| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US07743159B2 |
Reusable application framework for translating between a client and an external entity
A reusable application framework for translating between a client and an external entity negotiates a first communication protocol with the client, receives an input request from the client, and parses the input request to extract client type and use case identifications. An application object module is configured for transferring the input request. A data mapper module is configured to extract input data from input requests having the client type identification, and maps the input data to an input bean. A use case handler module specific to at least one predefined task associated with the external entity receives the input bean. A broker module is configured to communicate with the external entity using a second communication protocol and inserts the input bean into a data stream of the second communication protocol for transfer to the external entity. |
| US07743157B2 |
System and method for switching between stateful and stateless communication modes
Methods and systems for specifying the state of an application interface during configuration of the business system are provided. A state controller can manage communication between application interfaces and interface proxies. Each interface proxy replicates the services exposed by an application interface associated with backend applications in a business system. The state controller allows each application to operate in a stateful mode, a stateless mode, or a combined mode. The mode for an application can be specified during configuration/installation of the business system, removing the need to specify communication modes for applications during design and development of the applications and business system. The use of an interface proxy allows user interface (frontend) application to be developed and/or configured individually, and without regard to the communication mode used by the backend applications. |
| US07743155B2 |
Active-active operation for a cluster of SSL virtual private network (VPN) devices with load distribution
A method of load distribution for a cluster of two or more nodes. The method comprises receiving an initial request packet on a network device having a virtual IP address; forwarding the request packet from the network device to a cluster of at least two nodes, wherein each of the at least two nodes has an internal dispatcher module and an unique and non-conflicting virtual IP address; establishing one of the at least two nodes as a priority dispatcher or dispatcher endpoint, wherein if any one node fails, the virtual IP address of the one node which is no longer active falls back to another node within the cluster based on cluster priorities; dispatching the request packet to one of the nodes associated with the cluster; and forwarding the request from one of the nodes to a switching device. |
| US07743152B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting the presence of a terminal in a data session
To detect the presence of at least one other terminal in a data session (e.g., an RTP session), terminal a generates a request to solicit a response from each terminal, forms an APP packet in RTCP for the request, encapsulates the APP packet in at least one IP packet, and sends the IP packet(s) to the other terminal(s). Terminal a then monitors for a response from each terminal to which the request is sent. Terminal a declares a terminal to be present in the data session if a response is received from that terminal. Terminal a may send one or more additional requests to each terminal from which a response is not received. Terminal a declares a terminal to be absent from the data session if a predetermined number of (e.g., two) requests have been sent to that terminal and a response is not received from the terminal. |
| US07743143B2 |
Diagnosability enhancements for multi-level secure operating environments
A method and system for capturing and reporting debug information regarding data transport failures in a multi-level secure operating environment. A process available only to a trusted system administrator is activated causing probe activation. The data transport command is repeated. The process probes the locations where the data packets move across environment boundaries of the secure network. When the data stops being transported, the process captures the relevant information on the type of failure, its cause, the address where it occurred and the possible consequence. The captured information can then be displayed to an appropriately credentialed administrator through a password-protected command for debug. The probes are then deactivated. |
| US07743142B2 |
Verifying resource functionality before use by a grid job submitted to a grid environment
A method, system, and program for verifying resource functionality before use by a grid job submitted to a grid environment are provided. When a new resource is allocated to a particular execution environment within a grid environment managed by a grid management system, then a grid verification service automatically selects and runs at least one functionality test on the new resource as controlled by the grid management system. Responsive to a result of the functionality test, the grid verification system verifies whether the result meets an expected result before enabling routing of the grid job to the new resource, such that the functionality of the new resource is automatically verified before access to the new resource is allowed to maintain quality of service in processing grid jobs. |
| US07743141B2 |
Refined quality feedback in streaming services
A method for quality feedback in a streaming service is shown, wherein at least one media stream is streamed to a client for playback, the method comprising determining a quality feedback value according to at least one quality metric from a pre-defined set of quality metrics, wherein the pre-defined set of quality metrics contains a quality metric related to at least one of the playback of the at least one media stream and a corruption of one out of at least two types of frames contained in the at least one media stream, and reporting the quality feedback value to a server. A system, a client, a server, a computer program, a computer program product and a protocol for quality feedback are also shown. |
| US07743139B1 |
Method of provisioning a packet network for handling incoming traffic demands
Systems in the current art provide capacity planning for packet networks. These systems require input data that characterizes traffic demands. The demands may be expressed as matrixes that record the number of bytes and packets exchanged between access routers or service nodes for each type-of-service. This invention defines a system and method to calculate these traffic matrixes. Access routers in a service node export flow records to a Record Collector. The flow records are processed to create ingress and egress records that are stored on the Record Collector. This data is uploaded to a Capacity Planning Server at which the traffic matrixes are generated. The egress access router(s) for a flow are determined by searching for matching ingress and egress records. Matching records have identical source and destination addresses. This algorithm requires no knowledge of the complex topology and routing protocols that are used within packet networks. Sampled or non-sampled flow records may be used. The concepts in this invention may also be used to calculate traffic matrixes for virtual private networks (VPNs). |
| US07743138B2 |
Method and apparatus for external event notification management over in-band and out-of-band networks in storage system controllers
Methods and systems for managing user access to a storage system storage controller are provided. In particular, user login requirements and permissions are administered, and individual user and external user interface pairs are tracked, through a user table and a session table established as part of the storage system controller. The external user interfaces may be interconnected to the storage system controller through different networks and/or protocols. Notification of events to external interfaces is performed as part of a task running on the storage system controller. In particular, an event notification manager determines whether notification of an event should be provided in connection with active sessions, with the result that the storage system controller only sends notification of events that have not previously been reported to a user and external interface pair. |
| US07743136B1 |
Frequency-table-based storage for network performance data
A network services system (100) uses frequency tables (300) to store real-time network performance data such as delay, jitter, loss, loss burstiness, and mean opinion score (MOS) for a real-time communications protocol such as the Real Time Protocol (RTP). |
| US07743134B2 |
Thwarting source address spoofing-based denial of service attacks
A system architecture for thwarting denial of service attacks on a victim data center is described. The system includes a first plurality of monitors that monitor network traffic flow through the network. The first plurality of monitors is disposed at a second plurality of points in the network. The system includes a central controller that receives data from the plurality of monitors, over a hardened, redundant network. The central controller analyzes network traffic statistics to identify malicious network traffic. In some embodiments of the system, a gateway device is disposed to pass network packets between the network and the victim site. The gateway is disposed to protect the victim site, and is coupled to the control center by the redundant hardened network. |
| US07743132B2 |
Secure content delivery system
A secure streaming content delivery system provides a plurality of content servers connected to a network that host customer content that can be cached and/or stored, e.g., images, video, text, and/or software. The content servers respond to requests for customer content from users. The invention load balances user requests for cached customer content to the appropriate content server. A user makes a request to a customer's server/authorization server for delivery of the customer's content. The authorization server checks if the user is authorized to view the requested content. If the user is authorized, then the authorization server generates a hash value using the authorization server's secret key, the current time, a time-to-live value, and any other information that the customer has configured, and embeds it into the URL which is passed to the user. A content server receives a URL request from the user for customer content cached on the content server. The request is verified by the content server creating its own hash value using the customer server's secret key, the current time, a time-to-live value, and any other related information configured for the customer. If the hash value from the URL matches the content server's generated hash value, then the user's request is valid and within the expiration time period and the content server delivers the requested content to the user. |
| US07743130B2 |
Exposing logic flows of web services and permitting logic flow modifications
The invention discloses a method for specifying Web service behavior that includes a step of exposing an internal logic flow of a Web service to clients. The internal logic flow can include at least one activity, which is defined by a set of machine-readable instructions. A special invocation command for the Web service can be received from a client. The special invocation command can specify a modification for the activity. An instance of the Web service can be invoked for the client, where the Web service instance implements the modification instead of the activity. |
| US07743128B2 |
Method and system for visualizing network performance characteristics
Techniques for visualizing and monitoring the quality of service for a computer network. Herein, a method and system monitor network transactions and behaviors for the computing network, which computing network includes one or more client subnets accessing one or more servers, The monitoring may be independent of client site monitors. Statistical data is gathered for relating to at least the network, the server, and the applications for generating a plurality of measurements. The measurements assess at least one quality of service indicator associated with the performance of the computer network. The method and system graphically display the plurality of measurements of the quality of service indicator according to the date and time of gathering the statistical data and further display graphically the degree by which each of the measurements of the quality of service indicator varies from a predetermined threshold quality of service level for the computing network. Also, dynamic quality of service indicators are monitored against average quality of service indicators. |
| US07743124B2 |
System using vital product data and map for selecting a BIOS and an OS for a server prior to an application of power
A method for selecting a basic input output system (BIOS) and an operating system (OS) for a server managed by a controller in communication with a plurality of servers is provided. The server is detected. A map describing a relationship between the server and the plurality of servers is consulted. The map at least partially defines a policy for the server. Vital product data (VPD) of the server is used in conjunction with the map and the policy to select at least one of the BIOS and the OS for the server prior to an application of power to the server. |
| US07743122B1 |
Method of reliably communicating via computer network
A method of reliably communicating via a computer network by identifying hub nodes in the network, identifying leaf nodes in the network, communicating from hub nodes to corresponding leaf nodes, reporting from leaf nodes to corresponding hub nodes, communicating between hub nodes, re-designating a leaf node as a hub node if the leaf node identifies a region of the network not known by a hub node, re-designating a hub node as a leaf node if the hub node becomes redundant, re-designating a leaf node as a hub node if the leaf node loses connectivity to its hub node, and returning to the third step for additional processing. |
| US07743121B2 |
Method and apparatus for setting up and managing operational environment in P2P wireless networks
In a cognitive radio, a method of establishing an operational policy for use in a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) group, wherein the policy can be described by layers of policy parameters with progressively higher layers having a progressively increasing number of parameters, involves determining that a policy change is to be made from a current policy; requesting policy information from at least one P2P group member; receiving a policy description from the at least one P2P group member; and implementing a change in the lowest layer policy parameter to establish a new operational policy. |
| US07743115B2 |
Software content downloading methods in radio communication networks
Radio communication network software downloading methods wherein terminal unique information pertaining to the downloading transaction is communicated on corresponding dedicated communication channels, for example, download initiation (300), capability exchange (320), digital signature (332) and activation and billing (360) communications, among others. Software content, or data, is transmitted (334) from the network to the plurality of terminals on a shared communication channel. In some applications, the software content includes multiple files multiplexed on the shared communication channel, wherein the content may be adjusted dynamically to optimize spectral efficiency. |
| US07743107B2 |
System and method for using remote module on VIOS to manage backups to remote backup servers
A system, method, and program product is provided that receives a backup request at a virtual input/output server (VIOS) from a client of the VIOS. The backup request corresponds to a virtual nonvolatile storage that is used by the client. The VIOS retrieves data from the nonvolatile storage device where the virtual nonvolatile storage is stored. The VIOS transmits the retrieved data to a backup server via a computer network, such as the Internet. In one embodiment, a backup software application runs on the VIOS client and a backup proxy software application runs on the VIOS. |
| US07743104B2 |
Message delivery to multiple forests with no unified directory
The present invention provides for a messaging system that automatically identifies a forest that corresponds to a particular recipient of a message, without using a common or unified directory that maps forests with recipients. In a network with multiple forests, each forest having multiple recipients, when a message is received at a message server with a destination address that does not uniquely identify a particular forest, the present invention provides for using a standard messaging protocol for querying each forest. The forests respond with status codes that indicate whether or not a recipient associated with the destination address corresponds to the forest being queried. If a status code indicates that the recipient corresponds to the particular forest, information may be stored and used to quarry that particular forest first, before querying other forests within the network. |
| US07743103B2 |
System for handling electronic mail in a multiple user environment
The invention concerns an electronic mail management (EMM) system for handling electronic mail in a multiple user environment, in which the user's incoming electronic mail is sent and received, said system includes a mail distribution network including a server through which. electronic mail items of the users are exchanged, said system comprising: detecting means for monitoring the flow of in- and outbound electronic mails for a specified set of users, and intercepting the in- and outbound emails; journalizing means for creating a notification record of a set of e-mail information data (metadata) for each intercepted electronic mail; an e-mail manager database (EMM DB) for storing at least said notification record and each electronic mail; and means for establishing a journal of e-mails by defining a search request query and submitting said search request to a search engine for selecting a userdefined series of information data from the notification records in the EMM database. |
| US07743099B2 |
Associating multiple visibility profiles with a user of real-time communication system
Visibility profiles associated with a substantially real time messaging environment are disclosed. Additionally, techniques for managing visibility profiles are disclosed, which include automatically associating a first profile with a first situation, automatically associating a second profile with a second situation, and where the first and second profiles are associated with visibility. Visibility profiles may be used to manage the appearance of a user to other users/friends for communication using applications such as instant messaging, electronic mail, web-based mail programs, or other types of data communication exchange applications. |
| US07743098B2 |
Meeting invitation processing in a calendaring system
Illustrative embodiments provide a computer implemented method, an apparatus and a computer program product for meeting invitation processing in a calendaring system. In one embodiment, the computer implemented method comprises receiving a meeting invitation request from a user, wherein the meeting invitation includes a set of attributes and analyzing the set of attributes of the meeting invitation request. The computer implemented method further comprises selecting a process from a set of predefined processes comprising a pending meeting indicator process, a multiple meeting display process, an availability probability process, and a prioritized list process to create a selected process, and selectively modifying the selected process to create a modified process. The computer implemented method then invoking the modified process to process the meeting invitation request, and notifying the user. |
| US07743091B2 |
Context management system for a network including a heterogenous set of terminals
A context management system offering a user (160) the most appropriate context for processing information comprises a heterogeneous set (120) of terminals interconnected by a local information transmission network (110) and including a master terminal (108), a server computer (102) comprising processing means (130) for determining the most appropriate context for information processing by said heterogeneous set (120) of terminals, and an external information transmission network (104) connecting the server (102) at least to the master terminal (108). The server (102) further comprises a converter module (140) for sending the master terminal (108) an application (142) enabling the user (160) to download said most appropriate context to the master terminal (108). |
| US07743088B2 |
Synchronization identifier generating method and apparatus for synchronizing digital contents
Provided are a synchronization identifier generating method for synchronizing digital contents and an apparatus for the same. The synchronization identifier generating method includes setting a sampling level that indicates a frequency of sampling digital contents; sampling the digital contents on the basis of the set sampling level; generating a first message digest on the basis of data sampled during the sampling the digital contents; and generating a synchronization identifier including the set sampling level and the first message digest. |
| US07743082B2 |
Web server document library
Document libraries that facilitate content contribution to and management of a website. In general, a document library comprises a database, a special “document library” file system folder and the documents in that folder (or within subfolders of that folder). The database maintains properties of documents in the document library file system folder, and is used to dynamically update views of the document library file system folder and views of properties of the documents. Each document folder is a folder in which content of a specified type may be read and saved. |
| US07743079B1 |
Managing data across a semantic data view and a presentation data view
Managing data across a semantic data view and a presentation data view may be provided. A semantic model may be represented in a semantic data view and a presentation model may be represented in a presentation data view. The presentation model may correspond to a graphical representation of the semantic model. In addition, a command may be received directed toward the semantic data view or the presentation data view. The semantic model and the presentation model may be operated upon according to the received command. Furthermore, the semantic model represented in the semantic data view and the presentation model represented in the presentation data view may be updated in response to operating on the semantic model and the presentation model according to the received command. The semantic model and the presentation model may be simultaneously maintained in a volatile memory in a computer. |
| US07743077B2 |
Method and system for generating database records
A method and system for generating database records is provided. A user interface element is generated for a dynamic key, the user interface element having a name field and a value input field. A generic data object is provided, the generic data object having an attribute pair and the attribute pair having a dynamic name attribute and a dynamic value attribute. The name field is bound to the dynamic name attribute and the value input field is bound to the dynamic value attribute. An instance of the attribute pair for the dynamic key is generated. A first entry from the name field is passed to the dynamic name attribute and a second entry from the value input field is passed to the dynamic value attribute. The instance of the attribute pair is saved as a record. |
| US07743071B2 |
Efficient data handling representations
Embodiments are provided to use metadata to provide readable and/or writeable regions of a multi-dimensional space. In an embodiment, metadata can be used to define readable and/or writeable regions of a multi-dimensional data store. The various embodiments also use relational and/or multi-dimensional representations to resolve and validate readable and/or writeable regions of a multi-dimensional space. Metadata can also be used to designate a number of writeable and/or readable regions of a relational and/or multi-dimensional representation. |
| US07743069B2 |
Database system providing SQL extensions for automated encryption and decryption of column data
A database system providing SQL extensions for automated encryption and decryption of column data is described. In one embodiment, for example, in a database system, a method is described for providing automated encryption support for column data, the method comprises steps of: defining Structured Query Language (SQL) extensions for creating and managing column encryption keys, and for creating and managing database tables with encrypted column data; receiving an SQL statement specifying creation of a particular column encryption key; receiving an SQL statement specifying creation of a database table having particular column data encrypted with the particular column encryption key; and in response to a subsequent database operation that requires the particular column data that has been encrypted, automatically decrypting the particular column data for use by the database operation. |
| US07743068B2 |
Computerized method, system and program product for generating a data mining model
A computerized method, system and program product for generating a data mining model. A user can provide objectives for the model and sample data to train, validate, and test the model. A rules system can automatically select a set of algorithms based on the objectives and/or sample data. A plurality of datasets can also be created from the sample data. Using the datasets, the set of algorithms can be optimized for the particular data on which it is intended to be used. The data mining model can then be generated from the optimized set of algorithms. |
| US07743061B2 |
Document search method with interactively employed distance graphics display
Method for carrying out the text content search of a document database utilizing multi-node nets. The nodes of these nets are associated with interactions and are loaded with initially selected criteria, whereupon a potential or distance function calculation is carried out with respect to each document of the database and those criteria containing nodes. The created nets are displayed with document symbols geometrically located with respect to the nodes and interaction lines in correspondence with the computed potentials to provide for an interactive visual evaluation of the search by the user. Such evaluations then may be employed to refine node contained criteria toward useful rule-based nodes. |
| US07743060B2 |
Architecture for an indexer
Disclosed is a technique for indexing data. For each token in a set of documents, a sort key is generated that includes a document identifier that indicates whether a section of a document associated with the sort key is an anchor text section or a context section, wherein the anchor text section and the context text section have a same document identifier; it is determined whether a data field associated with the token is a fixed width; when the data field is a fixed width, the token is designated as one for which fixed width sort is to be performed; and, when the data field is a variable length, the token is designated as one for which a variable width sort is to be performed. The fixed width sort and the variable width sort are performed. For each document, the sort keys are used to bring together the anchor text section and the context section of that document. |
| US07743056B2 |
Identifying a result responsive to a current location of a client device
A method for identifying a result responsive to a current location of a client device includes receiving, form a client device and at a host, a search query that includes a point of interest and a current location of the client device. The method also includes automatically updating the search query as the current location of the client device changes and instructing the host to identify a potential location associated with the point of interest and located within a user-defined proximity from the current location of the client device. |
| US07743053B2 |
Hybrid database query caching
In one embodiment, a computer system comprises one or more processors, and a memory module communicatively connected to the one or more processors. The memory module comprises logic instructions stored on a computer readable medium which, when executed on the one or more processors configure the one or more processors to receive, in a hybrid caching module, database query, determine whether at least a portion of an existing execution plan stored in a memory module coupled to the hybrid caching module can be reused to implement the database query, reuse at least a portion of an existing execution plan stored in the memory module coupled to the hybrid caching module when possible, and generate a new execution plan when the memory module lacks an existing execution plan adaptable for use with the database query. |
| US07743052B2 |
Method and apparatus for projecting the effect of maintaining an auxiliary database structure for use in executing database queries
A database management system maintains a record of queries which can be executed against the database. For a given auxiliary database structure, an advisory function automatically reviews the query record and identifies those queries which might execute with greater efficiency using the auxiliary database structure, presenting analytical information to the user. Preferably, the auxiliary database structure is an index, and the information is used for determining whether to include the index in the database definition. Preferably, a query optimizer records potentially useful indexes when considering multiple alternative database optimizations, and this information is later retrieved to identify queries which would benefit from an index. |
| US07743049B2 |
Content data retrieval apparatus
The present invention provides a content data retrieval apparatus capable of appropriately narrowing down the range of search targets even in the case where a distribution of attribute values of a group of contents regarded as search targets is uneven.The content data retrieval apparatus of the present invention includes: an impression value database which stores attribute values; a conversion table in which an impression value is associated with a search word range that is a range of the attribute values associated with a search word; a range modification unit which modifies a relative relationship between a distribution range of attribute values and a search word range by modifying the search word range read out from the conversion table; a receiving unit which receives an input of a search word; and a retrieval unit which retrieves content data corresponding to the search word received by the receiving unit, by searching the attribute values included in the search word range associated with the search word. |
| US07743047B2 |
Accounting for behavioral variability in web search
The concept of variability pertains to whether users exhibit consistent search interaction patterns, for example, in terms of interaction flow or information targeted. Methods are provided for analyzing variability, and then adapting search-related functionality (e.g., processes and/or interfaces) to account for variability characteristics, for example, to account for predictable search interaction behavior. |
| US07743046B2 |
Cybernetic search with knowledge maps
A precision information collating device is disclosed. The device comprises means for inputting keywords and key phrases and defining level of traverse for establishing interlinks and interdependencies between keywords and key phrases entered and using previously stored interlinks and interdependencies to form a map. The device facilitates searching for keywords and key phrases and filtering out unwanted results, indexing, rating and posting of the result obtained and means for browsing the result. |
| US07743043B2 |
Address matching system and method
An address matching system that maintains a central database of valid addresses has been designed. According to the invention, address matching requests are received by the system from a plurality of remote users located at respective machines (“clients”). Those requests are processed at the central system, and the results are returned to the client that made the request. In addition, novel techniques are implemented for improving the likelihood of obtaining one or more matches from a request. |
| US07743041B2 |
Data oriented navigation within software applications
Various embodiments as described and illustrated herein provide data oriented navigation within software applications. Some such embodiments include navigations within objects that make the navigations available to other objects. Objects in such embodiments include a representation of a software application data model to determine an object that is responsible for maintaining data. Thus, when an object receives a navigation request based on an item of data, the object receiving the request determines which object is responsible for maintaining the item of data and routes the navigation request to the appropriate object. That object then provides a list of available navigations that are displayed for selection within a user interface. |
| US07743039B2 |
File operations with multiple level file locking techniques
File systems which provide several different and improved locking capabilities. An application on a client workstation communicates through a client driver to a server which interfaces with a metadata database, which contains locking information about the files. Applications perform as normal. The client driver provides lock and unlock requests to the server when a write lock or a read with intent to write lock is required. If only a read lock is considered appropriate, the client driver does not provide a lock request. The server transparently performs read operations and read locking using the metadata database without specific requests from the client driver. When a read with intent to write or write lock is required, the lock ownership is placed with a given expiration time. When the time expires the lock is not automatically released but remains with the particular requesting client driver until another client driver requests it. |
| US07743029B2 |
Log configuration and online deployment services
Methods and apparatuses for configuring logging of a deployment of an enterprise component are described herein. In one embodiment, in response to a request for deploying an enterprise component, a logging configuration process extracts logging configuration information from a logging configuration file associated with the enterprise component and configures the logging for the respective enterprise component being deployed. The logging configuration file is designed exclusively for configuring logging of the enterprise component. Thereafter, the deployment information of the enterprise component is logged based on the extracted logging configuration information when the enterprise component is deployed. Other methods and apparatuses are also described. |
| US07743027B2 |
Interaction information processing apparatus and interaction information processing method
To provide an interaction information processing apparatus capable of easily performing addition and deletion of a scenario, and of suitably executing processing contents, even when a plurality of events are simultaneously input. The interaction information processing apparatus includes: a net status table 10 which stores a net status of each net; a processing item table 12 which stores groups of {a processing item, an input net of the processing item, and an output net of the processing item}; processing item execution modules 4-i each of which is provided in correspondence with each processing item, executes processing contents of the processing item, and updates a net status of the output net according to the execution result; selection execution means 13 which successively selects all the processing items in the processing item table 12, and executes the processing item execution module 4-i corresponding to the selected processing item; and status change determination means 14 which, when one of the net statuses in the net status table 12 is changed, makes the selection execution means 13 execute the each processing item execution module 4-i. |
| US07743025B2 |
Network-extensible reconfigurable media appliance
Extensible reconfigurable media appliance for security and entertainment captures images digitally for storage. Digital effects and filters are applied to incoming video stream on-the-fly or to video data stored in memory. Digital effects and filters are dynamically stored, modified, updated or deleted, providing extensible reconfigurable effects studio. Digital media appliance communicates wirelessly with other media appliances, computers, security systems, video storage, email, chat, cellular services or PDAs to provide seamless integration of captured video stream. |
| US07743022B2 |
Method and system for synchronizing data shared among peer computing devices
Disclosed is a data synchronization service for use in a peer-to-peer computing environment. Selected data objects are copied onto selected computing devices. A service running on each device monitors data objects for changes. When a change is detected, the service sends a change notification to the other devices so that they can update their copies of the data object. A user can access a data object from any device, knowing that he will retrieve the latest version of the data object. Instead of incurring the costs of storing a large file on every device, a user “ghosts” the file on some devices. A ghosting device stores only metadata about the file rather than the entire file. The user accesses the file through the ghost: access requests are sent to a device that holds the actual contents, and those contents are presented to the user as if they were stored locally. |
| US07743017B2 |
Sales management system and method thereof
An SFA server stores a customer database. The customer database stores: a customer name and/or staff name of corresponding customer; a business transaction of the customer; detail information representing business activities for achieving the business transaction, a completion scheduled date, and an actual completion date; information for determining whether each maturity stage has been attained; a check flag representing whether a maturity item has been attained, and a strategic scenario showing some plans for the business transaction toward the customer. Each of sales-staff terminal inputs the above data, stores the input data, and displays the detail information of the business activities in chronological order of the scheduled dates in the form of a list. The displayed data can be viewed from a manager terminal as well. An SCM server estimates the demand for products, based on the check flag stored in the customer database. |
| US07743016B2 |
Method and apparatus for data processing and encoding and decoding method, and apparatus therefor
An apparatus for processing a signal and method thereof are disclosed. Data coding and entropy coding are performed with interconnection, and grouping is used to enhance coding efficiency. The present invention includes the steps of obtaining index information and entropy-decoding the index information and identifying a content corresponding to the entropy-decoded index information and selecting entropy table. |
| US07743014B1 |
Forming a compilation
One of several methods comprises selecting one or more parameters based, at least in part, on a ranking of a relative desirability of said one or more specified parameters and selecting a subset of a set of electronic content for use in at least a portion of an electroniccompilation, wherein said subset may be selected based, at least in part, on said one or more parameters. |
| US07743013B2 |
Data partitioning via bucketing bloom filters
Multiple Bloom filters are generated to partition data between first and second disjoint data sets of elements. Each element in the first data set is assigned to a bucket of a first set of buckets, and each element in the second data set is assigned to a bucket of a second set of buckets. A Bloom filter is generated for each bucket of the first set of buckets. The Bloom filter generated for a bucket indicates that each element assigned to that bucket is part of the first data set, and that each element assigned to a corresponding bucket of the second set of buckets is not part of the first data set. Additionally, a Bloom filter corresponding to a subsequently received element can be determined and used to identify whether that subsequently received element is part of the first data set or the second data set. |
| US07743010B2 |
Method and device for encoding a score of semantic and spatial similarity between concepts of an ontology stored in hierarchically numbered trellis form
A method of calculating and encoding a score of semantic and spatial similarity between concepts of an ontology stored in hierarchically numbered trellis form, in which the score (NSSij) is calculated and encoded (1) for each concept (Ci) with respect to a central concept (Cj), taken two-by-two, by convergence relative to their common semantic characteristics respectively by separation according to their distance. The method is applicable to the consultation of ontologies representative of knowledge in the technical or non-technical domain. |
| US07743005B2 |
Diagnosis of abnormal operation modes of a machine utilizing self organizing map
A method and apparatus that detects a multiplicity of normal data sets, each of which includes values of n parameters, for each of the operation modes of an object having a plurality of operation modes. Self-organizing maps are provided for each operation mode using the normal data sets. Abnormal data sets representing virtual abnormal states are created by modifying the values of the n parameters of each of the multiple normal data sets so that as many abnormal data sets as the number of deviation vectors are created for each of the multiple normal data sets. Abnormal operation mode proportion vectors are then created by selecting a self-organizing map from the above noted self-organizing maps which has the highest similarity degree to each of the abnormal data sets. |
| US07743004B2 |
Pulse signal circuit, parallel processing circuit, and pattern recognition system
A pulse signal processing circuit, a parallel processing circuit, and a pattern recognition system including a plurality of arithmetic elements for outputting pulse signals and at least one modulation circuit, synaptic connection element(s), or synaptic connection means for modulating the pulse signals, the modulated pulse signals then being separately or exclusively output to corresponding signal lines. |
| US07743001B1 |
Method and system for dynamic pricing of web services utilization
A method and system for dynamic pricing of web services utilization. According to one embodiment, a method may include dynamically predicting utilization of a web services computing resource that is expected to occur during a given interval of time, and dependent upon the dynamically predicted utilization, setting a price associated with utilization of the web services computing resource occurring during the given interval of time. The method may further include providing the price to a customer. |
| US07743000B2 |
Printer
A printer which provides detailed information on usage of consumables such as paper, ink, toner, etc., aiding in planning print tasks and ordering supplies. The printer also provides information on printer setting usage and print costs. |
| US07742999B2 |
Help center and print center applications
Various disclosed help center features provide help to a user without a staffed help center, provide help to a user before the user recognizes the need, or create targeted commerce opportunities for a provider of goods or services. One help center feature provides a user with help that is specifically related to a component in the user's computer system and that is supplied to the help center feature by the component manufacturer. Another help center feature detects a condition that degrades performance, and hence user satisfaction, and alerts the user. Another help center feature detects an attempt by a computer system to inform the user of degraded performance and offers the user a solution. Another help center feature provides a user with a commerce opportunity specifically related to a component in the user's computer system and/or to the user's geographic location. |
| US07742996B1 |
Computer program, system and method for on-line issuing and verifying a representation of economic value interchangeable for money having identification data and password protection over a computer network
An electronic economic value representation distribution system. The potential user may specify the economic value representation. A password is required to lock in the representation and is stored in the issuer server. Information identifying the representation is linked to the password stored in the database. User can create the said representation by downloading from the issuer computer that may be printed on the user's printer connected to his personal computer. On presentation of the said economic value representation at verifier's terminal connected to issuer server, identifying data is transmitted to issuer server for verification. Upon successfully verifying said identifying information, user is requested to present the password locking the representation. Upon successful authentication of presented and successful reconciling with originating account, verifier is to provide user with services or amount valued by the economic representation. |
| US07742994B1 |
Providing payments automatically in accordance with predefined instructions
Techniques are described for facilitating interactions between computing systems, such as by using an authorization system to automatically authorize financial payments between parties in accordance with previously specified private authorization instructions of at least one of the parties. In some situations, some or all of the payments are associated with commerce-related or other transactions, such as transactions initiated by a consumer via the Web to acquire items from a retailer. The authorization instructions may include predefined instruction sets that regulate conditions under which a potential payment can be authorized, with the instruction sets each associated in some situations with a reference. After one or more parties each supply one or more such references or otherwise indicate one or more such instruction sets for use with a potential payment, the authorization system can determine whether to authorize the payment based on whether the instruction sets are compatible or otherwise satisfied. |
| US07742993B2 |
SCART-card (secure consumer advantaged retail trading)
The present invention is an apparatus for the money transactions required in the selling of merchandise or media content on the Internet and uses at least one in-person contact with the buyer. A predefined transaction originating at a real place of business authorizes access to web content or merchandise from a place off the web. Purchasers (end-users) must physically go to a retail location to choose the Internet media or merchandise shopping cart they wish to acquire where age can be verified if necessary and payment can be made with or without a credit card. Content security using a non-audible or invisible code signal sequence(s) can provide traceability as well as absolute anonymity for the purchaser. This apparatus can be used to conduct transactions off the web so that business can be done on the web. |
| US07742991B2 |
Method & system for managing and preparing documentation for real estate transactions
A method and system for preparing and managing real estate transfers and financing, including a system for preparation, production and storage of relevant documentation and the data contained therein; a system for coordinating, reconciling and transferring funds; and a system of analyzing and tracking the progress of numerous real estate transactions. The invention uses a database to minimize the redundancy involved in the preparation of all documentation needed for real estate closings. Information input into the database is used to generate the documentation necessary to complete real estate transfers, including all forms required by relevant financial institutions and government agencies. Such documentation includes handwritten signatures, which are digitally scanned and incorporated into the documents. Also, ancillary documentation can be scanned into the system and combined with other customer data and documentation. Thus a “closing package” can be compiled which contains electronic versions of virtually any document needed for closing a real estate transaction. Further included are scheduling features for coordinating one or many real estate transactions and management reporting for keeping track of a plurality of real estate transaction. |
| US07742988B2 |
Computerized method and system for adjusting liability estimation factors in an accident liability assessment program
