| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08818423B2 |
Methods for sharing athletic activities
Methods for sharing athletic activities and systems incorporating the same, wherein some examples include receiving challenger data corresponding to a challenge initiated by challengers, communicating challenger data to challenge record servers, comparing challenger data to owner records to determine if challengers were victorious, and requesting challenge record servers to overwrite owner records if the challengers were victorious. Other examples may additionally or alternatively include storing on challenge record servers one or more server challenge datasets including owner records, receiving challenger data corresponding to challenges completed by challengers, comparing owner records to the challenger data to determine if the challengers were victorious, and overwriting the owner record if the challengers were victorious. Other examples may additionally or alternatively include receiving selected geographic regions, communicating the selected geographic regions to challenge record servers, and receiving from the challenge record servers owner records proximate the selected geographic regions. |
| US08818421B2 |
Mobile communication terminal and location system selection method
A mobile communication terminal (1) includes a mobile communication unit (13) that receives broadcast signals from base stations (2a, 2b, . . . ) through mobile communication, a wireless LAN positioning unit (12) that performs positioning calculation using wireless LAN communication, a GPS positioning unit (11) that performs positioning calculation through GPS positioning, a comparison unit (14) that compares the number of base stations from which broadcast signals are receivable by the mobile communication unit (13) with a predetermined number and determines whether the number of base stations is large or small, and a positioning system selection unit (15) that controls the wireless LAN positioning unit (12) to perform positioning calculation when the number of base stations is determined to be large and controls the GPS positioning unit (11) to perform positioning calculation when the number of base stations is determined to be small. |
| US08818419B2 |
Method and system for device positioning utilizing distributed transceivers with array processing
A mobile device receives RF signals from base stations in a location scanning region. Each base station includes a plurality of distributed transceivers and each distributed transceiver includes an independently configurable antenna array. The mobile device generates and communicates channel measurements for the received radio frequency signals to a remote location server (RLS). The RLS configures, utilizing one or more channel transmit settings, the antenna array for the distributed transceivers to transmit the RF signals. The remote location server selects a subset of the communicated channel measurements for determining a position estimate for the mobile device having a desired resolution. The mobile device may receive the determined position estimate from the remote location server. The location scanning region may be determined based on GPS and/or WLAN positioning. The remote location server generates the channel transmit settings and determines the location scanning region in which the mobile device is located. |
| US08818418B2 |
Method and system for device positioning utilizing distributed transceivers with array processing
A mobile device receives RF signals from base stations in a location scanning region. Each of the base stations includes a plurality of distributed transceivers and each distributed transceiver includes an independently configurable antenna array. The mobile device generates and communicates channel measurements for the received radio frequency signals to a remote location server (RLS). The RLS configures, utilizing one or more channel transmit settings, the independently configurable antenna array for the distributed transceivers in the location scanning region, to transmit the RF signals. The RLS determines a coarse position estimate for the mobile device for the sub-regions within the location scanning region and applies different signature functions to the determined coarse position estimate for the sub-regions to generate corresponding sub-regions position estimates. The RLS determines a position estimate for the mobile device based on the sub-regions position estimates and communicates the position estimate to the mobile device. |
| US08818414B2 |
Mobile station, communication system, and communication method for collecting location information of a mobile station
A mobile station, a communication system, and a communication method that are capable of efficiently collecting location information of any user. A communicating module receives a positioning request including attribute specifying information from a management center, a determining module determines whether measurements of the location are necessary or not based on the attribute specifying information in the received positioning request and the attribute information stored in advance. Then, when the determining module determines that measurements of the location are necessary, a positioning module performs measurements of the location and sends location information thus measured to the management center. Accordingly, it is possible to collect the location information of the mobile station that agrees with an attribute that the management center desires and therefore, it is possible to provide an attentive service and the like based on the location information. |
| US08818412B2 |
System for aggregating and disseminating location information
A computer-implemented method of aggregating and disseminating location information is provided. The method includes establishing a user account for a user and associating a user identifier with the user account. A request for the user identifier is received from a remote application server. An identifier request authorization is received from the user or the remote application server. The user identifier is provided to the remote application server in response to receiving the identifier request authorization. Mobile device location information of a user mobile device associated with the user identifier is received from the user mobile device or a remote telecommunication carrier server. A request for the mobile device location information is received from the remote application server. A location request authorization is received from the user, and the user mobile device location is provided to the remote application server in response to receiving the location request authorization. Systems for aggregating and disseminating location information are also provided. |
| US08818411B2 |
Altitude estimation using a probability density function
Methods, program products, and systems of location estimation using a probability density function are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a server can estimate an effective altitude of a wireless access gateway using harvested data. The server can harvest location data from multiple mobile devices. The harvested data can include a location of each mobile device and an identifier of a wireless access gateway that is located within a communication range of the mobile device. The server can calculate an effective altitude of the wireless access gateway using a probability density function of the harvested data. The probability density function can be a sufficient statistic of the received set of location coordinates for calculating an effective altitude of the wireless access gateway. The server can send the effective altitude of the wireless access gateway to other mobile devices for estimating altitudes of the other mobile devices. |
| US08818403B1 |
Adjusting wireless coverage area resource assignment based on device altitude
In order to provide better wireless service to wireless communication devices (WCDs) at different altitudes (e.g., on different levels of a high-rise structure), a radio access network (RAN) may include antennas that are configured to provide coverage at these different altitudes. The RAN may assign resources, such as transmit power or frequencies, to wireless coverage areas serving particular altitude ranges in a proportion that is commensurate with the number of WCDs being served by these particular altitude ranges. As a result, RAN and WCD performance may improve. |
| US08818402B1 |
Adjusting initial wireless coverage area transmit power based on device altitude
In order to provide better wireless service to wireless communication devices (WCDs) at different altitudes (e.g., on different levels of a high-rise structure), a radio access network (RAN) may include antennas that are configured to provide coverage at these different altitudes. The RAN may assign an initial transmit power to a particular WCD based on the particular WCD's altitude. For instance, if the particular WCD is above a threshold altitude, the RAN may set the initial transmit power to the WCD to a lower value. However, if the WCD is below the threshold altitude, the RAN may set the initial transmit power to the WCD to a higher value, to overcome low-altitude signal obstructions. As a result, RAN and WCD performance may improve. |
| US08818400B2 |
Upload and download of position reference data
An apparatus, method and computer program, the apparatus, comprising: receiver circuitry configured to receive first position reference data from a remote location, the first position reference data relating to a first geographical area and being for assisting the apparatus to determine a position of the apparatus within the first geographical area, using wireless signals received at the apparatus; collection circuitry configured to collect second position reference data, the second position reference data being for modification of the first position reference data, at a remote location; positioning circuitry configured to determine a position of the apparatus, the position being within the first geographical area; transmitter circuitry configured to transmit collected second position reference data; and processing circuitry configured, in dependence upon the determined position of the apparatus and the first position reference data, to selectively control transmission of collected second position reference data by the transmitter circuitry. |
| US08818396B2 |
Apparatus and methods for associating a location fix having a quality of service with an event occuring on a wireless device
Apparatus and methods for estimating a geographical position corresponding to an event associated with operation of a wireless device communicating in a wireless communications network. The time and distance between the occurrence of the event and the related time and speed of the wireless device of at least one of a first and second location fix, respectively measured before and after the event, are analyzed. The first and second location fixes having Quality of Service (QoS) adjusted such that the resulting fixes are based at least partly on terrestrial wireless communication measurements. These analyses include comparing those metrics to predetermined time thresholds to validate a geographic position and, in some instances, determine a preferred geographic position to associate with the event. |
| US08818395B2 |
Method and apparatus of tracking area allocation
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate camping load balancing utilizing a frequency attribute. In a tracking area update procedure, each tracking area confirmed to user equipment can include an attribute of preferred, non-preferred, or forbidden. Based on such attribute, the user equipment can camp or idle on a particular cell for a specific frequency or network. The user equipment can camp on a cell from a preferred tracking area unless the quality of cells from the preferred frequency or network drops under a minimum threshold. The systems and methodologies provide a unified framework for camping load balancing across different Radio Access Technologies (RATs) and an optimization for the relevant signaling. |
| US08818393B2 |
Transition mechanism for energy efficient mobile overlay network
The invention relates to a method in a cluster of cells in a communications network comprising switching between a first state, in which a first number of radio stations is active and a second state in which a second, different number of radio stations is active, wherein the second state is intended to provide the same geographic coverage as the first state but a different capacity, and in which the transition between states is carried out using transmission parameter adjustment, which take place in a plurality of radio stations and are co-ordinated in time for these radio stations. |
| US08818387B1 |
Method and system for reducing frequent connection establishment requirements between network elements
Disclosed are a method, apparatus, and system for managing connections in a wireless communication network. When a user equipment device (UE) transitions between an idle state and an active state, a radio link is established between a base station and the UE and a core network link is established between the base station and a core network entity. In response to detecting that no data packets are exchanged between the UE and the base station, a timer is initiated. Further, in response to detecting that data packets are being exchanged between the UE and the base station, the timer is reset. The radio link is released in response to the timer reaching a first predetermined value associated with a first inactivity period and the core network link is released in response to the timer reaching a second predetermined value associated with a second inactivity period. |
| US08818373B2 |
Radio communication method in radio communication system, radio communication system, base station apparatus and terminal apparatus
A radio communication method in a radio communication system including a base station apparatus and a terminal apparatus, the method including: generating a public information message including identification information of a surround base station apparatus of the base station apparatus, and instruction information for receiving communication parameter information used to communicate with the terminal and the surround base station apparatus from the surround base station apparatus, by the base station apparatus; transmitting the generated public information message, by the base station apparatus; receiving the public information message, by the terminal apparatus; and receiving the communication parameter information transmitted by the surround base station apparatus based on the instruction information included in the public information message, by the terminal apparatus. |
| US08818372B2 |
Base station control module, wireless base station, base station control device, and base station control method
A wireless base station that solves a problem in which both the suppression of a power consumption of a wireless base station and the reduction of the period that a mobile terminal takes to identify a cell cannot be satisfied at a time is provided. Determination section 101 determines whether or not a mobile terminal is present in a cell that wireless base station 10a manages. If determination section 101 determines that a mobile terminal is present, control section 102 sets wireless base station 10a for a first transmission repetition as a transmission repetition of a pilot signal; if determination section 101 determines that no mobile terminal is present, control section 102 sets wireless base station 10a for a second transmission repetition lower than the first transmission repetition as a transmission repetition of the pilot signal. |
| US08818369B2 |
Method for a secure detach procedure in a radio telecommunications network
The present invention proposes a method for performing a detach of a terminal registered to a telecommunication network by associating an identification for said terminal, deriving a signature for said identification, and allocating a pair consisting of said identification and said signature to said terminal, said method comprising the steps of: sending a detach request including said identification and said identification signature from said registered terminal to said network; receiving said detach request at the network side; comparing said received detach request with a record of registration data of said terminal kept at the network side; and detaching said terminal from said network, if said received detach request coincides with said record of registration data. |
| US08818366B2 |
Method for base station to obtain radio capability information of user equipment in long term evolution system
A method for a base station to obtain radio capability information of a User Equipment (UE) in long term evolution system comprises that: a mobility management entity sends an initial context setup request message to the base station, and the base station determines whether the received initial context setup request message contains an Information Element (IE) of forbidden inter radio access technologies; when contains, the base station writes the radio access technology types which are not included in the IE of forbidden inter radio access technologies into a query message, and sends the query message to the UE; otherwise, the base station writes all radio access technologies supported by protocol into a query message and sends the query message to the UE; after receiving the query message, the UE sends the UE radio capability information of radio access technologies supported by the UE itself to the base station. The above method avoids the blindness of writing query message for the base station, which reduces the overhead of the air interface, thereby shortens the connection delay of the UE in the long term evolution system. |
| US08818360B2 |
Methods, systems and computer program products for integrating roaming control in a signaling message routing node
Methods, systems, and computer program products for integrating roaming control in a signaling message routing node are disclosed. In one exemplary implementation, a method for providing roaming control at a signaling message routing node is provided. The method includes receiving a signaling message at a signaling message routing node in a network of a home service provider of a mobile subscriber, the signaling message being generated in response to the mobile subscriber registering in a foreign carrier's network. It is determined whether the mobile subscriber is allowed, by the home service provider, to roam in the foreign carrier's network. In response to determining that mobile subscriber is not allowed to roam in the foreign carrier's network, a response to the signaling message is generated and sent, where the response indicates that mobile subscriber is not allowed to roam in a foreign carrier's network. The steps of the method are performed at a signaling message routing node. |
| US08818358B2 |
Flexible telematics system and method for providing telematics to a vehicle
A method for providing telematics to a vehicle includes providing a user-removable telematics component with a GPS device, a data pump, a short range wireless personal area network (e.g., Bluetooth) transceiver, and a user interface. The telematics component connects to an integrated communication device of the vehicle having a transceiver and a memory storing a list including a number of a currently paired mobile communication device. In response to a request for assistance, the user interface receives the request and the data pump receives at least the number. An assistance request is transmitted out from the telematics component utilizing a data pump communications path, the request including the number. An off-site telematics provider receives the request for assistance and a communication link between the off-site telematics provider and the at least one currently paired mobile communication device is opened. |
| US08818355B2 |
Wireless cell monitoring method, its device, and its program
In a wireless cell, the potential deterioration in quality is efficiently detected when the indication of abnormalities is weak. Provided are a step of calculating one or more radio qualities for each coverage area of a wireless cell; a step of measuring one or more network statistical qualities for each coverage area of the wireless cell; a step of making a pair of each network statistical quality and one or more radio qualities for each coverage area of each wireless cell; and a step of calculating, based on the pairs of each network statistical quality and one or more radio qualities for the coverage areas of the wireless cells, the correlation between each network statistical quality and one or more radio qualities. |
| US08818354B1 |
Systems and methods for mobile station validation
Systems, methods, and an article of manufacture for performing a validation test of a model of a mobile station for operability of the mobile station to communicate via a wireless communication network are shown and described. After receiving one or more call parameters at a mobile station, the mobile station automatically executes a test call an indicated number of times according the received call parameters. One or more test parameters are recorded during the testing. The recorded results can be displayed on the mobile station, for example, at the end of the test procedure. |
| US08818352B2 |
Method and arrangement in a telecommunication system
A method for dynamically adapting the maximum output power of a femto base station is provided. The method is based on determining the number of satellites currently detected and/or the reception quality of the satellite(s), and dynamically adapting the maximum output power from the femto base station in response to the determined number of satellites and/or the reception quality of the satellite(s). Hereby, an accurate position of the femto base station can be obtained for providing input used for determining the maximum output. |
| US08818351B1 |
Method and apparatus for tracking a transported item while accommodating communication gaps
A method and apparatus is provided for minimizing potential security problems and battery power usage in a tracking device used in tracking an associated product while being transported along a route wherein wireless communication may be nonexistent or intermittent. This is accomplished in part by having an accessible database of signal quality and strength at a large plurality of locations along given transportation routes whereby adjustments can be made as to the times for the tracking device to obtain GPS location information as well as for times to report any location and or product status data to a remotely located central station. The ability to predict when, along a transportation route communication problems may occur provides the opportunity to notify appropriate authorities in advance of arriving at the communication gap zones whereby arrangements can be made to alleviate potential problems during transportation through wireless communication “gap or dead” zones. |
| US08818349B2 |
Mobile device diagnosis, test, application deployment and update from a web page
A method for deploying an application to a mobile device comprises providing a web page to a computing device coupled to a communications network for receiving the web page, the web page comprising a configuration determination and loading component for deploying the application to the mobile device coupled to the computing device, the web page determining configuration information about the mobile device for determining specific application components for loading; and providing specific application components for loading onto the mobile device in response to the web page. The web page may determine specific application components for the mobile device in response to the configuration information. |
| US08818348B1 |
Systems and methods for selectively enabling and disabling secondary-band radios via primary-band signaling
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for selectively enabling and disabling secondary-band radios via primary-band signaling. In one embodiment, at least one RAN entity provides service to a multi-band-capable access terminal that comprises a first radio arranged to communicate over a first radio band and a second radio arranged to communicate over a second radio band, wherein the access terminal is arranged to prefer the first radio band to the second. The at least one RAN entity makes a secondary-radio-disabling determination, which includes determining that the access terminal is located in a vicinity of a particular set of one or more base stations that operate on the second radio band. Responsive to making the secondary-radio-disabling determination, the at least one RAN entity sends to the first radio over the first radio band a command that the multi-band-capable access terminal disable the second radio. |
| US08818347B2 |
Node and method for service specific management
Example embodiments are presented herein service session management based on service specific data and a user subscription. Some example embodiments may comprise a user equipment, and corresponding method therein, for monitoring an internet or network access by an identified application. Upon detection, the user equipment may be configured to send service specific data associated with the identified application to an enhanced application server. The enhanced application server may manage a service session based on the service specific data and the user subscription. The management of the service session may allow for a differentiated delivery of service for certain applications. |
| US08818346B2 |
Wireless device with a control engine using functional block programming
Systems and methods provide for programming a wireless device for an automation system. The system and methods include specifying commands that are to be preformed regarding function blocks that may be organized into an application on a wireless device. The function blocks may be maintained in a library by a control engine on the wireless device. The control engine receives commands related to function blocks, such as instantiating function blocks from the library or linking existing function blocks. The control application formed by the function blocks may be executed on the controller to provide an automation application. |
| US08818342B2 |
Target service apparatus and method based on device to device direct communication
An apparatus and a method for providing a call taxi service based on D2D communication are provided. When a user terminal executes a call taxi service, a call taxi service request is transferred to a terminal from at least one taxi located in a neighboring area of the user terminal, and then the user terminal directly selects one taxi or one taxi is selected through a competition between taxis. As a result, a process of providing the call to the selected taxi. Accordingly, the user has an advantage of using a quick call taxi service without going through a separate call center. |
| US08818340B2 |
Method for collecting data of users of active mobile telephones
In a method data are collected about users of mobile telephones which are present within a plurality of defined cells between two specified points in time. For this purpose a list of telephone numbers of mobile telephones is retrieved from a data base, which mobile telephones were located in the defined cells between the two specified points in time. The list of telephone numbers is converted into unique numbers to avoid violation of privacy. Subsequently, the cells are defined in which the housing locations of the users of these mobile telephones are situated. This is effected by sending non-noticeable text messages to mobile telephones on various days at a number of different points in time at which most people are expected to be at home. Based on these text messages the locations of the mobile telephones are established.Furthermore, the postal code areas are determined in which the cells of the housing locations are situated and, subsequently, the statistical data associated with these postal codes are retrieved from a further data base. These statistical data are then coupled to the unique numbers of the mobile telephones that were present in defined cells between the specified points in time. |
| US08818336B2 |
Phone to phone data exchange
An information management system for operation over a network includes a first mobile device having a first application module, the first mobile device operating over the network and in communication with a second mobile device having a second application module, a first operating system residing on the first mobile device configured to detect a communication event between the first mobile device and the second mobile device, and an address book module residing on the second mobile device. The first application module is configured to send information associated with the first mobile device to the second mobile device in association with a detection of the communication event. |
| US08818333B2 |
Method for handling roaming of mobile device to restricted area
As a mobile device moves from one location area to another, the mobile device detects the different location identifiers broadcast by the wireless network(s) in those locations areas. The mobile device stores the location identifier for the last location area in which the mobile device was located. By comparing a received location identifier to the stored location identifier, the mobile device determines if the mobile device has entered a new location area. If so, the mobile device sends a location update request. In one embodiment, if the location update request is for a location area to which access by the mobile device is restricted, the network sends a communication to the mobile device that triggers the mobile device to update a location identifier stored at the mobile device to the location identifier for the restricted location area so that the mobile can update the network after entering/selecting a different location area. |
| US08818328B2 |
Methods and systems for billing communication
A method, implemented at least in part by a computing device, that can be used to bill a communication. The method includes terminating a teleservice request at an intermediary node, wherein the teleservice request is associated with a sender and a recipient; receiving teleservice content transmitted by the sender, wherein the teleservice content is received at no charge to the sender; receiving a request transmitted by the recipient to access the teleservice content, wherein receiving the request includes charging a fee; and sending the teleservice content to the recipient. |
| US08818325B2 |
Method and system for emergency call placement
An emergency response system includes a restraint control module (RCM), a global positioning system module (GPSM), at least one output, at least one input, an SPDJB, and a vehicle associated computing system (VACS) in communication with the RCM, the GPSM, the at least one output, the at least one input and the SPDJB. Upon detection of an emergency event, the RCM requests that the VACS place an emergency call. Upon receiving a request from the RCM, the VACS queries the GPSM to obtain vehicle coordinates, informs the occupant of the onset of the call, and instructs a wireless device in communication with the VACS to place an emergency call. The VACS is operable to determine when an emergency call is connected. Once the emergency call is connected, the VACS relays a message indicating connection to the RCM, and contacts the SPDJB to contacts the Smart Power Distribution Junction Box (SPDJB). |
| US08818323B2 |
Method for supporting an emergency call in a mobile communication system
A method for supporting an emergency call in a mobile communication system is provided, which comprises the steps of: receiving, at a radio resource management entity, a message from a UE indicating that there is an emergency call; setup a RRC connection between the UE and the radio resource management entity; transmitting, by the radio resource management entity, a message to its upper-layer node, the message containing an emergency service indication; and establishing, by the upper-layer node of the radio resource management entity, the emergency call for the UE. With the method for supporting an emergency service in a mobile communication system provided in the present invention, the access failure of an emergency service can be reduced, and the access speed of the emergency service can be increased. |
| US08818322B2 |
Untethered access point mesh system and method
A technique for implementing an untethered access point (UAP) mesh involves enabling AP-local switching at one or more UAPs of the mesh. A system constructed according to the technique may include a wireless switch; an access point (AP) wire-coupled to the wireless switch; and a UAP mesh, wirelessly coupled to the AP, including a UAP with an AP-local switching engine embodied in a computer-readable medium. Another system constructed according to the technique may include an untethered access point (UAP), including: a radio; a backhaul service set identifier (SSID) stored in a computer-readable medium; an anchor access point (AAP) selection engine embodied in a computer-readable medium. In operation, the AAP selection engine may use the radio to attempt to associate with the AAP if a beaconed backhaul SSID matches the stored backhaul SSID. A method according to the technique may include beaconing with a backhaul SSID; acting in concert with an upstream switch as an authenticator for a downstream station that responds to the beacon; providing limited local switching functionality for the downstream station. |
| US08818319B2 |
Signal distribution and filtering in low noise block downconverters
Various embodiments implement waveguides for signal distribution or signal filtering in satellite receivers. According to some embodiments, a low noise block downconverter (LNB) is implemented using waveguides configured for signal distribution, band pass filtering, low pass filtering, high pass filtering, or band stop filtering. For some embodiments, the waveguides may be formed by the LNB chassis and the ground plane of a printed circuit board mounted to the LNB chassis. |
| US08818316B2 |
Multi-antenna/multi-receiver array diversity system
The present invention is a system for increasing Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) in a wireless communication system comprising a plurality of antennas each antenna providing a signal, a device for selecting a subset of signals provided by the plurality of antennas, a maximum ratio combiner for summing the selected subset of signals provided by the plurality of antennas, and a decision device for measuring the selected subset of signals against a predefined threshold. The device for selecting the subset of signals is coupled to the plurality of antennas. The maximum ratio combiner is coupled to the selected subset of signals and the decision device for measuring the selected subset of signals against a predefined threshold. The decision device is coupled to the selecting device such that one selected signal of the selected subset of signals is replaced by an unused signal provided by the plurality of antennas. |
| US08818312B2 |
Communication system, communication apparatus and communication method
A method for a communication device includes determining whether a first radio frequency (RF) signal at a level of at least a first predetermined field threshold is detected. The method also includes generating a second RF signal at a level of at least a second predetermined field threshold greater than the first predetermined field threshold, when the communication device receives an instruction to generate the second RF signal and the determining determines that the first RF signal at the level of at least the first predetermined field threshold is not detected. The method further includes receiving a load modulated RF signal in response to the second RF signal. |
| US08818311B2 |
Apparatus and method of harmonic selection for mixing with a received signal
A method of harmonic selection for mixing with a received signal includes receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal and determining a variable gain setting from among a plurality of gain settings or from a range of gain settings. The variable gain setting is based on the RF signal. The method further includes selecting a harmonic to provide to an input of a mixer to generate an output signal. A baseband signal or an intermediate frequency signal is generated from the output signal. The harmonic is selected based on the variable gain setting. An apparatus includes a harmonic selector that is configured to generate an indication of a selected harmonic. The harmonic is selected based on a variable gain setting determined from among a plurality of gain settings or from a range of gain settings. Based on the selected harmonic, a mixer generates an output signal. A baseband signal or an intermediate signal is generated from the output signal. |
| US08818309B2 |
Providing multiple inductors for a radio tuner
A method includes receiving a desired channel indication in a radio tuner, determining a band of operation in which the channel is located, and if the channel is within a first band coupling multiple inductors into a resonant tank, and if the desired channel is within a second band coupling a single inductor into the resonant tank. |
| US08818307B2 |
Tuner input circuit
Disclosed is a tuner input circuit. The tuner input circuit includes an integrated including a low noise amplifier and a band pass filter embedded in one chip. |
| US08818305B1 |
Supply transitions in an envelope tracked power amplifier
A method and system controls a transition between utilizing an envelope tracking (ET) mechanism and using an average power tracking (APT) mechanism to provide power to a power amplifier. A power amplifier controller (PAC) initiates an ET mechanism to track changes in amplitudes of a radio frequency (RF) signal being received by the power amplifier. If the PAC determines that the RF signal bandwidth is low and the average amplitude is at least equal to a threshold value, the PAC maintains the ET mechanism. If the RF signal bandwidth is high and/or the average amplitude of the RF signal is less than the threshold value, the PAC temporarily deactivates the ET mechanism and controls a transition to utilizing the APT mechanism by properly synchronizing the transition to the change in average signal amplitude levels so there are no undesired transients affecting signal quality or spectrum. |
| US08818304B2 |
Transmitter with class E amplifier
According to one embodiment, a transmitter includes a first buffer, a second buffer, a logic circuit, and a class E power amplifier. The first buffer receives a first sinusoidal signal, and converts the first sinusoidal signal to a first rectangular wave signal. The second buffer receives a second sinusoidal signal having a phase delay with respect to the first sinusoidal signal, and converts the second sinusoidal signal to a second rectangular wave signal. The logic circuit receives the first and second rectangular wave signals, and performs logical operation processing on the first and second rectangular wave signals to generate a logic signal with a predetermined duty cycle. The class E power amplifier receives the logic signal, and performs amplification operation based on the logic signal. |
| US08818302B2 |
Harmonic trap circuit for linear differential power amplifiers
Tank circuitry coupled to the output terminals of a differential power amplifier includes two trap circuits configured to divert harmonic signals away from the output terminals. A tank inductor is provided to form a tank circuit in conjunction with each one of the trap circuits. At certain harmonic frequencies of the input signal to the differential power amplifier, the trap circuits are resonant and present a substantially low impedance path to ground, thereby diverting harmonic signals away from the output terminals of the differential power amplifier. At the fundamental frequency of the input signal to the differential power amplifier, the trap circuits are resonant with the tank inductor and present a substantially high impedance compared to the load impedance presented at the output terminals of the differential power amplifier, thereby reducing the loading effect of the trap circuits at the fundamental frequency. |
| US08818301B2 |
Transmission device
The transmission device is constituted by transmitting units which are accommodated within a case in a state so that, in an xyz orthogonal coordinate system, in the z axis direction only two transmitting units are disposed adjacently and so that planar conducting plates are opposed to each other; in the x axis direction, two adjacent transmitting units are disposed so that one end portion of one unit and the other end portion of the other unit are adjacent; and in the y axis direction, two adjacent transmitting units are disposed so that one end portion of one unit and the other end portion of the other unit are adjacent. |
| US08818299B2 |
Broadband distributed antenna system with non-duplexer isolator sub-system
Certain aspects and aspects of the present invention are directed to a distributed antenna system having a downlink communication path, an uplink communication path, and a non-duplexer isolator sub-system. The downlink communication path can communicatively couple a transmit antenna to a base station. The uplink communication path can communicatively couple a receive antenna to the base station. In one aspect, the non-duplexer isolator sub-system can be electronically configured for isolating uplink signals traversing the uplink communication path from downlink signals. In another aspect, a non-duplexer isolator sub-system can be configurable in one or more mechanical steps selecting a frequency response. In another aspect, a non-duplexer isolator sub-system can include an active mitigation sub-system. |
| US08818298B2 |
High frequency switch
There is provided a high frequency switch formed on an SOI substrate and having improved insertion loss characteristics in a multimode system. The high frequency switch includes: at least one first port; at least one second port; a common port; a first series switch; and a second series switch. |
| US08818290B1 |
Dynamically adapting a receive diversity mode of a base station
The usage capacity of a base station operating in four-branch receive diversity mode is limited to a given number of channel resources, where each channel resource corresponds to an active user. In two-branch receive diversity mode, approximately twice as many channel resources are available, but the receiver sensitivity is less than with four-branch mode. Thus, four-branch mode provides better coverage but with less usage capacity. A base station is operated in four-branch mode to provide the best coverage while usage is low. When the number of users reaches a first threshold, prior to reaching the maximum number of users, the base station transitions to two-branch mode to accommodate an anticipated increase of users above the four-branch capacity, although with reduced coverage. When usage then falls below a second threshold, the base station transitions back to four-branch mode, again providing better coverage. |
| US08818288B2 |
Statistical inversion method and system for device-free localization in RF sensor networks
A new methodology for detecting, localizing, tracking, and counting objects. The method for state/space estimation includes arranging in a space a first pair of radio frequency sensors in a network of nodes. The first pair of radio frequency sensors is calibrated to determine a first fading condition associated with the first pair of radio frequency sensors. A signal strength of at least one signal sent between the first pair of nodes is measured. A first likelihood model is determined based on the first fading condition. A first posterior distribution is estimated based on the signal strength of the at least one signal using the first likelihood model for purposes of determining object information within the space. |
| US08818287B2 |
Communication apparatus and control method thereof
A communication apparatus including a first antenna and performing wireless communication in which a reflected power from the first antenna changes depending on a positional relationship between the first antenna of the communication apparatus and a second antenna of a communication partner. The communication apparatus further includes a transmission unit configured to transmit a data signal to the communication partner via the first antenna, a determination unit configured to determine a reflected power generated when the transmission unit supplies the data signal to the first antenna, and a control unit configured to control the transmission of the data signal by the transmission unit, based on the reflected power determined by the determination unit. |
| US08818286B2 |
Wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method for detecting electric field intensity of wireless channel
A wireless communication apparatus includes a communication unit, a detection unit, and a control unit. The communication unit wirelessly communicates with another wireless communication apparatus using a first wireless channel. The detection unit detects electric field intensities of wireless channels except for the first wireless channel. The control unit calculates an electric field intensity of the first wireless channel based on the electric field intensities of the wireless channels detected by the detection unit. |
| US08818283B2 |
Method and system for dynamic spectrum access using specialty detectors and improved networking
Methods and systems for dynamic spectrum access (DSA) in a wireless network are provided. A DSA-enabled device may sense spectrum use in a region and, based on the detected spectrum use, select one or more communication channels for use. The devices also may detect one or more other DSA-enabled devices with which they can form DSA networks. A DSA network may monitor spectrum use by cooperative and non-cooperative devices, to dynamically select one or more channels to use for communication while avoiding or reducing interference with other devices. |
| US08818280B2 |
System and methods for enhancing coexistence efficiency for multi-radio terminals
A method of scheduling transmitting and receiving communication slots for co-located radio devices is provided. A Bluetooth (BT) device first synchronizes its communication time slots with a co-located radio module, and then obtains the traffic pattern of the co-located radio module. Based on the traffic pattern, the BT device selectively skips one or more TX or RX time slots to avoid data transmission or reception in certain time slots and thereby reducing interference with the co-located radio module. In addition, the BT device generates a co-located coexistence (CLC) bitmap and transmits the CLC bitmap to its peer BT device such that the peer BT device can also skip data transmission or reception in certain time slots affected by the co-located radio module. The skipped time slots are disabled for TX or RX operation to prevent interference and to achieve more energy saving. |
| US08818277B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for transmitting multimedia data by bluetooth and real-time playing
The disclosure discloses a method, an apparatus and a system for transmitting multimedia data by bluetooth and real-time playing, wherein the method includes: a bluetooth apparatus at a transmitting terminal encodes multimedia files to be transmitted, and converts them into stream media files; the bluetooth apparatus at the transmitting terminal transmits the stream media files to a bluetooth apparatus at a receiving terminal through an Object Push Profile (OPP); the bluetooth apparatus at the receiving terminal plays the received stream media files. It is because the bluetooth apparatus at the transmitting terminal transmits the stream media files through the OPP and the bluetooth apparatus at the receiving terminal receives and plays them, and then the waiting time for playing is reduced. It is solved the problem in the prior art that audio or video playing can be carried out only after the completion of the transmission by bluetooth and the waiting time is longer. |
| US08818271B2 |
Offset cancellation for DC isolated nodes
Offset voltages developed on floating nodes on inputs to high-performance amplifiers that are DC isolated from the data signals input to amplifiers are cancelled by connecting a highly resistive element between the input node and a predetermined potential, particularly useful in proximity communication systems in which two chips are connected through capacitive or inductive coupling circuits formed jointly in the two chips. The resistive element may be an off MOS transistor connected between the node and a desired bias voltage or a MOS transistor with its gate and drain connected to the potential. Multiple bias voltages may be distributed to all receivers and locally selected by a multiplexer for application to one or two input nodes of the receiver. The receiver output can also serve as a predetermined potential when the resistive element has a long time constant compared to the data rate or the resistive element is non-linear. |
| US08818270B2 |
Method and system for determining a location for a RF communication device based on its proximity to a mobile device
A mobile device may be operable to determine, based on a known location of the mobile device, a location for a RF communication device that communicates with the mobile device, whenever the mobile device is within proximate range of the RF communication device. The determined location for the RF communication device may be stored in a location database in a location server and/or a memory in the RF communication device. The stored location of the RF communication device may then be used to determine a location for other mobile devices that may communicate with the RF communication device and are within proximate range of the RF communication device. The RF communication device may comprise a radio-frequency identification (RFID) device and/or a near field communication (NFC) device. The determined location for the RF communication device may comprise the known location of the mobile device. |
| US08818269B2 |
Portable electronic device with proximity-based content synchronization
