| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08798500B2 |
Light projecting device, image reading device including same, and image forming apparatus including the image reading device
A light projecting device includes a base board, a light guiding member, a holding member, a cover, and a positioning member. A plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged in a line on the base board in a main scan direction. The light guiding member faces a radiation surface of the light-emitting elements and guides light projected from the light-emitting elements to an irradiation region of an illuminated object. The holding member holds the base board. The cover covers the base board and the light guiding member. The positioning member positions the light guiding member on the holding member. The holding member and the cover sandwich the light guiding member positioned by the positioning member. The light projecting device includes the holding member, the light guiding member, the base board, and the cover as a single unit which is detachably mountable relative to a chassis of the light projecting device. |
| US08798493B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a main body, exposing portions each forming a latent image on a photosensitive drum based on image data by driving of a polygon motor, developing portions each developing the latent image formed on each of the exposing portions using toner, and a partition member provided between each of the exposing portions and each of the developing portions. Projecting portions each including the polygon motor project from the partition member toward a side of the developing portion. Each of the projection portions is overlapped with at least a part of each of the developing portions on a vertical direction. The cooled air flows to the overlap portion in which the polygon motor of each of the exposing portions and each of the developing portions are overlapped. |
| US08798491B2 |
Method for delivering electric power to power consumers of a printing technology machine
A method for delivering electric power to power consumers of a printing technology machine, which permits high availability of the machine with low idling losses, includes taking start-up time periods of the power consumers into account when switching over the power delivery to power consumers of a printing machine. |
| US08798490B2 |
Image forming apparatus
A loop of a transferring material is formed at a position between a secondary transfer nip portion and a fixing nip portion such that a loop amount of the loop of the transferring material, which is formed at the position between the secondary transfer nip portion and the fixing nip portion when a mono-color mode is executed, is larger than a loop amount of the loop of the transferring material, which is formed at the position between the secondary transfer nip portion and the fixing nip portion when a full-color mode is executed. In the mono-color mode, image formation is executed such that primary transfer rollers are separated from an intermediate transfer belt. In the full-color mode, image formation is executed by photosensitive drums. |
| US08798489B2 |
Recording-medium imaging device and image forming apparatus
An effective image area can be properly corrected in accordance with the quantity of light from an irradiation unit by selecting, as the effective image area, pixels having light quantities more than or equal to a threshold value that allows accurate acquisition of a surface image of a recording medium, on the basis of a light quantity distribution of the light from the irradiation unit. This reduces the influence of mounting accuracy of the irradiation unit, and allows the recording medium to be identified accurately. |
| US08798487B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus having an image bearing member, a charger to charge the surface of the image bearing member, an irradiator to irradiate the image bearing member to form the latent image, a developing device to develop the latent electrostatic image with toner to obtain a visible image, a transfer device to transfer the visible image to a transfer medium by a transfer bias applied to a transfer area between the image bearing member and the transfer member, and a voltage detector to measure a first surface voltage and a second surface voltage under different conditions, and a life expectancy identification device to identify whether or when the expected working life of the image bearing member has come to the end based on a comparison of the first surface voltage and the second surface voltage. |
| US08798485B2 |
Method of notifying status information and image forming apparatus using the same
A method of notifying status information and an image forming apparatus using the same. The method of notifying status information includes setting a display attribute of status information of the image forming apparatus, if status information of the image forming apparatus is updated, generating status notification information in a first format or a second format according to whether a display attribute is set for the updated status information, and transmitting the generated status notification information. Accordingly, a user is notified of error occurrence in a manner as he/she wishes. |
| US08798483B2 |
Apparatus and method for selfadapting dispersion compensation
The present invention discloses an apparatus and method for adaptive dispersion compensation, the apparatus comprising: a coarse-grain tunable dispersion compensator, a receiver with electric adaptive dispersion compensator, and a control logic unit. In the method, firstly it is to perform optical dispersion compensation for the input optical signals; then to perform electric dispersion compensation for the optical signals for which the optical dispersion compensation is performed; it is to detect the performance parameters of the receiving of the optical signals for which the electric dispersion compensation has been performed, and based on the performance parameters, it is to perform optical dispersion compensation adjustment for said input optical signals. With an optical de-multiplexer further, said apparatus can perform adaptive dispersion compensation for the multi-channel system. By using the apparatus and method for adaptive dispersion compensation of the present invention, it significantly reduces the number of adjustments as well as decreases the dispersion compensation time and can fast and accurately realize a wide range of adaptive dispersion compensation for either single channel or multi-channel. |
| US08798482B2 |
Infrared transmitter
An infrared transmitter is obtained that transmits a signal by changing a luminance of an infrared emitting LED, the infrared transmitter including: a transmission signal generating unit; a biasing voltage generating unit that generates a biasing voltage according to a magnitude of a transmission signal; a signal/voltage mixing unit that mixes the transmission signal and the biasing voltage; and a voltage-current conversion unit that converts a voltage into a current, in which the LED is driven by the current obtained by the conversion in the voltage-current conversion unit, so that power consumption efficiency can be improved. |
| US08798481B2 |
Method and system for compensation of laser phase/frequency noise in an optical device
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for compensation of noise in an optical device is provided. The method may include calculating noise present in an optical carrier signal. The method may also include generating quadrature amplitude modulation input signals, the quadrature amplitude modulation input signals each including a term for compensation of the noise based on the calculated noise. The method may further include modulating the optical carrier signal to generate a modulated optical signal based on quadrature amplitude modulation input signals. |
| US08798477B2 |
Chromatic dispersion monitor and method, chromatic dispersion compensator
The present invention relates to chromatic dispersion monitor and method, chromatic dispersion compensator. The chromatic dispersion monitor is used for estimating a chromatic dispersion in accordance with a chromatic dispersion correlation amount sequence, comprising: a phase differential unit, for obtaining a phase difference sequence by performing a phase differential calculation in accordance with the chromatic dispersion correlation amount sequence; a phase difference differential unit, for obtaining a phase difference differential sequence by performing a phase difference differential operation; and a chromatic dispersion estimating unit, for estimating the chromatic dispersion in accordance with the phase difference differential sequence obtained by the phase difference differential unit. |
| US08798475B2 |
Dynamic memory allocation in an optical transceiver
Methods, algorithms, architectures, circuits, and/or systems for dynamically allocating memory for storing parametric data in optical transceivers are disclosed. The optical transceiver can include an optical receiver configured to receive optical data; an optical transmitter configured to transmit optical data; a microprocessor configured to access data for each of a plurality of parameters that are related to operation of at least one of the optical receiver and the optical transmitter; one or more memories configured to store the data at a plurality of locations that are dynamically allocated by the microprocessor; and an interface configured to receive a request for data for one or more of the parameters from a host and provide the data in response to the request. In the present disclosure, the host is unaware of the locations at which the parametric data are stored. |
| US08798474B2 |
Method and apparatus for communication in an illumination system using a liquid lens
A method and apparatus for communicating information content by modulation of light in an illumination system via a liquid lens optically coupled to the illumination system and capable of modulation of light thereof, using resonant modes of the liquid lens. A modulation control system operatively coupled to the liquid lens and to the information content is configured to represent at least a portion of the information content as a time-varying configuration of the liquid lens, the time-varying configuration substantially including one or more of said one or more resonance modes. A receiver system optically coupled to the liquid lens is configured to reconstruct at least a portion of the information content from light modulated by the time-varying configuration of the liquid lens. |
| US08798468B1 |
Amortization of expensive optical components
A laser system includes an array of lasers that emit light at a number of different, fixed wavelengths. A group of optical transport systems connect to the laser system. Each of the optical transport systems is configured to modulate data signals onto the light from the laser system to create optical signals and transmit the optical signals on one or more optical fibers. |
| US08798467B2 |
Optical coupler testing system
A method and apparatus for testing an optical coupler. Inputs of the optical coupler are connected to output ports of an optical signal source. Outputs of the optical coupler are connected to input ports of an optical signal detector system. Optical signals sent through combinations of the inputs and the outputs of the optical coupler are measured using a switching system controlled by a controller to form measurements of the optical signals. |
| US08798464B2 |
Setting optical power for an optical communications network channel
A method of determining a power correction factor for an optical power of an optical channel of a wavelength division multiplexed communications network. The method comprises configuring an optical source of the communications network to generate an unmodulated optical carrier signal for the optical channel. The method further comprises determining the optical power of the unmodulated optical carrier signal (PHIGH). The method further comprises configuring the optical source to apply a test modulation pattern to the optical carrier signal, to generate a modulated optical carrier signal. The method further comprises determining the optical power of the modulated optical carrier signal (PMOD). The method further comprises determining a power correction factor for the optical channel by determining the difference between the optical powers of the unmodulated optical carrier signal and the modulated optical carrier signal. |
| US08798461B2 |
System and method for channel-adaptive error-resilient transmission to multiple transceivers
In a passive optical network, a downstream transmission rate from an OLT to multiple ONTs can be optimized by matching a transmission scheme for frames addressed to a channel to the downstream transmission characteristics of the channel. An FEC coding can be made channel dependent so that channels with low error rates can use minimal protection, and therefore minimal overhead, while channels with high input bit error rates can use the level of FEC coding required to produce a desired output bit error rate. |
| US08798454B2 |
Method and system for automatic lane negotiation in an optical network
Systems and methods for distributing signals in an optical network are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure a method for distributing signals in an optical network comprises combining input signals into one or more output signals, determining, an availability status of optical lanes for carrying the output signals and distributing the output signals to optical transmitters associated with the optical lanes if the availability status indicates that the optical lanes are available. The method further comprises, transmitting the output signals as optical signals using the optical transmitters associated with the lanes that are available and determining that a previously available optical lane is not available for carrying the output signals, terminating distribution of the output signals to the optical transmitter associated with the lane that is not available and redistributing the output signals to the plurality of transmitters associated with the lanes that are still available. |
| US08798452B2 |
Digital imaging method and apparatus
A digital imaging apparatus and method by which an auto-focus (AF) operation may be effectively performed during capture of a moving image. The apparatus performs the AF operation during the capture of the moving image when it is determined that a lens is appropriate for capturing the moving image based on received lens information and stops the AF operation during the capture of the moving image when it is determined that the lens is inappropriate for capturing the moving image. When the lens inappropriate for capturing the moving image is mounted, the AF operation may be performed using an additional switch or a manual-focus (MF) operation may be performed. |
| US08798445B2 |
Enhanced banner advertisements
Systems and methods are provided for providing and displaying enhanced banners and other objects on a communication device. The banner file may comprise ancillary data, such as calendar appointment details, other event details, or contact details, embedded within the file itself, or comprised in an envelope wrapping the banner file. When the banner is displayed on the communication device, the user may invoke a context menu to create an event, such as a calendar event, on the device using the embedded ancillary data. In other embodiments, the communication device uses geolocation services to determine whether the user is likely to be in attendance at an event, and if not, to issue alerts or initiate a further action, such as initiating recording of a television program the user is about to miss, over the network. In other embodiments, the banner file's ancillary data includes recommendation data, identifying a banner as being recommended by a contact of the user's. |
| US08798441B2 |
Recording apparatus and recording system
An exemplary recording apparatus records video data and audio data in a recording medium in an MPEG4 file format. A first MPEG4 file format generating circuit generates MPEG4 data including multiplexing information on a multiplexing of the video data and the audio data stored in a MOOV BOX of the MPEG4 file format. A second MPEG4 file format generating circuit configured to: generate MPEG4 data including the multiplexing information stored in a MOOF BOX of the MPEG4 file format; store reproduction information required for reproducing the MPEG4 data generated by the first MPEG4 file format generating circuit from the generated MPEG4 data in a BOX of the MPEG4 file format for storing types of data that are ignored at a time of playing MPEG4 data; and to output the MPEG4 data to an external apparatus via the transmitting unit. A controller records the MPEG4 data in a recording medium. |
| US08798437B2 |
Moving image processing apparatus, computer-readable medium storing thumbnail image generation program, and thumbnail image generation method
In a moving image processing apparatus, a thumbnail image generation unit acquires moving image data stored in a moving image data storage unit, extracts a thumbnail image from the acquired moving image data based on determination data acquired by a determination data acquisition unit, generates thumbnail image data indicating the extracted thumbnail image, and stores the generated thumbnail image data in a thumbnail image data storage unit. A thumbnail image output unit outputs the thumbnail image data stored in the thumbnail image data storage unit. A determination data acquisition unit acquires determination data for determining a transition of enthusiastic backing of a viewer of a broadcast program during a broadcast time of the broadcast program in which moving image data is broadcast. |
| US08798436B2 |
Video-related meta data engine, system and method
A video engine, system and method for use with a video player, including a presenter that presents at least two audio/visual works, at least one software application capable of at least one metadata-related interaction with the audio/visual works, communication points over which the audio/visual works are received, and over which at least a portion of the at least one meta-data interaction occurs, and a hierarchical taxonomy that effects a common metadata reference to each recurrence of a particular object across the audio/visual works, and across each of the at least one metadata-related interaction. The video engine, system, and method may additionally include a prioritization data for use with the metadata. |
| US08798434B2 |
Image processing system for outputting signals when an image of a specific object overlaps playing regions, and storage medium in which an image processing program is stored
An image processing system is provided. A region specifying component specifies one or more playing regions for generating predetermined sounds in an image represented by the moving image data that have been acquired by the acquiring component. A detecting component detects a specific image showing a specific subject existing in the image represented by the moving image data that have been acquired by the acquiring component. An assigning component assigns, for each of the playing regions that have been specified by the region specifying component, sounds to be outputted in a case where the specific image that has been detected by the detecting component overlaps those playing regions. A signal outputting component outputs signals representing the sounds that have been assigned to those playing regions by the assigning component, in a case where the specific image overlaps the playing regions. |
| US08798429B2 |
Rapid universal rack mount enclosure
A cable enclosure assembly includes an enclosure, a cable spool and a length of fiber optic cable. The enclosure defines an interior region, a first opening and a second opening aligned with the first opening. The first and second openings provide access to the interior region. The cable spool is disposed in the interior region of the enclosure and is rotatably engaged with the enclosure. The cable spool includes a drum and a flange engaged to the drum. The flange has an outer peripheral side, a cable management portion and an adapter bulkhead portion. The adapter bulkhead portion extends outwardly from the cable management portion and forms a portion of the outer peripheral side. The length of the fiber optic cable is dispose about the drum of the cable spool. |
| US08798428B2 |
Fiber optic splitter module
A telecommunications assembly includes a chassis and a plurality of fiber optic splitter modules mounted within the chassis. Each splitter module includes at least one fiber optic connector. Within an interior of the chassis are positioned at least one fiber optic adapter. Inserting the splitter module through a front opening of the chassis at a mounting location positions the connector of the splitter module for insertion into and mating with the adapter of the chassis. The adapters mounted within the interior of the chassis are integrally formed as part of a removable adapter assembly. A method of mounting a fiber optic splitter module within a telecommunications chassis is also disclosed. |
| US08798422B2 |
Optical waveguides having flattened high order modes
A deterministic methodology is provided for designing optical fibers that support field-flattened, ring-like higher order modes. The effective and group indices of its modes can be tuned by adjusting the widths of the guide's field-flattened layers or the average index of certain groups of layers. The approach outlined here provides a path to designing fibers that simultaneously have large mode areas and large separations between the propagation constants of its modes. |
| US08798414B2 |
High quality factor photonic crystal nanobeam cavity and method of designing and making same
A deterministic design and manufacturing of an ultrahigh Q-factor, wavelength-scale optical cavity is invented and experimentally demonstrated. The design can be implemented on photonic crystal nanobeam cavities, which are based on 1D optical waveguides. The waveguide has dielectric index alternations that provide constructive interference and produces optical resonance. |
| US08798411B1 |
Switching system for optical fiber connection
A fiber optic connection system includes a fiber optic switching device, a first optical fiber holder, and a second optical fiber holder. The fiber optic switching device includes optical waveguides and an optical waveguide carrier that carries the optical waveguides. The first optical fiber holder holds a first set of optical fibers at a first location relative to the optical waveguide carrier. A second optical fiber holder holds a second set of optical fibers at a second location relative to the optical waveguide carrier. The optical waveguide carrier is movable to position the one or more optical waveguides such that the optical waveguides optically couple the optical fibers in the first set of optical fibers to optical fibers in the second set of optical fibers. |
| US08798399B2 |
Data decomposition method and computer system therefrom
For multi-dimensional temporal-spatial data, EEMD is applied to time series of each spatial location to obtain IMF-like components of different time scales. All the ith IMF-like components of all the time series of all spatial locations are arranged to obtain ith temporal-spatial multi-dimensional IMF-like component. For two-dimensional spatial data or images, the two-dimensional spatial data or images are consider as a collection of one-dimensional series in first direction along locations in second direction. The same approach to the one used in temporal-spatial data decomposition is used to obtain the resulting two-dimensional IMF-like components. Each of the resulted IMF-like components are taken as the new two-dimensional data for further decomposition, but the data is considered as a collection of one-dimensional series in second-direction along locations in first-direction. |
| US08798394B2 |
Quantitave, multispectral image analysis of tissue specimens stained with quantum dots
A biological sample such as a tissue section is stained with one or more quantum dots and possibly other fluorophores (total number of fluorophores N). A camera coupled to a microscope generates an image of the specimen at a plurality of different wavelengths within the emission spectral band of the N fluorophores. An analysis module calculates coefficients C1 . . . CN at each pixel which are related to the concentration of each of the individual fluorophores. Morphological processing instructions find biological structures. A display module displays quantitative analysis results to the user. The quantitative analysis display includes histograms of the biological structures, scatter plots of fluorophore concentrations, statistical data, spectral data, image data and still others. |
| US08798386B2 |
Method and system for processing image data on a per tile basis in an image sensor pipeline
Methods and systems for processing image data on a per tile basis in an image sensor pipeline (ISP) are disclosed and may include communicating, to one or more processing modules via control logic circuits integrated in the ISP, corresponding configuration parameters that are associated with each of a plurality of data tiles comprising an image. The ISP may be integrated in a video processing core. The plurality of data tiles may vary in size. A processing complete signal may be communicated to the control logic circuits when the processing of each of the data tiles is complete prior to configuring a subsequent processing module. The processing may comprise one or more of: lens shading correction, statistics, distortion correction, demosaicing, denoising, defective pixel correction, color correction, and resizing. Each of the data tiles may overlap with adjacent data tiles, and at least a portion of them may be processed concurrently. |
| US08798384B2 |
Dynamic image compression for imaging while drilling applications
A dynamic data compression system for forming and transmitting data from a downhole location within a borehole penetrating the earth to a surface location includes a data source that forms raw data sets of a formation contacting the borehole, the raw data sets being formed at a fixed rate and a data rate sampler that determines a transmission rate of a transmission channel. The system also includes a compression engine configured to compress the raw data sets according to compression parameters to form compressed data sets. The compression parameters are dynamically changed based on the transmission rate. |
| US08798381B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding image by using large transformation unit
Disclosed are an image encoding method and apparatus for encoding an image by grouping a plurality of adjacent prediction units into a transformation unit and transforming the plurality of adjacent prediction into a frequency domain, and an image decoding method and apparatus for decoding an image encoded by using the image encoding method and apparatus. |
| US08798380B1 |
Techniques for generating customized two-dimensional barcodes
A computer-implemented technique can receive, at a computing device, a uniform resource locator (URL) for a web page and an image. A number of pixels corresponding to a desired resolution for encoding the image is determined and the image is converted to a modified image having the desired resolution. The technique can then generate a two-dimensional barcode by: (i) generating first data representative of the modified image, (ii) appending the first data to either an end of the URL to obtain a first modified URL or after a terminator bit of the two-dimensional barcode, (iii) generating second data representative of the second modified URL or the URL, and (iv) generating third data representative of an error correction code (ECC) based on the first data and the second data, wherein the two-dimensional barcode is generated based on the first data, the second data, and the third data. |
| US08798379B2 |
Image processing method, encoding device, decoding device, and image processing apparatus
There is provided an image processing method includes: separating an image taken at a predetermined frame rate into a first frame and at least one second frame other than the first frame at intervals of 1/n, where n is an integer of 2 or larger; calculating a low-frequency-component difference between the separated at least one second frame and first frame; performing signal processing designated by a user on the first frame; decompressing, using a low-frequency component in the first frame being subjected to the signal processing and the low-frequency-component difference, a low-frequency component in the at least one second frame being approximately subjected to the signal processing; and decompressing, using the decompressed low-frequency component in the at least one second frame and a high-frequency component therein, the at least one second frame being approximately subjected to the signal processing. |
| US08798372B1 |
Method for detecting bridges using lidar point cloud data
Described is a system and method for detecting elevated structures, such as bridges and overpasses, in point cloud data. A set of data from a three-dimensional point cloud of a landscape is received by the system. The set of data points comprises inlier data points and outlier data points. The inlier data points in the three-dimensional point cloud data are identified and combined into at least one segment. The segment is converted into an image comprising at least one image level. Each image level is processed with an edge detection algorithm to detect elevated edges. The elevated edges are vectorized to identify an elevated structure of interest in the landscape. The present invention is useful in applications that require three-dimensional sensing systems, such as autonomous navigation and surveillance applications. |
| US08798369B2 |
Apparatus and method for estimating the number of objects included in an image
An apparatus and method for estimating the number of objects in an input image are disclosed. The apparatus includes: a learning unit that calculates counted values of a linear regression function by learning an arbitrary image; a separation unit that separates a foreground region and a background region of the input image; an extraction unit that searches for features that require an amount of calculation that is below a particular threshold from features having high correlation with each other feature and extracts the features from the separated foreground region; and an estimation unit that estimates the number of objects in the foreground region as a dependent variable by allocating the counted values of the linear regression function that are calculated by the learning unit and the features that are extracted by the extraction unit as independent variables of a linear regression function. |
| US08798365B2 |
Method for segmenting images, computer program, and corresponding computer system
An image segmenting method includes: reading (202) an image, determining (232) a solution to the problem of maximum flow in a graph including, on the one hand, as vertices, a source, a sink and image points, with each point being assigned a capacity, called a through-capacity, assigning (234), on the basis of the determined solution, a label to each of at least some of the points of the image, and recording the image with the assigned labels in a computer memory. In addition, before determining a solution to the problem of maximum flow, the method includes: determining (212) critical points, for each of which, the points of the image located in a predetermined window applied around the critical point verify a predetermined condition on their through-capacities. The points of the graph include the determined critical points and the inter-point arcs link the neighboring critical points to one another. |
| US08798361B2 |
Mapping colors of an image
A method and system for mapping colors of an image. The method including the steps of: segmenting an image into a plurality of regions, so that pixels in each of the plurality of regions have a characteristic that meets a predetermined similarity; determining an initial contrast between adjacent regions in the plurality of regions; and transforming an initial color of each of the plurality of regions into a target color; where a target contrast between the adjacent regions in the plurality of regions is equal to or greater than the initial contrast or a difference between the target contrast and corresponding initial contrast is less than a predetermined threshold; and where at least one of the steps is carried out by a computer device. |
| US08798355B2 |
Authenticity determination support device, authenticity determination device, computer readable medium, and authenticity determination support method
An authenticity determination support device includes an acquiring unit and a compressing unit. The acquiring unit photographs, in a solid having a unique random feature in a surface thereof, a predetermined area in the surface such that continuity of the feature is generated in a predetermined direction, and thereby acquires feature information representing the feature included in the area. The compressing unit compresses the feature information in a direction in which continuity of the feature information acquired by the acquiring unit is high. |
| US08798350B2 |
Method and system for reconstruction algorithm in cone beam CT with differentiation in one direction on detector
The current invention is generally related to a data acquisition and or image processing method and system for acquiring and or processing sparse channel data. The sparse channel is implemented in a data acquisition system having a predetermined wider pitch between the adjacent detector cells than that in the currently available imaging systems at least in one predetermined direction. In one implementation, the sparse channel data is acquired by the sparse channel data acquisition system, and an image is reconstructed from the sparse channel data according to a predetermined chord based reconstruction method eliminating the differentiation along the channel direction and utilizing a pair of proper weights. |
| US08798349B2 |
Systems and methods for detecting arterial input function (AIF)
Disclosed are methods, systems and apparatuses for detection of arterial input function (AIF) in MRI, specially DCE MR images, comprising automatic selection of AIF based on affinity propagation (AP) clustering method. |
| US08798346B2 |
Image registration
Disclosed is a method for defining a common reference system in a record of volume data that represents an area of a patient's jaw and is captured by means of an X-ray imaging process and a record of surface data, at least some of which represents the same area of the patient's jaw and which is captured by means of a process for measuring visible surfaces. Volume data and surface data are unhidden on a screen. An object, especially a tooth, which is recognizable in both the volume data and the surface data, is superimposed on each other as congruently as possible in a preliminary positioning step. A volume structure characterizing the object is extracted from the volume data, particularly as a type of edge image, and is made to overlap as much as possible with a corresponding surface structure of the surface data by means of a transformation function, the overlap of the volume structure being adjusted to the surface structure in iterative steps by optimizing a predefined quality level. |
| US08798344B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method and computer-readable recording device
An image processing apparatus includes: a candidate point extraction unit which extracts, from an image, candidate points which are candidates for points constituting a circular region that represents a bubble; and a circular-region detecting unit which detects a circular region in the image on the basis of information belonging to the candidate points. |
| US08798341B2 |
Method and device for reading an emulsion
A method for reading an emulsion (3) including droplets and a continuous phase surrounding the droplets, the method includes: two-dimensional scanning of the emulsion (3), and construction of a two-dimensional image of the emulsion (3) based on the scanning. Preferably, the droplets do not move during scanning, for example by solidifying the continuous phase or by using a two-dimensional compact or semi-compact network of droplets. The method can further include time-based monitoring of a chemical or biological reaction taking place in at least one of the droplets. A device implementing this method is also described. The method is applicable for the detection and/or sorting of microdroplets performing the role of microreactors or containing specific cells or molecules, in fields such as gene expression or diagnosis. |
| US08798338B2 |
Method and system for counting particles in a laminar flow with an imaging device
An invention is described which allows measurement of the concentration of fluorescent particles in a flowing (laminar) fluid by imaging the flow with a video camera. A beam of illumination is used to illuminate the target particles. Imaging optics are arranged to view the focal plane to form an image of the multiple fluorescent sample particles in the flow stream; a camera records the image formed by the imaging optics, and a counting algorithm enumerates the particles. Operational parameters of the system are adjusted according to an initial estimate of particle density, for example flow rate, exposure time, and sampling interval. In addition, the counting algorithm is selected according to the estimated particle density. |
| US08798337B2 |
Sectional image recognition method and zonal recognition device thereof
A sectional image recognition method and a zonal recognition device are applied in a zonal fingerprint recognition device with small storage capacity. The method includes setting an image selection frame; capturing a corresponding fingerprint image block according to the image selection frame; executing a minutiae conversion program on the fingerprint image block to generate a minutiae block image corresponding to the fingerprint image block; repeating the foregoing steps until minutiae block image corresponding to all fingerprint image blocks are obtained; then executing an image stitching program on the corresponding minutiae block images according to acquisition sequence of the fingerprint image blocks for generating a minutiae image corresponding to the fingerprint image; executing a fingerprint recognition program on the minutiae image; and according to a recognition result acquired by the fingerprint recognition program, sending, by a zonal fingerprint recognition device, a corresponding response message to inform users of the recognition result. |
| US08798335B1 |
Contact cropping from images
The present disclosure provides methods and systems for storing image data in a mobile device. In some embodiments, the method includes generating an image on the mobile device, identifying automatically at least one person in the image, creating a cropped image of the at least one person and storing the cropped image to memory upon request of a user of the mobile device. |
| US08798333B2 |
Methods for performing biometric recognition of a human eye and corroboration of same
A method of biometric recognition is provided. Multiple images of the face or other non-iris image and iris of an individual are acquired. If the multiple images are determined to form an expected sequence of images, the face and iris images are associated together. A single camera preferably acquires both the iris and face images by changing at least one of the zoom, position, or dynamic range of the camera. The dynamic range can be adjusted by at least one of adjusting the gain settings of the camera, adjusting the exposure time, and/or adjusting the illuminator brightness. The expected sequence determination can be made by determining if the accumulated motion vectors of the multiple images is consistent with an expected set of motion vectors and/or ensuring that the iris remains in the field of view of all of the multiple images. |
| US08798331B2 |
Methods for performing biometric recognition of a human eye and corroboration of same
A method of biometric recognition is provided. Multiple images of the face or other non-iris image and iris of an individual are acquired. If the multiple images are determined to form an expected sequence of images, the face and iris images are associated together. A single camera preferably acquires both the iris and face images by changing at least one of the zoom, position, or dynamic range of the camera. The dynamic range can be adjusted by at least one of adjusting the gain settings of the camera, adjusting the exposure time, and/or adjusting the illuminator brightness. The expected sequence determination can be made by determining if the accumulated motion vectors of the multiple images is consistent with an expected set of motion vectors and/or ensuring that the iris remains in the field of view of all of the multiple images. |
| US08798328B2 |
Forensic marking identifying objects
An image is obtained of an identifying object that is on a printed document. A forensic signature is extracted from the image. Access to the extracted forensic signature profile is enabled via information encoded in the identifying object. The identifying object may be interpreted to access the forensic signature for comparison with another. |
| US08798327B2 |
Method and system for people flow statistics
A method and system for people flow statistics is disclosed in the invention, wherein said method comprises: multi-types of classifiers connected in parallel are used to perform the human head detection in the current image, the respective human heads in the current image are determined; the respective determined human heads are tracked to form the human head target movement tracks; and the people flow is counted at the direction of the human head target movement track. It can be seen, a plurality of classifiers connected in parallel are used in the invention, multi-types of human head targets, such as dark colored hair, light colored hair and caps of various colors, and the like, can be detected simultaneously. |
| US08798321B2 |
Method and system for tagging an image of an individual in plurality of photos
A system and method for tagging an image of an individual in a plurality of photos is disclosed herein. A feature vector of an individual is used to analyze a set of photos on a social networking website such as www.facebook.com to determine if an image of the individual is present in a photo of the set of photos. Photos having an image of the individual are tagged preferably by listing a URL or URI for each of the photos in a database. |
| US08798315B2 |
Method for detecting, in particular counting, animals
A method for detecting, in particular counting, animals that pass a predefined place in a walk-through direction with the aid of at least a camera, wherein the camera successively records pictures of the defined place and wherein the camera generates signals that represent these pictures and supplies these signals to signal processing means for further processing, wherein a multiplicity of the recorded pictures are processed with the aid of the signal processing means. |
| US08798312B2 |
Memory and image generation apparatus
A memory may include an interface unit to which setup information, an image file corresponding to the setup information, and instruction information are input from a device including a memory interface performing input/output with the memory, the setup information being used for setup for a connection to a wireless network, the instruction information indicating an instruction to process the image file, a storage unit that stores the setup information and the image file that have been input to the interface unit, a processing unit that processes the image file, which has been stored in the storage unit, based on the instruction information that has been input to the interface unit, a communication unit that performs wireless communication, and a setting unit that performs network setup based on the setup information corresponding to the image file processed by the processing unit among the setup information stored in the storage unit. |
| US08798311B2 |
Scrolling display of electronic program guide utilizing images of user lip movements
Systems and methods of generating device commands based upon spoken user commands are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment captures a series of images of a user of a media device, generates image information corresponding to the series of captured images, determines lip movement of the user from the generated image information, determines at least one spoken user command based upon the determined lip movement of the user, and determines a device command based upon the determined spoken user command. Then, the device command is communicated to, for example, a media presentation device, wherein an operation of the media presentation device is controlled in accordance with the determined spoken user command. |
| US08798306B2 |
Communication device and a casing therefor
Disclosed is a device and a casing therefor. The device comprises a casing having a back side and a casing opening in the back side; a speaker mounted inside the casing and in communication with the casing opening; and a cover shaped to mate with and to cover the casing opening, the cover having a first nub and a second nub and a speaker opening providing an air channel for the speaker. In the device, the first and the second nubs are located about the speaker opening in a symmetrical pattern; and when the communication device is placed on a flat surface with the side of the casing facing the flat surface, the first and second nubs cause the back side of the casing to be canted from the flat surface to expose the speaker opening to ambient air. |
| US08798305B2 |
System and method for securing headphone transducers
A system for securing headphone transducers is provided. In one aspect of the present invention, the system comprises a first transducer device having a first mechanical housing, which has an outer surface and an inner surface. A first coupling device is affixed to the outer surface of the first mechanical housing of the first transducer device. A second transducer device has a second mechanical housing, which has an outer surface and an inner surface. A second coupling device is affixed to the outer surface of the second mechanical housing of the second transducer device. The first coupling device is coupled to the second coupling device when in close proximity to each other, such that the inner surfaces of the first and second mechanical devices are opposed to each other. |
| US08798301B2 |
Tool for removal of canal hearing device from ear canal
A removal tool for removing canal hearing devices from the ear canal, examples of which may include a hand piece and a removal loop having a wide section for placing over a knob handle structure incorporated within the canal hearing device, and a narrow section for interlocking with the knob handle to remove the hearing device from the ear. The removal loop is generally configured in the shape of keyhole to guide and transition of the knob and shaft of the knob handle into the narrow section for capture and interlocking therewithin. The removal tool may provide ease of use, particularly for individuals with poor dexterity and/or poor vision. In a preferred embodiment, the removal loop is made of a single formed wire for improved durability, lower cost of fabrication, and safe operation that minimizes contact with the walls of the ear canal. |
| US08798299B1 |
Magnetic shielding for communication device applications
A communication device comprising a coated surface having a fine grained coating, the coating including a high nickel content to provide magnetic shielding. The present coating process can be applied to a variety of components and surfaces to provide magnetic shielding in a communications device. Such devices, include, but are not limited to cell phones, hearing aids, and other hearing assistance devices. |
| US08798298B1 |
Constrained layer damping for hearing assistance devices
Disclosed herein, among other things, is a system for constrained layer damping for hearing assistance devices. According to various embodiments, a hollow in-the-ear (ITE) hearing instrument shell is formed. The shell has an air space within a wall of the shell, in various embodiments. A port is created in the wall of the shell. The port is adapted to interface the air space to an area outside the shell, in an embodiment. A viscous fluid is dispensed into the air space via the port, and the viscous fluid is cured within the air space. The cured fluid acts as a constrained layer of mechanical damping within the wall of the ITE shell, reducing audible feedback to a wearer of the ITE. |
| US08798297B2 |
Listening system with an improved feedback cancellation system, a method and use
A listening device system includes two listening devices, each having its own separate housing. The first device includes an input transducer housed within the housing for converting an input sound to an electrical input signal which includes a direct and an acoustic feedback part, and a feedback cancellation system. The feedback cancellation system includes an adaptive FBC filter including a variable FBC filter part, and an FBC update algorithm part for updating the variable FBC filter part. The FBC update algorithm part receives first and second input signals influenced by the electrical input and the electrical output signals. The second listening device includes an input transducer housed within its housing producing an electrical update signal essentially consisting of the direct part of said electrical input signal. The update signal is conveyed from the second device to the first device, where feedback cancellation parameters are adjusted based on that signal. |
| US08798292B2 |
External vibration reduction in bone-conduction speaker
