| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08116871B2 |
Automatic capture verification using electrocardiograms sensed from multiple implanted electrodes
Cardiac monitoring and/or stimulation methods and systems that provide one or more of monitoring, diagnosing, defibrillation, and pacing. Cardiac signal separation is employed for automatic capture verification using cardiac activation sequence information. Devices and methods sense composite cardiac signals using implantable electrodes. A source separation is performed using the composite signals. One or more signal vectors are produced that are associated with all or a portion of one or more cardiac activation sequences based on the source separation. A cardiac response to the pacing pulses is classified using characteristics associated with cardiac signal vectors and the signals associated with the vectors. Further embodiments may involve classifying the cardiac response as capture or non-capture, fusion or intrinsic cardiac activity. The characteristics may include an angle or an angle change of the cardiac signal vectors, such as a predetermined range of angles of the one or more cardiac signal vectors. |
| US08116869B2 |
Cardiopulmonary functional status assessment via metabolic response detection by implantable cardiac device
An implantable cardiac device is configured and programmed to assess a patient's cardiopulmonary function by evaluating the patient's minute ventilation response. Such evaluation may be performed by computing a minute ventilation response slope, defined as the ratio of an incremental change in minute ventilation to an incremental change in measured activity level. The minute ventilation response slope may then be compared with a normal range to assess the patient's functional status. |
| US08116867B2 |
Methods and devices for tachyarrhythmia sensing and high-pass filter bypass
The present invention, in illustrative embodiments, includes methods and devices for analyzing cardiac signals in an implantable cardiac stimulus system. Within the analysis, a threshold may be defined related to a cardiac event rate. If the cardiac event rate does not exceed the threshold, filtering of captured cardiac signals occurs, including attenuating T-waves. If the cardiac event rate does exceed the threshold, circuitry for analog filtering or programming for digital filtering is bypassed to avoid attenuating low frequency components of the captured cardiac signals. |
| US08116858B2 |
Methods and apparatus for monitoring heart motions
Methods and apparatus for monitoring the heart motion of a subject employ a probe which can be coupled to a portion of the anatomy of a subject such as the aortic arch or the thyroid cartilage. The probe is biased into contact with the subject. The probe detects movements caused by the heart motion. The apparatus may display accelerations and displacements caused by the heart motion. Waveforms from multiple anatomic sites may be acquired, normalized in time and amplitude, and combined to produce resultant waveforms. Combining the waveforms may involve addition or subtraction. |
| US08116852B2 |
System and method for detection of skin wounds and compartment syndromes
A system configured to provide feedback regarding fluid parameters in the skin and/or compartments of an individual to facilitate early diagnosis of skin wounds and compartment syndromes. |
| US08116850B2 |
Organ access device and method
An insertion guide device guides an instrument toward a target location in a subject. The insertion guide device includes a base portion securable to the subject and an insertion guide portion defining an insertion axis. The insertion guide portion guides the instrument along the insertion axis, and the insertion guide portion is moveably supported by the base portion for movement of the insertion axis about at least two axes. Moreover, the insertion guide device includes a locking device that selectively fixes the insertion guide portion relative to the base portion. The locking device selectively fixes the insertion axis relative to the at least two axes substantially concurrently. |
| US08116848B2 |
Method and apparatus for volumetric image navigation
A surgical navigation system has a computer with a memory and display connected to a surgical instrument or pointer and position tracking system, so that the location and orientation of the pointer are tracked in real time and conveyed to the computer. The computer memory is loaded with data from an MRI, CT, or other volumetric scan of a patient, and this data is utilized to dynamically display 3-dimensional perspective images in real time of the patient's anatomy from the viewpoint of the pointer. The images are segmented and displayed in color to highlight selected anatomical features and to allow the viewer to see beyond obscuring surfaces and structures. The displayed image tracks the movement of the instrument during surgical procedures. The instrument may include an imaging device such as an endoscope or ultrasound transducer, and the system displays also the image for this device from the same viewpoint, and enables the two images to be fused so that a combined image is displayed. The system is adapted for easy and convenient operating room use during surgical procedures. |
| US08116846B2 |
Intravascular antenna
The present invention relates to an elongate intravascular device adapted to be advanced through a vessel of a subject. The present invention further includes an antenna which is disposed on an inflatable member such that the antenna can be increased or decreased in size to more accurately tune the system in which it is employed. |
| US08116845B2 |
Tissue-characterization probe with effective sensor-to-tissue contact
The present invention relates to a device for tissue-characterization, designed for effective sensor-to-tissue contact. The device includes an element, having a rigid surface of a linear cross-section, on which at least one sensor is arranged, and a mechanism for applying a force to a soft tissue, the line of force being at an acute angle with the rigid surface, for stretching or stretching and pushing the soft tissue against the rigid surface, thus achieving effective contact between the tissue and the at least one sensor. In consequence, the accuracy of the sensing is improved. In accordance with another embodiment, a plurality of sensors is employed, arranged along a curved element, for providing three-dimensional information regarding the tissue, for example, by small-scale computerized tomography. |
| US08116844B2 |
Angiographic method and apparatus allowing identification of contrast agent propagation
In a method and apparatus for acquisition of angiographic data sets of a region of an examination subject, into whose bloodstream a contrast agent has been introduced, a data set of the region to be examined is acquired during a first propagation phase of the contrast agent in the bloodstream as a reference data set to determine reference data, additional data sets of the region to be examined are then acquired, and based on the reference data, variations that are caused in at least some of the additional data sets due to the arrival of a second propagation phase of the contrast agent are determined, and the arrival of the second propagation phase of the contrast agent in the bloodstream is identified based on the determined variations. |
| US08116841B2 |
Adherent device with multiple physiological sensors
An adherent device to monitor a patient for an extended period comprises a breathable tape. The breathable tape comprises a porous material with an adhesive coating to adhere the breathable tape to a skin of the patient. At least one electrode is affixed to the breathable tape and capable of electrically coupling to a skin of the patient. A printed circuit board is connected to the breathable tape to support the printed circuit board with the breathable tape when the tape is adhered to the patient. Electronic components electrically are connected to the printed circuit board and coupled to the at least one electrode to measure physiologic signals of the patient. A breathable cover and/or an electronics housing is disposed over the circuit board and electronic components and connected to at least one of the electronics components, the printed circuit board or the breathable tape. |
| US08116840B2 |
Method of calibrating of an analyte-measurement device, and associated methods, devices and systems
The invention relates to a method for calibrating an analyte-measurement device that is used to evaluate a concentration of analyte in bodily fluid at or from a measurement site in a body. The method involves measuring a concentration, or calibration concentration, of an analyte in blood from an “off-finger” calibration site, and calibrating the analyte-measurement device based on that calibration concentration. The invention also relates to a device, system, or kit for measuring a concentration of an analyte in a body, which employs a calibration device for adjusting analyte concentration measured in bodily fluid based on an analyte concentration measured in blood from an “off-finger” calibration site. |
| US08116838B2 |
Medical device for diagnosing pressure ulcers
Medical device or instrument for diagnosing pressure ulcers using optical reflectance spectroscopy. The device may comprise a tip and a controller. The tip is pressed against the skin of the patient and collects the optical reflectance data. The controller processes the data to determine whether there exists a pressure ulcer and, if there is one, its depth. The tip may also include a pressure sensor for sensing the pressure at which the tip is applied to the patient's skin. |
| US08116837B2 |
System for adjusting power employed by a medical device
A system for adjusting power employed by a medical device incorporating light emitting devices and being used for measuring patient medical parameters, includes a plurality of light emitting devices. A power unit is coupled to the light emitting devices and powers the light emitting devices responsive to respective control signals which determine power to be applied to the light emitting devices. A control unit for provides the control signals and is coupled to the power unit. The control signals intermittently turn off at least one of the plurality of light emitting devices in a power save mode in response to a determination that a patient medical parameter value measured by the medical device, using an active light emitting device of the plurality of light emitting devices, is at a safe level. |
| US08116835B2 |
Electronic device and sliding mechanism thereof
A sliding mechanism is provided, including a first member, a second member, a slider, a wire, and a flexible printed circuit (FPC). The first member and the slider are movable with respect to the second member. The wire connects the first member with the slider. The FPC is extended through a first opening of the slider and a second opening of the second member. When the first member slides with respect to the second member along a first direction, the slider and the FPC are dragged by the wire along a second direction opposite to the first direction. |
| US08116830B2 |
Data input key for a portable apparatus and key array thereof
A data input key for a portable apparatus and a key array thereof. The data input key includes a first key having a first recess positioned on the top thereof and a second key that has a second recess positioned on the top thereof, while facing the first recess, and which is disposed adjacent to the first key while facing it. In a first mode, the same data is recognized when either of the keys are pressed, and in a second mode different data is recognized when each of the first and second keys are pressed. |
| US08116827B2 |
Portable electronic devices
A portable electronic device is provided. The portable electronic device includes a housing, a circuit module, a solar module, and a keypad module. The circuit module is disposed in the housing. The solar module provides a supplied power to the circuit module. The keypad module having light transparency is disposed in the housing and covers the solar module. The solar module receives the light from a light source through the keypad module to provide the supplied power. |
| US08116824B2 |
Mobile terminal and key input method thereof
A mobile terminal, method and computer program product for transferring a currently displayed first display from a first touchscreen of a first display unit on an outer surface of a first body of a device to a second display unit on an inner surface of the first body or on an inner surface of a second body of the device when the device is opened, and subsequently executing a predetermined function upon receiving a first touch input to the first touchscreen. |
| US08116822B1 |
Multiple-antenna system for cellular communication and broadcasting
A multiple-antenna system for use in cellular communication and broadcasting. The multiple-antenna transmission system can be controlled, adjusted, configured, or reconfigured to produce desirable radiation beam patterns suitable for different types of applications. A signal distribution network may be provided in the multiple-antenna system. The signal distribution network is embedded in a transmitter and controls the distribution of signals to one or more antennas in accordance with application requirements. Various antenna radiation patterns suitable for different applications can be generated by reconfiguring the connections and gain settings in the signal distribution network. For example, narrow beams may be generated for use in unicast applications, whereas sector beams may be generated for use in broadcast applications. Certain techniques may be employed to manage the transition from one type of transmission mode to another type of transmission mode. |
| US08116821B2 |
System and antenna for radio access networks
An active antenna with an IP address including a first set of modules (Mi) and a second set of modules (M′j), both sets using a same hardware platform and each set integrating radiofrequency sub-modules. Further including at least an Ethernet connection to the core network for providing the active antenna with capability of operation from an anchor site, and a digital platform integrating a set of modules for base-band processing, operating in one or more of 2G, 3G and LTE technologies. The active antenna includes processing apparatus for control plane of 2G and 3G radio access networks, routing apparatus for lu, Gb or S1 data relay from/to the core network to provide the active antenna with capability of operation from a relay site. Further included is at least two optical ports for connection in chain with a pair of active antennas in the same relay site and a power supply connection. |
| US08116819B2 |
Arrangements for beam refinement in a wireless network
A beamforming method is disclosed that includes performing sequential beam transmissions in multiple directions and receiving replies to the transmissions (i.e. a sector search). The received transmissions can include information or channel parameters such as direction of arrival, signal to noise ratio, signal strength, etc., for each sector. Utilizing the parameters transmitted or fed back by the receiver, the transmitter can store control vectors that dictate a beam that can be utilized to commence a beam refinement procedure. In addition, the parameters can be utilized to select and implement a custom sequence to refine the communication channel between the device and the controller. The custom sequence can significantly reduce the time required to create a channel with acceptable qualities such that efficient high speed network communications can be conducted. Other embodiments are also disclosed. |
| US08116817B2 |
Method to calibrate RF paths of an FHOP adaptive base station
A method for calibration of RF paths of a frequency hopping adaptive base transceiver station is provided. The method of calibration calibrates a wireless cellular telecommunication system with a frequency hopping adaptive base transceiver station including an adaptive antenna array with two or more RF traffic transceiver apparatus chains. The wireless cellular telecommunication system communicates with mobile units on a frequencies defined by a hop list. The method of calibration includes the step of periodically interrupting a frequency hopping process of the frequency hopping adaptive base transceiver station while calls are in progress. The method of calibration further includes the step of calibrating an antenna transmit path for a RF traffic transceiver apparatus chain at a frequency selected to include one or more frequencies in the hop list to determine a set of weighting parameters for the antenna transmit path at the one or more frequencies. A self-calibrating frequency hopping adaptive base transceiver station is also provided. |
| US08116808B2 |
Numeric based addressing for enhanced telephony and multimedia services
An end user device includes an application processor, a baseband processor, and a radio transceiver, storage accessible to the application processor, and computer executable instructions, embedded in the storage, for a user agent application. The user agent application includes instructions for transmitting a directory server inquiry in response to entry of a numeric sequence followed by a data termination sequence, wherein the directory server inquiry is indicative of the numeric sequence and the numeric sequence is associated with a targeted entity. The instructions further include instructions for receiving information indicative of at least one service associated with the targeted entity in response to the directory server inquiry and generating a display indicating the associated service or services when the mobile device includes a suitable display. |
| US08116806B2 |
FFT-size detection and cell search for a cellular communication system
An apparatus and method for cell acquisition and downlink synchronization acquisition in an OFDMA wireless communication system are provided. In an SS apparatus in a broadband wireless communication system, a preamble subcarrier acquirer extracts subcarrier values having a preamble code from an FFT signal. A multiplier code-demodulates the subcarrier values by multiplying the subcarrier values by a preamble code. A correlator calculates a plurality of differential correlations in the code-demodulated signal. An IFFT processor IFFT-processes the differential correlations by mapping the differential correlations to subcarriers. A maximum value detector detects a maximum value from the IFFT signal and calculates a timing offset using an IFFT output index having the maximum value. |
| US08116805B2 |
Uplink scheduling for OFDM systems
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate scheduling transmission, upon an uplink traffic channel in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) environments. Uplink scheduling may include user selection and rate selection. Further, user selection may be based on a token mechanism that provides control over fairness of allocation to disparate users. Moreover, rate selection may be based upon considerations of uplink interference mitigation. |
| US08116803B2 |
Uplink power control using received reference signal
A method for determining uplink power level, implemented in a base station, comprises receiving a communication signal over an uplink common control channel. The interference on the uplink common control channel in response to the received communication signal is measured and a channel quality of the uplink common control channel is monitored. A quality margin for the communication signal is provided and transmitted over a downlink control channel. |
| US08116801B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling power in a communication system
Provided is an outer loop power control apparatus and method for a signal transmitter in a communication system. The outer loop power control method includes determining a first setpoint of a kth frame according to whether or not an error occurs in a (k−1)th frame, updating a second setpoint of the kth frame with the first setpoint of the kth frame if a difference value between the first setpoint of the kth frame and a second setpoint of the (k−1)th frame is greater than a first reference value, and transmitting a transmit power control message to a signal receiver at the kth frame if the difference value between first setpoint of the kth frame and the second setpoint of the (k−1)th frame is greater than a second reference value. |
| US08116800B2 |
Reverse link traffic power control for LBC FDD
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate controlling reverse link power on a traffic channel. Assignments for reverse link communication can be yielded. Interference from mobile devices in neighboring sectors can be monitored and other sector interference (OSI) indications can be broadcasted. The OSI indications can be obtained by mobile devices to alter delta values employed for delta-based power control. Further, a maximum allowable amount of reduction of a delta value can be allocated per QoS class. Moreover, mobile devices can provide in-band and out-of-band feedback, which can be leveraged for future assignments. |
| US08116795B2 |
Transmission timing control system and method, and mobile station for use therein
It is an object of the present invention to hold the detecting range of a timing correlator in a base station to the minimum required and to reduce the circuit scale and power requirement of the timing correlator. Before a mobile station transmits a data signal, it transmits a signal referred to as a preamble signal to measure the transmission timing to the base station. If the base station detects the preamble signal with a timing correlator having a limited circuit scale, then the base station transmits a transmission permission signal to the mobile station. If the mobile station fails to receive the transmission permission signal over a given period of time after it has transmitted the preamble signal, then the mobile station retransmits the preamble signal at a changed transmission timing based on the received electric power of a control signal transmitted continuously from the base station and information included in the control signal. The mobile station repeatedly retransmits the preamble signal until it receives the transmission permission signal. If the mobile station receives the transmission permission signal from the base station, then the mobile station transmits a data signal at the transmission timing of the preamble signal transmitted immediately prior to the reception of the transmission permission signal. |
| US08116793B2 |
Apparatus and method for automatically controlling interference in broadband wireless communication system
An apparatus and method for automatically controlling interference in a broadband wireless communication system are provided. In the method, a BS receives an interference measurement information signal of one or more adjacent BSs. The BS analyzes the interference measurement information signal of the one or more adjacent BSs to obtain information about the average power for each frequency band used by each of the one or more adjacent BSs. The BS uses the obtained information about the average power for each frequency band of the one or more adjacent BSs to determine the average power for each frequency band to be used by the BS. The BS generates an interference measurement information signal of the BS according to the determined average power for each frequency band. |
| US08116788B2 |
Mobile telephony presence
Systems and methods for reporting of presence information associated with use of a mobile telephone are presented. In one example, a headset that is paired with a cellular mobile phone relays presence information to a presence application running on a computer. |
| US08116782B2 |
Communication quality control system
The present invention implements communication control with user's service subscription information reflected in a mobile communication network. A QoS control server for providing a communication quality control function of a network, a user information management server for managing user's service information, a service proxy server for transferring a service control message transmitted by a user to a service control server, a service relay server for relaying a message between service control servers in two different networks, and a service control server for exercising service control based on user service information are included. In user service start processing, the service control server or service relay server transmits a service control message inclusive of service subscription information acquired beforehand to the service proxy server. The QoS control server acquires the service subscription information from the service proxy server. Thus, subscriber information is reflected to communication quality control processing. |
| US08116780B2 |
Dynamic resource allocation method based on frequency reuse partitioning for OFMDA/FDD system, and frame transmission method therefor
Provided are a dynamic resource allocation method based on frequency reuse partitioning for an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) system, and a frame transmission method therefor. The dynamic resource allocation method includes: a) dividing a coverage into cells based on frequency reuse partitioning; b) selecting a candidate user to receive a channel allocated thereto based on the ratio; c) acquiring distance information for the candidate user; and d) checking whether the candidate user is in an inner or outer cell area based on the distance information. If the candidate user is in the inner cell area, a subchannel group among subchannel groups having a Frequency Reuse Factor (FRF) lower than a threshold value is selected and subcarriers of the selected subchannel group is allocated. If the candidate user is in the outer cell area, a subchannel group among subchannel groups having a FRF higher than the threshold value is selected. |
| US08116779B2 |
Base station, mobile station and radio channel condition reporting method
A base station includes a group determination unit grouping mobile stations residing within a cell and a radio channel condition reception unit receiving information indicative of a radio channel condition transmitted from a mobile station at a transmission timing of the radio channel condition corresponding to a group associated with the mobile station. Each mobile station includes a radio channel condition measurement unit evaluating a radio channel condition, a group determination unit determining a group associated with the mobile station, and a radio channel condition transmission unit transmitting information indicative of the evaluated radio channel condition at a transmission timing of the radio channel condition corresponding to the associated group. |
| US08116777B2 |
Method and arrangement for determining at least one suggestion for a change of location for a user of a mobile terminal
According to a current user location, at least one favorable user location in the vicinity of a respective current user location for a mobile terminal is, as a suggestion for changing location, determined from communications requests for at least one respective application and from available network services in the vicinity of the current user location by virtue of the fact that, in favorable locations, network services can be more efficiently and/or economically used. |
| US08116766B2 |
Method for optimizing search communication network by mobile communications terminal
The present invention relates to a method for optimizing a search of a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) by a mobile terminal having a nonvolatile memory and a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. The method includes: searching for a PLMN based on priority information registered in the SIM; regarding the PLMN that has been found, determining whether the SIM card includes any priority information about at least one particular radio access technology associated with the PLMN; when priority information is included, selecting a cell of the PLMN; when priority information is not included, determining whether the nonvolatile memory includes any information about at least one particular radio access technology to be selected on a priority basis in a country of the PLMN; when priority information is included, selecting a cell of the PLMN for which the particular radio access technology has been developed; and when priority information is not included, selecting a cell where a radio access technology, which is set beforehand by default in the nonvolatile memory for all countries that are not listed in the nonvolatile memory, has been developed. |
| US08116764B2 |
Controlling access to communication services
A method and corresponding apparatus and system of controlling access to communication services by a roaming wireless device are described. The method includes receiving a request for roaming wireless device service information related to a roaming user and determining which services the user has access to for the requesting system, if the user is determined to have access to the requesting system. The method also includes transmitting user service information concerning the services to which the user has access. The apparatus includes a memory, a communication system, and a processor. The memory stores: (1) user information including a class of service (COS) identifier and (2) COS restriction information. The processing system, coupled with the communication system and the memory, generates a reply message based on comparing information in a service request message received by the communication system with the stored information in the memory. |
| US08116759B2 |
System and method for facilitating diagnosis and maintenance of a mobile conveyance
A system for facilitating diagnosis and maintenance of a control networks on a mobile conveyance comprises one or more wireless ground stations configured to communicate over a wireless communication channel with the control network. A local area computer network receives and responds to messages to or from the control network via the wireless ground stations. The local area computer network may have user terminals, a server computer, a database comprising diagnostic information relating to said control network, and a replacement parts database and/or job auction database. The local area network may also include a wide area network interface, allowing diagnostic information for the control network to be retrieved or parts to be ordered from remote vendor sites. The system may also include wireless handheld, portable equipment for allowing service personnel to perform diagnostic analysis, maintenance, and testing of the mobile conveyance control network. |
| US08116753B2 |
Mobile terminal and method for playing multimedia objects
A mobile terminal and a method for playing at least one multimedia object are disclosed. The method for playing multimedia objects comprises synchronizing at least one attribute value of the at least one multimedia object with an attribute value of a multimedia player module provided in the mobile terminal; and playing the at least one multimedia object in accordance with the synchronized at least one attribute value using the multimedia player module. |
| US08116751B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for identity verification
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for identification verification. Location information is acquired. The location information is compared to historical location information. When the location information favorably compares to the historical location information, then an identity associated with the location information is verified. |
| US08116747B2 |
Funds transfer electronically
Apparatuses and methods to facilitate customer to supplier funds transfer via premium messages. In one aspect, an apparatus to electronically transfer funds from a customer to a supplier includes: a server component connected to a network; and a database coupled to the server component. The server component is configured to: transmit a plurality of premium rate mobile terminating text messages to the mobile cellular telephone of the customer; populate the database with an identification of the telephone number of the customer; receive classifications of offers sold by a plurality of suppliers; populate the database with a table associating the suppliers with classifications of the offers sold by the suppliers, the database including an identification of classifications for the telephone number of the customer; and determine whether to allow or prohibit transmission of text messages to effect payment based upon the identification of the classifications for the telephone number of the customer. |
| US08116745B2 |
Method for displaying caller information of portable device
A method of displaying a caller information in a portable device includes setting up an item of the caller information of each caller, and displaying the caller information based on the set item of the caller information of a caller corresponding to a phone number of the caller when the portable device receives an incoming call. Accordingly, caller information desired by the user of the portable device may be displayed, and thus various and personalized caller information may be displayed. |
| US08116738B2 |
Method and system for managing information within a network
A method and system for managing information using a gateway (130) is disclosed. The network includes a gateway (130) and at least one wireless device (110, 115). The method includes (304) downloading information from a predefined source to a gateway via a broadband link in response to a real time request received from a wireless device. Further, the method includes (306) storing the information within the gateway. Moreover, the method includes (308) transmitting the stored information from the gateway to the wireless device. |
| US08116735B2 |
System and method for mobile telephone roaming
A foreign wireless communication system is operated in a local communication network as if the foreign wireless communication system were a local wireless communication system. A data communication link is established between the wireless communication system and a service provider in a local wireless communication network. An outgoing request for authentication information is communicated from the wireless communication system to a remote administration system over the data communication link. The authentication information is received over the data communication link from the administration system and is transmitted over a signal link from the wireless communication system to the service provider. A requested wireless communication service is received at the wireless communication system based on authentication of the wireless communication system by the service provider using the authentication information. |
| US08116734B2 |
Party identification in a wireless network
A managed service may include first logic to receive identification information from a mobile device and send an authorization to a transaction device indicating that the mobile device is identified, the identified mobile device to participate in a transaction with the transaction device. The first logic may receive payment information from the mobile device during the transaction and send payment to the transaction device on behalf of the mobile device during the transaction. The managed service may include second logic to determine whether the identity information is valid by comparing the identity information to stored identity information and generate the authorization when the identity information is valid. The second logic may process the payment information on behalf of the mobile device, allocate a debit or a credit to an account maintained on behalf of the mobile device, and send the payment to the first logic. |
| US08116727B1 |
Method and system for determining and presenting a current likelihood of a mobile station successfully engaging in a communication session
Methods and systems are provided for determining and presenting a current likelihood of a mobile station successfully engaging in a communication session. In an embodiment, the mobile station (or a network entity) records call data that is indicative of successful and unsuccessful attempts by the mobile station to engage in communication sessions over a period of time. The mobile station (or the network entity) determines, based at least in part on the recorded call data, a current likelihood of the mobile station successfully engaging in a communication session. The mobile station presents a forecast indication to a user of the mobile station, the forecast indication reflecting the determined current likelihood. |
| US08116726B2 |
Parent and child mobile communication devices with feature control and call-back
A parent mobile station (100) may establish a communication link (106) via a wireless network (104) using any appropriate technology. The parent mobile station (100) may send a control message over the communication link (106) which causes the child mobile station (101) to take various actions including being forced to call back the parent mobile station (100) upon any detected user action on a user interface of the child mobile station (101). For example, the child mobile station (101) may be locked such that no calls may be placed. Other actions of the child mobile station (101) may also be blocked such as, but not limited to, text messaging and Internet access. The command message may be a Short Message Service (SMS) message, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message or any other appropriate message. |
| US08116725B2 |
GPS-enabled mobile terminal and current position locating method thereof
A Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled mobile terminal and current position location method thereof acquires current position information of the mobile terminal while reducing power consumption of conventional mobile terminals with GPS capability. A method for locating position of a mobile terminal having a GPS reception unit includes storing a current position information of the mobile terminal which is acquired from GPS data received by the GPS reception unit; switching off the GPS reception unit after acquiring the GPS data; storing a base station information received from a first base station to which the mobile terminal is connected with starting a first timer. In the case where handover to a second base station is detected, a second timer is started. In the case where an expiration of the second timer is detected, switching on/activating the GPS reception unit to update the current position information; and initializing the first timer simultaneously with the expiration of the second timer. |
| US08116723B2 |
Network server emergency information accessing method
A Means and Methods for providing a PSAP with means for tracking the real time location of a wireless telephone that connects to an Internet server upon detection of predefined events or reception of a command from a person to do so and transmits location information and event data to said server for viewing by authorized users. The server also displays a telephone number for a PSAP having jurisdiction over the location of the wireless telephone. Said PSAP telephone numbers being stored in a server data base and providing a means whereby a person logged-onto the server can call this PSAP telephone number, explain the reason for the call, provide the call taker with log-on information allowing access to the server and the data transmitted from the wireless telephone so that he can access mapped location information showing the location of the wireless telephone and then take appropriate action. Methods for delivering vehicle Automatic Crash Notifications to a PSAP, for establishing VoIP communications with crash victims and for providing crash data and video information to emergency responders showing the injury level of crash victims is disclosed as well as a video security system with multiparty command dialed PSAP notification voice calls and audio, video and location data transmission to the server. Satellite security telephones, offender monitoring devices, child safety telephones and medical alert notification embodiments of the invention are also disclosed. |
| US08116719B2 |
Techniques for determining communication state using accelerometer data
Techniques for communicating with a user on a network include receiving acceleration data that indicates acceleration of a mobile network node associated with a user of a network. A communication state for the user is determined based at least in part on the acceleration data. The communication state indicates a type of network communication suitable for communicating with the user. Network communications with the user are based on the communication state. Among other uses, such techniques allow a network communicating with a human through a mobile node carried by the human to infer from stopped or unusual motions when the human's ability to receive or act on communications is impaired or otherwise affected. |
| US08116711B2 |
Receiver system and method that detects and attenuates noise in a predetermined frequency range
A receiver system and method for detecting and attenuating noise in a predetermined frequency range. The system includes at least one antenna, at least one filter, at least one automatic gain control device, and at least one processor. The at least one antenna receives at least one signal that includes at least one AM signal. The signal passes through the at least one filter. The at least one automatic gain control device adjusts the gain of the at least one signal to attenuate noise in the at least one signal. The at least one processor performs the steps including detecting when said noise is within a predetermined frequency range, and commanding the at least one automatic gain control device when the detected noise is within the predetermined frequency range, such that the automatic gain control device attenuates the noise that is within the predetermined frequency range. |
| US08116710B2 |
Continuous sequential scatterer estimation
The present invention uses newly received signal samples to update previously determined scatterer parameters, and therefore, reduces the processing effort required for characterizing scattering objects in a wireless channel. Broadly, the present invention determines a first set of scatterer parameters based on signal samples derived from signals received during one or more previous time intervals, and determines an updated set of scatterer parameters for a subsequent time interval based on the first set of scatterer parameters and the new signal samples. In one exemplary embodiment, the receiver uses a continuous sequential update process, e.g., a per-symbol-period inverse Prony process, to update the scatterer parameters. In another exemplar embodiment, the receiver uses an integrated Doppler approach to update the scatterer parameters. |
| US08116708B2 |
Wireless receiver
A wireless receiver that includes a reception unit which, in the case in which the frequency bandwidth of the chunk is Fc, receives a) data to which phase rotation for controlling the maximum delay time between the plurality of transmission antennas is added so that the maximum delay time is set to either a predetermined first value which is smaller than 1/Fc or a predetermined second value which is larger than 1/Fc depending on whether transmission is performed using frequency diversity or transmission is performed using multi-user diversity and b) pilot channels corresponding to the plurality of transmission antennas which are orthogonal to each other; and a demodulating unit which demodulates the data based on transfer functions calculated using the pilot channels. |
| US08116707B2 |
Broadcasting receiver and operating method thereof
Disclosed is a broadcasting receiver. The broadcasting receiver comprises a low noise block down converter outputting a signal by amplifying a received signal, a tuner tuning a plurality of broadcasting channels based on the signals output from the low noise block down converter, and a frequency drift detector detecting frequency drifts of the broadcasting channels tuned by the tuner, and correcting oscillation frequencies of at least one of the low noise block down converter and the tuner. |
| US08116706B1 |
Method and apparatus for calibrating a bandpass filter
To calibrate a bandpass filter, a received signal strength corresponding to a received communication channel is determined. A variable element of the bandpass filter is adjusted based on the received signal strength of the received communication channel to calibrate the bandpass filter. |
| US08116699B2 |
Transmitter
To provide a transmitter wherein even in a case of sharing a detector circuit between or among a plurality of transmitting circuits, a high degree of detection accuracy can be achieved without increasing the signal power supplied to the detector circuit. In a transmitter including a detector circuit 14 shared by transmitting circuits 1 and 2 that deal with signals of different frequency bands, a capacitor C1, which constitutes an RF coupler disposed on an output signal line of the transmitting circuit 1, is directly connected to the input terminal of the detector circuit 14, while series coils L1 and L2 are inserted between a capacitor C2, which makes up an RF coupler disposed on an output signal line of the transmitting circuit 2 which deals with signals of a lower frequency band than the transmitting circuit 1, and the input terminal of the detector circuit 14. |
| US08116696B2 |
Transmitter for communications system
An rf signal transmitter for transmitting rf signals through a plurality of antennas is described, which comprises: a transmit section adapted to selectively set, with respect to an input signal, the initial phase of an output to at least one of said antennas depending on a time or frequency region used for communication and to provide delay to the output on an antenna-by-antenna basis and on the basis of a transmission timing or a transmission frequency; and a quality information receive section for receiving quality information from destination station, i.e., a wireless terminal unit, said quality information concerning the rf signal transmitted from said transmit section and received at said destination station. |
| US08116695B2 |
Method, device and system of reduced peak-to-average-ratio communication
Some embodiments include devices, methods and/or systems of reduced peak-to-average-ratio communication. An apparatus may include a transmitter to transmit a transmission corresponding to an input signal, wherein the transmitter may include a peak-to-average-ratio-reduction transformer to generate a plurality of transformed data components by applying a predefined peak-to-average-ratio-reduction transform scheme to a plurality of fine constellation data components corresponding to the input signal, wherein a peak-to-average-ratio corresponding to the plurality of transformed data components is lower than a peak-to-average-ratio corresponding to the plurality of fine-constellation data components; and a transmission module to generate the transmission based at least on the plurality of transformed data components. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08116693B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for providing feedback to a transmit diversity device
A method and system for improving closed loop feedback in transmit diversity communication. In one embodiment of the invention, a predetermined variation of one or more transmit diversity parameters is performed at the transmit diversity transmitter. The receiver compares the transmit diversity parameter values of the received signals to the predetermined variation and transmits to the transmitter a value of a transmit diversity correction parameter. The transmitter may use this correction value to modify the transmit diversity parameter in a subsequent transmission. |
| US08116691B2 |
Systems and methods for improving reference signals for spatially multiplexed cellular systems
A method for using a numerical method to design reference signals for multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems is described. An input multiple input multiple output signal is determined. A nearest tight frame to one or more given structured vectors is obtained. One or more structured vectors from the nearest tight frame are obtained. The one or more structured vectors are projected onto the space of circulant matrices. One or more classes of matrices associated with reference signals are outputted. |
| US08116690B2 |
Adaptive radio transceiver with floating mosfet capacitors
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention described and shown in the specification and drawings is a transceiver with a receiver, a transmitter, a local oscillator (LO) generator, a controller, and a self-testing unit. All of these components can be packaged for integration into a single IC including components such as filters and inductors. The controller for adaptive programming and calibration of the receiver, transmitter and LO generator. The self-testing unit generates is used to determine the gain, frequency characteristics, selectivity, noise floor, and distortion behavior of the receiver, transmitter and LO generator. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or the meaning of the claims. |
| US08116687B2 |
Dynamic frequency selection in wireless devices
A method in a communication network comprising a plurality of network controllers and a plurality of mobile nodes served by at least one of the plurality of network controllers is provided. The method includes the plurality of network controllers coordinating interference avoidance by co-operatively generating an interference avoidance database. The method further includes at least one of the plurality of network controllers updating the interference avoidance database, wherein updating the interference avoidance database includes receiving at least one interference avoidance related information from at least one of the plurality of mobile nodes. The method further includes the at least one of the plurality of network controllers communicating the updated interference avoidance database to at least one another of the plurality of network controllers |
