| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08867833B2 |
Image processing method
An image processing method is adapted for color enhancement of an original image pixel. The original image pixel is composed of a plurality of pixel components each having a component value. The image processing method includes: determining a hue region to which the original image pixel belongs based directly on the component values of the pixel components thereof; selecting a color enhancement parameter corresponding to the determined hue region; and obtaining a color enhanced pixel according to the selected color enhancement parameter and the component values of the pixel components of the original image pixel. |
| US08867830B2 |
Image processing method for recovering details in overexposed digital video footage or digital still images
The present method relates to digital color image processing, in particular restoration and recovery of lost contrast and details in highlights due to overexposure or clipping by reconstructing components based on the signal remaining in at least one non-clipped signal component. |
| US08867829B2 |
Method and apparatus for editing color characteristics of electronic image
A method of editing color characteristics of an electronic image includes: a) receiving an original electronic image at a color editing subsystem; b) analyzing the original electronic image to identify original color characteristics and to identify a recommended set of color editing options, the recommended set of color editing options being less than a complete set of color editing options provided by the color editing subsystem; c) presenting the recommended set to a user via a user interface device; d) receiving a color editing instruction from the user interface device in response to the user selecting a corresponding color editing option from the recommended set; and e) adjusting the original color characteristics to form an adjusted electronic image having adjusted color characteristics based at least in part on the color editing instruction. An apparatus for editing color characteristics of an electronic image is also provided. |
| US08867828B2 |
Text region detection system and method
A method for detecting a text region in an image is disclosed. The method includes detecting a candidate text region from an input image. A set of oriented gradient images is generated from the candidate text region, and one or more detection window images of the candidate text region are captured. A sum of oriented gradients is then calculated for a region in one of the oriented gradient images. It is classified whether each detection window image contains text by comparing the associated sum of oriented gradients and a threshold. Based on the classifications of the detection window images, it is determined whether the candidate text region is a true text region. |
| US08867826B2 |
Disparity estimation for misaligned stereo image pairs
A disparity vector for a pixel in a right image corresponding to a pixel in a left image in a pair of stereo images is determined. The disparity vector is based on a horizontal disparity and a vertical disparity and the pair of stereo images is unrectified. First, a set of candidate horizontal disparities is determined. For each candidate horizontal disparity, a cost associated with a particular horizontal disparity and corresponding vertical disparities is determined. The vertical disparity associated with a first optimal cost is assigned to each candidate horizontal disparity, so that the candidate horizontal disparity and the vertical disparity yield a candidate disparity vector. Lastly, the candidate disparity vector with a second optimal cost is selected as the disparity vector of the pixel in the right image. |
| US08867825B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining a similarity or dissimilarity measure
A solution for determining a similarity or dissimilarity measure for a selected pixel of a first image relative to another selected pixel in a second image is described. The first image and the second image form a stereoscopic image pair or part of a multi-view image group. In a first step a first support window containing the selected pixel in the first image is determining. Then a second support window containing the selected pixel in the second image is determining. Subsequently one or more statistical properties of the selected pixel in the first image are calculated to define a probability distribution for the selected pixel in the first image. Finally, pixel similarity or dissimilarity between the first support window and the second support window is aggregated using only those pixels belonging to the probability distribution for the selected pixel in the first image with a probability above a defined minimum. |
| US08867823B2 |
Virtual viewpoint image synthesizing method and virtual viewpoint image synthesizing system
Provided is a virtual viewpoint image synthesizing method in which a virtual viewpoint image viewed from a virtual viewpoint is synthesized based on image information obtained from a plurality of viewpoints. The virtual viewpoint image is synthesized through a reference images obtaining step, a depth maps generating step, an up-sampling step, a virtual viewpoint information obtaining step, and a virtual viewpoint image synthesizing step. |
| US08867822B2 |
Model-based coronary artery calcium scoring
A system and method are provided for model-based coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring. A model image of a heart region is aligned with an image of a patient's heart region in order to more easily identify the coronary arteries and other relevant anatomical features in the image. Once the images are aligned, relevant calcium plaques are identified by their presence within a coronary artery, and the relevant plaques are then labeled by the specific coronary artery in which they are located. The coronary arteries with the labeled plaques are scored individually based on their size and X-ray attenuation, and an overall score based on all of the relevant plaques is then computed, which is related to the patient's risk for coronary artery disease. |
| US08867817B1 |
Display analysis using scanned images
A method for analyzing a display is described. The method includes scanning the display to generate a scanned image of the display. The scanned image may be analyzed to determine a characteristic of the display, such as whether or not the display is defective. |
| US08867815B2 |
Sample identification device and sample identification method
A cell stethoscope 1 comprises a sample image input section 31 for inputting image information of a cell, an image display part 50 for displaying the image information to an observer, an area designation part 40 for designating a fixed area included in the image information in response to an operation carried out by the observer according to the image information displayed by the image display part 50, a frequency conversion section 32 for frequency-converting vibration information of the cell in the fixed area designated by the area designation part 40 into sound information, and a sound output part 60 for outputting the sound information frequency-converted by the frequency conversion section 32 to the observer. |
| US08867809B2 |
Image processing method
A computer-implemented method of generating a model that models a class of objects. The method comprises, for each of a plurality of objects of the class of objects, receiving a first two-dimensional image of the object and first acquisition data, receiving a second two-dimensional image of the object and second acquisition data and receiving data indicating a plurality of points of interest within the object. The first and second two-dimensional images are combined based upon the first and second acquisition data to generate three-dimensional image data, the three-dimensional image data including data based upon the data indicating a plurality of points of interest and the generated three-dimensional image data for each of the objects of the class of objects is processed to generate the model. |
| US08867808B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program, and storage medium
First elasticity information regarding elasticity of a subject in a first image and second elasticity information regarding the elasticity of the subject in a second image are acquired, and the first image and the second image are positioned with respect to each other on the basis of at least one of the first elasticity information and the second elasticity information. |
| US08867806B2 |
Method and apparatus for correction of errors in surfaces
Methods and systems are disclosed for correcting segmentation errors in pre-existing contours and surfaces. Techniques are disclosed for receiving one or more edit contours from a user, identifying pre-existing data points that should be eliminated, and generating a new corrected surface. Embodiments disclosed herein relate to using received edit contours to generate a set of points on a pre-existing surface, and applying a proximity test to eliminate pre-existing constraint points that are undesirable. |
| US08867805B2 |
Method and system for reconstruction of tomographic images
Approaches are described for addressing artifacts associated with iterative reconstruction of image data acquired using a cone-beam CT system. Such approaches include, but are not limited to, the use of asymmetric regularization during iterative reconstruction, the modulation of regularization strength for certain voxels, the modification of statistical weights, and/or the generation and use of synthesized data. |
| US08867799B2 |
Fingerprint sensing assemblies and methods of making
A fingerprint sensing module includes a sensor substrate having a sensing side and a circuit side, an image sensor including conductive traces on the circuit side of the sensor substrate, and a sensor circuit including at least one integrated circuit mounted on the circuit side of the sensor substrate and electrically connected to the image sensor. The sensor substrate may be a flexible substrate. The module may include a velocity sensor on the sensor substrate or on a separate substrate. The module may further include a rigid substrate, and the sensor substrate may be affixed to the rigid substrate. |
| US08867798B2 |
Method and apparatus for photograph finding
Digital image data including discrete photographic images of a variety of different subjects, times, and so forth, are collected and analyzed to identify specific features in the photographs. In an embodiment of the invention, distinctive markers are distributed to aid in the identification of particular subject matter. Facial recognition may also be employed. The digital image data is maintained in a database and quarried in response to search requests. The search requests include criteria specifying any feature category or other identifying information, such as date, time, and location that each photograph was taken, associated with each photograph. Candidate images are provided for review by requesters, who may select desired images for purchase or downloading. |
| US08867797B2 |
Biometric identification and verification
In real biometric systems, false match rates and false non-match rates of 0% do not exist. There is always some probability that a purported match is false, and that a genuine match is not identified. The performance of biometric systems is often expressed in part in terms of their false match rate and false non-match rate, with the equal error rate being when the two are equal. There is a tradeoff between the FMR and FNMR in biometric systems which can be adjusted by changing a matching threshold. This matching threshold can be automatically, dynamically and/or user adjusted so that a biometric system of interest can achieve a desired FMR and FNMR. |
| US08867793B2 |
Scene analysis using image and range data
Image and range data associated with an image can be processed to estimate planes within the 3D environment in the image. By utilizing image segmentation techniques, image data can identify regions of visible pixels having common features. These regions can be used to candidate regions for fitting planes to the range data based on a RANSAC technique. |
| US08867792B2 |
Environment recognition device and environment recognition method
There are provided an environment recognition device and an environment recognition method. the environment recognition device retains beforehand shape information that is information on a shape of a specific object; obtains a luminance of each of target portions, formed by dividing a detection area, and extracting a target portion including an edge; obtains a relative distance of the target portion including an edge; and determines a specific object indicated with the shape information by performing a Hough transform on the target portion having the edge based on the shape information according to the relative distance. |
| US08867789B2 |
Systems and methods for tracking an object in a video
Disclosed are various embodiments for tracking an object shown as moving in a video. One embodiment is a method for tracking an object in a video that comprises tracking in a first temporal direction an object in a plurality of video frames and generating a first tracking result, evaluating the first tracking result corresponding to tracking of the object in the first temporal direction, and stopping tracking in the first temporal direction upon the occurrence of a predefined event, wherein the predefined event is based on an evaluated tracking result. The method further comprises obtaining data identifying an object outline of the object upon stopping the tracking in the first temporal direction, tracking in a second temporal direction the object based on the data identifying the object outline of the object to generate a second tracking result, and generating a refined tracking result based on at least on one of the first tracking result, the second tracking result, or a combination thereof. |
| US08867788B2 |
Vehicle periphery monitoring device
A vehicle periphery monitoring device includes: a first edge image generation element 5 which generates a first edge image on the basis of luminance components of a captured image acquired by an in-vehicle camera 2; a second edge image generation element 6 which generates a second edge image on the basis of hue components or saturation components of the captured image; a composite edge image generation element 7 which generates a composite edge image formed by combining the first edge image and the second edge image; and an object classification identification element 8 which identifies whether or not the object is a prescribed kind of structure on the basis of the external shape of the object represented by the composite edge image. |
| US08867783B2 |
Electronic lockbox transaction processing
Methods, computer readable media, and apparatuses for electronically sorting and managing mail within an electronic lockbox are described. Mail may be routed from a mail delivery service to a first location. The mail may be scanned at the first location and information may be extracted from the envelopes and items within the envelopes. The information may be verified and grouped into electronic transactions. The electronic transactions may be classified and sorted into batches based on identifiers contained within the information extracted from the mail. The batches of electronic transactions may be processed and information relating to the transactions may be stored. |
| US08867780B2 |
Obfuscating the display of information and removing the obfuscation using a filter
This is directed to obfuscating a display to secure the display of information provided to a user. An electronic device can modulate the display of information using different approaches, including for example by adding artifacts or changing the color, frequency or polarity of displayed information, thus obfuscating the display. To view the displayed information, a user can place a filter between the user and the display (e.g., as part of glasses) such that the filter can remove or undo the obfuscation. In some embodiments, the device can display different confidential information for several users simultaneously, where different obfuscation approaches are used for each user. This can allow several users to interact with the device simultaneously while ensuring that each user's information remains confidential. |
| US08867778B2 |
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker has a short support post joined to the forward plate; upper end of the support post in association with the fixing post is joined to the middle part of the drum paper with the fixing post; the voice coil has the upper end thereof joined to the drum paper; when the voice coil drives the drum paper to vibrate and emit sound, the upper end of the short support post sways and generates a small offset because of the lower end of the support post being retained by the forward plate such that the voice coil moves axially in the magnetic clearance without deviation, and the voice coil is incapable of touching the yoke or the forward plate to produce noise; therefore, quality of sound output from the loudspeaker is enhanced effectively. |
| US08867773B2 |
Audio processing device
An audio processing device including a first audio collecting unit configured to convert an audio vibration into an electric signal and acquire an audio signal includes a shielding unit having a predetermined resonant frequency that shields the first audio collecting unit from an influence of airflow outside the device; and an acquiring unit configured to acquire, as a first audio signal, an audio signal in a predetermined frequency band lower than the resonant frequency of the shielding unit from among the audio signal acquired by the first audio collecting unit that is shielded from the influence of the air flow outside the device by the shielding unit. |
| US08867769B2 |
Behind-the-ear hearing aid having a plug-in connector
A behind-the-ear hearing device has a housing with a plug-in connector on a sidewall of the housing for connecting to an earpiece tube or sound tube. The lateral arrangement of the plug-in connector moves the plug-in connector away from the exposed position on the front end face of the housing. This enables the front end face, which is generally visible, to be made smaller. Advantageously, at least two microphones are provided, with one microphone position in the vicinity of the front end face of the housing. The front microphone position is thus moved farther away from a position that may possibly be covered by the pinna, and the rear microphone position can also be moved farther toward the front. The microphone positions are thus approximately horizontal, which promotes the spatial resolution of the detected surrounding sound (directionality) by the signal processing of the hearing aid. |
| US08867768B2 |
Earpiece assembly with foil clip
Examples of a removable earpiece assembly configured for coupling to a canal hearing device using a foil-thin clip are described. The earpiece assembly may be readily removed for replacement when soiled or degraded after use. The earpiece assembly may include a compliant element for contact with the ear canal in a comfortable and safe manner. The earpiece assembly may function as an acoustic seal and/or a retainer for the canal hearing device. The removable earpiece assembly may provide a highly space efficient solution which may be used with miniature canal hearing devices, including a CIC device. In some embodiments, disengagement of the earpiece assembly from the canal hearing device may be accomplished by a side peel motion. |
