| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08489444B2 |
Chronicling for process discovery in model driven business transformation
An electronic chronicling method and system that automatically captures, stores, and organizes various aspects of business processes in real-time. The system allows different role players to analyze, mine, and share selected performance metrics of business processes in the context of various measures involved, including users, systems, applications, processes, etc. The system enables users to analyze and utilize sortable performance metrics with varying degrees of specificity and detail. This analysis and utilization provides an efficient means for the real-time streamlining and optimization of business processes. |
| US08489435B2 |
Method and device for storing and accessing data in a computer travel reservation system
A process for storing and accessing data in databases of a computerized travel reservation system includes, for each type of information to be stored, created rules associating a set of criteria defining the trips to which the information applies, and a content representing the value of the information to be applied, the set of criteria of a rule including a pair of markets with a market of origin that is defined by the geographical zone of departure on the trip and a destination market which is defined by the geographical zone of arrival of the trip. A database stores the defined markets and a database stores the created rules. |
| US08489426B2 |
Integrated health and financial benefits system and method
A medical shared savings unit receives a selection from one or more computing devices to select a medical provider in a region outside the United States for a patient as part of a medical savings plan, and accesses the medical plan information from the data store, and calculates a savings based on a difference between a cost of the medical procedure performed in the region outside the United States and a cost of the medical procedure performed within the United States. The medical shared savings unit further divides the savings between the insurer and the employer based on a medical savings plan model when the patient undergoes the medical procedure in the region outside the United States. |
| US08489418B2 |
System and methods for referring physicians based on hierarchical disease profile matching
Systems, apparatus, and methods for referring physicians based on hierarchical disease profile matching are disclosed. An example system includes a data store to include a plurality of disease profiles, each disease profile associated with a patient condition, a user interface to accept a user request for a referral of a patient to a physician, and a referral processor to compare a profile associated with the patient including a patient symptom to the plurality of disease profiles to generate one or more physician recommendations for referral, the referral processor to refine the one or more physician recommendations based on one or more characteristics associated with each of the one or more physician recommendations, the referral processor to provide the refined one or more physician recommendations to a user for review and selection via the user interface. |
| US08489410B2 |
System and method for modifying and routing DICOM examination files
The invention comprises a system and method for receiving a DICOM image file from a first DICOM storage service class user, employing rules on the DICOM image file and forwarding the DICOM image file to a second DICOM storage service class user in accordance with the rules. After router configuration information, remote server configuration information, routing rules information and replacement rules information is received from a user, a DICOM image file received over a communication network from the first DICOM storage service class user in accordance with the router configuration information is modified in accordance with the replacement rules information, and the modified DICOM image file is routed to the at least one computing device in accordance with the routing rules. |
| US08489404B2 |
Method for detecting audio signal transient and time-scale modification based on same
A method for detecting a transient in an audio signal that has been broken up into frames includes obtaining a time domain feature of the frames and comparing the domain feature with a predetermined value. If the time domain feature is greater than the predetermined value, the frames are taken as transient and if the time domain feature is less than the predetermined value, the frames are taken as non-transient. The method has a low computational intensity and is thus very suitable for devices with limited processing resources. |
| US08489395B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating lattice vector quantizer codebook
A method and an apparatus for generating a lattice vector quantizer codebook are disclosed. The method includes: storing an eigenvector set that includes amplitude vectors and/or length vectors, where the amplitude vectors and/or length vectors are different from each other and correspond to a root leader of a lattice vector quantizer; storing storage addresses of the amplitude vectors and length vectors, where the amplitude vectors and length vectors correspond to the root leader and are in the eigenvector set; and generating a lattice vector quantizer codebook according to the eigenvector set and the storage addresses. |
| US08489389B2 |
Electronic apparatus with dictionary function and computer-readable medium
An electronic apparatus includes a storage which includes dictionary information, a conjugation chart database which stores conjugation charts for a language stored in the dictionary information so as to cause the charts to correspond to conjugation chart numbers, and a verb-verb conjugation chart correspondence table which stores the conjugation chart numbers so as to cause the numbers to correspond to the spellings of verbs, and a processor which causes to display letter strings stored in the dictionary information, accepts the specification of an arbitrary word from the letter strings displayed, when the specified word is a verb, refers to the verb-verb conjugation chart correspondence table and determines a conjugation chart number caused to correspond to the spelling of the specified verb, and reads a conjugation chart corresponding to the determined conjugation chart number from the conjugation charts stored in the conjugation chart database and displays the conjugation chart. |
| US08489387B2 |
Methods and systems for selecting a language for text segmentation
Methods and systems for selecting a language for text segmentation are disclosed. In one embodiment, at least a first candidate language and a second candidate language associated with a string of characters are identified, at least a first segmented result associated with the first candidate language and a second segmented result associated with the second candidate language are determined, a first frequency of occurrence for the first segmented result and a second frequency of occurrence for the second segmented result are determined, and an operable language is identified from the first candidate language and the second candidate language based at least in part on the first frequency of occurrence and the second frequency of occurrence. |
| US08489382B1 |
Automatic numerical simulation of processor environment
A system receives a model, internals associated with a target processor, and code information associated with the target processor, and obtains a bit-true model simulation for the target processor based on the model, the target processor internals, and the target processor code information. |
| US08489379B2 |
Equivalent circuit simulation system and method for HSPICE
A simulation system and method for generating equivalent circuits compatible with HSPICE reads data corresponding to N-port network system format in a storage device, and obtains S-parameter matrixes from the N-port network system. S-parameters in the S-parameter matrix that satisfy passivity are checked, and an interpolation algorithm to supplement S-parameters with passivity when some S-parameters not satisfy passivity is performed. Numbers of pole-residue, times for recursion and a tolerant system error of a rational function are generated for determining S-parameters. A rational function matrix composed of S-parameters is generated by performing a vector fitting algorithm, and an equivalent circuit is generated compatible with HSPICE format based on the generated rational function matrix. |
| US08489375B2 |
Formation modeling while drilling for enhanced high angle for horizontal well placement
LWD measurements to be used for proactive well placement while drilling a high angle or horizontal wellbore in a reservoir are defined. An initial reservoir model is provided and a section is extracted for a planned wellbore trajectory. A secondary model is generated for the planned trajectory. An area of interest is identified where statistical uncertainty is high. Possible causes of the statistical uncertainty are identified that are not present in the initial reservoir model. A set of parameters are defined based on the possible causes of statistical uncertainty. The area of interest is logged with LWD tool. Sensitivities of the LWD tool response to a subset of parameters are evaluated by performing tertiary model for a range of the subset of parameters. The most sensitive parameters from the subset of parameters and corresponding measurements are identified. LWD measurements are defined based on the most sensitive parameters. |
| US08489370B2 |
Computer device for simulating a set of objects in interaction and corresponding method
Computer device for simulating a set of objects in interaction and corresponding method. A computer device for simulating a set of objects in interaction comprises: a memory (8) with a tree representation of the objects, each node being associated with dynamic, geometric and interaction data dependent on the data of the child nodes and local interaction data for certain nodes, a simulation controller (4), for actuating repeatedly: + a distributor (10) of interaction data, with a mechanism for interaction updating which scans the tree representation and updates an item of interaction data of a node as a function of the local interaction data of its child nodes, + a mechanism for updating the dynamic data (12) which scans the tree representation and operates as a function of the geometric interaction data concerned, + a mechanism for updating the geometric data (14) which scans the tree representation for nodes subject to interaction and operates as a function of the dynamic data updated. The invention also relates to a method for simulating a set of objects in interaction, and a computer program product. |
| US08489367B2 |
Modeling a matrix for formal verification
A reference model may be defined to refer to a matrix of a target computerized system. The reference model may comprise a reference index and a reference matrix. The reference index may have a non-deterministic value enabling the reference matrix to refer to the matrix using a fewer number of cells. The disclosed subject matter may enable a more efficient model checking process of a computerized device by using a reference model that is relatively easy to define or maintain or by using a reference model that is configured to be more efficient for model checking as it uses non-determinism. |
| US08489364B2 |
Variable indication estimator
A variable indication estimator which determines an output value representative of a set of input data. For example, the estimator can reduce input data to estimates of a desired signal, select a time, and determine an output value from the estimates and the time. In one embodiment, the time is selected using one or more adjustable signal confidence parameters determine where along the estimates the output value will be computed. By varying the parameters, the characteristics of the output value are variable. For example, when input signal confidence is low, the parameters are adjusted so that the output value is a smoothed representation of the input signal. When input signal confidence is high, the parameters are adjusted so that the output value has a faster and more accurate response to the input signal. |
| US08489363B2 |
Monitoring and diagnosing generator operation
A tool for evaluating operation of a generator is provided. Diagnostic data is obtaining from a sensor in a generator. An associated computer system evaluates the diagnostic data to determine whether an anomaly exists in the data. If an anomaly exists, the computer system can provide a fault code that indicates a nature of an error in the generator that caused the anomaly. |
| US08489356B2 |
Variable density scanning
Systems and techniques for varying a scan rate in a measurement instrument. The techniques may be used in scanning probe instruments, including atomic force microscopes (AFMs) and other scanning probe microscopes, as well as profilometers and confocal optical microscopes. This allows the selective imaging of particular regions of a sample surface for accurate measurement of critical dimensions within a relatively small data acquisition time. |
| US08489355B2 |
Method for the determination of long-term offset drifts of acceleration sensors in motor vehicles
A method for determining long-term offset drifts of acceleration sensors in a motor vehicle is provided. In one step, the longitudinal vehicle speed is determined in the vehicle's center of gravity. In another step, the share of the driving dynamics in the longitudinal reference acceleration formula and in the transversal reference acceleration formula is calculated from the longitudinal vehicle speed and the yaw rate. In yet another step, the share of the driving dynamics in the reference acceleration on the vehicle level formula is calculated by converting the driving dynamic reference accelerations formula calculated for the center of gravity to the position formula and the orientation of the sensor formula. In a further step, the long-term offset drift of the sensor is determined from the measured values of the sensor and the share of the measured value in the driving dynamics by means of a situation-dependent averaging process. |
| US08489353B2 |
Methods and systems for calibrating vehicle vision systems
A method for calibrating a vision system of a vehicle includes the steps of projecting a pattern in proximity to the vehicle and calibrating the vision system using an image of the pattern generated by the vision system. |
| US08489348B2 |
Aggregating mobile device battery life data
Battery life data may be collected from a number of mobile devices. The battery life data for each of the mobile devices may be correlated with one or more characteristics of each of the mobile devices. The battery life data for the mobile devices may be aggregated based on at least one of the one or more characteristics. In some examples, a report of the aggregated battery life data for the mobile devices including at least one common characteristic is generated. |
| US08489345B2 |
Technique for determining performance characteristics of electronic devices and systems
A technique for determining performance characteristics of electronic devices and systems is disclosed. In one embodiment, the technique is realized by measuring a first response on a first transmission line from a single pulse transmitted on the first transmission line, and then measuring a second response on the first transmission line from a single pulse transmitted on at least one second transmission line, wherein the at least one second transmission line is substantially adjacent to the first transmission line. The worst case bit sequences for transmission on the first transmission line and the at least one second transmission line are then determined based upon the first response and the second response for determining performance characteristics associated with the first transmission line. |
| US08489344B2 |
Home network system augmentation with remote guidance and local set up and monitoring
This application relates to a network including powerline adapters (“PLAs”) of the HomePlug Alliance variety or similar implementations such as the European in Opera standard. The technology disclosed provides diagnostic capability and software enhanced powerline adapters. The diagnostic capability includes collecting network performance data and either analyzing or forwarding data for analysis. In addition, mechanical design for the PLA with an isolating filter provides for secure mounting while blocking access to a second wall outlet of a duplex unit. |
| US08489342B2 |
Methods and apparatus for fluid flow measurement
A fluid flow meter estimates the velocity of water or another fluid flowing through pipe by comparing measurements of the water velocity to one or more pre-determined templates. The fluid flow meter may collect measurement signals from one or more flow sensors (e.g., ultrasonic transducers), estimate the fluid velocity or flow rate by comparing the measurement signals to the template(s), and either store the comparison results in local memory, transmit the results to a remote memory or server, or both. In some embodiments, the fluid flow meter transmits the results to a server via a wireless interface (e.g., a Zigbee, Bluetooth, or Wi-fi interface). The transducers and processing system can be powered by a battery, a power line, or, for manifolds installed outdoors, a solar cell. Example transducers and processing systems may also have a passive wake-up feature for power reduction; that is, they may only draw power when water or another fluid flows through the pipe. |
| US08489340B2 |
Method for predicting the amount of accessible carbohydrate in a feedstock sample using a near-infrared model
The present invention is directed to a method of using a near-infrared (NIR) model to predict the amount of accessible carbohydrate material in a feedstock sample. The NIR model is generated by subjecting a set of biomass calibration feedstock samples to near infrared spectroscopy which produces NIR spectroscopic data, measuring the chemical compositions of each said calibration feedstock sample by wet chemical techniques, and measuring the total amount of monosaccharides and disaccharides solubilized by each said calibration feedstock sample after processing under a defined pretreatment condition or defined enzyme load condition. The method is then applied to NIR spectral data obtained from a test feedstock sample to predict the amount of accessible carbohydrate material in the test feedstock sample. |
| US08489339B2 |
Crystalline composition of GM-CSF/GM-CSFR
The present invention relates generally to the field of crystallography. More particularly, the present invention provides crystalline forms of a complex between granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and its receptor (GM-CSFR). The present invention further provides methods for the design and selection of modulators of GM-CSF/GM-CSFR interaction and signaling as well as signaling of other cytokines. |
| US08489336B2 |
Techniques for purposing a new compound and for re-purposing a drug
A method for repurposing a pharmaceutical compound. The method includes identifying a pharmaceutical compound, the pharmaceutical compound corresponding to a drug that has failed in clinical development or an approved drug. A mathematical model describing the physiological processes related to at least one disease and the effects of the pharmaceutical compound on the disease is created. The model is adjusted based upon information from preclinical or clinical trials. A new treatment protocol is suggested to salvage the failed drug or a new way to use an approved drug. The suggested treatment protocol is displayed. Systems and computer program products encompassing the above techniques are also disclosed. |
| US08489332B2 |
Car navigation system, program and method for updating map data
A car navigation system 1 includes a HDD map 110 and a cached map 109. Map data for entire area is stored in the HDD, and map data used by a route search unit 115 and a guidance unit 116 are stored in the cached map 109. A cached map area specifying unit 108 specifies map data files that should be stored in the cached map 109 for each navigation application, and stores the names of the specified map data files, linked to the respective navigation applications, into a navigation application consistency management table 103. A consistency judgment unit 104 monitors an update status of a data file of which name stored in the navigation application consistency management table 103, and stores the update status (completed or not completed) into the navigation application consistency management table 103. |
| US08489331B2 |
Destination maps user interface
A user interface is presented via which user inputs can be received and maps can be displayed. A user selection of a destination and a user specification of a region of interest on a map are received. The region of interest surrounds the destination on the map. In response to receiving the user specification of the region of interest, a destination map is displayed via the user interface. The destination map includes both the destination and the region of interest, and a layout of one or more roads that include one or more routes to the destination at multiple different scales. |
| US08489330B2 |
Navigation system with distance limitation mechanism and method of operation thereof
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: executing a distance bounded function for displaying on a device; setting a reference location; receiving a user location for monitoring a location of the device; measuring a distance traveled with the user location from the reference location only when the distance bounded function is executing; and deactivating the distance bounded function when the distance traveled equals or exceeds a distance limit. |
| US08489328B2 |
Apparatus and method for automatically detecting movement paths
A method of generating maps, which includes generating a first map corresponding to a first code, and generating a second map including a starting point and an ending point including a plurality of second codes representing links from the starting point to the ending point. Further, when one of the links is selected, a detailed map of the selected link is displayed. |
| US08489323B2 |
Method for controlling a map via a mobile terminal
A method for controlling a map is provided. The method comprises displaying a map on a display module of a mobile terminal and registering a point on the map, selected by using at least one of a user input unit and a sensing unit, as a shortcut point and displaying a shortcut icon on the map. |
| US08489322B2 |
Course guidance system, course guidance method, and course guidance program
Course guidance systems, methods, and programs determine that a vehicle is exiting from a facility to an out-of-facility road via an exit lane, and determine an estimated connection angle of the exit lane at an exit/entrance node. The systems, methods, and programs generate course guidance information based on the determined estimated connection angle when the vehicle is determined to be exiting. Based on the vehicle location information and the road information, the systems, methods, and programs detect whether an actual traveling road and the guidance road differ. Based on the vehicle location information and the road information, the systems, methods, and programs correct the estimated connection angle at the exit/entrance node based on a relative angle between the actual traveling road and the guidance road, and record the corrected estimated connection angle. |
| US08489321B2 |
Nature event signaling
Methods and apparatus for nature event signaling are provided. Example mobile electronic devices of the present disclosure can include a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, and a processor coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium. The processor executes the instructions to calculate a distance between a reference location and a current location, and calculate a travel time for the distance based on a speed. The processor also executes the instructions to determine a nature event time and cause a return alert indication to be signaled, via the mobile electronic device, based on a comparison of a calculated travel time and the nature event time. |
| US08489320B2 |
System and method for defining directions
A method and computer program product for defining a plurality of addresses. Driving directions between each of the plurality of addresses are defined, thus generating a plurality of driving directions. The plurality of driving directions are stored on a client electronic device. |
| US08489319B2 |
Navigation system with video and method of operation thereof
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: detecting a surrounding view for detecting an object at a traffic lane to the left or the right of a device as well as in the front or at the rear of the device; presenting the surrounding view for displaying on the device; and generating an alert with a detection of the object at or exceeding a threshold. |
| US08489318B2 |
Emergency brake assistant for automatically decelerating a vehicle to prevent a collision or reduce the consequences of a collision
The invention relates to an emergency brake assistant for automatically decelerating a vehicle to prevent a collision or reduce the consequences of a collision with a detected collision object, at a determined intervention point in time, a brake system of the vehicle being automatically activated such that a collision with the detected collision object can be prevented or at least the consequences of the collision can be reduced. The invention is characterized in that the intervention point in time can be determined as a function of the end point in time of a determined driver reaction time and of the determined last-possible braking point in time. |
| US08489315B2 |
Devices, methods, and programs that provide vehicle guidance for power reception
Power reception guidance devices, methods, and programs guide a vehicle having a power receiving unit to a non-contact power supply of a power supply unit installed in a parking area. The devices, methods, and programs calculate a power receiving efficiency of the power receiving unit at a current parking position of the vehicle in the parking area, determine whether the current parking position must be changed based on the calculated power receiving efficiency, and output information based on the determination to an output unit. |
| US08489314B2 |
Real-time traffic condition measurement and presentation of user-based route data
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for identifying locations of a plurality of automobiles using cell phone tower triangulation to locate a cell phone within each of the plurality of automobiles, and calculating a vehicle speed for each of the plurality of automobiles using the identified locations, and creating a traffic condition measure for a route in proximity to the locations. The computer program product may repeat this process in real-time to calculate a real-time traffic condition measure that may be used to predict a travel time, and may respond to a user's request with an audio alert on the user's cell phone that comes from a speaker on the cell phone that can also be combined with a wirelessly-enabled speaker in an automobile or a wirelessly-enabled headset. The audio alert may be displayed in conjunction with at least one navigation option pertaining to the route. |
| US08489312B2 |
Method and system for detecting operating errors in a variable valve timing engine
A method and control module includes a manifold absolute pressure comparison module that determines a function of the manifold absolute pressure and an average manifold absolute pressure for a plurality of cylinders and that compares the manifold absolute pressure parameter to a manifold absolute pressure threshold. The control module includes a misfire event module that compares the misfire parameter to a misfire threshold. A hardware remedy module performs a valve actuation hardware remedy in response to comparing the manifold absolute pressure and comparing the misfire parameter. |
| US08489308B2 |
Method for estimating oxygen concentration downstream a diesel oxidation catalyst
A method and a control system are provided for estimating oxygen concentration downstream a diesel oxidation catalyst within a diesel engine system. The method includes, but is not limited to at least an intake manifold, a combustion chamber, an exhaust manifold, and the diesel oxidation catalyst located in the exhaust line upstream a diesel particulate filter, the method comprising: determining unburned fuel mass flow ejected from the combustion chamber, determining air mass fraction in the exhaust manifold, estimating air mass fraction downstream the diesel oxidation catalyst as a function of said unburned fuel mass flow and said air mass fraction in the exhaust manifold, estimating oxygen concentration downstream the diesel oxidation catalyst as a function of the estimated air mass fraction downstream the diesel oxidation catalyst. |
| US08489307B2 |
Method and device for operating an internal combustion engine
In a method and device for operating an internal combustion engine with an intake tract, a switching device for modifying an effective intake pipe length and/or an effective intake tract volume is arranged. By a dynamic intake tract model an estimated intake pipe pressure is determined. The dynamic model is adapted dependent on a trimming value. If a switching position modification is controlled, an estimated old position intake pipe pressure on the one hand is determined with the previous switching position and preventing of the adaptive trimming value adjustment and on the other hand an estimated new position intake pipe pressure is determined with the modified switching position and prevention of the adaptive trimming value adjustment and dependent on a correlation check of the estimated old position pressure and the estimated new position pressure with respect to the measured pressure an actual switching position of the switching device is identified. |
| US08489306B2 |
Engine synchronization method
This invention relates to an engine synchronization method for aircraft equipped with at least two gas-turbine engines, where the respective speeds N1 of the low-pressure compressor spools of the gas-turbine engines are determined and a difference value N1 is calculated and subsequently on the basis of this difference value at least one trim value is calculated, on the basis of which, at least on one gas-turbine engine, a change of the setting is made, with subsequently the respective speeds N2 of the high-pressure compressor spools of the gas-turbine engines being determined and a difference value N2 being calculated and subsequently on the basis of this difference value, at least on one gas-turbine engine, the inlet temperature value T20, which is fed to the engine controller, being changed for synchronization. |
| US08489302B2 |
Systems and methods for dynamically stable braking
Systems and methods for dynamically stable braking are disclosed. A first electromechanical brake actuator controller may be placed in communication with a second electromechanical brake actuator controller, wherein each of the first electromechanical brake actuator controller and second electromechanical brake actuator controller are in communication with electromechanical brake actuators that are associated with the same wheel. The first electromechanical brake actuator controller and second electromechanical brake actuator controllers may then communicate electromechanical brake actuator status information and take corrective measures in accordance with the status information. |
| US08489299B2 |
Method and device for determining motor vehicle acceleration
A method is disclosed for obtaining a signal representing motor vehicle acceleration. The method involves obtaining a high pass filtered vehicle acceleration signal and a low pass filtered vehicle acceleration signal. One of these signals (preferably the high pass filtered signal) is obtained based upon the net driving force applied to the vehicle, which can be used to obtain an estimate of acceleration by means of an adoptive vehicle model (28). The other signal is obtained by measurement, for example by differentiating a measured vehicle speed signal with respect to time. Adding the two filtered signals together gives a vehicle acceleration signal of potentially good quality. |
| US08489298B2 |
Desired torque converter clutch slip feedback recovery algorithm for tip-in maneuvers
A powertrain includes an engine, a transmission, and a torque converter located between the engine and the transmission. Subsequent to a rapid increase in engine torque commands, torque converter slip is controlled by monitoring a measured torque converter slip after the rapid increase in engine torque commands, determining a maximum measured torque converter slip value resulting from the rapid increase in engine torque commands based upon the measured torque converter slip, determining a target value to which to reduce the torque converter slip, determining a recovery profile to reduce the torque converter slip from the maximum measured torque converter slip to the target value, and utilizing the recovery profile to controllably reduce the torque controller slip. Determining the recovery profile includes commanding reducing slip through the profile at commanded torque converter slip values selected to prevent the torque converter slip from reaching zero. |
| US08489297B2 |
Clutch hold level as a function of torque
A system and method for controlling a hydraulic transmission uses a clutch fill profile having a hold level that varies as a function of torque. A pressure required for an on-coming clutch to hold the gear of the off-going clutch without a flare or over-speed condition is calculated. This pressure approximates the pressure of the on-coming clutch when a disengage command with respect to the off-going clutch is reached. The pulse and hold phases for the clutch are executed at times that are constant from shift to shift and do not vary as a function of torque or slip. |
| US08489296B2 |
Controller for automatic transmission
In a controller for a belt-type continuously variable transmission including a hydraulic actuator that changes a groove width of a primary pulley, a hydraulic actuator that changes a groove width of a secondary pulley, and a belt clamping pressure control solenoid that controls the hydraulic pressure supplied to the hydraulic actuator of the secondary pulley, a mechanism calculates a transmission ratio between the primary pulley and the secondary pulley and determines whether or not there is belt slippage based on that calculated transmission ratio, and a mechanism determines normalcy of the belt clamping pressure control solenoid. The input torque when belt slippage has actually occurred, i.e., when a failure has been determined, is used as a condition when performing the normalcy determination. By setting such a condition, it is possible for a normalcy determination threshold value (input torque value α) used for the normalcy determination to be a small value, and thus it is possible to suppress erroneous normalcy determination. |
| US08489292B2 |
Vehicle control apparatus
A downshift allowable vehicle speed is variably set according to a torque converter slippage amount. Specifically, a downshift allowable vehicle speed is variably set by, using a reference downshift allowable vehicle speed when the torque converter slippage amount is 0 and a gear ratio of the automatic transmission after a downshift, calculating an allowable vehicle speed correction amount based on the present torque converter slippage amount and the gear ratio after the downshift, and setting a value obtained by subtracting the allowable vehicle speed correction amount from the reference downshift allowable vehicle speed as the downshift allowable vehicle speed. By such setting, it is possible to set a higher downshift allowable vehicle speed as the torque converter slippage amount becomes smaller, so it is possible to expand a downshift allowable region when the manual gearshift mode is selected. |
| US08489291B2 |
System and method for collecting soil samples
A system and method for collecting soil samples is provided that permits a user to develop or generate one or more paths in an agricultural field to collect soil samples with each soil core collection point along the path being identified. The agricultural field can be divided into management zones having similar productivity and each management zone can have a path with the identified collection points to collect samples for that management zone. |
| US08489283B2 |
Parallel parking assistant system and method thereof
A parallel parking assistant system integrated with a vehicle and method thereof are provided, the parking assistant system including a first sensor configured to determine a first distance, a second sensor configured to determine a second distance, and a controller configured to provide commands as a function of the first and second determined distances. The commands include a first command configured to command a steering system to be in a clockwise position while the vehicle is moving in a reverse direction for a first reversing distance, a second command configured to command the steering system to be in a substantially straight position while the vehicle is moving in a reverse direction for a second reversing distance, and a third command configured to command the steering system to be in a counter-clockwise position while the vehicle is a moving in a reverse direction for a third reversing distance. |
| US08489281B2 |
Method for operating an automobile and an automobile with an environmental detection device
A method for operating an automobile includes the steps of a) detecting an object in an environment of the automobile with an environmental detection device; b) evaluating a collision risk of the automobile with the object; and c) depending on the evaluation, adjusting the steering angle of the automobile with a steering angle actuating device. The steering wheel is decoupled with the decoupling device depending on the adjustment performed in step c), so that the rotation of the steering wheel caused by the adjustment of the steering angle is smaller than if the same adjustment were made when the steering wheel is not decoupled. |
| US08489280B2 |
System and method for determining an absolute rotational position of a vehicle handwheel
A system and a method for determining an absolute rotational position of the vehicle handwheel are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes monitoring an amount of torque applied to the vehicle handwheel. The method further includes monitoring a rotational speed of the vehicle handwheel. The method further includes setting an absolute position value indicating the absolute position of the vehicle handwheel equal to a predetermined steering travel limit of the vehicle handwheel when both the amount of torque applied to the vehicle handwheel is greater than or equal to a threshold torque level, and the rotational speed of the vehicle handwheel is less than or equal to a threshold rotational speed. The method further includes storing the absolute rotational position value in a memory device. |
| US08489279B2 |
Damping force control apparatus
A damping force control apparatus includes a damping force control device controlling a damping force of a shock absorber provided between a sprung mass and an unsprung mass of each wheel of a vehicle, a detection device detecting at least an acceleration of the sprung mass in an up-down direction and a relative displacement between the sprung mass and the unsprung mass, a damping coefficient calculation device calculating a damping coefficient to be applied to the damping force control by the damping force control device based on detected results of the detection device, a sensed acceleration increment calculation device calculating a sensed acceleration increment corresponding to an increment of sense according to the Weber Fechner law on the basis of the detected results of the detection device, and a modification device modifying the damping coefficient in accordance with a sensed acceleration increment calculated by the sensed acceleration increment calculation device. |
| US08489276B2 |
Simplified cabin services system for an aircraft
A cabin services system for an aircraft is disclosed. The cabin services system comprises at least one wireless network, the at least one wireless network providing at least one cabin service. The cabin services system further includes a cabin attendant panel for communicating with the at least one wireless networks and configured to control the at least one cabin service. |
| US08489274B2 |
Device and method for automatically monitoring tire pressure in a vehicle and method for displaying information about vehicle tire inflation
A device and method are provided for automatically monitoring tire pressure in a vehicle, as well as a method for displaying information about vehicle tire inflation. The method for automatically monitoring tire pressure in a vehicle encompasses indirectly determining the actual temperature in a vehicle tire. The actual temperature is ascertained based on empirically determined families of characteristics as a function of parameters that describe environmental conditions, driving conditions and/or material properties of the vehicle tires. |
| US08489271B2 |
Systems and methods for virtual ignition detection
Systems and methods for determining vehicle ignition state using a device added to the vehicle after the manufacture of the vehicle without a direct connection to the vehicle ignition line are disclosed. In a number of embodiments, a system includes a processor, a motion detector configured to detect vehicle motion and to enable the processor to obtain motion data, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver configured to determine location and to enable the processor to obtain at least speed data, and a radio transceiver configured to communicate with the processor. Additionally, the processor is configured to estimate the ignition state of a vehicle using at least the motion data and the speed data. |
| US08489270B2 |
Method and device for diagnosing the dynamics of an exhaust gas sensor
The invention relates to a method and corresponding device for diagnosing the dynamics of an exhaust gas sensor, which is disposed in an exhaust gas duct of an internal combustion engine in the direction of flow of the exhaust gas upstream or downstream of a catalytic converter and with which the air/fuel ratio of the gas mixture supplied to the internal combustion engine is controlled via a control circuit. During diagnosis, provision is made for at least one actuator intervention to be specified by means of a control algorithm of a diagnostic controller specifically m the direction of an asymmetric behavior, which is achieved by an extension of one of the two ramps, until the actuator intervention is compensated by an asymmetric dynamic error of the exhaust gas sensor, a reaction to said actuator intervention being used as criterion for assessing an asymmetric dynamic error of said exhaust gas sensor. |
| US08489268B2 |
Method and device for operating a motor vehicle
A predefined operating strategy permits a predefined operating mode of the motor vehicle. A first operating variable value of the operating mode and/or one additional variable value, which is independent of the operating mode are sensed and one estimated value is determined depending thereon, which is representative of one expected value of the one first operating variable of a second operating variable of the operating mode. One predicted value is determined depending on the sensed values of the one first operating variable, the one additional variable, and/or the one determined estimated value. The predicted value represents an expected operating state and is compared with one predefined comparison value, which is representative of one predefined operation state. The operating strategy is set as a function of the comparison and of the at least one estimated variable in such a way that the predefined operating state is as far as possible avoided. |
| US08489266B2 |
Vehicle power system
A vehicle power system is provided with a switching power supply that generates an operation power for operating a plurality of ECU by stepping down a power supply supplied from at least one of a generator and a battery, and a power distributor that distributes and supplies the operation power generated by the switching power supply to the individual ECUs. |
| US08489265B2 |
Method and engine stability control system for a hybrid electric vehicle
A method for controlling a hybrid electric vehicle having a control system, a traction motor, and an engine includes generating an activation signal during a predetermined vehicle maneuver. The predetermined vehicle maneuver is a threshold hard braking maneuver on a surface having a low coefficient of friction. The method also includes processing the activation signal using the control system, and using the traction motor to command an injection or a passing of a feed-forward torque to the driveline of the vehicle. The feed-forward torque is in the same direction as the engine torque, and prevents a drive shaft of the engine from spinning in reverse during the maneuver. The method may include generating the activation signal in response to detecting an active state of the ABS controller. A hybrid electric vehicle includes an engine, a traction motor, and a control system configured to execute the above method. |
| US08489263B2 |
Information device for a vehicle
A vehicle has an apparatus (2) for charging an electrical energy store (3) from a stationary power supply system. An existing controller (6) of the vehicle is configured to calculate and indicate an amount of electrical energy drawn from the stationary power supply system by using a time information item provided in the vehicle controller (6). Alternatively, a battery management system (1) is configured to calculate and indicate the amount of electrical energy drawn from the stationary power supply system by using the time information item provided in the existing vehicle controller (6). |
| US08489260B2 |
Method and apparatus for powered descent guidance
A method and apparatus for landing a spacecraft having thrusters with non-convex constraints is described. The method first computes a solution to a minimum error landing problem for a convexified constraints, then applies that solution to a minimum fuel landing problem for convexified constraints. The result is a solution that is a minimum error and minimum fuel solution that is also a feasible solution to the analogous system with non-convex thruster constraints. |
| US08489252B2 |
Apparatus for controlling speed of mobile object
In an obtainer for obtaining speed feeling of a driver of a movable object, a gaze point setter sets a gaze point of the driver, and a motion detector detects relative motion of an environmental field around the mobile object with respect to the mobile object. A divergent component calculator projects the relative motion of the environmental field in a coordinate system. The coordinate system is formed by modeling a retina sphere of the driver of the mobile object. The divergent calculator calculates each of divergent components of the projected relative motion of the environmental field radially expanding from the gaze point. A speed feeling calculator calculates speed feeling of the driver based on the divergent components of the projected relative motion of the environmental field radially expanding from the gaze point calculated by the divergent component calculator. |
| US08489251B2 |
Method and apparatus for reprogramming a programmed controller of a power driven wheelchair
Apparatus for reprogramming a programmed controller of a power driven wheelchair comprises: a reprogrammable, non-volatile memory programmed with a plurality of programs executable by the controller to operate the wheelchair, the non-volatile memory disposed at the wheelchair and coupled to the wheelchair controller; a general-purpose computer programmed to reprogram the non-volatile memory while disposed at the wheelchair, the programmed computer for storing main programs for use in reprogramming the non-volatile memory, the programmed computer being coupleable to the wheelchair controller for accommodating an exchange of data therebetween; and wherein the wheelchair controller being operative to communicate with the programmed computer to reprogram the non-volatile memory with the main programs while the non-volatile memory is disposed at the wheelchair. Methods for reprogramming the non-volatile memory are also disclosed. |
| US08489247B1 |
Agent-based chaotic control of wind turbines
A method of controlling at least one wind turbine is provided. The method comprises predicting at least one future state related to the at least one wind turbine. The method further comprises evaluating a fitness of solutions associated with a plurality of individuals of a population for a current operating environment of the at least one wind turbine. Each individual comprising a dominant genotype and a recessive genotype. Each genotype represents a solution for controlling the at least one wind turbine. A fitness function is applied to the dominant genotype of each individual. The fitness function is based on the at least one predicted future state. The method further comprises storing previously encountered genotypes in the recessive genotypes of the individuals. The method further comprises selecting a solution for controlling operation of the at least one wind turbine based on the fitness evaluation. |
| US08489246B2 |
Hybrid control system
A hybrid control system for controlling an electric machine coupled to a gas turbine engine is provided. The control system comprises: a primary analog control loop including an analog controller for controlling the electric machine based on a set point and a measured output of the electric machine; and a digital controller of the turbine engine operationally connected to the primary analog control loop to adjust at least one control parameter associated with the analog controller. |
