最新美国发明专利第2012-03-27期 - 专利汇|PatentHub专利检索|专利查询网|发明专利查询分析

Document	Document Title
US08145575B1	Peer to peer sharing of job applicant information A method for peer-to-peer sharing of job applicant verification data over a network includes a computerized central exchange that interfaces with requesters, providers, and job applicants. The exchange manages the interactions of each requester, provider, and job applicant by providing access to a communication channel depending on the classification of requester, provider, and job applicant. The communication channel may be an online interface, a facsimile interface, or an electronically stored data interface. Data stored in the database is used in completing subsequent verification requests involving that job applicant and provider. Job applicants may review and place holds on verification data before the data are transmitted to the requester. The exchange tracks the status of the verification transaction from the time of its receipt to its final disposition and may send a notice to the requester, provider, or job applicant that informs the recipient as to the status of the request.
US08145574B1	Recalled product inventory notification, removal, and verification system A recall management system allows generating, tracking, and verifying product recalls. The system provides notifications of a product recall to affected and unaffected businesses in the supply chain, as well as notification of the public and government agencies that may be affected. Verification of received notifications and the quantity of product removed from supply in response to the recall allows for closure of recall activity. Recalls may be extended over time as additional products needing to be recalled from the particular supplier of the recalled product are identified. Product returns over time are added to the total product recovered and scorecards updated in real-time as the return information is tabulated. Affected businesses and government agencies have visibility to both recall message receipt and product recovered as a part of total product recalled.
US08145569B2	Multiple party on-line transactions A role associated with one or more parties involved with a purchase transaction is received. A routing rule associated with the purchase transaction is also received, the routing rule defining how the purchase transaction is routed among the one or more parties. The purchase transaction is processed based on the role of each party and the routing rule.
US08145567B2	Transaction ID system and process A system and process for creating, maintaining, and using transaction identifiers, i.e. a transaction DNA, is provided. The DNA, along with other transactional information, is sent through a set of intermediary entities as found in a standard transaction processing system. The DNA is based on information that may include source ID, merchant ID, and order ID. The order ID is a unique number that can be generated by the merchant. The DNA is maintained throughout the lifecycle of the transaction, including authorization requests, settlement requests, and exception item processing. The DNA allows the bank to provide precise transactional matching to the original transaction for the merchant, making reconciliation always possible, fast, and automatic, and ensuring information is presented in a manner that the merchant chooses.
US08145561B1	Phone usage pattern as credit card fraud detection trigger A credit card fraud reduction system is disclosed. The system comprises a computer system and an application. The application, when executed on the computer system, applies increased credit card fraud prevention procedures to use of an electronic credit card application in a mobile electronic device, based on a changed communication usage pattern of the mobile electronic device.
US08145555B2	System and method for the efficient clearing of spectrum encumbrances The present invention is a system and method to sell or procure complementary goods. A complementary good according to the invention is a good whose value or utility is enhanced when paired with another good, such a pair of goods is a communications license to encumbered spectrum and a complementary clearing right to clear the spectrum of its encumbrance. The invention provides automated procedures to facilitate the fashioning and sale of clearing rights so as to enhance the value of the communications license.
US08145553B2	Flexible system and method for electronic trading System, method, and program products offer flexibility to the rather rigid way of trading in an electronic trading system. Orders for a tradeable object may typically get matched according to set terms and/or conditions at an electronic exchange. A trader may log onto the electronic exchange to trade the tradeable object, and may choose to display and trade the tradeable object according to a different set of terms and/or conditions. As such, the market data sent to the trader from the exchange is converted to a format according to the trader's selection, so that it may be presented to the trader in this format. Transaction messages sent to the exchange from the trader are converted to the format readable by the matching process, so that it can process the messages. Other features and advantages are described herein.
US08145552B2	System and method for computer implemented collateral management A computer-implemented method for managing collateral risk associated with financial instrument trading and a data processing system includes a processor and memory/database configured to store user-definable rulesets relating to a desired trade. A search module identifies and stores accounts that could accept potentially eligible security positions based upon user-selectable search criteria, and identifies potentially eligible security positions for consideration as collateral for the trade. A user configurable collateral analysis module determines eligibility of security positions as collateral for the trade by applying one or more user-definable rulesets in an algorithm that operates in a processor to determine collateral position eligibility of security positions for the trade by testing eligibility along one or more logical paths defined by user-definable rulesets. The processor outputs either a collateral eligibility or ineligibility indication via a user interface for various security positions based upon the collateral position eligibility analysis, including all reasons for ineligibility.
US08145550B2	Field 55 data relationships A data mining device, method, and apparatus configured to associate customer exclusive data from a payment card or device after a financial transaction. A financial transaction processing system comprises a report distribution management system, a data relationship manager, and a customer exclusive data association database. The report distribution management system receives financial transaction data. The data relationship manager determines an issuer associated with the financial transaction data, queries a subscription database for subscription data associated with the issuer and a core database for the issuer processing parameters. The processing parameters are applied to the financial transaction data and the subscription data. A customer exclusive data association database is updated with the financial transaction data once the processing parameters are applied.
US08145548B2	Food vending machine system incorporating a high speed stored energy oven A novel vending machine system integrating a food storage container and a high speed stored energy cooking oven capable of cooking foods in under one minute such as that further described by U.S. Provisional Application 60/822,028 filed on Aug. 10, 2006 as well as co-pending application “Wire Mesh Thermal Radiative Element and Use in a Radiative Oven” filed on Dec. 30, 2008 by De Luca. The invention disclosing a novel configuration for the oven incorporating storage, a system allowing for the proper cooking of items and food positioning, an activation system, and an invoicing system.
US08145547B2	Method of communications for an intelligent digital audiovisual playback system Method for communication between a central server and a computerized juke-box which operates in a conference mode, including: sending a header before any transaction, which includes the identity of the destination together, the identity of the emitter, and the size of the packets; responding from the server in the form of a data packet, each packet sent by the server being encoded using the identification code of the juke-box software; and receiving a data packet by the juke-box, which decodes the packet, simultaneously performs a check on the data received by the CRC method and sends an acknowledgement of receipt to the server indicating the accuracy of the information received, to allow it to prepare and send another packet to the juke-box.
US08145546B2	System and method for tracking inventory An inventory-tracking unit associated with a storage unit holding items to be dispensed includes a card reader to read an access card issued to a user and a recorder to record data from items removed from the storage unit. A processor communicates with a sensor in the storage unit and with the card reader and recorder. The sensor provides item data to the processor that is associated with items removed from the storage unit. The processor compares item data received from the sensor with the data recorded by the recorder to detect coincidence. The processor generates a transaction upon coincidence of item data received from the sensor with the recorded data. A communications interface transmits the transaction to a remote site.
US08145545B2	Method of enabling a user to draw a component part as input for searching component parts in a database A method of receiving input image data for an image search engine includes providing a two-dimensional input image on a display screen, enabling a user to rotate the input image on the display screen about an axis that is non-perpendicular to a plane of the input image, and enabling the user to electronically draw modifications on the rotated input image.
US08145538B2	Quote-to-order validation system for housing components A quote-to-order system builds an order for cabinets for a house directly from the quote provided to the builder. This reduces data entry time and errors. The system also validates the final order relative to the quote and relative to the builder's purchase order. The quote-to-order system takes the user step-by-step through the process of building an order based upon the quote. The quote includes the floorplans in the development, optional layouts and available styles of cabinets. The quote also associates each of these options with a set of SKUs representing the cabinet components and hardware that would be needed for those options. By building the order based upon the underlying quote to the builder, the order is guaranteed to have the correct SKUs and pricing.
US08145536B1	System for concurrent optimization of business economics and customer value A computer-implemented system and method for an airline to enhance customers' experience. A computer-implemented service is operated that delivers to a customer an option to upgrade on up to n of m selected products, where n is less than m. Information is recorded in a data store, pertaining to said option. In addition, a system is operated to define each of the n chosen products, whereby after each of the n chosen products is defined, the customer can be upgraded to said chosen product. The information pertaining to said defined products is recorded in a data store.
US08145533B2	Builders on-line assistant A method and apparatus are provided for servicing a customer of a builder by a third-party website provider. The method includes the steps of providing a first website by the third-party website provider for use by the customer in viewing and selecting product options for product offerings provided by the builder, receiving from the customer through the first website views and selections of an option of the options provided by the builder and collecting a fee or commission based upon the received selection made by the customer.
US08145528B2	Movie advertising placement optimization based on behavior and content analysis An ad is placed in a movie, by analyzing inherent characteristics of the movie, analyzing viewed characteristics of the movie, analyzing viewer characteristics of a viewer of the movie, obtaining advertiser preferences for placement of the ad in the movie, determining costs of placing the ad in the movie based on the inherent characteristics of the movie, the viewed characteristics of the movie, the viewer characteristics and the advertiser preferences, and placing the ad in the movie in accordance with the inherent characteristics of the movie, the viewed characteristics of the movie, the viewer characteristics, the advertiser preferences and the determined costs.
US08145527B2	Governing the serving of advertisements based on a cost target Helping advertisers to control marketing expenditures by governing the delivery of an advertisement over a time period. Such governing may be accomplished by (a) determining an expected cost associated with delivering the advertisement, ungoverned, over the time period; and (b) governing the delivery of the advertisement based on the expected cost and a target cost. The delivery of the advertisement may be also governed based on time remaining in the time period, budget deficits from past periods, budget surpluses from past periods, a start date and an end date associated with the advertisement, time since a start date associated with the advertisement, and/or time until an end date associated with the advertisement. The target cost may be based on a predefined budget.
US08145521B2	Geographic and keyword context in embedded applications A computer-implemented method includes generating, using an embedded client application, a keyword context for a container document holding the embedded client application; generating, using the embedded client application, a geographic context associated with a device on which the container document is displayed; submitting the keyword context and the geographic context to a remote server; and displaying an interactive application using information obtained in response to the submission of the keyword context and geographic criteria.
US08145519B2	System for clinical trial subject compliance The present invention is designed to develop research protocols for clinical trials. The invention also can track and enhance subject compliance with a research protocol. The invention further provides evaluability data related to subject performance in the clinical trial. According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, a portable electronic device is used to query and collect data from the subject.
US08145511B2	System and method for locating aircraft passengers The present invention is directed to system and method for locating aircraft passengers. A data feed arrangement receives aircraft data points from at least one first data source and passenger information from a second data source. A data processing arrangement stores each aircraft data point in a flight record and generates a flight track for the aircraft using data stored in the flight record. The data processing arrangement also receives passenger information and matches passenger information with corresponding flight records. A data distribution arrangement organizes the flight track and passenger information into a displayable file, wherein the displayable file includes a mechanism to search for specific passenger information.
US08145510B2	Program for alternative funding of employee and retiree benefits An insurance program for funding benefits by maintaining assets in the insurance program that includes an employer or employee owned trust account and at least one life insurance contract or non-cancelable accident and health insurance contract obtained directly or indirectly from a captive insurance company. The life insurance contract or non-cancelable accident and health insurance contract is purchased with assets from the trust account and the captive insurance company is at least partially owned by the employer. When paying or reimbursing benefits, the employer or the trust may pay the benefit and if the employer pays the benefit, the trust may reimburse the employer.
US08145509B2	Corporate owned life insurance product with death benefits A corporate owned life insurance product with death benefits (COLI-DB) that has no cash value and is minimally funded. The policy holder selects an election to mark to market accounting for life insurance. Thus, the COLI-DB has no cash surrender value. The net present value of the COLI-DB can be more than zero (and quite high) so there is no impact to net income and there may even be net income in the first year. The COLI-DB system may optimize returns by using new accounting rules in contrast to the traditional approach of COLI-CV, and returning death benefits through a captive to increase returns.
US08145508B1	System and method for funding an organization A system and method and method for generating substantial net positive cash flows to fund organizations by initiating life insurance policies through asset-backed security transactions with no out-of-pocket expense to either the organizations or to the insureds, requiring no use of policies' cash value or transfer of ownership or beneficiary of the life insurance policies, and providing guaranteed funding to the organizations regardless of when deaths occur while keeping the original insurable interest intact, thereby creating a marketable, tradable uncorrelated security.
US08145505B1	System and method for reducing the placebo effect in controlled clinical trials A method and system for performing a clinical trial having a reduced placebo effect is disclosed. The method includes randomizing study participants into three or more treatment groups and performing a first phase of testing on the groups. In a typical embodiment, the first phase of testing includes administering an active treatment to a first group, and administering a placebo to a second group and to a third group. Responders and non-responders are determined for each group. A second phase of testing is then performed. The second phase of testing includes administering the placebo to non-responders in the first group, administering the active treatment to non-responders in the second group, and administering the placebo to non-responders in the third group. The data from the first phase of testing and from the second phase of testing is pooled and analyzed to determine response rates to active treatment and placebo.
US08145504B1	System and method for reducing the placebo effect in controlled clinical trials A method and system for performing a clinical trial having a reduced placebo effect is disclosed. The method includes randomizing study participants into three or more treatment groups and performing a first phase of testing on the groups. In a typical embodiment, the first phase of testing includes administering an active treatment to a first group, and administering a placebo to a second group and to a third group. Responders and non-responders are determined for each group. A second phase of testing is then performed. The second phase of testing includes administering the placebo to non-responders in the first group, administering the active treatment to non-responders in the second group, and administering the placebo to non-responders in the third group. The data from the first phase of testing and from the second phase of testing is pooled and analyzed to determine response rates to active treatment and placebo.
US08145500B2	Data processing system for accurately calculating a policyholder's discount in a medical insurance plan and a method therefor A data processing system for accurately calculating a discount in a medical insurance plan comprises a premiums module adapted to access data regarding the amount of premiums paid by a policyholder of the medical insurance plan for a predetermined period. A claims module is adapted to access data regarding the amount of claims paid by the medical insurance plan to the policyholder for the predetermined period, the claims module being further adapted to access data to determine if there have been any claims submitted by a policyholder which have not yet been paid, and if so to apply a set of rules to each submitted claim which has not been paid to determine if it is likely to be paid, and if the claim is likely to be paid then adding the amount of the claim to the amount of claims already paid for the predetermined period. Finally, a discount module adapted to receive data from the premiums module and the claims module and to use the data to calculate a discount amount.
US08145496B2	Time varying processing of repeated digital audio samples in accordance with a user defined effect A programmed “Stutter Edit” creates, stores and triggers combinations of effects to be used on a repeated short sample (“slice”) of recorded audio. The combination of effects (“gesture”) act on the sample over a specified duration (“gesture length”), with the change in parameters for each effect over the gesture length being dictated by user-defined curves. Such a system affords wide manipulation of audio recorded on-the-fly, perfectly suited for live performance. These effects preferably include not only stuttering but also imposing an amplitude envelope on the slice being triggered, sample rate and bit rate manipulation, panning (interpolation between pre-defined spatial positions), high- and low-pass filters and compression. Destructive edits, such as reversing, pitch shifting, and fading may also alter the way the Stutter Edit is heard. More advanced techniques, include using filters, FX processors, and other plug-ins, can increase the detail and uniqueness of a particular Stutter Edit effect.
US08145494B2	Voice response system A voice response system attempts to respond to spoken user input and to provide computer-generated responses. If the system decides it cannot provide valid responses, the current state of user session is determined and forwarded to a human operator for further action. The system maintains a recorded history of the session in the form of a dialog history log. The dialog history and information as to the reliability of past speech recognition efforts is employed in making the current state determination. The system includes formatting rules for controlling the display of information presented to the human operator.
US08145489B2	System and method for selecting and presenting advertisements based on natural language processing of voice-based input A system and method for selecting and presenting advertisements based on natural language processing of voice-based inputs is provided. A user utterance may be received at an input device, and a conversational, natural language processor may identify a request from the utterance. At least one advertisement may be selected and presented to the user based on the identified request. The advertisement may be presented as a natural language response, thereby creating a conversational feel to the presentation of advertisements. The request and the user's subsequent interaction with the advertisement may be tracked to build user statistical profiles, thus enhancing subsequent selection and presentation of advertisements.
US08145488B2	Parameter clustering and sharing for variable-parameter hidden markov models A speech recognition system uses Gaussian mixture variable-parameter hidden Markov models (VPHMMs) to recognize speech. The VPHMMs include Gaussian parameters that vary as a function of at least one environmental conditioning parameter. The relationship of each Gaussian parameter to the environmental conditioning parameter(s) is modeled using a piecewise fitting approach, such as by using spline functions. In a training phase, the recognition system can use clustering to identify classes of spline functions, each class grouping together spline functions which are similar to each other based on some distance measure. The recognition system can then store sets of spline parameters that represent respective classes of spline functions. An instance of a spline function that belongs to a class can make reference to an associated shared set of spline parameters. The Gaussian parameters can be represented in an efficient form that accommodates the use of sharing in the above-summarized manner.
US08145485B2	Grammar weighting voice recognition information A device receives a voice recognition statistic from a voice recognition application and applies a grammar improvement rule based on the voice recognition statistic. The device also automatically adjusts a weight of the voice recognition statistic based on the grammar improvement rule, and outputs the weight adjusted voice recognition statistic for use in the voice recognition application.
US08145479B2	Improving the quality of output audio signal,transferred as coded speech to subscriber's terminal over a network, by speech coder and decoder tandem pre-processing A method of pre-processing an audio signal transmitted to a user terminal via a communication network and an apparatus using the method are provided. The method of pre-processing the audio signal may prevent deterioration of a sound quality of the audio signal transmitted to the user terminal by pre-processing the audio signal, and by enabling a codec module, encoding the audio signal, to determine the audio signal as a speech signal. The method of pre-processing may include encoding the audio signal using a speech codec and decoding the encoded audio signal using the speech codec. A codec module, transmitting the decoded audio signal to the user terminal via the communication network, may determine whether a speech interval or a speechless interval with respect to at least one frame is included in the audio signal and transmit at least one parameter with respect to the at least one frame as a result of the determination.
US08145476B2	Received voice playback apparatus A disclosed received voice playback apparatus includes a characteristic acquiring unit configured to acquire first frequency characteristic values obtained by resolving digital vocal signals that are based on received vocal signals into predetermined frequency bands, wherein each first frequency characteristic value corresponds to one of the predetermined frequency bands; a setting unit configured to obtain second frequency characteristic values, wherein each second frequency characteristic value is set for one of the predetermined frequency bands; a computing unit configured to compute a gain for each of the predetermined frequency bands based on a difference between the first frequency characteristic value and the second frequency characteristic value; and a characteristic changing unit configured to change the first frequency characteristic values of the digital vocal signals by multiplying the digital vocal signals by each of the gains corresponding to one of the predetermined frequency bands of the digital vocal signals.
US08145475B2	Method for reduction of aliasing introduced by spectral envelope adjustment in real-valued filterbanks The present invention proposes a new method for improving the performance of a real-valued filterbank based spectral envelope adjuster. By adaptively locking the gain values for adjacent channels dependent on the sign of the channels, as defined in the application, reduced aliasing is achieved. Furthermore, the grouping of the channels during gain-calculation, gives an improved energy estimate of the real valued subband signals in the filterbank.
US08145473B2	Deep model statistics method for machine translation In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for machine translation of a source document in an input language to a target document in an output language, comprising generating translation options corresponding to at least portions of each sentence in the input language; and selecting a translation option for the sentence based on statistics associated with the translation options.
US08145470B2	Accelerated access device emulator access scheme in a hypervisor environment with child and root partitions A hypervisor environment configured for accelerated access to device emulators comprises a hypervisor that intercepts a device access instruction to a child partition processor and routes said device access instruction to a root partition. A processor instruction emulator emulates said device access instruction along with any number of next instructions of the processor in said child partition, thereby dispatching accesses to a device emulator on behalf of the processor in said child partition. By emulating these instructions in the root partition, accesses to the device emulator are greatly accelerated.
US08145467B1	Method and apparatus for profiling a hardware/software embedded system Method and apparatus for profiling a hardware/software embedded system are described. In one example, a hardware co-simulation interface is generated between a programmable logic device (PLD) configured with the embedded system and a computer based on a plurality of events. The embedded system in the PLD is simulated. During the simulation of the embedded system, occurrence of at least one event is detected to produce profiling data. The profiling data is stored into shared first-in-first-out (FIFO) logic of the PLD and the computer. The profiling data is retrieved from the shared FIFO logic at the computer.
US08145465B2	Methods and systems to predict rotary drill bit walk and to design rotary drill bits and other downhole tools Methods and systems may be provided to simulate forming a wide variety of directional wellbores including wellbores with variable tilt rates, relatively constant tilt rates, wellbores with uniform generally circular cross-sections and wellbores with non-circular cross-sections. The methods and systems may also be used to simulate forming a wellbore in subterranean formations having a combination of soft, medium and hard formation materials, multiple layers of formation materials, relatively hard stringers disposed throughout one or more layers of formation material, and/or concretions (very hard stones) disposed in one or more layers of formation material. Values of bit walk rate from such simulations may be used to design and/or select drilling equipment for use in forming a directional wellbore.
US08145462B2	Field synthesis system and method for optimizing drilling operations A system and method for optimizing the performance of a drilling device utilizes well logs and drilling parameters from multiple offset wells located in proximity to the location of a desired wellbore. The well logs and drilling parameters data from the offset wells is synthesized to determine major drilling contexts including both geological trends, mechanical properties and the different well profiles. The performance of one or more drilling devices and or drilling parameters is then simulated within the selected drilling contexts of the offset wells. The simulation information is then used to select an optimized drilling device or parameter for drilling the selected wellbore.
US08145457B2	Method and apparatus for modeling deformation of a deformable body embossed with a stamp Hot embossing may be more advantageous than other polymer microfabrication processes. An example embodiment of the present invention relates to a method and corresponding apparatus for developing a computationally inexpensive viscoelastic model for the hot embossing of complex patterns. These developed models may help engineers refine their selection of processing parameters based upon successive simulations of the embossing process. The example embodiment models deformation of a deformable body embossed with a stamp as a function of convolving a point-load-time response and a contact pressure distribution. In order to generate the point-load-time response, a time-dependent response of a surface of the thermoplastic to system inputs applied to an elemental region of the surface of the thermoplastic may be employed. The example embodiment generates an estimate of the contact pressure distribution as a function of the point-load-time response and an average pressure applied to the stamp.
US08145455B2	Predicting resource usage of an application in a virtual environment Described herein is a system for predicting resource usage of an application running in a virtual environment. The system comprises a first hardware platform implementing a native hardware system in which an application natively resides and executes, the native hardware system operating to execute a predetermined set of benchmarks that includes at least one of: a computation-intensive workload, a network-intensive workload, and a disk-intensive workload; a second hardware platform implementing a virtual environment therein, the virtual environment operating to execute the predetermined set of benchmarks; a third hardware platform operating to collect first resource usage traces from the first hardware platform and second resource usage traces from the second hardware platform; wherein the third hardware platform further operating to generate at least one prediction model that predicts a resource usage of the application executing in the virtual environment based on the collected first and second resource usage traces.
US08145452B1	Serial interface amplitude selection for a disk drive in an unknown interconnect environment A disk drive including a method for determining an amplitude for signal transmission over an interconnect is disclosed. The drive includes a processor that is coupled to a signal measurement circuit and is under the control of a program in conjunction with the signal measurement circuit to transmit a first signal to the host over a transmission medium at a first transmission frequency according to a first speed negotiation process, receive a second signal from the host at the first transmission frequency, determine a first voltage amplitude of the second signal, transmit a third signal to the host at a second transmission frequency according to a second speed negotiation process, receive a fourth signal from the host at the second transmission frequency, determine a second voltage amplitude of the fourth signal, and determine an approximate voltage loss in response to the first and second voltage amplitudes.
US08145451B2	Digital filtering system, method, and recording medium thereof A digital filtering system, method, and recording medium thereof are described. In the system, firstly a sensor obtains an analog physiological signal, a quantizing module transforms the physiological signal to a digitalized frequency domain signal, and then a specification parameter module obtains a feature model satisfying the frequency domain signal by matching, for a deciding process module to determine which decision parameter should be used. A filter-Clustering management module starts a relevant filter module according to the matching decision parameter to filter the frequency domain signal. On the contrary, when the frequency domain signal is an abnormal signal, the quantizing module outputs the abnormal signal to a back-end server system. The server system builds more than one updating parameter to update all the decision parameters and feature parameters. Therefore, the decision parameters and the feature parameters are updated on real time, and the physiological signal filtering result is quickly obtained.
US08145449B2	Computer product, apparatus, and method for system management A system management apparatus includes a countermeasure-result evaluating unit that evaluates whether a countermeasure taken by a countermeasure taking unit has been solved, and that stores the result of evaluation in a countermeasure database to reflect the result to a criterion for selecting the countermeasure by a countermeasure determining unit next time.
US08145447B2	Browser on test equipment A portable telecommunication test set, such as a telephone line butt set, with a web browser incorporated therein. A standard HTML (Hyper Text Mark-up Language) or WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) browser may be incorporated within the portable test set, allowing a network technician to access the Internet as well as other remotely-located sources of information to retrieve data and other useful technical information while in the field for communication network or telephone line maintenance, troubleshooting or repair. The test set may contain memory to locally store certain technical information, e.g., telephone line-specific data or circuit information, that may be retrieved and “read” by the built-in browser module when prompted by the network technician. The web browser may display the content of the requested information on a display provided on the test set.
US08145444B1	Asset surveillance system and method comprising self-calibrating fault detection A computer-implemented asset surveillance system and method for self calibrating at least one fault detector providing asset surveillance by calibrating at least the one fault detector with statistics associated with expected asset behavior, acquiring observed data values from an asset, screening the observed data values based upon at least one defined criterion for obtaining screened data values, updating the statistics associated with expected asset behavior as a function of the screened data values for defining updated statistics, and recalibrating the at least one fault detector with the updated statistics.
US08145437B2	System and method to obtain oligo-peptides with specific high affinity to query proteins This application is based on the concept of the Proteomic Code, PC (discovered and described by Biro, 1981-2011, for review see ref 6) and making use of the biological observation, that co-locating amino acids [in interacting proteins] are coded by partially complementary codons. A method is provided to design and produce a special and distinct set of affinity oligopeptides (AffiSeq) using the PC principle. These designed and artificially produced affinity peptides will be used in any biotechnological or pharmacological applications which benefit of the specific and high affinity protein-protein interactions.
US08145432B2	System of binding structure for polymer molecule A simulation system that increases a polymer molecule binding prediction speed on a parallel and distributed computer system is provided. The simulation system determines a decomposition width that decomposes a search region of polymer molecule by means of translational operation and rotational operation and the number of searches in the decomposed regions into which the search region is decomposed, determines the number of decomposed regions into which the search region is decomposed, determines the number of computing units to which the decomposed regions are to be allocated, allocates the decomposed regions to the respective computing units, determines search points within the decomposed regions, transmits data of the search points to a computing unit that computes the binding energy and the energy gradient vector, performs communication control that receives data associated with the binding energy and the energy gradient vector from the computing unit, and determines the local minimum value of the binding energy in the decomposed region and the minimum value in the search region, thereby making it possible to determine the convergence of the binding energy.
US08145429B2	System and method for sampling and analyzing downhole formation fluids A device for sampling fluid from an earth formation is disclosed. The device includes: an inlet port disposable in fluid communication with the fluid in a borehole; an injector including an injection chamber in fluid communication with the inlet port, the injector configured to receive a portion of the fluid and direct the fluid toward an analysis unit for analyzing constituent materials in the fluid; and a high pressure valve configured to admit the portion of the fluid at a borehole pressure and release the portion of the fluid into the injector, the portion having a volume that is less than or equal to about one microliter. A system and method for analyzing constituents of fluid in a borehole in an earth formation is also disclosed.
US08145425B2	Navigation device and navigation method The present invention is to provide a navigation device having a function of starting a route re-searching early by predicting a route change of a vehicle from a recommended route. A navigation device is formed such that when guiding a vehicle by virtue of a recommended approaching route and a recommended exit route both connected to a branching point, and once the vehicle traveling from the recommended approaching route and heading for the branching point is about to deviate from the recommended exit route, said navigation device starts a route re-searching for finding a new recommended route going through other route. The navigation device detects that a turning angle θx of the vehicle is about to be in a direction within an angle range not including an angle formed between the direction θa of the recommended approaching route and the direction θb of the recommended exit route, and starts a route re-searching to find a new recommended route going through other route existing within an angle range excluding an angle formed between the directions θa and θb.
US08145423B2	Navigaton device and route guiding method therefor A navigation device and a route guiding method. The route guiding method includes: displaying a current map including a position indicator; displaying a related map that corresponds to the current map; and displaying the current map after a set period of time has elapsed. The set time period can be set by a user. Therefore, the travel simulation of the route from the current position to the a location desired by a user may be displayed, or the route may be zoomed in or out to be displayed, based on settings input by a user, and thus the user can travel safely.
US08145417B1	Enabling a first mobile device to navigate to a location associated with a second mobile device A method is described that allows a first mobile device to persistently lock onto a second mobile device, thereby allowing the first mobile device to not only constantly monitor the dynamic location of the second mobile device but also to adaptively navigate in real-time to the dynamic location associated with the second mobile device. The dynamic location may include a current location of the second mobile device or a final destination for travel of the second mobile device.
US08145415B2	Automatic determination of aircraft holding locations and holding durations from aircraft surveillance data A method using airport surveillance data to output a location of a delay and an amount of time a vehicle is subjected to the delay during a movement of the vehicle between two locations, the delays being observed in the surveillance data as a knot of several data points. A first method is used to identify proposed knots based on distances between individual data points within the data. A second method is used to identify proposed knots based on the speed of the vehicle. Another method can be used to separate proposed knots have been incorrectly joined together. This method performs the separation by arranging the data points into a two-dimensional grid to form clusters of grid cells having data points. The location of the individual cells is then analyzed to determine whether clusters should be separated. Each of the remaining clusters defines a hold where the vehicle is delayed.
US08145414B2	Method of estimation of traffic information, device of estimation of traffic information and car navigation device There is provided a method and a device for accurately estimating traffic information of a link having no traffic information even if different types of roads are mixed. The device finds a parameter characterizing a damping curve of a quantity of change of relative speed based on stored traffic information for links on a city center side on a minimum-time cost route connecting the city center and suburbs, finds a quantity of change of relative speed of the link having no observed traffic information and estimates its traffic information based on the damping curve. The device also calculates a ratio of quantities of change of relative speed of two links whose road types change as a speed change similarity ratio and estimates traffic information of the link of a second road type from known traffic information of the link of a first road type by using that ratio.
US08145409B2	Approach for determining exhaust gas sensor degradation A method for determining degradation of an exhaust gas sensor positioned in an exhaust system for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle is provided. The method includes sensor response durations to rich-to-lean and lean-to-rich transitions, as well as the symmetry of sensor response durations and delays to such transitions.
US08145405B2	Internal-combustion engine with variable actuation of the intake valves and self-adaptive control of the air-fuel ratio with supervision of the control functions An internal-combustion engine for motor vehicles, for example a petrol-fuelled engine or a gas-fuelled engine, is provided with an electronically controlled hydraulic system for variable actuation of the intake valves. The system of variable actuation of the intake valves is governed by an electronic control unit that is programmed for performing at least once, at the start of the life of the engine, an activity of supervision of the functions of self-adaptive control of the air-fuel ratio. The supervision activity is based upon identification of a constant ratio between a delta in the value of the crank angle used by the electronic control unit and the error in the estimation of the air-fuel ratio by the electronic control unit when the system of actuation of the intake valves operates in late-opening mode. The activity of supervision envisages that the electronic control unit detects and stores the variation in the value of the crank angle (crank-angle delta) that must be applied to the value of the crank angle used by the electronic control unit in order to reach an estimated value of the mass of air taken in that basically coincides with the real value.
US08145393B2	System and method employing short range communications for interactively coordinating unloading operations between a harvester and a grain transport A system, and method of use thereof, that employs short distance communications signals, thereby limiting and localizing the dissemination area for such signals, for interactively coordinating crop material transfer operations between a harvester and a grain transport, including the automated conduct of an unloading operation, including commencement of the actual unloading of the grain through continuation of such unloading to termination of such unloading, which system and method of the present invention employs operating systems in the harvester and grain transport that so operate to become electronically linked to one another to thereafter operate in unison with one another to effect and control the conduct of the crop material transfer operation between the harvester and grain transport, with each of such operating systems having associated therewith a short range communications system for the transmission and receipt at close range of electronic data signals, such operating systems, when appropriately electronically linked to one another, being operable in conjunction with one another to exchange information, to maintain a communications link therebetween, and to automatedly coordinate and effect various activities of the harvester and grain transport as a crop material transfer operation is effected and proceeds.
US08145390B2	Swath finder feature integrated with multipurpose display A GPS-based vehicle guidance system method for providing an integrated display for the operator of a vehicle and provides determining the ideal swath path based on predetermined and user inputted parameters. The method is applied to both manual and automatic modes of operation, and includes the use of an integrated display that clearly indicates whether the system is operating in chase or pull mode of operation with continuous indicators. The method also includes providing guidance to the vehicle operator at the beginning of the process and during end of row turns, to enable the vehicle to align with the predetermined swath paths.
US08145387B2	Communications network of passenger protection system A communications network for a passenger protection system of a vehicle has an electronic control unit and a plurality of sensors, which is bus-connected to the electronic control unit. Each of the sensors includes a current detection circuit for detecting a current of the sensor, and a control circuit including a memory. The control circuit sets a specific address for the sensor in the memory when the detected current attains a predetermined relation to a predetermined threshold current. The control circuit transmits a notification of completion of setting the specific address to the electronic control unit, and controls a mode of the sensor to a specific mode, which consumes current less than the predetermined threshold current.
US08145382B2	Entertainment system including a vehicle The entertainment system of one of the preferred embodiments includes a recreational vehicle, an event sensor attached to the recreational vehicle, an event element able to be detected by the event sensor, a processor connected to the event sensor, and a game program operated by the processor. The entertainment system functions to enable interactive game-like capabilities for a movable vehicle. The entertainment system is preferably used for children recreational vehicles (miniature cars), but may alternatively be used by other vehicles.
US08145381B2	Transmitting data of a telematics terminal Data of a telematics terminal is transmitted through an apparatus including a multimedia player, an audio interface, an embedded system, and a switch operatively connected between the audio interface and the embedded system. The multimedia player is configured to generate audio data, and the audio interface is configured to output audio data generated by the multimedia player. The switch is operatively connected between the audio interface and the embedded system, and is configured to selectively control the output of audio data or program data from the multimedia player.
US08145380B2	Motor vehicle control system The invention relates to a control system for a motor vehicle, including a first electronic control system for controlling a first load current of a first load and a second electronic control system for controlling a second load current of a second load. The first electronic control system and the second electronic control system are arranged at a distance from one another and are connected to one another. At least the second electronic control system has a sleep mode and an operating mode, and only the first electronic control system can switch the second electronic control system from the sleep mode into the operating mode.