| US08867766B2 |
Method for producing a signal which is audible by an individual
Audible signals (m2) which are transmitted via an uncontrolled transmission path (11) to an individual's ear wearing the control signal processing path (1) of a hearing device are compensated by audible signals (m3) which are produced by an additional controlled signal processing path (20). Signal processing parts are commonly exploited (25b, 25d, 7/27) by both controlled signal processing paths (1, 20). |
| US08867765B2 |
Antenna used in conjunction with the conductors for an audio transducer
A hearing assistance device to provide sound to the ear of a user, the device comprising a housing, hearing assistance electronics enclosed in the housing, an acoustic transducer adapted to be worn in the ear, a cable assembly adapted to connect the acoustic transducer to the hearing assistance electronics, a wireless communications receiver connected to the hearing assistance electronics, and an antenna comprising one or more conductors forming at least a portion of the cable assembly. |
| US08867764B1 |
Calibrated hearing aid tuning appliance
A hearing aid can be tuned while worn by a user according to a heuristic method, including select an adjustable parameter and an stimulus having audio energy characteristics related to the adjustable parameter. The stimulus is played via a calibrated audio output device and amplified by the hearing aid. After selecting a user perception query associated with the adjustable parameter, feedback is obtained from the user indicating that the stimulus was not perceived neutrally. A perceptual adjustment curve and a threshold curve are determined according to the user feedback, and an estimated perception curve that estimates the user's perception of the stimulus is determined. When at least a portion of the estimated perception curve exceeds a threshold curve, the hearing aid is programmed according to at least one adjustment value determined according to the user feedback value. |
| US08867762B2 |
Audio towing handle
One embodiment provides a system and method for an audio handle. The audio handle includes a rope, the rope including a first end operable to be attached to a vehicle for towing a user. The audio handle further includes a handle connected to the rope. The handle includes one or more speakers operable to communicate an audio signal to the user. The rope includes one or more wires for communicating an electronic audio signal from an audio source of the vehicle to the speakers to generate the audio signal. The first end includes an audio jack for connecting the one or more wires to the audio source to receive the electronic audio signal. |
| US08867760B2 |
Mixer
In a mixer, each input channel adjustment unit includes a main system unit that generates a main system signal, and a plurality of MIX send units that generate a plurality of MIX send signals. In each MIX send unit, a signal selection unit selects an audio signal from a plurality of audio signals being involved in the main system unit and including at least an audio signal to be inputted to a filter unit of the main system unit and an audio signal to be inputted to a main system gain adjustment unit. A linked gain setting unit of the MIX send unit applies a gain that increases or decreases in linking with the gain of the main system gain adjustment unit, to the audio signal that is selected by the signal selection unit. A linked ON/OFF unit of the MIX send unit sets ON state or OFF state of the audio signal that is selected by the signal selection unit in linking with the ON state or OFF state of a main system ON/OFF unit. |
| US08867757B1 |
Microphone under keyboard to assist in noise cancellation
A system includes a first housing that houses a plurality of mechanical keys. A first microphone that is configured to detect a dynamic noise is located within the first housing and under the mechanical keys. A second microphone is configured to detect acoustic waves that include speech and to convert the acoustic waves into an electrical audio signal. The dynamic noise is not associated with the detected speech. The system further includes a dynamic audio signal filter that is configured to suppress, in the electrical audio signal, dynamic noise, and the dynamic audio signal filter is activated in response to the first microphone detecting the dynamic noise. |
| US08867756B2 |
Auscultation apparatus with two optical microphones
An auscultation apparatus including an optical microphone is proposed. Optical microphones can reliably acquire sounds of the most disparate frequencies even in an environment permeated by electromagnetic fields, without influencing said fields. Such an optical microphone of an auscultation apparatus can be disposed inside a medical examination and diagnostic device during operation. Given a suitable arrangement, both the heart sounds and the respiratory sounds of a patient can be recorded and monitored already with just one optical microphone. |
| US08867754B2 |
Dereverberation apparatus and dereverberation method
A dereverberation apparatus includes a signal selecting unit which selects a sound signal to be used for dereverberation process from a plurality of sound signals, and a dereverberation processing unit which performs the dereverberation process for the selected sound signal. |
| US08867753B2 |
Apparatus, method and computer program for upmixing a downmix audio signal
An apparatus for upmixing a downmix audio signal describing one or more downmix audio channels into an upmixed audio signal describing a plurality of upmixed audio channels includes an upmixer configured to apply temporally variable upmixing parameters to upmix the downmix audio signal in order to obtain the upmixed audio signal. The apparatus also includes a parameter interpolator, wherein the parameter interpolator is configured to obtain one or more temporally interpolated upmix parameters to be used by the upmixer on the basis of a first complex-valued upmix parameter and a subsequent second complex-valued upmix parameter. The parameter interpolator is configured to separately interpolate between a magnitude value of the first complex-valued upmix parameter and a magnitude value of the second complex-valued upmix parameter, and between a phase value of the first complex-valued upmix parameter and a phase value of the second complex-valued upmix parameter, to obtain the one or more temporally interpolated upmix parameters. A respective method can be implemented, for example, as a computer program. |
| US08867752B2 |
Reconstruction of multi-channel audio data
A method for processing sound data is provided for the reconstruction of multi-channel audio data on the basis at least of data on a reduced number of channels and of spatialization data. A test is carried out to determine whether the spatialization data received are valid. If the test is positive, a spatialization value is predicted according to a per respective model of a plurality of models. A prediction model is chosen on the basis of the spatialization values thus predicted and on the basis of the spatialization data received, to permit, in case of subsequent reception of defective spatialization data, a prediction according to this chosen model of a spatialization value and to use this predicted spatialization value for the reconstruction of the multi-channel audio data. |
| US08867749B2 |
Acoustic spatial projector
A method and system for producing an acoustic spatial projection by creating audio channels for producing an acoustic field by mixing, on a reflective surface, sounds associated with the audio channels is provided. In one embodiment, a method includes the step of using audio information to determining a set of audio channels. Each audio channel is associated with a sound source, such as one or more loudspeakers, and for a subset of the audio channels, the associated sound sources emit sound waves directed at a reflective surface prior to being received at a listening location. The method further includes steps of determining an acoustic response of a listening environment; steps of determining a delay to apply to one or more channels of the set of audio channels; and steps of determining a frequency compensation to apply to one or more channels of the audio channels. |
| US08867745B2 |
Efficient transmission of cryptographic information in secure real time protocol
Efficient transmission of cryptographic information in secure real time protocol. A transmitting terminal may be used to encrypt data with a session key derived from a bit-stream. The bit-stream may be sent with header information to the receiving terminal. To conserve bandwidth, the information may be divided into portions, and each portion transmitted with an encrypted data packet. The receiving terminal may be used to recover the bit-stream from the information portions in the packet headers, and use the bit-stream to derive the session key. The session key may be used to decrypt the data. |
| US08867742B2 |
Optical transmission device and reception device for Yuen encryption, optical transmission method and reception method for Yuen encryption, and encrypted communication system
A configuration method of an optical signal, an encryption device, and an encryption system makes it possible for a legitimate communicating party to ensure information-theoretic security against a known plain text attack and to communicate long-distance. By adding a transmission information data sequence randomization device to the Yuen encrypted communications device according to the present information, which divides transmission information data into blocks, appends sequence numbers thereto, randomly switches the sequence of the blocks with a digitized signal of output of an electrical noise generator, and inputs same into a transmission data generator of a conventional Yuen encrypted optical transmitter, the relation between a known transmission information data sequence (plain text) and an optical signal which is outputted from the transmitter is randomized, allowing forcibly making even a circumstance wherein a known-plain text attack would be possible into a cipher-text-only attack, realizing information-theoretic security against a known-plain text attack. |
| US08867738B2 |
Method and device for reducing vectoring-enhanced noise in copper telephone loops
A method and a corresponding device for reducing enhanced noise generated as a result of applying vectoring to signals transmitted and subsequently received over a plurality of copper telephone loops involve receiving a set of intermediate values, which correspond to estimates of the transmitted signals. The intermediate values are generated by applying a vectoring procedure to initial samples of the received signals. The intermediate values are demodulated. At least one demodulated value is selected as a final estimate of a corresponding transmitted signal. The initial samples are then refined by removing each initial sample that has a corresponding selected demodulated value. The vectoring procedure, the demodulating, the selecting, and the refining are each repeated using the refined samples in place of the initial samples to generate new intermediate values that have reduced noise. |
| US08867736B2 |
Device for controlling a supply voltage for a terminal
A control device includes a circuit operable to sense an analog input voltage dependent on a line current flowing via a communication line of a terminal generate an analog difference voltage in a constant line current operation based on a difference between the sensed analog input voltage and an analog feedback voltage which depends on an adjustable nominal direct-current value and filter a sequence of control error values from a sequence of digital difference voltage values converted from the generated analog difference voltage. The circuit is further operable to convert a control value generated from the sequence of control error values in the constant line current operation to an analog direct voltage for supplying the terminal and convert the nominal direct-current value into the analog feedback voltage in the constant line current operation. |
| US08867734B2 |
Functionality during a hold period prior to a customer-service video conference
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for providing functionality to users during a hold period prior to conducting a customer-service video conference. In specific embodiments of the present invention, the user is able to exit the video conferencing application during the hold period and be subsequently notified when the hold period is about to end and the video conference about to start. Such exiting of the video conference application and subsequent notification of the imminence of the video conference, allows for the user to perform other functions/execute other applications on the device while being assured that the user will have opportunity to conduct the video conference when the user's position in the hold period queue indicates they are next in line for conducting the video conference. |
| US08867723B2 |
Method of retrieving service information
A method for a communications device (12) to successively querying a remote service platform (32) for service information updates, the method comprising at the device: monitoring a PSTN line for a trigger event associated with a PSTN call; determining if a trigger event has occurred, and if so, establishing a data session with the remote service platform; generating a request for a service information update, the request including a calling line identifier for the PSTN line; and sending the request to the remote service platform. |
| US08867722B2 |
Source selection for conference bridges
The present invention provides an audio source selection process for a conference bridge. The conference bridge receives multiple audio sources and selects at least one of the audio sources based on the relative signal levels associated with the audio signal at each of the audio sources. The audio signals associated with the selected source are delivered to conference participants via one or more audio outputs. The conference bridge will repeatedly employ a selection process to select an audio source based on signal level measurements for the audio signals of the audio sources. During the selection process, the influence of a selected audio source relative to the other unselected audio sources is reduced, after the selected audio source has remained selected for more than a first time period. |
| US08867719B2 |
Systems and methods for generating a calling list for a conference call
Systems and methods are described that facilitate the generation of calling lists for use in planning or setting up conference calls. The system may include a communications module and a contact database comprising a plurality of contact records, each contact record corresponding to a different contact. Each contact record may include at least one contact address and at least one descriptor. For example, the descriptor may include a job title and/or expertise for the contact. The system may also include a selection module configured to select at least one of the contacts and also configured to compare the at least one descriptor to at least one qualifier criteria. The method may include: providing a contact database comprising a plurality of contact records, each contact record corresponding to a different contact; wherein each contact record comprises at least one contact address and at least one descriptor; determining at least one qualifier criteria; comparing the qualifier criteria to the at least one descriptor; determining a calling list corresponding to at least one contact. |
| US08867715B2 |
System and method for the management of credit-debit operations in accounts related to telecommunications services
A method and a system for the management of telecommunication services provided by an operator to users (4) and (6) of telecommunication services, the method comprising: assigning a subscriber network identifier (IS) to each subscribed user (6); monitoring inbound communications toward the subscriber network identifiers (IS) assigned to subscribed users; creating, by virtue of means (8) for creating and managing virtual accounts, a virtual account (CV) registered to each network identifier originating communications (IC); informing, by virtue of information means (14), at least the user (4) or (6) of telecommunication services who originates the communication toward the subscriber network identifier (IS) and/or the registrant of the network identifier originating communications (IC) of the existence and/or balance of the virtual account (CV). The telecommunication service management system comprises means for implementing the method. |
| US08867714B2 |
Communication apparatus
A communication apparatus including: a requiring section which transmits a requirement for establishing a state in which and the communication apparatus and a first communication apparatus are communicable with each other via an internet line, to the first communication apparatus via the internet line; a communication establishing section which establishes the state; a calling section which transmits a dial signal to an exchanger via the telephone line and calls a to-be-called apparatus, when the communication establishing section has established the state; a notifying section which transmits a notification about calling of the communication apparatus, to the first communication apparatus via the internet line after the calling section has called; a receiving section which receives an acknowledgment signal transmitted via the internet line from the first communication apparatus having received the notification; and a communication controlling section which controls the communication with the to-be-called apparatus via the telephone line. |
| US08867712B2 |
Adjusting a power allocation of users in a digital subscriber line environment
A method and a device adjust a power allocation of users in a digital subscriber line environment. An intermediate power allocation is determined for at least one user initializing with the digital subscriber line environment based on a new power allocation determined for the digital subscriber line environment containing the at least one user. The intermediate power allocation provides a predefined minimum signal-to-noise ratio margin for the active users of the digital subscriber line environment. Furthermore, a communication system can contain such a device. |
| US08867711B2 |
Telecom web browsers, and methods for defining a telecom web browser
A method of defining a voice browser for browsing a plurality of voice sites, at least some of the voice sites having different telephone numbers, the voice sites being configured to be accessed by telephone, is provided including storing information relating to voice sites visited by a voice user; and providing forward and back functions, comprising transferring a user from one voice site to another, in response to commands by the user. Computer program code and systems are also provided. |
| US08867710B2 |
Messaging in a hosted private branch exchange