This disclosure relates to bone conduction. One disclosed apparatus includes a support structure and a bone-conduction transducer (BCT). The support structure includes a front section and a side section. The side section includes a recessed structure and at least one member that extends from the recessed structure. The BCT includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is in contact with the at least one member such that at least one gap is defined between the BCT and the recessed structure. When the support structure is worn, the second portion is in contact with a wearer so as to transmit a target vibration of the second portion to a bone structure of the wearer. The at least one member is configured to transmit a vibration of the first portion of the BCT to the recessed structure. |
| US08798280B2 |
Calibration method and device in an audio system
The present publication describes a calibration method and apparatus, in which an electrical calibration signal is formed, an audio signal is formed in the loudspeaker from the calibration signal, the response of the audio signal is measured and analyzed, and the system is adjusted on the basis of the measurement results. The calibration signal is formed in the loudspeaker in such a way that it is essentially a sinusoidal signal, the frequency of which scans at least substantially through the entire audio frequency range. |
| US08798273B2 |
Extending credential type to group Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP) clients
A key management protocol (such as KMIP) is extended to provide an extended credential type to pass information from clients to the server to enable the server to deduce pre-provisioned cryptographic materials for the individual clients. Preferably, KMIP client code communicates device information to a key management server in a value in the headers of KMIP requests that flow to the server. In this manner, KMIP requests are associated with pre-provisioned cryptographic materials for particular devices or device groups. |
| US08798271B2 |
Communication system, wireless communication apparatus, and communication method
A wireless communication circuit includes a receiver to receive at least one of a beacon frame and a probe response frame from a first wireless communication apparatus belonging to a first communication group, at least one of the beacon frame and the probe response frame including first security information indicating a first encryption method. The circuit includes a transmitter to transmit an association request frame to the first wireless communication apparatus, the association request frame including second security information indicating a second encryption method which is supported by the wireless communication circuit, after a determination that the second encryption method overlaps with the first encryption method. The transmitter declines to associate with the first wireless communication apparatus if the first encryption method fails to overlap with the second encryption method. The transmitter transmits a data frame including a frame body after a reception of an association response frame. |
| US08798269B2 |
Method and system for secured broadcasting of a digital data stream
A method and system for secured broadcasting of a digital data flow between a technical platform (1) and at least one terminal (2), characterized in that it comprises the following steps: transmitting a scrambled and multiplexed digital data flow with at least one message (ECM) including a control key (CW) encrypted by a channel key (CC); descrambling in a secured memory area of the terminal (2) the scrambled digital data flow from the control key (CW) obtained according to the following substeps; sending to the technical platform (1) a request including the identifier (IUi) of the terminal (2); generating a secret key (CSk) from a cryptographic mechanism (A) using a single ciphering key (BSKn) and the identifier (IUi) of the terminal (2) with view to ciphering said channel key (CC) and obtaining a message (eCCk); deciphering the message (eCCk) received by a terminal (2) from the key (CSk) initially stored in the terminal (2) so as to obtain the channel key (CC), and obtaining the control key (CW) resulting from the deciphering of the message (ECM) from the channel key (CC). |
| US08798264B2 |
Technique for handling media content to be accessible via multiple media tracks
A method of handling media content comprises providing a set of one or more first layer data items that are to be accessible via a first media track. Each first layer data item is decodable to be rendered as a portion of the media content. Moreover, a set of one or more second layer data items is provided that are to be accessible via at least one second media track, each second layer data item being decodable to be rendered in combination with at least one decoded first layer data item as an enhanced portion of the media content. With each second layer data item a track reference index is associated that identifies the first media track via which the first layer data items are accessible. Then, the second layer data items and the associated track reference indices are encrypted for being transmitted to a content recipient. |
| US08798263B2 |
Method and system for encryption with bidirectional difference propagation
An encryption method is disclosed, including two passes over a sequence of N input digital data X1, . . . XN blocks where the first pass executes iterative linear algebraic operations from the last input block XN to the first input block X1 to obtain a sequence of intermediary resulting YN . . . Y1 blocks. The second pass executes a block ciphering in a chaining mode from the first intermediary resulting Y1 block to the last one YN to obtain a sequence of encrypted output Z1 . . . ZN blocks. The decryption is carried out only in one pass from the first input encrypted Z1 block to the last input encrypted block ZN. The deciphering operations are executed in an iterative loop of inverse linear algebraic operations after deciphering the first input encrypted Z1 block to obtain an output sequence of decrypted X1, . . . XN blocks. |
| US08798259B2 |
Method for managing communication record and communication device performing the same
A communication device and method for managing communication records by using priorities of the communication records so that a user can easily find a desired communication record are provided. In the method, the device receives a priority input for a selected one of the communication records, saves the received priority input as a priority of the selected communication record, and displays a list of the communication records arranged according to the priorities thereof. |
| US08798255B2 |
Methods and apparatus for deep interaction analysis
A method and apparatus for automatically sectioning an interaction into sections, in order to get more insight into interactions. The method and apparatus include training, in which a model is generated upon training interactions and available tagging information, and run-time in which the model is used towards sectioning further interactions. The method and apparatus operate on context units within the interaction, wherein each context unit is characterized by a feature vector relate to textual, acoustic or other characteristics of the context unit. |
| US08798251B2 |
Methods and systems for computer enhanced conference calling
Methods and systems for establishing a computer-enhanced conference call are disclosed. Methods and systems consistent with the present invention establish a computer-enhanced conference call between a plurality of users, including an initiating user. A service center detects a computer-enhanced conference call event that was previously configured by the initiating user. Conference users associated with the computer-enhanced conference call event are thereafter contacted. After at least one response from the conference users is received, a conference call between the initiating user and the conference users is established based on the at least one received response. The service center also establishes a collaboration between the initiating user and conference users that are authorized to participate in the collaboration. |
| US08798250B1 |
Autocorrect for phone numbers
A system and method are provided for automatic correction of numeric input, such as telephone numbers. The communications device configured to perform automatic correction can receive a numeric input string indicating a numerical address with which to initiate a communication, and compare the numeric input string to a database of known valid numerical addresses. Then, upon determining that the numeric input string has no match within the database of known valid numerical addresses, the communications device can identify a known valid numerical address that is within a threshold similarity to the numeric input string, and correct the numeric input string. The communications device can initiate communication using the corrected numeric input string. Also set forth herein are a system and method for automatic completion of partially entered numerical addresses. |
| US08798246B1 |
Allocating service requests to service providers according to dynamic network service fulfillment cycle
In one embodiment, a method comprises setting a first seed price for a network service item offered by a plurality of service providers in a computing network, and advertising a first seed price range for the network service item based on the first seed price; allocating service requests for the network service item among the service providers within a first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle, the allocating based on respective proposed costs advertised by the service providers relative to the first seed price range and further based on network-based performance capacity of the service providers in fulfilling the allocated service requests; and calculating a second seed price for a second dynamic network service fulfillment cycle contiguously following the first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle, based on the first seed price and the allocating within the first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle. |
| US08798243B2 |
Customer premises equipment telephone device providing advanced media features
A customer premises equipment (CPE) device, such as a telephone, connected to a local communications line existing on the premises is capable of receiving incoming telephone or like communication calls. The device has an interface which connects the device to the local communications line on the premises and enables the device to receive an alternating voltage analog ring signal corresponding to a notification of an incoming telephone call. The device also includes a demodulator for decoding and processing the ring signal including additional media data which is of low amplitude relative to that of the alternating voltage analog ring signal and which is modulated on the alternating voltage analog ring signal. Further, the device includes an input/output (I/O) component providing a means for audible and/or visual output of media from the device. The media output from the device directly corresponds to the media data modulated on the ring signal. CPE telephone systems and methods are also provided. |
| US08798238B2 |
Call handling treatment for voicemail systems
A voicemail system (100) can include at least one processor (104) and at least one communication interface (102) operatively linked and in communication with the at least one processor (104) that is configured to receive an incoming call. The voicemail system (100) can further include at least one memory (108) operatively linked and in communication with the processor (104), wherein the at least one memory (108) is configured to store a call treatment application (112) that includes at least one rule for determining call handling treatment of the incoming call. A method (400) for operating the voicemail system (100) can include receiving (406) an address message (200) at the voicemail system (100), wherein the address message (200) identifies at least a called party number (206) of the incoming call. The method (400) can further include analyzing (406) the address message (200) to determine (408) which of a plurality of call handling treatment rules to apply, and applying (410) at least one of the call handling treatment rules. |
| US08798234B2 |
Imaging during radiotherapy
We provide a radiotherapy apparatus including a source of therapeutic radiation, a source of imaging radiation having an energy level less than that of the therapeutic radiation, a detector for radiation lying within the field of both the therapeutic radiation and the imaging radiation and able to image both, a first imaging circuit supplied with the output of the detector, a second imaging circuit also supplied with the output of the detector, a first pulse trigger circuit adapted to trigger the source of therapeutic radiation to produce a pulse of therapeutic radiation and to trigger the first imaging circuit to capture an output of the detector; and a second pulse trigger circuit adapted to trigger the source of imaging radiation to produce a pulse of imaging radiation and to trigger the second imaging circuit to capture an output of the detector. |
| US08798232B2 |
Mobile aircraft inspection system
A system for scanning aircraft for concealed threats is provided. The system comprises a vehicle and a manipulator arm attached with a scanning head that can be maneuvered in multiple directions to completely scan an aircraft from the outside. The system uses transmission based X-ray detection, backscatter based X-ray detection or a combination thereof, in various embodiments. The system also includes gamma-ray and neutron detectors, for detection of nuclear and radioactive materials. |
| US08798227B2 |
Medical image processing apparatus and X-ray computed tomography apparatus
According to one embodiment, it is an subject to reduce the occasion that a region of interest falls outside an image due to the influence of respiratory motion or pulsation. A medical image processing apparatus causes an slice image generation unit to generate a series of slice images from a series of volume data files associated with a three-dimensional region of an subject, and causes a slice position determination unit to determine each of a plurality of slices respectively corresponding to the slice images based on the position of a specific region included in the plurality of volume data files. |
| US08798225B2 |
Radiation exposure reduction method
A radiation exposure reduction method includes the steps of: injecting iron into a coolant which flows from the reactor cooling system to the reactor core in a nuclear power plant; and ferritizing and fixing radionuclides or parent nuclides thereof, which are contained in the coolant, on the surface of a reactor core structure, wherein an iron citrate which is soluble organic iron, or iron oxalate or iron fumarate which has a particle diameter of 3 μm or less, is used as the iron to be injected into the coolant. |
| US08798224B2 |
Apparatus for storing and/or transporting high level radioactive waste, and method for manufacturing the same
A system for storing and/or transporting high level radioactive waste, and a method of manufacturing the same. In one aspect, the invention is a ventilated vertical overpack (“VVO”) having specially designed inlet ducts that refract radiation back into the storage cavity. A clear line-of-sight does not exist through the inlet ducts and, thus, the canister can be supported on the floor of the VVO. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing a variable height VVO that falls within a regulatory license previously obtained for a shorter and taller version of the VVO. |
| US08798223B2 |
Clock and data recovery unit without an external reference clock
A clock and data recovery device receives a serial data stream and produces recovered clock and data signals. The clock and data recovery device operates over a range of frequencies and without use an external reference clock. A reference clock generator supplies a reference clock signal to a clock and data recovery module that uses the reference clock as a tuning or reference signal to produce the recovered clock and recovered data signals. The reference clock generator modifies the reference clock signal so that its frequency corresponds, within a small tolerance, to the data rate of the serial data stream. The reference clock generator determines a beat frequency between a voltage-controlled oscillator clock signal and the data rate and adjusts the voltage-controlled oscillator frequency, from which the reference clock is generated, to lower the beat frequency below a divided down version of the voltage-controlled oscillator clock. |
| US08798222B2 |
Methods and apparatus for digital linearization of an analog phase interpolator
Methods and apparatus are provided for digital linearization of an analog phase interpolator. Up to 2N desired phase values are mapped to a corresponding M bit value, where M is greater than N. A corresponding M bit value is applied to the phase interpolator to obtain a desired one of the 2N desired phase values. A linearized phase interpolator is also provided that accounts for process, voltage, temperature or aging (PVTA) variations. |
| US08798221B1 |
Method and apparatus for efficient acquisition of preambles with enhanced interference mitigation
Various aspects of an approach for acquiring sequences such as balanced Hamming weight preamble sequences are described herein. The approach provides for the acquisition of preamble sequences base on energy accumulation. The approach includes creating a plurality of synchronization hypotheses, with each hypothesis being created based on energies sampled at a first location and a second location in a plurality of locations associated with a sequence of transmitted symbols; calculating a plurality of metrics based on the plurality of synchronization hypotheses, wherein each metric is associated with a hypothesis; selecting, as a candidate, one hypothesis from the plurality of synchronization hypotheses including a maximum associated metric. The approach may further include determining a boundary in the sequence of transmitted symbols based on a correlation property of the sequence of transmitted symbols. The second location includes a predetermined offset from the first location configured to provide enhanced interference immunity. |
| US08798217B2 |
Method and digital circuit for recovering a clock and data from an input signal using a digital frequency detection
In a particular embodiment, a digital circuit includes a frequency detection circuit operative to compare information related to transitions between sequential samples of a received signal. The frequency detection circuit is further operative to generate a control signal to reduce a sampling rate of the received signal in response to a predetermined number of the sequential samples having a same value. The digital circuit also includes a digital phase detector operative to provide the information related to the transitions between sequential samples to the frequency detection circuit. |
| US08798215B2 |
Metric corrections for demodulators using serial localization with indecision
Demodulation methods and apparatus for a multi-stage SLI demodulator are disclosed. Residual signals from each demodulation stage are modeled as finite sets of unresolved signals and a new metric is introduced for use in search of best candidate symbol estimates. The metric may be evaluated based on a probability distribution function of the residual signals or a probability mass function of the unresolved signals. The metric may also be approximated by the sum of a conventional Euclidean metric and a correction metric. The best candidate symbol estimates generated from each stage of the multi-stage SLI demodulator are summed to form cumulative symbol estimates. |
| US08798212B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing feedback in a wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for processing feedback implemented in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprises estimating a channel matrix. The effective channel is calculated and a precoding matrix is selected. Feedback bits are generated and transmitted. |
| US08798211B2 |
Channel-sensitive power control
A communication receiver which applies signal processing for quantitatively estimating receive signal factors such as communication channel quality, signal characteristics, and overall system received bit error rate (BER) or packet error rate (PER) and which applies a general algorithm for mapping these estimated factors to control receiver performance and minimize power consumption. |
| US08798199B2 |
Composite power amplifier, transmitter, and composite-power-amplifier control method
C-HPA separates an input signal into separated signals, and amplifies and combines the separated signals. The C-HPA includes a plurality of signal splitters, a delay discrepancy estimator, and a delay discrepancy adjuster. Each of the signal splitters splits each of the separated signals into a signal in which a time component of the separated signal is put ahead a predetermined time and a signal in which the time component is delayed the predetermined time, and outputs split signals. The delay discrepancy estimator uses the input signal, the split signals output from each of the signal splitters and the combined output signal to estimate delay discrepancy between the separated signals. The delay discrepancy adjuster uses the estimated delay discrepancy to adjust the delay discrepancy between the separated signals. |
| US08798198B2 |
Calibration systems for wireless electronic devices
A calibration system may be provided for calibrating wireless communications circuitry in an electronic device during manufacturing. The calibration system may include data acquisition equipment for receiving an amplitude-modulated calibration signal from the electronic device. The calibration system may include calibration computing equipment for extracting pre-distortion coefficients from the amplitude-modulated calibration signal. The calibration computing equipment may be configured to detect a bulk phase drift in the amplitude-modulated calibration signal. The calibration computing equipment may be configured to remove the bulk phase drift from the amplitude-modulated calibration signal. The wireless communications circuitry may include a power amplifier that distorts a signal generated by the wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include a pre-distortion compensator for countering the distortion. The pre-distortion coefficients determined from the phase drift corrected amplitude-modulated calibration signal may be used by the pre-distortion compensator when countering the distortion. |
| US08798197B2 |
Distortion compensation amplifier device and distortion compensation method
A distortion compensation amplifier device for compensating for distortion of a transmission signal generated by amplifying the transmission signal and for outputting the compensated transmission signal. The distortion compensation amplifier includes a storage unit that stores therein distortion compensation coefficients; a processor that performs distortion compensation processing on the transmission signal by using one of the distortion compensation coefficients; and an amplifier that amplifies the transmission signal that has been subjected to the distortion compensation processing; wherein the processor calculates an average value of the distortion compensation coefficients stored in the storage unit, and calculates the distortion compensation coefficient on the basis of the transmission signal, and the average value. |
| US08798195B2 |
Wireless communication system, base station, terminal and method of generating codebook
The present disclosure provides a method of generating codebook in a wireless communication system with multiple antenna arrays, as well as a wireless communication system, base station and terminal using the codebook for communication. The method comprises steps of: providing a basic codebook which contains multiple pre-coding matrices; and assigning phase offsets to certain pre-coding matrices in the basic codebook to form a codebook with phase offset. The feedback overhead from a client to a base station side is reduced and a good precision of feedback for multi-antenna array is kept by applying the method of generating codebook and using the generated codebook in the wireless communication system, base station and terminal. |
| US08798194B2 |
Adaptive compensation of nonlinear frequency distortion in polar transmitters based on a least squares estimation
The present invention relates to a communication system having a digital to analog converter, a first input, a summation component, and a compensation unit. The converter is configured to receive a first. The first input is configured to receive a phase modulation signal. The compensation unit includes one or more inputs and is configured to measure amplitude samples of the first signal at a first of the one or more inputs and to generate a correction signal according to the one or more inputs. The correction signal at least partially accounts for estimated distortions of the phase modulation signal from the amplitude modulation path. The summation component is configured to receive the phase modulation signal and the correction signal and to generate a corrected phase modulation signal as a result. |
| US08798193B2 |
Transmission method and transmission apparatus
Of any one of a transmission method X of transmitting modulated signal A and modulated signal B including the same data from a plurality of antennas and a transmission method Y of transmitting modulated signal A and modulated signal B having different data from the plurality of antennas, a base station apparatus does not change the transmission method during data transmission and changes only the modulation scheme. The base station apparatus transmits modulated signal A and modulated signal B to a communication terminal apparatus using the determined transmission method and modulation scheme. In this way, it is possible to improve data transmission efficiency when transmitting data using the plurality of antennas. |
| US08798191B2 |
Transmission apparatus, radio communication apparatus, and transmission method
Disclosed is a transmission apparatus, a radio communication apparatus, and a transmission method for making it possible to obtain stable characteristics by controlling the difference of time between an amplitude signal and a phase signal to an optimal point, without depending on a modulated signal nor making the circuit size larger. A multiplier (170) generates, in a pseudo manner, a digital modulated signal corresponding to a signal that is obtained by performing analog to digital conversion on a modulated signal that is generated by an amplitude modulator (140), by multiplying a digital amplitude signal that is obtained by performing analog to digital conversion on an amplitude signal by a digital angle modulated signal corresponding to a signal that is obtained by performing analog to digital conversion on an angle modulated signal. Distortion calculation section (180) calculates distortion of the digital modulated signal, control section (190) controls delay time based on the distortion of the digital modulated signal, and delay adjustment section (130) adjusts delay time until the amplitude signal is input to amplitude modulator (140), or delay time until the angle modulated signal is input to amplitude modulator (140). |
| US08798189B2 |
Digital video physical layer using a multi-level data code
A system for communicating data comprises a clock channel configured to transmit a clock signal at a predetermined rate and at least one data channel configured to transmit data as a sequence of blocks of multi-level symbols being sent at a fixed multiple of the clock rate. Each block of multi-level symbols comprises a sequence of at least three multi-level symbols. Each multi-level symbol has an analog voltage level selected from a predetermined number of possible values, the predetermined number being an integer greater than two. The fixed multiple of the clock rate is an integer greater than one. |
| US08798188B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting feedback information on a reference signal
The present invention relates to a method wherein a terminal transmits control information in a wireless communication system, and comprises the steps of: receiving a first reference signal, which is transmitted according to a first transmission period, from a base station; receiving a second reference signal, which is transmitted according to a second transmission period, from the base station; performing channel estimation using at least the first or second reference signals; and reporting control information, which includes at least channel information on the first reference signal or channel information on the second reference signal, to the base station according to the channel estimation result, wherein the control information may be configured such that the channel information on the first reference signal and the channel information on the second reference signal are multiplexed or such that any one of same is dropped. |
| US08798184B2 |
Transmit beamforming with singular value decomposition and pre-minimum mean square error
Transmitting beamforming can steer a transmitting signal to reduce the interference between spaces of a MIMO system and achieves constructive combination at the receiver. One method of steering matrix calculation includes using singular value decomposition (SVD). Notably, the singular values of SVD, which represent the stream strengths in a MIMO system, are in descending order. In equal modulation, signal strength degradation makes the receive EVM of the latest stream poor and increases the probability of packet error. MMSE can be used to weight the steering vectors of the steering matrix calculated in SVD. This weighting of the singular values can balance the SNR of the streams, thereby improving packet error rate. |
| US08798176B2 |
Joint time/frequency processing for wireless receivers
Channel estimation and/or equalization processing is performed in a wireless receiver in two stages. The first stage involves pre-filtering in the frequency domain to compact a grid-based representation of the net channel. The second stage involves implementing reduced-complexity time domain channel estimation and/or equalization. According to one embodiment, a received signal transmitted over a net channel is processed by pre-filtering the received signal in the frequency domain. The frequency domain pre-filtering compacts an N-tap effective grid-based representation of the net channel into a K-tap compacted grid-based representation of the net channel where K |
| US08798175B2 |
Communicating with a self-clocking amplitude modulated signal
One embodiment described herein includes a method for transmitting a signal. The method includes generating a Manchester encoded data stream and combining the Manchester encoded data stream with an amplified clock signal to produce an amplitude modulated signal having a zero crossing at each edge of the amplified clock signal. The amplitude modulated signal can then be sent over a communication medium. |
| US08798172B2 |
Method and apparatus to conceal error in decoded audio signal
A method and apparatus to decode audio data constructed with a plurality of layers. An error concealment method of process a decoded bitstream selects one of a frequency domain and a time domain in order to conceal the errors, detects a position where the errors exist in a frame when the error concealment method in the frequency domain is selected, and conceals the errors only in a segment after the detected position. |
| US08798168B2 |
Video telecommunication system for synthesizing a separated object with a new background picture
Embodiments of a video telecommunication system are provided that can obtain a background scene desired by a user by automatically changing a background scene into a different background scene. The system can include a background picture synthesis unit and a background scene separation unit that can separate an object to be transmitted and a background scene except for the object in a picture in a process of transmitting/receiving data including at least the picture. A background picture database can provide a background picture to be transmitted instead of the background scene. The background picture synthesis unit can synthesize the separated object and a new background picture (e.g., selected from the background picture database). A picture transmission unit can transmit a synthesized picture synthesized by the separated object and the new background picture. |
| US08798166B2 |
Video encoding scheme supporting the transport of audio and auxiliary information
The present invention relates to a system and method for transmitting auxiliary data in video encoding. The system and method receives first and second data, encoding the first data based on a state of at least one bit of the second data. The encoded first data and the second data is packaged into a single word and communicated. |
| US08798164B2 |
System and method for automatic filter generation using sampled sinc function with windowed smoothing
Methods and systems for processing a plurality of pixels, in a video system, are disclosed. Aspects of the method may comprise acquiring scaling factors associated with a plurality of output pixels and generating filter coefficients during the generation of the output pixels. The filter coefficients may be utilized to filter a plurality of pixels to produce the plurality of output pixels. The filter coefficient may be generated on the fly utilizing a windowed sinc function corresponding to the scaling factors. The sine function may be sampled according to the needed number of filter taps to determine the filter coefficients. |
| US08798163B2 |
Video decoder and digital broadcast transreceiver
A video decoder includes a storage unit that stores therein vector data; and a video generating unit that, when an input stream is abnormal, generates based on data before the input stream became abnormal and the vector data stored in the storage unit, an image that is an image displayed using the data before the input stream became abnormal and to which motion has been added. |
| US08798162B2 |
Encoding method, decoding method, encoder, and decoder
An encoding method includes encoding moving image; determining whether an information amount of the encoded moving image data in units of a picture satisfies a threshold to control a virtual buffer obtained by virtually modeling a reception buffer of a decoding device that is a transmission destination of the encoded moving image data; and setting, by dividing a picture included in the encoded moving image data, a decoding time for each divided picture to cause the decoding device to decode each divided picture when the determining determines the information amount of the encoded moving image does not satisfy the threshold to control the virtual buffer. |
| US08798161B2 |
Encoding device for a flow of digital images and corresponding decoding device
An encoding device for a flow of digital images comprises: a working memory (42) for already decoded image blocks data, a pilot (40), mounted to analyze an incidental flow of data of digital images, and arranged to determine data to be decoded of a current block, said data to be decoded being of the complete data type or of the parameters-data type, to store the complete data in the working memory (42) as already decoded image blocks data, and to call a decoding unit (48) with the parameters-data, the decoding unit (48) reacting to the reception of parameters-data by: selecting some already decoded image blocks, forming an approximation base, which borders the current block according to a selected rule, calculating an approximation of the current block, based on a linear algebraic function of the approximation base data, and storing in the working memory (42), for the current block, already decoded image blocks data derived from this approximation. |
| US08798156B2 |
Method of determining motion vectors for a bi-predictive image block
In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining a type of the first reference picture; and determining motion vectors of the bi-predictive image block based on the type of the first reference picture. The type is one of a long-term type and a short-term type, and characterizes a temporal distance of the first reference picture with respect to the bi-predictive block. The motion vectors of the bi-predictive image block are determined according to a first set of expressions if the first reference picture is of the short-term type, and according to a second set of expressions if the first reference picture is of the long-term type. The second set of expressions is different than the first set of expressions. The method further includes decoding the bi-predictive image block based on the determined motion vectors. |
| US08798151B2 |
Video display device, interpolated image generation circuit and interpolated image generation method
A video display device displays a video distributed via broadcast. The video display device comprises a data extraction section and a frame interpolation processing section. The data extraction section extracts additional data indicating information regarding a program or regarding a video of the program from a broadcast signal. The frame interpolation processing section generates an image of an interpolated frame based on images of respective frames, each of the images is represented by video data extracted from the broadcast signal. Furthermore, the frame interpolation processing section determines a content of a process regarding a motion vector to be used for generating the interpolated frame based on a content of the additional data extracted by the data extraction section. |
| US08798149B2 |
Enhancement layer residual prediction for bit depth scalability using hierarchical LUTs
A scalable video bitstream may have an H.264/AVC compatible base layer and a scalable enhancement layer, where scalability refers to color bit-depth. According to the invention, BL information is bit-depth upsampled using separate look-up tables for inverse tone mapping on two or more hierarchy levels, such as picture level, slice level or MB level. The look-up tables are differentially encoded and included in header information. Bit-depth upsampling is a process that increases the number of values that each pixel can have, corresponding to the pixels color intensity. The upsampled base layer data are used to predict the collocated enhancement layer, based on said look-up tables. The upsampling is done at the encoder side and in the same manner at the decoder side, wherein the upsampling may refer to temporal, spatial and bit depth characteristics. Thus, the bit-depth upsampling is compatible with texture upsampling. |
| US08798146B2 |
Planar prediction mode
New intra planar modes are introduced for predicting digital video data. As part of the new intra planar modes, various methods are offered for predicting a first sample within a prediction unit, where the first sample is needed for referencing to when processing the new intra planar modes. And once the first sample is successfully predicted, the new intra planar modes are able to predict a sample of video data within the prediction unit by processing a bi-linear interpolation of four previously reconstructed reference samples. |
| US08798145B2 |
Methods for error concealment due to enhancement layer packet loss in scalable video coding (SVC) decoding
Methods for concealing Scalable Video Coding (SVC) decoding errors. Lost pictures in the target layer are replaced with up-sampled pictures from a lower layer, such as the base layer. In multiloop decoding applications, lost pictures in the target layer are replaced with corresponding up-sampled pictures from the lower layer. Subsequent target layer pictures in the same Group of Pictures (GOP) are either replaced with corresponding upsampled pictures from the lower layer, or they are decoded with up-sampled pictures from the lower layer used as reference pictures. For single-loop decoding, the bit stream of each layer is buffered, for each GOP, and inspected for errors. If an error is detected in the target layer, the pictures of the highest level layer without an error are decoded and up-sampled and used as the output pictures for the current GOP. |
| US08798141B2 |
Adaptive restoration for video coding
A coding system includes a decoding block and a reconstruction loop with first and second adaptive restoration blocks. The decoding block receives and decodes an encoded bitstream to derive residues, prediction information, and adaptive restoration information. The reconstruction loop reconstructs a current frame according to the residues and prediction information. The first adaptive restoration block performs restoration on a first set of processed data according to a first set of the adaptive restoration information, and the second adaptive restoration block performs restoration on an output of the first adaptive restoration block according to a second set of the adaptive restoration information. |
| US08798140B2 |
Encoding video frames in a video encoder
An encoder provided according to an aspect of the present invention uses an approach which seeks to limit the number of bits in each of a sequence of video frames to a same upper limit. By providing such a restriction, additional budget (i.e., more number of bits that can be used for the encoded bits for the frame) may be available for encoding of later received frames in the sequence, thereby avoiding quality degradation with respect to reproduction of such later frames. According to another aspect of the present invention, a quantization parameter used during encoding is controlled to enforce such a limit. According to one more aspect of the present invention, a quantization parameter is generated for a video frame by examining content corresponding to the same video frame. |
| US08798139B1 |
Dual-pipeline CABAC encoder architecture
A method and system are disclosed for the lossless compression of video data in a synchronous pipelined environment. One or more syntax elements of video data are binarized into one or more ordered bins. A first context model associated with a first bin and a second context model associated with a second bin are received. The first bin is encoded based on the first context model and the second bin is encoded based on the second context model, both bins being encoded within the same clock cycle. One or more encoded bits are outputted based on encoding the first and second bin. In one embodiment, the first bin is encoded in a first pipeline and the second bin is encoded in a second pipeline. In this embodiment, two bins may be encoded every clock cycle, one per pipeline. Further, in one embodiment, multiple context models are received and one context model is selected by each pipeline for encoding. After encoding, one or more context models may be updated and stored. |
| US08798136B2 |
Image processing system and method
A relatively higher resolution digitized image (12) organized as a plurality of first kernel arrays (110), each with a plurality of pixels (37), is transformed into a corresponding relatively-smaller second kernel array (124) of a relatively-lower-resolution image (38) and an associated set (116, 118) of remaining pixels (37). Down-sampled pixels of the second kernel array (124) are generated from linear interpolation of original pixels (37) of the first kernel array (110). Associated interpolation coefficients incorporate perturbations to locations of the down-sampled pixels (37′) that are symmetric with respect to centers (128, 130) of the first (110) and second (124) kernel arrays. Down-sampled pixels (37′) of the second kernel array (124) can be recombined with the associated set (116, 118) of remaining pixels (37) to reconstruct the relatively higher resolution digitized image (12) substantially without loss of associated information, or used directly to reconstruct an approximation thereof, with associated encoding and decoding processes adapted to reduce the susceptibility of image reconstruction errors caused by subsequent image compression. |
| US08798135B2 |
Video stream modifier
A compressed data stream modifier 270 is disclosed. The stream modifier modifies an input data stream that may comprise audio and video data streams conforming to any one of the well-known video compression standards, for example, MPEG or AVC. The input stream is first de-multiplexed to obtain a single video elementary stream. The video elementary stream is then decoded by means of a variable-length decoder and provided to the data stream modifier. A decoding complexity of each frame is estimated by an estimator 210 and provided to a controller 250. The controller selects a number of regions from each frame based on some psycho-visual criteria, such that a method of modification of these regions can bring the decoding complexity within an available capacity at a decoder. An efficient means of adapting a decoding complexity to an available capacity is thus obtained. |
| US08798133B2 |
Dual channel encoding and detection
Methods and systems for dual channel encoding and detection are described. In one embodiment, auxiliary data may be encoded in an audio portion of one or more frames of a content signal based on an audio encoding technique. The auxiliary data may be encoded in a video portion of the one or more frames based on a video encoding technique. The encoding of the auxiliary data in the audio portion and the video portion may produce a modulated content signal. The modulated content signal may include one or more dual encoded frames. The dual encoded frames may include the auxiliary data encoded within the audio portion and the video portion of the one or more frames. Additional methods and systems are disclosed. |
| US08798125B2 |
Phase tracking in communications systems
The present invention includes a method of determining a phase estimate for an input signal having pilot symbols. The method includes receiving a plurality of pilot symbols, and then multiplying two or more pilot symbol slots by corresponding correlator coefficients to correct a phase estimate of the input signal. |
| US08798117B1 |
Rake receiver methods and apparatus
Methods and apparatus for efficiently implementing a rake receiver which allows for rake receiver elements, e.g., fingers, to be dynamically assigned to antenna elements are described. In at least some embodiments multiple antennas are used. Rake elements are allocated to antennas in a dynamic manner with sets of weights also being assigned dynamically, e.g., based on channel estimates. Rake finger assignment to antenna's is made, in some embodiments, to maximize signal recovery taking into consideration the channel conditions detected by each antenna for the various delays that may be supported. Through the dynamic assignment of rake finger's to antenna's, a single rake finger may be coupled to different antennas at different times allowing for more efficient use as compared to systems where rake fingers are dedicated on a fixed basis to an individual antenna. |
| US08798112B2 |
High speed lasing device
The present invention relates to a lasing device for use in an optical module. The lasing device comprises a first reflector and a second reflector; a confinement layer adapted to confine current within a current-confining aperture; and an active layer between the first and second reflectors. The active layer comprises a main active region aligned with the current confining aperture and an auxiliary active region surrounding the main active region. The second reflector includes a first reflector region arranged on the current-confining aperture and a second reflector region surrounding the first reflector region. The second reflector region and the first reflector are configured to induce stimulated recombination in the auxiliary active region. |
| US08798111B2 |
Interband cascade lasers with engineered carrier densities
Methods for improving the performance of type-II and type-I ICLs, particularly in the mid-IR wavelength range, are provided. The electron injector of a type-II or a type-I ICL can be heavily n-doped to increase the ratio of electrons to holes in the active quantum wells, thereby increasing the probability of radiative recombination in the active quantum wells and reducing the threshold current density Jth needed to achieve lasing. For both type-II and type-I ICLs, the doping should have a sheet density in the low-1012 range. In either the type-II or the type-I case, in some embodiments, heavy doping can be concentrated in the middle quantum wells of the electron injector, while in other embodiments, doping with silicon can be shifted towards the active quantum wells. |
| US08798110B2 |
Optical semiconductor device and method of manufacturing optical semiconductor device
A method of manufacturing an optical semiconductor device including: forming a mesa structure including a first conductivity type cladding layer, an active layer and a second conductivity type cladding layer in this order on a first conductivity type semiconductor substrate, an upper most surface of the mesa structure being constituted of an upper face of the second conductivity type cladding layer; growing a first burying layer burying both sides of the mesa structure at higher position than the active layer; forming an depressed face by etching both edges of the upper face of the second conductivity type cladding layer; and growing a second burying layer of the first conductivity type on the depressed face of the second conductivity type cladding layer and the first burying layer. |
| US08798107B2 |
Device and method for generating bursts of picosecond optical sub-pulses
