US08725540B2
A system and method for evaluating an insurable risk and providing an immediate, binding insurance offer to cover that risk, includes the collection of self-reported and objective information relating to the risk. The information is provided to an automated underwriting program that evaluates and rates the insurable risk and produces a binding insurance quote. Certain embodiments of the system and method utilize an automated application form and information gathering apparatus to collect the self-reported information. Objective information is obtained by a variety of means, including the direct measurement of certain physical and medical parameters. Certain embodiments may provide for the collection of information relating to payment for the insurance product, and the obtaining of an electronic signature from an applicant.
US08725535B2
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a clinical information system including a user interface and a custom range storage component. The user interface is adapted to allow a user to configure a custom range. The custom range is configured for a lab result. The custom range storage component adapted to store the configured custom range.
US08725531B1
An Internet based method for assisting in the rapid delivery of medical information direct to the site at which emergency assistance is being performed uses a global database for warehousing patient history information, which is fetched over the Internet on demand.
US08725529B2
Methods, computer program products, and systems are described that include accepting an indication of at least one health-related condition and presenting an indication of at least one artificial sensory experience and an indication of at least one inhalation therapy at least partially based on the accepting at least one indication of a health-related condition.
US08725521B2
A system and method for generating an information technology solution. A system for generating a runtime model is provided, comprising: a system for selecting a business pattern; a system for providing a management integration table, wherein the management integration table includes a plurality of cells, each representing at least one management application pattern; and a system for generating a runtime model from the selected business pattern and management integration table, wherein the generating system supplements the business pattern with additive patterns, bridge patterns, and management application patterns in order to generate the runtime model.
US08725517B2
A dialog manager and spoken dialog service having a dialog manager generated according to a method comprising selecting a top level flow controller based on application type, selecting available reusable subdialogs for each application part, developing a subdialog for each application part not having an available subdialog and testing and deploying the spoken dialog service using the selected top level flow controller, selected reusable subdialogs and developed subdialogs. The dialog manager capable of handling context shifts in a spoken dialog with a user. Application dependencies are established in the top level flow controller thus enabling the subdialogs to be reusable and to be capable of managing context shifts and mixed initiative dialogs.
US08725515B2
An electronic apparatus includes a microphone, a processor, a motherboard, and a voice recognition microchip. The voice recognition microchip compares a voice command with a pre-stored voice command. If the voice command is identical with the pre-stored voice command, the processor outputs a control signal to the motherboard. The motherboard controls the electronic apparatus to perform an action corresponding to the control signal.
US08725512B2
A method (and system) for spoken dialog confirmation classifies a plurality of spoken dialog hypotheses, and assigns a threshold to each class of spoken dialog hypotheses.
US08725508B2
A computer-implemented method and apparatus for searching for an element sequence, the method comprising: receiving a signal; determining an initial segment of the signal; inputting the initial segment into an element extraction engine to obtain a first element sequence; determining one or more second segments, each of the second segments at least partially overlapping with the initial segment; inputting the second segments into the element extraction engine to obtain at least one second element sequence; and searching for an element subsequence common to at least a predetermined number of sequences of the first element sequence and the second element sequences.
US08725495B2
Embodiments generally relate to systems and methods for generating a sentiment dictionary and calculating sentiment scores of adjectives within the sentiment dictionary. A set of seed words can be identified and expanded using synonyms and antonyms of the set of seed words. Social media data can be parse to identify adjectives that link to the set of seed words with the words “and” or “but.” Matrices representing the attraction and repulsion among the linked adjectives can be generated. A factorization algorithm can be minimized to determine an output matrix that comprises positive and negative sentiment scores for each of the adjectives. In embodiments, a sentiment score for part of all of the social media data can be calculated using the output matrix, and one or more parts of the social media data can be classified as a positive or negative sentiment.
US08725492B2
Semantically distinct items are extracted from a single utterance by repeatedly recognizing the same utterance using constraints provided by semantic items already recognized. User feedback for selection or correction of partially recognized utterance may be used in a hierarchical, multi-modal, or single step manner. An accuracy of recognition is preserved while the less structured and more natural single utterance recognition form is allowed to be used.
US08725488B2
Different software applications may use a set of instructions having critical timing paths less than a worst case critical timing path of a processor complex. For such applications, a supply voltage may be reduced while still maintaining the clock frequency necessary to meet the application's performance requirements. In order to reduce the supply voltage, an adaptive voltage scaling method is used. A critical path is selected from a plurality of critical paths for analysis on emulation logic to determine an attribute of the selected critical path during on chip functional operations. The selected critical path is representative of the worst case critical path to be in operation during a program execution. During on-chip functional operations, a voltage is controlled in response to the attribute, wherein the voltage supplies power to a power domain associated with the plurality of critical paths. The reduction in voltage reduces power drain based on instruction set usage allowing battery life to be extended.
US08725485B2
A simulation method and apparatus including a restore point setting unit setting restore points in core models for executing threads using parallel processing. The method also includes storing information for reproducing a state the core models at the restore points.
US08725484B2
Redundancy extraction in electromagnetic simulation of an electronic device/system includes discretizing first and second spaced conductive layers of a computer model of an electronic device/system into first and second meshes M1 and M2. For each edge between cells of each mesh, a current flow across the edge in response to application of an exemplary bias to the geometry is determined. A square impedance matrix Z* is determined which, for each instance of equal magnitude and opposite direction current flows (EMODCF) in edges E1 and E2 of M1 and M2, has one less row and one less column than the total number of edges in M1 and M2. A voltage column vector V* is also determined which, for each instance of EMODCF, has one less row than the total number of edges in M1 and M2. A current column vector [I*]=[V*]/[Z*] is then determined.
US08725483B2
A mechanism is provided for determining connectivity while minimizing wiring in an electronic system. The mechanism identifies a configuration of the electronic system, a location of each module in a plurality of modules within the electronic system and at least one constraint with regard to wiring the electronic system, the location of each module being identified using three-dimensional coordinates. The mechanism routes a separate cable from each module in the plurality of modules to each of the other modules in the plurality of modules without violating any constraints, thereby forming a plurality of cables. The mechanism then generates a cabling list indicating how each cable in the plurality of cables is to be routed in the electronic system in order to not violate any constraints and provide connectivity while minimizing wiring.
US08725476B1
A computer-implemented method for applying details in a simulation includes obtaining first data corresponding to a first simulation of matter in a space domain. The method includes performing, using the first data, a second simulation of the matter producing second data representing details for the first simulation, the second data distributed in the space domain using a grid where each cell has a common depth-to-size ratio from a camera perspective. The method includes rendering an image of the matter, wherein the second data is obtained from the grid and used in the rendering.
US08725474B2
A method and system for using Bezier curves in vehicle positioning and electronic horizon applications for providing data to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) applications are disclosed. The Bezier curves are obtained from B-splines. The obtained Bezier curves are subdivided in a manner that allows the vehicle positioning application to derive a polyline representation in real time. Using the Bezier and polyline geometry, the vehicle positioning application provides a vehicle position approximation to the ADAS applications. Using the Bezier curves, the electronic horizon application provides curvature, slope, and heading profiles to the ADAS applications.
US08725468B2
The data frequency analysis method comprises: a step for inputting signals coming from a first sensor; a step for inputting signals coming from at least a second sensor, each second sensor being positioned close to the first sensor so that the signals coming from each second sensor are strongly correlated with the signals coming from the first sensor; a step of estimating, for each sensor, a transfer function or model established from the combination of the signals from the first sensor and from each second sensor; and a step of extracting the structural properties of the system from each of the estimated models.
US08725465B2
A method for simulating tooth movement utilizes electronic modeling to represent the teeth. Instant centers of rotation are determined and projected paths of movement are plotted. The electronic model provides improved precision and provides a method for simulating movement in three dimensions. The movement from growth and/or correction is shown with the electronic model. The simulation provides for improved correction.
US08725458B2
A method, a data processing system, and a computer program product identify blockages in a heat sink of a data processing system. An electromagnetic emitter and an electromagnetic detector are positioned on opposite sides of the heat sink. An intensity of a stream of electromagnetic radiation directed from the electromagnetic emitter is measured by the electromagnetic detector. Based on the measured intensity of the stream of electromagnetic radiation as measured by the electromagnetic detector, a blockage level of the heat sink is determined. If the blockage level of the heat sink exceeds a blockage threshold, an alert is generated.
US08725450B2
A system and method for evaluating characteristics of an S-cam are provided. The inventive method includes the step of obtaining angle values and displacement values indicative of an angle of rotation of the S-cam and displacement of a cam follower caused by rotation of a lobe of the S-cam. The method further includes the step of determining a profile for the lobe of the S-cam responsive to the angle values and the displacement values. The method further includes the steps of computing a deviation of the profile from a desired profile for the lobe of the S-cam and determining a rate of change in the deviation of the profile. In addition, the system and method may evaluate characteristics such as the concentricity of the S-cam and power transfer characteristics of the S-cam.
US08725447B2
A method for correcting a wave front analyzer, in which the analyzer detects a signal from an incident wave front to be analyzed (FO), the detected signal providing phase and intensity local information. The method includes correcting the phase computation according to intensity space variations. A wave front analyzer for implementing the method is also described.
US08725438B2
A linear actuator comprises a reversible electric motor (2) which, via a transmission, is capable of driving a spindle (4) having a spindle nut (5) secured against rotation and comprises a power supply and a controller. The actuator moreover comprises a memory unit for collecting at least one set of data from the operation, indicating how long and how hard the actuator has worked. It is hereby possible to obtain an overview of the mechanical state of the actuator and thereby prevent unfortunate occurrences and accidents as a consequence of wear-out of the actuator.
US08725437B2
The present disclosure provides a system and method for monitoring performance of a photovoltaic array. The system and method reduces the need for monitoring equipment by collecting measurement data associated with a plurality of photovoltaic strings. Failure and performance degradation detection is improved through the use of monitoring conditions, performance thresholds, and auto-calibration. Various user interfaces enable a user to modify or adjust the monitoring system and method, as well as monitor the performance of a photovoltaic array.
US08725436B2
A motion state detecting method using a detector, detecting one of a conducting state and a non-conducting state according to a movement of an object, includes: first processing to measure either a first number of times, indicating the number of times of change from the conducting state to the non-conducting state per unit time or a second number of times that is the number of times of change from the non-conducting state to the conducting state per the unit time; and second processing to regard either the first number of times or the second number of times as a change determination value and change a length of the unit time based on the change determination value; wherein a proportion of time of the conducting state per the unit time or the non-conducting state per the unit time is changed by changing the length of the unit time.
US08725435B2
Generally described herein are devices, methods and systems related to detecting a leak present in a gastric banding system for the treatment of obesity. For example, a leak detector may include a syringe, a leak sensing unit and a needle, and may measure a pressure decay within a gastric banding system after the needle penetrates the patient's skin and is inserted into an access port connected to the gastric band of the gastric banding system. The pressure decay may be interpreted to determine if a leak is present in the gastric banding system.
US08725427B2
Method and apparatus for estimating features of target materials by using kinetic change information
Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for estimating the features (concentration, weight, volume, etc.) of target materials, by using kinetic change information along time, when measuring the results of a chemical reaction between two materials, target materials and reactant, with an optical or electrochemical method.
US08725422B2
Methods for determining the copy number of a genomic region at a detection position of a target sequence in a sample are disclosed. Genomic regions of a target sequence in a sample are sequenced and measurement data for sequence coverage is obtained. Sequence coverage bias is corrected and may be normalized against a baseline sample. Hidden Markov Model (HMM) segmentation, scoring, and output are performed, and in some embodiments population-based no-calling and identification of low-confidence regions may also be performed. A total copy number value and region-specific copy number value for a plurality of regions are then estimated.
US08725416B2
A position recognizing apparatus and method is provided. The position recognizing apparatus includes a range sensor which senses a distance between the position recognizing apparatus and a range landmark, and a candidate range landmark information generating unit which generates information about candidate range landmarks. The candidate range landmark information is modeled using a position and a posture of the position recognizing apparatus, the sensed distance and an angle between the range landmark and the position recognizing apparatus. The position recognizing apparatus further includes a range landmark extracting unit which, if a new distance is sensed, updates the candidate range landmark information and extracts actual range landmark information from the candidate range landmark information, and a position recognizing unit which recognizes a position of the position recognizing apparatus based on the extracted actual range landmark information.
US08725391B2
In order to locate errors of the rail pressure sensor (38) when starting problems occur, the following method steps are proposed: determination of whether starting problems occur in the engine and if this is the case, an engine state is induced, in which the engine controller is already active but the starting phase of the engine has not yet commenced; substitution of the measured rail pressure sensor value used by the engine controller with a substitute value; start attempt of the engine and determination whether the engine has achieved an independent operation; and identification of an error function of the rail pressure sensor if the starting problems only occur when the measured rail pressure sensor value is used.
US08725390B1
Systems and methods for optimizing fuel injection in an internal combustion engine adjust start of fuel injection by calculating whether one of advancing or retarding start of fuel injection will provide a shortest path from a source angle to a destination angle. Based on the source angle and a given injection pulse width and angle increment, it is determined whether fuel injection will overlap with a specified engine event if start of fuel injection is moved in a direction of the shortest path. A control circuit increments start fuel injection in the direction of the shortest path if it is determined that fuel injection will not overlap with the specified engine event, or increments start fuel injection in a direction opposite that of the shortest path if it is determined that fuel injection will overlap with the specified engine event.
US08725383B2
A simple and reliable operative control unit is constituted by at least two mechanism-linked operative control devices of different types aiming to meet the demand for operating driving units of different types. The multiple operative control devices of different types constituting the operative control unit replace a central controller as well as relevant software and monitoring devices so as to reduce the cost and promote reliability.
US08725382B2
A vehicle control apparatus that inhibits fuel efficiency from being aggravated as a result of ignition timing of the internal combustion engine being retarded. The vehicle control apparatus includes a drive system control unit and an engine control unit. The engine control unit adjusts an amount of intake air based on the demanded torque and adjusts ignition timing so as to compensate for any deviation between torque achievable through an adjustment of the amount of intake air and the demanded torque. The drive system control unit calculates desirable torque to be desirably output to the internal combustion engine for achieving a target operating state of the vehicle, and limits a change rate of the desirable torque by using a predetermined guard value determined from torque adjustment capacity of the internal combustion engine and outputs the desirable torque after the limiting as the demanded torque to the engine control unit.
US08725381B2
The procedure of slip detection computes a right wheel speed Vr from a rotation speed Nm2 of a motor MG2 determined according to a detection result of a rotational position detection sensor 44 and from a left wheel speed Vl measured by a wheel speed sensor 64b attached to a left wheel 62b. A right wheel acceleration ar is calculated from the computed right wheel speed Vr. When the calculated right wheel acceleration ar exceeds a preset reference value arslip, the procedure detects the occurrence of a slip of a right wheel 62a. When a left wheel acceleration al calculated from the obtained left wheel speed Vl exceeds a preset reference value alslip, the procedure detects the occurrence of a slip of the left wheel 62b.
US08725379B2
In a vehicle body vibration damping control device, a priority level setting section is configured to set priority levels of a pitching vibration of a vehicle body which is a sprung mass and a bouncing vibration thereof to take a higher priority for a suppression of the pitching vibration between the pitching vibration and the bouncing vibration and a damping purpose braking-or-driving force correction quantity calculation section configured to determine a damping purpose braking-or-driving force correction quantity to suppress vehicle body vibrations on a basis of the pitching vibration and the bouncing vibration, while satisfying the priority levels set by the priority level setting section, to contribute onto a corrective control of a road wheel braking-or-driving force.
US08725378B2
A control system for a vehicle restricts engine torque when an accelerator operation amount is large and it is determined that the direction of the driver's face changed between forward and backward of the vehicle.
US08725371B2
A speed changing control apparatus for use in a vehicle includes: a driving power source configured to generate driving power for running; a transmission having a synchromesh mechanism configured to synchronize an input shaft revolution number with an output shaft revolution number and an actuator configured to automatically carry out a shift operation; and an automatic clutch disposed between the driving power source and the transmission. The speed changing control apparatus is configured to start a shift disengaging operation for the transmission after a speed change is requested and before the automatic clutch turns into a decoupled state, so as to suppress torsional vibration at the time of decoupling the automatic clutch. Such control enables the synchromesh mechanism to carry out revolution synchronization with the input shaft revolution number of the transmission in a lowered state, and diminishes a revolution difference subjected to synchronization.
US08725370B2
A vehicle control apparatus including: a bad-road control-mode switch configured to be manipulated by a driver; and a bad-road control section configured to perform a bad-road control when a bad-road control mode is selected by the bad-road control-mode switch, the bad-road control section including a shift changeover function configured to automatically change a shift state of vehicle between a forward running and a reverse running, and a driving-force applying section configured to reduce a driving force acting on a road-wheel when the shift state of vehicle is changed by the shift changeover function, and configured to apply a predetermined driving force to the road-wheel when a predetermined time has elapsed after the change of shift state, as the bad-road control.
US08725369B2
A method for driving a vehicle which has a gearbox connected to a combustion engine and the gearbox is capable of being set to a number of different transmission ratios in order to deliver motive force to a driveshaft for propulsion of the vehicle. The vehicle is arranged for driving in at least a first mode and a second mode, such that in the first mode the gearbox is switched to a low transmission ratio and in the second mode the combustion engine is disconnected from the at least one driveshaft. When the vehicle is being driven in a situation where there is or will within a specific time be a reduced need for motive force for the vehicle, the method determines whether the vehicle should be driven according to the first mode or the second mode, on the basis of an ambient parameter.
US08725364B2
A control device controls a hydrostatic transmission vehicle having a hydrostatic transmission including a variable displacement pump and a variable displacement hydraulic motor. The control device is configured to set a set vehicle speed based on a forward/rearward travel command and a gear stage command instructed by an operator, to set a torque limit usable for the hydrostatic transmission based on an engine speed, to set a vehicle speed limit based on a pressure in the hydraulic circuit and the torque limit, to select a lower one of the set vehicle speed and the vehicle speed limit, and to control respective displacements of the variable displacement pump and the variable displacement hydraulic motor based on the selected vehicle speed.
US08725354B2
An electric power steering system for a vehicle includes a steering mechanism coupling a steering wheel to a steerable element. A first actuator is in communication with a controller and operatively connected to the steering mechanism for assisting movement of the steerable element in response to a first signal from the controller. The system also includes a second actuator in communication with the controller, separate from the first actuator, and operatively connected to the steering mechanism between the first actuator and the steering wheel for superimposing torque in response to a second signal from the controller.
US08725353B2
The present disclosure provides a system and a method for mitigating vehicle rollovers, the method comprises monitoring a vehicular tilt and sensing a vehicular rollover in a particular direction, through a tilt sensor. Further, the system determines an occurrence of a rollover according to a calculated tilt threshold, through a central processing unit. Steering the vehicle in the sensed direction of the rollover, accelerating the vehicle in the same direction, and braking the vehicle upon sensing a decrease in the rollover, all being controlled through a controller, enables the vehicle to eventually stabilize and return to track.
US08725346B2
A system for vehicle safety enhancement is disclosed. The system comprises a sudden slowdown detection subsystem, a slight bump detection subsystem, an airbag activation and brake malfunction detection subsystem, and a rollover detection subsystem. A controlling unit is connected to each subsystem for determining a severity level of a collision involving a vehicle, and the controlling unit is in turn connected to a communication unit for sending an alert signal based on the severity level. A method for vehicle safety enhancement is also disclosed.
US08725340B1
A controller for driving a motor in a motor driven vehicle, provided with: a detection part, a control coefficient computing part, and a control part. The control coefficient computing part identifies, as a first vehicle speed, the speed of the vehicle when the detection part detects a start signal for regeneration control, the control coefficient computing part assigning a prescribed value to a control coefficient that determines a value of a control parameter that controls the motor relative to a target value of the control parameter. The target value is a value of the control parameter at which the motor achieves a desired power generation efficiency, and the control coefficient computing part increases the control coefficient if a current vehicle speed becomes faster than the first vehicle speed, and decreases the control coefficient if the current vehicle speed becomes slower than the first vehicle speed.
US08725338B2
Provided is a practical plug-in hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle as well as a charge system, a fuel consumption measurement system, and an environment protection system for the vehicles. The charge system includes an electric power source charging a vehicle having a battery, a power supply unit for supplying electric power from the electric power source to the vehicle, and a power cable communication unit for performing power cable communication concerning the vehicle and the charging via the power supply unit. The vehicle includes a fuel tank for receiving oil from outside, a storage unit for storing oil supply information, a power source which consumes the fuel in the fuel tank and provides a travel power, a travel distance information acquisition unit, and a control unit which automatically calculates the fuel consumption according to the oil supply information in the storage unit and the travel distance information in the travel distance acquisition unit.
US08725335B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for torque control in an electric all wheel drive (e AWD) vehicle. The apparatus is a system having at least one propulsion system capable of determining a desired torque command and torque capability data for a primary and secondary axle. Also included are one or more active chassis systems capable of providing chassis system data and a processor coupled for processing the desired torque command, the torque capability data and the chassis system data to provide a maximum torque limit and a minimum torque limit for the secondary axle. In this way, at least one propulsion system processes the desired torque signal and the maximum torque limit and the minimum torque limit to provide an electric motor torque command and an engine torque command for the eAWD vehicle. A method for torque control in an eAWD vehicle is also provided.
US08725327B2
A present invention embodiment includes a navigation system with a front-end GPS receiver, auxiliary sensors and a digital signal processor providing filtering and other processing. The navigation system enhances a UTC type architecture by employing an inertial compensation unit and a stochastic regulator. The inertial compensation unit compensates for inertial errors within the sensors, while the stochastic regulator applies an optimal stochastic control law to control system operation. The inertial compensation unit and stochastic regulator mitigate instability within the navigation system and provide: the functionality to attain high position accuracy in the sub-meter range that is stable and reliable; an optimal solution evident in the process of signal recovery time after loss and reacquisition, thereby resulting in signal-loss recovery with an order of magnitude improvement; and the ability to mitigate inertial errors that originate in the sensors. The navigation system provides navigation information for indoor and urban environmental conditions.
US08725317B2
A multiple detection zone supplemental remote control system for a materials handling vehicle comprises one or more sensors capable of defining multiple contactless detection zones at least towards the front of the forward travel direction of a remotely controlled vehicle. The vehicle responds to the detection of objects within the designated zones based upon predetermined actions, such as to slow down or stop the vehicle, and/or to take other action, such as to perform a steer angle correction.
US08725315B2
A system and method for providing a polling signal transmitted from a vehicle that is received by a key fob held by an authorized user of the vehicle as the user approaches the vehicle, where the polling signal is a pulsed polling signal in the VHF-UHF band. The polling signal tells the key fob to transmit a command signal that causes the vehicle to perform a predetermined vehicle operation. Alternately, the polling signal is transmitted by the key fob where the vehicle sends an authorization message back to the key fob if it receives the polling signal that tells the key fob to transmit the command signal.
US08725313B2
A system and method vehicle-to-mobile communication using a smart horn (515) comprising, a first processor (520) embedded in the vehicle, configured to generate and broadcast a plurality of sound waves having two spectrums, an audible spectrum and an inaudible spectrum, the sound waves comprising a plurality of information embedded (530) into the inaudible spectrum. A vehicle-embedded system (505) coupled to the said first processor (520) to capture a plurality of signals associated with the vehicle-embedded system. A second processor embedded in a receiving device (540) configured to capture and interpret the plurality of information embedded into the inaudible spectrum. The receiving device (540) comprising an application (545) that enables the receiving device (540) to interpret the plurality of information embedded in the inaudible sound spectrum captured by at least one microphone (535).
US08725300B2
Methods and apparatus for controlling an economizer in a ventilation system based upon moisture related properties of a first input air source and a second input air source to minimize energy for conditioning air in a structure.
US08725293B2
A control device for a robot including: a hybrid dynamics calculator calculating joint forces that act on immovable joints and the joint accelerations that are generated at movable joints by performing a hybrid dynamics calculation that includes inverse dynamics and forward dynamics using an auxiliary model in which the actuated joints of the robot having the actuated joints and the unactuated joints are immovable; a forward dynamics calculator calculating the acceleration that is generated by known force that acts on the robot using a main model; a joint force determination unit determining the joint force; and a joint force controller controlling the joint force of each joint of the robot.
US08725291B2
A method and apparatus for remote monitoring of daily dispensing of medication is disclosed. In one embodiment, a dispensing unit, equipped with a weight sensing mechanism, such as scale or balance, communicates with a monitoring application residing in a wireless terminal. The monitoring application provides supervision over a medication dispensing process.
US08725290B2
A device for storing and dispensing tobacco products includes a housing configured to store tobacco product packages, a tracking system, and an electronic system. The housing may contain a plurality of chambers, each configured to store a different brand of tobacco product packages. The tracking system is configured to track the number of tobacco product packages in each chamber as tobacco product packages are dispensed from the chambers and to include one or more light emitting elements and one or more light detection elements. The electronic system is configured to enable dispensing of the tobacco product packages from the chambers and to store information related to the dispensing of the packages from the chambers.
US08725289B2
A method of processing documents by receiving at least a batch of documents and a separator card in a document processing device. The separator card includes a conductive material disposed on one side, and a barcode indicative of the source of the batch of documents. The documents and separator card are transported via a transport mechanism past an evaluation unit and a field-effect sensor, respectively. The document processing device evaluates each document, determines whether the document meets or fails predetermined criteria, and detects the presence of the conductive material when a separator card is transported past the sensor. The source identification information from each separator card is entered into a memory of the document processing device. Feeder operation is paused between each batch to verify that the previous batch closed successfully. Pausing feeder operation to address document anomalies before subsequent batches are processed promotes batch integrity and reduces operator confusion.
US08725285B2
A workpiece in a container is held by a robot based on a result of detection of shape information in the container by a shape sensor, a holding condition of the workpiece held by the robot is inspected by an inspection device, and the workpiece is transferred to a subsequent step by the robot when the inspection device has determined that the holding condition of the workpiece is acceptable. When the inspection device has determined that the holding condition of the workpiece is unacceptable, the held workpiece is placed on a temporary placement table, the shape of the workpiece is again detected by detecting the workpiece using the shape sensor, and the workpiece is held and transferred to the subsequent step by the robot based on a result of the detection.
US08725282B2
A system for editing sheet metal components using a computer, comprising a sheet metal object having graphic element data defining the graphic elements of a sheet metal and connection data defining face data comprising graphic elements and linkage of the faces, wherein the sheet metal object includes a sheet metal edition object corresponding to editing of a sheet metal, e.g., editing of butting or lapping of sheets, and the burden is lessened by automating reformation at the butting or lapping part of the sheet metals.
US08725281B2
A recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes a microphone, a semiconductor memory, an operating section and a controller. An output signal from the microphone is written in the semiconductor memory and the written signals are read out from the semiconductor memory. The operating section performs input processing for writing a digital signal outputted by an analog/digital converter, reading out the digital signal stored in the semiconductor memory and for erasing the digital signal stored in the semiconductor memory. The control section controls the writing of the microphone output signal in the semiconductor memory based on an input from the operating section and the readout of the digital signal stored in the semiconductor memory. The control section operates so that, if, when the signals written in the storage section is read out from it, an input for erasure is entered by the operating section, the signal being read out from the storage section is erased when, after reading out the signal from the storage section for a pre-set period, an input for erasure is again entered from the operating section.
US08725277B2
This disclosures describes an audio home network system 20. The system 20 includes the following: a home network backbone 200; a plurality of network speakers 100 operating in a multi speaker session; and an audio source device 300 that provides digital audio to the network speakers wherein the digital audio is in a compressed format. The network speakers 100 further include a microphone that may be used for receiving and or gathering control information from said network speakers surroundings. And, the network speakers 100 send control information to other devices on the home network backbone 200. In addition, the network speakers 100 operate in either a master mode or a slave mode where a first network speaker operates in the master mode and a second or subsequent network speaker operates in the slave mode. The audio home network system 20 optimizes the audio for the network speakers 100 current location.
US08725276B2
We have disclosed methods for monitoring the athletic performance of an individual. The methods may include receiving position data relating to geographical positions of the individual during an athletic activity with a global positioning satellite receiver, receiving performance data about the individual during the athletic activity with a performance monitor that is physically separate from the global positioning satellite receiver, displaying athletic performance information during the athletic activity based on the performance data received by the performance monitor, and correlating the performance data received by the performance monitor with the position data received by the global positioning satellite receiver.
US08725261B2
Approaches for rate initialization and overdrive pacing used during capture threshold testing are described. Cardiac cycles are detected and the cardiac events of a cardiac chamber that occur during the cardiac cycles are monitored. The number of intrinsic beats in the cardiac events is counted. Initialization for a capture threshold test involves maintaining a pre-test pacing rate for the capture threshold test if the number of intrinsic beats in the cardiac events is less than a threshold. The pacing rate is increased for the capture threshold test if the number of intrinsic beats in the cardiac events is greater than the threshold.
US08725256B2
An RF protection circuit mitigates potentially adverse effects that may otherwise result from electromagnetic interference (e.g., due to MRI scanning of a patient having an implanted medical device). The RF protection circuit may comprise a voltage divider that is deployed across a pair of cardiac electrodes that are coupled to internal circuitry of the implantable medical device. Each leg of the voltage divider may be referenced to a ground of the internal circuit, whereby the different legs are deployed in parallel across different circuits of the internal circuitry. In this way, when an EMI-induced (e.g., MRI-induced) signal appears across the cardiac electrodes, the voltages appearing across these circuits and the currents flowing through these circuits may be reduced. The RF protection circuit may be used in an implantable medical device that employs a relatively low capacitance feedthrough to reduce EMI-induced (e.g., MRI-induced) current flow in a cardiac lead.
US08725250B2
Described herein are methods and devices that utilize electrical neural stimulation to treat heart failure by modulating a patient's autonomic balance in a manner that inhibits sympathetic activity and/or augments parasympathetic activity. Because other therapies for treating heart failure may also affect a patient's autonomic balance, a device for delivering neural stimulation is configured to appropriately titrate such therapy in either an open-loop or closed-loop fashion.
US08725249B2
Apparatus and methods are described including identifying a subject as suffering from an impaired body system, the body system being selected from the group consisting of: a cardiovascular system and a renal system. In response thereto, a structure is inserted inside a bladder of the subject, and the bladder is mechanically stimulated with the structure. Other applications are also described.
US08725245B2
An oscillator provides a reference signal having a phase. A tunable reactive circuit, including an induction coil, is driven by the fixed frequency reference signal of the oscillator with coil adapted to be positioned adjacent the specimen to generate an oscillating signal corresponding to the condition of the specimen. The tunable reactive circuit provides an output signal having a parameter indicative of the condition of the specimen. A resonant control circuit compares the reference signal to the oscillating signal and provides to the tunable reactive circuit a resonance control signal representative of the comparison. The resonance control signal tunes the tunable reactive circuit, which may be a series RLC circuit, so that the frequency of the oscillating signal is substantially constant.
