| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08660623B2 |
Mobile wireless device with integrated antenna and audio transducer assembly and related methods
A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing, a circuit board carried by the portable housing, a wireless communications circuit carried by the circuit board, and an audio circuit carried by the circuit board. The device may further include an antenna assembly including an antenna carrier frame coupled to the circuit board and defining a cavity therein, and at least one antenna element carried on the carrier frame and coupled to the wireless communications circuit. The device may also include an audio output transducer carried within the cavity of the antenna carrier frame and coupled to the audio circuit. |
| US08660620B2 |
Antenna built in mobile terminal
An antenna built in a mobile phone that includes a front case having, on its surface, an operation portion and a rear case arranged on the rear of the front case is provided. The antenna includes a bar-shaped support member that is made of a synthetic resin and is located in the rear case along an upper side of the inside surface thereof, an antenna element integrally formed with the support member, and a concave portion provided in the support member to avoid interfering with a strap retaining portion that projects into the rear case at the center of the upper side of the rear case. The antenna element is formed in such a manner that the antenna element straddles a gap between edge portions of both side walls of the concave portion to avoid interfering with the strap retaining portion. |
| US08660618B2 |
Wireless communication apparatus
According to one embodiment, a wireless communication apparatus includes a filter module, a generator, a first comparator and a power management module. The filter module is configured to transmit an uplink channel component among a received signal by an antenna. The generator is configured to generate an input voltage by using the uplink channel component. The first comparator is configured to output a first high signal when the input voltage is higher than a first threshold voltage, and output a first low signal when the input voltage is not higher than the first threshold voltage. The power supply management module is configured to change a power supply for transmission and reception of a wireless signal from an off state to an on state when the first high signal is continuously output for a minimum transmission time of an uplink signal or more. |
| US08660614B2 |
Method and system for messaging across cellular networks and a public data network
A computer program product for instant message communication in a wireless and non-wireless environment. A message is sent from a mobile unit device over a wireless communication network. The message includes a destination address, information associated with the mobile unit device's user, message content and message address. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device's user at the instant message system, the destination address is associated with an instant message function, the associated instant message function is executed at the instant message system using the information contained in the message content, if required as determined by the associated instant message function. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device's user, the destination address is associated with an instant message name, an instant message is created according to the message content and is sent to the user with the associated instant message name. |
| US08660609B2 |
Method and system for IP network admission control
There is disclosed a manner of controlling traffic by admission control in a communication network such as one operable according to GSM standards. When a call setup request is received from an MS, the BSC forwards the request to an MSC, which selects a MGw that is accessible to the BSC via an IP backbone. When notified of the MGw selection, the BSC runs an algorithm to assess the transmission quality of the IP backbone toward the MGw. The BSC then determines whether to reject the call setup request depending on whether the quality level is acceptable as determined by the algorithm. If the call setup proceeds, the MGw may run a similar algorithm to assess the quality of the IP backbone toward the BSC. The BSC and MGw may also check their own bandwidth limitations prior to running their respective algorithms. |
| US08660607B2 |
Apparatus, system and method for remote operation of a mobile communication device
Method, system, and device for remote operation of a wireless communication device. The method for remote operation of a wireless communication device using an accessory involves establishing a communication channel between the accessory and the wireless communication device, providing output to a user on the accessory, receiving user input on the accessory, processing the user input and generating control signals for transmission to the wireless communication device to initiate one or more actions on the wireless communication device. The accessory comprises a touchscreen for presenting information to a user and receiving user input. The accessory may optionally be a hinged accessory with a dual touchscreen. |
| US08660606B2 |
Prompt method for detachable element, mobile electronic device using detachable element and computer-readable medium thereof
A prompt method for a detachable element, a mobile electronic device using the detachable element and a computer-readable medium thereof are provided. The method comprises recording environmental information when detecting the detachable element is detached from the mobile electronic device. The method also includes determining whether the mobile electronic device conforms to a prompt condition according to the environmental information. The method further includes performing a prompt operation when the mobile electronic device conforms to the prompt condition. |
| US08660601B2 |
Communication system including base stations and terminal for multi-cell cooperative communication
Provided is a communication system for a multi-cell cooperative communication. A serving base station and at least one neighboring base station may communicate with at least one terminal through mutual cooperation. Each of the serving base station and the at least one neighboring base station may shift a phase of at least one element among elements included in a precoding matrix, using a phase shift matrix, and precode at least one data symbol. A terminal may feed back preferred phase shift matrix information to the serving base station, so that the serving base station and the at least one neighboring base station may adaptively determine a phase shift matrix. The terminal may calculate the phase shift matrix with small calculation amounts. The serving base station, the at least one neighboring base station, and the terminal may pre-store a plurality of candidate matrices with respect to the phase shift matrix. |
| US08660597B2 |
Systems and method for coordinated multipoint downlink transmissions
A method for determining antenna weights for use in transmitting data from a plurality of base stations to a user device is disclosed. The antenna weights are determined using an input covariance matrix (S), and the input covariance matrix is determined subject to a predetermined power constraint and a predetermined, non-zero interference constraint. |
| US08660594B2 |
Method and data card for shielding short message receiving function
The disclosure discloses a method for shielding a short message receiving function. The method includes the following steps of: storing parameters related to short-message-receiving-function-shielding in an Element File (EF) in a Subscriber Identity Model (SIM) card; performing inter-verification by utilizing the EF in the SIM-card and a Non Volatile (NV) random access memory in a data card to determine whether the SIM-card is applied to the data card; and when the SIM-card is determined to be applied to the data card, reporting the parameters related to short-message-receiving-function-shielding to a network during the process of attaching mobile terminal to the network. Compared with the conventional art, the technical solution of the disclosure can shield the short message receiving function without generating short message fee, so as to enhance the stability of the data service to a large extent and increase the flexibility for a subscriber in selecting the service type at the terminal. |
| US08660590B2 |
Unified view of short message service (SMS) interaction history with other channel messages based on case identifier in a customer relationship management (CRM) application
A method to provide a unified and integrated view of the SMS Interaction history with other channel messages (irrespective of the Interaction channel) based on Case ID (Case Identifier) in a CRM application. The method parses the incoming SMS message text for the Case Identifier. The Interaction Thread belonging to the same Case ID is retrieved from the CRM application database and the incoming SMS message is added to that Interaction Thread. The whole interaction history pertaining to the same Case ID is displayed on the CRM application user interface at one place along with latest received massage via SMS along with various other channels of communication in order to enable proper management of the customer interaction. In case there is no Interaction Thread having same Case ID, a new Interaction Thread is created and all subsequent messages are threaded to the new Interaction Thread. |
| US08660589B2 |
Apparatus and method for operating an idle mode in a wireless communication system
An apparatus and method for operating an idle mode in a wireless communication system. The method includes transmitting, by a Mobile Station (MS) to a Base Station (BS), a RaNGing REQuest (RNG-REQ) message for changing a paging cycle while operating the idle mode; transmitting, by the BS to the MS, a RaNGing ReSPonse (RNG-RSP) message including paging information to be changed; and operating a new idle mode by the MS and the BS according to the paging information transmitted and received while operating the idle mode. |
| US08660585B2 |
Method and device for controlling wireless communication terminal service based on positional area
A method for controlling wireless communication terminals based on location areas is disclosed, including: a wireless communication terminal obtaining its own current location information (101); using a service and function control table to deactivate services and functions that need to be restricted according to the obtained location information, and storing the location information and the deactivated services and functions (102); the wireless communication terminal re-obtaining the location information, activating restriction-cancelled services and functions or deactivating restricted services and functions according to the re-obtained location information, the stored location information and/or the deactivated services and functions; a device for controlling wireless communication terminals based on location areas is also disclosed, and the method and device can be used to control all the services and functions of the wireless communication terminal at the terminal side, so that controlling the wireless communication terminal is more flexibly and more targeted. |
| US08660583B2 |
Methods and systems for delivering travel-related information
Methods and systems are provided for delivering travel related information with an intelligent network. One method embodiment includes establishing a communication with the intelligent network through an access device, determining a location of the access device, and obtaining the travel-related information with the access device through the intelligent network, wherein the travel-related information includes data related to a location of the access device. Additional system and computer-readable media embodiments of the present methods and systems are also provided. |
| US08660582B2 |
System and method for electronic communications between users in a similar geographic location
A method and system are provided providing electronic communications between users in a similar geographic location. Mobile devices determine geographic location information based on signals received from external devices, such as GPS satellites or cell sites, and web browsers determine geographic location using external devices or third party software, such as Google Loader, or based on the IP address of the computer running the web browser. The system receives geographic location information from a mobile device or web browser in addition to a user-input message. The system distributes the message to users of the system with geographic locations within a predetermined distance from the geographic location that the message was input. |
| US08660581B2 |
Mobile device indoor navigation
A method for indoor navigation in a venue derives positioning of a mobile device based on sounds captured by the microphone of the mobile device from the ambient environment. It is particularly suited to operate on smartphones, where the sounds are captured using microphone that captures sounds in a frequency range of human hearing. The method determines a position of the mobile device in the venue based on identification of the audio signal, monitors the position of the mobile device, and generates a position based alert on an output device of the mobile device when the position of the mobile device is within a pre-determined position associated with the position based alert. |
| US08660580B2 |
Method of providing location-based service using location information of mobile terminal
Disclosed is a location-based service method using location information of a mobile terminal in a mobile communication system. In a location-based service providing method, second mobile terminals within a predetermined range of a first mobile terminal are searched for, status information and relative location information of one or more second mobile terminals found is collected, and display data comprising the relative locations and status information of the one or more second mobile terminals found is sent to the first mobile terminal. |
| US08660574B2 |
Generic positioning protocol
In an aspect, a generic positioning protocol (GPP) may be used to support satellite-based positioning methods and terrestrial-based positioning methods for different access types. A terminal may exchange a first GPP message with first information for a positioning method and an access type supported by GPP. The terminal may exchange a second GPP message with second information for the positioning method and the access type. Each GPP message may include at least one position element, and each position element may be for a specific positioning method. The terminal may obtain a position estimate for itself based on the second information. In another aspect, positioning may be performed based on measurements for cells of different wireless access types. In yet another aspect, received transmission times may be transformed to converted times based on common timing, which may be applicable for multiple wireless access types. |
| US08660573B2 |
Location service requests throttling
A technique to allow a server such as a location server to throttle concurrent or closely timed location requests for the position of a given wireless device such that within a certain time period preferably only one location request will be initiated to the positioning engine and the remaining closely-timed location requests will be buffered or cached. When a position for the given wireless device is returned per the outstanding location request, then the retrieved position will be used to respond to each of the buffered location requests. Thus, a plurality of location requests are satisfied with a single request to the positioning engine. By optimizing the use of cached position requests, throttling of location requests per the invention reduces network traffic significantly, increases the efficiency of a positioning server (therefore reducing business cost), and provides for an improved grade or quality of location based services in general. |
| US08660571B2 |
Positioning-triggered handover
A method for estimating the location of a terminal operating in a communication system having at least two networks having overlapping areas of coverage, each network supporting at least one method for estimating the location of the terminal, and the terminal being in communication with a first one of the networks, the method comprising: assessing which of the networks is likely to form the more accurate estimate of the location of the terminal; and if that is the first one of the networks, estimating the location of the terminal by means of the first one of the networks, and if that is a second one of the networks, handling over the terminal to the second one of the networks and estimating the location of the terminal by means of the second one of the networks. |
| US08660569B2 |
Semi-distributed, quality-of-service-based scheduling protocols, with minimum control plane signaling
Methods and apparatus for scheduling link resources in a wireless communication system are disclosed. In an exemplary method, a first scheduling policy vector, or SPV, is generated, the SPV including scheduling elements that prescribe a probability of use for each of several corresponding quantities of link resources. In some embodiments the link resources are LTE resource blocks. The SPV is transmitted to a mobile terminal for use in determining a quantity of link resource units to be scheduled in at least a first transmission time interval. The SPV may be transmitted along with a scheduling window parameter that specifies a period of applicability for SPV. |
| US08660568B2 |
Method and apparatus for interference control in a wireless communication system with hierarchical cell layout
A method and apparatus for interference control in a wireless communication system with a hierarchical cell layout are provided. The method includes acquiring edge-bands of femto BSs within an area of the macro BS, determining whether an MS receiving a service from the macro BS is located in an area adjacent to the femto BS, and, if the MS is located in the area adjacent to the femto BS, allocating, to the MS, an edge-band of the femto BS to which the MS is adjacent. |
| US08660566B2 |
UL FFR-based signal transmission method
The present invention relates to a method for transmitting control information in a multi-cell based mobile communication system, the method comprising: extracting information on a fractional frequency reuse (FFR) pattern that represents whether terminal transmission power for a plurality of frequency resource groups is boosted to apply uplink fractional frequency reuse (UL FFR) to a particular cell; and broadcasting power control information that is configured separately by each of the plurality of frequency resource groups based on the extracted FFR pattern. |
| US08660565B2 |
Wireless fault monitoring system
If a mobility aid develops a problem, the person controlling the aid may be unable to move or request assistance or call for help. Furthermore, even if someone was alerted to their predicament, that person may not be able to identify and thus rectify the problem expediently without expert assistance. A system (10) for monitoring for a fault in a mobility aid (12) includes a fault detector for detecting a fault in the mobility aid. The system also includes a signal generator (14) for generating a signal representative of the fault is also provided. A wireless transmitter (16) for transmitting fault signal, and a wireless receiver (18) for receiving the fault signal are also provided. The receiver is also operable for causing an alert to be sent to an operator that the mobility aid (12) requires attention. |
| US08660562B2 |
Radio communication system, communication control method, and base station and mobile terminal
A radio communication system includes first and second base stations that are capable of communicating with a mobile terminal and are also capable of communicating with each other. The first base station includes a first notification means configured to notify the second base station of first resource information indicating a radio resource which reduces interference from the first base station to communication between the second base station and the mobile terminal. The second base station includes a first allocation means configured to allocate the radio resource indicated by the received first resource information to communication between the second base station and the mobile terminal. |
| US08660561B2 |
MBMS feedback and neighboring cell measurement reporting
A method and equipment by which a mobile station receiving a point-to-multicast (p-t-m) transmission from a radio access network (RAN) of a wireless communication system communicates information to the RAN of use in the mobile changing to a neighboring cell for receiving the p-t-m transmission; in particular, the mobile station indicates to the RAN whether cell reselection parameters for the neighboring cell have been received, and/or whether neighboring cell information indicating parameters for receiving the p-t-m transmission in the neighboring cell have also been received by the mobile. In a typical embodiment, the mobile would indicate not only whether parameters for receiving the p-t-m transmission in the neighboring cell have been received, but which set of parameters have been received. The information of use in the mobile changing to the neighboring cell is communicated to the RAN in an acknowledgment message uplinked on a packet access control channel. |
| US08660557B2 |
System and method for transmitting/receiving neighbor BS information in a communication system
In a communication system, a base station transmits a message including neighbor base station information to a mobile station, wherein neighbor base stations in the base station include m first type neighbor base stations and n second type neighbor base stations, the message includes an identifier dedicatedly allocated to the mobile station when the mobile station can get a service from one of the n second type neighbor base stations, the first type is different from the second type, the neighbor base station information includes information on the n second type neighbor base stations, and each of m and n is an integer identical to or greater than 1. |
| US08660551B2 |
Look-ahead capability determination via device profiles
A network device may receive a call request message. The call request message may include information identifying a user to which the call is destined. The network device may further retrieve, using the information identifying the user, information identifying a device with which the user is associated. In addition, the network device may retrieve, using the information identifying the device, a first list of codecs that the device is willing to support, and establish the call to the device using a codec from the first list of codecs. |
| US08660550B2 |
Method and system for determining communication mode in a communication system
A method and system for determining a communication mode in a communication system are provided. The system and method include determining whether a first MS and a second MS are located within a preset area where P2P communications are available, estimating a first expected performance that can be achieved when the first and second MSs operate in a cellular communication mode, estimating a second expected performance that can be achieved when the first and second MSs operate in a P2P communication mode if the first and second MSs are located within the predetermined area, and selecting one of the cellular communication mode and the P2P communication mode as a communication mode between the first and second MSs by comparing the first expected performance with the second expected performance. |
| US08660541B1 |
Provision of location-based venue information
Various embodiments are directed to systems and methods for determining a neighborhood location of a person using a mobile computing device. The mobile computing device may transmit its location to an application server system. The application server system may perform at least one search of a venue database over a plurality of venue categories considering the received location and may determine a neighborhood location of the mobile computing device based on results of the search. |
| US08660539B2 |
Data collection and targeted advertising systems and methods
Embodiments of a mobile device and server system are described. The mobile devices communicate with the server system and present targeted content, such as advertisements to the mobile device users. The content is targeted based on usage statistics stored on the server system which were previously collected from the mobile device. The server receives the usage statistics collected from the mobile device, makes inferences about preferences of users by tracking application and/or content usage behaviors of the users, generates recommendations for advertisements targeted toward the users of the mobile devices based on usage statistics; and transmits the recommendations to one or more of the mobile devices for presentation to the user(s). |
| US08660534B2 |
Policy based controls for wireless cameras
A system and method provide parental and corporate control for a wireless camera. An administration authority web site is provided that enables an owner of a wireless camera to log into a server and establish a set of control policies that specify what actions on the phone are authorized for what user. The control policies are downloaded to the wireless camera, and the wireless camera is then operated such that a user of the wireless camera is only able to perform actions authorized by the control policies. In a further embodiment, a control policy is provided that requires the wireless camera to upload captured images to the server for review by the wireless camera owner. In addition, the images may be quarantined until the wireless camera owner authorizes their release to the user. |
| US08660533B2 |
System, method and apparatus for pairing SIM or UICC cards with authorized wireless devices
A wireless device and a process of authorizing a wireless device are disclosed. The process includes storing a list of authorized terminals within a memory accessible by a wireless device. The process further includes comparing the list of authorized terminals in the memory to at least one of terminal profile data and an IMEI of the wireless device and allowing network access if at least one of the terminal profile data and the IMEI are found on the list of authorized terminals and limiting network access if at least one of the terminal profile data and the IMEI are not found on the list of authorized terminals. |
| US08660532B2 |
User authentication method for access to a mobile user terminal and corresponding mobile user terminal
A user authentication method for access to a mobile user terminal including one or more movement sensor supplying information on movements of the mobile terminal, includes authenticating a user on the basis of a movement performed handling the mobile terminal. A test pattern of values is sensed by one or more movement sensor related to a movement performed in a predetermined condition corresponding to an action for operating the mobile terminal. In a biometric recognition phase the acquired test pattern is compared to a stored pattern of values obtained from the one or more movement sensor by a training phase executed by an accepted user performing the action for operating the mobile terminal. The comparison includes measuring a similarity of the acquired test pattern to stored pattern. An authentication result is obtained by comparing the measured similarity to a threshold. |
| US08660530B2 |
Remotely receiving and communicating commands to a mobile device for execution by the mobile device
Methods and systems are presented for remotely commanding a mobile device. In one aspect, a method includes receiving input identifying a mobile device, presenting to a user one or more remote commands corresponding to the mobile device, receiving user input selecting a remote command from the one or more presented remote commands, generating a remote command message instructing the mobile device to execute the selected remote command, and transmitting the remote command message to a server for publication in a message topic. Further, a selectable list of mobile devices associated with a remote management account can be presented to the user, the selectable list including information uniquely identifying each mobile device. Additionally, the selectable list of mobile devices can include an indication of whether an included mobile device is online. |
| US08660529B2 |
Mobile terminal for preventing illegitimate change of identification number by matching authentication information
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a method for preventing illegitimate change of an identification number of the mobile terminal. The method includes receiving, if change of an identification number is requested, and storing new authentication information and encoding the authentication information; determining whether a previously stored first authentication information exists; storing, if a previously stored first authentication information does not exist, an identification number, and storing the encoded authentication information as a first authentication information; and determining, if a previously stored first authentication information exists, whether the encoded authentication information corresponds to the first authentication information, and storing an identification number, if the encoded authentication information corresponds to the first authentication information, and performing error handling, if the encoded authentication information does not correspond to the first authentication information. |
| US08660527B2 |
Control of data call origination based on prior origination attempts
A wireless device receives a request to originate a data call, e.g., from the user or a higher layer application. If origination control is not to be applied, then the wireless device originates the data call immediately. Otherwise, the origination of the data call is controlled based on prior data call origination attempts that are applicable to the data call. For example, the wireless device may originate the data call immediately if (1) the most recent origination attempt was successful or (2) the most recent origination attempt was unsuccessful but a predetermined time period has elapsed since this unsuccessful origination attempt. If the most recent origination attempt was unsuccessful and the predetermined time period has not elapsed, then the wireless device may (1) wait until this predetermined time period elapses and then originate the data call or (2) reject the data call. |
| US08660523B2 |
Method of providing rate tiers in wireless communication systems
The present invention provides a method of providing rate tiers in a wireless communication system. Embodiments of the method include forming, at a network element in the wireless communication system, a statistical representation of resource usage for a user in the wireless communication system as a function of location and/or time using measurements of the user's resource usage at a plurality of locations. Embodiments of the method also include defining, at the network element, a plurality of rate tiers based on the statistical representation. Each rate tier indicates a rate for a different level of resource usage offered to the user. |
| US08660519B2 |
Apparatus, method, and computer program product for locating a mobile device
An apparatus, method, and computer program product are provided for permitting mobile devices to generate a location alert in response to receiving activation signals. The apparatus may receive a signal, determine if the received signal is a predefined activation signal representative of a location request, and generate an alert if the received signal is a predefined activation signal. |
| US08660515B2 |
Integrated wireless transceiver and audio processor
Circuits, methods, and apparatus incorporate both a wireless physical interface and audio processing unit on a single integrated circuit. The wireless physical interface may include a receiver, transmitter, or a complete transceiver. The audio processing unit is typically in communication with both the wireless interface and one or more wired physical interfaces. The integrated circuit may be as simple as a wireless physical interface and audio processing unit, or it may include other circuits such as graphics processors, networking interfaces, memories, or other circuits. |
| US08660512B2 |
High-frequency prestage and receiver
A filter stage for use in a receiver includes a switch with an input coupled to an antenna terminal, a first output and a second output; a first filter of a first type coupled to the first output; and a second filter of a second type different from the first type, coupled to the second output. A receiver includes a filter stage as mentioned above; and a switching unit coupled to the filter stage for controlling a switching state of the switch, to selectively connect the antenna terminal to the second output, depending on a selection signal. |
| US08660509B2 |
Mobile terminal station and synchronous control method
A mobile terminal station sets a fixed gain set value that is a predetermined gain value at initial synchronization and amplifies a received signal received from a wireless base station in accordance with the set fixed gain set value. Then, the mobile terminal station detects a synchronizing signal pattern from the amplified received signal, and controls to perform an automatic gain control by using the fixed gain set value as the initial value of the automatic gain control when the synchronizing signal pattern is detected and modifies the fixed gain set value when the synchronizing signal pattern is not detected. |
| US08660503B2 |
Transmitter
Embodiments provide a transmitter and a method for transmitting data via a combination of a first signal modulated at a first carrier frequency, and a second signal modulated at a second carrier frequency, different to the first carrier frequency. In one embodiment the transmitter includes a local oscillator and is configured to adaptively configure the local oscillator to operate at a first local oscillator frequency and an alternative local oscillator frequency, different to the first frequency, in dependence on a required signal strength of the first signal relative to a required signal strength of the second signal. |
| US08660500B2 |
Method and system for a voltage-controlled oscillator with a leaky wave antenna
Methods and systems for a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) with a leaky wave antenna are disclosed and may include transmitting wireless signals via one or more leaky wave antennas in one or more tank circuits coupled to one or more VCOs. The VCOs may be two-point modulated. Two modulating signals may be communicated to the one or more VCOs via varactors coupled to tank circuits on the one or more VCOs. The varactors may include CMOS transistors with source and drain terminals shorted together. The one or more leaky wave antennas may be integrated on the chip, on a package to which the chip is affixed, or on a printed circuit board to which the chip is affixed. The VCOs may be integrated in a phase-locked loop and an output of the one or more VCOs in the phase-locked loop may be fed back via a multi-modulus detector. |
| US08660499B2 |
Delivery system, delivery apparatus, terminal apparatus and method
A delivery system includes a delivery apparatus for delivering a common control signal to an area having one or more available communication systems and a terminal apparatus for receiving the common control signal transmitted from the delivery apparatus. The common control signal includes system information required to access the communication systems in the area, and the system information includes multiple control information items. The delivery system causes the delivery apparatus to generate a first common control signal commonly used in one or more areas, to receive a delivery request signal from the terminal apparatus requesting to deliver a certain control information item and to generate a second common control signal including the certain control information item to transmit to the terminal apparatus. Criteria to determine which of the control information items is to be included in the first common control signal are updated in accordance with a statistical tendency of the delivery request signals from the terminal apparatuses. |
| US08660496B2 |
Arrangement and technique for interference mitigation
In a telecommunications network. including a first cell with a first base station node having a first node controller component and a first radio network controller (RNC) component; a method of mitigating interference within the first cell including: the first base station node determining when the first cell is experiencing interference; and the first base station node determining which one or more adjacent cells is likely to be a source of the interference; and the first base station node initiating a command configured to effect a reduction in power used by the one or more adjacent cells. The determination of likely interference source may be by received total wideband power (RTWP) measurements or outer loop power control (OLPC) commands. Preferably the first base station node determines the likely source of interference via the user terminals within its cell which are currently in soft handover, in that the cell or cells that they are in soft handover with are likely to contain the source of the interference. |
| US08660492B2 |
Mobile terminal and method of controlling the same
A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the same are provided. The mobile terminal includes: a wireless Internet module; a short range communication module; and a controller for exchanging data through a first communication link using the wireless Internet module, wherein the first communication link is formed based on link data including maintenance information that acquires through a second communication link that forms with at least one other terminal positioned within a predetermined distance using the short range communication module. Therefore, a communication link using a wireless Internet module based on information acquired through a communication link formed using a short range communication module can be formed. |
| US08660487B2 |
Contactless data transmission
A contactless device having an energy antenna configured to transmit/receive an energy signal; and a data antenna configured to transmit a data signal. Also, a method for transmitting a contactless signal including transmitting/receiving an energy signal from an energy antenna of a contactless device; and transmitting a data signal from a data antenna of the contactless device. |
| US08660485B2 |
Near field communication device
Near field communication (NFC) devices may be required to operate at low power and so process small signals which are more susceptible to corruption by noise. An NFC device 100 is described having an antenna 10 which can be adapted to receive signal from a further NFC device. When a signal is received by the antenna, an input voltage is generated. A variable resistance element 12 is connected in series between the antenna 10 and an amplifier 14, which is adapted to increase the input resistance with increasing input voltage. By increasing the resistance when the input voltage is increased, the current drawn from the coil is reduced. This results in a lower overall power consumption of the device while maintaining reliable performance, because the higher input signal level is less susceptible to corruption by the noise generated by the variable resistance element 12, and the amplifier 14. |
| US08660483B2 |
Antenna switching system and antenna switching method
According to one embodiment, an antenna switching system includes a (a≧3) antennas and a selector. The selector selects b1 (2≦b1 |
| US08660482B2 |
Broadband satellite with dual frequency conversion and bandwidth aggregation
A broadband satellite having a payload subsystem configured to provide dual frequency conversion and bandwidth aggregation is communicatively coupled (i) to at least one gateway by a feeder link operating at a first frequency band; and (ii) to a plurality of user terminals by user links operating at a second frequency band. The payload subsystem has a first and a second frequency converter a satellite feeder link antenna feed, and a satellite user link antenna feed. The first frequency converter down converts, to a third frequency band, as an aggregated block, signals received at the satellite feeder link antenna feed from the gateway via the feeder link. The third frequency band is substantially lower than both the first and second frequency band. The down converted signals are routed to the second frequency converter for up converting to the second frequency band for transmission over the user link to the user terminals. |
| US08660480B2 |
Methods and systems for relaying out of range emergency information
A report message may be transmitted with collaborated information related to the occurrence of an emergency event. A plurality of devices, such as mobile communications devices, that are out of range of a communications network can communicate via direct communication, such as device-to-device communication, to corroborate characteristics that are indicative of an occurrence of an emergency event. Information related to the occurrence may be collaborated amongst the plurality of devices. A transmitting device, which may be one of the plurality of devices that corroborates characteristics or collaborates information, may generate and transmit the report message comprising the collaborated information. A receiving device may provide the message over a communications network, or the report message may continue to be handed off between devices capable of direct communication, the message eventually reaching a device that is within range of the communications network. |
| US08660474B2 |
Image forming apparatus having fixing device with air nozzle for separating sheet
An image forming apparatus including a fixing device to fix a toner image on a recoding medium; a compressed air generator to generate a compressed air; an air nozzle to inject the compressed air to separate the recording medium having the fixed toner image from the fixing device; a first switching unit to switch the air nozzle between injection and termination, which is provided upstream from the air nozzle; and a buffer unit to retain the compressed air, which is provided upstream from the air nozzle and downstream from the first switching unit. |
| US08660472B2 |
Developing roller, process cartridge, and electrophotographic apparatus
Provided is a developing roller in which: even when the roller is stored under a high-temperature, high-humidity environment over a long period of time, bleeding is suppressed; and the fusion of toner to its surface upon repeated output of images under low temperature and low humidity is suppressed. The developing roller includes: a mandrel; an elastic layer on an outer periphery of the mandrel; and a surface layer on an outer periphery of the elastic layer, in which: the surface layer contains carbon black and a polyester-polyurethane resin containing a specific structure; and the surface layer has a storage modulus E′ as measured at a temperature of 0° C. and a frequency of 10 Hz of 5 MPa or more and 20 MPa or less. |
| US08660471B2 |
Developer supply device and image forming apparatus having the same
A developer supply device is provided, which includes a developer retrieving member disposed to face a developer holding surface of a developer holding member across a predetermined distance in a position downstream relative to a developer supply position where the developer holding member faces an intended device to be supplied with development agent in a direction perpendicular to a main scanning direction parallel to an axial direction of the developer holding member. The developer retrieving member is driven to rotate around an axis parallel to the main scanning direction and configured to retrieve the development agent from the developer holding surface under a retrieving electric field that is generated when a retrieving voltage is applied between the developer retrieving member and the developer holding member. |
| US08660468B2 |
Developing device including refill operation
A developing device is refilled with an initial developer while the developing device and a photoreceptor are maintained within an image forming apparatus in the same state as in an image forming process. When refilling the developing device, a control unit of the image forming apparatus first drives a stirring feed member (screw) to feed the initial developer into the developing device, and then drives a developer carrier (developing roller) and a latent image carrier (photoreceptor) to supply the developer onto the developer carrier. |
| US08660467B2 |
Electrophotographic printer development system with multiple augers
A development system (10) for an electrophotographic printer (100) with multiple augers containing a development roller (11), a first channel (12) containing a feed auger (13), and a second channel (19) containing a mixing auger (20) with the second channel having regions optimized for either developer mixing or developer transport. Optimizing the regions of the second channel for mixing and transport ensures that a homogeneous developer is steadily provided to the first channel and the development roller, thus enabling the production of uniform, high-quality images. |
| US08660462B2 |
Image forming apparatus with replaceable member
An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body including a positioning portion, a replaceable member that is provided so as to be attachable to and detachable from the apparatus body, and has a portion to be positioned that comes into contact with and is positioned by the positioning portion at least at one longitudinal end, and an urging mechanism that urges the portion to be positioned toward the positioning portion, wherein when the position of the replaceable member in a longitudinal direction is determined, the replaceable member is mounted on the apparatus body as the urging mechanism is switched from the state where the urging force of the urging mechanism does not act to the state where the urging force of the urging mechanism acts so that the positioning portion and the portion to be positioned come into contact with each other. |
| US08660459B2 |
Drum unit having side seals and image-forming apparatus including the same
In some embodiments, a drum unit may include an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a base member and a photosensitive layer on the base member. An embodiment may include a cleaning blade configured to abut the photosensitive layer to remove a developer remaining on the photosensitive layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member. Some embodiments may include side seals disposed at both ends of the cleaning blade to inhibit leakage of the developer. In some embodiments, a portion of a side seal may be in contact with at least a portion of the surface and an end face of the photosensitive layer. |
| US08660455B2 |
Image formation apparatus
An image formation apparatus includes: an image formation unit configured to form a developer image; an image transfer unit configured to transfer the developer image from the image formation unit to a recording medium; a fixation unit having a heater to fix the developer image to the recording medium; a duct provided between the image formation unit and the fixation unit, the duct comprising a first circumference section made of heat conductive material and a second circumference section made of heat insulation material; and a fan to flow air through the duct. |
| US08660452B2 |
Power supply system and image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer member, and a power supply unit that outputs a voltage to the transfer member. The power supply unit includes a first voltage generation circuit that includes a piezoelectric transformer driven at a drive frequency within a predetermined frequency area to output a first voltage having a predetermined polarity, and a second voltage generation circuit that outputs a second voltage with a polarity opposite to the predetermined polarity. In addition, a control unit controls the power supply unit to output a superposed voltage as a voltage having the predetermined polarity and corresponding to a voltage output from the piezoelectric transformer by driving the piezoelectric transformer at a driven frequency out of range of the predetermined frequency area, with the superposed voltage being a voltage in which the first voltage and the second voltage are superposed. |
| US08660447B2 |
Multi-pass image forming apparatus having voltage divider
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of developing devices to develop toners of different colors on an image carrier; a power supply to supply the plurality of developing devices with a first voltage to develop the toners on the image carrier; a switching unit to connect the power supply to one of the plurality of developing devices; and a voltage divider to supply some of the other developing devices that are not connected to the power supply with a second voltage to prevent toner development and to supply any other remaining developing device with a third voltage, an absolute value of which is less then an absolute value of the second voltage. |
