最新美国发明专利第2014-02-18期 - 专利汇|PatentHub专利检索|专利查询网|发明专利查询分析

Document	Document Title
US08655001B1	In-the-canal hearing aid using two microphones A method and apparatus for enhancing the performance of an in-the-canal hearing aid by temporarily increasing the adaptation speed of an adaptive feedback cancellation filter in response to sudden changes in the acoustic feedback path. The hearing aid employs a sound producing transducer (e.g., a speaker) mounted in a user's open ear canal along with a sound responsive transducer (e.g., a microphone) and a second sound responsive transducer also mounted in the ear canal and spaced a fixed distance from the first sound responsive transducer. The output signals from the first and second sound responsive transducers are applied to a digital processor which compares the respective output signals to detect impedance changes in the audio feedback path. The detected occurrence of an impedance change is then used to influence the adaptation speed of the adaptive feedback cancellation filter.
US08654999B2	System and method of progressive hearing device adjustment A hearing aid includes a microphone to convert sound into an electrical signal and a processor coupled to the microphone. The processor is configured to apply a selected one of a sequence of incremental hearing corrections to the electrical signal to produce a modulated output signal to at least partially compensate for a hearing impairment of a user. The hearing aid further includes a speaker coupled to the processor and configured to convert the modulated output signal into an audible sound.
US08654998B2	Hearing aid apparatus A call other than a conversion partner call and various sounds are detected by input audio signals from plural microphones without deteriorating a voice recognition precision. A hearing aid apparatus according to the present invention corrects a frequency characteristic of the call voice other than the conversation partner voice based on an arrival direction of the call voice other than the conversation partner voice, which is estimated based on the audio signal converted by the plural microphones, checks a call word standard pattern representing features of a phoneme and a syllabic sound based on other voice data picked up by using the microphones having one characteristic against a call voice other than the conversation partner voice in which the frequency characteristic is corrected by the frequency characteristic correction processing unit to determine whether the call voice is a call word, and forms a directivity in the direction other than the arrival direction of the voice of the conversation partner. Then, the hearing aid apparatus according to the present invention corrects the frequency characteristic of the call voice other than the conversation partner voice so as to provide the same characteristic as that of the microphones at the time of creating the audio standard pattern.
US08654990B2	Multiple microphone based directional sound filter A system and method for use in filtering of an acoustic signal are provided for producing an output signal of attenuated amount of diffuse sound in accordance with predetermined parameters of desired output directional response and required attenuation of diffuse sound. The system includes a filtration module and a filter generation module including a directional analysis module and filter construction module.
US08654988B2	Synchronization of signals for multiple data sinks A data source sends a synchronization signal and information to several data sinks that use the synchronization signal and a specified parameter to determine when to process the information. The data source and data sinks may comprise wireless nodes such as, for example, a wireless audio source that sends multi-channel data to a pair of wireless earpieces. The wireless earpieces use the synchronization signal and a latency interval to determine the appropriate time to output audio based on the audio channels.
US08654987B2	Audio player headset earhook apparatus and system thereof A standalone, earhook style headset interface and control apparatus that plugs into and engages a micro audio player, particularly, a micro MP3 player, used as an integral part of an ear supported, recorded audio device player or headphone. The earhook headphone system combines player controls, speaker and speaker controls, and headphone jack to plug in a second headphone for stereo listening of programmed audio while securing the MP3 player on, behind or about the ear during vigorous activity. An auxiliary jack also functions as the programming and recharging interface for the audio player device. A selector control switch for single/duplex single ear channel listening is located on the housing. A spring tail earhook of flexible soft silicone material, functions as the gripping and stabilizing element of the earhook headset, securing the unit behind or near the ear. All control functions of the audio player are integrated into the earhook headset.
US08654980B2	Quantum key distribution method and apparatus A QKD transmission apparatus comprises a GPS receiver module operable to receive a GPS signal, and a processor operable to use the GPS signal to derive a clock signal for transmission of a QKD signal.
US08654979B2	Quantum key device The present invention relates to an improved quantum key device for use in quantum key distribution, which device comprises a quantum detector unit for detecting a quantum signal and a plurality of logic units operably connected to the quantum detector unit wherein each logic unit is arranged to derive a separate quantum key from the quantum signal detected. In this way, a single quantum key distribution (QKD) receiver can generate separate quantum keys for separate users.
US08654978B2	Apparatus, method, and computer program product for access control to a mobile terminal An apparatus, computer program product, and method are disclosed for access control to a mobile terminal. A use end event is generated indicating an end of use of a mobile terminal. Acceleration of the mobile terminal is binarized by the mobile terminal after the use end event is generated to one of a first value indicating a stationary state and a second value indicating a moving state. A use start event is generated indicating a start of use of the mobile terminal. A movement preparation period is measured from a time at which the use end event is generated to a time at which a transition from the first value to the second value occurs. Use authentication is requested in response to the use start event and in response to the movement preparation period exceeding a first threshold.
US08654974B2	Apparatus and method to provide secure communication over an insecure communication channel for location information using tracking devices A system for securing information. The system includes a first tracking device associated with an object or an individual. In one embodiment, the first tracking device generates independently a synchronous secret key and a server generates independently the synchronous secret key. Over an insecure communication channel, the server communicates an asynchronous vector pair encrypted with the synchronous secret key with the tracking device. To securely communicate information, messages are encrypted and decrypted using the asynchronous vector pair between the tracking device and the server. To further secure message information, a set of random numbers may be further utilized with the asynchronous vector pair to further encrypt and decrypt the messages communicated between the tracking device and the server.
US08654971B2	Systems and methods for securing data in the cloud A secure data parser is provided that may be integrated into any suitable system for securely storing data in and communicating data with cloud computing resources. The secure data parser parses data and then splits the data into multiple portions that are stored or communicated distinctly. Encryption of the original data, the portions of data, or both may be employed for additional security.
US08654969B2	Cipher independent interface for cryptographic hardware service Disclosed is a cipher independent cryptographic hardware service. Cipher independent transactions are received into input slots (202). The input slots contain FIFOs to hold the transactions. The transactions are converted from cipher independent form to cipher dependent form (206) and timing as they are removed from the FIFOs. After cryptographic processing by cipher specific hardware, the results are sent to output FIFOs (212). Multiple FIFOs and cryptographic hardware may be used so that multiple cryptographic functions may be performed in parallel and simultaneously.
US08654968B2	Speaker module and electronic apparatus thereof A speaker module for installing on an electronic device is disclosed. The speaker module includes a containing casing, a speaker device, an antenna, at least one audio signal transmitting member, and at least one antenna signal transmitting member. The containing casing has at least one hole formed thereon. The speaker device is disposed in the containing casing and outputs sound via the hole. The antenna is formed integrally with the containing casing along the contour of the containing casing. The audio signal transmitting member is electrically connected to the speaker device for electrically connecting to the electronic device, so as to establish audio signal transmission between the speaker device and the electronic device. The antenna signal transmitting member is electrically connected to the antenna for electrically connecting to the electronic device, so as to establish antenna signal transmission between the antenna and the electronic device.
US08654966B2	Method for dial plan parsing and a system incorporating the same A method and system for a dial plan parser includes a state machine configured upon a dial plan to which is applied call signaling data, and a call routing module/switch to transfer a call to a next point.
US08654959B2	Automated telephone attendant A telephony system (100) includes a user device (110, 130) configured to enable a user of the telephony system (100) to place and receive telephone calls, and a service node (180, 185) configured to communicate with the user device (110, 130) and to thereby provide the user with an automated voice interface to the telephony system (100) upon the user's initiating access to the telephony system (100) via the user device (110, 130). The automated voice interface permits the user to verbally specify a desired objective corresponding to any one of a number of predefined objectives, the predefined objectives including directory assisted call placement and at least one form of information retrieval. Upon receiving the desired objective from the user, the service node (180, 185) acts to implement the desired objective.
US08654954B2	System and method for controlling access to conference calls A conferencing system enables conference participants to control external party access to an ongoing conference call by providing a conference server that includes a conference client operable to manage a conference call between conference participants, an interface operable to receive an instruction during the conference call that defines a policy to control external party access to the conference call and a processor for executing the conference client to initiate the conference call and process the instruction.
US08654944B2	Automated call to a contact with whom another form of communication is exchanged A method of automating a telephone call to a contact with whom a text based electronic communication is exchanged. The method can include, via a processor, receiving from a first electronic messaging client a first identifier corresponding to a first text based electronic communication sent to a user or received by the user, and receiving from a second electronic messaging client a second identifier corresponding to a second text based electronic communication sent to the user or received by the user. Via the processor, a list that identifies at least the first identifier and the second identifier can be presented. Responsive to receiving a user selection of the first identifier or the second identifier, via the processor, a telephone call can be automatically initiated to a telephone number that corresponds to the selected identifier.
US08654941B2	Using a touch interface to control a videoconference Initiating a conference in a conferencing system (e.g., a videoconferencing or audioconferencing system). Input may be received to the conferencing system from a mobile communication device. The input may specify one or more participants in the videoconference, e.g., by selecting from contact information stored on the mobile communication device. Accordingly, the conferencing system may initiate the conference based on the received input. The videoconference may include the one or more participants selected from the contact information stored on the mobile communication device.
US08654936B1	Home control, monitoring and communication system using remote voice commands A voice-activated command interface module for interacting with a plurality of home-based electronic devices so as to allow for a remotely-located home owner to communicate with, command and control various ones of the electronic devices. The module includes a plurality of communication ports, each communication port associated with a different type of communication interface for providing communications to and from the plurality of electronic devices. The module also includes a voice network communication port for receiving the voice commands from the home owner and a data network communication port for transmitting monitoring and control information between the plurality of electronic devices and the home owner. In operation, the command interface module is responsive to voice commands received from a remote user via an incoming telephone line (either data or voice). A voice recognition unit within the command interface module is utilized to translate the received voice signal into an “action/control” signal and then perform the desired activity.
US08654912B2	MIMO transmitter with pooled adaptive digital filtering MIMO transmitter with a reconfigurable pooled digital filter is disclosed. A processor uses the output of an envelope detector to set parameters of the filter to minimize the number of instructions per second and the amount of power required by the filter to perform. The processor uses an algorithm or a lookup table stored in memory to select the combination of filter parameters. The parameters may be selected from at least one of: a number of taps, a filter length, a word length, a coefficient quantization, a sampling rate, bits per sample, a sampling bit, a tap delay and a coefficient length. After selecting a combination of filter parameters, the processor sends a control signal to the adaptive filter. The pooled adaptive filter reconfigures itself in accordance with the selected filter parameters.
US08654911B2	Uplink SDMA pilot estimation Systems and/or methods for communications wherein a plurality of spatial streams are received. Each of these spatial streams comprises a symbol having at least one phase shifted pilot signal. The Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) estimates of the phase shifted pilot signals are computed and the MMSE estimates are used to estimate phase errors for the symbols.
US08654910B1	Co-channel interference cancellation with multiple receive antennas for BICM Apparatus and methods are provided for computing soft information at a receiver having a plurality of receive antennas. The receiver may be a mobile station or a base station, and can receive a signal vector that includes an intended signal from a first source as well as interfering signals from one or more other, interfering sources. The receiver can determine modulation information, such as the modulation scheme, used by each of the interfering sources. The mobile station can also estimate channel information, such as channel gain information, associated with each interfering source. Using the modulation and channel information, the receiver can compute soft information, such as a log-likelihood ratio. In some embodiments, the receiver can adaptively determine which interference sources and which receive antennas to use when computing the soft information.
US08654905B2	Method and apparatus for canceling interference An apparatus for canceling interference includes a plurality of converters, a plurality of interference cancellation units, a plurality of variance detectors, and an output selecting unit. The plurality of converters converts a plurality of received signals to a plurality of frequency domain signals, respectively. The plurality of interference cancellation units cancel interference in the plurality of frequency domain signals using a plurality of interference cancellation schemes to generate a plurality of interference-canceled signals corresponding to the plurality of interference cancellation schemes, respectively. The plurality of variance detectors measure a plurality of amounts of residual interference corresponding to the plurality of interference-canceled signals, respectively. The output selecting unit selects a single interference-canceled signal with the least amount of residual interference from the plurality of interference-canceled signals, based on the plurality of amounts of residual interference.
US08654904B2	Scaling equalizer coefficients after automatic gain controller gain adjustments In one embodiment, a receiver comprises an automatic gain controller (AGC), an equalizer, a controller, and a register interface. The AGC makes gain adjustments to compensate for changes in the average amplitude of a received signal. The equalizer has a coefficient updater that calculates coefficients and a finite impulse response (FIR) filter that applies the coefficients to the received signal to generate an equalized signal. During gain adjustments by the AGC, the register interface provides a weight freeze signal to the coefficient updater, which subsequently freezes the updating of the coefficients for a freeze duration period. Then, register interface provides a scaling factor, generated by the controller based on the size of the gain adjustment, to the coefficient updater. At the end of the freeze period, coefficient updater applies the scaling factor to the coefficients and unfreezes the coefficient updating.
US08654903B2	Using error vector magnitude to estimate sample clock frequency offset A low complexity system and method for operating a receiver in order to estimate an offset between the actual sample clock rate 1/TS′ of a receiver and an intended sample clock rate 1/TS. The receiver captures samples of a received baseband signal at the rate 1/TS′, operates on the captured samples to generate an estimate for the clock rate offset, and fractionally resamples the captured samples using the clock rate offset. The resampled data represents an estimate of baseband symbols transmitted by the transmitter. The action of operating on the captured samples involves computing an error vector signal and then estimating the clock rate offset using the error vector signal. The error vector signal may be computed in different ways depending on whether or not carrier frequency offset and carrier phase offset are assumed to be present in the received baseband signal.
US08654900B2	Wireless communication device and quantization method Provided is a wireless communication device which can improve the notification accuracy of the channel state information (CSI) without straining the feedback circuit. In this device, a channel estimator (105) uses a pilot signal input from a wireless receiver (102) to estimate the channel and obtain a plurality of path gains in each of a plurality of delay periods. Then, the channel estimator (105) outputs the plurality of path gains to a quantizer (107). The quantizer (107) quantizes the plurality of path gains in the number of notification bits corresponding to each of the plurality of delay periods based on the correspondence of the delay period and the number of notification bits input from a setting unit (106).
US08654898B2	Digital equalizer for high-speed serial communications Incoming data at a high-speed serial receiver is digitized and then digital signal processing (DSP) techniques may be used to perform digital equalization. Such digital techniques may be used to correct various data anomalies. In particular, in a multi-channel system, where crosstalk may be of concern, knowledge of the characteristics of the other channels, or even the data on those channels, may allow crosstalk to be subtracted out. Knowledge of data channel geometries, particularly in the context of backplane transmissions, may allow echoes and reflections caused by connectors to be subtracted out. As data rates increase, fractional rate processing can be employed. For example, the analog-to-digital conversion can be performed at half-rate and then two DSPs can be used in parallel to maintain throughput at the higher initial clock rate. At even higher rates, quadrature techniques can allow analog-to-digital conversion at quarter-rate, with four DSPs used in parallel.
US08654895B2	Frequency modulated signal decoding using a driver A system for decoding frequency modulated signals includes a glue logic module, a key matrix, and a driver coupled to the key matrix. The glue logic module provides a pre-scaled frequency signal, while the key matrix receives the pre-scaled frequency signal. The driver decodes the pre-scaled frequency signal to generate at least one event update corresponding to a frequency of the pre-scaled frequency signal.
US08654893B2	Communication device and channel estimation method A communication apparatus and a channel estimating method for performing channel estimations with high precision. The communication apparatus, which receives multicarrier signals comprising a plurality of subcarriers, has a first estimating unit that generates temporary channel estimation values from pilot signals located in any ones of a plurality of received subcarriers; a second estimating unit that generates a virtual channel estimation value sequence related to the frequency bands other than the frequency bands of the plurality of subcarriers and that combines the generated virtual channel estimation value sequence with the plurality of temporary channel estimation values to generate a channel estimation value sequence corresponding to a predetermined frequency bandwidth; and a generating unit that uses this generated channel estimation value sequence to generate channel estimation values related to any ones of the plurality of subcarriers.
US08654891B2	Peak suppressing apparatus, peak suppressing method and wireless communications apparatus A peak suppressing apparatus includes a pre-emphasis section that performs a pre-emphasis process on a signal, which is to be wirelessly transmitted and a peak of which is to be suppressed, the pre-emphasis process emphasizing a given frequency range component of the signal, a clipping section that limits, to a given threshold value, an amplitude of the signal that has been subjected to the pre-emphasis process, a de-emphasis section that performs a de-emphasis process on the signal, whose amplitude has been limited, the de-emphasis process suppressing the given frequency range component of the signal, and a frequency converter that converts, to allow wireless transmission, a frequency of the signal that has been subjected to the de-emphasis process.
US08654889B2	Adaptive compensation systems for mitigating distortion due to nonlinear power amplifiers A method for pre-processing a signal prior to receipt of the signal by a non-linear device (NLD) to compensate for AM-AM distortion and AM-PM distortion of the signal by the NLD. The method includes generating a modified amplitude rk based on an amplitude xk derived from a digitized envelope Ri,k of the signal, generating a scale factor ck based on the modified amplitude rk and the amplitude xk, generating an AM-AM compensated signal based on the scale factor ck, generating a first AM-PM phase compensation value based on the modified amplitude rk, and generating an AM-AM and AM-PM compensated signal by modifying a phase of the AM-AM compensated signal based on the first AM-PM phase compensation value.
US08654888B2	Precoder circuit A disclosed precoder circuit is used for differential phase shift keying and includes multiple levels of parallel precoder units, each of which is configured to perform a precoding operation using a data signal having multiple symbols and one of a fixed value and a one-symbol preceding modulated signal output from a preceding-level parallel precoder unit so as to obtain a modulated signal, precoding operations of the parallel precoder units being simultaneously performed in a parallel fashion; multiple levels of re-timing units configured to synchronize modulated signals output from the parallel precoder units; and multiple levels of offset units, each of which is configured to add a phase difference between the fixed value and the one-symbol preceding modulated signal to the modulated signals output from the corresponding re-timing units.
US08654887B2	Methods and systems for peak-to-average power reduction without reducing data rate A transmitter for performing multicarrier modulation comprising a processing unit configured to generate a multicarrier data signal comprising a plurality of subcarriers, wherein each of the plurality of subcarriers represents at least one data bit of a plurality of data bits, select a subset of the subcarriers based on signal quality information about one or more of the subcarriers, construct a kernel signal comprising the subset of subcarriers, and create a digital signal comprising combining the multicarrier data signal and a peak-to-average ratio (PAR) reduction signal based on the kernel signal, wherein a PAR of the digital signal is less than a PAR of the multicarrier data signal.
US08654885B2	Fast in-phase and quadrature imbalance calibration An embodiment of the present invention includes a technique to calibrate receiver and transmitter in a communication system. N digitized samples I(n) and Q(n) are stored. The N digitized samples represent in-phase and quadrature (I-Q) components, respectively, of a down-converted signal from a receiver. The I-Q components are generated from a quadrature demodulator or modulator having I-Q imbalance. Phase and gain adjustment constants are computed from the N digitized samples to compensate for the I-Q imbalance using a closed form solution.Another embodiment of the present invention includes a technique to calibrate a transceiver in a communication system without using a calibrated reference receiver. A first test signal at a first frequency is injected to a transmitter having a quadrature modulator with I-Q imbalance. The quadrature modulator has a carrier frequency. The transmitter generates a transmitter signal. The transmitter signal is detected to generate a composite signal having the first test signal and a second test signal at a second frequency twice the first frequency. The composite signal is digitized. I-Q direct current (DC) offset, phase, and gain corrections are computed from the digitized composite signal to correct the I-Q imbalance using a closed form solution.
US08654884B2	Channel equalization using application specific digital signal processing in high-speed digital transmission systems A method and circuit for performing channel equalization in a high speed transmission system comprising a transmitter and receiver. An application specific digital signal processor, ASDSP, performs channel equalization and compensation on digital data received from an analogue-to digital converter of the receiver. The ASDSP is operable to execute an application specific set of op-codes needed for performing channel equalization and compensation. An ASDSP register is coupled between the ASDSP and a system CPU in a feedback loop for performing channel equalization at the receiver. The ASDSP stores equalizer parameters and bit error rate measurements used by the ASDSP for performing channel equalization and compensation. An ASDSP program storage memory, coupled to and accessible by the ASDSP, stores an ASDSP micro-sequence program for controlling the processing steps for channel equalization and dataflow through the ASDSP.
US08654878B2	Codebook for eight transmit antennas and multiple input multiple output communication system using the codebook A transmitter and a receiver of a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication system may use two codebooks to share channel information. When the transmitter uses eight transmit antennas, two codebooks may be defined. When the receiver generates two precoding matrix indicators from two codebooks, a combination of the two precoding matrix indicators may indicate a single precoding matrix. Precoding matrix candidates may also be defined.
US08654874B1	Method and apparatus for detecting impulse noise A formatted data unit that was transmitted by a transmitter is received at a receiver. Received signal points are determined based on the received formatted data unit. Actual transmitted signal points corresponding to the received formatted data unit is determined at the receiver based on information known a priori by the receiver. An error is determined between the received signal points and the actual transmitted signal points determined at the receiver. An indicator of impulse noise is generated based on the error.
US08654871B2	Multicarrier transmitter and multicarrier receiver A multicarrier transmitter and a multicarrier receiver improve the reception characteristic of hierarchical modulation multiplex communication. A base station transmits a multicarrier superposition signal of a modulated signal addressed to a far user (a far-user addressed signal) and a modulated signal addressed to a near user (a near-user addressed signal) and modulated with a modulation multivalued number different from that of the far-user addressed signal. The base station separates the far-user addressed signal into frequency range signals, serial/parallel-transforms the near-user addressed signal to generate N1 parallel signals, and combines the generated N1 frequency components and the N1 parallel signals. Since the far-user receiver changes the near-user addressed signal into white noise by inverse discrete Fourier transform, the far-user receiver can demodulate the far-user addressed signal with high accuracy. The near-user receiver can acquire the signal addressed thereto with high accuracy by subtracting the far-user addressed signal from the received signal.
US08654860B2	Apparatus and method for high efficiency video coding using flexible slice structure An apparatus and method for video coding based on flexible slice structure are disclosed. In the recent high efficiency video coding (HEVC) development, the slice may contain multiple LCUs instead of macroblocks. The LCU size being considered is 64×64 pixels which is much larger than the macroblock size of 16×16 pixels. Compared with the macroblock aligned slice for H.264, the LCU-aligned slice for HEVC does not provide enough granularities for dividing video frames. Consequently, a flexible slice structure is developed where slice partition is based on smaller coding units. In the flexible slice structure, the first LCU and the last LCU of the slice are allowed to be a fractional LCU, which is derived from a whole LCU using quadtree partition. Syntax elements are also developed to enable conveyance of flexible slice structure between an encoder and a decoder efficiently.
US08654859B1	Low cost rate-distortion computations for video compression A method of rate-distortion computations for video compression is disclosed. The method may include steps (A) to (C). Step (A) may generate a plurality of transform coefficients from a residual block of the video using a circuit. Step (B) may generate a block distortion value (i) based on the transform coefficients and (ii) independent of a plurality of inverse transform samples produced from the residual block. Step (C) may generate a rate-distortion value from the block distortion value.
US08654851B2	Motion picture encoding device and motion picture decoding device When a prediction is made between fields with different parity, the predicative efficiency of a chrominance vector is improved by adaptively switching the generation of a chrominance motion vector depending on a encoding/decoding field parity (top/bottom) and a reference field parity (top/bottom), and the coding efficiency is improved accordingly.
US08654850B2	Image coding device and image coding method An image coding device (300) according to the present invention includes: a signal division unit (302) which divides each of pictures included in an input image signal (310) into a first coding target region (315A) and a second coding target region (315B); a first coding unit (303A) which codes the first coding target region (315A) to generate a first coded signal (313A); a second coding unit (303B) which codes the second coding target region (315B) to generate a second coded signal (313B); and a signal combining unit (307) which combines the first coded signal (313A) and the second coded signal (313B) to generate an output coded signal (314), wherein the signal division unit (302) determines, as a range to be used for motion vector search by the first coding unit (303A), a range including the first coding target region (315A) and a first overlap region (316A), and changes a size of the first overlap region (316A) according to a predetermined condition.
US08654845B2	Method and device for video predictive encoding The invention provides a method and device for video predictive encoding.
US08654835B2	Adaptive video encoder control A value of one or more Lagrangian multipliers is adaptively estimate and update based, at least in part, on the video source statistics or dynamic programming. Methods, techniques, and systems involve determining a first Lagrangian multiplier with a video encoder, and updating a second Lagrangian multiplier with the first Lagrangian multiplier. The system can include a Lagrangian multiplier Estimation Module that estimates the Lagrangian multiplier, and a Lagrangian multiplier Update Module that updates the current Lagrangian multiplier using the estimated Lagrangian multiplier. The Online Lagrangian Multiplier Estimation Module may function with Rate Distortion Slope Estimation with Rate Distortion Optimized Mode Decision; Rate Distortion Slope Estimation with Local Approximation; Rate Distortion Slope Estimation with Local Information; or Rate Distortion Slope Estimation with Global Information. The Lagrangian Multiplier Update Module may function with Direct Update; Step Size Update; Sliding Window Update; or Periodical Update.
US08654834B2	Method for tuning coding rate and applying unequal error protection for adaptive video transmission, and video transmission/reception apparatus using the method Provided are a method of tuning a coding rate and applying an unequal error protection for an adaptive video transmission, and a video transmission/reception apparatus using the method. The video transmission apparatus may include: a coding rate tuner to predict, as a channel capacity of a subsequent channel interval, an estimated channel capacity value fed back from the video reception apparatus, and to tune video and channel coding rates within the predicted channel capacity; a video encoder to perform video encoding of video frames at the tuned video coding rate, and to generate a video packet; and a forward error correction (FEC) encoder to apply the unequal error protection based on a length of the video packet and a type of the video frames included in the video packet, and to perform channel encoding of the video packet at the tuned channel coding rate to generate a bitstream.
US08654831B2	Signal detection apparatus A signal detection apparatus detects the frequency of an input signal without using a PLL. The detection apparatus includes a first and a second orthogonalizer, a phase difference calculator and an integrator, to control the variable coefficient a1 of a band-pass filter. Information e[k]=M·sin(φ) representing the phase difference φ between the input data x[k] and the output data y[k] is calculated with the first and second orthogonalizers and the phase difference calculator. The sign of e[k] is inverted and a predetermined integral calculation is performed with the integrator, and the calculated integral value is set as the coefficient a1 of the band-pass filter. Every time input data x[k] is input, the coefficient a1 is changed by reducing it when e[k]>0 and increasing it when e[k]<0. Thus, the frequency of the output signal of the band-pass filter is matched to the input signal.
US08654830B1	Systems, circuits and methods for adapting parameters of a linear equalizer in a receiver A receiver is optimized by adapting parameters of a linear equalizer component within the receiver. Data decisions and error decisions are generated. These data decision and error decisions are used to derive an error rate of data by measuring the number of margin hits that occur. A balance value is also calculated from the data decisions and the error decisions. The balance value is used to update parameters of the linear equalizer. The updating of the parameter continues until the number of margin hits has been minimized.
US08654828B2	Mechanism for the measurement of DC properties of a signal path Systems and methods for measuring transmitter and/or receiver I/Q impairments are disclosed, including iterative methods for measuring transmitter I/Q impairments using shared local oscillators, iterative methods for measuring transmitter I/Q impairments using intentionally-offset local oscillators, and methods for measuring receiver I/Q impairments. Also disclosed are methods for computing I/Q impairments from a sampled complex signal, methods for computing DC properties of a signal path between the transmitter and receiver, and methods for transforming I/Q impairments through a linear system.
US08654827B2	Estimation of low-amplitude echoes in a received communication signal A system and method for identifying minor echoes present in an input signal in the situation where a set of major echoes has already been identified from the input signal. The method includes: computing a spectrum F corresponding to a sum of the major echoes; computing a weighted power spectrum SM of the spectrum F; subtracting the weighted power spectrum SM from a weighted power spectrum PIN of the input signal to obtain a difference spectrum; performing a stabilized division of the difference spectrum by a conjugate of the spectrum F to obtain an intermediate spectrum; computing an inverse transform of the intermediate spectrum to obtain a time-domain signal; and estimating parameters one or more of the minor echoes from the time-domain signal. The echo parameters are usable to remove at least a portion of the one or more estimated minor echoes from the input signal.
US08654826B2	Multi-stage phase estimation method and apparatus The embodiments provide a multi-stage phase estimation method and apparatus. The apparatus is a multi-stage phase estimation configuration. Each stage of the phase estimation configuration includes metric computation modules. Each of the metric computation modules computing a distance metric and search phase angles according to an input signal and an initial search phase angle or a search phase angle of the former stage phase estimation configuration. The number of the metric computation modules is equal to that of the search phase angles of this stage. A selection module selects the search phase angle corresponding to the minimal distance metric as the phase estimation result output of this stage according to the computation results of all metric computation modules. The average time window length of the former stage phase estimation configuration is larger than that of the subsequent stage phase estimation configuration.
US08654825B2	Backoff adaptation for digital communication systems with channel quality information System and method for backoff correction of channel quality information (CQI). A correction factor is calculated based on a goodness measure such as packet error rate (PER). The selection of modulation and coding scheme (MCS) is made considering the channel quality information (CQI) adjusted by the correction factor. A meaningful goodness measure can be imposed if the goodness measure is very low. A different correction factor can be calculated for different confidence levels, MCSs and transmission modes.
US08654816B2	Methods and devices for determining a transmission rank The invention relates to a method 20 in a base station 2 for determining a transmission rank. The base station 2 controls two or more transmit antenna ports 3a, 3b for supporting a multi-antenna transmission mode and for transmission of data on a channel for communication with a user equipment 4. The method 20 comprises receiving 21 a rank indicator from a user equipment 4, the rank indicator indicating the number of spatial multiplexing layers recommended by the user equipment 4, and determining 22 the transmission rank based on a channel imbalance factor CIF, wherein the channel imbalance factor CIF quantifies a difference in receive power of the two or more transmit antenna ports 3a, 3b. The invention also relates to a base station, methods in user equipment, user equipment, computer programs, and computer program products.
US08654815B1	System and method for distributed antenna wireless communications A system and method are described for distributed antenna wireless communications. For example, a method implemented within a wireless transmission system comprised of a plurality of wireless client devices and a plurality of distributed antennas is described comprising: computing channel state information (CSI) for wireless communication channels between the plurality of base distributed antennas and the wireless client devices; computing precoding weights from the channel state information; precoding data using the precoding weights prior to wireless transmission from the plurality of distributed antennas to the wireless client devices; and wirelessly transmitting the precoded data from the distributed antennas to each of the wireless client devices, wherein the precoding causes radio frequency interference between the plurality of base stations but simultaneously generating a plurality of non-interfering radio frequency user channels between the plurality of distributed antennas and the plurality of wireless client devices.
US08654814B2	Embedded meta-carrier with spread spectrum for periodic-burst carriers via overlaid carriers A method for identifying the presence of an electronic transmission comprising detecting, by a detecting device, the presence of a burst of electromagnetic energy that results from the presence of an original carrier signal and transmitting, by a transmitting device, a spread spectrum meta-carrier signal within a portion of a bandwidth of the original carrier signal, wherein the meta-carrier signal contains information about the original carrier signal and is transmitted such that the meta-carrier signal occupies at least a portion of a bandwidth of the original carrier signal during the presence of the burst of electromagnetic energy.
US08654813B2	Safety device for detecting electrode breakage The invention relates to a safety device (1) for detecting electrode breakage in an electric arc furnace, wherein an electrode (6) is secured on an electrode support arm (4), and wherein a conduit is filled with a medium under a constant pressure and a pressure drop is produced at an electrode breakage, which is detected as an alarm signal. Here, the conduit (7a-d,3) is integrated in a protective component that is arranged beneath the electrode support arm (4) thereon, wherein in case of an electrode breakage, the conduit (7a-d,3) is damaged by a produce electric arc and the pressure drop takes place.
US08654812B2	Q-switched grating vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser system and method for fabricating the same A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) system and method of fabrication are included. The VCSEL system includes a gain region to amplify an optical signal in response to a data signal and a first mirror arranged as a partially-reflective high-contrast grating (HCG) mirror at an optical output of the VCSEL system. The VCSEL system also includes a second mirror. The first and second mirrors can be arranged as a laser cavity to resonate the optical signal. The VCSEL system further includes a doped semiconductor region to generate a current through the first mirror in response to a voltage signal to substantially alter the reflectivity of the first mirror to provide Q-switching capability of the VCSEL system.
US08654811B2	Serially interconnected vertical-cavity surface emitting laser arrays Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) arrays with vias for electrical connection are disclosed. A Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) array in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention comprises a plurality of first mirrors, a plurality of second mirrors, a plurality of active regions, coupled between the plurality of first mirrors and the plurality of second mirrors, and a heatsink, thermally and mechanically coupled to the second mirror opposite the plurality of active regions, wherein an electrical path to at least one of the plurality of second mirrors is made through a via formed through a depth of the plurality of second mirrors, and a plurality of VCSELs in the VCSEL array are connected in series.
US08654809B2	Quantum cascade laser A quantum cascade laser is configured to include a semiconductor substrate and an active layer which is provided on the substrate and has a cascade structure formed by multistage-laminating unit laminate structures 16 each including an emission layer 17 and an injection layer 18. The unit laminate structure 16 has, in its subband level structure, a first emission upper level Lup1, a second emission upper level Lup2 of an energy higher than the first emission upper level, an emission lower level Llow, and a relaxation level Lr of an energy lower than the emission lower level, light is generated by intersubband transitions of electrons from the first and second upper levels to the lower level, and electrons after the intersubband transitions are relaxed from the lower level to the relaxation level and injected from the injection layer 18 into an emission layer 17b of a subsequent stage via the relaxation level. Accordingly, a quantum cascade laser capable of preferably obtaining emission in a broad wavelength range is realized.
US08654808B2	Nitride semiconductor laser element and method for manufacturing same A nitride semiconductor laser element has: a nitride semiconductor layer having cavity planes at the ends of a waveguide region, an insulating film formed on an upper face of the nitride semiconductor layer so that the ends on the cavity plane side are isolated from cavity planes, and a first film formed from the cavity plane to the upper face of the nitride semiconductor layer, and covered part of the insulating film surface, the first film has a first region that is in contact with the nitride semiconductor and a second region that is in contact with the insulating film, and is formed from AlxGa1-xN (0
US08654799B2	Short-pulse fiber-laser A mode-locked fiber laser has a resonator including a gain-fiber, a mode-locking element, and a spectrally-selective dispersion compensating device. The resonator can be a standing-wave resonator or a traveling-wave resonator. The dispersion compensating device includes only one diffraction grating combined with a lens and a minor to provide a spatial spectral spread. The numerical aperture of the gain-fiber selects which portion of the spectral spread can oscillate in the resonator.
US08654798B2	Barrier synchronization apparatus, barrier synchronization system, and barrier synchronization method A barrier synchronization apparatus includes a receiving device which transmits a first synchronization signal to a synchronization device when the first synchronization signal in which a transmission destination is set in advance according to setting conditions including an algorithm of the barrier synchronization and an execution condition is received. A synchronization device synchronizes n first synchronization signals which are set in advance according to the setting conditions, wherein n is a positive integer, and designates transmission of m second synchronization signals in which transmission destinations are set in advance according to the setting conditions after the synchronization is established, wherein m is a positive integer. A transmitting device transmits the second synchronization signals to m transmission destinations set in advance, when a transmission designation information indicating the transmission designation is received from the synchronization device.