Systems are provided that support millimeter-wave wireless communications between hosts and electronic devices. A host may be formed using a personal computer associated with a user or computing equipment associated with a public establishment. Content can be automatically synchronized between the host and the user's electronic device over a millimeter-wave wireless communications link in a communications band such as a 60 GHz wireless communications band. Synchronization operations may be performed based on user content preferences. Content preference information may be gathered explicitly from a user using on-screen options or may be gathered by monitoring user media playback activities and media rating activities. The content preference information may be transmitted automatically from an electronic device to a host when the electronic device is brought within range of the host. Synchronization operations may be performed automatically when a user is in proximity of a point-of-sale terminal or ticketing equipment. |
| US08818257B2 |
Cutting apparatus and image forming apparatus
A cutting apparatus configured to cut a sheet or a sheet bundle includes a cutting blade whose blade surface has a plurality of grooves. In the cutting apparatus, a scraping member enters the grooves provided on the blade surface to scrape off cutting scraps remaining after a cutting operation. Accordingly, the cutting apparatus can scrape off cutting scraps from the cutting blade even if the adhesive force of the cutting scraps is great. |
| US08818255B2 |
Image forming apparatus with fixing liquid applicator
An image forming apparatus including a fixing liquid applicator to apply a fixing liquid to a recording medium, a transfer device to transfer a toner image from a toner image bearing member onto the recording medium to which the fixing liquid is applied while the toner image is in contact with the fixing liquid, and a fixing device to fix the toner image on the recording medium by heating the toner image and the fixing liquid. The fixing liquid comprises a plasticizer having a function to swell and soften a toner. |
| US08818253B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus
A fixing device includes an endless belt, a fixing rotating body that fixes, in cooperation with the belt, a toner image formed on a recording medium nipped between the fixing rotating body and the belt while rotating in contact with the belt, a support member that supports a load with which the fixing rotating body nips the recording medium with the belt so as to form a nip portion to nip the recording medium between the belt and the fixing rotating body, a driving unit that circulates the belt in a state in which the fixing rotating body is separate from the belt, and a wind-on rotating body on which the belt is wound at a position adjacent to the support member on an upstream side in a direction of transport of the recording medium to the nip portion. |
| US08818249B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a primary transfer body that bears a developer image, a secondary transfer portion for transferring the developer image from the primary transfer body to a medium, and an introduction portion provided on an upstream side of the secondary transfer portion in a conveying direction of the medium. The introduction portion introduces the primary transfer portion and the medium toward the secondary transfer portion. The introduction portion has a gap having a predetermined distance therebetween. |
| US08818247B2 |
Developing cartridge and method for manufacturing the same
A developing cartridge is provided. The developing cartridge includes a first frame and a second frame and a layer thickness regulating member. The first frame and the second frame include a first welding surface formed at a periphery of the developer accommodating part correspondingly to a developer accommodating part; and a second welding surface extending continuously from the first welding surface correspondingly to a roller support part. The first welding surface extends in a direction orthogonal to an overlapping direction of the first frame and the second frame. The second welding surface extends to be inclined toward a side of the first frame in the overlapping direction as extending toward the developing roller. The layer thickness regulating member is provided to cover the second welding surface from a side of the second frame in the overlapping direction. |
| US08818246B2 |
Toner replenishing container and image forming apparatus detachably provided with the same
A toner replenishing container includes a storage chamber, a hole and an identification member. The storage chamber stores a toner for replenishment. The hole is engaged with the toner replenishing container identifying portion of the mounting portion when the toner replenishing container is mounted on the mounting portion, is formed at a predetermined position on a front surface of the toner replenishing container in a mounting direction, and has a polygonal cross-section. The identification member is detachably inserted into the hole in a form corresponding to the polygonal shape of the hole when an orientation of the identification member is rotated about a center line of the hole. |
| US08818244B2 |
Developing device and image forming apparatus
A developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image on an image bearing member including a developer bearing member opposed to the image bearing member to bear thereon a developer including a toner and a magnetic carrier; a developer containing part to contain the developer to supply the developer to the developer bearing member; an agitating or feeding member to agitate or feed the developer in the developer containing part; a magnetic permeability sensor to measure magnetic permeability of the developer to determine toner concentration of the developer; a developer feeder; a feeding member to feed the developer to the developer containing part through the developer feeder; and a driver to drive the feeding member independently of the agitating or feeding member. The magnetic permeability sensor is arranged on the developer feeder. |
| US08818243B2 |
Wet-type development device and wet-type image forming apparatus
A wet-type development device includes a draw-up roller and a conveyance roller rotating in contact with each other's surface, and a developer regulating member arranged facing to and keeping a distance from a nip section formed between the draw-up roller and the conveyance roller at the contact surface. The developer regulating member forms a storage space for storing developer to be supplied toward the nip section, on the upstream side of the nip section. The fluid level of developer in the vertical direction in the storage space is higher than the nip section when the developer is being supplied to the nip section. |
| US08818239B2 |
Image forming apparatus having transfer belt control
An apparatus includes a belt member, a first image bearing member, a second image bearing member provided downstream of the first image bearing member, and a first steering roller provided upstream of the first image bearing member for controlling a widthwise position of the belt member by inclining at a position. In addition, a second steering roller is provided downstream of the second image bearing member and controls the widthwise position of the belt member, a first detecting member detects a widthwise position of the belt member on the first image bearing member, and a second detecting member detects a widthwise position of the belt member on the second image bearing member. A first control portion controls an inclination of the first steering roller on the basis of a detection result of the first detecting member, and a second control portion controls the second steering roller on the basis of a detection result of the first detecting member before a predetermined time and a current detection result of the second detecting member. |
| US08818235B2 |
Developing unit, process unit, and image forming device
A developing unit detachably mountable in a photosensitive member unit including a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic latent image is formable, a pressing member, and a positioning portion includes: a developing unit frame; a developing roller; and a directing portion. The developing roller is rotatably supported to the developing unit frame, and configured to supply developing agent to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member. The directing portion is fixed to the developing unit frame for directing the developing unit frame to a predetermined orientation and for fixing a position of the developer unit frame. The directing portion includes: a pressed portion configured to receive a pressure force from the pressing member for moving the developing roller toward the photosensitive member; and a positioned portion abuttable on the positioning portion for positioning the developing unit relative to the photosensitive member unit. |
| US08818231B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a developing device, a duct, a first fan, a dust collection part, and a connection portion. The duct communicates with a suction port that is provided in the vicinity of an opening portion of a developing container of the developing device. The first fan generates an airflow in the duct and discharges air that has passed through the suction port and through the duct to the outside of a main body of the apparatus. The dust collection part captures toner that has passed through the duct together with an airflow generated by the first fan. The connection portion is provided at some point along a length of the duct, can store part of toner that passes therethrough together with an airflow, and has a lid portion that is openable and closable with respect to a main body of the connection portion. |
| US08818229B2 |
Current-supply control unit, fusing device, image forming apparatus, and current-supply control method
A current-supply control unit for controlling current supply to a heating element includes a voltage detector and a heating element control unit. The voltage detector detects voltage at both ends of the heating element. The heating element control unit controls a duty cycle of current supply for the heating element based on the voltages detected by the voltage detector when current is supplied to the heating element. |
| US08818223B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming method
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section, a heat source, a fixing rotating body, a pressurizing rotating body, a feeding section for feeding a medium, a temperature adjusting section for controlling an amount of heat generated by the heat source, and a control section. The control section switches between a first mode in which the fixing rotating body and the pressurizing rotating body rotate at a first circumferential speed and the medium is fed to the image forming section at a first distance interval, and a second mode in which the fixing rotating body and the pressurizing rotating body rotate at a second circumferential speed higher than the first circumferential speed and the medium is fed to the image forming section at a second distance interval longer than the first distance interval. |
| US08818222B2 |
Image heating apparatus
An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable belt member for heating an image on a recording material; a rotatable member pressing against said belt member; a nip forming member, provided inside said belt member, for cooperating with said rotatable member to form a nip for nipping and feeding the recording material; a projection provided on a side of said nip forming member near the nip and projecting toward the nip; and an executing portion for executing a first image heating mode operation in which an image formed on the recording material having a first thickness with said projection projected into a nip region and a second image heating mode operation in which an image formed on the recording material having a second thickness which is smaller than the first thickness with said projection is outside the nip region. |
| US08818221B2 |
Transfer device and image forming apparatus
Described herein is a transfer device that transfers a visualized image formed on an image carrier onto a recording medium. The transfer device includes an image carrier that carries a toner image, a contacting member that contacts the image carrier via a recording medium and a power source that outputs a transfer bias to transfer the toner image from the image carrier onto the recording medium at a transfer nip formed between the image carrier and the contacting member. The transfer bias has a direct current component and an alternating current (AC) component superimposed on the direct current component. The transfer device also includes a controller that controls the power source such that the controller controls a level of the direct current component output from the power source by a constant current control. |
| US08818218B2 |
Photosensor and image forming device incorporating the same
A photosensor includes a light emitting element to emit light to a target object, a light receiving element to receive the light emitted from the light emitting element and reflected by the target object, and a circuit board on which the light emitting element and the light receiving element are mounted, including at least one protrusion thereon. The light emitting element and the light receiving element each have a terminal. The at least one protrusion is configured to support one of the light emitting element and the light receiving element in a contact manner in a state that the terminal is electrically connected to the circuit board. |
| US08818213B2 |
Image forming apparatus that detects timing for maintenance
According to one embodiment, a process unit includes a process section present around an image bearing member, attached and detached to and from a body, including a rotating section, and configured to apply an image forming process to the image bearing member, a moving section present on a shaft of the rotating section and configured to slide to a first position close to the rotating section and a second position away from the rotating section, and a positioning section present between the rotating section and the moving section and configured to move following the rotating section and hold the moving section in the first position and the second position. |
| US08818211B2 |
Image forming apparatus
A image forming apparatus includes: a motor; a mounting unit for receiving a cartridge including a detection target moved by a rotational driving force of the motor; a printing unit; a detecting unit for detecting the detection target at a detection position on a movement trajectory of the detection target; and a control unit for controlling the motor and the detecting unit. The control unit performs: a rotation control process of: accelerating the motor; rotating the motor at a constant speed in a time period when accelerating a rotational speed of the motor up to a target speed; detecting the detection target by the detecting unit while the motor rotates at the constant speed; and accelerating again the motor after completing the detection; and a determining process of determining a kind and/or a state of the cartridge on the basis of the detection result of the detecting unit. |
| US08818205B2 |
Digital modulation method and device, especially an optical digital modulation method and device
A modulation method, especially an optical modulation method, using the principle of discrete IQ modulation. The modulation method includes generating a carrier signal (Sc) and splitting the carrier signal at a splitting position in an I branch signal and a Q branch signal; modulating the amplitude of the I branch signal according to a first modulation signal and modulating the amplitude of the Q branch signal according to a second modulation signal, each of the first and second modulation signals being arranged to adopt a given number of values according to a given number of constellation points of a given modulation scheme; phase shifting the signal in the Q branch versus the signal in the I branch; and combining the signals in the I branch and Q branch at a combining position. The combined modulated signal (Stx,mod) is arranged to be transmitted over a transmission path. |
| US08818204B2 |
Methods and apparatus for modulating light to concurrently convey high rate data and low rate data
A light transmitter receives a low-rate data signal having a low data rate and a high-rate data signal having a high data rate that is greater than the low data rate. The transmitter includes a light source and a light modulator to modulate the light source based on logic levels of the high-rate data signal and logic levels of the low-rate data signal, to produce modulated light that concurrently conveys the logic levels of the low-rate data signal and the logic levels of the high-rate data signal. |
| US08818201B2 |
Optical communication
This concerns a protected long-reach PON having a plurality of terminals connected to a distribution network that is fed by both a main and back up feed, each feed including a head end and a repeater. The back up head end had access to a ranging table with data previously obtained by the main head end, thereby speeding up the switch over in the event of a fault with the main feed. In one embodiment, the repeater has a virtual ONU therein, allowing the back up repeater to be ranged by the back up head end, thereby yet further speeding up the ranging procedure. The main and back up repeaters are sufficiently equidistant from the distribution network to allow the back up head to perform normal scheduling without performing a ranging operation on each of the terminals, even if the different terminals transmit at slightly different wavelengths. This is achieved using the ranging information obtained with regard to the back up repeater. |
| US08818200B2 |
Multiple star wavelength division multiplexing passive optical networks using a wavelength assignment method
The present invention discloses a multiple star wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network system using a wavelength assignment method. In a multiple star wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network system using a wavelength assignment method according to the present invention, only one WDM-PON system can provide services for a plurality of subscribers who is distributed in a wide range of area through multiple starring, by setting one or more band for transmitting up-stream signals as an up-stream basic band and one or more band for transmitting down-stream signals as a down stream basic band, respectively, and by dividing each of the up-stream basic band and the down stream basic band into a plurality of wavelength sub-bands and assigning the divided sub-bands to different areas using a wavelength division multiplexer/de-multiplexer which splits a band into two or more sub-bands. |
| US08818196B2 |
Data center with free-space optical communications
A data center for executing a data processing application includes processing units, sub-units or servers. Each of the processing units, sub-units or servers can execute a part or all of the data processing application. The processing units, sub-units or servers are electrical disjoint with respect to data communications, but can communicate with each other over free space optical links. |
| US08818193B2 |
Multichannel tunable optical dispersion compensator
An embodiment of the invention includes a tunable optical dispersion compensator (TODC) comprising a first beam displacer on an optical path, wherein the first beam displacer separates an optical signal into a first beam and a second beam, and one or more polarizing beam splitters on the optical path, wherein the one or more polarizing beam splitters keep the first beam and the second beam on the optical path. The TODC also comprises one or more etalons on the optical path, wherein the one or more etalons are tunable to introduce a group delay in the first beam and the second beam, and a reflecting mirror on the optical path, wherein the reflecting mirror returns the optical signal back along the optical path. The TODC further comprises a second beam displacer, wherein the second beam displacer combines the first beam and the second beam into an output optical signal. |
| US08818190B2 |
Optical transport system and optical node
An embodiment of the invention is an optical node configured to transmit/receive a wavelength-division-multiplexed signal. An optical monitoring unit monitors power levels of the wavelength-division-multiplexed signal on a wavelength-by-wavelength basis to acquire wavelength-by-wavelength power level values of the optical signals. A comparison arithmetic unit performs a comparison between each of the acquired wavelength-by-wavelength power level values of the optical signals, and a predetermined upper limit value and a predetermined lower limit value. A target value calculation unit determines target values of power levels at wavelengths whose acquired power level values exceed the upper limit value to be values between a center value and the upper limit value, and determines target values of power levels at wavelengths whose acquired power level values fall below the lower limit value to be values between the center value and the lower limit value. |
| US08818189B2 |
Transmission-path-type specifying apparatus and transmission-path-type specifying method
A transmission-path-type specifying apparatus includes an optical filter that extracts a plurality of different wavelength components from light including wavelength components occurring at the time of communication; an optical switch that simultaneously transmits same pulse signals superposed on light of the extracted wavelength components. The apparatus also includes an ASE modulation controlling unit that obtains a delay-time difference among the transmitted pulse signals when arriving at a destination via a transmission path; a characteristic-value calculating unit that calculates a characteristic value of the transmission path corresponding to a reference time varied depending on the obtained delay-time difference and a type of the transmission path; and a fiber-type determining unit that specifies the type of the transmission path based on the calculated characteristic value. |
| US08818181B1 |
Camera module, and position detector and position detection method used in the camera module
Provided is a camera module including: a lens barrel including at least one lens group; a moving frame that includes the lens barrel, is movable in a first direction and in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and includes first and second magnets that are disposed on two sides in the first direction; a fixed frame that movably supports the moving frame and includes first and second magnetic sensors that are spaced apart from each other in the first direction to respectively correspond to the first and second magnets; and a position information generating unit that generates position information of the first and second magnets in the second direction based on a first detection signal detected by the first magnetic sensor and a second detection signal detected by the second magnetic sensor. |
| US08818180B2 |
Video reproducing apparatus, video reproducing method, and program
A video reproducing apparatus includes a decoding unit performing decoding of coded video signals of multiple viewpoints, a load detecting unit detecting a process load on the decoding unit, and a control unit controlling the decoding unit in accordance with the detected process load and reducing a load of the decoding from a viewpoint with a low degree of priority. |
| US08818179B1 |
Shared DVR programming via a web page
Techniques for shared DVR programming via a web page enable using a DVR widget in a web page and DVR environment on a network to view DVR content from a publisher's DVR usage data and based on the viewed DVR content from the publisher's DVR, record or schedule to record particular content on the viewer's DVR. |
| US08818176B2 |
System and method for aligning tags to specific video frames
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for receiving from a user a tag associated with a specific temporal location in video content. The system then aligns the tag associates the tag with the specific temporal location, and if necessary, modifies the video content to be playable directly from that specific temporal location. |
| US08818172B2 |
Multi-user remote video editing
Methods and systems for remote video editing include a source media file on a storage device and an input for receiving video editing commands, over a low-bandwidth network, pertaining to the source media file. A virtual representation of the source media file includes the editing commands and a link to the source media file. A media delivery engine reads the source media file over a high-bandwidth link, applies the editing commands thereto, and produces a proxy representation of the edited source media file, and an output transmits the proxy representation over the low-bandwidth network. Requested individual frames of the edited media may also be output. |
| US08818170B2 |
Reproduction device, reproduction method, reproduction program, and recording medium
For a content-prerecorded large capacity disc-shaped recording medium, a user interface having high flexibility is accomplished. Button image data, corresponding sound data as an effect sound, and control commands for the sound data and image data are multiplexed with a stream and recorded on the disc. A scenario reproduced from the disc is stored in a buffer. The image data and sound data are stored in a buffer. Image data is read from the buffer in accordance with a scenario and expanded to a graphics plane. In addition, corresponding sound data is read from the buffer and reproduced by a sound player. When a button image is varied in accordance with a state change of the button, an effect sound is reproduced. As a result, a more effective user interface is accomplished. |
| US08818169B2 |
Disc unlock code distribution control via remote physical action and location
In one embodiment, a method of controlling playback of media content can include: receiving a delivery indication that a disc having media content stored thereon has been physically received by a user at a delivery location; receiving an authorization code and a disc identifier via a web interface, where the authorization code is determined by a disc player in response to the disc being inserted into the disc player; determining whether the user is authorized to playback the media content on the disc player based on the disc identifier, the delivery indication, and the authorization code; and providing an unlock code via the web interface if the user is determined to be authorized to playback the media content on the disc player, where the unlock code is to be entered via the disc player to allow the playback of the media content. |
| US08818167B2 |
Receiving apparatus, receiving method, and program
Provided is a receiving apparatus, including: a stream receiver unit configured to receive a broadcast transport stream; a partial-transport-stream recorder configured to create a partial transport stream from the received broadcast transport stream, and to record the partial transport stream in a recording medium; an event generating section configured to generate an event, the event relating to the received broadcast transport stream; and a private-descriptor inserting section configured to create a private descriptor, the private descriptor being information on the generated event, and to insert the private descriptor in a section of the partial transport stream. |
| US08818157B2 |
Optical fiber or cable storage module for installation at customer premises
An optical fiber or cable storage module includes a back wall and a number of resilient mounting fingers extending from the back wall, and a fiber supply spool having an axial bore formed to receive the mounting fingers and to engage the fingers when the spool is urged toward the back wall so that the spool is restrained from axial movement. The spool includes a hub, and a first winding section for containing a length of fiber sufficient to route between a service terminal outside a user premises and a location near a user terminal inside the premises. The mounting fingers have corresponding catches at the ends of the fingers, and the inner circumference of the bore in the supply spool has an annular groove formed to seat the catches for restraining the spool from axial movement. |
| US08818156B2 |
Multiple channel optical fiber furcation tube and cable assembly using same
A furcation tube for an optical fiber cable comprising a plurality of channels for receiving a plurality of optical fiber strands that allows for the breakout of multiple fiber groups without the need for marking individual fibers. For example, a 24 fiber cable can be broken out into two, 12-fiber groups within the same furcation tube for connectorization. This improves the sortabilility of the optical fiber strands and eliminates the extra bulk of using multiple furcation tubes. The furcation tube includes strength members disposed therein for strain relief. |
| US08818152B2 |
Microbubble optical resonator
An optical microresonator is configured as an optical microbubble formed along a section of an optical microcapillary. The curvature of the outer surface of the microbubble creates an optical resonator with a geometry that encourages the circulating WGMs to remain confined in the central region of the bubble, creating a high Q optical resonator. The resonator may be tuned by modifying the physical properties of the microbubble, allowing the resonator to be used as an optical filter. The resonator may also be used as a sensor or laser by introducing the material to be sensed (or the active laser material) into the microcapillary along which the microbubble is formed. |
| US08818150B2 |
Method and apparatus for modulation using a conductive waveguide
Method and apparatus for modulation of both the intensity and the polarization of radiation in silicon waveguides by applying a biasing voltage to the waveguide. |
| US08818147B2 |
Optical waveguide substrate and method for manufacturing same
According to a manufacturing method of an optical waveguide substrate including a core (12) and clads (11) (13) and provided with an optical axis conversion mirror (14) in the core and an alignment recess for the optical axis conversion mirror with respect to a light receiving and emitting element, the recess is obtained by obtaining an outline of the core by synthesizing at least an image captured by focusing a microscope (20) to a highest position (14a) of the core in an optical axis conversion mirror portion and an image captured by focusing the microscope to a lowest position (14d), and by determining a position of the alignment recess in reference to a center of gravity of the outline, and according to an optical waveguide substrate obtained by this manufacturing method, it becomes possible to provide an optical waveguide substrate in which the optical axis conversion mirror in the optical waveguide substrate and the light receiving and emitting element are aligned with respect to each other at an extremely high degree of accuracy and a manufacturing method thereof. |
| US08818145B2 |
Optical interposer with transparent substrate
An optical interposer comprising a transparent substrate having first and second sides, at least one OED mounted to the first side, at least one reflective surface and at least one groove defined on the second side, and an optical conduit disposed in the groove optically coupled to the OED by the reflective surface. |
| US08818142B2 |
Optical semiconductor device
An optical demultiplexer has first and second input ports and first and second output ports. When optical signal is introduced into the first input port, intensity of optical signal output from the first output port is equal to that from the second output port. When optical signal is introduced into the second input port, intensity of optical signal output from the first output port is larger than that from the second output port. An optical multiplexer has third and fourth input ports and third and fourth output ports. A first optical waveguide connects between the first output port and the third input port, while a second optical waveguide connects between the second output port and the fourth input port. Voltages applied to a first modulation electrode and a second modulation electrode work to cause changes in the optical path lengths of the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide. |
| US08818141B1 |
Transmission line driven slot waveguide mach-zehnder interferometers
A Mach-Zehnder interferometer useful for analog or digital optical signal manipulation. In one example, the MZI is configured as an optical device that provides a balanced output. In another example, the MZI is configured as an optical device that provides a single ended output. Each device uses a silicon split or slotted wave guide having an electro-optically active material present within the slot. The balanced output device uses two slotted wave guides in push-pull configuration. |
| US08818140B2 |
Method and apparatus for recognition of writing, for remote communication, and for user defined input templates
A device including a housing, a writing tip connected to the housing, a writing surface position indicator, a processor in the housing, a memory device in the housing connected to the processor, and a sensor in the housing and cooperative with the writing surface position indicator. The device may be used to record writings and drawings applied to a surface by a user, to transmit that data to a remote device, to download data from remote devices, and to otherwise communicate with remote devices. |
| US08818131B2 |
Methods and apparatus for facial feature replacement
Three dimensional models corresponding to a target image and a reference image are selected based on a set of feature points defining facial features in the target image and the reference image. The set of feature points defining the facial features in the target image and the reference image are associated with corresponding 3-dimensional models. A 3D motion flow between the 3-dimensional models is computed. The 3D motion flow is projected onto a 2D image plane to create a 2D optical field flow. The target image and the reference image are warped using the 2D optical field flow. A selected feature from the reference image is copied to the target image. |
| US08818127B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
The picture quality of captured images can be improved with the degradation of clearness of image-captured object boundaries suppressed. An image processing apparatus (100) comprises: an image/distance acquiring unit (200) that acquires corresponding pixel pairs between left-eye and right-eye images, its depth information and its matching scores; a weight information calculating unit (300) that determines, for each of the pixel pairs, a weight of each of the pixels in a certain area including, as pixels of interest, the pixel pair on the basis of the depth information and the matching scores; and a pixel value superimposing unit (400) that applies, for each of the pixel pairs, the weight to the pixel values in the aforementioned certain area, thereby performing a smoothing process in at least one of the two images and that superimposes the two images using the values obtained by the smoothing process. |
| US08818118B2 |
Image encoding device and image processing device including the same
An image encoding device includes a first compression unit, a second compression unit, a third compression unit and an output unit. The first compression unit generates first compressed data by compressing first data associated with a reference block in an input image. The second compression unit generates second compressed data by compressing second data associated with a current compressing block in the input image when the current compressing block corresponds to a first pattern. The current compressing block is included in the reference block. The third compression unit generates third compressed data by compressing the second data when the current compressing block corresponds to one of a plurality of second patterns. The output unit outputs compressed data based on the first compressed data, the second compressed data and the third compressed data. |
| US08818117B2 |
Method and apparatus for compressing Z-stack microscopy images
A method and apparatus for compressing Z-stack microscopy images comprising compressing an all-focus image and depth map representation of an original Z-stack of images, computing a prediction residual as a difference between a simulated Z-stack, generated from the all-focus image and the depth-map, and the original Z-stack and concatenating the prediction residual to the compressed all-focus image and the depth map to produce a final compressed file. |
| US08818114B2 |
Method and apparatus for image encoding/decoding
A method and an apparatus for image encoding/decoding are disclosed. The apparatus includes: a block decomposer for decomposing a current block into a plurality of sub-blocks; and an intra prediction encoder for performing an intra prediction encoding by referring to already encoded and decoded adjacent pixel information of each sub-block, based on an intra prediction mode equal to an intra prediction mode of the current block, thereby generating a bit stream for the current block. In image encoding and image decoding, when a current block to be encoded or decoded is predicted, the disclosed method and apparatus can improve the accuracy of the prediction, which can provide an image with a satisfactory reproduction quality by improved coding efficiency. |
| US08818109B2 |
Context-aware image processing
In one respect, provided are systems, methods and techniques in which local regions within an image are processed to provide fuzzy classification scores, which are calculated by determining changes in pixel values along a number of different directions. The resulting fuzzy classification scores are then used to detect or identify edge-containing or texture-containing regions, or to otherwise process the image regions differentially according to their fuzzy classification score. In another respect, provided are systems, methods and techniques for differential processing of different areas in an image. The differential processing in this case is based on calculated measures of local activity, which indicate features in corresponding local regions, and also based on calculated measures of local pixel-value variations, which indicate an amount of variation in pixel values across the corresponding local regions. |
| US08818108B2 |
Digital pixel addition method and device for processing plurality of images
An image processing device includes an in-plane pattern detector that selects a pixel of interest in a frame image of interest, calculates in-plane correlation index values representing correlations between the pixel of interest and in-plane pixel patterns including the pixel of interest, and selects a most highly correlated pattern as an in-plane addition pattern. A reference pattern detector calculates inter-plane correlation index values representing correlations between the in-plane pixel addition pattern and reference pixel patterns in a reference frame image temporally adjoining the frame of interest, and selects a most highly correlated reference pixel pattern. A pixel adder adds the values of the pixels in the selected in-plane pixel pattern and the selected reference pixel addition pattern to generate a corrected pixel value, thereby achieving high sensitivity and a high signal-to-noise ratio under low illumination, with little loss of resolution. |
| US08818104B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus includes a storing unit that stores dictionary data including information on a feature area that indicates an area where a feature of a subject appears; and a subject determination unit that compares, when an input image is acquired, the feature area of the dictionary data with an area of the input image corresponding to the feature area of the dictionary data, to determine whether the input image includes the subject. |
| US08818102B2 |
Method for spectral-spatial-temporal image detection
A method of spectral-spatial-temporal image detection is disclosed. In one embodiment, a spectrally differenced image is obtained by computing a difference of at least two intensity values in at least two spectral bands of an image. Further, a spatially filtered spectral image is obtained by applying a spatial median filter to the obtained spectrally differenced image. Furthermore, a temporal image is obtained by determining a temporal pixel value difference using a computed predictive frame difference. In addition, a spectral-spatial-temporal filtered image for detection is obtained by using the obtained spatially filtered spectral image and the temporal image. |
| US08818100B2 |
Automatic forms processing systems and methods
Systems and methods analyze the physical structure of text rows in a document image, including the positions of one or more alignments of one or more character blocks in one or more text rows of the document image. The systems and methods determine one or more groups of text rows that are placed into a class based on the structures of the text rows, such as the positions of the one or more alignments of the one or more character blocks in each text row. |
| US08818099B2 |
Document image binarization and segmentation using image phase congruency
A method is described for binarizing a gray scale document image, in particular, a document image containing both text and non-text contents. Phase congruency maps are calculated from the gray scale image, and used to segment the text and non-text areas of the gray scale image. The phase congruency maps are also used to extract long lines such as table lines, which can be optionally removed from the image. The text and non-text areas of the gray scale image are divided into image patches; for the text areas, connected components obtained from the phase congruency map are used to generate image patches, so that each image patch contains a text character. The image patches are binarized individually using individual threshold values, and then combined to generate a binary image of the gray scale image. The method can also be used for purposes of OCR or document authentication. |
| US08818097B2 |
Portable electronic and method of processing a series of frames
A portable electronic equipment comprises an image sensor configured to capture a series of frames in a time-sequential manner and a processing device coupled to the image sensor and configured to process the series of frames. The processing device is configured to perform an image segmentation for respectively each frame of at least a subset of the series, to respectively identify a section of the frame representing a given object. The image segmentation is respectively performed based on a depth map for the respective frame. The identified sections are superimposed to generate a sequence image. |
| US08818096B2 |
Apparatus and method for detecting subject from image
An image processing apparatus includes a calculation unit configured to calculate a difference between a feature quantity of input video data and a feature quantity of a model representing a background, a determination unit configured to determine whether a partial area in the input video data is a foreground or a background based on the difference, a detection unit configured to detect a subject area from an area determined to be a foreground, a first update unit configured to update appearance information that represents an appearance state of a background relating to the subject area, and a second update unit configured to update the model based on the appearance information. |
| US08818095B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer-readable, non-transitory medium
There are provided an image processing apparatus, image processing method and a computer-readable, non-transitory medium that can binarize the input image so that the characters can be differentiated with high accuracy from the background area. The image processing apparatus includes an edge pixel extractor for extracting edge pixels from an input image, a first histogram generator for generating a first histogram based on a luminance value of each of the edge pixels, a second histogram generator for generating a second histogram based on a minimum luminance value among the luminance values of pixels neighboring each of the edge pixels, a static threshold calculator for obtaining a static threshold based on the first histogram and the second histogram, and a binarization unit for binarizing the input image by using the static threshold. |
| US08818094B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method and recording device recording image processing program
An image processing apparatus includes a histogram extension processing unit for performing a first tone conversion processing on an input image using a first tone conversion characteristic so that a variance of a histogram of an image after the first tone conversion processing is larger than that of a histogram of the input image before the first tone conversion processing; and a posterization processing unit for performing a second tone conversion processing on the image processed in the histogram extension processing unit using a second tone conversion characteristic in which a relation of an output value to an input value is defined by a step function, thereby generating a posterized image whose tone number is reduced as compared with the image before the second tone conversion processing. |
| US08818093B2 |
Method and device for analyzing an image of an image recording device for a vehicle
In a method for analyzing an image of an image recording device for a vehicle, a piece of brightness information of the image is determined, taking an exposure characteristic of the image recording device into account, and a threshold value is set as a function of the piece of brightness information. An image structure of the image is furthermore determined, and a blindness value for the image is determined on the basis of the image structure, using the threshold value. |
| US08818086B2 |
Method for improving the visual perception of a digital image
The method for improving the visual perception of a digital image may comprise dividing the digital image into repetitive areas, and modifying the tone curve and/or the histogram of each area to improve the visual perception of the corresponding area. Lastly, the joins between adjacent areas may be smoothed. |
| US08818085B2 |
Pattern conversion for interpolation
A method of processing a digital image having a predetermined color pattern, includes converting the predetermined color pattern of the digital image into a converted digital image having a different desired color pattern; and using algorithms adapted for use with the desired color pattern for processing the converted digital image. |
| US08818082B2 |
Classifying blur state of digital image pixels
A blur classification module may compute the probability that a given pixel in a digital image was blurred using a given two-dimensional blur kernel, and may store the computed probability in a blur classification probability matrix that stores probability values for all combinations of image pixels and the blur kernels in a set of likely blur kernels. Computing these probabilities may include computing a frequency power spectrum for windows into the digital image and/or for the likely blur kernels. The blur classification module may generate a coherent mapping between pixels of the digital image and respective blur states, and/or may perform a segmentation of the image into blurry and sharp regions, dependent on values stored in the matrix. Input image data may be pre-processed. Blur classification results may be employed in image editing operations to automatically target image subjects or background regions, or to estimate the depth of image elements. |
| US08818073B2 |
Display panel test apparatus and method of testing a display panel using the same
A display panel test apparatus includes: an image pickup part which picks up an image from a target display panel; a jig including a receiving part which receives the target display panel, a fixing part which fixes the image pickup part, and an adjusting part which adjusts an image pickup angle of the image pickup part; a pattern generating part which provides the target display panel with a test pattern; a defect extracting part which analyzes test image data provided from the image pickup part using a defect extracting algorithm and extracts display defect information, where the defect extracting algorithm includes different settings corresponding to different types of display defects; and a control part which generates evaluated data corresponding to a viewing angle of the target display panel using the image pickup angle of the image pickup part and the display defect information. |
| US08818070B2 |
Predicting toxicity of a compound over a range of concentrations
A method of predicting hepatotoxicity of a compound. The method includes imaging cells of hepatic origin positioned within a plurality of containers to obtain imaged cellular targets, each container being treated with a different concentration of the compound, the imaging being performed using a quantitative high-content cell imaging system; quantitatively measuring the imaged cellular targets to detect changes in multiple cellular targets associated with cytotoxicity of the compound; and analyzing measurements obtained from the measured imaged cellular targets over a range of compound concentrations to determine the hepatotoxicity of the compound. |
| US08818068B2 |
Imaging apparatus, imaging system, method of controlling the apparatus and the system, and program
An imaging apparatus includes a control unit and a detector that includes multiple pixels and that performs an image capturing operation to output image data corresponding to emitted radiation or light. The image capturing operation includes a first image capturing operation in which the detector is scanned in a first scanning area corresponding to part of the multiple pixels to output image data in the first scanning area and a second image capturing operation in which the detector is scanned in a second scanning area larger than the first scanning area to output image data in the second scanning area. The control unit causes the detector to perform an initialization operation to initialize the conversion element during a period between the first image capturing operation and the second image capturing operation in accordance with switching from the first scanning area to the second scanning area. |