| US08116685B2 |
System and method for visual pairing of mobile devices
System and method for visual pairing between wireless devices, according to which a first software component is installed on a first WCD with a display screen and a second software component is installed on a second WCD having a camera and then a request to establish an open WCC is sent from the second WCD to the first WCD. If the request is approved by the first WCD, an image with graphically encoded unique one-time information is generated on the display screen using the first software. The image is captured by the camera and the information is decoded in the captured image by using the second software component. This information is used to establish an open WCC between the second WCD and the first WCD. |
| US08116680B2 |
Near field communication search for mobile communication devices
A method and apparatus are disclosed for aiding shoppers. A shopper enters a product search query into a hand-held device and, via Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology, transfers the query to a terminal at a shopping establishment. The terminal forwards the search query to a search engine over a network and the search engine, after consulting a database, returns results meeting the criteria of the search query to the terminal for presentation on a display at the terminal. The shopper is then offered the option of transferring the results data, via NFC devices located in the hand-held device and the terminal, from the terminal to a memory in the hand-held device. |
| US08116676B2 |
Method and system for inter IC communications utilizing a spatial multi-link repeater
Aspects of a method and system for inter integrated circuit (IC) communications utilizing a spatial multilink repeater are provided. In this regard, one or more circuits in an integrated circuit may be enabled to receive a signal and repeat the received signal to a plurality of target integrated circuits. The repeated signals may be generated by frequency shifting the received signal and a different frequency shift may be utilized for each of the repeated signals. In this regard, each of the repeated signals may be generated by quadrature down-converting the received signal by mixing it with a first local oscillator pair, up-converting the down-converted signal by mixing it with a second local oscillator pair, and adding or subtracting an in-phase portion of the up-converted signal with a quadrature-phase portion of the up-converted signal. |
| US08116675B2 |
Method and apparatus for handover based on dynamic beamforming scheme
A method and apparatus for handover based on a dynamic beamforming scheme, which is adapted to a mobile communication system including a mobile node and a base station, is provided. The apparatus includes a mobile profile information processor configured to process mobile profile information based on a location of the mobile node, and to generate a beamforming control signal according to the mobile profile information; a handover indication message processor configured to generate a first handover indication message incorporating the mobile profile information in preparation for a handover of the mobile node; a transceiver configured to transmit the first handover indication message; and a beamforming controller configured to control beamforming for transmission of the transceiver according to the beamforming control signal. |
| US08116671B2 |
Apparatuses useful in printing onto media and methods of mitigating media edge wear effects on fixing belts in printing
Apparatuses useful in printing and methods of mitigating media edge wear effects on fixing belts in printing are provided. An exemplary apparatus useful for printing onto media includes a first roll including a first surface; a second roll including a second surface; a fixing member including a third surface; a fixing belt supported on the first surface and second surface, the fixing belt including a surface forming a nip with the fixing member; a registration distribution system for translating the first roll, second roll, fixing member and fixing belt, as a unit, transversely with respect to a media travel path of media received at the nip; and a belt steering mechanism connected to the second roll for translating the fixing belt across the first surface of the first roll at the nip, transversely to the media travel path, while the registration distribution system translates the first roll, second roll, fixing member and fixing belt transversely to the media travel path. |
| US08116670B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus using the same
A fixing device for use in an image forming apparatus, and an image forming apparatus are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the fixing device includes a flexible fixing member, a pressure member, an abutting member, and an interior member. The flexible fixing member is formed in an endless shape and is configured to heat and melt a toner image. The pressure member is disposed so as to be in contact with the fixing member with pressure. The abutting member is fixedly disposed on an inner surface of the fixing member so as to form a nip portion by abutting the pressure member via the fixing member. The interior member is fixedly disposed so as to face the inner surface of the fixing member except the nip portion, and is configured to heat the fixing member. The abutting member and the interior member are provided independent of each other. |
| US08116667B2 |
Developing device and image forming apparatus
A developing device include: a toner carrier that is arranged oppositely to an image carrier; a toner-flying electrode member spaced apart from the toner carrier; and an oscillating electric field generating power source that connects the toner-flying electrode member and the toner carrier, and generates an oscillating electric field which causes the toner to fly from the toner carrier. The toner-flying electrode member includes a conductive member that extends at least along a rotational axis direction of the toner carrier; an insulating coating layer that applies insulating coating continuously to a conductive member surface located on a toner carrier side; and an exposed portion where the conductive member surface adjacent to the insulating coating layer and located on an image carrier side is exposed. |
| US08116663B2 |
Image forming apparatus with a secondary-transfer-roller releasing mechanism
An image forming apparatus includes a coupling arm that moves, when a release handle is pulled up, in association with the movement of the release handle and separates a secondary transfer roller from a secondary-transfer-roller positioning member. The image forming apparatus includes a pivoting arm having a push-down spatula that moves, when the release handle is pulled up, in association with the movement of the release handle and separates the secondary transfer roller from the secondary-transfer-roller positioning member. The coupling arm or the pivoting arm transmits force applied to the release handle to the secondary transfer roller using leverage to thereby separate the secondary transfer roller from the secondary-transfer-roller positioning member and release the secondary transfer roller. |
| US08116661B2 |
Process cartridge with a coupling member and a retaining portion for the coupling member
A process cartridge is provided that is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a photosensitive drum and a developing roller. A coupling member is provided adjacent to one axial end of the developing roller, with the coupling member including a driven portion, an intermediary portion, and a driving portion. A retaining portion is also provided, with the retaining portion configured and positioned to retain an axis of the driving portion of the coupling member in a position that is deviated from the axis of the developing roller in a direction crossing the axis of the developing roller so as to enable engagement of the driving portion with a driving member of the image forming apparatus when the process cartridge is inserted into the main assembly of the apparatus with the developing roller being in contact with the photosensitive drum. |
| US08116660B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material includes a cartridge, a main assembly including a positioner positioning the cartridge and an urger urging the cartridge to the positioner, a mover supporting the cartridge and movable between a pulled out position outside of the main assembly and an inside position inside the main assembly, and a gripper mounted to the mover and movable between a reference position and an outward position located outwardly with respect to the pull out direction of the mover. When the mover is at the inside position, the cartridge is positioned to the positioner by the urger to be placed in a positioning state when the gripper is at the reference position and the positioning state of the cartridge is released by moving the gripper from the reference position to the outward position. |
| US08116656B2 |
Image forming apparatus with guiding portion for changing the position of a cleaning unit in a transfer unit
A transfer unit has a belt unit having a belt and a cleaning unit for cleaning the belt. The belt unit and the cleaning unit are integratedly provided. The cleaning unit is movable for the belt unit. The transfer unit is detachable for an apparatus main body. A position of the cleaning unit for the belt unit before the transfer unit is attached to the apparatus main body is different from a position of the cleaning unit for the belt unit after the transfer unit is attached to the apparatus main body. |
| US08116652B2 |
Image forming apparatus
The present invention provides a configuration in which an electrically connected condition can further be stabilized in electrical-connection zones between a body of an image-forming apparatus, and an image-forming unit and a plurality of image-forming cartridges. Developing electrode members 161 and wire power-feed electrodes 162 are attached to a slide frame 140. Each of the developing electrode members 161 has a first body-side contact 161e3. The developing electrode members 161 are electrically connected with developing-roller output terminals 171 through contact with the developing-roller output terminals 171. The wire power-feed electrodes 162 are electrically connected with wire output terminals 172 through contact with the wire output terminals 172. The developing electrode members 161 are elastically deformed as a result of their first body-side contacts 161e3 being pressed in an M2 direction, which is along a slide direction S, by the developing-roller output terminals 171. The wire power-feed electrodes 162 are pressed in a paper width direction by the wire output terminals 172. |
| US08116649B2 |
Apparatus and method for adjusting cleaning station operation in a printing apparatus
An apparatus (100) and method (200) that adjusts cleaning station operation in a printing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus can include a charge receptor (110) movable in a process direction P, where the charge receptor can have a main surface (111). The apparatus can include a charger (140) configured to generate a charge on the charge receptor and an image generator (118) configured to generate an image on the charge receptor. The apparatus can include a cleaning station (124) coupled to the charge receptor. The cleaning station can include a cleaning brush (125) coupled to the main surface of the charge receptor. The cleaning station can be configured to clean the main surface of the charge receptor. The apparatus can include a controller (150) coupled to the cleaning station. The controller can be configured to determine a type of image generated on the charge receptor and can be configured to adjust cleaning parameters of operation of the cleaning station based on the type of image generated on the charge receptor. |
| US08116646B2 |
Image forming apparatus and method for the same
To solve a problem of an increase of kinds of toner patches required for an adjustment accompanying an increase of kinds of half tones to be coped with that results from an intention of acquiring more stable image by forming the toner patches between paper sheets. It becomes possible to form more toner patches and therefore to deal with an increase of kinds of toner patches by correcting a density in a space of a line count obtained by summing up a line count corresponding to a space between paper sheets during a continuous printing operation, a rear-end blank line count of the n-th page, and a leading-end blank line count of the (n+1)th page that is enabled by comparing the size of a recording material and the size of pixel data and thereby by identifying a blank portion of the recording material. |
| US08116641B2 |
Image-forming device
The image forming device, by providing an amount of toner remaining detection system, calculates the amount of relative change in the electrostatic capacitance in the amount of toner remaining over a prescribed number of sheets of recording paper (R) to sense the amount of toner remaining, and indicates that the amount of toner remaining is too low when it is judged that the amount of relative change in the electrostatic capacitance of said amount of toner remaining exceeds a reference amount of change, sensing of the amount of toner remaining and indication that it is too low are performed based on the relative change in one sensing signal relating to the amount of toner remaining, comparing two sensing signals relating to the amount of toner remaining as in the past is eliminated, and the process for adjusting the sensing output is made unnecessary. |
| US08116640B2 |
Apparatus and method for sensing photoreceptor failure in a xerographic printing apparatus
An apparatus (100) and method (200) that senses photoreceptor failure in a xerographic printing apparatus is disclosed. The xerographic printing apparatus can include a rotatable photoreceptor (110) having a photoreceptor surface (111), a cleaning device (124) for removing marking material from the photoreceptor, and a printing apparatus controller (150) that controls operations of the xerographic printing apparatus. The method can include charging (220) the photoreceptor surface to a fixed voltage. The method can include discharging (230) at least a portion of the charged photoreceptor surface to an exposed voltage. The method can include developing (240) the discharged portion of the photoreceptor surface by providing a cleaning field between the charged photoreceptor surface fixed voltage and a developing bias voltage. The method can include reducing (250) the cleaning field. The method can include generating (260) a developed image on the photoreceptor using the reduced cleaning field. The method can include scanning (270) the developed image after reducing the cleaning field, where the developed image can be scanned using a sensor to generate a scanned image. |
| US08116639B2 |
Image forming apparatus for checking connection status of developing unit and method thereof
An image forming apparatus is provided which includes a multiplexer (MUX) which is able to be connected to at least one developer supplier, at least one pull-up resistor which is connected in parallel to at least one connection line between the at least one developer supplier and the MUX, and a central processing unit (CPU) which detects a connection signal from the at least one pullup resistor and the at least one connection line, and determines whether an initial developer supplier is mounted according to the value of the connection signal. |
| US08116637B2 |
Optical transmitter with a chirp managed laser diode automatically adjusting emission wavelength thereof and its adjusting method
An optical transmitter using a chirp managed laser is disclosed. The optical transmitter compares, in advance to the ATC operation, the phases of the signal corresponding to the original output of the LD and the signal corresponding to that reflected by the filter. When the two signals are in phase, the transmitter lowers the target temperature of the ATC loop to shift the emission wavelength of the LD shorter until the two signals are out of phase. |
| US08116635B2 |
Polarization multiplexing and transmitting apparatus
A polarization multiplexing and transmitting apparatus generates polarization multiplexed light by multiplexing modulated signal components that having varying intensities and are in polarization states orthogonal to each other. The polarization multiplexing and transmitting apparatus includes a converting unit that converts light generated by a light source into signal components having a varying intensity synchronized with a clock signal input thereto and a varying intensity inversely synchronized with the clock signal, respectively; a modulating unit that modulates the signal components, respectively; and a polarization adjusting unit that orthogonalizes polarization states of the signal components. |
| US08116629B2 |
Reconfigurable optical add drop multiplexer core device, procedure and system using such device, optical light distributor, and coupling-ratio assigning procedure
A reconfigurable optical add drop multiplexer core device includes a light distributor, a light combiner, and first and second sets of add and drop ports. The light distributor is configured to receive an optical signal along a primary input of the reconfigurable optical add drop multiplexer core device and to distribute the received optical signal along a plurality of subtending outputs. The light combiner is configured to receive optical signals along a plurality of subtending inputs, to combine the received optical signals into a combined signal, and to output the combined signal. The add and drop ports in the first set function as add and drop ports, respectively, and the add and drop ports in the second set function as both add and drop ports, respectively, and as express ports connectable to another reconfigurable optical add drop multiplexer core device. |
| US08116628B2 |
Wavelength-division multiplexed passive optical network for embodying wavelength-independent operation of wavelength-locked Fabry-Perot laser diodes by injecting a low noise broadband light source
The present invention relates to a wavelength-division multiplexed passive optical network (WDM-PON) which embodies wavelength-independence of wavelength-locked Fabry Perot-Laser Diode (F-P LD). A WDM-PON of the present invention comprises an optical fiber being used for optical transmission to and from a broadband light source (BLS) with a low noise characteristic; first arrayed waveguide Gratings (AWG) for filtering light transmitted from the BLS which is oscillated in a plural mode into a group of n numbers wherein the first AWG have a bandwidth broader than a bandwidth of one mode of the BLS; n F-P LDs outputting wavelength-locked light by light being injected through the first AWG; a circulator bypassing and outputting wavelength-division multiplexed signals which are inputted through the first AWG and the optical fiber; and second AWG de-multiplexing the WDM signals into a group of n numbers wherein the second AWG have a bandwidth broader than the bandwidth of the BLS to be injected, wherein the number n is either the number of output ports of the first or second AWG or the number of channels of the WDM signals. |
| US08116625B2 |
Methods and systems for detecting small span loss changes in fiber optic networks
The present disclosure provides methods and systems for detecting small span loss changes in fiber optic networks. The present invention utilizes existing equipment without additional hardware to provide span loss measurements in a highly accurate manner. In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention utilizes power measurements associated with an optical supervisory channel (OSC) at both ends of a fiber span. These measurements are periodically sampled taking into account propagation delay along the fiber span. Further, these measurements are integrated or time-averaged to account for temporary fluctuations. The present invention can be utilized for intrusion detection (i.e., unwanted fiber taps), fiber degradation, and fiber aging performance. The present invention satisfies the criteria for a feasible (i.e., makes use of current architecture), cost-effective (i.e., does not require additional hardware), and highly accurate solution (i.e., capable of detecting span loss changes of 0.01 dB or 0.03%). |
| US08116622B2 |
Photographing method and apparatus using an infrared sensor to control plural camera functions
Disclosed is a photographing apparatus using an infrared ray in a portable terminal, the apparatus includes: a camera module for photographing an image; a display unit for providing a preview for the image photographed by the camera module; and an infrared sensor unit for determining if light is obstructed by emitting and receiving an infrared ray through an infrared sensor upon photographing by the camera module, and outputting a photographing signal for the image. |
| US08116619B2 |
Image pickup apparatus
An image pickup apparatus of the present invention includes: a fixed frame; a zoom lens holding frame; a focus lens holding frame; a focus driving unit and a zoom driving unit; an image pickup device; a base plate that is coupled to the fixed frame and displaceably supports the image pickup device; an X driving unit that drives the image pickup device in an X direction; and a Y driving unit that drives the image pickup device in a Y direction, wherein the focus driving unit is placed in an upper left portion of the fixed frame, the zoom driving unit is placed in a right side portion, and further the Y driving unit is placed in an upper right corner of the base plate and the X driving unit is placed in a lower right corner. |
| US08116611B2 |
Tuner sharing video recorder system architecture
The present invention is directed to a shared tuner video recorder system architecture. In one embodiment, multiple set-top boxes are networked and configured to share tuners with each other. If a specific set-top box has no tuners available to schedule a show, it attempts to schedule the show on the tuner of another set-top box in the network. |
| US08116609B2 |
Method and apparatus for traversing a multiplexed data packet stream
A method for traversing a multiplexed data packet stream including choosing a starting location in a multiplexed data packet stream; making a bi-directional search from the starting location to locate a nearest system stream object; and traversing the system stream as a doubly-linked list of objects. Traversing the system stream preferably includes traversing object links of the doubly-linked list of objects. The objects are further preferably cached with an LRU process. Multiple disjoint locations in the system stream can be accessed with a virtual linked list. The virtual linked list can be used to search forwardly; backwardly, or both forwardly and backwardly. |
| US08116605B2 |
Imaging catheter with integrated reference reflector
In part, the invention relates to a lens assembly. The lens assembly includes a micro-lens; a beam director in optical communication with the micro-lens; and a substantially transparent film. The substantially transparent film is capable of bi-directionally transmitting light, and generating a controlled amount of backscatter. In addition, the film surrounds a portion of the beam director. |
| US08116604B2 |
Telecommunication optical fiber cable
A telecommunication optical fiber cable possesses a longitudinal central cavity that receives micromodules of optical fibers positioned in parallel. A jacket surrounds the central cavity and a sheath is positioned on the inner periphery of the jacket. A lubricant is provided in the central cavity.The cable, which may contain more than 100 optical fibers, is suitable for an outdoor installation and enables a micromodule to be extracted over substantial lengths. |
| US08116602B2 |
High efficiency optical mode transformer for matching a single mode fiber to a high index contrast planar waveguide
The present invention includes a device and a method for fabricating a device that is an optical power mode transformer that accepts light in a mode transformation direction where the transformer is attached to or embedded in a semiconductor microchip and includes a first single or multimode optical input (SM) waveguide including a first core surrounded by a cladding, and, a second high contrast index grade (HC) waveguide including a second core having a tapered region and surrounded by said cladding, a portion of the tapered region of the core being embedded within the first optical input waveguide region with an embedded length sufficient for efficient light transfer from the first input waveguide to the said second waveguide wherein the embedded portion of the tapered region is fully surrounded by the first input waveguide along an axial and radial cross-section of the second waveguide in the mode transformation direction. In this manner, it is possible that the long (SM) waveguide eventually actually acts as a cladding for the (HC) waveguide. |
| US08116599B2 |
Radiation image signal output control method and apparatus
A radiation image signal output control method in which distance information that indicates a distance between a radiation image detection cassette and a receiving unit is obtained by a distance information obtaining means, and wireless signals are controlled by an output control means to be outputted from the radiation image detection cassette if the distance indicated by the distance information obtained by the distance information obtaining means is less than or equal to a predetermined value, and not to be outputted therefrom if the distance is greater than the predetermined value. |
| US08116597B2 |
Information display device and information display method
In order to prevent interception of information through leakage electromagnetic waves when transmitting the information using an image display unit, an image converter generates plural converted images, stores the generated converted images in an image storage, an image output unit reads out the converted images from the image storage and transmits the converted images to a screen control unit successively. The screen control unit displays a reception image on an image display unit. The image output unit outputs the converted image group at a high speed, thereby performing a switching display on the image display unit, and shows an image visually equivalent to the input image. |
| US08116588B2 |
Apparatus and method to synthesize or combine generated images
An apparatus and method to generate an image in which images having different exposure amounts are generated, and by synthesizing the generated images, a high-sensitivity (or quality) image can be generated. The apparatus to generate an image includes an exposure adjustment unit to adjust an exposure amount, an image generation unit to generate a plurality of images of different exposure amounts and different resolutions, and an image synthesis unit to synthesize the plurality of generated images. |
| US08116580B2 |
Embedded high frequency image details
A system, method, and process for embedding low frequency image details and high frequency image details into a final digital image file. A digital image file is stored with embedded low and high frequency image details that are accessible with a compatible digital image decoder and a non-compatible digital image decoder. Non-compatible digital image decoders access only a compressed low frequency image of the original digital image contained in the final digital image file. Compatible digital image decoders use the embedded high frequency image details contained in the final digital image file to render a high resolution image. |
| US08116579B2 |
Method and system for data compression
A method and an apparatus for compressing or decompressing two-dimensional electronic data are provided. The method for compressing the two-dimensional electronic data set includes dividing the data set into data arrays, performing a wavelet transformation on each array to provide a plurality of wavelet coefficients, and encoding at least some of the wavelet coefficients using an entropy encoding scheme. Each data array preferably relates to a separate and continuous area of an image. |
| US08116576B2 |
Image processing method and image processing device for reconstructing a high-resolution picture from a captured low-resolution picture
The present invention provides an image processing device which is able to reconstruct a high-resolution (HR) picture from low-resolution (LR) pictures, by modifying instability in the pictures due to movement of hands in capturing the images, and also by preventing increase of a circuit size and processing amounts required for motion estimation between the pictures.In the image processing device, a motion estimation unit reads the LR pictures from a memory, and estimates respective motion vectors between the pictures. A stabilization parameter calculation unit calculates a stabilized global motion parameter based on the motion vector. A motion vector compensation unit stabilizes the motion vectors calculated by the motion estimation unit, using the stabilized global motion parameter. A picture integration unit combines (integrates) a target picture and reference pictures with sub-pixel precision, using the stabilized motion vectors. An integrated picture processing unit generates equally-spaced pixels of a HR picture from unequally-spaced pixels of the integrated picture, and outputs the generated HR picture. |
| US08116574B2 |
Result filter and method for selecting the result data of an application for automatic pattern recognition
A method is disclosed for automatically classifying and graphically visualizing image objects that are segmented and, given undershooting of a prescribed distance and compliance with a similarity criterion, are combined to form clusters. In at least one embodiment, for object classification, the method includes preselecting result data, using a prescribable selection criterion, from a result set of an application, executed in the background on an image data record of an imaging system, for feature extraction and automatic pattern recognition of segmented and clustered image objects, and/or rendered image data of an image rendering application, executed in the background, for two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional graphic visualization of these image objects; and/or marking the data in a graphically visible fashion as preselected on a screen of a screen terminal. |
| US08116571B2 |
Pattern feature extraction via fourier amplitudes of a block image
An input pattern feature amount is decomposed into element vectors. For each of the feature vectors, a discriminant matrix obtained by discriminant analysis is prepared in advance. Each of the feature vectors is projected into a discriminant space defined by the discriminant matrix and the dimensions are compressed. According to the feature vector obtained, projection is performed again by the discriminant matrix to calculate the feature vector, thereby suppressing reduction of the feature amount effective for the discrimination and performing effective feature extraction. |
| US08116564B2 |
Crowd counting and monitoring
This document discusses, among other things, methods and systems for determining the number of members in a group as well as changes over a period of time. Using an image of the scene, an overlap area is calculated by projecting portions of the image onto spaced apart and parallel planes. A filter correlates the overlap area to the number of members. |
| US08116561B2 |
Color processing apparatus and method
A color processing apparatus includes an input conversion unit configured to convert input data expressed in an input device-dependent color space into data expressed in a device-independent color space, a determination unit configured to determine an attribute of the input data and transmit a result of the determination to a color gamut mapping unit and an output conversion unit. The color gamut mapping unit is configured to perform color gamut mapping on data expressed in the device-independent color space to data corresponding to color gamut information of an output device based on a result of the determination. The output conversion unit is configured to convert the data which is subjected to the color gamut mapping into output data which is expressed in an output device-dependent color space based on a result of the determination. |
| US08116559B2 |
Hand held portable three dimensional scanner
Embodiments of the invention may include a scanning device to scan three dimensional objects. The scanning device may generate a three dimensional model. The scanning device may also generate a texture map for the three dimensional model. Techniques utilized to generate the model or texture map may include tracking scanner position, generating depth maps of the object and generation composite image of the surface of the object. |
| US08116558B2 |
Three-dimensional shape data position matching method and device
A three-dimensional shape data position matching method for measuring a static three-dimensional shape from a plurality of measuring positions, and for combining and position matching the distance data thereof, including: a data inputting step S1 for inputting, into a computer, coordinate values on a three-dimensional shape at a new measuring position; a model structuring step S4 for structuring an environment model that partitions a spatial region in which the three-dimensional shape exists, into a plurality of voxels formed from rectangular solids, of which the boundary surfaces are mutually perpendicular, and stores the positions of the individual voxels; a matching step S5 for setting and recording a representative point and an error distribution thereof, within the voxel corresponding to the coordinate value; a fine matching step S7 for position matching so as to minimize the summation of the distances between adjacent error distributions by rotating and translating a new measured data and error distribution, or rotating and translating an environment model for a new measuring position, relative to an environment model for a previous measuring position; and an outputting step for outputting, to an outputting device, the voxel position, the representative point, and the error distribution. |
| US08116557B2 |
3D image processing apparatus and method
Provided are an image processing apparatus and method which can adjust the disparity of an input three-dimensional (3D) image and stably display the 3D image. The image processing apparatus includes: an image dividing unit receiving a 3D image and dividing the 3D image into a left-eye image and a right-eye image; a histogram generation unit estimating disparities between the left-eye image and the right-eye image, measuring a frequency with which the estimated disparities occur, and generating a histogram of the disparities and the frequency; a horizontal movement value determination unit determining a horizontal movement value for the left-eye image and the right-eye image using the generated histogram; and a horizontal movement unit moving the left-eye image and the right-eye image horizontally based on the determined horizontal movement value. The image processing apparatus can control convergence of an image to enhance 3D effects and reduce eye fatigue. |
| US08116555B2 |
Vision inspection system and method for inspecting workpiece using the same
A vision inspection system and a workpiece inspection method are used in inspecting a workpiece. The vision inspection system includes a level block having an upper surface whose opposite end regions are defined as a first position and a second position. A first transfer device has a table for supporting the workpiece. The first transfer device is installed on the upper surface of the level block for rectilinearly moving the table between the first position and the second position. A camera is arranged above the level block for taking an image of the workpiece to output image data. A second transfer device is installed on the upper surface of the level block for rectilinearly moving the camera between the first position and the second position. A computer is connected to the first transfer means, the camera and the second transfer means to control them in a specified manner. |
| US08116553B2 |
Rotation invariant 2D sketch descriptor
A system, method, and computer program for determining a descriptor, comprising calculating a maximum distance for a plurality of points in a sector between each of said plurality of points and an origin; calculating a minimal distance from one of said plurality of points and a target line, wherein said maximum distance is an initial value; computing a plurality of Fourier coefficients from said minimal distances; and defining an invariant descriptor from said Fourier coefficients, and appropriate means and computer-readable instructions. |
| US08116545B2 |
Method and system for analysis of bone density
The present description relates to a method for generating a bone density value. The method can include generating digital image data depending upon an X-ray image corresponding to at least a part of the bone; transmitting a digital image data signal comprising the digital image data; and processing said digital image data signal. The processing step can include generating a trabeculae model depending upon said processed digital image data signal; generating at least one geometrical figure depending upon the generated trabeculae model, wherein the generated geometrical figure is provided essentially within a space at least partly defined by center lines of the generated trabeculae; and calculating the bone density value depending upon the at least one generated geometrical figure. Devices and storage for the method(s) are also described. |
| US08116537B2 |
Image recording device, player device, imaging device, player system, method of recording image, and computer program
An imaging device detects a face of a subject from an image in response to inputting of the image containing the subject, and generates face data related to the face. The imaging device generates face data management information managing the face data and controls recording of the input image, the generated face data and the face data management information on a recording unit with the input image mapped to the face data and the face data management information. The face data contains a plurality information components recorded in a predetermined recording order. The face data management information, in a data structure responsive to the recording order of the information components of the face data, contains a train of consecutively assigned bits. The information components are assigned predetermined flags in the recording order. Each flag represents the presence or absence of the information component corresponding to the flag in the face data. |
| US08116536B2 |
Face detection device, imaging apparatus, and face detection method
A face detection device for detecting the face of a person in an input image may include the following elements: a face detection circuit including a hardware circuit configured to detect a face in an input image; a signal processing circuit configured to perform signal processing based on an input image signal in accordance with a rewritable program including a face detection program for detecting a face in an input image; and a controller configured to allow the face detection circuit and the signal processing circuit to perform face detection on an image of a frame or on respective images of adjacent frames among consecutive frames, and to control face detection by the signal processing circuit on the basis of a face detection result obtained by the face detection circuit. |
| US08116535B2 |
Image trimming apparatus
The present invention provides an image trimming apparatus, comprising: a reading device which reads out an original image to be trimmed from an original recording device in which the original image is recorded; a display device which displays an image based on the read out original image; a manual trimming indicating device which indicates a trimming region by a manual operation with respect to the image displayed on the displaying device; an automatic trimming indicating device which, when the read out original image includes a face image of a person, automatically indicating a predetermined trimming region having the face image at the time of the manual operation; and a trimming device which cuts out the image within the trimming region indicated by the manual trimming indicating device or the automatic trimming indicating device from the original image of the image displayed on the displaying device. |
| US08116534B2 |
Face recognition apparatus and face recognition method
A face recognition apparatus includes an image sequence acquiring unit, a face image acquiring unit, an intra-sequence classifying unit, an inter-sequence classifying unit, an identification unit, and a reference image storing unit. A plurality of cameras are attached in a corridor for monitoring one place with these cameras, so that when a plurality of moving people pass through, identification is performed for each moving people. Face images are classified into fragmental face image sets, and the fragmental face image sets are classified into integrated sets to achieve the identification. |
| US08116532B2 |
Extraction of processed borehole image elements to create a combined image
A method for imaging a subsurface material, the method including: receiving a first image of the subsurface material and a second image of the subsurface material, the first image displaying a first property of the subsurface material and the second image displaying a second property of the subsurface material wherein the first property is different from the second property; and combining the first image and the second image to create a combined image. A system and computer program product are also disclosed. |
| US08116529B2 |
Populating fleet maintenance data using 2D feature recognition
Methods and systems for populating fleet maintenance data using 2D feature recognition are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of determining a configuration of a vehicle includes surveying the vehicle using an imaging device to generate 2D imagery of a configuration of the vehicle. The generated 2D imagery of the configuration may be compared to a survey library of 2D images to identify a part in the configuration. Existing data from legacy systems may be extracted for the part. The part may be added to a bill of materials and used to create a 3D model of the vehicle. |
| US08116528B2 |
Illumination source for an image based occupant classification system and vehicle using same
An image based occupant classification system includes a supplemental restraint system, an image sensor, and an illumination source. The image sensor is in communication with the supplemental restraint system and is configured to monitor vehicular conditions. The illumination source is in communication with the supplemental restraint system and is configured to selectively actuate in response to the collision indicator. Vehicles are also provided. |
| US08116527B2 |
Using video-based imagery for automated detection, tracking, and counting of moving objects, in particular those objects having image characteristics similar to background
A system and method to automatically detect, track and count individual moving objects in a high density group without regard to background content, embodiments performing better than a trained human observer. Select embodiments employ thermal videography to detect and track even those moving objects having thermal signatures that are similar to a complex stationary background pattern. The method allows tracking an object that need not be identified every frame of the video, that may change polarity in the imagery with respect to background, e.g., switching from relatively light to dark or relatively hot to cold and vice versa, or both. The methodology further provides a permanent record of an “episode” of objects in motion, permitting reprocessing with different parameters any number of times. Post-processing of the recorded tracks allows easy enumeration of the number of objects tracked with the FOV of the imager. |
| US08116526B2 |
Methods and system for communication and displaying points-of-interest
A method for displaying point-of-interest coordinate locations in perspective images and for coordinate-based information transfer between perspective images on different platforms includes providing a shared reference image of a region overlapping the field of view of the perspective view. The perspective view is then correlated with the shared reference image so as to generate a mapping between the two views. This mapping is then used to derive a location of a given coordinate from the shared reference image within the perspective view and the location is indicated in the context of the perspective view on a display. |
| US08116519B2 |
3D beverage container localizer
Objects placed on a flat surface are identified and localized by using a single view image. The single view image in the perspective projection is transformed to a normalized image in a pseudo plan to view to enhance detection of the bottom or top shapes of the objects. One or more geometric features are detected from the normalized image by processing the normalized image. The detected geometric features are analyzed to determine the identity and the location the objects on the flat surface. |
| US08116517B2 |
Action analysis apparatus
An action analysis apparatus includes an acquiring unit that acquires moving image data including a series of frame image data obtained by imaging a human body, a unit that detects at least one image area in which a predetermined portion of the imaged human body is imaged in the frame image data included in the acquired moving image data and generates and stores information to identify the detected image area, and a unit that generates at least one of feature quantity information about an action of the predetermined portion of the human body detected in the frame image data and generates and stores information to identify frame image data at a timing at which the feature quantity information satisfies a predetermined condition as feature time point information. The feature time point information is applied to present the moving image data to a user. |
| US08116514B2 |
Water mark embedding and extraction
A watermarking key consisting of a sequence of elements is embedded into a data sequence. Each element may take on two or more values. In order to embed a watermarking key, first a reference sequence is divided into blocks. Each element of the watermarking key is associated with a respective block of the reference sequence. A watermarked sequence is then generated by shifting the associated blocks by a degree determined by the value of the respective associated element of the watermarking key. |
| US08116513B2 |
Image processing method, image processing apparatus, document reading apparatus, image forming apparatus, and recording medium
A document matching process section calculates feature points (e.g., the centroid) on the basis of an inputted document image, then selects a plurality of feature points from among the calculated feature points, and then calculates a hash value on the basis of the selected feature points. Then, on the basis of the calculated features, the document matching process section determines whether the document image is similar to a stored format (stored image) stored. When it is determined as being similar, the document matching process section determines whether the entry omission is present in a part in the document image corresponding to a part defined in the stored image, and then outputs the determination result. |
| US08116511B2 |
Earphone
An earphone with adjustable impedance is provided. The earphone mainly includes an earphone body, a communication line, an earphone plug, an alter switch and an adjustable impedance unit used for adjusting an impedance of the earphone. The adjustable impedance unit is connected between the earphone plug and the earphone body through the alter switch. The impedance of the earphone can be matched on the output impedance of the media player by adjusting the impedance of the adjustable impedance unit when an earphone is connected with a media player. |
| US08116508B2 |
Dual-mode loudspeaker
An apparatus uses a transducer to produce vibration in the ultrasonic frequency range and in the audible frequency range. A membrane or cantilever structure is coupled to the transducer to produce acoustic waves. When the vibration is in the audible frequency range, the membrane structure works like a conventional loudspeaker. When the vibration is in the ultrasonic frequency range, the ultrasonic signal is modulated by audio signal for creating better directivity. The acoustic waves in the ultrasonic frequency range can reproduce directional audible sound due to the nonlinear interaction of ultrasonic waves in air. |
| US08116507B2 |
Electronic apparatus
An electronic apparatus includes an electronic-apparatus housing provided with a sound release hole, a speaker unit housed in the electronic-apparatus housing and facing the sound release hole, a grille body made of a conductive material, configured to allow sound to pass therethrough, and having a plate-like shape that is of sufficient size to cover the sound release hole, a frame made of an insulating material and detachably attached to the electronic-apparatus housing while supporting the grille body, such that the grille body covers the sound release hole, a cushion member provided on the frame and having elasticity and conductivity that allows the cushion member to be electrically continuous with the grille body, and a conductive member grounded inside the electronic-apparatus housing and, when the frame is attached to the electronic-apparatus housing, becoming electrically continuous with the grille body through the cushion member. |