Methods and systems are provided for determining inconsistencies between two or more sets of characteristics relating to an accident. In an embodiment, sets of characteristics relating to an accident may be used to determine liability in the accident. The at least one of the sets of characteristics may be determined from witness statements. The at least one set of characteristics determined from witness statements may be compare to other sets of characteristics determined from witness statements or to other sets of characteristics determined in other ways. The comparison may determine if there are inconsistencies in the sets of characteristics. |
| US07742987B2 |
Using currency to purchase from sellers that do not recognize the currency
Processing transactions involving participants that do not support the same currency generally involves incrementing and decrementing currencies associated with the participants. This allows the participants to participate in transactions where they would not ordinarily be able to do so. A request is received from a first participant to process a transaction using a first currency that is not recognized by a second participant in the transaction. In response to receiving the request from the first participant, an amount of the first currency associated with the first participant is decremented. Also in response to receiving the request from the first participant, an amount of second currency associated with the first participant is incremented. The second participant recognizes the second currency. The transaction is processed using the amount of second currency associated with the first participant. |
| US07742983B2 |
Account settlement method in online shopping
An agent device is connected to a user device for browsing a merchant site, for selling products online and being served up on the Internet, the merchant site, and a server device of a credit-card company. In the case where an instruction of purchasing a product browsed by the user device is output, the instruction is sent to the agent device. The agent device extracts a credit card number of a credit card held by a user having purchased the product, and inquires of the server device of the credit card company whether the product is to be purchased with the credit card. As an inquiry result, in the case where the product can be purchased online with the credit card, the agent device sends an instruction that the user purchases the product online with the credit card. |
| US07742979B2 |
System and method for automated commodities transactions including an automatic hedging function
An integrated virtual market is provided that facilitates communication between the producers of a given commodity and the parties wishing to purchase such commodities. This system provides real-time updated information about local pricing being offered by those purchasers. In addition, those producers can post offers that can automatically be accepted by purchasers and have contracts automatically generated. An important consideration from a purchaser's prospective is minimizing the risk associated with making such transactions. Due to this, futures contracts are often obtained. The virtual market system of the present inventions automatically requests and obtains futures contracts to hedge the contracts being generated. |
| US07742978B2 |
Multi-transaction system and method
A multi-transaction system comprises a transaction module configured to access a set of transaction systems to obtain transaction information to enable procurement of an item. The set of transaction systems includes an automated trading system configured to enable a user to receive the item in a trade for at least one other item associated with the user, and further includes at least one of an auction system configured to enable the user to electronically bid on the item and an online sales system configured to enable the user to purchase the item. A method is provided for performing corresponding functions. |
| US07742974B2 |
Flexible system and method for electronic trading
System, method, and program products offer flexibility to the rather rigid way of trading in an electronic trading system. Orders for a tradeable object may typically get matched according to set terms and/or conditions at an electronic exchange. A trader may log onto the electronic exchange to trade the tradeable object, and may choose to display and trade the tradeable object according to a different set of terms and/or conditions. As such, the market data sent to the trader from the exchange is converted to a format according to the trader's selection, so that it may be presented to the trader in this format. Transaction messages sent to the exchange from the trader are converted to the format readable by the matching process, so that it can process the messages. Other features and advantages are described herein. |
| US07742972B2 |
Enhanced parimutuel wagering
Methods and systems for engaging in enhanced parimutuel wagering and gaming. In one embodiment, different types of bets can be offered and processed in the same betting pool on an underlying event, such as a horse or dog race, a sporting event or a lottery, and the premiums and payouts of these different types of bets can be determined in the same betting pool, by configuring an equivalent combination of fundamental bets for each type of bet, and performing a demand-based valuation of each of the fundamental bets in the equivalent combination. In another embodiment, bettors can place bets in the betting pool with limit odds on the selected outcome of the underlying event. The bets with limit odds are not filled in whole or in part, unless the final odds on the selected outcome of the underlying event are equal to or greater than the limit odds. |
| US07742970B2 |
Restricted party screening
Regulating trade activities comprises receiving information identifying a potential trading party, normalizing at least a portion of the received identifying information to generate a normalized identifier for the potential trading party, comparing the normalized identifier with one or more other normalized identifiers corresponding to parties with whom trade should be restricted, and selectively restricting trading with the potential trading party. |
| US07742968B2 |
Automated decision support system for designing auctions
A computer-implemented automated decision support system for designing an auction for a given item includes a structure extractor that estimates unknown elements of market structure of the auction based on auction characteristics data extracted from historical auctions for similar items and a bidding model matching the extracted auction characteristics data. The decision support system also includes a bidding behavior predictor that predicts bidding behaviors of bidders in the auction based on the estimated unknown elements of market structure and characteristics of the auction. In addition, the system includes an optimizer that employs an evaluation criterion to generate an evaluation of the auction based on (1) the estimated unknown elements of market structure and (2) the predicted bidding behavior of bidders. A method of providing an automated auction analysis is also described. |
| US07742964B2 |
Methods and systems for issuing a convertible financial instrument
A convertible financial instrument for raising capital by an issuing business in compliance with Sharia principles includes a sukuk portion and a conversion portion. The sukuk portion represents a non equity ownership interest in the business. The sukuk portion includes a coupon return paid from at least one of profits and capital gains of the business. The sukuk portion is redeemable at a maturity date at a face value of the sukuk portion. The conversion portion is exercisable upon reaching a conversion date. The conversion portion is exercisable to convert the sukuk portion based on a predetermined formula into a converted financial instrument representing an equity ownership interest in the business. The predetermined formula does not include a conventional premium formula that is based on a time value of money and an interest rate since such a conventional premium formula does not comply with Sharia principles. |
| US07742962B1 |
System and method for coalescing market data at a client device
A client device coalesces data received from an exchange, and provides a client application such as a graphical user interface with the opportunity to process fewer, but up-to-date, data updates from an exchange when a large volume of prices becomes available. Accordingly, the trader can be assured of receiving updated information that are fed to the client applications at a rate that is cohesive with that client device's processing speed. |
| US07742959B2 |
Filtering of high frequency time series data
The present invention is a method and apparatus for filtering high frequency time series data using a variety of techniques implemented on a computer. The techniques are directed to detecting and eliminating data errors such as the decimal error, monotonic series of quotes, long series of repeated quotes, scaling changes, and domain errors. Further, by means of comparison with nearby quotes in the time series, the techniques are also able to evaluate the credibility of the quotes. |
| US07742958B1 |
System and method for preparing a tax return using electronically distributed tax return data
The present invention is a system and method for preparing a tax return using electronically distributed tax return data. Electronically distributed tax return data (such as W-2 data or 1099 data) that is stored at a third party's computer system for a taxpayer is accessed to prepare the tax return. The location of the electronically distributed tax return data is provided to a tax preparer that accesses the electronic data and prepares the tax return. The taxpayer provides authorization for the tax preparer to access the electronically distributed tax return data stored at the third party system. After the current tax year, the tax preparer checks the availability of the electronically distributed tax return data. When the electronically distributed tax return data is determined to be available, the tax preparer accesses it and prepares the tax return. |
| US07742954B1 |
Method and system for an enhanced portal for services suppliers
A system and method for providing an enhanced, automated qualifying process that can do an automated or partially automated evaluation of new supplier and provide different levels of certification as a result. In another embodiment, the system and method can supply a collaboration toolkit for the supplier to interact in an automated way with the service supplier and its customers. Furthermore, in another embodiment, the support functions in the portal may be used to simplify or automate interactions, in particular with small, independent contractors that do not have a large in-house Information Technology department. |
| US07742951B2 |
Method of demonstrating a household appliance
A method of enabling adaptable demonstrations of a household appliance comprising providing consumer-specific updates to a demonstration software at a location remote from an appliance and downloading the consumer-specific updates to the appliance over an information network in response to a determined characteristic of the consumer or enabling a video conference over multimedia interface during the demonstration. |
| US07742950B2 |
System and method for providing for out-of-home advertising utilizing a satellite network
A system and method for distributing content for a broadcaster on a communications network. The system may include a database operable to maintain the content for the broadcaster, the broadcaster being a subscriber for use of at least one visual appliance. A user interface may be in communication with the database and be operable (i) to provide a self-servicing scheduler for the broadcaster to form a playlist of the content and (ii) to distribute the playlist and associated scheduled content across the communications network. A server may be operable to receive the playlist and scheduled content associated therewith via the communications network. A visual appliance may be in communication with the server and be operable to receive and display the scheduled content. |
| US07742944B2 |
Method for selecting relevant campaign messages for transmission to recipients
The present invention is directed to automating the sending of campaign messages in computing environments. Campaign scores are determined for messaging campaigns and eligible recipients are assigned to campaigns with a higher score. More specifically, eligible recipients are assigned to a particular messaging campaign if the campaign is the “best” campaign for each eligible recipient based on the campaign score. Additionally, a portion of the eligible recipients are reserved as a control group for each campaign. After campaign messages have been sent out to assigned recipients, the behavior of the recipients who received campaign messages and the behavior of the control group members are differentiated to update the campaign's score. Continually updating campaign scores makes it possible to continually update which campaign is best for a particular recipient. |
| US07742943B2 |
Method and system for issuing, aggregating and redeeming merchant loyalty points with an acquiring bank
A loyalty reward point system that utilizes the pre-existing infrastructure of network such as a credit card network. A user makes a purchase at a merchant using a token such as a credit card. As part of the purchase transaction, the user is awarded reward points from the merchant based on the purchase, which are stored in an account associated with the merchant and the user by the acquiring bank. The reward account is maintained on the acquiring bank server on behalf of the merchant and the user, and the number of reward points in the user's account for that merchant is increased accordingly. The user may redeem the reward points earned from the transaction with the merchant at a later time, or may redeem the points with another merchant in the same marketing cluster, or may aggregate those reward points with those of other merchants into a reward point exchange account, and then redeem the aggregated reward points for goods or services from any approved merchant on the network, depending on the configuration of the system. |
| US07742941B2 |
Toll road toll paying method and apparatus using a portable terminal, and a storage medium thereof
A particular application is invoked in a cellular phone (an arbitrary one of a plurality of cellular phones if they exist) of a person who is riding in an automobile prior to the passage of a gate at an entry/exit of a toll road. The cellular phone in which the application is invoked transmits a particular signal (a signal including the information expressing the intention to use the turnpike) different from a normal cellular phone signal when passing through a gate. Data of the particular signal is transferred to a server via the gate. Information about the user, information about the gate at the entry/exit, etc. are recorded, and a turnpike (toll road) toll is charged based on these information. The turnpike toll can be split and paid by a plurality of persons. A user and a split toll payer must be persons who are pre-registered to the server. |
| US07742940B1 |
Method and system for predicting revenue based on historical pattern indentification and modeling
A method and system is used to predict a behavioral value for a forecast period based on historical pattern identification and modeling. A set of training periods is compiled, and for each of the training periods, a generalized percentage function of the behavioral values is defined and computed. The training periods and their corresponding generalized percentage functions are further normalized and generalized, respectively, so that all training periods have the same length as the forecast period. A prediction time series is computed from the generalized percentage functions. The prediction time series is used to forecast a set of values in the forecast period based on a current behavior value. In one example, the behavior values are revenue and calculated over monthly training and forecast periods. |
| US07742936B2 |
Computerized method and system of assessing liability for an accident using impact groups
Methods and systems are provided for estimating liability in an accident. In one embodiment, liability estimation in a vehicle accident may be based on a plurality of characteristics that describe the accident. These characteristics may include: the configuration of the roadway, the type of accident, right of way, and impact points of each vehicle. In an embodiment, impact points may be grouped into impact groups. A base liability may be assigned to each impact group. The characteristics from an actual accident may be compared to those in a past or theoretical accident. Liability may be estimated from a preassigned liability associated with a nearest matching past or theoretical accident. The liability estimate may include a base liability and one or more adjustments due to various factors. |
| US07742933B1 |
Method and system for maintaining HIPAA patient privacy requirements during auditing of electronic patient medical records
A method and system for permitting a government agency or a medical research Institution to retain an independent Audit Agency to periodically audit a clinical trial testing the effect of experimental drugs on patients, being conducted by the Institution, to insure the audit conducted is in compliance with the privacy requirements of HIPAA. Prior to the audit, the Institution assembles individual electronic patient records relative to the clinical trial into an XML file in a discrete database, wherein each patient record has all personal information deleted, and such record is identified by a unique number or code assigned by the Institution. In turn, remote from the Institution, the Audit Agency transforms an appropriate search and indexing engine by adding to it libraries of text names, and synonyms, and constructs application programs containing the associated Protocol requirements and rules. The Audit Agency sends the transformed Search Engine to the Institution via the Internet or on CD's. The Institution runs the Search Engine against their database to produce a Compliance Report detailing all discrepancies found relative the Protocol course of medical treatment for each patient in the clinical trial, and sends the report to the Audit Agency. The Audit Agency processes the report to provide an Audit Report to Institution requesting comments, and if necessary, a corrective action plan. |
| US07742932B2 |
Hyper-fractionation of transmission history for medical diagnostic software
The difficulties in incorporating transmission history into medical diagnostic software are non-obvious. These are addressed here with systems and methods for hyper-fractionation of transmission history in a way that allows the full power of this information to be used in medical diagnostic software. |
| US07742928B2 |
System for resolving distressed shipments
A cooperative system and an associated method are provided for resolving a distressed shipment during transport by a carrier, where the distressed shipment includes one or more parcels rendered temporarily undeliverable by an exception event while in transit from a shipper to a consignee. The inventive method involves the shipper in the task of contacting the consignee for the additional information necessary to resolve the shipment. The system creates a cooperative of participating shippers and carriers, working together to complete a shipment and thereby avoid the delay and expense associated with a premature or unnecessary return. |
| US07742924B2 |
System and method for updating information for various dialog modalities in a dialog scenario according to a semantic context
The present invention provides a dialog system, a dialog execution method and a computer program which are capable of easily updating input information and output information of a dialog scenario and easily changing a plurality of modalities by using a general-purpose dialog scenario. In a dialog system that receives information from outside, controls the pursuit of dialog along the stored dialog scenario and outputs information along the dialog scenario to the outside, a dialog scenario written by using information for identifying the meaning of words/phrases used in the input information and the output information is stored, one or a plurality of words/phrases are stored in association with information for identifying the meaning of words/phrases, input information is analyzed, a corresponding word/phrase is extracted based on the derived information for identifying the meaning of words/phrases, and output information along a dialog scenario stored, based on the extracted word/phrase is outputted. |
| US07742923B2 |
Graphic user interface schemes for supporting speech recognition input systems
A numbering scheme is disclosed for implementation in the context of an application display. A user is able to select an item on the display by speaking a number corresponding to a desired control item. In some cases, the screen can include so many numbers that the user loses context and is unable to identify which number they want to select. For this reason, in one embodiment, a temporal switching mechanism is implemented wherein periodic switches (e.g., second-long intervals) occur between showing numbered items and showing a non-numbered screen. In one embodiment, an optional secondary confirmation step is implemented wherein the user sees only the item they just selected and has the chance to (a) learn the programmatic name of the item they selected and/or (b) either confirm and proceed with their selection, or cancel. In one embodiment, the optional secondary confirmation step is omitted if the user speaks a number followed by a predetermined command word. |
| US07742921B1 |
System and method for correcting errors when generating a TTS voice
Disclosed herein are various innovations associated with a toolkit used for generating a TTS voice for use in a spoken dialog system. The inventions in each case may be in the form of the system, a computer-readable medium or a method for generating the TTS voice. An embodiment of the invention relates to a method of enabling human workers to find errors when developing a text-to-speech (TTS) voice. The method comprises presenting a graphical user interface wherein after a first pass of automatic speech recognition (ASR) of a speech corpus is complete, the interface presents to a worker a graphical representation of an alignment of the ASR results, associated words and phonemes and the audio, receiving a graphical input from the worker associated with a selection of a word or phoneme and presenting the audio associated with the selected word or phoneme. |
| US07742918B1 |
Active learning for spoken language understanding
Disclosed is a system and method of training a spoken language understanding module. Such a module may be utilized in a spoken dialog system. The method of training a spoken language understanding module comprises training acoustic and language models using a small set of transcribed data St, recognizing utterances in a set Su that are candidates for transcription using the acoustic and language models, computing confidence scores of the utterances, selecting k utterances that have the smallest confidence scores from Su and transcribing them into a new set Si, redefining St as the union of St and Si, redefining Su as Su minus Si, and returning to the step of training acoustic and language models if word accuracy has not converged. |
| US07742917B2 |
Method and apparatus for speech encoding by evaluating a noise level based on pitch information
A high quality speech is reproduced with a small data amount in speech coding and decoding for performing compression coding and decoding of a speech signal to a digital signal. In speech coding method according to a code-excited linear prediction (CELP) speech coding, a noise level of a speech in a concerning coding period is evaluated by using a code or coding result of at least one of spectrum information, power information, and pitch information, and various excitation codebooks are used based on an evaluation result. |
| US07742913B2 |
Removing time delays in signal paths
The disclosed embodiments include systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable mediums for compensating one or more signals and/or one or more parameters for time delays in one or more signal processing paths. |
| US07742911B2 |
Apparatus and method for spoken language understanding by using semantic role labeling
An apparatus and a method are provided for using semantic role labeling for spoken language understanding. A received utterance semantically parsed by semantic role labeling. A predicate or at least one argument is extracted from the semantically parsed utterance. An intent is estimated based on the predicate or the at least one argument. In another aspect, a method is provided for training a spoken language dialog system that uses semantic role labeling. An expert is provided with a group of predicate/argument pairs. Ones of the predicate/argument pairs are selected as intents. Ones of the arguments are selected as named entities. Mappings from the arguments to frame slots are designed. |
| US07742909B2 |
Reconstruction of data from simulation models
Systems and media for reconstructing data from simulation models are disclosed. Embodiments may include a media containing instructions for accessing an alias from an alias file. The media may include instructions for searching for a net name and, if the net name is not found, searching an alias index file for an alias index entry associated with the net name, the alias index entry having a net name and an associated position. The instructions may also include, if the net name entry is found, instructions for accessing from an alias file an alias associated with the net name. A further embodiment may include instructions for receiving a net name and a position of an alias in the alias file, creating an alias index entry for the alias having a net name and the position of the alias, and storing the created alias index entry in the alias index file. |
| US07742908B2 |
Method for simulating an electrical circuit by synthesis of a physical model, device for simulating an electrical circuit, in particular a musical instrument obtained with that method
Method for simulation of an electrical circuit by synthesis of a physical model, using digital wave structures including the following steps: within the framework of digital wave structure, consider a serial and parallel adapter block with at least three ports of which one adapted; represent said electrical circuit connecting the elements together by means of a plurality of said adapter blocks; connect each adapter block to the adapted port of the previous adapter block; consider the plurality of said adapter blocks as nodes of a binary tree and said elements of said electrical circuit as leaves of said binary tree; apply an element of the aforesaid electrical circuit to the adapted port of the root node; consider, for each port, an incident wave and a reflected wave; starting from the lower leaves of the tree and moving towards the root, calculate each reflected wave; assess the reflected wave of the element connected to the adapted port of the root; starting from the root and moving towards the lower leaves of the tree, calculate each incident wave; update the status of any dynamic elements present in the leaves. |
| US07742904B2 |
Method and system for gas turbine engine simulation using adaptive Kalman filter
A method for simulating a gas turbine including the steps of: sensing values of a plurality of first operating parameters of an actual gas turbine; applying the sensed values of the first operating parameters to a model of the gas turbine, wherein the model generates a plurality of predicted second operating parameters; determining difference values between the predicted second operating parameters and corresponding sensed second operating parameters of the actual gas turbine; modifying the difference values based on tuning factors generated by a Kalman filter gain matrix during operation of the gas turbine, and using the adjusted difference values to adjust the model of the gas turbine. The method may further comprise generating the tuning factors by applying to the model the sensed values of the plurality of first operating parameters and perturbated values of the adjusted different values to determine optimal tuning factors. |
| US07742901B2 |
Method and system for virtual object generation
An object model of a first type such as an avatar is analyzed, and an object model of a second type, such as a clothing model, is generated. The object model of the first type is analyzed by comparing it to a set of pre-defined object models of the same type and deriving a set of weight values which when used as coefficients in a summation of the predefined object models result in an approximation to the input object model. The derived set of weight values can then be used to sum together a set of predefined object models of a second type to give a new predefined object model of a second type which corresponds to the input object model of the first type. Preferably, the input object model is a user avatar, and the output object model is a virtual item of clothing. The user avatar may then be displayed to a user ‘wearing’ the generated item of clothing. |
| US07742900B1 |
Compression and compressed inversion of interaction data
A compression technique compresses interaction data. A fast method processes the compressed data without the need to first decompress the data. In one embodiment, the compression technique is used to compress data in an interaction matrix. The interaction matrix (such as a moment method impedance matrix) contains interaction data between sources (e.g., basis functions or expansion functions) and testers (e.g., testing functions). The sources are collected into groups of sources according to specified criteria. One useful criteria is based on grouping sources relatively close to one another. For each group of sources, a composite source is calculated. The testers are also collected into groups and composite testers are calculated. The use of composite sources and composite testers to compute couplings when the source and tester are not close to each other allows the interaction matrix to be computed as a sparse matrix with a block format. |
| US07742898B2 |
Method for treating a defective device in a vehicle communications network
A method for handling a faulty device in a vehicle communication network is provided, which is used to identify devices that are either faulty, were removed from the vehicle communication network or were switched off, and to automatically initiate a fault-remedying measure. An expanded, device-specific driver having diagnostic functions is loaded by another device of the network to send a test signal to the faulty device. Either the faulty device is restarted or the faulty device is switched off depending on the reaction to the test signal. If a device is removed from the network, this is indicated in a database. A bus manager will inform other devices connected to the network that this device was removed from the network. Due to a classification of the individual devices connected to the network, not every device is able to perform the fault handling, but rather only suitably classified devices. Misuse is thereby prevented. |
| US07742892B2 |
Calibrating an optical FMCW backscattering measurement system
The object of the invention is to provide a method of calibrating an optical FMCW backscattering measurement system that improves the precision of the measurement. The problem is solved by a method comprising the steps of A. Converting said received sensor signal to a complex received electrical signal as a function of said modulation frequency fm, said complex received electrical signal being represented by a magnitude part and a phase angle part as a function of said modulation frequency fm; B. Performing a transformation of said received electrical signal to provide a backscattering signal as a function of location between said first and second ends of said sensor and beyond said second end; C. From said backscattering signal as a function of location determining characteristics of a curve representative of said backscattering signal beyond said second end; D. Correcting said magnitude part of said received electrical signal and said phase angle part of said received electrical signal in a predetermined dependence of said curve; and E. Repeating step B) on the basis of the corrected received electrical signal. |
| US07742891B2 |
System for compensating for creep and hysteresis in a load cell
A method of compensating for hysteresis in a load cell, by: (a) pre-calibrating a load cell by: measuring load cell deflection under progressively increasing loads; determining a first set of coefficients correlating the deflection of the load cell to the measured load under the progressively increasing loads; measuring load cell deflection under progressively decreasing loads; determining a second set of coefficients correlating the deflection of the load cell to the measured load under the progressively decreasing loads; and then (b) compensating for hysteresis in the load cell, by: selecting the first set of coefficients if the load on the load cell has been progressively increasing, or selecting the second set of coefficients if the load on the load cell has been progressively decreasing; and applying a formula using the selected first or second set of coefficients to the measured load cell deflection at the particular load, thereby determining an accurate load cell deflection, and thus compensating for hysteresis in the load cell. |
| US07742884B2 |
Sampling frequency control method and protective relay
A sampling frequency control method includes a difference calculating step ST1 of calculating the difference between sampled values obtained through sampling of an AC quantity of electricity of a power system at time points that are separated by a prescribed time period of the AC quantity of electricity; an effective value calculating step ST2 of calculating an effective value of the AC quantity of electricity and an effective value of the difference; a ratio calculating step ST3 of calculating the ratio K of the effective value of the difference to the effective value of the AC quantity of electricity; and a control step of controlling the sampling frequency by controlling the sampling period on the basis of the calculated ratio K so that it follows the frequency of the AC quantity of electricity. |
| US07742882B2 |
Method for determination of mean engine torque
A method for producing a value T being representative of the mean engine torque generated on a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine includes the steps of producing a speed vector including values being representative of instantaneous speeds of the engine during a sampling period, determining a mean engine speed n during said sampling period from the speed vector, determining a value Px, being representative of the frequency contribution of the speed vector at the frequency x*n, where x is a pre-selected order, and producing a value T being representative of the mean engine torque on the crankshaft during said sampling period, wherein T is derived from a mathematical expression including a polynomial having at least a term k*n*Px, where k is a polynomial constant. A device for producing a value T is also disclosed. |
| US07742881B2 |
System and method for detection of rotor eccentricity baseline shift
A method to determine eccentricity of a rotor in a turbine including: collecting sensor data of rotor eccentricity for a plurality of startup operations; establishing a baseline eccentricity value using the sensor data corresponding to a selected startup operation; determining an eccentricity value using the filtered sensor data for each of a plurality of startup operations subsequent to the selected startup operation; determining a rotor eccentricity difference between the baseline eccentricity value and each of the eccentricity values for the plurality of startup operations subsequent to the selected startup operation, and reporting a rotor eccentricity condition based on the rotor eccentricity difference. |
| US07742875B2 |
Method for geologic modeling through hydrodynamics-based gridding (Hydro-Grids)
The present invention is a method of hydrodynamics-based gridding (Hydro-Grids) for creating geologic models of subsurface volumes, such as reservoirs. Vertical grid surfaces may be chosen in an unstructured fashion to provide lateral resolution where needed. Lateral grid surfaces are created to represent surfaces of constant geologic time based on simulation of the depositional processes that created the subsurface volume. The values of geologic properties are then specified within each cell created by the intersections of the vertical and lateral surfaces. The geologic data may include, for example, seismic data, outcrop studies, well log data, core data, numerical modeling data, and interpreted stratigraphic surfaces based on seismic data. The modeled geologic properties of the subsurface volume may include, for example, grain size distribution, connectivity, net-to-gross, porosity, permeability and pore pressure. |
| US07742874B1 |
Controllable external to internal antenna switching algorithm and circuit for position reporting device
A method for configuring an electronic device comprising: (A) substantially continuously detecting motion of the electronic device using an initiating device disposed within the electronic device, the electronic device further comprising a position determining component, and a wireless communications component; (B) substantially continuously receiving at least one external radio signal by using an initially selected antenna of the position determining component; (C) if reception of at least one external radio signal is not optimized, using the antenna/power supply switch to switch radio signal path between the initially selected antenna and a subsequently selected antenna to optimize the reception of at least one external radio signal; and (D) using the wireless communications component to transmit the current status of the external/internal antenna to the position tracking station. |
| US07742873B2 |
Navigation system
A navigation guidance system is provided which provides direction information from a remote server to a mobile user unit for guiding user to a desired destination. The navigation guidance system maintains time-related models for traffic speeds expected on road segments of a road database. By maintaining such time-related models, the system can more accurately provide the user with road guidance instructions to arrive at a chosen destination by a given time. The system can also provide more accurate route guidance information to a destination over different routes, even during rush hour or at off peak times. These time related models can be changed as a result of changing traffic patterns or as a result of an incident on a road segment. In a preferred embodiment, therefore, the system continuously monitors each calculated route and advise the users of alternative routes or of updated departure or arrival times as appropriate. |
| US07742869B2 |
Late intake valve closing to improve cold startability for spark-ignition direct-injection (SIDI) engines
An engine control system includes a cam phaser that introduces a cam phase angle θ between a camshaft intake lobe and an associated crankshaft. An engine control module communicates with the cam phaser to introduce the cam phase angle θ while an engine is being started. The cam phase angle θ is selected such that the camshaft intake lobe opens an intake valve during at least a portion of a compression stroke of a cylinder that is associated with the camshaft intake lobe. |
| US07742863B2 |
Method and device for controlling a work function of a vehicle and a work vehicle comprising the control device
A method for controlling the gears of a vehicle that has an automatic transmission that is arranged to change gear according to a plurality of gear modes that differ in that changing to a higher gear is carried out at different minimum engine speeds or, if the changing is carried out steplessly, with different degrees of gearing, with the transmission having a forward gear position for driving the vehicle forwards and a reverse gear position for driving the vehicle backwards, comprising detection of an operating parameter and, in response to this production of a parameter signal for a control unit, selection, that is carried out by the control unit, of one of the gear modes on the basis of the parameter signal's value. The parameter signal represents the total distance that the vehicle has been driven during an individual sequence with at least one of the forward gear position and the reverse gear position. |
| US07742862B2 |
Method and system for estimating an agricultural management parameter
A system and method for estimating agricultural parameters for growing crops is well suited for promoting efficient utilization of agricultural inputs (e.g., water consumption). Sensors collect data via one or more vehicles equipped with location-determining receivers. A transmitter transmits the collected environmental data to a data processing system. The data processing system applies the collected environmental data to an agronomic model for determining an agricultural management parameter. A prescription is made available for application of an agricultural input (e.g., water) to a crop in a particular location consistent with the collected environmental data and the agronomic model. |
| US07742861B2 |
System of wireless electronic devices for construction equipment and maintenance system thereof
A system of wireless electronic devices for construction equipment and a maintenance system thereof are disclosed, in which various information used in an input and output unit, like modules of a construction work vehicle such as a hydraulic excavator, etc., are transmitted and received based on a wireless method, so that the use of wires can be significantly decreased. The wireless electronic system of a construction machine comprises at least one control panel which transmits a wireless signal for controlling each part of a construction machine in accordance with an operator's control; a main control device which receives a wireless signal from the control panel and transmits a wireless control signal for controlling a corresponding device; at least one auxiliary control device which performs input and output control, operation control, error detection, automatic control, etc. of each part of a construction machine in accordance with a wireless control signal from the main control device; and an internal wireless network which is constructed by the main control device for wireless data communication between the control panel, the main control device and the auxiliary control device. |
| US07742852B1 |
Control system for an all-wheel drive electric vehicle
A method and apparatus for optimizing the torque applied to the primary and assist drive systems of an all-electric vehicle is provided, the torque adjustments taking into account wheel slip as well as other vehicular operating conditions. |
| US07742848B2 |
System and method for computing rail car switching solutions in a switchyard including logic to re-switch cars for block pull time
A system for computing car switching solutions in a railway switch yard. The system is computer based and has an input for receiving data conveying information about one or more arrival trains arriving at the switch yard and data conveying information about departure trains to depart the switch yard. A processing entity processes the data and computes car switching solutions for the railcars. |
| US07742847B2 |
Method and system for context sensitive aircraft navigation
A method and system for context sensitive navigation of an aircraft is provided. The method comprises obtaining data for use at takeoff, enroute, or at a destination, and interpreting the data to infer conditions during takeoff, enroute, or at the destination. One or more viable flight plans are determined based on the conditions during takeoff, enroute, or at the destination. The one or more viable flight plans are then presented to a pilot for optional selection. When there is more than one viable flight plan, a prioritized selectable list of flight plans is presented to the pilot. |
| US07742838B2 |
Process and device for controlling the robotal device
A process is provided for controlling a robotal device, such as a multiaxial industrial robot, by a control unit, with a control core for executing control processes for the robotal device. An interface function checks whether models and/or procedures optionally contained in the control core or additional models and/or transformation procedures and/or special algorithms of kinematic structures, which can be preset at the interface are used as model modules for motion-relevant variables of the robotal device. Special and third-party kinematics can thus also be operated with a control device suitable for executing the process without the control itself having to be modified. |
| US07742829B2 |
Electrode arrangement for applying electrical signals to the skin of an animal
An electrode arrangement for applying electrical signals to skin of an animal comprising a flexible electrically non-conductive substrate, at least one electrode provided on a first surface of the substrate for applying electrical signals to the skin when placed on the skin, at least one connector connected to a respective electrode for providing electrical signals to the respective electrode and an electrically non-conductive sealing arrangement connected to the substrate for sealing the substrate and the skin to prevent ingress of moisture to the at least one electrode and to the at least one connector at the connection to the respective electrode. The or each electrode comprises a plurality of spaced electrically conductive elements to allow flexion of the electrode arrangement and electrically conductive material between the plurality of spaced electrically conductive elements to form a two-dimensional electrically conductive path across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate. |
| US07742828B2 |
Medical electrode suitable for high-energy stimulation
A medical electrode, and a method of making a medical electrode. The electrode comprises an electrode member having a top face and a bottom face; disconnected regions of electrically conductive material in electrical contact with the top face of the electrode member, patient contacting layer and an electrical connector in electrical contact with the disconnected regions. The disconnected regions reduce patient skin irritation and burning while optimizing electrical impedance of the electrode. |
| US07742824B2 |
Medical electrode mounting
A medical electrical lead electrode assembly includes an insulative carrier and at least one conductive component. The at least one conductive component includes an electrode portion disposed on a first side of the carrier and at least one tab extending away from the electrode portion, through the carrier to a second side of the carrier. The electrode portion of the at least one component includes an outward facing contact surface and an inward facing surface, the inward facing surface being disposed opposite the contact surface and against a surface of the first side of the carrier. The electrode assembly further includes a joint coupling a flexible elongate conductor to the tab of the at least one component on the second side of the carrier, and an insulative layer extending over the joint and the tab and the conductor, the insulative layer being bonded to the second side of the carrier. |
| US07742822B2 |
Channel selection and mapping for medical device communication
Embodiments of the invention include channel selection and mapping for medical device communication. The communication system can implement a two-stage listen before talk protocol to choose a channel for communication. The first stage samples the interference of each channel for a relatively short time and chooses the best signal. The second stage samples the channel selected by the first stage and samples it for a relatively longer time to confirm the channel selected by the first stage is the best channel for communication. |
| US07742821B1 |
Remote control for implantable medical device
A system and method for modifying the parameters of an implantable medical device includes an implantable medical device that communicates with a remote control device that, in turn, communicates through the browser of a computer or any other device capable of using mark-up language protocol. The computer optionally communicates with other computers and/or devices through a network. |
| US07742819B2 |
System and method for uniformly displacing a region of neural stimulation
A tissue stimulation system and computer software and method of operating the system is provided. An array of electrodes is placed contact with tissue of a patient (e.g., neural tissue), and electrical current is conveyed within the electrode array, thereby creating a stimulation region in the tissue. Electrical current is shifted between cathodes of the electrode array in incremental steps over a range, thereby causing displacement of the stimulation region at substantially uniform distances over the incremental steps. The electrical current may be shifted between the cathodes in accordance with a sigmoid-like function of a position of the stimulation region. A navigation table containing a series of states and corresponding gradually and non-uniformly changing electrical current values can be accessed, in which case, the electrical current may be shifted between the cathodes by incrementing through the states of the navigation table. |