| US08818064B2 |
Time-domain estimator for image reconstruction
One or more systems, methods, or computer program products can include receiving an echo data set including information representative of an echo sensed by a transducer, provided at least in part by one or more actual targets included in a region of interest. The region of interest can be modeled, including selecting or generating an array manifold matrix including information corresponding to any one or more candidate targets. The weights of the candidate targets can be determined using the array manifold matrix and the echo data set, including minimizing an argument of a function modeling the weights of the candidate targets. In an example, the echo data set can be dithered, such as by adding a specified dithering signal. |
| US08818063B2 |
Optical coherence tomography method and optical coherence tomography apparatus
An optical coherence tomography method according to the present invention comprises the steps of dividing an object to be measured into a plurality of measurement regions adjacent to one another in a direction of irradiation of a measurement light, and acquiring a measurement image for every measurement region based on a wavelength spectrum of a coherent light; correcting, for every measurement region, a contrast of the measurement image of the measurement region; and acquiring, for every measurement region, a tomographic image from the corrected measurement image. |
| US08818061B2 |
Method for characterizing a blood vessel
The present invention relates to a method for characterizing a blood vessel represented by vascular image data, wherein said vascular image data comprises a plurality of voxels each having an image intensity, said method comprising the steps of identifying a set of voxels representing a boundary of the blood vessel; determining a gradient vector of the image intensity for each voxel in said set of voxels representing the boundary of the blood vessel; selecting, from said set of voxels representing the boundary of the blood vessel, a subset of voxels such that all voxels have a common intersection point for their respective gradient vector extensions; and determining a vector product based on said gradient vectors for said subset of voxels, wherein the common intersection point indicates a center of said blood vessel and said vector product indicates a direction in which said blood vessel extends. |
| US08818057B2 |
Methods and apparatus for registration of medical images
In methods and an apparatus for registering two medical images of a subject, a first image is compared with a first anatomical atlas and a second image with a second anatomical atlas, to generate labels for anatomical features in each image. The first anatomical atlas has at least two anatomical features in common with the second, and each label includes a suggested location of the anatomical feature to which it relates. A number of labels are identified for each image, and a value of a similarity function between labels of the respective images is calculated. The two images are registered based on the value of the similarity function. |
| US08818053B2 |
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. |
| US08818052B2 |
Fraud resistant biometric financial transaction system and method
A method and system for authenticating financial transactions is disclosed wherein biometric data is acquired from a person and the probability of liveness of the person and probability of a match between the person or token and known biometric or token information are calculated, preferably according to a formula D=P(p)*(K+P(m)) , wherein K is a number between 0.1 and 100, and authenticating if the value of D exceeds a predetermined value. |
| US08818049B2 |
Retrieving contact information based on image recognition searches
A system and method for retrieving contact information based on image recognition searches is disclosed. A requestor takes a picture of a user or retrieves a storage image of a user and transmits the image to an image recognition module. The image recognition module identifies the user and determines whether the requestor can receive access to the user's contact information based on permission rules. For example, the permission rule includes a requirement that the user and the requestor be sufficiently related on a social graph generated by a social network application. The permission rules can also include a requirement that the requestor have a predetermined proximity to the image. Once the permission rules are satisfied, the image recognition module transmits the user's contact information to the requestor. |
| US08818044B2 |
Methods and apparatus for performing angular measurements
A method of determining an azimuth and elevation of a point in an image is provided. The method comprises positioning an imaging device at a first position and acquiring a first image. The method also comprises rotating the imaging device and acquiring a second image at the first position. The first image includes the point, and a portion of the first image overlaps a portion of the second image. The method also includes determining correspondences between features in overlapping portions of the images, determining a first transformation between coordinates of the first image and coordinates of the second image based on the correspondences, and determining a second transformation between the coordinates of the second image and a local coordinate frame. The method also includes computing the azimuth and elevation of the point based on the first transformation and the second transformation. |
| US08818043B2 |
Traffic signal mapping and detection
A system and method provides maps identifying the 3D location of traffic lights. The position, location, and orientation of a traffic light may be automatically extrapolated from two or more images. The maps may then be used to assist robotic vehicles or human drivers to identify the location and status of a traffic signal. |
| US08818042B2 |
Driver assistance system for vehicle
A driver assistance system for a vehicle includes a forward facing camera and a processor operable to process image data captured by the camera. Responsive to processing of captured image data, the driver assistance system is operable to determine a lane along which the vehicle is traveling and to detect oncoming vehicles approaching the vehicle in another lane that is to the right or left of the determined lane along which the vehicle is traveling. The driver assistance system is operable to control, at least in part, a light beam emanating from a headlamp of the vehicle and adjusts the light beam emanating from the headlamp to limit directing beam light towards the eyes of a driver of the detected oncoming vehicle. Responsive to processing of captured image data, the driver assistance system is operable to provide lane departure warning to a driver of the vehicle. |
| US08818041B2 |
Method of controlling a function of a device and system for detecting the presence of a living being
A method of controlling a function of a device, includes obtaining a sequence (19;34;48) of digital images taken at consecutive points in time. At least one measurement zone (25) including a plurality of image points is selected. For at least one measurement zone (25), a signal (30;41;55) representative of at least variations in a time-varying value of a combination of pixel values at at least a number of the image points is obtained and at least one characteristic of the signal (30;41;55) within at least a range of interest of its spectrum relative to comparison data is determined. The determination comprises at least one of: (i) determining whether the signal (30;41;55) has a spectrum with a local maximum at a frequency matching a comparison frequency to a certain accuracy; and (ii) determining whether at least a certain frequency component of the signal (30;41;55) is in phase with a comparison signal to a certain accuracy. The function is controlled in dependence on whether the determination is positive. |
| US08818039B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and computer program
An information processing apparatus that executes processing for creating an environmental map includes a camera that photographs an image, a self-position detecting unit that detects a position and a posture of the camera on the basis of the image, an image-recognition processing unit that detects an object from the image, a data constructing unit that is inputted with information concerning the position and the posture of the camera and information concerning the object and executes processing for creating or updating the environmental map, and a dictionary-data storing unit storing dictionary data in which object information is registered. The image-recognition processing unit executes processing for detecting an object from the image with reference to the dictionary data. The data constructing unit applies the three-dimensional shape data to the environmental map and executes object arrangement on the environmental map. |
| US08818038B2 |
Method and system for video indexing and video synopsis
In a system and method for generating a synopsis video from a source video, at least three different source objects are selected according to one or more defined constraints, each source object being a connected subset of image points from at least three different frames of the source video. One or more synopsis objects are sampled from each selected source object by temporal sampling using image points derived from specified time periods. For each synopsis object a respective time for starting its display in the synopsis video is determined, and for each synopsis object and each frame a respective color transformation for displaying the synopsis object may be determined. The synopsis video is displayed by displaying selected synopsis objects at their respective time and color transformation, such that in the synopsis video at least three points that each derive from different respective times in the source video are displayed simultaneously. |
| US08818037B2 |
Video scene detection
Systems and related methods for detecting a scene in video content are provided. In one example, a scene detection program identifies a plurality of shots in the video content and selects a target shot. The program builds a forward window including the target shot and having shots that are temporally ahead of the target shot, and a rearward window having shots that are temporally behind the target shot. For each of the shots in the forward window the program determines a dissimilarity between a selected shot in forward window and each of the other shots in the rearward window. If one or more of the dissimilarities is less than a scene boundary threshold, the program determines that the scene does not begin at the target shot. If none of the dissimilarities is less than the scene boundary threshold, the program determines that the scene begins at the target shot. |
| US08818035B2 |
Image target identification device, image target identification method, and image target identification program
A device is provided with a luminance histogram calculation unit which generates a luminance histogram showing appearance frequency of luminance values contained within the infrared image and determines a luminance value corresponding to a peak in the luminance histogram as a background luminance level of the background; a luminance shift calculation unit which sets the background luminance value as an intermediate value in luminance range width of the infrared image and generates a luminance shift image by linearly shifting other luminance values in the infrared image based on the intermediate value; a reversed image processing unit which generates a reversed shift image wherein the luminance level of the luminance shift image is reversed; and a luminance calculation processing unit which generates a calculation-processed image by performing calculation processing based on the difference in the luminance values at corresponding positions in the luminance shift image and the reversed shift image. |
| US08818031B1 |
Utility pole geotagger
According to one aspect, embodiments of the invention provide a method for determining the geographic location of an object, the method comprising retrieving at a vision system a plurality of images from a database, each image related to a respective vantage point, detecting, with the vision system, the object in at least two of the plurality of images, generating a vector in relation to the respective vantage point for each image in which the object was detected, and triangulating, based on the intersection of at least two vectors, the geographic location of the object. |
| US08818030B2 |
Post-processing a multi-spectral image for enhanced object identification
A system and method for post-processing a multi-spectral image which has already been processed for pixel classification. A binary image is received which contains pixels that have been classified using a pixel classification method. Each pixel in the image has an associated intensity value and has a pixel value of 1 or 0 depending on whether the pixel has been classified as a material of interest or not. The image is divided into a plurality of blocks of pixels. On a block by block basis, pixel values in a block are changed according to a threshold-based filtering criteria such that pixels in the same block all have the same binary value. Once all the blocks have been processed, contiguous pixels having the same binary value are grouped to form separate objects. In such a manner, pixel classification errors in the post-processed binary image can be reduced. |
| US08818028B2 |
Systems and methods for accurate user foreground video extraction
A color image and a depth image of a live video are received. Each of the color image and the depth image are processed to identify a foreground, background, and an unknown region band of the live video. The unknown region band may comprise pixels between the foreground and the background. Further processing is performed to segment the pixels of the unknown region band between the foreground and the background. As such, processing is performed on the unknown region band in order to provide an improved user foreground video. |
| US08818025B2 |
Method and apparatus for recognizing objects in media content
An approach is provided for recognizing objects in media content. The capture manager determines to detect, at a device, one or more objects in a content stream. Next, the capture manager determines to capture one or more representations of the one or more objects in the content stream. Then, the capture manager associates the one or more representations with one or more instances of the content stream. |
| US08818024B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program product for object tracking
A method for object tracking is provided. The method may include identifying a first interest point, receiving a video frame, and detecting, via a processor, a second interest point in the video frame using a scale space image pyramid. The method may further include matching the second interest point with the first interest point, and determining a motion estimation based on the matched interest points. Similar apparatuses and computer program products are also provided. |
| US08818022B2 |
Associating cameras with users and objects in a social networking system
Images uploaded by users of a social networking system are analyzed to determine signatures of cameras used to capture the images. A camera signature comprises features extracted from images that characterize the camera used for capturing the image, for example, faulty pixel positions in the camera and metadata available in files storing the images. Associations between users and cameras are inferred based on actions relating users with the cameras, for example, users uploading images, users being tagged in images captured with a camera, and the like. Associations between users of the social networking system related via cameras are inferred. These associations are used beneficially for the social networking system, for example, for recommending potential connections to a user, recommending events and groups to users, identifying multiple user accounts created by the same user, detecting fraudulent accounts, and determining affinity between users. |
| US08818019B2 |
Robust watermark
A method and system for embedding a watermark in block encrypted content, including encoding a bit string, the bit string including n bits, denoted b0-bn-1, the encoding including translating each bit, b0-bn-1, into a block of data, according to the following rule if bi=1, then translate bi into a block of data of a first type, and if bi=0, then translate bi into a block of data of a second type, thereby translating the n bits into n blocks of data corresponding to each bit b0-bn-1, arranging a composite block of data including the n blocks of data, and at least one additional block indicating the presence of the n blocks of data, and inserting the composite block of data into a content item as a watermark, wherein the watermarked content item is encrypted using an ECB mode of encryption. Related methods and apparatus are also described. |
| US08818015B2 |
Marker placement device, marker placement detecting device, and computer readable storage medium for storing marker placement program
A marker placement device includes, a marker placement method decision section that decides, for every predetermined pitch from a starting edge of a side to an end edge of the side, a placement position of a marker for detecting a position within a rectangular image region, the placement position being along the side of the image region within an image. A marker adding section that adds the marker to the image according to the placement position decided is provided, where, when a gap shorter than the pitch remains between the end edge and the decided placement position closest to the end edge of the side, the marker placement method decision section decides a first marker placement position closest to the starting edge, and decides a subsequent marker placement position. |
| US08818014B2 |
Sound production component
A sound production component that includes a vibration element, a support member, and a connection part. The vibration element includes a polygonal vibration plate and an electromechanical conversion element attached to the vibration plate. The connection part connects an entire periphery of the vibration plate to the support member. At least a portion of the connection part has a curved shape. The length of a portion of the connection part which connects each corner of the vibration plate and the support member is shorter than the length of a portion of the connection part which connects a central portion of each side edge of the vibration plate and the support member. |
| US08818013B2 |
Wearable speaker system with satellite speakers and a passive radiator
This application relates to a wearable speaker system with a passive radiator and an active driver speaker that are connected by a flexible tube. Acoustic energy from the active driver speaker is projected through the flexible tube to the passive radiator, causing the passive radiator to vibrate and resonate in response to the acoustic energy to project the desired audible sounds to a user. |
| US08818012B2 |
Adjustable, dual speaker element in-ear phone
An adjustable, dual speaker element earphone. One of the speaker elements is sized to fit into the cavum concha of the listeners ear and the other element is not. A hinged joint may allow the larger speaker element may be rotated about a vertical axis of the hinged joint so that the larger speaker element can be rotated towards or away from the listener's ear. The speaker elements may be connected such that sounds produced by both speaker elements emanate from different respective sound openings defined in a surface of the smaller speaker element. Also, one or both of the speaker elements may be operably connected to a hanger bar that is sized and configured to rest on an upper portion of the listener's ear. |
| US08818010B2 |
Microphone unit
Disclosed is a microphone unit comprising a film substrate (1), electrically conductive layers (15, 16) which are formed on both substrate surfaces of the film substrate (11), and an electrical acoustic transducer unit (12) which is provided on the film substrate (11) and comprises a diaphragm capable of converting a sound pressure to an electrical signal. In the microphone unit, the linear expansion coefficient of the film substrate (11), including the electrically conductive layers (15, 16), falls within the range of 0.8 to 2.5 times, inclusive, the linear expansion coefficient of the diaphragm. |
| US08818009B2 |
Dual diaphragm dynamic microphone transducer
A dual diaphragm dynamic type microphone transducer that, among other things, provides control of source/receiver proximity effects without sacrificing professional level dynamic microphone performance. |
| US08818008B2 |
Display apparatus and control method thereof
A display apparatus includes a display part to display an image thereon, a speaker to output sound, an audio input part to receive an audio signal, an audio signal processor to process the audio signal input from the audio input part through the speaker and to output the audio signal, a control signal output part to output a predetermined control signal, a detector to detect whether the audio signal is input through the audio input part, and a controller to control the audio signal processor to control the audio signal according to the control signal from the control signal output part if the audio signal is input by the detector, and to control display conditions of the image displayed on the display part according to the control signal from the control signal output part if the control signal is not input by the detector. |
| US08818006B2 |
Speaker system, electronic apparatus using same, and mobile body device
A loudspeaker system includes an enclosure surrounding a plurality of loudspeakers. The plurality of loudspeakers are disposed in series along a straight line in the enclosure. The enclosure includes a front panel, a back panel and side panels. The front panel, the side panels, and the back panel are disposed parallel to the straight line on which the loudspeakers are arranged. The side panels are provided with a front slit and a back slit. The back slit is disposed at an opposite side of the front slit in the enclosure. Sounds emitted to the upper and lower sides of diaphragms of the loudspeakers are separated from each other such that the sounds are prevented from mixing with each other. This provides a loudspeaker system capable of achieving desired sound pressure-frequency characteristics. |
| US08818005B2 |
Capacitor controlled switch system
A switch controller is provided that uses one or more capacitors to generate a slow turn on/slow turn off switch control signals to suppress audible switching noise in an audio switch. In some embodiments, an analog inverter and a capacitor are used to generate the switch control signals, while in other embodiments two capacitors are used to generate the switch control signals. To conserve power between switching states, routing logic is provided that ties the switch control signals to respective voltage rails and disables selected portions of the switch controller. |
| US08818003B2 |
Mobile terminal and control method thereof
Disclosed are a mobile terminal and a control method thereof. The mobile terminal includes: a sound output module configured to output a sound; a user input unit configured to sense a control command for controlling a volume level of the output sound; and a controller configured to control a volume level of the output sound based on the sensed control command, configured to determine whether the controlled volume level corresponds to a preset volume level, and if the controlled volume level corresponds to the preset volume level, configured to output a signal corresponding to the preset volume level in the form of a signal different from the output sound. |
| US08817999B2 |
Networked sound masking and paging system
A sound masking system for shaping the ambient noise level in a physical environment. The sound masking system comprises a networked and distributed system having a number of master units coupled together and to a control unit. One or more of the master units may include satellite sound masking units which function to reproduce the sound masking signal generated by the master sound masking unit. Each of the master units is addressable over the network by the control unit enabling the control unit to program the contour, spectral band, and gain characteristics of the sound masking output signal. The system may also include a remote control unit which provides the capability to tune and adjust each master sound masking unit in situ without requiring physical access through the ceiling installation. According to another aspect, there is a networked paging system with individually addressable speaker units for announcing a paging signal selected from a number of paging signals. |
| US08817996B2 |
Audio signal processing system and its hearing curve adjusting unit for assisting listening devices
An audio signal processing system for use in assisting listening devices is disposed in a digital signal processor. The audio signal processing system comprises an input signal conversion unit, a signal compression unit, a hearing curve adjusting unit and an output signal conversion unit. An external audio signal can be converted from an analog format into a digital format by the input signal conversion unit, it is then compressed by the signal compression unit to be output to the hearing curve adjusting unit for adjusting parameters of the audio signal based on a hearing curve preset value, then it is output to the output signal conversion unit for the hearing signal to be amplified and converted from the digital format into the analog format for output, the audio signal is finally converted into music or voice by speakers of an assisting listening device to be output into a user's ears. |
| US08817995B2 |
Control of a loudspeaker output
A method of controlling a loudspeaker of an electronic device provides voice coil temperature protection. When a power supply for the electronic device is first activated, a binding step is performed in which the loudspeaker impedance is determined and a temperature (such as ambient temperature) is accurately measured. These binding step measurements are used during subsequent use of the loudspeaker, to make the temperature measurements (based on voice coil impedance) as accurate as possible. |
| US08817989B2 |
Method and apparatus for storing and distributing encryption keys
A home location register stores key material related to mobile stations associated with the home location register. A first visited location register associated with a first site in a first zone stores key material related to a first mobile station of the mobile stations associated with the home location register. When the first mobile station roams to a second site in a second zone associated with a second visited location register, the key material related to the first mobile station is encrypted with an interkey, yielding encrypted key material, wherein the interkey is used only by infrastructure system devices other than a mobile station for encrypting at least the key material for transport between at least the first and second zones. The encrypted key material is forwarded to the second visited location register. |
| US08817985B2 |
Encryption key distribution system
The encryption key distribution system includes a node A, a node B, and an authentication server S. Upon receiving a first nonce created by the node A and a second nonce created by the node B, the authentication server S creates a session key. The authentication server S sends a first message authentication code value and a first encryption message to the node A. The first encryption message is created by encrypting the first nonce, the session key, and first additional information with a first secret key. The authentication server S sends a second message authentication code value and a second encryption message to the node B. The second encryption message is created by encrypting the second nonce, the session key, and second additional information with a second secret key. The node A decrypts the first encryption message with the first secret key, thereby obtaining the session key and the first additional information. Further, the node A authenticates the session key by use of the first message authentication code value. The node B decrypts the second encryption message with the second secret key, thereby obtaining the session key and the second additional information. Further, the node B authenticates the session key by use of the second message authentication code value. |
| US08817984B2 |
Cryptographic security functions based on anticipated changes in dynamic minutiae
Dynamic key cryptography validates mobile device users to cloud services by uniquely identifying the user's electronic device using a very wide range of hardware, firmware, and software minutiae, user secrets, and user biometric values found in or collected by the device. Processes for uniquely identifying and validating the device include: selecting a subset of minutia from a plurality of minutia types; computing a challenge from which the user device can form a response based on the selected combination of minutia; computing a set of pre-processed responses that covers a range of all actual responses possible to be received from the device if the combination of the particular device with the device's collected actual values of minutia is valid; receiving an actual response to the challenge from the device; determining whether the actual response matches any of the pre-processed responses; and providing validation, enabling authentication, data protection, and digital signatures. |
| US08817981B2 |
Generation of registration codes, keys and passcodes using non-determinism
In an embodiment, a secure module is provided that provides access keys to an unsecured system. In an embodiment, the secure module may generate passcodes and supply the passcodes to the unsecured system. In an embodiment, the access keys are sent to the unsecured system after the receiving the passcode from the unsecured system. In an embodiment, after authenticating the passcode, the secure module does not store the passcode in its memory. In an embodiment, the unsecured module requires the access key to execute a set of instructions or another entity. In an embodiment, the unsecured system does not store access keys. In an embodiment, the unsecured system erases the access key once the unsecured system no longer requires the access key. In an embodiment, the unsecured system receives a new passcode to replace the stored passcode after using the stored passcode. In an embodiments, a registration code is generated using non-determinism. In an embodiments, a key is generated using non-determinism. Each of these embodiments may be used separately. |
| US08817979B2 |
Standalone hardware accelerator for advanced encryption standard (AES) encryption and decryption
Systems and methods for accelerating AES encryption and decryption operations are provided. Aspects of the method may include time multiplexing a plurality of substitution boxes (S-boxes) for instantaneous key generation and byte substitution operations. Bytes may be substituted in at least a portion of a current security key information and at least a portion of a subsequent security key information within said plurality of S-boxes. The current security key may comprise 128 bits, 192 bits or 256 bits and the portion of the current security key may comprise 32 bits. The substituted portion of the security key information may be communicated to a key generator. The subsequent security key information may be generated utilizing the substituted portion of the current security key information. The current security key information may then be stored. |
| US08817973B2 |
Encrypting method having countermeasure function against power analyzing attacks
Based on an encrypting method for performing an exponential remainder calculation y=ad (mod n) from an u-bit exponent d=(du-1, . . . , d0)2, input data a, and a modulo n, calculating a′=a2(mod n) is performed first. Next, calculating y=(a′)f(mod n) is performed on f=(du-1, du-2, . . . , d1)2. Then, when d0=1, calculating y=y×a (mod n) is performed. Then, outputting y=ad (mod n) is performed. In the first step, although an attacker inputs data including a minus value such as a=−1 and a=s, −s, etc., only plus values can be constantly generated in multiplication and squaring. Therefore, the method makes it hard to estimate a secret key using power analyzing attacks such as the SPA and the DPA, thereby realizing an encryption processor having high tamper-resistance. |
| US08817970B2 |
Fast echo gain change detection
An apparatus generally having a first circuit and a second circuit is disclosed. The first circuit may be configured to synthesize a first vector by filtering a second vector based on a third vector. The second circuit may be configured to (i) generate a gain corresponding to a fourth vector, (ii) compare the gain to a plurality of thresholds and (iii) update the third vector as a function of the gain where the compare determines that the gain is not between the thresholds. The fourth vector may be received from a network as an echo of the second vector. |
| US08817967B1 |
End-to-end session without signaling protocol
A base station of a cordless telephone includes a transceiver, a control module, a connection handler, and a media handler. The transceiver wirelessly communicates with a handset. While the handset is operating in a standby mode, the transceiver transmits a signal to instruct the handset to exit the standby mode. The control module establishes a permanent virtual circuit with the handset that includes a predetermined user datagram protocol (UDP) port or a negotiated UDP port. The control module negotiates, with the handset to determine a feature subset of the handset and transmits packets to the handset via the permanent virtual circuit. The packets are selected based on the feature subset of the handset. The connection handler is configured to establish a switched virtual circuit with an endpoint device via a communications channel. The media handler is configured to convert media packets into first and second digital audio compression formats. |
| US08817952B2 |
Method, apparatus, and system for providing real-time PSAP call analysis
Methods, apparatus, and systems are provided such that a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) may utilize a new model to handle Open Line emergency calls, including audio optimization, automation, analysis, and presentation. Embodiments of the present disclosure assist with the difficult task of identifying background noise while trying to listen and talk to a caller, and give the best possible audio from the caller to the emergency call-taker or dispatcher. More particularly, an audio stream is split into at least two instances, with a first instance being optimized for speech intelligibility and provided to a call-taker or dispatcher and a second instance being provided for background sound analysis. Accordingly, the new PSAP Open Line model may allow for significantly more efficient emergency assessment, location, and management of resources. |
| US08817951B2 |
Method and system for monitoring a location
A method and system for monitoring a location via a called telephony communication device is disclosed. The method at the called telephony communication device includes receiving (304) a request from a calling telephony communication device. Further, the method includes determining (306) whether the received request is for monitoring the location. The method further includes automatically transmitting (308) audio/video data captured via the called telephony communication device to the calling telephony communication device when the received request is determined to be one for monitoring the location. |
| US08817947B2 |
Tomosynthesis imaging
Systems and methods for providing radiographic, stereoscopic and tomographic images of an object of interest. Examples of objects of interest are body parts of living beings, such as the human breast and the human chest. The apparatus includes a high-fluence rate x-ray source and a plurality of satellite x-ray sources operating at lower fluence rate than the high-fluence rate source. A controller controls the operation and locations of the sources, and the operation of a detector. The method provides procedures in which the operation of the high-fluence source and the satellite sources are individually controlled as to location and orientation relative to the object of interest. In some operations, one satellite source may be operating while another satellite source may be repositioning. By proper control, a reduced x-ray dose and reduced operating time can be attained, thereby improving image quality, patient care, and patient experience. |
| US08817942B2 |
Nuclear reactor, in particular pool-type nuclear reactor, with new-concept fuel elements
The present invention relates to a nuclear reactor, in particular a pool-type nuclear reactor cooled with liquid metal (for example, a heavy metal such as lead or lead-bismuth eutectic) or with sodium or molten salts, having a core formed by a bundle of fuel elements and immersed in a primary fluid circulating between the core and at least one heat exchanger; the fuel elements extend along respective parallel longitudinal axes and have respective bottom active parts immersed in the primary fluid to constitute the core, and respective service parts that extend at the top from the active parts and emerge from the primary fluid; the fuel elements are mechanically supported via respective top end heads anchored to supporting structures and can be operated via handling machines. |
| US08817940B2 |
Nuclear plant with a pebble bed nuclear reactor
This invention relates to a nuclear plant including a main power system and a fuel handling and storage system. The system is connected to a sphere inlet and a sphere outlet of a multi-pass high temperature gas cooled pebble bed reactor. The system is configured such that gas flows from the system into the reactor through both the sphere inlet and the sphere outlet thereby inhibiting the ingress of high temperature gas from the reactor into the system. Restricting indexers permit the movement of spheres between the reactor and the system and dampen out the transmission of pressure fluctuations from the power system to the system. |
| US08817939B2 |
Method to process fission chamber measurement signals
A method to determine the effective masses of deposits of fissile matter, including a first measuring step to measure the count rate of deposits of fissile matter of known effective masses to form a matrix [C]0, a second measuring step to measure the count rate of deposits of fissile matter to form a matrix [C], and a computing step to calculate the effective masses to be determined. |
| US08817932B2 |
Margin test methods and circuits
Described are methods and circuits for margin testing digital receivers. These methods and circuits prevent margins from collapsing in response to erroneously received data, and can thus be used in receivers that employ historical data to reduce intersymbol interference (ISI). Some embodiments detect receive errors for input data streams of unknown patterns, and can thus be used for in-system margin testing. Such systems can be adapted to dynamically alter system parameters during device operation to maintain adequate margins despite fluctuations in the system noise environment due to e.g. temperature and supply-voltage changes. Also described are methods of plotting and interpreting filtered and unfiltered error data generated by the disclosed methods and circuits. Some embodiments filter error data to facilitate pattern-specific margin testing. |
| US08817911B2 |
Integrated circuit for controlling a process
Wireless communication wherein channel estimation accuracy is improved while keeping the position of each bit in a frame, even when a modulation system having a large modulation multiple value is used for a data symbol. An encoding operation encodes and outputs transmitting data (bit string) and a bit converting operation converts at least one bit of a plurality of bits constituting a data symbol to be used for channel estimation, among the encoded bit strings, into ‘1’ or ‘0’. A modulating operation modulates the bit string inputted from the bit converting operation by using a single modulation mapper and a plurality of data symbols are generated. |
| US08817909B2 |
Polar modulator arrangement, polar modulation method, filter arrangement and filtering method
A polar modulator arrangement includes a first and a second node to receive a signal having a first and a second component corresponding to an amplitude component and a phase component. A frequency separation device separates the first component into a low-frequency portion and a high-frequency portion depending on a cut-off frequency. The high-frequency portion is nonlinearly filtered and combined with the low-frequency portion to a first processed component. A combination element generates a polar modulated radio frequency signal as a function of the first processed component and the second component. |
| US08817908B2 |
Generating and/or receiving, at least in part, signal that includes at least one waveform
An embodiment may include circuitry to generate and/or receive, at least in part, a signal that may include at least one waveform. The at least one waveform may include at least one portion followed by at least one other portion. The at least one portion may include a plurality of levels to be compared to data encoding levels to determine whether the plurality of levels satisfy ratios determined based at least in part upon the plurality of levels and the data encoding levels. The at least one other portion may include maximum and minimum data encoding levels to facilitate emphasis measurement. Many alternatives, variations, and modifications are possible. |
| US08817907B2 |
Systems and methods for signaling for vectoring of DSL systems
The measurement of far-end crosstalk (FEXT) in a Digital Subscriber Line communications is instrumental in the ability of using a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) pre-coder to cancel FEXT. A reliable robust back channel for transmission of error is instrumental to provide error samples for the proper operation of a MIMO pre-coder. Bins can be dedicated to insure bandwidth from the customer premises equipment (CPE) to the central office (CO). By increasing the margin used in the bins, robustness can be added to this back channel between the CPE and CO. |
| US08817906B2 |
Communication device and communication method
A modulator 11 modulates an input signal in a predetermined modulation manner to generate a primary modulation signal. The serial-parallel converter 12 applies a serial-parallel conversion to a predetermined number of complex numbers and the primary modulation signal, and assigns the converted complex numbers and primary modulation signal to subcarriers to generate a subcarrier modulation signal. An IFFT calculator 13 applies an IFFT to the subcarrier modulation signal. A decomposer 14 decomposes a calculation result into real-part data and imaginary-part data. A real-part calculator 151 subtracts the average value of the maximum value and minimum value of elements of the real-part data from each element of the real-part data. An imaginary-part calculator 152 carries out a similar calculation on the imaginary-part data. A combiner 16 combines the calculated real-part data and imaginary-part data to generate a baseband signal. A transmitter 17 transmits a transmission signal generated from the baseband signal. |
| US08817894B2 |
Method and device for sending signals between a radio frequency circuit and a baseband circuit
A method of sending a data signal and a clock signal between a radio frequency circuit of a device and a baseband circuit of the device. The method comprises: determining whether at least one of the data signal and the clock signal is disturbing in that it has a harmonic within the radio frequency band. If it is determined that at least one of the data signal and the clock signal is disturbing, the method further comprises: scrambling the at least one disturbing signal to flatten the spectrum thereof for frequencies below the clock frequency FC, setting a respective at least one indicator to indicate that the at least one disturbing signal has been scrambled, and sending the at least one scrambled signal between the radio frequency circuit and the baseband circuit. The method further comprises, subsequent to the step of sending the at least one scrambled signal, descrambling the at least one scrambled signal if the respective at least one indicator is set. |
| US08817891B2 |
Milli-meter-wave-wireless-interconnect (M2W2-interconnect) method for short-range communications with ultra-high data rate capability
A millimeter wave wireless (M2W2) interconnect is used for transmitting and receiving signals at millimeter-wave frequencies for short-range wireless communication with high data rate capability. The transmitter and receiver antennae may comprise an on-chip differential dipole antenna or a bond wire differential dipole antenna. The bond wire differential dipole antenna is comprised of a pair of bond wires connecting between a pair of pads on an integrated circuit (IC) die and a pair of floating pads on a printed circuit board (PCB). |
| US08817889B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for use in multimedia signal encoding
The present embodiments provide methods, apparatuses, systems for use in encoding and/or formatting content, such as multimedia content. Some embodiments provide methods for use in encoding content. These methods receive source content, encode the source content producing encoded content, evaluate a first encoded segment of the encoded content relative to a plurality of buffer models, determine whether the first segment of encoded content is to be re-encoded relative to one or more of the plurality of buffer models based on the evaluation; and re-encode the first segment when it is determined that the first segment is to be re encoded. |
| US08817885B2 |
Method and apparatus for skipping pictures
In a video decoder having a picture skip function, the video decoder may obtain reference information from a network abstraction layer (NAL) unit, and upon receipt of a skip command, skips frames/pictures from where a non-reference frame/picture begins. The video decoder may execute a picture skip function, either at a fast speed or at a normal speed, according to the skip mode. |
| US08817884B2 |
Techniques for perceptual encoding of video frames
In a video encoder, pixel values of a macro-block are processed to determine an activity measure indicative of the type of content in the macro-block. Several techniques are employed for determining the activity measure of a macro-block. In an embodiment, a default quantization scale for quantizing a macro-block is modified based on the activity measure of the macro-block. In another embodiment, the macro-block is classified into one of multiple classes based on its activity measure. The default quantization scale for quantizing the macro-block is modified based on the classification of the macro-block. In yet another embodiment, an encoding mode to be used for encoding a macro-block is also determined on the basis of the class of the macro-block. Several of the techniques exploit the fact that the human visual system (HVS) has different sensitivities in perceiving a (rendered) macro-block or video frame, depending on the type of macro-block content. |
| US08817879B2 |
Temporal error concealment for video communications
Methods and systems for processing video data are described. A set of candidate motion vectors is selected from motion vectors associated with macroblocks in a first frame of video data and from motion vectors associated with macroblocks in a second frame of the video data. A statistical measure of the set is determined. The statistical measure defines a motion vector for a macroblock of interest in the second frame. |
| US08817874B2 |
Method and system for determining prediction mode parameter
For determining a prediction mode parameter, a macroblock of an image is divided into a plurality of blocks; most prediction mode parameters corresponding to a plurality of first blocks along a left most edge of the macroblock are determined; most prediction mode parameters corresponding to a plurality of second blocks along a top most edge of the macroblock are determined; and the most prediction mode parameters of the first and second blocks are stored into a buffer allocated with designated position for the plurality of blocks. |
| US08817873B2 |
Image coding/recording apparatus and image coding/recording method
The invention provides an image coding/recording apparatus which can solve problems of large processing loads due to the real-time re-coding and problems of complicated controls and circuits for returning processing. The image coding/recording apparatus according to an aspect of the invention codes and records image data. The image coding/recording apparatus includes: a coding unit operable to code the image data; a recording unit operable to record the coded data; and a re-coding control unit operable to (i) control said coding unit to re-code the coded data recorded by said recording unit and does not satisfy a predetermined condition, so that the re-coded data satisfies the predetermined condition, and (ii) control said recording unit to record the re-coded data, so that the re-coded data and non-re-coded data are reproduced consecutively. |
| US08817867B1 |
Adaptive continuous time linear equalizer
