US08880938B2
Techniques are disclosed for reducing impact of a repair action in a switch fabric. In one embodiment, a server system is provided that includes a first interposer card that operatively connects one or more server cards to a midplane. The first interposer card may include a switch module that switches network traffic for the one or more server cards. The first interposer card may be hot-swappable from the midplane, and the one or more server cards may be hot-swappable from the first interposer card.
US08880929B2
A method for indirectly measuring the clock rate of a media rendering subsystem, in a media rendering device that has a separate hardware clock for rendering the media, by using the rate at which data requests are made of the CPU in the media rendering device and using the CPU clock to provide additional accuracy in measuring the clock rate.
US08880909B2
An embodiment of the invention provides a method for providing power to a USB client device and polling for a correct protocol. A USB host device provides power and a first part of a first handshake determined by a first protocol. The host then monitors the client for a second part of the first handshake. When the second part of the first handshake is detected by the host, the client recognizes that power may be applied according to the first protocol. When the second part of the first handshake is not presented by the client device, the host provides a first part of a second handshake according to a second protocol. When the second part of the second handshake is provided by the client, the host the client recognizes that power may be applied according to the second protocol.
US08880906B2
A digital archive for storing encrypted content includes a header section and a body. The header section includes real headers, wherein at least a portion of each real headers is encrypted, and fake headers, wherein each of the fake headers is filled with cryptographically random bytes, wherein the fake headers are substantially more than the real headers. The body includes real contents, wherein at least a portion of each real content is encrypted, and fake contents in the rest of the body, wherein the fake content contains additional cryptographically random bytes, wherein the amount of the fake content is substantially greater than the amount of the real contents, wherein each of the real headers refers to a corresponding real content in the body and contains decryption information for the corresponding real content.
US08880904B2
The invention relates to a system and method for making data secure. The inventive system is characterized in that it comprises:—a monotonic counter;—a computational entity;—a physical data medium comprising one or a plurality of data blocks, a first master block comprising the last value recovered from the monotonic counter, an identifier of the last data block written on said medium, a first authentication code guaranteeing the authenticity of the written data block or blocks, a second authentication code calculated from the last written data block, said data being fixed at a neutral value, and a third authentication code guaranteeing the authenticity of the first master block, and a second master block forming a replica of the first master block; and—an authentication key. The invention is used, in particular, to make data secure against playback and sudden interruptions in service in embedded systems.
US08880901B2
An embodiment generally pertains to a method of secure address handling in a processor. The method includes detecting an instruction that implicitly designates a target address and retrieving an encoded location associated with the target address. The method also includes decoding the encoded location to determine the target address. Another embodiment generally relates to detecting an instruction having an operand designating an encoded target address and determining a location of a target instruction associated with the target address. The method also includes determining a location of a subsequent instruction and encoding the location of the subsequent instruction. The method further includes storing the encoded location of the subsequent instruction.
US08880899B1
Systems and methods for facilitating media fingerprinting are provided. In one aspect, a system can include: a memory, a microprocessor, a communication component that receives media; and a media fingerprinting component that fingerprints the media. The media fingerprinting component employs a fingerprint generation component stored in the memory and includes: a first hash generation component that generates sets of hashes corresponding to versions of the media; and a second hash generation component that computes a final hash based, at least, on hashing the sets of hashes. In some aspects, the media fingerprinting component can generate a flip-resistant fingerprint based, at least, on the final hash. In some aspects, the flip-resistant fingerprint is the final hash.
US08880897B2
The present invention discloses a method for quickly and easily authenticating large computer program. The system operates by first sealing the computer program with digital signature in an incremental manner. Specifically, the computer program is divided into a set of pages and a hash value is calculated for each page. The set of hash values is formed into a hash value array and then the hash value array is then sealed with a digital signature. The computer program is then distributed along with the hash value array and the digital signature. To authenticate the computer program, a recipient first verifies the authenticity of the hash value array with the digital signature and a public key. Once the hash value array has been authenticated, the recipient can then verify the authenticity of each page of the computer program by calculating a hash of a page to be loaded and then comparing with an associated hash value in the authenticated hash value array. If the hash values do not match, then execution may be halted.
US08880895B2
A password recovery technique for access to a system includes receiving a request from a first party to recover the first party's password to access the system, receiving a selection of a second party from the first party, sending a message to the second party requesting that the second party authorize the request to recover the first party's password, receiving authorization from the second party for the request to recover the first party's password, and resetting the first party's password responsive to receiving authorization from the second party.
US08880889B1
The invention relates to systems and methods for secure, remote, wireless submission of financial transactions. Authentication and authorization functionality are provided through use of proof of possession tests, a token service that provides a user device with a token that includes user entitlement data, and high assurance digital certificates.
US08880887B2
Provided are system, methods, and computer-readable media for systems, methods, and computer-readable media for secure digital communications and networks. The system provides for secure communication between nodes through the use of a subscription between two nodes based on unique identifiers that are unique to each node, and communication between nodes without a subscription may be blocked. Additionally, secure communications between a node and a remote node are dynamically encrypted using asymmetric and symmetric encryption. The encryption algorithms and key lengths may be changed at each subsequent negotiation between a node and a remote node.
US08880883B2
A permitting system for controlling devices in a system includes a permit issuing agent that receives a command to be sent to a device. Based upon at least one attribute of the command, the permit issuing agent identifies one or more business logic modules that is pertinent to the command. Each business logic module has a respectively different set of business rules associated with it. Each identified business logic module determines whether the command complies with the business rules associated with that module. If the command is determined to comply with the business rules of all of the identified business logic modules, the agent issues a permit for the command, and the permit is sent to the device for execution of the command.
US08880877B2
A method for assembling authorization certificate chains among an authorizer, a client, and a third party allows the client to retain control over third party access. The client stores a first certificate from the authorizer providing access to a protected resource and delegates some or all of the privileges in the first certificate to the third party in a second certificate. The client stores a universal resource identifier (URI) associated with both the first certificate and the third party and provides the second certificate and the URI to the third party. The third party requests access to the protected resource by providing the second certificate and the URI, without knowledge or possession of the first certificate. When the authorizer accesses the URI, the client provides the first certificate to the authorizer, so that the client retains control over the third party's access.
US08880873B2
An authentication method, system and device are provided by the embodiments of the present invention. Said method includes the following steps: an Application Server (AS) receives an AS access request, which carries a user identifier, transmitted by a User Equipment (UE); the AS generates a key generation request based on the user identifier and transmits it to a network side; the AS receives the key transmitted by the network side, and authenticates the UE according to the key. In the present invention, generating the key between a terminal without a card and the AS is implemented, and the AS authenticates the UE using the generated key, and the security of the data transmission is improved.
US08880872B2
A first computer sends a request to the second computer to access the application. The second computer determines that the user has not yet been authenticated to the application. The second computer redirects the request to a third computer. The third computer determines that the user has been authenticated to the third computer. The third computer authenticates the user to the application. The second computer returns a session key to the third computer for a session between the application and the user. The session has a scope of the second computer or the application but not a scope of a domain. The third computer generates another session key with a scope of the domain and sends the domain-scope session key to the first computer.
US08880866B2
Disabling communication in a multiprocessor fabric. The multiprocessor fabric may include a plurality of processors and a plurality of communication elements and each of the plurality of communication elements may include a memory. A configuration may be received for the multiprocessor fabric, which specifies disabling of communication paths between one or more of: one or more processors and one or more communication elements; one or more processors and one or more other processors; or one or more communication elements and one or more other communication elements. Accordingly, the multiprocessor fabric may be automatically configured in hardware to disable the communication paths specified by the configuration. The multiprocessor fabric may be operated to execute a software application according to the configuration.
US08880864B2
A system and method are presented for converting a multi-boot computer to a virtual machine. Existing boot images on a multi-boot computer are identified and converted into virtual machine instances. Each virtual machine instance represents an operating system and is capable of running at the same time. Finally, a new hosting operating system is installed. The new hosting operating system launches and manages the converted virtual machine instances.
US08880856B1
A processor may include a conditional arithmetic logic unit and a main arithmetic logic unit. The conditional arithmetic logic unit may perform a first arithmetic logic operation to generate a first result, and output the result. The main arithmetic logic unit may select input buses among a plurality of data buses that carry the first result from the conditional arithmetic logic unit, perform a second arithmetic logic operation on data provided by the selected input buses to generate a second result, and write the second result in a storage component.
US08880842B2
Detection and reduction of unaligned input/output (“I/O”) requests is implemented by a storage server determining an alignment value for data stored by the server within a storage system on behalf of a first client, writing the alignment value to a portion of the volume that stores the data for the first client, but not to a portion of the volume that stores data for a second client, and changing a location of data within the portion of the volume that stores the data for the first client, but not a location of data in the portion of the volume that stores data for the second client, to an alignment corresponding to the alignment value. The alignment value is applied to I/O requests directed to the portion of the volume that stores the data blocks for the first client after the location of the data blocks has been changed.
US08880840B2
Compressed data is maintained in a plurality of strides of a redundant array of independent disks, wherein a stride is configurable to store a plurality of tracks. A request is received to write one or more tracks. The one or more tracks are written to a selected stride of the plurality of strides, based on comparing the number of operations required to destage selected tracks from the selected stride to the number of operations required to defragment the compressed data in the selected stride.
US08880837B2
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for preemptively allocating extents to a data set in a storage system. A data set is comprised of a plurality of extents configured in at least one volume in the storage system. A first extent is allocated to the data set in a first volume to extend the data set. A determination is made as to whether a second extent can be allocated to the data set in the first volume in response to the allocating of the first extent. The second extent in a second volume is allocated for the data set in response to determining that the second extent cannot be allocated to the data set in the first volume.
US08880832B2
A controller is connectable to a host system and a plurality of storage devices. A monitor unit monitors operating status of a plurality of storage devices and sets the operating status of the storage devices in a status table. Upon receiving a write command from the host system, a command responding unit receives write data sent from the host system within a certain period of time after the write command, holds the write data received in a buffer memory, instructs a timer to start counting, sets a write destination for data in the status table, outputs a control signal that gives an instruction to write data to the storage device of the write destination, and returns a write completion response corresponding to the write command to the host system when receiving the deadline notification from the timer.
US08880826B2
A Write-Once Read-Many (WORM) memory controller receives data from a processing system that is addressed to a location in a storage device, stores the data and a tag at the location, receives second data from the processing system that is addressed to the location, determines that the location includes the tag, and prevents the second data from being stored at the location based upon the presence of the tag. A WORM memory device sends a reply to a controller in response to an initialization command. The reply includes an address number that corresponds with the storage capacity of the WORM memory device. The WORM memory device sends another reply to another controller in response to another initialization command. The initialization commands are different from each other. The other initialization reply includes an address number of zero.
US08880821B1
Determining whether to migrate from a source storage device to a target storage device includes determining if the target storage device is accessible by hosts that access the source storage device, determining if reservation information stored on the target storage device matches reservation information stored on the source storage device and migrating from the source storage device to the target storage device if the target storage device is accessible by hosts that access the source storage device and reservation information stored on the target storage device matches reservation information stored on the source storage device. Determining whether to migrate from a source storage device to a target storage device may also include, in response to initially determining that the reservation information stored on the target storage device does not match the reservation information stored on the source storage device, attempting to match the reservation information.
US08880804B2
A storage apparatus includes storage devices of a plurality of types of varying performance, and a control unit which manages each of storage areas provided by the storage devices of the plurality of types by means of storage tiers of a plurality of different types, and assigns the storage areas in page units to a virtual volume from any of the storage tiers among the storage tiers of the plurality of types. If the data I/O request is received from the host, the control unit assigns storage areas in page units from the uppermost storage tier to the target areas of the virtual volume corresponding to the I/O request The control unit changes the page unit storage area assignment to predetermined areas of the virtual volume from an upper storage tier to a lower storage tier in accordance with the speed of processing of the data I/O request.
US08880776B2
Systems and methods for accessing data at a data storage device are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a method includes receiving cluster information at a controller of a data storage device, the data storage device further including a memory, the cluster information being associated with a data file that is stored at the memory. The method also includes accessing the cluster information to locate at least one region of the memory corresponding to the data file. The method further includes accessing data from the data file at the at least one region of the memory that is identified by the cluster information. Accessing of data from the data file includes the controller executing an internal application.
US08880775B2
In a particular embodiment, a controller is adapted to perform a garbage collection operation to remove redundant data, to predict a performance parameter associated with performance of the garbage collection operation, and to abort the garbage collection operation when the predicted performance parameter exceeds a threshold.
US08880763B2
A communication system enabling protection at times of serial communication failure without providing a watchdog timer for each of multiple slave control units is provided in a configuration in which a master control unit and multiple slave control units are connected by serial communication. A communication system provided with multiple slave control units 102 that perform transmission and reception of serial data with a master control unit 101 for controlling serial communication and a watchdog timer 105 that simultaneously resets the multiple slave control units 102 is configured such that a watchdog signal from the master control unit 101 is input to the watchdog timer 105 via at least one of multiple serial communication lines.
US08880760B2
In one aspect a memory module storing a plurality of packets is provided. A self organizing heap contains elements associated with each of the packets. The self organizing heap reorders the packets based on packet passing rules. In another aspect, a plurality of elements associated with packets is provided. Each element includes a state machine. The state machine operates in accordance with packet passing rules. The state machine reorders the packets by selective swapping of adjacent elements.
US08880756B1
Systems and methods for direct memory access are described. One example system includes a memory module that includes a first memory portion that maintains transfer descriptors of direct memory access (DMA) channels, and a second memory portion that maintains transfer descriptors of enabled DMA channels. The system includes a controller coupled to the memory module, the controller includes one or more DMA channels coupled to a system bus, a channel arbiter that selects one of the enabled DMA channels as an active DMA channel for data transfer including re-arbitrating after each burst or beat in a given transfer, and an active channel buffer that receives a transfer descriptor of the active DMA channel from the second memory portion. The controller is configured to write back the transfer descriptor of the active DMA channel into the second memory portion when the active DMA channel loses arbitration.
US08880745B2
Data-transfer transactions from multiple masters may be balanced by taking snapshots of the transactions stored in a buffer, and executing transactions from each master back-to-back.
US08880734B2
A method and apparatus for compressing signal samples uses block floating point representations where the number of bits per mantissa is determined by the maximum magnitude sample in the group. The compressor defines groups of signal samples having a fixed number of samples per group. The maximum magnitude sample in the group determines an exponent value corresponding to the number of bits for representing the maximum sample value. The exponent values are encoded to form exponent tokens. Exponent differences between consecutive exponent values may be encoded individually or jointly. The samples in the group are mapped to corresponding mantissas, each mantissa having a number of bits based on the exponent value. Removing LSBs depending on the exponent value produces mantissas having fewer bits. Feedback control monitors the compressed bit rate and/or a quality metric. This abstract does not limit the scope of the invention as described in the claims.
US08880730B2
A method for downloading destination addresses associated with a given client device from a server to the client device is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of determining a resource limitation of the client device, sorting the addresses, and transmitting a subset of the sorted addresses from the server to the device, wherein the transmitted sorted address subset is determined by the resource limitation.There is also provided a system and server for supporting Instant Messaging (IM). The system comprises a telecommunications network interconnecting a plurality of IM clients and an IM server, the plurality of IM clients configured to exchange instant messages with one another via the telecommunications network and the IM server, each of the IM clients having an associated IM address, the IM server comprising a memory for storing a plurality of IM addresses, a set of the IM addresses corresponding to each of the IM clients and wherein a given set comprises at least one IM address other than an IM address of the IM client to which the given set corresponds, wherein on occurrence of a triggering event associated with a particular IM client the IM server selects a subset of the IM addresses from the set of addresses corresponding to the particular IM client based on a resource limitation of the particular IM client and transmits the selected IM address subset to the particular IM client.
US08880719B2
A server in connection with a plurality of multimedia sources that has a plurality of clients. The server determines if at least one of the clients is requesting to receive at least one of the sources. The server then multicasts these requested sources to the requesting clients, respectively. If none of the clients is requesting a particular source, the server does not multicast that particular source. If all of the clients cease requesting a particular source that the server is currently multicasting, the server terminates the multicast of that particular source.
US08880718B2
A system and method for recording, uploading, and archiving video recordings, including a front-end and a back-end application. The preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a front-end application wherein video is recorded using a mobile device. The recorded video is embedded with date, time and GPS location data. The video is stored on an online back-end database which catalogs the video according to the embedded data elements. The video may be selectively reviewed by relevant experts or emergency personnel for immediate response to the uploaded video and/or distribution to the proper parties. The video may also be archived for later review and use by any number of end-users.
US08880712B2
The disclosed embodiments related generally to the submission of metadata content and media content to a media distribution system. The media content can include, for example, audio, video, image, or podcast data. In accordance with one embodiment, a client submitting metadata content can validate the metadata content prior to submission of the metadata content and/or associated media content. A media distribution system receiving metadata content can also validate the metadata content.
US08880706B1
A system for enabling interaction with a user interface device, comprising a separable transportable mobile core comprising a radio transceiver, a processor, a memory, and a communication component, wherein the mobile core receives indicia of the user interface device and communicates the indicia to a computer, wherein the computer authenticates the user interface device and transmits an instruction to the mobile core, and wherein the instruction enables the mobile core to interact with the user interface device.
US08880705B2
Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for facilitating dynamic addition and release of IP addresses in an established Proxy Mobile IPv6 (PMIP) sessions, for example, based on the demand of a mobile device. An example method comprises receiving from the mobile device a request to add a second IP interface type to a current communication session associated with a first IP interface type, wherein the second IP interface type is different from the first IP interface type. The method further includes receiving from the home network a set of IP addresses of the second IP interface type and establishing one or more IP flows of the second IP interface type using one or more received IP addresses. The method further includes associating the one or more IP flows of the second IP interface type with the current communication session for the mobile device.
US08880694B2
The server system includes a server apparatus transmitting and receiving file data based on an access request transmitted from a client apparatus; and a management apparatus managing the server apparatus, wherein the server apparatus includes a plurality of virtual server parts controlling transmission and reception of the data independently for each of the predetermined client apparatuses; a data flow configuration part configuring a data flow for each of the file data transmitted to and received by the virtual server parts based on a command from the management apparatus; and a load control part controlling a data flow for each of the file data to control load of the virtual server parts based on the data flow for each of the file data configured by the data flow configuration part.
US08880693B2
A data store includes previously collected client data records, each previously collected client data record associated with a respective first network address. A verification module is communicatively coupled to the data store, the module configured to determine that it is a competent verification module and to receive a verification request including user data and a second network address and further configured to respond with an indication of whether the user data corresponds to the previously collected client data record identified by the first network address corresponding to the second network address.
US08880681B2
Methods and systems for assigning information indicative of a network characteristic to one of a plurality of data units traversing a path across a network, said data units having associated therewith values indicative of said network characteristic, said path having at least one portion passing through a lower-capability region and at least one portion passing through a higher-capability region, said lower-capability region being a region in which information indicative of said network characteristic may be represented by values having a first resolution, and said higher-capability region being a region in which information indicative of said network characteristic may be represented by values having a second resolution, said second resolution being greater than said first resolution, said one data unit being a data unit entering said higher-capability region.
US08880680B2
A personal device management server device comprises a processing device, first and second communication interfaces, and a memory. The first communication interface is coupled with the processing device and is arranged to communicate with a wireless communication network. The second communication interface is coupled with the processing device and is arranged to communicate with a client device. The memory is coupled with the processing device and arranged to store instructions comprising a personal device management system. The personal device management system is arranged to control allocation of one or more components of a communication service with the individual client device elements via the second communication interface.
US08880672B2
Methods, computer-readable media, and systems for modifying redistribution sets of users based on expiration time. A redistribution set including multiple present users to whom selected content is presentable for a pre-defined duration is received. Multiple past users who were included in the redistribution set have previously been removed from the redistribution set based on an expiration of the pre-defined duration. In response to detecting a modification to the pre-defined duration, the redistribution set of users is modified to include one or more past users or to exclude one or more present users. The redistribution set thus modified is used to target content to users in the modified redistribution set.
US08880669B2
Techniques are disclosed for detecting unidentified inventory in a network. In one embodiment, data that was collected from a plurality of network devices is received. The data includes at least one device identifier for a neighboring network device of at least one network device of the plurality of network devices. The at least one device identifier for the neighboring network device is compared to one or more device identifiers of known network devices. In response to determining that the at least one device identifier for the neighboring network device does not match a device identifier for the known network devices, the at least one device identifier is added to a list of unidentified inventory.
US08880661B2
Described herein are systems and methods for managing nodes in a data grid from within an application server. The system includes an application server having an administrative user interface, and a data grid including a plurality of nodes operating as a cluster, wherein each node in the data grid has node attributes that define node functionality. A configuration repository provided by the application server is accessible to the administrative user interface, and stores configuration information used by the administrative user interface to directly manage the plurality of nodes in the data grid. Upon receiving interpreted configuration information from the application server at a node manager client on the application server, the node manager client modifies the operation of the plurality of nodes in the data grid by overriding node attributes according to the interpreted configuration information, wherein the plurality of nodes thereafter operate according to the configuration information.
US08880657B1
Some embodiments provide a hosting system for provisioning and managing servers (e.g., virtual servers, dedicated servers). In some embodiments, the hosting system receives a configuration for one or more servers for a particular entity (e.g., customer, user). The hosting system then identifies a grid identity and a set of virtual local area network (VLAN) identities for the particular entity. The hosting system then deploys the set of servers on one or more of the hardware nodes using the grid identity and the set of VLAN identities. In some embodiments, the set of VLAN identities includes a first VLAN identity for a private network and a second VLAN identity for a public network.
US08880654B2
A protocol adapter for transferring diagnostic messages between networks within a vehicle and a host computer. The protocol adapter operates as a voltage translator to support J1708 software. The protocol adapter also recognizes when the protocol adapter is connected to a host computer running the J1939 and/or J1708 protocols and automatically switches to that protocol.
US08880649B2
Systems and methods automatically obtain contents and display the contents on location-specific display screens, based on content attributes associated with the screens. Associating content attributes (“tags”) with the screens allows administrators to specify the types of contents desired for display on the screens. For example, an establishment that caters to customers of a particular demographic (such as 21-27 year old singles, families with children, fans of rock-and-roll music, “bikers,” sports fans or ice cream lovers) may associate one or more content attributes (such as “dating,” “Disney,” “Led Zeppelin,” or “Red Sox”) with its display screen. The system then automatically obtains contents based on the attribute(s) and displays the contents on the screen. Patrons with mobile telephones or web-based users may send text messages for display on the screen or play interactive games displayed on the screen, as described in the incorporated patent application. However, even absent such activity, the disclosed systems and methods populate the screen with potentially ever-changing contents, thereby keeping the screen “fresh” and avoiding a situation known as the “ghost town” effect. The system may obtain the contents to be displayed from a variety of sources. For example, Twitter messages (“Tweets”) that contain or are otherwise associated (such as via “hashtags”) with a content attribute of a screen may be displayed.
US08880631B2
A method includes receiving at a host device a first communication associated with a transaction from at least one electronic device included in a set of electronic devices. The host device includes at least a memory, a processor, and a database. The first communication received at a first time and via a first communication mode. The method includes sending a response to the first communication at a second time after the first time and independent of the first time. The host devices receives a second communication associated with the transaction from the at least one electronic device at a third time. The first communication, the response to the first communication, and the second communication are displayable in a persistent record of the transaction regardless of a difference between the first time and the third time.
US08880630B2
A method, apparatus and computer readable medium for creating a social network map using non-voice communications are disclosed. For example, the method registers employment data of an employee, monitors non-voice communications of the employee, generates a social network map of the non-voice communications of the employee and analyzes the social network map to provide at least one correlation.
US08880619B2
A communications system includes a network engine that communicates with a plurality of a user subscribed mobile wireless communications devices via a communications network for sending and receiving emails. A direct access server is connected to the network engine for polling electronic mailboxes of users from an email source and retrieving electronic messages from the electronic mailboxes and pushing any electronic mailboxes to the network engine to selected users subscribed mobile wireless communications devices. The direct access server communicates with an email source using the internet message access protocol (IMAP) and IMAP-Idle supportable connections in a communications channel to accept real-time notifications. The direct access server verifies an Idle command functionality on the communications channel before relying on the communications channel for new mail notifications.
US08880612B1
A proxy for SMS-based wireless instant messaging (IM) is located on a network server. The proxy provides an on-line IM presence for a mobile device user and facilitates multiple cross-platform IM services without requiring protocol specific functionality locally installed on the mobile device. According to an embodiment, the proxy is configured with information about the user such as userID and login information. In operation, the proxy may log into a plurality of IM systems and provide an indication of the user's presence. Upon receiving IM messages directed to the user, the proxy may 1) automatically reply; 2) forward a converted message to the user's current presence; 3) forward a converted message to the user's on-line message repository; and/or 4) store the message for future delivery. The proxy may also provide presence information of contacts for the mobile device user. Upon receiving SMS messages from the user, the proxy may 1) determine the appropriate IM protocol; 2) log-in the appropriate IM system; 3) send the message to the intended recipient.
US08880602B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for embedding an autograph into digital media, particularly an electronic book. A system is described that includes an author's device running a signing application and at least one reader's device storing a copy of the electronic book. Depending on the proximity of the reader's device to the author's device, the author's device automatically performs different autographing tasks.
US08880600B2
A social networking system facilitates a user's creation of a group of other users from among the user's connections in the user's social network. The created groups may be used, for example, to publish information to certain user-defined groups or to define privacy settings or other access rights to the user's content according to such user-defined groups. When a user adds connections to a group, the social networking system determines suggested connections that have not been added to the group, based on a similarity of the suggested connections with one or more of the connections who have been added to the group. These suggested connections are then presented to the user to facilitate the creation of the group. Both positive and negative feedback may be used to generate a useful set of suggestions, which may be updated as the user further defines the group.
US08880593B2
Technologies and implementations for locating transient transaction resources are generally disclosed.
US08880586B2
Updated metadata can be requested from a set of remote servers according to a subscription registry. The subscription registry can include information for retrieving metadata from the remote servers. The requested updated metadata can be received from the remote servers. The metadata can be impact analysis and lineage metadata, and it can be requested from and received at an impact analysis and lineage metadata service. In addition, at least a portion of the metadata from the remote servers can be parsed, and a reference to a new remote server can be discovered in the metadata. Information for retrieving metadata from the new remote server can be added to the subscription registry, and metadata can be retrieved from the new remote server according to the subscription registry.
US08880585B1
Disclosed are various systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums embodying programs that are configured to detect a quorum of peers in a peer to peer network. In one embodiment, a first one of a plurality of peers receives a message from one of a plurality of second ones of the peers, the message including at least one peer identifier listed in association with a corresponding at least one property value, where the peers communicate with each other on a peer to peer network. The at least one peer identifier is written in association with a corresponding at least one property value in a memory associated with the first one of the peers when the at least one peer identifier does not exist in the memory. Also, a quorum of peer identifiers existing in the memory that are associated with respective property values that match a predefined criteria are detected, and a predefined action is implemented in the first one of the peers upon detecting the quorum.
US08880581B2
System and method to perform a directive by a first SIP User Agent (UA) engaged in a peer-to-peer communication session with a second SIP User Agent (UA), the method including: arming the first SIP User Agent (UA) to define the directive; setting a trigger condition in the first SIP User Agent (UA) to perform the directive if the trigger condition becomes true; monitoring, by use of a processor within the first SIP User Agent (UA), for the trigger condition in the communication session; and if the trigger condition becomes true, performing by use of a processor the directive without usage of a back-to-back user agent.
US08880580B2
Networking systems and methods for establishing and maintaining virtual computing clouds are disclosed. A networking system can comprise a server and various instances of a software agent, each agent being installed on a computing device participating in a virtual computing cloud. The server can maintain account setting for a user, wherein the settings can indicate which files on indicated computing devices are included in the virtual computing cloud. The networking system can selectively synchronize data between the computing devices automatically and in a secure manner, and can transmit data in real time to simulate local storage when synchronization of certain files is inappropriate in light of file incompatibility. As a result, the networking system can provide the user with a seamless, automatic system and method for accessing a total computing environment.
US08880577B2
The present invention provides a modulo operation method. The modulo operation method, in a case where the square of a divisor N is greater than or equal to a dividend C, includes: determining the number of computation stages n satisfying 2n
US08880573B2
In an embodiment, a method performs computer operations using a first fractional precision and a second fractional precision. A computer program has a source variable, a destination variable, and an operation. The source variable has a first dynamic fractional precision, the destination variable has a second dynamic fractional precision that differs from the first dynamic fractional precision, and the operation is related to the source variable and the destination variable. The source variable is aligned to a format of the destination variable, according to the first dynamic fractional precision and the second dynamic fractional precision. The operation is performed using the destination variable and the source variable. A value is assigned to the destination variable according to the operation. In this manner, a single codebase may be written that operates on various hardware that each have different bit precision capabilities, without requiring additional development and verification effort.
US08880568B2
Systems, devices, features, and methods for updating a geographic database, such as a navigation-related database, and/or reporting discrepancies associated with geographic data of the geographic database are disclosed. For example, one method comprises capturing a photograph of an observed geographic feature in a geographic region. Comment information corresponding to the observed geographic feature may be stored. The comment information is indicative of a discrepancy between the observed geographic feature and the geographic data corresponding to the geographic region. The comment information may be associated with the photograph to generate a report, and the report is transmitted.
US08880557B2
A method and system for dividing a tree structure of a structured document based on a tree structure defined by a schema of the structured document. The method includes the following steps: calculating an index value of size of a subtree having each element as a root for at least part of at least one element included in the tree structure defined by the schema, and deciding on a division pattern using the index value, where the division pattern is used to divide the tree structure of the structured document to which the schema is applied so that the size of the subtree, after being divided, meets a predetermined standard.
US08880542B2
A temporal relational database includes a relational database framework that allows for all the capabilities of a standard relational database with the addition of the concept of time. Transactions, which can be modifications of attribute values or changes to the database schema, can be stored with temporal histories. Through the use of these temporal histories, the temporal database is able to seamlessly respond to queries for times that are in the past, present, or future. Furthermore, transactions can be entered into the temporal relational database that are not effective until some point in the future, thus allowing for seamless migration of the data and schema of a database. Applications that access data in a temporal database may retrieve a time appropriate schema from the temporal database. An exemplary use of a temporal database to manage roles and responsibilities within an organization is described.
US08880541B2
Tools and techniques are provided to assist detection of invalid clicks in website activity data. A system calculates or otherwise obtains a historic click quality characterization based on historic web analytics data. The system then identifies a click quality anomaly in the website activity data, namely, a departure from the historic click quality characterization. The identified anomalies may then be used to help guide searches for invalid clicks.
US08880526B2
Systems and associated methods for enhanced concept understanding in large document collections through phrase clustering are described. Embodiments take as input an initial set of phrases and estimate centroids using a clustering process. Embodiments then generate new phrases around each of the current centroids using the current phrases. These new phrases are added to the current set, and the clustering process is iterated. Upon convergence, embodiments finalize clusters based on phrases of any given length.
