difference bit number field, and determining a value of a corresponding difference bit in a public network label of the MPLS-TP tunnel; and acquiring a value of a decision field, and carrying out corresponding processing on the data message according to a comparison result of the value of the difference bit and the value of the decision field.
US08660001B2
A packet scheduling apparatus and method to fairly share network bandwidth between multiple subscribers and to fairly share the bandwidth allocated to each subscriber between multiple flows are provided. The packet scheduling method includes calculating first bandwidth for each subscriber to fairly share total bandwidth set for the transmission of packets between multiple subscribers; calculating second bandwidth for each flow to fairly share the first bandwidth between one or more flows that belong to each of the multiple subscribers; and scheduling a packet of each of the one or more flows based on the second bandwidth.
US08659999B2
The present disclosure discloses a method and system for resource and admission control in an NGN home network. Through setting up an Rh interface between the Policy Decision Function Entity of the NGN service provider and the Home Gateway Enforcement Function Entity in the customer premise network, the Policy Decision Function Entity of the service provider makes the resource and admission control policy for the customer premises network and sends down the policy rules to the customer premises network through the interface. Thus the quality of service of the network that the users use could be ensured well.
US08659985B2
In one embodiment of the present invention, an optical pickup for writing and reading data on an optical storage medium comprises a diffractive element for diffracting a light beam to split it into multiple light beams. The diffracted light beams includes a zero-order diffracted light beam for writing data on a track of the land or the groove of the optical storage medium and non-zero-order diffracted light beams for reading the data from the track. The diffractive element has first and second diffraction gratings that have mutually different grating vector directions and pitches. The first diffraction grating forms light beam spots on the same track by the non-zero-order and zero-order diffracted light beams. The second diffraction grating forms a light beam spot to extend to both sides of said track, or forms a light beam spot on one side of said track, by the non-zero-order diffracted light beams.
US08659983B2
New and useful methods and systems for reading optical discs, such as multi-layer Blu-ray discs are disclosed. For example, in an embodiment a device for reading two-layered optical discs includes a laser diode capable of emitting light, a set of optics including a fixed collimator, the set of optics providing a numerical aperture (NA) of substantially less than 0.85, and a detector for detecting laser light focused on a two-layer optical disc to produce a stream of detected bits.
US08659982B2
In a system of detecting an interference light with a light not irradiated onto an optical disc to increase the S/N ratio, it is difficult to stably acquire a reproduced signal with a simple configuration. Since the recording density is not improved, an improvement in transfer rate is difficult. In an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus where two optical beams face each other and are focused at the same place of a recording medium to record a standing wave developed by interference of the two optical beams, a phase difference of the two optical beams is modulated in a multiple stage and recorded. During reproduction, an interference light of a reproduced light from the recording medium and another reproduction reference light is detected as a reproduced signal, and a phase servo control stabilizing the phase of interference during reproduction by using a low frequency component of the reproduced signal is conducted.
US08659976B2
A method and system is described for reducing unwanted noise components/interfering targets detected through an ambiguous beam-steer direction, such as the ambiguous ‘back-lobe’ of a sensor array. A pressure sensor array 52 and a plurality of pressure gradient sub-arrays 541-N are beamformed individually at processing stages 56, 581-N to derive signals indicative of directional responses, one from each group or sub-group. The signals are scaled and weighted (60, 620-N) and processed to define a cardioid beam with nulls pointing in the ambiguous beam-steer direction.
US08659975B2
A method for measuring a mechanical property of a subject includes using an ultrasonic transducer to apply ultrasonic vibration pulses to a vibration origin in the subject in an on-off time sequence in order to impart a harmonic motion at a prescribed frequency to the subject, and when the vibration pulses are off, preferably using the same transducer to apply ultrasonic detection pulses to a motion detection point and to receive echo signals therefrom in order to sense the harmonic motion on the subject at the motion detection point The ultrasonic detection pulses are interspersed with the vibration pulses and can be applied in a non-uniform manner From the received ultrasonic echo signals, a harmonic signal is detected and a characteristic such as amplitude or phase of the detected harmonic signal is calculated using a Kalman filter or interpolation.
US08659973B2
In one embodiment, a method includes, in response to assertion of a write-enable signal at a memory array that comprises a plurality of words, sequentially and at a first clock frequency writing data to the memory array starting at a beginning of the memory array until the memory array is full. The method includes, independent of the writing of data to the memory array, asynchronously and at a second clock frequency that is slower than the first clock frequency reading data from the memory array based on read addresses received at the memory array.
US08659971B2
A word-line voltage regulating circuit and a single power supply memory are disclosed. The word-line voltage regulating circuit includes: a charge pump for raising an input voltage to a desired value and outputting the raised input voltage as an output voltage; a controller for inputting a refresh signal to the charge pump according to the output voltage of the charge pump; and a comparator for inputting a feedback signal to the charge pump according to a comparison result between the output voltage of the charge pump and a reference voltage. The charge pump works under control of the refresh signal when the memory is in an active mode, and works under control of the feedback signal when the memory is in a standby mode. The word-line voltage regulating circuit can effectively reduce the power consumption and can meet the requirement for proportional scale-down of integrated circuits.
US08659959B2
An advanced memory having improved performance, reduced power and increased reliability. A memory device includes a memory array, a receiver for receiving a command and associated data, error control coding circuitry for performing error control checking on the received command, and data masking circuitry for preventing the associated data from being written to the memory array in response to the error control coding circuitry detecting an error in the received command. Another memory device includes a programmable preamble. Another memory device includes a fast exit self-refresh mode. Another memory device includes auto refresh function that is controlled by the characteristic device. Another memory device includes an auto refresh function that is controlled by a characteristic of the memory device.
US08659954B1
Structures and methods for controlling operation of a programmable impedance element are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of controlling a programmable impedance element can include: (i) receiving a program or erase command to be executed on the programmable impedance element; (ii) selecting an operation algorithm for executing the command, where the operation algorithm is selected from among a plurality of operation algorithms by decoding at least two bits stored in a register; (iii) determining, using the register, a plurality of option variables for the selected operation algorithm, where the option variables are used to set conditions for one or more of a plurality of program and erase operations of the selected operation algorithm; and (iv) executing the command on the programmable impedance element by performing the one or more of the plurality of program and erase operations of the selected operation algorithm.
US08659950B1
A semiconductor memory device performing high speed reading with a miniaturized sensing circuit is provided. A pre-charge voltage from a virtual potential VPRE′ is provided to an odd bit line when an even bit line is selected, the pre-charge voltage is provided from a source voltage supply unit 230 to a shared odd source line SL_o, a ground potential is provided from the source voltage supply unit 230 to an even source line SL_e.
US08659949B1
A three-dimensional memory structure is provided, comprising plural stacked structures vertically formed on a substrate, each stacked structure comprising a bottom gate, wherein the bottom gates of the stacked structures are electrically connected; plural gates and gate insulators alternately stacked on the bottom gate; and two selection lines formed above the gates and spaced apart form each other and the selection lines being independently controlled, wherein the gate insulator fills between the selection lines, between the gate and the selection lines and forms on top of the selection lines for insulation. The 3D memory structure further comprises plural charge trapping multilayers formed outsides of the stacked structures and extending to the bottom gates; plural ultra-thin channels formed outsides of the charge trapping multilayers and lined between the adjacent stacked structures; and a dielectric layer formed between the ultra-thin channels and between the stacked structures.
US08659931B1
Structures and methods of operating a programmable impedance element are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of operating a programmable impedance element can include: (i) determining an operation to be performed on the programmable impedance element, where the programmable impedance element includes a solid electrolyte between an active electrode and an inert electrode; (ii) in response to the determined operation being a program operation, programming the programmable impedance element by completing formation of a conductive path from a partial conductive path between the active and inert electrodes; and (iii) in response to the determined operation being an erase operation, erasing the programmable impedance element by substantially dissolving the conductive path, and then by forming the partial conductive path.
US08659925B2
An active rectification system includes a three-level active rectifier and a pulse with modulation (PWM) control portion. The three-level active rectifier includes at least three switches, the at least three switches are selectively switchable between an upper state, a center state, and a lower state. The PWM control portion is in communication with the at least three switches, the PWM control portion is configured and disposed to create an upper carrier signal and a lower carrier signal, and the PWM control portion is configured and disposed to selectively switch the at least three switches between the upper state, the center state, and the lower state in response to a phase disposition of the upper carrier signal and the lower carrier signal.
US08659920B2
A switching device includes a flowing restriction element, a conductor and a snubber resistor. The flowing restriction element has an opening and closing function to open and close a flowing path of an electric current. The conductor is connected to the flowing restriction element. The snubber resistor is connected to the flowing restriction element and constitutes a snubber circuit. The snubber resistor is disposed along the conductor.
US08659915B2
A valley-detection device for quasi-resonance switching and a method using the same is disclosed, which uses first and second capacitors to connect with a comparator, and the comparator connects with an NMOSFET connecting to a transformer. When the NMOSFET is turned off, the energy stored in the transformer is discharged and a resonant signal across the source and the drain is generated, and a first constant current charges the first capacitor at a start time point of the resonant signal until a voltage of the resonant signal first reaches to a crossing voltage. Then, a second constant current charges the second capacitor when the voltage of the resonant signal equals to the crossing voltage while the voltage of the resonant signal varies from high to low. Finally, the comparator turns on the NMOSFET when a voltage of the second capacitor equals to a voltage of the first capacitor.
US08659899B2
A cooling system is used for cooling an electronic apparatus in an electronic device. The electronic device includes a top wall, a bottom wall, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall. The electronic apparatus is supported on a middle of the bottom plate. The cooling system includes an evaporator, a fan, a condenser, a heat sink attached to the condenser, and a refrigerant pipe connected between the condenser and the evaporator. The heat sink and the condenser are set on an inner surface of the first sidewall. The fan is set on the first sidewall and aligns with the heat sink. The condenser operates to cool refrigerant and transfers the cooled refrigerant to the evaporator. A first airflow cooled by and coming from the evaporator flows through the electronic apparatus and the condenser to cool the electronic apparatus and the condenser, and is then vented through the fan.