| US08660442B2 |
Method and apparatus for premature consumable replacement detection on printing systems
According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided an apparatus and method to detect when a consumable such as a toner bottle is replaced before end of life (EOL), throwing out toner that could be used for future printing incurs a cost. In metered accounts, the supplier incurs the cost of this waste. This disclosed process proposes monitoring the approximate rate of toner and then calculating the average amount of consumption per bottle since the last time the bottle was detected as empty. This then determines the toner consumption per bottle yield rate. Yield rate (YR) is calculated based on the estimated amount of toner delivered from a known bottle quantity at the point when the current bottle goes empty. The yield rate is displayed as a gauge on the user interface of the printer. |
| US08660441B2 |
Information storage device, removable device, developer container, and image forming apparatus
An information storage device installed in a removable device configured to be removably installed in an image forming apparatus body, includes: an information storage unit that stores information communicated between the image forming apparatus body and the removable device; a terminal that comes in contact with a body side terminal; and a substrate that holds the information storage unit and the terminal and includes a hole configured to be engaged with a protruding section installed in the image forming apparatus body. The terminal includes a plurality of terminals each including one of a plurality of metallic plates arranged in a transverse direction thereof. An earth terminal, which comes in contact with a body side earth terminal formed in the protruding section, is formed in the hole. The hole is disposed at a position sandwiched between two metallic plates among the plurality of metallic plates. |
| US08660433B2 |
Pilot-assisted data transmission in a coherent optical-communication system
In one embodiment, an optical transmission system transmits data using a format according to which a data frame has two or more pilot-symbol blocks, each having a guard interval, and two or more payload-symbol blocks that are concatenated without a guard interval between them. The use of guard intervals in the pilot-symbol blocks helps the synchronization and channel-estimation procedures performed at a receiver of the optical transmission system to be robust in the presence of certain transmission impairments. The absence of guard intervals in the payload-symbol blocks helps to minimize the transmission overhead and thus achieve relatively high payload-data throughput. Pilot-symbol blocks have a structure that enables the receiver to determine channel-response characteristics for each data frame and then apply appropriate channel-response-compensation procedures to signals corresponding to the payload-symbol blocks of the frame to recover, with a relatively low bit-error rate, the data encoded in those signals. |
| US08660428B2 |
Variable channel spacing in a coherent transmission system
The present disclosure provides a transmission system, apparatus and method to provide for variable channel spacing in multiplexed or combined optical signals for transmission over a network infrastructure. The channel spacing may be monitored and maintained at desired values in order to maximize the channel density under various conditions related to the network infrastructure. The individual carrier frequencies associated with each signal channel of the transmission system may be individually controlled to define the desired channel. The channel spacing may be altered to provide for higher channel densities increasing system capacity, or to provide for lower channel densities improving the overall reach of the transmission system. The channel spacing may be continuously monitored and maintained at desired values allowing for rapid and automated reconfiguration of the transmission system, which may result in maximized capacity and reduced costs. |
| US08660427B2 |
Method and apparatus of the architecture and operation of control processing unit in wavelenght-division-multiplexed photonic burst-switched networks
A method and apparatus for control and data burst routing in WDM photonic burst-switched network is disclosed. In one embodiment, only the control bursts and network management labels are going through optical-electrical-optical conversion inside the photonic burst switching (PBS) module. The building blocks of the control processing unit inside the PBS module may include input and output buffers, control burst parser, burst scheduler, PBS configuration and control, contention resolution, forwarding engine, network management controller, control burst generator, and queue manager. The contention resolution block may be used to resolve resource contention between multiple data bursts. Such contention resolution may take the form of adding additional delays to one of the data bursts, changing one of the data bursts to an alternate wavelength, or dropping some of the data bursts based on various criteria such as relative priority and wavelength. |
| US08660422B2 |
Combined communication and broadcasting dual switching system and method
Disclosed herein are a combined communication and broadcasting dual switching system and method. The system includes broadcasting transmission means, an Optical Line Terminal (OLT), an optical detection unit, an active path determination unit, an optical switch unit, and a combining unit. The broadcasting transmission means converts a Radio Frequency (RF) broadcast signal into an optical signal. The OLT includes dual lines and selectively outputs an Internet data signal. The optical detection unit detects a line from which the Internet data signal is being output. The active path determination unit determines that the line is an active path. The optical switch unit receives the optical signal from the broadcasting transmission means, and switches to the active path. The combining unit receives the optical signal output after having been switched, receives the Internet data signal from the OLT, and multiplexes the received optical signal and the received Internet data signal. |
| US08660418B2 |
Apparatus and method of adjusting automatic focus
An apparatus and method of adjusting an auto focus are provided. The apparatus includes: an imaging pickup device for generating an image signal by capturing light passing through an imaging lens; a shutter for controlling light exposure of the image pickup device; a focus detector that calculates a contrast value from the image signal and detecting a focus from the contrast value; and a release controller for controlling a release operation constituting a photographing operation of a still image, wherein the release controller includes, as driving modes, a first mode that directs a focus lens included in the imaging lens to be driven while driving the shutter, and a second mode that directs the focus lens not to be driven while driving the shutter. Accordingly, a photographing time is reduced. |
| US08660417B2 |
Drive motor, image blur correction unit, and imaging apparatus
A drive motor includes: an output shaft provided as an axis of rotation; a first attachment plate having a first fixing hole; a second attachment plate having a second fixing hole and located in a position separate from the first attachment plate in an axial direction of the output shaft; a magnet attached to one surface of the first attachment plate; a coil attached to one surface of the second attachment plate and facing the magnet; a first shaft holding member that is inserted into the first fixing hole and fixed to the first attachment plate and holds the output shaft; and a second shaft holding member that is inserted into the second fixing hole and fixed to the second attachment plate and holds the output shaft. |
| US08660414B2 |
Thermal processor employing radiant heater
A thermal processor including a rotatable hollow drum including a drum core having an interior surface and an exterior surface, and a radiant heater positioned within an interior of the drum and configured to provide radiant energy to heat the drum, wherein at least one radiant energy absorption characteristic of the interior of the drum varies across its longitudinal width Wd so that selected areas of the interior of the drum absorb more radiant energy than other areas of the interior of the drum so as to compensate for non-uniform heat loss from the drum and to provide the exterior surface of the drum core at a desired temperature which is substantially uniform across the longitudinal width of the drum core. |
| US08660410B2 |
Closed caption tagging system
A closed caption tagging system provides a mechanism for inserting tags into an audio or video television broadcast stream prior to or at the time of transmission. The tags contain command and control information that the receiver translates and acts upon. The receiver receives the broadcast stream and detects and processes the tags within the broadcast stream which is stored on a storage device that resides on the receiver. Program material from the broadcast stream is played back to the viewer from the storage device. Tags indicate the start and end points of a program segment. Program segments such as commercials are automatically replaced by the receiver with new program segments that are selected based on various criteria. |
| US08660408B2 |
Method and system for altering the presentation of broadcast content
A method and system for altering a presentation of broadcast content is disclosed. Embodiments provide an accurate and efficient mechanism for suppressing advertisements by using downloaded templates to identify advertisements before suppression for a duration indicated by information downloaded about the advertisement, where the suppression is effectuated by controlling a display or set-top box using remote-control functionality. In one embodiment, a digital signal comprising broadcast content is accessed. A plurality of templates are received and stored, wherein each template represents a known portion of the broadcast content. The digital signal is then compared against a portion of the plurality of stored templates. Upon a match, a control signal operable to alter a component of a presentation of the known portion of the broadcast content is generated. |
| US08660405B2 |
Data processing device
The possibility that one who is not accustomed with manipulation may cause inadvertent alteration or deletion by using an easy-remote control is reduced.A data processing apparatus includes a reception section for distinguishably receiving a first remote control signal sent from a first remote control and a second remote control signal sent from a second remote control; a processor for generating image data representing a list of contents by using, from a storage medium on which content-related information is recorded, information being read from the storage medium, such that image data representing a different list of contents is generated depending on whether the first remote control signal is received or the second remote control signal is received; and an output section for outputting the image data representing the list of contents. |
| US08660404B2 |
Reproducing apparatus
A reproducing apparatus includes a reproducing section picking up any signals compressed in a plurality of different compression methods from a recording medium. The recording medium records the signals compressed in a plurality of different compression methods and record management information denoting association of the signals compressed in a plurality of different compression methods with each other, respectively. A decoding section decodes the signal picked up from said recording medium, and a recording section records reproduction management information including reproduction-interruption information in the reproducing section associated with the record management information onto the recording medium. |
| US08660399B2 |
Linearity calibration standard for fiber optic power meters
An integrated, more automated system for determining the linearity of measurements of fiber optic power meters reduces the time and expense needed for linearity calibration. The system uses the triplet superposition method of linearity calibration and aids in performing the necessary series of measurements. A linearity measurement system for an optical power meter comprises an apparatus to output an optical signal to the optical power meter, the apparatus configured to output the optical signal at a controllable plurality of optical powers, a controller for controlling an optical power output from the apparatus to the optical power meter, a display device for displaying a state of the apparatus based on information from the controller, and an input device for commanding the controller to control the optical power output from the apparatus to the optical power meter. |
| US08660398B2 |
Optical transition box
The present invention embraces an optical transition box for housing the connection between a riser cable and a drop cable of an optical access network. The box has a base, which itself typically includes: a bottom for housing the excess lengths of the optical fibers of the riser cable and of the drop cable, a first sidewall and a splice-holder element for housing the splices between the optical fibers. Typically, the splice-holder element is fixed to the first sidewall and overhangs above the bottom. A distance not less than the diameter of an optical fiber is typically provided between the bottom and the splice-holder element. |
| US08660395B2 |
Highly nonlinear optical waveguide structure with enhanced nonlinearity and mechanical robustness
There is described an optical waveguide structure exhibiting nonlinear properties, a method of fabricating such, and an optical coupling device made of two of such optical waveguide structures. The optical waveguide structure comprises an optical waveguide portion made of a light transmitting material for supporting a light mode traveling therein. The light transmitting material has an intrinsic nonlinearity parameter suitable for inducing a nonlinearity on the light mode, and the optical waveguide portion having a diameter sized to securely confine the light mode therein and to increase the nonlinearity on the light mode. The optical waveguide structure also has a coating surrounding the optical waveguide portion to mechanically support or to protect the optical waveguide portion from surface damage. |
| US08660394B2 |
Optical cable with dry core and dry buffer tubes
An optical fiber cable includes at least one buffer tube that includes a plurality of water-blocking plugs and an optical fiber. The water-blocking plugs can be spaced along the buffer tubes, substantially filling the cross-sectional space within the buffer tube not already filled by the optical fiber. The water-blocking plugs can provide a stronger bond between the optical fibers and the inner tube. This is reflected by a high normalized pullout force for the optical fiber, such as, above 5.0 N/m. Yet, the resulting fiber optic cable does not suffer from problems associated with a higher pullout force, such as attenuation. |
| US08660391B1 |
Heterogeneous waveguide integrated optical isolator and circulator utilizing one or more optical grating couplers
Embodiments of the invention utilize optical structures created by processes in the wafer fabrication foundry to form optical isolators and circulators. Grating coupling structures are utilized to couple light having a chosen polarization component into free space through non-reciprocal rotation material; said light is captured by another set of grating coupling structures after experiencing a 45 degree rotation of the polarization. By non-reciprocally rotating the polarization, the input and output ports of the optical isolator will be different depending on the direction of the light propagation.The amount of non-reciprocal rotation material utilized by embodiments of the invention may be small, and the grating coupling structures may be efficiently made to couple to each other as their field profiles may be matched and their position may be precisely defined by lithographic means. |
| US08660389B2 |
Optical connector and optical tomographic imaging apparatus
Provided are an optical connector and an optical tomographic imaging apparatus, by which no noise occurs and a high quality image without a distortion can be obtained. In the optical connector, optical fibers are inserted into a lumen of a tube from opposite ends thereof; one of the optical fibers is fixed to the tube and the other optical fiber is held so as to be rotatable relative to the tube; an end of one of the optical fibers is separated from an end of the other optical fiber to form a gap therebetween in the lumen; a connecting section which connects the exterior space of the tube and the gap is formed; and a liquid or fluid made of a material which can transmit light is held in the exterior space, the gap, and the connecting section. Consequently, a significant pressure variation in matching liquid does not occur if the distance between the facing optical fibers changes. |
| US08660388B2 |
Optical modulation apparatus, method for controlling optical modulator, and control device for optical modulator
An optical modulation apparatus including: a Mach-Zehnder optical modulator having two optical waveguides, two output optical waveguides and a join-and-branch portion; a phase adjustment circuit configured to output a phase control signal to phase adjustment electrodes provided respectively on the two optical waveguides; a drive circuit configured to output a modulation signal to modulation electrodes provided respectively on the two optical waveguides as a differential signal, the modulation signal modulating lights propagated in the two optical waveguides; and a signal polarity reversal circuit configured to reverse a polarity of the differential signal to be output from the drive circuit. |
| US08660386B1 |
Large-scale image processing using mass parallelization techniques
Assets of raw geo-located imagery can be divided into tiles and coverage masks can be generated for each tile. For each tile, fragments of pixels from coverage masks of neighboring tiles can be extracted and tagged. The fragments can be sorted and stored in a data structure so that fragments having the same tag can be grouped together in the data structure. The fragments can be used to feather the coverage mask of the tile to produce a blend mask. Multi-resolution imagery and mask pyramids can be generated by extracting fragments from tiles and minified (e.g., down-sampled). The minified fragments can be tagged (e.g., by ancestor tile name), sorted and stored in a data structure, so that fragments having like tags can be stored together in the data structure. The fragments can be assembled into fully minified tiles for each level in the pyramid. |
| US08660382B2 |
Mosaic oblique images and methods of making and using same
A computer system running image processing software receives an identification of a desired geographical area to be imaged and collected into an oblique-mosaic image; creates a mathematical model of a virtual camera looking down at an oblique angle, the mathematical model having an oblique-mosaic pixel map of the desired area encompassing multiple source images; assigns surface locations to pixels included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map; creates a ground elevation model of the ground and vertical structures within the oblique-mosaic pixel map using overlapping source images of the desired geographical area, wherein the source oblique images were captured at an oblique angle and compass direction similar to that of the virtual camera; and reprojects, with the mathematical model, source oblique image pixels of the overlapping source images for pixels included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map using the ground elevation model to thereby create an oblique-mosaic image of the desired area. |
| US08660381B2 |
Image processing apparatus, method, and computer readable medium for arranging images based on size ratio
A plurality of images are input, specific regions are set for each of the inputted plurality of images, a typical size of the specific regions of each of the plurality of images is determined, and the ratio of the typical size to the size of the entire image is calculated as a typical size ratio. A typical size ratio used as a reference is selected from the typical size ratios calculated for the respective images as a reference ratio, and a candidate region upon trimming that image is determined based on the specific regions of each of the plurality of images. A trimming region for each of the plurality of images is determined based on the reference ratio, and the typical size ratio and candidate region of each image, and each of the plurality of images is trimmed according to the trimming region. |
| US08660375B2 |
Image coding method, image decoding method, image coding apparatus, image decoding apparatus, and image coding and decoding apparatus
The image coding method is used to code images to generate a coded stream. The image coding method includes: writing, into a sequence parameter set in the coded stream to be generated, a first parameter representing a first bit-depth that is a bit-depth of a reconstructed sample in the images; and writing, into the sequence parameter set, a second parameter which is different from the first parameter and represents a second bit-depth that is a bit-depth of an Intra Pulse Code Modulation (IPCM) sample in the images. |
| US08660371B2 |
Accuracy of recognition by means of a combination of classifiers
In one embodiment, there is provided a method for an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) system. The method comprises: recognizing an input character based on a plurality of classifiers, wherein each classifier generates an output by comparing the input character with a plurality of trained patterns; grouping the plurality of classifiers based on a classifier grouping criterion; and combining the output of each of the plurality of classifiers based on the grouping. |
| US08660369B2 |
Systems and methods using mobile devices for augmented reality
Systems, methods, apparatus, means and computer program code for operating a mobile device are provided which includes program instructions for detecting a capture of an image, instructions for detecting a location and a time associated with said capture of said image, instructions for transmitting, to a processing system, a request for information associated with said image, said request including information identifying said location and said time, and instructions for receiving a response from said processing system, said response including information associated with said image. |
| US08660367B1 |
Template matching systems, methods, and articles of manufacture
Systems, articles of manufacture, and methods for template matching at least one template image and an image to be searched using a plurality of template matchers at at least one alignment shift. |
| US08660364B2 |
Method and system for determining a quality measure for an image using multi-level decomposition of images
Method and system for determining a measure of quality for images by using multi-level decomposition are presented. Multi-level decomposition of images is performed in the wavelet domain producing subbands at each level of decomposition. Aggregation of subbands is performed across multiple levels to produce an accurate measure of image quality. By aggregating only selected subbands the computational complexity of the method is greatly reduced. |
| US08660363B2 |
Method and system for determining a quality measure for an image using a variable number of multi-level decompositions
Method and system for determining a measure of quality for images are presented. Multi-level decomposition of images in the wavelet domain using a variable number of levels of decomposition and aggregation of selected subbands is performed to obtain an accurate measure of quality. The processing time is reduced in comparison to that required by other methods for generating measures of quality. |
| US08660360B1 |
System and method for reduced incremental spectral clustering
A method of clustering and reducing hyperspectral image data having a plurality of spatial pixels, and a plurality of spectral dimensions associated with each spatial pixel, includes computing an initial basis vector associated with the hyperspectral image data, unmixing the initial basis vector with the hyperspectral image data to generate an initial set of coefficients and an associated set of residual vectors, generating a set of clusters based on the initial set of coefficients, and iteratively computing one or more additional basis vectors and updating the set of clusters. The iterative computing includes calculating a subsequent basis vector based on a residual vector associated with a prior unmixing, unmixing the subsequent basis vector with a prior set of residual vectors to generate additional coefficients associated with each pixel, and iteratively computing cluster centers and content including an additional dimension associated with the subsequent basis vector. |
| US08660356B2 |
Recognizing text at multiple orientations
Systems, methods, and apparatus, including software tangibly stored on a computer readable medium, involve identifying text in an electronic document. An electronic document that includes an image object is received. In a first region of the image object, a first set of text characters having a first orientation are recognized. In a second region of the image object, a second set of text characters having a second orientation are recognized. The electronic document is modified to include a first text object identifying the first set of text characters and a second text object identifying the second set of text characters. Each identification of text characters includes a set of values that each represent an individual text character recognized in the corresponding region. |
| US08660354B2 |
Image processing apparatus including an obtaining unit, an isolating unit, a classifying unit, information processing apparatus, and image reading apparatus
An image processing apparatus includes: a memory; an obtaining unit that obtains image data representing an image including concatenated pixels; an isolating unit that isolates a rendering element, the rendering element being an image surrounded by border lines of a color in an image represented by the image data; and a classifying unit that, in a case where a plurality of rendering elements has been isolated by the isolating unit, and in a case where color difference between two of the plural rendering elements or the distance between the two rendering elements is less than a threshold, classifies the two rendering elements into the same group, associates pieces of image data that represent rendering elements belonging to the same group with one another, and stores the pieces of image data in the memory. |
| US08660350B2 |
Image segmentation devices and methods based on sequential frame image of static scene
Provided is an image segmentation device and method based on a sequential frame image of a static scene. The image segmentation device includes an image extraction unit, a seed point detection unit, and an image segmentation unit. The image extraction unit extracts a plurality of sequential frame images from a static scene, and calculates an average and standard deviation of each corresponding pixel. The seed point detection unit extracts a seed point with the average and standard deviation of each pixel calculated by the image extraction unit. The image segmentation unit generates a segmentation image through labeling by a region growing technique, based on the seed point. The image segmentation method captures a sequential frame of a static scene to generate an average and standard deviation of each pixel in the sequential frame and an average image, extracts a seed point with the generated average and standard deviation, and labels a plurality of pixels adjacent to the seed point in a region growing technique which bundles the same regions by allocating a label. |
| US08660349B2 |
Screen area detection method and screen area detection system
A screen area capturing an image including the screen area; obtaining candidate boundaries of the screen area; converting the candidate boundaries into straight lines; carrying out binary image processing with regard to the captured image; obtaining boundary pixels of a maximum target area, and letting the boundary pixels serve as an outline of the maximum target area; selecting straight lines on the outline from the converted straight lines; dividing the selected straight lines into four classes; and obtaining final straight lines by carrying out straight line fitting with regard to straight lines in the respective classes so as to obtain four boundaries of the screen area. |
| US08660345B1 |
Colorization-based image compression using selected color samples
A system and method provide compressing an input color image using selected color samples of the input image. The image compression method comprises accessing the input color image and generating a grayscale image and color channel images from the input image. The method compresses the grayscale image and segments the color channel images into multiple image segments. For each color channel of the input image, the method selects a number of color samples for each image segment and compresses the selected color samples. From the compressed grayscale image and selected color samples, the method generates a compressed input color image. |
| US08660344B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and recording medium
An image processing apparatus includes: an obtaining section which obtains a subject existing image in which a subject and a background exist; a first specification section which specifies a plurality of image regions in the subject existing image; a comparison section which compares a representative color of each of the image regions with a predetermined color; a generation section which generates an extraction-use background color based on a comparison result of the comparison section; and a second specification section which specifies a subject constituent region constituting the subject and a background constituent region constituting the background in the subject existing image based on the extraction-use background color. |
| US08660343B2 |
System and method of detecting abnormal segments of video
A system and a method of detecting abnormal or security-significant segments of a video are provided. The video is divided into several segments. A set of features of each segment of the video is extracted in order to calculate a set of factors corresponding to each segment. A value deemed abnormal of each segment is calculated according to the set of factors corresponding to each segment. One or more abnormal segments are determined from the segments based on the abnormal values. The set of features includes a color variable feature, a movement variable feature, a movement variable ratio feature and a background variable feature. |
| US08660337B2 |
Image processing apparatus, method and computer program to adjust 3D information based on human visual characteristics
An image processing apparatus includes: a depth information extraction means for extracting depth information from an input 3D image; a luminance extraction means for extracting luminance components of the 3D image; a contrast extraction means for extracting contrast components of the 3D image based on the luminance components; a storage means for storing a performance function indicating relation between the contrast components and depth amounts subjectively perceived, which is determined based on visual sense characteristics of human beings; and a contrast adjustment means for calculating present depth amounts of the inputted 3D image from the contrast components based on the performance function with respect to at least one of a near side region and a deep side region of the inputted 3D image which are determined from the depth information and adjusting contrast components of the inputted 3D image based on the calculated present depth amounts and a set depth adjustment amount. |
| US08660336B2 |
Defect inspection system
A defect inspection system is disclosed for easily setting inspection conditions and providing an inspection condition and a defect signal intensity to an operator. The defect inspection system digitizes a defective image, and a reference image corresponding thereto and a mismatched portion of the defective image and the reference image as a defect signal intensity and accumulates them in association with the inspection condition. The inspection conditions are changed to repeat evaluations while repeating accumulating works until the evaluation of all the inspection conditions in a set range is completed. A recipe file including the accumulated conditions having the high defect signal intensity and an inspection condition item distribution as a inspection condition recipe is automatically outputted and provided to the operator. |
| US08660335B2 |
Transient pixel defect detection and correction
A method of processing images produced by an imaging system includes detecting transient defects by comparing the value of a selected pixel with values of a plurality of the neighboring pixels, excluding known defective pixels. The value of the selected pixel may be compared with the maximal or minimal value of the neighboring pixels, and if the comparison shows that the value of the selected pixel exceeds the maximal or minimal value by a predetermined value, then the pixel may be identified as producing transient defect. Alternatively, the value of the selected pixel may be compared with the median value of the neighboring pixels, and if the comparison shows that the value of the selected pixel deviates the median value by a predetermined value, then the pixel may be identified as producing transient defect. |
| US08660334B2 |
Component presence/absence judging apparatus and method
A component presence/absence judging apparatus judges the presence/absence of components through a registration step and an inspection step. The registration step includes an ante-mounting feature acquisition step, a post-mounting feature acquisition step and a classifier configuration step. At the ante-mounting and post-mounting feature acquisition steps, ante-mounting features and post-mounting features are respectively acquired from an ante-mounting image and a post-mounting image taken at each of predetermined places on an ante-mounting board and a post-mounting board. At the classifier configuration step, a classifier is configured by registering the ante-mounting features and the post-mounting features as training data to a support vector machine. Then, at the inspection step, the presence/absence of a component at each of the predetermined places on each post-mounting operation board to be inspected is judged by inputting post-mounting operation features acquired from each of the predetermined places on each post-mounting operation board to the support vector machine configured as the classifier. |
| US08660332B2 |
Blood and cell analysis using an imaging flow cytometer
Multimodal or multispectral images of cells comprising a population of cells are simultaneously collected. Photometric and/or morphometric image features identifiable in the images are used to identify differences between first and second populations of cells. The differences can include changes in a relative percentage of different cell types in each population, or a change in a first type of cell present in the first population of cells and the same type of cell in the second population of cells. The changes may be indicative of a disease state, indicative of a relative effectiveness of a therapy, or indicative of a health of the person from whom the cells populations were obtained. |
| US08660328B2 |
High efficiency computer tomography
A system comprising: one or more transmitters to transmit an excitation energy into an object under observation; one or more detectors to generate projection space data encoding an energy received by the one or more detectors in response to the transmitted excitation energy into the object under observation; a controller to control the one or more transmitters to transmit the excitation energy and the one or more detectors to generate the projection space data; and an image reconstructor to receive the projection space data and to process the projection space data by: computing a first quantity characterizing a difference between the projection space data and predicted projection data; computing a second quantity corresponding to at least one impulse response, each impulse response corresponding to a reference voxel of unit-intensity; computing an update value using the first quantity and an inverted function of the second quantity; and reconstructing an object space image representing the object under observation using the update value. |
| US08660326B2 |
Image processing method for estimating a risk of atheroma plaque breakage
The invention relates to an image processing method for estimating a risk of atheroma plaque breakage, that includes the step of receiving (40) a so-called elastogram image representing the inner deformation resulting from the compression of an analyzed blood vessel tissue based on blood pressure, the step of pre-segmenting (50) the elastogram in order to obtain a pre-segmented image including a plurality of areas, and the step of calculating an elasticity image (60) representing the elasticity of at least one region of the elastogram, the region corresponding to an area selected among the plurality of areas of the pre-segmented image, and the elasticity image enabling the user to estimate the risk of atheroma plaque breakage, wherein said method is characterized in that: the pre-segmentation is carried out while considering the tissue as being a non-compressible elastic solid in order to determine the Young modulus gradient as equal to the sum of the Lagrange multiplier gradient and of a space depending vector, and in that the pre-segmentation includes determining the outlines of each area in the plurality of areas using said space depending vector. |
| US08660325B2 |
Efficient user interaction with polygonal meshes for medical image segmentation
An apparatus for delineating a structure of interest includes: a plane selection interface (32, 70) for selecting a contouring plane of selectable orientation in a three-dimensional image or map (80); a contouring interface (32, 72) for defining a contour in the selected contour plane; and a mesh constructor (74, 76) configured to construct a three-dimensional polygonal mesh (90) delineating the structure of interest in the three-dimensional image or map. The mesh constructor positions constrained vertices (102, Vc) on or near a plurality of non-coplanar delineation contours (84, Ccor, Cobl) defined using the contouring interface. |
| US08660323B2 |
Image Preprocessing
A method performed by a software process executing on a computer system includes selecting a first set of pixels in a digital image in the RGB color space. The pixels are selected such that, for each pixel in the set, a red component is a highest value component and a blue component is a lowest value component. The method also includes identifying at least a subset of the first set as a region of orange hue in the digital image. |
| US08660321B2 |
Authentication system, apparatus, authentication method, and storage medium with program stored therein
Unauthorized use of a biological pattern registered in a face image authorization system is made difficult. With respect to the previously registered biological pattern for authorization, additional information is held concerning a change that can be reproduced by a user having the biological pattern for authentication, and success or failure of the authentication is evaluated according to consistency between the biological pattern for authentication that is reproduced using the additional information and a pattern input at the time of authentication as an evaluation factor. By changing the additional information as necessary, unauthorized use of biological pattern data or the like is made difficult. |
| US08660315B2 |
Method for administering a drug program to determine whether an animal has been given a drug
Systems and methods are described that provide a fast and simple way of administering a drug program related to an animal. Specifically, systems are provided that can receive, compile and analyze information regarding the condition of an organ in a form that is readily readable, transferable to others, and associated with, or linked to, other information such as the presence or absence of an administered drug, combination of drugs, or drug program. |
| US08660314B2 |
Motion-controlled device and method thereof
An electronic device obtains a motion of a displaced object in two captured video frames utilizing phase correlation of the two frames. The device identifies magnitude of the motion and an area in a phase correlation surface corresponding to an area of the object, and accordingly determines if the motion is a qualified motion operable to trigger a gesture command of the device. The phase correlation surface is obtained from the phase correlation of the two frames. |
| US08660307B2 |
Methods and apparatus to count people in images
An example method includes analyzing frame pairs of a plurality of frame pairs captured over a period of time to identify a redundant person indication detected in an overlap region, the overlap region corresponding to an intersection of a first field of view of a first image sensor and a second field of view of a second image sensor, each of the frame pairs including a first frame captured by the first image sensor and a second frame captured by the second image sensor; eliminating the identified redundant person indication to form a conditioned set of person indications for the period of time; grouping similarly located ones of the person indications of the conditioned set to form groups; analyzing the groups to identify redundant groups detected in the overlap region; and eliminating the redundant groups from a people tally generated based on the groups. |
| US08660299B2 |
Automated person identification and location for search applications
A “be on the look out” or BOLO device is an unsupervised device that can be deployed at a particular location to watch for a specific target or person. A camera produces scene images that the BOLO device analyzes to determine if they contain a pattern matching a target descriptor. If a matching pattern is found, then the BOLO device emits an alarm signal. The alarm signal can contain the BOLO device's location or identification. A location database can produce the device's location when given the device's identification. A target transmitter can supply new target descriptors to deployed BOLO devices. |
| US08660296B1 |
Systems and methods for facilitating video fingerprinting using local descriptors
Systems and methods for facilitating video fingerprinting are provided. In one embodiment, a system can include: a memory, a microprocessor, a communication component that receives a video, and a video fingerprinting component that fingerprints the video with a subfingerprint (SFP). The video fingerprinting component can employ an SFP component stored in the memory and that comprises: a feature extraction component that determines local descriptors for at least one frame of a video; and a quantization component that quantizes the local descriptors to generate first frame information including a set of values for the at least one frame. The SFP component can also include: an accumulation component that accumulates first frame information over a snippet of the video; and an SFP generation component that computes the SFP associated with the snippet. The SFP can be computed based on a hash based on the accumulated first frame information over the snippet. |
| US08660295B2 |
Watermarking of digital images using watermark-indicators
Methods and systems for watermarking of digital images are presented. In one aspect, a method of embedding information in a digital image includes transforming the digital image to a set of coefficient blocks having coefficients in a frequency domain, embedding a watermark-indicator in one or more of the coefficient blocks, and embedding a watermark in one or more watermark blocks that have a predetermined number of coefficient blocks. The embedded watermark is substantially invisible in the output watermarked digital image. Another aspect is a method of extracting a watermark from a digital image that includes transforming a digital image to a coefficient matrix, determining if the digital image is watermarked based on a predetermined watermark-indicator, and retrieving a watermark from a projected watermark block of a projected watermark block distribution. |
| US08660294B2 |
Form data extraction without customization
A form processing method for extracting data items from a form previously digitized in the form of a digital image, the method comprising prompting a user to indicate a location of one or more physical fields each physical field relating to a data item of specific type; receiving one or more indications provided by the user on the location of the physical fields; and identifying content and location of the data items of the physical fields using related data formats. |
| US08660285B2 |
Accessory adapter for cochlear implant system providing simultaneous T-mic and external audio input
A special accessory adapter for use with a BTE device of a cochlear implant (CI) system provides two inputs: a T-Mic input and an auxiliary audio input. Both inputs (the T-Mic input and the auxiliary audio input) are connected to a special mixer circuit integrated into a body of the accessory adapter. The body of the accessory adapter connects to the BTE using the same earhook attachment mechanism used by other accessories used by the CI system. The special mixer circuit prevents signals from either the T-Mic input or the auxiliary audio input from interfering with each other. Both signals, however, can still be processed by the processing circuits of the BTE and combined in such a way that user is able to perceive both signals at the same time. |
| US08660283B2 |
Hearing aid having a behind the ear component
A hearing aid is provided having a behind the ear component comprising a casing adapted to cover, accommodate or protect electronics components of the hearing aid. Further the hearing aid has at least one through going opening in the casing element and electronic switching elements placed at the through going opening. According to the invention a plate element is provided, which is mountable in the through going opening and adapted to form, when mounted herein, a surface flush with the casing. This plate element which covers the switches is used when the switches has been disabled such as is often the case with hearing aids for small children. |
| US08660276B2 |
Driving circuit for a sound outputting apparatus
A driving circuit for a sound outputting apparatus includes a H-bridge and a charge pump established by six switches for driving two types of loudspeakers, respectively. The six switches include two common switches to be configured in the H-bridge and the charge pump, thereby reducing the costs and circuit area of the driving circuit. |
| US08660274B2 |
Beamforming pre-processing for speaker localization
Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, systems, and computer program products for signal processing. A first plurality of microphone signals is obtained by a first microphone array. A second plurality of microphone signals is obtained by a second microphone array different from the first microphone array. The first plurality of microphone signals is beamformed by a first beamformer comprising beamforming weights to obtain a first beamformed signal. The second plurality of microphone signals is beamformed by a second beamformer comprising the same beamforming weights as the first beamformer to obtain a second beamformed signal. The beamforming weights are adjusted such that the power density of echo components and/or noise components present in the first and second plurality of microphone signals is substantially reduced. |
| US08660272B2 |
Parameter setting method and audio apparatus
A method of setting a parameter for an audio apparatus including a delay processing unit which applies a delaying process and an amplifying process on an input audio signal in accordance with the set parameter, includes: performing a measuring process including: causing an outputting device to output measurement sound; and measuring a first impulse response at a sound receiving point; performing a specifying process including: analyzing the measured first impulse response; calculating a second impulse response at the sound receiving point when the outputting device outputs sound in case where a parameter is set in the audio apparatus and an audio signal indicative of the measurement sound is input to the audio apparatus; and specifying a parameter in accordance with the calculated second impulse response; and performing a setting process of setting the specified parameter in the delay processing unit. |