US08880525B2
A method for clustering documents is provided. Each document is represented by a multidimensional data point. The data points are initially assigned to a respective cluster and serve as their initial representative points. Thereafter, in an iterative process, the data points are clustered among the clusters, by assigning the data points to the clusters based on a comparison measure of each data point with the cluster or its representative point, and a threshold of the comparison measure. Based on this clustering, a new representative point for each of the clusters can be computed. Optionally, overlapping clusters are merged. For the next iteration, the new representative points are used as the representative points. An assignment of the documents to the clusters is output, based on a clustering of the data points in the latest iteration. Multiple batches may be processed, retaining the initial clusters to which the original batch was assigned.
US08880520B2
Embodiments are directed towards managing a display of search results by employing a query-classification for a search query to selectively display trust search results that are displayed distinct from non-trust search results. A search query is classified into a query-class. A search is then performed over non-trust sources, and selectively over trust data sources to obtain non-trust and trust search results, respectively. The trust search results are rank ordered based on various categories of search criteria, including, for example, explicit and implicit relationships. Based on the query-class, a different number of trust search results may be displayed. Further, a position for which the trust search results may be displayed may be based on the query-class. Moreover, the non-trust search results displayed distinct or separate from the trust search results to readily distinguish a type of source of the search results.
US08880512B2
A search system includes: a data rewriting system that obtains, from a database, one or more search term candidates that are relevant to a present search query. The data rewriting system retrieves properties of the present search query and the one or more search term candidates, where the properties describe respective matching results of the present search query and the one or more search term candidates. Based at least in part on the matching results, the data rewriting system determines whether or not the present search query needs to be rewritten, and rewrites the present search query based at least in part on the matching results to provide a rewritten present search query if it is determined that the present search query needs to be rewritten. A search engine performs a search based at least in part on the rewritten present search query.
US08880511B2
Described are systems and methods relating to database query optimization and query cost estimation. The approach is described in the context of searching balanced and semi-balanced tree indexes such as B-trees, B+ trees, and R-B trees. The described approach may be used for both simple and composite queries, and the described approach may be used for relational queries, i.e., where a variable is less than or greater than a certain value and the database is being used to find the set of records that satisfy the relation. Further, the described approach may be used for generalized N-ary tree queries and cost estimations.
US08880504B2
A tag management device executes a process including adding, to data received, sort-free identifiers that identifies receiving order, and are monotonically increasing or monotonically decreasing numbers or character strings arranged in alphabetical order or a combination thereof; storing, sequentially in a first storing unit associated with a tag that is added to the received data, the identifiers added at the adding; storing, sequentially in a second storing unit in an associated manner, the received data and the identifiers added at the adding; and searching, when a storing unit associated with a tag to be searched for is the first storing unit, data associated with the tag to be searched for by joining, using an inner join or an outer join, information stored in the first storing unit and information stored in the second storing unit.
US08880501B2
Disclosed herein is a method and system for integrating an enterprise's structured and unstructured data to provide users and enterprise applications with efficient and intelligent access to that data. In accordance with exemplary embodiments, the generation of metadata indexes about unstructured data can be hardware-accelerated by processing streaming unstructured data through a reconfigurable logic device to generate the metadata about the unstructured data for the index.
US08880498B2
System and method for collecting information from a plurality of related sites, analyzing the information and storing the relevant information in a data base for future use. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the system uses the provided list of sites, whether obtained automatically or separately, queries them and analyzes the result retrieved from each site. The information may also optionally and preferably be ranked.
US08880497B1
Computer-aided extraction of semantics from keywords to confirm match of buyer offers to seller bids
One embodiment involves a method and apparatus for mapping lexical keywords into entity description semantics in order to create unambiguous buyer-confirmed descriptions of entities. The method described herein relies on a computer program and some mechanism for computer data storage.
US08880487B1
The invention provides in some aspects a distributed rules processing system that includes a first and second digital data processors that are coupled to one another by one or more networks. A rules base and a transactional data base are each coupled to one of the digital data processors; both may be coupled to the same digital data processor or otherwise. One or more coordination modules (e.g., “proxies”), each of which is associated with a respective one of the digital data processors, makes available to a selected one of those digital data processors from the other of those digital data processors (i) one or more selected rules from the rules base, and/or (ii) one or more data from the transactional database on which those rules are to be executed. The selected digital data processor executes one or more of the selected rules as a rules engine, executes one or more of the selected rules using a rules engine, and/or processes one or more data from the transactional database with rules executing on a rules engine.
US08880470B2
A disclosed method includes distinguishing static and dynamic persistent data, copying the static persistent data at the source data store to the destination data store on a basis of frequencies of updates, copying the dynamic persistent data to the destination data store, updating a bitmap data structure during the copying of the dynamic persistent data to indicate which blocks of the dynamic persistent data have been modified during the copying step, identifying the blocks that have been modified during the copying step using the bitmap data structure, and iteratively copying the identified blocks to the destination data store. The method may further include determining when the number of the identified blocks is below a predetermined threshold and suspending the virtual machine prior to the next copying step.
US08880467B1
A method of synchronizing data is provided. An embodiment of the method includes receiving, at a server, information identifying a detected user interaction with a device, determining, at the server, a probability that a user will access a service provided by the server using the device at a time, and generating, at the server, a session signature based on the determined probability, wherein the session signature is used by the device to generate refresh requests associated with the service.
US08880448B2
Apparatus and method for assessing odors, comprises an electronic nose, to be applied to an odor and to output a structure identifying the odor; a neural network which maps an extracted structure to a first location on a pre-learned axis of odor pleasantness; and an output for outputting an assessment of an applied odor based on said first location. The assessment may be a prediction of how pleasant a user will consider the odor.
US08880447B2
Matching systems and methods for social networking systems can select matches for users based on observed activities. A matching system can include, for example, a preference unit, a monitoring unit, and a matching unit. Generally, the preference unit can receive and process matching preference information for a user; the monitoring unit can monitor the user's activities on or observable by the server; and the matching unit can select and recommend matches for the user based on the monitored activities. Thus, matches can be suggested to the user based on the user's observed activities, and not simply based on the user's potentially inaccurate self-description.
US08880446B2
An apparatus, system, method, and computer program product are disclosed for a predictive analytics factory. A receiver module is configured to receive training data. A function generator module is configured to determine a plurality of learned functions from multiple classes based on the training data. A predictive compiler module is configured to form a predictive ensemble comprising a subset of learned functions from the plurality of learned functions. The subset of learned functions is from at least two of the multiple classes.
US08880445B2
A data processing system including one or more client devices, wherein each client device is connected to a network system and a data center unit. The data center unit includes a network interface unit, a user interface, one or more storage devices, wherein the one or more storage devices comprise one or more databases. Further, the data center unit includes a storage device controller and database manager for controlling the operation of storage devices and databases, a web server for providing web services to clients, a database server for providing database services to the one or more clients and a machine learning artificial intelligence application server for predicting textual complexity of data. The machine learning artificial intelligence application server includes one or more databases for storing data used to refine textual complexity analysis for improved accuracy of textual complexity predictions.
US08880443B2
In one embodiment, a first computing device selects k first variable orders for a Binary Decision Diagram (BDD) representing a function having n variables, where n≧4 and k≧2. The first computing device distributes the k first variable orders among a plurality of second computing devices. For each of the k first variable orders distributed to one of the second computing devices, the first computing device receives, from the one second computing device, a local best variable order among the first variable order and one or more second variable orders derived from the first variable order. The first computing device determines a global best variable order for the BDD among all local best variable orders received from the second computing devices.
US08880440B2
Embodiments of systems and methods for automatic combination of text mining services, may comprise an instance generation component and an auto-mapping component. From common text sources, the instance generation component generates instances for taxonomy elements attached to a particular text mining service. These instances are then forwarded to the auto-mapping component, which computes a mapping between different taxonomies. This mapping may be saved to avoid repeated instance generation and mapping processes for similar taxonomies. The computed mapping may in turn be input to a result combiner element, together with extraction results from calling the different text mining services. The result combiner returns the merged result sets to the execution, and finally to the user or API.
US08880438B1
System and methods allow for ranking relevance of parameters of a content item. A method includes: receiving, using at least one processing circuit, a plurality of parameters of a content item and a plurality of corresponding initial relevance scores of the parameters indicating relevance of the parameters to the content item; estimating, using a statistical model, a plurality of revised relevance scores from the initial relevance scores, wherein each of the revised relevance scores is a function of at least two of the plurality of initial relevance scores; and ranking the plurality of parameters based on the revised relevance scores.
US08880437B1
First and second components of the present invention, in combination, provide a customer interface for initiating a trade transaction and provides for the secure viewing of the status of the transaction. A third component assists in the automatic generation and verification of the voluminous and detailed documents required to support a trade transaction. The third component additionally tracks and assists in the management of the seller's manufacturing and shipment of the goods that form the basis of the trade transaction. A fourth component automatically generates a Letter of Credit from a Purchase Order and performs a reconciliation function on payments made pursuant to Letters of Credit or open Accounts.
US08880425B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for conducting transactions and financial transfers utilizing a mobile device communicatively coupled with a mobile communications network and executing a mobile point-of-sale application. According to some embodiments, the mobile point-of-sale application is adapted to conduct money transfer transactions by communicating transaction information through the mobile communications network to a money transfer provider system that processes the money transfer and communicates receipt information to the mobile point-of-sale application. Additionally, according to some embodiments, an account associated with an agent of the money transfer provider can be used in money transfer transactions conducted by the mobile point-of-sale application.
US08880424B1
The present invention provides a method and system for inserting a digital advertisement into a window by a computer processor for display on a screen. First, an initial portion of the window containing only text is identified that is of sufficient size to accommodate the advertisement. Next the advertisement is inserted into the identified initial window portion behind the text so that the text is readable. Then, the color of the advertisement or of a portion of the text is subsequently adjusted so that the advertisement becomes more prominent. The text may contain text-related graphics and the advertisement may be placed as not to obstruct any such graphs. As a user scrolls the underlying content, the advertisement is then moved.
US08880422B1
A high performance capability assessment model helps an energy industry business meet the challenges of the global marketplace. As a result, the energy industry business can achieve the clarity, consistency, and well-defined execution of core processes that reduce inefficiencies and waste that result from unnecessary process complexity and exceptions. In addition, the high performance capability assessment model helps the energy industry business to identify specific areas in which improvements may be made and understand how to make the improvements, and establishes levels of capability along the way to reaching an ultimate capability goal.
US08880420B2
A utility builds and displays heatmaps of competitive activity that aid in studying the competitive advantage of a particular restaurant. The heatmaps are constructed based on activity logged with a restaurant service, and available within the restaurant service's database(s).
US08880414B2
The present invention relates to improvements of predictive encoding/decoding operations performed on a signal which is transmitted over a packet switched network. The signal is encoded on a block by block basis in such way that a block A-B is predictive encoded independently of any preceding blocks. A start state 715 located somewhere between the end boundaries A and B of the block is encoded using any applicable coding method. Both block parts surrounding the start state is then predictive encoded based on the start state and in opposite directions with respect to each other, thereby resulting in a full encoded representation 745 of the block A-B. At the decoding end, corresponding decoding operations are performed.
US08880404B2
An electronic device configured for adaptively encoding a watermarked signal is described. The electronic device includes modeler circuitry that determines watermark data based on a first signal. The electronic device also includes coder circuitry coupled to the modeler circuitry. The coder circuitry determines a low priority portion of a second signal and embeds the watermark data into the low priority portion of the second signal to produce a watermarked second signal.
US08880403B2
A method for transcribing a spoken communication includes acts of receiving a spoken first communication from a first sender to a first recipient, obtaining information relating to a second communication, which is different from the first communication, from a second sender to a second recipient, using the obtained information to obtain a language model, and using the language model to transcribe the spoken first communication.
US08880383B1
In one example, formation fluid flow through a fractured reservoir is simulated using conductivity of aged proppants. A first conductivity profile is received for a proppant. The first conductivity profile describes an ability of the proppant to permit formation fluid flow through a fracture network under reservoir conditions in a fractured reservoir that includes the proppant in the fracture network. The proppant is aged for a duration under the reservoir conditions of the fractured reservoir over the duration. After the duration, a second conductivity profile for the aged proppant is determined. An adjusted conductivity profile for the proppant is determined based on the first conductivity profile and the second conductivity profile. The adjusted conductivity profile is provided as an input conductivity profile for the proppant. The reservoir simulator simulates formation fluid flow through the fractured reservoir using the input conductivity profile.
US08880371B2
A method for adjusting a sensor, continuous sensor or automatic measuring system in an interstitium including the steps of adjusting the steepness of a measuring curve and a standard offset (standard axis intercept) prior to the use of the sensor, continuous sensor or measuring system, and adapting the offset by a point calibration by using a reference measure or value during the use. The present invention encompasses sensors, continuous sensors or automatic measuring systems calibrated or adjusted in accordance with the method, and in some embodiments, the offset adjusted prior to use is rectified according to the difference between a value determined by the sensor, continuous sensor or measuring system taking into account the standard steepness and the reference value.
US08880367B1
A method for accurately performing power estimation on a battery of an electronic device includes: monitoring a charging current of the battery to obtain charging current data of the charging current with respect to time; and performing curve mapping according to the charging current data and according to a plurality of sets of predetermined curve characteristic data, in order to determine an estimation parameter corresponding to one of a plurality of predetermined cycle counts, wherein the estimation parameter is utilized for performing power estimation, and the sets of predetermined curve characteristic data respectively correspond to the predetermined cycle counts, which represent estimated ages of the battery, respectively. At least one associated apparatus is also provided.
US08880362B2
Presented herein are a system and method (i.e., utilities) for monitoring the flow of materials used to mark road surfaces and other surfaces. The utilities utilize one or more pressure sensors to monitor in-line pressure of road marking material to determine the amount of material being applied. Electronic equipment receives signals from the pressure sensors, temperature sensors and/or additional monitoring equipment to generate an output indicative of an amount of material flow. In a further arrangement, the equipment generates an output indicative of a thickness of the read marking material as applied to a surface.
US08880360B2
A combination mirror and media display device assembly is provided. The combination mirror and media display device includes a mirror platform having a media display device viewing area and a media display device coupled to the mirror platform. The media display device is positioned to display images through the media display device viewing area.
US08880358B2
A sensing device including a sensor, a triggering mechanism and a covering is provided. The covering is positioned in contact with a body such that the triggering mechanism extends from a moving segment to a reference segment and across a joint center located therebetween. Movement of the moving segment activates the triggering mechanism to provide a force input to the sensor, actuating the sensor to generate an output defining at least one measurement of the movement. The measurement may be one or more of rotation, translation, velocity, acceleration, and joint angle. An intermediate mechanism may be interposed between the triggering mechanism and the sensor. The sensing device may include a means to process or record measurements corresponding to movement of the moving segment and joint center. A system and method of measuring the movement of a moving segment is also provided.
US08880357B2
The invention regards an apparatus for estimating a resonant frequency of a wind turbine tower, comprising a measuring module adapted for measuring acceleration values of the wind turbine tower wherein the acceleration values represent acceleration of the wind turbine tower, a filter module adapted for receiving the measured acceleration values, the filter module comprises a variable filter wherein the variable filter is adapted to attenuate frequencies in a band hereby attenuating frequencies for an output of the filter module, an adaptive algorithm module comprising an adaptive algorithm wherein the adaptive algorithm module is adapted for communicating with the filter module and wherein the adaptive algorithm is adapted to minimize the energy of the output of the filter module by adjusting the band of attenuated frequencies, a resonant frequency estimating module adapted for estimating the resonant frequency of a wind turbine tower based on the attenuated frequencies.
US08880354B2
A system and method for preprocessing magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) data of brain tissue for pattern-based diagnostics is disclosed. The MRS preprocessing system includes an MRS preprocessing module that executes an operation that normalizes MRS spectrum data, recalibrates and scales the normalized MRS spectrum data, and then renormalizes the scaled MRS spectrum data. The resulting preprocessed MRS data is used to assist in identifying abnormalities in tissues shown in MRS scans.
US08880345B2
Provided is a route generation device capable of generating an appropriate route. A route generation system of one embodiment of the present invention includes: analysis sections that analyze aerial image data to identify the land state of an area included in an aerial image; a storage section that stores traffic cost information associating a traffic-cost coefficient indicating traffic difficulty with the land state; a route searching section that calculates traffic costs of a plurality of routes from a start point to an end point by referring to the analysis results of the analysis sections and the traffic cost information and that determines a route candidate to be used from the start point to the end point based on the calculation results.
US08880339B1
A schematic display for presenting vertical navigation (VNAV) data is disclosed. A planned route such as a flight plan is divided into a series of VNAV legs, and only a VNAV schematic that corresponds to the active VNAV leg is displayed. The VNAV schematic in accordance with the present disclosure is a profile-view schematic for the active VNAV leg, providing a visual representation indicating the locations of the upcoming Top of Climb (TOC) or Top of Descent (TOD). Additional VNAV data may also be presented to provide content context. Since the schematic display in accordance with the present disclosure only displays VNAV data relevant to the active VNAV leg at a given time, the complexities associated with displaying the VNAV schematic is reduced, making the VNAV data easy to read and understand.
US08880334B2
A control system is disclosed for use with a plurality of machines operating at a worksite. The control system may have a plurality of communicating devices, and a plurality of onboard controllers, each mountable to the plurality of machines. The control system may also have an offboard controller in communication with the plurality of onboard controllers via the plurality of communicating devices. The offboard controller may be configured to selectively assign each of a plurality of sequentially arranged dump targets for use by each of the plurality of machines based on an order in which the plurality of machines arrive at a dump location. The offboard controller may be further configured to make a determination that lanes extending to two dump targets of the plurality of sequentially arranged dump targets overlap, and selectively skip assignment of one of the two dump targets based on the determination.
US08880332B2
A method for providing navigation information to a user, the method including: inputting identification associated with the user into one terminal of a plurality of terminals distributed throughout an area visited by the user, each terminal being located in a kiosk and operating in kiosk mode; inputting a destination; computing a route from the kiosk to the destination; and presenting the route as the navigation information to the user.
US08880327B2
Apparatus for orientating a user in a space wherein the space comprises a plurality of zones of which only certain zones constitute functional zones wherein each functional zone includes a first type device containing information relating to the position of the zone in the space and wherein the first type device is reactive to the presence of a second type device associated with the user to provide the user with the information to determine the orientation of the user in the space. A method of orientating the user within the space and guiding the user toward one or more features in the space is also disclosed.
US08880325B2
An assist device for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of position information of an aircraft on the ground includes a processing unit for determining in the airport (AE) a zone (ZP) of insensitivity to multipath GPS signals, the zone (ZP) having a rectangular shape, which is determined relative to the threshold (O) of the runway, and which has a length (L1) equal to the length of the runway and a width (L2) depending on a maximum illumination distance (D). The device further includes a unit for verifying, while the aircraft is moving in the airport (AE), whether the position relative to position information of the aircraft is inside said runway zone (ZP). A method for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of position information of an aircraft on the ground is also disclosed herein.
US08880320B2
A method controls an internal-combustion engine (1) supercharged by a turbocharger (12) and including a turbine (13) and compressor (14). The control method includes steps of determining a pressure objective downstream of the compressor (14), determining a critical threshold of a reduced-mass-flow rate that delimits on a “reduced-mass-flow rate/compression ratio” plane a critical area substantially close to achievement of sonic conditions, and filtering by a first filter the pressure objective downstream of the compressor (14) when a current reduced-mass-flow rate is higher than the critical threshold.
US08880316B2
When various automatic steering is performed, a steering reaction transmitted from steered wheels is suppressed without making it interfere with a driver's steering input. A control apparatus (100) for controlling a vehicle (10), the vehicle provided with: a tire steer angle varying device (400, 800) capable of changing a tire steer angle of at least one wheel of front wheels and rear wheels independently of a driver's operation for promoting a change in the tire steer angle; and a braking/driving force varying device (300, 600) capable of changing a left-right braking/driving force difference of the at least one wheel is provided with: a setting device for setting a target value of a vehicle state quantity for defining a target motion state of the vehicle; and a determining device for determining a target value of the tire steer angle of the front wheels or the rear wheels and target values of left-right braking/driving forces of the front wheels or the rear wheels such that the vehicle state quantity has the set target value and such that a steering reaction torque has a predetermined target value, on the basis of a relative relation between: the steering reaction toque and the vehicle state quantity; and the tire steer angle and the left-right braking/driving force difference.
US08880303B2
A vehicle control unit and a vehicle equipped with the vehicle control unit are provided, the vehicle control unit being capable of preventing a shift change from being permitted in a direction opposite to a vehicle traveling direction caused by an erroneous operation of a shift lever during a traveling mode. In the vehicle control unit for controlling the vehicle on the basis of a shift range detecting unit configured to detect a shift range selected by a shift operation and a vehicle speed detecting unit configured to detect a vehicle speed, when the shift range detecting unit detects the shift range in a direction opposite to the vehicle traveling direction in a state where the vehicle speed detecting unit detects a vehicle speed not less than a first speed V1, the vehicle control is carried out so that a compulsory deceleration is carried out by means of a deceleration unit provided in the vehicle instead of permitting the shift change corresponding to the shift range, the shift change being desirably permitted when the vehicle speed detecting unit detects that the vehicle speed decreases down to a vehicle speed not more than the first speed V1.
US08880297B2
A control device for a vehicle seat is provided. This control device for the vehicle seat is provided with a control unit. In order to improve the performance of getting into and out of a vehicle, the control unit executes an away movement for moving the vehicle seat to the rear of the vehicle when a preset away condition is satisfied, and when a preset return condition is satisfied in this state, executes a return movement for moving the vehicle seat to the front of the vehicle. The return condition includes, as a first return condition, a vehicle door being closed with a portable key in the vehicle.
US08880296B2
Vehicle control system and method in which restrictions on travel of the vehicle are determined based on an indication of the visibility of a driver and information about objects moving in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle are considered. The travel restrictions include preventing a passing maneuver on a two-lane road when an oncoming vehicle precludes safely initiating or completing an already-initiated passing maneuver. A warning system is provided to warn a driver about the travel restrictions so that the driver will, hopefully, not attempt an unsafe maneuver.
US08880295B2
A control system for controlling a steering system near an end of travel region is provided. The control system includes a first module that selectively estimates a command adjust value based on a hand wheel position and a hand wheel torque. A second module generates a motor assist command based on the command adjust value to control the steering system.
US08880294B2
A method of controlling stability of a vehicle comprises monitoring vehicle information with an electronic control unit. An approaching unstable driving condition is detected from the vehicle information with an electronic control unit. A signal is sent from the electronic control unit to at least one vehicle system to apply at least one proactive vehicle stability control action prior to the occurrence of the unstable driving condition.
US08880287B2
A system and method for determining whether a vehicle driver is holding a steering wheel of the vehicle. The vehicle will include an electric power steering (EPS) system and may include an active front steering (AFS) system. The vehicle may further include autonomous or semi-autonomous driving features or safety features, such as Lane Centering Control (LCC) or Lane Keeping Assist (LKA). The system monitors steering torque and steering angle signals, determines a resonant frequency of oscillation of the steering system from the measured data, and compares the resonant frequency to a known natural frequency of the steering system. If the resonant frequency is lower than the known natural frequency, then the system knows that the vehicle driver is holding the steering wheel. A measured steering torque greater than a threshold value is also taken as an immediate indication of the driver holding the steering wheel.
US08880285B2
A telematics system provides a platform for generating coaching tips, feedback, and simple indices based on driving behavior, historical information, heursistics and expert knowledge. The coaching tips are displayed on the policyholder portal and text describing the tips is completely configurable by an administrator on the server for the application. Furthermore, both ‘driving behavior’ and ‘environmentally friendly (green) driving’ tips can be supported.
US08880274B2
A vehicular diagnostic communications system, and components thereof, are provided for an apparatus and technique for communicating vehicular diagnostic information over a cellphone network. The system includes a code reader having a vehicle diagnostic port connector for receiving vehicle diagnostic information from the vehicle diagnostic port. The code reader also has a local connectivity network circuit for communicating vehicle diagnostic information between the vehicle diagnostic port connector and a local connectivity circuit. A cellphone is arranged in communication with the local connectivity network for communicating vehicle diagnostic information between the code reader and a cellular telephone network.
US08880273B1
Aspects of the invention relate generally to autonomous vehicles. The features described improve the safety, use, driver experience, and performance of these vehicles by using ground markers to determine the position of the surrounding objects. In particular, the autonomous vehicle is capable of detecting nearby objects, such as vehicles and pedestrians, and is able to determine the position of these objects based on whether they have passed over ground markers.
US08880270B1
Methods and apparatus are disclosed related to autonomous vehicle applications for selecting destinations. A control system of an autonomous vehicle can determine a status of the autonomous vehicle. The control system can determine a possible destination of the autonomous vehicle. The control system can generate and provide a hint related to the possible destination based on the status of the autonomous vehicle. The control system can receive input related to the hint. Based on the input, the control system can determine whether to navigate the autonomous vehicle to the possible destination. After determining to navigate the autonomous vehicle to the possible destination, the control system can direct the autonomous vehicle to travel to the possible destination.
US08880264B2
A charging control apparatus for an electric vehicle comprises: a charging efficiency computation device 21 for computing the charging efficiency of a driving battery 2; a state of change computation device 22 for computing the state of change of the driving battery 2; and a switching device 25 for switching, in response to a request from a user of the vehicle, between a first charging mode in which the charger 7 is controlled based on the charging efficiency to charge the driving battery 2, and a second charging mode in which the charger 7 is controlled based on the state of change to charge the driving battery 2.
US08880256B2
A method for stabilizing selection between a plurality of operating range states of an electro-mechanical multi-mode transmission configured to transfer torque among an engine, at least one electric machine, and a driveline includes requesting operation of the transmission in a preferred operating range state while a shift from a first operating range state to a second operating range state is in progress prior to achieving the second operating range state. Powertrain information is monitored and compared to a driver perception threshold only if a change of mind condition is detected. The shift to the second operating range state is avoided and a shift to the preferred operating range state is commanded if the powertrain information does not violate the driver perception threshold.
US08880247B2
A method and computer program product for planning a landing approach of an aircraft based on an actual position or first nominal position of the aircraft during its approach for landing on a runway, including providing a stabilization flight path section and stabilization region and/or stabilization point defined by an altitude profile by at least one configuration change point in the stabilization flight path section with a change of the overall profile configuration of the airfoils and with a predetermined final approach flight status of the aircraft, and checking or changing position of the at least one configuration change measure in a change and/or the addition of an additional configuration change measure to the stabilization flight path section and by changing a speed profile along the stabilization flight path section so that the aircraft reaches the predetermined final approach flight status in the stabilization region or at the stabilization point.
US08880245B2
The device comprises servocontrol means which automatically control, in a combined manner, an automatic thrust system of the aircraft and airbrakes of the aircraft, as a supplement to usual means for steering the vertical trajectory, so that the aircraft attains a speed setpoint and/or altitude setpoint, at the location defined by a geographical constraint.
US08880242B2
A system and method for actively controlling a structure is disclosed. At least one non-optimal event is identified in real-time based on at least one real-time elasticity measurement, if an event threshold exceeds a predetermined value. In response to an active control command, a control mechanism is then activated in real-time to compensate for the non-optimal event.
US08880241B2
Extended-range monitoring and surveillance of facilities and infrastructure—such as oil, water, and gas pipelines and power lines—employs autonomous vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capable, small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) aircraft and docking platforms for accommodating the sUAS aircraft. Monitoring and surveillance of facilities using one or more embodiments may be performed continually by the sUAS flying autonomously along a pre-programmed flight path. The sUAS aircraft may have an integrated gas collector and analyzer unit, and capability for downloading collected data and analyzer information from the sUAS aircraft to the docking platforms. The gas collector and analyzer unit may provide remote sensing and in-situ investigation of leaks and other environmental concerns as part of a “standoff” (e.g., remote from operators of the system or the facilities) survey that can keep field operators out of harm's way and monitor health of the environment.
US08880233B2
A control system for an energy storage system located behind a utility meter uses a unique, feedback-based, communication and control method to reliably and efficiently maximize economic return of the energy storage system. Operating parameters for the energy storage system are calculated at an external, centralized data center, and are selected to prevent electrical power demand of an electric load location from exceeding a specified set-point by discharging energy storage devices, such as DC batteries, through a bidirectional energy converter during peak demand events. The control system can operate autonomously in the case of a communications failure.
US08880230B2
The present invention concerns a method of operating a wind park having a plurality of wind power installations. A wind power installation includes an electrical energy storage means associated with the wind power installation to store electrical energy which is consumed for starting up the wind power installation after stoppage and consumed for emergency shutdown of the wind power installation. In some embodiments, the wind power installation includes a control system to control taking of energy from the electrical energy storage means for an emergency shutdown procedure such that a sufficient emergency shutdown reserve is maintained in the electrical energy storage means to start a first wind power installation without consuming energy from a network.
US08880209B2
A 3D modeling apparatus includes: a support body which supports a modeled object formed by laminating a resin material that is cured by energy of an energy ray; an illumination mechanism which illuminates the resin material with the energy ray, on the basis of image data of laminated cross-sections which constitutes 3D data of an object to be modeled which is an object of modeling, in order to form the modeled object; and a supply mechanism which supplies a material that constitutes a part of the modeled object and is different from the resin material, to the resin material that is cured as being illuminated by the illumination mechanism, on the basis of the cross-section image data.
US08880203B2
A batch modeling and analysis system uses a simple and computationally inexpensive technique to align data collected from an on-going, currently running or on-line batch process with a batch model formed for the batch process so as to enable the reliable determination of the current operational state of the on-line batch process with respect to the batch model. This data alignment technique enables further statistical processing techniques, such as projection to latent sources (PLS) and principle component analysis (PCA) techniques, to be applied to the on-line batch data to perform analyses on the quality of the currently running batch. These analyses, in turn, provide useful information to a user, such as a batch operator, that enables the user to determine the quality of the batch at the present time, based on the batch model, and the likelihood that the desired batch output quality metrics will be reached at the end of the batch run.
US08880195B2
Transurethral systems and methods for delivering electrical energy and controlled, mild heating to a prostate tissue of a patient for destruction of cancerous and/or hyperplastic tissue. A method includes positioning an elongate urethral probe having an expandable member with electrode elements at a target location in the patient's urethra, and inflating or expanding at the target location. Secondary electrodes are positioned within or adjacent to the prostate tissue and spaced from the electrode elements of the expandable member, and an alternating electrical current flow is established between the electrode elements of the expandable member and the one or more secondary electrodes. Current delivery can be selected so as to destroy or ablate cancerous cells of the prostate tissue.