| US08489245B2 |
Coordinated energy resource generation
Demand response to reduce energy consumption by individual consumers is provided by aggregating individual consumers, and providing feedback to such consumers regarding their energy consumption relative to other energy consumers in a group. The resulting feedback may result in reduced energy consumption by the individual consumer. |
| US08489242B2 |
Home energy management system incorporating a pool pump
An energy management system for a home network is provided. The energy management system includes one or more power consuming devices, including at least a pool pump system having a motor and a filter with a filtration cycle, a central controller operatively connected to the power consuming devices and configured to receive and process a signal indicative of the current state of an associated utility, including at least a peak demand state and an off-peak demand state, and a display. The central controller is configured to operate the pool pump system in one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least a normal operating mode and an energy savings mode, and to provide pool pump usage information to a user via a user interface on the display. |
| US08489237B2 |
High throughput method of in transit wafer position correction in a system using multiple robots
Methods correcting wafer position error are provided. The methods involve measuring wafer position error on a robot during transfer to an intermediate station. This measurement data is then used by a second robot to perform wafer pick moves from the intermediate station with corrections to center the wafer. Wafer position correction may be performed at only one location during the transfer process. Also provided are systems and apparatuses for transferring wafers using an intermediate station. |
| US08489232B2 |
Systems and methods for receiving shipment parcels
Disclosed are various embodiments of systems and methods for receiving shipment parcels at materials handling facilities. A parcel receiving system has an imaging tunnel through which shipment parcels received at a materials handling facility are passed. While a shipment parcel is passing through the imaging tunnel, a camera captures at least one image of the parcel. The parcel image is electronically analyzed to discover various tracking information and to detect various types of exceptions, such as damage to the parcel or defective tracking information. In addition, the captured image is stored in order to create a visual record of the parcel at the time of reception. This record may be used in a variety of ways, such as resolving or tracking exceptions or providing feedback to the vendor or shipment carrier. In addition, the parcel image may be viewed by a user to enable the user to detect and/or resolve an exception. Thus, the overall process of receiving parcels is facilitated, and the percentage of parcels diverted to an exception bin may be decreased. |
| US08489225B2 |
Wafer alignment system with optical coherence tomography
A system for performing alignment of two wafers is disclosed. The system comprises an optical coherence tomography system and a wafer alignment system. The wafer alignment system is configured and disposed to control the relative position of a first wafer and a second wafer. The optical coherence tomography system is configured and disposed to compute coordinate data for a plurality of alignment marks on the first wafer and second wafer, and send that coordinate data to the wafer alignment system. |
| US08489223B2 |
Detection systems for power equipment
Methods to detect when a human body contacts a predetermined portion of a machine are disclosed. The methods distinguish contact with a person from contact with other materials. The methods are particularly applicable in woodworking equipment such as power saws to distinguish contact between a person and the blade of the saw from contact between the blade and wet or green wood. Woodworking machines and memory devices for use in woodworking machines having safety systems designed to detect a dangerous condition between a human and a dangerous portion of the woodworking machine and to trigger some action to mitigate the dangerous condition are also disclosed. |
| US08489222B2 |
Machine and method for grinding spacer grid of nuclear fuel assembly
A machine and a method for grinding a spacer grid of a nuclear fuel assembly. The machine includes a spacer grid holding unit, a first rectangular coordinates robot for grinding an outer surface of the spacer grid, a second rectangular coordinates robot for grinding a corner of the spacer grid, and a control unit. The spacer grid holding unit includes a holding jig onto which the spacer grid is seated and held, and a rotary index table which is coupled to the holding jig to rotate the holding jig. The first and second rectangular coordinates robots are provided at predetermined positions adjacent to the spacer grid holding unit. The control unit controls the spacer grid holding unit, the first and second rectangular coordinates robots and all programs required to conduct the operation for grinding the spacer grid. |
| US08489220B2 |
Variable tape feeder
A variable tape feeder is provided. The variable tape feeder includes a frame having an accommodating section and a component feeding section on a transfer path that transfers a carrier tape having components packaged with a cover tape. Width adjusters for the transfer path, the accommodating section, and the component feeding section are installed respectively on the transfer path, accommodating section, and component feeding section to adjust widths thereof according to widths of the carrier tape, the accommodating section, and the component feeding section, respectively. Width sensors for the transfer path, the accommodating section, and the component feeding section detect widths adjustment of the transfer path, the accommodating section, and the component feeding section width adjusters, respectively. A controller outputs a response signal in response to signals detected by the respective sensors installed in the component feeding section and the accommodating section. |
| US08489218B2 |
Chamber match using important variables filtered by dynamic multivariate analysis
The present disclosure provides a method of chamber match. The method includes identifying a golden chamber designed operable to implement a semiconductor process; identifying a reference chamber designed operable for the semiconductor process; and extracting a matching index of a processing chamber relative to the golden chamber and the reference chamber using a dynamic variable analysis. |
| US08489216B2 |
Sound mixing apparatus and method and multipoint conference server
A sound mixing apparatus includes mixing processing units 11 to 1k provided according to sampling frequencies. Each of mixing processing units 11 to 1k adds up input sound signals of the same sampling frequency to generate a first added-up sound signal, converts the sampling frequency of the first added-up sound signal into a sampling frequency processable by the other mixing processing units, and supplies sound signals that are converted to the sampling frequency, to the other mixing processing units, adds up, to generate a second added-up sound signal, the first added-up sound signal generated by itself and the first added-up sound signals that are converted to a sampling frequency processable by itself and that are supplied from the other mixing processing units. |
| US08489212B2 |
Audio data transmission and reception methods and electronic apparatus using the same
Audio data transmission and reception methods and an electronic apparatus using the same are provided. The audio data transmission and reception methods send audio data by one bit at the rising edge and at the falling edge of a bit clock, and send audio data over a null interval carrying no data. Hence, 5.1 channel audio data can be transmitted and received using an I2S transmission scheme. |
| US08489207B1 |
Medical device with user attention direction
A medical device having a unit in communication with ancillary components wherein the unit and the ancillary components each have a sensory output through which communication with a user of the medical device may be accomplished and to which the user's attention directed. In one aspect, the medical device is an AED unit with associated pads, which are an ancillary component electrically connected to the AED unit. In this illustrative example, the unit has a unit sensory output (e.g., a speaker or a display), and the pads, and/or their associated packaging, have an ancillary sensory output (e.g. a speaker or display). Programming in the AED unit controls output to the sensory outputs such that the user's attention is directed between the unit and the ancillary components. |
| US08489206B2 |
Device for neuronal therapies
A device for neuronal therapies comprising a high frequency and/or very high frequency generator (1) functioning by means of coils (11), and associated with two main electrodes (2), which are respectively configured by a core (21) of insulating material with the front end (22) in point form and surrounded by a flexible insulating tubular body (23) extended on the point end (22) of the electrode for separate and safe positioning thereof with respect to the eyes of the patient on which said electrodes (2) are placed in a use operation, in order to cause stimulation of the nervous system and improvement of neuronal transmission by means of the circulation of high frequency currents. Both electrodes (2) are associated with at least one element for support (3) and positioning over the eyes of the patient, based on an element for fastening (4) to the head or a cabin (6). |
| US08489204B2 |
Method and apparatus for identification of ischemic/infarcted regions and therapy optimization
A method and apparatus is described for detecting and localizing areas of myocardial infarction or ischemia. By pacing sites in proximity to the infarcted or ischemic region with appropriately timed pacing pulses, the region is pre-excited in a manner that lessens the mechanical stress to which it is subjected, thus reducing the metabolic demand of the region and the stimulus for remodeling. |
| US08489200B2 |
Transcutaneous energy transfer module with integrated conversion circuitry
An implantable transcutaneous energy transfer device secondary coil module includes a housing, a secondary coil, power conditioning circuitry, and a low voltage, high power connector. The transcutaneous energy transfer secondary coil is disposed outside the housing and is configured to receive a time-varying magnetic field provided by a transcutaneous energy transfer primary coil, and to convert the time-varying magnetic field into a high voltage, alternating current electric signal within the coil. The power conditioning circuitry is mounted within the housing and is electrically coupled to the secondary coil. The power conditioning circuitry including electronics for converting the high voltage, alternating current electric signal from the secondary coil into a high power, low voltage direct current electric signal. The low voltage, high power connector electrically coupled to the power conditioning circuitry and extending outside the housing for connecting the secondary coil module to a power bus for delivering power to implanted devices. |
| US08489193B2 |
Visual prosthesis including a flexible circuit electrode array
A flexible circuit electrode array, which comprises: a polymer base layer; metal traces deposited on said polymer base layer, including electrodes suitable to stimulate neural tissue; a polymer top layer deposited on said polymer base layer and said metal traces; and a partial or entire coating of the base and top layer by a soft polymer. |
| US08489191B2 |
Laparoscopic implantation of neurostimulators
A method for altering operation of a nerve related to a given body condition includes the steps of identifying at least one nerve root of a nerve related to the given body condition; laparoscopically implanting at least one electrode on the nerve root; and operating the electrode to electrostimulate the nerve root and alter operation of the nerve. |
| US08489190B2 |
Catheter device
The catheter device comprises a motor located at the proximal end of the catheter device and a drive shaft, extending from the proximal end section to the distal end section of the catheter device, for driving a rotating element located at the distal end of the catheter device. The catheter device also comprises a hose-like catheter body which encompasses the drive shaft and extends from the proximal end section to the distal end section of the catheter device. At the proximal end of the catheter device, the drive shaft is connected to a motor by a clutch. The clutch is a magnetic clutch with a proximal and a distal magnet unit. The proximal magnet unit is connected to the motor and the distal magnet unit to the drive shaft. The distal magnet unit is mounted fluid-tight in a clutch housing. The proximal end of the catheter body makes a fluid-tight connection with the clutch housing. |
| US08489189B2 |
Expandable fixation mechanism
In general, the invention is directed to a medical device implantable in a body of a patient. The device includes a housing with a plurality of collapsible fixation structures coupled to the housing, and can be in a collapsed configuration or an expanded configuration. The device assumes a collapsed configuration when in the bore of an insertion device, and assumes the expanded configuration when expelled from the insertion device into the body of the patient. The extended fixation structures engage the tissues in the body and restrict migration. One exemplary application of the invention is in the context of a microstimulator, with a pulse generator housed in the housing and one or more electrodes coupled to the housing. The fixation structures help keep the electrodes proximate to the tissues that are to receive the stimulation. |
| US08489184B2 |
System and method for determining electrode-tissue contact based on amplitude modulation of sensed signal
Methods and systems for monitoring contact between a medical probe and tissue are provided. A medical probe is introduced into a patient adjacent the tissue. An electrical parameter, e.g., electrical admittance, is measured between a first electrode located on the medical probe and a second electrode remote from the first electrode. The electrical parameter is amplitude modulated in response to a physiological cycle of the patient. Contact between the medical probe and the tissue is detected based on the amplitude modulation of the measured electrical parameter. |
| US08489180B2 |
Fluorescence observation apparatus
The number of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) can be readily counted without overlooking the existence of ACF to achieve reduced observation time. A fluorescence observation apparatus includes a light source unit inserted into a body cavity of a biological organism and emitting excitation light onto an inner wall of the body cavity; an image acquisition unit that acquires image information by acquiring an image of fluorescence generated when a fluorescent probe whose fluorescence characteristic changes by reacting with a molecule existing in an ACF formed in the inner wall of the body cavity is excited by the excitation light; a position control unit that moves the light source unit and the image acquisition unit relative to the inner wall of the body cavity; and a counting section that counts the number of fluorescence generation sites included in the image acquired by the image acquisition unit. |
| US08489177B2 |
Fiducial marker and method for gamma guided stereotactic localization
A fiducial marker for use in a gamma-guided stereotactic localization system for imaging a suspected cancer and guiding a physician in the removal of tissue samples for biopsy. The fiducial marker includes a fiducial source that can be accurately located in a positioning system and used to correlate the location of the positioning system with the detector and therefore the region-of-interest. The fiducial can be made radioactive such that it can be seen by the gamma camera. The fiducial marker enables the accurate positioning of other hardware in proximity to the object to be viewed. |
| US08489172B2 |
Liposuction system
A surgical tool such as a liposuction cannula is equipped with a sensor at the tool tip. The sensor continuously analyzes the type of tissue in contact with the tip based on the electrical properties of the tissue. When encountering a tissue type that should not be disturbed, the action of the surgical tool is stopped automatically. When used for liposuction, the cannula is mechanically decoupled from the handle when the wrong type of tissue is detected thus minimizing the inertia of the part that needs to be stopped. Besides electrical sensing, other sensors, such as mechanical or ultrasonic, can be used at the tip of the surgical tool or cannula to differentiate between tissue types. |
| US08489168B2 |
Coefficent determination for blood oxygen saturation and total hemoglobin concentration indices
A first concentration of a chromophore corresponding to a measurement volume of an optical sensor is determined. A second concentration of the chromophore is obtained in the vicinity of the measurement volume corresponding to a change in at least one of a total concentration of the chromophore and a relative concentration of a first form of the chromophore to the total concentration of the chromophore in the measurement volume. Light remittance measurements including a first light wavelength and a second light wavelength are obtained corresponding to the first chromophore concentration and the second chromophore concentration. A coefficient for computing an index of a change in the chromophore concentration is computed using the difference between the first and second chromophore concentrations and the first and second light remittance measurements. |
| US08489167B2 |
Evaluation kit for medical monitoring module system and method
An evaluation kit for monitoring, testing, and debugging a medical monitoring module is provided. The kit includes a hardware and software to provide for monitoring of communication between the medical monitoring module and a host or host simulator. The kit may provide for various system configurations having a sensor device, a computer having a protocol analyzer and a host simulator, a medical monitoring module, a software host, a medical monitor, or any combination thereof. |
| US08489166B2 |
Soft gum fingerstall oximeter without pivot structure
The present invention discloses a soft gum fingerstall oximeter without pivot structure, the soft gum fingerstall oximeter comprises a soft gum fingerstall which can wraps around a finger closely with variations of the profile of the finger and causes a clamping force distributed on the clamped portion of the finger uniformly. An emission circuit board and a reception circuit board are provided in the soft gum fingerstall. The soft gum fingerstall of the oximeter is enclosed, which can shield light entering from a side. |
| US08489165B2 |
Finger deployed device for measuring blood and physiological characteristics
The present invention relates to a device for measuring blood and physiological characteristics by passing light through human tissue that is configured for deployment on a human finger. The device includes a lower finger-trough configured in the main housing of the device; a hingedly attached closeable lid that has an upper finger-trough configured for deployment of at least one finger stabilizing element, the lid being latchable in a closed position; a finger stabilizing element made of a material having flexibly soft malleable characteristics so as to sealingly engage the top of the finger; a light source that is deployed in the sloped end wall of the lower finger-trough adjacent to the lower portion of the finger tip; and an end cap the is deployable on the open end of the device when the lid is in the closed position, which enables calibration of the device with a minimum of light wave “noise” from ambient light. |
| US08489164B2 |
Monitoring of tissue hemoglobin concentration
A medical device system and associated method monitor tissue hemoglobin concentration. Light attenuation is measured in a volume of tissue in a patient. A value of a tissue scattering coefficient corresponding to the tissue volume in the patient is established in response to the attenuation measurement. A second derivative of the light attenuation measurement is determined. An artifact correction term is computed in response to the established tissue scattering coefficient, and a tissue hemoglobin concentration is computed using the artifact correction term and the second derivative. |
| US08489163B2 |
Superconducting latch system
A reciprocal quantum logic (RQL) latch system is provided. The latch system comprises an output portion that retains a state of the latch system, and a bi-stable loop that comprises a set input, a reset input and an output coupled to the output portion. A positive single flux quantum (SFQ) pulse on the set input when the latch system is in a reset state results in providing a SFQ current in the output portion representative of the latch system being in a set state. |
| US08489160B2 |
Slide-type mobile terminal and signal processing method thereof
A slide type mobile terminal and a method for processing signals thereof are disclosed in the present invention, wherein, a built-in auxiliary antenna is installed in an upper slide portion (10) of the slide type mobile terminal, meanwhile corresponding signal conversion modules (122, 312) are added to the upper slide portion (10) and a lower slide portion (30) respectively, which is used for converting an external high-frequency signal received by the built-in auxiliary antenna or an internal high-frequency signal generated by a main printed circuit board (PCB) from a single-ended signal to a differential signal, which are transmitted between the upper slide portion (10) and the lower slide portion (30) by a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) (20), so that the high-frequency signal is transmitted between the upper slide portion (10) and the lower slide portion (30) in form of differential signal. |
| US08489159B2 |
Mobile communication device
A mobile communication device having a first side and an opposite second side, comprising a lower housing, an upper housing, a bracket, a biasing assembly and a slide enabling member. The upper housing stacked on the lower housing, the upper housing comprising a first edge located at the first side and a second edge located at the second side. The bracket is pivotably connected between the lower housing and the upper housing, to tilt the first edge of the upper housing away from the lower housing. The biasing assembly is connected directly between the lower housing and the upper housing, to exert a force between the lower housing and the upper housing so that the bracket rotates to tilt the first edge of the upper housing away from the lower housing. The slide enabling member slidably coupling the biasing assembly to the lower housing. |
| US08489156B2 |
Handheld electronic device
A handheld electronic device includes a display body, an input body and at least a track. The input body and the display body are overlapped with each other. The track is disposed between the display body and the input body, wherein the extending direction of the track is substantially neither perpendicular to nor parallel to the longitudinal direction or the traverse direction of the display body or the input body, and the track enables the display body to switch between at a first position and at a second position relative to the input body. The traverse direction of the display body is substantially parallel to the traverse direction of the input body when the input body is at the first position, and the longitudinal direction of the display body is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the input body when the input body is at the second position. |
| US08489153B2 |
Latency reduction in a low power mode
A two way communication system is adapted to reduce latency while the communications system is operating in a low power mode. The two way communication system includes a local host having a first primary communication channel and a secondary out of band transmitter; and customer premise equipment having a primary communication channel for communicating with the first primary communication channel of the local host and a secondary low power out of band receiver that receives out of band control signals from the out of band transmitter during low power operation of the customer premise equipment. |
| US08489151B2 |
Integrated and detachable wireless headset element for cellular/mobile/portable phones and audio playback devices
A modular wireless headset having integrated but detachable elements is operable to service a cellular wireless terminal, streamed media or playback device. This modular wireless headset may include a wireless microphone and a wireless earpiece. The wireless earpiece may physically couple to the wireless microphone and a base unit in order to exchange information and share power resources. A power distribution controller allocates power between the wireless earpiece, wireless microphone, and base unit when physically coupled to operate or charge internal power supplies of the components. |
| US08489148B2 |
Device and method for expressing status of terminal using character
A status expression system and method operating the same are provided for presenting a state of the mobile phone by means of a character agent. A status expression system of the present invention includes a memory for storing a plurality of character quotients, information on at least one state transition model, and resources for presenting the character; a character controller for updating the character quotients according to events occurred in the mobile phone, determining a state by analyzing the character quotients and referring to the state transition model, and formatting the state using the resources assigned for the state of the character; and a display for presenting the character with the resources in the state. |
| US08489142B2 |
Portable telephone and communication mode setting method
To realize a portable telephone which can always receive the user information via a MBMS service. The portable telephone includes: an antenna for transmitting/receiving radio waves to and from a network; a wireless section for modulating/demodulating radio waves transmitted/received by the antenna; and a control section which has a function of analyzing and processing Layer 3 messages including MBMS related messages demodulated by the wireless section and wherein, upon recognizing that there is user information which has not been received while receiving user information via a MBMS service in the PtM mode, the control section transmits a request to provide the MBMS service in PtP mode to the network via the wireless section. |
| US08489141B2 |
Portable electronic apparatus
A portable electronic apparatus capable of reliably determining whether a load detected by detecting units is caused by water pressure or by some other pressure and performing predetermined control according to the determination. A portable telephone apparatus is provided with operation detecting units and a control unit. The operation detecting units are detecting units for detecting pressure caused by a pressing operation. When a pressure is detected by at least one of the operation detecting units, the control unit performs first control (for example, control caused by detection of pressure other than water pressure). When even pressures are simultaneously detected by the operation detecting units, the control unit performs second control (for example, control caused by detection of water pressure) different from the first control. |
| US08489135B2 |
Network topology formation
Systems and techniques are disclosed relating to wireless communications. The systems and techniques involve wireless communications wherein a module or communications device is configured to listen for a period of time for an incoming pilot signal from a remote terminal that exceeds a threshold power level for the purpose of acquiring such incoming pilot signal and operating under control of the remote terminal, and operating independently of the remote terminal if such pilot signal is not detected within the period of time, such independent operation including transmitting a pilot signal. |
| US08489133B2 |
Communication system, transmission device, reception device, and synchronization method
Receiver (2) sequentially switches a preset frequency change amount in stages from a large value to a small value. According to the reception side frequency change amount, the reception side frequency candidate for detecting a synchronization signal is calculated. Synchronization signal detection unit (5) detects a synchronization signal transmitted from a transmission device by using the calculated reception side frequency candidate. Moreover, transmitter (1) calculates a transmission side frequency candidate as a frequency candidate for transmitting the synchronization signal according to the largest possible frequency change amount calculated according to the bandwidth of the synchronization signal. When the calculated transmission side frequency candidate exists in the system frequency band, the calculated transmission side frequency candidate is determined to be a synchronization signal frequency for transmission of the synchronization signal, and the synchronization signal is transmitted from synchronization signal transmission unit (4) to receiver (2). |
| US08489131B2 |
Smart device configured to determine higher-order context data
Disclosed are a method, system and apparatus of a smart device configured to determine higher-order context data. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a sensor to acquire a context data. The context data provides information of an attribute of an event within the range of the sensor. A processor analyzes an attribute of the context data and determines a higher-order context data. A message generator generates a supplemental context message transmittable through a network. The supplemental context message includes the higher-order context data. A network interface device communicatively couples the apparatus to the network. |
| US08489128B2 |
Efficient transmission on a shared data channel for wireless communication
Techniques for efficient data transmission and reception in a wireless communication system are described. In an aspect, a Node B sends transmissions on a shared data channel to a user equipment (UE) based on at least one parameter assigned to the UE prior to the transmissions. The Node B sends no signaling for the transmissions sent to the UE on the shared data channel. The UE processes the transmissions received from the shared data channel based on the assigned parameter(s). In another aspect, a Node B may send transmissions to a UE in time intervals assigned to the UE. In yet another aspect, a Node B may send transmissions to a UE based on assigned or non-assigned parameters. The Node B sends signaling whenever transmissions are sent with non-assigned parameters. The UE may process a transmission based on parameters obtained from received signaling or the assigned parameters. |
| US08489123B2 |
Apparatus and method for deriving position information
A wireless receiver for receiving signals from a satellite positioning system, and receiving signals from a communications system uses a common path in the receiver, and derives position information (60, 230) from the received signals by correlation (50, 210, 220) with a code. In a first mode the deriving is carried out from the received signals excluding selected signals received in time slots used for communications signals. A second mode includes such signals. This enables control of the trade off between accuracy and the latency of the positioning processor to improve the performance over a range of conditions. The mode input can be changed dynamically according to signal strength, or according to the needs of an application. |
| US08489122B2 |
System and method for total flight time ratio pattern matching
A method and system for estimating the location of a mobile device. A range of the mobile device to a reference station may be determined as a function of the time of transmission of a first signal transmitted from a base station and as a function of the time of receipt of a second signal transmitted from the mobile device to the reference station, the second signal being a function of the first signal advanced by a timing parameter. A relationship for each of a plurality of grid points in a geographic region may be determined as a function of the determined range and a range metric. These plural grid points may contain the reference station. The determined relationship may be compared with data corresponding to each of the plural grid points, and a location of the mobile device determined as a function of the comparison. |
| US08489120B2 |
System and method of accessing and recording messages at coordinate way points
A method and system for leaving and retrieving messages at specific coordinate way points within a commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) provider network are disclosed. Users carry or transport interface devices for communicating over the network and are able to record and view messages at specific coordinate locations while traveling in the network. The location of the device is calculated by the device or by the network while the device is powered on and within the physical boundaries of the network, or through a combination of both. Messages can be made available to network subscribers when their interface devices come within an area centered about a physical coordinate location. Personalized messages can also be left by subscribers at any coordinate point within the boundaries of the network. Access of information about an asset is facilitated when a technician comes within a physical proximity threshold relative to the asset. |
| US08489114B2 |
Time difference of arrival based positioning system
A TDOA positioning system that employs a calculated initial location of a wireless network device can be implemented to minimize sensitivity to the initial location of the wireless network device. For each pair of a plurality of reference network devices, the wireless network device can determine a distance difference between itself and the pair of the plurality of reference network devices based, at least in part, on round trip transit times between the wireless network device and the plurality of reference network devices. The initial location of the wireless network device can be calculated based on a location of each of the plurality of reference network devices. A location of the wireless network device can be estimated based on the calculated initial location of the wireless network device, the distance differences, and the location of each of the plurality of reference network devices. |
| US08489113B2 |
Method and system for tracking, monitoring and/or charging tracking devices including wireless energy transfer features
A method and system for monitoring individuals or objects including tracking devices having wireless powering/charging features. In one embodiment, an exemplary tracking device may comprise a power receiving device that generates power from wireless energy received from a power transmitter configured to transmit the wireless energy, circuitry configured for processing tracking device location information, and communication circuitry configured to process data related to the wireless tracking device for transmission to an administrative hub that is configured to monitor locations of the individuals or objects based upon the data. Output power from the power receiving device may be used to operate the tracking device. Alternately or in addition, the tracking device may include a battery that provides power to the tracking device and is recharged by the power receiving device. |
| US08489110B2 |
Privacy control of location information
One embodiment of the present is a method of implementing privacy control of location information. Such a method comprises defining a geographic zone for which pseudo-location information is to be reported as the current location of the user, wherein the pseudo-location information is not the current location of the user; receiving the current location of the user; determining that the current location is in the geographic zone; and reporting the pseudo-location information as the current location of the user when the current location is determined to be in the geographic zone. Other methods and systems are also provided. |
| US08489107B2 |
Method and apparatus for allocating downlink resources in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system
Techniques to schedule downlink data transmission to a number of terminals in a wireless communication system. In one method, one or more sets of terminals are formed for possible data transmission, with each set including a unique combination of one or more terminals and corresponding to a hypothesis to be evaluated. One or more sub-hypotheses may further be formed for each hypothesis, with each sub-hypothesis corresponding to specific assignments of a number of transmit antennas to the one or more terminals in the hypothesis. The performance of each sub-hypothesis is then evaluated, and one of the evaluated sub-hypotheses is selected based on their performance. The terminal(s) in the selected sub-hypothesis are then scheduled for data transmission, and data is thereafter coded, modulated, and transmitted to each scheduled terminal from one or more transmit antennas assigned to the terminal. |
| US08489101B1 |
Call delivery in converged networks
Methods, systems, and apparatus can be used to provide call routing in converged networks. In various examples, a converged call routing system can be used determine routing information associated with an incoming connection request. Routing information can be based upon one or more of a current location of a communications device or a profile associated with a communications device. |
| US08489091B2 |
Mobile communication terminal, IC card, mobile communication system, program, and communication charge notification method
The present invention provides a mobile communication terminal, an IC card, a mobile communication system, a program, and a communication charge notification method capable of easily indicating roaming communication charges and preventing a user from being unexpectedly charged for communication. A mobile phone 10 detects that it is located in a country B as a roaming area based on information transmitted from a base station 32, inquires of a charge information related server 24 whether or not a communication charge information stored in a storage section 16 is the latest communication charge information, when the communication charge information is not the latest communication charge information, updates the stored communication charge information based on the communication charge information transmitted from the charge information related server 24, reads the communication charge information of the country B from the storage section 16, and displays the communication charge information on a display section 14. |
| US08489084B2 |
Over the air programming via cellular broadcast
In a communications system, one or more mobile devices may be programmed through the use of an assigned channel of a logical channel. For example, a broadcast control channel (BCCH) transmission may be received by one or more mobile devices, the transmission comprising a set of instructions to program the mobile devices. The BCCH transmission may be used to program certain mobile devices, such as a type or brand of device, or mobile devices having certain features, such as call waiting. The mobile device may be configured to accept a transmission, such as a packet in a GPRS network, on one channel while rejecting a transmission on other channels. Further, the mobile device may be reconfigured to accept additional channel transmissions or reject currently approved channel transmissions. |
| US08489081B2 |
Measuring end user activity of software on a mobile or disconnected device
A hardware and/or software facility measures end user activity associated with a software application or service on a mobile phone or other mobile device. The facility tracks and stores usage data associated with a mobile user's use of the application or service. When the mobile user initiates transmission of the usage data, the facility retrieves from the mobile phone or other mobile device a usage code representing the usage data. The facility relies on user transcription, text input-buffer insertion, or other indirect means of data transport to deliver the usage code from the mobile phone or other mobile device to an application developer, service provider, or another entity. The recipient extracts the usage data contained in the usage code, and may perform various data mining and analysis techniques on the usage data in order to evaluate how the application or service is used. |
| US08489078B2 |
Apparatus and method for providing an emergency service in a broadband wireless communication system
Disclosed is a method of allowing a terminal to provide an emergency service in a broadband wireless communication system, and the method may include receiving a first map message including an emergency service indicator; checking whether information indicating that emergency service information is transmitted is included in the received first map message; and receiving a first message including the emergency service information when the information indicating that emergency service information is transmitted is included therein as a result of the check, wherein the emergency service indicator is information indicating at least one of whether to transmit emergency service information and a transmission timing of the emergency service information. |
| US08489072B1 |
Authentication of mobile communication device communicating through Wi-Fi connection
A wireless mobile communication device may be configured to include its Mobile Device Number (MDN) and its Mobile Equipment Identification (MEID) with each outgoing communication request when communicating over the internet through a Wi-Fi connection. A server may be configured to authenticate each request by comparing the MEID and MDN which are received from the wireless mobile communication device with MEID and MDN pairs which are stored in an equipment registration database. The wireless mobile communication device may also be configured to communicate at different times through a different type of internet connection, such as through a cellular telecommunication system. During this mode of communication, the IP address and the MDN of the mobile communication device may instead be used for authentication purposes by the server. |
| US08489071B2 |
System and method for assuring identity on a mobile device
The identity of a mobile communication device can be authenticated to allow the device to access a web site without the need for a user log-in operation. The mobile device stores an identity token and sends it to the web server in the web browser data stream. Additionally, the mobile device transmits an identity token to an authentication entity using a data stream other than the web browser data. The authentication entity queries the wireless network to verify authentication of the mobile device. The identity token may be the mobile telephone number itself, a temporary mobile subscriber identity assigned by the mobile network, or encrypted or hashed versions of either. Alternatively, a new temporary mobile subscriber identity may be sent to the mobile device and retransmitted back to the authentication entity. |
| US08489070B1 |
Systems and methods for conserving network resources
An account management engine for managing at least one prepaid wireless service account can include a calculation logic module that includes at least one scheduling algorithm configured to calculate a message delay time, the expiration of which triggers a continue message to be sent to a service switching point (SSP) instructing the SSP to continue an established call. A method for managing at least one prepaid service account can include calculating, based upon at least one scheduling algorithm, a message delay time, the expiration of which triggers a continue message to be sent to a service switching point (SSP) instructing the SSP to continue an established call. |
| US08489068B1 |
System and method for completion of all calls using single call funding options
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods that identify requested call connections that cannot be billed by a call management system and redirects those calls to a call processing platform. The call management system sends data associated with the requested call connections to the call processing platform in a session initiation protocol (SIP) message header. The call processing platform identifies one or more payment options that are not available for use by the call management system and offers the called party the opportunity to accept one of the payment options to complete the requested call connection. The call processing platform connects the calling party and the called party and sends a call detail record with billing data to the call management system. |
| US08489067B2 |
Methods and systems for distribution of a mobile wallet for a mobile device
Methods and systems for distributing a mobile device application for use in making and receiving payments utilizing a mobile device such as a mobile telephone (cellphone) or wireless connected personal digital assistant (PDA). A downloadable mobile device application, when installed on a compatible mobile device, is operative for communicating with a mobile financial transaction system (MFTS) that facilitates the making and receiving of payments via wireless mobile devices. The downloadable mobile device application is provided via a download system that downloads the application to mobile devices according to download procedures appropriate for a particular type of mobile device. When a payment is made to a payee having a mobile device, system communicates a message to the payee's mobile device that informs that a payment has been made and instructs the payee about the downloadable mobile device application. If the mobile device user/payee downloads and installs the mobile device application on his or her mobile device and provides enrollment information, interaction between the MFTS and the mobile device user/payee is permitted, and payment is provided to the mobile device user as user/payee. |
| US08489065B2 |
Mobile device controller application for any security system
A method for using any mobile device to manage a security system in retail environments is disclosed in which an application or applet is installed on the mobile device providing a GUI for users to easily perform functions allowable by the security system. This method can be added to any legacy security system providing remote control and monitoring of the system via two-way communication links. Methods for processing touch inputs on mobile devices for security management are disclosed, including reading data from a multipoint sensing device such as a multipoint touchscreen, and identifying at least one multipoint gesture based on data from the multipoint sensing device. These functions provide vast improvements in retail security by providing store personnel earliest possible theft detection, higher level theft prevention than previously possible, communication between mobile devices in security systems, and evidence provided to law enforcement faster than ever possible. |
| US08489064B2 |
Integrated services user part (ISUP)/session initiation protocol (SIP) gateway for unlicensed mobile access (UMA) emergency services call flow
An ISUP/SIP gateway is implemented to encapsulate SS7 location requests from a switched telephone network into an Internet protocol SIP message including one or more location objects. The ISUP/SIP gateway is implemented between a mobile switching center (MSC) and a VoIP positioning center (VPC) to provide support of unlicensed mobile access (UMA) voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call routing, e.g., for E9-1-1, 4-1-1, 2-1-1, etc. The disclosed location objects that are encapsulated into a SIP message includes calling party number, called party number, CGI, International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), mobility indicator, and/or access point MAC address. At the SIP/ISUP gateway, SS7 integrated services user part (ISUP) location request messages are encapsulated within SIP. The SIP encapsulated location request message is then routed over the Internet to a destination VoIP positioning center (VPC). |
| US08489060B2 |
Emergency alert system instructional media
Emergency instructional messages are utilized to provide instructions to a user in the event of an emergency. The instructional message may be various media, including, but not limited to, text, images, video, audio, and/or multimedia. The instructional message can be prerecorded and stored in a mobile device and/or on a communications network. Instructional message may be provided manually by an alert initiator and/or automatically based upon a type of alert. The instructional message may be initiated based upon the initiation of an emergency alert system (EAS) transmission, the occurrence of an event, a designated person, or a security violation, for example. Further, the instructional message may be tailored depending upon a location, such as the expected or determined location of the intended recipient or communication device of the instructional message. |
| US08489054B2 |
Millimeter wave oscillator