US08725240B2
In general, in one aspect, a method is disclosed for determining information about a position of an object. The method includes: (i) causing current to flow between each of three or more sets of current-injecting electrodes on a first catheter inserted into an organ in a patient's body, the organ having a periphery (ii) in response to current flow caused by each set of current injecting electrodes, measuring an electrical signal at each of one or more measuring electrodes located on one or more additional catheters inserted into the organ in the patient's body and (iii) determining the position of each of one or more of the measuring electrodes on the additional catheters relative to the first catheter based on the measured signals from the one or more measuring electrodes.
US08725238B2
An electrocardiogram signal processing system is provided which includes: a wavelet transformation unit comprising a plurality of outputs, each output being connected to one of a plurality of scales, wherein the wavelet transformation unit is adapted to transform an input electrocardiogram signal into a set of wavelets, each wavelet being output to one of the scales; a plurality of signal processing blocks, each of the signal processing blocks coupled to a respective output of the wavelet transformation unit and configured to receive and process the wavelet from the respective output, wherein the signal processing blocks provide processing functions which differ from one another.
US08725235B2
A method and system for identifying a portion of an image data is disclosed. The image data can include image data of an anatomy, such as a brain of a patient. The identified portion can be used for planning a procedure. The identified portions can include anatomical landmarks that can be used to determine anatomical targets of the patient. The plan can include a path or trajectory to reach the anatomical target.
US08725227B2
The invention relates to an electrode arrangement and a measuring device for measuring the action flow and/or the action potential of an electrically active tissue. The aim of the invention is to provide a simple and economically producible electrode for measuring action flows and/or action potentials in electrically active tissues (preferably the stapedius muscle tissue), ensuring that the electrode is fixed securely, but reversibly, in the muscle tissue and that the muscle tissue is disturbed as little as possible. The electrode arrangement according to the invention comprises a first electrode (2) and a fixing element (3), the first electrode (2) being connected to a first, long electrical line (4) and consisting of a long base body (6) comprising a first end (7) and a second end (8). The first electrical line (4) is connected to the base body (6) in the region of the second end (8) thereof, and means are provided for reversibly fixing the fixing element (3) to the first electrode (2).
US08725226B2
A device includes a sensor for measuring a parameter for tissue. The sensor includes a plurality of optical elements including a plurality of detectors and at least one emitter. Separation distances between the various optical elements are selected based on a depth corresponding to a region of interest in the tissue and based on a depth corresponding to an exclusion region in the tissue.
US08725219B2
Various embodiments of systems and associated methods are described herein for providing automatic selection of an operating communication mode for a mobile communication device in which a communication mode is selected depending on various conditions including power pack voltage.
US08725217B2
An in-vehicle device is provided. A wireless communication section is configured to perform wireless communication with a plurality of mobile terminal devices in a vehicle. A specifying section is configured to specify each of the mobile terminal devices based on radio waves which are transmitted from the mobile terminal devices carried in the vehicle and are received by an antenna provided in the vehicle. An information acquiring section is configured to acquire service specifying information for specifying available services for each of the mobile terminal devices from each of the mobile terminal devices specified by the specifying section. A share setting section is configured to set whether or not to share at least one of the available services among the mobile terminal devices based on the service specifying information acquired by the information acquiring section.
US08725213B2
A wireless communication device 100 is a device which performs wireless communication. The wireless communication device 100 includes a plurality of antennas 101a, 101b, . . . provided at different positions; and an antenna selection section (antenna selection element) 102 which acquires holding position specifying information for specifying a holding position which is a position where a user holds the wireless communication device 100, and from among the plurality of antennas 101a, 101b, . . . , selects an antenna provided at a position which is different from the holding position specified by the acquired holding position specifying information. The wireless communication device 100 is adapted to perform wireless communication via the selected antenna.
US08725212B2
User equipment with multiple subscriber identity modules (SIMs) includes techniques for intelligently allowing the SIMs to access the radio resources. In one aspect, the techniques determine whether a network signaling criteria is satisfied. When the network signaling criteria is satisfied, the user equipment may communicate a signaling connection release indication to a network controller handling a first SIM network connection. When the network signaling criteria is not satisfied, however, the user equipment may forgo communicating the signaling connection release indication to the network controller handing the first SIM network connection. In either case, the user equipment may locally deactivate the first SIM network connection so that the radio frequency interface may be transitioned to a second SIM.
US08725204B2
The present invention relates to a communication unit, network and method for communication within a communication network, the unit comprising a transceiver portion, a processing unit and at least one interface arrangement for communication with at least one peripheral device. The unit further comprises an arrangement for transceiving at least parts of a signal to the communication network using at least one of said interface arrangements for communication with said at least one peripheral device.
US08725201B2
The present invention discloses a multi-carrier receiving device and method. The multi-carrier receiving device includes an antenna, a splitter, a plurality of analog extraction modules, a combiner, an analog-to-digital converter, and a plurality of digital extraction modules, where input ends of the plurality of analog extraction modules are connected to an output end of the splitter; an input end of the combiner is connected to output ends of the plurality of analog extraction modules, and an output end of the combiner is connected to an input end of the analog-to-digital converter; an output end of the analog-to-digital converter is connected to each of the plurality of digital extraction modules; and the plurality of digital extraction modules extracts a single-carrier digital signal from a digital signal obtained after analog-to-digital conversion.
US08725175B2
Embodiments of a location sharing network manager process are described. The process is executed on a server computer coupled to a plurality of mobile communication devices over a wireless network. Each mobile device is a location-aware mobile communication device. The process determines the geographic location of a mobile communication device operated by a user within an area, displays a map representation of the area around the mobile communication device on a graphical user interface of the mobile communication device, and superimposes on the map the respective locations of one or more other trusted users of mobile communication devices coupled to the mobile communication device over the network. A comprehensive network manager process provides management functions to allow communication with mobile phone users outside of the service network and allows for efficient communication with groups of users within the service network.
US08725170B1
A system and method for measuring the quantity, type and transmission quality of mobile communication devices within a defined geographical area is disclosed herein. A data server is configured to receive new transmission data for mobile devices from each of a plurality of sensor devices and associate the new transmission data with a corresponding sensor device of the plurality of sensor devices. A console application is also configured to display the display information to an end-user operator.
US08725156B2
A method includes providing wireless service to a mobile leaf node using at least one first infrastructure node in an industrial control or monitoring system. The method also includes detecting movement of the mobile leaf node away from the at least one first infrastructure node.The method further includes handing off the mobile leaf node to at least one second infrastructure node in the industrial control or monitoring system so that the at least one second infrastructure node provides the wireless service to the mobile leaf node. The wireless service provided to the mobile leaf node remains deterministic. Various techniques can be used to detect the movement of the mobile leaf node. Also, the first and second infrastructure nodes could be in different clusters of nodes, and various techniques can be used to support handoffs between infrastructure nodes in different clusters.
US08725148B2
A method and system for handing off an active VoIP call with a remote party from a VoIP interface of a dual-mode device to a cellular interface of the dual-mode device. A cellular call is established between a PBX IP/PSTN gateway and the cellular interface. Media relating to the first termination point of the VoIP leg of the active call is then redirected to the cellular call and the VoIP leg is terminated.
US08725147B2
A radio communication terminal (AT) includes a communication section for performing a radio communication with a base station, and a controller. Before performing a handoff from a first base station to another peripheral base station while receiving service information delivered by the first base station, the controller checks a progress of sequence of the service information being received. Then, the controller performs a handoff control depending on the check result. When it is determined that reception of a packet having the sequence number being received is to be completed within a certain time as a result of checking the progress, the controller suspends the handoff until the reception of the packet is completed.
US08725143B2
This application provides techniques for robust handover to a target base station, based on performing initial ranging with the target base station. The techniques might generally include scanning neighboring base stations (BSs), selecting a target BS for a handover at least based on results of the scanning, performing initial ranging with the target BS, and sending a Handover Request to the target BS.
US08725140B2
Disclosed is method comprising: storing in a home location register (HLR) at least one subscription record of a mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices, the mobile device having a subscriber identity module (SIM) identified by a currently activated first international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), the currently activated first IMSI belonging to a set of IMSIs allocated to the system, wherein the provisioning server is operative to: receive a notification that the mobile devices has moved into a first one of the wireless networks; confirm that an allocation rule is satisfied; add and activate a second one of the IMSIs in the set of IMSIs to the HLR and remove the currently activated first IMSI from the HLR; and send the second IMSI to the mobile device to enable the mobile device to communicate wirelessly in the first wireless network as a local device.
US08725134B2
A method, which is convenient to subscribe, configure and move mobile telephone software service, focuses on user. It regards all kinds of mobile telephone service software as the carrier of the service. A user's mobile telephone stores user description information and service description information related of the mobile telephone in service management platform after installing and starting a mobile telephone service. The user logs on the service management platform through access equipment, and subscribes mobile telephone service modality and all kinds of function available after identity authorization. The user can configure service parameters through access equipment, downloads the mobile telephone service software or service description information from service management platform, and installs them to user's mobile telephone after subscription or configuration operation. The user can log on the service management platform through new mobile telephone when the mobile telephone is updated. All mobile telephone service and service description information used in the original mobile telephone can be moved to the new mobile telephone selectively or as a whole after identity authorization. It is convenient to update, subscribe and configure individualization mobile telephone service software.
US08725128B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for pre-fetching assets from content providers to user equipment (UE). In one embodiment, the UE initiates a pre-fetch operation to download assets from content providers in advance of an end user requesting the assets. The UE accesses a resource profile for the pre-fetch operation that indicates the content providers that have assets for the UE to download in advance for local storage on the UE, and defines a percentage of UE resources allocated to each of the content providers for downloading the assets during the pre-fetch operation. The UE may then download the assets from the content providers based on the resource profile, and store the assets in a local memory.
US08725122B2
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for providing trusted service management services. According to one embodiment, a system can include at least one service provider gateway operable to receive and transmit messages with multiple service providers; at least one mobile network operator gateway operable to receive and transmit messages with multiple mobile network operators; at least one provisioning gateway operable to transmit mobile device application data with multiple mobile devices and to receive messages from the plurality of mobile devices. The system can further include a processor operable to execute computer-executable instructions to: facilitate service provider communications by providing a common service provider interface for the service providers; facilitate mobile network operator communications by providing a common mobile network operator interface for the mobile network operators; facilitate provisioning multiple mobile device applications with the mobile devices; and facilitate communications with the mobile devices.
US08725119B2
In-person shopping at brick-and-mortar locations can be facilitated using visual voicemail systems. A user device can be detected upon entry or proximity to a retail location and a greeting visual voicemail message can be transmitted to the user device. User data may be integrated into the greeting message. The greeting message can also include options for a user to activate that allow the integration of the virtual and physical shopping experience. Options can include requests for sales associate help, product information or location, associated service plans or accessories, etc. Multiple remote resources can be coordinated to service a user's requests via a visual voicemail system while the user is shopping in the retail location.
US08725105B2
A low noise amplifier is used to amplify a differential input pair to generate a differential output pair. The low noise amplifier includes two main paths, two assistant circuits and two adders to make noise carried on two output signals of the differential output pair be the same; therefore, the noise of the two output signals can be fully cancelled in the following operations.
US08725097B2
A system comprises a first amplifier stage including a first amplifier, a second amplifier stage including second and third amplifiers, and a fourth amplifier. The first amplifier stage includes an input and an output. The second amplifier stage is coupled between the output of the first amplifier stage and a first output node. The fourth amplifier is coupled between the input of the first amplifier stage and a second output node.
US08725092B2
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus comprises a first multiplier configured to convert a first frequency signal into a second frequency signal based at least in part on a first complex-valued local oscillator signal, a pair of low-pass filters configured to filter the second frequency signal, and a second multiplier configured to convert the filtered second frequency signal into a third frequency signal based at least in part on a second complex-valued local oscillator signal wherein the first frequency signal and the third frequency signal share the same frequency position and the pair of low-pass filters is configured based on an indication of allocated transmitted channels.
US08725091B2
Various embodiments are disclosed relating to techniques of controlling a transmitter. In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a maximum level of signal distortion acceptable for a transmission from a transmitter may be determined based on information of operating characteristics of the transmitter and/or the environment in which the transmission is to be made.
US08725061B2
A message distribution method according to the present invention includes the steps of: (A) determining, at a message distribution station (CBC), distribution area information and a distribution type, based on a message distribution request received from a flash report transmission station (CBE) and containing distribution target area information, and reporting, from the message distribution station (CBC) to a radio base station (eNB), the distribution area information and the distribution; and (B) determining, at the radio base station (eNB), the distribution area, based on the distribution area information and the distribution type, and distributing, from the radio base station to the mobile station in the distribution area, a predetermined message.
US08725060B2
Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for computer-based evaluation of a test-taker's performance with respect to a reward threshold. A performance assessment of the test taker can be standardized or customized, as well as relative or absolute. The system allows a parentally-controlled reward system such that children who reach specified objectives can claim an award that parents are confident was fairly and honestly earned without the parent being required to proctor the testing.
US08725047B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member that carries a toner image, a rotatable endless belt facing the image bearing member, and a transfer device arranged on an inner peripheral side of the belt and transferring a toner image from the image bearing member to the belt. The transfer device includes a sheet member having conductivity and having a free end and an opposite end which is fixed. In addition, a support member supports and contacts the sheet member, and a securing member secures the sheet member. The sheet member at least has a first region secured by the securing member, a second region in contact with the support member, a third region separated from the support member and the belt, and a fourth region separated from the support member and in contact with the belt. The first region, the second region, the third region and the fourth region are located in order from an upstream side toward a downstream side in a rotational direction of the belt.
US08725036B2
An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes: an electrophotographic photoreceptor body containing a cylindrical electroconductive substrate having openings at both ends in an axial direction, the cylindrical electroconductive substrate having a thickness of approximately 2 mm or more at a center portion in an axial direction and having a socket joint portion on each of inner surfaces of both end portions in an axial direction; and a photosensitive layer provided on an outer surface of the electroconductive substrate; and a support member fit in the openings of the electroconductive substrate, having an fitting portion which has an outer diameter that is larger than a diameter of the opening by a range of from approximately 0.01 mm to approximately 0.1 mm, the fitting portion being press-fit into the opening.
US08725034B2
An image forming apparatus including a process cartridge having a developing device and detachably installable in the image forming apparatus, and a drive unit to rotatively drive the developing device. The drive unit includes a drive force generator to generate a drive force to rotatively drive the developing device, a drive substrate to support the drive force generator, a drive shaft to transmit the drive force to the developing device, a bracket having a cylindrical bearing seating, a bracket bearing provided inside the bearing seating to support the drive shaft in a thrust direction, and an elastic member provided between the bearing seating and the bracket bearing to allow movement of the drive shaft in a radial direction, and a substrate bearing provided to the drive substrate to support the drive shaft in both the radial and thrust directions.
US08725031B2
An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a chassis having a first opening on a first side, a cover, movable between an open position and a closed position, a plurality of photosensitive members, an intermediate transfer belt, a plurality of primary-transfer members, a secondary-transfer roller, a first feed roller, a cleaner device, a waste toner container, which is removably installed in the chassis through the first opening and settled in a position opposite from the plurality of photosensitive members across the intermediate transfer belt, to store residual toner collected by the cleaner device, a connector, a first feeding path, a second feeding path, and a second feed roller. The second feed roller is rotatably supported by the cover and movable along with the cover to yield the first opening to the waste toner container when the cover is in the open position.
US08725028B2
An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier unit that includes an image carrier that is to be rotated about a rotational driving shaft; a charging unit; an exposing unit including a light source substrate and a lens array; a developing unit; a transfer unit; and a fixing unit. The image carrier unit can be pulled out along the rotational driving shaft of the image carrier. The exposing unit is movable between a contacting position, at which the exposing unit abuts on a contacting surface of the image carrier unit to be positioned relative to the image carrier, and a retracted position, at which the exposing unit is away from the image carrier unit. At the contacting position, the contacting surface is closer to the exposing unit in an optical axial direction than a surface of the lens array is.
US08725024B2
An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit arranged in an apparatus main body and adapted to perform a fixing process to fix an image to a recording sheet by heat, first conveyance path for conveying the recording sheet via an image forming unit and the fixing unit, second conveyance path for conveying the recording sheet having the fixing process performed thereon to an upstream side of the image forming unit in the case of performing the image forming process on both sides of the recording sheet, a first cover openably and closably attached to the apparatus main body, a second cover for covering the second conveyance path, the second cover being openably and closably attached to the apparatus main body and openable and closable when the first cover is in an open state, and fans provided on the second cover for supplying air streams to the second conveyance path.
US08725021B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for carrying a developed image, a developer carrying member for carrying a developer to be supplied to the image bearing member, a cleaning blade for removing the developer from the image bearing member, and a controller for executing, at predetermined timing during a non-image-formation period, sequence controls for moving developer to the image bearing member and removing developer from the image bearing member by the cleaning blade. In addition, a removing unit removes the developer at a position before the developer, moved to the image bearing member by the sequence control, reaches the cleaning blade. An amount of the developer removed by the cleaning blade is controlled to be smaller in a first sequence control than in a second sequence control.
US08725019B2
A fixing device includes a heat roller, a heater, a fuser roller, an endless, fuser belt, a pressure roller, a first thermometer, and a controller. The heat roller has a surface thereof subjected to heating. The heater is disposed in the heat roller to heat the circumference of the heat roller to an adjustable, heating temperature. The fuser roller is disposed parallel to the heat roller and has a surface thereof formed of elastic material deposited upon a cylindrical core of metal. The fuser belt is looped for rotation around the fuser roller and the heat roller. The pressure roller is disposed opposite the fuser roller with the fuser belt interposed between the pressure roller and the fuser roller. The first thermometer detects a first temperature at the cylindrical core of the fuser roller. The controller adjusts the heating temperature according to the first temperature being detected.
US08725018B2
When the temperature of a fixing section has not reached a fixable temperature and the condition of an image forming apparatus is an abnormal temperature rising condition, a print controller causes a toner image conveying section to move a toner image on an intermediate transfer member to a predetermined toner image standby position upstream of a secondary transfer section and to put the toner image on standby at the toner image standby position, and causes a recording medium conveying section to put a recording medium on standby at a predetermined sheet standby position upstream of the secondary transfer section. Thereafter, when the temperature of the fixing section reaches the fixable temperature, the print controller causes the secondary transfer section to transfer the toner image on the intermediate transfer member onto the recording medium.
US08725012B2
In an image forming apparatus, a control device obtains an amount of toner in a first area and an amount of toner in a second area. The first area is defined on a conveying member that is in contact with a photosensitive member. The transfer of toner is assured in the first area of the conveying member, but is not assured in the second area. The control device determines a toner condition based on a difference in the amount of toner between the first area and the second area. When the difference in the amount of toner is larger, the control device determines that the toner is in a deteriorated condition. When the difference in the amount of toner is smaller, the control device determines that the toner is not in the deteriorated condition.
US08725003B2
This invention relates to external modulator monitoring device and method for monitoring an external modulator. The external modulator monitoring device includes a mixing unit for mixing optical signals modulated by the external modulator and optical signals not modulated by the external modulator, so as to obtain multiple branches of mixed optical signals; an electrical differential unit for converting the multiple branches of mixed optical signals into corresponding multiple branches of electrical signals, and performing a differential processing on voltages of the multiple branches of electrical signals to obtain differential signals; and a power detection unit for detecting power of the differential signals.
US08725000B2
A method for correcting for optical channel bandwidth misalignment between output passbands of a first optical device and input passbands of a second optical device. The method may involve transmitting a plurality of optical signals from the output passbands of the first optical device, with each of the optical signals being transmitted within an associated one of the passbands of the output. The first plurality of optical signals may be received within the input passbands of the second optical device. The optical signals may be analyzed to determine if the passbands of the first optical device or the second optical device has shifted. A characteristic of a filter through which the optical signals pass may be altered to cause a needed degree of shifting of wavelength bands of the optical signals to bring the optical signals into alignment within the passbands of the second optical device.
US08724997B2
The disclosure provides a long-distance box and a method for processing uplink/downlink light thereof. The method includes that: the uplink/downlink light (uplink light and downlink light) from different PON systems is split, and the uplink/downlink light from different PON systems is transmitted through different optical paths; and the uplink/downlink light from different PON systems is processed by long-distance boxes belonging to corresponding systems in different optical paths, and then output to the OLTs/ONUs of respective systems. By means of the method provided in the disclosure, a simple and reliable solution is provided for operators to solve the long-distance problem caused by the coexistence of multiple PON systems; furthermore, in the disclosure, modification for the system is slightest, reliability of the system is highest, and an efficiency of the system is highest, so that time and cost are saved for the operators.
US08724989B2
An optical packet switching system includes optical packet switching apparatus and an optical packet transmitting apparatus. The optical packet switching apparatus includes client optical delay units for delaying optical packet signals, network optical delay units for delaying one of the network optical packet signals, the network optical delay unit having a longer delay time than the client optical delay unit, an optical switch unit for switching the route of the inputted client optical packet signal so as to be sent out, an optical switch control unit for controlling the optical switch unit. The optical switch control unit is configured in such a manner as to detect a free time slot. The optical packet transmitting apparatus adjusts transmit timing, with which the client optical packet signal is sent out, in such a manner that the client optical packet signal is inserted into the free time slot.
US08724984B1
In one embodiment, notifications of upcoming maintenance activities are provided by network devices, such as to allow packet switching or other optical layer client devices to reroute traffic prior to the occurrence of the traffic affecting event. For example, one such network device includes optical interfaces for coupling with fibers for transporting information using dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM); DWDM switching equipment for cross-connecting wavelengths of the fibers; and a controller configured to inform packet switching or other optical layer client devices whose traffic would be affected by an upcoming event that would disrupt communication on one or more wavelengths on one or more fibers so that the packet switching or other optical layer client devices can reroute traffic that would otherwise go over said one or more wavelengths onto a different path in a network prior to said disruption.
US08724979B2
An imaging apparatus for imaging an object has an enclosure chassis that defines an enclosed imaging volume and that provides an imaging aperture to a camera apparatus that mounts against the chassis and that further provides at least a first lateral access opening for access to the object. A light-obstructing gasket is coupled to the enclosure chassis and has at least a first foldable lateral access leaf that folds to a first position against the first lateral access opening to block ambient light through the first lateral access opening and that folds away from the first lateral access opening to a second position to allow access to the object.
US08724977B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and method for reducing non uniformity during thermal processing. One embodiment provides an apparatus for processing a substrate comprising a chamber body defining a processing volume, a substrate support disposed in the processing volume, wherein the substrate support is configured to rotate the substrate, a sensor assembly configured to measure temperature of the substrate at a plurality of locations, and one or more pulse heating elements configured to provide pulsed energy towards the processing volume.
US08724973B2
A heat equalizer includes a container structure, a material feed pipe, and a heating mechanism. The container structure includes an inner container and an outer container. In the outer container, a working fluid is held. Respective upper ends of the inner container and the outer container are joined to form a hollow portion between the inner container and the outer container. The material feed pipe extends from an outside of the container structure to the inner surface of the inner container. The heating mechanism is placed at the bottom of the outer container. At the bottom surface of the inner container, a plurality of protrusions protruding toward the inside of the inner container and depressions formed by the bottom surface depressed inward of the protrusions and capable of receiving the vaporized working fluid are formed.
US08724971B2
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for recording transmitted data items, and particularly television and radio programmes. The data items are received at one or more inputs along with ID data identifying the transmitted data items and the programme series to which the data item belongs. An input interface receives input indicating whether one or more received transmitted data items have been viewed or recorded by a user and a processor generates values for ranking the series to which each of the received data items belong based upon the received input. Subsequently received transmitted data items are stored in a storage device based on the generated values, the stored data items belonging to a series for which a value has been generated.
US08724969B2
A network editor comprises a central location with stored movies that can be edited by editors at remote locations. An editor receives a representation of the movie, and specifies edits relative to the representation, enabling the editor to use a device lacking sufficient processing capability to edit the movie directly, and also reducing the volume of information transmitted between the central location and the remote editor. The central location is able to provide the edited movie in a format suitable to the display capabilities of the viewing device of the viewer requesting the edited movie.
US08724965B2
A playback apparatus has a platform 1410 that is a program execution environment of an application 1400. When the platform 1410 initiates the application 1400, a graphics information transmission unit 1403, which corresponds to an API function, obtains graphics information and stores the graphics information in a graphics information storage unit 1413. A graphics information control unit 1414 selects graphics information to be rendered, based on a stream event obtained by a stream event reception unit 1416 and the graphics information stored in the graphics information storage unit 1413. The graphics information control unit 1414 has a graphics rendition unit 1415 render the selected graphics with a video playback timing relating to the stream event.
US08724962B2
Recording arrangements that records a picture on a recording medium in a file format, the arrangements including: forming the format so as to produce one Play Item in each of acquired pictures, and to arrange one or a plurality of Play Items in one Play List; and recording a picture on the recording medium according to the format; wherein: when recording a first picture first under a first age, a first Play List is produced, when recording a second picture further under the first date, a Play Item is produced in the first Play List without producing a new Play List, when recording a third picture first under a second date different from the first date, a second Play List is newly produced, and when recording a fourth picture further under the second date, a Play Item is produced in the second Play List without producing a new Play List.
US08724954B2
A trench optical fiber that stably realizes a small transmission loss includes (1) a core extending in an axial direction while containing an axial center of the fiber, the core having a diameter d1 of 7.0 μm to 7.4 μm; (2) a first optical cladding layer surrounding the core and having an outside diameter d2 of 1.67d1 to 2.5d1; (3) a second optical cladding layer surrounding the first optical cladding layer; and (4) a jacket layer surrounding the second optical cladding layer and containing fluorine having a concentration of 0.06 wt % or higher. A relative refractive index difference Δ1 of the core with respect to the jacket layer is 0.31% to 0.37%. A relative refractive index difference Δ2 of the first optical cladding layer with respect to the jacket layer is +0.02% or larger and smaller than Δ1. A relative refractive index difference Δ3 of the second optical cladding layer with respect to the jacket layer is −0.2% or smaller.
US08724949B2
The invention aims to provide an optical fiber in which light that is input to the clad is easily released to the outside of the clad, and a laser device using the optical fiber. An optical fiber (50) includes a core (51), and a clad (52) coating the core (51). The clad (52) includes a refractive-index varying region (56) in which the refractive index increases in the direction from the inner circumferential side toward the outer circumferential side. In this structure, even when light is input to the clad (52), the light that has reached the refractive-index varying region (56) of the clad (52) is refracted and propagates from the inner circumferential side toward the outer circumferential side of the clad (52). Accordingly, light that is input to the clad (52) is easily released to the outside of the clad (52).
US08724944B2
A component for coupling light bi-directionally between optical waveguides and optoelectronic devices is described. This component can be inexpensively manufactured and fits within the existing form-factor of fiber optic transceivers or transmitters, and has features for efficiently coupling laser light to a waveguide and light from the same waveguide to a detector. The described components can be formed as an array to operate within system that operation over parallel optical fibers. Applicability for these components is for optical time domain reflectometry, bi-directional optical communications, remote fiber sensing, and optical range finders.
US08724940B2
A circuit board assembly includes a first circuit board, and a second circuit board, a first optical transceiver, a number of first light wave guides, a second optical transceiver, and a number of second light wave guides. The first circuit board defines a number of first through holes. The second circuit board defines a number of second and third through holes. Each of the third through holes is aligned with a respective first though hole. The first optical transceiver is optically coupled with the second through holes. The first light wave guides are mounted on one surface of the first circuit board and optically coupled with the second through holes. The second optical transceiver is optically coupled with the third through holes. The second light wave guides are mounted on another surface of the first circuit board and are optically coupled with the first through holes.
US08724939B2
A configuration for routing electrical signals between a conventional electronic integrated circuit (IC) and an opto-electronic subassembly is formed as an array of signal paths carrying oppositely-signed signals on adjacent paths to lower the inductance associated with the connection between the IC and the opto-electronic subassembly. The array of signal paths can take the form of an array of wirebonds between the IC and the subassembly, an array of conductive traces formed on the opto-electronic subassembly, or both.
US08724937B2
An interface device includes a body portion having a single-mode waveguide portion including a substantially optically transparent material, a cladding portion defined by channels contacting the waveguide portion, the cladding portion including a substantially optically transparent polymer material, an engagement feature operative to engage a portion of a wafer, and a guide portion operative to engage a portion of an optical fiber ferrule.
US08724930B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a copying method that combines optical character recognition (OCR) technology and a search in order to improve the quality of a copy despite the presence of degrading factors. In one embodiment, the search comprises an Internet search and is used to reconstruct/enhance the copy digitally before outputting the copy to print or some other digital medium. Advantageously, a copy produced using the techniques of the present invention may be at least equal to if not better than the original document copied.
US08724927B2
A portion of a digital image is displayed where the portion that is displayed depends upon a mask. After the portion of the digital image is displayed, a change to the mask is received. It is determined, based at least in part on the received change to the mask, a transformation to be applied to the digital image. A new portion of the digital image is displayed based at least in part on the changed mask and the determined transformation, where the new portion that is displayed has the same center point as the previously displayed portion.
US08724926B2
The disclosure relates to an image processing method for estimating a brain shift in a patient, the method involving: the processing of a three-dimensional image of the brain of a patient, acquired before a surgical operation, in order to obtain a reference cerebral arterial tree structure of the patient; the processing of three-dimensional images of the brain of the patient, acquired during the operation, in order to at least partially reconstitute a current cerebral arterial tree structure of the patient; the determination from the combination of the reference and current cerebral arterial tree structures, of a field of shift of the vascular tree representing the shift of the current vascular tree in relation to the reference vascular tree; the application of the determined field of shift of the vascular tree to a biomechanical model of the brain of the patient in order to estimate the brain shift of the patient; and the generation, from the estimated brain shift, of at least one image of the brain of the patient, in which the brain shift is compensated.
US08724921B2
Methods, image processors and imaging devices for capturing a high dynamic range (HDR) image. Multiple images of a scene are captured at respectively different exposure settings. A further image of an object placed in the scene is captured at one exposure setting. A first radiance image is formed from the multiple images. A second radiance image is formed from the further image. The first radiance image and the second radiance image are merged to form the HDR image.
US08724919B2
The sharpness of a digital image is adjusted according to defined aim subject and background sharpness levels. An image segmentation process is used to segment an input digital image into a subject region and a background region. The subject and background regions are analyzed to determine corresponding subject and background sharpness levels. An enhanced digital image is formed wherein the sharpness of the subject region is adjusted responsive to the subject sharpness level and the aim subject sharpness level, and the sharpness of the background region is adjusted responsive to the background sharpness level and the aim background sharpness level. In some embodiments, the input digital image is analyzed to determined a scene type classification and the aim subject and background sharpness levels are defined in accordance with the determined scene type classification.
US08724917B2
Techniques, apparatus and systems are described for selecting the recommended image among sequentially captured images. In aspect, a method of selecting the recommended image includes measuring a brightness value and a sharpness value for each of sequentially captured images. The measured brightness and sharpness values are combined for each image to obtain a combined value for each image. The recommended image is selected from among the sequentially captured images based on the obtained combined values.