US08654794B2	Radio communication method and a base station and user terminal thereof A radio communication method in a radio communication system in which data signals for a first and second user are respectively transmitted using first and second subcarrier groups, and pilot signals for the first and second users are multiplexed using time-division multiplexing with the data signals for those users, including arranging a pilot signal of the first user at frequencies different from frequencies of a pilot signal of the second user and mapping subcarrier components of the pilot signals so that one of subcarrier components of higher frequencies corresponds to one of subcarrier components of lower frequencies, wherein the pilot signals are generated using a Zadoff-Chu sequence.
US08654793B2	Network device for sharing multimedia data with other network devices existing on network and method therefor Network devices and methods are provided for sharing multimedia data with other network devices existing on a network, in which a network device shares and uses multimedia data with other network devices, collects information about multimedia data contained in the other network devices and requests the transmission of multimedia data from a network device containing the multimedia data based on the collected information at the request of a user. The network device may include a network device management unit for collecting information about multimedia data; a multimedia data management unit for preparing a multimedia data list; a packet generation/processing unit for generating a packet requesting multimedia data; and a transmission unit for transmitting the generated packet to a specific network device.
US08654790B2	Method of remote active testing of a device or network A test device includes a packet input receiver for receiving encapsulated packets from a network; a packet reader for extracting timing information from the encapsulated packets, and for decapsulating encapsulated packets so as to obtain test packets; a FIFO queue for storing the test packets; a packet controller for reading the test packets from the FIFO queue and writing the test packets into a de-jitter buffer in accordance with the timing information, the de-jitter buffer for storing the reordered test packets; and, a packet output generator for providing the test packets to a target device wherein time intervals between the test packets are reproduced using the timing information.
US08654787B2	Apparatus and method for remote communication and transmission protocols A communication apparatus for remote communication may include a local communication proxy module configured to receive streams from a local communication application module. The streams may be in a form utilizing a first transmission protocol and destined to a remote destination. The local communication proxy module may be configured to add first header information including one or more of the following: a packet sequence identifier, a packet size, a packet type identifier, and additional information related to a packet type identifier. The local communication proxy module may be configured to add second header information. The local communication proxy module may be also configured to form packets and to facilitate sending, utilizing a second transmission protocol, the packets in real-time over a network to a remote communication proxy module. A machine-readable medium and a method are also disclosed.
US08654786B2	Method and system for 10GBASE-T start-up Certain aspects for the start-up procedure of transceivers supporting higher data rates over twisted-pair copper cabling are provided for 10 Gbit/sec Ethernet links (10GBASE-T). During a PMA (physical medium attachment) training period of the start-up procedure, long PMA training frames are exchanged periodically between link partners. A significant portion of each PMA training frame consists of known pseudo random sequences simultaneously transmitted over four wire pairs. PMA training frames include an InfoField for exchanging parameters and control information between link partners. For example, the InfoField's payload comprises fields for indicating current transmit power backoff (PBO), next PBO, requested PBO, transition count, control information, and for communicating precoder coefficients. Information in InfoFields is repeated and is not necessary that a link partner decodes every InfoField. For example, by occasionally reading the transition count, a link partner can determine when a change in transmit PBO and/or a state transition is to occur.
US08654785B2	Transmission control system, subscriber-side communication device, and office-side communication device Provided is a subscriber-side communication device including a subscriber-side processing unit that continuously performs signal processing regardless of computer restart and includes a transmission processing unit that performs a data transmission process according to transmission control information contained in a received signal from the office-side communication device. Also provided is an office-side communication device including an office-side processing unit that continuously performs signal processing regardless of computer restart, and a transmission control information computing unit that computes transmission control information for each subscriber-side communication device, the office-side processing unit including a transmission control information storing unit that stores transmission control information of each subscriber-side communication device computed by the transmission control information computing unit, and a transmission control processing unit that performs a transmission control process with each subscriber-side communication device by using the transmission control information of each subscriber-side communication device stored in the transmission control information storing unit.
US08654784B2	Multi-stage large send offload A network stack sends very large packets with large segment offload (LSO) by performing multi-pass LSO. A first-stage LSO filter is inserted between the network stack and the physical NIC. The first-stage filter splits very large LSO packets into LSO packets that are small enough for the NIC. The NIC then performs a second pass of LSO by splitting these sub-packets into standard MTU-sized networking packets for transmission on the network.
US08654782B2	Mesh tree formation in wireless networks A mesh tree formation system. In particular implementations, a method includes responsive to a selection of a channel potentially bearing a higher priority use, entering a silent state and initiating a channel scan of the selected channel for a period of time. The method also includes, responsive to receipt of an enabling signal, entering a limited transmission state that enables transmission of wireless frames on the selected channel. The method also includes, responsive to termination of the period of time of the channel scan wherein no higher priority use is detected, entering a full transmission state comprising transmission of enabling signals corresponding to the selected channel.
US08654779B1	Network security device and method Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for processing a data packet. An input port receives a data packet, a switching board classifies the data packet, determines whether the data packet should be accepted, and switches the data packet to a management board if the data packet is a first data packet in a session, and to a processing board if the data packet is not a first data packet in a session. A management board receives a data packet from the switching board, examines the data packet and forwards the data packet to one of the processing boards. One or more processing boards receives non-first data packets from the switching board and data packets from the management board and processes the data packets. A firewall and a secure gateway with firewall and virtual private network functionality for processing a data packet are also described.
US08654778B2	Sleep-mode control information processing device, storage medium and sleep-mode control method An information processing device, comprising: a traffic control unit configured to regularly check whether packets are transmitted to an adjacent node and received from the adjacent node; and a sleep determination process unit configured to determine whether there is a possibility that packets are transmitted to the adjacent node when no packet is transmitted to the adjacent node and received from to the adjacent node, and to transmit a sleep OK notice to the adjacent node indicating that the adjacent node shift to a sleep mode when the sleep determination process unit determines that there is a low probability that packets are transmitted to the adjacent node.
US08654777B2	Methods and apparatus for realizing a configurable multi-bridge A method and apparatus for adapting the switching process of a bridge to partition the bridge ports into a plurality of port subsets such that the bridge operates on each of the port subsets in an independent manner.
US08654775B2	Methods of allocating packets in a wireless communication system In a wireless communication system, a multi-source data multiplexing system (e.g., a media access control (MAC)) accepts information packets from a plurality of signal sources, evaluates the relative efficiencies of data transmission, and transmits the information packets in provided grant regions for maximum efficiency. The multi-source data multiplexing system may accept any form of information packet from any form of signal source. The system receives a grant region, typically including a transmission time on a data channel, and inserts an information packet into the grant region. The actual information packet placed in the grant region may be one other than the packet for which the grant region was intended. Further, the multi-source data multiplexing system may fragment an information packet and transmit only a portion of the information packet in the grant region. Alternately, the multi-source data multiplexing system may concatenate multiple information packets, or information packet fragments, from any combination of signal sources and transmit the concatenated result in the grant region. As long as any signal source is active, the composite flow of information packets remains active, and the composite flow then serves as the primary mechanism for requesting and transmitting additional bandwidth in the wireless communication system.
US08654772B2	Programmable packet switching device A packet processing apparatus comprises a programmable hardware discriminator for receiving incoming packets, and selecting bits from any part of the incoming packets, a decision table for storing information relating to how the packets are to be processed, programmable hardware searching logic for accessing the information in the table according to the selected bits, and a packet handler for processing the packets according to the result of the access. Since many networking processing tasks can be broken down into bit selection and table searching, this generic type of arrangement will suit a wide variety of applications. It facilitates developing logic directly in hardware which can reduce the effort needed to convert a working prototype into a product ready for use in the field, e.g. for handling new protocol components.
US08654767B2	Method and system for wireless communication of audio in wireless networks A method and system for audio transmission in a wireless communication system which transmits digital video and digital audio in High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) format. Position information of audio packets within the HDMI frame is obtained. Digital audio information including the position information is transmitted from a data source device to a data sink device via a wireless communication medium. At the data sink device, an HDMI frame is reconstructed by inserting received audio packets into horizontal and vertical blanking periods of the HDMI frame.
US08654765B2	Distributed network flow exporter A network appliance that is part of a distributed virtual switch collects network flow information for network flows passing through the network appliance. The network flow information is encapsulated into packets as a data record for transport. Network flow exporter type information is added to the network flow records configured to indicate that the packets are from a distributed exporter. An option template is sent to the network flow data collectors that includes a device identifier that is configured to uniquely identify the network appliance. The packets are exported to the network flow data collector. The network flow data collector uses the network flow exporter type information and the device identifier to associate the network flow information with the distributed virtual switch.
US08654763B2	Systematic approach towards minimizing packet classifiers A method is provided for constructing a packet classifier for a computer network system. The method includes: representing a set of rules for packet classification as a directed graph; formulating a plurality of minimization problems from the directed graph, where subgraphs extending from non-terminal nodes in the directed graph represent a minimization problem (i.e., a one-dimensional packet classifier); solving the plurality of minimization problems; combining solutions for the plurality of minimization problems to yield a reduced set of rules which form a reduced packet classifier; and instantiating the reduced packet classifier in a content-addressable memory device.
US08654760B2	System and method for providing telephony services In certain embodiments, the present invention comprises a system and method for providing feature services in a multimedia communication environment. The system and method comprise comparing signaling messages with control data to identify one or more service enablers and application servers that are responsive to the signaling message. Each responsive service enabler is invoked in accordance with an associated policy hook.
US08654758B2	Synchronization within wireless devices Synchronizing a wireless sensor includes receiving a first command at the wireless sensor, noting a first timestamp value indicating when the first reply is sent, responding to the first command with a first reply, receiving a second command at the wireless sensor that contains a second timestamp value indicating when the first reply was received and a third timestamp value indicating when the second command was sent to the wireless sensor, noting a fourth timestamp value indicating when the second command was received by the wireless sensor, and determining an offset at the wireless sensor using the first, second, third, and fourth timestamp values. The presence of the first timestamp value may be interpreted as a request to provide timestamp information for synchronization. An access point may communicate with the wireless sensor.
US08654755B2	Device and method for communicating with another communication device via network forwarding device The communication device includes a first transmitting unit that transmits to a server a first message transmitted according to a first protocol; a receiving unit that receives a port number message including a translated port number from the server via the network forwarding device; a first protocol processing unit that generates a second message that is to be transmitted according to the first protocol; a second protocol processing unit that generates a third message in which the first protocol is concealed by appending, to the generated second message, a header according to a second protocol; a third protocol processing unit that generates a fourth message in which the first protocol is concealed by appending, to the generated third message, a header according to a third protocol; and a second transmitting unit that transmits the generated fourth message to the server via the network forwarding device.
US08654752B2	Radio communication device and radio communication method It is possible to obtain the diversity effect in a plurality of slots while preventing complication of a scheduler or inefficient use of resources, to eliminate the phenomenon in which SINR significantly decreases in a specific slot, and to avoid deterioration of demodulation performance. In a radio communication system which performs transmission in a sub-frame unit having two slots temporally continuously arranged, when pre-coding is performed by multiplying a signal to be output to a plurality of antennas by a pre-coding weight, CDD is used to shift a phase such that the phase in the pre-coding weight is cyclically changed on the frequency axis. The phase shift amount to be applied by the CDD is set to change by 2π in an allocated resource block (1RB) of the local device, and PVS is applied such that the phase shift amount differs by π between the weight W0 of the first half slot and the weight W1 of the second half slot in the sub-frame.
US08654751B2	Radio communication method, radio communication system, and radio transmission apparatus A transmission apparatus according to the present invention includes: an encoding section; a modulation section; a variable-SF spreading section that performs spreading with variable SF according to control information A from a control section; an IDFT section that performs IDFT on output from the spreading section; a GI inserting section; a parallel/serial conversion section that converts output from the GI inserting section into a serial data sequence; a digital/analog conversion section; and an RF section that transmits a signal from an antenna after converting the signal to a frequency band for analog signal transmission and controlling it to an appropriate transmission power. The control section is configured to generate control information A for determining the variable SF and input the information A to the variable-SF spreading section and the RF section. In control information A, SF is varied depending on transmission power required.
US08654747B2	Base station, user equipment terminal and method A base station for communicating with a first user equipment terminal within a first system band and communicating with a second user equipment terminal within a second system band includes a first reference signal sequence generating unit configured to generate M types of reference signal sequences; a second reference signal sequence generating unit configured to generate N (N>M) types of reference signal sequences; a scheduling unit configured to allocate resource blocks to the first user equipment terminal and the second user equipment terminal; a signal multiplexing unit configured to multiplex the M types of reference signal sequences into the resource block for the first user equipment terminal and multiplex the N types of reference signal sequences into the resource block for the second user equipment terminal; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit signals including the M types of reference signal sequences and the N types of reference signal sequences.
US08654740B2	Polar cap reset method for differential codebook for wireless communications Techniques for periodically resetting the polar cap for a differential codebook precoding scheme for wireless communications are described. An apparatus may comprise a fixed device for a mobile broadband communications system utilizing an orthogonal frequency-division multiple access technique, the fixed device having a precoding module operative to generate a precoding matrix using a received first codeword of a first base codebook, subsequently reconstruct the precoding matrix using a received polar-cap codeword of a polar-cap codebook, and periodically reset the precoding matrix to clear accumulated error at the fixed device using a received second codeword of a second base codebook. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08654737B2	Methods and systems using fast connection setup procedure for WiMAX networks Techniques for an MS to establish one or more default service flows, after entering a WiMAX network are provided. The techniques presented herein may enable the MS to maintain said one or more default service flows during the sleep mode. The one or more default service flow may be utilized in quickly establishing a connection between a WiMAX BS and the MS following the sleep mode.
US08654734B2	Multi-cell channel state information-reference symbol patterns for long term evolution extended cyclic prefix and code division multiplexing-time multiplexing This invention is a method of wireless communication using candidate multi-cell CSI-RS time-frequency patterns in the invention. This invention avoids collision with antenna ports 0, 1, 2 and 3 used for transmitting cell-specific reference signals and port 5 used for transmitting demodulation reference signals. This invention satisfies the nested property requirement. This invention avoids collision with DM-RS signal for extended cyclic prefix transmission as long as DMRS Rank is less than or equal to 2. For ranks greater than 2, this invention produces patterns that may collide with Rel. 10 DM-RS for extended CP. The invention includes alternative patterns obtained by relabeling and/or reshuffling the CSI-RS antenna port numbers while preserving identical time-frequency resources assigned to CSI-RS in the time-frequency grid.
US08654732B2	System and method for advertising the same service set identifier for different basic service sets According to one embodiment of the invention, a method comprises advertising services. The services are provided by different basic service sets, each basic service set having the same service set identifier (SSID). Thereafter, one of the basic service sets is selected.
US08654730B2	Wireless communication system, base station, mobile station, base station control program, and mobile station control program A wireless communication system which includes a base station and a mobile station and in which the mobile station performs data transmission to the base station by allocating a transmission signal converted into a frequency signal to contiguous frequency bands or non-contiguous frequency bands divided into a predetermined number, wherein, when retransmission occurs in the data transmission the mobile station has performed by allocating the transmission signal converted into the frequency signal into the non-contiguous frequency bands, the base station determines a transmission power headroom of the mobile station in the allocation of the transmission signal to the non-contiguous frequency bands, and, if a result of the determination shows that there is not a transmission power headroom, the base station instructs the mobile station to allocate the transmission signal to the contiguous frequency bands and to perform the retransmission by increasing transmission power.
US08654728B2	Generating uplink signals from user equipment nodes to identify interferers to a network node A method is disclosed that can be performed in at least one network node which provides wireless communications service for user equipment nodes (UEs). The method includes detecting uplink interference at an interfered network node. Responsive to the uplink interference, an uplink transmission having a defined configuration is initiated from a UE, which is served by a serving network node. The uplink signal is detected using the defined configuration at the interfered network node. The UE is identified responsive to the detected uplink signal as being a contributor to the uplink interference. An uplink transmission by the UE and/or by another UE served by the serving network node is controlled to reduce uplink interference.
US08654726B2	Apparatus for avoiding dynamic inter-cell interference and method thereof The present invention relates to an uplink/downlink scheduling in a mobile communication system and signal transmitting/receiving scheme using the same, and more particularly a method and apparatus for a user equipment to transmit and receive signals. Each user equipment manages an interferential base station list to meet the process rate requirements. If a specific user equipment receives a first step scheduling signal including contention number information, base stations in a base station list managed by the corresponding user equipment are regarded as having real inter-cell interference links. Hence, in order for a base station having a highest priority to enable a resource assignment in a corresponding scheduling stage, a silencing signal for requesting a resource assignment prohibition is transmitted to the rest of the base stations.
US08654725B2	Telecommunications network The present invention relates generally to a cellular telecommunications network. Each cell has at least one base station for sending messages on a downlink of a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) to end user equipments within the cell and for receiving messages on an uplink from end user equipments within the cell. Other end user equipment located within the cell which have no or only poor communication directly with the base station over the FDD communicate with the base station indirectly via an intermediate end user equipment, such as a mobile telephone. The intermediate end user equipment includes an FDD transceiver and a Time Division Duplex (TDD) transceiver and an FDD/TDD interface. The intermediate end user equipment receives signals from the base station over the FDD using the FDD transceiver and relays them via the FDD/TDD interface and the TDD transceiver towards a relevant one of the other end user equipments over a TDD and receives signals from the other end user equipment over the TDD using the TDD transceiver and relays them via the FDD/TDD interface and the FDD transceiver to the base station over the FDD, The network provider thereby improves capacity and coverage by utilizing TDD channels without having to deploy and TDD infrastructure.
US08654724B2	Base station apparatus, mobile station apparatus, and transmission method A base station able to maintain backward compatibility with an LTE mobile station while minimizing the amount of increase in uplink scheduling information reception and demodulation/decoding processing in independent uplink/downlink cell data transmission. A wireless communication system includes a cell #1, a cell #2, and an LTE-A mobile station, and supports independent uplink/downlink cell data transmission. The base station of the cell #2 arranges a PDCCH+, which includes uplink scheduling information from the LTE-A mobile station to the base station of the cell #2, in a downlink data region in the downlink connection of the base station of the cell #1.
US08654723B2	Method and device for re-using IPSec tunnel in customer premises equipment A method for re-using an existing IPSec tunnel for multiple services. The IPSec tunnel is established from customer premises equipment to the core network to support licensed frequency communications, such as a femtocell. UMA communication using unlicensed frequencies may be carried out by re-using the IPSec tunnel to securely route UMA communications from a UMA device to a UNC within the core network via the customer premises equipment. The network determines whether to redirect UMA communications through an existing IPSec tunnel by determining whether a newly established second IPSec tunnel for UMA communications originates from an access point collocated with a femtocell that has an existing IPSec tunnel.
US08654722B2	Efficient channel search with sequential probability ratio testing Methods and systems for cognitive radio channel searching are shown that include determining an upper threshold and a lower threshold that will find a free channel in a minimum average searching time based on a channel occupancy probability π0 and the number of channels K, constrained by a target acceptable misdetection probability and a target acceptable false alarm probability. The K channels are searched with a signaling device using the determined upper threshold and lower threshold to find a free channel.
US08654721B2	Communication devices, method for data communication, and computer program product A communication device is described comprising a transceiver, a determining circuit configured to determine whether the communication device may use radio resources, which are allocated to be used by a wireless bidirectional communication system in the geographical region in which the communication device is located, for radio data communication without participation by the wireless bidirectional communication system, and a controller configured to control the transceiver to carry out radio data communication using the radio resources if the communication device may use the radio resources.
US08654718B2	Method of transmitting a wideband frame A method of transmitting a wideband frame for a wideband system having backward compatibility with a narrowband system includes configuring a wideband carrier by using a set of base carriers, wherein a bandwidth of the base carriers corresponds to a bandwidth of the narrowband system and any one of center frequencies of the base carriers is the same as a center frequency of the narrowband system, and allocating all or some of guard subcarriers between the two adjacent base carriers to a traffic channel when a center frequency spacing between two adjacent base carriers is an integer multiple of a subcarrier spacing. Accordingly, the method can be used to support backward compatibility with the narrowband system. Further, the method can be equally used when the narrowband system co-exists with the wideband system in a guard band defined in a narrowband of a new system.
US08654714B2	Base station and user device A base station communicating with a user device using multiple antennas in a system where a subframe is composed of multiple slots each composed of multiple basic time units is disclosed. The base station includes a first mapping unit configured to map one or more reference signals used for demodulation of one or more L1/L2 control channels and one or more data channels to be transmitted from one or more of the antennas within a predetermined number of basic time units from the beginning of each subframe; and a second mapping unit configured to map reference signals used for demodulation of data channels to be transmitted from other ones of the antennas to one or more basic time units following the basic time units to which the reference signals used for demodulation of the L1/L2 control channels and the data channels are mapped.
US08654711B2	Channel scan for smart meter networks to determine operating channels An operation channel in a multi-hop network is determined. The network uses a set of channels, and one of the nodes is a network management node. The operation channel is selected in the network management node. Then, the network management node broadcasts a channel information packet including the operation channel using all channels. The channel information packet is received in each of other nodes, either directly from the network management node or from an intermediate node that received and rebroadcasted the channel information packet. Lastly, the operation channel in each node is set according to the channel information packet until the network is formed.
US08654709B2	Decentrallizing core network functionalities The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for providing network access, wherein a connection to a core network is established via a wireless access device and a gateway device. Connectivity of the wireless access device is restricted to a pre-defined group of core network address of a pool of gateway devices with multi-node connectivity to the core network, and a single address is selected to establish the connection to a one of the gateway devices. The gateway device is provided with a relay function for mapping a single input address to a plurality of core network addresses based on a location information of the wireless access device and with at least one co-located decentralized core network functionality.
US08654707B2	Method and system of implementing a radio network in unlicensed spectrum Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for wireless communication over unlicensed spectrum using a femto cell. In an implementation of the system, a dualmode mobile device adapted to communicate over a licensed frequency spectrum and over an unlicensed frequency spectrum is provided. The dual-mode mobile device detects the presence of a femto cell communicating over an unlicensed spectrum and in response, initiates a communication connection with the unlicensed spectrum femto cell. Subsequently, the connection over a license spectrum may be disconnected upon successful establishment of the connection over the unlicensed spectrum. In yet another implementation, a femto cell communicating over an unlicensed spectrum may be adapted to communicate with a mobile switching center and/or with a voice over IP switch.
US08654702B2	Method and apparatus for the controlling scheduling in a radio communication system The present invention relates to a method and to an apparatus for controlling the scheduling in a radio communication system, which comprise calculating a first resource value for a first data packet using packet information of the first data packet, determining an MCS level and a transmission power density for the first data packet and a second data packet using a resource allocation parameter for the first data packet and packet information of the second data packet, calculating a second resource value for the first data packet and the second data packet using the MCS level and the transmission power density determined in the previous step, and allocating the second resource value for the first data packet and the second data packet as an uplink resource if the second resource value is not greater than the total number of allocable resources of an uplink frame.
US08654701B2	Creation and signalling of UE lists to support frequency selective repeater operation A method of supporting frequency-selective repeaters (eNodeRs) in a wireless telecommunication system. A base station (eNodeB) classifies User Equipments (UEs) into two categories or lists of users: a white list containing UEs that may need the assistance of repeaters, and a black list containing UEs that do not need repeater assistance. The eNodeB transmits one of these two lists to the eNodeRs. The eNodeRs do not amplify resource blocks (RBs) scheduled for black list UEs. Each repeater may decide on its own whether to amplify signals for a non-black list UE by measuring signals from the UE and comparing them with predefined criteria.
US08654695B2	Link adaptation of a broadcast system A method and apparatus of link adaptation of a broadcast system is disclosed. The method includes a base station adaptively determining a signal quality threshold. The base station broadcasts a signal, wherein the signal includes the signal quality threshold. A plurality of subscribers receives the signal, and measure a signal quality. Each of a subset of the plurality of subscribers transmits back to the base station an indicator of whether the received signal has a measured signal quality that is either above or below the signal quality threshold. A percentage of subscribers that receive the signal having a received signal quality above the signal quality threshold is estimated. A transmission modulation format and coding is selected based on the estimated percentage.
US08654692B2	Wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method Disclosed is a wireless communication apparatus that can improve the efficiency of using data resources, while suppressing the increase in CM of transport signals in a wireless communication system in which single-carrier transmissions and multi-cluster transmissions are coexistent. In this apparatus, a multiplex manner deciding unit (207) divides a control information signal into a first control information signal and a second control information signal, selects a time multiplex as the manner of multiplexing a data signal and the first control information signal, selects a frequency multiplex as the manner of multiplexing the data signal and the second control information signal, and increases the ratio of the second control information signal to the first control information signal as the number of clusters is increased.
US08654691B2	Managing wireless communications A wireless network, such as an LTE (“Long-Term Evolution”) network, may be configured to monitor a communications interface to set an inactivity timer that, in turn, sets the operating mode of a communications interface. The operating mode may comprise a time-domain reception pattern of the wireless device. A wireless device may monitor a communications interface that includes at least a first logical channel (for example for a first application) and a second logical channel (for example for a second application). Based on monitoring the communications interface, a first activity state for the first logical channel may be determined. Also, based on monitoring the communications interface, a second activity state (e.g., an activity status) for the second logical channel may be determined. An inactivity timer used by the communications interface may be set to a first value or a second value based on the first and second activity states. The battery life of a wireless device may be preserved by setting an inactivity timer responsive to the manner in which the wireless device is being used.
US08654685B2	Apparatus for sharing a wireless communication base station A wireless communication base station shares one antenna between a main system and a subsystem. A signal combiner/divider is connected to each of the transmission/reception signal lines of a main and a subsystem duplexer and combines signals according to their phases and divides other signals. A filter is provided in the signal paths between the combiners/dividers.
US08654681B2	Systems and methods for implementing multi-topology support for label distribution protocol (LDP) of a multiprotocol label switching network System and method for support multiple topology in Label Distribution Protocol of Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network are disclosed. The system includes a number of network elements and a communication mechanism used to connect the network elements. The network elements discover LDP peers within the network topology, and create and maintain LDP sessions for each of the network topologies. The network elements further establish LSPs by mapping network layer routing information within each network topology to data link layer switches paths. Furthermore, the communication mechanism enables the network elements to advertise the multi-topology capability and exchange the mapping information of label and FECs within each network topology.
US08654679B2	Communication apparatus, control method thereof, and computer program A communication apparatus for performing a communication parameter configuration process as one of a communication parameter providing apparatus and a communication parameter receiving apparatus, comprises: a first reception unit adapted to receive a communication parameter from another communication apparatus; and an enabling unit adapted to enable a communication parameter providing function for providing a communication parameter to another communication apparatus, after the communication parameter is received.
US08654678B2	Node device, recording medium where storage control program is recorded, and information storing method In a node device included in an information communication system which has a plurality of node devices capable of performing communication with each other via a network, common information shared by the plurality of node devices is stored so as to be spread to the plurality of node devices.The node device includes: first storing means for storing link information used at the time of performing communication with the node devices, the link information including node information indicative of one or more specific node devices; means for storing the link information stored in the first storing means into second storing means while participating in the system; means, when withdrawing from the system, and after that, participating in the system again, for storing the link information obtained from the node device of the node information included in the link information stored in the second storing means into the first storing means.
US08654675B2	Interface detection device and detection method employing the same An interface detection device in electronic communication with a network tester to receive network packets includes a plurality of local area network (LAN) interfaces, a signal control unit and a path distribution unit. The LAN interfaces are in electronic communication with the network tester and are electrically connected in pairs. The signal control unit provides preset test data for the LAN interfaces and controls the LAN interfaces to generate corresponding verification data. The signal control unit compares the verification data with the test data, and controls the path distribution unit to automatically figure out corresponding transmission paths. The LAN interfaces are electronically communicating with each other through the connected LAN interfaces and the transmission paths to transfer the network packets.
US08654666B2	Communication method and apparatus in multi-carrier system Disclosed is a communication method in a multi-carrier system, including: allocating radio resources for transmitting signals to a middle guard band; and transmitting the signals through the radio resources; wherein the middle guard band is a frequency band positioned between used bands of a plurality of carriers, respectively, within an aggregated carrier formed by aggregating the plurality of carriers and a unit allocating the radio resources of the middle guard band is different from a unit allocating the radio resources of the used bands. A multi-carrier system uses the guard bands between the carriers to improve channel estimation performance or increase efficiency of radio resources.
US08654659B2	Systems and methods for listening policies for virtual servers of appliance The present invention is directed towards a method for using a listening policy for a virtual server on an intermediary device. An intermediary device establishes for a first virtual server a first listening policy with an expression for evaluating packets received by the intermediary device to determine whether the packet may access the first virtual server. The intermediary device listens for packets at a first internet protocol (IP) address and a first port specified for the first virtual server. Then, the intermediary device evaluates the expression of the first listening policy to a first packet received at the first IP address and first port and determines whether to provide the first packet to the first virtual server based on a result of the evaluation.
US08654658B2	Mobile communication system, base station controller, base station, mobile station, and base station radio parameter control method A mobile communication system includes a condition reporting unit provided in a base station controller and configured to report to a mobile station via the target base station or another base station measurement and report conditions for determining whether to measure and report a reception quality level of a radio signal transmitted from the target base station; a measurement reporting unit provided in the mobile station and configured to measure the reception quality level of the radio signal if the measurement condition is satisfied and to report the measured reception quality level to the base station controller via the target base station or the other base station if the report condition is satisfied; and a radio parameter control unit provided in the base station controller and configured to control a radio parameter of the target base station or the other base station based on the reported reception quality level.
US08654657B2	Remote testing and monitoring to a cell site in a cellular communications network Systems and methods provide remote performance monitoring and testing to a cell site in a cellular communications network. The systems and methods include a network management center having remote monitoring and testing capabilities utilizing an intelligent customer service unit that traps and makes available alarm information on the transport link.
US08654654B2	Traffic distribution control There is disclosed apparatus and processes for generating simulated network test traffic from a stored test traffic definition. A network test system or a user may select arbitrary ways to group flows of test traffic into streams, and to modify these streams before and during transmission of the test traffic by network test equipment.
US08654650B1	System and method for determining node staleness in a distributed system A method and system are disclosed for implementing a distributed lock manager comprising a plurality of nodes that coordinate with one another to maintain a shared state by agreeing to transitions using a distributed consensus protocol and applying those agreed to transitions. A given node of the system periodically propagates a local time from a local clock of the given node to the other nodes. When agreeing to a transition, the system associates the transition with the propagated local clock time. The given node later calculates a maximum staleness of the transition based at least on the current time of the node's local clock and the propagated local time associated with the transition.
US08654645B2	Systems and methods for dropping data using a drop profile A system selectively drops data from queues. The system includes a drop table that stores drop probabilities. The system selects one of the queues to examine and generates an index into the drop table to identify one of the drop probabilities for the examined queue. The system then determines whether to drop data from the examined queue based on the identified drop probability.
US08654643B2	Wide field indexing for packet tracking Methods, apparatus, and computer readable storage media for accumulating traffic statistics. A traffic receiver may receive a packet and determine a flow identifier associated with the received packet. A hash function may be applied to the flow identifier to generate a memory pointer. One or more records may be retrieved from a statistics memory based on the memory pointer. A determination may be made if the flow identifier associated with the received packet matches a flow identifier value contained in one of the one or more retrieved records. When a match occurs, the retrieved record containing the matching flow identifier value may be updated and the updated record may be stored in the statistics memory.
US08654641B2	Transmitting apparatus, transmitting method, and program A transmitting apparatus includes a rate adjusting unit, a changing unit, a buffer control unit, and a transmitting unit. The rate adjusting unit adjusts a transmission rate of transmitting data. The changing unit changes a size of a buffer for temporarily storing the data, on the basis of the transmission rate. The buffer control unit configured to cause the buffer to temporarily store the data, which is smaller than or equal to an addable size that is smaller than the size of the buffer, and to output the data to the transmitting unit. The transmitting unit transmits the data output from the buffer.
US08654638B2	Dynamically adjusting bandwidth usage among subscriber streams Systems and methods are disclosed for adjusting bandwidth of streams carried on a subscriber loop. One exemplary method comprises the steps of: determining bandwidth in use on a subscriber loop; selecting, for adjustment, at least one of a plurality of TCP streams carried on the subscriber loop; and adjusting at least one flow control parameter of the selected TCP stream based on the bandwidth in use. An exemplary multimedia terminal adapter (MTA) comprises memory and a processor. The memory stores program code, and the code programs the processor to enable the MTA to: determine bandwidth in use on a subscriber loop; select, for adjustment, at least one of a plurality of TCP streams carried on the subscriber loop; and adjust at least one flow control parameter of the selected TCP stream based on the bandwidth in use.
US08654637B2	Method for configuration of a load balancing algorithm in a network device A method for configuration of a network device is described herein. Counter information for one or more ports of a plurality of ports of the network device is managed. The one or more ports are aggregated to a logical port in a logical communication channel. The counter information may be determined by the network device. A current load balancing algorithm is determined. The current load balancing algorithm is set for use on network packets on egress out of the logical port. Statistics are determined using the counter information and the current load balancing algorithm. Based on the statistics, the network device is configured with an available load balancing algorithm of a plurality of load balancing algorithms available to the network device.
US08654635B2	Medium access control layer that encapsulates data from a plurality of received data units into a plurality of independently transmittable blocks A method of operating in a network in which a plurality of stations communicate over a shared medium, comprising providing a physical layer (e.g., PHY) for handling physical communication over the shared medium; providing a high level layer (e.g., PAL) that receives data from the station and supplies high level data units (e.g., MSDUs) for transmission over the medium; providing a MAC layer that receives the high level data units from the high level layer and supplies low level data units (e.g., MPDUs) to the physical layer; at the MAC layer, encapsulating content from a plurality of the high level data units; dividing the encapsulated content into a plurality of pieces (e.g., segments) with each piece capable of being independently retransmitted; and supplying low level data units containing one or more of the plurality of pieces.
US08654631B2	Method and apparatus for providing an intelligent back-up internet protocol (IP) connection A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for providing a back-up internet protocol (IP) connection are disclosed. For example, the method monitors a primary IP connection to a subscriber premises, detects a failure or a degradation of the primary IP connection to the subscriber premises and activates a back-up IP connection to the subscriber premises.
US08654625B2	Method and apparatus for transmitting data performed by at least one base station in wireless communication system A method and apparatus for transmitting data performed by at least one base station (BS) in a wireless communication system is provided. First signals are respectively mapped to a first Orthgonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol of a first BS and a second BS, and are transmitted. A second signal, having a θ shifted phase of the first signal, is mappped to a second OFDM symbol, and is transmitted by the first BS. The respective first signals and the second signal are transmitted in a same subcarrier in a frequency domain.
US08654623B2	Scrambling under an extended physical-layer cell identity space A method for wireless communications is provided. The method includes determining a set of physical layer cell identities and analyzing a current set of scrambling sequences. The method increases the current set of scrambling sequences to account for increases in the physical layer cell identities.
US08654620B2	Write power adjustment method and information recording method In write power adjustment for an optical disc having a plurality of information storage layers, data of trial writing is varied by the influence of layers other than a target layer. It is difficult, therefore, to determine optimal write power. A modulation M[m] is obtained from a reproduction signal amplitude of a signal subjected to the trial writing performed with use of write powers Pw[m] (m being an integer) of a plurality of kinds. At least an optimum write power intercept Pint_opt is determined by fitting a relation between the Pw[m] and the M[m] by a modulation characteristic formula M=Masy×(1−(Pint−Pasy)/(Pw−Pasy)) having an asymptotic modulation Masy, a write power intercept Pint, and an asymptotic write power Pasy as parameters. Approximation accuracy by the fitting and/or quality of the trial writing signal are evaluated with use of at least the M[m], the modulation characteristic formula, and the Pint_opt. An optimum write power Pw_opt is calculated by performing a specified operation at least with use of the Pint_opt.