A method and device are provided for generating bursts of sub-pulses, preferably in the picosecond range. Seed pulses are first generated, and then phase modulated to spread their spectral profile to several time-dependent spectral components. The phase modulated seed pulses are then spectrally filtered to remove spectral components and retain only selected ones, creating gaps in the amplitude profile of the seed pulses which therefore form bursts of sub-pulses. Various parameters such as the modulation amplitude, the modulation frequency, the spectral characteristics of the filters and the overall amplitude of the seed pulses may be controlled to provide a great versatility and adaptability. |
| US08798103B2 |
Method and apparatus for a multi-antenna device that uses a single baseband filter and analog-to-digital converter
A multi-antenna device (200) comprising a set of antennas (210-214), a set of receivers (220-224), a multiplexer (270), a baseband filter (242), an analog-to-digital converter (244), and a de-multiplexer (272). The receivers (220-224) can be linked to the antennas (210-214) in a one-to-one manner. The multiplexer (270) can generate a composite analog signal from a set of different analog signals, one received from different ones of the antennas (210-214). The baseband filter (242) can filter the composite analog signal. The analog-to-digital converter (244) can convert the composite analog signal after being filtered by the baseband filter into a composite digital signal. The de-multiplexer (272) can generate a set of different digital signals from the composite digital signal. Each of the different digital signals can correspond to one of the different analog signals in a one-to-one manner. |
| US08798102B2 |
Uplink scheduling timing
A device (100) for scheduling uplink transmission comprises a timing estimator (110) configured to estimate the timing with which data packets are being available for uplink transmission in a User Equipment, UE, on the user side, and an uplink scheduler (120) configured to perform uplink scheduling in accordance with the estimated timing. The device further comprises a detector (130) configured to detect lost time alignment of UE data packet availability and allocated resources for uplink transmission based on reception of a predefined UE response on the uplink data channel. The device also comprises a determiner (140) configured to determine, in response to lost time alignment, an updated estimate of the timing with which data packets are being available for uplink transmission in the UE based on information representative of an alignment interval within which data packets are being available for uplink transmission in the UE after detection of lost time alignment. The uplink scheduler (120) is configured to perform uplink scheduling in accordance with the updated estimate of the timing to re-establish time alignment of UE data packet availability and allocated resources for uplink transmission. |
| US08798101B2 |
Method and apparatus for measuring switching time of ethernet ring network
The present invention provides a method for measuring switching time of an Ethernet ring network, which comprises the following steps: synchronizing a local time of each node in the Ethernet ring network (301); when switching occurs in the Ethernet ring network, each node recording its own start time of the switching and end time of the switching (302); comparing all the time of the switching to obtain a maximum end time of the switching and a minimum start time of the switching among all the nodes, and calculating a difference between the maximum end time of the switching and the minimum start time of the switching (303) to serve as the switching time of the Ethernet ring network. The present invention also provides an apparatus for measuring switching time of the Ethernet ring network. By applying the method and apparatus, the switching time of the Ethernet ring network can be measured precisely, which facilitates the maintenance, fault location and service influence estimation etc. of the Ethernet ring network. |
| US08798098B2 |
Systems and methods facilitating high throughput control in wireless communications
Embodiments include systems and methods for frame tunneling in a wireless communications system comprising digital beam forming. Embodiments comprise a first and second frame control field with the second frame control field comprising a High Throughput Control (HTC) enabling field. If the HTC enabling field is enabled, then an HTC field is sent. |
| US08798095B2 |
Method and apparatus for call processing for SIP and ISUP interworking
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to adjust a call processing logic for Session Initiated Protocol to Integrated Services Digital Network User Part (ISUP) calls based at least in part on interworking profiles assigned to ISUP trunk groups supporting the calls. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08798093B2 |
Method for synchronizing PDCP operations after RRC connection re-establishment in a wireless communication system and related apparatus thereof
A method used in an E-UTRAN for synchronizing PDCP operations after a RRC connection re-establishment procedure with a user equipment (UE) is provided. The method includes: initiating an RRC reconfiguration procedure to resume all radio bearers other than a signaling radio bearer 1 (SRB1) when an RRC connection is re-established; re-transmitting a designated group of PDCP Service Data Units (SDUs) to the UE when a data radio bearer (DRB) mapped on Radio Link Control (RLC) Acknowledged Mode (AM) is resumed. |
| US08798091B2 |
Fibre channel arbitrated loop bufferless switch circuitry to increase bandwidth without significant increase in cost
A switch, switched architecture and process for transferring data through an FCAL switch is disclosed. The switch uses multiple switch control circuits each coupled to one FCAL network and all connected to a crossbar switch. The switch control circuits are coupled together by a protocol bus for coordination purposes. Local conversations can occur on each FCAL loop and crossing conversations through the switch can occur concurrently. The OPN primitive is used to establish the connection before any data is transferred thereby eliminating the need for buffer memory in the switch control circuits. The destination address of each OPN is used to address a lookup table in each switch control circuit to determine if the destination node is local. If not, the destination is looked up and a connection request made on the protocol bus. If the remote port is not busy, it sends a reply which causes both ports to establish a data path through the backplane crossbar switch. |
| US08798090B2 |
System and method for creating a slot table entry address for a communications device
An invention for generating a slot table entry address for a communications device of a communications network includes a method that involves processing a slot counter value according to a configuration setting value to produce a processed slot counter value, the slot counter value identifying a time slot of data communications of the communications network, masking a cycle counter value according to the configuration setting value to generate a masked cycle counter value, where the cycle counter value identifies a communications cycle containing the time slot, and processing the processed slot counter value and the masked cycle counter value to generate a slot table entry address such that a corresponding slot table entry of the time slot of the communications cycle in a slot table is accessed by the communications device at the slot table entry address. |
| US08798088B1 |
Dynamic management of network-resource usage based on network loading
Disclosed herein are methods and systems for managing usage of traffic-channel resources in an access network, which are preferably resources that are reserved during a traffic channel assignment (TCA) process. An exemplary method comprises (i) a base station determining a usage level of at least one traffic-channel resource in a coverage area of the access network; (ii) based at least in part on the determined usage level, updating one or more TCA parameters affecting expected usage of the traffic-channel resource resulting from the TCA process; and (iii) performing the TCA process according to the updated TCA parameters. Preferably the usage level is determined for Medium Access Control Identifiers (MAC_IDs). Further, the access-channel occupancy (ACO) may be determined and the base station may further base the updating of TCA parameters on the ACO. In an exemplary embodiment, the updated TCA parameters include the TCA count and/or the TCC wait timer. |
| US08798086B2 |
Time-preserved transmissions in asynchronous virtual machine replication
The method includes determining a timestamp corresponding to a received data packet associated with the virtual machine and releasing the data packet from a buffer based on the timestamp and a time another data packet is released from the buffer. |
| US08798077B2 |
Methods and apparatus for standard protocol validation mechanisms deployed over a switch fabric system
An apparatus includes a destination edge device configured to receive a first validation packet according to a switch fabric validation protocol. The destination edge device is configured to validate multiple data paths through a distributed switch fabric from a source edge device to the destination edge device based on the first validation packet. The destination edge device is configured to send, in response to receiving the first validation packet, a second validation packet to a peripheral processing device. The destination edge device is also configured to send the second validation packet according to a validation protocol different from the first validation protocol. |
| US08798073B2 |
Method of performing uplink scheduling
The present invention is provided to perform uplink scheduling of a mobile station. In order to perform the uplink scheduling of the mobile station located in a service cell, a base station receives a plurality of interference amounts each corresponding to a plurality of frequency bands associated with an uplink in at least one adjacent cell corresponding to the mobile station from the base station of at least one adjacent cell, respectively, and calculates a plurality of interference values each corresponding to the plurality of frequency bands by using the plurality of interference amounts each corresponding to at least one adjacent cell. In addition, the base station generates scheduling control information corresponding to the mobile station by using the plurality of interference values and transmits the scheduling control information to the mobile station. |
| US08798072B2 |
Multicast load balancing
A method may include receiving a packet; identifying the packet as a multicast packet for sending to a plurality of destination nodes; selecting a first forwarding table or a second forwarding table for sending the packet to each of the plurality of destination nodes, wherein the first forwarding table includes first port information associated with a first destination and second port information associated with a second destination, and wherein the second forwarding table includes third port information associated with the second destination; sending the packet to the first destination using the first port; and sending the packet to the second destination using the second port when the first forwarding table is selected and sending the packet to the second destination using the third port when the second forwarding table is selected. |
| US08798068B2 |
Method and system for an optimized retransmission of a message in a satellite communications context
A communications method for retransmission of at least one fragment of a lost or erroneous message from a terminal to a gateway over a communications network comprising a plurality of terminals, communicating over a demand assignment multiple access and comprising a control center allocating the communications resource to the terminals, comprises: detection, by the gateway, of fragments of lost or erroneous messages and, when at least one fragment is detected, notification via the gateway to the control center of the loss of at least one fragment; calculation, by the control center, of a second allocation plan taking into account a new transmission of the fragment; notification by the gateway to the terminal of the loss of the fragment and notification by the control center to the terminal of the second allocation plan; transmission by the terminal of the lost fragment according to the second allocation plan to the gateway. |
| US08798066B2 |
Method for IPv6 longest prefix match
IPv6 longest prefix match lookups are implemented by splitting disjoint forwarding rules from non-disjoint forwarding rules and storing these forwarding rules in separate TCAMs. When an IPv6 address is received, the full IP address is passed to the TCAM containing the disjoint forwarding rules and the first n bits of the IP address are passed to the TCAM containing the non-disjoint forwarding rules. If a hit is received in the TCAM containing the disjoint forwarding rules, a result of the hit is used to implement a forwarding decision and the search in the TCAM containing the non-disjoint forwarding rules is terminated. If no hit is obtained from the disjoint TCAM, the search result of the non-disjoint TCAM is used. If a continue flag is set in the result received from the disjoint TCAM, a sub-trie based lookup is implemented based on the remaining m bits of the IPv6 address. |
| US08798059B1 |
Optimizing private virtual local area networks (VLANs)
A network device is provided in a private virtual local area network (VLAN). The network device receives a packet on one of multiple private VLAN ports of the network device, and assigns a classified VLAN signature to the packet. The network device also assigns a primary VLAN signature to the packet, and stores a media access control (MAC) address and the classified VLAN signature of the packet in a single MAC address table. |
| US08798058B2 |
Providing fibre channel services and forwarding fibre channel over ethernet frames
In one embodiment, an apparatus may include a first interface configured to be communicatively coupled, via a network, to a second interface and a fiber channel services module. The first interface may be configured to receive a fiber channel service from the fiber channel services module, establish communication with the second interface, and communicate a fiber-channel-over-Ethernet (FCoE) frame to the second interface, via a forwarder that forwards the FCoE frame without employing a fiber channel switching element. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08798056B2 |
Method and system for virtual port communications
A method and system may provide virtual port communications. A data frame, containing a destination identifier in a destination field and payload, may be modified by inserting a first virtual machine tag therein. The first virtual machine tag may include a first virtual port identifier for identifying a first logical interface of a first virtual machine on a virtual machine host. |
| US08798048B1 |
System and method for managing a list of entries containing routing information
A system and method adds and manages entries on a list of entries of routing information to allow the top entry to be used for routing to a destination corresponding to the list. Costs of a wireless link may be a function of the success rate experienced on that wireless link. |
| US08798036B2 |
Communication system and method
A method of establishing communication between a first and second user over a communications network, the second user being associated with contact information for at least one destination node. The method comprises allocating the contact information for the at least one destination node an identity from a set of available identities and displaying a hyperlink containing the identity on a display, wherein the hyperlink does not contain the contact information of the second user. The method also comprises the first user viewing the display using a terminal connected to the communications network and activating the hyperlink, and responsive to activating the hyperlink, transmitting from a client executed on the terminal a message to initiate communication, the message comprising the identity. The method further comprises, responsive to receiving the message at a network node, the network node translating the identity to the contact information for the at least one destination node, and the network node selecting one or more destination nodes from the at least one destination node and establishing a connection over the communications network between the client and the selected one or more destination nodes using the contact information. |
| US08798035B1 |
Controlled environment facility calling services using voice over internet protocol infrastructure
Systems and methods which utilize existing, or otherwise available, voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) infrastructure for providing calling services with respect to controlled environment facilities, while continuing to implement a desired level of call mastering, are shown. VoIP infrastructure utilized according to embodiments may be provided by various alternative carriers, such as may have initially have been deployed for providing reduced rate calling services to individual users. Where possible, a call processor adapted according to embodiments may implement some of the same call mastering functions with respect to calls using VoIP infrastructure links as for more traditional call using PSTN links. However, embodiments additionally or alternatively implement functions uniquely tailored to the use of VoIP links. Embodiments allow user selection of the use of VoIP infrastructure. |
| US08798032B2 |
Virtual timing indication
The invention is related to wireless communication systems, methods, devices, computer program, and computer-readable memory medium, and, more specifically, relate to synchronization techniques. The invention relates to a method, including deriving two different timings from a timing source, wherein a first derived timing is a physical timing used for timing at least transmissions from a wireless network access node, and wherein a second derived timing is a virtual timing representing a currently preferred physical timing; receiving an indication of a virtual timing from at least one other network access node; comparing the at least one received virtual timing indication with the derived virtual timing of the network access node, and update the derived virtual timing; and determining achieving synchronization of the derived virtual timing with the at least one received virtual timing, and to adjust the physical timing accordingly. |
| US08798028B2 |
System, apparatus, and method for distributed home agents in a mobile IP environment
Included is an apparatus comprising a first network node in a first network configured to act as a home agent (HA) for a mobile node (MN), wherein the first network is one of a plurality of networks that connect to the MN, and wherein a second network that connects to the MN comprises a second network node configured to act as a second HA for the MN. Also included is a method comprising receiving, by a first network node, a binding update message, wherein the first network node is in a first network, and wherein the first network node is configured to act as a HA for a MN; and sending, by the first network node, a binding acknowledgement, wherein the binding update message comprises a multicast state of the MN. |
| US08798025B2 |
Reduced complexity FDM-CPM detector with multiple access interference cancellation
An FDM-CPM multi-user detector (30) jointly detects the received symbols for all users by determining from the received multi-user signal an a-posteriori probability mass function (pmf) of a time-sequence of states and transmitted symbols of all users, by iterative message passing corresponding to a specific factorisation of the pmf. The factorisation involves a combined variable representing possible transmitted symbols and CPM states of each user for each symbol time interval, so as to make the iterative process convergent. Non exponential complexity is enabled by disregarding multiple access interference (MAI) from at least some of the other users. Applications can include hubs for satellite communication ground stations. |
| US08798023B2 |
Configuration of rank indicator reporting instances
A method for setting a periodicity and an offset in rank indicator (RI) reporting in a user equipment in a wireless communication system receives a radio resource control (RRC) signal from a base station, decodes a RI periodicity and offset configuration index, sets the periodicity and offset in accordance with said decoded periodicity and offset configuration index and reports a RI according to the set periodicity and offset. The periodicity is an integer and reporting a RI reports with equal the product of the periodicity and a period of reporting of the channel quality indicator (CQI) and the precoding matrix indicator (PMI). |
| US08798021B2 |
Hierarchical network and interference management
The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software related product (e.g., a computer readable memory) for network management through a hierarchical architecture with a control functionality of a network server (e.g., C-SON) in relationship to clusters comprising eNBs (access points), and for implementing coordinated multi-point (CoMP) transmission and reception in conjunction with inter-cell interference coordination (ICIC) in wireless networks such as LTE wireless networks. In particular, embodiments of the invention describe control and coordination mechanisms among the network elements for different network architectures and use-case scenarios. Such mechanisms may be managed by a centralized self-organizing network controller such as C-SON and hierarchically via localized controllers (such as cluster coordinators) residing in macro eNBs depending on system architectural constraints and network state. A fault-tolerant mechanism then may be defined to recover from failure of controlling sub-elements so that the network remains stable at all times. |
| US08798019B2 |
Wireless communication device, wireless communication method, program, and wireless communication system
Provided is a wireless communication device including a control unit that controls the wireless communication device to act as a group owner or a client, and a communication unit that communicates with another wireless communication device according to control by the control unit, and, when a communication group having a topology where the wireless communication device acts as a group owner and the another wireless communication device acts as a client of the wireless communication device is formed, and a new wireless communication device to enter the communication group appears, the control unit determines whether or not to change a topology of the communication group. |
| US08798018B2 |
Pre-emptive roaming mechanism allowing for enhanced QoS in wireless network environments
A preemptive roaming mechanism in wireless network environments. In one implementation, the present invention provides a wireless client that implements a preemptive roaming mode that, when an attribute of the signal (e.g., Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), etc.) between the access point with which the client is currently associated crosses a threshold, scans for other access points with which to associate. In one implementation, the client switches between the scanning mode and a traffic mode to allow data to be transferred between the client and the current access point. The pre-emptive roaming functionality can be configured to support desired data rates or other QoS levels. |
| US08798014B2 |
Data transmission method and device in carrier aggregation system
Disclosed are a data transmission method and device in a carrier aggregation system, used for realizing the data transmission of UE which does not support uplink and downlink transmission simultaneously in a carrier aggregation system which uses different TDD uplink and downlink configurations. The data transmission method in a carrier aggregation system provided in the present application includes: an eNB performing data transmission with specific user equipment (UE) according to the time division duplex (TDD) uplink and downlink sub-frame configuration employed by a specific component carrier in a carrier aggregation system by means of a component carrier in the carrier aggregation system, wherein said specific UE is TDDUE which does not support simultaneously performing uplink data transmission and downlink data transmission in an identical sub-frame. |
| US08798012B2 |
Preparation phase for switching between SU-MIMO and MU-MIMO
The present invention relates to a method and arrangement for switching between different modes in a communications network. The network comprises a number of transmit and a number of receive antennas, said modes comprising a single user mode and a multiple user mode. The method including the steps of: transmitting reference signals or predetermined sequences corresponding to both said modes comprising respective weighting matrices for said modes during a preparation phase, which comprises of one or more transmission time intervals (TTI), transmitting on a common channel, signalling information indicating start and duration of said preparation phase to all receiving equipments in a reception area. |
| US08798010B2 |
Table-based resource mapping for downlink control channels in a wireless system base station
A transmitter comprises resource mapping circuitry configured to map symbols from multiple control channels to transmission symbols in a base station of a wireless system. The resource mapping circuitry comprises a table-based mapper configured to receive the control channel symbols and to map those symbols to the transmission symbols utilizing at least a selected one of a plurality of tables providing respective distinct mappings between the control channel symbols and the transmission symbols. For example, each of the transmission symbols may comprise a plurality of resource groups and the tables may specify distinct mappings of the control channels symbols to resource groups for different sets of possible base station parameter values. In one embodiment, the control channels comprise a physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and a physical hybrid ARQ indicator channel (PHICH) of an LTE cellular system. |
| US08798009B2 |
Wireless communication method and system for controlling data bit rates to maintain the quality of radio links
A wireless communication method and system for controlling the current data bit rate of a radio link (RL) to maintain the quality of the RL. The system includes a core network (CN), a radio network controller (RNC) and at least one wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU). The RL is established between the RNC and the WTRU. The RNC establishes a guaranteed data bit rate, a maximum data bit rate and a current data bit rate associated with the RL. When the RNC senses an event which indicates that the quality of the RL has substantially deteriorated, the RNC reduces the value of the current data bit rate. Then, in a recovery process, if a similar event does not occur during an established waiting period, the RNC restores the current data bit rate back to the maximum data bit rate. |
| US08798005B1 |
Comparative-throughput triggered handoff
Disclosed herein are methods for comparative-throughput triggered handoff. According to one embodiment of the method, the RAN may determine that a higher priority AT is receiving a lower level of throughput than a lower priority AT in the same sector, and as a response, the RAN will cause the higher priority AT to hand off from the current serving sector. According to another embodiment of the method, the RAN may identify which of the ATs being served in a particular sector are receiving lower than a threshold level of throughput, and subsequently determine the highest service priority level of these identified ATs. The RAN will then cause one or more of the identified ATs that have the highest service priority level to hand off from the current serving sector. |
| US08798002B2 |
Method of sending network configuration and related communication device
A method of sending a network configuration of a network in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method comprises sending the network configuration in a dedicated message to a mobile station (MS), wherein the network configuration is specific for a machine type communication (MTC) device. |
| US08798001B2 |
Message routing platform
A system and method for routing messages in a communication network is disclosed. The system include a plurality of nodes for receiving a packet for delivery to an intended recipient wherein the system is adapted to determine if the intended recipient is connected to a first selected node within the plurality of nodes; and if the recipient is connected to the first selected node, deliver the packet; and if the recipient is determined not to be connected to the first selected node within the plurality of nodes, the system is further adapted to determine which node from the plurality of nodes the intended recipient is connected and forward the packet to the node to which the intended recipient is connected. |
| US08797999B2 |
Dynamically adjustable communications services and communications links
User equipment may be used in forming communications links between users. A virtual communications channel may be maintained between users while adjustments are made to the type of communications traffic that is being conveyed over the link, the nature of the physical channels being used in the link, link bandwidth and other link attributes, user requirements, and other factors. Monitoring circuitry may be used to monitor factors such as the location of a device and other operating parameters. As circumstances dictate, the operation of the device may be adjusted in real time, while maintaining the virtual communications channel intact. User devices may automatically advertize their presence and may automatically detect nearby devices. Content items may be shared using online services. |
| US08797998B2 |
Method and device for indicating data re-transmission when area switching in LTE system
A method and device for indicating data re-transmission when area switching in LTE system, wherein the method comprises the following steps: S_eNB sends PDCP-SDU CN report to T_eNB in order to announce PDCP-SDU SN received, and T_eNB announces PDCP-SDU SN received by S_eNB to UE. Thereby, UE would not re-transmit PDCP-SDU corresponding to received SN, which avoids re-transmission of useless PDCP-SDU, and saves radio resources comparing with prior solutions. |
| US08797996B2 |
Inter-network packet transmission method and system
An inter-network packet transmission method and system in a vertical handover between the two different technology networks is provided. An inter-network packet transmission method includes tunneling between gateways of heterogeneous networks though an interface, updating a routing table of at least one of the gateways by exchanging information through the interface, and transmitting packets to a user equipment based the at least one updated routing table. |
| US08797995B2 |
Device-assisted layer 3 handoff for mobile services
In one embodiment, an apparatus can include: (i) a layer 3 point of attachment having an input configured to receive handoff indicative information from a mobile device substantially in parallel with the handoff indicative information being received in a layer 2 handoff function; and (ii) logic configured to perform a handoff facilitating action in response to the handoff indicative information. |
| US08797991B2 |
Optimized system access procedures
A base station subsystem (BSS) and a method are described herein for improving an Access Grant Channel (AGCH) capacity when mobile stations establish an uplink Temporary Block Flow (TBF) triggered by a small data transmission (SDT) or an instant message transmission (IMT). Plus, a mobile station (MS) and a method are described herein for improving the AGCH capacity when the mobile station establishes an uplink TBF triggered by a SDT or an IMT. |
| US08797987B2 |
Network reentry of machine-to-machine devices
Embodiments of the present disclosure describe device, methods, computer-readable media and system configurations for establishing a reentry procedure for a machine-to-machine (“M2M”) device to reenter a wireless communication network based on traffic pattern characteristics or mobility characteristics associated with the M2M device. In various embodiments, a wireless communication device may include a processor, a wireless communication interface, memory coupled to the processor, and a control module. The control module may be operated by the processor and configured to establish a reentry procedure for a machine-to-machine (“M2M”) device to reenter a wireless communication network based on traffic pattern characteristics or mobility characteristics associated with the M2M device. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed. |
| US08797985B2 |
Channel selection and channel-state information collision handling
A new uplink control channel capability is introduced to enable a mobile terminal to simultaneously report to the radio network multiple packet receipt status bits and channel-condition bits. In particular, if a mobile terminal is configured with channel selection (e.g., with PUCCH format 1b) and is configured to report or is capable of reporting periodic CSI and ACK/NACK bits together, then the mobile terminal can use one or more out of a set of preconfigured uplink control resources and transmit (1140) a PUCCH using a new format in this resource. The particular uplink control channel resource the mobile terminal uses from this set is selected (1120) based on an information field contained in a downlink control message corresponding to the ACKed or NACKed data transmission, for example, such as the Transmit Power Control (TPC) command in a downlink assignment message. |
| US08797981B2 |
Subscriber database for services at the edge of a mobile data network
Mobile network services are performed at the edge of a mobile data network in a way that is transparent to most of the existing equipment in the mobile data network. The mobile data network includes a radio access network and a core network. A service mechanism in the radio access network breaks out data coming from a basestation, and performs one or more mobile network services at the edge of the mobile data network based on the broken out data. A subscriber database is dynamically built to support authorization, authentication and accounting for the services performed at the edge of the mobile data network for the broken out data. The core network thus has a subscriber database that is used for non-broken out data, while a separate subscriber database that is not in the core network is used for broken out data. |
| US08797978B2 |
Method for sending and detecting downlink control information
A method for sending and detecting downlink control information is provided. A base station carries the downlink control information in a physical downlink control channel, and sends said physical downlink control channel through component carriers. Said base station bears first type downlink control information on an anchor component carrier, and bears third type downlink control information on a prime component carrier, wherein said first type downlink control information bears one or more types of uplink scheduling information, downlink scheduling information and uplink power control information of its component carrier, said third type downlink control information bears indication information of the second type downlink control information which bears the uplink scheduling information and/or the downlink scheduling information of one or more component carriers. A terminal detects the first type downlink control information on the anchor component carries and detects the third type downlink control information on the prime component carrier. |
| US08797973B2 |
Apparatus and method for random access in cellular system
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for RA in a cellular system. The RA in the cellular system includes receiving an RA preamble from a terminal for RA, transmitting, to the terminal, an RA response message including a sequence of the received RA preamble and uplink resource information of the terminal and overload state information with respect to the RA, receiving control information generated based on the RA response message from the terminal through the uplink resource information, and transmitting control response information with respect to the received control information. |
| US08797972B2 |
Method for retransmitting packets according to decoding failures or reliability
A method for retransmitting packets in accordance with decoding failure or reliability is disclosed. A method for retransmitting packets from a transmitting side in accordance with information of a receiving side comprises changing an order of packet symbols mapped with subcarriers, if retransmission information representing decoding success or reliability for a specific codeword is received from the receiving side mapping the packet symbols with the subcarriers in accordance with the changed order; and transmitting a codeword generated in accordance with the mapped result to the receiving side. Thus, it is possible to improve packet decoding success probability of the receiving side during initial transmission or retransmission by controlling a type of transmission packets in accordance with feedback information of the receiving side. |
| US08797967B2 |
Method, user equipment and base station for transmitting uplink control information
The disclosure discloses a method for transmitting uplink control information. The method includes: receiving, by a user equipment, a carrier activation command or a carrier deactivation command in a downlink subframe n; updating a first downlink activated carrier set according to the received carrier activation command or the carrier deactivation command into a second downlink activated carrier set; taking the second downlink activated carrier set as a current downlink activated carrier set corresponding to a first uplink subframe which belongs to a subframe set of an uplink subframe n+k and uplink subframe(s) after the uplink subframe n+k; sorting X piece(s) of Uplink Control Information (UCI) corresponding to X downlink carrier(s) according to a sorting rule, and transmitting the sorted X pieces of UCI to a base station in the first uplink subframe. |
| US08797966B2 |
Channel state information transmission
A wireless device receives control messages from a first base station. The control messages configure measurement parameters and triggers measurements of channel state information for a subset of carriers. The control messages configure an uplink transmission resource, physical uplink channel format, and a list of carriers. The wireless device measures and transmits the channel state information for each active carrier in the list of carriers. The wireless device simultaneously receives signals from a subset of carriers belonging to at least two base stations or belonging to at least two sectors of the first base station. |
| US08797964B2 |
Synchronization system and synchronizing method for plurality of base stations and mobile station in a reverse link wireless transmission
There is provided a wireless communication system which can synchronize a mobile station with a destination base station in response to the mobile station determining to switch base stations. Each base station generates synchronization information to synchronize the mobile station with the base station from a reverse pilot signal received from the mobile station, generates reverse propagation quality information from the reverse pilot signal, and generates and transmits a control signal including the synchronization information and the reverse propagation quality information. A mobile station generates and transmits a reverse pilot signal, receives a signal including the control signal from each of the base stations. |
| US08797952B2 |
Self-backhauling in LTE
A method implemented in an anchor base station configured performing a proxy operation at an anchor base station in which the anchor base station acts as a proxy between a second S-GW or an MME node and a self-backhauled base station. The method includes receiving a data packet destined for the user equipment and mapping the received data packet from an incoming General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunnel to an outgoing GTP tunnel. The method also includes receiving a control message and modifying elements of the control message while copying other elements in the control message and forwarding the control message between the self-backhauled base station and the second S-GW or MME node. |
| US08797946B2 |
User device, base station, and method
A disclosed user device generates an uplink control channel including at least one of acknowledgement information and a channel quality indicator regarding downlink and transmits the uplink control channel via a dedicated frequency band when no resource is allocated for transmission of an uplink data channel. The uplink control channel includes multiple unit blocks constituting a subframe and each of the unit blocks includes a sequence generated by multiplying all chips of an orthogonal code sequence assigned to the user device by the same factor. |
| US08797942B2 |
Random access with full coverage on selected resources
Random access coverage is assured while at the same time supporting high uplink data rates in a same service area served by a base station. A set of radio resources are shared by multiple mobile terminals for transmitting uplink to the base station including requests for access to service from the base station and transmissions for active connections with the base station. A first repeating time period and a second different repeating time period are defined. Uplink transmission grants are scheduled for active connections that permit use of a greater amount of the radio resources during the first repeating time period. Uplink transmission grants are also scheduled for active connections that permit use of a smaller amount of those resources during the second repeating time period. At least some random access requests to the base station are controlled to occur only during the second repeating time period. |
| US08797941B2 |
Relay node device for receiving control information from a base station and method therefor
The present invention relates to a relay node device for receiving control information from a base station and a method therefor. The relay node device according to the present invention comprises: a receiver, which receives information about an area where a relay-physical downlink control channel (R-PDCCH), the channel for transmitting control information for the relay node from a base station, is allocated; a processor, which searches for at least one R-PDCCH for the relay node based on the R-PDCCH allocation information received; and an R-PDCCH receiver, which receives the at least one R-PDCCH from the fourth symbol of the first slot in a downlink backhaul subframe of the area where the at least one R-PDCCH searched for by the processor has been allocated. |
| US08797939B2 |
Multimedia broadcast multicast service scheduling and transmission method and system
A method for scheduling and transmitting a MBMS includes: for each multicast radio interface channel, a lower layer network element scheduling a MBMS born by the multicast radio interface channel according to a scheduling period of the multicast radio interface channel, wherein data of the MBMS are scheduled and scheduling information is generated in a Multicast/Broadcast over Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframe resource occupied by the multicast radio interface channel in a resource allocation period corresponding to the scheduling period; and said lower layer network element sending to a user equipment a signaling indicating resource allocation information and scheduling period information of each multicast radio interface channel, and sending the data of the MBMS and said scheduling information to the user equipment. A system is further provided for scheduling and transmitting a MBMS and a lower layer network element for supporting scheduling and transmitting a MBMS. |
| US08797938B2 |
Multicasting system and method for vehicular communication network
Disclosed herein are a multicasting system and method for a vehicular communication network. The multicasting system includes a plurality of roadside communication devices for communicating with a plurality of vehicular communication devices. Each of the roadside communication devices includes a communication unit for communicating with the plurality of vehicular communication devices and at least one neighboring roadside communication device, a beacon analysis unit for analyzing beacon frames when a slot allocation request is received from one of the vehicular communication devices, a determination unit for searching for a period in which a slot has not been allocated and determining whether a period for allocation of a slot to the vehicular communication device is present, and a slot allocation unit for allocating a slot period for multicasting of the vehicular communication device based on results of the determination of the determination unit. |
| US08797933B2 |
Apparatuses and methods for saving power in paging operations
A mobile communication device is provided with a wireless module and a controller module. The wireless module performs wireless transceiving to and from a service network. The controller module receives, on a paging channel, a first predetermined number of symbols in a frame of a time slot via the wireless module, and determines whether to enter a standby mode according to the first predetermined number of symbols. Also, the controller module stops the receiving of subsequent symbols in the frame by deactivating the wireless module in response to entering the standby mode. |
| US08797931B2 |
Direct digital signal processor control of multi-channel scan for re-establishing connections in a wirelessly networked device
A method and system for establishing a wireless connection between a portable computer system and a wireless network, particularly when the portable computer system goes out of coverage and a wireless connection needs to be re-established. The portable computer system has a main processor and a digital signal processor (DSP). The main processor is placed in a low power mode, conserving battery power. When the portable computer system goes out of coverage, broadcast channels used by the wireless network are scanned by the DSP instead of the main processor to identify channels that have sufficient signal strength for the wireless connection. Thus, the main processor remains in the low power mode. When the DSP identifies acceptable channels, it wakes up the main processor and identifies the channels having sufficient signal strength. The main processor then establishes a wireless connection using one of the channels identified by the DSP. |
| US08797930B2 |
Scheduled peer power save mode
Embodiments of scheduled peer power save systems, devices, and methods are disclosed. For example, methods of saving power for stations configured to communicate via a direct link are provided. Embodiments of scheduled peer power save systems, devices and methods are disclosed. For example, methods of saving power for stations configured to communicate via a direct link are provided. In one embodiment, among others, a method comprises waking up, at a station and peer station, before a scheduled wakeup interval. The scheduled wakeup interval is defined relative to common timing reference at the station and the peer station. Further, in the absence of a service period between the station and the peer station, the station and the peer station stay awake until at least a predefined time period has elapsed or a predefined number of idle slots have elapsed. |
| US08797926B2 |
Networked media station
Disclosed herein is a networked media station providing a variety of features including a wireless network interface, a wired network interface, a peripheral interface, and a multimedia interface. The wireless network interface(s) allows the device to communicate to serve as a wireless base station or repeater and/or a bridge between a wireless and a wired network. The peripheral interface allows the device to communicate with a variety of peripherals, and, in conjunction with the network interface(s), allows sharing of a peripheral among multiple networked computers. The multimedia interface allows the device to be used with entertainment devices for streaming of multimedia information from a network connected computer to the entertainment device. Control of various aspects of the device is preferably controlled from a network connected computer. |
| US08797924B2 |
Method and apparatus to improve discontinuous reception (DRX) operation for TDD (time division duplex) and FDD (frequency division duplex) mode in carrier aggregation (CA)
A method and apparatus are disclosed for performing DRX (Discontinuous) operation. In one embodiment, the method comprises (i) configuring a plurality of cells for carrier aggregation, (ii) configuring the plurality of cells with a plurality of TDD (Time Division Duplex) UL-DL (Uplink-Downlink) configurations, (iii) configuring the plurality of cells for DRX operation, (iv) configuring a set of DRX timers for the plurality of cells, and (v) running the set of DRX timers for the plurality of cells. |
| US08797921B2 |
Communication terminal and method for data transmission
A communication terminal captures an image of a device having a local area wireless communication function, displays the image on a screen, and performs local area wireless communications with the device while further displaying data stored in the device on the screen. |
| US08797915B2 |
Communication nodes for use with a wireless ad-hoc communication network