US08724914B2
Hierarchical data in which image data that represents an image at different resolutions is arranged according to the resolution comprises three types of data including a header, index blocks, and tile images. The header defines a plurality of areas produced by dividing the pyramidal hierarchical structure in the virtual space in which the hierarchical data is generated. A pointer pointing to one of the index blocks is set in each area. The index blocks are generated for the respective areas in the structure defined by the header. A pointer pointing to one of the tile images is defined for a position in the images in a plurality of layers belonging to each area. The images are image data actually used to render an image.
US08724913B2
A method for decoding run-length encoded (RLE) data includes the steps of receiving the RLE data and storing a predetermined value (e.g., zero) in each of a plurality of consecutively-accessible storage locations of a buffer. The method further includes writing a first value different than the predetermined value to a first storage location based on the RLE data, jumping over (i.e., skipping) a number of the consecutively-accessible storage locations from the first storage location to a next storage location based on the RLE data, and writing a next value different than the predetermined value to the next storage location based on the RLE data. In the case of JPEG, the values stored in the storage locations of the buffer are quantized coefficients associated with a block of image data. A run-length decoder is also described.
US08724903B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products used to locate a feature in an image.
US08724901B2
When processing image data by referring to at least one of reference image data and correction data, an image is processed in a unit of band area by dividing image data of a target image in a plurality of band areas. In this case, the minimum transfer unit of the image data is set. The minimum transfer unit of at least one of the reference image data and the correction data is obtained to process the image data in the minimum transfer unit. The transfer rate of the image data is determined so that the image data to be buffered fits in a capacity of a buffer available in image processing. The height of the band area to be created by division is determined based on the ratio of the transfer rate of the image data to the minimum transfer unit of the image data.
US08724893B2
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a method is provided to generate a color look up table for multiple images. The method includes selecting color points from a first image. The first color points comprise weak image texture. The method also includes identifying feature points in a spatial neighborhood of each first color point. Additionally, the method includes identifying feature points from a second image. The second feature points correspond to the first feature points. The method also includes determining a color points in the second image. The second color points correspond to the first color points, and are determined using a spatial interpolation of the first plurality of color points from the first plurality of feature points and then applying the obtained spatial interpolation to the second plurality of feature points. Further, the method includes generating the color lookup table.
US08724891B2
An apparatus and method for detection of abnormal motion in video stream, having a training phase for defining normal motion and a detection phase for detecting abnormal motions in the video stream is provided. Motion is detected according to motion vectors and motion features extracted from video frames.
US08724886B2
A three-dimensional sense adjusting unit displays three-dimensional images to a user. If a displayed reaches a limit of parallax, the user responds to the three-dimensional sense adjusting unit. According to acquired appropriate parallax information, a parallax control unit generates parallax images to realize the appropriate parallax in the subsequent stereo display. The control of parallaxes is realized by optimally setting camera parameters by going back to three-dimensional data. Functions to realize the appropriate parallax are made into and presented by a library.
US08724884B2
A controller is provided for maneuvering an interrogation plane relative to a reference surface. The interrogation plane intersects the reference surface and is associated with a pole about which the interrogation plane is rotatable. The pole has an adjustable angle of inclination relative to the reference surface. The controller has a base, a handle, and an arm extending from a connection with the base to a connection with the handle. The arm has hingable joints which hinge to allow the handle to be translated relative to the base in arbitrary directions across a user surface. The controller further has position sensors which measure the translation of the handle relative to the base on the user surface. The translation provides a corresponding translation of the interrogation plane relative to the reference surface. The handle is rotatable about a rotation axis and is tillable about a tilt axis to allow the handle to be angularly moved relative to the user surface. The controller further has angle sensors which respectively detect the rotation about the rotation axis and the tilt about the tilt axis. The rotation about the rotation axis and the tilting about the tilt axis provide angular movement of the interrogation plane relative to the reference surface corresponding to the angular movement of the handle relative to the user surface.
US08724870B2
An ophthalmic observation apparatus 1 performs an OCT measurement of a fundus Ef to form an OCT image, performs an analytical processing on this OCT image, and outputs examination-results information including the analysis results. The ophthalmic observation apparatus 1 is capable of selectively executing a plurality of operation modes. The ophthalmic observation apparatus 1 preliminarily stores operation mode information 214, in which various operational details are associated with each operation mode. When one operation mode is designated, the ophthalmic observation apparatus 1 refers to the operation mode information 214 to identify the operational details associated with this operation mode, and controls an optical system, an image forming part 220, a three-dimensional image forming part 231, an analytic processor 232, a display 240, and/or a printer 300, etc. based on the identified operational details.
US08724869B2
An apparatus handles a series of medical images. A time density curve generation unit generates time density curves respectively corresponding to pixels from the series of medical images. An approximation processing unit approximates a convolution between a specific time density curve of the time density curves and each of types of kinetic models to each of the time density curves upon adjustment of at least one parameter which each of the kinetic models has. A suitability index map generation unit generates types of suitability index maps respectively corresponding to the types of kinetic models based on approximation errors respectively corresponding to the pixels, which are obtained by the approximation processing unit.
US08724868B2
Systems and methods are provided for displaying images captured from a panoramic capsule camera system. In one embodiment according to the invention, multiple sub-image sets are generated using a sub-image set window on the panoramic image by cyclically shifting the panoramic image. The multiple sub-image sets are then displayed in multiple display windows. In another embodiment according to the invention, the sub-image set in every other display window is flipped horizontally, vertically or both horizontally and vertically.
US08724866B2
Described herein is a framework for automatically classifying a structure in digital image data are described herein. In one implementation, a first set of features is extracted from digital image data, and used to learn a discriminative model. The discriminative model may be associated with at least one conditional probability of a class label given an image data observation Based on the conditional probability, at least one likelihood measure of the structure co-occurring with another structure in the same sub-volume of the digital image data is determined. A second set of features may then be extracted from the likelihood measure.
US08724861B1
An integrated system for studying human grasping techniques includes a fingerprint sensor and a force sensor for simultaneously measuring the contact position and orientation of a fingertip together with the contact force and torque exerted by the fingertip during a grasp. The system uses the fingerprint image obtained from the fingerprint sensor to identify the contact position and orientation of the fingertip based on fingerprint features such as the core point and local ridge orientations. The contact position and orientation of the fingertip are represented in a fingertip coordinate system. The system has utility in human grasping studies to characterize the fingertip contact.
US08724857B2
This specification describes technologies relating to biometric authentication based on images of the eye. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include obtaining a first image of an eye including a view of the white of the eye. The method may further include determining metrics for the first image, including a first metric for reflecting an extent of one or more connected structures in the first image that represents a morphology of eye vasculature and a second metric for comparing the extent of eye vasculature detected across different color components in the first image. A quality score may be determined based on the metrics for the first image. The first image may be rejected or accepted based on the quality score.
US08724855B2
Disclosed herein is a biometric information measurement apparatus using a user terminal. The biometric information measurement apparatus includes a light-emitting control unit, a camera, an image analysis unit, and a biometric information measurement unit. The light-emitting control unit controls the output of an optical signal from at least one light emitting element which outputs the optical signal to a part of a body of a user. The camera is to be placed to face the part of the body, and configured to capture light generated in such a way that the optical signal passes through the part of the body or the optical signal is reflected off of the part of the body. The image analysis unit analyzes an image captured using the camera. The biometric information measurement unit measures biometric information about the user based on the results of the image analysis.
US08724851B2
An aerial survey video processing apparatus for analyzing aerial survey video. The apparatus includes a feature tracking section adapted to associate identified features with items in a list of features being tracked, based on a predicted location of the features being tracked. The tracking section updates the list of features being tracked with the location of the associated identified features.
US08724848B1
This specification relates to locating objects using indicia. In general, one innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions of obtaining an image captured from a camera in proximity of an object located in an indoor facility, the image being of a portion of a surface of the indoor facility comprising a plurality of visible indicia, the camera having an orientation generally pointed at the surface. A plurality of local indicia are identified within the image. The locations of the local indicia within the image and an index of the visible indicia of the surface are used to determine the location of the object relative to the surface.
US08724840B2
A microphone with an offset acoustic channel. The microphone includes an external case, an acoustic chamber enclosure within the external case, a microphone transducer positioned within the acoustic chamber enclosure, and a gasket positioned between the external case and the acoustic chamber enclosure. A first opening in the external case is positioned an offset lateral distance from a second opening in the acoustic chamber enclosure. An acoustic channel is formed in the gasket extending from the first opening to the second opening along the offset lateral distance.
US08724837B2
Systems and methods are provided for a media device docking station having one or more acoustic channels to transfer sound to or from the media device while the media device is docked with the docking station.
US08724831B2
In one embodiment, an amplification circuit receives an analog signal and adds another signal to the analog signal to modify the minimum amplitude of the analog input signal.
US08724829B2
Based on phase differences between corresponding frequency components of different channels of a multichannel signal, a measure of directional coherency is calculated. Application of such a measure to voice activity detection and noise reduction are also disclosed.
US08724828B2
A correction spectrum calculation unit 6 obtains a correction spectrum by smoothing an estimated noise spectrum in accordance with the degree of its variations, and a suppression quantity limiting coefficient calculation unit 7 decides a suppression quantity limiting coefficient from the correction spectrum. A suppression quantity calculation unit 9 obtains a suppression coefficient based on the suppression quantity limiting coefficient, and the spectrum suppression unit 10 carries out amplitude suppression of spectral components of an input signal.
US08724825B2
A headset (1) for voice communication comprising a housing (2) and a pickup unit (8) rotatably connected to the housing via a joint (7). The pickup unit (8) comprises at least a first microphone (5), which is electrically connected via at least a first electrical connection to an electronic circuit for processing signals from the first microphone (5). The electronic circuit is arranged in the housing (2). The first electrical connection comprises a first sliding contact (20, 70), which comprises a housing side and a microphone side. The two sides are mutually rotatable about a rotational axis (26). One of the housing side or the microphone side of the sliding contact comprises a first annular ring (50) arranged so that the ring (50) is positioned around the rotational axis (26). The other of the housing side or the microphone side comprises a number of contact members (30) arranged in a radial distance from the rotational axis (26) so as to provide an electrical connection between the first annular ring (50) and the contact members (30).
US08724817B2
A method for managing keys in a computer memory including receiving a request to store a first key to a first key repository, storing the first key to a second key repository in response to the request, and storing the first key from the second key repository to the first key repository within said computer memory based on a predetermined periodicity.
US08724812B2
Methods for establishing secure point-to-point communications in a trunked radio system include receiving, at a trunking controller, a request from a source endpoint for a traffic channel for confidential communications between the source endpoint and a destination endpoint using a shared unique first symmetric key. The trunking controller provides keying material related to the symmetric key over the secured control channel to at least one of the source or destination endpoints and assigns a traffic channel. Moreover, in response to the request, the controller assigns a traffic channel. The keying material enables the unique first symmetric key to be securely established between the source and destination endpoints.
US08724804B2
According to an embodiment, a first linear transformation unit performs a linear transformation from mask data to first mask data. A second linear transformation unit performs a linear transformation from mask data to second mask data. A first calculator calculates first data based upon data to be processed and the first mask data. A selecting unit selects the first data or the second mask data. A non-linear transformation unit performs a non-linear transformation on the selected first data or second mask data. A second calculator calculates second data based upon the first data after the non-linear transformation and the mask data. A third linear transformation unit performs a linear transformation on the second data. The second data after the linear transformation by the third linear transformation unit is retained as new data to be processed, and the second mask data after the non-linear transformation is retained as new mask data.
US08724802B2
A method of creating an encryption system for encrypting a plurality of plaintext words is provided. The method comprises associating (104) respective plaintext words (202) with respective sets (207) of error positions (212) of an error vector, and associating (106) respective values of at least one of the plaintext words (202) with respective error vector values, wherein positions of the respective error vector values outside the set (207) of error positions associated with the one of the plaintext words (202) are zero. The method further comprises associating (108) the respective values of the plaintext word (202) with respective representations of respective syndromes (218) of the respective error vectors according to an error correcting code.
US08724797B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for estimating and assigning agent performance characteristics in a call routing center. Performance characteristics (e.g., sales rate, customer satisfaction, duration of call, etc.) may be assigned to an agent when the agent has made few calls relative to other agents or otherwise has a large error in their measure of one or more performance characteristics used for matching callers to agents (e.g., via a performance based or pattern matching routing method). A method includes identifying agents of a plurality of agents having a number of calls fewer than a predetermined number of calls (or an error in the performance characteristic exceeding a threshold), assigning a performance characteristic to the identified agents (that is different than the agent's actual performance characteristic), and routing a caller to one of the plurality of agents based on the performance characteristics of the plurality of agents.
US08724796B2
The present invention provides a more accurate estimate as to time for completion of a call by using estimated time durations of separate phases of the call and by determining what phase a call is currently on. An important feature of the present invention is the use of automated speech processing techniques to estimate where the customer and agent are in their conversation and to gauge the rate of progress of the call.
US08724795B1
A call center problem resolution system is provided. The system comprises, a computer system comprising at least one processor and a memory, a data store coupled to the computer, and an application stored in the memory. When executed by the processor, the application receives call information comprising a calling number, and it retrieves communication equipment information based on the calling number, communication service plan information based on the calling number, and communication network operations information based on the communication service plan information. When executed, the application further receives words describing a problem experienced by communication equipment associated with the calling number. Based on the plurality of words describing the problem, the communication network operations information, the communication service plan information, and the communication equipment information, the application identifies a plurality of information items, and presents the plurality of information items in a prioritized order to a call agent.
US08724790B2
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for sending and receiving facsimile transmissions in a voice-over-IP system. In certain embodiments, a facsimile machine may include a network interface and a call set up protocol client configured to interface with a call set up protocol server. The call set up protocol client may communicate with the call set up protocol server using the network interface to establish a communication channel with the public switched telephone network. The call set up protocol client may operate according to the session initiation protocol. The facsimile machine may be configured to send and receive facsimile transmissions according to the T.30 protocol. In alternative embodiments, the facsimile machine may be configured to send and receive facsimile transmissions according to the T.38 protocol.
US08724787B2
A method, system and apparatus for implementing a Multimedia Ring Back Tone (MRBT) service are provided. The method includes: receiving a call request originated by a calling terminal; parsing a tone playing policy specifying whether to play a caller tone or a callee tone or whether to filter a tone; performing caller tone media negotiation or callee tone media negotiation, or performing no tone negotiation according to the parsing result; and playing the caller tone or the callee tone to the caller, or playing no tone. With the technical solution of the present invention, the caller tone service can be implemented in the IMS domain. Whether a caller tone or a callee tone is played to the caller is determined according to a preset policy. Furthermore, the tone filtering service is also implemented. This gives a user freedom in experiencing the MRBT service.
US08724783B1
One computer-implemented method includes identifying a plurality of communication plans, identifying a first communication associated with a first access method and associated with a first attribute, determining a first communication plan associated with the first communication from the plurality of communication plans, the determination based at least in part on the first attribute associated with the first communication, identifying a second communication different than the first communication and associated with the first access method, the second communication associated with a second attribute different than the first attribute, and determining a second communication plan associated with the second communication from the plurality of communication plans, the determination based at least in part on the second attribute associated with the second communication, wherein the first and second communication plans are associated with a prepaid pay-as-you-go or subscription monetary values.
US08724781B2
Implementations of the present disclosure involve a system and/or method for correlating the cost of ordered telecommunications services. The system receives a customer order that includes various services. The services are matched to available solutions for the services. Each solution includes one or more product instances that are used to implement the solution. Each product instance may be matched to a service component. Each service component may be associated with an on-net service or an off-net service. Service components associated with on-net services may be assigned a cost. Service components associated with off-net services may be correlated to an off-net service and an estimated cost.
US08724774B2
The application discloses systems and methods for determining an atomic number of a material being scanned by generating a predetermined number of transmission data samples, determining a variance of the transmission data samples, and determining the atomic number of the material being scanned by comparing the variance or a derivative of the variance of the transmission data samples to one or more predetermined variances. The application also discloses systems and methods for determining an atomic number of a material being scanned by deriving transmission signal samples of the material being scanned, determining a variance of the signal samples, and determining an atomic number of the material being scanned by comparing the variance of the signal samples, or a derivative of the variance, to one or more predetermined variances.
US08724767B2
A retainer provided at lower portion of a pump beam of a jet pump for circulating cooling water to a reactor core or a bolt for fastening the retainer is cut through an underwater-remote control to remove the bolt and the retainer is removed through the underwater-remote control.
US08724766B2
A compression sleeve for use in BWR jet pump sensing line repairs is configured to maintain its physical characteristics in an operating nuclear reactor environment. The sleeve includes shaped ends to accommodate deformation and flow of the sleeve so as to form a seal between jet pump sensing line components. A mechanical coupling assembly for repairing a jet pump sensing line is configured to include the compression sleeve.
US08724763B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling a buffer in a digital audio broadcasting (DAB) communication system. The transmitter predicts the number of encoded frames, Fpred, in the buffer having a limited level and transmits the value, Fpred, to the receiver with the frame. If the transmitter determines that the decoder buffer level is high, the frames being generated by the encoder are small and additional bits are allocated to each frame for each of the N programs. Likewise, if the transmitter determines that the decoder buffer level is becoming low, the frames being generated by the encoder are big and fewer bits are allocated to each frame for each of the N programs. The transmitted predicted buffer level, Fpred, can also be employed to (i) determine when the decoder should commence decoding frames; and (ii) synchronize the transmitter and the receiver clock using feedback depending on the compared level of the decoder to the actual level to Fpred.
US08724762B2
A clock regeneration method, for generating a clock signal for being utilized by a receiver/transceiver/receiver system/transceiver system, includes: performing data/pattern detection on at least one input signal to generate recovered data; detecting at least one synchronization pattern in the input signal according to a synchronization pattern rule, and generating a synchronization signal corresponding to the synchronization pattern; and performing frequency-locking on the synchronization signal to generate the clock signal. More particularly, the step of detecting the at least one synchronization pattern in the input signal according to the synchronization pattern rule further comprises: detecting the at least one synchronization pattern by performing synchronization pattern detection on the recovered data. An associated reference-less receiver and an associated crystal-less system are also provided.
US08724759B2
The current application is directed to maintaining the correct number of symbols in a protocol frame in a digital communications receiver, to prevent catastrophic failure due to dynamic multipath or cycle slips. Timing recovery and framing are coherent, facilitated by placing channel estimation directly into a larger timing recovery loop.
US08724756B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for identifying a spectral region in a radio frequency spectrum for initiating a communication session having a transmission link and a reception link, determining a correlation factor from signals measured in the spectral region, detecting according to the correlation factor a foreign communication signal in the spectral region, generating coefficient data to prevent interference with the foreign communication signal while transmitting in the transmission link, filtering a first signal for transmission in the transmission link according to the coefficient data to generate a filtered signal, and causing a transmission of the filtered signal which prevents interference with the foreign communication signal while transmitting in the transmission link. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08724752B2
An amplitude/orthogonality error compensator includes: an amplitude corrector configured to perform an amplitude correction on an in-phase component and a quadrature component of an input complex signal based on amplitude error information, and to output a complex signal obtained through the amplitude correction; an orthogonality corrector configured to perform an orthogonality correction on the complex signal, obtained through the amplitude correction, based on orthogonality error information, and to output a complex signal obtained through the orthogonality correction; a filter section configured to allow a predetermined frequency component included in the complex signal obtained through the orthogonality correction to pass through the filter section; an amplitude error detector configured to obtain the amplitude error information based on the complex signal that has passed through the filter section; and an orthogonality error detector configured to obtain the orthogonality error information of the complex signal.
US08724746B2
A system and method for signaling and detecting in wireless communications systems are provided. A method for processing information includes operating in a first phase, operating in a second phase, and processing the detected information. The first phase includes iteratively inverting a first filtering operation on received signals, and the second phase includes iteratively inverting a second filtering operation on received signals with consideration given to a first estimation error of symbols of the first user and a second estimation error of symbols of the second user.
US08724745B2
A system and method for decoding coded data streams is disclosed. In one embodiment, in a method for decoding coded data streams, a coded data stream including an embedded input clock signal is oversampled to measure substantially sequentially a plurality of pulse widths in a current frame using a sync and reference value acquisition digital logic. The coded data steam includes a plurality of frames, and each frame includes a preamble of fixed length and a series of data bits. The oversampling is performed using a high frequency clock signal having a substantially higher frequency than a frequency of the embedded input clock signal. Then, the coded data stream is decoded based on the measured plurality of pulse widths in the current frame using a data decoder.
US08724740B2
Systems and methods for improving the performance of a MIMO wireless communication system by reducing the amount of uplink resources that are needed to provide channel performance feedback for the adjustment of data rates on the downlink MIMO channels. In one embodiment, a method comprises encoding each of a set of data streams according to corresponding data rates, permuting the data streams on a set of MIMO channels according to a full permutation of combinations, transmitting the permuted data streams, receiving the permuted data streams, decoding and determining an SNR for each of the data streams, computing a condensed SNR metric for the set of data streams, providing the condensed metric as feedback, determining a set of individual SNR metrics for the data streams based on the condensed SNR metric, and adjusting the data rates at which the data streams are encoded based on the individual SNR metrics.
US08724739B2
A phase shifter-attenuator system having: a controller for producing a digital word representative of a predetermined phase shift and attenuation provided to an input signal; and a phase shifter-attenuation section. The phase shifter-attenuation section includes: a phase rotator for providing one of a plurality combinations of phase shifts-attenuation states to the input signal selectively in accordance with one portion of the produced digital word; and an attenuation section for distributing the plurality of combinations of phase shift-attenuation states over a selected range of attenuations, such range being selected in accordance with a second portion of the produced digital word. The phase shifter-attenuator section provides one of a plurality of combinations of phase shift-attenuation states to the input signal selectively in accordance with one portion of the produced digital word, the combinations being distributed over a range of attentions selected in accordance with a second portion of the digital word.
US08724737B2
A method and apparatus for adjusting power grants in wireless communications. Multiple power grant tables are stored and one or more tables are designated during communication.
US08724731B2
Signals propagating from an aggressor communication channel can cause detrimental interference in a victim communication channel. One or more noise cancellers can generate an interference compensation signal to suppress or cancel the interference based on one or more settings. A controller can execute algorithms to find preferred settings for the noise canceller(s). The controller can use a feedback signal (e.g., receive signal quality indicator) received from a victim receiver during the execution of the algorithm(s) to find the preferred settings. One exemplary algorithm includes sequentially evaluating the feedback resulting from a predetermined list of settings. Another algorithm includes determining whether to move from one setting to the next based on the feedback values for both settings. Yet another algorithm includes evaluating a number of sample settings to determine which of the sample settings result in a better feedback value and searching around that sample setting for a preferred setting.
US08724716B2
A method and an apparatus for Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) in a communication system are provided. The method includes determining an IFFT size based on a number of input information symbols, and performing an IFFT operation based on the determined IFFT size.
US08724713B2
A video filter processes a video input signal having a frame type. The video filter includes a horizontal deblocking filter that is coupled to receive the video input signal and to produce a filtered video signal in response thereto. A vertical deblocking filter includes a mode controller that generates a mode control signal based on the frame type. A filter is selectively enabled based on the mode control signal, and wherein, when the filter is selectively enabled, the filter video deblock filters the filtered video signal to generate the processed video signal.
US08724712B1
A system, apparatus, and method for encoding a plurality of frames in a video stream with temporal scalability. The method includes identifying a non-uniform sequence of time values within a period, determining a frame corresponding to each time value in the non-uniform sequence, within at least one period, and assigning each of the determined frames to one of a plurality of temporal encoding layers.
US08724704B2
A motion estimation apparatus and method for quickly performing video encoding based on a user input through a user input device are provided. The motion estimation apparatus includes an input receiver for receiving a user input, an input pattern analysis unit for analyzing the received user input and determining a user input pattern according to the analyzed user input, a storage for storing history information of a motion vector according to the user input pattern, and a motion estimator for initially estimating a motion vector of a motion estimation block of a current frame with reference to history information of a motion vector corresponding to the user input pattern stored in the storage, deciding a search location of a block matching the motion estimation block from a reference frame, and performing motion estimation on the motion estimation block using the decided search location.
US08724698B2
A method and system are provided for encoding a picture. The method includes encoding the picture into a first encoded picture using a first universal quantizer. If a size of the first encoded picture is greater than a maximum picture size, the method includes encoding the picture into a second encoded picture using small quantizers for smooth regions of the picture and large quantizers for complex regions. If a size of the second encoded picture is still greater than a maximum picture size, the method includes encoding the picture into a third encoded picture with revised quantizers for complex regions and dropping high frequency coefficients if necessary to ensure the encoded picture size never exceeds the maximum size.
US08724685B2
An apparatus and a method for interference cancellation in a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) wireless communication system. The method for interference cancellation includes equalizing first reception signals received through two or more reception antennas to estimate transmission signals transmitted through two or more transmission antennas, generating two or more second reception signals in which a mutual interference between the transmission signals is removed from the first reception signals by using the estimated transmission signals, independently equalizing the generated two or more second reception signals, and combining the independently equalized two or more second reception signals to estimate a transmission signal in which an interference is removed.
US08724682B2
In a method for carrying out bidirectional communications between a first electronic unit and a second electronic unit, a clock signal and an input signal synchronized with the clock signal are transmitted from the first electronic unit to the second electronic unit, and the second electronic unit transmits a response sequence in an output signal to the first electronic unit. In addition, an unambiguous test sequence is generated in the second electronic unit and transmitted to the first electronic unit prior to the response sequence in the output signal, a time sequence between the test sequence and the response sequence in the output signal making it possible to take into account a time delay between the first electronic unit and the second electronic unit.
US08724674B2
A device may generate a clock signal using spread-spectrum clocking. The spread-spectrum clocking may modulate a frequency of the clock signal to produce a plurality of frequencies for the clock signal during a modulation cycle. The device may receive an instruction to disable the spread-spectrum clocking, and may disable the spread spectrum clocking at the end of the modulation cycle.
US08724672B2
An ultrashort-pulse laser that has a resonator that includes a laser gain medium, dispersion compensation optics, and a deformable optical element adapted to change its shape and consequently one or more characteristics of pulses output from the cavity.
US08724668B2
Included are, a module fixing body having a plurality of mounting holes into which laser modules are fitted and accommodated, respectively; an electricity-supplying member having an end provided with electricity-supplying terminals, which are connected to electricity-receiving terminals of the laser module accommodated in the mounting hole; and a cooling member that cools each of the laser modules. A groove in which the electricity-supplying member is accommodated is formed in a surface of the module fixing body, and the cooling member is closely arranged on the surface of the module fixing body.
US08724656B2
Methods and devices are provided for efficient transmission of data between storage area networks. According to some aspects of the invention, novel methods are provided for processing data packets sent by, or received from, a storage area network. Some such aspects of the invention involve storing a packet (or a portion of a packet) in a single memory location during an encapsulation or de-encapsulation process. Instead of repeatedly copying the packet during processing, pointer information is passed along that indicates the single memory location. In some aspects of the invention, the segment boundaries of a packet are retained after data transmission. If data in the packet need to be re-transmitted, the packet is re-transmitted with the same segment boundaries.
US08724653B2
The disclosure provides a downlink transmission method and an eNodeB in a multiple input multiple output system. The method includes: obtaining channel quality indication of a User Equipment (UE) to generate a channel condition indication value; obtaining channel rank indication of the UE to generate a channel correlation indication value; obtaining uplink channel impulse response estimation data of the UE to generate a channel variation state indication value; selecting a downlink transmission mode according to the channel condition indication value, the channel correlation indication value and the channel variation state indication value; transmitting data to the UE in the selected downlink transmission mode. Because of extracting information from a current channel as a basis of a subsequent selection of the downlink mode, the disclosure can greatly improve a resource utilization ratio of a system and realize a better wireless transmission effect.
US08724643B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus for providing real-time voice communication between devices connected to an Internet Protocol (IP) network and devices connected to a public switched telephone network (PSTN). In one implementation, the system includes a computer-controlled switch for connection to a local PSTN, for receiving calls from the IP network and the PSTN, and for routing calls to the PSTN and the IP network; and gate interface circuitry connected to the switch and adapted for connection to the IP network. The gate interface circuitry includes gateway circuitry for interfacing the IP network and PSTN voice circuits, and gatekeeper circuitry for performing address translation, admission control, bandwidth management, and zone management. The switch stores at least one PSTN destination address and at least one IP network destination address for each subscriber. The switch routes an incoming call to any one of the destination addresses stored for the subscriber.
US08724636B2
Downlink PDCCH is communicated in a manner that mitigates a UE from decoding the PDCCH on multiple aggregation levels. Ambiguous payload sizes are identified and modified through zero padding with one or more bits based on the payload size. Aggregation level scrambling sequences can be generated such that a receiving UE can accurately identify the aggregation level on which to decode the PDCCH. Indicator bits that signal the aggregation level to a UE can also be included in the PDCCH.
US08724635B2
A system and method suitable for processing television signals includes a local collection facility that has a plurality of receivers receiving a plurality of channel signals, a plurality of encoders generating a first plurality of encoded signals from the plurality of channel signals, a multiplexer multiplexing the first plurality of encoded signals at a multiplexer to form first multiplexed signals, an ATM switch forming a primary ATM circuit between the local collection facility and the remote facility, and an ATM network adapter forming first ATM cells from the multiplexed signals and communicating the first ATM cells to a remote facility through the primary ATM circuit and the ATM switch. The system also includes a remote facility that includes a monitoring system generating control signals to tear down the primary ATM circuit and communicating the control signal to tear down the primary ATM circuit to the local collection facility.
US08724634B2
Method and apparatus for receiving high speed downlink shared channel (HS-DSCH) transmissions are disclosed. An HS-DSCH medium access control (MAC-ehs) entity receives MAC-ehs protocol data units (PDUs) via a high speed downlink shared channel (HS-DSCH) while in one of Cell_FACH, Cell_PCH, and URA_PCH states. The reordering PDUs included in the MAC-ehs PDUs may be sent to a next processing entity without performing reordering of the PDUs. A certain reordering queue may enter a suspend state upon occurrence of a triggering event and MAC-ehs PDUs distributed to the reordering queue in the suspend state may be forwarded to the next processing entity without performing reordering. MAC-ehs reset procedure may be extended for a certain transmission such that the MAC-ehs reset is performed after receiving a MAC-ehs PDU in a target cell.
US08724624B2
This invention first presents SRAM based pipeline IP lookup architectures including an SRAM based systolic array architecture that utilizes multi-pipeline parallelism idea and elaborates on it as the base architecture highlighting its advantages. In this base architecture a multitude of intersecting and different length pipelines are constructed on a two dimensional array of processing elements in a circular fashion. The architecture supports the use of any type of prefix tree instead of conventional binary prefix tree. The invention secondly proposes a novel use of an alternative and more advantageous prefix tree based on binomial spanning tree to achieve a substantial performance increase. The new approach, enhanced with other extensions including four-side input and three-pointer implementations, considerably increases the parallelism and search capability of the base architecture and provides a much higher throughput than all existing IP lookup approaches making, for example, a 7 Tbps router IP lookup front end speed possible. Although theoretical worst-case lookup delay in this systolic array structure is high, the average delay is quite low, large delays being observed only rarely. The structure in its new form is scalable in terms of processing elements and is also well suited for the IPv6 addressing scheme.