| US08660271B2 |
Stereo image widening system
A stereo widening system and associated signal processing algorithms are described herein that can, in several embodiments, widen a stereo image with fewer processing resources than existing crosstalk cancellation systems. These system and algorithms can advantageously be implemented in a handheld device or other device with speakers placed close together, thereby improving the stereo effect produced with such devices at lower computational cost. However, the systems and algorithms described herein are not limited to handheld devices, but can more generally be implemented in any device with multiple speakers. |
| US08660267B2 |
Method and device for generating and detecting a fingerprint functioning as a trigger marker in a multimedia signal
A device is configured to perform a method that detects a trigger marker for an action corresponding to a segment of a multimedia signal. A fingerprint is generated based on the segment of the multimedia signal at a trigger time point. The generated fingerprint is stored in a database and communicated to the device. During playback of the multimedia signal, fingerprints of segments of the multimedia signal are generated and matched against fingerprints in the database. When a match is found, one or more associated actions for the segment are retrieved by the device. The trigger time point may be determined as a time point near or at the segment of the multimedia signal with the matched fingerprint. In this way, trigger markers for actions may be enabled without modifying the multimedia signal. |
| US08660265B2 |
Cipher implementation
At least one of a keystream and a message authentication code are generated with a partial KASUMI block cipher, without utilizing a full KASUMI block cipher. |
| US08660263B2 |
Power analysis attack countermeasure for the ECDSA
Execution of the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) requires determination of a signature, which determination involves arithmetic operations. Some of the arithmetic operations employ a long term cryptographic key. It is the execution of these arithmetic operations that can make the execution of the ECDSA vulnerable to a power analysis attack. In particular, an attacker using a power analysis attack may determine the long term cryptographic key. By modifying the sequence of operations involved in the determination of the signature and the inputs to those operations, power analysis attacks may no longer be applied to determine the long term cryptographic key. |
| US08660262B2 |
Method and device for generating random wait states
A random source for generating a random number r with a bit length k, r=r0, . . . , rk-1, a memory for storing a threshold value state variable s, which is represented by a number with a bit length n≧k, s=s0, . . . , sn-1, and a comparator to compare two numbers with a bit length k, i.e. from r with a subset of the bits from s are provided. Two calculation rules R1 and R2, which are able to change the content of the memory for the threshold value state variable s (i.e. functions from s to s), are defined for a method of generating random wait states. |
| US08660257B2 |
Method and system for configuring a contact database associated with a user
A method implemented by a network entity that comprises identifying contact information associated with a previously-originated call, receiving from a user information indicative of a desired modification to a database associated with the user, wherein the desired modification involves the contact information associated with the previously-originated call. The method further comprises configuring the database associated with the user at least in part on the basis of the desired modification and the contact information associated with the previously-originated call. |
| US08660255B2 |
Call control across multiple interfaces
Methods and apparatuses for call control are disclosed. In one example, methods and apparatuses for receiving communications associated with a monitoring of a first interface, a second interface, and a third interface for an incoming call. A current active call is placed in a bold queue, the hold queue configured to contain calls placed on hold received over the first interface, the second interface, and the third interface. Notification of a second user action to place the incoming call on a hold status is received. The incoming call is placed in the hold queue, a next call from the hold queue is retrieved, and the next call is activated. |
| US08660253B2 |
System and method for providing location information
In a particular embodiment, a method includes presenting, at a first communication device, first location information after an incoming communication is answered. The first location information corresponds to a first location of the first communication device. The method further includes presenting updated first location information, at the first communication device, prior to the incoming communication being terminated. |
| US08660245B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing advertising-supported call service
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for advertising-supported call service are disclosed. According to one method, a SIP call setup message associated with a first call from a calling subscriber to a called subscriber is received. It is then determined whether the calling subscriber subscribes to a play advertisement pay less (PAPL) service. In response to determining that the calling subscriber subscribes to the PAPL service, an advertisement is presented to the calling subscriber via the subscriber's telephone, the call is connected to the called subscriber, and a reduced charge is effected for the call based on the PAPL service. |
| US08660236B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting low and high x-ray flux
A method and apparatus for detecting low and high x-ray densities is provided for use in CT imaging. Two photodetectors, one having a relatively low dynamic range and the other having a relatively high dynamic range, are coupled to the same transducer. The first photodetector may be, for example, a SiPM which is passively quenched. |
| US08660234B2 |
RAM based implementation for scalable, reliable high speed event counters
There is broadly contemplated herein an arrangement whereby each event source feeds a small dedicated “pre-counter” while an actual count is kept in a 64-bit wide RAM. Such an implementation preferably may involve a state machine that simply sweeps through the pre-counters, in a predetermined fixed order. Preferably, the state machine will access each pre-counter, add the value from the pre-counter to a corresponding RAM location, and then clear the pre-counter. Accordingly, the pre-counters merely have to be wide enough such that even at a maximal event rate, the pre-counter will not be able to wrap (i.e., reach capacity or overflow) before the “sweeper” state machine accesses the pre-counter. |
| US08660233B2 |
Non-volatile memory counter
A counter in a non-volatile memory including at least two sub-counters, each counting with a different modulo, an increment of the counter being transferred on a single one of the sub-counters and the sub-counters being incremented sequentially. |
| US08660228B2 |
Communication system, information transmission method, code setting method, base station, and mobile station
A communication system includes a communication station that converts a value information into a code value based on a corresponding relationship in which a difference between a first value information and a second value information is set to any value equal to or greater than two, where the second value information corresponds to a code value where an error occurs in one bit of the code value corresponding to the first value information. |
| US08660227B2 |
Radio communication system, receiver, and transmitter
A radio communication system has a transmitter and a receiver that transmits and receives, respectively, synchronization signals. The transmitter has a multiple-synchronization-signal generation section configured to generate the synchronization signals, a radio circuit configured to transmit the synchronization signals in a predetermined transmission cycle from a start time of the predetermined transmission cycle and with an interval shorter than the predetermined transmission cycle, and a synchronization signal sequence number generation section configured to assign a sequence number to each of the synchronization signals. The receiver has a synchronization signal detection section configured to detect any one of the synchronization signals transmitted by the transmitter, and has a clock error correction section configured to correct an error of a reference clock based on the sequence number assigned by the synchronization signal sequence number generation section to the synchronization signal detected by the synchronization signal detection section. |
| US08660225B2 |
Method and device for acquiring precoding matrix
A method and device for acquiring a precoding matrix are provided by the present invention. The method for acquiring a precoding matrix includes: for each receiving end, selecting the interference vectors as the interference space basis vectors from whole interference vectors, representing the remaining interference vectors as the linear combination of the interference space basis vectors, wherein the remaining interference vectors are the interference vectors in the whole interference vectors of the receiving end except the interference vectors which act as the interference space basis vectors (101); determining the currently used precoding matrix according to the linear combination of the interference space basis vectors represented by the remaining interference vectors of each receiving end and the current channel condition (102). The technical solution of the present invention can eliminate interference and do not generate Bit Error Rate (BER) floor. |
| US08660220B2 |
Reduced frequency data processing using a matched filter set front end
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for reduced clock rate data processing. As an example, a circuit is disclosed that includes a matched filter bank that receives a series of symbols at a rate corresponding to a sample clock. The matched filter bank includes a first matched filter tuned to detect a first bit sequence in the series of symbols and to assert a first symbol proxy upon detection of the first bit sequence, and a second matched filter tuned to detect a second bit sequence in the series of symbols and to assert a second symbol proxy upon detection of the second bit sequence. The circuit further includes a detector circuit that processes a series of symbol proxies including the first symbol proxy and the second symbol proxy at a rate corresponding to a reduced rate clock. The reduced rate clock is the sample clock divided by a factor. |
| US08660217B2 |
Methods and apparatus for low complexity soft-input soft-output group detection
Certain aspects of the present disclosure propose methods and apparatus for low complexity soft-in soft-out detection that divide a plurality of received symbols into a plurality of groups of symbols and performs preprocessing on the symbols in each group to suppress interference from other groups. The preprocessing may utilize a priori information for one or more symbols in one or more groups that are not yet detected, and/or a posteriori information for one or more symbols in one or more groups that are already detected and/or decoded. The preprocessed symbols may then be detected using a soft-in soft-out detection algorithm. |
| US08660216B2 |
Method and apparatus for mitigating the residual CFO effect on channel estimation for OFDM receivers
A CFO tracking loop module comprises: a numerically-controlled oscillator (NCO) that calculates a phase output; a CFO phase error block that generates a corrected NCO phase output by subtracting half of residual CFO phase error from the NCO phase output; a multiplier that corrects pilot subcarrier's phase by multiplying complex values of the pilot subcarriers by a conjugated complex value of the corrected NCO phase output; a pilot processor that generates a phase error by averaging phases over pilot subcarriers; and a loop filter that filters phase error from the pilot processor and updates the NCO with the filtered phase error. |
| US08660205B2 |
Energy efficient constellation method and system
A method and apparatus employing statistical physics energy minimization methods to signal constellation design. By using statistical physics concepts, an energy-efficient signal constellation design algorithm (EE-SCDA) is described. In the presence of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise and channel impairments, we use EE-SCDA to determine a source distribution, and represent the signal constellation design as a center of mass problem. Furthermore a discrete-time implementation of D-dimensional transceiver as well as corresponding EE polarization-division multiplexed (PDM) system is described. |
| US08660203B2 |
Data reception using low density parity check coding and constellation mapping
Modern coding and modulation techniques have greatly improved the transmission and reception of signals. A method is described including receiving a signal de-mapping the signal into a first and second substream, decoding the first and second substream using a low density parity check decoding process, and combining the first and second decoded substream into a single data stream. An apparatus is described including a symbol de-mapper that receives a signal de-maps the modulation symbols in the signal into a first and second substream, a first decoder that decodes the first substream using a low density parity check coding process at a first decoding rate, a second decoder that decodes the second substream at a second encoding rate, and a combiner that combines the first substream and the second substream into a single data stream. |
| US08660201B2 |
Apparatus for transmitting a synchronous signal in a multi-antenna system
An apparatus for transmitting a synchronization signal using a plurality of transmit (Tx) antennas is provided. The apparatus includes a synchronization signal generator for generating a synchronization signal used for tracking timing or frequency synchronization, a transmission processor for allocating different subcarriers to a plurality of Tx antennas without overlapping, mapping the synchronization signal to the subcarriers, and generating an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol by performing inverse fast Fourier transformation (IFFT), a control signal coupler for controlling codes as a resource not to overlap among the plurality of Tx antennas, and the plurality of Tx antennas for transmitting the OFDM symbol. |
| US08660200B2 |
Dual-pass joint channel estimation and data demodulation for OFDM systems
The present invention provides architectures and methods which implement dual-pass joint channel estimation and data demodulation in communication systems to provide enhanced performance of the communication link. While not limited to any particular communication protocol, such architectures and methods are particularly beneficial in OFDM systems. Channel estimates may be performed using reference symbols and demodulated data symbols according to certain patterns of subcarriers for OFDM symbols. The channel estimates obtained from different patterns may be combined for dual-pass channel estimate which may have reduced estimation error. Such a procedure enables more accurate channel estimation and improved data demodulation, thereby enhancing system performance. |
| US08660196B2 |
Communications system using beamforming
In a MIMO communications system a first communications device applies beamforming to a complete transmission packet including both synchronization data and either payload data or training symbols. A second communications device evaluates the beamformed synchronization data and determines and transmits a feedback information indicating minimum required synchronization data and/or a minimum number of training symbols. The first communications device tailors the synchronization data and/or number of training symbols on the basis of the feedback information. Beamforming the complete transmission packet facilitates signal suppression at defined locations. When the channel properties change, the second communications device may provide further channel state information to adapt beamforming in the first communications device without transmission of not beamformed training symbols. The communications system may be a powerline telecommunications system. |
| US08660193B2 |
Parallel, pipelined, integrated-circuit implementation of a computational engine
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to parallel, pipelined, integrated-circuit implementations of computational engines designed to solve complex computational problems. One embodiment of the present invention is a family of video encoders and decoders (“codecs”) that can be incorporated within cameras, cell phones, and other electronic devices for encoding raw video signals into compressed video signals for storage and transmission, and for decoding compressed video signals into raw video signals for output to display devices. A highly parallel, pipelined, special-purpose integrated-circuit implementation of a particular video codec provides, according to embodiments of the present invention, a cost-effective video-codec computational engine that provides an extremely large computational bandwidth with relatively low power consumption and low-latency for decompression and compression of compressed video signals and raw video signals, respectively. |
| US08660192B2 |
Picture encoding method and picture decoding method
A picture encoding method of the present invention is a picture encoding method of predictively encoding an input picture with reference to pictures stored in a picture buffer, decoding the encoded input picture, judging whether or not the decoded picture is a picture for reference and whether or not the decoded picture is a picture for output which needs to be stored until its display time, and storing, in the picture buffer, the picture for reference and the picture for output based on the determination result. |
| US08660191B2 |
Software video decoder display buffer underflow prediction and recovery
Prediction of and recovery from display buffer underflow are described. A first time delay for displaying a first group of one or more frames of a video picture stream located in an output frame buffer is calculated. A second time delay for displaying a second group of one or more frames in the picture stream is calculated. The second group directly follows the first group in the output buffer and is currently decoded by a decoder, but not yet deposited into the output frame buffer. A third time delay for decoding a third group of one or more frames in the picture stream is calculated. The third group directly follows the second group and is not yet decoded by the decoder. The decoder switches to or remains in a fast decoding mode if the sum of the first and second time delays is less than the third time delay. |
| US08660190B2 |
Image processing apparatus implemented in IC chip
When a reverse reproduction is instructed, an MPEG video stream is once decoded and is converted to image video signals by a first display circuit. Thereafter, the image video signals are again recoded by an image input circuit and an MPEG video encoder, so as to be overwritten in a storage area of a hard disk. An MPEG video decoder reads out this recoded data sequence in a reverse time-series manner and decodes it successively. Then the thus decoded data are converted to image video signals by a second display circuit, so as to be displayed on a display. |
| US08660189B2 |
Generation apparatus generating a stream including a flag, mode information and an encoded picture, and a generation method performing the same
A moving image encoding method of encoding a moving image while switching between variable-length encoding schemes. In this method, a continuous unit to be continuously reproduced is determined (S5201), a stream is generated by encoding the moving image without switching between variable-length encoding schemes in the continuous unit (S5202), and management information is generated that includes a first flag information indicating that a variable-length encoding scheme is fixed in the continuous unit (S5204, and S5205). |
| US08660188B2 |
Variable length coding apparatus, and method and integrated circuit of the same
An image coding apparatus reduces arithmetic processing and includes an intermediate stream generating unit generating an intermediate stream, by generating an intermediate code from image data, coding header information among coding conditions for image coding, and synthesizing the generated intermediate code and the coded header information. The image coding apparatus also includes a coded stream generating unit outputting a coded stream, by performing variable length coding on the intermediate code included in the intermediate stream to generate coded image data, and synthesizing the generated coded image data and the header information, and includes a parameter information extracting unit extracting, from among the coding conditions, parameter information required for performing variable length coding on the intermediate code. The coded stream generating unit generates the coded image data by performing the variable length coding on the intermediate code using the parameter information extracted by the parameter information extracting unit. |
| US08660187B2 |
Method for treating digital data
The disclosure relates to a method for treating digital data, including a quantification step of calculating, in a space of dimension d, at least one vector index I1 for at least some of the vectors 1, the vectors 1 forming input data descriptors. The method is characterized in that the vector index I1 corresponds to the number of vectors preceding the vector 1 in the reverse lexicographic order, without involving a step of determining all of the vectors. |
| US08660186B2 |
Video frame encoding transmitter, encoding method thereof and operating method of video signal transmitting and receiving system including the same
An encoding method comprises receiving a plurality of video frames including first and third reference frames (F1, F3) and a target frame (F2); generating a temporary frame based on assumed constant-velocity motion between the first and third reference frames (F1, F3); comparing the temporary frame target frame to detect nonlinear motion (errors in the temporary frame) between the first and third reference frames and to produce motion vector information between the target frame and at least one of the reference frames according to the comparison; and encoding the reference frames and the motion vector information. |
| US08660185B2 |
Picture decoding apparatus and method for decoding a picture using motion compensation
A picture coding apparatus includes a motion vector estimation unit and a motion compensation unit. The motion vector estimation unit selects one method for deriving a motion vector of a block to be motion-compensated, depending on a motion vector of a block located in a corner of a decoded macroblock from among a group of blocks that compose the decoded macroblock corresponding to the current macroblock to be coded and determines the motion vector derived by the selected method for derivation to be a candidate of the motion vector of the current macroblock to be coded. The motion compensation unit generates a predictive image of the block to be motion-compensated based on the estimated motion vector. |
| US08660182B2 |
MPEG motion estimation based on dual start points
A more efficient motion estimation process that utilizes a plurality of predicted start points (e.g., two predicted start points) based on blocks adjacent to the current block together with other improvements and requires minimal system resources (e.g., hardware resources and CPU processing) in its hardware implementation is provided. More particularly, the motion estimation technique in accordance with the present invention performs a plurality of coarse searches (either sequentially or in parallel) using a plurality of predicted start positions followed by a fine search. |
| US08660181B2 |
Method of compressing video data and a media player for implementing the method
A method of receiving video data comprising the steps of: receiving at least one chunk of video data comprising a number of sequential key video frames where the number is at least two and, constructing at least one delta frame between a nearest preceding key frame and a nearest subsequent key frame from data contained in the either or each of the nearest preceding and subsequent frames. |
| US08660178B2 |
Method and system for multi-layer rate control for a multi-codec system
A video transmitter comprising a plurality of encoders may be operable to determine, for a transport stream, a constant overall number of bits per time interval corresponding to a frame in the transport stream. For each time interval corresponding to a start and an end of encoding of each of frames using each of the encoders, the video transmitter may allocate a target number of bits to each of the frames to achieve the constant overall number of bits. The allocation of the target number of bits may be based on frame types of the frames and CODEC types of the encoders, where the allocated target number of bits for each of the frames meets buffer overflow/underflow requirements associated with each of the encoders. A quantization parameter (QP) may be calculated and adjusted at each of one or more layers for generating an actual number of bits during encoding. |
| US08660175B2 |
Selective display of interpolated or extrapolated video units
Display of an interpolated or extrapolated video unit, such as a video frame, may be selectively enabled based on a quality analysis. This disclosure also describes selection of reference video frames to be used for interpolation or extrapolation. A decoder may apply a quality-focused mode to select a reference frame based on quality criteria. The quality criteria may indicate a level of quality likely to be produced by a reference frame. If no reference frames satisfy the quality criteria, interpolation or extrapolation may be disabled. A decoder may apply a resource-focused frame interpolation mode to enable or disable frame interpolation or extrapolation for some frames based on power and quality considerations. In one mode, frame interpolation may be disabled to conserve power when reference frames are not likely to produce satisfactory quality. In another mode, the threshold may be adjustable as a function of power saving requirements of the decoder. |
| US08660173B2 |
Video reference frame retrieval
A video data processing apparatus is provided comprising processing circuitry for performing video processing operations requiring access to video reference frames, and a memory management unit configured to translate virtual addresses into physical addresses. Translation circuitry is provided responsive to a memory access request for reference frame pixel data issued by the processing circuitry to perform a translation process on video reference frame information such that the set of input values for at least one hash function in the memory management unit comprises video reference frame identifier bits contained with the video reference frame information. This approach has been found to reduce the frequency of aliasing in the memory management unit when retrieving video reference frames. |
| US08660172B2 |
Pulse signal receiving apparatus and transmission system
A pulse signal receiving apparatus may include a reception unit that receives a pulse signal modulated by a double-edge modulation scheme, a measurement unit that measures an edge interval of the pulse signal, which has been received by the reception unit, a detection unit that detects a deviation of the edge interval, which has been measured by the measurement unit, for a pulse-width reference value indicating a reference value of a width of the pulse signal, a correction unit that corrects the edge interval, which is to be measured next by the measurement unit, by using the deviation, which has been detected by the detection unit, and a decoding unit that decodes the pulse signal, of which the edge interval has been corrected by the correction unit, so as to output a digital signal. |
| US08660165B2 |
System and method for detecting spread spectrum signals in a wireless environment
An apparatus for detecting a spread spectrum signal in a wireless signal environment includes at least one antenna for receiving spread spectrum signals, such as UMTS signals, from a signal source in the wireless signal environment. In one embodiment, a detection circuit is configured for correlating a code in signal received by the apparatus with a set of possible codes for spread spectrum signals in order to detect the existence of a spread spectrum signal. In another embodiment, a detection circuit is configured for obtaining at least one reference frame of data from a received signal. The detection circuit is further operable for correlating a segment of the reference frame with a repeated segment of at least one subsequent frame of data in order to detect the existence of a spread spectrum signal. A repeater might incorporate such an apparatus wherein the variable gain of the repeater is adjusted based upon the correlation and the detection of a spread spectrum signal. |
| US08660157B2 |
Means for improved implementation of laser diodes and laser diode arrays
A laser diode system is disclosed in which a substrate made of a semiconductor material containing laser diodes is bonded to a substrate made from a metallic material without the use of any intermediate joining or soldering layers between the two substrates. The metal substrate acts as an electrode and/or heat sink for the laser diode semiconductor substrate. Microchannels may be included in the metal substrate to allow coolant fluid to pass through, thereby facilitating the removal of heat from the laser diode substrate. A second metal substrate including cooling fluid microchannels may also be bonded to the laser diode substrate to provide greater heat transfer from the laser diode substrate. The bonding of the substrates at low temperatures, combined with modifications to the substrate surfaces, enables the realization of a low electrical resistance interface and a low thermal resistance interface between the bonded substrates. |
| US08660150B2 |
High quality timing distribution over DSL without NTR support
A method and system in which a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) that is part of a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) system is able to provide synchronous services to end user equipment connected to the DSLAM via a DSL link and Customer Premises Equipment (CPE). A sniffer device having direct or indirect access to a Primary Reference Clock (PRC) of the DSL system calculates the phase difference between the PRC and the DSLAM's Local Timing Reference (LTR). The phase difference is sent to the CPEs requiring accurate reference clock frequency. The CPEs are able to derive the PRC from the phase difference information transmitted by the sniffer device thus enabling synchronous end user equipment operation. |
| US08660149B2 |
Data communication network system
A data communication network system which enables an intended unit to determine a start point for a transmission schedule in communication is provided.In a data communication network system in which a plurality of electronic control units perform network communication through a communication line based on a time triggered communication protocol, a control section for previously putting the communication line in a communication inhibited state, and canceling the communication inhibited state at a predetermined time is included, and a predetermined one unit among the plurality of electronic control units transmits a message for synchronization, in a communication time, with the other units thereamong immediately after the communication inhibited state is cancelled. |
| US08660145B2 |
MAC-HS processing in an HSDPA-compatible receiver in a 3G wireless network
In one embodiment, a method for processing a series of MAC-hs protocol data units (PDUs) in an HSDPA-compatible (high-speed downlink packet access) receiver in a 3G wireless communication network, the method including: (a) receiving a MAC-hs PDU having: (i) a queue identification (QID), (ii) a transmission sequence number (TSN), and (iii) one or more MAC-d PDUs, (b) then disassembling the MAC-hs PDU (c) then distributing the one or more MAC-d PDU to a reordering queue indicated by the QID, and (d) then performing reordering processing for the corresponding reordering queue based on the TSN. Steps (a) and (b) are performed in a physical layer of the receiver. Steps (c) and (d) are performed in a data-link layer of the receiver. |
| US08660144B2 |
Multi-receiver frame aggregation
When using a multi-receiver aggregation protocol in a wireless communications network, a sub-header may be used to identify groups of data units that share common parameters, such as destination addresses, acknowledgement modes, modulation/coding rates, lengths, etc. The layout of this sub-header may permit each receiving device to identify the portion of the aggregated payload that is addressed to that receiving device, where that portion is located, how long that portion is, and how to demodulate it. In addition, by controlling the selection and timing of various acknowledgement modes used by the mobile stations, a base station may improve overall network efficiency and throughput. |
| US08660138B2 |
Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to allocate ports to vectored digital subscriber line (DSL) groups
Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to allocate ports to vectored digital subscriber line (DSL) groups are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes obtaining data representative of a statistical distribution of service penetration for a non-vectored DSL service, estimating an expected vectored DSL group size from the data, and configuring a DSL access multiplexer (DSLAM) to reserve a number of ports of the DSLAM for a vectored DSL group based on the expected vectored DSL group size. |
| US08660135B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining if a mobile terminal is the intended recipient for information provided via a control channel
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided that may reduce the number of false accepts by reducing the instances in which a mobile terminal mistakenly determines that control channel information is intended for the mobile terminal. The method, apparatus and computer program product may determine whether control channel information appears to be directed to a respective mobile terminal, determine whether one or more filler bits have respective predefined values and thereafter identify the information to not be intended for the respective mobile terminal in an instance in which the filler bits fail to have the predefined values. In an instance in which the control channel information provides an uplink grant, the method, apparatus and computer program product may cause data to be transmitted via an uplink established per the uplink grant only if the filler bits have the predefined values. |
| US08660133B2 |
Techniques to utilize queues for network interface devices
In general, in one aspect, included are descriptions of providing a single network interface from physical network interfaces that provides a number of receive queues equal to the sum of the number of receive queues provided by each of the physical network interfaces. |
| US08660131B2 |
Storage unit for communication system node, method for data storage and communication system node
The present invention relates to a data storage unit for a communication system node, a method for data storage and a communication system node. More particularly it relates to storing buffering data and control data in a unit located outside of a Communication Controller on system or host-controller level, wherein a time-triggered protocol runs on the node. By locating control and buffering related data, including format and behavior, outside the Communication Controller it becomes far more flexible, extendable, and re-configurable as data buffering related restrictions, e.g. buffer sizes and number of buffers, are moved from Communication Controller level to system level. |
| US08660120B2 |
Packet forwarding apparatus and method
A network device includes at least one source physical port configured to be coupled to a network, a plurality of egress ports, and a packet processor. The packet processor includes a processing stage configured to implement a logical port assignment mechanism to assign source logical port information to a data packet received via one of the at least one source physical port, wherein the source logical port information is based on characteristics of the data packet, wherein the source logical port information corresponds to a logical entity that is different from any source physical port, and a forwarding engine to determine one or more egress ports for forwarding the data packet based on at least the assigned source logical port information. |
| US08660119B2 |
Communication system capable of transmitting packet having sub-packets
A communication system is provided. The communication system includes a first communication device having a first processing unit, and a second communication device having a second processing unit. When packetizing a packet, the first processing unit is configured to, depending on a size of information to be transmitted from the first communication device to the second communication device in the packet selectively, prepare a first sub-packet including a first sub-packet information of a first predetermined size and a first sub-packet error averting information into a first predetermined range of a first payload space of the packet, and to deliver the packet having the first sub-packet to the second processing unit. |
| US08660117B2 |
Packet switching device and local communication network with such a packet switching device
A packet switching device comprises a network interface configured to send and receive data packets via a communication network, a plurality of string interfaces configured to transmit and receive data packets to/from a plurality of participants and a switching unit connected to the network interface and to the plurality of string interfaces. The a switching unit comprises a control unit configured to control a data throughput. The control unit comprises an interface association table which determines that data packets received via the network interface are mandatorily outputted via the string interfaces and the data packets received via the string interfaces are mandatorily outputted via the network interface. |
| US08660116B2 |
Private multimedia contents broadcasting equipment which uses ISM radio frequency band or 5GHzUNII radio frequency band, private multimedia contents broadcasting system and method thereof
An individual multimedia contents broadcasting equipment is disclosed, which includes an individual broadcast process unit which provides a private IP address through a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) to a receiving terminal, which requests a connection, and makes a connection of the receiving terminal through a radio network, and transmits a broadcast content to the connected receiving terminal; and a radio communication unit which forms a radio network and communicates data with the connected receiving terminal through the radio network. |
| US08660112B2 |
Adaptive router architecture using logical internal addressing
A method and a related router comprising a network interface, a logical addressing module and a forwarding element card. The logical addressing module is capable of maintaining at least one local table associating at least one card of the router with at least a portion of at least one service provided by the router. The forwarding element card is capable of receiving a packet stream on the network interface, detecting that the packet stream requires further treatment from a further card of the router and, upon detection, consulting the local table to find an identifier, to which the further card is linked, based on information found in the packet stream before forwarding the packet stream toward the further card. |
| US08660108B2 |
Synchronizing timeslots in a wireless communication protocol
A method for synchronizing communications in wireless mesh network operating in a process control environment and including a plurality of network devices includes defining a communication timeslot of a predetermined duration, wherein each of the plurality of network devices transmits or receives data only within the communication timeslot generating a network schedule including at least one superframe having repeating superframe cycles each having a number of communication timeslots sequentially numbered relative to a beginning of each cycle, the number of communication timeslots defining a length of the at least one superframe, maintaining an absolute slot number indicative of a number of communication timeslots scheduled since a start time of the wireless network, synchronizing each of the plurality of network devices with respect to a timing of an individual communication timeslot, and synchronizing each of the plurality of network devices with the network schedule based on the absolute slot number. |
| US08660104B2 |
Method and system for communicating information in a multi-antenna system
Certain aspects of a method and system for communicating information in a multi-antenna system are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include receiving at least one narrowband RF signal via at least one of a plurality of receiving antennas that is unused within a wideband diversity radio frequency (RF) receiver comprising a plurality of receiving antennas, when the wideband diversity RF receiver is operating in a narrowband receiving mode. |
| US08660103B2 |
Wireless routing device
The disclosure discloses a wireless routing device. The device include: a wideband wireless access module configured to implement wireless access of wideband data; an embedded operating system software module, embedded in the wideband wireless access module, configured to enable a user to access a wireless local area network (WLAN), and to forward the wideband data received from the wideband wireless access module to a WLAN communication module; the wireless local area network communication module is configured to receive the wideband data and to enable users in the WLAN to share the wideband data; and a power supply module configured to supply power for the wideband wireless access module and the wireless local area network communication module. The disclosure adequately utilizes the hardware resources of the wideband wireless access module, and saves a hardware of an independent Access Point (AP) Router processor module so that the hardware structure is simpler, the power consumption is lower during the normal standby and operation, and meanwhile the lasting time of the battery mode is longer, and the portability and the mobility of the wireless route product are improved. |
| US08660102B2 |
Method of exploitation of co-channel interference, apparatus and computer program
A method of canceling co-channel interference of a signal received by a mobile station having at least two receiving antennas, in a cellular OFDMA-TDD communication network having a serving base station and at least one interfering base station. The signal is a result of a serving signal transmitted by the serving base station which is distorted by at least one interfering signal transmitted by the interfering base station. The serving signal is transmitted with a first modulation scheme and the interfering signal is transmitted with a second modulation scheme. The method includes: a channel estimation phase delivering channel estimations of the serving signal and the interfering signal; and a MIMO detecting phase, detecting symbols by using the channel estimations of the serving signal and the interfering signal. The MIMO detection phase is realized using a non-linear method which uses the first modulation scheme and the second modulation scheme. |
| US08660090B2 |
Communication control apparatus, identifier allocation method for the communication control apparatus, and mobile communication system
A first base station forms a cell group including a first cell and a second cell partly overlapping with the first cell. A second base station forms a cell group including a third cell and a fourth cell partly overlapping with the third cell. An allocator of a communication control apparatus specifies an identifier for wireless communication that differs from any of wireless communication identifiers already allocated to mobile devices existing within either the first or second cell forming the cell group, and allocates the specified wireless communication identifier to a mobile device existing in the cell group constituted by the first and second cells. A transmitter transmits the identifier allocated by the allocator to the mobile device via the first base station. |
| US08660089B2 |
Method for reselection among home base station cells
The present invention discloses a method for reselection among home base station cells, which comprises the following steps that: a user terminal camps on a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) cell (S101); when a closed subscriber group cell on a frequency is found meeting a reselection condition, the frequencies of the source closed subscriber group cell and a target closed subscriber group cell are assigned with the same frequency priority (S102), and the user terminal performs the cell reselection (S103). With a modified reselection policy, the present invention can implement effective reselection, significantly improve the signal quality of the user terminal, and solve the problem that the priorities of CSG cells cannot be guaranteed to be the same when a user terminal carries out reselection based on the priority-based reselection method by assigning the frequencies of the accessible CSG cells with the same priority. |
| US08660088B2 |
Method and arrangement in a telecommunication system
The invention relates to a method and arrangement in a serving Radio Network Controller, SRNC for controlling inter RAT handover to E-UTRAN of a UE with E-UTRA capability operating in a serving network comprising said SRNC, wherein the SRNC receives, from a Serving GPRS Support Node, SGSN, security keys generated at authentication and key agreement, AKA, upon attachment of the UE to the serving network; characterized in the steps of —determining (202) which type of UICC the UE is equipped with by analyzing the security keys received from SGSN; —using the knowledge of which type of UICC the UE is equipped with to base a decision (204) on whether to allow handover of the UE to E-UTRAN. |
| US08660086B2 |
Method and apparatus for admission control and forced handover in a multi-layer network configuration
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a method comprises collecting measurements from each of a plurality of mobile stations in a serving layer upon deciding that the serving layer is overloaded; computing a cost function for each of the mobile stations based on the collected measurements; selecting at least one mobile station from the plurality of the mobile station in the serving layer based on the cost function for a forced handover from the serving layer to an under-loaded layer; and initiating the forced handover from the serving layer to the under-loaded layer via a signaling message to the selected at least one mobile station. |
| US08660084B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting reference signal in wireless communication system
A method and apparatus of transmitting a reference signal in a wireless communication system is provided. Demodulation Reference Signals (DMRSs) for a plurality of respective antennas is generated. The DMRSs are mapped to a resource region, and transmitted through the respective corresponding antennas. The DMRSs are multiplexed using at least one of frequency division multiplexing (FDM), code division multiplexing (CDM), and time division multiplexing (TDM) methods and mapped in the resource region. Also, a position of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol to which the DMRSs are mapped in the resource region is an OFDM symbol to which a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and a legacy cell-specific reference signal (CRS) are not mapped. |
| US08660078B2 |
Data radio bearer (DRB) enhancements for small data transmissions apparatus, systems, and methods
A method of transmitting data packets with a wireless communication device includes requesting a preconfigured data radio bearer (DRB) from a base station during a connection request; receiving the preconfigured DRB from the base station in response to the request; and providing security configuration information to a network control entity that provides the security configuration information to the base station. |