| US07742816B2 |
Multichannel communication for implantable medical device applications
An implantable medical device (“IMD”) as described herein is configured to support concurrent multichannel data communication with one or more other devices within a body area network corresponding to a patient. The IMD, and possibly other devices within the body area network, can support the multichannel communication with any number of additional IMDs implanted within the body of the same patient. Moreover, one or more of the concurrent data communication channels may be a full-duplex channel. Example embodiments can be flexibly configured to support different data communication protocols and/or different modulation schemes as needed to suit the particular application or operating environment. |
| US07742815B2 |
Using implanted sensors for feedback control of implanted medical devices
A system and method for administering a therapeutic treatment to the heart, includes a pressure sensor positioned in the pulmonary artery, an implantable medical device located remotely from the sensor, and communication means for communicating pressure data from the pressure sensor to the implantable medical device. The system includes a control module operatively coupled to the implantable medical device. The control module is adapted for comparing the pulmonary arterial pressure data to a pre-programmed value, adjusting an operating parameter of the implantable medical device based on the relationship of the pulmonary arterial pressure to the pre-programmed value, and repeating this process until the relationship between the pulmonary arterial pressure data and the pre-programmed value is such that no adjustment is necessary. |
| US07742811B2 |
Implantable device and method for the electrical treatment of cancer
An implantable electrical method and apparatus for the treatment of cancer tumors based on the usage of various levels of electrical fields and current to assist in specific ways to reduce tumor size. The appropriate voltage, currents, and time duration as well as the usage of adjunctive pharmacological therapy are taught. |
| US07742805B2 |
Optical catheter with dual-stage beam redirector
A catheter includes separate first and second optical channels extending between proximal and distal portion thereof. First and second beam redirectors in optical communication with the respective first and second optical channels each have on-axis stage and an off-axis stage. |
| US07742802B2 |
System for determining a position of a point on an object
A system and method are disclosed for determining a global position of an anatomical structure. The system utilizes a surgical navigation system and a substrate that is capable of being removably mounted to an outer surface of a user's body. The substrate includes a positional device and a sensor that is tracked by the surgical navigation system. A finger mounted structure capable of communicating with the positional device is also provided. The concatenation of a position of the sensor and a position of the finger mounted structure allows a global position of a point on the anatomical structure to be determined by a computer system. |
| US07742800B2 |
Methods and systems for detection and monitoring of neurodegenerative diseases using magnetic resonance spectroscopy
A method for increasing sensitivity and/or specificity of a magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging technique for detecting a neurodegenerative disease is provided. The method includes acquiring magnetic resonance spectroscopy data from the brain of a subject, while suppressing certain metabolites in the spectrum via a data acquisition protocol, to improve quantification accuracy for the remaining metabolites, and quantifying a metabolite concentration or a metabolite concentration ratio from the spectral data as an indicator of the neurodegenerative disease. |
| US07742794B2 |
Probe adapted to be used with pulse oximeter
A probe adapted to be used with a pulse oximeter is disclosed. A flexible first housing is adapted to be brought into contact with at least a nail of a finger or a toe of a subject. A flexible second housing is adapted to be brought into contact with at least a top of the finger or the toe. A flexible connecting part connects the first housing and the second housing, and is adapted to cover a tip end of the nail. A light emitting element is provided on one of the first housing and the second housing. A light receiving element is provided on the other one of the first housing and the second housing. |
| US07742789B1 |
Mobile telephone
A mobile telephone using a LCD for the display thereof wherein the address data bus connected to the CPU comprises two separate data buses; the one exclusively provided for the LCD, and the other one for the parts other than the LCD, and in the case of accesses other than access to the LCD, the LCD exclusive address data bus is not actuated. |
| US07742788B2 |
Method and apparatus for using switched multibeam antennas in a multiple access communication system
In order to increase a capacity, or a number of mobile stations (MSs), or users, that may engaged in concurrent communication sessions, a communication system is provided that schedules a different MS, or user, in each beam of multiple predetermined, fixed beams associated with a coverage area, in particular a sector. By simultaneously scheduling a user in each beam of the multiple beams, a performance and throughput of communication system is significantly increased over the prior art. In one embodiment of the present invention, a portion of a shared communication channel that is allocated to each MS is concurrently transmitted to each MS via a beam associated with the MS. In other embodiments of the present invention, voice channels, data channels, and control channels associated with each MS scheduled in a beam may be concurrently transmitted to each MS via the beam associated with the MS. |
| US07742787B2 |
Wireless data communication card with compact antenna
A wireless data communication card configured in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention includes a low profile antenna arrangement that does not protrude from the housing of the computing device when the wireless data communication card is inserted into the housing. The low profile design is achieved without compromising the radio frequency (“RF”) characteristics and performance of the wireless data communication card by tuning the antenna arrangement to account for conductive ground structure located within the housing of the computing device. In accordance with one practical embodiment of the invention, the wireless data communication card is compliant with IEEE Standard 802.11(b) and compliant with PCMCIA specifications. |
| US07742784B2 |
Wireless communication system, a wireless communication apparatus, a wireless communication method, and a computer program
A wireless communication system of the invention comprises a plurality of communication stations decentralized-autonomously construct a network without having a relation between a control station and a station to be controlled under a communication circumstance where a plurality of channels are prepared. In this case, each of the communication stations prepares a plurality of operation modes for activating transmitting and receiving operations, informs the own operation mode, and receives information regarding operation modes of peripheral stations to manage its operation mode of each of the peripheral stations. |
| US07742783B2 |
Symmetric softkeys on a mobile electronic device
A mobile electronic device is provided having a display with a display centerpoint; a first softkey and a second softkey, each substantially equidistant from the display centerpoint; and a third softkey and a fourth softkey, each substantially equidistant from the display centerpoint, wherein the first softkey and the third softkey are positioned on opposite sides of the display and on a first axis that passes through the display centerpoint, and wherein the second softkey and the fourth softkey are positioned on opposite sides of the display and on a second axis that passes through the display centerpoint. |
| US07742782B2 |
Device and method for processing system-related events in a portable terminal
Provided is a device and a method for processing system-related events generated in a portable terminal. The method includes the steps of storing system-related events generated in the portable terminal, confirming specialists set in advance so that the system-related events can be processed by the specialists respectively, calling the confirmed specialists and processing the system-related events, and displaying the processing results set in advance with respect to the specialists with a text/avatar, according to the processing results which are processed by the specialists. |
| US07742780B2 |
Method and computer-readable medium for performing predictive name completion, categorizing call logs and accessing dispatch ID numbers in a database for dispatch dialers
A method and computer-readable medium for performing predictive name completion, categorizing call lists and accessing dispatch ID numbers in a database for dispatch dialers is provided. The method for performing predictive name completion includes recognizing a portion of a dispatch ID input by a user; determining a name associated with a dispatch ID, based on the portion of the dispatch ID input by the user, and displaying the name. The method for categorizing call lists includes determining a type of each of a plurality of the dispatch calls; and placing each of the plurality of dispatch calls in one of a plurality of categorized lists, based on the type of each of the plurality of dispatch calls. The method for accessing dispatch ID numbers in a database includes establishing a mirror database including the dispatch ID numbers; and searching the mirror database for particular dispatch ID numbers. |
| US07742777B2 |
Dynamic upstream attenuation for ingress noise reduction
A dynamic arrangement for reducing the presence of ingress noise in the upstream signal path of a two-way cable system utilizes a variable attenuation element and amplifier disposed along the upstream signal path. The amplifier includes a bypass switch so that the amplifier may be switched in to or out of the upstream path. A signal processor associated with the communications gateway functions to calculate the upstream loss present at the gateway and control the operation of the attenuation element, amplifier and bypass switch accordingly. Upstream attenuation is selected to be as large as possible, yet still allow in-building cable devices to communicate with their associated head end (HE) receiver equipment, after accounting for maximum transmit limitations. |
| US07742772B2 |
Determining relative elevation using GPS and ranging
A system and method are disclosed for determining a position of a wireless communication device. A method includes determining a respective (x,y) position of two wireless communication devices, determining a distance between the two wireless communication devices, and determining a relative elevational differential between the two wireless communication devices. The relative elevational differential is determined based on the determined (x,y) positions of the two wireless communication devices and the determined distance between the first and second wireless communication devices. The (x,y) positions may be determined using GPS receivers incorporated in the wireless communication devices. Determining the distance between the devices may be accomplished using RF ranging. The relative elevational differential may be derived using the Pythagorean theorem. |
| US07742771B2 |
Automated load balancing of receivers in a network
A spare receiver in a CMTS is used to determine the RF connectivity status of the receivers of a Load Balancing Group or Spectrum Group in the CMTS in the network. The spare receiver is connected to a receiver of the Load Balancing Group or Spectrum Group which does not have modems registered. The spare receiver is also configured to have the communication protocols of another selected receiver of the Load Balancing Group or Spectrum Group which does have modems registered. A transmitter sends a request for a response to a modem registered with the selected receiver. If the spare receiver, which is configured to have the same communication protocols as the selected receiver, receives the response from the modem, the unregistered receiver under test is determined to have sufficient RF connectivity to be included in Load Balancing operations. Each unregistered receiver in the Load Balancing Group or Spectrum Group is analyzed in the same manner. |
| US07742767B2 |
Radio communication using OFDMA and IFDMA
In a method for communicating by radio, a frequency band divided up into a plurality of subcarriers is used for the communication. Messages are sent from a base station to a user station and/or from the user station to the base station. Messages are processed at some times using a first FDMA method such as for example OFDMA and at other times using a second FDMA method such as for example IFDMA. A transmitter and a receiver implement the method. |
| US07742766B2 |
Mobile node for discovering neighbor networks in heterogeneous network environment and network discovery method
A network discovery method in a heterogeneous network environment. The network discovery method includes receiving neighbor information indicating neighbor PoAs from a MIIS entity at a mobile node that includes a plurality of communication interface sections capable of communicating with different networks; checking at least one neighbor PoA using the neighbor information at the mobile node; and activating a communication interface section corresponding to the checked neighbor PoA at the mobile node. Accordingly, the neighbor networks can be discovered under the heterogeneous network environment and unnecessary power consumption can be avoided. |
| US07742764B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining appropriate channels for communication
During operation of a secondary communication system 100, a device will perform spectrum sensing of certain channels (either by itself or as part of a group of nodes 104). When activity is found on a channel from a primary user, other devices will be notified that the channel is not available for use. The device may then modify its spectrum sensing to assist another device (or group of devices) that have not yet found activity on a different set of channels. By assigning additional channels to devices with extra capacity, the overall spectrum-sensing efficiency and performance of the communication system 100 is raised. |
| US07742763B2 |
Dynamic generation of CSI for outbound roamers
The present invention provides a system and method for providing Customized Applications for Mobile network Enhanced Logic (CAMEL) Subscription Information (CSI) of an outbound roamer of a Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN) such that the outbound roamer is roaming in a Visited Public Mobile Network (VPMN). The system comprises a roamers database storing an outbound roamer record of at least one outbound roamer, wherein the outbound roamer record comprises at least the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) of the outbound roamer. The system further comprises a detection block to detect whether provisioning of the CSI is required for the outbound roamer and a CSI generation block to generate the CSI of the outbound roamer based on at least the IMSI of the outbound roamer, if the provisioning of the CSI is required. The system further comprises a provisioning block to provision the generated CSI of the outbound roamer to at least one CSI storing node. |
| US07742760B2 |
Dynamic mobile station configuration in wireless communications systems and methods therefor
A cellular communications network including a base station subsystem (110) including a base station controller communicably coupled to a plurality of base stations (112), a user accessible mobile wireless communications device configuration control server (140) coupled to the base station subsystem (110), an network broadcast transmitting assisting base station (130), which may be coupled to the user accessible mobile wireless communications device configuration control server or to the base station subsystem. A mobile station is configured with configuration information associated with the assisting base station when the mobile station monitors the assisting base station. |
| US07742759B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for programming user-defined information into electronic devices
A device for programming user-defined information into an electronic device is provided. The programmer allows a user to program customized information, such as user-selected audio, video, or Internet access information into his or her programmable device. Such electronic devices include wireless telephones, pagers, and personal digital assistants. The programmer allows a user to, among other things, customize the device to suit his or her particular taste. |
| US07742756B2 |
System for managing program applications storable in a mobile terminal
Management server 16 may obtain application programs from content server 20 in response to requests of mobile terminal 11. Management server 16 may transmit the obtained application programs to mobile terminal 11 with information concerning reliabilities of the application programs. After mobile terminal 11 receives the application programs from management server 16, mobile terminal 11 manages operations of the application programs. Operations of the application programs are coordinated with operations of other programs using the information concerning the reliabilities corresponding to the application programs. Management of the coordinated operations of the application programs avoids problems concerning information security, where valuable information may be distributed unexpectedly because of operations of low reliable application programs. As a result, convenience of users of mobile terminals 11 can be improved without deteriorating the information security of mobile terminals 11. |
| US07742755B2 |
Retrieving a bill via a coded surface
A method of retrieving a bill using a print medium, comprising the steps of: determining a print media identifier from the print medium using a sensor module of a mobile telecommunications device, the print media identifier having been linked to the bill; and, retrieving, using the mobile telecommunications device and the print media identifier, at least one of the linked bill and information regarding the bill. |
| US07742754B2 |
Mobile communication system and method for determining base station antenna proximity state
Mobile terminals 201 to 203 measure strength of the received signal from plurality of base station antennas 101 to 105 and transmits it to network system 300. Network system 300 determines proximity state between plurality of base station antennas 101 to 105 based on the strength of the received signal from plurality of base station antennas 101 to 105 transmitted from mobile terminals 201 to 203. From that determination, the base station antennas proximity state matching a position or features of an antenna of the mobile terminal can be recognized. |
| US07742753B2 |
Method and apparatus for operating a mobile communication device coupled with an external power supply for charging a battery of the mobile communication device
A mobile communication device 100 has a digital subsystem (110) and a radio frequency subsystem (108), and is powered by a battery (102) which is charged via a charge control circuit (106) using an external power supply (104) connected to the mobile communication device in a single path configuration. The mobile communication device permits limited operation of the mobile communication device by a user while the battery voltage is sufficient to power the digital subsystem but not yet sufficient to power the radio frequency subsystem. The delay in operation is minimized, however, because once charging commences, the battery voltage rises sufficiently fast that, typically, by the time the digital subsystem is initialized, enabled, and powered up, the battery voltage will be sufficient to enable the radio frequency subsystem. |
| US07742750B2 |
Systems and methods for antenna diversity combining for satellite radio signals
Systems and methods are presented for digital antenna diversity combining. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, at least two antenna signal paths can be communicably connected to a receiver. Each antenna signal path can be provided with an RF tuner communicably connected to a demodulator, which can estimate the signal to noise ratio (SNR) and time of arrival of its respective antenna signal. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a time alignment circuit can be communicably connected to each antenna signal path, and a maximum ratio combiner can be communicably connected to the time alignment circuit. In operation, the time alignment circuit can use the time of arrival estimate to align the multiple signals and the maximum ratio combiner can use the SNR estimate obtained for each antenna signal to respectively weight each signal and thereby generate a combined output signal. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a switch diversity combiner can be further provided, and can quickly detect when an antenna signal is entering a fade, allowing the maximum ratio combiner to set that signal's weight to zero. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a digital diversity combiner can be provided in a stand alone integrated circuit, or can be integrated in a larger integrated circuit, such as, for example, a satellite radio overlay processor. |
| US07742746B2 |
Automatic volume and dynamic range adjustment for mobile audio devices
A mobile audio device (for example, a cellular telephone, personal digital audio player, or MP3 player) performs Audio Dynamic Range Control (ADRC) and Automatic Volume Control (AVC) to increase the volume of sound emitted from a speaker of the mobile audio device so that faint passages of the audio will be more audible. This amplification of faint passages occurs without overly amplifying other louder passages, and without substantial distortion due to clipping. Multi-Microphone Active Noise Cancellation (MMANC) functionality is, for example, used to remove background noise from audio information picked up on microphones of the mobile audio device. The noise-canceled audio may then be communicated from the device. The MMANC functionality generates a noise reference signal as an intermediate signal. The intermediate signal is conditioned and then used as a reference by the AVC process. The gain applied during the AVC process is a function of the noise reference signal. |
| US07742745B2 |
LPRF device wake up using wireless tag
A wireless transceiver includes: (a) a low power radio frequency (LPRF) communications component capable of powering down to conserve energy and capable of powering up in response to an electronic signal, the LPRF communications component including a transmitter and a first receiver; and (b) a second receiver that is configured to screen a radio frequency broadcast and provide, on the basis of specific data identified therein, the electronic signal to the LPRF communications component in order to power up the LPRF communications component. The second receiver is adapted to draw less current than the LPRF communications component while awaiting receipt of and listening for a radio frequency broadcast. |
| US07742738B2 |
Method and system for diversity using orthogonal frequency/division multiplexing
A method and system for achieving a link budget improvement in a diverse OFDM radio system by addressing the timing misalignment issue that can occur due to the differences in propagation time in signals between mobile stations and Radio Access Nodes. Timing misalignment is shared or split between the primary path to a primary Radio Access Node and a diverse path to a diverse Radio Access Node. The relative timing offsets between mobile stations are adjusted, the mobile stations are grouped into zones using a variety of different grouping techniques, and the transmission for each mobile station is scheduled, using one or more of a variety of scheduling techniques. |
| US07742737B2 |
Methods and apparatus for identifying a digital audio signal
Method and apparatus for identifying broadcast digital audio signals include structure and/or function whereby the digital audio signal is provided to processing structure which is configured to (i) identify a program-identifying code in the received digital audio signal, (ii) identify a program-identifying code in a decompressed received digital audio signal, (iii) identify a feature signature in the received digital audio signal, and (iv) identify a feature signature in the decompressed received digital audio signal. Preferably, such processing structure is disposed in a dwelling or a monitoring site in an audience measurement system, such as the Nielsen TV ratings system. |
| US07742735B2 |
Information processing apparatus and information processing method
An information processing apparatus generates printing image data of a printing image and copy-forgery-inhibited-pattern-image data of a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image to be added to the printing image. The copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image includes a latent image and a background image. The apparatus includes a selecting unit and a printing-data generating unit. The selecting unit selects either the transparent-printing designation or overlay-printing designation, the transparent-printing designation is used for generating printing data so that the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image is superimposed on the printing image, and the overlay-printing designation is used for generating printing data so that the printing image is superimposed on the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image. The printing-data generating unit generates printing data based on the printing designation selected by the selecting unit. |
| US07742729B2 |
Transfer device, image forming apparatus and method for evaluating electric property
A transfer device including a first combination including an intermediate transfer medium and a transfer member applying a transfer bias, and/or a second combination including an intermediate transfer medium, a second transfer member applying a second transfer bias, and an opposing member configured to transfer the toner image on the intermediate transfer medium to a receiving material at a second transfer nip. When the first combination is subjected to 60-second application of a voltage of 1 kV, followed by discharging, 300 times, the absolute value of logarithmic difference between first and 300th combined volume resistances is not greater than 0.8 [log(Ω)]. When the second combination is subjected to 60-second application of a voltage of −1 kV, followed by discharging, 300 times, the absolute value of logarithmic difference between the first and 300th combined volume resistances is not greater than 0.5 [log(Ω)]. |
| US07742727B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus has a photoconductive member on which a latent image is to be formed, a developing roller for developing the latent image on the photoconductive member by a first bias. A magnetic roller forms a magnetic brush thereon with a two-component developer and forms a thin toner layer on the developing roller by a second bias. The developing roller is aluminum with a surface treated for high resistance. The thickness (T) of the toner layer and the duty ratio (D1) of the first alternating-current bias satisfy relationships of the following equations for calculating the duty ratio (D1) using an application period of a voltage in a direction to transfer the toner from the developing roller towards the photoconductive member as a positive period: 7 μm≦T≦13 μm, and 35%≦D1≦70%. |
| US07742724B2 |
Developer supply container and image forming apparatus
A developer supply container supplies developer to a developer receiving portion of a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The container includes a developer accommodator, a discharge opening, a stirring member, a first receiver receiving a stirring member driving force from a first transmitter in the main assembly, a member opening and closing the opening, a second receiver receiving a force moving the openable member, and a second transmitter transmitting a force to the second receiver through a main assembly relay. By mounting the container to the main assembly, engagements are established between the first transmitter and the first receiver, between the second transmitter and the relay, and between the relay and the second receiver, so that a force is transmittable from the first transmitter to the first receiver, and a is transmittable from the second transmitter to the second receiver. |
| US07742713B2 |
Measurement of engine response curve in the presence of process direction noise
Disclosed is a method and system for compensating for printer cross-process nonuniformity. The method and system provide a means to offset a cross-process uniformity profile associated with an image output device, such as a printer, where process direction noise is measured and the cross-process uniformity profile is adjusted accordingly to provide a better representation of the image output device cross-process uniformity profile. |
| US07742711B2 |
Fixing device usable with an image forming apparatus
A fixing device usable with an image forming apparatus having a fixing roller to fix a toner on a recording medium, a heater to heat the fixing roller, and a power supplier to supply an electric power to the heater includes a relay interposed between the power supplier and the heater to supply and interrupt the electric power to the heater, an auxiliary power supplier to supply a driving power to the relay, and a thermoswitch interposed between the relay and the auxiliary power supplier and mounted adjacent to the fixing roller -to be electrically opened when the fixing roller reaches a predetermined overheating temperature. The fixing device is used in an image forming apparatus to reduce manufacturing costs and improve credibility and stability on an overheating prevention operation. |
| US07742710B2 |
Image forming apparatus including two toner accomodation portions
An image forming apparatus includes a controller for controlling, when a developer is accommodated in a developing container, a discharging device such that an amount of developer in a first accommodating portion is not less than a first amount, in accordance with a detection result of a first detecting device and such that an amount of developer in a second accommodating portion is not less than a second amount, in accordance with a detection result of a second detecting device, and for permitting, when the developing container is substantially empty, and the amount in the first accommodating portion is less than the first amount, an image forming operation to continue until the amount in the second developer portion becomes less than the second amount. |
| US07742707B2 |
Function executing device
A function executing device for executing a function by utilizing a consumption article may be provided with a device main body, a sensor, an information output device, and a controller. A consumption article housing case for housing the consumption article may be mounted on the device main body. The sensor may detect the quantity of the consumption article within the consumption article housing case mounted on the device main body. The information output device may output information to the exterior in a case where the quantity of the consumption article within the consumption article housing case mounted on the device main body has become less than a predetermined quantity. The controller may prevent the information output device from outputting the information twice or more in a period between a time where the consumption article housing case is mounted on the device main body and a time where the consumption article housing case is dismounted from the device main body and a next consumption article housing case is mounted on the device main body. |
| US07742706B2 |
Dispersion compensation type optical signal receiving apparatus, receiving circuit, receiving method, and receiving program
A dispersion compensation type optical signal receiving apparatus includes: an APD element for converting input signal light inputted from a transmission line into an electric signal; an amplifying device constituted with a preamplifier circuit and a limit amplifier circuit, which amplifies the electric signal converted by the APD element; an EDC IC for compensating the dispersion in the transmission line electrically; and a clock/data reproducing circuit for reproducing the clock and data signal contained in the input signal light, wherein there is provided a VOA for limiting the amplitude of the input signal light inputted to the APD element and an attenuation amount controlling circuit for controlling the attenuation amount of the VOA in accordance with the bias current of the APD element. |
| US07742703B2 |
Characterization and control of optical dispersion compensating element
An apparatus and method are applied to characterizing an dispersion-affecting element for use in controlling chromatic dispersion in an optical communications link. Information regarding the behavior of the dispersion-affecting element is recorded and stored in a medium that is provided for deployment with the dispersion-affecting element to enable improved management and active control of the dispersion-affecting element. The suitability of the dispersion-affecting element for operating under different conditions may also be characterized. |
| US07742693B2 |
Interchangeable lens type digital camera
An interchangeable lens type digital camera includes a camera main body and an interchangeable lens. The camera main body includes a control section which communicates with an interchangeable lens, and controls focus adjustment of the interchangeable lens by a hill-climbing AF system. A judgment section judges a characteristic of the interchangeable lens on the basis of communication between the interchangeable lens and the control section. The interchangeable lens includes a focus lens for performing focus adjustment. A focus lens drive section drives the focus lens. A lens control section communicates with the control section, and controls the focus lens drive section to perform focus adjustment. The control section changes a previously determined drive enabled range of the focus lens on the basis of a judgment result of the judgment section to perform focus adjustment of the interchangeable lens. |
| US07742692B2 |
Vibration reduction mechanism and optical device
A vibration reduction mechanism, comprising: a first moving member and a second moving member which move relatively at a time of image blur correction; a guide member which guides relative movements of the first moving member and the second moving member; a plurality of first engagement portions, aligned in a row, which engage the first moving member with the guide member by spherical or cylindrical surfaces and groove-shaped portions; and a plurality of second engagement portions, aligned in a row, which engage the second moving member with the guide member by spherical or cylindrical surfaces and groove-shaped portions, wherein a groove shape of at least either one of the plurality of the first engagement portions or the plurality of the second engagement portions is formed with an elongated hole shape extending along an alignment direction of the first engagement portions aligned in a row. |
| US07742691B2 |
Image stabilizer, lens device and imager apparatus
An image stabilizer includes a driver having a coil and magnet, where a correcting lens on a moving frame is moved by the driver in a first direction perpendicular to an optical axis of a lens system and in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and optical axis, and an optical axis of the correcting lens corresponds with the optical axis of the lens system. The coil and magnet are fixed to the moving frame and a supporting frame; the driver includes first and second coils for moving the correcting lens in the first and second directions, and a magnet applying magnetic force to those coils; and thrust generated from the first and second coils are directed in the first and second directions, each forming an angle of approximately 45° with a line connecting the optical axis of the correcting lens and the center of a lens barrel. |
| US07742690B2 |
Imaging apparatus and method for processing imaging results
An imaging apparatus for recording an imaging result on a recording medium includes an imaging device operable to obtain an imaging result; an optical system operable to form an optical image on an imaging plane of the imaging device; a first motion detector operable to detect a movement of the imaging apparatus and to output a detection result; and a recorder operable to record the imaging result, together with the detection result, on the recording medium. |
| US07742686B2 |
Signal processor
A signal processor includes a point setting part that sets a position of a main image signal, as a registration point. A playback control part causes output of an image frame from the registration point used as a starting point in response to a given playback instruction. A capture processing part generates a registration image based on the main image signal and stores the registration image, the at least one image frame being placed in a neighborhood of the registration point. A point recording part writes the registration point into a memory and writes the registration image corresponding to the recorded point into the memory. A point calling part reads out the recorded image and the recorded point in response to a given calling instruction. The point setting part sets the recorded point and the recorded image as the registration point and the registration image, respectively. |
| US07742680B2 |
Apparatus and method for processing signals
A tuner 1 receives a TV-broadcast signal from an antenna 6. The TV-broadcast signal is supplied to a demodulator 2. The demodulator 2 demodulates the audio signal and video signal, both contained in the TV-broadcast signal. A CM-detecting section 4 is provided. In the section 4, characteristic patterns are generated at intervals of 15 seconds, 30 seconds and 60 seconds, from the audio and video signals. Then, CM candidates are detected in accordance with the characteristic patterns. Characteristic data representing the characteristics of a CM is extracted from each CM candidate or the audio and video signals preceding and following the CM candidate. The section 4 detects a CM from the characteristic data thus extracted. |
| US07742679B2 |
Method of choosing the first candidate to be loaded from a series of job requests for a mix mode multimedia player
A method for choosing the first candidate to be loaded from a series of job requests for a mix mode multimedia player is disclosed. A job table having a plurality of rows is provided. Each row for a job has a job message with a “Priority” status, a “Usage status” status, and an “Examining function” status. The jobs are generated by a loader manager module of the mix mode multimedia player according to the job requests. The job messages of the jobs are arranged according to the “Priority” status in order. Then, the first candidate is chosen according to the following steps. The “Usage status” status of the job message is examined. If the “Usage status” is “used”, the “Examining function” status of the job message is examined. At last, If the “Examining function” status is “Critical”, the job is set as the first candidate. |
| US07742677B2 |
Method for producing an optoelectronic component
A method for producing an optoelectronic component is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a substrate, applying a semiconductor layer sequence to the substrate, applying at least two current expansion layers to the semiconductor layer sequence, applying and patterning a mask layer, patterning the second current expansion layer by means of an etching process during which sidewalls of the mask layer are undercut, patterning the first current expansion layer by means of an etching process during which the sidewalls of the mask layer are undercut at least to a lesser extent than during the patterning of the second current expansion layer, and removing the mask layer. |
| US07742670B2 |
Index-matching gel for nanostructure optical fibers and mechanical splice assembly and connector using same
A polymer based index-matching gel for use with nanostructure optical fibers is disclosed. The index-matching gel has at least one polymer component having a viscosity η at 25° C. of 3 Pa-s≦η≦100 Pa-s, which prevents the index-matching gel from wicking into the voids and down the nanostructure optical fiber to a depth where the fiber performance and/or device performance is compromised. The gel is suitable for use when mechanically splicing optical fibers when at least one of the optical fibers is a nanostructure optical fiber. The gel is also suitable for use in fiber optic connectors wherein at least one of the optical fibers constituting the connection is a nanostructure optical fiber. |
| US07742668B2 |
Semi-tight optical fiber unit
Disclosed is a dry, semi-tight optical fiber unit that includes one or more optical fibers positioned within a buffer tube. A protective coating is provided upon the surface of the optical fibers, and an anti-adhesive coating is substantially bonded to the protective coating. One or more of these optical fiber units may be included in an optical cable. Also disclosed is a method for efficiently producing such an optical fiber unit. |
| US07742665B2 |
Apparatus and methods using hollow-core fiber tapers
An optical filter and methods of filtering are provided. The optical filter includes a hollow-core fiber including a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a hollow core having a first diameter and a cladding having a second diameter. The second portion includes a hollow core having a third diameter smaller than the first diameter and a cladding having a fourth diameter smaller than the second diameter. |
| US07742664B2 |
Liquid crystal waveguide having refractive shapes for dynamically controlling light
Liquid crystal waveguides for dynamically controlling the refraction of light. Generally, liquid crystal materials may be disposed within a waveguide in a cladding proximate or adjacent to a core layer of the waveguide. In one example, portions of the liquid crystal material can be induced to form refractive or lens shapes in the cladding that interact with a portion (e.g. evanescent) of light in the waveguide so as to permit electronic control of the refraction/bending, focusing, or defocusing of light as it travels through the waveguide. In one example, a waveguide may be formed using one or more patterned or shaped electrodes that induce formation of such refractive or lens shapes of liquid crystal material, or alternatively, an alignment layer may have one or more regions that define such refractive or lens shapes to induce formation of refractive or lens shapes of the liquid crystal material. In another example, such refractive or lens shapes of liquid crystal material may be formed by patterning or shaping a cladding to define a region or cavity to contain liquid crystal material in which the liquid crystal materials may interact with the evanescent light. |
| US07742660B2 |
Scale-space self-similarity image processing
Image processing includes computing image ft from image fs, where images ft and fs are representations of a self-similar image at scales t and s in a scale-space, where t |
| US07742659B2 |
Edge based auto order supporting rotation algorithm
A method is provided to automatically arrange scanned images so they can be stitched into a composite image. Initially the scanned images are reduced to low resolution and a gradient filter is applied. One scanned image is selected as a possible first image in a stitching order. The possible first image is rotated to one angle and correlated with remaining scanned images rotated to two corresponding angles. Only four scanned images that best correlate with the possible first image and pass a threshold are saved as possible second images in the order. The steps are repeated for subsequent places in the order and for the possible first image at other angles. The method is repeated for other possible first images to form other orders. At the end, a path through one of the orders that produces the best sum of correlation values is set as the correct stitching order. |
| US07742648B2 |
Image information encoding apparatus and image information encoding method for motion prediction and/or compensation of images
The present invention is directed to an image information encoding apparatus (10) used, in receiving compressed image information through network media, when processing of such compressed image information is performed on storage media. A picture sorting buffer (12) delivers information of picture type of frame Picture_type to a picture type discrimination unit (22). The picture type discrimination unit (22) transmits command to a motion prediction/compensation unit (21) on the basis of that information. The motion prediction/compensation unit (21) generates predictive picture by using filter coefficients having the number of taps lesser than that of P picture with respect to B picture for which operation quantity and the number of memory accesses are required to more degree as compared to, e.g., P picture on the basis of that command. |
| US07742645B2 |
Encoding device and method
The encoding device of the present invention comprises a type determination unit inputs each bit of the weblet co-efficient in a depth direction in parallel and determines type information indicating which the bit is, the first “1” bit when viewed from an MSB side, a bit located further on the MSB side than the first “1” bit, a bit located further on an LSB side than the first “1” bit, a buffer unit for buffering the determined type information of each bit for each bit depth and a pass determination unit for determining pass information of a type information to process, of a plurality of pieces of type information, based on the plurality of pieces of buffered type information of the same depth. |
| US07742641B2 |
Confidence weighted classifier combination for multi-modal identification
Techniques are disclosed for multi-modal identification that utilize a classifier combination framework. One embodiment of the present invention provides a multi-modal identification system that includes a collection of classifiers that classify feature streams derived from audio and/or video sources. A classifier combination scheme is used to combine the classifier outputs having varying degrees of confidence, but in a robust way by using a confidence-based weighting scheme that operates on a “per-class” basis, rather than (or in addition to) the traditional “per-classifier” basis. The system can be distributed across several machines running independent feature classifiers on the subscription basis. |
| US07742640B1 |
Reduction of background clutter in structured lighting systems
Methods for segmenting the reflected light of an illumination source having a characteristic wavelength from background illumination (i.e. clutter) in structured lighting systems can comprise pulsing the light source used to illuminate a scene, pulsing the light source synchronously with the opening of a shutter in an imaging device, estimating the contribution of background clutter by interpolation of images of the scene collected at multiple spectral bands not including the characteristic wavelength and subtracting the estimated background contribution from an image of the scene comprising the wavelength of the light source and, placing a polarizing filter between the imaging device and the scene, where the illumination source can be polarized in the same orientation as the polarizing filter. Apparatus for segmenting the light of an illumination source from background illumination can comprise an illuminator, an image receiver for receiving images of multiple spectral bands, a processor for calculations and interpolations, and a polarizing filter. |
| US07742639B2 |
Data set visualization
In real-time three-dimensional imaging the choice of the visualization method and orientation is crucial for intervention success. The key question is what to ignore and what to show in real-time applications, where user control is not appropriate. An intervention (caused by a user) to an object of interest is visualized without the requirement of an interactive input by the user. Parameters for a visualization procedure are automatically chosen during data acquisition which may allow for an efficient tracking of the actual orientation and relative position of the structure with respect to the object of interest. |
| US07742634B2 |
Image processing method, three-dimensional position measuring method and image processing apparatus
An object of this invention is to provide an image processing method and image processing apparatus capable of extracting the position of an object in the unit of sub-pixel. An edge pixel, density gradient direction and edge position in the unit of sub-pixel are extracted from a model image obtained by photographing a high-quality model of the object and registered in a hard disk. After a processing object image is inputted, CPU obtains a position of an image region corresponding to the model image and after that, extracts an edge pixel whose edge position in the unit of sub-pixel is related to a corresponding pixel on the model image side in that image region. The edge position in the unit of sub-pixel is extracted for these edge pixels and the quantity of deviation between the extracting position and the edge position on the model image side is calculated. The position in the unit of pixel is corrected with an average value of the quantity of deviation obtained for each edge pixel so as to obtain a real position of the object. |