US08724621B2
The invention provides an electronic apparatus. In one embodiment, the electronic apparatus comprises a plurality of ports, an Ethernet circuit, a port switch, and a flow control scheduler. The Ethernet circuit generates a plurality of transmitted packets according to transmitted data sent from the host, and derives received data sent to a host from a plurality of received packets. The flow control scheduler receives a plurality of transmitting requests corresponding to the ports from the host, arbitrates between the transmitting requests corresponding to the ports to select a transmitting port from the ports, receives a plurality of receiving requests corresponding to the ports from the host, and arbitrates between the plurality of receiving requests corresponding to the ports to select a receiving port from the ports. The port switch sends the transmitted packets to the transmitting port, and receives the received packets from the receiving port.
US08724620B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, one or more components for receiving a call request at a first server from a first end user device, transmitting the call request from a first server to an intermediate server for establishing a voice or video call over an IP multimedia subsystem between the first end user device and a second end user device via a second server, and routing the voice or video call request from the first server to the second server using a second IP address when an undesired condition is determined to be associated with the IP multimedia subsystem. The second IP address can be obtained from a group of IP addresses stored in a memory of the first server and the group of IP addresses can be associated with other servers. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08724619B2
Systems and methods are provided for routing a telephone call intended for a communications device between a mobile network and a VOIP service, where the mobile network and VOIP service may be connected through the PSTN. The VOIP service may receive telephone calls and may direct the telephone calls to the communications device through the Internet when a stable Internet connection is present, and may route telephone calls to the mobile network through the PSTN otherwise. When a call is routed to the mobile network, the mobile network may make the call the communications device to establish a telephone connection through a cellular link. While a telephone call is in progress, the VOIP service and communications device may be configured to seamlessly switch the telephone call to a different service depending on the status of the communications device's Internet connection.
US08724617B2
An uplink synchronization processing method, a User Equipment (UE), and a base station are provided. The method includes: receiving a component carrier (CC) uplink synchronization indication message sent by a base station, where the uplink synchronization indication message carries identification information of one or multiple newly configured CCs; sending synchronization signaling to the base station when knowing that the uplink synchronization needs to be executed on all or a part of the one or multiple newly configured CCs corresponding to the identification information; and receiving a time advanced (TA) adjusting message that is sent by the base station according to the synchronization signaling, and applying a TA value carried in the TA adjusting message to the CC on which the uplink synchronization needs to be executed.
US08724614B2
A communications system and protocol for a radio communications network including a number of transceiver devices. The protocol ensures that network variables to be shared by all devices are correctly received and updated by all devices. The protocol also provides for accurately detecting the transition from one time slot to another, in a given data transaction. The protocol utilizes a method of providing a marker in a data time frame for use such as marking the end of a variable slot in a data frame. The method includes encoding data into states, and then generating a marker that is an illegal combination of states in the encoding scheme.
US08724606B2
The present disclosure discloses a network device and method for advertising channel load. The disclosed network device aggregates a number of clients that are associated with the network device on a specific wireless communication channel, and advertises the aggregated number to a client on the specific wireless communication channel. Further, the network device can receive aggregated load information on the specific wireless communication channel from another management network device, and further aggregates the load information across multiple wireless networks operating on the same wireless communication channel and coupled to different management network devices.
US08724604B2
A wireless router is provided, which includes: a wireless Access Point (AP) module, connected to a terminal equipment through a wireless link, and configured to implement wireless access of the terminal equipment; a station (STA) module, connected to a wireless AP in a fixed network through a wireless link, and configured to connect the terminal equipment to the Internet by using the wireless AP in a fixed network; and a wireless modem module, connected to an access device in a mobile network through a wireless link, and configured to connect the terminal equipment to the Internet by using the access device in a mobile network. According to the technical solutions, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) STA module, an AP module, and a wireless modem chip construct a wireless router to provide not only an AP function but also an STA function. The terminal equipment may be connected to the wireless router, and selects a fixed network hot spot or a wireless modem to access the Internet.
US08724593B2
A capture frequency decision method of deciding a capture frequency by executing a frequency search in which a correlation operation on a received signal, which is a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) signal, is performed at a plurality of search frequencies, includes: executing a first frequency search; setting a frequency for a side lobe check on the basis of a correlation integration time used in the first frequency search; selecting a plurality of search frequencies including the frequency for a side lobe check on the basis of a result of the first frequency search; executing a second frequency search of performing the correlation operation at the plurality of selected search frequencies; and deciding a capture frequency by executing a third frequency search using a result of the second frequency search.
US08724589B2
A wireless communication system includes a relay station, first and second wireless base stations, a gateway device, and a mobile station. The gateway device is connected to the first and second wireless base stations by a cable. The first and second wireless base stations are interconnected by a cable. The relay station is connected wirelessly to the first wireless base station to perform relayed communication via the first wireless base station. When the mobile station at a lower level than the relay station executes handover to the second wireless base station, the first wireless base station switches a data transfer route by redirecting data which is not yet completely transmitted to the mobile station, to be forwarded to the second wireless base station.
US08724586B2
Embodiments of the present invention described herein include a Mobile Management Entity and a method that receive a handoff request for an active voice session of a terminal which is leaving an E-UTRAN to a GERAN/UTRAN and then determine if the handoff request is applicable to a SRVCC procedure or a CSoLTEvGAN procedure.
US08724582B2
In an exemplary embodiment of this invention contexts are transferred at an appropriate time depending on the context type. As a result, link layer (PPP) delay can be substantially eliminated during Mobile IP handoff, without introducing additional packet loss. By way of example, all MS contexts (both static and dynamic) are maintained during the inter-PDSN handoff procedure, and any executing applications are not impacted by the inter-PDSN handoff.
US08724569B2
A radio base station includes a resource assignment unit for assigning a resource candidate for transmitting a semi-persistent scheduling transmission acknowledgement signal to a first mobile station during a semi-persistent scheduling bearer setting process. The resource candidate for transmitting a semi-persistent scheduling transmission acknowledgement signal is formed by a combination of a frequency direction resource and a code direction resource by which the first mobile station transmits a transmission acknowledgement signal after a predetermined timing from a timing of receiving downlink data, to the downlink data that has been scheduled by semi-persistent scheduling and has been transmitted via a downlink data channel. The resource assignment unit is configured to assign the resource candidate for transmitting a semi-persistent scheduling transmission acknowledgement signal to the first mobile station based on a number of assignments of predetermined resources formed by a combination of a frequency direction resource and a code direction resource.
US08724568B2
Disclosed is the radio (wireless) communication system providing a radio communication service and the terminal, and more particularly, to a method of handling an uplink synchronization timer during a handover procedure in an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (E-UMTS) evolved from the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system.
US08724567B2
Provided is a frame structure designed for distributed access control and OFDMA transmission in a wireless mesh network. Also, a communication method and a network node based on the frame structure are provided. Mesh nodes included in the wireless mesh network may use the frame structure and thus, may have a high prospect of transmitting a network configuration information message and scheduling information for obtaining a resource. Also, a scheduling process of the mesh nodes may be completed within a short period based on the frame structure.
US08724557B2
A medium access control (MAC) technique of a multihop sensor network. In the multihop sensor network, the MAC technique may contribute to significantly reducing transmission delay, and allow real-time services to be provided to all nodes by extending a guaranteed time slot (GTS) restricted to one hop in a personal area network (PAN) coordinator (PNC) to all nodes. Furthermore, the MAC technique may allow the number of available GTSs to be significantly increased, by using all 16 frequency band channels instead of using only a single frequency band and setting a multi-superframe.
US08724552B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for analyzing a wide frequency band with respect to signal power levels in specified narrow frequency bands, detecting narrow band signal power levels received in the specified narrow frequency bands, determining an average composite wideband power level from the narrow band signal power levels, determining an adaptive threshold from the average composite wideband power level, detecting narrow band interference according to the adaptive threshold, and configuring a filter to substantially suppress the detected narrow band interference. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08724551B2
It is possible to complete a re-connection in a short time and prevent instantaneous interruption of communication by including a plurality of base station apparatuses and a mobile station apparatus; the mobile station apparatus includes: a delay difference detecting unit that detects a difference in reception timing between a signal from the base station apparatus with which the mobile station apparatus currently communicates and a signal from the base station apparatus that is a re-connection destination candidate; a transmission timing calculating unit that calculates, based on the difference in reception timing, a transmission timing to the base station apparatus that is the re-connection destination candidate; and a re-connection processing unit that, having detected a disconnection of the communication with the base station apparatus with which the mobile station apparatus currently communicates, uses the transmission timing to start a communication with the base station apparatus that is the re-connection destination candidate.
US08724550B2
A method for handling Secondary Cell (SCell) reactivation by a mobile communication device supporting a Carrier Aggregation (CA) technique is provided. The method includes the following steps: receiving at least one Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) indicating activation of an already activated SCell with configured uplink from a service network, comparing an accumulated number of the at least one MAC CE with a predetermined number, and ignoring the MAC CE for the already activated SCell with configured uplink in response to the accumulated number of the at least one MAC CE being greater than or equal to the predetermined number.
US08724549B2
Radio wave state display system, user terminal, router, radio wave state display method, and program
A user terminal comprises: a wireless quality measurement unit that works according to a first wireless communication method and measures wireless quality thereof at a predetermined time interval; and a radio wave state display unit that integrally displays a radio wave state from the user terminal to a base station based on both a wireless quality of a first wireless section and a wireless quality of a second wireless section where a second wireless communication method is used, the wireless quality of the second wireless section measured by a router.
US08724544B2
Method for transmitting a packet at a base station in a network using multiple communication schemes
A method of transmitting a packet, at a MS and base station operable using multiple communication schemes is disclosed. The base station of the multiple communication schemes receives a packet from the MS and then determines a transmission path based on a link status of a network, a traffic characteristic of the packet and the like. The base station transmits the packet of the first communication scheme via a network using a second communication scheme, thereby enabling traffic redirection. Such a resource as a frequency band and the like, which will be used between networks using different communication schemes, can be cooperatively set between the MS and the base station.
US08724543B2
A method for assisting the adaptation of a signal from a first node (100) to a second node (120) is provided. The first node communicates with the second node in a wireless communication system (110) over a radio link (130). The second node is configured to comprise a codebook, which codebook comprises a set of possible information alternatives used for assisting the adaptation of a signal from the first node to the second node. The second node may select an information alternative from a codebook and send it to the first node to assist the first node how to adapt the signal. The first node is arranged to know a number of subsets, each subset comprising a part of possible information alternatives. The method comprises the steps of sending a configuration request to the second node to restrict the selection of information alternatives to one of the subsets; receiving an information alternative from the second node, which is selected among the at least one subsets configured according to the configuration request.
US08724529B2
The present invention discloses a method for transmitting a non-Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) message in a High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) system, comprising: a transmitting end encapsulates the non-3GPP2 message in a non-3GPP2 Info Transfer message according to a preset format of the non-3GPP2 Info Transfer message and transmits the non-3GPP2 Info Transfer message to a receiving end through an HRPD air interface (301); and the receiving end decapsulates the non-3GPP2 Info Transfer message obtained from the HRPD air interface, according to the preset format of the non-3GPP2 Info Transfer message, to obtain the non-3GPP2 message (302). The present invention further discloses a system for transmitting the non-3GPP2 message in the HRPD system. The present invention realizes the transmission of the non-3GPP2 message in the HRPD system.
US08724526B2
A system is described for transmitting a communication signal between power lines. The system includes: a transmitter which outputs an OFDM or an FM-OFDM signal at a radio frequency greater than 200 MHz; a first power line which receives the OFDM or the FM-OFDM signal from the transmitter and radiates the OFDM or the FM-OFDM signal from a conductor of the first power line; a second power line which wirelessly receives, by a conductor of the second power line, the OFDM or the FM-OFDM signal radiated from the first power line, and a receiver connected to the second power line which receives the OFDM or the FM-OFDM signal from the second power line.
US08724523B2
Multiple users participate in a conference while taking maximum advantage of hardware and bandwidth capabilities of each participant. Each user's system makes known to a directory service its hardware sending and receiving capabilities. The directory service makes this information available to other users who may then wish to join a conference with the user. An initiating user sends invitations via the directory service to the remote users. Each user that accepts an invitation transmits its network address to the initiating user, who then establishes a peer-to-peer connection with each of the remote users. Each participant system exchanges information about hardware capabilities and bandwidth, and a conference manager determines a best model for connecting each of the participants. Depending on the hardware and bandwidth capabilities of the participants, the manager chooses from a duplicate streams model, a multicast model, and a host-among-peers model for connecting the participants.
US08724521B2
Included are embodiments for providing an interface. At least one embodiment of a method includes receiving communications data associated with a communications session, the communications session facilitated in an Internet Protocol environment and providing an interface for facilitating recording of at least a portion of the communications session, the interface being facilitated in an Internet Protocol format.
US08724517B1
A method is provided that includes configuring a first network element as a peer to a second network element. The first network element and the second network element are configured to execute a spanning-tree protocol (STP) in a network environment. The method may also include configuring a priority characteristic to be a same value for the first network element and the second network element such that both operate as root network elements for other network elements in the network environment.
US08724510B2
In a method and a device for placing units, such as motes, for executing an application in a distributed system, a placement of the units by a service layer and a communication between the units by a communication layer are provided. One field of application is for example process automation, such as in industrial or building management installations. Such installations have sensors and actuators with communication interfaces. The method and the device allow the energy demand of the installation to be reduced. Communication is preferably performed wirelessly. Network management is for example conducted according to the wireless HART protocol.
US08724503B2
The present invention relates to a method and arrangement for estimating available bandwidth of sub-path of a data path. The solution is based on the sending of probe packet trains comprising inner and outer packets from a start node to an end node using different TTL values for the outer and inner packets of these probe trains. By comparing measurements using different TTL values of the inner packets, it is also possible to determine which link are the local tight link and what available bandwidth it has.
US08724500B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, apparatus, and system of DAD proxy. The method includes: obtaining a DAD-NS message; comparing the obtained DAD-NS message with locally stored DAD information, and adding the DAD-NS information to the locally stored DAD information when it is determined, according to a comparison result, that the IP address to be detected is not duplicate; when it cannot be determined whether the IP address to be detected is duplicate or not, initiating, according to the address information included in the locally stored DAD information after comparison, an unreachability detection to the IP address to be detected to determine whether the IP address to be detected is duplicate. The apparatus includes: an obtaining module, a storing module, and a processing module. The system includes: an apparatus of DAD proxy and an access device.
US08724496B2
A system and method for integrating line-rate application recognition in a switch ASIC. Switching platforms can be built using this feature with a conventional control plane processor rather than a more expensive specialized processor. A deep packet inspection system can be embodied in a switch ASIC using a flow tracker and a signature matching engine. The flow tracker can be positioned in an ingress portion of the switch ASIC at a location where packets in a bi-direction flow can be observed and recorded. The flow tracker generates a signature match request that is forwarded to a signature matching engine in an auxiliary pipeline. The signature matching engine analyzes packets using signature matching state machine and reports the signature matching results to the flow tracker using a response packet that is sent to the ingress pipeline.
US08724491B2
A method and apparatus for measuring a cell a wireless communication system are disclosed. The method includes receiving measurement configuration information for a plurality of frequencies from a BS, without a dedicated connection between a UE and a network, and measuring cells using the plurality of frequencies according to the measurement configuration information.
US08724489B2
An approach is provided for searching and detecting cells. System synchronization sequences are detected. An information block on a control channel of one of a plurality of networks is decoded, in response to the detected synchronization sequences. The synchronization sequences are independent of the networks. The information block includes a system indicator specifying release version of the network.
US08724485B2
A home network, in one embodiment including a home wiring system; a demarcation point unit in electrical communication with the home wiring system; and a home network module in electrical communication with the home wiring system. The home network module is adapted for connection to a home electronic device. The demarcation point unit passes data to and receives data from the home electronic device through the home network module.
US08724481B2
One or more field devices, and a controller are connected so as to be able to communicate with a field device through a first communication route, and a device monitoring unit that is connected so as to be able to communicate with the field device through a second communication route are provided, wherein the device monitoring unit is provided with a checking tool for checking a status of the field device and the status of communication through the first and/or the second communication routes, based on a response received through the second communication route from the field device in response to a signal sent through either the first communication route or the second communication route.
US08724470B2
Disclosed is a wireless communication system and a user equipment (UE) providing wireless communication services, and more particularly, a method of controlling data flow in an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (E-UMTS), a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, and a LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) system that have evolved from a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). In particular, the present invention provides an effective way of controlling data flow of a relay node (RN) in the LTE-A system.
US08724462B2
A system and a method are described herein which provide for congestion handling in a packet switched network domain. In case of congestion overload is measured by a core node, the data packets in proportion to the overload are marked and the signaled overload is stored. At least one egress node receives marked and not marked packets, decodes and counts the overload from the marked packets in a counting interval. Congestion report messages are sent to ingress nodes where flows are terminated.
US08724461B2
An approach is provided for auto-bandwidth adjustment of allocated bandwidth for a traffic tunnel over a network. A determination is made regarding a traffic load over the tunnel, where the tunnel meters traffic in accordance with the bandwidth allocation. A determination is made regarding whether the traffic load triggers an adjustment threshold, where the adjustment threshold is set to provide a desired headroom below the bandwidth allocation. And the bandwidth allocation is adjusted when the adjustment threshold is triggered to provide the desired headroom between the adjusted bandwidth allocation and the traffic load.
US08724451B2
A method and apparatus are provided for establishing a first pseudo-wire between a first item of input terminal equipment and an item of output terminal equipment, used by the first item of input terminal equipment. The method includes a step of transmitting a first message requesting establishment of the first pseudo-wire to an item of switching equipment, the first pseudo-wire to be established consisting of a first link between the first item of input terminal equipment and the item of switching equipment and of a second link between the item of switching equipment and the item of output terminal equipment. In such a method, the first establishment-request message also includes a request to establish at least one backup pseudo-wire consisting of the second link and of a third link to be established between the item of switching equipment and a second item of input terminal equipment.
US08724448B2
An apparatus is provided, including an observing function configured to observe an indication about the coverage status of a user equipment; a deciding function configured to decide, based on the indication, to switch into a coverage extension mode; a providing function configured to provide a scaling number in dependence of the coverage extension mode; an allocating function configured to allocate, for data to be transmitted to a user equipment, a first modulation and coding scheme, a first modulation order, a first size of a transport block, and a first number of resource blocks per transport block according to an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing technology, a reducing function configured to reduce a first size per resource block, being the quotient of the first size of the transport block and the first number of resource blocks per transport block, based on the scaling number, thus obtaining a second size per resource block, being the quotient of a second size of the transport block and a second number of resource blocks per transport block; and a scheduling function configured to schedule, for the data, the second size of the transport block and the second number of resource blocks per transport block.
US08724447B2
A timing estimation system and methodology are provided. In particular, a first pilot is employed in conjunction with three acquisition stages. In the first stage, an attempt is made to observe the leading edge the correlation curve associated with the first pilot symbol. In the second stage, a determination is made to confirm a leading edge was detected in the first stage by attempting to observe a trailing edge the correlation curve. Furthermore, during this second stage, a frequency loop is updated to account for frequency offset. The third stage is for observing the trailing edge the curve if it was not already observed in stage two. Upon detection receipt the first pilot, a second pilot can subsequently be employed to acquire fine symbol timing.
US08724445B2
Methods and systems are provided that enable an OFDM transmitter to be used for transmitting conventional OFDM or a form of transformed OFDM. A technique is provided for transforming a coded and modulated sequence of samples prior to an IFFT that enables the transformed sequence of samples to be transmitted using conventional OFDM or transformed OFDM. The selection of a transform function for transforming the coded and modulated sequence of samples may be based on optimizing the transform function for particular operating conditions between the transmitter and receiver. In some embodiments of the invention OFDM and time transformed OFDM are multiplexed in time and/or frequency in a transmission frame. In some embodiments of the invention a pilot pattern is provided in which the pilot are sent using OFDM and data is sent using OFDM and/or transformed OFDM.
US08724441B2
An encoding device for converting m-bit data words into n-bit (both n and m are integers and 2n≧2m×2) code words includes a first encoding table in which 2m code words selected from the 2n n-bit code words correspond to 2m m-bit data words, a second encoding table in which 2m code words, which do not overlap with the code words in the first encoding table, of the 2n n-bit code words correspond to 2m m-bit data words, and an encoding unit which selects and outputs a code word, in which an absolute value of a code string DSV is smaller, from code words corresponding to the input m-bit data words in the first encoding table and code words corresponding to the input m-bit data words in the second encoding table.
US08724436B2
An audiovisual distribution system includes a central server and a plurality of audiovisual units. Each unit includes structure for interactively communicating with the user for selecting a piece or a menu, a payment device, a computer network card, and a permanent semiconductor memory containing a multitask operating system comprising at least a hard disc access management task. The order for performing a selected piece is processed as a hard disc sequential access task. The hard disc is declared as a peripheral corresponding to the network card of the unit, enabling a request to be sent through the network to the server for processing.
US08724421B2
A dual rail memory operable at a first voltage and a second voltage includes an input circuit, an output circuit and a clock generator circuit coupled with the input circuit. The input circuit is operable to receive at least a first input signal referenced to the first voltage and to generate a second input signal referenced to the second voltage. The output circuit is operable to receive at least a first output signal referenced to the second voltage and to generate a second output signal referenced to the first voltage. The clock generator circuit is operable to receive a first clock signal referenced to the first voltage and to generate a second clock signal referenced to the second voltage, a logic state of the second clock signal being a function of a logic state of the first clock signal.
US08724417B2
A system for controlling a refresh operation of a plurality of stacked semiconductor chips includes a first semiconductor configured to output a refresh signal for performing a refresh operation, and a semiconductor chip discrimination signal, and a plurality of second semiconductor chips configured to perform a refresh operation at different timings in response to the refresh signal, and the semiconductor chip discrimination signal.
US08724413B2
A multi-state current-switching magnetic memory element includes a stack of magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) separated by a non-magnetic layer for storing more than one bit of information, wherein different levels of current applied to the memory element cause switching to different states.
US08724405B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes: a memory cell block configured to store data; a fuse block including a plurality of fuses configured to store fuse information; an I/O driver configured to output the data transmitted through a global line to a pad; and a fuse driver configured to output the fuse information transmitted through a test global line to the pad during a test mode.
US08724404B2
A supply voltage generation circuit includes a comparison unit, a voltage level control unit and a voltage regulator circuit. The comparison unit is configured to compare input data and output data of a memory array to each other and thereby generating a comparison result, wherein the output data are storage data stored in a plurality of memory units of the memory array processed by a program operation according to the input data, and the comparison result indicates the number of different bits existing between the output data and the input data. The voltage level control unit is configured to generate a control signal according to the comparison result. The voltage regulator circuit is configured to provide a supply voltage for the memory array and adjust the value of the supply voltage according to the control signal. A memory and an operation method of a supply generation circuit used for a memory array are also provided.
US08724403B2
According to one embodiment, a cache system includes a tag memory includes a volatile memory device, the tag memory includes ways and storing a tag for each line, a data memory includes a nonvolatile memory device including sense amplifiers for reading data, the data memory includes ways and storing data for each line, a comparison circuit configured to compare a tag included in an address supplied from an external with a tag read from the tag memory, and a controller configured to turn off a power of a sense amplifier for a way which is not accessed based on a comparison result of the comparison circuit.
US08724400B2
A memory device includes a memory cell array including a plurality of memory blocks, each memory block including a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of word lines coupled to rows of the plurality of memory cells, a plurality of bit lines coupled to columns of the plurality of memory cells, and a control unit controlling an erase operation so that erase data is simultaneously written in the plurality of memory cells corresponding to an erase unit. A first erase mode may include a first erase unit and a first erase data pattern. A second erase mode may include a second erase unit and a second erase pattern. At least one of the first and second erase units and the first and second erase data patterns are different.
US08724394B2
According to example embodiments, a nonvolatile memory device includes a substrate, at least one string extending vertically from the substrate, and a bit line current controlling circuit connected to the at least one string via at least one bit line. The at least one string may include a channel containing polycrystalline silicon. The bit line current controlling circuit may be configured to increase the amount of current being supplied to the bit line according to a decrease in a temperature such that a current flowing through the channel of the at least one string is increased when a temperature decreases.
US08724391B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes first and second select transistors, memory cells, a driver circuit, first transfer transistors, and a detection circuit. The memory cells are stacked above a semiconductor substrate. The driver circuit outputs a first voltage. The first transfer transistors transfer the first voltage to associated word lines and select gate lines. In data erase, the detection circuit detects a second voltage applied to bit lines and/or a source line and generates a flag in accordance with the detection result. The driver circuit changes the value of the first voltage in response to the flag to cut off the first transfer transistors.
US08724377B2
According to one embodiment, a memory device includes: a first signal line; a second signal line; a transistor; a first memory region; and a second memory region. The transistor controls a conduction of each of a current flowing between the first and the second signal lines and an opposite current. The first memory region has a first magnetic tunnel junction element. A magnetization direction thereof becomes parallel when a current flows in one direction, and the magnetization direction becomes antiparallel when a current in another direction. The second memory region has a second magnetic tunnel junction element. A magnetization direction thereof becomes parallel when a current flows in one direction, and becomes antiparallel when a current flows in another first direction.
US08724375B2
A method for writing a low data bit value, writing a high data bit value, and reading a data bit value of an addressed SRAM cell. The method may include adjusting a bias level of the n-wells that contain the bit driver, bit-bar driver, bit passgate, and optional bit-bar passgate.
US08724370B2
A semiconductor storage device includes: a memory cell array including memory cells, each of the memory cells having a variable resistance element; and a control circuit configured to apply a control voltage, which is necessary for the variable resistance element to transit a resistance state, to a selected memory cell. When applying the control voltage plural times, the control circuit operates to set a value of the control voltage applied in a first control voltage application operation to be substantially equal to a minimum value of distribution of the voltage values of all the memory cells in the memory cell array required to transit the resistance state of the variable resistance element from a high resistance state to a low resistance state. The control circuit operates to perform a plurality of control voltage application operations by increasing the value of the control voltage by a certain value.
US08724365B2
A programmable device includes a substrate (10); an insulator (13) on the substrate; an elongated semiconductor material (12) on the insulator, the elongated semiconductor material having first and second ends, and an upper surface S; the first end (12a) is substantially wider than the second end (12b), and a metallic material is disposed on the upper surface; the metallic material being physically migratable along the upper surface responsive to an electrical current I flowable through the semiconductor material and the metallic material.
US08724364B2
An electronic device can include a nonvolatile memory cell, wherein the nonvolatile memory cell can include an antifuse component, a switch, and a read transistor having a control electrode. Within the nonvolatile memory cell, the switch can be coupled to the antifuse component, and the control electrode of the read transistor can be coupled to the antifuse component. The nonvolatile memory cell can be programmed by flowing current through the antifuse component and the switch and bypassing the current away the read transistor. Thus, programming can be performed without flowing current through the read transistor decreasing the likelihood of the read transistor sustaining damage during programming. Further, the antifuse component may not be connected in series with the current electrodes of the read transistor, and thus, during read operations, read current differences between programmed and unprogrammed nonvolatile memory cells can be more readily determined.
US08724363B2
An anti-fuse memory with coupling channel is provided. The anti-fuse memory includes a substrate of a first conductive type, a doped region of a second conductive type, a coupling gate, a gate dielectric layer, an anti-fuse gate, and an anti-fuse layer. The substrate has an isolation structure. The doped region is disposed in the substrate. A channel region is defined between the doped region and the isolation structure. The coupling gate is disposed on the substrate between the doped region and the isolation structure. The coupling gate is adjacent to the doped region. The gate dielectric layer is disposed between the coupling gate and the substrate. The anti-fuse gate is disposed on the substrate between the coupling gate and the isolation structure. The anti-fuse gate and the coupling gate have a space therebetween. The anti-fuse layer is disposed between the anti-fuse gate and the substrate.
US08724357B2
A power semiconductor device comprises: high side and low side switching elements; high side and low side drive circuits; a bootstrap capacitor supplying a drive voltage to the high side drive circuit and having a first terminal connected to a connection point between the high side switching element and the low side switching element and a second terminal connected to a power supply terminal of the high side drive circuit; a bootstrap diode having an anode connected to a power supply and a cathode connected to the second terminal and supplying a current from the power supply to the second terminal; a floating power supply; and a bootstrap compensation circuit supplying a current from the floating power supply to the second terminal, when the high side drive circuit turns ON the high side switching element and the low side drive circuit turns OFF the low side switching element.
US08724356B2
A two-stage isolated DC/AC conversion circuit structure, consisting of a main switch, a second switch attached to a controller, another controller for controlling, and in work mode 1 and 2, after passing through the capacitor filter the low frequency half sine wave power is stored on this capacitor. After an inductor outputs the low frequency half sine wave power through this capacitor filter, it can respectively pass through the first and second transformers to increase the voltage, and then pass through the first and second secondary diode rectifiers, outputting the positive and negative half waves AC to the end user, and allow the end user to obtain the whole wave of the AC. Using the first and second diodes prevents outputting in reverse, and has the effect of isolation, and prevents all the stored energy for the later stage end user recharging to the front stage DC/AC conversion circuit.
US08724355B1
A circuit exhibiting rectification and amplification characteristics. In particular, a full-wave rectifier, wherein the rectifier has the ability to simultaneously amplify and rectify an input voltage. The circuit comprises transconductor circuit, rectifying circuit and amplifying circuit. The transconductor circuit is adapted for receiving an input voltage from at least one voltage source. The input voltage is then converted into intermediate currents by the transconductor circuit. Thereafter, the rectifying circuit rectifies the intermediate currents current to produce a rectified current. Lastly, the amplification circuit amplifies the input voltage to produce the amplified voltage.
US08724353B1
A switched capacitor power converter includes active semiconductor switch elements that are configured to electrically interconnect capacitors to one another in successive states. Switch driving circuits, each with a control input, power connections, and a drive output are coupled to and for control of one or more of the switch elements. At least some switch driving circuits are configured to be from one or more of the capacitors such that the voltage across power connections of said driving circuit is substantially less than a high voltage terminal of the converter. In some examples, the switch elements are configured to interconnect at least some capacitors to one another through a series of multiple of the switch elements. In some examples, the switch elements and capacitors are configured to form multiple distinct charge transfer paths between the first terminal and the second terminal, and at least some of the switch driving circuits that control switch elements of one of the distinct charge transfer paths are powered from capacitors of one or more other charge transfer paths.