An oscillator is described, comprising at least one transistor having a first terminal connected to a power supply voltage. The oscillator comprises at least one inductive element connected to a second terminal of the transistor and to a bias voltage and at least one capacitive element coupled between a third terminal of the transistor and ground. The oscillator further comprises means to collect the output signal of the oscillator on the second terminal of the transistor. The oscillator is of the millimeter wave type, i.e., both the inductive element and the capacitive element are sized such that the oscillation frequency is between 30 and 300 gigahertz. |
| US08489051B2 |
Low-power and noise-cancelling wideband receiver front-end
One embodiment of the present invention provides a receiver for wireless communication. The receiver includes a group of band-pass filters (BPFs), a wideband amplifier coupled to the BPFs, and a tunable demodulator coupled to the wideband amplifier. A particular BPF is configured to filter RF signals at a particular frequency band. The wideband amplifier is configured to amplify the filtered RF signals. The tunable demodulator is configured to demodulate the amplified RF signals. |
| US08489047B2 |
Transmitter linearized using bias deviation gain adjustment and method therefor
A transmitter (50) includes a low power memoryless nonlinear predistorter (58) that inserts predistortion configured to address a nonlinearity (146) corresponding to gain droop and another nonlinearity (148) corresponding to deviations from an average bias condition. When efforts are taken to reduce memory effects, such as configuring a network of components (138) that couple to an HPA (114) to avoid resonance frequencies within a video bandwidth (140), high performance linearization at low power results without extending linearization beyond that provided by the memoryless nonlinear predistorter (58). Each nonlinearity is addressed by applying gain to a communication signal (54). The amount of gain applied is determined by a look-up table (170) for one nonlinearity (146) and by a look-up table (198) in combination with a differentiator (202) for the other nonlinearity (148). The look-up tables (170, 198) are updated in accordance with modified LMS control loops. |
| US08489044B2 |
System and method for reducing or eliminating temperature dependence of a coherent receiver in a wireless communication device
In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include generating a first current equal to a bandgap voltage divided by a resistance selected to approximately match a process resistance integral to a receiver. The method may further include generating a second current equal to temperature-dependent current multiplied by a predetermined scaling factor. The method may also include subtracting the second current from the first current to generate a bias current. The method may additionally include providing the bias current to the receiver. |
| US08489041B2 |
Multi-element amplitude and phase compensated antenna array with adaptive pre-distortion for wireless network
An improved communication system and method employing an actively controlled antenna array architecture is disclosed. The array contains a plurality of driven radiating elements that are spatially arranged having a pair of radiating elements fed with an RF signal predistorted so as to provide a controlled variation of the antenna array's elevation radiation pattern. High power amplifier (PA) efficiency is maintained by adaptive predistortion, coupled to each high power PA, while providing beam tilt and side lobe control. |
| US08489039B2 |
Beamformed multi-input multiple-output communication with uplink transmission rotation
Techniques are provided to enable computation of beamforming weights for beamforming MIMO wireless communication between first and second wireless communication devices. At the first device comprising a first plurality of antennas, signals are received that are wirelessly transmitted from a different one of a second plurality of antennas of the second device during a corresponding one of a plurality of time slots. The first device computes beamforming weights from the received signals. When signals are to be transmitted from the first device to the second device, the first device applies the beamforming weights to signals to be transmitted from the first plurality of antennas of the first device to the second plurality of antennas of the second device. |
| US08489035B2 |
Radio communication transceiver
A radio communication transceiver includes a transformer, a switch, a power amplifier (AP), and a low noise amplifier (LNA). The transformer has a primary winding and a center-tap secondary winding, the primary winding has a first endpoint and a second endpoint, and the center-tap secondary winding has a first endpoint, a second endpoint, and a third endpoint. The switch has a gate, a drain, and a source, in which the gate receives a control signal (CS), the drain is connected to the second endpoint of the primary winding of the transformer through a coupling capacitor, and the source is grounded. The PA has at least one output terminal connected to the first endpoint and the second endpoint of the center-tap secondary winding of the transformer. The LNA has an input terminal connected to the second endpoint of the primary winding of the transformer. |
| US08489034B1 |
Antenna switching with a single receive chain
In order to improve the communication performance and communication reliability of an electronic device, a communication quality metric is determined based on information communicated via a wireless network using a single antenna. For example, the communication quality metric may be determined based on acknowledgment (ACK) and negative-acknowledgment (NACK) messages in the communicated information or a number of packets retransmitted and a number of new packets transmitted in the communicated information. Then, one of at least two antennas is selected based on the determined communication quality metric. In this way, the electronic device may effectively use a single receive chain to provide improved communication of the information. |
| US08489033B1 |
Enhanced wideband transceiver
A method for operating an integrated transceiver, comprising coupling an operating transmitter and an operating receiver within the integrated wideband receiver, inputting a signal into the operating transmitter, performing a first conversion of the signal, wherein the signal is converted into a second signal, transmitting the second signal into the operating receiver, performing a second conversion of the signal, wherein the signal is converted into a third signal, transmitting the third signal into the operating transmitter, and adjusting the operating transmitter. |
| US08489031B2 |
Interferer detection and interference reduction for a wireless communications network
An apparatus, system, method and program detect and reduce interference in cell sites of a wireless communications network. A cell site from the cell sites of the wireless communications network is selected and signal code power measurements from mobile devices in the cell site are received so that the sources of signals being transmitted to the mobile devices can be determined. Interfering sources are determined based on the signal code power measurements and the active set of sources for the mobile devices. The signal code power measurements are summed and ranked, and interfering transmitters associated with the ranked signal code power measurements for the interfering sources are determined. The same procedure is repeated for all cell sites of the wireless communications network, and the transmitter that is an interfering source for the highest number of cell sites is selected as a problem (interfering) transmitter. The parameters of the problem transmitter and the corresponding antenna are altered and performance of the wireless network in a critical zone around the problem transmitter and interference in the cell sites interfered by the problem transmitter are monitored. Altering of the parameters of the problem transmitter and the corresponding antenna is performed continuously until a desired interference reduction is achieved in the cell sites interfered by the problem transmitter. |
| US08489028B2 |
System and method to enable resource partitioning in wireless networks
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate improved resource partitioning and interference management in a wireless communication system. Techniques are described herein for the transmission and use of various types of signaling, such as Access Request commands, Reverse Link Special Resource Utilization Message (R-SRUM) signaling, Forward Link Special Resource Utilization Message (F-SRUM) signaling, and the like, for managing interference associated with range extension, restricted association networks, and other jamming scenarios. As described herein, downlink resource coordination and interference management are accomplished through the use of Access Request or R-SRUM signaling conducted in a unicast or broadcast fashion, and uplink resource coordination and interference management are accomplished through the use of F-SRUM signaling. As further described herein, a clean communication channel such as a Low Reuse Preamble (LRP) channel can be utilized for interference management signaling and/or leveraged for determining timing of various signaling messages. |
| US08489026B2 |
Systems and methods for noise cancellation and power management in a wireless headset
This includes systems and methods for noise cancellation and power management in a wireless headset. The wireless headset can perform noise cancellation by using two or more omni-directional microphones to generate a noise canceling “cone.” Audio signals received outside of the cone can be filtered out. An accelerometer can be used to determine the location of the wireless headset and the system can then properly position the cone to face the user's voice and filter out other audio signals. Additionally, by monitoring the ambient noise, the system can save power by turning off the noise cancellation system when the amount of ambient noise is below a threshold value. |
| US08489025B2 |
Method for transmitting magnetic resonance signals with double frequency conversion
Front bandpass filters that are essentially transmissive only between a minimum frequency and a maximum frequency filter the magnetic resonance signals. Front frequency mixers mix output signals of each of the bandpass filters with a front LO frequency that is standard for all the magnetic resonance signals. Rear bandpass filters that are essentially transmissive only around a front intermediate frequency filter the output signals of the front frequency mixers. Rear frequency mixers mix output signals of each of the rear bandpass filters with a respective constant rear LO frequency. Frequency filters that are transmissive for frequencies in the range of the difference of the rear LO frequency that is supplied to the rear frequency mixer arranged upstream thereof and the front intermediate frequency filter the output signals of the rear frequency mixers. Output signals of the frequency filters are combined into a common signal, which is transmitted onward. |
| US08489019B2 |
Signal repeater utilizing beamforming for spatial isolation
A repeater device may be utilized to enable forwarding extreme high frequency (EHF) communication between EHF-enabled wireless devices. The repeater device may utilize spatial isolation to prevent and/or reduce interference between received and transmitted EHF RF signals, wherein reception and/or transmission of EHF RF signals in the repeater device may be performed via narrow beams that may enable minimal interference by transmit EHF RF signals to reception of EHF RF. The repeater device may utilize phased arrays to enable performing beamforming, and signal processing operations, including shift and/or amplitude adjustment, may be performed on signals received and/or transmitted via antenna elements in the phased arrays to enable beamforming during reception and transmission of EHF RF signals. Signal processing operations performed in the repeater device may be modifiable to enable continued spatial isolation between receive and transmit EHF RF signal in the repeater device. |
| US08489005B2 |
Image forming apparatus, alignment pattern forming method, and computer-readable recording medium having toner image alignment program recorded therein
Generally, according to an embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a belt, a sensor whose detection area for a toner image is set on a belt surface, and an image control unit. The image control unit controls the image forming unit to form a toner image to be transferred to a sheet in a range different from the detection area in a direction of belt width, and to form alignment patterns at a position which is within a range where the toner image is formed in the direction of belt surface movement and which overlaps the detection area in the direction of belt width. |
| US08489001B2 |
Powder conveyance device and image forming apparatus using same
A powder conveyance device includes a powder container, a conveyance pipe extending downward and including first, second, and third conveyance portions disposed in that order, a first bent portion connecting together the first and second conveyance portions, bent in a direction to increase a horizontal gradient of the second conveyance portion from that of the first conveyance portion, and a second bent portion connecting together the second and third conveyance portions, bent in a direction to reduce a horizontal gradient of the third conveyance portion from that of the second conveyance portion, a powder conveyance member disposed inside the conveyance pipe, and a first powder regulator movably disposed inside the third conveyance portion of the conveyance pipe, to restrict an amount of powder discharged through the discharge port by varying a cross sectional area of a space present above a discharge port in the conveyance pipe. |
| US08489000B2 |
Developing apparatus for an image forming apparatus
A developing apparatus includes a developer container to store a developer, a conveyance member to convey the developer, and a discharge port to discharge the developer. The discharge port is at a position that is on one end side from a central portion of the conveyance member with respect to an axial direction of the conveyance member. A first region of the conveyance member may include a portion facing the discharge port that has a conveyance capacity that is lower than a conveyance capacity of a second region or has a conveyance capacity that is zero. The conveyance member includes a positioning unit that is provided on the one end side thereof in the axial direction to position the conveyance member in the axial direction by abutting on the developer container, and an urging unit to urge the positioning unit with respect to the developer container. |
| US08488998B2 |
Developing device and image forming apparatus including the same
A developing device comprising: a developer vessel that accommodates a developer containing a toner and a carrier; a toner supply port; a developing roller; a developer conveying passage; a developer conveying helical member; and a developer scooping member, wherein the developer conveying passage includes a first developer conveying passage and the a second developer conveying passage being defined by a partitioning plate, and a first communicating path and a second communicating path that establish a communication between the first and second developer conveying passage, the developer conveying helical member includes a first developer conveying helical member disposed in the first developer conveying passage, and a second developer conveying helical member disposed in the second developer conveying passage, the developer scooping member includes a first developer scooping member disposed near the first communicating path to send the developer in the first developer conveying passage into the second developer conveying passage, and a second developer scooping member disposed near the second communicating path to send the developer in the second developer conveying passage into the first developer conveying passage. |
| US08488996B2 |
Driving force transmission mechanism and image forming apparatus
A driving force transmission mechanism is provided. The driving force transmission mechanism includes an input member including a concave shape portion; a rotation driving shaft; and a driving force transmission member that is configured to rotate in a rotation direction of the rotation driving shaft together with the rotation driving shaft. A protrusion is formed on a surface of a tip end portion of the driving force transmission member, the surface is opposed to the concave shape portion, the protrusion is configured to be engaged, from an inner side, with an edge of the concave shape portion when the tip end portion is in a contact with the edge of the concave shape portion and is tilted. |
| US08488994B2 |
Electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system with transfer-medium service loops
An additive manufacturing system for printing a three-dimensional part using electrophotography, the additive manufacturing system including a rotatable photoconductor component, a development station configured to develop layers of a material on a surface of the rotatable photoconductor component, a rotatable transfer medium configured to receive the developed layers from the surface of the rotatable photoconductor component, and a platen configured to receive the developed layers from the rotatable transfer medium in a layer-by-layer manner. The additive manufacturing system also includes a plurality of service loops configured to move portions of the rotatable transfer medium at different line speeds while maintaining a net rotational rate of full rotations of the rotatable transfer medium at a substantially steady state. |
| US08488992B2 |
Development device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus
A development device includes a toner-containing chamber for containing supplied toner having an interior wall, a developer-containing chamber for containing developer including toner and carrier communicating with the toner-containing chamber; and a transport screw to transport the supplied toner from the toner-containing chamber to the developer-containing chamber, disposed in the toner-containing chamber so that there is no gap between the outer edge of the transport screw and the interior wall of the toner-containing chamber in a portion lower than a level of the supplied toner in the toner-containing chamber. |
| US08488991B2 |
Image forming device including retaining member that retains image bearing members and has cleaning member and guide unit where conveying belt is located in position defined by image bearing members, cleaning and guide unit
An image forming device includes a housing; a conveying belt, and a retaining member. The retaining member retains image bearing members that juxtaposed with and spaced apart from one another. The retaining member is slidingly movable relative to the housing in a direction that the image bearing members are juxtaposed. The retaining member retains the image bearing members to confront the conveying belt. The image bearing members and the conveying belt are arranged in a reference direction. The retaining member includes a cleaning member that removes residual developing agent from the conveying belt, and a guide unit that guides the recording medium to the conveying belt. The guide unit is located on the image bearing member side and the cleaning member is located on the conveying belt side. At least part of the guide unit overlaps at least part of the cleaning member when projected in the reference direction. |
| US08488989B2 |
Image forming device having exhaust channel for exhausting air out of the device
An image forming device includes a main casing, a process unit, a fixing unit, and a duct. The duct is disposed between the process unit and the fixing unit with respect to a direction in which a recording medium is conveyed. The duct defines an exhaust channel for exhausting air out of the main casing. The duct includes at least two partitioning walls extending in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, and is formed with at least three inlet ports partitioned by the partitioning walls in the first direction. |
| US08488981B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus using the same
A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressure member, and a damage detecting unit. The fixing member includes a heat-insulating elastic layer, to which a conductive thin-film layer is provided. The pressure member presses against the fixing member to form a fixing nip. The damage detecting unit detects the electric resistance of the thin-film layer. The damage detecting unit detects a change in the electric resistance of the thin-film layer, thereby detecting damage to the fixing member. Depending on the extent of the damage, the condition of conveyance of a recording medium to the fixing nip is changed. |
| US08488977B2 |
Time division multiple access over wavelength division multiplexed passive optical network
Provided is a time division multiple access over wavelength division multiplexed passive optical network (TDM-over-WDM-PON) system. According to the TDM-over-WDM-PON system, a downstream optical signal is separated according to a wavelength in a remote node, transmitted to an optical amplifying device located in subscriber equipment, amplified in the optical amplifying device, transmitted back to the remote node, and then transmitted to the subscriber equipment. Also, an upstream optical signal is transmitted to a wavelength converting device located in the subscriber equipment from the remote node, wavelength-converted in the wavelength converting device, returned back to the remote node, and then transmitted to a central office. |
| US08488972B2 |
Directional control/transmission system with directional light projector
A directional control/transmission system adapted with a directional light projector to mark the direction of signal control or transmission; comprised of a control or transmission system having a directional infrared or ultrasonic waves as a carrier adapted with a light projector to output a visible light-spot target to indicate control or transmission direction of directional infrared or ultrasonic waves; or to project the target on a monitor for auxiliary help; or to serve as a lighting beam; or to adjust focus for functioning as the light-spot target or selection of the lighting beam. |
| US08488971B2 |
Method, system and device for transmitting lighting device data
It is presented a method for transmitting lighting device data. The method comprises the steps of obtaining, in a lighting device, a subset of lighting device data, the lighting device data containing information of the lighting device, transmitting, from the lighting device, using light, the subset of lighting device data, and repeating the above steps until all subsets jointly corresponding to the complete lighting device data have been transmitted. A corresponding lighting device and lighting system are also presented. |
| US08488969B1 |
Intrapersonal data communication system
Intrapersonal communication systems and methods that provide an optical digital signal link between two or more local devices are disclosed. In some embodiments, the system includes a first signal converter disposed at a first end of the optical digital signal link and configured to convert between electrical digital signals from a first local device and optical digital signals from the optical digital signal link. The system can include an optical connector having a non-contact portion configured to couple optical digital signals between the first signal converter and the optical digital signal link across a gap. The system can include a second signal converter disposed at a second end of the optical digital signal link and configured to convert between electrical digital signals from the second local device and optical digital signals from the optical digital signal link. |
| US08488967B2 |
System and method for OCDMA-based photonic layer security robustness to archival attack
A system and method for transporting encrypted data having a transmitter and a receiver is provided. The transmitter generates a sequence of optical pulses, which are copied and output as identical channels. The identical channels are modulated by a plurality of modulators using data to generate a modulated data signal. Respective spectral phase encoders coupled to each of the plurality of data modulators encode respective modulated data signals using a plurality of mutually orthogonal phase codes that are individually associated with the respective spectral phase encoder. These encoded data signals are combined and code-scrambling by a spectral phase scrambler using a scramble code as an encryption key to generate an encrypted signal. A receiver reverses the encryption to extract the data. |
| US08488964B2 |
Line control method in optical network and optical network itself
In an access network using optical switches, communications between an OLT and ONUs are established without a photoelectric conversion performed at an optical switching unit.The OLT controls the downlink optical switch SW(DOWN) to sequentially select each ONU in slots arranged in a discrete manner, and transmits a Discovery Gate message. Upon receipt of the Discovery Gate message, each ONU consecutively transmits Register Request messages. The uplink optical switch SW(UP) sequentially switch signals from ONU#1 through ONU#128 in the slots arranged in a discrete manner, and outputs the signals to the OLT, Some of the Register Requests transmitted from the respective ONUs pass through the SW(UP), and reach the OLT. Based on the received Register Requests, the OLT determines the timing of transmission for the ONUS, and notifies the ONUS of the timing of transmission through a Gate message. |
| US08488963B2 |
Link diversity and load balancing across digital and optical express-thru nodes
The present invention provides a system, apparatus and method to compute a route through a network having both digital nodes and optical express-thru nodes. According to various embodiments of the invention, a network topology is generated in which both digital nodes, optical express-thru nodes, and optical nodes are identified, and both physical and virtual links between these nodes are mapped. The network connectivity is identified, at least in part, by broadcasting a local link state advertisement and optical carrier group binding information to neighboring nodes, which enables both physical and virtual neighboring nodes to be identified. Once a topology is generated, both physical and virtual link characteristics are analyzed to ensure link diversity for traffic through the network and load balancing functionality across the network. |
| US08488961B2 |
Dispersion determining apparatus and automatic dispersion compensating system using the same
A dispersion determining apparatus comprises a received waveform monitoring part (1) and a dispersion amount determining part (4). The received waveform monitoring part (1) has a waveform monitoring circuit (2) that samples data from the received waveform of a received signal having propagated along a transmission path, and a histogram extracting circuit (3) that extracts, based on the sampled data obtained by the waveform monitoring circuit (2), a histogram data representative of the intensity distribution in the voltage direction of the received waveform. The dispersion amount determining part (4) has a polarized wave dispersion estimating circuit (7) that determines the horizontally asymmetric degree of a received eye-pattern waveform of the received waveform obtained by analyzing the histogram data extracted by the received waveform monitoring part (1) and then estimates, based on the determined asymmetric degree, a polarized wave dispersion amount in the transmission path. |
| US08488960B2 |
Synchronizing events on a communications network using a virtual command interface
A virtual network operating center and a virtual command interface synchronize events occurring on a wavelength division multiplexed network with processing events in a connected server. Should a disaster or other interruption of the network occur, the virtual command interface synchronizes events which occur on the network and any attached servers or server clusters with a reference clock coupled to the server. An event queue connected to the virtual command interface preserves the order of messages having a time stamp and compares the timestamps with the reference clock coupled to the server which is used to determine data integrity. The queued events may be encoded as XML device call to update the representation of the network or portions thereof in the virtual network operation center. |
| US08488957B2 |
Actuator and camera module having same
An actuator includes a base, a stationary frame mounted on the base, a moveable frame received in the stationary frame and supported on the base, a shaft mounted on a side surface of the moveable frame, a magnet, a flexible printed circuit, a piezoelectric motor, and a position sensor. The magnet is mounted on the side surface of the moveable frame and apart from the shaft. The flexible printed circuit is mounted on a sidewall of the stationary frame in an unfolded state. The piezoelectric motor is mounted on the flexible printed circuit and matches with the shaft. The position sensor is mounted on the flexible printed circuit and apart from the piezoelectric motor. The position sensor is configured for detecting the location of the magnet. |
| US08488953B2 |
Filament lamp
A filament lamp is provided. The filament lamp includes: a long light emitting section including a plurality of filaments aligned with one another in an axial direction of the light emitting section, wherein electric power is independently supplied to each of the filaments; a sealing section that seals the light emitting section, including: a first sealing section provided at one end of the light emitting section; and a second sealing section provided at the other end of the light emitting section; a plurality of metal foils embedded in the sealing section; a plurality of external leads each connected to a corresponding one of the metal foils and extending from the sealing section to the outside; and a plurality of glass pipes each provided on the sealing section so as to cover a corresponding one of the external leads. |
| US08488952B2 |
Aromatic vaporizer
The embodiments described are directed to a vaporizer having a housing with a vaporizing chamber formed therein. A fine mesh conductive screen is disposed inside the vaporizing chamber for generation of heat through electrical resistance. The housing includes an aperture to the vaporizing chamber and an exhaust aperture for evacuating vapors by a user. |
| US08488951B2 |
Multimedia framework to provide ultra-low power multimedia playback
A method of multimedia processing includes providing a multimedia processor operating at a frequency lower than that of a central processor of a multimedia processing system. A multimedia framework is implemented in the multimedia processing system. The multimedia framework is utilized to execute, on the multimedia processor, one or more of reading an input, transforming a data based on the reading of the input, and placing an output based on the transforming of the data on a rendering device. Power dissipated in the multimedia processing system is reduced by solely executing a requisite parsing on the central processor of the multimedia processing system. |
| US08488949B2 |
Information recording medium, information recording/playback method, and information recording/playback apparatus
A digital stream signal complying with MPEG-TS is handled as stream object ESOB. The ESOB is recorded in unit of stream object unit ESOBU which includes one or more pack/packet groups. Each pack/packet group has a pack/packet group header at its head position, and stores one or more TS packets after the pack/packet group header. |
| US08488947B2 |
Apparatus for and method of recording information, apparatus for and method of reproducing information, recording medium, and information recording medium
Provided is an information recording apparatus which, in a state where the content of moving picture image information, etc. can be prevented from being inadvertently recognized by the user due to inadvertent presentation to the user of a relevant representative picture image, enables recording the respective information into a recording medium. A reproduction list PL that is to be reproduced is not only recorded into an optical disc 1 but is there also recorded in it a reproduction list display prohibition flag PHF indicating at least whether limiting the display of a representative picture image that represents the content of the reproduction list PL. |
| US08488945B2 |
Recording apparatus, method for controlling recording apparatus, control program of recording apparatus, and computer-readable recording medium
A recording/reproducing apparatus (115) includes a storage section (117) having a content attribute database (DB1) and a point database (DB2). Further, a point calculating section (120) of the recording/reproducing apparatus (115) extracts attribute information sets for each content item from the content attribute database (DB1). Further, deletion factor points associated with deletion factors corresponding to the extracted attribute information sets are extracted from the point database (DB2) for each content item, and evaluation points are calculated in accordance with the extracted plural deletion factor points. This allows the user to appropriately reserve a space required in a recording medium. |
| US08488944B2 |
Broadcast program recording apparatus and control method for the same
In a broadcast program recording apparatus 101 that is capable of recording an event relayed program, each of first and second receiving units 102 and 103 receives digital broadcast signals. A control unit 112 reads out program information stored in a memory 111, and determines whether the program being received by the first receiving unit 102 and recorded on a storage 110 is a relay source program or not. Then, in a case in which the receiving unit 102 is receiving the relay source program, channel selection is carried out so that the second receiving unit 103 receives a relay destination program a certain period of time before the end time of that program. |
| US08488943B1 |
Trimming media content without transcoding
Systems and methods for editing an MP4 multimedia container without transcoding are disclosed herein. Editing operations can be accomplished by transforming data included in the multimedia container rather than by transforming raw data streams and then reconverting to MP4 (or another) file format. In response to a target range that identifies a portion of the media content to maintain, a corresponding sample range in terms of the MP4 format can be constructed and data outside that range can be discarded, e.g., from the mdat atom and the sample tables atom(s). |
| US08488941B2 |
Coded data control device
Necessary coded data only can be read out at random accessing even with recording medium having coded data recorded thereon but whose code quantity is out of proportion to time. Once a recording medium was loaded into a recorder-player connected with a coded-data control device, the device reads control data from the recording medium and stores the data in a coded data control portion. At random accessing, the control data is read-out from the coded-data control portion and entered into a recording medium controller which in turn controls the recording medium to read-out only desired data according to the information inputted from the coded data control portion. In random access playback, fast playback from the midway of a video-sequence can be realized by accessing coded data of a video frame by using control data. |
| US08488939B2 |
Recording apparatus, software update data acquisition method, program, and data delivery system
A recording apparatus includes a delivery schedule information acquisition section, an update reservation section, and an update data acquisition section. The delivery schedule information acquisition section acquires information on a delivery schedule of update data for updating control software, the update data being delivered from an update delivery server by an IP multicast system. The update reservation section generates, based on the information on the delivery schedule acquired by the delivery schedule information acquisition section, acquisition reservation information of the update data. The update data acquisition section acquires the update data based on the acquisition reservation information generated by the update reservation section. |
| US08488937B2 |
Light distribution assembly
A light distribution assembly includes a housing having a longitudinal length and having one or more light sources mounted to the housing. The light distribution assembly also includes a coupler section having a body extending from the housing along a longitudinal axis between a light entry end and a light exit end. The light entry end has a major axis extending in a first direction and the light exit end has a major axis extending in a second direction, wherein the coupler section is shaped such that the body is rotated about the longitudinal axis of the coupler section so that first direction is approximately perpendicular relative to the second direction. One or more light pipes are attached to the light exit end of the coupler section. |
| US08488934B2 |
High density fiber distribution hub
The present invention relates to a fiber distribution hub. The fiber distribution hub comprises a base case comprising at least one port portion for introducing an optical cable, wherein the optical cable includes a first fiber; a splitter case releasably attached to the base case; a splice tray rotatably hinged to the splitter case; and a cover engagable with the base case to enclose the splitter case and the splice tray. The first fiber is connected to a second fiber in the splice tray, and the second fiber is connected with a splitter in the splitter case to separate the second fiber into a plurality of separate third fibers. Thus, the invention provides a compact and modular fiber distribution hub. In addition, the fiber distribution hub can join optical fibers by mechanical splices, fusion splices and fiber optic connectors in a single unit. |
| US08488930B2 |
Wavelength converting illumination probe
Disclosed is an exemplary wavelength converting illumination probe having an illumination probe that can be selectively connected to a light source configured to generate light at a first wavelength range. The illumination probe including a lumen defining an aperture in a distal end of the illumination probe for emitting light. The wavelength converting illumination probe further including a wavelength converting element disposed within the lumen of the illumination probe. The wavelength converting element operable for receiving light from the light source at the first wavelength range, and converting the light to a second wavelength range. |
| US08488923B2 |
Multimode optical coupler interfaces
Optical interfaces that may be employed between large-core optical fibers and chip-scale optoelectronic devices. Described herein are couplers that improve the tolerance of misalignment when a single mode (SM) fiber is used as waveguide input. This enables the possibility of passive/automatic alignment and therefore reduces the production cost. The coupler also serves as a spot-size converter that reduces the spot size and is suitable for applications where a waveguide mode with small cross-section area is of particular importance. One such example can be a waveguide-based SiGe or III-V semiconductor photodetector in which the vertical size of its waveguide mode should be as small as few microns. |
| US08488922B2 |
Multi-channel dispersion compensator
A multi-channel dispersion compensator comprising an optical signal waveguide that forms an input end for receiving an optical signal and an output end for providing a filtered optical signal. The multi-channel dispersion compensator also includes a series of closed-loop resonators providing frequency delay to at least one channel of the optical signal. The optical signal waveguide and each closed-loop resonator form a tunable coupler having a coupling value. The coupling value for each tunable coupler is selected to minimize constant dispersion and linear slope dispersion of the optical signal. Methods of fabrication and use are also described. |
| US08488920B2 |
Optical PCB and a method of making an optical PCB
The invention provides an optical printed circuit board, comprising: plural polymer waveguide sections from independent waveguides, each of the sections being doped with an amplifying dopant; an optical pump source to pump the plural polymer waveguide sections, wherein the plural waveguide sections are arranged close or adjacent to one another such that a the optical pump source is able to pump plural of the optical waveguide sections. |
| US08488919B1 |
Apparatus for combining multiple signals as depolarized output
The present invention is related to designs of optical devices for combining optical signals or sources at different wavelengths to generate depolarized outputs combining the optical signals. According to one aspect of the present invention, an optical apparatus comprises N different inputs, each having a wavelength and a combining mechanism receiving the N different inputs and combining the N different inputs to produce N outputs, each of the outputs being coupled to a series of optical recirculation depolarizers to produce combined and depolarized outputs. |
| US08488916B2 |
Knowledge acquisition nexus for facilitating concept capture and promoting time on task
Described herein is an interactive digital software program and hardware that enables rapid acquisition of textual or audio subject matter, its conversion to editable text and immediate compression into a user understandable summary. The software program maximizes “time on task” while minimizing the time-consuming steps of “concept capture” and “compression”. The instant invention provides an accurate condensate of textual subject matter in a fraction of the time it would take to prepare such a document by manual note taking. In a single step, mobile devices such as cameras, camera phones, tablets, iPODs™, scanners and the like rapidly capture textual images convert them to OCR and to a user understandable summary in a fraction of the time it takes to process such a document by manual note taking. With more study time available for repetitious practice of the lesson, the user improves preparedness and performance on tests and presentations. |
| US08488915B2 |
Automatic video quality measurement system and method based on spatial-temporal coherence metrics
An automatic video quality (AVQ) metric system for evaluating the quality of processed video and deriving an estimate of a subjectively determined function called Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF). The AVQ system has a blockiness metric, a streakiness metric, and a blurriness metric. The blockiness metric can be used to measure compression artifacts in processed video. The streakiness metric can be used to measure network artifacts in the processed video. The blurriness metric can measure the degradation (i.e., blurriness) of the images in the processed video to detect compression artifacts. |
| US08488914B2 |
Electronic apparatus and image processing method
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes an indexing module, a select module, a first image extraction module and a playback module. The indexing module is configured to generate index information indicative of attributes of a plurality of still images. The select module is configured to select a style. The first image extraction module is configured to extract a first still image group from the plurality of still images corresponding to the style, based on the index information. The playback module is configured to play back a moving picture by using the first still image group. |
| US08488910B2 |
Image provision for registration
The invention relates to a device and a method for providing a basis for registering a three-dimensional model of an anatomical region with two-dimensional projection images, by deriving a three-dimensional model of an anatomical region at a phase of a periodic signal; deriving two-dimensional projection images of a region which overlaps with the anatomical region re-constructed as the three-dimensional model; pre-5 selecting a subset of projection images out of the derived two-dimensional projection images, which are closest to the phase; and selecting a reference image for the registration from the subset of pre-selected projection images by choosing the projection image with the most contrast. |
| US08488909B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method and imaging apparatus
A composite image is generated by a method including: detecting at least one in a captured image; judging arrangement of the at least one subject by an arithmetic operation; selecting at least one composition-purpose image at random in accordance with the arrangement of the at least one subject; determining arrangement of the selected at least one composition-purpose image at random so that the at least one composition-purpose image does not overlap with one another and does not overlap with the detected at least one subject; and generating a composite image by combining the captured image with the at least one composition-purpose image. |
| US08488901B2 |
Content based adjustment of an image
A video input signal is analyzed to detect image content and image properties, wherein detecting the image content includes automatically deriving image features. A content group is determined for the video input signal based on the detected image content, the content group including predefined image properties. The image properties of the video input signal are adjusted based on a difference between the detected image properties and the predefined image properties. |
| US08488900B2 |
Identifying and redressing shadows in connection with digital watermarking and fingerprinting
The present disclosure relates generally to cell phones and cameras, and to shadow detection in images captured by such cell phones and cameras. One claim recites a method comprising: identifying a shadow cast by a camera on a subject being imaged; and using a programmed electronic processor, redressing the shadow in connection with: i) reading a digital watermark from imagery captured of the subject, or ii) calculating a fingerprint from the imagery captured of the subject. Another claim recites a method comprising: identifying a shadow cast by a cell phone on a subject being imaged by a camera included in the cell phone; and using a programmed electronic processor, determining a proximity of the camera to the subject based on an analysis of the shadow. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided too. |
| US08488899B2 |
Image processing apparatus, method and recording medium
A filter coefficient calculating unit 81 sets as a filter window a range, which contains plural coordinates including an attention coordinate “p” in an initial alpha map, and uses a pixel value Ip at a coordinate of an original image corresponding to a coordinate “p” in the filter window and a pixel value Iq at a coordinate of the original image corresponding to a coordinate “q” in the filter window to calculate a filter coefficient Kq at the coordinate “q” on a coordinate to coordinate basis in the filter window. That is, a filter coefficient set is created, which consists of filter coefficients calculated on a coordinate to coordinate basis in the filter window. A weighted-average filtering unit 83 uses the filter coefficient set to apply a weighted-average filtering operation on each pixel value in the filter window. |
| US08488896B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus and an image processing method blurs a background portion of an image. The image processing apparatus includes an image acquiring unit for acquiring original image data; an image processing unit for separating background pixels from foreground pixels in the original image; an image filtering unit for filtering the background pixels; and an image merging unit for merging the foreground pixels with the filtered background pixels in order to generate a new image having a blurred background. |
| US08488895B2 |
Laser scanning digital camera with pupil periphery illumination and potential for multiply scattered light imaging
A portable, lightweight digital imaging device uses a slit scanning arrangement to obtain an image of the eye, in particular the retina. In at least one embodiment, a digital retinal imaging device includes an illumination source operable to produce a source beam, wherein the source beam defines an illumination pathway, a scanning mechanism operable to cause a scanning motion of the illumination pathway in one dimension with respect to a target, an optical element situated within the illumination pathway, the optical element operable to focus the illumination pathway into an illumination slit at a plane conjugate to the target, wherein the illumination slit is slit shaped, a first two dimensional detector array operable to detect illumination returning from the target and acquire one or more data sets from the detected illumination, wherein the returning illumination defines a detection pathway, and a shaping mechanism positioned within the illumination pathway, wherein the shaping mechanism shapes the source beam into at least one arc at a plane conjugate to the pupil. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the digital retinal imaging device is operable to minimize at least one aberration from the optical element or an unwanted reflection from the target or a reflection from a device. |
| US08488894B2 |
Method and system for dot-matrix font data compression and decompression