An apparatus comprising an equalizer circuit, a converter circuit and an adaptation circuit. The equalizer circuit may be configured to generate an intermediate signal in response to an input signal and a gradient value. The converter circuit may be configured to generate a digital signal comprising a plurality of symbol values, including a main cursor symbol value, in response to the intermediate signal. The adaptation circuit may be configured to generate the gradient value in response to a plurality of the symbol values before the main cursor symbol value, a plurality of symbol values after the main cursor symbol value, and an error value. |
| US08817865B2 |
Linear distortion and interference estimation using decision feedback equalizer coefficients
Linear distortion and interference estimation using decision feedback equalizer coefficients. Processing of different respective groups of equalizer coefficients may be made to determine the residual frequency response of an equalizer and/or device in which the equalizer is implemented. Such an equalizer may be implemented within any of a number of respective communication devices including those operative within satellite, wireless, wired, fiber-optic, and/or mobile communication systems. A first group of equalizer coefficients corresponds to certain filtering characteristics of the equalizer and/or device in which the equalizer is implemented. The equalizer is implemented to process a signal to generate a second group of equalizer coefficients. Processing and/or analysis of the first group of equalizer coefficients and the second group of equalizer coefficients will generate a third group of equalizer coefficients corresponding to the residual frequency response of the equalizer and/or device in which the equalizer is implemented. |
| US08817859B2 |
Digital multi-band predistortion linearizer with nonlinear subsampling algorithm in the feedback loop
A concurrent multi-band linearized transmitter (CMLT) has a concurrent digital multi-band predistortion block (CDMPB) and a concurrent multi-band transmitter (CMT) connected to the CDMPB. The CDMPB can have a plurality of digital baseband signal predistorter blocks (DBSPBs), an analyzing and modeling (A&M) stage, and a signal observation feedback loop. Each DBSPB can have a plurality of inputs, each corresponding to a single frequency band of the multi-band input signal, and its output corresponding to a single frequency band; each output connect corresponding to an input of the CMLT. The A&M stage can have a plurality of outputs connected to and updating the parameters of the DBSPBs, and a plurality of inputs connected to either both outputs of the signal observation loop or the output of the subsampling loop and to outputs of the DBSPBs. The A&M stage can perform signals' time alignment, reconstruction of signals and compute parameters of DBSPBs. |
| US08817853B2 |
Broadband re-configurable RF receiver
An RF receiver system operating on a broader frequency range and wide input dynamic power range is described. Received RF signal is downconverted to baseband signal using multiple quadrature demodulators. A microcontroller system controls the RF receiver by selecting frequency range to be produced by the frequency synthesizer, selecting appropriate amplification path for producing the required output power, controlling the power module for checking for automatic power gain and automatic gain control. |
| US08817852B2 |
Communication apparatuses and radio frequency equalizers
A radio frequency equalizer includes a first resistor coupled to an input terminal, a second resistor coupled between the first resistor and an output terminal, a first capacitor, a first inductor, a first switch coupled to the input terminal, the first capacitor and the first inductor, a second switch coupled to the output terminal, the first capacitor and the first inductor, a second capacitor, a second inductor and a third switch coupled to the first resistor, the second resistor, the second capacitor and the second inductor. According to a control signal, the first switch selectively couples the first capacitor or the first inductor to the input terminal, the second switch selectively couples the first capacitor or the first inductor to the output terminal and the third switch selectively couples the second capacitor or the second inductor to the first resistor and the second resistor. |
| US08817849B2 |
Methods and systems for transmitting data by modulating transmitter filter coefficients
A signaling system supports main and auxiliary communication channels between integrated circuits in the same direction over a single link. An equalizing transmitter applies appropriate filter coefficients to minimize the impact of intersymbol interference when transmitting the main data over a communication channel. The transmitter modulates at least one of the filter coefficients with the auxiliary data to induce apparent ISI in the transmitted signal. A main receiver ignores the apparent ISI to recover the main data, while an auxiliary receiver detects and demodulates the apparent ISI to recover the auxiliary data. The auxiliary data may be encoded using spread-spectrum techniques to reduce the impact of the auxiliary data on the main data. |
| US08817846B2 |
Diversity reception device and diversity reception method
A diversity reception device includes branches, a controller and a combining section. Each branch includes a correlation section that generates a correlation signal that represents a correlation between a received signal and a delayed signal or between the received signal and a reference signal, where the correlation signal level disregarding the received signal level, a time position detector that detects time positions at which the level of the correlation signal is at a peak, a demodulation section that demodulates the received signal, and a multiplication section that multiplies the demodulated signal with a weighting factor. The controller controls the weighting factor on the basis of the respective levels of the correlation signals at the detected time positions. The combining section combines, by adding, the respective demodulated signals of the branches subsequent to the demodulated signal of each branch being multiplied with the weighting factor. |
| US08817844B2 |
Parallel narrow band transmission
A method of transmitting a plurality of signals from a transmitting station to a plurality of receiving stations in a transmission channel having a plurality of sub-channels, the method comprising: transmitting a first signal in a first sub-channel to a first receiving station; transmitting a second signal in a second sub-channel to a second receiving station; whereby the first and second signals are transmitted simultaneously. |
| US08817841B2 |
System and method of controlling modulation frequency of spread-spectrum signal
An apparatus for generating a spread-spectrum signal based on an input signal whose frequency may vary substantially. The apparatus is particularly suited for controlling the frequency of the modulation in response to wide variations of the frequency of the input signal. This prevents the modulation frequency from deviating into an undesired frequency range which could cause adverse operational effects. The apparatus includes a detector adapted to generate a first signal related to the frequency of the input signal, a controller adapted to generate a second signal for controlling a frequency of a modulation signal based on the first signal, a modulation signal generator adapted to generate the modulation signal based on the second signal, and a spread-spectrum signal generator adapted to generate the spread-spectrum signal based on the modulation signal. |
| US08817837B2 |
Laser system and method of operation
An exemplary laser system is disclosed which includes a pump laser diode array and laser gain material, in which the array generates optical radiation having a predetermined total linewidth approximately 20 nm wide constructed from a plurality of individual wavelengths with a linewidth of up to 8 nm, the center wavelength of radiation being for example within the absorption band of laser gain material used at the center point of the operating temperature of the array. The system can include a highly reflecting plane mirror with periodic transmitting patches placed between the laser diode array and the laser gain material, the size of the transmitting patches being such that minimal pump radiation is lost. |
| US08817831B1 |
High power UV lasers
A method and apparatus for spatially separating beams with different wavelengths is presented. The system includes: a light source (i.e. a laser with multiple harmonic output beams) with multiple wavelengths emitted along a single beam path or very nearly collinear beam paths, a path which connects the light source to a wavelength dependent beam separator, and a second path for blocking unwanted output wavelengths which connects the beam separation region to the laser output. |
| US08817830B2 |
Saturable absorbers for Q-switching of middle infrared laser cavaties
This disclosure demonstrates successfully using single, polycrystalline, hot pressed ceramic, and thin film Fe doped binary chalcogenides (such as ZnSe and ZnS) as saturable absorbing passive Q-switches. The method of producing polycrystalline ZnSe(S) yields fairly uniform distribution of dopant, large coefficients of absorption (5-50 cm−1) and low passive losses while being highly cost effective and easy to reproduce. Using these Fe2+:ZnSe crystals, stable Q-switched output was achieved with a low threshold and the best cavity configuration yielded 13 mJ/pulse single mode Q-switched output and 85 mJ in a multipulse regime. |
| US08817829B2 |
Apparatus for generating single-polarization mode-locked laser capable of energy control
Provided is an apparatus for generating a single-polarization mode-locked laser capable of energy control. The apparatus for generating a single-polarization mode-locked laser is configured to adjust at least one of a focal length of a lens focusing laser light on a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) functioning as a saturable absorber, power of pump laser light, and reflectivity of an output coupler (OC) to set fluence, which is defined as energy density per unit area of the laser light incident on the saturable absorber, to be greater than reference fluence, which is energy density per unit area of the laser light incident on the saturable absorber when reflectivity of the saturable absorber is a maximum. Accordingly, it is possible to generate a single-polarization mode-locked laser, of which energy can be controlled, without generating multiple pulses. |
| US08817828B2 |
Optical fiber-type optical element, laser diode module, and fiber laser
There are provided: a core section provided so as to extend in a light-guiding direction in which incident light propagates; a photosensitive layer provided so as to extend in the light-guiding direction and peripherally enclose the core section, the photosensitive layer including a grating formed therein by irradiation of ultraviolet light having a predetermined wavelength; and a first cladding section provided between the core section and the photosensitive layer, the first cladding section having a lower refractive index than the core section and a lower photosensitivity than the photosensitive layer, the photosensitivity being a property in which a refractive index changes in response to irradiation with the ultraviolet light. |
| US08817827B2 |
Ultraviolet fiber laser system
Laser master oscillator-power amplifier system for generating high pulse energy, high average power laser pulses in the ultraviolet 191.25-201.25 nm and 243-246.25 nm spectral ranges, and in the visible 450-537.5 nm spectral range with controllable pulse duration and pulse repetition rate employ a master oscillator seed laser operating in the infra-red spectral range, and a single series connected chain of hybrid fiber-bulk optical amplifiers coupled to a non-linear frequency conversion unit to convert the laser pulses to the ultraviolet and visible spectral ranges. |
| US08817825B2 |
Method and system for single weight (SW) antenna system for spatial multiplexing (SM) MIMO system for WCDMA/HSDPA
Methods and systems for processing signals in a receiver are disclosed herein and may comprise receiving spatially multiplexed signals via M receive antennas. A plurality of multiple data streams may be separated in the received spatially multiplexed signals to detect MIMO data streams. Each of the MIMO data streams may correspond to a spatially multiplexed input signal. Complex phase and/or amplitude may be estimated for each detected MIMO data streams utilizing (M-1) phase shifters. Complex waveforms, comprising in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components for the MIMO data streams within the received spatially multiplexed signals may be processed and the processed complex waveforms may be filtered to generate baseband bandwidth limited signals. Phase and/or amplitude for one or more received spatially multiplexed signals may be adjusted utilizing the estimated complex phase and amplitude. Phase and/or amplitude may be adjusted continuously and/or at discrete intervals. |
| US08817822B1 |
Minimizing interference between multiple signals over a wide bandwidth
A device may include a first antenna and a second antenna. The device may further include a frequency domain multiplexer configured for receiving a first input signal. The frequency domain multiplexer may have a first output port connected to the first antenna and configured for supplying a signal in a low band frequency range of the first input signal to the first antenna, and a second output port connected to the second antenna and configured for supplying a signal in a high band frequency range of the first input signal to the second antenna. The device may also include a third antenna configured for receiving a signal in a mid band frequency range of a second input signal. The low band frequency range may be separated from the high band frequency range. |
| US08817820B2 |
System for controlling path maximum transmission unit by detecting repetitional IP packet fragmentation and method thereof
A fragmentation repetition detection apparatus (410) for detecting an IP fragmentation repetition which may occur in a multicast or unicast environment is provided. The fragmentation repetition detection apparatus (410) includes a packet capturing unit (411) which captures a received packet, a fragmentation repetition detector which detects whether or not the captured packet is a packet which is repetitively fragmented, and a path maximum transmission unit (PMTU) transmitter (414) which transmits PMTU information acquired by the fragmentation repetition detector (412) to a server which transmits the packet when the captured packet is a packet which is repetitively fragmented. Since a packet is transmitted by readjusting a PMTU, a fragmentation of an IP packet can be prevented. |
| US08817818B2 |
Backward compatible bandwidth extension
A transmitter includes a bandwidth configuration unit configured to provide an increased system bandwidth corresponding to a bandwidth extension over multiple component carriers. Additionally, the transmitter also includes a transmit unit configured to employ the bandwidth extension. |
| US08817809B2 |
Communication link allocation based on dynamic trend analysis
A method and/or apparatus is provided for performing traffic allocation based on dynamic trend analysis of communication links between two devices. Devices monitor the performance of their available communication links to determine which communication link is best to receive transmissions on. A device selects the best communication link on which to receive from another device and informs that other device to use that communication link when transmitting to it. Link information is obtained from both the transmitting device and receiving device to perform traffic allocation for communications between the two devices. This method may be performed by a low-level communication module transparent to applications and/or network transmission protocols. |
| US08817806B2 |
Method and apparatus for flow control between RLC and PDCP in a communication
An apparatus and a method for flow control between a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer and a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer in a communication system are provided. The method includes storing Service Data Units (SDUs) to be transferred to the RLC layer, receiving information on a capacity that is currently unused in a buffer of the RLC layer from the RLC layer, and generating Packet Data Units (PDUs) from SDUs, a capacity of which corresponds to the information, among packets stored in a buffer of the PDCP layer, and then transferring the generated PDUs to the RLC layer. |
| US08817804B2 |
Selective network merging
Subsets of isolated communications networks are selectively merged without merging the entire isolated communications networks, and devices are imported across isolated communications networks without merging the isolated communications networks. The presently disclosed technology provides for improved scalability, performance, and security in logical networks spanning two or more physical communications networks. |
| US08817802B2 |
Method and system for providing hitless switching while maintaining a power equivalent bandwidth (PEB) ratio using multiple carriers
A method of hitless switching over a communications link, the method comprising transmitting, by a first modulator to a remote receiver, a first carrier signal having a first center frequency, enabling, by a second modulator to the remote receiver, transmission of a second carrier signal having a second center frequency while the first modulator is transmitting the first carrier signal, increasing, through the second modulator, a power level of the second carrier signal while the first carrier signal is transmitting, simultaneously decreasing, through the first modulator, a power level of the first carrier signal while the power level of the second carrier signal is increasing, and disabling transmission of the first carrier signal to the remote receiver when the power level of the second carrier signal reaches a predetermined level. |
| US08817800B2 |
Gateway with HTTP processing
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus and method for providing an end user of a network terminal in a local network with an access link to an external network. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a network node further includes a control unit arranged to transmit a local hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) response including detailed information to at least one network terminal in said local network using an earlier original HTTP request towards said external network made by said at least one network terminal in the local network. |
| US08817799B2 |
Network processor for supporting residential gateway applications
A network processor for performing residential gateway processing tasks. The network processor includes a first cluster of packet processors and a second cluster of packet processors, wherein each of the first cluster and the second cluster includes a main packet processor and a secondary packet processor, wherein the main packet processor performs at least routing of incoming packets and the secondary packet processor performs off-loading tasks for the main packet processor; a plurality of Ethernet media access control (MAC) adapters for interfacing with a plurality of subscriber devices connected to a residential gateway; an external-network MAC adapter for interfacing with a wide area network (WAN) connected to the network processor; and an ingress handler for at least load balancing the processing of packets between the first cluster and the second cluster. |
| US08817796B2 |
Cached routing table management
Techniques are provided for cached routing table management in a distributed network switch. A frame having a source address and a destination address is received. If no routing entry for the source address is found in a routing table of a switch module in the distributed network switch, then routing information is determined for the source address and a routing entry is generated. The routing table is modified to include the routing entry, based on a set of hash functions. Upon accessing the generated routing entry in the modified routing table responsive to a subsequent lookup request for the source address, the set of caches is modified to include the generated routing entry. |
| US08817795B2 |
System and method of utilizing a framework for information routing in large-scale distributed systems using swarm intelligence
In some embodiments, the invention involves information routing in networks, and, more specifically, to defining a framework using swarm intelligence and utilization of the defined framework for routing information in the network, especially for cloud computing applications. In an embodiment, information about available information/services is pushed to network nodes using information packets (ants). Nodes requiring services send query packets (ants) and a node may send a response to a query ant when information is available. Ants may be forwarded throughout the network based on popularity of nodes, freshness of information/requests, routing table information, and requests or interest by consumer nodes captured in information routing table. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08817793B2 |
Data processing apparatus, data processing system, and data processing method
A data-processing apparatus includes a plurality of processing units having frequency bands different from one another set thereto, the plurality of processing units to process packets each including data and processing information added to the data, the processing information including instruction information indicating one or more processing instructions to the data, each processing unit in the processing units including: an input/output unit to obtain, in the packets, only a packet whose address indicates the processing unit in the processing units, the address determined in accordance with the processing information; and an operation unit to execute the processing instruction in the packet obtained by the input/output unit, the input/output unit including a receiving unit to receive only an electromagnetic wave having a frequency band set to the processing unit and obtain the packet. |
| US08817788B2 |
Wireless communication terminal, method, program, recording medium, and wireless communication system
A wireless communication terminal (1) which performs handover control of wireless base stations acquires a layer 2 address concerning a new wireless base station (3) from a wireless communication interface unit (1A) before handover. A presence confirmation request transmitting unit (1D) transmits a presence confirmation request message to the layer 2 address acquired by an address acquisition unit (1B) via a currently connected wireless base station (2). Based on the presence confirmation response message reception result of a presence confirmation response receiving unit (1E), a subnet determination unit (1F) determines whether the new wireless base station (3) belongs to the same subnet as that of the wireless communication terminal (1). |
| US08817787B2 |
Data processing method and system
A method of managing an IP call between a calling party and a called party, the method comprising receiving, at a gateway, a request to set up the call from the calling party; determining, from the request, a requirement to route the call through an interceptor; forwarding the request from the gateway to the interceptor; setting up an IP call between the interceptor and the called party; setting up an IP call between the interceptor and the calling party; and operating the interceptor as a back-to-back user agent (B2BUA) between the calling party and the called party. |
| US08817785B2 |
Communication apparatus having a plurality of network interfaces, method of communication by the communication apparatus, and storage medium
A communication apparatus which is capable of performing multicasting or broadcasting using a user-desired network interface. An MFP implementing the communication apparatus includes a plurality of network interfaces and performs multicasting or broadcasting via at least one of the network interfaces. A controller unit provides an application programming interface to an application that operates on the MFP. An operator of the MFP operates an operation unit to set a transmission condition for transmitting a multicast packet and a broadcast packet via a predetermined network interface. When a plurality of active network interfaces are detected, one of the plurality of detected active network interfaces which satisfies the set transmission condition is selected and multicasting or broadcasting is performed via the selected network interface. |
| US08817782B2 |
Method to route multicast data in SPB network by establishing the virtual PIM adjacency across the SPB networks in a single PIM domain
Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods that extend Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) protocols to Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) technology. This includes connecting an IP multicast domain across an SPB network. SPB edge routers, also known as Backbone Edge Bridges, form virtual adjacencies with each other. As such, SPB edge routers maintain such PIM adjacency without sending Hello messages. Backbone Edge Bridges (BEBs) are discovered using null Intermediate System To Intermediate System (IS-IS) Internet Protocol Multicast (IPMC) type-length-value (TLV) control messages. Each PIM-enabled BEB records other PIM-enabled BEBs as an adjacent PIM-router in response to receiving a NULL IPMC TLV from those BEBs. Accordingly, PIM-enabled BEBs form a full mesh virtual adjacency between each other and can thereby encapsulate PIM control messages sent and received between two access networks connected to the SPB network. |
| US08817778B2 |
Session processing method, device, and communication system
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a session processing method, device, and communication system. The session processing method includes: when a first User Equipment (UE) is to set up an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) session with a second UE, triggering setup of an unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) transaction between a Circuit Switched (CS) network and the first UE; and sending, by using the USSD transaction, an I1 protocol message used to bear IMS session control signaling. With the technical solutions of the present invention, when a UE is to set up an IMS session, a USSD transaction is set up between the UE and the CS network; I1 protocol messages exchanged between the UE and the Service Centralization and Continuity (SCC) Application Server (AS) (SCC-AS) are sent reliably by using the USSD transaction, which facilitates reliable control over IMS services. |
| US08817772B2 |
Function mode routing
Methods and entities of routing messages to or from a network entity in an IP network is disclosed. A function mode is indicated in a message routed to or from the network entity. |
| US08817768B2 |
Mobile station, base station, radio communication system, and communication control method
A mobile station is configured to send a base station a buffer status report explicitly indicating that the amount of a transmission signal in a buffer of the mobile station has become zero. This configuration makes it possible to efficiently allocate radio resources of an uplink shared channel and thereby to increase uplink capacity. |
| US08817767B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting signals
A storage unit stores a preamble signal defined in a legacy system and a preamble signal defined in a MIMO system. A monitoring unit in a transmitting apparatus monitors the existence of any communication apparatus which is not compatible with the MIMO system but accepts the legacy system. A channel characteristics acquiring unit derives the characteristics of a radio channel between the transmitting apparatus and a receiving apparatus. A selector selects a packet format based on a monitoring result obtained by the monitoring unit. The selector also selects where to place LTS, based on the characteristics of wireless channel derived by the channel characteristics acquiring unit. |
| US08817762B2 |
Networked mobile router
A mobile router, comprises a communications agent operable such that its initial communication to the network utilizes the main server information to establish a first communication with the main server. The mobile router further comprises a microprocessor operable with the communications agent to interact with the main server to upload configuration information to the main server. The communications agent is operable to receive group server identification information from the main server when communicating with the main server a second time. The microprocessor is operable to store the group server identification information. The group server information comprises information identifying one or more servers corresponding with a predetermined group assigned by the main server. The communications agent utilizes the group server identification information for subsequent communication via the network. |
| US08817761B2 |
System and method for remotely controlling features of wireless mobile devices
Systems and methods of controlling features of a wireless mobile device are provided. The method includes receiving a signal, the signal including a MAC OUI and serial number carried therein, determining if the features of the wireless mobile device are in a correct state in accordance with the MAC OUI and serial number, and when the features of the wireless mobile device are not in the correct state, modifying at least one feature of the wireless mobile device in accordance with the MAC OUI and serial number. |
| US08817760B2 |
Modem apparatus for a modular wireless communication system
A modem apparatus for a modular wireless communications system is presented. The modem apparatus is configured to provide wireless network access in accordance with a wireless communications standard such as LTE or UMTS. The modem apparatus comprises a hardware sub-system, a layered software sub-system as well as an interface sub-system. |
| US08817759B2 |
Method and apparatus for spatial reuse by assistance of distributed devices over wireless system using directional antennas
Disclosed are a method for spatial reuse by support of distributed devices in a wireless communication system using a directional antenna, and an apparatus for the same. In the wireless communication system using the directional antenna, the method arranges an antenna with respect to a target device for communication before the distributed devices request a resource for communication, informs the target device or a central control unit in advance of a measurement result of a signal in MASs through the antenna, and requests a resource and receives a resource allocation based on the measurement result. |
| US08817758B2 |
Telecommunications system that routes communication from multiple radio access technologies through a common control plane gateway entity
A telecommunications system is disclosed, including a first radio access technology (legacy: GSM; UMTS/UTRAN) having a first radio access network (node B 15, RNC 17), and a second radio access technology (EUTRA) having a second radio access network (AP 20), wherein said first radio access network (node B 15, RNC 17) is divided into a plurality of first areas and said second radio access network (AP 20) is divided into a plurality of second areas, and wherein a home subscriber server entity (HSS 10) is provided that is common to both the first and second radio access technologies (legacy: GSM; UMTS) and which controls in which of the first and second areas a mobile terminal (UE 1) is registered, characterized in that a common control plane gateway entity (CP-GW 24) is provided through which communications from the first and second radio access networks, which relate to the first and second area which the mobile terminal (UE 1) occupies, are routed. |
| US08817756B1 |
Channel assignment and scheduling for centralized clustering in 60 GHz Wireless Networks
Allocation schemes are provided for one or more portions of time during a data transmission time interval for contention by personal coordination points, access points and client devices to perform transmit sector sweep operations. In addition, a personal coordination point determines whether the set of channels universally agreed to be free by nearby synchronization access points is empty and selects any channel in the frequency band to initiate a Basic Service Set or continue operation of an existing Basic Service Set if it is determined that no channel in the frequency band is free among the channels that are universally agreed to be free. |
| US08817752B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining matching of inter-cell reselection parameters and handover parameters
Methods and an apparatus for judging matching of inter-cell reselection parameters and handover parameters are disclosed. In some embodiments, a target base station counts the probability that cell handover of a terminal occurs subsequent to a radio resource control connection is established according to a handover request message or a relocation request message. The target base station judges whether the probability exceeds a threshold. If the probability exceeds a threshold, it is determined that the inter-cell reselection parameters and the handover parameters between a source base station and the target base station are not matched. Otherwise, it is determined that the inter-cell reselection parameters and the handover parameters are matched. |
| US08817751B2 |
Method, device and system of handover
A handover method includes an evolved mobile switching center (eMSC) that receives a relocation request from a first network and forwards the relocation request to a second network requesting the second network to establish its own media plane association. The eMSC establishes a media plane association with the second network. The eMSC instructs a user equipment (UE) to access the second network. With the handover method, the UE may be handed over between different networks by using the eMSC. A method for reattaching a UE to the eMSC is also provided so that the UE can be reattached to a target eMSC when the eMSC to which the UE is attached is changed. A handover apparatus and a handover system are also provided. |
| US08817750B2 |
Access control for macrocell to femtocell handover
Access to a femtocell can be controlled as part of handover of a mobile device from macrocell to femtocell. Macro network platform issues a handover (HO) request towards femto network platform and a single virtual femto node, which represents a plurality of femto access points (APs). Location estimate(s) for the mobile device drives selection of a target femto AP. Selection of the target AP results in acceptance of the HO request. The mobile device also can request macro-to-femto (MTF) handover. HO neighbor list(s) is generated by decoding a network-issued identifier for each femto APs in a set of femtocells, and selectively ranking each femto AP based at least on channel quality; access privileges of the mobile device to each of the identified femto APs determines selectivity. Validation of mobile device's access right(s) drives acceptance of the MTF HO request to a top ranked femto AP. |
| US08817742B2 |
Overlay handover in a broadband wireless network
Overlay handover is generally presented. In this regard, a method is introduced including storing a broadband wireless network composite signal in a sample buffer, processing the sample buffer using subcarriers associated with a serving base station to determine a bandwidth grant from a first MAP, and reprocessing the sample buffer using subcarriers associated with a neighboring co-channel base station to determine a bandwidth grant from a second MAP. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. |
| US08817736B2 |
Synchronized network transmission
A network comprises a plurality of base stations. Transmission time is divided into a plurality of frames and each frame is assigned a system frame number. A base station transmits the system frame number and a synchronization signal during each frame. The transmission of the synchronization signals are substantially time aligned among the plurality of base stations. Base stations transmit the same system frame number in frames that are transmitted substantially at the same time. |
| US08817733B2 |
Mobile proxy for cloud radio access network
Embodiments of computer-implemented methods, systems, computing devices, and computer-readable media are described herein for monitoring, by a mobile proxy associated with a control system of a cloud radio access network (“C-RAN”), application layer data traffic between the control system and a wireless communication device. In various embodiments, the mobile proxy may, based on the monitoring, facilitate alteration of data plane or control plane processing by the wireless communication device or a remote radio head (“RRH”) associated with the C-RAN. |
| US08817728B2 |
System and method for third-party assisted peer-to-peer communication
Techniques are provided for third-party assisted peer-to-peer (P2P) communication. For example, there is provided a method, operable by a network entity, that may involve receiving first information from a first mobile entity, the first information comprising a first message for a second mobile entity. The method may involve receiving second information from the second mobile entity, the second information comprising a second message for the first mobile entity. The method may further involve coding third information based at least in part on the first information and the second information, and sending the third information to the first and second mobile entities. The method may also involve transmitting a control signal that includes processing information for decoding the coded third information to extract the first message or the second message. |
| US08817726B2 |
Uplink transmission method and apparatus in wireless communication system
The present invention provides an uplink transmission method and apparatus in a wireless communication system. A terminal receives an uplink resource allocation from a base station; and transmits uplink transmission blocks to a PUSCH (physical uplink shared channel) by using the uplink resource allocation. The uplink resource allocation indicates an allocated RBs (resource blocks) within a subframe that includes a plurality of RBs. The subframe is divided into at least one PUCCH (physical uplink control channel) area for PUCCHs and a plurality of PUSCH (physical uplink shared channel) area for PUSCHs, wherein the PUCCH area is arranged between the plurality of PUSCH regions. |
| US08817721B2 |
Mobile communication method and mobile station
A mobile communication method according to the present invention includes a step A of receiving, by the mobile station UE, “UL grant” for permitting the mobile station UE to transmit an uplink data signal in UL CC#1 through PDCCH in DL CC#2, and a step B of discarding, by the mobile station UE, the “UL grant” when transmission power of the UL CC#1 is controlled on the basis of path loss estimated from DL CC#1 in a deactive state. |
| US08817718B2 |
Randomization of block spread signals
A user equipment locally stores a shift pattern that is specific to a cell to which the user equipment is currently attached, and processes a group of modulation symbols or bits for uplink transmission by a) cyclically shifting the modulation symbols or bits within the group according to the stored cell-specific shift pattern, and b) applying a spreading code to the group of symbols or bits. Different embodiments include spatial shifting and frequency bin shifting. |
| US08817714B2 |
Communication system, mobile station device, base station device, and communication method
The base station device includes: a signal transmission unit which transmits a signal in which data is assigned in a natural number of resource blocks located in a frequency axis in each of a plurality of bands and a signal including information specifying the plurality of bands to the mobile station device. The mobile station device includes: a signal reception unit which receives the signal including the information specifying the plurality of bands from the signal transmission unit via any of the plurality of bands, and receives the signal in which the data is assigned in the natural number of resource blocks located in the frequency axis in each of the plurality of bands from the signal transmission unit based on the information specifying the plurality of bands; and a data extraction unit which extracts data from the signal in which the data is assigned in the natural number of resource blocks located in the frequency axis received by the signal reception unit. |
| US08817711B2 |
Method and system for concurrently locating systematic bits and parity bits in physical channel memory to increase HARQ processing speed in 3GPP CPC system
A UE receives a HS-PDSCH transmission from a base station and concurrently performs rate matching on systematic bits and parity bits (parity 1 bits, parity 2 bits) of the received HS-PDSCH transmission. The systematic bits and parity bits are buffered in a CPC circular buffer to support HARQ processing in a HS-SCCH-less operation of the base station. Memory locations are computed for the systematic bits and the parity bits according to corresponding transmission parameters such as, for example, redundancy version, number of systematic bits and/or number of physical channels. The systematic bits and the parity bits are stored in the corresponding computed memory locations of the CPC circular buffer. At least a portion of the stored systematic bits and parity bits are concurrently generated based on corresponding transmission parameters from the CPC circular buffer per request to support concurrent rate matching on systematic bits and parity bits. |
| US08817708B2 |
TD-SCDMA system and a method for controlling HSUPA random access thereof
The present invention provides a time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) system for controlling enhanced uplink random access, including user equipment (UE), node B and serving radio network controller. The present invention also provides a method for controlling the enhanced uplink random access in a time division synchronous code division multiple access system, including: in high speed uplink packet access scheduling service of time division synchronous code division multiple access system, the higher layer of network side deploys a timer at the user equipment side; if the user equipment still needs to transmit data when the current available grant expires, it starts up the timer which is used as the delay time of initiating the enhanced uplink random access. According to the ability of the network side in controlling E-DCH resources, the present invention can be used to control the time delay that UE initiates the enhanced uplink random access after one grant expires, so as to avoid invalid random access; meanwhile the present invention provides a reliable mechanism for the enhanced uplink random access. By using the method of this invention, system resources can be reasonably utilized, thereby greatly improving the system efficiency. |
| US08817703B2 |
Method for facilitating communication in a mobile communication system and mobile communication system
A method for facilitating communication in a mobile communication system in which address-delegating entities are involved, wherein mobile nodes attaching to the communication system get assigned an address or address prefix, wherein the address or address prefix assignment is delegated from an entity being associated with mobility management—mobility entity—to some other configuration component (2), is characterized in that the configuration component (2), upon being delegated by a mobility entity to assign a mobile node an address or address prefix, stores information about the delegating mobility entity. Furthermore, a corresponding mobile communication system with discovery functionality of address-delegating entities is disclosed. |
| US08817702B2 |
Mitigation of interference due to peer-to-peer communication
Techniques for mitigating interference due to peer-to-peer (P2P) communication are described. In an aspect, a P2P UE may measure the signal strength of downlink signals from base stations and may set its transmit power based on (e.g., proportional to) the measured signal strength in order to mitigate interference to WWAN UEs communicating with base stations. In another aspect, the P2P UE may measure the signal strength of uplink signals from WWAN UEs and may set its transmit power based on (e.g., inversely proportional to) the measured signal strength in order to mitigate interference to the WWAN UEs. In one design, the P2P UE may measure the signal strength of an uplink signal from a WWAN UE, estimate the pathloss between the two UEs based on the measured signal strength, and determine its transmit power based on the estimated pathloss. |
| US08817701B2 |
Method and system for self-enabling portable television band devices
Embodiments of the invention provide a method and system for determining wireless channel interference in a television (TV) band white space spectrum. Upon sensing a signal on a wireless channel from a wireless white space device that transmits a unique device identifier, interference by the wireless white space device on the wireless channel is determined. A report of the channel interference by the wireless white space device is generated and may be utilized to cease the interference. |
| US08817698B2 |
Device, system and method of selectively aborting reception of wireless communication packets
Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of selectively aborting reception of wireless communication packets. For example, a receiver may at least partially process a portion of a wireless communication packet, to determine based on the portion of the communication packet whether the packet is intended to be received by the receiver and, if the packet is not intended to be received by the receiver, to abort processing of a remainder of the communication packet by one or more components of a physical layer of the receiver. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08817696B2 |
Enhanced unlicensed mobile access network architecture
An Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) network architecture. In a specific embodiment, the network architecture includes a mobile station and an access point in communication with the mobile station. A UMA Controller (UNC) communicates with the access point. A Service GateWay (SGW) communicates with the UMA controller. The SGW includes functionality to route user-plane packets in the UMA. In a more specific embodiment, the functionality includes UNC user-plane functionality offloaded from the UNC to the SGW; Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) user-plane functionality; access-authentication functionality sufficient to enable the SGW to enable the SGW to bypass a legacy SGSN control plane; and/or Radio Network Controller (RNC) user-plane functionality sufficient to enable communications between the SGW and the RNC. |
| US08817694B2 |
Apparatus and method for remote beam forming for DBS satellites
A satellite broadcasting system is achieved where remote beam forming processors combined with wavefront multiplexers located among distributed ground stations are used to control downlink beam footprints and pointing directions. Digital beam forming (DBF) techniques allow a single satellite download broadcast antenna array to generate multiple independently pointed simultaneous downlinks, which may contain distinct information content. Allocation of some uplink back-channel elements as diagnostic signals allows for continuous calibration of uplink channels, improving downlink broadcast array and user broadcast performance. Wavefront multiplexing/demultiplexing allows all array element signals to be radiated by the broadcasting antenna array, with simultaneous propagation from ground stations to the broadcasting satellites through available parallel propagation channels in the uplinks of feeder links, with equalized amplitude and phase differentials. Further, additional wavefront multiplexing/demultiplexing pairs are further used to coherently broadcast signals from a remote beam forming facility on ground to cover areas through multiple broadcasting satellites. |
| US08817690B2 |
Method and apparatus for scheduling network traffic in the presence of relays
Methods and apparatuses are provided that include scheduling best effort (BE) traffic for devices communicating with a relay. A donor evolved Node B (eNB) schedules BE traffic for various devices based on a historical throughput. The donor eNB can determine a number of devices served by the relay for discounting the historical throughput, and accordingly assigning resources based on the number of devices instead of the single relay. In this regard, the donor eNB can maintain proportional fairness of the BE scheduling. Alternatively, the relay can request a guaranteed bit rate (GBR) bearer to handle the BE traffic, where the requested data rate of the GBR bearer allows for communicating the BE traffic for the number of devices. Resource allocation for BE traffic can also be bound by a maximum throughput at the relay and/or one or more access link data rates. |
| US08817687B2 |
System and method for channel estimation in wireless communications systems
A system and method for channel estimation in wireless communications systems are provided. A method for operations at a first communications device includes computing an estimate of a channel between the first communications device and a second communications device based on pilot signals transmitted from the second communications device, removing self-interference from a composite transmission relayed from a relay node, and detecting information contained in the transmissions from the second communications device from the composite transmission based on the estimate of the channel. The composite transmission includes transmissions from the first communications device and transmissions from the second communications device. |
| US08817680B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling sleep cycle synchronization of sleep mode in wireless communication system