US08880192B2
An electrode assembly includes electrodes and a cuff, shaped so as to define a tubular housing that defines a longitudinal axis therealong, two edges, and a slit between the two edges. When the housing is closed, respective contact surfaces of the two edges touch each other, and the housing defines an inner surface that faces and surrounds the axis, to which inner surface the electrodes are fixed. The cuff further defines three or more annular insulating elements that extend toward the axis from the inner surface of the housing at respective longitudinal positions along the housing, such that the inner surface of the housing and pairs of the insulating elements define, at respective longitudinal positions along the housing, respective chambers open toward the axis. The housing is shaped such that the contact surfaces of the two edges extend toward the axis and protrude into the chambers.
US08880185B2
Devices, systems, and methods provide for intravascular or extravascular delivery of renal denervation therapy and/or renal control stimulation therapy. Wireless vascular thermal transfer apparatuses and methods provide for one or both of production of current densities sufficient to ablate renal nerves and terminate renal sympathetic nerve activity, and production of current densities sufficient to induce endothelium dependent vasodilation of the renal artery bed. A common apparatus may be used for both renal ablation and control of renal function locally after renal denervation.
US08880184B2
A transcutaneous energy transfer system, method and kit for an implantable medical device having componentry for providing a therapeutic output and a secondary coil operatively coupled to the componentry and is adapted to be implanted at a location in a patient. An external power source has a primary coil contained in a housing. The external power source is capable of providing energy to the implantable medical device when the primary coil of the external power source is placed in proximity of the secondary coil of the implantable medical device. A holder is adapted to be externally positioned with respect to the patient at a spot in proximity of the location of the implantable medical device and secured at the location. A spacer, removably coupled to the holder, has an opening receiving the protrusion. A plurality of spacers can be used. The number is spacers is selectable based on the size of the protrusion.
US08880182B2
A computer-implemented method for fitting a medical implant to a recipient, the medical implant being operative to stimulate a physiological system of the recipient over a plurality of stimulation channels. The method includes: determining, based on measurements, an initial stimulation profile for the plurality of stimulation channels; determining a representative stimulus level of the initial stimulation profile; determining a fitting stimulation profile by modifying the shape a shape of the initial stimulation based on the representative stimulus level profile; and configuring the medical implant according to the fitting stimulation profile.
US08880173B2
A device for providing transdermal electrical stimulation at an adjustable position on a head. The device including a supporting member economically shaped and configured to be fixedly supported about an anatomical body part; the supporting member being adjustably positionable in only two directions substantially perpendicular to one another. No electrical stimulation is provided by the supporting member. Alternatively, the device includes at least one pair of electrodes for producing the transdermal electrical stimulation to the head. The electrodes are mounted to a securing member shaped and configured to be releasably securable only about a plurality of strands of hair at a predetermined fixed orientation without being secured about any anatomical body part.
US08880163B2
A classification method for classifying neural signals, the method comprising the following steps: a) using a plurality of electrodes over a determined period of time to acquire a plurality of neural signal samples; b) estimating a covariance matrix of said neural signals; and c) classifying said neural signals, the classification being performed: either in the Riemann manifold of symmetric positive definite matrices of dimensions equal to the dimensions of said covariance matrix; or else in a tangent space of said Riemann manifold. A method of selecting neural signal acquisition electrodes based on the Riemann geometry of covariance matrices of said signals. An application of said classification method and of said method of selecting electrodes to direct neural control.
US08880161B2
Methods, systems, and devices for signal analysis in an implanted cardiac monitoring and treatment device such as an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. In some examples, captured data including detected events is analyzed to identify likely overdetection of cardiac events. In some illustrative examples, when overdetection is identified, data may be modified to correct for overdetection, to reduce the impact of overdetection, or to ignore overdetected data. Several examples emphasize the use of morphology analysis using correlation to static templates and/or inter-event correlation analysis.
US08880157B2
The present invention relates to methods and devices for testing the physical condition of an individual. The methods and devices rely on the use of a marker of physical condition, and have applications including determining an individuals state of physical recovery from prior physical or athletic activity, determining an individuals physiological readiness for optimal physical performance, determining changes in the risk of (or for assessing progression of) cardiovascular disease in an individual, and for determining exercise and/or athletic training instructions for an individual based on their recovery state, physiological readiness to perform, and/or their cardiovascular disease risk status. The methods and devices require a comparison between the rate of increase in heart rate of an individual during a sub-maximal physical activity, and a predetermined reference measurement. A rate of increase in heart rate which is faster or slower than the predetermined reference measurement will allow determination of the individuals recovery state, physiological readiness to perform, and/or their cardiovascular disease risk status.
US08880152B2
The present application provides an apparatus and method for determining a position of a joint prosthesis using a computer assisted orthopedic surgery system in support of an arthroplasty surgery. The apparatus and method includes attaching a first locatable element to a first bone on one side of a joint, providing a sensor having a second locatable element and moving the sensor in proximity of the joint to locate a plurality of positions of the sensor relative to the first locatable element using a tracking device. The apparatus and method further includes selecting a generic model of a joint, determining the generic model in response to the plurality of positions located using the tracking device to generate a deformed model determining a position for a joint prosthesis on the deformed model, and outputting on a display the determined position upon the deformed model.
US08880151B1
A system for image-guided surgery may include a visual imaging system, a medical tool comprising a shaft and a tip, wherein the shaft of the tool includes an optically detectable feature that allows a position of the tip to be determined, and a display configured to display a real-time representation of the medical tool including the position of the tip regardless of whether the tip is obstructed or visible.
US08880148B2
A treatment process of radiological images is provided. The process comprises obtaining at least one set of images. For each set, the process comprises: segmenting an at least one first image to obtain an at least one first segmented image and to detect a plurality of arteries of the region of interest and an at least one second image to obtain an at least one second segmented image and to detect and isolate the tool; defining in the at least one first segmented image a plurality of lines, wherein each line defines an artery; determining, from the second segmented image and the defined lines, an artery of interest corresponding to the artery in which a tool has been inserted; and applying a quantitative analysis algorithm of coronary lesions to the artery of interest to detect lesion of the artery of interest.
US08880147B2
A distal tip assembly for an elongate medical device having an axis comprises a shaft having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, a wall, and a central lumen extending axially between said proximal end portion and said distal end portion. The distal tip assembly further comprises a position sensor disposed in an outer sleeve such that the sensor can shift relative to the sleeve. The sleeve is disposed at least in part in the wall and is substantially fixed thereto.
US08880143B2
The present invention relates to a method for estimating the Bone Mineral Density (BMD) using image data collected in emergency situation, i.e. without following specific protocols. In particular, the invention discloses a method for assessing the risk of bone fractures using as one indicator a BMD of one or more bones. The BMD is calculated using a universal constant which provides a value of BMD having a certain error in respect to its true value. However this error does not substantially affect the assessment of the risk of fracture of one or more bones.
US08880141B2
A photoacoustic imaging device includes an array of light sources configured and arranged to illuminate a target region and an array of ultrasonic transducers between the array of light sources and the target region. The array of transducers may be fixedly coupled to the array of light sources, and the array of ultrasonic transducers may be configured and arranged to receive ultrasound transmissions from the target region.
US08880140B2
The invention relates to large area electrodes suitable for use in a fetal heart rate monitoring systems. The electrode comprises: a cutaneous gel contact (10) for sensing fetal electrocardiogram signals from a human pregnant subject; an electrical conductor (12) electrically connected to the gel contact (10) so as to define a first electrical contact region; a connector (14) in electrical contact with the electrical conductor (12) for connection to a lead wire; and a substructure (16) for attachment to a human pregnant subject. The gel contact (10) and the electrical conductor (12) are arranged on the substructure (16) to allow a contact surface (11) of the gel contact (10) to be in electrical communication with the skin of a human pregnant subject to define a second electrical contact region. The second electrical contact region has an area greater than 370 square millimeters. When arranged on a predefined electrode topology on the abdomen the success rate of fetal heart rate detection is significantly improved. The topology may be incorporated into a flat flexible cable which provides a comfortable and reproducible electrode arrangement allowing an untrained person to apply electrodes to a pregnant mother's abdomen.
US08880124B2
A method, system and apparatus for providing previews of voice calls are provided. A voice call from a communication device to a remote communication device is initiated, via a communication interface. Sound data is received via a microphone, prior to the voice call being established. Preview data is transmitted in association with the voice call to the remote communication device, via the communication interface, the preview data indicative of the sound data, and the preview data for presentation at the remote communication device prior to the voice call being established.
US08880106B2
Exemplary embodiments are directed to operation of a device supporting multiple SIMs. A method may include detecting a paging collision scenario between a first subscription and at least a second subscription. The method may further include modifying a page reading operation of at least one of the first subscription and the at least a second subscription to avoid a paging collision between the first subscription and the at least a second subscription. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described in the application.
US08880100B2
A system and method for proximity based social networking is disclosed between mobile computing devices each having a short range communication (SRC) device using near field magnetic induction. The SRC devices can include at least two antennas to provide magnetic induction diversity. The method comprises defining a proximity boundary with dimensions defined by a communication range of the SRC devices. A proximity signal is communicated in the proximity boundary between the SRC devices. Information can be exchanged between the mobile computing devices based on the settings of a social networking filter module.
US08880097B1
Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems for associating a mobile device to a household. In various embodiments, a plurality of latitude-longitude pairs is received for a mobile device during a time period. The latitude-longitude pairs are organized into a plurality of clusters corresponding to geographic regions visited by the mobile device during the time period. For each cluster, a score is calculated that represents a likelihood that a user of the mobile device resides in a household within the cluster. The cluster with the highest score is identified as being the location of the user's household. The computation is preferably conducted recursively over time periods. The mobile device is then associated with the user's household.
US08880089B2
In a mobile communication system including a first base station and a second base station, the first base station includes: a user information obtaining unit configured to obtain user information in the first base station, and the second base station includes: a user information obtaining unit configured to obtain user information in the second base station; a base station internal information collection unit configured to collect user information in the first and the second base stations; and a resource assignment determination unit configured to determine radio resources that can be used by the first base station and radio resources that can be used by the second base station based on the user information in the first and the second base stations.
US08880072B2
An apparatus and a method for searching for an allowed femtocell in a wireless communication system. A method for providing neighbor base station information from a femto base station to a User Equipment (UE) allowed to access in a wireless communication system includes, when the allowed UE initially accesses or when the neighbor base station information of the femto base station is changed, generating a message comprising the neighbor base station information of the femto base station. The method also includes sending the generated message to the allowed UE.
US08880071B2
A composite quality measure helps determine a target for a vertical handover between different connection types. Various measurements are normalized, weighted and summed to produce composite quality measures. A composite quality measure may be compared to a target value and the corresponding connection may be added to a feasibility table if the composite quality measure is above the target.
US08880069B2
A communication system is described in which a home base station operating in a hybrid access mode is able to provide preferential connectivity to mobile communication devices that are members of a closed subscriber group associated with the home base station compared to mobile communication devices that are not members of the closed subscriber group.
US08880061B2
Techniques for enabling handoff for multiple packet data network connection include selecting, when roaming from a current access network (AN) supporting multiple concurrent packet data network (PDN) connections to a handover target AN not supporting multiple concurrent PDN connections, a single PDN connection, from among multiple active PDN connections, for operation in the handover target AN and exchanging messages to register the single PDN connection in the handover target AN.
US08880058B2
A system and method, automatically adaptable for use on multiple platforms, configured to reduce echoes heard by an end user of a remote communication device is provided. The system is configured to transmit communication from the remote communication device to a speaker, and to pick up communication from the microphone to the remote communication device. The system and method is directed towards emitting a test signal and processing the signal so as to calculate a phase shift to be applied to an outgoing auditory signal. The calculated phase shift is configured to cancel the test signal.
US08880056B2
A method for validating the operational characteristics of a mobile phone is provided. The message may include sending a message from the mobile phone to network testing equipment. This message may alert the network testing equipment that a debug state of the mobile phone is enabled. The method may also include sending test data from the network testing equipment to the mobile phone. The method may further include receiving the test data at the mobile phone. The method may yet further include creating a log of received data at the mobile phone. In addition, the method may include using short message service signaling to send at least a portion of the logged data from the mobile phone to the network test equipment.
US08880043B1
Abbreviated-dialing codes are used to facilitate access to and information exchanged with social-media websites. Based on the code and/or other information contained in the call, a post may be made to, or information obtained from, a social-media website.
US08880039B2
The invention presently proposed relates to a method and an apparatus for intelligently composing a multimedia message for a mobile radio system. In this method, a digital voice message is received from a digital answering service, a blank multimedia message is generated and the received multimedia message is added, the available amount of data remaining in the multimedia message is calculated, the digital voice message is analyzed, and a suitable multimedia content is selected in dependence on the remaining available amount of data in the multimedia message and the analysis result, and finally the multimedia content thus selected is added to the multimedia message including the received digital voice message.
US08880035B1
An improved system and method to provide important information either, as voice, text, picture, holographic image or video from the called party to a calling party before the called party answers a telephone. The information may be a recorded voice, text, image or video message. The called party may send a voice message, for example, and send it along with a call alerting message. The voice message may be recorded beforehand. Instead of the calling party's telephone playing a ringback signal, the recorded voice message is played or a data/bearer stream is heard. The calling party hears the voice message instead of the ringback tone normally heard when there is an incoming telephone call. If the calling and called party have telephones, such as mobile phones, IP phones, IP softphones, PDA with telephony capabilities, etc., which allow for multimedia messages such as text, images and video messages, the called party's recorded voice message may include text, images or video.
US08880034B2
A mobile communication device provides a user with the ability to set up one or more profiles on the device. Each profile is configured to segment the user's data and applications and selectively restrict access from an active profile to user data and applications associated with other profiles on the device. The mobile communication device stores profile configuration data including profile selection criteria used to automatically associate items of user data with profiles on the device. When an item of user data is received on the device, the device automatically identifies a profile to associate with the received item based on the profile selection criteria, and the received item is stored in the device so as to be associated with the identified profile. Exemplary profile selection criteria include criteria based on a current time or location, a currently active profile, a data type of the received item, and a source of the received item.
US08880031B1
An information fulfillment system provides information to a user having a wireless communication device. Upon manual or automatic input of an access code to the wireless communication device, the fulfillment center delivers information based on the access code. Automatic verification, connection, and/or billing modification processes are provided for implementation of the system and method.
US08880026B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus of providing network services to a mobile user equipment, where the mobile user equipment is connected to a fixed access network via a Femtocell base station and thus connected to the mobile core network. The mobile core network provides an access token to a Femtocell base station. The Femtocell requests the fixed access network with the access token to perform network resource configuration for the mobile user equipment. The mobile user equipment establishes a network service connection based on the network resource configuration. In this way, technically, it may be guaranteed that the mobile user equipment can be legal listened. Dependent on different service attributes of the mobile user equipment, different network access manners may be implemented, such that operators of mobile and fixed access networks may reasonably commercially apportion the charges based on their respective network resource occupation situations.
US08880019B1
The service profile of an emergency alert system (EAS) message provides an indication of the alert and technology attributes associate with the delivery of the emergency alert message. In an example configuration, the service profile comprises an alert profile and a technology profile. The alert profile contains information pertaining to alert attributes and alert attribute contents. The technology profile contains information pertaining to text attributes, audio attributes, in band video attributes, out of band video/multimode attribute, and/or multimedia attributes.
US08880004B2
A device and method for resolving conflicts between air interfaces in a wireless communication system are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises communicating over a first air interface, receiving a request for resources for concurrent use in communicating over a second air interface, determining that a conflict does not exist between resources for the first air interface and at least a portion of the requested resources for the second air interface, and concurrently communicating over the first air interface using resources for the first air interface and communicating over the second air interface using at least a portion of the requested resources for the second air interface.
US08880001B1
A method for providing collaborative PNT for a plurality of nodes in a distributed sensing system is disclosed. The method may include receiving carrier phase and pseudorange measurements from a first node and a second node of the plurality of nodes; providing a process model for each node, where the process model for each node is configured for modeling error characteristics associated with that node; determining an error covariance between the first node and the second node; and estimating a PNT solution for the first node and a PNT solution for the second node based on: the carrier phase and pseudorange measurements received from the first node, the carrier phase and pseudorange measurements received from the second node, the process model for the first node, the process model for the second node, and the error covariance between the first node and the second node.
US08879998B2
Disclosed is a device and method to automate the process of measuring RF noise, correlating measured noise with known sources, and making adjustments to the noise-measuring and reporting process. A wireless communication device is coupled to equipment at a fixed location, and transmits data about the operation of the equipment back to an operator, via a provider's network. Examples include fixed wireless terminals. A management entity aboard the wireless communication device performs the measurements via a transceiver and performs remedial actions when required, without requiring an onsite technician or remote assistance. The management entity may include a spectrum analyzer.
US08879997B2
Cross-polar discrimination (XPD) of a dual orthogonal cross-polarized antenna is maximized via a cross-coupling network between base station MIMO branches prior to connection to the base station antenna. In one embodiment, a cross coupling network combines each MIMO branch signal with an attenuated phase reversed (phase shifted) copy of the other MIMO branch signal. The amount of attenuation for each branch is equivalent to the cross polar suppression required for each antenna array. The cross-coupling can be applied at different stages of signal processing within a base station.
US08879991B2
A short-range wireless communication apparatus and method establish a connection thereof by simply selecting a connection target through a camera and providing an identifiable image of a target. In the method, the apparatus captures an identifiable image of a connection target device and recognizes identifiable information corresponding to the captured identifiable image. Then the apparatus either automatically selects or in conjunction with user approval selects the connection target device corresponding to the recognized identifiable information and establishes a connection with the selected target device through a short-range wireless communication.
US08879988B2
Methods and apparatus in a near-field communication system, in which a modulated signal received in a Reader is clipped by applying upper and lower clip levels. After clipping, the modulated part of the signal corresponds to a greater portion of the overall signal, and thus the requirements placed on an analog-to-digital converter for the clipped signal are reduced. In a first mode of operation, prior to or at the start of reception of the load-modulated signal, the clip levels may be set in a feedforward manner on the basis of preset values or a detected change in the overall signal; in a second mode of operation, once the clipped signal is available, the clip levels may be set in a feedback manner on the basis of the clipped signal.
US08879986B2
In some embodiments, a system includes a mobile communication device and a secure element physically coupled to the mobile communication device. The mobile communication device includes a first wireless transceiver, first processor, first memory, first speaker, first microphone, and first Audio To Digital conversion (ADC). The secure element includes a second wireless transceiver, second processor, second memory, second speaker, second microphone, a second Audio To Digital converter (ADC), and a second Digital to Audio converter (DAC). The mobile communication device is configured to transmit data via the first speaker to the secure element microphone using inaudible sound waves. The secure element is configured to transmit data wirelessly via the second speaker to the mobile communication device using inaudible sound waves.
US08879975B2
There is disclosed a fuser member that includes a substrate layer and a surface layer disposed on the substrate layer. The surface layer includes a fluoropolymer having dispersed therein fluorinated graphene particles. A method of manufacturing a fuser member is also provided.
US08879973B2
A fixing device includes: a tubular member; a heater; a nip member; a stay; and a backup member. The heater including: a glass tube; and a heat source. The nip member confronts the heater in a confronting direction. The glass tube has an axis defining an axial direction. The glass tube includes a glass tube body having end portions in the axial direction and sealed portions formed integrally with the end portions. Each sealed portion is formed in a plate shape and protrudes radially outwardly from the glass tube body when viewing in the axial direction. Each sealed portion is oriented in a first direction and defines a cross-sectional distance between one end portion and another end portion of the sealed portion in the confronting direction greater than a cross-sectional length of the glass tube in a second direction perpendicular to the confronting direction and the axial direction.
US08879972B2
A fuser includes a cylindrical heating rotating body including a heat generator and a pressure rotating body including a circumferential face which has contact with the heating rotating body to form a nip portion for fusing, wherein a disk-like outside plate, which is exposed outside, is provided in one end or both ends of the heating rotating body in a rotation axis direction, a disk-like inside plate is provided in an inner circumferential face of the heating rotating body on an inside of the outside plate to have an interval relative to the outside plate, a center vent is provided near a center of the outside plate, an outer edge vent is provided in an outer edge or the neighborhood thereof of the outside plate, and a flow path, which connects the center vent and the outer edge vent, is provided between the outside vent and the inside vent.
US08879970B2
An image forming apparatus includes a control unit configured to form electrostatic latent images for correction on a photosensitive member; a voltage application unit configured to apply a voltage to a process unit; a current detection unit configured to detect a current to the voltage application unit via the process unit when the voltage is applied to the process unit; and a conversion unit configured to convert an output value detected by the current detection unit such that a variation range of the output value detected by the current detection unit at a formation period of the electrostatic latent image for correction becomes larger than a variation range of the output value detected by the current detection unit at a one-rotation period of the photosensitive member on which the electrostatic latent image is not formed.
US08879967B2
A development device includes a developer carrier configured to develop an electrostatic latent image by causing a developer to adhere to an electrostatic latent image carrier, a first supply member disposed in non-contact with the developer carrier and configured to supply a developer to the developer carrier, a second supply member disposed in contact with the first supply member below the first supply member and configured to supply the developer to the first supply member, and a developer holder configured to hold the developer for replenishing the second supply member. The first supply member and the second supply member rotate so that the surfaces thereof move in the same direction at their opposed parts.
US08879963B2
A toner supplying device including a secondary toner container, a first feeding member performing a first feeding operation of feeding toner from a toner container to the secondary container on demand, a second feeding member performing a second feeding operation of feeding the toner from the secondary container to a developing device on demand, and a toner supply controller controlling the amount of the toner in the secondary container to be greater than a predetermined amount. The controller performs first control in which when the first feeding operation is performed, the amount of the toner fed in the second feeding operation per unit of time is decreased, or second control in which when the amount of the toner fed in the second feeding operation is greater than a predetermined amount, the amount of the toner fed in the first feeding operation per unit of time is decreased.
US08879959B2
A drive gear for a generally cylindrical imaging component. The drive gear includes a body for engaging the generally cylindrical imaging component; a cylindrical shaft attached to the body, the cylindrical shaft having an end surface; and three prongs extending longitudinally outward from the end surface.
US08879955B2
A drum unit has a photosensitive drum, a circular tube member, a housing, and a bearing portion. The photosensitive drum includes a drum sleeve, a flange portion, and a supporting portion. The supporting portion is press-fitted into the inner peripheral surface of the circular tube member made of metal. The sliding surface of the circular tube member is rotatably inserted into the bearing portion attached to the housing of the drum unit.
US08879950B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a main apparatus body; an opening/closing member; a drum unit including a photosensitive drum and can be pulled out of an accommodating space along an axial direction of the photosensitive drum; an exposing member provided in the main apparatus body and movable between an exposure position and an evacuation position; and a movable mechanism including: a first movable member movable in accordance with an opening/closing operation of the opening/closing member; and a second movable member for moving the exposing member between the exposure position and the evacuation position in accordance with movement of the first movable member. The second movable member supports both end portions of the exposing member. The second movable member moves the exposing member to the exposure position or the evacuation position by the movement of the first movable member in accordance with the movement of the opening/closing member.
US08879949B2
A reassembled laser printer toner cartridge and method of manufacture including a cartridge seal assembly in which the remains of an OEM laser printer toner cartridge's toner hopper pull seal strip(s) is left in position, or a substitute conductive strip is put in the same position to simulate the OEM pull seal strip(s) if the OEM strips have been damaged or are missing in order to enable a repaired or remanufactured cartridge to cooperate with the printer in detecting measuring and displaying the amount of toner consumed from the cartridge and shut the printer down, once the toner cartridge is empty, and a toner cartridge hopper foam seal strip assembly that covers the remnants of the OEM seal strips and provides a seal to prevent leakage of toner from the re-filled toner cartridge.
US08879947B2
An image forming apparatus is configured to form an image by using photosensitive drums. The image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, an endless belt, a drawing member which rotatably supports cartridges, and is movable to a mounting position at which the photosensitive drums oppose the endless belt and to a separation position at which the photosensitive drums are further spaced from the endless belt than at the mounting position, and a cleaning unit including a first housing having a collecting member which is configured to contact the endless belt to collect developer on the endless belt and a second housing having an accommodating part which is configured to accommodate the developer collected by the collecting member. The first housing is provided to the apparatus main body and the second housing is provided to the drawing member.
US08879941B2
A cleaning device and an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing staying of toner in a brush and reducing stress on a brush by discharge products are provided. A cleaning device includes upstream and downstream cleaning brushes and a cleaning roller, which respectively contact the surface of a secondary transfer belt, and first to third bias applying sections. The first bias applying section applies a bias voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the normal toner to the upstream cleaning brush. The second bias applying section applies a bias voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the normal toner and set to be not less than the absolute value of the bias voltage applied to the upstream cleaning brush, to the downstream cleaning brush. The third bias applying section applies a bias voltage having the same polarity as that of the normal toner to the cleaning roller.
US08879937B2
In an apparatus which forms an adjustment toner image outside an image area in a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of an image bearing member, a toner change amount of the adjustment toner image which is directly transferred onto and adheres to a transfer roller without interposing a recording medium differs depending on a transfer electric field. Since the transfer electric field is in a direction for reversing a charging polarity of the toner, when the transfer electric field is large, the toner charge amount of the adjustment toner image is reduced. Therefore, in case that the transfer electric field is large, the cleaning electric field is set small. Thereby the toner of the adjustment toner image can be sufficiently cleaned off by an electrostatic cleaning member irrespective of the transfer voltage, and contamination on a back side of a recording material can be avoided.
US08879931B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; an endless belt; a first driver for driving the belt in contact to an inner surface of the belt; a second driver for driving the belt in contact to an outer surface of the belt; and a tension detector for detecting a state of tension of the belt. The tension detector includes: a movable device, contacted to the belt in a region downstream of the second driver and upstream of the first driver and in a region upstream of the second driver and downstream of the first driver with respect to a rotational direction of the belt, capable of moving its position depending on the tension of the belt in the two regions; a member-to-be-detected capable of changing its position in interrelation with the movement of the movable device; and a detecting device for detecting the member-to-be-detected.
US08879929B2
An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member; a corona charger, provided with an opening, for electrically charging the photosensitive member; a sheet-like shielding member for shielding the opening of the corona charger; a moving device for moving the shielding member in a longitudinal direction of the photosensitive member; a potential sensor for detecting a potential of a portion of the photosensitive member chargeable by the corona charger; and a controller for detecting, on the basis of a result of detection of the potential of the portion of the photosensitive member by the potential sensor, whether or not a charging operation capable of electrically charging the photosensitive member by the corona charger is performed in a state in which the shielding member is located between the opening of the corona charger and the photosensitive member.
US08879923B2
According to one embodiment, an optical transmitter/receiver circuit device includes a transmitter circuit including a transition time adjusting circuit to obtain a second voltage signal from a first voltage signal and a voltage-current converter circuit that converts the second voltage signal to a first current signal, a light-emitting element to convert the first current signal to an optical signal, a light-receiving element to convert the optical signal to a second current signal, and a receiver circuit including a current-voltage converter circuit that converts the second current signal to a third voltage signal, a pulse generation circuit to generate rise and fall pulse from the third voltage signal and a decoder circuit that generates a fourth voltage signal in synchronism with the pulse.
US08879919B2
A communications device includes a transmitter device having first and second optical sources and generating respective first and second modulated optical carrier signals at first and second optical carrier frequencies based upon an input signal. The communications device also includes an optical waveguide coupled to the transmitter device, and a receiver device coupled to the optical waveguide and including an FM-PM discriminator having a transfer function with a positive slope portion and a negative slope portion so that the first optical carrier frequency is positioned on the positive slope portion and the second optical carrier frequency is positioned on the negative slope portion.
US08879918B1
A pluggable platform in small form factor is described. In one embodiment, the pluggable platform is designed to accommodate passive optical devices and may retrofit into an existing system. Further, the pluggable platform in small form factor is provided with an interface for tractability of the passive optical devices being supported.
US08879911B2
There is provided an optical line terminal that dynamically allocates communication bandwidth to a plurality of optical network units in an optical communication network, the optical line terminal including a minimum bandwidth allocation unit calculating allocation bandwidth of the plurality of optical network units based on bandwidth request information notified by the plurality of optical network units, a comparison unit comparing an allocation cycle given as the sum total of allocation bandwidth allocated to the plurality of optical network units respectively with a predetermined threshold value, a best-effort bandwidth allocation unit calculating remaining bandwidth as best-effort bandwidth of the plurality of optical network units when the allocation cycle is less than the threshold value, and a bandwidth allocation unit allocating communication bandwidth of the plurality of optical network units based on the allocation bandwidth and the best-effort bandwidth.
US08879907B2
A measurement apparatus includes: a transmitter disposed at a transmission-side node and configured to transmit two pulsed lights with different wavelengths at time intervals to a reception-side node; a transmission controller configured to control the transmitter so as to transmit the two pulsed lights repeatedly while changing the time interval; a receiving unit disposed at the reception-side node and configured to receive the two pulsed lights from the transmitter via one or more relay nodes; a detection unit configured to detect a change in a phase of at least one of the two pulsed lights received by the receiving unit; and a measurement unit configured to measure, based on the time interval and the change in a phase detected by the detection unit, a dispersion value of each transmission line between two nodes of nodes including the transmission-side node, the reception-side node, and the one or more relay nodes.
US08879906B2
A method for optimal combined 2R/3R regenerators placement for optical transmission includes determining an optimal placement of multiple 2R and 3R regenerators that minimizes bit error rate BER at a destination node, determining an optimal number of the 2R and 3R regenerators that minimizes a total cost while satisfying the BER at the destination node, and determining an optimal placement of the 2R and 3R regenerators along a route in the optical transmission.
US08879900B2
An image blur correction device includes a lens unit which has at least one lens, and can be pivoted in two directions, which are orthogonal to each other, with respect to an outer housing, and a first driving motor and second driving motor which pivot the lens unit in the directions, in which a coil body having a plurality of coil sections, and a magnet placed to face the plurality of coil sections, are provided in the first driving motor and the second driving motor, a placement area, in which the plurality of coil sections are placed and a non-placement area, in which there are no coil sections, are formed, and the outer circumference of the non-placement area is positioned to the inside of a virtual circle that links the outer circumferences of each coil section in each plurality of coil section.
US08879894B2
Background frames can be completed from a collection of frames having foreground objects that are partially obscuring the pixels comprising the background. The special offset of a pixel represented across a collection of frames can be determined based on camera movement data. By determining the relative offset of a pixel represented in a first frame from the same pixel in other frames, pixel values representing a background object can be accumulated to derive a completed background frame.
US08879893B2
A scrambling and descrambling method that includes reading of original PID and TSC bits in the PID and TSC fields of a packet header of an MPEG2 stream which is at least partially scrambled. A temporary PID may be written in a PID field in place of the original PID, and may be a function of the original PID value and TSC bits according to a correspondence table of an original PID and TSC bits with the temporary PIDs. The value zero may be written in the TSC field in place of the original value, and scrambling of the stream with modified fields may occur. Applications include the satellite transmission of partially scrambled MPEG2 digital signals.