US08659893B2
A protection casing of an electronic device with a function of supporting includes a lower casing having an approximately rectangular shape; a periphery of the lower casing being formed with a frame for enclosing a tablet computer; a supporting sheet including at least one kind of foldable traces; the supporting sheet being foldable along the foldable traces so as to present a three dimensional structure; a combining band (201) formed at an upper side of the supporting sheet adhering the supporting sheet to the lower casing; and wherein after assembly the supporting sheet to the lower casing, the supporting sheet can be folded along the foldable traces to form as a seat for standing the lower casing; and an electronic device can be placed on the lower casing for supporting the casing thereon.
US08659889B2
Various embodiments of digital signage systems and docking stations are described. In one embodiment, a digital signage system includes an electronic device having a rear surface and an opposing front surface at which a display of the electronic device may be viewed. The system also includes a body for supporting the electronic device. A recessed region is formed in the body from a top surface of the body, and the electronic device is positioned within the recessed region such that the rear surface of the electronic device fits entirely within the recessed region and the front surface of the electronic device is substantially flush with a portion of a top surface of the body that surrounds the recessed region. An aperture may be formed at least partially through the recessed region for receiving a cable assembly operable to connect to the electronic device. An elongated cutout may also be formed, extending from the aperture to an edge or edge surface of the body, and sized so that an insulated wire of the cable assembly can extend from the aperture to the edge or edge surface of the body.
US08659874B2
An energy storage device includes a supercapacitor having first and second electrodes, each including a composite of a mat of conducting fibers bound by an electrolytic resin. A method of fabricating a super capacitor includes constructing a mat of conducting fibers, binding the mat with an electrolytic resin, and forming a laminate of the electrodes spaced by an insulating spacer.
US08659873B2
A first inner electrode is integrally provided with a first terminal connection part connected to a first terminal electrode and a first linking connection part connected to a first linking electrode. A second inner electrode is integrally provided with a second terminal connection part connected to a second terminal electrode and a second linking connection part connected to a second linking electrode. A third inner electrode is integrally provided with a third linking connection part connected to the first linking electrode. A fourth inner electrode is integrally provided with a fourth linking connection part connected to the second linking electrode. The third inner electrode is adjacent to the first and fourth inner electrodes in a laminating direction of the plurality of dielectric layers. The first and fourth inner electrodes overlap the third inner electrode as seen in the laminating direction of the plurality of dielectric layers.
US08659863B2
A circuit protection device and a protection method thereof are provided. The circuit protection device includes a pulse width modulation unit which detects in order for a plurality of current phase of a plurality of transistors. The pulse width modulation unit decides the current phase of the transistors override a first threshold value whether. Then, the pulse width modulation unit sends a control signal to close the transistor that the current phase exceeds the first threshold value, so as to avoid the transistor burn down.
US08659855B2
A magnetoresistive read sensor with improved sensitivity and stability is described. The sensor is a trilayer stack positioned between two electrodes. The trilayer stack has two free layers separated by a nonmagnetic layer and a biasing magnet positioned at the rear of the stack and separated from the air bearing surface. Current in the sensor is confined to regions close to the air bearing surface by an insulator layer to enhance reader sensitivity.
US08659853B2
An ultrahigh differential current perpendicular to the plane dual spin valve read head with high pinning stability. The high pinning stability may be achieved using the same anti-ferromagnetic materials for two spin valves by introducing a double synthetic anti-ferromagnetic structure in one of the two spin valves.
US08659841B2
A superwide-angle lens system includes a negative first lens group, an aperture diaphragm, and a positive second lens group. The first lens group includes two negative meniscus lens elements, and a positive lens element. The second lens group includes a cemented lens having negative and positive lens elements; and a positive lens element. The following conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied: −1.45
US08659839B2
Disclosed is an imaging lens by which astigmatism and field curvature are satisfactorily corrected by arranging on a first surface a concave surface having an appropriate radius of curvature. Condition (1) defines the radius of curvature of the concave surface arranged on the object-side surface of a bonded compound lens. By fulfilling condition (1), a lens can be obtained in which astigmatism and field curvature are satisfactorily corrected. Condition (1): −1.5
US08659830B2
Optical films used for 3D autostereoscopic displays include lenses on one surface of the optical film that are registered to prisms on the opposing surface of the optical film. The lenses may be a-cylindrical lenses or cylindrical, and the rotation of the lenses can vary with position on the surface of the optical film. The prisms may be contiguous or non-contiguous. The prisms of the optical film can have a pitch that is different from a pitch of the lenses, or the prism pitch can be substantially the same as the pitch of the lenses.
US08659816B2
This disclosure provides mechanical layers and methods of forming the same. In one aspect, a method of forming a pixel includes depositing a black mask on a substrate, depositing an optical stack over the black mask, and forming a mechanical layer over the optical stack. The black mask is disposed along at least a portion of a side of the pixel, and the mechanical layer defines a cavity between the mechanical layer and the optical stack. The mechanical layer includes a reflective layer, a dielectric layer, and a cap layer, and the dielectric layer is disposed between the reflective layer and the cap layer. The method further includes forming a notch in the dielectric layer of the mechanical layer along the side of the pixel so as to reduce the overlap of the dielectric layer with the black mask along the side of the pixel.
US08659815B2
The invention relates to an optical bank (1) comprising a carrier (10) for receiving optical components (60, 70) and a crystal (30) that is mechanically connected to the carrier, for changing the frequency of the light irradiated into the crystal (30) from a light source (50). Two rails (12) are arranged essentially in parallel on the carrier (10). The crystal (30) and the carrier (10) are mechanically connected by a surface of the rails (12), facing away from the carrier (10). A heat conducting element (20) is arranged on the crystal, said heat conducting element being applied to the surfaces of the rails (12), that face away from the carrier (10).
US08659812B2
Provided is a wavelength selective switch, which includes: an input/output unit; a dispersive portion; a deflection portion; and an ovalization relay optical system. In the input/output unit, input/output portions are two-dimensionally arranged. The dispersive portion is capable of dispersing signal light along a first plane. The deflection portion deflects the signal light. The ovalization relay optical system condenses the signal light beams on to a first conjugate point. The ovalization relay optical system makes a beam waist forming position along a first direction coincide with the first conjugate point. The ovalization relay optical system condenses signal light, in a second direction, onto a first condensing point. The ovalization relay optical system makes the first condensing point conjugate to the first conjugate point. The ovalization relay optical system ovalizes the beam shape of the signal light beams incident on the deflection element.
US08659788B2
A printer can print to paper with a narrow width while maintaining a print format with good legibility without changing the application program and printer driver installed on the host computer. The control method of a printer that prints based on print data 5 sent from a host computer 3 has a step S105 of extracting data attributes contained in the print data 5 and assigning the print data 5 to data segment areas for each data attribute; a step of setting the data segment areas to specific printing areas based on the data attribute; an actual print data generating step (steps S122, S107, S133, S134, S111) of converting the print data 5 assigned to the data segment areas to actual print data according to the data attributes; and a printing step S113 of printing the actual print data in the printing areas.
US08659779B2
Disclosed is a non-transitory computer readable recording medium that stores a print management program causing a computer to function as a job progress status display unit that divides job progress statuses of a print job into plural categories and displays plural of the categories so that each of the categories can be selected; and a job list display unit that selects and lists first print jobs in a first job progress status from a first table that stores job progress statuses of print jobs. The job list display unit selects first functions corresponding to the first job progress status of the listed first print jobs from a second table that stores functions corresponding to the divided job progress statuses, and displays icons. Here, each of the icons accepts execution of corresponding one of the selected first functions.
US08659773B2
Provided is an image sending apparatus capable of preventing an erroneous sending effectively using a preview display without causing a user to feel troublesome with unnecessary confirmation operation. An image forming apparatus (illustrated as a digital multi-functional peripheral) is provided with a setting storage portion (illustrated as a control memory) for storing setting information (illustrated as a table) related to a preview display by a display control portion (illustrated as a panel control portion) for each sending destination. The setting information includes forcible execution information showing whether or not a preview image is displayed forcibly by the display control portion. The display control portion performs a display control based on the stored setting information.
US08659770B2
An image forming device includes an image forming section, a connection section, a request receiving section, an illegality detection section, a notice section and a web page creation section. The image forming section performs image formation on a medium. The connection section communicates with an information processing device. The request receiving section receives a request from the information processing device through the connection section. The illegality detection section detects an illegal access to the request receiving section through the connection section. The notice section notifies, to the information processing device, a detection result by the illegality detection section through the connection section.
US08659762B2
An optical measuring element measures forces in at least one direction. The measuring element has a single-piece structure. There is an outside wall with notches introduced therein. Each notch defines parallel edges, and the notches define more or less elastically flexible zones in the structure and constitute the only connection between a first region and a second region of the structure. For optical distance measurements between the two regions of the structure, one or more optical fibers are each attached with one end thereof to a region of the structure such that reflective surfaces are located close to the ends. The reflective surfaces are firmly connected to another region. The optical fibers are disposed on the outside wall.
US08659742B2
An immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed that has a fluid handling system configured to provide immersion liquid between a final element of a projection system and a surface which includes, in cross-section, a feature, and has an adjustment fluid source configured to locally change the composition of the immersion liquid to cause a local decrease in surface tension of the immersion liquid at least when a meniscus of the immersion liquid contacts the feature.
US08659739B2
Provided are a liquid crystal lens which controls an optical path, and a display including the liquid crystal lens. The liquid crystal lens includes a first and a second electrode which face each other, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and has flat top and bottom surfaces, and a dielectric layer interposed between the second electrode and the liquid crystal layer, where the dielectric layer includes a first and a second dielectric sub-layer, the first dielectric sub-layer made of a material having a different dielectric constant from that of the second dielectric sub-layer, the first dielectric sub-layer includes one or more unit patterns, a surface of each of the unit patterns includes a plurality of flat sections, and a height of each of the unit patterns in a first flat section is different from the height thereof in a second flat section.
US08659729B2
A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate, a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer. The first pixel electrode is formed on the first substrate. The second pixel electrode overlaps with at least a part of the pixel electrode with the first insulating layer interposed therebetween. The second pixel electrode has a plurality of elongated openings and applies a voltage to the liquid crystal layer that is different from the voltage the first pixel electrode applies to the liquid crystal layer.