US08145376B2	System for producing an adaptive driving strategy based on emission optimization The system includes a road scenario sensor, a vehicle control unit, and a computer processing unit. The road scenario sensor detects upcoming road scenarios for the system vehicle. The computer processing unit receives an input from the road scenario sensor and determines a upcoming driving event based upon the detected upcoming road scenarios. The computer processing unit compares the upcoming driving event with an ideal emissions model having acceptable emission thresholds to determine an adaptive driving strategy. The adaptive driving strategy configures the system vehicle to reduce emissions for the upcoming driving event. The adaptive driving strategy optionally includes an optimal acceleration rate and/or an optimal power management strategy. The optimal acceleration rate is based upon the required speed of the vehicle at the upcoming driving event and the distance from the vehicle to the upcoming driving event, and the ideal emissions model having acceptable emission thresholds.
US08145374B2	Methods and systems for dynamically controlling hill rollback of an electric vehicle A method for dynamically controlling rollback in an electric vehicle having a motor for providing motive power to the electric vehicle and a shift lever for selecting either forward or reverse motion of the vehicle includes determining if the electric vehicle is moving in a direction opposite the direction of motion indicated by the shift lever. If the vehicle is moving in a direction opposite the direction indicated by the shift lever, the rollback acceleration of the vehicle is calculated. A power request for driving the electric motor is then determined such that the rollback of the vehicle is controlled. The determined power request is then applied to the electric motor thereby driving the electric motor and dynamically controlling the rollback.
US08145373B2	Method and apparatus for programming parameters of a power driven wheelchair for a plurality of drive settings A method of programming parameters of a power driven wheelchair for a plurality of drive modes comprises: displaying a menu image on an interactive display screen, the menu image including settings of a plurality of wheelchair parameters for a plurality of drive modes of the wheelchair; selecting a wheelchair parameter for a drive mode from the displayed menu image; and programming the setting of the selected wheelchair parameter to a desired setting.
US08145370B2	Steering system for a marine vessel A steering system for a marine vessel includes one or more steering devices operable to turn a marine vessel; a steering input device arranged to generate a desired turn rate signal; a rate sensor arranged to generate a turn rate signal indicative of vessel turn rate; and a control system configured to receive the vessel and desired turn rate signals and to control the steering device(s) to turn the marine vessel so as to minimise any difference between the signals.
US08145364B2	Method and device for aiding the restoral of command of a moving vehicle by an operator of the vehicle The fields of the invention are vehicle on-board security and vehicle piloting safety. The invention relates to a method and device for aiding the restoral of command of a vehicle by an operator of the vehicle. The command of the vehicle by the operator is ensured through vehicle piloting controls, when the operator has lost command of the vehicle in favor of a device for disabling piloting controls. The device disables the action of the piloting controls on the piloting means during the loss of command. According to the invention, the method includes emitting a restoral of command request; a vehicle motion phase is determined; a reference state of the piloting control is determined as a function of the motion phase; a current state of the piloting control is determined; the current state with the reference state is compared so as to identify a deviation Δ between the current state and the reference state. When no deviation Δ is identified, the command of the vehicle by the operator is restored. When a deviation is identified, alert messages are determined to be communicated to the operator to warn him of this deviation and a priority level with each alert message is associated. The previous steps from the second step onward are repeated.
US08145361B2	System and method for manipulating controlled energy using devices to manage customer bills A control system and method to create an Internet Protocol (IP) enabled automatic gain control loop for encasing a desired cost value in a utility derived consumer controlled pricing envelope. A customer uses a web browser to view billing estimates for the current month as well as related months. The customer can set limits on the actual billing amount for the upcoming month and make adjustments to this amount if it seems unrealistic in the coming month. Control event actions are carried out to limit power usage within preferences set by the customer.
US08145359B2	Systems and methods of reducing peak water usage An irrigation management system reduces high peak water use values by utilizing a microprocessor disposed in an irrigation controller to (a) receive peak water use information from a source other than a water supplier (b) receive water use information at a consumer site, and (c) automatically derive a new irrigation schedule that is at least partly based on the information received. The new irrigation schedule preferably includes at least one of a modification in a default irrigation frequency or start time, a reduction in a default irrigation application duration, the use of a rolling-average in the determination of the new irrigation application duration and other changes or modifications to the default irrigation schedule that will provide for the reduction in high peak water use values. Additionally, the microprocessor will display to the water user and/or third parties details on the new irrigation schedule and information received from the water supplier.
US08145356B2	Robot controller for halting a robot based on the speed of a robot hand portion A robot includes a traveling rail supported by struts, and a robot body attached to a slider that slides on the traveling rail. A robot controller includes a speed calculation device for calculating moving speeds of the robot hand portion on the coordinate axes of a rectangular coordinate system set for the robot controller; a comparator device for comparing the moving speeds on the coordinate axes calculated by the speed calculation device with threshold values on the coordinate axes of the rectangular coordinate system, respectively; and a halting device for halting the robot in case at least any one of the moving speeds is higher than the corresponding threshold value.
US08145351B2	Storage dispenser for objects The invention relates to a storage machine (1) for objects, comprising a compartment system (4) with a plurality of compartments (3) which are at least partially enclosed by a machine housing (2) or some other surround, and with at least one closure mechanism (7) which can be displaced relative to a central, predefined access orifice (6) in the machine housing (2) to release or prevent access to a specific individual compartment (3) or a specific group of adjacent compartments (3). The storage machine (1) also has at least one drive system for displacing the closure mechanism (7) in a controlled manner and the ability of the closure mechanism (7) to move is dependent on an access right which can be checked by a control system. This storage machine (1) has at least one safety system (28) for affording extensive, increased personal safety with respect to risks posed by automated sequences or with respect to its displacement drives which can be activated automatically.
US08145348B2	Tool selection method for machine tool, control device, and numerically controlled lathe A tool selection method, for a machine tool, comprising the steps of identifying the maximum tip distance (D2) of a currently selected tool (141), a next designated tool (142) and an intermediate tool (143) disposed therebetween; moving a tool rest (10) in the +(plus)X-axis direction after a machining by the currently selected tool (141) is completed until the tip of the currently selected tool (141) is spaced from a workpiece (W) along the X-axis by a distance provided by adding a clearance distance (E) to a difference between the maximum tip distance (D2) and the tip distance (D3) of the currently selected tool (141); moving the tool rest (10) in the +(plus)Y-axis direction until the tip of the next designated tool (142) is aligned with the rotation center axis (12a) of the workpiece (W) in the X-axis direction; and moving the tool rest (10) in the −(minus)X-axis direction.
US08145345B2	Automated pattern generation processes An automated system for generating large numbers of digitally-defined patterns suitable for printing on textiles wherein each pattern is individually different but shares one or more unifying design motifs with all other patterns. In the general case, each pattern is comprised of at least two components in the form of separately configurable pattern layers that are digitally superimposed to form a composite pattern that is unique but visually related to all other unique patterns that use pattern layers taken from the same pattern sources.
US08145343B2	Systems and methods for controlling registration of advancing substrates in absorbent article converting lines The present disclosure relates to systems and processes for controlling the registration of advancing substrates in absorbent article converting lines. The systems and methods may utilize feedback from technologies, such as vision systems, sensors, remote input and output stations, and controllers with synchronized embedded clocks to accurately correlate registration feature detections and substrate speed control on an absorbent article converting process. The systems and methods may accurately apply the use of precision clock synchronization for both instrumentation and control system devices on a non-deterministic communications network. In turn, the clock synchronized control and instrumentation network may be used to control the substrate speed. As such, the controller may be programmed to track registration features on substrates and components along the converting line without having to account for undeterminable delays.
US08145339B2	Substrate processing apparatus and substrate transfer method adopted therein As an interrupt start button is depressed while control, under which product wafers Wp and dummy wafers Wd are transferred in an order defined in a normal transfer pattern, is repeatedly executed, a decision is made based upon wafer transfer history as to whether or not the most recent transfer pattern cycle has ended. If the cycle is determined to have ended, the operation immediately proceeds to the subsequent cycle to transfer interrupt wafers Wf and Wd in an order defined in the interrupt transfer pattern achieved by replacing Wp in the normal transfer pattern with Wf, whereas if the cycle is determined to be incomplete, the wafer transfer based upon the normal transfer pattern is carried on until the cycle ends and then the operation proceeds to the next cycle to transfer Wf and Wd in the order defined in the interrupt transfer pattern.
US08145333B2	Ontology-based system and method for industrial control An industrial control system and method of controlling an industrial process are disclosed herein. In at least one embodiment, the control system includes an order system configured to receive an order from an external source and process the order to generate an order instance in accordance with an order ontology, at least one database storing a plurality of selectable generalized production plans and information identifying capabilities of a plurality of control entities, and a product agent in at least indirect communication with the order system, the at least one database and the control entities. The product agent receives at least one portion of the order instance, selects at least one of the generalized production plans, and communicates with the control entities so as to determine a production plan instance suitable for governing at least one aspect of an industrial process in order to satisfy at least one portion of the received order corresponding to the at least one portion of the order instance.
US08145332B2	Vehicle for recording and reproducing digital data An apparatus includes a vehicle and a media player/recorder physically connected with the vehicle. The media player/recorder includes a wireless receiver to receive a signal representing media data, a storage device to store the media data, a storage controller to retrieve the media data from the storage device, and an output circuit to output the media data. The storage device stores a list of identifiers of desired media selections. The wireless receiver receives a signal representing an identifier of an offered media selection. The storage device stores the offered media selection when the identifier of the offered media selection corresponds to the identifier of one of the desired media selections.
US08145331B2	Apparatus, method, and computer program for recording and reproducing digital data A media player/recorder, and a method and computer program product for same comprises a wireless receiver to receive a signal representing encoded media data; a storage device to store the encoded media data; a processor comprising a storage controller to retrieve the encoded media data from the storage device, and a digital signal processor to decode the encoded media data retrieved by the storage controller; and an output circuit to output the decoded media data from the processor.
US08145330B2	Plant growing system using portable telephone A plant growing environment control terminal (P) comprises an image data receiving section (1a) for receiving image data on the image of a plant from a plant growing facility (Q), an image display section (1b) for displaying the plant image according to the received image data, a growing environment data receiving section (1c) for receiving growing environment data, and a growing environment data transmitting section (1f) for transmitting the received growing environment data to the plant growing facility (Q). The end user can grow the plant in his (her) own way while checking the growth progress on the image even from a remote place. Therefore, a plant growing environment control terminal (P) effectively producing generally called healing effect is provided.
US08145328B2	Detection and quantification of stiction An effective non-intrusive data-based monitoring method may reduce the cost of control loop performance maintenance by screening and short-listing those control loops or valves that need maintenance. The invention comprises a data-based, model-free, non-invasive method that can automatically detect and quantify stiction present in control valves. The method does not require the implementation of any additional valve travel test or, as commonly known, bump test of the control loop. The method may detect and quantify stiction using controlled variable (pv), controller output (op) and set point (sp) data. It does not require valve positioner (mv) data.
US08145323B2	Implantable medical electrical stimulation lead fixation method and apparatus An implantable medical electrical lead for electrical stimulation of body tissue that includes at least one electrode; a lead body; and at least one modifiable portion wherein the at least one modifiable portion can exist in both a deflated configuration and an inflated configuration, and wherein the inflated configuration exhibits a greater resistance to movement of the lead within the body tissue than does the deflated configuration. Kits, systems, and methods of using the leads are also included.
US08145322B1	Flexible circuit electrode array device and a method for backside processing of a flexible circuit electrode device The invention involves a flexible circuit electrode array device comprising: a polymer layer; wherein the polymer layer includes one or more metal traces, an electrode array; one or more bond pads; and the electrode array is located on the opposite side of the polymer layer.The invention further involves a method for backside processing of a flexible circuit electrode device, comprising: applying polymer film on a substrate; processing the front side; releasing the polymer film from substrate; flipping over the polymer film and fixing it onto the substrate; processing the backside; and final releasing of the polymer film from the substrate.The invention further involves a method for backside processing of a flexible circuit electrode device, comprising: processing the front side without releasing the polymer; processing the backside by sacrificial substrate method, or by laser drilling method; and releasing the polymer film from the substrate.
US08145321B2	Implant and delivery tool therefor An implant system including a transurethral prostatic implant positioned in a prostate and including a lumen with an inner perimeter that surrounds an outer perimeter of a urethra at the prostate. The implant system may include a delivery tool including a shaft having a distal portion and an implant-holding portion proximal to the distal portion, the distal portion being sized for entry into a urethra, and the implant-holding portion being thicker than the distal portion, and an implant positioned on the implant-holding portion.
US08145320B2	Telemetry control for implantable medical devices An implantable medical device (IMD) and method are provided in which a telemetry module in the IMD includes a configurable polling interval at which the telemetry module is powered up from a low power inactive state to perform sniff operations for detecting whether communication signals are being received from an external device. The IMD includes at least one sensor for sensing at least one parameter, a controller receiving data from the sensor, and the telemetry module coupled to the controller for facilitating communication between the IMD and an external device. The polling interval of the telemetry module is configured based upon the parameter(s) sensed by the sensor, such that the polling interval is configured to conserve power consumption of the IMD. The polling interval is either decreased or increased to respectively increase or decrease the frequency of the sniff operations based on the parameters sensed at the IMD.
US08145317B2	Methods for renal neuromodulation Methods and apparatus are provided for treating hypertension, e.g., via a pulsed electric field, via a stimulation electric field, via localized drug delivery, via high frequency ultrasound, via thermal techniques, etc. Such neuromodulation may effectuate irreversible electroporation or electrofusion, necrosis and/or inducement of apoptosis, alteration of gene expression, action potential attenuation or blockade, changes in cytokine up-regulation and other conditions in target neural fibers. In some embodiments, neuromodulation is applied to neural fibers that contribute to renal function. In some embodiments, such neuromodulation is performed in a bilateral fashion. Bilateral renal neuromodulation may provide enhanced therapeutic effect in some patients as compared to renal neuromodulation performed unilaterally, i.e., as compared to renal neuromodulation performed on neural tissue innervating a single kidney.
US08145315B2	Lead adaptor having low resistance conductors and/or encapsulated housing An implantable lead adaptor is disclosed that includes an encapsulated thermoplastic housing defining a proximal end portion and a distal end portion. The proximal end portion has a first receptacle configured to receive a first type of connector assembly associated with a first implantable cardiac lead, and a second receptacle configured to receive a second type of connector assembly associated with a second implantable cardiac lead. An elongated flexible lead portion extends from the distal end portion of the adaptor housing. A connector assembly is operatively associated with a distal end section of the flexible lead portion of the adaptor for connection to an implantable pulse-generating device, such as, for example, an implantable pacemaker or defibrillator. Low resistance conductor wires electrically connect the connector assembly associated with the distal end section of the lead portion with the first and second receptacles of the adaptor housing.
US08145313B2	Feed-through assembly A feed-through assembly is presented. The feed-through assembly includes a first end and a second end with a body therebetween. The first end comprises a substantially L-shaped end and a block. The substantially L-shaped end includes a first contact surface. The block includes a second contact surface.
US08145311B2	Systems and methods for determining optimal electrode pairs for use in biventricular pacing using multi-pole ventricular leads Techniques are provided for use by implantable medical devices for determining a preferred or optimal pair of electrodes for delivering biventricular pacing therapy. In one example, the implantable device is equipped with a right ventricular (RV) lead and a multi-pole left ventricular (LV) lead. Briefly, for each of a selected set of RV/LV electrode pairs, electrocardiac parameters are detected within a patient in which the device is implanted, including parameters representative of an intrinsic biventricular electrical separation between LV and RV and parameters representative of a mechanical contraction delay in the LV. An optimal RV/LV electrode pair is then determined for delivering biventricular pacing based on an analysis of the intrinsic biventricular electrical separation and the mechanical contraction delay. Pacing latency, pacing delay from LV to RV, and the maximum slope of an LV evoked response may be used as proxies or surrogates for mechanical contraction delay.
US08145309B2	Monitoring short term fluctuations in PR intervals following premature ventricular contractions Implantable systems, and methods for use therein, perform at least one of a cardiac assessment and an autonomic assessment. Short-term fluctuations in PR intervals, that follow the premature contractions in the ventricles, are monitored. At least one of a cardiac assessment and an autonomic assessment is performed based on the monitored fluctuations in PR intervals that follow the premature contractions in the ventricles. This can include assessing a patient's risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD), assessing a patient's autonomic tone and/or detecting myocardial ischemic events based on the monitored fluctuations in PR intervals that follow the premature contractions in the ventricles.
US08145306B2	Method for optimizing CRT therapy A method to optimize CRT therapy using ventricular lead motion analysis, either radiographically or with three dimensional electromagnetic mapping, to determine whether focal dyssynchrony is present at baseline, and whether biventricular pacing improves synchronicity and fractional shortening, and if no improvement is evidenced, changing the timing offset, pacing configuration and/or repositioning the ventricular leads to optimize effectiveness of CRT therapy. Various uses of this method include: diagnostic, with temporary leads to determine presence or absence of dyssynchrony and response to pacing; and therapeutic, to guide lead placement and programming during implant of CRT, and to optimize reprogramming of CRT during follow-up.
US08145300B2	Simplified biphasic defibrillator circuit with make-only switching A biphasic pulse delivery circuit for a defibrillator includes two capacitors, a first one of which is charged and delivers the first phase of the biphasic pulse and a second one of which is charged and delivers the second phase of the biphasic pulse. At least a portion of the charge on the second capacitor is provided by the current flow through the patient during delivery of the first pulse phase. Switches are provided for initiating the first phase, initiating the second phase, and terminating the second phase. In an illustrated circuit a shunt circuit path is provided to at least partially charge the second capacitor from the first capacitor prior to delivery of the second phase of the biphasic pulse. The inventive circuit can be controlled entirely with switching devices that only need to be closed during pulse delivery.
US08145299B2	Neural stimulation for treatment of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes Systems and methods for treating metabolic syndrome and/or Type 2 diabetes, and/or one or more of their attendant conditions, by neural stimulation. In one embodiment, an implantable pulse generator is electrically coupled to a peripheral nerve, such as the splanchnic nerve. Neural stimulation configured to either block transmission or stimulate transmission of the peripheral nerve may be used to treat metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes.
US08145295B2	Methods and systems for untethered autofluorescent imaging, target ablation, and movement of untethered device in a lumen Apparatus, devices, methods, systems, computer programs and computing devices related to autofluorescent imaging and ablation are disclosed.
US08145293B2	Adaptive medical image acquisition system and method A medical imaging system adaptively acquires anatomical images. The system includes a synchronization processor for providing a heart rate related synchronization signal derived from a patient cardiac function blood flow related parameter. The synchronization signal enables adaptive variation in timing of acquisition within successive heart cycles of each individual image frame of multiple sequential image frames. An image acquisition device initiates acquisition of anatomical images of a portion of patient anatomy in response to the synchronization signal. A display processor presents images, acquired by the acquisition device and synchronized with the synchronization signal, to a user on a reproduction device. The image acquisition device adaptively selects image pixel resolution of individual image frames of the multiple sequential image frames in response to data identifying a heart cycle segment so that successively acquired image frames have different image pixel resolution within a single heart cycle.
US08145290B2	Method for identifying the location of at least one treatment channel that is one of a plurality of treatment channels, as well as a system for effecting radiation treatment on a pre-selected anatomical portion of an animal body The invention relates to a method for identifying the location at least one treatment channel from a group of a plurality of treatment channels as wells as a system for effecting radiation treatment on a pre-selected anatomical portion of an animal body.According to the invention the identifying method being characterized by the steps of A selecting at least one of said plurality of treatment channels; B reconstructing the actual location of said selected treatment channel relative to said animal body; and C comparing said reconstructed location said pre-planned plurality of locations. Furthermore the system according to the invention is characterized in that identifying means are present for identifying the location of at least one treatment channel from said group of said plurality of inserted treatment channels and comparing said identified location with one or more of said pre-planned locations present in said treatment plan.
US08145278B2	System and method for ringtone shuffle A system and method for shuffling ringtones. An identifier associated with a calling party is received. A selection of ringtones is received. The identifier is associated with the selection of ringtones. A communication is received from the calling party. Playback of one of the selection of ringtones is initiated on a communications device based on a user preference in response to determining the communication is associated with the identifier.
US08145273B2	Mobile terminal and call content management method thereof A method for operating a mobile terminal, and which includes performing voice recognition on call content to produce recognized call content, converting the recognized call content into one or more units of character information, registering the one or more units of character information to one or more particular functions of the mobile terminal based on a type of the character information or a field of the character information, inputting a search parameter, searching one of a plurality of file types and identifying a file related to both the search parameter and the one or more registered units of character information, and displaying or automatically executing the identified file.
US08145266B2	Portable audio/video playback apparatus A portable audio/video playback apparatus of the present invention comprises an apparatus main body 1 and a broadcast receiver unit 4 removably attached to the apparatus main body. The apparatus main body 1 includes interfaces 32, 33 for connecting thereto the broadcast receiver unit; an audio processing circuit 22 connected to one interface 32 for processing and feeding an external audio signal to a speaker 24; and a video processing circuit 27 connected to the other interface 33 for processing and feeding an external video signal to a display 13. The broadcast receiver unit 4 includes interfaces 55, 56 connected to the foregoing interfaces 32, 33 and decoders 47, 48 for feeding an audio signal and a video signal included in a received television broadcast signal to the interfaces 55, 56.
US08145265B2	Method and system for producing hard copies of electronic information employing a portable personal receiving device A method for producing hard copies of electronic information employing a portable personal receiving device includes the steps of selecting information to print and utilizing the receiving device to identify available printers based on the location of the receiving device for printing the selected information in hard copy form. The portable receiving device is connected to one of the available printers and the selected information is printed in hard copy form. A system for producing hard copies of electronic information employing a portable personal receiving device includes a portable receiving device having a program enabling selection of information to print. The portable device includes a program to identify available printers based on the location of the receiving device. A communications link connects the portable receiving device to an available printer. The receiving device may be a cell phone and global positioning satellite functionality and/or cell phone tower positions may be employed to determine the location of the receiving device.
US08145261B2	Ejectable component assemblies in electronic devices Electronic devices are provided with ejectable component assemblies that can be substantially flush with the external surfaces of the housings of the devices, despite variations in their manufacture. The ejectable component assemblies may include connectors coupled to circuit boards of the devices, and trays that can be loaded with removable modules, inserted through openings in the housings of the devices, and into the connectors for functionally aligning the removable modules with the circuit boards. The ejectable component assemblies may also include ejectors coupled to the housings of the devices for ejecting the trays from the connectors and, thus, from the devices themselves.
US08145254B1	Dynamic adjustment of the pilot-channel, paging-channel, and sync-channel transmission-power levels based on forward-link and reverse-link RF conditions Methods and systems are provided for dynamic adjustment of the pilot-channel, paging-channel, and sync-channel transmission-power levels based on forward-link and reverse-link RF conditions. In an exemplary embodiment, a base station provides service on a carrier in a wireless coverage area, and computes both an Ec/Ior value and a reverse noise rise (RNR) value for the carrier. Based at least in part on the Ec/Ior value and at least in part on the RNR value, the base station adjusts at least one of a pilot-channel power level, a paging-channel power level, and a sync-channel power level for the carrier. As an example, if (a) Ec/Ior is above a first threshold and (b) RNR is below a second threshold, the base station may increase all three of the power levels, so as to improve service quality and coverage, among other advantages.
US08145250B2	Method for managing pre-established session, PoC system and PoC user equipment for implementing the same Disclosed is a method for enabling a terminating-side PoC client to open a PoC session by using a pre-established session, and to maintain the pre-established session when the terminating-side PoC client terminates the open PoC session, and a PoC system and a PoC user equipment (UE) for implementing the same. To this end, a REFER BYE message is used to terminate the PoC session while keeping the pre-established session maintained. The REFER BYE message must include information, such as pre-established session parameter information, a session ID, etc. In order to obtain the session parameter information, when the PoC session is opened by means of the pre-established session, a specified condition is determined in the terminating-side PoC client and a PoC server, and the pre-established session parameter information is stored in each PoC client and a PoC server acting as a participating PoC function according to a result of the determination. Also, the REFER BYE message is transmitted from the PoC client to the PoC server, and the PoC server receives the REFER BYE message, checks the contents of a header in the received message, and terminates the PoC session while keeping the pre-established session maintained when a specified condition is satisfied.
US08145248B2	Apparatus and method for uplink beamforming and Space-Division Multiple Access (SDMA) in Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) wireless communication systems An apparatus and method for beamforming of a terminal in a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) wireless communication system are provided. The method includes transmitting sounding signals beamformed through a plurality of beamforming weight vectors in sequence, receiving control information indicative of an uplink weight vector determined by a base station and a maximum channel quality value using the sounding signals and transmitting a transmit signal beamformed with the uplink weight vector via a plurality of antennas.
US08145247B2	Clock synchronization for a wireless communications system Clock synchronization for a wireless communication system is described. The communication system utilizes a server with a radio coupled to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal and a clock interface to receive a reference clock signal. The server includes a network interface configured to receive, from a base station, a time that the RF signal was received at the base station. The server further includes a processing device configured to determine when the RF signal was transmitted and a location of the base station, and configured to calculate clock offset value representative of a time to delay a local clock signal at the base station to synchronize the local clock signal at the base station with the reference clock signal.
US08145246B2	Low latency, high quality link for audio transmission A system includes a transmitting device, an intermediate communications device, and a receiving device. The system establishes a first synchronous wireless link between a transmitting device and the intermediate device, and a second synchronous wireless link between the intermediate device and the receiving device. The transmitting device may include a wireless audio transmitter, a sampling unit configured to convert an incoming audio signal to a stream of digitized audio samples, an encoder unit configured to code the stream of digitized audio samples according to an audio codec based on a sample oriented audio compression algorithm to provide a stream of coded digitized audio samples, and a signal transmitting unit transmitting the stream of coded digitized audio samples over the first synchronous wireless link to the intermediate device. The intermediate device transmits the stream of coded digitized audio samples to the receiving device through the second synchronous wireless link.
US08145244B2	System and method for determining base unit position of a cordless handset A method and system are presented for sensing a physical position of a cordless handset with respect to a base unit. A dataset of measured line currents may be initialized. A line extension may receive a number for use in determining the position of an associated cordless handset. Stored on-base-unit and off-base-unit line currents may be accessed. A determination may be if the cordless handset is positioned on the base unit, and in response to a determination that the handset is in contact with the base unit, a desired task may proceed.
US08145236B2	Approach to secure localization in wireless networks Embodiments of the present invention disclose a secure localization infrastructure using transmitters that can transmit messages at multiple distinct power levels throughout a community of reference points. Transmitters send messages at different power levels in a manner that every location in the system corresponds to a unique set of messages. Received messages are reported back to the localization infrastructure, which then determines location by comparing the messages reported.
US08145226B2	Wireless communication method, wireless communication system and base station A base station (200) has an information acquiring unit (224) for acquiring information indicating an upper limit of a value based on the current consumption of a wireless communication terminal and the number of first frequency bands requested by the wireless communication terminal, a band number determining unit (221) for determining the number of second frequency bands to be assigned to the wireless communication terminal based on the acquired information indicating the upper limit of current consumption and a band number setting unit (222) for setting the number of first frequency bands to the number of frequency bands to be assigned to the wireless communication terminal when the number of first frequency bands is equal to or less than the number of second frequency bands and setting the number of second frequency bands to the number of frequency bands to be assigned to the wireless communication terminal when the number of first frequency bands is greater than the number of second frequency bands.
US08145224B2	Method and system for transmitting and receiving common control information in a communication system Disclosed is a method of transmitting common control information by a base station in a communication system including a first communication system and a second communication system different from each other. In the communication system, a frame for carrying the common control information includes an uplink sub-frame and a downlink sub-frame, each of which includes a resource allocation area for the first communication system and a resource allocation area for the second communication system. The method includes: configuring the common control information to be received by a mobile station belonging to the second communication system; and transmitting the common control information through the resource allocation area for the second communication system included in one of the uplink sub-frame and the downlink sub-frame.
US08145222B2	Method, mobile communication device, and system for selective downloading to a mobile communication device A method, mobile communication device, and system for selective downloading to a mobile communication device are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method on a mobile communication device for downloading data from a content source to the mobile communication device, the mobile communication device being configured for connecting to at least cellular data networks and wireless local area networks (WLANs), the method comprising: receiving a request to download data; determining if the requested data comprises a media file; selecting a communication medium for downloading the requested data in accordance with whether the requested data comprises a media file; and downloading the requested data to the mobile communication device using the selected communication medium.
US08145219B2	Handoff of a multimedia call session using background network scanning A method and system supporting handoff of a multimedia call session using background network scanning is disclosed. A mobile multimedia handset may engage in the exchange of a multimedia information stream via a first wireless network, and may sniff a portion of radio frequency spectrum for a second wireless network. Information about available services and network quality of service for the second network may be received by querying the second wireless network or from advertising by the second wireless network. Hand-off between the two networks may be based upon the results of the comparison and one or more user-defined criteria, and the handoff may be synchronized according to predefined events in the stream of multimedia information.
US08145217B2	Method and apparatus for handoff in a communication system supporting multiple service instances Method and apparatus for effecting handoff in a system supporting both wireless and packet data service communications. In one embodiment, the serving network provides information to the target network sufficient to establish the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connections for handoff. In an alternate embodiment, the serving network and the target network do not share capabilities with respect to concurrent multiple service instances. When the serving network knows the status of the target network, the serving network takes responsibility for the handoff.
US08145214B2	Raster skipping in co-banded mobile communication devices based on previous scans for any band The present invention discloses a solution for improving scan time in a co-banded mobile communication device. The solution can maintain a set of records within a data store of a co-banded mobile communication device. The set of records can include two or more communication rasters that represent an overlap between frequency bands used by different access technologies supported by the mobile communication device. A frequency band for a first access technology can be scanned for communication rasters allocated for that access technology. For each occupied communication raster, a related record of the set of maintained records can be updated to indicate that the communication raster is occupied. A frequency band for a second access technology can then be scanned within a previously determined time threshold of the first scan. The second scanning attempt can skip those communication rasters indicated as occupied by the set of records.
US08145213B2	Apparatus and method for generating PLMN list in mobile communication system Provided are an apparatus and method for generating a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) list in a mobile communication terminal. The method includes: generating an available PLMN list by searching PLMNs through a Radio Frequency (RF) channel, and determining if Location Area Code (LAC) information is contained in the available PLMN list; generating a PLMN list from PLMN information matched with Mobile Country Code (MCC) information and Mobile Network Code (MNC) information and existing in a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, when no LAC is contained in the available PLMN list; and deleting items duplicated in the generated PLMN list.
US08145212B2	Wireless device activation Tools and techniques for activating a wireless device on a wireless network. In an aspect, such tools can allow an unactivated wireless device (that is, a wireless device that generally would be inoperable on a wireless network) to be given limited functionality in order to activate itself on the network. In some cases, such tools can be implemented within business processes to generate revenue streams for entities involved in the wireless activation process.
US08145210B2	Enhanced cross-network handoff for mobile IP service mobility A system and method are described whereby an enhanced handoff scheme provides for monitoring of mobile device conditions and network conditions associated with a current access network attachment, as well as with a plurality of access networks on a preferred access network list, to proactively initiate a handoff operation, thereby preserving the QoS constraints necessary for seamless delivery of IP multimedia services. In an embodiment, each of the plurality of access networks is connected to an IMS core network, whereby a policy function receives quality of service constraints associated with the launched application from the mobile device and orders a list of preferred access networks accordingly. Preferably, the policy function selects an appropriate access gateway associated with a target access network based at least in part on the mobile device conditions reported by the mobile device and the access network conditions monitored by the policy function.
US08145207B2	Apparatus and method for avoiding interference between base station and relay station when using full duplex relay in a multi hop relay system An apparatus and method for avoiding interference between a base station and a relay station when using full duplex relay in a multi-hop relay wireless communication system are provided. An operation of a mobile station includes measuring an strength of a receive signal from a base station and an strength of a receive signal from an relay station, calculating a receive signal strength ratio of base station to relay station by dividing the strength of the receive signal from the base station by the strength of the receive signal from the relay station, determining if interference occurs using the receive signal strength ratio, and transmitting a control message representing if interference occurs.
US08145205B2	Method and apparatus for estimating speech quality A method of estimating the quality of speech information associated with a voice call over a communication system comprising a core network and an access network where speech information is carried between the access network and the core network and within the core network in frames. The method comprises determining a rate of frame loss for frames transported between the access network and the core network and/or within the core network, and mapping the rate of frame loss to a quality estimation value using data collected by simulating frame loss on representative speech samples and determining quality estimation values for the damaged speech samples.
US08145203B2	Personal area network having media player and mobile device controlling the same A system and method are provided for controlling content played by a number of media devices. In general, the system includes a mobile device and the number of media devices. The mobile device includes a wireless communication interface for communicating with the media devices, a media database, and a control system including a media client. When the mobile device enters a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) associated with a media device, the media client obtains information describing the content residing at the media device and stores the information in the media database at the mobile device. Thereafter, when the mobile device is within the WPAN associated with the media device, the media database is used to select content to be played at the media device.
US08145201B2	Methods and apparatus for reduced energy communication in an ad hoc network The invention relates to communications devices for reduced energy communications in an ad hoc network. The communication device includes a first low-powered transceiver for initiating communications with other communications devices and a second transceiver for transmitting data messages to the other communications devices once communication is initiated. The communication device also includes a communications control processor for determining times at which the other communications devices will be available to receive communications based on scheduling data received from those communication devices. The communications control processor can also take into account requests for reserved bandwidth.
US08145197B2	Method and arrangement for providing user information to a telecommunication client A method and arrangement for providing information to a client from a client access network regarding a requested set of users, at least some of which are connected to other access networks. In response to a client subscription request, the client access network establishes a network subscription with the other access networks. Information updates regarding users in the set are then continuously received and stored in a database of the client access network, whenever the users change their state. In response to a subsequent request for user information from the client, corresponding stored user information is retrieved from the database and sent in a notification to the client.
US08145195B2	Mobility related control signalling authentication in mobile communications system In a non-limiting and exemplary embodiment, a method is provided for arranging authentication of mobility related signalling messages in a mobile communications system. An authentication code is generated on the basis of a previous authentication code stored in connection with a preceding authentication code generation event. The newly generated authentication code is stored for subsequent authentication code generation event. In response to change of the mobile device to an access network of the network entity, a control message comprising the authentication code is transmitted from a mobile device to a first network entity, for verifying the authentication code by the first network entity or by a second network entity of a previous access system.