Communication nodes for use with a wireless ad-hoc communication network are disclosed. In an embodiment of the present invention, the communication node comprises a transducer, which generates a signal in response to an external signal. The ad-hoc network communication is supported in part by static communication nodes, which defined an organized infrastructure network in order to achieve the various functions of the transducers. In another embodiment, the communication node for use with a wireless ad-hoc network does not include a transducer. Such communication nodes are preferred for use with a less structured network with virtually no infrastructure and allow for being used with expanding and contracting networks. Mobile communication nodes mostly support the propagation of signals. However, pseudo-static or static communication nodes are also used in wireless communication ad-hoc networks. |
| US08797914B2 |
Unified policy management for extensible virtual switches
Systems, methods, and computer storage media are described herein that configure a switch extension associated with a virtual switch with one or more settings. In response to the configuring, the systems, methods, and computer storage media persist the one or more settings and apply the persisted one or more settings to a target switch extension of a target virtual switch. The systems, methods, and computer storage media receive the settings through a management interface. Also, the systems, methods, and computer storage media receive requests for information associated with the switch extension and provide the switch extension information in response. |
| US08797912B2 |
Integration apparatus, communication network and method for integrating a network node into a communication network
Exemplary embodiments of integration apparatus, communication network and method for integrating a network node into a communication network can be provided. For example, an integration apparatus for integrating a network node into a communication network may include a monitoring device, a policy device, an identifying manager device, a linking manager device, a commissioning manager device. The monitoring device can be configured to detect activating of the network node within the communication network. The identifying manager device can be configured to identify the activated network node. Furthermore, the identifying manager device may be further configured to receive a policy from the policy device. Such exemplary policy may be configured to facilitate an integration of the identified network node into the communication network. The linking manager device can be configured to establish a link between the network node and at least the integration apparatus. Further, the commissioning manager device can be configured to use the link to configure the network node in accordance with the policy. |
| US08797908B2 |
Automated device provisioning and activation
A method and network system for obtaining, from a management entity, a service policy applicable to a device group managed by the management entity, the device group including a first device and a second device communicatively coupled to the network system over a wireless network, the service policy comprising a classification policy to assist in identifying traffic associated with one or more available service activities and a control policy to assist in controlling at least a portion of the traffic associated with the one or more available service activities; identifying data traffic over the wireless network associated with the first device; based on the classification policy, identifying first traffic associated with the one or more available service activities within the data traffic over the wireless network associated with the first device; and based on the control policy, controlling at least a portion of the first traffic. |
| US08797899B2 |
System and method for probabilistic WLAN positioning
This disclosure is directed to a wireless network node having position determination capabilities. The position of a node is determined using range measurements to other network nodes having known locations. Probability density functions modeling uncertainty factors are incorporated in the estimation algorithms to account for the dynamic nature of wireless network, including the relative motion of a node in the network. These probabilistic estimation techniques provide a solution in the form of an expectation value for the position of the network node and a variance that can be assessed to determine the validity of the position determination. |
| US08797895B2 |
Radio relay station, radio relay method, radio communication system, location management device, radio terminal, and radio communication method
Provided is a radio relay station which relays data transmitted and received by a radio base station a radio terminal in a radio communication system which employs the TDD scheme. The radio relay station receives data from the radio base station during a downlink subframe period and transmits data to the radio base station during an uplink subframe period. The radio relay station sets a remote side transmission period for transmitting data to the radio terminal in the uplink subframe period and sets a remote side reception period for receiving data from the radio terminal in the downlink subframe period. |
| US08797893B2 |
System and method for managing configuration data on a media gateway and a media gateway controller in a next generation network
A system and method for managing configuration data on a media gateway and a media gateway controller in a next generation network is disclosed. In one embodiment, in a method of managing configuration data on a media gateway (MG) and a media gateway controller (MGC) in a next generation network, it is determined whether all required configuration data is provisioned for the MG by a configuration management module residing in the next generation network upon boot up. If all the required configuration data is not pre-configured, then the configuration management module sends a message to an associated MGC requesting for configuration data. The configuration management module verifies format of the received configuration data upon receiving an acknowledgement and the configuration data by the MG. The configuration management module also stores received configuration data in the MG and provisions the MG upon a successful verification of the configuration data. |
| US08797891B2 |
System and method for capacity planning on a high speed data network
The present disclosure describes a method and system for monitoring the bandwidth utilization on a high speed data network port over time. According to the method described herein, measurements of the bandwidth utilization on the port may be taken over a predetermined time interval and analyzed to determine whether the utilization measurement equals or exceeds a predetermined upper threshold. If the port exhibits high bandwidth utilization within the time interval, an alert may be set for further monitoring of the port or for port augmentation. |
| US08797887B2 |
Treatment of data in networks
Data networks, nodes making up parts of data networks, and information are related to the characterization of paths taken by data travelling between nodes in the networks. Path characterization information is arranged to be conveyed to nodes such that it may be used by nodes subsequently forwarding data. In particular, the invention relates to nodes receiving such path characterization information from upstream nodes, deriving therefrom information indicative of characteristics of a path downstream of said nodes, and using such information to make informed decisions such as routing decisions when forwarding data onward in data networks. |
| US08797885B2 |
Method for data transmission in a local area network
A method for data transmission in a local are network, wherein data is transmitted on the Media Access Control (MAC) layer within successive time frames between a plurality of first nodes comprising client nodes to a second node comprising a coordinator node for the plurality of first nodes. A synchronizing slot for sending a synchronizing message from the second node to the first nodes includes acknowledgements for time slots used for data transmissions in previous time frames from the first nodes to the second node. The acknowledgements indicate whether a data transmission in the previous time frame was successful. Based on these acknowledgements, retransmission time slots included in the current time frame are used for retransmitting data that have not been transmitted successfully in a time slot of the previous time frame. |
| US08797884B2 |
Network communication apparatus, system and method
Aspects of the present invention are directed to data communications on a wired communication network including a plurality of network branches, each having a common communication link and a plurality of network devices connected to the network branches. Communications received from the network devices during different time slots are assessed as being error-indicative or not error-indicative. Based upon the assessment, communications received during time slots within a cycle not assessed as being error-indicative are forwarded, and communications received during time slots within the cycle assessed as being error-indicative are not forwarded. |
| US08797875B2 |
Policy controlled offloading among neighboring networks
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for controlling and distributing data traffic among neighboring access networks within a geographic area. Subscribers may be given different priorities. Requests of services by subscribers may be prioritized. Data traffic within a congested access network may be offloaded to alternate access networks based on criteria such as service types and Quality of Service requirements associated with the data traffic, subscriber priorities associated with the subscribers, software and hardware capabilities associated with the user terminals of the subscribers, and resource availabilities in the alternate access networks. |
| US08797874B2 |
Apparatus and system for packet routing and forwarding in an interior network
An apparatus comprising a network node coupled to an internal network comprising a plurality of internal nodes and configured to forward a packet designated to the internal network based on service reachability information that indicates at least one of the internal nodes for forwarding the packet to, wherein the service reachability information is sent and updated in a dynamic manner by the internal network. Also included is a network apparatus implemented method comprising receiving service reachability information from an internal network, maintaining the service reachability information in an interior Forwarding Information Base (iFIB), receiving a packet with a public destination address associated with the internal network; and forwarding the packet to appropriate locations in the internal network using the service reachability information in the iFIB. |
| US08797873B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting scheduling information in a wireless communication network
A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and a method for a WTRU to send scheduling information (SI) is disclosed. The SI may be sent in response to the having a non-zero grant smaller than needed to send a protocol data unit (PDU). |
| US08797871B2 |
Transmission control protocol (TCP) congestion control using transmission delay components
According to the present disclosure, methods and apparatus are provided to improve the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) for data such as delay sensitive or bursty data. A maximum send window is adjusted using forward queuing delay and maximum bandwidth parameters. Reverse queuing delay and the number of packets drops are not factored into generation of the maximum send window. Network buffer occupation is bounded and a congestion window is effectively varied using rate shaping and gradual size increases based at least partially on the number acknowledged packets. |
| US08797868B2 |
Energy-efficient network device with coordinated scheduling and rate control using non-zero base power
A network device of a communication network is configured to implement coordinated scheduling and processor rate control. In one aspect, packets are received in the network device and scheduled for processing from one or more queues of that device. An operating rate of a processor of the network device is controlled based at least in part on an optimal operating rate of the processor that is determined using a non-zero base power of the processor. For example, the operating rate of the processor may be controlled such that the processor either operates at or above the optimal operating rate, or is substantially turned off. The optimal operating rate of the processor may be selected so as to fall on a tangent line of a power-rate curve of the processor that also passes through an origin point of a coordinate system of the power-rate curve. |
| US08797867B1 |
Generating and enforcing a holistic quality of service policy in a network
A method may include receiving a request to establish a quality of service (QoS) policy that identifies a desired QoS associated with traffic being transported by a network; generating a QoS model based on the identified desired QoS, where the QoS model includes a class of service (CoS) and corresponding forwarding priorities associated with the traffic; retrieving a service level agreement (SLA), associated with a client device that is interconnected to a network node associated with the network, where the SLA includes a particular CoS and corresponding other forwarding priorities for packets associated with the client device; creating a QoS provisioning policy based on the QoS model and the SLA, where the creating includes mapping the CoS to the particular CoS or mapping the forwarding priorities to the other forwarding priorities; and transmitting, to the network node, the QoS provisioning policy that permits the network node to process the packets in a manner that complies with the QoS model or the SLA. |
| US08797866B2 |
Automatic adjusting of reputation thresholds in order to change the processing of certain packets
A firewall, intrusion prevention or other device automatically and dynamically adjusts packets subjected to certain rate limiting based on the reputation level associated with their source. When measured traffic increases beyond a desired amount, the range of reputation scores causing their associated packets to be subjected to this rate limiting is adjusted to throttle the measured traffic to fall within desired limits. In this manner, packet traffic with a worse reputation can be singled out for this rate limiting during a period of increased traffic. When the measured traffic subsides, the range of reputation scores can be correspondingly changed to allow more measured traffic. |
| US08797863B2 |
Mobile communication system and communication control method
A communication control method is provided which improves a wireless resource usage rate, is available to recognize a variation in wireless resource state in advance, and is available to control communication in accordance with the variation in a mobile communication system in which an MBMS and an HSDPA coexist and the same wireless resource is shared and used. A MAC-m transmits information related to a wireless resource used on an MBMS transport channel at a transmission timing of a base station to a MAC-hs before the transmission timing. The MAC-hs receives the information related to the wireless resource of the MBMS transport channel from the MAC-m. The MAC-hs calculates a wireless resource which can be used applied to data of a HSDPA transport channel at the transmission timing with using the information related to the wireless resource of the MBMS transport channel and a wireless resource to which the HSDPA transport channel is allocated. The MAC-hs controls communication of the data in accordance with the wireless resource of the calculation result. |
| US08797856B1 |
Feedback for machine to machine devices to account for failure of network elements
Wireless devices that are attempting to connect to a packet data network may be blocked from issuing connection requests to the network during periods in which, due to the failure of other network devices, the connections requests will fail. A device may particularly determine when a connection request to access a network, from a machine to machine (M2M) device, will fail or has failed. The device may create, in response to the connection request, a response to the connection request, the response including an indication that the M2M device is to be blocked, by other network devices, from accessing the network. The device may transmit the response to the connection request to the other network devices, the response to the other network devices including one or more parameters that identify a duration for which the M2M device is to be blocked and an identification of the M2M device. |
| US08797851B2 |
Locating traffic reduction utilities in communication networks
A method of locating traffic reduction entities in a communication network, optionally where at least one reduction entity is located within each network path which allows traffic flow between endpoints and central stations. The method comprises assigning a plurality of allocation cost values each estimating cost of locating of one of a plurality of traffic reduction entities on one of a plurality of intermediate nodes of a communication network, calculating a plurality of excess load cost values each calculated according to excess load cost between two adjacent intermediate nodes of the plurality of intermediate nodes, identifying a node set selected from the plurality of intermediate nodes using a target function based on the plurality of cost values and the plurality of excess load cost values, and outputting instructions for locating the plurality of traffic reduction entities on the communication network according to the node set. |
| US08797849B2 |
Redundant ethernet automatic protection switching access to virtual private LAN services
Embodiments disclosed herein provide redundant connectivity between an Ethernet Automatic Protection Switching (EAPS) access network and a Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) network. A first VPLS node is provided to function as an EAPS controller node. A second VPLS node is provided to function as an EAPS partner node. The first and second VPLS nodes are linked by a pseudowire and an EAPS shared-link. Additional EAPS nodes are also provided. The additional EAPS nodes are linked to each other and one of the additional EAPS nodes is designated as a master node. Links are also established between the VPLS nodes and the EAPS nodes such that one or more EAPS rings are formed. Each EAPS ring includes the shared-link between the first and second VPLS nodes. The EAPS rings are monitored to detect link failures. When a failure of the pseudowire shared-link between the first and second VPLS nodes is detected, all pseudowire links associated with the first VPLS node are disabled if any of the EAPS nodes has a path to both of the VPLS nodes. Otherwise, the existing pseudowire links associated with the first VPLS node are maintained. |
| US08797848B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving data in wireless communication system
Disclosed are a data transceiver and a method thereof in a wireless communication system, and particularly, is a data transceiver and method thereof using multiple routes in the wireless communication system. The data transmitting/receiving method using the multiple routes in the wireless communication system includes setting a direct route to a corresponding station and a relay route to a relay device, selecting one route from among the direct route and relay route, and transmitting/receiving data through the selected route. |
| US08797834B2 |
Objective lens, optical head, optical disk device, and information processing device
A disclosed objective lens includes: a lens having an entrance surface and an emission surface; and an anti-reflection coat formed on the emission surface, wherein a transmittance T1—0 [%] of the anti-reflection coat when an incident angle of a first laser beam having a first wavelength λ1 (390 nm≦λ1≦430 nm) is 0°, and the transmittance T1—40 [%] of the anti-reflection coat when the incident angle of the first laser beam is 40° satisfy 0.95≦T1—0/T1—40≦1.05, and a transmittance T2—0 [%] of the anti-reflection coat when an incident angle of a second laser beam having a second wavelength λ2 (630 nm≦λ2≦680 nm) is 0° and a transmittance T2—40 [%] of the anti-reflection coat when the incident angle of the second laser beam is 40° satisfy 0.85≦T2—0/T2—40≦0.97. |
| US08797833B1 |
NRZI processing methods and devices to correct for sync detection failures
New and useful methods and systems for detecting sync signals/patterns in streams of data are disclosed. For example, in an embodiment system for processing data includes a first module having dedicated processing circuitry configured to detect a sync signal embedded in a received stream of data and to produce an output stream of data, and second module that includes a firmware-controlled processor configured to correct sufficient errors within the received stream of data so as to allow the first module to detect the sync signal on a condition when the first module by itself is incapable of resolving the sync signal caused by the errors in the received stream of data. |
| US08797832B2 |
Decoding method and decoding device
A discrete Fourier transform circuit (201) calculates a first frequency spectrum in a predetermined frequency range from a detection signal in a predetermined segment. An expectation calculation circuit (202) calculates a second frequency spectrum corresponding to an expectation signal of a pattern of digital information that is present in the predetermined segment and obtained via an optical disc (100). A branch metric calculation circuit (203) calculates a difference between the first frequency spectrum and the second frequency spectrum. A maximum likelihood decoding circuit (207) decodes the digital information by selecting a pattern in which the difference between the first frequency spectrum and the second frequency spectrum is minimized as a decoding result. |
| US08797830B2 |
Explosion-proof acoustic source for hazardous locations
An explosion-proof system for generating acoustic energy. An exemplary embodiment of the system includes a main housing defining an open housing space and an opening. A cover structure is configured for removable attachment to the main housing structure to cover the opening and provide an explosion-proof housing structure. The cover structure includes an integral head mass. An acoustic energy emitting assembly includes the head mass, and an excitation assembly disposed within the explosion-proof housing structure. An electronic circuit is disposed within the explosion-proof housing structure to generate a drive signal for driving the excitation assembly to cause the acoustic energy emitting assembly to resonate and generate acoustic energy. In one embodiment the acoustic energy is a beam of ultrasonic energy useful for testing ultrasonic gas detectors. A method is also described for testing ultrasonic gas leak detectors using an ultrasonic source. |
| US08797829B2 |
Obstacle detection device
An obstacle detection device controls distance sensors to cause the distance sensors to transmit a transmission wave during a fixed time period, measures a first time which has elapsed from a time at which the transmission starts to a time at which a reflected wave is detected, and a second time which has elapsed a time at which the above-mentioned transmission is stopped to a time at which the reflected wave disappears, and determines that an obstacle exists when a time difference between the above-mentioned first time and the above-mentioned second time is equal to or shorter than a predetermined allowed time. Therefore, the obstacle detection device can reduce the time required for the determination to at least one-half that provided by a related art technique, and improves the accuracy of the detection of an object moving at a relatively high speed. |
| US08797827B2 |
Seismic acquisition system
Various technologies for a seismic acquisition system, which may include an acquisition central system configured to determine a desired start time for a sweep cycle in one or more vibrators and a recorder source system controller in communication with the acquisition central system. The recorder source system controller may be configured to receive the desired start time from the acquisition central system. The seismic acquisition system may further include one or more vibrator units in communication with the recorder source system controller. Each vibrator unit may be configured to start a sweep cycle in a vibrator at the desired start time. |
| US08797822B2 |
Semiconductor device including plural chips stacked to each other
A method for accessing a plurality of DRAM devices each having a plurality of banks, includes determining an operating mode for the plurality of DRAM devices, providing a chip selection address and a bank address with an active command to activate a first bank in a first one of the plurality of DRAM devices and, while the first bank in the first one of the plurality of DRAM devices is activated, one or more first banks in remaining DRAM devices of the plurality of DRAM devices are: not activated if the operating mode is determined to be a logical rank address mode, and possibly activated if the operating mode is determined to be a physical rank address mode, and subsequently providing at least a bank address with a column command to access the first bank in the first one of the plurality of DRAM devices. |
| US08797815B2 |
Measuring device and a measuring method with histogram formation
A measuring device for the efficient storage of test values and associated addresses provides a first storage region (30) and a second storage region (33). The first storage region (30) comprises a first number of memory cells (32) of a first cell size (31). The second storage region (33) comprises a second number of memory cells (35) of a second cell size (34). The measuring device further provides a third storage region (36) made from a second number of memory cells (38). A memory cell (38) of the third storage region (36) is rigidly assigned to each memory cell (35) of the second storage region (33). A control unit stores test values in the storage regions in a cumulative manner, separated according to addresses, for storing the test values only in the first storage region, if the test value for the respective address does not exceed the first cell size, for storing test values which exceed the first cell size jointly in memory cells of the first storage region and memory cells of the third storage region, and for storing associated addresses of the test values which exceed the first cell size in the corresponding memory cells of the second storage region. |
| US08797813B2 |
Method and apparatus for memory power and/or area reduction
A method and apparatus for memory power and/or area reduction. An array of memory cells may be scanned to detect faulty memory cells, if any, in the array. A supply voltage Vmem applied to the array of memory cells may be controlled based on a result of the scan, and based on a sensitivity coefficient of one, or more, of the array of memory cells. The sensitivity coefficient may indicate an impact that the one, or more, of the array of memory cells being faulty may have on the performance of a device that reads and writes data to the memory array. Additionally or alternatively, the physical dimensions of the memory cells may be determined based on the sensitivity coefficient(s) and/or based on a number of faulty memory cells that can be tolerated in the array of memory cells. |
| US08797810B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit with thick gate oxide word line driving circuit
A semiconductor integrated circuit according to one aspect of the present invention may includes a plurality of driving circuits to drive a respective plurality of word lines with either a first voltage supplied from a first power supply or a second voltage supplied from a second power supply in accordance with a control signal, and a plurality of gate transistors in each of which a gate is connected to one of the plurality of word lines, and a connection state between a storage node and a bit line is changed based on the voltage provided to the word line connected to the gate. In the semiconductor integrated circuit, a gate oxide film of each of the plurality of gate transistors is thinner than a gate oxide film of each of transistors constituting the plurality of driving circuits. |
| US08797808B2 |
Semiconductor device and semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor device includes: a non-volatile memory unit; a data bus configured to transfer data outputted from the non-volatile memory unit; a selection signal generation unit configured to generate a plurality of selection signals based on a clock; and a plurality of latch sets configured to each be enabled in response to a selection signal that corresponds to the latch set among the selection signals and store the data transferred through the data bus. |
| US08797807B2 |
Semiconductor memory and semiconductor memory control method
According to one embodiment, the semiconductor memory includes a memory cell array which includes memory cells to store data, a buffer circuit which includes latches, each of the latches including transistors as control elements and a flip-flop, and a control circuit which turns off the transistors to deactivate one or more of the latches. |
| US08797806B2 |
Apparatus and methods including source gates
Apparatus and methods are disclosed, such as an apparatus that includes a string of charge storage devices associated with a pillar (e.g., of semiconductor material), a source gate device, and a source select device coupled between the source gate device and the string. Additional apparatus and methods are described. |
| US08797801B2 |
Non-volatile semiconductor memory device
In performing a read operation of a memory transistor, a control circuit supplies a first voltage to a selected word line connected to a selected memory transistor. A second voltage is supplied to a non-selected word line connected to a non-selected memory transistor other than the selected memory transistor, the second voltage being higher than the first voltage. A third voltage is supplied to a bit line. A fourth voltage lower than the third voltage is supplied to, among source lines, a selected source line connected to a memory string including the selected memory transistor in a selected memory block. A fifth voltage substantially the same as the third voltage is supplied to, among the source lines, a non-selected source line connected to a non-selected memory string in the selected memory block. |
| US08797800B1 |
Select gate materials having different work functions in non-volatile memory
In a 3D stacked non-volatile memory device, multiple smaller drain-end selected gate (SGD) transistors replace one larger SGD transistor. The SGD transistors have different work functions in their control gates so that, during a programming operation, a discontinuous channel potential is created in an inhibited NAND string. The SGD transistor closest to the bit line has a higher work function so that the channel potential under it is lower, and the next SGD transistor has a lower work function so that the channel potential under it is higher. The different work functions can be provided by using different control gate materials for the SGD transistors. One option uses p+ polysilicon and n+ polysilicon to provide higher and lower work functions, respectively. Metal or metal silicide can also be used. A single SGD transistor with different control gate materials could also be used. |
| US08797798B2 |
Flash EEPROM system with simultaneous multiple data sector programming and storage of physical block characteristics in other designated blocks
A non-volatile memory system is formed of floating gate memory cells arranged in blocks as the smallest unit of memory cells that are erasable together. One feature is the storage in separate blocks of the characteristics of a large number of blocks of cells in which user data is stored. These characteristics for user data blocks being accessed may, during operation of the memory system by its controller, be stored in a random access memory for ease of access and updating. A typical form of the memory system is as a card that is removably connectable with a host system but may alternatively be implemented in a memory embedded in a host system. The memory cells may be operated with multiple states in order to store more than one bit of data per cell. |
| US08797795B2 |
Methods and apparatus for intercell interference mitigation using modulation coding
Methods and apparatus are provided for intercell interference mitigation using modulation coding. During programming of a flash memory, a modulation encoding is performed that selects one or more levels for programming the flash memory such that a reduced number of cells in the flash memory are programmed with a value that violates one or more predefined criteria. During a reading of a flash memory, a modulation decoding is performed that assigns one or more levels to cells in the flash memory such that a reduced number of cells in the flash memory are read with a value that violates one or more predefined criteria. The predefined criteria can be based, for example, on one or more of an amount of disturbance caused by the programmed cell; a voltage shift of a programmed cell: a voltage stored by a programmed cell; an amount of change in current through a programmed cell; and an amount of current through a programmed cell. |
| US08797793B2 |
Self-referenced MRAM element with linear sensing signal
The present disclosure concerns a self-referenced MRAM element, comprising a magnetic tunnel junction having a magnetoresistance, comprising: a storage layer having a storage magnetization that is pinned along a first direction when the magnetic tunnel junction is at a low temperature threshold; a sense layer having a sense magnetization; and a tunnel barrier layer included between the storage layer and the sense layer; and an aligning device arranged for providing the sense magnetization with a magnetic anisotropy along a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction such that the sense magnetization is adjusted about the second direction; the aligning device being further arranged such that, when a first read magnetic field is provided, a resistance variation range of the magnetic tunnel junction is at least about 20% of the magnetoresistance. The self-referenced MRAM cell can be read with an increased reliability and has reducing power consumption. |
| US08797791B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit device with reduced leakage current
The gate tunnel leakage current is increased in the up-to-date process, so that it is necessary to reduce the gate tunnel leakage current in the LSI which is driven by a battery for use in a cellular phone and which needs to be in a standby mode at a low leakage current. In a semiconductor integrated circuit device, the ground source electrode lines of logic and memory circuits are kept at a ground potential in an active mode, and are kept at a voltage higher than the ground potential in an unselected standby mode. The gate tunnel leakage current can be reduced without destroying data. |
| US08797790B1 |
Memory elements with soft error upset immunity
Memory elements are provided that exhibit immunity to soft error upset events when subjected to radiation strikes such as high-energy atomic particle strikes. Each memory element may each have four inverter-like transistor pairs that form a bistable element, a pair of address transistors, and a pair of relatively weak transistors connected between two of the inverters that create a common output node which is resistant to rapid changes to its state. The transistors may be connected in a pattern that forms a bistable memory element that is resistant to soft error upset events due to radiation strikes. Data may be loaded into and read out of the memory element using the address transistor pair. |
| US08797789B2 |
Sense amplifier
Embodiments of the invention provide a sense amplifier, a SRAM chip comprising the sense amplifier and a method for conducting read operation on a SRAM cell. The sense amplifier according to an embodiment of the invention comprises a cross coupling circuit, a tail current transistor and an output stage, wherein source of the tail current transistor is connected to a negative level. With the scheme according to embodiments of the invention, speed of the sense amplifier can be enhanced, thereby increasing read speed of the SRAM chip. |
| US08797788B2 |
Semiconductor device
A nonvolatile memory is provided. A semiconductor device (a nonvolatile memory) has a circuit configuration similar to that of a general SRAM. By providing a transistor whose off-state current is small between a stored data holding portion and a power supply line of the SRAM, leakage of electric charge from the stored data holding portion is prevented. As the transistor whose off-state current is small provided for preventing leakage of electric charge from the stored data holding portion, a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film is preferably used. Such a configuration can also be applied to a shift register, whereby a shift register with low power consumption can be obtained. |
| US08797787B2 |
Semiconductor manufacturing method
A memory bit cell includes a latch, a write port coupled to the latch, and a read port coupled to the latch. The write port includes a first set of devices having a first threshold voltage and a second set of devices having a second threshold voltage that is greater than the first threshold voltage. The read port includes a third set of devices having a third threshold voltage that is less than the first threshold voltage. |
| US08797786B2 |
Static RAM
A static RAM includes a plurality of word lines, a plurality of global bit line pairs, a plurality of static-type memory cells, a plurality of sense amplifiers, a plurality of local bit line pairs provided in correspondence with each global bit line pair, and a plurality of global switches, wherein the plurality of static-type memory cells is connected to the corresponding local bit line pair in response to a row selection signal, and at the time of read, the row selection signal is applied to the word line and after the corresponding local bit line pair is brought into a state corresponding to contents stored in the memory cell, application of the row selection signal is stopped and then the corresponding global switch is brought into a connection state and after changing the state of the global bit line pair, the corresponding sense amplifier is operated. |
| US08797785B2 |
Semiconductor device
Provided is a memory device in which memory capacity per unit area is increased without making the manufacturing process complicated. The memory device includes a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of word lines, and a plurality of bit lines. Each of the plurality of memory cells includes a switching element and a capacitor including a first electrode and a second electrode. In at least one of the plurality of memory cells, in accordance with a potential applied to one of the plurality of word lines, the switching element controls a connection between one of the plurality of bit lines and the first electrode, and the second electrode is connected to another one of the plurality of word lines. |
| US08797782B2 |
Semiconductor device and operation method thereof
An operation method of a semiconductor device, includes providing one or more memory elements each including a first semiconductor layer, second and third semiconductor layers, a dielectric film and a conductive film, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode, and performing operation of writing information on a memory element to be driven of the one or more memory elements. The operation of writing is performed by forming a filament in a region between the second and third semiconductor layers, which is a conductive path electrically linking these semiconductor layers, the filament being formed by causing a dielectric breakdown of at least a part of the dielectric film, through application of a voltage equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold between the second and third electrodes, thereby causing an electric current to flow between the conductive film and the third semiconductor layer. |
| US08797770B2 |
System and method for capacitive DC-DC converter with variable input and output voltages
A capacitive voltage converter comprising a switched capacitor array having a voltage input and a voltage output. A skip gating control coupled to the switched capacitor array and configured to control a switching activity of the switched capacitor array. A resistance look-up table coupled to the switched capacitor array and configured to control a resistance value of the switched capacitor array. |
| US08797766B2 |
Power supply with tickle pulse injection
A power supply injects a series of “tickle” pulses into a pulse width modulated (PWM) controller to induce the controller to generate PWM pulses at a minimum switching frequency, preferably one that is super-sonic (especially for audio applications). The switching frequency may also be selected or controlled such that it avoids resonances in the power supply. The “tickle” pulses may be clocked by the same clock that times the PWM controller, and they may be shaped to help ensure that the power supply maintains some regulation during low-load conditions. |
| US08797763B2 |
Shield structure for an electronic element and electronic device
A shield structure for an electronic element, includes a ground pattern provided in a board; and a first member having electrical conductivity, covering the electronic element, and connected with the ground pattern. |
| US08797759B2 |
Electronic module and communication apparatus
An electronic module with excellent electrical characteristics includes an electronic component, a mount board, signal electrodes, a ground electrode, and an insulating layer. The electronic component is mounted on a first main surface of the mount board. The signal electrodes and the ground electrode are located on a second main surface of the mount board. The insulating layer is arranged so as to cover a portion of the second main surface of the mount board. The insulating layer is arranged so as not to cover end portions of the signal electrodes that face the ground electrode. |
| US08797757B2 |
Wiring substrate and manufacturing method thereof
A wiring substrate includes plural insulating layers including an outermost insulating layer; and plural wiring layers which are alternately laminated between the insulating layers and include outermost wiring layers exposed from the outermost insulating layer and through wirings having electrode pads on end portions of the through wirings and penetrating through the outermost insulating layer, wherein the electrode pads of the through wirings are exposed from the outermost insulating layer, and a part of the outermost wiring layers overlaps the end portions of the through wirings and is connected to the through wirings. |
| US08797756B2 |
Integrated overmolded interconnect tab for surface-mounted circuits
An integrated interconnect tab that provides a mechanically repeatable connection point to electrical components mounted on a printed circuit board. The integrated interconnect tab comprises a conductive pad surrounded by a vertical sidewall structure formed in an overmolded insulating layer. In one embodiment, a large pad accommodates connections to high-power circuit elements such as batteries and high-voltage capacitors. The sidewall structure helps align and guide the position of an interconnecting device such as a wire ribbon connector, facilitating automation of a subsequent attachment process. An automated method of making a PCB assembly having integrated interconnect tabs entails attaching circuit elements and interconnect tabs to a surface of a PCB substrate, encapsulating the attached components, and selectively machining the encapsulating layer to expose weld tabs, to form the vertical sidewall structure surrounding the tabs, and to create mechanical retention features to aid in welding. |
| US08797755B2 |
Wiring board and manufacturing method of wiring board
There is provided a wiring board including a first stiffener, one face of which is bonded to a circuit board, a second stiffener having a disposition hole in which an electronic component is disposed, and a laminate that is formed by laminating a plurality of insulating layers and a plurality of wiring layers between the other face of the first stiffener and one face of the second stiffener, and includes a terminal connection part that is connected to the wiring layers, positioned in the disposition hole, and connected to a terminal part of the electronic component. |
| US08797748B2 |
Electronic devices with tubular flexible circuitry
An electronic device may be provided that has flexible circuitry such as spiral wrapped flexible circuitry. Flexible circuitry may be connected to one or more sides of an electronic component such as rigid printed circuit board or coupled between a rigid printed circuit board an another device component. Flexible circuitry may include an adhesive strip for maintaining a spiral wrap configuration of the flexible circuitry. An adhesive strip may be covered by a removable protective liner during manufacturing of an electronic device so that the flexible circuitry may be tested in a flat, unrolled configuration prior to installation in the electronic device. Flexible circuitry may include a conductive layer configured to form an electromagnetic shield for an electronic component mounted in the spiral wrap. Flexible circuitry may be wrapped around an elongated support member that is mounted along an edge of the electronic component. |
| US08797747B2 |
Electronic control unit
A control circuit is molded with a package portion and connected with first terminals. A wiring portion includes second terminals connected with the first terminals and partially molded with a molded portion. The molded portion includes a first fitting portion surrounding the control circuit. A cover portion includes a second fitting portion fitted to the first fitting portion to cover the control circuit. The first and second fitting portions form a gap therebetween. The gap extends in a crank form along a first direction and extends in a crank form along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction. |
| US08797744B2 |
Device mounting systems and methods
A device mounting system is provided. The device 720 can include a plurality of device mounting posts 730, 740. The system can further include a transition member 100 including an transition mounting feature 150 and at least one receiver 140 adapted to accommodate a first portion of the device mounting features 730. The system can also include a backing member 100 comprising at least one receiver 140 adapted to accommodate the remaining portion of the device mounting features 740 and a transition mounting receiver 240 adapted to accommodate, the transition mounting feature 150. |
| US08797743B2 |
Fixing structure for heat source element and heat conducting member, and method of fixing heat source element and heat conducting member
An electronic device mounted on a circuit board and accommodated in a housing includes a heat source element accommodated in the housing and mounted on the circuit board, and a heat conducting member accommodated in the housing. The heat conducting member is movably mounted on the circuit board. An elastic member fixes the heat source element and the heat conducting member in abutment with each other. The elasticity of the elastic member permits variations in the relative positions of the heat source element and the heat conducting member while maintaining the abutment of the heat source element and the heat conducting member. |
| US08797740B2 |
Multi-rack assembly method with shared cooling unit
A multi-rack assembly is provided which includes first and second electronics racks. The first electronics rack includes one or more cooling units disposed within the first electronics rack, which are coupled in fluid communication with a primary coolant loop of the first electronics rack to, at least in part, provide cooled coolant to the primary coolant loop and facilitate cooling one or more first rack electronic components. The second electronics rack includes a secondary coolant loop coupled in fluid communication with the cooling unit(s) disposed within the first electronics rack. The multi-rack assembly further includes a controller to automatically provide cooled coolant to the secondary coolant loop, and wherein the controller controls flow of cooled coolant from the cooling unit(s) to the secondary coolant loop depending, at least in part, on cooling requirements of the first electronics rack. |
| US08797737B2 |
Display unit and vending machine having the same
A display unit and a vending machine having the same. The display unit includes a display panel to display an image, a circuit board to control the display panel, a board bracket installed at a rear of the display panel and formed with a receiving section to receive the circuit board, and a plurality of inlet holes and a plurality of outlet holes formed in opposite surfaces of the board bracket to allow external air to flow through the receiving section. The air travels through the inlet and outlet holes and passes through the receiving section in one direction to cool the display panel and the circuit board. Thus, the display unit is prevented from malfunctioning and the display panel is prevented from being degraded by heat even if tempered glass is installed at a front of the display panel. |
| US08797736B2 |
Casing and server using the same