A hosted private branch exchange (PBX) system is provided that includes: non-transitory storage that includes subscriber identifying information that identifies a subscriber to a message routing service; non-transitory storage that includes distribution rules information associated with the identified subscriber; and a message management server configured to receive a message sent over the Internet to the identified subscriber and to send the message over the Internet to one or more devices according to the distribution rules associated with the identified subscriber. |
| US08867709B2 |
Method and system for answer-mode identification of a telephony device
A method and an apparatus for the identification of the mode of a telephony device in a network are provided. A call initiation signal is received from a mode-identifying telephony device. The call initiation signal is used to communicate with a mode-selecting telephony device. Thereafter, the mode at the mode-selecting telephony device is detected and an answer mode signal, including the information regarding the answering mode of the mode-selecting telephony device, is sent to the mode-identifying telephony device. |
| US08867706B2 |
Asymmetric x-ray tube
An asymmetric x-ray tube. In one example embodiment, an x-ray tube includes an evacuated enclosure, a cathode assembly at least partially positioned within the evacuated enclosure and defining a first axis, and an anode assembly at least partially positioned within the evacuated enclosure and defining a second axis. The anode assembly includes a rotating anode having a focal spot. The focal spot and the second axis define a plane. The first axis is positioned beneath the plane. |
| US08867693B2 |
Rod spacer grid for a nuclear fuel assembly, and a corresponding assembly
A grid (13) for supporting nuclear fuel pencils (3) for a nuclear fuel assembly (1) comprising a peripheral belt (17), the peripheral belt (17) comprising on at least one of its edges (35, 37) guide fins (33) is disclosed. The edge (35, 37) of the peripheral belt (17) has between the adjacent guide fins (33) recesses (39) towards the inside of the grid (13). The invention is applicable, for example, to pressurized water reactors. |
| US08867690B2 |
Pressurized water reactor with compact passive safety systems
A nuclear reactor includes a pressure vessel and a nuclear reactor core disposed in the pressure vessel. A subterranean containment structure contains the nuclear reactor. An ultimate heat sink (UHS) pool is disposed at grade level, and an upper portion of the subterranean containment structure defines at least a portion of the bottom of the UHS pool. In some embodiments, the upper portion of the subterranean containment structure comprises an upper dome, which may protrude above the surface of the UHS pool to define an island surrounded by the UHS pool. In some embodiments, a condenser comprising a heat exchanger including hot and cold flow paths is disposed inside the subterranean containment structure; and cooling water lines operatively connect the condenser with the UHS pool. |
| US08867684B2 |
Low latency synchronizer circuit
An apparatus for synchronizing an incoming signal with a clock signal comprises two or more synchronizer circuits, wherein each synchronizer circuit receives the incoming signal and the clock signal. Each synchronizer circuit generates a synchronized signal, wherein the state of each synchronized signal changes on a different phase of said clock signal in response to a change of the state of said incoming signal. A decision mechanism circuit receives the synchronized signals generated by each synchronizer circuit, wherein the decision mechanism circuit determines the output signal in response to the change of the state of the incoming signal. The decision mechanism circuit further comprises a memory element having a state which is set according to a previously detected state of said signal, wherein the output signal is determined according to the state of the memory element. |
| US08867679B2 |
Systems and methods for cancelling cross polarization interference in wireless communication using polarization diversity
An exemplary system may comprise a first and second device and a first and second power splitter coupled to a single cable. The first device may be configured to receive a first noise signal of a first polarization, and to adaptively cancel, based on the first noise signal, first noise from the noisy signal associated with an orthogonal polarization. The second device may be configured to receive a second noise signal of a second polarization, and to adaptively cancel second noise from the noisy signal associated with an orthogonal polarization based on the second noise signal. The first power splitter may be configured to receive the first noise signal from the single cable and provide the first noise signal to the first device. The second power splitter may be configured to receive the second noise signal from the single cable and provide the second noise signal to the second device. |
| US08867673B2 |
Selective quantization of decision metrics in wireless communication
A method for quantizing decision metrics (e.g., log likelihood ratios (LLRs)) for reduction of memory requirements in wireless communication is described. The method includes selecting a quantization algorithm. The quantization algorithm may be selected as a function of a characteristic of a decision metric representative of a transport block received over a communication channel, a characteristic of the transport block, or a condition of the communication channel. The method further includes quantizing the decision metric using the selected quantization algorithm to generate at least one quantized decision metric representative of the transport block. The method further includes storing the quantized decision metric and an indicia of the selected quantization algorithm to enable recovery of the decision metric representative of the transport block prior to decoding. |
| US08867671B2 |
Conversion circuit for converting complex analog signal into digital representation
A conversion circuit (20) for converting a complex analog input signal having an in-phase, I, component and a quadrature-phase, Q, component resulting from frequency down conversion of a radio-frequency, RF, signal (XRF) to a frequency band covering 0 Hz into a digital representation is disclosed. It comprises a channel-selection filter unit (40) arranged to filter the complex analog input signal, thereby generating a channel-filtered I and Q components, and one or more processing units (53, 53a-b). Each processing unit comprises four mixers (60-75) for generating a first and a second frequency-translated I component and a first and a second channel-filtered Q component based on two LO signals with equal LO frequency and a 90° mutual phase shift. Furthermore, each processing unit comprises a combiner unit (85, 120) for generating a first, a second, a third, and a fourth combined signal proportional to sums and differences between said frequency translated I and Q components. The first and the fourth combined signals form a first complex signal, and the second and the third combined signals form a second complex signal. Each processing unit further comprises four ADCs (110a-d, 115a-d) for providing digital representations of the first complex signal and the second complex signal for forming said digital representation of the analog complex input signal. A related radio receiver circuit and a related electronic apparatus are also disclosed. |
| US08867669B2 |
Circuit and method for removing frequency offset, and communication apparatus
A circuit and a method for removing a frequency offset and a communication apparatus including the circuit, capable of removing the frequency offset by tracking rapidly and accurately in a payload section. A sequence of sample levels is obtained by sampling a frequency level of the baseband signal at every 0.5 symbol interval. Absolute values of differences between the frequency levels adjacent to each other at every 1 symbol are calculated as first difference absolute values. Absolute values of differences between the frequency levels adjacent to each other at every 1 symbol are calculated as second difference absolute values. When the first difference absolute values are greater than a predetermined first determination value or the second difference absolute values are less than a predetermined second determination value, the average value calculated is set as the frequency offset. |
| US08867665B2 |
Communication systems and methods supporting multiple modulation techniques
A communication system includes a first DAC array, a second DAC array, and a merge component. The first DAC array is configured to receive a first portion of modulation signals and to generate a first RF signal according to a modulation mode. The second DAC array is configured to receive a second portion of the modulation signals and to generate a second RF signal according to the modulation mode. The merge component is configured to receive the first RF signal and the second RF signal. The merge component is also configured to generate an output RF signal according to the first RF signal and the second RF signal, wherein the output RF signal has a modulation format according to the modulation mode. |
| US08867662B2 |
Multidimensional constellations for coded transmission
Techniques for rotating and transmitting multidimensional constellations are disclosed. A method for rotating a multidimensional constellation may include constructing a first rotation matrix, constructing a second rotation matrix, applying orthogonality constraints to the first and second rotation matrices; selecting an optimizing rotation matrix from the first and second rotation matrices; and rotating the multidimensional constellation using the optimizing rotation matrix. Constructing the first rotation matrix and second rotation matrices may include constructing a first column that includes first matrix elements based on the number of axes in the multidimensional constellation, and additional columns that include permutations of the first matrix elements. |
| US08867660B2 |
Method and system to measure and compensate undue DCO frequency peaks at GFSK ramp down
One embodiment of the invention relates to a communication system having an amplitude modulation path, a frequency deviation component, a characterization component, a peak cancellation component and a compensation unit. The amplitude modulation path is configured to provide an amplitude modulation signal. The frequency deviation component is configured to generate a frequency deviation signal. The characterization component is configured to generate characterization coefficients according to the amplitude modulation signal and the frequency deviation signal. The peak cancellation component is configured to identify peaks according to the amplitude modulation signal and generate a peak cancellation signal to compensate for peak distortion by the identified peaks. The compensation unit utilizes the characterization coefficients, the amplitude modulation signal and the peak cancellation signal to generate a correction signal that compensates for peak distortions and amplitude modulation to frequency modulation effects. |
| US08867658B2 |
Multicarrier-signal receiving apparatus and multicarrier-signal transmitting apparatus
A multicarrier signal transmitting apparatus includes a rotation amount setting unit and a phase rotator. The rotation amount setting unit sets a phase rotation amount for each subcarrier of a plurality of subcarrier groups, where the phase rotation amount being set with a setting selected from a first setting being that the phase rotation amount is set for a first subcarrier group set which includes a plurality of continuous subcarrier groups and a second setting being that the phase rotation amount is set for a second subcarrier group set which includes a plurality of continuous subcarrier groups, where the number of the continuous subcarrier groups included in the first subcarrier group set is different from the number of the continuous subcarrier groups included in the second subcarrier group set. The phase rotator adds, based on the phase rotation amount, a phase rotation to reference signals and a data signal of each subcarrier of the plurality of subcarrier groups. |
| US08867657B1 |
Communication using analog pulses having exponentially-shaped leading edges
A first transmitter transmits symbols. The leading edge of each symbol has the form Djexp{αjt}, where Dj is real, where αj is selected from N possible values based on a current group of bits. The receiver has N filters whose transfer functions correspond respectively to the N possible values. The filter outputs are used to recover the group of bits. A second transmitter transmits an exponential symbol or a zero symbol depending on a current bit to be transmitted. The zero symbol has zero amplitude over the symbol period. The corresponding receiver applies threshold detection to estimate the transmitted bits. A third transmitter transmits a sequence of analog pulses with known interpulse time separation(s). The pulse sequence reflects from a moving object. A receiver captures the reflected pulse sequence. The interpulse separation(s) of the reflect pulse sequence is used to determine the radial velocity of the object. |
| US08867654B2 |
Transmission device, communication system, transmission method and program
A transmission device of the present invention includes a baseband waveform generator to generate a transmission signal by using a transfer function H0(f) that is in a relation of a matched filter with a transfer function H1(f) in an analog domain of a transmission side and a reception side connected through a wireless channel, and transmits the transmission signal generated by the baseband waveform generator. |
| US08867650B2 |
Apparatus and method for cross clock domain interference cancellation
An apparatus and method for cross clock domain interference cancellation is provided to a communication system which includes a transmitter operated in a first clock domain and a receiver operated in a second clock domain. The apparatus comprises a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) circuit and a cancellation signal generator. The FIFO circuit receives a digital transmission signal of the transmitter in the first clock domain, and outputs the digital transmission signal in the second clock domain according to an accumulated timing difference between the first and second clock domains. The cancellation signal generator generates a cancellation signal for canceling an interference signal received by the receiver according to the digital transmission signal outputted by the FIFO circuit. The interference signal is generated in response to the digital transmission signal. The cancellation signal generator adjusts the cancellation signal according to a phase difference between the interference signal and the cancellation signal. |
| US08867648B2 |
Method for reporting channel status information in a multiantenna wireless communication system and device for same
The present application discloses a method for reporting channel status information in a multi antenna wireless communication system. In more detail, the method includes: receiving a reference signal from a base station; calculating the optimum precoding matrix index (PMI), at which the intensity of a signal from the base station is maximized, on the basis of the reference signal: determining at least one interference PMI from the base station on the assumption that a plurality of interference PMIs corresponding to the optimum PIM are applied; and transmitting information on at least one determined interference PMI to the base station. Beams corresponding to the plurality of interference PMIs are orthogonal to the beams corresponding to the optimum PMI. |
| US08867646B2 |
Multiple-input multiple-output communication system control method and apparatus
A communication system control method, a communication system control apparatus and an apparatus for use in a communication system are provided. The communication system control apparatus includes an information collection unit to collect user set information about candidate user sets grouped by a plurality of base stations, and a scheduler to select target user sets corresponding to the plurality of base stations from among the candidate user sets based on an achievable sum data transmission rate of the plurality of base stations, and perform scheduling with respect to users included in the target user sets, the achievable sum data transmission rate being calculated based on the user set information. |
| US08867642B1 |
Apparatuses, methods, and computer program products for communication
Apparatuses, methods, and computer program products for communication are provided. In an aspect, an apparatus for communication may include a processing system configured to receive a frame configured to assign at least member information or position information for one or more identifiers, and receive a data packet associated with a particular identifier and indicating a number of space-time streams for one or more position information. In another aspect, an apparatus for communication may include a processing system configured to transmit a frame configured to assign at least member information or position information for one or more identifiers, and transmit a data packet associated with a particular identifier and indicating a number of space-time streams for one or more position information. |
| US08867640B2 |
Apparatus for transmitting and receiving a signal and method of transmitting and receiving a signal
According to one embodiment, a method of transmitting a broadcasting signal includes: encoding data; encoding signaling data by an LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) scheme; building a signal frame based on at least one preamble data symbol having the encoded signaling data and a data slice having the encoded data; inserting at least one pilot into the signal frame with a specific pattern and modulating the signal frame by an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) method; and transmitting the modulated signal frame. A signaling block having the signaling data is repeated in the at least one preamble data symbol in a frequency domain by a bandwidth. The bandwidth of the signaling block corresponds to a number of active subcarriers assigned to a single channel. |
| US08867637B2 |
Method for selecting a transmission mode
A method and device are provided for selecting a transmission mode, for a first telecommunications entity having a plurality of different modes for transmitting a communications signal to a second telecommunications entity. The various transmission modes provide the same data rate D. The method includes: for a given transmission mode, determining the value of a first metric α that measures degradation relating to a given distance d stemming from the transmission medium of the communications signal for a given environment compared with a reference model for the transmission medium, as a result of a multi-path effect and/or of an attenuation effect of the transmission medium; and comparing values of the metric α for different modes in order to select at least one transmission mode. |
| US08867633B2 |
Transmission method, transmission device, receiving method, and receiving device