US08724346B2
A DC/DC converter includes a transformer including primary and secondary coils and an auxiliary coil disposed in a primary coil side; a first output capacitor including a first end having a fixed electric potential and a second end; a first diode disposed in a direction where a cathode of the first diode faces the first output capacitor, between the second end of the first output capacitor and one end of the secondary coil; a switching transistor disposed on a path of the primary coil; a second output capacitor including a first end having a fixed electric potential and a second end; a second diode and a switch disposed between the second end of the second output capacitor and the first port of the auxiliary coil; and a control circuit receiving voltage generated in the second output capacitor through a power supply port and controlling turn-on/off of the switching transistor.
US08724339B2
An electronic device such as a media player is formed from electrical components such as integrated circuits, buttons, and a battery. Electrical input-output port contacts are used to play audio and to convey digital signals. Electrical components for the device are mounted to a substrate. The components are encapsulated in an encapsulant and covered with an optional housing structure. The electrical input-output port contacts and portions of components such as buttons remain uncovered by encapsulant during the encapsulation process. Integrated circuits are entirely encapsulated with encapsulant. The integrated circuits are packaged or unpackaged integrated circuit die. The substrate is a printed circuit board or is an integrated circuit to which components are directly connected without any printed circuit boards interposed between the integrated circuit and the components.
US08724333B2
An electronic expansion module which has at least one circuit board, that has a contact region with contacts for mechanical and electrical contact-making with mating contacts connected to the circuit board of the expansion module and a circuit board recess formed such that, with the expansion module inserted into an opening formed on a side of the housing of an electrical field device for use in industrial control, the circuit board of the expansion module does not have any conductive connection to the electrical field device except in the contact region so that reliable electrical isolation between the interior of the device and the user is ensured.
US08724324B2
A rectifier comprising an electrically conductive support 32, a first plurality of rectifier components 24 carried by the support 32 and having their anodes connected to a first bus bar 26, a second plurality of rectifier components 28 carried by the support 32 and having their cathodes connected to a second bus bar 30, the cathode of each of the first rectifier components 24 being connected to the anode of an associated one of the second rectifier components 28, and first and second resistance paths 40, 42 between the first and second bus bars 26, 30 and the support 32.
US08724319B2
A stand structure comprises a principal member, a supporting member and an elastic member. The principal member is configured to connect with an object. The supporting member is movably connected with the principal member. Two opposite terminals of the elastic member are fixed at the principal member and the supporting member respectively. When the object is tilted at a tilt angle relative to a bearing surface, the supporting member is retracted and displaced relative to the principal member, and therefore the elastic member is elastically deformed to generate a supporting force to withstand the weight of the object so that the tilt angle of the object can be maintained.
US08724301B2
The present invention provides a device and a method for a multi-screen laptop book by integrating a plurality of features including a tablet, an electronic book reader, and a notebook. The multi-screen display laptop book provides a capability in one simple and easy to use device. The integrated device utility includes applications for education, healthcare, industrial control, mobile point-of-sale, event self-registration, augmentative communication, personal computing and word processing, multimedia home use and home automation.
US08724297B2
A mobile display device is provided. The mobile display device may include a body, a display arranged in the body, a window arranged on the display unit, and a protective member coupled to the window and extending beyond an outer periphery of the window so as to protect the window from an external impact or shock.
US08724288B2
An electrostatic chuck is provided which is arranged that, at the time of performing processing treatments of irradiating light to a to-be-processed substrate while holding the translucent to-be-processed substrate, the to-be-processed substrate can surely be held even in case the attraction force lowers due to photoelectric effect. An electrostatic chuck has a chuck plate made of a dielectric material, and a first electrode and a second electrode, both electrodes being disposed in the chuck plate. A voltage is applied between the first and the second electrodes to thereby attract the to-be-processed substrate S to the surface of the chuck plate. The electrostatic chuck has, on part of the surface of the chuck plate, a substrate holding section 64 which is made of an adhesive sheet and the like having an adhesive force with respect to the to-be-processed substrate.
US08724280B2
An electronic fuse (506, 507) suitable for use in a direct current, DC, applications which is exposed to surges. The electronic fuse (506,507) comprises a current sensor (500) for measuring a current flowing in a current path of the DC system, the electronic fuse comprising a first transistor switch (501) which is arranged in the current path, the first transistor switch comprising at least one parasitic diode (511) having a forward direction which is opposite to an operational DC direction of the current path. The electronic fuse further comprising a controller (502) operatively connected to the current sensor (500) and adapted to control the first transistor switch (501) based on the measured current, and a current restrictor (503,520) which is capable of blocking a current from flowing in the current path in a direction opposite to the operational DC direction.
US08724269B2
ESD protection circuit is provided, which includes a detection circuit, a trigger circuit and a clamp circuit. The detection circuit includes two stacked capacitors reflecting occurrence of ESD events. The trigger circuit includes three stacked transistors controlling triggering of the clamp circuit according to operation of the detection circuit. The clamp circuit includes two stacked transistors conducting ESD path when triggered.
US08724267B2
A circuit arrangement for simulating a sensor includes two external connections configured to change at least one of a current intensity and a resistance between the two external connections as a function of a measured variable. The circuit arrangement comprises: (a) a current path connecting the two external connections having two field-effect transistors and a resistor, and (b) a circuit configured to actuate gates of the two field-effect transistors so as to at least one of control and regulate a current through the current path, wherein the resistor is configured as a shunt resistor connected to a bridge rectifier and the circuit configured to actuate the gates of the two field-effect transistors comprises a control circuit configured to detect and regulate the current in the current path via a voltage drop at the shunt resistor.
US08724265B2
A magnetoresistive sensor is generally disclosed. Various embodiments of a sensor can have at least a trilayer sensor stack biased with a back biasing magnet adjacent a back of the trilayer sensor. The back biasing magnet, the trilayer sensor stack, or both have substantially trapezoidal shapes to enhance the biasing field and to minimize noise.
US08724260B2
Excellent magnetization switching of a magnetic recording medium is promoted in microwave assisted magnetic recording to provide a highly-reliable high-density information recording device. A receded section from an air bearing surface is arranged at an end section in a write track width direction on an FGL laminate film for generating a high-frequency field. Alternatively, a cross section of the FGL laminate film (plane perpendicular to the direction of the flow of the electric current) has an inverted trapezoid shape or has a structure in which the area of the cross section increases with distance from the main pole. Since an excellent recording pattern is formed on the recording medium, areal recording density in the information recording device can be increased, and the reliability can be improved at the same time. As a result, the cost can be reduced.
US08724256B2
A bearing apparatus includes a stationary shaft, an upper annular portion, a lower annular portion, and a sleeve. An outer circumferential surface of the upper annular portion includes a cylindrical surface and an inclined surface arranged above the cylindrical surface. The cylindrical surface has an axial length smaller than that of the inclined surface of the upper annular portion. One of an upper surface of the sleeve and a lower surface of the upper annular portion includes a pumping groove array defined therein. An upper surface of a lubricating oil is defined in an upper capillary seal portion, while a lower surface of the lubricating oil is defined in a lower capillary seal portion. The upper capillary seal portion has an opening angle larger than that of the lower capillary seal portion.
US08724252B2
In order to improve a consistent data track during writing to a storage medium, a plurality of read sensors are affixed to a transducer head. In one implementation, the transducer head includes multiple read sensors placed up-track of the write pole. In another implementation, the transducer head includes at least one read sensor placed up-track of the write pole and at least one read sensor placed down-track of the write pole. Each position of the multiple read sensors relative to the write pole may be unique. One or more read signals of selected read sensors are used to determine the read location and therefore the write pole location relative to the storage medium.
US08724249B2
A magnetic recording disk drive has a fly-height sensor on the slider that supports the read/write head. The head-disk spacing signal from the fly-height sensor utilizes the existing read path between the arm electronics (AE) module and the channel electronics module. A variable gain amplifier (VGA) on the AE module receives as one input the head-disk spacing signal and as the other input an emulated read signal. The output of the VGA is thus an oscillatory signal that emulates the read signal but whose amplitude varies as the head-disk spacing varies. A multiplexer (MUX) on the AE module multiplexes the amplified read signal from the read amplifier with the VGA oscillatory output signal on the read path back to the channel electronics module.
US08724246B2
A servo system according to one embodiment includes a servo control configured to: determine position error between a magnetic head and a desired position related to at least one defined servo track on a longitudinal tape based on at least one servo signal; calculate a first average position of the magnetic head while the longitudinal tape is moved in a first direction; calculate a first offset of the magnetic head while the longitudinal tape is moved in the first direction based on a target position and an assumption that the first average position of the magnetic head occurred when the tape was at a top-most position or a bottom-most position of a supply reel; and operate an actuator to position the actuator substantially at the target position using the first offset and the first average position.
US08724245B1
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, the disk comprising a plurality of servo sectors defining a plurality of servo tracks, wherein the servo tracks form a plurality of servo zones. A servo data rate of servo sectors in a first servo zone is different than a servo data rate of servo sectors in a second servo zone. A boundary of a first servo zone overlaps with a boundary of a second servo zone over a transition zone. The servo sectors of the first servo zone are interleaved with the servo sectors of the second servo zone within the transition zone. At least one servo parameter is adjusted when the head is over the transition zone in order to transition between the first servo zone and the second servo zone.
US08724237B2
An optical photographing lens system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element and a sixth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has a convex object-side surface. The second lens element has positive refractive power. The third lens element has negative refractive power. The fourth lens element with refractive power has a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface, wherein the surfaces thereof are aspheric. The fifth lens element with positive refractive power has a convex image-side surface, wherein the surfaces thereof are aspheric. The sixth lens element with negative refractive power has a concave image-side surface, wherein the image-side surface changes from concave at a paraxial region thereof to convex at a peripheral region thereof, and the surfaces thereof are aspheric.
US08724230B2
Provided is an endoscope objective optical system that allows close-up observation while ensuring sufficient image brightness. Provided is an endoscope objective optical system consisting of a front group, an aperture stop, and a back group disposed in order from an object side; and a meniscus lens that can be inserted in and removed from an optical path between the aperture stop and the front group or the back group, with a convex surface thereof facing the aperture stop side.
US08724227B2
A high-aperture immersion objective, in particular for confocal applications in fluorescence microscopy and for TIRF applications, having three subsystems of lenses and/or lens groups. The design of the subsystems has made it possible for a relatively large object field of 0.25 mm to be present in the case of a high-resolution numerical aperture of 1.49. Furthermore, improved transparency is possible up to a wavelength of 340 nm.
US08724220B2
Directed to a film having a depolarizing function, in which anisotropic volumetric regions are dispersed in a translucent matrix. For the translucent matrix, a material capable of forming a film itself, a hard coating layer formed on a surface of the film or a layer of an adhesive can be employed. It is therefore possible to provide a film, having a depolarizing function, of a kind in which when the film of the present invention is mounted on a surface of a polarizing plate arranged on a surface of a liquid crystal display device or an organic electroluminescent display device, the polarized state of a display light emerging outwardly from a display screen is partially altered and, hence, even when polarizing eyeglasses are worn on, darkening of the displayed image can be prevented and, also, a considerable shading of the color tone of the image can be reduced.
US08724210B2
A thermochromatic device includes an insulating substrate, a color element, a heating element, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The color element is located on the insulating substrate and includes a reversible thermochromatic material. The heating element is located adjacent to the color element and includes a carbon nanotube structure. The first electrode and the second electrode are electrically connected to the heating element. A thermochromatic display apparatus using the thermochromatic device is also related.
US08724209B2
An acousto-optic (AO) device includes an AO interaction crystal for receiving and propagating a light ray along an optical propagation direction (OPD). A piezoelectric transducer is on at least one surface of the AO interaction crystal for receiving an electrical signal and emitting an acoustic wave into the AO interaction crystal. An electrode is on the piezoelectric transducer for coupling the electrical signal to the piezoelectric transducer. The electrode is a patterned electrode that includes a plurality of different transverse edge positions. The plurality of different transverse edge positions span a position range of at least five percent of an average height (Havg) of the electrode.
US08724198B2
The present invention is generally related to the field of optical systems and/or lens attachments, and more specific to an optical system and/or lens attachment providing a switchable Optical Power Switch (OPS) controllably switchable between different states. A soft transparent material (12), for example silicone-gel is disposed onto a surface of a glass plate (10). The glass plate (10) can be moved with actuators towards a surface of a lens body (10). When the soft material element (12) is in contact with the surface of the lens body (12), this surface changes its optical feature.
US08724196B2
An image processing device for a still image and for every frame of a moving image includes an uptake unit to take image data of a pixel unit from a captured image of a subject, a histogram generating unit to generate a histogram of the brightness after having disintegrated the data into a particular color space, and a control unit which reads out the image based on a predetermined reading pattern according to color, and sets the brightness of a pixel at a particular position of the reading pattern based on a mean histogram of a pixel removed (lifted) from the particular position in the pattern.
US08724194B2
An image processing apparatus includes a pixel extracting unit, a correction quantity calculating unit, a selection image storage unit, a selection receiving unit, and a color correction executing unit. The pixel extracting unit extracts a pixel from predetermined image data. The correction quantity calculating unit calculates a color correction quantity based on a color difference between a color of the pixel extracted by the pixel extracting unit and a target color. The selection image storage unit stores data of a selection image representing an external appearance of each image data obtained by executing color correction on the pixel according to the color correction quantity. The selection receiving unit receives selection of a color correction type. The color correction executing unit executes color correction on the extracted pixel in image data of a correction object according to a color correction quantity corresponding to the color correction type.
US08724187B2
In a collimator lens, in a case where divergent light emitted from a position P1 at a distance S1 from a second face enters the second face and imaging is performed at a position P2 at a distance S2 from a first face, in a temperature range of 0° C. to 60° C. and in a range of the emission wavelength of the light source which changes within the temperature range, and when a minimum value of a wavefront aberration of an image, which is generated at the position P2 by the divergent light emitted from the position P1 in a range of 0
US08724179B2
A data transmission device and a method thereof. A fax driving unit converts a document into a fax data recognizable by a first multifunction machine, and creates a fax event including a fax information event which instructs to transmit the converted fax data to a second office machine and a fax number of the second office machine. A printer spooler spools the converted fax data and outputs the spooled fax data and the fax information event. A communication port transmits the spooled fax data and the fax information event to the first multifunction machine. The first multifunction machine transmits the fax data to the second multifunction machine based on the transmitted fax information event. Accordingly, data communication errors are prevented which occur between a host personal computer and a multifunction machine while transmitting the fax data.
US08724172B2
An image processing apparatus including at least one processor that executes a program, includes an analysis unit configured to analyze a print job, an optimization unit configured to, based on a result of the analysis performed by the analysis unit, combine a plurality of objects included in the print job into one object according to an upper limit number, which is different according to a type of the objects to be combined, an intermediate data generation unit configured to generate intermediate data based on the objects combined by the optimization unit, and an image data generation unit configured to generate image data from the intermediate data generated by the intermediate data generation unit.
US08724166B2
An image reading apparatus includes: an image reader configured to read both sides of sheets of an original document to generate page images thereof; an attribute information supplier configured to attach, to the page image of each page, attribute information including a page number of the corresponding page in the original document and a distinction whether the corresponding page is a front side or a back side of the sheet of the original document, when the page image is not a blank page; and an electronic file generator configured to generate an electronic file by integrating non-blank page images, which are the page images with no blank pages.
US08724165B2
An image data generating device includes an original image acquirer that acquires original image data of a subject. The image data generating device also includes a controller that generates image data. The controller includes a monochrome image data generator that generates monochrome image data from the original image data. The controller also includes a color image data generator that generates color image data from the original image data. Further, the controller includes a text data acquirer that acquires recognition result data from the monochrome image data generated by the monochrome image data generator. In addition, the controller includes a recording unit that associates and records the color image data generated by the color image data generator and the recognition result data acquired by the text data acquirer.
US08724164B2
A printing device includes the following features. The first dot group in which dots are formed based on the first printing condition and the second dot group in which dots are formed based on a printing condition which is different from the first printing condition are formed together in a common region. In the common region, when the printing is performed in a plurality of conditions such that a difference of the dot pitch between a formation position of dots belonging to the first pixel group and a formation position of dots belonging to the second pixel group is 2/720 inch to 5/720 inch, the change in CIEL*a*b* of the printed image is within the preliminary determined range.
US08724163B2
An optical scanning apparatus includes a light source, rotational polygonal mirror, correction data calculating unit, modification computing unit, and adjustment unit. The adjustment unit adjusts drive current supplied to the light source using the correction data calculated by the correction data calculating unit when a first of a plurality of modes is selected or using the correction data calculated by the modification computing unit when a second of the plurality of modes is selected.
US08724159B2
A method of printing on a sheet of recording medium included in a randomly oriented stack of recording media provided to a printing apparatus, the method comprising: a) using a scanning element disposed in a printing path of the printing apparatus to scan a first side of the sheet of recording medium to provide scan data; b) analyzing the scan data to determine whether the first side has previously been marked on; and c) making a predetermined indicator on the first side of the sheet of recording medium if it is determined that the first side has previously been marked on.
US08724158B2
Displaying of document information to be printed in a printing apparatus capable of inserting, during printing on print sheets fed from a predetermined sheet feed unit, a plurality of types of sheets from sheet feed units different from the predetermined sheet feed unit, is controlled by setting information on an insert sheet to be inserted in document information, determining for each page of the document information and of the set insert sheet whether or not the page is printable or unprintable, and controlling to differently display a printable page and an unprintable page in accordance with the determination result.
US08724154B1
The illustrative embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for managing the execution of print jobs. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a print job associated with a set of print job parameters. The print job is sent from a computing device associated with a user. The method includes accessing a set of user parameters associated with the user, and determining a print job priority for the print job using the set of print job parameters and the set of user parameters. The method includes identifying a destination printer capable of executing the print job using the set of print job parameters. The method also includes initiating execution of the print job at the destination printer in response to determining to execute the print job based on the print job priority.
US08724153B2
An information processing apparatus transmits a print job including input image data to an image processing apparatus connected thereto, and includes: a determination unit that determines whether a width and/or height of the input image data is smaller than a predetermined threshold, and whether a scaling factor for the image data at a time of output is one or less; a color value determination unit that determines color values of pixels constituting the image data in the case that it has been determined that the width and/or height of the image data is smaller than the predetermined threshold and that the scaling factor for the image data at the time of output is one or less; and a transmission unit that, in the case that it has been determined that the pixels constituting the image data have the same color value, transmits replacement image data having a smaller size.
US08724149B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image reading unit that reads image data corresponding to one line of an original document with a line period, a first transfer unit that transfers the image data, the image data being read by the image reading unit and being input to the first transfer unit, a transfer control unit that controls the first transfer unit to transfer the image data, and an image forming unit that forms an image on a medium on the basis of the image data transferred by the first transfer unit. The transfer control unit controls the first transfer unit to transfer the image data corresponding to one line of the original document every time when a predetermined time period passes which is shorter than a time length of the line period.
US08724142B2
A printing system, in which an image forming device receives a print job containing PDL data and print settings from a printer server for printing, has a problem that the print setting upon printing an image on a print paper can be changed, but the print setting reflected upon rasterizing the PDL data can not be changed. A printing system is provided with an image forming device comprising an information terminal for generating a print job composed of PDL data and print settings, a printer server to store the print job therein, and an image forming device for printing the print job stored in the printer server, the image forming device rasterizing the PDL data to generate a raster image and printing the raster image according to the print setting, wherein the image forming device can change the print setting before rasterizing the PDL data.
US08724124B2
Image forming apparatus, image forming system, and computer-readable recording medium having program
An image forming apparatus that sets an output unit configured by a plurality of pages of which the order is determined as one copy and outputs the a plurality of copies of output units as a JOB includes an image forming unit that sequentially forms images corresponding to the plurality of pages on a plurality of sheets, a control unit that performs a calculation process of image eigenvalues based on the images for each of output units, a first storage unit storing a result of the calculation process performed for a reference copy of the output unit that is a specific one copy out of the plurality of copies of the output units, and a second storage unit storing a result of the calculation process performed for a copy of the output unit other than the reference copy out of the plurality of copies of the output units.
US08724120B2
Measuring with a system having retroreflector targets and a laser tracker includes storing a list of coordinates for three targets and at least one added point; capturing on a photosensitive array a portion of the light emitted by a light beam and reflected off the targets; obtaining spot positions on a photosensitive array of a tracker camera from the reflected light; determining a correspondence between three spot positions on the photosensitive array and the coordinates of the targets; directing a beam of light from the tracker to the targets based at least in part on the coordinates of the first target and the first spot position; measuring 3-D coordinates of the targets with the tracker; determining 3-D coordinates of the at least one added point based at least in part on the measured 3-D coordinates of the targets and the coordinates of the at least one added point.
US08724107B2
One embodiment provides an annular optical device (100), comprising: an annular meso-optic (1) including an annulus (11) centered about an axis of revolution (A); and a secondary optical structure (2) substantially coaxial within the annulus (11) of the annular meso-optic (1), wherein the secondary optical structure (2) and the annular meso-optic (1) are separated by a media (12) comprising a media refractive index that is lower than a secondary optical structure refractive index, with the secondary optical structure (2) being configured to hold a specimen to be radiated by impinging electromagnetic radiation directed into the secondary optical structure (2) substantially along the axis of revolution (A), wherein re-directed radiation from the specimen is allowed into the annular meso-optic (1) by the secondary optical structure (2) if an angle of incidence of the re-directed radiation exceeds the angle of Total Internal Reflectance. Other embodiments are descried and claimed.
US08724106B2
Disclosed herein is a method of quantitatively analyzing uranium in an aqueous solution, the method comprising measuring Raman scattering intensity of water and luminescence intensity of uranium standard solutions having various concentrations (Operation 1); calculating a ratio of the uranium luminescence intensity to the Raman scattering intensity of water for each uranium concentration and plotting a calibration curve therethrough (Operation 2); and measuring Raman scattering intensity of water and uranium luminescence intensity of an unknown sample, calculating a ratio of the measured intensities and determining a uranium concentration thereof by using the calibration curve (Operation 3).When the quantitative analysis method of uranium in an aqueous solution according to the present invention is used, inconvenience of a typical analysis method, in which repetitive measurements of calibration curves are required according to various measurement conditions, may be removed.
US08724104B2
Described herein is a projective optical metrology system including: a light target formed by a first number of light sources having a pre-set spatial arrangement; and an optical unit including an optoelectronic image sensor, which receives a light signal coming from the light target and defines two different optical paths for the light signal towards the optoelectronic image sensor. The two optical paths are such that the light signal forms on the optoelectronic image sensor at most an image of the light target that can be processed for determining at least one quantity indicating the mutual arrangement between the light target and the optical unit.
US08724089B2
A method for building a fast scan system is provided in which a scanner moves the scan sensors faster than scanners of the prior art, even though the total distance that the scan sensors move longer. The scan system includes (a) a scan sensor that measures the scan target by moving around it, and (b) a data processing system that calculates a parameter of the scan target from the collected data. The scan sensor, which has a limited sensing bandwidth, is moved along multiple paths along the target at a scan speed that is faster than the scan speed determined by the scan sensor bandwidth, so as to obtain a clear signal directly from the scan sensor output. The target is then recovered from the scan output using a compressed sampling data recovery data processing method.
US08724078B2
An object of the present invention is a photomask drying device which includes: a sealed chamber containing at least one photomask, a pumping unit to set up and maintain vacuum within said chamber, a support for the photomask placed within said chamber, infrared radiation means placed within said chamber, a system for injecting gas into said chamber characterized in that the infrared radiation means comprise a plurality of infrared radiation sources distributed in a plane parallel to the plane of the photomask in such a way that the distance from the photomask to the infrared radiation means is given by the relationship: D=1.5×d wherein D is the distance between the plane containing the infrared radiation sources and the photomask and d is the distance between the center points of two neighboring infrared radiation sources, and in that the gas injection system comprises a plurality of gas injectors distributed in a plane parallel to the plane of the photomask in such a way that the injectors follow a 90° rotational invariance about the center point of the photomask.
US08724077B2
An exposure apparatus includes an immersion space forming member (70) which fills an optical path space (K1) for exposure light (EL) with a first liquid (LQ) to form an immersion space, and a temperature regulating mechanism (60) which suppresses a change in the temperature of the immersion space forming member (70) accompanying deactivation of formation of the immersion space.
US08724073B2
A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes preparing first and second substrates, at least one of the first and second substrates being a transparent substrate; forming a plurality of the column spacers on the first substrate for maintaining a cell gap between the first and second substrates and a sidewall on the first substrate for sealing the periphery of the substrates; applying an adhesive solution including an adhesive diluted with an organic solvent onto the first substrate having the column spacers and the sidewall thereon; positioning the second substrate on the first substrate so that the first and second substrates face each other; adhering the column spacers to the second substrate by drying the organic solvent from the adhesive solution; and providing a liquid crystal material between the first and second substrates.
US08724071B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a TFT substrate, a counter substrate, more than one columnar spacer formed on the counter substrate side, a step film of convex shape formed onto the TFT substrate side and arranged at a position facing the columnar spacer, and a liquid crystal sealed between the TFT substrate and the counter substrate, wherein a difference between a central coordinate of the step film and a central coordinate of the columnar spacer seen in a normal direction of a display surface of the liquid crystal display device varies with standard deviation σ of no smaller than 3 μm in at least one direction within an appropriate range in a display area of the display surface.
US08724067B2
An active device array substrate includes a substrate, first scan lines, second scan lines, data lines, and pixels. The first and the second scan lines are alternately arranged along a first direction. The data lines are arranged in parallel along a second direction. The pixels are arranged to form first pixel rows and second pixel rows alternately arranged in the first direction. The first pixel row includes first and second pixels electrically connected to the first scan lines, the second scan lines, and the data line, respectively. The second pixel row includes third and fourth pixels electrically connected to the first scan lines, the second scan lines, and the data line, respectively. The pixels between two adjacent data lines are arranged in two columns. Among the pixels in the same column, the pixels in odd rows and in even rows are electrically connected to different data lines, respectively.
US08724064B2
Provided is a liquid crystal display including a transparent pixel electrode and a transparent common electrode in a pixel region to drive liquid crystals. The transparent common electrode includes a plurality of slits and is configured to open at least a portion of a switching device to connect unit pixels, the slits have an angle of 5 to 10° with respect to a gate line, and a rubbing direction of a liquid crystal layer is substantially parallel to a gate direction. Therefore, it is possible to provide the liquid crystal display capable of removing factors decreasing an aperture ratio, preventing light from leaking, and further improving internal reflection.
US08724052B2
A light-spreading device is disclosed, wherein the light-spreading structure is formed with a wing-shaped protrusion part extending in a first direction and protruding in a different, second direction, such that light enters a surface on one side of the light-spreading structure, opposite to a recess located on another side of the light-spreading structure. The light-spreading structure also has an uneven surface associated with at least one of the wing-shaped protrusion part, the light-entering surface, and the recess.
US08724048B2
A display device includes a display cell including a display region and a frame region surrounding the display region. A driver circuit is connected to the display cell to drive the display cell and is controlled by a circuit board arranged along in a longitudinal direction of the display cell. An insulating protection sheet covers the driver circuit and the circuit board, and one end of the insulating protection sheet is fixed to the frame region of the display cell. A conductive tape is formed on the insulating protection sheet between the display region and the driver circuit along one side of the display cell, such that static charges generated in the display region are discharged to ground through the conductive tape.
US08724043B2
A locking structure for flat panel display device fixing apparatus includes a main frame. The main frame has an open cavity, a first and a second stopping rib that are formed above the two opposite sides thereof respectively and that extend inwards. The first stopping rib is longer than the second stopping rib. Below the first stopping rib, the main frame further includes an opening in which a pressure apparatus is mounted for locking a flat panel display device. The pressure apparatus includes a first and a second pressure block which are movable relatively. The first pressure block includes moveable rollers respectively mounted on both sides thereof. The second pressure block includes pushers for pushing the rollers outwards. The opening includes inclined planes on both sides thereof corresponding to the rollers.
US08724035B2
Receiver apparatus comprises: first and second receiving systems; a demodulation/diversity combining means for combining demodulated signals of first and second receiving systems; a selection means for selecting and outputting an output of either one of first and second receiving systems; and a control means for controlling the operations of the whole receiver apparatus. Control means causes to execute a first composite operation, either one of the receiving systems is caused to continue reception operation while the other receiving system is caused to perform channel search to search a channel satisfying a predetermined condition, further the selection means is caused to select output of the resulting receiving system for performing continuous reception operation. If no channel to be received is found, the control means controls to interchange the receiving system for performing continuous reception operation and the receiving system for performing channel search, and to perform a second composite operation.
US08724027B2
A video output method and device includes utilizing a supplemental information storing section to determine whether or not an object area exists in the proximity of at least one character area, cuts out a video on a supplemental information area when the object area exists, and stores the video on the supplemental information area as supplemental information including the object area. A supplemental information display determination section determines whether or not the supplemental information stored by the supplemental information storing section is displayed in addition to an input video based on a screen configuration managed by the screen configuration management section. The supplemental information display determination section determines whether the supplemental information is displayed based on a size of a character included in a character area in the input video which changes in response to the scaling managed by the screen configuration management section.
US08724025B2
A video processing apparatus and a method capable of selecting various video signals are provided. The video processing apparatus includes an input unit which receives a video signal select key value by which a video signal select command to select one of the plurality of video signals is recognized; a storage unit which stores a plurality of video signal names corresponding to the plurality of video signals; and a control unit which sets a first display mode or a second display mode according to the duration of the video signal select key value, the first and second display modes indicating opposite orders in which the video signal names corresponding to the plurality of video signal units are displayed, and displays the video signal names sequentially in the set display mode. Thus, a user can conveniently select the video signal.
US08724018B2
A movable-mechanical-section controlling device includes a pan/tilt driving controlling unit configured to perform driving control on a movable mechanical section having a structure that moves so that an image pickup direction of an image pickup section that obtains an image-pickup image by performing an image pickup operation changes in a pan direction and a tilt direction. In the controlling device, unit pan operations that are performed in an angular range in the pan direction are performed for the respective two or more different tilt positions with decreasing angle of elevation at the tilt positions.
US08724014B2
A light field data acquisition device includes optics and a light field sensor to acquire light field image data of a scene. In at least one embodiment, the light field sensor is located at a substantially fixed, predetermined distance relative to the focal point of the optics. In response to user input, the light field acquires the light field image data of the scene, and a storage device stores the acquired data. Such acquired data can subsequently be used to generate a plurality of images of the scene using different virtual focus depths.
US08724013B2
A method and apparatus improves an auto focus system by altering, such as by positioning, at least one lens of a digital camera to a plurality of predetermined nonuniform lens positions corresponding to predetermined nonuniform lens position data. The method and apparatus selects a final lens position for the lens based on the predetermined nonuniform lens position data. In one example, a fixed number of predetermined nonuniform lens positions define a set of lens positions used to capture images during an auto focus operation. A final image is captured using a final lens position. The final lens position is determined by comparing focus metric information from each of the frames obtained at the various predetermined nonuniform focus lens positions and selecting the frame with, for example, the best focus metric as the lens position to be used for the final picture or image capture.