US08145193B2	Session key management for public wireless LAN supporting multiple virtual operators A method and apparatus for managing a session key for allowing a mobile terminal to access a wireless local area network (WLAN). The invention provides for establishing a first secure channel between an access point and a virtual operator, and suggesting a session key to the virtual operator from the access point. A second secure channel is established between the virtual operator and a user, and the session key is sent to the user via the second secure channel upon successful user authentication. The mobile terminal accesses the WLAN using the session key.
US08145189B2	Technique for securely communicating information A system that communicates information is described. During operation, this system receives an encryption key through a first wireless communication technique, wherein the first wireless communication technique includes near field communication. Then, the system communicates a document through a second wireless communication technique, where the document is associated with a financial transaction being conducted with a commercial establishment. Next, the system receives encrypted information through the second wireless communication technique, where the encrypted information is, at least in part, encrypted using the encryption key, and where the second wireless communication technique includes a technique other than near field communication.
US08145188B2	Method for call charge transfer between mobile communication terminals A mobile terminal and method for transferring call charges between mobile terminals are disclosed. To transfer call-related charges between mobile terminals, the mobile terminal and call charge transfer method place a call by a calling mobile terminal to a called mobile terminal to establish a call connection for conversation, transmit a call transfer request by the calling mobile terminal to impose call-related charges on the called mobile terminal, and perform, if the called mobile terminal accepts the call transfer request, a call transfer operation to impose the call-related charges on the called mobile terminal, and maintain, if the called mobile terminal rejects the call transfer request, the call to impose the call-related charges on the calling mobile terminal. As a result, during a call between mobile terminals, the called user can accept a call transfer request of the calling user to transfer call-related charges to the called party, thereby enabling flexible and efficient billing.
US08145187B2	Systems and methods for coordinating the coverage and capacity of a wireless base station A communications base station is installed at a selected new location and the base station, prior to going “online” monitors the wireless traffic from other base stations within interference range of the new base station's coverage area. The new base station also monitors the wireless traffic between mobile devices within its coverage area and these other base stations. Based upon these monitored conditions, as well as other known conditions, the new base station then determines the transmitting parameter configuration it should imply in order to achieve a desired optimization between capacity and coverage area. After the new base station is online, a central control can monitor the entire network to determine if any additional changes are necessary and if so the new transceiver, or any other transceiver, can be instructed to monitor itself with respect to interference and to take corrective action to improve overall network coverage and capacity.
US08145186B1	Assessing the comparative performance of telecommunication service areas The present invention provides a method, system, and software product for assessing the performance of at least one telecommunications service area wherein the method comprises providing for the telecommunications service area performance information comprising service area rate of blocked calls, service area rate of dropped calls, and service area number of attempted calls. Additionally, the performance information for the service area to generate a Performance Value therefore. The present invention further comprises comparing the Performance Values of at least first and second service areas to provide a basis for making decisions regarding maintenance, repair, or replacement activities of hardware and software relating to a service area.
US08145185B2	Method for communicating indoor location to an emergency service system A method for communicating location to an emergency service system. A wireless communication device (WCD) such as a cell phone attains a GPS location fix when outdoors and then uses a compass and pedometer to determine its direction(s) and distance(s) of travel reaching a position inside a building. When a user of the WCD places an emergency call, the WCD conveys an indication of its indoor location in a signaling message to an emergency service center, and an intermediation system such as an IMS system translates the indoor location indication to a textual description of a portion of the building (e.g., room, cubicle, zone, etc.) that encompasses the indicated location. An emergency service operator can thus receive the building portion description, to facilitate emergency service response. Further, a similar process can then be repeated during the call, to provide an updated building portion description to the operator.
US08145181B2	Electric power transmission system for communications with noise elimination arrangement An electric power transmission system for communications includes on/off switches; high-voltage power assemblies; groups of high-voltage devices each being powered by the high-voltage power assembly; a carrier waves communications network comprising a transformer and filter, a filter, and a carrier waves coupling device interconnecting the transformer and filter and the filter, wherein the transformer and filter includes a low-voltage power assembly for communications and the filter includes a high-voltage power assembly for communications; and low and high-voltage devices. Data can be communicated between the low-voltage devices, between the high-voltage devices, or between the low-voltage device and the high-voltage device by transmitting carrier waves over the AC power.
US08145177B2	Receiving apparatus A receiving apparatus includes: a frequency conversion portion that has at least a mixer that down-converts a frequency of a reception radio-frequency signal by mixing the radio-frequency signal and an output from a voltage-controlled oscillator and outputs the down-converted radio-frequency signal; and a resistor element that has a resistance value to set a DC bias voltage of an input transistor in the mixer to which the radio-frequency signal is inputted to a center value of a dynamic range.
US08145171B2	Clock clean-up phase-locked loop (PLL) A clock clean-up phase-locked loop (PLL) that may reduce spurs and improve performance of a receiver is described. In one exemplary design, an integrated circuit includes a PLL and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The PLL receives a first clock signal generated with a fractional divider ratio and having spurs due to abrupt frequency jumps. The first clock signal may be generated by a fractional-N frequency synthesizer external to the integrated circuit. The PLL generates a second clock signal with an integer divider ratio and having reduced spurs. The ADC digitizes an analog baseband signal based on the second clock signal and provides digital samples. The integrated circuit may further include a low noise amplifier (LNA), which may observe less spurs coupled via the substrate of the integrated circuit due to the use of the PLL to clean up the first clock signal.
US08145168B2	Wireless transceiver and wireless transmission method A DC offset of a VGA is measured by selecting a ground contact of a switch. Then, the gain of the VGA is set at an appropriate value, monitoring contacts of the switch are successively selected, and the output values of an ADC for the respective cases are measured with the input to a DAC set at zero. Then, the DC offset of the VGA is removed, the DC offset value of each circuit block, such as DAC, in a transmitting part is calculated, and parameters are set so that the DC offset value of each circuit block is minimized.
US08145167B2	Automatic gain control of radio devices A method of operating a RF device having a first RF gain stage (34) comprising a programmable attenuator (36) coupled to a RF amplifier (38) and a second narrowband gain controlled amplifying stage (24) for amplifying a signal in a wanted bandwidth, comprises selecting a gain setting of the first RF gain stage to maximize the signal-to-noise (SNR) by minimizing the total noise in a wanted signal and a gain setting of the second narrowband amplifying stage to provide a substantially constant level output. In order to select the gain setting of the first RF gain stage, the RF device includes a control stage (40) which takes into account the gain settings of the first RF stage and the second gain controlled amplifying stage, the distortion noise (referred to the RF input) and the thermal noise (referred to the RF input) when selecting a gain setting to be applied to the programmable attenuator to minimize the total noise.
US08145165B1	Spur mitigation for wireless communication systems A receiver for a wireless communication device comprising a mechanism for performing spur mitigation. An AGC unit of the receiver is operable to determine when an amplitude of an ADC output signal associated with a received RF signal is outside a predetermined amplitude range. The AGC unit is operable to modify a gain associated with a VGA such that the ADC output signal has an amplitude within the predetermined amplitude rage. The first spur mitigation unit is operable to determine an estimate of a spur signal of the ADC output signal and remove the spur signal from the ADC output signal based on the estimate of the spur signal. The first spur mitigation unit comprises a moving average filter operable to generate the estimate of the spur signal. The AGC unit is further operable to reset the moving average filter of the first spur mitigation unit when the AGC unit modifies the gain associated with the VGA.
US08145163B2	Methods of detection of received signal in communication system A method of detecting a received signal, which is received by a receiving side of a communication system, is disclosed. The present invention includes comparing signal quality relevant information of the received signal to a prescribed reference value, selecting a pre-processing scheme to be applied to the received signal according to a result of the comparing step, and detecting a signal by applying the selected pre-processing scheme to the received signal. Thus, a pre-processing scheme for received signal detection can be differently applied according to a size of quality relevant information of a received signal. Accordingly, the present invention lowers a false alarm probability and/or a miss occurrence probability of the received signal, thereby raising a signal detection probability.
US08145158B2	Bias circuit for a radio frequency power-amplifier and method therefor A wireless communication unit comprises a transmitter having a power amplifier biased by a bias circuit and a controller operably coupled to the bias circuit for setting one or more bias levels of the power amplifier. The bias circuit is a single bias circuit and is configured to provide either a current mode bias control of the power amplifier or a voltage mode bias control of the power amplifier in response to a control signal from the controller. In this manner, a single bias control circuit can be used to support applications that benefit from both current mode bias control and voltage mode bias control of the power amplifier.
US08145149B2	Operating a voltage regulator at a switching frequency selected to reduce spurious signals Embodiments for at least one method and apparatus of a wireless transceiver are disclosed. For one embodiment, the wireless transceiver includes a transmit chain, wherein the transmit chain includes a power amplifier. The wireless transceiver additionally includes a receiver chain that is tunable to receive wireless signals over at least one of multiple channels, wherein the multiple channels are predefined. Further, the wireless transceiver includes a voltage converter. The voltage converter provides a supply voltage to the power amplifier, and operates at a single switching frequency, wherein the single switching frequency and all harmonics of the single switching frequency fall outside of the multiple channels.
US08145145B2	Self evaluating transmitter A self-evaluating process control transmitter system includes a transmitter configured to capture output data from an integral sensor, and a transmitter memory integrally disposed with the transmitter. The transmitter memory is configured to store a plurality of sets of the output data thereon, including an initial as-built data set, and at least one subsequent data set. A self evaluation module integrally disposed with the transmitter, in communication with the transmitter memory is configured to identify one or more variations between the as-built data set and at least one subsequent data set.
US08145144B2	Wireless communication device employing controlled inter-part impedances for hearing aid compatibility A method and apparatus for providing a hearing aid compatible wireless electronic device is disclosed. The apparatus may include a lower housing having a wireless transceiver, upper housing including an earpiece, hinge assembly, and a pair of reactive matching element along with predefined placement of the wireless transceiver. The reactive matching element can be implemented at different chassis inductances to achieve hearing aid compatibility within other design constraints. Implemented as a switched circuit or reactance filter circuit to create a reactance appropriate for a band of operation during transmission in that band.
US08145137B2	Methods and arrangements for noise rise estimation A received total wideband power (61A) in a wireless communications system is measured a number of times during a time interval. Preferably, also code powers ((C/I)i) are measured, directly or indirectly. A probability distribution of a first power quantity (63A, 63B), typically total received power is estimated from the set of measurements, preferably using Kalman filtering techniques, and preferably also a probability distribution of a second power quantity (62A, 62B) related to noise and interference signals. A conditional probability distribution of a noise rise measure to be determined is based at least on the probability distribution of the total power (63A, 63B). From that conditional probability distribution, a value of the noise rise measure is calculated. In a preferred embodiment, the noise rise measure is based on a quotient between total power and a noise floor, and the conditional probability distribution of the noise rise is therefore based on a conditional probability distribution of noise floor quantity (64). The conditional probability distribution of the noise floor quantity (64) is in turn based on the probability distribution of the extreme value of a second power quantity (62A, 62B) related to noise and interference signals and a prior determined probability distribution of a noise power floor.
US08145126B2	Satellite-band spectrum utilization for reduced or minimum interference A first and/or a second communications system may provide communications service over a geographic area. A method of operating the first and/or the second communications systems may include generating a measure of aggregate interference reaching a satellite of the second communications system substantially from devices of the first communications system. The measure of aggregate interference reaching the satellite of the second communications system may be transmitted to an element of the first communications system.
US08145122B2	Power supply adapter and power supply system Disclosed herein is a power supply adapter for supplying DC power to a broadcast receiver that processes a broadcast signal. The power supply adapter includes: a converter configured to generate the DC power from AC power; a broadcast signal reception section configured to receive the broadcast signal; a mixer configured to mix the broadcast signal received by the broadcast signal reception section with an output from the converter; and a supply section configured to supply an output from the mixer to the broadcast receiver.
US08145113B2	Fixing device and image formation apparatus A fixing device forms a fixing nip by pressing a first roller, which is inside a rotation path of a rotating belt, with a second roller via the belt, and thermally fixes an unfixed image formed on a sheet S by passing the sheet S through the fixing nip while heating the belt by electromagnetic induction. The fixing device comprises an excitation coil positioned outside said path, and a fixed plate that (i) is inside said path, substantially facing the excitation coil via the belt, (ii) contacts an inner surface of the belt, and (iii) keeps the belt on said path. A base member of the belt is a conductive heat generation layer containing no magnetic shunt alloy. The fixed plate includes a conductive layer and a magnetic shunt alloy layer that is closer to the belt than the conductive layer.
US08145112B2	Heating rotating body, heating device, fixing device and image forming device A heating rotating body includes: a rotating body that generates heat due to electromagnetic induction in a magnetic field and whose magnetic permeability starts to decrease continuously from a magnetic permeability change start temperature that is in a temperature region that is greater than or equal to a set temperature and less than or equal to a heat-resistant temperature, and an eddy current cutting-off structure that is formed on the rotating body and cuts-off a portion of eddy current generated by the electromagnetic induction.
US08145110B2	Apparatuses useful for printing and corresponding methods Apparatuses useful for printing and methods of cleaning debris from a surface in an apparatus useful for printing are provided. An exemplary embodiment of an apparatus useful for printing includes a first roll, a belt including an inner surface and an outer surface, the first roll and the outer surface of the belt forming a nip, a stripping member located between the inner surface of the belt and the first roll for facilitating stripping of media from the outer surface of the belt after the media is fed through the nip with the belt moving in a first direction, wherein debris builds up on the inner surface of the belt adjacent to the stripping member during stripping of the media, and a cleaning device for cleaning the debris from the inner surface of the belt upon movement of the belt in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
US08145109B2	Sheet separator and fixing unit using the same and image forming apparatus incorporating the fixing unit A sheet separator using air includes a plurality of nozzles and a guide member. The plurality of nozzles, through which compressed air is ejected against a nip portion where a plurality of rotating members meets, presses each other, and carries a sheet of a recording medium therebetween, is disposed downstream in a direction of sheet transport and also in a direction of a width of the recording medium. The guide member holds and secures the nozzles, and includes a conduit to supply the compressed air to the nozzles, and a guide surface to direct the recording medium separated from the nip portion. A tip of each of the nozzles from which air is ejected projects beyond the leading edge of the guide member on the nip portion side. A fixing unit includes the sheet separator. An image forming apparatus includes the sheet separator.
US08145103B2	Image formation device and developer supply device There is provided an image formation device including a developer holding body having a developer holding surface; and a developer supply unit to supply the developer to a position facing the developer holding surface by carrying the developer in a developer transport direction intersecting with the main scanning direction through use of effect of an electric field. The developer supply unit includes a plurality of carrying electrodes each of which is formed to have a longer side extending along the main scanning direction. The carrying electrodes are arranged along the developer transport direction to carry the developer when a drive voltage is applied to the carrying electrodes. The developer supply unit has a developer carrying area formed such that, in the main scanning direction, the developer carrying area becomes narrower from an upstream side in the developer transport direction toward the position along the developer transport direction.
US08145101B2	Developing device, image forming apparatus and process cartridge in which a shock is applied intermittently to the discharged developer A developing device capable of conveying discharged developer to the outside of the device well by preventing developer from firmly adhering within a discharge conveyance path, as well as an image forming apparatus and a process cartridge having this developing device. A developing device, having: a developing roller; a developer conveyance path having a supply screw and a supply conveyance path; a toner replenishment controller for replenishing the developer to the developer conveyance path; a discharge conveyance path for conveying the developer to the outside of the developing device; a discharge screw serving as a discharge conveying member for applying a conveying force to the developer within the discharge conveyance path; and a developer discharge port serving as developer discharge means for discharging the developer to the discharge conveyance path, wherein the conveying force is applied to the discharged developer intermittently by the discharge screw serving as a discharge conveying member, whereby a shock is applied intermittently to the discharged developer within the discharge conveyance path.
US08145096B2	Image forming apparatus having a process cartridge removable from a main body of the apparatus having improved usability The present invention includes two side-plates configured to be opposed to each other and to form a frame of a main body of the apparatus, a cartridge with an image bearing member, a moving member configured to support and move the cartridge, a connecting member configured to connect the two side-plates, and a positioning member configured to be held by the connecting member, wherein the moving member, which is movable between the two side-plates, the cartridge is attachable to and detachable from the moving member when the moving member is withdrawn to the outside of the main body of the apparatus, and the cartridge is positioned by the positioning member when the moving member is moved and the cartridge is contained in the main body of the apparatus.
US08145091B2	Image forming apparatus and method of cleaning secondary transfer roller used therein A toner image is formed on an image carrier using a toner supplied from a developing roller to which a controlled bias voltage is applied; the toner image is primarily transferred onto an intermediate transfer member; the toner image is secondarily transferred onto a recording sheet using a transfer voltage applied to the secondary transfer roller; and the bias voltage is applied to the secondary transfer roller as a cleaning voltage necessary for cleaning the secondary transfer roller; and the toner adhered to a circumferential surface of the secondary transfer roller is reversely transferred onto the intermediate transfer member.
US08145090B2	Cleaning device of wire, charging device using the same and image forming apparatus A cleaning device of a wire includes: a first cleaning member that cleans a wire when the first cleaning member comes into contact with the wire; a second cleaning member that wipes off the wire when the second cleaning member comes into contact with the first cleaning member while the wire is being interposed between the first and the second cleaning member; and a holding and moving body that holds and reciprocates the first and the second cleaning members in a direction in which the wire is stretched. The second cleaning member is contacted with the wire at a protruding portion in which the second cleaning member protrudes from a rear end portion of the first cleaning member in the direction at least at the time of a going-back movement of the first cleaning member.
US08145089B2	Image forming apparatus and method of supporting cleaner A technique of easily detaching a cleaner with a simple configuration is provided. At the time of drawing out a drawing unit, an elastic supporting section is allowed to move against the pressing force of the elastic supporting section to a position where the elastic supporting of the cleaner is released by a support releasing section.
US08145088B2	Print management apparatus, print management method, computer-readable recording medium, and computer program A print management apparatus includes a generation unit configured to generate, from a document including a clear toner page on which both colored toner and clear toner are used and an insert page on which the colored toner is used without the use of the clear toner, a clear toner page print job for printing the clear toner page by using the colored toner without using the clear toner, and an insert print job for applying the clear toner on the clear toner page printed by using the colored toner without using the clear toner and for printing the insert page by using the colored toner. The print management apparatus also includes a first instruction unit configured to instruct an execution of the clear toner page print job, and a second instruction unit configured to instruct an execution of the insert print job after a predetermined period of time elapses.
US08145086B2	Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus capable of executing a mode for decelerating a rotation speed of a fixing member and a pressure member between sheets in a continuous print than that during a fixing operation.
US08145085B2	Image forming apparatus The image forming apparatus includes a transfer device, an applying circuit, a computation circuit, and a controller. The applying circuit applies transfer bias voltage to the transfer device. The computation circuit derives relational expressions (a linear expression and a quadratic expression) according to control signal value calculating zones (a linear-expression and a quadratic-expression computing zones). Each relational expression shows relationship between the control signal value (PWM_Duty) for the applying circuit and the transfer current It generated by the transfer bias voltage. The control signal value calculating zones are divided by a preset control signal value (computation changing Duty). Then, the computation circuit calculates a target control signal value that corresponds to a target transfer current value using the derived expressions and according to the calculating zone.
US08145083B2	Toner calibration in an image forming device The present disclosure relates to a method, system and apparatus for calibrating toner measurement in an image forming device. A toner patch is deposited onto a control surface, the toner patch reflecting light in a plurality of wavelengths in the infrared spectrum. A toner patch sensor emits light at the plurality of wavelengths in the infrared spectrum onto the toner patch. The amount of incident light reflected from the toner patch at the plurality of wavelengths from the emitted light is measured, and used to generate measured signals indicative of the reflectivity of the toner patch. An operating parameter of the image forming device is adjusted based upon the measured signals.
US08145082B2	Image forming apparatus and method of controlling toner supply The image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor including a photoconductive layer and an overcoat layer containing electroconductive particles; a charging unit charging the photoconductor to first potential; an exposure unit setting an exposure region to have second potential smaller than the first potential in absolute values; a development unit including a developer carrier and a power supply setting the developer carrier to have third potential; a potential setting unit setting the third potential smaller than the first potential and larger than the second potential in a first image forming operation, and setting it larger than the first potential in a second image forming operation, in absolute values; a current setting unit setting an inflowing current to a fixed current value in the second image forming operation; a detection unit detecting image density in the second image forming operation; and a controller controlling toner supply according to the image density.
US08145081B2	Image forming apparatus and control method for the same When image forming is to be successively performed on recording sheets having different sizes, an image forming apparatus suitably executes adjustment processing on a fixing apparatus or the like used in the image forming, and maintains image quality as well as suppresses a drop in productivity. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus specifies the size of a printing material onto which an image is to be performed, and with use of the specified printing material size and the size of printing materials on which images have been formed immediately previously, determines whether it is necessary to execute adjustment processing for maintaining image quality. Specifically, adjustment processing is executed only if the size of the printing material on which an image is to be formed is greater than the size of the printing materials on which images were formed immediately previously.
US08145080B2	Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a time detection unit, a humidity measurement unit and a controller. The image forming device includes a photoconductive body, a developing device and a transfer device. The time detection unit detects information concerning a stop time period of the developing device. The humidity measurement unit is provided in a casing in which the image forming device is provided and measures a humidity. The controller controls a developer supply member in the developing device based on the information concerning the stop time period detected by the time detection unit and information concerning the humidity measured by the humidity measurement unit, so as to rotate at a lower speed than a rotation speed at a normal time before the developing device starts a first developing operation after the developing device stopped.
US08145075B2	Image forming apparatus in which genuine cartridge with and without memory device are usable In an image-forming apparatus for forming an image using toner contained in a toner cartridge, genuineness of the toner cartridge with or without a memory device is verified. A counter counts a value concerning image formation. A cartridge detector determines the presence or absence of the toner cartridge. A reader is configured to retrieve data from a memory device if any provided in the toner cartridge. A controller is configured to exercise two types of control. If the cartridge detector determines that the toner cartridge is present, the value counted by the counter is greater than a predetermined value, and the reader has failed retrieval of predetermined data, then a first type of control conformable to a toner cartridge other than a genuine toner cartridge is exercised. Otherwise, a second type of control conformable to the genuine toner cartridge is exercised.
US08145073B2	System and method for improving failure detection using collective intelligence with end-user feedback Systems and methods are described that facilitate using end-user feedback to automatically distinguish between a normal behavior and a device failure which can be a hard failure (e.g., a device malfunction) or a soft failure. For instance, upon detection of a usage switch from a first device to a second device by a user, a survey message is sent to the user to solicit information regarding the reasons for the switch. If the switch was triggered by a device malfunction, the detected device failure is verified and an alert is sent to an administrator and/or potentially impacted users. If the switch was triggered by the user's need for functionality (e.g., color printing, collation, etc.) not provided by the first device, which is otherwise functioning properly, then the detected failure is determined to be a failure and the failure detection algorithm is updated accordingly.
US08145072B2	DQPSK optical receiver According to an aspect of an embodiment, a DQPSK optical receiver, comprising: a first LPF connected to a line branching off from between a first optical-electrical converter and a first data recovery circuit; a second LPF connected to a line branching off from between a second optical-electrical converter and a second data recovery circuit; a first LIA for amplifying a signal output from the first LPF and also limiting an amplitude of an output signal thereof; a second LIA for amplifying a signal output from the second LPF and also limiting an amplitude of an output signal thereof; a first mixer for multiplying the output signal from the first LIA by a signal output from the second LPF; and a second mixer for multiplying the output signal from the second LIA by a signal output from the first LPF.
US08145069B2	Optical transmitter A signal Data1 and Data2 are output from a DQPSK signal source. The output signal is input to the modulator drivers 1 and 2 of the differential output. A drive signal is applied from the drivers 1 and 2 to a modulator, and modulated light is output. An optical coupler 20 branches modulator output, and a power monitor 21 detects the power of the branched light. A detection result is transmitted to an amplitude control unit 22. The amplitude control unit 22 adjusts the amplitude of the drivers 1 and 2 such that the detection result of the power monitor 21 can be the maximum.
US08145066B2	Predistortion using FPGA Predistortion logic for an optical communications laser or optical modulator, includes predistortion logic embodied in a field programmable gate array (FPGA). A first analog to digital converter (ADC) provides a representation of an RF signal at an input of the FPGA. A digital to analog converter provides a representation of an output of the FPGA to a laser or modulator.
US08145056B2	Distributed wavelength conversion control for signaling protocols A network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising obtaining a wavelength availability information for a path, determining whether to implement a wavelength assignment based on the wavelength availability information, updating the wavelength availability information when the wavelength assignment is to be implemented, and forwarding the wavelength availability information. Also included is a method comprising obtaining a wavelength availability information, comparing a number of wavelengths in the wavelength availability information to a threshold, determining whether to implement wavelength conversion along a path when the number of available wavelengths is less than or about equal to the threshold, and resetting the wavelength availability information when wavelength conversion is to be implemented.
US08145051B2	Image pickup apparatus using light emitting device and method of controlling the same An image pickup apparatus which is capable of reducing possibility of missing a good moment to take a photo and reducing electric power wasted for strobe shooting. The image pickup apparatus is capable of shooting using a strobe. A motion detector detects an amount of motion of an object of which an image is to be picked up. A camera controller sets a target charge voltage level of a main capacitor based on the detected amount of motion of the object.
US08145050B2	Lens drive device A lens drive device includes: a lens holder holding a lens; a drive source including a rotor rotatably supported; a gear rotated by a rotation of the rotor; and a driven gear rotated by the gear. The lens holder is moved in an optical axis direction by a rotation of the driven gear. The driven gear includes a teeth portion. The teeth portion includes: a meshed portion meshing the gear; and a non-meshed portion abutting the gear to stop the rotations of the gear and the driven gear.
US08145048B2	Photo booth and improvements thereto A photo booth including a frame defining support members for a plurality of adjacent standing walls. The photo booth further includes a plurality of flexible panels. Each panel is mountable to corresponding support members of one of the plurality of walls. One side of each panel is light reflecting. In an aspect, the photo booth further includes photographic equipment including at least one light for installing in an aperture defined in one of the panels. In another aspect, at least one of the panels is translucent and includes a marketing graphic on an opposite side, and upon actuation of the light, the marketing graphic is illuminated.
US08145045B2	Filament lamp and light irradiation heat treatment device A filament lamp has a bulb comprised of a straight light emitting tube from which a pair of flat hermetically sealed portions extend, a plurality of coiled filaments arranged within the light emitting tube, in the tube axis direction a pair of internal leads are connected to ends of the filament by a respective one of a plurality of metal foils that are embedded in the hermetically sealed portions, and external leads are connected to the metal foils. The width of metal foils embedded in the hermetically sealed portions is increased so as not to cause them to melt even when an electric current to be supplied to the filament lamp is increased, the hermetically sealed portions being made wider than the external diameter of the light emitting tube and the width between outer margins of the metal foils in a direction at right angles of the tube axis is greater than the internal diameter of the light emitting tube.
US08145043B2	Recording medium for storing information for still picture, recording and/or reproducing method and apparatus therefor A recordable and/or rewriteable recording medium for storing still picture data, and recording and/or reproducing method and apparatus therefor. The recording medium stores still picture group information for grouping a plurality of still pictures in order to manage the still picture at a group level, and stores audio group information for grouping additional audio data added to the still picture data after the still picture data are recorded. Therefore, large-capacity still picture data and additional audio data added thereto can be recorded using a minimum amount of management information. Further, during reproduction, data can be displayed and edited in units of the respective still pictures. Also, it is possible to cope with after-recording of the audio data.
US08145040B2	Program recording system, communication terminal, as well as recording and reproducing apparatus According to the present invention, a recording instruction signal including channel information on the program that the user is viewing at present is transmitted from a communication terminal with a television receiving function; this recording instruction signal is received by a recording and reproducing apparatus; and the recording processing of the program indicated by the received recording instruction signal to be recorded is controlled, so that the program viewed using a communication terminal away from home can be viewed using a recording and reproducing apparatus at home.
US08145039B2	Information processing apparatus and method An information processing method and apparatus reproduces predetermined information from a variety of information recorded by, for example, an electronic camera. The information may be reproduced in a predetermined order and with predetermined reproduction time. Reproduction information is generated based on recording information. Reproduction time may be changed by changing a WAIT time between reproduction of each recording unit. A slide show mode may be selected after a series of information are recorded. If information is not being presently recorded in the electronic camera, all of the information previously recorded may be displayed as the slide show. Also, new information may be recorded even under unexpected conditions. Information to be reproduced may be set during slide show mode by changing the order of reproduction if necessary. The new information is recognized as different information from the information that is set during the slide show mode.
US08145038B2	Information transmitting apparatus According to one embodiment, an information transmitting apparatus includes a receiver, a management module, a transmitter, and an update module. The receiver is configured to receive a first content item in which a first viewable time is set. The management module is configured to manage the first content item and a remaining viewable time. The transmitter is configured to transmit a second content item and information of second viewable time to a device to which a duplicate is to be made, the second content item being a duplicate of the first content item and the information of the second viewable time defining a period of time during which the second content item can be viewed in the device. The update module is configured to update the remaining viewable time managed by the management module to a period of time obtained by subtracting the second viewable time.
US08145030B2	Apparatus, method, and computer program product for recording content An apparatus determines whether a combination of a certificate type of a content certificate recorded on a source recording medium and a medium type of the source recording medium is a proper combination. If the combination is a proper combination, the apparatus requests a license server, which is connected to the apparatus via a network, to give approval to record content on a target recording medium. If the apparatus is a legitimate DVD recorder, the license server sends to the content recording apparatus a content certificate including on the source recording medium as the certificate type. The apparatus records the content together with the received content certificate on the target recording medium.
US08145026B2	Reduced-size flat drop cable Disclosed is an improved optical fiber that employs a novel coating system. When combined with a bend-insensitive glass fiber, the novel coating system according to the present invention yields an optical fiber having exceptionally low losses.The coating system features (i) a softer primary coating with excellent low-temperature characteristics to protect against microbending in any environment and in the toughest physical situations and, optionally, (ii) a colored secondary coating possessing enhanced color strength and vividness.The improved coating system provides optical fibers that are useful in reduced-size drop cables.
US08145022B2	Optical-fiber cable having optical fibers adhesively coupled to water-swellable element An optical-fiber cable includes an adhesive material that adhesively couples a water-swellable element to a plurality of optical fibers.
US08145019B1	Self adapting sensor The present invention provides a method for adjusting a diffraction grating to changes in ambient conditions. The method includes writing a diffraction grating in the photorefractive waveguide with a laser, measuring spectral characteristics of the diffraction grating, and allowing the diffraction grating to self-write from interference between a forward beam and a Fresnel reflection, such that the diffraction grating is adjusted for changes in ambient conditions.
US08145017B2	Optical module In an optical module, a waveguide unit has a wavelength filter having a ring resonator structure. A semiconductor laser is connected to the input terminal of an input waveguide. A semiconductor Mach-Zehnder modulator is connected to the output terminal of an output waveguide. A first photodiode is connected to the output terminal of a branch waveguide. A second photodiode is connected to the through port of the input waveguide. A temperature adjustment unit adjusts the temperature of the waveguide unit. A laser output controller is connected to the first photodiode and the semiconductor laser to control an output from the semiconductor laser based on an output signal from the first photodiode. A temperature adjustment controller is connected to the second photodiode and the temperature adjustment unit to control the temperature adjustment operation of the temperature adjustment unit based on an output signal from the second photodiode.
US08145015B2	Device, system, and method for indexing digital image frames A method, apparatus and system for, for each of a plurality of image frames, assigning a pattern number to each of a set of pixel neighborhoods within the frame and assigning a relationship number to each of a plurality of sets of pattern numbers based on a probability of transitioning between different pattern numbers in the set of pattern numbers when transitioning between different pixel neighborhoods. For a subset of the plurality of frames, the subset of frames may be determined to be similar, for example, based on the similarity of the relationship numbers of the subset of the plurality of frames. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08145008B2	Non-uniform image defect inspection method A non-uniform image defect inspection method includes steps of inputting an original two-dimensional image; separating a non-uniform background image from the original two-dimensional image by Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) to obtain a residual image without the non-uniform background image; binarization segmenting the residual image to extract defects from the residual image, wherein the segmented defects are the inspection results.
US08145007B2	Image processing of regions in a wide angle video camera A system and method for providing privacy regions in a picture or video. In one example embodiment, a camera is provided which has a lens system and detector, image processing circuitry, compression and formatting circuitry, and control circuitry. Images or video taken from the camera are preferably corrected for distortion (such as that introduced by an anamorphic lens system) and sent to an operator's workstation, where a privacy region is defined. The privacy region is merged with the rest of the image, whether constant or dynamic, and displayed. Other processing, such as object tracking and alarms, can also be implemented at varying points in the process.
US08145005B2	Method for discriminating textures regions and homogeneous or flat regions in an image and methods for estimating noise in an image sequence A method for discriminating textured regions and homogeneous or flat regions in an image. A multi-scale or multi-resolution measurement is performed with respect to the image. Alternatively or additionally, the image is analyzed by using a prior measured noise value and a local variance value in or with respect to the image.
US08145004B2	System and method for generating a photograph A camera assembly for generating high resolution photograph includes a sensor assembly that has two regions of different effective resolution. Image data from multiple images that are captured with the sensor assembly are combined to generate output image data in the form of a high resolution picture. A first region of the sensor is used to capture image data for the images that are combined. A second region, that is of higher effective resolution than the first region, is used to capture image data for use in aligning the image data from the plural images prior to combination.
US08145002B2	Image encoding device and image encoding method An encoding device includes a color component separating unit for separating an input bit stream for the respective color components, a block dividing unit for dividing an input color component signal into blocks to generate a signal of an encoding unit area, a predicted image generating unit for generating a predicted image for the signal, a determining unit for determining a prediction mode used for encoding according to a prediction efficiency of the predicted image, a prediction error encoding unit for encoding a difference between the predicted image corresponding to the prediction mode determined by the determining unit and the input color component signal, and an encoding unit for variable length-coding the prediction mode, an output from the prediction error encoding unit, and a color component identification flag indicating the color component to which the input bit stream belongs as a result of the color component separation.
US08144998B2	Image processing apparatus and method thereof The present invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus for processing compressed image generated by segmenting image data into a plurality of MCUs and using a compression method in which a frequency transformation is applied to each MCU. In a case that the compressed image is decoded, each MCU is classified according to the frequency coefficients therein, and color separated data is generated for each MCU based on the decoded data resulting from the decoding and the results of the MCU classification.