US08659724B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate, a second substrate located opposite the first substrate via a liquid crystal, a blue display element, a green display element, a red display element, a short-wavelength optical sensor, a red optical sensor, and an infrared optical sensor formed on a liquid crystal side surface of the first substrate, and a color filter formed between the first substrate and the second substrate and includes a blue filter, a green filter, a first red filter, a short-wavelength transmission filter, a second red filter, and an infrared transmission filter corresponding to the blue display element, the green display element, the red display element, the short-wavelength optical sensor, the red optical sensor, and the infrared optical sensor, respectively.
US08659711B2
A phase difference layer laminated body used in a three-dimensional liquid crystal display device, wherein unit cells are divided into groups for left and right eyes, which are given different degrees of polarization, thereby creating a three-dimensional image, further wherein the phase difference layer laminated body has a base material having orientability, and a phase difference layer made of a liquid crystal material that can form a nematic phase and formed in a pattern with two different portions, and the liquid crystal material in each of two different portions is oriented to have different refractive index anisotropy each other that conforms to the two different degrees of polarization and fixed as it is.
US08659709B2
An object of the present invention is to obtain a display device having excellent display quality by appropriately modifying the chromaticity of images. In this display device, a correction processing part (CPU 30) determines a first chromaticity change amount stored in memory (31) on the basis of a first cumulative usage amount, which is the cumulative usage amount of an LED (17) up to a present time, the cumulative value having been measured by a counter (32), and the correction processing part also determines a second chromaticity change amount stored in the memory (31) on the basis of a second cumulative usage amount, which is the cumulative usage amount of the LED (17) up to a time when the chromaticity of a pixel is adjusted by a chromaticity adjusting part (CPU 30), the cumulative value having been measured by the counter (32). Then, by subtracting the second chromaticity change amount from the first chromaticity change amount, the correction processing part obtains the value to which the chromaticity is to be modified, and modifies an image signal on the basis of the value to which the chromaticity is to be modified.
US08659694B2
An image sensor includes a two-dimensional array of pixels having multiple column outputs and an output circuit connected to each column output. Each output circuit is configured to operate concurrent sample and read operations. An analog front end (AFE) circuit processes pixel data output from the output circuits and an AFE clock controller transmits an AFE clocking signal to the AFE circuit to effect processing of the pixel data. A timing generator outputs a column address sequence that is received by a column decoder. During one or more sample operations the timing generator suspends the column address sequence and subsequently during the one or more sample operations the AFE clock controller suspends the AFE clocking signal. The AFE clocking signal and the column address sequence resume at the end of the one or more sample operations.
US08659681B2
A method and apparatus for controlling zoom of a digital photographing apparatus using a touch screen. According to the method, a view angle may be modified by inputting a zooming gesture to the touch screen and zooming operation may be conveniently performed on a reproduced image.
US08659680B2
An imaging apparatus, including, an imaging section to image a subject continuously, an image processing section to perform predetermined image processing to a plurality of pieces of image data imaged by the imaging section continuously, a designating section to designate a piece of image data as main image data among the plurality of pieces of image data, and a recording section to record the plurality of pieces of image data subjected to the image processing, and the main image data, as one file.
US08659665B2
An electronic system comprising an image pickup unit 1, a computer 2, and communication terminals for connecting the unit and the computer, such as infrared communication ports 6, 10, a card slot 8, and serial communication terminals 5,9 wherein the necessary image data is allowed to be produced from the unit 1 and transmitted to the computer through the communication terminals. The computer communicates with the image pick up unit by examining the port of each communication means in order to recognize whether a connected unit is the image pickup unit or a foreign unit and to determine and store the communication speed for each communication port. The image data and memory space information is then automatically transmitted to the computer and displayed on a device connected to said computer.
US08659657B2
A system, method, and program product is provided that configures video handlers pertaining to a dependent individual. Configuring includes setting alert thresholds. Visual locations are configured. Visual images that pertain to caregivers of the dependent individual are configured. Video streams are received from video sources. Video streams are compared to configured locations to classify the dependent individual's location. Video stream is analyzed to determine whether the dependent individual is alone or with others. If with others, a list of known persons is determined by comparing the video streams with the configured visual images. The configured video handlers are initiated based on the inputs of the location and the people present with the dependent individual. Video handlers trigger alerts when thresholds are reached. Alerts include performing actions to protect the dependent individual from harm.
US08659656B1
Methods, circuits, and systems for time encoder-based unmixing of hyperspectral imaging data are disclosed. A method of unmixing hyperspectral imaging data includes receiving mixed image data of one or more pixels. The mixed image data is generated by an imaging device that captures hyperspectral data. The mixed image data includes sensed spectral band intensities of materials in an area represented by a particular pixel. The mixed image data is converted from first analog domain signals into pulse domain signals. A solution to a mixing equation in the pulse domain is generated to identify abundances of one or more of the materials based on the sensed spectral band intensities. The sensed spectral band intensities are compared to reference spectral band intensities of a set of considered materials. The solution is converted from a pulse domain into an analog domain as second analog domain signals.
US08659651B2
A surgical microscope for observing an infrared fluorescence includes a camera system 25 having three chips, wherein infrared light emanating from an object is supplied to only one of the three camera chips via a dichroic beam splitter.
US08659650B2
The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for biometric and biographic data capture. The apparatus includes a main unit, a display monitor having a lower end that is pivotably attached to the main unit, a lower casing that houses the main unit, a bay formed in the lower casing for storing an input unit, an image capture device attached to an upper end of the monitor, the upper end being located on an opposite end of the display monitor compared to the lower end wherein the image capture device includes an illumination section for illuminating a subject to be imaged and an image capture section that captures an image of the subject, a secondary data input unit that is removably attached to the bay and is in communication with the main unit via a data transfer path, an upper casing securable to the lower casing so as to form an outer shell section, and a handle.
US08659648B2
In an endoscope apparatus, a first color separation section separates an image picked up by an image pickup section into a first luminance signal and a first color difference signal, then a first color conversion section and a second color separation section convert the first luminance signal and the first color difference signal to first three primary color signals and second three primary color signals respectively, a signal intensity ratio calculation circuit calculates a signal intensity ratio among the first three primary color signals, matrix coefficients of the second color separation section are changed based on the calculated signal intensity ratio and the second color separation section converts the first luminance signal and the second color difference signal to the second three primary color signals.
US08659640B2
The digital 3D/360° camera system is an omnidirectional stereoscopic device for capturing image data that may be used to create a 3-dimensional model for presenting a 3D image, a 3D movie, or 3D animation. The device uses multiple digital cameras, arranged with overlapping fields of view, to capture image data covering an entire 360° scene. The data collected by one, or several, digital 3D/360° camera systems can be used to create a 3D model of a 360° scene by using triangulation of the image data within the overlapping fields of view.
US08659639B2
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving data associated with a local endpoint that is configured to participate in a video conference. The local endpoint can be configured to detect a signal generated by a local end user device and to relay the signal to a local manager element. The method also includes transmitting the signal over a network to a remote manager element at a remote location. In more specific embodiments, the method includes receiving an additional signal from the remote manager element, and determining a selected local endpoint to receive the additional signal from the remote manager element.
US08659634B2
The disclosure discloses a method for implementing a three-party video call by mobile terminals, which comprises: starting a Bluetooth feature of an intelligent mobile terminal acting as a server and that of an intelligent mobile terminal acting as a client, respectively; after a server intelligent mobile terminal and a client intelligent mobile terminal are bound together in terms of Bluetooth, starting, by the server intelligent mobile terminal and the client intelligent mobile terminal, their respective real-time transmission threads and real-time reception threads, and performing, by the server intelligent mobile terminal, audio/video data processing, so as to implement the three-party video call with a third party intelligent mobile terminal. The disclosure further discloses a system for implementing a three-party video call by mobile terminals. Use of the method and system enables intelligent mobile terminals to implement a three-party video call function, thereby user experience is satisfied.
US08659632B2
A thermal printer includes a platen roller, a thermal head, a frame including the thermal head and a side plate, the side plate including a platen roller receiving part configured to detachably support a bearing of the platen roller. The platen roller receiving part includes an open mouth for inserting and pulling out the bearing of the platen roller in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the platen roller, and the open mouth includes a protrusion formed on a downstream side in a rotation direction of the platen roller.
US08659629B2
An image forming apparatus that includes an optical writing device for applying light corresponding to image data to form a first image of the image data includes: a temperature detecting unit that detects temperature at a plurality of positions in the optical writing device; and an adjustment processing unit that, when a temperature difference between the positions detected by the temperature detecting unit is out of a predetermined range, forms a second image for quality verification and performs a process for adjusting color registration of the first image by using the second image.
US08659624B2
Based on an observer's position and observing direction measured in the real world and positions of a virtual light source and virtual object in a virtual world, a brightness adjustment value of the virtual light source is adjusted in a way that, when light from the virtual light source is blocked by an observer, brightness of the virtual object observed by the observer is reduced as if the observer were observing in the real world. As a result, a mixed reality presentation system that achieves a sense of reality is provided.
US08659619B2
Display devices and methods for operating a display device are provided. A display device has a source of an original image and a display. A user input system is adapted to generate a non-directional signal in response to a user input action. A controller is provided and is adapted to detect the non-directional signal and to successively designate a different one of a set of portions of the original image in response to each non-directional signal. The controller is further adapted to cause the display to present a portion evaluation image showing the currently designated portion of the original image and to determine and area of importance in the original image based upon the currently designated portion. At least one of the portions of the set of portions of the original image is non-central with respect to the original image.
US08659614B2
An image display apparatus adapted to display an image based on an image signal input includes: a color adjustment circuit adapted to perform one of a modification process and a correction process individually on a hue signal, a lightness signal, and a saturation signal included in first HLS signals as an image signal, and output the processed signals as second HLS signals.
US08659602B2
In an image processing method for generating a pseudo three-dimensional image by a volume rendering method in which a pixel value of each pixel on a projection plane on which a three-dimensional image illuminated by an arbitrary light source is projected is determined using a brightness value at each examination point, which is a point on the three-dimensional image sampled along each of a plurality of visual lines connecting an arbitrary viewpoint and each pixel on the projection plane, an illuminance level at each examination point is calculated based on an opacity level at each calculation point, which is a point on the three-dimensional image sampled along each of a plurality of light rays connecting the light source and each examination point, and the brightness value at each examination point is determined based on the calculated illuminance level.