US08654619B1	Method and apparatus for operating a disk drive A disk drive is disclosed including a rotatable disk having a user area including a first sector, and a spare area including a second sector, and configured to store a relocation list. The disk drive also includes a controller configured to receive a write command to write first data to the first sector, determine that the first data includes an amount of data less than a storage capacity of the first sector, read second data in the first sector, determine that there is a read error when reading the second data in the first sector, temporarily relocate the first sector to the second sector, maintain the second data in the first sector, and perform a test on the first sector to determine whether to copy the first data to the first sector, or permanently relocate the first sector to the second sector.
US08654617B2	Thermally-assisted magnetic recording head with optically isolating waveguide, head gimbal assembly, head arm assembly, magnetic disk unit, and light transmission unit The thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes: a laser light source having an emission surface, the emission surface allowing laser light to be emitted therefrom; a waveguide having a core and a cladding, the core allowing the laser light emitted from the laser light source to propagate therethrough, and the cladding surrounding the core; a magnetic pole; and a plasmon generator. Each of the core and the cladding has an end surface facing the emission surface, and the end surface of the cladding suppresses returning of the laser light to the laser light source.
US08654615B2	Timer movement with a display for world time zones The present invention relates to a timer movement with a display for world time zones. While operating, by aligning the landmark of local time zone with a fixed point for calibrating the local time, then turning a time zone adjustable ring to the landmark of another time zone to be aligned with the fixed point, an inner gear ring of the time zone adjustable ring can drive a planetary idle gear, a planetary driven gear and a planetary base gear to rotate, and each elastic positioning ball is sequentially buckled and positioned along each positioning hole, and a first front hour wheel is enabled to perform planetary motion about a first minute wheel set on the planetary base gear, so as to rotate the first hour wheel meshed therewith for displacing a first hour hand to display the time of first location at the landmark of another time zone.
US08654613B2	Measuring apparatus A measuring apparatus includes an acoustic wave detecting unit that detects acoustic waves generated from a subject irradiated with light, and a member that is disposed between the acoustic wave detecting unit and the subject and that has an acoustic speed value smaller than an average acoustic speed value inside the subject. The thickness of the member is greater than a value obtained by dividing the acoustic speed value inside the subject by the minimum frequency detectable by the acoustic wave detecting unit.
US08654609B2	Target detection device, target detection control program, and target detection method A target detection device includes: a sound source which projects a sound pulse; a transducer array disposed in a region for receiving a forward scattered wave from an object in the propagation environment; an addition processing unit which extracts only a signal of the forward scattered wave by applying vector addition processing on a reference signal in a reference sound field received when an obstacle exists in the propagation environment and a mixed signal in a mixed sound field received when the target exists with the obstacle; a phase conjugation determination unit which checks whether a phase conjugacy is established by receiving the signal of the extracted forward scattered wave and employing a passive phase conjugation for determining the reference sound field; and a time reversal processing unit which generates a time reversal signal on condition that the phase conjugation determination unit judges that the phase conjugacy is established.
US08654603B2	Test operation for a low-power double-data-rate (LPDDR) nonvolatile memory device A nonvolatile memory device is provided relating to a test operation for a Low Power Double-Data-Rate (LPDDR) nonvolatile memory device. The nonvolatile memory device comprises a command decoder configured to decode a test mode signal in a test mode to output program and erasure signals into a memory, an address decoder configured to decode a command address inputted through an address pin in the test mode to output a cell array address into the memory, and an overlay window configured to store a data inputted through a data pin in the test mode.
US08654598B2	Redundancy system for non-volatile memory A redundancy scheme for Non-Volatile Memories (NVM) is described. This redundancy scheme provides means for using defective cells in non-volatile memories to increase yield. The algorithm is based on inverting the program data for data being programmed to a cell grouping when a defective cell is detected in the cell grouping. Defective cells are biased to either “1” or “0” logic states, which are effectively preset to store its biased logic state. A data bit to be stored in a defective cell having a logic state that is complementary to the biased logic state of the cell results in the program data being inverted and programmed. An inversion status bit is programmed to indicate the inverted status of the programmed data. During read out, the inversion status bit causes the stored data to be re-inverted into its original program data states.
US08654597B2	Defective memory cell address storage circuit and redundancy control circuit including the same A fail address storage circuit includes a fail address storage unit configured to store a fail address and a discrimination information storage unit configured to store information indicating whether a value stored in the fail address storage unit is a row address or column address.
US08654596B2	Nonvolatile semiconductor storage device equipped with a comparison buffer for reducing power consumption during write A semiconductor storage device includes plural bit lines and plural word lines. The memory cell array has plural memory cells that are connected with the bit lines and word lines, and can store data. Plural sense amplifiers detect the data stored in the memory cells. Plural write drivers write data in the memory cells. A comparison buffer temporarily stores the write data to be written in the memory cells by the write driver. In a series of write sequences, the comparison buffer stores the read data from the memory cells selected as the write object and the write data to be written in the selected memory cells. After a series of write sequences, when the pre-charge command for resetting the voltage of the bit lines is received, the write execution command is executed so that the comparison buffer executes write in the selected memory cells.
US08654594B2	Vdiff max limiter in SRAMs for improved yield and power An integrated circuit structure comprises a static random access memory (SRAM) structure and a logic circuit. A power supply is operatively connected to the SRAM structure, and provides a first voltage to the SRAM structure. A voltage limiter is operatively connected to the power supply. The voltage limiter comprises a switching device operatively connected to the power supply. The switching device receives the first voltage and a second voltage supplied to structures external to the SRAM structure. A resistive element is operatively connected to the switching device. The switching device connects the resistive element to the power supply. The resistive element is selected to enable an output from the switching device to the logic circuit when a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is greater than a voltage threshold value of the switching device.
US08654589B2	Charge pump control scheme for memory word line A memory includes a word line, a charge pump coupled to the word line, and a charge pump control circuit coupled to the charge pump. The charge pump control circuit is configured to turn on the charge pump if the word line voltage is lower than a first threshold voltage and turn off the charge pump if the word line voltage is higher than a second threshold voltage.
US08654588B2	Method of soft programming semiconductor memory device An operating method of a semiconductor memory device includes erasing all memory cells of a selected cell block, performing a soft program operation on the erased memory cells by supplying a soft program pulse to word lines of the selected cell block, performing a first verify operation using a first voltage level lower than a target voltage level of the soft program operation, performing a second verify operation using the target voltage level, setting voltages of bit lines, and repeating the soft program operation, the first verify operation, the second verify operation, and an operation of setting the voltages of bit lines while raising the soft program pulse gradually.
US08654584B2	Three-dimensional non-volatile memory devices having highly integrated string selection and sense amplifier circuits therein Nonvolatile memory devices include an electrically insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate and a NAND-type string of nonvolatile memory cells on an upper surface of the electrically insulating layer. The NAND-type string of nonvolatile memory cells includes a plurality of vertically-stacked nonvolatile memory cell sub-strings disposed at side-by-side locations on the electrically insulating layer. A string selection transistor is provided, which includes a gate electrode extending between the electrically insulating layer and the semiconductor substrate and source and drain regions in the semiconductor substrate. A ground selection transistor is provided, which includes a gate electrode extending between the electrically insulating layer and the semiconductor substrate and source and drain regions in the semiconductor substrate.
US08654582B2	Non-volatile semiconductor memory device equipped with an oxide semiconductor writing transistor having a small off-state current An object is to provide a semiconductor device in which stored data can be retained even when power is not supplied, and there is no limitation on the number of write cycles. The semiconductor device includes a source line, a bit line, a first signal line, a second signal line, a word line, a memory cell connected between the source line and the bit line, a first driver circuit electrically connected to the bit line, a second driver circuit electrically connected to the first signal line, a third driver circuit electrically connected to the second signal line, and a fourth driver circuit electrically connected to the word line and the source line. The first transistor is formed using a semiconductor material other than an oxide semiconductor. The second transistor is formed using an oxide semiconductor material.
US08654581B2	Integrated circuit comprising a non-dedicated terminal for receiving an erase program high voltage The disclosure relates to an integrated circuit electrically powered by a supply voltage and comprising a memory electrically erasable and/or programmable by means of a second voltage greater than the supply voltage. The integrated circuit comprises means for receiving the second voltage by the intermediary of a reception terminal of the supply voltage or by the intermediary of a reception or emission terminal of a data or clock signal. Applicable in particular to electronic tags comprising a reduced number of interconnection terminals.
US08654574B2	Robust SRAM memory cell capacitor plate voltage generator An SRAM having two capacitors connected in series between respective bit storage nodes of each memory cell. The two inverters of the memory cell are powered by a positive voltage and a low voltage. The two capacitors are connected to each other at a common node. A leakage current generator is coupled to the common node. The leakage current generator supplies to the common node a leakage current to maintain a voltage which is approximately halfway between the voltages of the high and low SRAM supplies.
US08654565B2	Access signal adjustment circuits and methods for memory cells in a cross-point array Embodiments of the invention relate generally to semiconductors and memory technology, and more particularly, to systems, integrated circuits, and methods to generate access signals to facilitate memory operations in scaled arrays of memory elements, such as memory implemented in third dimensional memory technology formed BEOL directly on top of a FEOL substrate that includes data access circuitry. In at least some embodiments, a non-volatile memory device can include a cross-point array having resistive memory elements disposed among word lines and subsets of bit lines, and an access signal generator. The access signal generator can be configured to modify a magnitude of a signal to generate a modified magnitude for the signal to access a resistive memory element associated with a word line and a subset of bit lines. The modified magnitude can be a function of the position of the resistive memory element in the cross-point array.
US08654564B2	Resistive memory and related method of operation A resistive memory device comprises a memory cell array comprising a plurality of memory cells connected to a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines, a row selector connected to the plurality of word lines, and a column selector connected to the plurality of bit lines. In a program or erase operation, the row selector provides a selected word line with program or erase pulse and a verification pulse in each of multiple program loops, wherein the verification pulse has a substantially fixed level through the program loops and the program or erase pulse has a negative value that decreases incrementally between successive program loops.
US08654562B2	Static random access memory cell with single-sided buffer and asymmetric construction Balanced electrical performance in a static random access memory (SRAM) cell with an asymmetric context such as a buffer circuit. Each memory cell includes a circuit feature, such as a read buffer, that has larger transistor sizes and features than the other transistors within the cell, and in which the feature asymmetrical influences the smaller cell transistors. For best performance, pairs of cell transistors are to be electrically matched with one another. One or more of the cell transistors nearer to the asymmetric feature are constructed differently, for example with different channel width, channel length, or net channel dopant concentration, to compensate for the proximity effects of the asymmetric feature.
US08654560B2	Variable resistance memory with a select device According to various embodiments, a variable resistance memory element and memory element array that uses variable resistance changes includes a select device, such as an ovonic threshold switch. The memory elements are able to switch during the very brief period when a transient pulse voltage is visible to the memory element.
US08654559B2	Semiconductor memory device The invention provides a semiconductor memory device including a variable resistance element capable of decreasing a variation of a resistance value of stored data due to a large number of times of switching operations and capable of performing a stable writing operation. The device has a circuit that applies a reforming voltage pulse to a memory cell including a variable resistance element of a degraded switching characteristic and a small read margin due to a large number of times of application of a write voltage pulse, to return each resistance state of the variable resistance element to an initial resistance state. By applying the reforming voltage pulse, the variable resistance element can recover at least one resistance state from a variation from the initial resistance state, and can recover the switching characteristic. Accordingly, there is obtained a semiconductor memory device in which a reduction of a read margin is suppressed.
US08654558B2	Memory system having improved signal integrity A memory system having improved signal integrity includes a printed circuit board for use in a memory device, N memory semiconductor packages mounted on the printed circuit board, a first switch mounted on the printed circuit board, a controller mounted on the printed circuit board, N first signal lines connecting the semiconductor packages to the first switch such that the semiconductor packages and the first switch are in an N-to-1 correspondence, a second signal line connecting the first switch to the controller, and N selection lines connecting the semiconductor packages to the first switch such that the semiconductor packages and the first switch are in an N-to-1 correspondence. The N selection lines connect the semiconductor packages to the controller and transmit an enable signal. N is a natural number.
US08654556B2	Registered DIMM memory system A Registered DIMM (RDIMM) system with reduced electrical loading on the data bus for increases memory capacity and operation frequency. In one embodiment, the data bus is buffered on the DIMM. In another embodiment, the data bus is selectively coupled to a group of memory chips via switches.
US08654547B2	Method and apparatus for digital control of a switching regulator In one aspect, a power supply includes an energy transfer element, a switch, a feedback circuit, a comparator, a state machine, and a control circuit. The feedback circuit generates a feedback signal representative of an output level of the power supply. The comparator provides a feedback state signal having a first feedback state that represents the output level of the power supply being above a threshold level and a second feedback state that represents the output level being below the threshold level. The state machine selectively modulates a first signal in response to the feedback state signal, where the first signal is the feedback signal or the threshold value signal. The control circuit is coupled to control switching of the switch to regulate the output level of the power supply in response to the feedback state signal.
US08654541B2	Three-dimensional power electronics packages Three-dimensional power electronics packages are disclosed. In one embodiment, a three-dimensional power electronics package includes a metalized substrate assembly, a first power electronics device, and a second power electronics device. The metalized substrate assembly includes an insulating dielectric substrate having a power via fully-extending through the insulating dielectric substrate, a first conductive layer on a first surface of the insulating dielectric substrate, and a second conductive layer on a second surface of the insulating dielectric substrate. The first conductive layer is electrically coupled to the second conductive layer by the power via. The first power electronics device is electrically coupled to the first conductive layer such that the first power electronics device is positioned in a first plane. The second power electronics device is electrically coupled to the second conductive layer such that the second power electronics device is positioned in a second plane parallel to the first plane.
US08654537B2	Printed circuit board with integral radio-frequency shields Electrical components such as integrated circuits may be mounted on a printed circuit board. To prevent the electrical components from being subjected to electromagnetic interference, radio-frequency shielding structures may be formed over the components. The radio-frequency shielding structures may be formed from a layer of metallic paint. Components may be covered by a layer of dielectric. Channels may be formed in the dielectric between blocks of circuitry. The metallic paint may be used to coat the surfaces of the dielectric and to fill the channels. Openings may be formed in the surface of the metallic paint to separate radio-frequency shields from each other. Conductive traces on the surface of the printed circuit board may be used in connecting the metallic paint layer to internal printed circuit board traces.
US08654533B2	Power cord heat sink A power cord (14) for an electronic product (10) such as a set-top box or the like provides a reduced thermal resistance path from a heat generating portion of the set-top to the ambient air to improve heat dissipation. In a preferred embodiment, the power cord includes a ground wire having a size in excess of that necessary to carry ground current to as to increase heat conduction from the ground plane of the set-top box circuit board.
US08654528B2	Electric connection box An electric connection box according to the present invention can include a circuit board having a first surface capable of mounting an electronic component, and a second surface defining a non-mounting surface, a case housing the circuit board, the circuit board oriented in a substantially vertical direction, a vertical inner wall surface of the case formed opposite the non-mounting surface of said circuit board, the vertical inner wall and the non-mounting surface of said circuit board defining a substantially vertical air ventilation path, a suction port positioned in the case and in communication with the ventilation path, an exhaust port positioned in the case above said suction port and in communication with the ventilation path, and a heat generating component in communication with the ventilation path.
US08654526B2	Flat panel display having storable pedestal A pedestal structure of a flat panel display is made storable and disposed at the bottom of a main body of the flat panel display. The pedestal structure has substantially similar shape as a container of the main body that contains the pedestal structure and is capable of being completely hid in the main body when the pedestal structure is not in use. The pedestal structure may be directly drawn out of and rotated with respect to the main body as the support of the main body.
US08654524B2	Housing as an I/O device There are provided systems, devices and methods for operating a housing for an electronic device as an input/output (I/O) device. In one embodiment, an electronic device includes a housing configured to function as an integrated housing and I/O device and one or more sensors obscured by a panel of the housing. The one or more sensors being configured to sense via the panel of the housing. The electronic device further includes a processing unit communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to interpret electrical signals generated by the one or more sensors. One or more output devices are communicatively coupled to the processing unit and configured to provide an output in response to the one or more sensors generating an electrical signal.
US08654523B2	Ruggedized computer capable of operating in high temperature environments Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are directed to a computer that has a housing with walls that form a substantially sealed interior cavity from an exterior environment. The computer includes a plurality of computer components within the interior cavity. The computer also includes at least one heat sink for dissipating thermal energy into the exterior environment. A cooling element is thermally coupled to the heat sink and at least one of the computer components to transfer thermal energy from the computer component into the heat sink and the exterior environment.
US08654521B2	Electronic device with electromagnetic radiation shielding An electronic apparatus includes a chassis, a casing fixed in the chassis, a first resilient shielding plate and a second resilient shielding plate both made of electromagnetic radiation shielding material, and a drawer. The casing defines a receiving space. The drawer is slidably received in the receiving space. The first resilient shielding plate fits about a front end of the casing and abuts against the chassis. The second resilient shielding plate is fixed to a front end of the drawer, to abut against an inner surface of the casing bounding the receiving space.
US08654520B2	Supporting apparatus and electronic apparatus with supporting apparatus A supporting apparatus is used in an electronic apparatus that has a display device, a support base, and a transmission component. The display device is supported by the supporting apparatus and an angle is formed between the display device and the support base. The supporting apparatus includes a first support element, a second support element, a plurality of second axial levers, a first connecting element, and a second connecting element. The first support element is pivotally connected to the display device. The second support element is pivotally connected to the support base. Two ends of the first connecting element are respectively pivotally connected to the first support element and the second support element. Two ends of the second connecting element are respectively pivotally connected to the first support element and the second support element.
US08654519B2	Electronic device with a flexible display The invention relates to an electronic apparatus 10 comprising with a flexible display 2, which may be extendable from a housing 5 upon use. In accordance with the invention, the edge portions 3 are provided with an edge protector having an upper surface P1 and a lower surface P2, said edge protector being comprised of segments 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, which may be interconnected by hinges 9a, 9b, 9c. The segments of the edge protector are arranged above and below the edge portions of the flexible display 2 and are preferably displaceable during translation of the flexible display from a collapsed to an extended state and back. Preferably, the hinges 9a, 9b, 9c are arranged for enabling a vertical V and/or a horizontal H displacement of the segments. The segmented edge protector is arranged for being moved together with the display and to be stored together with it, so that the segments 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d substantially do not loose contact with the edge portion during storage.
US08654517B2	Structural chassis for a display device Various embodiments are described relating to mounting chassis for the assembly and support of display devices. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a mounting chassis for an interactive display device. The mounting chassis includes a plurality of sides defining an opening, wherein the plurality of sides including a lip extending into the opening, the lip being configured to support an electronic display panel. The chassis also includes one or more display panel fastening features disposed on the plurality of sides, and one or more integrated stand mounts integrated into one or more of the sides.
US08654511B2	Capacitance unit and stacked solid electrolytic capacitor A capacitance unit includes an anode portion, an insulating portion, a cathode portion and a colloid portion. The front end of the anode portion extends to from an anode terminal. The insulating portion surrounds the anode portion and covers a first partial surface of the anode portion. The cathode portion is disposed next to the insulating portion, and the cathode portion covers a second partial surface of the anode portion. The colloid portion is disposed next to the insulating portion, and the colloid portion surrounds the cathode portion and covers a partial surface of the cathode portion.
US08654508B2	Electrochemical capacitor and electrode used therein Disclosed is an electrochemical capacitor which comprises an element, an electrolyte, and an outer case that houses the element and the electrolyte. The element comprises: a negative electrode that is obtained by forming a negative electrode layer on the surface of a collector, the negative electrode layer containing a carbon material in which lithium ions are absorbed; a positive electrode that is obtained by forming a positive electrode layer on the surface of a collector, the positive electrode layer absorbing ions; and a separator that is interposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode. The electrolyte contains lithium ions. A coating film that contains lithium carbonate is formed on the surface of the carbon material that is contained in the negative electrode layer.
US08654505B2	Chip electronic device Provided is a chip electronic device that has an increased reliability with a small size. A chip electronic component has a main body made of a ceramic having an internal electrode therein. Provided on the main body is an external electrode that is made of a first electrode layer on the main body, a conductive protective layer on the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer on the conductive protective layer formed by electrolytic plating. The conductive protective layer prevents hydrogen from diffusing into the main body during the electrolytic plating.
US08654504B2	Monolithic ceramic electronic component In a monolithic ceramic electronic component, given that an interval between outer-layer dummy conductors adjacent to each other in an outer layer portion is d1, and that an interval between first and second inner electrodes adjacent to each other in an inner layer portion is d2, 1.7d2≦d1 is satisfied. By reducing a density of the outer-layer dummy conductors in the outer layer portion on that condition, pressing of the inner electrodes through the outer-layer dummy conductors is relieved in a pressing step before firing. As a result, a distance between the inner electrodes can be prevented from being locally shortened. It is hence possible to effectively reduce and prevent degradation of reliability of the monolithic ceramic electronic component, e.g., a reduction of BDV.
US08654488B2	Secondary ESD circuit An integrated circuit device provides electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection, as may be applicable to circuits susceptible to ESD in conjunction with, or prior to, activation of a primary ESD circuit for dissipating an ESD. In connection with various example embodiments, primary and secondary ESD circuits discharge electrostatic pulses as may be present at a power input pad, with the secondary ESD circuit separated from the input pad by an impedance circuit. The secondary ESD circuit is configured to actively mitigate an electrostatic pulse present in conjunction with, or before, the activation of the primary ESD circuit, in response to an input voltage level achieving a threshold level. In some implementations, the secondary ESD circuit activates to mitigate some or all of the presentation of an electrostatic pulse to a circuit that competes with the primary ESD circuit, for drawing charge from a common node (e.g., a power supply pad).
US08654486B2	Superconducting fault current limiter system A SCFCL system includes a first SCFCL, a second SCFCL, and a controller configured to control at least one switch to couple the first SCFCL to a power line between an AC source and a load, and to electrically isolate the second SCFCL from the power line during a first operating mode when the first SCFCL is in service and the second SCFCL serves as a spare. During the first operating mode, the second SCFCL, may be maintained in a latent standby state or an immediate standby state. The second SCFCL may be automatically switched into service to provide for fault current protection in case the first SCFCL needs to be taken out of service for maintenance, repair, or replacement.
US08654485B1	Electronic ballast with protected analog dimming control interface A control signal interface circuit includes a line voltage protection circuit coupled to first and second input terminals. The protection circuit provides an input DC voltage across the input terminals within a predetermined range (i.e., 0-10 Vdc) and prevents the application of an input line voltage (i.e., 347 Vac) across the input terminals. A first current source circuit is coupled to the protection circuit, an isolation circuit is coupled to the first current source circuit and a second current source circuit is coupled to the isolation circuit. The first and second current source circuits collectively provide a linear output DC voltage with respect to the input DC voltage. At least one of the first and second current source circuits include circuitry wherein the linear conversion of the input DC voltage to the output DC voltage is independent of the temperature.
US08654477B2	Maximizing performance under a power envelope constraint The present invention is a method of maximizing drive performance under any power constraint. In one embodiment, the method includes actively adjusting a seek power draw based on a comparison of real-time calculations of average seek power to a target power threshold.
US08654476B2	Method and system for operating a tape drive Methods, computer systems, and computer program products are provided for operating a tape drive comprising a tape medium with a plurality of record groups stored thereon. Access sequence for the plurality of record groups is provided. The tape medium is positioned for reading a record group in the access sequence before a seek command for the record group in the access sequence is received.
US08654474B2	Initialization for decoder-based filter calibration Various embodiments of the present inventions are related to initialization of decoder-based filter calibration, and in particular to initially using either a detector output or unconverged data from the decoder to train filter coefficients in a noise predictive calibration engine until data sectors converge in the decoder and can be used to train filter coefficients.
US08654470B1	Clock frequency synchronization for magnetic recording device The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to control of magnetic recording devices, such as disk drives. Systems and techniques include generating timing data based on a waveform produced by a head operated with respect to a magnetic rotating recording medium; operating a model-based predictor based on model parameters to produce one or more model-based predictor outputs to compensate for deterministic disturbances in an area situated on a portion of a track on the recording medium; operating a stochastic predictor based on the timing data to produce one or more stochastic predictor outputs to compensate for nondeterministic disturbances in the area; and performing one or more clock frequency adjustments that are responsive to the head being operated within the area, the one or more clock frequency adjustments being based on the one or more model-based predictor outputs and the one or more stochastic predictor outputs.
US08654464B2	Implementing magnetic defect classification using phase modulation A method, apparatus, and system are provided for implementing magnetic defect classification using phase modulation for hard disk drives. A magnetic media readback signal of a hard disk drive is processed to identify predefined phase modulation (PM) characteristics to implement magnetic defect classification of magnetic media bump and pit defects.
US08654463B2	Device and method for controlling bit density of magnetic card A device and a method for controlling a bit density of a magnetic card (2) are provided. Said control device comprises a stepper motor (1) providing power to drive the magnetic card (2) or a recording magnetic head (15), a transmission mechanism transferring power to the magnetic card (2) or the recording magnetic head (15), a CPU (10) sending magnetic recording information, a track data encoder (13) receiving a magnetic writing pulse signal (CLK1) and generating magnetic writing data in synchronization with the magnetic writing pulse signal (CLK1), and a magnetic head driving circuit (14) outputting a magnetic writing control signal based on the magnetic writing data. The frequency of the magnetic writing pulse signal (CLK1) and the frequency of a driving pulse signal (CLK0) of the stepper motor are in a linear relationship. Said control method is a method for controlling a bit density.
US08654460B2	Lens barrel A lens barrel comprises an optical system forming an optical image of a subject, a tube supporting at least one lens included in the optical system, a fixed member disposed on an outer peripheral side of the tube, the fixed member including a wall formed along an outer peripheral face of the tube, an electrical part disposed on an inner peripheral side of the tube, and a flexible printed cable electrically connected to the electrical part. The tube is incorporated into the fixed member by being moved in a specific direction. The wall includes a slit with an inclination of 45 degrees or less with respect to the specific direction, the slit is open at one end in the specific direction. The flexible printed cable is guided to an inner face of the wall and pulled out through the slit to outside of the fixed member.
US08654459B2	Resin molded lens In a resin molded lens 20 of an interior illumination lamp which includes inserting openings inserting seesaw type switch knobs, gates G and G1 for a resin molding are formed so as to be installed at inner side surfaces of the inserting openings when the resin molding is performed by molds D1 and D2, and protrusions 20T having heights higher than heights of gate traces G2 generated by the gates G and G1 are formed in the vicinity of gate traces G2.
US08654453B2	Image pickup apparatus An image pickup apparatus which makes it possible to form a multi-stage retractable lens barrel permitting the amount of extension of the lens barrel to be set as desired. A first intermediate rotary barrel fitted, for rotation, on a first intermediate rectilinear motion barrel restrained from rotation about an optical axis. A second intermediate rectilinear motion barrel is rectilinearly guided by the first intermediate rectilinear motion barrel. A second intermediate rotary barrel is fitted on the second intermediate rectilinear motion barrel and engaged with the first intermediate rotary barrel, rotation. The first intermediate rectilinear motion barrel has a cam groove formed on an inner peripheral surface thereof, for engagement with the second intermediate rotary barrel to cause the same to move along the optical axis.
US08654451B2	Variable magnification optical system and imaging apparatus A variable magnification optical system consists of first lens group having negative refractive power and second lens group having positive refractive power, which are in this order from an object side, and a distance in an optical axis direction between the first lens group and the second lens group changes when magnification is changed. The second lens group consists of a positive sixth lens, a negative seventh lens, a positive eighth lens, and a cemented lens composed of a negative ninth lens and a positive tenth lens cemented together, which are in this order from the object side, and all of the three positive lenses, which are the sixth lens, the eighth lens and the tenth lens, are double-convex lenses. A predetermined formula is satisfied.
US08654447B2	Image stabilization zoom lens During zooming from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power is fixed, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power moves toward the image side, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power moves toward the object side, a fourth lens having a negative refractive power unit moves, and a fifth lens unit having a positive refractive power is fixed. The first lens unit includes a reflecting member that bends the optical path by 90 degrees. The entirety of or at least a part of the fifth lens unit is shifted in directions transverse to the optical axis to stabilize a picked-up image when the optical system vibrates. The zoom lens satisfies the predetermined expressions.
US08654440B2	Optical amplification module and optical switch device An optical amplification module has a semiconductor optical amplifier, a package accommodating the semiconductor optical amplifier, and a first connector and a second connector holding respective collimator lenses and arranged in parallel on the package. A sum of bend radii of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber is greater than a space between the first connector and the second connector.
US08654438B2	Master oscillator-power amplifier drive laser with pre-pulse for EUV light source A device is described herein which may comprise an optical amplifier having a gain band including wavelengths λ1 and λ2, with λ1≠λ2; a pre-pulse seed laser having a tuning module for tuning a pre-pulse output to wavelength λ1; a main pulse seed laser generating a laser output having wavelength, λ2; and a beam combiner for directing the pre-pulse output and the main pulse output on a common path through the optical amplifier.
US08654436B1	Particles for use in electrophoretic displays An electrophoretic medium comprises two different types of electrically charged particles in a fluid. One type of electrically charged particles comprises a dark colored particle and a second type of electrically-charged particles comprises titania having a zirconia surface treatment.
US08654435B2	Microwindow device The present invention provides a transmissive Spatial Light Modulator with fast response speed and higher brightness using micro-windows having switching transistors on said window so that the fill factor of light transferring area can be maximized. Conventional systems have transistors out of windows which substantially reduce the area to pass incoming light, because transistors are usually opaque and block light transmission. Transmissive Spatial Light Modulator requires simpler and smaller optics than reflective Spatial Light Modulator.
US08654434B2	WSS with pixel gap compensation An optical device compensates for decreased transmission of light caused by gaps between mirrors of a MEMS array. The optical device employs MEMS mirrors having non-reflecting regions on them disposed such that reflecting regions of the MEMS mirrors have substantially the same optical throughput, or an additional optical element having increased transmission at those spatial positions where light impinging on the gaps passes through. Alternatively, the optical device may employ a filter having spectral transmission characteristic with increased transmission at those wavelengths of dispersed light that impinge on the gaps.
US08654433B2	Rearview mirror assembly for vehicle A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes an electrochromic reflective element having a specularly reflective perimeter layer established at least partially around a perimeter border region of a second surface of a front substrate. The perimeter layer is, at least in part, visible through the front substrate to a viewer when viewing the first surface of the front substrate of the reflective element. The perimeter layer conceals at least a portion of the seal from direct view by the driver of the vehicle. At least one of (a) at least one light source is disposed behind the perimeter layer and emits light that is visible to a viewer viewing the first surface of the front substrate of the reflective element at the perimeter layer, and (b) a light sensor is disposed behind the perimeter layer and senses light that passes through the front substrate at the perimeter layer.
US08654427B1	Ruggedized two-axis optical beam steering device An optical beam steering device is disclosed which includes a compartment for containing an optical component for interacting with an optical beam, a gimbal supporting the optical component and defining a pan axis, a roll cage rotatably supporting the gimbal and defining a tilt axis, wherein the tilt axis is orthogonal to the pan axis, and a mount that houses and rotatably supports the roll cage, wherein the angular position of the roll cage with respect to the mount and the angular position of the gimbal with respect to the roll cage are both locked from one side of the mount.
US08654424B2	Multibeam deflector for separating beams output from optical deflection devices A multibeam deflector includes a plurality of optical deflection devices formed on a single substrate and an output optical system. Each of the optical deflection devices includes a slab optical waveguide formed by a material having an electro-optic effect. The output optical system is configured to separate beams output from the optical deflection devices from each other.
US08654413B2	Reader and image forming apparatus A reader includes a housing with a platen on which a document is placed, a light source unit which moves along the platen and irradiates light toward the document, a mirror unit which works with the light source unit to define an optical path of the reflected light from the document in the housing, and a rotatable lock member mounted on one of the light source and mirror units. The housing includes an operation member, which is slid to fix the light source and mirror units, and a slide surface, which holds the sliding operation member. The lock member is rotated between an engaged position, where the lock member is engaged with another of the light source and mirror units, and a disengaged position, where the lock member is disengaged from the other of the light source and mirror units in response to slide operation of the operation member.
US08654409B2	Image scanning apparatus and method for correcting scanned image An image scanning apparatus includes: an image scanning unit that includes plural light emitting elements and a light receiving portion receiving light emitted from the light emitting elements and reflected on a document and scans an image on the document; a light quantity information acquiring unit that acquires light quantity information on the quantity of light received by the light receiving portion while causing the light emitting elements to irradiate a reference member with light; a correction unit that corrects the scanned image, based on the light quantity information; and an abnormality detecting unit that detects abnormality of the light emitting elements. If the abnormality detecting unit detects the abnormality, the light quantity information acquiring unit acquires new light quantity information while causing the light emitting elements to irradiate the reference member with light and the correction unit corrects the scanned image, based on the new light quantity information.
US08654408B2	Document processing apparatus, document processing method, and storage medium An object is to reduce operation load on a user when correcting the positional shift of tab document data with respect to a tab sheet. This invention provides a document processing method of a document processing apparatus, which includes acquiring tab sheet information to be used for printing, determining, based on the acquired tab sheet information and document data containing tab print data to be printed on the tab portion of a tab sheet, whether the tab print data is allocated on the tab portion of the tab sheet, and if it is determined that the tab print data is not allocated on the tab portion of the tab sheet, shifting the tab print data, based on the acquired tab sheet information and the document data containing the tab print data, so as to be allocated on the tab portion of the tab sheet.
US08654406B2	Image reading apparatus with a transparent member biased by a positioning member An image reading apparatus which reads an image on a target includes a first housing, a transparent member which is provided on the first housing and has a placement face on which the target is placed, a positioning member on which the transparent member is placed, a second housing which is assembled on the first housing and biases the positioning member, and an engagement member which is provided on the second housing and engages with the positioning member. In the image reading apparatus, when the second housing is assembled on the first housing, the engagement member biases the positioning member so as to fix the transparent member to an attachment position.
US08654404B2	Image processing apparatus, image processing method and memory medium An object of the present invention is to solve dissatisfaction of the user who can not take out the source data in a case where a code image in the original can not be decoded. In order to accomplish the above object, the invention provides an image processing apparatus comprising code image detection unit that determines whether or not an code image is included in the original image data, code image decoding unit that decodes the code image to extract source data if it is determined that the code image is included by the code image detection unit, and synthesizing unit that encodes information obtained by decoding a partial area of the code image and overlaying encoded information on the area where the code image is included, if the code image decoding unit is successful in decoding only the partial area of the code image.
US08654403B2	Image processing apparatus and program therefor An advantage of the invention is to provide an image processing apparatus and a medium therefor, which enable shortening of processing time necessary for performing the whole color conversion in the case where only one of LUTs used for the color conversion can be stored in a storage means having a high access rate. In the image processing apparatus, for image data including a plurality of pixels and being a target for a color conversion, when performing the color conversion of the image data, a value of a counter for pictures, which indicates a predicted total number of references to an LUT for pictures, and a value of a counter for texts, which indicates a predicted total number of references to an LUT for texts, are derived.