A casing includes a casing module and a support module. The casing module includes two side plates spaced apart from each other, a top-plate unit disposed between and perpendicular to the side plates, and a bottom plate spaced apart from and parallel to the top-plate unit. The side plates, the top-plate unit and the bottom plate define a first accommodating space for receiving a first electronic device. The support module is disposed between the top-plate unit and the bottom plate, and is removably caught in the top-plate unit to divide the first accommodating space into two second accommodating spaces for receiving two second electronic devices that differ in size from the first electronic device. |
| US08797732B2 |
Server backplane
A server structure includes a chassis including at least one partition oriented in a plane, and a backplane tray slideably supported by the chassis in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the at least one partition. The at least one partition forms a bay to receive at least one module, and the backplane tray supports a backplane including at least one electrical connector for the at least one module. |
| US08797731B2 |
Expansion card mounting apparatus
An expansion card mounting apparatus includes a side wall, a support plate, a slot cover, and a retaining member. The side wall defines an expansion card slot. The support plate is connected to the side wall and located above the expansion card slot. The slot cover includes a cover body, a fixing portion extending from the cover body, and a plurality of contact points extending from the cover body. The slot cover covers the expansion card slot with the fixing portion contacting the support plate and the plurality of contact points contacting the side wall. The retaining member includes a main body and a pressing plate connected to the main body. The main body is secured on the side wall. The pressing plate is located on the fixing portion to fix the fixing portion between the pressing plate and the support plate. |
| US08797726B2 |
Electronic apparatus
An electronic apparatus including a main body and a detachable input device is provided. The main body has a first connecting interface. The detachable input device has an input interface and a second connecting interface. When the detachable input device is installed on the main body, the first connecting interface contacts the second connecting interface, and the detachable input device transmits signals to the main body through the first connecting interface and the second connecting interface, and receives electric power from the main body through the first connecting interface and the second connecting interface. When the detachable input device is detached from the main body, the first connecting interface is separate from the second connecting interface, and the detachable input device transmits signals to the main body in a wireless manner. |
| US08797725B2 |
Power adapter device provided with a mouse pad
A power adapter device is to be applied to an electronic device, and includes a power adapter and a carrying pad. The power adapter includes a power adapter body, which has a pad-connecting end and a pad-storing end opposite to said pad-connecting end. The carrying pad has a free end, and an adapter-connecting end opposite to the free end and connected to the pad-connecting end. The carrying pad is switchable with respect to the power adapter body between an unfolded state, where the carrying pad is unfolded at one side of the power adapter body with the free end remote from the power adapter body, and a stored state, where the carrying pad is folded toward the power adapter body with the free end being close to the pad-storing end. |
| US08797724B2 |
Notification appliance enclosure
A notification appliance enclosure that facilitates convenient attachment and removal of a housing. The enclosure may include a mounting plate having a catch lip and a retaining wedge projecting from a surface thereof. The catch lip and the retaining wedge may be spaced apart to define a retaining pocket therebetween, and the catch lip may have a latch release aperture formed therethrough. A housing may fit over the mounting plate and may have a latch tongue extending from a surface thereof fits within the retaining pocket. A release latch may extend from a surface of latch tongue and may fit within the latch release aperture. The engagement between the release latch and the latch release aperture prevents the housing from being pulled away from the mounting plate. The retaining wedge resists movement of the latch tongue and thereby resists disengagement of the release latch from the latch release aperture. |
| US08797723B2 |
Providing additional electrical functionality to a node
An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a system, which may include a faceplate and an electrical receptacle or switch. The faceplate may include a panel having a first surface, a second surface, and an opening defined in the panel providing communication between the first and second surfaces. The faceplate may also include an interrupter extending from the first surface of the panel having at least two interrupter contacts thereon and a first electrical circuit operatively coupled to the interrupter contacts. The electrical receptacle or switch may include a housing and a second electrical circuit, wherein the second electrical circuit is in communication with the first electrical circuit when the faceplate is mounted on the electrical receptacle or switch and the interrupter is configured to interrupt the second electrical circuit. |
| US08797718B2 |
Cabinet for a power distribution system
A power distribution system comprising a cabinet configured to hold electronic components therein. An outside surface of the cabinet has one or more electrical termination contacts thereon such that a surface of the electrical termination contacts is part of the outside surface. The electrical termination contacts are configured to be coupled to an external DC power source at the outside surface. |
| US08797717B2 |
Electrodes and electric double layer capacitance devices comprising an activated carbon cryogel
The present application is directed to electric double layer capacitance (EDLC) devices. In one aspect, the present application is directed to an electrode comprising an activated carbon cryogel having a tunable pore structure wherein: the surface area is at least 1500 m2/g as determined by nitrogen sorption at 77K and BET analysis; and the pore structure comprises a pore volume ranging from about 0.01 cc/g to about 0.25 cc/g for pores having a pore diameter of 0.6 to 1.0 nm. In another aspect, the present application is directed to an Electric Double Layer Capacitor (EDLC) device comprising an activated cryogel. |
| US08797716B2 |
Electrochemical cell
An electric double-layer capacitor is provided in which an upper end portion of a recessed container is sealed by a sealing plate. An electrode and an electrode are accommodated in a hollow portion formed by a recessed portion and the sealing plate. One step portion is formed in the middle of one inner peripheral surface of the recessed portion, and another step portion is formed in the middle of the other opposing inner peripheral surface. The one step portion and said another step portion are formed at the same height, and upper surfaces of those step portions exist on the same plane. |
| US08797715B2 |
Capacitor with parallel nanotubes
Technologies are generally described for a capacitor device that includes parallel nanotubes. Such a capacitor device may include two parallel electrodes, each of which includes an array of nanotubes that extends from the surface of the respective electrode towards the other electrode. The nanotubes can be substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the electrode from which they extend. The space between the electrodes and the nanotubes can be filled with an electrolyte or dielectric material, for example, a solution of an electrolyte solute in a suitable solvent. Such a capacitor device can have high electrode surface area but can avoid pore effects, in comparison to high surface area porous electrodes which do not have interpenetrating electrodes. |
| US08797714B2 |
Cables for patient monitoring and related systems with integrated front end
Patient monitoring systems can include a system for transmitting information from a patient parameter sensor to a patient monitor. The system can include an analog-to-digital converter close to the patient parameter sensor and can transmit digital signals through a cable to the patient monitor. |
| US08797713B2 |
Laminated ceramic capacitor
Provided is a laminated ceramic capacitor that can suppress the decrease in insulation resistance after a moisture-resistance loading test. It contains ceramic layers which include: main-phase grains that have a perovskite-type compound containing Ba and Ti and optionally containing Ca, Sr, Zr, and Hf; and secondary-phase grains that have an average grain size of 100 nm or more and have a Si content of 50 mol % or more per grain, the average grain boundary number, represented by (Average Thickness for Ceramic Layers 3)/(Average Grain Size for Main Phase Grains)−1, is greater than 0 and 3.0 or less, and the average grain size for the secondary-phase grains is ¼ or more of the average thickness for the ceramic layers 3. |
| US08797711B2 |
Electronic component and producing method thereof
A region where a plating film constituting an external electrode is formed can be accurately controlled in an electronic component in which the external electrode is formed by directly plating a particular region in a surface of a component body. In a component body, a bump is provided in a position in which a region where an external electrode should be formed is partitioned. In a plating process, growth of the plating film constituting the external electrode is substantially stopped or delayed in the bump. As a result, a termination point of the growth of the plating film constituting the external electrode can be accurately controlled in the position of the bump. |
| US08797708B2 |
Monolithic ceramic electronic component including outer-layer dummy electrode groups
Two or more outer-layer dummy conductors are successively arranged at predetermined intervals in the height direction, thereby forming a plurality of outer-layer dummy groups. Given that an interval between the adjacent outer-layer dummy conductors within each of the outer-layer dummy groups is d and an interval between the adjacent outer-layer dummy groups is g, g is greater than d. On that condition, the outer-layer dummy groups can be positioned satisfactorily apart away from each other, while plating deposition points are ensured. As a result, pressing of inner electrodes through the outer-layer dummy conductors can be relieved, whereby the distance between the inner electrodes can be prevented from being locally shortened and a reduction of BDV can be prevented. |
| US08797707B2 |
Systems and methods of power conversion for electrostatic precipitators
The disclosed technology describes methods and apparatus to convert and control power provided to a precipitator. An example embodiment of the disclosed technology includes a method for providing power to a device. The method includes receiving a first silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) signal and a second SCR signal from a controller device, generating a demand signal by the controller device based on a comparison of the first and second SCR signals, transmitting the demand signal to a power converter device, converting a first power signal from a first base frequency to a second power signal at a second base frequency, wherein the first base frequency is in the range of approximately 50 Hz to approximately 60 Hz and wherein the second base frequency is controlled in the range of approximately 100 Hz to approximately 1000 Hz, and switching the second power signal to the controller device. |
| US08797706B2 |
Heated annulus chuck
A clamping device and method is provided for securing first and second workpieces having different sizes to a clamping device and providing thermal conditioning thereto. An electrostatic clamping plate having a diameter associated with the first workpiece surrounds a central portion of the clamp. A non-electrostatic central portion provides a heater within the annulus, wherein the central portion has a diameter associated with the second workpiece. A workpiece carrier is provided, wherein the workpiece carrier is configured to hold the second workpiece above the heater, and wherein a diameter of the workpiece carrier is associated with the electrostatic clamping plate annulus. The annulus selectively electrostatically clamps the workpiece carrier or a circumferential portion of the first workpiece to its clamping surface, therein selectively maintaining a position of the first or second workpiece with respect to the annulus or non-electrostatic central portion. |
| US08797704B2 |
Air blowing device and ion generating apparatus
A space-saving mounting structure of an air blower having a vibration-insulating function is achieved to reduce a size of an ion generating apparatus. A holding case that holds an air blower and a mount having an air blowing duct are provided in a body case. A cushioning member is provided on an outer surface of a fan casing of the air blower. The air blower is held between the holding case mounted to the body case and the mount as a part of the body case. Two mounting members are formed on the fan casing. One mounting member is held between a pair of regulating members and formed on the holding case. The other mounting member is held between regulating members and formed on the holding case and the mount, respectively. |
| US08797700B2 |
Apparatus for detecting temperature of switching elements
A temperature detecting apparatus includes an integrated circuit that integrates an overheating detecting circuit, a breakage detecting circuit and a disabling circuit, and an element connection terminal connecting a temperature sensing element. The disabling circuit disables the breakage detecting circuit from detecting a breakage of wire when a voltage at the element connection exceeds a disabling threshold which is set higher than an overheating detection threshold and a breakage detection threshold. A predetermined voltage higher than the disabling threshold is applied to the element connection terminal when the temperature sensing element is not connected to the element connection terminal. |
| US08797692B1 |
Magnetic recording sensor with AFM exchange coupled shield stabilization
A magnetic recording sensor with AFM exchange coupled shield stabilization for use in a data storage device includes a read sensor positioned between a bottom shield and a top shield. The top shield comprises a first ferromagnetic (FM) layer, a coupling layer, and a second FM layer. An exchange coupling insertion layer is provided between the second FM layer and an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer above. In an embodiment of the invention, the exchange coupling insertion layer comprises CoFe with a Fe content from about 35-45 at. %, and thickness from about 1 nm to about 3 nm. In another embodiment of the invention, the exchange coupling insertion layer comprises a bi-layer, including first sub-layer comprising CoFe with Fe content from about 8-12 at. %, and second sub-layer comprising CoFe with Fe content from about 35-45 at. %, and the bi-layer has a thickness less than about 4 nm. |
| US08797691B1 |
Disk drive head suspension with a single piezoelectric element adhered to rotary-actuated and non-actuated portions of a structural layer of a tongue of a laminated flexure
A disk drive head gimbal assembly includes a laminated flexure with a tongue having an actuated portion that rotates about an axis of rotation by expansion of an adhered piezoelectric element. A non-actuated portion of the tongue adjoins and forms a bridge between two outrigger beams, with a dimple contact location that is in contact with a dimple of the load beam and through which the axis of rotation passes. The piezoelectric element has an anchored end that is adhered to the non-actuated portion of the tongue, and an opposing actuated end adhered to the actuated portion. The actuated portion of the tongue includes first and second head mounting plates that are each adhered to the read head. Each of the head mounting plates is connected to the non-actuated portion of the tongue by an elongated compliant member that is oriented radially with respect to the dimple contact location. |
| US08797678B1 |
Spindle motor and disk drive apparatus
In a spindle motor, a shaft portion includes a columnar portion, an annular portion, and a recessed portion. A cap portion includes a flat plate portion and a projecting portion. The recessed portion includes a first side surface and a second side surface arranged radially outside the first side surface. A lower end portion of the projecting portion is arranged inside the recessed portion. The first side surface is arranged opposite to an inner circumferential surface of the projecting portion with a first region intervening therebetween. The second side surface is arranged opposite to an outer circumferential surface of the projecting portion with a second region intervening therebetween. A bottom portion of the recessed portion is arranged opposite to the lower end portion of the projecting portion with a third region intervening therebetween. |
| US08797672B2 |
Dynamic track pitch control for shingled magnetic recording (SMR)
SMR disk drives are described that adjust track pitch or magnetic write width to compensate for external temperature effects. In one embodiment track pitch is increased when the media temperature increases. The temperature of magnetic media during write operations can be determined from the drives' temperature sensor. In other embodiments track pitch is adjusted based on the magnetic write width (MWW) which is determined from read-back testing of previously written data tracks. In an alternative embodiment, the width of the MWW is adjusted instead of the track pitch. The various factors that affect the MWW that can be used to increase or decrease the MWW, including write current characteristics and when available thermal-assistance parameters. |
| US08797665B2 |
Systems and methods for channel quality determination
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data processing. For example, a data processing system is disclosed that includes: a data detector circuit, a filter circuit, and a mean squared calculation circuit. The data detector circuit is operable to apply a data detection algorithm to a data set to yield a detected output. The filter circuit is operable to filter the detected output to yield a filtered output. The mean squared calculation circuit is operable to calculate a mean squared error value based at least in part on the data set and the filtered output. A quality indicator is generated at least in part on the mean squared error value. |
| US08797664B1 |
Polarity detection of piezoelectric actuator in disk drive
Determining a polarity of a piezoelectric (PZT) actuator of a disk drive including a disk for storing data and a head for reading and writing data. A test signal is injected into the PZT actuator and a position signal is received which indicates a position of the head over the disk resulting from the test signal. A test compensation signal is generated based on the received position signal and the polarity of the PZT actuator is determined based on a phase of the generated test compensation signal. |
| US08797649B2 |
Achromatic lens system and optical apparatus
An achromatic lens system is provided with a cemented resin lens having positive refractive power constructed by a resin lens L11 having positive refractive power cemented with a resin lens L12 having negative refractive power, and a close-contact multi-layer type diffractive optical element L11E, the diffractive optical element L11E being disposed to an image side of the cemented resin lens, the diffractive optical element L11E being constructed by cementing two diffractive element members DE11, DE12 each made of different optical materials with each other, and the cemented surface thereof being a diffractive optical surface Gf on which grooves of a diffraction grating are formed, there by being lightweight and easily manufactured, capable of excellently correcting chromatic aberration and spherical aberration at the same time. |
| US08797648B2 |
Portable light filtering device and method
A portable light filtering device includes at least two sheets of polarized film material. Each of the at least two sheets are mounted on separate mounting rings that rotate relative to one another such that when the lines of polarization are perpendicular to one another, the amount of light that can pass through is minimized and when the lines of polarization are parallel, the amount of light that can pass through is maximized. The separate mounting rings are held together in a rotational relationship and include a mounting bracket to removeably attach the device to a car window, to the ledge of a car door or to any desired window from which light screening is desired. |
| US08797645B2 |
Method and configuration for the optical detection of an illuminated specimen
A method for the optical detection of an illuminated specimen, wherein the illuminating light impinges in a spatially structured manner in at least one plane on the specimen and several images of the specimen are acquired by a detector in different positions of the structure on the specimen. An optical sectional image and/or an image with enhanced resolution is then calculated. The method includes generating a diffraction pattern in the direction of the specimen in or near the pupil of the objective lens or in a plane conjugate to the pupil. A phase plate with regions of varying phase delays is dedicated to the diffraction pattern in or near the pupil of the objective lens or in a plane conjugate to said pupil, and different phase angles of the illuminating light are set. |
| US08797642B2 |
Large mode area optical fiber
A large-mode-area (LMA) optical fiber (10) that operates as a single-mode optical fiber. The optical fiber includes a core region (20) surrounded by an inner cladding (32), which in turn is surrounded by an outer cladding (40). The inner cladding includes at least one up-doped ring region (32R1). The ring region is configured to form a large attenuation differential between the higher-order modes and the fundamental mode so only that the fundamental mode remains traveling in the optical fiber. If necessary, the optical fiber can include a bend (10B) having a select “resonant” bend diameter (DB) that increases the relative attenuation of the fundamental and higher-order modes. The optical fiber supports an effective mode field diameter (MFD) of up to 40 μm to 50 μm. As a result, detrimental non-linear effects are suppressed, which allows the optical fiber to carry substantially more optical power than conventional LMA optical fibers. The LMA optical fiber is thus eminently suited for a number of optical-fiber-based applications calling for high optical power, such as fiber lasers and pump sources for wavelength conversion. |
| US08797641B2 |
Pulse-width converting apparatus and optical amplifying system
An input light pulse Pi, input at a constant incident angle to a transmission-type diffraction grating 20, is dispersed according to the wavelengths to be output at output angles according to the wavelengths, to be reflected by reflecting mirrors 41, 42, and 43 in series, and thereafter, the light rays are input at incident angles according to their wavelengths to the transmission-type diffraction grating 20, to be output at a constant output angle from the transmission-type diffraction grating 20. The optical path for the light rays of respective wavelength components, output at the constant output angle from the transmission-type diffraction grating 20, is folded back by a rectangular prism 40, to be input at a constant incident angle to the transmission-type diffraction grating 20, and the light rays are output at output angles according to their wavelengths, to be reflected by the reflecting mirrors 43, 42, and 41 in series, and are thereafter input at incident angles according to their wavelengths to the transmission-type diffraction grating 20. The light rays, input at the incident angles according to their wavelengths to the transmission-type diffraction grating 20, are coupled by the transmission-type diffraction grating 20, to be output as an output light pulse Po. Thereby, realizing the pulse width conversion device and the optical amplifier system, which are easily downsized. |
| US08797640B2 |
Method of performing target Raman gain locking and Raman fiber amplifier
An embodiment of the present invention discloses a method of performing target Raman gain locking and a Raman fiber amplifier. The Raman fiber amplifier comprises a coupler (1) and a control unit (15), wherein the control unit comprises a target gain locking module. A detection circuit formed by filters and optical power detectors is connected between an output side of the coupler (1) and an input side of the control unit (15). Said method uses the control unit (15) to adjust power of the pump laser, making the detected out-of-band ASE power value reach target out-of-band ASE optical signal power value. Thus, the target amplification gain locking can be realized. Optical path according to embodiments of the present invention has a simple structure. The Raman gain can be configured flexibly according to line condition, and automatic control and locking of gain of the Raman fiber amplifier can be realized. |
| US08797638B2 |
Wavelength selective optical switch device and method of controlling characteristics thereof
A wavelength selective optical switch device includes an incidence and exit part where a signal beam made of light of a multiplicity of wavelengths enters and a signal beam of a selected wavelength exits, a wavelength dispersion element that spatially disperses a signal beam according to the wavelength thereof and multiplexes reflected light, a condensing element that condenses the light dispersed by the wavelength dispersion element onto a two-dimensional plane, and a wavelength selection element that uses a multilevel optical phased array arranged in a position to receive incident light developed on an xy-plane made of an x-axis direction and a y-axis direction perpendicular thereto developed according to a wavelength, having a multiplicity of pixels arrayed in a lattice on the xy-plane, and that cyclically changes the phase shift amount in the y-axis direction to a sawtooth wave pattern for each pixel on the x-axis. |
| US08797637B2 |
Color display device for electronic paper, and process for production thereof
Provided are a color display device capable of colorized display in a reflection type display device which is adopted to electronic paper and the like without degrading the degree of brightness and with high efficiency, and also with ease and lower costs, and a method of producing the same. The color display device includes: a drive-side substrate (3) on which pixel electrodes (2) connected to pixel switches (1) are formed in a given pattern; a transparent substrate (5) including an electrically conductive layer (4); display media (10) which have white color and black color and are electrically charged; a reflection type display element including the display media (10) disposed between the drive-side substrate (3) and the transparent substrate (5), for forming any appropriate image by pixels corresponding to the pixel electrodes (2); and a color filter (11) provided on the transparent substrate (5) side of the reflection type display element, in which the color filter (11) forms pixel regions (14) by defining the pixels with colorless partition walls (13) which are formed on a substrate, and has colored layers (15) formed therein by ejecting colored inks of three colors, which are colored with at least blue (B), green (G), and red (R), by an inkjet method. |
| US08797635B2 |
Color electrophoretic display
A color electrophoretic display includes a substrate, a segment electrode circuit layer, a transparent electrode layer, an electrophoretic display medium layer, and a colored polymer film. The segment electrode circuit layer is disposed on the substrate and is configured to display a letter and/or a pattern. The transparent electrode layer is disposed opposing the segment electrode circuit layer, and the electrophoretic display medium layer is disposed between the segment electrode circuit layer and the transparent electrode layer. The electrophoretic display medium layer is controlled by an electric field that is produced and varied by the segment electrode circuit layer and the transparent electrode layer to change brightness. The color polymer film is disposed on the transparent electrode layer to produce color. The colored polymer film includes a polymer layer and pigment particles distributed in the polymer layer. |
| US08797632B2 |
Actuation and calibration of charge neutral electrode of a display device
This disclosure provides systems, methods, and devices for actuating, charging and calibrating the charge on a movable electrode in electromechanical systems (EMS) devices. The electromechanical systems device can include a first electrode, a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode by a gap, a complementary electrode, at least one electrical contact, and a movable third electrode disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. In one implementation, a method of calibrating charge on the movable electrode of the EMS device includes electrically connecting a complementary electrode to the first electrode to form a compound electrode and applying a calibration voltage across the compound electrode and the second electrode to produce a uniform electric field in the gap. Under the electric field the third electrode moves towards the first electrode until it connects with the at least one electrical contact. Once in contact with the electrical contact, an electrical charge on the third electrode can be changed and calibrated when the third electrode is in a second position. When a mechanical restorative force on the third electrode exceeds the electric force of the uniform electric field on the third electrode, the third electrode then moves to a third position. |
| US08797630B2 |
Display panel
A display panel includes a first substrate, a third substrate and a second substrate disposed therebetween. A first grid structure having first openings is disposed on the first substrate to expose pixel regions. A second grid structure having second openings and a third grid structure having third openings are disposed on the second substrate and the third substrate, respectively. A first polar solution layer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. A second polar solution layer is disposed between the third substrate and the second substrate. A first non-polar solution layer is disposed within the first openings. A second non-polar solution layer is disposed within the second openings. The second non-polar solution layer disposed in different pixel regions has different colors. A third non-polar solution layer is disposed within the third openings. The third non-polar solution layer disposed in different pixel regions has different colors. |
| US08797629B2 |
Method for operating a micromirror device with electromechanical pulse width modulation
A method of operating by pulse width modulation a micromirror device is disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes providing a micromirror device having a micromirror element electrostatically deflectable around a rotation axis between a first and second position. The micromirror element is controllable by applying voltage signals to a first and second electrode on one side of the rotation axis and a third and fourth electrode on the other side. The method includes associating an intermediate value of intensity to the micromirror element during a time frame, the intensity being between a first value corresponding to the first position and a second value corresponding to the second position. The method includes switching the micromirror element between the first and second position. The intermediate value corresponds to the ratio of periods in the time frame in which the micromirror element is in the first or second position. |
| US08797626B2 |
Light quantity adjustment apparatus, lens unit and optical apparatus provided with the same
A light quantity adjustment apparatus has a board including an exposure aperture, blade members adjusting a quantity of light passing through the exposure aperture, and a driving device for driving the blade members. The driving device is provided with an electromagnetic coil, a magnet rotor rotating by applying a current to the electromagnetic coil, a rotating shaft, a coil frame having bearings, a reference surface for positioning formed in the coil frame, and a shield yoke supported relative to the reference surface and magnetically shielding the magnet rotor. The board includes a support plane supporting the blade members, a concave portion in the support plane to store the driving member, a support portion in the concave portion to support one end of the shield yoke, and a holding device for storing and supporting the driving member in the concave portion. |
| US08797624B2 |
Scanning optical apparatus and image forming apparatus
In a scanning optical apparatus including a single lens configured to convert a beam deflected by a polygon mirror into a spot-like image on a to-be-scanned surface, the lens satisfies the conditions: −0.59<β1≦0, −0.46<β2≦0.2, −0.6≦D1<0.43, and −0.17≦D2≦0.16 where β1 indicates an angle [deg] formed in a main scanning plane between a first optical axis and a reference line perpendicular to the to-be-scanned surface, β2 indicates an angle [deg] formed in the main scanning plane between the first optical axis and a second optical axis, D1 indicates an amount of shift [mm] in the main scanning plane, of a point of intersection between the first optical axis and an incident-side lens surface, from the reference line, and D2 indicates an amount of shift [mm] in the main scanning plane, of a point of intersection between the second optical axis and an exit-side lens surface, from the first optical axis. |
| US08797621B2 |
Atom phase-controlled double rephasing-based quantum memory and double-rephased photon echo method therefor
Disclosed herein are atom phase-controlled double rephasing-based quantum memory and a double-rephased photon echo method therefor. The atom phase-controlled double rephasing-based quantum memory includes an optical medium and an optical pulse generation unit. The optical medium has three energy levels (|1>, |2> and |3>), receives one or more optical pulses from an optical pulse generation unit, and generates output light that satisfies phase matching conditions. The optical pulse generation unit generates at least five optical pulses that resonate among the energy levels of the optical medium. |
| US08797619B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method with editing
An image processing apparatus combines a background image, handwritten image, and a standard image. A reference image acquired by increasing the luminance value of the background image and the standard image is printed on a recording sheet. A recording sheet is read after being filled in, and a region whose luminance value is lower than a predetermined threshold value and a region indicated by standard image mask data are extracted. The extracted regions are combined with the background image and printed. In particular, the standard image mask data indicates a region in the standard image which is easily affected by a background color of a paper, so that color adjustment is performed on the region in the extracted image which is indicated by the mask data. As a result, the region in the standard image is prevented from being affected by the background color of the recording sheet in the combined result, and the images can be combined and printed according to the original color of the standard image. |
| US08797617B2 |
Image estimation apparatus, image processing apparatus and computer readable medium
An image estimation apparatus includes: a forming unit that forms a reference frame with a size determined uniquely in accordance with a size of a recording region where an image is recorded; and an estimating unit that estimates a type of a single image based on a size of a bounding frame around the single image and the size of the reference frame formed by the forming unit, the single image being a target of type inference in an image contained in a designation region in a recording region image which is an image indicating the recording region where an image is recorded. |
| US08797616B2 |
Conversion table compression method and program
This invention relates to a conversion table compression method of compressing a conversion table and storing the conversion table in a storage medium, including an axial difference creating step of creating an axial difference table by calculating, from data stored in the conversion table, the difference values between grid points adjacent in predetermined directions along a plurality of axes which define the input space of the conversion table, a compressing step of compressing the axial difference table to create compressed data, and a storing step of storing the compressed data in a recording medium. |
| US08797615B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming station for forming a pattern image on a recording material; an image reading station for reading a pattern image formed on a recording material by the image forming station; and a tone gradation corrector for calculating a halftone dot area property on the basis of the density of the pattern image read by the image reading station and for executing tone gradation correction in the image forming station on the basis of the calculated halftone dot area property. |
| US08797613B2 |
Image reader
The disclosure generally relates to a cover portion of an image reader or other multifunctional peripheral. The cover portion may move between an uncovering position and a covering position by pivoting about a first axis. The cover portion may include a movable member that moves between an open position where the movable member functions as a document tray and a closed position where the movable member constitutes a part of an upper surface of the cover portion. The cover portion may also include a conveyor configured to convey one or more documents placed on the movable member when it is in the open position. Further, the cover portion may include an operation portion configured to receive user inputs. Moreover, the operation portion may be positioned near a center of the cover portion. |
| US08797607B2 |
Method and apparatus for deciding recording media based on light from a linear light source that passes a slit in a light shielding portion
A recording media deciding apparatus has: a light radiating portion which radiates light having a uniform light amount on a range corresponding to an image capturing range of a first surface of a bundle of recording media; a light detecting portion which captures an image of light emitted from a second surface different from the first surface of the bundle of the recording media; and a controller which decides on a type of the recording media based on an output of the light detecting portion. |
| US08797605B2 |
Methods and systems for creating structural document packages for products
A method of creating a structural document may include receiving, by a host computing device in a cloud system, content information pertaining to one or more contents of a structural document that may be configured to encase the contents, determining a shape of a structural document based at least in part on the received content information, determining a plurality of dimensions of the structural document based at least in part on the received content information, receiving content item information associated with one or more content items, and causing a graphical representation of the structural document to be displayed at the user computing device. The method may include receiving an indication that a user is finished creating the structural document, generating a print document including an encoded data mark, and providing the print document to one or more print-related devices. |
| US08797604B2 |
Methods and systems for creating structural documents
A method of creating a structural document may include determining, by a host computing device in a cloud system, a shape of a structural document, determining, by the host computing device, a plurality of dimensions of the structural document, receiving information associated with one or more content items, and causing a graphical representation of the structural document to be displayed at a user computing device. A shape of the graphical representation may correspond to the determined shape, a plurality of dimensions of the graphical representation may correspond to the determined plurality of dimensions, and the graphical representation may include at least a portion of the received content items. The method may include receiving an indication that a user is finished creating the structural document, generating a print document including an encoded data mark, and providing the print document to one or more print-related devices. |
| US08797597B2 |
Method of printing
A method for printing on a substrate, wherein the substrate is printed upon with a plate-based printing process, particularly with an offset printing process, and with a plateless printing process, particularly with an inkjet printing process, inline with the plate-based printing process. According to the invention, a printing resolution of the plateless printing process is determined depending on a printing speed of the plate-based printing process. |
| US08797593B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
Obtaining a color correction value of an input image data color signal by referencing a lookup table according to the color signal, obtaining a color correction value of a color signal by performing an interpolation calculation with respect to 2 color correction values obtained by referencing the lookup table, determining whether the input image data color signal is a specified value, and outputting the specified value as the color correction value without performance of the interpolation calculation in the case where it is determined that the input image data color signal is the specified value. |
| US08797592B2 |
System, method, and computer-readable recording medium for executing printing with image forming apparatus
A data processing system includes: an image forming apparatus including a service part configured to receive a first printing attribute and printing data and set the first printing attribute to the printing data, the first printing attribute being commonly used among different types of image forming apparatuses, a control part configured to control printing based on the kind of printing attribute set to the printing data, a data processing apparatus including a receiving part configured to receive a request including the first printing attribute, a second printing attribute, and the printing data, the second printing attribute surpassing a range of the first printing attribute, a setting part configured to set the second printing attribute to the printing data, and a transmitting part configured to transmit the printing data being set with the second printing attribute and the first printing attribute to the image forming apparatus. |
| US08797590B2 |
Printing control program product, printing control apparatus, and printing system
A printing control program product is disclosed, which causes a computer to function as a printer control unit; a printing conditions control processing unit; and an overall control unit which, for a printing job with a determined result of not matching, when a size of a sheet onto which printing is to be made can be generated by cutting a mounted sheet, arranges picture drawing data of a printed output in a layout suitable for the size of the sheet onto which the printing is to be made by cutting the mounted sheet, along the layout after the printing, and generating the printed output. |
| US08797587B2 |
Image processing device and image recording apparatus having the same
An image processing device is provided, which includes a first processor, a second processor configured to perform communication with the first processor, and a memory connector that is connected with the second processor, configured such that an external memory is detachably attached thereto, and provided with a terminal that is connected with the first processor and connectable with a memory area of the external memory which area stores specification information of the external memory. The first processor is configured to, prior to the second processor being booted, determine whether an error relating to the external memory is caused, via the terminal. |
| US08797576B2 |
Image process apparatus
An invented image processing apparatus includes an image data storing unit for storing image data in a prescribed file format, an image data information producing unit for producing, in response to a request from a user, image data information corresponding to the image data stored in the image data storing unit, a requested format entering unit for entering a requested format of the image data designated by the user from the image data information, and a transmitting unit for transmitting the image data corresponding to the requested format. A user can obtain the image data stored in the prescribed file format with user's desired file format. |
| US08797574B2 |
Printing control apparatus, image forming apparatus, image forming system, and image forming method for performing printing in a direct wireless manner
A printing control apparatus is provided. The printing control apparatus includes a storage unit which stores at least one image, a profile generation unit which generates a profile to perform quick printing with respect to the stored image, a link forming unit which searches for at least one image forming apparatus in the vicinity of the printing control apparatus in a wireless communication manner, and forms a wireless communication link with the searched image forming apparatus, a communication interface which transmits the generated profile to the image forming apparatus with which the link is formed, and a controller which controls the communication interface to transmit an image which is requested to be transmitted by the image forming apparatus with which the link is formed in response to the transmitted profile. |
| US08797569B2 |
Printing device, contents-providing system, and computer program
A printing device includes a receiving system configured to receive printing data including first information, second information and provider-specifying information that specifies a provider of the second information, from an external apparatus; a printing system configured to perform printing based on the printing data received by the receiving system; an obtaining system configured to obtain printing information representing a predetermined parameter regarding printing of the second information performed by the printing system; a storing system configured to store the printing information obtained by the obtaining system and the provider-specifying information corresponding to the printing information; and a sending system configured to send the printing information and the provider-specifying information stored by the storing system to an aggregating server. |
| US08797567B2 |
Controlling an image processing apparatus capable of communicating with a printing apparatus
The execution of an image processing job is limited using a printing amount by an image processing job that has already been executed and a printing amount that is scheduled to be printed by an image processing job that has already been transmitted but not yet executed. To accomplish this, a multi-function peripheral manages a first printing amount that has already been printed by a executed print job and a second printing amount that is scheduled to be printed by a print job that has been transmitted from the multi-function peripheral to a printer and that has not yet been executed in association with a user ID, and determines, before transmitting the print job, whether or not the total of a third printing amount that is scheduled to be printed by the print job, the first printing amount and the second printing amount exceeds an upper limit amount. |
| US08797564B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium
An image processing apparatus restricts the use of functions on a user-by-user basis as well as easily suppresses the realization of a function that is equivalent to a restricted function by combining other functions. To accomplish this, an image processing system includes an image processing apparatus and an information processing apparatus that includes function restriction information for restricting, on a user-by-user basis, the use of functions provided by an image processing apparatus. Furthermore, the image processing apparatus acquires function restriction information corresponding to an authorized user, and if a function whose use is restricted by function restriction information can be realized by combining other functions, the image processing apparatus restricts the use of the other functions. |
| US08797557B2 |
Image storage apparatus, image storage supporting apparatus, image storage system, image management apparatus and image saving apparatus