| US08116504B2 |
Electronic device having a receiver
An electronic device (20) includes a main board (32), a protective panel (24) defining a main bore (24a), a receiver (28) and a housing (22). The protective panel is joined to an upper portion of the housing, and the housing is joined to the main board to form a chamber receiving the receiver. The housing defines a first opening (22a) corresponding to the main bore of the protective panel. The receiver and the main bore are angled relative to each other such that the main bore is partially overlapped by the receiver to form at least one secondary bore (36) on the main bore. |
| US08116501B2 |
Headset
A headset comprising a body portion including a microphone section, a receiver section, a battery section and a wireless communication section, all provided in a case having a substantially flat surface, and a projecting portion projecting from the substantially flat surface, is arranged such that the ear pad of the receiver section attached to the tip of the projecting portion is inserted into the external auditory meatus. A portion coming into resilient contact with the inner wall of the cavity of the concha on the inside of a tragus and an antitragus is provided at the projecting portion closer to the body portion side than the ear pad, wherein the ear pad is of an earplug type deformable elastically to ensure a close contact with the inner wall of the external auditory meatus. |
| US08116491B2 |
Method for the dynamic range compression of an audio signal and corresponding hearing device
It should be possible to carry out dynamic range compression in hearing devices, and in particular in hearing aids, so it is free from distortion and practically in real time. For this purpose it is proposed that the modulation spectrum be obtained from the audio or input signal. The modulation spectrum is subsequently directly modified corresponding to a predefined compression function. Finally a modified or compressed output signal is recovered from the modified modulation spectrum. Alternatively a complex envelope may be obtained from the input signal, which is filtered using time-variant modulation filtering corresponding to a predefined compression rule. A distortion-free, compressed output signal may also be recovered herefrom. |
| US08116490B2 |
Method for operation of a hearing device system and hearing device system
There is described a method for operation of a hearing device system with two microphones arranged spatially separated from one another and with sound-generating output units assigned to these microphones, in which, by comparison of the microphone signals or of signals derived therefrom, feedback is detected, and on detection of the feedback measures are initiated for reducing the feedback, and with the comparison of the microphone signals or of signals derived therefrom comprising a frequency-selective power comparison. There is also described a hearing device system suitable for this method. |
| US08116487B2 |
Piezoelectric speaker and electronic apparatus with piezoelectric speaker
Provided is a piezoelectric speaker (40) including: a piezoelectric element (42) that deforms in response to an input signal; a diaphragm (43) that is set in bending motion by the piezoelectric element (42) to generate sound; and a resilient portion (44) that holds at least a part of an outer edge of the diaphragm (43). The piezoelectric speaker further includes a lock portion (46) arranged to block extension of the diaphragm (43) by coming into contact with a part of a vibration plane of the diaphragm (43) when an input signal is not input to obtain a lock state and to release the lock state immediately after the input signal is input. Consequently, bending motion of the diaphragm (43) can be started quickly and movement of the diaphragm is not obstructed after starting of the bending motion. |
| US08116486B2 |
Mixing of input data streams and generation of an output data stream therefrom
An apparatus for mixing a plurality of input data streams is described, which has a processing unit adapted to compare the frames of the plurality of input data streams, and determine, based on the comparison, for a spectral component of an output frame of an output data stream, exactly one input data stream of the plurality of input data streams. The output data stream is generated by copying at least a part of an information of a corresponding spectral component of the frame of the determined data stream. Further or alternatively, the control values of the frames of the first and second input data streams are compared, and, if so, the control value is adopted. |
| US08116485B2 |
Adaptive gain control system
An automatic gain control system maintains desired signal content level, such as voice, in an output signal. The system includes automatic gain control over an input signal, and compensates the output signal based on input signal content. When the input signal level exceeds an upper or lower processing threshold level, or is distorted (e.g., clipped), the system applies a gain to the input signal level. The system may compensate for the gain in the output signal when the input signal includes desired signal content. |
| US08116481B2 |
Audio enhancement system
A system for enhancing the sound signal produced by an audio system in a listening environment by compensating for ambient noise in the listening environment is provided. The system receives an electrical sound signal and generates a sound output therefrom. A total sound signal is sensed representative of the total sound level in the environment, where the total sound level includes both the sound output from the audio system and the ambient noise within the environment. The system extracts an ambient noise signal representative of the ambient noise in the environment from the total sound signal in response to the total sound signal and to a reference signal derived from the electrical sound signal. The system extracts the ambient noise signal using an adaptive filter with an adaptive step size. The system generates a control signal in response to the ambient noise signal and adjusts the sound output of the audio system to compensate for the ambient noise level in response to the control signal. The system calculates a step size for controlling the adaptive step size of the adaptive filter. |
| US08116478B2 |
Apparatus and method for beamforming in consideration of actual noise environment character
Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for beamforming in consideration of characteristics of an actual noise environment. The apparatus includes a microphone array having at least microphone, the microphone array outputting a signal input through the microphone; a coherence function generation unit for calculating coherences for input signals according to each space between microphones, calculating averages of the coherences for the same distance, and filtering the calculated averages of the coherences and outputting the resultant values, when an input signal is input; a spatial filter factor calculation unit for calculating and outputting a spatial filter factor by using the filtered average coherences; and a beamforming execution unit for performing a beamforming for the input signals by using the spatial filter factor, thereby outputting a noise-processed signal. |
| US08116477B2 |
Fit adjuster for a neckband type headset
Disclosed is a fit adjuster for a neckband type headset, which includes a headset band and a pair of earpieces connected to both ends of the headset band and placed on the ears of a user. The fit adjuster includes at least one opening formed at a stress concentration portion of the headset band; and an adjustment pin inserted into the opening to be movable in a longitudinal direction of the opening. |
| US08116471B2 |
Audio signal dereverberation
A method of estimating the reverberations in an acoustic signal (y) comprises determining the frequency spectrum (Y) of the signal (y), providing a first parameter (α) indicative of the decay of the reverberations part (r) of the signal over time, and providing a second parameter (β) indicative of the amplitude of the direct part (d) of the signal relative to the reverberations part (r). An estimated frequency spectrum ({circumflex over (R)}) of the reverberations signal (r) is produced using the frequency spectrum (Y) of a previous frame, the first parameter (α), and the second parameter (β). The second parameter (β) is preferably inversely proportional to the early-to-late ratio of the signal (y). |
| US08116470B2 |
Impulse response processing apparatus and reverberation imparting apparatus
An impulse response processing apparatus is composed of a waveform divider, a time adjuster, an interpolation processor and a waveform synthesizer. The waveform divider divides an impulse response into a plurality of base blocks on a time axis. The time adjuster increases a time difference between two adjacent ones of the plurality of the base blocks. The interpolation processor generates an interpolation block. The waveform synthesizer generates a new impulse response by arranging the interpolation block between the two adjacent base blocks generated through adjustment of the time adjuster. |
| US08116468B2 |
Stereophonic sound reproduction device
A stereophonic sound reproduction device has a sound amplifying device that amplifies multi channel surround sound signals for respective channels and outputs the multi channel surround sound signals to a plurality of speakers that are located surrounding a listening position, and a rear reverberation creation device, in the rear reverberation creation device, convolution computations are performed on direct sound or initial reflected sound contained in the sound signals of the respective channels of multi channel surround sound signals, and reverberation groups that have flat frequency characteristics and have non-uniform delay time intervals, and that have different delay time intervals for the respective channels while having the same envelope characteristics for the respective channels are created and output for the respective channels. |
| US08116467B2 |
Method for manufacturing array microphones and system for categorizing microphones
The invention provides a method for manufacturing array microphones. First, signal delays of a plurality of microphones are measured. The microphones are then categorized into a plurality of categories according to the signal delays. A plurality of array microphones are then assembled with a number of component microphones selected from the same categories. |
| US08116466B2 |
Apparatus and method for testing sound input and output of sound card
An apparatus and a method for testing a sound card are applicable for detecting whether a sound leakage problem occurs to a sounding interface of the sound card. The testing apparatus includes a switching circuit and a switching unit. The switching circuit is electrically connected to the sounding interface and a sound-receiving interface of the sound card respectively, and has a plurality of transfer paths. The switching circuit is used to receive a first and a second sound channel, and to connect the first and the second sound channel to corresponding transfer paths, so as to transmit the audio signal back to the sound-receiving interface. The switching unit is electrically connected to the sounding interface and the switching circuit, for receiving the first and the second sound channel. The switching unit alters the transfer paths in the switching circuit according to a first and/or a second switching audio signal. |
| US08116464B2 |
Method for volume adaptation, mobile electronic device and computer program product using the method thereof
A method for volume adaptation, a mobile electronic device and a computer program product are disclosed. According to the method for volume adaptation, a sound producing function is started. At intervals, a present first environmental noise is sampled, a present set playing volume of the mobile electronic device is inquired about, and a second environmental noise occurring on setting the playing volume is obtained. Finally, the playing volume is adjusted according to the first environmental noise and the second environmental noise. In this way, the present invention is able to automatically adjust the playing volume thereof in response to the environmental noises of different times, which largely increases the convenience of using the mobile electronic device. |
| US08116460B2 |
Efficient and scalable parametric stereo coding for low bitrate audio coding applications
The present invention provides improvements to prior art audio codecs that generate a stereo-illusion through post-processing of a received mono signal. These improvements are accomplished by extraction of stereo-image describing parameters at the encoder side, which are transmitted and subsequently used for control of a stereo generator at the decoder side. Furthermore, the invention bridges the gap between simple pseudo-stereo methods, and current methods of true stereo-coding, by using a new form of parametric stereo coding. A stereo-balance parameter is introduced, which enables more advanced stereo modes, and in addition forms the basis of a new method of stereo-coding of spectral envelopes, of particular use in systems where guided HFR (High Frequency Reconstruction) is employed. As a special case, the application of this stereo-coding scheme in scalable HFR-based codecs is described. |
| US08116457B2 |
Methods, apparatuses, and products for a secure circuit
Methods, systems, apparatuses and products are disclosed for providing security circuits. Exemplary embodiments including semiconductor chips on circuit boards are shown, together with application in a movie stick/movie player pair.Such systems provide for and improve on the means for clocked logic security support beyond what is available in current security products while being capable of embodiment in low cost technologies such as programmable gate arrays. |
| US08116456B2 |
Techniques for managing heterogeneous key stores
Techniques for managing heterogeneous key stores are presented. A centralized key management service receives key instructions in a generic format. These key instructions are communicated to distributed key agents distributed over a network. The key agents translate the key instructions into native formats expected by distributed key stores. The key agents then process the key instructions in the native formats against the distributed key stores on behalf of the centralized key management service. |
| US08116455B1 |
System and method for securely initializing and booting a security appliance
A system and method provides for secure initialization and booting of a security appliance. The security appliance cooperates with a “smart” system card to provide cryptographic information needed to boot the security appliance in accordance with a secure boot procedure. The initialization procedure commences once the security appliance detects the presence of the smart card. The smart card and an encryption processor perform an authentication and key exchange procedure to establish a secure communication channel between them. The system card then loads a twice wrapped master key from a configuration database and decrypts the master key using a key associated with the system card. The wrapped master key is then forwarded via the secure communication channel to the encryption processor, which decrypts the wrapped key using a key associated therewith and enters an operating state using the decrypted master key. |
| US08116453B2 |
Gaming console-specific user authentication
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for user authentication required for conducting online financial institution transactions. The disclosed embodiments leverage the capabilities of platforms other than conventional personal computers and laptops, such as gaming consoles and wireless devices. Unique intrinsic user activities, such as controller motions or activities, built-in hardware signatures or other input data associated with a gaming console are used as the authentication mechanism, so as to provide a higher degree of security in the overall authentication process by lessening the likelihood of password replication or interception during network communication. |
| US08116450B2 |
System and method for utility sampling for trust metrics in pki
A method for measuring trust in a transaction over a public key certificate network includes associating each edge KA→KB of an public key certificate network connecting two public keys KA and KB with a probability p that information about KB is reliable, and a confidence c that is a total dollar amount of transactions which have involved using edge KA→KB. One or more authentication paths are formed in the public key certificate network starting from public key KS and ending with a target public key KT. A limit l of an amount of insurance that an owner of KS is willing to provide to a user interested in a transaction with an owner of KT is calculated, and for each amount m |
| US08116447B2 |
Networkable telephone system
Some embodiments provide a telephone comprising an interface port to receive a computer network interface device. |
| US08116446B1 |
Agent driven work item awareness for tuning routing engine work-assignment algorithms
Architecture for providing deductive context to a contact center routing engine is provided. Specifically, when a first interaction or set of interactions is received by a first agent and that agent cannot handle part or all of those interactions, before sending those interactions back to the routing engine, the agent can provide additional information enabling the routing engine to use the information when determining the next optimal resource for the grouped interactions. |
| US08116445B2 |
System and method for monitoring an interaction between a caller and an automated voice response system
An apparatus and method for monitoring an interaction between a caller and an automated voice response (AVR) system is provided. An audio communication from a caller is processed by executing an AVR script, which includes a plurality of instructions. A visual representation of the audio communication is presented substantially simultaneously with the audio communication to an agent based on the AVR script. The visual representation includes at least one field to be populated with information obtained from the caller and the information populated in the field can be updated by the agent. |
| US08116443B1 |
Automatic callback and caller ID method and system
The method of the present invention allows a voice mail recipient to activate an automatic callback to a previous caller whose calling telephone number and recorded voice message have been left in the voice mail recipient's mailbox associated with a voice mail system coupled to an end office switch which serves the voice mail recipient. More particularly, the method of the present invention automatically delivers to the previous caller's busy or idle station caller identifying information (i.e., a directory telephone number (DN) and/or name) related to the voice mail recipient after the voice mail recipient activates the automatic callback to the previous caller by pressing a predetermined digit on a keypad of an apparatus at the voice mail recipient's station, or by saying a predetermined voice command, in response to an audible prompt from the voice mail system while or after listening to a verbal announcement of the previous caller's calling telephone number and recorded voice message left in the voice mail recipient's mailbox. |
| US08116441B2 |
Call routing based on physical location of called party
A system may include a locator device to track a location of a user, store information identifying locations of a group of telephone devices, and identify one telephone device of the group of telephone devices based on the location of the one telephone device and the location of the user in response to an incoming telephone call request for the user. |
| US08116436B2 |
Technique for verifying identities of users of a communications service by voiceprints
A voiceprint of a calling party, and identifying information, are obtained during a call. One or more voiceprint samples stored in association with the identifying information are selected, and the calling party's identity is verified based on a comparison of the voiceprint to at least one of the selected voiceprint samples. For example, the voiceprint samples may be derived from a verbal utterance by the calling party before the call, mixed with different background noises likely corrupting the calling party's utterance during the call. If the comparison fails to determine the calling party's identity, an attempt to verify the calling party's identity is made based on additional information received during the call. In another example, if the calling party's identity is verified based on the additional information, the voiceprint may be stored in association with the identifying information as a voiceprint sample for use in future verification of the calling party's identity. |
| US08116435B2 |
Emergency call processing apparatus and method in private switching system
An emergency call processing apparatus and method in a private switching system according to certain embodiments is available for some emergency telephone numbers, such as 119 and 911, set for emergency. A private branch exchange has more extension subscribers than office lines, and thus the extension subscribers share the office lines. If an emergency outgoing call is attempted when all of the office lines are busy, priority is given to the emergency outgoing call, and one of the busy lines is forcibly intercepted so that the emergency outgoing call can be processed. In particular, when an extension terminal is set in a locking mode, an emergency call can be processed without inconveniently disabling the locking mode through the input of a password, and thus the emergency can be easily coped with. Then, the emergency outgoing call can be easily processed, even if all of the lines are busy or the subscriber terminal is set in the locking mode. |
| US08116433B2 |
Calls per second network testing
Systems and methods for calls per second network testing are disclosed. The methods may be performed by a network testing system or other computing device. The method may include receiving user selection to create a network test. A user specification of a bulk network calls test type and the call transmission criteria for the network test are received. The call transmission criteria may include a number of calls per second and one of either a talk time or a number of channels. When the talk time is specified, the number of channels is calculated. Similarly, when the number of channels is specified, the talk time is calculated. User selection to begin the network test is received, and packets are transmitted for the network test according to the call transmission criteria. During transmission, the call transmission criteria are recalculated at a system defined interval to avoid bursts. |
| US08116430B1 |
Multi-mode cone beam CT radiotherapy simulator and treatment machine with a flat panel imager
A multi-mode cone beam computed tomography radiotherapy simulator and treatment machine is disclosed. The radiotherapy simulator and treatment machine both include a rotatable gantry on which is positioned a cone-beam radiation source and a flat panel imager. The flat panel imager captures x-ray image data to generate cone-beam CT volumetric images used to generate a therapy patient position setup and a treatment plan. |
| US08116426B2 |
Computed tomography device and method using circular-pixel position-adaptive interpolation
A method of computed-tomography and a computed-tomography apparatus where a interpolation kernel width is adaptively determined as a function of the distance from the x-ray source to the reconstruction pixel. The width of the kernel is the projection of the reconstruction pixel on the detector. The method can be implemented in the channel direction. The method can also be implemented in the segment direction, or in the channel and segment directions at the same time. Backprojection is performed using the adaptive kernel width and may by used with helical and circular scanning, and with cone-beam or fan beam x-ray CT. |
| US08116424B2 |
Shift register and liquid crystal display using same
An exemplary shift register includes a plurality of shift register units, each of which includes an output circuit, an input circuit, and a logic circuit. The output circuit includes a clock transistor, a voltage stabilizing transistor, and an input circuit for receiving signals output by a previous shift register unit. The logic circuit receives signals output by the input circuit. When the input circuit outputs signals to switch on the clock transistor, the logic circuit outputs a low level voltage signal to shut off the voltage stabilizing transistor. Thus, the output circuit outputs signals via the clock circuit. On the other hand, when the input circuit outputs signals to shut off the clock transistor, the logic circuit outputs a high level voltage signal to turn on the voltage stabilizing transistor, so as to maintain the output circuit to output low level voltage signal. |
| US08116423B2 |
Nuclear reactor (alternatives), fuel assembly of seed-blanket subassemblies for nuclear reactor (alternatives), and fuel element for fuel assembly
The invention relates to light water reactor designs in which thorium is used as fuel and in particular to designs of jacketless fuel assemblies, which make up the cores of pressurized water reactors (PWRs) such as the VVER-1000. Nuclear reactor cores containing seed and blanket subassemblies that make up the fuel assemblies are used to burn thorium fuel together with conventional reactor fuel that includes nonproliferative enriched uranium, as well as weapons-grade and reactor-grade plutonium. In the first alternative, the reactor core is fully “nonproliferative,” since neither the reactor fuel nor the wastes generated can be used to produce nuclear weapons. In the second version of the invention, the reactor core is used to burn large amounts of weapons-grade plutonium together with thorium and provides a suitable means to destroy stockpiles of weapons-grade plutonium and convert the energy released to electric power. The cores in both embodiments of the invention are made up of a set of seed-blanket assemblies, which have central seed areas surrounded by annular blanket areas. The seed areas contain uranium or plutonium fuel rods, while the blanket areas contain thorium fuel rods. The volume ratio of moderator to fuel and the relative sizes of the seed area and the blanket area have been optimized so that neither embodiment of the invention generates wastes that can be used to produced nuclear weapons. A new refueling system is also used for the first embodiment of the invention to maximize recycling of the seed fuel; the system also ensures that the spent nuclear fuel cannot be used to produce nuclear weapons. |
| US08116419B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for estimating time delay and frequency offset in single frequency networks
In one method, an uplink signal carrying at least one block of transmitted samples is transmitted, and a distorted copy of the uplink signal is received as a downlink signal. A plurality of blocks of received samples are generated based on the received downlink signal, and a time delay and frequency offset between the uplink and downlink signals are determined based on a correlation between the block of transmitted samples and at least one of the plurality of blocks of received samples. |
| US08116418B2 |
Fast locking clock and data recovery
A clock data recovery comprises a phase detector, a phase interpolator, an initial phase detector, and an initial phase decoder. The phase detector receives an incoming data stream and an interpolated clock signal and output an early/late value indicating timing relationship between the incoming data stream and the interpolated clock signal. The phase interpolator receives the early/late signal and at least one reference clock signal and generate an interpolated clock signal considering the early/late value and the at least one reference clock signal. The initial phase detector receives the incoming data stream and output a first data indicating a phase of the incoming data stream. The initial phase decoder receives data indicating a phase of the incoming data stream and select the at least one reference clock signal from a plurality of clock signals considering the data indicating a phase of the incoming data stream. |
| US08116415B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit, communication apparatus, information playback apparatus, image display apparatus, electronic apparatus, electronic control apparatus and mobile apparatus
The semiconductor integrated circuit having a transmitter circuit for transmitting a supplied external data signal DIN. The transmitter circuit includes: a transmitter flip-flop circuit having a reference clock CK as an input for holding the external data signal DIN in synchronization with the reference clock CK; a frequency divider circuit for multiplying the frequency of the reference clock CK by n/m (m and n are integers equal to or more than 2 and m>n); a data signal buffer circuit for transmitting a data signal held by the transmitter flipflop circuit; and a clock buffer circuit for transmitting the output of the frequency divider circuit. |
| US08116414B2 |
Diversity receiver and diversity reception method
An orthogonal signal from a modulated signal of the digital terrestrial broadcast is produced. Then, an adder carrier-combines the orthogonal signal and an interpolated signal into an interpolated orthogonal signal, which is in turn demodulated by a DQPSK demodulation section. A demodulated signal is produced from a modulated signal of the digital satellite broadcast. A transmission path coding section produces transport stream data. A DQPSK mapping section re-demodulates the transport stream data to produce an orthogonal signal. A sync detection section asynchronously detects a demodulated signal demodulated by the DQPSK demodulation section and a demodulated signal produced by a time deinterleave section in the transmission path coding section. The detected time difference is set as a delay time of a delay circuit so as to delay the orthogonal signal, thereby producing the interpolated signal to be carrier-combined by the adder in order to provide improved reception quality. |
| US08116401B2 |
Method and system for digital spur cancellation
A method and system for digital spur cancellation may include removing a spur in a left channel minus right channel (L−R) baseband signal generated from a FM signal. The L−R baseband signal may be generated by demodulating a sub-carrier, for example, by using CORDIC algorithm, in a signal demodulated from the FM signal. An orthogonal signal may also be generated by demodulating a sub-carrier, for example, by using CORDIC algorithm, in a signal demodulated from the FM signal. The phase of the orthogonal signal may be further adjusted to introduce a substantially −90° phase shift to spurs at a specific frequency. Accordingly, the spurs in the L−R baseband signal may be cancelled when the first L−R baseband signal is combined with the phase adjusted orthogonal signal. |
| US08116400B2 |
Apparatus for adapting reception modes of a mobile DTV receiver in response to signaling
Implementation of Fast Information Channel (FIC) signaling when Chunks of FIC information span more than one sub-Frame of an M/H Frame is described. FIC signaling is advanced further at the digital television (DTV) transmitters than originally proposed, thereby eliminating need for substantial amounts of delay memory for coded M/H data in receivers for such data. Each FIC-Chunk includes a bit indicating when it is not applicable only to M/H Frames yet to be received but is also applicable to an M/H Frame being currently received. This facilitates reception being more quickly established after a change in DTV channel selection. Transmission Parameter Channel (TPC) signaling pertaining to the M/H Frame being currently received continues to the conclusion of the M/H Frame, so the total number of M/H Groups in each M/H sub-Frame is signaled to facilitate de-interleaving of the FIC signaling. Code combining of FIC Chunks is described. |
| US08116397B2 |
System and method for symbol boundary detection in orthogonal frequency divison multiplexing based data communication
A method for determining a symbol boundary of a data packet of a received signal, where the data packet includes a first training field, a guard interval, and a second training field. The received signal is sampled to obtain multiple samples. A first symbol boundary estimate is determined using one or more block auto-correlation values. Thereafter, a second symbol boundary estimate is determined based on the first symbol boundary estimate and using one or more cross-correlation values. The second symbol boundary estimate then is shifted using moving average auto-correlation values for the samples in the vicinity of the second symbol boundary estimate to obtain an accurate symbol boundary estimate. |
| US08116396B2 |
Method for re-ordering multiple layers and detecting signal of which the layers have different modulation orders in multiple input multiple output antenna system and receiver using the same
Disclosed are a method for re-ordering multiple layers and detecting signals and a receiver using the same to be able to exert performance approaching a maximum likelihood scheme while having lower complexity than that of the maximum likelihood scheme in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna system in a form where each layer is modulated and transmitted with different modulation orders. |
| US08116394B2 |
Long term evolution (LTE) radio link timing synchronization
A method for performing a radio link timing estimation for synchronization to a wireless communications channel such as an uplink channel in a 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in a mobile wireless device or wireless network base station is provided. A channel frequency response estimate from a received reference signal comprising multiple non-coherent Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols is obtained. A frequency response covariance matrix from the channel frequency response estimate is then generated. Timing offsets of the received reference signal using covariance matrix and timing offset estimation algorithms are then estimated. |
| US08116389B2 |
Radio apparatus
A control unit generates packet signals to be transmitted. The control unit uses either a first packet format, where a second known signal defined by a second radio communication system different from a first radio communication system is assigned anterior to a first known signal defined by the first radio communication system, or a second packet format, where the first known signal is assigned in an anterior part. Subcarriers to be used in the first known signal contain subcarriers to be used in the second known signal, and the first known signal and the second known signal are defined by different values. |
| US08116387B2 |
Method and system for a digital polar transmitter
Aspects of a system for a digital polar transmitter may include a digital to analog converter circuit (DAC), for which an analog voltage and/or current step size generated in response to a sequence of received binary numbers may be dynamically programmable based on an input control signal. The input control signal may be based on an amplitude modulation (AM) signal. The DAC may receive the sequence of binary numbers, generated based on a phase modulation (PM) signal, from an accumulator circuit. The dynamically programmable-step-size DAC may generate an analog signal, which is amplified by a power amplifier circuit (PA) and transmitted via an antenna. The dynamically programmable-step-size DAC may enable utilization of a linear PA circuit. |
| US08116386B2 |
Method, apparatus and computer program product for providing improved gray mapping
An apparatus for providing improved gray mapping may include a processor. The processor may be configured to divide gray value byte data into high priority portions and low priority portions distributed as constellation points in a constellation matrix and to provide separation between each of the constellation points by assigning a unique mapping code to a plurality of the constellation points. |
| US08116381B2 |
Digital broadcasting system and data processing method in digital broadcasting system
A receiving system and a data processing method for receiving and processing mobile service data are disclosed. The receiving system comprises a demodulating unit, a block decoder, a controller, and an RS frame decoder. The demodulating unit receives a broadcast signal including mobile service data and main service data and converts the received broadcast signal to a baseband broadcast signal. The mobile service data configure at least one of a primary RS frame and a secondary RS frame. The block decoder performs turbo decoding of a SCCC block unit for mobile service data within the baseband broadcast signal based on SCCC-related information. The controller generates a control signal for RS frame decoding with reference to at least one of SCCC block mode information, RS frame mode information, and user's input. The RS frame decoder configures at least one of a primary RS frame and a secondary RS frame using the mobile service data output from the block decoder in accordance with the control signal and performs error correction decoding for corresponding RS frame with reference to reliability information of each mobile service data byte within the configured RS frame. |
| US08116376B2 |
Complexity scalable video decoding
A video decoder, a video decoding method, a video encoder and a video encoding method are disclosed. A video decoder for decoding a video bitstream for an image block includes a motion vector resolution reducer and a motion compensator. The motion vector resolution reducer is for receiving decoded high resolution motion vectors included in the video bitstream and for reducing an accuracy of the high resolution motion vectors to correspond to a low resolution. The motion compensator, in signal communication with the motion vector resolution reducer, is for forming a motion compensated high resolution prediction using the reduced accuracy motion vectors. The video encoder for encoding scalable video comprises a motion compensator for forming a motion compensated full resolution prediction and combining combining the motion compensated full resolution prediction from an image block to form a prediction residual. The prediction residual is downsampled to form a low resolution downsampled prediction residual and then coded. |
| US08116374B2 |
Method and system for generating a transform size syntax element for video decoding
In a video processing system, a method and system for generating a transform size syntax element for video decoding are provided. For high profile mode video decoding operations, the transform sizes may be selected based on the prediction macroblock type and the contents of the macroblock. A set of rules may be utilized to select from a 4×4 or an 8×8 transform size during the encoding operation. Dynamic selection of transform size may be performed on intra-predicted macroblocks, inter-predicted macroblocks, and/or direct mode inter-predicted macroblocks. The encoding operation may generate a transform size syntax element to indicate the transform size that may be used in reconstructing the encoded macroblock. The transform size syntax element may be transmitted to a decoder as part of the encoded video information bit stream. |
| US08116366B2 |
Delayed decision feedback sequence estimator
Disclosed is a delayed decision feedback sequence estimator comprising a delayed decision feedback sequence estimator main unit including DDFSE computing unit group including (L+M) DDFSE computing units, equal in number to a length of each of plurality of blocks into which a received data symbol sequence is divided; wherein (L+M) DDFSE computing units are connected in a pipeline configuration to execute delayed decision feedback sequence estimation of the blocks in parallel; and an edge effect detection and correction circuit that detects an edge effect due to processing the delayed decision feedback sequence estimation of the separated block and corrects a relevant bit error. |
| US08116364B2 |
Selective slicing equalizer
An equalizer. The equalizer, either operated in a blind mode or a decision directed mode, comprises a feed-forward filter, a feedback filter, a decision device, a control circuit, and a multiplexer. The feed-forward filter receives an input signal. The feedback filter filters an equalized signal. The combiner combines the feed-forward filtered signal and the feedback filtered signal. The decision device maps the combined signal to one symbol of a symbol set. The control circuit receives the combined output and generates a slice control signal. The multiplexer selects the combined signal or the mapped signal as the equalized according to the slice control signal when operated in the blind mode. |
| US08116355B2 |
Method of selecting echoes of a signal for assignment to fingers of a Rake receiver and corresponding Rake receiver
A method is provided for processing a signal emanating from a multi-path transmission medium. A number L of echoes of the signal received are detected, with L being greater than the number N of fingers of a “Rake” receiver, and there are selected N echoes from among the L echoes that are detected. At least some of the L echoes that are detected are echoes temporally correlated according to a determined correlation criterion. The selection step includes determining, as a function of the initial complex amplitudes associated with at least the temporally correlated echoes, weighted individual energies corresponding respectively to temporally decorrelated virtual echoes, and selecting from among the L echoes of N echoes as a function of a determined power criterion using at least the weighted individual energies. |
| US08116350B1 |
Ultrawideband asynchronous tracking system and method
A passive tracking system is provided with a plurality of ultrawideband (UWB) receivers that is asynchronous with respect to a UWB transmitter. A geometry of the tracking system may utilize a plurality of clusters with each cluster comprising a plurality of antennas. Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) may be determined for the antennas in each cluster and utilized to determine Angle of Arrival (AOA) based on a far field assumption regarding the geometry. Parallel software communication sockets may be established with each of the plurality of UWB receivers. Transfer of waveform data may be processed by alternately receiving packets of waveform data from each UWB receiver. Cross Correlation Peak Detection (CCPD) is utilized to estimate TDOA information to reduce errors in a noisy, multipath environment. |
| US08116349B2 |
Method of multiple access communication in a centralized network based on an ultra wideband impulse physical layer
A method of multiple access communication in a centralized network is based on an ultra wideband impulse physical layer allowing code-based multiple access. Each user is associated with a code, and the transmission is performed in an asynchronous manner in a propagation medium with multiple paths. It is characterized in that a criterion is established so as to find the codes of the various users making it possible to minimize the variance of the multi-user interference at the output of a linear receiver. |
| US08116347B2 |
Two-stage laser system for aligners
The invention relates to a two-stage laser system well fit for semiconductor aligners, which is reduced in terms of spatial coherence while taking advantage of the high stability, high output efficiency and fine line width of the MOPO mode. The two-stage laser system for aligners comprises an oscillation-stage laser (50) and an amplification-stage laser (60). Oscillation laser light having divergence is used as the oscillation-stage laser (50), and the amplification-stage laser (60) comprises a Fabry-Perot etalon resonator made up of an input side mirror (1) and an output side mirror (2). The resonator is configured as a stable resonator. |
| US08116341B2 |
Multiple laser wavelength and pulse width process drilling
Dual-beam laser outputs, preferably derived from a single laser beam, improve the quality of the sidewalls of vias drilled in a target material, such as printed circuit board, comprising fiber-reinforced resin. Two embodiments each use two laser output components to remove a portion of target material from a target material location of a workpiece and rapidly clean remnants of the target material bonded to a metal layer underlying the target material location at a material removal rate. A first embodiment entails directing for incidence on a portion of the target material at the target material location a processing laser output having first and second components characterized by respective first and second wavelengths. A second embodiment entails directing for incidence on a portion of the target material at the target material location a processing laser output having first and second components characterized by respective first and pulse widths. |
| US08116336B2 |
Distributed IP address assignment protocol for a multi-hop wireless home mesh network with collision detection
An apparatus and method for a multi-tier wireless home mesh network is described. The method may include formation of a wireless home networking environment comprising a collection of nodes that operate as a decentralized, wireless network with multiple sub-networks or tiers that are responsible for different functions within the network. Each node of the multi-tier network is configured to forward data to other nodes and is assigned to a particular tier based on the node's performance capabilities. The method may include the automatic establishment of a unique Internet protocol (IP) address within a multi-hop wireless home mesh network with the ability to do automatic collision detection and correction. Once established as either a mobile node or a stationary node of the wireless home mesh network, a new node (the home electronics device) may wirelessly communicate with one or more existing nodes of the wireless home mesh network. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08116333B2 |
Connection control in a wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for performing connection control in a wireless communication system is described. In one embodiment, an apparatus is used in a wireless communication system for communicating with a wireless network, and the apparatus comprises a host processor, a transceiver, a physical interface coupling the host processor and the transceiver; and a memory accessible by the host processor and the transceiver to exchange information between the host processor and the transceiver. The memory has multiple banks that include: a first bank to store information being transferred from the host processor to the transceiver, and a second bank to store information being transferred from the transceiver to the host processor, the second bank being different than the first bank, to facilitate full-duplex communication of packet data between the host processor and the transceiver. |
| US08116331B2 |
Communication system, network apparatus, communication recovery method for use therein, and program thereof
The network apparatus (switch 10) of the communication system, which has the path table for registering a MAC address of the facing device which faces the device and a lending MAC address set in advance so as to be correlated with each other, and the MAC table for registering a MAC address inherent in a device connected to the apparatus itself, and path identification information for specifying a combination between a MAC address of a facing device in the path table to which the device is to refer and a lending MAC address so as to be correlated with each other, generates path identification information and registers the same at the path table when communicating through a pseudo wire, and resets the pseudo wire based on the path table and the MAC table when a device in communication is changed through the pseudo wire. |
| US08116324B2 |
Network resource allocation system and method of the same
A network resource allocation system and method of the same are provided according to the present invention. The system and method are applicable to a wireless mesh network, the method including: programming traffic of connections between routers; exchanging data between neighboring routers, thereby enabling the routers to perform dispersive network resource allocation according to the exchanged data; checking a local time window and a global time window for expiration by the router; and, under the condition of local performance deterioration or local traffic variation, activating a local routing adjustment mechanism by the router, wherein, if global performance deterioration currently exists, then activating a global optimization mechanism by a central controller, and, if not, then resetting the global time window. Accordingly, the present invention is capable of perceiving the traffic status of each connection between routers, thereby efficiently directing traffic to various channels and wireless transceivers. |
| US08116322B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling reporting of an event timestamp
The present invention discloses a method for controlling the reporting of an event timestamp. The method includes the following steps: a timestamp control parameter is set; the MG determines whether to report the timestamp of the event according to the timestamp control parameter. Further, the present invention discloses an MG and an MGC. The technical solution provided by the present invention controls the MG to report the timestamp of an event; enables the MGC or other applications that require the timestamp of the event to determine the actual time when the event appears according to the obtained timestamp; and controls the reported event not to include the timestamp if the MGC or other applications do not need the timestamp of the event, thus saving the bandwidth resources and other system resources. |