A method and system are provided for compressing and/or decompressing a set of dot-matrix font characters. According to a compression method, each dot-matrix font character is divided into a horizontal image including horizontal (stroke) image pattern(s), a vertical image including vertical (stroke) image pattern(s), and a residual image including residual image pattern(s) obtained by removing the horizontal and vertical images from the original character. Then, the Huffman coding is applied to each of a set of the horizontal image patterns, a set of the vertical image patterns, and a set of the residual image patterns, respectively, to produce compressed horizontal codes for the horizontal image patterns in a horizontal Huffman table, compressed vertical codes for the vertical image patterns in a vertical Huffman table, and compressed residual codes for the residual image patterns in a residual Huffman table. The compressed horizontal, vertical, and residual codes are selectively combined into a bit string that represents a compressed form of each character. |
| US08488892B2 |
Image encoder and camera system
A compression controller is capable of executing prediction mode selection for selecting any one of forward prediction, backward prediction, or bidirectional prediction as a prediction mode used for encoding based on spatial frequencies of an image to be encoded. The compression controller determines whether or not to execute the prediction mode selection based on image mobility information indicating an amount of motion in the image to be encoded. |
| US08488888B2 |
Classification of posture states
Systems and methods for estimating a posture of a body part of a user are disclosed. In one disclosed embodiment, an image is received from a sensor, where the image includes at least a portion of an image of the user including the body part. The skeleton information of the user is estimated from the image, a region of the image corresponding to the body part is identified at least partially based on the skeleton information, and a shape descriptor is extracted for the region and the shape descriptor is classified based on training data to estimate the posture of the body part. |
| US08488887B2 |
Method of determining an image distribution for a light field data structure
The invention relates to a method of determining an image distribution (Dopt) for a light field data structure, which method comprises obtaining a plurality of images (F1, F2, . . . , Fn) from a plurality of image sources (C1, C2, . . . , Cn), performing image analysis on each image (F1, F2, . . . , Fn) of the plurality of images (F1, F2, . . . , Fn) to determine whether a specified criterion is satisfied by the content of that image (F1, F2, . . . , Fn), and identifying a group (12) of images (F1, F2, . . . , Fn) whose contents satisfy the specified criterion. The image group (12) is compared to each reference image distribution (D1, D2, . . . , Dm) of a set of predefined reference image distributions (D1, D2, . . . , Dm,) to select an optimal image distribution (Dopt), wherein a reference image distribution (D1, D2, . . . , Dm) comprises a predefined arrangement of I-images and P-images of the light field data structure. Each image (F1, F2, . . . , Fn) of the plurality of images (F1, F2, . . . , Fn) of the light field data structure is subsequently designated to be either an I-image or a P-image according to the selected image distribution (Dopt). The invention also describes a system (1) for determining an image distribution (Dopt) for a light field data structure. |
| US08488886B2 |
Font matching
Methods, computer readable media, and apparatuses for font matching are presented. A glyph may be received and processed. The processing of the received glyph may include reducing the glyph, computing bounds associated with the glyph, and normalizing the glyph. The processed glyph may be compared to a repository of image prototypes. The comparison may include determining a distance of the processed glyph from one or more the image prototypes, sorting the determined distances, and selecting one or more of the image prototypes based on the determined distances. Additional techniques may be used to enhance the resolution or accuracy associated with the various methods and algorithms. |
| US08488885B2 |
Method and apparatus for using pressure information for improved computer controlled handwriting recognition data entry and user authentication
A method and system utilizing both (x, y) coordinate (“spatial”) stroke data and associated pressure information for improved handwriting recognition. The method and system can also be applied to all types of handwriting-based data entry applications and also to user authentication. The digitizer pad used in the computer system gives both spatial information and associated pressure data when a stroke is being drawn thereon, e.g., by a stylus. Pressure information can be used to differentiate between different character sets, e.g., upper case and lower case characters for certain alphabetic characters. The spatial stroke data then identifies the particular character. The pressure information can also be used to adjust any display attribute, such as character font size, font selection, color, italic, bold, underline, shadow, language, etc. The associated pressure information can also be used for recognizing a signature. In this case, a user is allowed to sign a name on the digitizer pad. This provides non-character based user authentication that relies not only on the spatial stroke data but also on the pressure applied at different points in the signed name or image. Pressure information can also be used to provide improved handwriting-based data entry. For instance, in a drafting program, the pressure of a drawn line can be used to determine its width. Generally, pressure data can also be used to improve handwriting recognition tasks and heuristics. |
| US08488884B2 |
Method and apparatus for operating, interfacing and/or managing for at least one optical characteristic system for container handlers in a container yard
Methods and several apparatus embodiments are disclosed operating Optical Characteristic Systems (OCS) in a container storage and/or transfer yard supporting the automated recognition of container codes displayed on various sides of the containers being stored and/or transferred. At least one processor may initiate an operational process by an OCS mounted on a container handler to create an operational result, select the operational process based upon an operational schedule and communicate with at least one OCS to receive an image of a container being handled by the container handler to at least partly create a container code estimate for a container inventory management system. A program system directing at least one computer implementing these operations, and may reside in computer readable memory, an installation package and/or a download server. The computer readable memory may or may not be accessibly coupled to the computer. |
| US08488881B2 |
Object segmentation at a self-checkout
Techniques are provided. The techniques include capturing an image of an object at a self-checkout, dividing the image into one or more blocks, computing one or more features of the image, computing a confidence value for each of the one or more blocks, wherein computing a confidence value for each of the one or more blocks comprises using a minimum feature distance from one or more reference background blocks, and eliminating one or more blocks from consideration via use of an adaptive threshold computed on the confidence value for each of the one or more blocks, wherein the one or more blocks remaining map to a region of the image containing the object. |
| US08488872B2 |
Stereo image processing apparatus, stereo image processing method and program
An imaging device (100) includes: an imaging element (103) obtained by repeatedly arranging a pixel W for entire wavelength band, a W-R pixel for R, a W-G pixel for G, and a W-B pixel for B; a filter (102) configured such that a portion corresponding to the pixel W allows the entire wavelength band of a wavelength band within a certain range to pass and portions corresponding to the W-R pixel, the W-G pixel, and the W-B pixel reflect wavelength bands of corresponding colors, respectively; a reflection amount calculating unit (113) for calculating signal values of R, G, and B by subtracting a value of an image reading signal of each of the W-R pixel, the W-G pixel, and the W-B pixel from a value of an image reading signal of the pixel W. |
| US08488871B2 |
Three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection apparatus
A three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection apparatus includes: an ultrasonic transducer disposed m×n piezoelectric vibrators in a matrix; a signal processing device to receive, detect an echo, and generate a three-dimensional image data by processing an electric signal of the echo detected; and a display processing device to display a result of processing the three-dimensional image data generated by the signal processing device, wherein the display processing device includes a peak detecting unit to detect a first peak and a second peak of an intensity distribution of the three-dimensional image data in a depth (z) direction, a joint portion image creation unit to create a three-dimensional image of the joined area by mapping z direction distance of the first peak and the second peak to x-y plane, a determination unit to determine whether the joined area is sound or not, and a display unit to display the three-dimensional image and the determination result of the joined area. |
| US08488870B2 |
Multi-resolution, multi-window disparity estimation in 3D video processing
A disparity value between corresponding pixels in a stereo pair of images, where the stereo pair of images includes a first view and a second view of a common scene, can be determined based on identifying a lowest aggregated matching cost for a plurality of support regions surrounding the pixel under evaluation. In response to the number of support regions having a same disparity value being greater than a threshold number, a disparity value indicator for the pixel under evaluation can be set to the same disparity value. |
| US08488868B2 |
Generation of a depth map from a monoscopic color image for rendering stereoscopic still and video images
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for generating a depth map from a digital monoscopic color image. The method includes the following general steps: a) obtaining a first color component of the MCI, said first color component corresponding to partial color information of the MCI; and, b) assigning depth values to pixels of the MCI based on values of the first color component of respective pixels for forming the depth map for the MCI. In one embodiment, the depth values are generated by adjusting and/or scaling of pixel values of the Cr chroma component of the monoscopic source color image in the Y′CbCr color system. |
| US08488862B2 |
Characterization of source trajectory for radiotherapy
Some embodiments include obtaining a projection image of a plurality of fiducials associated with a coordinate system irradiated by a radiotherapy radiation source at a plurality of discrete locations on a trajectory path model, determination of a projection matrix from projection images of the fiducials irradiated by the radiotherapy radiation source at each of the discrete locations, determination of the actual coordinate of the radiotherapy radiation source in the coordinate system associated with the fiducials at the plurality of discrete locations based on the determined projection matrices, and correlating the trajectory path model of the radiotherapy radiation source to the determined actual position of the radiotherapy radiation source at the discrete locations. |
| US08488861B2 |
System and method of automatic estimation of arterial input function for evaluation of blood flow
A system and method of determining hemodynamic parameters of a patient is described. A background image data set is obtained prior to the administration of a contrast agent. A series of image data sets is obtained during the first passage of the bolus through a parenchymal volume. The pre-contrast-agent image is subtracted from image data sets obtained during the first passage of the contrast agent bolus, so that the amount of contrast agent in the volume may be determined. The time series of the amount of contrast agent is computed to determine the arterial input function (AIF) which may be used to determine a tissue impulse response, and hemodynamic parameters such as cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV) and mean transit time (MTT). |
| US08488859B2 |
Method for fat fraction quantification in magnetic resonance imaging
A method for determining a concentration of fat within a region of a subject includes acquiring at least three gradient echo images from at least two different flip angles. The first and third images occur at an in-phase time when resonance signals of fat and water are in-phase with one another. The second images occur at an opposed-phase time when the resonance signals of fat and water are 180° out of phase with one another. T2* and T1 relaxation time maps are approximated based on the acquired images. Fat and water signals are distinguished based on observed relative signal phase. The amplitude of the fat and water signals are modulated using the T2* and T1 relaxation time maps. A ratio between fat and water signals for one or more voxels of the images is calculated based on the amplitude modulated fat and water signal images. |
| US08488856B2 |
Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method of analyzing images provided thereby
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a cine-imaging unit, a characterizing-part detecting unit, a motion-analyzing unit, and an image-extracting unit. First, the cine-imaging unit collects the time-series images of a region of interest in a subject and reconstructs an image. Next, the characterizing-part detecting unit detects the characteristics of the time-series images. The motion-analyzing unit analyzes motion-characteristic values of the characteristics extracted by the characterizing-part detecting unit. The image-extracting unit extracts a specified time-series image in accordance with the motion-characteristic values. |
| US08488855B2 |
Transportable PET insert
Methods and features of a transportable PET insert unit are disclosed. A transportable PET insert unit is provided. The transportable PET insert unit is operable to be coupled with a non-PET imaging system. The transportable PET insert unit is rented to a client. |
| US08488851B2 |
System and method for measuring light scattering in the eyeball or eye region by recording and processing retinal images
The invention relates to a system and method for measuring light diffusion in the eyeball or eye region, by recording and processing retinal images. The inventive system includes a double-pass ophthalmoscopic system having means for correcting low-order aberrations. Said system can be used to record images of the plane of the retina on a CCD camera, the outer part of said images containing information relating to ocular scattering. The aforementioned images can be used to obtain the objective scattering index (OSI), providing the ratio between the energy on the outer part of the image and the energy in the central part, or, alternatively, the modulation transfer function (MTF) area can be used for this purpose once the low frequencies have been filtered. According to the inventive method, the low-order aberrations are corrected before a retinal image or a temporal sequence of retinal images is captured and recorded. |
| US08488849B2 |
Image reconstruction using data ordering
Methods, systems and apparatuses for processing data associated with nuclear medical imaging techniques are provided. Data is ordered in LUT's and memory structures. Articles of manufacture are provided for causing computers to carry out aspects of the invention. Data elements are ordered into a plurality of ordered data groups according to a spatial index order, and fetched and processed in the spatial index order. The data elements include sensitivity matrix elements, PET annihilation event data, and system and image matrix elements, the data grouped in orders corresponding to their processing. In one aspect geometric symmetry of a PET scanner FOV is used in ordering the data and processing. In one aspect a system matrix LUT comprises total number of system matrix elements equal to a total number of image matrix elements divided by a total number of possible third index values. |
| US08488848B2 |
Visual voting method
The present invention is directed toward a system and a method for conducting a visual referendum of a subject including at least one voter, at least one referendum marker and at least one referendum answer. A digital image of the subject is first provided. The voter, referendum marker and referendum answer are then parsed of the subject from the digital image. A target referendum, a target voter and a target referendum answer are then identified based on the referendum marker, voter and referendum answer respectively. This is followed by associating the target referendum answer to the target referendum. The target voter is then associated with the target referendum. |
| US08488847B2 |
Electronic camera and image processing device
An image sensor of an electronic camera photoelectrically converts a subject image obtained by a shooting optical system to generate an image signal. A image processing section generates face registration image data and moving image data. A face detecting section detects a face area inside a shooting screen based on the moving image data. A controlling section adjusts shooting parameters of the shooting optical system, depending on a position detected at the face area. A face image generating section cuts out an image of the face area to generate face image data. A face recognizing data generating section extracts feature points of the face of a captured person from a part of the face area of the face registration image data and generates face recognizing data. A recording section records the face recognizing data or face image data. |
| US08488840B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method and electronic apparatus
A clipping processing portion is provided with: a subject detection portion that detects a main subject and a sub-subject from an input image; a degree-of-relationship calculation portion that calculates the degree of relationship between the main subject and the sub-subject; a clip region setting portion that sets a clip region based on the positions of the main subject and the sub-subject in the input image and the degree of relationship; a clipping portion that clips the clip region from the input image. The clip region setting portion sets the clip region so as to include the main subject and the sub-subject having the high degree of relationship thereof. |
| US08488834B2 |
Method for making an assured image
A method for producing an assured image acquires image data and segments the image data into one or more spatial regions. One or more quality measures is calculated from the image data that is within the one or more spatial regions. Secure assurance data is produced that is representative of the one or more quality measures and the image data. The secure assurance data is associated with the image data to produce the assured image. |
| US08488830B2 |
Condenser microphone having a flexible neck
A condenser microphone includes a support pipe made of a metallic material; a microphone body supported on a front end side of the support pipe, and including a microphone unit and an output module part having a sound signal output circuit and a shield housing; a proximal housing having an output connector therein and attached to a rear end side of the support pipe; a connecting member arranged between the support pipe and the shield housing; and a metal cover arranged in the connecting member and having a peripheral portion contacting with the shield housing. One end of a shield cover of a microphone cable and a ground part of the sound signal output circuit are connected electrically to the metal cover so that a complete shield in which a contact portion between the metal cover and the shield housing is a base point of grounding is formed. |
| US08488829B2 |
Paired gradient and pressure microphones for rejecting wind and ambient noise
A device includes a windscreen in a first surface, a gradient microphone housed in a capsule having first and second outlets coupled to openings in a second surface displaced from the first surface, a pressure microphone mounted between the first and second surfaces, and circuitry coupled to the gradient microphone and the pressure microphone and operable to combine the signals of the microphones and provide a combined microphone signal. |
| US08488826B2 |
Horn enclosure for combining sound output
A horn enclosure combines sound output emanating from a plurality of acoustic drivers. The horn enclosure includes a plurality of sound input plenums, a plurality of flow passageways, and a common sound output chamber. Each of the input plenums is coupled to an acoustic driver for receiving generated sound output from the associated driver. A plurality of partitions defining the plurality of flow passageways provides for a plurality of acoustic paths from each acoustic driver and through the input plenum. The common sound output chamber is in acoustic communication with each plenum through respective flow passageways and has a sound output opening for passage of the combined sound output. |
| US08488824B2 |
Audio encoding and decoding method and associated audio encoder, audio decoder and computer programs
The invention relates to a method for sequencing spectral components of elements to be encoded (A1, . . . , AQ) originating from an audio scene comprising N signals (Sii=1 to N), in which N>1, an element to be encoded comprising spectral components associated with respective spectral bands, characterised in that it comprises the following steps: calculation of the respective influence of at least some spectral components which can be calculated as a function of the spectral parameters originating from at least some of the N signals on the mask-to-noise ratios determined over the spectral bands as a function of the encoding of said spectral components; and allocation of an order of priority to at least one spectral component as a function of the influence calculated for said spectral component compared to the other influences calculated. |
| US08488820B2 |
Spatial audio processing method, program product, electronic device and system
A method comprises the steps of: receiving a first audio signal (S1); generating a digital representation (S1″) of the first audio signal (S1) by applying a head-related transfer function (HRTF) in a first sound reproduction position (r1); and changing the first sound reproduction position (r1) to a second sound reproduction position (r3) in response to receiving a second audio signal S2) or a precursor signal for a second audio signal (S2). |
| US08488819B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing a media signal
An apparatus for processing a media signal and method thereof are disclosed, by which the media signal can be converted to a surround signal by using spatial information of the media signal. The present invention provides a method of processing a signal, the method comprising of generating source mapping information corresponding to each source of multi-sources by using spatial information indicating features between the multi-sources; generating sub-rendering in formation by applying filter information giving a surround effect to the source mapping in formation per the source; generating rendering information for generating a surround signal by integrating the at least one of the sub-rendering information; and generating the surround signal by applying the rendering information to a downmix signal generated by downmixing the multi-sources. |
| US08488817B2 |
Acoustic systems for electronic devices
A portable electronic device may have acoustic ports such as microphone and speaker ports. Acoustic devices such as microphones and speakers may be associated with the acoustic ports. An acoustic port may have an opening between an interior and exterior of the portable electronic device. The opening may be covered by a metal mesh. An acoustic fabric may be interposed between the metal mesh and the opening. The opening may be formed from a hole in a glass member having outer and inner chamfers. A microphone boot may be provided that forms front and rear radial seals with a housing of the device and a microphone unit respectively. The microphone boot may also form multiple face seals with the microphone unit. A speaker for the speaker port may be enclosed in a sealed speaker enclosure. The speaker enclosure may have a pressure-equalizing vent slit covered with an acoustic mesh. |
| US08488815B2 |
Speaker set for portable electronic device
An exemplary speaker set includes a shell and a speaker. The shell includes a bottom cover and a top cover engaging with the bottom cover. The bottom cover and the top cover cooperatively define a resonance chamber therebetween. The bottom cover defines a through hole therein. The top cover defines a mounting hole corresponding to and communicating with the through hole. The speaker includes a vibration part and a magnetic part driving the vibration part. The vibration part is inserted the mounting hole and engages with the top cover. The magnetic part is inserted the through hole and intimately engages with the bottom cover. |
| US08488811B2 |
Audio-peak limiting in slow and fast stages
A method and apparatus for limiting the absolute magnitude of an audio signal. The method may include firstly variable-gain reducing the gain of an audio signal, and then secondly variable-gain reducing the gain of the audio signal faster than the first variable-gain reduction, thereby limiting the absolute magnitude of the audio signal to a threshold. The first variable-gain reduction may include variable-gain reducing the gain of the audio signal in a first stage, and the second variable-gain reduction may include variable-gain reducing the gain of the audio signal in a second stage that reduces the gain faster than the first stage. The second variable-gain reduction may include delaying the audio signal, finding a peak among the delayed audio signal, calculating a fast gain from a found peak, and modifying the delayed audio signal with the calculated fast gain. |
| US08488806B2 |
Signal processing apparatus
A separation signal generation unit generates a plurality of separation signals which are independent from one another from the mixed signals for one frame which are converted into those in a frequency region. A mask processing unit judges a noise condition of a first separation signal for each frequency bin on the basis of the first separation signal and second separation signals. The mask processing unit further removes a first noise component obtained on the basis of a judgment result on the noise condition from the first separation signal. A noise amount measuring unit measures the amount of noise in the first separation signal. A noise signal selection unit selects a noise signal for each frequency bin on the basis of the amount of noise measured by the noise amount measuring unit. A noise removing unit removes a second noise component from a noise removal signal inputted from the mask processing unit. The noise removing unit outputs the noise removal signal obtained by removing the second noise component as a target signal. |
| US08488800B2 |
Segmenting audio signals into auditory events
In one aspect, the invention divides an audio signal into auditory events, each of which tends to be perceived as separate and distinct, by calculating the spectral content of successive time blocks of the audio signal, calculating the difference in spectral content between successive time blocks of the audio signal, and identifying an auditory event boundary as the boundary between successive time blocks when the difference in the spectral content between such successive time blocks exceeds a threshold. In another aspect, the invention generates a reduced-information representation of an audio signal by dividing an audio signal into auditory events, each of which tends to be perceived as separate and distinct, and formatting and storing information relating to the auditory events. Optionally, the invention may also assign a characteristic to one or more of the auditory events. Auditory events may be determined according to the first aspect of the invention or by another method. |
| US08488799B2 |
Method and system for sound monitoring over a network
A mobile communication environment (100) can include a mobile device (160) to measure and send sound pressure level data. The mobile device (160) can initiate the collection of audio information responsive to detecting a trigger event. Mobile device (160) can measure or calculate the sound pressure level from the audio information. Metadata including time information and geographic location information can be captured with the collected audio information. Mobile device (160) can send the sound pressure level data and metadata through a wired or wireless communication path to a database (614). |
| US08488796B2 |
3D audio renderer
A method for simulating spatially extended sound sources comprising: panning a first input signal over a plurality of output channels to generate a first multi-channel directionally encoded signal; panning a second input signal over the plurality of output channels to generate a second multi-channel directionally encoded signal; combining the first and second multi-channel directionally encoded signals to generate a plurality of loudspeaker output channels; and applying a bank of decorrelation filters on the loudspeaker output channels. |
| US08488789B2 |
System and method for downloading electronic information to a video lottery terminal
This invention relates to reprogramming of in-circuit programmable chips installed in video lottery terminals (VLTs) by downloading electronic information (software) to such chips. Encrypted electronic information is downloaded from a host device to a gaming terminal through a communications link. The terminal comprises a decryption component configured for decrypting the encrypted electronic information using at least two security keys, at least one said key being resident in the terminal and at least another said key being delivered to the terminal at the time of the downloading (the downloading facilitating a replacement of existing software in terminal with corresponding decrypted software obtained from decrypting the encrypted information). The encrypted information transmitted to the terminal comprises at least one next version key for later use by the decryption component in decrypting a next version of encrypted electronic information. The non-resident key may be provided to the terminal by means of an electronic plug-in security key or provided through a secure network. |
| US08488788B2 |
Method for simulcrypting scrambled data to a plurality of conditional access devices
One embodiment of the invention relates to an apparatus comprising an input, a descrambler unit and a re-scrambler unit. The input is adapted to receive scrambled content. The descrambler unit is coupled to the input. The descrambler unit descrambles the scrambled content in order to recover unscrambled content and concurrently routes both the unscrambled content over a first communication link for display on a display device and the unscrambled content over a second communication link. The re-scrambler unit is coupled to the second communication link. The re-scrambler unit is adapted to scramble the unscrambled content to produce re-scrambled content for transmission. |
| US08488785B2 |
Secure storage and retrieval of confidential information
A secure information storage management system may securely manage the storage of confidential information. A randomizer module may randomly generate a schema that specifies a random number of pieces, a random size for each piece, a random sequence for the pieces, and/or a random location where each piece is to be stored. The randomizer module may divide the confidential information into pieces that collectively constitute the confidential information in conformance with the schema. A storage management module may cause each piece of confidential information to be stored at a different, non-contiguous storage location. When present, the storage management module may cause each piece to be stored at the location for it that is specified in the schema. |
| US08488782B2 |
Parameterizable cryptography
Some embodiments provide systems and techniques for performing parameterizable cryptography. An encryption key can be determined based at least on a string associated with an authorization policy. The encryption key can then be used to encrypt information. The decryption key can also be determined based at least on the string associated with the authorization policy. Note that the authorization policy must be satisfied to decrypt information. In some embodiments, the systems and techniques for performing parameterizable cryptography are blindable. These blindable embodiments can be used to preserve privacy. |
| US08488781B2 |
Method for implementing symmetric key encryption algorithm against power analysis attacks
Disclosed is a method for implementing a symmetric key encryption algorithm against power analysis attacks, including: generating and storing an affine transform table; generating and storing a masked inversion table; and operating a masked S-box using the affine transform table and the masked inversion table. |
| US08488777B2 |
Microphone coupler system for a communication device
The disclosure provides a microphone coupler system for a microphone mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) for a communication device. The system comprises a boot assembly to enclose the microphone and to direct acoustic signals to the microphone within the communication device, the boot assembly having a coupling section shaped to hold the microphone with the aperture facing upward from the PCB and an elongated section extending from the coupling section. In the system, an acoustic channel for the microphone is formed in part by the boot assembly when the boot assembly is mounted over the microphone. The system may further comprise a platform having an aperture, the platform for mounting on the PCB over the microphone. |
| US08488776B2 |
Echo suppressing method and apparatus
The coefficient generating section receives a first signal which is the output signal of the microphone of a signal generated by subtracting the output signal of a linear echo canceller from the output signal of the microphone and a second signal which is the output signal of the linear echo canceller. The coefficient generating section detects the minimum value of the variation with time of the ratio of the amplitude of the first signal to that of the second signal and outputs the value of constant times the detected minimum value as a crosstalk coefficient indicating the degree of crosstalk of the echo. The converting section corrects the first signal according to the crosstalk coefficient and the second signal to generate a near-end signal which is the resultant signal of when the echo is removed from the first signal and outputs the near-end signal to an output terminal. |
| US08488774B2 |
Predictive call routing
A predictive call routing system that includes a real-time decision engine to receive information about a customer and identify a skill that is useful for providing service to the caller. The decision engine identifies the skill by generating scores for a plurality of statistical models using the statistical models and parameters associated with the caller, each statistical model representing a correlation between a subset of parameters and an action that may be performed or requested to be performed by the caller, the score for each statistical model being generated using the statistical model and the subset of parameters associated with the statistical model, and identifies a skill based on the scores. The system includes a call router to route a call from the customer to a representative who has the skill. |
| US08488770B2 |
System and method for automating customer relations in a communications environment
A method includes receiving performance data associated with a service provided by at least one component of a communication network to one or more subscribers. The performance data may be gathered by one or more passive listening devices that monitor a performance characteristic of the at least one component of the communication network. The method further includes identifying the at least one component that provides a particular service to a particular subscriber based on a subscriber inquiry received from the particular subscriber. The method further includes identifying particular performance data within the received performance data. The particular performance data may be associated with the particular service provided by the at least one component. The method further includes determining a performance status of the at least one component, based on the particular performance data. |
| US08488765B1 |
Direct dialing telephone calls by name
By using letters, this invention provides telephone numbers that contain the actual initials or name of the recipient. With business subscribers, each company's stock marker ticker symbol is their telephone number, such as ‘GE’ for General Electric. Custom programming routes a call with the simple dialing input of only the recipient's initials or name. Only one well-defined area code is needed per State, such as ‘AZ’ for Arizona. The same number is used for landline, facsimile, special feature, and cellular connections. Telephone numbers are permanent and fixed for the life of the subscriber. |
| US08488764B1 |
Conference call selectable configuration in which participants can be configured to join at different time (order), use presence information to configure/initiate the conference call
An automated method and system is provided for configuring conference calls in which participants can be joined automatically at different times and in response to differing stimuli and in which presence information is used to configure and/or initiate the conference calls. |
| US08488760B2 |
Call routing or escalation based on the identity, role or urgency of the calling or communicating party
Aspects are directed toward managing, including reorganizing, inbound communications, a communications log, or presentation of a communication to a user, based on one or more of the identity, role and urgency of calling or communicating party, including, for example, forwarding or hybrid priority routing. For example, in an e-mail type of environment, received communications could be re-organized based on one or more of the above, such that higher priority communications are escalated to “the-top-of-the-stack.” This similar type of operation can be done in a communications modality independent manner, and extended to, for example, voicemails, caller ID, SMS messages, or in general any communication in any communications modality, where one or more communications are capable of being managed and re-organized. As an optional embodiment, an attribute or characteristic associated with the communication can be modified, such that the user is aware of the ranking associated with that communication. |
| US08488757B1 |
System, method, and computer program product for determining a recommended device from a plurality of devices for initiating a phone call
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for determining at least one recommended device from a plurality of devices for initiating a phone call based on a determined call rate. In operation, information associated with an attempted phone call is received. Additionally, a call rate for a plurality of devices capable of initiating the attempted phone call and/or at least one recommended long distance and/or international carriers are determined. Furthermore, at least one recommended device of the plurality of devices for initiating the phone call and/or at least one recommended long distance and/or international carrier is determined based, at least in part, on the determined call rate. The phone call is initiated utilizing one of the at least one recommend device and/or utilizing one of the at least one recommended long distance and/or international carrier. |
| US08488755B2 |
System and method for tracking call activity to a set of advertised businesses
A system and method for tracking call activity of a plurality of businesses is disclosed. A global pool of phone numbers is allocated from which to draw numbers. A business-specific pool of numbers is established for business locations involved in advertisements using the Internet via Web pages. As a consumer begins viewing an advertisement for a business, a number is temporarily allocated from the business's pool of available numbers. As the business's pool of unallocated numbers is exhausted, a metric is used to determine whether or not to grow the pool of numbers, to show an untracked ‘fallback’ number for the business, or to reuse a previously allocated number. When one of the temporarily allocated numbers is called, the online consumer it was associated with is credited for making the call and the business is credited and charged for receiving the call. |
| US08488751B2 |
Unified messenging system and method
Systems and methods for unified messaging are described herein. In an embodiment, a repository server includes a message store. According to one method implemented by the repository server, a voice message is sent as part of an email message. In an embodiment, preprocessing is performed before sending the email, including but not limited to inserting information, data, links, voice mail audio files, and voice mail transcriptions in the email. A copy of the preprocessed email is stored in the message store with an authentication key. The authentication key is used, for example by a recipient of the email, to access voice mail audio files that may not be accessible on the recipient's device. |
| US08488749B2 |
Systems and methods for call replay
Call replay systems and methods are disclosed. A call replay system can record a telephonic communication and replay the recorded communication upon request. The entire communication may be recorded, or only a portion, such as the most recent few minutes. The entire recording can be transmitted to a requestor, or only a portion. The recording may be altered before it is transmitted to a requestor. Alterations may include actions taken to reduce playback time, such as removing spaces in the recording where no conversation is taking place, or speeding up the recording. Other alterations may include adjusting the sonic characteristics of the recording, translating the recording, or transcribing the recording to create a text version. |
| US08488743B2 |
Nanotube based device for guiding X-ray photons and neutrons
A nanotube based device for guiding a beam of x-rays, photons, or neutrons, includes a beam source and at least one nanotube. Each nanotube has an optical entrance positioned in a manner that a projection of the direction of the central axis at the optical entrance intersects with the beam source. Each nanotube may have an interior diameter that varies along the length of the nanotube. to point the entrances of a bundle of nanotubes toward a point-shaped beam source, the bundle can be grown as an array of multilayer nanotubes from a spherical growth plate. The clear aperture of the bundle is enhanced by providing a smaller number of wall layers of each nanotube near the growth plate than at a distance from the growth plate. |
| US08488741B2 |
Adequate clearance for gantry trajectory
A method including irradiating a target, which is located in a patient supported by a movable table, with a radiation beam emanating from a radiation source located in a movable gantry, and positioning the gantry and the table so as to maintain adequate clearance, wherein a clearance is defined as a distance between the gantry and the patient or the table, whichever is smaller, and wherein adequate clearance is defined as a clearance that alleviates a risk of a collision between the gantry and the patient or the table during movement of the gantry. |
| US08488737B2 |
Medical X-ray imaging system
In order to achieve improved image quality in X-ray photographs, a medical X-ray imaging system, comprising a flat, planar X-ray source having a surface with X-ray focal points arranged adjacent to one another and an X-ray detector with a sensor surface, is provided. The X-ray source has a plurality of field emission guns with at least one field emission cathode and the surface with focal points of the X-ray source is larger in size than the sensor surface of the X-ray detector. |
| US08488734B2 |
Nuclear fission reactor, a vented nuclear fission fuel module, methods therefor and a vented nuclear fission fuel module system
Illustrative embodiments provide a nuclear fission reactor, a vented nuclear fission fuel module, methods therefor and a vented nuclear fission fuel module system. |
| US08488731B2 |
Slicing level and sampling phase adaptation circuitry for data recovery systems
The invention creates a slicing level and sampling phase adaptation circuitry for data recovery systems. The invention explores the boundary of the eye opening to decide the optimal slicing level and sampling phase with a simple bit error rate estimation technique. Bit error rate estimation is achieved with several collaborating samplers. |
| US08488730B2 |
Communication apparatus using synchronized clock signal
A communication apparatus using a synchronized clock signal includes: a communication signal generation unit generating one of a baseband signal and a signal obtained by applying digital modulation to the baseband signal, as a communication signal; an interface unit transmitting the generated communication signal and receiving a communication signal from an external source; a communication signal analyzing unit analyzing the received communication signal; a clock signal providing unit providing a clock signal to the communication signal generation unit, the interface unit, and the communication signal analyzing unit; and a controller controlling the communication signal generation unit, the interface unit, the communication signal analyzing unit, and the clock signal providing unit. |
| US08488728B2 |
X-MIMO systems with multi-transmitters and multi-receivers
A method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving a wireless transmission of a plurality of data streams in a wireless communication system having a plurality of nodes is disclosed. Each node has multiple antennas. The method involves receiving first and second data streams from respective first and second nodes at a receiver node, causing the receiver node to generate a receive filter for decoding each of the received data streams, and causing the receiver node to transmit receive filter information for each of the first and second data streams, the receive filter information facilitating precoding of the first and second data streams for simultaneous transmission within a common frequency band to the receiver node. |
| US08488726B2 |
Receivers based on closed-form parametric estimates of the probability density function for the received signal
A closed-form parametric approach to channel-estimation is provided. In one aspect, a specific parametric expression is presented for the received signal pdf that accurately models the behavior of the received signal in IM/DD optical channels. The corresponding parametric channel-estimation approach simplifies the design of MLSE receivers. The general technique lends itself well to the estimation of the signal pdf in situations where there are multiple sources of noise with different distributions, such as ASE noise, together with Gaussian and quantization noise, and signal-dependent noise, for example. |
| US08488725B2 |
Method and system for spatial channel state information feedback based on a kronecker product
A spatial channel state information (CSI) feedback technique is incorporated into multiple-input multiple-output mobile communications technologies. Spatial channel state information is measured at receiving equipment and then decomposed into components. The components are then quantized using codebook(s) and fed back as multiple indices to transmitting equipment. |
| US08488724B2 |
Wideband interference mitigation for devices with multiple receivers
Certain disclosed embodiments pertain to suppressing interference in a wireless communication system. For example, a method of suppressing interference can include receiving one or more first signals including components from a plurality of sub-channels. Each of the first signals can be converted into a respective plurality of first sub-band frequency components. A respective spatial filter can be determined for each frequency sub-band using one or more corresponding first sub-band components for each respective spatial filter. One or more second signals including components from the plurality of sub-channels can be received. Each of the second signals can be converted into a respective plurality of second sub-band frequency components. A corresponding plurality of filtered sub-band components can be generated by applying the respective spatial filters to the corresponding second sub-band components for each of the second signals. |
| US08488723B2 |
Device and method for detecting timing synchronization
A timing synchronous detection device includes: a first autocorrelator that performs autocorrelation using a received signal and a first delay signal in which the received signal is delayed; a second autocorrelator that performs autocorrelation using the received signal and a second delay signal in which the received signal is delayed; an average-normalization device that obtains an average value of an output signal of the first autocorrelator and an output signal of the second autocorrelator; a comparator that compares the average value and a threshold value and that outputs, if the average value is larger than the threshold value, the average value; and a maximum value search device that searches for a maximum value of the average values that are output from the comparator. |
