US09043474B2
Users of various devices may participate in communication sessions, but only if the interfaces and components of such devices feature a minimum set of capabilities involved in the communication session type; e.g., in order to participate in a teleconference, the device of every user has to be capable of sending and receiving audio. Instead, a communication session server may automatically convert session items received from each user into interface-specific representations for each other user, based on the capabilities of the interface and device of the other user. For example, speech recognition may transform speech to text output; speech synthesis may transform text input to speech; and video recognition may identify individuals and gestures in a video stream and represent this information as text. The server may therefore host a “mixed” communication session, where each user may fully participate irrespective of the capabilities of the chosen device and interface.
US09043470B2
Methods and systems for allocating memory of user terminals are disclosed. A user terminal may determine a weight for one or more categories, each category being associated with Internet information to be broadcast. The user terminal also may determine an available memory size of memory and may allocate memory to the one or more categories for storing the Internet information based on the weights and the available memory size.
US09043464B1
The disclosed subject matter relates to computer-implemented methods for automatically grouping resources, such as electronic files, websites, applications, and the like, that are accessed by a user. In one aspect, the disclosed subject matter relates to automatically displaying frequently accessed websites in website groups. One approach to defining the groups is to consider websites that are accessed within a certain amount of time to belong to a particular group. Website group graphics can be generated which point to the various groups of websites. The website group graphic for a grouping of websites can be used to access the websites that are a part of that grouping.
US09043439B2
A system for streaming packet captures over the Internet includes multiple network access devices, each operating as one of a gateway device, a wireless access point, and a network switch, and a management server communicatively coupled to the network access devices over the Internet for managing the network access devices. The management server maintains a persistent hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) connection with each of the network access devices over the Internet. The management server is to generate a bytecode based on a filtering expression for packet captures (PCAPs) representing one or more PCAPs filtering rules, transmit the bytecode to the network access devices without requiring the network access devices to compile the PCAPs filtering rules, receive PCAPs from the network access devices captured by the network access devices based on the PCAPs filtering rules, and merge the PCAPs received from the network access devices into merged PCAPs.
US09043438B2
The invention provides for the connection of a plurality of remote applications with a data source, to maximize the speed and reliability of data transfer. An interface module interfaces with a remote application such as a web browser. A port module interfaces between interface module and a data source. A connection manager facilitates the interface between the interface module and the port module. The port module detects the unavailability of the data source in response to an initial request for the data source by the remote application. The port module may then dynamically detect the availability of the data source in response to a subsequent request for the data source and re-connect to the data source to the remote application in response to the subsequent request without having to reinitialize the connection manager.
US09043437B2
Methods and systems for coordinating provisions of storage service for clients are provided. For each storage provider of a set of storage providers, a service-provider database stores a metric characterizing a property of a service provided by the service provider. The storage providers are independently owned and operated relative to each other. The metrics are repeatedly updated. A selection engine repeatedly selects a service provider from the set of service providers to store a content object of a client of the content delivery system. The selection is based on the repeatedly updated metrics for the set of service providers. For each service provider selected by the selection engine to store the content object of the client, a service manager coordinates with the service provider such that the service provider stores the content object of the client.
US09043436B2
Distributing licensed content across multiple devices, including: identifying, by a mobile device, licensed content being presented by a local presentation device; determining, by the mobile device, whether the mobile device is eligible to receive the licensed content; requesting, by the mobile device, a license for the licensed content being presented by the local presentation device; receiving, by the mobile device, the license for the licensed content being presented by the local presentation device; receiving, by the mobile device, licensed content for mobile device presentation; and presenting, by the mobile device, the licensed content for mobile device presentation.
US09043430B2
Using logical block addresses with generation numbers as data fingerprints for network deduplication
The technique introduced here involves using a block address and a corresponding generation number as a “fingerprint” to uniquely identify a sequence of data within a given storage domain. Each block address has an associated generation number which indicates the number of times that data at that block address has been modified. This technique can be employed, for example, to determine whether a given storage server already has the data, and to avoid sending the data to that storage server over a network if it already has the data. It can also be employed to maintain cache coherency among multiple storage nodes.
US09043424B2
A system, apparatus, and method for controlling the operation of a service in a client device. The invention uses an existing protocol which is used for communications between an application resident in the device and a remote server to convey information about the service to the application. The information may be relevant to a service specific function, such as configuration or provisioning, or an activation or de-activation instruction, for example. The application receives the service related information, processes the information and then provides the information to the service via a notification channel. The service related information may be incorporated into a message sent from the remote server to the client device by using an element of the protocol, for example, by appending a text string to a header.
US09043413B2
Enriching emails includes: receiving a user's email messages; performing a semantic analysis on the email message body; deriving a plurality of objects of interest; associating search-based content with the objects of interest; ranking the objects of interest; and outputting the ranked objects with the search-based content into a current email message of the user.
US09043411B2
A compose form for drafting a message is presented inline within a window along with a message list. For example, instead of overlaying the message application's user interface (UI) with a new window for composing a message, the compose form is displayed within a portion of the window reserved for viewing content of messages. While composing the message using the compose form, the rest of the message application's UI remains visible and accessible to the user. For example, the user may navigate to another folder and/or move to another message/conversation by interacting with the tree view/message list view. A draft of the message being composed may be automatically saved when the user navigates away from the compose form (e.g. by selecting another conversation in the list view).
US09043410B2
An instant messaging client application is executed on a first terminal, to participate in threads of instant messaging between user terminals over a packet-based network, each thread comprising exchanging text-based messages between the user terminals of a selected group of contacts comprising the first user and at least one second user. A digital record of the messages is maintained in a data storage medium. A further text-based message is received from one of the second terminals over the packet-based network, comprising a citation of a cited one of the text-based messages previously transmitted over the packet-based communication network and stored in the storage medium. The further message is processed at the first terminal so as, by reference to the storage medium, to recover a context of the cited message in relation to others of the text-based messages in the respective thread.
US09043407B1
An interactive chat-bot user interface to a communication-enabled business process (CEBP) application is provided. The user interface receives instant message commands from a user. The received instant message commands are parsed and transformed into commands formatted according to the application programming interface of the CEBP application. Feedback or other output from the CEBP application can be provided to the user by the interactive interface in an instant message. In addition, the interface can participate in a dialog with the user, all in the natural language of the user and using instant messages, in order to obtain the instructions and parameter information required by the CEBP application in order to perform a requested operation.
US09043402B2
This disclosure concerns novel tools and techniques for distributing status information, including without limitation status information about commercial equipment. In some cases, a status monitoring device can be attached to, incorporated within, or otherwise placed in communication with a piece of commercial equipment. The status monitoring device can monitor the status of the equipment and communicate that status. Some of the discloses tools and techniques employ a social networking infrastructure to convey information (such as status information about a piece of equipment).
US09043399B2
A disclosed transmission management system includes a receiver unit to receive alteration information for altering a communication status of a first transmission terminal from the first transmission terminal that communicates with a second transmission terminal to exchange content data, a terminal management unit to manage first status information indicating the communication status of the first transmission terminal, an acquisition unit to acquire the first status information from the terminal management unit in a case where the receiver unit receives the alteration information for altering the communication status of the first transmission terminal, and an alteration unit to alter the first status information managed by the terminal management unit, based on the alteration information for altering the communication status of the first transmission terminal received by the receiver unit and the first status information acquired by the acquisition unit.
US09043398B2
The problem of abuse of privileges at cloud-hosted service sites is addressed at the sign-up stage by identifying suspicious or abusive users and preventing them from signing up in the first place. This approach may utilize a relatively small initial data set based on the recognition that while abusers' profiles are mutable and difficult to characterize stably—abusers will deliberately shift their usage patterns to evade detection—a site's legitimate users tend to have similar and stable characteristics; that is, such characteristics are “cohesive” across cloud-hosted service (e.g., social media) sites and their users. The information gleaned from analysis of this small data set can be applied to a much larger, unsorted data set to obtain profiling criteria based on a large population for statistical reliability.
US09043394B2
Provided is a system and method to accomplish system messaging in SIP by introducing a new content in the form of MIME body and a new feature tag to the existing SIP framework, for transmitting service specific information and receiving the user response. System Messages may contain a list of possible options and require a response from the user.
US09043389B2
Flow control is applied to increasing the performance of a browser while pre-fetching Web objects while operating over bandwidth constrained links to increase the level of concurrency, thus reducing contention for limited bandwidth resources with increased levels of concurrency. Using an agent or a gateway to speed up its Internet transactions over bandwidth constrained connections to source servers. Assisting a browser in the fetching of objects in such a way that an object is ready and available locally before the browser requires it, without suffering congestion on any bandwidth constrained link. Providing seemingly instantaneous availability of objects to a browser enabling it to complete processing the object to request the next object without much wait.
US09043386B2
The present invention relates to systems and method for synchronizing collaborative web applications, such as collaborative form filling using a message bus server and HTTP protocol. The method includes delivering compatible plug-ins to a first and a second user so that the users may substantially simultaneously access compatible plug-ins and operate the plug-ins in a coordinated substantially synchronized manner for modifying and/or observing a common file. The process includes delivering a collaborative form to the users. Following the modification of the collaborative form by one of the users, the modification is communicated to a different user. The communication is substantially simultaneous with the modification and takes place by serializing the modification to string and sending the string using HTTP.
US09043385B1
The present invention relates to systems, apparatus, and methods of scanning a response to a first HTTP request for a web page in order to identify a web object for prefetching, and using a static tracker to identify and improve results. In one potential alternative embodiment, after a response is scanned a web object may be prefetched to a proxy server prior to a browser requesting the web object. The proxy server may observe one or more HTTP requests that are associated with the response to the first HTTP request for the web page and measure the success of the prefetching. After success is measured for the specific instance of the web object and the web page, a success rate for prefetching or not prefetching the web object as associated with the web page may be updated.
US09043380B2
A data processing system arranged for receiving over a network, according to a data transfer protocol, data directed to any of a plurality of destination identities, the data processing system comprising: data storage for storing data received over the network; and a first processing arrangement for performing processing in accordance with the data transfer protocol on received data in the data storage, for making the received data available to respective destination identities; and a response former arranged for: receiving a message requesting a response indicating the availability of received data to each of a group of destination identities; and forming such a response; wherein the system is arranged to, in dependence on receiving the said message.
US09043377B2
A Montgomery inverse calculation device includes a plurality of registers each storing a value of a variable, a modulus register storing a modulus, a multiplier performing multiplication on the modulus. A comparator compares the value of the variable stored in each of the registers with an output value of the multiplier and generates a plurality of control signals. A plurality of shifters shifts bits of a value of a variable stored in a corresponding register among the registers in response to at least one first control signal, and a quotient generation block calculates a quotient of mod 2m with respect to values output from some of the shifters in response to a second control signal. A calculation block calculates an updated value of an output value of each of the shifters using the quotient in response to at least one third control signal.
US09043376B2
Examples disclose a computing system comprising a computing device with a display surface to detect a selection of functionality from a list of functionalities to be disabled on a calculator. Further, the computing device creates a custom configuration based on the selected functionality. Additionally, the examples also disclose a calculator with a processor to integrate the custom configuration, the custom configuration restricts the selected functionality on the calculator.
US09043375B2
A method and system for detecting plagiarism of software source code is disclosed. In one embodiment, a database exists of program elements that have previously been found to be matching within the source code for two different programs. This embodiment searches the Internet for occurrences of these matching program elements to determine how many times they appear and thus whether they are commonly used or not. The elements and their associated number of hits are placed in a spreadsheet for further observation and manipulation. One of skill in the art will see that this invention also applies to other kinds of text documents.
US09043368B2
A method, system, and computer program product for interfacing an R language client with a separate database engine environment. The method commences by interpreting an R language code fragment to identify and select R language constructs and transforming the R language constructs into queries or other database language constructs to execute within the database engine environment. The method further implements techniques for transmitting marshalled results (resulting from the execution of the database language constructs) back to the R client environment. In some situations, the marshalled results include an XML schema or DTD or another metadata description of the structure of the results. User conveniences in the form of transparent database query construction, and transparent exploitation of parallelism is achieved by determining the computation resource requirements of executable language constructs, and mapping the execution to one (or more) of, a local R client, a database engine, or a remote execution engine.
US09043361B2
A method and system for translating data to be migrated from an older legacy database to a newer recipient database. Legacy data elements in the older legacy database are translated to correspond the one or more recipient data elements in the newer recipient database by utilizing a translation table in the older legacy database. The translation table defines recipient data elements in the newer recipient database based upon metadata of the older legacy database. The metadata of the older legacy database describes legacy data fields in the older legacy database. The older legacy database utilizes a first operating system. The newer recipient database utilizes a second operating system that differs from the first operating system. The legacy data elements translated in the older legacy database are used to migrate the legacy data elements translated from the older legacy database to the newer recipient database.
US09043359B2
Certain implementations of the disclosed technology include systems and methods for linking entities in an internal database by utilizing co-convergence and clustering. The method may include clustering database records into a first set of clusters having corresponding first cluster identifications (IDs). The clustering may be based at least in part on determining similarity among corresponding field values. The method may include associating mutually matching database records, by performing at least one matching iteration for each of the database records. The method may include determining similarity among corresponding field values of the database records, re-clustering at least a portion of the database records into a second set of clusters, the re-clustering based at least in part on the associating mutually matching database records and on the determining similarity among corresponding field values of the database records.
US09043358B2
A unified search service may collect information related to an enterprise from at least one of publicly available data and private enterprise data. In some implementations, crowd sourcing may be used to determine a source list of one or more sources of information. Authored content can be generated, such as by combining one or more items of information from the public data with one or more items of information from the private enterprise data. Further, in some implementations, a public index may be generated from the public data, and one or more affiliation indexes may be generated from the private enterprise data. For example, a first affiliation index may contain confidential enterprise information, while a second affiliation index may contain non-confidential enterprise information. A user's affiliation to the enterprise may be taken into consideration when determining which indexes to use when responding to a search request from the user.
US09043352B1
Methods for searching relationships between and among documents are detailed. One method includes steps for selecting one or more initial search items from a group consisting of: (a) document objects, (b) link references to document objects, (c) link reference attributes, and (d) link relationship attributes. The method also includes steps for identifying one or more link relationships using the selected initial search items, and for presenting one or more link relationships attributes describing the identified link relationships. A user interface for presenting and searching relationships between document objects located on a network is also detailed. The user interface may include a first portion of a screen display for displaying one or more link relationship attributes and a second portion of the screen display for displaying one or more entries from a group consisting of: (a) link references that represent the document objects, (b) link relationship attributes describing the link relationships, (c) link reference attributes describing the link references, and (d) document objects. The displayed entries in the second portion of the user interface are related to the displayed one or more link relationship attributes in the first portion.
US09043339B2
A computer system, method, and article of manufacture for extracting a term from electronic document data that includes a text segment. The system includes: a first extraction unit that uses a first text processing information to extract a noun word from the document data; a second extraction unit that uses a second text processing information to extract a term candidate in relation to the noun word or a corpus that includes text data described in the same language used in the document data; a weight assignment unit that uses a third text processing information to select which type to assign a weight from the plurality of types and assigns the weight to the selected type for each noun word and term candidate; a determination unit that determines the type to which the noun word and term candidate belong; and an output unit to output the noun word and term candidate.
US09043334B2
A method for accessing files on a storage system is provided. A hash memory table including a plurality of hash buckets respectively corresponding to a plurality of index hash codes is built. Each of the hash buckets has a pointer pointing towards at least one entry. Each of the entries has a physical address field and a hash code field. The physical address fields respectively record physical addresses storing the files, and the hash code fields respectively record verification hash codes corresponding to the files. The index hash codes are generated by inputting keys of the files to an index hash function and the verification hash codes are generated by inputting keys of the files to a verification hash function. Then, the hash memory table is loaded into the buffer with a bucket-based replacement policy so that the files are able to be accessed according to the hash memory table.
US09043313B2
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system and/or method for providing enhanced content search results based on metrics indicating user affinity for an information site such as a web site. Information on user visits to a particular web site may be accumulated, for example, in connection with a beacon or other tracker placed on the publisher web site. The enhanced content may be provided by the publisher web site or may be generated otherwise.
US09043312B2
Systems and computer program products for identifying symbolic links in network file systems are provided herein. An absolute path may be determined at a network file server. This may include determining a complete client path from an initial client path and combining the complete client path with a server export path. Once the absolute path is determined, it may be traversed using a file descriptor of each file in the absolute path to identify a symbolic link.
US09043309B2
Techniques are provided for a database server to identify a query that comprises an access check operator specifying a data access control policy, and if so, to re-write the query to produce an optimized query execution plan. A first technique rewrites a query comprising an access check operator based on the privileges associated with the database principal requesting the query. The rewritten query exposes the access predicates relevant to the requesting principal to subsequent database optimization processes. A second technique rewrites a query comprising an access check operator that specifies a data security policy that does not include a denied privilege. A third technique rewrites a query that comprises an access check operator specifying one or more database table columns that store row-specific access control lists. The rewritten queries are used to generate a query execution plan that provides for several query execution optimizations.
US09043300B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which an input method editor receives composition inputs in an input method editor environment, the composition inputs based on user inputs. Candidate selections are identified in the input method editor environment based on the composition inputs. Each candidate selection comprises one or more ideograms. The input method editor environment receives a search command based on a user input, and selects one of the candidate selections in response to the search command. The selected candidate selection and the search command are provided to a search engine interface external to the input method editor environment.
US09043296B2
A system and method for offering suggestions to a user of a mobile computing device based on information relevant to the user and a context data. The mobile computing device has access to lists of data associated with the user. The mobile computing device also has a sensor for detecting data about the user's context. Based on the lists of information and the contextual data, the device generates a hypothesis as to information that may be of interest to the user. Using context data in conjunction with lists in this fashion focuses the system on information likely of interest, without requiring express user input. A search may be performed in accordance with the hypothesis. Based on the results of the search, one or more suggestions are then presented by the mobile computing device to the user. The user has the option to provide feedback input to the device resulting in an update of the suggestion.
US09043286B2
A computer device (2010) with a file system having clusters and meta data. The computer device (2010) includes a processor (1030) and a storage (1025) coupled to the processor and having physical representations of instructions so that the processor is operable to reserve (230) at least one of the clusters and to create a log record when meta data for the file system is to be updated by a write (240) of such meta data beforehand to such a reserved cluster, and then set (250) at least one state entry to substantially represent readiness to write the meta data to the file system.
US09043283B2
Database updates to primary and secondary database structures are performed by writing information from a client to both primary and secondary database services and building the database structure at the primary database service while delaying application of data written to the secondary database service until notification at the secondary database service from the primary database service. The primary database service provides notification upon completing the database structure so that the secondary database service can proceed with building the database structure from the information provided by the client or with information provided by the primary database service.
US09043272B2
A system for determining the start of a match of a regular expression has a special state table which contains start state entries and terminal state entries; a plurality of start state registers for storing offset information indicative of the start of a match of the regular expression; a deterministic finite state automaton (DFA) next state table which, given the current state and an input character, returns the next state. The DFA next state table includes a settable indicator for any next state table entry which indicates whether to perform a lookup into the special state table. A compiler loads values into the special state table based on the regular expression.
US09043263B2
In one embodiment, a system includes a data collection system configured to collect a data from a control system by using an offline mode of operations. The system further includes a configuration management system configured to manage a hardware configuration and a software configuration for the control system based on the data. The system additionally includes a rule engine configured to use the data as input and to output a health assessment by using a rule database, and a report generator configured to provide a health assessment for the control system.
US09043261B2
To provide a latent variable model estimation apparatus capable of implementing the model selection at high speed even if the number of model candidates increases exponentially as the latent state number and the kind of the observation probability increase. A variational probability calculating unit 71 calculates a variational probability by maximizing a reference value that is defined as a lower bound of an approximation amount, in which Laplace approximation of a marginalized log likelihood function is performed with respect to an estimator for a complete variable. A model estimation unit 72 estimates an optimum latent variable model by estimating the kind and a parameter of the observation probability with respect to each latent state. A convergence determination unit 73 determines whether a reference value, which is used by the variational probability calculating unit 71 to calculate the variational probability, converges.
US09043257B1
Observation-based user profiling and profile matching are provided. The network behavior of users of a computer-implemented social network are observed and used for user profiling. By observing network behavior instead of necessarily relying on user self-reported data, accurate and objective user profiles can be formed; user profiling is accomplished based on the observed network behaviors with or without the knowledge of the user being profiled. The observed network behaviors can include the customization of a visual graphic, a media preference, a communication preference, or a selection of words from a word list. The user profiles can be with respect to a domain and two or more users can be matched based on their profiles with respect to the same domain. User ratings and profile updating based on the ratings are also provided.
US09043256B2
A method and apparatus for data processing. The method calculates correlations between a plurality of attributes in a dataset. The attributes are factors involved in transaction processing. The method generates a relationship graph by using the plurality of attributes and the correlations between the plurality of attributes; and extracts a sub-graph from the relationship graph to represent a hypothesis. The hypothesis describes the impacts of the factors on the transaction processing. Also provided is an apparatus for implementing the above data processing method.
US09043251B2
An apparatus for recognizing a representative user behavior includes a unit-data extracting unit configured to extract at least one unit data from sensor data, a feature-information extracting unit configured to extract feature information from each of the at least one unit data, a unit-behavior recognizing unit configured to recognize a respective unit behavior for each of the at least one unit data based on the feature information, and a representative-behavior recognizing unit configured to recognize at least one representative behavior based on the respective unit behavior recognized for each of the at least one unit data.
US09043250B2
An apparatus, system and method are introduced for preserving privacy of data in a dataset in a database with a number n of entries. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes memory including computer program code configured to, with a processor, cause the apparatus to form a random matrix of dimension m by n, wherein m is less than n, operate on the dataset with the random matrix to produce a compressed dataset, form a pseudoinverse of the random matrix, and operate on the dataset with the pseudoinverse of the random matrix to produce a decompressed dataset.
US09043236B2
A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. In some operations, software creates, updates, or otherwise processes information related to a financial instrument impairment attribute values analytical result business object.
US09043227B2
A system for viewing shopping information on a social networking platform is disclosed. At the social networking platform, the system receives a request from a user device corresponding to a first user of the social networking platform to view a list of a second user of the social networking platform. The list may include items offered for transaction on a network-based commerce server. In response to receiving the request from the user device, the system forwards the request to the network-based commerce server, and then receives updated information for at least one item on the list from the network-based corner server. Then, the system communicates the updated information received from the network-based commerce server to the user device.
US09043221B1
Apparatus and method for optimizing different amounts of output products derived from an initial biomass material. The method includes obtaining economic data of costs and availability of raw materials and resources, and prices that would be paid for output products derived, performing calculations to determine an optimum amount of each of the output products; and controlling processes that generate the output products. In some embodiments, the processes convert initial biomass materials into intermediate and output products, an economic engine that obtains economic data relating to costs of initial materials and prices that would be paid for output products derived from the raw materials, and performs calculations to determine an optimum amount of each of the output products, and valves that are controlled by the economic engine to route variable amounts of the initial biomass materials to the processes to obtain a mix of output products that provides an optimum profit.
US09043209B2
This device 301 stores a first content-specific language model representing a probability that a specific word appears in a word sequence representing a first content, and a second content-specific language model representing a probability that the specific word appears in a word sequence representing a second content. Based on a first probability parameter representing a probability that a content represented by a target word sequence included in a speech recognition hypothesis generated by a speech recognition process of recognizing a word sequence corresponding to a speech, a second probability parameter representing a probability that the content represented by the target word sequence is a second content, the first content-specific language model and the second content-specific language model, the device creates a language model representing a probability that the specific word appears in a word sequence corresponding to a part corresponding to the target word sequence of the speech.
US09043207B2
The present invention relates to a method for speaker recognition, comprising the steps of obtaining and storing speaker information for at least one target speaker; obtaining a plurality of speech samples from a plurality of telephone calls from at least one unknown speaker; classifying the speech samples according to the at least one unknown speaker thereby providing speaker-dependent classes of speech samples; extracting speaker information for the speech samples of each of the speaker-dependent classes of speech samples; combining the extracted speaker information for each of the speaker-dependent classes of speech samples; comparing the combined extracted speaker information for each of the speaker-dependent classes of speech samples with the stored speaker information for the at least one target speaker to obtain at least one comparison result; and determining whether one of the at least one unknown speakers is identical with the at least one target speaker based on the at least one comparison result.
US09043197B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for extracting information from unstructured text. Fact pairs are used to extract basic patterns from a body of text. Patterns are generalized by replacing words with classes of similar words. Generalized patterns are used to extract further fact pairs from the body of text. The process can begin with fact pairs, basic patterns, or generalized patterns.
US09043191B2
Embodiments include methods of identifying a personalized cardiovascular device based on patient-specific geometrical information, the method comprising: generating a patient specific model of at least a portion of a patient's vasculature from image data of the patient's vasculature and one or more measured or estimated physiological or phenotypic parameters of the patient; determining pathology characteristics from cardiovascular geometry of the patient specific model; defining an objective function for a device based on design considerations and one or more estimates of hemodynamic and mechanical characteristics; optimizing the objective function, by simulating at least one change in devices and evaluating the objective function using fluid dynamic or structural mechanic analysis; and using the optimized objective function to either (i) select a device from a set of available devices or (ii) manufacture a desired device.
US09043187B2
A computer method of material modeling for crash test dummy finite element models includes the steps of making a material card for the material, applying the material card to validate a finite element model of a crash test dummy component, determining whether the finite element model is acceptable, ending the method if the finite element model is acceptable, and adjusting a relative volume (J) range for the material to make the material soft or stiff if the finite element model is not acceptable.
US09043185B2
A method of performance monitoring in a data processing environment is provided. The data processing environment includes multiple systems, each of which has resources. Each resource relates to a resource type, wherein at least one performance parameter is defined for each resource type. The method includes determining a value of the at least one performance parameter for at least one resource, aggregating performance parameter values and related resources of a resource type, creating for at least a part of the resources a next predefined aggregation level which includes all resources relating to the resource type and associating all performance parameter values to this aggregation level, and repeating the creating for at least a part of the resources a next predefined aggregation level until a predefined target aggregation level of the data processing environment has been reached.
US09043180B2
Aspects of the invention provide for reducing power consumption during manufacturing testing of an IC. In one embodiment, aspects of the invention include a method for reducing power consumption during a manufacturing test of an integrated circuit (IC), the method including: providing a plurality of domains, each domain associated with a clock phase; grouping, based on each domain, a first plurality of scan chains into a first test group; grouping, based on each domain, a second plurality of scan chains into a second test group, wherein the grouping of the first test group and of the second test group includes determining which domains can be tested simultaneously; and performing the manufacturing test of the IC.
US09043166B2
Meter electronics (20) for quantifying a fluid being transferred is provided. The meter electronics (20) includes an interface (201) configured to communicate with a flowmeter assembly of a vibratory flowmeter and receive a vibrational response and a processing system (203) coupled to the interface (201). The processing system (203) is configured to measure a volume flow and a density for a predetermined time portion of the fluid transfer, determine if the fluid transfer is non-aerated during the predetermined time portion, if the predetermined time portion is non-aerated then add a volume-density product to an accumulated volume-density product and add the volume flow to an accumulated volume flow, and determine a non-aerated volume-weighted density for the fluid transfer by dividing the accumulated volume-density product by the accumulated volume flow.
US09043162B2
A method and apparatus for acquiring data from a mass spectrometer and its transmission to a computer system including a data acquisition engine, a network interface and a throughput optimization module which includes a ring buffer and a protocol stack. A compression engine may be provided between the acquisition engine and the ring buffer. The ring buffer is configured as a number of segments containing portions of memory matching the size of data words from the acquisition engine. When a segment is full of data corresponding to the words, or is partially full and has received data containing an end of scan marker, the number of words in the segment is written into a header word in the segment and the data in that segment are moved to the protocol stack. Subsequent data is received by the next segment in the buffer.
US09043160B1
The invention is directed to methods for determining clonotypes and clonotype profiles in assays for analyzing immune repertoires by high throughput nucleic acid sequencing of somatically recombined immune molecules. In one aspect, the invention comprises generating a clonotype profile from an individual by generating sequence reads from a sample of recombined immune molecules; forming from the sequence reads a sequence tree representing candidate clonotypes each having a frequency; coalescing with a highest frequency candidate clonotype any lesser frequency candidate clonotypes whenever such lesser frequency is below a predetermined value and whenever a sequence difference therebetween is below a predetermined value to form a clonotype. After such coalescence, the candidate clonotypes is removed from the sequence tree and the process is repeated. This approach permits rapid and efficient differentiation of candidate clonotypes with genuine sequence differences from those with experimental or measurement errors, such as sequencing errors.
US09043157B2
A device for the collection and processing of information relating to the exposure of one or more persons to one or more products of chemical or biological origin has: at least one coded sensor for automatic or semi-automatic identification of a person likely to be exposed to at least one product, at least one coded sensor for the collection of information relating to the handling of at least one product by the person likely to be exposed to the product, at least one sensor for validating the information collected by the identification and collection sensors, at least one module for reading at least one coded sensor, and a module for processing information collected by the sensors.
US09043154B2
A method of calculating a 3-D geologic model in real time using, as input, 2-D geologic data. The 3-D is used for conducting further drilling operations. The model may be updated in real time using additional measurements obtained during drilling operations.
US09043148B2
A navigation system and various methods of using the system are described herein. Search query results are refined by the system and are prioritized based at least in part upon sub-search categories selected during the searching process. Sub-searches can be represented by graphical icons displayed on the user interface.
US09043140B2
In one embodiment, a navigation system provides predictive natural guidance utilizing a mobile landmark based on location data. The location data may be a schedule. A controller receives data of a schedule of a mobile landmark. The location data could be collected in real time or estimated. The mobile landmark may be a vehicle or a celestial body. The controller correlates a route from an origin location to a destination location and the location of the mobile landmark. The controller generates a message based on the correlation. The message is output during presentation of the route and references the mobile landmark.
US09043136B2
A method for illustrating an aircraft flight plan comprising at least one waypoint on a flight display of a flight deck of an aircraft, where the method may include displaying on the flight display of the flight deck some type of display indicia that indicates the suitability of locations for future waypoints.
US09043132B2
An apparatus for estimating a travel path of a vehicle is mounted on the vehicle; and includes: an object detection device that detects an object lying ahead of the vehicle; a stationary object detection device that determines whether a detected object is a stationary object; a device that calculates an approximate straight line indicating a path of the stationary object from the temporal positional data for the stationary object projected on two-dimensional coordinates using a vehicle position as a starting point; a device that calculates a orthogonal line which passes through a midpoint in the temporal positional data for the stationary object and goes straight with respect to the approximate straight line on the two-dimensional coordinates; and a device that calculates a vehicle turning radius from an intersection point where the orthogonal line intersects with a x axis.
US09043127B2
Disclosed is a feature for a vehicle that enables taking precautionary actions in response to conditions on the road network around or ahead of the vehicle, in particular, a blind intersection along a section of road. A database that represents the road network is used to determine locations where a blind intersection is located along a section of road. Then, precautionary action data is added to the database to indicate a location at which a precautionary action is to be taken about the blind intersection located along the section of road. A precautionary action system installed in a vehicle uses this database, or a database derived therefrom, in combination with a positioning system to determine when the vehicle is at a location that corresponds to the location of a precautionary action. When the vehicle is at such a location, a precautionary action is taken by a vehicle system as the vehicle is approaching a blind intersection.