US08659598B1
A system includes a computing device that includes a memory configured to store instructions. The computing device also includes a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method that includes identifying one or more convex polygons being adjacent to a virtual object introduced into a virtual scene. The one or more convex polygons define a navigable area within the virtual scene. The method also includes redefining the one or more convex polygons adjacent to the virtual object to adjust the navigable area for the introduction of the virtual object. Redefining the one or more convex polygons uses Boolean operations and allows aligned perimeters of adjacent convex polygons to use unshared vertices.
US08659594B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for capturing a motion of a dynamic object, and restore appearance information of an object making a dynamic motion and motion information of main joints from multi-viewpoint video images of motion information of a dynamic object such as a human body, making a motion through a motion of a skeletal structure on the basis of the skeletal structure, acquired by using multiple cameras. According to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to restore motion information of the object making a dynamic motion by using only an image sensor for a visible light range and to reproduce a multi-viewpoint image by effectively storing the restored information. Further, it is possible to restore motion information of the dynamic object without attaching a specific marker.
US08659590B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for modifying signals of a three-dimensional graphics application program based on a tracking algorithm. In operation, a plurality of signals are received from a three-dimensional graphics application program. Additionally, the signals, or a derivative thereof, are modified based on an algorithm that tracks at least a portion of an upper body of a person. Furthermore, the modified signals are output.
US08659586B2
An LC barrier panel of a stereoscopic image display device has a substrate on which first barrier pixels and second barrier pixels are alternately arranged in a vertical direction and on which the first barrier pixels and third barrier pixels are alternately arranged in a horizontal direction. On a counter substrate, a counter electrode is formed to cover the entire surface of the display region. The third barrier pixels and the counter electrode are supplied with the same drive signal while an effective voltage is applied between the counter electrode and the first and second barrier pixels to perform vertical stripe display. Alternatively, the second barrier pixels and the counter electrode are supplied with the same drive signal while an effective voltage is applied between the counter electrode and the first and third barrier pixels to perform horizontal stripe display.
US08659579B2
A bending wave touch system includes at least one sensor and a touchscreen controller. The at least one sensor is coupled to a substrate and is responsive to vibrations in the substrate. The at least one sensor outputs signals. The controller receives the signals from the at least one sensor and identifies touch coordinates based on high frequency components of the signals when a touch on the substrate includes at least one of a tap, a drag and a lift-off. The controller identifies a status of a hold condition of the touch based on at least two different time averages of low frequency components of the signals.
US08659578B2
An optical sensing unit, a display module and a display device using the same, the optical sensing unit uses the surface of a flat display panel as a touch surface and includes an infrared sensor module provided at a corner of the flat display panel.
US08659570B2
A method for rejecting an unintentional palm touch is disclosed. In at least some embodiments, a touch is detected by a touch-sensitive surface associated with a display. Characteristics of the touch may be used to generate a set of parameters related to the touch. In an embodiment, firmware is used to determine a reliability value for the touch. The reliability value and the location of the touch is provided to a software module. The software module uses the reliability value and an activity context to determine a confidence level of the touch. In an embodiment, the confidence level may include an evaluation of changes in the reliability value over time. If the confidence level for the touch is too low, it may be rejected.
US08659556B2
This relates to an architecture of a receive channel circuit used during both a spectrum analysis phase and a touch panel detection phase. Various components of the receive channel can be used during both the spectrum analysis phase and the touch panel detection phase. For example, a plurality of digital signal mixers used in the receive channel circuit can be used to demodulate signals during both a spectrum analysis phase and a touch sensor panel detection phase. In addition, the number of digital mixers needed in the receive channel can be reduced by dividing groups of signals to be demodulated into multiple sets of signals and demodulating each set at different times.
US08659541B2
The present invention is related to a high efficiency electronic display device comprising a plurality of EPDs and a plurality of LEDs, [especially to a like electronic paper display equipment made by EPD and the adding cooperation for LED]. Therefore, the device is capable of display information by means of EPD in the daytime and LED light while not having enough light.
US08659537B2
Disclosed are a backlight unit and a display device. The backlight unit includes alight emitting module including a plurality of light emitting devices; a controller for controlling an operation of the light emitting module; a light guide plate disposed at one side of the light emitting module; and an optical member disposed on or under the light guide plate. The light emitting module includes a first light emitting device and a second light emitting device. Light linearity of the first light emitting device is superior to light linearity of the second light emitting device, and a light orientation angle of the first light emitting device is smaller than a light orientation angle of the second light emitting device. The controller selectively drives the first and second light emitting devices.
US08659535B2
A method and apparatus for adaptively controlling the backlight to reduce flicker in a display is provided. The apparatus includes a display, a backlight providing illumination for said display, a backlight control module for providing backlight control signals to said backlight, and an adaptive transition rate module. The module calculates an adaptive parameter based on a magnitude of change between backlight requirements for two frames, determining a smoothing function based on the adaptive parameter, and using said smoothing function to modify said backlight control signals. Techniques for adaptively controlling the illumination of the backlight according to the difference in the illumination levels of two different sets of image data are also disclosed.
US08659534B2
A backlight driving apparatus is disclosed which is capable of simplifying a circuit configuration for driving of a plurality of light emitting diode arrays and making the current balance of the light emitting diode arrays uniform. The backlight driving apparatus includes n light emitting diode arrays that include a plurality of light emitting diodes connected in series, a power source for generating a driving current, a current generator for generating currents to drive the light emitting diode arrays using the driving current, respectively, and a current mirror circuit for allowing substantially the same amount of currents to flow respectively through the light emitting diode arrays based on current from any one of the n light emitting diode arrays.
US08659524B2
A capacitance setting line is disposed at the top end of a pixel, a light emission setting line is disposed at the bottom end of the pixel, and a gate line is disposed at the center between both the lines. A selection transistor, a potential control transistor and a capacitor are disposed between the gate line and a capacitance setting line. A short-circuit transistor, a drive transistor and a drive control transistor are disposed between the gate line and the light emission setting line. With such an arrangement, the efficient arrangement of wiring contacts can be performed, and an aperture ratio can be increased.
US08659522B2
In a display apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1, by using a reference signal, a shift register and a logical operation circuit generate a driving signal in periods for correcting a threshold voltage based on a rectangular wave signal. Also by using the reference signal, a write signal in a mobility correcting period is generated by an inverter, a NAND circuit, a level conversion circuit, a buffer circuit, a driving power generating unit, and a low-pass filter including a resistor and a capacitor. The signals are separately generated and are selectively output. Thus, excessive or insufficient mobility correction based on emission brightness can be prevented.
US08659520B2
It is an object to provide a driving method of a display device capable of reducing pseudo contours while increase in the number of sub-frames is suppressed as much as possible. In a driving method of a display device where one frame is divided into a plurality of sub-frames to display a gray scale, the plurality of sub-frames has a plurality of middle-order sub-frames each of which has a middle-degree weighting and is used for an overlapping time gray scale method, at least one high-order sub-frame which has a larger weighting than that of the middle-order sub-frame and is used for a binary code time gray scale method, and at least one low-order sub-frame which has a smaller weighting than that of the middle-order sub-frame and is used for a binary code time gray scale method.
US08659510B2
A spatial light modulator includes an array of pixels, with each of the pixels having a dimension smaller than a wavelength of light to be modulated. Each of the pixels further has a permittivity that can be controlled using an electronic signal applied to the pixel.
US08659509B2
Method for controlling cartridge of welding helmet having display function of welding operation time
Disclosed is a method for controlling a cartridge of a welding helmet having a function to display a welding operation time, which can protect the welder's face from intense light generated during a welding or cutting operation and also, enable automated light transmittance adjustment and operation time setting on a per operation basis, enabling a welding operation to be more efficiently performed. In the method including welding operation, cutting operation, grinding operation and X-mode operation steps, which are automatically performed in sequence according to preset conditions and a light transmittance and operation time of a liquid crystal screen of the cartridge, a control unit calculates an operation time of the liquid crystal screen indicating how long the liquid crystal screen is kept dark, and the calculated operation time is stored in a memory unit so as to be displayed on a display unit in a life mode step.
US08659508B2
A projector which displays an image by projecting a projection image onto a projection surface, includes: a fixed pixel display device for displaying the projection image in a predetermined vertical period; and an image processing device for generating the projection image in the vertical period, wherein the image processing device includes: a resolution converter which, by converting a resolution of an input image in the vertical period, generates and transmits a display image having a desired resolution; a projection distortion corrector which receives the display image, and generates the projection image by correcting the display image in the vertical period in such a way as to correct a projection distortion occurring due to a projection angle with respect to the projection surface when projecting the projection image; and a display image input/output controller which controls the reception of the display image from the resolution converter and the transmission thereof to the projection distortion corrector, wherein in the vertical period, the display image input/output controller holds the display image while receiving it from the resolution converter, during a time period from a predetermined timing prior to a start time of a process of correcting the display image by means of the projection distortion corrector to a finish time of the correction process, while it reads the display image held in advance, and transmits it to the projection distortion corrector, during a time period from the start time to the finish time of the correction process.
US08659507B2
The invention concerns an electronic display system, intended to be coupled with ultrasound imaging equipment capable of capturing an image of a medium, said system comprising a first monitor to display an ultrasound image such as captured by the ultrasound imaging equipment and image processing means. According to the invention, the system further comprises a second touch-screen monitor, means to duplicate the ultrasound image, means to send this duplicate to the second monitor on which at least part therefore is displayed, means to display at least one graphical element which, by means of the tactility of the screen, is used to perform at least one processing operation on the ultrasound image, means for instant application of all processing operations performed using the second monitor to the duplicate ultrasound image displayed on the second monitor, and means for instant or deferred application to the ultrasound image displayed on the first monitor of all or part of the processing operations performed on the duplicate ultrasound image by means of the second monitor.
US08659506B2
An image transfer method for transferring image data to a plurality of projectors from an image supply unit, wherein the image supply unit generates a transmission destination information list showing a transmission destination of the image data and transmits the image data and the transmission destination information list to a transmission destination projector of the image data, the transmission destination projector determined based on the transmission destination information list, and the projector receives the image data and the transmission destination information list from the image supply unit or another projector and transfers the image data to the plurality of projectors by repeating the process for transmitting the image data to one projector which has not received the image data, the one projector determined based on the transmission destination information list.