A transmitting device and a receiving device wherein, on the transmitting side, a signal creation unit creates, as its output, a signal generated adding up the signals assuming that different data has passed through multiple virtual channels and, on the receiving side, oversampling is performed, the sampled data is distributed, and signals are detected assuming that the distributed data is the output of multiple virtual reception antennas. |
| US08867627B2 |
Transmission of compressed data stream with compensation values
In a data transmission system such as a television service provider system, compensation value data corresponding to information lost during lossy compression of program content (which may or may not already be compressed prior to the lossy compression) may be sent to a customer along with the lossy-compressed content. At the customer end, the compensation value data may be used during decompression to provide higher quality content to the customer than would otherwise be experienced without access to the compensation values. |
| US08867625B2 |
Data-file storage, particularly for MPEG format files
A method of storing a data file, particularly in the MPEG format and including a flow of different frames, comprises a protection system for the data file based on a parameter stored in the data file. Advantageously, the storage method comprises selectively protecting the frames by storing parameters that are associated with corresponding different frames whose values are selected to provide a playing quality level requested by an end user. Also, a method is provided for decoding a data file, particularly of the MPEG type and including a flow of different frames, wherein the data file is stored per above. |
| US08867618B2 |
Method and apparatus for weighted prediction for scalable video coding
There are provided scalable video encoders, scalable video decoders, and corresponding scalable video encoding and decoding methods. A scalable video encoder includes an encoder for encoding a block in an enhancement layer of a picture by using a motion vector that corresponds to a block in a lower layer of the picture as a motion vector predictor for the block in the enhancement layer, and using a weighting parameter that was applied to a particular lower layer reference picture to encode the block in the lower layer for motion compensation of the block in the enhancement layer. The block in the enhancement layer corresponds to the block in the lower layer. |
| US08867617B2 |
Image transmission method, image receiving method, image transmission device, image receiving device, and image transmission system
An image transmission method includes a step of inputting a plurality of different source moving images sequentially. The image transmission method also includes a step of creating a main image for each frame from one of the plurality of different source images. The image transmission method also includes a step of creating a secondary image for each frame from a differential image that expresses the difference between the source moving image from which the main image was created and another source moving image in a different frame. The image transmission method also includes a step of creating an integrated image by combining the main image and the secondary image. The image transmission method also includes a step of transmitting the integrated image to a receiving side. |
| US08867610B2 |
System and methods for video and audio data distribution
Data compression and decompression methods for compressing and decompressing data based on an actual or expected throughput (bandwidth) of a system. In one embodiment, a controller tracks and monitors the throughput (data storage and retrieval) of a data compression system and generates control signals to enable/disable different compression algorithms when, e.g., a bottleneck occurs so as to increase the throughput and eliminate the bottleneck. |
| US08867607B2 |
Method and an apparatus for processing a video signal
The present invention includes determining a motion vector candidate set of a current block including a plurality of motion vector candidates, obtaining motion vector indication information of the current block from a video signal, extracting a motion vector candidate corresponding to the motion vector indication information from the motion vector candidate set, determining a predicted motion vector of the current block based on the extracted motion vector candidate, and performing motion compensation on the current block based on the predicted motion vector. |
| US08867603B1 |
Method and system for balancing an equalizer at a receiver
A configurable analog equalizer is set to a first high-pass frequency response that is intentionally too moderate to compensate for a low-pass frequency response of a physical link coupling a transmitter and a receiver. A Feed Forward Equalizer (FFE) is activated at the receiver; the FFE includes a set of coefficients having a minimum configuration of a cursor coefficient and a first pre-cursor coefficient. A Decision Feedback Equalizer (DFE) is activated at the receiver; the DFE includes a set of coefficients having a minimum configuration of a first post-cursor coefficient. The configurable analog equalizer is then set to a high-pass frequency response that is more intense than the first high-pass frequency response, until the first post-cursor coefficient of the DFE substantially equals an absolute value of a quotient obtained by dividing the first pre-cursor coefficient of the FFE by the cursor coefficient of the FFE. |
| US08867596B2 |
Methods and apparatuses of calibrating I/Q mismatch in communication circuit
A method and apparatus of calibrating I/Q mismatch of a communication circuit is disclosed. The disclosure employs I/Q test signals respectively including different frequency components to calibrate the frequency-dependent I/Q mismatch existing in the communication system. |
| US08867594B2 |
Inferring presence and identity of non-linear devices on a powerline communication network
A non-liner device (NLD) between powerline communication (PLC) devices can introduce significant distortion into the channel being utilized by the PLC devices. This distortion can create errors and corrupt data transmitted by the PLC devices. When trying to mitigate the effects of the distortion introduced by NLDs, PLC devices conform their mitigating actions to effectively satisfy a limit(s) set by a regulation and/or a standard. A PLC device implemented in accordance with this disclosure can mitigate the distortion effects with deference to regulatory/standard limits without knowledge of what types of NLDs and how many NLDs are coupled to the power line. A PLC device can use different techniques to infer the presence of an NLD in a PLC network. A PLC device can infer the presence of the NLD using a passive technique or one or more active techniques. |
| US08867593B2 |
Method and transceiver for digital subscriber line system
This disclosure provides a method and transceiver for a digital subscriber line (DSL) system. A first transceiver performs a communication with a second transceiver with a bit table including a first parameter of bit load for sub-carriers, and transmits a switch message for requesting a bit load reduction to the second transceiver when the first transceiver determines that an obtained communication performance parameter reaches or exceeds the predetermined value; and in response to the transmission of the switch message, executing a switch to a second parameter of bit load for sub-carriers at a certain symbol of a frame. The first transceiver calculates the second parameter of bit load by subtracting a corresponding bit number from the first parameter of bit load. The corresponding bit number is transmitted by the first transceiver to the second transceiver for calculating a same parameter of bit load as the second parameter of bit load. |
| US08867588B2 |
Chirp data channel synchronisation
An aspect of the invention is directed to a method for maintaining the synchronization of a receiver with a chirp signal sent over a link from a transmitter. The chirp signal comprises at least a first chirp having a gradient greater than one. The transmitter may encode data on to the signal by varying the properties of the chirps it transmits. The receiver correlates the received first chirp with an expected reference chirp to produce a set of correlation results. Should the gradient of the received chirp match the gradient of the expected reference chirp, then a distinct large “prompt” peak will be present having a greater magnitude than any other correlation peaks present in the correlation results. Transmitted data symbols may be inferred from properties of this prompt peak, for example its position in samples in the correlation results. |
| US08867587B2 |
Double-layer multi-carrier ultra-wideband wireless communication method
The present invention is a double-layer multi-carrier ultra-wideband wireless communication method, wherein the frequency band for ultra-wideband communication is divided into a plurality of sub-bands, then one or more sub-bands are used for data transmission, and the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex (OFDM) multi-carrier transmission technology is used in each sub-band. In the transmitting party, the data symbols to be transmitted are allocated on M branches corresponding to the M sub-bands, and the OFDM modulation is implemented on the data symbols on each branch to obtain M branches of parallel data, then digital baseband multi-carrier modulation is implemented on the M branches of parallel data. Thereby, the spectrum of data on each branch is moved onto the digital sub-band corresponding to the radio sub-band one to one, so the digital baseband signal of the radio signal to be transmitted is obtained. Then, the digital signal is converted to an analog signal with a D/A conversion and an up-conversion, and the signal spectrum is moved to the radio frequency band in use, then the analog signal is amplified, filtered and transmitted via an antenna, thus the task of modulating M branches of parallel data onto M sub-bands is completed. |
| US08867586B2 |
Diode laser
A diode laser is provided with wavelength stabilization and vertical collimation of the emitted radiation, which allows a small distance of the volume Bragg grating from the emitting surface, a small vertical diameter of the collimated beam and also compensation for manufacturing tolerances affecting the shape of the grating and the lens. The diode laser comprises an external frequency-selective element for wavelength stabilization of the laser radiation, wherein the external frequency-selective element comprises an entry surface facing the exit facet and an exit surface facing away from the exit facet and is designed as a volume Bragg grating; and wherein the external frequency-selective element is designed in such a manner that the divergence of the radiation emitting from the exit facet is reduced during passage through the external frequency-selective element. |
| US08867582B2 |
Laser diode assembly
A laser diode assembly includes a housing having a housing part and a mounting part that is connected to the housing part and that extends away from the housing part along an extension direction. A laser diode chip is disposed on the mounting part. The laser diode chip has, on a substrate, semiconductor layers with an active layer for emitting light. The housing part and the mounting part have a main body composed of copper and at least the housing part is steel-sheathed. A first solder layer having a thickness of greater than or equal to 3 μm is arranged between the laser diode chip and the mounting part. |
| US08867581B2 |
Semiconductor laser and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor laser includes: a semiconductor layer including an active layer and a ridge portion, the ridge portion facing a current injection region of the active layer; and an embedded film covering a side surface of the ridge portion and a top surface of the semiconductor layer, wherein the embedded film includes a first layer configured of a silicon oxide film, a second layer made of a silicon compound having a refractive index lower than that of the active layer and having a silicon content higher than a stoichiometric ratio, and a third layer made of an inorganic insulating material in this order of closeness to the ridge portion and the semiconductor layer. |
| US08867579B2 |
Semiconductor laser device
A laser device (100) includes a laser (110; 210; 310; 410; 510) in turn including at least one Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) section (111), at least one phase section (112) and at least one gain section (113), further including a laser control element (150), a feedback control element (140) and a frequency noise discriminator (130,131), which feedback control element is arranged to feed a variable feedback signal to at least one of the at least one DBR section and the at least one phase section of the laser, so that the output laser frequency is altered in response to a variation in the feedback signal or the combination of respective feedback signals, whereby the feedback signal or combination of respective feedback signals is varied as a function of the detected frequency fluctuation so as to counteract the detected frequency fluctuation. |
| US08867578B2 |
Method and system for hybrid integration of a tunable laser for a cable TV transmitter
A cable television transmitter includes a substrate including a silicon material, control electronics disposed in the substrate, and a gain medium coupled to the substrate. The gain medium includes a compound semiconductor material. The cable television transmitter also includes an optical modulator optically coupled to the gain medium and electrically coupled to the control electronics, a waveguide disposed in the substrate and optically coupled to the gain medium, a first wavelength selective element characterized by a first reflectance spectrum and disposed in the substrate, and a second wavelength selective element characterized by a second reflectance spectrum and disposed in the substrate. The cable television transmitter further includes an optical coupler disposed in the substrate and joining the first wavelength selective element, the second wavelength selective element, and the waveguide and an output mirror. |
| US08867576B2 |
Generator and laser system comprising coupled sub-cavities
A laser system having a cavity formed by at least two sub-cavities and a mechanism for optically pumping a first of the at least two sub-cavities. In the system, the optical pumping mechanism is arranged in such away to not reach a laser emission threshold of the first sub-cavity, the first sub-cavity (2) comprising a device for generating a short pulse, a second sub-cavity (3) comprising an external triggering device. The first and second sub-cavities are coupled such that the triggering of the second sub-cavity has at least two such laser systems, to a light emission system with a wide spectral band, comprising such a laser system and a mechanism for generating non-linear optical effects inserted into the second sub-cavity, and to a light generator with a wide spectral band, comprising such a laser generator having at least one laser system provided with a mechanism for generating non-linear optical effects inserted into the second sub-cavity. |
| US08867575B2 |
Method for enabling a wireless device for geographically preferential services
Disclosed is system comprising: a server platform operative to communicate with a wireless communication network; and data storage coupled to the server platform to store a plurality of business rules, wherein the server platform is operative to: generate a first provision instruction to provision a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) with a first rule set associated with a first set of business rules for wireless usage incurred by a mobile terminal operating in the wireless communication network; generate a first billing instruction based on the first set of business rules and a first data type determined by a packet gateway that inspects packet data communicated to or from the mobile terminal. |
| US08867574B2 |
Format of VHT-SIG-B and service fields in IEEE 802.11AC
Methods and apparatus for transmitting and receiving frames with various Very High Throughput Signal B (VHT-SIG-B) and Service field formats are provided. Some of these formats may be in accordance with the IEEE 802.11ac amendment to the wireless local area network (WLAN) standard. |
| US08867571B2 |
Systems, methods and apparatus for transmitting data over a voice channel of a wireless telephone network
The various embodiments described herein generally provide apparatus, systems and methods which facilitate the transmission of data between a client device and a remote device over a wireless telephone network. More particularly, data from a client device is modulated into an audio signal and transmitted to a wireless telephone. The wireless telephone receives the audio signal and places a phone call to a remote device over a wireless telephone network. During the phone call, the wireless telephone transmits the audio signal across a voice channel of the wireless telephone network to the remote device. The remote device receives and decodes the audio signal to extract the transmitted data. |
| US08867568B2 |
Method for parsing network packets having future defined tags
Disclosed herein is a method allowing an existing or legacy network device to recognize and parse packets defined in accordance with future-defined standards without having to be re-configured to be compatible with such standards. In particular, the device can skip past unknown or newly-inserted fields, such as tag headers in a tagged packet, to parse and process the remainder of the packet. By skipping those added fields such as a tag header, the device can accommodate various future-defined standards without incurring additional engineering or design costs or compromising packet processing efficiency. |
| US08867564B2 |
Method and system for an extended range ethernet link discovery signaling
Aspects of a method and system for extended range Ethernet link discovery signaling are provided. A local PHY may detect of one or more active twisted-pair wires in a remote PHY in extended range applications. The local PHY may determine whether to operate as a master or slave based on detected pairs. When operating as a master device, the local PHY may correct twisted-pair wire swap information received from the remote PHY before communicating an encoded link length value to the remote PHY. When operating as a slave device, the local PHY may transmit encoded twisted-pair wire swap information to the remote PHY before recovering a link length value communicated from the remote PHY. The local PHY may communicate supported operating modes based on the link length value to the remote PHY. Moreover, the local PHY may enable establishing a common full duplex operating mode with the remote PHY. |
| US08867556B2 |
Apparatus and method for determining position of sensor node in location service based system