US08879889B2
An exemplary method includes a digital video recording system receiving input representative of one or more keywords from a user of a media content service, detecting the one or more keywords within closed captioning content associated with a media content instance available for access by the user by way of the media content service, and performing, in response to the detecting, one or more recording operations with respect to the media content instance. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.
US08879886B2
A method of configuring a storage device for recording video data from a plurality of video sources comprising the steps of providing a list of parameters that control settings of the plurality of video sources that affect the amount of video data that will be provided by a video source from the plurality of video sources, allowing a user to select a parameter from the list, allowing the user to change the selected parameter, determining the effect of changing the selected parameter on the amount of video storage available; and providing the user with feedback concerning the effect of changing the selected parameter.
US08879885B2
Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus including: a display control section configured to display on a display section a picture based on a video signal and a caption synchronized with the picture and based on caption information attached to the video signal; and a character string information acquisition section configured to acquire character string information common to the caption information and to information related to music contents stored in a storage section, by comparing the caption information with the related information. The display control section displays on the display section the caption in which the common character string information acquired by the character string information acquisition section is highlighted in a predetermined manner.
US08879879B2
The invention relates to an optical fiber, in particular a laser fiber, containing a doped glass fiber core (1) and cladding (2) around the latter with a refraction index profile which decreases outwards from the fiber core. The optical fiber is distinguished by at least one intermediate layer (3, 4, 5) being disposed between the glass fiber core and the cladding to reduce the mechanical tension therebetween. In one advantageous embodiment, the intermediate layer is doped in such a way as to ensure a stepped mechanical tension distribution between the glass fiber core and the cladding, and is co-doped in such a way as to reduce the refractive index and counteract the refraction index-increasing effect of the intermediate layer doping. The invention further relates to an application of at least one doped barrier layer to a core region during preparation of the preform to avoid diffusion of special core dopants from the core during the collapse process, and to allow the diffusion of special dopants between the barrier layer and the core layer.
US08879872B2
A method and apparatus for restoring a resolution of a low resolution view image from a multi-view image. In the resolution restoration method, detailed information may be generated using a reference image neighboring a criterion image, and a resolution of the criterion image may be restored using the detailed information.
US08879864B2
A frame image is input. First to Nth intermediate images are generated from the frame image. First to Nth sub-filters that have been generated by dividing an original filter are held, along with relative position information of pixels referred to by each of the sub-filters. Pixel values are collected of pixels in an ith intermediate range (1≦i≦N). N sub-frame images are created by obtaining a pixel value of a pixel of interest in an ith sub-frame image from a calculation value obtained using the ith sub-filter with respect to the collected pixel values.
US08879863B1
A method for determining noise levels in a subband of an image. The method comprises receiving the subband of the image, defining block regions in at least two space domains of the subband, for each defined block region, identifying first wavelet coefficients associated with coordinate values in the at least two space domains in the defined block region, computing a correlation matrix between identified wavelet coefficients to determine the correlation between first wavelet coefficients according to the at least one color domain, computing second wavelet coefficients, the computation of second wavelet coefficients being based on the correlation matrix and the first wavelet coefficients, computing at least one noise level, the noise level computation being based on at least one second wavelet coefficient and providing the at least one noise level.
US08879857B2
Apparatus and methods of using content information for encoding multimedia data are described. A method of processing multimedia data includes A method of processing multimedia data, including obtaining content information of multimedia data, and encoding the multimedia data to form an encoded bitstream, said encoding comprising inserting at least one redundant block of intra-coded data into the encoded bitstream based on the content information. In some aspects, the encoding comprises encoding the multimedia data into a base layer and an enhancement layer, and wherein the intra-coded data is encoded using the quantization parameter for the base layer. In other aspects, the intra-coded data is encoded using the quantization parameter for the enhancement layer.
US08879854B2
An apparatus and method are provided for recognizing an emotion of an individual based on Action Units. The method includes receiving an input AU string including one or more AUs that represents a facial expression of an individual from an AU detector; matching the input AU string with each of a plurality of AU strings, wherein each of the plurality of AU strings includes a set of highly discriminative AUs, each representing an emotion; identifying an AU string from the plurality of AU strings that best matches the input AU string; and outputting an emotion label corresponding to the best matching AU string that indicates the emotion of the individual.
US08879852B2
A reconstructed image is rendered of a patient by a processor from a set of undersampled MRI data by first subtracting two repetitions of the acquired data in k-space to create a third dataset. The processor reconstructs the image by minimizing an objective function under a constraint related to the third dataset, wherein the objective function includes applying a Karhunen-Loeve Transform (KLT) to a temporal dimension of data. The objective function under the constraint is expressed as arg minf{∥φ(f)∥1 subject to ∥Af−y∥2≦ε}. The reconstructed image is an angiogram which may be a 4D angiogram. The angiogram is used to diagnose a vascular disease.
US08879848B2
System and method for measuring distances in an image. An image is received that includes curves corresponding to one or more objects in the image. Multiple curves in a specified region of interest (ROI) in the image are detected, where the ROI has a specified direction. Each curve includes respective curve points. A convex hull is determined based on the respective curve points. One or more candidate antipodal point pairs of the convex hull are determined. A first point pair of the one or more antipodal point pairs is selected based on one or more specified constraints. A clamp angle corresponding to the first point pair is determined. A distance between the first point pair along a direction specified by the clamp angle is determined. The first point pair, the distance, and the clamp angle are stored. Calibration information may be applied at any point during the process.
US08879844B2
A method and system for calculating oblong-shape rotation angles from optical image data of arbitrary size for user interface applications is described without the need of eigenvector routines and storage of the image data. The oblong shape may be of arbitrary size and location and need not be precisely elliptical. A few running sums are calculated and stored throughout each scan, and the results are obtained in closed form by simple post-scan computation. An algorithmic embodiment can execute on one or more hardware processors with limited or otherwise constrained computation power, available instruction cycles, available memory, etc. Hardware processors may CPUs found in desktops, laptops, tablets, or handheld computing devices. The resulting arrangement may be used for touch or optical user interfaces and other purposes.
US08879843B2
An image processing method is adapted for hue adjustment of an original image pixel. The original image pixel is composed of a plurality of pixel components each having a component value. The image processing method includes: determining a hue zone to which the original image pixel belongs based directly on the component values of the pixel components thereof; obtaining a shifted hue zone according to a predefined hue shift amount, the determined hue zone, and the component values of the pixel components of the original image pixel; and obtaining a hue shifted pixel according to the obtained shifted hue zone, and the component values of the pixel components of the original image pixel.
US08879838B2
Methods of efficiently coding and decoding an image by analyzing each of regions of the image are provided. In the image coding method, an image format and a coding mode of a first region of an image are determined, whether a current image format of the first region is to be switched is determined based on the determined image format, and the first region is coded based on the determined image format and coding mode.
US08879830B2
A control method and apparatus for stereoscopic display is provided. The method includes: obtaining the position change information of glasses of a user (s101); and then calibrating the image of display according to the position change information of glasses of the user (s102). The control apparatus includes: an obtaining module (101) which obtains the position change information of glasses of a user; and a calibrating module (102) which calibrates the image of display according to the position change information of glasses of the user. Compared with the prior art, the present invention can effectively solves the problem that stereoscopic effect is not real, due to the stereo virtual image position changed along with the moving head position of the user.
US08879814B2
A method for reducing, in an image, motion related imaging artifacts. The method includes obtaining a single image of a subject using a computed tomography (CT) imaging system, obtaining a plurality of images of the subject using a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging system, generating a plurality of consistency values, and utilizing the plurality of consistency values to register the CT image and the plurality of PET images.
US08879813B1
Embodiments disclose systems and methods that aid in screening, diagnosis and/or monitoring of medical conditions. The systems and methods may allow, for example, for automated identification and localization of lesions and other anatomical structures from medical data obtained from medical imaging devices, computation of image-based biomarkers including quantification of dynamics of lesions, and/or integration with telemedicine services, programs, or software.
US08879808B2
A method for interventional imaging of synchronizing a first dataset with a second dataset is provided. The datasets represent a region of interest in a patient, wherein the first dataset and the second dataset each corresponding to two different types of information on the region of interest and wherein the datasets are acquired by separate medical systems. The method comprises aligning the first dataset and the second dataset with at least two signals representing a physiological activity of the patient, the at least two signals having been recorded by the medical systems on a common time scale with the time scale used for acquiring the datasets.
US08879803B2
Various methods for clustering images of faces are provided. One example method may include receiving a plurality of input clusters including a first cluster and at least a second cluster, where each input cluster including at least one feature that was extracted from an image. The example method may further include determining a first medoid for the first cluster and a second medoid for the second cluster, determining an inter-cluster distance between the first medoid and the second medoid, and merging the first cluster with the second cluster to generate a merged cluster in an instance in which the inter-cluster distance is less than a distance threshold. Similar and related example methods, example apparatuses, and example computer program products are also provided.
US08879802B2
An image processing apparatus comprises a face detection unit configured to periodically perform face detection processing of detecting a face area of a person from an image; an authentication unit configured to periodically perform personal authentication processing for the detected face area; and a calculation unit configured to calculate a determination criterion to select a face area as a target of the personal authentication processing from the detected face areas, wherein the authentication unit performs the personal authentication processing at a cycle longer than that of the face detection processing, and when the face detection unit detects the face areas from a plurality of images, selects a face area complying with the determination criterion calculated by the calculation unit from the face areas of the plurality of images as the target of the personal authentication processing.
US08879798B2
Computing systems and methods for improving processing of collected data are disclosed. In one embodiment, while ray-tracing through a sub-surface region, a frequency- dependent outgoing ray direction is computed from a point on an interface disposed in the sub-surface region when the ray tracing is at the interface.
US08879795B2
A method of estimating a time to collision (TTC) of a vehicle with an object comprising: acquiring a plurality of images of the object; and determining a TTC from the images that is responsive to a relative velocity and relative acceleration between the vehicle and the object.
US08879785B1
A number of approaches for using a camera or other device to capture an image of an arbitrary signature, drawing and/or other scribble rendered on a package and utilizing the captured image as electronic postage for shipping the package to the recipient destination. A sender wishing to send a package handwrites a signature or other scribble directly onto the package that is to be shipped. A mobile device (e.g., smartphone) can be used to capture an image of the scribble and perform image recognition to determine whether the captured image contains sufficient features to be distinct from other images stored in a database. If the image is sufficiently distinct, the image can be accepted as electronic postage for the package. When the package is picked up, the delivery person scans the scribble and matches it to the image on file to determine the recipient address and other shipping information.
US08879783B1
Extracting card data comprises receiving, by one or more computing devices, a digital image of a card; perform an image recognition process on the digital representation of the card; identifying an image in the digital representation of the card; comparing the identified image to an image database comprising a plurality of images and determining that the identified image matches a stored image in the image database; determining a card type associated with the stored image and associating the card type with the card based on the determination that the identified image matches the stored image; and performing a particular optical character recognition algorithm on the digital representation of the card, the particular optical character recognition algorithm being based on the determined card type. Another example uses an issuer identification number to improve data extraction. Another example compares extracted data with user data to improve accuracy.
US08879778B2
A speaker used as a household appliance is provided. The speaker has an ultra-slim structure suitable for an ultra-slim TV and is applied to a woofer speaker representing a superior low-pitched sound characteristic. The speaker has the ultra-slim structure and improves the low-pitched sound characteristic and sound pressure by increasing the amplitude. Outer appearances of a damper and a frame are changed to enlarge a diameter of a voice coil in comparison with an outer diameter of the speaker, the damper has a two-step structure such that a longitudinal amplitude of an upper side of the damper is increased to improve the low-pitched sound characteristic in a state in which a lower side of the damper is put on the frame, and a size of a vibration plate is enlarged to improve the low-pitched sound characteristic and sound pressure. A flat plate is used as the vibration plate.
US08879756B2
The present invention relates to a voice film having a multi-layered structure for a flat panel speaker, including a PCB configured to have permanent magnets disposed on the left and right sides thereof, to have a voice coil patterned therein and disposed between the permanent magnets on the left and right sides so that the voice coil is vibrated up and down, and to have a PCB structure of a stack structure and coil patterns formed on surfaces of the highest PCB, one or more intermediate layer PCBs, and the lowest PCB in the form of a consecutive spiral track, wherein the start points of coil patterns of adjacent PCBs formed in layers, from among the coil patterns, are shorted through a via hole and are bonded to the respective end points of the coil patterns of the adjacent PCBs at the end points of the coil patterns.
US08879754B2
A home use sound reproduction system for Hi-fi, with digital signal transfer from a playback unit via a control unit to one or more active loudspeakers, each including or arranged beside an amplifier unit. The control unit is arranged to control sound parameters and send both a digital sound information signal and a power signal for powering the amplifier units, and to superimpose the single ended or differential digital signal together with the power signal on at least one common lead in a cable.
US08879745B2
A method of deriving individual gain compensation curves for hearing aid fitting includes providing a system that detects, measures and records head azimuth for sound direction affirmation by a patient and provides a plurality of audio signals through a plurality of test sequences to the ears of the patient, including establishing a comfortable listening level of the patient, establishing binaural balance for right and left ears, establishing loudness discomfort levels of the patient, establishing thresholds-of-hearing levels of the patient and generating a binaurally balanced measurement array of measured equal-loudness levels and measured thresholds-of-hearing levels for both left and right ears.
US08879737B2
A method of producing a two-dimensional code having a code area in which data codes coded as codewords are mapped. First type of data codes is mapped in the code area. The first type of data codes are coded as the codewords and indicating data to be disclosed. An end identification code is added to an end of a code string composed of the first type of data codes, the end identification code showing the end. Second type of data codes are mapped after the end identification code in the code area, the second type of data codes being coded as the codewords and indicating data to be kept in secret. Filler codes showing no data after the second type of data codes are mapped to fill up the code area, when a total amount of the codewords in the code area is less than a capacity of the code area.
US08879735B2
Digital data is optically broadcast through an environment by controllably switching the brightness or chrominance of LED solid state lamps, or of other illumination sources (e.g., television screens and backlit computer displays). This optical data channel is useful to convey cryptographic key data by which devices within the environment can authenticate themselves to a secure network. In some embodiments, the optical modulation is sensed by the camera of a smartphone. The row data output by the smartphone's camera sensor is processed to extract the modulated data signal. In some monochrome embodiments, data communication speeds far in excess of the camera's frame rate (e.g., 30/second), or even the camera's row rate (e.g., 14,400/second) are achieved. Still greater rates can be achieved by conveying different data in different chrominance channels. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
US08879734B2
A light-weight resilient mechanism is used to synchronize server secure keying data with member devices in a highly-scalable distributed group virtual private network (VPN). A server device generates an initial secure keying data set, for the VPN, that includes a first version identifier, and sends, to member devices and via point-to-point messages, the secure keying data set. The server device sends, to the member devices, heartbeat push messages including the first version identifier. The server device generates an updated secure keying data set with a second version identifier and sends, to the member devices, a key push message that includes the updated data set. The server device sends, to the member devices, heartbeat push messages including the second version identifier. Member devices may use the first and second version identifiers to confirm that secure keying data sets are current and quickly identify if updates are missed.
US08879724B2
Information leaked from smart cards and other tamper resistant cryptographic devices can be statistically analyzed to determine keys or other secret data. A data collection and analysis system is configured with an analog-to-digital converter connected to measure the device's consumption of electrical power, or some other property of the target device, that varies during the device's processing. As the target device performs cryptographic operations, data from the A/D converter are recorded for each cryptographic operation. The stored data are then processed using statistical analysis, yielding the entire key, or partial information about the key that can be used to accelerate a brute force search or other attack.
US08879723B2
A charging case or system for an electronic device case, having a protective housing capable of aesthetic alteration, includes a replaceable and customizable shell and a rechargeable battery unit. A plurality of shells may have different images thereon and can be interchanged in a continuous sidewall portion to alter the look of the case. The shell images may include various colors, pictures, designs, logos, or even text.
US08879721B2
An audio communication system includes a first analog/digital convertor, a second analog/digital convertor, and an echo canceller. The first analog/digital convertor converts an audio signal, which is input from a microphone, to a data signal. The second analog/digital convertor that converts an audio signal, which is input from an auxiliary input terminal, to a data signal. When an audio signal transmitted from the outside is received and output from a speaker, the echo canceller prevents an output of the speaker from being input through the microphone and echoed back to a recipient or remote device. An operating frequency of the echo canceller is relatively lower than a sampling frequency of the second analog/digital convertor.
US08879706B2
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for providing a ring back to a calling party's communications device. A first call is placed to a called number. An identification sequence is received during the first call. When the first call ends, a second call is placed to a server. The identification sequence is sent to the server during the second call, and the ring back associated with the identification sequence is received. The ring back is stored in memory of the calling party's communications device and retrieved when subsequent calls are made to the called number. The ring back is then presented on the calling party's communications device to indicate the called number is ringing.
US08879704B2
A method and system for notifying users of events. User activity of a user is monitored, based on user notification information in a storage location. The user notification information pertains to a scheduled event. In response to a detection, from the monitoring, of a change in the user activity, it is ascertained that the change necessitates notifying the user of the scheduled event due to the change impacting whether the user can participate in the scheduled event. Then the user is notified of the scheduled event. The user notification information in the storage location is modified, based on the detected change in the user activity, in response to receipt of an instruction from the user to change the user notification information in the storage location.
US08879702B1
A system for providing additional information to called parties, the system comprises a base unit device for sending additional information to called parties, the base unit comprises a microprocessor, at least one Ethernet port, at least one telephone port, a first transceiver, and a first wireless antenna; and a display unit for receiving the additional information from the base unit device and displaying the additional information to the called parties, the display unit comprises a second transceiver, a liquid crystal display, a second wireless antenna, and a set of keys.
US08879695B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for selectively transcribing messages. Five general approaches are disclosed herein. The first approach is directed to checking for a transcription capable client, which transcribes messages when a client device is capable of receiving transcriptions. The second and third approaches are platform-controlled and user-controlled predefined selective transcription. One aspect of this approach is driven by transcription rules. The fourth approach is user-controlled on-demand selective transcription before the message is stored or deposited for transcription. An example of this is a user transferring an incoming caller to voicemail and indicating that the voicemail be transcribed. The fifth approach is user-controlled on-demand selective transcription after the message is stored. In one embodiment of this approach, a user must specifically request that a stored message be transcribed.
US08879693B2
A system and method for voice-activated dialing using implicit and explicit trunks including receiving a call from the user telephone and establishing a first connection. In response to establishing the first connection, a second connection may be established over the implicit trunk. In response to establishing the second connection, a third connection may be initiated. In response to the user telephone sending a keyword, the implicit trunk may be disconnected and the call may be connected via the explicit trunk. If a spoken number is received, then the spoken number may be translated into a computer readable telephone number. Alternatively, if a dialed telephone number is received from the user telephone, the telephone number may be used to route the call. In response to receiving the telephone number, the explicit trunk may be disconnected and the call from the user telephone may be routed to the received telephone number.
US08879689B2
An X-ray image detecting device has an FPD having a matrix of pixels each for accumulating signal charge in accordance with an X-ray irradiation amount. An imaging area of the FPD is partitioned into a plurality of divided sections A to I. Each of the divided sections A to I has a short pixel for detecting X-ray irradiation. In a synchronization control for controlling the FPD in synchronization with detection of a start of X-ray emission from an X-ray source, a control unit for controlling the X-ray image detecting device uses all the divided sections A to I. In an automatic exposure control for stopping the X-ray emission from the X-ray source by detecting a total X-ray irradiation amount, the control unit uses part of the divided sections, e.g. the short pixels of the divided sections that are judged to be opposed to an object in the synchronization control.
US08879686B2
The present invention provides a radiographic image detector that may maintain even resolution in 6 directions before and after 3-pixel binning process or 4-pixel binning process. A radiation detector is disposed with plural pixels that have hexagonal shaped pixel regions, arrayed in a honeycomb pattern. Scan lines connected to TFT switches in each of the pixels are disposed one for each of the pixel rows. Grouped scan lines are also disposed one for each of the pixel rows for reading and combining 3 pixels or 4 pixels worth of charges at the same timing for plural pixel groups, each configured from 3 pixels or 4 pixels in a radiation detection element. ON signals are simultaneously sent by the grouped scanned lines to the TFT switches to perform 3-pixel binning or 4-pixel binning.
US08879681B2
A system and method are provided for determining a time for safely sampling a signal of a dock domain. In one embodiment, a frequency estimate of a first clock domain is calculated utilizing a frequency estimator. Additionally, a time during which a signal from the first clock domain is unchanging is determined such that the signal is capable of being safely sampled by a second clock domain, using the frequency estimate. In another embodiment, a frequency estimate of a first dock domain is calculated utilizing a frequency estimator. Further, a phase estimate of the first clock domain is calculated based on the frequency estimate, utilizing a phase estimator. Moreover, a time during which a signal from the first clock domain is unchanging is determined such that the signal is capable of being safely sampled by a second clock domain, using the phase estimate.
US08879678B1
Aspects of the disclosure provide methods and apparatuses for improving current 1x triage algorithm for assigning and de-assigning fingers of a Rake receiver included in a wireless communications apparatus operable in the 1x network. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.
US08879674B2
An approach is provided for correlation of a signal over time and frequency. The signal is correlated with a bit sequence over time instances and certain frequency offsets, wherein sub-segments of the signal are correlated with sub-segments of the bit sequence to generate a correlation factor associated with each signal sub-segment. The correlation factors are coherently combined to generate a final correlation factor, wherein a respective phase shift (for each frequency offset) is applied to each correlation factor to generate a set of frequency adjusted correlation factors, and the frequency adjusted correlation factors of a respective set are combined to generate the final correlation factor over the signal sub-segments, resulting in the matrix of final correlation factors over time and frequency. A signal parameter estimation is performed, based on the matrix of final correlation factors, to determine a highest correlation value for the signal over the frequency offsets.
US08879666B2
A radio frequency (RF) power amplifier is disclosed. The RF power amplifier includes an adder circuit, an output-stage circuit and a differential circuit. The adder circuit has a first ratio and a second ratio, and receives a reference voltage and a feedback voltage so as to output an adder voltage after an operation, wherein the feedback voltage is a voltage with a negative temperature coefficient, and the reference voltage is sum of a first voltage with a negative temperature coefficient and a second voltage with positive temperature coefficient. The output-stage circuit is used for providing the feedback voltage. The differential circuit has a first multiplier factor, and the differential circuit makes the first multiplier factor be multiplied with the adder voltage so as to provide a voltage to the output-stage circuit. The RF power amplifier stabilizes an output current through adjusting the temperature coefficient of the reference voltage.
US08879643B2
Low latency and computationally efficient techniques may be employed to account for errors in data such as low bit-width, oversampled data. In some aspects these techniques may be employed to mitigate audio artifacts associated with sigma-delta modulated audio data. In some aspects an error may be detected in a set of encoded data based on an outcome of a channel decoding process. Upon determining that a set of data may contain at least one error, the set of data may be replaced with another set of data that is based on one or more neighboring data sets. For example, in some aspects a set of data including at least one bit in error may be replaced with data that is generated by applying a cross-fading operation to neighboring data sets. In some aspects a given data bit may be flipped as a result of a linear prediction operation that is applied to PCM equivalent data that is associated with the given data bit and its neighboring data bits. In some aspects a set of data including at least one bit in error may be replaced with data that is generated by performing linear interpolation operations on PCM equivalent data that is associated with neighboring data sets.
US08879637B2
The present invention relates to a video signal decoding method for adding an intra prediction mode as a sub-macroblock type to prediction of a macroblock in coding a video signal. The present invention includes obtaining a macroblock type, when a macroblock includes the intra prediction coded sub-macroblock and the inter prediction coded sub-macroblock based on the macroblock type, obtaining prediction mode flag information indicating whether the sub-macroblock is the intra prediction coded or the inter prediction coded, and obtaining a prediction value of the sub-macroblock based on the prediction mode flag information. Accordingly, the present invention is able to raise coding efficiency of video signal by adding an intra prediction mode as a sub-macroblock type in predicting a macroblock.
US08879633B2
A method includes examining a statistical distribution of motion vectors employed for motion compensation in a first frame of image data. The examining is to produce a distribution model of the motion vectors in the first frame. The method further includes selecting, based at least in part on the distribution model, a block-matching search pattern for use with respect to a second frame of image data. The second frame follows the first frame in a sequence of frames of image data.
US08879630B2
Methods and systems for processing B pictures with missing or invalid forward reference pictures are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include decoding of a contiguous sequence of B pictures that immediately follow a first I picture after a sequence header. The decoding of the B pictures may handle video edit codes in the AVS1-P2 format and/or random access points. Some embodiments of the invention may discard B pictures that refer to invalid or missing forward reference pictures, while other embodiments of the invention may interpolate B pictures. For an invalid forward reference picture, the interpolation algorithm for generating pictures may use the invalid forward reference picture and the backward reference picture. For a missing decoded forward reference picture, as in a random access, the interpolation algorithm for generating pictures may use the backward reference picture.
US08879624B2
A decoding method decodes a bit stream in an image decoding apparatus. The method includes receiving a weight parameter that is added to a luma quantization parameter as the bit stream. The method also includes decoding, in a decoding unit in the image decoding apparatus, the bit stream, and generating a luma component of quantized coefficients and a chroma component of quantized coefficients. Further, the method includes performing, in a dequantization unit in the image decoding apparatus, dequantization on the luma component of quantized coefficients using the luma quantization parameter and the chroma component of quantized coefficients using a chroma quantization parameter calculated on the basis of the luma quantization parameter weighted by an add operation of the weight parameter. In addition, the method includes performing, in a transform unit in the image decoding apparatus, an inverse orthogonal transform.
US08879623B2
Computer-implemented rate control in encoding one or more video pictures is disclosed. A quantization parameter (QP) to be used for encoding a current picture one of the one or more video pictures is determined using rate control data that takes picture type, picture complexity, and a target bitcount into account in determining the QP. The current picture is encoded into a compressed format using the QP to generate an encoded current picture. The rate control data is updated based on statistical data determined from the encoded current picture.
US08879619B2
A system encoding and decoding video that uses a parallel encoding and decoding technique.
US08879618B2
A decision feedback equalizer, transceiver, and method are provided, the equalizer having at least one comparator, the at least one comparator comprising a first stage, comprising a main branch having two track switches with a resistive load, an offset cancellation branch, a plurality of tap branches with transistor sizes smaller than the main branch, in which previous decisions of the equalizer are mixed with the tap weights using current-mode switching, and a cross coupled latch branch; and a second stage, comprising a comparator module for making decisions based on the outputs of the first stage and a clock input, and a plurality of flip-flops for storing the output of the comparator module.
US08879611B2
A built-in receiver self-test system provides on-chip testing with minimal change to the receiver footprint. The system digitally generates a two-tone test signal, and tests the nonlinearities of the receiver using the generated two-tone test signal. To that end, the self-test system comprises a stimulus generator, a downconverter, and a demodulator, all of which are disposed on a common receiver chip. The stimulus generator generates a test signal comprising first and second tones at respective first and second frequencies, where the first and second frequencies are spaced by an offset frequency, and where the first frequency comprises a non-integer multiple of the offset frequency. The downcoverter downconverts the test signal to generate an In-phase component and a Quadrature component. The demodulator measures an amplitude of the intermodulation tone by demodulating the In-phase and Quadrature components based on a reference frequency.
US08879601B1
Provided is a multi-wavelength laser diode module including a plurality of laser diodes having different consecutive light emission wavelength regions, a plurality of filters respectively corresponding to the plurality of laser diodes, and an optical waveguide path that transmits light emitted from the plurality of laser diodes to the plurality of filters and collects light reflected or transmitted by the plurality of filters to transmit the collected light to the outside.
US08879596B2
A semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor body having an active region that generates radiation and a ridge-shaped region, wherein the ridge-shaped region has a longitudinal axis running along an emission direction, a central axis of the semiconductor body runs in the emission direction and the longitudinal axis is arranged in a manner offset with respect to the central axis in a transverse direction.
US08879594B2
Systems and methods are provided to efficiently manage power in a laser a driver of an optical network unit (ONU) of a passive optical network (PON). Using information from an allocation map, the expected next allocated schedule for a transmission can be determined. The driver can be efficiently powered down and powered up based on the time remaining between the end of the current burst and the beginning of the next expected burst so that power is not wasted while the laser has no data to transmit.
US08879592B2
A semiconductor laser bar 2 is mounted onto a liquid-cooled heat sink 1. A molybdenum reinforcement member 3 is fixed onto the surface opposite to the surface on which the semiconductor laser module 2 is mounted. The molybdenum has a linear expansion coefficient less than that of the heat sink 1. Sub-mounts are preferably made of a Cu—W alloy, more preferably of the reinforcement member 3 molybdenum. In this case, the stresses that are imposed on the heat sink 1 when being expanded or contracted can cancel each other out.
US08879590B2
A laser source assembly for providing an assembly output beam includes a first MIR laser source, a second MIR laser source, and a beam combiner. The first MIR laser source emits a first MIR beam that is in the MIR range and the second MIR laser source emits a second MIR beam that is in the MIR range. Further, the beam combiner spatially combines the first MIR beam and the second MIR beam to provide the assembly output beam. With this design, a plurality MIR laser sources can be packaged in a portable, common module, each of the MIR laser sources generates a narrow linewidth, accurately settable MIR beam, and the MIR beams are combined to create a multiple watt assembly output beam having the desired power.
US08879589B2
A beam-stabilized laser system using optical frequency conversion in a nonlinear optical crystal is disclosed. An optimal phase-matching angle in the crystal depends on both wavelength and temperature. If the crystal temperature changes, the optimal phase-matching direction will change as well. A different wavelength can be selected so that the optimal phase-matching occurs along the original beam path and returns the output beam to the original direction. Thus, a central wavelength of the laser beam illuminating the nonlinear optical crystal can be slightly adjusted to compensate for the pointing drift. Since the illuminating wavelength can normally be tuned much faster than the crystal temperature, a more agile and responsive pointing stabilization can be achieved.
US08879585B2
A frame timing controller includes a timer, a frame timing control unit, and a frame pointer processing circuit. The timer is arranged to generate a timer value according to a first clock signal with a first clock frequency. The frame timing control unit is for triggering at least a receiver to start receiving transmitted information of a base station according to at least a frame pointer and the timer value, wherein the receiver processes an input signal to generate first samples at a first sampling rate corresponding to a sampling clock frequency and processes the first samples to generate an output signal including second samples at a second sampling rate corresponding to a second clock frequency of a second clock signal different from the sampling clock frequency. The frame pointer processing circuit is for generating and updating the frame pointer according to the output signal of the receiver.