US08654402B2	Pitch based high quantization halftone dot linearization for rendering high quality color images A device, system, and method for reducing the pitch-to-pitch variation of color using pitch-based linearization of halftone screens are presented. A selection of images is printed at different pitches, and each image is measured and tracked with its pitch. Pitch-based TRCs are constructed using patches, which may be scheduled during print run or during machine diagnostic process and halftone dots are constructed and uploaded in the image path for each pitch. The updated dots are then used to produce a linearized halftone image for transfer to a print surface which results in improved color balance.
US08654400B2	Generating 1-bit image data from multiple-bit image data for producing when printed a dot image with reduced dot gain and appearance of patterning caused by isolated diagonally adjacent pixels A computer program for, or method of, generating 1-bit image data from multiple-bit image data, by a process which comprises the steps of: receiving multiple-bit image data comprising multiple-bit pixel values; and deriving from the multiple-bit pixel values 1-bit image data comprising “on” and “off pixel values, each pixel value of the 1-bit image data corresponding to a pixel of an output medium, which pixel an output device would attempt to mark when printing the 1-bit image data if the pixel value were “on”, the 1-bit image data producing when printed an image constituted by dots, each dot corresponding to a plurality of pixel values of the 1-bit image data, which pixel values correspond to a block of M*N horizontally and/or vertically adjacent pixels of an output is medium, at least one of M and N being greater than one, wherein for at least some of the dots, where M or N is equal to one, a pixel value corresponding to a first or last pixel of a row of horizontally adjacent pixels, or to a first or last pixel of a column of vertically adjacent pixels, is “off, and where both M and N are greater than one, at least one pixel value corresponding to a pixel of a first or last row of horizontally adjacent pixels is “off and/or at least one pixel value 20 corresponding to a pixel of a first or last column of vertically adjacent pixels is “off.
US08654394B2	Image processing apparatus, control method, and computer-readable medium An image processing apparatus for performing filling processing for input image data, comprises: a holding unit which holds, for a block formed from a predetermined number of pixels included in the image data, a representative color of the block generated by compression, a color layout of pixels included in the block, and an interpolation color which is a color other than the representative color included in the block; and a fill unit which performs filling processing of the compressed image data using the representative color, the color layout, and the interpolation color, when filling the block of the compressed image data with a specific color, the fill unit replacing the representative color corresponding to a position based on a type of the filling processing with the specific color and replacing the interpolation color with the same specific color as that of the representative color.
US08654387B2	Print system A print system is capable of processing a print order of image data through a network. The print system includes an information device operable to store image data, and an order reception server connected to the information device through the network. The information device sends print information specifying print content including image data to be printed to the order reception server with which a communication is established prior to a formal placing of a print order. The order reception server, when completing a reception of the print information, recognizes that the print order is completed, provides an order number for identifying the print order, and sends the order number to the information device.
US08654386B2	Method and system for enabling decentralized, trustworthy and collaborative sharing of services Methods and systems for selecting a service provider are disclosed. Information pertaining to print service providers, including associated user and general reputation scores, are received. Each user reputation score identifies a user's perception of a print service provider's reputation. Each general reputation score identifies a general strength of the print service provider's reputation. A first set of providers is selected based on a threshold user reputation score. A second set of providers is selected (pseudo-)randomly. A trust score is determined for each provider in the first and second sets based on the associated user and general reputation scores. One or more negotiation providers are selected from the first and second sets based on the associated trust scores. One or more of the user and general reputation scores are updated for negotiation providers based on a quality of service provided or an offer provided to or by the negotiation provider.
US08654385B2	System and method for dynamic deployment of cloud-based printing services A method of scheduling a print job may include determining a first set of deployments that includes one or more deployments. Each deployment in the first set may include an indication of a logical device in a cloud environment and an indication of a production center. The method may include for one or more deployments in the first set of deployments, determining a total compliance value associated with the deployment, identifying a subset of deployments based on, at least in part, the associated total compliance values, generating a new set of deployments based on, at least in part, the identified subset of deployments, and in response to the first set of deployments being an improvement over the new set of deployments, incrementing a count variable, and repeating the determining a total compliance value, identifying, and generating operations until the count variable equals an exit condition value.
US08654383B2	Information processing system, apparatus, method and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for generating a display screen based on local error display information and remote style sheet information An information processing apparatus can communicate with a server in which an application program is installed so as to be executable. The information processing apparatus includes a browsing portion to display a screen received from the server. If receiving from the server a setting screen for setting an execution condition for executing the application program, the browsing portion allows the server to execute the application program in accordance with the execution condition set in the setting screen. The information processing apparatus further includes a style sheet reception portion to receive a style sheet corresponding to the application program from the server, a process execution portion to execute a prescribed process, a display control portion, if the process execution portion produces display information to notify a user as a result of executing the prescribed process, to display a first display screen including the display information, and a screen generation portion to generate a second display screen based on the display information and the style sheet, if the display information is produced. While the screen received from the server is being displayed by the browsing portion, the display control portion displays the second display screen in place of the first display screen.
US08654378B2	Image-processing apparatus and server device The image-processing apparatus includes: a communication interface unit; a user interface display unit which is arranged to provide information to a user; a user interface input unit provided with a hardware-key which is arranged to receive an input from the user; a web browser which is arranged to acquire page data from a web server, structure a display screen based upon the page data, and display the display screen on the user interface display unit; a hardware-key function assignor which is arranged to determine a function to be assigned to the hardware-key based upon the page data; and a hardware-key control unit which is arranged to control the hardware-key in accordance with the determination of the hardware-key function assignment by the hardware-key function assignor.
US08654376B2	Printing system, information processing apparatus, and printing apparatus, and control method and program for the same A printing apparatus receives a print job from an information processing apparatus. It is determined whether the received print job is a first print job or a second print job. If the results of the determination indicate that the received print job is a first print job, printing onto a printing medium is executed based on the first print job. However, if the received print job is a second print job, the second print job is stored in a storage medium. Then, if a printing instruction for printing the second print job containing printing settings and stored in the storage medium has been made, printing based on the second print job is executed onto a printing medium onto which printing based on the first print job has already been executed, and a process for adding a processing agent to that printing medium is then executed.
US08654373B2	Printing system, printer, host computer, printing system control method, and program A printing system enables easily recognizing the status of a printing process. The host computer 2 has a print job transmission unit that sends print jobs to a printer, a notification pattern setting unit that sets a notification pattern, and a notification control command transmission unit that sends a notification control command asynchronously to the print job transmission unit. The printer 3 has a print job reception unit that receives the print jobs, a printing unit 48, a print job detection unit that detects print job commands, for example, a notification control command reception unit that receives the notification control commands, a storage unit 53 that stores the received notification control commands, a first notification evaluation unit that, when triggered by a detection by the print job detection unit, determines if there is a notification control command containing the same print job ID as the print job, and a notification unit that outputs a user notification based on the notification pattern contained in the notification control command when there is a notification control command.
US08654371B2	Image forming apparatus, power-saving control method, and computer-readable recording medium in which power-saving control program is recorded The image forming apparatus includes: a sleep control unit which, in a normal operation mode in which power is supplied to a fixing device, if predetermined processing is not executed for a preset time or if an instruction to execute shifting to a power-saving mode with lower power consumption than in the normal operation mode is received, makes a shift to a sleep mode with a lower power consumption than in the normal operation mode, in which at least power supply to the fixing device is stopped; and a super-sleep control unit which makes a shift to a super-sleep mode in which a power source of a processor is turned off if predetermined processing is not executed for a shorter time than the preset time after the shift to the sleep mode is made.
US08654369B2	Specific print defect detection An apparatus and method detect defects in a captured image of output from a printing device. The captured image is filtered using a source image for the output, wherein specific defects of interest are detected using the filtered image.
US08654368B2	File control apparatus, print system, and program for controlling them Print setting information including information indicating an order of entries of files is created, and a print job is created by appending the print setting information. A sequence of created print jobs to be transmitted is arranged based on the information which is included in the print setting information and indicates the order of entries of files, and process restriction information associated with the print job is acquired from a print device. When it is determined that restriction by the process restriction information is exceeded upon continuously receiving a plurality of print jobs, a succeeding print job is changed so that the process restriction information is not exceeded even when the succeeding print job is transmitted.
US08654367B2	Image forming apparatus, method for controlling the same, and storage medium An image forming apparatus includes an address book management application which receives from a client PC an instruction as to address data stored in an HDD of an image forming apparatus. When the instruction is a backup instruction, the address book management application acquires the address data from an address data storage area, creates a backup file from the acquired address data, and stores the created backup file in a backup area of the HDD. When the instruction is a restore instruction, the address book management application restores the backup file stored in the backup area, as the address data in the address data storage area.
US08654365B2	Image data processing system The present invention includes a control apparatus that (i) receives, from a multifunction peripheral, information indicative of image process content selected by the user, (ii) detects, in correspondence with image processing function information stored in advance, an image process section that can carry out an image process, and (iii) causes the detected image process section to carry out the image process. This arrangement makes it possible to easily use, at the multifunction peripheral, an image processing function that can be performed by an image processing apparatus.
US08654363B2	Information processing system, information processing apparatus, setting item setting method, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with setting item setting program An information processing system includes a peripheral device at least having a printer function and an information processing apparatus controlling the peripheral device. The peripheral device includes: a display portion; a process execution portion to execute prescribed processing; a storage portion to store user-specific data; and a metadata return portion to refer to the user-specific data in response to reception of a metadata request from the information processing apparatus and to extract and return metadata associated with user identification information included in the received metadata request. The information processing apparatus includes: a first authentication portion to authenticate a user; an execution portion to execute an execution application selected from a plurality of application programs; a metadata request portion to transmit a metadata request; and a reference setting portion to set whether to display a plurality of execution setting items that can be set in the execution application program.
US08654361B2	Detection device, printer, and control method that selectively interrupts the power supply The time the control device of a small information device spends in an energy conservation mode is maximized to achieve low power consumption while stabilizing measurements. A measurement device that intermittently drives an LED to emit a detection beam and intermittently receives and measures the detection beam by means of a photodetector has a CPU that changes its own operating mode to a sleep mode in which the LED drive state is sustained for the time until the LED drive state stabilizes after driving the LED starts.
US08654360B2	Management apparatus, method, and storage medium for managing job logs A management apparatus has a determination unit which determines, from a plurality of logs included in the log information, a plurality of similar logs based on information included in the logs. The management apparatus also has a difference log generation unit which generates, from the information included in each log, a difference log having information in a smaller amount than in an original log for the plurality of logs determined to be similar by the determination unit. The log management unit manages, as logs based on one print request together, the plurality of logs determined to be similar by the determination unit, and manages, as the difference log generated by the difference log generation unit, some of the plurality of logs determined to be similar by the determination unit.
US08654357B2	Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program for printing carbonless copy paper An information processing apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive a print instruction for printing a plurality of pages, a determination unit configured to determine whether a type of print paper designated by the print instruction is carbonless copy paper, and an assignment unit configured to assign to each of the plurality of pages, if the determination unit determines that the type of print paper designated by the print instruction is carbonless copy paper, carbonless copy paper with an attribute that corresponds to a position of each page within the plurality of pages.
US08654354B2	Method and apparatus for using gestures to control a laser tracker A method for optically communicating, from a user to a laser tracker, a command to control tracker operation includes providing a rule of correspondence between commands and temporal patterns, and selecting by the user a first command. Also, projecting a first light from the tracker to the retroreflector, reflecting a second light from the retroreflector, the second light being a portion of the first light, obtaining first sensed data by sensing a third light which is a portion of the second light, creating by the user, between first and second times, a first temporal pattern which includes a decrease in the third optical power followed by an increase in the third optical power, the first temporal pattern corresponding to the first command, determining the first command based on processing the first sensed data per the rule of correspondence and executing the first command with the tracker.
US08654353B2	Measuring method for topography of moving specimen and a measuring apparatus thereof A measuring method for topography of moving specimen and a measuring apparatus thereof is disclosed, providing a measuring module that moves along with a testing specimen to narrow relative velocity of the testing specimen and the measuring module so that the measuring module is able to have enough luminous intensity signal at the same position in time, to measure the topography or the thickness of the testing specimen.
US08654352B1	Chromatic confocal scanning apparatus A chromatic confocal scanning apparatus comprises a light source for producing light rays comprising a plurality of wavelengths, a first screen having an open elongated slit which allows a strip of light rays produced from the light source to pass through the slit and a cylindrical objective lens both to converge the light rays onto an object surface that is to be measured, and to image light rays reflected from the object surface. An intermediate cylindrical lens set converges a strip of light rays imaged from the cylindrical objective lens to pass through an open elongated slit comprised in a second screen, and a color sensor receives light rays which have passed through the slit of the second screen for determining a plurality of wavelengths of the said strip of light rays, to thereby construct a height profile of at least a portion of the object surface.
US08654350B2	Inspecting method and inspecting apparatus for substrate surface An inspecting method and apparatus for inspecting a substrate surface includes illuminating a light to the substrate surface having a film, detection of a scattered light or reflected light from a plurality of positions of the substrate surface to obtain a plurality of electrical signals, comparison of the plurality of electrical signals and a database which indicates a relationship between the electrical signals and surface roughness, and calculation of a surface roughness value based on the result of comparison.
US08654348B2	Method, phase grating and device for analyzing a wave surface of a light beam The application relates to a method for analyzing the wave surface of a light beam from a source to the focus of a lens. The beam illuminates a sample on the analysis plane and having a defect. A diffraction grating of the plane is a conjugate of an analysis plane through a focal system. An image is formed in a plane at a distance from the grating plane and analyzed by processing means. The invention encodes this grating by a phase function resulting from the multiplication of two phase functions, a first exclusion function defining a meshing of useful zones transmitting the beam to be analyzed in the form of light pencil beams, and a second phase fundamental function which creates a phase opposition between two light pencil beams coming out of adjacent meshes of the exclusion grating.
US08654346B2	Optical scattering disk, use thereof, and wavefront measuring apparatus Immersion objective arrangement including an objective, an immersion medium and an optical scattering disk, and associated method. The optical scattering disk includes a transparent substrate (1) and a light scattering layer (2) adjoining a surface of the substrate and having light-scattering-active particles (3). The light scattering layer has an embedding medium (4) which is optically denser than air and directly adjoins the facing surface of the substrate without intervening air gaps and by which the light-scattering-active particles are surrounded. Such optical scattering disks may be used, e.g., in apparatuses for wavefront measurement of high-aperture microlithography projection objectives employing lateral shearing interferometry.
US08654343B2	Interference measurement apparatus and method for measuring interference An embodiment of the present invention realizes an interference measurement apparatus which can obtain an interference image to be used for obtaining three-dimensional information of a subject which dynamically changes. An interference measurement apparatus of the present invention, which captures an interference image formed by the reference light beam and the object light beam which has reached the image-capturing element via a subject, the interference measurement apparatus includes: a laser light source; a beam splitter which splits a laser beam into a reference light beam and an object light beam; and an image-capturing element; a polarization splitting section which splits the object light beam into two types of object light beams which are different in polarization direction so that an angular difference is caused between respective propagation directions of the two types of object light beams; and a polarizer array device which allows (i) the reference light beam and (ii) the two types of object light beams which have reached the polarizer array device via the subject to pass through the polarizer array device (30), the polarizer array device in which a plurality of first polarizer regions and a plurality of second polarizer regions are arranged, and each of the plurality of first polarizer regions and each of the plurality of second polarizer regions respectively allowing light components which are different in polarization direction. This makes it possible to obtain, by one-time image capturing, a plurality of interference patterns required for phase unwrapping.
US08654341B2	Interferometric distance measuring method with spectrally separable double chirp and device In a distance-measuring method, chirped laser radiation with two separable radiation components is emitted to at least one target to be surveyed and via a local oscillator path, the radiation components having an opposite chirp as a time dependency of the modulated wavelengths (λ1, λ2). After reception of the laser radiation scattered back from the target and passed via the local oscillator path, the laser radiation received is converted into signals and the distance to the at least one target is determined from the signals on the basis of interferometric mixing, separation of the radiation components being effected on the basis of their spectral characteristic.
US08654339B2	Method for reducing interference fringes by moving timing of triangular motion A method for reducing fringe interference of light created in a passive cavity defined by partially reflecting optical surfaces in a laser spectroscopy system, wherein the optical path length of the cavity is varied with a triangular back-and-forth movement (x). In accordance with the invention, the spectroscopic measurement is performed in successive measurement cycles with a time interval between each two successive measurement cycles, the triangular movement is performed such that the turning points of the triangular movement (x) are positioned in successive ones of the time intervals, and after each or at each n-th measurement cycle, the time position of the turning points is moved relative to the measurement cycle.
US08654331B2	Electromagnetic field measurement apparatus There is provided an electromagnetic field measurement apparatus capable of achieving correct and timely circuit operation detection in an area where electronic devices are mounted at high density. An electromagnetic field measurement apparatus includes: a laser light source; a polarized wave controller that linearly polarizes laser light; an optical fiber probe that has an electrooptic material or a magnetooptic material at its leading end and in which the laser light reflected at the leading end is subjected to polarization modulation in accordance with an electric field intensity or a magnetic field intensity; and an analyzer that converts the laser light reflected by the optical fiber probe into intensity modulated light. The laser light source emits time-multiplexed laser light of a plurality of wavelengths different from one another. The electromagnetic field measurement apparatus further includes: an optical circulator that outputs the laser light linearly polarized by the polarized wave controller to a multiplexer/demultiplexer and outputs the laser light input from the multiplexer/demultiplexer to the analyzer; and a multiplexer/demultiplexer that outputs the laser light to different optical fiber probes according to the wavelength of the laser light and outputs the laser light to the optical circulator.
US08654330B2	Particle size analyzer The present invention is a device for measuring the intensity of the light scattered by a thin film of a colloidal medium, comprising a monochromatic light source, a convergent optical system focusing the source onto the thin film to be analyzed comprising a dioptric element with one of the faces thereof constituting a first wall defining the thin film, at least one photosensitive detector producing a signal representing light scattered or backscattered by the thin film and means for processing the signal. A second wall of the device has a plane surface at the end of a rod.
US08654328B2	Image mapping spectrometers Devices and methods for hyperspectral and multispectral imaging are discussed. In particular, Image Mapping Spectrometer systems, methods of use, and methods of manufacture are presented. Generally, an image mapping spectrometer comprises an image mapping field unit, a spectral separation unit, and a selective imager. Image mapping spectrometers may be used in spectral imaging of optical samples. In some embodiments, the image mapping field unit of an image mapping spectrometer may be manufactured with surface shaped diamond tools.
US08654327B2	Spectrometer comprising solid body sensors and secondary electron multipliers The invention relates to a spectrometer for analyzing the optical emission of a sample by means of pulsed excitation of an optical spectral emission, having an excitation source, a gap arrangement, at least one dispersive element and having detectors for the emitted spectrum, in which two beam paths are provided with two dispersive elements, the first dispersive element of which images the spectrum of the emission onto a number of spatially resolving detectors and the second dispersive element of which images the spectrum of the emission onto a number of time-resolving detectors.
US08654326B2	Compact, low cost raman monitor for single substances Apparatus for performing Raman spectroscopy may include a first laser source having a first emission wavelength and a second laser source having a second emission wavelength. A separation between the first and second emission wavelengths may correspond to a width of a Raman band of a substance of interest. A switch may provide switching between the first and second laser sources. An ensemble of individually addressable laser emitters may be provided. A Bragg grating element may receive laser light from the ensemble. An optical system may direct light from the Bragg grating element into an optical fiber. A combined beam through the optical fiber may contain light from each of the emitters.
US08654322B2	Apparatus and method for measuring the aim location of vehicle headlamps An apparatus and method for measuring the aim of vehicle headlamps including measuring the light intensity of a light beam emitted by a vehicle headlamp to check the aim of the vehicle headlamp. The apparatus includes a linear photosensitive array having a plurality of individual photo sensors positioned between a plurality of baffles. The array is movably mounted to a frame whereby it can be positioned at predetermined locations to measure light beam intensity and correspondingly determine the beam pattern and aim point of a headlamp.
US08654320B2	Beam Path Monitoring Device and Beam Path Monitoring System An optical line monitoring apparatus and optical line monitoring system which can measure a reflectance distribution in an optical line with a high spatial resolution in a short time are provided. An optical line monitoring apparatus 14A provided in a station 10A comprises an OCDR measurement section 15 for carrying out OCDR measurement, an OTDR measurement section 16 for carrying out OTDR measurement, an optical switch 13 for selectively connecting one of the OCDR measurement section 15 and OTDR measurement section 16 to the optical coupler 12, a control section 17, and a storage device 18. The control section 17 performs a predetermined arithmetic operation according to an OCDR measurement result acquired by causing the OCDR measurement section 15 to carry out the OCDR measurement and an OTDR measurement result acquired by causing the OTDR measurement section 16 to carry out the OTDR measurement.
US08654315B2	Differential focus blade clearance probe An apparatus and a method for ascertaining a gap between a stationary member and a rotating member are disclosed. At least a reference beam and a signal beam, which have different focal lengths or which diverge/converge at different rates, are fixed to the stationary member and proximate to each other. The beams are projected across a gap between the stationary member and the rotating member toward the rotating member. The reference and signal beams are reflected by the translating member when it intersects the reference and signal beam, and the reflected reference and signal pulses are obtained. One or more features of the reflected reference pulse and the reflected signal pulse, such as a rise time of the pulses, a fall time of the pulses, a width of the pulses and a delay between the reflected reference pulse and the reflected signal pulse, among other factors, are obtained. The width of the gap is obtained using at least one of these factors.
US08654314B2	Rapidly deployable high power laser beam delivery system The system includes a rotary turret platform for aiming of a high power laser beam. The system further includes a turret payload device coupled to the rotary turret platform. The system further includes an off-axis telescope coupled to the turret payload, having an articulated secondary mirror for correcting optical aberrations, and configured to reflect the high power laser beam to a target through a first of at least two conformal windows. The system further includes an illuminator beam device configured to actively illuminating the target to generate a return aberrated wavefront through the first of the at least two conformal windows. The system further includes a coarse tracker coupled to the turret payload, positioned parallel to and on an axis of revolution of the off-axis telescope, and configured to detect, acquire, and track the target through the second of the at least two conformal windows.
US08654313B2	Exposing method and method of manufacturing semiconductor device According to one embodiment, on a substrate, a resist layer is laminated on an upper side of a pattern formation layer on which a desired pattern is formed. A diffraction pattern that diffracts exposure light irradiated on the substrate is formed further on the upper side than the resist layer. Overall exposure is performed from above the diffraction pattern using a deformed light having illumination light source shape determined according to the desired pattern. Diffracted light diffracted on the diffraction pattern by the exposure is irradiated on the resist layer.
US08654310B2	Exposure method, exposure apparatus, photomask and method for manufacturing photomask There is disclosed an exposure method is a method of projecting patterns (M1, M2) of a mask (M) onto a substrate to effect exposure thereof, through a plurality of projection optical units each having an enlargement magnification, and the exposure method comprises: placing the mask (M) having first pattern regions (M1) arranged discontinuously in a positional relation corresponding to the enlargement magnification, and second pattern regions (M2) provided at least in part between the first pattern regions (M1), on the object plane side of the projection optical units; projecting enlarged images of either of the first pattern regions (M1) and the second pattern regions (M2) onto the substrate disposed on the image plane side of the projection optical units to effect exposure thereof; and then projecting enlarged images of the other pattern regions onto the substrate to effect exposure thereof.
US08654304B2	Flat panel display and manufacturing method thereof A method of manufacturing a flat panel display is disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes preparing first and second mother substrates, forming a plurality of display cells on at least one of the mother substrates, forming a plurality of sealant lines enclosing the respective cells on either one of the mother substrates and assembling and sealing the two mother substrates with the sealant lines interposed therebetween. The method also includes mounting the two mother substrates on a stage, irradiating a laser beam to a defined light irradiation region of the mother substrates and cutting the mother substrates while moving the light irradiation region along an imaginary cut line where the mother substrates are to be cut. The light irradiation region includes a linear region and a curved region.
US08654300B2	Display apparatus A display apparatus includes a liquid crystal display panel, a flexible circuit board connected to a connection portion formed on one side of the liquid crystal display panel, a display window bonded to a display surface of the liquid crystal display panel so that an end face thereof protrudes from an end face on one side of the liquid crystal display panel, an exterior member in which an opening where the display window is arranged is formed, and a first light shielding member arranged so that the flexible circuit board positioned near a gap is covered therewith if the display window is arranged in the opening so that the gap is formed between the end face of the display window and the end face of the opening.
US08654294B2	Liquid crystal display and manufacturing method thereof A liquid crystal display includes an insulation substrate; a gate line, a gate electrode, and a reference voltage line positioned on the insulation substrate; a reference electrode contacting the reference voltage line; a gate insulating layer disposed on the gate line and the reference electrode; a semiconductor disposed on the gate insulating layer and positioned on the gate electrode; a data line and a drain electrode disposed on the semiconductor; a passivation layer disposed on the data line and the drain electrode; and a pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode and overlapping the reference electrode.
US08654288B2	Method for manufacturing liquid crystal display device including forming alignment sustaining layers A method for fabricating a liquid crystal display device includes providing an LCD panel that includes a photopolymerizable compound in its liquid crystal layer; and forming alignment sustaining layers by polymerizing the photopolymerizable compound in the liquid crystal layer of the LCD panel with the liquid crystal layer irradiated with light and supplied with a voltage simultaneously. The forming the alignment sustaining layers includes the steps of: i) applying a predetermined voltage between a pixel electrode and a counter electrode while a switching element is in ON state; and ii) changing the voltage at a storage capacitor counter electrode into a voltage, of which the polarity is opposite to a voltage at the storage capacitor counter electrode in the step i), after the switching element in ON state has been turned OFF.
US08654286B2	Liquid crystal display device and display device substrate The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device which allows an improvement in contrast ratio by compensating retardation given in a liquid crystal layer, even if a retardation layer has an inclined portion, and a desired retardation is varied at the inclined portion. The present invention is a vertical alignment liquid crystal display device, including: a pair of substrates facing each other; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the pair of substrates; a transmissive display region; and a reflective display region, wherein one of the pair of substrates includes a λ/4 retardation layer in the reflective display region, the λ/4 retardation layer protruding towards the liquid crystal layer, the λ/4 retardation layer includes an inclined portion inclined to a flat face of the substrate, and an azimuth of the inclined portion is substantially parallel to a slow axis azimuth of the λ/4 retardation layer.
US08654285B2	Color liquid crystal display device comprising a red filter segment having a red pigment combination wherein the weight ratio of an azo-based red pigment and an anthraquinone-based red pigment ranges from 20/80 to 80/20 A color liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display element and a backlight unit. The liquid crystal display element includes a color filter having a red filter segment, a green filter segment, and a blue filter segment. The red filter segment is prepared from a red photosensitive resin composition which includes a pigment combination, an alkali-soluble resin, a compound having an ethylenic group, and a photoinitiator. The pigment combination includes an azo-based red pigment and an anthraquinone-based red pigment. A weight ratio of the azo-based red pigment to the anthraquinone-based red pigment ranges from 20/80 to 80/20. The backlight unit is coupled to the liquid crystal display element and has a color temperature ranging from 6,000 K to 20,000 K.
US08654284B2	Display substrate, method of manufacturing the same and display device having the same A display substrate includes a base substrate and first, second and third color filters. The first, second and third color filters are disposed on the base substrate adjacent to each other and convert incident light into color light. At least one of the first, second and third color filters includes pigment particles which are regularly arranged to have refractive index anisotropy.
US08654280B2	Bi-stable chiral splay nematic mode liquid crystal display device A bi-stable chiral splay nematic mode liquid crystal display device includes: first and second substrates facing and spaced apart from each other; a gate line and a data line on an inner surface of the first substrate; a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line; a reflecting plate on the thin film transistor, the reflecting plate including an embossing pattern; a first passivation layer including a flat top surface on the reflecting plate; a first electrode on the first passivation layer; a second passivation layer on the first electrode; at least one second electrode and at least one third electrode on the second passivation layer; a fourth electrode on an inner surface of the second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer including bi-stable chiral splay nematic liquid crystal molecules between the first and second substrates.
US08654278B2	Backlight module and liquid crystal display The present invention discloses a backlight module and a liquid crystal display (LCD). A backlight module comprising an optical film, at least one light source, at least one reflecting housing and a reflecting surface. The reflecting surface and the optical film are symmetrically disposed with respect to the light source, and are disposed in identical side of the light source; the reflecting housing comprises a first reflecting layer and a second reflecting layer; the reflecting surface has a predetermined trajectory, and corresponds to the first reflecting layer and the light source. In the predetermined trajectory, the lights entering into the reflecting surface are reflected by the reflecting surface and enter into the optical film.
US08654273B2	Liquid crystal display with printed circuit board on sidewall of frame A liquid crystal display with an integrated mounting portion for receiving a printed circuit board is presented. A liquid crystal panel has a first surface on which an image is displayed and a second surface opposite the first surface, a printed circuit board is connected to the liquid crystal panel and has a front surface and a rear surface, and an intermediate receiving container includes a frame and a printed circuit board mounting portion positioned on a sidewall of the frame. The printed circuit board is mounted on the printed circuit board mounting portion such that the front plane of the printed circuit board and the first plane of the liquid crystal panel face the same side.
US08654272B2	Semiconductor device wherein each of a first oxide semiconductor layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer includes a portion that is in an oxygen-excess state which is in contact with a second insulatng layer An object is to improve reliability of a semiconductor device. A semiconductor device including a driver circuit portion and a display portion (also referred to as a pixel portion) over the same substrate is provided. The driver circuit portion and the display portion include thin film transistors in which a semiconductor layer includes an oxide semiconductor; a first wiring; and a second wiring. The thin film transistors each include a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer. In the thin film transistor in the driver circuit portion, the semiconductor layer is sandwiched between a gate electrode layer and a conductive layer. The first wiring and the second wiring are electrically connected to each other in an opening provided in a gate insulating film through an oxide conductive layer.
US08654270B2	Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the semiconductor device In a semiconductor device, a first interlayer insulating layer made of an inorganic material and formed on inverse stagger type TFTs, a second interlayer insulating layer made of an organic material and formed on the first interlayer insulating layer, and a pixel electrode formed in contact with the second interlayer insulating layer are disposed on a substrate, and an input terminal portion that is electrically connected to a wiring of another substrate is provided on an end portion of the substrate. The input terminal portion includes a first layer made of the same material as that of the gate electrode and a second layer made of the same material as that of the pixel electrode. With this structure, the number of photomasks used in the photolithography method can be reduced to 5.
US08654260B2	Image processing apparatus and image processing method for performing correction processing on input video An image processing apparatus according to the present invention extracts a characteristic value of a luminance in relation to respective fields of an input video, and determines the presence of a scene change between adjacent fields. A gamma curve is then generated on the basis of the magnitude of the characteristic value. When a difference in the characteristic value between fields is larger than a predetermined value and a scene change does not exist, the gamma curve to be applied to a subsequent field is modified such that the correction characteristic of the gamma curve does not vary rapidly. The luminance is then corrected using the modified gamma curve.
US08654259B2	Image processing system and display device A liquid crystal display device (101) of the present invention includes an NR circuit (106) for carrying out a signal processing process in which a predetermined noise amount is added to or subtracted from data of a target pixel in accordance with a result of a comparison of signal levels between the target pixel and at least two surrounding pixels which are beside the target pixel, the NR circuit (106) adding or subtracting the predetermined noise amount to or from data of respective pixels adjacent to each other temporally or positionally in respective different signal processing processes. This allows providing a liquid crystal display device having a noise reduction effect. It is thus possible to provide a liquid crystal display device enabling less blur of an image after a noise reduction process.
US08654255B2	Advertisement insertion points detection for online video advertising Systems and methods for determining insertion points in a first video stream are described. The insertions points being configured for inserting at least one second video into the first video. In accordance with one embodiment, a method for determining the insertion points includes parsing the first video into a plurality of shots. The plurality of shots includes one or more shot boundaries. The method then determines one or more insertion points by balancing a discontinuity metric and an attractiveness metric of each shot boundary.
US08654254B2	Device and method for driving display panel using time variant signal An apparatus for driving a display panel includes: a time variant signal (TVS) generator configured to generate a time variant signal group; a common pulse signal generator configured to generate a plurality of pulse signals; a selector configured to receive the time variant signal, the plurality of the pulse signals, and video data and select a grayscale voltage corresponding to the video data; and a buffer configured to buffer and transfer an output of the selector. Herein, the selector and the buffer are provided to each of a plurality of channels, and the time variant signal and the plurality of the pulse signals are inputted in common to the selector of each channel.
US08654253B2	Video apparatus capable of outputting OSD data through unauthorized output path to provide user with warning message or interactive help dialogue A video apparatus includes a video processor for performing video processing to generate normal video data. The video processor includes an on-screen display (OSD) module for selectively generating OSD data that is capable of being mixed into the normal video data. The video apparatus further includes a digital output path including a digital transmitter and an analog output path including a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The video apparatus is capable of outputting OSD data through an unauthorized output path out of the digital and analog output paths to provide a user with a warning message or an interactive help dialogue.
US08654245B2	Imaging device An imaging device includes an imaging element, a shutter mechanism, an actuator, a rotatable transmission member, a position detector, and a drive controller. The shutter mechanism is switchable between an open and a closed state to control the light incident on the imaging element. The transmission member is configured to transmit a driving force produced by the actuator to the shutter mechanism. The position detector is configured to detect the rotational position of the transmission member. The drive controller is configured to direct the actuator to begin storing the driving force while image data is being read from the imaging element, to control the timing at which the actuator begins driving the shutter mechanism based on the position of the transmission member detected by the position detector, and to switch the shutter mechanism from the closed state to the open state after the actuator has stopped storing the driving force.
US08654244B2	Image-pickup apparatus, and image-pickup system for use with an interchangeable lens An image-pickup system is disclosed which is capable of performing highly accurate back focus adjustment for each combination of an image-pickup apparatus and a lens apparatus. The system includes a first memory provided in the image-pickup apparatus and stores first identification information unique to a combination of the image-pickup apparatus and a certain lens apparatus, a second memory provided in the lens apparatus and stores second identification information unique to a combination of the lens apparatus and a certain image-pickup apparatus. A comparator compares the first identification information with the second identification information. The generator generates, when the comparison results that the first identification information does not match the second identification information, identification information unique to the combination of the image-pickup apparatus and the lens apparatus. The controller causes the first memory and the second memory to store the identification information generated by the generator.
US08654239B2	Focus ring-controlled focusing servo An infrared (IR) camera comprising: a camera housing having an image capturing device; an objective with an optical lens system for generating an IR image of an object; a focusing mechanism for focusing the optical lens system; a focus ring that is displaceably mounted on the objective and adapted to control an electromechanical focusing servo system actuating the focusing mechanism dependent on a displacement of the focus ring.
US08654238B2	Digital still camera having a monitor device at which an image can be displayed A digital still camera includes an image-capturing device, a recording device that records a subject image captured by the image-capturing device into an image recording medium, a first monitor device and a second monitor device. The images repeatedly captured by the image-capturing device are displayed in real time at the first monitor device and, at the same time, a photographic support image having been captured by the image-capturing device is displayed at the second monitor device. A single image or a plurality of images recorded in the image recording medium, for instance, may be displayed at the second monitor device as the photographic support image. Alternatively, an image obtained by partially enlarging the image displayed at the first monitor device may be displayed at the second monitor device.