US09043114B2
A module for determination of speed set-point values vref for a vehicle's control systems, comprising an input unit adapted to input, e.g., by the vehicle's driver, of a reference speed vset which is the speed desired by the driver for the vehicle. The module includes a horizon unit to determine a horizon by means of received position data and map data of an itinerary made up of route segments with at least one characteristic for each segment; a processor unit to calculate vref for the vehicle's control systems across the horizon according to rules pertaining to categories in which segments within the horizon are placed, so that vref is within a range bounded by vmin and vmax, where vmin≦vset≦Vmax, which control system regulates the vehicle according to these set-point values.
US09043112B2
A method of signalling an aquaplaning condition of a tire, the latter rolling on a rolling surface, a footprint area being defined between the tire and the rolling surface, a layer of water being interposed between the tire and the rolling surface, includes: detecting a first signal representative of a deformation of the tire due to rolling of the tire on the rolling surface, the first signal including at least one portion representative of the interaction between the tire and the layer of water; processing the first signal so as to determine a parameter representative of an aquaplaning condition of the tire as a function of the first signal; and generating a notification signal as a function of the at least one parameter. A system for signalling an aquaplaning condition of a tire.
US09043110B2
An active control method of pedal effort for an accelerator comprises steps to actively vary pedal effort. When a vehicle having a controllable pedal effort accelerator pedal runs, the active control method can actively vary the accelerator pedal effort according to accelerator pedal manipulation habits of a driver, thereby improving the accelerator pedal manipulation efficiency of the driver.
US09043109B2
A method for automatically braking a vehicle using a hydraulic brake system, which includes a multi-stage valve situated between a master brake cylinder and the intake side of a hydraulic pump. To attenuate a pressure equalization process between a fluid volume on the side of the master brake cylinder and a suction line of the hydraulic pump, the control current for the valve is increased in ramp-shaped manner in order to first open a preliminary stage and then a main stage of the valve.
US09043106B2
A control system that makes adjustments, such as limiting the maximum speed or maximum torque in a vehicle, is provided. These adjustments can be based on knowledge about the vehicle and trip, and on the estimated energy remaining. The control system is applicable to a wide range of vehicles, including ground, air, water, and sea vehicles, as well as vehicles powered by battery, electricity, compressed natural gas, or even liquid fuel propulsion systems. The control system may be used to adjust vehicle operation in route to assure the vehicle reaches a destination and to inform or counteract a human vehicle operator. Control system can also be used in racing applications to calculate the fastest-possible race speed and drive torque for a given race length; or alternatively, in endurance racing or delivery applications to optimize the vehicle speed and/or drive torque for a given race length or route.
US09043105B2
There is provided a behavior control device for the prevention of a jackknife phenomenon of a combination vehicle including a tractor and a trailer pivotably coupled with the tractor, taking into account that the relative pivoting action of the trailer and tractor varies according to the magnitudes of a vehicle speed or a deceleration. The inventive behavior control device comprises a braking-driving force control portion which controls a braking-driving force of the tractor or the trailer to reduce a difference between a yaw rate of the tractor and a yaw rate of the trailer and a judgment portion which judges whether or not a braking-driving force control of the tractor or the trailer by the braking-driving force control portion is necessary; wherein the judgment portion changes based on a vehicle speed or a deceleration of the vehicle the judgment of whether or not the braking-driving force control is necessary.
US09043103B2
A dog clutch control apparatus for an automated transmission includes a rotary shaft, plural dog clutch mechanisms, each of the dog clutch mechanisms including a clutch ring, a clutch hub arranged next to the clutch ring, a sleeve fitted with the clutch hub, a dog clutch portion which is provided at the clutch ring and selectively meshes with a spline formed at the sleeve, an axial driving device for moving the sleeve, the dog clutch control apparatus includes a disengagement detecting portion for detecting disengagement before the sleeve reaches a neutral position and a control apparatus for controlling operation of the axial driving device, wherein in a case where the disengagement is detected at a time of shifting operation, the control apparatus starts a shift-related control.
US09043093B2
Airbag inflator system includes an inflatable airbag, e.g., a side curtain airbag, a housing, a gas generating system arranged apart from the housing for generating gas, and a conduit leading from the gas generating system to the housing to provide gas to the housing, e.g., to a lateral end of the housing. A filter may be arranged between the gas generating system and the housing, possibly in the conduit. A nozzle may be arranged between the gas generating system and an interior of the airbag, which nozzle is varied as a function of temperature. The housing may be movably arranged relative to a fixed base and mounted to vary its relation to the base as a function of temperature, e.g., via elastic or deformable supports which support the housing on the base.
US09043078B2
A method and system for performing diagnostics or software maintenance on a vehicle comprises recording high-fidelity data at the vehicle consistent with configuration files to support engineering analysis or diagnostics on vehicle components, systems or performance. Supplemental data is retrieved via a low bandwidth transmission at the vehicle to supplement the recorded high-fidelity data. The recorded high-fidelity data and retrieved supplemental data is processed to generate a diagnostic status report message from transmission to the central electronic data processing system. A data processor or central electronic data processing system organizes the diagnostic report message, the recorded high fidelity data and the retrieved supplemental data into a data mart or diagnostics database to support engineering analysis or diagnostics on vehicle components, systems or performance.
US09043076B2
An approach is provided to automate predictive vehicle maintenance. In the approach, a vehicle's information handling system receives vehicle data transmissions from a number of other vehicles in geographic proximity to the vehicle. Both the vehicle and the other vehicles correspond to various vehicle types that are used to identify those other vehicles that are similar to the vehicle. The sets of received vehicle data transmissions that are received to similar vehicles are analyzed with respect to a plurality of vehicle maintenance data corresponding to the vehicle. The analysis of the vehicle data transmissions resulting in predictive vehicle maintenance recommendations pertaining to the first vehicle.
US09043071B1
Methods and systems for implementing steering-based scrub braking are described. A computing device or system assisting in the control of a vehicle may be configured to make a determination to reduce a speed of the vehicle or enhance the stability of a vehicle that is traveling in a given direction. The computing device may provide instructions to turn a pair of wheels or any combination of wheels of the vehicle in a direction away from parallel to the given direction in which the vehicle is traveling and in opposite directions to each other so as to reduce the speed of the vehicle. In an example, the computing device may estimate a range to execute speed reduction of the vehicle.
US09043066B2
A vehicle uses electric power from a mounted power storage device to drive a motor generator by a PCU to generate traction driving force. The vehicle can execute, as a function to discharge residual electric charge from a capacitor in PCU, MG discharging in which current is applied to the motor generator while preventing generation of torque for discharging, and PCU discharging through the conduction loss of switching elements in the PCU for discharging. In an event of detecting collision of the vehicle, an HV-ECU executes PCU discharging by priority, and executes MG discharging when the voltage of the capacitor is high.
US09043064B2
In a hybrid vehicle, a controller includes a target drive power setting device which sets a target drive power requested for the running of the vehicle, a target drive power calculator which calculates target drive power from the target drive power set by the target drive power setting device and the vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed detector, an output limiter which limits the amount of power obtained from an electricity storer based on the state of the electricity storer, and a transition prohibitor which prohibits the transition of an engine to a stopped state when the power consumed for the transition of the engine from an operational state to a stopped state exceeds a value obtained by subtracting the target drive power calculated by the target drive power setting device from the output limit value set by the output limiter.
US09043053B2
A method and apparatus comprising an existing aircraft node and an information agent located in the existing aircraft node. The existing aircraft node is connected to a number of aircraft systems and a network in an aircraft network data processing system. The information agent is configured to provide access to information received by the existing aircraft node to other aircraft nodes in the aircraft network data processing system.
US09043051B1
Present novel and non-trivial system, device, and method for generating and presenting one or more flight management strips on a visual display unit are disclosed. An event generator (“EG”) is configured to receive flight management data representative of one or more future vertical mode actions or future lateral mode actions, generate event data representative of one or more flight management strips, and provide the event data to a presentation system for the subsequent display of flight management strip(s). Each future vertical mode action may be comprised of a vertical FMS event or a speed/thrust FMS event, and each future lateral mode action may be comprised of a lateral FMS event. Also, each flight management strip could be informative of one FMS event and comprised of at least one commencement time row and one FMS event row for displaying time and event information, respectively.
US09043045B2
A travel assist apparatus performs assist of warning or auxiliary for preventing departure of a vehicle in a lateral direction of the vehicle. A value of the estimated time to lane crossing at which assist is to be performed is varied in accordance with the velocity of the vehicle in the lateral direction. This enables selection of a value of the estimated time to lane crossing at which assist is to be performed that is suitable for the velocity of the vehicle in the lateral direction, enabling optimization of the timing of performing assist. Therefore, assist of warning or auxiliary is performed in an optimal way without bothering the driver.
US09043034B2
An energy-reducing method and apparatus for retrofitting a single zone, constant volume HVAC system, with or without an economizer, that provides heating, cooling, and ventilation to occupants within a building space. The present invention includes the introduction of a programmable logic controller and variable frequency drive (VFD) that takes control of the existing fan, heating, cooling, and optional economizer operation. The reduction of the fan speed in the ventilation mode when the 100% operation is not needed saves significant energy of the existing constant volume HVAC system where the fan motor is designed to run 100% of the time.
US09043025B2
In various embodiments, safe collaboration between a robot and humans is achieved by operating the robot continuously at or below a first threshold speed at which any collisions with a person's arms do not cause harm, and, upon detection of the person's torso or head within a danger zone around the robot, reducing the speed to or below a second threshold at which any collisions with the person's torso or head do not cause harm.
US09043024B2
A vision correction method for establishing the position of a tool center point (TCP) for a robot manipulator includes the steps of: defining a preset position of the TCP; defining a preset coordinate system TG with the preset position of the TCP as its origin; capturing a two-dimensional picture of the preset coordinate system TG to establish a visual coordinate system TV; calculating a scaling ratio λ of the vision coordinate system TV relative to the preset coordinate system TG; rotating the TCP relative to axes of the preset coordinate system TG; capturing pictures of the TCP prior to and after rotation; calculating the deviation ΔP between the preset position and actual position of the TCP; correcting the preset position and corresponding coordinate system TG using ΔP, and repeating the rotation through correction steps until ΔP is less than or equal to a maximum allowable deviation of the robot manipulator.
US09043021B1
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with swarm management are described. One example system comprises a communication component configured to establish a communication link with at least one element, where the at least one element is part of a swarm. The example system also comprises a management component configured to manage performance of a task list by the swarm through the communication link.
US09043020B2
A substrate transportation path is determined by first determining a trajectory of a first straight line passing through a start point, calculating a trajectory of a circular arc in contact with the first straight line, calculating a trajectory of a second straight line in contact with the circular arc and passing through the end point, then, if the position of the end point is changed, re-calculating the second straight line as a straight line passing through the changed end point and in contact with the circular arc, and allowing the center of the substrate holding unit to move on the first straight line, and then, move on the circular arc from a first contact point, followed by moving on the second straight line from a second contact point so as to reach the end point.
US09043016B2
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide robotic control modules for use in a robotic control system of a vehicle, including structures, systems and methods, that can provide (i) a robotic control module that has multiple functional circuits, such as a processor and accompanying circuits, an actuator controller, an actuator amplifier, a packet network switch, and a power supply integrated into a mountable and/or stackable package/housing; (ii) a robotic control module with the noted complement of circuits that is configured to reduce heat, reduce space, shield sensitive components from electro-magnetic noise; (iii) a robotic control system utilizing robotic control modules that include the sufficiently interchangeable functionality allowing for interchangeability of modules; and (iv) a robotic control system that distributes the functionality and processing among a plurality of robotic control modules in a vehicle.
US09043013B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for assisting sort operators in identifying the appropriate location to sort an item. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a system for identifying a particular bin from a plurality of bins for sorting a package is provided. The system includes a plurality of bins configured to receive sorted packages; an optical reader positioned to capture destination indicia associated with the package; a keypad comprising a plurality of keys, where in at least some of the keys are associated with individual bins of the plurality of bins and at least some of the keys include lights; and a control system. The control system is configured to: receive data from the optical reader relating to the destination indicia; identify a particular bin within the plurality of bins associated with the received data; and trigger illumination of one or more lights on the keypad.
US09043007B2
The present invention relates to a system, method, and apparatus that include a novel way of automatically assigning materials to 3D CAD models. A predefined material template specifies that a particular part or material name is assigned to a particular material such that all instances of the particular part name are assigned or modified automatically by the material template. By having a consistent naming convention for the parts in the CAD file, this material assignment can be performed automatically when the CAD file is imported or viewed.
US09042999B2
A hermetic terminal for an active implantable medical device (AIMD), includes an RF distance telemetry pin antenna, a capacitor conductively coupled between the antenna and a ground for the AIMD, and an inductor electrically disposed in parallel with the capacitor and conductively coupled between the antenna and a ground for the AIMD. The capacitor and the inductor form a band pass filter for attenuating electromagnetic signals through the antenna except at a selected frequency band. Values of capacitance and inductance are selected such that the band pass filter is resonant at the selected frequency band. In an alternative form, the band pass filter is coupled in series with the telemetry pin antenna for attenuating MRI signals of a selected frequency band.
US09042980B2
Methods and devices for cardiac signal analysis in implantable cardiac therapy systems. Several signal processing and/or conditioning methods are shown including R-wave detection embodiments including the use of thresholds related to previous peak amplitudes. Also, some embodiments include sample thresholding to remove extraneous data from sampled signals. Some embodiments include weighting certain samples more heavily than other samples within a sampled cardiac signal for analysis.
US09042979B2
The various embodiments disclosed herein relate to combination heart assist systems, methods, and devices that include both an electrical therapy device and a mechanical heart assist device. Various operational modes can be implemented using these embodiments, including a synchronized pacing mode, an internal CPR mode, and an internal workout mode.
US09042974B2
A method and system for treating brain disorders comprises detecting activity of a first target area of the brain via a first implanted sensor and determining the presence of target brain activity by analyzing the detected brain activity in combination with treating the user based upon the determined presence of target brain activity by supplying a first therapeutic agent to the first target area via a first implanted fluid delivery member including at least one distal opening adjacent to the first target area. In addition, the system may be used as well for testing the effectiveness of drugs.
US09042958B2
MRI compatible localization and/or guidance systems for facilitating placement of an interventional therapy and/or device in vivo include: (a) a mount adapted for fixation to a patient; (b) a targeting cannula with a lumen configured to attach to the mount so as to be able to controllably translate in at least three dimensions; and (c) an elongate probe configured to snugly slidably advance and retract in the targeting cannula lumen, the elongate probe comprising at least one of a stimulation or recording electrode. In operation, the targeting cannula can be aligned with a first trajectory and positionally adjusted to provide a desired internal access path to a target location with a corresponding trajectory for the elongate probe. Automated systems for determining an MR scan plane associated with a trajectory and for determining mount adjustments are also described.
US09042957B2
A device for electroimpedance tomography with an electrode belt (2), which has electrodes (E1 . . . E16), wherein at least two groups (5, 6) of electrodes located next to each other are formed and the electrodes of one group are contacted with at least one, multiwire feed cable (7, 8). For a reduced noise level during data acquisition, provisions are made for at least one electrode (E9) of two mutually adjacently located electrodes (E8, E9) of two different groups (5, 6) to have an additional electrode feed line (15), which is led over the feed cable (7) of the adjacent group (5).
US09042950B1
The detachable front flip cover comprises a flip cover and a first barrier rod. The flip cover covers a front face of the cell-phone. The flip cover comprises a first side cover portion for covering a first side edge portion, and a front cover portion for covering a front surface portion. The first barrier rod is provided along the first edge of the flip cover, and extends from the first barrier rod, and has a diameter larger than a thickness of the first edge portion of the flip cover, and is configured for being partially fitted into a first groove provided along an edge portion of the main cell-phone case so as to be received and held in place. The first edge portion and the first side cover portion are connected to each other along a line foldably so as to fit a corresponding edge of the cell-phone.
US09042947B2
A cable assembly for electronic devices such as cellular telephones and music devices is disclosed. The cable assembly can comprise either one or two earpieces, each of which is configured to be received into the concha of a user's ear. The earpiece(s) can be configured so as to be held in place by at least one anatomical structure of the concha. A speaker can be in acoustic communication with each earpiece. A cable can be configured to communicate a signal representative of sound from the electronic device to each earpiece. A microphone can be permanently attached or removably attachable to the cable to facilitate use with a cellular telephone. The cable assembly can facilitate hands free operation of a cellular telephone and can facilitate listening to a music device. Other implementations and related methods are also disclosed.
US09042946B2
An underwater communication device (100) is provided with a voice interface (4), a transceiving unit, a voice quality converting unit and a body (1), etcetera. A bone conduction/throat microphone unit, assembled in the voice interface (4), converts the vocal cord vibrations of a diver to voice signals. The voice quality converting unit converts the voice signals to voice signals based on a clearer voice. A transmitting unit, assembled in the transceiving unit, transmits the converted voice signals to the outside. A receiving unit, assembled in the transceiving unit, receives voice data which is transmitted from the outside. A bone-conduction speaker unit, assembled in the voice interface (4), outputs vibrations corresponding to the voice data received by the receiving unit. Attachment equipment (1, 2, 3) are put on a diver in a state where the bone-conduction speaker unit is in attached to the diver. The receiving unit and the bone-conduction speaker unit are integrally attached to the body (1).
US09042945B2
A method and apparatus is provided that launches a selected application on a User Equipment (UE) such that if the launched application requires a mobile data connection and the UE's modem is in a dormant state, then the UE will transition the UE's modem from the dormant state to an active state and/or establish a mobile data connection while or in parallel with the selected application's initialization.
US09042938B2
A first user equipment (UE) wirelessly communicates with a network element (e.g., an eNB) on a carrier (e.g., a cellular uplink or downlink carrier) in accordance with its first capability partitioning configuration. The first UE engages in direct wireless communication on the carrier with a second UE in accordance its second capability partitioning configuration.
US09042923B1
A communication expands a text message into a web page and provides a link to the web page to a recipient device. The web page includes image content representing a subject or verb of the text message.
US09042921B2
Disclosed are a system, method, and article of manufacture of associating a context data with a voice-message component. The context data may be encoded into a voice message signal. The context-data may be associated with the voice-message component according to an attribute of the voice message. The attribute of the voice message may include at least one of a word, a phrase, a voice timbre, a duration of a pause between two words, a volume a voice and an ambient sound voice and a duration of a pause between two words. The context data may be selected according to a meaning of the attribute of the voice-message component.
US09042918B2
A method in a network node for enabling proximity detection is presented. The network node is comprised in a wireless communications network and serves a wireless device. According to the method, the network node obtains a fingerprint of a CSG cell, or of an inter-frequency cell. The network node then transmits the fingerprint to the wireless device, thereby enabling the wireless device to determine when it is in the proximity of the cell.
US09042899B2
An adjacent cell is determined to be a private cell, and then a measurement report of it that includes an identifier for the private cell is sent from a UE to the UE's serving network node. Methods, apparatus and computer readable media storing a program are detailed. In exemplary non-limiting embodiments: the identifier is at least a TA ID for the private cell's CSG network, where the UE receives the TA ID over a broadcast channel/system information of the serving network node; the TA ID may be a short TA ID received over a primary broadcast channel of the serving network node; the identifier comprises the TA ID and either a LI cell ID or a CSG cell ID; and if the UE is not a member of the CSG network it sends the measurement report only in response to a command received from the serving network node.
US09042894B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for interference mitigation of an open-access node. The method includes determining, at the open-access node, whether uplink interference from a mobile entity is above a threshold. The method includes adjusting a transmission power to trigger a hand-in of the mobile entity in response to determining the uplink interference is above the threshold. The method includes handing-in the mobile entity from a first cell in response to adjusting the transmission power. The method includes redirecting the mobile entity to a second cell different from the first cell.
US09042893B2
A congestion control method for a femtocell is provided. When the femtocell is not congested, the femtocell is prompted to enter an access permitted mode. When the femtocell enters the access permitted mode, the femtocell sends a system information modification notification. When the femtocell enters the access permitted mode, the femtocell repeatedly adjusts at least one cell selection parameter or at least one cell reselection parameter to gradually increase a coverage of the femtocell.
US09042882B2
A device and method are provided for concurrently using a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs) to support a wireless-enabled communications session. A set of data is processed at a client node to identify a subset of priority data. The set of data and the subset of priority data are respectively provided to a first and second protocol stack, which correspond to a first and second RAT. The first and second protocol stacks are then used to control the transmission of a first and second set of transmitted data, which in turn respectively comprise the set of data and the subset of priority data. The first and second sets of transmitted data are received by an access node, which uses corresponding first and second protocol stacks to control their reception. The first and second sets of transmitted data are then processed to generate a set of received data.
US09042880B2
Method and apparatus for uploading content from a user terminal in response to a request triggered at the user terminal to upload content is provided. An exemplary method includes initiating a test call at the user terminal to a wireless network in response to an indication to upload content from the user terminal, obtaining user-channel information for the test call and network-level state information for the user terminal during the test call, determining whether a user-channel condition and a network-level condition are satisfied based on the user-channel information and network-level state information respectively, and uploading the content to the wireless network in response to the user-channel condition and the network-level condition being satisfied. The user terminal obtains at the user terminal user-level state information and triggers the indication to upload content from the user terminal if the user-level condition is determined to be satisfied.
US09042877B1
A method for retrofitting a branding framework into a mobile communication device is provided. The Method comprises the mobile communication device wirelessly receiving update instructions. In response to executing the update instructions, reducing the amount of memory in the mobile communication device allocated to a system memory partition. The method further comprises in response to executing the update instructions, reducing the amount of memory allocated to a user memory partition. The method further comprises determining the memory of the mobile communication device to allocate to create a carrier memory partition on the mobile communication device. The method further comprises installing a branding framework application into the system memory partition, wherein the branding framework application is configured to change the mobile communication device from a current brand to a different brand, wherein some information related to the current brand of the mobile communication device is stored in the carrier partition.
US09042876B2
Systems and methods for uploading location information based on device movement are disclosed. In some embodiments, location information may be received or determined by a mobile communications device. The location information may be associated with a physical location of the mobile communications device. A rate of movement of the mobile communications device may be identified. In some embodiments, the location information may be transmitted or uploaded from the mobile communications device to a server. The frequency of the transmitting or uploading of the location information may be based on the rate of movement of the mobile communications device.
US09042875B2
A vehicular communication apparatus establishes, by a narrow area communication channel establishment unit, a narrow area communication channel to a cellular phone that is brought into a vehicle compartment, and establishes a wide area communication channel to an access point outside of a vehicle. Upon detecting a stop condition of the vehicle by using a stop detection unit, the vehicular communication apparatus disconnects the narrow area communication channel by using a narrow area communication channel disconnection unit.
US09042857B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for wideband frequency and bandwidth tunable filtering are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a wideband frequency and bandwidth tunable filter that splits a filter input signal into first and second input signals, modifies the first input signal to produce a first output signal, modifies the second input signal to produce a second output signal having an intermediate frequency response, and combines the first and second output signals while adjusting their relative phases and/or amplitudes to produce a filter output signal with the target frequency response. Adjustment includes splitting the second input signal into third and fourth input signals, which are modified and then combined to produce the second output signal having the intermediate frequency response.
US09042854B2
Apparatus and methods for tuning a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) are provided. In one aspect, a method of auto-tuning in a phase-locked loop includes generating a VCO clock signal using a VCO coupled to a capacitor array, dividing the VCO clock signal to generate a divided clock signal using a prescaler circuit having a selectable division ratio, controlling a value of the selectable division ratio using a first counter and a second counter of a counter module, generating a phase-frequency detector feedback signal based on a division control signal M and the divided clock signal using the counter module, counting a number of cycles of the divided clock signal that occur during a calibration interval using a cycle counter of a digital processing logic circuit, and determining the value of a capacitor array control signal based on the number of cycles counted during the calibration interval.
US09042852B1
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for adjusting a sensitivity threshold of a wireless communication device (WCD). In an embodiment, a WCD measures both a signal power level of a received signal and a noise power level. The WCD also makes a sensitivity-adjustment determination, which includes (i) a determination that the signal power level is less than a current sensitivity threshold of the receiver of the WCD and (ii) a determination that a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the signal power level to the noise power level is greater than an SNR threshold. Responsive to making the sensitivity-adjustment determination, the WCD adjusts its receiver from having the current sensitivity threshold to having an adjusted sensitivity threshold that is less than or equal to the signal power level.
US09042849B2
Various embodiments of a panoramic display for a wireless device are described. In one embodiment, a wireless device may include a display comprising a plurality of display regions. The display regions may include a central display region and multiple lateral display regions arranged to provide a panoramic display. Image compression and/or scaling may be applied to media content that is to be displayed in one or more of the lateral display regions based on the proximity of the lateral display region to the edge of the display.
US09042838B2
A system and methods for cancelling transmission leakage signals in a wide bandwidth Distributed Antenna System (“DAS”) having remote units is disclosed. An internal cancellation circuit within the remote unit is employed to reduce the transmitted leakage signals by generating a cancellation signal. This cancellation signal is added to the received signal to cancel the transmission leakage signal in the receiving signal path. A pilot signal generation circuit is employed to optimize the cancellation circuit operating parameters. The frequency of the pilot signal is swept over a range to determine the pilot frequency having the highest electromagnetic coupling. The amplitude and phase of the cancellation signal is then optimized to minimize the level of transmission leakage in the receiving transmission path.
US09042830B2
An input device for switchable use between first and second computer systems. A controller of the input device can execute switching logic to direct a radio transceiver of the input device to switch an operating channel of the radio transceiver to a first channel monitored by the first computer system in response to a first event, and thereby, the input device can be utilized to insert data into the first computer system. The controller can execute switching logic to direct the radio transceiver to switch the operating channel to a second channel monitored by the second computer system in response to a second event, and thereby, the input device can be utilized to insert data into the second computer system.
US09042829B2
Method, apparatus, and computer program product example embodiments enable devices to invoke a programmed process, if the one or more wireless communication messages received over the wireless communication connection, has a measured power level greater than a threshold value. In an example embodiment, a method includes measuring, by an apparatus, a power level of one or more wireless communication messages received from a selected wireless device over a wireless communication connection; and invoking, by the apparatus, a programmed process, if the one or more wireless communication messages received over the wireless communication connection, has a measured power level greater than a threshold value.
US09042827B2
For modifying a function based on user proximity, a proximity module determines a distance between an electronic device and a transported device in wireless communication with the electronic device. The proximity module further modifies a function of the electronic device if the distance is within the specified range.
US09042822B2
A communication device having a wireless communication system and a Near Field Communication (NFC) circuit is provided. The NFC circuit includes two pads, two ferrite beads and a NFC controller. The first pad and the second pad are coupled to a NFC antenna. The first and the second ferrite bead are respectively coupled to the first pad and the second pad. The NFC controller includes two pins. The first pin and the second pin are coupled to the first ferrite bead and the second ferrite bead, respectively. The first pin and the second pin output a differential NFC signal to be emitted by the NFC antenna. The first and the second ferrite bead allow the fundamental frequency component of the NFC signal to pass, and filter out a plurality of high-frequency components for avoiding the operating frequency of the wireless communication system from being interfered by the high-frequency components.
US09042820B2
An optical receiver circuit is disclosed in which a number of electrical signals are processed to extract data encoded therein. The electrical signals may be compared during the process to selectively remove one or more waveforms from one or more corresponding electrical signals. Various data signals, each including one or more waveforms, may then be processed to extract the encoded data. The optical receiver circuit reduces, or eliminates, electrical offsets which may be present in one or more of the electrical signals to reduce corresponding errors in the encoded data signals.
US09042818B2
A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing carrying a wireless transceiver and a removable power source. The removable power source includes a first Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit. A second NFC circuit is carried by the housing and is configured to authenticate the removable power source based upon communications with the first NFC circuit.
US09042816B2
Aspects disclosed herein relate to improving tuning of a NFC coil for operation in one or more modes based on a distance between a NFC device and a remote NFC device. In one example, a NFC device may be configured to detect that a NFC device is within a first threshold of a first distance from a remote NFC device. The NFC device may be further configured to determine whether a NFC coil is tuned for use with a first operational mode associated with the first distance. The NFC device may also be configured to re-tune the NFC coil to the first operational mode based on a determination that the NFC coil is not tuned for use with the first operational mode.
US09042808B2
Deficiencies in existing attempts at educational software solutions are addressed by providing systems, methods, and devices that both replicate and facilitate the necessary elements of successful classroom-based learning, while taking advantage of the platform-specific benefits of handheld computing devices. Various applications address the issue of the limited screen size of mobile devices by using the motion sensors of the devices both to move from one part of a program to another, thus eliminating the need for on-screen navigation buttons and allowing the entire screen to be used for content, and also to reinforce learning through the use of mnemonics. In these applications, the user rotates the device after completing each step, in sequence, of a process-based series of problem solving techniques. Group learning dynamics are also reproduced through a study group feature.
US09042800B2
A fixing device configured to fix a toner image on a recording material by heating while conveying the recording material that bears the toner image by a nip portion, the fixing device includes a fixing roller having a rubber layer, a rotating member configured to form a contact portion between the rotating member and the fixing roller, and a pressure member configured to form the nip portion cooperatively with the fixing roller. In the fixing device, heat of the rotating member transfers to the fixing roller from the rotating member via the contact portion, and the contact portion includes a region where the pressure is increased after being decreased on a downstream side further than a center of the contact portion in the rotational direction of the rotating member.
US09042796B2
There is described a transfer assist blade for an electrostatographic machine. The transfer assist blade includes a wear layer for contacting a copy sheet, an interior layer having a thickness of from about 150 microns to about 500 microns and a back layer comprising a thermoset polyimide having dispersed therein carbon particles such that an out surface of the back layer has a surface resistance of from about 1×108 ohms to about 9.99×108 ohms.
US09042790B2
An image forming apparatus includes a driving motor, a gear mechanism including a drive gear rotated by driving force of the driving motor and a slave gear meshed with the drive gear, to transmit the driving force to an object, one of the drive gear and the slave gear including a toothless portion without the gear tooth, formed on a circumferential edge of the corresponding gear, a control unit, a detection unit that detects a driving current for the driving motor when the driving motor is working, a decision unit that decides whether the driving current detected by the detection unit is below a predetermined threshold, and a calculation unit that counts the number of times that the decision unit has decided that the driving current is below the threshold, and calculates an amount of movement of the slave gear on the basis of the number of times counted.
US09042786B2
A rotation driving force transmitting member is disposed between a motor section and a main body of a photoreceptor drum. The rotation driving force transmitting member has a convex member which is provided on the photoreceptor drum side and includes a twisted convex portion with an elliptical cross-section and a concave member which is provided on the motor section side and includes a twisted concave portion with an elliptical cross-section, the concave portion being fitted in the convex portion. The rotation driving force transmitting member transmits rotation driving force by the motor section to the photoreceptor drum via the convex member and the concave member in a state where the convex member is subjected to a drawing force toward the concave member side, due to rotation of the motor section in a state where the convex portion and the concave portion are fitted in each other.
US09042785B2
An image forming apparatus stabilized in transferability of an image from the photosensitive member to the intermediate transfer belt. The image forming apparatus includes photosensitive drums and an intermediate transfer belt (ITB) that rotates in contact with each drum, brushless DC motors for driving the drum and the ITB for rotation. Rotary encoders associated with the drum and the ITB detect respective rotational speeds thereof. A controller sets a target value for the drum-associated rotary encoder for making the surface speeds of the drum and the belt equal to each other during normal printing operation, from a detection value from the drum-associated rotary encoder in a state of the drum being friction-driven by the belt at the primary transfer section, and controls the drum-associated motor such that the target value becomes a detection value.