US08879580B2
A method of communications for a coexisting wireless network including a wireless combination (combo) device communicating via a first wireless network and second wireless network, and a first wireless device on the first network. During an activity interval for the second network (i) a transmit (Tx) time interval is longer in duration than a Tx packet duration and/or (ii) a receive (Rx) time interval is longer in duration than a Rx packet duration to provide remaining time. A frame aggregated packet is used on the first network that includes a plurality of data packets and a dummy packet or spoofing so that the frame aggregated packet is extended in time or indicates an extension sufficient to overlap the Tx time interval or Rx time interval. The combo device transmits or receives an acknowledgement (ACK) on the first network during the activity interval for the second wireless network.
US08879566B2
Method for grouping terminations of a media gateway by a grouping parameter. When a command containing a grouping parameter is received, the command is executed for a termination if the grouping parameter contained in the received command corresponds to the grouping parameter stored in connection with said termination.
US08879561B2
In one of many possible embodiments, a system includes a plurality of queues configured to share an amount of bandwidth, the amount of bandwidth being allocated between the queues in accordance with a plurality of queue weighting factors associated with the queues. The system further includes an admission control subsystem configured to dynamically adjust the queue weighting factors when a predefined condition has been satisfied. In certain embodiments, the admission control subsystem is configured to adjust the queue weighting factors based on a ratio of bandwidth provisioned on the plurality of queues. In certain embodiments, each of the queues is associated with a different class of service.
US08879558B1
A device may be configured to receive information regarding one or more ports associated with a routing device; output, to the routing device, filter information associated with at least a particular port, of the one or more ports associated with the routing device, the filter information specifying one or more conditions associated with traffic of interest; receive, from the routing device, and based on the outputted filter information, information regarding traffic of interest received or sent by the routing device via the particular port, the traffic of interest being less than or equal to all traffic received or sent by the routing device via the particular port; and store or output a representation of at least a portion of the received information regarding the traffic of interest.
US08879555B2
The present invention relates to the field of communication technologies, and discloses a method and an apparatus for forwarding packets to solve the problems in the prior art, namely, if a long Internet Protocol (IP) address needs to be searched for at the time of forwarding a packet, the number of Ternary Content Addressable Memories (TCAMs) need to be increased, or an external Random Access Memory (RAM) needs to be accessed for more times, which leads to a high cost and low performance. The method includes: extracting a first bit sequence from a destination address of a received packet, and using the first bit sequence as a key value; searching for a preset TCAM entry by using the key value, and obtaining an index value returned by the TCAM entry; and using the index value and a second group of bits in the destination address of the packet as conditions for searching, according to a predetermined algorithm, for a preset Forwarding Information Base (FIB) entry, and obtaining a forwarding address of the packet. The technical solution under the present invention is applicable to searching a table for an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address in a router.
US08879539B2
A system and method for simultaneously supporting IMS signaling and Circuit Switched signaling during a call between a calling user terminal in an IP Multi media System (IMS) and a called user terminal in a Circuit Switched CS network. A first IP address is determined by the calling user terminal, the calling user terminal initiates the call using IMS signaling towards the called user terminal, the IMS signaling comprising the first IP address. The called user terminal then initiates a CS connection towards an IP Access Converter using CS signaling and comprising the first IP address. The IP Access Converter allocates a second IP address (IP2) to be used for data transfer with the calling user terminal. The IP Access Converter establishes the CS connection by providing said second IP address to the called user terminal using CS signaling and the called user terminal establishes the call, providing said second IP address to said calling user terminal using IMS signaling. Data transfer occurs between the calling user terminal and the IP Access Converter using the first IP address and second IP address, and between the IP Access Converter and the called user terminal through the CS connection.
US08879531B2
The present invention is to provide a mobile router, which can connect with a network transmission device capable of wired or wireless networking (e.g., a modem provided by a network service provider, a wireless LAN access point, or a mobile communication access point) in a corresponding one of at least three network connection modes based on a wired Ethernet, a wireless Local Area Network and a wireless Wide Area Network, so as to transmit a network packet from a terminal device (e.g., a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a mobile phone) to the Internet or vice versa through the network transmission device. The mobile router can automatically detect an applicable network connection mode and automatically apply network connection settings stored in a corresponding profile. If no such corresponding profile exists, the mobile router can automatically store the network connection settings manually input by the user as a profile.
US08879528B2
Allocation of communications resources, in a mobile meshed network structured as a plurality of clusters each comprising at least one node, includes: generating a chart of configurations each comprising a different allocation priority index for each time slot of the time window, the indices varying from 0 to n−1; assigning a configuration,—among the generated set of configurations, to each cluster such that a predetermined number Np of priority indices are not assigned to the same slots for the clusters which are mutually adjacent; and allocating the time slots to the intra cluster communications in the order of priorities which are defined in the configuration assigned to the cluster, the priority index associated with a slot increasing with the order of allotting of a slot to a new communication, a new slot being allotted only if all the slots whose priority index is smaller are already allocated to a communication.
US08879525B2
A method and a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) (600), including a universal subscriber identity module USIM (625), for identifying a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell are disclosed. The WTRU (600) receives a broadcast from a cell including a cell identifier (ID). If the cell ID is associated with a CSG cell, the WTRU (600) determines whether the CSG ID is programmed in the USIM (625). The cell broadcast may include a single bit information element (IE) indicating that the cell is a CSG cell. If the cell ID is a CSG ID, the cell ID may further include a plurality of fields which indicate at least one of a country, a region, an operator, and a home evolved Node-B (HeNB) number. The cell broadcast may further include a bit indicating whether the CSG cell is public or private. The cell broadcast may further include a bit indicating that emergency calls are allowed from all users.
US08879522B2
A method and apparatus of forming a generic overlay network for efficient information retrieval in a communications network, comprising receiving in a domain router a register request from a mobile communications apparatus, the register request including an identification of said mobile communications apparatus; looking-up an address to a next-hop router associated with the identification; sending the register request to the next-hop router; receiving a reply from the next-hop router; and if the reply includes an address to a home router, sending a reply to the mobile communications apparatus including the address of the home router, said reply initiating the establishment of a connection between the mobile communications apparatus and the home router.
US08879517B2
Methods and systems for performing allocation of mixed-type combinations of slots are provided. Specifically, in a single assignment message, an allocation of slots over two frames and slots over four frames is performed. These can be RTTI and BTTI blocks for example.
US08879511B2
A method, apparatus, and channel structure for acknowledging assignment messages is provided. The method and apparatus allow for efficient signaling based upon the resources.
US08879499B2
A mobile communication terminal (100) has a path (T1) that supplies first and second upward link modulated transmission signals from a modulator-demodulator circuit (200) via a transmission filter (110A) to an adder (150), and a path (T2) that supplies signals via transmission filter (110B) to adder (150) depending on frequencies of signals. The adder (150) adds transmission signals supplied from the path (T1) and from the path (T2) and simultaneously sends them out via a transmitting and receiving antenna (101). The mobile communication terminal (100) supplies first and second forward link modulated reception signals received by transmitting and receiving antenna (101) via a reception filter (120) to the modulator-demodulator circuit (200).
US08879497B2
The present invention pertains to a terminal device, which, when ARQ is used for communication that uses an uplink unit band and a plurality of downlink unit bands associated with the uplink unit band, and when a transmission mode that supports up to 2 TB in a PCell is set in the terminal, is capable of reducing the amount of signaling from a base station while eliminating a lack of PUCCH resources when semi-permanent scheduling (SPS) is used in the PCell. A control unit (208) in this device selects one value among values obtained by adding 1 to four PUCCH resource indexes, which have been preset for PUCCH resource 1 by the base station, on the basis of values for transmission power control information (TPC command for PUCCH) in a PDCCH, for which notification has been received at the start of SPS.
US08879483B2
A shared logical device physical network address is assigned to each of a set of wireless physical devices. The set of wireless physical devices forms a logical device group addressable over a single wireless communication channel using the shared logical device physical network address within a wireless network. In response to receipt of a data packet addressed to a physical network address of one of the set of wireless physical devices from an application server, the physical network address is translated to the shared logical device physical network address with which the wireless physical device is logically grouped. The physical network address of the wireless physical device is embedded within the data packet addressed to the shared logical device physical network address. The data packet is sent to the shared logical device physical network address.
US08879479B2
Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for scheduling resources in Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communication networks for “direct link” or peer-to-peer communications among stations operating therein so that OFDMA resources can be allocated to a transmitter station for a peer-to-peer communication session with a receiver station such that near-far issues caused by peer-to-peer communication are reduced/avoided. The disclosed technologies can prevent peer-to-peer communication links using different sub-channels within the same time slot from creating near-far issues for other receiver stations that are within communication range.
US08879476B2
A method and apparatus for user location registration comprising registering subscriber location information associated with a device with a registration service in a first network, receiving, from a second network, a broadcast location request and sending, in response to the broadcast location request, the subscriber location information to the second network.
US08879472B2
Long training field (LTF) for use within single user, multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications. Classification of a signal may be performed using one or more LTF's therein. While such one or more LTF's may also be employed for performing functions such as channel estimation, channel characterization, etc., one or more particular characteristics of an LTF extracted from a received signal may also be employed to classify the signal as corresponding to one of a number of possible signal types. For example, such LTF-based classification may be used to classify the respective channel bandwidths associated with the signal (e.g., as being either 1 MHz or 2 MHz channel bandwidth). Generally, one or more LTF fields within one or more signals are employed for any of a number of additional uses beyond or in addition to such functions as channel estimation, channel characterization, etc.
US08879471B2
Method, apparatus, and computer program product embodiments of the invention are disclosed to improve the discovery of wireless networks. In example embodiments of the invention, a method comprises: transmitting a wireless message including a list of one or more wireless devices, from which a response is not desired; and receiving zero or more responses from one or more other wireless devices that are not on the list.
US08879470B2
The present invention proposes a method, device and base station for cooperative beam forming based on MBMS fixed grid of beams GoB. The cooperative beam forming method comprises following steps: grouping users into cell central user group and cell edge user group (S701); performing cell central user group multiplexing based on superposition coding (S702); performing cooperative beam forming operation based on fixed grid of beams GoB for cell edge user group (S703).
US08879465B2
There is provided a system and method for operating multi-power signaling device. There is provided a system comprising a memory, a transmitter, and a processor. The processor chooses a power level from a plurality of transmit power levels to be used as the strength for broadcasting the next signal to be broadcasted. The selected power level value is converted into a digital value and inserted into the data content of the signal to be broadcasted. The transmitter broadcasts the signal at the strength of the prior selected power level.
US08879462B2
There are a method, system and device for transmitting uplink feedback information by allocating a PUCCH resource to an RN device in LTE-A system so that the RN device can transmit uplink feedback information over the allocated PUCCH resource. The method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a base station selecting from a PUCCH resources pool at least one dedicated PUCCH resources for each RN device served by the base station and transmitting a resources index number corresponding to the PUCCH resource to the each RN device respectively in higher layer signaling, the resource index number is used for indicating the RN device to transmit the uplink feedback information over the PUCCH resources corresponding to the resources index number. In the embodiment of the present invention, a PUCCH resource can be allocated to the RN device in LTE-A system so that the RN device can transmit the uplink feedback information over the allocated PUCCH resources.
US08879457B2
The invention discloses a method and a system for allocating resource to a multimedia broadcast multicast control channel, wherein the method includes: an upper level network element allocating at least one multicast subframe to the MCCH; the upper level network element transmitting MCCH resource allocation information to a lower level network element, indicating the lower level network element to transmit channel information of the MCCH in the at least one multicast subframe. The invention solves a problem of lack of consistency of allocation of physical resource to the MCCH, supports the UE to perform a combination for the received multi-cell MCH signals, enhances signal gain, and improves user experience.
US08879456B2
A method for transmitting data from a primary station to a secondary station, includes the primary station signaling to the secondary station that a data message is to be received, and at the primary station transmitting the data message. The time of transmission of the data message relative to the time of the signaling depends on a state of the secondary station.
US08879455B1
A multicast delivery system facilitating power management. In particular implementations, a method includes maintaining in the memory a plurality of multicast stream queues, each multicast stream queue associated with a delivery interval; storing frames of respective multicast streams in a multicast stream queue based on a delivery interval associated with the multicast stream; and delivering multicast streams at respective delivery intervals to one or more wireless clients.
US08879448B2
An apparatus and method of controlling power of a wireless multimedia media access control (WiMedia MAC) device are provided. The method includes: determining whether a fragment of an MAC service data unit (MSDU) is lost when a fragment is received; extracting a duration field from the received fragment if it is determined that the fragment of the MSDU is lost; and converting a power mode into a low power mode during a period of time established in the duration field.
US08879437B2
A method of frequency division duplex (FDD) wireless communications asymmetrically maps between downlink and uplink spectrum blocks. Multiple downlink spectrum blocks may be mapped to an uplink spectrum block.
US08879428B2
Systems and method are disclosed for graph-based distributed parameter coordination in a communication network. In general, discrete local parameters to be coordinated among communication nodes in the network and their respective performance metrics, or costs, are modeled using a factor graph. Based on the factor graph, a variant of the sum-product algorithm, namely the min-sum algorithm, is applied in order for the communication nodes, through iterative message passing with their neighboring communication nodes, to decide upon optimal values for the local parameters for the communication nodes that collectively optimize a global performance metric across the communication network. In one embodiment, the communication network is a wireless communication network. In one specific embodiment, the wireless communication network is a cellular communication network.
US08879423B2
The present invention discloses a method for realizing a handoff by replicating topology, including: a MGW receiving an ADD Command from a MSCe, adding a new Termination to a Context, and establishing a bearer to a target office or a target base station; receiving a MODIFY Command from the MSCe, and modifying properties of the new Termination; and receiving a SUBTRACT Command from the MSCe, removing an original Termination, and according to recorded information about relationship between the new Termination and the original Termination carried by a Handover Package in one Command, playing the Tone of the original Termination to the new Termination continuously and establishing the same topology connection between the new Termination and other Terminations in the Context. The present invention also discloses a system for realizing a handoff by replicating topology, a media gate-way and a mobile switching center emulation. The present invention completes the topology replication.
US08879420B2
A docking station includes a docking port configured to physically dock with a mobile device, wherein the docking port includes an input/output port. The docking station further includes a communication interface configured to send and receive traffic via a wired network. The docking station also includes a processing unit configured to set-up multiple Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) via the wired network and one or more other networks, assign at least one network address from multiple network addresses to each one of the multiple VPNs, and configure, via the input/output port, the mobile device to send and/or receive traffic via selected ones of the multiple VPNs.
US08879419B2
A system and method for establishing connection of an IP telephone to a network may include, in response to receiving a registration request from an IP telephone, generating a command to cause network access devices to ping the IP telephone. The command may be communicated to the network access devices. Ping information may be received in response to the network access devices pinging the IP telephone. A network access device may be selected that has the highest quality network access path to the IP telephone. In response to selecting the network access device that has the highest quality network access path, a network address of the selected network access device may be communicated to a network device to enable the IP telephone to communicate with the selected network access device. Credentials may be communicated to the IP telephone to register with the selected network access device.
US08879409B2
A method and system for improving quality of service (QoS) in a wireless network are disclosed. In one embodiment, bearer connection context parameters of each of a plurality of data packets in the wireless network are obtained. Further, general packet radio service tunneling protocol user plane protocol data unit (G-PDU) packets are determined in the plurality of data packets based on first bearer connection context parameters which is a subset of the bearer connection context parameters. Furthermore, the determined G-PDU packets are queued in a non-signaling queue. QoS attributes are then computed for each of the queued G-PDU packets. In addition, priority data is computed for each of the queued G-PDU packets is computed using the computed QoS attributes. Moreover, one or more priority queues are formed based on the computed priority data of each of the queued G-PDU packets for improving QoS in the wireless network.
US08879406B2
The present invention relates to a method and a network control node for tracing activity and monitoring performance of user equipments in a partly IP-based wireless communications network. The wireless communications network comprises operator controllable and/or operator uncontrollable wireless access points in communication with a network control node via one or more operator controllable and/or operator uncontrollable Internet Protocol, IP, networks. The described method is characterized by a first step of receiving a trace triggering request and user equipment identification, at a network control node, from a first network node. Alternatively, the trace triggering request is received on a signaling connection that explicitly identifies the user equipment. The network control node then starts a trace recording and information retrieval procedure relating to the identified user equipment and identifies all used IP networks and user equipment serving access point. The method further comprises the steps of analyzing the IP networks used between the network node and the user equipment and/or analyzing the user equipment serving access point. Thereafter, a trace printout is created including analyzing results and retrieved information, the printout is to be sent to a second network node, or stored locally for later retrieval.
US08879401B2
A method of measuring loss in a multicast transmission in a network is described. Service frames including a service multicast destination address are sent from a source node towards a receiving node. A counter of the number of service frames sent is maintained at the source node. This counter is periodically read, and its value copied into a loss measurement OAM frame. The loss measurement OAM frame includes a unique identifier and an OAM destination address which is different to the service multicast destination address, and is sent from the source node towards the receiving node. Every time the sent frames counter is read, a measurement indicator frame is also sent from the source node towards the receiving node. The measurement indicator frame includes the unique identifier so that it can be related to the loss measurement OAM frame. The measurement indicator frame also includes the service multicast destination address, although the measurement indicator frame is distinguishable from the service frames. The receiving node eventually receives the loss measurement OAM frame and the measurement indicator frame, and calculates the number of lost or delayed service frames by comparing the number of service frames received at the receiving node at the time the measurement indicator frame is received with the sent frames counter value contained in the loss measurement OAM frame. The calculation is only performed when the loss measurement OAM frame and measurement indicator frame having the same identifier have been received by the receiving node.
US08879396B2
A system and method can prevent traffic congestion in a middleware machine environment with a plurality of switches in a fat-tree topology. A subnet manager can sweep a subnet in the middleware machine environment to discover changes and maintain the subnet fully connected. A performance manager can retrieve performance and error-related information from one or more performance management agents that are associated with one or more components in the subnet. Then, a host can dynamically reconfigure one or more virtual lanes in order to improve network performances.
US08879392B2
Network devices, systems, and methods, including executable instructions and/or logic thereon, are provided to perform BGP intercepts. A network device includes a processing resource coupled to a memory. The memory includes program instructions executed by the processing resource to intercept BGP updates and process associated cryptographic signatures before receipt by a BGP router.
US08879391B2
A method of determining the state of a path in a network. A rate of throughput is observed at a node of the network over an interval for at least a portion of the path. Derivations associated with a characteristic of the frames or traffic flows communicated over at least the portion of the path are determined at the node. A state of congestion of the path is determined in response to the observed rate of throughput as compared to a bandwidth profile of the path and the derivations.
US08879388B2
Certain aspects of a method and system for intrusion detection and prevention based on packet type recognition in a network are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include determining a packet type for each of a plurality of received network packets based on at least one of: a header and content of each of the plurality of received network packets. The rate at which the plurality of received network packets are handled at a port in the network switching device may be regulated based on a number of occurrences of the determined packet type of the plurality of received network packets.
US08879387B2
A device receives a packet provided in a wireless access network, and determines whether the packet is a payload packet or an acknowledgment (Ack) packet. The device also allocates, when the packet is an acknowledgement packet, the acknowledgment packet to an expedited priority queue, and allocates, when the packet is a payload packet, the payload packet to a regular priority queue. The device further delivers one or more acknowledgment packets provided in the expedited priority queue prior to delivering one or more payload packets provided in the regular priority queue.
US08879386B2
In various embodiments, a method, computer-readable storage medium, and apparatus for scheduling prioritized best effort (BE) service flows through a wireless network base station includes a controller coupled to a memory. If any one of a plurality of BE service flows are congested, a minimum reserved traffic rate (MRTR) algorithm is used by the controller to ensure that at least a highest priority BE service flow is maintained at least at an associated MRTR. If none of the plurality of BE service flows are congested, a maximum sustained traffic rate (MSTR) algorithm is used by the controller to enable the highest priority BE service flow to be set to at least at an associated MSTR before lower priority service flows are increased. If none of the plurality of BE service flows are congested and each service flow is at their associated MSTR, the controller is configured to distribute any excess bandwidth to each service flow in accordance with an initial set of priority BE traffic flow ratios.
US08879385B2
Embodiments of the invention include a computer-implemented method of shared backup path computation in an multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network, the shared backup path to be used upon a failure of at least one working path of the MPLS network.
US08879384B2
One example embodiment of the method includes receiving first control packets, by a first node, from a source node. The first control packets indicate the status of the source node. Whether the source node is operational and if a connection path between the first node and the source node is operational is determined based on the received first control packets. The method further includes sending a second control packet to a downstream node if the source node is non-operational, or the connection is non-operational. The second control packet includes at least one value indicating the source node is unreliable.
US08879381B2
The present invention provides an Ethernet ring system, transit node of Ethernet ring system, and initialization method thereof, wherein the method includes the following steps: step 1, generating a transit node of Ethernet ring protection domain by means of ring nodes; step 2, detecting the link state of two ring ports by means of the transit node: if neither of the two ring ports is detected as in-fault, then recording ring the link state as initialization state, blocking at least one of the ring ports, setting the at least one blocked port in prerelease state, and sending a ring state query packet to a master node, by means of the transit node; step 3, when the ring state query packet is received, sending a ring state packet recorded by the master node to the ring port that receives the ring state query packet, by means of the master node; and step 4, checking whether the ring state packet sent by the master node have been received by the transit node of which the ring state is the initialization state; if so, unblocking the blocked port in the prerelease state, to realize initialization of the transit node.
US08879370B2
An optical disk apparatus which conducts overwriting of data on a rewritable optical disk or conducts write-once recording of data on a write-once optical disk includes a control unit for receiving a recording command which specifies a recording area and orders recording and receiving transfer data, and a collation unit for collating existing data on the optical disk with the transfer data. Upon reception of the recording command and the transfer data by the control unit, the existing data is collated with the transfer data by the collation unit, and overwrite recording of data in places where the transfer data is different from the existing data is conducted on the rewritable optical disk, or data in places where the transfer data is different from the existing data is recorded in an unrecorded area of the write-once optical disk.
US08879367B2
The current disclosure describes and teaches a timepiece combination that may preferably be used by a pair of persons to show unity, affection, and togetherness. In one embodiment, the timepiece combination may include two watches having similar or complimentary background pattern and overall design, while one watch displays only the hourly time of the present time, the other watch displays only the minute time of the present time. Only by combining the display of the watches may the users be shown the precise present time. The timepiece combination may take the conventional clock hand format or a digital display. Overall, the design of the timepiece combination emphasizes and reflects the bond and unity between the users, allowing a showing of friendship, love, and/or affection through the watches.
US08879366B2
Apparatuses (250) for the display of time with distinctive aesthetic character that include rigid rotating members (220) which are driven by movements (251) and held in place by the force of gravity. The movement (251) rotates drive wheels (256, 257) so that the rigid rotating members (220) indicate the current time and the time is interpreted using traditional clock interpretation methods. The movement (251) may include a support bushing (260) to provide support for output shafts (252, 253) of the movement (251). A cover (262) may also provide support for output shafts (252, 253).
US08879364B2
An electronic device that can display the current time reduces the number of times that the time must be manually set. The electronic device 100 has a CPU 20 that keeps time internally, a display unit 50 that displays the time based on the internal time, a GPS device 10 that receives satellite signals and outputs satellite time information according to the positioning information and UTC, and EEPROM 32 that stores time zone information denoting the time difference to UTC for individual regions. The CPU 20 adjusts the displayed time based on the satellite time information and correction information. The CPU 20 also adjusts the displayed time based on an operation signal, and stores time difference information denoting the time difference between the displayed time after being adjusted and UTC linked to the region associated with the positioning information in flash ROM 33.
US08879361B2
An apparatus for mounting a transducer on a boat includes a pair of slotted portions adjustably connected to one another. One of the slotted portions includes a transducer mounting portion, which can be used to mount a transducer to the apparatus. The apparatus can be mounted to a boat by positioning the apparatus close to the boat and then adjusting the slotted portions so that slots included in these portions engage with the boat and hold the apparatus in place.
US08879322B2
A data storage device includes a controller coupled to a non-volatile memory having a three-dimensional (3D) configuration. The non-volatile memory includes a group of storage elements. Each storage element is configured to store multiple data bits. Data is sent from the controller to the non-volatile memory and first bits corresponding to a first portion of the data are stored into the group of storage elements during a first write stage. Each storage element of the group of storage elements stores at least one bit of the first bits upon completion of the first write stage. Second bits corresponding to a second portion of the data are sent to a second memory without sending the first bits to the second memory. The second bits are retrieved from the second memory and at least the second bits are stored into the group of storage elements during a second write stage.
US08879317B2
Systems and methods to decode data stored in a data storage device are disclosed. Data bits stored in a first group of storage elements are decoded using data in a second group of storage elements together with physical characteristics of the second group of storage elements to aid in the decoding of the first group of storage elements.
US08879314B2
Memory cell comprising two conductors, with a serially connected magnetic storage element and a Schottky diode between the two conductors. The Schottky diode provides a unidirectional conductive path between the two conductors and through the element. The Schottky diode is formed between a metal layer in one of the two conductors and a processed junction layer. Methods for process and for operation of the memory cell are also disclosed. The memory cell using the Schottky diode can be designed for high speed operation and with high density of integration. Advantageously, the junction layer can also be used as a hard mask for defining the individual magnetic storage element in the memory cell. The memory cell is particularly useful for magnetic random access memory (MRAM) circuits.
US08879312B2
A supply voltage generating circuit includes a first charge pump circuit that generates a first internal supply voltage, and second charge pump circuit that generates a second internal supply voltage. The absolute value of the second internal supply voltage is greater than that of the first internal supply voltage. The output terminal of the first charge pump circuit is connected to a secondary-side charging terminal of the second charge pump circuit. The secondary-side is an output-side of the corresponding charge pump circuit, and the charging terminal is an auxiliary charging terminal that supplies an auxiliary charge to a secondary-side output terminal of the corresponding charge pump circuit. The output terminal of the second charge pump circuit outputs a voltage value that is the result of adding a prescribed voltage value to the value of the first internal supply voltage applied to the charging terminal.
US08879310B2
A semiconductor storage device according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of bit lines, a plurality of word lines, and a plurality of memory cells each including a storage element and a switching element which are connected in series between adjacently paired ones of the bit lines. Gates of the switching elements of the memory cells connected between one of the adjacently paired ones of the bit lines are respectively connected to different ones of the word lines. A plurality of the storage elements and a plurality of the switching elements of the adjacent memory cells are alternately connected in series.
US08879302B2
Various embodiments may generally be directed to a variable resistance data storage device and a method of managing the device. A data storage device may have at least a controller configured to re-characterize at least one variable resistance memory cell in response to an identified variance from a predetermined resistance threshold.
US08879295B1
A memory under repair having variable size blocks of failed memory addresses is connected to a TCAM comprising cells storing data values of ranges of the failed memory addresses in the memory under repair. The TCAM is connected to a virtual address line. Matchlines in the TCAM drive wordlines in a RAM connected to the TCAM. Each entry in the TCAM corresponds to one entry in the RAM and represents a single block of failed memory addresses. A first input of an XOR gate in an integrated circuit device is operatively connected to the RAM and a second input is operatively connected to the virtual address line. Responsive to a virtual address being an address in one of the ranges of failed memory addresses, the XOR gate calculates a physical memory address redirecting the virtual address to an unused good memory location in place of the failed memory address.
US08879293B2
A cooling system of a server with an AC power source and a DC power source includes an AC input subsystem, a DC input subsystem, and a driving control subsystem. The AC input subsystem receives an external AC power source and provides a first DC voltage and a second DC voltage. The DC input subsystem receives an external DC power source and provides a third DC voltage and a fourth DC voltage. When the external AC power source normally works, the driving control subsystem controls the first DC voltage and the second DC voltage to supply a high-voltage cooling apparatus and a low-voltage cooling apparatus, respectively. When the external DC power source normally works, the driving control subsystem controls the fourth DC voltage and the third DC voltage to supply the high-voltage cooling apparatus and the low-voltage cooling apparatus, respectively.
US08879290B2
Provided herein are unified control methods and implementations for controlling single and three-phase power converters. In an exemplary embodiment, a unified controller is provided that can be used to control a three-phase three-wire Voltage Source Inverter (VSI), a three-phase four-wire VSI, a three-phase grid-connected power converter for current shaping, and a single-phase full bridge VSI.
US08879287B2
Apparatus and methods in accordance with this invention provide a multi-cell power supply for receiving power from a source and delivering power at an output terminal to a load. The multi-cell power supply includes a first power cell coupled to the source, and a first current sensor circuit. The first power cell provides a first output current, and includes a first output terminal coupled to a reference node of the multi-cell power supply, and a second output terminal coupled to the output terminal. The first current sensor circuit includes a first current sensor and a power supply. The first current sensor is coupled to the first output terminal of the first power cell, and measures the first output current. The power supply is coupled to either the reference node or a floating ground node of the first power cell, and provides power to the first current sensor.
US08879286B2
An embodiment of a power supply includes an input node, a converter stage, and an outlet. The input node is operable to receive an input AC signal having peak portions and non-peak portions. The converter stage is operable to generate a DC power signal from the input AC signal and to cause a first current to be drawn from the input node during at least the non-peak portions of the input AC signal. And the outlet is operable to carry the DC power signal. For example, such a power supply may be installed in a facility such as a residence, office building, or manufacturing plant, or the facility's existing power supply may be retrofitted, to provide one or more power outlets that each carry a respective power-factor-corrected (PFC) DC voltage. Because the outlet voltages are PFC voltages, the amount of wasted power dissipated in the facility power lines/wiring and in the main power lines from the power company may be significantly reduced, without requiring each piece of equipment (e.g., an appliance, machinery) that is wired/plugged into the outlets to have an onboard PFC. This savings in wasted power may provide a significant cost savings to both the facility owner (e.g., lower electric bill) and the power company (e.g., lower power-generation and grid costs), and the ability to use equipment lacking onboard PFCs may reduce the purchase price of the equipment.
US08879283B2
System and method for protecting a power converter. The system includes a first comparator configured to receive a first threshold signal and a first signal and to generate a first comparison signal. The first signal is associated with an input current for a power converter. Additionally, the system includes a second comparator configured to receive a second threshold signal and the first signal and to generate a second comparison signal. The second threshold signal is different from the first threshold signal in magnitude. Moreover, the system includes a first detection component configured to receive at least the second comparison signal, detect the second comparison signal only if one or more predetermined conditions are satisfied, and generate a first detection signal based on at least information associated with the detected second comparison signal.
US08879278B2
A cord bundle assembly includes: a plurality of communications cords, each of the communications cords comprising a plurality of communications signal-carrying members, the communications cords being grouped as a bundle; and a cord management assembly. The cord management assembly includes: a fixed cuff that encircles and is fixed relative to the plurality of communications cords; a slip cuff that encircles and is slidable relative to the plurality of communications cords; and a generally cylindrical sleeve having first and second ends, the fixed cuff being mounted to the first end, and the slip cuff being mounted to the second end. This configuration can assist in the management and organization of cords arranged in a cord bundle as they are routed between communications equipment.