US08659504B2
Provided is a display device for carrying out seamless display so that a sense of strangeness is not given to a viewer or the sense of strangeness is reduced. In at least one example embodiment, a display device that displays an image based on image signals DAT, includes: a display panel having (i) a display area in which a plurality of display elements for displaying the image are disposed in a matrix and (ii) a frame area which is located at an end of the display panel and in which no display element is provided; a backlight device which emits light, in a form of plane emission, towards a surface opposite to a display surface of the display area; and a light guide element which is provided on the display panel and which changes a light path of part of light emitted from the plurality of display elements so that the part of light is guided to the frame area, and luminance per unit area in a light-emitting surface of the backlight device is larger in a display area end portion where the light guide element is provided than in a normal display area where the light guide element is not provided out of the display area.
US08659499B1
An antenna array lattice design is disclosed, comprising a plurality of column and row members that interconnect using a tongue and groove feature to result in a stable lattice arrangement. Each row and column member comprises a plurality of slots configured to receive corresponding slots of opposing row or column members. The slots have surfaces that run approximately one half the length or width of the associated member. The slot surfaces have recesses machined therein, and the recesses are shaped to accept correspondingly shaped projections of the opposing row or column member. In one embodiment, the recesses are T-shaped, as are the associated projections. The slots acts as a guide for the row to column attachment during assembly, while the precise geometry of the groove design allows both tensile and compressive forces to be carried across the entire depth of the joint, thus maximizing the stiffness/weight ratio of the resulting array lattice structure.
US08659477B2
Provided are a distance measuring device and a distance measuring method which can easily distinguish a reflected signal from a desired tag from an unnecessary wave so as to improve the distance measuring accuracy even when IR-UWB is used for measuring a distance. The method uses a reader ID indicated by a code string formed by P bits (P is a natural number) for identifying a base station and a tag ID indicated by a code string formed by Q bits (Q is a natural number) for identifying a radio terminal. The method generates a unique word containing P pulses, each of which is ON/OFF-modulated depending on whether each of P bits indicating the reader ID is 1 or 0. The method generates a frame containing 2 M unique words and a burst containing Q frames. The method further outputs a transmission signal containing a plurality of bursts. A radio terminal Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK)—modulates the transmission signal depending on whether each of the Q bits indicating the tag ID is 1 or 0. The ASK-modulated signal is sampling-received at timings of different phases by 1/M (M is an integer not smaller than 1) of the transmission clock cycle.
US08659475B2
A method for detecting the distortion of a GNSS signal transmitted by at least one GNSS satellite and received by at least one GNSS receiver is disclosed, where the distortion is caused by a GNSS signal generation defect. Initially, at least one autoregressive parametric model of the GNSS signal is determined at the output of a correlation stage of the GNSS receiver. Next, at least one linear prediction error e(n) between the output signal of the correlation stage and the autoregressive parametric model is computed. The linear prediction error is compared to a detection threshold and the distortion of the transmitted GNSS signal is decided when the linear prediction error exceeds the detection threshold.
US08659468B2
A method of correcting the reflectivity measurements performed by a radar such as a weather radar, a reflectivity measurement being associated with a resolution volume includes analyzing the current resolution volume to determine whether the plane representing the 0° C. isotherm passes through it. When the plane representing the 0° C. isotherm passes through the current resolution volume, the volume is split into two parts lying on either side of said plane, the attenuation associated with the resolution volume is determined by taking into account the contribution of each of the parts to the measured reflectivity. The reflectivity associated with the current resolution volume is corrected using the attenuation thus determined. An onboard weather radar implements the method.
US08659463B2
Provided are a successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter and an operation method thereof. The method includes latching input signals which respectively correspond to bits of a first series of bits as digital data by directly transmitting the input signals to a latch; latching input signals which respectively correspond to bits of a second series of bits as digital data by transmitting the input signals to the latch after amplifying the input signals during a first period of amplification by using a preamplifier; and latching input signals which respectively correspond to bits of a third series of bits as digital data by transmitting the input signals to the latch after amplifying the input signals during a second period of amplification by using the preamplifier.
US08659460B2
A non-binary successive approximation analogue to digital converter, for converting using successive conversion steps, is operable in first and second modes. The first and second modes have different noise properties and the converter is switched between the modes during the conversion process.
US08659459B2
Provided are a capacitor digital-to-analog (DAC), an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) including the capacitor DAC, and a semiconductor device. The DAC includes at least one dummy capacitor configured to cause capacitors included in a capacitor array to have a capacitance that is an integer multiple of the capacitance of a unit capacitor.
US08659454B2
A time error estimating device for estimating a sampling time error of each of a plurality of sampling circuits when the sampling circuits generates a plurality of sampling output signals by performing sampling at timings shifted from one another has correlators each configured to obtain a correlation value representing a similarity between the sampling output signals, and a weight adder configured to estimate the sampling time error of the sampling circuits, based on a result obtained by adjusting a weight on the correlation value.
US08659451B2
A method to at least one of compress and decompress data includes providing a string (T) consisting of multiple given substrings. Identification symbols ($,$1,$2,$3) are assigned to the substrings of the string (T). The substrings of the string (T) are transferred by permutation into a permuted string (O(T),O*(T)). The permuted string (O(T),O*(T)) is sorted into a sorted permuted string (oSort(T), oSort*(T)) according to a given sorting criterion. The identification symbols ($,$1,$2,$3) are permuted and sorted together with the substrings of the sting (T) so that, in a partial inverse transformation step, characters of an Nth substring are sequentially determined within the permuted string (O(T),O*(T)) after determining a position (P) of an Nth identification symbol ($,$1,$2,$3) assigned to an Nth substring within the sorted permuted string (oSort(T),oSort*(T)) without reading characters of other substrings of the permuted string (O(T),O*(T)).
US08659448B2
Provided is a rotation detection device that detects a rotational direction and amount of a rotatable operation member. The detection device manages to reduce the rotation detection pitch while maintaining sufficient clearance for a rotation detection switch to operate. In other words, sufficient distance is given between rotation detection members such that the switch can accurately detect the movement from one member to the next. The rotatable operation member generally includes a plurality of switch driving sections that rotate in unison. A rotation detection switch generally includes a portion that moves in a first and second direction opposite to each other when coming into contact with the rotatable operation members, and is configured to output a detection signal at each movement. The switch and rotatable operation members are configured so that the movement direction of the detector is in a direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of rotation.
US08659445B2
Reinforcement devices and systems for holding a traffic control assembly in compression are provided. The traffic control assembly includes a traffic signal disconnect hanger and/or a traffic signal and a first span wire positioned above the traffic control assembly. In some embodiments, the reinforcement device includes an upper support device connected to the first span wire where the upper support device has a length that is greater than a width of the traffic control assembly and the upper support device is configured to spread the load of the traffic signal assembly to the first span wire. The reinforcement device includes a lower support device operably connected to the traffic signal, a first vertical support member, and a second vertical support member where the first and second vertical members are tensioned when the upper support device, the lower support device and the first and second vertical support members are connected together.
US08659444B2
An On Board Equipment (OBE) suitable for mounting on a vehicle comprises an OBE antenna connected to an OBE transmit/receive unit. The OBE antenna is arranged to receive a signal from a station via a first wireless communication link. The signal comprises at least one traffic information message from the station. The OBE is arranged to convert the traffic information message for transfer to an audio output through at least one speaker in an existing audio system of the vehicle wherein said transfer of the traffic information message to the existing audio system is arranged to be performed via a second wireless communication link. The traffic information message is arranged to be picked up by standard receiving means of the existing audio system and to be delivered as a voice message on said speakers through a prioritized channel of the existing audio system.
US08659436B2
An exemplary vehicle operator alertness monitoring system includes a heart rate monitor and a vehicle operator alert module. The vehicle operator alert module communicates with the heart rate monitor and determines whether a vehicle operator's heart rate is within an acceptable range. The vehicle operator alert module is configured to alert the vehicle operator when the vehicle operator's heart rate is outside of the acceptable range to assist the vehicle operator at maintaining alert control over the vehicle.
US08659430B2
A radio frequency signal acquistion and source location system, including a first signal acquisition and source location module comprising an RF transceiver coupled to an antenna, the antenna provided with a electronic steering circuit. The antenna operative to launch an interrogation signal, the interrogation signal steerable by an electronic steering circuit. A processor operatively coupled to the RF transceiver and the electronic steering circuit, the processor provided with a data storage for storing a signal data record for each of at least one response signal(s) received by the RF transceiver(s). The signal data record including a signal identification, a received signal strength indicator and an RF signal direction along which respective signal(s) are received by the antenna, the RF signal direction derived from the electronic steering circuit. A postion logic operative upon the data record(s) derives a three dimensional signal origin location of each response signal.
US08659429B1
An in-building location system for detecting the location of individuals or items within a building utilizes a scanner carried by an individual or an item and RFID tags to provide fiducial points for assisting in the location process, with the tags being scanned by the scanner and in which tag proximity to a scanner provides for accurate in-building location. Accurate location of the scanner relative to multiple tags may be ascertained utilizing triangulation.
US08659413B2
A fluid level monitoring system may include a control panel having a plurality of input devices, each corresponding to a monitored fluid of a machine, and a plurality of indicators, each corresponding to one of the input devices. The indicators may provide visual displays of fluid level statuses for the monitored fluids. The fluid level monitoring system may further include a message display device that may display a fluid level status message for one of the monitored fluids based on the actuation of the corresponding input device of the control panel.
US08659411B2
A method, a sensor, a detector and a system are provided for locating at least one wheel on a vehicle. A signal is received from a first sensor mounted on the wheel, the signal providing a position of the wheel. Additionally, a measurement value is received from a second sensor that measures the angular position of a wheel and that is associated with a specific position of the vehicle. When the phase position of the first signal stays within a predefined tolerance range relative to the measured value within a specific observation period, the first sensor can be associated with the second sensor.