An apparatus and method for determining a position of a sensor node in a location service based system are provided. An operation method of a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Location Platform (SLP) for determining a position of a sensor node in a location service based system includes receiving a position determination request for a sensor node from an SUPL agent, interworking with a Location Registration Server (LRS) and acquiring routing information of the sensor node, sending a position determination start request for the sensor node to a gateway mapped to the sensor node using the acquired routing information, and interworking with the gateway and determining the position of the sensor node. |
| US08867555B2 |
Method and system for transparent LAN services in a packet network
A network apparatus includes a customer network portion having a customer premises equipment (CPE) bridge configured to connect to internal network entities of the customer network portion and to edge bridges of a provider network portion interconnecting separate customer network portions. The CPE bridge is configured to determine a transparent local area network service (TLS) for a packet received from one of the internal network entities based on a media access control (MAC) address of a destination of the packet in a different separate customer network portion. The CPE bridge is also configured to modify the packet to indicate the determined TLS, for the provider network portion to utilize to transmit the packet based on the determined TLS to a second CPE bridge associated with the destination, without the provider network utilizing the destination MAC address. |
| US08867548B2 |
Method and user equipment for transmitting uplink control information
In the event ACK/NACK information on downlink data transmitted on one or more carriers must be transmitted on a PUCCH together with SR, user equipment of the present invention always modulates the ACK/NACK information to a first complex modulation symbol regardless of the number of the carriers when a specific carrier is ACK and the other carriers are NACKs, or the specific carrier is ACK and ACK/NACK bundled for other carriers is NACK. Also, the user equipment always modulates the ACK/NACK information to a second complex modulation symbol regardless of the number of the carriers when a specific carrier is NACK and the other carriers are NACKs, or the specific carrier is ACK and the ACK/NACK bundled for the other carriers is NAC. According to the present invention, regardless of the number of carriers needed for the user equipment, at least ACK/NACK information on the specific carrier can be exactly transmitted to a base station. |
| US08867547B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing a call to an aggregate endpoint device
A method and an apparatus for processing a call to an aggregate endpoint device over a network are disclosed. For example, the method receives a session request by an application server, wherein a route header for the session request comprises an aggregate endpoint identifier, and determines at least one Public User Identity (PUID) of the aggregate endpoint device in accordance with the aggregate endpoint identifier. The method obtains a Serving-Call Session Control Function Fully Qualified Domain Name (S-CSCF FDQN) of a Serving-Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF) that performs a termination processing for the aggregate endpoint device, and forwards the session request to the S-CSCF with a route header that comprises the PUID of the aggregate endpoint device. |
| US08867545B2 |
Modified Ethernet preamble for inter line card communications in a modular communication chassis
A method of providing information regarding an Ethernet frame, within the Ethernet preamble of the Ethernet frame, comprises inserting into the Ethernet preamble an inter-line-card header that includes a start control character, a version number, a parity bit, a source port, a destination port, and a forwarding domain entry; and preserving said inter-line-card header, inside of said Ethernet preamble, in a Media Access Control (MAC) sub-layer in said Ethernet frame. The method may include a step of selecting the decoding format for the inter-line-card header corresponding to the version number and/or forwarding other Ethernet frames according to additional forwarding information provided by the forwarding domain entry. The inter-line-card header may be preserved in the MAC sub-layer by keeping the Ethernet preamble at the beginning of an Ethernet frame received over an Ethernet backplane, and passing the combined preamble and associated Ethernet frame to an inter-line-card header processing module. |
| US08867539B2 |
Multicast-unicast protocol converter
A protocol converter includes a processor configured to receive a request for content from a client system. The processor is further configured to determine if the protocol converter is currently receiving the content through the multicast session, and join the multicast session if the protocol converter is not currently receiving the content. Additionally, the processor is configured to receive the content as an end point of the multicast session, format the content for communication to the client system, and provide content to the client system in a communication separate from the multicast session. Receiving the content as an end point of the multicast session can include terminating the application layer protocol used by the multicast session. Additionally, formatting the content can include re-encapsulating the content as hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) with an appropriate content-type. |
| US08867538B2 |
Ethernet media converter supporting high-speed wireless access
Disclosed are method and system for Ethernet media conversion supporting high-speed wireless access points. The method includes receiving at each of a plurality of input-side Ethernet modules in a media converter, a plurality of input data streams at a first data rate. In the media converter each of the plurality of input data streams may be aggregated into an output data stream at a second data rate. The output data stream may then be transmitted at the second data rate from an output-side Ethernet module in the media converter. Each of the input data streams may be received from an Ethernet switch, and the output data stream may be transmitted to a wireless access point. In one exemplary implementation, each of the input-side Ethernet modules may include a 1G PHY, while the output-side Ethernet module may include one or both of a 2.5G PHY and a 4G PHY. |
| US08867531B2 |
Systems and methods for IP and VoIP device location determination
A method and system for precise position determination of general Internet Protocol (IP) network-connected devices. A method enables use of remote intelligence located at strategic network points to distribute relevant assistance data to IP devices with embedded receivers. Assistance is tailored to provide physical timing, frequency and real time signal status data using general broadband communication protocols. Relevant assistance data enables several complementary forms of signal processing gain critical to acquire and measure weakened or distorted in-building Global Navigation Satellite Services (GNSS) signals and to ultimately extract corresponding pseudo-range time components. A method to assemble sets of GNSS measurements that are observed over long periods of time while using standard satellite navigation methods, and once compiled, convert using standard methods each pseudo-range into usable path distances used to calculate a precise geographic position to a known degree of accuracy. |
| US08867526B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing mobility for a voice over internet protocol service
A method and an apparatus for providing mobility for a Voice over Internet Protocol Service (VoIP) provided on packet networks are disclosed. For example, the method receives a register request from a user endpoint device and retrieves an Access Point-address parameter from a contact header in the register request. The method then determines a physical location of an access point device in accordance with the Access Point-address parameter and updates location information for the user endpoint device in accordance with the physical location of the access point device. |
| US08867525B1 |
Method and apparatus for providing a voice session with a commercial advertiser during a video session
A method and apparatus for enabling service providers to offer businesses to advertise using commercials over streaming video contents to interact with interested consumers on a real time basis are disclosed. For example, the present method enables an advertiser to display phone numbers, e.g., toll free numbers, that the user can activate to participate in real time voice communication with the advertiser. This voice session can take place in an independent voice only session indicated in a separate display frame from the video session display frame on a television monitor. |
| US08867524B1 |
Method and apparatus for activating an incoming call voice session on a video display device
A method and apparatus for enabling service providers to support video services by creating a display frame, such as a picture-in-picture display frame, on an active video display device, such as a television (TV), when an incoming call is received are disclosed. The calling party identification and the service logic to manipulate the call are displayed within the display frame. The network can provide service logic functions such as, but are not limited to, answering the call, sending to call to voice mailbox, providing a busy tone to the calling party, and forwarding the call to another SoIP endpoint. |
| US08867523B2 |
Local area network of serial intelligent cells
A serial intelligent cell (SIC) and a connection topology for local area networks using Electrically-conducting media. A local area network can be configured from a plurality of SIC's interconnected so that all communications between two adjacent SIC's is both point-to-point and bidirectional. Each SIC can be connected to one or more other SIC's to allow redundant communication paths. Communications in different areas of a SIC network are independent of one another, so that there is no fundamental limit on the size or extent of a SIC network. Each SIC can optionally be connected to one or more data terminals, computers, telephones, sensors, actuators, etc., to facilitate interconnectivity among such devices. Networks according to the present invention can be configured for a variety of applications, including a local telephone system, remote computer bus extender, multiplexers, PABX/PBX functionality, security systems, and local broadcasting services. |
| US08867518B2 |
Method and apparatus performing express forwarding bypass for time-critical frames
A method, apparatus and computer program product for the express forwarding bypass are presented. A timer (NAV) is maintained at each respective node of a wireless LAN, the timer (NAV) set to a corresponding time period during which the respective node must refrain from transmitting on a channel. The first node of said plurality of nodes has a time-critical (TC) frame. The first node detects a frame to be express-forwarded by a second node. The first node decrements the duration field by a first predetermined time increment (DT0) before setting its NAV. The first node attempts transmission of the TC frame or back off countdown when the NAV of said first node expires. |
| US08867517B2 |
Responding to a page message
A method for responding to a page message is provided. The method can include a wireless communication device receiving a page message on a first channel of a first network; suspending a connection to a second network in response to receiving the page message; transitioning to a second channel of the first network prior to responding to the page message; and sending a response message responsive to the page message on the second channel. |
| US08867512B2 |
Autonomous discovery for enhanced wifi devices
Techniques for discovering one or more nodes in a communication system are provided. A node may receive one or more discovery messages during a first occurrence of a periodic discovery interval. The node may determine a duration of a subsequent occurrence of the periodic discovery interval based on the one or more received discovery messages. The node may adjust the duration for the subsequent occurrence of the periodic discovery interval based on the determined duration. |
| US08867509B2 |
Integrated bluetooth and wireless LAN transmitters having simultaneous bluetooth and wireless LAN transmissions
Integrated Bluetooth (BT) and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) transceivers are described. BT signals and WLAN signals can be transmitted simultaneously with one another. Samples from a BT signal sample stream are injected into a WLAN signal sample stream. According to one exemplary embodiment, a simultaneously transmitted BT signal/WLAN signal can be amplified and coupled onto a pin of an integrated circuit device for transmission. If there is no WLAN signal to be transmitted when a BT signal is to be transmitted, then the BT signal can be processed in a BT section of the transceiver, amplified and coupled to the same pin for transmission. |
| US08867497B2 |
Timing advance enhancements for cellular communications
Example methods and apparatus to implement timing advance enhancements for cellular communications are disclosed. A disclosed example method to communicate over a cellular network by a device involves retrieving a stored timing advance value and determining if the stored timing advance value is valid based at least on whether the device is operating in a stationary mode. When the stored timing advance is valid, a contention-based transmission is transmitted to a network using the stored timing advance value in order to compensate for propagation delay. |
| US08867494B2 |
System and method for single frequency dual cell high speed downlink packet access
A system and method provide single frequency, dual cell high-speed downlink packet access to a UMTS telecommunications system. A first downlink channel is provided from a first sector, and a second downlink channel is provided from a second sector, wherein the first downlink channel and the second downlink channel are in substantially the same carrier frequency. Feedback information such as a CQI and/or a PCI is provided on an uplink channel to facilitate adaptation of the respective downlink channels. Here, the uplink carrier may be in the same or a different carrier frequency than that of the downlink channels. |
| US08867490B1 |
Secure and seamless handover between IP-based cellular networks and Wi-Fi networks
A method of offloading data from an IP-based cellular network to a Wi-Fi network is disclosed. A request from a user equipment (UE) to connect to a Wi-Fi network is received. It is determined whether the UE is a subscriber to a cellular network. It is determined whether to offload data from the cellular network to the Wi-Fi network. The determination is based at least in part on a set of offload criteria. A Home IP Address is obtained, wherein the Home IP Address comprises a mobile IP address corresponding to the UE assigned by the cellular network. The Home IP Address is allocated to the UE as the UE's IP address for communicating with the UE on the Wi-Fi network. Data is offloaded from the cellular network to the Wi-Fi network. |
| US08867489B2 |
Mobile communication method and exchange
The present invention is designed such that a new SGSN receives a location update message from a terminal (1) having moved from the management area of an old SGSN to the management area of the new SGSN, and the new SGSN having received the location update message sends a GTPv2 signal for getting communication path information corresponding to GTPv2, to the old SGSN. The old SGSN, upon receiving the GTPv2 signal, if holding communication path information of to GTPv1 as a logical communication path established for the terminal (1), sends, as a response, a GTPv2 signal in which the communication path information by GTPv1 is set in an additional parameter 24, to the new SGSN. |
| US08867488B2 |
Method, system and device for network handover
A method, a system and a device for network handover are provided, which are applied to the field of communications technologies. The method includes the following steps that: a terminal first obtains information of a handover manner of handover from a virtual base station to a target base station, and then sends a corresponding message to the virtual base station according to the information of the handover manner, so as to perform network handover, so that in a procedure that the terminal is handed over from a non-WiMAX network to a WiMAX network, the terminal may be directly handed over according to the handover manner supported by the virtual base station. Compared with the conventional art in which handover manners require handover attempts, the adoption of the method for network handover reduces handover time and increases network handover efficiency. |
| US08867487B2 |
Wireless communication methods and components that implement handoff in wireless local area networks
This invention relates to wireless local area networks, and particularly to the IEEE 802.11 family of standards. It consists of a method and apparatus that can be implemented in access points (APs) and subscriber wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs), in order to allow an AP to initiate re-association of a WTRU to itself or a different AP. The invention improves the robustness of the network by enabling more efficient load balancing, congestion control, and roaming, without compromising the user experience. |
| US08867486B2 |
Wireless data communications employing IP flow mobility
Techniques for IP flow mobility in a wireless data communications system, which allow for selective movement of IP data flows between different access networks supporting different access technology types. An access terminal (AT) is configured to selectively communicate using plural access technologies. Plural IP data flows are established between the AT and a first access network using a first technology type. A flow mobility trigger condition is detected, and in response, at least one IP data flow is moved to a second access network using a second technology, while maintaining at least another of the data flows to the first access network, and using the same IP address for the AT for data flows handled by both access networks, by using a mapping function between packet-filters for data flows and the access technology. The techniques may be used in conjunction with IP mobility protocols such as PMIP and CMIP. |
| US08867484B2 |
Method, apparatus and computer program product for handover failure recovery
An apparatus for facilitating handover failure recovery may include a handover management element configured to receive, at a target node, a handover request from a source node regarding the handover of communications with a mobile terminal. The handover request may include identity information indicative of the mobile terminal. The identity information may be the identity information used to identify the mobile terminal to the source node during establishment of the original connection between the source node and the mobile terminal. The handover management element may be further configured to receive a request for a connection from the mobile terminal subsequent to a radio link failure and prior to handover completion. Based on matching the identity information from the request for connection and the identity information received from the source node, the target node may establish communication with the mobile terminal based on access stratum configuration information used by the source node. |