US08144996B1	Image processing apparatus According to an embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes a generation unit. The generation unit generates a texture image by searching for a similar pixel area to a processed pixel area near a processing target pixel in the texture image from a neighboring area at a position corresponding to the processing target pixel in a sample texture image and assigning the processing target pixel a pixel value near the similar pixel area in accordance with a positional relationship between the processed pixel area and the processing target pixel. The generation unit searches for the similar pixel area based on a similarity between a pixel value in a pixel area in the neighboring area and a pixel value in the processed pixel area and a determination result indicating whether each pixel in the neighboring area expresses a same object as that expressed by the processing target pixel.
US08144994B2	Image processing method, image processing apparatus, image reading apparatus, image forming apparatus, and recording medium A plurality of type identifiers are stored that contains one or a plurality of image identifiers each for identifying each of a plurality of reference images and thereby identifies a type of a document. Then, it is determined whether each of a plurality of obtained document images is similar to a reference image. When a document image is determined as being similar to a reference image, an image identifier that identifies the reference image is selected from among a plurality of image identifiers. Then, a type identifier is identified that contains the selected image identifier. Then, document images each similar to a reference image are classified for each identified type identifier.
US08144993B2	Medical image processing method A medical image processing method for image processing of a medical image picking up an image of a living mucous comprises a boundary information detecting step for detecting boundary information corresponding to a boundary portion of a living mucous from the medical image and a mucous feature detecting step for detecting presence of a living mucous with a different feature on the basis of the boundary information detected at the boundary information detecting step.
US08144992B2	Eye condition detection apparatus and method for installing same A driver's eye condition detection is conducted by an eye condition detection apparatus including a right/left near-infrared light sources, a camera and an ECU installed therein. The right side near-infrared light source is positioned on a right side relative to the camera in a driver's view, and a light axis of the right side near-infrared light source is tilted to the right by 15 to 45 degrees relative to an imaging direction of the camera. Further, the left side near-infrared light source is positioned on a left side relative to the camera in a driver's view, and a light axis of the right side near-infrared light source is tilted to the left by 15 to 45 degrees relative to an imaging direction of the camera. In this manner, detection errors of the driver's eye condition are reduced.
US08144991B2	Apparatus, method, and computer program for processing information An information processing apparatus includes a selecting unit for selecting extraction information concerning contents to be extracted from among a plurality of contents organized in time sequence, the extraction information prepared on a per content basis for the contents to be extracted and including a feature contained in the content to be extracted, and an extraction range that is represented with respect to the position of the feature, a detecting unit for detecting, from the contents, the same feature as the feature contained in the extraction information selected by the selecting unit, and an extracting unit for extracting a predetermined content in accordance with the extraction range contained in the extraction information selected by the selecting unit if the detecting unit detects the same feature as the feature contained in the extraction information.
US08144990B2	Translation and display of text in picture A method performed by a mobile terminal may include receiving an image that includes text, translating the text into another language and superimposing and displaying the translated text over the received image.
US08144989B2	Methods and systems for identifying text orientation in a digital image Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods for determining text orientation in a digital image.
US08144987B2	Method, a system and a computer program for segmenting a surface in a multi-dimensional dataset A method is arranged to segment a surface in a multi-dimensional dataset comprising a plurality of images. Data processing and data acquisition steps can be temporally or geographically distanced, so that the results of a suitable data segmentation are accessed. Next, suitable plurality of image features resembling possible spatial positions of the surface conceived to be segmented are selected and accessed. The features are subsequently matched for all image portions, whereby for each feature a matching error is assigned. A pre-defined selectivity factor is accessed defining a maximum allowable variable fraction of the features having largest matching errors which can be discarded. The segmentation of the sought surface is performed, whereby the discarded features are not taken into account for evaluating the quality of fit of a candidate deformation. The resulting surface is displayed on a suitable display means.
US08144986B2	Method and apparatus for binarization threshold calculation A method, computing device, and associated computer readable storage media containing instructions for binarizing a grayscale image by manually determining a first threshold that yields optimal binarization values to one or more images in a set of images, calculating the histograms of each of the images determined using the first threshold, calculating a set of statistical parameters such as the mean, standard deviation and variance of each histogram, determining a second threshold as a function of the set of statistical parameters, and comparing each pixel of the grayscale image to the second threshold. The second threshold T may be a function of the mean m, standard deviation s and variance v and is calculated by fitting a third degree polynomial curve T=a0+a1m+a2s+a3v, where the coefficients A=[a0 a1 a2 a3]T are found using a minimum mean square error algorithm. Grayscale values above the second threshold are assigned a first binarization value and grayscale values below the second threshold are assigned a second binarization value.
US08144984B2	Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program for color fringing estimation and compensation This invention more effectively suppresses color fringing in a color image by image processing. An image processing method includes estimating the degree of color fringing in a color image based on the color image that is generated by photo-electrically converting an object image and formed from a plurality of color planes. The method also includes removing from the color image the estimated degree of color fringing.
US08144983B1	Image editing workflow with color management The present disclosure includes systems and methods relating to preserving color representations during color transformation processes. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a method that includes receiving a mathematical model for use in transforming color data from one color space to another color space and generating a substantially invertible approximation of the mathematical model that conforms to a defined color management system architecture.
US08144980B2	Method and apparatus for selecting an object in an image A boundary in an image is identified by identifying a search region within the image. The process continues by determining image gradients in the search region and determining multiple color regions within the search region. An active contour representing the boundary is created based on the image gradients and the multiple color regions.
US08144976B1	Cascaded face model An Active Appearance Model AAM is trained using expanded library having examples of true outlier images. The AAM creates a first statistical fitting pair (a model image of the class of object and corresponding statistical model fitting) using characteristic features drawn only from the expanded library. All images within the expanded library that the first statistical fitting pair cannot align are collected into a smaller, second library of true outlier cases. A second statistical fitting pair is created using characteristic features drawn only from the second library, and samples not aligned by the second statistical fitting pair are collected into a still smaller, third library. This process is repeated until a desired percentage of all the images within the initial, expanded library have been aligned. In operation, the AAM applies each of its created statistical fitting pairs, in turn, until it has successfully aligned a submitted test image, or until a stop criterion has been reached.
US08144975B2	Method for using image depth information In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method is provided for determining illumination information in an image. According to a feature of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of identifying depth information in the image, identifying spatio-spectral information for the image, as a function of the depth information and utilizing the spatio-spectral information to identify illumination flux in the image.
US08144973B2	Multi-modal imaging A method for scanning a surface with a number of different illumination configurations, the method comprises capturing a plurality of images in a sequential manner during a single sweep, each image including one or more lines of pixels, sequentially altering an illumination configuration used to capture the plurality of images according to a predefined sequence of illumination configurations and shifts of the relative position of the imaging unit for capturing each of the plurality of images, and repeating the sequence of illumination configurations settings and associated image capture positions until a desired area of the surface is scanned, wherein said predefined shift is between 10 pixels and less then one pixel.
US08144964B1	Image feature analysis A method for localizing hard objects in soft tissue utilizing a computer based system includes receiving ultrasound data from an ultrasound scanner and converting on the computer based system the ultrasound data into a reflectivity image. The method also includes selecting voxels from the reflectivity image that exceed an adaptive threshold, locating disjointed voxel clusters formed by the selected voxels, and outputting to an external processor locations of the voxel clusters that form a desired shape to an external processor.
US08144962B2	Local motion compensation based on list mode data A method for locally correcting motion in an image reconstructed by a reconstruction system (42) of an imaging system (10) with raw data includes estimating a characteristic feature of a region of interest within the reconstructed image from the raw data, correcting the raw data associated with the region of interest for motion with the estimated region characteristic feature, and reconstructing a motion-corrected image corresponding to the region of interest with the corrected raw data.
US08144961B2	Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and method for measuring a size of a target object An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus for providing on a display an ultrasound image including a target object and a pointer movable on the ultrasound image, comprises: an ultrasound image providing unit configured to provide an ultrasound image including a target object; a contour line extracting unit configured to extract a contour line of the target object in the ultrasound image; a coordinate recognizing unit configured to detect cross points while the pointer crosses the contour line and recognize the coordinates of the corner points; a user input unit configured to receive instructions from a user, said instructions including a selection instruction to select measure points among the cross points and a measure instruction to measure a size of the target object; a measuring unit configured to measure a size of the target object in response to the measure instruction based on coordinates of the measure points selected in response to the selection instruction; and an output unit configured to output the ultrasound image, the pointer, the contour line, the measure points and the size of the target object.
US08144954B2	Lighting compensated dynamic texture mapping of 3-D models Methods, systems, and devices for generating textured 3D models are provided. The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and devices for combining multiple images onto a 3D model. In some instances, the textures of the images are applied to the 3D model dynamically so that the textured 3D model is viewable from different viewpoints in real time on a display. The present disclosure also describes methods, systems, and devices for selecting the images and, in particular, the portions of the selected images to map to defined portions of the 3D model. In addition, the present disclosure describes how to adjust the images themselves to remove the effects of directional lighting. Some aspects of the present disclosure are particularly useful in the context of a 3D modeling of dental preparations. In some instances, a 3D digitizer is used to produce 3D models of dental preparations that are rendered on a display in real time and are fully 3D dimensional, while accurately depicting the surface textures of the item(s) being digitized.
US08144953B2	Multi-scale analysis of signal enhancement in breast MRI A method for computer assisted lesion detection in magnetic resonance (MR) images includes acquiring dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MR images. The images are processed to produce a subtraction image illustrating change in voxel enhancement between the images. A Gaussian low-pass filter is applied to the subtraction image. An elimination mask is created from the filtered subtraction image by removing voxels with enhancement values below a threshold value. The elimination mask is used to remove noise from the subtraction image. One or more regions of suspicion are automatically detected from the noise-removed subtraction image. To produce the subtraction image, DCE-MR images are divided into first and second sub-sets. Positive-signed enhancement values of voxels of the MR images from the first sub-set are added to a combined subtraction image along with absolute values of all enhancement values of voxels of the MR images from the second sub-set.
US08144948B2	Method and apparatus for transporting images A portable image transport device and corresponding techniques for image transport are disclosed. The portable image transport device accommodates an automatic initiation of image transport when the device is in a designated location by automatically recognizing the location condition and then engaging in communication with a medical device having an image capture capability. A variety of image transport may be performed, such as sending the received image to a printer for printing a hard copy. The portable image transport device also manages restrictions on image transport. Various restrictions may apply including but not limited to the type of devices to which the transport may be made, or certain registered devices to ensure transport only within a defined set of recipient classes or particularly identified recipients.
US08144943B2	Apparatus and method for detecting specific subject in image A plurality of collation patterns having different resolutions are generated from an original collation pattern which includes a plurality of local regions. Subject reliabilities for individual local regions are calculated based on local features of the local regions in the collation patterns having different resolutions. In accordance with the subject reliabilities for individual local regions, it is determined that the original collation pattern includes a specific image of a subject.
US08144942B2	Compact biometric authentication device and associated methodology of imaging and detecting living-tissue patterns The present invention enables permanent biometric authentication without the risk of forgery or the like. The present invention enables living-tissue discrimination as well as biometric authentication. The roughness distribution pattern of deep-layer tissue of the skin covered with epidermal tissue is detected, thereby extracting a unique pattern of the living tissue. Then, biometric authentication is performed based upon the detected pattern. The roughness distribution pattern of the deep-layer tissue of the skin is optically detected using difference in optical properties between the epidermal tissue and the deep-layer tissue of the skin. In this case, long-wavelength light, e.g., near-infrared light is used as illumination light cast onto the skin tissue. A fork structure of a subcutaneous blood vessel is used as the portion which is to be detected, for example. The portion which is to be detected is determined based upon the structure of the fork structure. In this case, the living-tissue discrimination may be made using the subcutaneous blood vessel.
US08144940B2	System and method for authentication of data Systems and methods for detecting forged magnetic stripe data through relative variations in flux transition location are provided. In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for detecting forged magnetic stripe data. The method provides for reading a magnetic strip multiple times to obtain multiple signatures and then generating a signature mask and weight based on the multiple signatures. These signatures are then compared with a known authentic signature. Based on the comparison results, a forged magnetic stripe may be detected. Additional embodiments focus on variations in the placement of the flux data transitions on the magnetic slurry rather than on the noise inherent in the slurry.
US08144939B2	Automatic identifying A method includes storing a picture or video that includes a first person. The method also includes automatically identifying the first person using speaker recognition or image recognition and tagging the picture or video with information indicating that the first person is in the picture or video.
US08144938B2	Biological information acquisition device, method for acquiring biological information, and biometrics device A biological information acquisition device that acquires information from a biological body by irradiating the biological body with light, the device comprises: a light source irradiating the biological body with light; a plurality of light receiving elements receiving one of passed light and reflected light from the biological body irradiated with light by the light source; and an inhomogeneous neutral density filter disposed on the plurality of light receiving elements and in a light path of one of passed light and reflected light. An optical transmittance of the inhomogeneous neutral density filter is set so that intensity of each light component received by light receiving elements is evened out as a whole.
US08144931B1	Real time correlator system and method A real time digital correlation system is disclosed. Reference filters are constructed to define a region of filter space, and filters may be predictively selected based on a trajectory of selected filters through the filter space. In some instances, selected features of a spacecraft are selected for correlation to produce full 6DoF information. In other instances, portions of a correlation target are selected for correlation to produce 6DoF information. Digital filters of the invention are preferably 4-bit filters, and use unique mapping algorithms to map phase and intensity information from larger images, such as 12, 16, 32 and 64 bit images, to the 4-bit format.
US08144930B2	Systems and methods for tracking images Image tracking as described herein can include: segmenting a first image into regions; determining an overlap of intensity distributions in the regions of the first image; and segmenting a second image into regions such that an overlap of intensity distributions in the regions of the second image is substantially similar to the overlap of intensity distributions in the regions of the first image. In certain embodiments, images can depict a heart at different points in time and the tracked regions can be the left ventricle cavity and the myocardium. In such embodiments, segmenting the second image can include generating first and second curves that track the endocardium and epicardium boundaries, and the curves can be generated by minimizing functions containing a coefficient based on the determined overlap of intensity distributions in the regions of the first image.
US08144926B2	Vehicle and lane recognition device There is provided an image acquisition means (2) for acquiring a color image of a road via an imaging means (9) mounted on a vehicle (8), a lane mark detection means (3, 4) for performing processing of detecting lane marks of a plurality of predetermined colors different from each other on the road based on color information of the color image, and outputting a result of the processing as lane mark candidate data, and a selection means (6) for selecting lane mark candidate data corresponding to a lane mark defining an actual lane on which the vehicle (8) is traveling from among at least the lane mark candidate data for the respective predetermined colors output from the lane mark detection means (3, 4), and determining and outputting lane data indicating information of the actual lane based on the selected lane mark candidate data. Therefore, even if there are lane marks of different colors on the road, the lane marks of the respective colors can be recognized appropriately from the color image of the road acquired via the imaging means such as a camera.
US08144925B2	Mapping based message encoding for fast reliable visible watermarking A watermarking system uses two distinct bit patterns to identify three distinct bits, a logic 0 bit, a logic 1 bit, and a marker bit that demarcates message block boundaries. A correct orientation is determining by rotating the input image by 90 degrees and determining which orientation renders the greatest number of valid bits. Bit mapping is used from block to block to predefine a shifting starting position for a watermark message within consecutive message blocks.
US08144924B2	Content objects with computer instructions steganographically encoded therein, and associated methods Various improvements to digital watermarking are disclosed. For example, a digitally watermarked object can steganographically convey a payload that includes computer instructions (e.g., JAVA, ActiveX, or HTML) that—when decoded—control some manner of operation of an associated instruction processor. One application is a digital movie that, when double-clicked, automatically executes a watermark-embedded Java applet which links through a browser to the movie's distributor. The user is then prompted to input a credit card number. After the number has been verified and a charge made, the applet releases the content of the file to the computer's viewer for viewing of the movie.
US08144920B2	Automated location estimation using image analysis An implementation of automated location estimation using image analysis is described. In this implementation, an image of a place is obtained and matched with previously stored images. The matching may be achieved by employing methods based on key feature extraction algorithm, color histogram analysis, pattern matching or other image comparison techniques. Upon determining a match, the location information associated with the matched previously stored images provides the location. The location information may be in the form of location tags or location keywords and the location information may be used by the user or other applications for the purposes of location determination. The above technique also allows for the user to enter location information to improve accuracy. The location information may also be assigned to the previously stored images residing in local and remote databases for users and applications to automatically assign information or keywords to images.
US08144918B2	Diaphragm for planar speaker and planar speaker A diaphragm for a planar speaker and a planar speaker having a long-term stability and a high reliability and exhibiting a flat sound pressure frequency property. The diaphragm for a planar speaker includes a voice coil formed by winding a wire conductor, two adhesive layers sandwiching the voice coil therebetween, and bases bonded to the two adhesive layers on the side opposite to the voice coil. The planar speaker employs the diaphragm.
US08144915B2	Wired headset with integrated switch Headsets are provided with integrated switch assemblies. An integrated switch assembly can include a switch hidden from view by a housing. The switch can be activated when a user applies pressure to the housing. The housing may include a flexible housing cover that, when depressed, may engage the switch contained within the housing. When engaged, the switch may move or snap to a switch activation position within the housing.
US08144912B2	Manufacturing method of paper making part for loudspeaker, paper making part for loudspeaker, diaphragm for loudspeaker, sub cone for loudspeaker, dust cap for loudspeaker and loudspeaker A manufacturing method of a paper making part for a loudspeaker has freedom of adjusting a characteristic and a sound quality, and has a higher productivity. Accordingly, a fibrillating step of a paper making material is achieved by an explosive crushing step. Alternatively, the step is achieved by a mixing step of a paper making material and a liquid, a material micro-fabricating step of applying a pressure to a mixed solution obtained by the mixing step so as to pass through an orifice and thereafter run into a device wall, and a paper making step including the micro-fabricated material.
US08144911B2	Garment with speaker function A garment with a speaker function is provided. The garment includes a garment body, a bag, and an electret speaker. The bag disposed on the garment body includes a sound-absorbing layer. The electret speaker, disposed in the bag, gives off sounds to a first direction and a second direction at the same time. The sound-absorbing layer absorbs the sound of the second direction. Therefore, the present invention not only provides convenience to the user, but also enhances the acoustic quality of the electret speaker.
US08144906B2	Wind immune microphone Disclosed is an acoustic device comprising an enclosed housing defining an inner volume and having a front and a back; an acoustic port penetrating the front of the enclosed housing; a first and second sense structure attached to the inside of the housing and defining a gap between the first and second sense structures; a front volume defined by the portion of the inner volume between the first sense structure and the front of the housing; a back volume defined by the portion of the inner volume between the second sense structure and the back of the housing; and at least one vent in the first sense structure operatively connecting the front volume and the gap, wherein the acoustic device has a cutoff frequency above approximately 100 Hz.
US08144904B2	Method for generating an individual hearing device program Sound quality and speech comprehensibility are to be improved for hearing device wearers when watching television. Provision is made for this purpose to record acoustic signals at a recording site on a data medium. The acoustic signals are recorded simultaneously with a first microphone as a first recording. The data medium is played back on an individual playback device in an individual environment. Here the signal played back from the data medium is re-recorded as a second recording with a second microphone. The two recordings are connected to each other, subtracted in particular, and the result is used to adjust a hearing device program. It is thus possible to take into account individual acoustic environmental conditions in the hearing device program.
US08144902B2	Stereo image widening A stereo image can be widened by converting a stereo audio signal into a sum-difference audio signal, applying HRTF processing to the difference channel, and producing an output stereo audio signal. A stereo image can also be widened by receiving a stereo signal, converting the stereo signal into a sum-difference signal, applying HRTF processing to only the difference channel, upsampling the sum-difference signal, applying distortion, downsampling the sum-difference signal, and converting the sum-difference signal into a stereo signal. A system for widening a stereo image can comprise an input module configured to convert a stereo audio signal into a sum-difference audio signal, an HRTF module configured to apply HRTF processing to only the difference channel, a distortion module configured to apply a first distortion to the sum channel and a second different distortion to the difference channel, and an output module configured to produce an output stereo audio signal.
US08144901B2	Sound image position correction system, sound image position correction method, and audio/display apparatus The present invention provides a sound image position correction system that applies sound image position correction processing to a voice signal so that an optimal sound image position is obtained. There is provided a sound image position correction system which corrects the position of a sound image output from a plurality of speakers in a multichannel reproduction system having three or more channels, which includes a speaker moving section that moves the positions of the plurality of speakers provided in the multichannel reproduction system, a speaker position detection section that detects the positions of the plurality of speakers moved by the speaker moving section, and a sound image position correction section that applies sound image position correction processing to a sound signal to be supplied to the plurality of speakers based on the positions of the speakers detected by the speaker position detection section.
US08144895B2	Howling control apparatus and acoustic apparatus It is an object of the present invention to provide a howling suppressing apparatus and an acoustic apparatus which can suppress the howling component effectively without suppressing a periodic component other than the howling component. The howling control apparatus comprises a signal separating unit 23 operable to separate an input signal into two components including a periodic component and a nonperiodic component, a howling detecting unit 24 operable to detect a howling component from the input signal on the basis of signals selected from among the input signal and periodic and nonperiodic component signals from the signal separating unit 23, a howling suppressing unit 25 operable to suppress the howling component of the input signal on the basis of detection information from the howling detecting unit 24, and a signal synthesizing unit 26 operable to synthesize a signal from signals from the howling suppressing unit 25.
US08144893B2	Mobile microphone A method centrally controls communication at a single venue. A central communications point with a moderator is provided. User information, at least at the venue, is provided to users for transmitting electronic signals to the central communication point. The moderator enables at least one electronic communication transmission from a user who has access to the central communication point to have at least part of the transmission broadcast at the venue or allow open communication from the user to be broadcast at the venue.
US08144892B2	Audio amplification system A wireless audio amplification system for classrooms and the like includes a system that allows for advanced listening and learning audio tools. The invention combines radio frequency and infrared technologies into one integrated system. A microphone includes a radio frequency receiver and an infrared transceiver. The microphone transmits voice signals to an audio amplifier unit that includes a radio frequency transceiver and an infrared transceiver.
US08144891B2	Earphone set An earphone set includes a main device having a digital signal processor, and an earplug has an external microphone and a speaker electrically connected with the digital signal processor respectively. The external microphone converts an external sound wave into an electronic signal and transmits the electronic signal to the digital signal processor for processing. The speaker converts the electronic signal processed by the digital signal processor into a sound wave for output.
US08144890B2	ANR settings boot loading At initialization of an ANR circuit (i.e., at so-called boot time), attempts are made to alternately obtain ANR settings from an external storage device by operating the ANR circuit as a master of a bus and from an external processing device by operating the ANR circuit as a slave of the bus. Such alternating attempts may be repeated until the ANR settings are loaded.
US08144889B2	Noise control system using smart materials A noise control system operable within a box-like structure provided by the dual bulkhead plenum of the vehicle dashboard positioned within the transfer path along which the noise is being transmitted from the source of the generated noise to the receiver of the noise in the passenger compartment of an automobile. The plenum is divided into discrete chambers into each of which is provided smart materials affixed to the walls of the plenum to be operable for selectively changing a property characteristic of the chambers to vary the acoustic resonance of the plenum and change the effectiveness of controlling the transmission of noise energy therethrough. A controller is coupled to the smart materials to change said property characteristic of the smart material in response to noise cancellation requirements.
US08144887B2	Electronic stethoscope and the stethoscope auscultation method using the same The present invention relates to a stethoscope auscultation method, adapted for an improved stethoscope so as to be used for assisting a medical diagnosis according to visceral sounds. The stethoscope auscultation method comprises the steps of: providing a stethoscope, whereas the stethoscope is composed of a stethoscope head module, a processing unit and a signal output unit, and the stethoscope head module further comprises a sensor and a visceral sound receiver; enabling the sensor to issue an activation signal to the processing unit as soon as it detects that the stethoscope head module enters an auscultation mode, and thereby activating the stethoscope; using the stethoscope to perform an auscultation process upon a living body as the visceral sound receiver is enabled to obtain audio signals originated from the visceral organs of the living body; enabling the processing unit to shut off the stethoscope automatically when the visceral sound receiver is unable to obtain the audio signals originated from the visceral organs for environmental purposes, such as reducing power consumption of the stethoscope, prolonging lifespan of the battery used in the stethoscope.
US08144886B2	Audio conferencing apparatus Microphones arranged in an array shape along a longitudinal direction are respectively formed in both the longitudinal side surfaces of a housing 2 with substantially an elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape, and speakers arranged in an array shape along the longitudinal direction are formed in a lower surface. The speaker array forms sound emission beams based on sound emission directivity set according to a conference environment. On the other hand, when the microphone array forms sound collection beams by sound collection signals collected, a talker direction is detected from these beams and an output sound signal corresponding to this direction is formed and also is reflected on setting of the sound emission directivity. Also, when there are plural input sound signals, the sound emission directivity is set according to a use situation of the plural input sound signals.
US08144884B2	Stand-alone microphone test system for a hearing device The present invention provides a stand-alone microphone test system for a hearing device, comprising a hearing device having at least one microphone, a sound source in communication with the hearing device, wherein, when in operation, the sound source receives a signal from the hearing device, and a mold oriented to hold the hearing device and the sound source such that output from the sound source may be directed to the at least one microphone. There is also provided a stand-alone microphone test method for a hearing device, comprising providing a test signal/sequence output to a sound source/receiver, providing a reference signal to a comparator, receiving output from the sound source/receiver in a microphone, transmitting the received signal to the comparator, comparing the received signal with the reference signal, and providing a test result.
US08144882B2	Sound tuning method The invention relates to a method for automated tuning of a sound system, the sound system comprising delay lines, equalizing filters, and at least two loudspeakers, the method comprising the steps of reproducing a useful sound signal through the loudspeakers, measuring sound pressure values at at least one location, providing a target transfer function for tuning the delay lines and the equalizing filters of the sound system, the target transfer function representing a desired transfer characteristics of the sound system, adjusting the delay of the delay lines, and adjusting amplitude responses of the equalizing filters such, that the actual transfer characteristics of the sound system approximates the target function.
US08144881B2	Audio gain control using specific-loudness-based auditory event detection In one disclosed aspect, dynamic gain modifications are applied to an audio signal at least partly in response to auditory events and/or the degree of change in signal characteristics associated with said auditory event boundaries. In another aspect, an audio signal is divided into auditory events by comparing the difference in specific loudness between successive time blocks of the audio signal.
US08144880B2	Audio amplifier capable of performing self-oscillation An audio amplifier includes a plurality of sub-audio amplifier sets, a clock source, and a speaker. When the audio amplifier is under an audio amplify mode, the plurality of sub-audio amplifier sets is operated under a synchronic operating frequency with a same clock signal generated by the clock source. When the audio amplifier is under a self-oscillation mode, the clock signal is isolated from being input to the plurality of sub-audio amplifier sets. A higher distortion is prevented by repeatedly charging and discharging an oscillating capacitor of a sub-audio amplifier in a sub-audio amplifier set.
US08144879B2	Method, device, encoder apparatus, decoder apparatus and audio system A method and a device are described for processing a stereo signal obtained from an encoder, which encodes an N-channel audio signal into spatial parameters (P) and a stereo down-mix comprising first and second stereo signals (LO, RO). A first signal and a third signal are added in order to obtain a first output signal (L0w), wherein the first signal (L0wL) comprises the first stereo signal (LO) modified by a first complex function (g1), and the third signal (L0wR) comprises the second stereo signal (RO) modified by a third complex function (g3). A second signal and a fourth signal are added to obtain a second output signal (R0w). The fourth signal (R0wR) comprises the second stereo signal (RO) modified by a fourth complex function (g4), and the second signal (R0wL) comprises the first stereo signal (LO) modified by a second complex function (g2). The complex functions (g1, g2, g3, g4) are functions of the spatial parameters (P) and are chosen to be such that an energy value of the difference (L0wL,R0wL) between the first signal and the second signal is larger than or equal to the energy value of the sum (L0wL+R0wL) of the first and the second signal, and the energy value of the difference (R0wR−L0wR) between the fourth signal and the third signal is larger than or equal to the energy value of the sum (R0wR+L0wR) of the fourth signal and the third signal.
US08144870B2	Encoding and detecting apparatus An encoding data processing apparatus generates a video material item marked copy by embedding a payload data word into the video material item. The video material item includes plural video frames. A code word generator generates a water mark code word from the payload data word and reads data representing the water mark code word into a shuffle data store. A shuffle processor generates pseudo randomly at least one address within an address space of the shuffle data store for each video frame and reads data representing part or parts of the water mark code word out from the data store at locations identified by the pseudo randomly generated address. A data embedding processor receives the video material item and embeds the data representing the part or parts of the water mark code word read out from the shuffle data store for each frame into a corresponding frame of the video material item.
US08144868B2	Encryption/decryption of program data but not PSI data At a transmitter, a program is encrypting according to a one program key, the program key is encrypted, and the encrypted program, the encrypted program key, and non-encrypted PSI data to a receiver are transmitted. At a receiver, the encrypted program, the encrypted program key, and the non-encrypted PSI data are received, the encrypted program key is decrypted, the encrypted program is located according to the non-encrypted PSI data, and the located encrypted program is decrypted according to decrypted program key.
US08144859B1	Integrated ENUM and number portability translation in a communication system An IP system receives a call placed to an ENUM address. The IP system transfers a signaling message indicating the ENUM address to a processing system. For a call to a ported number, the processing system translates the ENUM address into the LRN for a communication node that serves the called party and returns the LRN to the IP system. The IP system routes the call based on the LRN.
US08144858B2	Unrecognized number identifier Communication address identification information is obtained. A communication address number is collected from a customer at a telecommunications apparatus in response to a trigger being initiated at a switch and a connection being established between the switch and the telecommunications apparatus. Communication address identification information is obtained from a memory in response to collecting the communication address number from the customer. The communication address identification information is returned to the customer when communication address identification information corresponding to the communication address number is available at the memory.
US08144857B1	Method and apparatus for in-progress call forwarding The present invention is a method and system for transferring calls among communicating devices connected through a public network. The service is offered by a public network to permit a party in a ongoing conversation to transfer a call to another communicating device that may be more convenient to use, such as from a mobile telephone experiencing static to a land-based telephone, or from a home telephone to a mobile phone as a party leaves the home. In a method according to the invention, the network first establishes a connection between two communicating parties. The network then receives from one of the parties a request to transfer the call to another communications device. The network then transfers the call. The invention may be entirely network-based, in which case there may be a database of transferee devices stored on the network. Alternatively, the invention may be hybrid network-based and premises equipment-based, in which case the database of transferee devices may be stored in the premises equipment.
US08144856B2	Method and apparatus for communicating with one of plural devices associated with a single telephone number A system for (and a method of) selectively establishing communication with one of plural devices associated with a single telephone number is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the system includes a wireless connect unit connected between an enterprise private branch exchange (PBX) network and a public switched telephone network. The wireless connect unit preferably serves as a gateway between the PBX and one or more remote communication devices. The remote devices can be used as standard PBX office telephones for both inbound and outbound telephone calls. Thus, features of the PBX network (e.g., voice mail, direct extension dialing, corporate calling plan, etc.) are available to the remote device even though they are not physically connected to the PBX. When the system receives an incoming call, it can route the call to an office telephone and one or more of the remote devices simultaneously or as desired by the user.
US08144854B2	Conference bridge which detects control information embedded in audio information to prioritize operations Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and devices for improved audio, video, and data conferencing. The present invention provides a conferencing system comprising a plurality of endpoints communicating data including audio data and control data according to a communication protocol. A local conference endpoint may control or be controlled by a remote conference endpoint. Data comprising control signals may be exchanged between the local endpoint and remote endpoint via various communication protocols. In other embodiments, the present invention provides for improved bridge architecture for controlling functions of conference endpoints including controlling functions of the bridge.
US08144849B2	Selective pre-authorized credit for incoming calls Establishing a connection from a caller to a user using a pre-authorized credit from the user is described. A processor identifies one or more source identifications (IDs) for receiving pre-authorized credit for the incoming call. One or more destinations are specified to receive the incoming call. The processor defines a rule associated with the one or more destinations and the one or more source IDs. An interface receives the incoming call directed to one of the destinations from the caller. A storage area stores the defined rule. The incoming call and the caller are determined as a function of the one of the destinations, one or more identified source IDs and the defined rule. The pre-authorized credit is issued for the incoming call from the caller if it is determined that the incoming call to the destination satisfies the defined rule. The processor routes the incoming call to the user.
US08144846B2	System and method for interrupting a transmitting communication unit in a communication system A system and method for interrupting a transmitting communication unit in a communication system. When a call is first initiated, the call is assigned to a communication channel and broadcast from a base site using the assigned communication channel. If it is determined that a transmitting communication unit should be interrupted, a zone controller signals a base site to generate an interrupt message. The base site generates an interrupt message containing an identification code for the transmitting communication unit and broadcasts the interrupt message on an outbound link of the communication channel. The transmitting communication unit, while transmitting on an inbound link of the communication channel, continuously monitors the outbound link. If the transmitting communication unit receives, on the outbound link, an interrupt message containing an identification code matching its own identification code, the transmitting communication unit stops transmitting.
US08144842B2	Unified messaging gateway device for providing operation during a network failure A Unified Messaging (UM) gateway device located at a branch office of a UM system manages calls if the network connecting the branch office to a UM server of the UM system is unavailable. The UM gateway device contains relatively simple hardware and software as compared to the hardware and software of a UM server. The UM gateway device provides call answering functionality, in the absence of the UM server. In various configurations, the UM gateway device provides access to mailboxes, manages incoming calls, provides an outgoing message (e.g., an announcement or prompt), provides an indication where the called-for person can be reached, and, when the network becomes available, returns management of incoming calls to the UM server and/or handles incoming calls in conjunction with the Unified Messaging server.
US08144832B2	X-ray tomography method and apparatus used in conjunction with a charged particle cancer therapy system The invention comprises an X-ray tomography method and apparatus used in conjunction with multi-axis charged particle or proton beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. In various embodiments, 3-D images are generated from a series of 2-D X-rays images; the X-ray source and detector are stationary while the patient rotates; the 2-D X-ray images are generated using an X-ray source proximate a charged particle beam in a charged particle cancer therapy system; and the X-ray tomography system uses an electron source having a geometry that enhances an electron source lifetime, where the electron source is used in generation of X-rays. The X-ray tomography system is optionally used in conjunction with systems used to both move and constrain movement of the patient, such as semi-vertical, sitting, or laying positioning systems. The X-ray images are optionally used in control of a charged particle cancer therapy system.