US08659407B2
A sensor unit, in particular a sensor unit in or on a vehicle, for capacitively ascertaining the distance between the sensor device and an object, having an electrode for forming a capacitive system with the object and an apparatus for creating a signal proportional to the capacitance of the capacitive system. The sensor unit has a reference electrode for forming a capacitive reference system with the object, an additional apparatus for creating a reference signal proportional to the capacitance of the capacitive reference system, and an analyzer device for ascertaining the distance by forming a ratio of the signal and the reference signal, the reference electrodes having an electrode shape, which is different from the electrode shape of the electrode.
US08659398B2
A system and method are disclosed for enrolling wireless security system devices (alarms, detectors, lights) in a security system. A controller is provided and is capable of exchanging wireless signals with the devices. The system has an enroll mode where the wireless devices transmit enroll signals to the controller. The enroll signals contain an identifier associated with each device. An installer uses a keypad or other interface device to review each of the devices that have sent a signal, and to accept them for enrollment or ignore them. After review, the controller sends a signal to the devices instructing them to cease transmitting enroll signals to the controller. If the power of an enrolled device is cycled (battery replacement), another enroll command is sent to the controller. The controller determines whether the device was already enrolled, and if it has the controller sends a signal to the device to stop sending the enroll command.
US08659395B2
The invention provides a container (10) comprising a, a receiving compartment (18) for receiving articles (12) each provided with an RFID transponder (14), a shielding (16) for shielding of the receiving compartment (18), and an RFID antenna device (20) located in the receiving compartment (18) for communication with the transponders (14). Reliable identification of articles (12) located in the container (10) can thus be simplified considerably.
US08659392B2
A system and method for determining the location of wireless sensors are disclosed. The system may generally include a plurality of wireless sensor nodes communicatively coupled to a plurality of sensing devices. Additionally, the system may include a paging device configured to wirelessly transmit a page command to at least one of the wireless sensor nodes. Further, the at least one wireless sensor node may be configured to produce a position indicator upon receipt of the page command.
US08659384B2
A chip fuse includes a plurality of parallel fusible link layers disposed between a corresponding plurality of insulating glass layers deposited on a substrate and laminated together. The fusible link layers are interconnected between the glass layers without the need for vias. A first of the plurality of fusible link layers extends beyond a cover disposed over the chip fuse and one of the glass layers to form a first electrical terminal connection. Another of the plurality of the fusible link layers also extends beyond the cover and another of the glass layers to form a second electrical terminal connection.
US08659377B1
Provided is a magnetic device using permanent magnets according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In more detail, the present invention relates to a magnetic device using permanent magnets that can form a high magnetic field using a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet to perform various kinds of magnetic field application experiments, in particular, can be used for a single crystal growth, generation of polarized neutrons, and the like, and easily manufactured with a simple configuration and secure sufficient durability.
US08659375B2
A reed switch includes an envelope. First and second fixed terminal pieces are at one end of the envelope. A third fixed terminal piece is at another end of the envelope. A movable reed piece has a base end portion facing the one end portion of the third fixed terminal piece across a magnetic gap, a distal end portion to contact the first fixed terminal piece, and a movable contact portion. A first spring member has a base end portion secured to the first fixed terminal piece and a distal end portion to contact the movable contact portion. A second spring member has a base end portion secured to the second fixed terminal piece and a distal end portion to contact the movable contact portion. A third spring member has one and another end portions respectively secured to the movable reed piece and the third fixed terminal piece.
US08659374B2
A solenoid arrangement includes a plunger configured to move in an axial direction and a coil wound radially outward from the plunger. The coil includes a first winding layer and at least one additional winding layer positioned radially outward from the first winding layer. The first winding layer includes a first portion wound in a first winding direction and a second portion wound in a second winding direction that is opposite the first winding direction. The at least one additional winding layer is wound in the second winding direction radially outward from both the first portion and the second portion of the first winding layer.
US08659372B2
An electromagnetic relay includes an electromagnet that generates a magnetic field when electric current is supplied thereto, an actuator that is actuated in response to the generated magnetic field, a contact that opens and closes in response to the actuation of the actuator, the contact including a first contact and a second contact that contacts with the first contact when the contact closes, and a housing including a first housing that includes walls defining a recess that accommodates the electromagnet, the actuator and the contact therein, and a second housing that is fixed to the first housing and covers the recess of the first housing. The electromagnetic relay also includes a permanent magnet provided on an outer surface of the housing at a position corresponding to a position of the contact.
US08659369B2
Methods and systems for filters embedded in an integrated circuit package are disclosed and may include controlling filtering of signals within an integrated circuit via one or more filter components embedded within a multi-layer package bonded to the integrated circuit. The one or more filter components may be electrically coupled to one or more switchable capacitors within the integrated circuit. The filter components may include transmission line devices, microstrip filters, transformers, surface mount devices, inductors, and/or coplanar waveguide filters. The filter components may be fabricated utilizing metal conductive layers and/or ferromagnetic layers deposited on and/or embedded within the multi-layer package. The integrated circuit may be electrically coupled to the multi-layer package utilizing a flip-chip bonding technique.
US08659367B2
Aspects of a method and system for generating quadrature signals utilizing an on-chip transformer are provided. In this regard, a pair of phase-quadrature signals may be generated from a single-phase signal via a transformer, one or more variable capacitors, and one or more variable resistors integrated on-chip. The transformer may comprise a plurality of loops fabricated in a plurality of metal layers in the chip. Each of the one or more variable capacitors may comprise a configurable capacitor bank and each of the one or more variable resistors may comprise a configurable resistor bank. The one or more capacitor banks may be programmatically configured on-chip, based on a frequency of the single-phase signal. The one or more resistor banks may be programmatically configured on-chip, based on a frequency of said single-phase signal.
US08659366B2
Methods and systems for MEMS switches fabricated in an integrated circuit package are disclosed and may include controlling switching of RF components, and signals handled by the RF components, within an integrated circuit. One or more MEMS switch arrays embedded within a multi-layer package bonded to the integrated circuit may be utilized for the switching and signal control. The RF components and one or more MEMS switch arrays may be integrated in the multi-layer package. The RF components may be electrically coupled to the integrated circuit via the one or more MEMS switch arrays. The MEMS switch arrays may be electrostatically or magnetically activated. The RF components may be coupled to one or more capacitor arrays in the integrated circuit. The RF components may include transformers, inductors, transmission lines, microstrip and/or coplanar waveguide filters and/or surface mount devices. The integrated circuit may be coupled to the multiple-layer package utilizing a flip-chip bonding technique.
US08659365B2
A common mode noise suppression circuit applicable to differential signal transmission performs common mode noise suppression with respect to differential signals transmitted by a transmission line. An inductance-capacitance resonant structure is formed based on electromagnetic coupling combining a ground structure to suppress common mode noise of differential mode signals at broadband meanwhile keeping low loss of the differential mode signals at broadband via differential transmission lines. By this, the common mode noise suppression circuit performs broadband suppression with related to the common mode noise within a frequency scope of several GHz without affecting the differential mode signals and improves manufacturing process miniaturization to decrease cost.
US08659359B2
A radio frequency (RF) power transistor circuit includes a power transistor and a decoupling circuit. The power transistor has a control electrode coupled to an input terminal for receiving an RF input signal, a first current electrode for providing an RF output signal at an output terminal, and a second current electrode coupled to a power supply voltage terminal. The decoupling circuit includes a first inductive element, a first resistor, and a first capacitor coupled together in series between the control electrode of the first power transistor and the power supply voltage terminal. The first decoupling circuit is for dampening a resonance at a frequency lower than an RF frequency.
US08659358B2
An amplifier includes a detector configured to detect a given value used for monitoring a change in a gain of an amplifying element amplifying a signal in response to a gate voltage applied to a gate terminal, and a controller configured to judge, based on the detected given value, whether or not the gate voltage is to be increased, and to determine the increased gate voltage in response to the given value when the controller judges that the gate voltage is to be increased.
US08659345B2
A switch level circuit (110) with dead time self-adapting control, which minimizes the switching loss in a switching power supply converter with synchronous rectification by changing a dead time between a high-side control transistor (10) and a low-side synchronous rectifying transistor (11). The switch level circuit (110) includes the high-side control transistor (10) and the low-side synchronous rectifying transistor (11) which are controlled to be on and off by external control signals, and a waveform with a given duty cycle is outputted at a node (LX) between the two transistors. The switch level circuit (110) also includes a control module for adjusting the dead time. The control module comprises a sampling circuit (16) for detecting the current dead time at the node (LX), an adjusting circuit (17) for buffering and converting the sampling voltage sampled by the sampling circuit (16), and a controlled delay unit (15) equipped with an external control input terminal, wherein the controlled delay unit (15) delays an external control signal and outputs the delayed signal to a controlled terminal of the low-side synchronous rectifying transistor (11) as a control signal. The switch level circuit (110) has simple structure, better performance and wide application range.
US08659338B2
A resonant clock distribution network architecture is proposed that uses clock drivers of programmable size and reference clocks of programmable duty cycle to achieve a target clock rise time and clock amplitude with low energy consumption when operating in any one of multiple clock frequencies in resonant or non-resonant mode. Such a network is generally applicable to semiconductor devices with various clock frequencies, and high-performance and low-power clocking requirements such as microprocessors, ASICs, and SOCs.
US08659336B2
Signal synchronizers synchronize input signals with a clock signal. The input of each synchronizer is connected to a first input and the output of each synchronizer is connected to a second input of a respective first gate arrangement. The first gate arrangements provide an output signal only if there is an input signal on the first input and none on the second input or vice versa. The outputs of each of the first gate arrangements is connected to respective inputs of a second gate arrangement, which provides an output signal if there is a signal on any of its inputs. The output of the second gate arrangement is connected to a third gate arrangement which operates such that the clock signal to the synchronizers is only enabled when there is a change to the state of a signal received at the input of at least one of the synchronizers.
US08659333B2
A voltage generation circuit of a semiconductor memory apparatus includes a plurality of pumping units configured to provide voltages to an output node; a sensing unit configured to sense a voltage level of the output node and generate a pumping enable signal; an oscillator configured to generate an oscillator signal in response to the pumping enable signal; and a control unit configured to selectively output the oscillator signal to the plurality of pumping units in response to an active signal, a power-up signal and a mode register set signal.