| US08488722B2 |
Communication signal decoding and soft demapping methods and systems
Symbol detection and soft dempapping methods and systems are provided. Individual subset symbol detection according to an embodiment of the invention involves identifying a search subset of a transmission symbol set for a transmission symbol. For each other transmission symbol in communication signals, multiple search subsets of the transmission symbol set are identified. The multiple search subsets include respective search subsets based on each transmission symbol in either the search subset for the first identified one of the transmission symbols or each of the multiple search subsets identified for a different one of the other transmission symbols. Symbol detection errors may be detected by identifying competing symbols and computing competing distances. Soft demapping may be provided by calculating soft decision results based on detected symbols and weighting the soft decision result. |
| US08488720B1 |
System and method for adaptive polar quantization
Methods and systems for signal quantization may include, but are not limited to: receiving a complex signal characterized by a real portion and an imaginary portion; computing a vector magnitude of a sample of the complex signal; comparing the vector magnitude of the sample to a quantization threshold value; and associating a quantized magnitude with the sample according to a comparison between the vector magnitude of the sample and the quantization threshold value. |
| US08488717B2 |
Digital broadcasting system and method of processing data
A method of processing digital broadcast data in a digital broadcast transmitter includes performing Reed-Solomon (RS) encoding and Cyclic Redundancy Check encoding on mobile service data to build an RS frame; dividing the RS frame into a plurality of portions; mapping one of the plurality of portions into a first data group and inserting known data sequences, transmission parameters, place holders for non-systematic RS parity data, place holders for main service data, and place holders for MPEG header data into the first data group; deinterleaving data of the first data group to output a second data group; and removing the place holders for non-systematic RS parity data and the place holders for main service data in the second data group and replacing the place holders for MPEG header data in the second data group with MPEG header data to output mobile service data packets. |
| US08488714B2 |
Hierarchical modulating method and transmitter performing hierarchical modulation
A modulation mapper selects respective data blocks (DBs) hierarchically and sequentially in a descending order of a transmission power ratio control by a gain multiplexer; decides, from a resource element group, unused REs to which modulation symbols can be allocated; and decides the allocation of modulation symbols in the REs. A channel resource element mapper performs the mapping of modulation symbols of the respective DBs to the REs on the basis for the decided allocation. A complex-value transmission signal is generated from the group of REs. |
| US08488713B2 |
Information processing apparatus, encoding method and signal transmission method
There is provided an information processing apparatus including a data encoding unit that generates an encoded signal by encoding first input data based on CMI (Coded Mark Inversion) coding rules and encoding second input data using errors of the CMI coding rules, a clock signal addition unit that generates a transmission signal by synchronously adding a clock signal having an amplitude value larger than that of the encoded signal to the encoded signal generated by the data encoding unit, and a signal transmission unit that transmits the transmission signal generated by the clock signal addition unit. |
| US08488712B2 |
Systems and methods for enhanced channel estimation in wireless communication systems
Methods and apparatus for enhancing estimations of channel response in a wireless communication system are discussed. As an example, a method can comprise: selecting a selected channel from among one or more channels in the communication system; determining, for the selected channel, an initial channel estimate comprising a sequence of frequency-domain samples; determining a phase slope of the initial channel estimate; generating a flat-phase channel estimate by removing the phase slope from the initial channel estimate; and generating an enhanced channel estimate for the selected channel by applying a smoothing function to the flat-phase channel estimate. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described. |
| US08488711B2 |
Geometry based efficient decoder for underdetermined MIMO systems and decoding method thereof
A decoder for underdetermined MIMO systems with low decoding complexity is provided. The decoder consists of two stages: 1. Obtaining all valid candidate points efficiently by slab decoder. 2. Finding the optimal solution by conducting the intersectional operations with dynamic radius adaptation to the candidate set obtained from Stage 1. A reordering strategy is also disclosed. The reordering can be incorporated into the proposed decoding algorithm to provide a lower computational complexity and near-ML decoding performance for underdetermined MIMO systems. |
| US08488708B2 |
Rotating reference codebook that is used in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system
A rotating reference codebook used in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication system is provided. The reference codebook includes codewords from a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) codebook. A base station and a terminal may calculate a rotation matrix based on a previous preferred codeword and a random codeword among codewords included in the DFT codebook. A reference codebook may be rotated using the rotation matrix and may be transformed to a new codebook. The reference codebook may include codewords of a polar cap codebook and the codewords of the DFT codebook. Even though the codewords of the DFT codebook are rotated, the codewords of the DFT codebook may remain in the new codebook as elements of the DFT codebook. |
| US08488707B2 |
Multi-antenna subsystem for software defined radio
The present invention relates to a multi-antenna subsystem for a SDR (software defined radio) capable of supporting a multi-antenna technique to an antenna system using a multi-antenna subsystem. The multi-antenna subsystem of a multi-antenna system includes an algorithm executing unit for carrying out an algorithm for a multi-antenna technique to be required in the multi-antenna system, a frame synchronization unit for a synchronization acquisition, and a control unit for controlling the algorithm executing unit and the frame synchronization. The algorithm executing unit has a plurality of functional blocks and the functional block has state information, which can be referred by other functional blocks, for supporting SDR system. |
| US08488706B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing data for transmission in a multi-channel communication system using selective channel inversion
Techniques to process data for transmission over a set of transmission channels selected from among all available transmission channels. In an aspect, the data processing includes coding data based on a common coding and modulation scheme to provide modulation symbols and pre-weighting the modulation symbols for each selected channel based on the channel's characteristics. The pre-weighting may be achieved by “inverting” the selected channels so that the received SNRs are approximately similar for all selected channels. With selective channel inversion, only channels having SNRs at or above a particular threshold are selected, “bad” channels are not used, and the total available transmit power is distributed across only “good” channels. Improved performance is achieved due to the combined benefits of using only the NS best channels and matching the received SNR of each selected channel to the SNR required by the selected coding and modulation scheme. |
| US08488698B1 |
Frame synchronization method and apparatus
In a method for synchronizing a receiver to a synchronous signal, in a signal having been processed based on an automatic gain control (AGC) with a varying gain, a symbol is detected. An estimated beginning of a subsequent frame is determined based on the detected symbol. A gain of the AGC is fixed for a period during which the estimated start of the subsequent frame is processed by the AGC. A transform of the signal is analyzed to determine if the estimated start of the subsequent frame corresponds to an actual start of the subsequent frame. If the estimated start of the subsequent frame does not corresponds to the actual start of the subsequent frame, the gain of the AGC is allowed to resume varying and, a further symbol in the signal is detected, the signal having been processed based on the varying gain of the AGC. |
| US08488697B2 |
Universal timing recovery circuit
A timing recovery system that provides a timing estimate between a transmitter clock and a receiver clock. The system includes a down-converter that converts a received intermediate frequency signal in the receiver and down-converts, using Fs/4 down-conversion, the received signal into baseband in-phase and quadrature phase signals. The baseband in-phase and quadrature phase signals are sent to a direct down-converter that frequency shifts the in-phase and quadrature phase. The frequency-shifted in-phase and quadrature phase baseband signals are then low-pass filtered in order to isolate the frequency components of interest, reduce noise, and remove zeros that are artifacts of the Fs/4 down-conversion. The signals are sent to a square-law non-linearity circuit that provides squaring non-linearity to generate non-linear in-phase and quadrature phase signals. The non-linear in-phase and quadrature phase signals are sent to a single-pole, low-pass post-filter circuit that generates the timing estimate. |
| US08488695B2 |
Receiving apparatus and method, program, and receiving system
A receiving apparatus for receiving an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal including a frame having one frame length of a plurality of patterns. The apparatus comprises an acquiring section to acquire information regarding a preamble signal from an OFDM signal from a transmitting apparatus; a frame determining section to determine whether the one frame length is short in the frame based on the information regarding the acquired preamble signal; and a time interpolating section to obtain transmission path characteristics by comparing a pilot contained in the preamble signal with a known pilot corresponding to the pilot in a phase of transmission, when the frame determining section determines that the one frame length is short in the frame, and to interpolate a data portion in a time direction based on transmission path characteristics. |
| US08488694B2 |
System and method for pilot design
A method for generating a pilot pattern for data to be transmitted in an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) based communication system includes: allocating pilot symbols for a plurality of data streams to form a plurality of pilot clusters in the pilot pattern, wherein each of the pilot clusters includes ones of the pilot symbols, the ones of the pilot symbols being for respectively different ones of the data streams. |
| US08488691B2 |
Adaptive loading for orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) communication systems
An orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) transmitter may adaptively load each sub-carrier, buffering less than an OFDM frame in order to reduce hardware requirements and latency. The transmitter may use feedback information from the receiver regarding the quality of the sub-carriers. In addition, combining repetition and puncturing to achieve a desired date rate per class further reduces hardware by simplifying or even eliminating an interleaver. Additional mitigation and even performance enhancement techniques are incorporated to address inter-class boundaries within an OFDM frame, such as introducing transition classes. Channel state information may be reported in various formats including full bitmap, changed subchannels, and reported bad subchannels. |
| US08488690B2 |
Channel estimation
A method of channel estimation and a channel estimator for a multiple carrier radio transmission system is described. The method comprises receiving a signal comprising a symbol-carrier matrix, the symbol-carrier matrix comprising a pre-determined pattern of pilot symbols, and determining first channel estimates at pilot symbol positions of the pilot symbols in the symbol-carrier matrix. The method further comprises determining second channel estimates at intermediate positions of the symbol-carrier matrix, wherein the intermediate positions are separated from the pilot symbol positions of the pilot symbols by positions associated with non-determined channel estimates and determining third channel estimates at further positions of the symbol-carrier matrix. |
| US08488689B2 |
Channel equalization in a receiver
A method of estimating a channel response of a channel is provided that includes transforming a frequency domain signal received via the channel into a time domain signal and searching the time domain signal for a location of minimum energy. The method also includes padding the time domain signal with zeroes at the location of minimum energy and transforming the padded time domain signal to a second frequency domain signal. The second frequency domain signal is used as an estimated channel response for the channel. |
| US08488684B2 |
Methods and systems for hybrid MIMO decoding
Certain embodiments of the present disclosure allow a receiver to utilize both a minimum mean square error (MMSE) detection algorithm and a maximum likelihood (ML) detection algorithm. The receiver may control, based on various conditions, a mode selection signal to select between output generated with the MMSE detection algorithm and the ML detection algorithm. By sharing logical components, certain embodiments may allow a receiver to implement both ML and MMSE detection algorithms with minimal computational overhead when compared to implementing a single one of the decoding algorithms. |
| US08488683B2 |
Selective filtering based on the motion compensation error of two adjacent transform blocks
A semiconductor for decoding coded image and audio data, which includes an audio processor that decodes coded audio data, and an image decoder that decodes image data. The image decoder removes coding distortion in pixels of two adjacent transform blocks which are motion-compensated, having a coded motion compensation error equal to zero, and are located inside a same macroblock. The image decoder includes a motion compensation block boundary detector that determines whether the motion compensation error of the two adjacent transform blocks located inside the macroblock is zero, and determines whether a boundary of two adjacent transform block is also a boundary of two adjacent motion-compensation blocks. The image decoder also includes a filter that removes coding distortion in pixels of the two adjacent transform blocks, and a selector that selects whether or not the filter removes the coding distortion based on the determination of the motion compensation block boundary detector. |
| US08488681B2 |
Image capturing apparatus, control method therefor, program, and storage medium
This invention makes it possible to reduce power consumption of an encoding device while more appropriately encoding a video image in the first frame. An image capturing apparatus includes a camera unit which photo-electrically converts object light and outputs a video signal, an encoding unit which encodes the video signal, a camera information acquisition unit which acquires information associated with the operation status of the camera unit, and a calculation unit which calculates, on the basis of the information acquired by the camera information acquisition unit, an initial parameter serving as an encoding parameter for an initial encoding operation of the encoding unit before the start of an encoding operation of the encoding unit. |
| US08488679B1 |
Streamlined transcoder architecture
Systems and methods for a streamlined transcoder architecture. A transcoder system includes an encoder and a decoder. The encoder compares a decoded frame and a encoder reference frame to produce an output stream. The decoder produces the decoded frame including decoder reference frame and the encoder reference frame. The decoded frame is produced from an input stream, and the encoder reference frame is produced from the output stream of the encoder. In one embodiment, the encoder refines motion vectors, quantization, and macroblock type/mode from the input stream for reuse in the output stream. Furthermore, the decoded frames from the input stream can be modified in various ways including changing picture resolution and performing image enhancement on them before encoding. |
| US08488678B2 |
Moving image encoding apparatus and moving image encoding method
A moving image encoding apparatus comprises a motion vector search unit for dividing a screen into encoding blocks, dividing each encoding block into motion compensation blocks, and performing a motion vector search by referencing a past or future image with respect to a motion compensation block targeted for encoding, and an encoding unit for encoding a difference value between the motion compensation block and a prediction image that is based on the motion vector. The motion vector search unit sets a plurality of block types for each encoding block, performs rough motion vector search using a reduced image for each block type, computes an evaluation value for each block type based on the motion vectors, and determines whether to set a division method of the block type for which the highest evaluation value was obtained as a motion compensation block division method for a motion vector search in detail. |
| US08488677B2 |
Method and an apparatus for decoding/encoding a video signal
A method of decoding a video signal is disclosed. The present invention includes searching a reference block using side information, deriving motion information of a current block from the reference block, decoding the current block using the motion information of the current block, wherein the side information includes offset information indicating a position difference between the reference block and a corresponding block and wherein the corresponding block is a block indicated by a global motion vector indicating a disparity difference between a view of the current block and a view of the reference block. |
| US08488676B2 |
Motion estimation method
A method for estimating the motion vector for a current macroblock within a current frame is provided by reference to a number of reference macroblocks within the previous frame. The method includes the following steps. First, an error between the current macroblock within a current frame and each of the reference macroblocks is determined according to a weighted sum of absolute differences (SAD) operation. The weighted SAD operation is to emphasize the absolute differences for high-frequency pixels within the current macroblock. Next, the reference macroblock having the lowest error may be determined as a matched macroblock. Finally, the motion vector for the current macroblock can be defined as the displacement between the macroblock and the matched macroblock. |
| US08488675B2 |
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 is converted from a non-linear representation. |
| US08488673B2 |
Latency rate distortion optimisation
There is provided a method of improving latency in a Rate Distortion Optimization apparatus, comprising re-ordering processing of a sequence of 4×4 blocks of pixels received for processing by the Rate Distortion Optimization apparatus, the received order of the 4×4 blocks of pixels corresponding to the location of the 4×4 blocks of pixels within a macroblock, and processing the re-ordered sequence of 4×4 blocks in the Rate Distortion Optimization apparatus, where the re-ordering of the processing of the 4×4 blocks of pixels comprises interleaving the processing of two upper 4×4 blocks of pixels of a current 8×8 block with the processing of two lower 4×4 blocks of pixels of a previous 8×8 block. There is also provided a method of improving latency in a Rate Distortion Optimization apparatus, where the Rate Distortion Optimization apparatus assesses nine intra prediction modes and the method further comprises re-ordering processing of intra prediction modes such that a first six modes processed are not dependent on a block of pixels above and to the right of a current block of pixels, and processing the re-ordered sequence of intra prediction modes in the Rate Distortion Optimization apparatus. |
| US08488671B2 |
Moving picture encoding device, moving picture decoding device, moving picture encoding method, moving picture decoding method, program, and computer readable recording medium storing program
A moving picture encoding device for encoding a moving picture constituted of a time sequence of frame pictures by motion compensation, the device including: a reference picture generation section configured to generate a reference picture subjected to predetermined picture processing from a reference frame picture, in accordance with an encoding condition of a predetermined area to be encoded; and a motion compensation section configured to calculate a motion compensation value for the predetermined area to be encoded, by using a generated reference picture subjected to the predetermined picture processing. |
| US08488669B2 |
Coding device and method, decoding device and method, recording medium, and program
An encoding apparatus and an encoding method, a decoding apparatus and a decoding method, a recording medium, and a program suitable for encoding image signals with a higher compression ratio for transmission or accumulation. In an arithmetic coding section, from among the syntax elements of input image compression information, the frame/field flag is first encoded by a frame/field flag context model. When the macroblock to be processed is subjected to frame-based encoding, a frame-based context model, specified in the current H.26L standard, is applied. On the other hand, when the macroblock to be processed is subjected to field-based encoding, a field-based context model is applied for the syntax elements described below. The present invention is applied to an encoder for encoding image information and a decoder for decoding image information. |
| US08488668B2 |
Adaptive coefficient scanning for video coding
This disclosure describes techniques for scanning coefficients of video blocks. In particular, the techniques of this disclosure adapt a scan order used to scan a two-dimensional block of coefficients into a one-dimensional coefficient vector based on statistics associated with one or more previously coded blocks. For example, statistics that indicate the likelihood that a given coefficient value in each position of a two-dimensional block is zero or non-zero may be collected for one or more previously coded blocks. At some point, an adjustment to the scan order can be made in order to better ensure that non-zero coefficients are grouped together near the front of the one-dimensional coefficient vector, which can improve the effectiveness of entropy coding. The collection of statistics and adjustment of scan order may be made separately for each possible prediction mode. |
| US08488666B2 |
Method of content adaptive video encoding
A method of content adaptive encoding video is disclosed. The method comprises segmenting video content into segments based on predefined classifications or models. Examples of such classifications include action scenes, slow scenes, low or high detail scenes, and brightness of the scenes. Based on the segment classifications, each segment is encoded with a different encoder chosen from a plurality of encoders. Each encoder is associated with a model. The chosen encoder is particularly suited to encoding the unique subject matter of the segment. The coded bit-stream for each segment includes information regarding which encoder was used to encode that segment. A matching decoder of a plurality of decoders is chosen using the information in the coded bitstream to decode each segment using a decoder suited for the classification or model of the segment. If scenes exist which do not fall in a predefined classification, or where classification is more difficult based on the scene content, these scenes are segmented, coded and decoded using a generic coder and decoder. |
| US08488657B2 |
Data interface with delay locked loop for high speed digital to analog converters and analog to digital converters
A system comprises a first circuit includes a data transmitter circuit that transmits digital data based on a first clock signal. A sync generator outputs a sync signal based on the first clock signal. A digital to analog converter circuit includes a data receiver circuit that latches the digital data based on a second clock signal. A digital to analog converter core receives an output of the data receiver circuit. A delay locked loop circuit determines a delay based on the second clock signal and the sync signal and outputs the first clock signal to the first circuit based on the second clock signal and the delay. |
| US08488653B2 |
Cooperative communication system and method using the same
A cooperative communication system and method is provided. A cooperative communication relay station includes a signal receiving unit which receives a source signal from a source node and a multiple relaying signal relayed by a neighboring relay station, a signal generation unit which generates a first relay signal and a second relay signal, the first relay signal being generated by performing a decode-and forward scheme with respect to the multiple relaying signal and the second relay signal being generated by performing an amplify-and-forward scheme with respect to the source signal, and a signal transmission unit which transmits the first relay signal and the second relay signal to a destination node. |
| US08488647B2 |
Semiconductor light emitting device
The present invention provides a semiconductor light emitting device realizing increased light detection precision by a simple manufacture process. One or more second oxidation layers are provided between an active layer and a semiconductor light detecting element in addition to a first oxidation layer for narrowing current. Since natural emission light includes many divergence components, the natural emission light is reflected and scattered by the second oxidation layer, and propagation of the natural emission light to the semiconductor light detecting element side is suppressed. The detection level of the natural emission light by the semiconductor light detecting element decreases, and light detection precision increases. The first and second oxidation layers are formed by a single oxidizing process so that the manufacturing process is simplified. |
| US08488646B2 |
HCG reflection enhancement in diverse refractive index material
Enhanced reflectivity High-Contrast Gratings are described which operate in different medium. An HCG is described with a deep/buried metallization layer separated at a distance of least three to four grating thicknesses from the grating. Reflective bandwidth of the HCG is substantially increased, such as by a factor or five, by inclusion of the deep/buried metallization layer. An HCG is described which provides high reflectivity, even when embedded into materials of a moderate to high index of refraction, such as semiconductor material. Vertical cavity surface emitting laser embodiments are described which utilize these reflectivity enhancements, and preferably utilize HCG reflectors for top and/or bottom mirrors. |
| US08488644B2 |
Semiconductor laser element and manufacturing method thereof
A semiconductor laser element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a first reflecting mirror, a second reflecting mirror, and a resonator. The resonator includes an active layer, a current confinement layer, a first semiconductor layer having a first doping concentration formed at a side opposite to the active layer across the current confinement layer, and a second semiconductor layer having a second doping concentration higher than the first doping concentration formed between the first semiconductor layer and the current confinement layer. The first electrode is provided to contact a part of a surface of the first semiconductor layer. The first semiconductor layer has a diffusion portion into which a component of the first electrode diffuses. The second semiconductor layer contacts the diffusion portion. The second semiconductor layer is positioned at a node of a standing wave at a time of laser oscillation of the semiconductor laser element. |
| US08488642B2 |
Gallium nitride based semiconductor light-emitting device and method for fabricating the same, gallium nitride based light-emitting diode, epitaxial wafer, and method for fabricating gallium nitride light-emitting diode
Provided is a gallium nitride based semiconductor light-emitting device with a structure capable of enhancing the degree of polarization. A light-emitting diode 11a is provided with a semiconductor region 13, an InGaN layer 15 and an active layer 17. The semiconductor region 13 has a primary surface 13a having semipolar nature, and is made of GaN or AlGaN. The primary surface 13a of the semiconductor region 13 is inclined at an angle α with respect to a plane Sc perpendicular to a reference axis Cx which extends in a direction of the [0001] axis in the primary surface 13a. The thickness D13 of the semiconductor region 13 is larger than the thickness DInGaN of the InGaN layer 17, and the thickness DInGaN of the InGaN layer 15 is not less than 150 nm. The InGaN layer 15 is provided directly on the primary surface 13a of the semiconductor region 13 and is in contact with the primary surface 13a. The active layer 17 is provided on a primary surface 15a of the InGaN layer 15 and is in contact with this primary surface 15a. The active layer 17 includes well layers 21 of InGaN. |
| US08488640B2 |
Integrated optical comb source system and method
The present invention provides a system and method for creating a coherent optical comb comprising a plurality of lasers, each laser providing an optical output channel; means for combining each optical channel output; a modulator for modulating the combined optical channel outputs, to provide a modulated signal; means for feeding back said modulated signal to said plurality of lasers, such that each laser output channel is phase and/or frequency locked with respect to at least one other of said plurality of lasers. A discrete optical comb is obtained without the need for excessively high power laser outputs and only employs a single (optional) wavelength locker for all channels. |
| US08488639B1 |
Systems and methods having a frequency comb
Apparatus, systems, and methods having a frequency comb of large spacing can be used in a variety of applications. In various embodiments, a frequency comb is generated from a slave laser by injecting an optical output from a drive laser into the slave laser. One or more parameters of the drive laser and/or the slave laser can be adjusted such that a frequency comb can be generated at a multiple of the repetition rate of the drive laser. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed. |
| US08488637B2 |
Semiconductor laser
A semiconductor laser includes a light emission end facet; a first optical waveguide extending in a predetermined optical-axis direction, the first optical waveguide being optically coupled to the light emission end facet; a ring resonator having a plurality of periodic transmittance peak wavelengths, the ring resonator being optically coupled to the first optical waveguide; a plurality of gain waveguides that generate light by injection of current; an optical coupler portion that optically couples the first optical waveguide to each of the plurality of gain waveguides; and a plurality of second optical waveguides including diffraction gratings, the plurality of second optical waveguides being respectively optically coupled to the plurality of gain waveguides. Also, each of the diffraction gratings in the plurality of second optical waveguides has a different reflection band. |
| US08488636B2 |
Method for suppressing side modes in a tunable laser
Method for suppressing side modes during use of a tunable laser of MGY type, having an amplification section, a phase section and a reflector section having a Y-branched waveguide, with a first a second branch, where the laser operation point is defined by feeding a respective current through the phase section, the first and the second branch, where possible combinations of these currents span a three-dimensional space, in which elongated volumes define combinations of currents for which the laser is operated in the same mode and where two-dimensional sections, defined by holding the current through the phase section constant and varying the currents through the branches, through a certain of the volumes constitute modeflats. The two branch currents are controlled within a certain modeflat so that the laser operation point does not coincide with the center of the modeflat, but is sufficiently far from the periphery of the modeflat for mode transitions not to occur, within a predetermined time period, as a consequence of changes related to ageing of the laser, leading to drift of the laser operation point. |
| US08488626B2 |
Method for operating a combined multimedia-telecom system
Presented is a method of managing the operation of a system including a processing subsystem configured to run a multimedia application and a telecommunication subsystem. The method includes determining telecom environment conditions, and selecting a working point from a plurality of predetermined working points. The selecting is based at least in part on the determined environmental conditions. The method also includes setting control parameters in the multimedia application and/or the telecommunication subsystem to configure the system to operate at the selected working point, and operating the system at the selected working point. |
| US08488623B2 |
Scalable interconnect modules with flexible channel bonding
The present application discloses apparatus and methods for increasing channel utilization for a high-speed serial interface of an integrated circuit (IC). A new circuit architecture is disclosed which provides circuitry that may be programmed flexibly to support a multitude of different channel bonding schemes. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the new architecture decouples the granularity of control-signal channel bonding from the granularity of data-aggregation channel bonding. This advantageously allows optimization of configurations for both types of channel bonding. In another aspect of the invention, the logical boundaries of bonded user channels are decoupled from the physical boundaries of the PCS modules. This decoupling advantageously eliminates a rigid constraint of previous architectures. |
| US08488616B2 |
Building multipoint-to-multipoint label switch paths
Creating, maintaining, and using multipoint-to-multipoint label switch paths (LSP) in a provider network using a protocol such as multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) are presented. A multipoint-to-multipoint LSP, allowing bi-directional multicast-type transmission between routers in a core provider network, is provided, in part, by configuring routers within the core network to associate not only an upstream data interface with an upstream label, but also each downstream interface with an upstream label in an upstream state. |
| US08488614B1 |
Upstream label assignment for the label distribution protocol
The invention is directed toward techniques for Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) upstream label assignment for the Label Distribution Protocol (LDP). The techniques include extensions to the LDP that enable distribution of upstream assigned labels from an upstream router to two or more downstream routers of a tunnel established over a network. The tunnel may comprise a LDP Point to Multi-Point (P2MP) Label Switched Path (LSP), an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast tunnel, or a Resource Reservation Protocol with Traffic Engineering extensions (RSVP-TE) P2MP LSP. The techniques also include extensions to the LDP that enable a router to advertise upstream label assignment capability to neighboring routers in the network. The MPLS upstream label assignment using LDP described herein enables a branch router to avoid traffic replication on a Local Area Network (LAN) for LDP P2MP LSPs. |
| US08488612B2 |
System and method for method for providing quality-of service in a local loop
Described is a system and method for receiving in a first network operated by a first network provider, a service request from a client for a service application provided by the first service provider, the client accessing the first network via a second network operated by a second network provider, wherein the service request includes a level of service that is to be provided to the service application. The level of service is communicated to the second network provider and, subsequent to receiving the service request, the level of service is purchased from the second network provider to guarantee the client the level of service when accessing the second network. |
| US08488611B2 |
Apparatus and method for moving a receive window in a radio access network
A method of moving a receiving window in a wireless mobile communication system, wherein the AM RLC of the transmitting side sends information of the last discarded SDU regardless of continuity of the discarded SDUs. The AM RLC of the receiving side checks whether all SDUs from the start point of the receiving window up to the last discarded SDU are successfully received, delivers the SDUs that are successfully received to an upper layer, and discard only those SDUs that are not successfully received. |
| US08488605B2 |
Point-to-multipoint connections for data delivery
A method, device and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium transferring information using a network. The information transferred by connecting a destination device operatively to a storage device using the network. The storage device storing information to be transmitted to the destination device. The network providing a point-to-multipoint connection between an origin device and a plurality of destination devices. The plurality of destination devices including the destination device. Also, the information being transferred by receiving the information stored in the storage device by the destination device in response to the destination device being operatively connected to the storage device. The information received by the destination device having been transmitted from the origin device to the network prior to the destination device being operatively connected to the storage device. |
| US08488602B2 |
Methods and apparatus for transmitting group communication signals
Group communications methods and apparatus are described. Multiple modes of group communications signaling are supported. In a first mode, copies of packets are separately transmitted to each group member in a sector or cell. In a second mode a copy of a packet is directed to multiple group members at the same time. Transitions between the two modes may be determined as a function of the cost of operating in each of the modes in terms of system cost and/or the number of group members in a cell or sector being serviced by a transmitter. |
| US08488596B2 |
Method and apparatus for sharing a single data channel for multiple signaling flows destined to multiple core networks
A method and apparatus for sharing a single data channel for multiple signaling flows destined to multiple core networks are disclosed. For example, the method receives a plurality of service requests from a plurality of corresponding service clients on a single mobile endpoint device, where each of the plurality of corresponding service clients is to be registered with a different corresponding Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network. The method establishes the single data channel to support a plurality of signaling flows associated with the plurality of service requests simultaneously, and routes each signaling message associated with the plurality of service requests to the corresponding IMS network. |
| US08488594B2 |
Apparatus and system for bridging communication signals
According to embodiments of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus and a system for bridging communication signals. According to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a bridging apparatus comprising a first interface connectable to a first signal source, the first signal source for conveying signals within a first frequency range. The bridging apparatus further comprises a second interface connectable to a second signal source, the second signal source for carrying signals within a second frequency range comprising a subset of the first frequency range. The bridging apparatus further comprises a bridging module having a bridged position in which it connects the first and second interfaces and a disconnected position in which the first and second interfaces are not connected, the bridging module being operable to selectively change from the disconnected position to the bridged position, responsive to detection of a triggering event. |
| US08488591B2 |
Method and system for video telephone communications set up, related equipment and computer program product
A method of setting up a video telephone call between a first video telephone terminal and a second video telephone terminal on a data network includes the steps of: establishing a telephone call over a telephone network between the first and second terminals; exchanging between the first and second terminals during the telephone call availability signals to seek availability to hold a video telephone call; if the availability is confirmed, releasing the telephone call; establishing respective telephone calls between each of the first and second terminals and a corresponding access server of the data network, for achieving connection of the first and second terminals to the data network; establishing a signalling exchange between the first and second terminals through a service center of the data network to achieve the set up of the video telephone call; and establishing a peer-to-peer video telephone call between the first and second terminals over the data network. |
| US08488589B2 |
System and method for communicating over mesh networks waveform-enhanced, link-state routing
A communication system includes a plurality of mobile nodes forming a mesh network. A plurality of wireless communication links connect the mobile nodes together. Each mobile node is formed as a communications device and operative for transmitting data packets wirelessly to other mobile nodes via the wireless communications link from a source mobile node through intermediate neighboring mobile nodes to a destination mobile node using a link state routing protocol and multiple waveforms. |
| US08488586B2 |
Methods of selecting target cells using neighbor cell information and related network controllers
A method of operating a radio access network may include providing neighbor cell information identifying neighbor cells of a source cell and respective neighbor scrambling codes of the neighbor cells. A report may be received from a wireless terminal through the source cell with the report identifying a reported scrambling code of a reported cell and at least one detected scrambling code of at least one detected cell other than the reported cell. One of the neighbor cells may be selected as a target cell based on the reported scrambling code, the at least one detected scrambling code, and the neighbor cell information. |
| US08488583B2 |
Method and apparatus for relocating a header compression context in a wireless communication system
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for relocating a header compression text, wherein the context updating properties of each individual header during the relocation process is disabled. |
| US08488576B2 |
Methods and apparatus for establishing WLAN communications using an ESSID created based on a predetermined algorithm and a domain name
One method in a mobile communication device for use in establishing communications between the mobile communication device and a wireless local communication network (WLAN) involves identifying a domain name of the WLAN; performing, in the mobile communication device, a predetermined algorithm with use of the domain name, for creating an extended service set identifier (ESSID) which includes at least a portion of the domain name of the WLAN; and associating with an wireless access point of the WLAN with use of the ESSID for accessing communication services in the WLAN. |
| US08488575B2 |
Methods, devices, and computer program products for providing a plurality of application services via a customized private network connection
A plurality of application services are provided to subscriber devices in a cloud computing network. A plurality of requests for application services are received from a subscriber device via a customized private network connection assigned to the subscriber device, and the requests for application services are aggregated with requests for application services from other subscriber devices. The requests are transmitted to application servers within the cloud computing network hosting applications for performing the application services. The subscriber device is provided with the requested plurality of application services via the customized private network connection. |
| US08488573B2 |
Apparatus and method for delivering public switched telephone network service and broadband internet access
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for delivering Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), Broadband Internet access and Private Data services using Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) over an Ethernet based transport network though a private fixed wireless network. An embodiment of the invention utilizes a Class 4/5 soft switch connected to a private fixed wireless network designed and constructed to deliver near toll quality PSTN, Broadband Internet and Private Data services to a Subscriber. Specifically, a combination of known managed routers, switches, Analog Telephone Adapters (ATA), Integrated Access Devices (IAD), and fixed wireless equipment based on IEEE 802.11x standards may be interconnected with a Class 4/5 soft switch. The resulting network may be uniquely configured to utilize redundant automatic failover backbone connectivity to access points (AP) within the private fixed wireless network. Additionally, the network may utilize TCP/IP prioritization standards throughout the private fixed wireless network to consistently deliver near toll grade quality Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). |
| US08488572B2 |
Methods and systems for multi-mode signal quality reporting
Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for wireless communications by a multi-mode mobile station that supports communications with a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs). The RATs may include at least one short range RAT and at least one long range RAT. The method generally includes establishing a first connection with a first network via a short range RAT supported by the mobile station, taking signal quality measurements for one or more long range RAT supported by the mobile station, and transmitting the signal quality measurements via the first connection. |
| US08488569B2 |
Communication device
A communication device of the present invention performs communication over a network where a session is identified based on a source address set in a frame. The communication device comprises an interface unit for connecting to the network, a management unit for managing a plurality of addresses, a request unit for transmitting a frame including a session establishment request to an authenticator system provided on the network through said interface unit, and an address setting unit for setting one of the plurality of addresses managed by said management unit as a source address of the frame including the session establishment request. |
| US08488564B2 |
Method and device for mapping a codeword to a layer in a multi-input multi-output system
The present invention discloses a method for mapping a codeword to a layer in a multi-input multi-output system, the method includes: grouping current layers in a multi-input multi-output system according to the number of current codewords, and mapping each codeword to the layer of a group to which the codeword corresponds. The present invention further discloses a device for mapping a codeword to a layer in a multi-input multi-output system, the device includes: a layer grouping unit and a mapping unit, wherein the layer grouping unit is used for grouping current layers in a multi-input multi-output system according to the number of current codewords; and the mapping unit is used for mapping each codeword to the layer of a group to which the codeword corresponds. The present invention is easy to be implemented, and the mapping manner for mapping a codeword to a layer is more reasonable. |
| US08488560B2 |
Random access method, evolved node B, and terminal equipment