US08144830B2	Reflective optical element for EUV lithography device A reflective optical element exhibits an increase in the maximum reflectivity at operating wavelengths in the extreme ultraviolet or soft x-ray wavelength range. A first additional intermediate layer (23a, 23b) and a second additional intermediate layer (24a, 24b) are provided between the absorber layer (22) and the spacer layer (21), wherein the first additional intermediate layer increases the reflectivity and the second additional intermediate layer (24a,b) prevents chemical interaction between the first additional intermediate layer (23a,b) and the adjoining spacer layer (21) and/or the absorber layer (22).
US08144822B2	Noise power estimation apparatus, noise power estimation method and signal detection apparatus A noise power estimation apparatus is disclosed. The noise power estimation apparatus includes: a part for calculating correlation between a received signal and a pilot signal so as to obtain a received power of the pilot signal for each path; a part for removing a multipath interference component from the received power of the pilot signal by using a predetermined power ratio between the pilot signal and a data signal so as to obtain a corrected received power of the pilot signal; a part for estimating an estimated total power of the pilot signal and the data signal included in the received signal based on the corrected received power and the predetermined power ratio; and a part for subtracting the estimated total power from a total power of the received signal so as to obtain a noise power.
US08144821B2	CDMA frequency acquisition using a simplified crystal oscillator that is not temperature compensated CDMA code channels are acquired using a crystal oscillator that is not temperature compensated and that generates a tuning signal with relatively large frequency error (e.g., +/−5 ppm). Channel acquisition is first attempted at no offset from a start frequency that is obtained by fitting an ideal temperature/frequency error curve to available actual data points. Following unsuccessful pilot acquisition, the offset frequency is stepped in a “spiral” manner, and pilot acquisition is retried. When the pilot and synchronization channels are successfully acquired, but the system identification is unexpected, an adjacent channel image has been acquired, and the offset frequency is bumped by a large step (e.g., 15 kHz). Pilot acquisition is retried using spiral stepping. The crystal oscillator is calibrated after each successful acquisition of the pilot, synchronization and paging channels by retaining a data point in a frequency adjustment table for the temperature at which frequency acquisition was successful.
US08144817B1	High-precision signal detection for high-speed receiver In a high-precision signal detection apparatus and method for a high-speed receiver, signal detection occurs asynchronously of the incoming data. A comparison clock is generated by an oscillator whose effective capacitance is varied by a second, lower speed oscillator connected to the capacitance. This prevents the asynchronous sampling that occurs in a zero-crossing position in the incoming data from remaining in that position in subsequent sampling cycles, so that a valid signal is not missed by the detector.
US08144816B2	Programmable signal slicer Disclosed are various embodiments of a programmable slicer in a digital signal processing system and/or software radio system. In one embodiment, a plurality of demodulation schemes and a plurality of channel definitions are stored in a channel allocation table. An analog waveform is received and converted into at least one digital waveform. A specified frequency range is isolated from the at least one digital waveform. The magnitude of tones within the specified frequency range is measured and stored in a signal magnitude table. Symbols and/or bits are decoded from the signal magnitude table by applying a demodulation schemes and channel definitions to the magnitudes stored in the signal magnitude table.
US08144809B2	Modulating apparatus, mobile communication system, modulating method, and communication method An encoder encodes audio data and the like to generate a binary signal. A mapper converts the binary signal into a four-level symbol and outputs the four-level symbol. A base band filter includes a root raised cosine filter and a sinc filter. The base band filter blocks a predetermined frequency component of a symbol to shape the symbol into a waveform signal and outputs the waveform signal shape. An FM modulator transmits a signal subjected to FM modulation according to a magnitude of an amplitude of a waveform signal to a receiving unit. When a symbol of ±3 is outputted from the mapper, a frequency shift of a signal transmitted from the FM modulator has a predetermined value in a range of ±0.822 [kHz] to ±0.952 [kHz]. This makes it possible to provide a modulating apparatus, a mobile communication system, a modulating method, and a communication method that use a modulating method that can conform to the FCC rule to be enforced in 2005 without using a linear power amplifier.
US08144805B2	Method for setting cyclic shift considering frequency offset A method for establishing a cyclic shift sequence to provide against the frequency offset is disclosed. The method calculates a distance between a channel response position of the sequence and an alias channel response position caused by a frequency offset, calculates the number of cyclic shifts per group according to the calculated distance, and establishes the cyclic shift (CS)-applying interval. This method easily establishes a cyclic shift (CS) interval at a specific location having no overlapping by considering a channel response of a reception (Rx) sequence and an alias location of this reception (Rx) sequence, although a reception (Rx) signal is shifted by a channel delay spreading or a propagation delay irrespective of categories of a domain generating a sequence, so that it can greatly reduce the number of the detection errors and the false alarm rate. And, if a sequence of the cyclic shift (CS) is allocated to a cell having a frequency offset of more than a predetermined level, the present invention can minimize the influence of a frequency offset on a high-mobility cell.
US08144804B2	Signal encoding apparatus and method, signal decoding apparatus and method, programs and recording mediums The encoding apparatus generates information for generating a high quality high frequency sub-band signal when expanding the frequency band at the decoding apparatus. A signal encoding apparatus divides an input time series signal into a plurality of sub-bands and encodes a low frequency sub-band signal to generate encoded data of the low frequency sub-band signal. Concurrently, it compares the frequency amplitude peak of the new high frequency sub-band signal generated from the low frequency sub-band signal and the original high frequency sub-band signal and generates frequency amplitude peak information of the high frequency sub-band signal. Similarly, it compares the gain of the new high frequency sub-band signal generated by using the low frequency sub-band signal and the original high frequency sub-band signal and generates gain information of the high frequency sub-band signal. Subsequently, the signal encoding apparatus multiplexes the encoded data of the low frequency sub-band signal, the frequency amplitude peak information of the high frequency sub-band signal and the gain information of the high frequency sub-band signal and outputs compressed data.
US08144801B2	Satellite communication system utilizing low density parity check codes An approach for reliably communicating over a satellite in support of a communication service including, for example, as direct broadcast satellite and data service, is disclosed. An input message is encoded, yielding a structured Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) coded message. The coded message is modulated according to a high order modulation scheme that has a signal constellation representing more than two symbols per signaling point—e.g., 8-PSK (Phase Shift Keying) and 16-QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation). The system includes a transmitter configured to propagate the modulated signal over the satellite. The above approach is particularly applicable to bandwidth constrained communication systems requiring high data rates.
US08144795B2	Method for encoding space-time codes in a wireless communication system having multiple antennas A method of transmitting space-time coded data in a wireless communication system having a plurality of antennas is disclosed. More specifically, the method includes allocating data symbols combined with complex weights to at least two transmit antennas during at least one specified time slot, and transmitting the data symbols combined with complex weights to a receiving end via the at least two transmit antennas during the at least one specified time slot.
US08144782B2	Adaptive motion estimation/compensation device for MB/based illumination change and method thereof An adaptive motion estimation/compensation device and a method thereof for MB-based illumination change are disclosed. If a macro block mode is determined as a newly designed P_L0_16×16_Mean by calculating the sum of an absolute difference, the motion estimation device CABAC-codes the absolute difference between the pixel mean of a current frame and the pixel mean of a candidate pattern block and transmits the CABAC-coded absolute difference to a pertinent decoder. With the present invention, the transmission amount of the bit stream transmitted to the decoder for decoding can be minimized by maximizing corresponding compressing rate.
US08144774B2	Interpolation of video compression frames Coding techniques for a video image compression system involve improving an image quality of a sequence of two or more bi-directionally predicted intermediate frames, where each of the frames includes multiple pixels. One method involves determining a brightness value of at least one pixel of each bi-directionally predicted intermediate frame in the sequence as an equal average of brightness values of pixels in non-bidirectionally predicted frames bracketing the sequence of bi-directionally predicted intermediate frames. The brightness values of the pixels in at least one of the non-bidirectionally predicted frames are converted from a non-linear representation.
US08144772B2	Moving picture processor, method for processing a moving picture, and computer program product for executing an application for a moving picture processor A moving picture processor including an evaluator configured to evaluate whether terminal points of motion vectors consecutively detected in a current picture and a reference picture different from the current picture in terms of time are in a determination area having a center at a terminal point of a reference vector. A unifier is configured to unify a group of motion vectors consecutively evaluated to be in the determination area, and to reset the motion vector evaluated to be outside the determination area as the reference vector.
US08144769B2	Streaming methods and systems Various embodiments provide methods and systems for streaming data that can facilitate streaming during bandwidth fluctuations in a manner that can enhance the user experience. In one aspect, a forward-shifting technique is utilized to buffer data that is to be streamed, e.g. an enhancement layer in a FGS stream. Various techniques can drop layers actively when bandwidth is constant. The saved bandwidth can then be used to pre-stream enhancement layer portions. In another aspect, a content-aware decision can be made as to how to drop enhancement layers when bandwidth decreases. During periods of decreasing bandwidth, if a video segment does not contain important content, the enhancement layers will be dropped to keep the forward-shifting of the enhancement layer unchanged. If the enhancement layer does contain important content, it will be transmitted later when bandwidth increases.
US08144768B2	Apparatus and method for conserving memory in a fine granularity scalability coding system Decoding time stamps (DTSs) and presentation time stamps (PTSs) are used in fine granularity scalability (FGS) coding during MPEG-4 video coding. An input video is encoded in an FGS encoder into a base layer bitstream and an enhancement bitstream. The bitstreams are provided over a variable bandwidth channel to an FGS decoder. The DTSs and the PTSs are selected during encoding as to conserve memory during FGS decoding. The video object planes (VOP) in the bitstreams include base VOPs and FGS VOPs, and may also include fine granularity temporal scalability (FGST) VOPs. The FGS VOPs and the FGST VOPs may be organized in the same layer or in different layers. The base VOPs are combined with the FGS VOPs and the FGST VOPs to generate enhanced VOPs.
US08144766B2	Simple next search position selection for motion estimation iterative search A next position selector for motion estimation iterative search improves the efficiency and quality of the integer-pel motion estimation iterative search by easily and quickly determining the center point of the next search area. By taking a position of the SAD value of the present search area and mapping that position to a center point of the next search area, the process of determining the next search area is very efficient. A local minimum avoidance scheme improves avoids being trapped in a local minimum. By remembering the previous position/direction, the search is able to continue in the correct direction to ensure that the search continues without a back and forth search that is trapped in a local minimum. Applications of this improved motion estimation search include stabilizing an image as well as many other applications where motion vectors are used.
US08144760B2	Pulse width modulation circuits and methods Noise reducing circuitry may be included in a pulse width modulation circuit. The pulse width modulation circuit may include a comparator adapted to receive an analog signal and a sawtooth signal and to compare such signals to generate a pulse width output. In general, the noise reducing circuitry may include a sawtooth signal generating circuit configured to generate a sawtooth signal including an up ramp and a sawtooth signal including a down ramp. A control circuit may be coupled to the sawtooth signal generating circuit for controlling the sawtooth signal generating circuit based on whether a relatively narrow or relatively wide pulse width is to be output by the pulse width modulation circuit. Methods for reducing noise in a pulse width modulation circuit may generally involve dynamically controlling a direction of ramp of a sawtooth signal that is to be input to the comparator of the pulse width modulation circuit.
US08144759B2	Adaptive methods employing optimal convergence factors for processing complex signals and systems Complex adaptive methods for complex information processing employ optimal individual convergence factors for real and imaginary components of the weight vector. For wireless receivers operating on QPSK, a Complex IA-ICA performs better than existing Complex Fast-ICA methods in terms of accuracy and convergence speed, can process such complex signals in time-varying channels, and employs time-varying and time-invariant convergence factors, independent for the real and imaginary components of the system parameters, and provide individual or group system parameter adjustments. Such systems employ the within complex adaptive ICA with individual element adaptation (Complex IA-ICA). In adaptive beamforming, system identification and other adaptive systems based on the Least Squares method, complex least mean square methods, with optimally and automatically derived convergence factors, are employed and which perform much better in terms of convergence speed and accuracy, when compared to the traditional Complex LMS and Block Complex LMS methods.
US08144756B2	Jitter measuring system and method The present invention relates to a jitter measuring system, comprising: a delay circuit for receiving a clock signal and delaying the clock signal to generate a delay signal; a jitter amplifier for receiving the clock signal and delay signal to generate a first signal and a second signal; and a converter for converting a phase different between the first signal and the second signal into a relevant digital code; wherein the phase difference between the first signal and the second signal is an amplification of jitter.
US08144755B2	Method and apparatus for determining a skew The invention provides a method and an apparatus for determining a skew of each data bit of an encoded data word received by a receiver via an interface from a transmitter comprising the steps of performing an error check and correction of the received and sampled encoded data word to calculate an error corrected encoded data word corresponding to the encoded data word transmitted by the transmitter, and correlating a sequence of error corrected encoded data words with the sampled encoded data words to determine a skew of each data bit of said received encoded data words.
US08144750B2	Code enhanced equalization based upon a reliability factor A receiver includes an equalizer and a decoder which decodes data from a signal. The signal is based upon an output of the equalizer. The receiver also includes an encoder, which re-encodes the decoded data, and an error generator, which generates an error vector based upon the signal and the encoded data and which weights the error vector according to a reliability that the decoder accurately decoded the data from the signal. A controller controls the equalizer in response to the weighted error vector.
US08144747B2	Primary and secondary synchronization codes from first, second, third sequences A wireless communication system. The system comprises transmitter circuitry (BST1), the transmitter circuitry comprising encoder circuitry (50) for transmitting a plurality of frames (FR). Each of the plurality of frames comprises a primary synchronization code (PCS) and a secondary synchronization code (SSC). The encoder circuitry comprises of circuitry (501) for providing the primary synchronization code in response to a first sequence (32). The encoder circuitry further comprises circuitry (502) for providing the secondary synchronization code in response to a second sequence (54) and a third sequence (56). The second sequence is selected from a plurality of sequences. Each of the plurality of sequences is orthogonal with respect to all other sequences in the plurality of sequences. The third sequence comprises a subset of bits from the first sequence.
US08144744B2	Co-extruded multilayer polymers films for all-polymer lasers A polymer film laser is provided that comprises a plurality of extruded polymer layers. The plurality of extruded polymer layers comprises a plurality of alternating dielectric layers of a first polymer material having a first refractive index and a second polymer material having second refractive index different than the first refractive index.
US08144743B2	Nitride based semiconductor device and fabrication method for the same A nitride based semiconductor device includes: an n-type cladding layer; an n-type GaN based guide layer placed on the n-type cladding layer; an active layer placed on the n-type GaN based guide layer; a p-type GaN based guide layer placed on the active layer; an electron block layer placed on the p-type GaN based guide layer; a stress relaxation layer placed on the electron block layer; and a p-type cladding layer placed on the stress relaxation layer, and the nitride based semiconductor device alleviates the stress occurred under the influence of the electron block layer, does not affect light distribution by the electron block layer, reduces threshold current, can suppress the degradation of reliability, can suppress degradation of the emitting end surface of the laser beam, can improve the far field pattern, and is long lasting, and fabrication method of the device is also provided.
US08144740B1	Laser system An apparatus/method may comprise a line narrowed pulsed lithography laser light source which may comprise: a seed pulse providing laser system which may comprise: a first pulsed seed laser producing seed pulses at a rate of X kHz; a second pulsed seed laser producing seed pulses at a rate of X kHz; an amplification system which may comprise: a first amplifier gain system which may comprise a first and a second pulsed gas discharge amplifier gain medium, each with a nominal center wavelength in the UV range, and each operating at ½X kHz on output pulses from the first seed laser; a second amplifier gain system which may comprise a first and a second pulsed amplifier gain medium, each with a nominal center wavelength in the UV range, and each operating at ½X kHz on output pulses from the second seed laser.
US08144736B2	Fiber optic multiplex modem A fire alarm network fiber optic multiplex modem includes plural local interfaces, a fiber optic interface, a multiplexor, a fiber optic modem, and a demultiplexor. The multiplexor combines data received at the local interfaces into an outgoing data stream. The fiber optic modem transmits, at a first wavelength, the outgoing data stream to the fiber optic interface and receives, at a second wavelength, an incoming data stream via the fiber optic interface. The demultiplexor separates the incoming data stream into separate data streams, and forwards each of the separate data streams to its corresponding local interface.
US08144734B2	Intelligent multi-packet header compression A packet analyzer(s) gets multiple packets, typically of a communication between communication devices. The multiple packets use the same protocol and contain one or more protocol headers with individual field(s) that contain data. The packets are organized into an array of packets. Each packet is a row in the array of packets. Each column in the array is comprised of the same field in each packet in the array of packets. The data in the fields in the column are then compressed into a compression packet.
US08144725B2	Wireless femtocell setup methods and apparatus Methods and apparatus that enable a wireless femtocell to operate in its designated frequency so as to minimize interference between the wireless femtocell and neighboring base stations (and other femtocells or nomadic cells). In one exemplary embodiment, the femtocell cell comprises a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) femtocell which has the ability to scan the air interface in a manner similar to that associated with a UE in order to identify unallocated resources within the wireless network, and subsequently request access for the unallocated resources. Business methods useful in combination with the aforementioned methods and apparatus are also disclosed.
US08144724B2	Apparatus and method for resolving request collision in a high bandwidth wireless network Apparatus and method for reducing collisions on an enhanced access channel in a high bandwidth wireless network during a push-to-talk (PTT) communication between a plurality of user devices. A random delay field is introduced to a set of access parameters and the random delay is generated at each user device when the user devices are ready to transmit an access probe through the enhanced access channel to a base station. At the end of the random delay, the user devices send the access probe through the enhanced access channel to the base station. A maximum random delay field may be set by the base station.
US08144721B2	Ring overlay network dedicated to carry broadcast traffic to DSLAMs A system includes a broadcast overlay network including a ring topology. The ring topology includes a first network ring and a second network ring that is coupled to the first network ring via at least one cross-connect element. The ring topology is adapted to carry broadcast traffic from a network. The system also includes a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) having a line interface and a network interface. The network interface is in communication with the broadcast overlay network via the second network ring. The DSLAM is adapted to receive a request for a particular video channel from a customer premise via the line interface and to deliver the particular video channel from the network interface to the line interface.
US08144719B2	Methods and system to manage data traffic A system includes multiple input ports that forward received data (e.g., data packets) to each of multiple queues. Data received at the input ports of the system can be somewhat random or “bursty” at times. That is, the input ports can receive data at a variable bit rate or unspecified bit rate from an internal system source or an external source such as an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server or SCSI disk array. The queues output data at a constant bit rate. A two-dimensional scheduler associated with the system forces random inbound server traffic from the input ports to adhere to a QoS (Quality of Service) agreement such that the random nature of the inbound traffic does not negatively affect the deterministic guarantees of existing server traffic output from the queues. In other words, techniques herein ensure adherence to QoS requirements among the data flows, without overflowing the queues.
US08144716B2	Method and system for providing telecommunication subscriber services without provisioning or maintenance An intelligent router takes the place of a conventional SCCP relay in a wireless network. The intelligent router automatically provisions and updates subscriber information in a network file.
US08144715B2	Method and apparatus for interworking VPLS and ethernet networks To allow seamless interworking between an 802.1ah service instance (ISID) and a VPLS service instance, the AGI value used to signal the setup of the pseudowire portion of the VPLS may carry the ISID value of an associated 802.1ah service instance. This allows the service instance to be identified end-to-end across the Ethernet and VPLS networks using the same value without modifying how the MPLS network operates. The VPLS network will use AGI/AII signaling to set up pseudowires on the MPLS network, but instead of using an AGI value assigned by the MPLS network, the AGI value that is assigned will be taken from the ISID value of the Ethernet frame or from ISIDs registered by the Ethernet network. The AGI message may be given a new type value indicating that the AGI message carries a value that corresponds to the ISID value on an attached Ethernet network. Alternatively, an existing AGI message type may be used to carry the ISID value, and a second type field may be used to indicate that the AGI contains an ISID value.
US08144711B1	Hitless switchover and bandwidth sharing in a communication network Described are a system and method for providing protection switching and bandwidth sharing in a network. A first endpoint device adds a sequence number to each packet to produce a stream of numbered packets and provides a plurality of packet streams from the stream of numbered packets. The first endpoint device forwards a first packet stream over a first path and a second packet stream over a second path separate from the first path. In one embodiment, the packet streams are identical. In another embodiment, the packet streams are different. A second endpoint device receives the first packet stream over the first path and the second packet stream over the second path. From the packet streams, the second endpoint device determines whether each packet in the packet streams is to be included in an output packet stream based on that packet's sequence number.
US08144701B2	Method and device of frame number encoding for synchronization of electronic devices The present invention proposes a methodology implementable in form of a hardware or software module for coding and decoding a frame number. Firstly a method for encoding an original frame number for synchronization of communication between electronic devices resulting in an encoded compact frame number is provided. Additionally the corresponding decoding method is provided. Further devices and modules adapted to execute the steps of said methods are provided.
US08144700B2	Method of operating a network utilizing data telegrams between primary and secondary stations In a method for operating a network having a primary station and at least two secondary stations, the primary station communicates with the secondary stations. The secondary stations communicate with one another via cross communication in the form of telegrams which are generated in the context of communications cycles.
US08144699B2	Auto-provisioning of network services over an ethernet access link In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an Ethernet port, for connection to an Ethernet access network providing multiple different services. A plurality of local service ports are provided for connection to items of peripheral customer premises equipment (CPE), each item supporting a different, respective service. A bridge is coupled to convey data frames between the Ethernet port and the local service ports. A controller is coupled to receive via the Ethernet port at least one provisioning message indicating associations between the services and respective Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identifiers, and to configure the bridge, responsively to the provisioning message, to forward the data frames received via the Ethernet port on each VLAN to a respective service port in accordance with the associations.
US08144696B2	Mobile management entity operating in communications network and selection method therefor A selection method implemented as an algorithm in a mobile management entity (MME) operating in a communications network. The method includes receiving a unique identifier of a subscriber operating within the network and determining, based on the unique identifier, whether the subscriber has full circuit switching fallback (CSFB) capability or has only packet switching (PS) capability. When it is determined that the subscriber has full CSFB capability, a mobile switching center server (MSS) is selected based on original tracking area matrices and/or tracking area identity-location area identity mapping defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). When it is determined that the subscriber has only PS capability, an MSS is selected from a group of MSSs having CSFB support only for short message service (SMS) delivery.
US08144695B2	System and method for configuring and executing communication diversion with a globally routable user agent uniform resource identifier A method for diverting a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message is provided. The method includes receiving a SIP message comprising a Globally Routable User Agent Uniform Resource Identifier (GRUU). The method further includes evaluating a diversion rule including a condition comprising whether the first GRUU matches a second GRUU, wherein the second GRUU is contained in the condition.
US08144694B2	System and method for providing equal access over packet-switched networks A system and method for equal access over a wireline and/or wireless packet-switched network including a receiver to receive, from a requestor, a request for equal access to a service provider, and a processor to present one or more equal access criteria to be satisfied by the requestor, and in the event the one or more equal access criteria are satisfied by the requestor, to allow, to the requestor, equal access over a wireline and/or wireless packet-switched network to the service provider.
US08144693B1	Method and system for providing telemetry, verification and/or other access in a SIP-based network A method and system of an embodiment of the present invention may involve receiving an invite message at a network port of a device to initiate a communication session with the device; identifying an address associated with the invite message; when the address corresponds to a first address, performing a first session initiation process to establish first communications via an audio port of the device; and when the address corresponds to a second address, performing a second session initiation process to establish second communications via the audio port of the device; wherein the second session initiation process differs from the first session initiation process. In addition, access to the audio port may involve determining a priority of the invite message; rejecting the invite message when the priority of the invite message is inferior relative to a priority of a current dialog; and accepting the invite message when the priority of the invite request is superior to the priority of the current dialog.
US08144691B2	Query-based call routing mechanism for multinode cooperative telecommunication network A query message-based call routing mechanism for a limited access cooperative telecommunication network initially determines whether the called party is commonly located at the same node as the calling party. If not, the calling party node broadcasts a query message to all other nodes in the network to locate the called party. Only the node having local knowledge of the called extension will reply to the query message. Once the node sourcing the query message has received this reply message, it will place a call to the node servicing the called extension.
US08144690B2	ATM multicasting for delivering information over a network A method that provides for multicast delivery of information in a DSL network includes creating transmission paths between a single source port and multiple destination ports in a DSL network; receiving information at the source port; determining which of the destination ports is to receive the information; and distributing the information from the source port to selective ones of the destination ports based on the prior referencing step. A DSL system for providing multicast delivery of information includes an ATM network layer for sending information, a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) coupled to the ATM network layer for receiving the information, and a network control system for controlling selective multiplexing of the information through the digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM).
US08144689B2	Controlling asynchronous clock domains to perform synchronous operations A mechanism for controlling asynchronous clock domains to perform synchronous operations is provided. With the mechanism, when a synchronous operation is to be performed on a chip, the latches of the functional elements of the chip are controlled by a synchronous clock so that the latches are controlled synchronously even across asynchronous boundaries of the chip. The synchronous operation may then be performed and the chip's functional elements returned to being controlled by a local clock in an asynchronous manner after completion of the synchronous operation. This synchronous operation may be, for example, a power on reset (POR) operation, a manufacturing test sequence, debug operation, or the like.
US08144684B2	System and method for traffic localization Systems and methods for bridging packet flows to bypass call legs and/or tunnels are provided. A tunnel initiator, which can be an access gateway, a foreign agent, and a mobility anchor point, for example, provides a bypass for certain packets that have a destination serviced by the same tunnel initiator. The bridge allows the packets to bypass a backhaul loop and reduces latency and frees bandwidth for other purposes in the network. The bridging can be implemented in a tunnel initiator for mobile to mobile packet flows, mobile to land line packet flows, and land line to mobile packet flows. Route optimization can also be provided in certain embodiments.
US08144679B2	Inactivity timer in a discontinuous reception configured system Systems, methods and wireless devices are provided that utilize a timer to ensure a receiver of a wireless device is on to receive downlink transmissions. In the event the timer runs out without further resource allocation, the mobile device turns its radio off. If a further resource allocation occurs while the timer is running, the timer is restarted.
US08144677B2	Wireless communication device and wireless communication method An object of the present invention is to realize a distributed autonomous transmission scheduling by using a terminal without the need to observe packets in relation to communication of other wireless terminals in a cell, such as VoIP, in which a plurality of wireless terminals that periodically transmit packets exist, thereby allowing intermittent reception during the packet observation and enabling to control power consumption of the wireless terminal as well as to reduce the load to thereby improve the communication quality. To attain the object, a VoIP terminal 100 recognizes and retains a scheduling table received by a wireless terminal that is connected to a wireless base station and that is not communicating with other wireless terminals, additionally writes terminal information of the terminal in the scheduling table at the start of communication of the terminal, and broadcasts the scheduling table.
US08144673B2	Method and system for employing a dedicated device for position estimation by a WLAN positioning system Methods and systems of employing a dedicated device for position estimation by a WLAN-based positioning system. A device estimates the position of itself in response to gathering wireless signal information from WLAN access points (APs). The device includes a receive-only WLAN radio module for receiving WLAN signals transmitted by WLAN APs in range of said device, extraction logic for extracting information from said received WLAN signals to identify the WLAN APs; and logic to cooperate with a WLAN-based positioning system to estimate the position of the device based at least in part on the extracted information identifying the WLAN APs in the range of said device. In other embodiments, the radio module includes a transmitter but one which is only capable of transmitting probe requests.
US08144667B2	Methods for channel quality prediction error calculation and transmission power adjustment in a wireless network One embodiment includes determining a channel quality prediction error indicative a channel quality for a first time interval. The first time interval includes of a plurality of subframes, and the channel quality prediction error is calculated based on a first channel quality indicator associated with a first sub-frame and a second channel quality indicator associated with a second sub-frame. The first subframe and the second sub-frame are temporally spaced from one another. For example, the first subframe and the second subframe are temporally spaced apart by at least the length of the first time interval. More specifically, the second subframe may be received the first time interval after the first subframe.
US08144666B2	Downlink beamforming for broadband wireless networks Spatial Division Multiple Access (SDMA) offers multiplicative spectral efficiency gains in wireless networks. An adaptive SDMA beamforming technique is capable of increasing the traffic throughput of a sector, as compared to a conventional tri-cellular arrangement, by between 4 and 7 times, depending on the environment. This system uses an averaged covariance matrix of the uplink signals received at the antenna array to deduce the downlink beamforming solution, and is equally applicable to Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems. A scheduling algorithm enhances the SDMA system performance by advantageously selecting the users to be co-scheduled.
US08144662B2	Method and apparatus for neighbor list updates An apparatus and method for maintaining information during neighbor list updates comprising acquiring information of a first plurality of GSM neighbor cells; recording and keeping the information for a time period T; receiving a second plurality of GSM neighbor cells; comparing the second plurality of GSM neighbor cells with the first plurality of GSM cells in the record; if a GSM neighbor cell from the second plurality of GSM neighbor cells is not in the record, gathering information pertaining to the GSM neighbor cell; and if at least one GSM neighbor cell from the second plurality of GSM neighbor cells is in the record, determining if the age of the information pertaining to the at least one GSM neighbor cell is less than the time period T and if less than T, locating the at least one GSM neighbor cell.
US08144658B2	Method and apparatus for mitigating interference in a wireless communication system Techniques to mitigate inter-cell interference using joint time and frequency division are described. A frequency band is divided into multiple non-overlapping frequency subbands. The transmission timeline is divided into Tin and Tout time intervals. Data is exchanged with users in at least one inner region of a cell on the entire frequency band in the Tin time intervals. Data is exchanged with users in multiple outer regions of the cell on the multiple frequency subbands in the Tout time intervals. The frequency band may be partitioned into three frequency subbands. Data may then be exchanged with users in first, second and third outer regions on first, second and third frequency subbands, respectively. The regions in which the users are located may be determined based on pilot and/or other measurements.
US08144657B2	Clustering based resource allocation in multi-cell OFDMA networks A method allocates resource in an Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) network, including a set of Base Stations (BSs) and a set of Mobile Stations (MSs) for each BS. OFDMA frame are constructed as multiple resource blocks, and each resource block contains symbols transmitted on different subcarriers. A cluster is formed from adjacent sectors of different neighboring cells to jointly optimize the resource allocation in multiple frames, and three non-overlap zones are sequentially identified in cluster: cell center zone, cell edge zone, and cluster corner zone. Resource allocation includes intra-cluster proportional fair scheduling and inter-cluster interference mitigation. Intra-cluster scheduling further includes resource allocation for cell center zone and resource allocation for cell edge zone.
US08144656B2	Mobile communication method, mobile communication system and radio base station The radio base station includes: a step of making a comparison between transmission format identification information received from the mobile station and transmission format identification information based on a data amount calculated in a step of calculating the data amount of uplink user data; and a step of retransmitting a calculated scheduling grant if the radio base station determines, based on the comparison result in the step of the comparison, that a data amount indicated by the transmission format identification information received from the mobile station is larger than the data amount calculated in the aforementioned step.
US08144653B2	Medium access apparatus and method for preventing a plurality of stations in a wireless local area network from colliding with one another A method and apparatus for preventing a plurality of stations in a wireless local area network (WLAN) where a plurality of high throughput (HT) stations and a plurality of 802.11 legacy stations coexist from colliding are provided. The method includes generating a data frame having an HT format by inserting information indicating that a medium will be unavailable until the reception of an acknowledgement (ACK) frame is concluded into a physical layer (PHY) header having a format that can be interpreted by both the HT stations and the legacy stations; transmitting the data frame; and transmitting a reset frame which resets network allocation vectors (NAVs) of a plurality of stations which have heard the data frame, and has a format that can be interpreted by both the HT stations and the legacy stations. The apparatus includes a data frame generation unit; a reset frame generation unit; and a transmission unit.
US08144650B2	Method and arrangement relating to communications network services request activation A method of services request in a packet switched telecommunications network comprising a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) arranged for communication with a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN). During activation of a subscriber session, receiving by the GGSN, from the SGSN in an Update PDP Context Request message, data comprising both 1) an Internet Protocol (IP) address and user plane tunnelling endpoint identifier (TEID) for a Radio Network Controller (RNC) and 2) an IP address and user plane TEID of the SGSN; the GGSN nominally utilizes the IP address and TEID of the RNC for the subscriber session. If an error indication is received by the GGSN indicating that the RNC has restarted, it discards the IP address and TEID corresponding to the RNC and utilizes the IP address and TEID corresponding to the SGSN, whereby the GGSN and SGSN can maintain the subscriber session in the event of an RNC restart.
US08144646B2	Method and system for interconnecting broadband wireless access network with optical access broadband network A method and system for interconnecting a broadband wireless network with a wired network includes interconnecting a broadband wireless access (BWA) network with an optical access (OAN) broadband network at any reference point among reference points T, a, ODN, and V in the OAN broadband network, and interconnecting them with a digital subscriber line (DSL) network by the reference point V in the DSL network. The method of the present invention can solve the problem of the interconnection between the worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) network and the OAN broadband network, and the DSL network. An evolution approach is provided for the OAN broadband network operator and the DSL network operator to develop the WiMAX network.
US08144645B2	Method and apparatus for route optimization in a telecommunication network A method and apparatus for controlling the routing of a data packet sent from a first node towards a second node of a telecommunication network. The first node is a mobile node having an associated home network. An access router intercepts the data packet and determines whether the packet relates to a first mode of communication between the first and second nodes in which data packets generally bypass a home agent associated with the first node's home network. In a second mode of communication, home agent packets generally passed through the home agent. The access router drops the packet if the packet relates to the first mode of communication and if dropping the packet is determined to be in accordance with a pre-determined routing policy.
US08144643B2	Flexible capacity satellite communications system with flexible allocation between forward and return capacity Systems and methods for supporting more flexible coverage areas and spatial capacity assignments using satellite communications systems are disclosed. Antenna elements are arranged in one or more phased arrays. The phased arrays may be used to receive uplink communications, transmit downlink communications, or both receive uplink communications and transmit downlink communications. Beam forming networks (BFN's) associated with the one or more phased arrays may be dynamic, allowing for movement of the locations of the receive beams, the transmit beams, or both the receive beams and transmit beams. The beams may then “hop” from location to location according to a predefined or dynamic hopping pattern. In some embodiments, the hopping patterns may be time-varying and may be changed or updated on-the-fly.
US08144640B2	Location tracking in a wireless communication system using power levels of packets received by repeaters A location tracking apparatus and method are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving information from each repeater indicating which packets wirelessly transmitted by a mobile station were received by each repeater including received signal strength of each of those packets, and determining location of the mobile station with respect to the repeaters based on power levels of individual wirelessly transmitted packets received at the repeaters.