US09042784B2
A rotating-body driving device that includes a rotating body; a driving source; a reduction gear that includes an output shaft and a gear rotating at a non-integer ratio of rotation period to a rotation period of the output shaft, and the reduction gear reducing rotation speed of the driving source; a pulse-signal generating unit; a pulse-count storage unit; a speed-fluctuation storage unit that stores therein a rotation speed fluctuation of the output shaft; and a driving-source control unit. The driving-source control unit detects the speed fluctuation information associated with the accumulated number of pulse signals from the speed-fluctuation storage unit, and performs for the driving source a feedforward control to set off the rotation speed fluctuation.
US09042779B2
An image forming apparatus includes a housing and a transfer unit. The transfer unit detachably attachable relative to the housing includes a drive roller, a driven roller disposed opposite the drive roller, a belt formed into a loop and entrained around the drive roller and the driven roller, a frame to support the shaft of the drive roller, and a support member to movably support the shaft of the driven roller to be parallel to an axial direction of the drive roller and movable in a first direction different from the axial direction. A positioning member disposed in the housing holds the shaft of the drive roller parallel, and a restriction member restricts movement of the driven roller in the first direction to keep the shaft of the driven roller parallel to the shaft of the drive roller as the transfer unit is mounted in the image forming apparatus.
US09042746B2
A method for providing a page countdown for a replaceable unit of an image forming device according to one embodiment includes calculating a number of pages remaining until the replaceable unit will reach the end of its life. The calculated number of pages remaining until the replaceable unit will reach the end of life is displayed on a display screen. After the calculated number of pages remaining is displayed, the displayed number of pages remaining is decreased by one for each page printed, the number of pages remaining is recalculated and a discrepancy between the displayed number of pages remaining and the recalculated number of pages remaining is tracked. If the discrepancy exceeds a predetermined error threshold, the recalculated number of pages remaining is displayed and the displayed number of pages remaining continues to be decreased by one for each page printed from the displayed recalculated number of pages remaining.
US09042733B2
The device identification apparatus includes: a remote controller signal detecting section for detecting an optical signal from a remote controller; a receiving section for receiving the optical signal from the remote controller; a signal decryption section for decrypting the optical signal received by the receiving section; and a transmitting section for transmitting a device identification signal when the optical signal is a device selecting signal, and configured such that operations of the receiving section, the signal decryption section, and the transmitting section are started in response to a detecting signal of the remote controller signal detecting section, thereby realizing a device identification apparatus in which power consumption during standby is minimized.
US09042729B2
This invention relates to provisioning wavelength-selective switches and reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers to minimize the bandwidth narrowing effect from the optical filters. Novel architectures and methods are disclosed that can significantly reduce bandwidth-narrowing on channels in a reconfigurable WDM network where a large number of optical filter elements are cascaded. Instead of blocking unused channels as in the prior art, unused channels are selectively provisioned depending on the state of their adjacent channels. Unused adjacent channels of an active channel are provisioned to follow the same path as the active channels. As each channels is deployed, the channel frequency is selected so as to minimize bandwidth narrowing.
US09042720B2
A method and system for providing joint IP/Optical Layer restoration mechanisms for the IP over Optical Layer architecture, particularly for protecting against router failure within such architecture, includes any one of plural node elements participating in the detection and restoration of the joint IP/Optical Layer architecture upon the failure of a router in one of the nodes. The plural node elements may include, but are not limited to, one of plural routers and an optical cross-connect.
US09042715B2
An interchangeable lens attachable to a camera body includes an image pickup optical system configured to form an optical image of an object, and a controller configured to start initializing an optical element included in the image pickup optical system so as to move the optical element to a predetermined position when the controller receives a first signal that commands a start of an initialization from the camera body, and configured to start initializing the optical element after the controller receives identification information from the camera body and a period elapses for which the camera body consumes more than a predetermined amount of power when the controller does not receive the first signal from the camera body.
US09042714B2
A dome-shaped camera comprising: a camera body including a focus adjustment ring for manually performing focus adjustment; a base part which supports the camera body and includes a tilt mechanism which changes an angle of a tilt direction for supporting the camera body; a dome cover which covers the camera body; a mount device which mounts the dome cover on the base part so that the dome cover is rotatable about a center axis of the dome cover; and a power transmitting device which transmits a rotating force in a direction about the center axis added to the dome cover as a rotating force of a focus adjustment ring of the camera supported at any angle in the tilt direction via a power transmission member placed on a tilt axis.
US09042712B2
An air freshener is configured to be carried by a power outlet of an automobile. The air freshener includes a scent capsule disposed in a housing. A heat source is disposed in the housing adjacent and opposing a permeable membrane of the scent capsule. The heat source is configured to heat the fragrant material in the scent capsule and accelerate permeation of the fragrant material through the permeable membrane of the sent capsule. A hatch is pivotally coupled to the housing and substantially contained within a hatch cavity with an outer surface that is substantially flush with an exterior of the housing in a closed position. The hatch can include a capsule cavity therein, carrying the scent capsule, and facing an interior of the housing in the closed position.
US09042707B2
An editing method comprises: generating, from a material data which is generated according to a first time and in which a first time range is specified, a playback data that is to be played back according to a second time different from the first time; and locating a second time range, which includes the material data within the first time range, in the playback data.
US09042703B2
A system, method and computer-readable medium are presented for providing real-time content-based navigation of live video programming. The video programming is received and a searchable database is generated. The method aspect of the invention comprises receiving a live video program, generating an index to the received live video program by extracting images and/or text from the video program, recording the live video program, presenting at least a portion of data associated with the generated index to a user, receiving user input regarding a search to a portion of the recorded video program to which the user desires to navigate and playing back the recorded video program starting at the searched portion identified by the user input. The search may be of an image and/or text portion of the presentation.
US09042699B2
In one embodiment, the system comprises: (a) a chassis; (b) one or more cards mounted in the chassis, each card having a plurality of switch ports, the plurality of switch ports being aligned in one or more columns; (c) an aggregator mounted adjacent the chassis, the aggregator having a plurality of bays, each bay being aligned with a card in the chassis, at least one of the bays having a faceplate comprising at least first and second aggregator ports aligned in a column; (d) at least first and second hydras, wherein each hydra comprises at least (i) a first connector; (ii) a plurality of second connectors; (iii) a plurality of conductors, each conductor connecting the first connector to one of the second connectors, the plurality of conductors being bundled together to form a trunk portion from the first connector to a breakout point, the plurality of conductors being separated into breakout portions from the breakout point to the second connectors; (iv) wherein the trunk portion of the first cable is longer than that of the second cable; and (e) wherein the first connector of the first hydra is connected to the first aggregator port and the second connectors of the first hydra are connected to a first set of switch ports, and the first connector of the second hydra is connected to the second aggregator port and the second connectors of the second hydra are connected to a second set of switch ports, wherein the first set of switch ports are further away from the aggregator than the second set of switch ports.
US09042692B2
An optical fiber for use as a stub fiber in an optical fiber connector is disclosed. The optical fiber is configured with a segmented core that includes a single-mode segment with a step-index profile and at least one multimode segment having at least one alpha profile. A connector that employs the stub fiber can connect to both a single mode fiber and a multimode fiber.
US09042690B2
A light source for a photonic integrated circuit may comprise a reflection coupling layer formed on a substrate in which an optical waveguide is provided, at least one side of the reflection coupling layer being optically connected to the optical waveguide; an optical mode alignment layer provided on the reflection coupling layer; and/or an upper structure provided on the optical mode alignment layer and including an active layer for generating light and a reflection layer provided on the active layer. A light source for a photonic integrated circuit may comprise a lower reflection layer; an optical waveguide optically connected to the lower reflection layer; an optical mode alignment layer on the lower reflection layer; an active layer on the optical mode alignment layer; and/or an upper reflection layer on the active layer.
US09042668B2
An image processing apparatus includes the following elements. A document-type determining unit determines what type of document a document is on the basis of read information obtained as a result of reading the document by using a document reader. A compression-format setting unit sets, on the basis of the type of document determined by the document-type determining unit, a compression format used for generating image data from the read information. A generator compresses the read information by using the compression format set by the compression-format setting unit so as to generate image data corresponding to the document.
US09042667B2
Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention are configured to render images using light field image files containing an image synthesized from light field image data and metadata describing the image that includes a depth map. One embodiment of the invention includes a processor and memory containing a rendering application and a light field image file including an encoded image and metadata describing the encoded image, where the metadata comprises a depth map that specifies depths from the reference viewpoint for pixels in the encoded image. In addition, the rendering application configures the processor to: locate the encoded image within the light field image file; decode the encoded image; locate the metadata within the light field image file; and post process the decoded image by modifying the pixels based on the depths indicated within the depth map to create a rendered image.
US09042666B2
An apparatus and method for encoding and decoding an image are provided. The image decoding method includes decoding luma blocks according to a predetermined decoding mode of each of the luma blocks, and decoding chroma blocks according to the predetermined decoding mode of each of the luma blocks.
US09042662B2
The invention pertains to a method for segmenting an image from a sequence of video images into a foreground and a background, the image being composed of pixels, the method includes assigning an initial foreground probability to each of the pixels; assigning a set of probability propagation coefficients to each of the pixels; and applying a global optimizer to the initial foreground probabilities of the pixels to classify each of the pixels as a foreground pixel or a background pixel, to obtain a definitive foreground map; wherein the global optimizer classifies each processed pixel in function of the initial foreground probability of the processed pixel and the initial foreground probability of neighboring pixels, the relative weight of the initial foreground probability of neighboring pixels being determined by the probability propagation coefficients of the neighboring pixels.
US09042661B2
One or more systems and/or techniques are provided to identify objects comprised in a compound object without segmenting three-dimensional image data of the potential compound object. Two-dimensional projections of a potential compound object (e.g., Eigen projections) are examined to identify the presence of known objects. The projections are compared to signatures, such as morphological characteristics, of one or more known objects. If it is determined based upon the comparison that there is a high likelihood that the compound object comprises a known object, a portion of the projection is masked, and it is compared again to the signature to determine if this likelihood has increased. If it has, a sub-object of the compound object may be classified based upon characteristics of the known object (e.g., the compound object may be classified as a potential threat item if the known object is a threat item).
US09042649B2
A method for separating foreground and background contents in a document image is provided. The method first computes a pixel-wise map of maximal local features (e.g., local variance, local contrast, etc.), which is binarized to generate a mask for potential foreground. In order to utilize color information effectively, the local feature map is computed using all color channels of the image. Then the background image is obtained by inpainting the mask regions from the non-mask regions of the original document image. Adaptive thresholding is applied to the difference between the original document image and the background image to obtain the binary foreground image. Post-processing of the binary foreground image can further remove undesirable elements. Finally, a more accurate background image can be obtained by inpainting the original document image using the binary foreground image as a mask.
US09042645B2
A method for detecting features in digital numeric data comprises obtaining digital numeric data comprising values corresponding to a plurality of sampling points over a domain space having at least one dimension, computing a plurality of scale-space data comprising filtering said digital numeric data using a filter bank, determining a plurality of feature regions each corresponding to a local extremum in scale and location of the scale-space data; and determining a feature region descriptor for each of said plurality of feature regions. The filter bank is a Cosine Modulated Gaussian filter bank in which the standard deviation parameter of the Gaussian equals 1 π ln ( 2 ) 2 2 b + 1 2 b - 1 multiplied by the cosine wavelength, in which b is in the range of 0.75 to 1.25, or said filter bank is an Nth-order Gaussian Derivative filter bank with N being in the range of 5 to 20.
US09042643B2
A method for demosaicking a digital image is provided. Pixels of the digital image are processed in an order from the upper-left to lower-right of the digital image. If a current-processed pixel is a second color or a third color, a first sub-window centered at the current-processed pixel is generated. A first mask is used to select a first plurality of prior-processed pixels. A set of direction weightings of the current-processed pixel is calculated according to stored direction weightings of the first plurality of prior-processed pixels. An interpolating direction of the current-processed pixel is determined according to the set of direction weightings of the current-processed pixel. A value of a first color for the current-processed pixel is calculated based on the set of direction weightings of the current-processed pixel and values of the first color of pixels of the first color in the first sub-window.
US09042641B2
A character recognition apparatus includes an extracting unit extracting a feature point for a line in a handwritten character, first and second generation units, a learning unit, and a determination unit. The first generation unit generates first feature data from feature points for lines including an in-same-character line (first line) and being selected from lines in character-code-specified handwritten characters (known lines). The second generation unit generates second feature data from feature points for lines including an after-character-transition line (second line) and being selected from known lines. The learning unit causes a discriminator to learn classifications for first and second lines based on the first and second feature data. The determination unit determines whether each line in character-code-unknown handwritten characters is a first or second line, based on which classification is determined by the discriminator for feature data for the line.
US09042640B2
As set forth herein, a computer-implemented method facilitates pre-analyzing an image and automatically suggesting to the user the most suitable regions within an image for text-based personalization. Image regions that are spatially smooth and regions with existing text (e.g. signage, banners, etc.) are primary candidates for personalization. This gives rise to two sets of corresponding algorithms: one for identifying smooth areas, and one for locating text regions. Smooth regions are found by dividing the image into blocks and applying an iterative combining strategy, and those regions satisfying certain spatial properties (e.g. size, position, shape of the boundary) are retained as promising candidates. In one embodiment, connected component analysis is performed on the image for locating text regions. Finally, based on the smooth and text regions found in the image, several alternative approaches are described herein to derive an overall metric for “suitability for personalization.”
US09042639B2
A method for environmental representation, in which two images of an environment (U) are taken respectively and a disparity image is determined by means of stereo image processing. An unobstructed free space (F) is identified in the disparity image, in that each pixel of the disparity image is allocated either to the unobstructed ground surface (B) or to one of several segments (S11 to Snu) depending on disparity values of the respective pixel. Segments (S11 to Snu) of the same width are formed from pixels of the same or similar distance to an image plane. An object (O1 to Ok) located outside of the free space (F) is modelled in the environment (U) using one segment (S11 to Snu) or several segments (S11 to Snu).
US09042628B2
A 3D-originated cardiac roadmapping device and method include providing 3D+t image data of a vascular structure of an object; acquiring 2D image data of the object that includes the vascular structure, where the 2D image data includes at least one 2D image. The method further includes projecting the vascular structure, thereby generating mask images based on the 3D+t image data; and registering the at least one 2D image with one of the mask images. The registration includes finding the maximum of a similarity factor between the mask images and the at least one 2D image. The method further includes generating a combination of the at least one 2D image and a projection of the vascular structure based on the 3D+t image data according to the registration; and displaying the combination as a guiding vessel tree projection.
US09042626B1
Methods, processes and systems of image reconstruction utilizing a hybrid local tomography (HLT) methodology for reconstructing internal body images in medical applications, and the like. The system and method of the present invention provides an image with emphasized edges, and the image provides estimations of the attenuation coefficient inside the object being scanned.
US09042625B2
A region growing algorithm for controlling leakage is presented including a processor configured to select a starting point for segmentation of data, initiate a propagation process by designating adjacent voxels around the starting point, determine whether any new voxels are segmented, count and analyze the segmented new voxels to determine leakage levels, and identify and record segmented new voxels from a previous iteration when the leakage levels exceed a predetermined threshold. The processor is further configured to perform labeling of the segmented new voxels of the previous iteration, select the segmented new voxels from the previous iteration when the leakage levels fall below the predetermined threshold, and create a voxel list based on acceptable segmented voxels found in the previous iteration.
US09042614B2
The present application relates to an image registration method, comprising: selecting a registration source image {pi} and a registration target image {qj}; applying a random perturbation to {pi} in accordance with a preset random perturbation control parameter σ so that it is deformed to obtain {pi′}, and obtaining a set of closest points, i.e., {gj′}, on {qj} corresponding to points on {pi′}; performing an iterative operation on {pi′} and {qj′} in accordance with a preset initial coordinate transformation H0 to obtain a coordinate transformation {H1}, 0
US09042606B2
Hand-based biometric analysis systems and techniques are described which provide robust hand-based identification and verification. An image of a hand is obtained, which is then segmented into a palm region and separate finger regions. Acquisition of the image is performed without requiring particular orientation or placement restrictions. Segmentation is performed without the use of reference points on the images. Each segment is analyzed by calculating a set of Zernike moment descriptors for the segment. The feature parameters thus obtained are then fused and compared to stored sets of descriptors in enrollment templates to arrive at an identity decision. By using Zernike moments, and through additional manipulation, the biometric analysis is invariant to rotation, scale, or translation or an in put image. Additionally, the analysis utilizes re-use of commonly-seen terms in Zernike calculations to achieve additional efficiencies over traditional Zernike moment calculation.
US09042605B2
A method, computer readable storage device, and apparatus for determining the distance a computing device is located from a user's face. An image of an individual is obtained. A first pupil location and a second pupil location are identified based on the obtained image. A first distance between the identified first and second pupil location is determined. A second distance between the individual and the computing device is determined based on the determined first distance between the identified first and second pupil locations.
US09042604B2
An image pickup device that acquires images is controlled by an image pickup device controller that accepts image acquisition requests from multiple application programs, and an application scheduler selects application programs to be executed. Information indicative of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates required for each of the multiple application programs is stored and used to select multiple concurrently executable application programs on the basis of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates. An image acquisition scheduler determines the timing and intervals at which the multiple executable application programs repeat receiving image data from the image pickup device, without overlapping in terms of time. In addition, an operations section, which explicitly presents concurrently executable application programs to a user and commands the startup of these programs, is displayed on a navigation screen menu.
US09042600B2
A vehicle detection apparatus comprises an other-vehicle detection module configured to detect points of light in an image captured by a vehicle to which the vehicle detection module is mounted and to detect other vehicles based on the points of light, a vehicle lane-line detection module configured to detect an vehicle lane-line in the captured image, and a region sectioning module configured to section the captured image based on the detected vehicle lane-line into an own vehicle lane region, an oncoming vehicle lane region, and a vehicle lane exterior region. Other vehicles are detected by the other-vehicle detection module by detecting points of light based on respective detection conditions set for each of the sectioned regions.
US09042594B2
Electro-dynamic transducer (1) including: a main magnetic circuit (2) defining an air gap (15), a moving part (16) comprising a dome shaped diaphragm (17) fixed to a movable coil (18) diving into the air gap (15); a support (20) to which the moving part (16) is suspended; a suspension (26) linking the moving part (16) and the support (20); wherein the support (20) at least partly extends in an inner volume inside the moving part (16), wherein the suspension (26) is fixed, by an outer periphery, to an inner face of the moving part (16), and wherein the suspension (26) is made of an acoustically non emitting material.
US09042588B2
Pressure sensing earbuds and systems are disclosed. The earbuds can include one or more pressure sensors to determine the size and shape of a user's ear. The pressure signals can be relayed back to a processor, which may use them to dynamically optimize the volume levels delivered for frequencies over the audible range for a particular user.
US09042586B2
Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatus for own-voice sensing in hearing assistance devices. One aspect of the present subject matter includes an in-the-ear (ITE) hearing assistance device adapted to process sounds, including sounds from a wearer's mouth. According to various embodiments, the device includes a hollow plastic housing adapted to be worn in the ear of the wearer and a differential sensor mounted to an interior surface of the housing in an ear canal of the wearer. The differential sensor includes inlets located within the housing and the differential sensor is configured to improve speech intelligibility of sounds from the wearer's mouth, in various embodiments.
US09042583B2
A method of pre-processing a sound signal including music for an auditory prosthesis is provided. An input sound signal is received. The sound signal is processed using music pre-processing software to produce a music pre-processed signal. The music pre-processed signal is presented for further processing, so as to produce a corresponding stimuli signal.
US09042582B2
A coaxial passive radiation monomer apparatus is disclosed. In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, there is disclosed a dynamic speaker monomer combined with a passive radiator in a single unitary structure located in spatial proximity with respect to one another to thereby and further comprising an elastic material at the base of the speaker assembly for enhanced and optimized resonance frequencies for the active and passive components of the overall device.
US09042577B2
An automated noise reduction circuit is configured to find an audio output with the lowest voltage level associated with undesirable noise. The circuit may include a plurality of audio input ports, ground isolation devices, electronic switches and a microprocessor. The microprocessor may be configured to toggle the ground isolation devices on and off, sample voltage at an output of the ground loop isolation transformers when the ground isolation devices are on and off, and switch the ground isolation devices to a position that produces a lowest voltage output based on a comparison of sampled voltage that is analyzed by a set of algorithms programmed into the microprocessor and that has been sampled from the output of the ground isolation devices for each of the multiple input ports.
US09042574B2
Audio signals are processed for use in a communication event. A data store may be queried to obtain an indication of an echo direction, which relates to a direction from which audio signals output from the audio output are likely to be received at a microphone array (plurality of microphones) of a device. Beamformer coefficients of an adaptive beamformer of the device are determined in dependence upon the received indication of the echo direction. Audio signals are received at the microphone array. The adaptive beamformer applies the determined beamformer coefficients to the received audio signals, thereby generating a beamformer output for use in the communication event. The beamformer coefficients are determined such that echo suppression is applied to audio signals received at the microphone array from the indicated echo direction.
US09042572B2
The present invention relates to a modular automotive multimedia and telematic extension unit and head unit. In one embodiment, the present invention is an extension unit including a storage unit storing an application of an external personal electronic device, a processor connected to the storage unit, and a first connection unit connected to the storage unit and configured to be connected to a head unit in an automobile.
US09042566B2
A wideband acoustic echo cancellation apparatus with an adaptive tail length in an embedded system, and a wideband acoustic echo cancellation method are provided, and the wideband acoustic echo cancellation apparatus may include a delay length calculating unit to calculate a delay length of an echo path, using a near-end signal and a far-end signal, an adaptive filter implementing unit to implement an adaptive filter based on the calculated delay length, using selected coefficients, and an error calculating unit to search for three intervals having a largest impulse response value from all intervals of a tail of the adaptive filter, and to calculate an error during an interval in which the selected coefficients are used.
US09042553B2
The debugging unit writes a public key of the key issuing server and an initializing program given from outside, to the storage unit. The instruction executing unit reads and executes the initializing program stored in the storage unit. The debug disabling unit disables the debugging unit. The public-key encrypting unit encrypts the random number by the public key in the storage unit, the random number generated by the random number generating unit after the debugging unit is disabled. The transmitting unit transmits the encrypted random number to the key issuing server. The receiving unit receives an individual key encrypted by the random number from the key issuing server. The individual-key writing unit decrypts the encrypted individual key by the random number to obtain the individual key and write the individual key to the storage unit.
US09042550B2
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided in which a UE is equipped to generate an expression associated with a wireless device for use in a peer discovery signal, generate an expression set from the expression, a first temporal frequency, and a first time duration, and transmit the generated expression set to a base station to allow the base station to broadcast each of the expressions included in the expression set at the first temporal frequency over the first time duration. Another method, apparatus, and computer program product for wireless communication are provided in which a base station is equipped to receive an expression set from a wireless device, process the received expression set to determine each of one or more instances of an expression, and transmit each of the one or more instances of the expression.
US09042539B2
The present invention enables an alert message and the display of calling party identity on all on-hook phones associated with an extension sharing the same phone number, when one phone is off-hook and in use. In one exemplary embodiment, this capability enables all other members of a household to receive information regarding an incoming call even when one phone is in use by another member.
US09042520B2
The present disclosure relates to an electric field emission x-ray tube apparatus equipped with a built-in getter, and more particularly, to an electric field emission x-ray tube apparatus equipped with a built-in getter that makes it possible to reduce the size of an x-ray tube by forming a stacked structure, with electric insulation and predetermined gaps maintained for each electrode, by manufacturing an x-ray tube having a stacked structure by inserting insulating spacers (for example, ceramic) between an exhausting port, a cathode, a gate, a focusing electrode, and an anode and bonding them with an adhesive substance, and then inserting a spacer between a field emitter on a cathode substrate and a gate hole connected with a gate electrode.
US09042513B2
A system and a method for acquiring image data of a subject with an imaging system are provided. The system can include a gantry that completely annularly encompasses at least a portion of the subject, and a source positioned within the gantry. The source can be responsive to a signal to output at least one pulse. The system can include a multi-row detector positioned within the gantry. The multi-row detector can be in alignment with the source and sets multi-row detector data based on the detected at least one signal. The system can include a flat panel detector positioned within the gantry. The flat panel detector can in alignment with the source and sets flat panel detector data based on the detected at least one signal. The system can include an image acquisition control module that determines which of the multi-row detector and the flat panel detector to use.
US09042512B2
An approach is disclosed for acquiring multi-sector computed tomography scan data. The approach includes activating an X-ray source during heartbeats of a patient to acquire projection data over a limited angular range for each heartbeat. The projection data acquired over the different is combined. An image having good temporal resolution is reconstructed using the combined projection data.
US09042498B2
In general, the present invention provides methods and apparatuses for exploiting the extra degree of freedom provided by the sensing of the CM signal along with the DM signal at the receiver end of a wireline communication system. According to certain aspects, this extra degree of freedom can be used to cancel alien noises at the receiver in both upstream downstream directions. According to further aspects, a CM channel can be potentially used to exploit the diversity created in the CM channel along with the regular DM channel. This acts as the motivation for employing a diversity receiver scheme at the receiver, especially in downstream communications received at a Customer Premises.
US09042496B1
Various embodiments associated with an at least fourth-order cumulant of a signal are described. The at least fourth-order noise-insensitive cumulant of the signal can be taken and compared against an at least fourth-order noise-insensitive cumulant of known signals. A match can be found between the signal and a known signal and from this match, a demodulation scheme of the signal can be determined. The demodulation scheme can be used to demodulate the signal.
US09042490B2
Systems and methods for carrier phase recovery are provided. One method includes providing a reference signal, detecting an input signal and determining a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of the input signal. The method also includes employing a Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) algorithm based on the SNR to determine a Carrier Phase Recovery Loop (CPRL) bandwidth.
US09042485B2
The disclosure provides a method and device for retransmitting data under antenna gain imbalance, and the method includes: determining that gains of multiple antennas at a transmission terminal are imbalanced; using a better spatial sub-channel in the multiple antennas to retransmit data when streams transmitted by the multiple antennas adopt a same Modulation and Coding Scheme; and using a better spatial sub-channel in the multiple antennas to retransmit data and/or using a single-stream approach to retransmit data when the streams transmitted by the multiple antennas adopt different Modulation and Coding Schemes. The disclosure selects a corresponding retransmission approach according to the condition of a spatial sub-channel on which streams have an error, thus improving and ensuring success rate for retransmitting a stream.
US09042483B2
An apparatus and a method of compensating for an I/Q imbalance in a direct up-conversion system prevents the performance of the system from being deteriorated by efficiently compensating for an I/Q timing skew, an I/Q phase imbalance, and an I/Q gain imbalance by using a characteristic of an OFDM scheme in an Orthogonal Frequency Domain Multiple (Access) (OFDM(A)) system using a direct up-conversion scheme. According to the apparatus and the method of compensating for an I/Q imbalance in the direct up-conversion system of the present invention, an OFDM(A) system using a direct up-conversion scheme may efficiently compensate for I/Q timing skew, I/Q phase imbalance, and I/Q gain imbalance by using a characteristic of an OFDMA scheme, so that a performance of the system is prevented from being deteriorated.
US09042482B2
One embodiment relates to a feedback receiver (FBR). The FBR includes a FBR signal input configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal, a first local oscillator (LO) signal input configured to receive a first LO signal having an LO frequency, and a second LO signal input configured to receive a second LO signal having the LO frequency. The second LO signal is phase shifted by approximately 90° relative to the first LO signal. FBR also includes a divider that induces a time-varying phase shift in the first and second LO signals while concurrently retaining a 90° phase shift between the first and second LO signals.
US09042480B2
A transmitter is for use with multiple transmit antennas and includes a precoder unit configured to precode data for a transmission using a precoding matrix selected from a codebook, wherein the codebook corresponds to the following three transmission properties for an uplink transmission: 1) all precoding elements from the precoding matrix have a same magnitude, 2) each precoding element from the precoding matrix is taken from a set of finite values and 3) there is only one non-zero element in any row of the precoding matrix. The transmitter also includes a transmit unit configured to transmit the precoded data.
US09042471B2
A receiving device according to the present invention includes: a receiver for receiving an OFDM symbol that is modulated by phase shift keying; an FFT processor for applying an FFT process to the received OFDM symbol to obtain a subcarrier signal; a demapping unit for demapping the subcarrier signal to generate a bit string; a norm calculator for calculating the norm of the subcarrier; a weighting factor generator for generating a weighting factor by taking the statistics of the calculated norm; and a weighting unit for obtaining a soft decision value by weighting the bit string after demapping, based on the particular weighting factor. Thus, the receiving device can obtain a soft decision value to achieve good decoding performance with a small number of known signals and processes.
US09042459B1
Encoding and decoding a video using transformation index that indicates information that indicates a structure of a transformation unit transforming data of a current coding unit.
US09042458B2
Multi-threaded implementations of deblock filtering improve encoding and/or decoding efficiency. For example, a video encoder or decoder partitions a video picture into multiple segments. The encoder/decoder selects between multiple different patterns for splitting operations of deblock filtering into multiple passes. The encoder/decoder organizes the deblock filtering as multiple tasks, where a given task includes the operations of one of the passes for one of the segments. The encoder/decoder then performs the tasks with multiple threads. The performance of the tasks is constrained by task dependencies which, in general, are based at least in part on which lines of the picture are in the respective segments and which deblock filtering operations are in the respective passes. The task dependencies can include a cross-pass, cross-segment dependency between a given pass of a given segment and an adjacent pass of an adjacent segment.
US09042457B2
An image decoding apparatus which decodes, in parallel, a coded stream having processing order dependency includes: a slice data predecoding unit which predecodes, on a macroblock group basis, macroblock groups included in the coded stream to generate macroblock decoding information necessary for decoding other macroblock groups; and a first macroblock decoding unit and a second macroblock decoding unit each of which decodes a corresponding one of macroblock groups included in the coded stream in parallel. Each of the macroblock decoding units, when decoding the corresponding one of macroblock groups, uses the macroblock decoding information that has been generated for the other macroblock group.
US09042453B2
In one embodiment, a method for a moving picture coding system to derive at least one motion vector of a bi-predictive block in a current picture from a motion vector of a first block in a first picture includes selecting, by the moving picture coding system, a list 1 motion vector of the first block in the first picture as a motion vector for deriving list 0 and list 1 motion vectors of the bi-predictive block if the first block only has the list 1 motion vector, the first picture being permitted to be located temporally before the current picture and permitted to be located temporally after the current picture, scaling the selected motion vector and deriving the list 0 and list 1 motion vectors of the bi-predictive block by applying a bit operation to the scaled motion vector, the bit operation including 8 bits right shift.
US09042442B2
An image encoding and decoding apparatus and method, the image encoding and decoding apparatus includes: an encoding unit adjusting at least one weight value adaptively to the number of bits expressing each pixel of a current image, predicting a pixel value of a block of interest by performing an operation on a pixel value of at least one block having a pixel value similar to the pixel value of the block of interest among blocks included in a previous image and the at least one adjusted weight value, and encoding the pixel value of the block of interest using the predicted pixel value of the block of interest; and a decoding unit adjusting the at least one weight value adaptively to the number of bits, restoring the predicted pixel value of the block of interest by performing an operation on the pixel value of the at least one block having the pixel value similar to the pixel value of the block of interest among blocks included in the restored previous image and the at least one adjusted weight value, and decoding the pixel value of the block of interest using the restored pixel value, wherein the previous image refers to an image displayed prior to a current image, and the block of interest is a target block of interest among blocks belonging to the current image.