US08724012B2
A camera body including a receiving unit that receives an operation by a user, an obtaining unit that obtains driving method information indicating a capability of controlling a focus lens from a mounted interchangeable lens, a body controller that controls the camera body and generates a control signal for controlling the interchangeable lens, and a sending unit that sends the control signal to the interchangeable lens. The body controller determines control of the interchangeable lens by referring to the driving method information to generate a control signal that instructs the interchangeable lens to perform the determined control. The receiving unit receives a selection of one driving method setting menu from a plurality of driving method setting menus, and makes a driving method setting menu, which uses a driving method other than the driving method indicated by the driving method information, unselectable.
US08724009B2
An auto focus image system that includes a pixel array coupled to a focus signal generator. The pixel array captures an image that has at least one edge with a width. The focus signal generator may generate a focus signal that is a function of the edge width and/or statistics of edge widths. A processor receives the focus signal and/or the statistics of edge widths and adjust a focus position of a focus lens. The edge width can be determined by various techniques including the use of gradients. A histogram of edge widths may be used to determine whether a particular image is focused or unfocused. A histogram with a large population of thin edge widths is indicative of a focused image. Edge corruption/partial corruption may be detected. Partially corrupted edge may have edge width calculated by relying more on the side that is not corrupted and less on the side that is corrupted. Edge or edge side corruption may be detected by detecting a presence of an adjacent edge of the opposite sign.
US08724007B2
Methods and apparatus for processing collections of images are described in which metadata from a set of images may be used in directing a multi-image processing workflow. One or more output images may be rendered from a set of input images, with each output image being some combination of two or more of the input images. To render an output image, a workflow including one or more processing steps may be applied to the images. Metadata may be used in directing and performing the workflow. For example, metadata may be used in determining a particular workflow for a set of images. As another example, metadata may be used to sort a collection of images into multiple categories for automated workflow processing. As yet another example, metadata may be used to retrieve information stored in a profile database that may be used in processing the images.
US08724001B2
An analog-to-digital (ADC) converter is disclosed that uses aspects of a single-slope ramp ADC, but with jump steps in the ramp voltage to increase speed. A look-ahead controller can cause a ramped voltage level to jump step and detect the number of analog input signals impacted due to the jump step. If the detected number is below a predetermined threshold, the ramp can be maintained from the new voltage level after the jump. If the detected number is above the predetermined threshold, the ramped voltage level can be returned to its original voltage level and trajectory. Thus, jump steps can be used to increase speed, but dynamic testing can be performed to ensure that error rates due to the jump step are minimized.
US08723995B2
A digital color imager providing an extended luminance range, an improved color implementation and enabling a method for an easy transformation into another color space having luminance as a component has been achieved. Key of the invention is the addition of white pixels to red, green and blue pixels. These white pixels have either an extended dynamic rang as described by U.S. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,441,852 to Levine et al.) or have a larger size than the red, green, or blue pixels used. The output of said white pixels can be directly used for the luminance values Y of the destination color space. Therefore only the color values and have to be calculated from the RGB values, leading to an easier and faster calculation. As an example chosen by the inventor the conversion to YCbCr color space has been shown in detail.
US08723994B2
A color pixel array includes a plurality of micropixels. Each micropixel includes a photosensitive element and a filter element optically aligned with the photosensitive element such that incident light passes through the filter element prior to reaching the photosensitive element. The micropixels are organized into triangular macropixels that each includes multiple micropixels. A perimeter shape of each of the triangular macropixels forms a triangle. The triangular macropixels have a repeating pattern across the color pixel array.
US08723988B2
An electronic device includes a touch sensitive display device, a camera device, and a processor that executes computer readable program code embodied in a computer readable storage medium. Some of the computer readable program code is configured to control magnification of a digital image from the camera device to generate a magnified digital image that is displayed on the display device in response to distance between at least two touch points detected relative to a surface of the display device. Some other computer readable program code is configured to initiate capture of the magnified digital image in response to cessation of detection of at least one of the two touch points.
US08723985B2
A camera on which a lens apparatus is mounted is disclosed. The camera includes a controller which performs a focusing control corresponding to the mounted lens apparatus; a display unit which performs display process corresponding to an output of the controller; and a storage section which stores correction information for correcting a calculation result in the focusing control by the controller, in association with the mounted lens apparatus.
US08723984B2
A method and apparatus for capturing image and sound during interactivity with a computer program is provided. The apparatus includes an image capture unit that is configured to capture one or more image frames. Also provided is a sound capture unit. The sound capture unit is configured to identify one or more sound sources. The sound capture unit generates data capable of being analyzed to determine a zone of focus at which to process sound to the substantial exclusion of sounds outside of the zone of focus. In this manner, sound that is captured and processed for the zone of focus is used for interactivity with the computer program.
US08723980B2
An image processing system includes an illumination unit and an illumination control unit configured to adjust light emitted from the illumination unit so as to illuminate a limited area in a space, the system generates a timing signal for controlling emission/non-emission of light from the illumination unit, captures a first image of an imaging area including the limited area or part of the limited area based on the timing signal, the first image being taken from a position different from the illumination unit when the illumination unit emits light, captures a second image of the imaging area based on the timing signal, the second image being taken from the position when the illumination unit emits no light, and acquires a third image which is a difference image between the first image and the second image.
US08723976B2
A digital camera comprises a CCD, a flash memory for storing images captured by the CCD, setting unit configured to set a recording condition, an auto shutter condition table for storing auto recording conditions for each of the auto shutter mode which are set by detecting an input from a key input device during auto shutter mode setting, and a CPU for determining whether the captured image satisfies the set recording condition and for recording the captured image to the flash memory it is determined that the image satisfies the recording condition.
US08723967B2
An image pickup apparatus having a function of performing cut-out processing for an image for electronic image-stabilization and detecting a particular object of the image is provided. The image pickup apparatus detects a particular object from an image that has not been subjected to cut-out processing for electronic image-stabilization, adjusts position information of the detected object in accordance with a cut-out position of the image for electronic image-stabilization, and combining an indication indicating the position of the particular object with a display image based on positional information after the adjustment is performed.
US08723961B2
Apparatus and method of forming and displaying high dynamic range (HDR) images for various purposes including the testing of image capture devices, such as cameras. A display device has a display panel carrying a plurality of rendered images formed from image data of a scene. At least one light source is used to illuminate the rendered images on the display panel. When the rendered images are aligned with one another and illuminated by the light source, the rendered images are capable of forming a display image having a dynamic range higher than those of the rendered images.
US08723960B2
The purpose of an objective video quality evaluation is to automatically assess the quality of video sequences in agreement with human quality perception. The invention addresses the effects of the introduction of a temporal dimension by focusing on the temporal evolutions of spatial distortions, since it has been found that a spatial quality variation cannot be evaluated by simple subtraction of the spatial quality of neighboring frames. An improved method for estimating perceived video quality comprises steps of calculating a first similarity map between adjacent frames of a current sequence, calculating a second similarity map between the corresponding reference frames, and calculating (smg3) a third similarity map, which provides a numerical quality value.
US08723952B1
A network of surveillance digital video cameras is provided. Each camera records video data and provides the video recordings to other networked cameras as well as to a central video storage. The instantly created plurality of copies of surveillance video recordings adds a great degree of difficulty for attempts to eliminate all of the individual camera's recordings during a security breach. Each networked camera is equipped with its own integrated storage device capable of holding several hours of recorded video footage. The networked cameras can exchange copies video data and store it locally on integrated storages.
US08723949B2
A system and system for monitoring water quality. The system comprises a container for receiving a flow of water to be monitored, the container containing a plurality of fish and configured such that a substantially 3-dimensional group behavior of the fish is accommodated; a first imaging device disposed above the container for obtaining top view video data of the fish; and means for identifying individual fish based on foreground object detection.
US08723943B2
An inspection system configured for “no-blow” use in a pressurized gas pipeline includes a push rod wound around a spool for convenient deployment and portability. A camera disposed on one end of the push rod is configured to relay images back to a monitor. A motor is configured for remote actuation by an operator, and provides for self-propelled movement of the camera in the pipeline. An entry tube is configured for sealed entry into the pipeline to facilitate entry of the camera and push rod. A guide shoe at the end of the entry tube provides a smooth transition for the camera and push rod as it leaves the entry tube and enters the pipeline. An automatically deployable and retractable positioning system is used to keep the camera away from an interior surface of the pipeline, and in the case of smaller pipelines, centers the camera within the pipeline.
US08723937B2
An endoscope system includes an imaging section that includes an optical system and an imaging element, an observation mode setting section that sets an object observation mode, a diaphragm control section that selects a diaphragm state based on the observation mode, and an image processing section that processes an image acquired by the imaging section. The diaphragm control section selecting a first diaphragm state when the observation mode is a first observation mode. The first diaphragm state being a state in which a resolution determined by a diffraction limit based on a diaphragm of the optical system is lower than a resolution determined by the imaging element. The diaphragm control section selecting a second diaphragm state when the observation mode is a second observation mode. The second diaphragm state being a state in which the resolution determined by the diffraction limit based on the diaphragm of the optical system is equal to or higher than the resolution determined by the imaging element.
US08723923B2
A structured light system based on a fast, linear array light modulator and an anamorphic optical system captures three-dimensional shape information at high rates and has strong resistance to interference from ambient light. A structured light system having a modulated light source offers improved signal to noise ratios. A wand permits single point detection of patterns in structured light systems.
US08723921B2
An image pickup system includes an image pickup device (CIS) provided with a TG which generates a first reference synchronization signal and includes a synchronization signal self-generating counter, and a processor provided with a TG that generates a second reference synchronization signal and a reference synchronization signal comparing section that compares the first reference synchronization signal superimposed on a video signal with the second reference synchronization signal, in which when a shift occurs between the first reference synchronization signal and the second reference synchronization signal, the processor transmits the second reference synchronization signal or phase correction amount information to the CIS, and the TG changes a timing of the first reference synchronization signal according to the second reference synchronization signal or the phase correction amount information.
US08723904B2
A mobile printer comprising a printer body and a printer door is provided. The printer body has a recessed area that is sized to receive a media roll. The media roll has a void interior portion that is sized to receive one or more batteries that provide power to the mobile printer. Further, the printer door is operatively coupled to the printer body. When in an open position, the printer door allows for placement of a media roll from a side of the mobile printer into the recessed area. When closed, however, the media roll is retained in place relative to the printer body and the media from the media roll is captured for printing.
US08723900B2
A display device includes: a light emission control part which allows a light source to emit the light having one of the plural different main wavelengths in each of plural sub frames; a display panel which controls the transmission of light in each pixel; and a display control part which controls the display panel corresponding to a gray level value with respect to the each pixel, wherein the light emitting control part performs the light emission of light having a first main wavelength in a first sub frame in accordance with a light emission amount weighted based on a time for calculation including a first interval which is a interval between the first sub frame where the first main wavelength is emitted and a second sub frame where the first main wavelength is emitted after the first sub frame.
US08723892B2
A map display control apparatus includes: an accepting section configured to accept a search character; a search section configured to search for a landmark on a map, wherein a name of the landmark at least partly matches the search character; a position adjusting section configured to adjust a display position of the map such that the searched landmark search results appear in the map; a search refining section configured to perform a new search for the landmark and refine the landmark search results whenever a new character is added to the search character; and a position movement section configured to move the display position of the map, depending on a number of the refined landmark search results or a position of the refined landmark search results.
US08723881B2
A method and an electronic device for tactile feedback are provided. An original image is input and converted to a binary image which includes a first grayscale value and a second grayscale value. The original image is converted to a grayscale image at least including a third grayscale value between the first grayscale value and the second grayscale value. An index map is generated according to the binary image and the grayscale image. The index map includes a plurality of index values indicative of different strengths for tactile feedback. A touch input on a touch panel is detected when the original image is displayed on a display panel. In response to the detected touch input, a tactile activation unit is driven to generate tactile feedback according to the index map.
US08723880B2
A white balance method for a display image is disclosed. The steps of the method includes: measuring gray levels of a basic and reference colors based on a plurality of color temperatures; obtaining reference color gains according to average values of the gray level of the reference and basic colors and a ratio according to the reference color gains corresponding to each of the color temperatures; dividing the display image into a plurality of blocks, and obtaining a reference color gain of each of blocks according to the average values of the gray levels of reference and basic colors, and obtaining a block ratio of each of blocks; generating a selected number corresponding to each of the color temperature according to the ratios and the block ratios; selecting the basic and reference color gains of one of the color temperatures for executing white balance to the display image.
US08723879B2
A system and method for reducing noise in images is disclosed. The present invention reduces noise and preserves contrast of an image to be displayed, the image having pixels, by (1) comparing a value of a first pixel to values of a set of other pixels; (2) comparing values of pixels neighboring the first pixel to values of further pixels neighboring the set of other pixels; (3) determining, for each pixel in the set of other pixels, a weight based on results of steps (1) and (2); (4) calculating a de-noised pixel value based on the weights of each pixel in the set of other pixels; and (5) replacing the value of the first pixel with the de-noised pixel value.
US08723876B2
An image processing apparatus is provided that includes a main memory; at least one sub-memory that stores data, a cache memory that temporarily stores data, and controller that controls whether to temporarily store the data in the cache memory selectively with respect to each of the at least one sub-memory.
US08723868B2
Systems and methods for displaying digitized waveform data on a pixilated screen are provided. Certain methods include retrieving waveform data that exists as a plurality of sequential samples in a buffer. A first sample is associated with a first point of a pixilated screen. A second sample that follows the first sample is associated with a second point of the screen. A boundary of a rectangular line segment connecting the points is determined. For each pixel of the pixilated screen that has any portion inside the boundary of the rectangular line segment, a number of subpixels within the pixel that have any portion inside the boundary of the rectangular line segment is determined and that number of subpixels is correlated with an intensity value that is then associated with the pixel. Waveform data is displayed by painting pixels of the screen with the associated intensity values.
US08723862B2
An information processor that calculates information concerning a three-dimensional shape comprises: a three-dimensional-shape input unit that inputs drawing data of a three-dimensional shape used for displaying a three-dimensional shape; a display unit that displays a three-dimensional shape of drawing data input to the three-dimensional-shape input unit; and a shape-value-information calculating unit that sets a shape element of a three-dimensional shape displayed on the display unit to data used for calculating a three-dimensional shape, based on an instruction input from outside, calculates a value of a shape concerning the three-dimensional shape not clearly shown within the drawing data as shape value information by using the set shape element, and displays a calculation result on the display unit.
US08723859B1
A Large Scale LCD Display System comprising a plurality of individual image substrates in communication with a microprocessor which communicates a portion of a large overall image to be depicted by each constituent substrate such that the end result is a complete depiction of the large overall image.
US08723852B2
A method of driving a display panel includes sequentially applying a gate signal to a plurality of gate lines of the display panel during each frame period of a plurality of frame periods, applying data voltages to a plurality of data lines of the display panel, and applying a common voltage to the display panel, a polarity of the common voltage being inverted periodically and asynchronously with a frame period of the frame periods.
US08723850B2
A method of programming a driving waveform for an electrophoretic display (EPD) is provided, wherein the driving waveform includes several single pulses selected from K candidate pulse widths W1˜WK. First, K different constant pulse sequences corresponding to W1˜WK may be applied to the EPD, to obtain K sets of discrete electro-optical response data. A polynomial curve fitting algorithm is applied to obtain K relation curves C1˜CK between contrast ratios of the EPD to time, corresponding to the K sets of discrete electro-optical response data. After calculating the slope values S1˜SK of the curves C1˜CK at a current contrast ratio of the EPD, a maximum slope Smax among S1˜SK and a specific pulse width WS corresponding thereto are determined. A next contrast ratio of the EPD is calculated according to WS and Smax. The design process is repeated until the next contrast ratio of the EPD exceeds a target value.
US08723845B2
A signal distribution circuit (3) includes (i) a redundancy TFT element (8) provided so as to have a channel width identical to those of driving TFT elements (7), (ii) first redundancy lines (9a, 9b), (iii) a second redundancy line (10), and (iv) a third redundancy line (11). It is therefore possible to provide a liquid crystal display device including the signal distribution circuit (3) in which, even in a case where a leaking part (a defect part) is generated in any of the driving TFT elements (7), it does not take long to restore the leaking part, and productivity can be improved, the driving TFT elements (7) keeping respective channel widths identical to one another even after the leaking part is restored.
US08723844B2
Noise is reduced at a so-called Q-node and a so-called A-node of shift registers in a gate lines driving block of a scan driven display system so that the display system can be safely operated even at elevated temperatures. A variety of techniques may be used to reduce the noise. A first of the techniques applies charging pulses to the A-node at a rate faster than just once every 2H durations, where 1H is the duration of a single row drive. More specifically, a plurality of so-called inverter circuits, rather than just one are included in each shift register stage and the inverters are operated in synchronism with out of phase clock signals so as to thereby increase the rate at which the A-node is pulsed to a high voltage level. A second technique charges up the Q-node in multiple steps. A third technique pulls down the carry line at times when it does not need to go high. A fourth technique combines one or more of the first through third techniques.
US08723843B2
A pixel driving circuit, a pixel driving method and a light emitting display device are provided in the present invention. The pixel driving circuit includes first through fifth transistors and a capacitor and is for driving a light emitting diode. The third transistor forms a diode connection to make information of the threshold voltages of both the third transistor and the light emitting diode be stored in the capacitor in a data writing period. In a light emitting period, the second transistor compensates drift variation of the threshold voltages of the third transistor and the light emitting diode according to the information stored in the capacitor to provide a stable driving current for driving the light emitting diode.
US08723842B2
The present invention relates to a position pointing device comprising a housing (12) for receiving a circuit (28), the circuit having a coil member (18, 20) and a circuit component (10), the coil member having a return wire (32) for forming the circuit, the housing having an inner surface, the inner surface having a groove (30) for receiving at least a portion of the return wire.
US08723841B2
A touch sensor that may detect an object away from the sensor is provided. The touch sensor includes one or more drive electrodes; one or more detection electrodes forming capacitance in cooperation with the respective drive electrodes; a detection circuit applying drive signals to the respective drive electrodes to detect the object based on detection signals obtained from the respective detection electrodes in response to the respective drive signals; and a controller controlling to change a range of electric flux lines generated between the drive electrodes and the detection electrodes.
US08723835B2
The present application provides a touch-sensing display panel comprising a display panel and a touch-sensing device disposed above the display panel. The touch-sensing device comprises a plurality of select lines, a plurality of readout lines and a plurality of capacitive touch-sensing units arranged in array. Each of the capacitive touch-sensing units comprises a transistor and a touch-sensing pad, each of the transistors comprises a gate electrode electrically connected to one of the select lines, a source electrode electrically connected to a reference voltage, a drain electrode electrically connected to one of the readout lines, and a channel layer electrically coupled to the touch-sensing pad.
US08723834B2
Examples of arrangements of electrodes on a touch sensitive screen provide one or more advantages, such as reduced cross coupling, for example, when a person is using both thumbs or several fingers at substantially the same time to control the touch screen.
US08723827B2
A method for locating a conductive object at a touch-sensing surface may include detecting a first resolved location for the conductive object at the touch-sensing surface based on a first scan of the touch-sensing surface, predicting a location for the conductive object, and determining a second resolved location for the conductive object by performing a second scan of a subset of sensor electrodes of the touch-sensing surface, wherein the subset of sensor electrodes is selected based on the predicted location of the conductive object.
US08723825B2
A method for locating a conductive object at a touch-sensing surface may include detecting a first resolved location for the conductive object at the touch-sensing surface based on a first scan of the touch-sensing surface, predicting a location for the conductive object, and determining a second resolved location for the conductive object by performing a second scan of a subset of sensor elements of the touch-sensing surface, wherein the subset of sensor elements is selected based on the predicted location of the conductive object.
US08723823B2
A system and method for providing notifications on a mobile computing device is disclosed. The method comprises enabling multiple applications that operate on the mobile computing device to generate notifications in response to event occurrences. A plurality of notification representations are presented in a notification bar on the display. The plurality of notification representations are individually generated by a corresponding application in response to an event occurrence. The plurality of notification representations are represented in a first portion of the notification bar and with a number that represents how many notification representations from an application have been generated and not dismissed by a user.
US08723815B2
The present invention includes interactive communication systems that incorporate several beneficial embodiments including an interactive tray system, an electronic presentation messaging system, an interactive podium, and a key drive system. The interactive tray system enables a single, transferable interactive unit to be fastened to a communication medium, turning into a fully interactive medium. The electronic presentation messaging system enables the e-mailing of presentations and notes to and from components of the interactive communication system. The interactive podium increases conventional podium mobility, enabling both the presenter, and podium, to move and be moved about the room without attention to wired connections. The key drive system replaces the conventional Y-connector of the key drive technology by effectively integrating the key drive in the device, thus only having one connector, and eliminating the need to change connectors from the key drive, to the USB connector, upon software driver loading.
US08723811B2
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal. Specifically to a mobile terminal including a display including a touchscreen, a sensing unit for sensing an object contacting the touchscreen and the object in near-proximity to the touchscreen, and a controller for controlling information appearing on the display according to the object contacting the touchscreen and movement of the object relative to the touchscreen.
US08723808B2
A method of executing a function through a touch input device. The method includes displaying a plurality of soft keys on a screen of the touch input device, and executing a function when one of the soft keys is touched and slid on the screen of the touch input device and an input instruction is entered to execute the assigned function.
US08723805B2
An information input device which enable even a user incapable of seeing an operation panel to identify the respective locations of keys on the operation panel and functions assigned to the keys, thereby enhancing operability of the device. The information input device is provided with a touch panel for inputting coordinate information based on a location thereon touched by a user. A pressure sensor detects the location on the touch panel touched by the user. A CPU determines whether or not there is a key assigned to the location detected by the pressure sensor. When it is determined that there is a key assigned to the location, a vibration generator vibrates the touch panel in a vibration pattern associated with the key. Further, when it is determined that there is a key assigned to the location, a voice output section outputs a voice associated with the key.
US08723800B2
An input detecting method used for a virtual projecting input system includes: emitting an image light beam through a reflecting mirror, and the image light beam forming a projecting point on a projecting plane; enabling the reflecting mirror to swing, so as to enable the image light beam to swing, and the projecting point scanning back and forth on the projecting plane, and generating an input image; detecting a swing frequency of the reflecting mirror, and generating a frequency signal; judging whether an input action occurs, and if yes, generating a detecting signal; and analyzing a phase difference between the frequency signal and the detecting signal, and calculating an input position of the input action according to the phase difference.
US08723799B2
A novel capacitive sensing keyboard allows for keypads to be easily changed for repair or reconfiguration purposes. The keypads can be made of a deformable and resilient material, such as an elastomer, which can provide tactile feedback to a user and which are relatively inexpensive to manufacture. An array of overlying pairs of driver elements and sense elements are located adjacent the keypad and changes in the dielectric value of materials about the driver/sense element pairs are detected when a key on the keypad is pressed by a user. These detected changes are processed in view of a defined key map to determine which key or keys have been pressed by the user.
US08723783B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) includes: a light source unit to provide light to a liquid crystal panel and includes first point light sources and second point light sources; a first timing controller to transmit a first image signal and a second image signal to the liquid crystal panel; a second timing controller to transmit optical data, which includes first information to turn on the first point light sources and the second point light sources at different times; and a light source driver to control the first point light sources and the second point light sources to be turned on and off according to the optical data. A method of driving an LCD includes turning on and off first and second point light sources according to received first and second image signals.
US08723780B2
An inverter of driving a light source for a display device is provided. The inverter includes a temperature sensor sensing a temperature and generating an output voltage based on the sensed temperature, a buffer generating an output signal having a state depending on the output voltage of the temperature sensor, an oscillator generating an oscillating signal having a frequency depending on the state of the output signal of the buffer, and an inverter performing a switching operation in response to the oscillating signal from the oscillator. Therefore, the inverter increases the voltage applied to the light source when the temperature near the light source is lower than a predetermined temperature since the frequency of the oscillating signal is increased.
US08723778B2
The invention relates to a display driver comprising an embedded frame memory and an overdrive logic block for moderating display data of a current frame received by the display driver by means of overdrive. The overdrive logic block is arranged for reading data from and writing data to the embedded frame memory and for using display data of a previous image stored in the embedded frame memory for calculating overdrive display data of the current frame. The overdrive display data is used for refreshing the image depicted on a display device. The invention further relates to an LCD display device comprising such a display device.
US08723776B2
A gate driving circuit receives a plurality of clock signals in a sequence and includes a plurality of cascaded drive units sequentially outputting an output signal, wherein a first-stage drive unit of the gate driving circuit receives a scan start signal or a scan end signal while a last-stage drive unit thereof receives a scan end signal or a scan start signal; wherein a driving direction of the gate driving circuit is reversed by reversing the sequence of the clock signals and exchanging the scan start signal and the scan end signal. The present invention further provides a driving method of a gate driving circuit.
US08723774B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus, an LCD driving apparatus, and a method for driving the LCD apparatus are provided. The LCD apparatus includes a panel; and a controlling unit which inserts gray data into at least one pixel included in a pixel group. Accordingly, the stress on a liquid crystal is reduced and thus a residual image is prevented from occurring on a screen.
US08723773B2
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a control unit of the electro-optical device performs black data insertion processing for all the pixels in a vertical retrace period and each of the pixels includes a first subpixel and at least one second subpixel. Accordingly, blur of a motion picture is suppressed (a motion picture is improved in visual quality) by the black data insertion processing while using the minimum number of switching devices in the pixel unit.
US08723765B2
A stage circuit includes a progressive driver and a concurrent driver, and a scan driver includes a plurality of stage circuits that are capable of supplying a scan signal to scan lines progressively and concurrently (e.g., simultaneously).
US08723759B2
A display which includes an array of pixels. Each pixel includes a hydrophobic layer; an electro-wetting fluid adjacent the hydrophobic layer, the electro-wetting fluid including at least first and second fluids immiscible with each other and having different polar properties and different optical properties; and at least one electrode wherein application of a voltage to the electrode alters a wetting effect of the electro-wetting fluid on the hydrophobic layer in a light-modulating area of the pixel. The display further includes a light-concentrating substrate including an array of light-concentrating structures each configured to concentrate light onto the light-modulating area of a corresponding one or more pixels within the array of pixels.
US08723752B2
In certain embodiments, a segmented reflector and an antenna having a segmented reflector are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the segments of the reflector are held in side-by-side relationship by the antenna transceiver. In certain other embodiments, the segments of the reflector are held in side-by-side relationship by magnets in each of the segments that are attracted to magnets in adjacent segments. In some embodiments, interengaging male and female detents are provided in the segment endwalls in order to resist shear forces once the segmented reflector is assembled. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US08723743B2
A method is provided for reducing near-field radiation and specific absorption rate values in a communications device that includes a multimode antenna structure transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals and circuitry for processing signals communicated to and from the antenna structure. The method includes adjusting the relative phase between signals fed to neighboring antenna ports of the antenna structure such that a signal fed to the one antenna port has a different phase than a signal fed to the neighboring antenna port to provide antenna pattern control and to increase gain in a selected direction toward a receive point. The method features using a transmit power lower than the transmit power used in a non-pattern control operation of the antenna structure such that the communications device obtains generally equivalent wireless link performance with the receive point using reduced transmit power compared to the non-pattern control operation, thereby reducing the specific absorption rate.
US08723741B2
A device for a wireless RF link to a remote receiving device can radiate at different radiation patterns in response to detecting a change in the device position. As the device is moved, displaced, or re-positioned, a position sensor in the device detects the change in position and provides position information to a processor. The processor receives the position information from the position sensor, selects an antenna configuration and physical data rate based on the position information, and provides an RF signal associated with the selected antenna configuration through the antenna elements of the selected antenna configuration.
US08723736B2
A multi-layer multi band antenna is provided. Because the antenna carrier has a structure stacked in a plurality of layers having different dielectric constants, the antenna maintains a small size yet has an improved radiation performance in a desired bandwidth.
US08723734B2
A Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes antenna devices that operate in respective resonant frequency bands. The apparatus also includes a main board comprising a device region and a ground region. The antenna devices are disposed on the device region. The ground plate is disposed on the ground region for grounding the antenna devices. The apparatus also includes at least one isolation device having a negatively charged line that protrudes from the ground plate and extends between the antenna devices on the device region, and a positively charged line that extends around the negatively charged line and connects the antenna devices to each other. The isolation device induces an electromagnetic wave that is generated by the antenna devices between the negative and positively charged lines to isolate the antenna devices from each other.
US08723733B2
A multiband antenna for a mobile device is disclosed. The mobile device includes a multiband antenna configured to communicate with a base station. The multiband antenna includes a ground plane, a ground plane extension, and a plurality of antenna arms. The ground plane, the ground plane extension, and the plurality of antenna arms are configured to communicate signals in multiple frequency bands, where the ground plane and the ground plane extension have a length proportional to approximately a quarter wavelength of a frequency in the multiple frequency bands. The mobile device further includes a modulator and demodulator configured to modulate signal for transmission and demodulate signal received from the base station, and a controller configured to control communication of signals using the multiband antenna and the modem.
US08723730B2
According to an embodiment of the present invention an emitter geolocation technique determines the geolocation of a radio frequency (RF) emitter using pair-wise line-of-bearing intersections that are derived from signal-to-noise ratios of transmitted signals received at a sensor. The technique may be employed with ground based vehicle or small unmanned air vehicles (UAV), and obtains reliable geolocation estimates of radio frequency (RF) emitters of interest.
US08723728B2
A failure compensation method includes detecting a Digital Beam-forming (DBF) coefficient of each of multiple transceiver channels in real time. When a failure of any one of the transceiver channels is detected, a current group of DBF coefficients of the multiple transceiver channels at a current failure status and corresponding failure mode information are obtained. Optimization processing is performed on the current group of DBF coefficients through a preset optimization algorithm so as to calculate a first group of DBF coefficients which is more adaptive to the failure mode information than the current group of DBF coefficients. The DBF coefficients of the transceiver channels are updated according to the first group of DBF coefficients.
US08723727B2
The invention relates to a slot antenna, more particularly to a transmitting antenna for RFID, comprising an antenna contour board having a plurality of antenna slots and at least one control circuit for enabling the antenna contour board to transmit and/or receive electromagnetic radiation. The slot antenna is characterized in that in at least one antenna slot of the antenna contour board there is inserted a circuit board carrying a control circuit. The invention further relates to an RFID method involving the use of the slot antenna of the invention.
US08723726B2
Each of a first and a second navigation satellite system (NSS) are adapted to operate according to a first and a second specification, respectively, and each includes a first and a second plurality of satellite vehicles (SVs), respectively. Each of the first and the second plurality of SVs are adapted to be identified by a first and a second plurality of unique corresponding identifications (IDs), respectively. A processor is adapted to receive and identify a first plurality of corresponding signals transmitted from the first plurality of SVs in response to the first plurality of unique corresponding IDs. The processor is adapted to receive and identify a second plurality of corresponding signals transmitted from the second plurality of SVs in response to the second plurality of unique corresponding IDs. The processor is adapted to determine position location information in response to receiving and identifying the first plurality of corresponding signals and the second plurality of corresponding signals.