| US08660076B2 |
Apparatus and method of transmitting scheduling request in wireless communication system
A method and apparatus of transmitting a scheduling request to request uplink resources are provided. A user equipment receives a scheduling request (SR) configuration and a transmission indicator from a first serving cell. The transmission indicator enables the simultaneous transmission of the SR and a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). The user equipment transmits a SR on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) in a subframe to the first serving cell and transmits uplink data on the PUSCH in the subframe to a second serving cell. |
| US08660075B2 |
Congestion notification in private VLANs
One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. During operation, in a network with a private VLAN configuration, the switch allows a congestion notification message with an isolated virtual local area network identifier (VLAN ID) to be forwarded via an isolated VLAN port. |
| US08660068B2 |
Method for sending status information in mobile telecommunications system and receiver of mobile telecommunications
Discussed is a method of sending status information (STATUS PDU) in which a receiving side reports a data received state to a transmitting side in a mobile telecommunication system. A receiving side RLC entity considers an available radio resource to construct a status PDU fit to the size of the radio resource and then sends the constructed status PDU to a transmitting side RLC entity, thereby avoiding a deadlock situation of RLC protocols. |
| US08660066B2 |
Method for constructing RACH preamble and method for transmitting RACH signal
A wireless communication system is disclosed. A method for constructing a RACH preamble according to a cell radius of a base station (BS) irrespective of a guard time (GT) and a method for allocating the RACH preamble are disclosed. A method for constructing a preamble of a random access channel (RACH) includes acquiring time-length information of a predetermined cyclic prefix (CP) for each cell radius of a base station (BS), acquiring sequence time-length information of a single sequence or a repeated sequence, and constructing the preamble using the predetermined CP time-length information and the sequence time-length information, irrespective of a time length of a guard time (GT). |
| US08660065B2 |
Radio network and a method for operating a radio network
A radio network allows a flexible distribution of data flows between a mobile station and a mobility anchor of the network over different interfaces. Data flows are routed between at least one mobile station and a mobility anchor of the network. The mobile station can connect to the mobility anchor using multiple network interfaces simultaneously, the radio network including an application function capable of processing and/or analyzing information about routing policies contained in a signalling received from a mobile station, which is able to push or signal the processed and/or analyzed information from the application function to an entity that can enforce routing policies to forward the data flows to one or more selected interfaces and which is able to signal routing policies received from the network to the mobile station. Further, an according method for operating a radio network, especially for routing data flows within the network, is disclosed. |
| US08660064B2 |
Method for transmitting and receiving paging information in a broadband wireless access system
A method for efficiently transmitting and receiving a paging message and system information from and in a mobile station of a broadband wireless access system is disclosed. A method for receiving a paging message in a mobile station comprise receiving paging information from a serving base station, the paging information including paging sub group identifier (paging sub_group ID) indicating a paging sub group to which the mobile station belongs; and receiving the paging message for a predetermined paging interval of the paging sub group, wherein the paging sub group is determined separately from a paging group and a geographical location determining the paging group, and is maintained while the mobile station is being operated in an idle mode. |
| US08660063B2 |
Method and apparatus for cell detection in a wireless communication system
A method (300) and apparatus (200) for cell detection in a wireless communication system may include acquiring (315), using a transceiver, synchronization to first radio frame boundaries of a first physical channel from a cell. The method may include attempting to decode frames (320) of a second physical channel that has second radio frame boundaries that are a multiple of the first radio frame boundaries. The method may include performing (325) a cyclic redundancy check on the frames of the second physical channel. The method may include extracting (345) predictable information from a payload from frames that fail the cyclic redundancy check. |
| US08660062B2 |
Methods and apparatus for quality of service-based uplink polling schemes
A method for allocating polling bandwidth may include generating polling tokens corresponding to connections maintained by a base station. The polling tokens may be generated at configurable time intervals. The method may also include assigning priorities to the polling tokens. The priority of a polling token may depend on a scheduling type of a corresponding connection. The method may also include allocating polling bandwidth to the connections that correspond to the highest priority polling tokens when uplink bandwidth is available to allocate for polling. |
| US08660054B2 |
Method for supporting distribution of warning messages
A method for supporting distribution of warning messages, is characterized in that an NGN (Next Generation Network) infrastructure is employed for distribution, wherein the infrastructure includes a plurality of network elements including endpoints, wherein a hierarchical architecture is defined for the network elements, wherein groups of network elements including endpoints with specific characteristics are defined, wherein each of the network elements provides its group membership information to at least one higher-tier network element, and wherein at least one group warning controller is provided that, upon receiving a request from a source node, generates a warning message for one or more target groups and forwards the warning message to lower-tier network elements of the respective target group or groups towards endpoints. |
| US08660052B2 |
Method, base station and user equipment for transmitting and acquiring control information in broadcast multicast system
Various embodiments provide a method for transmitting control information in a broadcast multicast system, the method includes: broadcasting identifier information of N Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) areas to which the current cell belongs through a system message wherein N is an integer with N>1; transmitting indication information of control information of the N MBSFN areas through a system message or a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message; and transmitting the control information of the N MBSFN areas respectively through a Multicast Control Channel (MCCH) of the current cell according to the indication information. Various embodiments can guarantee normal working of a UE when the UE is located in an area overlapped by multiple MBSFN areas. |
| US08660051B2 |
Relay apparatus, communication apparatus, communication system, and frame transfer method
A relay apparatus converts a received multicast frame to a unicast frame, sets a relatively higher communication rate than a specified communication rate, and forwards the converted unicast frame to a communication apparatus at the relatively higher communication rate. The relay apparatus attaches conversion information, which represents execution of the conversion, to the unicast frame. On reception of a unicast frame from the relay apparatus, the communication apparatus determines whether the received unicast frame is the converted unicast frame from the multicast frame, based on the conversion information attached by the relay apparatus. Upon determination that the received unicast frame is the converted unicast frame, the communication apparatus reconverts the received unicast frame to a multicast frame and transfers the reconverted multicast frame to an application installed in the communication apparatus to utilize a multicast frame. This arrangement enables the communication apparatus to effectively utilize a received unicast frame that is a converted unicast frame from a multicast frame. |
| US08660047B2 |
Method of broadcasting data packets in a network of mobile nodes and associated terminal
Disclosed is a periodic broadcasting of data packets in an ad hoc network formed by a plurality of mobile nodes that can move along traffic lanes forming junctions and can be located. A data packet is broadcast by a broadcaster node elected from a set of candidate nodes at each junction. The broadcaster node is elected in a decentralized manner at each candidate node by comparing the estimated travel time to reach the center of the junction with a particular reference time period between two successive broadcasts. |
| US08660043B2 |
Communication apparatus to support multiband communication
A communication apparatus to support multiband communication is provided. The communication apparatus may be applicable to, for example, a duplexer module for the multiband communication. The communication apparatus may be manufactured to be small and light by simplifying a circuit structure of the duplexer module. |
| US08660041B2 |
Method and apparatus for time division duplex communication
Embodiments provide a method and apparatus for performing time division duplex communication, such as may be performed over a wireless communications network. In the embodiments a first circuit pathway is used to transmit a first radio frequency signal in a transmission mode and a second circuit pathway is used to receive a second radio frequency signal in a reception mode. In the reception mode, the first radio frequency signal is switched to an alternate circuit pathway. This may be performed by a radio frequency integrated circuit or by other control circuitry. Switching to an alternate circuit pathway reduces leakage of the first radio frequency signal into the second radio frequency signal. |
| US08660038B1 |
Previewing voicemails using mobile devices
Previewing voice over internet protocol (VoIP) voicemail is disclosed. A request is sent for VoIP voicemail available to preview using a data channel associated with a cellular phone system. Information of voicemail available to preview and one preview portion for each of the voicemail available to preview are received. Information of voicemail available to preview is displayed. A selection of one of the available voicemails is received. A preview portion of the voicemail corresponding to the selection of one of the available voicemails is played. |
| US08660035B2 |
Wireless relay network media access control layer control plane system and method
A method and system for using a communication network having a relay node to provide wireless communication with a mobile station. A ranging region is established with the mobile station in which the establishment of the ranging region includes the transmission of control information corresponding to the relay node. The mobile station is allowed to enter the communication network. The relay node is used to wirelessly communicate with the mobile station in at least one of the uplink and downlink directions. |
| US08660033B2 |
Apparatus and method for providing service in service zone
A method for providing a service in a service zone comprises: receiving, from an access point, a service set identifier (SSID) or a basic service set identifier (BSSID); when the SSID or the BSSID has been received for a preset time, transmitting, to a server, a message requesting for service identification information corresponding to the received SSID or BSSID; receiving, from the server, the service identification information; and creating an object based on the received service identification information. |
| US08660031B2 |
Communication device, control method therefor, and program
Even when a plurality of communication parameter providing devices exist, a communication parameter setting process is enabled.When a plurality of communication parameter providing devices exist, one of the communication parameter providing devices is determined. For example, all the communication parameter providing devices are caused to stop the providing process. Alternatively, a user is allowed to select a communication parameter providing device. Alternatively, a communication parameter providing device is determined in accordance with a predetermined rule. |
| US08660030B2 |
High performance and low complexity scheduling method for adaptive resource usage in OFDMA wireless relay networks
A method for scheduling transmissions in wireless network includes receiving information ranging from conventional data to real-time streaming applications into a basestation of an OFDMA wireless relay network and scheduling transmission of the information from the basestation by influencing adaptive frame segmentation and access hop reuse in the transmission of the information for achieving higher transmission flow of the information, Where the scheduling is formulated as an integer program, the scheduling includes solving a linear programming relaxation of the integer program and rounding to integral allocations with allocation to at least one of a subset of wireless users and subsets of relays in the network for obtaining frame segmentation and reuse. Where the scheduling is formulated by following a bisection approach to guide adaptation of the frame segmentation, the scheduling determines a subset of users with maximum flow per unit resource for a given frame segmentation and the resulting flow from current and previous scheduling being used to guide adaptation of frame segmentation towards convergence. |
| US08660029B2 |
Method for designating a dual region
A method for designating a dual region according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: enabling a terminal which is in communication with a first network to calculate a channel state threshold value corresponding to data; comparing the channel state value of the first network and the channel state value of the second network, acquired using a pilot signal of a second network, with the channel state threshold value; calculating a network evaluation score of the first network; comparing the network evaluation score of the first network with a network evaluation threshold value for designating a dual region, if the channel state value of the first network and the channel state value of the second network are larger than the channel state threshold value; and determining whether to designate a dual region in accordance with the result of the comparison using the network evaluation threshold value. The method of the present invention can reduce service cutoff or delay time during inter-radio access. |
| US08660024B2 |
Estimation method to evaluate a system reliability of a cloud computing network
An estimation method applies to evaluating a system reliability of a cloud computing network, and the steps thereof includes: providing a network model which sends data through at least two path between a cloud and a client; inputting a demand, a time constraint and a maintenance budget into the network model; providing plural capacity vectors corresponding to different states of the flow of the cloud computing network; selecting a first set of vectors from the capacity vectors for satisfying the demand and the time constraint; deleting the capacity vectors which do not meet the maintenance budget from the first set of vectors to form a second set of vectors; and computing an upper boundary of the system reliability based on the first set of vectors and an lower boundary of the system reliability based on the second set of vectors. |
| US08660016B2 |
Testing and monitoring voice over internet protocol (VoIP) service using instrumented test streams to determine the quality, capacity and utilization of the VoIP network
The present invention enables testing of a VoIP network using various instrumented test streams. The testing can determine the quality of the transmission network before an internet VoIP service is put into production. The testing also enables regular diagnostic audits of a VoIP network to maintain the quality of the VoIP network. The testing enable measurement of, for example jitter, packet loss and delay and allow characteristics of the VoIP network to be obtained. In addition, the present invention can to determine the capacity and utilization of a VoIP transport network. Based on the measurements and characteristics of the VoIP network the present invention can control routing of a call on the VoIP network or can prevent a call from being made. The present invention also enables dynamic switching of CODECS during a session to enhance the performance of the VoIP network. |
| US08660011B2 |
Intelligent jack providing perceptible indication of network connectivity
An intelligent network jack configured for connection to a communication network includes a housing, an input connector, an output connector adapted for coupling to the communication network, processing circuitry arranged within the housing and operative to perform a test for connectivity between the network jack and the communication network, and a display for presenting a result of the connectivity test in a user-perceptible manner. In one embodiment, the network jack comprises an in-wall network jack configured for installation with the housing primarily on one side of a wall and with at least the input connector and display accessible on an opposite side of the wall. In another embodiment, the network jack comprises an adaptor network jack with the output connector configured for insertion into an input connector of an existing conventional in-wall network jack. |
| US08660010B2 |
System and method for second order multi-layer traffic grooming for optical network optimization
A method includes forming a set of direct connections (including a high-speed connection and a low-speed connection) between an origination central office (OCO) and a destination central office (DCO). The method includes forming a spoke connection between the OCO and a hub node and forming a connection between the hub node and the DCO. The spoke connection is formed to carry first residual demand traffic from the OCO to the hub node. The connection is formed to carry the first residual demand traffic and second residual demand traffic (received at the hub node from other OCOs) from the hub node to the DCO. The method includes determining a first estimated cost (of forming the set of direct connections) and a second estimated cost (of forming the spoke connection and the connection). The method includes determining whether the first estimated cost exceeds the second estimated cost. |
| US08660007B2 |
Performing rate limiting within a network
Methods and systems for performing rate limiting are provided. According to one embodiment, information is maintained regarding a set of virtual networks into which a network has been logically divided. Each virtual network comprises a loop-free switching path, reverse path learning network and provides a path through the network between a first and second component thereby collectively providing multiple paths between the first and second components. Packets are received by the first component that are associated with a flow sent by a source component. The packets are forwarded by the first component to the second component along a particular path defined by the set of virtual networks. A congestion metric is determined for the particular path and based thereon it is determined whether a congestion threshold has been reached. Responsive to an affirmative determination, the source component is instructed to limit the rate at which the packets are sent. |
| US08660005B2 |
Load balancing hash computation for network switches
Techniques to load balance traffic in a network device or switch include a network device or switch having a first interface to receive a data unit or packet, a second interface to transmit the packet, and a mapper to map between virtual ports and physical ports. The network device includes hash value generator configured to generate a hash value based on information included in the packet and based on at least one virtual port. The hash value may be optionally modified to load balance egress traffic of the network device. The network device selects a particular virtual port for egress of the packet, such as by determining an index into an egress table based on the (modified) hash value. The packet is transmitted from the network device using a physical port mapped to the particular virtual port. |
| US08660004B2 |
Systems and methods for multicast admission control
Systems and methods for multicast admission control are provided. In one embodiment, a node comprises: a first interface configured to receive a multicast channel access request, from a subscriber interface, including an address for a channel; a memory including a subscriber profile and VLAN configuration data for the network; a processor that identifies a first VLAN corresponding to the address from the VLAN configuration data and determines whether the subscriber is authorized to receive the channel via the first VLAN based on access policy designated by the subscriber profile; wherein the processor further determines whether granting access to the channel violates admission control policy based on predefined bandwidth requirements and/or a stream count limit for the first VLAN; wherein when the subscriber interface is authorized to receive the channel and when granting access to the channel does not violate admission control policy, the processor routes the channel to the subscriber. |
| US08660002B1 |
Managing media resources utilizing session initiation protocol
Provides management of the communication of media communicated to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) enabled multiplexer in a media distribution network. A SIP enabled multiplexer receives information from one or more components of the media distribution network to identify the status of the media distribution networks. Utilizing the information, a level of communication that media is to be communicated from a media source is determined. The level of communication is maintained until a request is received to communicate media from the media source. The request is compared to the determined level of communication at which the media is to be communicated. The media source receives an indication as to the level of communication that media is to be communicated. As a result, the media source communicates a request to communicate media at the indicated level of communication. |
| US08659998B2 |
IO latency reduction
An application and audio driver communicate audio data via a ring buffer using a system interface. An application reads or writes data from the buffer in a unit of data. Positions within the buffer correspond to a particular time. To write data to the buffer at a particular position in the buffer that corresponds to a particular time, an application is awaken a period of time (“client-side offset”) before the driver reaches the position. The period of time is computed based on a variety factors. One factor is the amount of time the system interface assumes an application uses to write the unit of data to the buffer. For operations that entail the application inserting data into the buffer, the application may specify a weight value to apply to the factor to reduce it and the latency period. |
| US08659994B2 |
Method and system for communicating multicast traffic over protected paths
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method is provided for communicating multicast traffic. The method may include in response to receipt of multicast control traffic at a network element to be communicated to a protection switching group, communicating the multicast control traffic to each of a working path and a protection path of the protection switching group. The method may also include in response to receipt of multicast control traffic via either of the working path and the protection path, processing the multicast control traffic as if the multicast control traffic was received via both the working path and the protection path. |
| US08659993B2 |
Priority domains for protection switching processes
Embodiments of the invention describe apparatus, systems and methods for creating a protection switching domain having a control virtual local area network (vlan), a first set of high priority protected data vlans, and a second set of lower priority protected data vlans. When a fault is detected at a ring network, indicating a failed link between adjacent nodes, said fault is communicated to a master node of the ring network via the control vlan.Embodiments of the invention allow a user to specify a priority for each of its domains on a given set of ring ports. The higher priority protected data domains are serviced to completion prior to servicing the lower priority protected data domains, ensuring that data traffic convergence time does not increase across these vlans. |
| US08659991B2 |
Minimizing the number of not-via addresses
In an embodiment, a method comprises determining a set of protected components that are associated with a notifying node; determining a single network repair address for the set of protected components, wherein the single network repair address is for use in response to unavailability of any of the protected components when transmitting network traffic to the notifying node; assigning the single network repair address to each of the protected components; wherein the notifying node is an internetworking device and wherein the method is performed by one or more processors. |
| US08659990B2 |
Serial networking fiber-to-the-seat inflight entertainment system
An entertainment system that exhibits advantages of fiber-to-the-seat systems, has improved failure recovery characteristics, and reduces the connection components is disclosed. In one aspect, an inflight entertainment system comprises a plurality of head end line replaceable units physically interconnected in a ring configuration and a plurality of serially-connected networking line replaceable units physically interconnected in a serial configuration, wherein two of the serially-connected networking line replaceable units at the edge of the serial configuration are physically interconnected with two of the head end line replaceable units, respectively, wherein a loop-free head end data path is maintained between active head end line replaceable units by regulating link participation in the head end data path, and wherein one or more loop-free serially-connected networking data paths are maintained between at least one of the two head end line replaceable units and active serially-connected networking line replaceable units by regulating link participation in the serially-connected networking data paths. |
| US08659989B2 |
Method and apparatus for waveform independent ranging
A system and method for calculating a time of arrival (TOA) of an electromagnetic signal is presented. A method receives a fast Fourier transform (FFT) signal that is a FFT of an original electromagnetic signal containing symbol data. The FFT signal is either multiplied or divided with a value to remove the symbol data. Removing the symbol data generates a perturbed data values representing perturbed signal with a perturbed covariance. The method calculates a perturbed covariance of the perturbed data values. After the perturbed covariance is calculated, the method at least partially corrects the perturbed covariance to produce a corrected covariance. The TOA of the original electromagnetic signal is calculated based, at least in part, on the perturbed covariance. |
| US08659986B1 |
Crosstalk cancellation for a multiport ethernet system
A transceiver system is disclosed. The transceiver system comprises a first transceiver physical layer circuit (PHY) having a first plurality of channels and a second transceiver PHY disposed adjacent the first transceiver PHY and having a second plurality of channels. Filter circuitry is coupled between at least one of the plurality of first channels and at least one of the plurality of second channels. |
| US08659985B2 |
Optical pickup and optical read/write drive
In one embodiment of the present invention, an optical pickup for writing and reading data on an optical storage medium comprises a diffractive element for diffracting a light beam to split it into multiple light beams. The diffracted light beams includes a zero-order diffracted light beam for writing data on a track of the land or the groove of the optical storage medium and non-zero-order diffracted light beams for reading the data from the track. The diffractive element has first and second diffraction gratings that have mutually different grating vector directions and pitches. The first diffraction grating forms light beam spots on the same track by the non-zero-order and zero-order diffracted light beams. The second diffraction grating forms a light beam spot to extend to both sides of said track, or forms a light beam spot on one side of said track, by the non-zero-order diffracted light beams. |
| US08659980B2 |
Recording head with waveguide
An apparatus having a first pole with a first side and a second side opposite from the first side, a second pole positioned on the first side of the first pole, and a waveguide positioned on the second side of the first pole wherein the waveguide has an end adjacent to an air bearing surface. The first pole includes a first portion spaced from the waveguide and a second portion extending from the first portion to the air bearing surface, with the second portion being structured such that an end of the second portion is closer to the waveguide than the first portion. |
| US08659975B2 |
Vibration generation and detection in shear wave dispersion ultrasound vibrometry with large background motions
A method for measuring a mechanical property of a subject includes using an ultrasonic transducer to apply ultrasonic vibration pulses to a vibration origin in the subject in an on-off time sequence in order to impart a harmonic motion at a prescribed frequency to the subject, and when the vibration pulses are off, preferably using the same transducer to apply ultrasonic detection pulses to a motion detection point and to receive echo signals therefrom in order to sense the harmonic motion on the subject at the motion detection point The ultrasonic detection pulses are interspersed with the vibration pulses and can be applied in a non-uniform manner From the received ultrasonic echo signals, a harmonic signal is detected and a characteristic such as amplitude or phase of the detected harmonic signal is calculated using a Kalman filter or interpolation. |
| US08659974B2 |
System and method of 3D salt flank VSP imaging with transmitted waves
According to a preferred aspect of the instant invention, there is provided herein a system and method for imaging complex subsurface geologic structures such as salt dome flanks using VSP data. In the preferred arrangement, a receiver wave field will be downward continued through a salt flood model and a source wave field will be upward continued through a sediment flood model until they “meet” at the subsurface locations of the VSP receivers. The source and receiver wave fields will be cross correlated as an imaging condition at each depth interval. |
| US08659973B2 |
Sequential-write, random-read memory
In one embodiment, a method includes, in response to assertion of a write-enable signal at a memory array that comprises a plurality of words, sequentially and at a first clock frequency writing data to the memory array starting at a beginning of the memory array until the memory array is full. The method includes, independent of the writing of data to the memory array, asynchronously and at a second clock frequency that is slower than the first clock frequency reading data from the memory array based on read addresses received at the memory array. |
| US08659970B2 |
Memory device power control
The apparatus described herein may comprise a first set of transistors, including a first transistor and a second transistor, and a second set of transistors, including a third transistor and a fourth transistor. Gates of the first and second transistors may be coupled to a first signal and a second signal, respectively, each indicating whether a corresponding one of a first supply voltage and a second supply voltage reaches a first threshold voltage or a second threshold voltage to power on a first circuit or a second circuit of a memory device. Gates of the third and fourth transistors may be coupled to a first inverted version of the first signal and a second inverted version of the second signal, respectively. An outcome signal of the second set of transistors may indicate a power-on state of the memory device responsive to power states of the first and second signals. |
| US08659969B2 |
Semiconductor device
By using a fact that a bit error in an on-chip embedded memory occurs at a random address, means for creating a chip-unique ID and utilizing this ID are provided. A controller having received a verification request from outside instructs a variable power supply circuit to decrease a voltage supplied to a memory to be lower than that at the normal operation time. When the voltage supplied to the memory is stabilized, the controller requests a memory test to a memory BIST. By using an address where an error occurs due to a result of the memory test, the controller creates the chip-unique ID and uses the ID as a response to the verification request. |
| US08659968B2 |
Power supply circuit and semiconductor memory device including the power supply circuit
According to one embodiment, a power supply circuit, which generates a power supply voltage which is applied to a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells disposed at intersections between a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines, comprises a first boost circuit configured to boost an input voltage, a first voltage step-down circuit having an input connected to an output of the first boost circuit, and a voltage control circuit configured to control the first boost circuit and the first voltage step-down circuit. The voltage control circuit is configured to generate, not via the first voltage step-down circuit, a voltage which is boosted by the first boost circuit, when a first voltage is transferred to a non-selected memory cell. |
| US08659965B2 |
Sense amplifier having loop gain control
Memories, sense amplifiers, and methods for amplifying a current input are disclosed, including a sense amplifier including a bias circuit configured to provide a bias voltage having a magnitude responsive to maintaining a substantially constant loop gain, and further including an amplifier stage coupled to the bias circuit to receive the bias voltage and configured to amplify a input current at an input-output node, a loop gain of the current amplifier stage is controlled at least in part to the bias voltage. |
| US08659963B2 |
Enhanced power savings for memory arrays
A memory array is provided that comprises a plurality of global bit lines such that each bit line is coupled to a plurality of memory cells. The memory array further comprises a plurality of precharge logic such that each precharge logic is coupled to an associated global bit line in the plurality of global bit lines. Identification logic in the memory array is coupled to the plurality of precharge logic. The identification logic provides a precharge enable signal to a subset of the plurality of precharge logic on each clock cycle such that the subset of precharge logic precharges its associated subset of global bit lines to a voltage level of a voltage source, thereby reducing the power consumption of the memory array. |
| US08659962B2 |
Semiconductor device, semiconductor system having the same and operating method thereof
A semiconductor device includes a data storage unit configured to receive input data, outputs the input data with a difference in voltage level between logic levels, and output comparison data whose logic level is distinguished from the input data; a test operation unit configured to determine a logic level of test data periodically in response to a data reference voltage whose voltage level is determined in response to a level test code during a test operation period defined by a test entry command and a test exit command, and generate a test result signal by comparing a logic level of the comparison data with the logic level of the test data; and a test operation sensing signal generation unit configured to generate a test operation sensing signal that is activated in response to the test entry command and inactivated in response to the test result signal. |
| US08659959B2 |
Advanced memory device having improved performance, reduced power and increased reliability
An advanced memory having improved performance, reduced power and increased reliability. A memory device includes a memory array, a receiver for receiving a command and associated data, error control coding circuitry for performing error control checking on the received command, and data masking circuitry for preventing the associated data from being written to the memory array in response to the error control coding circuitry detecting an error in the received command. Another memory device includes a programmable preamble. Another memory device includes a fast exit self-refresh mode. Another memory device includes auto refresh function that is controlled by the characteristic device. Another memory device includes an auto refresh function that is controlled by a characteristic of the memory device. |
| US08659955B2 |
Memory array having word lines with folded architecture
According to an exemplary embodiment, a memory array arrangement includes a plurality of word lines, where at least two of the plurality of word lines are concurrently active word lines. Each of the plurality of word lines drive at least one group of columns. The memory array arrangement also includes a multiplexer for coupling one memory cell in a selected group of columns to at least one of the plurality of sense amps, thereby achieving a reduced sense amp-to-column ratio. The memory array arrangement further includes a plurality of I/O buffers each corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of sense amps. The memory array arrangement thereby results in the plurality of word lines having reduced resistive and capacitive loading. |
| US08659951B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and method of data write therein
A bit line is electrically connected to one end of a current path of a memory cell. A word line is commonly connected to the memory cells arranged in a direction intersecting the bit line. A control circuit executes a write operation for applying a write voltage to the word line so shift a threshold voltage of the memory cell to be data written that the threshold voltage of the memory cell to be data written reaches a certain threshold voltage. During the write operation, the control circuit, while applying a gradually rising write voltage to the word line, gradually changes a voltage applied to the bit line based on a relationship between the threshold voltage of the memory cell to be written and a number of times of the write voltage applications. |
| US08659949B1 |
Three-dimensional memory structure and method of operating the same hydride
A three-dimensional memory structure is provided, comprising plural stacked structures vertically formed on a substrate, each stacked structure comprising a bottom gate, wherein the bottom gates of the stacked structures are electrically connected; plural gates and gate insulators alternately stacked on the bottom gate; and two selection lines formed above the gates and spaced apart form each other and the selection lines being independently controlled, wherein the gate insulator fills between the selection lines, between the gate and the selection lines and forms on top of the selection lines for insulation. The 3D memory structure further comprises plural charge trapping multilayers formed outsides of the stacked structures and extending to the bottom gates; plural ultra-thin channels formed outsides of the charge trapping multilayers and lined between the adjacent stacked structures; and a dielectric layer formed between the ultra-thin channels and between the stacked structures. |
| US08659948B2 |
Techniques for reading a memory cell with electrically floating body transistor
A semiconductor device along with circuits including the same and methods of operating the same are described. The device comprises a memory cell consisting essentially of one transistor. The transistor comprises a gate, an electrically floating body region, and a source region and a drain region adjacent the body region. The device includes data sense circuitry coupled to the memory cell. The data sense circuitry comprises a word line coupled to the gate region and a bit output coupled to the source region or the drain region. |
| US08659946B2 |
Non-volatile memory devices including vertical NAND strings and methods of forming the same
A NAND based non-volatile memory device can include a plurality of memory cells vertically arranged as a NAND string and a plurality of word line plates each electrically connected to a respective gate of the memory cells in the NAND string. A plurality of word line contacts can each be electrically connected to a respective word line plate, where the plurality of word line contacts are aligned to a bit line direction in the device. |
| US08659945B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device and method of operating same
A nonvolatile memory device comprises a bulk region and a plurality of memory cells connected to a source line and a plurality of wordlines. The method comprises applying a source line voltage to the source line with a first magnitude, applying a bulk voltage to the bulk region with a second magnitude lower than the first magnitude, and performing access operations on the plurality of memory cells while maintaining a substantially constant difference between the bulk voltage and the source line voltage. |
| US08659944B2 |
Memory architecture of 3D array with diode in memory string
A 3D memory device includes a plurality of ridge-shaped stacks, in the form of multiple strips of conductive material separated by insulating material, arranged as strings which can be coupled through decoding circuits to sense amplifiers. Diodes are connected to the bit line structures at either the string select of common source select ends of the strings. The strips of conductive material have side surfaces on the sides of the ridge-shaped stacks. A plurality of conductive lines arranged as word lines which can be coupled to row decoders, extends orthogonally over the plurality of ridge-shaped stacks. Memory elements lie in a multi-layer array of interface regions at cross-points between side surfaces of the conductive strips on the stacks and the conductive lines. |
| US08659942B1 |
Adapting read reference voltage in flash memory device
In one embodiment, a method comprises determining, by a hardware component, an adaptation for a reference voltage used in a flash memory device as a function of a difference of bit error types experienced by the flash memory device. The reference voltage is shifted at least in part by the adaptation. |
| US08659939B2 |
Spin-torque memory with unidirectional write scheme
Spin torque magnetic memory elements that have a pinned layer, two free layers, and a current-blocking insulating layer proximate to at least one of the free layers. The resistive state (e.g., low resistance or high resistance) of the memory elements is altered by passing electric current through the element in one direction. In other words, to change from a low resistance to a high resistance, the direction of electric current is the same as to change from a high resistance to a low resistance. The elements have a unidirectional write scheme. |
| US08659933B2 |
Hereto resistive switching material layer in RRAM device and method
A non-volatile memory device includes a first electrode, a resistive switching material stack overlying the first electrode. The resistive switching material stack comprising a first resistive switching material and a second resistive switching material. The second resistive switching material overlies the first electrode and the first resistive switching material overlying the second resistive switching material. The first resistive switching material is characterized by a first switching voltage having a first amplitude. The second resistive switching material is characterized by a second switching voltage having a second amplitude no greater than the first switching voltage. A second electrode comprising at least a metal material physically and electrically in contact with the first resistive switching material overlies the first resistive switching material. |
| US08659929B2 |
Amorphous silicon RRAM with non-linear device and operation
A non-volatile memory device includes a resistive switching device having a first electrode, a second electrode, and a resistive switching element, wherein the resistive switching element comprises a silicon material disposed in an overlapping region between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the second electrode comprises at least a metal material physically and electrically in contact with the resistive switching material, wherein the resistive switching element is characterized by a resistance depending on an electric field in the resistive switching element, and a non-linear device coupled between the first electrode and the resistive switching element, wherein the non-linear device is configured to conduct electric current when a voltage greater than a first voltage is applied to the second electrode, wherein the resistive switching device is configured to change from a first state to a second state in response to the first voltage. |
| US08659927B2 |
Wiring substrate in which equal-length wires are formed
In a wiring substrate, a double data rate (DDR) memory and a memory controller controlling the DDR memory are mounted. Further, in the wiring substrate, plural equal-length wires connecting the DDR memory and the memory controller are formed. The plural equal-length wires include a differential transmission line, such as a clock wire transmitting a clock signal, which is connected via a common mode choke coil. The differential transmission line may have a wire length shorter than a wire length of another equal-length wire, by a wire length corresponding to delay time of a transmission signal due to the common mode choke coil. |
| US08659926B1 |
PMC-based non-volatile CAM
Methods and circuits for CAM cells using PMCs are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a BCAM cell can include: (i) a first PMC coupled to a first access transistor and a bit node, where the first access transistor is coupled to a true bit line; (ii) a second PMC cell coupled to a second access transistor and the bit node, where the second access transistor is coupled to a complement bit line, and the first and second access transistors are controllable by a word line; (iii) a program enable transistor coupled to the bit node, and configured to couple a program control voltage to the bit node when enabled; and (iv) a match indication transistor configured to discharge a match line in response to states of the true and complement bit lines relative to the bit node. |
| US08659920B2 |
Switching device provided with a flowing restriction element
A switching device includes a flowing restriction element, a conductor and a snubber resistor. The flowing restriction element has an opening and closing function to open and close a flowing path of an electric current. The conductor is connected to the flowing restriction element. The snubber resistor is connected to the flowing restriction element and constitutes a snubber circuit. The snubber resistor is disposed along the conductor. |
| US08659918B2 |
Method of controlling power conversion device
A correction-term adder 1 compares a maximum value max(V*) with an absolute value of a minimum value min(V*). The correction-term adder 1 selects a signal 1−max(V*) when the maximum value max(V*) is larger than the absolute value of the minimum value min(V*), on the other hand, selects a signal −1−min(V*) when the absolute value of the minimum value min(V*) is larger than the maximum value max(V*). Thereby, a signal of correction amount α is calculated. Moreover, the correction-term adder 1 produces a triangular-wave-shaped signal k(max(V*)+min(V*)) by multiplying a gain k by an addition signal max(V*)+min(V*) of the maximum value max(V*) and the minimum value min(V*). This triangular-wave-shaped signal k(max(V*)+min(V*)) is synchronized with the correction amount α. The correction-term adder 1 produces a correction amount β by selecting smaller one in absolute value between the triangular-wave-shaped signal k(max(V*)+min(V*)) and the correction amount α, and adds the correction amount β to the voltage command values V*U, V*V, V*W. |