| US07742629B2 |
System and method for three-dimensional reconstruction of a tubular organ
Embodiments of the present invention include methods and systems for three-dimensional reconstruction of a tubular organ (for example, coronary artery) using a plurality of two-dimensional images. Some of the embodiments may include displaying a first image of a vascular network, receiving input for identifying on the first image a vessel of interest, tracing the edges of the vessel of interest including eliminating false edges of objects visually adjacent to the vessel of interest, determining substantially precise radius and densitometry values along the vessel, displaying at least a second image of the vascular network, receiving input for identifying on the second image the vessel of interest, tracing the edges of the vessel of interest in the second image, including eliminating false edges of objects visually adjacent to the vessel of interest, determining substantially precise radius and densitometry values along the vessel in the second image, determining a three dimensional reconstruction of the vessel of interest and determining fused area (cross-section) measurements along the vessel and computing and presenting quantitative measurements, including, but not limited to, true length, percent narrowing (diameter and area), and the like. |
| US07742627B2 |
Apparatus and program for detecting faces
Usability of a face detecting apparatus is improved, by enabling selection of a detecting mode optimal for an intended purpose, when detecting facial images from within images. During detection of images of forward facing faces, switching of the detecting mode to one of: a detection rate mode; a false positive detection rate mode; and a processing speed mode is enabled. Face detection focused on optimizing detection performance for each detecting mode is performed. |
| US07742622B2 |
Two dimension autonomous isotropic detection technique
The present invention discloses a target detection process that acquires imagery from a target; compares the acquired imagery with image metric data; applies criteria to eliminate false detections and reduce clutter; applies morphological operators on the acquired imagery; probability rank orders the target imagery; divides the imagery into a series of detected target windows; and displays the detected target windows. The imagery undergoes light target detection, dark target detection or both. A morphological operator isolates targets from their background. Two concatenated morphological filter patterns are used to screen imagery data. Spatial discontinuities at the pixel level can be detected. The detected target window images are presented to a user in a mosaic format. |
| US07742621B2 |
Dynamic eye tracking system
A dynamic eye tracking system to track movement of an eye including the steps of detecting if a neighbor exists about the eye over a predetermined amount of time and forming a boundary for the neighbor. Eye candidates are tracked and a determination is made if the eye candidates are beyond the boundary defined by the detected neighbor. |
| US07742620B2 |
Target detection improvements using temporal integrations and spatial fusion
A method for identifying potential targets as far away as possible is disclosed. In a simple background scene such as a blue sky, a target may be recognized from a relatively long distance, but for some high clutter situations such as mountains and cities, the detection range is severely reduced. The background clutter may also be non-stationary further complicating the detection of a target. To solve these problems, target detection (recognition) of the present invention is based upon temporal fusion (integration) of sensor data using pre-detection or post-detection integration techniques, instead of using the prior art technique of fusing data from only a single time frame. Also disclosed are double-thresholding and reversed-thresholding techniques which further enhance target detection and avoid the shortcomings of the traditional constant false alarm rate (CFAR) thresholding technique. The present invention further discloses improved spatial fusion techniques for target detection (recognition) employing multiple sensors instead of employing the more conventional single sensor techniques. If spatial fusion is implemented with more than three sensors, then target detection can be enhanced by also using post-detection techniques. Moreover, since the pre-detection and the post-detection technique are complementary to each other, a combination of these two integration techniques will further improve target detection (recognition) performance. |
| US07742618B2 |
Methods and apparatus for embedding and recovering an image for use with video content
Methods and apparatus for embedding and recovering an image for use with video content are disclosed. A disclosed system embeds a real component of a spectral representation of an image into a set of video frames and embeds an imaginary component of the spectral representation of the image into a second set of video frames. The two sets of video frames are combined and broadcast. The disclosed system recovers the real component of the spectral representation of an embedded image from a first set of received video frames and the imaginary component of the spectral representation of an embedded image from a second set of the received video frames. |
| US07742610B1 |
Automobile audiovisual system
A control signal is generated by an operating means for being operated by a driver. In response to this control signal, an input signal to rear-seat headphones is temporarily attenuated or is replaced by another given signal or a transmission signal from the driver. |
| US07742607B2 |
Method for designing a modal equalizer for a low frequency sound reproduction
In a room with strong low-frequency modes the control of excessively long decays is problematic or impossible with conventional passive means. In this patent application a systematic methodology is presented for active modal equalization able to correct the modal decay behaviour of a loudspeaker-room system. Two methods of modal equalization are proposed. The first method modifies the primary sound such that modal decays are controlled. The second method uses separate primary and secondary radiators and controls modal decays with sound fed into at least one secondary radiator. Case studies of the first method of implementation are presented. |
| US07742606B2 |
System for audio related equipment management
A system for management and control of audio-related equipment. The system is a common architecture that provides the capability to manage, monitor and control all of the audio-related equipment in an audio system. To facilitate messaging between audio-related devices, each of the audio-related devices may be assigned a node ID a sequential manner as each audio-related device powers up. The system may also include a method for discovery of audio-related devices on an audio network. In some examples, a PEM may be located geographically remote from the audio-related devices. Accordingly, error logging, alarming and system operation may be monitored to provide troubleshooting from a remote location. |
| US07742605B2 |
Method and system for authentification of a mobile user via a gateway
A system and method for establishing secure communications between two entities, such as a server and a client, may involve the use of an intermediate gateway. Each party may establish a secure communication link with the gateway, and the gateway may provide signed certificates to each party, each certificate identifying the gateway as the other party for purposes of the communication. The gateway may then facilitate the secure communications between the two parties, and may perform data translation on the communications. The identification information may be contained within the certificates used by the gateway. |
| US07742603B2 |
Security for anonymous vehicular broadcast messages
An anonymous vehicular broadcast system that has encrypted links between the roadway infrastructure and the vehicles. The vehicles each have a common private key that is generated from a certification key, provided by a certification authority, and a configuration key that is generated at each power up of the vehicle. The configuration key is not stored in the vehicle so that the vehicle is only stores a portion of the private key. |
| US07742598B2 |
Shrinking key generator for parallel process
A parallel processing shrinking key generator is provided. The parallel processing shrinking key generator includes: a selection linear feedback shift register (LFSR); a source LFSR; a selection logic circuit for selecting one of a source bit of the source LFSR and a predetermined input bit according to a selection bit of the selection LFSR; an index counter for assigning an index where output bits of the selection logic circuit are stored at a next clocking of a clock signal; and an output amount register for shifting an output bit of the selection logic circuit according to the assignment of the index counter. |
| US07742596B2 |
Reliable elliptic curve cryptography computation
A method for reliable computation of point additions and point multiplications in an elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) system. Two asymmetric operations are performed: one of the operations is of slightly higher complexity than a conventional ECC operation, and the other operation is of much lower complexity than the first operation. The complexity of the second operation is a function of the desired degree of reliability, or the desired probability of failure detection. The method validates a computation involving one or more points on a specified elliptic curve by selecting a second elliptic curve, deriving a third elliptic curve from the specified and selected curves, projecting points onto the derived curve, performing a computation on the derived curve involving the projected points, validating the computation on the selected curve, extracting from the computation on the derived curve a predicted result of the computation on the selected curve, and comparing the predicted result to the computation on the selected curve. A predicted result of the computation to be validated may then be extracted from the computation on the derived curve. The predicted result is compared to an actual result of a computation on the selected curve, and if the results match, the predicted result of the computation performed on the selected curve is validated. |
| US07742595B2 |
Cryptographic method protected against covert channel type attacks
The invention relates to a cryptographic method secured against a covert channel attack. According to the invention, in order to carry out a selected block of instructions as a function of an input variable amongst N predefined instruction blocks, a common block is carried out on the predefined N instruction blocks, a predefined number of times, the predefined number being associated with the selected instruction block. |
| US07742592B2 |
Method and device for removing echo in an audio signal
Acoustic echo control and noise suppression is an important part of any “handsfree” telecommunication system, such as telephony or audio or video conferencing systems. Bandwidth and computational complexity constraints have prevented that stereo or multi-channel telecommunication systems have been widely applied. The advantages are very low complexity, high robustness, scalability to multi-channel audio without a need for loudspeaker signal distortion, and efficient integration of echo and noise control in the same algorithm. The proposed method for processing audio signals, comprises the steps of: —receiving an input signal, wherein the input signal is applied to a loudspeaker; —receiving a microphone signal generated by a microphone; —estimating the delay between the loudspeaker and the microphone signals and obtaining a delayed loudspeaker signal, —estimating a coloration correction values of the echo path on the delayed loudspeaker signal, —using information of the delayed loudspeaker signal, microphone signal, and coloration correction values to determine gain filter values, —apply the gain filter values to the microphone signal to remove the echo. |
| US07742590B2 |
Methods, systems and computer program products for selectively managing telephone call connections
According to embodiments of the present invention, a method for selectively managing a call connection between a caller and each of a first directory number associated with a subscriber and a second directory number associated with the subscriber includes causing at least the first directory number to be rung in response to a call request from the caller. In response to a determination that the rung first directory number has answered the call request: a call is automatically allowed to be completed between the caller and the first directory number if the first directory number is of a first type; and, if the directory number is of a second type, a prescribed additional response is required from the first directory number prior to allowing the call to be completed between the caller and the first directory number, and the second directory number is allowed to be rung in response to the call request until the prescribed additional response is provided. |
| US07742589B2 |
Distinctive call waiting based on a redirecting number
The disclosure is directed to a method of providing a distinctive call waiting tone based on a redirecting number. The method includes receiving a call from an originating device at a redirecting device; forwarding the call from the redirecting device to a destination device; and applying a distinctive type of call waiting tone to the destination device based upon determining that a data message includes a redirecting number. The forwarded call has an associated data message that includes a calling number of the origination device, a called number of the destination device, and a redirecting number of the redirecting device. |
| US07742588B2 |
Speakerphone establishing and using a second connection of graphics information
Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and devices for improved audio, video, and data conferencing. The present invention provides a conferencing system comprising a plurality of endpoints communicating data including audio data and control data according to a communication protocol. A local conference endpoint may control or be controlled by a remote conference endpoint. Data comprising control signals may be exchanged between the local endpoint and remote endpoint via various communication protocols. In other embodiments, the present invention provides for improved bridge architecture for controlling functions of conference endpoints including controlling functions of the bridge. |
| US07742587B2 |
Telecommunications and conference calling device, system and method
A communications system and method, which may be used, for example, within a conferencing communication system, is provided. A plurality of communicators may transmit, via a network, audio streams bound from any other communicator. A server receives from the plurality of communicators a plurality of incoming streams and for each communicator transmits any mixed combination of the incoming streams. The system also may control any of the mixers to independently control a volume level of any of the incoming streams being mixed at any of the mixers to create the required mixed combination of the incoming streams. Various conference call features may be effected using such mix capacities. |
| US07742583B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for alerting of calls
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for alerting of a call. A message is received that notifies of a call to a called number having an established connection to a data network. A customer-selected style and a customer-selected location of a control is retrieved that responds to the customer's action. The message and the control are processed to alert of the call to the called number. |
| US07742581B2 |
Electronic messaging exchange
A secure electronic message exchange system, including a plurality of workstations, a communications medium, and a control platform coupled to a workstation of the plurality of workstations by the communications medium. The control platform includes one or more apparatuses for monitoring, controlling, converting, and billing related to, messages exchanged between a plurality of local users and a plurality of remote users. The control platform also prevents a forwarding of or a copying of a message, sent by a local user of the plurality of local users and received by a remote user of the plurality of remote users, to another party, where the control platform provides authentication of the remote user. |
| US07742578B1 |
Location determination capabilities for emergency call services
A communication system comprising an access system configured to provide a plurality of end devices with access to a packet communication network, a first end device of the plurality of end devices configured to transmit a first query to the access system, receive a first response indicating a first identifier for the access system, transmit a registration message indicating the first identifier and a second identifier for the first end device, and transmit a first call request for a call wherein the first call request indicates the second identifier, and a call processing system in communication with the first end device and configured to receive the registration message, store the first identifier in association with the second identifier, receive the first call request, process the second identifier to determine the first identifier stored in association with the second identifier, and transmit a second call request indicating the first identifier. |
| US07742575B2 |
Multi-leaf collimator
A multi-leaf collimator for use in a radiotherapeutic apparatus comprises a plurality of elongate narrow leaves arranged side-by side and supported in a frame, the frame having upper and lower formations for guiding each leaf into which extend ridges on the upper and lower edges of the leaves, thereby to allow the leaves to move in a longitudinal direction, the upper and lower formations being aligned so that the sides of the leaves when fitted are at a non-zero angle to the beam direction, the upper and lower ridges being located on the upper and lower edges of the leaves so that a line joining their centres is at a non-zero angle to the sides of the leaf, tilted relative to the sides in a sense opposite to that of the beam. An outer face of the upper and/or lower ridges can be aligned with a side face of the leaf, for ease of manufacture. A radiotherapeutic apparatus is also disclosed, comprising a source of radiation and a multi-leaf collimator for shaping the radiation emitted by the source, the multi-leaf collimator being as set out above. |
| US07742573B2 |
Fast switching circuit for x-ray imaging applications
A system is provided, which includes a rotatable gantry for receiving an object to be scanned. The system includes an x-ray source for projecting x-rays of two different energy levels towards the object and also a power supply, which energizes the x-ray source to two different voltage levels at a predetermined rate for generating x-rays at two different energy levels. The power supply in the system includes a fixed voltage source to input a voltage to a switching module with number of identical switching stages. Each stage in the switching module consists of a first switch, which charges a capacitor in a conducting state and output a first voltage, a second switch, which connects the fixed voltage source and the capacitor in series to output a second voltage in a conducting state and a diode which blocks a reverse current from the capacitor to the power supply. |
| US07742571B1 |
Grid control system for eliminating soft radiation emissions from an X-ray tube
A system and method for controlling the radiation emissions from an x-ray tube having an anode, a cathode, and a grid is disclosed. The system and method uses a continuous high voltage across the cathode and the anode of the x-ray tube, so that a high voltage is continuously applied to the x-ray tube between the cathode and the anode. The flow of electrons between the cathode and the anode is then controlled by a pulsed high voltage to the grid, the pulsed high voltage being of substantially the same magnitude as the continuous high voltage and being switched at a frequency of about one microsecond to provide alternate the polarity of the switched high voltage to the grid, so that voltage between the cathode and the anode is switched by the voltage applied to the grid by the source of pulsed high voltage, so that soft radiation emissions from the x-ray tube are minimized or eliminated. |
| US07742569B2 |
X-ray system and method for image composition
In an x-ray system and a method for image composition, congruent optical images and x-ray images of subjects provided with markers are generated. A transformation matrix/imaging matrix is formed and applied to the congruent x-ray images based on the detected identical markers in optical images. The transformation matrix is used to compose an aggregate image from the x-ray images. |
| US07742566B2 |
Multi-energy imaging system and method using optic devices
A multi-energy imaging system and method for selectively generating high-energy X-rays and low-energy X-ray beams are described. A pair of optic devices are used, one optic device being formed to emit high X-ray energies and the other optic device being formed to emit low X-ray energies. A selective filtering mechanism is used to filter the high X-ray energies from the low X-ray energies. The optic devices have at least a first solid phase layer having a first index of refraction with a first photon transmission property and a second solid phase layer having a second index of refraction with a second photon transmission property. The first and second layers are conformal to each other. |
| US07742560B2 |
Radiation imaging device with irregular rectangular shape and extraoral dental imaging system therefrom
A radiation imaging device includes plural individual detectors defining an irregular rectangular active area responsive to x-rays and with different widths along a length of the active area. The individual detectors may be of different rectangular shapes and mounted on a motherboard. The motherboard may be formed of a first module mounting a first of two individual detectors and a second module detachable connected to the first module and mounting a second of two individual detectors. |
| US07742550B2 |
Wireless communication apparatus using fast fourier transforms to create, optimize and incorporate a beam space antenna array in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing receiver
A wireless communication apparatus which uses fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) receiver which incorporates a beam space antenna array. The beam space antenna array may be implemented with a Butler matrix array. The beam space antenna array may be a circular array, vertical array, or a combination of both circular and vertical arrays, for providing the desired angular antenna coverage. In one embodiment, the antenna array is optimized because the FFTs are linear invariant transform operators, whereby the order of operations in the OFDM receiver can be interchanged. |
| US07742545B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating corrected quadrature phase signal pairs in a communication device
A method and an apparatus (300) for generating corrected quadrature phase signal pairs in a communication device are provided. The apparatus (300) includes a quadrature phase generator (310), programmable delay elements (320, 330) and a control circuit (360). The programmable delay elements (320, 330) receive a quadrature phase signal pair (signals I 312 and Q 314) from the quadrature phase generator (310). The control circuit (360) generates a control signal (362) based on outputs (325, 335) of the programmable delay elements (320, 330). The control signal (362) configures the programmable delay elements (320, 330). The programmable delay elements (320, 330) are configured to adjust delay between the signals I (312) and Q (314). The programmable delay elements (320, 330) are also used to adjust duty cycle for the quadrature phase signal pair to provide the corrected quadrature phase signal pair. |
| US07742544B2 |
System and method for efficient CABAC clock
A system and method that process data in a circuitry utilizing two clocks. The two clocks may be an offset version of one another. Utilizing two clocks to processes the data may consume fewer clock cycles than using only one clock. The circuitry may comprise registers and a memory, wherein one register may receive a location of information in the memory, which may then be read from the received location. The one register may utilize a first of the two clocks, and the reading from the memory may utilize the second of the two clocks. The circuitry may comprise a portion of a CABAC decoder. |
| US07742538B2 |
Method for selecting optimal beam and apparatus for receiving digital broadcasting signal using the same
There are provided a method for selecting an optimal beam to improve digital broadcasting receiving performance, and a digital broadcasting receiving apparatus using the same. The method includes the steps of: a) calculating a mainpath Signal to Multipath signal and Noise Ratio (SMNR) based on a channel impulse response for a plurality of beams which are formed according to steering directions from output signals of antennas, wherein the output signal of each antenna has different phase shift according to location of antenna element; b) selecting a predetermined number of beams having a high SMNR value by comparing the calculated SMNR value for respective beam; c) calculating a mainpath Signal to Dominant Multipath signal Ratio (SDMR) based on a channel impulse response corresponding to the selected beam; and d) selecting a beam output signal having the biggest SDMR value by comparing SDMR values calculated in selecting a predetermined number of beams. |
| US07742530B2 |
Digital television system
Disclosed is a digital television system carrying out modulation/demodulation by VSB(vestigial side band). A VSB transmitter includes an additional error correction encoder designed in a manner that a signal mapping of a TCM encoder is considered, a multiplexer(MUX), a TCM encoder operating in a manner corresponding to state transition processes of the additional error correction encoder, and a signal transmission part including an RF converter. And, A VSB receiver includes a signal receiver part receiving a signal transmitted from the transmitter, a TCM decoder, a signal processing part including a derandomizer, and an additional error correction decoder part. |
| US07742527B2 |
Signal compressing system
A multi-scanner scans a signal according to several different patterns. A scanning pattern selector determines which scanning pattern produced the most efficient coding result, for example, for runlength coding, and outputs a coded signal, coded most efficiently, and a selection signal which identifies the scanning pattern found to be most efficient. |
| US07742526B2 |
Moving picture coding method and moving picture decoding method for performing inter picture prediction coding and inter picture prediction decoding using previously processed pictures as reference pictures
A coding control unit (110) and a mode selection unit (109) are included. The coding control unit (110) determines the coding order for a plurality of consecutive B-pictures located between I-pictures and P-pictures so that the B-picture whose temporal distance from two previously coded pictures is farthest in display order is coded by priority, so as to reorder the B-pictures in coding order. When a current block is coded in direct mode, the mode selection unit 109 scales a forward motion vector of a block which is included in a backward reference picture of a current picture and co-located with the current block, so as to generate motion vectors of the current block, if the forward motion vector has been used for coding the co-located block. |
| US07742523B2 |
Moving picture coding apparatus and moving picture decoding apparatus
A video encoder (70) for coding moving pictures comprising a buffer (16c) with a plurality of memory areas capable of storing frames composed of top fields and bottom fields, a motion estimation unit (19) operable to code, field by field, inputted pictures performing moving estimation and moving compensation by referring, field by field, to the picture data stored in a memory area, a motion compensation unit (16d), a subtractor (11), a transformation unit (13) and a quantization unit (14), a memory management unit (71) operable to manage, frame by frame, a plurality of memory areas, an inverse quantization unit (16a) and inverse discrete cosine transform unit (16b) operable to decode picture data in coded fields and store the picture data in the decoded field in any of the plurality of memory areas under the management by the memory management unit (71). |
| US07742522B2 |
Signal compressing system
A multi-scanner scans a signal according to several different patterns. A scanning pattern selector determines which scanning pattern produced the most efficient coding result, for example, for runlength coding, and outputs a coded signal, coded most efficiently, and a selection signal which identifies the scanning pattern found to be most efficient. |
| US07742520B2 |
Equalization circuit
An equalization circuit that allows particularly for lowpass filtering by transmission lines comprises a compensating equalizer controlled according to whether the edges between bits in the data waveform are early or late. Adjusting the equalization causes edges to appear in the same place, whereas if the adjustment is incorrect certain edges will be late and certain edges will be early depending on the history of “1”s and “0”s in the data stream. This is an effect of so-called intersymbol interference. The control mechanism includes circuits for recognizing patterns of “1”s and “0”s in the recent history of the data waveform whose occurrence is used to trigger the adjustment of the equalizer. |
| US07742518B2 |
Discriminator function for GPS code alignment
Embodiments of the present invention pertain generally to methods and systems of processing a global positioning satellite (GPS) signal. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide an improved discriminator function that utilizes the early, prompt, and late correlator values. For example, the improved discriminator function may be normalized based on all three of the early, prompt, and late correlator values. The improved discriminator function behaves linearly across a prescribed region whose width depends on the separation between correlators. |
| US07742517B2 |
Method for modulating a bit string, modulator, radio transmitter, and radio receiver
A modulator includes a first input configured to input a first bit string; a first modulating device configured to modulate the inputted first bit string at a first bit rate; a second input configured to input a second bit string; a second modulating device configured to modulate the inputted second bit string at a second bit rate which is lower than the first bit rate; and an output configured to output a modulated signal including the modulated first bit string and the modulated second bit string. |
| US07742516B2 |
Modulator
A modulator, and more particularly an HPSK modulator, is disclosed that enables the circuit scale to be reduced and also enables power consumption to be reduced. An HPSK modulator 209 incorporated in a radio communication apparatus or the like is equipped with a spreading code multiplication section 11, a complex arithmetic section 101, a coefficient determination section 51, and raised COS filters 41 and 42. Spreading code multiplication section 11 multiplies transmit data DPDCH1 by a spreading code Cd1. Complex arithmetic section 101 performs complex arithmetic on an output signal output from spreading code multiplication section 11 and a scrambling code Sn, and performs conversion to complex data. Coefficient determination section 51 determines a filter coefficient Ad1n based on a gain factor βd1 that determines transmission power. Raised COS filters 41 and 42 band-limit the complex data using the filter coefficient. |
| US07742511B2 |
Method and system for a pulsed laser source emitting shaped optical waveforms
A laser system for processing a workpiece includes a tunable pulsed laser source having an output comprising a set of optical pulses. The tunable pulsed laser source includes a seed source, an optical circulator having a first port coupled to the seed source, a second port, and a third port, a modulator driver, and an amplitude modulator coupled to the modulator driver. The tunable pulsed laser source also includes a first optical amplifier characterized by an input end and a reflective end and a second optical amplifier coupled to the third port of the optical circulator. The laser system also includes a controller configured to adjust laser parameters of the tunable pulsed laser source, a supporting member configured to support the workpiece, and an optical system configured to adjust laser beams from the tunable pulsed laser source and direct them towards the workpiece. |
| US07742509B2 |
Single-longitudinal mode laser with orthogonal-polarization traveling-wave mode
A single longitudinal-mode laser includes a first mirror and a second mirror that define a laser cavity therein that does not include a linear polarizer. A birefringent gain medium can generate a lasing light at a lasing wavelength along a light propagation direction in response to a pump light at a pumping wavelength. The birefringent gain medium has an optical axis substantially perpendicular to the light propagation direction. A first wave plate positioned between the first mirror and the birefringent gain medium is a quarter wave plate at the lasing wavelength and a whole wave plate at the pumping wavelength. A second wave plate is positioned between the birefringent gain medium and the second mirror. The first wave plat and the second wave plate in part produce a single longitudinal mode in the lasing light. |
| US07742508B2 |
Electro-optic deflector
An electro-optic deflector 51 has an electro-optic material body 519 through which an optical beam 46 is passed. The deflector has no more than three longitudinal electrodes, of which no more than two electrodes 511, 512 have arcuate transverse cross-sections. The electrodes are arranged to create an electric field substantially transverse to a direction of the optical beam to deflect the optical beam passing between the electrodes. The electro-optic deflector has particular application in a Q-switched laser for generating sub-nanosecond optical pulses. |
| US07742507B1 |
Method and system for phase and byte alignment on a multiplexed high speed bus
A method and system for multiplexing a plurality of serialized data signals in which a first integrated circuit device generates a plurality of serialized data signals. A second integrated circuit device is in electrical communication with the first integrated circuit device. The second integrated circuit device includes a multiplexer operable to generate a multiplexed output signal from the plurality of serialized data signals received from the first integrated circuit. A phase data and byte snapshot back channel is transmitted from the second integrated circuit device to the first integrated circuit device. The phase data and byte snapshot back channel carries phase data and periodic snapshots of the serialized data signals. The phase data and byte snapshot back channel is used by the first integrated circuit device to adjust the phase of each of the plurality of serialized data signals to preserve bit and byte alignment. Such a method and system can be implemented as a 4×10 Gbit/Sec. system that is multiplexed to a 40 Gbit/Sec. stream as may be used in optical transmission systems. |
| US07742503B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting data from asynchronous network via synchronous network
A transmitting apparatus for encapsulating data received from an asynchronous network to a frame of a specified format and transmitting the received data as a synchronous frame to a synchronous network, includes a code generating part configured to generate an error detection code for detecting an error in the received data and add the error detection code to the received data, an inverting part configured to perform bit inversion in which the received data added with the error detection code are converted to bit inverted received data, a selecting part configured to select either the received data or the bit inverted received data according to the number of bit patterns included in the received data and the bit inverted received data, and a transmitting part configured to transmit either the received data added with the error detection code or the bit inverted received data selected by the selecting part. |
| US07742502B2 |
Method and apparatus for transporting a client layer signal over an optical transport network (OTN)
In order to facilitate the transport of 1 Gbit/s Ethernet signals over an Optical Transport Network using the Optical Transport Hierarchy as specified by ITU-T G.709, a new OTH entity referred to as Optical Channel Data Unit-0 (ODU0, 101) with a capacity of approximately 1.22 Gbit/s is defined. This new entity fits perfectly into the existing OTH multiplexing structure, allowing the transport of two times a 1 Gbit/s Ethernet client layer signal within the capacity of one ODU1 (110), while being individually switchable. A 1 Gbit/s Ethernet signal (102) can be mapped into the ODU0 payload (103) using the Transparent Generic Framing Procedure (GFP-T) encapsulation technique as specified in Rec. G.7041. |
| US07742500B2 |
Method for transmitting data by a mobile station comprising a step of determining a Maximum Datagram Size (MDS)
A mobile station that includes a smart card associated with a mobile host equipment communicates by means of a protocol that is organized in several layers. These layers include at least a data transport layer of the datagram type that is adapted to transmit integral data packets of a maximum size. The transmission method carries out the step of determining the value of the maximum size of data packets that are capable of being integrally transmitted by the transport layer of the mobile host equipment, and storing that value in the card. |
| US07742497B2 |
Access systems and methods for a shared communication medium
Priority-based access systems and methods for shared communication media are provided. The priority and a corresponding weight of traffic to be transmitted on a shared communication medium are determined. This determination may be made, for example, before a first attempt to transmit the traffic, or before a subsequent traffic transmission attempt following an unsuccessful transmission attempt. The weight controls a rate of change of an exponential delay range limit factor in proportion to a number of attempts to transmit the traffic. The resultant weighted delay range limit factor is used to determine a range of delays from which a delay is selected. A transmission back-off time is then determined based on the selected delay. |
| US07742496B2 |
Simultaneous serial transmission of messages with bit-arbitrated selection of the numerically largest or smallest value in the messages' data fields
A communication system has a number of nodes connected to a serial data bus. Nodes communicate with each other by transmitting dominant and recessive bits during bit intervals as taught by the CAN (controller area network) arbitration protocol. According to the CAN arbitration protocol, any dominant bit transmitted during a bit interval causes the bit value received to be a dominant bit regardless of the number of recessive bits being sent. The system is arranged so that two or more nodes each respond to a report query message sent by one of the nodes, with a report message sent simultaneously by each of the nodes. The headers (leading bits) of each of the report messages sent by nodes responding to a report query message are the same, allowing arbitration on a trailing node data field. This results in the message having the numerically largest (or smallest) node data field value to survive arbitration. Thus a number of nodes can be polled with a report query message and will respond by simultaneously sending each node's numerical data value with the largest or smallest of these data values received by the system's nodes. |
| US07742489B2 |
Multi-protocol network interface card
A method and apparatus for a communications network that executes a medium access control (MAC) protocol that permits multiple access to a shared medium or shared switching fabric. The MAC protocol uses a BANDWIDTH_ALLOCATOR to regulate access to the network by sending a permission message to a NODE, allowing it to transmit to a specific set of NODEs for a specific length of time. The medium and switching fabric can carry one or more protocols, each of varying framing format and native bitrate. The switching fabric provides a connection-oriented bufferless data transport service that preserves frame ordering. An illustrative embodiment uses a slotted master/slave time-division multiplexed access (TDMA) scheme to allow flexible provisioning of network bandwidth. |
| US07742486B2 |
Network interconnect crosspoint switching architecture and method
A network switching system includes transceiver devices respectively provided for a plurality of input line cards. The switching system also includes transceiver devices respective provided for a plurality of output line cards. The switching system further includes a switch device communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of input line cards and the plurality of output line cards. The switch device includes a crosspoint matrix for communicatively connecting one of the input line cards to one of the output line cards. The switch device is capable of operating in either a crosspoint mode for routing cells or packets from one of the input line cards to one of the output line cards, or a scheduler mode for controlling flow of cells and/or packets through at least one other switch device. |
| US07742484B2 |
Multifabric communication using a backbone fabric
A Fibre Channel router used to join fabrics. EX_ports are used to connect to the fabrics. The EX_port joins the fabric but the router will not merge into the fabric. Ports in the Fibre Channel router can be in a fabric, but other ports can be connected to other fabrics. Fibre Channel routers can be interconnected using a backbone fabric. Global, interfabric and encapsulation headers are developed to allow routing by conventional Fibre Channel switch devices in the backbone fabric and simplify Fibre Channel router routing. Phantom domains and devices must be developed for each of the fabrics being interconnected. Front phantom domains are present at each port directly connected to a fabric. Each of these is then connected to at least one translate phantom domain. Zoning is accomplished by use of a special LSAN zoning naming convention. This allows each administrator to independently define devices are accessible. |
| US07742483B2 |
Method and radio sation for transmitting data packets in a radio-communication system
A method transmits data packets in a radio-communication system. A criterion is associated with a data packet received by a radio station, and a data packet which is correctly received is transmitted to another device and/or protocol layer when the criterion has been met. |
| US07742482B1 |
Upstream label assignment for the resource reservation protocol with traffic engineering
The invention is directed toward techniques for Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) upstream label assignment for the Resource Reservation Protocol with Traffic Engineering (RSVP-TE). The techniques include extensions to the RSVP-TE that enable distribution of upstream assigned labels in Path messages from an upstream router to two or more downstream routers of tunnel established over a network. The tunnel may comprise a RSVP-TE P2MP Label Switched Path (LSP) or an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast tunnel. The techniques also include extensions to the RSVP-TE that enable a router to advertise upstream label assignment capability to neighboring routers in the network. The MPLS upstream label assignment using RSVP-TE described herein enables a branch router to avoid traffic replication on a Local Area Network (LAN) for RSVP-TE P2MP LSPs. |
| US07742480B2 |
Selective header field dispatch in a network processing system
A method and structure are disclosed for dispatching appropriate data to a network processing system comprising an improved technique for extracting protocol header fields for use by the network processor. This technique includes basic classification of a packet according to the types of protocol headers present in the packet. Based on the results of the classification, specific parameter fields are extracted from corresponding headers. All such parameter fields from one or more protocol headers in the packet are concatenated into a compressed dispatch message. Multiples of such dispatch messages are bundled into a single composite dispatch message. Thus, selected header fields from N packets are passed to the network processor in a single composite dispatch message, increasing the network processor's packet forwarding capacity by a factor of N. Likewise, multiple enqueue messages are bundled into a single composite enqueue message to direct enqueue and frame alterations to be taken on the bundle of N packets. |
| US07742479B1 |
Method and apparatus for dynamic network address reassignment employing interim network address translation
An edge router termed a “service gateway” operates to reassign network addresses such as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to a subscriber, such as when the subscriber is to be transitioned from a first virtual private network (VPN) to a second VPN. The service gateway obtains a new network address routable in a second VPN and applies dynamic edge network address translation (NAT) on an interim basis to provide instant access to the second VPN (following web-based identification for example), while a prior lease for an initial network address not routable in the second VPN is still in effect. When the subscriber attempts to renew the lease in due course, the renewal request is rejected, which forces the subscriber to re-initiate dynamic host control protocol (DHCP) procedures to obtain a new network address. At this point, the interim NAT mapping is removed and the new network address is assigned directly to the subscriber via DHCP. This approach combines the benefits of DHCP and NAT while minimizing dead time on the network and the processing overhead associated with alternative approaches. |
| US07742475B2 |
Techniques for distributing replication points for traffic using point-to-point links
Techniques for dynamically distribute replication points based on routing metrics are provided. A receiver list may be split based on the routing metrics. For example, the receiver list may be split based on unicast reachability over an interface. If portions of egress routers are reachable over different interfaces, the portions are included together in a sublist. Thus, the list is split into sublists based on the reachability. Point-to-point links are then set up between a head end router and an egress router in each sublist. The sublist is then sent to each egress router, which can perform the process above in setting up a point-to-point link to another egress router in each sublist. |
| US07742474B2 |
Virtual network interface cards with VLAN functionality
A method for receiving incoming packets associated with a virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) includes receiving an incoming packet, classifying the incoming packet based on a VLAN tag embedded in the incoming packet, wherein the VLAN tag corresponds to the VLAN, and passing the incoming packet to a virtual network interface card (NIC) based on the VLAN tag. |
| US07742473B2 |
Accelerator module
Stateless storage accelerator modules comprise network interfaces and filter functions that enable the accelerated processing of stateless protocols associated with network storage. Filter functions examine packets received over the network interface according to contexts associated with the destination of the packets. Contexts are found quickly through a fast look-up to ensure high performance of the over all system. The contexts comprise information associated with storage areas including addresses associated with the storage areas. |
| US07742472B2 |
Signal processing apparatus and stream processing method
A signal processing apparatus includes, a receiving unit which receives a stream includes compression-encoded data via a network, the stream being formed by packets to which time stamps are respectively added, a generating unit which generates a first stream from the stream received by the receiving unit, based on the time stamps added to the packets in the stream received by the receiving unit to output the first stream from an output port, a selector to which has a first port that receives the first stream output from the output port and a second port that receives a second stream including compression-encoded data and being transmitted in real time from outside, the selector selecting one of the first stream input to the first port and the second stream input to the second port, and a decoding unit which decodes the one stream selected by the selector. |