| US08116320B2 |
Mapping external port using virtual local area network
A program product comprising program instructions, embodied on a storage medium that are operable to cause a processor to switch input data packets for ingress to at least one internal-device port of an internal device from all external ports using virtual local area network identifiers and port virtual local area network tags and to switch output data packets for egress from the internal-device ports of the internal device using the virtual local area network identifiers and the port virtual local area network tags. There are more external ports than internal-device ports and applications in the internal device have visibility to all external ports. |
| US08116317B2 |
Preventing quality of service policy abuse in a network
A system for preventing quality of service policy abuse comprising a media connection and a local area network prioritizing quality of service in which quality of service to a to a video receiver or similar device may be maintained by prioritizing its signal relative to other signals competing for network bandwidth. |
| US08116315B2 |
System and method for packet classification
The present invention provides method for data packet processing in a telecommunications system. The method of the present invention can include the steps of (i) determining a set of classification parameters for a data packet at an ingress edge unit, wherein the classification parameters include a packet destination, (ii) communicating the data packet to an egress edge unit and (iii) routing the data packet to a destination egress port at the egress edge unit according the classification parameters determined at the ingress edge unit. In one embodiment of the present invention, the classification parameters can include a destination egress edge unit, a destination egress port at the destination egress edge unit, and quality of service parameter for proper processing of the data packet. |
| US08116309B2 |
Enhanced Ethernet protocol for shortened data frames within a constrained neighborhood based on unique ID
An enhanced Ethernet protocol for computing and telecommunication supports a shortened frame size for communicating data payloads among selected devices within a constrained neighborhood based on a unique identification. |
| US08116306B2 |
Shared memory system
A shared memory system including: a shared memory includes a plurality of memory banks; a plurality of input ports; a plurality of input buffers; and a controller for controlling writing-into and reading out of the shared memory and for transferring data from each of the input buffers to the shared memory, wherein when one of the memory banks is cycled back next to the starting memory bank, another memory block is to be selected next for writing the remainder of a series of data, said controller controlling each of the input buffers to transfer a plurality of series of data to the shared memory successively with a time gap while switching to said another memory block, said controller offsetting a start memory bank in said another block for start writing the remainder of the series of data by an amount of memory banks corresponding to the time gap. |
| US08116305B2 |
Multi-plane cell switch fabric system
A multi-plane cell switch fabric system prevents a decrease of the effective switching capacity when switching the variable-length packets. Distribution units classify input variable-length packets for each address, arranges the packets by a first division length unit, divides the packets into fixed-length cell payloads by a second division length unit that is an integer multiple being twice or more as large as the first division length unit, and forms a fixed-length cell by providing destination information, a source ID, a sequential number, and packet head tail information to each of the cell payloads. The cells are distributed to all the switching units one by one whenever the cells are collected to be the same number as the plural switching units. The reordering units classify the cells, reorder the sequential number in an original order, and reassemble the packets by the packet head tail information of the cell. |
| US08116303B2 |
Systems and methods for communicating documents via an autonomous multiple-function peripheral device
A multiple-function peripheral device includes a packet-switched network interface and an autonomous application programming interface. The application programming interface requests image information from a remote server via the packet-switched network interface in a first mode of operation. The application programming interface sends image information to a remote device via the packet-switched network interface in a second mode of operation. |
| US08116298B2 |
Communication server apparatus providing XDSL services and method
A communication system (500) includes a plurality of subscriber systems (510) coupled to a plurality of twisted pair data lines (520). Each subscriber system (510) has an availability guarantee value, which may specify a level of service for the subscriber system (510). A communication server (502) is coupled to the plurality of subscriber systems (510). The communication server (502) selectively couples a subscriber system (510), responsive to a request for service, to either a first modem pool (530) or a second modem pool (540) based on the availability guarantee value associated with the subscriber system (510). Communication server (502) can also provide a soft-termination state and dynamic network address allocation for subscriber systems (510). |
| US08116296B2 |
Communication system, a communication method, and a communication apparatus for carrying out data communication among a plurality of communication stations
A communication system for carrying out data communication among a plurality of communication stations is disclosed in which a first communication station for transmitting to other communication stations a Request To Send (RTS) signal for requesting a transmission upon the start of the data transmission; and a plurality of second communication stations transmitting to other communication stations a Clear To Send (CTS) signal for notifying the completion of preparing the reception, wherein the first communication station transmits the RTS signal describing at least each of addresses the second communication stations that are desired to receive the data, and receives a plurality of CTS signals transmitted from each of the second communication stations in order to increase communication capacity. |
| US08116291B2 |
Mobile computing device geographic location determination
A wireless connection between a mobile device and an IP-based wireless telecommunications network is established when the mobile device registers with a network controller (NC) through an access point (AP). When a geographical position is needed for the mobile device (e.g., a 911 call), messages are exchanged between the NC and a serving mobile location center (SMLC), where the SMLC retrieves information from a database that is used to identify the geographic position of the mobile device. The database can store a variety of information related to mobile devices such as: last known position, IP address, MAC address, a mobile or subscriber identifier (such as an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)), last CGI, etc. The geographical position is communicated back to the NC, which can then forward the position information to a switch for processing such as for 911 calls. |
| US08116290B2 |
Reduced interframe spacing in a wireless LAN receiver
A receiver in a wireless local area network capable of receiving and processing plurality of frames that are separated by a reduced interframe spacing interval. Upon receiving a frame, the receiver determines whether the received frame is using Reduced Interframe Spacing intervals. When the received frame includes a RIFS indicator, acknowledgment of the received frame is suppressed, and subsequent frames of the plurality of frames are received at a RIFS interval. |
| US08116287B2 |
Transmitting a communication from a wireless access point indicating hidden networks
A wireless access point may be configured to advertise, to mobile user devices, multiple wireless networks available through the wireless access point. For example, service set identifiers (SSIDs) may be specified within an information element (IE) of a communication such as, for example, an 802.11 beacon, broadcasted to mobile user devices. Such an IE may utilize the capability provided by IEEE 802.11 itself to use additional and flexible numbers of information elements within a beacon. Accordingly, networks that would otherwise remain hidden due to limitations of known wireless access points are made visible to mobile user devices. Configuring a wireless access point to advertise multiple available wireless networks, for example, by firmware upgrades, may serve as a viable and cost-effective interim solution and/or alternative to replacing a wireless access point with a wireless access point configured to implement virtual wireless access points. |
| US08116284B2 |
Method, device and system for temporarily selecting a timeslot
Temporarily selecting a TDMA timeslot by a radio communication device to thereby allow the radio communication device to communicate, through at least one repeater station, with a talkgroup of other radio communication devices is disclosed. The radio communication device has an assigned default timeslot for communicating with the talkgroup. The radio communication device determines if the default timeslot is available for the radio communication device to communicate with the talkgroup and searches for an available timeslot, when the default timeslot is unavailable. The radio communication device temporarily selects the available timeslot as a temporary selected group timeslot for the talkgroup. |
| US08116277B2 |
Method for receiving ACK/NACK signal in mobile communication system
Methods for receiving ACK/NACK signals in a mobile communication system are disclosed. One of the methods including receiving reference signal information and a resource block index corresponding to resource block allocated for transmission of data; identifying ACK/NACK resource information through the reference signal information and the resource block index; and receiving an ACK/NACK signal of the data using the ACK/NACK resource information. |
| US08116276B2 |
Digital broadcasting system and method of processing data in digital broadcasting system
A digital broadcast receiving system and a method for controlling the same are disclosed. The method a method for controlling a digital broadcast receiving system includes the steps of receiving a broadcast signal having mobile service data and main service data multiplexed therein, extracting transmission parameter channel (TPC) signaling information and fast information channel (FIC) signaling information from a data group within the received mobile service data, acquiring a program table, by using the IP signaling channel within an ensemble included in the received broadcast signal, and controlling the system to create a list of channels mapped with all ensembles transmitted through at least one physical frequency, by using the acquired program table. |
| US08116275B2 |
System and network for wireless network monitoring
A technique for wireless network monitoring involves scanning channels using clients instead of access points. An example of a method according to the technique may include, for example, receiving from a wireless access point a command to perform a channel scanning function, listening on a channel associated with the channel scanning function, and sending RF data found on the channel to the wireless access point. Another example of a method according to the technique may include, for example, scanning a first channel, switching from the first channel to a second channel, sending data on the second channel to an access point, switching from the second channel to the first channel, and resuming scanning on the first channel. A system according to the technique may include one or more scanning clients, proxy clients, multi-channel clients, or other clients that are capable of scanning channels in lieu of an access point. |
| US08116269B2 |
Methods for optimal multi-channel assignments in vehicular ad-hoc networks
A communications path is established among an ordered sequence of moving nodes, representing vehicles. Available channels may differ from one node to the next node and a node cannot use the same channel for both receiving and transmitting information. Three methods are described that provide an optimal sequence of channel assignments between the nodes. A sequence of channel assignments is called optimal if it establishes a communications path from the first node in the sequence to the last node in the sequence, or, if such a path does not exist, from the first node to the farthest node possible in the sequence. The first method uses a depth-first search starting from the first node in the sequence. The second method uses a “look ahead” scheme in the depth-first search method. The third method requires only a single pass through the sequence of nodes by identifying optimal channel assignments in subsequences of nodes without a need for backtracking. |
| US08116267B2 |
Method and system for scheduling users based on user-determined ranks in a MIMO system
In a wireless network comprising a plurality of subscriber stations and a base station capable of providing service to the subscriber stations, a subscriber station is provided that includes a rank selector and a scheduling data reporter. The rank selector is operable to select a rank for the subscriber station. The rank is operable to identify a number of antennas for transmitting data streams from the base station to the subscriber station. The scheduling data reporter is operable to report scheduling data, including the rank, to the base station. |
| US08116262B2 |
Methods and systems for enabling feedback in wireless communication networks
Aspects of the present invention provide additional MAC functionality to support the PHY features of a wireless communication system framework. The additional MAC functionality aids in enabling feedback from wireless terminals to base stations. In some aspects of the invention the feedback is provided on an allocated feedback channel. In other aspects of the invention the feedback is provided by MAC protocol data units (PDU) in a header, mini-header, or subheader. The feedback may be transmitted from the wireless terminal to the base station autonomously by the wireless terminal or in response to an indication from the base station that feedback is requested. Aspects of the invention also provide for allocating feedback resources to form a dedicated feedback channel. One or more of these enhancements is included in a given implementation. Base stations and wireless terminals are also described upon which methods described herein can be implemented. |
| US08116257B2 |
Method and system for calculating a local time for a user equipment in an intelligent network
A method of calculating local time, in an intelligent network, of a subscriber's User Equipment (UE), determines whether a call originates or terminates with the UE, the UTC offset and DST observance indicator for the (G)MSC signaling the intelligent network, and a determination is of whether the UE is in a Problem Area cell site. If the UE is in a Problem Area cell site, the received time and Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) Offset is corrected. A Cell Global Identity (CGI) is used to lookup the UTC Offset and a Daylight Saving Time (DST) observance indicator for the Cell Site. For calls terminating with the UE, if the UE is not in a Problem Area cell site, the VLR serving the UE is used to lookup the UTC offset and DST observance indicator for the subscriber. A time zone delta is applied to the call time of day and the UTC Offset and if DST is in effect, and there is a difference of DST between an MSC serving the UE and the location associated with the UE, a DST delta is applied to call time of day. |
| US08116252B2 |
Fixed mobile convergence (FMC) architectures
Apparatus and methods are described for establishing a connection to a subscriber access network, such as a 3G network, over and untrusted network, such as a wireless LAN. A stream ID is assigned to a mobile device upon initialization of the device, and the stream ID remains active until the device powers down, loses WLAN coverage, or de-registers with the network. Both voice and data calls may be routed over the tunnel using the assigned stream ID. |
| US08116251B2 |
Mobile phone, communication terminal, phone call method and phone call program
A mobile phone connected to a telephone network which uses a telecommunication line by way of a communication terminal including: a wireless communication unit; a sound input unit and a sound output unit; a transmission interface unit; a user information memory unit; a memory unit; a detection unit; and control unit transferring user information stored in the user information memory unit and the phone call program stored in the memory unit to the communication terminal through the transmission medium respectively and also changing over a sound data output destination of the sound input unit and a sound data input source of the sound output unit from the communication unit to the transmission interface unit respectively in a case when it is detected by the detection unit that the own apparatus and the communication terminal are connected mutually. |
| US08116244B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting a superframe across a communication network
A method and apparatus includes a scheduling entity (308) for scheduling and transmitting the superframe (402) across a communication network (200). The controller (310) coupled with scheduling entity (308) groups the subscriber unit (304) into one of the plurality of groups. The scheduler entity (308) assigns a coding scheme for each group and encodes each frame of the superframe (402) based upon the assigned coding scheme for the group, to which the frame is to be transmitted. The transceiver (316) coupled with controller (310) via hardware interface (314) receives the encoded superframe and transmits the superframe to the plurality of subscriber units in the communication network (200). |
| US08116241B2 |
Wireless communication system and transmission device
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system to properly switch over a transmission method of radio signals corresponding to a configuration of a receiver. The wireless communication system according to the present invention includes a transmitting device having a plurality of antennas and capable of transmitting radio signals different from each other from these antennas, and a receiving device having at least one antenna and receiving the radio signals transmitted from the transmitting device. The receiving device comprises an information transmitting unit transmitting, to the transmitting device, configuration information about a configuration of the receiving device, and the transmitting device includes a transmitting unit transmitting the radio signals by a transmission method corresponding to the configuration information received from the receiving device. |
| US08116235B2 |
Peer-to-peer aided live video sharing system
Video data from an upload client is received at a hosting node. A request from a download client is received at a bootstrapping node to receive the video data. The download client to receive the video data directly from the hosting node when the hosting node is below a threshold, wherein the threshold is based at least in part on the maximum number of download clients the hosting node can stream to simultaneously. The download client to receive the video data from peers in a peer-to-peer overlay when the hosting node above the threshold. |
| US08116233B2 |
IP assignment scheme for dynamic peer-to-peer networks
An approach for assigning IP network addresses and for performing name resolution and service discovery in infrastructure mode and/or ad-hoc mode peer-to-peer networks. The size of an ad-hoc network and/or the size of infrastructure network basic service sets may be limited to a selected number of peer stations. A first portion of an IP network address assigned to stations joining a network may be predetermined by the network to be joined and a second portion of the IP network address may be selected dynamically, as each new station joins the network. Stations may generate layer 2 messages that include an information element containing information that supports peer-to-peer service discovery, name resolution and IP network address assignment across multiple ad-hoc and infrastructure networks. A peer-to-peer station may dynamically connect to available ad-hoc or infrastructure networks to access required services, as needed. |
| US08116230B2 |
Establishing communication pathways between infrastructure devices in a group communication system implemented over a wide area network
A method and apparatus is provided for establishing communication pathways between infrastructure devices in a wide area communication network prior to transmission of a group message packet by a source wireless communication device (WCD). In one implementation, the infrastructure devices (IDs) can include a home ID of the source WCD, a first ID and a second ID. A home steward module (HSM) of the source WCD generates a distribution list (DL) for communications from the source WCD to a first communication group (CG), and communicates it to an envoy packet duplicator module (EPDM) located at the first ID. The first CG includes, for example, a first destination WCD. A first network socket of the EPDM is communicated from the HSM to a second envoy module (located at the second ID) for the first destination WCD. The HSM maps a second network socket for the second envoy module to an identifier of the first destination WCD, and communicates this mapping to the EPDM. A first communication connection can then be established between the first network socket and the second network socket. |
| US08116224B2 |
System and method for generating alarms based on bursting traffic
A system and method for generating alarms based on traffic bursting. Marked packets are received. A determination is made whether the marked packet conforms with a bandwidth profile. The packet is remarked in response to determining the marked packet does not comply with a CIR threshold and an EIR threshold. An alarm is generated in response to remarking the packet. |
| US08116221B2 |
Method and apparatus for configuring and managing customer premises equipment
A method and apparatus for configuring and managing customer premises equipments (CPE) are disclosed. The method includes obtaining information of the data model supported by the CPE; extracting the CPE data model and the relationship between the CPE data model and the CPE from the obtained information; finding the data model supported by a specific CPE according to the relationship between the CPE data model and the CPE; and configuring and managing the specific CPE according to the found data model of the CPE. The present invention is able to configure and manage a specific CPE based on CPE data model by associating in advance the CPE data model with the device class information of the CPE and finding the data model of the CPE based on the device class information of the CPE. |
| US08116220B2 |
Method for receiving communication signals having differing spreading factors
A method for the simultaneous reception of data from multiple sources having different spreading factors. A plurality of transmission response matrices are generated and grouped together for equal spreading factors. A plurality of spreading factor group matrices are assembled. A base matrix is formed based upon the spreading factor group matrix having a lowest spreading factor. An additional spreading factor group matrix is selected for consideration. Column placement reference index for the base matrix is derived. A reference location for the base matrix is derived. A column set from the selected spreading factor group matrix is derived. The column set is inserted into the base matrix. A total transmission response matrix is assembled. |
| US08116219B1 |
Communication system with multi-dimensional rate adaptation
Performing wireless transmission of data over a wireless communication medium. A first data structure may be maintained which includes data rate information for transmission using a first number of streams. A second data structure may be maintained which includes data rate information for transmission using a second number of streams. Channel characteristics of the wireless communication medium may be determined. Channel characteristic information may be maintained based on the determined channel characteristics. Accordingly, a stream configuration and data rate may be determined based on the current channel characteristic information. Wireless transmission may be performed using the determined stream configuration and data rate. Determining channel characteristics, maintaining current channel characteristic information, determining a stream configuration and data rate, and performing wireless transmission may be dynamically performed a plurality of times during wireless data transmission. |
| US08116217B2 |
Wireless communication apparatus, method and program storage medium
A wireless communication apparatus having a wireless communication function capable of using a plurality of transmission rates. The wireless communication apparatus includes utilization-factor calculation section for calculating a utilization factor of a wireless transmission path through which wireless communication is performed using the wireless communication function and determination section for determining a transmission rate at least on the basis of the utilization factor calculated by the utilization-factor calculation section. |
| US08116216B2 |
Communication terminal apparatus, communication control apparatus, communication system, and communication method
To perform scheduling for improving throughput, while suppressing control information amounts notified from communication terminal apparatuses. A communication terminal apparatus (200) that is provided with a receiving section (220) that receives a control signal from the communication control apparatus, a reception quality measuring section (250) that measures reception quality of each of the channels, a reception quality information generating section (260) which selects part of channels as selection channels from the plurality of channels, and generates reception quality information to notify the communication-destination apparatus of selection channel information for identifying selected selection channels and reception quality measurement results in the selected selection channels, and a transmitting section (290) that transmits the generated reception quality information to the communication control apparatus, wherein the receiving section (220) receives a data signal assigned to at least one channel contained in the selection channels from the communication control apparatus (100). |
| US08116214B2 |
Provisioning of e-mail settings for a mobile terminal
Method and apparatus for provisioning an e-mail service to a mobile terminal in an e-mail system that uses e-mail addresses comprising a domain part. The apparatus maintains a list of good setting parameter sets versus e-mail domain parts. It receives an e-mail address and user authentication information from a user and compares the domain part of the received address with domain parts in the list of good parameter sets. If a match is found, e-mail service is provisioned with the matching parameter set. If no match is found, the apparatus requests and receives further parameters from the user, including an e-mail server address, and provisions the e-mail service with the further parameters. If the provisioning with the further parameters is successful, the domain part and the further parameters are used to generate a new setting parameter set in the list of good setting parameter sets. |
| US08116208B2 |
System and method for testing multiple digital signal transceivers in parallel
A method for contemporaneously testing multiple digital data packet transceivers using predefined UL test sequences of synchronized data packets by pre-configuring test measurements, and multiplexing and interleaving portions of the data packets from the devices under test (DUTs). |
| US08116202B2 |
Methods for allocating transmission bandwidths of a network
Methods for allocating transmission bandwidths of a network are adapted to a network including an office terminal and peripheral terminals. The peripheral terminals communicate with the office terminal by time division multiplexing during a sequence of transmitting cycles. The method includes receiving requested bandwidths from uploading messages delivered from the peripheral terminals, arranging an uploading order of the peripheral terminals based on the uploading messages to obtain a transmitting sequence, adjusting the uploading order of each of the peripheral terminals in the transmitting sequence based on a size of the requested bandwidth to obtain a modified transmitting sequence, and arranging a modified uploading order of the peripheral terminals based on the modified transmitting sequence. Therefore, the transmission bandwidth allocation is fairer, and delay is reduced. Upstream order of each terminal is transferred based on its requested bandwidth, thereby effectively reducing the average delay. |
| US08116201B2 |
Routing in a mesh network
An apparatus includes a processing system configured to establish a link with any one of a plurality of access points in a mesh network, each of the access points providing the apparatus with a different data path through the mesh network. The processing system is further configured to compute a metric for each of the data paths and select one of the access points to establish the link with based on the metrics. In a centralized mesh network, an apparatus includes a processing system configured to compute, for each of the access points, a metric for each of a plurality of data paths supportable by that access point, and establish interconnections between the access points based on the metrics. |
| US08116193B2 |
Optical recording medium, manufacturing method for optical recording medium, and reproducing method for optical recording medium
An optical recording medium includes a main-information area in which a metal reflection film is formed on a substrate where a row of pits is formed as main data, and a sub-information area in which is recorded medium identification information, which is used to identify the optical recording medium individually, by removing the metal reflection film partially and forming a plurality of reflection-film removed areas. Information is reproduced by irradiating the metal reflection film with a beam of light. In the sub-information area, a row of pits or a guide groove is formed on the substrate, and a track pitch of the row of pits or the guide groove is at least 0.24 μm wide and at most 0.45 μm wide. |
| US08116188B2 |
Objective lens, optical pickup and optical disk apparatus
A plastic objective lens is configured to collect a light beam with at least a wavelength λ on a recording layer of an optical disk and is used in an optical pickup for recording and/or reproducing an information signal by illuminating a light beam on the optical disk having one or a plurality of recording layers in an incident direction of the light beam. |
| US08116183B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing defect in data storage medium
A method of detecting defects of a recording medium comprises detecting a number of error-corrected error correction code symbols in each of a plurality of sectors in the recording medium, classifying sectors having a number of error-corrected ECC symbols greater than a first threshold value as first type defect sectors, calculating moving averages of the numbers of error-corrected ECC symbols in units of a predetermined number of sectors, and classifying sectors that are used to calculate a moving average greater than a second threshold value as second type defect sectors. |
| US08116182B2 |
Information processing apparatus and fault symptom determination method
According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes an optical disc drive, a measuring module in the optical disc drive, and a measurement value reception module. The measuring module is configured to measure a value related to an operation of a predetermined motor in the optical disc drive, which is executed during a time period of power-up of the optical disc drive. The measurement value reception module is configured to receive a measurement value related to the operation of the predetermined motor from the optical disc drive in response to an event of being requested to turn off the power of the optical disc drive, and to store the received measurement value in a storage device. |
| US08116180B2 |
Optical disc recording device and recording method thereof
An optical disc recording device according to the present invention is capable of quickly performing the OPC operation for a rewritable optical disc, and is also capable of setting the proper writing power for both an unwritten area and a written area. A microcomputer reads out, from a memory, preliminary writing conditions for the optical disc in question, and then performs preliminary writing so that data is written to a test writing area of the optical disc under the preliminary writing conditions. After that, test writing to the test writing area, which has been subjected to the preliminary writing, is performed with the writing power being changed, and thereby the optimum writing power is determined. Information about the writing power and the erasing power is stored in the memory on an optical disc type basis. The information is used for the preliminary writing. |
| US08116178B1 |
Servo accelerator system for optical drives
A method of operating a channel module, including: receiving a plurality of sensor signals generated based on at least one detected characteristic of a laser beam of an optical drive; performing computations based on the plurality of sensor signals; generating a computation output signal based on the computations; generating a first control signal and a second control signal; generating a first input signal based on (i) the computation output signal, (ii) the first control signal, and (iii) a first set of filter values; generating a second input signal based on (i) the second control signal, (ii) a second set of filter values, and (iii) an accumulated output signal; generating the accumulated output signal based on a sum of products generated based on the first input signal and the second input signal; and adjusting the at least one detected characteristic of the laser beam based on the accumulated output signal. |
| US08116165B2 |
Memory with improved data reliability
An integrated circuit is provided including at least one array of memory cells having a plurality of rows of memory cells and a plurality of columns of bit cells. Each column of the memory cells is coupled to one of a plurality of bit lines. Each row of the memory cells is coupled to one of a plurality of word lines, to control coupling of that row of memory cells to the plurality of bit lines in dependence on a respective word line signal. Word line driver circuitry is configured to group together the word lines of at least three rows of memory calls, such that the word lines of the at least three rows of memory cells share a common word line signal. Thus in a write operation a written data value written into the array of memory cells is written to at least three memory cells having a shared bit line. Read circuitry is coupled to the plurality of bit lines, configured such that in a read operation, in which the at least three memory cells are all coupled to the shared bit line by means of the common word line signal, a read data value is determined in dependence on a voltage of the shared bit line, dependent on data values stored in the at least three memory cells. |
| US08116164B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of banks; a peripheral circuit configured to send data to and receive data from the plurality of banks; and data lines configured to connect the plurality of banks and the peripheral circuit, wherein the plurality of banks are disposed such that a sum of lengths of data transfer paths of the data lines connecting the peripheral circuit and at least two banks, among the plurality of banks, activated at a same time is uniformly maintained. |
| US08116157B2 |
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit is disclosed. One embodiment provides a sense amplifier; a first bit line; a second bit line. A first switch is configured to connect/disconnect the first bit line to/from the sense amplifier. A second switch is configured to connect/disconnect the second bit line to/from the sense amplifier independently from the first switch. |
| US08116152B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device capable of preventing write-disturb and method of programming
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell, a precharge control circuit, a power supply circuit, a bit line driver, a word line driver, a first multiplexer, and a second multiplexer. The memory cell includes an anti-fuse storage element and a selection transistor. Before data are written into the anti-fuse storage element of the memory cell, the anti-fuse storage element is set up in a precharged state by the precharge control circuit, the bit line driver, the word line driver, the first multiplexer, and the second multiplexer. |
| US08116151B2 |
Multi-level storage algorithm to emphasize disturb conditions
Providing systems and methods that reduce memory device read errors and improve memory device reliability by intelligently disturbing the memory cells during storage of their characteristic states. A specification component can determine a desired characteristic state for each cell of a plurality of multi-cell memory devices. A storage component can, alternatively, successively store an equivalent characteristic state in each cell of the plurality of multi-cell memory devices in stages, based on a cell's current characteristic state, or directly store the desired characteristic state of each cell of the plurality of multi-cell memory devices, based on an ordering of desired characteristic states of cells of the multi-cell memory devices. Further, a step component can gradate the equivalent characteristic state between successive storage stages. In this way, the overlap of distributions of electrical characteristics associated with different bits of one or more memory cells can be reduced. |
| US08116146B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for driving the same
A semiconductor device includes an overdriving control circuit configured to generate a first drive signal and a second drive signal in response to an internal signal of an active command mode, an equalizing signal generating unit configured to generate an equalizing signal which is controlled with an overdriving voltage VPP level higher than a normal drive voltage during a first duration of an activation period and with the normal drive voltage VDD during a second duration of the other activation period after the first duration in response to the first drive signal and the second drive signal, and an equalization unit configured to equalize first and second lines in response to the equalizing signal. |
| US08116143B2 |
Method of erasing memory cell
An embodiment of a method of erasing a target memory cell includes grounding a selected word line commonly coupled to portions of a row of memory cells respectively formed on first well regions of a plurality of first well regions of a first conductivity type formed in a second well region of a second conductivity type, the at least one target memory cell coupled to the selected word line and formed on one of the first well regions, the first well regions electrically isolated from each other; applying a first voltage to the first well region on which the at least one target memory cell is formed; and applying a second voltage to unselected word lines, each unselected word line commonly coupled to portions of a row of memory cells not targeted for erasing and respectively formed on the first well regions. |
| US08116140B2 |
Saw-shaped multi-pulse programming for program noise reduction in memory
In a memory system, a programming waveform reduces program noise by using sets of multiple adjacent sub-pulses which have a saw-tooth shape. In a set, an initial sub-pulse steps up from an initial level such as 0 V to a peak level, then steps down to an intermediate level, which is above the initial level. One or more subsequent sub-pulses of the set can step up from an intermediate level to a peak level, and then step back down to an intermediate level. A last sub-pulse of the set can step up from an intermediate level to a peak level, and then step back down to the initial level. A verify operation is performed after the set of sub-pulses. The number of sub-pulses per set can decrease in successive sets until a solitary pulse is applied toward the end of a programming operation. |
| US08116133B2 |
Maintenance operations for multi-level data storage cells
Systems and methods, including computer software, for reading data from a flash memory cell involve detecting voltages from a group of memory cells. The group of memory cells have associated metadata for error detection, and each memory cell stores a voltage representing a data value selected from a plurality of possible data values. Each possible data value corresponds to one range of multiple non-overlapping ranges of analog voltages. Memory cells having uncertain data values are identified based on the detected voltages. Alternative data values for the memory cells having the uncertain data values are determined. A combination of alternative data values is selected, and an error detection test is performed using the metadata associated with the memory cells and the selected combination of alternative data values. |
| US08116132B2 |
Flash memory device configured to switch wordline and initialization voltages
Provided is a flash memory device including a wordline voltage generating unit, a switch unit, a row decoder and a control circuit. The wordline voltage generating unit generates at least one wordline voltage for read operations of a multi-level cell in the flash memory device. The switch unit receives the at least one wordline voltage and an initialization voltage, and selectively outputs the at least one wordline voltage and the initialization voltage through a switching operation. The row decoder operates the wordline of the multi-level cell based on an output of the switch unit. The control circuit provides at least one control signal to the switch unit, which outputs the initialization voltage in at least one section of the read operation in response to the at least one control signal. |
| US08116129B2 |
Variable resistance memory device and method of manufacturing the same
A variable resistance memory device includes a substrate, a plurality of active lines formed on the substrate, are uniformly separated, and extend in a first direction, a plurality of switching devices formed on the active lines and are separated from one another, a plurality of variable resistance devices respectively formed on and connected to the switching devices, a plurality of local bit lines formed on the variable resistance devices, are uniformly separated, extend in a second direction, and are connected to the variable resistance devices, a plurality of local word lines formed on the local bit lines, are uniformly separated, and extend in the first direction, a plurality of global bit lines formed on the local word lines, are uniformly separated, and extend in the second direction, and a plurality of global word lines formed on the global bit lines, are uniformly separated, and extend in the first direction. |
| US08116125B2 |
Method of operating a phase-change memory device
A method of operating a phase-change memory device, including a phase-change layer and a unit applying a voltage to the phase-change layer, which includes applying a reset voltage to the phase-change layer, wherein the reset voltage includes at least two pulse voltages which are continuously applied. |
| US08116123B2 |
Spin-transfer torque memory non-destructive self-reference read method
A spin-transfer torque memory apparatus and non-destructive self-reference read schemes are described. One method of self-reference reading a spin-transfer torque memory unit includes applying a first read current through a magnetic tunnel junction data cell and forming a first bit line read voltage and storing the first bit line read voltage in a first voltage storage device. The magnetic tunnel junction data cell has a first resistance state. Then the method includes applying a second read current thorough the magnetic tunnel junction data cell having the first resistance state and forming a second bit line read voltage and storing the second bit line read voltage in a second voltage storage device. The first read current is less than the second read current. Then the stored first bit line read voltage is compared with the stored second bit line read voltage to determine whether the first resistance state of the magnetic tunnel junction data cell was a high resistance state or low resistance state. |
| US08116122B2 |
Spin-transfer torque memory self-reference read method
A spin-transfer torque memory apparatus and self-reference read schemes are described. One method of self-reference reading a spin-transfer torque memory unit includes applying a first read current through a magnetic tunnel junction data cell and forming a first bit line read voltage, the magnetic tunnel junction data cell having a first resistance state and storing the first bit line read voltage in a first voltage storage device. Then applying a low resistance state polarized write current through the magnetic tunnel junction data cell, forming a low second resistance state magnetic tunnel junction data cell. A second read current is applied through the low second resistance state magnetic tunnel junction data cell to forming a second bit line read voltage. The second bit line read voltage is stored in a second voltage storage device. The method also includes comparing the first bit line read voltage with the second bit line read voltage to determine whether the first resistance state of the magnetic tunnel junction data cell was a high resistance state or low resistance state. |
| US08116116B2 |
Resistance RAM having oxide layer and solid electrolyte layer, and method for operating the same
A resistance RAM includes a first electrode, an oxide layer that is formed on the first electrode, a solid electrolyte layer that is disposed on the oxide layer, and a second electrode that is disposed on the solid electrolyte layer. A method of forming the resistance RAM includes forming a conductive tip in the oxide layer by applying reference voltage to any one of the electrodes of the resistance RAM, and applying foaming voltage to the remaining one, such that the oxide layer is electrically broken. A conductive filament is formed in the solid electrolyte layer by applying a positive voltage to the second electrode, and the conductive filament that is formed in the solid electrolyte layer is removed by applying a negative voltage to the second electrode. |
| US08116115B2 |
Multilevel phase change memory operation
Methods, devices, and systems associated with multilevel phase change memory cells are described herein. One or more embodiments of the present disclosure include operating a phase change memory device by placing a phase change memory cell in a reset state and applying a selected programming pulse to the phase change memory cell in order to program the cell to one of a number of intermediate states between the reset state and a set state associated with the cell. The selected programming pulse includes an uppermost magnitude applied for a particular duration, the particular duration depending on to which one of the number of intermediate states the memory cell is to be programmed. |
| US08116107B2 |
Synchronous rectification control circuit assembly
A synchronous rectification control circuit assembly includes a first transformer, a reference voltage generator, a first PWM control signal generating circuit, a second PWM control signal generating circuit, a first synchronous rectification circuit, and a second synchronous rectification circuit. When the output voltage rises, the conduction time of the first synchronous rectification circuit and the second synchronous rectification circuit are relatively regulated to lower the output voltage, maintaining stability of the output voltage. |
| US08116104B2 |
Power supply apparatus with noise attenuator to reduce harmonic current and electronic device having the power supply apparatus
A power supply to improve an EMI characteristic and an electronic device having the power supply. The power supply includes a power converter to convert an alternating current (AC) power applied from outside to a direct current (DC) power, a ground portion to supply a ground power to the power converter and a noise attenuator to reduce noise by blocking a harmonic current generated by a driving of the power converter from passing through the ground portion. Accordingly, the stable ground power can be supplied to the internal elements by avoiding the potential change of the ground power and the noise caused by the flow of the harmonic current can be reduced by shortening the harmonic current path. Therefore, the EMI characteristic can be improved. |