US08879263B2
A printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) is connected to a frame within a passage. The PCBA includes a circuitry package attached to a printed circuit board. The circuitry package has a peripheral edge extending from the printed circuit board to a distal end joined to a cap. A cover is attached to the frame to enclose the PCBA. A thermal interface material (TIM) is disposed between the cover and the PCBA, the TIM defining an opening sized to receivingly engage the circuitry package in a close mating engagement contacting the TIM simultaneously against the cap and the peripheral edge to conduct heat away from the circuitry package. A heat conductor attached to the other side of the printed circuit board in an overlapping opposition to the circuitry package conducts heat away from the printed circuit board that is generated by the circuitry package.
US08879259B2
A cooling system for an onboard electrical power converter in which a heat dissipation surface extends parallel to a flow of cooling air draft includes: a coolant tank containing coolant that includes a bottom surface being in thermal contact with the heat dissipation surface; a first conduit provided connecting to an upper surface of the coolant tank, the coolant flowing into the first conduit; a heat exchanger that comprises second conduits arranged with opposing the upper surface, and conducts the coolant to upstream; and a return unit that returns the coolant to the coolant tank; wherein the heat exchanger comprises heat dissipation fins through which the cooling air draft passes from a first to a second side, the heat dissipation fins being provided on surfaces of the second conduits, the first side not facing the coolant tank and the second side facing the coolant tank.
US08879250B2
A tablet support system includes a chassis housing a plurality of components that provide a critical mechanical stack of the system. The plurality of components include a display that faces a first direction. The chassis includes a second surface facing a second direction that is opposite the first direction. A support member channel extends into the second surface. A subset of the plurality of components are positioned in the chassis such that they are not located between the support member channel and the display screen. A support member is moveably coupled to the chassis and operable to move into a stored position in which the support member is positioned in the support member channel. The subset of the plurality of components are positioned to allow the support member to be flush with the second surface when in the stored position without adding to a maximum thickness of the system.
US08879242B2
A mobile power system comprises a plurality of energy sources, wherein at least one energy source is a solar powered generating device and at least one energy source is a wind powered generating device; a plurality of electronic and telecommunications components configured to receive the power generated by the plurality of energy sources and/or convert the power generated to direct current power; a plurality of batteries configured to store the direct current power; and at least one transportable housing configured to hold the plurality of energy sources, the plurality of electronic and telecommunications, and the plurality of batteries during transport of the housing, and wherein the housing is configured to remotely operate the at least one solar powered energy device and the at least one wind powered generating device when the mobile power system is in operation.
US08879237B2
There is provided a multilayer ceramic electronic component, including: a ceramic body having dielectric layers and first and second internal electrodes alternately stacked therein; and first and second external electrodes electrically connected to the first and second internal electrodes and formed at both ends of the ceramic body, wherein the ceramic body includes an effective layer contributing to capacitance formation and a protective layer provided on at least one of upper and lower surfaces of the effective layer, the protective layer including one or more step absorbing layers provided at both ends thereof, so that the multilayer ceramic electronic component can have excellent reliability by reducing defects such as electrode spreading, cracks, delamination and the like.
US08879236B2
Provided is a laminated ceramic electronic component having excellent mechanical characteristics, internal electrode corrosion resistance, high degree of freedom in ceramic material design, low cost, low defective rate, and various properties. The laminated ceramic electronic component includes: a laminate which has a plurality of laminated ceramic layers and internal electrodes at a plurality of specific interfaces between the ceramic layers and having an Al/Ni alloy as a component; and an external electrode formed on the outer surface of the laminate, wherein the Al/Ni ratio of the Al/Ni alloy is 85/15 or more.
US08879231B2
A sensor system for a magnetic bearing, which has two actuator coils, two clocked power output stages, a current sensor for detecting those currents in the actuator coils which are encumbered with a ripple current, and a sensor interface. The clocked power output stages provide a pulse-width-modulated output voltage, the pulse width of which is narrowed or widened by small amounts in a predefined order, and the pulse widths of the clocked power output stages are modulated in a fixed phase relationship with respect to one another. The sensor system specifies a sensor system for a magnetic bearing with a clocked power output stage. A magnetic bearing, a control device for a magnetic bearing and a method for detecting the position in a magnetic bearing are also disclosed.
US08879230B2
An integrated circuit (IC) electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter with electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection incorporating inductor-capacitor (LC) resonance tanks is disclosed. The filter comprises at least one circuit composed of a diode and an inductor connected in series, wherein the diode induces a parasitic capacitance and the circuit is grounded. When a number of the circuit is two, a passive element is coupled between the two inductors and cooperates with them to induce two parasitic capacitances connected with the circuits. When a number of the circuit is one, two diodes respectively connect with the inductor through two passive elements. Each diode can induce a parasitic capacitance. The two passive elements and the inductor can induce a parasitic capacitance connected with the circuit.
US08879229B2
A display panel driver circuit includes multiple drivers adapted for cooperatively driving a display panel and each operable under a protection mode, and an overheat protection device including multiple protection circuits, each of which controls a respective one of the drivers to operate under the protection mode in response to receipt of an enable signal, an interface circuit which transmits the enable signal to each of the protection circuits in response to receipt of a warning signal, and multiple temperature detection circuits, each of which is able to detect a temperature associated with a respective one of the drivers, and outputs the warning signal to the interface circuit based on the temperature thus detected.
US08879228B2
A method and electronic safety device including a switching element for disconnecting and/or limiting the current consumption of an electrical load, wherein control commands for the switching element are received through a remote control interface, and wherein the switching element is only switched on or off when the thermal load on the switching element is within a permissible range such that there is no longer any need to provide a dedicated relay in electrical systems for remote-controlled switching operations.
US08879221B2
A device having an ESD module is disclosed. The ESD module includes an ESD circuit coupled between first and second rails and a control circuit coupled between the rails and to the ESD circuit. When the control circuit senses an ESD event, it causes the ESD circuit to create a current path between the rails to dissipate ESD current. When no ESD event is sensed, the control circuit ensures that no current path is created between the rails to prevent latch-up.
US08879219B2
Systems and methods for dynamically clearing faults in a power transmission line involve automatically terminating ends of a section of the power line while preserving electrical and/or physical continuity of the power line. The terminating of the ends is reversed at about voltage zero-crossings in the power line to clear a fault.
US08879214B2
In an embodiment of the invention, a trilayer magnetoresistive sensor comprises an underlayer on which a first free layer is deposited. A barrier layer is then deposited after which a second free layer is deposited. A capping layer is then deposited above second free layer. The first free layer is a layer which includes at least a layer of a nitride of an element including at least one of Fe, Co, or Ni, or a multiple laminate structure of a layer containing a nitride of an element including at least one of Fe, Co, Ni and another ferromagnetic layer containing at least one of Fe, Co, or Ni. The combination of the first and second free layers causes anti-parallel coupling.
US08879209B2
In one general embodiment, a system includes a first device on a first substrate; a second device on a second substrate; and a device select system coupled to the first and second devices. The device select system includes: a first portion having an array of first electrical contacts; a second portion having an array of second electrical contacts, there being more second electrical contacts than first electrical contacts, the second portion being coupled to the first and second devices, each of the first electrical contacts being associated with at least two of the second electrical contacts; and a select mechanism for selectively placing each of the first electrical contacts in electrical communication with one of the second electrical contacts associated therewith.
US08879177B2
The lens barrel includes a first lens unit, a second lens unit, and a drive unit. The first lens unit includes a first lens element and a first lens support frame supporting the first lens element. The second lens unit includes a second lens element and a second lens support frame supporting the second lens element. The second lens unit is supported by the first lens unit to be movable in the optical axis direction of the first lens element with respect to the first lens unit. The drive unit is arranged to be used to drive the second lens unit with respect to the first lens unit, and is fixed to the first lens unit. When viewed in the optical axis direction, the drive unit is fixed to the first lens unit so that a first profile line formed by the first lens unit and the drive unit is substantially circular.
US08879166B2
An image capturing optical lens assembly 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 with negative refractive power has a concave object-side surface. The third lens element has negative refractive power. The fourth lens element has refractive power. The fifth lens element with positive refractive power has a convex image-side surface. The sixth lens element with refractive power has a concave image-side surface, wherein an object-side surface and the image-side surface of the sixth lens element are aspheric, and the sixth lens element has at least one inflection point on the image-side surface thereof.
US08879163B2
There is provided a zoom lens including, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens group having negative refractive power, a second lens group having positive refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, and a fourth lens group having positive refractive power. In zooming from a wide-angle end to a telescopic end, the first lens group moves to the object side in a manner that a distance toward the second lens group shortens, and a distance between the third lens group and the fourth lens group lengthens. The third lens group includes a single lens or a single cemented lens.
US08879162B2
A zoom lens comprises, in order from its object side, a first lens unit having a negative refractive power and a second lens unit having a positive refractive power. The first lens unit comprises a first lens having a negative refractive power and a second lens having a positive refractive power. The zoom lens satisfies the following conditional expressions (1), (2), and (3): n1n≦1.70 (1), n1p≦1.70 (2), and |ν1n−ν1p≧31 (3), where n1n is the refractive index of the first lens having a negative refractive power in the first lens unit for the d-line, ν1n is the Abbe constant of the first lens having a negative refractive power in the first lens unit, n1p is the refractive index of the second lens having a positive refractive power in the first lens unit for the d-line, and ν1p is the Abbe constant of the second lens having a positive refractive power in the first lens unit.
US08879158B2
Provided are a meta material and a method of manufacturing the same. The meta material comprises: a substrate; at least one conductive nano pattern patterned on the substrate and having a size with a negative refractive index in a predetermined electromagnetic wavelength band; and a dielectric layer covering the conductive nano patterns.
US08879156B2
A head-up display device includes a light source, a reflector, a reflector control unit, and a surface. The light source provides a light signal that corresponds to display data. The reflector is disposed rotatably in a first optical path of the light signal. The reflector control unit receives a control signal corresponding to the display data and controls rotation of the reflector about a rotational center. The surface is disposed in a second optical path. When the reflector is rotated for a predetermined rotational angle by the reflector control unit according to the control signal, the light signal reflected by the reflector is projected on the surface to display an image corresponding to the display data on a predetermined region of the surface.
US08879140B2
A power supply for supplying direct current (DC) power from a pulse width modulated (PWM) source includes a connector configured to be in electrical communication with a PWM power source. A hold-up circuit is in electrical communication with the connector and is configured to convert electrical power supplied from the PWM power source to DC power. This DC power is supplied to a drive circuit where a microcontroller is configured to control the drive circuit by supplying the DC power from the drive circuit to a load.
US08879134B2
A laser scanning optical device includes: alight source having a plurality of emission points; a plate-like light source holder which holds the light source in a center of the light source holder; a base arranged to face the light source holder; and an attitude adjusting part which adjusts an attitude of the light source by adjusting a tilt of the light source holder, and the attitude adjusting part includes an inclined part and an inclination conveying part, and adjusts the tilt of the light source holder with respect to the base by displacing an abutting position of the inclined part corresponding to the inclination conveying part along an inclined surface of the inclined part.
US08879133B2
A multi-beam light source device includes a vertical cavity surface emitting laser device having monolithically fabricated multiple light sources; an optical sensor to monitor an output of beams of light emitted from the vertical cavity surface emitting laser; a printed circuit board on which a driving circuit is formed to drive the vertical cavity surface emitting laser device based on monitoring signals from the optical sensor; a coupling lens to change the beams of light emitted from the vertical cavity surface emitting laser device to a predetermined state; a transparent board on which a wiring pattern is formed to wire an electrode of the vertical cavity surface emitting laser device and a terminal of the driving circuit; and a holding unit to integrally hold the vertical cavity surface emitting laser device, the optical sensor, the printed circuit board, the coupling device, and the transparent board.
US08879127B2
A first light source and a second light source are arranged so that a protrusion direction of a first terminal from a first supporting body and a protrusion direction of a second terminal from a second supporting body are different when viewed in the longitudinal direction of a light guide. The first light source and the second light source are arranged so as to reduce a protrusion direction of the first supporting body and the second supporting body in a predetermined direction from an area where the first light source and the second light source overlap when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the light guide.
US08879121B2
Methods and systems for color conversion used in image-processing. In one approach, a caching strategy can be employed rather than a direct computation or a precomputed table. To improve the hit frequency and reduce storage requirements, a hash calculation in addition to comparison operations can be processed as a “near match” rather than an exact match. In another approach, “fuzzy match” caching can be implemented to reach the proper vicinity in the n-dimensional space, and then interpolation (or extrapolation) can refine the result.
US08879115B2
An image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a printing unit. The acquisition unit acquires post-processing information indicating a capability of a post-processing unit specified by a received print job. The determination unit determines a target position on a recording sheet subjected to post-processing to be applied by the post-processing unit based on the post-processing information. The printing unit prints a marking image at the target position on the recording sheet determined by the determination unit. The printing unit prints the marking image so that a deviation of the post-processing by the post-processing unit can be recognized. In addition, the printing unit changes a shape of the marking image to a shape suitable for the accuracy expected for the post-processing, according to an accuracy expected for the post-processing to be applied by the post-processing unit set for a print instruction of the print job marking image.
US08879109B2
An image processing device comprises an image data input means 2, an image data storage means 12 for storing the image data being input, an image data processing means 6 having multiple processing modes for outputting the stored image data, and a image data erasing means for erasing the image data stored in the storage means 12. The device further comprises erase count control means 8, 14 for controlling the number of times for erasing image data capable of having the number of times of erase set arbitrarily according to the security level required for each mode, and capable of having the set number of times of erase changed in mid-flow. Confidentiality is protected by performing erase operations repeatedly to the region storing the unnecessary image data according to the security level.
US08879101B2
An image forming apparatus having a main body and optional trays and a communication method between the main body. optional trays. The apparatus includes the main body having a main controller, at least one optional tray detachably set up in the main body and having a tray controller for communicating with the main controller to transmit and receive data, and communication lines forming a communication channel connecting the main controller and the tray controllers, for data exchange, and for informing the main controller that the data is provided from tray controllers to the main controller. Since the main body and the optional trays communicate through a single UART communication channel, the number of communication channels is decreased.
US08879094B2
Disclosed is an image reading apparatus including: an image reading section to read an image; a storage section to store the image; and a control section to detect whether or not the image reading section is in a state of pausing reading of the image, to determine transfer speed of the image to an external device based on a detected result, and to transfer the image to an external device at a determined transfer speed.
US08879093B2
A control method for controlling a communication apparatus used for transmitting a file with efficiency and reliability according to a time required for the conversion processing when a file as a transmission object is converted into transmission data, and the control method includes converting an input file into transmission data, transmitting the transmission data obtained by the conversion processing, measuring a time required for the conversion processing, and controlling the communication apparatus based on the measured time so that, if a file whose time required for the conversion processing is greater than a predetermined value is to be transmitted, communication with the destination is started and the transmission data is transmitted after the conversion processing is executed, and if a file whose time required for the conversion processing is not greater than the predetermined value is to be transmitted, the conversion processing is executed after the communication with the destination is started, and the transmission data obtained by the conversion processing is transmitted.
US08879086B2
A printing apparatus according to this invention stores history information of a printed job, displays a list of jobs to be reprinted based on the stored job history information, and reprints a job selected from the displayed list of jobs to be reprinted. The printing apparatus restricts reprinting based on history information of a job using data obtained from a file server on a network.
US08879083B2
An attached file printing method of an image forming apparatus, and image forming apparatus and system employing the same are provided. The attached file printing method of an image forming apparatus includes: determining whether there is a printable attached file in a printing target original document or not; converting at least one of the original document and the attached file to a printing data depending on the determining result; and printing the converted printing data.
US08879072B2
Laser scanning microscope and method for the operation thereof having at least two detection channels which has at least one beamsplitter with a splitting of the sample light deviating from the 50:50 split and/or, with 50:50 split in the detection channels, has detectors with differently adjusted gain, or in at least one detection channel with equal light splitting has an additional light attenuator.
US08879070B2
The scanning speed of a sample in Doppler OCT, etc., is increased to enable quick measurement of blood flow rate, blood flow volume, etc. Wideband light from a light source 2 is linearly polarized by a polarization controller 3 and this linearly polarized beam is split into vertically polarized light and horizontally polarized light using a Wollaston prism 14 at a sample arm, which are then irradiated simultaneously onto two different locations of the sample in the scanning direction using a galvanometer mirror 18, and reference light from a reference arm 5 and object light from a sample arm 6 are merged and caused to interfere with each other, with the resulting interference signal light passed through a diffraction grating 26 for spectroscopy, while the horizontal component and vertical component are separated by a polarized beam splitter 28, to simultaneously measure the components with two polarization-sensitive optical detectors 29, 30 and thereby obtain two tomography images of the same location at different times by one mechanical scan, thus allowing the amount of temporal change in phase to be measured using the two tomography images.
US08879066B2
A computer implemented method. The method includes obtaining, using a processor, spectral reflectance data from a spectrophotometric measurement of a target coating on a surface, wherein the measurement was taken at a specular angle, and removing, using the processor, at least a portion of the specular reflectance data that is attributable to a glossy coating of the surface. The method also includes constructing, using the processor, at least one spectral reflectance curve, and identifying, using the processor, at least one type of pigmentation effect of the target coating based at least in part on the at least one spectral reflectance curve.
US08879054B2
A source generates an optical test signal sweeping a bandwidth of wavelengths over time. The test signal is applied to a device under test (DUT) to generate a response signal. A timing signal generator connected to the source generates a timing signal having triggers at time instances corresponding to known wavelengths of the test signal. A DUT detector samples the DUT response signal generating sampled DUT data using a sampling period that is shorter than a shortest time between timing signal triggers. A correlator receives the timing signal, the known wavelengths associated with the timing signal triggers, the sampled DUT data and the DUT detector sampling period then correlates each sampled DUT datum to a wavelength of the test signal that was applied to the DUT when the DUT datum was sampled by interpolating the known wavelengths using the trigger time instances and the DUT detector sampling period.
US08879048B2
A method and apparatus for defining, from a first periodic signal, a second signal of same period, including the steps of: generating a third signal exhibiting detectable events; and synchronizing the second signal for each event.
US08879040B2
Disclosed is an active matrix substrate (1) including thereon: a plurality of signal lines (2); a plurality of scan lines (3) that intersect the signal lines (2); switching elements (4) disposed near intersections of the signal lines (2) and the scan lines (3); a plurality of input terminals (7) for inputting signals to the signal lines (2) and scan lines (3); and short-circuit wiring (8) disposed in an outer area with respect to the input terminals (7), where the short-circuit wiring (8) includes a trunk wiring line (8a) and a plurality of branch wiring lines (8b) that branch off from the trunk wiring line (8a) and that are connected to the respective input terminals (7), and a plurality of separator sections (9) are provided on the short-circuit wiring (8). The separator sections (9) electrically isolate the individual input terminals (7) and the trunk wiring line (8a) from each other.
US08879031B2
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclose a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a method of manufacturing the same. The LCD may have a display area and a peripheral area. An organic layer of the peripheral area may be patterned using a half-tone mask, and a protrusion member may be formed in the peripheral area. Accordingly, the thin film transistor array panel and the corresponding substrate may be prevented from being temporary adhered in the peripheral area such that the density of the liquid crystal molecules filled in the peripheral area may be uniformly maintained and the display quality of the liquid crystal display may be improved.
US08879030B2
A transmitting liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal panel including a pair of substrates, a pair of polarizers arranged adjacent to the pair of substrates respectively, a liquid crystal layer held between the pair of substrates, and electrodes arranged on at least one of the pair of substrates and serving to apply an electric field to the liquid crystal layer; and a light source unit arranged external to the pair of substrates, in which each of the pair of polarizers has an absorption axis along with an extraordinary wave axis of molecules constituting the polarizers. In this apparatus, a dye layer having a disc-form molecular structure is arranged between the polarizer and the substrate, or adjacent to the polarizer in proximity to the viewer. The dye layer has a transmission axis along with the extraordinary wave axis of the disc-form molecular structure.
US08879026B2
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a light source, a light guide, a display unit and a frame. The light source provides a light beam. The light guide includes a light emitting surface and a light entering surface, wherein the light beam enters the light guide through the light entering surface, and is emitted from the light emitting surface. The display unit is corresponding to the light emitting surface, wherein the light beam is partially emitted from the light guide, passes through the display unit to display an image. The frame covers the display unit and the light guide, wherein the frame has a display portion and a transparent portion, the image is displayed in the display portion, and the light beam is partially emitted from the light guide toward the transparent portion and passes through the transparent portion.
US08879025B2
A transparent display device for enhancing optical transmissivity in a transparent mode, is discussed. The transparent display device may include a liquid crystal panel; a light source disposed at one side of a lower portion of the liquid crystal panel to emit light; a first polarizing plate for polarizing the light emitted from the light source; a light guide plate disposed at a lower portion of the liquid crystal panel to totally reflect the light polarized to an axis by the first polarizing plate to a lateral surface thereof and supply to the liquid crystal panel, and transmit natural light entered from a lower direction therethrough; and a second polarizing plate disposed at an upper portion of the liquid crystal panel to control the amount of polarized light passing through the liquid crystal panel.
US08879021B2
An LCD device adapted to become thinner and simultaneously prevent a defect (or fault) due to static electricity is discussed. The LCD device according to an embodiment includes a liquid crystal display panel, an upper case formed from an insulation material and configured to encompass edges of the liquid crystal display panel, a driver PCB (printed circuit board) configured to apply drive signals to one edge of the liquid crystal display panel, a light source configured to apply light to the liquid crystal display panel, a bottom cover formed from a metal material and configured to receive the light source, and a shielding film disposed under one edge of the upper case opposite to the driver PCB and electrically connected to the bottom cover.
US08879019B2
A liquid crystal display apparatus including: a liquid crystal panel which includes a device substrate, a counter substrate arranged to face the device substrate, and a protruded section in which the device substrate protrudes from an end portion of the counter substrate; a lighting system which includes an optical sheet arranged on a side which is opposite a light emission side of the liquid crystal panel; and a first frame portion which supports an edge of the protruded section of the device substrate and includes a protruded plate section that protrudes between the device substrate and the optical sheet, wherein the first frame portion includes a first stage section which faces a side end surface of the device substrate and a second stage section which is arranged between an edge of the protruded plate section and the first stage and which faces an outline side of the optical sheet.
US08879018B2
An electronic apparatus and a display thereof are disclosed. The display includes a back plate, a photoelectric converting module, and a display module. The back plate has an inner surface and an open is formed on the back plate. The back plate has an inner edge around the open. The inner edge is concave toward the direction back to inner surface to form a supporting part. The photoelectric converting module is disposed on the supporting part without protruding out of the inner surface. The photoelectric converting module has a light-receiving surface exposed to the open. The display module is disposed on the inner surface of the back plate and the display module covers the photoelectric converting module. The display module has a display surface back to the photoelectric converting module.
US08879013B2
A thin-film transistor liquid crystal display device includes: a substrate and a signal line, a scan line, a pixel electrode, and a thin-film transistor that are formed on the substrate. The signal line and the scan line are arranged to intersect each other. The pixel electrode is located in a pixel display zone enclosed by the intersected signal line and scan line. The thin-film transistor includes a gate terminal, a source terminal, and a drain terminal. The gate terminal is electrically connected to the scan line. The drain terminal is electrically connected to the signal line. The source terminal is arranged at a position corresponding to the intersection of the signal line and the scan line and is electrically connected to the pixel electrode.
US08879011B2
An object is to provide a display device with excellent display characteristics, where a pixel circuit and a driver circuit provided over one substrate are formed using transistors which have different structures corresponding to characteristics of the respective circuits. The driver circuit portion includes a driver circuit transistor in which a gate electrode layer, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer are formed using a metal film, and a channel layer is formed using an oxide semiconductor. The pixel portion includes a pixel transistor in which a gate electrode layer, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer are formed using an oxide conductor, and a semiconductor layer is formed using an oxide semiconductor. The pixel transistor is formed using a light-transmitting material, and thus, a display device with higher aperture ratio can be manufactured.
US08879008B2
A stereoscopic image panel according to the present invention includes: a liquid crystal layer; a first parallax barrier layer including a first electrode unit adjacent to one side of the liquid crystal layer and a second electrode unit opposite the other side of the liquid crystal layer; and a second parallax barrier layer including a third electrode unit opposite one side of the liquid crystal layer, between the liquid crystal layer and the first electrode unit, and a fourth electrode unit positioned adjacent to the second electrode unit, wherein the second electrode unit is positioned between the liquid crystal layer and the fourth electrode unit.
US08878999B2
The invention allows detecting which graphics, if any, have been added to the video signal at any given time by utilizing only the various signals provided by prior art hardware. A first video signal, graphics signal(s), and a second video signal are received. It is then determined which graphics, if any, are present in a given frame of the received second video signal based on comparing actual values of pixels of the received second video signal and calculated values of pixels derived from the first video signal, and the graphics signal(s), and the combination of graphics signal(s) which produces the best match is searched for.
US08878993B2
An image data processing apparatus of the present invention includes: a base clock output circuit for outputting a base clock; a plurality of image processors; and a plurality of external PLL circuits provided for each one of the plurality of image processors. The plurality of external PLL circuits each synchronize an output clock given from a corresponding one of the plurality of image processors with the base clock.
US08878976B2
Embodiments of the invention describe providing image focusing capabilities for a lens unit of an image capture system by disposing a solid state die over the lens unit. The solid state die may include a plurality of electrodes to receive a voltage or electric signal to generate an electric field. The refractive index of the solid state die will change in response to the generated electric field to focus the image or scene captured by the lens unit. The solid state die is mounted to a folded flexible printed circuit board in a housing or a molded housing having electrodes on its inner wall.
US08878973B2
According to one embodiment, a pixel that outputs a photoelectrically-converted pixel signal, a column ADC circuit that converts the pixel signal output from the pixel into a digital value, a test-signal generating unit that generates a test signal with which the column ADC circuit is tested, and a switching circuit that switches between the pixel signal output from the pixel and the test signal generated in the test-signal generating unit to input to the column ADC circuit are included.
US08878971B2
An image sensing apparatus comprises: an output unit which includes an output line group, a plurality of difference circuits, a first dummy line, and a second dummy line, and wherein the output line group is interposed between the first dummy line and the second dummy line, a readout unit includes a plurality of memory circuits, each of the plurality of memory circuits includes a first holding capacitance and a second holding capacitance, a gain determined by a ratio of a capacitance value of the first holding capacitance and a capacitance value of a first output line is applied to the first signal output to the first output line, and a gain determined by a ratio of a capacitance value of the second holding capacitance and a capacitance value of a second output line is applied to the second signal output to the second output line.
US08878966B2
An image pickup apparatus having an image pickup element with a plurality of image pickup pixels and a plurality of focus detection pixels, a focus detector performing a focus detection based on the output from the focus detection pixels corresponding to a focus detection area, and a setter configured to set a usable F-number based on stored information of a defective pixel that exists in the focus detection pixels. When the defective pixel exists in the focus detection pixels corresponding to the focus detection area, if an F-number is within the usable F-number, the focus detector performs focus detection by using the output from the defective pixel, and if the F-number is out of the usable F-number, the focus detector performs focus detection without using such output.
US08878964B2
An image capture apparatus including a detecting unit configured to detect focus detecting system dust, and a controller configured to perform control so that captured image information is stored in a memory, wherein the controller performs control so that information about the detected focus detecting system dust is stored in the memory.
US08878955B2
A tagging camera device may include an image capturing logic configured to receive an image signal containing data representing at least one of a photographic image and a digital video. The tagging camera device may further include database communication logic configured to receive from at least one database data representing information from an online social network. The tagging camera device may further include identification logic configured to receive an identifying signal containing data identifying one or more objects appearing in the at least one of the photographic image and the digital video. The tagging camera device may further include tagging logic configured to tag a portion of the at least one of the photographic image and the digital video by associating the portion of the at least one of the photographic image and the digital video with the data representing information from the online social network based on the data identifying the one or more objects appearing in the at least one of the photographic image and the digital video, where the tagging logic is configured to automatically tag the portion of the at least one of the photographic image and the digital video.
US08878939B2
A subject tracking apparatus, including: a storage section that stores image data of a subject; a division section that divides the image data of the subject into a plurality of first areas; an imaging section that sequentially generates image frames; a specification section that specifies a second area similar to one of the first areas, the second area being included in each of the image frames sequentially generated, based on a characteristic value of one of the first areas into which the image data of the subject is divided by the division section; and a tracking section that tracks an image area as the subject in each of the image frames sequentially generated, wherein the image area is determined based on the second area specified by the specification section.
US08878932B2
In a night vision system with which an image recording unit records the image of the surroundings of a motor vehicle, the recorded image is displayed by means of a display, wherein the position of the image recording device (2) is changed according to the driving situation.
US08878931B2
Described herein are systems and methods for managing video data. In overview, various embodiments provide software, hardware and methodologies associated with the management of video data. In overview, a distributed DVM system includes a plurality of discrete DVM systems, which may be geographically or notionally distributed. Each discrete DVM system includes a respective central DVM database server thereby to provide autonomy to the discrete system. This server supports one or more camera servers, these camera servers in turn each being configured to make available live video data from one or more cameras. Each system additionally includes one or more clients, which provide a user interface for displaying video data (such as video data from one of the cameras). The discrete DVM systems are primarily linked by way of a centralized database server/database server communications interface. However, the clients are configured to connect directly to camera servers belonging to their local DVM system or a remote DVM system in the distributed architecture.
US08878921B2
An imaging system includes: an illumination unit that emits illumination light to illuminate a subject; a light receiving unit in which pixels that receive light and photoelectrically convert the received light to generate an electric signal are two-dimensionally arranged; a read unit that sequentially reads the electric signal from the pixels for each horizontal line; and an illumination controller that controls the illumination unit to emit a pulse of the illumination light during a period straddling a read period of the read unit for a first horizontal line and a read period for a second horizontal line which is adjacent to the first horizontal line and which is read immediately after the first horizontal line.
US08878920B2
A method and apparatus where the output from a high intensity light source is controlled to produce well-exposed images/videos and to reduce automatically the intensity when an unsafe issue is detected in medical devices such as endoscopes and the like. The method and apparatus overcome problems to control light sources that have high-frequency noise, slow-response time, nonlinearity, and non-monotonic response time and to protect the patients' tissues from possible overheating/burning and the eyes of personnel and patients from possible direct exposure to high intensity light used in medical devices such as endoscopes and the like.
US08878914B2
An image display unit, such as a projection-type image display apparatus, displays a first image and a second image, having a predetermined parallax relative to the first image, onto a predetermined display region by dividing the first image and the second image temporally or spatially. First eyeglasses are to be worn by a first viewer to see the first image and the second image displayed on the display region. Second eyeglasses are to be worn by a second viewer to see the first image and the second image displayed on the display region, and the second viewer faces the first viewer in a direction parallel to the plane of display. The first eyeglasses perform a function of having the right eye of the first viewer see the first image and having the left eye of the first viewer see the second image. The second eyeglasses perform a function of having the right eye of the second viewer see the second image and having the left eye of the second viewer see the first image.