An apparatus and method for controlling sleep cycle synchronization of a sleep mode in a wireless communication system are provided. A method of operating a Mobile Station (MS) in a sleep mode state includes, if a traffic indication message and unicast data are not received during a listening window, transmitting one of a request message and a header to a Base Station (BS) to request a location of a next-scheduled listening window, and if a response for the one of the request message and the header is received, performing synchronization for a next sleep cycle. |
| US08817678B2 |
Method and system for centralized or distributed resource management in a distributed transceiver network
A master application device comprises a plurality of distributed transceivers, a central baseband processor, and a network management engine that manages operation of the master application device and end-user application devices. The master application device communicates data streams to the end-user devices utilizing one or more distributed transceivers selected from the plurality of distributed transceivers. The selected distributed transceivers and the end-user devices are concurrently configured by the network management engine based on corresponding link quality and propagation environment. The network management engine allocates resources to the selected distributed transceivers and the end-user devices during the data communication. The network management engine continuously monitors communication environment information to configure beamforming settings and/or antenna arrangement for the selected distributed transceivers. Beam patterns are selected for the selected distributed transceivers so as to minimize power consumption and/or based on the location and orientation information of the end-user application devices. |
| US08817676B2 |
Method and system for station-to-station directional wireless communication
Method and system for directional wireless communication, is provided. One implementation involves directionally transmitting a request for access to a shared wireless communication medium, for directional communication between two wireless stations, and receiving a broadcast response indicating a time period during which the wireless stations may perform directional communication therebetween via the wireless communication medium by setting their antenna directions to each other. |
| US08817673B2 |
Method and an apparatus for allocating an ACK/NACK channel
A method for allocating an Acknowledgement/Negative Acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) channel by a Base Station (BS) in a Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) system is provided. The method includes allocating downlink resources in one or more cells to a User Equipment (UE), transmitting, Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) information and downlink data using the downlink resources, allocating at least four ACK/NACK channels to the UE, receiving ACK/NACK information for the PDCCH information and the downlink data fed back by using two antennas from the UE, and performing re-transmission or transmitting new data according to the ACK/NACK information, wherein at least two of the at least four ACK/NACK channels are the same as at least two ACK/NACK channels allocated by the BS in a mode not using a Spatial Orthogonal Resource Transmit Diversity (SORTD) scheme, and the at least two of the at least four ACK/NACK channels are allocated to different antennas. |
| US08817668B2 |
Distributable, scalable, pluggable conferencing architecture
Architecture for a scalable, pluggable multi-party, and distributed multimedia conferencing. A centralized policy and control conferencing component allows the seamless plug-in of different distributed media components (e.g., data, audio/video, messaging) to accommodate client participation in a conference session. The centralized conference control component includes the following: a conference notification service for accepting subscriptions to the conference state and notifying subscribers about changes to that state; a conference policy and roster control service for storing and manipulating conference policy and rosters; a security service for user authorization/authentication based on user identity information; a scheduling service for conference scheduling; an allocation service for allocating the most available media component(s) for a conference session; and, an MCU management service for conference policy and roster management of the distributed media components. |
| US08817664B2 |
Network edge switch configuration based on connection profile
Connection profiles are created and stored. The connection profiles are for connections for sources to connect to a network. The connection profiles identify network attributes for the connections and each connection profile includes a status of available or subscribed. A connection profile is assigned to a requested connection for a source. The network attributes for the assigned connection are sent to an edge switch for the source to configure the edge switch to accept traffic for the source. |
| US08817660B2 |
Communication management apparatus, communication management method, and computer product
An allocation unit allocates a path formed by combining a link between nodes to any one of a plurality of time slots. A slot rearrangement unit rearranges the plurality of time slots so that time slots to which a path is allocated by the allocation unit are consecutively arranged. A path rearrangement unit converts a path allocated to any one time slot rearranged by the slot rearrangement unit to a path formed by combining a link included in a path allocated to a time slot different from the time slot. A transmission unit transmits information of the path obtained by conversion performed by the path rearrangement unit. |
| US08817659B2 |
Network mode switching method and serial data communication network
Disclosed is a method of switching modes in a serial data communication network comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes, each of said nodes comprising a plurality of mode-dependent configurations, the method including, during a first mode, issuing an instruction to said nodes, said instruction identifying a next mode of the data communication network; terminating said first mode; and following said termination, reconfiguring each of said nodes in accordance with the configuration corresponding to said next mode identified by said instruction. A serial data communication network implementing such a method is also disclosed. |
| US08817658B2 |
Internet route deaggregation and route selection preferencing
A method and system for managing the routing of traffic within a network develops a topological address space map of the network to enable a “best route” selection process. The network is comprised of a backbone connected to a plurality of peering partners. Points on the network monitor traffic flows. A central facility analyzes the traffic flows and routes within the network and performs intelligent routing management.Intelligent routing management ensures that traffic is properly routed through preferred routes on the network, and avoids inefficient routing. Intelligent routing management also selects new routes to be injected into the network in order to further improve the accuracy of the address space map of the network. Intelligent routing management ensures that bandwidth is requested and delivered topologically closely to peering partner networks, and that traffic is carried by the backbone for long haul data distribution in both directions. |
| US08817657B2 |
Techniques for enhanced network discovery
An embodiment of the present invention provides a method, comprising retrieving a first network scan while connected to a second network access point (AP), without actually accessing the air, by the AP sending a message to “Get first network base station (BS) list” to devices in communication with the AP and operable to communicate in the first and the second networks, merging by the AP all answers from the devices to provide a list of all base stations (BS's) in the AP's vicinity, and querying the AP by other devices for the network BS list. |
| US08817655B2 |
Creating and using multiple packet traffic profiling models to profile packet flows
Hybrid packet traffic flow profiling technology inspects packet headers to classify packet traffic flows using clustering models developed using unsupervised learning based on known packet traffic flows and one or more traffic classification models developed using supervised learning based on the known packet traffic flows. |
| US08817651B2 |
Multiple-frame offset between neighbor cells to enhance the GERAN signaling performance when power control for signaling is in use
The present disclosure discusses devices, methods, and systems for improving signaling. This can occur, according to some implementations, by increasing a power of at least one signaling channel if errors on the signaling channel occur, comprising tracking quality of the at least one signaling channel, determining whether the at least one signaling channel has an error rate that is above a threshold, and increasing power to the at least one signaling channel if the error rate is above the threshold. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described. |
| US08817650B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling intelligent antenna system
A method and an apparatus for controlling an intelligent antenna system are provided. The method includes: pre-configuring a Request Min Rate (RR), a Request Max PER (RP) and a request TX power (RTP); A). determining a current antenna configuration and a current transmitting power of the intelligent antenna system; B). reducing the transmitting power as long as the packet loss ratio does not exceed the RP with the current antenna configuration and with RR as a current transmitting rate, and adopting a reduced transmitting power as the current transmitting power; and C). switching between different antenna configurations at intervals with the current transmitting rate and the current transmitting power to obtain an antenna configuration under which the packet loss ratio is lower than the current packet loss ratio, and performing B). |
| US08817649B2 |
Adaptive monitoring of telecommunications networks
Systems and methods for the adaptive monitoring of telecommunications networks are described. In some embodiments, a method may include monitoring traffic transmitted through a mobile telecommunications network (e.g., 3G, 4G, LTE, etc.) and identifying a monitoring rule. The monitoring rule may associate a selected portion of the traffic (e.g., based on content type, source, destination, transport protocol, session, etc.) with a monitoring sampling ratio, and the monitoring sampling ratio may determine a fraction of the selected portion of the traffic usable to provide one or more performance indicators (e.g., service indicators, network congestion, connection maintenance, service quality, and/or network availability). The method may further include modifying the monitoring sampling ratio in response to a change in network monitoring conditions (e.g., one or more probes operating at or near capacity, scheduled maintenance events, peak traffic times, etc.) |
| US08817646B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing system information in wireless communication system supporting multi-carriers
Discussed are a method and an apparatus for managing system information in a wireless communication system supporting multi-carriers. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method by which user equipment obtains system information in a wireless communication system supporting multi-carriers comprises the steps of: receiving from a base station a message including information related to modification to system information of one or more component carriers; determining whether the system information of a component carrier from among the plurality of component carriers, which is set to the user equipment, is to be modified, based on the information related to the modification to the system information of the one or more component carriers; and obtaining the modified system information of the component carrier set at the user equipment when it is determined that the system information of the component carrier set at the user equipment is to be modified. |
| US08817644B2 |
Common framework for advanced multi-cell and multi-rat coordinated operations
Embodiments of a system and methods for advanced multi-cell coordinated operations are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
| US08817642B2 |
Efficient pairing of networked devices
A system, apparatus, and method for enabling a communication device to be paired with multiple other communication devices that are connected to a network without the need to conduct a separate pairing operation between the first communication device and each of the other network-connected devices. The data exchanged between a user's communication device and a peer communication device (e.g., one of a group of network-connected communication devices) that is used to authenticate communications between the user device and the peer device (i.e., link key) is stored in a network-accessible data storage and retrieval system. The link key is used by the user device when attempting to establish communications with a different peer device (e.g., another one of the network-connected devices) and is retrieved by the other network-connected peer device and used to enable authenticated communications between the other peer device and the user device. |
| US08817640B2 |
Selection of transmission lots of the relaxed deterministic back-off methods in the medium access control
In the context of IEEE 802.11 WLAN networks, enhancement to the Relaxed Deterministic Backoff (R-DEB) for random access of shared (Medium Access Control MAC) method. For all available candidate resource slots, a busy index is calculated that reflects the level of use/occupation in the past and infers a probability of use in the future by another concurring device. The method assumes the use of a sub-set of resource slots for transmission, and updates this set by replacing resource slots for which collisions are frequent with a not currently used candidate resource for which the busy index is the lowest. Passive Spoofing/overhearing of all resources for clear channel assessment (CCS) is used for resource monitoring purposes. |
| US08817636B2 |
Method, system, and equipment for information processing
A method, a system, and equipment for information processing are provided. The method includes receiving information sent by a source eNodeB of UE, where the information includes processing status information and data information which are obtained after the source eNodeB processes data transmitted by the UE, or data information in at least two user plane protocol stacks of the source eNodeB, or data information in user plane protocol stacks except PDCP in the source eNodeB; and correspondingly, transmitting data with the UE according to the processing status information and data information, or the data information in the at least two user plane protocol stacks, or the data information in user plane protocol stacks except PDCP. |
| US08817634B2 |
Method and device used for feedback of channel information and precoding
The invention proposes a technical scheme (called as explicit feedback (used for feeding the information of downlink channels back to a base station at the user terminal of a wireless communication system, and a technical scheme for precoding the data transmitted to the user terminal based on the information of downlink channels feed back by the user terminal in the base station. The user terminal determines an approximately equivalent matrix of the transmission matrix of downlink channel, based on the transmission matrix of downlink channel, the number of downlink data streams, the spatial correlation matrix of multiple transmitting antennas in the base station and a predetermined codebook; then feeds the information concerning the approximately equivalent matrix back to the base station. The base station recovers the approximately equivalent matrix based on the information concerning the approximately equivalent matrix fed back from the user terminal, and precodes the downlink data transmitted to the user terminal by using the approximately equivalent matrix. |
| US08817625B1 |
Service placement for inline services chaining with multiple instances
A system and method for placing inline services having multiple instances in a service provider network. In one implementation, a topology of the service provider network and services to be placed therein are defined. Using service chaining policy requirements, the number of service instances, etc. as input, services and their multiple instances are placed within the network such that an overall network metric is optimized for all subscriber data flows. |
| US08817624B2 |
Higher layer compression with lower layer signaling
Methods and devices for reducing traffic over a wireless link through the compression or suppression of high layer packets carrying predictable background data prior to transportation over a wireless link. The methods include intercepting application layer protocol packets carrying the predictable background data. In embodiments where the background data is periodic in nature, the high layer packets may be compressed into low-layer signaling indicators for communication over a low-layer control channel (e.g., an on off keying (OOK) channel). Alternatively, the high layer packets may be suppressed entirely (not transported over the wireless link) when a receiver side daemon is configured to autonomously replicate the periodic background nature according to a projected interval. In other embodiments, compression techniques may be used to reduce overhead attributable to non-periodic background data that is predictable in context. |
| US08817623B2 |
Multi-RAT carrier aggregation for integrated WWAN-WLAN operation
Systems and methods for Multi-Radio Access Technology (RAT) Carrier Aggregation (MRCA) wireless wide area network (WWAN) assisted wireless local area network (WLAN) discovery, association, and flow switching are disclosed. One system comprises a control signaling module in a wireless device that includes a WWAN radio integrated with a WLAN radio. The control signaling module is configured to communicate WWAN control signaling and WLAN control signaling via a WWAN radio connection of the wireless device. A dynamic flow mapping module is configured to form a flow-mapping table to dynamically map service flows between the WWAN radio and the WLAN radio in the wireless device. A flow routing module is configured to route data packets to one of the WWAN radio and the WLAN radio in the wireless device based on the flow-mapping table to transmit and receive the data packets via the wireless device. |
| US08817617B2 |
Individual codec pathway impairment indicator for use in a communication
A system and method control a setup of a connection in a communication network including a set of nodes, such as Mobile Switching Centers (MSCs) and Media Gateways (MGWs). In one example, a speech connection is established between MGWs subject to the control of the MSCs, which can selectively activate or deactivate codecs along the connection. The codecs potentially affect connection quality by differing amounts. A Total Accumulated Impairment (TAI) element is forwarded between the MSCs and updated by the MSCs that include individual partially accumulated impairment values corresponding to the supported codec candidates. Each individual indicator value provides information representative of the expected accumulated impairment along a candidate connection path leading up to, and including, the corresponding codec. By providing information pertaining to the expected accumulated impairment along each candidate connection path, the MSCs can determine an optimum sequence of codecs to minimize the overall connection impairment. |
| US08817614B1 |
Policy enforcer having load balancing capabilities
A method, a computer readable medium and a policy enforcer, the policy enforcer may include: multiple pairs of interfaces; multiple data blades; a switch; at least one load balancing circuit; wherein each pair of interfaces is located along a path between a RAN and an external network through which information packets should have propagated at an absence of the policy enforcer; wherein the at least one load balancing circuit is arranged to select, for each information packet, a selected policy enforcing processor; wherein the at least one load balancing circuit is arranged to select is arranged to send each information packet over the switch to a selected policy enforcing processor; wherein each selected policy enforcing processor is arranged to perform a policy enforcing operation on each information packet associated with the selected policy enforcing processor. |
| US08817610B2 |
Method and devices for installing packet filters in a data transmission
A method is described for associating a data packet (DP) with a packet bearer (PB) in a user equipment (UE1) of a communication network. The data packet is sent in a data flow from an application function of the user equipment, the packet bearer (PB) is established with the user equipment to transmit the data packet (DP) over the communication network towards a further entity, and the user equipment is adapted to establish different packet bearers. The method comprises the steps of identifying the flow with the data packet in a control entity of the communication network, determining the packet bearer for association with said flow from the different packet bearers in a policy function of the control entity, determining a routing level identification of the further entity, instructing the user equipment to install a packet filter based on the routing level identification, wherein the packet filter associates data packets comprising the routing level identification of the further entity with the determined packet bearer, providing the routing level identification to the application function, including the routing level identification into the data packet, and forwarding the data packet (DP) on the determined packet bearer (PB). A corresponding network, control entity, monitoring entity and computer program are also described. |
| US08817609B2 |
Communications system and method for load management
A communications system comprising a target node and at least one source node arranged for communication of messages there between; in which the target node comprises means for processing at least some of the messages received from the at least one source node and means for detecting the processing load of the target node; in which the target node comprises means for notifying the at least one source node when a specific processing load level has been reached or exceeded; and in which each source node comprises means for reducing, responsive to the notification, the rate at which messages are sent to the target node. |
| US08817608B2 |
Method and apparatus for customizing a focus inactivity timer based on network watermark conditions
A method and apparatus for customizing foreground application inactivity timer values based on network maximum tunnel count conditions, the method determining a maximum tunnel count value at a mobile device; and configuring at least one tunnel inactivity timer value based on the maximum tunnel count value. |
| US08817603B2 |
Satellite-based messaging system
In a satellite-based messaging system messages are exchanged between a ground station and mobile terminals over a wide geographic area covered by multiple satellite beams. Each beam contains one or more carrier frequencies. A message processing center is configured to provision a frame comprising a plurality of subframes to carry data over a forward link to the mobile terminals; hop between beams in the forward link and assign each subframe within a frame to a specific satellite beam; provision a transport medium in the form of virtual carriers each defined by one or more carrier frequency/beam hop combinations, wherein each virtual carrier is assigned a unique virtual carrier identifier; and notify the mobile terminals of carrier frequency/hop combinations for assigned virtual carrier identifiers. |
| US08817602B2 |
Method and apparatus for setting radio link of terminal in which multiple carriers are integrated in mobile communication system
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method, wherein a terminal in which multiple carriers are integrated and sets a radio link by detecting and recovering radio link failure in a mobile communication system. The method comprises the steps of: setting a radio link in one serving cell in multiple carriers; checking a radio state of a primary carrier if failure of the radio link is detected; searching other cells adjacent to the serving cell by driving a timer, if the radio state is not matched with a preset radio condition; stopping the driving of the timer if the radio state is recovered while the timer is driven; and inactivating one of the multiple carriers. |
| US08817596B2 |
Protecting ingress and egress of a label switched path
An apparatus comprising a backup node coupled to an ingress node of a point-to-multipoint (P2MP) label switched path (LSP) and to a plurality of next-hop nodes of the ingress node of the P2MP LSP via a backup tree, wherein the backup node and the ingress node are both coupled to an external node, and wherein the backup node is configured to ensure data delivery in the P2MP LSP when the ingress node fails. Included is a network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising detecting a failure in an ingress node of a P2MP LSP, receiving a data packet destined for the ingress node and to be transported by the P2MP LSP from a provider node when the ingress node fails, and transmitting the data packet on a backup tree that merges with the P2MP LSP prior to reaching an egress node. |
| US08817595B2 |
Overlay network node and overlay networks
An overlay network node is arranged to provide robust reply routing for requests and replies travelling over the network. Each node comprises first means which forwards each request originating in a source node and destined for destination node. The node comprises second means which redirect replies if the node from which the corresponding requests were received is no long accessible. The reply is, for example, turned into a request containing the reply as its payload and is returned towards the source node according to the rules used for forwarding the requests. |
| US08817594B2 |
Technique establishing a forwarding path in a network system
A method and network for determining an interconnect node for establishing a forwarding path for service based data within a network system. The method includes assigning, interconnect node status information to network interconnect nodes, wherein a network interconnect node to which a passive status is assigned is only allowed to transmit service based data between an external link and another interconnect node of the network, or between two other interconnect nodes of the network. Only a network interconnect node with active status is allowed to send or receive service based data to or from the network. The method includes determining, for a given service, an interconnect node with active status for establishment of a forwarding path including the interconnect node with active status and an external link, wherein the determination is based on the respective status information assigned to the network interconnect nodes for the service. |
| US08817589B2 |
Communications network apparatus and line coding method
Methods and apparatus for line coding in a communications network are described. According to one embodiment of the invention, downstream communications traffic bits are received and mapped into downstream bit positions of a transmission structure. A pre-selected bit in each upstream bit positions of the transmission structure is provided to form a downstream transmission structure. A downstream optical signal carrying the downstream transmission structure is generated for transmission. Upstream communications traffic bits are also received and mapped into the upstream bit positions of the transmission structure to form an upstream transmission structure. An upstream optical signal carrying the upstream transmission structure is generated for transmission. |
| US08817588B2 |
Multiplexing data and reference information in a wireless communication system
Methods, devices and computer program products are provided to improve uplink communications in a wireless communication system. Reference symbols in an uplink transmission radio subframe are time-frequency multiplexed with additional data symbols. The multiplexed data symbols are transmitted in an uplink transmission to another device within the wireless communication network along with non-multiplexed data symbols. The multiplexing operations enable the transmission of additional data symbols without increasing the overhead associated with the transmission of symbols in the radio subframe. |
| US08817583B2 |
Optical read/write apparatus
An optical read/write apparatus according to an embodiment includes: an optical head unit (2a, 2b) which focuses a write light beam and a read light beam onto an optical storage medium (100) and which generates a signal based on the light beam that has been reflected from the optical storage medium; and a control section (6) which controls the optical head unit (2a, 2b) so that the optical head unit records a mark on the optical storage medium by irradiating the optical storage medium with the write light beam and reads the recorded mark on the optical storage medium with the read light beam. After having started to record the mark on the optical storage medium by irradiating the optical storage medium with the write light beam and before forming the recorded mark completely, the optical head unit (2a, 2b) reads the recorded mark on the optical storage medium with the read light beam. |
| US08817582B2 |
Method of controlling an optical disc drive, and optical disc drive and optical information writing and/or reading system using the method
Provided is a method of controlling an optical disc drive, and an optical disc drive using the method. Data that is to be transmitted from a host to the optical disc drive may be encoded. The encoded data may be transmitted to the optical disc drive, and the optical disc drive may decode the encoded data. |
| US08817579B2 |
Electronic device and method providing improved world clock feature
An improved electronic device and method provide an improved clock feature that includes an improved world clock function. |
| US08817578B2 |
Sonic wave output device, voice communication device, sonic wave output method and program
There is provided a sonic wave output device comprising, a receiving unit to receive wireless signals transmitted from a certain signal source, a determination unit to determine a parameter value depending on a location of the signal source using the wireless signals received by the receiving unit and a sonic wave output unit to output sonic waves with directionality toward a direction of the signal source based on the parameter value. |
| US08817577B2 |
Gunshot locating system and method
A system for determining the origin and trajectory of a gunshot includes spaced sensor nodes and a base station. A method for determining the origin and trajectory of a gunshot includes the steps of, at the nodes, sensing acoustic signals, converting the acoustic signals into digital signals, separating the digital signals into segments, calculating a time of arrival of each segment, and extracting features from each segment, and then at the base station identifying each time of arrival as a main shock wave or a main muzzle blast time of arrival from the features, and computing the trajectory from the main shock wave times of arrival. The computed trajectory includes velocity and acceleration. The method also includes computing, at the base station, the origin from the main muzzle blast times of arrival. |
| US08817573B2 |
Semiconductor memory device including mode register set and method for operating the same
A semiconductor memory device and method for operating the same includes a controller configured to generate a data buffer control signal in a mode register set (MRS) mode, a data buffer configured to buffer and output a plurality of MRS codes inputted through a data pad in response to the data buffer control signal, and a plurality of MRS command generators configured to receive the MRS codes outputted from the data buffer through a data line and generate a plurality of MRS commands based on the received MRS codes. |
| US08817569B2 |
Immunity against temporary and short power drops in non-volatile memory
A mechanism is presented memory circuits, such a NAND-type flash memories, to autonomously protect themselves from temporary and short power drops. A detection mechanism looks for the supply voltage to drop below a function voltage for a period of time. When such an event occurs, a suspend mechanism is activated, and after completing the last micro-operation (such as a program pulse) the memory freezes. When power is again stable at an operational level, the suspended operation is resumed. The memory controller can then be notified upon occurrence of such voltage drop by polling a special status bit. Examples of how the pausing can be implemented include altering of clock signals and suspending sub-phases of larger operations. |
| US08817563B2 |
Sensing circuit for programmable resistive device using diode as program selector
A sensing circuit for programmable resistive device using diode as program selector is disclosed. The sensing circuit can have a reference and a sensing branch. In one embodiment, each branch can have a first type of MOS with the source coupled to a first supply voltage, the drain coupled to the drain of a second type of MOS, which can have the gate coupled to a bias supply voltage. The sources of the second type of MOS in the reference and sensing branches can be coupled to a reference resistor and a programmable resistance element, respectively, and they are further coupled to a second supply voltage through their diodes. The gate of the first type of MOS in the sensing branch can be coupled to the gate of the first type of MOS in the reference branch, which can have the drain coupled to the gate. The resistance difference between the reference resistor and the programmable resistive element can be sensed through the drain of the first type of MOS in the sensing branch into a logic level. |
| US08817559B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
Such a device is disclosed that includes: redundancy circuits for replacing defective memory cells included in a memory cell array; an electrical fuse circuit that stores addresses of the defective memory cells; a data determination circuit that generates a determination signal by determining whether test data read from the memory cell array is correct or incorrect; and an analysis circuit that supplies, in a first operation mode, the electrical fuse circuit with an address signal supplied when the determination signal is activated, and supplies, in a second operation mode, the electrical fuse circuit with an address signal supplied when a data mask signal supplied from outside is activated irrespective of the determination signal. |
| US08817558B2 |
Information processing system including semiconductor device having self-refresh mode
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device having a self-refresh mode in which a refresh operation of the storage data is performed. The semiconductor device activates an input buffer circuit that receives an impedance control command to control an impedance of the data terminal even in the self-refresh mode so that the semiconductor device can change an impedance of the data terminal during the self-refresh mode. |
| US08817557B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and an operation method thereof
A semiconductor memory device includes: a data transfer line coupled with a plurality of memory cell arrays corresponding to an address; an enable signal delayer configured to generate an enable signal by reflecting a delay amount corresponding to the address into an internal command signal corresponding to a column command; and a data exchange block configured to exchange data with the data transfer line in response to the enable signal. |
| US08817554B2 |
Sense amplifiers, memories, and apparatuses and methods for sensing a data state of a memory cell
Sense amplifiers, memories, and apparatuses and methods for sensing a data state of a memory cell are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a differential amplifier configured to amplify a voltage difference between voltages applied to first and second amplifier input nodes to provide an output. The example apparatus further includes first and second capacitances coupled to the first and second amplifier input nodes. A switch block coupled to the first and second capacitances is configured to couple during a first phase a reference input node to the first and second capacitances and to the first amplifier input node. The switch block is further configured to couple during the first phase an output of the amplifier to the second amplifier input node to establish a compensation condition. During a second phase, the switch block couples its input nodes to the first and second capacitances. |
| US08817549B2 |
Integrated circuit memory device
A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory regions formed on one chip, each of the memory regions having a plurality of volatile memory cells that are formed with a density or capacity of 2^K bits, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 0, and a plurality of input/output (I/O) terminals for inputting and outputting data of the volatile memory cells, and at least one peripheral region that controls a write operation for writing data into the memory regions and a read operation for reading data from the memory regions based on a command and an address input from outside. Thus, a total or entire density of the memory regions corresponds to a non-standard (or ‘interim’) density so that the semiconductor memory device may have an interim density. |
| US08817546B2 |
Complementary electrical erasable programmable read only memory
Complementary Electrical Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (CEEPROM) is disclosed. CEEPROM cell comprises a pair of non-volatile memory elements and one access transistor. The two elements of the non-volatile memory pair are configured to be one with high electrical conductance and the other with low electrical conductance. The positive voltage VDD for digital value “1” and ground voltage VSS for digital value “0” are connected to the two input nodes of the two non-volatile elements respectively after configuration. The digital signal either VDD or VSS passed through the high conductance non-volatile memory element in the pair is directly accessed by the access transistor without applying a sense amplifier as the conventional EEPROM would require. Without sense amplifiers, the digital data in CEEPROM can be fast accessed. The power consumption and the silicon areas required for sense amplifiers can be saved as well. |
| US08817543B2 |
Flash memory
The present invention provides a flash memory including a memory cell, a current limiter and a program voltage generator. The memory cell is programmed in response to a program current and a program voltage. The current limiter reflects amount of the program current by a data-line signal, e.g., a data-line voltage. The program voltage generator generates and controls the program voltage in response to the data-line voltage, such that the program current can track to a constant reference current. |
| US08817541B2 |
Data search using bloom filters and NAND based content addressable memory
A NAND Flash based content addressable memory (CAM) is used for a key-value addressed storage drive. A host writes a key-value pair to the drive, where the drive writes the keys along bit lines of a CAM NAND portion of the drive and stores the value in the drive. The drive then maintains a table linking the keys to location of the value. In a read process, the host provides a key to drive, which then broadcasts down the word lines of blocks storing the keys. Based on any matching bit lines, the tables can then be used to retrieve and supply the corresponding data to the host. This arrangement can be applied to data search operations using bloom filters stored along bit lines of search matrix, where the search matrix can extend across large numbers of arrays. In the example of an internet search, the bloom filters are formed from key words associated with a website are stored along bit lines of the matrix and corresponding URLs are stored in primary storage. In response to search word based query, any matching URLs are returned. |
| US08817540B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device and program method thereof
Methods of operating nonvolatile memory devices are described. A bit line program voltage is applied to at least one selected bit line and a bit line program-inhibition voltage is applied to at least one unselected bit line. The methods further include concurrently applying a word line program voltage to a selected word line, a first pass voltage to at least one unselected word line and a second pass voltage less than the first pass voltage to at least one unselected word line immediately adjacent the selected word line on a string selection line side of the selected word line. |
| US08817536B2 |
Current controlled recall schema
A memory circuit includes a controlled current source coupled to an input to a nonvolatile cell, and a second controlled current source coupled to a volatile cell, the volatile cell coupled to receive current from the controlled current source via the nonvolatile cell. |
| US08817533B2 |
Crosspoint array and method of use with a crosspoint array having crossbar elements having a solid electrolyte material used as a rectifier with a symmetric or substantially symmetric resistive memory
A crosspoint array has been shown having a plurality of bitlines and wordlines; and a plurality of crossbar elements, with each crossbar element being disposed between a bitline and a wordline and with each crossbar element having at least a solid electrolyte material used as a rectifier in series with a symmetric or substantially symmetric resistive memory node. The crossbar elements are responsive to the following voltages: a first set of voltages to transition the solid electrolyte in the crossbar elements from an OFF state to an ON state, a second set of voltages to read or program the symmetric resistive memory, and a third set of voltages to transition solid electrolyte from an ON state to an OFF state. |
| US08817529B2 |
Magnetic memory device and reading method of magnetic memory device
A magnetic memory device including a multivalued magnetic memory cell whose electric resistances become first to fourth resistance value when first to fourth information are respectively stored, a first reference cell larger than the first resistance value and smaller than the second resistance value, a second reference cell larger than the second resistance value and smaller than the third resistance value, a third reference cell larger than the third resistance value and smaller than the fourth resistance value, and a read circuit including first to third comparators comparing a signal corresponding to the resistance of the magnetic memory cell and respective signals corresponding to the resistances of the first to third reference cells. |
| US08817522B2 |
Unipolar memory devices
Electronic apparatus, systems, and methods can include a resistive memory cell having a dielectric structured as an operably variable resistance region between an oxygen source and an oxygen sink. The dielectric, oxygen source, and an oxygen sink can be structured as a field driven unipolar memory element with respect to generation and healing of a filament in the dielectric. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed. |
| US08817521B2 |
Control method for memory cell
A control method for at least one memory cell is disclosed. The memory cell includes a transistor and a resistor. The resistor is connected to the transistor in series between a first node and a second node. In a programming mode, the memory cell is programmed. When it is determined that the memory cell has been successfully programmed, impedance of the memory cell is in a first state. When it is determined that the memory cell has not been successfully programmed, a specific action is executed to reset the memory cell. The impedance of the memory cell is in a second state after the step resetting the memory cell. The impedance of the memory cell in the second state is higher than that of the memory cell in the first state. |
| US08817516B2 |
Memory circuit and semiconductor device
Included is a first transistor for controlling rewriting and reading of a first data, a second transistor for controlling rewriting and reading of a second data, a first inverter including an input terminal for the first data, a second inverter including an input terminal for the second data, a third transistor between an output terminal of the second inverter and the input terminal of the first inverter, a fourth transistors between the output of the first inverter and the input terminal of the second inverter, a fifth transistor for controlling rewriting and reading of the first data in the first capacitor, and a sixth transistor for controlling rewriting and reading of the second data in a second capacitor. The first data and the second data are held in the first capacitor and the second capacitor even while power supply is cut off. |
| US08817515B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device
Each of m word lines is connected to n memory cells in a corresponding one of rows of m×n memory cells. Each of n bit lines is connected to m memory cells in a corresponding one of columns of m×n memory cells, and each of n source lines is connected to m memory cells in a corresponding one of columns of m×n memory cells. N first switching elements switch connection states between a reference node and the n bit lines, and n second switching elements switch connection states between the reference node and the n source lines. N third switching elements switch connection states between the write driver and the n bit lines, and n fourth switching elements switch connection states between the write driver and the n source lines. |
| US08817514B2 |
Non-volatile memory having 3D array of read/write elements with low current structures and methods thereof
A three-dimensional array read/write (R/W) memory elements is formed across multiple layers of planes positioned at different distances above a semiconductor substrate. It is preferable to operate the R/W elements with low current and high resistive states. The resistance of these resistive states depends also on the dimension of the R/W elements and is predetermined by the process technology. A sheet electrode in series with the R/W element and a method of forming it provide another degree of freedom to adjust the resistance of the R/W memory element. The thickness of the sheet electrode is adjusted to obtain a reduced cross-sectional contact in the circuit path from the word line to the bit line. This allows the R/W memory element to have a much increased resistance and therefore to operate with much reduced currents. The sheet electrode is formed with little increase in cell size. |
| US08817511B2 |
PCB circuit modification from multiple to individual chip enable signals
A semiconductor package is disclosed having a single CE signal during electrical test and a plurality of CE signals during normal operation thereafter. After electrical testing of the memory die during fabrication, the electrical traces carrying the single CE signal from the memory test pad matrix to each of the memory die may be severed. Severing the electrical traces from the memory test pad matrix electrically isolates the multiple electrical traces between the controller die and memory die, and allows separate and individual CE signals between the controller die and memory die during normal usage of the memory die. |
| US08817503B2 |
Power converter with a central controller and cell controllers daisy-chained by optical fiber
Disclosed is a power conversion device, wherein among the optical fiber cables used in control/communication, at least the majority of high-voltage optical fiber cables with a dielectric strength against the output voltages of a plurality of cells can be eliminated and thus a low-voltage optical fiber cable with a dielectric strength against the output voltage of one cell can be used. Furthermore, here, the length required for the optical fiber cable can be reduced. A controller of the power conversion device comprising a plurality of cascade-connected cells comprises a central controller, and a cell controller with the same potential as each cell, the cell controller being installed in the vicinity of each cell, wherein the central controller and each cell controller are daisy-chained using an optical fiber cable. |
| US08817492B2 |
DC-DC converter having partial DC input conversion
A DC/DC converter includes two input terminals for a DC input voltage, two output terminals for a DC output voltage, an inverter converting a DC voltage into an AC voltage, and a rectifier converting an AC voltage from the inverter into a DC voltage between a first one of the input terminals and a first one of the output terminals. At least one galvanically isolating element is arranged between the output of the inverter and the input of the rectifier, and a capacitance is coupled between the output terminals. The inverter converts a partial DC voltage, being smaller than the full DC input voltage, across a capacitance between the second one of the input terminals and the second one of the output terminals. |
| US08817488B2 |
Portable electronic device having a detachable battery module
A portable electronic device includes a main body and a first battery module. The main body includes a base, two first engaging portions respectively disposed on two ends of a side of the base, a casing installed on the base, and a first connecting terminal set disposed on a surface of the casing adjacent to the side of the base and electrically connected to an electronic component. The first battery module includes a first housing whereon a plurality of holes is formed, two first constraining portions for engaging with the corresponding first engaging portions respectively, and a first transmission terminal set for contacting the first connecting terminal set. The portable electronic device further includes a first latch structure. The first latch structure includes a plurality of first hooks for engaging inside the plurality of first holes on the first housing. |