US08659319B2
Disclosed herein are circuitry and methods for transmitting data across a parallel bus using both high common mode and low common mode signaling. The transmitter stages are configured to work with two of three possible power supply voltages: a high Vddq voltage, a low Vssq voltage, and an intermediate Vx voltage. In one embodiment, the odd numbered transmitter stages, that drive the odd numbered outputs to the bus, use the Vddq and Vx supplies, such that the odd numbered outputs comprise high common mode signals. The even numbered transmitter stages, that drive the even numbered outputs to the bus, use the Vx and Vssq supplies, such that the even numbered outputs comprise low common mode signals.
US08659304B2
A high frequency characteristic measuring device for measuring high frequency characteristics of a high frequency device to be measured by contacting probe needles with the high frequency device to be measured, before mounting of the high frequency device to be measured. The high frequency characteristic measuring device includes an input matching circuit substrate with an input matching circuit thereon, a first coaxial connector electrically connected to the input matching circuit substrate, and first probe needles electrically connected to the input matching circuit substrate. The high frequency characteristic measuring device further includes an output matching circuit substrate with an output matching circuit thereon, a second coaxial connector electrically connected to the output matching circuit substrate, and second probe needles electrically connected to the output matching circuit substrate.
US08659293B2
This application is related to a system and methods for sampling fluids and gases using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology. Specifically the system is related to an improved metallic pipe design for use at oil and gas well heads that includes integral coils for transmitting an NMR pulse sequence and detecting NMR signals and can be used as a component of an NMR instrument. The methods are related to obtaining and analyzing NMR spectra in stationary and flowing states.
US08659286B2
A system for accurate measurement and monitoring of AC or DC electrical current flowing through electrical conductors includes one or more current sensors, a receiver, and one or more calibration signal generators (“CSG's”) that can be plugged into outlets or otherwise coupled to the conductors so as to add automated, time-varying calibration signals to the conductors, such as current pulses or pulse patterns. The sensors are placed on a circuit breaker panel, around a cable, or otherwise near the conductors. The receiver distinguishes the calibration signals by their timing, pulse patterns, frequencies, or other time-varying features, uses their known amplitudes to calibrate the sensitivity of each sensor to each conductor, and determines the current flowing in each conductor. Among other applications, the invention can monitor building current usage, CO and data center power usage and distribution, and power line current leakage, and can calibrate invasive and/or non-invasive current sensors.
US08659283B2
A converter circuit to be connected to an electrical energy source capable of showing major fluctuations in delivered power includes a chopper circuit with a variable duty cycle and connectable to the electrical energy source, an output circuit adapted for connection to the chopper circuit, a control loop for tracking an MPP of the energy source connected to an output of the energy source, and a control unit configured to command, at predefined intervals, changes in the chopper circuit's duty cycle as a function of the control loop's set-value signal. The control loop includes means for analog storage of pieces of information corresponding to output voltages from the energy source for at least three successive duty cycles, and an analog comparison unit delivering an output, as a function of the stored pieces of information, and a set-value signal for increasing or reducing of the duty cycle by the control unit.
US08659267B2
A battery pack includes a first battery stack having a plurality of battery cells connected in series, a second battery stack having a plurality of battery cells connected in series and connected in parallel to the first battery stack, a controller for sensing voltages of the plurality of battery cells of the first battery stack and the plurality of battery cells of the second battery stack and for outputting a fuse blowing signal when at least one of the sensed voltages is lower than a first reference voltage, and a fuse blowing unit for electrically decoupling the first and second battery stacks from an output terminal of the battery pack in response to the fuse blowing signal from the controller. A fuse blowing signal is also sent to the fuse blowing unit when the at least one of the sensed voltages is higher than a second reference voltage.
US08659266B2
A method includes steps of dividing resistance R into a physical and chemical resistances Ro and Rp, obtaining corrected open-circuit voltages Vo corresponding to setting currents Ia to Ix, acquiring predicted reaching voltages Va to Vx corresponding to the setting currents Ia to Ix, and creating a current-voltage curve. The corrected open-circuit voltages Vo are obtained to predict available maximum currents I—target in a particular time t2. The predicted reaching voltages Va to Vx are acquired based on corrected physical and chemical resistances Ro and Rp, and the corrected open-circuit voltages Vo. The current-voltage curve is creased based on the setting currents Ia to Ix and the predicted reaching voltages Va to Vx to acquire upper and lower limit voltages Vmax and Vmin, and upper and lower limit currents Imax and Imin at a temperature whereby assigning these limit currents to available maximum currents I—target in charging and discharging operations, respectively.
US08659265B2
A battery pack and a method of sensing a voltage of the battery pack are disclosed. The battery pack has more battery cells than an individual cell voltage sensing unit can sense the voltages of. The additional battery cells are sensed using a multi-cell voltage sensing unit and digital processing.
US08659259B2
A motor driving apparatus for constant-current control of a current of a coil of a motor includes a detector detecting the current, and a controller for controlling every first cycle to feed the coil until the current reaches a target value, and to decay the current after the current reaches the target value. The controller selects, every second cycle shorter than the first cycle, between decaying the current in a first mode and decaying the current in a second mode, in which a decay rate is lower than the first mode. In addition, the controller decays the current in the first mode when the current is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold, and decays the current in the second mode when the current is lower than the predetermined threshold.
US08659255B2
A robot confinement system includes a portable housing and a mobile robot. The portable housing includes a first detector operable to detect a presence of the mobile robot in a field of detection, and an emitter operable to emit a first signal when the first detector detects the presence of the mobile robot in the field of detection. The mobile robot is operable to move on a surface to clean the surface and includes a controller operable to control a movement path of the mobile robot on the surface. The mobile robot further includes a second detector operable to detect the first signal emitted by the portable housing. The controller of the mobile robot is operable to change the movement path of the mobile robot in response to detection of the first signal.
US08659239B2
The present invention discloses a circuit and a method for providing absolute information for floating grounded integrated circuit. The method includes: receiving an absolute information sense signal carrying absolute information; converting the absolute information sense signal to a current signal; and generating an internal reference signal according to the current signal, wherein the internal reference signal or a relationship between the internal reference signal and a floating ground level is related to the absolute information.
US08659236B2
A circuit arrangement for driving an electrical load comprises a connection node (LED) for connecting the electrical load and a control device (Ctrl) that is coupled to the connection node (LED) to drive the electrical load. A detection circuit (Det) is coupled to the connection node (LED) for detecting a trigger signal (trig) at the connection node (LED) and coupled to the control device (Ctrl) via a measurement channel (Mes).
US08659234B2
An electronic candle includes a power source, and two circuit assemblies electrically coupled to the power source in parallel and respectively including a waveform generator, a drive circuit and a first light-emitting diode being electrically connected in series. By means of controlling the two waveform generators to respectively generate a triangle wave, square wave, T wave or sawtooth wave, synchronously or asynchronously, the electronic candle simulates the flashing candlelight of a real wax candle.
US08659232B2
In various embodiments, a startup circuit for a low-voltage-lighting electronic transformer includes a low-impedance output circuit. At the beginning of an AC signal cycle, the low-impedance output circuit presents a low-impedance path to the output of the transformer, thereby causing a surge of current in the transformer and initiating oscillation therein.
US08659229B2
A plasma processing apparatus and method are disclosed which create a uniform plasma within an enclosure. In one embodiment, a conductive or ferrite material is used to influence a section of the antenna, where a section is made up of portions of multiple coiled segments. In another embodiment, a ferrite material is used to influence a portion of the antenna. In another embodiment, plasma uniformity is improved by modifying the internal shape and volume of the enclosure.
US08659226B2
A high-pressure discharge lamp with an ignition aid has a discharge vessel which is mounted in an outer bulb, the discharge vessel comprising two ends having seals in which electrodes are secured, and a frame having a clip wire retaining the discharge vessel in the outer bulb. The clip wire comprises a plate-like part acting as an ignition aid and facing the seal of the opposite pole electrode.
US08659225B2
A high intensity discharge lamp includes an electrically insulating arc tube including a central portion with an interior discharge region and two legs each extending from an end of the central portion. The central portion is a larger size than the legs. Electrical conductors extend through each of the legs and are spaced apart from each other in the discharge region. A light transmitting envelope encloses the arc tube. A frame member is electrically attached to one of the conductors. An ignition aid includes an electrically conductive foil disposed around one of the legs and in electrical contact with the frame member. An electrically conductive crown disposed in electrical contact with the foil is located on or near the central portion.
US08659221B2
A light extraction film having multi-periodic zones of engineered nanostructures. The light extraction film includes a flexible substrate, a layer of low index engineered nanostructures applied to the substrate, and a high index backfill layer applied over the nanostructures. The multi-periodic zones include a repeating zone of the nanostructures having multi-periodic characteristics. The repeating zone includes first and second sets of nanostructures having different periodic pitches. The multi-periodic zones can be used to enhance the light output and tune the angular luminosity of organic light emitting diode devices.
US08659219B2
A display panel includes a periphery area, an active display area adjacent to the periphery area and having two opposite sides connecting with the periphery area, a driving chip disposed at the periphery area for driving electrical elements in the active display area, and a plurality of wires electrically connecting the driving chip and the electrical elements in the active display area. The distance from a first part of the wires to the center of the driving chip is farther than the distance from a second part of the wires to the center of the driving chip, and the width of the first part of the wires on a reference line perpendicular to the opposite sides of the active display area is greater than the width of the second part of the wires on the reference line.
US08659217B2
This invention includes field emitters, in particular, electron field emitters with metal oxide nanoscale, aligned and sharped-tip emitter structures, the metal oxide emitter structures being a plurality of carbon nanostructures supported by and projecting from a substrate and including a metal oxide coating overlying the surfaces of the plurality of carbon nanostructures.
US08659215B2
According to one embodiment, a motor has a cylindrical stator core and rotor. A first framework is fixed to a side of the stator core in an axial direction, and a first bearing housing is fixed to the outside of the first framework. A second framework is fixed to the other side of the stator core. A second bearing housing is fixed to the outside of the second framework. The rotor has a rotational shaft, supported by the bearings, extending into the frameworks. A rotor core is attached to the shaft. Support bases are fixed to the rotor, and are interposed by the rotor core. A locking member coupled to the first framework is configured to contact the first support base. A locking member coupled to the second framework is configured to contact the second support base. The rotor is fixed by the locking members contact with the support bases.