| US08116102B2 |
Integrated circuit device and method of producing
An electronic device which comprises a lead frame comprising at least one clip, a capacitor comprising at least one terminal, the at least one terminal being received in the at least one clip, and a semiconductor chip attached to the lead frame. |
| US08116091B2 |
Printed circuit board
A printed circuit board has a core substrate including a resin substrate having an opening, a capacitor formed in the opening and having a first electrode structure having a portion facing to the upper surface of the core substrate and a second electrode structure having a portion facing to the lower surface of the core substrate, an upper insulating layer formed over the upper surface of the core substrate and having a conductive circuit formed over the upper insulating layer and a via hole electrically connecting the portion of the first electrode structure and the conductive circuit of the upper insulating layer, and a lower insulating layer formed over the lower surface of the core substrate and having a conductive circuit formed over the lower insulating layer and a via hole electrically connecting the portion of the second electrode structure and the conductive circuit of the lower insulating layer. |
| US08116089B1 |
Method and apparatus for securing a magnetic component to a printed circuit board for soldering
A magnetic device surface mounting assembly includes a specially designed printed circuit board and magnetic device. The circuit board has first and second sets of channels, the first channels having a first end of a first size, a second end of a second size, and first and second sides at least one of which taper inward between the two ends to define an opening smaller than either size. The magnetic device includes a plurality of pins extending transversely with respect to the circuit board, and a plurality of legs extending parallel with the pins and sized to pass transversely through the first end of the first set of channels and to slide laterally through and resiliently engage the opening, but to prevent transverse movement with respect to the second end of the first set of channels. |
| US08116087B2 |
Bracket for fastening printed circuit board to an enclosure of an electronic device
A printed circuit board (PCB) bracket is used to fasten a PCB with a positioning hole to an enclosure of an electronic device. The PCB bracket includes a base portion defining a screw hole, a supporting arm, a spring arm and a screw. The supporting arm vertically extends from the base portion and includes a first clamping portion apart from and parallel with the base portion. The first clamping portion is inserted into the positioning hole. The spring arm includes a second clamping portion disposed between the first clamping portion and the base portion. The screw is screwed through the enclosure, the screw hole of the base portion and abuts against the urging portion, so that the spring arm is out of shape and drives the first clamping portion toward the second clamping portion so as to fasten the PCB. |
| US08116086B2 |
USB flash disk with none-joint metallic housing
A USB flash disk with a none-joint metallic housing, the main point is that the USB flash disk is formed by inserting an internal structure composed of a printed circuit board, a metallic tray and an insulation upper seat in the metallic housing which is a none-joint rectangular pipe formed by drawing shaping. |
| US08116084B2 |
Method for manufacturing power module substrate, power module substrate, and power module
A method for manufacturing a power module substrate, includes: preparing a ceramics substrate and a metal plate made of pure aluminum; a fusion step in which the ceramics substrate and the metal plate are stacked in layers with a brazing filler metal interposed therebetween, and a fused aluminum layer is formed at an interface between the ceramics substrate and the metal plate by fusing the brazing filler metal which is caused by heating; and a solidifying step in which the fused aluminum layer is solidified by cooling, and a crystal is grown so as to be arranged in a crystal orientation of the metal plate when the fused aluminum layer is solidified. |
| US08116082B2 |
Fan tray that is installable and removable from the front and back of a network element chassis
A fan tray for a network element that is installable and removable from the front and back of a network element. The fan tray includes one or more fans in a housing to provide cooling for the network element, an engagement rod with ends that protrude out a front and back of the housing, a first engagement lever at one end of the engagement rod and a second engagement lever at an opposite end of the engagement rod, the first and second engagement levers are movable between an unlocked and locked position and movement is tied together, a gearing mechanism coupled to the engagement rod to translate rotational force applied to the engagement levers into linear force to extend and withdraw a backplane connector assembly coupled to the gearing mechanism. The backplane connector assembly includes a backplane connector to engage and disengage with a fan tray connector of a backplane of the network element in a plane perpendicular to the installation plane of the fan tray according to movement of the engagement levers responsive to the engagement levers respectively moving to the locked and unlocked position. |
| US08116081B2 |
Digital display kiosk
A display kiosk for housing a flat screen monitor and associated electronic equipment is disclosed. The display kiosk includes a lower unit assembly and an upper unit assembly. The display kiosk is assembled in two parts and provides easy access to the internal components for maintenance, repair and upgrades. |
| US08116078B2 |
Server auxiliary operating system
A server auxiliary operating system is disclosed, which includes a case, a plurality of swappable GPUs and a printed circuit back plane. The case includes a bottom board and a first mounting bay located at the front portion of the case. The swappable GPUs are disposed in the first mounting bay. The printed circuit back plane is disposed on the bottom board and has a plurality of first interfaces and a plurality of second interfaces electrically corresponding to the first interfaces, wherein the swappable GPUs are respectively coupled to the first interfaces, and the servers are respectively electrically connected to the corresponding swappable GPUs through the second interfaces respectively connected to the servers so as to expand the server operation capability. |
| US08116077B1 |
Digital music player cradle attachment
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 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. The digital music player cradle has fasteners for attaching to a device such as a karaoke system. |
| US08116076B2 |
Vibration and shock control protective enclosures for hard disk drives and arrays thereof
The present invention includes several hard disk drive (HDD) enclosures that use pre-stressed polymer compression members to provide integral vibration shock and acoustic noise dampening and isolation. The vibration dampening system has springs of polymeric material located between outer surfaces and existing HDD FRU mounting walls. The suspension system secures the hard drive in a slot in the structure within the polymer springs, isolating the hard drive from the side panels and dampening the vibration internal and external. The minimal structure allows for significant air flow to provide the cooling Beams are designed to consider temperature effects, creep and long term fatigue of the plastics. Multiple beams will be recruited to support the drives and each other to ensure that no individual beam sustains a substantial portion of the load. |
| US08116072B2 |
Current inputs interface for an electrical device
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an electrical power meter, is disclosed. The electrical power meter includes a housing for containing electrical circuitry therein, the housing including at least one of voltage and current inputs, the housing including passages extending entirely therethrough, wherein the passages are configured to receive a CT lead therethrough, and wherein the CT leads are not electrically connected to the electrical circuitry therein; and a face plate operatively supported on a surface of the housing, wherein the face plate includes at least one of displays, indicators and buttons. It is envisioned that the through passages are located along a side of the housing. |
| US08116067B2 |
Nanoporous insulating oxide electrolyte membrane ultracapacitor, button cell, stacked cell and coiled cell and methods of manufacture and use thereof
A nanoporous insulating oxide composite electrode and ultracapacitor device, method of manufacture and method of use thereof. The composite electrode being constructed from a conductive backing electrode and an composite layer. Preferably, the ultracapacitor device is configured in a stacked, coiled or button cell configurations and includes composite electrodes. The composite layer being substantially free of mixed oxidation states and nanoporous and having a median pore diameter of 0.5-500 nanometers and average surface area of 300-600 m2/g. The composite layer made from a stable sol-gel suspension containing particles of the insulating oxide, the median primary particle diameter being 1-50 nanometers. Preferably, the insulating oxide is Al2O3, MgAl2O4, SiO2 or TiO2. Preferably, the backing electrode is carbon paper sputter-coated with a film of Au. |
| US08116064B2 |
Multilayer capacitor
An element body has a major capacitance forming portion to form a first capacitance, and a minor capacitance forming portion to form a plurality of second capacitances smaller than the first capacitance. The major capacitance forming portion includes a first internal electrode connected to a first terminal electrode, and a second internal electrode opposed to the first internal electrode and connected to a second terminal electrode. The minor capacitance forming portion includes a third internal electrode connected to the first terminal electrode, a fourth internal electrode arranged as separated from the third internal electrode in an identical layer and connected to the second terminal electrode, a fifth internal electrode opposed to the third and fourth internal electrodes and connected to the first terminal electrode, and a sixth internal electrode opposed to the third and fourth internal electrodes and opposed to the fifth internal electrode through a region between the third and fourth internal electrodes, and connected to the second terminal electrode. |
| US08116062B2 |
Metal capacitor to improve electric conductivity
A metal capacitor in which an electric conductivity is significantly improved by applying a metal material for an electrolyte and a manufacturing method thereof is provided. The metal capacitor includes a terminal increase-type metal member; a metal oxide layer being formed on the terminal increase-type metal member; an insulating layer being formed on the main electrode layers and the terminal increase-type metal member to externally expose the first and the second electrode withdrawing portions of the terminal increase-type metal member; a main electrode layer being formed at the through-hole forming portion to fill in the plurality of through-holes formed on the through-hole forming portion of the terminal increase-type metal member; a first and a second lead terminals; and a sealing member sealing the terminal increase-type metal member connected to the first and the second lead terminals to externally expose the first and the second lead terminals. |
| US08116059B2 |
System and method for quickly discharging an AC relay
A system and method for quickly discharging an AC relay is provided. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a circuit for discharging a relay coil a relay, the circuit including relay circuitry having a relay coil disposed across a rectifier circuit, wherein the relay coil is configured to actuate at least one load switch when sufficiently energized, relay release circuitry including suppression circuitry coupled across the relay coil, and isolation circuitry in series between the relay coil and the rectifier circuit, and control circuitry configured to provide a voltage to the rectifier circuit to energize the relay coil, wherein the isolation circuitry is configured to isolate the relay coil and suppression circuitry based on a signal from the control circuitry. |
| US08116056B2 |
Low voltage startup timer for a microcontroller-based circuit breaker
A circuit breaker capable of microcontroller-based fault detection having a backup circuit for causing the circuit breaker to trip in response to a microcontroller fault, including a timing circuit powered by a power supply and a microcontroller. The timing circuit is electrically coupled to an SCR that causes the circuit breaker to trip. The timing circuit includes a BJT coupled to the gate of the SCR. The microcontroller has a first output coupled to the timing circuit and a second output coupled to the SCR. The first output is coupled to a node between a resistor and a grounded capacitor in the timing circuit, and the node is coupled to a gate of the SCR and to a base of the transistor. A voltage develops at the node sufficient to cause the gate of the SCR to turn on unless the microcontroller pulls the first high-impedance output to a logic low state. |
| US08116052B2 |
Power supply control circuit including overvoltage protection circuit
A protection ability of a power supply control circuit is improved so as to protect an output transistor against a back electromotive voltage from a load, a dump surge voltage, and a positive spike surge voltage which has a smaller energy but is higher than the dump surge voltage. The power supply control circuit includes: an output MOS transistor (power semiconductor device) connected between a first power supply terminal and an output terminal; a load connected to the output terminal; a first dynamic clamping circuit for controlling a voltage difference between a first power supply line and the output terminal; and a first switch connected between the first dynamic clamping circuit and the output MOS transistor, in which a conductive state is determined according to a result of comparison between a reference voltage and a voltage at the output terminal. The power supply control circuit further includes a second dynamic clamping circuit for controlling a voltage difference between the first power supply terminal and the output terminal to protect the output MOS transistor. The second dynamic clamping circuit operates in response to application of a positive spike surge voltage which is higher than the dump surge voltage. |
| US08116051B2 |
Power supply control circuit
An exemplary aspect of a power supply control circuit includes a reference voltage control circuit that applies a potential corresponding to a potential of a second power supply line to a reference voltage node connected to a control terminal of a first switch when a power supply voltage is applied in a forward direction between first and second power supply lines, and that applies a potential corresponding to a potential of a first power supply line to the reference voltage node when the power supply voltage is applied in the reverse direction between the first and second power supply lines. |
| US08116048B1 |
ESD protection for differential output pairs
In a conventional differential output circuit, the output terminals are connected to the drains of a differential pair of transistors and the sources of the transistors are connected together at a first node. The bodies of the transistors are connected to a second node having a potential different from that of the first node. In the event of a HBM ESD event, discharge may take place through the differential transistors, leading to destruction of one of them. To reduce the likelihood of such discharge, in a preferred embodiment, switches are provided to connect the body of each of the differential transistors to the first node when an ESD event is sensed. In an alternative embodiment, a switch is provided to connect the first node to the second node when an ESD event is sensed. |
| US08116045B2 |
Circuitry and methodology for protecting a boost DC/DC converter
Protection circuitry protects a boost converter coupled between input and output nodes for driving a load coupled to the output node. The protection circuitry may comprise a first circuit configured for monitoring a voltage at the output node, the voltage being caused by a signal having a voltage proximate to, or lower than, an input voltage of the boost converter. The protection circuitry may also include a second circuit configured for coupling together the input node with respect to the output node and enabling the boost converter only if the monitored voltage exceeds a reference voltage. |
| US08116044B2 |
Supercapacitor leak detection and management
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that facilitates the operation of a supercapacitor. During operation, the system measures an electrical parameter of the supercapacitor using a set of conductor rings surrounding a capacitor seal of the supercapacitor. Next, the system determines the presence of a leak in the supercapacitor based on the electrical parameter. Finally, the system manages the operation of the supercapacitor based on the presence of the leak. |
| US08116043B2 |
Method and system for providing a magnetic transducer having an improved read sensor synthetic antiferromagnet
A method and system for providing a magnetic structure in magnetic transducer is described. The method and system include providing a pinning layer, a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) adjacent to the pinning layer, a nonmagnetic layer, and a sensor layer. The SAF resides between the nonmagnetic and pinning layers. The nonmagnetic layer is between the SAF and the sensor layer. The SAF includes a pinned layer, a reference layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the pinned and reference layers. The pinned layer is magnetically coupled with the reference layer and includes sublayers. A first sublayer has a first blocking temperature distribution (TBD) and a first exchange energy. A second sublayer has a second TBD and a second exchange energy. The first sublayer is between the pinning layer and second sublayer. The first TBD is greater than the second TBD. The first exchange energy is less than the second exchange energy. |
| US08116040B2 |
Latch assembly for a head or head assembly
A soft or passive latch to control a position of a head relative to a data storage media is disclosed. In illustrated embodiments, the latch provides a dwell point or region along the flex circuit assembly. In illustrated embodiments, the dwell point or region corresponds to alignment of the head in a middle region of the media. In illustrated embodiment, the latch is formed of a lower or reduced bending stiffness region, which in illustrated embodiment is formed via a cut-out, contoured, or reduced width portion of a constraint layer damper or other layer(s) along the flex circuit assembly. |
| US08116033B2 |
Thin-film magnetic head with main magnetic pole layer and auxiliary yoke layer flare configurations
To provide a thin-film magnetic head which suppresses PE while securing magnetic recording capability by controlling a domain of a leading end part of a main magnetic pole layer. The first flare part has a first flare angle smaller than a second flare angle of the second flare part. The second flare angle is smaller than 90°. The auxiliary yoke layer has a flare angle not smaller than the first flare angle but not greater than the second flare angle. The length h from the medium-opposing surface of the pole straight part to the end on the deeper side in the height direction of the first flare part satisfies the following conditional expression: h×Bs<0.000008 [m·T] where Bs is the saturated magnetic flux density of the main magnetic pole layer. |
| US08116028B2 |
Cartridge loading devices
A cartridge loading device 10 for magnetic tape cartridges comprises a first member 12, a second member 14 and a guide arrangement 30, 32, 36, 38 for guiding movement of said second member relative to said first member from a first position to a second position. The first and second members cooperate when in the first position to define a first sized opening having a height sized to receive first sized magnetic tape cartridges having a predetermined height and, when in the second position, cooperating to define a second sized opening that has a height that is greater than the height of the first sized opening and is sized to receive second sized magnetic tape cartridges having a predetermined height that is greater than the height of the first sized magnetic tape cartridges. |
| US08116022B2 |
Magnetic recording apparatus, magnetic recording medium, and method of testing magnetic recording apparatus
According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording apparatus includes a magnetic recording medium including magnetically recordable recording tracks with a width L1, non-recording sections each provided between adjacent recording tracks, and a wide land track having a width L2 larger than the width L1 of the recording tracks, and a head slider including read and write heads. |
| US08116019B2 |
Illumination system
An illumination system including at least one coherent light source, a light uniforming element, and a prism is provided. The coherent light source is capable of emitting a coherent beam. The light uniforming element is disposed on a transmission path of the coherent beam. The prism is disposed on the transmission path of the coherent beam and between the coherent light source and the light uniforming element. The prism has a light incident end and a light exit end. The light incident end has at least one incident polygonal pyramid portion protruding away from the light exit end. The prism is capable of rotating about an axis, and the axis extends from the light incident end to the light exit end. The illumination system effectively reduces the degree of the speckle phenomenon. |
| US08116018B2 |
Lens actuating module
Disclosed herein is a lens actuating module. The module includes a housing having an accommodating space and a bush guide. A lens barrel is accommodated in the accommodating space and includes a lens and a barrel hook. A driving unit applies a driving force to a bush such that it is moved up in the direction of the optical axis, by pulling force of contraction of a shape memory alloy wire. The bush is guided by the bush guide and engages with the barrel hook. A rotary member is interposed between the housing and the lens barrel. A preload unit pulls the lens barrel in the direction of the optical axis such that the lens barrel moves down to an original position, and pulls the lens barrel in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis to maintain a contact of the lens barrel with the rotary member. |
| US08116017B2 |
Reduced vibration optical system with inexpensive precision positioning assembly
An optical system with precision positioning of optical devices is disclosed generally comprising an optical device and a carrier for the optical device, where the carrier has substantially parallel first and second pivot axes and a third pivot axis that is substantially orthogonal to the first and second pivot axes that allows the optical device to be moved in three substantially orthogonal directions. In certain embodiments, the pivot axes are formed from hinges, which may be spring loaded or biased by a tensioning element running approximately forty five degrees to all three pivot axes. In some embodiments, the carrier is supported at least partly independently from an outer housing in order to insulate it from vibrations caused by vibrating devices mounted to the housing. |
| US08116013B2 |
Wide-angle lens and image pickup apparatus
Disclosed is a wide-angle lens having a viewing angle of more than 130°. The wide angle lens has a front group, an aperture, and a rear group arranged in this order from an object side to an image side. The front group has a first lens as a negative lens, a second lens as a negative lens, and a third lens as a positive lens arranged from the object side to the image side. The rear group is a cemented lens having a positive power when two lenses are bonded to each other. The wide-angle lens constitutes an image forming system with the five lenses as a whole, the first lens and the second lens of the front group are aspherical lenses, and the third lens is a spherical lens. |
| US08116012B2 |
Magnetic device and lens drive device
A magnetic device may include a coil wound body having a first coil winding face and a second coil winding face in an axial direction, a coil wound around the first coil winding face and the second coil winding face, and a coil winding start part and a coil winding end part arranged on an opposite side to the second coil winding face with respect to the first coil winding face. The coil is wound around the first coil winding face by an odd number of layer(s) from the winding start part and then the coil is wound around the second coil winding face by an even number of layers in a reverse direction to the first coil winding face, and then the coil is wound around the first coil winding face by an odd number of layer(s) in a reverse direction to the second coil winding face. The magnetic device may be used in a lens drive device in which the coil wound body is a movable body having a lens. |
| US08116008B2 |
System and method for lens performance optimization using electronic aberration correction
A method for optimizing cost and performance in a lens assembly is disclosed. The method relaxes the constraints of optically correcting lateral chromatic aberration and distortion on the lens assembly and instead electronically corrects for lateral chromatic aberration and distortion. As a result the lens assembly transmissivity and MTF improve dramatically and other aberrations are reduced as a result of re-optimizing the lens assembly merit function. The cost and volume of the lens assembly are reduced as well. The optimized lens assembly could be used in rear or front projection display devices as a well as image acquisition devices. |
| US08116003B1 |
Method and system for managing light at an optional interface
An interface between two different optical materials can comprise a stack of thin film layers that manage light incident on that interface. One of the optical materials can have a first composition and a first refractive index, while the other optical material can have a second composition and a second refractive index. The stack can comprise thin film layers of the first optical material interleaved between thin film layers of the second optical material. The layers of the stack can be configured to provide the stack with an aggregate composition of at least one of the optical materials that progressively varies from one end of the stack to the other end. To provide the progressive variation in composition, the layers of one of the optical materials can have a progressively increased thickness across the stack, or can progressively increase in number, for example. |
| US08115999B2 |
Polarizing lamp
A polarizing lamp includes a polarization beam splitter, a metallic grating reflector having metallic gratings with a trapezoidal profile, and an unpolarized light source positioned between the polarization beam splitter and the metallic grating reflector. |
| US08115995B2 |
Projection screen coating
Projection screen coating. In at least one embodiment of a coating for a projection screen for displaying an image projected as a combination of primary colors of the present disclosure, said coating comprises one or more primary pigments, each of said primary pigments corresponding to at least one of said primary colors. In at one embodiment of a coating for displaying an image projected as a combination of primary colors of the present disclosure, said coating comprises one or more primary pigments, each said primary pigment corresponding to one of said primary colors, one or more reflective pigments, and a transparent medium. |
| US08115985B2 |
2D/3D display device
A 2D/3D display device is provided. The 2D/3D display device includes a flat display device and a parallax barrier panel disposed on a display surface of the flat display device. The parallax barrier panel has a barrier pattern which includes a first electrochromic material layer and a second electrochromic material layer. In a 2D display mode, the barrier pattern, the first electrochromic material layer, and the second electrochromic material layer are transparent. In a 3D stereoscopic display mode, the barrier pattern is non-transmissible. The first electrochromic material layer has a first color, and the second electrochromic material layer has a second color. |
| US08115984B2 |
Laminated electrochromic devices and processes for forming the same
This invention discloses pre-formed electrochromic films that are used in assembly of electrochromic devices. These films are laminated to conductive substrates to form the electrochromic devices. The invention also discloses optical characteristics of the substrates for imparting durability to the electrochromic devices from solar radiation. |
| US08115982B2 |
Iris diaphragm device
There is provided an iris diaphragm device comprising: two blade members supported on two rotary shafts; a lamp optical path between the two blade members; a motor driving directly one of the rotary shafts; and a means of transmitting power from the one rotary shaft to the other, wherein the motor and the means are disposed off the lamp optical path, and the two blade members revolve respectively to the two rotary shafts whereby a blocked area of the lamp optical path is adjusted, and wherein a magnetic sensor including a plate-like magnetic sensing portion and a plate-like magnet and detecting a rotation angle of the rotary shafts is disposed on an axis line of one of the two rotary shafts and also off the lamp optical path such that facing surfaces of the magnetic detecting portion and the magnet are orthogonal to the rotary shafts. |
| US08115975B2 |
Image scanning device and copier
A disclosed image scanning device includes a pressing unit for pressing a document; an operation detection unit for detecting an opening operation and a closing operation of the pressing unit; a movable scanning unit for scanning the document; and a control unit for moving the movable scanning unit from a standby position to a document-size detection start position when the opening operation is detected and moving the movable scanning unit from the document-size detection start position to the standby position to determine a size of the document when the closing operation is detected. The control unit is configured to continue moving the movable scanning unit from the standby position to the document-size detection start position until the arrival of the movable scanning unit at the document-size detection start position is detected even if the pressing unit is operated. |
| US08115971B2 |
Contact image sensor and image reader
An image reader includes a casing, a contact glass plate, a contact image sensor, and a sliding mechanism; wherein the contact image sensor has a housing, a light source attached to the housing so as to face the contact glass plate, a plurality of light receiving elements attached to the housing so as to face the contact glass plate and aligned in parallel in a longitudinal direction of the housing, and a bearing formed integral to the housing at a position below a lower surface of the housing; and the sliding mechanism includes a guide shaft provided on the casing and extending in a short direction of the housing and inserted through the bearing, and an urging member elastically which urges the guide shaft toward the contact glass plate so that the housing is pressed against the contact glass plate. |
| US08115970B2 |
Image reading device, image forming apparatus, and image reading method
An image forming apparatus includes an image reading device which reads an image in accordance with a sheet-through method. The image reading device includes a reading device and a control device. The reading device is configured to include a carriage including an optical device for optically reading an image. The control device is configured to control shading correction of images on successively fed sheets by first performing the setting of the timing of starting a shading correction and the setting of the operation of the carriage, and then performing the setting of shading correction before shading correction starts during the operation of the carriage. |
| US08115968B2 |
Image processing apparatus, computer program product, and preview image displaying method
In an image processing apparatus, preview images are generating by continuously scanning both sides of originals. The page scrolling unit scrolls the preview images while pairing a first preview image to be processed with a second preview image that is not processed as pages of front and back sides of an original or a two-page spread, and a preview displaying unit displays at least one of the first preview image and the second image. |
| US08115967B2 |
Localized signal data preservation within signal bandwidth
A system and method for reducing the noise induced in a particular section or level of a signal bandwidth. The section is isolated from the rest of the signal data, by rescaling this data to produce a buffer section adjacent the section with little or no data in it. The signal is then transmitted to the output device where all data is the buffer section is considered to be the result of noise, and is mapped back to the predetermined level. The signal data is inversely rescaled to move data back into the buffer section. In this way, more of the data that was input at the predetermined level, will also be at the predetermined level afterwards, thereby correcting noise induced in that level by noise inducing transmission techniques such as JPEG compression. |
| US08115965B2 |
Image processing apparatus, control method therefor, and storage medium
An image processing apparatus which makes it possible to change the manner of authentication between cases where restriction of a specific process is performed on an image of an original, as an original document, and where the restriction of the specific process is performed on an image of an original, as a copy of the original document. A scanner reads an image on an original. An embedded information-extracting section extracts specific information contained in the read image. A determining section determines based on the extracted information whether or not the original is an original document. An authenticating section performs authentication using respective difference pieces of authentication information in cases where the original is determined to be an original document and where the original is not. A copy operation control section restricts the specific process based on the image, according to a result of the authentication. |
| US08115962B2 |
Method of displaying hyperlinked information using handheld display device
A method of displaying hyperlinked information using a handheld display device having a touch-sensitive screen and a transceiver for sending and receiving digital information. The method comprises the steps of: imaging an area of a printed substrate and generating image data using an optical sensor, the printed substrate containing a printed hyperlink; determining interaction data using the image data, the interaction data identifying a substrate identity; retrieving display data corresponding to the substrate; displaying display information based on said display data; interacting with the displayed hyperlink via the touch-sensitive display screen; retrieving hyperlinked information corresponding to the hyperlink; and displaying the hyperlinked information on the screen. |
| US08115961B2 |
Method and apparatus providing consistent rotation for pages in a job in accordance with post-processing requirements
In the image forming system, there is provided an image processing section which determines a rotation standard for rotating image information so that an orientation of an image which is to be formed on an output medium on which prescribed post processing is not to be conducted agrees with an orientation of an image formed on an output medium on which prescribed post processing is to be conducted, if a booklet division mode is set by the setting section, and which conducts rotation processing on the image information based on the rotation standard. |
| US08115957B2 |
Data transmitting apparatus and data transmitting program
In a data transmission apparatus, each dot data element is one of a predetermined number of kinds. The data transmitting apparatus includes a template-data generating portion generating template data from the image data by initially determining one of the kinds of dot data element that most frequently occurs in each of one of the rows and the columns and then sequencing the most frequently occurring kinds of dot data elements determined in a direction of the other of the rows and the columns, a data-block generating portion generating a data block by sequencing in the direction of the other of the rows and the columns codes each indicative of a difference between one of the dot data elements of a kind in the image data as stored in the storing portion and one of the dot data elements of a kind in the template data. |
| US08115956B2 |
Enhancements to VI record job ticketing and processing
Job tickets containing scoped instructions can control the processing of a PDL file to produce a data stream that is efficiently processed by a rendering device such as a raster image processor or printer. Job tickets contain instructions for processing a PDL file. Scoped instructions control processing of only those PDL file sections within a certain scope as specified on a per instruction basis. |
| US08115954B2 |
Pull print supporting image forming system, image forming method and information processing apparatus directed thereto
When a specific image forming apparatus is selected as an output destination, a CPU reads a printer driver corresponding to the selected image forming apparatus from a printer driver group, and loads the driver in a memory unit or the like. On the contrary, if no specific image forming apparatus is selected as the output destination, the CPU reads a general purpose printer driver from the printer driver group, and loads the driver to the memory unit or the like. Further, the CPU displays a print setting image on a display unit 204. |
| US08115953B2 |
Image forming apparatus and information processing method
An image forming apparatus is disclosed. The image forming apparatus comprises an input unit through which a condition for reading image data of a document is input, a reading unit to read the image data under the reading condition, a first storage unit to store the image data read by the reading unit, a second storage unit to store information indicative of a relationship between the reading condition and an estimated volume of the image data to be stored in the first storage unit, a data volume estimating unit that estimates a volume of the image data to be read based on the reading condition and the information stored in the second storage unit, and a determining unit to determine whether to read the image data based on the estimated data volume and a volume of the image data that have already been stored in the first storage unit. |
| US08115952B2 |
Document managing system, image forming device, discarding device, discard certificate issuing device, document attribute managing device, and computer readable medium
A document managing system includes: an image forming device that includes an image forming part, and forms a document on a prescribed output medium; a discarding device that includes a document discarding part that discards the document formed on the output medium by the image forming device; and a discard certificate issuing device that includes a discard certificate issuing part, and issues a certificate of a discarding process in the discarding device. |
| US08115947B2 |
Methods and systems for providing remote, descriptor-related data to an imaging device
Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and devices for providing access to remote, descriptor-related data at an imaging device user interface. Some aspects relate to accessing a service or product provider resource based on a descriptor that is sent from an imaging device to the selector. Some aspects relate to a selection between multiple providers when multiple providers match criteria defined by the descriptor. |
| US08115946B2 |
Methods and sytems for imaging device job definition
Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and devices for imaging device job definition. Some aspects relate to methods and systems whereby device capabilities are communicated and stored with simple and complex compositors. Some aspects relate to method and systems whereby an imaging device job may be described with simple and complex compositors. Some aspects relate to a job definition list that may be constructed with said simple and complex compositors. Some aspects relate to methods and systems whereby an application requests a list of job configuration properties from an imaging device and uses the job configuration properties to create a job definition that may be sent to the imaging device. |
| US08115943B2 |
Image forming apparatus and print process method
An image forming apparatus is provided, in which the image forming apparatus includes: an information providing part for providing, to a client terminal, screen data for selecting one or more image forming apparatuses among from a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to a network; and a print request part for distributing print data and a print request to the selected one or more image forming apparatuses. |
| US08115941B2 |
Image forming apparatus and print controlling method for the same
An image forming apparatus includes: a combining unit configured to combine a document image and a coded image; a setting determining unit configured to determine whether a setting for combining a document image including a previously combined coded image and an other coded image is made when a reproduction of the document image is instructed; and a prohibiting unit configured to prohibit the combining unit from combining the document image including the previously combined coded image and the other coded image according to the setting when the result of the determination indicates that the setting is made. |
| US08115940B2 |
Displaying uncompleted jobs in response to print request
This invention allows a user to immediately grasp the print status of a job only by inputting a print instruction of a job stored and held in an image forming apparatus. This invention also provides a user-friendly apparatus that notifies the user of a predicted time until completion of printing. For this purpose, the image forming apparatus of this invention has a touch panel formed on the display screen of the operation unit. A list of jobs registered in a Hold job list is displayed on the display screen. When the user selects at least one job and touches a “Test print” or “Print” button, the print job is registered in the print execution queue. Simultaneously, a list of unprinted print jobs registered in the print execution queue is automatically displayed. |
| US08115939B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method and storage medium storing image processing
An image processing apparatus has a processing condition setting section, a reference image processing section and a processing condition registration section. The processing condition setting section sets an image processing condition to input image data. The input image data is subjected to image processing according to the image processing condition. The reference image processing section performs the image processing on reference image data according to the image processing condition and generates processed reference image data. The processing condition registration section registers into a condition storage the processed reference image data with the image processing condition. |
| US08115938B2 |
Method of providing alignment marks, device manufacturing method and lithographic apparatus
A method of providing a set of alignment marks on a substrate including the following steps. Exposing a first pattern on at least one exposure area of a layer of a substrate, the first pattern comprising a repetitive set of elements having a first element size. Exposing a second pattern on the at least one exposure area on top of the first pattern, the second pattern comprising a repetitive set elements of a second element size, the second element size being larger or smaller than the first element size. The elements of the first and second patterns partly overlap and combined form a set of repetitive large-sized alignment marks, such that the edges of the alignment marks in the direction of repetition are formed by small-sized elements. |
| US08115937B2 |
Methods and apparatus for measuring multiple Fabry-Perot gaps
Apparatus, methods, and other embodiments associated with measuring multiple Fabry-Perot gaps to determine environmental parameters are described herein. In one embodiment, a system for measuring environmental parameters includes an optical fiber, a first reflective surface, a second reflective surface, a third reflective surface, and a light source. The first reflective surface is positioned proximate to a first end of the optical fiber. The second reflective surface is positioned to form a first Fabry-Perot gap between the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface. The third reflective surface is positioned to form a second Fabry-Perot gap between the second reflective surface and third reflective surface. The light source provides light to the optical fiber, wherein the optical fiber delivers light from the light source to the first Fabry-Perot gap and the second Fabry-Perot gap and the optical fiber receives reflected light from the first Fabry-Perot gap and the second Fabry-Perot gap. |
| US08115934B2 |
Device and method for imaging the ear using optical coherence tomography
A method of forming an image of tissue. The method includes non-invasively inserting a fiber-based device into a patient's ear canal and acquiring OCT data from ear tissue while the fiber-based device is in the ear canal. The method also includes converting the OCT data into at least one image. |
| US08115927B2 |
Production method of compound semiconductor member
A method of evaluating damage of a compound semiconductor member, comprising: a step of performing spectroscopic ellipsometry measurement on a surface of the compound semiconductor member; and a step of evaluating damage on the surface of the compound semiconductor member, using a spectrum in a wavelength band containing a wavelength corresponding to a bandgap of the compound semiconductor member, in a spectrum of an optical constant obtained by the spectroscopic ellipsometry measurement. |
| US08115926B2 |
Inspection method and apparatus, lithographic apparatus, lithographic processing cell, and device manufacturing method to measure a property of a substrate
A system is configured to measure two separately polarized beams upon diffraction from a substrate in order to determine properties of the substrate. Circularly or elliptically polarized light sources are passed via a fixed phase retarder in order to change the phase of one of two orthogonally polarized radiation beams with respect to the two beams. The relative phases of the two radiation beams and other features of the beams are measured in a detector to provide information on the properties of the substrate surface. |
| US08115925B1 |
Polarization switching lidar device and method
A polarization switching lidar device, arranged for remote detection and characterization of airborne aggregations of particulates, includes a pulsed laser, a mirror, a polarizing beam splitter, an actively controlled retarder arranged to be controllably alternated between a zero retardation state and a quarter-wave retardation state such that the transmitted portion of the exiting laser light beam is linearly polarized in a predetermined direction when the actively controlled retarder is in the zero retardation state, while being circularly polarized in a predetermined rotational sense when the actively controlled retarder is in the quarter-wave retardation state. A directable telescoping assembly is arranged to collect photons backscattered by the airborne aggregations of particulates and to redirect the collected portion of depolarized backscattered photons onto the polarizing beam splitter. A photodetector is arranged to generate at least one electronic signal proportional to the collected portion of depolarized backscattered photons. |
| US08115922B2 |
Apparatus and method for adapting conventional cuvettes for use in a vertical light beam spectrophotometer
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for adapting conventional spectrophotometer cuvettes for use in a vertical light beam spectrophotometer. |
| US08115921B2 |
Probe for near-field light scattering and process for production thereof
A probe for near-field light scattering, has, on the tip thereof, at least fine particles containing silver or silver oxide, a titanium oxide layer, and a silver layer at least in the named order from the surface thereof. A process for producing the probe for near-field light scattering comprises at least steps of forming a silver layer, a titanium oxide layer, and fine particles containing silver or silver oxide in the named order on the body of the probe. A near-field optical microscope or a Raman spectroscope, comprises the probe for the near-field light scattering; a control function for bringing the probe into contact with a surface of a test sample; an optical excitation system for producing an exciting light to or vicinity of the tip of the probe; and detecting optical system for detecting detection light emitted form the tip of the probe. |