An image storage system includes: an image storage apparatus; and a supporting apparatus. And the image storage apparatus includes an input unit to which image information is input, a first communication unit, a management unit that executes management so that the input image information is transmitted from the first communication unit in automatic response to an input of the image information to the input unit, an information holding unit that holds the input image information until a transmission thereof is completed and then automatically discards the input image information after the transmission is completed in response to the management unit, an information storage unit at which related information corresponding to the image information having been transmitted is stored even after the transmission is completed, and an instruction unit that issues an instruction via the first communication unit with regard to processing to be executed on the image information based upon the related information stored at the information storage unit. On the other hand the supporting apparatus includes a second communication unit, an image storage unit at which the image information from the first communication unit having been received at the second communication unit is stored, and a processing unit that executes processing on images stored at the image storage unit based upon the instruction received at the second communication unit from the first communication unit. |
| US08797556B2 |
Printing apparatus, print control method, and program
A printing apparatus for performing job printing includes a reception unit configured to receive information about a print unit with respect to the job and information about an attribute of recording medium to be used in the print processing, and a printing unit configured to print the job using the recording medium by the print unit, using the information about the print unit received by the reception unit and the information about the attribute of the recording medium to be used in the print processing. |
| US08797555B2 |
Redistribution of pixel values in an image forming apparatus or method
To convert N-valued input image data to output image data, where N is an integer equal to or greater than two, a concentration value is determined for each pixel in a set of pixels including a pixel of interest and its neighboring pixels. Ranks are assigned to each of these pixels on the basis of the concentration values. The pixel values of the pixel of interest and its neighboring pixels are then redistributed according to the assigned ranks. This scheme enables pixel clustering to be manipulated in a natural way. |
| US08797548B2 |
Wide dynamic range interferometric transducer with divergent beam
An apparatus and method for estimating a parameter of interest using values of a beam property from two or more electromagnetic beams that both pass through at least part of an optical displacement device. The apparatus may include a Fabry-Perot interferometer, a collimated light source, and a detection array. At least one mirror of the interferometer may be operably coupled to an element receiving an external stimulus, such as pressure, force, and/or acceleration. The method includes using the apparatus. |
| US08797546B2 |
Interferometric distance measurement device using a scanning plate and transparent carrier substrate containing a reflector element
An interferometric distance measurement device that includes a light source that emits a beam of light and a scanning unit. The scanning unit includes a scanning plate having a splitter that splits the beam of light into a measurement beam and a reference beam, wherein the reference beam is propagated solely within the scanning plate before reaching interferential superposition with the measurement beam at a unification site. A reflector is provided, wherein the reflector is embodied such that the measurement beam striking the reflector undergoes retroreflection in a direction regardless of any possible relative tilting of the scanning unit and of the reflector downstream of the unification site. A detector arrangement is provided in which a distance signal relating to a distance between the scanning plate and the reflector is detectable from interference between the measurement beam and the reference beam. |
| US08797544B2 |
Optical coherence tomographic imaging device and imaging method of optical coherence tomographic image
An optical tomographic imaging device and the like which suppress influence in the case of a measuring beam being truncated by an iris, and can ensure reliability of a tomographic image which is acquired, when imaging the tomographic image of a retina in an eyeground of an examined eye. An optical tomographic imaging device is configured to have an observation unit observing a state of irradiating an examined object with the measuring beam, and imaging a state of the measuring beam being incident on the examined object as an observation image, a recording unit recording the observation image by linking the observation image with a tomographic image by the optical tomographic imaging device, and an evaluating unit evaluating reliability of the tomographic image which is linked with the observation image based on the observation image imaged in the observation unit. |
| US08797542B2 |
Measurement apparatus
A measurement apparatus which measures a distance between a reference surface and a test surface, comprises a light source unit including a plurality of light sources each corresponding to one of a plurality of wavelength scanning ranges and each continuously scans a wavelength of generated light in the corresponding wavelength scanning range, an interferometer unit which splits light emitted by each of the plurality of light sources into reference light and test light, and detects, as an interference signal, an interference fringe formed by the reference light and the test light, and a processor which determines a slope of a phase of the interference signal with respect to wave number of the light based on the interference signal detected by the interferometer unit for each of the plurality of wavelength scanning ranges, and determines the distance from the slope of the phase. |
| US08797541B2 |
Optical network configuration with intrinsic delay for swept-wavelength interferometry systems
A method, apparatus and optical network for obtaining a signal from a sensor in a fiber optic cable at a downhole location is disclosed. A reference signal is propagated through the fiber optic cable. A beam of light is received from the fiber optic cable, wherein the beam of light includes the propagated reference signal and the signal from the sensor generated from an interaction of the sensor and the reference signal. The propagated reference signal is obtained from the received beam of light. The signal from the sensors is obtained by sampling the received beam of light using the obtained propagated reference signal. |
| US08797536B2 |
Portable digital reader for urinalysis
The present invention relates to a portable digital reader for reading an analysis target chip including a plurality of test areas. The reader comprises: a light emitting section having light emitting elements for radiating light; an integral optical splitter for uniformly distributing the light from the light emitting section to each test area of the analysis target chip; a light receiving section for receiving light reflected from each test area so as to convert the same into electric signals; and a measuring section for measuring concentration according to the electric signals obtained from the light receiving section. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the generation of errors in signal measurement due to optical distribution failure by assembling branch sections of the optical splitter under the control of the number of the branch sections according to the number of test items in a test strip. |
| US08797535B2 |
Fluorescence excitation and detection system and method
A detection system including a detection assembly to receive emission light emitted from a sample. The detection assembly has a multi-band dichroic member and at least first and second detection devices. The multi-band dichroic member has a transmission/reflection characteristic with first and second transmissive regions and a reflective region along a wavelength spectrum. The dichroic member transmits portions of the emission light that align with the first and second transmissive regions and reflects a portion of the emission light that aligns with the reflective region. The dichroic member includes a single mirror with an incident surface. The incident surface is configured to transmit the portions of the emission light that align with the first and second transmissive regions and configured to reflect the portion of the emission light that aligns with the reflective region. |
| US08797533B2 |
Depolarizer and circular dichroism spectrometer using the same
A depolarizer includes a pair of wedge-shaped plates made of an optically isotropic material, laid one on top of another such that the total thickness is constant and wedge-plate holding means for holding the pair of wedge plates separately. The wedge-plate holding means includes a pressure-applying section for applying pressure to each of the pair of wedge plates in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the pair of wedge plates. The pressure-applying direction for one of the pair of wedge plates and the pressure-applying direction for the other of the pair of wedge plates intersect at an angle of 45 degrees. |
| US08797528B2 |
Flow cell assembly for liquid sample analyzer
A flow cell assembly for use in a liquid sample analyzer including a radiation source, a sensing device and a liquid sample source to supply a liquid sample includes an entrance joint member, a liquid core waveguide, a liquid sample feed tube, and an input optical fiber. The entrance joint member includes a waveguide receiving bore and a feed tube receiving bore. The liquid core waveguide is mounted in the waveguide receiving bore and defines a waveguide bore. The liquid sample feed tube is mounted in the feed tube receiving bore such that the liquid sample feed tube is in fluid communication with the waveguide bore to fluidly connect the liquid sample source to the waveguide bore. The input optical fiber is mounted in the entrance joint member to transmit radiation from the radiation source to the waveguide bore, which radiation is transmitted through the waveguide bore and the liquid sample therein to the sensing device. |
| US08797526B2 |
Instrument and method for the automated thermal treatment of liquid samples
An instrument and a method for the automated thermal treatment of liquid samples are disclosed. An inter-distance between a temperature-controlled receptacle for loading with a plurality of vessels for containing the samples and end portions of optical fibers can be varied, wherein the receptacle is configured to form a thermal communication with the loaded vessels and wherein the optical fibers have first and second end portions. The first end portion and the second end portion of each optical fiber is fixed with respect to each other for transmitting light, wherein the variation of the inter-distance allows the vessels to be loaded to or unloaded from the receptacle and to enable detection of light from the samples contained in the one or more receptacle-loaded vessels. |
| US08797523B2 |
Chemical indicator obstruction detection system and method for an aquatic environment
A system and method for determining adverse conditions associated with a chemical indicator in an aquatic environment monitoring system in which reference illumination from an optical reader is used to illuminate a chemical indicator. Response from the reference illumination is used to determine a confidence value that can be part of an analysis associated with a measurement illumination response to produce a confidence adjustment instruction for possible action on the measured response value. |
| US08797519B2 |
Method of measuring multi-mode fiber bandwidth through accessing one fiber end
A method of measuring the bandwidth of a multi-mode optical fiber using single-ended, on-line and off-line approaches and test configurations. The method includes: transmitting a light signal through the first end of a multi-mode fiber toward the second end of the multi-mode fiber, so that a portion of the light signal is reflected by the second end toward the first end of the multi-mode fiber; and receiving the reflected portion of the light signal at the first end of the multi-mode fiber. The method also includes obtaining magnitude and frequency data related to the reflected portion of the light signal at the first end of the multi-mode fiber; and analyzing the magnitude and the frequency data to determine a bandwidth of the multi-mode optical fiber. The length of the multi-mode fiber may also increase over time during testing. |
| US08797516B2 |
Method for separating worn bank notes from a quantity of bank notes in bank note processing machines
A method is proposed for separating worn bank notes from a quantity of bank notes in bank note processing machines. A target rate cunfit,0 of bank notes to be separated is prescribed. The bank notes are assessed one after the other. In the process they are counted. Further, the value of at least one physical parameter of each bank note affected by wear is measured during the assessment. The measured value, or a value derived therefrom, of each bank note is compared with a threshold value during the assessment. If the threshold value is exceeded, the bank note in question is separated during the assessment. The separated bank notes are counted during the assessment. The threshold value is adapted after assessing each bank note or after a fixed prescribed number m>>n of bank notes by feedback control. The control parameter is the rate cunfit,i of the bank notes separated up to said bank note, and the set parameter is the threshold value. |
| US08797511B2 |
Distance measuring device and surveying system
A distance-measuring device for contactless measurement of a distance to an object, including a housing; a contactless measuring apparatus utilizing an optical measuring beam arranged in the housing and having a radiation unit, an optical unit with optical elements encompassing at least a transmitting and receiving lens system, an optical transmitting path with an optical axis for emitting a measuring beam onto the target object, an optical receiving path with an optical axis for receiving a measuring beam that is reflected and/or scattered by the target object. At least one optical element is movable relative to an initial position; a motion sensor detects a movement of the object, the optical element movable out of the initial position into a variable compensation position so that the transmitting path can be stabilized at a spatially fixed position. |
| US08797509B2 |
Inspection method and apparatus, lithographic apparatus, lithographic processing cell and device manufacturing method
A substrate table positioning device that is supported by four bearing elements is provided. The substrate table positioning device also includes a balance mass. Two of the bearing elements support the base frame in such a way that they can move in a vertical direction independently of the other bearing elements. This can be achieved by using a hinge. This structure of substrate table positioning device has a higher lowest Eigen frequency of oscillation than that of substrate table positioning devices supported by three bearing elements. As such, the balance mass is not excited by typical vibrations that occur in the lithographic apparatus. This enables better positional control of the substrate table. It also enables at least some of the dimensions of the frame elements of the balance mass to be reduced. |
| US08797503B2 |
Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method with a liquid inlet above an aperture of a liquid confinement structure
In a lithographic apparatus, a liquid supply system to provide a liquid to a space between the table and an optical element and to contact a surface of the optical element, the space having a cross-sectional area smaller than the area of the substrate, the liquid supply system comprising a liquid confinement structure extending along at least a part of a boundary of the space between the optical element surface and the table, wherein at least part of the liquid confinement structure is positioned between the optical element surface and the table, the at least part of the liquid confinement structure has an aperture through which the patterned beam can pass, the liquid confinement structure comprises an inlet to supply the liquid to the space above the aperture, and the liquid confinement structure comprises an outlet to remove the liquid, supplied by the inlet, from the space below the aperture. |
| US08797500B2 |
Immersion lithography fluid control system changing flow velocity of gas outlets based on motion of a surface
An immersion lithography apparatus includes an optical member, a gap defined between the optical member and a surface disposed opposite the optical member being filled with an immersion liquid, and a fluid control device including a gas outlet through which a gas is supplied to prevent the immersion liquid from entering a surround area external to an exposure area. A flow velocity of the gas supplied from the gas outlet is controlled based on the motion of the surface such that a pressure exerted by the gas is made stronger or weaker depending on the motion of the surface. |
| US08797499B2 |
Liquid crystal lens or beam steering device comprising an alignment layer with a rubbed foundation layer and an ordered surface layer that aligns liquid crystal molecules in a zero field ground state
A liquid crystal lens or beam steering device is made by programming alignment surfaces of the LC cell walls using a programming field to align the alignment surface molecules before fixing them. By setting the desired pre-tilt, the lens can operate in the absence of the control field, and power consumption by the control field can be reduced. |
| US08797491B2 |
Display device having fanout wiring
A display device may include an insulating substrate, a pixel electrode formed on the insulating substrate, a circuit board connected to the insulating substrate, a first wiring connected to the circuit board, and a second wiring for transmitting a signal to the pixel electrode. The second wiring may be connected to the first wiring, and the second wiring may have a larger resistance than the first wiring. Portions of the first wiring or the second wiring may include a zigzag pattern, and a swing width of a zigzag pattern of the second wiring may be varied depending on the position of the second wiring. |
| US08797490B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and method for fabricating the same
A liquid crystal display device including first and second substrates, with a liquid crystal layer sealed therebetween. The device also includes a first electrode formed on the first substrate, a second electrode formed on the second substrate, a first molecule orientation film formed on the first substrate so as to cover the first electrode, a second molecule orientation film formed on the second substrate so as to cover the second electrode, and a plurality of micro structures associated with at least one of the first and second electrodes, wherein at least some of the micro structures extend generally parallel to each other. When a driving voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes, liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are oriented such that no dark line occurs in a vicinity of the plurality of micro structures and no dark line occurs between adjacent micro structures. |
| US08797489B2 |
Liquid crystal display panel and display apparatus using the same
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display panel and a display apparatus using the same. The liquid crystal display panel comprises a first substrate, a second substrate and a liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal layer is formed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The second substrate includes a passivation layer and a plurality of pixel electrodes. The passivation layer includes a plurality of convex portions, and the pixel electrodes are formed on the passivation layer. Each of the pixel electrodes has a plurality of node patterns protruding from the periphery of the pixel electrode. The present invention can improve a dark line problem in the conventional technology. |
| US08797488B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A fringe field switching type liquid crystal display device is disclosed. In one non-limiting example embodiment, the devices includes a plurality of gate wirings and a plurality of data wirings intersecting with each other on a substrate to define a plurality of pixels, wherein a plurality of adjacent pixels form a unit and at least one first transparent electrode having a substantially flat shape and formed in each of the pixels. The device may further include a plurality of second transparent electrodes formed in each of the pixels and located over the first transparent electrode, wherein each of the second transparent electrodes comprises two opposing ends and a coupling part configured to electrically connect the ends of all of the second transparent electrodes associated with the unit. |
| US08797483B2 |
Manufacturing methods of phase retardation film and stereoscopic display device
A manufacturing method of a phase retarding film, a manufacturing method of a stereoscopic display apparatus, and a phase retarding film are provided. A light transmissive substrate is provided. An alignment layer is formed on the light-transmissive substrate. The alignment layer is aligned. A birefringent material film is formed on the alignment layer. A reaction-causing light is used to expose a first patterned region of the birefringent material film to induce a reaction on the first patterned region, wherein a second patterned region of the biregringent material film is not exposed to the reaction-causing light. The second patterned region of the biregringent material film is removed. |
| US08797478B2 |
Liquid crystal display module, display device set including the same, and method of assembling liquid crystal display module
A liquid crystal display (“LCD”) module includes a liquid crystal panel, a mold frame provided below the liquid crystal panel and supporting the liquid crystal panel, a light guide plate provided below the mold frame, and a light source assembly coupled to an outside of the mold frame to accommodate the light guide plate therein, the light source assembly partially inserted into the mold frame, and supplying light to the light guide plate. |
| US08797470B2 |
System for selectively revealing indicia
A system for selectively revealing indicia to an observer comprises a transitioning window having a receiving surface and a viewing surface. The receiving surface is positioned in optical communication with an indicia holder that is configured to removably retain indicia, such as information content. During operation, the transitioning window transitions from a substantially opaque state to a substantially transparent state so as to reveal or otherwise display the indicia to an observer via the viewing surface. |
| US08797465B2 |
Applications for remote control devices with added functionalities
A handheld wireless device for controlling an electronic device. Ambient noise is automatically detected using a microphone and user preference parameters (e.g., volume) are adjusted, compensating for the detected noise. Plurality of signals are sent and received, operable to determine the location of the remote control, thereby operable to automatically tune various user preference parameters (e.g., surround sound). The remote control may be used as a telephone. When receiving a call, the caller information may be displayed using a popup window (e.g., on a television set). A call may be answered and the program may be paused/recorded/muted. The electronic device is automatically configured by identifying the user. A reader may read information on a payment card in a contactless manner. In one embodiment a radio frequency signal is used to reduce interference with LCD wavelength. The remote control may respond to a user command in order to be located. |
| US08797464B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling home network devices
An apparatus and method for controlling home network devices is provided. The apparatus includes a display unit that displays a list of items corresponding to a plurality controlled devices arranged in a predetermined space, a receiving unit that receives a first image containing the controlled devices, the list, and information on light reflected from a controlled device of the controlled devices and the device list, and a control unit that maps the controlled devices and the items in the list according to the light information detected from the received image. |
| US08797462B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
A band processing circuit which generates image signals corresponding to different frequency bands from an image signal in which signals corresponding to different colors are arranged and which suppresses noise by synthesizing the image signals of the different frequency bands, a sampling circuit which generates image signal corresponding to the colors by sampling the image signal input from the band processing circuit in accordance with a predetermined arrangement, and a luminance/color generation circuit which generates a luminance signal in which aliasing is suppressed using an image signal output from the sampling circuit. |
| US08797461B2 |
Screen time control device and method
A screen time control device includes a source interface for receiving a video signal, a processor connected to the video source interface for overlaying the video signal with a translucent signal to produce an overlaid video signal, and a device interface connected to the processor for receiving the overlaid video signal and providing the overlaid video signal to the display device. The processor substitutes the translucent signal in the overlaid video signal with a parental signal, where the parental signal can be a substantially opaque overlay signal that masks an image on the screen of the display device to prohibit viewing of the screen, a textual message, or a combination of both. |
| US08797459B2 |
Digital broadcast receiver and method for processing caption thereof
A digital cable broadcast receiver and a method for automatically processing caption data of various standards and types, is disclosed. The digital broadcast receiver includes: a demultiplexer for dividing a received broadcast stream into video data, audio data, supplementary information; a controller for determining whether caption data included in the video data is digital caption data or analog caption data on the basis of caption information included in the supplementary information, and outputting a control signal according to a result of the determining; a digital caption decoder for extracting and decoding digital caption data from the video data according to the control signal; and an analog caption decoder for extracting and decoding analog caption data from the video data according to the control signal. |
| US08797456B2 |
Network video camera having dual-joint holder structure
A network video camera having a dual-joint holder structure includes a lower body cover, a turning base board, a base splint, a base cover, a first turning joint, and a second turning joint. The present invention provides a succinct appearance and a convenient way for adjustment and storage. |
| US08797455B2 |
Analog-to-digital converter, image sensor including the same, and apparatus including image sensor
The analog-to-digital converter includes a signal processing unit generating an operational amplifier output voltage in response to an input voltage and a DAC output voltage in a first period and generating the operational amplifier output voltage in response to a feedbacked operational amplifier output voltage and the DAC output voltage in a second period; a control unit generating a DAC control signal by comparing the operational amplifier output voltage with a first reference voltage to obtain high order M-bits of data in the first period, and generating the DAC control signal by comparing the operational amplifier output voltage with second and third reference voltages to obtain low order N-bits of data in the second period; and a digital analog converter generating the DAC output voltage in response to the DAC control signal. |
| US08797449B2 |
Auto-focusing apparatus
An auto-focusing apparatus detects a speed of a moving object accurately even in a system in which backlash exists in focusing control by performing moving object prediction auto-focusing (AF). |
| US08797447B2 |
Camera system and camera body
A camera system having a camera body and an interchangeable lens is made more convenient to use. A camera system 1 includes an interchangeable lens unit 2 and a camera body 3. A body microcomputer 10 of the camera body 3 decides whether or not the interchangeable lens unit 2 is compatible with moving picture mode on the basis of lens information about the interchangeable lens unit 2. If the interchangeable lens unit 2 is not compatible with moving picture mode, the body microcomputer 10 prevents the operation of an imaging sensor 11 from being set to moving picture mode. |
| US08797442B2 |
Method of controlling digital photographing apparatus and digital photographing apparatus
A method of controlling a digital photographing apparatus, and a digital photographing apparatus, in which a child's face is registered in the digital photographing apparatus, and the child's interest is continuously attracted by using a preferred image and sound of the child. Thus, an inattentive child's interest may be attracted to a camera and thus the child may be photographed while the child is focusing on images displayed on the camera. |
| US08797437B2 |
Solid-state imaging device
A solid-state imaging device 1 includes a light receiving section 10, a first row selecting section 20, a second row selecting section 30, and the like. The first row selecting section 20 causes each pixel unit of any m1-th row in the light receiving section 10 to output data corresponding to an amount of charge generated in a photodiode to a readout signal line L1n. The second row selecting section 30 causes each pixel unit of any m2-th row in the light receiving section 10 to output data corresponding to an amount of charge generated in a photodiode to a readout signal line L2n. The solid-state imaging device 1 causes each pixel unit of any m3-th row in the light receiving section 10 to accumulate charge generated in a photodiode in a charge accumulating section. m1 and m2 are different from each other. |
| US08797432B2 |
Imaging system with an array of image sensors
An integrated circuit may have rows and columns of imaging pixel arrays. Row driver circuitry and column readout circuitry may be shared between the imaging pixel arrays. Control circuit blocks may bypass inactive pixel arrays and may shift signals between different signal paths on the integrated circuit. The control circuit blocks may include synchronizing circuitry for deskewing control signals and buffer circuitry for regenerating weak signals as they are distributed across the integrated circuit. An array of lenses may be associated with the integrated circuit. The spacing between imaging pixel arrays may differ at different parts of the integrated circuit. Images from multiple image sensor pixel arrays may be combined to form a single digital image. Image sensors may be provided with unique lenses, different color responses, different image pixels, different image pixel patterns, and other differences. Reference pixels may be interposed in the gaps between image sensor arrays. |
| US08797431B2 |
Method of controlling the resolution of a hyperspectral image
Method of controlling the resolution of a hyperspectral image from an image sensor comprising pixels and at least one filter that defines subpixels within each pixel includes defining a window on the image sensor with an array of rows and columns of subpixels; weighting the subpixels within the window based upon one or more predefined parameters of the hyperspectral image to establish a value for a weighted average for the array for the predefined parameters; shifting the window by a predefined number of rows or columns; repeating the weighting and shifting steps for all possible windows on the image sensor; and processing the hyperspectral image based on the weighted averages. |
| US08797423B2 |
System for and method of controlling a parameter used for detecting an objective body in an image and computer program
When detecting an objective body from a taken image, a scene of the image is determined, and a parameter to be used in detecting the objective body is controlled according to result of the determination. |
| US08797421B2 |
System and method to selectively combine images
Systems and methods to selectively combine images are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, an apparatus includes a registration circuit configured to generate a set of motion vector data based on first image data corresponding to a first image and second image data corresponding to a second image. The apparatus includes a combination circuit to selectively combine the first image data and adjusted second image data that corresponds to the second image data adjusted according to the motion vector data. The apparatus further includes a control circuit to control the combination circuit to generate third image data. |
| US08797420B2 |
Non-real time image processing method, image capturing apparatus applying the same, and image processing system
An image processing method, an image capturing apparatus applying the same, and an image processing system. The image processing method includes capturing an image, generating intermediate data by primarily processing the captured image, generating final processing data including instructions to initiate a final process to convert the intermediate data into final data, and transmitting the intermediate data and the final processing data to an external image processing apparatus to perform the final process. Accordingly, an image quality of the image is improved as compared to an image quality of a final image processed in real time by a conventional image capturing apparatus, and a variety of functions can be provided. |
| US08797419B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus has: a first image processing unit for generating first image data by executing a dodging processing to an image signal obtained by picking up an image of an object; and a second image processing unit for generating second image data by executing a dodging processing having a stronger effect thereof than that of the dodging processing by the first image processing unit to the image signal, wherein the first image processing unit repeats the dodging processing a plurality of times. |
| US08797417B2 |
Image restoration method in computer vision system, including method and apparatus for identifying raindrops on a windshield
A vehicle is equipped with a camera (which may be a stereoscopic camera) and a computer for processing the image data acquired by the camera. The image acquired by the camera is processed by the computer, and features are extracted therefrom. The features are further processed by various techniques such as object detection/segmentation and object tracking/classification. The acquired images are sometimes contaminated by optical occlusions such as raindrops, stone-chippings and dirt on the windshield. In such a case, the occluded parts of the image are reconstructed by optical flow estimation or stereo disparity estimation. The fully reconstructed image is then used for intended applications. |
| US08797416B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
In an image processing apparatus, a shooting scene and shooting parameters for each image pickup apparatus that is to be used to pick up an image are set in accordance with a user input. A picked-up image is received from an image pickup apparatus. In accordance with the shooting scene that is set for the image pickup apparatus which has picked up the received image, a threshold of the likelihood of detecting a face region that is included in the shooting parameters for the shooting scene is obtained. A face region is detected from the picked-up image using the obtained threshold of the likelihood of detecting a face region. An image of the detected face region is highlighted and displayed on a display screen. |
| US08797413B2 |
Movement detection apparatus and movement detection method
A movement detection apparatus that detects a shake added by an operator to execute a function of a device, the apparatus comprises an acceleration detection unit configured to detect accelerations caused by a shake in at least three-axis directions; a determination unit configured to determine an axis with a minimum value of acceleration and an axis with a maximum value of acceleration among the accelerations in at least three-axis directions detected by the acceleration detection unit; a decision unit configured to decide a direction of the shake added by the operator based on the axis with the minimum value and the axis with the maximum value determined by the determination unit; and a selection unit configured to select a predetermined function based on the result of the decision unit. |
| US08797409B1 |
Thermal imaging device, method, and system providing local and remote displays
An imaging device for real-time display of image data on a local display and on a remote display is disclosed. In some embodiments, the imaging device can include an imaging engine, a memory device for storing image data, and a processor for receiving the image data from the imaging engine, storing the image data in the memory device, retrieving the image data from the memory device, and transmitting the image data to both a local display and remote display so that the image data can be viewed on both the remote display and local display simultaneously. |
| US08797408B2 |
Electronic apparatus
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a display including a display screen, a housing accommodating the display and including a surface configured to expose the display screen, a connector in an end portion of the housing, the connector being configured to be exposed to the outside of the housing, and a camera in the housing. The camera is configured to capture an image from the surface of the housing and eccentrically positioned with respect to a center portion of the housing as being shifted toward a side opposite to the end portion of the housing. |
| US08797406B2 |
Omnidirectional imaging optics with 360°-seamless telescopic resolution
A multifacet mirror comprises a catoptric structure configured to reflect light from a first field of view onto an image plane comprising a plurality of sensors, the catoptric structure having a surface comprising a plurality of facets separated by a plurality of catoptric regions; wherein a facet of the plurality of the facets has a second field of view that is smaller than the predetermined field of view; and wherein a catoptric region of the plurality of catoptric regions between two facets of the plurality of facets is configured to reflect light from a world point within the first field of view onto two of the sensors of the plurality of sensors. |
| US08797405B2 |
Visualizing and updating classifications in a video surveillance system
Techniques are disclosed for visually conveying classifications derived from pixel-level micro-features extracted from image data. The image data may include an input stream of video frames depicting one or more foreground objects. The classifications represent information learned by a video surveillance system. A request may be received to view a classification. A visual representation of the classification may be generated. A user interface may be configured to display the visual representation of the classification and to allow a user to view and/or modify properties associated with the classification. |
| US08797399B2 |
Appearance inspection apparatus
An appearance inspection apparatus has conveying means for conveying an inspection object and surface shape inspecting means for inspecting the surface shape of the inspection object. The surface shape inspection means has a slit beam irradiating section for irradiating a band-shaped slit beam on the surface of the inspection object, an area sensor camera for capturing images of the slit beam, first and second optical mechanisms for receiving reflected lights of the slit beam on the downstream and upstream sides in a conveyance direction, respectively, and guiding them to the area sensor camera, and a shape judging section for judging appropriateness of the surface of the inspection object based on images captured by the area sensor camera. Optical paths of the first and second optical mechanisms allow images of the reflected lights to be formed on the area sensor camera in a state of being aligned laterally. |
| US08797395B2 |
Optical system for inspecting porous substrates
An automated system for inspecting a porous substrate using a sample, comprising, a delivery device positioned to apply the sample to a target point on the porous substrate along a sample axis; an imaging device and one or more lenses, positioned so that the imaging device and the lens each has a focus axis that is offset from the sample axis, and have a viewing focal point that is substantially the same as the target point; a light source that is offset from the delivery device to illuminate the surface target; and a processor comprising a data acquisition and control system that coordinates timing and automation of the delivery and imaging devices, and determines one or more characteristics of the porous substrate. |
| US08797393B2 |
Electronic endoscope system, processing apparatus for electronic endoscope, and signal separation method
Image capture is performed while broadband and narrow band light are simultaneously emitted to tissue site. B pixel sensing the narrow band light outputs a summed image signal having a brightness value of a B component of the broadband light and a brightness value of the narrow band light. G and R pixels, not sensing the narrow band light, output broadband image signals having brightness values of G and R components of the broadband light, respectively. Based on correlation information and the G component of the broadband light, the brightness value of the B component of the broadband light is obtained. The obtained brightness value is subtracted from the summed image signal to separate the brightness value of the narrow band light therefrom. A broadband image and a narrow band image are generated from the broadband image signals and the narrow band image signal, respectively. |
| US08797392B2 |
Endoscope assembly with a polarizing filter
An endoscope includes an imaging device, a first polarizing filter disposed in front of the imaging device, a light source, and a second polarizing filter disposed in front of the light source. |
| US08797391B2 |
Stereo image displaying method
A stereo image displaying method adapted to a polarizing panel is provided. The stereo image displaying method includes the following steps. An original first eye image and the original second eye image are received. Each of the odd pixel data rows of the original first eye image is interpolation operated with at least one of two adjacent even pixel data rows of original the first eye image to serve as one of a plurality of pixel data rows of a first eye image of a display frame. Each of the even pixel data rows of the original second eye image is interpolation operated with at least one of two adjacent odd pixel data rows of the original second eye image to serve as one of a plurality of pixel data rows of a second eye image of the display frame. The display frame is applied on the polarizing panel. |
| US08797390B2 |
Image display device, 3D viewing device, and method for operating the same
An image display device, a 3D viewing device, and a method for operating the same are provided. The method includes receiving a synchronization signal from an image display device, alternately opening a left glass and a right glass according to the synchronization signal, and simultaneously opening the left glass and the right glass in a left-eye image display period or a right-eye image display period of a 3D image displayed on the image display device when a period of the synchronization signal has changed. This ensures that a user reliably (or correctly) views 3D or 2D images using the 3D viewing device. |
| US08797389B2 |
Image processing apparatus, method and program, and display apparatus
The invention provides: a code generation and data assignment circuit that sets the order in which a confidential image and a reversed image are displayed, based on an orthogonal code; and a shutter glass control signal generation circuit that controls so that during a period when an image signal of an image including at least part or all of the confidential image is outputted, the shutter glasses disposed between the succeeding display apparatus and the user's eyes are set in a light transmission state and during a period when another image is displayed, the shutter glasses are set in a light shielding state. The image signal of the confidential image and the image signal of the reversed image are in a relationship such that when the brightness values of the images are added together for each pixel, the resultant image has no correlation with the first output image. |
| US08797386B2 |
Augmented auditory perception for the visually impaired
A person is provided with the ability to auditorily determine the spatial geometry of his current physical environment. A spatial map of the current physical environment of the person is generated. The spatial map is then used to generate a spatialized audio representation of the environment. The spatialized audio representation is then output to a stereo listening device which is being worn by the person. |
| US08797385B2 |
Robot device and method of controlling robot device
There is provided a robot device including an irradiation unit that irradiates pattern light to an external environment, an imaging unit that acquires an image by imaging the external environment, an external environment recognition unit that recognizes the external environment, an irradiation determining unit that controls the irradiation unit to be turned on when it is determined that irradiation of the pattern light is necessary based on an acquisition status of the image, and a light-off determining unit that controls the irradiation unit to be turned off when it is determined that irradiation of the pattern light is unnecessary or that irradiation of the pattern light is necessary to be forcibly stopped, based on the external environment. |
| US08797384B2 |
Video signal processing apparatus and video signal processing method outputting three-dimensional and two-dimensional output signals in parallel
A video signal processing apparatus includes: an input unit which receives a 3D input signal including a left-eye input signal and a right-eye input signal; an image processing unit which performs image processing on the 3D input signal inputted to the input unit, to generate a 3D output signal including a left-eye output signal and a right-eye output signal; an image converting unit which extracts one of the left-eye output signal and the right-eye output signal from the 3D output signal generated by the image processing unit, to generate a 2D output signal; a 3D output terminal which outputs the 3D output signal generated by the image processing unit; and a 2D output terminal which outputs the 2D output signal generated by the image converting unit, in parallel with the output of the 3D output signal from the 3D output terminal. |
| US08797378B1 |
Distributed communications
In one method for communicating, a server can receive a first encoded media stream from a first sending device and a second encoded media stream from a second sending device from a plurality of co-located sending devices. The server can determine spatial relationships between the plurality of co-located sending devices and a plurality of co-located receiving devices. The server can select a first receiving device as a destination for the first encoded media stream and a second receiving device as a destination for the second encoded media stream based on the sending and receiving spatial relationships. The server can send the first encoded media stream to the first receiving device and the second encoded media stream to the second receiving device to be decoded and rendered. The spatial relationships can be based on physical locations for the plurality of co-located sending and receiving devices. |
| US08797376B2 |
Videoconferencing system with enhanced telepresence using a single wide aspect ratio camera
A videoconferencing system for enhanced telepresence employs a single wide aspect ratio high resolution camera for capturing video images of near end conference participants. Captured video image can be divided into adjacent portions, where video images corresponding to each portion is separately encoded and sent to a far end videoconferencing system to be displayed on adjacently placed display devices. Misalignment in displayed images at the far end can be mitigated by selecting portions that are non-overlapping and horizontally aligned. Number and size of the portions can be determined based on configuration information of the far end videoconferencing system. |
| US08797375B2 |
Tag-aware multipoint switching for conferencing
Conferencing methods and systems are disclosed wherein tags are associated with conferencing endpoints. The tags provide information enabling a decision-making entity to determine the preferability of one or more processing aspects of the endpoints. In a multipoint conference a tag can allow a decision making entity such as an MCU to determine the most appropriate mode for rendering video or other signals sent from a tagged endpoint. The tag itself can indicate the most appropriate mode or can contain information from which the decision-making entity can determine the most appropriate mode using an algorithm. A tag can be associated with an endpoint manually, for example based on a user's or controller's inputs concerning the endpoint. Alternatively, the tag can be assigned automatically based on automatically sensing one or more conditions at an endpoint or analyzing one or more parameters of a data stream transmitted from the endpoint. |
| US08797373B2 |
Liquid droplet ejecting method, liquid droplet ejection apparatus, inkjet recording apparatus, production method of fine particles, fine particle production apparatus, and toner