US08659207B2
An electronic device and an adjustment method thereof are provided. Generate an adjustment voltage according to a preset capacitance and a capacitance detected by a capacitive sensor coupled to both sides of a piezoelectric element, and generate a driving voltage to drive the piezoelectric element according to the adjustment voltage, so as to avoid depolarization of the piezoelectric element affecting the vibration strength of the vibration device.
US08659197B2
An electric machine including a stator having a body provided with at least one alignment member, and a resolver positioned relative to the stator. The resolver includes at least one alignment element. An alignment adaptor is configured to receive each of the stator and the resolver. The alignment adaptor includes an alignment system that positions the alignment member and the alignment element to establish a desired alignment between the stator and the resolver.
US08659195B2
There is provided a compressor provided with a motor rotor capable of suppressing a decrease in oil separation efficiency and avoiding a decrease in motor efficiency. A motor rotor (10) includes a substantially cylindrical rotor laminated steel plate including a permanent magnet therein. The rotor laminated steel plate includes a plurality of refrigerant gas holes (18) passing therethrough in the axial direction and a plurality of rivet holes (20) arranged in the circumferential direction and passing therethrough in the axial direction. At least one of the rivet holes (20) is used as a positioning hole (20b) to insert a positioning pin for positioning in the rotation direction at the time of rotor magnetization.
US08659189B2
A distributed control system is provided having a plurality of control modules operative to control one or more output devices. A control module includes a first enclosure that houses a plurality of control terminals and a second enclosure that houses a controller for controlling an output device. A maximum voltage of the first enclosure is less than a threshold voltage level, and a maximum voltage of the second enclosure is greater than the threshold voltage level. A safety circuit of the control system includes a plurality of circuit segments connected in a series configuration to the control modules.
US08659187B2
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system that includes a multiphase AC output configured to be coupled to a load, an inverter having an output coupled to the AC output and a control circuit operatively associated with the inverter and configured to cause the inverter to compensate for a phase imbalance of a load coupled to the AC output while power is being delivered to the load from an AC power source independently of the inverter.
US08659185B2
A method and apparatus for an electrical bus leveling unit are provided. The electrical bus leveling unit includes a first power supply configured to generate electrical energy having a first set of electrical parameters and a power converter electrically coupled to said power supply. The power converter is configured to be coupled to an electrical bus couplable to a second power supply. The electrical bus leveling unit also includes a controller including a processor that is communicatively coupled to the power supply and the power converter The controller is configured to receive information relating to the operation of the electrical bus from a plurality of sensors, control an output of at least one of the power supply and the power converter to transfer electrical energy to the electrical bus when the second set of electrical parameters on the electrical bus is outside a predetermined range.
US08659183B2
Methods for controlling irrigation devices coupled to and receiving operational power from a multi-wire interface of an irrigation system, and related irrigation devices, are provided. In some forms, the methods define initialization of the irrigation devices having received operational power, including the timing of charging, discharging and recharging of the irrigation devices in order to provide a time staggered recharging of the energy reserves of the irrigation devices. In some forms, the methods involve the use of different delay periods at different irrigation devices coupled to irrigation valves to place multiple irrigation valves into a known position. In some embodiments, these methods spread out the usage of charging energy drawn from the multi-wire interface by the irrigation devices coupled thereto to reduce inrush currents.
US08659182B2
Converters are configured to operate in a normal operation to convert the electric power that is input/output to/from secondary batteries bidirectionally to direct current voltage. In a predetermined mode allowing the secondary batteries to be charged, at least one of the converters does not perform a switching operation and holds on an upper arm element to avoid a switching loss in charging the secondary batteries. An electric power loss caused at the converters in charging the secondary batteries can be reduced, and charging efficiency can be enhanced.
US08659173B1
An integrated circuit (IC) including a set of isolated wire structures disposed within a layer of the IC, methods of manufacturing the same and design structures are disclosed. The method includes forming adjacent wiring structures on a same level, with a space therebetween. The method further includes forming a capping layer over the adjacent wiring structures on the same level, including on a surface of a material between the adjacent wiring structures. The method further includes forming a photosensitive material over the capping layer. The method further includes forming an opening in the photosensitive material between the adjacent wiring structures to expose the capping layer. The method further includes removing the exposed capping layer.
US08659167B1
A method (80) entails providing (82) a structure (117), providing (100) a controller element (102, 24), and bonding (116) the controller element to an outer surface (52, 64) of the structure. The structure includes a sensor wafer (92) and a cap wafer (94). Inner surfaces (34, 36) of the wafers (92, 94) are coupled together, with sensors (30) interposed between the wafers. One wafer (94, 92) includes a substrate portion (40, 76) with bond pads (42) formed on its inner surface (34, 36). The other wafer (94, 92) conceals the substrate portion (40, 76). After bonding, methodology (80) entails forming (120) conductive elements (60) on the element (102, 24), removing (126) material sections (96, 98, 107) from the wafers to expose the bond pads, forming (130) electrical interconnects (56), applying (134) packaging material (64), and singulating (138) to produce sensor packages (20, 70).
US08659158B2
An aqueous composition for forming a micro-fluid jet printable dielectric film layer, methods for forming dielectric film layers, and dielectric film layers formed by the method. The aqueous composition includes from about 5 to about 20 percent by weight of a polymeric binder emulsion, from about 10 to about 30 percent by weight of a humectant, from about 0 to about 3 percent by weight of a surfactant, and an aqueous carrier fluid. The aqueous composition has a viscosity ranging from about 2 to about 6 centipoise at a temperature of about 23° C.
US08659156B2
An electromigration and stress migration enhancement liner is provided for use in an interconnect structure. The liner includes a metal that has a thickness at a bottom of the at least one via opening and on an exposed portion of an underlying conductive feature that is greater than a remaining thickness that is located on exposed sidewalls of the interconnect dielectric material. The thinner portion of the electromigration and stress migration enhancement liner is located between the interconnect dielectric material and an overlying diffusion barrier. The thicker portion of the electromigration and stress migration enhancement liner is located between the underlying conductive feature and the diffusion barrier as well as between an adjacent dielectric capping layer and the diffusion barrier. The remainder of the at least one via opening is filled with an adhesion layer and a conductive material.
US08659152B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface, a through silicon via (TSV) that is formed so that at least a part thereof penetrates through the semiconductor substrate, and an insulation ring. The insulation ring is formed so as to penetrate through the semiconductor substrate and so as to surround the TSV. The insulation ring includes a tapered portion and a vertical portion. The tapered portion has a sectional area which is gradually decreased from the first surface toward a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate. The vertical portion has a constant sectional area smaller than the tapered portion.
US08659138B2
A semiconductor package includes a substrate, a semiconductor chip disposed on the substrate, and a connection wiring connected electrically to the semiconductor chip. The semiconductor package further includes a sidewall formed of an insulator, an inner electrode formed on a first surface of the sidewall that faces the substrate, and a sidewall external electrode formed on a second surface of the sidewall different from the first surface. The inner electrode and the sidewall external electrode are connected electrically, and the inner electrode is connected to the connection wiring. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the semiconductor package from being large due to an increase in the number of sidewall external electrodes formed on the side surfaces of the semiconductor package, and to shorten a connection distance between the semiconductor packages by connecting the sidewall external electrodes.
US08659127B2
A semiconductor device includes a wiring substrate, and a semiconductor chip, wherein the wiring substrate includes a glass plate having an opening portion penetrating through a first surface of the glass plate to a second surface of the glass plate, a resin portion penetrating through the first surface to the second surface, and a through wiring penetrating through the resin portion from the first surface to the second surface to electrically connect a first wiring layer formed on a side of the first surface with a third wiring layer formed on a side of the second surface, wherein the semiconductor chip is accommodated inside the opening portion.
US08659123B2
A die includes a substrate, a metal pad over the substrate, and a passivation layer that has a portion over the metal pad. A dummy pattern is disposed adjacent to the metal pad. The dummy pattern is level with, and is formed of a same material as, the metal pad. The dummy pattern forms at least a partial ring surrounding at least a third of the metal pad.
US08659119B2
An electronic module including a substrate having at least one structure that reduces stress flow through the substrate, wherein the structure comprises at least one trench in a surface of the substrate.
US08659110B2
A single-junction photovoltaic cell includes a doped layer comprising a dopant diffused into a semiconductor substrate; a patterned conducting layer formed on the doped layer; a semiconductor layer comprising the semiconductor substrate located on the doped layer on a surface of the doped layer opposite the patterned conducting layer; and an ohmic contact layer formed on the semiconductor layer.
US08659100B2
A wafer-level-based packaging concept for MEMS components having at least one diaphragm structure formed in the component front side is described, according to which an interposer is connected to the front side of the MEMS component, which has at least one passage aperture as an access opening to the diaphragm structure of the MEMS component and which is provided with electrical through contacts so that the MEMS component is electrically contactable via the interposer. The cross-sectional area of the at least one passage aperture in the interposer is to be designed as significantly smaller than the lateral extension of the diaphragm structure of the MEMS component. The at least one passage aperture opens into a cavity between the diaphragm structure and the interposer.
US08659098B2
A resonator fabrication method is provided. A method includes providing a plurality of electrode patterns disposed apart from each other on a substrate using a nano-imprint technique; and forming an extended electrode pattern connected to a plurality of electrode patterns, and forming a nano structure laid across an extended electrode patterns. Therefore, a nano-electromechanical system (NEMS) resonator is easily fabricated at a nanometer level.
US08659095B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate including a first driving transistor region having a first driving transistor disposed therein and a second driving transistor region having a second driving transistor disposed therein, wherein the second driving transistor is driven at a lower voltage than the first driving transistor, a first gate insulating layer formed at edges of the second driving transistor region, and a second gate insulating layer formed at a center of the second driving transistor region, wherein the first gate insulating layer is thicker than the second gate insulating layer.
US08659086B2
An Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) protection device is formed in an isolated region of a semiconductor substrate. The ESD protection device may be in the form of a MOS or bipolar transistor or a diode. The isolation structure may include a deep implanted floor layer and one or more implanted wells that laterally surround the isolated region. The isolation structure and ESD protection devices are fabricated using a modular process that includes virtually no thermal processing. Since the ESD device is isolated, two or more ESD devices may be electrically “stacked” on one another such that the trigger voltages of the devices are added together to achieve a higher effective trigger voltage.