| US07742471B2 |
Methods and systems for routing packets with a hardware forwarding engine and a software forwarding engine
A system is provided that includes a hardware forwarding engine that routes data packets. The system also comprises a processor coupled to the hardware forwarding engine, the processor having a software forwarding engine that routes data packets. If data packets are forwarded from the hardware forwarding engine to the software forwarding engine, the hardware forwarding engine provides route lookup results for at least some of the data packets forwarded to the software forwarding engine. |
| US07742468B2 |
Systems and methods for providing enhanced telephone services
A method for providing enhanced telephone services via a computerized telephone services device for use in conjunction with multiple telephone lines and providers. According to embodiments of the invention, a subscriber to telephone services or a group of subscribers may be reached on multiple telephone lines from a single dial-in number; calls in progress may be transferred seamlessly from one line associated with a subscriber to another; and group calling features may be enhanced. |
| US07742466B2 |
Switchboard for multiple data rate communication system
A switchboard device and methods of operation of same are disclosed. Embodiments of the invention may provide a flexible means of interconnecting wideband and narrowband communications interfaces, where wideband communications interfaces may transfer low-band data and high-band data, and narrowband communication interfaces may transfer low-band data. Low-band data may be combined and sent to a narrowband communications interface or a wideband communications interface. High-band data may be combined and sent to a wideband communications interface. The low-band data may represent audio signals below a predetermined frequency, while the high-band data may represent audio signals above the predetermined frequency. The predetermined frequency may be, for example, approximately 4 kHz. The spectral mask of the low-band data may meet the spectral mask of G.712. Methods of operating embodiments of the present invention are included. An additional aspect of the present invention may include machine-readable storage having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the foregoing. |
| US07742464B2 |
System and method for remotely controlling a communication terminal
When a setting in an IP telephone terminal is to be changed, a remote resetter registers subscriber information corresponding to this IP telephone terminal and places a call to this IP telephone terminal. The IP telephone terminal sends a setup request to a setup server if an incoming call is from a pre-registered source. When the IP telephone terminal receives, as a response to this request, setup information from the setup server, the IP telephone terminal sets the setup information and sends a setup completion notification to the remote resetter. Upon receipt of the setup completion notification, the remote resetter deletes the subscriber information corresponding to this IP telephone terminal. |
| US07742460B2 |
Method for detecting calls and corresponding units
Disclosed is a method in which a detection request, by means of which an identifier of a calling terminal is to be detected, is addressed to a signaling unit by a called terminal. The called terminal is connected to a data packet transmission network. The signaling unit signals according to a signaling protocol that has been defined for the transmission of data in a data packet transmission network. The detection request is transmitted along with a message and/or an information element which has been established for signaling in the data packet transmission network. |
| US07742452B2 |
System and method for dynamic preamble assignment
A method of operation of a multi-hop wireless communication system comprising operating a first device to communicate with one or more network devices using a preamble sequence; locating the first device within range of a network entity; and switching the preamble sequence of the first device to a second preamble for communicating with the one or more network devices. |
| US07742449B2 |
Handover function testing method and spectrum spread mobile communications system
At least a mobile terminal 10, base station radio apparatuses 20a and 20b that communicate with the mobile terminal 10, and a radio base station control apparatus 30 that controls the transmission powers of the base station radio apparatuses 20a and 20b are at least provided. When a handover function test is performed between cells that are covered by the base station radio apparatuses 20a and 20b, the radio base station control apparatus 30 calculates a difference between the levels of the reception fields of the base station radio apparatuses 20a and 20b that cover the cells for which the handover test of the mobile terminal 10 is to be performed. Then, the radio base station control apparatus 30 controls the transmission powers of the base station radio apparatuses 20a and 20b so that the difference is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold value. Thereafter, the radio base station control apparatus 30 performs the handover function test between the cells covered by the base station radio apparatuses 20a and 20b, the difference between the levels of the reception fields from which is equal to or smaller than the threshold value. |
| US07742448B2 |
Optimizing topology learning in a multihop network
In a multihop network having a first type of node, a second type of node and a third type of node, techniques are provided for optimizing topology learning in the multihop network which can reduce the amount of control traffic that occurs due to frequent topology changes. For example, each of the nodes can transmit a node identifier and status information to the first type of node. The status information associated with each node can include a node type and a mobility state of the node. The first type of node can store the node identifier and the status information from each of the nodes. The first type of node can reserve or allocate a channel resource to each of the second type of nodes having a mobile state. The channel resource is used by the second type of node for exchanging topology information with the first type of node. |
| US07742445B2 |
Distributed network communication system which enables multiple network providers to use a common distributed network infrastructure
In one embodiment, a wireless access point wirelessly receives identification information from a portable computing device, determines a particular communication medium access provider identified in the identification information, wirelessly receives data from the portable computing device, and transmits the data to a destination of the particular communication medium access provider. In one embodiment, the wireless access point communicates with the portable computing device using wireless Ethernet, listens for all types of identification information and answers all queries from the portable computing device even if the wireless access point does not recognize the identification information, and provides the portable computing devices access to a plurality of communication medium access providers. In one embodiment, each of the communication medium access providers wirelessly connects the portable computing device to a network, and the identification information identifies a particular one of the communication medium access providers. |
| US07742442B2 |
Changing access point (AP) device type based on connectivity to a network
Techniques are provided for determining whether a particular Access Point (AP) is to be designated as an Infrastructure Access Point (IAP) or a Backhaul Mesh Access Point (BMAP) based on the connectivity of the particular AP to a network which includes at least one multicast heartbeat message (MCHBM) source. Techniques are provided which can allow an Infrastructure Access Point (IAP) to change its device type to a Backhaul Mesh Access Point (BMAP) device type when the IAP determines that connectivity to the network is lost. Other techniques are provided which can allow a Backhaul Mesh Access Point (BMAP) to change its device type to an Infrastructure Access Point (IAP) device type when the BMAP determines that connectivity to the network is established. |
| US07742441B2 |
Apparatus, and associated method, for setting the number of page indications per page to be included in a quick page message
Apparatus, and an associated method, for paging an access terminal in a radio communication system. A page indication count setter selects the page indication count, i.e., the number of page indications per page, to be included in a quick page message. The set page indication count is dependent upon communication activity, e.g., the system paging load, identified by a communication activity input indicia identifier. |
| US07742440B2 |
Networks and methods integrating digital mobile standards
Communications in a wireless communication system based on two or more communication standards are configured for delivery to cell sites or to subscribers using a digital link having channels assigned to the two or more communication standards. A T-1 level can be divided into twenty four channels that are assigned to two or more mobile standards, and subscriber or network communications based on the two or more standards can be delivered to, for example, radio transmitters associated with the mobile standards. Channel allocation can be revised based upon requested capacity associated with the mobile standards. |
| US07742432B2 |
Topology comparison
A solution for comparing topologies is provided. In an embodiment of the invention, a set of differences between the nodes and/or connectors of two or more topologies is obtained. Each difference can comprise a missing node/connector and/or a difference in an item/relationship attribute. A user interface is generated that displays one or more of the differences by displaying a subset of each topology that corresponds to the difference. In an embodiment of the invention, a user interface for comparing topologies is provided that displays each subset in a unique display area and enables a user to select the difference(s) and/or limit the difference(s) that can be selected based on the type of difference. |
| US07742429B1 |
Method and system of promptly processing real-time media stream data packet
A method and system for fast transporting real-time media stream data package is based on the Real-time Transport Protocol/Real-time Transport Control Protocol of User Datagram Protocol for network nodes such as media gateway, Integrated Access Device (IAD) and multimedia terminal. The improvement of the system lies in the adding of an IP data package fast filter module, a UDP fast sending module and a policy ARP table process module based on local UDP port. The method involves: fast receiving the real-time media stream data package transmitted on the basis of RTP/RTCP protocol; fast sending the real-time media stream data package transmitted on the basis of RTP/RTCP protocol; and a policy ARP table based on UDP port and its refurbishing system. |
| US07742427B2 |
Internal loop-back architecture for parallel serializer/deserializer (SERDES)
An internal loop-back architecture for a parallel serializer/deserializer (SERDES) includes a transmitter macro including a plurality of transmit elements arranged in a parallel architecture, and a receiver macro including a plurality of receive elements arranged in a parallel architecture, wherein at least a portion of the transmit elements and a portion of the receive elements share a communication channel and wherein any of the plurality of transmit elements in a row can communicate with any of the plurality of receive elements in a row, and wherein each of the plurality of transmit element includes a loop-back arrangement with each of the plurality of receive elements. |
| US07742424B2 |
Communication-efficient distributed monitoring of thresholded counts
A system, method, and computer program product for distributed monitoring of local thresholds at each of a number of monitoring nodes and initiating communication only after the locally observed data exceeds the local threshold. Both static thresholds and adaptive thresholds are considered. In the static case, a combination of two alternate strategies for considering thresholds minimizes communication overhead. In the adaptive case, local thresholds are adjusted based on the observed distributions of updated information in the distributed monitoring system. Both approaches yield significant savings over the naïve approach of performing processing at a centralized location. |
| US07742419B2 |
Method, system and article for improved TCP performance during packet reordering
TCP congestion avoidance is implemented upon retransmission of a packet and is reverted back to the original congestion state upon receipt of an early acknowledgement (ACK), indicating reordering of packets, thereby eliminating a needless restriction on TCP bandwidth. Upon receiving an ACK to a retransmitted packet, it is determined if the ACK resulted from receipt of the original reordered packet or the retransmitted packet, based on the arrival time of the ACK at the sender. If the round-trip-time (RTT) for the retransmitted packet is much lower than the average or current calculated RTT for the network link between sender and receiver, then the retransmission occurred as a result of a reordering event, and the congestion window is restored back to its value prior to the retransmission, thereby permitting the network link to continue operating at its original increased throughput. |
| US07742412B1 |
Method and apparatus for preventing head of line blocking in an ethernet system
A method for preventing head of line blocking in an Ethernet system. In one embodiment, a network interface detects whether there is traffic flow congestion between the network interface and a data processing unit such as a CPU or other peripheral. If yes, the network interface communicates the congestion status to its attached Ethernet switch. In another aspect of the invention, the Ethernet switch then stops serving the congested port or queue, and informs a switch from which the traffic flow causing the congestion originates. In a further aspect, the originating switch then reduces bandwidth for the traffic flow causing the congestion. In a still further aspect, the originating switch can take the bandwidth that it acquired because of reducing the congesting traffic flow, and use it to increase bandwidth for other traffic flow. |
| US07742409B2 |
Method and apparatus for compensating for performance degradation of an application session
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for compensating for a performance degradation of an application session in a plurality of application sessions associated with a network link. The performance of each application session in the plurality of application sessions associated with the network link is determined. The performance of each application session in the plurality is then compared. From this comparison, a lowest performance application session in the plurality of application sessions is identified. Corrective action is performed on packets scheduled to be transmitted over the lowest performance application session. |
| US07742407B2 |
Quality of service management in a switched digital video environment
Quality of service management in a switched digital video environment. The devices in a user's home can be given quality of service priority statuses by a system operator. In the event of oversubscription, the quality of service management allows the user to determine which services will have priority over others if more bandwidth is requested than available. |
| US07742406B1 |
Coordinated environment for classification and control of network traffic
Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to the coordinated classification of network traffic. In one implementation, the present invention enables a coordinated network environment for traffic classification where an upstream network device classifies a data flow and adds traffic class information to at least one packet in the data flow. Downstream network devices in the communications path to the destination host can use the traffic class information in the modified packet, bypassing at least some of the local traffic classification operations and thereby reducing CPU utilization. In one implementation, the last downstream network device strips the traffic classification information from the modified packet before it is forwarded to the destination host. Embodiments of the invention reduce or eliminate redundant network traffic classification operations performed by a plurality of network devices in a communications path. |
| US07742403B2 |
Deadlock detection in a telecommunication network
A method is described for checking deadlock in a telecommunication network including a first activated backup connection for protecting traffic over a first intended connection. The method includes the steps of checking a reversion blocked status of the first intended connection by checking if the segments of the first intended connection are available or not available, in case of detecting the reversion blocked status of the first intended connection identifying activated backup connections using the not available segments of the first intended connection, identifying the corresponding intended connections, checking the reversion blocked status of each identified corresponding intended connection by checking if the corresponding segments are available or not available, in case of detecting the reversion blocked status of an identified corresponding intended connection checking if a corresponding not available segment is included in the first backup connection. The method further provides the indication of the intended connections involved in the deadlock. |
| US07742402B2 |
Path switching control system, path switching control method and computer system using path switching control
Disclosed is a path switching control system for controlling path switching, including: an active path control unit for controlling active paths; a standby path control unit for controlling standby paths; and a path switching control unit being configured in hardware and for controlling the path switching, wherein the path switching control unit includes: a control information reading unit for reading control information from the active path control unit on the occurrence of a failure in the active path control unit; and a control information writing unit for writing the control information read by the control information reading unit into the standby path control unit. A computer system using the path switching system and a path switching control method are also disclosed. |
| US07742401B2 |
Network having switchover with no data loss
A data switchover from a first switching module to a second switching module has no data loss. A graceful code upgrade in a Fibre Channel network, for example, with no data loss can be achieved. |
| US07742398B1 |
Information redirection
A technique is disclosed for redirecting information in a segmented virtual machine. The technique includes sending information to a shell VM and redirecting the information to bypass the shell VM. A technique for evaluating whether to redirect information may include sending a discovery packet, receiving a reply to the discovery packet; and determining whether a switch is capable of stitching based on the reply. A technique for responding to a discovery packet may include receiving the discovery packet at a switch and sending a response indicating a capability of the switch. |
| US07742396B2 |
Communication control method, address management node, and mobile node
A technique is disclosed whereby, while a MN (mobile node) is separated from a home network, the status available on a home network is obtained, and a communication path is optimized for a packet to be transmitted between the MN and a CN (correspondent node) via a HA (home agent). According to this technique, an HA 20 that manages a plurality of home addresses allocated to an MN 10 detects communication statuses of, for example, an ISP1 and an ISP2, and selects a home address that is designated, for a packet transfer to be performed from the MN, via the HA, to a CN 15, as a source address for the inner packet of an encapsulated packet to be transmitted from the MN to the HA. Since the MN designates this home address as the source address for the inner packet, a packet decapsulated and transferred by the HA is delivered to the CN via the ISP1 or the ISP2 in a superior communication status. |
| US07742393B2 |
Locating endpoints in a power line communication system
A system for bi-directional communication within a power distribution system. The system is configured to find an endpoint, the endpoint having an endpoint transceiver in electrical communication with a power distribution line. The power distribution line is within the power distribution system, and the endpoint is identified by a unique identifier (I.D.). The system comprises a substation transceiver electrically coupled to a power distribution line within the power distribution system. A substation circuit is in electrical communication with the substation transceiver. The substation circuit is programmed to map the unique I.D. endpoint to a base frequency within a bandwidth and to control the endpoint to transmit a find endpoint data packet onto the power distribution network. The find endpoint data packet includes the unique I.D. and the base frequency. The substation circuit is further programmed to assign a status to the base frequency upon receiving a signal from the endpoint, the status indicating that the substation transceiver is receiving signals in the frequency bandwidth. |
| US07742391B2 |
Apparatus and method for estimating frequency offset
In a frequency offset estimating device of a subscriber station of a communication system in which a plurality of sectors are allocated to a cell, the frequency offset estimating device extracts a preamble sequence from a downlink frame signal. The frequency offset estimating device estimates a phase offset of a sector to which the subscriber station belongs among the sectors by using the preamble sequence, and calculates the autocorrelation value for the respective signals of the preamble sequence. The frequency offset estimating device compensates the autocorrelation value by using the phase offset, and estimates a frequency offset from the sum of the phase offset compensated autocorrelation values. |
| US07742390B2 |
Method and apparatus for improved long preamble formats in a multiple antenna communication system
Methods and apparatus are provided for improved long preamble formats in a multiple antenna communication system having N antennas. According to one aspect of the invention, a preamble having a legacy portion and a high throughput portion is transmitted (or received) on each of the N transmit antennas, wherein the legacy portion comprises a legacy long training field and the high throughput portion comprises at least N high throughput long training fields, wherein the N high throughput long training fields are transmitted in N time slots using an N×N orthogonal matrix. The orthogonal matrix can be, for example, one or more of a Walsh matrix and a Fourier matrix. The N time slots can optionally comprise a single symbol. |
| US07742389B2 |
Method and apparatus for improved short preamble formats in a multiple antenna communication system
Methods and apparatus are provided for improved short preamble formats in a multiple antenna communication system having N antennas. A short preamble format having a legacy portion and a high throughput portion is transmitted (or received) on each of the N transmit antennas, wherein the legacy portion comprises a legacy long training field and the high throughput portion comprises N−1 high throughput long training fields. The legacy long training field and the N−1 high throughput long training fields can be transmitted in N time slots using an N×N orthogonal matrix, such as a Walsh matrix or a Fourier matrix. The N time slots can optionally comprise a single symbol. Backwards compatibility is optionally maintained by including a legacy short training field and a legacy signal field in the legacy portion of the short preamble. |
| US07742385B2 |
Hybrid optical data carrier having a modified CD layer
The invention relates to an optical data carrier which combines a CD layer with at least one further format, such as a DVD layer for example. If a hybrid data carrier of this kind is to be produced in a thickness of less than 1.7 mm, and preferably in a thickness of 1.5 mm or less, then, seen from the surface which is to be read from, the CD layer will normally be situated at a depth of considerably less than 1.1 mm, and the CD substrate therefore has to be thinned down. The quality of the reading signals obtained is increased by increasing the length of the optically readable structures of the CD layer in comparison with the values which are usual in this case. Because of the difficulties which certain CD players have in focussing when the substrates are thin, the refractive index of the disc material used is reduced from the figure for polycarbonate, at least in the case of the CD substrate, the recommended range being between 1.40 and 1.55. The compatibility of the CD layer of a hybrid disc according to the invention with different players may be further increased by widening its readable structures in comparison with normal values and thus by making them more than 500 nm wide. |
| US07742384B2 |
Optical head and optical disc device
The present invention aims to provide an optical head and an optical disk device capable of suitably detecting tracking error signals for different types of optical discs.A polarizing hologram element includes a first area and a second area adjacent to the first area in an area where a beam reflected and diffracted by a BD passes. The first area includes a first transmission area for transmitting many 1st-order diffracted lights from the BD, a second transmission area adjacent to the first transmission area and closer to an optical axis than the first transmission area, and a third transmission area adjacent to the first and second transmission areas. The second area includes a fourth transmission area for transmitting many 1st-order diffracted lights from the BD, a fifth transmission area adjacent to the fourth transmission area and closer to the optical axis than the fourth transmission area, and a sixth transmission area adjacent to the fourth and fifth transmission areas. |
| US07742383B2 |
Optical pickup lens
An optical pickup lens for focusing a light beam from a laser light source on an optical information recording medium is a single lens. The optical pickup lens has two surfaces, and a surface R2 opposite to a surface R1 closer to the laser light source has a continuous shape. When the surface R2 has radii h1, h2 and h3 (h1 |
| US07742377B2 |
Image forming method, apparatus and computer-readable recording medium having image forming program
An image forming apparatus at least includes a photoreceptor, a light emitter, a detector and a controller. The light emitter irradiates the photoreceptor with a laser beam so as to form an electrostatic latent image thereon. The detector detects an incident amount of the laser beam falling on a light receiving portion of the detector on a main scan line. The controller changes at least one of a detection sensitivity of the detector for a laser beam and an emission amount of the laser beam emitted from the light emitter when the incident amount of the laser beam detected by the detector is not greater than a predetermined value. |
| US07742376B2 |
Recording medium and method and apparatus for controlling the recording using sequence numbers of control information units
A recording medium equipped with recording/reproducing control information, and a method and apparatus for controlling the recording medium using the control information are disclosed. The recording medium includes: a data area in which data is recorded; and a management area in which control information is recorded, wherein the management area includes a plurality of first control information units equipped with the control information and a plurality of second control information units, the second control information unit being formed by grouping at least one first control information units among the plurality of first control information units, and the control information includes information indicating the number of consecutive second control information units among the plurality of second control information units. Therefore, the recording medium can be effectively controlled. |
| US07742375B2 |
Method of recording information to and reproducing information from an optical information storage medium
A method of recording information to a read-only optical information storage medium comprising a plurality of areas, including: recording data in at least one of the plurality of areas in the form of pits in a first pit pattern; and recording data in others of the plurality of areas in the form of pits in a second pit pattern different from the first. |
| US07742374B2 |
Method of recording data on optical recording media and optical recording device
A method of recording data on a double-layer optical recording medium having a recording layer with high light transmittance is provided. A laser beam is modulated to emit a pulse series of laser including a write pulse of a write power and a cooling pulse of a bottom power, so as to encode and write data to be recorded as recording marks of a length nT along a track of the recording layer, where n is an integer and T is one clock cycle. An nT recording mark is formed using (n−1) write pulse(s), and when forming a recording mark of 4 T or longer, a cooling pulse with a pulse width of 0.8 T to 2 T is inserted before the last write pulse. Recording marks are thereby accurately formed without heat interference between consecutive recording marks and cross erase between recording marks of adjacent tracks. |
| US07742373B2 |
Optical disk drive for scanning an optical disk carrying a groove with a wobble
An optical disk drive for scanning an optical disk having a wobbled groove and a land portion separating adjacent parts of the groove. The optical disk drive has a beam generator for generating a read beam and directing the read beam to the optical disk, a sensor for sensing a reflected beam produced by the optical disk upon receiving the read beam and for producing a sensor output signal with a sensor output signal amplitude, and an envelope analyzer to receive the sensor output signal from the sensor, to analyze an envelope (WS1e, WS2e) of the sensor output signal amplitude, and to derive from a variation of the envelope (WS1e, WS2e) as a function of time an indicator indicating whether the read beam is directed to the groove or to the land portion. |
| US07742370B2 |
Objective lens and optical information read/write device
An objective lens, for an optical information read/write device that performs read/write operations on each of a plurality of optical discs using a corresponding one of three laser beams having first, second, and third wavelengths λ1, λ2, and λ3 (nm) satisfying a relationship λ1<λ2<λ3, respectively, includes a phase shift structure having a plurality of ring-shaped refractive surface zones into which at least one surface of the objective lens is concentrically divided. The objective lens is made of material with an Abbe number νd satisfying a condition 40≦νd≦80. The phase shift structure has a step between each couple of the adjacent refractive surface zones that gives an optical path difference to an incident laser beam, so that a condition 2N+1.00<|ΔOPD/λ1|<2N+1.30 is satisfied, where ΔOPD represents the optical path difference (nm) that the step gives to the laser beam with the first wavelength, and N represents a non-negative integer. |
| US07742367B2 |
One piece self-expiring security badge or label
A self-expiring badge or label is provided that includes a clear substrate, an opaque adhesive layer, a liner web, and an ink pattern is provided. The clear substrate has a back surface and a front surface with the opaque adhesive layer on the back surface. The liner web has a first surface and a second surface, where the adhesive layer secures the substrate to the first surface. The ink pattern is on at least a portion of the second surface. Upon removal of the liner web from the adhesive layer, the portion remains secured to the clear substrate by the adhesive layer and the clear substrate is foldable to place the ink pattern in contact with the adhesive layer. The ink pattern migrates through the adhesive layer in a selected time interval and is visible through the clear substrate when the ink pattern is in contact with the adhesive layer. |
| US07742366B2 |
One piece self-expiring security badge or label with devices to print, activate and issue the time-label automatically
A self-expiring badge or label that includes an upper substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface and an adhesive activator layer on the lower surface. A protective layer having a first surface and a second surface is provided, with the first surface of the protective layer being removably attached to and overlaying the adhesive layer. A lower substrate is provided that has an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface being removably attached to and overlaying the second surface of the protective layer. A migrating ink pattern is on the lower surface of the lower substrate. To activate, the upper substrate and at least a portion of the lower substrate are removed from the protective layer to leave a remaining portion of the lower substrate having the migrating ink pattern thereon. The migrating ink pattern is then contacted with the exposed adhesive activator layer to activate the migrating ink pattern to migrate through the adhesive activator layer and upper substrate in a selected time interval for viewing from the upper surface of the upper support layer to indicate an expired badge or label. Preferably the migrating ink pattern is contacted with the adhesive layer by folding it onto the adhesive layer. Optionally, to activate the badge both substrates are completely removed from the protective layer and the migrating ink pattern is contacted with the adhesive layer. |
| US07742362B2 |
Timepiece comprising an alarm
A timepiece with an alarm mechanism having: a power source (24) which is locked when the mechanism is at rest and unlocked when the mechanism is in operation; an adjustment system which can be used to program the alarm time; and a trigger system that includes a control member (16) which controls the unlocking of the power source and a cam (10) which is kinematically connected to the movement and performs one revolution every 24 hours. The alarm mechanism also has a first striking train mechanism equipped with at least one hammer (54) arranged to strike at least one gong (56), and a second striking train mechanism equipped with at least one hammer (70) arranged to strike at least one non-resonant object (72), wherein the power source (24) drives one or the other of the striking train mechanisms. |
| US07742361B2 |
Method for changing a time zone, and timepiece therefor
Method for switching the time zone indicated by a timepiece (1) in order to switch from an initial time zone to a modified time zone, having the following steps: the user enters a time switch command (268) by means of the crown, the hours' and minutes' hands indicate the time of the modified time zone (274), whilst the seconds' hand indicates a city corresponding to the selected time zone, the timepiece automatically returns (280) to the initial time zone and indicates the time of the initial time zone (202), or the time of the modified time zone is retained by means of a command from the user. |
| US07742360B1 |
Date-identifying container for perishable food items
A combined container and date-notification mechanism includes a container that has a body and a lid removably attached thereto for maintaining the perishable food item isolated from the environment. A mechanism is included for identifying a date when the perishable food item is placed inside the body such that a user can quickly identify a number of days that the perishable food has been housed within the container without removing the lid from the body. An identification marker is adjustably connected to the date-identifying mechanism and is spaced from the affixing mechanism. A mechanism is included for removably affixing the date-identifying mechanism onto the lid such that the user can selectively affix the date-identifying mechanism onto alternate containers. The affixing mechanism is formed from water insoluble material. |
| US07742359B2 |
Calibration circuit of a semiconductor memory device and method of operating the same
A calibration circuit for a semiconductor device and a method of driving the same. The calibration circuit includes a PRBS generator in which a data pattern is generated within an integrated circuit without receiving data from the outside, a PRBS tester that compares output signals of a data latch that strobes and latches an output signal of a data input buffer to determine whether the interlock operation of data and strobe is pass or fail, and a calibration unit that calibrates a delay time using the output signal of the PRBS tester as much as a predetermined unit. Thus, variation in process, voltage, temperature, etc. can be freely calibrated even after package assembly. Accordingly, it is possible to guarantee a set-up/hold value that is necessary for high frequency operation of a system, and to reduce the time and resources necessary for product manufacture and for calibrating these values. |
| US07742356B2 |
Semiconductor memory device having a refresh cycle changing circuit
A semiconductor memory device includes a first refresh cycle changing circuit that changes a refresh cycle according to an auto-refresh mode, without giving influence to a refresh cycle according to a self-refresh mode, and a second refresh cycle changing circuit that changes a refresh cycle according to the self-refresh mode, without giving influence to a refresh cycle according to the auto-refresh mode. In this way, according to the present invention, the refresh cycle according to the auto-refresh mode and the refresh cycle according to the self-refresh mode can be controlled independently. Therefore, refresh operation considering the characteristic of each mode can be executed. |
| US07742354B2 |
Random access memory data resetting method
A random access memory data resetting method is provided. The method includes following steps. First, a state machine resetting signal is provided to a RAM. Next, the state machine resetting signal is extended for a predetermined time period. Afterwards, a data resetting operation is executed in the RAM within the predetermined time period. |
| US07742351B2 |
Semiconductor device and electronic device
In relation to reading of data in a memory, it is an object to provide a semiconductor device mounted with a low power consumption memory. A semiconductor device including a word line, a bit line, and a memory cell electrically connected to the word line and the bit line, further includes a precharge circuit for making the bit line have an electric potential for reading data stored in the memory cell. The precharge circuit is provided for each bit line and connected to the bit line. Further, the precharge circuit is capable of making each bit line have an electric potential for reading the data stored in the memory cell for each bit line. |
| US07742349B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
A circuit can control a bit rate of information output from a multi-purpose register (MPR) of a semiconductor memory device in a test mode, thereby reducing current consumption for outputting information in a multi-purpose register (MPR). The semiconductor memory device includes a multi-purpose register configured separately to store a plurality of information, and to control a bit rate of the stored information in a test mode, each of the information having multiple bits, and a connection selector configured selectively to connect an output terminal of the multi-purpose register to one of a number of global lines according to an operation mode. |
| US07742345B2 |
Data input circuit of semiconductor memory apparatus and method of inputting the data
A data input circuit for a semiconductor memory apparatus includes a write latency control unit configured to generate a buffer enable signal based on a low frequency operation mode signal, and a data input buffer configured to buffer input data in response to the buffer enable signal. |
| US07742342B2 |
Biasing circuit for EEPROM memories with shared latches
An EEPROM memory having a matrix of individually selectable memory cells, the matrix having a plurality of columns, a plurality of data lines each coupled with the cells of a corresponding column, the data lines being grouped in a plurality of packets, a plurality of biasing elements for providing a biasing signal to the data lines, and means for selecting the biasing elements for a selected one of the packets, wherein each biasing element is associated with corresponding data lines of a plurality of packets, the biasing element comprising switching means for selectively applying the biasing signal to a selected one of the associated data lines. |
| US07742340B2 |
Read reference technique with current degradation protection
A set of reference cells is used for sensing the data values stored at bit cells of a memory device. In response to an event, the reference cell providing the highest output of the set is selected as the reference cell to be used for subsequent memory access operations. The remaining reference cells are disabled so that they can recover back to or near their original non-degraded states. At each successive event, the set of reference cells can be reassessed to identify the reference cell that provides the highest output at that time and the memory device can be reconfigured to utilize the reference cell so identified. By utilizing the reference cell having the highest output to provide the read reference and disabling the remaining reference cells, the likelihood of the read reference falling below a minimum threshold can be reduced. |
| US07742339B2 |
Rd algorithm improvement for NROM technology
Selecting a read voltage level for a NVM cell by using an initial value for the read voltage and performing a read operation, comparing an actual number of bits found to an expected number of bits and, if there is a discrepancy between the actual number and the expected number, adjusting the read voltage level, based on variable data such as statistics available, level occupation, neighbor level, previous chunks data, and other data used during read, program or erase. For example, based on a number of missing bits, or upon a result of a previous read operation, or a result obtained at another program level, or upon how many times the memory cell has been cycled, or upon how many memory cells are at each program level, or on a number of bits at another program level in a selected chunk of memory. |
| US07742338B2 |
Local self-boost inhibit scheme with shielded word line
A NAND architecture non-volatile memory device and programming process is described that reduces the effects of word line to word line voltage coupling by utilizing sets of two or more adjacent word lines and applying the same voltage to each in array access operations. This allows each word line of the set or pair to shield the other from word line to word line capacitive voltage coupling. In NAND memory string embodiments the various cells of strings of non-volatile memory cells are programmed utilizing modified or unmodified drain-side self boost, source-side self boost, local self boost, and virtual ground programming processes that utilize two or more “blocking” memory cells on either the source line side and drain line side of a selected memory cell. The paired blocking cells shield each other during programming to reduce coupled noise, to prevent charge leakage from the boosted channel of the selected memory cell. |
| US07742337B2 |
Semiconductor memory
A semiconductor memory is achieved which allows a reduction in the area of a memory array block without reducing the gate widths of floating gates. A plurality of select gates extend in straight lines in the X direction. Between the upper- and lower-side select gates, two rows' worth of floating gates are arranged. The plurality of floating gates are placed in a staggered arrangement (in other words, in a zigzag pattern). That is, looking at one floating gate in a specific column and another floating gate in a column adjacent to that specific column, those floating gates deviate from each other in the Y direction. |
| US07742336B2 |
Trap-charge non-volatile switch connector for programmable logic
A nonvolatile trap charge storage cell selects a logic interconnect transistor uses in programmable logic applications, such as FPGA. The nonvolatile trap charge element is an insulator located under a control gate and above an oxide on the surface of a semiconductor substrate. The preferred embodiment is an integrated device comprising a word gate portion sandwiched between two nonvolatile trap charge storage portions, wherein the integrated device is connected between a high bias, a low bias and an output. The output is formed by a diffusion connecting to the channel directly under the word gate portion. The program state of the two storage portions determines whether the high bias or the low bias is coupled to a logic interconnect transistor connected to the output diffusion. |
| US07742331B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and data erase/write method thereof
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array which includes a memory cell string including a plurality of memory cells each having a variable resistor element and a switching element having a current path with one end and the other end, between which the variable resistor element is connected, the plurality of memory cells having current paths thereof being connected in series, the memory cell array further including a first select element connected to one end of a current path of the memory cell string, and a second select element connected to the other end of the current path of the memory cell string, a bit line which is electrically connected to one end of a current path of the first select element, and a source line which is electrically connected to one end of a current path of the second select element. |
| US07742325B2 |
Swapped-body RAM architecture
A method for operating an SRAM cell comprises, during a read operation, forward biasing an N-well of a first and second pull-up transistor, and forward biasing a P-well of a first and second pull-down transistor and a first and second access transistor. The method further comprises, during a write operation, zero or reverse biasing an N-well of a first and second pull-up transistor, and forward biasing a P-well of a first and second pull-down transistor and a first and second access transistor. The method further comprises, during an idle state, zero biasing an N-well of a first and second pull-up transistor and zero biasing a P-well of a first and second pull-down transistor and a first and second access transistor. In addition, one or more rows or columns of memory cells may receive a bias voltage. |
| US07742324B2 |
Systems and devices including local data lines and methods of using, making, and operating the same
Disclosed are methods, systems and devices, including a device having a fin field-effect transistor with a first terminal, a second terminal, and two gates. In some embodiments, the device includes a local data line connected to the first terminal, at least a portion of a capacitor plate connected to the second terminal, and a global data line connected to the local data line by the capacitor plate. |
| US07742319B2 |
Transformer having resonant inductance
Provided is a transformer having resonant inductance, the transformer including a core that includes a first leg formed in one side thereof, a second leg which is formed in the other side thereof so as to be electromagnetically coupled to the first leg, and a third leg which is formed between the first and second legs so as to be electromagnetically coupled to the first and second legs; a primary winding that is wound around one side of the third leg; a secondary winding that is wound around the other side of the third leg so as to induce power through electromagnetic induction with the primary winding; and a resonant inductance winding that is wound around the outside of the core so as not to be magnetically induced by magnetic fluxes generated from the primary and secondary windings. |
| US07742317B2 |
Precharging boost converters in DC to DC power converters
A method and apparatus for precharging a DC to DC power converter system is provided. The system includes a boost circuit for generating a boosted output voltage from an input voltage. The input voltage is monitored. A predetermined current limit is compared to a current in the boost circuit, and the current limited is increased when the input voltage is greater than a predetermined value. |
| US07742307B2 |
High performance power device