A liquid droplet ejecting method for ejecting a liquid from at least one ejection hole to form the liquid into liquid droplets, the method including: applying a vibration to the liquid in a liquid column resonance-generating liquid chamber, in which the ejection hole is formed, to form a standing wave through liquid column resonance, and ejecting the liquid from the ejection hole, which is formed in a region corresponding to an antinode of the standing wave, to form the liquid into liquid droplets. |
| US08797370B2 |
Liquid crystal display and local dimming control method thereof
A liquid crystal display and a local dimming control method thereof are discussed. The liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel selectively displaying a 2D image and a 3D image in response to a mode signal, a backlight unit including a plurality of light sources, a backlight driving circuit individually driving a plurality of previously determined blocks each including the light sources based on a dimming value of each block, and a local dimming control circuit, that calculates a pixel gain value based on a dimming value of each block in a first frame, applies the pixel gain value to a data compensation for a second frame, which is arranged later than the first frame, and varies a time point when the pixel gain value for the data compensation is applied in response to the mode signal. |
| US08797369B2 |
Organic light emitting display
An organic light emitting display capable of displaying an image with uniform brightness is provided. The display includes a scan driver, a data driver, pixels, an initial power source line coupled to an initial power source, a bias power source line coupled to a bias power source, horizontal power lines, first switching elements, and second switching elements. Each of the pixels includes a driving transistor for controlling an amount of current that flows from a first power source. The bias power source has a different voltage from the initial power source. The first switching elements are coupled between the horizontal power source lines and the initial power source line. The second switching elements are coupled between the horizontal power source lines and the bias power source line. The second switching elements are configured to alternately turn on and off with the first switching elements. |
| US08797366B2 |
Method of driving a light source, light source apparatus for performing the method and display apparatus having the light source apparatus
A method of driving a light source including a light-emitting block includes generating a luminance representative value based on an average grayscale value and a maximum grayscale value extracted from an image signal corresponding to the light-emitting block. The method further includes detecting a predetermined pattern of the light-emitting block, generating a compensation control signal based on the predetermined pattern, generating a compensated luminance representative value by compensating the luminance representative value based on the compensation control signal, and driving the light-emitting block based on the luminance level of the light-emitting block corresponding to the compensated luminance representative value. |
| US08797361B2 |
Image display system and method to identify images according to an aspect ratio of an editing layout
An image displaying system and method in which images that are categorized according to the aspect ratio of width of height thereof are displayed in a selection window and the images are put into and edited in an editing window, and an image display system employing the method. In the system and method, the aspect ratio of height to width of a layout of the editing window is determined, images having the same aspect ratio of height to width as the layout are detected and displayed in the selection window, an image is selected from among the displayed images, and the selected image is put into and edited in the layout. |
| US08797360B2 |
Image display device, method for controlling image display device, and information storage medium
Provided is an image display device capable of easily displaying an image depicting the deep side of a point of gaze when an operation to change a pitch angle of a viewpoint is performed by a user. The image display device displays an image rendering a scene viewed from a viewpoint in a virtual space in a line of sight, and performs at least one of a process of moving a position of the viewpoint and a process of changing the line of sight, according to a viewpoint moving operation performed by the user. The image display device also calculates a position of a pitch angle change center point which exists on a straight line extending from the viewpoint in the line of sight, changes the pitch angle of the viewpoint about the pitch angle change center point according to the pitch angle change operation performed by the user, and changes the line of sight so that the line of sight is directed to the pitch angle change center point from the position of the viewpoint with the pitch angle thus changed. |
| US08797357B2 |
Terminal, system and method for providing augmented broadcasting service using augmented scene description data
Provided are a terminal, system and method for providing augmented broadcasting service. The method includes receiving augmented broadcasting service information including information indicating that it is possible to provide augmented broadcasting service, information on an augmented content providing server, and information on an augmented scene description data providing server for presenting augmented content on a television (TV) screen, acquiring augmented scene description data and augmented content selected by a user from the augmented content providing server and the augmented scene description data providing server, and outputting the augmented content to be overlaid on broadcast content according to the augmented scene description data. |
| US08797356B2 |
Alignment of objects in augmented reality
Technologies are generally described for aligning objects in augmented reality. In some examples, a processor may be adapted to receive detected image data and virtual object data. In some examples, the processor may further be adapted to generate and apply weights to log-likelihood functions at intensity and feature levels based on the virtual object data and detected image data. In some examples, the processor may further be adapted to add the weighted log-likelihood function at intensity level to the weighted log-likelihood function at feature level to produce a cost function. In some examples, the processor may further be adapted to determine transformation parameters based on the cost function that may be used to align the detected image data with virtual object data. |
| US08797354B2 |
Computer-readable storage medium having image processing program stored therein, image processing apparatus, image processing system, and image processing method
A storage medium has stored therein an image processing program that causes a computer of an image processing apparatus, which is connected to a real camera for taking an image of a real space and a display device that allows the real space to be viewed on a display area thereof, to operate as real space image obtaining means, specific object detection means, calculation means, setting means, identification means, event providing means, virtual space image generation means, and display control means. |
| US08797352B2 |
Method and devices for visualising a digital model in a real environment
The invention relates to a method and devices for enabling a user to visualize a virtual model in a real environment. According to the invention, a 2D representation of a 3D virtual object is inserted, in real-time, into the video flows of a camera aimed at a real environment in order to form an enriched video flow. A plurality of cameras generating a plurality of video flows can be simultaneously used to visualize the virtual object in the real environment according to different angles of view. A particular video flow is used to dynamically generate the effects of the real environment on the virtual model. The virtual model can be, for example, a digital copy or virtual enrichments of a real copy. A virtual 2D object, for example the representation of a real person, can be inserted into the enriched video flow. |
| US08797350B2 |
Dynamic customizable human-computer interaction behavior
Systems and methods for customizing behavior of a computing system based on details of interactions with the computing system by a user, such as a direction, intensity, or magnitude of a particular input from a user input device. |
| US08797346B2 |
Gamma correction system and method for display device
A gamma correction system and method for a display device are disclosed. According to one aspect, the gamma correction system includes a display panel configured to display an image, a measuring unit configured to acquire optical characteristic information from the image displayed on the display panel, and a display panel driver configured to convert a gamma data result value obtained after performing optical compensation for at least two sample gray values among a plurality of reference luminance values into a corresponding data voltage and calculate a data voltage for the rest of the luminance values for which optical compensation is not performed. |
| US08797337B1 |
Graphics scenegraph rendering for web applications using native code modules
One embodiment provides a system that facilitates the execution of a web application. During operation, the system loads a native code module that includes a scenegraph renderer into a secure runtime environment. Next, the system uses the scenegraph renderer to create a scenegraph from a graphics model associated with the web application and generate a set of rendering commands from the scenegraph. The system then writes the rendering commands to a command buffer and reads the rendering commands from the command buffer. Finally, the system uses the rendering commands to render, for the web application, an image corresponding to the graphics model by executing the rendering commands using a graphics-processing unit (GPU). |
| US08797332B2 |
Device discovery and topology reporting in a combined CPU/GPU architecture system
Methods and apparatus are provided, as an aspect of a combined CPU/APD architecture system, for discovering and reporting properties of devices and system topology that are relevant to efficiently scheduling and distributing computational tasks to the various computational resources of a combined CPU/APD architecture system. The combined CPU/APD architecture unifies CPUs and APDs in a flexible computing environment. In some embodiments, the combined CPU/APD architecture capabilities are implemented in a single integrated circuit, elements of which can include one or more CPU cores and one or more APD cores. The combined CPU/APD architecture creates a foundation upon which existing and new programming frameworks, languages, and tools can be constructed. |
| US08797330B1 |
Systems and methods for detecting and animating changes in application state
An operating system may receive transition information indicating that a user-interface of an application is to be transitioned from a first state to a second state. Transition of the user-interface from the first state to the second state comprises a change in a property of a user-interface item. The operating system may, in response to receiving the transition information, obtain from a rendering engine a value for the property of the user-interface item corresponding to the first state. The operating system may embed a module in the rendering engine so as to detect the change in the property of the user-interface item through communication from the application to the rendering engine; and obtain from the module a respective value for the property of the user-interface item corresponding to the second state. The operating system may generate an animation based on a comparison between the value and the respective value. |
| US08797327B2 |
Product visualization and interaction systems and methods thereof
A method and system for displaying one or more products includes displaying a virtual, three-dimensional view of at least one product on a display system, selecting at least one action with the virtual, three-dimensional view of the product, and displaying a three-dimensional animation of the selected action with the product on the display system. |
| US08797325B2 |
Method and system for decomposing complex shapes into curvy RHTs for rasterization
A complex curved primitive is decomposed into curvy RHTs comprising a curved portion and horizontal and vertical lines. Pixel rows covered by curvy RHTs are determined. RHT pixels covered by the curved primitive are determined with counters. Tile based color rendering is performed for covered pixels. The primitive path is decomposed into Bezier curves. Curvy RHTs may overlap and may cover pixels that are not covered by the curved primitive. Pixel rows are located by traversing an RHT path and the direction of traversing may determine pixel counts. Pixel coverage and tile coverage information is stored in memory. Pixels may be rendered in parallel. The curved primitive is rendered in a tile binning phase and a tile rendering phase. Tile rendering comprises a pixel coverage first pass which determines pixels covered by said curved primitive and a color rendering second pass. |
| US08797324B2 |
Direct ray tracing of 3D scenes
Determining intersections between rays and triangles is at the heart of most Computer Generated 3D images. The present disclosure describes a new method for determining the intersections between a set of rays and a set of triangles. The method is unique as it processes arbitrary rays and arbitrary primitives, and provides the lower complexity typical to ray-tracing algorithms without making use of a spatial subdivision data structure which would require additional memory storage. Such low memory usage is particularly beneficial to all computer systems creating 3D images where the available on-board memory is limited and critical, and must be minimized. Also, a pivot-based streaming novelty allows minimizing conditional branching inherent to normal ray-tracing techniques by handling large streams of rays. In most cases, our method displays much faster times for solving similar intersection problems than preceding state of the art methods on similar systems. |
| US08797323B2 |
Shadowing dynamic volumetric media
A dynamic volumetric medium, such as hair, fog, or smoke, may be represented, for purposes of shadow mapping, by transmittance versus depth data for that medium. In one embodiment, the representation may take the form of a plot of transmittance versus depth, with nodes where the transmittance changes non-live linearly with respect of depth into the medium. The number of nodes in the representation may be reduced to reduce memory footprint and to enable the storage of the representation on the same chip doing the shadow mapping. In some embodiments, the number of nodes may be reduced, one node at a time, by removing the node whose underlying trapezoid has the least area of all the remaining nodes. |
| US08797321B1 |
Augmented lighting environments
A method and apparatus for rendering the lighting of virtual objects in an augmented reality display. The method includes determining local and ambient light sources based on data provided by one or more light sensors. The light in the physical lighting environment is accounted for by attributing the light to local light sources and/or ambient light sources. A synthesized physical lighting environment is constructed based on the light characteristics of the local and/or ambient light sources, and is used in properly rendering virtual objects in the augmented reality display. |
| US08797316B2 |
Method for defining fluid/solid boundary for computational fluid dynamics simulations
A method for defining a fluid/solid boundary for computational fluid dynamics simulations making use of a coordinate system mesh and a solid object model, which includes the steps of defining straight lines on which all of the grid points of the coordinate system mesh are positioned; obtaining intersecting points of the straight lines with the surface of the solid object model; and a step in which, for each of the straight lines having the intersecting points, the grid points on the straight line are searched for the nearest point to each of the intersecting points, and based on the searched-out nearest points, the positioned grid points are determined as to whether the grid point is positioned inside the solid object model or in the fluid region. |
| US08797301B2 |
Active stylus to host data transmitting method
Apparatuses and methods of active stylus to host device data transmitting. One method receives, at a stylus, an indication that a host device is performing a first coordinate scan to determine coordinates of the stylus proximate to a capacitive sense array of the host device. While the host device is performing the first coordinate scan, the stylus transmits at least two bits of stylus data to the host device. |
| US08797300B2 |
Method for measuring distance between coordinate indicator and coordinate input device
A method for measuring a distance between a coordinate indicator and a coordinate input device, which belongs to the technical field of computer peripheral equipments. The method comprises the steps of measuring an actual amplitude of an output signal of a receiving coil in the electromagnetic induction plate by a measurement circuit in the electromagnetic induction plate; determining a distance between the coordinate indicator and the coordinate input device in accordance with the actual amplitude of the output signal, a nominal amplitude of the output signal, and a preset reference amplitude of signal. In the present invention, the distance between the coordinate indicator and the coordinate input device is determined by converting an actual amplitude of the output signal of the receiving coil at one time to a nominal amplitude of the output signal normalized by a reference amplitude of signal, which overcomes the defect of the prior art which can not indicate a distance between the coordinate indicator and the coordinate input device. |
| US08797298B2 |
Optical fingerprint navigation device with light guide film
Embodiments of a finger navigation device are described. In one embodiment, the finger navigation device includes a light guide film (LGF), a light source, a sensor, and a navigation engine. At least a portion of the LGF exhibits total internal reflection (TIR) and the light source is in optical communication with the LGF and configured to inject light into the LGF. The sensor is configured to detect light that exits from the LGF after being reflected from a finger that is proximate the LGF and the navigation engine is configured to generate lateral movement information, which is indicative of lateral movement of the finger relative to the sensor, in response to light that is reflected from the finger and detected by the sensor. Other embodiments of the finger navigation device are also described. |
| US08797297B2 |
Display device
Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device (1) that is provided with a function of identifying the position of a subject to be detected (finger) in an image display region (12b) of a liquid crystal panel (10) by emitting light to the image display region (12b) and by detecting light reflected by the subject to be detected (finger). The liquid crystal display device is provided with a backlight (30) and a front light-emitting unit (40), which radiate light to the image display region (12b). The backlight (30) is disposed on the side of the liquid crystal panel (10) opposite to the image display surface (10a), and emits light to the image display region (12b) from the rear side of the liquid crystal panel (10). The front light-emitting unit (40) is disposed outside of the image display region (12b), and emits light to the image display region (12b) without having the liquid crystal panel (10) therebetween. With such a configuration, even when the subject to be detected and the display panel are apart from each other, the position of the subject to be detected can be accurately identified. |
| US08797296B2 |
Method and device for adjusting brightness of an optical touch panel
A method and device are provided for adjusting brightness of an optical touch panel. The optical touch panel comprises a microprocessor, a display module including a back light source, and an optical position detection device including optical transmitting devices and optical receiving devices. The method comprises detecting, via the optical receiving devices, a current ambient light level on the display module. The method further comprises generating, via the optical receiving devices, a current ambient light level signal indicative of the current ambient light level and transmitting the current ambient light level signal to the microprocessor. Furthermore, the method comprises adjusting, via the microprocessor, brightness of the back light source based on the current ambient light level signal. |
| US08797295B2 |
Touch pad with force sensors and actuator feedback
Electronic devices may use touch pads that have touch sensor arrays, force sensors, and actuators for providing tactile feedback. A touch pad may be mounted in a computer housing. The touch pad may have a rectangular planar touch pad member that has a glass layer covered with ink and contains a capacitive touch sensor array. Force sensors may be mounted under each of the four corners of the rectangular planar touch pad member. The force sensors may be used to measure how much force is applied to the surface of the planar touch pad member by a user. Processed force sensor signals may indicate the presence of button activity such as press and release events. In response to detected button activity or other activity in the device, actuator drive signals may be generated for controlling the actuator. The user may supply settings to adjust signal processing and tactile feedback parameters. |
| US08797289B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device, which accepts inputs in a plurality of levels according to pressing loads, after a first-level input is accepted, when a load detecting unit continuously detects a pressing load, which satisfies a first load standard for releasing the acceptance of the first-level input and does not satisfy a second load standard for accepting a second-level input higher than the first load standard, for a predetermined time period, the control unit controls at least one load standard of the first load standard and the second load standard so that an interval from the first load standard to the second load standard widens. |
| US08797285B2 |
Panel
An electrode pattern for a position sensing panel may have an array of mesh cells formed by sinusoidaly shaped conductive lines extending between vertices of the mesh cells. |
| US08797283B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing user-defined macros
A method and apparatus for performing a task at a handheld device. The method includes detecting a first gesture at a handheld device, monitoring for a second gesture in response to detecting the first gesture, detecting the second gesture at the handheld device, determining whether the second gesture corresponds to a task and performing the task when it is determined that the second gesture corresponds to the task. |
| US08797282B2 |
Touch sensor with secondary sensor and ground shield
A touch sensor pattern with a secondary sensor formed substantially as part of the touch sensor pattern is provided. By forming the secondary sensor substantially as part of the touch sensor pattern, where the secondary sensor can be held at a steady state or ground during a touch scan cycle of the touch sensor, an overall thickness of the stackup at the area of the touch sensor where the secondary sensor is formed can be significantly reduced. The reduction in the thickness can allow more space for other hardware such as a device battery, for example. Moreover, grounding the secondary sensor can shield the touch sensor pattern at the area of the touch sensor pattern where the secondary sensor is formed, during a touch scan cycle. |
| US08797279B2 |
Analog touchscreen methods and apparatus
A computer implemented method for determining an intensity of user input to a computer system, performed by the computer system that is programmed to perform the method includes determining by a display, an indication of a finger position a user in response to a change in finger position relative to the computer system, wherein change in fin position is also associated with a magnitude of change, determining by a physical sensor of the computer system, the magnitude of change in response to the change in finger position, determining by the computer system, a user selection of a function to perform in response to the indication of the finger position, determining by the computer system, an input parameter associated with the function in response to the magnitude of change, and initiating performance by the computer system, of the function in response to the input parameter. |
| US08797276B2 |
Method of controlling home appliance having touch panel and touch panel home appliance using the same
A method of controlling a home appliance having a touch panel and a touch panel home appliance using the same, such as a remote controller for controlling a television receiver, facilitate user recognition and selection of a specific function key displayed on a touchscreen, to enable enhanced control of the function key by a user desiring to step through many values of a range of values quickly and accurately. The method includes steps of displaying a main menu on the touchscreen of the touch panel, the main menu including at least one function key for controlling the home appliance, the touchscreen enabling a function key of the main menu to be selected by a user; displaying, in response to a user selection of one of the at least one function key, a set of enlarged keys corresponding to the selected function key of the main menu, the display of the enlarged keys on the touchscreen wholly replacing the display of the main menu; and executing, in response to a touch event with respect to the touchscreen displaying the set of enlarged keys, a control function corresponding to the selected function key, the control function having a parameter value set according to properties of the touch event. |
| US08797274B2 |
Combined tap sequence and camera based user interface
The invention includes a method, apparatus, and program storage device for providing a combined tap sequence and camera based user interface. The invention provides, among other features, an apparatus comprising: an accelerometer; a laser light generating module; wherein the laser light generating module provides a plane of laser light over a surface coupled to the accelerometer; at least one camera; at least one processor; and a memory; wherein the memory stores instructions, executable by the at least one processor, enabling the apparatus to ascertain an occurrence of an input event utilizing inputs from the accelerometer and a location of the input event utilizing inputs from the at least one camera. |
| US08797273B2 |
Method for operating a reproduction apparatus via a user interface having touch elements
A method for operating a reproduction apparatus via a user interface having a plurality of touch elements enables users to conveniently and efficiently locate desired portions of a file. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method includes detecting a first input to a first one of the touch elements (52), selecting a first portion of the file in response to the first input, detecting a second input to a second one of the touch elements after detecting the first input, and selecting a second portion of the file that exists within the first portion in response to the second input. |
| US08797271B2 |
Input aggregation for a multi-touch device
The aggregation of multiple inputs in a touch-sensitive input device is disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment comprises receiving multiple inputs related to a virtual object, aggregating the inputs into an aggregated output, and providing the aggregated output to an application that controls the virtual object. |
| US08797270B2 |
Terminal device with display function
A terminal device with a display function enables only an operation of a desired operation key valid, and easily perform the invalidation operation. In response to switching to a predetermined function mode by manipulating a jog dial, an image in the switched function mode is displayed in a display surface, based on an image signal from a display control section. A bar is located on a borderline between a contents area and an operation area in an initial state of displaying an image. When the jog dial is manipulated by the user to thereby move the bar from the borderline to a predetermined position within the operation area, a CPU determines that the position of the bar has been moved. Then, the CPU detects a new position of the bar, and makes an operation with respect to the operation key located between the bar and the borderline invalid. |
| US08797266B2 |
Typing input systems, methods, and devices
Systems, devices, and techniques are disclosed relating to typing input devices. For example a ten-key input device can be provided for receiving input via ten input elements from the ten fingers on a right hand and a left hand. All of the letters of the alphabet can by typed with the ten input elements according to a translation map that maps the ten input elements or combinations of the ten input elements to the letters of the alphabet. |
| US08797265B2 |
Gyroscope control and input/output device selection in handheld mobile devices
A technique to provide a duplicate I/O device along an adjacent edge of a handheld mobile device to ensure that at least one I/O device is not obscured by a user when the user's hand grasps the handheld mobile device. Depending on which of the portrait or landscape orientation is relative to the user, a sensing device senses the orientation and sends a position signal to a control circuit. The control circuit controls a switching device that controls which of the I/O devices is to be activated depending on the orientation. |
| US08797264B2 |
Image processing apparatus and storage medium storing image processing program
Predetermined image processing is performed in accordance with an input operation performed by an input device having image pickup means for taking an image of one or a plurality of imaging targets. Target image data, which is obtained from one target image of the one imaging target or a plurality of target images of the plurality of imaging targets in the image taken by the image pickup means and which indicates a distance between the plurality of target images or a size of the one target image, is sequentially obtained. A display image is enlarged and reduced in accordance with a change in the target image data. Then, the display image processed in such a manner is displayed on a display device. |
| US08797263B2 |
Apparatus, method for measuring 3 dimensional position of a viewer and display device having the apparatus
Disclosed herein are an apparatus, a method for measuring 3 dimensional positions of a viewer and a display device having the apparatus. The apparatus for measuring the 3 dimensional positions includes an image capturing module that photographs images included in objects; a detecting module that detects the objects from images photographed by the image capturing module and calculates sizes and coordinates of the images on the objects; and a position calculation module that calculates the 3-dimensional positions of the objects in the space in which the objects are positioned by using the information on the calculated sizes and coordinates of the image of the objects. |
| US08797262B2 |
Method of sensing motion in three-dimensional space
An accelerometer and a gyroscope are disposed in a device. When the device rotates in a 3D space, angle of the device relative to gravity is calculated, movement of the device relative to gravity is calculated during the rotation process, and a real trace of the device is obtained in the 3D space. |
| US08797259B2 |
Electrophoretic display device driving method, electrophoretic display device, and electronic apparatus
There is provided a method of driving an electrophoretic display device including a display unit in which an electrophoretic element containing electrophoretic particles is interposed between first and second substrates and in which a plurality of pixels are arranged. The method includes lowering a contrast of the display unit, when a predetermined non-operation period elapses after the display unit displays an image. |
| US08797258B2 |
Highlight color display architecture using enhanced dark state
The present invention is directed to a highlight color display. One of the key features of the invention is the dark color of the display fluid filled in the microcups, which allows the dark state to appear black. There is no alignment required between the pixel electrodes and the microcups. In practice, a standard active matrix array may be used to drive the display device. |
| US08797257B2 |
Display device having an image erasing circuit that is independent of the driving circuit and an image erasing method
A display device including a display layer displaying a black or white color according to an applied voltage, a transparent and non-transparent electrode that are disposed to sandwich the display layer, and a TFT driving circuit capable of applying any given voltage between the pair of electrodes. Also provided is a connection destination switching switch capable of switching the connection destination of the entire transparent electrode to an earth terminal or a connector power source terminal of an external power source connector. With this configuration, a voltage can be applied between the pair of electrodes without using the TFT driving circuit. Accordingly, if the TFT driving circuit fails to operate due to trouble caused by the displaying of information which is not permitted to be shown to others, a voltage can be applied to the display layer so that the displayed information can be erased. |
| US08797255B2 |
Electronic-ink display panel
An electronic-ink display panel including an active matrix substrate, a front plane laminate and an electronic-ink layer is provided. The active matrix substrate has multiple pixel units. Each pixel unit includes multiple sub-pixel units, and each sub-pixel unit has a storage capacitor. In the same pixel unit, the capacitance of the storage capacitor of at least one sub-pixel unit is different from those of the storage capacitors of the other sub-pixel units. The front plane laminate is disposed above the active matrix substrate and the electronic-ink layer is disposed between the active matrix substrate and the front plane laminate. |
| US08797254B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device includes a local dimming function that reduces the feeling of strangeness given to viewers caused by light leakage. A video display control portion controls the aperture ratio of liquid crystal pixel outside an image display area. A backlight control portion controls the brightness value of light emitting element that illuminate a region outside the image display area so as to be a predetermined value in response to control signals output from the video display control portion. A liquid crystal display device controls the brightness of the region outside the image display area so as to be a predetermined value on the basis of the correlation between the aperture ratio of the liquid crystal pixel outside the image display area and the brightness value of the light emitting element that illuminates the region outside the image display area. |
| US08797246B2 |
Driving circuit and voltage generating circuit and display unit using the same
A liquid crystal display substrate has a data driver circuit and a gate driver circuit for driving the liquid crystal display integrated thereon together with a common drive circuit, where common voltages VCOMH and VCOML are applied from the outside through a pad. The gate driver circuit is placed to be adjacent to one of the four terminals of the liquid crystal display. The common drive circuit is placed to be adjacent to the terminal opposite to where the gate driver circuit is placed and as close to the pad as possible while having almost the same width as the area of the gate driver circuit. The pad close to where the common drive circuit is placed is used as the pad for applying the common voltages VCOMH and VCOML. |
| US08797244B2 |
Display device and method of driving the same
A display device includes first and second pixels, first and second gate lines which transfer first and second gate-on voltages, respectively, to the first and second pixels in a first frame and a second frame, respectively, a first data line which transfers a first data voltage to the first pixel in the second frame and a second data line which transfers a second data voltage to the second pixel in the first frame. The first pixel stores the first data voltage as a first stored data voltage in response to the first gate-on voltage and discharges the first stored data voltage in response to the second gate-on voltage. The second pixel stores the second data voltage as a second stored data voltage in response to the second gate-on voltage and discharges the second stored data voltage in response to the first gate-on voltage. |
| US08797241B2 |
Display device that switches light emission states multiple times during one field period
A scan driving circuit includes a shift register unit and a logic circuit unit. The start of a start pulse of an output signal STp+1 of a p+1'th shift register is situated between the start and end of a start pulse of the output signal STp of a p'th shift register, and one each of a first enable signal through a Q'th enable signal exist in sequence between the start of the start pulse of the output signal STp and the start of the start pulse of the output signal STp+1. The operations of a (p′, q)'th NAND circuit are restricted based on period identifying signals, such that the NAND circuit generates scanning signals based only on a portion of the output signal STp corresponding to the first start pulse, the signal obtained by inverting the output signal STp+1, and the q'th enable signal ENq. |
| US08797239B2 |
Organic light-emitting display device
An organic light-emitting display device includes a substrate, the substrate having a plurality of transmitting regions, a plurality of thin film transistors, a plurality of conductive lines, a passivation layer, a plurality of pixel electrodes on the passivation layer, an opposite electrode facing the plurality of pixel electrodes, an organic layer disposed among the plurality of pixel electrodes and the opposite electrode, and a plurality of masking films disposed in the plurality of transmitting regions. |
| US08797235B2 |
Multi-channel LED sign module
An electronic display includes a controller transmitting display data to a plurality of modules electrically connected to each other in series. A first module receives and transmits the display data to at least one intermediate module, which passes the display data along the series in a first direction. Each of the modules controls activation of a respective plurality of lighting elements based on the received display data. A last module transmits to the controller an acknowledgement of receipt of the display data. If the controller does not receive the acknowledgement, then the controller transmits the display data directly to the last module. The last module then transmits the display data to the at least one intermediate module, which passes the display data along the series connection in a second direction opposite to the first direction. |
| US08797232B2 |
Information processing apparatus, display control method, and program
According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus having an internal display and a connection module for an external display, includes a storage module configured to store items of virtual desktop information to be displayed on an actual display screen of one of the internal display and the external display and items of information of a display which displays the items of virtual desktop information in association with each other, and a control module configured to read out, from the storage module, an item of virtual desktop information in association with the external display and to supply the item of virtual desktop information in association with the external display to external display upon detecting that the external display is connected to the connection module when one of the items of virtual desktop information is displayed on the actual display screen of the internal display. |
| US08797230B2 |
Antenna for circularly polarized radiation
An antenna for circularly polarized radiation at an operating frequency in excess of 200 MHz has a substrate in the form of a disc-shaped dielectric tile with parallel planar surfaces. The upper surface bears a conductive pattern including a resonant ring and a number of open-circuit radiating elements each having an electrical length of a quarterwave at the resonant frequency of the ring. The radiating elements extend outwardly from the ring and are joined to the ring at uniformly spaced locations. Each radiating element extends in a direction which has both a radial component and a tangential component and follows a generally spiral path. A pair of central feed nodes are coupled to the inside of the ring by a pair of feed tracks lying on a diameter. Dual-frequency and dual-polarization variants are also disclosed. |
| US08797229B2 |
Remote radio unit
The disclosure discloses a remote radio unit, which comprises: a common slot, an antenna and a plurality of function modules; wherein the common slot is connected with the antenna and comprises a plurality of slots, and each function module is inserted in a different slot of the common slot respectively. The disclosure can solve the problem that a remote radio unit is extended inconveniently while adding frequency bands and the whole remote radio unit will be greatly affected in most cases when a fault occurs in the module supporting one frequency band. |
| US08797226B2 |
Antenna heat fins
A cellular communication antenna has a base with a length that exceeds its width and an inside surface with internal mounts for a plurality of electrical components that generate heat when in operation. A top encapsulates the electrical components and incorporates a radome. A plurality of fins are mounted on the outside surface of the base. They may be non-parallel with the length of the base. They may all be substantially the same length. They are further constructed and arranged to be in thermal communication with the electrical components such that heat generated by the electrical components is dissipated by the fins. Each fin may be in thermally conductive communication with more than one electrical component. |
| US08797221B2 |
Reconfigurable antennas utilizing liquid metal elements
A reconfigurable antenna that utilizes liquid metal to achieve dynamic antenna performance is disclosed. The reconfigurable antenna may utilize one or more liquid metal sections that can be variably displaced. Utilizing liquid metal may reduce certain undesirable effects associated with more conventional mechanical reconfigurable antennas including mechanical failure due to material fatigue, creep, and/or wear. Precise microfluidic techniques may be utilized in the design of a reconfigurable antenna that utilizes liquid metal. The reconfigurable antenna may utilize a circular Yagi-Uda array design and include movable parasitic director and reflector elements implemented using liquid metal (e.g., mercury (Hg)). The parasitic elements may be placed and rotated in a circular microfluidic channel around a driven antenna element utilizing a flow generated and controlled by a piezoelectric micropump. The reconfigurable antenna may operate at 1800 MHz with 4% bandwidth and be capable of performing beam steering over 360° with fine tuning. |
| US08797217B2 |
Mobile wireless communications device including antenna assembly having spaced apart parallel conductor arms and related methods
A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing, at least one wireless transceiver carried by the portable housing, and at least one satellite positioning signal receiver carried by the portable housing. The mobile wireless communications device may also include an antenna assembly carried by the portable housing. The antenna assembly may include a base electrical conductor having a pair of antenna feed points defined therein and coupled to the at least one wireless transceiver and the at least one satellite signal positioning receiver. The antenna assembly may also include first and second conductor arms being spaced apart, parallel, and extending outwardly from the base electrical conductor. |
| US08797215B2 |
Wire antenna
A wire antenna comprises a main radiating element, a grounding element, a shorting element, and a coaxial cable. The said main radiating element and the said grounding element are linked by the said shorting element. A central conducting wire and an outer grounding conductor of the coaxial cable are electrically connected to the first and the second points on the said main radiating element and the said grounding element respectively. The main radiating element and the grounding element are all made of a single metal wire with compact size and low cost. The present invention is capable of single or dual-band operation for applications in WLAN devices. |
| US08797211B2 |
Millimeter-wave communications using a reflector
Methods and systems for establishing a non-line of sight millimeter wave connection that include a transmitter unit having beam-steering capability, a receiver unit having beam-steering capability, and a reflecting unit in a position having a line-of-sight path to the transmitter unit and the receiver unit. The reflecting unit includes an attachment mechanism configured to attach to a mounting point on an object or surface, a reflecting surface that is reflective to millimeter-wave radiation, and an adjustable pivot connected between the attachment mechanism and the reflecting surface configured to permit directional positioning of the reflecting surface relative to the attachment mechanism. |
| US08797208B2 |
Active radar system and method
The present invention relates to an active radar system and a corresponding method. The proposed system comprises at least two transmit antennas that each transmits radiation to a scene as a transmit signal, said transmit signal comprising a series of frequency modulated pulses, at least one receive antenna that receives radiation from said scene as a receive signal, a controller that controls said at least two transmit antennas. The transmissions of the transmit signals are subsequently initiated with time offsets, controlled to be larger than the time delay between transmission of a first transmit signal of said two transmit signals and reception of radiation of said first transmit signal by said at least one receive antenna and to be smaller than the time duration of a complete frequency modulated pulse of said first transmit signal. |
| US08797199B1 |
Continuous adaptive digital to analog control
Within a mechanical control system, continuous adaptive digital to analog control may control an analog actuated device by comparing a current value for a process variable to a setpoint value to obtain an error value, wherein the process variable may represent a monitored condition controlled by an analog actuated device. Continuous adaptive digital to analog control may also include converting the error value into a digital pulse time value representing a correction to compensate for the error value. The error value may be converted using a gain factor derived from timing characteristics for the actuated device. An analog value may be output based on a previously output value and the digital pulse time value. Continuous adaptive digital to analog control may repeatedly adjust the actuated device according to the changing values for the process variable. |
| US08797189B2 |
Control display system, method, and program
The degree of urgency of a displayed object is promptly recognized in a control display system including: an information acquisition unit that acquires a target serving as an object of monitoring and attribute information of the target; a control condition storage unit that stores the attribute information of the target and a viewpoint control condition serving as information about a display mode of the target, the attribute information and the condition being associated with each other in advance; a viewpoint control unit that detects attribute information matching the attribute information of the acquired target from the control condition storage unit and that extracts the viewpoint control condition associated with the detected attribute information; and a display unit that displays a result obtained by carrying out viewpoint control of the target on the basis of the extracted viewpoint control condition. |
| US08797186B2 |
Parking assistance system for assisting in a parking operation for a plurality of available parking spaces
A parking assistance system is described for assisting in a parking operation of a vehicle when a plurality of parking spaces is present. A method in a parking assistance system includes performing the following: detecting a plurality of parking spaces; selecting one of the detected parking spaces based on a degree of comfort; and assisting in the parking operation into the selected parking space. The degree of comfort includes at least one predefined condition, on the basis of which the detected parking spaces are classifiable according to the presumed driver acceptance. |
| US08797185B2 |