| US08659905B2 |
Aseismic server rack
An aseismic (earthquake-secure) server rack is fastened to an earthquake frame in order to increase rigidity and is fixed to the floor at least via the earthquake frame. |
| US08659901B2 |
Active antenna array heatsink
An active array heat sink cooled by natural free convection is disclosed. A long extruded heat sink is partitioned into multiple, shorter zones separated by gaps having horizontal baffles. The gaps and baffles serve to act as air vents and air inlets for the convection currents. As such, the heat transfer for the overall heat sink is improved because hot convection currents are vented and replaced by cool ambient air along the length of the heat sink. |
| US08659898B2 |
Integrated circuit stack
The invention relates to an integrated circuit stack (1) comprising a plurality of integrated circuit layers (2) and at least one cooling layer (3) arranged in a space between two circuit layers (2). The integrated circuit stack (1) is cooled using a cooling fluid (10) pumped through the cooling layer (3). The invention further relates to a method for configuring of such an integrated circuit stack (1) by optimizing a configuration of the cooling layer (3). |
| US08659897B2 |
Liquid-cooled memory system having one cooling pipe per pair of DIMMs
Each pair of memory modules in a memory system are cooled using a shared cooling pipe, such as a heat pipe or liquid flow pipe. An example embodiment includes one pair of memory module sockets on opposite sides of the respective cooling pipe. An inner heat spreader plate is thermally coupled to the cooling pipe and in thermal engagement with a first face of the memory module adjacent to the included cooling pipe. Heat is conducted from the second face of the memory module to the cooling pipe, such as from an outer plate in thermal engagement with an opposing second face of the memory modules and with the inner plate. |
| US08659892B2 |
Electronic device with heat pipe chamber cover for dissipating heat
An exemplary electronic device includes a base, a cover, side plates, a heat conduct plate, a wick structure, a working medium and at least one electronic element. The cover and the base cooperatively define a cavity. The at least one side plate extends from the cover and receives in the cavity. The heat conduct plate and the at least side plate and the cover cooperatively defines a sealed chamber. The wick structure is attached to an inner surface of the sealed chamber. The working medium is received in the wick structure. The at least one electronic element is received in the cavity and thermally connected to the heat conduct plate. |
| US08659889B2 |
Docking station for providing digital signage
Various embodiments of digital signage systems and docking stations are described. In one embodiment, a digital signage system includes an electronic device having a rear surface and an opposing front surface at which a display of the electronic device may be viewed. The system also includes a body for supporting the electronic device. A recessed region is formed in the body from a top surface of the body, and the electronic device is positioned within the recessed region such that the rear surface of the electronic device fits entirely within the recessed region and the front surface of the electronic device is substantially flush with a portion of a top surface of the body that surrounds the recessed region. An aperture may be formed at least partially through the recessed region for receiving a cable assembly operable to connect to the electronic device. An elongated cutout may also be formed, extending from the aperture to an edge or edge surface of the body, and sized so that an insulated wire of the cable assembly can extend from the aperture to the edge or edge surface of the body. |
| US08659888B2 |
Disk drive assembly
A disk drive assembly includes a disk drive and a drive bracket. The disk drive includes a first sidewall. The first sidewall includes a first sidewall body, a first resilient tab and a second resilient tab. The first resilient tab and the second resilient tab extend outward from the sidewall body. An extending direction of the first resilient tab is opposite to an extending direction of the second resilient tab. The drive bracket includes a bottom panel and a first side panel substantially perpendicular to the bottom panel. The first side panel is substantially parallel to the first sidewall body. The disk drive is located on the bottom panel. The drive bracket further includes two resilient protrusions extending from the first side panel. The two resilient protrusions resiliently resist the first resilient tab and the second resilient tab. |
| US08659882B2 |
Keyboard
A keyboard includes a main body, a bottom plate, and a circuit board. The main body includes a top plate, a bottom plate opposite to the top plate, and a plurality of keys secured to the top plate. The bottom cover is secured to the bottom plate and includes a mounting portion. The mounting portion defines an installation opening. The circuit board is secured to the bottom plate and extends out of the installation opening. A gap is defined between each adjacent two keys. The bottom plate defines a plate opening corresponding to each key. The mounting portion abuts the bottom cover. A receiving space is defined between the bottom cover and the bottom plate. The bottom cover defines a cutout communicating with the receiving space. The gap, the plate opening, the receiving space, and the cutout corporately define a water path. |
| US08659879B2 |
Switchgear cabinet or rack
A switchgear cabinet or rack comprises a mounting unit with vertical mounting sections laterally delimiting a cabinet frame for installed user-side units, said sections having flat fixing sections that lie on a front mounting plane used to fix laterally projecting mounting sections of the installed units, and comprising components for determining the presence of an installed unit in an installation position of the cabinet frame. A vertical antenna strip contains antenna elements and code carriers as transponder elements. In order to ensure the secure installation and reliable functioning of the detection device, each transponder element is attached to the mounting section of the associated installed unit that adjoins the antenna strip by a retaining element via a connecting section and the retaining element has a support section that adjoins the connecting section and projects outwards, parallel to the mounting plane. The transponder element is attached to the support section. |
| US08659878B2 |
Switchgear cabinet or rack
A switchgear cabinet or rack comprises a mounting unit with vertical mounting profiles laterally delimiting an installation space. Flat fixing sections lie on a mounting plane to fix laterally projecting mounting sections of installed units and comprise components of a detection device for determining the presence of an installed unit in the installation space. A vertical antenna strip is attached to a mounting section and contains antenna elements. Code carriers designed as transponder elements are provided on the installed units. The front face of the antenna strip lies on or is set back by a maximum of 10 mm from said plane, with each transponder element in front of the front face of the antenna strip, fixed to a support section of a retaining element that overlaps the antenna strip, said retaining element being attached to the neighboring mounting section of the associated installed unit by a connection section. |
| US08659877B2 |
Solid electrolytic capacitor
A solid electrolytic capacitor includes a capacitor element, an anode terminal, and a cathode terminal. The capacitor element includes an anode body, an anode member buried in the anode body, a dielectric layer formed on part of a surface of the anode body, an electrolyte layer formed on the dielectric layer, and a cathode layer formed on the electrolyte layer. The anode member extends in a predetermined direction along a lower surface of the anode body, and has a lower end portion exposed at the lower surface of the anode body. The anode terminal is electrically connected to the lower end portion. The cathode terminal is electrically connected to the cathode layer at a position below the lower surface of the anode body. The anode and cathode terminals are spaced apart from each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction in which the anode member extends. |
| US08659873B2 |
Multilayer capacitor
A first inner electrode is integrally provided with a first terminal connection part connected to a first terminal electrode and a first linking connection part connected to a first linking electrode. A second inner electrode is integrally provided with a second terminal connection part connected to a second terminal electrode and a second linking connection part connected to a second linking electrode. A third inner electrode is integrally provided with a third linking connection part connected to the first linking electrode. A fourth inner electrode is integrally provided with a fourth linking connection part connected to the second linking electrode. The third inner electrode is adjacent to the first and fourth inner electrodes in a laminating direction of the plurality of dielectric layers. The first and fourth inner electrodes overlap the third inner electrode as seen in the laminating direction of the plurality of dielectric layers. |
| US08659870B2 |
Modular EMI filtered terminal assembly for an active implantable medical device
A modular EMI filtered terminal assembly for an active implantable medical device (AIMD) includes a hermetic terminal subassembly having at least one conductor extending through an insulator in non-conductive relation with the AIMD housing, and a feedthrough capacitor subassembly disposed generally adjacent to the hermetic terminal assembly. The feedthrough capacitor subassembly includes a conductive modular cup conductively coupled to the AIMD housing, and a feedthrough capacitor disposed within the modular cup. A first electrode plate or set of electrode plates is conductively coupled to the conductor, and a second electrode plate or set of electrode plates is conductively coupled to the modular cup. |
| US08659869B2 |
Method for forming rutile titanium oxide and the stacking structure thereof
A method for forming a stacking structure, including forming a ruthenium oxide layer over a substrate; forming a praseodymium oxide layer over the ruthenium oxide layer; and forming a titanium oxide layer over the praseodymium oxide layer; wherein the titanium oxide layer has a rutile phase with the existence of the praseodymium oxide layer underneath. The oxide layers are deposited by a plurality of atomic layer deposition cycles using ruthenium precursor, praseodymium precursor, titanium precursor, and ozone. |
| US08659867B2 |
Wind power system for generating electric energy
A wind power system having a tower, a nacelle fitted to the tower to rotate about a first axis, a hub fitted to the nacelle to rotate about a second axis, and at least one blade fitted to the hub to rotate about a third axis, and wherein an elastic conducting member is positioned between the blade and the nacelle to connect the blade electrically to the nacelle. |
| US08659862B2 |
Directional fault location and isolation system
A directional fault location and isolation system for a three phase electric power circuit that identifies a faulted segment by determining the direction of the fault at multiple tap points in the electric power circuit. The directional fault controller, which may be a centralized controller or a number of peer-to-peer controllers located at the tap points, includes communication equipment for exchanging information with the monitoring equipment and the sectionalizing equipment at each sectionalizing control point, which includes the tap points and may also include the substations. The controller also includes processing equipment that determines the directionality of a fault on the power line at each current monitoring device, identifies a faulted line section by identifying a change in the directionality of the fault associated with the faulted line section, and operates one or more of the sectionalizing switches to isolate the faulted line section from the circuit. |
| US08659861B2 |
Electronic component device and package substrate
In an electronic component device, an ESD protection element including a cavity portion and a pair of opposed discharge electrodes is disposed inside a package substrate. A composite portion made of a composite material including a metal material and an insulating material is disposed on a bottom of the cavity portion. The package substrate including the ESD protection element disposed therein reduces the size of the electronic component device and reliably prevents damage to and malfunctioning of the electronic component device. |
| US08659859B1 |
Electrostatic discharge protection scheme for high-definition multimedia interface transmitters
An apparatus generally having a first circuit, a second circuit and a third circuit is disclosed. The first circuit may be configured to selectively switch a bonding pad to (i) a first rail of a power source and (ii) a discharge rail in response to an electrostatic discharge. The second circuit is generally configured to clamp the electrostatic discharge between the discharge rail and the first rail. The third circuit may be configured to bias the discharge rail to a second rail of the power source. |
| US08659855B2 |
Trilayer reader with current constraint at the ABS
A magnetoresistive read sensor with improved sensitivity and stability is described. The sensor is a trilayer stack positioned between two electrodes. The trilayer stack has two free layers separated by a nonmagnetic layer and a biasing magnet positioned at the rear of the stack and separated from the air bearing surface. Current in the sensor is confined to regions close to the air bearing surface by an insulator layer to enhance reader sensitivity. |
| US08659854B2 |
Magnetoresistive shield with stabilizing feature
A magnetoresistive (MR) reader is adjacent to at least one shield that extends from an air bearing surface (ABS) a first distance. The shield has a stabilizing feature that is contactingly adjacent the MR reader and extends from the ABS a second distance that is less than the first distance. |
| US08659850B2 |
Brushless motor, disk drive apparatus, and method of manufacturing the brushless motor
A stationary unit of a brushless motor includes a flat armature and a base member arranged to support the armature. The armature includes a power supply portion to which a lead wire is connected. The base member includes a wall portion and a window portion. The wall portion is radially opposed to an outer edge portion of the armature. The window portion is positioned below the power supply portion to axially extend through the base member. An adhesive agent exists between the wall portion and the outer edge portion of the armature. Accordingly, the base member and the armature are strongly fixed to each other. Further, a sealing material is interposed between a whole periphery of an edge of the window portion and the armature, so that the window portion is sealed. |
| US08659849B2 |
Hermetically resealable hard-disk drive configured for recharging with a low-density gas
A hermetically resealable hard-disk drive (HDD) configured for recharging with a low-density gas. The hermetically resealable HDD includes a disk enclosure (DE), a magnetic-recording disk, a head-slider, an actuator, a low-density gas, a through-hole, and a plug. The DE includes a base, and a first cover and a second cover joined to the base. The second cover is disposed above the first cover. The through-hole is configurable for injection of a low-density gas into the DE. The low-density gas, having a density less than air, substantially fills the DE. The plug is press-fitted into, and hermetically seals, the through-hole. The plug is removable to allow recharging the DE with the low-density gas; and, the through-hole is configured to accept a resealing plug to be press-fit into, and to reseal hermetically, the through-hole after recharging. A method for injecting low-density gas into, and sealing, the hermetically resealable HDD is also provided. |
| US08659844B2 |
Motor for driving lenses
Disclosed is a motor for driving lenses. The motor includes a case, a yoke fixed in the case, a magnet fixed in the yoke, a carrier equipped with lenses and installed in the magnet such that the carrier moves up and down within the magnet, a coil coupled with the carrier, a spring unit including first and second springs having arc shapes and being separated from each other while forming a ring shape as a whole, a spacer supporting an outer peripheral surface of the spring unit, and a terminal provided on the spacer, in which one side of the terminal protrudes downward by passing through a bottom of the case to make connection with the spring unit and a main PCB of a product. |
| US08659842B1 |
Image capturing device and assembling method thereof
An image capturing device and an assembling method thereof are provided. The assembling method includes the following steps. Firstly, a lens holder, a lens module and a casing are provided, wherein the lens holder includes a containing cavity. Next, the lens module is disposed in the containing cavity of the lens holder. Then, the casing is disposed on the lens holder and the lens module, wherein the casing covers a part of the lens module. Finally, an Ultrasonic Welding is applied on the lens holder and the casing for forming a melting interface between the lens holder and the casing so as to fix the casing to the lens holder. |
| US08659839B2 |
Imaging lens and imaging device
Disclosed is an imaging lens by which astigmatism and field curvature are satisfactorily corrected by arranging on a first surface a concave surface having an appropriate radius of curvature. Condition (1) defines the radius of curvature of the concave surface arranged on the object-side surface of a bonded compound lens. By fulfilling condition (1), a lens can be obtained in which astigmatism and field curvature are satisfactorily corrected. Condition (1): −1.5 |
| US08659838B2 |
Image pickup lens, image pickup device provided with image pickup lens, and mobile terminal provided with image pickup device
Provided is an image pickup lens that forms an image on an image pickup element with light from a subject. In the image pickup lens, a lens that is disposed on an image pickup element side is fixed in position, and a focusing lens group having a plurality of lenses including a lens closest to the subject is moved in an optical axis direction, thereby performing focusing. |
| US08659837B2 |
Adjustable lens structure
An adjustable lens structure includes a lens housing, a lens module, a rotatable lens seat, and a shifting apparatus. The lens housing has a front housing and a top housing located behind the front housing. The front housing is a hollow cylinder and the rotatable lens seat is placed inside the front housing. The lens module is placed on the rotatable lens seat. The shifting apparatus is engaged with the top housing. The shifting apparatus has a gear assembly engaged with the rotatable lens seat to provide adjustable shooting angle for the lens module. |
| US08659836B2 |
Zoom lens system, interchangeable lens apparatus and camera system
A zoom lens system, in order from an object side to an image side, comprising a first lens unit having negative optical power, a second lens unit having positive optical power, a third lens unit having negative optical power, and a fourth lens unit having positive optical power, wherein the first lens unit is composed of at least three lens elements, has at least one lens element having positive optical power, and moves along an optical axis in zooming, and the conditions: np>1.88 and 1.5 |
| US08659834B2 |
Achromatic gradient index singlet lens
A method of making an achromatic gradient index singlet lens comprising utilizing a gradient index material with a curved front surface in which light does not follow a straight line as it travels through the material and wherein different color rays traverse different curved paths, utilizing the natural dispersion of the curved front surface as a strong positive lens, and developing a weakly diverging GRIN distribution within the lens to balance the chromatic aberrations of the curved front surface. |
| US08659831B2 |
Optical system
An optical system comprising a circular image strip comprising an inner image strip, an outer image strip, and an effective zone, and a circular lenticule configured to direct light reflected from the inner image strip to a first eye of a viewer and to direct light reflected from the outer image strip to a second eye of a viewer when the viewer views an effective zone of the circular image strip is disclosed. |
| US08659828B2 |
Polarization preserving projection screen with engineered particle and method for making same
Polarization preserving projection screens provide optimum polarization preservation for 3D viewing. The projection screens additionally provide improved light control for enhanced brightness, uniformity, and contrast for both 2D and 3D systems. Generally, the disclosed method for providing a projection screen comprises embossing at least a first side of a first substrate to produce an optically functional material and then cutting the optically functional material into pieces to produce a plurality of engineered particles. The plurality of engineered particles may then be deposited on a second substrate to produce a substantially homogeneous optical appearance of the projection screen. |
| US08659827B2 |
Spherical aberration correction for an optical microscope using a moving infinity-conjugate relay
An infinity-conjugate lens relay with a moving first lens is used to select a plane of interest from an image volume. This plane can be selected so that the image is corrected for spherical aberration due to non-ideal imaging conditions. This effectively will allow for deeper, corrected imaging for high power microscopes. Using an infinity-conjugate relay, this device has an ideal “bypass” mode for regular imaging without correction. The device also utilizes software that automatically controls the device for correcting live images. |
| US08659824B2 |
Laser microscope
A laser microscope includes an objective lens that radiates a laser beam onto a specimen; a stimulation optical system having an LCOS-SLM located at a position optically conjugate with the pupil position of the objective lens and which modulates the phase of the laser beam; and an observation optical system having a galvanometer mirror that scans the laser beam across the specimen, as observation illuminating light, and a PMT that detects the observation light coming from the specimen and collected by the objective lens. A control unit forms a three-dimensional image of the specimen and sets, in that image, stimulation sites in the specimen to be irradiated with a laser beam serving as a stimulation beam by the stimulation optical system at a plurality of different positions in the optical axis direction. The LCOS-SLM modulates the laser beam such that the stimulation sites are irradiated with the laser beam. |
| US08659821B2 |
Device for amplifying light pulses
The present invention relates to a device (1, 11) for amplifying light pulses (2, 12), the device comprised of a stretcher (4, 14) which temporally stretches the light pulses (2, 12), and comprised of at least one amplifier (5, 15) which amplifies the stretched light pulses (2, 12), and comprised of a compressor (6, 16) which recompresses the stretched and amplified light pulses (2, 12), the stretcher (4, 14) and the compressor (6, 16) being dispersive elements with essentially oppositely identical dispersion. To provide a device (1, 11) for amplifying light pulses (2, 12) which is of a compact setup and which can be flexibly applied, the present invention proposes that the dispersion of the amplifier (5, 15), the dispersion of further optical elements of the device (1) and/or a mismatch of dispersion of the stretcher (4, 14) and compressor (6, 16) are at least partly compensated by self-phase modulation of the light pulses (2, 12) and/or by at least one additional element (17) of variable dispersion. |
| US08659819B2 |
Apparatus and method for operating an acousto-optical component
An apparatus for controlling an acousto-optical component influencing at least one of illumination light and detection light in a microscope is described. The apparatus comprises a radio-frequency generator for supplying the acousto-optical component with a radio frequency. The radio-frequency generator is configured to compensate deviations in the characteristics of the light due to temperature fluctuations in the acousto-optical component by adapting the radio frequency. The apparatus can be operated by generating a control signal for controlling the radio frequency of the radio-frequency generator; measuring the temperature of the acousto-optical component; adapting the control signal depending on the measured temperature; and sending the adapted control signal into the radio-frequency generator for compensating deviations in the characteristics of the light due to temperature fluctuations and can be used in optical coherence tomography, particularly white light interferometry, optical tweezers in lithography, and distance measurement. |
| US08659818B2 |
Optical-path-switching apparatus and light signal optical-path-switching method
An optical-path-switching apparatus according to the present invention includes a reducing optical system capable of guiding signal light and control light along the direction of gravity into a thermal-lens-forming optical element having an incidence plane positioned to be perpendicular to the direction of gravity in such a way as to differentiate respective convergence points in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. The apparatus further includes a light-receiving unit configured to converge or condense straight-traveling signal light in the absence of irradiation with the control light and signal light whose optical path has been switched due to irradiation with the control light using the same optical element. Further, the apparatus includes a wedge-type prism provided at a passing position of the optical-path-switched signal light to increase the distance between the optical axis of the optical-path-changed signal light and the optical axis of the straight-traveling signal light. |
| US08659815B2 |
Optical bank and method for producing the optical bank
The invention relates to an optical bank (1) comprising a carrier (10) for receiving optical components (60, 70) and a crystal (30) that is mechanically connected to the carrier, for changing the frequency of the light irradiated into the crystal (30) from a light source (50). Two rails (12) are arranged essentially in parallel on the carrier (10). The crystal (30) and the carrier (10) are mechanically connected by a surface of the rails (12), facing away from the carrier (10). A heat conducting element (20) is arranged on the crystal, said heat conducting element being applied to the surfaces of the rails (12), that face away from the carrier (10). |
| US08659812B2 |
Wavelength selective switch
Provided is a wavelength selective switch, which includes: an input/output unit; a dispersive portion; a deflection portion; and an ovalization relay optical system. In the input/output unit, input/output portions are two-dimensionally arranged. The dispersive portion is capable of dispersing signal light along a first plane. The deflection portion deflects the signal light. The ovalization relay optical system condenses the signal light beams on to a first conjugate point. The ovalization relay optical system makes a beam waist forming position along a first direction coincide with the first conjugate point. The ovalization relay optical system condenses signal light, in a second direction, onto a first condensing point. The ovalization relay optical system makes the first condensing point conjugate to the first conjugate point. The ovalization relay optical system ovalizes the beam shape of the signal light beams incident on the deflection element. |
| US08659811B2 |
Actuator, optical scanner and image forming device
An actuator, includes: a movable plate; a supporter to support the movable plate; a pair of linking portions to link the movable plate and the supporter so as to allow the movable plate to rotate relative to the supporter; and a piezoelectric element to rotate the movable plate. The piezoelectric element elongated and contracted by an energization twists the pair of linking portions to rotate the movable plate, and each of the pair of the linking portions includes an axial member extending from the movable plate and a returned portion that links the axial member and the supporter and is formed so as to return to a side adjacent to the movable plate. |
| US08659810B2 |
Apparatus for the exact reconstruction of the object wave in off-axis digital holography
A method and apparatus for preparing a digital hologram representing an image of an object includes generating a measurement beam and a first reference beam, irradiating the object by the measurement beam, and guiding the measurement beam reflected to an optical sensor. The method also includes guiding the first reference beam to a first mirror, and guiding the reflected beam to the optical sensor so that both beams generate an interference pattern on the sensor. The method includes providing a digital signal representing the interference pattern on the optical sensor, to obtain a digital hologram, and subjecting the digital hologram to a Fourier transform in the spatial frequency domain to obtain a spectrum. The method further includes replacing a section of a first image term overlapped by a DC-term by a corresponding section of a second image term. |
| US08659807B2 |
Image reading apparatus
An image reading apparatus comprises: a guide portion that is linked to a driving portion and extends so as to guide the movement of a reading carriage; a guide rail that guides the reading carriage while supporting the reading carriage; and an interlocking portion that is provided in the reading carriage, has a first sliding surface that makes contact with the guide rail on the side of the guide rail facing the guide portion and a second sliding surface that makes contact with the guide rail on the side of the guide rail that is on the opposite side as the guide portion. The position at which the first sliding surface of the interlocking portion makes contact with the guide rail is lower on the guide rail than the position at which the second sliding surface of the interlocking portion makes contact with the guide rail. |
| US08659802B2 |
Image scanner and image scanning method
An image scanner includes a transparent plate, a scanning device, a driving device, a positioning member, a light absorbing portion and a white reference portion. The transparent plate has an original placing surface. The scanning device irradiates an original with light by means of a light source and scans reflected light from the original. The driving device reciprocates the scanning device along the transparent plate. The positioning member positions the original placed on the original placing surface of the transparent plate. The light absorbing portion, which is disposed on the original placing surface side of the positioning member and at substantially a central portion of the positioning member in moving directions of the scanning device, absorbs ambient light entering to the original placing surface side of the positioning member through the transparent plate. The white reference portion is provided to the original placing surface side of the positioning member. |
| US08659801B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming method determining correct pixel value of target pixel subject to interpolation
An image forming apparatus includes an image interpolation unit to compute a correct pixel value of a target pixel subject to interpolation of a halftone image. The image interpolation unit includes a base pattern setting unit to set a base pattern including the target pixel, a reference pattern setting unit to set reference pattern in a region peripheral to the target pixel, an analogous pattern acquisition unit to acquire at least one analogous pattern analogous to the base pattern from the reference pattern, a high-resolution pattern creating unit to create a high-resolution pattern having a predetermined resolution or higher by synthesizing the acquired analogous pattern, a pixel value estimating unit to compute an estimated pixel value of the target pixel based on the created high-resolution pattern, and a pixel value determination unit to determine the correct pixel value of the target pixel based on the computed estimated pixel value. |
| US08659800B2 |
Facsimile sending system including a plurality of facsimile devices and a server sending first sending data to the public line continuously following sending of a second sending data to a specific destination as an identical sending job
A facsimile sending system is provided with facsimile devices and a server. Each facsimile device scans a document, is capable of inputting information concerning a destination, creates sending data including data of the scanned document and the input information, sends the sending data, receives sending data sent from the server, sends the sending data sent from server to a destination determined based on the information included in its sending data, and sends its own facsimile device's running status to the server. The server receives the sending data sent from each facsimile device, receives the running status sent from each facsimile device, selects one facsimile device from the plurality of the facsimile devices based on the running status of each facsimile device, and sends the sending data sent from the facsimile device to the selected facsimile device. |
| US08659795B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing system
An image processing apparatus for performing color tone conversion on a predetermined original image data using a predetermined color tone conversion parameter, includes a converted image data generating unit that generates weight-applied converted original image data obtained by performing the color tone conversion by the color tone conversion parameter while applying weighted values, which is determined such that the lower the degree to be changed by the color tone conversion is, the smaller the value becomes, on the original image data for each of a predetermined range. |
| US08659789B2 |
Printer
When a period from the point of time of receipt of instruction information concerning a cutting instruction to the point of time of receipt of instruction information concerning a printing instruction subsequent to the receipt of the instruction information concerning the cutting instruction has reached a prescribed period, a recording medium is cut and conveyed in a reverse direction by a prescribed distance, and then new printing is started. When the period from the point of time of receipt of the instruction information concerning the cutting instruction to the point of time of receipt of the instruction information concerning the printing instruction subsequent to the receipt of the instruction information concerning the cutting instruction has not reached the prescribed period, the recording medium is cut and then new printing is started without convey of the recording medium in the reverse direction. |
| US08659782B2 |
Image forming apparatus using option controller for printing
An image forming apparatus includes a print engine configured to print an image based on raster image data, a main controller configured to execute a process that depends on the print engine, and a relay unit configured to receive the raster image data from an option controller that generates the raster image data, store the raster image data in a memory, receive a control command based on a result of the process that depends on the print engine from the main controller, read the raster image data from the memory in accordance with the control command, and supply the read raster image data to the print engine. |
| US08659779B2 |
Non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing print management program, print management device, print management method, and print system configured for causing a computer to function as a job progress status display unit
Disclosed is a non-transitory computer readable recording medium that stores a print management program causing a computer to function as a job progress status display unit that divides job progress statuses of a print job into plural categories and displays plural of the categories so that each of the categories can be selected; and a job list display unit that selects and lists first print jobs in a first job progress status from a first table that stores job progress statuses of print jobs. The job list display unit selects first functions corresponding to the first job progress status of the listed first print jobs from a second table that stores functions corresponding to the divided job progress statuses, and displays icons. Here, each of the icons accepts execution of corresponding one of the selected first functions. |
| US08659777B2 |
Server system, print device, network print system including server system and print device, and downloading method in network print system
In print systems based on data reception from a server, it takes much time to receive data of a large size. Therefore systems have been developed in which data is divided before being received. However, if divided data items are received by a print device while temperature adjustment or calibration is performed for an engine of the device, the divided data items are not immediately printed, resulting in a long print time. A print device sequentially receives divided data items if the print device is in a printable status. Otherwise, the print device simultaneously receives the divided data items in a plurality of sessions. |
| US08659776B2 |
Print job management server which manages print jobs to be processed by an image forming apparatus
A print server in a print job management system including an information processing apparatus, a print server, and an image forming apparatus, comprises: a management unit configured to receive a print request from the information processing apparatus, and to manage a status of a print job to be executed by the image forming apparatus in response to the print request; and a request receiving unit configured to receive the print request from the information processing apparatus, and to return a response to the print request, wherein the request receiving unit returns the response including a command which controls the information processing apparatus to send a status acquisition request of a print job to the image forming apparatus to the information processing apparatus, and the management unit updates a status of the managed print job in accordance with a status of the print job received from the information processing apparatus. |
| US08659775B2 |
Print shop management method for customizing print-on-demand driver
A method implemented in a print shop management system that includes a data processing apparatus having a non-transitory memory for storing a computer software program and a processor for executing the software program, wherein the program includes a program code configured to cause the data processing apparatus to execute a process for customizing a print-on-demand (POD) driver, which process includes the steps of accessing a configuration file of the POD driver having a plurality of fields with respective values; and modifying values of the configuration file fields to customize available user interfaces and print job settings editing options of the POD driver. |
| US08659767B2 |
Image forming apparatus that changes the form of the display in an overlapping manner based on the selection of either a one-sided image forming mode or a dual-sided image forming mode
In an image forming apparatus including a control unit made of a display panel and a touch panel display and having one-sided image forming mode and dual-sided image forming mode, the touch panel display includes: a finished state preview controller for displaying the finished state of a hard copy; and a confirmatory display controller. The display panel includes a first display area, a second display area and a third display area. The image forming apparatus includes a display position switching controller that switches the position of the image of the page to be turned to be displayed in the third display area, depending on the image forming mode. |
| US08659765B2 |
Three-dimensional shape determining apparatus and three-dimensional shape determining method
Pattern lights A and B of which patterns respectively having bright and dark sections have been in an inverted relation are projected on a subject to calculate luminance distributions L1 and L2 of the subject and average values Ave(L1) and Ave(L2) of the distributions. A luminance distribution obtained by multiplying a luminance distribution L0 of the subject of only a natural light component by a coefficient η is subtracted from the luminance distribution L2 obtained by projecting the pattern light B on the subject and a correction value L2′ thereof is calculated so that a difference e of the average values become zero. Then, an intersection point of the luminance distribution L1 obtained by projecting the pattern light A on the subject and the correction value L2′ of the luminance distribution L2 obtained by projecting the pattern light B on the subject is derived. |
| US08659762B2 |
Optical measuring element having a single-piece structure
An optical measuring element measures forces in at least one direction. The measuring element has a single-piece structure. There is an outside wall with notches introduced therein. Each notch defines parallel edges, and the notches define more or less elastically flexible zones in the structure and constitute the only connection between a first region and a second region of the structure. For optical distance measurements between the two regions of the structure, one or more optical fibers are each attached with one end thereof to a region of the structure such that reflective surfaces are located close to the ends. The reflective surfaces are firmly connected to another region. The optical fibers are disposed on the outside wall. |
| US08659760B2 |
Resonator fiber optic gyroscope utilizing laser frequency combs
A resonator fiber optic gyroscope comprises a first light source having a first frequency comb spectrum, and a second light source having a second frequency comb spectrum. A first filter is in optical communication with the first light source and configured to pass a first frequency comb portion. A second filter is in optical communication with the second light source and configured to pass a second frequency comb portion. A resonator is in optical communication with the first and second filters. The free spectral range values of the first and second frequency comb portions are adjusted to be an odd integer multiple of the free spectral range value of the resonances of the resonator. The second frequency comb portion is spectrally separated apart from the first frequency comb portion by a multiple of the free spectral range value of the resonances plus a frequency value proportional to rotation rate. |
| US08659754B2 |
Inspection system and method for fast changes of focus
An inspection system includes a first focusing unit configured to perform fast focus changes to a first focusing function applied to an incident light beam. A traveling lens acousto-optic device is arranged to receive the light beam focused by the first focusing function and produce focused spots using a plurality of traveling lenses generated in response to radio frequency signals. The traveling lenses apply a second focusing function and the traveling lens acousto-optic device is arranged to alter the second focusing function at a fast rate. The inspection system also includes optics arranged to direct the focused spots onto an inspected object and to direct radiation from the inspected object to a sensor. |
| US08659752B2 |
Automated warm-up and stability check for laser trackers
A method for determining when a laser tracker is stable includes performing a plurality of first frontsight measurements and a plurality of first backsight measurements on a first target with the laser tracker, wherein the plurality of first frontsight measurements and the plurality of first backsight measurements are alternated in time, calculating a plurality of first two-face errors based on the plurality of first frontsight measurements and the plurality of first backsight measurements, determining at least one first stability metric based at least in part on the plurality of first two-face errors, the at least one first stability metric being a value defined by a rule, determining whether the laser tracker is stable based at least in part on the at least one first stability metric and a first termination criterion and generating an indication whether the laser tracker is stable or not stable. |
| US08659750B2 |
Test apparatus, test method, and device interface
Provided is a test apparatus that tests a device under test including an optical coupler for transmitting optical signals in a surface direction and a first groove for holding an optical transmission path connected to the optical coupler. The test apparatus comprises a substrate on which the device under test is to be loaded; an optical transmission path to be connected to the optical coupler; and a pressing section that presses the optical transmission path from the substrate side toward the first groove. Also provided is a test method. |
| US08659746B2 |
Movable body apparatus, exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method
In a liquid crystal exposure apparatus, base pads are respectively placed on two surface plates, and one step board is supported by the base pads. A device main body of an empty-weight cancelling device moves from above one of the surface plates to above the other by moving on the step board, and therefore, a boundary section between the two adjacent surface plates that are separately placed does not function as a guide surface used when the empty-weight cancelling device moves. Accordingly, a fine movement stage that holds a substrate can be guided along an XY plane with high accuracy although the two surface plates are placed apart. |
| US08659742B2 |
Lithographic apparatus and a device manufacturing method
An immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed that has a fluid handling system configured to provide immersion liquid between a final element of a projection system and a surface which includes, in cross-section, a feature, and has an adjustment fluid source configured to locally change the composition of the immersion liquid to cause a local decrease in surface tension of the immersion liquid at least when a meniscus of the immersion liquid contacts the feature. |
| US08659740B2 |
Drive error compensation for projection optics
The present invention provides an exposure apparatus comprising a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of a reticle onto a substrate, a driving unit configured to drive a plurality of optical elements which form the projection optical system so as to adjust an imaging state of light which passes through the projection optical system, a detecting unit configured to detect a driving error when the driving unit drives a first optical element of the plurality of optical elements, and a control unit configured to control the driving unit to drive a second optical element different from the first optical element of the plurality of optical elements so as to reduce a change in the imaging state of the light which passes through the projection optical system due to the driving error. |
| US08659739B2 |
Liquid crystal lens and display including the same
Provided are a liquid crystal lens which controls an optical path, and a display including the liquid crystal lens. The liquid crystal lens includes a first and a second electrode which face each other, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and has flat top and bottom surfaces, and a dielectric layer interposed between the second electrode and the liquid crystal layer, where the dielectric layer includes a first and a second dielectric sub-layer, the first dielectric sub-layer made of a material having a different dielectric constant from that of the second dielectric sub-layer, the first dielectric sub-layer includes one or more unit patterns, a surface of each of the unit patterns includes a plurality of flat sections, and a height of each of the unit patterns in a first flat section is different from the height thereof in a second flat section. |
| US08659733B2 |
Liquid crystal display and method for fabricating the same
A liquid crystal display device includes: a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines formed horizontally and vertically to define pixel areas on a substrate; thin film transistors (TFTs) formed at crossings of the gate lines and data lines; a common line formed to be parallel to the gate line; a common electrode formed at each pixel area, connected to the gate line, and having one end overlapping with the data line; and a pixel electrode connected to the TFT and formed to be parallel to the common electrode between the common electrodes formed at each pixel area. The common electrode has a mesh structure to thus reduce a potential deviation of common electrodes in a panel and restrain a reduction in an aperture ratio. |