| US08817487B2 |
Electronic component mounting system and electronic component mounting method
Disclosed are an electronic component mounting system and an electronic component mounting method capable of ensuring high connection reliability. An electronic component mounting system (1) includes a component mounting section which includes a solder printing device (M1), a coating/inspection device (M2), a component mounting device (M3), and a reflow device (M4), and mounts an electronic component on a main substrate (4), and a substrate connection section which includes a bonding material supply/substrate mounting device (M5) and a thermal compression device (M6), and connects the main substrate (4) with the component mounted thereon and a module substrate (5) to each other. A configuration is used in which a substrate conveying mechanism (3) of the reflow device (M4) on the lowermost stream side of the component mounting section and a substrate conveying mechanism (3) of the bonding material supply/substrate mounting device (M5) of the substrate connection section are connected directly to each other or are linked to each other by a conveying path through another conveying means. Thus, the main substrate (4) after reflow can be transferred immediately to a substrate connection step, and the generation of a void in the connection portion due to moisture being evaporated in the substrate connection step can be excluded. |
| US08817486B2 |
Semiconductor package having multi pitch ball land
A semiconductor device having a printed circuit board and a semiconductor chip. The printed circuit board includes a chip region, a plurality of first ball lands adjacent to the chip region, and at least one second ball land adjacent to the first ball lands. The semiconductor chip is mounted on the chip region. The first ball lands are arranged to have a first pitch. One of the first ball lands which is nearest to the second ball land, and the second ball land have a second pitch greater than the first pitch. |
| US08817485B2 |
Single-layer component package
A single-layer component package comprising: a single conductive-pattern layer having a first surface; an insulating-material layer on the first surface of the single conductive-pattern layer; in an installation cavity inside the insulating-material layer, a semiconductor component having flat contact zones; and solid contact pillars containing copper and solderlessly, metallurgically and electrically connecting the flat contact zones to the single conductive-pattern layer. |
| US08817484B2 |
Fastening device for expansion card
A fastening device for an expansion card includes a first rack located at a front side, a second rack located at a rear side, a supporting member fastened to the first rack, and a rotating member rotatably connected to the supporting member. A pole extends up from the supporting member. When the rotating member is rotated up, a first end of the expansion card is operable to abut a top of the supporting member and the pole extends through a mounting hole defined in the first end of the expansion card. The rotating member is operable to rotate down to abut a top of the expansion card and engage with the supporting member. A second end of the expansion card opposite to the first end is fastened to the second rack. |
| US08817478B2 |
Communication device and method of coupling electrically circuit boards
There is provided a communication device that includes a first circuit board which includes a first ground pattern (GND) and a first signal line formed on a substrate, a ground pin electrically coupled with the first GND, where the ground pin protrudes from an end of the substrate, and a signal pin formed in the substrate and electrically coupled with the first signal line, where the signal pin protrudes from the end. The communication device further includes a send circuit board which includes a second GND and a second signal line, wherein when an end of the circuit board is inserted into a space between the ground pin and the signal pin, the first signal line and the second signal line are electrically coupled with each other via the signal pin and the first GND and the second GND are electrically coupled with each other via the ground pin. |
| US08817473B2 |
Liquid cooling system for modular electronic systems
A system for cooling an integrated circuit of an electronic device includes a cooling body and a shelf that is positioned relative to the cooling body for the device to be reversibly inserted onto the shelf so that the cooling body is in thermal contact with the integrated circuit. The cooling body is cooled by introducing a fluid therein via an input conduit. The hot fluid is received from the cooling body by an output conduit and is cooled for recycling. The housing of the electronic device includes a rearward gap that admits the cooling body into the housing of the electronic device. Preferably, further cooling is provided by forcing a gas to flow past the output conduit. |
| US08817472B2 |
Methods and systems for on-chip osmotic airflow cooling
An apparatus for cooling a semiconductor element is provided. The apparatus can include an electron emitter configured to emit electrons such that at least some of the emitted electrons become attached to air particulates and an air accelerator configured to generate an electric field that accelerates the air particulates toward the air accelerator to create an air flow over at least a portion of the semiconductor element. The air flow carries heat away from the at least a portion of the semiconductor element. |
| US08817466B2 |
Stylus ejector and portable electronic device
An ejector for stylus includes a housing, an ejecting module and an operating member. The housing defines a retaining slot for retaining the stylus. The ejecting module includes a pushing member and an elastic member retained in the retaining slot. The pushing member defines a latching slot. The operating member includes an elastic arm and a latching arm extending from the elastic arm. The latching arm includes a latch opposite to the elastic arm. The latch is latched in the latching slot to fix the pushing member in the retaining slot and compressing the elastic member. The latch is detached from the latching slot and the compressed elastic member is released to drive the pushing member to push the stylus out of the retaining slot, when an external force is applied to curve the elastic arm. |
| US08817465B2 |
Multi-rack assembly with shared cooling apparatus
A method is provided which includes providing a multi-rack assembly having adjacent first and second electronics racks, each being at least partially air-cooled, and an air-to-liquid heat exchanger associated with the first rack for cooling at least a portion of air passing through the first rack. The heat exchanger, which is disposed at the air inlet or air outlet side of the first rack and is coupled in fluid communication with a coolant loop to receive coolant from the loop and exhaust coolant to the loop, transfers heat from air passing thereacross to coolant passing therethrough. The assembly also includes a cooling unit, associated with the first rack and cooling coolant in the coolant loop, and an airflow director associated with the second rack and facilitating ducting at least a portion of air passing through the second rack to also pass across the heat exchanger associated with the first rack. |
| US08817459B2 |
Fixing structure for interface card connector
A fixing structure for an interface card connector is provided and includes a bottom housing, a board body, an interface card connector, a fixing plate, a torsion spring, and a spring. The bottom housing has an opening and a stop wall. The interface card connector is rotatably located on the board body by a fixing axis and includes a slot. The fixing plate includes a main body, a second spring fixing portion, an interface card connector fixing portion, and a protruding portion. When the board body is moved out the opening and the protruding portion contacts the stop wall, the fixing plate is stopped, and the interface card connector is separated from the interface card connector fixing portion. As a result, the interface card connector is rotated on the board body by the torsion spring, such that the slot is directed upwardly on the board body. |
| US08817458B2 |
Flexible circuit board and connection system
An electrical interconnection system comprises a bifurcated, multilayer flex circuit having electrode pads on the inner surfaces of the bifurcation. Electronic components are mounted on one or both sides of the flex circuit by conventional means. When the bifurcation is spread apart, the electrode pads are alignable with respective contacts on a printed circuit board. After bonding the pads to the contacts by soldering, conductive adhesive, or other means, a secure electrical connection is maintained while still allowing the flex circuit to bend somewhat from side to side, creating additional design options not available with rigidly mounted components and modules. |
| US08817455B2 |
Sealed circuit breaker
A sealed electrical enclosure used in hazardous locations for enclosing electrical components having a bottom housing and a top housing with a serrated joint formed therebetween, the bottom housing adapted to receive one or more electrical components, a first metal bus extending from a point internal to the bottom housing through a first end wall to a point external thereto, and a second metal bus extending from a point internal to the bottom housing through a second end wall to a point external to thereto, where the first and second metal buses are adapted to contact first and second electrical terminals of an electrical component when placed within the bottom housing, wherein the top housing is removably secured to the bottom housing to allow for removal and replacement of an electrical component within the housing. |
| US08817454B2 |
Coordinating installation and connection of a motor control center subunit having moveable line contacts
A system and method are provided for coordinating the installation and removal a motor control center subunit with the power connection and interruption thereof. A system of interlocks and indicators causes an operator to install a motor control center subunit into a motor control center, and connect supply and control power thereto, in a particular order. Embodiments of the invention may prevent actuation of line contacts of the bucket, and shield the line contacts, until the bucket is fully installed in the motor control center. Other embodiments also prevent circuit breaker closure until the line contacts are engaged with a bus of the motor control center. |
| US08817450B2 |
Device for energizing an ignition output stage
A device is provided for energizing a power output stage, that has a transistor, a capacitor and a supply circuit. The transistor has a control input and is designed to supply a firing current as a function of a control voltage that is present at the control input. The capacitor, which is connected to the control input of the transistor, is designed to supply the control voltage to the control input. The supply circuit has a resistor that is connected between the capacitor and a supply voltage terminal, the supply circuit being designed to charge the capacitor via the resistor to the control voltage. |
| US08817447B2 |
Deactivation device for disconnecting an electrical energy source from a load, and circuit system having a deactivation device
A deactivation device for disconnecting an electrical energy source from a load includes at least two one-time switches. The one-time switches become inoperative upon switching in response to the presence of a load exceeding a critical value, thereby disconnecting an electrical connection. The one time switches are connected in parallel, and the deactivation device is configured in such a way that, except for a one-time switch, which is provided for disconnecting the energy source from the load and for connecting the energy source to the load, the at least one other one-time switch remains open. In the case of an inoperativeness of the one one-time switch, the at least one other one-time switch is used for disconnecting the energy source from the load and for connecting the energy source to the load. |
| US08817444B2 |
Control arrangement
A control arrangement for a circuit breaker station includes a central control system and, for each of the circuit breakers, a circuit breaker operating unit connected to the central control system to obtain switching instructions and to the respective circuit breaker to control the operation thereof. The central control system and the circuit breaker operating units each have a local clock that are synchronized with one another. The central control system is, during use, arranged to calculate a point of time for switching each of the circuit breakers based on measured voltages, currents, and circuit breaker positions, and to send the point of time in a switching instruction to the circuit breaker operating unit. Each of the circuit breaker operating units is arranged to switch the circuit breaker, to which it is connected, at the point of time which is received in the switching instruction from the central control system. |
| US08817443B2 |
Residual current protection device
A residual current protection device comprises: an arc guiding plate, which is configured to guiding an arc generated during contacts breaking to an arc extinguishing unit. Wherein, the arc extinguishing unit includes an arc extinguishing channel, configured to extinguish the arc; and an enhanced arc extinguisher, disposed between the extinguishing channel and the arc guiding plate, for impelling the arc into the extinguishing channel. |
| US08817432B2 |
Power switch embedded in ESD PAD
A driver circuit has a pad that may be utilized for programming a core circuit or receiving a data signal. A trace high circuit receives a pad voltage signal from the pad, and outputs a trace high voltage approximating a higher voltage of the pad voltage signal and the power supply voltage. A level shifter and a first inverter output a pull high control signal generated by inverting and level shifting a programming control signal. An ESD blocking circuit selectively blocks the pad voltage signal from reaching the core circuit depending on the pad voltage signal and the level-shifted programming control signal. A pull high circuit receives the pull high control signal and the power supply voltage, and outputs the power supply voltage to the core circuit when the pull high control signal is lower than the power supply voltage. |
| US08817429B2 |
Power converter, display device including power converter, system including display device, and method of driving display device
A power converter includes a voltage conversion unit that provides a first driving voltage at a first output electrode by converting a power supply voltage in response to a first control signal, the voltage conversion unit being configured to provide a second driving voltage at a second output electrode by converting the power supply voltage after a short detection period, the voltage conversion unit being configured to shut down in response to a third control signal, and a short detection unit that generates the third control signal by comparing a magnitude of a voltage of the second output electrode with a magnitude of a reference voltage during the short detection period. |
| US08817428B2 |
Differential temperature monitoring of electrical devices
Systems, methods and devices for monitoring temperature are presented herein. A method of monitoring temperature in a system, such as a capacitor bank, is disclosed. The method may include: receiving first device temperature signals indicative of the temperature of a first device over a predetermined period of time; receiving second device temperature signals indicative of the temperature of a second device over a predetermined period of time; determining a first rolling average temperature for the predetermined period of time from the first device temperature signals; determining a second rolling average temperature for the predetermined period of time from the second temperature signals; and triggering a disconnect event in response to a determination that either the first or the second rolling average temperature is greater than a predetermined maximum working temperature. |
| US08817424B1 |
Arm assembly with lift tab
An arm assembly for a disc drive. The arm assembly has a load arm for supporting a slider and has a lift tab with a ramp-engaging region for parking the load arm when not in use. This ramp-engaging region has an outer surface defined by a first radius and a second radius different than the first radius. |
| US08817423B2 |
Circuit integrated suspension and method of manufacture thereof
An Extended Circuit Integrated Suspension (ECIS) design and manufacture thereof, to allow for circuit elements to be disposed onto the load beam on the opposite side of the flexure circuit. An Extended Circuit Integrated Suspension (ECIS) may include a load beam; a flexure circuit comprising a plurality of traces; and a connection portion which connects the load beam laterally to the flexure circuit. The load beam, the flexure circuit, and the connecting portion may be formed as a single component from a single panel, and the connection portion is oriented so that the connection portion is folded to place the flexure circuit onto a first side of the load beam. Applications for the use of the extended circuit are many, and a semi-collocated micro-actuator (SCLMA) is illustrated for example. |
| US08817420B2 |
Write head having recessed magnetic material in gap region
As track densities increase, it becomes increasingly important, while writing in a given track, not to inadvertently write data in adjoining tracks. This problem has been overcome by limiting the width of material in the ABS plane to what it is at the write gap. The part of the lower pole that is wider than this is recessed back away from the ABS, thereby greatly reducing its magnetic influence on adjacent tracks. Four different embodiments of write heads that incorporate this notion are described together with a description of a general process for their manufacture. |
| US08817416B2 |
Magnetic disk device and method of controlling magnetic heads
According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes: magnetic heads; a magnetic disk in which servo patterns having different write frequencies from one another are divided and recorded into a plurality of zones; and a head controller configured such that, when performing seek control of the magnetic heads based on a model position and a model velocity obtained from a model which simulates the magnetic heads, the head controller corrects the model position and the model velocity, at the time of switching of the zones, so as to reflect variation of sampling time resulting from gaps between the zones. |
| US08817413B1 |
Disk lubricant management in data storage device
It is determined whether one or more heads of a data storage device (DSD) have been within a radial position of one or more disks of the DSD for more than a threshold period of time. When it is determined that the one or more heads have been within a radial position of the one or more disks for more than the threshold period of time, the one or more heads are radially moved by more than a predetermined distance to reduce a development of variations in a distribution of lubricant on a first surface of the one or more disks. |
| US08817412B1 |
Magnetic disk device and writing method of a magnetic disk
According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a first magnetic head corresponding to a first disk surface; a second magnetic head corresponding to a second disk surface; a skip processor which performs skip processing to prevent selection of the second magnetic head when the first magnetic head performs writing; a write data saving unit which selects the second magnetic head based on a result of the detection of ae write environment, and writes write data to the second disk surface through the second magnetic head; and a write data write-back unit which selects the first magnetic head based on a result of the detection of the write environment, and writes the write data written to the second disk surface to the first disk surface through the first magnetic head. |
| US08817407B2 |
Heat assisted magnetic recording head
An apparatus that includes a write pole, the write pole including a magnetic material; a near field transducer-heat sink (NFT-HS), the NFT-HS including a noble metal; and a power source configured to electrically bias the write pole with respect to a second structure. |
| US08817403B2 |
Magnetic disk drive and method for servo preamble length adjustment applied to the same
According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk drive includes a disk and a controller. The disk includes a plurality of zones each having a plurality of tracks. The disk is formatted such that a plurality of servo frames are discretely recorded in each of the plurality of tracks. The plurality of servo frames include servo preamble data of a second length which corresponds to the zone having the track and which is less than or equal to a first length serving as a reference. The controller allows a head to read the servo frames from the disk via a read amplifier. |
| US08817401B2 |
Zero gain start and gain acquisition based on adaptive analog-to-digital converter target
Aspects of the disclosure pertain to a system and method for providing zero gain start (ZGS) and gain acquisition based on an adaptive analog-to-digital converter (ADC) target. The adaptive ADC target is used to collect channel characteristics and based on the adaptive ADC target, an adjusted 2T amplitude target value is generated. |
| US08817397B2 |
Lens actuator
In a lens actuator according to an exemplary embodiment, wires that connect a holder and a base of a movable unit have diameters of 30 μm or more and less than 70 μm, and the wires have longitudinal elastic moduli of 100 GPa or more and less than 500 GPa. The wire is flexible even if a small amount of currents are passed through a plurality of OIS coils, and the lens actuator suitable to electric power saving can be provided. |
| US08817395B2 |
Portable high-power microscope magnification lens structure
A portable high-power microscope magnification lens structure, mainly comprises: a main body, a high-power lens being disposed on a middle part thereof which is passed through, an adhesive portion being disposed on a rear edge of the main body, LED lamps used for light compensating illumination being disposed around the lens on a front side of the main body; and a rear cover, one side thereof being pivotally connected to the main body, the rear cover being foldable to cover a rear side of the main body, and a hollow space for receiving batteries being disposed on the rear cover and connected to the LED lamps through a switch; whereby, the additional unit can be attached to the lens of a cellular phone, tablet or camera, used to shoot and observe high-power microscopically magnified images, used as the teaching assistance for the observation of organisms or physical objects, and used for the microscopic magnification photography of the details of other industrial product structures, and the pictures taken from the above can be transmitted to an Internet system immediately. |
| US08817394B2 |
Lens module and manufacturing method thereof
A method of manufacturing a lens module including following is provided. A first lens plate having a plurality of first lens sections, a second lens plate having a plurality of second lens sections and a third lens plate having a plurality of third lens sections are provided. The first lens sections of the first lens plate are separated to form a plurality of first lens units. The second and third lens plates are connected. A relative position between each of the first lens units and one of the second lens sections corresponding to the first lens unit is adjusted. Each of the first lens units and the second lens section corresponding to the first lens unit are connected. The second and third lens sections are separated to form a plurality of second lens units and a plurality of third lens units connected to the second lens units. |
| US08817389B2 |
Optical lens assembly for image taking
An optical lens assembly for image taking includes a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element and a fourth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power includes a convex object-side surface at a paraxial region. The second lens element with negative refractive power includes a concave object-side surface at a paraxial region. The third lens element with refractive power includes a concave object-side surface at a paraxial region and a convex image-side surface at a paraxial region. The fourth lens element made of plastic with negative refractive power includes a concave object-side surface at a paraxial region and an image-side surface. At least one of the object-side surface and the image-side surface of the fourth lens element is aspheric, and the image-side surface of the fourth lens element is concave at a paraxial region and convex at a peripheral region. |
| US08817385B2 |
Photographing optical lens system
A photographing optical lens system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element and a fifth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has a convex object-side surface. The second lens element has negative refractive power. The third lens element has refractive power. The fourth lens element with negative refractive power is made of plastic material, and has a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface. The fifth lens element with negative refractive power is made of plastic material, and has a concave object-side surface and a concave image-side surface. At least one surface of the fourth through fifth lens elements is aspheric, and the image-side surface of the fifth lens element changes from concave at the paraxial region to convex at the peripheral region. |
| US08817384B2 |
Zoom lens device
A zoom lens device includes a focusing lens group arranged on an object side, and a variator lens group next thereto, and a temperature sensor. The focusing lens group includes a focusing lens, and a temperature-based correction lens for correcting changes in focal point caused by temperature changes around the focusing lens group. The temperature-based correction lens is moved by a temperature-based correction lens driving mechanism along an optical axis to a position determined by a temperature detected by the temperature sensor, independently of the positions of the focusing lens or variator lens group. Thereby, the zoom lens device is capable of favorably correcting defocus of the lens group caused by an ambient temperature change with a simple correcting mechanism. |
| US08817373B2 |
Microcrack free polarization plate
An end face of a polarization plate cut by laser becomes a substantially flat surface having only sloping micro waviness because of having been melted once to be solidified. Since the surface has few stress-concentrated parts that may cause microcracks, this prevents microcracks from easily being produced. |
| US08817372B2 |
System and method for modulating and displaying optical effects
A system and method for modulating and displaying optical effects includes a lighting device (BV) and at least one displaying object (DO) located outside the lighting device. The lighting device (BV) includes at least one input polarization unit (POE) for influencing polarization, in particular in a location-dependent manner, and at least one modulation unit (OME) for influencing polarization and/or retardance, in particular in a time-dependent and/or location-dependent manner. The displaying object (DO) includes at least one object retarder unit (POB) for influencing retardance, in particular in a location-dependent and/or time-dependent manner, the at least one object retarder unit being suitable for reversibly or irreversibly impressing a piece of image information, and an output polarization unit (PE). Modulated light (Sout) exiting the lighting device (BV) hits the object retarder unit (POB) in order to interact with the piece of image information, whereby optical effects can be visualized by means of the output polarization unit (PE). |
| US08817371B1 |
Polarizing beam splitters
A polarizing beam splitter has a pair of opposed transparent prism substrates with a refractive index n0, and providing at least one input port and at least one output port. The input port accepts light incident over a range of operational angles including a central operational angle. A multilayer thin film structure is sandwiched between the pair of opposed transparent substrates and consists essentially of a plurality of layers l1 . . . lm having respective refractive indices n1 . . . nm, wherein at least three of said refractive indices n1 . . . nm are different, and wherein the refractive index of the substrates n0 lies between the highest refractive index nH and lowest refractive index nL, and wherein nH, nL and n0 define a Brewster angle θ0B: θ 0 B = arcsin ( n L n H n 0 n L 2 + n H 2 ) , and a critical angle θc: θ C = arcsin ( n L n 0 ) . The refractive indices n0 and n1 . . . nm are selected such that the central operational angle for a beam incident on the multiple thin film structure lies above the Brewster angle θ0B and such that most or all the operational angles defined by said input port lie above the Brewster angle θ0B. For p-polarized light at least one optical admittance of the layers with refractive indices n1 . . . nm is lower or very close to that of the optical admittance of the substrate for the operational angles such that the thin film polarizing beam-splitter favors the transmittance for p-polarized light incident at that input port such that most of the p-polarized light is transmitted through the multiple thin film structure. For s-polarized light the polarizing beam-splitter acts as a high reflective coating to favor the reflectance for s-polarized light incident at the input port such that most of the s-polarized light is reflected from said multiple thin film structure. The polarizing beam splitter is compact and yet remains functional over a wide range of operational angles. |
| US08817367B2 |
Plasma ion assisted deposition of Mo/Si multilayer EUV coatings
The disclosure is directed to multilayer Mo/Si coatings for reflective mirrors used in extreme ultraviolet lithographic systems and to a method of making such mirrors using plasma ion assisted deposition (PIAD) techniques. The coating are deposited on a substrate suitable for EUV lithography, and are Mo/Si coating consisting of 40-100 Mo/Si periods, each period consisting on a Mo layer followed by a Si layer. Each of the individual Mo and Si layers is deposited to a specified or target thickness in the range of 2 nm to 5 nm, and the thicknesses are controlled to ±0.1 nm. A plasma from a plasma source is used to densify and smooth the substrate prior to deposition of the coating, and each layer of the coating is plasma densified and smoothed. |
| US08817362B2 |
Modular pattern illumination and light beam multiplexing for selective excitation of microparticles
A modular approach to a pattern illumination system for selective excitation of microparticles is used. A dual-channel pattern module having two single-channel pattern modules are oriented at a non-zero offset angle to each other. In this arrangement, a galvo-scanner based phase-shifting module is shared between the two channels. A set of tilt mirrors are used to direct the beams from the pattern modules onto the target plane. Additional layers of pattern modules can be added to accommodate any desirable number of additional channels. The additional layer(s) may be rotationally off-set from the other layer(s) by an angular amount to simplify the layout of optical components. A remote light source module may be connected to the pattern modules through optical fiber. |
| US08817359B2 |
In-band signaling in optical cross-connect switch using frequency modulation
In a multiple-axis free-space-coupled single-mode fiber-optic transmission system, such as an optical cross-connect switch, a method and apparatus are provided for the closed loop attenuation of optical beam power signals employed to align and cause dithering via MEMS mirrors which are manipulated to impose on the optical beam frequency modulation and, in particular, a time-varying set of induced mirror angles that yield a desired time history of optical power level that is modulated according to a digital code in the frequency modulation pattern. |
| US08817355B2 |
Electrochromic device
An electrochromic device according to example embodiments may include a first electrode and a second electrode facing each other, an electrochromic layer positioned between the first electrode and second electrode and including an electrochromic material, and an electrolyte contacting the electrochromic layer between the first electrode and second electrode and including an electron accepting molecule. |
| US08817352B2 |
Optical switching assembly with over-center lock
An optical switching assembly having an optical path therethrough includes an optical element, a base frame, an optical support that supports the optical element and is pivotably mounted to the base frame, and a linkage. The linkage interconnects the base frame and the optical support to effect movement of the optical support between an aligned position where the optical element is in the optical path and a non-aligned position removed from the aligned position. The linkage has two over-center positions that respectively correspond to the aligned position and the non-aligned position. No additional energy is required to hold the linkage in the over-center positions. |
| US08817349B2 |
Photographic hologram system
A photographic hologram system is provided. The use of an image slicing process and/or the arrangement of half-cylindrical lens in the optical path of an optical light wave and upstream of the film is effective to reduce the times of multiple exposures of the film. As a consequence, the brightness of the reconstructed image is enhanced. |
| US08817342B2 |
Light guide, illumination device, and image reading apparatus
Provided is a light guide, in which: at least one of a reflecting part or a light exit part has a light condensing action in a direction intersecting a predetermined direction; the at least one of the reflecting part or the light exit part includes diffusing parts arranged in the predetermined direction; the diffusing parts include: a first curved surface having a first degree of diffusion in the predetermined direction for a sparse region of light sources; and a second curved surface having a second degree of diffusion, which is lower than the first degree of diffusion, in the predetermined direction for a dense region of the light sources; and each of the first curved surface and the second curved surface has a shape corresponding to a part of a cylinder extending in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction in which the light sources are arrayed. |
| US08817341B2 |
Image forming apparatus and electric-power control method used in the image forming apparatus
According to an embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes: a detecting unit, a storing unit, a threshold determining unit, and a control unit. The detecting unit detects an ambient brightness level at an arbitrary time zone. The storing unit stores information indicating the brightness level detected by the detecting unit. The threshold determining unit determines a threshold serving as a criterion for switching into a low-power-consumption mode according to the information indicating the brightness level stored in the storing unit. The control unit controls switching into the low-power-consumption mode using the threshold determined by the threshold determining unit. |
| US08817338B2 |
Scan mechanism and scan module
A scan mechanism and a scan module are provided. The scan mechanism adapted to be used in a scan module includes a rack and a scan unit. The rack has an engaging surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of teeth disposed on the engaging surface. Each of the teeth comprises a top end, wherein the distance between the centers of any two adjacent top ends is W, the shortest distance from the top end of each tooth to the bottom surface of the rack is D, and W/D is from 0.56 to 0.79. The scan unit includes a gear engaged with the teeth of the rack and adapted to roll along the engaging surface of the rack, wherein the scan unit is slidably disposed on the rack through the gear. |
| US08817337B2 |
Transportable image processing apparatus
A limiting member (91) includes a main body (911) and a convexity (912) formed at the upper face of the main body (911). The convexity (912) protrudes like a key toward the front-face side of a case (1). The case (1) has a hole (92) storing the limiting member (91), the hole (92) having an inclined face (921) that is inclined obliquely upward from the rear-face side to the front-face side of the case (1). The hole (92) has a depth larger than the height of the limiting member (91) on the rear-face side, and has substantially the same depth as the front-face side height of the main body (911) on the front-face side. A document cover (4) has a hole (93) including a U-shaped concavity (931) that is open on the rear-face side of the case (1), formed on the front-face side of the case (1). When the limiting member (91) is located on the front-face side of the case (1), the convexity (912) engages with the U-shaped concavity (931). |
| US08817335B2 |
Image reading apparatus
An image reading apparatus includes a main body, a rotation unit supported on the main body so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis, an imaging unit that is mounted on the rotation unit at an outward position in a radial direction of the rotation axis and images a medium to be read that is placed on a placement surface located under the rotation unit in the vertical direction, and a light source that irradiates the medium to be read with light. The light source and the imaging unit can be arranged with a relative positional relationship capable of suppressing specular reflected light of light that is emitted from the light source and reflected by the medium to be read from being incident on the imaging unit. |
| US08817333B2 |
Display device with optical sensor included and image reading method employing same
Provided is a display device with photosensors that can achieve a scanner function without increasing the memory capacity for images. A display device with photosensors includes a visible light source and an invisible light source. The display device with photosensors further includes: a first photosensor that detects the amount of received light in a pixel region when the invisible light source is on; a second optical sensor that detects the amount of received light in the pixel region when the invisible light source is off; and a third photosensor that detects the amount of received light reflected from an object to be scanned, causing only display pixels respectively nearest to the third photosensors within a prescribed range in the pixel region to be in a display state, and causing other pixels in the prescribed range to be in a non-display state. Data obtained from the third photosensor is stored in a memory (205) including a region (205a) that stores therein first reference data obtained when the invisible light source is on, and a region (205b) that stores therein second reference data obtained when the invisible light source is off. |
| US08817331B2 |
Transcoding run length limited datastreams for object level halftoning
Methods and systems for transcoding continuous tone Run Length Limited (RLL) encoded datastreams for including information for identifying halftone screens within the datastream are disclosed. Sequential packets comprising headers and bitmap data are identified within the datastream. Halftone screens associated with bitmap data within the packets are identified and merged into the packets to generate a modified RLL output. |
| US08817330B2 |
Method for adjusting quality of a pantograph background pattern
Pantograph background and foreground pairs that perform well in one printer may not perform as well in another. The main problem that occurs is the message is easily seen on the original print. By adjusting the background pattern quality, the pantograph is adjusted for optimal performance for a particular printer. The background pattern is adjusted by first adjusting the pixel density in the background pattern and second, by adding the adjusted cluster background pixel pattern. |
| US08817327B2 |
Printing system and correspondence relationship information creation method to match visual characteristics of different printers
A printing system includes a first unit that obtains a rendering command specifying a combination of at least a thickness and a color of a line; a second unit that converts the rendering command into a converted rendering command by converting the combination specified in the rendering command so that an average darkness of a result of printing the line matches a desired average darkness of a result of printing the line using a target printer; a third unit that generates image data including the rendered line based on the converted rendering command; and a printing unit that executes printing based on the image data. |
| US08817326B2 |
Image processing apparatus
When a user inputs an image addition instruction from a UI input unit, a job registration unit registers a job corresponding to the instruction in a job list for each type of processing. When undo is input from the UI input unit, a current position pointer prepared for each type of processing returns to the immediately preceding job. When redo is input, the current position pointer moves to the immediately succeeding job. When a processing execution instruction is input, out of jobs registered in the job list, the job indicated by the current position pointer and preceding jobs are executed in a predetermined order. |
| US08817325B2 |
Control device, image scanning apparatus, image forming apparatus, and method of controlling image scanning apparatus
A control device including an image enlarging unit that creates enlarged image data of image data by repeatedly using a line in the image data; and a control unit that reads, from a storing unit in which the image data is stored, the image data and outputs, to the image enlarging unit, the image data for each line, the output being performed at time intervals corresponding to the number of times the line is used in accordance with an enlargement ratio of the image data to the enlarged image data. |
| US08817319B2 |
System and method for direct rendering of a document to an electronic book device in device-supported format
A multifunction device includes a controller that is configured to process data from a processor capable of executing a printing utility. The controller renders the data into a format readable by an electronic book device having a processor.A document print management system includes the multifunction device, and a port configured to transfer the data to an electronic book device when an electronic book device is in operative communication with the controller via the port. The system also includes an electronic book device in operative communication with the controller via the port. In a method for rendering a document to an electronic book device, the method includes causing a document management device to process data received from a processor capable of executing a printing utility and rendering image data into a format readable by the electronic book device. |
| US08817314B2 |
System for distributing and controlling color reproduction at multiple sites
The system provides for controlling color reproduction of input color image data in a network having nodes (or sites). The system distributes the input color image data from one of the nodes to other nodes, and provides data structures in the network. The system has means for providing color calibration data at each node characterizing output colors (colorants) of the rendering device of the node, and means for producing at each node, responsive to the color calibration data of the rendering device of the node, information for transforming the input color image data into output color image data at the rendering device of the node. The rendering device of each node renders a color reproduction responsive to the output color image data, wherein colors displayed in the reproduction at the rendering device of each node appear substantially the same within the output colors attainable by the rendering devices. |
| US08817312B2 |
Control point, image forming apparatus, and method of controlling printing
A control point includes a communication interface to search for one or more image forming apparatuses using digital living network alliance (DLNA), a user interface unit through which at least one piece of content is selected for printing using a user interface of the control point, and through which an image forming apparatus is selected from among the searched image forming apparatuses to perform printing, a DLNA stack unit to set a connection policy regarding connection to the selected image forming apparatus, and to selectively control the DLNA connection status to the selected image forming apparatus according to the connection policy, and a controller to control the communication interface to transmit print data corresponding to the selected content-for-printing and the connection policy to the selected image forming apparatus. |
| US08817306B2 |
Information processing system and management method
A setting value management service holds first operation setting information that is applied to an image forming apparatus belonging to a first management range managed thereby and second operation setting information which is applied to an image forming apparatus belonging to a second management range. The setting value management service generates third operation setting information, which is applied to the image forming apparatus, when a user who corresponds to the second management range uses the image forming apparatus belonging to the first management range, using the second operation setting information. The setting value management service accepts the operation setting information acquisition request from an image forming apparatus belonging to the first management range, which is used by a user who corresponds to the second management range, and returns the corresponding third operation setting information to the image forming apparatus. |
| US08817305B2 |
Communication apparatus having PC-FAX transmission function, and control method and storage medium therefor
A communication apparatus that can leave a transmission history including transmission destination information as well as transmission destination dial information at the time of PC-FAX transmission. A facsimile apparatus, which is a communication apparatus having a PC-FAX transmission function, acquires transmission destination dial information from a facsimile transmission request received from a client terminal, searches an address book database registered in the facsimile apparatus to find an address book including transmission destination dial information coincident with the acquired dial information, and performs facsimile transmission based on the acquired transmission destination dial information. If an address book including transmission destination dial information coincident with the acquired dial information is found by the search, a transmission history is stored that includes dial information and transmission destination information that are registered in the address book found by the search. |
| US08817303B2 |
Control device, computer readable medium, and printing system
A control device includes a generating unit, a specifying unit, a calculating unit, a determining unit, and a controller. The generating unit generates, upon receiving a print instruction, which includes attribute information representing an attribute of a printed material to be created, processing information by using the attribute information and a preset rule. The specifying unit specifies activation periods of activation operations of activating the respective processing devices indicated by the processing information. The calculating unit calculates processing periods of processing operations executed to create the printed material by the respective processing devices indicated by the processing information. The determining unit determines starting times of the activation operations executed by the respective processing devices indicated by the processing information. The controller controls the respective processing devices indicated by the processing information so that the processing devices start the respective activation operations at the starting times determined by the determining unit. |
| US08817301B2 |
System for maintaining proper page sequence while reducing printer artifacts
A printing system having a printer comprising two printheads, sensors for determining a position of a rolled receiver media in the printer, and rollers for starting a multi-page print job using either one of the printheads based on the position of the rolled receiver media in the printer. A second page of the print job is printed before a first page of the print job in response to the position of the rolled receiver media in the printer. |
| US08817300B2 |
Method and apparatus to edit and print documents using a web browser
A print server apparatus includes a receiving unit, an extraction unit, an acquisition unit, and an instruction unit. The receiving unit receives a URL displayed on an edit screen of a document from a client device, wherein the edit screen is provided by a web application on a web application server and is displayed on a web browser to use the displayed edit screen, thereby executing edit processing of the document. The extraction unit extracts identification information used to identify document data corresponding to the document based on the received URL. The acquisition unit acquires the document data identified by the extracted identification information from the web application server that provides the edit screen. The instruction unit instructs a printing apparatus to print the acquired document data. |