US08654237B2	Digital photographing apparatus, method for controlling the same, and recording medium storing program to execute the method A method of controlling a digital photographing apparatus including a touch screen to which a touch input is applied by a user, the method includes: recognizing the touch input by the user in a photographing mode; setting a photographing condition by the recognized touch input; and performing a photographing, wherein the setting a photographing condition includes performing a plurality of auto focuses with time intervals, by which a focus change due to shaking occurring in the touch type photographing may be addressed.
US08654230B2	Image pickup circuit, CMOS sensor, and image pickup device Disclosed herein is an image pickup circuit including: amplifying means for amplifying a charge corresponding to an amount of light received by a photodetector, and outputting a pixel signal; ramp signal generating means for generating a ramp signal whose voltage drops with a fixed slope from a predetermined initial voltage; and comparing means for comparing the pixel signal output by the amplifying means with the ramp signal output by the ramp signal generating means. A reference potential of the pixel signal output by the amplifying means and a reference potential of the ramp signal output by the ramp signal generating means are at a same level.
US08654229B2	Photographing apparatus with random trigger operation An apparatus includes: a synchronizing signal generation portion outputting a synchronizing signal periodically; a diaphragm; an imaging portion operated based on the synchronizing signal to pick up a subject image through the diaphragm and generate image data; a trigger input portion operable to input a trigger signal commanding a start of a photographing operation by the imaging portion; and a control portion controlling the operation of the imaging portion. The control portion controls synchronous processing for operating the diaphragm in synchronization with the synchronizing signal. When the trigger signal is input, the control portion stops the generation of the synchronizing signal by the synchronizing signal generation portion and thereafter resumes the generation of the synchronizing signal, while when the synchronous processing is being performed, the control portion initializes the synchronous processing before resuming the generation of the synchronizing signal.
US08654228B2	Imaging apparatus, camera body and interchangeable lens An imaging apparatus includes an optical system configured to collect subject light, an imaging device having an electronic front curtain function, configured to receive the subject light to generate an image signal, a data storage unit configured to store an exit pupil distance of the optical system and a correction amount of the exit pupil distance, a mechanical shutter capable of cutting off the subject light passing through the optical system to the imaging device, and a correction unit configured to obtain the exit pupil distance of the optical system and the correction amount of the exit pupil distance from the data storage unit, obtain a corrected exit pupil distance using the obtained exit pupil distance of the optical system and a correction amount of the exit pupil distance, and correct brightness unevenness of the image signal based on the corrected exit pupil distance.
US08654226B2	Clock gated power saving shift register A gated-clock shift register including a series of clocked flip-flops with preceding outputs connected to subsequent inputs as a horizontal digital shift register. Each flip-flop (or other state holding device) includes a clock buffer between the respective flip-flop's clock, and the global clock. Each clock buffer propagates the clock signal when it determines the associated flip-flop will have a state change during that clock cycle (e.g., via an XOR of the flip-flops input and output signals). In the absence of a state change, that buffer does not propagate the clock signal, essentially only clocking the relevant flip-flops. Further, the clock buffer may be implemented with only NMOS devices (or alternatively, only PMOS devices), which offers power savings over an otherwise required CMOS implementation.
US08654224B2	Composite imaging element and imaging device equipped with same A composite imaging element is provided that includes a first imaging element and a second imaging element. The first imaging element has a plurality of first opto-electrical conversion parts, a first light receiving surface, and a first circuit part. The first opto-electrical conversion parts are configured to receive light with a first basic color and a second basic color different from the first basic color. The first opto-electrical conversion parts are also configured to convert light received by the first opto-electrical conversion parts into a first electrical signal. The first light receiving surface is formed by the first opto-electrical conversion parts. The first circuit part transmits the first electrical signal. The second imaging element has a plurality of second opto-electrical conversion parts and a second circuit part. The second opto-electrical conversion parts receive light emitted from the first opto-electrical conversion parts.
US08654223B2	Image pickup apparatus The image pickup apparatus includes an image sensor unit including an optical system forming an optical image of an object placed on a stage part and plural image sensors each of which captures part of the optical image, a drive mechanism relatively moving the stage part and the image sensor unit, and a processing part causing the image sensor unit to perform plural image capturing operations with causing the drive mechanism to relatively move the stage part and the image sensor unit after each image capturing operation, and combining the plural captured images to produce a whole image covering the whole image capturing area. The plural image sensors are arranged such that an effective diameter of the optical system necessary to introduce light from the stage part to all the plural image sensors is smaller than a diameter of a circle circumscribed to the whole image capturing area.
US08654221B2	Image processing device and method, and program An image processing device extracting a contrast component for each pixel of an input image by removing a low-frequency component of the input image and correcting the contrast component for each pixel based on a gain value, including: an input/output-property generating unit for generating an input/output-property curve, assuming an input contrast component which is the pre-correction contrast component as input, and an output contrast component which is the post-correction contrast component as output, which is an input/output-property curve of which the output contrast component monotonously increases as to the input contrast component; a gain properties generating unit for generating a gain property curve representing properties as to the input contrast component of the gain value for correcting the input contrast component to obtain the output contrast component based on the input/output-property curve; and a gain-value calculating unit for calculating the gain value for each pixel of the input image based on the gain property curve.
US08654220B2	Image processing apparatus and control method for the same When determining a direction in which pixels highly correlated with a defective pixel exist, it is determined whether the direction is the horizontal or vertical direction or the oblique direction from signal values of peripheral pixels of the same color as the defective pixel. On the other hand, one of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction and one of a plurality of predetermined oblique directions are determined from signal values of peripheral pixels of different colors from the defective pixel, and one direction is selected as the final direction determination result according to a determination result obtained by using pixels of the same color.
US08654218B2	Image processing system and imaging object used for same An imaging technology having high reproducibility of a document and making image correction possible, without being influenced by a way of placing the document or a position of a camera, and irrespective of paper color and despite of damage of a corner portion. By printing positioning symbols on document paper in advance when the document is photographed by a digital camera or a portable phone with a camera, such as a smart phone, and by processing the image based on these positioning symbols, image processing having high reproducibility of the document and making image correction (keystone correction) possible can be implemented irrespective of paper color and despite damage to a corner portion.
US08654214B2	Multi-spectral imaging Multi-spectral imaging technique embodiments are presented which involve an active imaging approach that uses wide band illumination of known spectral distributions to obtain multi-spectral reflectance information in the presence of unknown ambient illumination. In general, a reflectance spectral distribution of a captured scene is computed by selecting a number of different illumination spectra and capturing multiple images of the scene. Each of these images is captured when the scene is illuminated by a different one of the selected illumination spectra in addition to the ambient light. The reflectance spectral distribution of the scene is computed for each pixel location based on the relative response between pairs of the radiometric responses of the corresponding pixels in the captured images, given a set of parameters including the added illumination spectra used to capture each of the images and the response function and spectral sensitivity of the camera used to capture the images.
US08654213B2	Imaging device An imaging device comprising an image pickup sensor that captures an image of a subject, a storage unit that temporarily stores a plurality of frames of image data captured by the image pickup sensor, a detection unit that detects identity or non-identity between at least two image data consecutively captured by the image pickup sensor adjacent in time based on a predetermined image characteristic quantity, and a control unit that controls the device to write the later captured image data in the storage unit when the detection unit detects the non-identity and to not write the later captured image data in the storage unit when it detects the identity.
US08654212B2	Audio signal processing apparatus The controller controls the audio processor to perform the first reduction process, in a case where the type of the connected removable lens unit is a first type lens unit, the controller controls the audio processor to perform the second reduction process, in a case where the type of the connected removable lens unit is a second type lens unit.
US08654206B2	Apparatus and method for generating high dynamic range image The present invention discloses an image pickup device, an image preview system and an image preview method thereof. The image pickup device comprises an image pickup module, an image processing module and a display module. The image pickup module is arranged for capturing a plurality of images. The image processing module is arranged for scaling down pixels of each image to generate a plurality of adjusted images, and combining the plurality of adjusted images to generate a preview image. The display module is arranged for displaying the preview image. Wherein, the image processing module is arranged for rendering a high dynamic range image according to the plurality of images while the plurality of adjusted images is blended.
US08654205B2	Medium storing image processing program and imaging apparatus A storage medium storing an image processing program in which the image processing program obtains a plurality of images and displacement information indicating a positional displacement between the plurality of images, calculates weighting information for performing weighting processing on the displacement information for each of a plurality of color components, performs the weighting processing on the displacement information for each of the plurality of color components, calculates a pixel value of a color component of a calculation target based on local inflection information of a color component other than the color component of the calculation target and the weighting information after conducting the weighting processing, and generates a composite image based on a calculation result. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce a processing time in image processing which generates, from the plurality of images having the positional displacement, the composite image having a higher resolution than those images.
US08654200B2	Imaging apparatus with shake detection In an imaging apparatus, a control unit can operate in one of a first mode which corresponds to an image capturing mode and which controls an image-blur correcting unit, and a second mode corresponding to a playback mode. When the image capturing mode is switched to the playback mode, the control unit operates in the first mode during a predetermined time after switching to the playback mode, and then operates in the second mode after the predetermined time period has elapsed. This makes it possible to immediately obtain an anti-shake effect even if the playback mode is switched to the image capturing mode.
US08654196B2	Image pickup apparatus and rangefinder, with altering baseline lengths for parallax computation obtained by combining any two of a plurality of cameras There is provided an image pickup apparatus for use in measuring a distance from an observer to a target. The image pickup apparatus includes a case; and a plurality of cameras configured to capture images of the target is fixed in the case. In the image pickup apparatus, the distance from the observer to the target is measured based on the images of the target captured by altering baseline lengths for parallax computation obtained by combining any two of the cameras.
US08654184B2	Electric endoscope and endoscope system An electronic endoscope includes an insertion portion including an insulative distal end hard portion main body at a distal end thereof, an operation portion provided at a proximal end portion of the insertion portion and including a connector connection electrically connected to a ground portion, a ground metal member provided between the main body and the operation portion, forming a structure of the insertion portion, and being electrically conductive to the ground portion through the connector connection, an observation optical system including an optical element and a frame member having conductive properties and holding the optical element, and being extended from the distal end of the insertion portion toward the operation portion, and a conductive connecting portion allowing the frame member of the observation optical system to become electrically conductive with respect to the ground metal member.
US08654183B2	System for and method for evaluating crosstalk of stereoscopic image display A system and a method for evaluating a crosstalk of a stereoscopic image display are discussed. The crosstalk evaluation system according to an embodiment includes a display element that alternately display left and right eye images each having an i-gray level and a j-gray level, where “i” and “j” are an integer, a luminance meter sensing luminances of the left and right eye images displayed on the display element, and a computer that calculates a 3D crosstalk at the i-gray level of the left eye image affected by the j-gray level of the right eye image and a 3D crosstalk at the i-gray level of the right eye image affected by the j-gray level of the left eye image based on a luminance information received from the luminance meter while changing the i-gray level and the j-gray level.
US08654182B2	Display device and control method of display device There is provided a display device including a display unit which periodically arranges and displays a plurality of images and a parallax barrier which is disposed in front of a pixel plane of the display unit and separates light from the display unit. The display device includes a disparity extraction unit which extracts information on a distribution of disparities between the view images, a parameter calculation unit which calculates a shift amount based on the disparity distribution information, a shift processing unit which performs shift processing on at least one of the view images based on the calculated shift amount, and a mapping processing unit which rearranges the at least one shift-processed view image on the display unit.
US08654181B2	Methods for detecting, visualizing, and correcting the perceived depth of a multicamera image sequence A set of tools in a media composition system for stereoscopic video provides visualizations of the perceived depth field in video clips, including depth maps, depth histograms, time-based depth histogram ribbons and curves displayed in association with a media timeline, and multi-panel displays including views of clips temporally adjacent to a clip being edited. Temporal changes in perceived depth that may cause viewer discomfort are automatically detected, and when they exceed a predetermined threshold, the editor is alerted. Depth grading tools facilitate matching depths in an outgoing clip to those in an incoming clip. Depth grading can be performed automatically upon detection of excessively large or rapid perceived depth changes.
US08654179B2	Image processing device and pseudo-3D image creation device The present invention provides an apparatus that includes a color and polarization image capturing section 201, a whole sky polarization map getting section 202, a weather determining section 203, a fine-weather sky part separating section 204, a cloudy-weather normal estimating section 207, and a pseudo 3D image generating section 208. The apparatus obtains polarization information outdoors with the polarization state of the sky taken into account, and estimates surface normal information at an object's surface on a two-dimensional image, thereby generating a surface normal image. Using that normal image, the apparatus divides the object into multiple ranges, extracts three-dimensional information and generates a viewpoint changed image, thereby generating a pseudo 3D image.
US08654178B2	Video recording apparatus and video reproducing apparatus A video recording apparatus is configured to record, onto a recording medium, a layered data structure containing data sets. Each of the data sets includes a plurality of channels of data elements. Each of the data elements includes video data and/or the like. An input unit is configured to receive a plurality of channels of video data. The plurality of channels correspond to each other. An information generation unit is configured to generate additional information to be added to each of the data elements in at least two layers of the data structure. An adding unit is configured to add the additional information to each of the data elements so that the data elements included in each of the data sets are associated with each other. A recording unit is configured to record the data structure in which the additional information has been added to each of the data elements onto the recording medium.
US08654174B2	Image forming apparatus and method of the same According to one embodiment, if it is designated by operation of a control panel that a printed halftone image for test is defective, a number of revolutions of a polygon mirror is finely adjusted by a predetermined rate and a frequency of a serial data signal is finely adjusted by the rate.
US08654172B2	Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus A plurality of light sources, a light deflector, and a single scan lens. The light deflector deflects a plurality of light beams emitted from the light sources by a same face for scanning a plurality of to-be-scanned portions simultaneously. The single scan lens receives the light beams from the light deflector and focuses the light beams onto each of the plurality of to-be-scanned portions to scan the to-be-scanned portions simultaneously. The single scan lens is used in common for the light beams, and has one incidence plane and a plurality of exit planes in a sub-scanning direction separately prepared in the sub-scanning direction for each of the to-be-scanned portions. The incidence plane has a refractive power of the lens in the sub-scanning direction decreasing toward peripheral portions in the main scanning direction. The exit planes have positive refractive power in the main and sub-scanning directions.
US08654171B2	Exposure device and image forming device There is provided an exposure device including: a light-emitting element array at which a plurality of light-emitting elements, that emit light that passes through an optical path of diffused light, are arrayed one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally on a substrate; and a hologram element array at which a plurality of hologram elements are formed at positions, that respectively correspond to the plurality of light-emitting elements, of a hologram recording layer disposed on the substrate, so as to diffract and collect, at an outer side of illumination regions of all of the plurality of light-emitting elements, respective lights that are emitted from the plurality of light-emitting elements respectively.
US08654169B2	Image forming device and image forming method An image forming device includes: an exposure head that includes a light emitting element and a light emission controller that causes the light emitting element to emit light on the basis of a control signal; a photoreceptor that is exposed to the light emitted by the light emitting element included in the exposure head so that a latent image is formed on the photoreceptor; a correcting section that corrects the control signal on the basis of the spectral sensitivity of the photoreceptor to a spectral distribution of the light emitting element; and a developing section that develops the latent image formed on the photoreceptor.
US08654167B2	Electrooptic device An electrooptic device having a simple structure that can efficiently increase deflection of a beam is provided. The device includes: an electrooptic crystal (11) having an electrooptic effect; an electrode pair of a positive electrode (12) and a negative electrode (13) for generating an electric field inside the electrooptic crystal; and a power source for applying a voltage between the electrode pair so as to generate a space charge inside the electrooptic crystal. With this arrangement, by using a simple structure, a change in a deflection angle is temporally rapid, and a large deflection angle that cannot be obtained by a conventional electrooptic crystal prism can be acquired at a low applied voltage.
US08654164B2	Printing device and printing method The present invention provides a printing device which provides high printing quality. The printing device includes: an image forming section which has a thermal head 9 and a platen roller 12; a media conveyance section for conveying an intermediate transfer film F; a ribbon conveyance section for conveying an ink ribbon R; a sensor 10 for detecting a first mark formed on the film F; and a control section for controlling the image forming section, the media conveyance section, and the ribbon conveyance section in accordance with output information from the sensor 10. The control section presses the head 9 into contact with the roller 12 when the first mark is not detected, which is when the first mark is further upstream than the position of the sensor 10, while the film F and the ribbon R are being conveyed, and selectively heats a heating element formed in the head 9 when the film F is positioned in the printing start position, which is a state in which the first mark is detected when the first mark is further downstream than the position of the sensor 10.
US08654163B2	Print head, printer, and control method of printer In connection with a printer, a platen roller is configured to transport a recording medium. A print head has a head body portion having a printing portion which performs printing on a recording medium and facing the platen roller. A supporting mechanism supports the head body portion, presses the head body portion against the platen roller and moves the head body portion by rotation of the platen roller. When the platen roller rotates in a second direction opposite the first direction, a contact position of the head body portion with respect to the platen roller is shifted while maintaining the head body portion pressed against the platen roller.
US08654162B2	Printing apparatus According to one embodiment, a printing apparatus includes a conveying unit configured to convey a printing medium in a conveying direction. The apparatus further includes a printing unit configured to print at least one side of the printing medium with information. The printing unit may extend in a direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the printing medium and may be arranged relative to the conveying unit so as to position at least one end portion of the printing medium into a printable region of the printing unit.
US08654161B2	Head element operation check mechanism, head element operation check method, and head element number check method A head element operation check mechanism in a printer which is provided with a head including a plurality of head elements is provided. A controller controls a selector to selectively and electrically connect a resistor element provided in each of the head elements to a test resistor element in series. A test power source applies a test voltage to a serial circuit of the test resistor element and the resistor element. A divided voltage measuring unit measures a divided voltage of the serial circuit of the test resister element and the resistor element in response to control of the controller.
US08654158B2	Pixel circuit relating to organic light emitting diode and display using the same and driving method thereof A pixel circuit relating to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) and a display using the same and a driving method thereof are provided. The pixel circuit submitted by the present invention adopts a 3T2C architecture (i.e. three TFTs plus two capacitors), and which circuit topology being driven by the corresponding scan signals and data signal may make the luminance shown by the pixel circuit only relate to the data signal and do not relate to the threshold voltage of a transistor used to drive a lighting element (i.e. OLED), a system high voltage received by the pixel circuit, and a potential between an anode and a cathode of the lighting element, such that the problem of non-uniform displaying on the OLED display panel may be improved or resolved effectively.
US08654156B2	Driver circuit of display and method for calibrating brightness of display A driver circuit for driving at least a pixel of a displayer, including an output stage, a calibration device and a surge suppression device. The output stage is coupled to the pixel and controlled by a pixel signal to switch an output voltage on the pixel between a high level and a low level. The calibration device is coupled between the output stage and the pixel and comprises an input end controlled by a bias voltage to calibrate an equivalent resistance of the calibration device for further calibrating a brightness level of the pixel. The surge suppression device is coupled between the input end of the calibration device and the pixel signal, and is used to suppress surges in the bias voltage which occur due to switching of the output voltage.
US08654155B2	Display device and method for driving the same Disclosed is a display device including a first storage unit having driving data for driving a display panel and a first check SUM data on the driving data stored therein, a second storage unit for retrieving the driving data and the first check SUM data from the first storage unit and storing the driving data and the check SUM data in response to the instruction of a ROM interface, and a data error detection/correction unit generating a second check SUM data with reference to the driving data stored in the second storage unit.
US08654153B2	Projection device, projection device control method, and projection device control program A projection device for projecting an image includes: a distance detector that detects the distance between the projection device and a measurement object onto which the image is to be projected; and an image projector that projects a scale image in actual size onto the measurement object based on the distance detected by the distance detector.
US08654148B2	Display control apparatus for deciding a retrieval range for displaying stored pieces of information A display apparatus including an information selecting unit, a retrieval range deciding unit, and a retrieving unit. The information selecting unit selects at least one piece of information from a plurality of pieces of information stored in a memory, each of the plurality of pieces of information being attached with additional information. The retrieval deciding unit decides a retrieval range on the basis of the additional information attached to each piece of the information selected by the information selecting unit. The retrieving unit retrieves and outputs additional pieces of information of the plurality of pieces of information corresponding to the retrieval range decided by the retrieval-direction/retrieval-range deciding unit from the memory.
US08654139B2	Methods and systems to transmit, view, and manipulate medical images in a general purpose viewing agent An apparatus may include a processor configured to determine a first value for a center of brightness and a second value for a window width for contrast. The processor may further be configured to process a first image to generate a second image having a reduced bit-depth based at least in part upon the determined first and second values. The processor may additionally be configured to provide the second image to a remote device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the second image in a general purpose viewing agent. Corresponding methods, computer program products, and systems are also provided.
US08654138B2	Graphical data conversion/translation One or more computer-readable storage media for storing computer-executable instructions executable by processing logic is provided. The media storing one or more instructions that when executed by the processing logic causes the processing logic to receive data in a first format for conversion to a second format different than the first format, wherein the data includes information having a first type and information having a second type and display the data in the first format via a graphical interface. One or more translation rules are received relating to processing the information having the first type or the information having the second type. The one or more translation rules are pre-applied to the data in the first format. Effects of the pre-applied rules on the displayed data are displayed via the graphical interface. The data in the first format is converted to the data in the second format based on the one or more translation rules.
US08654136B1	Memory paging system for real time motion data recording, editing, and playback A system and method of capturing, storing, editing and outputting multi-track motion data in a continuous stream on a computer with deterministic timing, where the length of the motion dataset is not limited by computer Random Access Memory. A hard real time periodic motion task takes in data streams from sensors or other computers, stores it in a shared memory area, and streams out the data to other computers so as to actuate motion. A shared memory area stores buffers and flags which indicate what data should be swapped to and from persistent storage. A soft real time periodic task transfers data pages between RAM and persistent storage based on requests from the motion task. Three data pages surround the active point in the motion dataset, four pages are reserved for copying whole blocks of data, and three pages are reserved for data editing. These ten active memory pages define a fixed memory footprint which can handle a deterministic data stream of effectively infinite length. The systems periodic data output can be triggered instantaneously or locked in synchronization with other hard real time equipment such that data is never lost or transmitted late. The system may capture data, control robotic mechanisms, or stream motion via a network into the graphics or data capture environments of other computers.
US08654133B2	Dynamic load balancing in multiple video processing unit (VPU) systems Systems and methods are provided for processing data. The systems and methods include multiple processors that each couple to receive commands and data, where the commands and/or data correspond to frames of video that include multiple pixels. An interlink module is coupled to receive processed data corresponding to the frames from each of the processors. The interlink module divides a first frame into multiple frame portions by dividing pixels of the first frame using at least one balance point. The interlink module dynamically determines a position for the balance point that minimizes differences between the workload of the processors during processing of commands and/or data of one or more subsequent frames.
US08654123B2	CAD-system projection method, CAD-system, and recording medium To provide a CAD-system projection method for a further improvement in user convenience by preventing unnecessary dimension lines from being added when a projection drawing is created from a three-dimensional model. A pre-projected projection drawing is used to set, as objects to be projected, a three-dimensional element of a component in an edit state and a scale line added to the three-dimensional line, the three-dimensional element being a projection source of a two-dimensional element in the projection drawing. Thus, a three-dimensional element that is not in the edit state, a dimension line therefore, and a three-dimensional element that is not a projection source of the two-dimensional element in the projection drawing, and a scale line for the three-dimensional line are not projected. Consequently, it is possible to obtain a projection drawing that includes necessary projection lines and a dimension line therefore.
US08654121B1	Structured polygonal mesh retesselation An interactive multi-mesh modeling system may allow users to employ a variety of modeling techniques to interactively create one or more objects for a variety of different tasks or tools. The interactive multi-mesh modeling system may employ a variety of techniques for taking a source computer-generated representation of an object and providing the automatic creation, management, and maintenance of instances or versions of the source, and any information defined thereon or associated therewith, that are suitable for several different tasks. The interactive multi-mesh modeling system may further employ a variety of techniques for retesselating meshes based on determining new vertices and edges immediately in response to traversing an input mesh space.
US08654118B2	Color-information processing method, and program In order to perform pseudo-three-dimensional display for analyzing color distribution, there are provided a color-distribution-information input step of inputting color-distribution information indicating color coordinate values that sample points in a first color system can have in a second color system, a user's-instruction input step of inputting an instruction of a user relating to an operation of generating object-surface information, and a generation step of generating three-dimensional-object-surface information in accordance with the instruction of the user, based on the color-distribution information.
US08654117B2	Display device, liquid crystal display device, electronic apparatus, and display device manufacturing method To provide a low-cost display device which can accurately detect a position touched by a finger. A display device displays an image by having display elements capable of performing electro-optic responses formed between conductible first and second substrates, and detects a contact position touched by a contact body by having a conductive impedance surface formed on the second substrate side. The display device includes: linearization pattern sections formed on the first substrate, which include a plurality of electrodes capable of detecting electric currents on a conductive impedance surface; and a conductive member which electrically connects the linearization pattern sections with the conductive impedance surface on the second substrate.
US08654111B2	Pixel circuit and display apparatus It is aimed to increase efficiency and simplification of a pixel circuit having a threshold voltage correcting function. A sampling transistor Tr1 is brought into conduction in response to a control signal supplied from a scan line WS and samples a video signal supplied from a signal line SL to a pixel capacitor Cs during a horizontal scanning period. The pixel capacitor Cs applies an input voltage Vgs to a gate G of a drive transistor Trd in response to the sampled video signal. The drive transistor Trd supplies an output current in accordance with the input voltage Vgs to a light-emitting device EL. The output current has dependency on a threshold voltage Vth of the drive transistor Trd. In order to cancel the dependency of the output current on the threshold voltage Vth, there is provided correcting means (Tr3 and Tr4) for operating in part of the horizontal scanning period, detecting the threshold voltage Vth of the drive transistor Trd, and writing the threshold voltage Vth in the pixel capacitor Cs.
US08654109B2	Projector, projection display system, and corresponding method and recording medium A network-connectable projector having a first CPU that executes a web application program stored in a first memory, and a second CPU that controls a working state of the projector, based on working state information stored in a second memory. The second CPU obtains the working state information from the second memory, and transfers the information to the first CPU. The first CPU distributes the web page information including the working state information received from the second CPU to the web client upon receipt of the request from the web client. The first CPU makes the second CPU control the working state of the projector, based on control information that is sent back from the web client and is related to performance control of the projector.
US08654108B2	Liquid crystal display device In a liquid crystal display device provided with a monolithic gate driver, a panel frame area is to be reduced as compared with a conventional configuration so that the device size can be reduced. In a region on an array substrate located outside of a display region, a third metal (503) is formed as a metal film in addition to a source metal (501) and a gate metal (502). The source metal (501) forms a wiring pattern that includes source electrodes of thin film transistors disposed in a pixel circuit and a gate driver, and the gate metal (502) forms a wiring pattern that includes gate electrodes of the thin film transistors. The third metal (503) is electrically connected to at least one of the source metal (501) and the gate metal (502) through a contact.
US08654105B2	Optical touch control systems An optical touch control system. A monitor includes a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side sequentially connected to each other. A first light guide, a second light guide, and a third light guide are respectively disposed on the first, second, and third sides of the monitor. A first beam splitter is adjacent to the first and second light guides. A second beam splitter is adjacent to the second and third light guides. A first light source and a second light source are respectively adjacent to the first and second beam splitters. A first image sensor is disposed between the first and fourth sides of the monitor. A second image sensor is disposed between the third and fourth sides. The first and second image sensors receive light transmitted onto the monitor via the first, second, and third light guides, identifying touch control operations.
US08654103B2	Interactive display An interactive display device (100) presents to a user (113) a visible image on an image layer (102) through a touching surface (101). The display device (100) has an illumination unit (107) that transmits infrared light and captures through the touching surface sets of infrared images of objects that are in the proximity of the touching surface. The display device (100) detects from the infrared images contact areas where a pointing object (112) is located with respect to the image layer (102) and casts in the infrared image a corresponding shadow. The illumination unit (107) alternates the infrared illumination so that each infrared image set has images taken with differing infrared illumination. Resulting variance in the shadows is used by the interactive display device (100) to detect whether the pointing object (112) contacts the touching surface (101) or not.
US08654102B2	Optical touch system An optical touch system includes a non-visible light source, a screen, a first and second polarizing elements, and an optical detector. The non-visible light source emits a non-visible beam. A part of the non-visible beam passes through the screen disposed in a light path of the non-visible beam. The touch object reflects the part of the non-visible beam into an object beam when a touch object approaches or touches the screen, and the object beam passes through the screen. The first polarizing element is disposed in the light path of the non-visible beam and between the non-visible light source and the screen. The optical detector is disposed in a light path of the object beam, and senses the object beam. The second polarizing element is disposed in the light path of the object beam passing through the screen and between the screen and the optical detector.
US08654101B2	Position detecting device and electro-optical device An optical position detecting unit can be configured at low cost and so as to have lower power consumption. A position detecting device includes a light guide plate, multiple light sources for position detection, a photosensor, a light source control unit that switches between a first driving mode and a second driving mode, the first driving mode being a mode in which discharged light intensities of the multiple light sources for position detection are gradually decreased toward one side of an arrangement direction of the multiple light sources for position detection and in which emitted light intensities of the position detection light beams emitted from the light emitting face exhibit a first light emission distribution tilted toward the one side of the arrangement direction, the second driving mode being a mode in which discharged light intensities of the multiple light sources for position detection are gradually decreased toward another side opposite the one side of the arrangement direction and in which emitted light intensities of the position detection light beams emitted from the light emitting face exhibit a second light emission distribution tilted toward the other side of the arrangement direction, and a position information derivation unit that derives position information regarding the object to be detected along the arrangement direction on the basis of output components of the photosensor respectively attributable to the first light emission distribution and the second light emission distribution.
US08654099B2	Control of data processing based on inter-image motion detection A data processing apparatus is arranged to receive successive images from a video camera. The apparatus includes means for detecting inter-image motion for selected points in an image region associated with a control function of the apparatus. The apparatus also includes means for executing the control function if inter-image motion is detected in the image region. The detecting means is configured to select points in an image region of a current image that are validated by selecting test points in a currently received image based upon their correspondence with points in a preceding received image. The points in the preceding received image themselves corresponding with the points originally selected in the currently received image. The detecting means is also configured to deselect points in the current image whose corresponding test points do not substantially coincide therewith.
US08654094B2	Touch location detecting panel having a simple layer structure The present invention relates to a touch location detecting panel and, more particularly, to a touch location panel having a plurality of sensing areas arranged two-dimensionally. The touch location detecting panel of the invention has on a surface at one side of a single film a plurality of sensing areas arranged two-dimensionally. Each of the sensing areas includes a plurality of partitioned areas electrically isolated from each other, and the partitioned areas are respectively connected to separate channels of a circuit for detecting a user's touch on each of the partitioned areas. Accordingly, durability and productivity of the touch location detecting panel can be improved by simplifying the panel structure.
US08654090B2	Touch panel and display device Provided is an electrostatic capacitance type touch panel, wherein lead lines are connected to respective end portions of at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes respectively, the touch panel further comprises an inspection electrode which is laminated to respective end portions of the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes with an insulation film sandwiched therebetween on a side where the lead lines are not connected to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes, and a voltage for inspection is supplied to the inspection electrode during an inspection time and a voltage at the same phase as the drive voltage supplied to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes is supplied to the inspection electrode during a usual operation time.
US08654087B2	Flexible display device and data displaying method thereof A flexible display device and a data displaying method thereof are disclosed. The device includes a touch sensor to generate touch events according to touch actions, a flexible sensor to generate a bend signal as one side of the device is bent, a storage unit to store a function table, and a controller to control the components of the device. The function table is configured to define control operations to reproduce currently output contents based on the touch events and the bend events.
US08654086B2	Method and system for changing the power state of a portable electronic device A method and system for changing the power state of a portable electronic device is disclosed. A portable electronic device may be powered up or powered down responsive to a user interaction with the portable electronic device. The user interaction may be an insertion of a stylus or other user interface object into a housing of the portable electronic device. Alternatively, the user interaction may be a removal of a stylus or other user interface object from the housing of the portable electronic device. The user interaction may be a rotation of a cover of the portable electronic device.
US08654081B2	Mobile terminal A mobile terminal is disclosed, by which the feel of manipulation of a mobile terminal keypad is enhanced and by which brightness deviation of keypad illumination is minimized. The present invention includes at least one or more light sources, a keypad having a plurality of manipulating buttons, each having a button protrusion provided to a bottom of the corresponding manipulating button, a light guide film configured to have light provided by the at least one light source enter a lateral side thereof, the light guide film having a plurality of insertion holes configured to have the button protrusions pass through, respectively, and a printed circuit board having a dome switch pressurized by the button protrusion of the keypad and an electrode part selectively coming contact with the dome switch, wherein a width of at least one of the insertion holes provided to the light guide film is different from a length thereof.
US08654080B2	Keyboard and electronic device using same A keyboard for an electronic device includes a main body, a test indicator positioned on an outside surface of the main body, and an interface electrically connected to both the main body and the test indicator. Both the main body and the test indicator are electrically connected to a main board of an electronic device through the interface. The electronic device can be operated using the keyboard, and the test indicator indicates the working status of the electronic device.
US08654072B2	Interactive game method and system with sports injury protection The present invention discloses an interactive game method with sports injury protection, comprising: providing a remote pointing device for a user to swing; and triggering a safety mechanism in one or more of the following conditions: (1) when a user swings the remote pointing device drastically; (2) when a count of swings exceeds a first threshold; and (3) when a count of swings in a predetermined time period exceeds a second threshold.
US08654070B2	Electrophoretic particles, electrophoretic particle dispersion, display medium and display device Electrophoretic particles including mother particles and a dispersant that covers the surface of the mother particles, the mother particles including a resin and a colorant, and the dispersant having a structure represented by the following Formula (1): wherein in Formula (1), R1 represents a dimethyl siloxane chain that comprises two or more dimethyl siloxane structures that are linked together, the dimethyl siloxane chain being optionally substituted by an organic group; R2 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; Ar1 represents an organic group having an aromatic group; a represents an integer of from 8 to 88; b represents an integer of from 12 to 82; c represents an integer of from 0 to 30; f represents an integer of from 1 to 3; the total of a, b and c is 100; and the ratio of unit (b) in the dispersant having a structure represented by Formula (1) is about 50% by weight or less.
US08654064B2	Backlight having blue light emitting diodes and method of driving same An LED backlight array in which every LED, regardless of whether it is a red, green, cyan, or blue LED, contains a blue emitter. As each LED contains the same type of emitter, the backlight can be driven by a single blue driver circuit, rather than separate red, green, cyan, and blue drivers. That is, the present disclosure removes the need for red, cyan, and green driver circuits, allowing for simpler and cheaper backlights. Additionally, even though the LED backlight can contain LEDs of different colors, each has a blue emitter, and thus possesses similar aging characteristics.
US08654061B2	Integrated front light solution An integrated illumination apparatus includes a light injection portion having a first end for receiving light from a light source. The light injection portion includes material that supports propagation of said light along the length of the light injection portion. Turning microstructure is disposed on a first side of the light injection. The turning microstructure is configured to turn at least a substantial portion of light incident on the first side and to direct the portion of the light out a second opposite side of the light injection portion. A slit is disposed along the length of the light injection portion. The slit forms an optical interface on the second opposite side of the light injection portion that provides total internal reflection for light propagating along the length of the light injection portion to be guided therein. The optical interface further transmits light turned by said turning microstructure. A light distribution portion is disposed with respect to the slit to receive the light turned by said turning microstructure and transmitted out of the second side of the light injection portion and through said slit. At least one bridge is disposed between light injection portion and the light distribution portion. The bridge mechanically connects the light injection portion to the light distribution portion.