| US08659731B2 |
Liquid crystal display element
A liquid crystal display element comprises a pair of substrates facing each other with a predetermined gap, strips of first electrodes formed on one substrate, strips of second electrodes formed on another substrate and crossing the first electrodes, an alignment film formed on at least one of the substrates and treated with an alignment process in a direction not perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the second electrodes, a vertical alignment mode liquid crystal layer placed between the substrates and having a pretilt angle, and a pair of polarizers sandwiching the substrates, wherein the fist and the second electrodes cross each other to form pixels, and non-uniform alignment regions where liquid crystal molecules in a center of a thickness of the liquid crystal layer are aligned in a different direction from the direction defined by the alignment process appear near an edge of each pixel. |
| US08659730B2 |
Liquid crystal display device comprising a first orientation film and a second orientation film surrounding the first orientation film wherein a side surface and a top surface of the first orientation film are in contact with the second orientation film
A liquid crystal dripping method has a problem in that an uncured sealant increases in width at the time of attaching a pair of substrates and thus a liquid crystal material enters the sealant and unevenness occurs in the inner periphery of the sealant. A region in which reduced is the speed of diffusion of liquid crystal at the time of attaching a pair of substrates is provided between a sealant and an orientation film. Further, time for diffusing the liquid crystal and coming in contact with the sealant is made long. Accordingly, the sealant is subjected to photo-curing before the liquid crystal comes in contact with the sealant. The region in which reduced is the speed of diffusion of the liquid crystal is formed using a material for forming a vertical orientation film, a silane coupling agent, a substance having a photocatalytic function, or the like. |
| US08659726B2 |
Liquid crystal display and method of manufacturing liquid crystal display
Transflective-type and reflection type liquid crystal display devices having a high image quality are provided with a good production efficiency.A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention is a liquid crystal display device which includes; a first substrate and a second substrate between which liquid crystal is interposed; a first electrode and a second electrode formed on the first substrate for applying a voltage for controlling an orientation of the liquid crystal; a transistor having an electrode which is electrically connected to the first electrode; a metal layer being formed on the first substrate and including a protrusion, a recess, or an aperture; and a reflective layer formed above the metal layer on the first substrate for reflecting incident light toward a display surface. The metal layer is made of a same material as that of a gate electrode of the transistor. The reflective layer includes a protrusion, a recess, or a level difference which is formed in accordance with a protrusion, a recess, or an aperture of the metal layer. |
| US08659721B2 |
Liquid crystal display device having reflecting surface in zigzag manner with polygonal line
A liquid crystal display device capable of efficiently obtaining a high brightness with reduced unevenness in brightness using a single light-emitting section is provided. The liquid crystal display device includes: a liquid crystal panel for controlling display by changing orientation of a liquid crystal composition; a single cylindrical light-source section (634); and a reflecting section (636) provided so that the single cylindrical light-source section is sandwiched between the reflecting section and the liquid crystal panel, for reflecting the light emitted from the single cylindrical light-source section (634) toward the liquid crystal panel, in which at least a part of a sectional shape of a reflecting surface of the reflecting section (636) in a cross section perpendicular to an axial direction of the single cylindrical light-source section (634) is formed based on a parabola whose focal point is a position of the single cylindrical light source section (634). |
| US08659714B2 |
Light emitting device
A light emitting device includes a light emitting structure comprising a first conductivity type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second conductivity type semiconductor layer; a first ohmic layer and a first electrode provided on the first conductivity type semiconductor layer; and a second electrode provided on the second conductivity type semiconductor layer, wherein a contact area between the first conductivity type semiconductor layer and the first ohmic layer comprises oxygen at 5% or more of an atomic ratio or nitrogen at 50% or more of an atomic ratio. |
| US08659713B2 |
Active matrix substrate and liquid crystal device
In an active matrix substrate, the source electrode side and/or the drain electrode side of a crystalline semiconductor film extends to an area located outside both the thin-film transistor and the gate electrode, and a metal light-shielding film is provided, in the same layer as the gate electrode, between the contacting portion between the source electrode or the source line and the crystalline semiconductor film and the gate electrode, and/or between the contacting portion between the drain electrode and the crystalline semiconductor film and the gate electrode. An impurity-implanted region implanted with n-type impurity may be formed between the contacting portion between the source electrode or the source line and the crystalline semiconductor film and the gate electrode, and/or between the contacting portion between the drain electrode and the crystalline semiconductor film and the gate electrode. |
| US08659704B2 |
Apparatus and method for mixing graphics with video images
In one embodiment, graphics from a general-purpose computer are mixed with video images from a video source. A first interface receives the graphics, the graphics including a plurality of graphics frames, at least some graphics frames including one or more regions having pixels set to one or more predetermined color values. A second interface receives video images from the video source, each video image corresponding to one of the plurality of graphics frames. A video mixer includes logic configured to recognize pixels in the at least some graphics frames that are set to the one or more predetermined color values, and in the one or more regions where the pixels are set to the one or more predetermined color values to mix pixels from the corresponding video image with the graphics frame, to create a plurality of mixed images. One or more output interfaces outputs the mixed images. |
| US08659700B2 |
Method for converting a video signal for flicker compensation, and associated conversion device
Method and apparatus for converting a first video signal into a second video signal, including a succession of frames wherein each includes a plurality of points having a luminance. The points of the second video signal can be displayed on corresponding pixels of a display device. The method includes calculating the luminance of a point of a current frame of the second video signal by a weighted sum of a luminance of a corresponding point of a current frame of the first video signal and of a luminance of a corresponding point of a previously stored frame, and storing the luminance of the corresponding point of the current frame of the first video signal. The calculation is repeated for all the points of the current frame of the second video signal, and the storage is repeated for all the points of the current frame of the first video signal. |
| US08659697B2 |
Rapid auto-focus using classifier chains, MEMS and/or multiple object focusing
A smart-focusing technique includes identifying an object of interest, such as a face, in a digital image. A focus-generic classifier chain is applied that is trained to match both focused and unfocused faces and/or data from a face tracking module is accepted. Multiple focus-specific classifier chains are applied, including a first chain trained to match substantially out of focus faces, and a second chain trained to match slightly out of focus faces. Focus position is rapidly adjusted using a MEMS component. |
| US08659696B2 |
Assembly and method for aligning an optical system
An assembly for aligning an optical system over an image sensor is described. The assembly may include a lens structure positioned over an image sensor and a lens holder positioned over the lens structure and secured onto a substrate. The lens structure may incorporate an optical section and a structural section extending from the optical section and may rest directly on an image sensor with one or more stoppers that may serve to elevate the optical system with respect to the image sensor at a distance corresponding to a near optimal focal length distance. A lip also included in the structural section of the lens structure may abut two or more opposing sides to secure the lens structure over the image sensor in a centered position with respect to the image sensor. |
| US08659694B2 |
Pausing column readout in image sensors
An image sensor includes a two-dimensional array of pixels having multiple column outputs and an output circuit connected to each column output. Each output circuit is configured to operate concurrent sample and read operations. An analog front end (AFE) circuit processes pixel data output from the output circuits and an AFE clock controller transmits an AFE clocking signal to the AFE circuit to effect processing of the pixel data. A timing generator outputs a column address sequence that is received by a column decoder. During one or more sample operations the timing generator suspends the column address sequence and subsequently during the one or more sample operations the AFE clock controller suspends the AFE clocking signal. The AFE clocking signal and the column address sequence resume at the end of the one or more sample operations. |
| US08659691B2 |
Solid-state imaging apparatus, imaging system, and drive method of solid-state imaging apparatus
In a solid-state imaging apparatus, if the total read out time of all pixels is shortened when effective pixels are thinned out without thinning out OB pixels, then the rows have different reset time periods, and the problem of uneven charge accumulation time periods arises. An improvement by the present invention is that, if no signals are read out from a part of the rows in an effective pixel region to skip the rows, then the time period in which the rows to be skipped are selected is made shorter than that in which the rows from which signals are read out are selected, and the pixels in the optical black pixel region and those in the effective pixel region are driven by the drive pulses of patterns different from each other. |
| US08659687B2 |
Photoelectric conversion film stack-type solid-state imaging device and imaging apparatus
A photoelectric conversion film stack-type solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate, a photoelectric conversion layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a conductive light shield film. A signal reading portion is formed on the semiconductor substrate. The photoelectric conversion layer is stacked above the semiconductor substrate and includes a photoelectric conversion film formed between a first electrode film and a second electrode films which is divided into a plurality of regions corresponding to pixels respectively. The first light transmission layer is stacked above the light incidence side of the photoelectric conversion layer and made of a material that transmits light at least partially. The conductive light shield film is formed in the same layer level as the first light transmission layer and covers an outside of an effective pixel region. |
| US08659684B2 |
Image processing apparatus, program, method and image capturing system
An image processing apparatus with extended dynamic range includes a first gradation-conversion-characteristics calculating unit that calculates first gradation conversion characteristics for each of a plurality of areas of input image signals; and a gradation conversion unit that performs gradation conversion on each of the areas of the image signals by using the first gradation conversion characteristics. A filter processing and reduction processing unit generates a plurality of band signals having mutually different frequency bands by multi-resolution conversion processing from the image signals subjected to the gradation conversion. A second gradation-conversion-characteristics calculating unit calculates second gradation conversion characteristics associated with the individual band signals from the first gradation conversion characteristics An NR processing unit performs processing for noise reduction on the individual band signals by using the second gradation conversion characteristics; and an adding unit combines the band signals subjected to the processing for noise reduction. |
| US08659674B2 |
Digital photographing apparatus and method for controlling the same during manual operation
A digital photographing apparatus which, when operating in a manual mode for externally manipulating and setting photographing variables, determines when a photo is to be taken, and if photographing conditions are changed from those which occurred when photographing variables were set, notifies a user of the change so that a photo can be taken with desired photographic variables. A method of controlling a digital photographing apparatus to perform these operations is also provided. |
| US08659669B2 |
Image stabilization circuit with high pass filter
A first high-pass filter comprising a low-pass filter which allows only a frequency component of an input signal less than or equal to a first frequency to pass, a latch unit which latches an output of a low-pass filter according to a control signal, and a calculating unit which outputs a difference between an input signal and an output of the latch unit are provided on an image stabilization circuit. When latching in the latch unit is released, a held value of the latch unit is stepwise changed to the output value of the low-pass filter. Such a first high-pass filter is used in a centering process of an optical element. |
| US08659666B2 |
Electronic apparatus
An electronic apparatus has a first sending unit that sends predetermined data to an external apparatus, the predetermined data is generated by mixing video data and first error data; a second sending unit that sends second error data to the external apparatus without mixing video data and the second error data; and a selecting unit that selects one of the first sending unit and the second sending unit based on a state of the external apparatus to cause the external apparatus to notify an error associated with the electronic apparatus. |
| US08659660B2 |
Calibration apparatus and calibration method
A calibration apparatus for executing a camera calibration for each of a plurality of cameras mounted on an object so that image capturing ranges of two of the plurality of cameras overlap each other, the calibration apparatus includes an image obtaining unit configured to obtain first and second images captured by the two cameras, a temporary link structure forming unit configured to form a temporary link structure by using the first and second images including images of markers sets, a link angle determining unit configured to determine an effective link angle to form an effective link structure from the temporary link structure, and a parameter determining unit configured to determine a parameter for positioning at least one of the cameras on the basis of the effective link angle. |
| US08659659B2 |
System of gauging a camera suitable for equipping a vehicle
A system and process of gauging a camera suitable for equipping a vehicle. The system and process determines at least one value of at least one geometrical parameter of the camera, at least in accordance with an item of information that represents a parameter associated with an object detected by the camera, compares the determined value to a value of reference (θpitching_ref, θrolling_ref, θtwisting_ref) of the geometrical parameter of the camera, and controls the geometrical parameter of the camera in accordance with the comparison, particularly by modifying the value of reference in such a way as to gauge the camera. |
| US08659656B1 |
Hyperspectral imaging unmixing
Methods, circuits, and systems for time encoder-based unmixing of hyperspectral imaging data are disclosed. A method of unmixing hyperspectral imaging data includes receiving mixed image data of one or more pixels. The mixed image data is generated by an imaging device that captures hyperspectral data. The mixed image data includes sensed spectral band intensities of materials in an area represented by a particular pixel. The mixed image data is converted from first analog domain signals into pulse domain signals. A solution to a mixing equation in the pulse domain is generated to identify abundances of one or more of the materials based on the sensed spectral band intensities. The sensed spectral band intensities are compared to reference spectral band intensities of a set of considered materials. The solution is converted from a pulse domain into an analog domain as second analog domain signals. |
| US08659654B2 |
Image verification with tiered tolerance
Comparing a sample image to a reference image. Differences between the color channel values of the pixels in the sample image and the corresponding color channel values for the corresponding pixels in the reference image are calculated and compared to predefined tolerances. Based on the comparisons, a pixel status for the pixels in the sample image is defined. An image status indicating whether the sample image differs from the reference image is defined based on the defined pixel status. |
| US08659653B2 |
Device for evaluating the surface of a tire
A device for evaluating the appearance of the surface of a tire (P) comprising a color linear camera (1) comprising means (14, 15, 16) for separating the light beam (F) reflected by the surface of said tire (P) and entering the camera (1) into at least two base colors (R, G, B) of given wavelength, so as to direct the light beam to as many sensors (11, 12, 13) capable of obtaining a basic image in gray level (41, 42, 43) for each of the base colors, as many lighting means (21, 22, 23) as base colors, said lighting means being oriented so as to light the surface to be evaluated at different angles, characterized in that each of the lighting means (21, 22, 23) emits a colored light (R, G, B) that differs from that of the other lighting means, and the wavelength of which corresponds substantially to the wavelength of one of the base colors selected by the camera. |
| US08659646B2 |
Endoscopy device supporting multiple input devices
The present invention provides a remote-head imaging system with a camera control unit capable of supporting multiple input devices. The camera control unit detects an input device to which it is connected and changes the camera control unit's internal functionality accordingly. Such changes include altering clock timing, changing video output parameters, and changing image processing software. In addition, a user is able to select different sets of software program instructions and hardware configuration information based on the head that is attached. The remote-head imaging system utilizes field-programmable circuitry, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), in order to facilitate the change in configuration. |
| US08659642B2 |
Stereoscopic video file format and computer readable recording medium in which stereoscopic video file is recorded according thereto
The present invention relates to a stereoscopic video file format capable of improving bit efficiency and processing efficiency and a computer-readable recording medium in which the corresponding stereoscopic video file are recorded. The present invention includes: a file type box that stores file format information and information indicating whether or not to include monoscopic data; a movie box that stores a plurality of trak boxes configuring stereoscopic video streams; a media data box that stores multimedia resources; a stereoscopic video media information box that stores at least one common stereoscopic video stream arrangement information; a stereoscopic camera and display information reference box that stores camera parameter and recommendation display information referenced by the plurality of trak boxes; a stereoscopic camera and display information box that exists at each stereoscopic image frame of the stereoscopic video stream and stores reference information of the stereoscopic camera and display information reference box; and a meta box that stores metadata, thereby making it possible to minimize overlapping data and optimizing a configuration of a file format in a simple form. |
| US08659640B2 |
Digital 3D/360 ° camera system
The digital 3D/360° camera system is an omnidirectional stereoscopic device for capturing image data that may be used to create a 3-dimensional model for presenting a 3D image, a 3D movie, or 3D animation. The device uses multiple digital cameras, arranged with overlapping fields of view, to capture image data covering an entire 360° scene. The data collected by one, or several, digital 3D/360° camera systems can be used to create a 3D model of a 360° scene by using triangulation of the image data within the overlapping fields of view. |
| US08659635B2 |
Information processing system and information processing method
HMDs and compact cameras generate image data of display media of users, and transmit the data to a conference management server. HMDs and compact cameras further generate presentation information of the users for a conference, and transmit the information to the conference management server. The conference management server verifies the display medium by comparing an association between each user and the image data of the display medium used by the user with an association between the received image data of the display medium for the user and the user. If the verification is successful, the server transmits presentation information of the users for the conference received from the HMDs and the compact cameras to the HMDs. |
| US08659634B2 |
Method and system for implementing three-party video call by mobile terminals
The disclosure discloses a method for implementing a three-party video call by mobile terminals, which comprises: starting a Bluetooth feature of an intelligent mobile terminal acting as a server and that of an intelligent mobile terminal acting as a client, respectively; after a server intelligent mobile terminal and a client intelligent mobile terminal are bound together in terms of Bluetooth, starting, by the server intelligent mobile terminal and the client intelligent mobile terminal, their respective real-time transmission threads and real-time reception threads, and performing, by the server intelligent mobile terminal, audio/video data processing, so as to implement the three-party video call with a third party intelligent mobile terminal. The disclosure further discloses a system for implementing a three-party video call by mobile terminals. Use of the method and system enables intelligent mobile terminals to implement a three-party video call function, thereby user experience is satisfied. |
| US08659633B2 |
Light source control apparatus used in image forming apparatus using electrophotography process, control method therefor, storage medium storing control program therefor, and image forming apparatus
A light source control apparatus that do not always require calculations for the upper limit of driving current when characteristic of a light source varies. The light source control apparatus controls a light source that exhibits a characteristic including an uptrend region where the light amount increases with increasing driving current and a downtrend region where the light amount decreases with increasing driving current. A determination unit determines whether the light source is in the uptrend or downtrend region based on signals from a light variation detection unit and a current variation detection unit. A control unit matches the light amount (L) with target light amount (T), by increasing the driving current when L |
| US08659632B2 |
Thermal printer
A thermal printer includes a platen roller, a thermal head, a frame including the thermal head and a side plate, the side plate including a platen roller receiving part configured to detachably support a bearing of the platen roller. The platen roller receiving part includes an open mouth for inserting and pulling out the bearing of the platen roller in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the platen roller, and the open mouth includes a protrusion formed on a downstream side in a rotation direction of the platen roller. |
| US08659630B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer program product for image processing
An embodiment of the image processing apparatus for controlling the lighting of a line head that is driven with binary data and performs exposure with subline lighting to thereby form images, includes: a subline generating unit that generates a plurality of sublines from a same image data; an inclination correcting unit that exposes the generated sublines so as to generate correction image data used to correct an inclination of an exposure position; a gradation control unit that controls the lighting of sublines based on the correction image data generated by the inclination correcting unit to express gradation; and a light intensity correction unit that corrects and controls the light intensity based on the correction image data generated by the inclination correcting unit, wherein an output of the gradation control unit and an output of the light intensity correction unit are input into the line head in parallel. |
| US08659629B2 |
Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and computer program product
An image forming apparatus that includes an optical writing device for applying light corresponding to image data to form a first image of the image data includes: a temperature detecting unit that detects temperature at a plurality of positions in the optical writing device; and an adjustment processing unit that, when a temperature difference between the positions detected by the temperature detecting unit is out of a predetermined range, forms a second image for quality verification and performs a process for adjusting color registration of the first image by using the second image. |
| US08659625B2 |
Mobile terminal and method for adjusting menu bar softkey display dynamically
A method and terminal for adjusting menu bar softkey display dynamically are provided by the present invention. The method includes the following steps: obtaining the total display length of the menu bar and the respective corresponding character string length value and the location information of all the softkeys on the menu bar; setting the softkey of which the character string length value is non-zero on the menu bar as the non-zero softkey; assigning the display location and display length of each non-zero softkey according to the number of the non-zero softkeys and location information of each non-zero softkey; and displaying each non-zero softkey according to the assigned display location and display length. The method and terminal of the present invention overcomes the current defect that currently the fixed value is adopted to display the softkey of the bottom bar. |
| US08659618B2 |
Noise-robust edge enhancement system and method for improved image sharpness
A system for edge enhancement includes an input unit to receive an input signal Yin, a vertical enhancement unit to perform a vertical enhancement of an edge of the input signal Yin to generate an output YEV, and a horizontal enhancement unit to perform a horizontal enhancement of the edge of the input signal Yin to generate an output YEH. The system also includes a local gradient analysis unit to generate a local gradient direction GradDir and a local gradient magnitude GradMag based at least partly upon the input signal Yin, and a mixer to generate an output Yout by mixing the output YEV with the output YEH using the local gradient direction GradDir. The system further includes an output unit to output the output Yout. |
| US08659616B2 |
System, method, and computer program product for rendering pixels with at least one semi-transparent surface
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for rendering pixels with multiple semi-transparent surfaces. In use, a pixel is identified. Additionally, an operation to generate a plurality of samples for the pixel is performed. Further, a subset of the samples for each of at least one semi-transparent surface associated with the pixel is selected at least in part in a random manner. Moreover, the pixel is rendered utilizing the selected subset of the samples for each of the at least one semi-transparent surface. |
| US08659615B2 |
System and method for providing transparent windows of a display
Systems and methods for managing window transparency for a computer display, making windows wholly transparent or semi-transparent, on a window-by-window basis. Window transparency is triggered by monitoring messages exchanged between a program and an operating system, or by a user action. Upon detection of a first message indicating that a window of the display should be transparent, a layered display mode for the window is initiated. Upon detection of a second message indicating that the window should no longer be transparent, the layered display mode for the window is terminated. The layered mode can be controlled by the operating system or by a graphics processor. |
| US08659612B2 |
Control device, display device and method for controlling display device
A display device changes the gradation of pixels by a write operation of applying a voltage to the pixels a plurality of times. When newly changing the display state of pixels, the display device judges as to whether or not the pixels whose display state are to be changed are in a write operation. The display device starts the writing operation for those of the pixels that are not in a writing operation, and starts a new writing operation for those of the pixels that are in a writing operation, after the ongoing writing operation is completed. If a writing operation for pixels in progress of being updated and pixels with which a writing operation is to be newly started would lead to substantially large power consumption, the start of the writing operation for the pixels with which a writing operation is to be newly started is postponed. |
| US08659608B2 |
Video and graphics system with an integrated system bridge controller
A video and graphics system on an integrated circuit chip includes an integrated system bridge controller to interface a CPU with devices internal to the system as well as external peripheral devices. The system bridge controller is capable of performing format conversion between big-endian data and little-endian data. The system bridge controller includes a PCI bridge to interface with PCI devices, an I/O bus bridge to interface with I/O devices such as RAM, ROM, flash memory and 68000-compatible peripheral devices, and a CPU interface block to interface the CPU to video processing devices on the integrated circuit chip such as an MPEG video decoder. |
| US08659607B2 |
Efficient video decoding migration for multiple graphics processor systems
A method for switching decoding and rendering of a digital video stream from a first graphics processing unit (GPU) to a second GPU. The digital video stream is evaluated to determine an amount of time until a next intra-coded frame (I-frame) in the digital video stream. If the amount of time is below a threshold, decoding and rendering of the digital video stream is switched to the second GPU on the next I-frame in the digital video stream and decoding the digital video stream by the first GPU is stopped. If the amount of time is above the threshold, the digital video stream is decoded on both the first GPU and the second GPU, the rendering of the digital video stream is switched to the second GPU, and decoding the digital video stream by the first GPU is stopped. |
| US08659606B1 |
Inversion of post-skinning features
A computer-implemented method includes identifying a representation of a feature of an animated character by inverting a skinned representation of the feature in one position. The inversion includes a non-linear inversion of the skinned representation of the feature. The method also includes skinning the identified feature representation to produce the animated character in another position. |
| US08659602B2 |
Generating a pseudo three-dimensional image of a three-dimensional voxel array illuminated by an arbitrary light source by a direct volume rendering method
In an image processing method for generating a pseudo three-dimensional image by a volume rendering method in which a pixel value of each pixel on a projection plane on which a three-dimensional image illuminated by an arbitrary light source is projected is determined using a brightness value at each examination point, which is a point on the three-dimensional image sampled along each of a plurality of visual lines connecting an arbitrary viewpoint and each pixel on the projection plane, an illuminance level at each examination point is calculated based on an opacity level at each calculation point, which is a point on the three-dimensional image sampled along each of a plurality of light rays connecting the light source and each examination point, and the brightness value at each examination point is determined based on the calculated illuminance level. |
| US08659599B2 |
System and method for generating a manifold surface for a 3D model of an object using 3D curves of the object
Various embodiments of a system and methods for generating a manifold surface of an object from a set of 3D curves which define the shape of the object are described. The set of 3D curves may be directly tessellated in the 3D domain to form a manifold surface with boundary. The tessellation may be a Delaunay tetrahedralization which represents the set of 3D curves. The surface of the tetrahedralization may contain a set of possible manifold surface solutions. A dual complex form of the tetrahedralization may be generated to reduce the number of possible manifold surface solutions. Surface patches may be generated from the dual complex form, dependent on a set of metrics that may further reduce the number of possible manifold surface solutions. Compatible surface patches may be combined to form a set of possible manifold surface solutions which may be displayed to a user. |
| US08659598B1 |
Adjusting navigable areas of a virtual scene
A system includes a computing device that includes a memory configured to store instructions. The computing device also includes a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method that includes identifying one or more convex polygons being adjacent to a virtual object introduced into a virtual scene. The one or more convex polygons define a navigable area within the virtual scene. The method also includes redefining the one or more convex polygons adjacent to the virtual object to adjust the navigable area for the introduction of the virtual object. Redefining the one or more convex polygons uses Boolean operations and allows aligned perimeters of adjacent convex polygons to use unshared vertices. |
| US08659597B2 |
Multi-view ray tracing using edge detection and shader reuse
A multi-view image may be generated by detecting discontinuities in a radiance function using multi-view silhouette edges. A multi-view silhouette edge is an edge of a triangle that intersects a back tracing plane and, in addition, the triangle faces backwards, as seen from the intersection point, and the edge is not further connected to any back facing triangles. Analytical visibility may be computed between shading points and a camera line and shared shading computations may be reused. |
| US08659594B2 |
Method and apparatus for capturing motion of dynamic object
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for capturing a motion of a dynamic object, and restore appearance information of an object making a dynamic motion and motion information of main joints from multi-viewpoint video images of motion information of a dynamic object such as a human body, making a motion through a motion of a skeletal structure on the basis of the skeletal structure, acquired by using multiple cameras. According to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to restore motion information of the object making a dynamic motion by using only an image sensor for a visible light range and to reproduce a multi-viewpoint image by effectively storing the restored information. Further, it is possible to restore motion information of the dynamic object without attaching a specific marker. |
| US08659591B2 |
Method of and system for image processing
A method of correlating a representation of a body to a three dimensional representation of the body. A representation (such as a two dimensional image) of a body is acquired and a fitness function is generated for it. A two dimensional outline of the three dimensional representation of the body is then generated for a number of sets of three dimensional position and orientation values. These are compared to the fitness function to generate measures of fit for each set of three dimensional position and orientation values. New sets of position and orientation values are then bred using a genetic algorithm or other breeding algorithm. The method is repeated until the measure of fit converges to an acceptable solution. There is also disclosed a system for performing the method. |
| US08659581B2 |
Stylus and portable electronic device using same
A portable electronic device, including a housing defining an earphone connector, a touch screen, and a stylus having a stylus body, a tip and a pin connecting the stylus body with tip, and the pin and the tip are detachably secured in the earphone connector. |
| US08659564B2 |
Touch sensible display device having reduced number of image data lines
A touch sensible display device includes a display panel. The display panel includes a plurality of pixels, a plurality of image data lines transferring image data signals to the plurality of pixels and each positioned between two neighboring pixels, a plurality of image scanning lines transferring image scanning signals to the plurality of pixels, a plurality of first sense data lines transferring first sense data signals and each positioned between two neighboring pixels without the image data line interposed therebetween, and a plurality of first sensing units connected with the plurality of first sense data lines and sensing a touch to the display panel. |
| US08659563B2 |
Electronic device with a page turning function during a sleep mode of the electronic device
An electronic device includes a touch screen, a microcontroller (MCU), and a central processing unit (CPU). The MCU detects a plurality of touch inputs one the touch screen when the CPU is in a sleep mode, determines whether the touch inputs form a touch event, and wakens the CPU from the sleep mode upon the condition that the touch inputs form the touch event. The CPU obtains the touch event from the MCU and executes the touch event to quickly turn a page of an e-book of the electronic device. |
| US08659558B2 |
Touch sensing display panel
A touch-sensing display panel including a display panel and a touch-sensing unit is provided. The touch-sensing unit includes a plurality of first sensing series, a plurality of second sensing series and a plurality of sensing signal transmission lines. Each of the first sensing series includes a plurality of first sub-sensing series and a plurality of first conductive branches connected with the first sub-sensing series. Each of the second sensing series includes a plurality of second sub-sensing series and a plurality of second conductive branches connected with the second sub-sensing series. The first sensing series and the second sensing series are intersected. Further, each one of the first sensing series and each one of the second sensing series is electrically connected to one of the sensing signal transmission lines, respectively. |
| US08659557B2 |
Touch finding method and apparatus
A method of determining touches from a data set output from a touch screen comprising an array of sensing nodes. The method comprises analyzing the dataset and identifies a node with a maximum signal value among all unassigned nodes, and, if present, assigns that node to a touch. A logical test is applied to each node that is a neighbor to the assigned node to determine if that node should also be assigned to the touch and the logical test is repeatedly applied to the unassigned neighbors of each newly assigned node until there are no more newly assigned nodes, or no more unassigned nodes, thereby assigning a group of nodes to the touch defining its area. This process can be repeated until all of the nodes of a touch panel are assigned to a touch. The method is ideally suited to implementation on a microcontroller. Therefore, although the kind of processing power being considered is extremely modest in the context of a microprocessor or digital signal processor, it is not insignificant for a microcontroller, or other low specification item, which has memory as well as processing constraints. |
| US08659552B2 |
Handheld electronic device
A handheld electronic device includes an input apparatus, an output apparatus, and a processor apparatus. The input apparatus includes a reduced keyboard and roller ball input. The roller ball input includes a movable portion that is substantially continuously rotatable with respect to a housing of the device and is rotatable about more than one axis providing input. The processor apparatus includes a disambiguation routine that can output various proposed interpretations of inputs from the reduced keyboard. The roller ball input advantageously provides various inputs to the handheld electronic device without requiring significant user attention, which enables a user to direct greater amount of attention to the output from the disambiguation routine and other aspects of the device. The roller ball input can be configured to additionally be translatable to provide an input, and additionally and/or alternatively the roller ball input can provide a tactile or other feedback to a user. |
| US08659547B2 |
Trajectory-based control method and apparatus thereof
A method for constructing a gesture mouse utilizes an object e.g., a user's palm) in the background of the photographed region of a video camera as a determination basis. In a computer system, (1) for the image of an object, the point with maximum Y-axis value is set to be a cursor; (2) the point with maximum X-axis value is set to be a push button; (3) the cursor and the push button are used as centers to set small tracking areas respectively; (4) if the distance between the cursor and the push button becomes greater than a designated threshold within a time period, an action of the push button is determined to occur. Images obtained by the video camera are input into a computer through the digital image interface of the video camera or an analog/digital converting card for further processing. |
| US08659538B2 |
Transflective liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same
A transflective liquid crystal display device. A first substrate having viewing and peripheral areas is provided. The viewing area comprises transmissive and reflective regions. A backlight device is disposed under the first substrate, used to provide a backlight passing through the transmissive region. A power management controller connects the backlight device to control an intensity of the backlight. At least one photodetector is formed on the first substrate in the peripheral area, wherein the photodetector detects an intensity of ambient light above the first substrate, and then provides a corresponding signal to the power management controller to control the intensity of the backlight. According to the invention, the intensity of the backlight automatically becomes greater when the intensity of the ambient light becomes lower, and the intensity of the backlight automatically becomes lower when the intensity of the ambient light becomes greater. |
| US08659535B2 |
Adaptive smoothing of backlight to reduce flicker
A method and apparatus for adaptively controlling the backlight to reduce flicker in a display is provided. The apparatus includes a display, a backlight providing illumination for said display, a backlight control module for providing backlight control signals to said backlight, and an adaptive transition rate module. The module calculates an adaptive parameter based on a magnitude of change between backlight requirements for two frames, determining a smoothing function based on the adaptive parameter, and using said smoothing function to modify said backlight control signals. Techniques for adaptively controlling the illumination of the backlight according to the difference in the illumination levels of two different sets of image data are also disclosed. |
| US08659532B2 |
Semiconductor device
There is provided a semiconductor device in which fabrication steps can be reduced by constructing a circuit using only TFTs of one conductivity type and in which a voltage amplitude of an output signal can be normally obtained. A capacitance (205) is provided between a gate and a source of a TFT (203) connected to an output node, and a circuit formed of TFTs (201) and (202) has a function to bring a node α into a floating state. When the node α is in the floating state, a potential of the node α is caused higher than VDD by using gate-source capacitance coupling of the TFT (203) through the capacitance (205), thus an output signal having an amplitude of VDD-GND can be normally obtained without causing amplitude attenuation due to the threshold value of the TFT. |
| US08659531B2 |
Display device and driving apparatus thereof
A driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an input terminal, unit circuits connected to the input terminal, and output terminals electrically connected to the input terminals. Each of the unit circuits is enabled in response to a control signal inputted via the input terminal. |
| US08659530B2 |
Timing controller counts clock signals to produce a control signal only after a number of clock pulses are counted
A timing controller that can reduce malfunctions, a liquid crystal display (LCD) including the timing controller, and a method of operating the LCD, in which the timing controller includes a counter providing a converting enable signal; an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter converting a user command signal into a digital user command signal in response to the converting enable signal; and a control signal generator generating a module control signal that corresponds to the digital user command signal. |
| US08659527B2 |
Active device array substrate
An active device array substrate including a substrate, a plurality of pixel structures and a plurality of resistance compensating devices is provided. The substrate has a display region and a scanning signal input region beside the display region. The pixel structures are disposed in the display region. Each of the pixel structures includes a scan line, a data line, an active device and a pixel electrode. The data line is disposed in stagger with the scan line. The active device is electrically connected with the scan line and the data line. The pixel electrode is electrically connected with the active device. Each of the resistance compensating devices and a scan line of a corresponding pixel structure are connected in parallel. Resistances of the resistance compensating devices gradually decrease from a region close to the scanning signal input region to another region away the scanning signal input region. |
| US08659524B2 |
Display apparatus with continuous semiconductor layer
A capacitance setting line is disposed at the top end of a pixel, a light emission setting line is disposed at the bottom end of the pixel, and a gate line is disposed at the center between both the lines. A selection transistor, a potential control transistor and a capacitor are disposed between the gate line and a capacitance setting line. A short-circuit transistor, a drive transistor and a drive control transistor are disposed between the gate line and the light emission setting line. With such an arrangement, the efficient arrangement of wiring contacts can be performed, and an aperture ratio can be increased. |
| US08659523B2 |
Element substrate and light-emitting device
A potential of a gate of a driving transistor is fixed, and the driving transistor is operated in a saturation region, so that a current is supplied thereto anytime. A current control transistor operating in a linear region is disposed serially with the driving transistor, and a video signal for transmitting a signal of emission or non-emission of the pixel is input to a gate of the current control transistor via a switching transistor. |