| US08817295B2 |
Communication system and printer therefor
A communication system includes a first network, a printer connected with the first network, a host device, connected with the first network, which are configured to use the printer as a network printer with a printer driver being installed therein, a second network connected with the first network via a router, and an external server device, connected with the second network, which is configured as a providing source of a first printer driver. The printer includes a downloading unit that downloads the first printer driver from the external server device via the first and second networks, a storing unit that stores the downloaded first printer driver, and a sending unit that sends the stored first printer driver to the host device via the first network. The host device includes a receiving unit that receives the first printer driver from the sending unit. |
| US08817294B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a main body and a replaceable component. The main body includes a first storage unit storing first authentication informations for authentication with the replaceable component, a data storage unit storing authentication data for choosing the first authentication information. The replaceable component includes a second storage unit storing second authentication informations corresponding to the first authentication information. Authentication data is set to be different among different image forming apparatuses. The main body attempts authentication with the replaceable component using the first authentication information chosen based on the authentication data. When the second authentication information corresponding to the chosen first authentication information is stored, a control unit establishes connection between communication units of the main body and the replaceable component. |
| US08817293B2 |
Image forming apparatus to control a power supply, and method thereof
An image forming apparatus for controlling power supply is provided. An image forming apparatus includes at least one cover unit to be mounted in the image forming apparatus, at least one replaceable unit to participate in an image forming operation of the image forming apparatus, a sensing unit to sense whether the at least one cover unit is opened or closed, and a main board unit to cut off the power supply to the at least one replaceable unit for a predetermined period of time when the at least one cover unit is opened or closed. Accordingly, stable operation is enabled. |
| US08817292B1 |
Printing systems and methods providing a raster image processing performance preflight option
Disclosed is a printing system having a raster image processing performance preflight option and an associated printing method. When the performance preflight option is selectively enabled, the printing system parses a print job to acquire data object statistics, performs preliminary raster image processing of the print job to generate preliminary raster pages, monitors the preliminary raster image processing to acquire performance statistics, determines (based on the performance statistics) whether or not the print job meets predefined specifications for raster image process timing and generates and displays a summary report. Page-specific selectable reports can be embedded in the summary report to allow a user to selectively view page-specific data object statistics and visual representations of specific preliminary raster pages. Such reports can be used to modify the print job in order to improve raster image processing timing prior to printing. |
| US08817291B2 |
Image forming apparatus for selectively powering a user authentication device
An image forming apparatus includes a memory, an image forming device, an authentication device, and a control device. The authentication device performs user authentication. The control device determines whether the stored job requires user authentication. The control device permits the image forming unit to form an image based on the stored job when the job requires user authentication and the authentication device successfully performs user authentication for the job. The control device permits the image forming unit to form an image based on the stored job without user authentication when the job does not require user authentication. The control device selectively supplies power to the authentication device based on whether the stored job requires user authentication. |
| US08817289B2 |
Print data processing apparatus and print data processing method
A print data processing apparatus includes a memory which stores print data configured page by page. The print data processing apparatus further includes an unnecessary page detection portion configured to detect an unnecessary page from the print data stored in the memory. The unnecessary page includes ruled line data and does not include character data. Moreover, the print data processing apparatus further includes an unnecessary page deletion portion configured to delete, from the print data stored in the memory, the unnecessary page detected by the unnecessary page detection portion. |
| US08817286B2 |
Communication system, method and storage medium
A communication system includes an apparatus transmitting management information about management of consumable supplies and a mobile communication device that receives the management information. The communication device includes a detection part configured to detect a position of the communication device; a memory part configured to store a supplier's name of the consumable supplies and a position of the supplier; a setting part configured to set an area specified by a circle with a radius of predetermined length, which is centered on the position of the supplier stored in the memory part, as a control area; a display part; and a display control part configured to allow the display part to display the management information, the name of the supplier, and/or the position of the supplier when the display control part receives the management information from the apparatus and the position detected by the detection part falls within the control area. |
| US08817282B2 |
Image forming apparatus
Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of preventing heat in an in-body copy receiving portion from reaching a bottom face of a scanner portion disposed above the in-body copy receiving portion.An image forming apparatus (100) includes: an in-body copy receiving portion (90); a scanner portion (123); and an air blow portion (200). The in-body copy receiving portion (90) includes a copy receiving tray (91) to stack image-formed sheets thereon, the in-body copy receiving portion being disposed in the image forming apparatus (100). The scanner portion (123) is capable of reading a document, the scanner portion being disposed above the in-body copy receiving portion (90). The air blow portion (200) generates airflow between a maximum sheet loadable position on the copy receiving tray (91) and the scanner portion (123) so as to flow along a bottom face of the scanner portion (123). |
| US08817281B2 |
Print setting server, document processing server, print system, and print setting method
According to the present invention, a print setting server connectable with a document processing server is provided, where the print setting server provides a print setting screen that depends on functions of a printer model through the Web, and a detailed print setting screen that depends on a printer is provided to a client. The client can enter print settings through the print setting screen. In this manner, print setting depending on a printer model is realized in a cloud print service. |
| US08817280B2 |
Printing device and method of controlling printing device
A printing device includes a plurality of data transfer control units which store image data transferred from an upper level device in a storage unit; a plurality of output control units which are provided correspondingly to the data transfer control units and each of which controls printing of the image data stored by a specified one of the data transfer control units; and a print control unit that, when abnormality has occurred in any of the data transfer control units, transmits a transfer instruction on the image data that is to be transferred originally by the data transfer control unit being at fault, to an alternate data transfer control unit among the data transfer control units in which no abnormality has occurred, and instructs an output control unit corresponding to the data transfer control unit being at fault to print image data stored by the alternate data transfer control unit. |
| US08817279B2 |
Image forming apparatus, method for controlling the image forming apparatus, and storage medium
An image forming apparatus having a restriction on an amount of resource usage for use in executing an application includes an installation unit configured to install a composite application including a plurality of application modules as one application, a display unit configured to, if, when the composite application installed by the installation unit is activated, the plurality of application modules included in the composite application cannot be activated due to the restriction on the amount of resource usage, activate a predetermined application module in the plurality of application modules and display a symbol corresponding to the activated predetermined application module on a display unit of the image forming apparatus, and an image forming unit configured to execute image processing using an application module corresponding to the symbol, if the symbol displayed by the display unit is selected to instruct the image processing. |
| US08817278B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method and computer-readable medium for job settings for device functions
An information processing apparatus includes a storage device, a selection unit, a registration unit and a setting unit. The storage device is configured to store an execution condition that associates setting items which are set for execution of a process with setting values for the setting items. The selection unit selects, from among the setting items, a part of the setting items. The registration unit registers, in the storage device, the part of the setting items selected by the selection unit and setting values for the part of the setting item as an execution condition. When the execution condition stored in the storage device is selected in setting values for setting items to execute a process, the setting unit sets a setting value for a setting item corresponding to the selected execution condition to the setting value stored in the storage device. |
| US08817275B2 |
Image forming device, method of forming image, and recording medium storing control program for controlling image forming device
An image forming device includes a scanner for scanning a document image, and a controller for controlling the image forming device. The controller determines whether or not a loss detection image for determining presence or absence of data loss has been superimposed on a first document image scanned by the scanner, and when it is determined that the loss detection image has been superimposed on the first document image, extracts the loss detection image from the first document image and determines presence or absence of data loss in the extracted loss detection image, and notifies a user of presence or absence of data loss based on a result of the determination of presence or absence of data loss in the extracted loss detection image. |
| US08817272B2 |
Optical position-measuring device
An optical position-measuring device for detecting the position of two objects movable relative to each other in at least one measuring direction includes a measuring standard which is joined to one of the two objects and possesses an incremental graduation extending in the measuring direction, as well as at least one reference marking at a reference position. The reference marking includes two reference-marking subfields disposed in mirror symmetry with respect to a reference-marking axis of symmetry, each of the subfields being made up of a structure extending in the measuring direction and having a locally changeable graduation period. In addition, the position-measuring device has a scanning unit which is joined to the other of the two objects and to which a scanning device is assigned that is used to generate at least one reference signal at the reference position. The scanning device includes at least one light source emitting divergently in the direction of the measuring standard, as well as a detector system having elements which are disposed along the measuring direction such that, starting from a central detector-system axis of symmetry in the measuring direction, the center-to-center distances between adjacent elements in the same direction change like the graduation periods of the structures in the reference-marking subfields starting from the reference-marking axis of symmetry. |
| US08817269B2 |
Fizeau reference arm using a chirped fiber bragg grating
An improved interferometer measurement system is presented. In a preferred embodiment, a chirped fiber Bragg grating is used as a reference surface in a Fizeau interferometer arrangement for optical coherence tomography imaging of the eye. The grating creates a virtual reference surface near the sample and allows for a relatively short reference arm while maintaining close to zero delay interference conditions. |
| US08817264B2 |
Method and apparatus for analyzing multiphase fluid flow using a multivariate optical element calculation device
A method is presented for analyzing a multiphase fluid flowing through a tubular. A sample fluid flow of multiphase fluid (a mixture of some combination of gas, liquid and solid) is separated from a primary tubular, such as with a probe which traverses the tubular. At least one property of the multiphase fluid is determined using at least one multivariate optical element (MOE) calculating device. Measured properties include the presence, proportional amount, mass or volumetric flow rate, and other data related to a constituent of the fluid, such as CO2, H2S, water, inorganic and organic gases and liquids, or group of constituents of the fluid, such as SARA, C1-C4 hydrocarbons, etc. The multiphase fluid is preferably mixed prior to analysis. Additional data can be gathered and used to calculate derivative information, such as mass and volumetric flow rates of constituents in the tubular, etc. |
| US08817263B2 |
Sample analysis element and detecting device
A plurality of metallic nano-body groups that includes metallic nano-bodies which are dispersed on a dielectric surface at a first pitch smaller than the wavelength of incident light is arranged in one direction at a second pitch that resonates with the incident light. Localized surface plasmon resonance occurs in the metallic nano-body by the action of the incident light. Propagating surface plasmon resonance occurs by the action of the second pitch. The propagating surface plasmon resonance is combined with the localized surface plasmon resonance. A so-called hybrid mode is established. |
| US08817262B2 |
Method for determining the doping profile of a partially activated doped semiconductor region
A method is disclosed for determining the inactive doping concentration of a semiconductor region using a PMOR method. In one aspect, the method includes providing two semiconductor regions having substantially the same known as-implanted concentration but known varying junction depths. The method includes determining on one of these semiconductor regions the as-implanted concentration. The semiconductor regions are then partially activated. PMOR measures are then performed on the partially activated semiconductor regions to measure (a) the signed amplitude of the reflected probe signal as function of junction depth and (b) the DC probe reflectivity as function of junction depth. The method includes extracting from these measurements the active doping concentration and then calculating the inactive doping concentration using the determined total as-implanted concentration and active doping concentration. The method may also include extracting thermal diffusivity, refraction index, absorption coefficient, and/or SRHF lifetime from these measurements. |
| US08817261B2 |
Surface plasmon four-wave mixing microscopy
Laser pulses are applied to surface plasmon resonant articles such as gold nanoparticles within a microscopy sample to generate a four-wave mixing signal that is detected as the output of the microscopy process. |
| US08817259B2 |
Optical sensors for monitoring biopharmaceutical solutions in single-use containers
Disposable, pre-sterilized, and pre-calibrated, pre-validated sensors are provided. The sensor comprises a disposable fluid conduit or reactor bag and a reusable sensor assembly. An optical bench or inset optical component is integrated within the disposable fluid conduit or bioreactor bag, which provides an optical light path through the conduit or bag. These sensors are designed to store sensor-specific information, such as calibration and production information, in a non-volatile memory chip on the disposable fluid conduit or bag and on the reusable sensor assembly. Methods for calibrating the sensor and for determining a target property of an unknown fluid are also disclosed. The devices, systems and methods relating to the sensor are suitable for and can be outfitted for turbidity sensing. |
| US08817258B2 |
Dose measurement system and method
Embodiments described herein generally relate to devices, systems and methods for measuring the dose remaining in a drug delivery device that is used for delivering a dose to a patient. In some embodiments, a dose measurement system for measuring the liquid volume in a container includes a plurality of light sources which are disposed and configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the container. A plurality of sensors are located in the apparatus that are optically coupleable to the plurality of light sources and are disposed and configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by at least a portion of the light sources. The apparatus also includes a processing unit configured to receive data representing the portion of the detected electromagnetic radiation from each of the plurality of sensors. The processing unit is further operable to convert the received data into a signature representative of the electromagnetic radiation detected by the plurality of sensors. |
| US08817252B2 |
Inspection system and method
A method of inspecting a lateral pipe extending from a manhole, said method comprising: (a) inserting an imaging head into said manhole using a positioning system, said imaging head connected to an elongated member and comprising an imaging device adapted to convert an image to an image signal, a lens optically coupled to said imaging device, and at least one lamp suitable for projecting a light beam, said lamp having a beam that is adjustable to enable said beam to move relative said imaging device; (b) imaging a target located within said lateral pipe; (c) holding said imaging device essentially steady while imaging said target and adjusting said beam to adjust the illumination of said target. |
| US08817251B2 |
Defect inspection method
A defect inspection method according to the present invention is a defect inspection method for inspecting a defect of a semiconductor wafer, including the steps of: (a) forming a mark on a semiconductor wafer that is an inspection object, the mark corresponding to the size of a device chip that will be obtained from the semiconductor wafer, the mark being formed with respect to a predetermined device chip on the semiconductor wafer; and (b) during a predetermined process included in a semiconductor wafer process or before the semiconductor wafer process, performing a defect inspection on the semiconductor wafer and recognizing defect information based on the mark as a reference. |
| US08817250B2 |
Air bearing for substrate inspection device
A tool for investigating a substrate, where the tool has a tool head for investigating the substrate, a chuck for disposing an upper surface of the substrate in proximity to the tool head, and an air bearing disposed on the tool head adjacent the substrate. The air bearing has a pressure source and a vacuum source, where the vacuum source draws the substrate toward the air bearing and the pressure source prevents the substrate from physically contacting the air bearing. The pressure source and the vacuum source work in cooperation to dispose the upper surface of the substrate at a known distance from the tool head. By using the air bearing as part of the tool in this manner, registration of the substrate to the tool head is accomplished relative to the upper surface of the substrate, not the back side of the substrate. |
| US08817248B2 |
Simultaneous multi-spot inspection and imaging
A compact and versatile multi-spot inspection imaging system employs an objective for focusing an array of radiation beams to a surface and a second reflective or refractive objective having a large numerical aperture for collecting scattered radiation from the array of illuminated spots. The scattered radiation from each illuminated spot is focused to a corresponding receiver or detector so that information about a scattering may be conveyed to a corresponding detector in a remote detector array for processing. Radiation reflected from the spots is imaged into a first array of receivers or detectors so that each receiver in the first array receives radiation from a corresponding spot in the array of spots; and scattered radiation from the spots is imaged onto a second array of receivers or detectors in a dark field imaging scheme so that each receiver or detector in the second array receives radiation from a corresponding spot. |
| US08817246B2 |
Lens test device and method
A lens testing method is disclosed which comprises the following three steps. First, test a lens under test to obtain a testing characteristic value of the lens under test for a first object distance. Second, provide a correction datum. Third, calculate a simulated characteristic value for a second object distance according to the testing characteristic value and the correction datum. |
| US08817242B2 |
Sensor device for the spectrally resolved capture of valuable documents and a corresponding method
A sensor device for spectrally resolved capture of optical detection radiation which emanates from a value document transported through a capture area of the sensor device, includes a detection device for spectrally resolved detection of the detection radiation and emission of detection signals which represent at least one property of the detection radiation, at least one reference radiation device which emits optical reference radiation which is coupled into a detection beam path of the detection device and which has a spectrum with a structure which is within the spectral detection range, and which has a radiation source which acts as the transmitter of a light barrier or of a light scanner by means of which barrier or scanner a motion and/or a position of the value document relative to the capture area is capturable, and a control/evaluation device which is configured for receiving detection signals from the detection device, evaluating them and emitting evaluation signals in dependence on the result of the evaluation, and which is further configured for employing detection signals which represent the property of the reference radiation, for checking and/or for adjusting the detection device and/or for making available correction data which are employable in the evaluation of detection signals which represent the at least one property of detection radiation emanating from the value document. |
| US08817240B2 |
Interchangeable optics configuration for a chromatic range sensor optical pen
An optical pen for use in a chromatic range sensor (CRS) may be used in a probe system for a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). The optical pen includes a confocal optical path, an interchangeable optics element, an optical pen base member, and a repeatable fast exchange mount. The confocal optical path includes a confocal aperture and a chromatically dispersive optics portion. The interchangeable optics element includes the chromatically dispersive optics portion. The optical pen base member includes an external mounting surface for mounting to an external reference frame. The repeatable fast exchange mount includes a first mating half located on the base member and a second mating half located on the interchangeable optics element. The repeatable fast exchange mount is configured to allow the base member to receive and hold the interchangeable optics element in a fixed relationship relative to the base member and the external reference frame. |
| US08817238B2 |
Three dimensional feature location from an excavator
A combination of location measurement apparatuses to measure in three dimensions the location of an excavator with respect to a job site, and to further measure the location of an excavated or a topographical feature with respect to the excavator by range finding from the excavator in proximity of the feature and contemporaneously recording measurement data on a computer. |
| US08817237B2 |
Spectral purity filter, lithographic apparatus, and method for manufacturing a spectral purity filter
A method of forming a spectral purity filter having a plurality of apertures configured to transmit extreme ultraviolet radiation and suppress transmission of a second type of radiation, in which trenches are formed in a base material in a pattern corresponding to the walls to be formed between the apertures. The trenches are filled with a grid material to form walls of the grid material, and the base material is selectively removed until the grid material is exposed and forms the spaces between the walls of the grid material for the apertures. |
| US08817234B2 |
Optical device and exposure apparatus including the same
An optical device for splitting a single beam to a plurality of beams and an exposure apparatus including the optical device are disclosed. The optical device includes a first DOE lens array including a plurality of first diffractive optical element (DOE) lenses that are two-dimensionally arranged on a first plane and a second lens array including a plurality of second DOE lenses arranged on a second plane parallel to the first plane so as to respectively correspond to the plurality of first DOE lenses. The first DOE lens array splits a first parallel beam into a plurality of second beams by condensing the first parallel beam and the second DOE lens array modifies the plurality of second beams into a plurality of third beams. |
| US08817233B2 |
Illumination optical system for projection lithography
An illumination optical system for projection lithography for the illumination of an illumination field has a facet mirror. An optical system, which follows the illumination optical system, has an object field which can be arranged in the illumination field of the illuminate optical system. The facet mirror has a plurality of facets to reflectively guide part bundles of a bundle of illumination light. Reflection faces of the facets are tiltable in each case. In a first illumination tilt position, the tiltable facets guide the part bundle impinging on them along a first object field illumination channel to the illumination field. In a different illumination tilt position, the tiltable facets guide the part bundle impinging on them along a different object field illumination channel to the illumination field. The reflection faces of the tiltable facets are configured so that the part bundle in the at least two illumination tilt positions is reflected with a degree of reflection R coinciding within a tolerance range of +/−10%. The result is an illumination optical system which avoids an undesired influence of the illumination tilt position of the tiltable facets on the illumination light throughput of the illumination optical system. |
| US08817230B2 |
Immersion photolithography system and method using microchannel nozzles
A liquid immersion photolithography system includes an exposure system that exposes a substrate with electromagnetic radiation and includes a projection optical system that focuses the electromagnetic radiation on the substrate. A liquid supply system provides liquid flow between the projection optical system and the substrate. Further, the liquid is extracted using a two dimensional array of extraction openings. |
| US08817227B2 |
Immersion lithography apparatus
An immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes a detector to measure a distance between a substrate support structure and/or a substrate and a fluid handling system and/or to detect when an item is present between the fluid handling system and a top surface of the substrate and/or substrate support structure. The detector may use information of an electrical property of the fluid provided by the fluid handling system to measure the distance. The detector may measure variation in resistance and/or in capacitance between an electrode of the fluid handling system and an electrode of the substrate and/or substrate support structure. |
| US08817224B2 |
Input device and method for manufacturing the same
An input device is manufactured from a roll of a single-layer flexible transparent base sheet having a first surface and a second surface by forming a transparent electrode pattern and a wiring layer on the first surface. The transparent electrode pattern is disposed in a transparent input region, and the wiring layer extends from an end of the transparent electrode pattern into a decorative region surrounding the transparent input region. A decorative layer pattern is formed on the second surface in the decorative region, while conveying the transparent base sheet through a roll-to-roll processing. The transparent base sheet having the transparent electrode pattern and the decorative layer pattern is divided into individual units. A transparent panel having an operation surface is bonded to the second surface of each of the individual units with an optically clear adhesive layer interposed therebetween. |
| US08817221B2 |
Touch-type liquid crystal display apparatus with built-in contact
A touch-type liquid crystal display apparatus with a built-in contact, includes a substrate support structure supporting a first substrate and a second substrate respectively. The substrate support structure includes a pillar-shaped spacer formed on an opposing surface of the second substrate, and a base region formed on an opposing surface of the first substrate and having a front end with which a front end of the pillar-shaped spacer is in contact. A contact point protrusion is also formed on the opposing surface of the second substrate by using the same material as that of the pillar-shaped spacer. |
| US08817217B2 |
Display substrate and method for manufacturing the same
A display substrate includes an insulating substrate, a signal line, first and second pixel electrodes, a connection line and an insulating layer. The signal line is disposed on the insulating substrate. The first pixel electrode is electrically connected to the signal line through a switching element. The second pixel electrode overlaps the first pixel electrode. The connection line contacts an end portion of the signal line and extends to an end portion of the insulating substrate. The insulating layer is disposed between the first and second pixel electrodes and covers the connection line. The connection line is protected by the insulating layer, and the reliability of the display substrate is enhanced. |
| US08817211B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
Gate lines are arranged in a first direction. Drain lines are arranged in a second direction. A first electrode has slits formed therein. Aperture regions surrounded by the drain lines and the gate lines include an aperture region including the slits having a first inclined angle and an aperture region including the slits having a second inclined angle, the second inclined angle being different from the first inclined angle. The aperture region including the slits having the first inclined angle and the aperture region including the slits having the second inclined angle are alternately formed in the first direction. Within the aperture regions arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction, a first region and a second region forming a pair by being arranged so as to be opposed to each other via one of the gate lines form one of pixels. |
| US08817207B2 |
Liquid crystal display with UV or blue light blocking filter
A liquid crystal display including a first substrate; a light-blocking member disposed on the first substrate; an emission layer disposed on the first substrate; an ultraviolet-light blocking filter disposed on the emission layer; a lower polarizer disposed on the ultraviolet-light blocking filter; a gate line and a data line disposed on the lower polarizer and substantially perpendicular to each other; a thin film transistor electrically connected to the gate line and the data line; a pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor; a second substrate disposed facing the first substrate; a common electrode disposed on the second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. |
| US08817203B2 |
Backlight unit and display device including the same
Provided is a backlight unit including, a bracket on which a light emitting device array is disposed, and a bottom cover on which the bracket is disposed, the bottom cover supporting an optical member, wherein a fixing member to removably fix is provided on the bottom cover, the side and top of the fixing member are flat and the cross-sectional area of a lower part of the fixing member is equal to or less than the cross-sectional area of an upper part of the fixing member. |
| US08817202B2 |
Lens sheet and display panel
To suppress malshaping in a lenticular lens sheet formed by using ultraviolet curing resin, which is caused due to an increase in the aspect ratio of cylindrical lenses and anisotropy of curing contraction. Notch sections are provided to the cylindrical lenses for sectioning the cylindrical lenses in a pseudo manner in the major axis direction (extending direction) of the cylindrical lenses so as to suppress the anisotropy of the curing contraction of the resin. |
| US08817198B2 |
Boundary artifact suppression in segmented liquid crystal modulators
Disclosed herein are apparatuses and related methods for avoiding liquid crystal molecule twisting through local boundary orientation relevant to the alignment direction of liquid crystal structures. In one embodiment, a segmented polarization control panel may comprise a plurality of segment electrodes corresponding to a plurality of display segments of the sequentially scanning display. The plurality of segment electrodes comprise liquid crystals therein, and are arranged contiguously in a direction of the sequential scan. Electrode boundaries are created between adjacent segment electrodes, where each may be cascaded substantially parallel and perpendicular to a liquid crystal alignment direction of liquid crystals located within the segments. Preventing twisting by the disclosed techniques is particularly attractive in active retarder display systems employing fast striped pi-cell modulators. |
| US08817197B2 |
Display device and electronic apparatus
A display device includes: an element substrate having a transistor element formed on a surface thereof; an opposing substrate which is disposed to face the element substrate; and a parallax barrier pattern which is directly formed on the surface of either substrate of the element substrate or the opposing substrate at the side opposite to the transistor element side. |
| US08817194B2 |
Interlaced image processing method and apparatus
In an interlaced image processing method for processing fields generated by interlacing and including a plurality of rows of scan signals, the method includes: performing horizontal line detection on a current field so as to determine which of the rows of the scan signals is a horizontal line; according to the horizontal line detection result of the current field and a horizontal line detection result of a previous field, adjusting position of the horizontal line in the current field so as to approach position of a corresponding horizontal line in the previous field; and according to the result of position adjustment, re-sampling the current field. An interlaced image processing apparatus for implementing the method is also disclosed. |
| US08817193B2 |
Method and apparatus for hiding caption when displaying video image
A method and apparatus for hiding a caption when displaying a video image. Hiding area information is acquired. According to the hiding area information, a hiding area is acquired. Hiding time period information is acquired. A preconfigured image in the hiding area of a video image is displayed in the hiding time period when the video image is displayed. By applying the technical solution according various embodiments, an external caption and an embedded caption can be hid flexibly. |
| US08817186B1 |
Video playing apparatus and video displaying apparatus
A video playing apparatus includes a connecting port, a video outputting unit, a video processing unit, and a switching unit. The connecting port is coupled to a displaying apparatus, and outputs a first video signal or a second video signal. The video outputting unit generates the first video signal. The video processing unit is coupled to the video outputting unit and the connecting port. The video processing unit receives the first video signal, converting the first video signal to the second video signal, and then outputs the second video signal. The switching unit is coupled to the video outputting unit, the video processing unit, and the connecting port. The switching unit switches the output of the first video signal between the connecting port and the video processing unit according to a control signal. |
| US08817183B2 |
Method and device for generating and detecting fingerprints for synchronizing audio and video
This invention relates to a device and a method of generating a first and a second fingerprint (102,104) usable for synchronisation of at least two signals (101,103) and corresponding method and device for synchronising two or more signals. A fingerprint pair is generated on the basis of a segment of a first signal e.g. an audio signal and of a segment of a second signal e.g. a video signal at each synchronisation time point. The generated fingerprint pair(s) are stored in a database (203) and communicated or distributed to a synchronisation device (303). During synchronisation, fingerprint(s) of the audio signal and fingerprint(s) of the video signal to be synchronised are generated and matched against fingerprints in the database. When a match is found, the fingerprints also determine the synchronisation time point, which is used to synchronise the two signals. In this way, a simple, reliable and efficient way of synchronising at least two signals is obtained. Further, this is enabled without modifying either the first and second signal (or subsequent signals). The signals may even be distorted or changed to some extent while still enabling synchronisation. |
| US08817180B2 |
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. |
| US08817179B2 |
Chroma frame conversion for the video codec
Converting a first format frame to one or more second format frames. In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a first format frame using n coefficients, where n is the total number of coefficients used for the Y, U and V planes of the first format frame. The method further includes mapping the coefficients of the first format frame to coefficients of one or more second format frames. The one or more second format frames have n coefficients across all of the second format frames matching the n coefficients of the first format frame. |
| US08817177B2 |
Method of controlling digital image processing apparatus, digital image processing apparatus applying the method, and communication system including the digital image processing apparatus
Provided are methods of controlling digital image processing apparatus, in which a communication method may be transitioned to burst communication when an amount of data for communication with an external device is great, digital image processing apparatuses to which the methods are applied, and communication systems including the digital image processing apparatuses. In the methods, according to a type or a state of an external device or an operating state of the digital image processing apparatus, when an amount of data to be transmitted is large, burst communication may be performed, and if the amount of data is not as large, single communication may be performed. |
| US08817176B2 |
Camera positioning system for eye-to-eye communication
A camera positioning system includes a securing bracket fixed near a screen portion of a display screen, a belt, a shaft member rotatably connected to the securing bracket, and a spring member elastically connected between the shaft member and the securing bracket to provide an elastic force to make the shaft member automatically rotate. The belt is wound around the shaft member with an inner end fixed to the shaft member and an outer end extending out from the securing bracket to pass through the screen portion. A camera is removable secured to the belt. |
| US08817170B2 |
Camera body configured to control an output strength of wireless communication
This camera body includes an interchangeable lens detector, a lens information recognition component, a wireless communication component, and an output controller. The interchangeable lens detector detects whether or not the interchangeable lens is mounted to the camera body. The lens information recognition component recognizes lens information related to the interchangeable lens, according to the mounting state of the interchangeable lens. The wireless communication component performs wireless communication with the outside of the camera body. The output controller controls the output strength of the wireless communication component on the basis of the lens information in the information recognition component. |
| US08817169B2 |
Motor driven optical apparatus
The optical apparatus including a motor to move an optical element, a position detector configured to detect a position of the optical element, a controller configured to control drive of the motor by using a position detection signal from the position detector, and a memory configured to store a reference movement amount of the optical element corresponding to a moving speed and a moving time period of the optical element moved by the motor. The controller is configured to acquire a correction value for reducing a difference between (a) an actual movement amount of the optical element obtained by using the position detection signal when the optical element is moved by the motor and (b) the reference movement amount, and then to control the drive of the motor by using the correction value. |
| US08817166B2 |
Imaging device and imaging apparatus
An imaging device includes: a microlens that focuses subject light; a light receiving element that receives the subject light focused by the microlens to thereby generate a signal for making focus determination through phase-difference detection; and a light blocking portion that is disposed between the microlens and the light receiving element so as to block part of the subject light focused by the microlens, wherein the distance between the light blocking portion and the microlens in an optical axis direction of the microlens is set so as to decrease as an image height increases. |
| US08817163B2 |
Foreign substance removal apparatus and optical apparatus including the same
A measuring unit measures an amount of a detected phase difference from an output of a vibration detection signal from a first detection electrode until an output of a vibration detection signal from a second detection electrode. A setting unit sets a second driving phase difference amount based on the detected phase difference amount measured by the measuring unit when the setting unit sets a first driving phase difference amount set in advance. A first voltage applied by a drive unit to the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode when the setting unit sets the first driving phase difference amount, is lower than a second voltage applied by the drive unit to the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode when the setting unit sets the second driving phase difference amount. |
| US08817157B2 |
Imaging control device and imaging control method having intelligent auto mode features
A imaging control device includes a scene recognition section which recognizes scenes showing a subject by analyzing obtained image data, a display section which displays the obtained image data, an imaging mode selection section which prepares a plurality of imaging modes where a parameter which adjusts image characteristics according to each scene is set in advance and which automatically selects an imaging mode corresponding to the recognized scene from a plurality of imaging modes, a first operation section which generates a first operation signal which locks the imaging mode at a current imaging mode during the operation of automatically selecting the imaging mode, and a second operation section which generates a second operation signal which adjusts a portion of the parameter in a state where the imaging mode is locked, where an adjustment range using the second operation section is within a range limited by the locked imaging mode. |
| US08817154B2 |
Image sensor with fixed potential output transistor
An image sensor pixel includes a photosensitive region and pixel circuitry. The photosensitive region accumulates an image charge in response to light incident upon the image sensor. The pixel circuitry includes a transfer-storage transistor, a charge-storage area, an output transistor, and a floating diffusion region. The transfer-storage transistor is coupled between the photosensitive region and the charge-storage area. The output transistor has a channel coupled between the charge-storage area and the floating diffusion region and has a gate tied to a fixed voltage potential. The transfer-storage transistor causes the image charge to transfer from the photosensitive region to the charge-storage area and to transfer from the charge-storage area to the floating diffusion region. |
| US08817152B2 |
Solid-state imaging device, camera, and electronic device
Disclosed is a solid-state imaging device which includes an imaging region including pixels arranged two-dimensionally, each of the pixels including a photoelectric conversion element and a plurality of pixel transistors for reading out signals outputted from the photoelectric conversion element, and wirings formed on stacked layers for driving each of the pixels. A shading part between the pixels is formed by combining first and second wirings selected from the wirings. |
| US08817146B2 |
Imaging device including latch circuits with switching devices in between
An imaging device includes a pixel unit including a plurality of pixels, the pixels being arranged in a two-dimensional matrix form, m digital signal output circuits, each of which is arranged for a column of the pixel unit or for every two or more columns, and outputs an n-bit digital signal corresponding to a level of a pixel signal of a pixel of the corresponding column, m latch circuits, each of which is arranged to correspond to the digital signal output circuit, and includes n latch units that hold respective bit signals of the digital signal of the corresponding digital signal output circuit, respectively, and (m−1) switches, each of which is arranged to correspond to the latch unit, and transfers the digital signal held in the corresponding latch unit to the corresponding latch unit in the neighboring latch circuit. |
| US08817143B2 |
Solid-state imaging device comprising a holding circuit and driving method thereof
A plurality of pixel circuits arranged in rows and columns, and each of which outputs an electric signal according to an amount of received light; a first column signal line provided for each of the columns, and for sequentially transferring the electric signals from said pixel circuits in a corresponding column; and a holding circuit provided for each of the pixel circuits in each column, and which holds the electric signal transferred through the column signal line in the corresponding column are provided. A holding circuit includes a first capacitor which holds a first electric signal of the corresponding pixel circuit in a reset state; and a second capacitor which holds a second electric signal after the corresponding pixel circuit receives light. A difference circuit calculates a difference between two electric signals held by the first capacitor and the second capacitor in a same holding circuit. |
| US08817142B2 |
Image sensor with dual element color filter array and three channel color output
A color image sensor includes a pixel array including CFA overlaying an array of photo-sensors for acquiring color image data. The CFA includes first color filter elements of a first color overlaying a first group of the photo-sensors and second color filter elements of a second color overlaying a second group of the photo-sensors. The first group of photo-sensors generate first color signals of a first color channel and the second group of photo-sensors generate second color signals of a second color channel. The color image sensor further includes a color signal combiner circuit (“CSCC”) coupled to receive the first and second color signals output from the pixel array. The CSCC includes a combiner coupled to combine the first and second colors signals to generate third color signals of a third color channel. An output port is coupled to the CSCC to output the color image data. |
| US08817141B2 |
Image processing device and method, recording medium, and imaging device
A method for image processing according to one aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter includes: a step of acquiring an image taken by an imaging device including an image sensor having pixel configuration with repeating cycles of M×N (M, N: integers of 2 or more) pixels; (a) a step of setting a target pixel in the acquired image and extracting K×L (K, L: integers of M |