A random access method, an evolved Node B (eNB), and a terminal equipment are provided. The method includes: determining target component carriers to which a User Equipment (UE) is to be handed over, and notifying the UE of information about the target component carriers through a source eNB; and after receiving a dedicated random access preamble sent by the UE, sending a random access response message on at least one component carrier in the target component carriers. The terminal equipment includes: a handover command receiving unit, a sending unit, and a random response receiving unit. Therefore, in a random access procedure of cell handover, the eNB is capable of determining downlink component carriers that a UE monitors, thereby increasing utilization rate of downlink resources. |
| US08488557B2 |
Method for detecting a duplicate address, mobile station, network element and communication system
The present invention proposes a method for detecting a duplicate address, a mobile station, a network element for controlling access of a mobile station to a wide area network and a communication network comprising a mobile station and at least two network element, wherein said mobile station is moving from a second access network pertaining to a second network element into a first access network pertaining to a first network element. Said method for detecting a duplicate address comprises: the mobile station sends a request message to the first network element; the first network element generates and sends a first message to the mobile station upon reception of said request message, said first message designating an explicit address configuration and including prefix information; the mobile station checks out the explicit address configuration, generates an address based on said prefix information and sends a message containing the generated address to the first network element for indicating that the mobile station requires registering the generated address with the first network element; and the first network element creates an entry for the mobile station if the generated address is not found in its address table, or generates and sends a second message to the mobile station for indicating that the generated address is a duplicate address if it is found in its address table and discards data packets with the duplicate address sent from the mobile station. |
| US08488553B2 |
Method for providing seamless transition between networks following different protocols
Example embodiments provide methods for handling the transition of a mobile device from a first network to a second network, the second network operating according to a different communications protocol from the first network. One example embodiment includes terminating forwarding of the data packets from the first network to the mobile device; rebuilding headers of unforwarded data packets at the first network; and sending the rebuilt data packets from the first network to the second network. Another example embodiment includes resetting a header compression state at the second network; receiving unforwarded data packets from the first network at the second network, the unforwarded data packets being data packets the first network had not yet forwarded to the mobile device; and sending the unforwarded data packets from the second network to the mobile device. |
| US08488550B2 |
Symmetric transmit opportunity (TXOP) truncation
Various embodiments of symmetric transmit opportunity (TXOP) truncation (STT) systems and methods are disclosed. One method embodiment, among others, comprises receiving a frame that truncates a TXOP around a first station, and responsive to receiving the frame, sending a second frame that truncates the TXOP around a second station. Others system and method embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08488543B2 |
Method of paging using header
A method for paging in a wireless access system is disclosed. A method for efficiently paging a mobile station of an idle mode comprises allocating an identifier of a large paging group and an identifier of a specific one of small paging groups included in the large paging group to a broadcast channel region and transmitting a header including the broadcast channel region to the terminal. Accordingly, the present invention enables efficient paging. |
| US08488541B2 |
Portable transceiver device that operates as a gateway to a proprietary wireless network
A portable gateway device facilitating shared access to a proprietary wireless network. The portable gateway device acts as an external modem for one or more auxiliary personal computing devices, and the device includes: a local power supply, one or more processors, one or more memories, an identification module associated with a proprietary wireless network, a first wireless communications component, and a second wireless communications component having longer range communications capability than the first wireless communications component. The portable gateway device is configured to facilitate one or more external computing device accessing the proprietary wireless network by: establishing communications with a first external computing device using the first wireless communications component, authenticating access with the proprietary wireless network using the second wireless communications component, and subsequently relaying communications between the first external computing device and the proprietary wireless network using both the first and the second wireless communications components. |
| US08488540B2 |
Apparatus and method for allocating resources for logical channels in wireless communication system
A method and apparatus of allocating a resource for a plurality of logical channels is provided. A transmitter acquires a plurality of available resources for a plurality of component carriers, and allocates the plurality of available resources to the plurality of logical channels based on priority of each of the plurality of logical channels. |
| US08488538B2 |
Method for transmitting uplink control signal
A method for transmitting an uplink control signal includes receiving scheduling information for transmission of the uplink control signal, and transmitting the uplink control signal according to the scheduling information. Various control signals can be transmitted without interference with other control signals while maintaining a single carrier property. |
| US08488534B2 |
Base station, user device, transmission method, and reception method
A base station includes a scheduler determining allocation of radio resources for each subframe; a control channel generating unit generating a control channel including common control information mapped across a system frequency band and specific control information mapped to one or more resource blocks allocated to a selected user device; and a transmission signal generating unit generating a transmission signal by time-division-multiplexing the common control information and the specific control information. The common control information is transmitted every subframe and includes information units with a predetermined data size, a format indicator representing one of preset options indicating the number of symbols occupied by the common control information, and information indicating the maximum number of the information units. The information indicating the maximum number of the information units is transmitted as a part of the common control information at a predetermined interval longer than or equal to one subframe. |
| US08488533B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing acknowledgment bundling
An approach is provided for acknowledgement bundling. Dynamically scheduling of one or more of subframes per bundling window is performed by reusing an assignment index field (e.g., downlink assignment index (DAI) field). The assignment index field has a value greater than or equal to number of previously assigned subframes within the bundling window. The bundling window defines a group of subframes for common acknowledgement. |
| US08488530B2 |
Method and apparatus of dynamic channel assignment for a wireless network
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for dynamic channel assignment (DCA) in a wireless network, which describes the complex channel assignment problem with a decoding problem. The invention describes the decoding problem with a normal graph and specifies all the local rules enforced by all the nodes at access point sides and subscriber sides. Then, the invention carries out the sum-product algorithm to solve the DCA. It is not only a fully-distributed low-complexity DCA technology, but also significantly increases the network throughput. The invention further adopts the concept of subscriber exclusive region to guarantee the link quality between a subscriber and an access point. |
| US08488519B2 |
Load-balanced NSAPI allocation for iWLAN
In one embodiment, a load balancer receives a message from a tunnel termination gateway (TTG) associated with a mobile device. The load balancer may receive messages from a plurality of TTGs. A gateway node in a plurality of gateway nodes in which to send the message is determined. The load balancer then assigns a NSAPI for use by the gateway node. For example, the NSAPI may be associated with a tunnel that is generated between the TTG and GGSN. The load balancer ensures that the assigned NSAPI is not currently in use at the gateway node. Thus, no overlapping of NSAPIs may occur even though the load balancer is processing messages from multiple TTGs for multiple gateway nodes. |
| US08488518B2 |
Method and system for synchronising stations within communications networks and stations for use therein
A system for synchronizing stations in a communications network comprising: at least one airborne or space-based vehicle; and at least two stations, each station having receiver means in data communication with the at least one airborne or space-based vehicle and control means in data communication with the receiver means and in control communication with a communication means. When each receiver means receives a synchronization signal from the at least one airborne or space-based vehicle each receiver means forwards the synchronization signal to its respective control means. The respective control means processes the synchronization signal to determine the operational frequency required by its respective communication means to maintain or establish communication with the other station. The respective control means also operates to control its respective communication means to change to the determined operational frequency. |
| US08488514B2 |
Relay backhaul link quality considerations for mobility procedures
A system including a processor configured to determine whether or not to perform a mobility procedure based at least in part on a backhaul link quality between a relay node and an access node. |
| US08488511B2 |
System and method of providing advertisements to vehicles
A communication device is removable and operable within a vehicle and is in communication with a data network as the communication device travels in the vehicle. Vehicle identification data is obtained from the communication device, and a type of media file supported by a media system of the vehicle is determined based upon the vehicle identification data. Media content is obtained in a format corresponding to the determined type of media file. When the communication device is within a desired range of a target location, the media content is transmitted to the communication device for presentation on the media system of the vehicle. |
| US08488506B2 |
Oscillator settling time allowance
Techniques are disclosed relating to oscillator settling time allowance. In one embodiment, an apparatus may include an oscillator and oscillation detection and control circuitry. The oscillation detection and control circuitry may be configured to awaken an oscillator at a predetermined time and detect an edge transition of oscillations. The oscillation detection and control circuitry may further be configured to measure the time from the power-on indication to edge transition detection. In one embodiment, the oscillation detection and control circuitry may be configured to store the measured time and use the measured time instead of the predetermined time for subsequent oscillator awakenings. In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include circuitry configured to compensate for an expected oscillator settling behavior. |
| US08488505B2 |
Method/system for conserving resources during conversation over wireless network transport media
A method and system are provided for conserving network resources such as battery power of a battery-powered communication device used to support a conversation over a wireless network transport media. Periods of silence are detected during conversation taking place on a network having controllable resources such as battery power. Using the periods of silence so-detected, future silence periods occurring on the network are then predicted. Allocation of at least a portion of the controllable resources is controlled based on the future silence periods so-predicted. |
| US08488504B2 |
Power saving control for network system
A network system including a plurality of devices connected to one another via a network includes a grouping processing section configured to, from among the plurality of devices, perform grouping of devices having at least one predetermined item common thereto in terms of device usage, and a representative selection section configured to select one of the devices having been grouped as a representative device. Further, the network system includes a control section configured to cause non-representative devices, which are remaining devices resulting from excluding the representative device from the devices having been grouped, to perform synchronously a mode switching operation for switching between a normal mode and a power saving mode in which an amount of power consumption is smaller than that in the normal mode, and cause the representative device to perform the mode switching operation independently of the mode switching operation performed by the non-representative devices. |
| US08488503B2 |
Magnetic field communication method for managing node with low power consumption
A magnetic field communication method is provided for managing node with low power consumption which enhances performance and efficiency of a magnetic field area network in the low frequency region. The magnetic field communication method for managing node with low power consumption of the present invention is accomplished in a low-frequency wireless network that is comprised of a MFAN-C and at least one MFAN-N wherein a physical layer is comprised of a preamble, a header, and a payload, and the preamble is comprised of a wake-up sequence and a synchronization sequence. The wake-up sequence is only added to the preamble of the frame that is transmitted from the MFAN-C when the MFAN-N is being activated from the hibernation mode. The wake-up sequence is modulated using ASK modulation, and the synchronization sequence is modulated using BPSK modulation. |
| US08488502B2 |
Frame generation device, reception device, data transmission/reception system, frame generation method, and reception method
A distribution data presence/absence information generation section generates distribution data presence/absence information indicating whether or not data is included in a frame. A synchronization information generation section generates synchronization information including the distribution data presence/absence information. |
| US08488501B2 |
Network assisted power management
Embodiments of the claimed subject matter provide an approach to managing the power state of wireless network devices in a wireless network. Embodiments include a process for modifying the scheduling of data distribution device by referencing the data buffer in an access point for data intended for a wireless network client operating under a power-saving mode, and re-arranging the distribution queue of the access point to be granted priority for a time which coincides with the delivery of a polling beacon to the power-saving wireless client. Other embodiments include a method to create virtual access points for a particular usage, and to leverage access points in a wireless network for particular usages of devices in range. |
| US08488497B2 |
Transmission circuit and transmission method
A transmission circuit that performs modulation based on a phase difference signal and an amplitude signal includes an asymmetrical phase rotation device. The asymmetrical phase rotation device performs an operation of subtracting 2π from a value of the phase difference signal when the value of the phase difference signal is greater than a predetermined positive threshold value, or an operation of adding 2π to the value of the phase difference signal when the value of the phase difference signal is less than a predetermined negative threshold value. Accordingly, the transmission circuit has distortion reduction characteristics improved uniformly over a range of frequencies higher or lower than a carrier wave band. |
| US08488495B2 |
System and method for routing communications between packet networks based on real time pricing
The disclosed embodiments include a method for communicating data packets over packet networks owned by different communications carriers. The method includes monitoring, throughout scheduled times of the day, pricing information of the different communications carriers for communicating the data packets over the packet networks owned by the different communications carriers. The method determines over which of the packet networks owned by the different communications carriers to communicate data packets based on the pricing information. |
| US08488494B2 |
Rules system versions
A rules systems version coordination method is disclosed for the initiation of a rules system version and the coordination of the rules system version with other rules system versions which may be available. Particularly, the rules system versions are coordinated so that one-and-only-one is in the Active State i.e. the state in which the Policy and Charging Rules Node (PCRN) is deriving its set of policies; rules system versions may only be promoted to the Active State from a Release State; and rules system versions may only be modified when in a Draft State, from which they may be promoted to the Release State. The rules systems version coordination method is particularly useful for providing a buffer state between rules system versions undergoing modification and the rules system version currently in service. |
| US08488492B2 |
Anycast-based internet protocol redirection to alleviate partial routing tables
Systems and methods are described that instruct routers having constrained hardware/memory to redirect all outbound traffic to a helper router. The helper router contains a full routing table that can forward any packet to its destination. In a large service provider network, helper routers may be distributed at multiple locations across the network. Since packets must detour through the helper router, the distributed helper routers minimize latency. |
| US08488491B2 |
Compressed virtual routing and forwarding in a communications network
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a plurality of network site interfaces in communication with two or more networks, each of the networks associated with a different Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) instance, and a processor configured for mapping the VRF instances to an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) adjacency and transmitting VRF information on the IGP adjacency along with a VRF identifier indicating the network associated with the VRF information. A method is also disclosed. |
| US08488490B2 |
Methods and apparatus to determine a capacity for a network layer topology
Methods and apparatus to determine a capacity for a network topology are disclosed herein. An example method is described, which includes receiving a network layer topology comprising a plurality of network layer links, applying weights to the network layer links, selecting one of a plurality of traffic elements, the selected traffic element comprising endpoint nodes and a traffic demand, determining, for one or more of the network layer links, whether the selected traffic element may be routed on the network layer link without adding capacity to the network layer link, applying penalties to the weights associated with the network layer links that cannot support the selected traffic element without adding capacity, determining, based on the weights and penalties of the network layer links, a routing path including one or more of the network layer links between the endpoint nodes, adding the selected traffic element to the network layer links on the routing path, and determining the capacity of the network layer links based on the selected traffic element. |
| US08488488B1 |
Mitigating threats in a network
Mitigating threats in a network includes receiving a message at a network device. The message includes device-independent parameters generated in response to a threat. The network device converts the parameters into one or more device-specific operations and then performs the operations to mitigate the threat. |
| US08488482B2 |
Downlink routing mechanism
The present technology relates to protocols relative to utility meters associated with an open operational framework. More particularly, the present subject matter relates to protocol subject matter for advanced metering infrastructure, adaptable to various international standards, while economically supporting a 2-way mesh network solution in a wireless environment, such as for operating in a residential electricity meter field. The present subject matter supports meters within an ANSI standard C12.22/C12.19 system while economically supporting a 2-way mesh network solution in a wireless environment, such as for operating in a residential electricity meter field, all to permit cell-based adaptive insertion of C12.22 meters within an open framework. Cell isolation is provided through quasi-orthogonal sequences in a frequency hopping network. Additional features relate to apparatus and methodology subject matters relating to Downlink routing mechanisms. |
| US08488479B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing protection against spam
A method and apparatus for providing protection against spam calls are disclosed. For example, the method receives a signaling message for setting up a call to a customer, and determines whether the call is from a caller that has been identified as being a spammer. The method processes the call using one or more filter rules for the customer, if the caller has been identified as being a spammer. |
| US08488478B1 |
Method and device for estimating RF interference in Wi-Fi communication by measuring time delays in RF transmission
A device and method measures transmission efficiency of wireless RF energy packets for each 802.11 channel and relates these measurements to the presence of RF interference. The invention is implemented using a single computing device with an installed wireless network adapter that implements the CSMA/CA transmission protocol. |
| US08488476B2 |
Providing applets to remote devices in a communications network
System and method for providing applets to remote devices in a communications network. A preferred embodiment includes a host device, which is the device from which the applet will be transferred, and a target device, which is the device to which the applet will be transferred. In one embodiment, the host device autonomously determines that an applet is to be pushed to the target device. The host device then determines the address of the target device and transmits the applet to the target device. Instructions and commands may be sent to the target device form the host, and the target device may transmit results to the host device. In another embodiment, the target device is customer premise equipment and/or a user device that requests an applet from the host device. The target device requests applets, for example, to perform service parameter verification, performance monitoring, troubleshooting, or the like. |
| US08488473B2 |
Voice communication quality assessing system
A system for assessing a voice communication quality of a communication path between first and second nodes over a network, wherein coded data of voice communication signals are transferred in a stream of packets via the communication path, including: a capturing unit for capturing at the first node at least one packet containing coded data representing non voice signals among the packets of the coded data to be transferred from the first node to the second node; a replacing unit for replacing a part of the coded data representing non voice signals in the captured packet with a predetermined code before the captured packet is transferred from the first node; a retrieval unit for retrieving at the second node said at least one packet containing coded data representing non voice signals; and an assessment unit for assessing the voice communication quality of the communication path. |
| US08488468B2 |
Group conference system, conference server, session switching control method and session switching control program
In switching of a conference server in a group conference system, switching of a session of each terminal device is completed smoothly in as a short time period as possible without imposing loads on a call control server. A conference server 121 connected to a call control server 110 which relays a request for call control of a group conference system and a plurality of terminal devices 130, including a session shift control unit 223 which determines an order of a request for call control of each terminal device which request is related to cut-off from a target from which a session is to be shifted and connection to a session shifting destination according to information related to session generation of each terminal device and a conference condition and determines timing of call control based on a load condition of the call control server, and a session shift instructing unit 224 which transmits a request for call control to the call control server according to the determined order and timing. |
| US08488466B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatus for detecting a pattern within a data packet and detecting data packets related to a data packet including a detected pattern
Systems, devices, and methods for finding a captured data packet including a data pattern of interest and data packets associated with the found data packet are herein provided. A traffic flow of captured data packets may be received by a network captured traffic distribution device and may be duplicated. A traffic flow of captured data packets may be scanned for data packets including a data pattern of interest and identifying information may be determined for any found data packets. A duplicate traffic flow of captured data packets may also be scanned for data packets with identifying information that matches a found data packet. An egress port for the found data packet may be determined and both the found data packet and any data packets with identifying information matching found data packet might be transmitted to the determined egress port. |
| US08488461B2 |
Adaptive scheduling of data transfer in P2P applications over asymmetric networks
In a peer-to-peer asymmetric communication environment, an adaptive upload Data Rate Control element—called Adaptive-DRC—is used to detect increase in data return-trip time (RTT) caused by the congestion associated with the uploading of data in an uplink which in turn impacts on downloading data on an associated downlink, namely a downlink sharing resources with the uplink. Using Adaptive-DRC, the congestion is detected and thereupon adjustments to are made to allow continued communication. Adaptive-DRC comprises: (i) RTT estimation; (ii) detection of the onset of congestion, herein pre-congestion detection; and (iii) adaptation of the upload data rate limit. Two specific embodiments are contemplated, namely two versions of Adaptive-DRC wherein the difference lies in the upload data rate limit adaptation technique. |
| US08488460B2 |
Method and apparatus for evaluating services in communication networks
A method and apparatus (400) for evaluating the performance of a user service executed in a communication network by means of one or more user-independent system services. A measuring block (400a) measures a set of system service key performance indicators S-KPIs for each system service, the S-KPIs being carefully selected to reflect the performance of the system services from a user perspective. Relevant data for measuring the S-KPIs is collected from sensors and counters, including infrastructure data (402c), traffic data (402b) and end user data (402a). A service evaluating block (400b) then evaluates or estimates the performance of the user service based on the measured S-KPIs. By making a distinction between system services and user services in this way and using measurable S-KPIs, more consistent and reliable service evaluations can be obtained. |
| US08488459B2 |
Power control and quality of service (QoS) implementation in a communication system
For Quality of Service (QoS) implementation in a multiple-access communication system, a base station processes data transmissions from terminals for all QoS classes supported by the system and obtains status information for the data transmissions. The status information may indicate whether each packet is decoded correctly or in error and the delay for each packet. For each QoS class, the base station derives one or more metrics based on the status information for data transmissions from disadvantaged terminals and updates the QoS parameter based on the metrics and requirements for the QoS class. The QoS parameter for each QoS class determines the transmit powers for the data transmissions sent for that QoS class. The base station broadcasts the QoS parameters for all QoS classes. Each terminal uses the QoS parameter for an applicable QoS class for power control of the data transmission sent to the base station. |
| US08488458B1 |
Secure unauthenticated virtual local area network
An apparatus having a corresponding method and computer program comprises a control circuit to determine a number N of network devices belonging to a virtual local area network, wherein the virtual local area network does not require authentication of the network devices; and a policy circuit to limit an aggregate data rate of the virtual local area network according to the number N of network devices belonging to the virtual local area network. |
| US08488456B2 |
Load-balancing via modulus distribution and TCP flow redirection due to server overload
A method, switch, and/or computer program product routes IP packet flows. An Ethernet switch receives an IP packet flow. Each of the packets in the IP packet flow has a header that contains a same 5-tuple. A load balancing control engine determines whether servers in a group of servers are balanced in their utilization according to 5-tuple redirection rules contained in the load balancing control engine. In response to the load balancing control engine determining, according to the 5-tuple redirection rules, that the servers are balanced, the Ethernet switch routes the IP packet flow to the servers. In response to the load balancing control engine determining that the servers are unbalanced, the load balancing control engine instructs the Ethernet switch to redirect the IP packet flow to a server that is relatively less busy than other servers. |
| US08488452B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining resource node, method of controlling resource node, resource node, and computer product
By transmitting information on a condition enabling execution of one service to a resource broker that manages an assignment state of a resource node used among services, a resource node enabling execution of one service out of resource nodes used among services is specified. And by receiving information on use state of the resource node out of the specified resource nodes and based on the information on the received use state, a resource node used for one service out of specified resource nodes is determined. |
| US08488450B2 |
Method and system for physical layer aggregation
Aspects of a method and system for physical layer aggregation are provided. An example method includes receiving, form a medium access control (MAC) layer protocol entity, data encapsulated into a packet comprising a preamble, fragmenting said packet into a plurality of fragment payloads, and conveying each of said fragment payloads to said third portion of said one or more circuits, wherein at least one of said plurality of fragment payloads comprises one or more octets copied from said preamble. |
| US08488449B1 |
Managing network traffic using floating point format values
A technique to implement a network traffic management system with an integrated multidimensional floating point sorter is to store data such that it may be retrieved in a sorted fashion. Entries are stored into a memory according to time stamp value, represented in a floating point format, and the time stamp value is divided into at least two portions, exponent and mantissa. The memory is organized as a pointer memory. An integrated multidimensional floating point sorter may be implemented using integrated circuit technology using one or more integrated circuits. These integrated circuits may be used in management of network traffic, and provides quality of service (QoS) or class of service (CoS) control. |
| US08488439B2 |
Blind carrier frequency offset estimator based on single-OFDM-symbol PN ranging code in multi-user OFDMA uplink
A blind carrier frequency offset estimator is based on a single-OFDM-symbol training sequence in multi-user OFDMA uplink. Through multiple access interference modeling and analysis, a virtual user is employed that occupies the all null sub-carriers. By minimizing the energy leakage on the virtual user in term of tentative frequency offsets, the estimator can approach the real frequency offset. The estimator performs only on frequency-domain, simplifies interference calculations, and lowers the rank of the matrix. An iterative computation method is used to approach the real frequency offset. |
| US08488438B2 |
Combined echo and crosstalk cancellation
Combined echo and crosstalk cancellation is provided. Frequency domain adaptive filters are used to remove or reduce the effects of echo and crosstalk for a multi-channel and full-duplex communications system. Data from each transmit channel is buffered and converted to the frequency domain. The frequency domain data is multiplied by crosstalk coefficients to obtain a frequency domain correction signal for each channel. Adaptation of the crosstalk coefficients is based on correlations between the error signals and the data from each of the transmit channels. A single frequency domain transform engine, such as a Fast Fourier Transform engine, is employed for all calculations to save power and area. |
| US08488436B2 |
High density data storage medium, method and device
A composition of matter for the recording medium of nanometer scale thermo-mechanical information storage devices and a nanometer scale thermo-mechanical information storage device. The composition includes: one or more polyaryletherketone copolymers, each of the one or more polyaryletherketone copolymers comprising (a) a first monomer including an aryl ether ketone and (b) a second monomer including an aryl ether ketone and a first phenylethynyl moiety, each of the one or more polyaryletherketone copolymers having two terminal ends, each terminal end having a phenylethynyl moiety the same as or different from the first phenylethynyl moiety. The one or more polyaryletherketone copolymers are thermally cured and the resulting cross-linked polyaryletherketone resin used as the recording layer in an atomic force data storage device. |
| US08488435B2 |
Transducer bonded to a laser module for heat assisted magnetic recording
An apparatus includes a transducer assembly including a waveguide and a grating structured to couple electromagnetic radiation into the waveguide, and a laser module including a laser diode and a transparent cover adjacent to an output facet of the laser diode, wherein the laser module is bonded to the transducer assembly and the laser diode directs electromagnetic radiation through the transparent cover and onto the grating. A method of making the apparatus is also provided. |
| US08488432B2 |
Polymer compound, composition for alignment film, alignment film, optical element, and optical information writing/reading device
To provide a polymer compound capable of forming an alignment film which has a sufficient aligning performance to a liquid crystalline compound and which is excellent also in adhesion with an optical anisotropic film obtainable by polymerizing a liquid crystalline compound in an aligned state, and a composition containing it, as well as an alignment film obtainable by using such a composition, an optical element and an optical information writing/reading device. Provided is a polymer compound comprising polymerized units derived from a fumaric acid diester and polymerized units having a radical polymerizable group in a side chain. By using this polymer compound, an alignment film is prepared. An optical element having this alignment film and an optical anisotropic film is used as a retardation plate 4 having mechanical strength and heat resistance, and good reliability without peeling. An optical information writing/reading device is constituted by using it. |
| US08488431B2 |
Optical head and optical information device
Provided are an optical head and an optical information device capable of inhibiting the temperature rise of a photodetector. An optical head (10) includes a semiconductor laser (101) which emits a luminous flux, an objective lens (105) which focuses the luminous flux emitted from the semiconductor laser (101) on the optical disk (21), and a photodetector (120) which detects the luminous flux reflected by the optical disk (21). The photodetector (120) includes a light receiving part (123) which receives the luminous flux reflected by the optical disk (21), a package (125) which covers the light receiving part (123), and a heat transfer adhesion layer (124) disposed between the package (125) and the light receiving part (123). The heat transfer adhesion layer (124) is formed in a region that is on the light receiving part (123) and includes a light path through which the luminous flux reflected by the optical disk (21) passes. |
| US08488429B2 |
Electron beam exposure system and electron beam exposure method
When applying an electron beam to a master substrate of disk-shaped recording medium placed on a rotation stage, while rotating the master substrate by rotating the rotation stage, to write a master pattern of disk-shaped recording medium on the master substrate, causing the writing to be suspended based on abnormality information of environment and storing a rotation angle of the master substrate when the writing is suspended and causing, thereafter, the writing to be resumed from a suspended position of the writing on the master substrate based on the rotation angle. |
| US08488427B2 |
Optical disc apparatus capable of performing recording and/or reproducing of information with reducing aberration
An optical disc apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes: a plurality of light sources; an optical system which has at least an objective lens that condenses light beam emitted from the light sources on a recording layer of an optical disc and a collimator lens that is arranged between the light sources and the objective lens; a lens tilting mechanism which tilts the objective lens; a collimator lens driving mechanism which moves the collimator lens along an optical axis direction; and a most appropriate setting deciding portion which decides in a prescribed timing a most appropriate setting about position of the collimator lens and tilting of the objective lens while changing the position of the collimator lens and the tilting of the objective lens utilizing the collimator lens driving mechanism and the lens tilting mechanism. |
| US08488426B2 |
Disc device
Provided is an optical disc drive device which stably controls an actuator of an optical pickup, by individually controlling an optical spot when following the guide track and an optical spot when recording/reproducing information on/from each recording layer. An optical spot when following the guide track and an optical spot when recording/reproducing information on/from each recording layer are individually controlled. At this time, the optical spot exclusive for the track and the optical spot exclusive for the recording/reproducing are formed on an optical disc. |
| US08488423B2 |
Servo control device, optical disk device, and data transfer method
A servo control device includes: a phase compensator configured to generate a plurality of types of control values for controlling a driver based on a signal output from an optical pickup, and output the control values; and a transfer data generator configured to serially transfer the control values to the driver. The phase compensator sends, to the transfer data generator, a notification that the phase compensator has output a control value which needs to be sent with a reduced delay among the control values. In response to the notification, the transfer data generator determines whether or not the transfer data generator is transferring one of the control values, and if the transfer data generator is not transferring one of the control values, the transfer data generator starts transferring a control value associated with the notification among the control values. |
| US08488422B2 |
Elastic member, mounting structure of optical element, and pickup apparatus having the same
A mounting structure of an optical element, includes: an optical element; an elastic member usable when the optical element is mounted; and a holding unit configured to be mounted with the optical element and the elastic member, the elastic member configured to be pressed into the holding unit, the holding unit configured to be mounted with the optical element by use of the elastic member. |
| US08488421B2 |
Lens cleaner and optical disc device
A lens cleaner capable of more surely cleaning grime off from an objective lens is provided. A lens cleaner of the present invention includes first and second lens cleaning portions. The first lens cleaning portion is provided to be brought into contact with a lens protector when the lens cleaner is rotated, to cause an objective lens to be away from a recording or reproducing position against an elastic force of an elastic member. The second lens cleaning portion is provided on an upstream side in a rotation direction relative to the first lens cleaning portion. The second lens cleaning portion is provided to pass above the lens protector while the objective lens is away from the recording or reproducing position, and to be brought into contact with the objective lens when the objective lens returns to the recording or reproducing position by the elastic force of the elastic member. |
| US08488419B1 |
Hybrid plasmon generator structure and process
A TAMR head is disclosed with a hybrid plasmon generator (hPG) formed between a waveguide and write pole at an ABS. The hPG has a planar bottom surface facing the waveguide and is comprised of a first non-noble metal layer with a peg portion adjoining the ABS. The peg tip has a thickness in a down track direction and a width in a cross track direction that may be reduced to about 10 nm to shrink the size of the optical spot that provides localized heating to a track and facilitates the write process. A second metal layer made of a noble metal is formed on and alongside the first metal layer and is recessed from the ABS to expose the peg, and has a top surface adjoining the write pole that may have side and top heat sinks. |
| US08488416B2 |
Earthquake detection and alarming apparatus
In one aspect, the present invention is directed to an earthquake detection and alarming apparatus, comprising: a transparent object (46) having a concave surface on the top thereof; a rollable object (34) placed on the concave surface; an apiary of light projectors (30) placed above the concave surface; an apiary of light receivers (38) correspondingly to the apiary of light projectors, the apiary of light receivers being placed below the concave surface; and circuitry for determining: (a) vibrating frequency and amplitude of the rollable object with reference to the concave surface from sensing of the receivers (38); and (b) deducing therefrom the arrival of primary waves. |
| US08488413B2 |
Indicated position detecting apparatus and indicated position detecting method
An indicated position detecting apparatus includes a display module having a display screen, and a plurality of microphones to detect a contact sound to the display screen. The plurality of microphones are arranged at an outer peripheral portion of the display screen to be apart from each other. A time difference acquisition unit acquires arrival time differences of the contact sound between two microphones in each of two combinations of the plurality of microphones. A positional information acquisition unit derives two hyperbolas corresponding to the arrival time differences acquired by the time difference acquisition unit, each hyperbola having focal points at the two microphones in each of the two combinations of the plurality of microphones, and acquires an intersection of the two derived hyperbolas as information of a position where the contact sound is generated. |
| US08488399B2 |
Semiconductor devices having a three-dimensional stacked structure and methods of de-skewing data therein
A semiconductor memory device having a 3D stacked structure includes: a first semiconductor area with a stacked structure of a first layer having first data and a second layer having second data; a first line for delivering an access signal for accessing the first semiconductor area; and a second line for outputting the first and/or second data from the first semiconductor area, wherein access timings of accessing the first and second layers are controlled so that a first time delay from the delivery of the access signal to the first layer to the output of the first data is substantially identical to a second time delay from the delivery of the access signal to the second layer to the output of the second data, thereby compensating for skew according to an inter-layer timing delay and thus performing a normal operation. Accordingly, the advantage of high-integration according to a stacked structure can be maximized by satisfying data input/output within a predetermined standard. |
| US08488390B2 |
Circuits and methods for memory
Embodiments for data dependent boosted (DDB) bit cells that may allow for smaller minimum cell supplies (Vmin) without necessarily having to increase device dimensions are presented. |
| US08488389B2 |
Flash memory device and method of operation
A NAND flash memory device and method of erasing memory cells thereof, wherein each cell is only subjected to the level of erase voltage needed to restore its nominal “erased” state. Each memory cell of the NAND flash memory device comprises a floating gate, a control gate connected to a wordline and receives a control voltage therefrom to induce a programming charge on the floating gate, and a bitline adapted to apply an erase voltage to deplete the floating gate of the programming charge. Each memory cell further includes circuitry for modulating the erase voltage according to the level of the programming charge on its floating gate. |
| US08488384B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device, driving method thereof, and memory system having the same
A nonvolatile memory device (NVM), memory system and apparatus include control logic configured to perform a method of applying negative voltage on a selected wordline of the NVM. During a first time a first high voltage level is applied to the channel of a transistor of a address decoder and a ground voltage is applied to the well of the transistor. And, during a second time a second high voltage level is applied to the channel of the transistor, and within the second time interval a first negative voltage is applied to the well of the transistor. The first high voltage level is higher than the second high voltage level, and a voltage applied on the selected wordline is negative within the second time interval. |
| US08488380B2 |
Word line driving circuit, semiconductor memory device including the same, and method for testing the semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device in accordance with the present invention is able to facilitate detecting whether a word line fails or not by floating the word line. The semiconductor memory device includes a word line driver, and a floating controller. The word line driver is configured to control a word line to be enabled/disabled. The floating controller is configured to control the word line driver to float the word line in response to a word line floating signal. |
| US08488376B2 |
Non-volatile magnetic memory element with graded layer
A non-volatile magnetic memory element includes a number of layers one of which is a free layer which is graded. The graded free layer may include various elements with each element having a different anisotropy or it may include nonmagnetic compounds and magnetic regions with the non-magnetic compounds forming graded contents forming a unique shape such as cone shaped, diamond shaped or other shapes and whose thickness is based on the reactivity of the magnetic compound. |
| US08488373B2 |
Spin injection layer robustness for microwave assisted magnetic recording