US08878913B2
A method of transporting data within a DTV bit stream involves in a stream of digital video closed caption data packets, receiving closed caption text and a two bit extended packet control field; where the two bit extended packet control field has a value that designates that the information in cc_data_1 and cc_data_2 fields of the digital video closed caption data packets contain an extended packets within the digital video closed caption data packets; receiving the extended packets within the digital video closed caption data packets in the cc_data_1 and cc_data_2 fields that carry extended channel packets. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US08878910B2
A stereoscopic image display apparatus includes: a display device; an acquisition device for acquiring a left eye image and a right eye image; a first display control device for displaying a stereoscopic image on the display device based on the left and right eye image; an instruction reception device for receiving an instruction indicating enlargement and display of a partial area deviated in a horizontal direction from a center of the stereoscopic image; a cut-out device for cutting out areas necessary for the enlargement and display from the left and right eye image in response to the instruction; a deviation amount calculation unit for calculating a deviation amount in a vertical direction between a center of the left eye image and a center of the right eye image; an image movement device for moving the left eye image and/or the right eye image in the vertical direction by the calculated deviation amount; and a second display control device for enlarging and displaying the partial area on the display device based on the image after the movement.
US08878900B2
A method and system for rendering a captured image of a scene is disclosed which provide see-through vision through the rendered image, for example of an augmented reality object rendered behind the scene, by assigning pixel transparency values in dependence upon captured image pixels. The method and system preserve some structure of the scene in the rendered image without requiring a model of the scene.
US08878898B2
A smart 3D HDMI video splitter is disclosed. When a 3D video signal enters the smart splitter, a field-programmable gate array converts the 3D signal so that the smart 3D HDMI video splitter outputs a 3D or 2D signal according to the type of the television, display or AVR amplifier.
US08878885B2
An image forming apparatus includes a sheet-linear-velocity setting unit, an image-formation-rate changing unit, a detecting unit, and first and second correcting units. When printing is performed with a first sheet linear velocity, the first correcting unit performs misregistration correction according to a result of detection of a misregistration correction pattern image by the detecting unit. When the sheet-linear-velocity setting unit sets a second sheet linear velocity other than the first sheet linear velocity, the second correcting unit corrects an adjustment amount used in the misregistration correction performed by the first correcting unit, according to a ratio between first and second coefficients. The first coefficient indicates a ratio of an actual image formation rate at the first sheet linear velocity to an ideal image formation rate, and the second coefficient indicates a ratio of an actual image formation rate at the second sheet linear velocity to an ideal image formation rate.
US08878873B2
Disclosed is a computer implemented method, computer program product, and apparatus to decorate visible attributes of a rendered avatar. A server may collect a first user profile of a first avatar, the first user profile having at least one interest of a user. Next, the server may receive a location of the first avatar, wherein the location is associated with a view to at least a second avatar. The server can identify the second avatar among a group of avatars visible with respect to the first avatar. Further, the server may read a target profile of the second avatar then determine whether the second user profile satisfies a criterion based on the first user profile and the target profile. In addition, the server may render a modified rendered avatar to a client, responsive to the determination that the target profile satisfies the criterion.
US08878867B2
Colour information and transparency information of pixels of a source image, which may be a partially transparent overlay image of a format that natively support transparency, are stored as a transformed image. The transformed image is of a format that does not natively support transparency. The transformed image has two disjoint regions, one storing the source color information and the other storing the source transparency information. The transformed image can be used as a representation of the overlay image when compositing with a base image.
US08878863B2
The portable terminal includes a display unit configured to display a screen; a first buffer and a second buffer configured to sequentially store display data for the displayed screen; a first determination unit configured to determine whether to perform single-buffer control or double-buffer control based on update data for the displayed screen; and a setting unit configured to set, if single-buffer control is appropriate, a display control method of the display unit to a display control method using the first buffer and to set, if double-buffer control is appropriate, a display control method of the display unit to a display control method using the first buffer and the second buffer.
US08878861B2
Conversion between z-scanning indices, raster-scanning indices and two-dimensional coordinates uses simple bit-operations in high efficiency video coding. Depending on the conversion, certain bits are extracted from one representation to obtain positions of another representation, or bits are interleaved to generate another representation. Conversion is able to be between any of z-scanning indices, raster-scanning indices and (x,y) representations.
US08878857B2
Methods of expressing animation in a data stream are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of expressing animation in a data stream includes defining animation states in the data stream with each state having at least one property such that properties are animated as a group. The animation states that are defined in the data stream may be expressed as an extension of a styling sheet language. The data stream may include web content and the defined animation states.
US08878853B2
Systems and methods may provide tools for uniformly visualizing a series of one or more orders, wherein orders of vastly different prices, order types, and order assets may be commingled on the same display screen. Such a collection of tools may be sorted for display. The displays may be buy/sell independent, handle any size bid/ask spread, and allow easy determination of the relative marketability of each order. Such systems and methods may help a user to focus on orders requiring the most attention.
US08878851B2
A method for streaming vector images to wireless devices, including receiving a request from a wireless device for a portion of a vector image and a target display width and height, the vector image including a plurality of vector primitives, determining which of the vector primitives are positioned so as to overlap the requested portion, clipping the overlapping vector primitives with the portion, and transmitting the clipped vector primitives that overlap the portion. A system and a computer readable storage medium are also described and claimed.
US08878850B2
A product modeling system and method are provided. On one embodiment, the product modeling system is used to model a piece of apparel, such as a shirt, with a design wherein the model with the design is used to display the piece of apparel with the design to a consumer.
US08878849B2
The method includes receiving a plurality of graphics primitives for rendering at a GPU of a computer system and rendering graphics primitives into pixel parameters of the pixels of a display, wherein the parameters include pixel depth values and pixel normal values. For each pixel of the display, an ambient occlusion process is performed. The algorithm takes as input a ND-buffer containing pixel depth values and pixel normals. Based on the pixel 3-D position and the pixel normal vector, horizon heights are computed by sampling the ND-buffer and an occlusion term is computed for each pixel based on the horizon heights. Based on the pixel 3-D position, the pixel normal vector, a normal occlusion term is computed by sampling the ND-buffer above the horizon in multiple directions. An ambient occlusion illumination value is computed by combining the horizon occlusion term and the normal occlusion term.
US08878846B1
Methods and systems for superimposing virtual views of 3D objects with live images are provided. An example method may include determining 3D geometry information associated with an environment using one or more sensors of a mobile device, and recognizing 3D objects in the environment based on a database of 3D objects and the 3D geometry information. The method may also include determining a field of view of the environment based on a position of the mobile device in the environment and rendering an image of one or more of the 3D objects that are within the field of view. The rendered image may have a given perspective that is based on a viewpoint position from which the mobile device is viewed. The rendered image may also be combined with a live image of the field of view that is presented by the mobile device.
US08878837B2
An image processing apparatus having an on-screen display (OSD) function includes a processing circuit and an OSD circuit. The OSD circuit generates OSD data, and the on-screen data comprises left-eye display data and right-eye display data. The processing circuit processes image data, which comprises left-eye image data and right-eye image data, and respectively blends the left-eye and right-eye display data of the OSD data with the left-eye and right-eye image data of the image data to generate combined image data.
US08878836B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for encoding and decoding a datastream into which multiview image information is inserted. The method of decoding a multiview image datastream includes extracting multiview image information including information on at least one view image of a multiview image, from at least one elementary stream of the multiview image datastream; extracting a multiview image parameter regarding the multiview image based on the number of elementary streams and a correlation between view images of the multiview image; and restoring the multiview image by using the extracted multiview image parameter and the extracted multiview image information.
US08878835B2
The present invention is directed to systems and methods for controlling 2-D to 3-D image conversion and/or generation. The methods and systems use auto-fitting techniques to create a mask based upon tracking features from frame to frame. When features are determined to be missing they are added prior to auto-fitting the mask.
US08878833B2
Embodiments include systems, methods, and apparatus configured to record (A) protocol requests that specify display operations on a screen image and (B) information copied from a display buffer storing the screen image. Such embodiments may also be configured to record states relating to an appearance of an output of the display operations. In some of these embodiments, the copied information is stored in the form of pseudo-protocol requests.
US08878830B2
Ambient light is detected by a photodiode circuit by measuring the time taken for a digital output of the photodiode circuit to change state in response to exposure of a photodiode of the photodiode circuit to that ambient light. A nominal time for state change is calculated based on photodiode circuit characteristics. Furthermore, an effective time for the photodiode circuit digital output to change state is determined in a calibration mode where the photodiode has been disconnected and a reference current is applied to the circuit. An illumination value of the detected ambient light is then calculated as a function of: the measured time, the effective time and the nominal time.
US08878825B2
Embodiments includes methods and systems for updating display devices at a variable refresh rate. One embodiment includes a method of updating an image displayed on a display device. The method includes setting an indicator to a first state that indicates that image data has been received subsequent to a previous update of a display device and periodically updating at least a portion of the display device to display the image. The updating is deferred for at least one period when the indicator is in a state other than the first state. In another embodiment, updates of the display are substantially asynchronous and occur as the processor writes data to one or more shift registers. When a shift register is filled, for example, having received data for a row within the display, the data in the shift register is written to the display. Other embodiments include methods of manufacturing such devices.
US08878817B2
A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a liquid crystal panel (20) having an area sensor function of detecting the position of an input from an outside source by detecting an image on a panel surface. The liquid crystal panel (20) (position detecting section), provided with visible light sensors (31A) each containing light sensor elements (30) that detect the intensity of received visible light and infrared light sensors (31B) each containing light sensor elements (30) that detect the intensity of received infrared light, which detects an input position by the visible light sensors (31A) and the infrared light sensors (31B) separately detecting an image on the detector surface. The liquid crystal display device further includes a backlight (light-emitting section) for irradiating the liquid crystal panel (20) with light containing infrared light. This achieves an area sensor capable of accurate position detection in a wide range of environmental illuminances and a liquid crystal display device equipped with such an area sensor.
US08878811B1
Apparatuses and methods for coupling a group of sensor elements together in one mode to collectively measure a capacitance on the group of sensor elements, in addition to individually measuring a capacitance on each of the sensor elements in another mode. The apparatus may include a processing device, and a plurality of sensor elements that are individually coupled in a first mode for normal sensing and collectively coupled in a second mode for proximity sensing.
US08878810B2
Touch screen user interfaces for controlling software applications, computers, devices, machinery, and process environments with “continuous grammar” touch gestures which begin with finger postures contacting the touch screen with one part of the hand and which conclude with finger postures contacting the touch screen with a different part of the hand without breaking contact with the touch screen. The touch screen can be realized sensor array configured with a visual display arranged to detect touch from one or more fingers. In addition to recognizing simple touch gestures, algorithms comprised by the user interface are additionally arranged to be responsive to pluralities of finger postures executed sequentially without breaking contact with the touch screen. Such user interfaces can be easily used and provide a wide range of uses with computer applications, assistance to the disabled, and control of electronic devices, machines, and processes. Enhancements can include velocity and pressure sensing capabilities.
US08878809B1
A user interface for a touch-screen display of a dedicated handheld electronic book reader device is described. The user interface detects human gestures manifest as pressure being applied by a finger or stylus to regions on the touch-screen display. In one implementation, the touch-screen user interface enables a user to turn one or more pages in response to applying a force or pressure to the touch-screen display. In another implementation, the touch-screen user interface is configured to bookmark a page temporarily by applying a pressure to the display, then allowing a user to turn pages to a new page, but reverting back to a previously-displayed page when the pressure is removed. In another implementation, the touch-screen user interface identifies and filters electronic books based on book size and/or a time available to read a book. In another implementation, the touch-screen user interface converts text to speech in response to a user touching the touch-screen display.
US08878807B2
Systems and methods for providing a free-space gesture-based user interface for a computer workstation and desktop software applications are disclosed. In one implementation, the system includes a video camera to generate real-time video signals responsive to a user gesture as observed by the video camera, and a processor to generate control signals responsive to the real-time video signals responsive to the user gesture observed by the video camera. The control signals are used to control a desktop software application executing on the computer workstation, such that at least one aspect of the desktop software application is responsive to the user gesture observed by the video camera.
US08878803B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a glass substrate having a first main surface, a glass substrate spaced apart from a first substrate and having a second main surface facing said first main surface, and a highly-sensitive sensor and a low-sensitive sensor arranged between the glass substrate and the glass substrate.
US08878800B2
A method is provided for generating a command for executing a process according to analyzed input data. The method comprises calculating a movement speed of a plurality of operating members based on input data corresponding to input operations of the operating members. The method further comprises analyzing the input data based on the movement speed. The method also comprises generating a command for executing a process according to the analyzed input data.
US08878799B2
A method for coarsely and finely controlling contents via respective main and auxiliary sliders, and a portable terminal supporting the same are provided. The portable terminal includes: a display unit displaying a main slider including a slidable path of a predetermined length for designating a predetermined region of contents and an auxiliary slider extending at least a part of a slidable path of the main slider; a touch screen detecting a signal for selectively displaying the auxiliary slider; and a controller for performing a control operation to display the auxiliary slider according to generation of the signal.
US08878791B2
An optical scanner is configured to scan multiple print portions of a body part such as a finger. The optical scanner identifies a first one of the print portions in an area of an optical surface. An event such as launching an application is generated based on identifying the first print portion in the area of the optical surface. In addition, various events can be generated based on different combinations of print portions in different areas of the optical surface.In a second embodiment, a property detector is configured to identify different properties of a sleeve in different areas of a surface. An event is generated based on the detection of a property of the sleeve in an area of the surface.
US08878790B2
A microelectronic pressure sensor comprises a MOSFET transistor adapted with a mobile gate and a cavity between the mobile gate and a substrate. The sensor includes a gate actuator configured to move mobile gate in response to a pressure being exercised. A fingerprint recognition system includes a matrix of such sensors.
US08878789B2
A method and apparatus of identifying and selecting characters from among a plurality of characters. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a computer processor electronically enables identification of each of a plurality of characters arranged in a one-dimensional array. Each character is identified by an integer value that corresponds to the number of positions the character is offset from a reference position of the one-dimensional array. The computer processor electronically enables selection of any of the characters by receiving input resulting from activation of selection keys that specify the integer value of a character desired for selection. In one further embodiment, each selection key has an assigned integer value, and the integer value that identifies the selected character is calculated by summing the assigned integer values of each selection key activated for each instance that each selection key is activated within a selectable-length time period.
US08878788B2
A portable electronic device comprising an external surface of a user interface, a piezoelectric transducer coupled to the external surface, and a controller. The piezoelectric transducer generates an electrical output originating at the piezoelectric transducer in response to mechanical actuation applied at the external surface. The controller performs an electronic function of the portable electronic device in response to the piezoelectric transducer generating the electrical output.
US08878781B2
An input device includes an input operation surface that includes one or more specific regions, can be operated by an indicator, and is provided separately from a display screen; a detection unit that detects an operation position of the indicator; a region creating unit that creates a discrimination region while using the operation position as a base point when it is detected that the operation position of the indicator is positioned in the specific region; and a discrimination unit that uses a fact that a moving direction of the indicator from the base point, when the indicator moves within the discrimination region, is positioned on at least a line, which traverses the specific region substantially in parallel or obliquely, as conditions that allow a predetermined function to be performed on the display screen. When the discrimination unit discriminates that the conditions are satisfied, a performance signal is output.
US08878778B2
One of the aspects of the disclosure is directed to displaying an image according to attribute information thereof in a display area having a time axis based on an item of predetermined attribute information, and when changing a display range on the time axis, allowing a user to easily designate a point to be a reference thereof. An information processing apparatus according to the present invention displays an image in the display area having the time axis according to date and time information of the image. The information processing apparatus moves a mouse cursor on the display area according to a user's operation, and sets a reference after the display range is changed.
US08878777B2
Methods, program products, and systems for corner control are described. Each of the four corners of a rectangular display field can be individually configured to be a rounded corner or an angled corner. In some implementations, a method can include providing a user interface item for display. The user interface item can include four control elements. Each of the control elements can correspond to a corner of a display field. Each of the control elements can individually and independently control a shape of the corresponding corner of the display field. The display field can have one or more corners in rounded shape and one or more corners in angled shape, according to user input received through the user interface item.
US08878768B2
Provided is a display device that includes a display panel; and a touch panel integrated in the display panel, wherein the touch panel has a plurality of scanning electrodes, a plurality of detection electrodes that intersects with the plurality of scanning electrodes, drive signal supply unit for inputting a drive signal to each of the scanning electrodes, detection unit for acquiring a detection signal from each of the detection electrodes, touch position detection unit for detecting a touch position of an detection object based on the detection signal when the drive signal is sequentially input to each of the scanning electrodes from the drive signal supply unit, and approach detection unit for detecting that the detection object approaches the touch panel based on the detection signal when a scanning voltage is collectively input to all of the scanning electrodes from the drive signal supply unit.
US08878766B2
Provided are devices and methods for providing front-of screen uniformity. Methods include estimating a filter function corresponding to the display and selecting multiple light emitters as a function of characteristics corresponding to light transmitted from the display as determined via the filter function. Devices are provided that include multiple light emitters including a first chromaticity difference corresponding to the multiple light emitters and a second chromaticity difference corresponding to the multiple light emitters and a filter function, wherein the second chromaticity difference is less than the first chromaticity difference.
US08878765B2
A gate shift register and a display device using the same are disclosed. The gate shift register includes a plurality of stages that receive a plurality of gate shift clocks and sequentially output a scan pulse. A k-th stage of the plurality of stages includes a scan direction controller for converting a shift direction of the scan pulse in response to carry signals of previous stages input through first and second input terminals and carry signals of next stages input through third and fourth input terminals, a node controller for controlling charging and discharge operations of each of Q1, Q2, QB1, and QB2 nodes, a floating prevention unit for applying a low potential voltage to a gate electrode of a discharge TFT based on a voltage of the QB1 node or the QB2 node, and an output unit for outputting first and second scan pulses.
US08878738B2
The tunable antenna integrated system may include a tunable antenna module, a bias module, a direct current control module, and a RF module. The tunable antenna module may include a tunable capacitor and an antenna. The tunable capacitor may have the capacitance thereof adjusted according to an adjusting voltage. A resonant frequency of the antenna is controlled by the tunable capacitor. The bias module has a digital/analog converter for receiving a control voltage to generate the adjusting voltage, and the adjusting voltage may be outputted to the tunable capacitor with the value thereof larger than that of the control voltage. The direct current control module is connected to the bias module for outputting the control voltage to the digital/analog converter. The RF module is connected to the bias module, and a RF signal is transmitted between the tunable antenna module and the RF module through the bias module.
US08878736B2
An RFID system includes an RFID antenna assembly configured to be positioned on a product module assembly of a processing system. The product module assembly is configured to releasably engage at least one product container. A first RFID tag assembly configured to be positioned on the at least one product container. The at least one product container is configured to position the first RFID tag assembly within a detection zone of the RFID antenna assembly whenever the product module assembly releasably engages the at least one product container.
US08878733B2
A holding device for holding test antennas includes a base, a sliding plate, a holding pole, and a support block. The sliding plate is slidably mounted on the base. The holding pole is fixed on the sliding plate, and a length of the holding pole is adjustable. The support block is fixed on the holding pole and configured for receiving the test antennas. The holding pole and the sliding plate change a position of the support block along a first axis and a second axis, respectively.
US08878730B2
An antenna module and an electronic apparatus are provided. The electronic apparatus includes a housing and the antenna module. The housing has an inner surface. The antenna module includes a circuit board, a proximity sensor and a sensing antenna patch. The circuit board is disposed in the housing, and has a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface. The circuit board has a communication antenna pattern on the top surface. The proximity sensor is mounted on the bottom surface. The sensing antenna patch is assembled on the inner surface of the housing and electrically connected to the proximity sensor. An orthogonal projection of the communication antenna pattern on the inner surface overlaps the sensing antenna patch on the inner surface.
US08878729B2
An electric conductive trace includes an arch-shaped variation of a shape of at least a portion of a fractal of at least a second iteration. The portion of the fractal is larger than double of a first iteration of the fractal. The shape varied to be arch-shaped for changes of direction includes a curve radius larger than a predefined minimum curve radius.
US08878727B2
A hybrid circuit with an integral antenna module, including an electronic circuit that includes circuit elements; and an antenna module including a dielectric material shaped to form a void enclosed by the dielectric material, a conducting patch on one side of the dielectric material. Wherein the circuit elements are enclosed by the dielectric material, so that the elements of the circuit are positioned inside the void formed by the dielectric material.
US08878714B2
Method and apparatus for mapping the converted voltage value by electric charge value proportional to the converted voltage value and in accumulation of charge in the sampling capacitor until the voltage on this capacitor is equal to the converted voltage. Furthermore, realization of the process of that electric charge redistribution in the array of redistribution by changes of states of signals from relevant control outputs and in assignment of relevant values to bits in the digital word by means of the control module. As soon as accumulation of electric charge in the sampling capacitor is terminated, electric charge is accumulated in the additional sampling capacitor then the process of that electric charge redistribution is realized and relevant values are assigned to bits of the digital word. When a trigger signal is detected, next cycle begins and electric charge is accumulated in the sampling capacitor.
US08878713B1
A system includes an array of comparators configured to convert an analog input to a digital output, a switch configured to adjust output bits of the digital output, and a control logic; the control logic is configured to initialize the switch and a direct-current source coupled to the analog input; the control logic is configured to increase the direct-current source in incremental steps of a minimal voltage value corresponding to the least significant bit of the digital output; and the control input is also configured to cause the switch to adjust one or more output bits of the digital output based at least in part on a value of the output bit corresponding to the current incremental step.
US08878709B2
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor integrated circuit including: line buffers; an alpha channel first selector; an alpha channel digital-to-analog converter; a beta channel digital-to-analog converter; a redundant digital-to-analog converter; an alpha channel second selector; a beta channel second selector; an alpha channel amplifier; and a beta channel amplifier.
US08878708B1
Improved systems and methods for processing and recording audio received from one or more wired or wireless devices. In one aspect, the dynamic range of an analog-to-digital conversion system is extended. In another aspect, processes for generating a timecode, displaying and/or freezing a timecode display, and displaying an electronic timecode slate. Displaying a timecode slate may include rotating the orientation of the timecode display one hundred and eighty degrees to allow the timecode display to appear upright to individuals and/or equipment viewing and/or recording same. Displaying a timecode slate may also include an audible tone for synchronization of audio and video recordings.
US08878706B2
A serial-parallel conversion circuit for converting a high-speed serial signal to a parallel signal is provided. Further, a display device with high image quality and fewer external connection terminals is provided. Furthermore, a method for driving a serial-parallel conversion circuit for converting a high-speed serial signal to a parallel signal is provided. A serial-parallel conversion circuit includes a plurality of units in each of which a sampling switch and an amplifier are connected to each other. In the serial-parallel conversion circuit, each sampling switch is configured to output part of a serial signal to its respective amplifier only through one transistor.
US08878701B2
One embodiment of the present invention includes an aircraft instrumentation system for a cockpit instrument panel having a first device associated with a first pilot of an aircraft and positioned on the instrument panel substantially in front of the first pilot. The first device may include a first display and a first controller, which may have a set of controls for controlling the first display and aircraft systems. The instrumentation system may also include a second device associated with a second pilot of the aircraft and positioned on the instrument panel substantially in front of the second pilot. The second device may include a second display and a second controller, which may have a set of controls for controlling the second display and the aircraft systems. The instrumentation may be configured such that at least one of the first display and the second display presents attitude, altitude and airspeed at all times.
US08878700B2
A method and apparatus for monitoring an aircraft. A pilot control input signal is received. A response of a control surface system controlled by a flight control model is identified using the pilot control input signal. An alert is generated when the control surface system reaches a threshold with respect to the control surface system becoming saturated.
US08878694B2
A vehicle speed advisor system that provides an indication of the local speed limit to the driver in order to warn the driver when the local speed limit has been exceeded. The system detects the actual GPS position and obtains the allowed local speed limit of that position in a USB or flash memory, which is then displayed using a speed limit indicator in the scale of the speedometer of the instrument cluster in one mode of operation when the speed limit has not been reached, or in a second mode of operation when the speed limit has been reached or surpassed. The driver does not have to look at the street to see the allowed driving speed because the instrument cluster always provides an indication of the local speed limit.
US08878688B2
A downhole tool 10 includes means for detecting a downhole condition, a capacitor bank, and a sparker. The technique is particularly useful for detecting casing collars. As the tool is passed along the well bore 11, it detects collars 12. On each detection, a part of the capacitor bank is discharged through the sparker. This generates an acoustic pulse which is transmitted through the ground (wave 14) to detectors 15, 16. The movement of the tool 10 is also monitored by a movement detector 20. The position of the tool 10 is correlated with the positions of the collars 12 by a computer 22 fed via interfacing circuitry 21. If desired, the pulses may be coded by strength, number, time spacing, etc.
US08878679B2
A baby monitoring light system includes a light body having a bottom portion and a top portion, the light body having a height generally shorter than the light body width and length, the light body comprising a light source oriented upwardly from the top portion, the light body adapted to project a light beam upwardly onto a surface approximately 5 to 15 feet away. The system may include a blanket having a pocket, the light body positionable in the pocket, the pocket having a space through which the light source projects when the light body is in the pocket. The light body may include one or more releasable fasteners.
US08878676B2
A medication administration system that includes a system of pillboxes, a pharmacy workstation, and a system of attendant workstation. The pharmacy workstation reads RFID or barcode tags on the pillboxes and medication wrappers containing medication units as the medication units are checked into the pillboxes to ensure that the pillboxes are filled in accordance the appropriate prescription regimens. The attendant workstations read the RFID or barcode tags on the pillboxes and medication wrappers as the medication units are checked out of the pillboxes to ensure that the medications are administered in accordance the appropriate prescription regimens. The attendant workstations may activate alarms, which may include communicating the alarms to a central monitoring station or mobile communication devices assigned to healthcare providers, when the determine that a pillbox in not correctly filled, when a medication has been checked out of a pillbox improperly, or when a medication has not been checked out on time.
US08878669B2
A method and system for monitoring a user's intoxication including receiving a set of signals, derived from a set of samples collected from the user at a set of time points; providing a sobriety task to the user proximal to a time point of the set of time points; generating a performance dataset characterizing performance of the sobriety task by the user; receiving a supplementary dataset characterizing a demographic profile of the user and/or a physiological state of the user; determining a set of values of an intoxication metric, derived from the set of signals; generating a predicted temporal profile of the intoxication metric for the user based upon the set of values, the set of time points, and the supplementary dataset; generating an analysis of the user's sobriety based upon the performance dataset and the predicted temporal profile; and providing a notification to the user based upon the analysis.
US08878667B2
A biodegradable, bio-compatible material is described for use in wireless biosensors for point-of-care applications. The biosensor made from this biomaterial is capable of sensing environmental effects and as well as presence of bio-logical entities in the environment of concern simultaneously. Such a sensor can be used for evaluating point-of-care environmental preparedness for a specific patient through continuous monitoring of patient health performance due to environmental exposure. A two-tier network architecture is established for real-time monitoring (static case) that also provides warning of accumulated exposure. Wavelet analysis can be used to identify anomalies in the sensed data to initiate a warning.
US08878666B2
An emergency exit sign having a beacon module for indoor positioning and an indoor positioning system using the same are provided. The emergency exit sign includes a power supply unit, an AC/DC converter, an indoor positioning beacon module, an LED lamp, and a charger. The power supply unit receives an input of a power source and supplies the power source. The AC/DC converter converts the power source supplied and supplies a driving power source. The indoor positioning beacon module periodically wireless transmits a beacon signal including a beacon ID through a built-in antenna. The LED lamp is installed within the housing such that the lamp is positioned in rear of the display. When a power source is not supplied from the power supply unit, the charger supplies a driving power source.
US08878649B2
A control circuit that operably couples to an RFID tag reader can cause the latter to automatically utilize more than a single RFID tag interrogation mode. By one approach this can comprise automatically toggling back and forth between at least two different RFID tag interrogation modes. If desired, and by one approach, such a control circuit can facilitate using a first interrogation mode to read RFID tags and then, in response to a first pre-determined condition, automatically switch to using a second interrogation mode that is different from the first interrogation mode. By one approach, this first pre-determined condition can comprise an RFID tag read rate value. By another approach, alone or in combination with the foregoing, this first pre-determined condition can comprise, at least in part, a pre-determined period of time.
US08878648B2
A method on a computing device for defining a buffer zone around a buried asset at an above-surface location is provided that solves the above-described problems. The method includes receiving and storing buried asset data points, wherein each buried asset data point comprises a geographical coordinate and a precision data value corresponding to the geographical coordinate, for a buried asset, wherein the buried asset data points correspond to signals that were detected and read from the buried asset at the above-surface location. The method further includes generating a two dimensional area comprising a buffer zone by defining circles around geographical coordinates of the buried asset data points, wherein a size of each circle is based on the precision data value of the corresponding buried asset data point, and defining trapezoids that connect adjacent circles.
US08878635B2
A tunable band-pass filter includes: a rectangular waveguide including a first and a second waveguide parts, which are acquired by dividing the rectangular waveguide along an E-plane of the rectangular waveguide at a center position of an H-plane in the rectangular waveguide; a metal plate sandwiched by the first and the second waveguide parts in such a way as to be parallel to the E-plane; at least one dielectric plate arranged in the rectangular waveguide in such a way as to extend in a longitudinal extension direction of the metal plate; and a drive mechanism changing a relative position relationship between the dielectric plate and the metal plate from the outside.
US08878630B2
This invention provides a digital electronic device comprising: a grounded metal portion comprising a first metal plate electrically connected to ground and a first substrate disposed on the first metal plate; at least one layer of differential-mode reference metal portion comprising a second substrate and a second metal plate electrically connected to the first metal plate by at least one conductive structure; a pair of differential signal lines at least partially disposed on the second substrate of the at least one layer of differential-mode reference metal portion and electromagnetically coupled to the second metal plate of the at least one layer of differential-mode reference metal portion; and an equalizer electrically connected to the pair of differential signal lines.
US08878618B2
A spin transfer oscillator including a magnetic stack including at least two magnetic layers, at least one of the two magnetic layers is an oscillating layer that has variable direction magnetization and a current supply device configured to cause the flow of a current of electrons perpendicularly to the plane of the magnetic stack. The magnetic stack includes a device to generate inhomogeneities of current at the level of the surface of the oscillating layer and the intensity of the current supplied by the supply device is selected such that the magnetization of the oscillating layer has a consistent magnetic configuration, the magnetic configuration oscillating as a whole at the same fundamental frequency.