| US08115919B2 |
Methods, arrangements and systems for obtaining information associated with a sample using optical microscopy
Exemplary embodiments of methods, arrangements and systems for obtaining information about a sample can be provided. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, it is possible to receive a first electro-magnetic radiation from a sample which is based on a second electro-magnetic radiation forwarded to the sample. The first electro-magnetic radiation may have a first frequency and the second electro-magnetic radiation may have a second frequency which is different from the first frequency. The difference between the first and second frequencies can be based on an acoustic wave inside the sample related to at least one characteristic of the sample. Further, it is possible to receive at least a portion of the first electromagnetic radiation and separate it into a particular finite number (N) of frequency component radiations. In addition, it is possible to receive a particular energy of more than 1/N of energy of the third electro-magnetic radiation, and generate information associated with the sample. Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention are capable of obtaining information associated with a sample, particularly its mechanical properties, non-contact using electromagnetic radiation. |
| US08115917B2 |
Drying nozzle
A drying nozzle (1) for drying a peripheral portion of an ophthalmic lens (CL), in particular a contact lens, comprises an inlet (30) for the supply of a pressurized gas and a continuous annular outlet gap (11) having a predetermined width (W) through which the pressurized air is capable of being supplied to the peripheral portion of the ophthalmic lens (CL). |
| US08115913B2 |
Light pulse generator and optical time domain reflectometer using the same
There is provided a light pulse generator. The light pulse generator includes: a laser diode; a voltage source that provides a bias voltage to the laser diode; a switching element that causes the laser diode to emit a light pulse by directly modulating the laser diode; and an auxiliary current circuit which starts to charge immediately after turn-on of the switching element and which starts to discharge after a forward current flows through the laser diode so as to provide a auxiliary current to the laser diode in the same direction as the forward current. |
| US08115912B2 |
Polishing end point detection method, polishing end point detection apparatus, and polishing apparatus
A polishing end point detection method is to detect a polishing end point of a workpiece having a multilayer structure. The method is performed by emitting a first light and a second light to a surface of the workpiece at a first angle of incidence and a second angle of incidence, respectively, receiving the first light and the second light reflected from the surface through a polarizing filter, performing a first analyzing process of analyzing a brightness and a saturation of the surface from the first light received, performing a second analyzing process of analyzing a brightness and a saturation of the surface from the second light received, and determining removal of the upper layer based on changes in the brightness and the saturation of the surface. |
| US08115909B2 |
Sensor system with a lighting device and a detector device
A sensor system with a lighting device and a detector device is specified. The lighting device is provided for emitting laser radiation of a first wavelength and laser radiation of a second wavelength different from the first. The detector device is provided for detecting electromagnetic radiation of the first and the second wavelength. |
| US08115908B2 |
Position measuring device and position measuring method in semiconductor single crystal manufacturing device
While position measurement of an edge position of a thermal shield takes place in a short time with high working efficiency, the edge position can be measured accurately without variation. First determination takes place while a distance is measured with a first scanning interval. When a change in a measured distance which can be determined as the edge position is determined as a result, an optical scanning position is returned by a predetermined amount reversely to the scanning direction (or reversely to the scanning direction), and while laser beam is scanned again from the returned optical scanning position, second determination takes place while measuring the distance with a second scanning interval shorter than the first scanning interval. If a change in the measured distance which can be determined as the edge position is determined as a result, the laser beam is determined finally to be reflected at an edge of a rim of the thermal shield at the optical scanning position at a time point when the change is determined. |
| US08115906B2 |
Movable body system, pattern formation apparatus, exposure apparatus and measurement device, and device manufacturing method
A movable body system is equipped with a stage having a stage main section which moves along an XY plane and a stage which is finely movable in a direction (a Z-axis direction) orthogonal to the XY plane and a tilt direction with respect to the XY plane, and a measurement device which measures positional information of the stage within the XY plane. The measurement device has a plurality of encoder heads arranged on the table, and optical fibers whose end sections are arranged facing each head at the stage main section and the optical axes at the end sections are substantially parallel to the Z-axis direction, and the device measures positional information of the stage, based on an output of a head facing a grating section placed substantially parallel to the XY plane. And, air transmission of a signal is performed between each of the heads and the end section of the optical fibers. |
| US08115901B2 |
Exposure apparatus
An exposure apparatus is configured to expose a pattern formed on an original onto a substrate using extreme ultraviolet light. The exposure apparatus includes a stage configured to move at the time of exposure, an electrostatic chuck which is provided on the stage and is configured to hold the original, an electrode which is provided outside the electrostatic chuck on the stage via an insulator, and an electric field forming member which is provided so that an absolute value of an electric potential difference with respect to the electrode is greater than an absolute value of an electric potential difference with respect to the original at a position facing the electrode. The particle adherence to the original can be effectively avoided. |
| US08115897B2 |
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal panel including short sides and long sides, a plurality of gate lines disposed on the liquid crystal panel and extending substantially in parallel with the short sides of the liquid crystal panel, a plurality of data lines insulated from the gate lines, intersecting the gate lines and extending substantially in parallel with the long sides of the liquid crystal panel, a printed circuit board disposed near one of the short sides of the liquid crystal panel and providing an image signal to the liquid crystal panel, a light guide plate overlapping the liquid crystal panel, a light source module providing light to the light guide plate and a circuit board on which the light source module is mounted. |
| US08115890B2 |
Backlight unit and a liquid crystal display apparatus applying the same therein
A backlight unit, being thin-sized, but having high definition and high uniformity of luminance, and a video display apparatus applying the same therein, has a plural number of sets of at least one or more of light source(s) (1) and a light guidance plate (2) for guiding lights from the light source(s) to a side of a liquid crystal panel, to be emitted therefrom, wherein the light source(s) is/are disposed on one end side of the light guidance plate, and other set of light source is disposed on a rear surface side of the other end of the light guidance plate opposite to the one end. A gap or groove (4) is formed mutually between each of the light guidance plates in the plural number of sets, and if assuming that width of the gap or groove is “d”, distance between a light incident surface of the liquid crystal panel and a light emission surface of the light guidance plate, or distance between a light incident surface of an optical member disposed between the liquid crystal panel and the light guidance plate and a light emission surface of the light guidance plate is “h”, and further 2.0 mm>d≧0.1 mm and 10.0 mm>h≧0.4 mm, then the following condition is satisfied: 4≦h/d≦100. |
| US08115889B2 |
Backlight unit and liquid crystal display device including the same
A lamp guide includes: a horizontal part; at least one supporting part extending from a front surface of the horizontal part; a plurality of holding parts on the front surface of the horizontal part, each of the plurality of holding parts holding a lamp and twisted from the horizontal part; and at least one coupling part extending from a rear surface of the horizontal part. |
| US08115877B2 |
System and method of adjusting viewing angle for display based on viewer positions and lighting conditions
A method for adjusting a viewing angle of a display, includes determining a location of one or more viewers and determining lighting conditions. Additionally, the method includes calculating an optimal viewing position of the display based on the location of the one or more viewers and the lighting conditions and adjusting the display based on the optimal viewing position. |
| US08115875B2 |
Image display device and method of controlling the same
An image display device may have a display portion, a signal-processing portion, a power supply portion that supplies power to the display portion and the signal-processing portion, a user interface portion, and a control portion that controls the display portion, the signal-processing portion, and the power supply portion. An operation mode may include a waiting mode in which power supply to the display portion and the signal-processing portion stops, an image-display-waiting mode in which power is supplied to the signal-processing portion but power supply to the display portion stops, and an image display mode in which power is supplied to the display portion and the signal-processing portion. The control portion may switch the operation mode, based on the operation signal, from the waiting mode or the image-display-waiting mode to the image display mode or from the image display mode to the image-display-waiting mode. |
| US08115872B2 |
Method of capturing digital broadcast images in a digital broadcast receiving terminal
A method of capturing digital broadcast images in a digital broadcast terminal is provided. Upon request for output of digital broadcasting from a user, video frames of received digital broadcast frames are decoded. Upon request for a multi-capture function from the user, digital broadcast images of the decoded video frames are captured at a predetermined number of shots per unit time and stored. |
| US08115865B2 |
De-interlacing system with an adaptive edge threshold and interpolating method thereof
A de-interlacing system with an adaptive edge threshold has a motion factor generator to produce a motion factor of a position in accordance with a previous and a next fields. An adaptive edge threshold generator produces the adaptive edge threshold in accordance with a current, the previous and the next fields. A determinator determines which pixels are used to perform an interpolation on the position. When the motion factor is greater than the adaptive edge threshold, a pixel of the current field is used to perform an interpolation on the position. When the motion factor is smaller than the adaptive edge threshold, a pixel of the previous field and a pixel of the next field are used to perform an interpolation on the position. |
| US08115864B2 |
Method and apparatus for reconstructing image
The present invention relates to the field of video data de-interlacing, and in particular to a method for reconstructing full-resolution frames from a line-skipped-sequence of fields and a corresponding apparatus. It is the particular approach of the present invention to substitute missing lines of a block of a reconstructed full-resolution frame by lines from another field, e.g. the preceding field, and translating the substitute lines vertically and horizontally so as to optimized a smoothness measure computed for the thus reconstructed block. In this manner, an error-prone a priori determination of motion vectors based an interpolation of the interlaced images in the vertical direction can be avoided. The present invention may also be applied to sequences generated from a full-resolution sequence by a line-skipping operation that keeps only every Kth line and discards the other K−1 lines. |
| US08115861B2 |
Image pickup system, image capturing method, and computer-readbale storage medium storing program for performing image capturing method
An image pickup system causes a first illumination unit to emit light toward a subject at a first angle without causing a second illumination unit for emitting light toward the subject at a second angle different from the first angle, and causes an image pickup unit to capture the image of the subject so as to obtain a first captured image. The image pickup system causes the second illumination unit to emit light without causing the first illumination unit to emit light, and causes the image pickup unit to capture the image of the subject so as to obtain a second captured image. The image pickup system associates the first captured image with the second captured image. |
| US08115851B2 |
Solid-state image capturing apparatus, method for manufacturing same, and electronic information device
A solid-state image capturing apparatus according to the present invention includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections; a charge accumulation section; and a charge readout section, the apparatus further includes: a semiconductor substrate including a plurality of diffusion layers formed thereabove, the diffusion layers constituting the photoelectric conversion sections, the charge accumulation section and the charge readout section; a readout gate electrode formed above the semiconductor substrate and constituting the charge readout section; an insulation sidewall formed on a side surface of the readout gate electrode; and a surface diffusion layer constituting the photoelectric conversion sections, which is positioned in a self-aligning manner with respect to the readout gate electrode by the insulation sidewall. |
| US08115849B2 |
Photo-sensor, measurement apparatus and camera system
The present invention provides a photo-sensor with a stable current limiting function and pixel reset function. When the incident light quantity of the phototransistor is equal to or less than a predetermined quantity and the base potential of the phototransistor is in a first potential of an operation point in a stationary state, an MOSFET for discharging an electric charge is controlled so as to be turned OFF. In addition, when the incident light quantity of the phototransistor is equal to or more than the predetermined quantity, a MOSFET for detecting an electric current is controlled so as to operate in a saturation region. When the base potential of the phototransistor has changed to a second potential from the first potential, the MOSFET for discharging an electric charge is controlled so as to be turned ON. |
| US08115846B2 |
Active pixel sensor circuit
The present invention relates to an active pixel sensor circuit and a method of operating same. In one embodiment, the active pixel sensor circuit includes a reset transistor having a gate, a source and a drain, a silicon rich oxide (SRO) photosensor having an anode and a cathode electrically coupled to the source of the reset transistor, and a readout transistor having a gate electrically coupled to the cathode of the SRO photosensor, a source and a drain. |
| US08115844B2 |
Arrangement of circuits in pixels, each circuit shared by a plurality of pixels, in image sensing apparatus
In an image sensing apparatus having a plurality of unit cells, each including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and a common circuit shared by the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, arranged in either one or two dimensions, the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged at a predetermined interval. |
| US08115840B2 |
Image enhancement in the mosaic domain
Imaging apparatus includes a mosaic image sensor (24), which is configured to generate a stream of input pixel values belonging to a plurality of input sub-images, each sub-image responsive to light of a different, respective color that is incident on the mosaic image sensor. An image restoration circuit (26) is coupled to receive and digitally filter the input pixel values in each of the input sub-images so as to generate a corresponding plurality of enhanced output sub-images. An image signal processor (ISP) (28) is coupled to receive and combine the plurality of the output sub-images in order to generate a color video output image. |
| US08115839B2 |
Image signal processor
According to the present invention, an image signal processor, comprising a receiver, a mixing block, and an adjustment block, is provided. The receiver receives first, second, and third color pixel signals which an imaging device outputs. The mixing block generates first, second, and third color mixed pixel signals. The first, second, and third color mixed pixel signals are generated by mixing the first, second, and third color pixel signals generated by all the first, second, and third color pixels occupying a space of which the area is a second predetermined area whose the center is in agreement with the center of the first, second, and third color mixed pixel areas, respectively. The adjustment block adjusts the signal levels of the first, second, and third color mixed pixel signals based on first, second, and third pixel numbers. |
| US08115837B2 |
Image sensing device using a photoelectric converter and a control method therefor
An image sensing apparatus has a plurality of pixels arranged two dimensionally, each pixel containing a photoelectric converter that outputs a photoelectrically converted signal in response to a quantity of received light, an output unit containing a clamping circuit, a signal supply circuit that outputs a reference signal to the clamping circuit, a control unit that controls to clamp the reference signal prior to outputting the photoelectrically converted signal from the pixel to the clamping circuit, output the photoelectrically converted signal to the clamping circuit, and then output a noise signal from the pixel to the clamping circuit, and a differential circuit that subtracts the noise signal from the photoelectrically converted signal processed by the clamping circuit. |
| US08115835B2 |
Programmable digital black level calibration with feedback control
A programmable digital black level calibration circuit comprises a combining circuit, a digital programmable gain amplifier (PGA), and a black level feedback circuit. The combining circuit combines a digital image signal for optical black (OB) pixels and a feedback signal and outputs a digital PGA input signal. The PGA amplifies the digital PGA input signal by a PGA gain value and outputs a digital PGA output signal. The black level feedback circuit receives the digital PGA output signal and a target black level and in response outputs the feedback signal such that a black level of the OB pixels is calibrated with respect to the target black level. The programmable digital black level calibration circuit calibrates the black level in pure digital domain using signed data buses. The target black level is adjustable to a desired positive or negative value independent from the PGA gain value. |
| US08115834B2 |
Image processing device, image processing program and image processing method
An image processing device for performing color conversion processing on a VS (video signal obtained from a color CCD) includes a region defining section, which estimates an amount of noise of the VS, according to an ISO-sensitivity and a white-balance-coefficient, and, based on the estimated amount of noise, defines an AR (achromatic region) of a color space to which the video signal belongs as a region centered on an achromatic axis where saturation is 0, and a color conversion section, which determines whether or not the VS belongs to the AR, and does not perform color conversion processing or performs projection of the video signal onto the achromatic axis if the video signal does not belong to the AR, or performs color conversion processing so that the numerical error between a target color signal and a color signal after color conversion processing is minimized if the video signal belongs to the AR. |
| US08115832B2 |
Zoom system for an optical stereo device
A zoom system (10) for an optical stereo device is provided. The zoom system (10) comprises a front plate (30) and a lens plate (60) disposed in a fixed spatial relationship and defining two optical paths within the zoom system (10). The zoom system further comprises a zoom plate (40) having two lens assemblies (45a, 45b), wherein the zoom plate (40) is disposed between the front plate (30) and the lens plate (60), and a compensation plate (50), wherein the compensation plate (50) is disposed between the zoom plate (40) and the lens plate (60). The zoom system further comprises a drive spindle (20) having a helical groove and a cam disk portion for simultaneously adjusting the position of the zoom plate (40) and the compensation plate (50) relative to the front plate (30) and the lens plate (60) in a coordinated manner, wherein the position of the zoom plate (40) is adjusted by means of the helical groove and the position of the compensation plate is adjusted by means of the cam disk portion of the drive spindle (20). |
| US08115831B2 |
Portable multi position magnifier camera
Disclosed is a portable magnifier camera that can be selectively positioned into a variety of configurations. At least four distinct viewing configurations are provided: a reading mode wherein the camera rests flatly upon the viewed object; a writing mode wherein the camera rests at an angle upon the viewed object; a hand-held mode wherein the user holds the camera relative to a distant object; and an inspection mode wherein the user holds the viewed object relative to the camera. These configurations enable a user to effectively view objects of differing size and at varying distances. |
| US08115826B2 |
Image processing apparatus, imaging apparatus, method and program
An image processing apparatus includes a tone conversion section configured to execute luminance tone compression on an entered image by use of a predetermined conversion curve; a linear matrix processing block configured to execute correction based on matrix operation on an image entered via the tone conversion section; and a hue and saturation adjustment block configured to execute hue and saturation conversion processing based on a set parameter on an image entered via the linear matrix processing block. The apparatus further includes a brightness decision block configured to determine whether brightness of the image to be processed is lower than a certain brightness level; and a control block configured to control a combination of the operations to be processed by the processing section and blocks on the basis of setting of a tone conversion function of the tone conversion section and a decision result obtained by the brightness decision block. |
| US08115818B2 |
Imaging device and image processing method of same
An imaging device and its image processing for creating an image with less blur from a small number of images under different exposure conditions in a shortened processing time. The imaging device 10 captures an image by means of an optical system 11 and an imaging element 12 in a short exposure time with a high resolution and much noise and images in a long exposure time with low resolution and less noise. After signal processing by signal processing section 13, a CPU 14 detects the position variation between captured images and blurs, separates the edges blur and the noise by using the threshold from the two difference images, combines the two images at a varied combination ratio, and thereby creates an image with no blur and reduced noise. |
| US08115817B2 |
Anti-shake circuit for an imaging device
In an anti-shake circuit for an imaging device, a differential circuit receives an analog sensing signal and a target signal and then generates a difference signal. An analog mathematical circuit performs at least one mathematical operation on the difference signal, resulting in generation of at least one mathematical output signal. A driver receives the at least one mathematical output signal, and, accordingly, generates a driving signal and controls an actuator in order to correct the shaking movement. |
| US08115816B2 |
Image capturing method, control method therefor, and program
An image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing unit that captures an image of a subject and generates a captured image; a determination-information storage unit that stores items of determination information, each item of determination information being used to determine whether the captured image includes a corresponding one of target objects; an operation accepting unit that accepts a specifying operation of specifying at least one of the target objects for which the items of determination information are stored; a target-object detecting unit that selects determination information regarding the specified target object from among the items of determination information stored in the determination-information storage means and detects the specified target object in the captured image using the selected determination information; and a recording control unit that causes the captured image generated at the time the specified target object is detected to be recorded. |
| US08115812B2 |
Monitoring system, camera, and video encoding method
The present invention provides a monitoring system enabling efficient determination of code amounts for respective cameras according to the movement of an object. Each camera (101) making up the monitoring system includes: a collaboration parameter updating unit (413) which updates a collaboration parameter, based on the position of the object detected by a sensor (106) and position identification information and collaboration parameter of a neighboring camera stored in a neighboring camera information storage unit (405), so that (i) a distribution pattern indicating the distribution of the collaboration parameter value in a space where plural cameras are present forms a concentric circle with the object being the origin, and (ii) the target code amount for a camera capturing the object becomes larger than that of a camera not capturing the object; and a target code amount determining unit (410) which determines the target code amount assigned to the camera based on the updated collaboration parameter, and the collaboration parameter and the target code amount for the neighboring camera stored in the neighboring camera information storage unit (405). |
| US08115811B2 |
Vehicle surrounding area display device
An image around a vehicle matching the intent of a driver is automatically displayed.An infrared camera (2) picks up an image of the face of a driver (7). A visual line direction and a face direction are detected from the face image of the driver (7). Based on the visual line direction of the driver (7) and the face direction thereof, a direction in which the driver (7) gazes is detected. When the direction in which the driver (7) gazes is included in image pickup ranges of CCD cameras (1A, 1B, and 1C), an image around a vehicle (100) picked up by any one of the CCD cameras (1A, 1B, and 1C) is automatically displayed on a monitor (6). |
| US08115809B2 |
Vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus
A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus which includes: an imaging device that captures a surroundings of a vehicle; a temperature measuring device that measures a temperature of the imaging device; and an OFF signal output device that outputs a command signal to set a power supply of the imaging device to the OFF state in accordance with the temperature of the imaging device measured by the temperature measuring device. |
| US08115808B2 |
Coordinate measuring machine and method for calibrating the coordinate measuring machine
A coordinate measuring machine is disclosed having an orientor automatically orienting a substrate associated therewith. A control and computing unit is further associated with the coordinate measuring machine, so that self-calibration may be performed on the basis of at least two different and automatically set orientations of the substrate. |
| US08115806B2 |
Image forming method and microscope device
More images than spatial modulation components of a lighting light are acquired, and a least square method is applied to the imaged plurality of images to obtain signal components. Accordingly, a ultra-resolution microscope which uses a spatially-modified lighting light to illuminate a sample, arithmetic-processes acquired images to thereby demodulate a given spatial modulation, and obtains a high-resolution sample image, wherein a high-resolution image reduced in noise components can be obtained. |
| US08115805B2 |
Stereoscopic image display device and method for driving the same
A stereoscopic image display that displays a stereoscopic image using a barrier operated by a time division method. A display panel time-divides first and second images having parallax therebetween and sequentially displays the first and second images. A barrier is located in front of the display panel and includes first and second image transmission regions transmitting the first and second images. A barrier driver controls opening and shutting of the first and second image transmission regions in synchronization with first and second video signals input thereto. The barrier driver extracts all video signals displayed on one picture from the input video signals as unit video signals and generates a reference signal for the barrier operation based on the unit video signals. |
| US08115803B2 |
Apparatus and method for projecting spatial image
An apparatus and method for projecting a spatial image is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes i) a monitor, which outputs the spatial image, ii) an image direction control unit, which controls the direction of the spatial image outputted from the monitor and controls a viewing angle, and iii) a half-mirror, which transflects the spatial image whose direction is adjusted by the image direction control unit. At least one embodiment of the present invention modifies the conventional barrier technology, which has been used to control 3D images or viewing angles, to enhance a sense of realism by adjusting the direction of light emitted from a display device. |
| US08115802B2 |
Image processing system, display apparatus and image processing method
An image processing system for stereoscopic view using a parallax barrier method includes an image information generating unit that generates image information of a lower resolution than an actual resolution for each of a first to an nth viewpoints. A receiving unit reconfigures the image information, which is stored in a buffer. A combining/transmitting unit generates an image signal for displaying as one stereoscopic image by combining the image information transferred to a unique area of a screen buffer and transmits the image signal to a liquid crystal panel. A transmission speed of the generated signal transmitting unit is set to be at least n times faster than that of the combining/transmitting unit. |
| US08115800B2 |
Server apparatus and video delivery method
An example server apparatus includes a video stream receiver configured to receive a first video stream encoded by a first coding scheme from a video providing apparatus via a network and a video stream generator configured to generate a second video stream obtained by converting a coding scheme of the first video stream from the first coding scheme to a second coding scheme. A client capability information acquirer is configured to acquire decoding capability information representing whether a client apparatus can decode a video image encoded by the first coding scheme and a video stream processing determiner is configured to transmit the first video stream to the client apparatus when the client apparatus can decode the video image encoded by the first coding scheme, and to transmit the second video stream to the client apparatus when the client apparatus cannot decode the video image encoded by the first coding scheme. |
| US08115796B2 |
Beltless tandem-type image forming apparatus
In a beltless tandem-type image forming apparatus, a plurality of pairs of transfer rollers are placed side by side at intervals along a conveying direction of sheets. A control section independently conveys sheets in sequence through nip sections of respective pairs of transfer rollers driven by a driving section while sequentially transferring images formed by an imaging section onto the sheets. Conveying speeds of the respective pairs of transfer rollers controlled by the driving section are gradually decreased for every pair of transfer rollers from an upstream side toward a downstream side along a conveying direction of the sheets, and consequently, a driving period for driving the respective pairs of transfer rollers to convey each sheet is gradually increased for every pair of transfer rollers from the upstream side toward the downstream side along the conveying direction of the sheets. |
| US08115795B2 |
Two-dimensional ROS emitter geometry with low banding sensitivity
An optical scanning device projects an image onto a photoreceptor within a print system. A laser light source generates a plurality of light beam outputs, wherein the light beam outputs are arranged in a two-dimensional parallelogram array within a substantially horizontal axis and a substantially vertical axis that is perpendicular to the horizontal axis. The two-dimensional parallelogram array has an odd number of rows of light beam outputs, wherein each row has an equal even number of light beam outputs. A rotating polygon mirror includes a plurality of deflecting surfaces, each of the deflecting surfaces deflects the light beams emitted from the laser light source. The light beam output array projects a first swath N onto the photoreceptor via the rotating mirror and swaths [N+1, N+2, . . . ] are subsequently placed at a level one-half down the number of light beam outputs of the previous swath. Each swath has the identical number of light emitting outputs as the two-dimensional array. |
| US08115794B2 |
Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus
In an optical scanning device, when pixel density is taken to be n, number of the light beams is taken to be b, and number of the deflection surfaces of a deflecting unit is taken to be p, a spatial frequency S denoted by S=1/(1/(25.4/n×b×p) is within a range of a spatial frequency characteristic for a visual perception system of a high relative luminous efficiency. When spacing between ends in a sub-scanning direction of a scanning line formed by one scan by the deflection unit is taken to be L1, and spacing between all progressive scanning lines at the surface to be scanned is taken to be L2, then L1>(k−1)×L2 is satisfied, where k is a total number of light emitting points of a light source. |
| US08115789B2 |
Display control apparatus and method for enlarging image of content and displaying enlarged image
An analyzer of a display control apparatus analyzes image characteristics of an image that has been pixel-converted by a pixel converter. A number-of-pixels determining unit compares the analysis result obtained by the analyzer with predetermined deterioration determination thresholds and determines the number of display pixels that is optimal for content. A pixel converter converts the number of pixels of the content into the determined optimal number of display pixels. |
| US08115783B2 |
Methods of and apparatus for processing computer graphics
In a graphics processing system, the left, right, top and bottom edge planes for the purposes of clipping are set to the maximum values that can be represented using floating-point format numbers, vertex positions are snapped to a grid of predefined vertex positions, and the precision of selected vertices is prioritized when deriving edge functions for a given primitive. In respect of the depth near and far clipping planes, those planes are set to the maximum floating-point number format that can be represented for “Z” in the graphics system, but then fragments that have a Z value that falls outside the range zero to one are discarded using a depth test. In respect of the eye-plane, the need for clipping is avoided by modifying edge equations generated for a primitive in dependence on the sign of a “W” value for each vertex of the primitive. |
| US08115777B2 |
Enhancing contact center interactions for people having impaired senses
A method and apparatus is provided for emulating an impairment of a person. The method comprises determining a type of sensory impairment of a person communicating with an agent endpoint device and applying a configuration filter corresponding to the determined type of sensory impairment to output at the agent endpoint device to emulate the sensory impairment of the person. Determining the type of sensory impairment may comprise determining a hearing impairment of the person or a type of color-blindness of the person. |
| US08115776B2 |
Mechanism to mitigate color breakup artifacts in field sequential color display systems
A mechanism for mitigating undesired color image breakup artifacts arising in display systems that exploit the principle of field sequential color generation. By suitably reducing the time interval during which image information strikes the moving retina, such that the differential position for the respective red, green, and blue components of the image falling upon the moving retina does not exceed the diameter of a retinal cone or rod, the cause of the breakup is negated and the image becomes unitary as expected: the eye sees the image as if all the components arrived at the same time. The truncation of light emission into shorter time frames necessitates a compensatory increase in imaging light intensity, such that the net amount of photonic flux striking the retina, averaged over time, remains unchanged. The mechanism can be applied to systems with discrete red, green, and blue sources as well as to color-wheel-based systems. |
| US08115773B2 |
Serializing command streams for graphics processors
A method and an apparatus for determining a dependency relationship between graphics commands based on availability of graphics hardware resources to perform graphics processing operations according to the dependency relationship are described. The graphics commands may be received from graphics APIs (application programming interfaces) for rendering a graphics object. A graphics driver may transmit a portion or all of the received graphics commands to a graphics processing unit (GPU) or a media processor based on the determined dependency relationship between the graphics commands. |
| US08115767B2 |
Computer graphics shadow volumes using hierarchical occlusion culling
Techniques, systems, arrangements, and computer program products are operable in computer graphics systems to make shadow volumes more general with respect to the meshes that can serve as occluding geometry in such computer graphics systems, as well as for accelerating shadow volume techniques, particularly for large and complex input scenes. |
| US08115766B2 |
System and method for rendering flow and volumes
A system and method for rendering flows and volumes includes the steps of generating a preintegrated table, the preintegrated table having a plurality of entries, each of the plurality of entries having color information and opacity information, generating illustrative effects based on the plurality of entries of the preintegrated table and displaying the illustrative effects. |
| US08115763B2 |
Device for the photorealistic representation of dynamic, complex, three-dimensional scenes by means of ray tracing
The invention relates to a device for the photorealistic representation of dynamic, complex, three-dimensional scenes by means of ray-tracing. Said device comprises at least one programmable ray-tracing processor in which are implemented: special traversing instructions and/or vector arithmetic instructions and/or instructions for establishing ray-tracing acceleration structures and/or at least one decision unit (mailbox), which prevents objects or triangles that have already been intersected by a ray cast during ray tracing from being intersected again by the ray. The inventive device is organized such as to allow a plurality of threads to be processed in parallel and to allow a plurality of threads to be automatically processed synchronously, the device being provided with an n-level cache hierarchy and/or virtual memory management and/or a direct link to the main memory. |
| US08115760B2 |
Pictorial representation of three-dimensional data records
The invention relates to a method for the pictorial representation of a three-dimensional measuring data record, comprising the creation of the three-dimensional measured data record by means of a computer tomographic or nuclear spin tomographic device, the processing of a first subset of the three-dimensional measured data record for a pictorial reproduction in a first pictorial representation in a first representation layer, and the processing of at least one second subset of the three-dimensional measured data record for a pictorial reproduction in at least one second pictorial representation in at least one second representation layer, wherein at least one value of at least one orientation parameter for the determination of the orientation of the at least one second representation layer with respect to the first representation layer can be selected by means of a control device. |
| US08115759B2 |
Plasma display device and method for driving the same
Disclosed here is a method for driving a plasma display panel and a plasma display device capable of providing image display with a high contrast ratio and excellent quality by stabilizing an address discharge. According to the method, which is the method for driving a plasma display panel in which discharge cells are formed at intersections of scan electrodes, sustain electrodes and data electrodes, the field—that contains at least one sub-field having the all-cell initializing operation—and the field—that is formed of sub-fields having the selective-cell initializing operation only—are set at a ratio of 1:N (where, N takes an integer of 1 or greater). At the same time, at least in one sub-field of the field having the selective-cell initializing operation only, the scan-pulse width employed for the selective-cell initializing field is determined longer than the scan-pulse width employed for the field containing the all-cell initializing operation. |
| US08115758B2 |
Light emitting device
Power consumption required for charging and discharging a source signal line is reduced in an active matrix EL display device. A bipolar transistor (Bi1) has a base terminal B connected to an output terminal c1 of an operational amplifier (OP1), a collector terminal C connected to a low power potential (GND), and an emitter terminal E connected to a resistor R2. A high power potential (VBH) is a potential in synchronization with a high power potential of a light emitting element. A potential of the output terminal c1 of the operational amplifier (OP1) is outputted as a buffer low power potential (VBL). The low power potential (VBL) corresponds to a potential difference between the high power potential (VBH) and a high power potential (V1). Accordingly, the low power potential (VBL) can follow the high power potential (VBH), that is a high power potential of the light emitting element. |
| US08115757B2 |
Display device, it's driving circuit, and driving method
One embodiment of the present invention discloses a display device which can use a display element having a relatively large difference between a minimum gradation voltage and a maximum gradation voltage. A first selection period and a second selection period are included in a period (a scanning signal line selection period) in which each gate wiring is selected. In the first selection period, a first selection voltage for allowing every TFT included in a line, which is an object to be selected, to be in an ON state is applied to the gate wiring of the line which is the object to be selected. In a period between the first selection period and the second selection period, a non selection voltage is applied to the gate wiring which is the object to be selected and the voltage of an auxiliary capacity wiring corresponding to the gate wiring which is the object to be selected is changed. In the second selection period, a second selection voltage for allowing a part of the TFTs included in the line, which is the object to be selected, to be in an ON state is applied to the gate wiring which is the object to be selected. |
| US08115756B2 |
Display driver integrated circuit using ping-pong type sample and hold circuit
A display driver integrated circuit using a ping-pong type sample and hold circuit is provided. The display driver integrated circuit includes a data counter, a comparison unit, a gray voltage generation unit, and a sample and hold circuit. The data counter outputs first through n-th gamma data in response to a clock signal. The comparison unit compares input image data with each of the first through n-th gamma data so as to output a comparison signal. The gray voltage generation unit generates first through n-th gray voltages in response to the first through n-th gamma data. The sample and hold circuit includes a first sub sample and hold circuit and a second sub sample and hold circuit and outputs one of the first through n-th gray voltages in response to the comparison signal. While the first sub sample and hold circuit is performing sampling, the second sub sample and hold circuit outputs one of the first through n-th gray voltages, or alternatively, while the second sub sample and hold circuit is performing sampling, the first sub sample and hold circuit outputs one of the first through n-th gray voltages. |
| US08115750B2 |
Base capacitance compensation for a touchpad sensor
For a compensation to the sensed capacitive values of a touchpad sensor, the variance profile of the base capacitance or the sensed capacitive values of the traces in the touchpad sensor is determined, and then a firmware operation based on the variance profile is carried out to modify the sensed capacitive values or the position value when an object touches on the touchpad sensor, such that the touchpad sensor operates as a symmetrical touchpad sensor does. |
| US08115749B1 |
Dual touch pad interface
A smart phone has a dual touch pad interface that includes a graphical user interface. Further, the smart phone includes a first touch pad, which is operably connected to the smart phone, that has a plurality of first touch pad sensors arranged in at least one first touch pad shaped layout such that each of the plurality of first touch pad sensors corresponds to a letter from a first subset of a set of letters in an alphabet. In addition, the smart phone has a second touch pad, which is operably connected to the smart phone, that has a plurality of second touch pad sensors arranged in at least one second touch pad shaped layout such that each of the plurality of second touch pad sensors corresponds to a letter from a second subset of the set of letters in the alphabet. |
| US08115746B2 |
Display panel with multi-touch function
A display panel with multi-touch function includes a display area and a non-display area. The display area includes a data line, a gate line, a first sensing line, a second sensing line, and a sensing unit. The sensing unit electrically connects the first and second sensing lines according to a touch signal or electrically isolates the first sensing line from the second sensing line. The non-display area includes a gate driver, a first switch and a second switch. The first switch provides a path for charging the second sensing line according to a scan signal, and the second switch provides a path for discharging the second sensing line according to a reset signal. |
| US08115744B2 |
Multi-point touch-sensitive system
A multi-touch detection system includes a touch-sensitive device, a microcontroller coupled to the touch sensitive device, and an electronic application coupled to the microcontroller. The touch-sensitive device includes multiple electrically isolated conductive regions and the conductive regions are configured to detect multiple contacts from a user simultaneously and generate respective output signals for the multiple user contacts. The microcontroller is configured to receive the output signals from the conductive regions and generate one or more control signals in response to the output signals. The electronic application includes a screen displaying multiple human-machine interactive objects and a signal processor. The signal processor is configured to receive the control signals from the microcontroller and alter the appearance of the human-machine interactive objects on the screen in accordance with the control signals. |
| US08115737B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, information processing system and information processing program