US08654060B2	Processing device and processing method of high dynamic contrast for liquid crystal display apparatus This invention relates to a processing device and processing method of high dynamic contrast for liquid crystal display apparatus, the processing device comprises a receiver, an inverter, and a source driving IC connected with a central processing module. The processing method includes: performing a histogram statistical process on received low voltage Differential Signaling data; obtaining a backlight source dimming coefficient and a Gamma reference voltage parameter of the same frame of picture according to the result of the histogram statistical process. controlling the brightness of the backlight source according to said backlight source dimming coefficient; controlling the voltage of the pixel capacitor on the liquid crystal panel according to said Gamma reference voltage parameter. This invention respectively adjusts the brightness of the backlight source and the voltage of the pixel capacitor of the liquid crystal panel simultaneously, and hence the dynamic contrast of the picture is increased, the problems of lower contrast and flicker of TFT liquid crystal display apparatus are ameliorated, and the power consumption of the backlight source is saved.
US08654057B2	Electro-optical device, shift register circuit, and semiconductor device An electro-optical device is configured to be capable of using a region of a gate line drive circuit efficiently and preventing rising speed of a gate line selection signal from decreasing (rising delay), and a shift register circuit is composed of a single conductivity type transistor which is suitable for the device. The gate line drive circuit including an odd driver to drive odd rows of a plurality of gate lines, and an even driver to drive even rows thereof. Each unit shift register in the odd and even drivers receives a selection signal in the second previous row and activates its own selection signal two horizontal periods later. A start pulse of the even driver is delayed in phase by one horizontal period with respect to a start pulse of the odd driver.
US08654056B2	Semiconductor circuit and display apparatus employing the same Disclosed is a display apparatus including two scanning circuits of the same configuration and layout, arranged on either sides of the display part. As long as one of the scanning circuits is in operation, the other scanning circuit is in a state in which no output signal is output.
US08654040B2	Electro-optical device, matrix substrate, and electronic equipment The invention provides power-supply wiring preferable for large displays. An electro-optical device according to the present invention includes a pixel area including electro-optical elements driven by power supplied from power-supply circuits. The electro-optical device includes basic power-supply lines, which receive a power-supply voltage output from the power-supply circuits and which are formed on the upper portion of a substrate, and includes main power-supply lines which intersect the basic power-supply lines and which are formed on the upper portion of the substrate. The power-supply voltage is supplied to the electro-optical elements via the main power-supply lines.
US08654033B2	Multi-layer highly RF reflective flexible mesh surface and reflector antenna The invention concerns a reflector (8) of radio frequency (RF) energy. The reflector includes a first web layer (9a) formed from a knit of at least a first conductive filament (11a), and a second web layer (9b) formed of a knit of at least a second conductive filament (11b). The first and second web layers can be formed as an open mesh 10. The second web layer is positioned on the first web layer to form a stack. Fastening members (14, 16) are disposed at intervals across a surface of each of the first and second web layers. The fastening members are advantageously configured to secure the first web layer to the second web layer. The invention also concerns a reflector antenna formed using the reflector of radio frequency energy. The reflector antenna includes antenna support elements (18), and the first and second web layers are secured to the antenna support structure to define a curved three dimensional surface.
US08654029B2	Housing of portable electronic device and method for making the same A portable electronic device includes a base, an antenna radiator, an outer layer, and at least one conductive contact. The antenna radiator is formed on the activated base by plating. The antenna radiator is sandwiched between the base and the outer layer. One end of each conductive contact is electrically connected to the antenna radiator, and the other end of the each conductive contact is exposed.
US08654028B2	Electromagnetic wave filter apparatus without degrading radiation pattern of antenna An electromagnetic wave filter apparatus includes: a shield conductor; a shield aperture provided in the shield conductor; a plurality of strip conductors, each of which is connected to the shield conductor at both ends thereof, and which divide the shield conductor into a plurality of apertures; and a plurality of stub conductors provided at intervals on each of the strip conductors. Each of the stub conductors prevents a current with a predetermined frequency from flowing through a corresponding strip conductor due to an electromagnetic wave with the predetermined frequency passing through the electromagnetic wave filter apparatus. Thus, the electromagnetic wave filter apparatus passes the electromagnetic wave with the predetermined frequency without exerting a substantial influence on radiation of the electromagnetic wave with the predetermined frequency.
US08654023B2	Multi-layered multi-band antenna with parasitic radiator Embodiments provide multi-band, compound loop antennas (multi-band antennas). Embodiments of the multi-band antennas produce signals at two or more frequency bands, with the two or more frequency bands capable of being adjusted and tuned independently of each other. Embodiments of a multi-band antenna are comprised of at least one electric field radiator and at least one monopole formed out of the magnetic loop. At a particular frequency, the at least one electric field radiator in combination with various portions of the magnetic loop resonate and radiate an electric field at a first frequency band. At yet another particular frequency, the at least one monopole in combination with various portions of the magnetic loop resonate and radiate an electric field at a second frequency band. The shape of the magnetic loop can be tuned to increase the radiation efficiency at particular frequency bands and enable the multi-band operation of antenna embodiments.
US08654021B2	Single-sided multi-band antenna Embodiments provide multi-band, compound loop antennas (multi-band antennas). Embodiments of the multi-band antennas produce signals at two or more frequency bands, with the two or more frequency bands capable of being adjusted and tuned independently of each other. Embodiments of a multi-band antenna are comprised of at least one electric field radiator and at least one monopole formed out of the magnetic loop. At a particular frequency, the at least one electric field radiator in combination with various portions of the magnetic loop resonate and radiate an electric field at a first frequency band. At yet another particular frequency, the at least one monopole in combination with various portions of the magnetic loop resonate and radiate an electric field at a second frequency band. The shape of the magnetic loop can be tuned to increase the radiation efficiency at particular frequency bands and enable the multi-band operation of antenna embodiments.
US08654019B2	Power aperture linearization Antennas systems are disclosed providing for the use of heat harvesters such as thermophotovoltaic cell materials for converting waste heat from antenna transmitters into useful electricity. A further aspect of the present disclosure provides for transmitters that include high-temperature solid-state power amplifiers for operation at relatively high temperatures, reducing or eliminating the need for thermal heat spreaders or heat sinks. Quantum-effect thermophotovoltaic cells, including quantum-dot based thermophotovoltaic cells are described. Field-coupling is described to extract energy from a quantum-dot based TPV. Novel solar cells are also disclosed.
US08654014B2	Inverted-F antenna and wireless communication apparatus using the same An inverted-F antenna is disclosed including: a radiating body including a plurality of radiating portions, and some of the radiating portions located on a same plane; a shorting element extending outward from the radiating body and forming a first predetermined included angle with one of the radiating portions; a feeding element extending outward from the radiating body and forming a second predetermined included angle with one of the radiating portions; and a protrusion extending outward from the radiating body and forming a third predetermined included angle with one of the radiating portions; wherein at least one of the first, second, and third predetermined included angles is substantially a right angle.
US08654011B2	Shaped-beam antenna with multi-layered metallic disk array structure surrounded by dielectric ring Provided is a shaped-beam antenna having a multi-layered conductive element array surrounded by a dielectric ring. The shaped-beam antenna includes: a planar excitation element having a radiation structure according to a required polarization; a multi-layered conductive element array disposed on the planer excitation element, wherein the multi-layered conductive element array is formed by layering conductive elements at an arbitrary interval; and a dielectric ring surrounding the multi-layered conductive element array at a predetermined separation distance therefrom. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the entire size of the shaped-beam antenna and manufacturing costs thereof.
US08654010B2	Determining positioning of wireless terminal in telecommunications network In one of its aspects the technology concerns a method of determining a position of a wireless terminal in a radio access network using information of the travel time of radio waves between a base station and the wireless terminal, the travel time information being retrieved in a way consistent with SUPL positioning. The method comprises performing, at the wireless terminal, a time of arrival measurement for a respective downlink radio frame received from a node associated with a cell of a radio access network. The method thereafter uses the time of arrival measurement and an estimated time of downlink transmission from the node to make a determination of a distance between the wireless terminal and the node. The distance so determined can be used to generate an ellipsoid arc for describing a round trip time positioning of the wireless terminal. As an optional enhancement, the method further includes generating a thickness dimension of the ellipsoid arc, the thickness dimension of the ellipsoid arc reflecting clock uncertainty.
US08654002B2	Multistatic radar system for airport monitoring The present disclosure relates to a method for monitoring targets on a runway, wherein emitting modules and receiving modules are alternately distributed along each one of longitudinal sides of the runway. Orthogonal signals are emitted in a narrowband by the emitting modules and coherently received in a coherent manner by the receiving modules. An object is detected on the runway on the basis of a distribution of the modules into meshes each including three pairs of neighbouring emitting modules and receiving modules and on the basis of a radio location of the object through triangulation and interferometry in at least one mesh. The modules are also used for analyzing a target moving on the runway, and for monitoring the trajectographies of an air target in the surroundings of the runway.
US08653999B1	Current steering DAC, a video adapter including a current steering DAC, and a video circuit including a current steering DAC A current steering Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC), a video adapter including a current steering DAC, and a video circuit including a current steering DAC are described. In one embodiment, a current steering DAC includes multiple DAC unit cells that are connected in parallel with each other. Each of the DAC unit cells includes three output switches connected to a current source. The three output switches are configured to form two differential pairs of switches that are placed in parallel with each other and share a negative output switch of the three output switches. The current steering DAC also includes at least one switch control circuit configured to receive digital input data and to control the three output switches of each of the DAC unit cells to generate differential analog output data based on the digital input data and a current from the current source. Other embodiments are also described.
US08653998B2	D/A conversion circuit, A/D conversion circuit and electronic apparatus A D/A conversion circuit includes a first D/A converting section which is connected with an output node, a first serial capacitor which is disposed between the output node and a first node, a second D/A converting section which is connected with the first node, and a control circuit. The first D/A converting section includes a first capacitor array section and a first switch array section. The second D/A converting section includes a second capacitor array section and a second switch array section. The control circuit performs a switch control for dynamically changing allocation of the capacitors to the respective bits of input digital data for the first switch array section of the first D/A converting section.
US08653993B2	Data value occurrence information for data compression A method for generating occurrence data of data values for enabling encoding of a data set includes determining occurrences of data values in a first data batch and determining occurrence count information for a first number of most frequent data values in the first data batch, the occurrence count information identifying the most frequent data values and their occurrence counts. The method also includes generating for rest of the data values in the first data batch at least a first histogram having a second number of buckets and merging the occurrence count information of the first data batch with occurrence count information of a second data batch. The method further includes merging the first histogram of the first data batch to a merged histogram corresponding to the second data batch and processing a next data batch as a first data batch until the data set to be encoded is processed.
US08653991B2	Coding method, decoding method, and apparatuses, programs and recording media therefor An object of the present invention is to achieve high coding efficiency for a companded signal sequence and reduce the amount of codes. A coding method according to the present invention includes an analysis step and a signal sequence transformation step. The analysis step is to check whether or not there is a number that is included in a particular range but does not occur in a second signal sequence (a number sequence that indicates the magnitude (magnitude relationship) of original signals) and output information that indicates the number that does not occur. The signal sequence transformation step is to output a transformed second signal sequence (which is formed by assigning new numbers to indicate the magnitudes of original signals (the magnitude relationship among original signals) excluding the magnitude of the original signal indicated by the number that does not occur and replacing the numbers in the second signal sequence with the newly assigned numbers) in the case where it is determined in the analysis step that there is a number that does not occur. The particular range is defined as a number that indicates a positive value having a minimum absolute value and a number that indicates a negative value having a minimum absolute value, for example.
US08653986B2	Traffic information system A method of evaluating the driving behavior in a vehicle. The method includes determining values of a plurality of parameters of the operation of a first vehicle in a first road segment, determining values of the plurality of parameters for one or more second vehicles in a second road segment having similar properties to those of the first road segment, comparing the determined values of the first vehicle and the one or more second vehicles and providing an evaluation of the driving behavior of the first vehicle, responsive to the comparison.
US08653982B2	Door monitoring system A door assembly includes a first door skin and a second door skin spaced apart from the first door skin. The assembly also includes an energy sensor generating an energy signature signal and a memory storing a door component operating signature. A controller is coupled to the accelerometer and forms a comparison of the energy signature signal to the door component operating signature and generates a door component operation status signal in response to the comparison.
US08653981B2	Safety device for underwater diving A safety device for underwater diving has a sensor for measuring a flow of gas bubbles comprising a belt for fixing and functional coupling to the body of a diver. The flow sensor is linked to a portable computer for utilizing signals from the flow sensor so as to provide an alarm signal if the measured flow level exceeds a predetermined safety threshold and to thus customize a table of decompression stops.
US08653975B2	Radio-frequency identification device with foam substrate The present invention encompasses an antenna (12) for use with a radio-frequency identification transponder (10) that performs optimally in free space and near optimally when near a conductive surface. The radio-frequency identification transponder (10) broadly comprises an antenna (12); an integrated circuit (14); a matching circuit (16) interposed between the antenna (12) and integrated circuit (14); and a substrate (18). The antenna (12) is designed with a length so the antenna (12) as a microstrip resonates at a starting frequency and a matching circuit is constructed. The antenna (12) is placed near a conductive surface and the length of the antenna is adjusted until the antenna reactance is approximately the opposite of the integrated circuit reactance.
US08653974B2	Interface between an object such as a firearm and an alarm or monitoring system An interface device includes an elongated sensor strap having a secured end and an unsecured end opposite to the secured end. The unsecured end of the sensor strap represents a first sensor half, and a second sensor half is adapted to receive the first sensor half/unsecured end to form a sensor link between the two sensor halves. A deployment sensor switch provides an input to a monitoring device for an alarm system. The deployment sensor switch is adapted to reside in an armed state when the first and second sensor halves form a sensor link, but change to an alarm state when the first sensor half and second sensor half are separated to break the sensor link. The sensor strap is sufficiently long to produce a closed loop around a firearm or other object to in a monitored position when the first and second sensor halves are placed together to form the sensor link.
US08653970B2	System and method for boarding area security A security method that includes defining rules specifying permitted movements of passengers in a transportation terminal. Passengers entering the terminal may be issued a boarding pass having a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag attached thereto. The location of the RFID tag may be measured and responsive to the measured location of the RFID tag, a violation of at least one of the rules by the passenger may be detected. An action with respect to the detected violation may be taken. The rules may define a region that is forbidden for access, a region in which the passengers are expected to be in motion, a region in which the passengers are expected not to be stationary for more than a given time period, etc.
US08653969B2	Home security system A security device comprising interfacing means incorporating a speaker (50) and a microphone (49) for interfacing with a person; a mobile network transmitter; an internet communication means; a controller which automatically responds to interaction with said interfacing means and firstly employs said mobile network transmitter to dial one or more predetermined phone numbers through a mobile network for directly establishing a two way communication across the mobile network; wherein said controller secondly employs said internet communication means for transmission through the internet of data captured by said interfacing means.
US08653968B2	Systems and methods for predictive building energy monitoring A system and method for predictive modeling of building energy consumption provides predicted building energy load values which are determined using kernel smoothing of historical building energy load values for a building using defined scaling factors for scaling predictor variables associated with building energy consumption. Predictor variables may include temperature, humidity, windspeed or direction, occupancy, time, day, date, and solar radiation. Scaling factor values may be defined by optimization training using historical building energy load values and measured predictor variable values for a building. Predicted and measured building energy load values are compared to determine if a preset difference threshold has been exceeded, in which case an alert signal or message is generated and transmitted to electronically and/or physically signal a user. The building energy monitoring system may be integrated with a building automation system, or may be operated as a separate system receiving building energy and predictor variable values.
US08653967B1	Communications buoys, methods and computer program products for selectively transmitting communication signals A method for selectively transmitting communication signals from a communications buoy to a remote receiver, the communications buoy including a sensor and an emitter device, includes: detecting conditions local to the communications buoy using the sensor; generating local conditions data corresponding to the local conditions detected by the sensor; using the local conditions data, determining and/or predicting a clear transmission time during which communication signals from the emitter device have an adequately clear transmission path to the remote receiver for successful transmission of communication signals from the emitter device to the remote receiver; and adaptively transmitting communication signals from the emitter device to the remote receiver as a function of the determined and/or predicted clear transmission time.
US08653963B2	Emergency alert system and method An emergency alert system, method and device are disclosed. The invention employs an emergency alert message, which directs end users to take some particular action like evacuating an identified geographic area. The invention further employs a geographic area message, which is based on a particular geographic area within which all persons should receive the emergency alert message. The invention utilizes an emergency alert enabled device that receives both the emergency alert message and the geographic area message. The emergency alert enabled device determines whether it is located within the geographic area of concern, and if so, presents the emergency alert message to the end user.
US08653962B2	Wireless event status communication system, device and method A wireless event status communication system, device and method are disclosed. In one form, a wireless enabled notification system includes a wireless informer operably associated with an environmental element having more than one operating state and operable to determine a current operating state of the environmental element and to communicate the current operating state via a wireless communication module. The system further includes a remote status notification device operable to receive the communication including the current operating state. The remote status notification device including a processor operable to determine a last current operating state when the remote status notification device is out of range of the wireless informer.
US08653961B2	Vehicle display device and display method In a vehicle display device in the invention, because the display position of a displayed image is adjusted by a display position calculation portion (14) and a drive control portion (15) when a predetermined vehicle travel condition is detected by a travel condition detection portion (12), the display position is adjusted while the driver is looking at the displayed image. In addition, adjustment of the display position may be avoided when the driver is not looking at the displayed image. Therefore, the display device avoids annoying the driver, and avoids needless adjustment of the display position. The display position of the image is adjusted based on the detected eyeball position.
US08653958B2	Collision detection apparatus and method for same A collision detector includes a chamber, a pressure sensor, and a bumper absorber. The chamber defines a hollow space, and the pressure sensor detects a pressure in the hollow space. The bumper absorber absorbs impact caused by a collision of an object with a vehicle, and covers an outer periphery of the chamber. The chamber and the bumper absorber are interposed with a gap in an entire width of the vehicle. In case of collision, the chamber is not bound by the bumper absorber deformed by the impact of the collision, thereby enabling an accurate detection of the collision of the vehicle with the object.
US08653954B2	Systems and methods for detecting an error in the installation of an electrical component A system and method for detecting an error in the installation of an electrical component in a vehicle having a vehicle bus is disclosed herein. The system includes, but is not limited to a vehicle communication interface that is configured to be communicatively coupled with the vehicle bus and to detect a first power state of the vehicle. The system further includes an aftermarket telematics unit that is configured to be electrically connected to the vehicle and to wirelessly communicate with the vehicle communication interface. The vehicle communication interface is further configured to detect a second power state of the aftermarket telematics unit, to compare the first power state with the second power state, and to alert a third party when the first power state and the second power state do not correspond with one another.
US08653952B2	Power line communication system A power line communication system includes a plurality of communication nodes, a communication line coupling the communication nodes, a direct current power line coupling a connection point of the communication line with one of a positive terminal of a battery and a supply terminal of a load, and a capacitor coupled between the direct current power line and a ground. The communication nodes communicate with each other by superimposing a high frequency signal having a wavelength of λ to the communication line. The capacitor is coupled with the direct current power line at a position where a line length from the connection point is (n×λ/2+λ/4), where n is a natural number including zero.
US08653948B2	Reader control system An RFID reader control system and method is provided. A protocol for controlling an RFID reader and an RFID reader control unit of a mobile phone is defined. Messages, information, commands, responses, and notification are constructed and transmitted between the RFID reader and the RFID reader control unit.
US08653946B2	Passive RFID reader and operation control method therefor Provided is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader that can minimize collision among RFID readers in an environment where there are a plurality of RFID readers within a limited operating environment by making each RFID reader select a channel at different delay time based on a random value, and a method for controlling operation of the RFID reader. The RFID reader includes a random value generating unit; a reader control unit for adaptively deciding a counter value for generating the random value; an anti-collision unit for preventing collision among a plurality of tags; a reader transmitting unit for generating a reader command message determined by the anti-collision unit, encoding the reader command message, and modulating the reader command message; a reader receiving unit for demodulating and decoding a tag signal; and a channel operation control unit for selecting a channel to be used for the communication with the tag.
US08653943B2	Radio frequency identification system provided for access control An interrogator (Interrog) is additionally provided with a logic circuit (ActCommProt-ImplLCI) for implementing an active communication protocol and with a receiving second antenna (AI2) provided for an active communication. Said antenna is connected through an active receiver (AMActRecI) for receiving amplitude-modulated signals to said logic circuit (ActCommProtlmplLCI). A transmitting and receiving first antenna (AT1) in each transponder (Transp) is connected through an active receiver (AM-ActRecT) for receiving amplitude-modulated signals to a logic circuit (ActCommProt-ImplLCT) for implementing the active communication protocol, an output signal of which logic circuit is conducted through an active transmitter (AMActTransmT) for transmitting amplitude-modulated signals to a transmitting second antenna (AT2) for active communication. The transponder (Transp) is provided with a power supply circuit (SupplC). The passive communication protocol is a protocol according to standard ISO 15693 and the active communication protocol is similar thereto. Checking by means of the radio frequency identification system of the invention for access control can be carried out in a way comfortable for the user also at a distance from the interrogator somewhat exceeding one meter, whereas the transponder with a battery run-down has to be brought closer to the interrogator to a short distance usual till now.
US08653942B2	Portable biometric lighter A portable biometric lighter device (100) generally involving a control unit (210), a biometric sensor, such as a fingerprint sensor (140), wherein the biometric sensor is configured to scan a biometric data of a user and is operably coupled to the control unit (210), and an ignition element, wherein the ignition element is activated by the control unit (210) upon a match of the scanned biometric data of the user and a biometric data of an authorized user that is stored in a memory device.
US08653941B2	Device including authentication glyph A method is disclosed. It includes displaying, by a device, an authentication image including a plurality of image elements comprising a set of image elements, wherein the image elements in the set of image elements are located at a set of positions on a display screen. The method also comprises receiving, at the device, a glyph having a configuration corresponding to the set of image elements from a user while the authentication image is displayed. The method further comprises determining if the glyph is authentic, and initiating a payment transaction after receiving the glyph.
US08653940B2	Method for preventing an unauthorized use of disposable bioprocess components This invention provides a system and apparatus that is able to authenticate and prevent illegal manufacturing and unauthorized operation of disposable bioprocess components. This invention utilizes a ferro-electric random access memory chip (FRAM) chip to store error-correctable information on a RFID tag attached to the disposable bioprocess components, where the error-correctable information is written in sequence into the memory chip, so that the redundant information can remain in the chip when the RFID tag and disposable bioprocess component is gamma-sterilized. Also, this invention includes a method for authenticating the disposable bioprocess component that reduces liability in that a counterfeit poor quality disposable component is not used on the hardware so the user will not file an unjustified complaint.
US08653933B2	System of devices comprising a plurality of sensor devices communicating with a central gateway device A system of devices comprises a plurality of sensor devices and a central gateway device. Each sensor device comprises communicating means for communicating with the central gateway device, storage means storing a unique identifier, and display means displaying a location identifier. The central gateway device comprises communicating means for communicating with the plurality of sensor devices, and storage means storing the unique identifiers of the plurality of sensor devices.
US08653926B2	Inductive and capacitive elements for semiconductor technologies with minimum pattern density requirements The present invention provides a semiconductor device comprising a plurality of layers, the semiconductor device comprising:—a substrate having a first major surface,—an inductive element fabricated on the first major surface of the substrate, the inductive element comprising at least one conductive line, and—a plurality of tilling structures in at least one layer, wherein the plurality of tilling structures are electrically connected together and are arranged in a geometrical pattern so as to substantially inhibit an inducement of an image current in the tilling structures by a current in the inductive element. It is an advantage of the above semiconductor device that, by using such tilling structures, an inductive element with improved quality factor is obtained. The present invention also provides a method for providing an inductive element in a semiconductor device comprising a plurality of layers.
US08653923B2	Solenoid switch The invention relates to a solenoid switch for starting devices for starting internal combustion engines, comprising a joint (100) between assembled parts of the solenoid switch. The invention is characterized in that the joint is formed in such a way that a direct penetration of spray water is prevented and pressure compensation is enabled.
US08653913B2	Fully rated contact system having normally open contact and normally closed contacts A contact system includes at least one first contact, at least one second contact, and at least one movable contact. A coil is provided which, when energized generates a force. A magnet is also provided, the magnet having a magnetic force. The forces of the coil and magnet attract the at least one movable contact to the at least one first contact. A return spring having a spring force cooperates with the at least one movable contact to return the at least one movable contact to the at least one second contact when the coil is not energized. The sum of the forces applied by the coil and the magnet are sufficient to overcome the spring force of the return spring to provide a balanced force to both the at least one second contact and the at least one first contact.
US08653910B2	High-frequency signal transmission line and electronic apparatus An easily bendable high-frequency signal transmission line includes a dielectric body including a protection layer and dielectric sheets laminated on each other, a surface and an undersurface. A signal line is a linear conductor disposed in the dielectric body. A ground conductor is disposed in the dielectric body, faces the signal line via the dielectric sheet, and continuously extends along the signal line. A ground conductor is disposed in the dielectric body, faces the ground conductor via the signal line sandwiched therebetween, and includes a plurality of openings arranged along the signal line. The surface of the dielectric body on the side of the ground conductor with respect to the signal line is in contact with a battery pack.
US08653909B2	Apparatus for wireless power transmission using high Q low frequency near magnetic field resonator An apparatus for wireless power transmission is disclosed. According to an exemplary aspect, the wireless power transmission apparatus includes a high Q low frequency near magnetic field resonator having characteristics of a metamaterial. Accordingly, manufacturing of a compact power supply capable of wirelessly supplying power to mobile communication terminals or multimedia terminals is possible. By using a zeroth-order resonator with a DNG or ENG structure, a small-sized power supply with a simple configuration may be manufactured.
US08653906B2	Opposed port ortho-mode transducer with ridged branch waveguide An ortho-mode transducer may include a common waveguide terminating in a common port. A horizontal branch waveguide may terminate in a horizontal port. The horizontal branch waveguide may couple a first linearly polarized mode from the horizontal port to the common waveguide. The horizontal branch waveguide may comprise one or more ridged waveguide segments. A vertical branch waveguide may terminate in a vertical port opposed to the horizontal port. The vertical branch waveguide may couple a second linearly polarized mode from the vertical port to the common waveguide, the second linearly polarized mode orthogonal to the first linearly polarized mode.
US08653904B2	Thin film balun A thin film balun of the present invention comprises: an unbalanced transmission line UL including a first line portion L1 and a second line portion L2; a balanced transmission line BL including a third line portion L3 and a fourth line portion L4 that are positioned facing the first line portion L1 and the second line portion L2 and electromagnetically coupled to the first line portion L1 and the second line portion L2, respectively; an unbalanced terminal UT connected to an end of the first line portion L1; a first balanced terminal BT1 connected to the third line portion L3; a second balanced terminal BT2 connected to the fourth line portion L4; and a ground terminal G connected to the third line portion L3 and the fourth line portion L4, wherein the ground terminal G has an extension that extends from the ground terminal G to an area at the unbalanced terminal UT side.
US08653903B2	Passive amplifier A passive amplifier for use with enhanced power supplies, signal preamplifiers and power amplifiers in communications systems particularly in mobile phones, laptop computers and other battery-powered and battery-limited devices. The passive amplifier can be used as an attachment to electric appliances or other power consuming equipment to significantly reduce the electric power requirements of such equipment. These passive amplifiers do not require an outside source of power and can be used to elevate battery power outputs and serve as either low noise signal preamplifiers or transmit power amplifiers for higher performance and extended battery life. Passive amplifier technology is either electromagnetic or dielectric in nature with component parts limited to inductive, capacitive and resistive components. Dielectric amplifier prototypes have gain values in the range of the 10 dB level so as to be useful in communications applications and power amplification.
US08653901B2	Oscillator and control circuit thereof An oscillator and a control circuit thereof are provided. The control circuit is configured to control an oscillator to adjust the amplitude and the level of an oscillation signal. The control circuit includes a peak amplitude detector, an average voltage detector, and an oscillation controller. The peak amplitude detector is configured to detect the amplitude of the oscillation signal, so as to generate an amplitude value. The average voltage detector is configured to detect the direct current (DC) level of the oscillation signal, so as to generate an average value. The oscillation controller is configured to generate two power signals according to the amplitude value and the average value. The two power signals are provided to the oscillator, so that the oscillator adjusts the amplitude and DC level of the oscillation signal.
US08653900B2	Oscillator There is provided an oscillator using a high-frequency crystal resonator which can satisfy the drive level needed for the crystal resonator and expand a variable frequency range. An oscillator having an oscillation circuit CC for oscillating the resonator SS is provided with a limiter circuit LM1 as a load of the resonator SS which is inductive and is a load circuit for limiting an oscillation amplitude. According to this configuration, the action of the limiter circuit LM1 allows satisfaction of the drive level needed for the crystal resonator and expansion of the variable frequency range.
US08653899B2	Piezoelectric vibrator, oscillator, electronic device and radio timepiece A piezoelectric vibrator, an oscillator, an electronic device and a ratio timepiece are provided which are capable of increasing a capacitance C0 while achieving miniaturization and cost reduction. The piezoelectric vibrator includes a base substrate, a lid substrate, a piezoelectric vibrating reed on which an excitation electrode is formed, and external electrodes. An electrode pattern for capacitance adjustment, which extends along a routing electrode, is provided extending from a routing electrode.
US08653896B2	Class-AB power amplifier A class-AB power amplifier according to the present embodiment includes an amplifying element whose power supply voltage is expressed as Vdc and whose maximum current is expressed as Imax, a conduction angle θo of the amplifying element being more than π(rad) and less than 2·π(rad), and load impedance of a fundamental wave being expressed as Z1=R1+j·X1, load impedance of a 2nd harmonic being expressed as Z2=R2+j·X2, and load impedance of a 3rd harmonic being expressed as Z3=R3+j−X3 which are observed from a dependent current source of an equivalent circuit of the amplifying element, and a relationship between variables X1 and R1 is set to −0.5·R1<=X1<=0.5·R1, variable R1 is set to R1=Vdc/Imax·{1−cos(θo/2)}·π/{θo/2−sin(θo)/2}, variable X2/X1 is set to X2/X1=−2·{θo−sin(θo)}/{sin(θo/2)−sin(1.5·θo)/3}, and variable X3/X1 is set to X3/X1={θo−sin(θo)}/{sin(θo)/3−sin(2·θo)/6}, or each of the variables is set thereto so as to become equal substantially.
US08653891B2	Collector boost Embodiments of power amplification devices are described that include a power amplification circuit, a first voltage regulation circuit, and a second voltage regulation circuit. The voltage regulation circuits are configured to provide regulated voltages to the power amplification circuit. The power amplification device also includes a threshold detection circuit to get better maximum output power performance while preserving power efficiency. The threshold detection circuit is configured to increase a voltage adjustment gain of the first voltage regulation circuit when a regulated voltage level of regulated voltage from the second voltage regulation circuit reaches a threshold voltage level. In this manner, the voltage adjustment gain can be increased when the second voltage regulation circuit is close to or has railed. Increasing the voltage adjustment gain when the second voltage regulation circuit is railing or is close to railing improves the power performance and the power efficiency of the power amplification circuit.
US08653890B1	Amplifier calibration A system and method of calibrating an amplifier are presented. The amplifier has a first amplification path and a second amplification path. An attenuation of the first amplification path is set to a first attenuation value and an attenuation of the second amplification path is set to the first attenuation value. A first phase shift of the first amplification path and a second phase shift of the second amplification path that meets a first performance criteria is determined. A phase shift of the first amplification path is set to the first phase shift and a phase shift of the second amplification path is set to the second phase shift. A first attenuation of the first amplification path and a second attenuation of the second amplification path that meets a second performance criteria is determined.
US08653888B2	High-frequency signal amplifier A high-frequency signal amplifier includes an amplifier having an input terminal and an output terminal, and amplifying a high-frequency signal; a signal line connected between the output terminal of the amplifier and an antenna; coupled lines arranged in parallel and coupled to the signal line and having different line lengths or differently terminated ends; and phase shifters shifting phase of high-frequency signals applied via the signal line and the coupled lines, supplying the high-frequency signals to the input terminal of the amplifier, and having different amounts of phase change.
US08653887B2	Method and arrangement in a mobile communication system The present invention relates to an amplifier circuit where a load modulation is applied to a segmented amplifier. This will reduce the shunt loss since the loss of a segmented amplifier is reduced by allowing each amplifier segment or combination of segments to operate to their full output power capacity, rather than limited to a lower output power which results in a higher shunt loss. Hence, operation to full capacity before adding more segments is made possible by dynamically modulating the load.
US08653884B2	Semiconductor device A microcomputer includes a first switch coupled between a main power supply terminal and a power supply node, and a second switch coupled between an auxiliary power supply terminal and the power supply node. The microcomputer compares a voltage V1 of the main power supply terminal with a reference voltage VR1. When V1>VR1, the microcomputer turns on the first switch and turns off the second switch, and when V1
US08653883B2	Voltage doubler and oscillating control signal generator thereof A voltage doubler and an oscillating control signal generator controlling a charge pump (powered by a first voltage to provide a second voltage) of the voltage doubler are disclosed. The oscillating control signal generator includes a first input terminal receiving a fundamental oscillation signal, a second input terminal receiving a comparison result showing whether the second voltage is greater than a target value, a third input terminal operative to obtain an electric current consumption status at an output terminal of the charge pump, and an output terminal outputting an oscillating control signal for the control of the charge pump. Further, the oscillating control signal generator includes a logic circuit. The logic circuit generates the oscillating control signal by selectively blocking status changes of the fundamental oscillation signal according to the comparison result and the electric current consumption status.
US08653877B2	Current mirror modified level shifter A current mirror modified level shifter includes a pair of PMOS including a PMOS (MPL) and a PMOS (MPR), wherein a Vot node connected to a drain of the PMOS (MPR); a pair of NMOS including NMOS (MNL) and a NMOS (MNR), wherein sources of the PMOS (MPL) and the PMOS (MPR) are coupled to a high voltage (HV), respectively; gates of the PMOS (MPL) and the PMOS (MPR) coupled together through a Vm node which located between the gates of the PMOS (MPL) and the PMOS (MPR); and a suspended PMOS (MPM) coupled to drain of the PMOS (MPL), the Vm node being coupled to a Va node between drain of the suspend PMOS (MPM) and drain of the NMOS (MNL).
US08653874B2	Semiconductor device generates complementary output signals A splitter circuit in a semiconductor device includes a first inverter that receives an input signal and outputs an inverted signal, a second inverter that receives the inverted signal and outputs a non-inverted signal (a first output signal), a third inverter that receives the input signal and outputs an inverted signal (a second output signal) and an auxiliary inverter that shares an output signal line with the third inverter. The third inverter and the auxiliary inverter use an inverted signal of the input signal as power supplies.
US08653873B2	Generation of adjustable phase reference waveform One embodiment provides a system for generating a reference waveform. The system can include a first pulse-width modulation (PWM) channel configured to provide a first PWM waveform having a first duty cycle and a first frequency. A second PWM channel is configured to provide a second PWM waveform having a second duty cycle and the first frequency. Combinational logic is configured to combine the first PWM waveform and the second PWM waveform to generate a phase-shifted reference PWM waveform having the first frequency and a phase shift that is based on the first duty cycle and the second duty cycle.