| US08867482B2 |
Signal generation method and signal generation device
A transmission method simultaneously transmitting a first modulated signal and a second modulated signal at a common frequency performs precoding on both signals using a fixed precoding matrix and regularly changes the phase of at least one of the signals, thereby improving received data signal quality for a reception device. |
| US08867478B2 |
Method and apparatus for channel resource mapping in carrier aggregation
Methods and apparatus for preventing physical hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) indicator channel (PHICH) ambiguities or collisions, for example, in a multi-carrier system or when transmitting multiple streams over multiple antennas, are described. Methods may include dividing resources or groups among multiple component carriers (CCs), using and assigning unused or vacant resources to CCs, forcing usage of adaptive HARQ processes in specified scenarios, setting a value for the cyclic shift of the corresponding uplink demodulation reference signals (DMRS) to a previous value for semi-persistent scheduling, and assigning a different first resource block for semi-persistent scheduling uplink resources and random access response grants for multiple CCs. |
| US08867477B2 |
Cooperative MIMO among base stations with low information interaction, a method and apparatus for scheduling the same
In a wireless network there is a scheduling method in which a base station (BS) acquires information relevant to signal quality between the BS and each mobile terminal and reports to a scheduling apparatus. The scheduling apparatus selects a service BS for each terminal and determines a specific BS to compensate for interference; and may provide further controls to correspondingly transmit service data of the terminal to the service BS. The BS determines the serviced terminal and the terminal of which the interference is eliminated. When servicing the terminal on a time-frequency resource and eliminating the interference from other BS, the BS may only acquire channel state information of the terminal associated with the BS to the BS on the corresponding time-frequency resource and calculate a pre-coded matrix, so as to pre-code terminal service data from the service BS and generate downlink signals to be transmitted. |
| US08867476B2 |
Small data communications in a wireless communication network
Embodiments of the present disclosure describe techniques and configurations for transmitting small data payloads such as, for example, Machine Type Communication (MTC) data in a wireless communication network. A system may include features to implement an interworking function (IWF) to receive, from a machine type communication (MTC) server, a trigger to send a data payload, which is smaller than a preconfigured threshold, to a user equipment (UE) over a wireless communication network, and send, over a first reference point to a first module including a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a Serving GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Support Node (SGSN) or a second reference point to a second module including a Home Location Register (HLR) or a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), the data payload and a request to forward the data payload to the UE. |
| US08867474B2 |
Method and device for uplink resource allocation
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. In more detail, the present invention relates to a method for transmitting an uplink in a wireless communication system and to a device therefore, wherein the method for transmitting an uplink in a wireless communication system comprises the steps of: receiving a control channel signal including resource allocation information; and transmitting an uplink signal according to control channel signal. |
| US08867472B2 |
Signalling of channel information
An apparatus and a method are described by which a request for providing aperiodic channel information with respect to a selected downlink component carrier of a plurality of component carriers is received, the selected downlink component carrier is determined, channel information with respect to the selected downlink component carrier is established, and the channel information with respect to the selected downlink component carrier is sent. |
| US08867471B2 |
Method, device, and system for reporting radio access network element information
A method for reporting radio access network element information includes: acquiring reporting policy information, where the reporting policy information includes set reporting content and a set reporting condition (101); and if the reporting condition is satisfied, reporting a radio access network element information report to a control network element by using signaling according to the reporting content that includes location information and corresponding time information or reporting a radio access network element information report to a gateway device by using a tunnel according to the reporting content that includes location information (102). In embodiments of the present invention, reporting policy information, for example, reporting content and a reporting condition, may be configured flexibly according to a scenario, and when the reporting condition is satisfied, a radio access network element information report may be reported to a control network element or a gateway device according to the reporting content. |
| US08867470B2 |
Mobile communication method, radio base station, and mobile station
A mobile communication method according to the present invention comprises: a step A of individually notifying, by a radio base station eNB, a mobile station UE performing CA of correspondence relation between a DL carrier for transmitting an “UL grant” and an UL carrier to which a PUSCH resource is assigned by the “UL grant”, and a step B of transmitting, by the mobile station UE, an uplink data signal using the PUSCH resource through the UL carrier based on the above-described correspondence relation when the “UL grant” is received through the DL carrier. |
| US08867465B2 |
Terminal device and retransmission control method
Provided are a terminal device and a retransmission control method by which, when carrier aggregation communication using a plurality of downlink unit bands is applied, the quality of downlink data transmitted by each downlink unit band can be maintained, while suppressing the increase in overhead of downlink allocation control information. In a terminal (200), a control unit (208) performs transmission control of a response signal on the basis of a reception success/failure pattern of downlink data received by a downlink unit band which is included in a unit band group set in the terminal itself. The control unit (208) makes the phase points of the response signal different in accordance with a number of downlink data which has been successively received, namely, a number of ACK, in the reception success/failure pattern, and makes the phase points of the response signal between reception success/failure patterns identical when there are a plurality of reception success/failure patterns having the same ACK number. |
| US08867450B2 |
Method and apparatus for supporting co-located coexistence mode
A method and apparatus for reducing interference between systems when a plurality of wireless access systems are co-located are disclosed. To support CLC mode, an MS in the CRC mode transmits a handover request message to a first Base Station (BS) to initiate a handover process, receives a handover command message acknowledging the handover request message from the first BS, transmits a ranging request message to second BS at network reentry after handover, and receives from the second BS a ranging response message including CRC start time information that set by the second BS. |
| US08867446B2 |
Method and apparatus for transceiving signals in a distributed antenna system
The present invention relates to a terminal which receives signals from a base station, and to a method in which the terminal receives signals from the base station in a distributed antenna system (DAS). The terminal receives, from the base station having a plurality of antennas, control information on one or more active transmission antennas allocated to the terminal, from among the plurality of antennas, and receives signals from the base station via said one or more active transmission antennas. |
| US08867443B2 |
Method and apparatus for estimating frequency deviation
The invention provides a method and an apparatus for estimating frequency deviation, the method comprising: after receiving a sub-frame, transforming a downlink synchronized code of the sub-frame to a frequency domain, and performing a correlation operation between the transformed downlink synchronized code and a local frequency domain synchronized code to obtain a conjugate downlink synchronized code sequence; judging a location of a maximum value in the conjugate downlink synchronized code sequence, and calculating a frequency deviation value according to the location of the maximum value. The estimating method provided in the invention can realize a stable work with no need of a precise sampling value location, an accurate timing synchronization, or even obtaining the information for the multi-path distribution and locations. |
| US08867440B2 |
Power headroom reporting for multicarrier LTE systems
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus maintains at least one PHR trigger for triggering communication of a PHR for a plurality of component carriers. In addition, the apparatus communicates the PHR for at least one of the component carriers upon the at least one PHR trigger being triggered. The communicated PHR may be an aggregated PHR that includes power headroom information on the PCC and activated SCCs. The communicated PHR may further include an index associating information in the PHR to a corresponding component carrier. The communicated PHR may further include information indicating use of a PUSCH reference for computing the PHR for the at least one of the component carriers on which there is no PUSCH transmission. |
| US08867434B2 |
Network terminal, network system, time synchronization method, and time synchronization program
A network terminal has communication section that communicates with other network terminals connected via a network, time-series data creation section that, at timing set beforehand, creates time information including a correspondence between an identification number of the own network terminal and a current time measured by a timer of the own network terminal and creates time-series data registering the time information, and additional registration section that, when the communication section receives the time-series data transmitted from another network terminal, creates time information including a correspondence between the identification number of the own network terminal and a current time measured by the timer of the own network terminal and additionally registers the time information to the time-series data received this time. |
| US08867430B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing HARQ process in wireless communication system
A method of performing hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) by a source station in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes: transmitting data to a destination station at a transmission start time; receiving an acknowledgment (ACK) or negative-acknowledgement (NACK) signal for the data from the destination station after a first transmission time interval elapses from the transmission start time; and upon receiving the NACK signal, retransmitting the data after a second transmission time interval elapses from the transmission start time, wherein the second transmission time interval is one transmission time interval selected from a plurality of predetermined transmission time intervals. Accordingly, the wireless communication system can perform a heterogeneous HARQ process in which an HARQ period, an ACK/NACK transmission start time, and the like are different. |
| US08867428B2 |
Split-cell relay application protocol
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate packet routing among relay eNBs in a wireless network. Packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer communications from a user equipment (UE) can terminate at a donor evolved Node B (eNB) and vice versa. In this regard, a relay application protocol (RAPP) layer is defined to transport application layer control data among relay eNBs to facilitate appropriate routing. RAPP layer messages can be similar to control messages at other application layers, such as S1-AP, X2, etc., while additionally including a relay UE identifier for routing the messages among relay eNBs. In addition, RAPP layer messages can exclude other parameters normally defined in other application layers to protect security and encryption/decryption details. |
| US08867426B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing multimedia broadcast and multicast service (MBMS) in wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for providing a multimedia broadcast and multicast service (MBMS) in a wireless communication system are disclosed. A method for receiving a multimedia broadcast and multicast service (MBMS) by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system includes obtaining a predetermined system information block (SIB) from a base station (BS), and transmitting an MBMS interest indication message to the base station (BS) only when the predetermined system information block (SIB) is obtained. The predetermined system information block (SIB) includes information related to MBMS continuity. |
| US08867423B2 |
Indication of multicast control information
A method for indicating a structure of control information for a multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) is provided. The method comprises separating a multicast control channel (MCCH) of an MBMS transmission into a first portion and a second portion and arranging the separated MCCH into a structure wherein the first portion includes the second portion. The method further includes including in a downlink transmission an indicator to indicate the structure is used. |
| US08867420B2 |
Method and apparatus for enhancing high data rate uplink operations
A method and apparatus for enhancing uplink operations in a CDMA system is provided. The method may include receiving a rate control value and a transmit power value from a node B, wherein the rate control value is determined through uplink scheduling by the node B, and wherein the transmit power value is selected by the node B to maintain a signal to interference plus noise (SINR) metric within a threshold for a pilot channel, transmitting control channel information at a first power level determined from the transmit power value, and using a first average power tracking unit to generate the first selected transmit power and transmitting data channel information at a second power level determined from both the rate control value and the transmit power value. |
| US08867419B2 |
System and method for conserving power for a wireless device while maintaining a connection to a network
The disclosure relates to a system and a method for reducing power consumption of a communication device. The method has a power save mode controlling a deactivated communication subsystem of the device, where: for a first period, re-activating the subsystem, executing an action relating to a data link layer connection condition for the network, and then de-activating the subsystem; and for a second period, re-activating the subsystem, generating and transmitting a frame to a host in the network, and then de-activating the subsystem. The first period is repeated on a first frequency timed to allow the device to process a beacon signal that is received at an interval of at most every third beacon signal in a succession of beacon signals from the network; and the second period relates to a frequency of transmission of an Address Resolution Protocol request for an Internet Protocol address for the device. |
| US08867409B2 |
Multiple tree registration protocol
A registration protocol for setting up and updating a tree that defines the active topology in an Ethernet network includes a plurality of application components and a plurality of attribute declaration components corresponding to the application components, wherein the application components declare and register attribute values and the corresponding attribute declaration components make and withdraw registration of the attributes. |
| US08867407B2 |
Method, system and apparatus for accessing network
A method, a system and an apparatus for accessing a network are provided. The method includes: identifying, through the network interface, the type of a network module connected with a network interface, where each type of the network module corresponds to one type of 3G network; according to the type of the network module, establishing a connection between the network module and the 3G network corresponding to the network module; and accessing the corresponding 3G network through the network module. In the embodiments of the present invention, the 3G networks with different modes c an be accessed by identifying the types of different network modules, and therefore multi-mode upstream access can be satisfied, the application range of a router for accessing the 3G network is widened, and upstream access cost is reduced when different 3G networks with different modes need to be accessed. |
| US08867399B2 |
Signal measurement
Methods, apparatus and computer-readable storage mediums for determining a characteristic of a signal transmitted from a wireless transmitter, using a measurement receiver. A first characteristic, calculated in respect of a first time period, and a second characteristic, calculated in respect of a second time period, are used to extrapolate a measured characteristic, measured over the first time period, to determine a determined characteristic for the second time period. |
| US08867398B2 |
Method of enabling a packet loss measurement in a packet transport network
Proposed is a method of enabling a packet loss measurement in a network. Via a group of user ports data packets containing a same source address and a same destination address are received. A link aggregation of the group of user ports is performed. At a network port, received data packets are transmitted to a far end network edge node. A number of transmitted data packets is determined, and also for each of the user ports a number of data packets lost internally is determined. At the network port, a corrected number of transmitted data packets is indicated to the far end network edge node as the sum of the determined number of transmitted data packets the overall number of data packets lost internally. |
| US08867396B2 |
Method and system for last gasp device identification