An information processing apparatus includes: a key operation section that has one or more operation keys arranged planarly, and outputs a key operation output corresponding to an operation of an operation key; a sensor that outputs a detection output corresponding to a distance of a detection target, spatially separated from a layout surface of the operation key, from the layout surface; a detection section that detects the distance of the detection target from the layout surface from the detection output from the sensor; and a control section that validates only the key operation output corresponding to the operation of the operation key and invalidates the detection output of the sensor when the detected distance is less than a predetermined distance, and executes a control function according to the distance detected by the detection section when the detected distance is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance. |
| US08115735B2 |
Mouse with adjustable cable direction
A mouse with adjustable cable direction includes a main body and a cable. The main body has a plurality of positioning grooves formed in a front end portion of a bottom thereof, and each positioning groove extends to an outer edge of the main body. One end of the cable extends into the main body and the cable can be received in the corresponding grooves in the bottom of the main body. Accordingly, the present invention can improve configuration flexibility of the bottom thereof and is convenient for use, and the cable cannot be in the way of other objects and has a good controllability, which is convenient for use. |
| US08115732B2 |
Virtual controller for visual displays
Virtual controllers for visual displays are described. In one implementation, a camera captures an image of hands against a background. The image is segmented into hand areas and background areas. Various hand and finger gestures isolate parts of the background into independent areas, which are then assigned control parameters for manipulating the visual display. Multiple control parameters can be associated with attributes of multiple independent areas formed by two hands, for advanced control including simultaneous functions of clicking, selecting, executing, horizontal movement, vertical movement, scrolling, dragging, rotational movement, zooming, maximizing, minimizing, executing file functions, and executing menu choices. |
| US08115731B2 |
Method of operating a handheld device for directional input
A directional input device for use in a handheld device is disclosed herein. The directional input device provides input to an element of the user interface in response to the inclination of the handheld. The input device can be embedded into any handheld communicating or computing device to provide directional input to an element of the user interface of the handheld without consuming space on the face of the device that could otherwise be used for a larger screen. |
| US08115729B2 |
Electrophoretic display element with filler particles
The invention relates to methods and materials for controlling stability and color intensity in an electrophoretic display element. Filler particles in the electrophoretic display element, serves as a medium that the electrophoretic particles must travel through during switching between optical states of the display. The filler particles provide improved control over the color intensity of the electrophoretic display element. In addition, the filler particles create resistance to the migration of the electrophoretic particles, thereby improving the bistability of the electrophoretic displays and inhibiting settling of the electrophoretic particles. Also, migration resistance provided by the filler particles can enable threshold addressing of an electrophoretic display. |
| US08115725B2 |
Liquid crystal display device for compensating a pixel data in accordance with areas of a liquid crystal display panel and sub-frames, and driving method thereof
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel, a timing controller, a compensation unit and a panel drive circuit. The liquid crystal panel has a plurality of color pixels, each of the color pixels including two sub-pixels which represent two different colors. The timing controller generates a sub-pixel data stream of two sub-frame format. The sub-pixel data stream of two sub-frame format includes a first sub-pixel data for a first sub-frame and a second sub-pixel data for a second sub-frame. The first sub-pixel data and the second sub-pixel data have different gamma characteristics. The compensation unit is operable to compensate the first sub-pixel data and the second sub-pixel data with different rates. The panel drive circuit drives the sub-pixels on the liquid crystal panel and supplies the sub-pixels with the compensated first sub-pixel data for the first sub-frame and the compensated second sub-pixel data for the second sub-frame. |
| US08115718B2 |
Color passive matrix bistable liquid crystal display system and method for driving the same
This invention provides a color passive matrix bistable liquid crystal display system, in which one respective scan line corresponds to sub-pixels of same color and neighboring scan lines correspond to sub-pixels of different colors. The scan lines are grouped in accordance with the colors of the sub-pixels corresponding thereto such that different scan driving voltages can be provided to the sub-pixels of different colors when the scan lines are scanned. By way of the arrangement of the sub-pixels, different scan driving voltages are switched to the respective scan lines in accordance with the colors of the sub-pixels corresponding thereto. As a result, a demand that the sub-pixels of different colors require different scan driving voltages is satisfied. The image quality is improved. |
| US08115716B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and its drive method
In the liquid crystal display device adjacent source lines may be short-circuited during horizontal scanning periods. A gate driver sequentially may apply a pixel data write pulse to gate lines in each frame period and may apply a black voltage application pulse during the horizontal scanning periods which is after the lapse of a period of the order of a 2/3 frame from the application of the pixel data write pulse to each gate line. A source driver may connect each source line to a charge sharing voltage fixing power supply during the horizontal scanning periods where the adjacent source lines are short-circuited, and thereby brings a charge sharing voltage to the same value regardless of display gradation. |
| US08115713B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer program
An image processing apparatus including a frame doubling processing part for generating a doubled image signal, a false impulse drive processing part for outputting a current image signal after dividing the doubled image signal, a first frame memory for outputting the current image signal as a previous image signal delayed by one sub-frame, a correction processing part for correcting a gradation level of the current image signal after the previous image signal and the current image signal being input thereto, a second frame memory for outputting a delayed doubled image signal from the doubled image signal, and a movement detector for outputting a movement detection signal after the delayed doubled image signal and the doubled image signal being input thereto is provided, wherein the correction processing part corrects the gradation level of the current image signal when the movement detection signal is a signal indicating a dynamic image. |
| US08115711B2 |
Apparatus and method for performing a mirror function in a portable terminal
Disclosed is an apparatus and method for embodying mirror function in a portable terminal by which a user can use an LCD of the portable terminal as a mirror, with a rear polarizer of the LCD constructed to allow the LCD to reflect incident light and to perform as a mirror when powered off, and to perform the original function of LCD when powered on. The LCD may further comprise a front polarizer for polarizing the external incident light to a certain direction, a liquid crystal for deflecting the incident light from the front polarizer about a molecular axis in the liquid crystal and arraying the light parallel to the direction of an electric field to pass the light along the molecular axis, and a rear polarizer for reflecting incident light from the liquid crystal when power is not applied and allowing the incident light to pass by the liquid crystal when power is applied. |
| US08115706B2 |
Improving displayed texture by changing brightness at particular points
The present invention represents an object with high-quality texture. A texture image display apparatus includes: a panel display device (20) having a plurality of pixels (21); a lens array (30) having a plurality of lenses for controlling outgoing directions of light outputted from the pixels (21); a pixel data generation part (14) for generating pixel data for each pixel; and a panel driving circuit 15 for driving the panel display device (20) on the basis of the pixel data. One lens (31) is provided for a plurality of adjacent pixels (21), and directs light outputted from these adjacent pixels (21) in directions different from one another. For each pixel (21), the pixel data generation part (14) generates pixel data of different image brightness levels depending on outgoing direction of light, for the same image point in displayed content. |
| US08115704B2 |
Multi-line addressing methods and apparatus
A method of driving an emissive display, the display comprising a plurality of pixels each addressable by a row electrode and a column electrode, the method comprising: driving a plurality of the column electrodes with a first set of column drive signals; and driving two or more of the row electrodes with a first set of forward bias row drive signals at the same time as the column electrode driving with the column drive signals; then driving the plurality of column electrodes with a second and subsequent sets of column drive signals; and driving the two or more row electrodes with a second and subsequent sets of forward bias row drive signals at the same time as the column electrode driving with the second column drive signals. |
| US08115703B2 |
Method for driving plasma display panel
A method for driving a plasma display panel is provided in which wasteful power consumption is reduced and light emission efficiency is improved when the number of cells to be lighted is relatively small. The method includes classifying a display ratio into plural group ranges, selecting a suitable display pulse waveform for each group range, detecting the display ratio of an object to be displayed in a real display, and plural types of display pulses having different waveforms are used differently in accordance with the result of the detection. The display ratio means a ratio of the number of cells to be lighted to the number of cells of the screen. |
| US08115700B2 |
Auto-blanking screen for devices having multi-layer displays
A system to automatically blank a screen from a multi-layer display is disclosed. The system includes a multi-layer display, an associated logic device and a display controller in communication therewith and configured to receive signals from the logic device. The multi-layer display includes at least a first display screen and a second display screen positioned behind the first display screen, with both display screens in communication with the display controller. The display controller has a signal analyzer configured to analyze received signals, which are sent to one or both of the first and second display screens depending upon the results from the signal analyzer. Analysis results can involve whether signal resolution is greater than a predetermined amount. Signals sent to both display screens results in a multi-layer display presentation, while signals sent to only one screen results in the auto-blanking of the other screen for a single screen display presentation. |
| US08115694B2 |
Dual-polarized coupling device comprising annular groove fed by first and second feed conductors
A coupling device is provided, including a substrate, a ground element, a first feed conductor and a second feed conductor. The substrate includes a first surface and a second surface. The ground element is disposed on the second surface, wherein the ground element includes a first portion, a second portion, an annular groove and a feed slot, the annular groove is located between the first portion and the second portion, enclosing the first portion, and a first end of the feed slot is connected to the annular groove. The first feed conductor is disposed on the first surface corresponding to the annular groove, wherein the first feed conductor couples the ground element to feed a current signal. The second feed conductor is disposed on the first surface corresponding to the feed slot, wherein second feed conductor couples the feed slot to feed a magnetic current. |
| US08115690B2 |
Coupled multiband antenna
Free space antenna structures are presented in which multiple radiating elements are disposed proximate to each other. In a structure containing two radiating elements, the radiating element of shorter wavelength is split into a monopole and a dipole that are electrically, but not physically, coupled to each other. The monopole has a length of λ/4 and is attached to the same feed as the longer wavelength radiating element. The dipole has a length of λ/4 and is attached to the same feed as the longer wavelength radiating element. Non-conductive shields prevent contact between the monopole, dipole, and longer wavelength radiating element. The longer wavelength radiating element is formed in a helix outside of which the dipole, and perhaps monopole, is disposed. |
| US08115688B2 |
RF conduit and systems implementing same
An RF conduit according to one embodiment includes a pair of antennas coupled together by a transmission line such that RF tunneling occurs along the transmission line between the antennas and an RF signal received at one antenna is reradiated at the other antenna. An RF conduit according to another embodiment includes a pair of antenna traces each having first and second end portions and a central portion extending between the first and second end portions, wherein the central portions are positioned relative to each other such that they form a transmission line for RF tunneling therealong between the first ends of the antenna traces and the second ends of the antenna traces and an RF signal received at the first ends is reradiated at the second ends. Additional systems and methods are presented. |
| US08115686B2 |
Handheld device with two antennas, and method of enhancing the isolation between the antennas
The invention relates to a handheld device comprising a first antenna (401, 701, 901, 931, 961, 1101, 1151, 1301, 1501) arranged to operate in at least a first frequency band, and a second antenna (402, 702, 902, 1102, 1302, 1502, 2210) arranged to operate in at least a second frequency band, wherein said second frequency band is different from said first frequency band. According to the invention, the second antenna comprises a slot antenna comprising at least one slot in at least one conductive layer. The invention also relates to enhancement of the isolation between first and second antennas in a handheld device. |
| US08115685B2 |
Flat antenna structure
The invention relates to a flat antenna structure. The flat antenna structure includes a first metal plate, an intermediate layer, a metal ring, and a second metal plate. The intermediate layer has a first hole, and the intermediate layer is installed above and connected to the first metal plate. The metal ring is connected to the first metal plate through the first hole. The second metal plate has a second hole. The second metal plate is connected to the metal ring and the first metal plate. The intermediate layer and the metal ring are wrapped by the first metal plate and the second metal plate. The second metal plate can be electrically connected to the first metal plate via the metal ring, and a resonator is formed between the first metal plate and the second metal plate. A characteristic of the flat antenna can be adjusted by changing the diameters of the first hole and the metal ring. |
| US08115684B2 |
Method of production of an antenna pattern
The present invention relates to a method of production of an antenna pattern having a predetermined general outline, with an ink jet printer, laser activation device or similar device. The device creates the antenna pattern with a plurality of empty inner portions within the general outline. |
| US08115682B2 |
Multi-band HAC compatible antenna module
A multi-band HAC compatible antenna module having a metal shield arranged around the built-in antenna for resonant coupling with the antenna to lower electromagnetic interference and to improves hearing aids compatibility characteristic. When compared with a reference antenna without metal shield, the multi-band HAC compatible antenna module shows 3 dB˜4 dB HAC improvement in GSM850 and GSM900, and 1 dB HAC improvement in DCS and PCS bands. |
| US08115680B2 |
System and methods for direction finding using a handheld device
A system for indicating the relative direction of a target object or location as determined from the current position of a wireless communication device. The system employs Direction of Arrival determination using an antenna array for indicating the direction of a target device and includes facilities to activate a location-indicating transmission in a target device, the ability to request that a location-indicating transmission be activated in a remote target device, relevant information reception from a target device and the display of all potential target devices within effective transmission range of the wireless communication device. |
| US08115677B2 |
Transmitter and receiver-side processing of signals transmitted or received with a smart antenna
For transmitter-side processing of information it is decided in which direction of transmission signals for a receiver are to be transmitted, the direction of transmission being a linear combination of one of a number of antenna directional diagrams corresponding to a first plurality. In a baseband processing section (REC), a number of antenna directional diagram signal sequences (X(1),X(2)), corresponding to the first plurality is determined from a signal sequence (T), determined for the receiver by weighting of the signal sequence (T) for each of the antenna directional diagrams with a coefficient (a(1), a(2)) corresponding to each of the linear combinations. Each antenna directional diagram signal sequence (X(1),X(2)) is transmitted by a dedicated logical connection from the baseband processing section (REC) to a high frequency processing section (RE). A conversion of the first plurality of antenna directional diagram signal sequences (X(1),X(2)) to a number of antenna element analogue signals, corresponding to a second plurality different to the first plurality, is carried out in the frequency processing section (RE). Each antenna element analogue signal is transmitted from one antenna element (A) of a number of antenna elements (A) corresponding to the second plurality. |
| US08115673B1 |
Self-oscillating UWB emitter-detector
A UWB RF detector employs a pulsed self-oscillating mixer (SOM) and an output integrator to provide low-noise preamplification, mixing and sampling. The SOM produces short-burst, microwave self-oscillations that are phase-locked to a clock. The self-oscillations are used for mixing. The SOM can also radiate UWB RF pulses. A one-transistor SOM can simultaneously implement both a UWB emitter and a UWB detector in a radar transceiver. A control loop can stabilize the self-oscillations at nanowatt levels. Nanowatt UWB radars and radios can be realized, thereby opening new spectral bands beyond those formally designated for UWB operation. |
| US08115665B2 |
Method and system for extending operational electronic range of a vehicle
A method and system for extending the electronic operational range of a slow vehicle, such as a ship, by using a remotely controlled unmanned faster vehicle, such as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and by way of example a remotely controlled drone. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for extending the Electronic Warfare (EW) support for a ship. |
| US08115664B2 |
A/D conversion device
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is an A/D conversion device including: a sample-and-hold circuit that holds an analog input voltage; a sequential conversion register that stores a digital value corresponding to a threshold; a D/A converter that generates an analog voltage corresponding to the digital value stored in the sequential conversion register; a comparator that compares an analog voltage output from the sample-and-hold circuit with an analog voltage obtained from the D/A converter, and outputs a comparison result; a comparison result counter that outputs a determination result according to a count number counted based on the comparison result; and a control circuit that performs control for switching from the comparator function to the A/D conversion function, based on the determination result. During operation of the A/D conversion function, the sequential conversion register sequentially converts the analog voltage held in the sample-and-hold circuit into a digital value. |
| US08115662B2 |
Sampler linearity by simultaneous derivative sampling
A circuit for improved sampler linearity, in an analog to digital converter, by taking simultaneous analog samples of an input signal V(t) and its derivative, dV/dt. The correction can be implemented as a memoryless non-linear model in the analog, digital, or mixed signal domains. Delay elements placed in the clock signal path or main input signal path can provide more precise control over the correction. |
| US08115659B2 |
Method and apparatus for efficient gathering of information in a multicore system
Methods and apparatus for gathering information from processors by using compressive sampling are presented. The invention can monitor multicore processor performance and schedule processor tasks to optimize processor performance. Using compressive sampling minimizes processor-memory bus usage by the performance monitoring function. An embodiment of the invention is a method of gathering information from a processor, the method comprising compressive sampling of information from at least one processor core. The compressive sampling produces compressed information. The processor comprises the at least one processor core, and the at least one processor core is operative to process data. |
| US08115658B2 |
Handheld electronic device providing confirmation of input, and associated method
A letter confirmation system is provided on a handheld electronic device. The letter confirmation provides highlighting of various letters that have been input to the handheld electronic device during a string of member input actuations. The letter confirmation system can additionally provide predictive linguistic elements that would be appropriate next inputs. Various types of highlights can be provided in various combinations to provide various indications to a user. |
| US08115655B2 |
Method and system for monitoring of the temperature of the surface of an aircraft
The invention relates to a method and a system for monitoring the temperature of an aircraft, in which at least one camera connected to a first processing unit, for imaging detection of at least one region of the substantially upwardly-pointing outer surface of the aircraft, detects an images once, several times, or at regular intervals and transmits this to the first processing unit, wherein the light spectrum which may be detected by the camera lies substantially in the infrared range and the first processing unit determines the temperatures of substantially all the pictorially detected locations or has these determined by a downstream signal-processing device, in each case compares the temperature for individual locations with a predetermined maximum design temperature for the relevant location, and if the maximum design temperature is exceeded, generates a warning signal. The warning signal may be used to prevent takeoff of the aircraft, wherein the determined exceeding of the temperature may be checked by checking the measurements by means of a thermographic image of the surface of the aircraft in the cockpit of the aircraft and the prevention of takeoff may be deactivated if necessary. |
| US08115652B2 |
Method and apparatus for vehicle driving guide
A method and an apparatus for vehicle driving guide with lamps are applied to a target road. The apparatus has a traffic condition detection module, multiple indication lamps and a signal control module. The traffic condition detection module obtains a traffic condition. The indication lamps are mounted separately on the target road. The signal control module is electrically connected to the traffic condition detection module and the indication lamps and operates the indication lamps according to a control process based on different traffic conditions. The control process may be in a chase mode that sequentially pulses the indication lamps on with a regulated moving direction of the target road with a pulse interval between turning the indication lamps on to present an impression that the lights are moving at an indicator speed. The impression allows drivers in vehicles on the target road to follow to drive. |
| US08115650B2 |
Radio frequency identification based personnel safety system
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for selectively immobilizing equipment to ensure the safety of a proximate worker. The apparatus comprises an article of clothing wearable by the proximate worker, a sensor and a stopping means for stopping the movement of a portion of the equipment in response to the sensing. The article of clothing has a RFID tag having an antenna distributed about the article so as to substantially surround a worker wearing the article of clothing. The sensor senses the proximity of the RFID tag to a portion of the equipment. The method comprises sensing the proximity of the RFID tag to a portion of the equipment and stopping the movement of a portion of the equipment in response to the sensing. |
| US08115645B2 |
Thermal detection system and detection method thereof
A thermal detection method comprises steps of providing a rotation device, disposing a thermal sensor on the rotation device, rotating the rotation device, and using the thermal sensor to detect a temperature of an object without contacting the object. A thermal detecting system comprises a rotation device and a thermal sensor disposed on the rotation device for detecting a temperature of an object without contacting the object. |
| US08115642B2 |
Traveling invisible electronic containment perimeter—method and apparatus
This invention teaches a method and apparatus that combines GPS, map overlays, a means to draw containment perimeters directly over map overlays, and a means to transmit signals to any plurality of electronic stimulus control collars to contain humans or animals within each containment perimeter. A primary aspiration of this invention is to provide hunters with a means to effortlessly operate functions of an animal stimulus collar while hunting. Novel features include a means to specify a containment perimeter that travels with the hunter by drawing the same on a on a touch sensitive graphic user interface that displays a map of the local area. This invention is easy to use and readily accepts new perimeters, perimeter alterations, or a multiple of perimeters at will. |
| US08115640B2 |
Implantable medical device alert management
Exemplary systems and methods for automatically managing implantable medical device (IMD) related alerts are described. One method receives implantable medical device-related alerts. The method automatically manages the implantable medical device alerts by parsing the alerts through a set of predefined parameters. |
| US08115636B2 |
RFID tag with a reduced read range
A radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag is provided that comprises an RFID inlay having a read range. The RFID tag also comprises a facestock or substrate affixed to the RFID inlay. The RFID tag further comprises a radio frequency (RF) altering material affixed to the facestock or substrate that is configured to permanently reduce the read range of the RFID inlay. |
| US08115635B2 |
RF tag on test strips, test strip vials and boxes
A glucose monitoring system, includes a glucose sensor strip or package of strips. The strip includes a substrate and a glucose monitoring circuit that has electrodes and a bodily fluid application portion of selected chemical composition. An antenna is integrated with the glucose sensor strip. A RFID sensor chip is coupled with the glucose sensor strip and the antenna. The chip has a memory containing digitally-encoded data representing calibration and/or expiration date information for the strip. |
| US08115634B2 |
System and method for detecting access to an article or opening of a package
A system for detecting access to an article, including an RFID tag, a reader detecting the RFID tag via wireless communication, and a container including conductive material. The container encloses the article, the conductive material surrounding the RFID tag and substantially preventing wireless communication between the RFID tag and the reader unless the container is opened. Detection of the RFID tag indicates that the container has been opened and the article has been accessed. A host computer may be notified of the detection and may receive from the RFID tag information associated with the article for inventory and accounting purposes. |
| US08115628B2 |
Dot-tag visibility network architecture
The system employs full transceivers, each having peer-to-peer, client/server, and IP networking capabilities, and covering open-area ranges of up to 100 feet. The system uses Low Frequency for data communications so it can achieve both low cost (less costly than many RF-ID tags) and long battery life (10-15 years). Additionally, since these tags have batteries, static RAM maybe be added at very low cost, as well as sensors, LED's displays etc. The system also employs a sidewinder that communicates to said tag regularly, said sidewinder keeps the IP address of said tag. The system also employs an embedded VPN. The VPN includes a suite of diagnostic tools that run on a laptop. The system also includes a visibility data server that communicates to the sidewinder by the VPN. The data server includes a virtual tag data base, said virtual tag data base updated by the sidewinder. |
| US08115627B2 |
Detection device, particularly for realizing a protection system
The invention relates to a detection device, particularly for realizing a protection system via which, for example, motor-driven injury-relevant systems can be operated in a controlled manner. The aim of the invention is to provide solutions via which advantages result with regard to the detection of injury-relevant situations, particularly the presence of limbs in danger-relevant areas. To this end, according to a first aspect of the invention, a detection system is provided, particularly for realizing a protection system via which, for example, motor-driven injury-relevant systems can be operated in a protected manner, comprising a receiving device for detecting the presence of an object, particularly of a living thing, in an observation area. This detection device comprises a detection element for recording a received event caused by the action of a modulated electrical field. This system is characterized by a launching device that has an emitting element for emitting the modulated electrical field, the receiving device and the transmitting device being configured in such a manner that, based on the transmission behavior of the observation area located, at least in sections, between the receiving element and the emitting element, the presence of the object, particularly the living thing, is detected in the observation area. |
| US08115626B2 |
Occupancy sensing with selective emission
An occupancy sensing system includes a driver to emit energy in a space, and a sensor to detect energy reflected within the space. An electrical load for the space is controlled in response to an occupancy condition determined in response to the detected energy. The driver may be selectively de-energized. In some embodiments, the driver may be de-energized during all or a portion of an unoccupied period. In other embodiments, the driver may be de-energized during all or a portion of an occupied period. In some further embodiments, the driver may be de-energized in response to detecting other sources of the type of energy emitted by the driver. |
| US08115625B2 |
Parental alert and child tracking device which determines if a child has deviated from a predicated travel route
A system is provided including a first detection unit detecting a position of a first terminal, a second detection unit detecting a position of a second terminal, and a notification area determination unit determining a notification area based on the detected position of the second terminal, wherein, within the notification area, position information regarding the position of the first terminal is not notified. The system also includes a first route prediction unit predicting a route from a position of the first terminal to the notification area, a time calculation unit calculating a time period required for arriving at the notification area when the first terminal travels along the predicted route, and a notification unit permitting the notification when the first terminal does not arrive at the notification area after the time period elapses from the current time, and suppressing the notification while the time period does not elapse. |
| US08115623B1 |
Method and system for hand basket theft detection
A method for using electronic product identification devices to track the location and movement of plastic hand baskets in a food store or other retail store, to sound an audible alarm, to activate an alarm condition in a video surveillance system, alert store security, and send tag information (basket ID and contents thereof) and video clip to store security, and law enforcement if desired this method and system is designed to promote a major deterrence to theft of store items in a portable hand carried basket, and in the case of theft, to provide notification and video clip to security personnel and to any law enforcement office. |
| US08115621B2 |
Device for tracking the movement of individuals or objects
A tracking device for tracking an individual or object includes a housing configured to house components for tracking an individual or object. The housing has a first part and a second part. The first and second parts are configured to be joined together to form a waterproof housing. |
| US08115617B2 |
Alarm reordering to handle alarm storms in large networks
In one embodiment, a sensor device in a network detects an alarm condition. The sensor device generates an alarm message based on the detected alarm condition and waits for a delay whose length is inversely proportional to a distance between the sensor device and a downstream destination device for which the alarm message is destined. During the delay, the sensor device receives one or more additional alarm messages from one or more upstream sensor devices. The sensor device coalesces the one or more received alarm messages from the one or more upstream sensor devices with the alarm message generated at the sensor device, to form a coalesced alarm message, and transmits the coalesced alarm message downstream towards the downstream destination device, after expiration of the delay. |
| US08115616B2 |
Garage door alert employing a global positioning system
Methods and systems are provided for alerting a vehicle driver that an automatic garage door has been left open. The system includes an onboard transmitter for activating the automatic garage door; a GPS receiver; an alert device; and an onboard processor. The onboard processor is coupled to the onboard transmitter, the GPS receiver, and to the alert device. The onboard processor is configured to monitor a distance between the vehicle and the predetermined location. The onboard processor activates the alert device if the distance exceeds a predetermined distance. |
| US08115605B2 |
Power line communications device in which physical communications protocol layer operation is dynamically selectable
A power line communications PLC transmitter and receiver device includes a physical communications protocol layer that provides for dynamic selection of a communications signal transmission operating mode from a plurality of such modes, where each has a corresponding transmission data structure that is based on characteristics of the electric power distribution network to which the PLC device is to be coupled and also the communications protocol profile requirements for the network. |
| US08115604B2 |
Reader control system
An RFID reader control system and method is provided. A protocol for controlling an RFID reader and an RFID reader control unit of a mobile phone is defined. Messages, information, commands, responses, and notification are constructed and transmitted between the RFID reader and the RFID reader control unit. |
| US08115603B2 |
Method for identifying multiple moving tags with multiple readers
Disclosed is a method for identifying a plurality of moving tags by using a plurality of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers. The technology of the present invention efficiently identifies multiple moving tags to thereby improve the identification rate and reading speed of an RFID system and increase the throughput of the RFID system. The method for identifying a plurality of moving tags by using a plurality of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers includes the steps of: a) grouping the multiple tags into a predetermined number of tag groups; b) allocating the tag groups to the RFID readers respectively; and c) identifying tags of each allocated tag group in each RFID reader. |
| US08115601B2 |
Control device, RFID tag reading system and RFID tag reader
It is an object of the present invention to avoid communication congestion and collision by effectively assigning a unit radio channel for transmission and reception to RFID tag readers using the same unit radio channel group. Herein disclosed is an RFID tag reading system for reading an RFID tag using a reader/writer used in a low-output RFID tag reading system capable of using channels 1 to 9 available for a reader/writer used in a high-output RFID reading system and channels 10 to 14 not available for a reader/writer used in the high-output RFID tag reading system. The RFID tag reading system receives an RSSI indicative of a received radiowave strength on each of unit radio channels measured by the reader/writers, and assigns channels 1 to 14 preferentially to channels 1 to 9 based on the RSSI. |
| US08115597B1 |
RFID tags with synchronous power rectifier
The present disclosure provides a power rectifier for a Radio Frequency Identification tag circuit. The rectifier is constructed from a pair of complementary MOS transistors. Gates of the transistors have predetermined voltages applied to them. The applied voltages bias the transistors to near their active operating region. During the same time additional control signals are applied to the gates of the transistors, the control signals are synchronous, but out of phase, with each other. |
| US08115595B2 |
Reader control system
An RFID reader control system and method is provided. A protocol for controlling an RFID reader and an RFID reader control unit of a mobile phone is defined. Messages, information, commands, responses, and notification are constructed and transmitted between the RFID reader and the RFID reader control unit. |
| US08115592B2 |
System for submitting alert notices to mobile communication devices
A system for submitting alert notices to mobile communication devices is disclosed. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a mobile communication device (MCD) having a controller element that transmits to an alert generation system (AGS) a location coordinate in order for the AGS to submit an alert notice to the MCD when the MCD is in proximity to an alert condition. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08115587B2 |
NTC thermistor ceramic, method for producing NTC thermistor ceramic, and NTC thermistor
A ceramic main body 1 is composed of a (Mn,Ni)3O4- or (Mn,Co)3O4-based ceramic material. A first phase has a spinel structure. A second phase is formed of high-resistance plate crystals. The second phase is present in the first phase in a dispersed state. A heated pathway having a predetermined pattern is formed on a surface of the ceramic main body by the application of heat by laser irradiation. In the heated pathway, the second phase disappears and is crystallographically equivalent to the first phase. The plate crystals of the second phase precipitate at 800° C. or lower in the cooling substep during firing. The formation of the heated pathway facilitates the adjustment of the resistance of an NTC thermistor. Thereby, provided are an NTC thermistor ceramic with a resistance that can be easily adjusted to a lower value even after sintering, a method for producing the NTC thermistor ceramic, and an NTC thermistor. |
| US08115583B2 |
Generation of multipolar electromagnetic energy
A method and system of generating multipolar electromagnetic energy from bipolar electromagnetic energy, comprising supplying bipolar electromagnetic energy to plural cascades in a bipolar electromagnetic circuit such that at least a portion of said bipolar energy is converted into multipolar energy therein and separating said multipolar energy from other forms of energy produced by said circuit. |
| US08115581B2 |
Techniques for producing an electrical pulse
Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus, comprising a field emission source having polarities and positions in accordance with a code, a plurality of connected coils adapted to move proximate to said field emission source and having positions in accordance with said code, and wherein an electrical pulse is created when said field emission source is aligned with said plurality of connected coils according to said code. |
| US08115580B2 |
Magnetic field adjusting device
A magnetic field adjusting device includes a pair of opposing pole plates mounted on respective magnetic field generating sources, forming a magnetic field space; a plurality of shimming plugs movably mounted at the periphery of the pole plates, with each shimming plug being mounted in a radially oriented retaining groove, so as to be moveable in the direction of the retaining groove. Additionally, or alternatively, the circumferences of the magnetic field generating sources are arranged with adjusting bars which can move perpendicular to the pole plates. |
| US08115578B2 |
Relay
An electromechanical relay includes a case and a relay module, in which the case has terminals to enable a connection into the circuit to be protected and connectors which cooperate with complementary connectors on the relay module to enable the relay to readily be connected to the external circuit. The relay also has an arrangement in which the fixed contacts are directly associated with the connectors on the module and the movable contacts are associated therewith, and can be provided as either normally open or normally closed contacts. |
| US08115577B2 |
Electromechanical switch, filter using the same, and communication apparatus
An electromechanical switch includes a first beam, a second beam arranged in parallel with the first beam and connected to the first beam through a connecting portion, a first electrode formed so as to have a first gap with respect to the first beam, a voltage applying portion which applies a voltage between the first beam and the first electrode, and a second electrode formed so as to have a second gap with respect to the second beam. The second gap is greater than the first gap. The first beam is displaced when the voltage applying portion applies the voltage between the first beam and the first electrode, so that switching between the second beam and the second electrode is performed in a state that the first beam is not electrically connected to the first electrode. |
| US08115575B2 |
Active inductor for ASIC application
An apparatus and method for manufacturing low-cost high-density compact active inductor module using existing DRAM, SRAM and logic process integration. The elements of the active inductor modules are formed by three semiconductor devices including nMOS devices, deep-trench capacitors and a polysilicon or TaN resistor. The active inductor modules can be connected in a parallel and/or serial configuration to obtain a wide range of inductance values. The modular active inductors can be advantageously stored in an ASIC library to facilitate a flexible and convenient circuit design. |
| US08115574B2 |
Low pass filter with embedded resonator
An embedded resonator sharpens the frequency characteristics of a coaxial low pass filter. The resonator introduces finite transmission zeros to the response of the low pass filter, thereby suppressing spurious modes occurring just above the operating frequency. Two parameters are used to tune the operation of the embedded resonator. The length of an insert into the filter's transmission line substantially controls the resonant frequency, and the gap width substantially controls the coupling of the embedded resonator to the low pass filter. |
| US08115573B2 |
Resonance frequency tunable MEMS device
System and method for a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) is disclosed. A preferred embodiment comprises a first anchor region, a vibrating MEMS structure fixed to the first anchor region, a first electrode adjacent the vibrating MEMS structure, a second electrode adjacent the vibrating MEMS structure wherein the vibrating MEMS structure is arranged between the first and the second electrode. |
| US08115571B2 |
Harmonic filter
A Passive harmonic filter (F) has an input node (B) for connection to a power supply (1), an output node (C) for connection to a load (15, 17) and an intermediate node (A). A first branch (3, 4) located between the input node (B) and the intermediate node (A) has at least one first inductance (4). A second branch (11, 13) located between the intermediate node (A) and the output node (C) has at least one second inductance (11). A third branch (5, 7, 9) is connected to the intermediate node (A) and has at least one capacitor (9). The first, second and third branch thus build a low-pass T-filter. A damping branch (22, 24) is provided having at least one first resistor (22), where the damping branch is arranged in parallel to the first branch. |
| US08115566B2 |
Integrated front-end passive equalizer and method thereof
A passive equalizer circuit incorporated at a front-end of an integrated receiver circuit uses passive components that are distributed between inside and outside of an integrated circuit package. The passive equalizer circuit has off-chip components that are placed on a printed circuit board and on-chip components that are fabricated on a common integrated circuit die as a receiver chip. The on-chip components include one or more variable resistors for adjusting a degree of equalization. The off-chip components include one or more resistors for fine tuning input impedance matching of the integrated receiver circuit. |
| US08115563B2 |
Pulse width modulation circuit and voltage-feedback class-D amplifier circuit
The frequency characteristic of a voltage-feedback class-D amplifier circuit for driving an output load is improved. A triangular-wave correction circuit which compensates a gradient of a triangular wave is provided to a triangular-wave signal generator which supplies a triangular wave signal used as a PWM carrier to a comparison circuit for performing PWM modulation of an input signal. In an area where a duty of a command value for an output circuit drive becomes about 50%, a slew rate (gradient) of the triangular wave is decreased. |
| US08115561B2 |
Lamb-wave resonator and oscillator
A Lamb-wave resonator includes: a piezoelectric substrate; an IDT electrode disposed on one principal surface of the piezoelectric substrate, having bus bar electrodes each connecting one ends of a plurality of electrode finger elements, the other ends of the plurality of electrode finger elements being interdigitated with each other to form an apposition area; and a pair of reflectors disposed on the one principal surface of the piezoelectric substrate, and respectively arranged on both sides of the IDT electrode in a propagation direction of a Lamb wave, wherein denoting a thickness of the piezoelectric substrate in the apposition area of the electrode finger elements as ti, a thickness of the piezoelectric substrate in areas between respective ends of the apposition area in a direction perpendicular to the propagation direction of the Lamb wave and the bus bar electrodes as tg, and a wavelength of the Lamb wave as λ, the thickness ti exists in a range represented by 0 |
| US08115553B1 |
High linearity, low noise, wide bandwidth amplifier/buffer
A radio frequency wide band amplifier having a noise that does not exceed a threshold value, and a linearity better than a threshold value. The radio frequency wide band amplifier architecture includes a first stage amplifier and a second stage amplifier. The second stage amplifier includes an input source resistor (Rin) that receives an input voltage signal, a feedback resistor (Rfb) directly connected to the input source resistor, a p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) transistor directly connected to the input source resistor. The PMOS transistor receives an output from the input source resistor. A n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) transistor directly connected to the input source resistor. The NMOS transistor receives an output from the input source resistor. A lumped output resistor (Rout) that receives an output from the feedback resistor, the PMOS transistor, and the NMOS transistor. A terminal of the lumped output impedance is connected to ground. |