US08144639B1	Dynamic mode transition based on resource utilization and user application A wireless communication system comprises a mode transition control system. The mode transition control system comprises a communication interface and a processing system. The communication interface is configured to receive first information for a first user. The processing system is configured to process the first information and select a first mode transition sequence for the first user, wherein the first mode transition sequence comprises an active mode to sleep mode to idle mode transition, and an idle mode to sleep mode to active mode transition. The communication interface is configured to receive second information for a second user. The processing system is configured to process the second information and select a second mode transition sequence for the second user, wherein the second mode transition sequence comprises an active mode to sleep mode transition, and a sleep mode to active mode transition. The communication interface is configured to receive third information for a third user. The processing system is configured to process the third information and select a third mode transition sequence for the third user, wherein the third mode transition sequence comprises an active mode to idle mode transition, and an idle mode to active mode transition. The communication interface is configured to transfer the first mode transition sequence to the first user for use by the first user, transfer the second mode transition sequence to the second user for use by the second user, and transfer the third mode transition sequence to the third user for use by the third user.
US08144638B2	System and method thereof for dynamically adjusting sleep/awake intervals of wireless network device A system and a method thereof for dynamically adjusting sleep/awake intervals of a wireless network device are provided. The system has at least one base station (BS) and at least one wireless network device. The system performs the method to dynamically adjust the sleep/awake intervals by properly delaying and combining delivery of data such that the wireless network device is turned into a sleep mode after finishing data delivery within an adjusted period. Thereby, the number of awake frames of a mobile subscriber station (MSS) can be reduced without sacrificing the quality of service (QoS).
US08144637B2	Method and system for optimizing power resources in wireless devices A method and system is disclosed for a device to quickly determine if data is being sent to it. If no data is being sent to the device, the device may return to a sleep mode so as to conserve energy. The present invention includes organizing and transmitting, one at a time, all device destination identifiers. If a message listing search indicates that no message is being sent for a device, the device can continue with any other activity that needs servicing, or if no other activity is pending, it may shut down to conserve power until the next wake up period arrives. If the search returns a positive indication, the count value when the identifier is found can be used to determine the location of the pointer to the message.
US08144635B1	Reduced pin gigabit media independent interface A first device comprising: a pin interface having a plurality of pins; a data signal transmitter configured to respectively transmit, to a second device, a first plurality of data signals over a first set of pins of the plurality of pins of the pin interface; an encoder configured to generate a first encoded control signal based on having encoded a first plurality of control signals; and a control signal transmitter configured to transmit, to the second device, the first encoded control signal over a first pin of the plurality of pins of the pin interface, wherein the first pin is not of the first set of pins.
US08144634B2	Reducing automatic gain control process in time division duplex communication mode In TDD mobile networks, an incoming signal is received during a time period where no uplink communication takes place. The incoming signal is measured and analyzed to determine a noise level. Based on the noise level and on an uplink signal level from expected in a future uplink time slot, a gain for the automatic gain controller is set for use in future uplink communications. The gain is set to optimize the operation of an analog-to-digital converter.
US08144633B2	Method and system for controlling audio in a collaboration environment A method and system for designating an aural position of an audio stream in a collaboration environment. A plurality of icons corresponding to participants are displayed in a user interface. A moderator may move the icons from a first position in the user interface to a second position in the user interface. Upon moving an icon from a first position to a second position, an aural position identifier corresponding to the second position is generated and sent to a conference processor. The conference processor uses the aural position identifier to generate an outgoing audio stream that aurally positions the audio stream generated by the participant corresponding to the icon at the aural position. The outgoing audio stream is provided to the moderator, who uses a multi-channel capable device to perceive the audio stream at the designated aural position.
US08144632B1	Methods, systems and program products for efficient communications during data sharing event One example embodiment of the invention is a method for communicating streaming data between a plurality of users participating in a real-time communications event over a packet based data network, the method comprising the steps of: a source identifying a first sink corresponding to a request, the request including at least a method, one or more method parameters, and a time to live value; the source using a sink data repository to identify a first sink address corresponding to the first sink, the sink data repository comprising sink addresses for a plurality of different sinks; the source communicating the request to said first sink; and, the first sink returning an error message if the time to live has expired, and if the time to live has not expired the first sink processing the request through one or more steps of: acting as a resource by executing the method using the method parameters and communicating a response to the source; acting as a filter by forwarding the request to a second sink; and, redirecting the request back to the source for communicating to a second sink.
US08144630B1	Apparatus, systems, methods, algorithms and software for control of network switching devices Apparatuses, systems, methods, algorithms, and software for distributed control and/or configuration of network switching devices. The apparatus generally comprises a plurality of network I/O ports, a local control I/O port, and a controller configured to, when the apparatus is a master, receive control input data from at least one of the network I/O ports, process the control input data, and provide control output data to at least one of the network I/O ports, and when the apparatus is a slave, receive the control input data from the local control I/O port, provide the control input data to at least one of the network I/O ports, receive the control output data from at least one of the network I/O ports, and provide the control output data to the local control I/O port. The present disclosure advantageously enables control and/or configuration of a stack of network switch devices by communicating through a local control port of at least one of the devices in the stack.
US08144628B2	Acknowledgement-based rerouting of multicast traffic Various techniques for exchanging control messages in order to gracefully reroute multicast traffic are disclosed. For example, one method involves sending a join message for a multicast group towards a root of a new multicast tree and forwarding multicast traffic, addressed to the multicast group, on a current multicast tree until an acknowledgment corresponding to the join message is received. The new multicast tree can be identified in response to detection of a topology change within the network. Until the acknowledgment is received, multicast traffic that is received via the new multicast tree can be dropped.
US08144626B2	Determining disjoint paths with an optimized number of regenerators According to particular embodiments, determining disjoint paths includes receiving a graph representing a network comprising nodes and links. The graph is transformed such that the number of intermediate nodes of a path indicates the number of regenerators for the path. A set of seed paths from a source node to a destination node of the transformed graph is generated. For each seed path, a shortest path from the source node to the destination node is determined to yield one or more pairs of disjoint paths from the source node to the destination node. An optimized pair of disjoint paths is selected, where the optimized pair of disjoint paths has an optimized number of regenerators.
US08144625B2	DisplayPort auxiliary channel active buffer with auxiliary channel/display data channel combiner for fast auxiliary channel A system and a method for exchanging communication data between devices using a bi-directional communication channel are disclosed. A combiner is coupled to a source device via first bi-directional configuration channel and to a sink device via a second bi-directional configuration channel. Upon receiving data from the first bi-directional configuration channel and not receiving data from the second bi-directional configuration channel, the combiner transmits the received data to the sink device using the second bi-directional configuration channel and prevents data transmission from the sink device to the source device using the second bi-directional configuration channel. Similarly, upon receiving data from the second bi-directional configuration channel and not receiving from the first bi-directional configuration channel, the combiner prevents data transmission from the source device to the sink device and transmits the received data to the source device using the first bi-directional configuration channel.
US08144622B2	Wireless architecture and support for process control systems A wireless communication system for use in a process environment uses mesh and possibly a combination of mesh and point-to-point communications to produce a wireless communication network that can be easily set up, configured, changed and monitored, thereby making a wireless communication network that is less expensive, and more robust and reliable. The wireless communication system allows virtual communication paths to be established and used within the process control system in a manner that is independent of the manner in which the wireless signals are sent between different wireless transmitting and receiving devices within the process plant, to thereby operate in a manner that is independent of the specific messages or virtual communication paths within the process plant. Still further, communication analysis tools are provided to enable a user or operator to view the operation of the wireless communication network to thereby analyze the ongoing operation of the wireless communications within the wireless communication network.
US08144620B2	Method and system for implementing network connection service A method and system for implementing a network connection service is provided. In the invention, the port information of the network ingress node and the network egress node is registered with the directory server or configured manually. During the establishment of the network service connection, a request for establishing the network connection service between the source user node and the destination user node is initiated, and the directory server is queried in response to the request to obtain the connection and adaptation mode for establishing the network connection service, which is supported by both the network ingress node and the network egress node, and the network connection is established and the adaptation configuration is performed according to the connection and adaptation mode to establish the network connection service.
US08144619B2	Multifactorial optimization system and method A method for providing unequal allocation of rights among agents while operating according to fair principles, comprising assigning a hierarchal rank to each agent; providing a synthetic economic value to a first set of agents at the a high level of the hierarchy; allocating portions of the synthetic economic value by the first set of agents to a second set of agents at respectively different hierarchal rank than the first set of agents; and conducting an auction amongst agents using the synthetic economic value as the currency. A method for allocation among agents, comprising assigning a wealth generation function for generating future wealth to each of a plurality of agents, communicating subjective market information between agents, and transferring wealth generated by the secure wealth generation function between agents in consideration of a market transaction. The method may further comprise the step of transferring at least a portion of the wealth generation function between agents.
US08144611B2	Network coordinate systems using IP information Systems and methods that improve predictions of network latency in network coordinate systems (NCS) based on combining Internet topology information therewith. Topology information can be incorporated into the NCS by system/methodologies represented by geographic bootstrapping; autonomous system (AS) correction; history prioritization; symmetric updates or a combination thereof. Such can improve latency estimation between nodes when using a virtual coordinate system based on latency measurements between nodes.
US08144609B2	Network monitoring system and method thereof A packet processing engine is disclosed which comprises (a) packet processor for sniffing the packets and for analyzing traffic, and (b) core engine for packet processing. The core engine comprises means for extraction of protocols to build protocol analysis data and means for protocol-based analysis of the packets.
US08144608B2	Method and system for medium access control (MAC) rate selection Aspects of a method and system for medium access control (MAC) rate selection are presented. Aspects of the system may include at least one processor that enables selection of MAC layer parameter values and/or PHY layer parameter values, to maintain a rate of data transmission of at least one transmitted signal, which is no greater than a selected data transfer rate. The error rate of the one or more transmitted signals may be maintained within a specified range based on the selection for varying signal to noise (SNR) ratios.
US08144607B2	Location-based address resolution The present invention relates to a method that provides for advertising a network node to a managing node in a communication network. To this end, at the network node, position data of the network node are determined. At the managing node, at least one condition to be satisfied by the network node is set and a request message containing the at least one condition is transmitted by the managing node. Then, the request message containing the at least one condition is received at the network node and the at least one condition is evaluated at the network node. In case a specified combination of conditions is satisfied, the network node replies with a reply message containing at least a network protocol address and the determined position data of the network node. The present invention further relates to a corresponding system and network entities involved.
US08144601B2	Fault detection method, communication system and label switching router A fault detection method, a communication system, and an LSR are provided herein to overcome the inability of performing BFD packet resolution fault detection for multiple nodes in the conventional art. The method includes: determining a hop count between a first node and a second node on an LSP, where the second node is located downstream of the first node; encapsulating a BFD packet into an MPLS packet that carries information about the hop count between the first node and the second node; sending the MPLS packet from the first node along the active LSP; and judging, by the node that receives the MPLS packet, whether this node is the second node according to the hop count. If this node is the second node, extract the BFD packet for detect, and obtaining a fault detection result. Otherwise, forward the MPLS packet. Through the technical solution provided by the invention, the fault detection is more flexible in the MPLS.
US08144600B2	Optimization for wireless access point management In one embodiment, wireless access point management is optimized. The data bandwidth and/or processing requirements for data indicating operation of the access point is baselined. For example, air quality or interference measurements are made at the access point on a regular basis. The interference measurements over one or more periods, such as one period of 24 hours, provide a baseline. Rather than transmitting and processing the subsequent measurements that are normal or within the baseline, a lack of information or data requiring less bandwidth than the measurements communicates to a controller or server that the measurements are normal or within the baseline.
US08144597B2	Path selection for a wireless system with relays A method selects a path for forwarding a data packet in a wireless communication system. A system capacity versus delay impact curve is calculated for a direct path to mobile station. The direct path has a capacity cost based on communication quality of a direct link between a base station and the mobile station. This curve is shifted by a predetermined time corresponding to an additional delay over a relay path to produce a projected capacity curve for the relay path having a second capacity cost determined according to a combined measure of signal quality of multiple links in the relay path. The second capacity cost is multiplied by a capacity cost ratio to produce a relay capacity curve. The direct path or the relay path is selected based on a comparison of the system capacity versus delay impact curve and the relay capacity curve according to a QoS requirement.
US08144596B2	Communication and message route optimization and messaging in a mesh network A method and system facilitate communications between an unassociated device and a server via a mesh network and a wide area network. The method may include receiving transmissions from candidate proxy devices, wherein each candidate proxy device is associated with a mesh network. The method may include selecting a proxy device from the candidate proxy devices. The method may include communicating with a server via the proxy device and the associated mesh network.
US08144595B1	Variable translucency no-sight routing for AD-HOC networks A system comprising a plurality of nodes forming a network and a link-state packet capable of being transmitted by a source node in the network to a destination node in the network over a communication link; wherein the source node subtracts a transmission cost associated with the communication link from a time-to-live value associated with the link-state packet prior to transmitting the link-state packet to the destination node. Each node in the network may be configured to use a routing protocol, such as a no-sight routing protocol, to assign the transmission cost to the communication link.
US08144589B2	Learning-based semi-persistent scheduling in wireless communications Systems and methods are provided for a learning-based determination of semi-persistent scheduling of data-packet flow wireless communication. A packetized data flow served to a wireless terminal is fully scheduled for an initial period of time in order to collect statistics associated with scheduled packet sizes (Ss) and inter-packet times (Ts). Analysis of a cumulative distribution of {S, T} pairs indicate whether a characteristic packet size (S0) and size dispersion (D0) are associated with the cumulative distribution. Inter-time intervals associated with the characteristic size and dispersion complete a transport format. Semi-persistent scheduling is utilized for a packetized flow when a characteristic transport format can be extracted, or learned, from the accumulated statistics. Extracted transport formats can be employed to optimize scheduling efficiency upon handover.
US08144586B2	System and method for controlling network bandwidth with a connection admission control engine A system and method for controlling network bandwidth. Network performance information that includes information regarding real-time data packets using performance information packet data packets is gathered. The network bandwidth is throttled for each of a number of customers in a communications network using one or more connection admission control (CAC) engines based on the network performance information and quality of service guarantees.
US08144581B2	System and method in an inter-carrier network interface A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a PE-ASBR (Provider Edge-Autonomous System Boundary Routers) having a controller to receive new routing information without an attribute of origin, insert a site of origin of the PE-ASBR into the new routing information if the PE-ASBR is dual-homed to another MPLS-VPN cluster, and broadcast to other network elements the new routing information with the site of origin of the PE-ASBR. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US08144578B2	Communication network with line-and packet-switching control A common communication network with line- and packet-switching control is provided, with telecommunication services such as call-forwarding, being carried out by means of a link between a control device and a communication network. At least partially synchronized control is provided for both the line-switching and the packet-switching part of the communication system, and carries out the telecommunication services.
US08144576B2	System and method for Ethernet protection switching in a provider backbone bridging traffic engineering domain A system and method of providing Ethernet protection switching in a PBB-TE Domain. Two PBB-TE trunks are established between a first B-component and a second B-component. Each trunk includes two unidirectional Ethernet Switching Paths (ESPs), each associated with a possibly different VLAN identifier. Data traffic is mapped onto the first PBB-TE trunk, where the first PBB-TE trunk corresponds to a working entity and the second PBB-TE trunk corresponds to a backup protection entity. Data traffic is sent via a first ESP of the first trunk associated with a first VID and a second ESP of the first trunk associated with a second VID. The two PBB-TE trunks are monitored for faults. Upon detecting a fault on one of the PBB-TE trunks, data traffic is remapped onto the other PBB-TE trunk via a third ESP associated with a third VID and a fourth ESP associated with a fourth VID.
US08144575B2	Redundant pseudowires for border gateway patrol-based virtual private local area network service multi-homing environments A method performed by a provider edge device includes generating pseudo-wire tables based on virtual private local area network service advertisements from other provider edge devices, where the provider edge device services customer edge devices, and establishing pseudo-wires with respect to the other provider edge devices, based on the pseudo-wire tables, where the pseudo-wires include an active pseudo-wire and at least one standby pseudo-wire with respect to each of the other provider edge devices. The method also includes generating and advertising VPLS advertisement to the other provider edge devices, detecting a communication link failure associated with one of the customer edge devices in which the provider edge device services, and determining whether the at least one standby pseudo-wire needs to be utilized because of the communication link failure.
US08144573B2	Method and system for using the synchronization channel to obtain measurements in a cellular communications system A method and apparatus that utilizes the synchronization channel (SCH) by the user equipment (UE) to obtain time synchronization information and to perform cell search. In order to perform the SCH detection, only a correlation between the known SCH signal and the received sequence is needed, hence the FFT is not involved in the synchronization step. Typically the SCH and pilot symbols are transmitted with a constant power which is the same for all base stations. Hence, based on the serving cell (SC) SCH and pilot symbols, the power relation between these signals is estimated and the ratio applied when performing time synchronization to other cells (i.e. correlation the received sequence with the SCH from that particular NC) to estimate the pilot signal strength for the NB cell.
US08144571B2	Method of transmitting and processing data and transmitter in a wireless communication system A method for transmitting/processing data in a wireless communication system, and a transmitter are disclosed. A method processing method for data transmission at a transmitting side of a wireless communication system employing multiple carriers comprises performing a symbol mapping process on a binary data sequence, and generating a symbol sequence, converting the symbol sequence into a time-domain symbol using a plurality of sub-carriers having a variable sub-carrier spacing therebetween, and adding a cyclic prefix to the time-domain symbol.
US08144568B2	Information recording medium, information recording apparatus and method, and information reproducing apparatus and method An information recording medium (100) is provided with (i) a read only area (ROA1 and the like) whereupon read only information is previously recorded by forming embossed pits; (ii) a data area (102) wherein recording information can be recorded; (iii) a first management area (CDZ) wherein first position information (10) relating to the position of the read only area is previously recorded by forming embossed pits; and (iv-1) a second management area (RMA) wherein second position information (20) can be recorded in addition to the first position information or (iv-2) a second management area wherein second position information can be recorded as substitute for the first position information. The second position information relates to the position of a rewrite prohibited area (RWROA1) wherein rewriting of a part of or the entire recording information is prohibited in the data area.
US08144563B2	Information recording medium, reproducing device and reproducing method An information recording medium according to the present invention includes at least three information recording layers. If the readout power of a laser beam in reading information from an information recording layer L(n) is identified by Pw(n), and if the readout power of the laser beam in reading information from an information recording layer L(n+a) is identified by Pw(n+a), then a base thickness between the information recording layers is determined so that the intensity of the light when the information recording layer L(n+a) is irradiated with a laser beam having the readout power Pw(n) becomes equal to or lower than that of the light when the information recording layer L(n+a) is irradiated with a laser beam having the readout power Pw(n+a).
US08144556B2	Optical disc recording apparatus and method, and computer program An information recording apparatus (1) is provided with: a recording device (102) for recording information onto an information recording medium (100) by irradiating the information recording medium with a recording laser beam (L); a controlling device (103) for recording calibration data onto the information recording medium by using the recording laser beam in which the power is adjusted gradually; and a detecting device (107) for detecting degree of modulation of a reproduction signal after the recording of the calibration data, the recording of the calibration data being ended if the degree of modulation exceeds a predetermined range, an optimum power of the recording laser beam being determined from a jitter amount included in a reproduction signal.
US08144554B2	Method of and apparatus for recording data on write-once disc, method of and apparatus for reproducing data from write-once disc, and write-once disc therefor A method and apparatus recording and/or reproducing data on/from a write-once disc, and a write-once disc therefor, the write-once disc having at least one recording layer including: a plurality of update areas in which predetermined updated information is recorded; and at least one access information area in which access information indicating an update area in which final recorded updated information is recorded. Reducing access time for reading the updated information using a location of predetermined updated information. Also, when a plurality of update areas for writing updated information required to use the write-once disc exist, a recording apparatus or a reproducing apparatus can quickly and easily determine an update area in which final updated information is recorded among the plurality of update areas.
US08144552B2	TE signal polarity determining system and related method thereof A tracking error (TE) signal polarity determining method, comprising: (a) obtaining a wobble related signal and a TE signal from an optical pick-up unit accessing an optical disc; (b) determining an accessing direction; and (c) determining if an original polarity of the TE signal from the optical disc should be changed or not according to the relation between the wobble related signal and the accessing direction.
US08144551B2	Reproducing control device having resuming function A battery charger includes: a resume information table for storing resume information about contents to be started to be reproduced with a portable player being connected to the battery charger; a writing unit that writes resume information about a tune being reproduced just before the portable player is disconnected from the battery charger into the resume information table; and an instructing unit that reads the resume information stored in the resume information table when the portable player is connected to the battery charger, and transmits an instruction for reproducing a specified tune to the portable player.
US08144546B2	Method and apparatus for detection and classification of a swimming object A method and apparatus for detecting and classifying submerged swimming object from a passive signal generated by, and an active signal reflected from the object. In a first input of a passive mode branch a first signal representative of the passive signal is received. A second signal representative of the active signal is received in a second input of an active mode branch. In the active mode branch, the first signal is processed to generate a first classification estimate output, with first clues, of the most probable class of target for the object. In the passive mode branch, the second signal is processed to generate a second classification estimate output, with first clues, of the most probable class of target for the object. Both estimate outputs are received in a merger, for generating a merged classification estimate output with clues, which is input to a joint classifier that classifies the object.
US08144542B2	Semiconductor memory apparatus and method for operating the same A semiconductor memory apparatus includes a clock input unit configured to receive a system clock and a data clock, a data clock phase regulation unit configured to regulate a frequency of the data clock, and delay the data clock by a delay varied in accordance with a training information signal, and a clock phase comparison unit configured to compare a phase of an output clock of the data clock phase regulation unit with a phase of the system clock, and generate the training information signal according to a result of the comparison.
US08144541B2	Method and apparatus for adjusting and obtaining a reference voltage A method for adjusting a reference voltage is provided, including: decoding a default code configured in a reference voltage register in a chip to obtain an actual reference voltage; comparing the actual reference voltage with a benchmark value to obtain a deviation value between the two; configuring an adjustment code according to the deviation value; and, burning the adjustment code into a nonvolatile storage medium. The present invention also discloses an apparatus for adjusting a reference voltage. Thus, adjustment on the reference voltage of the chip is standardized and costs of the chip's application schemes are saved. A method and apparatus for obtaining a reference voltage are also provided, and thus stability of the circuit's working is improved and costs of the chip's applications are decreased.
US08144538B2	Semiconductor device A semiconductor device to improve layout uniformity may include an active region formed in a substrate, a dummy active region formed in the substrate and separated from the active region, a word line crossing over the active region, and a dummy word line. The dummy word line is formed over the dummy active region to overlap at least part of the dummy active region and may have an end positioned within the dummy active region.
US08144533B2	Compensatory memory system A compensatory memory system is described. This memory system substantially improves performance by adapting an associated delay in a way that optimizes circuit performance.
US08144532B2	Semiconductor memory device and method of controlling same A memory cell is provided at an intersection of a word line and a bit line. A sense amplifier circuit senses and amplifies a signal on the bit line. Replica circuits include a replica cell configured to retain certain data fixedly. A signal detection circuit detects an output signal that rises up at the latest timing among output signals output from the plurality of replica circuits respectively and outputs a detection signal. A delay circuit delays the detection signal. The sense amplifier circuit is activated based on the delayed signal.
US08144530B2	Semiconductor memory device and method for generating output enable signal A semiconductor memory device is able to generate an output enable signal in response to a read command and CAS latency information. The semiconductor memory device includes a delay locked loop configured to detect a phase difference of an external clock signal and a feedback clock signal, generate a delay control signal corresponding to the detected phase difference, and generate a DLL clock signal by delaying the external clock signal for a time corresponding to the delay control signal, a delay configured to output an active signal as an output enable reset signal in response to the delay control signal and an output enable signal generator configured to be reset in response to the output enable reset signal and generate an output enable signal in response to a read signal and a CAS latency signal by counting the external clock signal and the DLL clock signal.
US08144529B2	System and method for delay locked loop relock mode Embodiments of the present invention describe a memory device comprising a delay line and a feedback circuit coupled to the delay line. The feedback circuit has the capability to adjust a delay interval, which is then locked on the delay line. The feedback circuit is switched off after the delay interval is locked to reduce power consumption. The feedback circuit periodically switches on to adjust and lock the delay interval.
US08144524B2	Semiconductor device and semiconductor package including the same To include a plurality of pad groups each including a first data I/O pad, a first power supply pad, a second data I/O pad, and a second power supply pad arranged in order in an X direction. The first data I/O pad is connected to a first data I/O buffer, and the second data I/O pad is connected to a second data I/O buffer. The first power supply pad supplies a first power supply potential to the first and second data I/O buffers, and the second power supply pad supplies a second power supply potential to the first and second data I/O buffers. The first data I/O pad included in each of the pad groups is adjacent to the second power supply pad included in other pad group or any one of a plurality of power supply pads not included in any one of the pad groups.
US08144523B2	Semiconductor storage device A semiconductor storage device in accordance with an exemplary aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in a matrix pattern, a plurality of word lines each provided so as to correspond to each line of the memory cells, a plurality of bit lines each connected to respective one of the memory cells, and a row selection circuit that, in a read operation, drives the word line to a set potential at a drive speed slower than a discharge speed of the bit line exhibited when the word line is raised roughly vertically to VDD.
US08144522B2	Erasing flash memory using adaptive drain and/or gate bias A hot hole erase operation as described herein can be utilized for a flash memory device having an array of memory cells. The erase operation employs an adaptive erase bias voltage scheme where the drain bias voltage (and/or the gate bias voltage) is dynamically adjusted in response to an erase pulse count corresponding to a preliminary erase operation during which a relatively small portion of a sector is erased. The adjustment of the erase bias voltage in this manner enables the rest of the sector to be erased using erase bias voltages that are better suited to the current erase characteristics of the sector.
US08144517B2	Multilayered nonvolatile memory with adaptive control A method and device for adaptive control of multilayered nonvolatile semiconductor memory are provided, the device including memory cells organized into groups and a control circuit having a look-up matrix for providing control parameters for each of the groups, where characteristics of each group are stored in the look-up matrix, and the control parameters for each group are responsive to the stored characteristics for that group; the method including organizing memory cells into groups, storing characteristics for each group in a look-up matrix, providing control parameters for each of the groups, where the control parameters for each group are responsive to its stored characteristics, and driving each memory cell in accordance with its provided control parameters.
US08144510B1	Method and system for programming multi-state memory In a multi-level memory cell, when data to be programmed arrives, the cell is programmed to the lowest-charge state in which any bit position that is being programmed or has already been programmed has the correct value, regardless of the value in that state of any bit position that has not yet been programmed and is not being programmed. The programming of other bit positions based on subsequently arriving data should not then require a transition to an impermissible lower energy state. Although this may result in a transient condition in which some bits have the wrong value, by the time programming is complete, all bits would be expected to have the correct value. A cell may contain any number of bits equal to or greater than two, and programming may be performed cyclically (e.g., from LSB to MSB), anticyclically (e.g., from MSB to LSB), or in any random order.
US08144509B2	Write operation for spin transfer torque magnetoresistive random access memory with reduced bit cell size Systems, circuits and methods for controlling write operations in Spin Transfer Torque Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (STT-MRAM) are disclosed. A reduced bit cell size is achieved by arranging the source lines (SL) substantially in parallel with the word lines (WL) and substantially perpendicular to the bit lines (BL). Further, in one embodiment during a write operation, a high logic/voltage level is applied to the bit lines of unselected bit cells to prevent an invalid write operation.
US08144505B2	Nonvolatile memory devices supporting memory cells having different bit storage levels and methods of operating the same Nonvolatile memory devices include a memory cell array including a first memory cell and an adjacent second memory cell and a data input/output circuit configured to operate the first memory cell as an m-bit cell and to operate the second memory cell as an n-bit cell, wherein m is not equal to n. The first and second memory cells may be adjacent cells connected to same word line or to the same bit line. The memory cell array may include a third memory cell adjacent the first memory cell and the data input/output circuit may be further configured to operate the third memory cell as a k-bit cell. The first and second memory cells may be connected to the same word line and the first and third memory cells may be connected to the same bit line. The data input/output circuit may be configured to operate the first memory cell as a j-bit cell responsive to detecting a number of erase operations for the first memory cell meeting a predetermined criterion, wherein j is less than n. In some embodiments, j may be equal to m.
US08144503B2	Information storage device and method of operating the same An information storage device includes a memory region having a magnetic track and a write/read unit, and a control circuit connected to the memory region. First and second switching devices are connected to both ends of the magnetic track, and a third switching device is connected to the write/read unit. The control circuit controls the first to third switching devices, and supplies operating current to at least one of the magnetic track and the write/read unit.
US08144501B2	Read/write margin improvement in SRAM design using dual-gate transistors An integrated circuit structure includes a static random access memory (SRAM) cell. The SRAM cell includes a pull-up transistor and a pull-down transistor forming an inverter with the pull-up transistor. The pull-down transistor includes a front gate connected to a gate of the pull-up transistor, and a back-gate decoupled from the front gate.
US08144500B2	Semiconductor memory device According to one embodiment, semiconductor memory device includes: semiconductor substrate; parallel first lines stacked on substrate; parallel second lines intersecting first lines; memory cell array including memory cells at intersections of first and second lines and each including variable resistance element and selecting element series-connected together; first control circuit provided in second region of substrate adjoining first region immediately under array; second control circuit provided in first region of substrate; and dummy lines formed in same layer as second lines, such that they intersect first lines in region above first control circuit. First control circuit applies first voltage to selected first line. Second control circuit applies second voltage lower than first voltage to selected second line, and to dummy lines, third voltage by which potential difference applied to memory cells at intersections of selected first line and dummy lines becomes lower than on-voltage of selecting element.
US08144497B2	Self-identifying stacked die semiconductor components A semiconductor die having a functional circuit (e.g., a memory array) and a decode circuit suitable for use in a stacked die semiconductor component (e.g., a random access memory component) is described. The decode circuit permits individual die in a stacked die structure to automatically determine their location or position in the stack and, in response to this determination, selectively pass one or more external control signals (e.g., chip select and clock enable signals) to the decode circuit's associated functional circuit based on inter-die connection patterns. This “self-configuring” capability permits all die designated for a specified functionality (e.g., a memory module including four vertically aligned die) to be uniformly or consistently manufactured. This, in turn, can reduce the cost to manufacture stacked die components.
US08144496B2	Memory system with multi-level status signaling and method for operating the same A memory system includes a status circuit having a common status node electrically connected to a respective status pad of each of a plurality of memory chips. The memory system also includes a plurality of resistors disposed within the status circuit to define a voltage divider network for generating different voltage levels at the common status node. Each of the different voltage levels indicates a particular operational state combination of the plurality of memory chips. Also, each of the plurality of memory chips is either in a first operational state or a second operational state. Additionally, the different voltage levels are distributed within a voltage range extending from a power supply voltage level to a reference ground voltage level.
US08144490B2	Operation of a three level converter A method of operating a three level converter includes controlling the output voltage of the converter when a DC link voltage of the three level converter is lower than one-half of a rated DC link voltage of the converter by, for each leg of the converter, alternately connecting an output terminal of the leg to the positive terminal or the negative terminal of the DC link. When the DC link voltage is at least one-half of the rated DC link voltage, the method includes controlling the output voltage of the converter by, for each leg, selectively connecting the output terminal of the converter to the positive terminal, the negative terminal, or a mid-point of the DC link.
US08144486B2	Power converter and driving method thereof In a power converter, a primary coil receives an input voltage, and a switch includes a first electrode, a second electrode coupled to the primary coil, and a control electrode. An output unit includes a secondary coil, and outputs an output voltage. The primary coil and the secondary coil form a transformer, and the input voltage is converted to the output voltage by the transformer. A controller receives a sensing voltage corresponding to a switch current flowing between the first electrode and the second electrode of the switch, detects a valley point of a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode of the switch based on the sensing voltage, and transmits a control signal to the control electrode of the switch in accordance with the valley point.
US08144485B2	Direct current voltage conversion circuit A DC voltage conversion circuit (20) of the present disclosure includes a power supply (21), a first output (27), a second output (26), a transformer (22), a first voltage-regulating circuit (25), a second voltage regulating circuit (24), and a step-up DC-DC converter (23). The first voltage-regulating circuit includes a transistor (254) having drain and source electrodes, a first capacitor (252) connected between ground and the first output, and a first diode (251). The first output is connected to ground via the anode and cathode of the first diode, the transformer, and the drain and source electrodes of the transistor in series. The power supply is configured to provide a second voltage to the second output via the transformer and the second voltage-regulating circuit in series. The step-up DC-DC converter is configured to regulate voltages of the first and second outputs according to feedback voltages from the first and second outputs.
US08144484B2	Electronic circuit control element with tap element A technique for controlling a power supply with power supply control element with a tap element. An example power supply control element includes a power transistor that has first and second main terminals, a control terminal and a tap terminal. A control circuit is coupled to the control terminal. The tap terminal and the second main terminal of the power transistor are to control switching of the power transistor. The tap terminal is coupled to provide a signal to the control circuit substantially proportional to a voltage between the first and second main terminals when the voltage is less than a pinch off voltage. The tap terminal is coupled to provide a substantially constant voltage that is less than the voltage between the first and second main terminals to the control circuit when the voltage between the first and second main terminals is greater than the pinch-off voltage.
US08144483B2	Apparatus having a board secured to a casing According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a casing, a board contained in the casing, a support surface provided in the casing and supports the board, a first fixing portion provided integrally with the support surface and holds the board between itself and the support surface, and a second fixing portion provided integrally with the support surface. The second fixing portion is elastically displaced between a first position where the second fixing portion engages with the board and a second position where the projecting portion is removed from the board.
US08144481B2	Memory board structure having stub resistor on main board A memory system includes; a main board having memory bus with a wiring line communicating a signal from a memory controller mounted on the main board, first and second module sockets mounted on the main board and connecting the wiring line to first and second memory modules respectively inserted into the first and second module sockets, where the first memory module includes a first electrode connected to the wiring line and the second memory module includes a second electrode connected to the wiring line, and first and second stub resistors disposed on the main board and arranged as primary dual-branching stub resistors forming a T-branch connection structure between the first and second electrodes and a branching node connected to the wiring line.
US08144479B2	Wireless communication module A wireless communication module includes: amounting board including a dielectric frame and a dielectric panel that are stacked together, the frame defining a frame space; at least one electronic component mounted on the mounting board and extending into the frame space; and a plurality of conductive bodies embedded in the dielectric frame and surrounding the frame space so as to prevent electromagnetic interference resulting from the electronic component.