US09042429B2
A radio receiver apparatus includes a serving cell detector configured to generate a detected serving cell signal based on a serving cell detector input signal. The radio receiver apparatus further includes a first interfering cell detector configured to generate a detected first interfering cell signal based on a first interfering cell detector input signal and a first interfering cell synthesizer configured to generate synthesized first interfering cell signal based on the detected first interfering cell signal. A serving cell interference removing unit is configured to remove the synthesized first interfering cell signal from a serving cell signal to generate the serving cell detector input signal.
US09042422B2
Disclosed is an ASE-free continuously tunable external resonator laser in which reduction in tuning range and decrease in output are suppressed. The external resonator laser comprises: a fixed support body which has a half mirror that partially reflects incident light and partially transmits incident light fixed therein; and a rotatory support body which is rotatably supported by the fixed support body by way of a shaft, and which has a laser chip that emits light, a collimator lens that collimates light emitted from the laser chip, and a diffraction grating that diffracts light emitted from the laser chip, fixed therein.
US09042420B2
A device including one or more layers with lateral regions configured to facilitate the transmission of radiation through the layer and lateral regions configured to facilitate current flow through the layer is provided. The layer can comprise a short period superlattice, which includes barriers alternating with wells. In this case, the barriers can include both transparent regions, which are configured to reduce an amount of radiation that is absorbed in the layer, and higher conductive regions, which are configured to keep the voltage drop across the layer within a desired range.
US09042416B1
A GRINSCH laser having an asymmetric configuration wherein the optical confinement is weighted more to the n-doped multilayer section than to the p-doped multilayer section. The GRINSCH laser can emit laser light at a wavelength λ=976 nm over a broad area with a beam power of 11.4 W at a 12 A bias current at a temperature of 20° C. Fabry-Perot and distributed Bragg reflector GRINSCH laser configurations are disclosed.
US09042406B2
Method for obtaining IPV6 configuration information in IPV6 transition network, system and apparatus
The present invention discloses a method for obtaining IPv6 configuration information in an IPv6 transition network. The network includes an IPv4 network and an IPv6 network. An apparatus for providing IPv6 configuration information in the IPv4 network receives an IPv6 configuration information obtaining request packet sent by a user side device. In response, the apparatus sends a response packet to the user side device, where the response packet is a DHCPv4 packet, and carries the requested IPv6 configuration information. Some of the advantages of the present invention are that automatic configuration for a user side device which needs to traverse the IPv4 network to access the IPv6 network is implemented, and efficiency is greatly improved compared with a manual configuration method in the prior art.
US09042401B1
A wireless device comprises a first wireless interface, a second wireless interface, and a power control module. The first wireless interface is configured to communicate with a first access network. The second wireless interface is configured to communicate with a second access network. One of the first and second wireless interfaces comprises a circuit-switched interface. The other one of the first and second wireless interfaces comprises a packet-switched interface. The power control module selectively disables the first wireless interface, provides registration information with respect to the first wireless interface to a remote system, and updates the registration information in the remote system prior to disabling the first wireless interface.
US09042400B2
A communications system improves performance of detecting a signal having an indication of a request to change communications states by making at least two positive identifications of the request in a given time frame. The system may further improve performance by applying a difference in power levels for a non-request state (i.e., steady state or ‘control hold’ state) versus a request state (i.e., ‘request to change’ state). In one particular application, a base station determines a request to change communications states with a reasonably high probability of detection and a reasonably low probability of false detection. The system has a reduced number of erroneous communications states, such as erroneous traffic channel allocations. The detection technique is compatible with 1xEV-DV systems and I-CDMA systems, but general enough to support systems employing various other communications protocols used in wired and wireless communications systems.
US09042395B2
A method of routing traffic through a packet network having a mesh physical topography. At least two types of network primitive are defined, each type of network primitive providing a respective model of traffic forwarding through at least two neighbor nodes of the network. A network model encompassing at least a portion of the network is constructed using a set of two or more interconnected network primitives. The network model has nodes and links corresponding to respective nodes and lines of the network. Respective forwarding information is computed for each node of the network model. For each node of the network model, the respective computed forwarding information is installed in a forwarding database of the corresponding node of the network, such that traffic is forwarded by each node of the network in accordance with the respective computed forwarding information.
US09042393B2
A method and apparatus for setting up an UpLink common bearer shared by a plurality of User Equipments (UEs) in a wireless communication network is provided. The apparatus includes a Serving GateWay (S-GW) for receiving a group identifier of a UE from a Mobility Management Entity (MME), sending a create bearer request message including the group identifier to a Packet Data Network (PDN) GateWay (P-GW), receiving a create bearer response message including UL common S5 bearer information (UL common S5 info) for a group corresponding to the group identifier from the P-GW, and sending a create bearer response message including UL common S1 bearer information (UL common S1 info) to the MME, and the P-GW for receiving the create bearer request message from the S-GW, and generating and sending the create bearer response message including the UL common S5 info.
US09042382B1
A system and method that enables an application to retrieve application update from the software vendor using one or more network connection. The application checks for updates when it is invoked by the user. The checking of updates is done by sending a request to the vendor server via one or multiple network connections. The network connection can be wired or wireless. By using multiple network connections, the update process can send and receive update data faster than using one network connections. Another aspect of the invention is if the checking for update request failed via the default or 1st network connection, the application will check for the next available network connection to send the update request. By checking for update from the vendor, the application will always have the most up to date patches, fixes, and/or new features.
US09042350B2
A channel receiver operable to implement fractional dedicated physical channel (F-DPCH) for high-speed data packet access is provided. A received RF signal is processed to produce a set of soft symbol outputs. The receiver detects whether transmit power control (TPC) command bits are present in the set of soft symbol outputs. The TPC command bits are conveyed with the RF signal over non-dedicated pilot bits in the processed baseband signal. When TPC command bits are detected, the set of soft symbol outputs are processed to produce estimated TPC command bits. A TPC quality estimate is generated based on the estimated TPC command bits. A signal-to-interference ratio for the WCDMA dedicated physical channel is adjusted based upon a comparison of the TPC quality estimate with a TPC quality target to effect F-DPCH power control.
US09042346B2
A mobile relay station (RS) and a handover method thereof are provided. When it is determined that a mobile RS performs handover from a superordinate base station (BS) to a target BS, information indicating admission of handover is received from the superordinate BS. The mobile RS transmits a service unavailability section to a subordinate terminal, whereby the subordinate terminal is prevented from performing handover to a different BS or a different RS.
US09042340B2
An apparatus for enabling transfer of mobile terminal inter-RAT capabilities in a multi-RAT environment from the perspective of the capability provider may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured, with the processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least receiving an indication of a request for mobile terminal inter-RAT capability information relative to a particular RAT, acquiring the inter-RAT capability information in response to receipt of the indication of the request for inter-RAT capability information, and providing the inter-RAT capability information to a target base station.
US09042339B2
A system and method support robust header compression (ROHC) for a mobile station (MS) handover in a wireless communication system. If a mobile station (MS) accesses a base station (BS) controlled by the ASN-GW through a handover, ROHC parameter information is received from a previous ASN-GW controlling a previous BS accessed by the MS before the handover. An ROHC parameter for ROHC-based communication with the MS is determined on the basis of the ROHC parameter information received from the previous ASN-GW. The determined ROHC parameter is transmitted to the MS by using a path modification request message for an ROHC service flow.
US09042332B2
A communication method in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system is provided. The communication method includes: communicating, by a first station, with a second station, via an operating channel of the new BSS, a width of the operating channel being equal to one among 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 80+80 MHz and 160 MHz. The operating channel includes a primary channel selected among a set of channels by the second station, the selected primary channel is not identical to a secondary 20 MHz channel of one or more existing BSSs scanned by the second station, and the secondary 20 MHz of the one or more existing BSSs is contiguous with a primary 20 MHz channel of the one or more existing BSSs.
US09042330B2
A method for generating a sequence in a wireless communication system that includes generating a bit sequence from combined bits of reception acknowledgements for each of a first transport block and a second transport block according to a predetermined coding rate, mapping the bit sequence to modulation symbols to generate a block of modulation symbols, and generating a sequence of modulation symbols by applying an orthogonal sequence repeated n times to the block of modulation symbols.
US09042327B2
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for transmitting uplink control information and to a device therefor, and relates to a method comprising the steps of: selecting one uplink control channel resource corresponding to a plurality of HARQ-ACKs, from a plurality of uplink control channel resources; and transmitting a bit value corresponding to the plurality of HARQ-ACKs, by using the selected uplink control channel resource. The present invention also relates to a device for the method.
US09042325B2
A method includes selecting, in a system in which a communication device searches for unscheduled transmissions of downlink control information for said communication device, a combination of search spaces for unscheduled transmissions of downlink control information for a communication device by a number of transmission techniques. The method includes transmitting an indication of the result of the selected combination to said communication device. Apparatus and program products are also disclosed.
US09042323B1
A base station may be configured to emit a plurality of beams in a given coverage area, where each beam defines a different respective sub-coverage area of the given coverage area and serves wireless communication devices (WCDs) located in the respective sub-coverage area. While emitting these beams, the base station may detect that there is a threshold number of highly-mobile WCDs located in the given coverage area. In response, the base station may activate a global beam that serves WCDs located anywhere in the given coverage area. In turn, the base station may assign at least one highly-mobile WCD located in the given coverage area to the global beam.
US09042312B2
Maintaining uplink hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) compatibility with extended radio frames includes partitioning subframe groups over an extended radio frame having a length of time greater than a time defined for a single radio frame. User equipment (UE) suspends PUSCH (physical uplink shared channel) retransmission in the extended radio frame, in accordance with hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) timing of a subframe group assigned to the UE.
US09042311B2
Techniques are described for evaluating and improving a user experience for applications in mobile wireless networks. In some embodiments, for example, traffic characteristic prioritization information may be received from a base station at a mobile station and the traffic characteristic prioritization information may be sent to one or more applications. Traffic characteristic parameters may be received from the one or more applications and a request may be sent from the mobile station to the base station to create a service flow or modify an existing service flow. A prioritization value for the service flow may be received based on the traffic characteristic parameters and the traffic characteristic prioritization information. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09042297B2
A first node receives information associated with a mobile station to allow for establishment of a session for the mobile station that is attached to a first wireless access network in a first service domain. In response to the received information, the first node sends messaging to a home agent in a second service domain that is of a different type than the first service domain. The first node receives, from the home agent, an Internet Protocol (IP) address allocated to the mobile station in the second service domain, where the IP address is allocated in response to the messaging, and where services provided to the mobile station are anchored in the second service domain.
US09042285B2
A user equipment (UE) may save power by reducing certain battery draining activities when a user is not close to or not using the UE. The UE may skip inter-radio access technology measurements to conserve battery life. The UE may also extend a paging periodicity when the battery power is low and/or when a sensor detects UE inactivity or a distant user.
US09042275B2
A tunable radio frequency (RF) duplexer is disclosed. The tunable RF duplexer includes a first hybrid coupler, a second hybrid coupler, and an RF filter circuit. The first hybrid coupler is operable to split an RF receive input signal into first and second RF quadrature hybrid receive signals (QHRSs). The first hybrid coupler is also operable to split an RF transmission input signal into first and second RF quadrature hybrid transmission signals (QHTSs). The RF filter circuit is operable to pass the first and second RF QHRSs to the second hybrid coupler and to reflect the first and second RF QHTSs back to the first hybrid coupler. Additionally, the second hybrid coupler is configured to combine the first and second RF QHRSs into an RF receive output signal, while the first hybrid coupler is configured to combine the first and second RF QHTSs into an RF transmission output signal.
US09042272B2
An addressing redirection mechanism is initiated at a switch or a router in a computing network in order to enable the switch to perform one or more distributed proxy addressing operations on behalf of a connected router. An address request transmitted from a first host device to a second host device to obtain addressing information of the second host device is received at the switch, and the switch inspects the address request to identify addressing information for the first host device. The switch is configured to forward the addressing information for the first host device to the router.
US09042271B2
A layer 2 transport network, and components thereof, supporting virtual network functionality among customer edge devices. Virtual private network configuration can be accomplished with merely local intervention by preprovisioning extra channel (or circuit) identifiers at each customer edge device and by advertising label base and range information corresponding to a list of channel (or circuit) identifiers.
US09042259B2
Provided is a method for measuring which is performed by a user equipment in a wireless communication system. The method comprises the following steps: receiving from a serving cell an interference area indication setting including information which permits the user equipment to transmit the interference area indication; deciding whether a limited measurement is necessary; and transmitting the interference area indication for indicating that the limited measurement is necessary to the serving cell, receiving a limited resource measurement setting as a reply to the interference area indication, and performing the measurement based on the limited resource measurement setting, when the limited measurement is decided as necessary.
US09042258B2
Provided is a method for measuring, which is performed by a user equipment in a wireless communication system. The method for measuring comprises the following steps: receiving from a serving cell a report request message on measured resource limitation; attempting to acquire the information on the measured resource limitation; and transmitting the report request message on the measured resource limitation including the information on the measured resource limitation to the serving cell; receiving from the serving cell the measured resource limitation setting; and performing the limited measurement, when the information on the measured resource limitation is successfully acquired.
US09042253B2
In one embodiment, the method includes determining feasibility for a potential transmission based on a current schedule of active transmissions. The current schedule of active transmissions includes active transmissions over multiple carriers and at multiple transmission rates. The potential transmission is at a start time on a radio frequency carrier at a data transmission rate by a user terminal. A transmission duration is determined if the potential transmission is determined to be feasible. A message is sent to the user terminal. if the potential transmission is determined to be feasible. The message may direct the user terminal to receive the potential transmission on the radio frequency carrier at the data transmission rate at the start time. The current schedule is updated according to the feasibility determination.
US09042249B2
A provided method for processing a voice call includes: loading CAP operation libraries and algorithms of camel1 and camel2 to a service creation environment version of camel3; identifying a network type of camel and determining whether to modify IDP parameters according to the identified network type; triggering a service of a camel3 network type; the service identifying a network type of camel, in which a current call is located, based on an event number and IDP parameters; invoking, according to the identified network type of camel in which the current call is located, a CAP operation library and an algorithm of a corresponding camel to process parameter information in an IDP, and invoking a signalling of a corresponding network type in subsequent operations. By applying the solution, it is not required to update service products to be adaptive to the network type.
US09042248B2
Disclosed is a radio communication system wherein radio terminals can communicate using a plurality of component carriers having different frequencies. The communication system has a reception start timing control means for commonly controlling the cycle of reception start timing for predetermined channels in at least some of the component carriers assigned to the radio terminals; and a reception control means for controlling the reception interval of said predetermined channels, said reception intervals being started at the reception start times in at least some of the component carriers assigned to the radio terminals.
US09042241B2
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided in which a user equipment (UE) may obtain at least one of a plurality of circuit switched fall back (CSFB) parameters from at least one of an LTE eNodeB or a usable system, wherein the plurality of CSFB parameters comprise a channel list, a system time, and a neighbor list, and may perform one or more system acquisition actions based on the at least one of the plurality of obtained CSFB parameters.
US09042240B2
Techniques for reliable channel decoding in a wireless network are provided. In one aspect, a wireless device receives system information over a physical broadcast channel of a downlink transmission. The wireless device decodes the physical broadcast channel of a current radio frame using a plurality of hypotheses until the decoding passes a cyclic redundancy check. Thereafter, the wireless device compares system information from the current radio frame with information obtained from a previous radio frame. The information from the previous radio frame may include one or more network parameters which may be stored in a memory of the wireless device. In some aspects, the comparison may be performed over a plurality of radio frames. Based at least in part on a result of the comparing, the wireless device may selectively reject system information from one or more of the radio frames.
US09042229B2
A distributed fabric system includes multiple switches coupled to a cell-based switching fabric. A logical system port that is globally unique within the distributed fabric system is mapped to each physical network port in the distributed fabric system. To partition the system into multiple non-overlapping switching domains, each system port is associated with a look-up table having at least one table entry for each other system port to be allocated to the same switching domain as that system port. Each switch that receives a packet over a given system port is limited to switching the packet to only those other system ports for which the look-up table associated with the given system port has a table entry.
US09042228B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide an automatic protection switching method, device and system. The method includes: determining a part of services as to-be-switched service(s) according to change of bandwidth when monitoring that the bandwidth of the first transmission path changes; and switching the to-be-switched service(s) between links on the second transmission path and the first transmission path. Another method includes: receiving a partial switching message from a peer network edge node through the first transmission path or the second transmission path; and determining the to-be-switched service(s) according to indication information about the to-be-switched service(s) or bandwidth change information in the partial switching message, and switching the to-be-switched service(s) between links on the first transmission path and the second transmission path.
US09042225B2
A network interface device (NID) may determine whether the received data units of the computer system are to be compressed before transmitting the data units. The NID may determine the compression energy value consumed to compress the first K1 data units and a second transmission energy value to transmit the compressed first K1 data units. The NID may then estimate a first transmission energy value that may be consumed by the NID to transmit uncompressed first K1 data units using the second transmission energy value. The NID may then use the first and second transmission energy value and the compression energy value to determine if the remaining (N−K1) data units of the first data stream.
US09042224B2
A system for scheduling data for transmission in a communication network includes a credit distributor and a transmit selector. The communication network includes a plurality of children. The transmit selector is communicatively coupled to the credit distributor. The credit distributor operates to grant credits to at least one of eligible children and children having a negative credit count. Each credit is redeemable for data transmission. The credit distributor further operates to affect fairness between children with ratios of granted credits, maintain a credit balance representing a total amount of undistributed credits available, and deduct the granted credits from the credit balance. The transmit selector operates to select at least one eligible and enabled child for dequeuing, bias selection of the eligible and enabled child to an eligible and enabled child with positive credits, and add credits to the credit balance corresponding to an amount of data selected for dequeuing.
US09042222B2
A system for deadlock recovery of distributed devices may include a processor and memory. The processor may transmit packets to a device, receive a pause message indicating that the packet transmission should be paused, and initiate a timer and pause the packet transmission in response to receiving the pause message. The processor may enter a deadlock recovery state if the timer reaches a timeout before a resume message is received that indicates that the packet transmission can resume. The processor may, while in the deadlock recovery state, drop packets that have a packet age that is greater than a threshold, and may exit the deadlock recovery state upon dropping a packet that has a packet age less than the threshold, or upon receiving the resume message. The processor may re-initiate the timer if the resume message has not been received, otherwise the processor may resume the packet transmission.
US09042214B2
A router includes a plurality of wireless network carrier cards, each of the network carrier cards adapted for use with one of a like plurality of different carrier networks, means for determining which of the plurality of network carrier cards provides a suitable connection to a carrier network and means for selecting one or more suitable connections to one or more carrier networks and for connecting the EVDO router to the carrier network through a particular one of the plurality of network carrier cards and a load balancing processor for load balancing between a plurality of different backbone networks and wherein the load balancing processor directs traffic among multiple networks to provide a desired throughput. In one embodiment, the router is provided as an evolution-data optimized (EVDO) wireless router.
US09042213B2
Provided is a radio communication device which can reduce ISI caused by destruction of an orthogonal DFT matrix even when an SC-FDMA signal is divided into a plurality of clusters and the clusters are respectively mapped to discontinuous frequency bands. The radio communication device includes a DFT unit (110), a division unit (111), and a mapping unit (112). The DFT unit (110) uses the DFT matrix to execute a DFT process on a symbol sequence in a time region to generate a signal (SC-FDMA signal) of the frequency region. The division unit (111) generates a plurality of clusters by dividing the SC-FDMA signal with a partially orthogonal bandwidth corresponding to the vector length of some of the column vectors constituting the DFT matrix used in the DFT unit (110) and orthogonally intersecting at least partially. The mapping unit (112) maps the clusters to discontinuous frequency bands.
US09042210B2
An apparatus includes a writer, an arrangement comprising a plasmonic near-field transducer (NFT) adjacent the writer and comprising a material having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), and a lead arrangement connected to the NFT arrangement. In some configurations, the NFT arrangement includes a heat sink, and the lead arrangement is connected to the heat sink. In other configurations, the lead arrangement is connected directly to the NFT.
US09042209B2
In a heat-assisted magnetic recording head for use in a hard disk drive, a thermal shunt is positioned between an E-antenna near field transducer (NFT) and a return pole, to draw excess heat away from the NFT region. The thermal shunt comprises two portions separated by a gap that has a trapezoidal cross-section, where the NFT-side of the gap is wider than the return pole-side of the gap.
US09042207B2
Controlling a laser diode involves activating a first current source in preparation for writing to a magnetic recording medium. The first current source applies a threshold current to a laser diode that brings the laser diode close to an operating point. Responsive to a write signal, a second current source is activated that applies a write current to the laser diode. A combination of the write current and the threshold current fully energizes the laser diode and is less than a target recording current. Coincident with the activation of the second current source, a photodiode is activated that is optically coupled to the laser diode. The activated photodiode causes a feedback current to be applied to the laser diode.
US09042204B2
An electronic wildlife call has electronics and a housing. The electronics includes an electronic sound generator, memory containing at least one sound call, and at least one speaker connected with the sound generator. The housing contains the electronics and has an upper portion and a lower portion. Legs are coupled to the lower portion of the housing. The legs are movable between a deployed position and a stowed position, wherein when the legs are in the deployed position, the housing is elevated above the ground. The housing has a docking port for receiving a remote control. When the remote control is located in the docking port, the power supply in the remote control is recharged and calls are synced.
US09042202B2
There is provided a solid seismic streamer cable for use in seismic surveying in marine environments. The streamer is characterized by a buffer layer 2 which is provided with a cut-out 50 and a sensor element arranged in the cut-out 50. There is also provided an associated hydrophone for integration into the seismic streamer cable. The hydrophone is characteristic in a split-element sensor base 10, 11 being suited for efficient mounting into the cut-outs 50 of the seismic cable. There is also provided an associated accelerometer for integration into the seismic streamer cable. The accelerometer is characteristic by a split-element sensor base 30, 35 for being efficiently arranged into the cut-outs 50 of the seismic cable. A method of producing a seismic streamer cable according to the invention incorporating a hydrophone or accelerometer according to the invention is also provided.
US09042200B2
A downhole telemetry system usable with a subterranean well comprises at least one pressure pulse generator, at least one pressure transmitter located in an internal tube space in the well and at least one pressure transmitter located in a tubing annulus. The system comprises a packer providing hydraulic isolation of the tubing annulus and at least one transmitter located below the packer and responding to at least one physical quantity characterizing a bottom-hole zone. The system also includes a data encoder located below the packer to read out the transmitter located below the packer and to respond to at least one physical quantity characterizing the bottom-hole zone, a pressure pulse modulator to modulate pressure pulses generated by the pressure pulse generator, a surface-mounted data-collection unit to converts the output data of the transmitters and to provide a surface-mounted data decoder with data for analysis.
US09042184B2
Some embodiments include a memory device and a method of programming memory cells of the memory device. One such method includes applying voltages to data lines associated with different groups of memory cells during a programming operation. Such a method applies the voltages to the data lines associated with a last group of memory cells being programmed in a different fashion from the other groups of memory cells after the other groups of memory cells have been programmed. Other embodiments including additional memory devices and methods are described.
US09042174B2
A non-volatile memory cell comprises a coupling device, a first and a second select transistor, and a first and a second floating gate transistor is disclosed. The coupling device is formed in a first conductivity region. The first select transistor is serially connected to the first floating gate transistor and the second select transistor. Moreover, the first select transistor, the first floating gate transistor, and the second select transistor are formed in a second conductivity region. The second floating gate transistor is formed in a third conductivity region, wherein the first conductivity region, the second conductivity region, and the third conductivity region are formed in a fourth conductivity region. The first conductivity region, the second conductivity region, and the third conductivity region are wells, and the fourth conductivity region is a deep well. The third conductivity region surrounds the first conductivity region and the second conductivity region.
US09042171B2
An integrated circuit includes at least one memory array and at least one capacitor array over a substrate. The at least one capacitor array includes a plurality of capacitor cell structures. The capacitor cell structures of the plurality of cell structures comprise a first capacitor electrode over the substrate. A second capacitor electrode is over the first capacitor electrode. A third capacitor electrode is adjacent to first sidewalls of the first and second capacitor electrodes. A fourth capacitor electrode is adjacent to second sidewalls of the first and second capacitor electrodes. A fifth capacitor electrode is over the substrate and adjacent to the fourth capacitor electrode.
US09042169B2
Cells of a solid-state, non-volatile memory are assigned to one of a plurality of groups. Each group is defined by expected symbols stored in the cells in view of actual symbols read from the cells. Based on cell counts within the groups, it can be determined that a shift in a reference voltage will reduce a collective bit error rate of the cells. The shift can be applied to data access operations affecting the cells.
US09042165B2
A magnetoresistive effect element uses a perpendicularly magnetized material and has a high TMR ratio. Intermediate layers composed of an element metal having a melting point of 1600° C. or an alloy containing the metal on an outside of a structure consisting of a CoFeB layer, an MgO barrier layer, and a CoFeB layer. By inserting the intermediate layers, crystallization of the CoFeB layer during annealing is advanced from an MgO (001) crystal side, so that the CoFeB layer has a crystalline orientation in bcc (001).
US09042157B2
The invention concerns a memory device comprising at least one memory cell comprising: a first transistor (102) coupled between a first storage node (106) and a first supply line (GND, VDD); a second transistor (104) coupled between a second storage node and said first supply line (GND, VDD), control terminals of said first and second transistors being coupled to said second and first storage nodes respectively; a third transistor (110) coupled between said first storage node and a first access line (BL) and controllable via a first control line (WL1); a fourth transistor (112, 712) coupled between said second storage node (108) and a second access line (BLB) and controllable via a second control line; and a first resistance switching element (202) coupled in series with said first transistor and programmable to have one of first and second resistive states.
US09042154B2
Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having a first memory element and a first select component coupled to the first memory element, a second memory element and a second select component coupled to the second memory element, and an access line shared by the first and second select components. At least one of the embodiments can include a circuit to generate a signal indicating a state of the second memory element based on a first signal developed from a first signal path through the first memory element and a second signal developed from a second signal path through the second memory element.
US09042152B2
A non-volatile memory device including a cell array, which includes a plurality of memory cells, and a sense amplification circuit. The sense amplification circuit is configured to receive a data voltage of a memory cell, a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage during a data read operation of the memory cell, generate differential output signals based on a voltage level difference between the data voltage and the first and second reference voltages, and output the differential output signals as data read from the memory cell.
US09042151B2
Embodiments are directed to injecting domain walls in a magnetic racetrack memory. In some embodiments, a racetrack comprising a nanowire is coupled with a gate in order to manipulate an anisotropy associated with the nanowire. The racetrack and gate is coupled with a pinning layer configured to establish a magnetization direction in the nanowire.
US09042141B2
A system that manages a supplemental energy source connected to a power grid uses a two stage control strategy to manage power transfers in and out of the power grid as well as in and out of an energy storage system, such as a battery bank. One stage uses a non-linear transfer function to control an output frequency of a DC-to-AC inverter to limit undesired effects of power transients that occur on the grid. A second stage uses control strategy for transferring energy between the energy storage system and an internal DC link based on a relationship between a voltage on a DC link connecting the first and second stages and a DC link reference voltage, the voltage on the DC link, and a voltage at the energy storage system. The control strategy includes rapid charging, over-charging protection, and grid transient stabilization.
US09042137B2
There is provided an even-level inverter, including: a voltage-dividing circuit dividing input DC power into an even number of voltage levels; a plurality of switching devices connected to individual nodes of the voltage-dividing circuit having the even number of voltage levels; and a bidirectional switching device connected to the individual nodes of the voltage-dividing circuit through at least one of the plurality of switching devices and including at least two transistors. According to the present invention, the bidirectional switching device is implemented without a diode to thereby reduce conduction loss caused due to an anti-parallel diode included in the related art bidirectional switching device, and a neutral point of the voltage-dividing circuit is electrically separated from the switching devices to thereby control reactive power.
US09042135B2
Methods and apparatuses for a soft-start function with auto-disable are described. Such methods and apparatuses can gradually increase a voltage towards a reference voltage using a ramp generator and a control loop and can disable the ramp generator and the control loop once the voltage has reached the reference voltage.
US09042133B2
A power source circuit includes a switching circuit 4 that converts a direct current voltage obtained by converting an alternating voltage from an alternating power source input through a pair of power supply lines 2 and 3 into a predetermined direct current voltage by a switching operation. A fuse 5 is provided on one power supply line 2. A series circuit 9 including a first line bypass capacitor 7 and a resistor element 8 is connected between one power supply line 2 and a ground 6. A second line bypass capacitor 10 is connected between the other power supply line 3 and the ground 6. Imbalance of the circuit by an excess current protection element is prevented to reduce common mode noise.
US09042132B2
A noise suppression circuit for a power adapter is disclosed. The noise suppression circuit can reduce or eliminate adapter-induced noise that could interfere with an electronic device powered by the adapter. In one example, the noise suppression circuit can include an active circuit to detect and attenuate or cancel the induced noise. In another example, the noise suppression circuit can include an RLC circuit in parallel with the adapter choke to suppress the induced noise at the operating frequencies of the powered electronic device. In still another example, the noise suppression circuit can include a modified adapter Y capacitor connection so as to bypass the adapter choke, thereby reducing or eliminating the choke's induced noise.
US09042122B2
A power converter and a method for balancing voltages across input capacitors are disclosed in the present application. The power converter includes: two DC input terminals; a first input capacitor and a second input capacitor; a first bridge arm and a second bridge arm connected in series with one another; and an output circuit configured to generate a signal required by the power converter based on the signals at a midpoint of the first bridge arm and a midpoint of the second bridge arm. The power converter further includes: a first voltage balancing unit and a second balancing unit configured to reduce a voltage difference between the first input capacitor and the second input capacitor. The power converter provided by the present application solves the problem of imbalance in the voltages across the first input voltage and the second input voltage.
US09042118B2
According to one embodiment, a television receiver includes: a housing; a circuit board arranged in the housing; an electronic component mounted on the circuit board; a reinforcing member comprising a first surface in contact with the circuit board, and a second surface located on an opposite side of the first surface and exposed to an inside of the housing; a component contained in the housing, the component comprising a first supported area located at a distance from a surface of the circuit board; and a support member configured to support the component, the support member comprising a first end portion fixed to the first supported area of the component, and a second end portion fixed to the second surface of the reinforcing member.
US09042114B2
An electronic component includes an interposer, and a multilayer ceramic capacitor. The interposer includes a substrate including front and back surfaces that are parallel or substantially parallel to each other. Two first mounting electrodes and two second mounting electrodes are located on the front surface of the substrate, on opposite end portions in the longitudinal direction. Recesses are located in the longitudinal side surface of the insulating substrate. Connecting conductors are each provided in the side wall surface of each of the recesses. The connecting conductors connect a first external connection electrode and a second external connection electrode that are located on the back surface of the substrate, and first mounting electrodes and second mounting electrodes.
US09042113B2
Disclosed herein are a printed circuit board and a method of manufacturing the same. The printed circuit board includes: a base substrate; an outer circuit layer formed on an upper portion of the base substrate and including a connection pad; a first solder resist formed on the upper portion of the base substrate so that the connection pad of the outer circuit layer is exposed; and a second solder resist formed on an upper portion of an outer circuit layer and formed so that the connection pad is exposed.
US09042109B2
A mounting structure of a flexible printed circuit board and a sliding-type electronic device is provided by which a too large increase in thickness of devices can be avoided and a pair of housings can be slid relatively in a bending and slanting direction. In the mounting structure, an upper housing 12 and a lower housing 22 coupled in a freely slidable manner are electrically connected to each other by a flexible printed circuit board folded back to be routed between slide facing surfaces 12b and 22a of both the housings and the height of a side wall surface 12c and 22c of the upper housing and lower housing changes in a bending manner along the direction of freely sliding and, in the slide facing surfaces of the upper housing and lower housing, concave space portions 15 and 25 to accommodate the change in curvature and in position of a folding-back portion 31a caused by sliding motion between the upper housing and lower housing are disposed.