| US08659522B2 |
Display apparatus having a threshold voltage and mobility correcting period and method of driving the same
In a display apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1, by using a reference signal, a shift register and a logical operation circuit generate a driving signal in periods for correcting a threshold voltage based on a rectangular wave signal. Also by using the reference signal, a write signal in a mobility correcting period is generated by an inverter, a NAND circuit, a level conversion circuit, a buffer circuit, a driving power generating unit, and a low-pass filter including a resistor and a capacitor. The signals are separately generated and are selectively output. Thus, excessive or insufficient mobility correction based on emission brightness can be prevented. |
| US08659519B2 |
Pixel circuit with a writing period and a driving period, and driving method thereof
A pixel circuit including at least a light emitting element, and a thin film transistor that supplies to the light emitting element a first current controlling a gray scale according to luminance-current characteristics of the light emitting element, wherein the thin film transistor has a back gate electrode, at least a driving period in which the thin film transistor supplies the first current to the light emitting element, and a writing period in which a second current is written to the thin film transistor before the driving period in order to pass the first current to the thin film transistor during the driving period are included, and by changing voltages which are applied to the back gate electrode in the driving period and the writing period, current capability to a gate voltage of the thin film transistor is made to differ. |
| US08659517B2 |
Light emitting device and method of driving the light emitting device
A light emitting device that achieves long life, and which is capable of performing high duty ‘drive,’ by suppressing initial light emitting element deterioration is provided. Reverse bias application to an EL element (109) is performed one row at a time by forming a reverse bias electric power source line (112) and a reverse bias TFT (108). Reverse bias application can therefore be performed in synchronous with operations for write-in of an image signal, light emission, erasure, and the like. Reverse bias application therefore becomes possible while maintaining a duty equivalent to that of a conventional driving method. |
| US08659514B2 |
LED matrix driver ghost image prevention apparatus and method
LED drivers specially directed to LED matrix driver's ghost image prevention is disclosed. The LED driver receives an external input and decodes the input to produce a time multiplex timing on turning on an LED array. The LED driver inserts a dead time to the outputs and during this time the ghost image prevention circuit discharges the output stray capacitances to a predetermined level. |
| US08659513B2 |
Pixel and organic light emitting display device using the same
A pixel capable of displaying images with substantially uniform luminance and an organic light emitting display device using the same are provided. An organic light emitting display device is driven in a frame divided into a reset period, a compensation period and an emission period. The organic light emitting display device includes pixels coupled to scan lines and data lines. First and second control lines are commonly coupled to the pixels. A control line driver supplies first and second control signals to the respective first and second control lines. A scan driver concurrently supplies a scan signal to the scan lines during a time in the reset and compensation periods. A data driver supplies a reset voltage to the data lines during the time in the reset and compensation periods. |
| US08659512B2 |
Organic light emitting diode display and method for manufacturing the same
The present invention relates to an organic light emitting device and a manufacturing method thereof. The organic light emitting device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first pixel displaying a first color; a second pixel displaying a second color; and a third pixel displaying a third color; wherein each of the first, second, and third pixels comprise a first translucent member, a second translucent member disposed on the first translucent member, an intermediate member disposed between the first and second translucent members, and a pixel electrode disposed on the second translucent member. |
| US08659500B2 |
Multi-antenna for a multi-input multi-output wireless communication system
A multi-antenna for a multi-input multi-output wireless communication system includes a substrate, a first planar antenna formed on the substrate along a first direction, a second planar antenna formed on the substrate along a second direction, and a vertical antenna including a conductor formed on the substrate and between the first planar antenna and the second planar antenna, and a radiator perpendicular to the substrate and coupled to the conductor. |
| US08659496B1 |
Heat sink for a high power antenna
A mobile multiband antenna has a frequency matching circuit located in a base mount housing for mounting the antenna to a carrier. A heat sink is located on a reverse side of the frequency matching circuit. One or more resistors in the frequency matching circuit are mounted to the heat sink to dissipate heat. |
| US08659492B2 |
Multiband antenna
A multiband antenna includes a feed unit, a transceiving unit, and a resonance unit positioned adjacent to but separate from the feed unit and the transceiving unit. When feed signals are input to the feed unit, the feed signals are transmitted to the transceiving unit to form current paths of different lengths, and the resonance unit is driven to resonate and generates additional current paths of different lengths. In this way, the transceiving unit and the resonance unit are enabled to respectively receive and send wireless signals of different frequencies, and thus the multiband antenna is capable of receiving and sending wireless signals in more than two frequency bands. |
| US08659487B2 |
Antenna module and method for making the same
An antenna module includes a main body and an antenna radiator located on the main body. The antenna radiator is made of a liquid conductive material mixed by metal powders and diluting agent and is directly formed on the main body. A method for making the antenna module is also described. |
| US08659486B2 |
Computer with antenna
A computer includes an enclosure, a mainboard, a main antenna, and an auxiliary antenna. The enclosure includes an inner case and an outer cover. The mainboard is received in the inner case. The main antenna and the auxiliary antenna are mounted at an outer surface of the enclosure. The main antenna and the auxiliary antenna are electrically connected to the mainboard, respectively. The outer cover is mounted on the case and covers and protects the main antenna and the auxiliary antenna. |
| US08659477B2 |
Base station device and distance measuring method
Provided are a distance measuring device and a distance measuring method which can easily distinguish a reflected signal from a desired tag from an unnecessary wave so as to improve the distance measuring accuracy even when IR-UWB is used for measuring a distance. The method uses a reader ID indicated by a code string formed by P bits (P is a natural number) for identifying a base station and a tag ID indicated by a code string formed by Q bits (Q is a natural number) for identifying a radio terminal. The method generates a unique word containing P pulses, each of which is ON/OFF-modulated depending on whether each of P bits indicating the reader ID is 1 or 0. The method generates a frame containing 2 M unique words and a burst containing Q frames. The method further outputs a transmission signal containing a plurality of bursts. A radio terminal Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK)—modulates the transmission signal depending on whether each of the Q bits indicating the tag ID is 1 or 0. The ASK-modulated signal is sampling-received at timings of different phases by 1/M (M is an integer not smaller than 1) of the transmission clock cycle. |
| US08659469B2 |
Movable information collection apparatus
An object of the present invention is to provide a movable information collection apparatus capable of grasping the current situation in a timely fashion. Also, an object of the present invention is to provide a geographical monitoring system capable of utilizing the movable information collection apparatus. The movable information collection apparatus includes an observation data collection antenna system that receives observation data obtained by observing an observation target area from the air, a geographic information database that stores previously acquired geographic information in the observation target area, an evaluation calculation unit that calculates and outputs a difference between the observation data and the previously acquired geographic information, the observation data collection antenna system, the geographic information database, and the evaluation calculation unit being mounted on a movable pedestal. |
| US08659468B2 |
Method of correcting reflectivity measurements by isotherm detection and radar implementing the method
A method of correcting the reflectivity measurements performed by a radar such as a weather radar, a reflectivity measurement being associated with a resolution volume includes analyzing the current resolution volume to determine whether the plane representing the 0° C. isotherm passes through it. When the plane representing the 0° C. isotherm passes through the current resolution volume, the volume is split into two parts lying on either side of said plane, the attenuation associated with the resolution volume is determined by taking into account the contribution of each of the parts to the measured reflectivity. The reflectivity associated with the current resolution volume is corrected using the attenuation thus determined. An onboard weather radar implements the method. |
| US08659467B1 |
Zero source insertion technique to account for undersampling in GPR imaging
A method and system for detecting the presence of subsurface objects within a medium is provided. In some embodiments, the imaging and detection system operates in a multistatic mode to collect radar return signals generated by an array of transceiver antenna pairs that is positioned across the surface and that travels down the surface. The imaging and detection system pre-processes the return signal to suppress certain undesirable effects. The imaging and detection system then generates synthetic aperture radar images from real aperture radar images generated from the pre-processed return signal. The imaging and detection system then post-processes the synthetic aperture radar images to improve detection of subsurface objects. The imaging and detection system identifies peaks in the energy levels of the post-processed image frame, which indicates the presence of a subsurface object. |
| US08659464B2 |
Analog-digital converter and converting method using clock delay
The present inventive concept relates to an analog-digital converter. The analog-digital converter includes a clock generating unit generating a clock signal; a clock delay adjusting unit outputting one of a first clock signal to a Kth clock signal according to a control signal; a capacitive digital-analog converting unit outputting a difference between the analog signal and a reference signal; a comparison unit judging whether an output of the capacitive digital-analog converting unit is 0, a positive number, or a negative number, in response to an output of the clock delay adjusting unit; and an SAR logic unit transferring an output of the comparison unit to the capacitive digital-analog converting unit in response to an output of the clock delay adjusting unit and performing a successive approximation operation to output the N-bit digital signal. |
| US08659460B2 |
Successive approximation register ADC circuits and methods
A non-binary successive approximation analogue to digital converter, for converting using successive conversion steps, is operable in first and second modes. The first and second modes have different noise properties and the converter is switched between the modes during the conversion process. |
| US08659459B2 |
Digital-to-analog converter, analog-to-digital converter including same, and semiconductor device
Provided are a capacitor digital-to-analog (DAC), an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) including the capacitor DAC, and a semiconductor device. The DAC includes at least one dummy capacitor configured to cause capacitors included in a capacitor array to have a capacitance that is an integer multiple of the capacitance of a unit capacitor. |
| US08659458B1 |
Multiple return-to-zero current switching digital-to-analog converter for RF signal generation
A “multiple return-to-zero” (MRZ) current switching DAC. In operation, the outputs of respective current sources are selectively directed to respective intermediate nodes in response to respective control signals which vary with a digital input word, and in synchronization with a clock CK1. A plurality of MRZ current switches are connected between respective intermediate nodes and the DAC's analog output. The MRZ switches are driven with a clock CK2 which toggles in synchronization with CK1 at a frequency fCK2=N*fCK1. The MRZ switches are operated such that switching noise that arises when CK1 is asserted is prevented from appearing on the analog output. When properly arranged, the DAC can generate a direct digital waveform at RF frequencies, with N chosen to produce an output spectrum such that the DAC's output power is relatively high within the desired frequency range. |
| US08659456B2 |
Electronic device and transmitter DC offset calibration method thereof
An embodiment of the invention provides an electronic device. The electronic device includes a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a transmitter front-end (TX FE), an amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a swap circuitry. The TX FE has a first and a second input end coupled to a first and a second output end of the DAC, respectively. The ADC has a first and a second input end coupled to a first and a second output end of the amplifier, respectively. The swap circuitry is configured to couple the first and second output ends of the DAC to a first and a second input end of the amplifier in a normal state, respectively, and couple the first and second output ends of the DAC to the second and first input ends of the amplifier in a swapped state, respectively. |
| US08659455B2 |
System and method for operating an analog to digital converter
A system and method can be used for scaling an output of a modulator of a sigma-delta analog to digital converter and systems and a method can be used for compensating temperature-dependent variations of a reference voltage in a sigma-delta analog to digital converter. In accordance with one embodiment, a system can be used for scaling an output of a modulator of a sigma-delta analog digital converter (ADC). A decimation filter has a decimation length that is adjustable by a decimation length value received as an input to the decimation filter. The decimation filter is configured to receive the output of the modulator of the sigma-delta ADC and to decimate the received output of the modulator of the sigma-delta ADC using the received decimation length value. |
| US08659454B2 |
Time error estimating device, error correction device and A/D converter
A time error estimating device for estimating a sampling time error of each of a plurality of sampling circuits when the sampling circuits generates a plurality of sampling output signals by performing sampling at timings shifted from one another has correlators each configured to obtain a correlation value representing a similarity between the sampling output signals, and a weight adder configured to estimate the sampling time error of the sampling circuits, based on a result obtained by adjusting a weight on the correlation value. |
| US08659452B2 |
Data compression devices, operating methods thereof, and data processing apparatuses including the same
A method of operating a data compression device includes analyzing data using an analyzer and generating a result of the analysis, while the data is buffered by an input buffer, and selectively compressing the buffered data according to the result of the analysis. A data compression device includes a data pattern analyzer configured to analyze data transmitted to an input buffer, and generate an analysis code based on the analysis of the data; and a data compression manager configured to selectively compress the data in the input buffer based on the analysis code. |
| US08659451B2 |
Indexing compressed data
A method to at least one of compress and decompress data includes providing a string (T) consisting of multiple given substrings. Identification symbols ($,$1,$2,$3) are assigned to the substrings of the string (T). The substrings of the string (T) are transferred by permutation into a permuted string (O(T),O*(T)). The permuted string (O(T),O*(T)) is sorted into a sorted permuted string (oSort(T), oSort*(T)) according to a given sorting criterion. The identification symbols ($,$1,$2,$3) are permuted and sorted together with the substrings of the sting (T) so that, in a partial inverse transformation step, characters of an Nth substring are sequentially determined within the permuted string (O(T),O*(T)) after determining a position (P) of an Nth identification symbol ($,$1,$2,$3) assigned to an Nth substring within the sorted permuted string (oSort(T),oSort*(T)) without reading characters of other substrings of the permuted string (O(T),O*(T)). |
| US08659445B2 |
Devices, systems and methods for reinforcing a traffic control assembly
Reinforcement devices and systems for holding a traffic control assembly in compression are provided. The traffic control assembly includes a traffic signal disconnect hanger and/or a traffic signal and a first span wire positioned above the traffic control assembly. In some embodiments, the reinforcement device includes an upper support device connected to the first span wire where the upper support device has a length that is greater than a width of the traffic control assembly and the upper support device is configured to spread the load of the traffic signal assembly to the first span wire. The reinforcement device includes a lower support device operably connected to the traffic signal, a first vertical support member, and a second vertical support member where the first and second vertical members are tensioned when the upper support device, the lower support device and the first and second vertical support members are connected together. |
| US08659444B2 |
Communication between stations and vehicles
An On Board Equipment (OBE) suitable for mounting on a vehicle comprises an OBE antenna connected to an OBE transmit/receive unit. The OBE antenna is arranged to receive a signal from a station via a first wireless communication link. The signal comprises at least one traffic information message from the station. The OBE is arranged to convert the traffic information message for transfer to an audio output through at least one speaker in an existing audio system of the vehicle wherein said transfer of the traffic information message to the existing audio system is arranged to be performed via a second wireless communication link. The traffic information message is arranged to be picked up by standard receiving means of the existing audio system and to be delivered as a voice message on said speakers through a prioritized channel of the existing audio system. |
| US08659443B2 |
Treatment area zoning system
A treatment area marker device and method for using the treatment area marker in setting up a triage facility for patient care. The device and the method may be particularly useful during an emergency or crisis situation. The treatment area marker is an article of manufacture that includes a light source that is capable of generating different colors of light. The bottom end of the treatment area marker has the means for keeping the device in a substantially upright position. The method of triage includes establishing one or more treatment areas, and erecting one or more treatment area markers to identify the treatment area. |
| US08659437B2 |
Leakage detection and compensation system
A flame sensing system having a flame rod, a signal generator, a signal measurement circuit, and a controller, where the frequency and/or amplitude of the excitation signal may be variable. The signal measurement circuit may include a bias circuitry that references the flame signal to a voltage, a capacitor that varies the filtration, an AC coupling capacitor, a current limiting resistor, and a low-pass filter. The system may determine the flame-sensing rod contamination, the stray capacitance of the flame sensing system, and compensate for stray capacitance in the flame sensing system. The flame model may include a circuit that simulates a flame in the presence of the sensing rod, and another circuit that simulates a contact surface between the flame and the sensing rod. |
| US08659436B2 |
Vehicle operator alertness monitoring system
An exemplary vehicle operator alertness monitoring system includes a heart rate monitor and a vehicle operator alert module. The vehicle operator alert module communicates with the heart rate monitor and determines whether a vehicle operator's heart rate is within an acceptable range. The vehicle operator alert module is configured to alert the vehicle operator when the vehicle operator's heart rate is outside of the acceptable range to assist the vehicle operator at maintaining alert control over the vehicle. |
| US08659435B2 |
Waterproof optically-sensing fiberless-optically-communicating vitality monitoring and alarming system, particularly for swimmers and infants
The vitality of a swimmer, or of a child, is monitored by a periodically-activated micro-powered solar- and battery-powered waterproof microminiaturized (1) optical sensor of heart activity, electrically connected to (2) a microprocessor monitor, for jointly determining when a person's heart activity has stopped. When and if required, the microprocessor causes to be transmitted, through water a blue-green light alarm signal. When this optical alarm signal is received by an optical receiver/alarm in air, the receiver/alarm produces an audio and/or visual alarm that, when sensed by a human, potentially timely permits rescue and resuscitation of the swimmer, or the child. The battery-and-solar-powered monitor that forms the core of the vitality monitoring system is roughly ten times faster and more capable, with but one-tenth the power consumption, than previous real-time biological monitoring systems. |
| US08659431B2 |
Method and apparatus of monitoring and updating security personnel information
A method and apparatus of monitoring security personnel in a building facility is disclosed. One example method may include storing a plurality of information records associated with each of the security personnel in a database. The method may also include compiling, via a processor, a list of the information records that may be in violation of predetermined criteria used to determine whether the security personnel are in compliance with security procedures, and automatically notifying a security supervisor of the building facility of the security personnel that may be in violation of the security procedures. Such measures may reduce security violations and increase compliance with security measures and other safety concerns. |
| US08659430B2 |
Radio frequency signal acquisition and source location system
A radio frequency signal acquistion and source location system, including a first signal acquisition and source location module comprising an RF transceiver coupled to an antenna, the antenna provided with a electronic steering circuit. The antenna operative to launch an interrogation signal, the interrogation signal steerable by an electronic steering circuit. A processor operatively coupled to the RF transceiver and the electronic steering circuit, the processor provided with a data storage for storing a signal data record for each of at least one response signal(s) received by the RF transceiver(s). The signal data record including a signal identification, a received signal strength indicator and an RF signal direction along which respective signal(s) are received by the antenna, the RF signal direction derived from the electronic steering circuit. A postion logic operative upon the data record(s) derives a three dimensional signal origin location of each response signal. |
| US08659423B2 |
Smart display device for independent living care
A wireless contextual prompting device provides contextual (context-aware) prompting in the home for applications such as Activities of Daily Living (ADL) monitoring, medication adherence, journaling, social messaging and coaching. The device combines the advantages of a small, wireless, battery-operated sensor that may be easily mounted at critical places in a person's daily routine with a low-power, high-contrast display panel that may be palm sized. The context may be displayed on the display screen as images, icons and/or text such that it is easy to interpret warnings by the young, elderly, or the language-challenged. |
| US08659422B2 |
Condition, health, and usage monitoring system
A sensor module includes a number of environment sensors and condition sensor interfaces. Each condition sensor interface is configured to couple with a condition sensor capable of sensing an attribute of a component exposed to the environment. The sensor module may be embedded within a structure associated with the component. For example, in the context of a solid rocket motor, the sensor module may be embedded within the exhaust plug. |
| US08659421B2 |
Remote child monitoring system with temperature sensing
The present disclosure relates to a monitoring system for sensing and transmitting sounds in a child's vicinity. The present disclosure relates to a monitoring system for sensing and transmitting indicia of temperature in a child's vicinity and/or of a child. |
| US08659420B2 |
Tracking system and device
A tracking device and system for tracking containers, in particular, containers and their contents, is disclosed. The tracking device utilizes AGPS/GPS/GSM/CDMA/LTE/EVDO/WiFi/RFID/Bluetooth®/TDMA technology to enable an individual to locate and monitor the movement of a Container at any given time and for any desired period of time. The tracking system utilizes virtual geo-fences to identify buildings or specific addresses to assist in determining the specific location of the containers in relation to these buildings or specific addresses. The tracking devices can also be activated by motion sensors to alert the tracking system of a possible theft of the container or sudden movement. The tracking system incorporates software which enables an individual to determine the location of the containers, determine the contents of the containers, and schedule the use of the containers by specific persons and at specific locations. The tracking system also retains information regarding the persons, the supplier's representatives, the warehouses and sales of the containers and any contents that they may have. |
| US08659416B1 |
Instrument for detecting and alerting during an emergency situation
An alarm system with an integral high-intensity illumination means comprising reflective beads for increased visibility is intended to provide alarm notification for the hard-of-hearing or deaf individuals. The illumination means on the bottom provides visual notification to deaf or hard of hearing building occupants and those who may outside of the building. To aid in the visual observation of the illumination means, a series of reflective beads are hung from the bottom of the detector. |
| US08659414B1 |
Wireless object-proximity monitoring and alarm system
A wireless child proximity monitoring and alarm system for use with child seats for vehicles includes a separable seat monitor for affixation to the seat's shoulder straps. The seat monitor has a first housing affixable to one of the shoulder straps and a second housing affixable to a second shoulder strap. The second housing has a transceiver for wireless communication and a microcontroller integrated with the transceiver. A micro switch is communicative with the microcontroller and is responsive to the proximity of the first housing. A connecting strap extends between the housings and is separable from at least one housing. A key fob for retention by a child caregiver has a fob case and a transceiver therein for wireless communication with the seat monitor transceiver. A microcontroller is integrated with the transceiver, and an alarm is selectively operable between a first silent sate and a second audible alarm generating state. |
| US08659413B2 |
Fluid level monitoring system and method
A fluid level monitoring system may include a control panel having a plurality of input devices, each corresponding to a monitored fluid of a machine, and a plurality of indicators, each corresponding to one of the input devices. The indicators may provide visual displays of fluid level statuses for the monitored fluids. The fluid level monitoring system may further include a message display device that may display a fluid level status message for one of the monitored fluids based on the actuation of the corresponding input device of the control panel. |
| US08659408B2 |
Object detection system and method using a camera and a multiple zone temperature sensor
A system and method to provide a notification to an operator of a vehicle that an object is proximate to the vehicle. Data from a visible light camera and a multiple zone temperature sensor are combined or fused to determine which regions of a display should be highlighted in order to help the vehicle operator better notice or discern an object shown on a display. The region or area of the display highlighted is determined by displaying a highlighted area or icon on the display corresponding to an area where objects detected on image data maps of hue and/or saturation and/or intensity data from the camera intersect with objects detected on a temperature data map from the temperature sensor. Misalignment between the camera and the temperature sensor may be tolerated by expanding the object detected on the various maps in order to increase the probability of an intersection occurring. |
| US08659404B2 |
Methods and systems related to establishing geo-fence boundaries and collecting data
Establishing geo-fence boundaries and collecting data. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods including: detecting a vehicle is located within a first political boundary; establishing a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary; collecting data regarding the vehicle movement within the first geo-fence boundary; and detecting the vehicle has departed the first geo-fence boundary. |
| US08659391B2 |
Multielement and multiproperty tagging
An embodiment relates to a man-made object comprising a distinctive structure with a feature to identify the object, wherein the object has a size such that the object is observable under visible light, wherein the feature is embedded in or on the object and a size of the feature is such that the feature is not observable under visible light, wherein the feature comprises an attribute originating from the feature, and wherein the attribute defines the feature. |
| US08659389B2 |
Secure inventory control systems and methods for high-value goods
Embodiments of the present invention include methods and systems for tracking and monitoring high-value goods by scanning RFID tags associated with the goods. A central monitoring service verifies both the RFID tags and the devices used to scan the tags against a database of known and trusted tags and scanning devices. Local and centralized security protocols provide improved security and data integrity. |
| US08659388B2 |
Variable strength wireless communication system
A wireless communication system is provided. The communication system comprises a key fob comprising a wireless transmitter adapted to transmit a first signal having a first transmission field strength and first transmission duration, and a second signal having a second transmission field strength and second transmission duration and a vehicle comprising a wireless receiver adapted to receive the first and second signals. |
| US08659375B2 |
Reed switch
A reed switch includes an envelope. First and second fixed terminal pieces are at one end of the envelope. A third fixed terminal piece is at another end of the envelope. A movable reed piece has a base end portion facing the one end portion of the third fixed terminal piece across a magnetic gap, a distal end portion to contact the first fixed terminal piece, and a movable contact portion. A first spring member has a base end portion secured to the first fixed terminal piece and a distal end portion to contact the movable contact portion. A second spring member has a base end portion secured to the second fixed terminal piece and a distal end portion to contact the movable contact portion. A third spring member has one and another end portions respectively secured to the movable reed piece and the third fixed terminal piece. |
| US08659369B2 |
IC package with embedded filters
Methods and systems for filters embedded in an integrated circuit package are disclosed and may include controlling filtering of signals within an integrated circuit via one or more filter components embedded within a multi-layer package bonded to the integrated circuit. The one or more filter components may be electrically coupled to one or more switchable capacitors within the integrated circuit. The filter components may include transmission line devices, microstrip filters, transformers, surface mount devices, inductors, and/or coplanar waveguide filters. The filter components may be fabricated utilizing metal conductive layers and/or ferromagnetic layers deposited on and/or embedded within the multi-layer package. The integrated circuit may be electrically coupled to the multi-layer package utilizing a flip-chip bonding technique. |
| US08659368B2 |
Surface acoustic wave filter device
An IDT electrode defining any one of a plurality of surface acoustic wave resonators defining series arm resonators and parallel arm resonators, except for the IDT electrode having a smallest amount of heat generation per unit time when a signal flows between first and second signal terminals, does not face wiring electrodes. |
| US08659362B2 |
Relaxation oscillator circuit with reduced sensitivity of oscillation frequency to comparator delay variation
A relaxation oscillator circuit with reduced sensitivity of oscillation frequency to comparator delay variation includes a first current source that generates charging current, a second current source coupled to the first current source to generate reference voltage, a resistor coupled to the second current source to enable generation of the reference voltage, a capacitor coupled to the first current source that is charged based on the charging current, a comparator responsive to voltage corresponding to the capacitor and the reference voltage to generate output voltage, a peak detector coupled to the capacitor to generate peak voltage, an error detector coupled to the peak detector and the second current source to generate an error based on the peak voltage and the reference voltage, and a controller coupled to the error detector to control one of the charging current, offset voltage input to the comparator, and capacitance of the capacitor. |
| US08659360B2 |
Charge-to-digital timer
The charge-to-digital timer apparatus and method disclosed herein estimates the elapsed time between two signals, e.g., a start signal and a stop signal. To that end, at least a capacitive load is charged with a known current to generate a load voltage. Subsequently, a first voltage is ramped in a plurality of discrete voltage steps associated with a plurality of known capacitances until the ramped voltage satisfies a predetermined criterion relative to a second voltage. The elapsed time is determined from the discrete voltage steps, one of the first and second voltages, the known current, and the known capacitive load. |
| US08659352B2 |
Power amplifier
A power amplifier includes: a first amplifying element amplifying an input signal; a second amplifying element amplifying an output signal of the first amplifying element; a third amplifying element amplifying the input signal; a first switch connected between an output of the first amplifying element and an input of second amplifying element; a second switch connected between an output of the first amplifying element and an output of the third amplifying element; a third switch connected between an output of the first amplifying element and an output of the second amplifying element; a reference voltage generating a circuit generating reference voltage; a bias circuit supplying a bias current, based on the reference voltage, to inputs of the first, second, and third amplifying elements; and a control circuit controlling the first, second and third switches and the reference voltage generating circuit. |
| US08659351B2 |
Electronic circuit for driving a switching amplifier
An electronic circuit is disclosed for driving a switching amplifier. The electronic circuit is configured for generating, when operating in a switch-on mode, a driving signal for driving the switching amplifier. The driving signal carries a plurality of pulses having: an pulse width increasing between contiguous pulses of the plurality of pulses according to a step value having modulus equal to two and odd values; a polarity alternating between the contiguous pulses. |
| US08659349B1 |
Control circuit for use with a four terminal sensor, and measurement system including such a control circuit
A control circuit for use with a four terminal sensor, the sensor having first and second drive terminals and first and second measurement terminals, the control circuit arranged to drive at least one of the first and second drive terminals with an excitation signal, to sense a voltage difference between the first and second measurement terminals, and control the excitation signal such that the voltage difference between the first and second measurement terminals is within a target range of voltages, and wherein the control circuit includes N poles in its transfer characteristic and N−1 zeros in its transfer characteristic such that when a loop gain falls to unity the phase shift around a closed loop is not substantially 2π radians or a multiple thereof, where N is greater than 1. |
| US08659346B2 |
Body-bias voltage controller and method of controlling body-bias voltage
A body-bias voltage controller includes: a plurality of transistors at least one of which is supplied with a body-bias voltage; a monitor circuit to detect voltage characteristics of the plurality of transistors and to output a indicator signal; and a body-bias voltage generator to generate the body-bias voltage based upon the indicator signal. |
| US08659345B2 |
Switch level circuit with dead time self-adapting control
A switch level circuit (110) with dead time self-adapting control, which minimizes the switching loss in a switching power supply converter with synchronous rectification by changing a dead time between a high-side control transistor (10) and a low-side synchronous rectifying transistor (11). The switch level circuit (110) includes the high-side control transistor (10) and the low-side synchronous rectifying transistor (11) which are controlled to be on and off by external control signals, and a waveform with a given duty cycle is outputted at a node (LX) between the two transistors. The switch level circuit (110) also includes a control module for adjusting the dead time. The control module comprises a sampling circuit (16) for detecting the current dead time at the node (LX), an adjusting circuit (17) for buffering and converting the sampling voltage sampled by the sampling circuit (16), and a controlled delay unit (15) equipped with an external control input terminal, wherein the controlled delay unit (15) delays an external control signal and outputs the delayed signal to a controlled terminal of the low-side synchronous rectifying transistor (11) as a control signal. The switch level circuit (110) has simple structure, better performance and wide application range. |
| US08659344B2 |
Electronic circuit with a regulated power supply circuit
A power supply regulator circuit uses a feedback loop to control current through a first output transistor from a power supply input to a regulated power supply output. The first output transistor is included in an integrated circuit. In order to avoid heating of the integrated circuit in excess of an acceptable level due to permanent supply of a high current through the first transistor, current through a second output transistor in parallel with the first transistor, but outside the integrated circuit is raised when it is detected that the current through the first output transistor exceeds a threshold level. The second output transistor outside the integrated circuit serves to take over supply of a part of the power supply current from first output transistor inside integrated circuit, when long term supply of that part from first output transistor would lead to undesirable heating of the integrated circuit. During a limited time interval a first transistor current above the threshold level is acceptable. During this time interval the current through the second output transistor is raised slowly in order to avoid unpredictable stability problems and the generation of excessive power supply noise. |
| US08659340B2 |
Tunable voltage-controlled pseudo-resistor
A tunable voltage-controlled pseudo-resistor structure, comprising: a symmetric PMOS transistor circuit and an auto-tuning circuit connected in series. Input of the auto-tuning circuit is connected to a central position Vf of the PMOS transistor circuit having its output Vg, with its purpose of keeping Vg−Vf at a constant value. The PMOS transistor circuit may produce body effect through various different bulk voltages. Through the auto-tuning circuit, Vg and Vf are kept constant to make current of transistor to produce compensation effect, such that regardless of Va>Vb or Va |
| US08659339B2 |
Offset canceling circuit, sampling circuit and image sensor
An offset canceling circuit stores charge corresponding to a voltage difference between a reset voltage received from a unit pixel and a reference voltage, thereby canceling an offset of the unit pixel. |
| US08659332B2 |
Signal circuit
A signal circuit includes a clock terminal for transmitting a reference clock and a data terminal for transmitting an input/output data. In an embodiment, the frequency of the reference clock is one-eighth of the bit rate of the input/output data. |
| US08659331B2 |
High accuracy sin-cos wave and frequency generators, and related systems and methods
High accuracy sin-cos wave and frequency generators, and related systems and methods. In non-limiting embodiments disclosed herein, the sin-cos wave generators can provide highly accurate sin-cos values for sin-cos wave generation with low hardware costs and small lookup table requirements. The embodiments disclosed herein may include a circuit to conduct an arithmetic approximation of a sin-cos curve based on a phase input. The circuit may be in communication with a point lookup table and a correction lookup table. The tables may receive the phase input and match the phase input to main sin-cos endpoints associated with the phase, and to a correction value for the phase. These values which are selected based on the phase input, may be communicated to a converter circuit where the arithmetic functions are applied to the values resulting in a sin-cos curve value. |
| US08659328B2 |
Method for transmitting a binary signal via a transformer
A method for the repetitive transmission of a signal representing a binary value via a transformer section of a driver of a power semiconductor. Transmitting for the first value a first pulse packet as a sequence of a positive pulse and a negative pulse or for the second value a second pulse packet as a sequence of a negative pulse and a positive pulse to the input of the transformer. The respective pulse packets are repetitively fed to the transformer, one of the first value and the second value is detected at the output of the transformer from the sequence of the polarity of an output variable within a transmitted pulse packet. |
| US08659327B2 |
High voltage sustainable output buffer
An output buffer includes a first output transistor, a first switch, a second switch and a third switch. The first output transistor is connected to a first operational voltage for outputting the first operational voltage as the data signal. The first switch is connected to a bulk of the first output transistor for receiving an enable signal. The second switch is connected to the first switch and a second operational voltage for receiving the enable signal, wherein the second operational voltage is lower than the first operational voltage. The third switch includes a first terminal connected to the bulk of the first output transistor, a control terminal connected to the first switch, and a second terminal connected to the first operational voltage. |
| US08659322B2 |
Memory having a latching sense amplifier resistant to negative bias temperature instability and method therefor
An integrated circuit includes a memory cell and a sense amplifier coupled to the memory cell via a first bit line and a second bit line. The sense amplifier includes first and second inverters cross-coupled to provide a latch. The first inverter is responsive to a first data signal provided by the memory cell over the first bit line. The second inverter is responsive to a second data signal as provided by the memory cell over the second bit line. A first negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) compensation transistor includes a source electrode coupled to receive a reference voltage, a drain electrode coupled to a source electrode of the first inverter, and a gate electrode coupled to first logic responsive to the first data signal. A second NBTI compensation transistor includes a source electrode coupled to receive the reference voltage, a drain electrode coupled to a source electrode of the second inverter, and a gate electrode coupled to second logic responsive to the second data signal, wherein the second data signal is a logical complement of the first data signal. |
| US08659320B2 |
Digital logic circuit with dynamic logic gate
A digital logic gate suitable for a high-speed operation of a central processing unit. The digital logic gate comprises the first dynamic logic gate configured to logically gate a plurality of first input data in response to the first clock signal, a second dynamic logic gate configured to logically gate a gating output of the first dynamic logic gate and a plurality of second input data, and a latching device configured to latch a gating output of the second dynamic logic gate. The digital logic circuit need not adopt a keeper circuit, and thus a gate delay is reduced and the digital logic circuit performs a high-speed gating operation with robust characteristic against a current leakage or an input noise. |
| US08659317B1 |
Flexible multi-point routing topology
Apparatuses and methods of configuring a programmable analog routing system to make connections between analog functional blocks of an integrated circuit are described. A programmable analog routing system includes a first set of wires and switch sets of programmable connections coupled to a second set of wires. The programmable connections are configured to make at least one of a direct connection between two of the analog functional blocks using the second set of wires or a connection between one of the second set of wires and one of the first set of wires. |
| US08659315B2 |
Method for printed circuit board trace characterization
A method is provided which measures PCB trace characteristics from measurements of a PCB trace structure. |
| US08659304B2 |
High frequency characteristic measuring device
A high frequency characteristic measuring device for measuring high frequency characteristics of a high frequency device to be measured by contacting probe needles with the high frequency device to be measured, before mounting of the high frequency device to be measured. The high frequency characteristic measuring device includes an input matching circuit substrate with an input matching circuit thereon, a first coaxial connector electrically connected to the input matching circuit substrate, and first probe needles electrically connected to the input matching circuit substrate. The high frequency characteristic measuring device further includes an output matching circuit substrate with an output matching circuit thereon, a second coaxial connector electrically connected to the output matching circuit substrate, and second probe needles electrically connected to the output matching circuit substrate. |
| US08659303B2 |