US08653872B2	Reset circuit The present invention discloses a reset circuit that has a reset IC 12 having a terminal 2 connected to a reset terminal of the microcomputer 30 that is driven by a constant voltage (3.3V) generated by regulating a rectified voltage (V+) by a regulator 24, and a terminal 4 that inputs the constant voltage (3.3V) thorough a register R1, and outputs a reset signal to the microcomputer 30 when an input voltage input to the terminal 4 is lower than a first threshold value; and a transistor Q1 in which a collector is connected to the terminal 4 through a resistor 2 and an emitter is connected to the ground and the transistor is turned on when an output voltage of the switching transformer 21 is lower than a predetermined level, wherein the voltage lower than the first threshold value is input to the terminal 4 when the transistor Q1 is turned on.
US08653867B1	Pulse modulated neural integrator circuit and associated phase locked loop A pulse modulated neural integrator circuit is comprised of discrete analog electronic components and has a plurality of discrete stable states. In some embodiments, the pulse modulated neural integrator circuit is fabricated in whole or in part on an integrated circuit substrate using analog VLSI techniques. A phase locked loop circuit can use the pulse modulated neural integrator circuit in place of some conventional phase locked loop circuits.
US08653863B2	Sawtooth wave generation circuit The sawtooth wave generation circuit includes: a switch circuit configured to switch a connection state thereof between a first connection state, in which a current from a current source is flowed from a first terminal of the output capacitor to a second terminal of the output capacitor, and a second connection state, in which a current from the current source is flowed from the second terminal of the output capacitor to the first terminal of the output capacitor; a switch control circuit configured such that, in each connection state of the switch circuit, if an output voltage has reached a predetermined threshold which is set in relation to an intermediate voltage, the switch control circuit controls the switch circuit to switch the connection state to the other connection state at least during a part of a predetermined period thereafter.
US08653861B2	Control voltage generating circuit, constant current source circuit, and delay circuit and logic circuit including the same A control voltage generating circuit according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a reference voltage unit that includes a plurality of first transistors of the same conductivity type connected in series between a first power supply and a second power supply, and generates a drain voltage of one of the plurality of first transistor as a reference voltage; and a voltage conversion unit that includes a plurality of second transistors connected in series between the first power supply and the second power supply and having the same conductivity type as that of the reference voltage, supplies the reference voltage to a gate of one of the plurality of second transistors, and outputs a drain voltage of one of the plurality of second transistors as a control voltage.
US08653860B2	Frequency synthesizer In forming a frequency synthesizer by using PLL using processing of digital signals, an A/D converting unit is not required. By the integration of a digital value that depends on a set frequency, a saw-tooth wave serving as a phase signal is generated. A frequency signal output from a voltage-controlled oscillator is input via a frequency divider to an edge detecting unit, which then detects a rising edge or a falling edge of the frequency signal to generate a rectangular-wave signal that depends on a frequency of the frequency signal. Then, a latched circuit latches a value of the saw-tooth wave in response to the rectangular-wave signal, and this value is integrated in a loop filter and the resultant is used as a control voltage of the voltage-controlled oscillator.
US08653857B2	Circuitry and layouts for XOR and XNOR logic An exclusive-or circuit includes a pass gate controlled by a second input node. The pass gate is connected to pass through a version of a logic state present at a first input node to an output node when so controlled. A transmission gate is controlled by the first input node. The transmission gate is connected to pass through a version of the logic state present at the second input node to the output node when so controlled. Pullup logic is controlled by both the first and second input nodes. The pullup logic is connected to drive the output node low when both the first and second input nodes are high. An exclusive-nor circuit is defined similar to the exclusive-or circuit, except that the pullup logic is replaced by pulldown logic which is connected to drive the output node high when both the first and second input nodes are high.
US08653855B2	Input buffer system with a dual-input buffer switching function and method thereof An input buffer system with a dual-input buffer switching function includes a first input buffer, a second input buffer, and a multiplexer. The first input buffer is used for outputting a first signal when an input signal is at a logic-high voltage, and the first input buffer is turned off when the input signal is at a logic-low voltage. The second input buffer is used for outputting a second signal when the input signal is at the logic-low voltage. The multiplexer is coupled to the first input buffer and the second input buffer for outputting the first signal or the second signal according to a self refresh signal.
US08653851B2	Semiconductor integrated circuit Provided is a semiconductor integrated circuit according to an exemplary aspect of the present invention including a data transmitting circuit that transmits data in parallel through a plurality of signal lines and a data receiving circuit that receives the data. The data transmitting circuit includes a plurality of data output circuits that output the data in a data transmission mode or set an output to a high impedance state in a HiZ mode, a plurality of data selection circuits that select one of the data and fixed data and output the selected data to the data output circuits, and a control circuit that controls the data output circuits to output the fixed data during a period between a time when a mode is switched from the HiZ mode to the data transmission mode and a time when the data output circuits start to output the data.
US08653850B2	Apparatus and method for testing number of turns on coil An apparatus for testing number of turns, used for testing the number of turns of a winding coil on an electrical machine stator with concentrated winding, comprising: a base (6); a rod-shaped rotor bracket (4) around one end of which an excitation coil (1) is wound and around the other end of which a standard coil (2) is wound; a joining member for joining the base (6) with the rotor bracket (4) so that the base (6) and the rotor bracket (4) can rotate relative to each other, wherein the plane of the base (6) is parallel to the rotor bracket (4); a fixing member for fixing the electrical machine stator (5) with concentrated winding to the base (6) so as to make the stator (5) concentric and coplanar with the rotor bracket (4); a galvanometer (17) connected to the standard coil (2), which is connected to the tested coil (3) of the stator (5) in reverse polarity to form a loop during testing. Also provided is a method for using the apparatus to test the number of turns. The apparatus for testing number of turns has a simple structure, is of great utility and can test the number of turns of a winding coil on an electrical machine stator with concentrated winding directly.
US08653848B2	Television apparatus, semiconductor package, and electronic device According to one embodiment, a television apparatus includes a circuit board, a conductive portion, and an easily broken portion. The circuit board is mounted with an electronic component. The conductive portion is located on a surface or the inside of the circuit board. A breakage detection mechanism detects breakage of the conductive portion by conduction. The easily broken portion is provided to at least part of the conductive portion. The easily broken portion is broken easier than other portions of the conductive portion when a stress is applied to the circuit board.
US08653846B2	Electronic device mounting apparatus and method of mounting electronic device The electronic device mounting apparatus 1 comprises: a first camera 123 for imaging a flexible board 74 of a base member 70 of a test carrier 60 to generate a first image information; an image processing apparatus 40 for detecting a position of an alignment mark 79 of the flexible board 74 from the first image information and calculating a print start position 782 of the first interconnect patterns 78 on the flexible board 74 on the basis of the position of the alignment mark 79; a printing head 122 for forming a first interconnect pattern 78 on the flexible board 74 from the print start position 782; and a second conveyor arm 21 for mounting a die 90 on the flexible board 74 on which the first interconnect pattern 78 is formed.
US08653844B2	Calibrating device performance within an integrated circuit A multi-fingered device can be calibrated for performance. The multi-fingered device can include a first finger configured to remain active and a second finger that is initially deactivated concurrent with the first finger being active. A measure of degradation for the multi-fingered device within an IC can be determined. The measure of degradation can be compared with a degradation threshold. Responsive to determining that the measure of degradation meets the degradation threshold, a finger of the multi-fingered device can be activated.
US08653842B2	Systems and methods for thermal control of integrated circuits during testing Thermal control units (TCU) for maintaining a set point temperature on an IC device under test (DUT) are provided. The units include a pedestal assembly comprising a heat-conductive pedestal, a fluid circulation block, a thermoelectric module (Peltier device) between the heat-conductive pedestal and the block for controlling heat flow between the pedestal and fluid circulation block, and a force distribution block for controllably distributing a z-axis force between different pushers of the TCU. Alternatively, instead of a thermoelectric module, a heater can provide heat to the DUT. Optionally, a swivelable temperature-control fluid inlet and outlet arms may be provided to reduce instability of the thermal control unit due to external forces exerted on the TCU such as by fluid lines attached to the fluid inlet and outlet arms. Also optionally, an integrated means for abating condensation on surfaces of the TCU during cold tests may be provided.
US08653840B2	Fast current saturation recovery for a digital source measure unit (SMU) A source-measure unit (SMU) may be implemented with respective digital control loops for output voltage and output current. The output voltage and output current may be measured with dedicated ADCs (analog-to-digital converters). The readings obtained by the ADCs may be compared to a setpoint, which may be set in a digital loop controller (DLC). The DLC may be used to produce an output to drive a DAC (digital-to-analog converter) until the output voltage and/or output current and/or a function thereof reach the respective desired levels. The DLC may perform a threshold check to determine if the output current is outside a specified measurable range, and generate an override signal to drive the DAC to rapidly return the output current to the measurable range. Once the current is within the measurable range, the DAC may once again be driven according to the respective digital control loops for the output voltage and the output current.
US08653837B2	Sensor system for monitoring surroundings on a mechanical component and a method for activating and evaluating the sensor system A sensor system and an evaluation method for monitoring surroundings on a mechanical component, having at least one capacitive sensor element that is attachable on the surface of machines or machine parts, in which at least one sensor element is made up of a layered structure of flexible, electrically conductive and electrically insulating layers, electrically conductive surfaces of one layer being positioned with lateral spacing above insulating layers lying between them in such a way that electrical field lines form between the conductive surfaces, which change measurably upon approach to and/or contact with a body or object.
US08653831B2	Method of generating a scenario of electromagnetic noise Method of generating a scenario of electromagnetic noise for monitoring the reliability of a sensitive apparatus, characterized in that it includes the steps consisting in: defining environmental electromagnetic conditions relating to the environment of the sensitive apparatus, determining a positioning of the sensitive apparatus in the environment, and generating, on the basis of the environmental electromagnetic conditions and of the positioning of the sensitive apparatus, a scenario of electromagnetic noise including a set of permanent noises and a set of transient noises.
US08653830B2	Optically stimulated differential impedance spectroscopy Methods and apparatuses for evaluating a material are described. Embodiments typically involve use of an impedance measurement sensor to measure the impedance of a sample of the material under at least two different states of illumination. The states of illumination may include (a) substantially no optical stimulation, (b) substantial optical stimulation, (c) optical stimulation at a first wavelength of light, (d) optical stimulation at a second wavelength of light, (e) a first level of light intensity, and (f) a second level of light intensity. Typically a difference in impedance between the impedance of the sample at the two states of illumination is measured to determine a characteristic of the material.
US08653829B2	Method and system for high gain auto-zeroing arrangement for electronic circuits A method and system for high gain auto-zeroing arrangement for electronic circuits. An auto-zero electronic circuit eliminates an offset associated with a test electronic circuit. The test electronic circuit includes a pair of input terminals configured to receive an input voltage signal and a pair of output terminals. The auto-zero electronic circuit includes a pair of source followers, and a pair of capacitors coupled to the output terminals of the test electronic circuit for sampling the offset associated with the test electronic circuit. The auto-zero electronic circuit also includes a differential pair coupled to the pair of source followers. A pair of diode-connected transistors, coupled to the differential pair, is configured to generate biasing voltage signals. The biasing voltage signals modulate the control terminals of a pair of input source followers of the test electronic circuit and eliminate the offset associated with the test electronic circuit.
US08653825B2	Power measurement with a signal generator A measuring system contains a signal generator and at least one power meter. A device under test is supplied with a signal from the signal generator. A signal output by the device under test can be measured by the first power meter. In this context, the signal generator and the power meter are connected by a bidirectional communications link.
US08653822B1	Chopperless ambient electric field sensor A chopperless ambient field apparatus and method is described having top and bottom sensing plates; a transistor-based device having first, second and third terminals; a first signal line coupled to the top plate and the first terminal of the device; a second signal line coupled to the bottom plate and the second terminal of the device; at least one controllable grounding circuit coupled to at least the first and second plates and to the first terminal of the device; an electrical parameter detector coupled to the second and third terminals of the device; and a protective enclosure disposed about the top and bottom plates, the device, and the detector, wherein with control of the grounding circuit, the detector measures AC fields and quasi-static DC electric fields impinging on the plates. A calibration procedure converts the unit to a DC measuring device.
US08653819B2	Technique for performing dielectric property measurements at microwave frequencies A method, system, apparatus, and computer readable medium has been provided with the ability to obtain a complex permittivity ∈ or a complex permeability μ of a sample in a cavity. One or more complex-valued resonance frequencies (fm) of the cavity, wherein each fm is a measurement, are obtained. Maxwell's equations are solved exactly for ∈, and/or μ, using the fm as known quantities, thereby obtaining the ∈ and/or μ of the sample.
US08653818B2	Parallel transmission RF pulse design with local SAR constraints A method of designing a parallel transmission radio frequency (RF) pulse for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes compressing a model for a subject to be scanned by the MRI system into a plurality of voxel clusters, each voxel cluster defining a virtual observation point with a peak sensitivity to local specific absorption rate (SAR) for the voxel cluster, and defining the parallel transmission RF pulse based on an approximation of a minimization criterion having a local SAR component based on the peak sensitivity of each virtual observation point, the approximation comprising a weighted sum of the local SAR values for each virtual observation point.
US08653812B2	Sheet identifying apparatus, image reading system, sheet shredding system, non-transitory computer-readable medium, and sheet indentifying method A sheet identifying apparatus includes: an excitation coil disposed upstream in a passage through which a sheet inserted into an input port passes and wound on an outer periphery of the passage; a first output unit that detects a magnetization variation of a magnetic element due to the excited excitation coil when the sheet having the magnetic element passes through a region of the passage where the excitation coil is disposed in a state where an AC current is applied to the excitation coil and that outputs a first detection signal when the magnetization variation is detected; and a second output unit that detects that the sheet passes through a region downstream in the passage on the basis of a characteristic of the sheet without using the magnetic element and that outputs a second detection signal when detecting that the sheet passes through the region.
US08653811B2	Pipeline inspection tool with oblique magnetizer A pipeline inspection tool has an even number “n” of spiraled pole magnets spaced equidistant apart and spanning the length of the tool. Each pole magnet, which preferably has a conformable upper surface, is rotated or spiraled about the tool body so that a second end of each pole magnet is offset a predetermined amount “α” relative to a first end of that same pole magnet. The amount of rotation α applied to each of the pole magnets produces a magnetic field oblique to the central longitudinal axis of the tool body (and therefore the pipe) and one that covers 360° of the internal wall surface of the pipe. A helical-shaped array of magnetic flux sensors may be arranged about the tool body and substantially equidistant between adjacent pairs of pole magnets. The tool detects axially oriented, circumferentially oriented, and volumetric anomalies and allows for single pass inspection.
US08653810B2	Flexible magnetostrictive sensor A flexible printed circuit board (PCB) magnetostrictive (MS) sensor comprising a first direct current (DC) bias PCB layer comprising a first plurality of conductive traces, a first alternating current (AC) PCB layer disposed on the first DC bias PCB layer, the first AC PCB layer comprising a first AC coil, a pocket PCB layer disposed on the first AC PCB layer, the pocket PCB layer to receive a strip of MS material, a second AC PCB layer disposed on the pocket PCB layer, the second AC PCB layer comprising a second AC coil, and a second DC bias PCB layer disposed on the second AC PCB layer, the second DC bias PCB layer comprising a second plurality of conductive traces. The traces from the first plurality of conductive traces are electrically coupled to traces from the second plurality of conductive traces.
US08653805B2	Duty ratio/voltage conversion circuit A duty ratio/voltage conversion circuit that converts the duty ratio of an input signal into voltage level and outputs the voltage level includes: an input terminal to which the input signal is input; a first CR integrating circuit that integrates the input signal; a load resistor a first end of which is connected to an output point of the first CR integrating circuit, and a second end of which is grounded; and an output terminal connected to the load resistor. The first CR integrating circuit includes a first pathway that has a first resistor, and a second pathway in which a phase inversion portion, a second resistor and a first capacitor are connected in series, and is a parallel circuit in which first and second ends of the first pathway are connected to first and second ends, respectively, of the second pathway.
US08653804B2	Discontinuous conduction current mode maximum power limitation photovoltaic converter A discontinuous conduction current mode maximum power limitation photovoltaic converter connects to a ground and a solar cell having a temperature compensation signal and an output power and being solarized and includes a direct current/direct current voltage converter and a maximum power control circuit. The direct current/direct current voltage converter connects to the solar cell, includes an input terminal and an output terminal, offers a stable voltage and has an output voltage signal and an inner current. The maximum power control circuit connects to the direct current/direct current voltage converter and the solar cell, controls the direct current/direct current voltage converter to limit the output power of the solar cell to maximum and includes a temperature compensation feedback circuit, an output voltage feedback circuit, a current detection circuit and a main control circuit.
US08653802B2	Chopper circuit, DC/DC converter, and fuel cell system A chopper circuit includes an input unit that inputs a main turn-on signal for turning on a main switching element and an auxiliary turn-on signal for turning on an auxiliary switching element; and a prohibiting unit that prohibits the main switching element from turning on unless the auxiliary turn-on signal is input.
US08653799B2	Multilevel converter as reactive power compensator having active A multilevel converter has a plurality of converter strands, which are connected to the phases of a three-phase-network in a star or delta connection. From phase voltage values and phase current values, an active component characteristic of the overall active current and two asymmetrical components characteristic of a distribution of the overall flowing active and reactive currents are determined. The active and the two asymmetrical components are each filtered and multiplied with the phase voltage values and the two filtered asymmetrical components. The multiplied values are then weighed and added to the phase current values. From the asymmetrical components and the phase voltage values, a zero current is determined and added to the phase current values such that it symmetrizes a potential asymmetrical active current flow that would occur without the zero current. From the modified phase current values, a control state for the converter strands is determined.
US08653789B2	Method and apparatus for recharging batteries in a more efficient manner A battery charger including a converter unit, a terminal adaptor, a cable, a battery, and/or multiple power connectors. A terminal, such as an electronic device, can be connected to the converter unit using the cable or directly to the converter unit without the cable. The converter unit determines when to draw power from an external power and when to cease drawing power from the external power source by detecting a power enablement condition or a power disablement condition. The power disablement condition occurs when the terminal is fully charged, the terminal is disconnected from the converter unit, and/or a charge time of the terminal exceeds the predetermined charge time threshold. The power enablement condition occurs when the terminal is initially connected to the converter unit and/or the terminal needs to be charged. The battery supplies power to components of the converter unit and/or the terminal.
US08653788B2	Charging cable and charging system for electrically powered vehicle A charging cable includes a charging connector configured to be connectable to a vehicular inlet. The charging connector includes a lock button for locking the charging connector onto the charging inlet; a limit switch configured to be switchable, according to an operation onto the lock button, between a first state in which a control pilot wire and a ground wire are connected to each other and a second state in which a cable connection signal wire and the ground wire are connected to each other; and a lighting device configured to be capable of being driven according to a signal in a signal wire connected via a limit switch.
US08653787B2	Battery pack identification scheme for power tool systems A method is provided for identifying a battery pack that is operably coupled to a battery charger. The method comprises: measuring voltage at a plurality of designated terminals of a first battery pack while the battery pack is coupled to the battery charger; determining how many of the designated terminals are connected to a reference voltage, such as battery positive; and identifying an attribute of the battery pack based on how many of the designated terminals are connected to the reference voltage.
US08653783B2	AC motor drive device A circuit switching element is provided that switches a step-up/step-down bidirectional chopper circuit, arranged between a DC bus and a power storage element, to a first chopper circuit or to a second chopper circuit, whose step-up and step-down characteristics are in a complementary relation. The first and second chopper circuits are used together at a time of charge and discharge. Accordingly, an AC motor drive device having mounted therein a power storage system is obtained, in which the power storage system can perform charge and discharge to and from the power storage element, regardless of a bus voltage and can increase energy use efficiency.
US08653780B2	Integrated upsampler and filtering for multi-rate controller for electro-mechanical flight actuation system Presented is a system and method for controlling an actuator in a multirate control system using an integrated upsampler and filter, comprising an incremental command limiter for changing a command from a first control system into a limited incremental command in a second control system, a lead-lag filter for filtering the limited incremental command to attenuate high frequencies, and a feed forward path for reducing phase loss in rate output signal at low frequencies. In embodiments, a command position signal received at the sampling rate of the first control system is interpolated into incremental command position signals at the sampling rate of the second control system. Position error signals and rate error signals from the devices being controlled are used as feedback to further stability the control loops.
US08653777B2	Motor driving apparatus A motor driving apparatus includes: a threshold providing circuit that provides a plurality of power failure detection thresholds determined according to an installation environment of the motor driving apparatus, a selection circuit that selects a specified power failure detection threshold from the power failure detection thresholds, and a comparison and determination circuit that determines presence or absence of an occurrence of power failure by comparing a detected voltage of an alternating-current power input to a motor driving circuit and the selected power failure detection threshold. Consequently, it is possible to select the power failure detection threshold, which determines a detection reference of power failure in which alternating-current power input is interrupted, according to an installation environment, so that the abnormal end process in the case of an occurrence of power failure in which alternating-current power input is interrupted can be surely performed in any installation environment.
US08653776B2	Inverter control device Provided is an inverter control device that can detect momentary abnormality in a power-supply voltage for sure, and return quickly to regular state when the abnormality in the power-supply voltage has been settled. The inverter control device consists of a main power-supply (31); a sub power-supply (22) that converts electric power distributed from the main-power supply (31); a controller (21) that operates with a control power-supply supplied from the sub power-supply (22); a transistor (4) that makes the input signal of the controller (21) turn ON/OFF, by having the current between the emitter and collector made to turn ON/OFF; and a power-supply monitoring circuit (3) that is connected to the main power-supply (31) via at least a resistor (rD), and monitors the voltage of the main power-supply (31). The emitter terminal of the transistor (4) is connected to the ground, the base terminal of the transistor (4) is connected to the output terminal of the power-supply monitoring circuit (3) via a resistor (rB), and the current between the emitter and collector of the transistor (4) is made to be turned ON/OFF according to the output signal of the power-supply monitoring circuit (3).
US08653774B2	Motor driving circuit A motor driving circuit may include a Hall sensor configured to generate a Hall signal according to the position of a rotor of a motor to be driven; a Hall bias circuit; an analog amplifier configured to amplify the Hall signal; an A/D converter configured to convert the Hall signal into a digital signal; an amplitude control circuit configured to adjust the amplitude of the digital signal; a control signal generating unit configured to generate a control signal to be used to drive the motor; and a driver circuit configured to drive the motor according to the control signal. The components may be monolithically integrated on a single semiconductor substrate. The amplitude control circuit may include an amplitude correction circuit; and a target amplitude judgment circuit configured to adjust the gain of the analog amplifier.
US08653772B2	Control device for voltage conversion device, vehicle incorporating the same, and control method for voltage conversion device In a voltage conversion device of a motor drive control device, switching-control is performed so as to enlarge an output allowable voltage range of the voltage conversion device restricted by a dead time in a switching operation for an upper arm and a lower arm performing power conversion by a switching operation. Accordingly, restriction in the output voltage from the voltage conversion device, caused by the dead time, can be suppressed.
US08653763B2	Ventilator and its impeller A ventilator includes a base, a drive device disposed on the base, an impeller coupled to the drive device and driven by the drive device, and a cover assembled with the base to define a closed area between the cover and the base for receiving a first circuit board therein, wherein when an AC power source is input to the first circuit board to be converted, a DC power source is output to drive the drive device.
US08653762B2	Particle accelerators having electromechanical motors and methods of operating and manufacturing the same A particle accelerator including an electrical field system and a magnetic field system that are configured to direct charged particles along a desired path within an acceleration chamber. The particle accelerator also includes a mechanical device that is located within the acceleration chamber. The mechanical device is configured to be selectively moved to different positions within the acceleration chamber. The particle accelerator also includes an electromechanical (EM) motor having a connector component and piezoelectric elements that are operatively coupled to the connector component. The connector component is operatively attached to the mechanical device. The EM motor drives the connector component when the piezoelectric elements are activated thereby moving the mechanical device.
US08653760B1	Electric tea light device A programmable electric tea light device. The device features a light component mounted on a base. The brightness of the light component is adjustable via a potentiometer. A brightness adjustment control button is operatively connected to the potentiometer. The brightness adjustment control button functions to adjust brightness of the light component. Circuitry and a power source are both operatively connected to the light component. The circuitry comprises a timer and a memory component. The device also features a one-button programming interface for programming the timer to cause the light component to turn on and off at one or more times during a 24-hour period.
US08653758B2	Circuit for and a method of sensing a property of light In a circuit (1) for sensing a property of light there are provided a first circuit element (7) that is sensitive to light and that is realized to generate an output signal (I1) during a measurement time period (ΔtM), wherein the output signal (I1) is generated according to light to which the first circuit element (7) is exposed and the temperature (T) of the first circuit element (7), and a second circuit element (8) that is realized to increase the temperature (T) of the first circuit element (7) during a warming time period (ΔtW) that precedes the measurement time period (ΔtM).
US08653756B2	Electronic circuits for driving series connected light emitting diode strings Electronic circuits provide an error signal to control a regulated output voltage signal generated by a controllable DC-DC converter for driving one or more series connected strings of light emitting diodes.
US08653754B2	Current driving circuit A current driving circuit may include a reference voltage input terminal; a resistor connection terminal; an output terminal via which the light emitting element is connected; a reference voltage generating unit; a transistor arranged such that one terminal thereof is connected to the resistor connection terminal; and an operational amplifier including first and second non-inverting input terminals and a single inverting input terminal, and arranged such that the output terminal thereof is connected to a control terminal of the transistor, the internal reference voltage is input to the first non-inverting input terminal, the external reference voltage is input to the second non-inverting input terminal, and the inverting input terminal thereof is connected to the resistor connection terminal. When the external resistor is connected between the resistor connection terminal and a ground terminal, a driving current is output via the output terminal.
US08653753B2	Projection-type image display apparatus, lighting apparatus and lighting method realizing an extended lifetime A projection-type image display apparatus includes a high pressure discharge lamp, which utilizes the halogen cycle, and a lamp lighting apparatus that controls lighting of the high pressure discharge lamp. The lamp lighting apparatus performs lamp refresh processing to improve a lamp property. The lamp refresh processing involves performing low power lighting of the high pressure discharge lamp by changing the lighting power of the high pressure discharge lamp to a value that is lower than the rated power, and thereafter performing high power lighting of the high pressure discharge lamp by changing the lighting power to a value that is higher than the lighting power during the low power lighting.
US08653752B2	Light-emitting diode driving apparatus for suppressing harmonic components An LED driving apparatus for suppressing harmonic components is provided. First and fourth portions 21 and 24 are in parallel to the first and second LEDs 11 and 12, respectively. The first portion 21 controls the current amount in said first LED 11. The fourth portion 24 controls the current amount in said first and second LEDs 11 and 12. The first and fourth controllers 31 and 34 control the first and fourth portions 21, respectively. A current detector 4 detects a signal based on the amount of a current flowing from the first and second LEDs 11 and 12. A signal providing portion 6 provides a voltage based on a rectified voltage provided from a rectifying circuit 2. The first and fourth controllers 31 and 34 compare the current detection signal with the signal voltage, and control the first and fourth portions 21 and 24 based on the comparison.
US08653749B2	LED driving device Disclosed herein is a light emitting diode (LED) driving device for driving a multi-channel LED element or an LED array for each channel, the LED driving device including: a constant current driver driving currents flowing in each channel; and a minimum voltage selector receiving voltage levels of each channel and selecting a minimum voltage level to thereby feedback the selected minimum voltage level to the constant current driver, wherein matching characteristics of currents flowing in each channel is improved and a size of an integrated circuit (IC) chip is also reduced as compared to a case according to the related art, thereby making it possible to reduce a production cost and satisfy the trend of miniaturization of the chip, while solving a performance deterioration problem due to deterioration of the matching of the currents between the channels.
US08653748B2	Isolated capacitor drive circuit for thin-film solid-state lighting Solid-State lighting devices and fixtures are presented in which capacitor plates are formed in the fixture and in the lighting device to form AC coupling capacitors with one or more intervening dielectrics when the lighting device is placed in the fixture to power a driver circuit of the lighting device while providing a fixture with no exposed live wiring.
US08653747B2	Light emitting device and driving method thereof A light emitting device includes a plurality of light emitting modules and a plurality of voltage controlling circuits capable of being independently controlled. Each voltage controlling circuit includes a dynamic voltage controlling module, a current controlling module, and a luminance controlling module. The dynamic voltage controlling module is used for comparing a voltage level at a second terminal of the light emitting module and a voltage level of a reference voltage source, so as to output a first voltage. The current controlling module is used for adjusting a bias current flowing through the light emitting module, according to the first voltage. The luminance controlling module is used for comparing the first voltage with a clock signal, and for generating a pulse width modulation signal according to a result of the comparison, so as to dynamically control a duty cycle of the light emitting module.
US08653744B2	Driving circuit for LCD backlight source A driving circuit for a LCD backlight source comprising a BOOST structure which comprises a capacitor C12, a capacitor C13, an inductor L2, a diode D2, and a MOSFET, wherein the driving circuit further comprises a capacitor C11, a capacitor C14, a diode D3, and a diode D4. One terminal of the diode D3 is connected to one terminal of the capacitor C13, and the other terminal is connected to one terminal of the diode D4; the other terminal of the diode D4 is connected to one terminal of the capacitor C14 which is the output terminal of the circuit, and the other terminal of the capacitor C14 is grounded; one terminal of the capacitor C11 is connected between the inductor L2 and the diode D2, and the other terminal of the capacitor C11 is connected between the diode D3 and the diode D4.
US08653739B2	Circuit for operating light emitting diodes (LEDs) An improved control circuit arrangement and control method is described for supplying power to, and for controlling, light-emitting diodes used for illuminating. The control circuit arrangement includes a driver circuit capable of operating in multiple modes for providing an operating current for operating at least one light-emitting diode, wherein the operating current has different positive intensities. In particular, the present control circuit arrangement and control method now deliberately exploit the fact that the color spectrum of a light emitting diode is dependent on the intensity or current with which it is operated, and improves the color rendering index by deliberately operating the light emitting diodes with different intensities over time.
US08653738B2	Backlight module The present invention provides a backlight module, and the backlight module has an LED module which has a plurality of light emitting diodes averagely divided into a plurality of light strings. Forward voltages of the light emitting diodes are between a minimum forward-voltage value and a maximum forward-voltage value, and each of the light strings at least has one first light emitting diode and one second light emitting diode. The first light emitting diode has the minimum forward-voltage value and the second light emitting diode has the maximum forward-voltage value. The backlight module is contributive to lower power loss on a constant current control circuit.
US08653737B2	Controller for semiconductor lighting device A semiconductor lighting device has an array of semiconductor light sources arranged in an x-y grid, a power input in electrical connection with the array and arranged to provide power to the light sources, a microcontroller in electrical connection with the array arranged to alter operation of the array as necessary, and a connector in electrical connection with the microcontroller, arranged to provide an interface to the microcontroller. The semiconductor lighting device has a first interface to allow a first level of access to the microcontroller by an end user, a second interface to allow a second level of access to the microcontroller for maintenance operations, and a third interface to allow a third level of access to the microcontroller during production.
US08653735B2	Backlight module of liquid crystal display device The disclosure provides a backlight module applied to a liquid crystal display device. The backlight module includes: a control circuit for outputting a driving signal according to an analog adjustment signal or a digital adjustment signal; a driving circuit for outputting a lamp voltage according to the driving signal; a fluorescent lamp set, including a plurality of lamps, for receiving the lamp voltage and thereby generating a lamp current; a lamp feedback circuit c for outputting a feedback signal according to the lamp voltage; and a dynamic protection circuit, for dynamically adjusting a protection command signal according to the analog dimming signal or the digital dimming signal, comparing the protection command signal and the feedback signal and thereby outputting a comparing result signal to the control circuit.
US08653734B2	Light emitting device A light emitting device comprises: an LED; a LED holder having a LED mount, a radiation fin provided on a back side or a periphery of the LED mount, and an engaging part projecting from a center of the back side of the LED mount; a power circuit supplying drive power to the LED; and a body having an inner space for accommodating the power circuit, one end, and the other end where the LED holder is fixed, wherein the other end of the body has an engaged part engaged to the engaging part of the LED holder, and holding the LED mount and the radiation fin in a state of separation from the body; heat conductivity of the LED mount and the radiation fin is higher than that of the engaged part of the body.
US08653733B2	LED lamp tube The LED lamp tube includes a tube, an LED module, a power supply and a terminal connector. The LED module is accommodated in the tube. The power supply is electrically connected to the LED module and includes a first heating element at one side of the LED module. The terminal connector is electrically connected to the power supply and mechanically connected at one end of the tube.
US08653730B2	Light emitting element and display device using the same A light emitting element according to the invention comprises a plurality of layers which is interposed between a pair of electrodes, in which at least one of the plurality of layers is formed of a layer containing a light emitting material, and the layer containing a light emitting material is interposed between a layer containing an oxide semiconductor and/or metal oxide and a material having a higher hole transporting property than an electron transporting property, and a layer containing an oxide semiconductor and/or metal oxide, a material having a higher electron transporting property than a hole transporting property and a material which can donate electrons to the material having a higher electron transporting property than a hole transporting property.
US08653725B2	Spark plug for internal-combustion engine A spark plug that prevents a sharp increase in resistance of a resistor and materializes an excellent load life performance. The spark plug has a resistor formed by heat-sealing of a resistor composition that contains, at least, a conductive material and glass powder. The glass powder contains between 35.0 mol % and 69.8 mol % SiO2, between 15.0 mol % and 49.8 mol % B2O3, between 5.0 mol % and 20.0 mol % Li2O, and at least one additive selected from MgO, CaO, SrO, BaO, Na2O, K2O, ZnO, and ZrO2 in a total of between 2.6 mol % and 25.0 mol %. Further, the total content of Li2O and the additive(s) in the glass powder is between 15.2 mol % and 45.0 mol %, and the ratio of the Li2O content to the total content of the additive(s) is between 1.3 and 5.0.
US08653719B2	Active 3D.O.F. stiffness element A dynamic three-degree-of-freedom actuator/transducer element comprising at least three piezoceramic actuators and force sensors, as integrated stacks, which are preloaded in the housing by a low-stiffness tension bar, and are constrained, by means of a flexible shell, against shear force and torsion moment, whereby the element, when powered by external voltage source, is able to generate a dynamical axial force and displacement and dynamical bending and moment in the two principal tilt degrees of freedom around two orthogonal axes perpendicular to the principal displacement. When subjected to an axial force or a tilting moment, the transducer is able to generate charges that are proportional to the exerted force and moments.
US08653713B2	Magnetic circuit structure A magnetic circuit structure, such as a motor, is provided with: a rotor having rotor-side magnetic poles formed on the outer surface; and a stator having stator-side magnetic poles formed on the inner surface. The magnetic circuit structure has an air gap between the outer surface of a rotor-side magnetic pole and the inner surface of a stator-side magnetic pole in the location where the rotor-side magnetic pole and the stator-side magnetic pole face each other. At least one pair of a protrusion and a recess is created so that the outer surface of a rotor-side magnetic pole and the inner surface of a stator-side magnetic pole face each other through the air gap in the direction of the actual line of the rotation axis, and each pair of a protrusion and a recess has two or three steps in the direction of the radius around the rotation axis.
US08653712B2	Superconducting coil and superconducting rotating machine using the same A superconducting coil whose shape can be modified after it is shaped and a superconducting rotating machine with the superconducting coil are provided. The superconducting coil has an feature that the superconducting coil 1 comprising a superconducting material wire 5 coated with an insulation material and a coil frame 4 on which the superconducting material wire 5 is wound, the coil frame 4 comprising a first member 2 being a thin plate in a circular ring shape and a second member 3 jointed with an inner periphery portion of the first member 2, the first member inner periphery portion extending from the jointed portion toward an outer periphery of the first member, wherein the superconducting material wire 5 is wound between the first member 2 and the second member 3, which constitute the coil frame 4.