A printed circuit board (PCB) assembly is provided. The PCB assembly is adapted for mounting at least one heat-generating electrical device and providing integrated heat dissipating capability to dissipate heat generated by the electrical device. The PCB assembly has a top surface and a bottom surface and comprises a signal carrying layer and an insert of pyrolytic graphite (PG). The signal carrying layer, disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface, comprises a material that is both thermally conductive and electrically conductive (such as at least one of aluminum, copper, and silver and alloys thereof) and has at least a portion lying in a first plane. The insert of PG is disposed within at least a portion of the first plane of the signal carrying layer, is in thermal contact with the signal carrying layer, and is constructed and arranged to have its greatest electrical conductivity in the first plane. Optionally, a conductive via can be formed in portions of the signal carrying layer not occupied by the insert of PG, where the conductive via operably couples a first side of the signal carrying layer to a second side of the signal carrying layer. |
| US07742305B2 |
Switching power supply unit
A switching power supply having at least one switch (S) controlled by a control circuit (AST), by means of which an input direct voltage (UV) is switched, whereby a thermal model (THM) is implemented in a control (STE), by means of which the temperature of at least one component (S; D3, D4, UET) can be calculated or estimated, and at least one current value that is load-dependent is made available as an electrical quantity to the thermal model, the control (STE) is directed at outputting at least one limiting signal (abs, ala) when a limiting value or a function of multiple limiting values depending on calculated or estimated temperature values is reached, which is usable in the sense of an action to reduce temperature, and which produces at least one limiting signal (abs) to the control circuit in the sense of a temperature reduction and thus a power reduction. |
| US07742304B2 |
Control device housing for an electronic brake
A control device housing for an electronic brake system includes a lid, a housing part closable by the lid, a component support member for electronic components, and a cooling element that is in direct or indirect thermal contact with at least part of the electronic components. The cooling element may be either a planar additional cooling plate or a lid that is at least partly made of metal. The cooling element and the component support member are spaced from each other, and thin heat conductive elements are arranged in the resulting intermediate space between the cooling element and the electronic components that are to be cooled or the component support member. The heat conductive elements are configured flexibly for tolerance compensation and inhere good heat conductivity in addition. |
| US07742302B2 |
Axial-flow fan unit and heat-emitting element cooling
An axial-flow fan unit that produces less noise is provided. Blades 19 are exposed from a venturi 29. The shape of each of the blades 19 is so defined that a space formed between at least an inner surface 28a of each of web leg sections 28A to 28C and an edge 19a of each of the blades 19 located in the radially outward direction of the blades 19 expands toward the ends of the web leg sections 28A to 28C (or web bodies 30A to 30C). With this arrangement, noise produced when the blades 19 rotate along the web leg sections 28A to 28C is reduced. |
| US07742300B2 |
In-vehicle apparatus
An audio-integrated apparatus has a body casing attached in an instrument panel of a vehicle. The body casing contains a media reader, a circuit board having a CPU, a CPU fan for cooling the CPU, and an exhaust fan. A media loading slot is in a front face of the body casing for inserting a media. A movable display section is in front of the body casing to be movable in a back-and-forth direction. A display movement mechanism can move the movable display section in the back-and-forth direction to thereby change an inclination against the front face of the body casing. A gear motor can detect a position of the movable display section. According to the detected position of the movable display section, rotational frequencies of the CPU fan and the exhaust fan are controlled. |
| US07742299B2 |
Piezo fans for cooling an electronic device
A cooling system including one or more piezo fans for an electronic assembly is disclosed. The electronic assembly may include heat-generating components coupled with a front side of a printed circuit board (PCB) and one or more piezo fans coupled with a back side of the PCB. One or more piezo fans may be capable of cooling the heat-generating components from the back side. The cooling system may further include a heat sink coupled with the back side of the PCB. |
| US07742298B2 |
Passively cooled computer
A passively cooled computer includes two or more components arranged in a housing frame 41, wherein each of these components is associated with a cooling body for dissipating waste heat of the component when the component is in operation. The cooling bodies each include a cooling surface, and these cooling surfaces are arranged to oppose one another with their cooling surfaces and thereby define an air channel leading vertically through the inside of the housing frame. The cooling bodies substantially separate the air channel from the remaining volume inside the housing frame. |
| US07742293B2 |
Adaptable digital music player cradle
A digital music player cradle for sequentially supporting multiple digital music players includes a base with a cavity in an upper surface. The cavity accepts an end portion of a largest digital music player of the multiple digital music players. A support wall extends from the upper surface of the base for supporting one of the digital music players at a time. A trough in the back of the base extends through the support wall and into the cavity. The trough is provided to route a data cable connected to the one of the multiple digital music players. A plurality of ledges is within the cavity. The ledges are of decreasing size towards the bottom of the cavity and each ledge is sized to hold a different one of the multiple digital music players. |
| US07742291B2 |
Computer enclosure adapted for mounting different types of transfer cards
A computer enclosure includes a chassis having a rear wall, a transfer card, a mounting bracket, and a PCI card. An expansion slot is defined in the rear wall of the chassis. A detachable shielding cover is formed on the rear wall adjacent to the expansion slot. The transfer card is secured in the chassis. The transfer card has a circuit board perpendicular to the rear wall. The mounting bracket is secured to the rear wall of the chassis and has a width substantially equal to a length of the expansion slot. The PCI card is secured to the mounting bracket and perpendicularly attached to the transfer card. A receiving space corresponding to the shielding cover is defined shielding cover and the PCI card, for receiving a connector between the mounting bracket and the circuit board of the transfer card. |
| US07742288B2 |
Display device
A display devise includes a display panel and a chassis base supporting the display panel. At least one reinforcing member is attached to the chassis base to add rigidity to the chassis base and at least one stand is attached to the chassis base to allow the chassis base to stand upright. A guide stand couples the reinforcing member to the stand, the guide stand comprising a body and a reinforcing plate substantially extending at an angle from the body. |
| US07742287B2 |
Apparatus for display movement of a laptop computer
Disclosed is a laptop computer including a body and a display articulably connected to the body. The laptop computer includes at least one drive unit capable of moving the display relative to the body. |
| US07742285B2 |
Folding portable terminal
A folding portable terminal which can be changed into a desired shape depending on applications of functions such as a telephone, a digital camera, and the like. A folding portable terminal (1) comprises a case (10) with a display section (11) and a case (20) with an operating section (21), and the cases are foldably linked through a hinge mechanism. The hinge mechanism comprises a first hinge section (12) formed by providing a first rotation axis at substantially the center of the case (10) that can be rotated about the first rotation axis in the folding or opening direction relative to the case (20); a second hinge section (24) formed by providing a second rotation axis at substantially the upper end part of the case (20) so as to be parallel to the first rotation axis, the case (20) being rotated in the folding or opening direction relative to the case (10); and means (13a) for linking both ends of the first rotation axis and both ends of the second rotation axis. The hinge mechanism enables the display section (11) and the operating section (21) to be folded without being faced each other, and a user can operate the operating section (21) or view the display section (11) in the folded state. |
| US07742280B2 |
Coin-shaped storage cell
A coin-shaped storage cell (1) has a pair of polarizable electrodes (17, 18), an insulating separator (21) interposed between the polarizable electrodes, an electrolytic solution (22) impregnated in the polarizable electrodes (17, 18) and the separator (21), a metal case (11) for housing the polarizable electrodes (17, 18), an insulating ring packing (15) arranged in the metal case, and a top lid (13) which is caulked integrally with the metal case (11) via the ring packing (15). The inner bottom surface of the metal case (11) is provided with recessed and projected portions. |
| US07742275B2 |
MEMS capacitor with conductively tethered moveable capacitor plate
A capacitive device including at least one actuator structure formed on a substrate is provided. The capacitive device further includes a moveable structure formed on the substrate and mechanically coupled to the at least one actuator structure. The moveable structure includes a moveable capacitive plate and a bridge, formed substantially planar to the moveable capacitive plate. The bridge is used to mechanically and electrically couple the moveable capacitive plate to a signal line formed on the substrate such that the moveable capacitive plate moves up or down based on a force generated by the at least one actuator structure. |
| US07742269B2 |
Circuit breaker
The circuit breaker according to the present invention has first and second terminals having favorable electric conductivity and joined to each other with solder; and a heater whose circumference is insulated installed for melting the solder and supplied with electric power from the current path separate from current paths passing through the first and second terminals; wherein the first and second terminals are separated by a spring force and insulated when the solder is melted. |
| US07742268B2 |
Electric vehicle control apparatus
Control apparatus of an electric vehicle controls a power supply system of the electric vehicle equipped with a first direct current power supply apparatus for supplying direct current power to a traction inverter, and a second direct current power supply apparatus connected in parallel with the first direct current power supply apparatus via a DC/DC converter. This control apparatus is also provided with a relay for cutting off supply of power from the first direct current power supply apparatus to the traction inverter in synchronization with the operation of the self-protection circuit in the event that the self-protection circuit of the traction inverter operates as a result of overcurrents supplied by the first direct current power supply apparatus. |
| US07742266B2 |
ESD/EOS protection circuit and related integrated circuit
An ESD/EOS protection circuit includes a first protection circuit and a second protection circuit. The first protection circuit is coupled between an I/O pad and a power pad and includes a first P-type transistor. The P-type transistor includes a control node, a floating gate, a first connection node, and a second connection node, wherein the first connection node of the first P-type transistor is coupled to the power pad and the second connection node of the first P-type transistor is coupled to the I/O pad. The second protection circuit is coupled between the I/O pad and a ground pad. |
| US07742261B2 |
Tunneling magneto-resistive spin valve sensor with novel composite free layer
The conventional free layer in a TMR read head has been replaced by a composite of two or more magnetic layers, one of which is iron rich The result is an improved device that has a higher MR ratio than prior art devices, while still maintaining free layer softness and acceptable magnetostriction. A process for manufacturing the device is also described. |
| US07742253B2 |
Storage device and control device
A storage device and a control device include a first DSP, a second DSP, and a Servo MPU for controlling a position of a head with respect to a storage medium. The Servo MPU instructs the first DSP and the second DSP. The first DSP carries out calculation of at least any of a demodulation calculation that is a calculation relating to demodulation of servo information and a digital filter calculation based on the instruction from the Servo MPU. The first DSP carries out a correction calculation that is a calculation relating to correction of the position based on the instruction from the Servo MPU. The Servo MPU carries out control of the position based on a result of the calculation carried out by the first DSP and the second DSP. |
| US07742251B2 |
Timing insensitive method and apparatus for spectral analysis in a disk recording system
A hard disk drive that includes a disk that contains at least one signal and a head that is coupled to the disk. The disk drive also contains a circuit that includes a data sampler that generates a plurality of data samples from the signal, a harmonic sensor coupled to the data sampler and a spectral power accumulator coupled to the harmonic sensor. The harmonic sensor accumulates the data samples. The circuit includes a window generator that determines a window length of the data samples accumulated by the harmonic sensor. The spectral power accumulator accumulates the windows of sample data accumulated by the harmonic sensor. The sample data accumulated by the spectral power accumulator can be accessed by a processor that performs a spectral analysis of the data. |
| US07742249B2 |
Color wheel
A color wheel includes a fixing base, a ring filter, a washer, and a fixing ring. The fixing base has a protrusion portion and a supporting portion. The ring filter is fit on the protrusion portion. An inner margin of the ring filter leans on the supporting portion. The washer is connected to the protrusion portion. The ring filter is disposed between the washer and the supporting portion. The washer and the supporting portion clip the inner margin of the ring filter. The fixing ring has an annular supporting portion, a side wall surrounding the annular supporting portion, and fixing blocks connected to the side wall and dotted on an outer margin of the ring filter. The outer margin of the ring filter leans on the annular supporting portion. The fixing blocks, the side wall, and the annular supporting portion clip the outer margin of the ring filter. |
| US07742246B2 |
Lens barrel and camera with lens barrel
A lens barrel includes: a first optical element group that has an optical element disposed on a first optical axis; a second optical element group that has an optical element disposed on a second optical axis extending along a direction different from a direction along which the first optical axis extends; and a bending portion disposed between the first optical element group and the second optical element group, that bends image light having passed through the first optical element. At least part of the first optical element group can be housed inside a first space formed as the bending portion moves further away from the first optical axis. |
| US07742244B2 |
Cylindrical model eye, cylindrical test device and the manufacturing method thereof
A cylindrical model eye comprises a plano-cylindrical portion having a plano surface and a first cylindrical surface opposite to the plano surface, a sphero-cylindrical portion having a convex spherical surface and a second cylindrical surface opposite to the convex spherical surface. The second cylindrical surface mates with the first cylindrical surface, and the first cylindrical surface has substantially the same radius curvature radius as the second cylindrical surface. |
| US07742237B2 |
Lens barrier mechanism of a lens barrel
A lens barrier mechanism of a lens barrel includes a cam ring including a forward-projecting portion; a linearly movable barrel provided outside the cam ring and moves linearly by rotating the cam ring; a barrier blade provided in the linearly movable barrel and movable in an operating plane orthogonal to the optical axis to open and close an opening at the front of the linearly movable barrel; and a barrier drive mechanism which opens and shuts the barrier blade when the lens barrel moves from/to the accommodated state to/from the ready-to-photograph state, respectively. A range of opening/shutting operation of the barrier blade extends radially outside an inner periphery of the forward-projecting portion. In the accommodated state, the forward-projecting portion intersects the operating plane of the barrier blade but is positioned outside the range of opening/shutting operation of the barrier blade. |
| US07742234B2 |
Composite optical dividing device
A composite optical-dividing component receives a light beam. There are mixed-bands in the light beam. The composite optical-dividing component includes a first optical-patch and a second optical-patch. The first optical-patch has multiple micro-structural lenses in an identical shape. Each micro-structural lens receives the light beam and generates a deflecting light in some degrees of condense. The second optical patch has multiple polygonal structures. Some polygonal structures are periodic and provide the function of deflection in order to receive the deflecting light and then separate multiple bands from the beam. In accordance with wavelengths in multiple bands, the bands are emitted to a target area (RGB) in a plane, respectively. Another part of the polygonal structures has the capability of light refraction, which receives the deflecting light and deflects and the rest of the bands in the beam. And it is emitted to a target area (W) in a plane. |
| US07742232B2 |
Three-dimensional imaging system
A new three-dimensional imaging system has been needed to overcome the problems of the prior arts using conventional variable focal length lenses, which have slow response time, small focal length variation, and low focusing efficiency, and require a complex mechanism to control it. The three-dimensional imaging system of the present invention uses the variable focal length micromirror array lens. Since the micromirror array lens has many advantages such as very fast response time, large focal length variation, high optical focusing efficiency, large size aperture, low cost, simple mechanism, and so on, the three-dimensional imaging system can get a real-time three-dimensional image with large depth range and high depth resolution. |
| US07742227B2 |
Microscope apparatus
Providing a microscope apparatus including an optical mount member capable of supporting various optical devices even without a large amount of space. A base body 10 arranged on a mount surface 9a of a vibration isolation table 9 is provided substantially perpendicularly to the mount surface 9a. A plurality of rails 32 through 36 are provided on the base body 31 vertically to the mount surface 9a so as to provide a plurality of extension optical devices such as a Galvanic scanner 64 to be combined with the microscope main body 10. |
| US07742224B1 |
Optical amplification in the 850 nm window
Systems and methods are disclosed for amplifying optical signals in the 850 nm window. In one embodiment, an amplifier system includes a span of Thulium-doped fiber (TDF) and two pump systems. The TDF span receives and transports optical signals in the 850 nm window. A first pump system pumps the TDF span at a wavelength in the range of 1390 nm to 1430 nm, and a second pump system pumps the TDF span at a wavelength in the range of 670 nm to 720 nm. The pumping generates gain in the optical signals in the 850 nm window. In another embodiment, the amplifier system includes a single pump system. The pump system pumps the TDF span at a wavelength in the range of 1390 nm to 1430 nm to generate gain in the 850 nm window. |
| US07742213B2 |
Adaptive-scanning optical microscope
An adaptive scanning optical microscope has a scanner lens assembly for acquiring images from different parts of an object plane and for forming a preferably curved image field having at least some aberration which varies as a function of the part of the object plane from which the image is acquired. A steering mirror selects the field of view and steers light from the object and along a light path from the object plane to a final image plane. An adaptive optics element receives the steered light from the object and compensates for the field position dependent optical aberrations and additional optics are along at least part of the light path for conditioning and focusing the light as it moves from the steering mirror, past the adaptive optics element and to the final image plane. |
| US07742211B2 |
Sensing and correcting angular orientation of holographic media in a holographic memory system by partial reflection, the system including a galvano mirror
A holographic memory system is disclosed. The holographic memory system comprises: a light source configured to generate a light beam; a photosensitive holographic storage medium configured to at least partially reflect the light beam; and an alignment module configured to determine an angular orientation of the storage medium based on the reflected light beam. |
| US07742210B2 |
Replication of data to holographic medium using holographic master media
An apparatus for replicating holographically recorded data, comprising a holographic master media having holographically recorded data thereon; a holographic copy media; a light source for generating a master reference beam and a copy reference beam, coherent with the first object beam, the first master reference beam incident on the holographic master media, the holographic master media diffracting the master reference beam to provide a first object beam; the copy reference beam incident on the holographic copy media; and a first optical relay system, disposed between the holographic master media and the holographic copy media, for relaying the first object beam from the holographic master media to the holographic copy media, the holographic copy media recording an interference pattern between the first object beam and the copy reference beam, thereby replicating at least a portion of holographically recorded data. |
| US07742209B2 |
Monocular holographic data storage system architecture
A monocular holographic storage device or system to provide for compact recording and/or reading of data pages in a holographic storage medium. Also provided are methods for carrying out such data storage and/or data recovery using a monocular holographic storage device or system. Further provided are articles including holographic storage media for recording or for reading recorded data using such devices or systems. |
| US07742208B2 |
Holographic display and methods of manufacture and use
A rewriteable diffraction grating contains first nanoparticles and second nanoparticles. Each first nanoparticle is configured and arranged to generate one or more charge carriers in response to a write beam. Each second nanoparticle is configured and arranged to substantially alter its response to light from a read beam upon receiving one or more charge carriers from the first nanoparticles. The second nanoparticles are disposed in proximity to the first nanoparticles to permit charge carriers generated by the first nanoparticles to interact with the second nanoparticles. |
| US07742206B2 |
Methods and systems for color gamut adjustment
Embodiments of the present invention comprise methods and systems for color gamut mapping. Some embodiments comprise mapping by projecting a first gamut color point to an intermediate curvilinear construct and then projecting from the curvilinear construct to a second color gamut point. In some embodiments, gamut points are separated into regions with differing projection rules and curvilinear constructs. |
| US07742205B2 |
Perceptual color matching method between two different polychromatic displays
The invention relates to a color matching method for transforming a color representation of a first set of color primaries with a plurality of first signals to a second set of color primaries with a plurality of second signals in a first domain. The color matching method of the invention is to consider the characteristics of human visual perception. Since human is more sensitive to the luminous intensity than chrominance, the color matching method of the invention is considered to match the luminous intensity. The color matching method of the invention can minimize the intensity difference by utilizing the optimality of resource distribution. An additional step of smoothing the intensity difference among color primaries at the level of color primaries is appended. It enhances the visual quality especially for the images with a gradual change in numerous levels of color. Besides, when the color is outside the gamut, we keep the information of luminance by adding extra white. According to the invention, the color matching method of handling colors outside gamut can provide a higher contrast which is especially good for displaying a color change with numerous levels, such as sunrise or sunset scenes. The color matching method further considers color interactions of each color primary regarding the configuration of surrounding color primaries. With the consideration of exploiting the perceived luminous intensity instead of physical luminous intensity, a superior color matching algorithm can be made. |
| US07742204B2 |
Methods and apparatus for determining a total colorant limit for digital imaging devices
Methods and apparatus are provided for calibrating a digital color imaging device to a printing press by determining a total colorant limit, per-channel colorant limits, and channel linearization tables using colorimetric and/or spectrophotometric techniques. In addition, for digital color imaging devices that use multi-hue colorants, methods and apparatus are provided for determining distribution functions for the multi-hue colorants as a function of input values. |
| US07742199B2 |
System and method for compressing and rotating image data
A system and method for reproducing original documents includes scanning an original document to generate image data corresponding to the scanned original document, dividing the image data into a plurality of image data blocks, and compressing the plurality of image data blocks into respective compressed image data blocks, such that data of each compressed image data block is independent of data of each other compressed image data block. Each compressed image data block is stored in a first memory with a respective predetermined beginning address. The first compressed image data block, having a first predetermined beginning address, is accessed from the first memory and decompressed into a first decompressed image data block. At least one image processing function is performed on the decompressed first image data block. |
| US07742195B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method, and program product for the same
An image printing process of the invention first specifies a pixel group tone value of each pixel group consisting of a preset number of multiple pixels and refers to one of correlation maps selected for the pixel group to convert the specified pixel group tone value to a multivalue code. Each of the correlation maps sets multivalue codes in correlation to pixel group tone values. The multivalue codes of all pixel groups constituting an image are output as control data to an image output device. The image output device determines the dot on-off state in respective pixels of each pixel group according to the received control data and actually creates dots on an output medium to complete an output image. Each correlation map referred to for the multivalue coding has a slightly lower tone resolution in a higher tone value area than in a lower tone value area. This arrangement desirably reduces the data volume of the control data, while preventing deterioration of the picture quality. The technique of the invention enables quick output of the control data and accordingly ensures high-speed output of a high-quality image by this simple procedure. |
| US07742192B2 |
Image processing method and system
In bitmapping an input rendering command to a bitmap, a logic operation designated by the rendering command is analyzed in accordance with the source and pattern as the logic operation target and a logic operation code. On the basis of the analysis result, an additional information operation corresponding to each pixel of the bitmap is created. On the basis of the additional information operation, additional information of each pixel is created. When image processing based on the additional information is executed for the bitmap, high-quality output image data can be created. |
| US07742191B2 |
Image input and output apparatus selecting processing according to colored pattern
An image input and output apparatus such as a facsimile machine or multifunction printer recognizes a colored image pattern on an input document and processes the document according to the color of the image pattern. Information that can be encoded by the color of the image pattern includes an electronic mail address, facsimile number, or file server address to which an image of the document is to be sent, a folder in which the image is to be stored, or a number of copies of the image to be printed. The color recognition capability of the apparatus can thereby be used effectively even in the processing of basically black and white documents. Information may also be encoded by the shape of the colored image pattern. |
| US07742185B2 |
Print sequence scheduling for reliability
A method for scheduling print jobs for a plurality of printers (40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50) includes, for each of a plurality of print jobs, determining a number of pages of a first print modality (such as black only printing) and of a second print modality (such as color printing) for the print job. A file header is determined, based on the number of pages of the first and second print modalities in the print job. The file header is associated with the print job and the print job transmitted, along with the file header, to a print job scheduler (10). The scheduler schedules a sequence for printing the plurality of print jobs by the plurality of printers, based on minimizing, for at least one of the plurality of printers, a number of periods of time during the sequence of printing where the at least one printer is in a non-operational mode; and/or maximizing continuous run time for at least one of the printers. |
| US07742183B2 |
Method and apparatus for format conversion of printing data
Disclosed herein is a printing control apparatus for enabling an image forming apparatus, having a network connection function and printing data interpretation function, to print printing data written in a format that cannot be interpreted by the interpretation function of the image forming apparatus. The printing control apparatus, connected between a network and an image forming apparatus having a network interface, determines whether or not a data packet received from the network is printing data (S303), and when the received data packet is printing data, encodes the received data packet in a format interpretable by the image forming apparatus (S305) to be outputted to the image forming apparatus. |
| US07742181B2 |
Image forming apparatus and method for controlling image forming apparatus
The measured density value of a printer at the time is compared with the density measured value at the time of adjusting a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern density, and the fluctuation amount of the output density of the printer from the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern density adjustment time until the time is calculated. It is judged whether the calculated density fluctuation amount exceeds a density region (the threshold of density fluctuation amount) which becomes effective as the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image. When the density fluctuation amount exceeds the threshold of the density fluctuation amount, the user is notified that the density of the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image may have inappropriate density as the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image by the density fluctuation. Thereby, the user can check whether the present copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image is appropriate. |
| US07742178B2 |
Method, device system and computer program system for processing document data
In a method and system for processing document data in a document processing system that comprises at least a document generation computer, a document processing computer, an electronic document output system, and a monitoring computer, document data are generated on the document generation computer. The document data are transmitted from the document generation computer to a processing computer. To optimize control of a subsequent data output, control data are added to the transmitted document data in the processing computer with a processing module, and the control data are additionally stored in a control data buffer file. The processed data are forwarded to an output system. |
| US07742177B2 |
Noise-reduction metrology models
The invention can provide apparatus and methods for processing wafers using Noise-Reduction (N-R) metrology models that can be used in Double-Patterning (D-P) processing sequences, Double-Exposure (D-E) processing sequences, or other processing sequences. |
| US07742176B2 |
Method and system for determining the spatial position of a hand-held measuring appliance
The aim of the invention is to determine the actual position and/or actual orientation of a measuring appliance (4b). To this end, at least two reference points (2b′) lying in a spatial segment (5′) scanned by a laser beam are detected and measured in terms of the distance thereinbetween and the inclination angle thereof. The actual position of the measuring appliance (4b) can be deduced from the known positions of said reference points (2b′) arranged in a detectable manner and the associated distances and inclination angle thereof. The detection, monitoring and measuring of the reference points is carried out by the measuring appliance (4b) in an automated manner, the measuring appliance (4b) and specifically embodied elements associated with the reference points (2b′) forming a local positioning and/or orientation measuring system. The inventive method and corresponding devices enable measurements to be carried out in a problem-free and automated manner, even in areas that cannot be accessed by other measuring systems. |
| US07742174B2 |
Methods, systems and computer program products for removing undesired artifacts in fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FDOCT) systems using continuous phase modulation and related phase modulators
Methods, fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FDOCT) interferometers and computer program products are provided for removing undesired artifacts in FDOCT systems using continuous phase modulation. A variable phase delay is introduced between a reference arm and a sample arm of an FDOCT interferometer using continuous phase modulation. Two or more spectral interferograms having different phase delay integration times are generated. The spectral interferograms are combined using signal processing to remove the undesired artifacts. Systems and methods for switching between stepped and continuous phase shifting Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FDOCT) and polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PSOCT) are also provided herein. |
| US07742171B2 |
Reflectivity/emissivity measurement probe insensitive to variations in probe-to-target distance
Apparatuses and methods for accurately measuring the reflectivity of a target surface, under conditions where the distance between a measuring probe and the target surface is not fixed. At least two measurements of the target reflectivity are taken under different conditions, and then these two or more measurements are combined in order to calculate the target reflectivity in a way which is independent of the probe-to-target distance. In particular, the different conditions are such that each measurement samples radiation reflected from the target surface at a different distribution of angles. The apparatus can also be used to accurately measure the distance between the probe measurement head and a target surface. |
| US07742167B2 |
Optical emission device with boost device
A device for optical emission spectroscopy comprising a chamber comprising an atomization source, at least one boost device configured with a radio frequency source to provide radio frequency energy to the chamber, and an optical detector configured to detect optical emission of species in the chamber is provided. In certain examples, a boost device may be used with a flame or plasma to provide additional energy to a flame or plasma to enhance desolvation, atomization, and/or ionization. In other examples, the boost device may be configured to provide additional energy for excitation of species. |
| US07742164B1 |
Luminescence reference standards
The present teachings provide for systems, and components thereof, for detecting and/or analyzing light. These systems can include, among others, optical reference standards utilizing luminophores, such as nanocrystals, for calibrating, validating, and/or monitoring light-detection systems, before, during, and/or after sample analysis. |
| US07742161B2 |
Process and device for monitoring the illumination of lamp bulbs
A device for measuring the illumination of a light bulb wherein it has a sensor for measuring the illumination of the bulb and a device for measurement and comparison of the value of illumination of the bulb to at least one threshold. |
| US07742159B2 |
Apparatus for checking concentricity between lens barrel and barrel holder
An apparatus for checking concentricity between a barrel holder and a lens barrel rotatably engaging with the barrel holder is provided. The lens barrel includes at least one lens coaxially received therein. The apparatus includes a barrel holder retaining member, a rotating member, a driving unit, a light source, and an image sensor. The barrel holder retaining member is used for fixedly retaining the barrel holder in position. The rotating member is structured for meshing with the lens barrel. The driving unit is used for driving the rotating member to rotate, thereby rotates the lens barrel. The light source is configured for emitting light toward a first end of the lens barrel. The image sensor is arranged to face toward an opposite second end of the lens barrel. The image sensor is configured for sensing the light emitted from the light source. |
| US07742156B2 |
Method of testing optical materials by irradiating with high energy density radiation, optical materials selected by said method and uses thereof
An optical material for lithographic applications is selected from crystal materials by a testing method. The crystal materials are preferably quartz and/or alkali or alkaline earth halides, especially fluorides, or mixed crystals. The testing method includes three tests to measure irreversible radiation damage: 1) the optical material is irradiated with ultraviolet radiation at 193 nm and the non-intrinsic fluorescence intensity at 740 nm is measured; 2) the optical material is irradiated with high energy density laser light and a change in respective absorptions before and after irradiation at 385 nm is measured; and 3) the optical material is irradiated with an X-ray or radioactive source to form all possible color centers and a difference of respective surface integrals of corresponding absorption spectra in ultraviolet spectral and/or visible spectral regions is measured before and after irradiation. |
| US07742150B2 |
Manufacturing method of semiconductor device
A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device including a liquid immersion movement exposure of interposing a liquid between an exposure target substrate and a projection optical system of an exposure apparatus, and carrying out an exposure processing with respect to a plurality of exposure regions set on a surface of the substrate while relatively moving the substrate with respect to the system, a first liquid immersion movement of relatively moving the substrate with respect to the system while interposing the liquid between the substrate and the system, in adjacent exposure regions of said each exposure region, and a second liquid immersion movement of relatively moving the substrate with respect to the system at a speed lower than a movement speed in the first movement, while interposing the liquid between the substrate and the system, in a distance that is longer than a movement distance in the first movement. |
| US07742144B2 |
Apparatus for rubbing alignment layer
An apparatus for rubbing an alignment layer by which a defective rubbing due to a load can be prevented by installing a head at an upper portion of a frame, the apparatus including a frame, a rubbing table to which a substrate having an alignment layer is loaded, a rubbing roll disposed at an upper portion of the rubbing table inside the frame, and a head disposed at an upper portion of the frame that supports the rubbing roll. |
| US07742141B2 |
Flat-panel display devices including markings and manufacturing method therefor
A flat-panel display device comprises: a display panel having a pixel area for matrix imaging; a plurality of driver IC chips mounted in a row on a fringe part of the display panel; extension wirings extended out from wirings within the pixel area and electrically connected to terminals of the driver IC chips; and a marking visible with naked eye, which is disposed between a group of the extension wirings connected to one of the driver IC chips and another group of the extension wirings connected to other one of the driver IC chips, and which indicates boundary between said one group and said another group of the extension wirings. |
| US07742139B2 |
Array substrate and liquid crystal display panel
Structures of array substrate and panel of LCD are provided. In the structures, a single pixel is divided into two sub-pixels. By altering thickness of passivation layer, dielectric layer or organic layer in the two sub-pixels, the total capacitances of the two sub-pixels are different. Therefore, the goal of increasing view angles of displays is achieved. |
| US07742134B2 |
Transflective color-balanced liquid crystal display
In a transflective liquid crystal display comprising a plurality of pixels, each is divided into three color sub-pixels in red, green and blue. Each of the color sub-pixels is further divided into a main sub-pixel and an auxiliary sub-pixel. The main sub-pixel comprises a transflective area and a reflective area. The auxiliary sub-pixel can be entirely transmissive, reflective or partially transmissive and reflective. The liquid crystal display further comprises a plurality of first gate lines for electrically controlling the main sub-pixels and a plurality of second gate lines for electrically controlling the auxiliary sub-pixels. The auxiliary sub-pixels may have a color filter for partially filtering light encountering the auxiliary sub-pixels according to the color of the color sub-pixels. |
| US07742133B2 |
Transflective liquid crystal display device having high aperture ratio and fabrication method thereof
A transflective liquid crystal display device includes: first and second substrates facing and spaced apart from each other; a gate line on an inner surface of the first substrate; a data line crossing the gate line to define a pixel region including a reflective portion and a transmissive portion, wherein the transmissive portion has a polygonal shape inscribed in a rectangle, and a circumference of the transmissive portion is less than the circumference of the rectangle; a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line; a passivation layer on the thin film transistor, the passivation layer having a opening corresponding to the transmissive portion; a reflective layer corresponding to the reflective portion on the passivation layer; a transparent electrode corresponding to the pixel region over the reflective layer; a color filter layer on an inner surface of the second substrate; a common electrode on the color filter layer; and a liquid crystal layer between the common electrode and the transparent electrode. |
| US07742131B2 |
Touch panel, color filter substrate and fabricating method thereof
A method for fabricating a color filter substrate including the following procedures is provided. First, a substrate is provided and a color filter layer is formed thereon. Next, a plurality of sensing spacers is formed on a part of the color filter layer. Then, a planarization layer is formed to cover the color filter layer and expose the sensing spacers. Next, an electrode layer is formed to cover the planarization layer and the sensing spacers. After that, a plurality of main spacers is formed on a part of the electrode layer excluding disposing regions of the sensing spacers, wherein a step height is formed between the main spacers and the electrode layer above sensing spacers. |
| US07742129B2 |
Color filter substrate and manufacturing method thereof and liquid crystal display panel
A manufacturing method of a color filter substrate is provided. In the method, a substrate is provided. A first color layer, a second color layer, and a third color layer are then sequentially formed on the substrate. At least any two of the first color layer, the second color layer, and the third color layer are partially overlapped to form a number of supporters. Next, a common electrode layer is formed on the substrate to cover the first color layer, the second color layer, the third color layer, and the supporters. A light-shielding layer is then formed on the common electrode layer, and a portion of the light-shielding layer is disposed over the supporters. Based on the manufacturing method of the color filter substrate, fewer masks are required. |
| US07742123B2 |
Color-filterless LCD
A color-filterless liquid crystal display (LCD) having a large screen. The color-filterless LCD further including a light guide plate uniformly emitting light, which is incident from both lateral sides, through a top surface thereof; first and second light sources disposed on both the lateral sides of the light guide plate; a color separation sheet that is disposed on the top surface of the light guide plate and is adapted to separate incident light into red, green, and blue light beams and emit them at different exit angles; a liquid crystal panel having a liquid crystal layer that is divided into a plurality of pixels; and an optical element sheet that is disposed on a bottom surface of the liquid crystal panel and includes a plurality of optical elements focusing the red, green, and blue light beams separated by the color separation sheet on three different pixels that are continuously arranged, where the first and second light sources are turned on alternately. |
| US07742122B2 |
Blue color composition for color filter, color filter, and color image display device
The invention relates to a blue composition for a color filter to realize an image having a high color purity corresponding to the emission wavelength of an improved LED backlight, a color filter and a color image display device. |
| US07742120B2 |
Image display device
An image display comprises: a display device having an image output surface at which an image is displayed as a spaced array of pixel elements; an image guide (20) coupled to the image output surface of the display device and comprising a plurality of light transmission guides (80) each having an input end and an output end, the input ends of the light transmission guides being arranged relative to one another so that groups of one or more light transmission guides receive light from respective groups of one or for a cluster comprising at least a subset of the light transmission guides (80): at the outer periphery of the cluster, the input ends of the light transmission guides are constrained against expansion by a frame formed of a material having thermal expansion properties which are substantially similar to the thermal expansion properties of the image output surface. |
| US07742117B2 |
Liquid crystal display panel
A liquid crystal display (LCD) panel includes: a first base substrate; a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines disposed on the first base substrate and crossing each other; a pixel electrode pattern disposed on the first base substrate; a storage pattern disposed on the first base substrate, the storage pattern being positioned between consecutive gate lines and substantially in parallel with the gate lines; a second base substrate; a common electrode disposed on the second base substrate and alternately positioned with the pixel electrode; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second base substrates. |
| US07742112B2 |
Memory device, data recording method, and IC tag