US08144474B2	Portable computer structures Portable computer structures are provided. The portable computer structures may include connector structures. The portable computer may have a case. A portion of the connector structure may be formed by the case of the portable computer. The portable computer may have a circuit board with grounding spring-loaded pins which electrically ground the circuit board to the case of the portable computer. The portable computer may have an optical disk drive that is form fitted to mount to the portable computer case.
US08144472B2	Conductive wire pattern and method of monitoring the bonding error of a film A conductive line pattern of a pad area includes a plurality of terminals arranged side by side. Each terminal includes an opening portion that surrounds a bonding pad of the substrate and with a side edge and a line portion connecting with the side edge of the corresponding opening portion. The relative position of each line portion and the corresponding opening portion varies according to the location of the terminal in the pad area. A pattern of conductors (74) on a film (72) is to be bonded to the bonding pads at the openings (64) and the line portions (66) positional correspondence to the conductors (74) is used to detect alignment error. If any of the line (66) are located in the middle of a conductor (74) it serves to indicate an improper shift of the film (72).
US08144469B2	Processor loading system A component loading system includes a board having a socket, wherein the board includes a first mounting member and a pair of first heat dissipater coupling posts that extend from the board adjacent the socket. A base member defines two base member securing holes, wherein the base member is secured to the board using the pair of first heat dissipater coupling posts such that a first heat dissipater coupling post extends through each base member securing hole. A loading member includes a pair of second heat dissipater coupling posts extending from the loading member, wherein the loading member is operable to be secured to the board by coupling the loading member to the base member and securing the loading member to the board using the first mounting member, and wherein a heat dissipater is operable to be coupled to the base member and the loading member using the pair of first heat dissipater coupling posts and the pair of second heat dissipater coupling posts. The component loading system couples a component to the socket while using less board space and volume next to the board than conventional loading systems in order to provide for, for example, increased trace routing volume and closer component positioning adjacent the socket.
US08144468B2	Display device A display device according to the present invention comprises a display panel, an accommodating part accommodating the display panel, circulating means for circulating air in the accommodating part around the display panel, a heat exchanger collecting heat from the air, which is arranged on a rear surface side of the display panel, and a heat insulating member provided between the heat exchanger and the display panel. Another display device according to the present invention comprises a display panel, an accommodating part accommodating the display panel, a fan forming an air flow on a display screen of the display panel, a heat exchanger collecting heat from air, which is arranged on a rear surface side of the display panel, and a heat insulating member provided between the heat exchanger and the display panel.
US08144463B2	Card retention system A card retention system includes a chassis comprising a chassis wall. A plurality of actuation channels are defined by the chassis wall. Each of the plurality of actuation channels includes an unsecured section, a secured section, and an arcuate section extending between the unsecured section and the secured section. A securing member is coupled to the chassis wall through the plurality of actuation channels. The securing member is operable to move relative to the chassis wall along a path defined by the plurality of actuation channels. A plurality of engagement members are located on the securing member. The securing member may be moved through the plurality of actuation channels to retain a plurality of cards in the chassis.
US08144460B2	Portable computer with heat dissipation unit A portable computer includes a shell, a printed circuit board in the shell, a heat generating element, a heat conducting sheet, a primary heat dissipation unit, a subsidiary heat dissipation unit, and a heat-transfer unit. The heat generating element is electronically connected on the printed circuit board. The heat conducting sheet is positioned on the heat generating element. The heat-transfer unit includes a heat-transfer member and a drive unit. The heat-transfer member connects to the heat conducting sheet. The drive unit moves the heat-transfer member to connect with the primary heat dissipation unit or the subsidiary heat dissipation unit.
US08144458B2	Component layout in an enclosure An electronic module includes an enclosure having a front face and a rear face. An electronic circuit board is positioned in the enclosure and a processor is mounted to the electronic circuit board. A data storage device is positioned in the enclosure such that the processor is positioned between the data storage device and the electronic circuit board.
US08144457B2	Fiber containment system The present invention relates to a telecommunications termination panel with a housing including a front opening and a rear opening. Pivotably mounted within the housing is a tray within the front opening, pivoting about a vertical axis located adjacent a first side of the housing. A cable path is defined along a bottom of the housing along the first side between the cable entry of the tray and the rear opening. A movable plate is positioned adjacent the first side and is movable between a first position defining an upper limit of the cable path when the tray is closed and a second position allowing access to the cable path when the tray is open. The movement of the plate between the first and second positions is actuated by the movement of the tray between the closed and open positions. The present invention further relates to a telecommunications termination panel with a housing including a front opening. Pivotably mounted within the housing is a tray within the front opening, pivoting about a vertical axis located adjacent a first side of the housing. The tray is pivotable between an open position and a closed position. The tray includes a cover which can be moved between an operational position and an access position when the tray is in the open position. With the cover in the operational position, the tray is prevented from moving from the open position to the closed position.
US08144455B2	Mounting apparatus for expansion card A mounting apparatus for an expansion card with a blocking piece is disclosed. The mounting apparatus includes a mounting bracket and a fixing piece. The mounting bracket includes a support plate with two bent portions. The fixing piece is pivotably mounted on the mounting bracket. The fixing piece includes a resisting piece, two resilient pressing pieces, and an engaging portion. The resisting piece secures the blocking piece to the support plate. The two resilient pressing pieces are connected to the resisting piece. The engaging portion retains the fixing piece to the mounting bracket. A pivot portion protrudes from each pressing piece and is received in each bent portion. The two pressing pieces are oppositely pressed to disengage the pivot portion from the bent portion.
US08144450B2	Electronic apparatus The invention relates to a configuration of an electronic apparatus that improves the utilization of the electronic apparatus. The better utilization is achieved by an apparatus including a body, a cover attached to the body, and a display part having a display, the display part being attached to the body and configured to slide between a first position and a second position such that when the display part is at rest in the first position, the cover overlaps at least a portion of the display, and when the display part is at rest in the second position, said portion of the display is visible.
US08144449B2	Electronic component and electronic component built-in substrate An electronic component includes an electronic component main body including opposed first and second main surfaces, opposed first and second side surfaces, and opposed first and second end surfaces and also includes first and second external terminal electrodes disposed on the first main surface. The first and second external terminal electrodes are spaced apart by a gap region. When a dimension in a longitudinal direction being a direction linking the first and second end surfaces of the electronic component main body is L, a dimension in a width direction being a direction linking the first and second side surfaces is W, and a dimension of the gap region along the longitudinal direction is g, W(L−g)/2 are satisfied.
US08144444B2	EMC protection circuit A protection circuit for protecting an electronic circuit against EMC disturbances and/or negative transient overvoltage pulses comprises a switch in series between a power supply and the electronic circuit to be protected; a comparator for comparing a first operating parameter with a second operating parameter and producing a comparison signal, the comparison signal being used as a control signal for controlling opening and closing of the switch; and a delay circuit adapted for delaying closing of the switch. A corresponding method is also provided.
US08144441B2	Electrostatic discharge protection circuit for compound semiconductor devices and circuits An apparatus and method is disclosed for providing an electrostatic discharge protection circuit for compound semiconductor devices and circuits. The electrostatic discharge protection circuit comprises a first terminal and a second terminal. The electrostatic discharge protection circuit further comprises a transistor shunt element that is operably coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal; the transistor shunt element is capable of providing a bi-directional discharge path between the first terminal and the second terminal. The electrostatic discharge protection circuit further comprises a shut-off element that is operably coupled with the second terminal; the shut-off element is capable of keeping the transistor shunt element turned-off.
US08144431B2	Flex cable assembly for vibration reduction in HDD applications A hard disk drive flex cable assembly conveys data between a connector to a host system and a head stack assembly. It comprises a flex cable which in part has a first end for coupling to the connector, and a second end for coupling to the head stack assembly; and a stiffener coupled to the second end. The stiffener comprises an end formed to approximate a J-shape. A filling material is applied to the concave surface of the J-shape, whereby a dynamic response frequency of the flex cable assembly is moved away from a dynamic response frequency of the head stack assembly upon which the flex cable assembly is coupled.
US08144427B2	Magnetic head, head assembly and magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus The present invention relates to a magnetic head, a head assembly, and a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus which are capable of effectively detecting thermal asperity. The magnetic head according to the present invention includes a heat-generating resistor, a recording coil, and a resistive element. The heat-generating resistor is adapted to generate heat when power is fed thereto so that the heat generation causes at least a part of the air bearing surface to thermally expand and protrude. The recording coil is adapted to generate a recording magnetic field, and the resistive element is disposed closer to the air bearing surface than the recording coil and connected in series or in parallel with the heater. Thus, the resistive element can share a common wiring with the heater for power feeding, which eliminates the waste of wiring and achieves miniaturization.
US08144423B2	Fluid dynamic pressure bearing device, spindle motor and disk drive apparatus A fluid dynamic pressure bearing device includes a shaft, an annular member, and a rotating member. The annular member is fixed to or seamlessly defined with the shaft and is radially opposed to the rotating member. The annular member and the rotating member are covered with a seal member. A first gap is defined between the seal member and the annular member. A second gap is defined between the rotating member and the seal member. A third gap is defined between the annular member and the rotating member. The first gap preferably has a width smaller than that of the second gap but greater than that of the third gap.
US08144420B1	VCM PWM control architecture for power saving in hard disk drives The power required by a voice coil motor (VCM) to maintain the head in the data region of a disk drive during an idle mode is further reduced. The current supplied to the VCM is switched on and off. This takes advantage of the inherent capacitance and inductance in the VCM, which maintains a current after the current supply is switched off. The current will slowly decay, with it being switched on again before it reaches a level where the average value won't offset the flex bias. In one embodiment, the current is maintained in a single direction, to offset the flex bias which pushes in one direction. Digital switches are used to reduce the power consumption of the control circuitry.
US08144419B1	Disk drive detecting head touchdown from microactuator signal A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk surface by a microactuator, and a fly height actuator operable to adjust a fly height of the head. A servo control voltage is applied to the microactuator, and the fly height actuator is adjusted to decrease a fly height of the head. The servo control voltage is filtered to generate a filtered voltage. A touchdown signal is generated in response to the microactuator and the filtered voltage, wherein the touchdown signal indicates when the head contacts the disk.
US08144418B2	Test device for magnetic storage device, magnetic storage device, and method of manufacturing magnetic storage device According to one embodiment, a test device for a storage device includes: a module configured to acquire from the storage device a value corresponding to a signal level read from a magnetic disk through a magnetic head of the storage device, at a first timing at which an initial power of 0 or greater is supplied to a heater in the head and at a second timing at which a power to the heater is returned to the initial power after the power to the heater has been increased from the initial power, a periphery of a head element in the head has been expanded by the heater, and the element has been protruded toward a magnetic disk side; and a determiner configured to determine whether plastic deformation has occurred in the periphery of the element based on a difference between the values obtained at the first and second timings.
US08144417B2	Dynamic system control method Techniques are provided herein for reducing vibrations in various modes of a dynamic system. One such technique comprises incorporating vibration limiting and sensitivity constraints into a partial fraction expansion equation model of the system so as to reduce vibrations to specific levels. Another technique comprises shaping a command determined using the partial fraction expansion equation model to produce a desired output. The entire command may be shaped or only selected portions thereof which produce vibrations. Another technique involves commanding in current to produce saturation in voltage. By doing this it is possible to command voltage switches. The times at which the switches occur can be set to reduce system vibrations. Other techniques are also provided. These include varying transient portions at the beginning, middle and/or end of a move and using Posicast inputs, among others.
US08144416B2	Hard disk driving circuit and method of driving spindle motor A hard disk driving circuit for reducing a maximum amount of current for driving a spindle motor, and a method of driving the spindle motor. The hard disk driving circuit include spindle motor, a spindle motor driving circuit driving the spindle motor, a control circuit controlling the spindle motor driving circuit, and a plurality of functional blocks related to driving a hard disk, and further includes a mask clock signal generator generating a mask clock signal that is inactivated for a period of time when the spindle motor is driven, by using the clock signal. At least one selected from the group consisting of the control circuit, the spindle motor driving circuit, and the plurality of functional blocks operates according to the mask clock signal.
US08144414B2	Data interleaving in tape drives Methods and apparatus for interleaving data in a multitrack tape drive and for writing data on a multitrack tape in the tape drive. One method includes: partitioning the data into m(2n+k) data blocks, where each data block has a logical array of rows and columns of data bytes; error-correction coding a row and a column of the logical array to produce an encoded block; assigning the coded row to a respective location in a logical interleave array having L rows and 2n+k columns of locations; and writing a sequence of assigned coded rows simultaneously in respective data tracks on the multitrack tape. The coded row is assigned such that the minimum Euclidean distance on the multitrack tape between the coded rows is maximized. The apparatus includes units for performing the methods and the computer program product includes a program code means for causing a computer to perform the methods.
US08144409B2	Prism system and method for producing the same A prism monomer for use in a digital light processing projection device includes a plastic triangular prism having a hypotenuse surface and a glass sheet. The glass sheet has two opposite surfaces. One surface of the glass sheet is attached to the hypotenuse surface of the plastic triangular prism and the other surface of the glass sheet is formed with an anti-reflective coating.
US08144408B2	Lens module having intercoupling slit and handle An exemplary lens module includes a holder, a lens barrel, a cover having a through hole, a restricting member having a slit, a handle extending from the lens barrel and a resilient. The lens barrel is accommodated in the holder capable of moving along a central axis of the holder. The cover covers the lens barrel and is detachably fixed on the holder. The restricting member is over the cover. The handle penetrates the through hole and the slit. The resilient member is sandwiched between the cover and the lens barrel, capable of changing the length thereof under an external force and recovering the original length with the external force withdrawn, such that a focal length of the lens module is adjustable by moving the handle in and along the slit.
US08144407B2	CNT-based actuator, lens module using same and camera module using same An exemplary CNT-based actuator includes a first electrode, a second electrode opposite to the first electrode, and a CNT layer sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode. The CNT layer includes two opposite surfaces in contact with the first and the second electrodes respectively, and a plurality of CNTs substantially parallel to each other. The first electrode and the second electrode are configured for cooperatively creating therebetween an electric field with an electric field direction substantially parallel to the CNTs so as to adjust a thickness of the CNT layer, thereby moving the second electrode relative to the first electrode.
US08144406B2	Thermal management for a solid immersion lens objective in optical probing Thermal management for a solid immersion lens is described. In one example, a system includes a solid immersion lens objective, a solid immersion lens tip assembly optically coupled to the objective, and a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the objective. The system may also or alternatively include a dry purge system coupled between the lens tip assembly and the objective to remove moisture between the lens tip assembly and the objective.
US08144405B2	Imaging lens and imaging apparatus An imaging lens is provided and includes: in order from the object side, a negative first lens, a negative second lens, a positive third lens, a stop, and a positive fourth lens. In the lens, each of the second lens, the third lens, and the fourth lens has at least one aspheric surface, and an Abbe number of a material of the third lens at the d-line is 35 or less. In addition, the imaging lens satisfies the following Conditional Expression (1): −0.2<(R3+R4)/(R3−R4)<0.2 (1) where R3 is a paraxial radius of curvature of the object side surface of the second lens, and R4 is a paraxial radius of curvature of the image side surface of the second lens.
US08144404B2	Lens barrel Distance information is displayed at the time of manual focusing but is not displayed at the time of automatic focusing. By rotating a focus switching ring around an optical axis for automatic focusing, an intermediate ring coupled thereto by a cam and a distance display ring rotatably coupled to the intermediate ring are moved along the optical axis to an image side. At this time, the distance display ring and the manual focus ring are uncoupled from each other. With this switching, the distance information written on the distance display ring is also moved to the image side. Therefore, the distance information, which is visible through an information display window of the focus switching ring at the time of manual focusing, becomes invisible.
US08144402B2	Zoom lens and imaging optical device including the same A zoom lens for an imaging optical device that includes a first lens group having a positive refractive power; a second lens group having a negative refractive power; a third lens group having a positive refractive power; and a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power, arranged sequentially from an object side to an image side, and wherein each of the distances between the first lens group, the second lens group, the third lens group, and the fourth lens group varies during zooming, and wherein the first lens group comprises a doublet lens consisting of a negative lens and a positive lens, and the third lens group comprises a first positive lens, a second positive lens, a negative lens, and a third positive lens.
US08144398B2	Polarizing element A polarizing element includes fine metal particles formed in numerous regions that were occupied by respective substantially needle-like metal halide fine particles before reduction that are oriented and dispersed in a glass substrate such that the lengthwise directions thereof are almost the same, the fine metal particles being produced by heat-treating the glass substrate in a reducing atmosphere to reduce the substantially needle-like metal halide fine particles. The number of fine metal particles present in at least some of the numerous regions is two or more in each region, 90% or more of the regions each have a volume of 2,500 to 2,500,000 nm3, and the individual volumes of the fine metal particles present in each region are 4 to 40% of the volume of the region in 90% or more of the total number of the regions.
US08144393B2	Stereomicroscope with camera for assistant A stereomicroscope includes a microscope main body and a camera for assistant. The microscope main body includes therein an objective optical system, a zoom optical system and an eyepiece optical system. The camera for assistant is detachably mounted to the microscope main body. The microscope main body provides to a main operator a pair of optical images including a certain binocular disparity as viewed from an observation direction of the main operator. The camera for assistant provides to an assistant a pair of electron images including a certain binocular disparity as viewed from an observation direction of the assistant. The observation directions of the main operator and the assistant cross at a certain angle. The camera for assistant outputs the pair of electron images into a stereo viewer which is separated from the microscope main body.
US08144389B2	Electronic paper An object of the present invention is to increase the resistance of electronic paper to external stress. The resistance to external stress is increased by providing an element formation layer, which includes an integrated circuit portion, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a charged particle-containing layer, between a first insulating film including a first structure body in which a first fibrous body is impregnated with a first organic resin, and a second insulating film including a second structure body in which a second fibrous body is impregnated with a second organic resin.
US08144382B2	Image display device The present invention enhances the repeatability of a low gray scale display of an image display device which uses oil layers. The enhancement of the repeatability of a low gray scale display can be realized by an image display device which includes a first insulation layer, a second insulation layer, a first oil layer which is arranged between the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer and, at the same time, is provided on a first insulation layer side, a second oil layer which is arranged between the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer and, at the same time, is provided on a second insulation layer side, first electrodes which are arranged outside the first insulation layer, and second electrodes which are arranged outside the second insulation layer.
US08144381B2	Optical system, image forming apparatus, and control method thereof An image forming apparatus performs multi-color image formation using a plurality of scanning type optical devices which deflect and scan an optical beam using a rotating polygonal mirror. The image forming apparatus includes, for example, a detecting unit that detects a phase of rotating speed unevenness of rotating polygonal mirrors respectively provided in the plurality of scanning type optical devices, and an adjusting unit that adjusts, based on a phase of rotating speed unevenness detected for each rotating polygonal mirror, the rotating speed of each rotating polygonal mirror to reduce the phase differences between the phases.
US08144380B2	Drive mechanism A drive mechanism @is comprised with a set comprising a plurality of magnetic bodies, means for supplying a frequency signal to said set, and means for producing movement caused by the attraction/repulsion between the magnetic bodies. The movement is the driving source of the drive mechanism.
US08144379B2	Recording and reproducing device and polarization direction controlling method Disclosed herein is a recording and reproducing device including: a light source; an intensity modulating section; a polarization beam splitter; a selective polarization direction controlling section; a linearly polarized light/circularly polarized light converting section; and a driving controlling section.
US08144376B2	Lensless imaging with controllable apertures Embodiments of the present invention provide a lensless optical device for acquiring an image. The device can include a light attenuating layer having a plurality of elements, where transmittance of each of the plurality of elements is controllable, and an image detector disposed at a distance from the light attenuating layer, the image detector configured to acquire an image with light that passes through the light attenuating layer. The device also can include a light attenuating layer controller configured to simultaneously control transmittance of each of the plurality of elements independent of each other. Methods of detecting and tracking an object in a scene are also disclosed.
US08144372B2	Image scanning apparatus An image scanning apparatus comprises a platen surface which is provided at an upper part of a main body of the image scanning apparatus so that an original sheet to be scanned is placed thereon; and an original sheet support portion which is provided to support an original sheet having a larger size than the platen surface. The original sheet support portion is provided to protrude laterally from the main body in a position under the platen surface to be able to support an end portion of a protruding portion of the original sheet protruding outside from the platen surface.
US08144365B2	Color image forming apparatus and color adjustment method A color image forming apparatus specifies print mode (media), forms a test image based on gradation levels of a plurality of colors according to the specified print mode (media), and detects the test image with a color sensor. The color image forming apparatus performs gray axis correction calculation based on detection result obtained by the color sensor.
US08144363B2	Image process system, image process method and image process program There is disclosed a technique for outputting image data by applying a process that suits an input condition and an output condition to the image data.An image process system applies a specific process to image data inputted via an input device and outputs the image data, to which the specific process has been applied, to an output device, which includes: an input information acquisition portion that acquires information about the input device through which the image data is inputted; an output information acquisition portion that acquires information about the output device to which the image data inputted via the input device is to be outputted; a process execution portion that executes the specific process to the image data inputted via the input device on the basis of the information acquired by the input information acquisition portion and the output information acquisition portion; and a data output portion that outputs the image data, to which the specific process has been applied in the process execution portion, to the output device.
US08144356B2	Promotional controller for financial transactions A method and apparatus for a vending promotional printer for use within a vending machine are disclosed. A vending promotional printer includes a coupon database describing a stack of coupons that are specified using a template based couponing printer language. A coupon is selected for creation and issued to the customer based on a matrix of event-based triggers involving factors or parameters known to the vending promotional printer directly or supplied by master promotional controller. Triggers may include the time of day, the date or amount of a cash-out voucher to be issued to a customer, the duration of play on a vending machine, a customer classification, the amount of money or credits added to a game, or a random frequency of coupon issuance having satisfied any or all of the aforementioned factors. The vending promotional printer may further include the ability to store all of the coupons, trigger conditions, and related information resident in the vending promotional printer in a non-volatile fashion thus enabling a host system to download a promotional environment into the vending promotional printer which will run promotional campaigns on behalf of the hosting system.
US08144352B2	Communication device There is provided a communication device comprising: a conversion unit configured to convert first data to second data having a predetermined format; a communication interface configured to interface the communication device with a network; a transmission unit configured to transmit the second data to an external device through the communication interface; a judgment unit configured to judge whether trouble would arise with respect to transmission of the second data to be executed by the transmission unit; and a storage control unit configured to store the second data while associating identification information of the external device with the second data in response to a fact that the judgment unit judges that the trouble would arise with respect to the transmission of the second data.
US08144349B2	Distributing printed documents A system for distributing printed documents comprises print device logic comprising a Web Services server, wherein the print device logic is configured to send one or more Web Services messages that indicate attributes of a print device; sender print manager logic comprising a first Web Services client that is coupled over a network to the printer logic; wherein the sender print manager logic is configured to store the attributes, to request print history information from the print device, to determine one or more preferred print devices for one or more users based on the print history information, and to store a mapping of identifiers of the users in association with identifiers of the preferred print devices; wherein the sender print manager logic is configured to select one or more of the preferred print devices based on the mapping, and to initiate one or more print jobs to print a document on the selected preferred print devices.
US08144348B2	Systems and methods for managing failed print jobs Disclosed are systems and methods for managing failed print jobs. In one embodiment, a method for managing a failed print job includes receiving a print job, detecting a printing device failure, recompiling the print job as a portable document file, and transmitting the portable document file to the user and/or to another device.
US08144347B2	Method of controlling print job schedule and printing system using the method A printing system including a first memory unit storing a printer operating system and at least two interpreters; a second memory unit having an operating area for the printer operating system, an operating area and a heap area for each interpreter of the first memory unit, and at least two reception buffers temporarily storing incoming print job data; a printing control unit controlling operation of the printing system based on the printer operating system, controlling the interpreters of the first memory unit to interpret the print job data, and transmitting the interpreted print job data to a printer engine; and a print job scheduling unit providing a first scheduling procedure regarding initiation of the interpreters for multiple print jobs and a second scheduling procedure regarding interpretation of the multiple print jobs that have been initiated, the printer control unit using the first scheduling procedure and the second scheduling procedure to control the operation of the interpreters.
US08144344B2	Image forming apparatus that arbitrates image processing operations An image reading device generates first capability information indicative of an image processing operation that can be performed by an image processing section. An image printing device generates second capability information indicative of an image processing operation that can be performed by an image processing section. An image processing operation arbitrating section decides a combination of image processing operations to be performed by the image reading device and the image printing device and a sequence of the image processing operations based on the first and second capability information. The image processing operation arbitrating section transmits information on the decided combination and sequence to the image reading device and the image printing device.
US08144342B2	Print job separation apparatus and method An apparatus and method are disclosed for separating print jobs. Print jobs may be separated by alternating between outputting entire print jobs in straight and askew orientations. Print jobs may also be separated by outputting jobs in a straight orientation and outputting a separator page between each print job in an askew orientation. In one embodiment, separator pages may be input from a specified input tray that may contain sheets of a different color than that used for print jobs.
US08144341B2	Making method of sample for evaluation of laser irradiation position and making apparatus thereof and evaluation method of stability of laser irradiation position and evaluation apparatus thereof A method for making a sample for evaluation of laser irradiation position and evaluating the sample, and an apparatus which is switchable between a first mode of modification of semiconductor and a second mode of making and evaluating the sample. Specifically, a sample is made by irradiating a semiconductor substrate for evaluation with a pulse laser beam while the semiconductor substrate is moved for evaluation at an evaluation speed higher than a modifying treatment speed, each relative positional information between pulse-irradiated regions in the sample is extracted, and stability of the each relative positional information between pulse-irradiated regions is evaluated. The evaluation speed is such a speed that separates the pulse-irradiated regions on the sample from each other in a moving direction.
US08144338B2	Pattern measurement apparatus and pattern measurement method A pattern measurement method includes: acquiring sectional shapes of a first pattern corresponding to process parameters, respectively; using the acquired sectional shapes to calculate predicted spectral waveforms which would be obtained when light is applied to the first pattern, and adding information on the corresponding process parameters to the calculated predicted spectral waveforms, respectively, to form a waveform library; setting a process parameter to obtain a desired shape, and acquiring an actual spectral waveform of a second pattern actually created from the first pattern using the set process parameter; performing waveform matching between the actual spectral waveform and the predicted spectral waveforms to acquire matching scores for respective waveform matching, and calculating an optimum process parameter providing the maximum matching score; generating an optimum pattern sectional shape corresponding to the optimum process parameter to measure the optimum pattern sectional shape.
US08144337B2	Inspecting method and inspecting apparatus for substrate surface To inspect a substrate such as a semiconductor substrate for surface roughness at high precision.The surface roughness of the substrate is measured in each frequency band of the surface roughness by applying a light to the substrate surface and detecting a scattered light or reflected light at a plurality of azimuth or elevation angles.
US08144331B2	Systems, computer-implemented methods, and tangible computer-readable storage media for wide-field interferometry Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and tangible computer-readable storage media for wide field imaging interferometry. The method includes for each point in a two dimensional detector array over a field of view of an image: gathering a first interferogram from a first detector and a second interferogram from a second detector, modulating a path-length for a signal from an image associated with the first interferogram in the first detector, overlaying first data from the modulated first detector and second data from the second detector, and tracking the modulating at every point in a two dimensional detector array comprising the first detector and the second detector over a field of view for the image. The method then generates a widefield data cube based on the overlaid first data and second data for each point. The method can generate an image from the widefield data cube.
US08144330B2	Evaluation method of fouling, fouling evaluation apparatus, production method of optical member, optical layered body, and display product The present invention provides a quantitative evaluation method of fouling of antifouling properties, a fouling evaluation apparatus, and a production method of optical members, which can be applied to various members, and haves high reproducibility and enable to detect a subtle difference between fouling, and an optical layered body having a property of preventing fingerprints from adhering, an anti-contamination property and a degree of recovery from fouling, and a display product including the optical layered body. The present invention pertains to an evaluation method of fouling, wherein light is radiated to a test sample and scattered light reflected off or passing through the test sample is detected to evaluate a degree of fouling of the surface of the test sample.
US08144326B2	Fabric whiteness guide A fabric whiteness guide comprising at least one visual scale of whiteness.
US08144325B2	In-flight multiple field of view detector for supercooled airborne water droplets An airborne multiple field-of-view water droplet sensor includes an illumination portion and a detection portion. The illumination portion includes a first optical beam emitter configured to output a light beam. The detection portion includes a kaleidoscope configured to channel a first portion of the backscattered light towards an inner reflective surface of a circle-to-line converter, a multiple field of view subsystem having at least a first detector configured to receive light reflected by the circle-to-line converter, and a single field-of-view subsystem configured to receive a second portion of the backscattered light, the second portion not having been reflected by the circle-to-line converter. The single field-of-view subsystem may include a dual channel circular polarization detector for distinguishing between liquid water droplets and ice crystals based on information in the single field-of-view.
US08144322B2	Spectral characteristic measuring apparatus, method for calibrating spectral characteristic measuring apparatus, and spectral characteristic measuring system A spectral characteristic measuring apparatus includes: an illuminating section for irradiating illumination light onto a sample; a spectral section for separating light from the sample irradiated with the illumination light into light rays in accordance with wavelengths; a light receiving section including a plurality of light receiving elements for receiving the light rays separated by the spectral section in accordance with wavelengths, and converting the received light rays into electrical output signals; and a storing section for storing a combined central wavelength of each of the light receiving elements calculated in advance based a spectral intensity distribution of the illumination light.
US08144318B2	Method of calibrating sensitivity gain The present invention is directed to a method of calibrating sensitivity gain. In a preview mode, an imaging device is calibrated by a standard light source, therefore obtaining standard sensitivity gain of the preview mode. In a capture mode, the imaging device is calibrated by the standard light source, therefore obtaining standard sensitivity gain of the capture mode. A gain ratio of the standard sensitivity gain of the capture mode to the standard sensitivity gain of the preview mode is determined, and is then used to deduce the exposure parameters of the capture mode according to the exposure parameters of the preview mode.
US08144317B1	Method to locate and eliminate manufacturing defects in a quartz resonator gyro A method for locating and eliminating defects on a substrate wafer includes illuminating a top surface of the substrate wafer with a first illumination source, illuminating a bottom surface of the substrate wafer with a second illumination source, forming an image of a portion of the top surface of the substrate wafer while the substrate wafer is illuminated by the first and second illumination sources, adjusting a contrast of the image to accentuate defects on the top surface of the substrate wafer, locating defects in the image, and ablating the defects on the top surface with a laser.
US08144313B2	Paper sheet recognizing method and apparatus The present invention provides a paper sheet recognizing apparatus for recognizing paper sheets having different sizes and colors for each type, by using a sensing unit including a line sensor that detects a light quantity of reflected light or transmitted light obtained by irradiating a paper sheet being transported with a plurality of lights having different source wavelengths. The apparatus includes a storing unit that stores therein reference size data and reference light quantity data generated beforehand for each type of paper sheets to be recognition candidates; a first determining unit that selects a recognition target type from the recognition candidates based on detected size data of the paper sheet detected by the sensing unit and the reference size data; and a second determining unit that determines a type of the paper sheet by comparing detected light quantity data of the paper sheet detected by the line sensor with the reference light quantity data of the recognition target type.
US08144312B2	Telescope with a wide field of view internal optical scanner A telescope with internal scanner utilizing either a single optical wedge scanner or a dual optical wedge scanner and a controller arranged to control a synchronous rotation of the first and/or second optical wedges, the wedges constructed and arranged to scan light redirected by topological surfaces and/or volumetric scatterers. The telescope with internal scanner further incorporates a first converging optical element that receives the redirected light and transmits the redirected light to the scanner, and a second converging optical element within the light path between the first optical element and the scanner arranged to reduce an area of impact on the scanner of the beam collected by the first optical element.
US08144310B2	Positioning system, lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method A positioning system to position a table within a base frame of a lithographic apparatus, the positioning system including first and second actuators and a controller. The first actuator exerting an actuation force on the table. The first actuator being connected to a balance mass constructed and arranged to absorb a reaction force of the first actuator. The controller and second actuator constructed and arranged to exert a compensation force and/or torque to compensate a torque caused by the actuation force exerted by the first actuator on the balance mass.
US08144308B2	Spatial light modulation unit, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method This invention relates to an illumination optical apparatus capable of forming a pupil intensity distribution of a desired shape and desired illuminance and, in turn, capable of realizing illumination conditions of great variety. The illumination optical apparatus has a spatial light modulation unit composed of a first spatial light modulator and a second spatial light modulator arranged in an order of incidence of light, and a distribution forming optical system to form a predetermined light intensity distribution on an illumination pupil, based on a beam having traveled via the first spatial light modulator and the second spatial light modulator. The first spatial light modulator has a plurality of first optical elements which are two-dimensionally arranged and postures of which each are individually controlled. The second spatial light modulator has a plurality of second optical elements which are two-dimensionally arranged in correspondence to the first optical elements and postures of which each are individually controlled.
US08144305B2	Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method An immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed in which a gas knife is shaped and a liquid removal device is positioned to improve removal of liquid from the surface of the substrate.
US08144293B2	Liquid crystal display apparatus capable of limiting view angle A liquid crystal display apparatus has a liquid crystal display device, a surface light source, and a view angle limiting device arranged between the surface light source and the liquid crystal display device. The view angle limiting device includes first and second transparent plates facing each other with a gap therebetween, a plurality of first ½ retardation layers having a predetermined shape formed to be spaced apart from each other on one of the facing inner surfaces of the first and second transparent plates, a plurality of second ½ retardation layers formed on the other inner surface at regions corresponding to the regions between the first ½ retardation layers, and a polarizing film provided at the outer surface of one of the first and second transparent plates that faces the surface light source.
US08144287B2	Optical member unit, lighting device for display, display, and television receiver An optical member 15 is constituted by sticking a lens sheet 28 capable of transmitting light irradiated toward a liquid crystal panel 11 and a diffuser sheet 27 together. The lens sheet 28 is provided with a lens portion 30 having a large number of unit lenses 29 aligned on the front surface, while on the rear surface, provided with a reflecting layer 32 having an opening 31 corresponding to the lens portion 30. The optical member 15 is received on the backside by receiving members 21 and 24 provided respectively in a holder 17 and a lamp holder 16, while being held from the front by a frame 18. An inclined posture supporting member 33 is provided in the receiving member 24 in the holder 17, which supports the optical member 15 in a posture so that the edge 15a of the optical member 15 and the arrangement of the unit lenses 29 are inclined relatively to the arrangement of the pixel electrodes PE in the liquid crystal panel 11, by abutting an outer circumferential end surface 15b in the optical member 15.