US08723712B1
A digital to analog converter including at least one current steering source and a master replica bias network. Each current steering source includes a data current source, two switches, two buffer devices, and two activation current sources. The switches are controlled by a data bit and its inverse for switching the source current between first and second control nodes. The buffer devices buffer the control nodes between corresponding output nodes. The activation current sources ensure that each buffer device remains active regardless of the state of the switches. The master replica bias network includes a replica buffer device coupled to a replica control node and a master buffer amplifier. The master buffer amplifier drives the first, second and replica buffer devices in parallel to maintain the first, second and replica control nodes at a common master control voltage to minimize noise and glitches at the output.
US08723710B2
A system for controlling a digital sensor (CN) for measuring a physical quantity (GP) includes a transducer (TRD) delivering as output an analog signal representative of the physical quantity (GP), with means (MGD) for implementing gain and/or shift on the analog output signal (SA1) of the transducer (TRD), and with an analog-digital converter (CAN) at the output of the sensor (CN) so as to deliver a digital signal (SN1). A first means (MA1) applies a first shift to the analog signal of the physical quantity (GP), and a second means (MA2) applies a second shift to the digital signal (SN1). Control means (CMD) continuously controls the first application means (MA1), on the basis of the digital signal (SN1), as well as the second application means (MA2), on the basis of the digital signal (SN1) and/or of the first shift.
US08723707B2
A method and a corresponding device for calibrating a pipelined analog-to-digital converter (ADC) involve injecting a randomly determined amount of dither into one of a flash component and a multiplying digital-to-analog converter (MDAC) in at least one stage in the ADC. For each stage of the at least one stage a correlation procedure is performed to estimate, based on an output of the ADC, an amount of gain experienced by the injected dither after propagating through the stage. The stage is then calibrated based on its respective gain estimate.
US08723706B1
Various embodiments of the invention allow for error calibration in analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) having multiple cascaded ADC stages. The ADC stages exchange information that is utilized in the calibration process. Various embodiments allow for calibration of one stage by utilizing a feedback signal from at least one subsequent stage. Certain embodiments of the invention increase the speed of the calibration process by utilizing coarse and fine sub-ADCs.
US08723703B2
A method and apparatus for encoding structured data by fragmenting the structured data into fragments according to a configuration of the structured data and encoding the fragments to generate encoded fragments using a string table including strings contained in the structured data.
US08723700B2
The present invention discloses a method and a device for pulse encoding, and a method and a device for pulse decoding. The method for pulse encoding includes: calculating an index value of an input pulse; selecting an adjustment threshold value according to the number of pulses, and comparing the index value of the pulse with the adjustment threshold value; if the index value is smaller than the adjustment threshold value, adopting the first number of encoding bits to encode the index value, if the index value is not smaller than the adjustment threshold value, adopting the second number of encoding bits to encode the index value plus an offset value, where the first number is smaller than the second number, the first number and the second number are both positive integers, and the offset value is greater than or equal to the adjustment threshold value.
US08723695B2
A method for automatically detecting an erroneous height value supplied by a radio altimeter mounted on an aircraft. The method includes measuring, during the aircraft's approach phase with a view to landing, the duration between the times when a first predetermined altitude threshold and a second predetermined altitude threshold are reached. This duration is measured by taking into account current height values supplied by the radio altimeter. The method then includes comparing the measured duration to a predetermined duration reference time, which is lower than a flight duration that would allow the aircraft to descend from the first predetermined altitude threshold to the second predetermined altitude threshold at a maximum vertical speed. An erroneous height value is detected if the measured duration is lower than the predetermined duration reference time.
US08723693B1
A system and method for indicating a predictive windshear transmission status is provided. The method includes determining if the predictive windshear radar system is transmitting. The method also includes providing an indication of the determination to a user interface device. Additional parameters, such as the operational state of the aircraft, may be used to further define when the indication is provided.
US08723676B2
A rehabilitation-assisting apparatus is provided in this disclosure. The rehabilitation-assisting apparatus includes at least one step-information sensing unit, an alert-signal generating unit and a processing unit. The step-information sensing unit can be worn on a user's lower limb. The step-information sensing unit senses and generates step information of the user. The processing unit builds connections with the step-information sensing unit and the alert-signal generating unit. The processing unit determines if the user is walking appropriately according to the step information of the user. The processing unit drives the alert-signal generating unit to generate an alert signal when the user is not walking appropriately.
US08723675B2
A smartcard connector for connecting a smartcard within a card holder to an electronic device. The smartcard connector includes a card holder having a card holding space, a contact pad integral with the card holder and in communicative contact with the card holding space, and an external adapter integral with the card holder and in electrical contact with the contact pad. The adapter is for communicatively connecting a smartcard received and held within the card holding space and in electrical contact with the contact pad to an external data cable. The data cable is also connected to an electrical device, such as a computer, so that the smartcard may be accessed by the computer without removing the smartcard from the card holder. The card holder may also include a battery, display screen, read/write memory, security unit, notification unit, amplification unit, and/or a light.
US08723671B2
A method at an alarm monitoring station and security system arrangement for detecting alarm signals originating at security systems on incoming calls carried by a telecommunications line includes, for each call, measuring a noise level on the line in the absence of signals originated by the security systems. Based on the measuring, at least one signal detection threshold above the noise level is set, wherein a level of a signal must exceed the signal detection threshold in order to be detected as a data signal. Alarm data signals in the call are detected using the signal detection threshold.
US08723670B2
The present invention provides a system and method for marking and/or tracking the location of victims and other items of interest, including marking points of danger, often associated with an emergency, a disaster, a mass casualty incident, or other catastrophe. In particular, the invention pertains to systems and methods for marking and tracking locations utilizing portable devices that are transportable in vehicles operated by emergency responder personnel and rapidly charged to an operational state for immediate use in emergency situations. The invention provides critical assistance to search and rescue personnel called upon to enter unfamiliar structures or areas under low light or poor visibility conditions. The invention may be used to mark unfamiliar territory to facilitate ingress and egress in times of emergency.
US08723667B2
A method, computer program product, and system for managing a power distribution network is provided. In one embodiment, the computer program product comprises a VARs management module configured to generate a command configured to cause a capacitor bank to connect to the power distribution network; a voltage management module configured to receive voltage data derived from a measurement of a power line of the power distribution network and to output an alert if the voltage data is beyond a threshold; a measurement module configured to generate a request for measurement data that comprises data of a measurement of one or more electrical parameters of the power distribution network; and a power outage management module configured to output data of a location of a power outage of the power distribution system.
US08723659B2
A bicycle gear shift indicator comprises a shift sensor and a controller. The shift sensor configured detects a shifting operation of a shifter. The controller is operatively coupled to the shift sensor to determine a continuous shifting operation of the shifter based on a gear shift selection signal from the shift sensor. Furthermore, the controller is configured to operate a notification device that generates a shift notification corresponding to one or more gear shifts based on a continuous operation time of the shifter.
US08723652B2
A device and method for casino chip recognition and accounting. The device includes a box having a slot in which chips can be deposited. The slot is connected to a chute which has a window through which a surface of the chip can be seen as it travels along the slot. A chip recognition device which can be a camera is arranged in a position to observe or detect the chip as it travels past the window, and is connected to a controller which utilizes recognition software programmed to compare the chip that it has detected with known chip images or data stored in memory to determine the chip denomination. The controller then signals a central computer the amount received. The system is useable for tracking and accounting for tips at casino table games. It can also be used for cashing in chips as well as detecting counterfeits.
US08723650B2
The present invention discloses an electronic tag time sharing control system and a method thereof, and the system comprises a server, at least one coordinator and a plurality of wireless electronic tags. The server transmits a time-sharing control signal. The coordinator and the server form a wireless connection for receiving and transmitting the time-sharing control signal. The wireless electronic tags and the coordinators form a wireless connection. After each wireless electronic tag receives the time-sharing control signal, different sleep cycle and wakeup timing are generated to update display information sequentially. A portion of the wireless electronic tag is situated at a sleep status and a portion of the wireless electronic tag is situated at a standby status to receive the update display information, so as to achieve the effects of saving bandwidth, reducing packet collisions and extending the service life of the wireless electronic tag.
US08723646B2
An identification method and identification device are presented employing radio frequency and acoustic wave communication modes. The identification method includes: receiving at an acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device an acoustic wave signal of a first frequency and a radio frequency signal of a second frequency, where the acoustic wave signal and the radio frequency signal are received from an acoustic wave and radio frequency identification reader, and the first frequency and the second frequency are different frequencies; and responding to the receiving by transmitting at least one of an acoustic wave identification (AWID) or a radio frequency identification (RFID) from the acoustic wave and radio frequency identification device.
US08723644B2
The device of this invention is for use in marking, locating and retrieving an object with respect to the user, and has particular usefulness for hunters and the like to assist in locating a hunted game that has fallen some distance from the hunter. The device is an object that can be fastened to or hung from a user, can be easily removed from its attachment, is hand-holdable in size, and light weight for being launched or thrown toward the location to be marked. Once places and after a reasonable time delay, the device can emit sound, light or electronic signals that can assist the user in finding the marked location. The device can be have other uses as an assist in returning to a located place after the device has been launched or placed.
US08723642B2
A wireless charging apparatus and system according to an embodiment of the present invention provides a wireless charging service through authentication so as to efficiently control charging rights with respect to a plurality of electronic devices, which desire to receive the wireless charging service using a shared wireless charging apparatus, resulting in allowing a user to get a stable wireless charging service and proposing a new benefit creation model. The wireless charging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a wireless communication unit configured to receive authentication result information relating to a target electronic device from a server, and a wireless charging unit configured to wirelessly transmit power to the target electronic device if the authentication result information indicates a successful authentication, wherein the wireless communication unit transmits the authentication result information to the target electronic device if the authentication result information indicates an unsuccessful authentication.
US08723633B2
A magnetic core includes a first core having a recess and a second core, which has a first end portion and a second end portion both held in contact with the first core and forms a closed magnetic path with the first core. The second core is formed of material having a lower magnetic permeability and a higher saturation magnetic flux density than those of the first core. The second end portion includes a distal surface having an area larger than the cross-sectional area of the first end portion in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which a magnetic flux flows in the closed magnetic path. The distal surface of the second end portion is held in contact with the first core and the first end portion is engaged with the recess in the first core.
US08723629B1
A magnetic device includes a T-shaped magnetic core, a wire coil and a magnetic body. The T-shaped magnetic core includes a base and a pillar, and is made of an annealed soft magnetic metal material, a core loss PCL (mW/cm3) of the T-shaped magnetic core satisfying: 0.64×f0.95×Bm2.20≦PCL≦7.26×f1.41×Bm1.08, where f (kHz) represents a frequency of a magnetic field applied to the T-shaped magnetic core, and Bm (kGauss) represents the operating magnetic flux density of the magnetic field at the frequency. The magnetic body fully covers the pillar, any part of the base that is located above the bottom surface of the base, and any part of the wire coil that is located directly above the top surface of the base.
US08723624B2
An elastic wave device that suppresses high-frequency spurious components caused by unwanted waves, such as bulk waves, and improves filter characteristics, includes a piezoelectric substrate, an electrode structure including an IDT electrode provided on the substrate, a first wiring portion that is electrically connected to the IDT electrode, and a second wiring portion provided on a first insulating film that includes a through-hole partially exposing the first wiring portion therethrough. The second wiring portion extends into the through-hole and is electrically connected to the first wiring portion. The second wiring portion is arranged over an area other than the area in which the IDT electrode is disposed.
US08723620B2
An antenna sharer with both low loss and sharp attenuation characteristic in a wide band is achieved. Antennal sharer 1 of the present invention includes first filter 3 for passing a signal in the first frequency band, and second filter 4 for passing a signal in the second frequency band higher than the first frequency band. First filter 3 includes a ladder filter that includes first series resonator 6 and second series resonator 7 with an antiresonant frequency point higher than antiresonant frequency of first series resonator. Electromechanical coupling coefficient of first series resonator 6 is smaller than electromechanical coupling coefficient of second series resonator 7.
US08723616B2
Waveguide-microstrip line converter having connection conductors spaced apart by different distances
Provided is a waveguide-microstrip line converter, including: a waveguide; a dielectric substrate that is connected to cover one end of the waveguide; a strip conductor that is disposed on a front surface of the dielectric substrate; a conductor plate that is disposed the front surface of the dielectric substrate, and connected to the strip conductor; a ground conductor that is disposed on a rear surface of the dielectric substrate; and a plurality of connection conductors that connect a periphery of the conductor plate and the ground conductor, in which: the ground conductor has an opening formed therein in a connection region; the strip conductor and the ground conductor form a microstrip line; and the plurality of connection conductors are arranged so that a distance between two lines of the plurality of connection conductors that are aligned in a longitudinal direction of the microstrip line, and disposed on both opposing sides of the conductor plate in a vicinity of a connection portion is narrower than a distance therebetween in a vicinity of the opening.
US08723612B2
A semiconductor trimming circuit includes parallel coupled PMOS devices coupled in parallel with parallel coupled NMOS devices and an additional pair of dummy NMOS devices. The dummy NMOS devices are coupled in parallel with the NMOS devices. A trimming circuit for an internal clock source may be formed with an array of such switches for selecting one or more trimming capacitors of the trimming circuit. Such an array has a low leakage current and permits good trimming linearity.
US08723610B2
A bias loop is used to program LC tank common mode voltage to allow operation at two different supply voltages VDD (e.g., 2.5V and 1.2V), and two different tank swings. This also allows lower phase noise through optimizing Ids shape allowing class C operation for both voltages. The two different supply voltages allow operation using multiple communication protocols such as 802.11n and 802.11ac within a common VCO circuit. The VCO can form part of a transceiver to provide frequencies in multiple bands.
US08723601B2
A differential electronic amplifier including: a first switch connected between a first reference voltage and a first node; a second switch connected between a second reference voltage and a second node; a resonant differential load connected between the first and second nodes and having a centre point connected to a third reference voltage; an output stage constituted by a first side of a transformer; a load impedance connected to a second side of the transformer; a first capacitive element connected between the first side of the transformer and the first node; and a second capacitive element connected between the first side of the transformer and the second node; wherein all inductive elements connected in series between the first and second capacitive elements are inductively coupled to the second side of the transformer.
US08723598B2
The disclosure relates to an electronic circuit for reducing leakage of radio frequency signals from a power amplifier of a wireless communication device is provided. The circuit comprises: a printed circuit board (PCB) having the power amplifier mounted on the PCB; a first electrical track in the PCB providing part of a connection from a low band power input terminal of the power amplifier to a battery terminal; a first capacitor connected to the first electrical track, the low band power input terminal and a ground reference in the PCB; a second capacitor connected in parallel to the first capacitor and connected to the first electrical track, the low band power input terminal and the ground reference; a first high filter choke having a first end connected to the first electrical track and a second end connected to the battery terminal; a second electrical track connected to a low band power input terminal of the power amplifier; and a second high filter choke a having a first end connected to the second electrical track and a second end connected to the battery terminal.
US08723597B2
According to the present invention, a switched capacitor circuit comprises: an inverting amplifier for removing the offset by using a chopper stabilization circuit; a sampling unit which is connected between an input terminal and the inverting amplifier; and a feedback unit which is connected to the inverting amplifier in parallel.
US08723593B2
A bias voltage generation circuit includes a first current source connected to a first power source; a first transistor which is diode connected and is connected to the first current source; a second transistor connected between the first transistor and a second power source; a second current source connected to the first power source; a third transistor connected to the second current source; a fourth transistor connected between the third transistor and the second power source; a first output point connected to the first transistor and the third transistor and outputs a first bias voltage; a second output point connected to the fourth transistor and the second current source and outputs a second bias voltage; and a bias voltage adjusting circuit which adjusts the first bias voltage in accordance with a control input.
US08723592B2
Body biasing circuit and methods are implemented in a variety of different instances. One such instance involves placing, a first well of a first body bias island and a second well of a second body bias island in a first bias mode by controlling switches of a body bias switch circuit. The biasing is one of a reverse body bias, a nominal body bias and a forward body bias. The second well is also biased according to one of a reverse body bias, a nominal body bias and a forward body bias. In response to the bias-mode input, the first well of the first body bias island and the second well of the second body bias island are each placed in a second bias mode by controlling switches of the body bias switch circuit. The bias of the first well and second well can be changed.
US08723582B1
A single supply level shifter circuit for shifting the voltage level of an input voltage includes a voltage translation stage and a driver stage. The voltage translation stage receives the input voltage and a voltage supply and generates a first voltage. When a magnitude of the input voltage is LOW, the first voltage is LOW. The first voltage is provided to the driver stage, which inverts the first voltage to generate an output voltage that is at a voltage supply (Vdd) level, thereby level shifting the input voltage.
US08723576B2
A clock generation circuit includes a system clock selection circuit that selects one of a first and a second clock signals with different frequencies from each other as a system clock signal according to a selection signal, a frequency division circuit that divides the system clock signal and generates a plurality of divided clock signals, and a communication clock selection circuit that selects a communication clock signal from the plurality of divided clock signals according to the selection signal and a division ratio setting signal, and switches to the selected communication clock signal in synchronization with a switching timing of the selection signal.
US08723574B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor integrated circuit is provided, which has mounted thereto a flip-flop circuit including a latch portion that takes and holds input data based upon a clock signal, and a clock portion that inputs the clock signal to the latch portion, wherein an active region of the flip-flop circuit is divided in such a manner that the width of the active region is secured, and each of the active regions has uniform width.
US08723563B2
An integrated circuit device includes a pad adapted to receive a signal from an internal or external driver, and an input buffer circuit including an input terminal coupled to the pad. The input buffer circuit includes a pass transistor having a control terminal, a first conduction terminal connected to the pad, and a second conduction terminal connected to a first voltage. The input buffer circuit also includes a latch having a terminal electrically coupled to the control terminal of the pass transistor. The input buffer circuit further includes circuitry coupled to the latch, the circuitry including a feedback transistor having a control terminal electrically coupled to the pad, a first conduction terminal electrically coupled to a second voltage, and a second conduction terminal coupled to the latch.
US08723562B2
In a drive unit for a reverse-conducting switching element which is a driven switching element, a process to transfer electric charges to a conductive control terminal of the driven switching element is performed on the basis of a turn-on command or a turn-off command, thereby turning on and off the driven switching element. A transfer rate of the electric charges is changed in a period from when the transfer of the electric charges to the conductive control terminal is started until when it is completed. While judged that forward current flows in a free-wheel diode, the electric charges are inhibited from being charged to the conduction control terminal which corresponds to the free-wheel diode in which the forward current is judged to flow. While the electric charges are inhibited from being charged to the conductive control terminal, a change of the transfer rate is disabled.
US08723560B2
A high voltage H-bridge driver circuit has a high voltage terminal and a floating node to be connected with a high side switch therebetween. When turning on the high side switch, a high voltage offset detection circuit detects a voltage related to the voltage at the floating node for triggering a zero voltage switching signal.
US08723552B2
A floating gate driver circuit includes a level shifter, a pass element, a bistable circuit and a control logic circuit, to shift the voltage level of a control signal from a lower one to a higher one. The level shifter or the pass element has loads dynamically controlled by the control logic circuit to filter malfunction caused by dv/dt noise induced by a floating node.
US08723548B2
A hysteresis-based logic element design for improved soft error rate with low area/performance overhead. In one embodiment, a hysteresis inverter block including one or more pairs of inverters can be coupled to a logic element to adjust a switching threshold of the logic element.
US08723547B2
A solar photovoltaic junction box for being electrically connected to a solar cell array. The junction box comprises a plurality of input branch lines electrically connected to solar cell strings, an output aggregate line that converges the plurality of branch lines, a back-flow preventing diode provided on each of the branch lines, a capacitor parallel-connected to each of the back-flow preventing diodes, an AC voltage generator that is provided on the aggregate line to allow an AC voltage to be applied to the solar cell array, a measuring means for measuring an alternating current flowing in the solar cell array, and a control unit comprising an malfunction determination portion for determining a malfunction in the solar cell array on the basis of the AC voltage applied by the AC voltage generator and the alternating current measured by the measuring means.
US08723545B2
A probe card facilitates a wiring connection, reducing working time and preventing a working error and includes a main circuit board having an opening in its center. A reinforcement member has a lower end coupled to that opening to prevent deforming the board. A sub-circuit board electrically connected to the main board is seated on an upper side of the reinforcement member. A space transformer is positioned on a lower portion of the opening of the main board. A plurality of wires have both ends inserted into through holes in the sub-circuit board and space transformer to electrically connect them. Probes are provided on a lower portion of the space transformer, each having one end in contact with the wire inserted into the through-hole of the space transformer and the other end in contact with a wafer to be tested.
US08723544B2
A probe card installed in a probe device includes a supporting plate capable of supporting a contact body and a circuit board installed above a top surface of the supporting plate. A connection member is installed at a top surface of the circuit board and the supporting plate and the connection member are connected to each other by a connection body. Load control members are installed at a top surface of the connection member and capable of maintaining a contact load between the contact body and an object to be inspected at a constant level. Elastic members are installed at a peripheral portion of the connection member and capable of fixing a horizontal position of the supporting plate. An intermediate member is installed between the circuit board and the supporting plate and configured to elastically and electrically connect the circuit board and the supporting plate.
US08723539B2
A test card includes a power interface, a controller, a test interface, and a test point. The test interface includes a power pin, a start pin, and a data signal pin. The power interface is connected to the controller and the power pin, and also connected to an external power to receive a work voltage. The controller transmits a turn-on signal to the start pin. The test point is connected to the data signal pin. When an interface of a motherboard is connected to the test interface, the power pin, the start pin, and the data signal pin are connected to corresponding pins of the interface of the motherboard. The motherboard outputs a data signal to the test point through the motherboard interface and the test interface after the controller receives the turn-on signal.
US08723534B2
A corrosion sensor includes a plurality of metal strips having different thicknesses. A first metal strip with the least thickness is first employed to provide sensitive corrosion detection. After an exposed portion of the first metal strip is consumed, a second metal strip having a second least thickness can be employed to provide continued sensitive corrosion detection employing a remaining un-corroded portion of the second metal strip. The plurality of metal strips can be sequentially employed as exposed portions of thinner metal strips become unusable through complete corrosion and un-corroded exposed portions of thicker metal strips become thin enough to provide sensitive corrosion detection.
US08723530B2
A signal acquisition system has a signal acquisition probe having probe tip circuitry coupled to a resistive center conductor signal cable. The resistive center conductor signal cable of the signal acquisition probe is coupled to a compensation system in a signal processing instrument via an input node and input circuitry in the signal processing instrument. The signal acquisition probe and the signal processing instrument have mismatched time constants at the input node with the compensation system providing pole-zero pairs for maintaining flatness over the signal acquisition system frequency bandwidth.
US08723526B2
An internal resistance testing device includes an excitation source and a battery pack, an adjustable resistance R, a sampling unit, and a control unit. The excitation source and the battery pack form a loop circuit. The adjustable resistance R may be located at the loop circuit formed by the excitation source and the battery pack. The sampling unit samples the voltage between two sides of the battery pack, the voltage between two sides of the adjustable resistance R, and the value of the adjustable resistance R. The control unit calculates internal resistance of the battery pack according to the signal value collected by the sampling unit. The internal resistances of different voltage-ranges the battery pack are determined by adjusting the value of the adjustable resistance R to cause the actual excitation voltage to be equal to the range voltage of the sampling unit. The voltage between two sides of the adjustable resistance R is made equal to the range voltage of the sampling unit by adjusting the value of the adjustable resistance R, which effectively improves measurement accuracy of the internal resistance.
US08723522B2
A superconducting RF coil array which may be used in whole body MRI scanners and/or in dedicated MRI systems. Some embodiments provide a superconducting RF coil array for at least one of receiving signals from and transmitting signals to a sample during magnetic resonance analysis of the sample, the superconducting RF coil array comprising a thermally conductive member configured to be cryogenically cooled, and a plurality of coils elements comprising superconducting material, wherein each coil element is thermally coupled to the thermally conductive member and is configured for at least one of (i) receiving a magnetic resonance signal from a spatial region that is contiguous with and/or overlaps a spatial region from which at least one other of the plurality of coil elements is configured to receive a signal and (ii) transmitting a radiofrequency signal to a spatial region that is contiguous with and/or overlaps a spatial region to which at least one other of the plurality coil elements is configured to transmit a radiofrequency signal.
US08723514B2
The present invention discloses a novel magnetic sensor device performing direct magnetic field imaging, comprising a probe having a conical tip portion which is configured as a sensor having two superconductors separated by a thin non-superconducting layer (such as a Josephson junction based sensor), where the non-superconducting layer is located at the apex portion of said conical tip, thereby defining electron tunneling region(s) at said apex portion. The technique of the present invention enables the sensor device to be very small and to be brought very close to the sample surface.
US08723503B2
The present invention provides a vertical type sensor, including a substrate; a first electrode formed on the substrate; a sensing layer formed on the first electrode layer and reactive to a target substance, wherein the first electrode layer is interposed between the substrate and the sensing layer; and a second electrode layer formed on the sensing layer and having a plurality of openings, wherein the sensing layer is interposed between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, and the target substance contacts the sensing layer via the plurality of openings. The vertical type sensor of the present invention provides instant, sensitive and rapid detection.
US08723499B2
A feed-forward control system for load current in a direct current (DC) to DC converter includes a current normalization module, a feed-forward generation module, and a duty cycle generation module. The current normalization module generates a normalized load current by matching a gain of a measured load current to a gain of an inductor current. The feed-forward generation module that generates a load current feed-forward (LCFF) signal based on the normalized load current. The duty cycle generation module generates a duty cycle for the DC to DC converter based on a commanded output voltage and the LCFF signal.
US08723497B2
A constant-on-time generation circuit for generating a turn-on signal to a buck is disclosed. The constant-on-time generation circuit includes a capacitor, a current source, a second resistor, an inverter, a transistor coupled to the inverter for generating a set turn-on signal according to a first front-end driver signal of the buck converter, a comparator including a negative input terminal coupled to a reference voltage, a positive input terminal coupled to the second resistor and the current source, and an output terminal, for comparing the reference voltage with the set turn-on signal to output a comparison result, and an SR-latch for outputting a turn-on signal to a driver stage circuit of the buck converter according to a trigger signal of the buck converter and the comparison result.
US08723480B2
An automatic charge equalization apparatus using a regulated voltage source according to the present invention comprises a battery module having a plurality of batteries connected in series; a battery string having M (natural number of M≧2) battery modules connected in series: a regulated voltage source which is provided for each battery module and outputs and maintains an average voltage of the battery string; a bidirectional switch block which is provided for each battery module between the battery module and the regulated voltage source to connect each battery to an output of the regulated voltage source by forming a parallel current moving path to each battery composing the battery module; and a microprocessor controlling the bidirectional switch block, wherein each battery composing the battery module shares the regulated voltage source by the bidirectional switch block and the microprocessor controls the bidirectional switch block to successively connect the batteries composing the battery module with the regulated voltage source.
US08723475B2
A voltage-detecting circuit includes a flying capacitor; a first switch circuit allowing plural electric cells connected in series, so that polarity of voltage across electrodes of the flying capacitor charged by one of the electric cells is opposite to polarity of voltage across the electrodes of the flying capacitor charged by an adjacent one of the electric cells; a second switch circuit discharging the flying capacitor; an output circuit outputting a signal depending on the voltage across the flying capacitor; a shield arranged around the flying capacitor electrodes to substantially equalize parasitic capacitances between the shield and each of the electrodes; and a voltage-controlling circuit equalizing voltage between one of the electrodes of the flying capacitor and the shield when charging the flying capacitor, with voltage between another one of the electrodes of the flying capacitor and the shield when discharging the flying capacitor.
US08723474B2
An electric vehicle energy system is provided. The electrical vehicle energy system includes an electrical control unit used for producing the electric vehicle mode according to the external input signals. The electrical vehicle energy further includes an energy storage system used for producing a motor control signal according to an electric vehicle mode. The power loop structure includes at least a first power module and a second power module. The structure further includes at least a first detector and a second detector used for producing a first detecting signal and a second detecting signal according to the first power module and the second power module. The power loop structure further includes an energy storage controller used for producing the plurality of switch control signals according to the electric vehicle mode, the first detecting signal and the second detecting signal through a control area network by a voltage-difference hysteresis operation.
US08723472B2
Improved precision is realized in positioning control. Provided is a servo control device that is applied to a numerical control equipment provided with a screw-feeding section that converts rotational movement of a motor to linear movement, a driven section that is linearly moved by the screw-feeding section, and a support member by which the screw-feeding section and the driven section are supported and that controls the motor so as to match a position of the driven section to a positioning instruction, including a support-member-reaction-force compensating section 311 that compensates for vibrations of the driven section due to a vibrational reaction force of the support member, wherein a transfer function provided in the support-member-reaction-force compensating section 311 includes a stiffness term for the driven section.
US08723470B2
A method is provided for monitoring a motor having a stator, a rotor and a detector. The stator can receive a driving signal to produce a first magnetic field. The rotor can rotate in a circle relative to the stator. The rotor has a magnetic portion that can emit a second magnetic field in a radial direction. The detector can output a detection signal based on the position of the rotor.
US08723469B2
A winding overheat prevention apparatus comprises: a stator winding temperature calculation unit which calculates winding temperature based on the ambient temperature of the motor and on the amount of change in the estimated temperature of a stator winding; a position sensor temperature detection unit which detects the temperature indicated by a temperature sensing element in a position sensor a rotor; and an alarm signal output unit which outputs an alarm signal when the winding temperature exceeds an alarm level, wherein when the ambient temperature is not higher than a prescribed temperature, the alarm level is set equal to a temperature preset based on the ambient temperature and the maximum value of the amount of the temperature change, while when the ambient temperature is higher than the prescribed temperature, the alarm level is set equal to a temperature preset in order to protect the position sensor from overheating.
US08723468B2
A motor having a first portion configured to turn in a forward direction, a second portion coaxially mirrors the first portion; and a central fan between the first and second portions, and forcing air through the portions. A thermoelectric cooler element, thermally coupled to the portion is configured to cool the motor. A motor controller is electrically coupled to the first and second portions, and operates a portion in response to a condition sensed by the motor controller. The condition sensed by the motor controller is a motor torque, a motor speed, a motor casing temperature, or a zoned motor casing temperature. A method includes detecting a motor operational command; selecting a motor operational state using motor portion responsive to the motor command; sensing a heating state of a motor portion; and providing a cooling state to the motor portion responsive to the heating state.
US08723467B2
Automated shade systems may comprise motorized window coverings, sensors, and controllers that use algorithms to control operation of the automated shade control system. These algorithms may include information such as: 3-D models of a building and surrounding structures, shadow information, reflectance information, lighting and radiation information, information regarding one or more variable characteristics of glass, ASHRAE clear sky algorithms, log information related to manual overrides, occupant preference information, motion information, real-time sky conditions, solar radiation on a building, a total foot-candle load on a structure, brightness overrides, actual and/or calculated BTU load, time-of-year information, and microclimate analysis.