Occupant detection sensor testing apparatus and method
A testing apparatus for testing whether an occupant detection sensor normally operates is disclosed. The testing apparatus includes: a ground that is an electrically-conductive structural member of the seat; an electrode plate that is electrically-conductive and is on the seat at a time of testing; multiple capacitors that are electrically connected between the electrode plate and the ground and are different in electrostatic capacity from each other; a switch mechanism that selects and switches one capacitor of the multiple capacitors; and a determination result check portion that determines, while switching the one capacitor by the switch mechanism, whether a signal outputted from the occupant detection sensor is a determination result corresponding to the switched one capacitor. |
| US08659302B1 |
Monitoring and recoverable protection of thermostat switching circuitry
Voltage is detected on both sides of a protection fuse within a thermostat, such that a determination can be made as to the status of the fuse. When a blown fuse is detected, the user can be notified via (1) an error message on the thermostat display, and/or (2) a message on another device such as a mobile device and/or web-client device. According to some embodiments the thermostat manufacturer is notified via network connection. According to some embodiments drain voltage is measured on MOSFETs used in the thermostat for switching on and off HVAC functions. If an over-current is detected on a FET switch, it immediately turned off and a fault indictor is sent to the microcontroller. The FET switch remains “off” until it is re-enabled under control of the microcontroller. |
| US08659300B2 |
Stress testing of silicon-on-insulator substrates using applied electrostatic discharge
A method of implementing electrostatic discharge (ESD) testing of an integrated circuit includes applying an ESD event to an exposed backside of a substrate of the integrated circuit, wherein the backside of the substrate is electrically isolated from circuit structures formed at a front-end-of-line (FEOL) region of the integrated circuit. The operation of the circuit structures is tested to determine whether the ESD event has caused damage to one or more of the circuit structures as a result of a breakdown in the electrical isolation between the circuit structures and the backside of the substrate. |
| US08659297B2 |
Reducing noise in magnetic resonance imaging using conductive loops
A method of processing an electrical signal includes: capturing, via at least one main lead, an electrical signal; capturing, via at least one noise lead, a noise reference signal, wherein the at least one noise lead includes at least one conductive loop formed on a plane; receiving, by a processing device, the electrical signal and the noise reference signal; and processing, by the processing device, the electrical signal to cancel the noise reference signal from the electrical signal to obtain a processed electrical signal. |
| US08659296B2 |
Double layer multi element RF strip coil array for SAR reduced high field MR
A high or ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging method and device including a double-layered transmit-receive coil array that includes a transmit element placed in close proximity to a radio frequency shield to reduce SAR, and a receive element that is placed further away from the shield to improve SNR. The transit and receive elements may be mutually decoupled using diodes, transformers, or other decoupling techniques. A portion of the transmit element may pass in front of the RF shield while capacitors in the transmit element may be positioned behind the shield. |
| US08659294B2 |
Method for acquiring dynamic motion images to guide functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis of motor tasks
A method for imaging neuromuscular coupling and sensory processing with magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) is provided. More specifically, a method for examining the control that a subject's brain has over muscular motion, including both prompted and incidental actions, is provided. A dynamic acquisition is performed to rapidly acquire anatomical images of a desired muscle. This dynamic acquisition is interleaved with a functional acquisition that targets the cortical areas that are responsible for controlling, or processing, signals from the desired muscular region. By interleaving these two acquisitions, synchronized image information about the motion of the muscle along with the neuronal activity associated with the control of the muscle is acquired. Interleaving these data acquisitions also allows imaging of brain and muscle at substantially the same time, thereby reducing errors and pinpointing activity. |
| US08659292B2 |
MR sensor with flux guide enhanced hard bias structure
A CPP MR sensor interposes a tapered soft magnetic flux guide (FG) layer between a hard magnetic biasing layer (HB) and the free layer of the sensor stack. The flux guide channels the flux of the hard magnetic biasing layer to effectively bias the free layer, while eliminating instability problems associated with magnetostatic coupling between the hard bias layers and the upper and lower shields surrounding the sensor when the reader-shield-spacing (RSS) is small. |
| US08659291B2 |
Magneto-optical detection of a field produced by a sub-resolution magnetic structure
A polarization microscope optically detects the effect of the magnetic field from a sub-optical resolution magnetic structure on a magneto-optical transducer. The magneto-optical transducer includes a magnetic layer with a magnetization that is changed by the magnetic field produced by the magnetic structure. The saturation field of the magnetic layer is sufficiently lower than the magnetic field produced by the magnetic structure that the area of magnetization change in the magnetic layer is optically resolvable by the polarization microscope. A probe may be used to provide a current to the sample to produce the magnetic field. By analyzing the optically detected magnetization, one or more characteristics of the sample may be determined. A magnetic recording storage layer may be deposited over the magnetic layer, where a magnetic field produced by the sample is written to the magnetic recording storage layer to effect the magnetization of the magnetic layer. |
| US08659278B2 |
Controller for switching regulator, switching regulator and light source
A switching regulator (2-5) supplies a controllable stable average current to a load (1), such as series-connected light emitting diodes. A regulator controller (2) includes a hysteretic comparator (12, 30) which controls a switch in the form of a transistor (15) for switching current into an inductor (3). The comparator (12) has upper and lower thresholds. A first circuit comprising a fast current monitor (6) supplies a first signal to the comparator representing the instantaneous current in the inductor (3). A second circuit (36, 37, 41, and 42) supplies a second signal to the comparator representing an error between a desired regulator output and an actual regulator output. |
| US08659272B2 |
Bidirectional boost-buck DC-DC converter
To provide a DC/DC converter capable of down-sizing magnetic components and varying boosting and bucking ratios, and a bidirectional boosting-bucking operations, a bidirectional boosting-bucking magnetic-field cancellation type of DC/DC converter (10) is provided which includes: a first voltage side port (P1), a second voltage side port (P2); a common reference terminal (CP), a smoothing capacitor (C1), four switching elements (SW1, SW2, SW3, SW4), an inductors (L1, L2), a magnetic-field cancellation type transformer T including a primary winding (L3) and a secondary winging (L4), four switching elements (SW5, SW6, SW7, SW8), and a smoothing capacitor (C2). |
| US08659263B2 |
Power supply circuit having low idle power dissipation
Embodiments include a power supply arrangement where major components including an off-line switched power supply are shut off when not in use. When a load is coupled to the power supply arrangement, components are enabled so as to provide power to the load. |
| US08659262B2 |
Battery chargers that are used for power tools and are configured to be connectible with cellular phones
A battery charger includes telephone handset and a connector for connecting with a cellular phone. A sound signal can be transmitted between the telephone handset and the cellular phone via the connector. |
| US08659258B2 |
Method for operating a brushless motor
The present invention relates to a method for operating a brushless electric motor whose windings are driven by an inverter with the aid of six switches, having an identification unit being provided in order to identify defective switches, a unit for voltage measurement at the outputs of the inverter, and a microcontroller for controlling the switches. Particularly in safety-relevant applications, it is important to quickly determine what characteristic the defective switch has, for example in order to continue to operate the electric motor in an emergency mode, or to switch it off immediately. The defect (F1, F2, F3) is traced and the nature of the defect (F1, F2, F3) in a switch determined by using a different voltage (PWM1, PWM2) to drive those windings (V, W) which are not associated with the defective switch, while a voltage measurement is carried out on the winding (U) associated with the defective switch. |
| US08659257B2 |
Electronic operational control device for a piloting member with cross-monitoring, piloting device and aircraft
An electronic operational control device for an aircraft piloting device with two connected piloting members, includes electronic circuits for main monitoring from signals delivered by sensors associated with one of the piloting members, and at least one electronic circuit (52 to 55) for cross-monitoring, for digital processing of signals delivered by sensors (83, 93) associated with the other piloting member, adapted to detect any deviation of these signals corresponding to a fault and to generate a signal representing such a fault. A piloting device and an aircraft including such an electronic operational control device with cross-monitoring are also disclosed. |
| US08659255B2 |
Robot confinement
A robot confinement system includes a portable housing and a mobile robot. The portable housing includes a first detector operable to detect a presence of the mobile robot in a field of detection, and an emitter operable to emit a first signal when the first detector detects the presence of the mobile robot in the field of detection. The mobile robot is operable to move on a surface to clean the surface and includes a controller operable to control a movement path of the mobile robot on the surface. The mobile robot further includes a second detector operable to detect the first signal emitted by the portable housing. The controller of the mobile robot is operable to change the movement path of the mobile robot in response to detection of the first signal. |
| US08659250B2 |
Management apparatus of a rotating motor and an annexed load during power loss
A management apparatus is described of a rotating motor and a load during power loss; the apparatus comprises a first switching circuit coupled with the rotating motor and a controller of said first switching circuit. The controller is configured to drive the first switching circuit so as to convert a back-electromotive force voltage developed in the rotating motor into a power supply voltage for the load. The first switching circuit is driven in accordance with a first duty cycle. The apparatus comprises a second switching circuit coupled with the load and driven in accordance with a second duty cycle. The controller is configured to vary said first and said second duty cycles to keep the power supply voltage for the load above or equal to a threshold voltage. |
| US08659248B2 |
Drive device for electric power conversion circuit
A drive device has a break circuit. The break circuit inputs phase-current values transferred from phase-current sensors mounted on an electrical path of a motor generator. A power switching element is equipped with a freewheel diode connected in parallel with each other. An inverter has pairs of the power switching elements. In each pair, the power switching element in a high voltage side and the power switching element in a low voltage side are connected in series. It is detected for the freewheel diode to be in a freewheel mode when a forward current flows in the freewheel diode. The break circuit detects the freewheel mode where the current flows in the freewheel diode in a lower arm when the phase-current value is not less than a predetermined threshold value. The break circuit detects the freewheel mode where the current flows in the freewheel diode in an upper arm when the phase-current value is not more than the threshold current value. |
| US08659246B2 |
High efficiency roller shade
A motorized roller shade is provided. The motorized roller shade includes a shade tube in which a motor unit, a controller unit and a power supply unit are disposed. The controller unit includes a controller to control the motor. The power supply unit includes at least one bearing rotatably coupled to a support shaft. The motor unit includes at least one bearing, rotatably coupled to another support shaft, a DC gear motor and a counterbalancing device. The output shaft of the DC gear motor is coupled to the support shaft such that the output shaft and the support shaft do not rotate when the support shaft is attached to a mounting bracket. |
| US08659245B2 |
Active vibration control apparatus
An active vibration control apparatus includes a linear actuator and a controller. The linear actuator includes a moving element, a stator and an elastic support. The stator has a plurality of coils surrounding the moving element. The elastic support supports the moving element to be reciprocally movable relative to the stator in an axial direction of the moving element due to elastic deformation of the elastic support. The controller is configured to apply an alternating current to the stator to generate vibration due to relative displacement of the moving element and the stator in the axial direction. The controller is configured to correct a center position of an amplitude of the vibration by additionally applying a predetermined direct current as a biased current to the stator when the linear actuator satisfies a predetermined vibration condition. |
| US08659244B2 |
Variable speed switch and electric power tool with the variable speed switch mounted thereto
A variable speed switch includes a switch main body portion which is accommodated in a housing of an electric power tool and mounted to the housing so as to be capable of relative movement, and a load sensor which is provided in the switch main body portion and capable of outputting an electric signal in proportion to the amount of distortion caused by a pressing force. The switch operating portion is mounted on the surface of the housing so as to be capable of relative displacement with respect to the housing and transmits a pressing force applied to the switch operating portion to the load sensor, with the maximum displacement amount of the switch operating portion being set to equal to or less than 5 mm. |
| US08659237B2 |
Hybrid power control system
A hybrid power control system for providing dynamic power control to illumination systems in which a power source can supply any one of a range of AC or DC voltages. One or more switch mode power supplies incorporating one or more linear and switch mode regulator circuits combined to dynamically control current, voltage and power to the illumination system. A microprocessor or other integrated circuit device to receive and send control information in order to regulate the power to a light emitting device One or more output drive stage(s) capable of delivering a wide dynamic current range, channel bonding and protection circuitry compatible with standard or common anode illumination systems. |
| US08659236B2 |
Circuit arrangement and method for driving an electrical load
A circuit arrangement for driving an electrical load comprises a connection node (LED) for connecting the electrical load and a control device (Ctrl) that is coupled to the connection node (LED) to drive the electrical load. A detection circuit (Det) is coupled to the connection node (LED) for detecting a trigger signal (trig) at the connection node (LED) and coupled to the control device (Ctrl) via a measurement channel (Mes). |
| US08659235B2 |
Process and circuitry for controlling a load
A current source and an associated method for supplying current to a load such as an arrangement of LEDs. The intensity of the supplied current varies as a function of the temperature of the load. The intensity of the current is temperature-dependent and limited to a predefined maximum. The temperature dependence is achieved by the component parts that are used without the help of special temperature sensors. The current source is supplied with a reference voltage derived from an integrated circuit. The reference voltage is tapped from a port of the IC and therefore it is switchable. The reference voltage is used to produce a control current, which is fed through a driver stage to produce the current of the current source. Elements in the current source limit the current's intensity and change it as a function of temperature. |
| US08659231B2 |
Electronic ballast and method for operation of at least one discharge lamp
Various embodiments provide an electronic ballast for operation of at least one discharge lamp, with the electronic ballast having an apparatus for power factor correction with a voltage converter. The voltage converter itself includes an inductance, a diode and a switch. A control apparatus, which produces a square-wave signal as a control signal to the switch of the apparatus for power factor correction, includes an I regulator. This produces a first component of the on time of the control signal. In order to react to short-term power demands in the load circuit for example on ignition of the discharge lamp, an electronic ballast furthermore may include a power determining apparatus, which is coupled to the control apparatus, with the control apparatus being designed to vary the control signal as a function of the power consumed in the discharge lamp. |
| US08659230B2 |
Illumination control system
An illumination control system includes: illumination apparatuses having respective addresses and perform a dimming control in response to a dimming signal inputted from an outside, and an illumination control terminal which has an imaging device, a capturing range of which is set to include illumination ranges of the illumination apparatuses. The illumination control terminal segments an image captured by the imaging device into a plurality of areas so that the areas correspond to the illumination ranges, detects a person based on the captured image, determines a segmented area in which the person is present if the person has been detected and performs dimming control on an illumination apparatus corresponding to the determined segmented area. |
| US08659229B2 |
Plasma attenuation for uniformity control
A plasma processing apparatus and method are disclosed which create a uniform plasma within an enclosure. In one embodiment, a conductive or ferrite material is used to influence a section of the antenna, where a section is made up of portions of multiple coiled segments. In another embodiment, a ferrite material is used to influence a portion of the antenna. In another embodiment, plasma uniformity is improved by modifying the internal shape and volume of the enclosure. |
| US08659228B2 |
LED ballast mount
An LED ballast mount preferably includes a housing assembly having sidewalls including a housing LED side wall and a housing opposite side wall. A rechargeable battery is installed in a battery assembly and the battery assembly includes a battery housing mounted to the housing LED side wall. A first LED lamp is mounted on a lower face of the battery housing. A first fluorescent lamp socket mounted on a ballast socket face of the battery housing. A second fluorescent lamp socket mounted on the ballast socket face of the battery housing. A bridge housing including an electronic ballast mounted within the bridge housing. Fluorescent tubes may be mounted in the device. |
| US08659223B2 |
Light emitting diode display
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display is disclosed. In one embodiment, the OLED display includes i) a display substrate, ii) an OLED array, iii) an encapsulation substrate arranged opposite to the display substrate with respect to the OLED array, iv) a sealing member configured to seal the display substrate and the encapsulation substrate and v) a filler applied in a space formed between the display substrate and the encapsulation substrate. In one embodiment, the height of the filler is more than about 1.2 times the height of the OLED array. |
| US08659215B2 |
Motor
According to one embodiment, a motor has a cylindrical stator core and rotor. A first framework is fixed to a side of the stator core in an axial direction, and a first bearing housing is fixed to the outside of the first framework. A second framework is fixed to the other side of the stator core. A second bearing housing is fixed to the outside of the second framework. The rotor has a rotational shaft, supported by the bearings, extending into the frameworks. A rotor core is attached to the shaft. Support bases are fixed to the rotor, and are interposed by the rotor core. A locking member coupled to the first framework is configured to contact the first support base. A locking member coupled to the second framework is configured to contact the second support base. The rotor is fixed by the locking members contact with the support bases. |
| US08659214B2 |
Piezoelectric actuator including double PZT piezoelectric layers with different permitivities and its manufacturing method
In a piezoelectric actuator including a lower electrode layer, a first PZT piezoelectric layer having a first relative permittivity is formed on the lower electrode layer, and a second PZT piezoelectric layer having a second relative permittivity smaller than said first relative permittivity is formed on the first PZT piezoelectric layer. |
| US08659212B2 |
Ultrasound transducer and method for manufacturing an ultrasound transducer
An ultrasound transducer includes an array of acoustic elements, an integrated circuit, and an interposer. The interposer includes conductive elements that electrically connect the array of acoustic elements to the integrated circuit. An electrically conductive adhesive is engaged with the conductive elements of the interposer to electrically connect the interposer to at least one of the integrated circuit or the array of acoustic elements. The electrically conductive adhesive is anisotropically conductive. |
| US08659211B1 |
Quad and dual cantilever transduction apparatus
An electro-mechanical transducer is disclosed, which provides a very low frequency wide band response from a bender (or benders) using piezoelectric cantilevers or center mounted free edge disc, providing additive output between the resonant frequencies achieving this response at great depths under equivalent free flooded conditions with additionally improved response with silicone rubber to reduce the acoustic cancellation associated with the dipole mode of vibration of the bender. |
| US08659203B2 |
Induction motor, compressor and refrigerating cycle apparatus
The efficiency of an induction motor is improved while suppressing the generation of magnetic flux saturation of a rotor core. In an induction motor, “a magnetic path width of a rotor” which is the product of a circumferential width of a rotor tooth formed in the rotor and the number of rotor teeth is equal to or larger than “a magnetic path width of a stator” which is the product of a circumferential width of a stator tooth formed in the stator and the number of stator teeth. |
| US08659194B2 |
Motor drive apparatus
A motor drive apparatus includes a motor; and an ECU. The ECU includes an ECU housing. The ECU housing includes a heat sink having a module receiving portion. The module receiving portion includes a heat-receiving surface and an opening portion open to one-end side of the ECU housing. The ECU further includes a control substrate received by the ECU housing to be perpendicular to the heat-receiving surface and to face the motor; a plurality of semiconductor modules each received in the module receiving portion and connected electrically with the control substrate to control a power supply of the motor. Each of the plurality of semiconductor modules includes a heat-radiating surface at an outer portion thereof. The ECU further includes a module retaining section pressing the heat-radiating surface to the heat-receiving surface to retain each of the plurality of semiconductor modules in the module receiving portion. |
| US08659190B2 |
Electric machine cooling system and method
Embodiments of the invention provide an electric machine module including a housing defining a machine cavity. In some embodiments, an electric machine can be positioned within the machine cavity and include a rotor hub coupled to rotor laminations. The rotor hub can include first and second axial ends and the rotor laminations can include a recess. In some embodiments, the recesses can be aligned to define a portion of a plurality of coolant channels that can be in fluid communication with the machine cavity. In some embodiments, the rotor hub can include first and second rotor hub inlets in fluid communication with at least a portion of the coolant channels. The first and the second rotor hub inlets can be adjacent to the axial ends of the rotor hub. In some embodiments, the coolant channels are in fluid communication with the rotor hub inlets are not the same coolant channels. |
| US08659189B2 |
Control system for a material handling application
A distributed control system is provided having a plurality of control modules operative to control one or more output devices. A control module includes a first enclosure that houses a plurality of control terminals and a second enclosure that houses a controller for controlling an output device. A maximum voltage of the first enclosure is less than a threshold voltage level, and a maximum voltage of the second enclosure is greater than the threshold voltage level. A safety circuit of the control system includes a plurality of circuit segments connected in a series configuration to the control modules. |
| US08659188B2 |
Distributed power harvesting systems using DC power sources
A method for maintaining reliability of a distributed power system including a power converter having input terminals and output terminals. Input power is received at the input terminals. The input power is converted to an output power at the output terminals. A temperature is measured in or in the environment of the power converter. The power conversion of the input power to the output power may be controlled to maximize the input power by setting at the input terminals the input voltage or the input current according to predetermined criteria. One of the predetermined criteria is configured to reduce the input power based on the temperature signal responsive to the temperature. The adjustment of input power reduces the input voltage and/or input current thereby lowering the temperature of the power converter. |
| US08659186B2 |
Methods and systems for controlling a power conversion system
A power conversion system is described. The power conversion system includes a first power converter coupled to an electrical grid at a first point of interconnection (POI), a first processing device coupled to the first power converter and configured to control operation of the first power converter, and a first power measurement device coupled to the first processing device and configured to collect data associated with power output of the first power converter. The power conversion system also includes a first global positioning system (GPS) receiver coupled to the first processing device and configured to receive location information corresponding to a location of the first power converter and temporal information corresponding to a time at the location. |
| US08659184B2 |
Method and apparatus for powering an appliance
A battery operated vacuum cleaner is provided with one or more principal batteries and one or more supplemental batteries. The batteries and a controller are configured such that as the power provided by the principal batteries drops, one or more of the supplemental batteries is operative connected to provide power to the appliance. A method for providing a substantially constant level of power to an appliance, such as a vacuum cleaner, using a plurality of power sources comprises providing power from a principal power source connected to the appliance; monitoring an operating voltage supplied to the appliance to detect if the operating voltage is below a predetermined threshold voltage level; and upon detecting that the operating voltage is below the predetermined threshold voltage level, providing power from k of n supplemental power sources connected to the appliance, where k and n are positive integers, and k is less than or equal to n. Optionally, upon detecting that the operating voltage is below the predetermined threshold voltage level and where k is equal to n, the principal and supplemental power sources are disengaged from the appliance. |
| US08659182B2 |
Power supply system and electric powered vehicle including power supply system, and method for controlling power supply system
Converters are configured to operate in a normal operation to convert the electric power that is input/output to/from secondary batteries bidirectionally to direct current voltage. In a predetermined mode allowing the secondary batteries to be charged, at least one of the converters does not perform a switching operation and holds on an upper arm element to avoid a switching loss in charging the secondary batteries. An electric power loss caused at the converters in charging the secondary batteries can be reduced, and charging efficiency can be enhanced. |
| US08659181B2 |
Power line communication method for transmitting data signal with splitting of power transmission interval
A power line communication method is provided, which divides the entire interval for transmitting power and data signals into a power transmission interval and a data transmission interval, and carries one or a plurality of data signals at the data transmission interval in the divided intervals. |
| US08659180B2 |
Power generation apparatus
A marine power generation apparatus is provided for generating power from an ocean current. The apparatus includes a turbine operable to generate power when within an ocean current. The turbine includes a pair of turbine blade assemblies each having a hub, a set of turbine spokes, stays or blades extending radially from the hub; and a circumferential ring extending around and connected to an outer periphery of the set of turbine spokes, stays or blades. The pair of turbine blade assemblies is mounted for same-direction rotation when placed in an ocean current and each being coupled with a common turbine shaft or a turbine shaft assembly. In addition, the turbine shaft is coupled along a shared axis with a rotor or an electrical generator. Means is also provided for anchoring the power generation means relative to a floor of the ocean and in alignment with the ocean current. |
| US08659177B2 |
Motive power regeneration system for working machine
A motive power regeneration apparatus for a working machine includes a regeneration circuit that is connected to a hydraulic line through which a returning fluid of a boom cylinder is distributed during a boom lowering operation. Also included are a hydraulic motor connected to a generator, a flow regulating circuit that is connected to the hydraulic line and provided with a control valve, an inverter that controls the flow rate on the regeneration circuit in accordance with a first flow rate setting which varies with the operation amount of an operating apparatus, and a control valve and a proportional valve that control the flow rate on the flow regulating circuit in accordance with a second flow rate setting which varies with the operation amount of the operating apparatus. Therefore, the motive power regeneration apparatus is capable of making an operator constantly feel comfortable with the working machine operations. |
| US08659176B2 |
Electromagnetic energy harvester and a door latch release mechanism as an energy source for the harvester
A system for electromagnetically harvesting waste kinetic energy. A wound electrical coil having a hollow bobbin abuts an opening in ring magnet. An actuator plunger extends through the opening. Fixed magnets are located at the opposite end of the bobbin. Floating magnets are disposed within the bobbin, arranged with their magnetic field opposing that of the fixed magnets but not that of the ring magnet. Axial force on the actuator plunger moves the floating magnets toward the fixed magnets. When the actuator is released, the floating magnets are repelled by the fixed magnets and attracted by the ring magnet, causing the floating magnets to pass rapidly through the coil, thereby generating an electric current in the coil. In one application, the harvester is actuated by a keeper in a door latch release mechanism. In a second application the harvester is actuated by a latch bolt of a lock set. |
| US08659175B2 |
Integrated circuit package system with offset stack
An integrated circuit package system is provided including mounting a first integrated circuit device over a carrier, mounting a second integrated circuit device having an adhesive spacer over the first integrated circuit device in an offset configuration, connecting a first internal interconnect between the carrier and the first integrated circuit device with the first internal interconnect within the adhesive spacer, connecting a second internal interconnect between the carrier and the second integrated circuit device, and encapsulating the first integrated circuit device, the second integrated circuit device, the first internal interconnect and the second internal interconnect. |
| US08659174B2 |
Semiconductor device
There is provided a semiconductor device with which stress can be prevented from locally concentrating on an external connecting terminal on a post and thus damages of the external connecting terminal can be prevented. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip, a sealing resin layer stacked on a surface of the semiconductor chip, and the post which penetrates the sealing resin layer in a stacking direction of the semiconductor chip and the sealing resin layer, protrudes from the sealing resin layer, and has a periphery of the protruding portion opposedly in contact with a surface of the sealing resin layer in the stacking direction. |
| US08659173B1 |
Isolated wire structures with reduced stress, methods of manufacturing and design structures
An integrated circuit (IC) including a set of isolated wire structures disposed within a layer of the IC, methods of manufacturing the same and design structures are disclosed. The method includes forming adjacent wiring structures on a same level, with a space therebetween. The method further includes forming a capping layer over the adjacent wiring structures on the same level, including on a surface of a material between the adjacent wiring structures. The method further includes forming a photosensitive material over the capping layer. The method further includes forming an opening in the photosensitive material between the adjacent wiring structures to expose the capping layer. The method further includes removing the exposed capping layer. |
| US08659172B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of confining conductive bump material with solder mask patch
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor die having a plurality of die bump pad and substrate having a plurality of conductive trace with an interconnect site. A solder mask patch is formed interstitially between the die bump pads or interconnect sites. A conductive bump material is deposited on the interconnect sites or die bump pads. The semiconductor die is mounted to the substrate so that the conductive bump material is disposed between the die bump pads and interconnect sites. The conductive bump material is reflowed without a solder mask around the die bump pad or interconnect site to form an interconnect structure between the semiconductor die and substrate. The solder mask patch confines the conductive bump material within the die bump pad or interconnect site. The interconnect structure can include a fusible portion and non-fusible portion. An encapsulant is deposited between the semiconductor die and substrate. |
| US08659171B2 |
Patch on interposer assembly and structures formed thereby
Methods of forming microelectronic structures are described. Embodiments of those methods include attaching a patch structure to an interposer by thermal compression bonding, forming an underfill around an array of interconnect structures disposed on a top surface of the interposer, curing the underfill, and then attaching a die to the patch structure. |
| US08659170B2 |
Semiconductor device having conductive pads and a method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device includes at least two conductive pads, one of the conductive pads being formed above another of the at least two conductive pads, and a redistribution layer extending from at least one of the conductive pads. The semiconductor device also includes a bump structure formed over the conductive pads and electrically coupled to the conductive pads. |
| US08659166B2 |
Memory device, laminated semiconductor substrate and method of manufacturing the same
A memory device has a laminated chip package and a controller chip. In the laminated chip package, a plurality of memory chips are laminated. An interposed chip is laminated between the laminated chip package and the controller chip. The memory chips have a plurality of first wiring electrodes. The interposed chip has a plurality of second wiring electrodes. The second wiring electrodes are formed with a common arrangement pattern common with an arrangement pattern of a plurality of wiring electrodes for controller which are formed in the controller chip. The controller chip is laid on the interposed chip. |
| US08659162B2 |
Semiconductor device having an interconnect structure with TSV using encapsulant for structural support
A semiconductor device includes a substrate and a via extending through the substrate. A first insulating layer is disposed on sidewalls of the via. An electrically conductive material is disposed in the via over the first insulating layer to form a TSV. A first interconnect structure is disposed over a first side of the substrate. A semiconductor die or a component is mounted to the first interconnect structure. An encapsulant is disposed over the first interconnect structure and semiconductor die or component. A second interconnect structure is disposed over the second side of the substrate. The second interconnect structure is electrically connected to the TSV. The second interconnect structure includes a second insulating layer disposed over the second surface of the substrate and TSV, and a first conductive layer disposed over the TSV and in contact with the TSV through the second insulating layer. |
| US08659158B2 |
Thermally inkjettable acrylic dielectric ink formulation and process
An aqueous composition for forming a micro-fluid jet printable dielectric film layer, methods for forming dielectric film layers, and dielectric film layers formed by the method. The aqueous composition includes from about 5 to about 20 percent by weight of a polymeric binder emulsion, from about 10 to about 30 percent by weight of a humectant, from about 0 to about 3 percent by weight of a surfactant, and an aqueous carrier fluid. The aqueous composition has a viscosity ranging from about 2 to about 6 centipoise at a temperature of about 23° C. |
| US08659155B2 |
Mechanisms for forming copper pillar bumps
The mechanism of forming a metal bump structure described above resolves the delamination issues between a conductive layer on a substrate and a metal bump connected to the conductive layer. The conductive layer can be a metal pad, a post passivation interconnect (PPI) layer, or a top metal layer. By performing an in-situ deposition of a protective conductive layer over the conductive layer (or base conductive layer), the under bump metallurgy (UBM) layer of the metal bump adheres better to the conductive layer and reduces the occurrence of interfacial delamination. In some embodiments, a copper diffusion barrier sub-layer in the UBM layer can be removed. In some other embodiments, the UBM layer is not needed if the metal bump is deposited by a non-plating process and the metal bump is not made of copper. |
| US08659153B2 |
Pillar on pad interconnect structures, semiconductor dice and die assemblies including such interconnect structures, and related methods
Methods of fabricating interconnect structures for semiconductor dice comprise forming conductive elements in contact with bond pads on an active surface over a full pillar diameter of the conductive elements, followed by application of a photodefinable material comprising a photoresist to the active surface and over the conductive elements. The polymide material is selectively exposed and developed to remove photodefinable material covering at least tops of the conductive elements. Semiconductor dice and semiconductor die assemblies are also disclosed. |
| US08659152B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface, a through silicon via (TSV) that is formed so that at least a part thereof penetrates through the semiconductor substrate, and an insulation ring. The insulation ring is formed so as to penetrate through the semiconductor substrate and so as to surround the TSV. The insulation ring includes a tapered portion and a vertical portion. The tapered portion has a sectional area which is gradually decreased from the first surface toward a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate. The vertical portion has a constant sectional area smaller than the tapered portion. |
| US08659149B2 |
Semiconductor structure with galvanic isolation
Galvanic isolation between a high-voltage die and a low-voltage die in a multi-die chip is provided by a galvanic isolation die that physically supports the high-voltage die and the low-voltage die, and provides capacitive structures with high breakdown voltages that allow the high-voltage die to capacitively communicate with the low-voltage die. |
| US08659148B2 |
Tileable sensor array
A method for forming a tileable detector array is presented. The method includes forming a detector module, where forming the detector module includes providing a sensor array having a first side and a second side, where the sensor array includes a first plurality of contact pads disposed on the second side of the sensor array, disposing the sensor array on an interconnect layer, where the interconnect layer includes a redistribution layer having a first side and a second side, where the redistribution layer includes a second plurality of contact pads disposed on the first side, an integrated circuit having a plurality of through vias disposed therethrough, where a first side of the integrated circuit is operationally coupled to the second side of the redistribution layer, where the sensor array is disposed on the interconnect layer such that the first plurality of contact pads on the second side of the sensor array are aligned with the second plurality of contact pads on the first side of the redistribution layer, operationally coupling the first plurality of contact pads on the second side of the sensor array to the second plurality of contact pads on the redistribution layer to form a sensor stack, coupling the sensor stack to a substrate to form the detector module, and tiling a plurality of detector modules on a second substrate to form the tileable detector array. |
| US08659147B2 |
Power semiconductor circuit device and method for manufacturing the same
A power semiconductor circuit device and a method for manufacturing the same, both of which are provided with: a base board on which at least a power semiconductor element is mounted; a resin which molds the base board and the power semiconductor element in a state where partial surfaces of the base board, including a base board surface opposite to a surface on which the power semiconductor element is mounted, are exposed; and a heat dissipating fin joined to the base board by a pressing force. A groove is formed in the base board at a portion to be joined to the heat dissipating fin, and the heat dissipating fin is joined by caulking to the groove. |
| US08659142B2 |
Stub minimization for wirebond assemblies without windows
A microelectronic assembly can include a circuit panel having first and second surfaces and panel contacts at each surface, and first and second microelectronic packages having terminals mounted to the panel contacts at the first and second surfaces, respectively. The circuit panel can electrically interconnect terminals of the first package with corresponding terminals of the second package. Each package can include a substrate having first and second surfaces, a microelectronic element, conductive structure extending above a front face of the microelectronic element, and parallel columns of terminals at the second surface. The terminals of each package can include first terminals in a central region of the respective second surface and configured to carry address information usable by circuitry within the package to determine an addressable memory location within the respective microelectronic element. Each central region can have a width within three and one-half times a minimum pitch between adjacent terminals. |
| US08659141B2 |
Stub minimization using duplicate sets of terminals for wirebond assemblies without windows
A microelectronic assembly can include a microelectronic package connected with a circuit panel. The package has a microelectronic element having a front face facing away from a substrate of the package, and electrically connected with the substrate through conductive structure extending above the front face. First terminals provided in first and second parallel grids or in first and second individual columns can be 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 can have signal assignments which are a mirror image of the signal assignments of the first terminals in the second grid. |
| US08659134B2 |
Multi-chip package and manufacturing method
Manufacturing method and a multi-chip package, which comprises a conductor pattern (1) and insulation (2), and, inside the insulation, a first component (3), the contact terminals (4) of which face towards the conductor pattern (1) and are conductively connected to the conductor pattern (1). The multi-chip package also comprises inside the insulation (2) a second semiconductor chip (13), the contact terminals (14) of which face towards the same conductor pattern (1) and are conductively connected through contact elements (15) to this conductor pattern (1). The semiconductor chips are located in such a way that the first semiconductor chip (3) is located between the second semiconductor chip (13) and the conductor pattern (1). |
| US08659133B2 |
Etched surface mount islands in a leadframe package
A method of fabricating a leadframe-based semiconductor package, and a semiconductor package formed thereby, are disclosed. The semiconductor package includes a leadframe and one or more semiconductor die affixed to a die paddle of the leadframe. The leadframe is formed with a plurality of electrical terminals that get surface mounted to a host PCB. The leadframe further includes one or more extended leads, at least one of which includes an electrically conductive island which gets surface mounted to the host PCB with the electrical terminals. The islands effectively increase the number terminals within the package without adding footprint to the package. |
| US08659132B2 |
Microelectronic package assembly, method for disconnecting a microelectronic package
A microelectronic package assembly comprises a lead frame having a holding bar (16) and a microelectronic package (14). The microelectronic package (14) comprises a package body (22) and a connecting element (24) for connecting the package body (22) to the holding bar (16) of the lead frame (12). The connecting element (24) extends from an outer surface (26) of the package body (22) and is engaged with an ending part (28) of the holding bar (16). |
| US08659125B2 |
Chipset package structure
A chipset package structure includes a carrier, a plurality of pinouts, at least one semiconductor package preforms, at least one electromagnetic shielding layer and a protective layer. The pinouts are disposed on the carrier. The semiconductor package preforms is disposed on the second surface of the carrier and electrically connected to the pinouts. The electromagnetic shielding layer is disposed on the semiconductor package preforms and the electromagnetic shielding layer. At least one of the electromagnetic shielding layers comprises a carbon nanotube film structure. The protective layer covers the electromagnetic shielding layer. |