Driving assitstance method, on-board unit (OBU) applying the method and computer readable storage medium storing the method
An on-board unit (OBU) with a driving-assistance function to be installed on a vehicle includes at least one wireless communication unit and a processing unit. The processing unit receives information of at least one first traffic signal and at least one second traffic signal respectively from their RSUs through the at least one wireless communication unit. The first traffic signal is installed at a first intersection, the at least one second traffic signal is installed at a second intersection, and the vehicle is closer to the first intersection than to the second intersection. The processing unit generates a suggested speed range, within which the vehicle may travel to allow the same to pass through the first intersection and the second intersection without stopping, according to the information of at least one first traffic signal and the at least one second traffic and vehicle position information of the vehicle. |
| US08797184B2 |
Advanced accessible pedestrian system for signalized traffic intersections
Pedestrian call systems with bidirectional communication between pedestrian call stations and traffic controllers are arranged so as to detect system errors. Communications can be provided over power conductors, and systems can be configured and monitored using a web browser. In one example, traffic systems are provided with Ethernet interfaces that can be used for bidirectional communication over power lines. |
| US08797171B2 |
Delayed power-on function for an electronic device
A delayed power-on function for an electronic device is disclosed. A charging unit charges a rechargeable battery with a pre-charge current when a voltage of the rechargeable battery is less than a voltage threshold value and with a current larger than the pre-charge current when the voltage of the rechargeable battery is greater than the voltage threshold value. A disabling unit can disable power-on when the voltage of the rechargeable battery is less than the voltage threshold value. A user may also be notified when power-on is disabled. |
| US08797169B1 |
Systems and methods for sensing and indicating orientation of electrical equipment with passive cooling
A system for sensing and indicating orientation of electrical equipment comprises an orientation sensor and control logic. The control logic is configured to compare predefined data with an orientation of the electrical equipment sensed by the orientation sensor in order to determine whether the sensed orientation of the equipment is within an acceptable range such that sufficient cooling by a cooling system is likely to occur. If the sensed orientation of the equipment is not within the acceptable range, the control logic transmits a notification signal so that corrective action can occur. As an example, the notification signal may be used to notify a user of the improper orientation. In another example, the notification signal automatically triggers an action that compensates for the improper orientation. |
| US08797167B2 |
Computational systems and methods for monitoring medication events
Computer-based systems and computer-implemented methods are described for monitoring medication events for an individual. Computer-based systems include systems for monitoring medication events relating to an individual, including: circuitry for analyzing data for an identifier of a first medication event for an individual; circuitry for analyzing the data for at least one attribute of an individual; circuitry for analyzing the data for at least one attribute relating to a medication during the first medication event; circuitry for analyzing the data for at least one feature of visual information and at least one feature of non-visual information relating to the individual during the first medication event; circuitry for analyzing the received data for a time associated with the first medication event; circuitry for determining a compliance likelihood for the first medication event based on the analyses of the received data; and circuitry for indicating the determined compliance likelihood. |
| US08797163B2 |
Transponder unit
The invention relates to a transponder unit (1) and to a method for transmitting data between the transponder unit and a reader (100). The aim of the invention is to increase the transmission range of the transponder unit (1) to the reader (100). For this purpose, means are integrated into the transponder unit (1) for actively transmitting a signal to the reader (100). The reader (100) evaluates said signal as a modulation of its own field (110) by a transponder. |
| US08797161B2 |
Shipping container vent cover for theft detection, theft prevention and logistics management
A vent cover (16) for installing on a shipping container. The vent cover includes a housing (16a) adapted for covering a vent hole (24) of the shipping container. A direct current (DC) power source is encased or enclosed in the housing. The DC power source includes a battery. The vent cover may also include a circuit board (34) attached to the DC power source. An antenna (36) may be located on a surface of the housing and attached to the circuit board. The circuit board may include a satellite antenna interface for a satellite antenna and a global positioning system (GPS) module attached to the satellite antenna interface. The vent cover may include an environmental sensor (304) for sensing a parameter of the shipping container. The environmental sensor may be adapted to protrude through a hole in a wall (12) of the shipping container when the vent cover is mounted on the shipping container. The electromagnetic sensor may be configured to transmit an electromagnetic signal (324) and sense an electromagnetic response signal (322) responsive to the transmitted wave and sensitive to variations within the container. |
| US08797155B2 |
Distributed medical sensing system and method
A method of communicating medical sensing data including receiving, at a patient communication system, medical sensing data collected by a medical sensing device during a medical sensing procedure. The method also includes creating, with the patient communication system, a data message, the data message including at least a portion of the medical sensing data, information about the medical sensing procedure, and information about the medical sensing data and transmitting, with the patient communication system, the data message to a centralized computing device over a data network. |
| US08797154B2 |
In-vehicle display apparatus
An in-vehicle display apparatus includes: multiple switchable display elements for displaying one of display items in a display group that is assigned each switchable display element; an operation device for outputting an operation signal according to an operation of a user; a determination device for determining an operation mode of the operation of the user with respect to the operation device, according to the operation signal; and a display control device for independently controlling each switchable display element to execute a switching and displaying operation according to the operation mode. In the switching and displaying operation, the display control device controls one of switchable display elements to switch a current display item to another display item according to a predetermined switching order of display items every time the operation device outputs the operation signal. |
| US08797149B2 |
State-based control systems and methods
A state-based remote control system for providing efficient and simple operation of a plurality of electronic devices as a coordinated system based upon an overall task. The state-based remote control system includes a housing, a keypad in communication with an electronic system contained within the housing, and a communication device in communication with the electronic system for communicating with external electronic devices. The electronic system monitors the buttons selected by a user to determine the state of all external electronic devices that are to be controlled. When the user selects a task (e.g. watch television), the electronic system automatically determines the actions required to achieve the desired task based upon the current state of the external electronic devices. After the task has been fulfilled, the electronic system updates the data to reflect the modified state of the external electronic devices. |
| US08797148B2 |
Radio frequency IC device and radio communication system
A radio frequency IC device achieves impedance matching between a radio IC chip and a radiation plate in a wide frequency band, and achieves desired radiation characteristics over a wide range of frequencies. A radio frequency IC device and a radio communication system allow both long-distance and short-distance communication and, in particular, allow short-distance communication using a small amount of energy. The radio frequency IC device includes an electromagnetic coupling module including a radio IC chip and a feed circuit board, and a radiation plate. An annular electrode is arranged to be coupled to both a feed circuit of the electromagnetic coupling module and the radiation plate. The radiation plate defines an electric-field radiation plate for long-distance communication, while the annular electrode defines a magnetic-field radiation plate for short-distance communication. The feed circuit board may be removed, so that the radio IC chip is coupled to the annular electrode directly or with an interposer disposed therebetween. |
| US08797144B2 |
Authorizing RFID reader and inhibiting skimming
An RFID reader system has an RFID tag and an RFID reader. The tag authorizes the RFID reader by receiving a plurality of successively-transmitted initial RFID read signals and determining respective initial-read signal power levels of the received initial RFID read signals. Using the determined initial-read signal power levels, a controller automatically selects an authorization sequence. A plurality of successively-transmitted authorization RFID signals are received sequentially, and respective authorization-signal power levels of the received authorization RFID read signals are determined. The determined authorization-signal power levels are automatically compared to the authorization sequence using the controller, so that the RFID reader is authorized if the determined authorization-signal power levels correspond to the authorization sequence. |
| US08797143B2 |
Information processing apparatus
An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a communication control unit controlling communication of a radio communication device with a data carrier transmitting a signal including communication distance information regarding a communication distance; an output variable control unit varying transmission output of the radio communication device; and a data carrier determination unit determining that the data carrier having a short communication distance is valid as the transmission output is large, and determining that the data carrier having a long communication distance is valid as the transmission output is small. |
| US08797142B2 |
Data processing device, IC card and communication system
An object is to provide a data processing device which achieves multiple functions or easy additional providing of a function while suppressing adverse influence on a communication distance or to improve resistance to electrostatic discharge in the data processing device. The data processing device includes an antenna which transmits and receives a first signal to/from a first terminal device through wireless communication, an integrated circuit which executes a process in accordance with the first signal, and a terminal portion which transmits and receives a second signal to/from a second terminal device and has an exposed conductive portion on its surface. A protection circuit is provided between at least one terminal of terminals of the terminal portion and a power supply terminal of a high potential and between the one terminal and a power supply terminal of a low potential. |
| US08797141B2 |
Reverse RFID location system
A reverse RFID location system is based on set of RFID tags in which each tag stores data representing its position. |
| US08797140B2 |
Biometric authentication method and biometric authentication apparatus
According to an aspect of an embodiment, a method comprises, storing information corresponding to a plurality of users in association with first reference biometric data and second reference biometric data, the users being divided into first and second groups, the quality of the first reference biometric data of each of the users in the first group being not less than a predetermined level, the quality of the first reference biometric data of each of the users in the second group being less than the predetermined level, obtaining first biometric data of a user by inputting first biometric information of the user, providing first authentication, obtaining second biometric data of a user by inputting second biometric information of the user when the first authentication indicates presumed matching of the first biometric data with the first biometric reference data of one of the users in the second group and providing second authentication. |
| US08797138B2 |
One-time access for electronic locking devices
Systems and methods for providing one-time access to electronic locking devices for non-keyholders. The one-time access rights are delivered from a server to the electronic locking device in real-time, or in near-real time, over short and long-range wireless communication links in a manner that is secure and traceable. A handheld device is coupled with the electronic locking device via the short-range communication link, and is coupled with the server via a long-range wireless communication link. |
| US08797137B2 |
Soft magnetic powder, granulated powder, dust core, electromagnetic component, and method for producing dust core
Provided is a soft magnetic powder used for obtaining a dust core having a low hysteresis loss, in particular, in a high temperature range. A soft magnetic powder includes an aggregate of composite magnetic particles, each including a soft magnetic particle containing Fe, Si, and Al, and an insulating coating film disposed on the surface thereof, and satisfies the expressions (1) and (2) below: Expression (1) . . . 27≦2.5a+b≦29 and Expression (2) . . . 6≦b≦9, where a represents the Si content (mass %) and b represents the Al content (mass %). The soft magnetic powder is capable of reducing the hysteresis loss, in a high-temperature environment, of a dust core obtained using the soft magnetic powder. |
| US08797136B2 |
Laminated common-mode choke coil
A laminated common-mode choke coil offering higher insulation reliability has a glass ceramic layer, two spiral internal conductors facing each other and sandwiching the glass ceramic layer in between, and insulation layers sandwiching the two internal conductors, wherein the glass ceramic layer contains segregated Al regions and the maximum dimension t1 of each segregated Al region in the glass ceramic layer, in the layer-thickness direction, is no more than 80% of the distance t0 between the two internal conductors. |
| US08797126B2 |
Tunable microwave arrangements
The present invention relates to a tunable microwave arrangement (100) comprising a waveguide arrangement and tuning elements comprising a number of varactors for tuning an electromagnetic signal input to the waveguide arrangement. It comprises a substrate (1), a layered structure (20) comprising at least two conducting layers (2,3) and at least one dielectric layer (4) which are arranged in an alternating manner. The layered structure is arranged on the substrate (1) such that a first of said conducting layers (2) is closest to the substrate (1). It also comprises at least one surface mounted waveguide (5), a second of the conducting layers (3), most distant from the substrate, being adapted to form a wall of the surface mounted waveguide (5), which wall incorporates said tuning elements which are arranged to enable control of surface currents generated in said wall, hence loading the waveguide (5) with a tunable, controllable impedance. |
| US08797123B2 |
Double film bulk acoustic resonator having electrode edge alignments providing improved quality factor or electromechanical coupling coefficient
An acoustic resonator comprises a substrate having a trench with lateral boundaries, a first electrode formed on the substrate over the trench and having lateral edges that are laterally offset from the lateral boundaries of the trench by a first distance, a first piezoelectric layer formed on the first electrode, a second electrode formed on the first piezoelectric layer and having edges that are laterally aligned inside the lateral boundaries of the trench, a second piezoelectric layer located on the second electrode, and a third electrode located on the second piezoelectric layer and having edges that are laterally offset from the edges of the second electrode. |
| US08797118B2 |
Passive component
A first passive component includes one unbalanced line having one unbalance input terminal, one balanced line installed opposite to the unbalanced line and having two balanced output terminals (first balanced output terminal and second balanced output terminal), and a capacitor formed between the balanced line and a fixed potential (e.g. the ground potential). Furthermore, the relation d1>d2 is satisfied, where d1 is the physical length of the unbalanced line and d2 is the physical length of the balanced line. |
| US08797113B2 |
Power amplifier, wireless communication device, and power amplification method
A power amplifier comprises: polar modulator that receives modulated signal including amplitude-modulated component and phase-modulated component, outputs the amplitude-modulated component, superimposes the modulated signal on carrier wave to generate signal output as RF-modulated signal, and delays at least one of the amplitude-modulated component and the RF-modulated signal; first amplitude modulator that receives the amplitude-modulated component, pulse-modulates the amplitude-modulated component to generate signal output as pulse-modulated signal, and amplifies the amplitude-modulated component with the amplitude-modulated component and the pulse-modulated signal as control signals; second amplitude modulator that receives the amplitude-modulated component and the pulse-modulated signal, and amplifies the amplitude-modulated component with the amplitude-modulated component and the pulse-modulated signal as control signals; and first RF amplifier that receives the RF-modulated signal, amplifies the RF-modulated signal, and amplitude-modulates the amplified RF-modulated signal with output signal of second amplitude modulator. |
| US08797112B2 |
Modulator, mixer and method for amplitude shift keying modulation
An ASK modulator includes a baseband unit which obtains a sequence comprising at least one amplitude value and adds an additional value to each of the at least one amplitude value to generate a modified sequence; a digital-to-analog converter coupled to the baseband unit, the digital-to-analog converter converts the modified sequence to generate a first signal, the additional value is determined based on a half scale of the digital-analog converter; and a mixer which receives the first signal and a second signal and generate a modulated signal by mixing the first signal with the second signal. |
| US08797110B2 |
Buffer input impedance compensation in a reference clock signal buffer
A system for managing a reference clock signal includes an XO; a signal buffer coupled to the XO and configured to drive a reference clock signal generated by the XO; and a first IC coupled to the signal buffer. The first IC includes an XO input buffer configured to receive the reference clock signal, to switch between an enabled, operational state and a disabled state, and to have a first operational impedance while in the enabled state; an impedance equivalence circuit configured to be in an enabled, operational state when the XO input buffer is in its disabled state and vice versa and to have a second operational impedance while in the enabled state that is equivalent to the first operational impedance; and a control mechanism configured to switch the XO input buffer and the impedance equivalence circuit between the enabled state and the disabled state. |
| US08797109B2 |
Ultrasound system with ultrasound generator, resonator and light source
An ultrasound system for the generation of low-frequency high-power ultrasound includes a resonator for transmitting the ultrasound to a medium. To safely handle the ultrasound system, the ultrasound system has a light source illuminating a workspace of the ultrasound system. |
| US08797108B2 |
Voltage control oscillator and quadrature modulator
A voltage control oscillator includes: first and second field effect transistors, a drain of one of which is connected to a gate of the other and a drain of the other of which is connected to a gate of the one; third and fourth field effect transistors, a drain of one of which is connected to a gate of the other and a drain of the other of which is connected to a gate of the one; a first inductor connected between the drain of the first field effect transistor and the drain of the second field effect transistor; a second inductor connected between the drain of the third field effect transistor and the drain of the fourth field effect transistor; a third inductor magnetically coupled to the first inductor; a fourth inductor magnetically coupled to the second inductor; a first capacitor; and a second capacitor. |
| US08797107B2 |
Voltage controlled oscillator
A voltage controlled oscillator includes a split ring resonator (SRR) configured to have meta-material characteristics fabricated on a board, and an energy compensation circuit configured to cause resonant oscillation of the SRR. The energy compensation circuit is fabricated in the form of an integrated circuit. |
| US08797105B2 |
Tunable signal source
The present disclosure provides a tunable signal source having a plurality of oscillator cores having a coupling input, a coupling output, and a power output that is common to each of the plurality of oscillator cores. Also included is a plurality of tunable phase shifters wherein corresponding ones of the plurality of tunable phase shifters are communicatively coupled between the coupling input and the coupling output of corresponding ones of the plurality of oscillator cores, thereby forming a loop of alternating ones of the plurality of oscillator cores and alternating ones of the plurality of tunable phase shifters. |
| US08797104B2 |
Amplifier with floating well
A low-noise amplifier includes a first transistor having a gate configured to receive an oscillating input signal and a source coupled to ground. A second transistor has a source coupled to a drain of the first transistor, a gate coupled to a bias voltage, and a drain coupled to an output node. At least one of the first and second transistors includes a floating deep n-well that is coupled to an isolation circuit. |
| US08797101B2 |
High frequency amplifier circuit
A high frequency amplifier circuit includes a first transistor that has a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, the first terminal being grounded, a second transistor that has a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, the control terminal of the second transistor being coupled to the second terminal of the first transistor, the first terminal of the second transistor being coupled to only the second terminal of the first transistor with respect to high frequency wave, the second terminal of the second transistor being coupled to a direct-current power supply, and a first resistor of which first terminal is coupled to a node between the second terminal of the first transistor and the control terminal of the second transistor, and of which second terminal is coupled to the first terminal of the second transistor. |
| US08797095B2 |
Adaptive voltage scalers (AVS), systems, and related methods
Adaptive voltage scalers (AVSs), systems, and related methods are disclosed. The AVSs are configured to adaptively adjust voltage levels powering a functional circuit(s) based on target operating frequencies and delay variation conditions to avoid or reduce voltage margin. In one embodiment, the AVS includes an AVS database. The AVS database can be configured to store voltage levels for various operating frequencies of a functional circuit(s) to avoid or reduce voltage margin. The AVS database allows rapid voltage level decisions. The voltage levels stored in the AVS database may be initial, minimum, learned, populated, explored, backed out, temperature-based, and/or age-based voltage levels according to disclosed embodiments to further avoid or reduce voltage margin. An AVS module may be a software-based module that consults the AVS database to make voltage level decisions. Providing the AVS module as a software-based module may allow flexibility in configuring the AVS module and/or the AVS database. |
| US08797089B2 |
Voltage generator
According to one embodiment, a voltage generator includes a step-up circuit and a limiter circuit. The step-up circuit outputs a first voltage to a first node. The limiter circuit includes first and second resistive elements, first and second capacitive elements, a switch element, and a comparator. The first resistive element is between the first node and a second node. The second resistive element is connected to the second node. The first capacitive element is between the first and second nodes. The switch element connects the second capacitive element to the second node at the same time that the first node is connected to a load. The comparator compares the potential at the second node with a reference potential. |
| US08797088B2 |
Charge pump feedback control device and method using the same
Charge pump feedback control device and method are provided. The device is coupled to the charge pump unit which receives an input voltage so as to generate an output voltage and has switches and at least one capacitor, the device includes: a compensation unit, a modulation unit, and a phase control unit. The compensation unit receives the output voltage, compensates the output voltage for stability, and generates an error signal. The modulation unit receives the error signal, modulates the error signal, and correspondingly generates a modulation signal. The phase control unit receives the modulation signal so as to generate phase signal, and controls the plurality of switches of the charge pump unit according to the plurality of phase signal so as to generate the output voltage through the input voltage charging/discharging at least one capacitor of the charge pump unit. |
| US08797087B2 |
Reference quantity generator
A reference quantity generator for generating a reference quantity includes a reference source configured to provide a reference source signal, a digitally controlled signal source and a digital controller. The digitally controlled signal source is configured to provide a digitally controlled quantity. The reference quantity is determined based on the digitally controlled quantity. The digital controller is configured to provide a digital control signal to control the digitally controlled signal source to adapt the digitally controlled quantity based on the reference source signal using a feedback. |
| US08797075B2 |
Low power oversampling with reduced-architecture delay locked loop
In one embodiment, an apparatus including a phase detector unit to determine a phase difference between an inverted reference clock signal and a feedback clock signal. The apparatus further includes a controller unit to generate a delay signal based on the phase difference. The apparatus further includes a set of voltage-controlled delay lines to generate phase outputs based on the delay signal, where the phase outputs are provided by the apparatus to a clock generator unit to generate an oversampled clock signal for data recovery by a receiver. |
| US08797074B2 |
Semiconductor device having DLL circuit and control method thereof
Disclosed herein is a device that comprises a delay line delaying a first clock signal in response to the delay control information to produce a delayed clock signal, a phase detector unit controls the delay control information in response to a relationship in phase between the first clock signal and a second clock signal, and an inverting control unit receiving the delayed clock signal and producing a third clock signal, the second clock signal being produced in response to the third clock signal. The third clock signal is in phase with the delayed clock signal when the inverting control unit is in a first state and complementary to the delayed clock signal when the inverting control unit is in a second state. |
| US08797070B2 |
Power-on reset circuit
The power-on reset circuit includes: a NMOS transistor having a source connected to a second power supply terminal and a gate connected to a drain thereof; a depletion-type NMOS transistor having a source connected to the drain of the NMOS transistor, a drain connected to a first power supply terminal and a gate connected to the second power supply terminal; a PMOS transistor having a source connected to the first power supply terminal, a gate connected to the drain of the NMOS transistor and a drain; a capacitor having one end connected to the drain of the PMOS transistor and the other end connected to the second power supply terminal; and a waveform shaping circuit having an input terminal connected to the drain of the PMOS transistor and an output terminal from which a power-on reset signal is output. |
| US08797069B2 |
High speed RF divider
High-speed RF differential, Quadrature, divide-by-2 clock divider designs are based on inverters and clocking circuits connected in a serial ring formation. In one embodiment, only NMOS transistors are used in the inverters, and only PMOS transistors are used in the clocking circuits. This structure uses only 12 transistors. The input can be coupled directly to a VCO output, and provides minimum loading, as each VCO output is connected to only two transistors. Another embodiment comprises clocked inverter stages connected in a serial ring configuration with inverters between stages. The RF clock (or VCO signal) is used at the outer side of the inverters for speed improvement. In both circuits, positive and negative clock inputs are connected alternately at each stage of the ring. |
| US08797067B1 |
Detection of signals for transmission
A circuit, set forth by way of example and not limitation, includes a signal detector operative to detect two types of signals, where the two types of signals include a higher-frequency signal and a lower-frequency signal. The signal detector is operative to detect that a received input signal is one of the two types of signals. An output driver is operative to receive the input signal and to adjust conditioning performed on the input signal to create an output signal for transmission over a communication channel, where the adjustment is based on the detection by the signal detector. |
| US08797064B1 |
Hybrid H-bridge and CML driver
In one embodiment, a hybrid output buffer having both an H-bridge mode and a CML mode of operation includes a plurality of transistor switches arranged between an upper rail and a bottom rail. A first pair of the transistor switches couples between the upper rail and respective output nodes. A pair of resistors couples between the output nodes and a central node. During H-bridge mode, the hybrid output buffer controls a potential of the upper rail responsive to a feedback signal proportional to a difference between a potential of the central node and a common-mode voltage. |
| US08797056B2 |
System and method for electronic testing of partially processed devices
Systems and methods are provided for testing partially completed three-dimensional ICs. Example methods may incorporate one or more of the following features: design for testing (DFT); design for partial wafer test; design for partial probing; partial IC probecards; partial IC test equipment; partial IC quality determinations; partial IC test optimization; and partial test optimization. Other aspects may also be included. Systems and methods incorporating these features to test partially completed three-dimensional ICs may result in saved time and effort, and less scraped material, as the partial device is not built any further when a bad partial device is detected. This results in lower costs and higher yield. |
| US08797051B1 |
Minimizing voltage drops on printed circuit boards (PCBs) by using current injectors
A device determines a first voltage measurement of an output of a first brick. The device further determines a second voltage measurement associated with a second brick. The first brick is larger in size than the second brick. The device ramps up an output voltage of the second brick when the second voltage measurement is less than the first voltage measurement. |
| US08797049B2 |
Low power capacitive touch detector
A low power capacitive detector is disclosed. The detector includes a mechanism to measure and detect touch on capacitive sensors. The detector uses signal processing to suppress noise and increase sensitivity. The detector does not require dedicated analog circuitry, making it easy to adopt in a microcontroller system. The detector can be scaled to a larger number of capacitive sensors without noticeable increase in silicon cost. |
| US08797048B2 |
Capacitive rotation sensor
A capacitive rotation sensor for detecting the position of an object moving relative to a stationary object, comprising a shaft rotatably supported in a housing flange, said shaft being connected integral in rotation therewith to a rotor to which, separated by an air gap, a stator situated opposite thereto is assigned, wherein at least the rotor, the stator and an evaluation circuit are enclosed by an electrically conductive cap, wherein a stator surface is arranged on the underside of a circuit board and the stator surface has assigned thereto, situated opposite thereto and separated by the air gap, a non-rotation-symmetrical rotor disc which, in turn, is fixed on a rotor support, said rotor support being fastened highly precisely on the outer periphery of the shaft so as to be integral in rotation therewith. |
| US08797042B2 |
Ground fault detection circuit and ground fault detection apparatus
A ground fault detection circuit includes: a first switch circuit that connects/disconnects a first path between a positive bus bar and a ground potential section, the positive bus bar being connected to positive electrodes of secondary battery units through a field-effect transistor including a parasitic diode; a second switch circuit that connects/disconnects a second path between a negative bus bar and a ground potential section, the negative bus bar being connected to negative electrodes of the secondary battery units; and a ground fault detection unit that detects a ground fault of the positive bus bar or the negative bus bar based on an electric current flowing through the first path or the second path. |
| US08797041B2 |
Discharge ionization current detector
A discharge ionization current detector using a low-frequency dielectric barrier discharge with an improved S/N ratio is provided. A current detector 20 is disposed between an excitation high-voltage power source 8 and a discharge electrode 5 to detect a discharge current flowing in pulses due to plasma generation. The detection signal of the current detector 20 and an output signal from a current amplifier 18 for amplifying an ion current are inputted into an output extraction unit 21. The output extraction unit 21 detects a precipitous-rise portion of the discharge current detection signal and generates a trigger signal, and then extracts an ion current signal for a predetermined time period from the trigger signal. This can remove an influence of a noise appearing in a signal during a time period where no plasma emission is generated, thereby improving the S/N ratio of the detection signal. |
| US08797039B2 |
Microwave ablation generator control system
A microwave energy delivery and measurement system, including a microwave energy source configured to delivery microwave energy to a microwave energy delivery device, a measurement system configured to measure at least one parameter of the microwave energy delivery device and a switching network configured to electrically isolate the microwave energy source and the measurement system. The measurement system is configured to actively measure in real time at least one parameter related to the microwave energy delivery device. |
| US08797032B2 |
Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging method
The temperature of an MRI gradient magnetic field coil unit is measured at least two times. Shift data indicating a center magnetic resonance frequency of a hydrogen atom in response to variation of the gradient coil temperature is stored in advance. Estimated shift of the center frequency based on the measurement result is determined and the center frequency of an RF NMR excitation pulse is corrected based on the estimated shift. |
| US08797029B2 |
Magnetic resonance signal detection using remotely positioned receive coils
The receive coil arrangement includes an inner coil adjacent the part to be imaged so as to maximize the received MR signal and an outer coil, which may be the built in body coil of the magnet, connected by cable to the signal processing system. Both the coils are individually tuned to the common resonant frequency and the receive coil include an arrangement to halt current flow therein during the transmit stage. The first coil has no cable and is arranged to communicate the MR signal therein to the signal processing system through the outer coil by inducing the MR signal onto the outer coil. Despite inherent losses by interfering with the tuning of the loops and in the inductive coupling this magnifies the MR signal and makes the first coil wireless. Arrangements are provided for generating from the output of the second coil separate signals for separate channels of the signal processing unit. |
| US08797028B2 |
Sensor device for target particles in a sample
A sensor device and a method for the determination of the amount of target particles at a contact surface adjacent to a sample chamber include detecting, by a detector, the target particles in the sample chamber by a sensor element, and providing at least one corresponding sensor signal. An evaluation unit determines the amount of target particles in a first zone at the contracts surface and in a second zone a distance away from the contact surface based on this sensor signal. In an optical measurement approach, frustrated total internal reflection taking place under different operating conditions, such as wavelength and/or angle of incidence, may be used to extract information about the first and second zones. In a magnetic measurement approach, different magnetic excitation fields may be used to excite magnetic target particles differently in the first and second zone. |
| US08797025B2 |
Compensation methods for digital source-measure-units (SMUs)
A source-measure unit (SMU) may be implemented with respective digital control loops for output voltage and output current. The output voltage and output current may be measured with dedicated ADCs (analog-to-digital converters). The readings obtained by the ADCs may be compared to a setpoint, which may be set in a digital loop controller. The digital loop controller may be used to produce an output to drive a DAC (digital-to-analog converter) until the output voltage and/or output current and/or a function thereof reach the respective desired levels. The digital loop controller may implement respective integrating functions for the respective digital control loops, and may also implement a compensation function featuring pole-zero pairs to stabilize the respective current/voltage outputs. Coefficients of the compensation function may be calculated based on user programmable parameters corresponding to the gain bandwidth product, compensation frequency, and ratio of the added pole-zero frequencies. |
| US08797024B2 |
Sensor
The present invention is directed to a sensor with a body and a magnetic field sensor. The body includes a plurality of structures arranged in a first direction to effect a periodically varying magnetic field upon movement of the body in the first direction. The magnetic field sensor is configured to detect components of the magnetic field in a second direction and in a third direction, wherein the magnetic field sensor is arranged adjacent to the body such that the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction and such that the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and to the second direction. |
| US08797016B2 |
Apparatus and method for power extraction from high impedance sources
A system and method for extracting power from a power source having a high internal resistance are presented. A capacitor is connected to the power source. A switch is configured to selectively connect and disconnect the capacitor from a load. A processor is configured to monitor an energy flow from the power source into the capacitor and an amount of energy in the capacitor. When the energy flow from the power source into the capacitor falls below a first threshold, the processor is configured to close the switch to dissipate energy from the capacitor to the load. When the energy in the capacitor falls below a second threshold, the processor is configured to open the switch to disconnect the capacitor from the load. |
| US08797014B2 |
DC-DC converter including circuit to detect switching frequency of switching supply
A DC-DC converter to convert an input voltage into a predetermined voltage includes a first switching device to provide energy for an inductor; a second switching device to discharge the energy from the inductor to an output terminal; an error amplifier to amplify an error voltage between a first reference voltage and a monitoring voltage obtained by dividing an output voltage output from the output terminal; a set signal generation circuit including a first comparator into which a second reference voltage and an output of the error amplifier are input; a reset signal generation circuit; a control circuit into which an output from the set signal generation circuit and an output from the reset signal generation circuit are input; and a detection circuit to detect a switching frequency of an electric power supply, wherein a characteristic of the first comparator is changed according to the switching frequency. |
| US08797013B2 |
Adaptive slope-compensation module and method thereof
An adaptive slope-compensation method is applied for a switch-mode power supply. The switch-mode power supply has a power switch, and an inductor coupled to an input power. The power switch controls the inductor storing energy or releasing energy to generate an output voltage. The adaptive slope-compensation method includes detecting an inductor current passing through the inductor and to generate an inductor-current detecting voltage, detecting a duty cycle of the power switch, detecting a voltage variation of the inductor-current detecting voltage when the power switch is turned on, generating a slope-compensation signal according to the voltage variation and the duty cycle, and adjusting the timing of turning the power switch on or off. In this way, even if the operation conditions of the input power and the output voltage change, the system still can quickly response and does not generate sub-harmonic oscillation. |
| US08797011B2 |
Variable current limiter for regulator
A variable current limiter, a power supply and a method of operating a non-isolated voltage converter are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the variable current limiter includes: (1) a converter controller configured to regulate an output voltage of a non-isolated voltage converter and limit an output current thereof and (2) a limit provider configured to provide a variable output current limit that inversely varies with the output voltage, the converter controller configured to employ the variable output current limit to limit the output current. |
| US08797009B2 |
Auto cascode buck voltage converter
A voltage converter includes a power switch having respective charging and discharging control terminals, and an output terminal coupled to a series connected inductor and capacitor. The voltage converter also includes a charging switch coupled to the charging control terminal of the power switch, a discharging switch coupled to the discharging control terminal of the power switch, and a feedback circuit coupling the power switch, charging switch and discharging switch to a node at which the capacitor and inductor are connected. During a charging phase, the charging switch couples the capacitor to the charging control terminal of the power switch, and during a discharging phase, the discharging switch couples the capacitor to the discharging control terminal of the power switch. |
| US08797008B2 |
Low-dropout regulator overshoot control
Representative implementations of devices and techniques control regulator output overshoot. An offset signal is provided to a component of the regulator during at least a portion of the regulator start-up. |
| US08796998B2 |
Bidirectional current sense
Method and circuits for sensing a bidirectional current without requiring an external sense resistor are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment the invention is applied for fuel gauging of one or more batteries and comprises a charger/active diode, which can source current into the battery and sink current from the battery to supply a mobile electronic device. The invention can be applied to any other application requiring sensing of bidirectional currents. A regulated cascode forces a voltage drop over a power transistor and a sense transistor to be the same. A feedback current is measured by an ADC. The integration of these current measurements over time is equal to the actual charge of the battery. |
| US08796993B2 |
Historical analysis of battery cells for determining state of health
Battery cells may be monitored and a historical profile of the battery generated. The historical profile may be used to analyze a state-of-health of the battery cell. For example, the historical profile may be used to determine when a battery cell has developed an internal short that creates a safety hazard. The historical profile may include a count of the number of times the battery cell was out of balance and a count of the number of Coulombs the battery cell was out of balance. The number of Coulombs may be counted for a window of time. When the number of Coulombs exceeds a Coulomb threshold, a state-of-health flag may be set for the battery cell. The Coulomb threshold may be adjusted based, in part, on the counted number of times the battery cell is out of balance. |
| US08796991B2 |
Electric charging system
In an electric charging system, a charging cable of an electric charger is connected to an electric vehicle, and a supply voltage at the electric charger is temporarily raised and dropped. A receiving voltage at the electric vehicle rises and falls in conjunction with to the supply voltage. Accordingly, a feature point is assigned to each of electric charger data obtained by applying a filtering process to the supply voltage and vehicle data obtained by applying a filtering process to the receiving voltage. Then a time lag between the electric charger data and the vehicle data due to filtering processing is calculated based on the feature points. Upon determining an insulation failure and the like between the electric charger and the electric vehicle, the electric charger data and the vehicle data are synchronized based on the time lag and then compared. |
| US08796982B2 |
System and method for detecting phase loss and diagnosing DC link capacitor health in an adjustable speed drive
A system and method for detecting input phase loss in an adjustable speed drive (ASD) includes an input unit to detect operating data from the ASD. The operating data includes a DC link current of the ASD. The system also includes a state observer that is adapted to receive the operating data from the input unit and extract a DC link capacitor current of the ASD using the DC link current. The system also includes a controller programmed to compare the extracted DC link capacitor current to a predetermined fault range and generate a fault indication of an input phase loss if the extracted DC link capacitor current is within the predefined fault range. The controller is also programmed to calculate an estimated lifespan of the DC link capacitor based on the extracted DC link capacitor current. |
| US08796981B2 |
Remote discharge gate opener and closer for bulk seed boxes
A portable device for remotely opening and closing the discharge gate of a bulk seed box. The device is lightweight and easily engages the bulk seed box. The device is cantilevered in place by sliding the mounting base into the receiving portion of the bulk seed box. The mounting base is configured to engage a series of holes in the bulk seed box. A remotely electric actuator operates a pivotally swinging opener arm. The opener arm engages the discharge gate handle, opening the discharge gate when the electric actuator arm is extended. |
| US08796979B2 |
Apparatus for driving brushless DC motor
Disclosed is an apparatus for driving a BLDC motor, the apparatus including: a BLDC motor having a single sensing coil therein; a position/speed calculation unit for calculating a current position and a current speed of a rotor by using voltages at both ends of the sensing coil; a control unit for comparing the current speed of the rotor calculated by the position/speed calculation unit with a command speed and then outputting a control signal through a Proportional Integral (PI) control; a motor driving unit for generating a PWM signal based on the current position of the rotor calculated by the position/speed calculation unit and the control signal output by the control unit; and a power device unit for controlling the BLDC motor according to the PWM signal generated by the motor driving unit. |