US08653711B2	Parallel wound stator A wound stator includes a plurality of windings, each winding including a primary lead and a secondary lead defined by free ends of the winding. Each of the windings being associated with a first, second or third phase. For each phase, a plurality of the primary leads are wrapped around a termination side of the stator to a common primary base lead to form a primary lead connection for the phase. For each phase, a plurality of the secondary leads are wrapped around the termination side of the stator to a common secondary base lead to form a secondary lead connection for the phase.
US08653708B2	Stator In the stator, a thermistor housed in a tube is arranged to be sandwiched between a coil end and a U-phase bus bar, allowing the thermistor to receive heat from above and below at two faces, that is a face of the U-phase bus bar and a top face of the coil end. Moreover, the thermistor can be placed substantially in close contact with the coil end. Accordingly, the temperature followability by the thermistor can be realized at high accuracy. As a result, there can be provided a stator having a configuration in which temperature followability of high accuracy can be achieved in measuring the temperature of a coil of a stator using a temperature detection element, and that can correspond to further downsizing of a rotating electric machine.
US08653701B2	Outdoor extension line socket enabling romote controlled timing power supply An outdoor extension line socket enabling remote controlled timing power supply is disclosed, comprising a socket body and a remote controller body, in which the bottom of the socket body is formed as a tapered body for sticking the socket body into the ground. The socket body consists of a socket, a display, a time adjustment button, an extension line plug and a socket power control circuit. In addition, the remote controller body consists of a time adjustment wheel, two switch control buttons and a remote control circuit. As the socket body being stuck on the outdoor ground, it is possible to provide electric power required for operations of an outdoor electronic device, and the power supply time of the socket body can be adjusted in accordance with the settings done by the remote controller body so as to designate the operation time of the outdoor electronic device.
US08653700B2	Circuit arrangement with a power input and an operating method for controlling a power input circuit A circuit arrangement with a power input and at least one power supply unit that generates a DC voltage for operating an electronic device including a power input circuit inserted between the power input and the at least one power supply unit that selectively disconnects or rectifies an AC voltage provided via the power input for the at least one power supply unit, wherein the power input circuit has at least one first semiconductor switching element that switches a first electrical load path with a current limiting element from the power input to the at least one power supply unit, and at least one second semiconductor switching element that switches a second electrical load path from the power input to the at least one power supply unit, and a power input filter, wherein the power input filter includes a first filter circuit arranged between the power input and the power input circuit and a second filter circuit arranged between the power input circuit and the at least one power supply unit.
US08653694B2	Junction box A junction box connected to a plurality of solar cell panels connected in series and under control a control device, includes a plurality of diodes, two ports, a switch, and a communication module. The plurality of diodes is forwardly connected in series to form a diode string with two ends, and each of the plurality of diodes is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of solar cell panels in parallel. The two ports are respectively connected to the two ends of the diode string and the plurality of solar cell panels, and output DC power of the plurality of solar cell panels. The switch is connected between the diode string and the two ports. The communication module is connected to the switch, and receives control signals from the control device to turn on or off the switch to control output of the DC power of the solar cell panels from the two ports.
US08653693B2	Integrated exciter-igniter An integrated exciter-igniter architecture is disclosed that integrates compact, direct-mounted exciter electronics with an aerospace designed igniter to reduce overall ignition system complexity. The integrated exciter-igniter unit hermetically seals exciter electronics within a stainless steel enclosure or housing. The stainless enclosure enables the exciter electronics to remain near atmospheric pressure while the unit is exposed to vacuum conditions. The exciter electronics include a DC-DC converter, timing circuitry, custom-designed PCBs, a custom-designed main power transformer, and a high voltage ignition coil. All of which are packaged together in the stainless steel enclosure. The integrated exciter-igniter unit allows for efficient energy delivery to the spark gap and eliminates the need for a high voltage cable to distribute the high voltage, high energy pulses.
US08653692B2	Dynamic load shedding system for a standby generator A method and system for managing electrical loads on a standby generator. The method includes utilizing a transfer switch control to selectively shed loads each associated with one of a series of priority circuits. Priority values are initially assigned to each of the electric loads based upon the initial hard-wired connection of the electric loads to a main breaker panel during set up. The control unit of a transfer switch allows the user to reassign priority values to each of the electric loads based upon a user preference. The control unit includes one or more predefined priority assignment programs that can be selected to modify the priority values assigned to the electric loads.
US08653690B2	Aircraft seat with shared control architecture The invention essentially concerns an aircraft seat (1), comprising control units (17.2, 22.2, 27), at least one node (11-15) to execute a particular action or function, and a display (22.1) for viewing video data. Said node (11-15) and said display (22.1) are capable of being actuated by the control units (17.2, 22.2, 27). A keyboard (17.1) for transmitting a command signal addressed to the control units (17.2, 22.2, 27) is connected to said control units (17.2, 22.2, 27). The control units are shared between the display (22.1), the keyboard (17.1) and the node (11-15).
US08653686B2	System for generating electric and mechanical power utilizing a thermal gradient A system for generating electric and mechanical power utilizing a thermal gradient includes a thermal gradient producing device in communication with a turbine generator. The system being configured to absorb heat energy from an outside environment, circulate the same through a circulation chamber and convert the heat energy into one or both of a mechanical force and electricity which can be fed back to the system itself or utilized by other devices.
US08653685B2	Method and control arrangement for controlling central capacitors in wind power plants The present invention relates to a control system and an associated method for controlling an amount of reactive power delivered from a wind power plant to an associated power supply grid, the control system comprising a wind power plant controller and a number of wind turbine controllers each being in communication with said wind power plant controller, wherein the wind power plant controller is adapted to provide a grid voltage reference in response to a required total amount of reactive power to at least one wind turbine controller and operating a Switched Capacitor bank.
US08653683B2	Device for controlling a double-fed asynchronous machine The invention relates to a device and method for controlling a double-fed asynchronous machine (4), preferably for a power plant, in particular for a wind or water power plant. The device includes an indirect converter (6) which is connected on the rotor side to the double-fed asynchronous machine (4). The indirect converter (6) includes a rotor-side converter (20) and a line-side converter (24). At least one control element (8) is provided for controlling the indirect converter (6). At least one software-based and/or hardware-based damping element (40, 46, 48, 120) is provided which has changeable damping characteristics.
US08653680B2	Power generation control apparatus When electric generators operate in parallel, field current control operations thereof are synchronized thereby to equalize load balance therebetween. A first power generation control device connected to a main electric generator and a second power generation control device connected to a subordinate electric generator are each provided with an external sensing terminal that detects an external voltage of each electric generator to which itself belongs, an output sensing terminal that detects a power generation voltage generated by each electric generator itself, and the external output terminal that outputs a signal synchronized with a field current control signal for each field coil of each electric generator. When the plurality of electric generators are caused to drive at the same time, the external output terminal of the first power generation control device and the external sensing terminal of the second power generation control device are connected to each other.
US08653679B2	Portable power supply having both inverter power supply and traditional power supply receptacles A generator for providing electric power. The generator includes an engine associated with an alternator. Rotation of the engine causes the alternator to generate an AC source voltage that is fed to at least one analog output receptacle. The generator further includes an inverter connected to receive the AC source voltage and generate a digital AC output voltage having a constant voltage value and a constant frequency. The inverter allows the engine to operate at less than full speed when an electric load is drawing a relatively low amount of power from the generator. The analog receptacle allows larger electric loads to be connected to the generator where the electric loads cannot be supported by the digital AC output voltage.
US08653677B2	Electromagnetic, continuously variable transmission power split turbo compound and engine and vehicle comprising such a turbo compound An electromagnetic, continuously variable transmission power split turbo compound includes a turbo compound turbine driven by exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine, and a power split device comprising a magnetic gear arrangement. The magnetic gear arrangement includes a high speed rotor comprising a first quantity of permanent magnets, a low speed rotor comprising a second quantity of permanent magnets, and a plural pole rotor between the high speed rotor and the low speed rotor. A first rotor of the high speed rotor, the low speed rotor, and the plural pole rotor includes a mechanical input drive adapted to be driven by the turbine. A second rotor of the high speed rotor, the low speed rotor, and the plural pole rotor includes a mechanical output drive. A third rotor of the high speed rotor, the low speed rotor, and the plural pole rotor is unconnected to a mechanical drive and includes a controlling rotor for controlling a ratio of input drive angular velocity to output drive angular velocity.
US08653676B2	Semiconductor package and method of manufacturing the same A semiconductor package including an internal package including at least one semiconductor chip sealed with an internal seal, an external substrate on which the internal package is mounted, and an external seal sealing the internal package is provided. Also provided is a method of manufacturing the semiconductor package including forming an internal package including at least one semiconductor chip sealed with an internal seal, mounting the internal package on an external substrate, and sealing the internal package with an external seal. The internal seal and the external seal have different Young's moduli, for example, a Young's modulus of the internal seal is smaller than a Young's modulus of the external seal. Accordingly, the semiconductor package is less susceptible to warpage and can be handled with relative ease in subsequent semiconductor package processes.
US08653674B1	Electronic component package fabrication method and structure A redistribution pattern is formed on active surfaces of electronic components while still in wafer form. The redistribution pattern routes bond pads of the electronic components to redistribution pattern terminals on the active surfaces of the electronic components. The bond pads are routed to the redistribution pattern terminals while still in wafer form, which is a low cost and high throughput process, i.e., very efficient process.
US08653670B2	Electrical interconnect for an integrated circuit package and method of making same An interconnect assembly for an embedded chip package includes a dielectric layer, first metal layer comprising upper contact pads, second metal layer comprising lower contact pads, and metalized connections formed through the dielectric layer and in contact with the upper and lower contact pads to form electrical connections therebetween. A first surface of the upper contact pads is affixed to a top surface of the dielectric layer and a first surface of the lower contact pads is affixed to a bottom surface of the dielectric layer. An input/output (I/O) of a first side of the interconnect assembly is formed on a surface of the lower contact pads that is opposite the first surface of the lower contact pads, and an I/O of a second side of the interconnect assembly is formed on a surface of the upper contact pads that is opposite the first surface of the upper contact pads.
US08653669B2	Semiconductor package A semiconductor package including a semiconductor chip; a base member on which the semiconductor chip is mounted; a plurality of leads formed on the base member, the leads including inner ends electrically connected to the semiconductor chip and outer ends; and an index for identifying locations of specific leads.
US08653668B2	Copper bonding wire for semiconductor device and bonding structure thereof A bonding structure and a copper bonding wire for semiconductor device include a ball-bonded portion formed by bonding to the aluminum electrode a ball formed on a front end of the copper bonding wire. After being heated at any temperature between 130° C. and 200° C., the ball-bonded portion exhibits a relative compound ratio R1 of 40-100%, the relative compound ratio R1 being a ratio of a thickness of a Cu—Al intermetallic compound to thicknesses of intermetallic compounds that are composed of Cu and Al and formed on a cross-sectional surface of the ball-bonded portion.
US08653666B2	Semiconductor storage device having a peripheral circuit region and a memory cell region A semiconductor storage device comprises a peripheral circuit region including a wiring layer having wiring patterns, a cavity formed in a non-wiring region between the wiring patterns of the wiring layer, and an insulating film forming at least a part of a wall defining the cavity, and a memory cell region.
US08653665B2	Barrier layer, film forming method, and processing system There is provided a film forming method for forming a film on a target object having thereon an insulating layer 1 that is made of a low-k film and having a recess 2 whose bottom surface is exposed to a metallic layer 3. The film forming method includes forming a first-metal-containing film containing a first metal such as ruthenium (Ru); and after forming the first-metal-containing film, forming a second-metal-containing film containing a second metal such as a manganese (Mn) having a barrier property against a filling metal to be filled in the recess.
US08653649B2	Device housing package and mounting structure A device housing package includes a substrate having a device mounting region; a frame body having a through hole formed in part thereof, the frame body being disposed on the substrate so as to lie along a periphery of the device mounting region; and an input-output terminal disposed in the through hole, having a first dielectric layer; a signal line formed on the first dielectric layer; a first ground layer formed on a lower face of the first dielectric layer; a second dielectric layer formed on the signal line so as to overlap the frame body; a second ground layer formed on an upper face of the second dielectric layer; and a metal layer disposed within the second dielectric layer The metal layer is formed to extend from the second dielectric layer to the first dielectric layer, being separated from the signal line.
US08653646B2	Stub minimization using duplicate sets of terminals for wirebond assemblies without windows A microelectronic element having a memory storage array has a front face facing away from a substrate of a microelectronic package, and is electrically connected with the substrate through conductive structure extending above the front face. First terminals are disposed at locations within first and second parallel grids of the package. The first terminals of each grid are configured to carry address information usable to determine an addressable memory location from among all the available addressable memory locations of the memory storage array. The first terminals in the first grid have signal assignments which are a mirror image of the signal assignments of the first terminals in the second grid.
US08653645B2	Semiconductor device comprising stacked LSI having circuit blocks connected by power supply and signal line through vias An object of the present invention is to sufficiently supply power to three-dimensionally stacked LSI chips and to dispose common through vias in chips of different types. Also, another object is to propose a new test method for power-supply through silicon vias. In order to achieve these objects, a semiconductor device includes: a first circuit block formed on a first semiconductor substrate having first and second sides extending in a first direction and third and fourth sides extending in a second direction intersecting with the first direction; a plurality of signal-line through vias that are connected to the first semiconductor substrate and transmit signals, which are output from the first circuit block, to a second circuit block formed on another second semiconductor substrate; and a plurality of power-supply through vias for supplying power to the first circuit block, and in the semiconductor device, the plurality of power-supply through vias are formed at edges of the first semiconductor substrate along the third and fourth sides and are formed in a plurality of rows in the first direction. Also, each of the circuit blocks has a power consuming mode in which power larger than the power consumption in a normal mode is consumed.
US08653642B2	Method for creating and packaging three dimensional stacks of biochips containing microelectro-mechanical systems Systems and methods of the present disclosure provide for three-dimensional stacks of microelectromechanical (MEMS) systems, such as sensors. The stacks may be encapsulated and sealed, and can be positioned within biological tissue, for example to monitor biological signals within the volume of the sensor, provide stimulating signals to a brain, and so forth.
US08653641B2	Integrated circuit device An integrated circuit device includes: a first chip including a first substrate and a main circuit formed on said first chip; a second chip stacked on the first substrate and including a second substrate that is independent from the first substrate, and a protective circuit for protecting the main circuit; and a conductive channel unit extending from the protective circuit and electrically connected to the main circuit.
US08653639B2	Layered chip package and method of manufacturing same A layered chip package includes a main body and wiring. The main body has a main part. The main part has a top surface and a bottom surface and includes a plurality of layer portions that are stacked. The wiring includes a plurality of lines passing through all the plurality of layer portions. Each layer portion includes a semiconductor chip and a plurality of electrodes. The semiconductor chip has a first surface, and a second surface opposite thereto. The plurality of electrodes are disposed on a side of the first surface of the semiconductor chip. The plurality of layer portions include two or more pairs of first and second layer portions in each of which the first and second layer portions are arranged so that the first or second surfaces of the respective semiconductor chips face each other. The plurality of electrodes include a plurality of first connection parts and a plurality of second connection parts. In the first layer portion, the plurality of first connection parts are in contact with the plurality of lines. In the second layer portion, the plurality of second connection parts are in contact with the plurality of lines.
US08653638B2	Integrated circuit package with multiple dies and bundling of control signals A package includes a first die and a second die, at least one of said first and second dies being a memory. The dies are connected to each other through an interface. The interface is configured to transport a plurality of control signals. The number of control signals is greater than a width of the interface. At least one of the first and second dies performs a configurable grouping so as to provide a plurality of groups of control signals. The signals within a group are transmitted across the interface together.
US08653637B2	Stack type semiconductor package apparatus A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor package having at least one first semiconductor chip and a first sealing member covering the at least one first semiconductor chip. The semiconductor device also includes a second semiconductor package stacked on the first semiconductor package. The second semiconductor package has at least one second semiconductor chip, leads electrically connected to the at least one second semiconductor chip, and a second sealing member covering the at least one second semiconductor chip. At least one signal connection member is disposed in the first sealing member of the first semiconductor package. The at least one signal connection member electrically connects the at least one first semiconductor chip with the leads of the at least one second semiconductor chip.
US08653634B2	EMI-shielded semiconductor devices and methods of making A wafer level package including a shield connected to a plurality of conductive elements disposed on a silicon wafer. The conductive elements are arranged to individually enclose micro-structure elements located on the silicon wafer within cavities formed by the conductive elements for better shielding performance. The shield and the conductive elements function as the EMI shield.
US08653632B2	System and method for conditioning implantable medical devices A method for passivating a biomaterial surface includes exposing the biomaterial surface to therapeutic electrical energy in the presence of blood or plasma. The biomaterial surface may be removably secured within a chamber of a treatment system, which communicates the therapeutic electrical energy to the biomaterial surface while interfacing the biomaterial surface with blood or plasma.
US08653631B2	Transferred thin film transistor and method for manufacturing the same Provided are a transferred thin film transistor and a method of manufacturing the same. The method includes: forming a source region and a drain region that extend in a first direction in a first substrate and a channel region between the source region and the drain region; forming trenches that extend in a second direction in the first substrate to define an active layer between the trenches, the second direction intersecting the first direction; separating the active layer between the trenches from the first substrate by performing an anisotropic etching process on the first substrate inside the trenches; attaching the active layer on a second substrate; and forming a gate electrode in the first direction on the channel region of the active layer.
US08653630B2	Layout for multiple-Fin SRAM cell The present disclosure provides a static random access memory (SRAM) cell. The SRAM cell includes a plurality of fin active regions formed on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the plurality of fin active regions include a pair adjacent fin active regions having a first spacing and a fin active region having a second spacing from adjacent fin active regions, the second spacing being greater than the first spacing; a plurality of fin field-effect transistors (FinFETs) formed on the plurality of fin active regions, wherein the plurality of FinFETs are configured to a first and second inverters cross-coupled for data storage and at least one port for data access; a first contact disposed between the first and second the fin active regions, electrically contacting both of the first and second the fin active regions; and a second contact disposed on and electrically contacting the third fin active region.
US08653621B2	Nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting element A nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting element LE1 or LD1 has: a gallium nitride substrate 11 having a principal surface 11a which makes an angle α, in the range 40° to 50° or in the range more than 90° to 130°, with the reference plane Sc perpendicular to the reference axis Cx extending in the c axis direction; an n-type gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer 13; a second gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer 17; and a light-emitting layer 15 including a plurality of well layers of InGaN and a plurality of barrier layers 23 of a GaN-based semiconductor, wherein the direction of piezoelectric polarization of the plurality of well layers 21 is the direction from the n-type gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer 13 toward the second gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer 17.
US08653619B2	Range sensor and range image sensor A range image sensor 1 is provided with a semiconductor substrate 1A having a light incident surface 1BK and a surface 1FT opposite to the light incident surface 1BK, a photogate electrode PG, first and second gate electrodes TX1, TX2, first and second semiconductor regions FD1, FD2, and a third semiconductor region SR1. The photogate electrode PG is provided on the surface 1FT. The first and second gate electrodes TX1, TX2 are provided next to the photogate electrode PG. The first and second semiconductor regions FD1, FD2 accumulate respective charges flowing into regions immediately below the respective gate electrodes TX1, TX2. The third semiconductor region SR1 is located away from the first and second semiconductor regions FD1, FD2 and on the light incident surface 1BK side and has the conductivity type opposite to that of the first and second semiconductor regions FD1, FD2.
US08653612B2	Semiconductor device An object of the invention is to provide a smaller semiconductor device of which the manufacturing process is simplified and the manufacturing cost is reduced. Furthermore, an object of the invention is to provide a semiconductor device having a cavity. A device element 3 is formed on a front surface of a semiconductor substrate 4, and a sealing body 1 is attached to the semiconductor substrate 4 with an adhesive layer 6 being interposed therebetween. A main surface (a back surface) of the sealing body 1 which faces the semiconductor substrate 4 is curved inward, and there is a given space (a cavity 2) between the sealing body 1 and the semiconductor substrate 4. Since the back surface of the sealing body 1 is curved, the sealing body 1 is used as a planoconcave lens (a reverse direction) as well as a sealing member for the device element 3.
US08653608B2	FinFET design with reduced current crowding An integrated circuit structure includes a substrate and a fin field-effect transistor (FinFET). The FinFET includes a fin over the substrate and having a first fin portion and a second fin portion. A gate stack is formed on a top surface and sidewalls of the first fin portion. An epitaxial semiconductor layer has a first portion formed directly over the second fin portion, and a second portion formed on sidewalls of the second fin portion. A silicide layer is formed on the epitaxial semiconductor layer. A peripheral ratio of a total length of an effective silicide peripheral of the FinFET to a total length of a fin peripheral of the FinFET is greater than 1.
US08653604B1	Multiple transistor types formed in a common epitaxial layer by differential out-diffusion from a doped underlayer Multiple transistor types are formed in a common epitaxial layer by differential out-diffusion from a doped underlayer. Differential out-diffusion affects the thickness of a FET channel, the doping concentration in the FET channel, and distance between the gate dielectric layer and the doped underlayer. Differential out-diffusion may be achieved by differentially applying a dopant migration suppressor such as carbon; differentially doping the underlayer with two or more dopants having the same conductivity type but different diffusivities; and/or differentially applying thermal energy.
US08653603B2	Semiconductor devices with peripheral region insertion patterns A semiconductor device includes a substrate including a memory cell region and a peripheral region and a field pattern including an insulating region disposed on a nitride liner in a trench in the substrate adjacent an active region. The field pattern and the active region extend in parallel through the cell and peripheral regions. The device also includes a transistor in the peripheral region including a source/drain region in the active region. The device further includes an insertion pattern including an elongate conductive region disposed in the substrate and extending along a boundary between the field pattern and the active region in the peripheral region. Fabrication methods are also described.
US08653599B1	Strained SiGe nanowire having (111)-oriented sidewalls A CMOS nanowire FinFET device structure and method of manufacturing the same are provided. The CMOS nanowire FinFET device structure includes a first plurality of fins and a second plurality of fins. The first and the second plurality of fins are formed in a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) layer over a buried insulator (BOX) layer. The first plurality of fins is formed in the first region and the second plurality of fins is formed in the second region. The CMOS nanowire FinFET device structure further includes a first plurality of nanowires formed over a top surface of each of the first plurality of fins and containing a first epitaxial layer. The first plurality of nanowires has a pair of facet surfaces. The pair of facet surfaces has (111) crystal orientation.
US08653597B2	Solutions for controlling bulk bias voltage in an extremely thin silicon-on-insulator (ETSOI) integrated circuit chip Solutions for optimizing a bulk bias across a substrate of an ETSOI device are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus for optimizing a bulk bias across a substrate of an ETSOI device is disclosed, including: a sensing circuit for sensing at least one predetermined circuit parameter; a charging circuit for applying a bias voltage to the substrate of the ETSOI device; and a processing circuit connected to the sensing circuit and the charging circuit, the processing circuit configured to receive an output of the sensing circuit, and adjust the bias voltage applied to substrate of the ETSOI device in response to determining whether the bias voltage deviates from a target amount.
US08653594B2	Double diffused metal oxide semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof The present invention discloses a double diffused metal oxide semiconductor (DMOS) device and a manufacturing method thereof. The DMOS device includes: an isolation structure for defining device regions; a gate with a ring-shaped structure; a drain located outside the ring; and a lightly doped drain, a source, and a body electrode located inside the ring. To increase the sub-threshold voltage at the corners of the gate, the corners are located completely on the isolation structure, or the lightly doped drain is apart from the corners by a predetermined distance.
US08653593B2	Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer provided with a gate trench, a first conductivity type source region exposed on a surface side of the semiconductor layer, a second conductivity type channel region formed on a side of the source region closer to aback surface of the semiconductor layer to be in contact with the source region, a first conductivity type drain region formed on a side of the channel region to be in contact with the channel region, a gate insulating film formed on an inner surface of the gate trench, and agate electrode embedded inside the gate insulating film in the gate trench, while the channel region includes a channel portion formed along the side surface of the gate trench and a projection projecting from an end portion of the channel portion closer to the back surface of the semiconductor layer toward the back surface.
US08653590B2	Vertical-conduction integrated electronic device and method for manufacturing thereof An embodiment of a vertical-conduction integrated electronic device formed in a body of semiconductor material which includes: a substrate made of a first semiconductor material and with a first type of conductivity, the first semiconductor material having a first bandgap; an epitaxial region made of the first semiconductor material and with the first type of conductivity, which overlies the substrate and defines a first surface; and a first epitaxial layer made of a second semiconductor material, which overlies the first surface and is in direct contact with the epitaxial region, the second semiconductor material having a second bandgap narrower than the first bandgap. The body moreover includes a deep region of a second type of conductivity, extending underneath the first surface and within the epitaxial region.
US08653587B2	Trench MOSFET having a top side drain This invention discloses a trench MOSFET comprising a top side drain region in a wide trench in a termination area besides a BV sustaining area, wherein said top side drain comprises a top drain metal connected to an epitaxial layer and a substrate through a plurality of trenched drain contacts, wherein the wide trench is formed simultaneously when a plurality of gate trenches are formed in an active area, and the trenched drain contacts are formed simultaneously when a trenched source-body contact is formed in the active area.
US08653581B2	HTO offset for long Leffective, better device performance Memory devices having an increased effective channel length and/or improved TPD characteristics, and methods of making the memory devices are provided. The memory devices contain two or more memory cells on a semiconductor substrate and bit line dielectrics between the memory cells. The memory cell contains a charge trapping dielectric stack, a poly gate, a pair of pocket implant regions, and a pair of bit lines. The bit line can be formed by an implant process at a higher energy level and/or a higher concentration of dopants without suffering device short channel roll off issues because spacers at bit line sidewalls constrain the implant in narrower implant regions.
US08653578B2	Semiconductor device comprising string structures formed on active region A semiconductor device having a string gate structure and a method of manufacturing the same suppress leakage current. The semiconductor device includes a selection gate and a memory gate. The channel region of the selection gate has a higher impurity concentration than that of the memory gate. Impurities may be implanted at different angles to form the channel regions having different impurity concentrations.
US08653577B2	Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes: a stacked body in which insulating films and electrode films are alternately stacked; selection gate electrodes provided on the stacked body; bit lines provided on the selection gate electrodes; semiconductor pillars; connective members separated from one another; and a charge storage layer provided between the electrode film and the semiconductor pillar. One of the connective members is connected between a lower part of one of the semiconductor pillars and a lower part of another of the semiconductor pillars. The one of the semiconductor pillars passes through one of the selection gate electrodes and is connected to one of the bit lines, and the another of the semiconductor pillars passes through another of the selection gate electrodes and is connected to another of the bit lines.
US08653575B2	Semiconductor device having vertical gate including active pillar A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming buried bit lines separated from each other by a trench in a substrate, forming a plurality of first pillar holes that expose a top surface of the substrate, forming first active pillars buried in the first pillar holes, forming a gate conductive layer over entire surface of a resultant structure including the first active pillars, forming a gate electrode by etching the gate conducting layer to cover the first active pillars, forming a plurality of second pillar holes that expose the first active pillars by partially etching the gate electrode, and forming second active pillars buried in the second pillar holes and connected to the first active pillars.
US08653571B2	Semiconductor device A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes: a semiconductor region on a semiconductor substrate, an upper face and side faces of the semiconductor region forming a saddle-like shape, convex portions being formed at both ends of a region including a saddle point in the upper face; a gate insulating film on the upper face of the semiconductor region except upper faces of the convex portions, and on side faces of the convex portions on a side of the region including the saddle point in the upper face; a gate electrode on the gate insulating film and including: a main body part located immediately above the region including the saddle point in the upper face; and leg portions leading to the main body portion and covering the side faces of the semiconductor region, a length of the leg portions being greater than a length of the main body portion.
US08653567B2	Chemically sensitive sensor with lightly doped drains A chemically sensitive sensor with a lightly doped region that affects an overlap capacitance between a gate and an electrode of the chemical sensitive sensor. The lightly doped region extends beneath and adjacent to a gate region of the chemical sensitive sensor. Modifying the gain of the chemically sensitive sensor is achieved by manipulating the lightly doped region under the electrodes.
US08653565B1	Mixed mode multiple switch integration of multiple compound semiconductor FET devices Various aspects of the technology includes a quad semiconductor power and/or switching FET comprising a pair of control/sync FET devices. Current may be distributed in parallel along source and drain fingers. Gate fingers and pads may be arranged in a serpentine configuration for applying gate signals to both ends of gate fingers. A single continuous ohmic metal finger includes both source and drain regions and functions as a source-drain node. A set of electrodes for distributing the current may be arrayed along the width of the source and/or drain fingers and oriented to cross the fingers along the length of the source and drain fingers. Current may be conducted from the electrodes to the source and drain fingers through vias disposed along the surface of the fingers. Heat developed in the source, drain, and gate fingers may be conducted through the vias to the electrodes and out of the device.
US08653563B2	Semiconductor device A semiconductor device includes: a substrate comprised of gallium nitride; an active layer provided on the substrate; a first buffer layer that is provided between the substrate and the active layer and is comprised of indium aluminum nitride (InxAl1−xN, 0.15≦x≦0.2); and a spacer layer that is provided between the first buffer layer and the active layer and is comprised of aluminum nitride having a thickness of 1 nm or more to 10 nm or less.
US08653562B2	Structure of a high electron mobility transistor An improved structure of the high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) and a fabrication method thereof are disclosed. The improved HEMT structure comprises a substrate, a channel layer, a spacing layer, a carrier supply layer, a Schottky layer, a first etch stop layer, a first n type doped layer formed by AlxGa1-xAs, and a second n type doped layer. The fabrication method comprises steps of: etching a gate, a drain, and a source recess by using a multiple selective etching process. Below the gate, the drain, and the source recess is the Schottky layer. A gate electrode is deposited in the gate recess to form Schottky contact. A drain electrode and a source electrode are deposited to form ohmic contacts in the drain recess and the source recess respectively, and on the second n type doped layer surrounding the drain recess and the source recess respectively.
US08653560B2	Semiconductor device and fabrication method thereof According to one embodiment, a fabrication method of a semiconductor device comprising forming a dummy gate with a gate length direction set to a [111] direction perpendicular to a [110] direction on a surface of a supporting substrate having Si1-xGex (0≦x<0.5) with a crystal orientation perpendicular to the surface set to the [110] direction on the surface, forming source/drain regions and forming insulating films on side portions of the dummy gate. Next, the dummy gate is etched with using the insulating films as a mask, and a surface portion of the substrate between the source/drain regions is further etched. Next, a channel region formed of a III-V group semiconductor or Ge is grown between the source/drain regions by using the edge portions of the source/drain regions as seeds. Then, a gate electrode is formed above the channel region via a gate insulating film.
US08653559B2	AlGaN/GaN hybrid MOS-HFET A field effect transistor (FET) includes source and drain electrodes, a channel layer, a barrier layer over the channel layer, a passivation layer covering the barrier layer for passivating the barrier layer, a gate electrode extending through the barrier layer and the passivation layer, and a gate dielectric surrounding a portion of the gate electrode that extends through the barrier layer and the passivation layer, wherein the passivation layer is a first material and the gate dielectric is a second material, and the first material is different than the second material.
US08653554B2	Phosphor placement in white light emitting diode assemblies A white LED assembly includes a blue LED die attached to a substrate. A first volume of a first luminescent material surrounds the blue LED die in a lateral dimension such that none of the first luminescent material is disposed directly over the blue LED die. The first luminescent material includes a relatively inefficient phosphor having a peak emission wavelength longer than 620 nm and includes substantially no phosphor having a peak emission wavelength shorter than 620 nm. A second volume of a second luminescent material is disposed over the first volume and the blue LED die. The second luminescent material includes a relatively efficient phosphor having a peak emission wavelength shorter than 620 nm and includes substantially no phosphor having a peak emission wavelength longer than 620 nm. Placement of the first and second luminescent materials in this way promotes removal of heat from the inefficient phosphor and reduces the likelihood of interabsorption.
US08653551B2	Light-emitting element A light-emitting element, a light-emitting element unit and a light-emitting element package are provided, which are each reduced in reflection loss and intra-film light absorption by suppressing multiple light reflection in a transparent electrode layer and hence have higher luminance. The light-emitting element 1 includes a substrate 2, an n-type nitride semiconductor layer 3, a light-emitting layer 4, a p-type nitride semiconductor layer 5, a transparent electrode layer 6 and a reflective electrode layer 7, and the transparent electrode layer 6 has a thickness T satisfying the following expression (1): 3 ⁢ λ 4 ⁢ ⁢ n + 0.30 × ( λ 4 ⁢ ⁢ n ) ≤ T ≤ 3 ⁢ λ 4 ⁢ ⁢ n + 0.45 × ( λ 4 ⁢ ⁢ n ) ( 1 ) wherein λ is the light-emitting wavelength of the light-emitting element 4, and n is the refractive index of the transparent electrode layer 6.
US08653550B2	Inverted light emitting diode having plasmonically enhanced emission An LED device having plasmonically enhanced emission is provided. The device includes an inverted LED structure with a coating of metal nanoparticles on the surface chosen to match the plasmonic response to the peak emission from the active quantum well (QW) emission region of the LED. The active QW emission region is separated from the metal nanoparticles on the surface by a thin n-type contact layer disposed on a top side of the active QW emission. A p-type layer is disposed immediately beneath the active QW emission region and injects holes into the active QW emission region. The n-type contact layer is sufficiently thin to permit a coupling of the surface plasmons (SPs) from the metal nanoparticles and the excitons in the active QW emission region. The SP-exciton coupling provides an alternative decay route for the excitons and thus enhances the photon emission from the LED device.
US08653548B2	Light-emitting device A light-emitting device comprising a light-emitting layer and a light exit layer. In this case, the light exit layer has a multiplicity of mutually parallel first areas, arranged in an inclined fashion with respect to the light-emitting layer. The light exit layer furthermore has a multiplicity of mutually parallel second areas arranged in an inclined fashion with respect to the light-emitting layer and in an inclined fashion with respect to the first areas. The first areas are transparent and the second areas are reflective to light emitted by the light-emitting layer.
US08653542B2	Micro-interconnects for light-emitting diodes The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a light emitting diode (LED) package. The method includes bonding a plurality of separated light emitting diode (LED) dies to a substrate, wherein each of the plurality of separated LED dies includes an n-doped layer, a quantum well active layer, and a p-doped layer; depositing an isolation layer over the plurality of separated LED dies and the substrate; etching the isolation layer to form a plurality of via openings to expose portions of each LED die and portions of the substrate; forming electrical interconnects over the isolation layer and inside the plurality of via openings to electrically connect between one of the doped layers of each LED die and the substrate; and dicing the plurality of separated LED dies and the substrate into a plurality of LED packages.
US08653535B2	Silicon carbide semiconductor device having a contact region that includes a first region and a second region, and process for production thereof A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a contact region 201 of a second conductivity type which is provided in a body region 104. The contact region 201 includes a first region 201a in contact with a first ohmic electrode 122 and a second region 201b located at a position deeper than that of the first region 201a and in contact with the body region 104. The first region 201a and the second region 201b each have at least one peak of impurity concentration. The peak of impurity concentration in the first region 201a has a higher value than that of the peak of impurity concentration in the second region 201b.

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