| US08115551B2 |
Amplifying device and its control method
An amplifying device comprises a first amplifying unit (91-97) capable of changing its gain in a stepwise manner, a second amplifying unit 99 cascade-connected to the first amplifying unit (91-97), the second amplifying unit being capable of changing its gain in a stepwise manner, and a gain controller 100 controls the gain setting of the first amplifying 91-97 unit and the second amplifying unit 99. The first amplifying unit has a gain variable range necessary to amplifying the input signal to the prescribed desired level. The second amplifying unit has a gain variable range narrower than that of the first amplifying unit. When the gain controller changes the gain setting, the gain controller uses the second amplifying unit preferentially over the first amplifying unit. |
| US08115550B2 |
Transmitter
A transmitter for supplying a large current upon phase change of an output voltage is disclosed. The transmitter includes a first amplifying unit including a first amplifier including first NMOS and PMOS transistors connected by a common source thereof, and a second amplifier including a second PMOS and NMOS transistors connected by a common drain thereof while being connected with the first amplifier in parallel, a second amplifying unit including a third amplifier including third NMOS and PMOS transistors connected by a common source thereof, and a fourth amplifier including fourth PMOS and NMOS transistors connected by a common drain thereof while being connected with the third amplifier in parallel, and differential output nodes including a positive node connected to an output stage of the first amplifying unit, to which the common source of the first amplifier and the common drain of the second amplifier are connected, and a negative node connected to an output stage of the second amplifying unit, to which the common source of the third amplifier and the common drain of the fourth amplifier are connected. |
| US08115549B2 |
Amplifier circuit and radio receiver
A feedback resistor is connected between an input terminal and an output terminal of an operational amplifier. A negative resistor is connected between an inverting input terminal and a non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier. |
| US08115544B2 |
Amplifier circuit and integrated circuit therefor
An amplifier circuit on a single die comprises a low voltage amplifier with a first common mode voltage and having an input and an output. A power amplifier has a second common mode voltage whose input is operably coupled to an output of the low voltage amplifier. The first common mode voltage and second common mode voltage are unequal. A compensation circuit is operably coupled to an input of the power amplifier and arranged to inject a DC-current or apply a common mode voltage into the power amplifier that is representative of a difference between the first common mode voltage and the second common mode voltage. |
| US08115542B2 |
Variable frequency class-D amplifier, control method thereof, and ramp generator therefor
A class-D amplifier includes a ramp generator to provide a ramp signal having a frequency varying with an audio input signal, and a modulator to convert the audio input signal to a pulse width modulation signal according to the ramp signal for a driver to drive a load device. The varying frequency of the ramp signal will cause the frequency of the pulse width modulation signal unfixed and consequently improves EMI issue. |
| US08115539B2 |
Operational amplifier
Provided is an operational amplifier capable of correcting an offset voltage of an element to be connected to an input terminal. The operational amplifier includes a main amplifier and an offset correction amplifier, which include input terminals connected in common. The main amplifier includes: a first transconductance amplifier for measurement; a second transconductance amplifier for offset correction; and a first capacitor connected to an input terminal of the second transconductance amplifier. The offset correction amplifier includes: a third transconductance amplifier for measurement; a fourth transconductance amplifier for offset correction; and a second capacitor connected to one input terminal of the fourth transconductance amplifier. An offset voltage adjustment circuit is provided to another input terminal of the fourth transconductance amplifier included in the offset correction amplifier. |
| US08115532B2 |
Linear monotonic delay chain circuit
A method and circuit for generating an adjustable delay signal is presented, wherein the delay can be linear and monotonic with high resolution delay steps. The circuit utilizes one or more serially coupled delay cells and a load cell. Each delay cell comprises an inverter, a nor-multiplexer, and a programmable capacitor, wherein a first control signal is used to control the operation of the nor-multiplexer and a second control signal is used to control capacitance of the programmable capacitor. Values of the first and the second control signals are selected based on any desired range of total delay time and any desired delay time for a specific application of the circuit. |
| US08115531B1 |
D flip-flop having enhanced immunity to single-event upsets and method of operation thereof
A D flip-flop (DFF), a method of operating a DFF, a latch and a library of standard logic elements including standard logic elements corresponding to a DFF and a latch. In one embodiment, the DFF has a data input and a data output and includes: (1) a master stage passgate coupled to the data input, (2) a master stage coupled to the master stage passgate and having a hysteresis inverter with feedback transistors of opposite conductivity, (3) a slave stage passgate coupled to the master stage and (4) a slave stage coupled between the slave stage passgate and the data output and having a hysteresis inverter with feedback transistors of opposite conductivity. |
| US08115530B2 |
Robust time borrowing pulse latches
Configurable time-borrowing flip-flops may be based on configurable pulse generation circuitry and pulse latches. The circuitry may use a self-timed architecture that controls the width of clock pulses that are generated so that the pulse latches that are controlled by the clock pulses exhibit a reduced risk of race through conditions. Latch circuitry may be provided that is based on a pulse latch and an additional latch connected in series with the pulse latch. In situations in which there is a potential for race through conditions on an integrated circuit, the additional latch may be switched into use to convert the latch circuitry into an edge-triggered flip flop. Clock trees may be provide with configurable shorting structures that help to reduce clock skew. Low-contention clock drivers may drive signals onto the clock tree paths. |
| US08115529B2 |
Device and control method of device
A frequency divider section generates a frequency-divided clock RSELO by dividing the frequency of an internal clock LCLK, which lags behind an external clock in phase, and generates a delayed frequency-divided clock RSELI by delaying the frequency-divided clock RSELO. A signal input from the outside in synchronization with an internal clock PCLK which lags behind the external clock in phase is held in a latch circuit in synchronization with the delayed frequency-divided clock RSELI. Then, an output signal of the latch circuit is read into a latch circuit in synchronization with the frequency-divided clock RSELO and is output as a signal which is synchronized with the internal clock LCLK. In addition, a frequency divider section includes a variable divider which divides the frequency of the internal clock LCLK by a predetermined divide ratio which can be changed. |
| US08115527B2 |
PLL apparatus
There is provided an art to prevent an unstable operation due to temperature in a PLL apparatus in which a proper range of an amplitude level of an external reference frequency signal is specified and a control voltage is supplied to a voltage-controlled oscillator according to whether the amplitude level falls within the proper range or not. The PLL apparatus includes: a switching unit switching a signal that is to be supplied to a control voltage output unit between a signal of a phase comparison unit and a preset signal of a preset signal output unit; a protection circuit provided between a signal path of a reference frequency signal and a ground and having diodes that are connected in inverse parallel in order to regulate an amplitude level of the reference frequency signal; a temperature detection unit detecting an atmospheric temperature of the protection circuit; and a level detection unit detecting the amplitude level of the external reference frequency signal, and threshold values as references for the switching are set according to the detected temperature, thereby coping with a change in the amplitude level due to a temperature characteristic of the diodes. |
| US08115518B1 |
Integrated circuit for reducing nonlinearity in sampling networks
An integrated circuit allows for the correction of distortion at an input of a sampling network. The integrated circuit contains a first bootstrap circuit to drive a sampling network transistor and a second bootstrap circuit to separate the back-gate terminal of the transistor from a voltage input by a resistance inserted in series. The presence of the inserted resistance counteracts the effect of the nonlinear back-gate capacitance on the distortion at the input. |
| US08115512B1 |
Method and apparatus for dynamically aligning high-speed signals in an integrated circuit
A method and apparatus for dynamically aligning high-speed signals in an integrated circuit are disclosed. For example, an integrated circuit according to one embodiment includes a logic fabric and at least one input/output interface coupled to the logic fabric. The input/output interface includes a plurality of input/output sites and an edge detector coupled to the plurality of input/output sites for detecting an edge in an input signal received by the integrated circuit. A plurality of delay lines are used to determine whether the input signal arrives too early or too late compared to a clock signal in the integrated circuit, and delays in the delay lines are adjusted to align the input signal with the clock signal in the integrated circuit. |
| US08115510B2 |
Configuration network for an IC
Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable integrated circuit (IC) that includes several configurable circuits grouped in several tiles. The configurable IC also includes a configuration network for loading configuration data into the IC, where the configuration data is for configuring several of the configurable circuit. In some embodiments, the configuration network includes several registers at several boundaries between the tiles, where the registers allow multiple configuration data sets to be routed to multiple tiles concurrently. The configuration network in some embodiments includes several address counters at several tiles, where each address counter allows one address to be loaded for a tile and then to be successively incremented based on increment instructions sent over the configuration network. At least, two different addresses specified by an address counter of a particular tile identify two different resources within the particular tile. |
| US08115509B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit for reducing crosstalk
A chip is provided with a specific signal wire and two adjacent signal wires. Output signals based on a specific signal and two adjacent signals are transmitted to the specific signal wire and the two adjacent signal wires respectively. An adjustment coefficient is stored in a memory. The adjustment coefficient is used for reducing an occurrence amount of crosstalk arising between the specific signal wire and the two adjacent signal wires. An adjustment quantity calculation portion calculates an adjustment quantity representing a degree of decrease of a slew rate of the specific signal, based on the adjustment coefficient, the specific signal and the two adjacent signals. A driver adjusts the slew rate of the specific signal based on the adjustment quantity and to transmit one of the output signals corresponding to the specific signal. |
| US08115505B2 |
Differential signaling system and flat panel display with the same
A differential signaling system, wherein a first wiring and a second wiring are coupled between a sending end and a receiving end as a differential signal line. A termination resistor is coupled between the first wiring and the second wiring in the receiving end side. A test circuit is coupled to the termination resistor in parallel, and amplifies and detects a variation of a differential impedance due to the differential signal line. The test circuit includes: a differential test amplifier for amplifying a variation in the differential impedance of the first wiring or the second wiring; a switching unit installed at an input terminal of the differential test amplifier for controlling an operation of the differential test amplifier; and a peak detector for converting an output signal of the differential test amplifier into a direct current component. |
| US08115504B2 |
Microspring array having reduced pitch contact elements
Embodiments of microspring arrays and methods for fabricating and using same are provided herein. In some embodiments, a microspring array may include at least two lithographically formed resilient contact elements, each resilient contact element having a beam and a tip for contacting a device to be tested, wherein the beams extend in substantially the same direction relative to a first end of the beams, and wherein the ends of the at least two beams are separated by a distance defining a central region and wherein the respective tips of the at least two beams extend away from the beams in a non-zero, non-perpendicular direction into the central region. |
| US08115499B2 |
Device with proximity detection capability
The electrical equivalent of a relatively large area proximity detection capability is provided in a space limited electronic device (20, 30) with many individual input electrodes (24, 34, 44) by dynamically coupling parallel groups of the individual electrodes (24, 34, 44) and applying a proximity and/or contact test thereto. The parallel grouped electrodes act like a single large electrode and permit proximity detection at greater distances and with greater sensitivity. A multiplexer (74) automatically couples individual input electrodes (23, 24, 44) and then parallel grouped electrodes to the proximity (or contact) sensor(s) (46, 66), so that they are scanned and sensed individually and collectively in a time less than human reaction time, whereby the proximity sense function appears as if provided by a separate large area electrode. Proximity spatial detection accuracy is increased by using some of the electrodes (24, 34, 44) as driven shields to remove positional ambiguity. |
| US08115491B2 |
Providing a tow cable having plural electromagnetic receivers and one or more electromagnetic sources
To perform marine electromagnetic (EM) surveying of a subterranean structure, a marine cable system is provided including a tow cable, a plurality of electromagnetic (EM) sources coupled to the tow cable, and a plurality of EM receivers coupled to the tow cable. The system is configured for deployment in a body of water to perform marine EM surveying of a subterranean structure. |
| US08115489B2 |
Detector for detecting a current carrying conductor and a method of validating operation of the detector
A detector for detecting a buried conductor comprises a plurality of antennas B, T. Each antenna B, T has a winding wound around the antenna, the winding being connected to a current source for providing a predefined current in the winding. When the predefined current is applied to the winding an electromagnetic field is generated at the antenna which induces a test current in the antenna. The test current is compared to calibration data stored in the detector to validate the correct operation of the detector. |
| US08115486B2 |
Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and radio frequency pulse waveform generating method
An MRI apparatus comprises a waveform controlling means for calculating a radio frequency pulse and applying the pulse to an irradiating means, and the waveform controlling means reads out a radio frequency pulse waveform vector from a first memory means which memorizes multiple radio frequency pulse waveform vectors, calculates a simulated irradiation pattern, and calculates a radio frequency pulse waveform which gives the minimum value of weighted sum of squares of differences of absolute values and squares of differences of phases for an ideal irradiation pattern and the simulated irradiation pattern. An RF pulse waveform showing superior ideal irradiation pattern reproducibility and providing reduced power of the RF waveform is formed, and safety of MRI subject is improved by performing imaging using such an RF pulse. |
| US08115483B2 |
Method and device for field quality testing of a magnetic resonance antenna
In a method and device for field quality testing of a magnetic resonance antenna arrangement of a magnetic resonance system composed of multiple antenna elements, a test signal is fed into the respective antenna elements by a transmission antenna and the test signal, or a noise signal that occurs with no signal fed to the respective antenna elements, is determined at a receiver unit for each of at least some of the individual antenna elements. The noise received noise signals and/or test signals are analyzed with regard to specific characteristic data and a quality state of the magnetic resonance antenna arrangement is determined based thereon. |
| US08115482B2 |
Magnetic resonance anatomical image generating method and system
In a method to generate an anatomical image of an examination area with a magnetic resonance apparatus as well as computer program and magnetic resonance apparatus for implementation of the method, at least one image data set of the examination area and a parameter value map are loaded. The at least one loaded image data set and the loaded parameter value map are processed into an anatomical image. The processing includes a weighting of elements of the at least one image data set with a weighting factor. The weighting factor depends on a parameter value of the parameter value map corresponding to the respective element of the image data set. The generated weighted anatomical image is displayed and/or stored. |
| US08115478B2 |
Device and method for measuring concentration of magnetic material
A device for measuring a concentration of magnetic material has exciting coils 11a and an output coil 11b which generates exciting voltage when alternating current flows through the exciting coils 11a. Measurement means 6 is provided to measure variation in phase difference between voltages of the exciting and output coils 11a and 11b, so that a concentration of magnetic material is measured with high accuracy from variation in phase difference when a test object is caused to approach the exciting coil 11a or/and the output coil 11b. A minute concentration of magnetic material in the fluid is continuously measured. |
| US08115471B2 |
Methods for measurement and characterization of interferometric modulators
Various methods are described to characterize interferometric modulators or similar devices. Measured voltages across interferometric modulators may be used to characterize transition voltages of the interferometric modulators. Measured currents may be analyzed by integration of measured current to provide an indication of a dynamic response of the interferometric modulator. Frequency analysis may be used to provide an indication of a hysteresis window of the interferometric modulator or mechanical properties of the interferometric modulator. Capacitance may be determined through signal correlation, and spread-spectrum analysis may be used to minimize the effect of noise or interference on measurements of various interferometric modulator parameters. |
| US08115453B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing energy in plural energy storage units
A system for managing energy stored in a plurality of series connected energy storage units has a plurality of energy storage unit controllers, each controller being associated with one of the plurality of energy storage units, a balancing circuit between two of the energy storage units, the balancing circuit being controlled by at least one of the energy storage unit controllers, a serial electrical interface between the energy storage unit controllers for providing voltage isolated bi-directional communication, and a central controller in electrical communication with the energy storage unit controllers. A method for managing charge in a plurality of series connected energy storage units forming an energy storage device includes monitoring a current supplied to the energy storage device, determining at least one of a charging rate and a capacity of a first energy storage unit and a second energy storage unit in the energy storage device, and diverting current from the first energy storage unit to the second energy storage unit in response to the steps of monitoring and determining. |
| US08115451B2 |
Multiple device charging station with user friendly configurable mount
A power supply for charging multiple devices that can be adapted to receive and charge practically any type of portable electronic device includes a base that receives an AC wall voltage and converts the wall voltage to DC voltage. The base includes at least two docking cavities that can simultaneously, physically and electrically couple the base to two portable electronic devices such that the devices are supported by the dock while they are being charged. The devices are supported so that there displays are visible and their controls are accessible. Adapters can also be inserted into the docking cavities to reconfigure the cavity to physically support a different type of device. |
| US08115450B2 |
Thermally managed battery enclosure for electric and hybrid electric vehicles
A thermally managed enclosure for batteries in a motor vehicle or other machinery includes a cradle of thermally conductive material for containing a battery. The cradle having a bottom wall and side walls closely fitted to and in contact with the battery, to maintain the battery in a stable position. The bottom wall of the cradle has a passageway trough containing a tube for flowing heating or cooling fluid therethrough, to control the optimal operating temperature of the battery. The passageway trough is preferably filled with a thermally conductive fill surrounding said tube. When two or more batteries are required, an array of adjacent cradles are provided in a monocoque tray formed by bonding or welding the multiple cradles at their adjacent sides. These cradles are optionally connected by linearly extending rods in the cradles. |
| US08115449B2 |
Wireless power charging system
A non-contact power charging system includes a wireless power transmission apparatus 10 for transmitting a power signal from a primary core 14 via a resonant converter 13 by the control of a transmission control unit 12; and a wireless power receiving apparatus 20 for receiving the power signal transmitted from the primary core 14 of the wireless power transmission apparatus 10 via a secondary core 24 and charging a battery cell 21 by the control of a receiving control unit 22. The wireless power receiving apparatus 20 includes a receiving shield panel 25 and an eddy current reducing member 26 in the side of the secondary core 24 to shield an electromagnetic field generated from the secondary core 24, to thereby protect the charging system and the battery pack from the electromagnetic field. |
| US08115445B2 |
Operation control method and operation control apparatus for variable speed generator-motor
An excitation device supplies a three-phase AC excitation current to a variable speed generator-motor, and controls the variable speed generator-motor based on a three-phase AC excitation current command value obtained by vector-synthesizing, based on a slip phase from an exciting phase detector, a torque direction excitation current command value from a power adjustment computing device, and a magnetic flux direction excitation current command value from a voltage adjustment computing device by an excitation current adjustment computing device. The variable speed generator-motor includes a power fluctuation suppression circuit that causes the torque direction excitation current command value fixed to a value before switching to follow a torque direction excitation current command target value calculated from an effective power by a predetermined conversion circuit, filter circuit, and limiter circuit during a synchronous operation in an operation control method for operating to switch a variable speed operation method and a synchronous operation method. |
| US08115443B2 |
PSC motor with 4/6 pole common windings
A PSC motor includes a stator core, a rotor arranged in a rotation relationship with respect to the stator core, a first to eighth winding coil sets wound around the stator core and a capacitor. The motor has two kinds of configurations for 4-pole and 6-pole operation modes, respectively. Both configurations comprise a primary winding and a secondary winding which is connected in series with the capacitor, and have two reversible operation directions. The configurations operate different sets of winding coils when operating in different directions. |
| US08115442B2 |
Electric motor drive system and electric motor control method
An electric motor drive system having current detecting sections for detecting the currents flowing into electric motors, speed variation calculating sections for calculating the speed variation estimating values for the electric motors in accordance with the motor currents detected by the current detecting sections and the current command values for the motors corresponding to the detected currents and a speed uniformizing voltage compensating section for delivering the values that serve to compensate the amplitudes of the voltages applied to the electric motors in such a manner that the speed variation estimating values calculated by the speed variation calculating sections become equal to a predetermined value. |
| US08115440B2 |
Method and apparatus for position-accurate triggering of a machine part
A machine part, such as a laser, is moved along at least one axis of movement relative to a workpiece. Position pulses are generated by means of an incremental encoder, with the number of position pulses in a position pulse train being representative of the movement position of the machine part. A trigger signal for the machine part is generated when the current number of position pulses corresponds to a predefined number of pulses. In a preferred embodiment, the current number of position pulses and the defined number of pulses are compared remote from a higher-level drive control circuit. It is particularly preferred if the current number of position pulses and the defined number of pulses are compared in a comparator which is arranged on an interface card of a computer unit, with the drive control circuit for controlling the movement of the machine part being implemented with a closed loop controller in the form of a controller program, which is cyclically executed by a central processor of the computer unit. |
| US08115439B2 |
System for moving mobile robots in accordance with predetermined algorithm
A system for moving robots in accordance with a predetermined algorithm. The system includes: a surface having a position-coding pattern which identifies the surface; mobile robots for moving across the surface, each robot being configured for sensing and decoding the position-coding pattern; and a computer system in communication with the mobile robots. The computer system is configured to send instructions for moving each mobile robot relative to the surface in response to position information corresponding to that mobile robot. Further, the computer system is configured to determine instructions for moving each mobile robot using a predetermined algorithm. The predetermined algorithm is selected on the basis of the identity of the surface. |
| US08115438B2 |
Aperture closure member control arrangements
An aperture closure member control arrangement includes a disc which rotates as the aperture closure member moves. The disc has a ring of teeth. A sensor, such as a Hall effect sensor and permanent magnet, detect the passage of teeth as a cyclic waveform of amplitude and frequency determined by the spacing of the teeth, and the speed of rotation of the disc. An irregularity in the form of a missing tooth creates an irregularity in the output of the sensor, in the form of a pulse of greater amplitude and lower frequency. Accordingly, pulses from the irregularity can be discriminated and counted to provide a coarse indication of position, or pulses from the teeth can be counted, to provide a fine indication. |
| US08115437B2 |
Torque limit of PM motors for field-weakening region operation
The invention includes a motor controller and technique for controlling a permanent magnet motor. In accordance with one aspect of the present technique, a permanent magnet motor is controlled by receiving a torque command, determining a physical torque limit based on a stator frequency, determining a theoretical torque limit based on a maximum available voltage and motor inductance ratio, and limiting the torque command to the smaller of the physical torque limit and the theoretical torque limit. Receiving the torque command may include normalizing the torque command to obtain a normalized torque command, determining the physical torque limit may include determining a normalized physical torque limit, determining a theoretical torque limit may include determining a normalized theoretical torque limit, and limiting the torque command may include limiting the normalized torque command to the smaller of the normalized physical torque limit and the normalized theoretical torque limit. |
| US08115436B2 |
Motor control apparatus and motor system
In a motor control apparatus, apparatus all switching devices of all phases of an inverter are kept fixed at OFF in accordance with a value of an all-OFF control pulse signal Poff outputted by a pulse generator. The pulse generator generates at least twice a pulse causing an induced voltage detection signal Pdet to change to an H level. A terminal voltage of a motor is inputted in accordance with the value of the induced voltage detection signal Pdet. Data of the sampling round in which amplitude of the induced voltage signal is great and the signal is not in saturation is selected from the data so inputted and a rotor position is estimated. |
| US08115430B2 |
Methods, systems and apparatus for controlling operation of two alternating current (AC) machines
A system is provided for controlling two AC machines. The system comprises a DC input voltage source that provides a DC input voltage, a voltage boost command control module (VBCCM), a five-phase PWM inverter module coupled to the two AC machines, and a boost converter coupled to the inverter module and the DC input voltage source. The boost converter is designed to supply a new DC input voltage to the inverter module having a value that is greater than or equal to a value of the DC input voltage. The VBCCM generates a boost command signal (BCS) based on modulation indexes from the two AC machines. The BCS controls the boost converter such that the boost converter generates the new DC input voltage in response to the BCS. When the two AC machines require additional voltage that exceeds the DC input voltage required to meet a combined target mechanical power required by the two AC machines, the BCS controls the boost converter to drive the new DC input voltage generated by the boost converter to a value greater than the DC input voltage. |
| US08115429B2 |
Motor control apparatus and electric power steering system
If the magnitude of a command voltage vector is greater than a predetermined voltage value indicated by a voltage limit circle, the magnitude of a voltage vector, which corresponds to a q-axis current and which forms the command voltage vector, is adjusted so that the magnitude of the command voltage vector is equal to or less than the predetermined voltage value. Then a q-axis current estimated value is obtained based on i) the ratio of the magnitude of the voltage vector from the q-axis current after adjustment to the magnitude of the voltage vector from the q-axis current before adjustment, and ii) a q-axis current command value. |
| US08115425B2 |
Driving apparatus, industrial instrument, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method
A driving apparatus electrically drives first and second components built in an industrial instrument. The first component drives a first element, and the second component drives a second element at a velocity higher than that of the first component. The driving apparatus includes a housing including a supply inlet and an exhaust outlet. A fan forms an air current so that air is taken into the housing through the supply inlet and is exhausted from inside the housing through the exhaust outlet. A driving circuit block is accommodated in the housing so as to be cooled by the air current, and includes a first driving circuit to electrically drive the first component, and a second driving circuit to electrically drive the second component. The second driving circuit is inserted upstream of the first driving circuit along the air current in the housing. A cooling unit regulates a temperature of the air exhausted from inside the housing through the exhaust outlet so as to decrease a temperature difference between the air taken into the housing through the supply inlet and the air exhausted from inside the housing through the exhaust outlet. |
| US08115418B2 |
Method and device for driving light-emitting diodes of an illumination device
A method for driving series-connected light-emitting diodes of an illumination device, in particular an illumination device for film, video and photographic recordings with a pulse-width-modulation of the light-emitting diode current, is provided. In the method the pulse-width-modulated light-emitting diode current is detected and a current sensor signal is derived and fed to a microprocessor, which outputs a drive signal for the pulse-width-modulation and for the setting of the light-emitting diode voltage applied to the light-emitting diodes, depending on the detected current sensor signal. The current-time integral of the pulse-width-modulated light-emitting diode current flowing through the light-emitting diodes is determined and a controllable voltage source for setting the light-emitting diode voltage is driven in such a way that a predetermined pulse-width-modulated light-emitting diode current flows through the light-emitting diodes. |
| US08115416B2 |
Method for generating mixed light colors
A method for avoiding physiological phenomena such as color separation or stroboscopic effects that occur under boundary conditions in the case of intermittent feeding in particular of light-emitting diodes, for additive superposition to form color-locus-variable mixed light, whereby the emission brightness that can be represented by a periodic duty ratio of a pulse-time-modulated constant current feeding—preferably within the respective period—is realized by changeover to other or between different constant current intensities in such a way that a brightness equivalent, namely once again the current-time integral of the predetermined, brightness-determining duty ratio, arises in the current area sum, which now preferably no longer exhibits gaps over the period. |
| US08115410B2 |
Device for generating light with a variable color
In an illumination system (10), comprising: a lamp assembly (14) with a plurality of lamps (12A, 12B, 12C) and associated lamp drivers (13A, 13B, 13C); a common controller (15) for generating control signals (ξ1, ξ2, ξ3) for the lamp drivers (13A, 13B, 13C); a memory (18) containing a color table with color points; the color points of the color table are located in a two-dimensional plane corresponding to a ceiling of a color space. Perimeter color points (PC) are located on the borderline of said plane, in groups of equidistant color points, as measured in a perceptual uniform second color space. Equidistant spoke color points (SC) are located on constant hue lines (42) in said plane, constant hue line connecting one of said perimeter color points (PC) to a white point (W). |
| US08115408B2 |
Light source apparatus and light source adjusting module
A light source apparatus and a light source adjusting module are provided. The light source apparatus includes a power supply, a phase modulator, an electrical transformer, a light source adjusting module and a light-emitting device. The power supply provides a first AC voltage signal. The phase modulator receives the first AC voltage signal and adjusts a conducting phase of the first AC voltage signal to generate a modulated AC voltage signal. The electrical transformer transforms the modulated AC voltage signal to generate a second AC voltage signal. The light adjusting module generates a luminance adjusting signal according to a state of the second AC voltage signal. The light-emitting device receives the luminance adjusting signal to generate a corresponding light source. |
| US08115404B2 |
High pressure discharge lamp lighting device and luminaire
A high pressure discharge lamp lighting device, includes: a DC/DC converter for converting a power source voltage of a DC power source into a desired DC voltage and stably lighting a high pressure discharge lamp; a DC/AC inverter for inverting the DC voltage into an AC voltage; and a starting pulse generating circuit for generating a high voltage required for the start-up of the high pressure discharge lamp. Further, the high pressure discharge lamp lighting device includes a lighting state decision unit for deciding a lighted/unlighted state of the high pressure discharge lamp; and an operating state switching control unit for switching the operating state of at least one of the DC/DC converter, the DC/AC inverter, and the starting pulse generating circuit to another operating state, depending on a predetermined operation phase out of the start-up, stable lighting and power interrupt phases of the high pressure discharge lamp. |
| US08115403B2 |
Method of starting an HID lamp and ballast incorporating same
There is provided herein a method for starting a high intensity discharge lamp and a ballast incorporating the same. In a preferred embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: (a) obtaining a cumulative probability function of breakdown times, P(t), for the lamp at a voltage, V; (b) determining a minimum pulse length, Tp, for a selected probability of ignition, Pign; (c) if the lamp is operable at the minimum pulse length, then operating the lamp with a DC pulse having a duration Tp and voltage V; (d) or alternatively, if the lamp is not operable at the minimum pulse length, then determining a relaxation time, Trel, for a burst mode, selecting a probability of ignition per burst, Pb, calculating a minimum number of pulses, np, in a burst, determining a number of bursts, Nb, for the selected probability of ignition, and operating the lamp in the burst mode with Nb bursts separated by relaxation time, Trel, with each burst having np pulses of voltage V. |
| US08115402B2 |
Method and apparatus for driving multiple parallel discharge lamps
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for driving multiple parallel discharge lamps, which increases the switching frequency once the open lamp condition is detected to provide an output voltage that is high enough to ignite the lamp again. |
| US08115399B2 |
OLED light source
Organic light emitting diode (OLED) light source includes a plurality of stacked organic light emitting diode units comprised of a removable topmost organic light emitting diode unit and one or more removable underlying organic light emitting diode units. A power source is in electrical communication with the anode and the cathode of the topmost organic light emitting diode unit, wherein the underlying organic light emitting diode units are free from contact with the power source. As such, each OLED is sequentially operated upon removal of the topmost OLED unit, thereby providing redundancy as well as extending the operating lifetime of the OLED light source. Also disclosed are processes for operating the OLED light source. |
| US08115397B2 |
Power failure reporting in a networked light
Power is stored in a networked light allowing the networked light to send a message over the network providing information that the networked light is turning off if external power is no longer available. |
| US08115396B2 |
Light emitting diode lamp protecting circuit
An LED lamp protecting circuit includes an LED lamp, a constant current source and a buffer circuit. The constant current source includes positive and negative input terminals, positive and negative output terminals and a switch. The buffer circuit is connected between the negative output terminal and the LED lamp. The buffer circuit includes a charging capacitor, a first NPN transistor and a second PNP transistor. An emitting electrode of the second transistor is connected to the LED lamp. A collecting electrode of the second transistor is connected to the negative output terminal. The charging capacitor is connected between the emitting electrode of the second transistor and a ground. A collecting electrode and an emitting electrode of the first transistor are respectively electrically connected to a base electrode of the second transistor and the ground. |
| US08115377B2 |
Organic EL light source
A translucent material substrate is shaped such that high luminous efficiency can be obtained in an organic EL light source in which light is emitted from a translucent material substrate to the atmosphere. The organic EL light source includes a luminescent layer composed of an organic luminescent element, a transparent electrode and a counter electrode, and a translucent material substrate. The translucent material substrate has a truncated quadrangular pyramidal shape having a surface in abutment with the luminescent layer as the bottom face of the shape. The bottom face is formed in the shape of a square in which the length of one side is “b”, and the top face opposite the bottom face is formed in the shape of a square in which the length of one side with respect to the same extending direction as that of the “b”-length side is “a”. In addition, the shape of the translucent material substrate has thickness “c”. The translucent material substrate is shaped so that a ratio (a/b) of length a of a side of the top face to length b of a side of the bottom face in the same extending direction as that of the side is 0.3 or higher but not higher than 0.95, and that a ratio (b/c) of length b of a side of the bottom face to the thickness c of the translucent material substrate is 10 or lower. |
| US08115376B2 |
Light-emitting display with auxiliary wiring section and method of manufacturing the same
A light-emitting display capable of maintaining low power consumption and improving display quality irrespective of the configuration of an auxiliary wiring is provided. A second electrode 20 and an auxiliary wiring 18B are electrically connected to each other through a conductive contact section 15B. Moreover, only a part of the auxiliary wiring 18B is connected to the contact section 15B. Even if the surface of the auxiliary wiring 18B is oxidized, an increase in connection resistance is prevented. Moreover, a restriction on layout is not imposed at the time of forming the contact section 15B. |
| US08115375B1 |
Chromaticity tuned solid state lighting apparatus
A lighting apparatus includes at least one LED and a chromaticity tuning cavity adapted to capture light from the LED. The chromaticity tuning cavity is defined by a light translucent window and a plurality of backscattering light recycling surfaces. The light translucent window is adapted to backscatter at least a portion of the LED light. A preselected chromaticity tuning member is positioned within the chromaticity tuning cavity. It is selected from a group of chromaticity tuning members adapted to tune the chromaticity of various lighting apparatuses within one quadrangle on a chromaticity diagram. At least a portion of the LED light, having been backscattered and tuned by the preselected tuning member, passes through the light translucent window as warm white extraction light. |
| US08115374B2 |
Emissive lamps comprising metal clusters confined in molecular sieves
The present invention concerns an illumination system comprising radiation source that when operational emits radiation in wave length range below 280 nm to an emission element that comprises an assembly of oligo atomic metal clusters confined in molecular sieve for converting invisible radiation emitted by a radiation source at room temperature or an higher temperature to visible light and further a transparent envelope said illumination system. |
| US08115371B2 |
Spark plug
A spark plug having a front end of an insulating member which projects 2 mm or more from a front end face of a metal shell and a volume of the insulating member which lies within a range from a front end of the insulating member to a position lying 1 mm towards a rear end side is 11 mm3 or smaller. When the positions PA, PB, PC and PD are as defined herein, a parallel displacement amount E by which the straight line BC is displaced parallel until it contacts PD is 0.75 mm or larger. In this manner, the occurrence of lateral spark and inside spark can be suppressed effectively. |
| US08115370B2 |
Bending LED bulb
A bending LED bulb has a transparent bending tube and a flexible LED strip. The flexible LED strip has a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) and a plurality of LEDs mounted on the flexible PCB and is inserted and fixed in the transparent bending tube. As the LEDs are sequentially mounted on the flexible PCB, the LEDs are adjacent to a wall of the transparent bending tube, and are equally spaced. Accordingly, a lumen value of the bending LED bulb can be raised, and heat generated by the LEDs can be dissipated out through the wall of the transparent bending tube to avoid high temperature arising from accumulation of the waste heat. |
| US08115368B2 |
Cooling apparatus of discharge lamp
Disclosed is a cooling apparatus of a discharge lamp for applying a heat spreading plate to a high intensity discharge lamp or for applying both a heat spreading plate and a cooling fan to a high intensity discharge lamp so as to improve the durability of an embedded electronic ballast and to increase an optical output efficiency of a discharge lamp. |
| US08115365B2 |
Surface acoustic wave devices
A surface acoustic wave device has a supporting substrate, a propagation substrate made of a piezoelectric single crystal, an organic adhesive layer having a thickness of 0.1 to 1.0 μm and bonding the supporting substrate and the propagation substrate, and a surface acoustic wave filter provided on the propagation substrate. |
| US08115363B2 |
Commutator
A commutator 10 comprises an electrically non-conductive base 12; and a plurality of electrically conducting segments 16 supported by the base 12. Each segment 16 comprising a first electrically conductive inner layer 18 provided on the base 12, and a second electrically conductive outer layer 20 fixed to the inner layer 18. The inner and outer layers 18, 20 have opposing surfaces 21, 22 which abut each other, once the commutator is assembled. An opening, preferably being a recess 30, for receiving flux and/or air during the fixing of the outer layer to the inner layer is provided in at least one of the opposing surfaces 21, 22. There is also provided a DC electric motor which includes such a commutator 10. |
| US08115362B2 |
Rotating electric machine having fusion bonded stator core blocks
An alternator can reduce the size of welding equipment and shorten the time of welding operation while ensuring high performance and high quality with the generation of electromagnetic noise being suppressed. The alternator includes a rotor having N poles and S poles alternately formed along a circumferential direction thereof, a stator core arranged so as to surround the rotor and having a plurality of axially extending slots formed at a predetermined pitch in the circumferential direction thereof, and a stator having a stator winding fitted into the slots. The stator core is formed by deforming by bending a hexahedral element iron core composed of iron core blocks with their adjacent ends being in abutment with each other and fusion bonded by welding. The weld portions of the blocks have a depth fusion extending at least up to a tensile region where a tensile stress of the stator core is generated. |
| US08115361B2 |
Coil assembly for electrical rotating machine, stator for electrical rotating machine, and electrical rotating machine
The torque characteristic is improved using a magnetic flux efficiently, and an eddy-current loss generated in a coil is reduced. Moreover, a loss is suppressed even if a metal member having a high thermal conductivity is closely disposed or closely contacted to a coil surface exposed by a variable magnetic field to improve the heat transfer property, thereby improving the cooling capability. A coil assembly for a rotational electric apparatus has first and second coil plates having wiring patterns formed in such a way that conductive coil segments adjoin with each other via slits, magnetic-flux-transfer-member slots formed in the slits and having a wider width than such slits, a coil constituted by the stacked coil plates so that the magnetic-flux-transfer-member slots overlap with each other, and a magnetic flux transfer member inserted into the magnetic-flux-transfer-member slots of the coil. |