A memory device includes first electrodes, second electrodes, third electrodes, heaters, and memory cells between the first electrodes and the heaters. Each third electrode is provided on the heaters, and each second electrode is provided at a side portion of the heaters. Each memory cell contains an electroconductive liquid crystal compound having a long linear conjugate structure and exhibiting a smectic phase as a liquid crystal phase. Information can be written in the memory cells by selectively heating the heaters to cause the corresponding memory cells to have both electroconductivity and optical anisotropy. |
| US07742110B1 |
Comb filter system and method
I describe and claim a temporal comb filtering system and method. The temporal comb filter system includes a comb filter to temporally process separated luminance and chrominance components from an image field responsive to image data from at least one other image field and a panel to display the processed components. The comb filter includes a cross-chroma detector to detect luminance information within chrominance data from a first image field responsive to chrominance data from at least one other image field and a cross-luma detector to detect chrominance information within the luminance data from the first image field responsive to the luminance data from at least one other image field. |
| US07742108B2 |
Method and system for real time motion picture segmentation and superposition
Methods and systems for separating a picture part of interest from an arbitrary background in real time videos are presented. The background may be a moving or still frame. The picture part of interest and background frames may be in or out of focus. One separation approach employs the difference between luminance and chrominance values of the input and background frames where changes in luminance from frame to frame are compensated for. In another approach, picture part of interest separation is based solely on spatial resolution differences between the background and the picture part of interest frames. The present invention also teaches a method and system for parameter matching of the picture part of interest and the basic picture into which the picture part of interest is embedded. The invention further teaches a method and system for embedding a separated picture part of interest into a basic picture containing text. |
| US07742106B2 |
Method and apparatus for setting language in television receiver
A method and apparatus for setting a language in a television receiver enable one language setting operation performed in a first menu, corresponding to one of a plurality of language-specific functions, to automatically set a preferred language for one or more other functions. The method includes steps of setting a language in a first menu according to a user selection, the first menu corresponding to one function of a plurality of language-specific functions; and automatically setting a language of at least one other function of the plurality of language-specific functions to the language set according to the user selection, the language of the at least one other function being set interoperably with the first menu. Thus, if at least one language is selected in the first menu, a language of at least one other function is set to the first-menu language. Upon powering a television receiver receiving a transport stream from a broadcasting station, a tuner tunes a broadcast signal of a corresponding channel, whereupon additional information is parsed from the tuned transport stream to extract information of every language being provided. The extracted information is then stored in memory so that, according to a user selection of a first menu for performing a language setting operation, the stored language information can be simultaneously output as an audio signal and displayed on a screen to enable user recognition. |
| US07742103B1 |
Motion object video on film detection and adaptive de-interlace method based on fuzzy logic
A method and system for performing fuzzy logic based de-interlacing on film source fields that might be mixed with video on film. An embodiment of the invention comprises an adaptive de-interlacer by weighing between merge operation and interpolation operation in the case of occurring video on film motion object. A weighing factor is generated from video on film pattern based on fuzzy logic inference rules. This weighing factor specifies the weighting between merging and interpolating in assigning the pixel values of the progressive display output. |
| US07742095B2 |
Information processing apparatus, method and storage medium
Provided is a display technique whereby it is possible for an area, which an operator desires to zoom and display, to be zoomed and displayed in conformity with the size of the screen through a simple operation. This is achieved by an information processing apparatus capable of displaying any desired area, which has been designated in an image (801) displayed on a screen, upon enlarging the size of the area, the apparatus including: partitioning unit (step S1303) configured to partition the image into a plurality of areas based upon a given command; identifying unit (step S1304) configured to identify each area of the partitioned image; storage control unit (step S1304) configured to store results of the identification in storage means in association with the information concerning user operation; and pointer moving unit (step S1311) configured to successively move a pointer that is for designating each area. An area (any of blocks 0 to 6), which has been designated by the pointer, is enlarged and displayed in conformity with the size of the screen (step S1310). |
| US07742091B2 |
Flexy-power amplifier: a new amplifier with built-in power management
A voltage amplifier is provided. The voltage amplifier includes an amplifier stage to amplify an input signal. A bias current generator supplies a bias current to the amplifier stage. The bias current generator is controllable in response to a frame rate signal that is representative of a video frame rate. A compensation network stabilizes a loop response of the voltage amplifier. The compensation network is controllable in response to the frame rate signal. |
| US07742090B2 |
Flexible segmented image sensor
A method of making a curved sensor is described. The method involves projecting portions of a curved three dimensional structure such as a hemisphere onto a two dimensional substrate in an outline pattern. The outline pattern typically serves as a perimeter of a sensor. After forming a sensor in the shape of the outline pattern, the two dimensional substrate is flexed to form a three dimensional sensor structure. |
| US07742087B2 |
Image pickup device
A plurality of imaging regions (104, 105 and 106) capture a plurality of images, respectively, via a plurality of imaging optical systems (101, 102 and 103) corresponding one to one to the plurality of imaging regions. An image combining means (115) eliminates a difference among the plurality of images and combines the plurality of images into a single image. Thereby, it is possible to obtain a combined image of high quality. |
| US07742077B2 |
Image stabilization system and method for a video camera
A video image stabilization system includes a camera having an image capturing device capturing a video image. The camera has a selectively adjustable field of view. A processing device is operably coupled to the camera. The processing device receives signals indicative of the field of view of the camera and images captured by the camera. The processing device automatically tracks movements of at least one object in the images. The processing device determines a stabilizing adjustment for the video image as a function of an unintended change in the field of view of the camera during a time interval between capture of a first image and capture of a second image. The determining is based upon the signals indicative of the field of view and an analysis of the first and second images. |
| US07742073B1 |
Method and apparatus for tracking an object of interest using a camera associated with a hand-held processing device
A hand-held processing device, such as a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a portable computer, includes a physically or electronically adjustable camera and is operative to track a specified object of interest. Relative movement between the hand-held device and the object of interest is detected using an orientation determination device such as a gyroscope, an image-based tracking operation, or a hybrid combination of orientation determination and image-based tracking. A setting of the camera is then adjusted so as to maintain a desired framing of the object of interest within an image generated by the camera. |
| US07742071B2 |
Methods and apparatus for inspecting centerplane connectors
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods that reliably detect defects on centerplane connectors. The apparatus and methods include a visual inspection system. The visual inspection system includes a control box, an inspection cart, a camera jig, and a vision system. The vision system has a light emitting diode (LED) lighting system that provides the necessary lighting for the camera on the vision system. The vision system is mounted to the camera jig via a spring-loaded mechanism. The camera jig has dimensions similar to a daughter card that is used with the centerplane connectors. The camera jig also includes a motor and worm gear assembly that raise and/or lower the camera's view of the centerplane connectors. The control box is mounted to the inspection cart so that an operator can use it to control the up/down movements of the vision system. A timer/relay may be build into the control box to allow controlled/fixed movements of the vision system. The camera is connected to a high resolution color monitor and/or an optional flat screen color monitor. A computer workstation can be used to video capture the camera's image and can be used to send this image to an e-mail alias/webpage or print out a hard copy. |
| US07742067B2 |
Image forming apparatus having a exposure control unit capable of changing an exposure ratio between a first exposure ratio and a second exposure ratio different from the first exposure ratio when a first exposure unit or second exposure unit exposes an image carrier on the basis of image data for forming an image with a certain density
In an early-middle stage of a photosensitive drum life cycle, an image forming apparatus uses only a second semiconductor laser having an oscillation wavelength 660 nm to perform writing of an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum surface. In a middle-late stage of the photosensitive drum life cycle, the image forming apparatus starts using a first semiconductor laser having an oscillation wavelength of 440 nm in addition to the second semiconductor laser to perform writing of an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum surface with a combined exposure spot formed at the same position. An exposure control unit gradually increases an output rate of the first semiconductor laser according to an increase in total output of the first and second semiconductor lasers. |
| US07742065B2 |
Controller driver and liquid crystal display apparatus using the same
A controller driver includes an overdrive processing unit generating corrected image data based on image data and image data of one frame previous to the image data, a data line driver generating a liquid crystal driving voltage, a roundabout route bypassing the overdrive processing unit and allowing the one frame previous image data to be input to the data line driver, a second expander outputting the one frame previous image data to one of a connection route to the overdrive processing unit and the roundabout route, a command controller supplying a moving/still image switching signal S1 for indicating switching between moving image display and still image display to the second expander. The second expander selects the connection route to the overdrive processing unit in displaying a moving image and selects the roundabout route in displaying a still image. |
| US07742064B2 |
Signal line driver circuit, light emitting device and driving method thereof
Variation occurs in transistor characteristics. The present invention relates to a signal line driver circuit comprising a plurality of current source circuits respectively corresponding to a plurality of wirings, characterized in that: the plurality of current source circuits each comprise capacitor means and supply means; and the plurality of current source circuits each convert a supplied current into a voltage in accordance with a video signal, and supply a current corresponding to the converted voltage. |
| US07742057B2 |
Method and device of obtaining a color temperature point
A method of obtaining a new color temperature point as applied in a color display device. The color display device has a brightest temperature point when its red, green, and blue components are all in their brightest states. The method of obtaining a new color temperature point uses a mathematical method to find the new point which substantially satisfies the specific color temperature and also causes a minimum loss in brightness. |
| US07742056B2 |
Image display system
An image display system includes: an information processing apparatus that performs predetermined correction processing for image data to be displayed; and an image display apparatus that displays an image on the basis of the image data correction-processed in the information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus includes a first image correction operation processing section that executes, for the image data, correction processing set on the basis of characteristics of the image data of a plurality of correction processing to be performed for the image data. The image display apparatus includes a second image correction operation processing section that executes, for the image data correction-processed in the information processing apparatus, correction processing other than correction processing executed in the information processing apparatus of the plurality of correction processing to be performed for the image data. |
| US07742055B2 |
Method for producing three-dimensional views using a brightness control
A process for creating three-dimensional or relief views with the help of software running on a computer system for adjusting brightness of a scene comprising a plurality of pixels includes: determining a representative brightness of at least one predetermined area of the scene based on brightness of each pixel of the at least one predetermined area; comparing the average brightness to a reference value; and correcting the brightness of at least a portion of the scene in accordance with a result of the comparison. |
| US07742054B2 |
Display module
A display module for displaying information on a screen, using a display data structure, wherein the display data structure is a doubly linked list. A display space in defined in video memory and the display space is filled by sequentially copying at least a portion of a set of characters from the display data structure into the video memory. |
| US07742052B2 |
Video card with interchangeable connector module
A video card for processing a video signal comprises an interchangeable connector module and a video processing module. The interchangeable connector module has a specific configuration. The video processing module has a connector for coupling the interchangeable connector module. The specific configuration of the interchangeable connector module sets the characteristics of the video processing module. |
| US07742047B2 |
Image processing program and image processing system using same
By means of an image drawing program stored in a storage medium readable by an image processing system, the corresponding image processing system and the corresponding image drawing method, shadows are drawn for a plurality of characters, without imposing a large load on the processor, by referencing a shadow created in advance, and using the shadow for other characters to draw numerous humanoid shadows for display on one screen. |
| US07742041B2 |
Liquid crystal display with touch sensing using variable capacitor sensor and photosensor
A liquid crystal display includes a first panel, a second panel facing the first panel and spaced apart from the first panel, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first panel and the second panel, a variable capacitor having a capacitance that varies by a touch and generating a control voltage that has a magnitude depending on the capacitance, and a sensing element disposed on the second panel and generating a sensing signal based on the control voltage. |
| US07742039B2 |
Information processing apparatus
An information processing apparatus is comprised of a data input device for inputting informations, a memory for storing the informations input by the data input device, a processor for processing the informations in a form of a plurality of pages, a displaying device for displaying the informations formed in a unit of the pages, a device for registering image data in respect of owner name input by the data input device, a device for judging whether or not a predetermined process is done at one of the pages, and a device for storing the image data at a predetermined position of the one of the pages by a judged result of the judging device, wherein when the one of the pages is displayed, the stored image data is displayed with the informations. |
| US07742038B2 |
Method for detecting overlapped function area on a touchpad
In a method for detecting overlapped function area on a touchpad with the overlapped function area overlapped by more than two different function areas, when the overlapped function area is touched by an object, a further function can be correctly performed according to touched duration, touched movement, or a terminal touched area pressed onto the touchpad. |
| US07742033B2 |
Backlight control system for small size display, LCD panel therefor, and method for making backlight control system
A backlight control system has a light source controlled by a control device; a light guide for introducing light from light source and supplying backlight from the back surface of liquid crystal panel; a light sensor for detecting part of the backlight; and means for feeding signals from light sensor back to control device. Liquid crystal panel comprises light sensor on the side of the glass substrate thereof opposite the side where drive elements are mounted. Light sensor detects light from the base side that has passed through glass substrate on the surface of glass substrate. |
| US07742028B2 |
Display control apparatus and method
A display control apparatus that controls first and second modulation sections optically connected in series includes a storage unit and a control unit. The storage unit stores information to specify a defective pixel of the first modulation section. The control unit controls the second modulation section in response to a defect of the defective pixel being stored in the storage unit. |
| US07742025B2 |
Display apparatus and driving method thereof
A display apparatus includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix. Each pixel includes a light emitting device, a driving transistor for supplying a driving current to the light emitting device, a first switching transistor coupled with the control terminal of the driving transistor to transmit a data voltage, and a second switching transistor coupled with the control terminal of the driving transistor to transmit a reverse voltage. The first and second switching transistors are alternately coupled with scanning lines driven by one of two scanning drivers, and are alternately turned on at different times. The display apparatus periodically applies the reverse voltage to the driving transistors to turn off the diving transistors and to compensate for variation of the threshold voltage of the driving transistors. |
| US07742023B2 |
Electroluminescence display device
In an electroluminescence display device having, on a display panel, a display portion in which pixels are arranged in matrix, an external connection terminal is placed along a lateral side of the display panel and a vertical scan driver circuit is placed on a lateral side of the display panel which opposes the lateral side on which the external connection terminal is placed. Lines for a horizontal scan driver circuit and for the vertical scan driver circuit can be provided only on three sides of the display panel including the side on which the external connection terminal is provided, a side opposing this side, and another side. By not placing the line for the driver circuits on the remaining side, spaces can be secured on this side for a drive current line which supplies power to an electroluminescence element. With this structure, a size of a frame portion can be reduced while securing sufficient width for the drive current common line. |
| US07742020B2 |
Display device
A signal line driving circuit which includes a digital signal sampling circuit, a storage circuit, a time setting circuit and a constant current circuit, is fabricated of TFTs on an insulating substrate which is made of the same substance as that of a pixel portion substrate. Thus, in a passive type EL display device, the problem of a distortion in the case of bonding the signal line driving circuit onto the pixel portion substrate can be eliminated. Besides, in an active type EL display device, each pixel is constructed of one transistor and an EL element. Thus, the aperture factor of the EL display device is enlarged. |
| US07742017B2 |
Electro-optical device and electronic apparatus having the same
An electro-optical device includes a holding capacitor with a first electrode electrically connected to a transistor and a pixel electrode, a second electrode disposed opposite to the first electrode, and a multilayer dielectric film structure disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The multilayer dielectric film structure includes a low dielectric film and first and second high dielectric films. The first and second high dielectric films sandwich the low dielectric film from a first electrode side and a second electrode side, respectively. Both of the first and second high dielectric films have a permittivity that is higher than that of the low dielectric film. |
| US07742012B2 |
Electronic devices having complementary dual displays
Methods for controlling complementary dual displays for use with an electronic device are presented including: sending a video signal to a first display, wherein the first display is a low resolution, high frame rate display; displaying the video signal on the first display; and printing a frame of the video signal to a second display, wherein the second display is a high resolution, low frame rate display, the printing including, loading a portion of a current frame of the video signal into a frame buffer, and displaying the current frame of the video signal to a second display, such that a high resolution static image is displayed on the second display. |
| US07742007B2 |
Transmission of underwater electromagnetic radiation through the seabed
An underwater communication method is provided. EM signals are transmitted via a seabed using an underwater electrically insulated magnetically coupled antenna. By making use of the low loss properties of the seabed, EM signal attenuation can be reduced and consequently the transmission range can be increased. The underwater electrically insulated magnetically coupled antenna may be located within a body of water or may be buried in the seabed. |
| US07741999B2 |
Multilayer antenna of planar construction
A multilayer antenna of planar construction comprises an electrically conductive ground face and a conductive radiation face which is arranged with lateral spacing from the ground face and extends substantially parallel thereto. A dielectric carrier is arranged between the ground face and the radiation face. Above the radiation face there is a carrying means. Above the carrying means there is provided an electrically conductive patch element. The carrying means has a thickness or height which is less than the thickness or height of the patch element. |
| US07741997B1 |
Multiple-beam phased array with switchable element areas
A phased array antenna system is provided, which includes one or more switchable sub-groups. Each switchable sub-group can be switchably configured to associate one or more waveform signals with one or more of a plurality of controller circuits using a first switching network, and to associate one or more of the plurality of controller circuits with one or more of a plurality of antenna elements using a second switching network. The switching networks permit a phased array antenna system to switchably control one or more beams, with different scanning ranges and coverage areas depending upon mission requirements. |
| US07741995B2 |
Method of acquiring error correction value of reference frequency, terminal device, and recording medium
A terminal device receives satellite signals from a plurality of satellite positioning system (SPS) satellites and locates a position. The terminal device periodically calculates a first drift df1 of a local oscillator using a reference frequency Hr, calculates a search range of the satellite signal using the first drift df1, calculates a second drift df2 of the local oscillator using a reception frequency of the satellite signal, calculates a reference frequency error β which is an error of the reference frequency by calculating a difference between the first drift df1 and the second drift df2, and calculates an error correction value βav of the reference frequency by subjecting a plurality of the reference frequency errors β to a statistical process. |
| US07741993B1 |
Method for locating the surface of a polymer particle bed
A method for determining the level of a bed of polymer particles in a vessel comprising providing water wet polymer particles and employing a guided wave radar probe unit carrying a pair of radar active probes spaced from the guided wave radar probe unit by a radar inactive member, and positioning the radar inactive member so that polymer particles that are introduced into the vessel first encounter the radar inactive member. |
| US07741992B2 |
Moving target detector for radar systems
Various embodiments are described herein for a moving target detector that processes input data to perform detection for a current range cell. The moving target detector includes a Doppler filter bank module for processing the input data to provide several Doppler outputs for the current range cell, a no-land-clutter path for processing several input data sets related to the several Doppler outputs to provide detection data by performing peak selection on each of the several input data sets and performing detection on the results of the peak selection, a land-clutter path for processing the several input data sets to provide detection data by performing Constant False Alaπn Rate (CFAR) detection on each of the several input data sets and merging the detection results; and a switching logic module for selecting one of the land-clutter path and the no-land-clutter path based on clutter information. |
| US07741991B1 |
Radar tracking system
An angle tracking radar system particularly for a missile with a steerable antenna and gyros strapped down to the missile body—a ‘partially strapdown’ system. The body rate signals, body acceleration signals where provided, and target position signals are converted into an electronic reference frame which is controlled to align with the target sightline, the above body and target signals being employed to produce estimates of target direction, sightline rate and sightline acceleration for use in controlling the missile. |
| US07741990B2 |
Method and apparatus for detection of moving objects by SAR images
A method for the detection of moving objects by SAR images envisages the steps of: generating a pulse-repetition frequency signal starting from a radar signal; and generating a sequence of SAR images starting from the pulse-repetition frequency signal. In particular, SAR images with low azimuth resolution are generated by of coherent integration of the pulse-repetition frequency signal for a sub-aperture time shorter than an aperture time. In addition, the method envisages generating difference images through point-to-point difference between subsequent low azimuth resolution SAR images, and recognizing patterns associated to moving objects in the difference images. |
| US07741989B2 |
Radar system, radar transmission signal generation method, program therefor and program recording medium
Disclosed is a radar system capable of detecting near targets even in case of using discrete bands transmission signal. For this end, a discrete bands selection unit 1 selects discrete bands that meet the required radar parameters for detecting target information. A discrete bands synthetic waveform generation unit 2 suitably synthesizes center frequency signals of the respective discrete bands on the time base so that the signals for all of the discrete bands are transmitted within the transmission time of a particular discrete band that requires the longest time among the signals for the selected discrete bands selected. Alternatively, the center frequency signal is generated for the particular band requiring the longest transmission time, while signals sweeping from lower limit frequencies to upper limit frequencies are generated during the transmission time for the discrete bands other than the particular discrete band requiring the longest transmission time. Subsequently, the signals for the respective discrete bands are synthesized on the time base to generate discrete bands synthetic waveforms so that a discrete bands waveform storage unit 3 stores them in a transmission signal buffer. |
| US07741984B2 |
Track and hold amplifiers and analog to digital converters
A track and hold amplifier is provided. The track and hold amplifier includes an input node receiving an analog signal, a buffer coupled between a first node and an output node, a first switch coupled between the input node and the first node, a plurality of switching circuits and a voltage generating unit. Each of the switching circuits includes a capacitor coupled between the first node and a second node. The voltage generating unit selectively provides a common signal and a reference signal to the capacitors of the switching circuits, wherein the reference signal is independent from the analog signal and the common signal. |
| US07741983B1 |
Auto-measurement and calibration of DC resistance in current sensing applications
The present invention pertains to calibration in current sensing applications. Power conversion systems such as those used in computer architectures may employ step down converters such as buck converters or other types of converters. The present invention provides calibration processes and devices to account for various parasitic resistances which are found in such systems. A calibration circuit may be coupled to the buck converter or other power conversion to determine a calibrated voltage signal for the output of the power converter. An effective DC resistance may be determined and programmed for use by a control device used. In this way, the parasitic resistances are taken into account to obtain an accurate estimate of the actual current. In turn, this enables power converters and other devices to operate within specification requirements. |
| US07741980B2 |
Providing running digital sum control in a precoded bit stream using precoder aware encoding
A system includes a precoder-aware running digital sum (RDS) encoder that encodes user data as w-bit sub-blocks, to produce an encoded data block that meets block RDS constraints and consists of encoded data sub-blocks that meet sub-block RDS constraints. The sub-block constraints include the data sub-blocks having the same magnitude RDS before and after precoding. The encoder data block is further encoded using an error correction code to produce parity bits, and the parity bits are dispersed, as i-bit parity sub-blocks, between selected data sub-blocks to form a code word. The code word is then precoded to produce a precoded bit sequence for transmission over a channel. Sub-block run length limit (“RLL”) constraints may also be included, such that the encoded data block meets both RLL and RDS, with the encoded data sub-blocks meeting respective RLL and RDS sub-block constraints. |
| US07741977B2 |
Method and apparatus for vehicle traffic time calculation
A method and apparatus for calculating the travel time of a vehicle as it transits through multiple locations. The method and apparatus includes a device for detecting a radio signal from a vehicle, attaching information to the radio signal, and transmitting a message packet with the signal and attached information to a central server. The central server stores the message packet. The central server compares the information in the message packet against other stored message packets received from multiple locations. When matching information is found, an algorithm is run to compute a vehicle travel time between two locations. |
| US07741976B2 |
Server and method for processing meter data into a common format
A method for processing meter data into a common format includes receiving, in a first transmission, meter data using a satellite communications network in a common protocol, the meter data representing information read at time intervals from associated utility meters in at least two data formats, each data format associated with a type of utility meter. The meter data in the plurality of formats is processed into a common data format. The meter data is stored in the common format as interval data for transmission to a customer. |
| US07741974B1 |
USB port connectible device reminder
Reminding of the owner of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port connectible device that the same has been left connected to a USB port of a powered computer is provided by an alarm disposed on a portable base for the device activated by cessation of reception of a limited range radio frequency (RF) signal. Transmission is powered by the computer through the USB port. The portable base has an independent power source for reception/alarm circuitry preferably switched on by separation of a USB port connectible device and/or signalling attachment from the portable base and switched off by physical reunion of the same. Alarm activation while retrieving the USB port connectible device from the USB port of a computer is avoided with an alarm activation delay exceeding in duration a transmission interval minimizing the likelihood of RF signal interference between multiple proximate reminders or other signals of the same RF. An identification (ID) number carried by the RF signal and recognized by a portable base thereby associated with a particular USB port connectible device and/or signalling attachment avoids defeat of alarm activation by reception of another signal of the same RF. |
| US07741973B2 |
Drive control device
A drive control device that includes: a driving circuit to drive a driving source; a condition detector to detect the condition of at least one of the driving source and the driving circuit to output a condition signal thereof; a controller to control the driving circuit based on the condition signal; an alarm detector to detect an occurrence of an alarm based on the condition signal; an alarm code generator to analyze the alarm detected by the alarm detector to generate an alarm code; and an alarm display to display the alarm code generated by the alarm code generator, in which the alarm display includes one or more lighting section to display the alarm code by a lighting pattern of the lighting section. |
| US07741966B2 |
Proximity detection apparatus
A proximity detection apparatus for a control unit for use in controlling a medical device, the proximity detection apparatus comprising: a detecting part and an emitting part; one part being located in the medical device and the other part in the control unit, so that when the control unit is attached to the medical device the detecting part detects the emitting part and instructs the control unit to select a first mode of operation and when the control unit is detached from the medical device, the detecting part does not detect the emitting part and instructs the control unit to select a second mode of operation. |
| US07741963B2 |
Wheel data detection system
A wheel data detection system includes a wireless data detection device and a data receiver. The wireless data detection device includes: a body adapted to be mounted to an inner surface of a rim, and having a closed end, an open end disposed to be in spatial communication with a chamber of a wheel, and a cavity defined between the closed and open ends; a radio frequency unit for receiving and transmitting radio signals; a detector for detecting pressure in the cavity and for generating a pressure signal according to the pressure detected thereby; and a control unit for processing the pressure signal into a data output. The radio frequency unit converts the data output received from the control unit into the radio signal to be transmitted thereby. The data receiver receives the radio signals transmitted by the radio frequency unit. |
| US07741960B1 |
Vehicle communication method and apparatus
An apparatus and method for binary communication between a vehicle and a trailer transmits high voltage and low voltage signals detectable as high bits and low bits aggregated into messages. A controller in the vehicle and trailer subsystems each include transceivers for transmitting messages across the vehicle's powerbus that are detectable when current flows across the powerbus. The apparatus and method are useful for controlling trailer brakes via a blue wire interface. |
| US07741951B2 |
Method and apparatus for a rolling code learning transmitter
A barrier movement operator system having a receiver for receiving, learning and responding to transmitted rolling code type access codes; at least one trained transmitter for operating the system by transmitting a rolling code type access code to the receiver; at least one learning transmitter for learning the rolling code type access code from said trained transmitter in order to operate the system; a controller for evaluating the relationship between the learning transmitter rolling type access code and the trained transmitter rolling type access code; and a device for providing a barrier movement in response to access codes received by the receiver. The barrier movement operator provides a method of learning valid security codes by a security code receiver comprising the steps of receiving a first security code, then within a predetermined period of time receiving a second security code, having a predetermined relationship to the first security code; and storing a representation of the second security code as a valid security code. |
| US07741946B2 |
Metal oxide varistor with heat protection
A metal oxide varistor with heat protection has a body, an insulated washer, a first lead, a second lead and a thermal fuse. The body has two sides and two contacts respectively on the sides. The insulated washer is attached to one contact and has a through hole. The first lead is mounted on the other contact. The second lead is mounted on the insulated washer. The thermal fuse is mounted on the insulated washer and electrically connects to the second lead and the second contact. When the body overloads and overheats, the thermal fuse causes the circuit to open quickly, and the insulated washer keeps the thermal fuse from electrically connecting to the second contact again. |
| US07741940B2 |
Actuator device for optical device and image-capture apparatus
Disclosed is an actuator device for an optical device. The actuator device includes a core arranged in an optical device inside of which an optical path passes through, a coil wound around the core, and a rotational magnet formed into an approximately cylindrical shape, at least one end of which includes a bearing portion in an axial direction, and which rotates according to a direction of a magnet field output from the core by electrifying the coil. The actuator device further includes a drive pin rotated in association with the rotational magnet, a base member securely supporting the core and rotatably supporting the rotating magnet, and an optical member moving in and out of the optical path based on rotation of the rotational magnet. |
| US07741939B2 |
Displacement device as well as a component placement device
A displacement device is provided with a linear motor which comprises a first part comprising magnetic strips and a second part comprising a coil block. The parts are connected via a linear guide. The second part is movable with respect to the first part in a conveying direction extending parallel to the guide. The displacement device further comprises an connected to said second part, which is located on a side of the first part remote from the second part. The displacement device can be used is a component placement device. |
| US07741938B2 |
Rotary actuator with programmable tactile feedback
A control element is provided having programmable haptics, in particular a programmable central catch, for a motor vehicle, having a control knob which can be accommodated such that it can rotate, the control knob being connected in a force-fitting or interlocking manner to a toothed ring or having an integral design, and it being possible for the toothed ring (to be rotated by means of the control knob, and at least one latching element which can move towards the toothed ring and/or away from the toothed ring by means of an electromagnet. |
| US07741937B2 |
Power switching apparatus and method of controlling the same
A power switching apparatus includes a breaker unit, an operating unit, a measuring unit, and a controlling unit. The breaker unit is connected on a three-phase current line, and includes switches each corresponding to one of phases of the three-phase current line. The operating unit simultaneously turns on or off the switches. The measuring unit measures a current flowing in each phase, and determines a time point where current flowing in one of the phases becomes zero as a reference time point. The controlling unit controls, when interrupting load current, the operating unit to turn off the switches in a range from 20 degrees to 40 degrees of an electric angle from the reference time point. |
| US07741935B2 |
High voltage isolation semiconductor capacitor digital communication device and corresponding package
According to one embodiment, there is provided a semiconductor digital communication device comprising communication drive and sense electrodes formed in a single plane, where the electrodes have relatively high sidewalls. The relatively high sidewalls permit low electrical field densities to be obtained in the sense and drive electrodes during operation, and further permit very high breakdown voltages to be obtained between the electrodes, and between the drive electrode and an underlying ground plane substrate. The device effects communications between drive and receive circuits through the drive and sense electrodes by capacitive means, and in a preferred embodiment is capable of effecting relatively high-speed digital communications. The device may be formed in a small package using, by way of example, CMOS or other semiconductor fabrication and packaging processes. |
| US07741932B2 |
Torsional resonator and filter using this
A torsional resonator for suppressing unnecessary flexural vibration and providing excellent resonance characteristic is provided. A vibrator is a beam structure or a paddle-like projection structure added onto a beam structure and an electrostatic force produced due to the potential difference between an electrode and the vibrator adds a moment with the axis of the beam of the vibrator as the center axis, but does not add a force for producing flexure to the beam. As one method, the same AC signal and DC bias voltages different in polarity are applied to an electrode pair of the electrode brought away from the vibrator and the electrode brought close to the vibrator with torsional vibration of the vibrator, so that only torsional vibration can be excited. |
| US07741930B2 |
Filter and antenna duplexer
There is provided a filter including a first resonator, a second resonator in which an excitation efficiency is reduced more than the first resonator, and an inductor connected in parallel with the second resonator. |
| US07741929B2 |
Miniature quadrature hybrid
A radio frequency (RF) directional coupler (100) can include a first transmission line element (102) having a first end and a second end, and a second transmission line element (104) having a first end and a second end. The first and second transmission line elements (102, 104) can be disposed in a first plane, where at least a portion of said first and said second transmission line elements (102, 104) are adjacent along a path. The RF coupler (100) can also include a first series of conductive coupling elements (116) disposed along said path in a second plane parallel to the first plane and separated from said first and said second transmission line elements (102, 104) by a first dielectric element (114). The first and second plane can be separated by a pre-determined distance (t2) to increase a capacitive coupling between the first and second transmission line elements (102, 104). |
| US07741925B2 |
Temperature detector circuit and oscillation frequency compensation device using the same
A temperature detector circuit using a MOS transistor capable of reducing manufacture variation of a mobility and realizing stable output characteristics which are not affected by temperature dependency may be offered. In one example, the temperature detector circuit includes a pair of depression type transistors to output a voltage which is proportional to temperature from a connecting point of a source of a first transistor and a drain of a second transistor. The transistors are the same conducted type of current and are formed in different channel size, which are connected between power supplies in series, and have a configuration in which first transistor's gate and source are connected each other and a first transistor's drain is connected with a second power supply and second transistor's gate and drain are connected each other and a second transistor's source is connected with a first power supply. |
| US07741922B2 |
Switch, negative resistance cell, and differential voltage controlled oscillator using the same
The present invention relates to a switch, a negative resistance cell, and a differential voltage controlled oscillator using the same. The present invention includes a first signal line provided in a first direction, a second signal line provided in parallel with the first signal line, and first to fourth gate electrodes, first to third source electrodes, and first to fourth drain electrodes formed between the first signal line and the second signal line, and provides a switch having electrodes in the order of the first gate electrode, the first drain electrode, the second gate electrode, the first source electrode, the third gate electrode, the second drain electrode, the fourth gate electrode, the second source electrode, the fifth gate electrode, the third drain electrode, the sixth gate electrode, the third source electrode, the seventh gate electrode, the fourth drain electrode, and the eighth gate electrode. According to the present invention, a differential voltage controlled oscillator for RF oscillation operation in the broadband area is realized by minimizing generation of parasitic components. |
| US07741919B2 |
Architecture for maintaining constant voltage-controlled oscillator gain
A voltage controlled oscillator and a method of operating a voltage-controlled oscillator are disclosed. The oscillator comprises a current controlled oscillator having a variable frequency current output, a first control path for generating a first control current having a first adjustable gain, and a second control path for generating a second control current having a second adjustable gain. A summer is provided for adding the first and second control currents to obtain a summed control current, and for applying the summed control current as an input current to the current controlled oscillator. A control sub-circuit is used for controlling the gain of the first control current as a function of a defined voltage on the second control path to maintain constant the gain of the current output of the current controlled oscillator over a given operating range of the current controlled oscillator. |
| US07741918B1 |
System and method for an enhanced noise shaping for spread spectrum modulation
A frequency synthesizer is described. In particular, the frequency synthesizer includes a modulator circuit for producing a signal of modulated frequency. The frequency synthesizer includes an accumulator for summing a plurality of errors in the modulator circuit. An error sum value is generated. More particularly, the accumulator increases the rate of sign change of the plurality of errors. An error signal modulator is coupled to the accumulator and modulates an index that is associated with a current error based on the error sum value. The index that is modulated is used for selecting a feedback loop divider count value used for dividing a frequency of the signal. As a result, the error noise around a target signal shows an increased sign change of error, which moves the error noise to higher frequencies. This improves EMI performance. |
| US07741915B2 |
Power amplification apparatus in communication system