A method for device identification includes determining a mass event has occurred in a wireless network from a reception of a plurality of signals each having a last gasp message, sampling a plurality of mapped zones associated with a base station, identifying which mapped zones are associated with a disconnected endpoint in a zone list, determining a length of time of the mass event, and selectively providing the zone list to identify disconnected endpoints based at least upon the length of time of the mass event. Each mapped zone includes a plurality of wireless device endpoints associated with the mapped zone. The sampling includes determining whether any of a subset of the endpoints associated with the given mapped zone are disconnected from the wireless network. |
| US08867394B2 |
Interference avoidance method and apparatus for supporting same in a wireless LAN system
An interference avoidance method performed by an access point (AP) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system is provided. The method includes: transmitting a training request (TRQ) message for requesting transmission of a sounding frame to a first station which is a target of multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) transmission and a second station which receives data through a direct link during the MU-MIMO transmission; receiving first and second sounding frames respectively transmitted by the first and second stations in response to the TRQ message; estimating a channel by using the first sound frame to determine a beam-forming vector to be used for the MU-MIMO transmission; and performing the MU-MIMO transmission for MU-MIMO transmission target stations including the first station, wherein the beam-forming vector is determined such that the MU-MIMO transmission has a minimum effect on the second station by considering channel information between the AP and the second station and acquired on the basis of the second sounding frame received from the second station. |
| US08867383B2 |
Method for associating mobile stations with repeaters in controlling base station
A method may include determining an association between repeaters and mobile stations in a controlling eNodeB of a multi-hop wireless environment. The method may include receiving channel estimations based on reference signals transmitted by said mobile stations. The method may be implemented a wireless environment when legacy LTE UEs are present. |
| US08867382B2 |
Power control method for a GERAN system to increase GERAN network capacity
The present patent application comprises means, instructions and steps for controlling signal power by allowing a small bit error rate during burst processing comprising setting a transmit signal power granularity to be less than a current level (1210), tracking a power measurement report of at least one remote stations (1220), determining if at least one signal quality indicator has reached an upper threshold (1230), decreasing a downlink signal power if the at least one signal quality indicator reaches an upper threshold (1240), and stopping the decreasing of the downlink signal power (1260) when the at least one quality indicator reaches a lower threshold (1250). |
| US08867381B2 |
Active multi-path network redundancy with performance monitoring
A receiving network node (210) configured to select from received packets differing by time of initial transmission from a sending network node (230), and accepting for transmission, based on initial transmission time, the selected packets to an application layer (740). An internetworked processor node configured to: (a) read a sequence number and an originator identifier of a received packet message (810); (b) compare a stored highest sequence number associated with the originator identifier with the received packet sequence number (820); (c) if the received packet sequence number is less than or equal to the stored highest sequence number associated with the originator identifier, then discard (840) the received packet; and (d) if the received packet sequence number is greater than the stored highest sequence number associated with the originator identifier, then deliver (860) the message of the received packet to an application based on an upper layer protocol. |
| US08867380B2 |
Scheduling algorithms for cooperative beamforming
Certain aspects of the present disclosure support techniques for cooperative beamforming based on inter-cell coordination. Signaling design allows coordinated downlink transmissions with reduced inter-cell interference. |
| US08867377B2 |
Dynamic selection between active and passive probing in computer network
In one embodiment, during network operation, it is dynamically determined whether to change from passive probing of communication path metrics to active probing of communication path metrics. |
| US08867376B1 |
Host verification at an optical circuit switch
A system and method of verifying connectivity between hosts and optical ports in a data center is disclosed herein. The system and method includes directing, at a network control module (NCM), an electrical packet switch operatively connected to an optical port of the optical circuit switch, to transmit a data packet containing a MAC address of a host connected to an optical port determined by the NCM, and receiving, at the NCM, a response from the host, wherein the response comprises an indication that the MAC address contained in the transmitted data packet corresponds to the MAC address of a network interface card (NIC) at the host, and a determination of whether the host connected to the optical port determined by the NCM has been powered up. |
| US08867372B2 |
Method for efficient parallel testing of time division duplex (TDD) communications systems
The invention described herein utilizes devices under test (DUTs) outfitted with stored, predefined test sequences, testers equipped with vector-signal generation (VSG) and vector-signal analysis (VSA) functionality, and novel methods for combining loopback and single-ended test functions in order to obtain higher testing efficiency for DUTs using Bluetooth or other time-division duplex (TDD) based communications. |
| US08867370B2 |
Method and apparatus for adaptive traffic management in a resource-constrained network
An electronic device may utilize or support adaptive traffic management in a resource-constrained network. The adaptive traffic management may comprise applying a multi-stage filtering to packets received by the electronic device, wherein each stage of the multi-stage filtering may comprises a validation check and a failure of any validation check of any stage when handling a packet terminates the handling of the packet. The adaptive traffic management may comprise apply an adaptive search function, whereby when the number of search responses received by the electronic device exceeds a particular maximum response threshold, one or more criteria for modifying search requests may be selected, to reduce number of expected search responses, and the modified search criteria may be applied to generated modified search command(s) that are applied in the search function. |
| US08867368B2 |
Systems and methods for noise tolerant signal processing in pilot assisted data receivers
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for noise tolerant signal processing in a pilot assisted data receiver, including: given received pilots with common pilot components and individual pilot components, computing coefficients associated with the individual pilot components of the received pilots; and applying the computed coefficients to the received pilots to obtain conditioned pilots. The individual pilot components result from relatively slow changes of the received pilots relative to the common pilot components. The common pilot components result from relatively fast changes of the received pilots relative to the individual pilot components. |
| US08867363B2 |
Resilient forwarding of packets with a per-customer edge (per-CE) label
In one embodiment, a packet switching device is configured to perform a lookup operation, based on a particular per-CE label (per-Customer Edge label) included in a particular packet, in a forwarding data structure for identifying forwarding information for the particular packet. When a corresponding outbound path is unavailable, a per-VRF (per-Virtual Routing and Forwarding) lookup operation in a VRF data structure, identified based on the particular per-CE label, based on a destination address of a packet encapsulated within the received packet. A corresponding packet is forwarded based on the results of the VRF lookup operation. In one embodiment, a set of more than one egress line card is identified based on this lookup operation, and packets of different routes are load balanced among egress line cards in this identified set of egress line cards. |
| US08867356B2 |
Credit-based flow control for ethernet
A method for communication includes sending a pause frame from a first node to a second node over a communication link between the nodes. In response to the pause frame, one or more data frames are immediately transmitted from the second node to the first node upon receipt of the pause frame at the second node. |
| US08867352B2 |
Receiver based power efficient transmitter for ethernet
Systems and methods are used to adjust, e.g., reduce, current driving a transmitter, i.e., to reduce transmitter power consumption, based on an actual value of a received signal from received along a cable. For example, this is very beneficial to an Ethernet system where the received signal is attenuated by the lossy cable. In this case, the transmitter power consumption can be lowered during a normal application where data is transmitted and received through the cable. |
| US08867350B2 |
Method and apparatus for packet buffering measurement
A method, apparatus and computer program product for packet buffering measurement is presented. A plurality of packets are transmitted to a packet switching device. Packets are received from the packet switching device. A determination is made, with respect to a particular time, based on packets transmitted to the packet switching device and packets received from the packet switching device, regarding a number of packets being held in a memory of the packet switching device. |
| US08867348B1 |
Management of backhaul capacity in a wireless communication system
A method and system for managing backhaul capacity between radio access network (RAN) infrastructure and a plurality of base stations providing coverage areas in the active set of a wireless communication device (WCD), where each base station has a respective backhaul link with the RAN infrastructure. An example implementation of the method involves determining separately for each base station a ratio of a quantity of control data to bearer data on the base station's backhaul link, determining that a given one of the base stations has the lowest determined ratio of the determined ratios, and responsively transitioning to a restricted mode where control data communication with the WCD occurs via just that base station and not via the other base stations, but bearer data communication with the WCD occurs via all of the base stations. |
| US08867343B2 |
Trigger based recording of flows with play back
The various embodiments provide selective real-time monitoring of one or more flows of packets over a network, real-time buffering of packets for the one or more monitored flows, real-time recording of packets for one or more monitored flows and its corresponding buffered packets based on initiation of at least one trigger, and real-time analysis of the one or more recorded flows of packets regarding at least the occurrence of the at least one trigger. One or more flows of packets may be selected for monitoring by an administrator or an automated process based on different factors. In at least one of the various embodiments, the one or more monitored flows of packets are tagged and threaded so that they are separately accessible in a ring buffer. |
| US08867342B2 |
Adaptive standby access in a local area communication network
An adaptive standby access point in a local area communication network includes an interface operable to communicate with other access points, at least one radio operable to communicate with user devices utilizing at least one antenna, and a processor operable to receive a message over the interface from one of the other access points that is experiencing traffic overload. The message indicating to the standby access point that the one other access point requires traffic demand assistance, whereupon the processor will activate and direct the radio to send out beacons to solicit user devices within the coverage area of the overloaded access point to instead association with the standby access point. |
| US08867341B2 |
Traffic management of client traffic at ingress location of a data center
A switch device includes a packet-forwarding table for providing traffic management across servers in a server group. Each table entry maps a hash value to a server in the server group. A hash value is computed from data in one or more fields in the header of a received packet. The computed hash value is used as an index into the packet-forwarding table to access a table entry and to identify from the table entry the server in the server group to which the table entry maps the computed hash value. The switch device forwards the packet to the identified server. Implementing traffic management decisions in hardware enables packet switching at the line rate of the switch ports. In addition, the hardware-based traffic management performed by the switch device eliminates session tables and the memory to store them, enabling the switch device to handle an unlimited number of client connections. |
| US08867340B2 |
Discarded packet indicator
A source device (10) sends information to a destination device (12) through intermediary network elements (14). If an intermediary network element (14) needs to discard one or more packets of information, it sends a smaller informational packet to the destination device (12). Upon receiving the informational packet, the destination device can immediately begin correctional procedures. |
| US08867338B2 |
Faults Propagation and protection for connection oriented data paths in packet networks
A communications network comprising components configured to implement a method comprising analyzing a path between a first end point and a second end point, and identifying a partial fault along the path is disclosed. Also disclosed is a method for communicating information within a network, the method comprising: defining a path traversing a plurality of nodes, receiving a fault report from an intermediate node, determining whether the fault report affects the path, and responsive to the determination that the fault report affects the path, transmitting the fault report to an upstream or downstream node in the path. |
| US08867337B2 |
Structure-aware caching
Techniques for structure-aware caching are provided. The techniques include decomposing a response from an origin server into one or more independently addressable objects, using a domain specific language to navigate the response to identify the one or more addressable objects and create one or more access paths to the one or more objects, and selecting a route to an object by navigating an internal structure of a cached object to discover one or more additional independently addressable objects. |
| US08867336B2 |
System for early detection of decoding errors
System for early detection of decoding errors. A method is provided for detecting a decode failure. The method includes receiving an initial amount of code packets, detecting a trigger event that indicates a decode failure associated with the initial amount of code packets, and receiving one or more additional code packets. |
| US08867331B2 |
Methods and devices for sending positioning reference signals, for sending data and for receiving data
The present invention discloses methods for sending positioning reference signals (PRSs), for sending data and for receiving data. When PRSs and data carried by a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) are required to be sent on a same physical resource, only the data carried by the PDCCH or the PRSs are sent on the same physical resource; or, when a sending end sends the PRSs and the data carried by the PDCCH on the same physical resource at the same time, a receiving end is made to ignore the received PRSs or the data carried by the PDCCH; or, the sending of the PRSs or the data carried by the PDCCH is limited so that they will not be sent on the same physical resource. The present invention also discloses devices for sending positioning reference signals, for sending data and receiving data. The present invention has solved the problem that the data carried by the PDCCH are in conflict with the PRSs over the fourth OFDM symbol when the PDCCH is sent over the first four OFDM symbols in the subframe, thereby ensuring the overall performance of the system. |
| US08867330B2 |
Methods and systems for scheduling in a virtual MIMO communication environment
A system and method for scheduling cooperative uplink transmissions in a virtual multiple input multiple output (MIMO) wireless communication environment are provided. More specifically, both random and channel aware orthogonal scheduling techniques for identifying a sub-set of N mobile terminals to provide cooperative uplink transmissions for each transmit time interval are provided. |
| US08867328B2 |
Optical recording medium on which information is recorded using train of prepits, and method for reproducing optical recording medium
An optical recording medium includes: a medium information region on which medium identification information is recorded; a content region on which content information is recorded; and a blank region provided between the medium information region and the content region and in which at least two tracks are provided so as to connect a train of prepits in the medium information region and a train of prepits in the content region. No information is recorded on the blank region. Thus, an optical recording medium is provided in which a region on which medium identification information is recorded and a region on which content information is recorded are different in track pitch and in which a reproduction error hardly occurs when reproduction shifts from the region on which the medium identification information is recorded to the region on which the content information is recorded. |
| US08867327B1 |
Method and apparatus for reading a storage medium
Aspects of the disclosure provide a method. The method includes receiving regional quality information of a region on a storage medium, and adjusting a fill level threshold of a buffer based on the regional quality information. The fill level threshold is used to trigger filling the buffer with data read from the region. |
| US08867322B1 |
Systems and methods for providing thermal barrier bilayers for heat assisted magnetic recording media
Systems and methods for providing thermal barrier bilayers for heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media are provided. One such HAMR medium includes a substrate, a heat sink layer on the substrate, a thermal barrier bilayer on the heat sink layer, the bilayer comprising a first thermal barrier layer on the heat sink layer and an amorphous underlayer on the first thermal barrier layer, and a magnetic recording layer on the amorphous underlayer, wherein a thermal conductivity of the first thermal barrier layer is less than a thermal conductivity of the amorphous underlayer. |