US09042092B2
A monitor fixing mechanism for fixing a monitor is disclosed. The monitor fixing structure includes a pivot plate and a support member. The pivot plate is detachably connected to the support plate so as to pivot the monitor relative to a stand. The support member includes a plate, at least one lateral guiding structure disposed on the plate for laterally constraining movement of the pivot plate as the pivot plate is sliding into the plate in a first direction, and at least one stopping structure disposed on the plate for stopping an end of the pivot plate as the pivot plate has slid into the plate in the first direction completely. The monitor fixing mechanism further includes a fastening module for fastening the pivot plate on the support member as the pivot plate has slid into the plate in the first direction completely.
US09042089B2
A hinge assembly having a hollow and partially annular clutch is arranged to pivotally couple a portable computer base portion to a portable computer lid portion. The hinge assembly includes at least an elongated, hollow and partially open cylindrical portion that includes a partially annular outer region and a central bore region, the central bore region suitably arranged to provide support for electrical conductors between the base and lid portions. The hinge assembly also includes a plurality of fastening components that couple the hollow clutch to the base portion and the lid portion of the portable computer, with at least one of the fastening regions being integrally formed with the hollow and partially open cylindrical portion such that space, size and part count are minimized.
US09042083B2
The invention relates to the field of electrical engineering, in particular to electrotechnical components, and in this specific case to polar capacitors with a fixed capacitance. The technical result of the use of the invention consists in the possibility of producing electrical energy stores with small dimensions and high capacitance and voltages. The vacuum capacitor comprises an anode arranged outside a vacuum chamber, in which a cathode is arranged as well as a dielectric, between said cathode and anode. Said cathode can be designed in such a way that it can be heated by means of an electrically insulated filament disposed in the vacuum chamber, said vacuum chamber being in the form of a dielectric hermetically sealed cylinder, and said anode is arranged on the outer surface of the dielectric hermetically sealed cylinder. The cathode can be a “cold” cathode with a micropeak-type surface, which enables the loss of free electrons from the surface thereof without any heating, and the anode is located on the outer surface of the dielectric cylinder with a high vacuum and a cathode arranged therein.
US09042081B2
There is provided a multilayer ceramic capacitor including: a ceramic body having first and second side surfaces opposite to each other, and third and fourth end surfaces connecting the first and second side surfaces; a plurality of internal electrodes formed in the ceramic body and having one ends thereof exposed to the third or fourth end surface; and first and second side margin parts formed from the first and second side surfaces to respective edges of the internal electrodes, the first and second side margin parts having an average thickness of 18 μm or less, wherein when a boundary surface between a cover layer and the first or second side margin part in the ceramic body is divided into two regions in a thickness direction of the ceramic body, a region adjacent to the internal electrode is S1, and a porosity of S1 is P1, 1≦P1≦20 is satisfied.
US09042080B2
There are provided a multilayer ceramic electronic component and a method of manufacturing the same. Here, an average diameter (Dc) of ceramic grains in a cover area is smaller than an average diameter (Da) of ceramic grains in the active area, and when a thickness of the cover area is expressed by Tc, 9 um≦Tc≦25 um and Tc/Dc≧55 are satisfied. A multilayer ceramic capacitor having excellent moisture-resistance properties may be obtained.
US09042078B2
An electrostatic chuck includes: a ceramic dielectric substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface; an electrode interposed between the first and second major surfaces; and a connecting part connected to the electrode and including a first region in contact with the electrode, with a first direction being defined as a direction from the first major surface toward the second major surface, and a second direction being defined as a direction orthogonal to the first direction, the first region being configured so that in a cross section of the electrode and the connecting part as viewed in the second direction, an angle on a side of the connecting part between an extension line along outer shape on the side of second major surface of the electrode and a tangential line of outer shape of the connecting part gradually increases in the first direction.
US09042066B2
An output stage with short-circuit protection includes a power transistor, a detecting module, a disable module, and a driving module. The power transistor is electrically connected between a voltage source and an output node. A gate end of the power transistor is configured to receive a driving signal. The detecting module is configured to detect an output voltage on the output node to determine whether a short-circuit condition occurs, and to provide a detecting signal according to the output voltage on the output node in the short-circuit condition. The disable module is configured to provide a disable signal according to the detecting signal in the short-circuit condition, and operatively stop the disable signal in each cycle period of a clock signal. The driving module is configured to determine whether to generate the driving signal according to the disable signal and the clock signal.
US09042060B2
In one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a lower shield, a magnetoresistive (MR) film positioned above the lower shield, the MR film including a pinned layer, an intermediate layer positioned above the pinned layer, and a free layer positioned above the intermediate layer, the free layer being configured for sensing data on a magnetic medium, wherein a track width of the MR film is defined by a width of the free layer in a cross-track direction, a bias layer positioned on both sides of the MR film in the cross-track direction, a track insulating film positioned on both sides of the MR film in the cross-track direction and between the MR film and the bias layer, and an upper shield positioned above the bias layer and the MR film, wherein a length of the free layer in an element height direction perpendicular to an air bearing surface of the magnetic head is less than a length of the pinned layer in the element height direction.
US09042055B2
A tape guide roller, for use with a tape drive that is configured to receive a length of tape, includes a roller body having an outer surface with one or more grooved areas and one or more non-grooved areas. The one or more grooved areas make up seventy-five percent or less of the outer surface, and the one or more non-grooved areas make up at least twenty-five percent of the outer surface. Furthermore, the one or more grooved areas are configured to affect traction between the roller body and the tape as the tape passes over the roller body.
US09042047B1
Apparatus and method for detecting and compensating for lubrication disturbance (lube disturb) events on a rotatable data recording medium. In some embodiments, a lube disturb event is detected responsive to displacement of a data transducer away from a first memory location on a rotating data recording medium during a write operation to write data thereto. The lube disturb event arises responsive to a transfer of accumulated contamination from a data transducer to a lubrication layer on the rotating data recording medium and a smearing of the transferred accumulated contamination along the first memory location. The write data are stored to a different, second memory location instead of to the first memory location responsive to the detected lube disturb event.
US09042044B2
Embodiments of the disclosed technology relate to a color filter substrate and a method of manufacturing the same. The color filter substrate comprises a base substrate having a black matrix pattern thereon, the black matrix pattern having a plurality of openings; and a plurality of color filter layers in different colors, disposed on the base substrate and located at the openings of the black matrix pattern, the color filter layers being glass layers in different colors.
US09042042B2
The lens drive device is equipped with a first supporting body that holds the lens and is movable in the direction of the optical axis, a second supporting body that holds the first supporting body, a fixed body that holds the second supporting body in a manner enabling movement in directions that are roughly orthogonal to the optical axis direction, a first drive mechanism for driving the first supporting body, a second drive mechanism for driving the second supporting body in a first direction, and a third drive mechanism for driving the second supporting body in a second direction. The first supporting body is supported by the second supporting body by means of first supporting members which are formed from an elastic material; and the second supporting body is supported by the fixed body by means of second supporting members, which are formed from an elastic material.
US09042038B2
A telephoto lens system and an electronic apparatus having the same are provided. The telephoto lens system includes a first lens group having a positive refractive power, a second lens group having a negative refractive power, and a third lens group. The third lens group includes a (3-1)-th lens group having a positive refractive power, a (3-2)-th lens group having a negative refractive power, and a (3-3)-th lens group having a positive refractive power.
US09042036B2
An image lens assembly system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, a sixth lens element and a seventh lens element. The first lens element has refractive power. The second lens element has positive refractive power. The third lens element has refractive power. The fourth lens element has refractive power. The fifth lens element has refractive power. The sixth lens element with refractive power is made of plastic material, and has at least one surface being aspheric. The seventh lens element with refractive power is made of plastic material and has a concave image-side surface, wherein the image-side surface thereof changes from concave in a paraxial region thereof to convex in a peripheral region thereof, and at least one surface thereof is aspheric.
US09042032B2
In a method for converting a light beam to a line focus, wherein the line focus extends according to its length along a first direction (y) and is narrow in a second direction (x) perpendicular to the first direction (y), the light beam is directed onto at least one conical optically operative surface, by which it is converted to the line focus. The light beam is directed onto the at least one optically operative surface with a ring-segment-shaped cross section transversely with respect to the light propagation direction. A device, in particular for carrying out the method, and an optical arrangement for generating a light beam with a ring-segment-shaped cross section are likewise described. In accordance with a further method and a further device, a line focus is generated only with spherical and/or cylindrical elements.
US09042028B2
Provided are an electrowetting prism device which has increased an aperture ratio by simplifying an electrode and wiring structure, and a 3D image display apparatus capable of providing a super multi-view 3D image using the electrowetting prism device. The electrowetting prism device includes lower and upper transparent substrates disposed against each other, a vertical wall mounted on the lower transparent substrate so as to form a diamond-shaped space, a first electrode arranged along two adjacent sidewalls of the vertical wall, a second electrode arranged along the other remaining two adjacent sidewalls of the vertical wall to be disposed against the first electrode, and a non-polarized liquid and a polarized liquid arranged within a space surrounded by the vertical wall.
US09042026B2
Disclosed is an optical system for a head-mounted display, in which image rays provided from a display device are diverged to form and provide an enlarged image. First, second, and third lenses or first, second, third, and fourth lenses are sequentially disposed from an object along an optical axis and provide the enlarged image on an image plane, and angles of principal rays are gradually increased from the optical axis toward an edge of the image plane. Thus, as the angles of principal rays increase, the angle of view is improved to provide a large image so that it is possible to appreciate a vivid image due to an increase in the sense of presence and the degree of involvement. The size of the entire optical system can be reduced, thus a head-mounted display can be made compact and lightweight.
US09042025B2
In order from the object side, a first lens having positive power with a convex observation-side surface, a second lens having negative power and a meniscus shape with a concave object-side surface, and a third lens having positive power with an observation-side surface having a smaller radius of curvature than that of an object-side surface are provided. The first, second and third lenses are single lenses. The conditional expressions (1): 0.9
US09042015B2
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic image, and there is provided an image display method, and the method may include acquiring information on a user's face; determining whether to allow a stereoscopic image based on the face information; and displaying an image based on a result of the determination as to whether to allow a stereoscopic image. Hence, according to the present invention, a person disqualified for viewing a stereoscopic image may be prevented from viewing TV in a stereoscopic image mode.
US09042007B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus for optical communications. In one aspect, an optical amplifier includes a feed-forward first amplification stage including a rare-earth doped fiber receiving an optical signal and an injected pump light; and a plurality of subsequent amplification stages each including a corresponding rare-earth doped fiber, wherein each of the subsequent amplification stages receives a separately injected portion of the remnant pump light from the first amplification stage, the remnant pump light being split into portions directed to each respective subsequent amplification stage.
US09042003B2
A frequency comb generator fabricated on a chip with elimination of a disadvantageous reflow process, includes an ultra-high Q disk resonator having a waveguide that is a part of a wedge structure fabricated from a silicon dioxide layer of the chip. The disk resonator allows generation of a frequency comb with a mode spacing as low as 2.6 GHz and up to 220 GHz. A surface-loss-limited behavior of the disk resonator decouples a strong dependence of pumping threshold on repetition rate.
US09041998B2
The present invention relates to improved electro-optic rearview mirror elements and assemblies incorporating the same.
US09041988B1
A method and apparatus for exposure correction in scanners are disclosed. In the method, exposure is corrected for pixels received in an image sensor array. Exposure time is tracked for the incoming pixel data and a calibration factor is determined for correcting the gain, and the calibration factor is adjusted based on the tracked exposure time. In the apparatus, a scanner includes an illumination source and a sensor for receiving pixel data. Using values stored in a memory, circuitry is provided for determining a calibration factor, for tracking exposure time for the pixel data and for adjusting the pixel data based on the calibration factor and exposure time.
US09041984B2
An image reading device includes a light source, an imaging section, and a controller. The light source includes a plurality of light emitting elements. The light source irradiates light to an original document, while moving relative to the original document. The imaging section obtains scan data read from the original document by light irradiated to the original document from the light source. The controller controls the light source and the imaging section. The controller determines a read target region and a non-read target region in the original document, turns on a light emitting element out of the plurality of light emitting elements, which corresponds to the read target region, and turns off a light emitting element out of the plurality of light emitting elements, which corresponds to the non-read target region.
US09041977B2
In an image processing apparatus, a ground color detecting unit is provided that detects ground color information indicating a ground color from input first image data. A storage unit stores a history of the ground color information detected by the ground color detecting unit, and a setting unit is also provided that sets a first threshold value that is a reference of the ground color based on a representative value of first ground color information indicating a first ground color included in the history stored in the storage unit. A ground color removing unit removes a ground color for input second image data based on the first threshold value which was set by the setting unit. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program is also provided, the program causing a processor to perform steps similar to those performed by the image forming apparatus.
US09041969B2
Sheet information of a sheet contained in each of a first sheet containing unit and a second sheet containing unit is stored in a storing step, the sheet information that is set for the first sheet containing unit and the second sheet containing unit is stored in a memory. It is determined based on the sheet information stored in the memory, whether a sheet to be used in a print job is contained in the first sheet containing unit and the second sheet containing unit. If it is determined not to be contained in the first sheet containing unit and the second sheet containing unit, a change of the sheet information stored in the memory is done. The sheet information stored in the storing step is changed using the changed sheet information in the memory.
US09041953B2
Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, including: a job input unit; a job execution unit; a job storing unit; a start-up cost calculation unit to calculate a start-up cost which is a cost for start-up of the image forming apparatus, when the job is input from the job input unit; a total sum calculation unit to calculate a total sum of investable amount of the input job and the stored jobs; a job control unit to instruct the job storing unit to store the input job in case that the total sum is less than the start-up cost, and instruct the job execution unit to collectively execute the input job and the stored jobs in case that the total sum is not less than the start-up cost; and a charging unit configured to allocate the start-up cost to the jobs, and charge the allocated start-up cost for each executed job.
US09041949B2
An image forming apparatus configured to enter in a first power state and a second power state, a reception unit configured to receive a power down command, an operation unit configured to receive an operation of a user, and a control unit configured, if the reception unit receives the power down command, in a case where an elapse time without operating the operation unit is less than a preset time, to execute shift processing for shifting the power state of the image forming apparatus from the second power state to the first power state after elapse of a predetermined time after receiving the data, and in a case where the elapse time without operating the operation unit is equal to or more than the preset time, to execute the shift processing before the elapse of the predetermined time after receiving the power down command.
US09041947B2
A display apparatus includes a display section, a display control section, a distance detection section, and a coordinate detection section. The display section has a display area in which a selection image is displayed. When the selection image is formed by a plurality of images hierarchically associated with one another, the display control section displays consecutively the images configuring the selection image in accordance with the hierarchical association. The distance detection section detects a spatial distance between a pointer and the display area. The coordinate detection section detects coordinates which correspond to a position of the pointer. The display control section displays, together with a specified image displayed at a position corresponding to the coordinates detected by the coordinate detection section, related images in an immediately lower level in the hierarchy associated with the specified image, when the spatial distance detected is shorter than a preset threshold distance.
US09041937B2
[Problem to be Solved] To improve the measurement accuracy of an interference measurement device which utilizes interference of light.[Means for Solution] An interference measurement device includes a light source 10 for emitting supercontinuum light (SC light), an optical fiber coupler 11 for splitting the SC light into measurement light and reference light, a dispersion compensation element 12, a drive unit 13 for moving the dispersion compensation element 12, and light-receiving means 14 for measuring an interference waveform produced as a result of interference between the measurement light and the reference light. A measurement object 15 to be measured is an Si substrate having a thickness of 800 μm. The dispersion compensation element 12 is an Si substrate having a thickness of 780 μm. Namely, the dispersion compensation element 12 is formed of the same material as that of the measurement object 15 and is 20 μm thinner than the measurement object 15. The interference caused by reflection on the back surface of the measurement object 15 and reflection on the back surface of the dispersion compensation element 12 has a narrow peak width because wavelength dispersion is cancelled almost completely. Thus, the accuracy in measuring the peak position improves. As a result, the accuracy in measuring temperature, etc., improves.
US09041934B2
A dispersion managed interferometric fiber optic gyroscope comprising: a coupler coupled to the broadband light source via a first input fiber; an IOC comprising: a beamsplitter that directs the input signal to a first output and a second output; a combiner configured to combine a first return signal from the first output and a second return signal from the second output into a combined return signal; an integrated optical circuit input coupled to the coupler via a second input fiber; a fiber optic gyroscope sensing coil coupled to a first pigtail fiber and second pigtail fiber, the sensing coil comprising sensing fibers, wherein at least one dispersion slope of at least one of the first input fiber, second input fiber, first pigtail fiber, second pigtail fiber, and the sensing fibers is selected such that the signals at the IOC input has a second order coherence substantially equal to two.
US09041933B2
A system for characterizing crude oil fractions includes a maltenes sample reservoir, a first solvent reservoir, a second solvent reservoir, and a third solvent reservoir. The system further includes a valve in fluid communication with the first solvent reservoir, the second solvent reservoir, and the third solvent reservoir and a pump in fluid communication with the valve. The system further includes a packed bed in fluid communication with the maltenes sample reservoir and the pump, a flowthrough cell in fluid communication with the packed bed, a spectrometer operably associated with the flowthrough cell, and a computer operably associated with the spectrometer. A method for characterizing crude oil fractions includes providing a maltene sample, eluting saturates, aromatics, and resins of the maltene sample, determining an optical density of each, and determining a concentration of each of the saturates, aromatics, and resins based upon optical densities over time for each.
US09041929B2
An apparatus for securing a diagnostic tool proximate to and in front of a display device between the corners thereof. A harness is adapted to releasably hold the diagnostic tool, a restraining bracket extends from the harness, and there is at least one elastic cord having a first end, an intermediate portion and a second end. The cord is threaded through the restraining bracket and is sized so as to impart elastic tension to the corners of the display device while concomitantly protecting the front surface from pressure due to the position of the harness and diagnostic tool.
US09041925B2
The present disclosure relates to an improved device and methods for adapting to a laser diffraction apparatus used for measuring particle size distribution and density of the plume of a powder composition emitted from a dry powder inhaler.
US09041924B2
A transmissive diffraction grating includes a polarization conversion layer, a first diffractive layer disposed on one surface side of the polarization conversion layer, and a second diffractive layer disposed on the other surface side of the polarization conversion layer. Both the first diffractive layer and the second diffractive layer include refractive index modulation structures arranged with a period P in a first direction, and diffraction efficiency for a TE polarized light component is higher than a diffraction efficiency for a TM polarized light component.
US09041908B2
The disclosure relates to a method for adapting a projection exposure apparatus for microlithography to a mask having structures with different pitches and/or different structure widths in different structure directions. Wavefront aberrations induced by the mask are reduced by a manipulator of the projection exposure apparatus for microlithography.
US09041901B2
A lithographic projection apparatus includes a substrate table by which a substrate is held, a projection system via which a patterned beam is projected onto the substrate to expose the substrate through liquid, and a liquid supply system. The liquid supply system includes a supply flow path, and supplies the liquid via the supply flow path during the exposure. The liquid supply system also includes a device by which the supply flow path is connected with a vacuum system to prevent liquid in the supply flow path from leaking.
US09041899B2
In a computerized film (digital camera action) production system, a virtual director module takes responsibility for creating sets, and enabling cinematography by creating a synthetic parallax matching of a “set” image to what would have existed before a camera in real motion about the physical location represented. This overcomes failures typical of “green screen” technology in dealing with such conditions as shallow depth of field and low light. Computer generated, synthetic sets from a 3D animator may be projected behind real actors during or after filming. Sythetic sets are seen through a virtual camera as photo-realistic because they are skinned with textures, and structured geometrically, to match reality represented by actual still photography of a physical environment, such as buildings, walls, streets, landscapes, props, and the like.
US09041895B2
A display apparatus includes a lower substrate, an upper substrate, a spacer and an image display layer. The spacer includes a main spacer, a first sub-spacer and a second sub-spacer. The main spacer has a height greater than that of the first and second sub-spacers. The second sub-spacer has an area wider than that of the main spacer and the first sub-spacer.
US09041893B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a TFT substrate having a display region with first and second electrodes, TFTs, scanning signal lines connected to the TFTs, a counter substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the TFT and counter substrates, and sealed by a sealant, scanning line leads connected to the scanning signal lines and formed outside of the display region, video signal line leads connected to the video signal lines and formed outside of the display region and a shield electrode formed on the TFT substrate covering the scanning line leads but not the video signal line leads. The second electrode is connected to one of the TFTs, and liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are driven by an electric field, which is generated between the first and second electrodes. The shield electrode is electrically connected to the first electrode and overlapped with the sealant in plan view.
US09041874B2
Provided is a liquid crystal display including, on an insulation substrate having a polygonal display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area a first signal line, a second signal line crossing the first signal line, a plurality of switching elements connected to the first signal line and the second signal line and disposed in the display area, a plurality of pixel electrodes each connected to the switching element and disposed in the display area, and a shielding conductor disposed in the peripheral area and extending along at least one side of the polygonal display area.
US09041871B2
A display device includes a display panel including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form, each pixel including a plurality of sub-pixels, a lens module on the display panel, the lens module including a plurality of lenses having a pitch that corresponds to a horizontal pitch of the plurality of sub-pixels, and a driving unit configured to drive the display panel and the lens module to provide an image displayed by the display panel to a left eye of a viewer at a first frame and to provide the image displayed by the display panel to a right eye of the viewer at a second frame.
US09041865B2
A video switch system providing a collaborative environment for one or more users to share information. In the current embodiment, the video switch system enables users to quickly connect to the system, present information, have a video conference, or have a multi-user wireless video session, or a combination thereof, in a collaborative manner.
US09041862B2
A multifunctional display device includes a processor to control display of information during booting of an operating system. The operating system is booted in response to a predetermined signal and displayed the information includes first information corresponding to visual information, and second information indicating that the operating system is currently booting. The operating system is one which controls display of multimedia content.
US09041859B2
An image sensor assembly includes: an image sensor; a support plate disposed on a back surface of the image sensor; a first frame which includes a first hole which is open allowing incident light onto the image sensor and is disposed on a front surface of the support plate to enclose at least a side edge of the image sensor; an optical filter disposed in the first hole to block a part of the incident light; a second frame which includes a second hole which is open to allow light to be incident onto the optical filter and is disposed in front of the first frame; a front plate which is disposed in front of the second hole to contact a front surface of at least a side edge of the second frame; and a vibrator which is combined with at least a side edge of the front plate.
US09041857B2
An imaging apparatus has an optical lens having an optical axis in a first axial direction; an imaging element facing the optical lens in this direction; an illumination adjustment unit having an illumination adjustment part adjusting a luminous flux incident on the imaging element from the optical lens, with the illumination adjustment part being arranged on the optical axis by being inserted between the optical lens and the imaging element in a second axial direction orthogonal to the first axial direction; and a supporting member having a first supporting part supporting the lens, a second supporting part supporting the imaging element, and a coupling part coupling the first and second supporting parts to each other, the supporting member being configured to form a space, into which the illumination adjustment unit is inserted in a third axial direction orthogonal to the first and the second axial directions.
US09041845B2
Disclosed is an imaging device that has a base and a plurality of image capture devices. The base includes a bottom portion and an elongate stem portion that is pivotally attached at one of its ends to the bottom portion. An arm is pivotally attached to the stem portion. The arm has an elongate flap pivotally attached to the arm's mid-portion. A plurality of image capture devices are embedded in at least one of the bottom portion, the stem portion, the arm and the flap. An additional embodiment of the image capturing system includes a housing, a light capture mechanism and an image display mechanism The housing, includes a base and a linkage having a plurality of elongate sections. The light capture mechanism simultaneously captures first and second images and is contained within at least one of the elongate sections. First and second lenses make up the light capturing mechanism.
US09041844B2
A camera device with a dynamic touch screen shutter, and method therefor, are provided. The camera device comprises: a sensor for providing an electronic signal corresponding to an image; a memory for storing the image; a touchscreen having a region for displaying the image and receiving touch input, the region having at least one subregion; and a processor enabled to: display the image in the region; execute a shutter command to store the image in the memory when touch input is received in the region when the at least one subregion contains neither an icon and a graphical control for controlling the camera device; and, execute the shutter command to store the image in the memory when the touch input is received in the region but not in the at least one subregion when the at least one subregion contains at least one of the icon and the graphical control.
US09041835B2
In an image capturing apparatus, a first image data is stored in a first storage; second image data of a low resolution is generated by the first reducing; enlarged image data is generated; low resolution image data is generated from the first image data through processing that is different from that performed by the first reducing, the low resolution image data have the same pixel count as the first image data and a lower resolution than that of the first image data; one of first image processing in which the first image data is combined with the enlarged image data or second image processing in which the first image data is combined with the low resolution image data is executed; and the processing is switched between the first image processing and the second image processing, according to a shooting operation.
US09041822B2
A method and system for creating a high spatial resolution image from a multidimensional imagery is disclosed. The technique exploits an intrinsic spatial distortion of the sensor that acquired the imagery and uses it as additional information to increase spatial resolution of the imagery. The method comprises obtaining a baseline image from the multidimensional imagery; deriving n×m−1 sub-pixel shifted images from the multidimensional imagery, where n and m are spatial resolution increase factors in x and y directions respectively, integers and greater than 1; organizing the baseline image and the n×m−1 sub-pixel shifted images from the multidimensional imagery; fusing the organized images using iterative back projection (IBP) to generate a high resolution image; and outputting the generated high resolution image.
US09041820B2
A camera module includes a lens part, an auto focusing (AF) module, an optical image stabilizer (OIS) module, a case and a flexible circuit board. The AF module moves the lens unit in the direction of an optical axis. The OIS module is mounted around a circumference of the AF module and moves the AF module in a horizontal direction. The case accommodates the lens unit, the AF module and the OIS module. The flexible circuit board is connected to a bottom surface of the AF module and applies an electrical signal to the AF module.
US09041818B2
Provided in an image pickup apparatus are an imaging optical system (12), an image pickup element (22), a fixed member (22) whose position relative to the imaging optical axis OA is fixed, a plurality of movable supporting balls (62), each movably supported with attraction of magnetic force, a movable member (41) in which the image pickup element is provided and which is movably supported by the fixed member with magnetic force through each movable supporting ball (62), a driving mechanism (44, 46, 54, 55, 56, 57) to generate driving force to relatively move the movable member with respect to the fixed member, a display unit (18), a mounting plate to mount the display unit in the casing (11), wherein the mounting plate (70) is provided with a protruding arm portion (74) protruding toward the movable member.
US09041814B2
An automatic tracking camera system includes: a rotating unit for panning and tilting an image pickup unit including a lens apparatus and an image pickup apparatus; a tracking object detector; a motion vector detector for detecting a motion vector of the object to be tracked; a capture position setting unit for setting a capture position of the object to be tracked in the picked up image; and a controller for controlling drive of the rotating unit. The controller controls the rotating unit in a capture mode to capture the object to be tracked at the capture position based on the motion vector detected by the motion vector detector after the tracking object detector has detected the object to be tracked in the picked up image, and a maintenance mode to continuously capture the object to be tracked at the capture position after the capture mode.
US09041813B1
A system for at least substantially plesiochronously operating a receiver in communication with a plurality of cameras (e.g., at least two plesiochronously operational cameras) is described. In one or more implementations, the system includes a plurality of cameras. Each camera is configured to generate a signal for transmission via a communications link, and the signal comprises data packets encoded in a forward channel. The system also includes a receiver communicatively coupled to the plurality of cameras via the single-ended communications link. The receiver is configured to generate a synchronization data based upon at least one of the data packets. The receiver is also configured to modulate the signal to encode the synchronization data in a reverse channel so that the signal comprises the forward channel data and the reverse channel data simultaneously.
US09041805B2
A vibration applying structure detecting device for a wheeled vehicle traveling on a roadway having a vibration applying structure on a road surface in or adjacent to the roadway includes a lane departure judgment device that determines whether there is a lane departure tendency, a vibration detecting device that determines the frequency and the amplitude of input vibration from a road surface to the vehicle, and a contact judgment device that determines that at least one of the wheels of the vehicle is contacting the vibration applying structure when the input vibration with an amplitude equal to or greater than a prescribed amplitude threshold value has a frequency that is equal to or greater than a prescribed frequency threshold value. The device may also include a threshold value setting device that sets one or both of the amplitude threshold value and the frequency threshold value.
US09041804B2
An input device, wherein the screen (18a) of a display device (18) is divided into two regions, a region (A1) and a region (A2), and the icon switch displayed in the region including the position of an invisible pointer (P′) is selected. Thus, one of an icon switch (1) and an icon switch (2) that are displayed on the screen (18a) is selected at any time. Consequently, the user will no longer have to watch the screen carefully and perform an operation for moving an instruction marker such as a visible pointer to a desired icon switch, for example as in conventional devices. Accordingly, the user can enter a desired instruction in a short time by selecting a desired icon switch in a short time.
US09041803B2
Aspects of the present invention include method and apparatuses that may be utilized to more efficiently use available storage space for a digital video recording system in a law enforcement vehicle and final “backend storage systems.” In one embodiment of the present invention, video and audio data is recorded in one or more buffers when a triggering event is activated, while a digital video recording device accounts for specified pre-event time, a time period before a first triggering event has been activated, and a post-event time, a time period after a second triggering event has been activated. The system will tag the actual start and stop points of events in one or more buffers based on a first and a second triggering event and will then include the pre-event and post-event data along with specified data. The system will then extract the event from one or more buffer files and write the event into final video files to be stored in a hard disk drive. By recording the pre-event and post-event data in multiple buffer files and extracting the final result from selected buffer files based on the nature of the event type, the system ensures that storage device is effectively used and, in this way, useful information is recorded.
US09041801B2
A mine operation monitoring system a plurality of mine equipment interfaces each being located at a mine operation and being associated with at least one item of mine equipment, each mine equipment interface being arranged to monitor operation of the at least one associated item of mine equipment. A plurality of monitoring stations is located remotely to the mine operations and is arranged to communicate with at least one equipment interface associated with a different mine operation so as to monitor operation of at least one item of mine equipment associated with said at least one equipment interface from the remote locations. A plurality of local monitoring stations located at respective mine operations monitors operation of the one time of equipment associated with the one interface. A communications network is arranged to facilitate communications between the equipment interfaces, the local monitoring stations and the remote monitoring stations.
US09041774B2
Predetermined three-dimensional video parameter settings may be dynamically adjusted based on scene content. One or more three-dimensional characteristics associated with a given scene may be determined. One or more scale factors may be determined from the three-dimensional characteristics. The predetermined three-dimensional video parameter settings can be adjusted by applying the scale factors to the predetermined three-dimensional video parameter settings. The scene may be displayed on a three-dimensional display using the resulting adjusted set of predetermined three-dimensional video parameters.
US09041769B2
A method of controlling media projectors includes providing at least one electromagnetic detector having a field of view directed toward a three dimensional space, and photogrammetrically characterizing at least a portion of the field of view. There is provided at least one media projector that projects at least an electromagnetic signal and a projection controller that moves one or more media projectors in at least two dimensions. At least three measurement locations are obtained within the at least a portion of the field of view by moving the media projector in at least two dimensions. The at least one electromagnetic detector is used to detect the measurement locations within the three dimensional space using the electromagnetic detector to obtain photogrammetric data. The projection controller is calibrated based on the photogrammetric data.