Disclosed is a power amplification apparatus in a communication system. The apparatus includes a high power amplifier for amplifying an input signal; and a lattice panel, one surface of which is in contact with a ground plane of the high power amplifier, the one surface including a first line and a second line. The first line has at least two first etched portions and at least one first copperplate portion, the first copperplate portion being positioned between the first etched portions, and the first copperplate portion being formed at an interval of λ 0 4 , and the second line has at least two second etched portions and at least one second copperplate portion, the second copperplate portion being positioned between the second etched portions, and the second copperplate portion being formed at an interval of λ 0 ′ 4 . |
| US07741913B2 |
Low-loss electrical component with an amplifier
An electrical component includes an amplifier that includes an output stage, and a power-supply path for powering the output stage. The power supply path includes a line that includes conductor track sections in parallel. The electrical component also includes a carrier substrate containing the amplifier and the line with the conductor tracks. |
| US07741912B1 |
Varying amplifier bias parameters to meet radio frequency (RF) communications requirements
The present invention relates to amplifier bias circuitry, which provides a direct current (DC) bias to a radio frequency (RF) amplifier. The amplifier bias circuitry includes a control loop having a control loop bandwidth, and an output impedance associated with providing the DC bias to the RF amplifier. The amplifier bias circuitry may vary the DC bias, the output impedance, the control loop bandwidth, or any combination thereof, to meet wireless communications requirements. For example, in a multi-mode radio, low output impedance may be needed to meet linearity requirements of the RF amplifier associated with wireless communications protocols in one mode of the multi-modes; however, some low output impedance designs may reduce the control loop bandwidth below that needed to meet modulation requirements associated with wireless communications protocols in another mode of the multi-modes. |
| US07741911B2 |
Circuit and method for dynamic current compensation
An operational amplifier includes a first stage and a second stage, the first stage for receiving two input signals and the second stage being coupled to the first stage, wherein the second stage includes a first part with a first output of the operational amplifier, and a second part with a second output of the operational amplifier. A method includes providing a first current to the first part of the second stage, and providing a second current to the second part of the second stage. The method further includes adjusting the first current based on a current consumption of the first part of the second stage, and adjusting the second current based on a current consumption of the second part of the second stage, wherein the sum of the first current and the second current is substantially constant. |
| US07741910B2 |
Capacitor gain-boost circuit
A circuit is disclosed that comprises a capacitor gain-boost circuit and an amplifier coupled to capacitor gain-boost circuit. A capacitor gain-boost circuit comprises of capacitor, gain-boost amplifier and biasing circuit. The gain-boost amplifier and capacitor provides optimum biasing operation and performance. Accordingly, through the use of capacitor gain-boost circuit, the supply voltage range and power consumption of an amplifier is optimized while the gain of amplifier is improved. |
| US07741906B1 |
Method of and circuit for generating parameters for a predistortion circuit in an integrated circuit
A method of generating parameters for a predistortion circuit in an integrated circuit is disclosed. The method comprises receiving, at the predistortion circuit, an input signal to be amplified by a power amplifier; receiving an output of the power amplifier at an input of the integrated circuit; comparing an output of the predistortion circuit with the output of the power amplifier; conforming the output of the power amplifier with the output of the predistortion circuit; and generating parameters to be applied to the predistortion circuit based upon the conformed output of the power amplifier and the predistortion circuit. An integrated circuit having a circuit for generating parameters for a predistortion circuit of the integrated circuit is also disclosed. |
| US07741897B1 |
Method and apparatus for self gate pumped NMOS high speed switch
A method and apparatus for self gate pumped NMOS high speed switch have been disclosed. |
| US07741896B2 |
High voltage drive circuit employing capacitive signal coupling and associated devices and methods
According to one embodiment, there is provided a high voltage drive circuit comprising drive and sense electrodes formed substantially in a single plane. The device effects signal transfer between drive and receive circuits through the drive and sense electrodes by capacitive means, and permits high voltage devices, such as IGBTs, to be driven thereby without the use of high voltage transistors, thereby eliminating the need to use expensive fabrication processes such as SOI when manufacturing high voltage gate drive circuits and ICs. The device may be formed in a small package using, by way of example, using CMOS or other conventional low-cost semiconductor fabrication and packaging processes. |
| US07741894B2 |
Output circuit
An output circuit having an output transistor which switches a load current is disclosed. The output circuit includes a load current detecting block which detects a current level of the load current, and a slew rate adjustment block which adjusts a slew rate during a turn-off transition of the output transistor in response to a result of the detection by the load current detecting block. |
| US07741892B2 |
Data output controller
Disclosed is a data output controller that includes an enable signal controller, which generates a control signal having a predetermined pulse width in response to a DQ off signal and a write signal and generates a clock enable signal in response to a read signal and the control signal in synchronization with the control signal when the read signal is activated, and a clock generator that receives the enable signal and an internal clock signal and generates a data clock signal in synchronization with the internal clock signal during an activation period of the enable signal. |
| US07741891B2 |
Delay locked loop circuit
A delay locked loop increases an operation margin of a delay locked loop by using an output clock having more advanced phase than a DLL output clock. A clock delay compensation block receives an external clock signal to thereby generate a first multi clock and a second multi clock. A phase control block compares the first multi clock with the second multi clock to generate phase control signal controlling a shifting operation. A multi-phase delay control block performs a shifting operation based on the phase control signal to control the clock delay compensation block. |
| US07741888B2 |
PLL circuit having loop filter and method of driving the same
A PLL circuit includes a phase detector that compares the phase of an input clock and the phase of a feedback clock and generates a pull-up control signal and a pull-down control signal. A loop filter pumps a voltage in response to the pull-up and pull-down control signals, filters the pumped voltage, and outputs a control voltage. A voltage controlled oscillator receives the control signal and oscillates an output clock. A clock divider divides the frequency of the output clock at a predetermined rate to generate the feedback clock. In the PLL circuit, the loop filter includes a compensator that compensates for a variation. |
| US07741885B1 |
Frequency multiplier
A device for modifying an input signal having an input signal frequency and a duty cycle is disclosed. The device determines two separate counts for each of the high and low pulses of the input signal. One of the two counts for each of the high and low pulses is divided. The divided count is then compared with the undivided count. Based on this comparison, an output module outputs an output signal that has the same duty cycle as the input signal but at a frequency that is a multiple of the input signal frequency. |
| US07741879B2 |
Apparatus and method for generating a constant logical value in an integrated circuit
An apparatus for generating a constant logical value in an integrated circuit includes a first logic network having n outputs, the n outputs providing 2n possible output combinations, where the n outputs assume a state that is a subset of the 2n possible output combinations and a second logic network configured to generate at least one constant logic signal when the n outputs assume any state that is part of the subset of the 2n possible output combinations. |
| US07741877B2 |
Circuit for distributing an initial signal with a tree structure, protected against logic random events
An embodiment of the invention relates to a circuit for distributing an initial signal, comprising an input node receiving the initial signal, a plurality of terminal nodes each providing at least one resulting signal to a circuit component, and different connection branches between the input node and the plurality of terminal nodes, to which a plurality of intermediate nodes is connected, wherein connection branch is duplicated, so that each node among the input node and the intermediate nodes comprises two inputs and two outputs allowing double propagation of the initial signal towards the terminal nodes through duplicated connection branches, each terminal node terminal node receiving two input signals, images of the initial signal and providing the resulting initial signal: an image of the input signals if said input signals are identical, or inactive, if the input signals are different from each other. |
| US07741870B2 |
Multi-function input terminal
A single terminal is usable to configure an integrated circuit into one of three states. A circuit within the integrated circuit is coupled to the terminal and determines whether the terminal: 1) is tied low by an external connection, or 2) is tied high by an external connection, or 3) is floating or is substantially floating. If the circuit determines that the terminal is floating or is substantially floating, then the circuit sets an operational characteristic of a portion of the circuit (for example, sets a maximum current with which the circuit charges a battery) to have a value that is a function of a resistance of an external resistor coupled to the terminal. If no external resistor is present, then the terminal is floating and the operational characteristic is set to have a zero value. The terminal and circuit are particularly suited to use in a USB battery charger. |
| US07741868B2 |
Calibration methods and circuits to calibrate drive current and termination impedance
Described are on-die termination (ODT) systems and methods that facilitate high-speed communication between a driver die and a receiver die interconnected via one or more signal transmission lines. An ODT control system in accordance with one embodiment calibrates and maintains termination resistances and drive currents to produce optimal output swing voltages. Comparison circuitry employed to calibrate the reference resistance is also used to calibrate the drive current. Termination elements in some embodiments are divided into two adjustable resistive portions, both of which are designed to minimize capacitive loading. One portion is optimized to produce a relatively high range of adjustment, while the other is optimized for fine-tuning and glitch-free switching. |
| US07741867B2 |
Differential on-line termination
Memory devices and systems incorporate on-die termination for signal lines. A memory device comprises an integrated circuit die. The integrated circuit die comprises a pair of input signal pins that supply a pair of input signals, and an on-die termination circuit coupled between the pair of input signal pins that differentially terminates the pair of input signals. |
| US07741863B2 |
Apparatus and methods for performing a test
A circuit structure has a circuit portion with negative resistance and a test resonator structure. Furthermore, the circuit structure has a unit for coupling the test resonator structure to the circuit portion with negative resistance during testing and for decoupling the test resonator structure from the circuit portion with negative resistance after testing. |
| US07741862B2 |
Semiconductor device including a signal generator activated upon occurring of a timing signal
A mode decode/latch circuit decodes an input signal based on a latch timing signal to output a test mode signal to a test execution circuit. Test mode signal line includes a high-resistance portion extending from the mode decode/latch circuit toward the vicinity of the test execution circuit and a low-resistance portion connecting together the distal end of the high-resistance portion and the input of the test execution circuit. A latch circuit for latching the test mode signal based on the latch timing signal is inserted in the low-resistance portion. |
| US07741856B2 |
Immunity test system
In an immunity test system of the present invention, a boundary point detection device changes a signal level of a transmission signal input to an antenna through a level adjusting device while monitoring an operation of an electronic equipment, and thereby detects a signal level of the transmission signal at a boundary point, at which the electronic equipment is changed from a normal operation state to an abnormal operation state, or vice versa, due to the test wave; and a test result storing device calculates an electric field strength of the test wave at the boundary point by using conversion data based on the signal level of the transmission signal at the boundary point detected by the boundary point detection device, and stores in a storage device a calculation result of the electric field strength as well as a test condition used for obtaining the electric field strength. |
| US07741855B2 |
Calibration circuit for resistance component
A calibration circuit including a plurality of first resistance components, a plurality of second resistance components, and a first feedback system is provided. The first feedback system selects M1 first resistance components and N1 second resistance components so that a first combination of the M1 first resistance components and the N1 second resistance components has a first predetermined relationship with the impedance of a first resistor. The first feedback system selects M2 first resistance components and N2 second resistance components so that a second combination of the M2 first resistance components and the N2 second resistance components has a second predetermined relationship with the impedance of the first resistor. Based on the values of M1, N1, M2, N2, and a target impedance, the first feedback system generates a first set of calibration signals for a plurality of third resistance components and generates a second set of calibration signals for a plurality of fourth resistance components. |
| US07741854B2 |
Method of in slot tightness measuring of stator coil
A method for measuring a tangential tightness of a stator coil within an armature slot of a stator assembly in an electric generator. The stator coil is excited to produce a vibratory response therein. The vibratory response of the stator coil is detected and a frequency response function of the vibratory response is determined. A tangential tightness of the stator coil within the armature slot is estimated based on the frequency response function of the vibratory response of the stator coil. |
| US07741853B2 |
Differential-mode-current-sensing method and apparatus
Systems, methods, and devices are disclosed, including a ground-fault sensor that has a plurality of conductors each disposed one inside of another except for an outer conductor and a field sensor configured to sense an electric field, a magnetic field, or both. In some embodiments, the field sensor is disposed adjacent the outer conductor. |
| US07741849B2 |
Method for predicting the residual service life of an electric energy accumulator
Methods for predicting a remaining lifetime of an electric energy storage mechanism, in particular a battery in a motor vehicle and devices for implementing such methods are described in which the remaining lifetime is determined by extrapolation with the help of a mathematical model of the energy storage mechanism. This remaining lifetime is defined as the time until reaching any definable limiting values for the minimum efficiency or minimum storage capacity. The remaining lifetime is indicated and, when the level falls below a preselectable threshold, a warning is displayed. The parameters of the energy storage mechanism are adapted continuously to the real values over the lifetime. The anticipated remaining lifetime is determined by extrapolation from the values for the efficiency and/or storage capacity, based on a specifiable charge state and temperature and the minimum values required for the particular application, these values being calculated at regular intervals on the basis of the model and saved. |
| US07741844B2 |
Method and system for magnetic resonance imaging using labeled contrast agents
A method and system for imaging using labeled contrast agents and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner are provided. The method comprises performing a prescan at a frequency selected to be substantially similar to a frequency of the labeled contrast agent and performing an examination scan at the frequency of the labeled contrast agent substantially immediately after administering the labeled contrast agent to a subject. |
| US07741842B2 |
Calibration maps for parallel imaging free of chemical shift artifact
A method for generating a calibrated parallel magnetic resonance image is provided in a manifestation of the invention. A magnetic resonance imaging excitation is applied. A plurality of echoes at different echo times (TE) is acquired. The acquired plurality of echoes from different echo times is used to create a chemical shift corrected calibration map. |
| US07741840B1 |
Magnetic probe
A magnetic probe includes a tubular container, the inside of which can be observed and at least one end of which is closed, a paramagnetic seed which is fixed to an end of the tubular container, and a paramagnetic colloidal particle dispersion liquid that is filled in the tubular container. |
| US07741839B2 |
Non-contacting position sensor using a rotating magnetic vector
A sensor for sensing the position of an object includes a magnet and a magnetic flux sensor. The magnet has dimensions that include a length, a width and a height. The magnet is adapted to generate a flux field. The flux field has a magnitude of flux and a flux direction. The flux direction changes along at least one of the dimensions. The magnetic flux sensor is mounted adjacent the magnet. The magnet provides a rotating magnetic field vector. A method for magnetizing a magnet to create the rotating magnetic field vector is also disclosed. |
| US07741833B1 |
Non contact method and apparatus for measurement of sheet resistance of p-n junctions
A contactless sheet resistance measurement apparatus and method for measuring the sheet resistance of upper layer of ultra shallow p-n junction is disclosed. The apparatus comprises alternating light source optically coupled with first transparent and conducting electrode brought close to the wafer, the second electrode placed outside of illumination area. Using the measurement of the surface photovoltage signals inside illuminated area and outside this area and its phase shifts, linear SPV model describing its lateral distribution the sheet resistance and p-n junction conductance is determined. |
| US07741831B2 |
Frequency component measuring device
It is possible to provide a frequency component measuring device capable of narrowing the range of transmission frequency of a local oscillator, preventing degradation of the level measurement accuracy, and measuring the level of a modulation wave. The device includes: a local oscillator (24) capable of performing sweep in a predetermined frequency range; a mixer (22) for mixing a local oscillation signal outputted from the local oscillator (24) and a measured signal so as to subject the measured signal to a frequency conversion; a plurality of intermediate-frequency filters (44, 46) for extracting and outputting components of different intermediate frequencies from a signal outputted from the mixer (22); and an image removal processing section (66) for performing image removal according to the plurality of intermediate-frequency signals separately outputted from the intermediate-frequency filters (44, 46) corresponding to frequency sweep operations performed by the local oscillator (24) more than once. |
| US07741830B2 |
Image cancellation in frequency converters for spectrum analysers
The process eliminates image rays generated in a frequency converting device generating actual rays and image rays from frequency rays of an input signal. The frequency converting device comprising a mixer mixing the input signal and a signal provided by a local oscillator and a filter assembly filtering the mixed signals output by the mixer. In a first sweep and a second sweep, the frequency of the oscillator is varied and the signal level at the output of the frequency converting device is recorded for a set of converted frequencies. The second sweep is carried out so that the frequency of the actual ray generated in the second sweep by an input ray is the same as the frequency of the actual ray generated in said first sweep by said input ray, and the frequency of the image ray generated in the second sweep by an input ray is not the same as the frequency of the image ray generated in said first sweep by said input ray. Then, the process determines if a ray-including signal level was recorded both during the first sweep and the second sweep for at least one converted frequency and displays an indication of the presence of a ray for said at least one converted frequency on a screen only if said determination is positive. |
| US07741825B2 |
Power supply circuit with temperature-dependent drive signal
A power supply circuit is disclosed herein comprising a load current path for connecting a load which has a switching element. The power supply circuit also includes a current sensor for providing a current measurement signal dependent on a current through the load current path. A drive circuit is also included which provides a clocked drive signal with a number of drive cycles, in each case having an on period and an off period, for the switching element. A temperature sensor arrangement with a temperature sensor is provided for determining an environmental temperature in the area of the temperature sensor, which provides a temperature measurement signal dependent on the environmental temperature. The clocked drive signal is dependent on the current measurement signal and the temperature measurement signal. |
| US07741824B2 |
Switching power supply control
A switching power supply controller includes a comparator to compare a feedback signal to a first limit and a second limit, one of which includes a ramp. Limit generators may be used to generate limit signals in response to power supply signals, control signals, and/or output signals. An error amplifier may be used to generate the feedback signal in response to an output signal and an input control signal. A switching power supply may alternatively include an oscillator that shifts the switching frequency in response to the input control signal. |
| US07741820B2 |
Switching voltage regulator pulse width modulation controller and method
A PWM controller for controlling a switching voltage regulator comprises a first comparator, a second comparator and a third comparator. The first comparator is configured to detect voltages of a first node and a second node so as to determine whether to stop the PWM controller. The PWM controller is stopped if a first potential is lower than a threshold, and the first potential derives from the voltage of the first node by a level shift of a first voltage difference. The second comparator is configured to detect the voltage of the first node and then to compare the voltage with a power reference voltage so as to determine whether the PWM controller receives necessary power. The third comparator is configured to compare the voltage of the second node with an enable reference voltage so as to determine whether to disable the PWN controller. |
| US07741819B2 |
Unipolar or bipolar chopping converter with two magnetically coupled windings
In order to reduce the cost of a chopping converter supplying a continuous voltage at the terminals of a load (Z), a circuit with two windings (Lp, Ls) and a single magnetic core is proposed, according to the present invention, which enables the cost and the size of the circuit to be reduced. It is then necessary to add two diodes (D3, D4) to the circuit, but these elements are inexpensive and of small size. |
| US07741806B2 |
Magnetically attachable battery recharging
A charging device for transferring electrical charge between a variety of sources and clients comprising charging circuitry and electrical leads with magnetically attaching connectors is disclosed. The magnetically attachable leads are used to connect to external batteries or other sources or clients. The charging circuitry may be a buck, boost, or boost/buck switching ASIC or may be a micro-controller. |
| US07741805B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing power flow of an electric power storage device
An electrical power storage device provides power to crank an internal combustion engine. Thereafter available power from the electric power storage device to crank the engine again is continually updated. Remedial measures are invoked if the available power is less than a predetermined power threshold. |
| US07741803B2 |
Apparatus and method for driving 2-phase SRM
Disclosed is an apparatus and method for driving a 2-phase SRM capable of individually performing an initial driving by an initializing sensor and a normal driving by a driving sensor, and capable of controlling a rotation speed of the SRM by delaying a phase signal by a half period and then generating a pulse width modulation signal based on the period. The apparatus comprises: a driving sensor which detects a position of a rotor thus to generate a driving sensor signal based on a result of the detection; a microprocessor which generates a 1-phase signal and a 2-phase signal based on a rising time and a falling time of the driving sensor signal at the time of a normal driving; an oscillator which generates first and second pulse width modulation signals delayed by a preset time; and a multiplying unit which multiplies the 1-phase and 2-phase signals with the first and second pulse width modulation signals, and generates 1-phase and 2-phase driving signals based on a result of the multiplication. |
| US07741802B2 |
Medical robotic system with programmably controlled constraints on error dynamics
A medical robotic system has a robot arm holding an instrument for performing a medical procedure, and a control system for controlling movement of the arm and its instrument according to user manipulation of a master manipulator. The control system includes at least one joint controller that includes a controller having programmable parameters for setting a steady-state velocity error and a maximum acceleration error for the joint's movement relative to a set point in response to an externally applied and released force. |
| US07741800B2 |
Control apparatus and method for controlling an adjusting device in a motor vehicle
A control apparatus for an adjusting device in a motor vehicle is provided. The apparatus has a sensor, particularly a current sensor (S1), for generating a signal (U1 to U10, I1 to I3, Δt1 to Δt8) which is dependent on a motor movement by a motor in the adjusting device. The apparatus also has a power driver for controlling a motor current, and a processor (RE). The processor is designed and set up (i) to find a position (xm) from the sensor signal (U1 to U10, I1 to I3, Δt1 to Δt8), particularly from the ripple in the motor current, (ii) to associate a reference characteristic (Chref) of orderly signals (U1 to U10, I1 to I3, Δt1 to Δt8) from the sensor, particularly for the ripple, with a reference position (xref), (iii) to correct the position found (xm) on the basis of the reference characteristic (Chref) and the reference position (xref), and (iv) to control the motor current on the basis of the corrected position. |
| US07741797B2 |
Method for managing transitions in a three-phase BLDC motor and corresponding device
A method is provided for managing at least one transition in a three-phase BLDC motor describing a cycle including six successive states, wherein the motor obtains first, second and third synchronization signals. The synchronization signals are respectively associated with first, second and third coils of the motor. The method includes the following steps, for each current transition associated with the switching of the motor from a current state to a next state: selecting a current synchronization signal on which the current transition is to appear; detecting the occurrence of the current transition on the current synchronization signal; and sending, to the motor, at least one current control signal so as to switch the motor from the current state to the next state. |
| US07741796B2 |
Method for controlling brake chopper, brake chopper and frequency converter
A method for controlling brake resistors and a brake chopper, the number of brake resistors being two or more and the brake resistors being connected in series with switches to be controlled, the series connection being connected between a positive and a negative rail of a DC voltage intermediate circuit, the method comprising the step of determining a magnitude for a voltage of the DC intermediate circuit; and determining a first voltage limit and a second voltage limit. The method further comprises the steps of switching brake resistors to the intermediate circuit in a periodically alternating manner, each switch being switched during a switching period and the on-period of each switch in a switching period being responsive to the magnitude of the voltage in the DC voltage intermediate circuit when the voltage is above the first predetermined limit and below the second predetermined limit. |
| US07741784B2 |
Apparatus for driving a light source and liquid crystal display device using the same
An apparatus for driving a light source and a liquid crystal display device using the same is disclosed. The apparatus for driving a light includes: a light source unit including a plurality of lamps to emit light; and a light source driving unit that selectively drives the plurality of lamps in response to a luminance control signal and a selection signal. |
| US07741781B2 |
Radio-frequency accelerating cavity and circular accelerator
An RF accelerating cavity includes an accelerating cavity unit and an inductance varying device having a magnetic member connected parallel to an acceleration electrode gap. The RF accelerating cavity is tuned in such a fashion that a charged particle beam acceleration frequency matches a resonant frequency of the RF accelerating cavity by regulating inductance of the inductance varying device in accordance with a changing pattern of the charged particle beam acceleration frequency. Alternatively, impedance of the RF accelerating cavity is increased with the provision of a fixed inductance connected parallel to the acceleration electrode gap when the RF accelerating cavity has a narrow acceleration frequency range. |
| US07741779B2 |
Metal vapor discharge lamp and illumination apparatus
A metal vapor discharge lamp and a lighting fixture are downsized without causing breakage of an outer tube because of optimization of a positional relation among the outer tube (34), an inner tube (32), and an arc tube (40). The metal vapor discharge lamp has the arc tube, the inner tube housing the arc tube, and the outer tube housing the inner tube. The positional relation satisfies the relation of 2×A+B≧1.06. In a cross section of the lamp (the cross section of the arc tube is unshown for convenience), A (mm) represents the shortest distance between the arc tube and the inner tube along a line in a radial direction of the inner tube, and B (mm) represents a distance between the inner tube and the outer tube on a line segment C that is extension of the line. |
| US07741772B2 |
White LED package structure having a silicon substrate and method of making the same
A white light emitting diode package structure having a silicon substrate is disclosed. The white light emitting diode package structure comprises a silicon substrate having a plurality of cup-structures thereon, one of a plurality of blue light emitting diodes is respectively disposed in each cup-structure, and a phosphor structure covering the silicon substrate and the cup-structures. The blue light emitting diodes have various wavelengths and the phosphor structure has a plurality of kinds of phosphor powders and a sealing material. Each kind of phosphor powder is able to convert blue light within a certain wavelength into yellow light. |
| US07741771B2 |
Light-emitting element and display device and lighting device using same
A light-emitting element is provided having a layered structure composed of at least a light-emitting layer having a light-emitting region and a reflective layer for reflecting light emitted from the light-emitting region. Light emitted from the light-emitting region is extracted from a light-extracting surface distanced from the light-emitting region. A light-scattering portion is present in a part of the reflective layer. |
| US07741770B2 |
LED device having improved light output
A light-emitting microcavity diode device includes a reflective electrode and a semi-transparent electrode, formed over a substrate, with an unpatterned light-emitting layer formed between the reflective electrode and the semi-transparent electrode. The reflective electrode, semi-transparent electrode, and unpatterned light-emitting layer form an optical cavity. Either the reflective or semi-transparent electrode is patterned to form independently-controllable, light-emitting sub-pixels. At least one, and fewer than all, of the sub-pixels emit light through a color filter. A first sub-pixel emits light having a first primary color and a second sub-pixel emits a complementary colored light. The light emitted from the first and second sub-pixels changes at one or more different angles. The color of the combined light of the first and second sub-pixels changes less at the one or more different angles than the light from at least one of the first or second sub-pixels. A third sub-pixel emits light through a color filter of a second primary color, different from the first primary color. |
| US07741769B2 |
Light-emitting device for sealing light-emitting elements and electronic apparatus
A light-emitting device includes: a substrate; a plurality of light-emitting elements which is formed on the substrate and each of which has an anode partitioned by an insulating pixel partition wall, a cathode, and an organic light-emitting layer interposed therebetween and emits light by an electric field generated by the anode and the cathode; a first organic buffer layer that is formed by applying an organic compound and hardening the organic compound and covers a region larger than the region in which the plurality of light-emitting elements are formed; a second organic buffer layer that is that is formed by applying an organic compound and hardening the organic compound and is arranged above the substrate with the first organic buffer layer interposed therebetween so as to cover the plurality of light-emitting elements; and a gas barrier layer that is formed of an inorganic compound, covers a region larger than the region in which the first and second organic buffer layers are formed, and protects the plurality of light-emitting elements from air. In the light-emitting device, a region of the substrate overlapping the first organic buffer layer is not completely matched with a region of the substrate overlapping the second organic buffer layer. |
| US07741766B2 |
Composition for forming layer, fluorescent lamp using the composition, and method of manufacturing a fluorescent lamp
A slurry composition for forming a layer is provided. The slurry composition includes 100 parts by weight of a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of MgO, CaO, SrO, BaO, ZrO3, and a combination thereof; 1-200 parts by weight of a binding agent per 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide, the binding agent being selected from the group consisting of calcium phosphate (CaP), a calcium-barium-boron-based (CBB-based) oxide, a triple carbonate ((Ca, Ba, Sr)CO3), and a combination thereof; 1-10 parts by weight of a binder per 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide, the binder being selected from the group consisting of nitro cellulose, ethyl cellulose, methyl methacrylate, and a combination thereof; and 50-500 parts by weight of a solvent per 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide. |
| US07741763B2 |
Spark plug
A spark plug including a center electrode; an insulator; a metal shell; a ground electrode; and an annular packing, all as defined herein, wherein the packing has a hardness greater than or equal to a hardness of the stepped portion of the metal shell or has a Vickers hardness of not less than 300 Hv. Preferably, a difference between the hardness of the packing and the hardness of the stepped portion of the metal shell is from 120 Hv to 160 Hv, and the packing has a Vickers hardness of not more than 500 Hv. |
| US07741761B2 |
Radiofrequency plasma spark plug
A radiofrequency plasma spark plug configured to equip a combustion chamber including: an annular shell with a main axis; a central electrode made of a conductive material, extending along the main axis and including an inner portion arranged inside the annular shell and an outer portion arranged outside the annular shell; an annular electrically insulating part extending at least about the inner portion of the central electrode so as to be interposed between the shell and the electrode, the insulating part only covering part of the outer portion of the central electrode. The insulating part includes an annular flange concealing the entire circular terminal surface of the shell relative to the uncovered part of the electrode. |
| US07741759B2 |
Electron tube and method for manufacturing electron tube
A photomultiplier tube 1 is an electron tube comprising an envelope 5 including a frame 3b having at least one end part formed with an opening and an upper substrate 2 airtightly joined to the opening, and a photocathode 6 contained within the envelope 5, the photocathode 6 emitting a photoelectron into the envelope 5 in response to light incident thereon from the outside; wherein multilayer metal films 10b, 10a each constituted by a metal film made of titanium, a metal film made of platinum, and a metal film made of gold laminated in this order are formed at the opening and the joint part between the upper substrate 2 and opening; and wherein the frame 3b and upper side substrate 2 are joined to each other by holding a joint layer 14 containing indium between the respective multilayer metal films 10b, 10a. |
| US07741757B2 |
Energy shuttle based high energy piezoelectric apparatus and method
An energy harvester apparatus that includes a piezoelectric beam having opposing first and second ends, with the first end being fixedly supported to a support structure. A negative spring force subsystem has a first end fixedly secured against movement, and a second end secured to the second end of said piezoelectric beam. The negative spring force subsystem includes a linkage system and a biasing element operably associated with the linkage system for applying an adjustable, negative spring force to the piezoelectric beam to soften the piezoelectric beam. The negative spring force subsystem is adjusted to flex the beam sufficiently to overcome the inherent stiffness of the beam such that two stable positions for the beam are created. The beam is therefore able to oscillate between the two stable positions in an over center fashion in response to a low magnitude vibration signal. In various embodiments the system is implemented to provide an input drive signal to control various types of external devices. |
| US07741752B2 |
High frequency surface acoustic wave device and the substrate thereof
A high frequency SAW device and the substrate thereof are disclosed. The disclosed high frequency SAW device does not need to use the conventional and expensive sapphire substrate as its substrate. Besides, the disclosed substrate for a high-frequency SAW device can replace the conventional sapphire substrate in the use of the substrate for a high frequency SAW device. The disclosed high frequency SAW device comprises: a substrate; a first buffering layer forming on the surface of the substrate; a second buffering layer forming on the surface of the first buffering layer; a piezoelectric layer forming on the surface of the second buffering layer; an input transformation unit; and an output transformation unit, wherein the input transformation unit and the output transformation unit are formed in pairs on the surface of or beneath the piezoelectric layer. |
| US07741751B2 |
MEMS device having distance stops
A micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) device includes bottom and top capacitive plates, such that a capacitor is definable therebetween. A mechanism is electrostatically movably disposed between the bottom and top capacitive plates. One or more flexures are movably disposed between the bottom capacitive plate and the mechanism, and having distance stops between the bottom capacitive plate and the mechanism corresponding to maximum downward movement. The MEMS device includes one or more electrodes of the bottom capacitive plate corresponding to the flexures. Energizing different of the electrodes causes the flexures to move to different of the distance stops, causing the mechanism to move to different positions between the bottom and top capacitive plates. |
| US07741750B1 |
Induction motor with improved torque density
An induction motor embodiment includes a stator defining a stator bore, the stator including a stator yoke having a stator yoke thickness and a plurality of stator teeth, the teeth having a common length, with each of the stator teeth including a stator tooth center portion that extends from a stator tooth bottom portion proximal the yoke to a stator tooth tip portion, with adjacent stator teeth defining a stator slot between them, each stator slot having a stator slot bottom that extends along a stator slot bottom length. In the embodiment, the center portion has a stator tooth width that is less than or equal to one half the stator slot bottom length. In the embodiment, the stator tooth width is smaller than a stator slot opening width distance. In the embodiment, a ratio of stator yoke thickness to stator tooth width is at least 5:1. A rotor is rotably mounted in the stator. |
| US07741745B2 |
Attaching structure of resolver, dynamo-electric machine and attaching method of resolver
A resolver stator portion is attached to a resolver stator portion side attaching portion formed at a position facing to a resolver rotor portion via an elastic ring. Thus, it is possible to absorb a dimensional error of the resolver stator portion side attaching portion on the basis of an elastic deformation of the elastic ring even in the case that the dimensional error is generated in the resolver stator portion side attaching portion. |
| US07741744B2 |
System and method for protecting a submersible motor
A technique is provided to facilitate pumping of fluids in a well. A submersible pumping system utilizes a submersible motor to power a submersible pump. A motor protector works in cooperation with the submersible motor to protect motor fluid within the submersible motor and to reduce differential pressures between the internal motor fluid and the external well fluid. The motor protector incorporates a piston slidably sealed within an interior cavity of the motor protector for movement to reduce undue differential pressures. |
| US07741737B2 |
Solid state power control and method for reducing control power
A solid state power control apparatus includes a switch and a microcontroller that controls the switch. The microcontroller receives serial communication and switches between an active state and a sleep state in response to the serial communication. |
| US07741736B2 |
System and method for multiple sense point voltage regulation
The present invention is a system and method for sensing the voltage at multiple sense points. The present invention acquires optimal feedback from a plurality of sources including those integrated on the same motherboard, for populated or unpopulated connectors and for adapter cards plugged into the connectors, for the purpose of controlling the voltage regulator output. The voltage regulator, connected to a logic system, provides voltage to those connectors needing the voltage. |
| US07741733B1 |
Modular battery control apparatus
A modular battery control apparatus includes a first stationary contact adapted for electrical communication with coach loads and a battery charger, a second stationary contact adapted for electrical communication with a coach battery, a third stationary contact adapted for electrical communication with a chassis battery, and a fourth stationary contact adapted for electrical communication with chassis loads and an alternator. First, second, and third movable contacts are respectively attached to first, second, and third latching solenoids and are adapted to abuttingly engage and disengage the respective first and second stationary contacts, second and third stationary contacts, and third and fourth stationary contacts. A controller selectively activates and deactivates the first, second, and third latching solenoids and a user-controlled switch panel communicates with the controller. |
| US07741731B2 |
PWM power regulator device
A PWM power regulator device has a processor, an input interface circuit, a zero phase detecting circuit and a thyristor. The input interface circuit is connected to a PWM output terminal of an external digital control circuit and the processor. The processor calculates a period and duty cycle of a PWM signal from the PWM output terminal and then outputs a triggering signal to the thyristor. The thyristor is triggered at different conduct angle according to the triggering signal and the triggering signal is determined by the processor according to the PWM signal. Therefore, the power regulator device is directly connected to the PWM output terminal of the digital control circuit without digital to analog converter. |
| US07741727B2 |
System and method for creating a networked infrastructure distribution platform of small fixed and vehicle based wind energy gathering devices along roadways
A roadway system for energy generation and distribution is presented. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the roadway system comprises a plurality of wind energy generating devices, and a roadway system electricity grid. The wind energy generating devices are electrically connected to the roadway system electricity grid and are positioned on part of or near to a road in a system of roads and are optionally fixed in a position such that a multi-form, wind energy gathering network can be formed. |
| US07741722B2 |
Through-wafer vias
A through-wafer via structure and method for forming the same. The through-wafer via structure includes a wafer having an opening and a top wafer surface. The top wafer surface defines a first reference direction perpendicular to the top wafer surface. The through-wafer via structure further includes a through-wafer via in the opening. The through-wafer via has a shape of a rectangular plate. A height of the through-wafer via in the first reference direction essentially equals a thickness of the wafer in the first reference direction. A length of the through-wafer via in a second reference direction is at least ten times greater than a width of the through-wafer via in a third reference direction. The first, second, and third reference directions are perpendicular to each other. |
| US07741721B2 |
Electrical fuses and resistors having sublithographic dimensions
Electrical fuses and resistors having a sublithographic lateral or vertical dimension are provided. A conductive structure comprising a conductor or a semiconductor is formed on a semiconductor substrate. At least one insulator layer is formed on the conductive structure. A recessed area is formed in the at least one insulator layer. Self-assembling block copolymers are applied into the recessed area and annealed to form a first set of polymer blocks and a second set of polymer blocks. The first set of polymer blocks are etched selective to the second set and the at least one insulator layer. Features having sublithographic dimensions are formed in the at least one insulator layer and/or the conductive structure. Various semiconductor structures having sublithographic dimensions are formed including electrical fuses and resistors. |
| US07741720B2 |
Electronic device with wire bonds adhered between integrated circuits dies and printed circuit boards
An electronic device that has an integrated circuit die with a plurality of contacts pads, a printed circuit board with a plurality of conductors corresponding to each of the contact pads respectively, wire bonds electrically connecting each of the contact pads to the corresponding conductors and, an adhesive surface positioned between the contacts pads and the corresponding conductors. The wire bonds are secured to the adhesive surface to hold them in a low profile configuration. |