| US08817139B2 |
Image pickup device and signal transmitting device
An image pickup device may include an image capturing unit that includes a solid-state image pickup device having a plurality of pixels arrayed in a matrix form and simultaneously outputting pixel signals of the plurality of pixels adjacent to each other in a row or column direction in sequence while sequentially shifting the pixels that output the pixel signals in the row direction, and that simultaneously outputs image capturing signals respectively corresponding to the simultaneously output pixel signals in sequence from corresponding output terminals, an image processing unit to which the image capturing signals respectively corresponding to the plurality of pixels adjacent to each other in the row or column direction of the pixels arrayed in the solid-state image pickup device are simultaneously input in sequence from corresponding input terminals, and which performs image processing on the input image capturing signals, and a signal transmitting unit. |
| US08817138B2 |
Camera viewfinder with continuous variable adjustable colour temperature
A viewfinder of an electronic camera includes a color display monitor that is adapted to display a scene captured by an image sensor arrangement of the camera. The color temperature of the viewfinder is continuously variable adjustable between a minimum and a maximum value. The color temperature adjustment of the viewfinder does not affect the color temperature of a video signal produced by the camera that is recorded or transmitted. |
| US08817135B2 |
Correction of cluster defects in imagers
A method and apparatus that allows for the correction of multiple defective pixels in an imager device. In one exemplary embodiment, the method includes the steps of selecting a correction kernel for a defective pixel, determining average and difference values for pixel pairs in the correction kernel, and substituting an average value from a pixel pair for the value of the defective pixel. |
| US08817131B2 |
Information recording apparatus, image capturing apparatus, and information recording method for controlling recording of location information in generated images
An information recording apparatus includes a content generating unit that generates content, a position information obtaining unit that obtains position information, and a region determining unit that determines whether or not a position specified based on the obtained position information is included in a certain region. The information recording apparatus further includes a position information addition determining unit that determines, based on a determination result obtained by the region determining unit, whether or not to allow the obtained position information to be recorded, and a recording control unit that performs, based on a determination result obtained by the position information addition determining unit, recording control of the obtained position information. |
| US08817128B2 |
Real-time adjustment of illumination color temperature for digital imaging applications
An approach is provided to adjust illumination color temperature at a flash unit of a camera. Data that corresponds to the ambient light of a physical environment is collected, such as at a color temperature meter included in the camera. The ambient light has a distribution of color temperatures that cycle over a fixed time period. When a flash request is received, a time is calculated at which the flash unit will flash. One of the color temperatures is identified from the distribution of color temperatures with the identified color temperature being the predicted color of the ambient light that will be present in the physical environment when the flash unit flashes. The color temperature of the flash unit is set to the identified color temperature. |
| US08817122B2 |
Image pickup apparatus
An image pickup apparatus includes a face area selecting unit configured to select at least a face area situated at a first object distance and a face area situated at a second object distance, and to select a face area occupying the smallest area in a picked-up image among two or more face areas in a case where the two or more face areas are situated at the first object distance or at the second object distance. |
| US08817119B2 |
Camera device, camera system, control device and program
There is provided a camera device includes a first information acquisition portion that acquires first information used to control a first area that is specified within a whole image captured by a camera portion, a second information acquisition portion that acquires second information used to control a second area that is specified within the whole image, a control portion that controls mechanical movement of the camera portion based on the first information, and an image processing portion that acquires an image of the first area from the whole image captured by the camera portion, and that extracts an image of the second area from within the first area based on the second information. |
| US08817118B2 |
Imaging systems, moving bodies, and imaging control methods for remote monitoring of a moving target
To provide a new framework that can flexibly take images of a moving target in remote monitoring without the need to arrange a plurality of network cameras, an autonomously movable moving body is used to take an image of a photographic target in accordance with a request from a user terminal, and the photographic image is provided to the user terminal. The moving body includes: a position estimating unit that acquires, from a wireless tag reader, a radio field intensity of wireless communication with a wireless tag held by the photographic target to estimate a position of the photographic target based on the acquired radio field intensity; a movement control unit that controls the movement of the moving body so that the moving body moves to the estimated position as a destination; and an imaging unit that takes an image of the photographic target when the moving body is located near the destination, associates the photographic image with a wireless tag ID designated by the request, and transmits the photographic image to an apparatus outside the moving body. |
| US08817115B1 |
Spatial alignment of image data from a multichannel detector using a reference image
A method to perform spatial alignment and spectral compensation for a multi-channel flow imaging system that acquires image data from a single imaging region is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,079,708. The spatial corrections disclosed therein are static, and do not vary unless the alignment of optical components in the imaging system or the specific detector are modified. However, when image data is acquired from two different imaging regions that are spaced apart along an axis of motion between the object being imaged and the imaging system, dynamic spatial offsets are induced between image data acquired from a first imaging region and image data acquired from a second, spaced apart imaging region. The dynamic spatial offsets are a function of an error in an estimated velocity of the object as it moves between the imaging regions, and may vary from object to object. Techniques for correcting dynamic spatial offsets are disclosed. |
| US08817113B2 |
Image distribution system and methods
A method of distributing digital images includes capturing a first digital image using the first digital camera and converting, using the first digital camera, the first digital image into lossless code. The lossless code is displayed on the display of the first digital camera and is captured using a second digital camera. The lossless code captured from the display of the first digital camera is converted, using the second digital camera, into a copy of the first digital image, and the copy of the first digital image converted from the lossless code is displayed on the display screen of the second digital camera. |
| US08817112B2 |
Electronic apparatus, control method and computer readable medium for transmitting thumbnail data to an external apparatus
An electronic apparatus, method, and computer-readable medium shorten the response time of an electronic apparatus such as an electronic camera capable of communicating with an information processing apparatus such as a computer, and improve the usability of the information processing apparatus when the information processing apparatus requests data stored in the storage medium of the electronic apparatus. The electronic apparatus, which has a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device, is connected to an external apparatus, and can transmit/receive data to/from the external apparatus. Data to be requested by the external apparatus is loaded in advance from the auxiliary storage device to the main storage device before the external apparatus requests the data after connection to the external apparatus is established. |
| US08817111B2 |
System and method of calibrating a display system free of variation in system input resolution
This invention provides a calibration system and method for multi-unit display systems without a need for switching the system input resolution/configuration of the display system while calibrating. This serves to avoid carrying out a re-synchronization step. As such, this system and method allows for increases speed and reduced likelihood of failure. This system and method also corrects the display system by providing an arrangement that employs a minimum of required changes so as to avoid any changes that can consequently affect the output image of the display system. Calibration of the system of display units occurs free of any changes to the input resolution and this resolution is maintained in a manner that resists change unless specifically required. Moreover, this system and method enables a resolution for the overall system that differs from the sum of the input resolutions of the discrete, individual display units in the collection. |
| US08817102B2 |
Camera layout determination support device
A device which can support a determination of a camera layout by automatically preparing the camera layout that satisfies a customer request based on the customer request including a surveillance layout. Specifically, a need table that is a data set of a plurality of arrangement candidate cameras satisfying the customer request is prepared from the customer request including the surveillance layout. An arrangement of the plurality of the arrangement candidate cameras on a map is calculated based on the need table using a clustering method and a temporary layout of cameras is prepared. Then, an arrangement layout of the cameras in the surveillance layout is determined based on the temporary layout. |
| US08817097B2 |
Apparatus for processing on-screen display and system for reprogramming camera module having the same
There is provided an apparatus for processing an on-screen display (OSD), the apparatus including: a buffer unit receiving first dynamic guideline image information, a color determining unit determining colors for previously divided sections included in the first dynamic guideline image information from the buffering unit, and an image synthesizing unit synthesizing second dynamic guideline image information having the colors for each of the sections, determined by the color determining unit with an image from a camera. With the apparatus for processing an OSD, a user freely sets colors of a warning message, a static guideline, and a dynamic guideline, whereby the warning message, the static guideline, and the dynamic guideline can be displayed on a screen without obscuring a rearview image. In addition, a dynamic guideline can be set as different colors according to sections divided into distances from the rear of a vehicle and an image can be continuously displayed. Further, the camera module can be reprogrammed. |
| US08817091B2 |
Apparatus for monitoring a print result in a rotary printing press
Apparatus for monitoring a print result in a rotary printing press, includes a web monitoring system including a matrix camera (20) that is movable in transverse direction over a web printed in the printing press, the matrix camera being adapted to capture an excerpt of the printed image in synchronism with a repeat of the printed image during a print run, an inspection system for a complete inspection of the printed image, the inspection system including a line camera that extends over the entire widths of the web, and an integrated control desk for the web monitoring system and the inspection system. |
| US08817089B2 |
Inspection system
An inspection system for flat objects, especially wafers and dies, including: a handling system for loading objects into the inspection system; a sensor assembly for receiving images or measuring values of the object surface or parts of the object surface; a driving assembly for generating a relative movement between the objects and the sensor assembly, where a movement is effected between objects relative to the sensor assembly along a first trajectory; wherein at least one further sensor assembly is provided, and the driving assembly is adapted to generate a further relative movement, where a movement of different objects relative to the sensor assembly can be generated on at least a second trajectory in order to allow at least two objects to be treated simultaneously. |
| US08817085B2 |
Control system and method to operate an operating room lamp
A control system to control an operating room lamp to generate light to illuminate a surgical site includes an image signal input to receive an image signal from a video camera to capture an image of a surgical site and a control signal output to emit to the operating room lamp a control signal to control at least either a direction or an intensity or a spectral characteristic of the light or a size or shape of the area illuminated by the light. The control system is configured to recognize a hand area of medical personnel and to generate the control signal depending on the image signal and to emit it to the control signal output. |
| US08817084B2 |
Display device
This application relates to a display device and a method for preparing a display device. According to one illustrative display device or method for preparing a display device, for example, a stereoscopic image may be displayed in wide viewing angles without losses of the brightness. |
| US08817081B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program
An apparatus for processing image data may include a receiving unit, which may be configured to receive first image data representing at least one first image. The apparatus may also include an edge data generating unit, which may be configured to generate edge data representing unidirectional edge components of the at least one first image. Additionally, the apparatus may include a display control unit, which may be configured to generate second image data representing at least one of a left-eye image or a right-eye image, based on the first image data and the edge data. |
| US08817077B2 |
Endoscope system
An endoscope system includes processors, and settings in the processors are at least partially in common. And a setting content in a processor determined to have a higher priority is transmitted to a processor determined to have a lower priority, based on a predetermined operation, and the processor changes a setting content that is in common with a setting content in the processor among the received setting contents. |
| US08817075B2 |
Imaging apparatus capable of generating three-dimensional images, three-dimensional image generating method, and recording medium
An imaging apparatus generates a 3D model using a photographed image of a subject and generates a 3D image based on the 3D model. When a corresponding point corresponding to a point forming the 3D model does not form a 3D model generated using a photographed image photographed at a different photographing position, the imaging apparatus determines that the point is noise, and removes the point determined as noise from the 3D model. The imaging apparatus generates a 3D image based on the 3D model from which the point determined as noise is removed. |
| US08817074B2 |
Method of calculating 3D object data within controllable constraints for fast software processing on 32 bit RISC CPUS
Systems and methods are described to allow arbitrary 3D data to be rendered to a 2D viewport on a device with limited processing capabilities. 3D vertex data is received comprising vertices and connections conforming to coordinate processing constraints. A position and orientation of a camera in world co-ordinates is received to render the 3D vertex data from. A processing zone of the plurality of processing zones the position of the camera is in is determined. The vertices of the 3D vertex data assigned to the determined processing zone are transformed based on the position and orientation of the camera for rendering to the viewport. |
| US08817073B2 |
System and method of processing 3D stereoscopic image
A 3D stereoscopic image processing system comprises a receiver unit and an image processing unit. The receiver unit is adapted to receive a pair of stereoscopic images. The image processing unit is adapted to compute a first depth map from the pair of stereoscopic images, determine extreme depth values from a window selected in the depth map, determine a filter map based on the extreme depth values, and compute a second depth map by combining the filter map with the first depth map. In other embodiments, a method of processing stereoscopic images is provided, comprising computing a first depth map from a pair of stereoscopic images, generating a filter map associated with the first depth map, and combining the first depth map with the filter map to derive a second depth map. |
| US08817067B1 |
Interface for applying a photogrammetry algorithm to panoramic photographic images
Embodiments relate to selecting textures for a panoramic photographic image in image-based three-dimensional modeling. In a first embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes a method for inputting a panoramic photographic image that uses a photogrammetry algorithm to adjust a plurality of camera parameters for the panoramic photographic image. In the method, a street-level panoramic photographic image is selected by a user from a street-level panoramic image display site. An area of the street-level panoramic image is also identified by the user. A photographic image at the area of the street-level panoramic image is captured. Camera parameters representing a camera that took the photographic image is determined. A position on the photographic image is mapped to a position on a three-dimensional model. The camera parameters are adjusted so that the three-dimensional model is rendered onto the photographic image from a perspective specified by the adjusted camera parameters. |
| US08817062B2 |
On-screen caller ID with video playback and storage capability
Novel tools and techniques to enable video enhancements identifying the calling party of an incoming telephone call. In an aspect of some such tools, a video message from the calling party is sent to the receiving party through a communication channel in the provider network. Upon receiving an incoming telephone call at the provider network, the video message can be associated with the incoming telephone call, and routed to a set-top unit (also referred to herein as a “set-top box”) associated with the receiving party. The set-top unit might communicate with a visual display screen (e.g., a television), and/or cause the visual display screen to show the video message for the receiving party as an indication of the incoming telephone call and identification of the calling party. |
| US08817059B2 |
Optical scanning apparatus and image forming apparatus having a multi-beam light source with a controller for controlling the multi-beam light source
An optical scanning apparatus, including: a deflector including deflection surfaces and configured to deflect, by the deflection surfaces, light beams respectively emitted from light emitting portions for scanning in a main scanning direction; an imaging optical system configured to guide the light beams deflected for scanning by the deflection surfaces to a surface to be scanned; a light source including the light emitting portions arranged so as to be separated from each other in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction and an optical axis direction of the imaging optical system; and a controller configured to control the light source in such a manner that a difference between scanning start timings of the light beams at two adjacent deflection surfaces among the deflection surfaces is different from a difference between scanning start timings of the light beams at other two adjacent deflection surfaces among the deflection surfaces. |
| US08817055B2 |
Data transfer circuit and flat display device
The present invention is a data transfer circuit applicable to a liquid crystal display apparatus with a drive circuit formed integrally, for example, on an insulation substrate, and configured such that only an inverted output of a latch result of a first latch section (41) or only a non-inverted output thereof is data-transferred to a second latch section (42) and, at least during a period of data transfer to the second latch section (42), a power supply voltage of the first latch section (41) is raised. |
| US08817053B2 |
Methods and systems for opening a file
Methods, systems, and machine readable tangible storage media that can provide for smooth and seamless opening of a file from, for example, a preview are described. A preview of a file can be generated by a non-native viewer or reader application and in response to a command to open a file in a native application, the preview can continue to be displayed while the native application launches such that a user will perceive no interruption in display of the content. The non-native application can pass a display state (e.g. a page number or scroll position) to the native application such that the native application continues to show a user's current position or view port into the file. |
| US08817048B2 |
Selective rotation of a user interface
This is directed to rotating an entire user interface of a portable electronic device. In particular, this is directed to defining a UI orientation mode in which a user can direct the device to rotate a UI. When the UI orientation mode is enabled, the electronic device can detect particular inputs, for example based on the outputs of motion sensing components such as an accelerometer and a magnetometer, to determine how to rotate the UI. Once the UI has been rotated to a desired orientation, a user can lock the UI orientation and exit the UI orientation mode. |
| US08817045B2 |
Interactivity via mobile image recognition
Systems and methods of interacting with a virtual space, in which a mobile device is used to electronically capture image data of a real-world object, the image data is used to identify information related to the real-world object, and the information is used to interact with software to control at least one of: (a) an aspect of an electronic game; and (b) a second device local to the mobile device. Contemplated systems and methods can be used to gaming, in which the image data can be used to identify a name of the real-world object, to classify the real-world object, identify the real-world object as a player in the game, to identify the real-world object as a goal object or as having some other value in the game, to use the image data to identify the real-world object as a goal object in the game. |
| US08817043B2 |
System and method for selective viewing of a hidden presentation within a displayed presentation
There is provided a system and method for selective viewing of a hidden image within a displayed image. There is provided a method for providing a composite presentation, comprising displaying a plurality of elemental presentations including a first presentation and a second presentation to provide the composite presentation, wherein the displaying of the second presentation makes at least a first portion of the first presentation become unrecognizable to a human eye viewing the composite presentation without a use of a visual aid. This rendering of the first presentation as unrecognizable to the human eye may be accomplished through filtering techniques such as one or more of optical polarization, shuttering, depth of field alteration, light intensity alteration, light angle alteration, anaglyph filters, and other filtering techniques. |
| US08817039B2 |
Image processing device and image processing method
Provided is an image processing device which enables image display that takes full advantage of a color reproduction performance of a panel without providing a viewer with a feeling of strangeness. An image processing device includes: a color gamut conversion processor configured to convert inputted data into RGB data according to a liquid crystal panel; a weighting factor calculator configured to calculate a weighting factor; a first post-color-gamut-conversion data weighting processor configured to perform weighting processing to the RGB data; an inputted data weighting processor configured to perform weighting processing to the inputted data; and an output adder configured to add data after the weighting processing to generate RGB data to be supplied to the liquid crystal panel. The weighting factor calculator obtains the weighting factor based on a positional relation among a chromaticity coordinate on an xy chromaticity diagram, a color reproduction range for the inputted data, and a boundary line defined so as to include memory colors. |
| US08817038B2 |
Display apparatus and method for driving the same
A display apparatus, which adjusts a luminance value of an image, and a method for driving the same are disclosed. The display apparatus includes a first image conversion unit that converts first image data into a plurality of second image data each including a luminance value, a luminance analysis unit that determines quantities of luminance values of the second image data, and determines a distribution of the luminance values, and a luminance adjustment unit that adjusts the respective luminance values of the second image data based on the quantities. |
| US08817037B2 |
Reconstructing three dimensional oil paintings
Techniques for generating three dimensional image data with brushstroke effects from a two dimensional image is disclosed. One or more three dimensional brushstroke patterns from at least one brushstroke are generated. A two dimensional image is partitioned into one or more color regions. For each color region, each three dimensional brushstroke pattern is transformed to obtain a brushstroke effect. Each transformed three dimensional brushstroke pattern is then applied to each color region to generate a three dimensional image data having the brushstroke effect. |
| US08817034B2 |
Graphics rendering device, graphics rendering method, graphics rendering program, recording medium with graphics rendering program stored thereon, integrated circuit for graphics rendering
Provided is a graphics rendering device that includes a frame data generation unit, access pattern setting unit, and frame data writing unit. The frame data generation unit generates, from part of stencil data, a part of frame data composed of a piece of second pixel information corresponding to a predetermined number of pixels in accordance with a first access pattern and an anti-alias pattern used in generating pieces of second pixel information. The access pattern setting unit sets, in accordance with the first access pattern and the anti-alias pattern, a second access pattern indicating pieces of second pixel information accessible by a single access to the frame buffer. The frame data writing unit writes in the frame buffer, when the frame data generation unit has generated a number of pieces of second pixel information indicated by the second access pattern, a part of the frame data corresponding to the number of pieces of second pixel information in accordance with the second access pattern. |
| US08817033B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing adaptive memory bank addressing
A display system comprises a mapping memory comprising a plurality of memory banks configured to store a plurality of image tiles corresponding to an image, and an image mapping component configured to assign each of the plurality of tiles to one of the plurality of memory banks according to a first mapping or a second mapping, wherein the image mapping component determines whether to use the first or second mapping based on a bank interleaving metric of the first and second mappings. |
| US08817031B2 |
Distributed stream output in a parallel processing unit
A technique for performing stream output operations in a parallel processing system is disclosed. A stream synchronization unit is provided that enables the parallel processing unit to track batches of vertices being processed in a graphics processing pipeline. A plurality of stream output units is also provided, where each stream output unit writes vertex attribute data to one or more stream output buffers for a portion of the batches of vertices. A messaging protocol is implemented between the stream synchronization unit and the plurality of stream output units that ensures that each of the stream output units writes vertex attribute data for the particular batch of vertices distributed to that particular stream output unit in the same order in the stream output buffers as the order in which the batch of vertices was received from a device driver by the parallel processing unit. |
| US08817025B1 |
Efficiently implementing and displaying independent 3-dimensional interactive viewports of a virtual world on multiple client devices
Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to efficiently circumventing the limitations of client side rendering of virtual worlds. In a particular implementation, a proposed system renders each client viewport remotely, removing the burden of rendering a 3D scene from the local client device. 3D viewports, rather than being rasterized on the local client, are instead generated on a remote render device which then transmits a visual representation of the viewport to the client device in a format (including, but not limited to a video stream) which the client can use to display the scene without requiring complex 3D rasterization. This process eliminates the need for the client to have any specialized 3D rendering software or hardware, or to install or download any persistent render assets on the local system. The hardware requirements for the client are therefore roughly equivalent to those needed to play a continuous video stream. |
| US08817021B1 |
System for writing, interpreting, and translating three-dimensional (3D) scenes
Methods and systems for writing, interpreting, and translating three-dimensional (3D) scenes are provided. An example method may involve accessing data associated with a three-dimensional (3D) scene that includes one or more objects of the 3D scene and one or more rendering effects for the one or more objects. Requests for assets and instructions associated with rendering the one or more objects based on the data associated with the 3D scene may be determined and sent to a server. Additionally, the method may include receiving from the server assets and instructions that facilitate rendering the one or more objects based on the one or more rendering effects. According to the method, the one or more objects of the 3D scene may be rendered based on the received instructions and the received assets. |
| US08817015B2 |
Methods, apparatus, and computer-readable storage media for depth-based rendering of focused plenoptic camera data
Methods, apparatus, and computer-readable storage media for rendering focused plenoptic camera data. A depth-based rendering technique is described that estimates depth at each microimage and then applies that depth to determine a position in the input flat from which to read a value to be assigned to a given point in the output image. The techniques may be implemented according to parallel processing technology that renders multiple points of the output image in parallel. In at least some embodiments, the parallel processing technology is graphical processing unit (GPU) technology. |
| US08817014B2 |
Image display of a tubular structure
Described herein is a technology for facilitating visualization of a tubular structure. Digitized image data of the tubular structure is received and processed to determine a centerline. A first transformation operation is performed on a first set of coordinates representing the tubular structure to generate a transformed tubular structure with a straight centerline. A second transformation operation is then performed locally on a second set of coordinates representing at least one fold of the transformed tubular structure to generate a transformed fold, which is perpendicular to the centerline. |
| US08817013B2 |
Method for processing a spatial image
The invention relates to a method for processing a spatial image assembled from partial images or a time sequence of such images by processing the image data in individual processing modules according to an execution sequence and depending on adjustable processing parameters, wherein each module performs processing steps and the sequence is determined by a selectable linking of the. Further, each module is able to exchange data with the modules to which it is linked. If parameters are changed for two modules linked to each other in the execution sequence, (a) an upstream module transmits to a downstream module which areas of the image data present at the upstream module are affected by the change, (b) the downstream module transmits to the upstream module which image data it requires to perform the processing steps thereof. The upstream module recalculates only said image data, and transmits them to the downstream module. |
| US08817012B2 |
Light emitting period setting method, driving method for display panel, driving method for backlight, light emitting period setting apparatus, semiconductor device, display panel and electronic apparatus
Disclosed herein is a light emitting period setting method for a display panel wherein the peak luminance level is varied through control of a total light emitting period length which is the sum total of period lengths of light emitting periods arranged in a one-field period, including a step of setting period lengths of N light emitting periods, which are arranged in a one-field period, in response to the total light emitting period length such that the period lengths of the light emitting periods continue to keep a fixed ratio thereamong, N being equal to or higher than 3. |
| US08817011B2 |
Drive device having amplifier unit for applying gradation reference voltage
A drive device drives a display panel through alternately applying a positive polarity gradation voltage and a negative polarity gradation voltage to the display panel. The drive device includes an amplifier unit for amplifying a voltage applied to an input to obtain an amplified gradation voltage, and a voltage generation unit for generating the positive polarity gradation voltage and the negative polarity gradation voltage according to the amplified gradation voltage. The amplifier unit selects one of the positive polarity gradation voltage and the negative polarity gradation voltage immediately before the amplifier unit switches a gradation reference voltage. The selected gradation voltage has a polarity the same as that of the gradation reference voltage to be applied to the input line after the amplifier unit switches the gradation reference voltage. |
| US08817008B2 |
Pixel and organic light emitting display device using the same
A pixel of a display with reduced leakage current is disclosed. The pixel includes: an organic light emitting diode; a first transistor for controlling an amount of current flowing from a first power source to a second power source via the organic light emitting diode; a storage capacitor coupled between the first power source and a gate electrode of the first transistor; a plurality of third transistors coupled between the gate electrode and a second electrode of the first transistor; and a plurality of fourth transistors coupled between the gate electrode of the first transistor and an initialization power source. The third and fourth transistors are configured to reduce a leakage current from the storage capacitor to improve the image quality of the display. |
| US08817006B2 |
Adapter
A display adapter includes first and second conversion circuits, a switch unit, and a video graphics array (VGA) interface. The first conversion circuit includes a digital to analog (D/A) converter and a coupler. The second conversion circuit includes an analog to digital (A/D) converter and a decoupler. When the switch unit connects the first conversion circuit to the VGA interface, the D/A converter converts a digital signals representing VGA data into a first analog form data for coupling with a first alternating current (AC) voltage. When the switch unit connects the second conversion circuit to the VGA interface, the decoupler decouples and separates a second analog form data into the second analog form data. The A/D converter converts the second analog form data into digital signals representing VGA data, and outputs the digital signals representing VGA data to the VGA interface for use by another VGA display device. |
| US08817000B1 |
Computer-implemented keyboard power management system
A method for displaying power sustainability data for a battery includes providing a processor and a memory device coupled to the processor and receiving power sustainability data at a plurality of times. The power sustainability data includes a remaining battery capacity and a light exposure level. The method also includes storing the plurality of times and data values associated with the power sustainability data in the memory device. Additionally, the method includes obtaining most recently received data values for remaining battery capacity and light exposure level and displaying the most recently received data values for remaining battery capacity and light exposure levels. |
| US08816997B2 |
Image display device
Provided is an image display device for displaying an image by causing a light emitting element to emit light, the light emitting element being disposed in each of a plurality of pixel areas which are defined by dividing a display area into a grid pattern, the image display device including a pixel circuit for controlling light emission of the light emitting element disposed in each of the plurality of pixel areas, the pixel circuit being formed in an area having a portion that protrudes from the pixel area of the pixel circuit toward an adjacent pixel area and a portion where an adjacent pixel area protrudes into the pixel area. |
| US08816996B2 |
Barrier panel device for 3D image reproduction, and method of driving same
Provide is a method of driving a barrier panel device. Segment driving voltages are controlled to be applied to a plurality of segments of a first electrode of a barrier panel based on a display direction of an image signal displayed on an image display panel of an apparatus for reproducing a 3D image. An odd barrier driving voltage is controlled to be commonly applied to odd numbered barriers of a plurality of barriers of a second electrode of the barrier panel. An even barrier driving voltage is controlled to be commonly applied to even numbered barriers of the plurality of barriers. The segment driving voltage, the odd barrier driving voltages, and the even barrier driving voltages are synchronized. |
| US08816995B2 |
Indexing and holographic display system for manual control interference
Manual control interface including: a movable part, a photo-detector, a movable holographic element including a first series of holograms forming coding motifs of the selection position of the movable part, characterized by the fact that the movable holographic element includes a second series of holograms forming figurative motifs representing the functions of the apparatus, the position of the movable holographic element relative to the support determining the figurative motif which is illuminated by a suitable light beam, so as to project the figurative motif corresponding to the selected function towards a display zone visible to the user. |
| US08816993B2 |
Stylus and touch input system
A touch input system including a stylus and a display device is provided. The stylus includes a battery module, a touch portion, a transducer module and a RF transmitting module. When a contact pressure is acted on the touch portion, the touch portion is electrically connected to the battery module by the contact pressure and emits a light signal. The display region receives and reacts to the light signal, and the contact pressure is transformed into an electrical signal by the transducer module. The RF transmitting module is electrically connected to the transducer module and transmitting the electrical signal. The display device includes a display region and a RF receiving module. |
| US08816992B2 |
Display device and information processing apparatus
A display device having at least a display circuit for displaying an image, and a light receiving sensor for detecting a light disposed is provided. When a light receiving circuit region including the light receiving sensor is made a dark portion, and a region other than the light receiving circuit region is made a light portion, the display circuit and the light receiving sensor are disposed so that a spatial frequency of a repetitive pattern of the light portions and the dark portions becomes equal to or higher than 10 cpd. |
| US08816989B2 |
User interface navigation utilizing pressure-sensitive touch
An approach is provided to direct data to different applications based upon the amount of pressure applied by a user of a pressure sensitive touch-enabled screen. In this approach, a touch input is received at a location of the pressure sensitive touch-enabled screen. The various applications currently being displayed at the location are identified along with the physical pressure level (amount of pressure applied) at the location on the pressure sensitive touch-enabled screen. One of the applications running on the device is selected based on the amount of pressure applied and the touch-based input provided by the user is directed to the selected application. |
| US08816980B2 |
Mobile electronic device
A system and method for operating a portable electronic device are disclosed. A detected object is detected when the object is in contact with the device to provide detection results. Whether the device is performing a predetermined function to provide a first determination result and whether the object is in contact with the device based on the detection results to provide a second determination result are then determined. One of a first function and a second function comprising the first function based on the first determination result and the second determination result is then selected. The first function is selected if it is determined that the device is performing the predetermined function and that the object is in contact with mobile terminal. The second function is selected if it is determined that the device is performing the predetermined function and that the object is not in contact with the device. |
| US08816975B2 |
Information processing apparatus
An information processing apparatus of the present invention includes a touch panel for displaying predetermined information and accepting a touch operation input; and a control section for controlling operation of the information processing apparatus itself having the touch panel installed therein. The control section includes a processing occurrence detection means for detecting occurrence of a predetermined processing executed by the control section; and a panel control means for nullifying a touch operation input against the touch panel when the occurrence of the predetermined processing is detected by the processing occurrence detection means. The panel control means cancels nullification of the touch operation input against the touch panel after an elapse of a preset time from the occurrence of the predetermined processing, and sets, in association with the occurred predetermined processing, a touch operation input acceptable range allowing the touch panel to accept the touch operation input with respect to the predetermined processing. |
| US08816970B2 |
Touch panel, touch display panel, and touch sensing method
A touch panel including first electrode bands, second electrode bands, and a transparent dielectric material is provided. The first electrode bands are disposed on a first substrate and extended in a first direction, wherein each of the first electrodes has a plurality of first slits in the form of enclosed configuration. The second electrode bands are disposed on a second substrate, facing to the first electrode bands, and extended in a second direction interlacing the first direction. Each second electrode band is partially exposed by the first slits. The transparent dielectric material is disposed between the first electrode bands and the second electrode bands to provide a changeable gap. |
| US08816966B2 |
Touchscreen japanese character selection through sliding input
Systems, methods, and computer media for selecting characters through touchscreen input are provided. A user selection of a first character, such as a Japanese kana character, displayed on a touchscreen is received. A plurality of additional characters syllabically related to the first character are identified. A presentation order of the plurality of additional characters is identified. In response to receiving the user selection of the first character, at least a first and a second additional character from the plurality of syllabically related additional characters are displayed. The first additional character is displayed adjacent to the first character, and the second additional character is displayed adjacent to the first additional character. The displayed first and second additional characters are selectable by a user touch input. |
| US08816963B2 |
Optical navigation module and mobile electronic appliance using optical navigation module
An optical navigation module includes a light source, a light transmission window having a navigation surface, a first light shield configured for blocking the ambient light and absorbing the scattered light, a sensor configured for detecting light from the light transmission window and a second light shield located between the light source and the sensor and configured for blocking the direct light from the light source to the sensor. The light transmission window includes at least one refraction surface. The refraction surface is in the light path from the light source to the sensor. |
| US08816962B2 |
Multi-axis input apparatus
The inventive technology, in its various embodiments, relates to improved multi-axis input devices such as joysticks, and associated multi-axis optical displacement measurement means. Certain embodiments of the input devices may comprise elements movable with respect to each other in at least, e.g., three degrees of freedom and comprise ionically conductive elements that are utilized to generate a position signal in, e.g., at least three, or at least six degrees of freedom. Various ergonomic configurations of six axis joystick embodiments which may be facilitated by the compact design of the transducer means are disclosed. Certain embodiments of the input device technology may provide feedback (e.g., relative to force applied to an item whose position is controlled by an operator) to the operator. Means for dynamically adjusting coordinate transformations for construction machinery control are also disclosed. |
| US08816961B2 |
Pointing device for use on an interactive surface
A pointing device (10, 50, 70, 90) is provided for use on an interactive surface (21). The pointing device (10, 50, 70, 90) comprises a grip portion (11, 51, 71, 91) and a shapeable part (12, 52, 72, 92). The grip portion can be manipulated into different positions by a user. The shapeable part (12, 52, 72, 92) has a contact surface for making contact with the interactive surface (21). The grip portion (11, 51, 71, 91) is coupled to the shapeable part (12, 52, 72, 92) in such a way that the manipulation of the grip portion (11, 51, 71, 91) causes a footprint (30, 60, 80, 100) of the contact surface on the interactive surface (21) to take a shape corresponding to the respective different positions of the grip portion (11, 51, 71, 91). |
| US08816959B2 |
Method and apparatus for obtaining and/or analyzing anatomical images
A method for monitoring a target in a medical display in a medical imaging apparatus includes receiving echo signals from an area of interest of a patient, extracting raw data from the received echo signals, processing the extracted raw data to display a dual mode image on the medical display, and setting a location and displaying a first marker/cursor in a first image of the dual mode image. In addition, the method further includes determining a corresponding location of the marker/cursor in a second image of the dual mode image, and displaying a second marker/cursor in the second image of the dual mode image at the corresponding location simultaneously with the displaying of the first marker/cursor in the first image. |
| US08816958B2 |
System and method of mode-switching for a computing device
A first device such as a portable computing device can be configured to act as a text-entry device (in a text-entry mode) and a cursor control device (in a cursor control mode) for a second device. The first device can include a touch-sensitive display capable of receiving text inputs and cursor inputs for controlling the display of a second device which is communicatively coupled to the first device. The first device can be configured such that selection of certain items displayed by the second device can cause the first device to switch from a text-entry mode to a cursor control mode. The first device can be configured such that rotation of the device between a landscape orientation and a portrait orientation causes the device to switch between modes. The first device can be configured such that sideways movement of the device causes the device to switch between modes. |