US09041754B2
In accordance with one embodiment, a duplex printer apparatus comprises a first printing section configured to use an inkjet mechanism for carrying out printing on a first surface of a paper wound in a roll shape; a second printing section configured to be arranged at the downstream side of the first printing section in a paper conveyance direction and use a thermal printing mechanism for carrying out printing on a second surface serving as the back side of the first surface of the paper; and a heat amount changing section configured to change, according to the difference of printing by the first printing section, a driving condition of the thermal printing mechanism when the second printing section applies heat to a paper.
US09041750B2
A method for driving a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel includes: A: setting an M*M over drive (OD) table, the M*M OD table includes a grey scale value XN*a of a previous-frame image, a grey scale value XN*b of a current-frame image, and an OD value (XN*a, XN*b) corresponding to the grey scale value XN*a and the grey scale value XN*b, where a and bε[0, M], N and M are integers, and N>=2. B: regarding x′ as the grey scale value of the previous-frame image and y′ as the grey scale value of the current-frame image when the LCD panel is driven, the OD value (x′, y′) is fitted to a continuous two-dimensional surface by reference to an OD value (XN*a, XN*b) in the OD table, and the OD value (x′, y′) is correspondingly calculated according to function of the two-dimensional surface fitted and is output to the LCD panel.
US09041747B2
When illuminance E by external light is lower than a high threshold Th, a backlight controller performs a duty cycle control that adjusts an amount of light of the backlight by changing a duty cycle of the control signal in accordance with the illuminance amount by the external light while maintaining the control signal at a constant level. When the illuminance E by the external light is higher than the high threshold Th, the backlight controller performs a pulse control that causes the backlight to periodically emit a pulsed light by making the level of the control signal higher than the level of the control signal in the duty cycle control while fixing the duty cycle of the control signal at a predetermined value or lower.
US09041742B2
An image is generated by: mutually associating an object associated with image data as a tree structure that has the object as a node; allocating an order value to a child node group of each parent node; distributing image data of an object of interest to a layer on the basis of the depth of the tree structure and the order value allocated to each node in a subtree going up from a node corresponding to the object of interest to a root node; and superimposing the layers.
US09041740B2
A vehicular display device includes a display unit that displays visible information and a light projection unit that guides light including the visible information displayed on the display unit to a predetermined projection surface, and displaying the visible information as a virtual image. The vehicular display device includes a guide display unit and a guide display control unit. The guide display unit indicates a relationship between at least positions of a first display region in which the virtual image is displayed by projection of the light projection unit and a second display region in which detailed information is displayed. The detailed information has an association with a content of particular information that is displayed on the display unit under a predetermined condition. The guide display control unit controls the guide display unit into a display state when the particular information is displayed on the display unit.
US09041736B2
Methods, systems and apparatus are described to render a map according to a style sheet. Several embodiments of map rendering are described that may be suitable for rendering individual portions of a map, known as map tiles, which may include one or more features. Embodiments may obtain one or more a map tiles with features that may have one or more style identifiers. Embodiments may identify a style from a stylesheet for each feature in the map tile according to style identifiers in the feature and the style in the stylesheet. Some embodiments may render the one or more map tiles according to the identified styles and may display the rendered map tiles. In some embodiments, a map service generates one or more map tiles with features including style identifiers and sends the one or more map tiles to a client rendering device.
US09041733B2
Methods and systems for adjusting graphical data displayed on a graphical user interface (GUI) of an electronic device are disclosed. The method may include monitoring movement of the electronic device and identifying a predetermined movement of the electronic device. The method may further include overlaying new graphical data to existing graphical data displayed on the GUI in response to the predetermined movement.
US09041732B2
Provided are a clipping apparatus and clipping method for a three-dimensional (3D) graphic rendering. The clipping apparatus may reset or convert a triangular object based on distance information of vertices configuring or comprising the triangular object where a perspective projection scheme is applied.
US09041728B2
An image dithering module is provided. The image dithering module includes a plurality of data processing channels. The data processing channels respectively process image data of each pixel or sub-pixel in an image frame. Each of the data processing channels includes a bit processing unit and a bit truncator unit. The bit processing unit mixes first pixel data with random data to generate second pixel data. The bit truncator unit truncates partial bits of the second pixel data to generate third pixel data.
US09041726B2
Approaches for analyzing large data sets using a digital image. A hardware or software component may arrange values of one or more data sets into a table. Each cell of the table may comprise a set of values from the one or more data sets. After mapping each cell of the table to a particular color, a digital image is generated based on the mapping of values in each of the cells of the table to color. The digital image may identify the minimum value and the maximum value of the one or more data sets. An analytical operation on the digital image may be performed by deriving values represented by the colors associated with the pixels of the digital image using the minimum value and the maximum value. The digital image enables data analysis on the data represented by the digital image in an expeditious and intuitive manner.
US09041722B2
Image data of an event is provided by updating a textured 3d model of the event. For example, in a sporting event, a model of a stadium can be periodically updated to reflect changes over time in lighting, advertisements, number of spectators in the stands and so forth. Different virtual viewpoints of the event can be depicted in an animation using the textured 3d model and image data from objects at the event such as participants in the sporting event. The same image from which object data is obtained can also be used to update the textured 3d model so that the model is current in the animation, resulting in greater realism. The updating can be based on an operator command or automatic detection of a specified event, such as change in lighting or passage of time. The animation can be provided in a broadcast television signal.
US09041719B2
A method for transparently directing data in a multi-GPU system. A driver application receives a first plurality of graphics commands from a first graphics application and selects a first GPU from the multi-GPU system to exclusively process the first plurality of graphics commands. The first plurality of graphics commands is transmitted to the first GPU for processing and producing a first plurality of renderable data. The first plurality of renderable data is stored in a first frame buffer associated with the first GPU. A second plurality of graphics commands is received from a second graphics application and a second GPU is selected to exclusively process the second plurality of graphics commands. The second GPU processing the second plurality of graphics commands produces a second plurality of renderable data. The second plurality of renderable data is stored in a second frame buffer associated with the second GPU.
US09041717B2
Techniques are disclosed for creating animated video frames which include both computer generated elements and hand drawn elements. For example, a software tool may allows an artist to draw line work (or supply other 2D image data) to composite with an animation frame rendered from a three dimensional (3D) graphical model of an object. The software tool may be configured to determine how to animate such 2D image data provided for one frame in order to appear in subsequent (or prior) frames in a manner consistent with changes in rendering the underlying 3D geometry.
US09041716B2
A display for showing indicia in the form of a bar graph is provided. The display is configured so that each bar of the bar graph depicts a numerical or other quantitative value of a parameter. Each bar is provided with one or more additional indicia representative of numerical values that are related to the numerical values represented by the bar(s) shown in the bar graph. Each of the one or more additional indicia is positioned to as to be superimposed over the respective bar to which the additional indicia correspond, and depict the relationship(s) between the value represented by the bar and the value represented by the one or more additional indicia.
US09041695B2
A projector can control a function in accordance with an operation of indicating a position if the operation is performed in a state in which an image is displayed. The projector projects an image on a screen based on a supply image supplied by an image source. The projector detects a position indicated on the screen using a position detection unit, and if the indication position detected is located within the operation area set previously, the projector controls the projection configuration of the image using a control section.
US09041692B2
A photosensor-equipped display device is provided having a combination of visible and non-visible light sources where a voltage drop is minimized when the non-visible light source is turned on. The display device includes: an active matrix substrate; photosensors (9) provided in a pixel region (4) of the active matrix substrate; white LEDs (3a) configured to cause an image to be displayed in the pixel region (4); infrared LEDs (3b) configured to emit light to be reflected and sensed by the photosensors; and a light source control circuit (13) configured to control on and off of the white LEDs (3a) and the infrared LEDs (3b). The light source control circuit (13) reduces an amount of drive current supplied to the white LEDs (3a) while the infrared LEDs (3b) are on to below an amount of drive current supplied to the white LEDs (3a) when the infrared LEDs (3b) are off.
US09041689B1
A computing device and/or application executing on the device can utilize fingertip tracking using a camera. However, when the fingertip is in a dead zone (an area that is not viewable by the camera), the fingertip tracking cannot function properly. Nevertheless, the position of the fingertip, when in the dead zone, can still be estimated. An image of a user's hand can be captured by at least one camera. A portion of a pointing finger can be detected in the captured image. An orientation of the portion of the pointing finger can be determined. One or more joint lines of the pointing finger can be identified. Based on data about a slant and/or a bend of the pointing finger obtained using information relating to the identified joint line(s), and/or on data obtained via calibration and/or historic/current usage, the position of the fingertip, when in the dead zone, can be approximated.
US09041686B2
Electronic devices that include reflective displays for rendering content, touch sensors layered atop the reflective displays for detecting touch inputs, front lights layered atop the touch sensors for lighting the reflective displays and antiglare components for reducing glare caused by ambient light. This disclosure also describes techniques for assembling electronic devices including these component stacks.
US09041681B2
An onscreen function execution method for a mobile terminal having a touchscreen is provided. The method allows for executing functions of an activated application by a tap on a specific area of the touchscreen. An onscreen function execution method of the present invention includes mapping active regions of the touchscreen to functions of at least one application, displaying an application screen in response to an application activation command and executing, if a tap is detected on one of the active regions, a function mapped to the application activation command. The active regions may include a function execution display region and the applications may comprise a camera application, a music player application, an idle mode screen application and the like. The method allows a user to execute functions of an activated application by tap on the touchscreen.
US09041678B2
Detection accuracy is improved without reducing a driving frequency and an S/N ratio.Driving electrodes (DL(j−2) and DL(j−1)) of a driving electrode group (GDL(i)) overlap a driving electrode group GDL(i−1), and driving electrodes (DL(j+1) and DL(j+2)) thereof overlap a driving electrode group GDL(i+1). A first changeover terminal of a changeover switch (SW(i)) is connected to a wire to which a burst clock signal (BCK) is given, and a ground potential is given to a second changeover terminal thereof. A common terminal of the changeover switch (SW(i)) is connected to a driving electrode (DL(j)) located at a center of the driving electrode group (GDL(i)), is connected to the driving electrodes (DL(j−1) to DL(j−3)), respectively, via one to three resistive elements (Rd), and is connected to the driving electrodes (DL(j+1) to DL(j+3)), respectively, via one to three resistive elements (Rd).
US09041667B2
A method includes displaying information in a display area of a first display of an electronic device, detecting a low-power condition for the electronic device, in response to detecting the low-power condition, discontinuing displaying information in the display area of the first display, and displaying information on a second display, which information is visible through the non-display area of the first display.
US09041662B2
A touch sensitive device comprising a panel capable of supporting bending waves, a user-accessible touch sensitive screen on or forming part of a face of the panel, the touch sensitive screen having a plurality of different sensing areas, a plurality of vibration exciters coupled to the panel to apply bending waves to the panel to provide tactile feedback at the plurality of sensing areas in response to the user touching a sensing area, and signal processing means arranged to apply signals to the vibration exciters so as to steer bending waves applied to the panel by the plurality of vibration exciters whereby the amplitude of the applied bending waves is maximized at the sensing area touched by the user and reduced or minimized at each other sensing area.
US09041655B2
A display method for distinguishing multiple linking target aims to switch data transmission link between an input device and at least two information processing systems through a plurality of transmission channels in a wireless transmission fashion. The input device includes a display module with a first display zone and a second display zone. The display method comprises steps of: detecting linkable information processing systems, setting transmission channels, determining a linking target and displaying information of linked transmission channel. Through the steps of detecting linkable information processing systems, setting transmission channels and determining a linking target, a data transmission link can be established with one of the information processing systems. Users can further display the device identification code through the step of displaying information of linked transmission channel to be informed of the information processing system currently linked to the input device.
US09041654B2
A dynamically updated virtual keyboard may be presented on a touchscreen of a user device by detecting a first hand position on the touchscreen. A virtual keyboard may then be displayed on the touchscreen, the virtual keyboard based on the first hand position. Characteristics of the virtual keyboard, such as size, position, orientation, and selection of the keys can also vary based on the first hand position and on other input features.
US09041650B2
Systems and methods for using measurements of a lateral force applied to a motion-based input device are disclosed. The input device has a force detection module operable to detect lateral forces applied to the input device and generate force data representative of the applied lateral forces. The system also includes a processor coupled to the force detection module. The processor is operable to initiate an event based upon the force data.
US09041649B2
To switch a coordinate mode by automatically recognizing a coordinate mode more usable for a user performing a natural operation, a coordinate determination apparatus (200) according to the present invention includes: an obtain and store unit (204) which obtains coordinate information from a coordinate input device (201) and stores the coordinate information onto a recording medium; a time correlation specifying unit (320) which specifies a correlation between times of input indicated by first and second coordinate information; a coordinate correlation specifying unit (324) which specifies input coordinates indicated by the second and third coordinate information; a coordinate mode selection unit (326) which selects the coordinate mode based on a coordinate correlation value and a time correlation value; and a coordinate transform unit (328) which transforms the input coordinates indicated by the second coordinate information into coordinates selected according to the coordinate mode.
US09041638B2
A liquid-crystal-driving circuit includes: a plurality of resistors connected in series between a first and second potentials; one or more voltage follower circuits to impedance-convert one or more intermediate potentials between the first and second potentials, to be outputted, respectively, the intermediate potentials generated at one or more connection points between the resistors, respectively; a common-signal-output circuit to supply common signals to common electrodes of a liquid-crystal panel, respectively, the common signals each being at the first and second potentials, and the intermediate potentials; and a segment-signal-output circuit to supply segment signals to segment electrodes of the panel, respectively, the segment signals each being at the first and second potentials, and the intermediate potentials according to the common signals, the segment-signal output circuit to change the potentials of the segment signals in a ramp form, at least if the potentials of the segment signals are changed with a maximum-possible-potential difference.
US09041636B2
A liquid crystal display devices (1a, 1b) each include a touch panel (2), a liquid crystal panel (3), a touch panel controller (4), a liquid crystal driving controller (timing generator) (5), oscillation circuits (7a, 7b), a correcting circuit (10), and a frequency counter (11). The frequency counter (11) counts a reference clock signal CLK supplied from the oscillation circuit (7a) or (7b). The correcting circuit (10) determines, in accordance with information supplied from the frequency counter (11), whether or not a frequency of the reference clock signal CLK is a predetermined frequency. In a case where the frequency of the reference clock signal CLK is not the predetermined frequency, the correcting circuit (10) corrects (i) a frequency at which the liquid crystal panel (3) is driven or (ii) a frequency at which sensing of the touch panel (2) is carried out.
US09041633B2
An organic light emitting display device includes a display unit having pixels located at crossing regions of scan, control, data and sensing lines. Scan, control line, and data drivers respectively supply scan, control, and data signals to the scan, control, and data lines. A switching unit selectively couples the data lines to output lines of the data driver, a reference voltage source, or a negative bias voltage source. A sensing unit senses degradation information of an organic light emitting diode in the pixels and threshold voltage of a driving transistor in the pixels through the sensing lines. A control block stores the sensed degradation information and threshold voltage information. A timing controller is configured to generate a second data by converting an externally inputted first data using the degradation information and the threshold voltage information, and supply the second data to the data driver.
US09041627B2
A display apparatus including a pixel array and a driver configured to drive the pixel array, the pixel array having scanning lines as rows, signal lines as columns, a matrix of pixels disposed at respective intersections of the scanning lines and the signal lines, and power supply lines disposed along respective rows of the pixels, the driver having a main scanner for successively supplying control signals to the scanning lines to perform line-sequential scanning on the rows of the pixels, a power supply scanner for supplying a power supply voltage, which selectively switches between a first potential and a second potential, to the power supply lines in synchronism with the line-sequential scanning, and a signal selector for supplying a signal potential, which serves as a video signal, and a reference potential to the signal lines as the columns in synchronism with the line-sequential scanning.
US09041622B2
Technology is described for controlling a virtual object displayed by a near-eye, augmented reality display with a real controller device. User input data is received from a real controller device requesting an action to be performed by the virtual object. A user perspective of the virtual object being displayed by the near-eye, augmented reality display is determined. The user input data requesting the action to be performed by the virtual object is applied based on the user perspective, and the action is displayed from the user perspective. The virtual object to be controlled by the real controller device may be identified based on user input data which may be from a natural user interface (NUI). A user selected force feedback object may also be identified, and the identification may also be based on NUI input data.
US09041617B2
An electronic device may include an adjustable power supply, at least one antenna, and associated antenna tuning circuitry. The antenna tuning circuitry may be an integral part of the antenna and may include a control circuit and at least one tunable element. The tunable element may include radio-frequency switches, continuously/semi-continuously adjustable components such as tunable resistors, inductors, and capacitors, and other load circuits that provide desired impedance characteristics. The power supply may provide power supply voltage signals to the antenna tuning circuitry via inductive coupling. The power supply voltage signals may be modulated according to a predetermined lookup table during device startup so that the control circuit is configured to generate desired control signals. These control signals adjust the tunable element so that the antenna can support wireless operation in desired frequency bands.
US09041616B2
Various high-strength microwave antenna assemblies are described herein. The microwave antenna has a radiating portion connected by a feedline to a power generating source, e.g., a generator. The antenna is a dipole antenna with the distal end of the radiating portion being tapered and terminating at a tip to allow for direct insertion into tissue. Antenna rigidity comes from placing distal and proximal radiating portions in a pre-stressed state, assembling them via threaded or overlapping joints, or fixedly attaching an inner conductor to the distal portion. The inner conductor is affixed to the distal portion by, e.g., welding, brazing, soldering, or by adhesives. A junction member made from a hard dielectric material, e.g., ceramic, can be placed between the two portions and can have uniform or non-uniform shapes to accommodate varying antenna designs. Electrical chokes may also be used to contain returning currents to the distal end of the antenna.
US09041603B2
A lens-based switched beam antenna system including a beam-forming lens, and a beam port router coupled to the beam-forming lens, including a plurality of beam ports, and configured to transmit beams via corresponding ones of the beam ports, wherein a first group of the beam ports corresponds to a first signal, and wherein a second group of the beam ports corresponds to a second signal.
US09041602B2
A phased array transmitter includes a plurality of vector modulators, an in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) signal generator, and a multiphase generator. The output phases of the plurality of vector modulators, and hence the direction of transmission of the phased array transmitter, are set and controlled by adjusting both the magnitude ratios of I/Q signal pairs generated by the I/Q signal generator and applied to I and Q inputs of the plurality of vector modulators and phases of a plurality of local oscillator (LO) signal phases generated by the multiphase generator and applied to LO inputs of the plurality of vector modulators. Setting and controlling the output phases of the vector modulators by varying both the magnitude ratios of the I/Q signal pairs and the phases of the LO signal phases allows the output phases of the plurality of vector modulators to be more precisely set and controlled than if the output phases were to be set and controlled only through the LO paths or only through the I/Q signal paths of the plurality of vector modulators.
US09041592B2
A radar sensor and a method of detecting an object by using the same are provided. The method includes: receiving at least one radar signal reflected from the object; converting the received at least one radar signal to at least one signal in a frequency domain; accumulating the converted at least one signal for a predetermined time and extracting at least one feature from the accumulated at least one signal; and identifying the object by comparing the extracted at least one feature with at least one reference value stored in a database.
US09041584B2
A method includes receiving a differential voltage signal at first and second inputs of a comparator and selectively providing the differential voltage signal to one of a first conversion path and a second conversion path of the comparator during a conversion phase to determine a digital value corresponding to the differential voltage signal. The first and second conversion paths including first and second pluralities of gain stages, respectively. The method further includes coupling the selected one of the first conversion path and the second conversion path to an output to provide the digital value.
US09041582B2
An apparatus including a detecting unit that detects information indicating a state of an organism from the organism or an organism specimen extracted from the organism and outputs the detected information as a current, a current-voltage conversion circuit that converts the current output from the detecting unit into a voltage, a double-integration-type A/D conversion circuit having an integration capacitor that is charged based on a voltage output from the current-voltage conversion circuit and is thereafter discharged, and a counter that measures a charge time during which the integration capacitor is charged and a discharge time during which the integration capacitor is discharged, the A/D conversion circuit converting into digital quantities the charge time and the discharge time measured by the counter, and outputting the digital quantities, and an information processing unit that calculates a state quantity of the organism based on the digital quantities output from the A/D conversion circuit.
US09041568B2
The invention relates to an estimator for estimating a probability distribution of a quantization index generated from a source coder encoding a source signal, into a sequence of quantization indices, the source signal being described by a signal model, the source coder providing a current quantization index and current side information, the estimator being configured to obtain auxiliary parameters based on a configuration of the source coder and the current available side information and the signal model, the estimator being further configured to adaptively update the probability distribution of a quantization index upon the basis of a probability density function relating to a previous state of the estimator, the auxiliary parameters, the current quantization index and the current side information.
US09041566B2
Various embodiments provide lossless compression of an enumeration space for genetic founder lines. In one embodiment, an input comprising a set of genetic founder lines and a maximum number of generations G is obtained. A set of genetic crossing templates of a height h is generated. A determination is made if at least a first genetic crossing template in the set of genetic crossing templates is redundant with respect to a second genetic crossing template in the set of genetic crossing templates. Based on the at least first genetic crossing template being redundant is redundant with respect to the second genetic crossing template, the at least first genetic crossing template is removed from the set of genetic crossing templates. This process of removing the at least first genetic crossing template from the set of genetic crossing templates the redundant creates an updated set of genetic crossing templates.
US09041544B2
A network device receives notification configuration information that includes a time interval criteria and a selected geographical area for providing power outage notifications. The network device receives, during a particular time interval, a loss-of-power alarm from a network interface device (NID) associated with a customer premises. The loss-of-power alarm includes a particular NID identifier. The network device retrieves, from a database, customer configuration information that associates the particular NID identifier with a particular address and identifies a power outage in a particular region associated with the particular address. The identifying is based on receiving the loss-of-power alarm and determining if other loss-of-power alarms have been received from other NIDs in the same region and within the particular time interval.
US09041543B2
An inattentive state determination apparatus being placed in a vehicle includes an image taking section, an orientation detection section, a determination section, a warning section, a shape detection section, and a setting section. The image taking section successively takes images of a face of a determination target. Based on the images, the orientation detection section and the shape detection section detect a determination target orientation and a hand shape, respectively. The determination section determines whether the determination target is in an inattentive state based on the determination target orientation by determining an inattentive state determination condition. The warning section notifies the inattentive state by outputting an audio warning corresponding to a parameter of the audio warning. The setting section sets at least one of the inattentive state determination condition and the parameter of the audio warning based on the hand shape and the determination target orientation.
US09041540B2
The present invention provides a radio frequency identification tag gripper device, the technical scheme including: a first gripper portion; a second gripper portion, which generates a gripping force together with the first gripper portion; a radio frequency identification tag, a circuit portion of which is divided into at least a first section and a second section, an upper surface of the first section and a lower surface of the second section being coated with strong glue, wherein the upper surface of the first section is used to bond with a grip surface of the first gripper portion when gripped tightly, and the lower surface of the second section is used to produce a coupling force with a surface of the gripped object when gripped tightly. Utilizing the technical solution of the present invention, it is possible to further improve the security of monitoring of the radio frequency identification tag.
US09041539B2
Provided are a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a method for receiving a signal of the RFID tag. The RFID tag includes a voltage generator configured to generate a voltage signal from a received signal, a common gate circuit configured to convert the voltage signal into a current signal, a current/voltage converter configured to the current signal into a voltage signal by using a resistance value, a low-pass filter configured to perform low-pass filtering on the converted voltage signal, a buffer configured to buffer the low-pass-filtered voltage signal within an operation range, and a peak detector configured to detect a peak value from the buffered signal to demodulate information data. The current/voltage converter controls the resistance value to convert the current signal into a voltage signal included within the operation range of the buffer.
US09041524B2
A technique for enabling scenario files and image files for supply to a scenario generating device to be created easily is provided. The scenario creating device creates a scenario file supplied to a scenario reproducing device capable of reproducing only image files of a predetermined format. The scenario creating device comprises: an input section including a pointing device; a display section; and a scenario creating section for creating the scenario file. The scenario creating section provides a display of an execution icon on the display screen for causing the scenario creating section to execute a process. When a file icon for a source file of a predetermined format including pagewise scenario information and image information is dragged and dropped on the execution icon by means of operation of the pointing device, a scenario file is created on the basis of the scenario information, and an image file of the predetermined format is generated on the basis of the image information.
US09041523B1
The car seat occupancy alarm is an alarm that detects the presence of individuals seated in the rear of the vehicle, and upon detection of which shall emit an alarm, provided the vehicle is turned off. The alarm system includes pressure sensors that are integrated into the rear seats of a vehicle, and which are in wired communication with a central processing unit located elsewhere within said vehicle. The central processing unit is further in wired communication with a timer, vehicle lights, and a vehicle battery in order to operate, sense, and emit an alarm upon detection that individuals remain in any of the rear seats while the vehicle is parked.
US09041521B2
The present relates to a system for providing vibration feedback to at least one foot. The system comprises at least one rigid surface for receiving the at least one foot, one vibrotactile actuator for each of the at least one rigid surface, and a suspension mechanism. The vibrotactile actuator is installed underneath the corresponding rigid surface and provides vibration feedback there through. The suspension mechanism supports the at least one rigid surface.
US09041514B2
An aspect of the present invention provides an RFID tag, in which a null point is hardly generated. The RFID tag includes a long antenna provided in a rectangular surface. The antenna is accommodated in a tag case of the RFID tag, and the antenna extends in a direction oblique to sides constituting the rectangular surface of the tag case.
US09041509B2
A facility monitoring/controlling system and method enabling provision of a screen display function having an adequate real-time property in the range of a low rate, e.g., around 64 kbps. An on-site facility monitoring/controlling subsystem (10) operates/controls a controlled facility (200) by an on-site input means (14) through an on-site manipulation screen means (30) showing the visualized operating state of the controlled facility (200). A center facility monitoring/controlling subsystem (20) reproduces/displays a remote manipulation screen (30′) with the same contents as the on-site manipulation screen (30) on a center display means (22), and controls the controlled facility (200) by a center input means (23) and remotely operate/control the controlled facility (200). The site facility monitoring/controlling subsystem (10) extracts difference data by a difference data extraction unit (15) and performs data conversion using the analysis results of the periodicity of the change of the site manipulation screen (30) and analysis results of intermittence of the change of a cursor image from the difference data by a data conversion processing unit (19). The center facility monitoring/controlling subsystem (20) reversely converts the converted data by a manipulation screen reproducing/displaying processing unit, reproduces/displays the remote manipulation screen (30′) on the center display means (22), and remotely operates/controls the controlled facility (200).
US09041499B2
A nano-electromechanical switch and a method for designing a nano-electromechanical switch. The nano-electromechanical switch includes at least one actuator electrode and a curved cantilever beam. The curved cantilever beam is adapted to flex in response to an activation voltage applied between the actuator electrode and the curved cantilever beam to provide an electrical contact between the curved cantilever beam and an output electrode of the nano-electromechanical switch. Before, during and after the curved cantilever beam flex in response to the activation voltage, a remaining gap between the curved cantilever beam and the actuator electrode is uniform.
US09041498B1
Mechanically short multi-carriage impedance tuners use meandering slabline structures. The meandering structure reduces the overall tuner length by a factor of 2.5 at 0.4 GHz. The critical issue of slabline bends is addressed with several low loss, low reflection alternatives. A preferred configuration comprises a vertical-horizontal slabline transition. Cable connections are discarded because of reflections and insertion loss. Measured results show acceptable performance. The tuner is mostly interesting for relatively lower microwave frequencies, such as 1 GHz.
US09041491B2
To provide a capacitive device capable of accurately securing a capacitance value, a variable capacitive device capable of sufficiently securing a capacity variability rate, and a resonance circuit that uses the capacitive devices. A capacitive device includes a capacitive device body constituted of a dielectric layer and at least a pair of capacitive device electrodes that sandwich the dielectric layer and cause a desired electric field in the dielectric layer; and stress adjustment portions to adjust a stress caused in the dielectric layer of the capacitive device body.
US09041488B2
A waveguide busbar for conducting microwaves includes a group input for coupling in a group microwave signal, a plurality of filter inputs for coupling in a plurality of microwave signals, a dual waveguide that comprises a first single waveguide and a second single waveguide. The plurality of filter inputs are disposed along the dual waveguide, as well as at least one adjustable coupling member that provides a connection between the first single waveguide and the second single waveguide and that is configured such that it adjusts a phase length of the connection.
US09041485B2
An electronic component includes: a first circuit connected to a first common terminal for inputting/outputting a first signal set, a second common terminal for inputting/outputting a second signal set having a frequency higher than the first signal set, and a third common terminal for being connected to an antenna; and a second circuit connected in parallel to the first circuit between the first and second common terminals, wherein the first circuit includes a first filter transmitting the first signal set and reflecting the second signal set, and a second filter transmitting the second signal set and reflecting the first signal set, the third common terminal is located between the first and second filters, and the second circuit reflects a first transmission signal and a second transmission signal, transmits parts of the first and second transmission signals, and inverts phases of the parts of the first and second transmission signals.
US09041482B2
An attenuation reduction control structure for high-frequency signal transmission lines of a flexible circuit board includes an impedance control layer formed on a surface of a substrate. The impedance control layer includes an attenuation reduction pattern that is arranged in an extension direction of the high-frequency signal transmission lines of the substrate and corresponds to bottom angle structures of the high-frequency signal transmission lines in order to improve attenuation of a high-frequency signal transmitted through the high-frequency signal transmission lines. An opposite surface of the substrate includes a conductive shielding layer formed thereon. The conductive shielding layer is formed with an attenuation reduction pattern corresponding to top angle structures of the high-frequency signal transmission lines.
US09041473B2
A power amplifier includes: first and second bias terminals to which bias voltages are respectively supplied; a first transistor having a first control terminal connected to the first bias terminal, a first terminal that is grounded, and a second terminal; a second transistor having a second control terminal connected to the second bias terminal, a third terminal connected to the second terminal, and a fourth terminal; a capacitor connected between the second control terminal and a grounding point; and a variable resistor connected in series with the capacitor, between the second control terminal and the grounding point.
US09041471B2
A radio frequency system includes a power amplifier that outputs a radio frequency signal to a matching network via a transmission line between the power amplifier and the matching network. A sensor monitors the radio frequency signal and generates first sensor signals based on the radio frequency signal. A distortion module determines a first distortion value according to at least one of (i) a sinusoidal function of the first sensor signals and (ii) a cross-correlation function of the first sensor signals. A first correction circuit (i) generates a first impedance tuning value based on the first distortion value and a first predetermined value, and (ii) provides feedforward control of impedance matching performed within the matching network including outputting the first impedance tuning value to one of the power amplifier and the matching network.
US09041466B2
Differential power amplifier circuitry includes a differential transistor pair, an input transformer, and biasing circuitry. The base contact of each transistor in the differential transistor pair may be coupled to the input transformer through a coupling capacitor. The coupling capacitors may be designed to resonate with the input transformer about a desired frequency range, thereby passing desirable signals to the differential transistor pair while blocking undesirable signals. The biasing circuitry may include a pair of emitter follower transistors, each coupled at the emitter to the base contact of each one of the transistors in the differential transistor pair and adapted to bias the differential transistor pair to maximize efficiency and stability.
US09041462B2
An electronic circuit, including, a power amplifier adapted to amplify an RF signal and provide it as output from the integrated circuit; a power source that is adapted to provide an unregulated voltage to the power amplifier; a regulator adapted to provide a regulated bias voltage; a subtracter that is adapted to accept a voltage proportional to the unregulated voltage and subtract it from the bias voltage to provide a reference voltage to the power amplifier; wherein the power amplifier is adapted to use the reference voltage to adjust the output from the power amplifier so that it will provide a stable power output.