A spin transfer (torque) oscillator (STO) with a non-magnetic spacer formed between a spin injection layer (SIL) and a field generation layer (FGL), and with an interfacial layer comprised of Fe(100-V)CoV where v is from 5 to 100 atomic % formed between the SIL and non-magnetic spacer is disclosed. A composite seed layer made of Ta and a metal layer having a fcc(111) or hcp(001) texture is used to enhance perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in the STO device. The interfacial layer quenches SIL oscillations and thereby stabilizes the SIL against FGL oscillations. The interfacial layer preferably has a thickness from 5 to 50 Angstroms and enhances amplitude (dR/R) in the STO device. The STO device may have a top SIL or bottom SIL configuration. The SIL is typically a laminated structure such as (Co/Ni)X where x is between 5 and 50. |
| US08488372B2 |
Magnetic random access memory devices including multi-bit cells
A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell includes a storage layer, a sense layer, and a spacer layer between the storage layer and the sense layer. A field line is magnetically coupled to the MRAM cell to induce a magnetic field along a magnetic field axis, and at least one of the storage layer and the sense layer has a magnetic anisotropy axis that is tilted relative to the magnetic field axis. During a write operation, a storage magnetization direction is switchable between m directions to store data corresponding to one of m logic states, with m>2, where at least one of the m directions is aligned relative to the magnetic anisotropy axis, and at least another one of the m directions is aligned relative to the magnetic field axis. During a read operation, a sense magnetization direction is varied, relative to the storage magnetization direction, to determine the data stored by the storage layer. |
| US08488371B2 |
Static random access memory
In a random access memory, one of a first conductivity type well constituting a first bit in one column group and another first conductivity type well constituting a second bit selected simultaneously to the first bit in an adjacent column group, is isolated from a common well of the first conductivity type by providing a deep well of a second conductivity type, such that the area of the deep well of the second conductivity type does not exceed the area of one column group. |
| US08488369B2 |
Method of altering distribution of a chosen characteristic of a plurality of memory cells forming a memory device
A method is provided for altering distribution of a chosen characteristic of a plurality of memory cells forming a memory device. The method comprises identifying a subset of the memory cells whose value of the chosen characteristic is within a predetermined end region of the distribution, and then performing a burn-in process during which one or more operating parameters of the memory device are set to induce aging of the memory cells. During the burn-in process, for each memory cell in the subset, the value stored in that memory cell is fixed to a selected value which exposes that memory cell to a stress condition. In contrast, for each memory cell not in the subset, the value stored in that memory cell is alternated during the burn-in process in order to alleviate exposure of that memory cell to the stress condition. Such an approach allows a tightening of the distribution of the chosen characteristic, thus improving the worst case memory cells. |
| US08488367B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and method for controlling the same
According to one embodiment, a method for controlling a semiconductor device comprises determining a select bit number for a group of memory cells each includes a variable-resistance element, setting a first voltage corresponding to the select bit number, applying the set first voltage to the memory cell group, and performing verify read on the memory cell group to which the first voltage has been applied and determining whether or not the memory cell group passes the verify read. If the memory cell group is determined not to pass the verify read, the number of bits corresponding to passed memory cells is subtracted from the select bit number, and the first voltage corresponding to the decreased select bit number is set again. |
| US08488364B2 |
Circuit and system of using a polysilicon diode as program selector for resistive devices in CMOS logic processes
Polysilicon diodes fabricated in standard CMOS logic technologies can be used as program selectors for a programmable resistive device, such as electrical fuse, contact/via fuse, anti-fuse, or emerging nonvolatile memory such as MRAM, PCM, CBRAM, or RRAM. The diode can be constructed by P+/N+ implants on a polysilicon as a program selector. By applying a high voltage to a resistive element coupled to the P terminal of a diode and switching the N terminal of a diode to a low voltage for proper time, a current flows through a resistive element may change the resistance state. On the polysilicon diode, the spacing and doping level of a gap between the P+ and N+ implants can be controlled for different breakdown voltages and leakage currents. The Silicide Block Layer (SBL) can be used to block silicide formation on the top of polysilicon to prevent shorting. If the resistive element is a polysilicon electrical fuse, the fuse element can be merged with the polysilicon diode in one piece to save area. |
| US08488363B2 |
Write energy conservation in memory
A method writes data to a resistive memory, such as spin torque transfer magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM). The method writes received bits of data to a memory cell array, in response to a first write signal. The method also reads stored data from the memory cell array, after the first write signal is generated, and then compares the stored data with the received bits of data to determine whether each of the received bits of data was written to the memory. In response to a second write signal, received bits of data determined not to have been written during the first write signal, are written. |
| US08488362B2 |
Graded metal oxide resistance based semiconductor memory device
Memory devices are described along with methods for manufacturing and methods for operating. A memory device as described herein includes a plurality of memory cells located between word lines and bit lines. Memory cells in the plurality of memory cells comprise a diode and a metal-oxide memory element programmable to a plurality of resistance states including a first and a second resistance state, the diode of the memory element arranged in electrical series along a current path between a corresponding word line and a corresponding bit line. The device further includes bias circuitry to apply bias arrangements across the series arrangement of the diode and the memory element of a selected memory cell in the plurality of memory cells. |
| US08488361B2 |
Memory support provided with memory elements of ferroelectric material and improved non-destructive reading method thereof
A method is for non-destructive reading of an information datum stored in a memory that includes a first wordline, a first bitline and a second bitline, and a first ferroelectric transistor, which is connected between the bitlines and has a control terminal coupled to the first wordline. The method includes applying to the first wordline a first reading electrical quantity, generating a first difference of potential between the first and second bitlines, generating a first output electrical quantity, and applying to the first wordline a second reading electrical quantity. The method further includes generating a second difference of potential between the first and second bitlines, generating a second output electrical quantity, and comparing the first and second output electrical quantities with one another. On the basis of a result of said comparison, the method includes determining the logic value of the information data. |
| US08488359B2 |
Circuit and system of using junction diode as program selector for one-time programmable devices
Junction diodes fabricated in standard CMOS logic processes can be used as program selectors for One-Time Programmable (OTP) devices, such as electrical fuse, contact/via fuse, contact/via anti-fuse, or gate-oxide breakdown anti-fuse, etc. The OTP device has at least one OTP element coupled to at least one diode in a memory cell. The diode can be constructed by P+ and N+ active regions in a CMOS N well, or on an isolated active region as the P and N terminals of the diode. The isolation between P+ and the N+ active regions of the diode in a cell or between cells can be provided by dummy MOS gate, SBL, or STI/LOCOS isolations. The OTP element can be polysilicon, silicided polysilicon, silicide, metal, metal alloy, local interconnect, thermally isolated active region, CMOS gate, or combination thereof. |
| US08488352B1 |
Method for varying power factor
A method for varying power factor is applied to a power factor correction circuit and a rectified voltage. The rectified voltage is transmitted to the power factor correction circuit. The method for varying power factor is to change the conduction pulses of the power factor correction circuit to change the conduction current and the power factor. |
| US08488350B2 |
DC-AC inverters
A method of operating a DC-AC inverter to produce AC power having alternating positive and negative half cycles is disclosed. The inverter includes an input connected to a DC power source, an output, a first buck converter coupled between the input and the output and a second buck converter coupled between the input and output. The method includes alternately operating the first buck converter and the second buck converter to alternately produce the positive and negative half cycles at the output. |
| US08488343B2 |
Switching mode power supply apparatus having passive clamp circuit
A switching mode power supply apparatus includes a transformer, a main switch to adjust power supplied to a primary coil of the transformer, a passive clamp circuit to suppress a voltage stress of the main switch, and a control circuit to disable a clamping operation of the passive clamp circuit in a standby mode of the switching mode power supply apparatus. Power is not consumed in the passive clamp circuit in a standby mode so that power consumed in the standby mode can be remarkably reduced. |
| US08488340B2 |
Power converter with boost-buck-buck configuration utilizing an intermediate power regulating circuit
A regulated power apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes an input power converting circuit configured for receiving a rectified voltage and for generating an increased voltage. An intermediate power regulating circuit generates a regulated voltage that has a lower voltage than a minimum output voltage of the input power converting circuit. The intermediate power regulating circuit is coupled to receive the increased voltage. An output power converting circuit is coupled with the intermediate power regulating circuit. The output power converting circuit receives the regulated voltage and generates an output voltage that is lower than the regulated voltage. The output power converting circuit comprises a buck converter configured to operate at a fixed duty cycle. A regulation circuit is coupled with the intermediate power regulating circuit and coupled with the output power converting circuit. |
| US08488339B2 |
Switching power supply
A switching power supply includes a first auxiliary power supply for causing a first auxiliary winding of a transformer to induce voltage by ON/OFF control of a switching element connected to a primary winding of the transformer. The voltage induced by the first auxiliary winding charges a capacitor in the first auxiliary power supply. The switching power supply also includes a control circuit for starting and stopping the ON/OFF control of the switching element by comparing a voltage of the capacitor with a first threshold value, an activation circuit for charging the capacitor with voltage from the power supply input to the switching power supply, and a determination unit for determining a lifespan of the switching power supply based on the voltage of the capacitor after the voltage of the capacitor becomes greater than or equal to the first threshold value. |
| US08488333B2 |
Electronic power converter
An electronic power converter is provided. The electronic power converter includes at least one DC capacitor bank and one voltage inverter. The voltage inverter includes at least three phase modules connected to one another, each one specifically for the shaping of the current on one phase at the output of the voltage inverter. The DC capacitor bank is connected to the phase modules. The phase modules of the voltage inverter are distributed angularly around an axis in order to delimit between them a cylindrical space. The phase modules are interconnected by connection elements arranged inside the cylindrical space delimited by the phase modules. The DC capacitor bank is connected to the phase modules by the connection elements arranged inside the cylindrical space delimited by the phase modules. |
| US08488327B2 |
Foldable USB and ISO 7816 device
A portable electronic device with a USB connector comprising a card body complying with chip card layout standards, with at least one elastic hinge going from one edge to another of the card body allowing a 180° folding, and a contour of the card body such that, in the closed folded state, a zone supporting a USB contact has the thickness and width of a standard male USB connector. Preferably the card body is an ISO 7816 standard card body, incorporating a corresponding connection contact, and it comprises two elastic hinges dividing the card body into a central portion and two lateral portions. The hinges may advantageously be positioned so as to incorporate an antenna and/or a magnetic strip. |
| US08488323B2 |
Controlling minimum air inlet temperature using waste heat
An electronic device has a ventilation system with an inlet section that receives inlet air that travels past components of the computing device to be cooled and exits at an outlet section. The air carries heat away from the components. A liquid heat transfer system captures heat generated by the components and transfers the captured heat to the inlet section of the ventilation system to warm the inlet air before it travels past the components to be cooled. |
| US08488322B2 |
Thin fastener of heat sink
The heat sink fastener includes a heat conductive board and a flexible metallic wire. The heat conductive board has a pair of pivot portions. The flexible metallic wire has a pair of flexible arms and a middle portion connecting therebetween. Each flexible arm connects to the pivot portion. The pivot portion side of the heat conductive board is formed with a blocking sheet. The middle portion is provided with a bend for being blocked by the blocking sheet. When the flexible metallic wire is hooked to a ring on a circuit board, it will generate pressure to the heat conductive board resulting from the bent flexible arms and the blocked middle portion. |
| US08488316B2 |
Power module
A power module includes a first power chip and a second power chip, each of which has at least two electrodes. The power module is applied to a power converter having a power density higher than 15 W/inch3 and a maximum efficiency higher than 92%, or to a power converter having a power density higher than 20 W/inch3 or having a maximum efficiency higher than 93%. At least one of the power chips operates at a frequency higher than 25 kHz. |
| US08488311B2 |
Container data center
A container data center includes a mobile container and a number of servers. The mobile container includes a main room receiving the servers, and an air shower room isolated from the main room. The air shower room includes an outer door, an inner door, a blower, and a dust absorber. The outer door connects the air shower room and is used to separate the air shower room from the outer environment. The inner door connects the air shower room and is used to separate the air shower room from the main room. The blower and the dust absorber are secured on two opposite walls of the air shower room respectively, the blower being configured for blowing air towards the dust absorber. |
| US08488309B2 |
Locking mechanism
An apparatus including a body part configured to receive a replaceable internal part, a first cover part configured to be movable between an open position and a closed position, a second cover part configured to be movable between an open position and a closed position, and when in said closed position, to cover the replaceable internal part. A locking mechanism is configured to lock the second cover part to the body part and the locking mechanism is configured to be releasable, when the first cover part is in said open position and the locking mechanism is configured to be unreleasable, when the first cover part is in said closed position. |
| US08488308B2 |
Sealed force-based touch sensor
The present invention provides a display seal for a force-based sensor assembly that includes a flexible membrane having inner and outer surfaces, and first and second sides. The first side of the membrane is capable of being mounted to a housing of the assembly, such as a frame or bezel, and the second side of the membrane is capable of being mounted to a touch surface of a touch sensitive structure of the assembly. The seal, when mounted to the housing and the screen, is capable of creating a seal around the screen without passing extraneous forces to the transducers. |
| US08488305B2 |
Electronic device and cap
An electronic device has a cap protecting an opening disposed in a case. The cap includes a base portion covering the opening, a leg portion extended from a part of the base portion; an attachment portion having a large diameter surface that has a diameter larger than the diameter of the leg portion and includes a connecting region that connects with the leg portion at the end of the leg portion opposite to the base portion, and a protruding portion protruding from a region other than the connecting region of the large diameter surface of the attachment portion. |
| US08488304B2 |
Networking connection systems and related methods
In one embodiment, a connection system for an electronic device comprises an enclosure comprising sides, and an interior encompassed by the sides. The interior can comprise (1) an electronic device area configured to house the electronic device, (2) a first accessory area configured to house a first accessory of the electronic device (3) a second accessory area configured to house a second accessory of the electronic device and/or (4) one or more walls separating from each other at least two of the electronic device area, the first accessory area, or the second accessory area. When the electronic device is housed in the electronic device area, the first accessory is housed in the first accessory area, and the second accessory is housed in the second accessory area the one or more walls are configured to permit the first and second accessories to be connected to the electronic device. Other examples and related methods are described herein. |
| US08488302B2 |
Circuit breaker panel
A circuit breaker panel includes a number of circuit breaker modules each having a number of connectors, a plurality of circuit breakers and a circuit structure supporting the circuit breakers and electrically interconnecting the circuit breakers with the number of connectors. The panel also includes a monitoring module having a connector and a monitoring circuit to monitor at least one line voltage and, for each of the circuit breakers, at least one load voltage. The panel further includes a frame having a first connector for the monitoring module connector, a number of second connectors for the circuit breaker module connectors, and a number of third connectors for outputs from the circuit breaker modules. Conductors are connected to the connectors. Any of the monitoring module and the number of circuit breaker modules can be installed into or removed from the frame without change to the conductors. |
| US08488301B2 |
Ultracapacitor package design having slideably engagable bent tabs
A terminal plate for an ultracapacitor package is formed from a single sheet of conductive material and comprising a plurality of bent tabs extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to a first main surface of the terminal plate. The terminal plate is configured to provide direct metallurgical contact between external terminals of the ultracapacitor package and the respective terminals of an electrode set that is incorporated into the package. |
| US08488300B2 |
Carbon nanotube based supercapacitor
A supercapacitor includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a solid-state polymer electrolyte. The first electrode and the second electrode are spaced from each other and immersed in the solid-state polymer electrolyte. The first and second electrode includes a carbon nanotube structure and an electrically conductive polymer layer. The carbon nanotube structure includes a number of carbon nanotubes and a number of micropores defined between adjacent two carbon nanotubes. The electrically conductive polymer layer coats surfaces of the number of carbon nanotubes. |
| US08488293B2 |
Electrical bearing ground device
An assembly, system and method are provided for discharging a rotating shaft encompassed by a stationary housing. The system includes an annular charge-dissipating component and a biasing element oriented to apply an axial force to the charge-dissipating component, holding it in contact with the shaft and the housing while the shaft is rotating. The biasing element may be a coil spring or a wave spring. A shaft grounding upgrade kit includes a conductive ring member and a cylindrical spring having a diameter that is the same as that of the conductive ring member. The spring constant of the cylindrical spring is such that the spring holds the conductive ring member within the housing in contact with the shaft and the housing. The conductive ring member may be constructed of gray iron and the cylindrical spring is one of a wave spring and a coil spring. |
| US08488292B2 |
Magnetic field generating means
A magnetic-field generating device includes at least one magnetic-field generator configured to generate a magnetic field so as to provide at least one magnetic gap for receiving objects upon which the magnetic field acts. At least one magnetic-field measuring device is disposed within a measuring-device receiving region outside of the magnetic gap. The at least one magnetic-field measuring device is configured to provide at least one measurement signal useable as an input signal for controlling the at least one magnetic-field generator. |
| US08488291B2 |
Zinc-oxide surge arrester for high-temperature operation
A ZnO surge arrester for high-temperature operation is characterized in that a grain boundary layer between ZnO grains thereof contains a BaTiO3-based positive temperature coefficient thermistor material, which takes 10-85 mol % in the overall grain boundary layer, and when operating temperature raises, the positive temperature coefficient thermistor material in the grain boundary layer has its resistance sharply increasing with the raising temperature, so as to compensate or partially compensate decrease in resistance of components in the grain boundary layer caused by the raising temperature, thereby making the resistance of the grain boundary layer in the ZnO surge arrester more independent of temperature. The ZnO surge arrester thus is suitable for operation where a maximum operating temperature is higher than 125° C., or even higher than 150° C. |
| US08488289B2 |
Current protection circuit for intelligent power switch
An intelligent power switch (IPS) circuit providing current protection for a power switch, a gate terminal of the power switch being controlled by a first control signal generated by a gate driver. The IPS circuit includes a first circuit to measure a current in the power switch, determine a first difference between a first voltage and a first reference voltage, and reduce the first control signal if the first difference exceeds a first predetermined limit; and a second circuit to measure the current in the power switch and determine a second difference between the first voltage and a second reference voltage, wherein if the second difference exceeds a second predetermined limit the first control signal is set to turn OFF the power switch. |
| US08488275B2 |
High areal density tape format and head
A magnetic recording tape according to one embodiment includes a plurality of servo tracks, each servo track comprising a series of magnetically defined bars, wherein an angle between at least some of the bars is greater than about 10 degrees, wherein an average height of the bars is less than 190 microns, wherein one of the servo tracks has data encoded therein, the data being selected from a group consisting of data for encryption and data for ascertaining a longitudinal position along the tape. A magnetic recording tape according to another embodiment includes at least about eight data bands, wherein each data band is defined between a pair of adjacent servo tracks, each pair of adjacent servo tracks defining only a single data band therebetween, wherein about eight to about twenty six data bands are present on the tape. |
| US08488272B1 |
Magnetic recording transducer having side shields
A magnetic recording transducer includes a main pole including a nose portion, the nose portion terminating at an air-bearing surface (ABS). The magnetic recording transducer further includes at least one coil having a coil front distal from the ABS, and at least one side shield, the at least one side shield extending from at the ABS to not further than the coil front. |
| US08488271B2 |
Adhesion structure and method using electrically conductive adhesive, disk drive device using the adhesion structure and method, and method for manufacturing the disk drive device
A base plate containing aluminum as a main component and an electrically conductive counter plate are bonded together through the medium of an electrically conductive adhesive. Even when an oxide film is formed on the surface of the base plate, electrical continuity between the base plate and the counter plate, which are connected together through the medium of the electrically conductive adhesive, is improved by a process of applying a resistance lowering voltage, which reduces the resistance component due to the oxide film by causing a dielectric breakdown. |
| US08488269B2 |
Library apparatus
A library apparatus includes a drive unit for writing data into or reading data from a cartridge, a cell unit having a plurality of cells to store the cartridges and a bottom plate in which a guide groove is formed, a movement unit for moving the cartridge along the guide groove between the cell and the drive unit, the movement unit being arranged under the cell unit, and a control unit for controlling the movement unit to move up through the guide groove, to engage the cartridge, and to move the engaged cartridge. |
| US08488265B2 |
Tape storage processing
Techniques for processing tape storage include determining a current position of a read device to read a data block from a tape storage medium having a plurality of duplicate data areas, receiving a request to read a data block from the tape storage medium, and reading the requested data block from a duplicate data area from among the plurality of duplicate data areas that is nearest the current position of the read device. |
| US08488258B2 |
Enhanced depth of field based on uniform relative illumination via lens with large distortion
A lens system is provided that comprises an enhanced depth of field based on a uniform or near uniform relative illumination via a lens with a large distortion. The distortion can be corrected with image processing equipment. The lens system can comprise an aperture stop and a group of lens, wherein there can be about five lenses in the group of lenses. The lens system is designed for relative illumination such that the light distribution over the lens system is substantially uniform. |
| US08488253B2 |
Zoom lens and image pickup apparatus including the same
A zoom lens includes, in order from object side: a positive first lens unit which does not move for zooming; a zoom lens unit including at least two lens units which move for zooming; a stop; and a positive imaging lens unit which does not move for zooming, in which: the first lens unit includes, in order from object side, a positive first sub-lens unit, a negative second sub-lens unit, and a positive third sub-lens unit; the third sub-lens unit includes a movable positive sub-third sub-lens unit; the second sub-lens unit and sub-third sub-lens unit are driven to object side for focusing to a close object; and focal length f12 of the second sub-lens unit, focal length f13f of the sub-third sub-lens unit, drive amount δ×12 of the second sub-lens unit in focusing, and drive amount δ×13f of the sub-third sub-lens unit in focusing satisfy −2.5 |
| US08488250B2 |
Perimeter piezo reservoir in a lens
An embodiment of a piezoelectric actuator system for a fluid-filled lens is described herein. A piezoelectric reservoir is provided encompassing a fluid. In an embodiment, the reservoir is disposed around the perimeter of a lens module within a housing. In an embodiment, electrodes are woven into the reservoir and connected to a power source. An applied potential causes the reservoir to flex with a magnitude and direction related to the amplitude and polarity respectively of the potential. In an embodiment, flexing of the reservoir causes fluid to either inflate or deflate the fluid-filled lens module. |
| US08488247B2 |
System, method and apparatus for modifying the visibility properties of an object
An object is disposed such that the apparatus is between the object and an observer. The appearance of the object is altered and, in the limit, the object cannot be observed, and the background appears unobstructed. The apparatus is formed of a metamaterial where the properties of the metamaterial are varied as a function of distance from the interfaces. The metamaterial may be fabricated as a composite material having a dielectric component and inclusions of particles of sub-wavelength size, and may also include a gain medium. |
| US08488244B1 |
Ultra compact optical multiplexer or demultiplexer
Designs of optical devices providing multiplexing or demultiplexing functions are disclosed. According to one embodiment, an optical device or an assembly employs an array of micro lenses, an array of filters and a glass block all bonded onto a substrate to provide multiplexing or demultiplexing functions. To compensate for possible errors caused by some or all of these components, one or more compensatory optical plates are provided to respectively correct these errors. Depending on implementation, the compensatory optical plates may be designed differently to correct various errors. |
| US08488237B2 |
Wide spectral coverage Ross corrected Cassegrain-like telescope
Various embodiments provide a Cassegrain-like telescope. The Cassegrain-like telescope includes a primary mirror; a secondary mirror spaced apart from the primary mirror, the primary mirror and the second mirror configured to form a focal surface; and an optical aberrations corrector having a plurality of lenses, the optical aberrations corrector being disposed between the secondary mirror and the focal surface, the optical aberration corrector being configured to correct optical aberrations of the primary mirror and the secondary mirror. A material of the plurality of lenses is selected to transmit radiation in a wavelength range between approximately 0.4 μm and approximately 12 μm, and is selected to have variations in refractive index below about 0.05 so as to reduce chromatic aberration to a level such that an average root mean square of wave front error (RMS WFE) is less than approximately 0.08. |
| US08488233B2 |
Method and apparatus for enhancing signal-to-noise power ratio in optical fiber amplifiers
The invention discloses an apparatus for enhancing the signal power to ASE power ratio in an optical amplifier including a 1×n input optical switching component, n band-pass filters, and an n×1 output optical switching component, wherein the signal power is allowed to pass through the band-pass filter switched by the 1×n input optical switching component and the n×1 output optical switching component. |
| US08488230B2 |
Fabrication of a floating rocker MEMS device for light modulation
The current disclosure shows how to make a fast switching array of mirrors for projection displays. Because the mirror does not have a via in the middle connecting to the underlying spring support, there is an improved contrast ratio that results from not having light scatter off the legs or vias like existing technologies. Because there are no supporting contacts, the mirror can be made smaller making smaller pixels that can be used to make higher density displays. In addition, because there is not restoring force from any supporting spring support, the mirror stays in place facing one or other direction due to adhesion. This means there is no need to use a voltage to hold the mirror in position. This means that less power is required to run the display. |
| US08488228B2 |
Interferometric display with interferometric reflector
Interferometric modulators and methods of making the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, an interferometric modulator includes an interferometric reflector having a first reflective surface, a second reflective surface, and an optical resonant layer defined by the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface. The interferometric reflector can be configured to transmit a certain spectrum of light at a transmission peak wavelength such that the interferometric modulator has a diminished reflectance of light at the transmission peak wavelength. |
| US08488224B2 |
Tuned support structures for electrostatic comb drive scanner
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, an electric comb drive scanner comprises a scanning body comprising a mirror supported by one or more flexures along a first axis and one or more support structures coupled to the one or more flexures. One or more drive combs are disposed on the one or more support structures, wherein the drive combs cause the mirror to rotate about the first axis in response to a drive signal applied to the drive combs. The one or more support structures are tuned to reduce non-uniformity of warping of the support structures to reduce variation in disengagement of the drive combs along a length of the drive combs. |
| US08488222B2 |
Image processing method, and computer-readable storage medium for computer program
An image processing apparatus is provided which performs a correction process in such a manner that a geometrical arrangement of images of a plurality of pages of image data is approximated to a predetermined appropriate geometrical arrangement. The image processing apparatus causes a display to display a list of information indicating degrees of correction on the individual pages to be performed by an image processing portion. |
| US08488217B2 |
Image reading device and image forming device
An image reading device including: plural point light sources, each point light source being disposed at a placement interval F in a first direction; a light guiding body having an exit surface, incident light from the plural light sources exiting from the exit surface to a surface to be read, and a width S of the exit surface, in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, being smaller than the placement interval F; a light diffusing portion which diffuses light exiting from the exit surface, at an angle that is greater in the first direction than in the second direction; and a reading portion which receives light reflected at the surface to be read, and reads an image at the surface to be read, is provided. |
| US08488213B2 |
Methods and systems for no-touch scanning
Aspects of the present invention are related to systems and methods for scanning a document wherein a scan function is invoked implicitly by a user positioning a document object, or document objects, to be scanned near an active surface of the scanner. According to one aspect of the present invention, the user's intent to scan a document object may be determined by an active-sensing pipeline. |
| US08488212B2 |
Image reading apparatus, image reading program, and image reading method
An image reading apparatus including, a sheet feeding device, a sheet feeding section that controls transport of an original document performed by the sheet feeding device, a reading section that outputs image data by reading the original document, a carriage that is equipped with the reading section, a carriage control section that controls movement of the carriage, a buffer that temporarily stores the image data, and a monitoring section that monitors a volume of the image data stored in the buffer. When the monitoring section determines that the volume of the image data is more than a predetermined threshold value, the sheet feeding section decelerates and stops the transport of the original document, and the carriage control section accelerates the carriage in a direction opposite to the transport of the original document during a deceleration period of the transport of the original document. |
| US08488209B2 |
Image reader, and control method and control program for the same
There is provided an image reader capable of reading a good image free from the influence of foreign matter such as dust. This image reader includes an ADF, a reader section, a dust correcting section, and a CPU. The CPU controls the ADF and the reader section according to the detection result of the dust correcting section so as to selectively execute one of a first moving original reading mode and a second moving original reading mode. In the first moving original reading mode, the reader section is fixed at a predetermined position to read the images while the originals are fed at a first sheet-to-sheet interval. In the second moving original reading mode, the reader section is fixed at a predetermined position to read the images while the originals are fed at a second sheet-to-sheet interval longer than the first sheet-to-sheet interval. |
| US08488206B2 |
Communication device
When a facsimile device detects an audio signal via a CNG signal detection unit while detecting an OFF signal in a CNG signal during a telephone conversation, the facsimile device does not detect the audio signal as an OFF signal if the level of the detected audio signal is greater than a threshold and the frequency of the audio signal is within a predetermined audio frequency range. Accordingly, the facsimile device can reliably prevent a false detection of a noise that has a similar signal component to a CNG signal as a CNG signal. It is possible to prevent the facsimile machine from being automatically shifted to a facsimile receiving mode by the false detection of the noise. |
| US08488200B2 |
System and method for reproducing images onto surfaces
Systems and methods of reproducing images onto surfaces are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes an image file that digitally produces a planar surface normal to a surface of a master model. The planar surfaces are referenced to a coordinate system of the master model through a series of points. A tracker surfacing system, comprising a tracking instrument, generates and emits a signal as the tracking instrument crosses the planar surface. An output device is actuated by the tracking device as it crosses the planar surface, reproducing the series of points as an image onto a surface, including a flat, curved or compound surface. Both the spatial position and orientation of the output device are detected and adjustments are made so that the image is precisely applied to intended locations on the surface being imaged. |
| US08488198B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
When dividing multi-valued data and generating data for two-pass multi-pass printing, in addition to divided multi-valued data that are divided for each of the two passes, divided multi-valued data that is common to both of the two passes is generated. Moreover, quantized data of that common multi-valued data is reflected onto the quantized data for each pass. Furthermore, when generating quantized data, division ratios that are used when generating the common data by the multi-valued data division described above are set according to the image characteristics (whether or not the area is flesh color) of the multi-valued data. Thereby, it is possible to perform high-quality printing regardless of the image characteristics by taking a suitable balance between suppressing density unevenness and suppressing graininess. |
| US08488195B2 |
System and method for improving color management of color spaces in electronic documents
A system and method is provided for improving color management of DeviceN color spaces in an electronic document. In one embodiment of the present invention, the system includes a memory device for storing a plurality of ICC profiles, and a rendering application operating on a computer, wherein each ICC profile includes a plurality of colorant names and an order in which they are laid down during a reproduction process. The rendering application is configured to render a document having at least one DeviceN color space so that it can be accurately displayed on a color display. The rendering application is further configured to identify a names array in a color definition of the DeviceN color space of the electronic document, compare the names array to the ICC profiles (or colorant names included therein) stored in the memory device to identify an ICC profile from the plurality of profiles, and (iii) use the identified ICC profile to map the DeviceN color space into control values for the color display. |
| US08488194B2 |
Image processing controller and printing apparatus
An image processing controller for performing screen processing for tone reduction of input image data, which has a tone value in N1 tones (where N1 is an integer that is greater than or equal to four) for each pixel, from the N1 tones into N2 tones (where N2 is an integer that is greater than or equal to three but less than N1) and generating output image data that is to be supplied to a printing unit, the printing unit being configured to be able to form an output image with the use of a recording material in accordance with the output image data, the output image data having N3 tones greater than the N2 tones of intermediate image data (N3 is an integer that is greater than N2), the intermediate image data being generated as a result of the screen processing performed on the input image data. |
| US08488188B2 |
Printer gradation correction method and color patch image
A printer gradation correcting method, comprises the steps of: outputting a color patch image by a printer based on image data of a color patch image; measuring a gradation of the outputted color patch image by a color measuring device so as to obtain a gradation measurement value; and correcting a gradation characteristic of the printer based on the gradation measurement value. The color patch image includes a patch-shaped image having a uniform gradation of a predetermined gradation representative value and gradation fluctuation of a predetermined color component added in the patch-shaped image, and the added gradation fluctuation is structured such that a total of gradation fluctuation measured in a measurement region by the color measuring device becomes a predetermined value. The gradation characteristic of the printer is corrected based on the gradation representative value, the predetermined value of the total of gradation fluctuation, and the gradation measurement value. |
| US08488183B2 |
Moving labels in graphical output to avoid overprinting
A method for rendering a drawing, including: identifying fixed objects (FOs) having footprints within the drawing; identifying moveable objects (MOs) having locations within the drawing associated with the footprints; identifying, within a coarse pixel array (CPA), coarse pixels corresponding to the footprints; setting the coarse pixels corresponding to the footprints to an occupied status; selecting a MO having a first location; identifying a first set of coarse pixels in the CPA corresponding to a first frame of the MO; determining that at least one coarse pixel of the first set of coarse pixels is in the occupied status; generating a second location for the MO; identifying a second set of coarse pixels in the CPA corresponding to a second frame of the MO; setting the second set of coarse pixels to the occupied status; and rendering the drawing by placing the MO at the second location on a page. |
| US08488178B2 |
Image forming apparatus storage files with file attribution table having deletion date and flag
Responding to an instruction accompanied with data having a folder path and a saving period from a computer, a record having the data is added to a saving period table. Responding to an instruction accompanied with a document file and a folder path from the computer, a file registration process is executed wherein a record is added to a file attribution table, the record having a document file path, a total number of pages, a data size, a file registration date, and a scheduled date of file deletion; the document file is stored in the folder; and a thumbnail of the first page of the file is created. Responding to a view instruction from the computer, an HTML file is created by relating records in the file attribution table with respective thumbnails to send it to the computer. Document files whose saving periods have ended are automatically deleted. |
| US08488176B2 |
Method for analyzing usage of printers
The present invention provides a method for analyzing usage of printers. A method in accordance with an embodiment includes: obtaining from at least one printer information about a plurality of print tasks performed by each printer, wherein the information about print tasks at least contains information of print requesters, print document attributes, and print time of each of the print tasks; and transforming the information about print tasks into an organizational representation based on information of organizational structure containing the print requesters. In the present invention, entities having a costly pattern are identified by mining historical usage data of the printers, thus driving the redesign of business process associated with the entities, performing print policies optimization on each entity associated with the printers based on the mined historical usage data, thereby reducing unnecessary paper consumption. |
| US08488174B2 |
Print control apparatus, print control method, and storage medium for configuring output device based on acquired information
To enable printing using an arbitrary type of printer without functional limitation by a user merely specifying the printer to be used from the provided printers. When executing print processing with a virtual printer driver 126, an output device identification processing unit 1251 that identifies an output device, and a printer driver management processing section 1252 that executes preparation processing and organizing processing for print processing with the virtual printer driver 126 are provided. The printer driver management processing section 1252 during a preparation processing acquires hardware information for the output device, searches for a corresponding printer driver that based on the hardware information, and installs a dedicated or a generic printer driver identified by searching. The printer driver management processing section 1252 during the organizing processing determines whether configuration information of the output device is required. When configuration information for the output device is required, the printer driver management processing unit determines whether the configuration information has been acquired. When the configuration information for the output device has not been acquired, the configuration information for the output device is acquired. |
| US08488171B2 |
Rendering system, method for optimizing data, and storage medium
A rendering system includes a determination unit and a generation unit. The determination unit determines whether a processing object is a common object capable of being used a plurality of times and rendering of which is time-consuming when deformation thereof is performed. If the determination unit determines that the processing object is not a common object capable of being used a plurality of times and rendering of which is time-consuming when deformation thereof is performed, then the generation unit does not generate a deformed new object. If the determination unit determines that the processing object is a common object capable of being used a plurality of times and rendering of which is time-consuming when deformation thereof is performed, then the generation unit generates a deformed new object. |
| US08488170B2 |
Print job management apparatus, system, and method
A disclosed print job management apparatus includes a job registering unit configured to associate the print setup information with first identifiers, associate the print data with second identifiers formed by adding predetermined symbols to the first identifiers, record the print setup information and the print data in a job information storing unit, and return the first identifiers to the print requesting unit, a job list providing unit configured to return a list of the first identifiers to an image forming apparatus, a job transferring unit configured to return the print setup information associated with the requested one of the first identifiers and the print data associated with the second identifiers corresponding to the requested one of the first identifiers, and a job changing unit configured to change the print setup information recorded in the job information storing unit with the part of the print setup information. |
| US08488166B2 |
Printing system, printing device, program and storage medium