US08144286B2	LED backlight and liquid crystal display device An LED backlight in which deterioration in in-plane uniformity of brightness is prevented, whose thickness, frame width, and wire length are reduced, and in which wiring can be carried out easily, includes an LED provided on one surface of an LED substrates; the LED substrate is mounted on a chassis panel so that a surface of the LED substrate opposite to the one surface contacts the chassis panel; and the chassis panel has a connection hole provided in a portion of a region of the chassis panel in which region the LED substrate is mounted, which passes through the chassis panel.
US08144281B2	Electro-optical device having a light shielding film with first, second, and third portions An electro-optical device includes a light-shielding portion that covers a semiconductor layer of a transistor. A first conductive film and a second conductive film are connected through a contact hole through an interlayer insulating film. The light-shielding portion has an extended portion that extends into a corner of an aperture region of each pixel corresponding to the pixel electrode. The contact hole at least partially overlaps the extended portion as viewed in plan.
US08144280B2	Liquid crystal display A liquid crystal display to prevent light leakage with an improvement of aperture ratio and a reduction of load of a data line is provided. The liquid crystal display includes a gate line and a storage electrode line formed on a insulating substrate and apart from each other, a first data line and a second data line intersecting the gate line, a first pixel electrode defined by the gate line and the first data line, and a second pixel electrode defined by the gate line and the second data line and neighboring the first pixel electrode. Also, a blocking electrode between the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode is included, wherein at least portion of the first data line is disposed under the first pixel electrode, and at least portion of the blocking electrode is disposed under the second pixel electrode and apart from the first data line.
US08144277B2	Liquid crystal display device An operation of floating charged particles and an operation of dispersing charged particles in a liquid crystal layer are controlled by determining strengths of electric fields to be applied to a liquid crystal element in accordance with a state of irradiation of light from a light source of a liquid crystal display device.
US08144275B2	Thermal tuning glazing structures comprising a cholesteric liquid crystal Disclosed are thermal tuning glazing structures for selectively reflecting electromagnetic radiation for use in dynamically controlling electromagnetic radiation flow in various applications such as intelligent energy saving windows. The thermal tuning glazing structure comprises one or more cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) panels, each CLC panel comprising a CLC material, the CLC material being in a planar texture at least at one temperature, having a pitch that changes with temperature, and having a broad reflection band.
US08144274B2	Cell type parallax-barrier and stereoscopic image display apparatus using the same A parallax-barrier comprises a Liquid-Crystal layer (LC layer) including pixels that form a barrier according to a control method. A controller controls the pixels of the LC layer to form a barrier pattern, by turning pixels on or off according to the control method. A lower layer is formed between the LC layer and a display module to dispose the LC layer and controller at a position off the display module by a predetermined distance. An upper layer is formed on the LC layer to dispose the LC layer and controller, and a polarizer on the upper layer, and visualizing the barrier according to the barrier pattern on the LC layer by controlling polarization angle of the light. The light passes through the lower layer, LC layer and upper layer. Stereoscopic images that are rotated in the horizontal/vertical direction can be displayed using the parallax-barrier and stereoscopic image.
US08144273B2	Switchable two dimensional/three dimensional display A switchable two and three dimensional display (2D/3D display) suitable for being viewed by a user is provided. The 2D/3D display includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and a switchable barrier. The LCD panel has a display area, a non-display area surrounding the display area, and a first black matrix extending from the display area to the non-display area. The first black matrix has a number of openings arranged in array and merely distributed within the display area. The switchable barrier has a 3D image control area, a non-display area surrounding the 3D image control area, and a second black matrix merely disposed within the non-display area. The second black matrix surrounds the 3D image control area. An area occupied by the 3D image control area is different from an area occupied by the display area.
US08144263B2	Projection lens system and method The disclosed embodiments relate to a system and method for medium wide angle projection system. An exemplary embodiment of the present technique comprises an imaging system configured to create an image, at least one lens configured to produce a medium wide-angle representation of the image, and an aperture stop positioned to capture the medium wide-angle representation of the image from the at least one lens.
US08144257B2	Studio booth with preliminary low resolution transmission and subsequent high resolution transmission A method to produce in an area of restricted size in a realistic manner while minimizing perspective distortion and subject distortion a recording of an individual that produces the illusion that the individual is located in a larger area.
US08144254B2	Contour enhancement unit and method to enhance the contours of an image An image enhancement unit and method for enhancing the image quality of a video stream is presented. The image enhancement unit combines a contour enhancement unit, a luminance contrast stretching unit, a color transient improvement unit, and a color saturation control unit to enhance both the luminance and chrominance values in the video stream. Specifically, the contour enhancement unit processes the luminance values to improve the contours of the images in the video steam. The luminance contrast stretching unit further improves the luminance by enhancing the contrast in the images. The color transient improvement unit processes the chrominance values to remove blurring around along the edges of color transitions and the color saturation control unit increases the color saturation to improve the appearance of the images.
US08144247B2	Detection and interpolation of still objects in a video sequence The present disclosure provides systems and methods for detecting and interpolating still pixels. In certain embodiments, the systems and methods establish a still pixel level for each still pixel, and using that still pixel level, provide an interpolation procedure for determining the pixel value of a selected pixel at a frame a distance α from frame F(t−1). Disclosed embodiments are capable of providing motion compensated interpolation results for a wide variety of circumstances, including cases where the endpoints of the motion vector of a selected pixel to be interpolated vary between substantially still and not still, as well as cases where mixtures of temporal and motion compensation interpolations are necessary.Still pixel candidates may be refined in a process where pixels that may be properly handled by standard motion compensation interpolation techniques are eliminated. Further, still pixel candidates may be flagged as high or low likelihood to further enhance confidence in the detected still pixels.
US08144235B2	Image pickup device and image pickup method An easy-to-carry image pickup device is provided to obtain images with multiple view angles in which a target subject is positioned in an appropriate size. When capturing an image of a person as a target subject, the size and position of the person's face in the image are detected as a specified part, and a zoom magnification ratio for a lens unit and a shift amount of the incident light position for a light-axis shifting unit are automatically controlled based on the detected size and position of the person's face, so that the person's face has a predetermined size and is positioned in a predetermined position in the image.
US08144234B2	Image display apparatus, image capturing apparatus, and image display method An apparatus includes an obtaining unit that obtains a captured image containing face detection information related to a face of an object detected during image capture, and information related to a focus detection area utilized during the image capture, an extraction unit that extracts an area based on the information related to the focus detection area and the face detection information from the captured image when the focus detection area is determined based on the detected object's face, and extracts an area based on the information related to the focus detection area from the captured image when the focus detection area is not determined based on the detected object's face, and a display unit that displays a partial area of the captured image on a display device, wherein the display unit displays an image of the extracted area on the display device.
US08144230B2	Camera, storage medium having stored therein camera control program, and camera control method A graph 261, in which “aperture” is configured on the vertical axis, and “shutter speed” is configured on the horizontal axis, is displayed as superimposed on a through image. On this displayed graph 261, at a position of a parameter value corresponding to a determined photographic scene, an icon 262 of the photographic scene is displayed. When the icon 262 is operated and moved by a user, the display of the icon 262 is changed to a position on the graph 261 where the icon 262 is operated and moved, and values of the vertical axis and the horizontal axis are read off and the corresponding parameter stored in a RAM is updated. When the shutter key is operated, photographic processing is carried out with parameters stored in the RAM, and image data obtained by this photographic processing is recorded in the storage memory.
US08144225B2	Amplification type solid-state imaging device Before a signal charge from a photodiode 1 is transferred to a signal charge accumulating portion 3 by a scanning circuit 20, a reset transistor 4 is turned on for a prescribed period to reset the voltage of the signal charge accumulating portion 3 in a state in which the voltage of a read signal line 7 is retained at a first voltage (Vg) by lowering the drain side voltage of an amplifying transistor 5. Subsequently, by raising the drain side voltage of the amplifying transistor 5 by a scanning circuit 20 to make the read signal line 7 have a second voltage (Vrst) higher than the first voltage (Vg), the voltage of the signal charge accumulating portion 3 is made higher than a voltage immediately after resetting. Then, the transfer transistor 2 is turned on to transfer the signal charge from the photodiode 1 to the signal charge accumulating portion 3.
US08144220B2	Methods for capturing and reading out images from an image sensor Multiple images are captured where the exposure times for some of the images overlap and the images are spatially overlapped. Charge packets are transferred from one or more portions of pixels after particular integration periods, thereby enabling the portion or portions of pixels to begin another integration period while one or more other portions of pixels continue to integrate charge. Charge packets may be binned during readout of the images from the image sensor. Comparison of two or more images having different lengths of overlapping or non-overlapping exposure periods provides motion information. The multiple images can then be aligned to compensate for motion between the images and assembled into a combined image with an improved signal to noise ratio and reduced motion blur.
US08144217B2	Image sensing apparatus An object of this invention is to obtain a high-quality image free from any variation between image sensing regions. To achieve this object, an image sensing apparatus according to this invention includes an image sensing element which is formed on a semiconductor substrate on which at least one of a semiconductor layer, a color filter layer, and a microlens layer is formed by a plurality of divisional exposure operations, and a correction device which corrects variations in a signal output from the image sensing element between a plurality of partial image sensing regions formed by the plurality of divisional exposure operations.
US08144215B2	Method and apparatus of using processor with analog-to-digital converter within image sensor to achieve high dynamic range of image sensor A scheme is provided that enhances the dynamic range performance of images via multiple readouts during one exposure. The readout process circuit structure includes at least an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The analog-to-digital converter converts analog data generated from an image sensor into digital data, allowing sub-frame readouts for improving a dynamic range of the image sensor. Additionally, methods of partial digitization (not a full number of bits) and image array are provided.
US08144209B2	Image pickup apparatus including white balance control An image pickup apparatus having an improved convenience of use of white sheet data for correcting the color of a picked-up image. Image pickup data is converted into files by an image filing unit and recorded by a medium-recording unit. Average value data of each color component data for part of the picked-up data is stored in an area different from the image pickup data recording area in each file.
US08144208B2	Task-based imaging systems A method for generating an output image of a scene is disclosed. A detector of a task-based imaging system includes a plurality of pixels, and the scene includes at least one object located at a given object distance within a range of object distances between the object and the imaging system. The method includes capturing a high resolution image of the scene, converting the high resolution image into an image spectrum of the scene, determining a defocused optical transfer function (OTF) of the imaging system over the range of object distances and determining a pixel modulation transfer function (MTF) over the plurality of pixels. The method also includes multiplying the image spectrum with the OTF and the MTF to generate a modified image spectrum of the scene, converting the modified image spectrum into a modified image of the scene, and generating the output image from the modified image.
US08144207B2	Computer program product for photographic subject tracking, photographic subject tracking device, and camera A computer executes performing template matching upon each frame of an input image with each of a plurality of template images, extracting a plurality of regions whose similarities with each of the template images are the highest from within the input image, classifying the extracted regions into regions that are to be used for specifying a photographic subject position within the input image and another region, on the basis of the mutual distances between the extracted regions within the input image, specifying the photographic subject position, on the basis of the positions of the regions that have been classified as the regions that are to be used for specifying the photographic subject position within the input image, and tracking the movement of the photographic subject over the image consisting of a plurality of frames, by tracking the photographic subject position between frames.
US08144202B1	Apparatus, system, and method of use of imaging assembly on mobile terminal A system for collecting data comprising a mobile terminal for capturing a plurality of frames of image data, the mobile terminal having a first imaging assembly and a second imaging assembly, the first imaging assembly for capturing a first frame of image data representing a first object and the second imaging assembly for capturing a second frame of image data representing a second object, wherein the system for use in collecting data is operative for associating first frame information and second frame information, the first frame information including one or more of image data of the first frame of image data and information derived utilizing the image data of the first frame of image data, the second frame information including one or more of image data of the second frame of image data and information derived utilizing the image data of the second frame of image data.
US08144197B2	Adaptive surveillance network and method A plurality of modules interact to form an adaptive network in which each module transmits and receives data signals indicative of proximity of objects. A central computer accumulates the data produced or received and relayed by each module for analyzing proximity responses to transmit through the adaptive network control signals to a selectively-addressed module to respond to computer analyses of the data accumulated from modules forming the adaptive network. Interactions of local processors in modules that sense an intrusion determine the location and path of movements of the intruding object and control cameras in the modules to retrieve video images of the intruding object.
US08144196B2	Display, display method, and display program The present invention aims to provide a display device that can display relationships between a plurality of users in an easy-to-visually-acknowledge manner.The present invention is a system composed of a data sensing unit 1, a positional relationship detection unit 2, a user groping unit 3, and a positional relationship display unit 4. The user grouping unit 3 groups the users into a plurality of groups based on information pieces relating to positional relationships between the users, which are detected by the positional relationship detection unit 2. Based on information pieces relating to the groups extracted by the user grouping unit 3, the positional relationship display unit 4 arranges and displays the groups on a screen in conformity with a positional relationship between the groups.
US08144193B2	Work piece tracking system and method A system and method of visual monitoring of a work implement (e.g., a welding torch) while a task is being performed (e.g., forming a welding joint) to train workers (e.g., apprentices, inexperienced workers) in proper welding technique, for example) and/or to evaluate the worker's use of a particular work implement (e.g., to determine if the welding torch was held in a desired relationship to the items being welded together, determine if the welding torch formed the joint at the current speed, etc.). In general, one or more cameras may acquire images of a target secured to and/or formed on the work implement. The images may be analyzed to provide feedback to the user, to be evaluated for weld integrity purposes; and/or may be used to compare the performance of a task (e.g., forming a welding joint) with a database of one or more profiles made by experienced and/or expert craftsmen.
US08144191B2	Endoscope visual imaging and processing apparatus An endoscope apparatus comprises: a scope comprising a solid imaging device; a processor unit which forms an observation image from signals emitted from the solid imaging device, the processor being connected to the scope; and a plurality of monitors each of which is connected to the processor unit, wherein a whole image of the observation image is displayed on at least one of said plurality of monitors, and a partial image of the observation image is enlarged and displayed on the other one(s) of said plurality of monitors.
US08144190B2	Shared color sensors for high-resolution 3-D camera In one embodiment, an apparatus for three-dimensional (3-D) image acquisition can include: (i) first and second lenses configured to receive light from a scene; (ii) first, second, third, and fourth sensors; (iii) a first beam splitter arranged proximate to the first lens, where the first beam splitter can provide a first split beam to the first sensor, and a second split beam to the second sensor; and (iv) a second beam splitter arranged proximate to the second lens, where the second beam splitter can provide a third split beam to the third sensor, and a fourth and split beam to the fourth sensor. For example, the sensors can include charge-coupled devices (CCDs) or CMOS sensors.
US08144189B2	Image acquisition apparatus This invention provides an inexpensive image acquisition apparatus capable of capturing not only an image of a still object, but also an image of a moving object with the use of an appropriate quantity of illumination light. The image acquisition apparatus includes a head section incorporating an image acquisition device therein and including a lens module and an illuminating part, a main body section including an illumination light source, an image acquisition control part and an image processing part, and a cable section connecting between the main body section and the head section. The lens module is one of a first lens module incorporating therein a lens for high-speed observation and a second lens module incorporating therein a lens for enlargement observation, which is selectively attached to the head section. In a case where the first lens module is attached to the head section, the illuminating part is a first lens illumination unit for illuminating a region of which an image is captured by the first lens module. Herein, the first lens illumination unit is attached to the head section.
US08144187B2	Multiple video stream capability negotiation Video send and receive capabilities of participants are determined by the respective machines determining available combinations, as well as preferences for the receivers. Receiver capabilities are forwarded to the source for computation of negotiated video capabilities through a logic intersection of the determined capabilities based on desired number of streams and resolutions. If a resolution of a send capability exists within the receive capability, the highest frame and/or bit rate may be selected for transmission.
US08144185B2	Communication control method, computer system, conference management server, communication method and portable terminal A computer system has a presence server having a presence management unit that carries out a processing associated with presence data; and a conference management server that carries out a control processing of a conference. Then, when a request of an image delivery to another participant of a voice-based teleconference is received from a terminal of a first participant of the voice-based teleconference, the conference management server secures a resource for the image delivery, and transmits a presence setting request to the presence server so that the first participant and another participant can subscribe data concerning the resource for the image delivery. In addition, in response to the presence setting request, the presence management unit of the presence server carries out a setting so that the first participant and another participant can subscribe the data concerning the resource for the image delivery as presence data, which is delivered to subscribers when updated.
US08144177B2	Image formation apparatus and image formation method An image formation apparatus for executing image formation by exposing an image carrier with irradiation light emitted from a laser source on the basis of an input signal to drive the laser source includes a correction amount calculation unit configured to calculate, on the basis of a generated correction pattern, a correction amount to control the ON or OFF timing to drive the laser source, and a signal generation unit configured to generate, on the basis of image data and the correction amount calculated by the correction amount calculation unit, a corrected signal obtained by correcting the input signal to drive the laser source so as to form the image data by controlling the ON or OFF timing.
US08144174B2	Display processing method and display processing apparatus According to the present invention, when video resolution is changed, the TV receiver selects resolution having a priority to the graphics resolution requested by the application depending on the application types, or the TV receiver selects graphics resolution appropriate for video format resolution, thereby the TV receiver enables the clear display of graphics without causing any distortion.
US08144169B2	Input device for graphics An input device for editing a 3D model displayed in a screen is provided. The input device includes a signal transceiver module and a telescopic sensing component. The signal transceiver module communicates with a graphic system to obtain information of the 3D model. The signal transceiver module includes a first and a second transceiver respectively disposed at a first and a second location of the input device for obtaining a plurality of spatial information of the input device. An expansion of the telescopic sensing component reflects the force of the input device applied to the screen, and the length of the input device is adjusted according to the force. The signal transceiver module transmits the expansion and the spatial information to the graphic system to allow the graphic system to generate a virtual object in the 3D model for simulating the state of the input device merging into the screen.
US08144167B2	Monitoring graphics processing A graphics processing apparatus is provided with rendering circuitry which separately renders different areas of a frame of pixel values. Monitoring circuitry coupled to the rendering circuitry captures for each area rendered one or more parameters and stores these parameters to a parameter memory. A performance frame can be generated from the captured and stored parameters with performance-representing pixel values for each area within the performance frame corresponding to an area within the image frame and having a visual characteristic selected in dependence upon the performance parameter which was captured. The visual characteristic may be a grey-scale value, a pixel intensity or a pixel color.
US08144166B2	Dynamic pixel snapping Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for improving output rendering in anti-aliased rendering scenarios. A pixel snapping mode of operation is turned on and off to improve output rendering. When the system detects that an animation has started, the pixel snapping mode is turned off, and when the system detects that the animation has stopped, the pixel snapping mode is resumed. Techniques for providing a smooth transition can be used when turning pixel snapping on. One example of a transition technique includes turning off pixel snapping when an animation begins by immediately lowering the strength of an effect of the pixel snapping mode to zero. Another example includes turning on pixel snapping when the animation finishes by raising the strength of the effect of the pixel snapping mode over a period of time until the strength is full strength.
US08144163B2	Driving device and driving method of the same A display device which includes a display panel having a plurality of pixels and displaying images. Each pixel includes a data line, first and second gate lines, a first sub-pixel connected to the first gate line and the data line, and a second sub-pixel connected to the same data line and the second gate line, and a display driving unit receives an image signal, converts the image signal into a first sub image signal and a second sub image signal, supplies the first sub data voltage to the first sub-pixel through the data line and then supplies the second sub data voltage to the second sub-pixel through the same data line. The first sub data voltage corresponding to the first sub image signal, and the second sub data voltage corresponding to the second sub image signal.
US08144162B2	Method and apparatus for rendering three dimensional graphics data Provided is a method and apparatus for rendering 3D graphics data. By calculating the size of a primitive, which is a basic constituent unit of objects indicated by the graphics data, on a screen, selecting one of a plurality of resolutions supported by a video stream according to the calculated size, generating a video frame image having the selected resolution from the video stream, and rendering the graphics data using the generated video frame image, the amount of memory space used and power consumed are reduced. In addition, since when rendering is performed using a video frame image decoded at a low resolution, a processing speed increases, and since rendering can be performed using video frame images decoded at various resolutions, image quality increases.
US08144160B2	Methods and apparatus for non-intrusive capturing of frame buffer memory information for remote display Modification to frame buffer memory information associated with a first display may be used to update information displayed on a second display. The first display may be mapped to a matrix of display areas. The modification to the frame buffer memory information may be detected be detecting write memory address. One or more display areas affected by the modification to the frame buffer memory information may be identified based on display parameters associated with the first display. Frame buffer memory information associated with the one or more affected display areas may be retrieved and compressed before being transmitted over a communication link to be displayed on the second display.
US08144156B1	Sequencer with async SIMD array A 3D graphics architecture in which a buffer is placed between the sequencer and the processing element (PE) array. The sequencer and PE array are not designed to run in lock step: instead the sequencer and PE array are decoupled to allow the PEs to run at 100% efficiency even when the sequencer is switching between threads and performing other flow control operations. Thus, the rate of instruction processing in the PE array is not coupled to the rate of instruction processing in the sequencer.
US08144149B2	System and method for dynamically load balancing multiple shader stages in a shared pool of processing units The present disclosure is directed to novel methods and apparatus for managing or performing the dynamic allocation or reallocation of processing resources among a vertex shader, a geometry shader, and pixel shader of a graphics processing unit. In one embodiment a method for graphics processing comprises assigning at least one execution unit to each of a plurality of shader units, the plurality of shader units comprising a vertex shader, a geometry shader, and a pixel shader, wherein an execution unit assigned to a given shader unit performs processing tasks for only that shader unit, determining that one of the plurality of shader units is bottlenecked, and reassigning at least one execution unit from a non-bottlenecked shader unit to the shader unit determined to be bottlenecked.
US08144145B2	Integrated circuit device and electronic equipment An integrated circuit device includes: a plurality of data line driving circuits that drive a plurality of data voltage supply lines; and a correction data calculation section that calculates correction data for correcting differences in data voltages outputted from the plurality of data line driving circuits, wherein the correction data calculation section executes, in one horizontal scanning period in a non-display period in a vertical scanning period, a first mode to obtain the correction data corresponding to a data line driving circuit to be corrected among the plurality of data line driving circuits.
US08144144B2	Display device A display device according to the present invention includes a switching regulator control circuit formed of TFTs. A digital switching regulator control circuit is composed of an AD converter circuit, a CPU, a pulse generation circuit or the like. An analog switching regulator control circuit is composed of an error amplifier circuit, a triangle wave generation circuit, a PWM comparator or the like. By integrally forming the switching regulator control circuit on a display device, the problem of the conventional portable information equipment as to the reduction in size and weight can be solved.
US08144143B2	Liquid crystal display and charge pump thereof A charge pump with limited peak current and improved application flexibility and an LCD having the same. The charge pump has more than three switches in a charge path and more than three switches in a pump path. Furthermore, the charge pump has a voltage detector detecting voltage of the output terminal of the charge pump and a charge pump controller controlling the switches based on the detected voltage. According to the detected voltage, the charge pump controller determines the number of turning-on switches in the charge path and determines the number of turning-on switches in the pump path.
US08144138B2	Liquid crystal display device A liquid crystal display device capable of controlling a viewing angle is disclosed.The liquid crystal display device includes: a liquid crystal panel configured to include a plurality of quad type pixels each consisted of red, green, blue, and viewing angle control sub-pixels; and a timing controller configured to reply to a viewing angle mode selected by a user and apply red, green, and blue data and any one of a wide viewing angle control data, a first narrow viewing angle control data, and a second narrow viewing angle control data to the liquid crystal panel.As such, the LCD device controls a range of viewing angles, thereby allowing the image to be viewed from every direction or not to be viewed from the left and right directions or the upward diagonal directions in the center of the user. In other words, the LCD device can limit the image display according to the positions of the persons adjacent to the user. Therefore, the user using the LCD device can adjust it to freely share information or to limit its range with adjacent persons. Furthermore, the LCD device can enhance information reliability and security.
US08144136B2	Controlling display based on user instruction An apparatus, method, system, computer program and product, each capable of controlling display based on user instruction.
US08144134B2	Sensing circuit, display device, and electronic apparatus A sensing circuit includes: a data generating section for generating data representing the amount of light received by a plurality of optical detection circuits, which are provided in a detection region, for each unit period on the basis of detection signals output from the plurality of optical detection circuits; a setting section for variably setting a differential unit period number which is the number of unit periods between two unit periods having a difference to be acquired; a difference data generating section for sequentially generating difference data between the data, which is generated by the data generating section in the current unit period, and the data, which is generated by the data generating section in the unit period previous to the current unit period by the differential unit period number, for each of a plurality of the unit periods; and an approach detecting section for detecting whether or not an object is approaching the detection region on the basis of the difference data generated by the difference data generating section.
US08144133B2	Display device with touch panel and fabricating method thereof A display device with touch panel and a fabricating method thereof are provided. The display device with touch panel includes a flexible display panel and a force sensitive touch panel. The force sensitive touch panel is disposed under a portion of the flexible display panel. Since the force sensitive touch panel is only configured under the portion of the flexible display panel, the display device with touch panel may have touching control function and flexibility at the same time.
US08144130B2	Secured touch screen A secure touch screen device comprises a resistive touch screen having a plurality of touch positions, having a first pair of first and second terminals at opposite ends of a first axis of the touch screen, and a second pair of first and second terminals at opposite ends of a second axis of the touch screen, the second axis being orthogonal to the first axis. Upon pressing on a certain position on the touch screen there exist an electrical resistance between the first pair of terminals and an electrical resistance between the second pair of terminals, indicative of the position pressed. The first terminal of each pair of terminals is grounded, and the second terminal of each pair of terminals is connected to a variable resistance component connectable to a voltage source. The resistance of the variable resistance component is variable in a predetermined manner, the second terminal of each pairs of terminals being used to measure the resistance indicative of the position pressed.
US08144124B2	Optical scrolling module and optical control module An optical scrolling module includes a prism, a light source, an image sensor and a first condenser. The prism is disposed at an opening of an upper shell of a mouse and has a light incident surface, a reflective surface, a contact surface and a light emitting surface. The contact and light incident surfaces are respectively connected between the reflective and light emitting surfaces. The contact surface is exposed by the opening. A light beam from the light source is transmitted to the contact surface via the light incident and reflective surfaces. When an object with a pattern structure puts on the contact surface, the light beam is scattered and a portion of the light beam is transmitted to the image sensor via the first condenser. When the object is removed from the contact surface, the light beam is reflected to the light emitting surface by the contact surface.
US08144123B2	Dynamically controlling a cursor on a screen when using a video camera as a pointing device A system provides for controlling a cursor on a screen automatically and dynamically when using a video camera as a pointing device. A computer displays static or dynamic content to a screen. A video camera connected to the computer points at the screen. As the video camera films the screen, frames captured by the video camera are sent to the computer. A target image is displayed by the computer onto the screen and marks the position of the screen cursor of the video camera. Frames captured by the video camera include the target image, and the computer dynamically moves the target image on the screen to ensure that the target image stays in the center of the view of the video camera.
US08144121B2	Method and apparatus for controlling electronic appliance An apparatus for controlling an electronic appliance having a display is provided. A plurality of control buttons are displayed on the display. An operator in front of the display is photographed with a video camera and is displayed on the display. The operator holds his or her hand to specify one of the control buttons on the display. The control buttons are provided with numbers or marks according to the order of priority. A feature detector of the apparatus detects various features from the photographed image. According to the features, a controller of the apparatus selects one of the control buttons on which the hand of the operator is superimposed and carries out an operation corresponding to the selected control button with respect to the electronic appliance.
US08144120B2	Method and system for button press and hold feedback The present invention provides a method and system for providing a user with feedback as to the status of the command they have initiated by depressing a button, series of buttons or sequence of buttons on a human interface device (“HID”) for a time period beyond a fraction of a second to activate a function. In one embodiment, feedback provided for a press and hold (“P+H”) operation informs the user that their button press action has been detected by a multi-function device (“MFD”) and a visual and/or audible indication is provided, informing him or her to continue pressing the button or buttons on the HID to activate one or more functions. A graphical display with a periodically updated progress bar displays how much longer the user should continue pressing the button or buttons to successfully transmit a command to the MFD with an animation showing which command will be activated.
US08144119B2	Method and apparatus for coupling a display to an information handling system A display coupling apparatus includes a first circuit board having a display connector end. A first cable coupling pad is located on the first circuit board. At least one trace on the first circuit board extends from the display connector end to the first cable coupling pad. The display coupling apparatus is used to electrically couple a display to an information handling system.
US08144116B2	Electrophoretic display apparatus and driving method thereof An electrophoretic display device includes a substrate, a partition wall disposed on a surface of the substrate, and a liquid layer, disposed in a container defined by the substrate and the partition wall, including electrophoretic particles and a dispersion medium. In addition, a first electrode is formed at a position apart from the partition wall on the substrate, a second electrode is formed along the partition wall, and a voltage applicator applies a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode. At the surface of the substrate defining the container, a resistance layer electrically connecting the first electrode and the second electrode is formed, and the electrophoretic particles in the container are moved between a surface of the partition wall and a surface of the resistance layer to effect display.
US08144113B2	Liquid crystal display Disclosed herein is a liquid crystal display capable of reducing a side effect during local LED dimming to reduce power consumption and improve display quality. The liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal panel having a plurality of liquid crystal cells formed respectively in a plurality of pixel areas defined by intersections of a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines, a data driver for supplying data voltages to the data lines, a gate driver for supplying scan signals to the gate lines, a timing controller for controlling the data driver and gate driver and outputting a plurality of dimming signals based on an average picture level (APL) detected based on video data supplied to the liquid crystal panel, and a light emitting diode (LED) backlight unit for partitioning the liquid crystal panel into a plurality of areas and supplying appropriate pulse width modulation (PWM) control signals based on the dimming signals to a plurality of LED arrays installed to correspond respectively to the partitioned areas, to supply light to the liquid crystal panel.
US08144109B2	Inverter for light source device, light source device, display device and liquid crystal display device In a light source inverter rectifier circuits are respectively connected to a CCFL in a substantially U-shaped lamp and a CCFL in a substantially U-shaped lamp, and the outputs from the rectifier circuits are fed to a stabilization circuit. Thus, the stabilization circuit monitors an average of currents flowing through the substantially U-shaped lamps. This makes it possible to make uniform the currents flowing through the substantially U-shaped lamps.
US08144108B2	Liquid crystal display device and driving method thereof Provided is an LCD device. The LCD device includes: an input unit, a backlight unit, a histogram analyzing unit, a data correcting unit, a liquid crystal panel driving unit, a duty ratio determining unit, and a lamp driving unit. The input unit inputs data corresponding to an image displayed on a liquid crystal panel, and the backlight unit includes a plurality of lamps. The histogram analyzing unit analyzes a histogram of data input from the input unit to generate a select signal according to a brightness state of the data. The data correcting unit corrects pixel data to be supplied to the liquid crystal panel using at least one of a plurality of gamma compensating characteristic curves. The liquid crystal panel driving unit drives the liquid crystal panel. The duty ratio determining unit generates a plurality of lamp-on signals. The lamp driving unit generates a lamp driving voltage corresponding to the lamp-on signal.
US08144106B2	Liquid crystal display and driving method thereof A liquid crystal display (LCD) and a driving method thereof, which synchronize a panel with an inverter to prevent backlights from being turned off during a display mode change. The LCD includes a signal converter to convert selectively input analogue video signals into digital video signals according to a predetermined sampling clock, a scaler to sample the digital video signals output from the signal converter at a preset resolution according to a predetermined sampling clock and to extract a horizontal synchronization signal from the sampled digital video signals, an inverter to drive backlights in synchronization with the horizontal synchronization signal extracted by the scaler, a panel driver to receive the sampled digital video signals in a predetermined signal format and to display the received signals on a liquid crystal panel, and a controller to detect the horizontal synchronization signal from the input video signals to determine a display mode, to output sampling clock signals to the signal converter and the scaler according to the display mode, and to generate inverter on/off signals whenever the display mode is changed.
US08144102B2	Memory element and display device The present invention provides a memory element includes a thin film transistor configured to have a semiconductor thin film and a pair of gate electrodes that vertically sandwich the semiconductor thin film with intermediary of insulating films therebetween, and a capacitor configured to be connected to a first gate electrode of the pair of gate electrodes, wherein data is stored in the capacitor connected to the first gate electrode, and data stored in the capacitor is read out by controlling a second gate electrode of the pair of gate electrodes.
US08144091B2	Liquid crystal display element, driving method of the same, and electronic paper having the same A method of driving a liquid crystal display element includes a first step for initializing a liquid crystal in a pixel and displaying an initial grayscale at the pixel and a second step for displaying a desired grayscale lower than the initial grayscale by making a cumulative time difference between low grayscales lower than a reference grayscale longer than a cumulative time difference between high grayscales higher than the reference grayscale, where the cumulative time differences are a difference between a cumulative voltage application time of voltage pulses cumulatively applied to display a grayscale lower than the initial grayscale and a cumulative voltage application time of the voltage pulses cumulatively applied to display a grayscale one level lower than the grayscale lower than the initial grayscale.
US08144088B2	Surface lighting device and portable terminal using the same A surface lighting device has one single light source and a light-guide-board. The board includes a light-guiding-section and a light-emitting-section. A shorter side of the light-guiding-section is not more than 8 mm, and an area of the light-emitting-section is not less than 500 mm2. The light-emitting-section has the following features: (1) a ratio of min. luminance vs. max. luminance of is not less than 0.3; (2) an average luminance ranges from 1 cd/m2 to 200 cd/m2, and (3) a change value in luminance per unit length is not more than (average luminance)×100 cd/m3. Employing plural light-emitting-elements in the light source allows the lighting device to produce versatile colors. The light source, light-guide-board and a holder are structured and shaped in optimum way, so that unevenness in luminance of the device is reduced. An LCD unit incorporating this surface lighting device increases its display quality, and a portable terminal incorporating this LCD unit produces easy-to-lead display.
US08144081B2	Electronic circuit, electronic device, method of driving electronic device, electro-optical device, and electronic apparatus An electronic device includes a plurality of first wiring lines, a plurality of second wiring lines that intersect the plurality of first wiring lines, a plurality of unit circuits that are disposed so as to correspond to intersections between the plurality of first wiring lines and the plurality of second wiring lines, and a plurality of reference signal lines that supply reference signals to the plurality of unit circuits. Each of the plurality of unit circuits has a driven element that is driven by a driving voltage or a driving current, a driving unit that supplies the driving voltage or the driving current to the driven element, a switching element that controls electrical connection between an input terminal provided in the driving unit and one of the plurality of second wiring lines, and a capacitor element that has a first electrode connected to the input terminal and a second electrode connected to one of the plurality of reference signal lines, and accumulates a charge between the first electrode and the second electrode.

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