US09041440B2
A frequency tripler device is disclosed. The frequency tripler device includes a first graphene based field effect transistor (FET) of a first dopant type, having a gate, a drain, and a source, and a second graphene based FET of a second dopant type, having a gate, a drain, and a source, the gate of the first FET coupled to the gate of the second FET and coupled to an input signal having an alternating current (AC) signal of a first frequency, the combination of the first and second FETs generates an output signal with a dominant AC signal of a frequency of about three times the first frequency.
US09041437B2
A switching device driving apparatus for preventing arm short circuit is provided, including: a first switching device driving unit for receiving a control signal for controlling a first switching device and a second switching device so that they will not turn ON at the same time and outputting an ON/OFF drive signal to the first switching device; and a second switching device driving unit for receiving the control signal and outputting an ON/OFF drive signal to the second switching device, in which the first switching device driving unit outputs a drive signal for increasing the delay of the ON timing of the first switching device with respect to the OFF timing of the second switching device with increase in ambient temperature.
US09041435B2
An electronic component comprising a half bridge adapted for operation with an electrical load having an operating frequency is described. The half bridge comprises a first switch and a second switch each having a switching frequency, the first switch and the second switch each including a first terminal, a second terminal, and a control terminal, wherein the first terminal of the first switch and the second terminal of the second switch are both electrically connected to a node. The electronic component further includes a filter having a 3 dB roll-off frequency, the 3 dB roll-off frequency being less than the switching frequency of the switches but greater than the operating frequency of the electrical load. The first terminal of the filter is electrically coupled to the node, and the 3 dB roll-off frequency of the filter is greater than 5 kHz.
US09041428B2
A method for configuring the placement of a plurality of storage cells on an integrated circuit includes grouping the plurality of storage cells into a plurality of words, where each of the plurality of words is protected by an error control mechanism. The method also includes placing each of the storage cells on the integrated circuit such that a distance between any two of the storage cells belonging to one of the plurality of words is greater than a minimum distance. The minimum distance is configured such that a probability of any of the plurality of words experiencing multiple radiation induced errors is below a threshold value.
US09041424B2
The wafer inspection interface 18 includes a probe card 20 having a multiple number of probes 25; a fixing ring 21 configured to hold the probe card 20; a chuck top 23 disposed to face the probe card 20 with a wafer W therebetween; an outer seal ring 24 provided to hermetically seal an outer space 27 surrounded by the fixing ring 21, the probe card 20 and the chuck top 23; an outer depressurization path 29 through which the outer space 27 is depressurized; an inner seal ring 26 provided to hermetically seal an inner space 28 surrounded by the probe card 20 and the wafer W; and an inner depressurization path 30 through which the inner space 28 is depressurized. Further, the inner space 28 may be surrounded by the outer space 27, and the wafer W is disposed within the inner space 28.
US09041422B2
Implementations are presented herein that include a plurality of on-chip monitor circuits and a controller. Each of the plurality of on-chip monitor circuits is configured to measure a parameter of a semiconductor chip. The controller is coupled to the plurality of on-chip monitor circuits. The controller is configured to receive a measurement result from at least one of the plurality of on-chip monitor circuits and to control a calibration of another one of the plurality of on-chip monitor circuits in accordance with the measurement result.
US09041421B2
An IC, a circuitry, and an RF BIST system are provided. The RF BIST system includes a test equipment, a module circuitry, and an IC. The IC is arranged to communicate with the module circuitry by an RF signal in response to a command signal from the test equipment, determine a test result by the RF signal, and report the test result to the test equipment, wherein the module circuitry is external to the IC and the test equipment.
US09041407B2
Disclosed herein is an oscillation circuit including: a control transistor changing an electric potential at an output terminal thereof by proceeding to one of a conduction state and a non-conduction state in accordance with an electric potential at an input terminal thereof; a transistor as an object of a measurement having a polarity of a channel identical to that of the control transistor, and connected in series with the control transistor between a power source and a ground; a capacitor delaying the change in the electric potential at the output terminal in accordance with a value of a leakage current leaked from the transistor as an object of a measurement when the control transistor proceeds from the conduction state to the non-conduction state; and an inversion circuit inverting the electric potential at the output terminal, thereby feeding the inverted electric potential back to the input terminal.
US09041406B2
An apparatus capable of detecting reduction in insulation resistance between a vehicle body and a high-voltage circuit. In the apparatus, a filter for removing noise included in a potential to ground at a terminal of a coupling capacitor includes a digital filter and an aliasing suppression circuit for suppressing aliasing in the digital filter. In addition, a protection circuit, which protects the digital filter and a determiner operable to detect the reduction in insulation resistance from high-voltage noise generated in the high-voltage circuit, is electrically disposed between a resistor of the aliasing suppression circuit and a signal input of the digital filter, where a potential at a junction between the resistor of the aliasing suppression circuit and the signal input of the digital filter is lower than a potential at the terminal of the coupling capacitor upon application of the high-voltage noise to the apparatus.
US09041405B2
A condition estimation device includes a voltage measurement circuit, memory, and a controller. The voltage measurement circuit measures an open circuit voltage (OCV) of an electric storage device. The memory is configured to store first information on a correlation between a positive electrode potential and an electric storage capacity and second information on a correlation between a negative electrode potential and an electric storage capacity. The controller is configured to: measure an OCV under charge or discharge; calculate an electric storage capacity of the electric storage device having the OCV equal to a reference voltage; correct at least one of the first information and the second information such that a potential difference at the calculated capacity is equal to the reference voltage; and generate an OCV characteristic based on the first and the second information after the at least one of the first and the second information is corrected.
US09041396B2
In a method for calculating a B0 field map (a map of the basic magnetic field) in a magnetic resonance apparatus, a navigator pulse is emitted and navigator response resulting from the navigator pulse are detected in at least some channels of a multichannel RF coil array. Each channel of the multichannel RF coil array includes an RF coil and spatial information regarding the respective positions of the individual RF coils is made available to a processor, together with the multiple navigator signals. Using the spatial information obtained from the position of the RF coils that respectively detected the navigator response signals, a B0 field map is generated, without the need for spatial encoding the respective navigator response signals.
US09041393B2
A magnetic resonance sequence includes an interleaved slice-selective pre-pulse and a slice-selective multi-echo acquisition. This sequence is repeated with different delays between the pre-pulse and the acquisition resulting in a matrix of complex images. Based on this matrix T1 and T2 relaxations, proton density and the B1 field can be estimated. These quantified parameters enable synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and form a robust input for tissue segmentation in computer aided diagnosis for MRI.
US09041387B2
This disclosure is directed to techniques for magnetic field angular position sensing. A device designed in accordance with this disclosure may include a magnetoresistive sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of an angular position of a magnetic field, the signal having an angular range of 180 degrees, a first polarity sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a polarity of the magnetic field sensed from a first location, and a second polarity sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a polarity of the magnetic field sensed from a second location different from the first location.
US09041381B2
A current mirror circuit, receiving an input current and outputting a plurality of mirroring currents, comprising: a first transistor, wherein a control terminal and a first terminal of the first transistor are connected to a first mirroring current of the input current; at least one second transistor, wherein a control terminal and a first terminal of the at least one second transistor are connected to the at least one second mirroring current of the input current; and a plurality of third transistors, outputting the plurality of mirroring currents from first terminals of the plurality of third transistors, wherein control terminals of the plurality of third transistors are connected to control terminals of the first transistor and the at least one second transistor. The first transistor, the at least one second transistor and the plurality of third transistors are identical.
US09041377B2
A step-down regulator comprising a pseudo constant on time control circuit is disclosed, comprising an on-time generator configured to receive a switching signal provided by the step-down regulator and a control signal provided by the pseudo constant on time control circuit, and generates an on-time signal; a feedback control circuit configured to receive a feedback signal representative of the output voltage of the step-down regulator and generate an output signal; and a logic control circuit coupled to the on-time generator and the feedback control circuit to receive the on-time signal and the output signal and generating the control signal, and a power stage configured to receive an input voltage and the control signal and generate the switching signal.
US09041365B2
This disclosure relates to radio frequency (RF) power converters and methods of operating the same. In one embodiment, an RF power converter includes an RF switching converter, a low-drop out (LDO) regulation circuit, and an RF filter. The RF filter is coupled to receive a pulsed output voltage from the RF switching converter and a supply voltage from the LDO regulation circuit. The RF filter is operable to alternate between a first RF filter topology and a second RF filter topology. In the first RF filter topology, the RF filter is configured to convert the pulsed output voltage from a switching circuit into the supply voltage. The RF filter in the second RF filter topology is configured to filter the supply voltage from the LDO regulation circuit to reduce a ripple variation in a supply voltage level of the supply voltage. As such, the RF filter provides greater versatility.
US09041364B2
This disclosure relates to radio frequency (RF) power converters and methods of operating the same. In one embodiment, an RF power converter includes an RF switching converter, a low-drop out (LDO) regulation circuit, and an RF filter. The RF filter is coupled to receive a pulsed output voltage from the RF switching converter and a supply voltage from the LDO regulation circuit. The RF filter is operable to alternate between a first RF filter topology and a second RF filter topology. In the first RF filter topology, the RF filter is configured to convert the pulsed output voltage from a switching circuit into the supply voltage. The RF filter in the second RF filter topology is configured to filter the supply voltage from the LDO regulation circuit to reduce a ripple variation in a supply voltage level of the supply voltage. As such, the RF filter provides greater versatility.
US09041363B2
A “windowless” H-bridge buck-boost switching converter includes a regulation circuit with an error amplifier which produces a ‘comp’ signal, a comparison circuit which compares ‘comp’ with a ‘ramp’ signal, and logic circuitry which receives the comparison circuit output and a mode control signal indicating whether the converter is to operate in buck mode or boost mode and operates the primary or secondary switching elements to produce the desired output voltage in buck or boost mode, respectively. A ‘ramp’ signal generation circuit operates to shift the ‘ramp’ signal up by a voltage Vslp(p−p)+Vhys when transitioning from buck to boost mode, and to shift ‘ramp’ back down by Vslp(p−p)+Vhys when transitioning from boost to buck mode, thereby enabling the converter to operate in buck mode or boost mode only, with no need for an intermediate buck-boost region.
US09041347B2
A stand for a portable electronic device includes a device receiving side including a coupling component for engaging with the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device is in a first orientation relative to the device receiving side and when the portable electronic device is in a second orientation relative to the device receiving side. The stand also includes a first support side adjacent to the device receiving side to act as a base when the portable electronic device is in the first orientation, and a second support side adjacent to the first support side to act as a base when the portable electronic device is in the second orientation.
US09041341B2
A battery includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a first battery module, a second battery module, and a third batter module. The first battery module and the second battery module includes a first pole, a second pole, a plurality of battery cells, a charge and disconnect device, a disconnect device, and a bridging device. The third battery module includes a first pole, a second pole, a plurality of battery cells, a first disconnect device, a second disconnect device, and a bridging device. The first and second poles of the first battery module are connected in series with the first terminal and the first pole of the third battery module. The first and second poles of the second battery module are connected in series with the second terminal and thesecond pole of the third batter module.
US09041339B2
A system and method for digital management and control of power conversion from battery cells. The system utilizes a power management and conversion module that uses a CPU to maintain a high power conversion efficiency over a wide range of loads and to manage charge and discharge operation of the battery cells. The power management and conversion module includes the CPU, a current sense unit, a charge/discharge unit, a DC-to-DC conversion unit, a battery protection unit, a fuel gauge and an internal DC regulation unit. Through intelligent power conversion and charge/discharge operations, a given battery type is given the ability to emulate other battery types by conversion of the output voltage of the battery and adaptation of the charging scheme to suit the battery.
US09041337B2
Systems and methods are provided for generating a constraint-based, time-optimal motion profile for controlling the trajectory of a point-to-point move in a motion control system. A profile generator can calculate an ST-curve motion profile that includes a jerk reference that varies continuously over time for at least one of the motion profile segments, thereby producing a smooth, time-optimal trajectory. The profile generator can create the motion profile to conform to a set of motion constraints provided by the user. The profile generator also supports calculation of time-optimal motion profiles having segments that align to the sample time of the motion control system. In some embodiments, the profile generator can efficiently generate the motion profile by performing reference calculations only for those segments that will be used in the final motion profile for a given point-to-point move.
US09041335B2
A driver circuit for driving an electrical load includes an input terminal pole connecting the driver circuit to an AC voltage source, an output terminal pole connecting the driver circuit to the load, a rectifier circuit connected to the input terminal pole for converting an AC voltage into a pulsating DC voltage, and a control element connected to the rectifier circuit and to the output terminal pole. The control element has a switch and a controller, the controller switching the switch on and off by means of a pulse train signal, wherein an electrical output value of the driver circuit is adjustable by switching the switch. The controller is configured to vary at least one time-based value of the pulse train signal within one period of the pulsating DC voltage such that a driver current is adjusted at the output terminal pole having a defined waveform within the period.
US09041332B2
A system and methods are provided for controlling a motor of a rod pumping system using previous RPMs of the motor and predicting an RPM of the motor; correcting a power factor of a motor of a rod pumping system; allocating energy consumption and allocating energy generation for a set of wells connected to an electricity meter using an amount of energy generated by each well; and generating an alert if a set of data is beyond a threshold for the set of data.
US09041328B2
An electrical controller for electric motors is provided. A control system for an electric motor comprises a supply for supplying excitation current to different windings of the motor at any given time. Furthermore, the amplitude of the excitation current is independently variable of the timing and duration of the application of the excitation current to the windings. This allows increased control of the motor and facilitates the operation of the motor at high mechanical and/or electrical speeds.
US09041320B2
The invention relates to a portable work apparatus having a housing and a work tool which is driven by an electric motor via a gear assembly. A flywheel which rotates about a rotational axis is arranged in the drive train between the electric motor and the gear assembly, which flywheel is connected fixedly to an output shaft so as to rotate with it, which output shaft protrudes into a gear assembly space and has a drive pinion. The output, shaft and the flywheel are mounted in the housing by two bearing locations, the rotational axis of the flywheel and a motor shaft of the electric motor lying coaxially with respect to one another, and the motor shaft of the electric motor being connected fixedly to the flywheel so as to rotate with it. The electric motor is fixed in the housing exclusively via a torque support.
US09041318B2
A cyclotron that accelerates an ion using a magnetic field includes a hollow yoke and an ion source that is provided in the yoke and generates an ion. The ion source includes a conductive cylindrical body and a filament disposed in the cylindrical body. A current is supplied from a power supply to the filament, and a direction of the current supplied to the filament is changed.
US09041317B2
A ballast lead wire configuration includes a ballast having a pair of power inputs and a pair of power outputs. A primary lamp is electrically connected to the ballast. A first primary lamp ballast terminal is formed on the primary lamp and electrically connected to the ballast. A second primary lamp ballast terminal is formed on the primary lamp and electrically connected to the ballast. A second lamp electrically connected to the ballast, and the second lamp is electrically connected to the first lamp in series. A first secondary lamp ballast terminal is formed on the secondary lamp and electrically connected to the ballast. A second secondary lamp ballast terminal is formed on the secondary lamp and electrically connected to the ballast. The first lamp and the second lamp are florescent lamps over 36 inches long.
US09041315B2
Provided is a lighting apparatus that may form and control a multi-zone of a plurality of lighting devices connected to a wireless network. The lighting apparatus may include a plurality of devices including a plurality of lighting devices included in a network set in advance, a coordinator to manage the network, a remote controller to control a multi-zone that is included in the network and that performs grouping of the plurality of lighting devices into a plurality of groups.
US09041307B1
A method for brightness control, adapted to a light emitting device emitting a light of an output brightness, comprises: setting the output brightness to be an initial value, and controlling the light emitting device emitting the light accordingly; setting a target value, and controlling the output brightness changing from the initial value toward the target value with the brightness changing rate of the brightness zone corresponding to the initial value; controlling the output brightness changing toward the target value with the following brightness changing rate when the output brightness crossing one of the brightness thresholds and entering the following brightness zone, wherein the following brightness changing rate corresponds to the following brightness zone; stopping changing the output brightness when reaching the target value.
US09041298B2
A motion activated toilet bowl lighting device includes a body member having inner, outer, top, and bottom walls that define an interior area. The inner wall includes an inwardly annular configuration complementary to a toilet bowl rim outer surface. The lighting device includes an attachment arm displaced from the inner wall. A bridge connects the top wall to the attachment arm such that the inner wall, attachment arm, and bridge sandwich the toilet rim. A motion detector is positioned on the outer wall and a light is positioned on the attachment arm. A light sensor is positioned on the body member. A battery and timer are situated in the interior area. The light is energized when the light sensor detects lower than a predetermined amount of ambient light and when the motion detector detects movement, the light being de-energized when the timer expires.
US09041297B2
Sensors and lighting components are provided that are capable of matching an emitted color to a color observed at a remote location. The sensor measures a light characteristic at a first location, and provides data to a remote lighting component, such as via a wireless connection. The lighting component is configured to emit light based upon the light characteristic, and thus is able to match an observed lighting condition. The lighting component may match the color, intensity, temperature, pattern, texture, or other characteristic of light at a remote location.
US09041294B2
A semiconductor component and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor component, wherein the semiconductor component includes one or more transient voltage suppression structures. In an embodiment, the semiconductor component may include an over-voltage detection circuit, an over-current detection circuit, an over-temperature detection circuit, an ESD protection circuit, or combinations of these circuits.
US09041291B2
A band pass filter comprises an air filled aluminum chamber, having a lid and a cuboid resonant cavity having a central iris. At opposite end nodes of the cavity, perfect electric conductors (PECs) are provided. One is connected to a feed wire from an input at one end of the cavity. The other PEC is connected via a further feed wire to a radiator in a fabrication of solid-dielectric, lucent material.Threaded tuning projections opposite the PECs and in the iris are provided, whereby the pass band and the transmission characteristics of the filter in the pass band can be tuned to match the input impedance of the band pass filter and the wave guide to the output impedance of a microwave drive circuit (not shown). Typically the impedance will be 50Ω.
US09041289B2
A terahertz interaction circuit is provided. The terahertz interaction circuit includes a waveguide and an electron beam tunnel. The waveguide has a folded shape and in which an electromagnetic wave propagates. The electron beam tunnel is formed to penetrate through the waveguide. An electron beam passes through the electron beam tunnel. The waveguide includes a ridge portion in which a portion of a surface of the waveguide protrudes into the waveguide.
US09041284B2
A flexible display device including: a flexible substrate having a display area and a moisture absorption area at a surface; a display unit at the display area; a moisture absorption layer at the moisture absorption area; and a sealant along an edge of the display area and configured to seal the moisture absorption layer and the display unit. The flexible substrate is configured to be folded at least one time, and the display area and the moisture absorption area are opposite to each other.
US09041278B2
A method of manufacturing a display panel of an organic light emitting display device includes determining a plurality of pixel groups, the pixel groups corresponding to groups of pixels of the display panel, calculating aperture ratios for the pixels, respective aperture ratios being calculated by pixel group based on respective distances between a power unit and the pixel groups, and forming the pixels of the display panel to have the respective aperture ratios according to the corresponding pixel groups.
US09041276B2
The present invention relates to a field emission lighting arrangement, comprising a first field emission cathode, an anode structure comprising a phosphor layer, and an evacuated envelope inside of which the anode structure and the first field emission cathode are arranged, wherein the anode structure is configured to receive electrons emitted by the first field emission cathode when a voltage is applied between the anode structure and the first field emission cathode and to reflect light generated by the phosphor layer out from the evacuated chamber.Advantages of the invention include lower power consumption as well as an increase in light output of the field emission lighting arrangement.
US09041273B2
A corona igniter (20) for emitting a radio frequency electric field and providing a corona discharge (24) includes a central electrode (22) at a positive voltage, a grounded metal shell (30), and an insulator (28) with an abruption (34) extending radially outward relative to the central electrode (22). The abruption (34) is typically an increase of at least 15% of a local thickness (t) of the insulator (28) over less than 25% of a nose length (el) of an insulator nose region (74). The abruption (34) is typically one flank (82) of a protrusion or a notch, and the flank (82) faces the shell (30). The abruption (34) reverses the electric field and voltage potential gradient along the insulator outer surface (32), repels charged ions away from the insulator (28), and thus prevents the formation of a conductive path between the central electrode (22) and the shell (22).
US09041266B2
Disclosed is a magnetic bearing structure including a permanent magnet, levitating a rotation body without a bias current, and easily magnetizing the permanent magnet. The magnetic bearing structure includes a ring-shaped permanent magnet provided on a side of a rotation shaft and magnetized in a direction parallel with a shaft direction of the rotation shaft, a coil installed on a side of the permanent magnet, and a conductor installed on an external side of the coil and used to form a magnetic field path. According to the configuration, when an additional bias current is not supplied to the coil installed in the magnetic bearing, a rotation body levitates according to the magnetic field caused by the permanent magnet, and a magnetized direction of the permanent magnet is in parallel with a shaft direction of the rotation shaft thereby allowing easy magnetization and increasing productivity of the magnetic bearing.
US09041264B2
An axial flux electrical machine including a housing, a stator located within the housing, a rotatable shaft carried by the housing by means of at least a main bearing, and a rotor fixed to the shaft within the housing. Magnetic attractive forces between the rotor and the stator produce an axial thrust on the main bearing and a biasing means (preferably in the form of a spring) is arranged to urge the shaft in a direction opposite to the axial thrust so as to reduce the net load on the main bearing. This reduction in net load on the main bearing increases bearing life and improves motor efficiency.
US09041261B2
A rotating electrical machine includes a rotor which has a rotor core formed by stacking magnetic plates having an annular plate shape in an axial direction, a permanent magnet is inserted into a magnet insertion hole formed in the rotor core, and a rotor shaft is inserted into a shaft insertion hole surrounded by an inner peripheral surface of the rotor core; and a stator. A radial communication passage is formed by a communication penetration hole group that is formed by sequentially communicating a plurality of the penetration holes from a shaft insertion hole to a magnetic resistance hole in the radial direction. The plurality of the penetration holes are divided into at least two specific magnetic plates and formed such that the radial positions of the penetration holes are different from each other and the penetration holes partially overlap each other when viewed in the axial direction.
US09041245B2
A power supply apparatus includes a converter to convert AC power into DC power, an SMPS to convert the DC power into DC powers desired by loads, a capacitor to interconnect the converter and the SMPS, a PTC element connected to the converter, a first switch connected in parallel with the PTC element, and a second switch connected in series with the first switch. The method includes turning on the second switch to start charging of the capacitor, turning on the first switch to charge the capacitor to a target voltage level, and turning off both the first switch and second switch if a voltage across the capacitor rises over the target voltage level, to discharge the voltage across the capacitor so as to lower the voltage across the capacitor to the target voltage level or lower.
US09041241B2
Embodiments include systems and methods of powering a mobile device using a sink device. The method may include detecting a coupling of the mobile device to the sink device and transmitting an acknowledgement in response to a query, the acknowledgement confirming that the sink device has charging capability. Power may be selectively provided in response to the power request. According to some embodiments, the method includes transmitting a query by a communications transmitter to determine if a sink device has charging capability, and deactivating a driver for a power line and transmitting a power request using the communications transmitter in response to receiving an acknowledgement signal from the sink device. The method may further include selectively providing power received from the sink device to a charging circuit of the mobile device. The mobile device may include an HDMI transmitter for communicating through a transmission line to an HDMI sink device.
US09041228B2
A molding compound comprising a resin, a filler, and a carbon nano-tube dispersion is disclosed. The carbon nano-tube dispersion achieves a low average agglomeration size in the molding compound thereby providing desirable electromechanical properties and laser marking compatibility. A shallow laser mark may be formed in a mold cap with a maximum depth of less than 10 microns.
US09041227B2
A microelectronic package includes a substrate having a first surface. A microelectronic element overlies the first surface. Electrically conductive elements are exposed at the first surface of the substrate, at least some of which are electrically connected to the microelectronic element. The package includes wire bonds having bases bonded to respective ones of the conductive elements and ends remote from the substrate and remote from the bases. The ends of the wire bonds are defined on tips of the wire bonds, and the wire bonds define respective first diameters between the bases and the tips thereof. The tips have at least one dimension that is smaller than the respective first diameters of the wire bonds. A dielectric encapsulation layer covers portions of the wire bonds, and unencapsulated portions of the wire bonds are defined by portions of the wire bonds, including the ends, are uncovered by the encapsulation layer.
US09041209B2
In a disclosed embodiment, a method for tiling selected vias in a semiconductor device having a plurality of vias comprises generating a layout database for the semiconductor device; creating zones around the plurality of vias; measuring density of covering metal in each zone; selecting a low density zone as being a zone that has a metal density less than a threshold metal density; and adding at least one tiling feature on a metal layer above the plurality of vias in the low density zone so that metal density of the low density zone increases to at least the same as the threshold metal density.
US09041208B2
A laminate interconnect structure includes a core material and at least one additional layer adjacent the core material, a first electrically conductive via formed in the core material, and a second electrically conductive via formed in the core material, coaxial with the first electrically conductive via and separated from the first electrically conductive via by a non-conductive material.
US09041183B2
A double sided cooled power module package having a single phase leg topology includes two IGBT and two diode semiconductor dies. Each IGBT die is spaced apart from a diode semiconductor die, forming a switch unit. Two switch units are placed in a planar face-up and face-down configuration. A pair of DBC or other insulated metallic substrates is affixed to each side of the planar phase leg semiconductor dies to form a sandwich structure. Attachment layers are disposed on outer surfaces of the substrates and two heat exchangers are affixed to the substrates by rigid bond layers. The heat exchangers, made of copper or aluminum, have passages for carrying coolant. The power package is manufactured in a two-step assembly and heating process where direct bonds are formed for all bond layers by soldering, sintering, solid diffusion bonding or transient liquid diffusion bonding, with a specially designed jig and fixture.
US09041179B2
A semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate having oppositely facing first and second surfaces, the first surface being an active surface and provided with an electronic element thereon, a pad electrode to be connected to the electronic element in a peripheral portion of the electronic element on the active surface, a first opening extending from the second surface toward the pad electrode so as not to reach the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, a second opening formed to reach the pad electrode from a bottom surface of the first opening and having a diameter smaller than that of the first opening, an insulating layer formed to cover sidewall surfaces of the first opening and the second opening, and a conductive layer formed, inside of the insulating layer, to cover at least an inner wall surface of the insulating layer and a bottom surface of the second opening.
US09041178B2
A semiconductor device including a chip stack structure having a plurality of semiconductor chips, the semiconductor chips being stacked such that they are electrically connected using through-electrodes, and a support frame attached to a side surface of the chip stack structure.
US09041167B2
An SOI substrate including a buried insulator layer positioned between a base substrate and a top semiconductor active layer is first provided. A semiconductor device can then be formed on and/or within a portion of the top semiconductor active layer. A bottommost surface of the buried insulator layer which is opposite a topmost surface of the buried insulator layer that forms an interface with the top semiconductor active layer can be then exposed. Ions can then be implanted through the bottommost surface of the buried insulator layer and into a portion of the buried insulator layer. The ions are implanted at energy ranges that do not disturb the buried insulator layer/top semiconductor active layer interface, while leaving a relatively thin portion of the buried insulator layer near the buried insulator layer/top semiconductor active layer interface intact.
US09041166B2
A manufacturing method of a circuit structure is provided. A metal layer having an upper surface is provided. A surface passivation layer is formed on the metal layer. The surface passivation layer exposes a portion of the upper surface of the metal layer, and a material of the metal layer is different from a material of the surface passivation layer. A covering layer is formed on the surface passivation layer, and the covering layer covers the surface passivation layer.
US09041163B2
A semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a device layer and a least one conductive post. The substrate includes a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and at least one through hole penetrating the substrate. The substrate includes a first side wall portion and a second side wall portion at the through hole. The first side wall portion is connected to the first surface and includes a plurality of first scallops. The second side wall portion is connected to the second surface and includes a non-scalloped surface. The device layer is disposed on the second surface, and the second side wall portion of the substrate further extends into the device layer along the non-scalloped surface. The conductive post is disposed in the through hole, wherein the conductive post is electrically connected to the device layer.
US09041160B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes: a rectangular shaped semiconductor substrate; a metal wiring layer formed on or over the semiconductor substrate; and a passivation layer covering the metal wiring layer. A corner non-wiring region where no portion of the metal wiring layer is formed is disposed in a corner of the semiconductor substrate. A slit is formed in a portion of the metal wiring layer which is close to the corner of the semiconductor substrate. The passivation layer includes a first passivation layer which is formed on the metal wiring layer and a second passivation layer which is formed on the first passivation layer. The first passivation layer is formed of a material that is softer than a material of the second passivation layer.
US09041156B2
A reference voltage generating circuit has more than two first wells each having a first impurity concentration and more than two second wells each having a second impurity concentration different from the first impurity concentration. A first group of MOS transistors has more than two MOS transistors formed in respective ones of the first wells. A second group of MOS transistors has More than two MOS transistors formed in respective ones of the second wells.
US09041154B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a substrate having thereon a memory array region and a periphery circuit region. A first dielectric layer covers the memory array region and the periphery circuit region on the substrate. A second dielectric layer covers the memory array region and the periphery circuit region on the first dielectric layer. At least a capacitor structure is provided in the memory array region. The capacitor structure includes an electrode material layer embedded in the second dielectric layer. The semiconductor memory device further includes a contact structure comprising the electrode material layer.
US09041148B2
Capacitor structures capable of providing both low-voltage capacitors and high-voltage capacitors are described herein. In one embodiment, a capacitor structure comprises a low-voltage capacitor and a high-voltage capacitor. The low-voltage capacitor comprises a first electrode formed from a first metal layer, a second electrode formed from a second metal layer, a third electrode formed from a third metal layer, a first dielectric layer between the first and second electrodes, and a second dielectric layer between the second and third electrodes. The high-voltage capacitor comprises a fourth electrode formed from the first metal layer, a fifth electrode formed from the third metal layer, and a third dielectric layer between the fourth and fifth electrodes, wherein the third dielectric layer is thicker than either the first dielectric layer or the second dielectric layer.
US09041147B2
According to a semiconductor substrate (40), a space (A) between a plurality of Si thin film (16), which are provide apart from one another on the insulating substrate (30), is (I) larger than a difference between elongation of part of the insulating substrate which part corresponds to the space (A) and elongation of each of Si wafers (10) when a change is made from room temperature to 600° C. and (II) smaller than 5 mm. This causes an increase in a region of each of a plurality of semiconductor thin films which region has a uniform thickness, and therefore prevents transferred semiconductor layers and the insulating substrate from being fractured or chipped.
US09041141B2
Techniques for using electrodeposition to form absorber layers in diodes (e.g., solar cells) are provided. In one aspect, a method for fabricating a diode is provided. The method includes the following steps. A substrate is provided. A backside electrode is formed on the substrate. One or more layers are electrodeposited on the backside electrode, wherein at least one of the layers comprises copper, at least one of the layers comprises zinc and at least one of the layers comprises tin. The layers are annealed in an environment containing a sulfur source to form a p-type CZTS absorber layer on the backside electrode. An n-type semiconductor layer is formed on the CZTS absorber layer. A transparent conductive layer is formed on the n-type semiconductor layer. A diode is also provided.
US09041137B2
A light emitting diode includes a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, a second semiconductor layer, a first electrode, a second electrode. The second electrode includes a treated patterned carbon nanotube film. The treated patterned carbon nanotube film includes at least two carbon nanotube linear units spaced from each other; and carbon nanotube groups spaced from each other. The carbon nanotube groups are located between the at least two carbon nanotube linear units, and combined with the at least two carbon nanotube linear units.