US08723463B2
A motor control apparatus includes a phase sensing circuit, a current sensing circuit, a controller and a driving circuit. The driving circuit receives a first driving signal and then controls a phase switching state of the magnetic pole of the motor so as to drive the motor in accordance with the first driving signal. The phase sensing circuit detects the phase switching state of the magnetic pole to generate and output a phase switching signal to the controller during the motor is operating. The current sensing circuit detects a current flowing through the motor to generate and output a current phase signal to the controller. The controller compares a phase difference between the phase switching signal and the current phase signal to generate and output a second driving signal to the driving circuit. The driving circuit controls the phase switching state of the magnetic pole for driving the motor in accordance with the second driving signal.
US08723460B2
A sensor detects position data for a rotor of the motor at a first time. A data processor receives the detected position data associated with a first time delay. A sensing circuit senses an analog current at the motor during a second time delay. An analog-to-digital converter converts the analog current to a digital current data during a third time delay. The fourth time delay is detected between actual current reading instant and position reading instant in a data processor. The digital phase current data is transformed into measured direct and quadrature axes control current data based on synchronization or temporal alignment of the position data with the actual measured analog phase current at the starting time by compensating the position data by a sum of the second time delay, the third time delay and the fourth time delay, where the first time delay is subtracted from the sum.
US08723444B2
Circuits and methods for driving electrical loads, where each is driven according to a desired current. A circuit comprising a switch mode converter comprising a transformer with primary and secondary windings, the primary connected to a voltage supply via one or more input control switches; output circuits, each comprising a switch connecting a load to an output of the secondary, each load series connected with a respective switch and in parallel with a capacitor; and a switching control circuit for control of each of the output circuit switches and for sensing a current through the loads. The switching control circuit operates the output circuit switches to maintain set current through the loads, the switching control circuit configured in successive output cycles of the switch mode converter to operate each output circuit switch in an order dependent on a forward voltage of each of the respective loads.
US08723439B2
A power-factor-corrected power supply adapted to supply power to one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), comprises: a triac dimmer electrically connected between an alternating current source and a bridge rectifier; a damping circuit electrically connected between the alternating current source and the bridge rectifier; a bleeder circuit configured to conduct current between a supply terminal of the bridge rectifier and ground only when a triac in the triac dimmer is not conducting current; a fast startup circuit configured to conduct current between the supply terminal of the bridge rectifier and a voltage supply terminal of a power-factor-corrected controller when the triac dimmer is initially turned on until a supply voltage capacitor coupled to the voltage supply terminal of the power-factor-corrected controller has charged; a dimming slope control circuit configured to reduce a first voltage sensed at a current sensing terminal of the power-factor-corrected controller, such that a reduced amount of current is supplied to the one or more LEDs at a given firing angle, wherein the first voltage is representative of a current flowing through a primary winding of a flyback transformer; and a dummy load circuit provided in parallel with the one or more LEDs to draw a holding current for the triac only after the triac is turned on.
US08723438B2
Power control systems generate electromagnetic interference (EMI). In at least one embodiment, a power control system includes a switching power converter and a controller that utilizes a spread spectrum strategy to reduce peak EMI values of the power control system. The controller generates a power regulation, switch control signal to control an input voltage to output voltage conversion by the switching power converter. The controller modulates the period of the control signal in accordance with the spread spectrum strategy. The spread spectrum strategy is an intentional plan to spread the spectrum of the control signal to reduce peak EMI values, and, thus, reduce the potential for degradation in performance, a malfunction, or failure of an electronic circuit caused by the EMI. The controller also modulates a pulse width of the switch control signal in response to modulation of the period of the control signal to provide power factor correction.
US08723437B1
The embodiments disclosed herein describe the adjusting of filter bandwidths in a multi-loop LED dimmer control circuit based on received dimmer input signals. The bandwidth of a filter in an active loop (a loop driving an LED power circuit) is decreased to prevent signal noise and associated LED flickering. Likewise, the bandwidth of a filter in an inactive loop (a loop not driving the LED power circuit) is increased to a pre-determined maximum in order to improve response time and decrease potential overshoot or undershoot during dimmer adjustment.
US08723428B2
A resonant DC-DC converter used to drive an LED array includes a half-bridge converter configured to receive DC input power and produce a square wave voltage. A resonant tank circuit that includes an inductive element, a first resonance capacitor, and a second resonance capacitor, is coupled to the half-bridge converter to receive the square wave voltage such that a generally sinusoidal AC voltage is produced across the second resonance capacitor. An output transformer with a primary winding and one or more secondary windings, is coupled in parallel to the second resonance capacitor, and a clipping circuit is coupled to the primary winding such that the voltage across the primary winding does not substantially exceed the voltage of the DC input power. An output rectifier is coupled to the one or more secondary windings of the output transformer and is configured to produce a generally DC output voltage.
US08723426B2
A system may include an LED array, an optical plane, optics, a sensor and a controller. The LED array is configured to generate LED light. The optical plane has a plurality of scattering features and with a mixing chamber. The optics is configured to direct the LED light to the optical plane. The plurality of scattering features are configured to reflect a sampled portion of the LED light into the mixing chamber. The mixing chamber is configured to mix the sampled portion of the LED light. The sensor is configured to sense the sampled portion of the LED light received from the mixing chamber. The controller is connected to the sensor and configured to control the LED array using the sensed, sampled portion of the LED light received from the mixing chamber.
US08723417B2
An object of the present invention is to provide such a sealing structure that a material to be a deterioration factor such as water or oxygen is prevented from entering from external and sufficient reliability is obtained in a display using an organic or inorganic electroluminescent element. In view of the above object, focusing on permeability of an interlayer insulating film, deterioration of an electroluminescent element is suppressed and sufficient reliability is obtained by preventing water entry from an interlayer insulating film according to the present invention.
US08723414B2
An organic electroluminescence device, having a pair of electrodes, and an organic layer containing multiple light emitting layers provided between a pair of electrodes, wherein at least one of the multiple light emitting layers is formed by coating a liquid containing ingredients to constitute the layer in a state of solution or dispersion in an organic solvent through the use of a spraying method.
US08723406B2
A spark plug includes a ceramic insulator having an axial bore extending in the direction of an axis (CL1) and a terminal electrode inserted into the axial bore. The terminal electrode includes a rodlike leg portion inserted into the a rear end portion of the axial bore and a head portion exposed at the rear end of the ceramic insulator. A front end subportion of the leg portion of the terminal electrode is fixed to the ceramic insulator, and the leg portion has a length of 35 mm or more along the axis (CL1). The center of gravity of the terminal electrode is located in the interior of the ceramic insulator.
US08723389B2
Disclosed is a sheet plate for a DC motor, in which a brush holder manufactured as a separate member is coupled to the sheet plate of the DC motor, thus effectively guiding movement of a brush and a pigtail, and affording good space utilization, the sheet plate including a brush holder taking a shape of a rectangular pillar to hold the brush and coupled to a first surface of the sheet plate, wherein the brush holder includes an opening formed in an upper surface of the brush holder in a longitudinal direction thereof to allow a pigtail to be taken out through the opening, and a cover portion provided above the opening to be spaced apart therefrom and formed as a plate that is long in a diametric direction, so that the pigtail is bent in a circumferential direction by the cover portion when being taken out.
US08723386B2
The invention relates to an electrical machine, especially an alternator (10) comprising a stator winding (11) with a total of seven phase conductors (P1 to P7) which are interconnected in series at the same electrical angle (a). The aim of the invention is to dampen magnet noise and to increase machine performance. For this purpose, at least every other electrically subsequent phase conductor (P) is skipped when the phase conductors (P1 to P7) are connected in series.
US08723371B2
According to some embodiments, systems and or methods may be provided to transport electrical energy from a first location having an electrical energy source to a second location, remote from the first location and having a load to accept electrical energy. A first pipeline between the first and second locations may include a first chamber containing a cathodic fluid. A second pipeline between the first and second locations may include a second chamber containing an anodic fluid, and at least of a portion of said first and second pipelines include a contiguous area. A membrane may separate the cathodic and anodic fluids at said contiguous area to exchange electrical energy between said fluids and create an electrochemical storage cell across said membrane. By utilizing additional alternating layers of said electrolyte, casing and membrane multiple cells may be created.
US08723363B2
Disclosed is an uninterrupted power supply apparatus, comprising a rectifying unit outputs a positive half-cycle of voltage potential and a negative half-cycle of voltage potential; a backup battery outputs a backup voltage; a first boost unit receives the positive half-cycle of voltage potential or the backup voltage and outputs a first voltage; a second boost unit receives the negative half-cycle of voltage potential or the backup voltage and outputs a second voltage; a current shunt unit receives the first voltage and the second voltage and outputs an AC output voltage; a charge circuit, coupled to the rectifying unit, the backup battery, and the first and/or the second boost unit, for being capable of controlling the first and/or the second boost unit to either store a charging power or charge the backup battery by applying the stored charging power alternatively and successively.
US08723351B2
A wave energy converter (WEC) system includes WEC devices which can function to produce useful energy (power) efficiently in response to heave motion and/or pitch motion and/or roll motion. Pitch responsive devices are deployed around the outer periphery of a container and one (or more) heave responsive device is located about the center of the container. The pitch responsive devices may be of the type defined as PDWECs which include two reaction masses which are primarily operable in response to pitching motion or they may be of the type which includes one reaction mass operable in response to pitch and/or heave motion.
US08723349B2
An apparatus for powering an aircraft by generating power from a pressure spool of a turbine engine. AC power can be extracted from the turbine engine by a generator having an integrated autotransformer unit, and converted to DC power.
US08723345B2
A portable generator comprises a fluid pressure generator, a fluid pressure cylinder, a gas power generator, a gas generator, and a charger. The fluid pressure generator is for generating a fluid pressure by pumping, and the fluid pressure generator includes an airbag for compensating a volume change by the pressurized moving of the non-compressible fluid. The fluid pressure cylinder is connected to the fluid pressure generator and comprising a fluid pressure piston, a gas piston, and a piston rod connecting the fluid pressure piston and the gas piston. The gas power generator comprises a high pressure gas chamber, the piston rod, the gas piston of the fluid pressure cylinder, and a cycle path. The gas generator is for generating electricity with a flow of the high pressure gas moving in the high pressure gas chamber as a power source.
US08723336B2
According to an embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes a light emitting body including a semiconductor light emitting layer, a support substrate supporting the light emitting body, and a bonding layer provided between the light emitting body and the support substrate, the bonding layer bonding the light emitting body and the support substrate together. The device also includes a first barrier metal layer provided between the light emitting body and the bonding layer, and an electrode provided between the light emitting body and the first barrier metal layer. The first barrier layer includes a first layer made of nickel and a second layer made of a metal having a smaller linear expansion coefficient than nickel, and the first layer and the second layer are alternately disposed in a multiple-layer structure. The electrode is electrically connected to the light emitting body.
US08723334B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a package substrate, a semiconductor package, a first semiconductor chip and a first bonding wire. The package substrate has a first pad on a first principal surface. The semiconductor package is mounted on the first principal surface of the package substrate. The semiconductor package contains a semiconductor chip and has a second pad. The first semiconductor chip is mounted on the semiconductor package. The first bonding wire is connected between the first pad and the second.
US08723326B2
Methods of fabricating semiconductor structures incorporating tight pitch contacts aligned with active area features and of simultaneously fabricating self-aligned tight pitch contacts and conductive lines using various techniques for defining patterns having sublithographic dimensions. Semiconductor structures having tight pitch contacts aligned with active area features and, optionally, aligned conductive lines are also disclosed, as are semiconductor structures with tight pitch contact holes and aligned trenches for conductive lines.
US08723317B2
A trench MOSFET with embedded schottky rectifier having at least one anti-punch through implant region using reduced masks process is disclosed for avalanche capability enhancement and cost reduction. The source regions have a higher doping concentration and a greater junction depth along sidewalls of the trenched source-body contacts than along adjacent channel regions near the gate trenches.
US08723311B2
A device includes a first switch and a second switch, each switch being integrated on a chip having a back surface and an opposite front surface. Each chip includes a first conduction terminal and a control terminal on the front surface, while a second conduction terminal of the switch is located on the back surface. The first switch and the second switch are connected in a half-bridge configuration with the first switch's second conduction terminal electrically connected to the second switch's first conduction terminal. The chips are installed in a common package comprising an insulating body with an embedded heat sink. The chips of the switches are mounted on the heat sink such that the second conduction terminal of the first switch and the first conduction terminal of the second switch are in contact with the heat sink, with the heat sink providing the electrical connection between the two switches.
US08723309B2
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing a bottom integrated circuit having bottom through silicon vias with a bottom via pitch; mounting outer interconnects over the bottom integrated circuit; and mounting a top integrated circuit between the outer interconnects, the top integrated circuit having top through silicon vias with a top via pitch less than the bottom via pitch.
US08723307B2
A device is disclosed which includes at least one integrated circuit die, at least a portion of which is positioned in a body of encapsulant material, and at least one conductive via extending through the body of encapsulant material.
US08723303B2
An MCP type semiconductor memory device having a structure in which a stack memory chip including a plurality of stacked memory chips and a memory controller chip are juxtaposed on a substrate, which achieves a reduction in package size. The semiconductor memory device includes a stack memory chip including a plurality of stacked memory chips, a substrate on which the stack memory chip is provided, and a memory controller chip adjacent the stack memory chip on the substrate. The stack memory chip is constructed such that an upper memory chip is stacked so as to shift toward a mounting position of the memory controller chip relative to a memory chip immediately below the upper memory chip. At least a part of the memory controller chip is received within a space between the substrate and a part of the stack memory chip that protrudes toward the memory controller chip.
US08723296B2
A method includes forming a stress compensating stack over a substrate, where the stress compensating stack has compressive stress on the substrate. The method also includes forming one or more Group III-nitride islands over the substrate, where the one or more Group III-nitride islands have tensile stress on the substrate. The method further includes at least partially counteracting the tensile stress from the one or more Group III-nitride islands using the compressive stress from the stress compensating stack. Forming the stress compensating stack could include forming one or more oxide layers and one or more nitride layers over the substrate. The one or more oxide layers can have compressive stress, the one or more nitride layers can have tensile stress, and the oxide and nitride layers could collectively have compressive stress. Thicknesses of the oxide and nitride layers can be selected to provide the desired amount of stress compensation.
US08723274B2
A semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes: a substrate; a gate structure disposed on the substrate, wherein the gate structure has a high-k dielectric layer; a first seal layer disposed on a sidewall of the gate structure, wherein the first seal layer is an oxygen-free seal layer and is non-L-shaped; and a second seal layer disposed on a sidewall of the first seal layer, wherein the second seal layer is an L-shaped seal layer.
US08723273B2
An integrated circuit includes at least one first gate electrode of at least one active transistor. The integrated circuit further includes at least one first dummy gate electrode and at least one second dummy gate electrode. The integrated circuit further includes at least one guard ring disposed around the at least one first gate electrode, the at least one first dummy gate electrode, and the at least one second dummy gate electrode. An ion implantation layer of the at least one guard ring substantially touches at least one of the at least one first dummy gate electrode or the at least one second dummy gate electrode.
US08723267B2
The invention relates to an integrated circuit including an active semiconducting layer separated from a semiconducting substrate layer by an embedded insulating material surface, including: first and second transistors (205, 213) of a single type; first and second floorplans arranged vertically perpendicular to the first and second transistors; wherein the first transistor has a doping of the floorplan thereof, opposite that of the source thereof, and a first threshold voltage; the second transistor has a doping of the floorplan thereof, identical to that of the source thereof, and a second threshold voltage; the first threshold voltage is dependent on the potential difference applied between the source and the floorplan of the first transistor; and the second threshold voltage is dependent on the potential difference applied between the source and the floorplan of the second transistor.
US08723264B2
In one embodiment, electrostatic discharge (ESD) devices are disclosed.
US08723263B2
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) includes a semiconductor substrate having the first conductive type, a well having the first conductive type, a buried layer having the second conductive type and a well having the second conductive type. The buried layer having a second conductive type is disposed in the semiconductor substrate under the well having the first conductive type. The well having the second conductive type disposed to divide the well having the first conductive type into a first well and a second well. The well having the second conductive type contacts the buried layer, and the well having the second conductive type and the buried layer are jointly used to isolate the first well from the second well.
US08723251B2
A semiconductor device and a method for forming the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes vertical pillars formed by etching a semiconductor substrate and junction regions which are located among the neighboring vertical pillars and spaced apart from one another in a zigzag pattern. As a result, the semiconductor device easily guarantees an electrical passage between the semiconductor substrate and the vertical pillars, such that it substantially prevents the floating phenomenon from being generated, resulting in the prevention of deterioration of the semiconductor device.
US08723249B2
A non-volatile memory includes a substrate, a gate dielectric layer, a gate conductive layer, a nitride layer, a spacer, a first oxide layer, and a second oxide layer. The gate conductive layer, substrate and gate dielectric layer cooperatively constitute a symmetrical opening thereamong. The nitride layer has an L-shape and formed with a vertical part extending along a sidewall of the gate conductive layer and a horizontal part extending into the opening, wherein the vertical part and the horizontal part are formed as an integral structure and a height of the vertical part is below a top surface of the gate conductive layer. The spacer is disposed on the substrate and the nitride layer. The first oxide layer is disposed among the gate conductive layer, the nitride layer and the gate dielectric layer. The second oxide layer is disposed among the gate dielectric layer, the nitride layer and the substrate.
US08723248B2
In one embodiment, there is provided a nonvolatile semiconductor storage device. The device includes: a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells. Each of the nonvolatile memory cells includes: a first semiconductor layer including a first source region, a first drain region, and a first channel region; a block insulating film formed on the first channel region; a charge storage layer formed on the block insulating film; a tunnel insulating film formed on the charge storage layer; a second semiconductor layer formed on the tunnel insulating film and including a second source region, a second drain region, and a second channel region. The second channel region is formed on the tunnel insulating film such that the tunnel insulating film is located between the second source region and the second drain region. A dopant impurity concentration of the first channel region is higher than that of the second channel region.
US08723246B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory according to examples of the present invention comprises a memory cell and a peripheral transistor. The memory cell has a first intergate insulating film having a multilayer structure and provided on a floating gate electrode and an isolation insulating layer. The peripheral transistor has a second intergate insulating film having a multilayer structure and provided on a first gate electrode and a second isolation insulating layer. The first and second intergate insulating films have the same structure, and a lowermost insulating layer of the first intergate insulating film on the first isolation insulating layer is thinner than a lowermost insulating layer of the second intergate insulating film on the second isolation insulating layer.
US08723237B2
A method for designing a semiconductor device includes arranging at least a pattern of a first active region in which a first transistor is formed and a pattern of a second active region in which a second transistor is formed; arranging at least a pattern of a gate wire which intersects the first active region and the second active region; extracting at least a first region in which the first active region and the gate wire are overlapped with each other; arranging at least one pattern of a compressive stress film on a region including the first active region; and obtaining by a computer a layout pattern of the semiconductor device, when the at least one pattern of the compressive stress film is arranged, end portions of the at least one pattern thereof are positioned based on positions of end portions of the first region.
US08723230B2
Disclosed is a semiconductor device including transistors B on an output side of a current mirror, arranged uniformly in a surrounding area of a transistor A on an input side of the current mirror. The transistors B are arranged at equal distances, adjacently to the transistor A, on both sides of the transistor A.
US08723227B2
A protection clamp is provided between a first terminal and a second terminal, and includes a multi-gate high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), a current limiting circuit, and a forward trigger control circuit. The multi-gate HEMT includes a drain/source, a source/drain, a first depletion-mode (D-mode) gate, a second D-mode gate, and an enhancement-mode (E-mode) gate disposed between the first and second D-mode gates. The drain/source and the first D-mode gate are connected to the first terminal and the source/drain and the second D-mode gate are connected to the second terminal. The forward trigger control and the current limiting circuits are coupled between the E-mode gate and the first and second terminals, respectively. The forward trigger control circuit provides an activation voltage to the E-mode gate when a voltage of the first terminal exceeds a voltage of the second terminal by a forward trigger voltage.
US08723221B2
Photodetectors operable to achieve multiplication of photogenerated carriers at ultralow voltages. Embodiments include a first p-i-n semiconductor junction combined with a second p-i-n semiconductor junction to form a monolithic photodetector having at least three terminals. The two p-i-n structures may share either the p-type region or the n-type region as a first terminal. Regions of the two p-i-n structures doped complementary to that of the shared terminal form second and third terminals so that the first and second p-i-n structures are operable in parallel. A multiplication region of the first p-i-n structure is to multiply charge carriers photogenerated within an absorption region of the second p-i-n structure with voltage drops between the shared first terminal and each of the second and third terminals being noncumulative.
US08723219B2
Technology of making freestanding gallium nitride (GaN) wafers has been matured at length. Gallium nitride is rigid but fragile. Chamfering of a periphery of a GaN wafer is difficult. At present edges are chamfered by a rotary whetstone of gross granules with weak pressure. Minimum roughness of the chamfered edges is still about Ra 10 μm to Ra 6 μm. The large edge roughness causes scratches, cracks, splits or breaks in transferring process or wafer process. A wafer of the present invention is bevelled by fixing the wafer to a chuck of a rotor, bringing an edge of the wafer into contact with an elastic whetting material having a soft matrix and granules implanted on the soft matrix, rotating the wafer and feeding the whetting material. Favorably, several times of chamfering edges by changing the whetting materials of smaller granules are given to the wafer. The chamfering can realize small roughness of Ra10 nm and Ra5 μm at edges of wafers.
US08723212B2
A semiconductor light source for illuminating physical spaces includes a lead frame with multiple facets, each facet having one or more semiconductor light emitting devices mounted thereon.
US08723207B2
A radiation-emitting semiconductor component, having a layer structure which includes an active layer which, in operation, emits radiation with a spectral distribution, and electrical contacts for applying a current to the layer structure, includes a coating layer which at least partially surrounds the active layer and holds back a short-wave component of the emitted radiation.
US08723202B2
A semiconductor light emitting device includes a substrate, a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer on the first conductive semiconductor layer, a second conductive semiconductor layer on the active layer, and a roughness layer on the second conductive semiconductor layer. The second conductive semiconductor layer includes a shape of multiple horns, and the roughness layer includes a shape of multiple horns. The second conductive semiconductor layer includes a roughness in which horn shapes and inverse-horn-shaped shapes are alternately formed, and the roughness has a height of about 0.5 μm to about 1.2 μm and a diameter of about 0.3 μm to about 1.0 μm.
US08723195B2
A light emitting device includes a substrate having a rectangular outer shape in a top view, a plurality of LED chips, a resin frame formed on the primary surface of the substrate and provided annularly so as to surround a mounting area in which the LED chips are provided, an anode-side electrode land and a cathode-side electrode land which are electrodes to be connected to an external voltage supply of said light emitting device. An electrode wiring pattern may be formed on the primary surface of the substrate including (i) an anode line extending from the anode-side electrode land to a portion under the resin frame and (ii) a cathode line extending from the cathode-side electrode land to the other portion under the resin frame.
US08723193B2
A multiple-layer wiring substrate having a first conductive layer; an interlayer insulating layer; and a second conductive layer is disclosed, wherein the interlayer insulating layer includes a material whose surface energy is changed by receiving energy, and has a first region which does not include a contact hole and a second region which is formed such that its surface energy is higher than that of the first region, wherein a region within the contact hole of the first conductive layer has surface energy which is higher than surface energy of the second region of the interlayer insulating layer, and wherein the second conductive layer is formed by laminating, wherein the second conductive layer is in contact with the second region of the interlayer insulating layer along the second region, and is connected to the first conductive layer via the contact hole.
US08723191B2
An electronic device performing as a light emitting diode and a solar cell, and which comprises: a solar cell unit including a first electrode layer, an energy-level compensation layer formed on the first electrode layer, a photoelectric-conversion layer formed on the energy level compensation layer, and a shared electrode layer formed on the photoelectric-conversion layer; and a light emitting diode unit including the shared electrode layer, and a light emitting layer formed on the shared electrode layer and a second electrode layer formed on the light emitting layer, wherein a LUMO energy-level of the energy-level compensation layer is smaller than a work function of the first electrode layer and is larger than a LUMO energy level of the photoelectric-conversion layer, thereby increasing the generating efficiency of the solar cell unit or the luminous efficiency of the light emitting diode unit due to high electron mobility among the respective layers.
US08723184B2
A substrate-free semiconducting sheet has an array of semiconducting elements dispersed in a matrix material. The matrix material is bonded to the edge surfaces of the semiconducting elements and the substrate-free semiconducting sheet is substantially the same thickness as the semiconducting elements.
US08723178B2
An integrated circuit includes a junction field effect transistor (JFET) and a power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) on a same substrate. The integrated circuit includes a drain sense terminal for sensing the drain of the power MOSFET through the JFET. The JFET protects a controller or other electrical circuit coupled to the drain sense terminal from high voltage that may be present on the drain of the power MOSFET. The JFET and the power MOSFET share a same drift region, which includes an epitaxial layer formed on the substrate. The integrated circuit may be packaged in a four terminal small outline integrated circuit (SOIC) package. The integrated circuit may be employed in a variety of applications including as an ideal diode.
US08723177B2
Disclosed herein are various electrical test structures for evaluating semiconductor devices that employ high-k dielectrics and/or metal gate electrode structures. In one example, the test structure disclosed herein includes a first line formed over an isolation material, a first active region defined in a semiconducting substrate and a first extension formed over an isolation material, the first extension extending from a first side of the first line, wherein the first extension is positioned proximate the first active region and wherein the first line and the first extension are comprised of at least one of a high-k layer of insulating material or a metal layer.
US08723173B2
The semiconductor device includes a first conductive layer over a substrate; an oxide semiconductor layer which covers the first conductive layer; a second conductive layer in a region which is not overlapped with the first conductive layer over the oxide semiconductor layer; an insulating layer which covers the oxide semiconductor layer and the second conductive layer; and a third conductive layer in a region including at least a region which is not overlapped with the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer over the insulating layer.
US08723161B1
A two-color detector includes a first absorber layer. The first absorber layer exhibits a first valence band energy characterized by a first valence band energy function. A barrier layer adjoins the first absorber layer at a first interface. The barrier layer exhibits a second valence band energy characterized by a second valence band energy function. The barrier layer also adjoins a second absorber layer at a second interface. The second absorber layer exhibits a third valence band energy characterized by a third valence band energy function. The first and second valence band energy functions are substantially functionally or physically continuous at the first interface and the second and third valence band energy functions are substantially functionally or physically continuous at the second interface.
US08723153B2
Formulations for voltage switchable dielectric materials include two or more different types of semiconductive materials uniformly dispersed within a dielectric matrix material. The semiconductive materials are selected to have different bandgap energies in order to provide the voltage switchable dielectric material with a stepped voltage response. The semiconductive materials may comprise inorganic particles, organic particles, or an organic material that is soluble in, or miscible with, the dielectric matrix material. Formulations optionally can also include electrically conductive materials. At least one of the conductive or semiconductive materials in a formulation can comprise particles characterized by an aspect ratio of at least 3 or greater.
US08723148B2
A safety net system for blocking electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure from electronic devices is provided. The safety net system comprises a hair net for covering at least a portion of a head and a body net having a back portion for covering an upper back and shoulders, a first front portion for covering a right breast, and a second front portion covering a left breast. A first anti-EMF chip is mounted to the hair net, a second anti-EMF chip is mounted to the back portion, a third anti-EMF chip is mounted to the first front portion, and a fourth anti-EMF chip mounted to the second front portion. Upon positioning the hair net over the at least a portion of the head and upon draping the body net over the shoulders thereby covering the upper back and breasts, the anti-EMF chips block and shield EMF radiation from reaching the body part.
US08723146B2
Micro-channel-cooled UV curing systems and components thereof are provided. According to one embodiment, a lamp head module includes an optical macro-reflector, an array of LEDs and a micro-channel cooler assembly. The array is positioned within the reflector and has a high fill factor and a high aspect ratio. The array provides a high irradiance output beam pattern having a peak irradiance of greater than 25 W/cm2 at a work piece surface at least 1 mm away from an outer surface of a window of the reflector. The micro-channel cooler assembly maintains a substantially isothermal state among p-n junctions of the LEDs at less than or equal to 80° Celsius. The micro-channel cooler assembly also provides a common anode substrate for the array. A thermally efficient electrical connection is formed between the array and the common anode substrate by mounting the array to the micro-channel cooler assembly.
US08723144B2
An apparatus is disclosed for forming a sample of an object, extracting the sample from the object, and subjecting this sample to microanalysis including surface analysis and electron transparency analysis in a vacuum chamber. In some embodiments, a means is provided for imaging an object cross section surface of an extracted sample. Optionally, the sample is iteratively thinned and imaged within the vacuum chamber. In some embodiments, the sample is situated on a sample support including an optional aperture. Optionally, the sample is situated on a surface of the sample support such that the object cross section surface is substantially parallel to the surface of the sample support. Once mounted on the sample support, the sample is either subjected to microanalysis in the vacuum chamber, or loaded onto a loading station. In some embodiments, the sample is imaged with an electron beam substantially normally incident to the object cross section surface.
US08723143B2
A focused ion beam (FIB) system is disclosed, comprising an inductively coupled plasma ion source, an insulating plasma chamber containing the plasma, a conducting source biasing electrode in contact with the plasma and biased to a high voltage to control the ion beam energy at a sample, and a plurality of apertures. The plasma within the plasma chamber serves as a virtual source for an ion column comprising one or more lenses which form a focused ion beam on the surface of a sample to be imaged and/or FIB-processed. The plasma is initiated by a plasma igniter mounted near or at the column which induces a high voltage oscillatory pulse on the source biasing electrode. By mounting the plasma igniter near the column, capacitive effects of the cable connecting the source biasing electrode to the biasing power supply are minimized. Ion beam sputtering of the apertures is minimized by proper aperture materials selection.
US08723138B2
A tip of an electron beam source includes a core carrying a coating. The coating is formed from a material having a greater electrical conductivity than a material forming the surface of the core.
US08723134B2
A correction device for a charged particle beam device for decreasing, correcting or inverting (that is adjusting) the spherical aberration of a charged particle beam is described. The correction principle is similar to that of common multipole-Correctors. But unlike common devices of that kind this new correction device gets along entirely with plane apertures having specially shaped holes in order to supply the multipoles required for correction and is therefore predestined for miniaturization and the use in multi column devices.
US08723127B2
A radiation detector of a compact size and producing almost no image defect is disclosed, comprising a first radiation-transmissive substrate, a first adhesive layer, a second radiation-transmissive substrate, a scintillator layer and an output substrate provided with a photoelectric conversion element layer which are provided sequentially in this order, wherein an arrangement region of the scintillator layer in a planar direction of the layer includes an arrangement region of the photoelectric conversion element layer in a planar direction of the layer and an arrangement region of the first substrate in a planar direction of the substrate, and the arrangement region of the first substrate includes the arrangement region of the photoelectric conversion element layer; and when the arrangement region of the scintillator layer is divided to plural areas, a coefficient of variation of filling factor is 20% or less which is defined as a standard deviation of filling factor of phosphor of the plural areas, divided by an average value of the filling factor.