US08878613B2
A time-to-digital converter (TDC) with fine resolution of less than one inverter delay is described. In an exemplary design, the TDC includes first and second delay paths, a delay unit, and a phase computation unit. The first delay path receives a first input signal and a first reference signal and provides a first output. The second delay path receives a second input signal and a second reference signal and provides a second output. The delay unit delays the second input signal relative to the first input signal or delays the second reference signal relative to the first reference signal, e.g., by one half inverter delay. The phase computation unit receives the first and second outputs and provides a phase difference between the input signal and the reference signal. Calibration may be performed to obtain accurate timing for the first and second delay paths.
US08878607B2
A signal processing circuit has a first circuit, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and a second circuit. The first circuit receives a digital input signal with a non-zero direct current (DC) component, and subtracts at least a portion of the DC) component of the received digital input signal from the received digital input signal. The DAC is operably coupled to the first circuit, and arranged to perform a digital-to-analog conversion upon an output of the first circuit. The second circuit is operably coupled to the DAC, and arranged to add a DC component to an analog output signal derived from an output of the DAC. The signal processing circuit may be part of an integrated circuit or a wireless communication unit.
US08878602B1
Approaches are described for managing effects such as interference, crosstalk, and other types of noise in an electronic environment using a physical and/or electronic switch to improve antenna performance. For example, in the situation where the connector is connected to the device and no data and/or power is being transferred through the connector, the switch is caused to be open. In this situation, because the connector will be an electrically floating metal instead of a grounded metal due to the open switch, at least a portion of the radiated and/or received antenna signals will not couple to the connector. In the situation where the connector is connected to the device and is being used to transfer data and/or power, the switch is caused to be closed, which will result in the connector being grounded. In such a situation, at least a portion of the noise generated by the connector due to transferring data and/or power will be grounded instead of being coupled to the antenna.
US08878599B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a power-supply terminal to which a power-supply voltage is input; and multiple MOS transistors including an Nch deplete mode MOS transistor functioning as a current source and at least one Pch enhancement mode MOS transistor formed on a silicon-on-insulator substrate including a silicon substrate, a buried-oxide film, and a silicon activate layer, each of the multiple MOS transistors dimensioned so that a bottom of a source diffusion layer and a bottom of a drain diffusion layer reach the buried-oxide film, the at least one Pch enhancement mode MOS transistor being connected to the supply terminal through the Nch depletion mode MOS transistor. The Nch depletion mode MOS transistor has electrical characteristics such that a source voltage thereof is higher than a silicon substrate voltage thereof and a saturation current of the Nch depletion mode MOS transistor is decreased.
US08878596B2
Systems and methods related to single molecule switching devices are disclosed. One example method can include the step of applying a tunneling current across a tunneling junction. The tunneling junction can include an endohedral fullerene that includes a fullerene cage and a trapped cluster or a trapped atom. Such a method can also include exciting one or more internal motions of the trapped cluster or the trapped atom based at least in part on the tunneling current, and changing the conductance of the endohedral fullerene based at least in part on the one or more excited internal motions. One or more electronic processes can be controlled based at least in part on the changed conductance of the endohedral fullerene.
US08878594B2
An embodiment of an IGBT device is integrated in a chip of semiconductor material including a substrate of a first type of conductivity, an active layer of a second type of conductivity formed on an inner surface of the substrate, a body region of the first type of conductivity extending within the active layer from a front surface thereof opposite the inner surface, a source region of the second type of conductivity extending within the body region from the front surface, a channel region being defined within the body region between the source region and the active layer, a gate element insulated from the front surface extending over the channel region, a collector terminal contacting the substrate on a rear surface thereof opposite the inner surface, an emitter terminal contacting the source region and the body region on the front surface, and a gate terminal contacting the gate element.
US08878591B2
According to an exemplary implementation, a level shifter includes a low voltage circuit and a high voltage circuit. The low voltage circuit is configured to provide a differential signal to the high voltage circuit through a capacitive isolation barrier. The high voltage circuit is configured to receive the differential signal from the low voltage circuit through the capacitive isolation barrier so as to level shift the differential signal from a first ground of the low voltage circuit to a second ground of the high voltage circuit. The high voltage circuit is further configured to provide a feedback signal to the low voltage circuit through the capacitive isolation barrier. The low voltage circuit can be configured to receive the feedback signal from the low voltage circuit between edges of the differential signal.
US08878587B1
An interface circuit for driving a fully-differential circuit has a first circuit configured to decrease the voltage at its output in response to an increase in an average value of first and second input voltages. A first network receives the first input voltage and the output voltage of the first circuit to provide a first output voltage for driving the fully-differential circuit. A second network receives the second input voltage and the output voltage of the first circuit to provide a second output voltage for driving the fully-differential circuit. An impedance ratio of the first network is substantially matched to an impedance ratio of the second network.
US08878586B2
A clock synchronization system and method avoids output clock jitter at high frequencies and also achieves a smooth phase transition at the boundary of the coarse and fine delays. The system may use a single coarse delay line configured to generate two intermediate clocks from the input reference clock and having a fixed phase difference therebetween. The coarse delay line may have a hierarchical or a non-hierarchical structure. A phase mixer receives these two intermediate clocks and generates the final output clock having a phase between the phases of the intermediate clocks. The coarse shifting in the delay line at high clock frequencies does not affect the phase relationship between the intermediate clocks fed into the phase mixer. The output clock from the phase mixer is time synchronized with the input reference clock and does not exhibit any jitter or noise even at high clock frequency inputs. Because of the rules governing abstracts, this abstract should not be used to construe the claims.
US08878585B2
A slicer includes a first latch. The first latch includes an evaluating transistor configured to receive a first clock signal. The first latch further includes a developing transistor configured to receive a second clock signal, wherein the first clock signal is different from the second clock signal. The first latch further includes a first input transistor configured to receive a first input. The first latch further includes a second input transistor configured to receive a second input, wherein the first and second input transistors are connected with the developing transistor. The first latch further includes at least one pre-charging transistor configured to receive a third clock signal, wherein the at least one pre-charging transistor is connected to a first output node and a second output node. The slicer further includes a second latch connected to the first and second output nodes and to a third output node.
US08878577B2
A system and method are provided for frequency multiplication jitter correction. The method accepts an analog reference signal having a first frequency, and using the analog reference signal, derives a system clock signal having a second frequency, greater than the first frequency. A PLL using a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is one example of a frequency multiplier. The method samples the amplitude of the analog reference signal using the system clock signal and converts the sampled analog reference signal into a digitized reference signal. In response to comparing the digitized reference signal to an ideal digitized reference signal, the phase error correction for the system clock signal is derived. The phase error correction at a first instance of time can be applied to the digitized data signal, previously converted from an analog data signal sampled at a first instance of time with the system clock signal.
US08878575B1
A noise reduction filter is inserted between the source and non-linear transmission line (NLTL) in a frequency multiplier to improve phase noise performance. The noise reduction filter is suitably coupled directly to the input of the NLTL. The noise reduction filter and the output BPF are suitably low complexity filters.
US08878573B2
A voltage controlled switching element gate drive circuit makes it possible to suppress an occurrence of a malfunction, while suppressing surge voltage, surge current, and switching noise, when switching in a voltage controlled switching element. A gate drive circuit that supplies a gate voltage to the gate of a voltage controlled switching element, thus driving the voltage controlled switching element, includes a high potential side switching element and low potential side switching element connected in series, first variable resistors interposed between at least the high potential side switching element and a high potential power supply or the low potential side switching element and a low potential power supply, and a control circuit that adjusts the resistance values of the first variable resistors.
US08878569B1
A detector circuit is disclosed that detects bus signal conditions. To detect a START condition, asynchronous sequential logic detects a first bus signal transition (e.g., from high to low) and a second bus signal (e.g., a high signal). The outputs of the asynchronous sequential logic are combined to produce a START signal that can be latched, so that the START signal can be used to wake up a system or for other purposes. To detect a STOP condition, asynchronous sequential logic is set by a transition (e.g., low to high) of the first bus signal and a second bus signal (e.g., a high signal), producing a STOP signal that can be used to reset the asynchronous sequential logic and the latch.
US08878565B2
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device that includes a first transistor unit coupled to the data terminal, and a plurality of second transistor units coupled to the calibration terminal. The first transistor unit includes a plurality of first transistors having a first conductivity type connected in parallel to each other so that an impedance of the first transistor unit is adjustable. Each of the second transistor units includes a plurality of second transistors having the first conductivity type connected in parallel to each other so that an impedance of each of the second transistor units is adjustable. The semiconductor device further includes an impedance control circuit that reflects the impedance of each of the second transistor units to the first transistor unit.
US08878553B2
A headrest position adjusting device 100 includes a distance measuring device 10 and a drive motor unit 30. The distance measuring device 10 includes a plurality of sensing electrodes 11 to 15 and a detecting circuit 20. The detecting circuit 20 includes a plurality of capacitance sensing circuits 21 to 25 connected one-to-one to the sensing electrodes 11 to 15, and an arithmetic processing circuit 28. The drive motor unit 30 includes a motor driving circuit and a drive motor. Based on the detected capacitance values, the detecting circuit 20 calculates a difference value between a capacitance value of the sensing electrode which shows the largest capacitance value and the capacitance value of the sensing electrode which shows the lowest capacitance value, and thereby measures an electrode-head distance L. A position adjusting operation for a headrest 43 is performed based on the measurement result.
US08878548B2
Disclosed is an apparatus for estimating a property of a fluid. The apparatus includes: a piezoelectric resonator configured to be disposed in the fluid; an electrode embedded in the piezoelectric resonator and included in a resonator circuit configured to output an electrical signal related to the property; a discontinuity defined by a surface of the piezoelectric resonator, the discontinuity altering an impedance of the resonator circuit if a high-dielectric fluid or a conductive fluid is disposed in the discontinuity; and an insulating material disposed in the discontinuity.
US08878542B2
A method for dealing with faults in an electrical drive system having an electrical machine and a pulse-controlled inverter which has a first and a second supply connection, the method including the steps of: detecting a first fault in the electrical drive system; selecting a first of a large number of circuit states (22, 23, 24) of the pulse-controlled inverter according to the detected first fault; and driving the pulse-controlled inverter to set the first circuit state (23), with the circuit states (22, 23, 24) including a short circuit (23) between the power connections of the electrical machine and the first supply connection, a short circuit (24) between the power connections of the electrical machine and the second power connection, and a free-running mode (22).
US08878518B2
A mode detector in a sensor interface is configured to detect a mode specified by a mode signal when an input signal received from a side of a first terminal is the mode signal. A communication portion in the interface transmits an electric signal, obtained from a sensor circuit, to a side of a second terminal when a mode detected with the detector is a sensor output mode. The communication portion receives an input signal from the side of the first terminal while transmitting an output signal to the side of the second terminal, when a mode detected with the detector is a communication mode.
US08878515B1
A constant current is provided to an energizing coil in a magnetic detector by charging a capacitor through a resistor from a high voltage source. Discharging of the capacitor into the energizing coil quickly increases current in the energizing coil. After the capacitor is switched off, a low voltage source maintains current constant in the energizing coil. The coil discharges its energy as a negative voltage to the capacitor. A high negative voltage source tops off the capacitor. After a delay, the capacitor discharges a negative current into the energizing coil. A negative low voltage source maintains the negative current. The negative voltage source is disconnected, and the coil discharges positive voltage into the capacitor. The high voltage source tops off the capacitor with positive voltage to repeat the cycle.
US08878497B2
An image processing apparatus, including: a rechargeable battery that includes a temperature detecting terminal from which temperature status of the rechargeable battery is obtained; a connector that supplies electric power to charge the rechargeable battery; a battery charge unit that controls the electric power and charges the rechargeable battery via the connector; a control unit that controls the battery charge unit and operation of the image processing apparatus; and a switch unit that switches a connection of the temperature detecting terminal among the battery charge unit and the control unit.
US08878486B2
Various embodiments of a battery pack, a mobile terminal having such a battery pack, and related methods are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, a battery pack for a mobile terminal may include a battery cell, a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the battery cell, a charge detector configured to detect whether the battery cell is charged above a predetermined level, and a first connector terminal configured to electrically connect to the mobile terminal.
US08878482B2
A power converting apparatus includes a timing signal generator and a phase determination signal generator provided in an ON/OFF signal generating unit as well as a detected current correction unit. On the basis of timing signals ts1, . . . and phase determination signals ph1, . . . , the power converting apparatus determines detected current values and phases of the detected current values fed from a DC bus current sensor at timings set in accordance with the timing signals and corrects the detected current values idc1, . . . for the individual phases obtained at the individual timings during PWM cycles to represent values which would be obtained at reference timing t0 to thereby reduce errors caused by differences in the current detecting timings for the individual phases.
US08878481B2
A system and method for limiting engine starting current of a starter motor of an engine is described. In one example, starter motor current is controlled according to vehicle speed. The method may allow vehicle system voltage to remain at a higher level during automatically initiated engine starts.
US08878477B2
An electric motor driving apparatus having a failure detection circuit includes: a bridge circuit driving an electric motor; a PWM control circuit generating voltage instruction for driving the electric motor; a PWM signal generation circuit generating a PWM signal; a DC current detection circuit detecting DC current of the bridge circuit; a phase current calculation circuit calculating output phase current of the bridge circuit, based on the DC current and PWM signal; and a failure detection circuit detecting failure of the DC current detection circuit. The failure detection circuit determines failure of the DC current detection circuit from the DC current detected values in a zero voltage period in which the high-potential-side arms of the bridge circuit are all ON and in a zero voltage period in which the low-potential-side arms are all ON.
US08878471B2
In a control apparatus for an AC electric motor, a dq axis current feedback control unit 44 and a qn axis current feedback control unit 46 execute a feedback control of higher harmonic components of actual currents id and iq flowing in an AC electric machine 10 to higher harmonic current instruction values Σidkr and Σiqkr. A d axis current instruction value adjusting unit 24 and a q axis current instruction value adjusting unit 26 add the higher harmonic current instruction values Σidkr and Σiqkr to fundamental current instruction values idr and iqr. Ad axis current feedback control unit 32 and a q axis current feedback control unit 34 execute a feedback control of a difference between the actual currents id and iq and the sum of the higher harmonic current instruction values Σidkr, Σiqkr and the fundamental current instruction values idr and iqr into zero.
US08878464B2
A laser accelerator driven electronic brachytherapy system, device, and method for particle based treatment of a tumor or other human diseases and conditions.
US08878463B2
An LED lamp control circuit comprises a rectifier circuit, an LED light source load, a constant current circuit, and a first temperature detect switch circuit. The LED light source load comprises at least one group of LEDs. The constant current circuit comprises at least one group of constant current source components, each of which is connected to at least one group of LEDs in the LED light source load and comprises a depletion mode field effect transistor. The first temperature detect switch circuit is connected to an input end of a power source, and comprises a first normally closed temperature detect switch mounted on a radiator. When the temperature of the radiator exceeds the disconnection temperature of the first normally closed temperature detect switch, the first normally closed temperature detect switch is disconnected, so as to cut off the power supply of the LED light source load.
US08878456B2
A filter device (10) for filtering high-frequency interferences, such as due to switching flanks of a DC converter, has a current path (4) between an input (2) and an output (3), and an inductor (L) in the current path (4), wherein the inductor (L) is disposed in the current path (4) as a first component and is connected to the input (2), and wherein a reverse polarity protective diode (D) is disposed in series with the inductor (L) downstream thereto.
US08878447B2
A load control device, such as an electronic ballast, for controlling the power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load, such as one or more fluorescent lamps, comprises a power converter having an inductor and a power switching device coupled to the inductor, a load control circuit adapted to be coupled to the electrical load, and a control circuit operable to calculate an average input power of the load control device. The control circuit may be operable to calculate a cumulative output power of the power converter while the ballast is preheating filaments of the lamps, and to subsequently determine a fault condition in the lamps in response to the calculated cumulative output power of the power converter. Further, the control circuit may be operable to transmit a digital message including the calculated average input power of the load control device.
US08878445B2
Short circuit failures and open circuit failures of light-emitting elements used for the backlight in an LCD panel can be reliably and easily detected. The voltage at the node between each series-connected light-emitting element array and a drive circuit is detected as a monitored voltage. A maximum detector detects the highest and a minimum detector detects the lowest of these monitored voltages. Short circuit or open circuit failure of a light-emitting element is detected by comparing the voltage difference between the maximum detector output and the minimum detector output with a specific reference voltage.
US08878443B2
An array of LEDs having output light in different wavelength ranges. A control circuit connected to the array includes a temperature variable resistance component and a switch selectively connecting the component to the array. The control circuit limits the current applied to at least some of the LEDs during initial energization of the LEDs prior to steady-state operation of the LEDs. Variations over time of a color correlated temperature (CCT) of output light of the energized array are reduced.
US08878441B2
A display device 1 includes light emitting sections 36, 37 of different luminous colors disposed between anode and cathode electrodes, current control units 34, 35 for controlling currents supplied to the light emitting sections 36, 37 to desired current levels, respectively, and an emergency power supply for supplying a current to the current control units 34, 35 in an emergency in which a commercial power source does not perform a desired function. When operated by the emergency power supply, the current control units turn on and off the light emitting sections 36, 37 of different luminous colors such that they are turned on during different periods of time. When the emergency power supply is used, the display device 1 controls turning on of the planar light emitting element using an organic EL light emitting element depending on luminous colors thereof, thereby suppressing the power consumption of the emergency power supply.
US08878440B2
An illumination system can provide at least a first state and a second state of a luminaire equipped with at least one lighting subsystem. In the first state, the luminous intensity of the lighting subsystem is controlled based on the occurrence of a detected solar event or the occurrence of an expected solar event. In the second state, the luminous intensity of the lighting subsystem forms a visually distinct pattern based on the detection of atmospheric electrical activity exceeding a defined threshold by an electrical activity sensor disposed within the luminaire. The visually distinctive luminous output can alert persons within line of sight of the luminaire of the proximity of threatening atmospheric electrical activity.
US08878427B2
The spark plug has a configuration satisfying the relationships of B≧0.7A and 0.3 mm≦A≦0.6 mm, where B is an axial thickness along the central axis line Q of the weld portion formed between the base material electrode and the noble-metal chip, and A is an axial distance along the central axis line Q between the intersection points P3 and X. The intersection point P3 is a point at which a phantom axis line radially distant from the central axis line Q by D/2 (D being a diameter of the noble-metal chip) intersects with the boundary line between the weld portion and the noble-metal chip. The intersection point X is a point at which an extension of the contour line of the base material electrode in the vicinity of the weld portion intersects with a boundary line between the weld portion and the base material electrode.
US08878423B2
Disclosed is a light-emitting device, including an LED light source and a light diffusion element. The light diffusion element, covering at least a part of the LED light source, is composed of a first polymer, a second polymer, or a blend of them. The first polymer has a larger crystal diameter than that of the second polymer. The first polymer is made of polypropylene or ethylene-propylene copolymer. The second polymer is made of polyethylene, polypropylene, or ethylene-propylene copolymer. A blend of certain ratios of the first and second polymer gives rise of an excellent material that has improved light diffusion. This material can be widely adopted to current light fixtures for its evenly distributed lighting and great brightness.
US08878418B2
A thermoelectric generator including a membrane maintained by lateral ends and capable of taking a first shape when its temperature reaches a first threshold and a second shape when its temperature reaches a second threshold greater than the first threshold; and mechanism capable of converting the motions and the deformations of the membrane into electricity.
US08878415B2
Permanent magnet synchronous machines (100) are described having good efficiency, as well as corresponding methods for making a stator (110) or stator teeth (114) for such machines. A method for fabricating a stator (110) for an axial flux permanent magnet synchronous machine is for example described comprising obtaining several sets of substantially identical laminates (302), and stacking the sets of substantially identical laminates (302) so that a subsequent laminate has a part overlapping (304) the previous laminate and a part not overlapping (306) the previous laminate. Alternatively, a method of manufacturing a stator (110) is described wherein the method comprises obtaining a set of laminates (302) connected to each other with a thin strip (402) of material and creating a stack by folding the laminates (302) along the thin strip (402) of material. The stator teeth (114) can furthermore be fabricated such that the air gap (602) that is formed between the stator tooth and the permanent magnets changes along the radial direction.
US08878409B2
A rotor has a rotor body for rotation about a shaft. A plurality of permanent magnets are spaced circumferentially about the rotor body. A containment band is positioned radially outwardly of the permanent magnets. The containment band has a containment band coefficient of thermal expansion. The permanent magnets have a permanent magnet coefficient of thermal expansion, taken parallel to a magnetic alignment. A ratio of the containment band coefficient of thermal expansion to the permanent magnet coefficient of thermal expansion is less than or equal to 1.15.
US08878406B2
A stator includes a stator core having a plurality of slot segments, a plurality of stator winding conductors arranged in select ones of the plurality of slot segments, a jumper conductor interconnecting select ones of the plurality of stator winding conductors to form one or more stator windings, a common conductor connected to at least one of the stator winding conductors, a phase conductor connected to corresponding ones of the one or more stator windings, and a composite sleeve provided on at least one of the jumper conductor, the common conductor, and the phase conductor. The composite sleeve includes a first sleeve, and a second sleeve positioned about the first sleeve. One of the first and second sleeves is formed from a compressed amide synthetic fiber. The first and second sleeves cooperate to provide protection for the conductor from external elements.
US08878404B2
In an arrangement for cooling an electrical machine, the electrical machine includes a rotor and a stator located at the end of an air gap from the rotor. The rotor includes at least one axial cooling channel originating from the first end of the rotor that is connected to at least two axially successive cooling channels that are substantially radial within the rotor. The stator is made of sheets using axially successive core modules. The stator includes a radial cooling channel between two core modules. Gaseous cooling agent is led to the cooling channels of the rotor and stator from the end of the rotor. The outer surface of the stator core module includes a cooling jacket by the length (L) of the stator core module at maximum, and liquid cooling agent is led to the cooling jacket.
US08878400B2
A VCM is disclosed, the VCM including a base formed with an opening; a bobbin arranged on an upper surface of the base and mounted with a lens therein; a plurality of magnets secured on the base to face a periphery of the bobbin; a coil block encompassing each magnet and the bobbin, and secured to a part of the bobbin exposed between the magnets; and a cover can encompassing the magnets and the coil block.
US08878396B2
A continuous grounding system for use in an alternating current system including a transformer is disclosed. The system includes a switch assembly connected between a transformer neutral of a transformer and a ground, the switch assembly having an open position and a closed position, the open position disrupting the path through the switch assembly between the electrical connection and the transformer neutral, and the closed position establishing a path connecting the electrical connection to the transformer neutral through the switch assembly, wherein in normal operation of the alternating current electrical device the switch assembly remains in a closed position. The system also includes a DC blocking component positioned in parallel with the switch assembly and connected between the transformer neutral and the ground. The system further includes a control circuit configured to control the switch assembly, the control circuit including a sensor configured to actuate the switch assembly to an open position upon detection of a predetermined harmonic signal threshold at one of the transformer phases or a predetermined threshold of DC current between the transformer neutral and ground.
US08878391B2
A system for reducing inrush current in a three phase utility transformer upon energization of the transformer by an applied three phase voltage utilizes a pre-flux circuit for establishing residual flux levels in the core segments of the primary windings of the transformer which are near the prospective flux levels established in the core segments by the applied voltage. The pre-flux circuit includes a pre-fluxing capacitor which, after being charged to a predetermined voltage level, is discharged serially through two of the primary windings to establish the predetermined flux levels in the core segments of the two windings, and a reduced flux level in the core segment of the remaining primary winding. The transformer is energized at the instant of positively-referenced peak phase voltage to the third primary winding such that prospective and residual flux approach a near-equal level in all three core segments and inrush current is reduced. The method may be applied to the secondary or tertiary windings instead of the primary windings. Additionally, an alternative method allows application of the pre-fluxing circuit to a delta-connected set of transformer windings.
US08878389B2
At least one aspect of the invention is directed to an uninterruptible power supply. The uninterruptible power supply includes a first input having an input line connection and an input neutral connection to receive a first input voltage from a first voltage source, a second input having a positive input connection and a negative input connection to receive a second input voltage from a second voltage source, a boost circuit configured to provide a positive output DC voltage with respect to the input neutral connection and a negative output DC voltage with respect to the input neutral connection in both a line mode of operation and a backup mode of operation, a first connection circuit configured to couple the first input to the boost circuit in the line mode of operation, and configured to couple the second input to the boost circuit in the backup mode of operation, and a second connection circuit configured to couple a midpoint of the boost circuit to the input neutral connection in the line mode of operation and to couple the midpoint of the boost circuit to the positive input connection in battery mode of operation.
US08878382B2
A power generation system or turbine with energy gain (turgain) comprising an enclosure and a rotor with potential energy gain that efficiently converts a predetermined mass to kinetic energy; and use the energy having a zero emission to power the generators for what further is a scalable, clean, renewable, reliable, affordable, and practical power (scrrapp) system with the potential to boosts a sustainable economic growth and cost-effectively address climate change.
US08878374B2
A system and method to converting mechanical rotational energy of an aircraft input shaft of a transmission to electrical energy. The system includes an alternator having an inductor carried by the aircraft transmission and a magnet carried by the aircraft input shaft. The input shaft rotates the magnet in relation to the inductor, which in turn converts the mechanical rotational energy to electrical energy.
US08878363B2
An interlayer is used to reduce Fermi-level pinning phenomena in a semiconductive device with a semiconductive substrate. The interlayer may be a rare-earth oxide. The interlayer may be an ionic semiconductor. A metallic barrier film may be disposed between the interlayer and a metallic coupling. The interlayer may be a thermal-process combination of the metallic barrier film and the semiconductive substrate. A process of forming the interlayer may include grading the interlayer. A computing system includes the interlayer.
US08878352B2
A system and method for packaging semiconductor dies is provided. An embodiment comprises a first package with a first contact and a second contact. A post-contact material is formed on the first contact in order to adjust the height of a joint between the contact pad a conductive bump. In another embodiment a conductive pillar is utilized to control the height of the joint between the contact pad and external connections.
US08878342B2
Various embodiments of the present invention are direct to nanoscale, reconfigurable, memristor devices. In one aspect, a memristor device comprises an electrode (301,303) and an alloy electrode (502,602). The device also includes an active region (510,610) sandwiched between the electrode and the alloy electrode. The alloy electrode forms dopants in a sub-region of the active region adjacent to the alloy electrode. The active region can be operated by selectively positioning the dopants within the active region to control the flow of charge carriers between the electrode and the alloy electrode.
US08878341B2
Disclosed herein is a composite material comprising a relaxor ferroelectric material and a hydrazine-reduced graphene oxide, wherein the weight ratio of the composite material to the hydrazine-reduced graphene oxide is 9:1 to 200:1. The composite materials have high dielectric permittivity and low dielectric losses and can be used to manufacture various high dielectric permittivity components.
US08878340B1
Devices or systems that include a composite thermal capacitor disposed in thermal communication with a hot spot of the device, methods of dissipating thermal energy in a device or system, and the like, are provided herein. In particular, the device includes a composite thermal capacitor including a phase change material and a high thermal conductivity material in thermal communication with the phase change material. The high thermal conductivity material is also in thermal communication with an active regeneration cooling device. The heat from the composite thermal capacitor is dissipated by the active regeneration cooling device.
US08878330B2
An integrated circuit containing a voltage divider having an upper resistor of unsilicided gate material over field oxide around a central opening and a drift layer under the upper resistor, an input terminal coupled to an input node of the upper resistor adjacent to the central opening in the field oxide and coupled to the drift layer through the central opening, a sense terminal coupled to a sense node on the upper resistor opposite from the input node, a lower resistor with a sense node coupled to the sense terminal and a reference node, and a reference terminal coupled to the reference node. A process of forming the integrated circuit containing the voltage divider.
US08878323B2
A MTJ for a spintronic device is disclosed and includes a thin seed layer that enhances perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in an overlying laminated layer with a (Co/Ni)n composition or the like where n is from 2 to 30. The seed layer is preferably NiCr, NiFeCr, Hf, or a composite thereof with a thickness from 10 to 100 Angstroms. Furthermore, a magnetic layer such as CoFeB may be formed between the laminated layer and a tunnel barrier layer to serve as a transitional layer between a (111) laminate and (100) MgO tunnel barrier. There may be a Ta insertion layer between the CoFeB layer and laminated layer to promote (100) crystallization in the CoFeB layer. The laminated layer may be used as a reference layer, dipole layer, or free layer in a MTJ. Annealing between 300° C. and 400° C. may be used to further enhance PMA in the laminated layer.
US08878322B2
A perovskite manganese oxide thin film formed on a substrate that allows a first order phase transition and has A-site ordering. The thin film contains Ba and a rare earth element in the A sites of a perovskite crystal lattice and has an (m10) orientation for which m=2n, and 9≧n≧1. A method for manufacturing the film includes forming in a controlled atmosphere using laser ablation an atomic layer or thin film that assumes a pyramidal structure having oxygen-deficient sites in a plane containing the rare earth element and oxygen; and filling the oxygen-deficient sites with oxygen. The controlled atmosphere has an oxygen partial pressure controlled to a thermodynamically required value for creating oxygen deficiencies and contains a gas other than oxygen, and has a total pressure that is controlled to a value at which the A sites have a fixed compositional ratio.
US08878314B2
A MEMS device structure including a lateral electrical via encased in a cap layer and a method for manufacturing the same. The MEMS device structure includes a cap layer positioned on a MEMS device layer. The cap layer covers a MEMS device and one or more MEMS device layer electrodes in the MEMS device layer. The cap layer includes at least one cap layer electrode accessible from the surface of the cap layer. An electrical via is encased in the cap layer extending across a lateral distance from the cap layer electrode to the one or more MEMS device layer electrodes. An isolating layer is positioned around the electrical via to electrically isolate the electrical via from the cap layer.
US08878313B2
A pressure sensor has a sensor body at least partly formed with an electrically insulating material, particularly a ceramic material, defining a cavity facing on which is a diaphragm provided with an electric detector element, configured for detecting a bending of the diaphragm. The sensor body supports a circuit arrangement, including, a plurality of circuit components, among which is an integrated circuit, for treating a signal generated by the detection element. The circuit arrangement includes tracks made of electrically conductive material directly deposited on a surface of the sensor body made of electrically insulating material. The integrated circuit is made up of a die made of semiconductor material directly bonded onto the surface of the sensor body and the die is connected to respective tracks by means of wire bonding, i.e. by means of thin connecting wires made of electrically conductive material.
US08878312B2
An apparatus including a bypass structure for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) and/or microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices, and method for fabricating such apparatus, is disclosed. An exemplary apparatus includes a first substrate; a second substrate that includes a MEMS device; an insulator disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; and an electrical bypass structure disposed in the insulator layer that contacts a portion of the first substrate, wherein the electrical bypass structure is electrically isolated from the MEMS device in the second substrate and any device included in the first substrate.
US08878306B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device involves process for forming gate insulating films of different thickness on a semiconductor substrate, depositing films that constitute a gate electrode, removing the gate insulating films having different thickness formed on an impurity diffusion region surface of a transistor including the gate electrode, and doping impurities into a portion where the gate insulating film is removed.