US09041135B2
Under one aspect of the present invention, a monolithic sun sensor includes a photosensor; a spacer material disposed over the photosensor; and a patterned mask disposed over the spacer material and defining an aperture over the photosensor. The spacer material has a thickness selected such that the patterned mask casts a shadow onto the photosensor that varies as a function of the monolithic sun sensor's angle relative to the sun. The sun sensor may further include a substrate in which the photosensor is embedded or on which the photosensor is disposed. The spacer material may be transparent, and may include a layer of inorganic oxide, or a plurality of layers of inorganic oxide. The patterned mask may include a conductive material, such as a metal. The aperture may be lithographically defined, and may be square. The sun sensor may further include a transparent overlayer disposed over the patterned mask.
US09041134B2
A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel chip, a logic chip and one or more shielding layers. The one or more shielding layers are arranged between or within the pixel chip and/or the logic chip to shield or reduce the effect of electromagnetic interference, radiation generated noise, or electromagnetic waves generated in one portion of the solid-state imaging device from affecting another portion of the solid-state imaging device.
US09041122B2
Provided are a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device. In order to improve reliability by solving a problem of conductivity that may occur when an air spacer structure that may reduce a capacitor coupling phenomenon between a plurality of conductive lines is formed, there are provided a semiconductor device including: a substrate having an active region; a contact plug connected to the active region; a landing pad spacer formed to contact a top surface of the contact plug; a contact conductive layer formed to contact the top surface of the contact plug and formed in a space defined by the landing pad spacer; a metal silicide layer formed on the contact conductive layer; and a landing pad connected to the contact conductive layer in a state in which the metal silicide layer is disposed between the landing pad and the contact conductive layer, and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device.
US09041112B2
In a semiconductor device, where, with respect to a parasitic resistor in a current mirror circuit, a compensation resistor for compensating the parasitic resistor is provided in the current mirror circuit, the current mirror circuit includes at least two thin film transistors. The thin film transistors each have an island-shaped semiconductor film having a channel formation region and source or drain regions, a gate insulating film, a gate electrode, and source or drain electrodes, and the compensation resistor compensates the parasitic resistor of any one of the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode. In addition, each compensation resistor has a conductive layer containing the same material as the gate electrode, the source or drain electrodes, or the source or drain regions.
US09041111B2
A flat panel detector includes a photoelectric conversion layer and a pixel detecting element disposed under the photoelectric conversion layer. The pixel detecting element includes: a pixel electrode for receiving charges, a storage capacitor for storing the received charges, and a thin film transistor for controlling outputting of the stored charges. The storage capacitor includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode includes an upper electrode and a bottom electrode that are disposed opposite to each other and electrically connected. A second electrode is sandwiched between the upper electrode and the bottom electrode. It is insulated between the upper electrode and the second electrode and between the second electrode and the bottom electrode.
US09041102B2
The present disclosure discloses a lateral transistor and associated method for making the same. The lateral transistor comprises a gate formed over a first portion of a thin gate dielectric layer, and a field plate formed over a thick field dielectric layer and extending atop a second portion of the thin gate dielectric layer. The field plate is electrically isolated from the gate by a gap overlying a third portion of the thin gate dielectric layer and is electrically coupled to a source region. The lateral transistor according to an embodiment of the present invention may have reduced gate-to-drain capacitance, low specific on-resistance, and improved hot carrier lifetime.
US09041099B2
The present invention provides a single-sided access device including an active fin structure comprising a source region and a drain region; an insulating layer interposed between the source region and the drain region; a trench isolation structure disposed at one side of the active fin structure; a single-sided sidewall gate electrode disposed on the other side of the active fin structure opposite to the trench isolation structure so that the active fin structure is sandwiched by trench isolation structure and the single-sided sidewall gate electrode; and a gate protrusion laterally and electrically extended from the single-sided sidewall gate electrode and embedded between the source region and the drain region under the insulating layer.
US09041098B2
According to one embodiment, the semiconductor device is provided with a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer, a third semiconductor layer, a pair of first conductors, a pair of second conductors, first wiring layers, and second wiring layers. Each pair of first and second conductors is formed in first and second trenches via the first and second insulating films and is opposite to the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer. The first wiring layers have main body parts and plural convex parts. Plural convex parts extend from the main body parts and are electrically connected with the first conductors via a first opening part of a first interlayer insulating film. The second wiring layers are electrically connected with the second conductors via a second opening part of the first interlayer insulating film.
US09041083B2
Flux-closed spin-transfer torque memory having a specular insulative spacer is disclosed. A flux-closed spin-transfer torque memory unit includes a multilayer free magnetic element including a first free magnetic layer anti-ferromagnetically coupled to a second free magnetic layer through an electrically insulating and electronically reflective layer. An electrically insulating and non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer separates the free magnetic element from a reference magnetic layer.
US09041077B2
A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method of the same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate and a stacked structure vertically formed on the substrate. The stacked structure includes a plurality of conductive layers and a plurality of insulating layers, and the conductive layers and the insulating layers are interlaced. At least one of the conductive layers has a first doping segment having a first doping property and a second doping segment having a second doping property, the second doping property being different from the first doping property. The interface between the first doping segment and the second doping segment has a grain boundary.
US09041071B2
A unit pixel of an image sensor includes a photoelectric conversion region, an isolation region, a floating diffusion region and a transfer gate. The photoelectric conversion region is formed in a semiconductor substrate. The isolation region surrounds the photoelectric conversion region, extends substantially vertically with respect to a first surface of the semiconductor substrate, and crosses the incident side of the photoelectric conversion region so as to block leakage light and diffusion carriers. The floating diffusion region is disposed in the semiconductor substrate above the photoelectric conversion region. The transfer gate is disposed adjacent to the photoelectric conversion region and the floating diffusion region, extends substantially vertically with respect to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, and transmits the photo-charges from the photoelectric conversion region to the floating diffusion region.
US09041067B2
There are disclosed herein various implementations of an integrated half-bridge circuit with low side and high side composite switches. In one exemplary implementation, such an integrated half-bridge circuit includes a III-N body including first and second III-N field-effect transistors (FETs) monolithically integrated with and situated over a first group IV FET. The integrated half-bridge circuit also includes a second group IV FET stacked over the III-N body. The first group IV FET is cascoded with the first III-N FET to provide one of the low side and the high side composite switches, and the second group IV FET is cascoded with the second III-N FET to provide the other of the low side and the high side composite switches. The first and second III-N FETs are normally ON FETs, and the low side composite switch and the high side composite switch are normally OFF switches
US09041065B2
Planar Schottky diodes for which the semiconductor material includes a heterojunction which induces a 2DEG in at least one of the semiconductor layers. A metal anode contact is on top of the upper semiconductor layer and forms a Schottky contact with that layer. A metal cathode contact is connected to the 2DEG, forming an ohmic contact with the layer containing the 2DEG.
US09041064B2
A multiple field plate transistor includes an active region, with a source, drain, and gate. A first spacer layer is between the source and the gate and a second spacer layer between the drain and the gate. A first field plate on the first spacer layer and a second field plate on the second spacer layer are connected to the gate. A third field plate connected to the source is on a third spacer layer, which is on the gate and the first and second field plates and spacer layers. The transistor exhibits a blocking voltage of at least 600 Volts while supporting current of at least 2 or 3 Amps with on resistance of no more than 5.0 or 5.3 mΩ-cm2, respectively, and at least 900 Volts while supporting current of at least 2 or 3 Amps with on resistance of no more than 6.6 or 7.0 mΩ-cm2, respectively.
US09041063B2
High electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) and methods of manufacturing the same. A HEMT may include a source electrode, a gate electrode, a drain electrode, a channel formation layer including at least a 2-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) channel, a channel supplying layer for forming the 2DEG channel in the channel formation layer, a portion of the channel supplying layer including a first oxygen treated region. The channel supplying layer may include a second oxygen treated region that extends from the first oxygen treated region towards the drain electrode, and the depth and concentration of oxygen of the second oxygen treated region may be less than those of the first oxygen treated region.
US09041053B2
When a semiconductor substrate of a semiconductor device is viewed from above, an isolation region, an IGBT region, and a diode region are all formed adjacent to each other. A deep region that is connected to a body region and an anode region is formed in the isolation region. A drift region is formed extending across the isolation region, the IGBT region, and the diode region, inside the semiconductor substrate. A collector region that extends across the isolation region, the IGBT region and the diode region, and a cathode region positioned in the diode region, are formed in a region exposed on a lower surface of the semiconductor substrate. A boundary between the collector region and the cathode region is in the diode region, in a cross-section that cuts across a boundary between the isolation region and the diode region, and divides the isolation region and the diode region. The collector region formed in the isolation region has a higher dopant impurity concentration than the collector region in the IGBT region.
US09041047B2
An exemplary embodiment described technology relates generally to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display and a manufacturing method thereof. The organic light emitting diode (OLED) display according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a substrate; an encapsulation member; an organic light emitting element between the substrate and the encapsulation member; a middle sealing member including one side disposed between the substrate and the encapsulation member and another side extended from the one side to be bent and enclosing an edge of the encapsulation member; a first sealant sealing and combining the one side of the middle sealing member and the substrate to each other; a second sealant sealing and combining the other side of the middle sealing member and the encapsulation member to each other; and a getter at the one side of the middle sealing member and the encapsulation member.
US09041045B2
A transparent LED wafer module and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. In a conductor LED device epitaxial process, the conductor LED device is grown on a transparent material wafer, where both surfaces of the conductor LED device are entirely grown on the transparent material, and then a transparent glass substrate is restacked, thereby securing a high amount of light.
US09041042B2
High density multi-chip LED devices are described. Embodiments of the present invention provide high-density, multi-chip LED devices with relatively high efficiency and light output in a compact size. An LED device includes a plurality of interconnected LED chips and an optical element such as a lens. The LED chips may be arranged in two groups, wherein the LED chips within each group are connected in parallel and the groups are connected in series. In some embodiments, the LED device includes a submount, which may be made of ceramic. The submount may include a connection bus and semicircular areas to which chips are bonded. Wire bonds can be connected to the LED chips so that all the wire bonds are disposed on the outside of a group of LED chips to minimize light absorption.
US09041040B2
A LED lamp is disclosed which has a plurality of light unit, each of the light unit has at least one flat metal lead for heat dissipation and the lower part of the metal lead is mounted on a heat sink for a further heat dissipation.
US09041039B2
A semiconductor light emitting element includes: an insulating substrate having a plurality of convex portions on a surface thereof; a plurality of light emitting element components having semiconductor laminated bodies that are laminated on the insulating substrate and are separated from one another by a groove that exposes the convex portions; and a connector connecting between the light emitting element components. The light emitting element components include a first light emitting element component and a second light emitting element component. The first light emitting element component is separated from the second light emitting element component with the groove in between, and has a first protrusion that protrudes toward the second light emitting element component. The connector includes a first connector having a shape that straddles the groove and that follows the convex portions, and has a straight section.
US09041037B2
An ultraviolet light emitting diode package for emitting ultraviolet light is disclosed. The ultraviolet light emitting diode package comprises an LED chip emitting light with a peak wavelength of 350 nm or less, and a protective member provided so that surroundings of the LED chip is covered to protect the LED chip, the protective member having a non-yellowing property to energy from the LED chip.
US09041032B2
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a light emitting diode including a strain-enhanced well layer. The light emitting diode includes an n-contact layer, an active layer having a barrier layer and a well layer, a p-contact layer, and a strain-enhancing layer configured to enhance a strain applied to the well layer.
US09041026B2
A light-emitting unit with small energy loss is provided. Further, a light-emitting unit with high reliability is provided. A light-emitting unit is provided in the following manner: a separation layer including a leg portion and a stage portion, which protrudes over an electrode is formed so that a projected area of the stage portion is larger than that of the leg portion; a layer containing a light-emitting organic compound, an upper electrode of the first light-emitting element, and an upper electrode of the second light-emitting element are formed; and the upper electrode of the first light-emitting element is electrically connected to a lower electrode of the second light-emitting element in a region overlapping with the stage portion of the separation layer.
US09041010B2
Wide band gap semiconductor wafers with previously unattainable characteristics and the method of processing and producing the same are disclosed and claimed herein. Specifically, the application discloses and claims a method to process silicon carbide and other similar wide band gap semiconductors in a microgravity environment. The wafers are placed onto stackable containment systems that create an appropriate gap between each wafer to allow for homogeneous heating and processing. The resulting wide band gap semiconductors have unique molecular structures not attainable when wide band gap semiconductors with the identical chemical composition are produced in a standard 1 gravity environment.
US09041006B2
A silicon carbide MOS semiconductor device is disclosed which suppresses degradation of efficiency percentage yield with respect to a breakdown voltage even when a surface region with a high impurity concentration is formed by ion implantation with such a high dose as required for attaining a good ohmic contact. The device has a silicon carbide semiconductor substrate, a voltage blocking layer of a first conductivity type formed on the substrate, a body region of a second conductivity type formed on the voltage blocking layer, a body contact region of the second conductivity type formed in a surface region of the body region by selective ion implantation, a surface of the body contact region having such a high impurity concentration as to impart an ohmic contact, a source contact region of the first conductivity type formed in a surface region of the body region by selective ion implantation, a surface of the source contact region having such a high impurity concentration as to impart an ohmic contact, and a source extension region with an impurity concentration lower than that in the source contact region under the source contact region at a region deeper than a tail part of a bottom region of the source contact region by selective ion implantation, the source extension region having an impurity concentration less than 3×1019 cm−3.
US09041005B2
Solid state lighting (“SSL”) devices with cellular arrays and associated methods of manufacturing are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a light emitting diode includes a semiconductor material having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The semiconductor material has an aperture extending into the semiconductor material from the first surface. The light emitting diode also includes an active region in direct contact with the semiconductor material, and at least a portion of the active region is in the aperture of the semiconductor material.
US09041003B2
An electrode structure is described in which conductive regions are recessed into a semiconductor region. Trenches may be formed in a semiconductor region, such that conductive regions can be formed in the trenches. The electrode structure may be used in semiconductor devices such as field effect transistors or diodes. Nitride-based power semiconductor devices are described including such an electrode structure, which can reduce leakage current and otherwise improve performance.
US09040998B2
A light-emitting device in which reduction in performance due to moisture is suppressed is provided. The light-emitting device has a structure in which a partition having a porous structure surrounds each of light-emitting elements. The partition having a porous structure physically adsorbs moisture; therefore, in the light-emitting device, the partition functions as a hygroscopic film at a portion extremely close to the light-emitting element, so that moisture or water vapor remaining in the light-emitting device or entering from the outside can be effectively adsorbed. Thus, reduction in performance of the light-emitting device due to moisture or water vapor can be effectively suppressed.
US09040983B2
A passivation layer structure of a semiconductor device is provided, which includes a passivation layer formed of halogen-doped aluminum oxide and disposed on a semiconductor layer on a substrate, in which the semiconductor layer includes indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) or nitride-based III-V compounds. A method for forming the passivation layer structure of a semiconductor device is also disclosed.
US09040979B2
An organic electroluminescent display device is disclosed which includes a lower substrate including a first substrate defined into red, green and blue sub-pixel regions, first and second switching elements formed in the red and green sub-pixel regions, first and second anodes each connected to the first and second switching elements, and a first organic light emission layer entirely formed on the first substrate provided with the first and second anodes; and an upper substrate including a second substrate, red and green color filter layers formed on the second substrate corresponding to the red and green sub-pixel regions, a third switching element formed on the second substrate corresponding to the blue sub-pixel region, a third anode connected to the third switching element, and a second organic light emission layer entirely formed on the second substrate provided with the red and green color filter layers and the third anode.
US09040971B2
A thin film transistor (TFT) that includes a control electrode, a semiconductor pattern, a first input electrode, a second input electrode, and an output electrode is disclosed. in one aspect, the semiconductor pattern includes a first input area, a second input area, a channel area, and an output area. The channel area is formed between the first input area and the output area and overlapped with the control electrode to be insulated from the control electrode. The second input area is formed between the first input area and the channel area and doped with a doping concentration different from a doping concentration of the first input areas. The second input electrode makes contact with the second input area and receives a control voltage to control a threshold voltage.
US09040970B2
An optoelectronic device comprising at least one optoelectronic active region comprising at least a rear electrode and a front electrode between which an organic optoelectronic material is sandwiched, said rear electrode being reflective, and a cover layer arranged in front of said front electrode. The cover layer comprises a material with light-scattering particles of a first material dispersed in a transparent matrix of at an least partly hydrolyzed silica sol.Due to the highly scattering propertied of the cover layer, the device is essentially concealed behind the cover layer when not in its operative state.
US09040968B2
A method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescence device includes: preparing the organic electroluminescence device that includes a lower electrode, an organic layer including a light-emitting layer and formed on the lower electrode, an upper electrode formed on the organic layer, and an encapsulating layer formed on the upper electrode, and has a part in which the lower electrode and the upper electrode are shorted; and forming a mixed layer in which a constituent material of the upper electrode and at least one of constituent materials of the organic layer and the thin-film encapsulating layer which are adjacent to the upper electrode are mixed, by irradiating at least one of the shorted part and a region around the shorted part with an ultrashort pulse laser.
US09040965B2
A donor substrate includes a base layer having a first surface and a second surface, a complementary hardness layer on the first surface of the base layer, and a transfer layer on the complementary hardness layer. A hardness of the complementary hardness layer is greater than that of the base layer.
US09040958B2
Transistors, and methods of manufacturing the transistors, include graphene and a material converted from graphene. The transistor may include a channel layer including graphene and a gate insulating layer including a material converted from graphene. The material converted from the graphene may be fluorinated graphene. The channel layer may include a patterned graphene region. The patterned graphene region may be defined by a region converted from graphene. A gate of the transistor may include graphene.
US09040957B2
According to example embodiments, a field effect transistor includes a graphene channel layer on a substrate. The graphene channel layer defines a slit. A source electrode and a drain electrode are spaced apart from each other and arranged to apply voltages to the graphene channel layer. A gate insulation layer is between the graphene channel layer and a gate electrode.
US09040955B2
Provided are a semiconductor device and an optical sensor device, each having reduced dark current, and detectivity extended toward longer wavelengths in the near-infrared. Further, a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device 50 includes an absorption layer 3 of a type II (GaAsSb/InGaAs) MQW structure located on an InP substrate 1, and an InP contact layer 5 located on the MQW structure. In the MQW structure, a composition x (%) of GaAsSb is not smaller than 44%, a thickness z (nm) thereof is not smaller than 3 nm, and z≧−0.4x+24.6 is satisfied.
US09040954B2
A semiconductor light emitting device includes a first nitride semiconductor layer, a dopant doped semiconductor layer on the first nitride semiconductor layer, an active layer on the dopant doped semiconductor layer, a delta doped layer on the active layer, a superlattice structure on the delta doped layer, an undoped layer on the superlattice layer, a second nitride semiconductor layer including a first n-type dopant, a third nitride semiconductor layer including a second n-type dopant, and a fourth nitride semiconductor layer including a third n-type dopant.
US09040953B2
According to one embodiment, a storage device includes first electrodes, second electrodes, a resistance change layer provided between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, and ion metal particles that are formed in an island form between the first electrodes and the resistance change layer and that contain a metal movable inside the resistance change layer. The first electrodes and the second electrodes are formed of a material which is more unlikely to be ionized as compared to the metal, and the first electrodes are in contact with the resistance change layer in an area around the ion metal particles.
US09040952B2
A semiconductor device includes a first conductive layer extending in a first direction, a second conductive layer extending in a second direction and disposed over the first conductive layer, the first and second directions being substantially perpendicular to each other, and a variable resistance layer disposed over the first conductive layer, the variable resistance layer extending in the second direction. An upper portion of the variable resistance layer is disposed between lower portions of two neighboring second conductive layers including the second conductive layer.
US09040951B2
A memory structure includes a first dielectric layer, having a first top surface, over a conductive structure. A first opening in the first dielectric layer exposes an area of the conductive structure, and has an interior sidewall. A first electrode structure, having a first portion and a second portion, is over the exposed area of the conductive structure. The second portion extends upwardly along the interior sidewall. A resistance variable layer is disposed over the first electrode. A second electrode structure, having a third portion and a fourth portion, is over the resistance variable layer. The third portion has a second top surface below the first top surface of the first dielectric layer. The fourth portion extends upwardly along the resistance variable layer. A second opening is defined by the second electrode structure. At least a part of a second dielectric layer is disposed in the second opening.
US09040949B2
According to one embodiment, an information recording device includes first and second electrodes, a variable resistance layer between the first and second electrodes, and a control circuit which controls the variable resistance layer to n (n is a natural number except 1) kinds of resistance. The variable resistance layer comprises a material filled between the first and second electrodes, and particles arranged in a first direction from the first electrode to the second electrode in the material, and each of the particles has a resistance lower than that of the material. A resistance of the variable resistance layer is decided by a short between the first electrode and at least one of the particles.
US09040948B2
A nanoscale switching device comprises a first electrode of a nanoscale width; a second electrode of a nanoscale width; an active region disposed between the first and second electrodes, the active region containing a switching material; an area within the active region that constrains current flow between the first electrode and the second electrode to a central portion of the active region; and an interlayer dielectric layer formed of a dielectric material and disposed between the first and second electrodes outside the active region. A nanoscale crossbar array and method of forming the nanoscale switching device are also disclosed.
US09040932B2
A surface contamination monitoring system/method configured to correct the detected the radioactive net count rate (NCR) value of a whole-body surface contamination monitoring device based on monitored subject height and thickness is disclosed. The system includes a height detection means for determining the height of a monitored subject and a thickness detection means for determining the thickness of at least a portion of the monitored subject. The net count rate (NCR) is corrected based on the determined height and thickness of the monitored subject as applied to site calibration factor data and self-shielding factor data to produce a corrected net count rate (CNR). If the corrected net count rate (CNR) registers above a preset alarm threshold, the monitored subject is considered contaminated and an appropriate alarm is registered.
US09040927B2
A radiation detection apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a scintillator including a fluorescent material to convert radiation to visible radiation photon; a photon detection device array having a plurality of cells each of which includes a photon detection device to detect visible radiation photon emitted from a fluorescent material in the scintillator and convert the visible radiation photon to an electric signal; and a plurality of lenses provided on cells respectively in association with the cells to cause the visible radiation photon to be incident on the photon detection device in an associated cell.
US09040926B2
A rugged scintillation crystal assembly includes several scintillator crystals, which are optically coupled to each other by resilient optical-coupling material such as silicone pads and/or grease. The scintillator crystals are configured to collectively emit optical signals. Such a stack may combine the advantages of both a long form-factor for the overall assembly with the ruggedness of the assembly's component short crystals.
US09040923B2
A tracking system for tracking an eye including a light source projecting light toward a display surface in a sequential pattern, one or more reflectors associated with an optical device, where the one or more reflectors reflect the pulses of light from the display source, one or more photo detectors, where the photo detectors detect reflected pulses of light from the light source, and a system that measures pulse timing relative to horizontal and vertical pattern to compute a gaze angle of the eye.
US09040919B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for improving the performance of systems for generating and detecting electromagnetic radiation at terahertz (THz) frequencies. Embodiments of the systems and methods include the fabrication and use of coupling tapers to provide efficient transfer of THz radiation between a photomixer and a waveguide that supports a propagating THz mode. A representative system comprises of a photomixer to convert high-frequency components of an optical pump signal into corresponding electrical THz frequencies, a waveguide that supports a propagating THz mode, and a matching taper that effectively converts the highly localized currents generated by the photomixer to the mode supported by the waveguide.
US09040918B2
The present invention includes a slanted periodically poled device 12 including a light input surface 12a and a light output surface 12b parallel to each other and a terahertz wave input surface 12c orthogonal to the light input surface 12a and the light output surface 12b, a pump beam source 14 which emits pump beam 1 perpendicularly to the light input surface 12a, and a photodetector 16 which detects an up-conversion signal beam A converted from a terahertz wave 3 emitted perpendicularly from the light output surface 12b. The slanted periodically poled device 12 is configured to generate the up-conversion signal beam A in the same direction as and in parallel with the pump beam 1 by quasi phase matching between the terahertz wave 3 perpendicularly incident from the terahertz wave input surface 12c and the pump beam 1.
US09040915B2
The invention relates to an optical module, comprising a semiconductor element having a surface that is sensitive to electromagnetic radiation and an objective for projecting electromagnetic radiation onto the sensitive surface of the semiconductor element (image sensor or camera chip, in particular CCD or CMOS). The objective preferably comprises at least one lens and one lens retainer.In the optical module, an optical element having two sub-areas is arranged either in the space between the objective and the sensitive surface of the semiconductor element or between individual lenses of the objective in the entire cross-section of the beam path. All electromagnetic radiation that reaches the sensitive surface of the semiconductor element passes through the optical element.A first distance range (e.g. near range) is imaged in a first area of the sensitive surface of the semiconductor element in a focused manner by a first sub-area of the optical element, and a second distance range (e.g. far range) is imaged in a second area of the sensitive surface of the semiconductor element by a second sub-area.
US09040893B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a 4T pixel includes a first switch having a control terminal and first and second current carrying terminals and an amplifier having an input terminal and an output terminal. A second switch is coupled between the first switch and the amplifier.
US09040887B2
Provided is an A/D converter including an input terminal, a reference signal line for supplying a reference signal which changes temporally, a comparator, a correction capacitor connected to an inverting input terminal of the comparator; and an output circuit which outputs digital data corresponding to an analog signal input to the input terminal. In a first state in which a total voltage of a first analog signal and an offset voltage of the comparator is held in the correction capacitor, a second analog signal input to the input terminal is supplied to a non-inverting input terminal of the comparator, and the second analog signal or the total voltage is changed using the reference signal, thereby outputting, from the output circuit, digital data.
US09040886B1
A projectile control system includes a plurality of fins, a drive mechanism coupled to each of the plurality of fins to enable the plurality of fins to be independently retracted or deployed, and a control mechanism in communication with the drive mechanisms to independently control the deployment or retraction of the plurality of fins. A projectile having the projectile control system and a method of operating a projectile are also described herein.
US09040883B2
An electromagnetic heater for heating an irregularly shaped object, including: a cavity within which an object is to be placed; at least one feed which feeds UHF or microwave energy into the cavity; and a controller that controls one or more characteristics of the cavity or energy to assure that the UHF or microwave energy is deposited uniformly in the object within ±30% over at least 80% of the volume of the object.
US09040878B2
A control system and method for a thermal circuit that includes a control unit (1) and a valvular device which regulate the passage of a heat transfer fluid (6) through the inside of a thermal circuit, and a thermoelectric element (3) powering the control unit (1) from the heat of the heat transfer fluid (6).The control unit (1) and/or the valvular device are configured to regulate the circulation of the heat transfer fluid (6) through the inside of the thermal circuit, in order to always maintain a sufficient minimum flow to assure, at all times, the electric power supply of the control unit (1).The method includes using a control system to carry out regulation of the circulation of the heat transfer fluid which assures the electric power supply of part or the entire control system.
US09040877B2
The heating apparatus of a surface-heating type, includes a rotary member, an opposing member that forms a nip with respect to the rotary member, and a heating member for heating a portion of a rotary member surface other than the nip, in which temperature used for heating the rotary member by the heating member is controlled, and a heating material inserted in the nip to be nipped and conveyed therein is heated using heat of the rotary member. Accordingly, after insertion of the heating material in the nip starts, control temperature of the heating member is increased before the rotary member rotates by one revolution, thereby preventing an uneven heating phenomenon of the heating material in the first revolution and the second revolution or later, and preventing uneven gloss due to the uneven heating phenomenon in the fixing apparatus.
US09040876B2
A heating and cooling device is disclosed. The device has an outer covering, and a plurality of heating and cooling coils within the covering. A plurality of flexible air flow chambers inside the covering provide air flow over the heating and cooling coils, and a plurality of vents exit the outer covering from the plurality of air conduits.
US09040875B2
A thermal pixel array stimulating device is disclosed providing flexibility between the different pixels of the array to enable wrapping of the device over a curved surface of the human body by connecting the pixel substrates by flexible material or linkages. The distance between the pixels may further optionally be adjustable. A controller may control the temperature pattern generated by the array. The controller may be programmable to provide a temperature pattern. Individual pixels may be provided with sensors to measure stimulus, with the outputs from such sensors being directed to data recordal and display devices. Stimulation modes provided may include at least one of vibratory stimulation, actuation stimulation, thermal stimulation or a combination of two or more of them.
US09040874B2
Welding equipment that includes a tooling cart for transferring interchangeable tooling modules to a welding machine. A latch is mounted to the welding machine for latching the tooling cart to the welding machine, and a latch is provided for latching the tooling modules onto the tooling cart. A two-piece tooling cart includes a removable upper section for securing tooling modules thereto and a reusable lower section for use with other tooling modules. A welding method permits operation of a welding machine using a user interface that permits modular programming of at least one operational sequence of welding machine valves and weld operations for a variety of different tooling modules. An operator inputs a new sequence of operations using the user interface rather than having to rewrite ladder logic just to switch over the welding machine to use with a different tooling module.
US09040868B2
A retaining cap for a plasma torch is provided that includes fast securing threads. The retaining cap includes internal threads that couple to external threads of a torch body of the plasma torch. The internal and external threads may be multiple start threads having a thread angle greater than 60°. Plasma torches and plasma cutting systems are also provided.
US09040858B2
A layout method of a touch panel electrode includes the steps of: providing a substrate; forming a first electro-conductive layer, having pattern blocks disposed adjacently to one another, on one side of the substrate, wherein the first electro-conductive layer is transparent; forming an alignment film on the one side of the substrate; forming an second electro-conductive layer, having wires to be connected to at least one of the pattern blocks, on the one side of the substrate; and forming a protection layer on the second electro-conductive layer to protect the second electro-conductive layer. The present invention can reduce the processes of manufacturing the conventional electrode, especially do not needs to form another electro-conductive layer and another protection layer on the other side of the substrate, and can effectively prevent the electrostatic charge effect and increase the capacitance and sensitivity.
US09040848B2
A bracket and open back junction box assembly allows simplified wiring at a construction site. An open back junction box including a detachable and reattachable rear cover plate is pre-assembled with a plaster ring, electrical device, and leads, at a prefab facility. A Metal Clad (MC) cable may be attached to the open back junction box and wires carried in the MC Cable may be connected to the leads. A mounting bracket is generally sandwiched between the open back junction box and the plaster ring for mounting to framing members at the construction site. Following assembly at the prefab facility, the prefab open back junction box is shipped to the construction site where the bracket and open back junction box assembly is mounted to framing members. Connections to wires carried by MC Cables are then facilitated by removing the rear cover plate to access the open back junction box interior.
US09040843B2
A multilayered printed circuit board including a substrate, a multilayered structure formed on the substrate and including multiple conductor circuits and multiple interlaminar resin insulating layers, and a stack-via structure having multiple via-holes and formed in the multilayered structure such that the via-holes are piled through the interlaminar resin insulating layers in the multilayered structure. The interlaminar resin insulating layers include an outermost interlaminar resin insulating layer forming an outermost layer of the interlaminar resin insulating layers and having a coefficient of linear expansion which is equal to or smaller than coefficients of linear expansion of the interlaminar resin insulating layers other than the outermost interlaminar resin insulating layer.
US09040842B2
In some embodiments, an improved mechanical adhesion of copper metallization to dielectric with partially cured epoxy fillers is presented. In this regard, a substrate build-up film is introduced having epoxy material and a plurality of epoxy microspheres, wherein an interior of the microspheres is not fully cured. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.