A printing system including a plurality of host devices and a plurality of printing devices connected. The printing system includes: a storage unit; a first storage processing unit for storing, in the storage unit, a print status of a print job; an information updating unit for monitoring the plurality of printing devices and updates the execution status identification information stored in the storage unit; and a job management unit for determining, based on the print status, whether the print job is to be executed on the one printing device. When a processing request for the print job is sent from another host device while the printing process for the print job sent from the one host device is suspended in the one printing device, the job management unit allows the one printing device to execute the print job sent from the another host device. |
| US08488160B2 |
Image forming apparatus and computer readable medium storing program
An image forming apparatus includes: a memory that memorizes a storage area storing document data; a receiving unit that receives an instruction for creating a second storage area corresponding to a first storage area created by another image forming apparatus; and a creating unit that creates the second storage area associated with information for identifying another image forming apparatus in the memory when the receiving unit receives the instruction to create the second storage area. |
| US08488159B2 |
Printing system, printing method, printing control apparatus, printing control method, and computer readable recording medium stored with printing control program for adding padding data to image data
The printing system comprises: a print data generating unit for generating print data; an image data generating unit for generating image data for each page having a data size of an integral multiple of a specified block size based on the print data; a delivering unit for delivering the image data; an imposing unit for imposing the image data in such a way that images for a plurality of pages will be printed on a sheet of paper; and a printing unit for printing images for a plurality of pages on a sheet of paper, wherein a process for preventing a blank space being formed in a boundary area between the images to be printed on a sheet of paper due to padding data added to the image data in order to make data size of the image data to be an integral multiple of the block size, is executed. |
| US08488158B2 |
Systems and methods for instructing a printer to optimize a printed digital pattern
Systems and methods for printer optimization. A method for optimizing a readable dot pattern printed on paper for use with a digital pen is disclosed herein. A test sheet is printed on a selected printer; the first test sheet has a plurality of regions. Each of the regions has a partial digital pattern configured with digitally readable indicia. Each of the indicia has a defined area. An outline is applied to each of the plurality of regions on the test sheet. Ink is applied onto the digital paper using a digital pen within the applied outlines. Data is uploaded from the digital pen to a processor. The smallest indicia readable by the digital pen are determined. A printer control file is updated with the determined smallest indicia. |
| US08488155B2 |
Document reading device, and image transmitting apparatus and image forming apparatus including document reading device
A document reading device is provided that may perform preview display to enable read contents to be checked if it is determined that a blank sheet exists among read document images. This document reading device includes a document reading portion, a blank-sheet determining portion that determines blank-sheet image data among document image data read by the document reading portion, and a preview displaying portion that performs preview display for image data excluding the blank-sheet image data determined by the blank-sheet determining portion, and the preview displaying portion is capable of performing re-preview display of all the image data read by the document reading portion for the image data excluding the blank-sheet image data displayed in the preview display. |
| US08488149B2 |
Eliminating transmission error at the time of transmission of the image data
A communication device includes a first tag data reading unit, a storing unit, an extracting unit, a display unit, and a transmitting unit. The first tag data reading unit is configured to read tag data from a wireless tag. The tag data is written in the wireless tag. The storing unit is configured to store transmit data and identification data in association with each other from the storing unit. The extracting unit is configured to extract, if the tag data corresponds to the identification data, the transmit data in association with the identification data. The display unit is configured to display contents of the transmit data that is extracted by the extracting unit. The transmitting unit is configured to transmit the transmit data displayed on the display unit to a destination device. |
| US08488147B2 |
Monitoring apparatus, image forming apparatus, monitoring system, method of changing network setting, and program
To quickly repair a communication breakdown, a monitoring apparatus receives a notification of change of a network setting from an image forming apparatus. After receiving the notification of the change of the network setting, the monitoring apparatus determines whether a notification of completion of the change of the network setting is received within a predetermined period of time. In the case where it is determined that no notification of the completion of the change of the network setting is received within the predetermined period of time after receipt of the notification of the change of the network setting, the monitoring apparatus sends a notification of a failure in the network setting. |
| US08488145B2 |
Retrieving updated information from a server based on an update file in RSS or ATOM format
The invention makes it possible to reduce wasteful use of recording paper and other resources by readily and reliably being able to judge updated content of a website and printing out if content has been updated. An apparatus of the invention judges whether there are any print jobs to be printed at the current time when scheduled print job processing is started. If a print job to be printed exists, the apparatus requests a website for update information written in RSS or Atom format according to the URL specified by the print job, acquires the requested update information, then determines whether a resource of the registered URL has been updated by analyzing the acquired information. If the resource of the registered URL has been updated, the apparatus acquires the resource using the URL, then generates a print image based on the acquired resource, and prints the print image. |
| US08488139B2 |
Image forming apparatus with print restriction levels
An image forming apparatus places restriction on a print job. A memory stores a plurality of items of first print job information and corresponding print restriction levels. A print job information obtaining section obtains a plurality of items of second print job information from the print job. A restriction level selecting section reads the print restriction levels from the memory by using the items of second print information. The restriction level selecting section selects the highest one of the print restriction levels. A printing section prints print data contained in the print job at the selected highest one of the print restriction levels. The second print restriction levels may be lower in restriction level than the first print restriction levels. The user may be advised of a third printing format if the highest one of the first print restriction levels indicates that the print job is restricted. |
| US08488138B2 |
Method for composing a reflectivity histogram and reprographic apparatus using this method
A method for composing a global histogram of the values of the pixels of a hardcopy original includes a division of a detection area, which may be larger than the original, in stripes. For each of the stripes, a local histogram is made, which is added to a candidate histogram. If the decision is made from the values of the local histogram that a stripe belongs to the original, the candidate histogram is added to the global histogram. In this way, a representative histogram of the original is obtained, even if the white pixels from the original are indiscernible from the white pixels from the cover of the scanner. The method is embodied in an electronic component, including an application specific processing unit. |
| US08488135B2 |
Easy modification to method of controlling applications in image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus configured to run a plurality of applications having different activation conditions includes an item acquiring unit configured to acquire from an item storage an item to be displayed on a setting screen for making a setting to an application, and a screen providing unit configured to generate and display the setting screen in response to the item acquired by the item acquiring unit, wherein the screen providing unit generates the setting screen in response to an item acquired from a file that contains one or more items that are unique for each application activation condition. |
| US08488134B2 |
Multifunction device for prefabricating marking labels
A multifunction device for prefabricating marking labels, having a top side configured to be printed on and a bottom side opposite the top side with a profiling, includes a printing device and at least one of a separating device and a perforation device. A feeder unit is configured to feed blank marking labels of a finite-length or endless material. A holder element including a recess is configured to receive the marking labels, including the profiling, so as to fix the marking labels in position during a passing over of the printing device and the at least one of the separating device and perforation device. |
| US08488128B2 |
Line edge roughness measuring technique and test structure
A test structure is presented test structure on a substrate for monitoring a LER and/or LWR effect, said test structure comprising an array of features manufactured with amplified LER and/or LWR effect. |
| US08488126B2 |
Optical image measurement device including an interference light generator
An optical image measurement device 1 causes an interference light generator to split a low-coherence light into a signal light and a reference light, and superimposes the signal light propagated through a measured object 5000 and the reference light propagated through the reference mirror 9 to generate an interference light. Two-dimensional photosensor arrays 14 and 15 detect the interference light. A computer 16 forms an image of the measured object 5000 based on the detection result. By inserting the optical fiber bundle 5 into the measured object 5000 to perform a measurement, a tomographic image of a deep tissue of the measured object 5000 can be obtained. Furthermore, the optical image measurement device 1 can form a high-resolution image of the deep tissue of the measured object 5000 because performing a measurement using the OCT technology. |
| US08488124B2 |
Spectral reflectometry method and device
An optical low-coherence reflectometry with spectral reception for obtaining images without coherent noise caused by self-interference of the radiation scattered from the studied object and by spurious reflections in the optical path of the system is disclosed. Two or more consecutive measurements of the interference spectrum are made. During at least one measurement of the interference spectrum by means of the interference control unit the phase between the interfering parts of the radiation is modulated by a certain law during exposure, which results in averaging and zeroing of the cross-correlation (useful) component of the registered spectrum, and during at least one additional measurement of the interference spectrum, the phase between the interfering parts of the radiation is not modulated during exposure. The phase between the interfering parts of the radiation may be set to be different in additional measurements of the interference spectrum. |
| US08488120B2 |
Polarization based interferometric detector
A sensor and method for determining the optical properties of a sample material is disclosed. The sensor comprises a light source that generates a linearly polarized light beam having a predetermined polarization orientation with respect to the plane of incidence. The linearly polarized light beam is reflected off the sample and is split into second and third light beams where the second and third light beam consist of the combined projections of mutually orthogonal components of the first light beam. A signal processor measures the intensity difference between the second and third light beams to calculate the phase difference induced by the sample material. |
| US08488119B2 |
Terahertz-infrared ellipsometer system, and method of use
A method of applying an ellipsometer or polarimeter system which operates in a frequency range between 300 GHz or lower and extending to higher than at least 1 Tera-hertz (THz), and preferably through the Infra-red (IR) range up to, and higher than 100 THz; wherein the ellipsometer or polarimeter system includes a source such as a backward wave oscillator, a Smith-Purcell cell, a free electron laser, an FTIR source or a solid state device; and a detector such as a Golay cell a bolometer or a solid state detector; and preferably includes at least one odd-bounce polarization state image rotating system and a polarizer, and at least one compensator and/or modulator, in addition to an analyzer. |
| US08488117B2 |
Inspection system and method for fast changes of focus
An inspection system includes a first focusing unit configured to perform fast focus changes to a first focusing function applied to an incident light beam. A traveling lens acousto-optic device is arranged to receive the light beam focused by the first focusing function and produce focused spots using a plurality of traveling lenses generated in response to radio frequency signals. The traveling lenses apply a second focusing function and the traveling lens acousto-optic device is arranged to alter the second focusing function at a fast rate. The inspection system also includes optics arranged to direct the focused spots onto an inspected object and to direct radiation from the inspected object to a sensor. |
| US08488115B2 |
Method and metric for selecting and designing multimode fiber for improved performance
A new metric applicable to the characterization and design of multimode fiber (MMF) is described. The metric is derived from a Differential Mode Delay (DMD) measurement and when used in combination with industry-standard metrics such as Effective Modal Bandwidth (EMB) and DMD, yields a more accurate prediction of MMF channel link performance as measured by Bit Error Rate (BER) testing. The metric can also be used in the design of MMF for improved bandwidth performance. When implemented as a test algorithm in production, it can be used to select, sort, or verify fiber performance. This process can yield a multimode fiber design with a greater performance margin for a given length, and/or a greater length for a given performance margin. |
| US08488114B2 |
Method and system for fiber-optic monitoring of spatially distributed components
A system for monitoring a plurality of components distributed in different space locations, includes: at least one optical fiber path; an optical radiation source adapted to inject optical radiation into the at least one optical fiber path; at least one first and at least one second optical branches branching from the at least one optical fiber path and adapted to spill respective portions of the optical radiation, the first and second optical branches being adapted to be operatively associated with a respective component to be monitored. The first optical branch includes a first optical reflector and is adapted to reflect the spilled optical radiation portion unless the respective component at least partially breaks; the second optical branch includes at least one passive optical attenuator adapted to be operatively coupled to the respective component to be monitored, and having an attenuation capable of changing in response to a change in operating conditions of the respective monitored component when operatively coupled thereto, and a second optical reflector. An optical receiver is adapted to detect back-reflected optical radiation reflected by the first and second optical branches. The monitoring system is adapted to recognize a position of a component of the plurality of components based on a characteristic of the back-reflected optical radiation. |
| US08488112B2 |
Method for contactless measurement of the density of a porous material, using a measurement of the refractive index of the material by optical coherence tomography
A method for contactless measurement of the density of a porous material, using a measurement of the refractive index of the material by optical coherence tomography.In the optical coherence tomography technique, the optical path corresponding to the crossing of an object made of the material by a light beam used in the technique, is determined, the thickness of the object is determined, the refractive index of the material is determined from the optical path and from the thickness, and the density of the material is determined from the refractive index. |
| US08488110B2 |
Measurement of distances or of distance changes
A sensor for the measurement of distances has a transmitter to transmit a signal at presettable transmission times and a receiver for the reception of the signal remitted in a monitored zone, wherein the received signals are accumulated in a histogram over a plurality of measurement periods to determine the reception time from the histogram and thus the signal transit time. The reception time is determined by an interpolation and thus with a better time resolution than that of the histogram. To facilitate the interpolation, transmission times are preset over the plurality of measurement periods in accordance with a distribution such that the time position of the reception time varies within the histogram over the plurality of measurement periods. |
| US08488109B2 |
Exposure method, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method
Positional information of a stage is obtained using an interferometer system only during an exposure time when a constant speed drive of the stage is performed to form a pattern. Therefore, the linear measurement of the positional information is secured enough, which makes it possible to linearly drive the stage with high accuracy. Meanwhile, between an acceleration time and a deceleration time in which a step drive is performed, the positional information of the stage is obtained using an encoder system and a surface position measurement system. Therefore, measurement reproducibility of the positional information is sufficiently secured by the mechanical stability of a diffraction grating, which makes it possible to drive the stage precisely to the starting position of the constant speed drive. |
| US08488104B2 |
Projection objective with diaphragms
A projection objective for imaging an object arranged in an object plane of the projection objective into an image of the object lying in an image plane of the projection objective has a multiplicity of transparent optical elements and holding devices for holding the optical elements at prescribable positions along an imaging beam path of the projection objective. Each of the optical elements has an optical useful region lying in the imaging beam path and an edge region lying outside the optical useful region. At least one holding element of the holding device assigned to the optical element acts at the edge region in the region of a contact zone. At least one of the optical elements is assigned a diaphragm arrangement with a false light diaphragm arranged directly upstream of the optical element and a second false light diaphragm arranged directly downstream of the optical element. Each of the false light diaphragms is fashioned in such a way that the false light diaphragm screens at least a part of the edge region against radiation running outside the imaging beam path. |
| US08488103B2 |
Optical element for reflection of UV radiation, method for manufacturing the same and projection exposure apparatus comprising the same
An optical element (1a, 1b) for reflecting UV radiation at an operating wavelength below 250 nm, preferably at 193 nm, which has a substrate (2a, 2b), a reflective layer (3a, 3b) made of aluminum superimposed on the substrate (2a, 2b). The reflective aluminum layer (3a, 3b) is not transparent to UV radiation and is (111)-plane oriented. The reflective optical element (1a, 1b) has a reflectivity of more than 85%, preferably of more than 88%, and even more preferably of more than 92%, in a range of incident angles of at least 10°, preferably of at least 15°, at the operating wavelength. Also disclosed is an optical element having a reflective layer made from a material having a melting point higher than that of aluminum, as well as methods for producing such optical elements, and optical arrangements incorporating such optical elements. |
| US08488099B2 |
Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method
An exposure apparatus is provided that performs well a liquid supply operation for forming a liquid immersion region and a liquid recovery operation to form a liquid immersion region in a desired state, thereby allowing high exposure accuracy and high measurement accuracy. The exposure apparatus (EX) exposes a substrate (P) by irradiating exposure light (EL) onto the substrate (P) via a liquid (LQ), and includes a liquid supply mechanism (10) that has a supply port (13) capable of supplying the liquid (LQ) substantially in parallel with a surface of the substrate (P). |
| US08488097B2 |
Method of and apparatus for producing liquid crystal display device
One aspect of the invention provides a liquid crystal display device producing method for irradiating a liquid crystal display substrate, in which plural pixels are formed in a matrix state and liquid crystal is sealed between a TFT substrate and a counter electrode substrate, with light having a predetermined wavelength to orient liquid crystal molecules toward a predetermined direction in a state in which an electric field is applied to each pixel of the liquid crystal display substrate. The method includes the steps of: dipping the liquid crystal display substrate and a lamp in a transparent liquid having resistivity of a predetermined value or more and sufficiently high transmittance to the light in a state in which the liquid crystal display substrate and the lamp face each other; and lighting the lamp to irradiate the liquid crystal display substrate with the light having a predetermined light quantity in a state in which the electric field is applied to each pixel. |
| US08488091B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
The present invention provides an LCD device that can be easily produced and has a high contrast ratio in a wide viewing angle range. The LCD device includes in the following order: a first polarizer; a first birefringent layer (II); a first quarter-wave plate; a liquid crystal cell; a second quarter-wave plate having an Nz coefficient substantially equal to that of the first quarter-wave plate; a second birefringent layer (II) having an Nz coefficient and an in-plane retardation that are substantially equal to an Nz coefficient and an in-plane retardation of the first birefringent layer (II), respectively; and a second polarizer, wherein the device includes at least one birefringent layer (III) disposed at least one of: between the first birefringent layer (I) and the liquid crystal cell; and between the liquid crystal cell and the second birefringent layer (I). |
| US08488085B2 |
Display device
A display device which has a wide color gamut and is able to display bright red, includes a plurality of pixels each defined by a plurality of subpixels. The plurality of subpixels include first and second red subpixels for displaying red, a green subpixel for displaying green, a blue subpixel for displaying blue, and a yellow subpixel for displaying yellow. The blue subpixel and the yellow subpixel are contiguous with each other. |
| US08488084B2 |
Flat panel display device and method of fabricating the same
A flat panel display device includes a thin film pattern formed by an imprinting mold pressing imprinting resin on a substrate, an outer thin film pattern formed on an outer region of the substrate, adjacent to the thin film pattern, wherein the outer thin film pattern is used as a demolding seed for demolding the substrate from the imprinting mold, and the outer thin film pattern configured to limit movement of the imprinting resin. |
| US08488081B2 |
Plane light source and LCD backlight unit having the same
There are provided a plane light source and an LCD backlight unit having the same. A plane light source including light emitting device matrixes each having a plurality of light emitting devices arranged in rows and columns on a substrate according to an aspect of the invention includes: a first matrix having a plurality of light emitting devices arranged in rows and columns; and a second matrix having a plurality of light emitting devices arranged in rows and columns, the light emitting devices each located within a rectangle formed by four adjacent light emitting devices included in the first matrix, and forming angles θ satisfying the condition of 45°≦θ≦55° therebetween on the basis of a horizontal direction, wherein among pitches between one light emitting devices included in the light emitting device matrixes and another lighting light emitting device adjacent to the light emitting device, a pitch P1 between the light emitting device and the light emitting device diagonally across from the light emitting device satisfies the condition of 25 mm≦P1≦29 mm, and a pitch P2 between the light emitting device and another light emitting device located in a horizontal direction satisfies the condition of 34 mm≦P2≦38 mm. |
| US08488080B2 |
Illumination system, liquid crystal device, and electronic device
An illumination system includes: a light source that emits light; and a light guide that introduces the light through a light-incident end face facing the light source and that lets out the light from a light-exiting surface adjacent to the light-incident end face. The light source is disposed adjacent to the light-incident end face and in the position shifted from the center of the width of the light guide intersecting the direction in which the light source emits light. The light-incident end face of the light guide has at least one projection or recess in the direction intersecting the light-exiting direction of the light source. The projection or recess has an asymmetrical shape inclined in the direction intersecting the light-exiting direction of the light source. The projection or recess is inclined in one of directions intersecting the light-exiting direction of the light source. |
| US08488079B2 |
Optical sheet for use as a display surface
There is provided an optical sheet used as a display device surface as a functional layer on at least one side of a transparent base material. A diffusion factor on the outer surface and/or interior of the functional layer, wherein the relationship represented by the following formula (I) is satisfied. 2.1 |
| US08488078B2 |
Chassis formed of interlocking parts and display device having same
A chassis set includes a first chassis and a second chassis. The first chassis includes a first connecting portion having at least one guide protrusion. The second chassis includes a second connecting portion having at least one guide hole that receives the guide protrusion of the first chassis to combine the first and second chassis. Therefore, a manufacturing cost is reduced and productivity is enhanced. Additionally, the chassis can be made easily. |
| US08488074B2 |
Display medium
A display medium comprises: a pair of electrodes to which a voltage is applied; and a liquid crystal layer stack provided between the pair of electrodes. The liquid crystal layer stack contains a first liquid crystal layer having a first liquid crystal that undergoes transition into a specific alignment state in response to the voltage applied to the electrodes becoming equal to or greater than a first voltage value, and a second liquid crystal layer having a second liquid crystal that undergoes transition into the specific alignment state in response to the voltage becoming equal to or greater than a second voltage value. The second voltage value is greater than the first voltage value, and the second liquid crystal has a higher isotropic phase transition temperature than the first liquid crystal. |
| US08488072B2 |
Liquid crystal display panel and manufacturing method thereof
To provide a structure and a manufacturing method which can manufacture, at a low cost and with good yield, a liquid crystal display panel having a lenticular lens and a substrate formed in a unified manner. When forming a lenticular lens onto a mother CF substrate by using a wet etching method, substrates are dipped into an etching solution while being raised up in such a manner that the length direction of slit openings of a mask is aligned with a vertical direction and an area having no mask pattern comes on a bottom side. With this, the residuals generated due to glass impurities can be drained towards the lower side along the lenticular lens shape to be discharged to the flat area, which makes it possible to suppress deterioration in the etching processed shape. |
| US08488068B2 |
Electronic apparatus and method for assisting in remote control
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a display controller, a communication module and a determination module. The display controller is configured to display an operation screen, which is used for operating another electronic apparatus, on a display. The communication module is configured to transmit an operation signal, which indicates an operation in accordance with the operation screen, to the another electronic apparatus. The determination module is configured to determine that a function of the another electronic apparatus is activated in response to transmission of the operation signal. The display controller includes an object generation module configured to generate an object representing an operation button for activating a function of the another electronic apparatus with one operation and to arrange the generated object on the operation screen, when the determination module determines that the function is activated through a plurality of operations. |
| US08488067B2 |
TV use simulation
A method of simulating use of a television consistent with certain implementations of the present invention involves switching a television remote controller or a television STB to an operational mode in which a simulating function is activated. While in the simulating function is activated, the television receiver device is operated in a manner which to simulates operations that a user performs when using the television receiver device by changing operation at scheduled times, random times or random time intervals. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract. |
| US08488066B2 |
System and method for fast digital channel changing
Methods and systems for fast channel changing and for auxiliary channel generating are disclosed. The system for fast channel changing includes: an auxiliary channel generating unit, configured to generate one or more auxiliary channels corresponding to target channel and send video data of the one or more auxiliary channels; a client device, configured to receive video data from the target channel or from the one or more auxiliary channels; a video data receiving controller, configured to detect the video data received by the client device from the target channel or from the one or more auxiliary channels, and send a message of terminating receiving the video data from one of the target channel and the one or more auxiliary channels to the client device. That's the way to change channel fast, and the way occupies little resource of the network, and with little extra cost to be implemented. |
| US08488063B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling overshoot in a video enhancement system
A method for enhancing an edge transition in a video signal comprising the steps of receiving a video signal including an edge transition, generating a correction signal for the edge transition, applying the correction signal to the video signal to produce a corrected signal and restricting the amplitude of the corrected signal to extend between extended maximum and minimum amplitude limits in dependence on the measured maximum and minimum amplitudes of a predefined pattern of pixels adjacent to the edge transition. |
| US08488062B2 |
Analog-digital converting apparatus and clock signal output apparatus
An apparatus includes a voltage controlled oscillator for outputting a clock signal having an oscillation frequency in accordance with an input voltage; a convertor for converting the analog video signal inputted from the exterior into the digital video signal synchronizing with the clock signal outputted from the voltage controlled oscillator; a phase difference detector for detecting a phase difference between the composite synchronizing signal in the analog video signal and a feedback signal which corresponds to the clock signal from the voltage-controlled oscillator; and a voltage control unit for controlling the input voltage of the voltage controlled oscillator to change in response to the phase difference detected by the phase difference detector when the phase difference is within the certain range, and to maintain the input voltage intact when the phase difference is in exceed of the certain range. |
| US08488061B2 |
Deriving video signatures that are insensitive to picture modification and frame-rate conversion
A signature that can be used to identify video content in a series of video frames is generated by first calculating the average and variance of picture elements in a low-resolution composite image that represents a temporal and spatial composite of the video content in the series of frames. The signature is generated by applying a hash function to values derived from the average and variance composite representations. The video content of a signal can be represented by a set of signatures that are generated for multiple series of frames within the signal. A set of signatures can provide reliable identifications despite intentional and unintentional modifications to the content. |
| US08488059B2 |
Adaptation of frame selection for frame rate conversion
At least a method and a system are described for providing frame rate upconversion by way of using “short side” or bidirectional interpolation in generating interpolated frames. In a representative embodiment, the method may comprise receiving a first frame of video corresponding to a first frame time and a second frame of the video corresponding to a second frame time, computing a first absolute difference between the first frame time and an interpolated frame time wherein the interpolated frame time temporally is located between the first frame time and the second frame time. The method further comprises using a first motion vector field and the first frame to compute a third frame at the interpolated frame time. The method further comprises outputting the third frame as the interpolated frame at the interpolated frame time if the first absolute difference is less than or equal to a first threshold value. |
| US08488056B2 |
Modular camera system and a method of manufacturing the same
A camera module includes a substrate with a cavity therein. A processor is located in the cavity, and wire bonding is for connecting the processor to the substrate. An imaging module is adapted to overlay the processor in the cavity and rest on at least part of the edge of the cavity. Wire bonding is for connecting the imaging module to the substrate and the processor. The cavity includes a longitudinal cutout section adapted to accommodate at least some wire bonding for connecting the processor to the substrate or associated surface mount components. |
| US08488054B2 |
Electronic device including a biometric authentication function
An electronic device is provided which includes a light emitting unit for emitting light, and a light detection unit which is irradiated with the light emitted by the light emitting unit and which includes an optical sensor for outputting an electric current corresponding to the brightness of the light. The light emitted by the light emitting unit is used for a purpose other than being irradiated to the light detection unit. |
| US08488047B2 |
Imaging apparatus using different driving methods according to estimation results
An imaging apparatus includes an optical system including a focus lens, an imaging unit operable to capture a subject image formed by the optical system to generate image data, a driver operable to drive the focus lens along an optical axis of the optical system, and an autofocus adjusting unit operable to adjust a subject image formed on the imaging unit to be in focus by evaluating the image data generated by the imaging unit and by controlling the driver to drive the focus lens. When adjusting the subject image to be in focus anew after previously adjusting the subject image to be in focus, the autofocus adjusting unit estimates a focus position and controls the driver to drive the focus lens according to a driving method used for evaluating the image data generated by the imaging unit, and different driving methods are used for different results of the estimation. |
| US08488031B2 |
Chromatic noise reduction method and apparatus
A chromatic noise reduction method is provided for removing chromatic noise from the pixels of a mosaic image. In one implementation, an actual chroma value and a de-noised chroma value are derived for the central pixel of a matrix of pixels. Based at least in part upon these chroma values, a final chroma value is derived for the central pixel. The final chroma value is then used, along with the actual luminance of the central pixel, to derive a final de-noised pixel value for the central pixel. By de-noising the central pixel based on its chroma (which takes into account more than one color) rather than on just the color channel of the central pixel, this method allows the central pixel to be de-noised in a more color-coordinated fashion. As a result, improved chromatic noise reduction is achieved. |
| US08488029B2 |
Imaging apparatus, imaging method, integrated circuit, and storage medium
An imaging apparatus captures a large dynamic range image of a scene including a backlit person with a blue sky background in a manner that the person's face has an appropriate luminance level without saturating the background sky. An imaging unit obtains analogue image signals through exposure control that prevents a highlight from being saturated, an A/D converter converts the analogue image signals to digital image signals, and a signal processing unit linearly increases the dynamic range of the digital image signals. The image signals with the increased dynamic range are nonlinearly compressed to have a dynamic range of 100% or less through nonlinear dynamic range compression that intensively compresses a highlight portion. The imaging apparatus with this structure first increases the dynamic range of an image and efficiently compresses the increased large dynamic range of the image. |
| US08488027B2 |
Imaging array with modulated pixels
An imaging array and a method for operating the same are disclosed. The imaging array includes a plurality of light pixels and a sense amplifier. Each light pixel includes a photodetector that generates and couples a signal indicative of a light exposure to a light pixel node, a readout circuit, and a mixer that mixes a signal on the light pixel node with a pixel oscillator signal. The sense amplifier includes an input node that receives a signal from each light pixel, one light pixel at a time. The sense amplifier also includes a high pass filter that attenuates signals with frequencies less than a cutoff frequency and a mixer that demodulates the signal from the filter to provide a signal that is related to the potential on the light pixel node of the light pixel connected to the first input node. |
| US08488026B2 |
Image capturing system and computer readable recording medium for recording image processing program
An image capturing system includes: a first noise reduction unit which roughly removes the effects of an edge component by performing edge-preserving adaptive noise reduction processing on a target pixel within a local region including the target pixel and the neighboring pixels extracted from an image signal acquired from a CCD; a noise estimation unit which dynamically estimates the noise amount with respect to the target pixel based upon the target pixel value thus subjected to the noise reduction processing by the first noise reduction unit; and a second noise reduction unit which performs noise reduction processing on the target pixel based upon the target pixel value thus subjected to the noise reduction processing by the first noise reduction unit and the noise amount thus estimated by the noise estimation unit. |
| US08488023B2 |
Identifying facial expressions in acquired digital images
A face is detected and identified within an acquired digital image. One or more features of the face is/are extracted from the digital image, including two independent eyes or subsets of features of each of the two eyes, or lips or partial lips or one or more other mouth features and one or both eyes, or both. A model including multiple shape parameters is applied to the two independent eyes or subsets of features of each of the two eyes, and/or to the lips or partial lips or one or more other mouth features and one or both eyes. One or more similarities between the one or more features of the face and a library of reference feature sets is/are determined. A probable facial expression is identified based on the determining of the one or more similarities. |
| US08488021B2 |
Image positioning method, POI tagging method and the apparatus
An image positioning method, a POI tagging method and an apparatus therefor are described. The method is particularly to define a range corresponding to a positioning value translated by a global positioning system. Further, a point-of-interest (POI) is tagged according to the defined range. In an exemplary example, if there is no positioning signal detected as photographing an image, a previously received positioning signal is used to be the positioning value for the image. According to the preferred embodiment of the tagging method, an image is taken firstly, and then it's to determine a positioning value for the image. In which the positioning value may be determined on the instant of photographing. Alternatively, the positioning value may be retrieved from the image's attribute through playback software. Thereby, a range associated with the positioning value is defined. A corresponding point-of-interest is tagged to the image's attribute afterward. |
| US08488019B2 |
Image-capturing device, image-capturing method and storage medium storing image-capturing program for generating a wide dynamic range image
It is determined that a dynamic range of an image is to be widened when a subject lightness value is equal to or lower than a lightness value upper limit which is greater than a predetermined lightness value provided that at least either the subject lightness value is equal to or greater than the predetermined lightness value or that an image-capturing frame rate is equal to or higher than a predetermined frame rate. When a determination to widen the dynamic range is made, synthetic image data is generated by combining image data in a plurality of frames captured over varying exposure times. Then, the synthetic image data is displayed or recorded. |
| US08488017B2 |
Image processing apparatus to transmit moving image data
An image processing apparatus includes a moving image generating unit, an instruction unit, a control unit, an additional information generating unit, a multiplexing unit, and a transmitting unit. The control unit controls the moving image generating unit in accordance with a frame rate changing instruction provided by the instruction unit such that the frame rate of moving image data generated by the moving image generating unit is changed from a first frame rate to a second frame rate. The additional information generating unit generates additional information indicating a particular period. The multiplexing unit adds the additional information to the moving image data and the transmitting unit transmits the moving image data and the additional information output from the multiplexing unit. |
| US08488014B2 |
Method of creating and reproducing a panoramic sound image, and apparatus for reproducing such an image
The present invention relates to a method to create and reproduce a panoramic sound image. Initially, there is a plurality of images associated with sound sequences, these images are for example taken using a camera, this camera having recorded the ambient sound at the time of taking the photograph. The ambient sound is then filtered to keep only the stationary component. Then, the images are concatenated to form a unique image called “panoramic”, each sound sequence being associated with a part of the panoramic image containing the image associated with this sequence. Finally, the commands are introduced to display the parts of the panoramic image. The command also enables to reproduce continually the stationary component of at least a sound content associated with at least a displayed part of the panoramic image. According to an improvement, the sound sequence is reproduced continually until the introduction of a new command.The invention also relates to a reproduction device enabling the reproduction of a panoramic image and a sound sequence. |
| US08488002B2 |
Testing method and testing apparatus for TV system
A testing apparatus for a television system is provided. The testing apparatus includes an analysis module, a signal generating module, a transmitting module, a receiving module, and a judging module. The analysis module receives and analyzes a control signal to generate an analysis result. The signal generating module generates a test signal according to the analysis result. The transmitting module transmits the test signal to the television system. The receiving module receives a response signal from the television system. The judging module judges whether the response signal correctly corresponds to the test signal. |
| US08488000B2 |
Camera and method for controlling the same
A camera receives an identifier that represents an event held at a predetermined location during a predetermined period of time, and assigns the identifier to a captured image. The camera requests another device to process an image corresponding to the identifier. |
| US08487997B2 |
Method for displaying an image recorded by a video camera
In a method for displaying an image of a scene in front of a vehicle, recorded by a video camera, in which the scene in front of the vehicle contains a roadway which is illuminated by the vehicle's headlights, the gray values of the pixels of the image data generated by the video camera are weighted using a reduction factor, which is a function of the respective pixel within the image and of the brightness of objects in the near range in front of the vehicle, in such a way that the contrast between the display of the near range in front of the vehicle and the display of other parts of the image is reduced. |
| US08487994B2 |
Apparatus and method for determining the center of annual rings of a wood block
An apparatus and a method for determining the annual ring center of a wood block are disclosed. A plurality of lines of path is figured out and generated. Each line of path is composed of a plurality of lines each extending normal to a line that is tangential to an annual ring in an image of the wood block end. The normal line may be figured out, for example, by calculating the variance of values of pixels lying on each of a plurality of straight lines of a filter and the sum of the variances for the plurality of straight lines at a plurality of different angular positions of the filter. The annual ring center in the image of the wood block end is determined through calculation based on the points of intersection of the generated lines of path. |
| US08487990B2 |
Method, device and system for positioning a first body and a part fixed to a second body with respect to each other
In a method for positioning a first body (B1) and a part fixed to a second body (B2), a camera image of a master part (MP) is received. The master part (MP) has a reference marker (RM) and is fixed to the second body (B2). A first position of a pointer on the master part (MP) is determined dependent on the camera image. The pointer is representative for a current position of the first body (B1). A positioning unit (POS) is controlled to move the pointer from the first position to a predetermined second position with respect to the reference marker (RM) dependent on the camera image. The positioning unit (POS) is coupled with the first body (B1) for moving the first body (B1) and the pointer or is coupled with the second body (B2) for moving the second body (B2) and the master part (MP). |
| US08487986B2 |
Impedance matching apparatus and endoscope including the same
An impedance matching apparatus includes: a cable that transmits a rectangular wave outputted from a solid image pickup device; a correlated double sampling circuit that performs scanning of the rectangular wave by sampling the rectangular wave with a timing of a signal clamp pulse being changed, based on a timing of the feed-through sampling pulse fixed at a timing at which the rectangular wave by the cable indicates a high value; a variable resistance provided at a tail end side of the cable; and a resistance value varying unit that, that performs the scanning with a resistance value of the variable resistance being changed, based on a signal outputted from the correlated double sampling circuit, changes a resistance value of the variable resistance so as to match a characteristic impedance of the cable. |