| US08867316B2 |
Support for display member of a timepiece movement
A support for a mechanism for displaying jumping-type information for a timepiece movement is disclosed. The mechanism may include a display member driven in rotation via a driving star wheel. The support may be positioned between the display member and a frame element of the timepiece movement. The support may include a base that may include at least one first hole configured to receive a shaft for rotating the display member. The support may also include a first arm extending from the base and arranged to ensure the function of a jumper for the driving star wheel, and a second arm extending from the base and arranged to act on the driving star wheel to cause the driving star wheel to rotate in order to correct information displayed in response to a predefined action of a user that deforms the second arm. |
| US08867315B2 |
Compliant ocean wave mitigation device and method to allow underwater sound detection with oceanographic buoy moorings
The systems and methods described herein relate to a device which enables oceanographic surface buoy mooring systems to detect and monitor underwater noise at most sea state and weather conditions. In particular, the systems and methods described herein provide mooring systems that can support a hydrophone or other underwater listening devices connected to a surface buoy located at a deep sea position. As will be more fully described below, the mooring includes an expandable tether cable/hose that reduces noise generated underwater when the buoy moves in response to wave and weather. |
| US08867313B1 |
Audio based localization
Methods of and systems for determining a location of a mobile device using transmitted audio signals is provided. In an embodiment, meta data included in the audio signals may also be used. In an embodiment, a characteristic, such as a received signal strength, may be measured to determine the location of the mobile device. |
| US08867302B2 |
Data input circuit
A data input circuit includes a clock sampling unit, a final clock generation unit, and a write latch signal generation unit. The sampling unit is configured to generate a shifting signal including a pulse generated after a write latency is elapsed, and generate a sampling clock by sampling an internal clock during a burst period from substantially a time when the pulse of the shifting signal is generated. The final clock generation unit is configured to generate a level signal by latching the shifting signal in synchronization with the sampling clock and generate a final clock from the level signal in response to a burst signal. The write latch signal generation unit is configured to generate an enable signal by latching the final clock and generate a write latch signal for latching and outputting aligned data in response to the enable signal. |
| US08867301B2 |
Semiconductor device having latency counter to control output timing of data and data processing system including the same
Disclosed herein is a device that includes a command decoder and a latency counter. The command decoder generates a first internal command in response to a first internal clock signal. The latency counter includes: a gate control signal generation unit generating output gate signals in response to a second internal clock signal; delay circuits each receiving an associated one of the output gate signals and generating an associated one of input gate signals; and a command signal latch unit fetching the first internal command in response to one of the input gate signals and outputting the first internal command in response to one of the output gate signals. Each of the delay circuit includes a first delay element that operates on a first power supply voltage and a second delay element that operates on a second power supply voltage different from the first power supply voltage. |
| US08867300B2 |
Semiconductor memory device, memory system and access method to semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device includes a block array having an m number of memory blocks in a row direction and an n number of memory blocks in a column direction (m being an integer of 2 or more and n being an integer of 1 or more), a page selection circuit configured to select a row in the block array as a page to be selected, and a page buffer configured to store data to be written in a page selected by the page selection circuit or data read from the page. Each of the memory blocks includes a memory cell array having a plurality of memory cells, a row selection circuit configured to select a row of the memory cell array, and a column selection circuit configured to select a column of the memory cell array. |
| US08867296B2 |
Regulator, voltage generator and semiconductor memory device
A regulator includes a variable resistance unit coupled between an input node to which a pumping voltage is inputted and a control node and configured to adjust resistance of the variable resistance unit in response to a control signal varied depending on a target voltage, a voltage output unit configured to adjust the pumping voltage according to potential of the control node and output the adjusted pumping voltage, and a regulation unit configured to control the potential of the control node according to the adjusted pumping voltage, to output the target voltage. The regulator adjusts the resistance of an internal resistor according to the target voltage, thereby reducing current consumption. |
| US08867294B2 |
Semiconductor device, refresh control method thereof and computer system
A semiconductor device comprises a first memory cell array, a register storing information of whether or not one of the word lines in an active state exists in a unit area and storing address information, and a control circuit controlling a refresh operation for a refresh word line based on the information in the register when receiving a refresh request. When the one of the word lines in an active state does not exist, memory cells connected to the refresh word line are refreshed. When the one of the word lines in an active state exists, the one of the word lines in an active state is set into an inactive state temporarily and the memory cells connected to the refresh word line are refreshed after precharging bit lines of the memory cells. |
| US08867293B2 |
Semiconductor memory device changing refresh interval depending on temperature
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory core circuit having memory cells for storing data, a circuit configured to refresh the memory core circuit at a refresh interval, a temperature detecting unit configured to detect temperature, and a control circuit configured to shorten the refresh interval immediately in response to detection of a predetermined temperature rise by the temperature detecting unit and to elongate the refresh interval after refreshing every one of the memory cells at least once in response to detection of a temperature drop by the temperature detecting unit. |
| US08867289B2 |
Chip with embedded non-volatile memory and testing method therefor
A testing method for a chip with an embedded non-volatile memory and the chip is provided. A remapping circuit and the non-volatile memory are connected to a processor. The non-volatile memory has a test area and an area under test. The test area stores a test program, and the area under test stores data under test. When the processor tests the chip, the processor outputs an original instruction address, and the remapping circuit remaps the original instruction address to generate a remapped instruction address. The processor reads the test program in the test area, and executes the test program to read the data under test in the area under test and to perform a test of toggling the logic circuit. |
| US08867284B2 |
Semiconductor element and operating method thereof
A semiconductor element and an operating method thereof are provided. The semiconductor element comprises a first metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) and a second MOS. The second MOS is electrically connected to the first MOS. The second MOS includes a floating bipolar junction transistor (BJT). |
| US08867282B2 |
Semiconductor apparatus with open bit line structure
A semiconductor apparatus with an open bit line structure includes a memory bank including a plurality of memory cell blocks and dummy mats, in which a plurality of bit lines are formed, a bit line sense amplifier configured to be arranged between the plurality of memory cell blocks and the dummy mats, compare a voltage difference between a bit line and a complementary bit line, and amplify the difference, and a dummy word line driving unit configured to selectively activate a dummy word line of the dummy mat in response to a test mode. |
| US08867281B2 |
Hybrid chargepump and regulation means and method for flash memory device
A hybrid charge pump and control circuit for use in a memory device is disclosed. |
| US08867276B2 |
Memory device having three-dimensional gate structure
Subject matter disclosed herein relates to a memory device, and more particularly to a nonvolatile memory device having a recess structure and methods of fabricating same. |
| US08867273B2 |
Non-volatile semiconductor memory device and method of writing data therein
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of cell units and a data writing unit. The cell unit includes first and second select gate transistors and a memory string including a plurality of memory cells. The data writing unit sequentially writes lower page data and upper page data corresponding to the lower page data to a selected memory cell selected in order from one close to the first select gate transistor to the second select gate transistor, and performs a first writing operation of writing the lower page data to the selected memory cell and a second writing operation of writing the upper page data to the selected memory cell after the first writing operation for n (n is an integer equal to or greater than 2) non-selected memory cells which are adjacent to a side of the selected memory cell close to the second select gate transistor. |
| US08867267B2 |
Memory devices, memory device constructions, constructions, memory device forming methods, current conducting devices, and memory cell programming methods
Some embodiments include memory devices having a wordline, a bitline, a memory element selectively configurable in one of three or more different resistive states, and a diode configured to allow a current to flow from the wordline through the memory element to the bitline responsive to a voltage being applied across the wordline and the bitline and to decrease the current if the voltage is increased or decreased. Some embodiments include memory devices having a wordline, a bitline, memory element selectively configurable in one of two or more different resistive states, a first diode configured to inhibit a first current from flowing from the bitline to the wordline responsive to a first voltage, and a second diode comprising a dielectric material and configured to allow a second current to flow from the wordline to the bitline responsive to a second voltage. |
| US08867266B2 |
Method for driving storage element and storage device
Disclosed herein is a method for driving a storage element that has a plurality of magnetic layers and performs recording by utilizing spin torque magnetization reversal, the method including applying a pulse voltage having reverse polarity of polarity of a recording pulse voltage in application of the recording pulse voltage to the storage element. |
| US08867265B1 |
Semiconductor memory apparatus
A semiconductor memory apparatus includes a resistive memory cell; a data sensing unit configured to sense an output voltage, formed by a sensing current supplied to the resistive memory cell, based on a reference voltage, and output data having a value corresponding to the sensing result; and a reference voltage generation unit comprising a dummy memory cell including first and second resistors having first and second resistance values, respectively, and configured to output a voltage formed by the sensing current supplied to the dummy memory cell as the reference voltage. |
| US08867263B2 |
Multiport memory with matching address and data line control
In a multiple port SRAM, a first bit cell is coupled to first and second word lines and a first and second bit line pair. A first data line pair is coupled to the first bit line pair via first switching logic. A second data line pair is coupled to the first bit line pair via second switching logic and to the second bit line pair via third switching logic. If a row address match but not a column address match exists between a first and second access address, the second switching logic selectively connects the second data line pair with the first bit line pair based on a first decoded signal generated from the column address of the second access address and the third switching logic decouples the second data line pair from the second bit line pair. |
| US08867254B2 |
Flexible memory and its fabrication process
This invention describes the structure and the fabrication method of a flexible memory. The flexible memory includes eight layers. The three function layers are a flexible layer of hall unit, a flexible layer of horizontal lines, and a flexible layer of vertical lines. The main fabrication process of the flexible memory includes the following: the function layers are made on the hard substrates by the traditional nano-micro methods, and then the function layers are transferred on the flexible substrates, finally the whole layers are packaged to form the flexible memory. |
| US08867245B1 |
Switching power supply having high-power integrated circuit and monolithic integrated circuit therefor
A switching power supply comprises one or more power supply stages that receive power from an input power source and that generate a regulated output voltage for powering a load. A controller monitors at least the regulated output voltage and generates at least one switch control signal for alternately opening and closing a switch so as to regulate the regulated output voltage. A monolithic integrated circuit is coupled to receive the switch control signal. The monolithic integrated circuit is separate from the controller and comprises a plurality of transistors capable of operation at voltage levels that are at least one order of magnitude higher than voltage levels within the controller integrated circuit. |
| US08867244B2 |
HVDC converter including fullbridge cells for handling a DC side short circuit
A power electronic converter for use in high voltage direct current power transmission and reactive power compensation comprises three converter limbs, each converter limb including first and second DC terminals for connection in use to a DC network and an AC terminal for connection in use to a respective phase of a three-phase AC network, each converter limb defining first and second limb portions being connected in series between the respective AC terminal and a respective one of the first and second DC terminals, each limb portion including at least one switching element being controllable in use to facilitate power conversion between the AC and DC networks, the power electronic converter further including a plurality of auxiliary units, each auxiliary unit being operably associated with the respective phase of the AC network, each auxiliary unit including at least one module including a voltage source, the limb portions being controllable in use to define at least one three-phase static synchronous compensator including at least one of the plurality of auxiliary units in each branch of a star configuration, each of the first and/or second DC terminals defining the neutral point of the respective star configuration. |
| US08867240B2 |
Method and apparatus to control a power converter having a low loop bandwidth
A controller for use in a power converter includes a comparator coupled to receive a signal representative of an output of the power converter. A counter is coupled to an output of the comparator to sample the output of the comparator a plurality of times within a period. A state machine is coupled to an output of the counter to control switching of the power converter according to one of a plurality of operating condition states in response to the output of the counter. The state machine is coupled to be updated at an end of the period. |
| US08867238B2 |
DC/DC converter, and electric generating system using solar cell having the same
Disclosed herein is an electric generating system using a solar cell which converts a voltage generated in the solar cell into an Alternating Current (AC) voltage, and applies the converted voltage to a power system. The electric generating system includes; a Direct Current (DC)/DC converter that converts the voltage generated in the solar cell into a DC voltage, and has a synchronous rectifier including a synchronous switch; and a controller that detects one of a phase and a voltage of the power system, and selectively connects the synchronous switch of the synchronous rectifier in accordance with one of the phase and voltage of the power system. Here, the electric generating system reduces a conduction loss, and increases overall efficiency of the electric generation system. |
| US08867231B2 |
Electronic module packages and assemblies for electrical systems
An electronic module package that includes an electronic module configured to receive input signals and process the input signals to provide output signals. The module package also includes an interposer having a board substrate with opposite mounting and substrate surfaces. The mounting surface has a mounting array of electrical contacts. The substrate surface has a module array of electrical contacts and a component array of electrical contacts. The electronic module is attached to the substrate surface and electrically coupled to the module array. The interposer includes first conductive pathways that electrically couple the module array and the mounting array and also includes second conductive pathways that electrically couple the module array and the component array. |
| US08867230B2 |
Storage system and printed circuit board
In the present invention, generation of occurrence of a wiring area is prevented, and a reflection by an inconsistency of a characteristic impedance of a high-speed signal line and a through hole connecting portion. By doing so, a conductor pattern of a raised shape is formed on each of front and back of a through hole, on a GND layer closest to the high-speed signal line in the vicinity of the connecting portion of the high-speed signal line and the through hole. Further, the conductor pattern is a trapezoidal shape, and is a shape which becomes wider as it becomes closer to the through hole. |
| US08867229B2 |
Printed circuit and printed circuit of touch panel
A printed circuit includes a number of conductive wires. Each of the conductive wires includes a first conductive wire section, a second conductive wire section, and a first connection section. The first connection section includes a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the first end of the first connection section is connected to the first conductive wire section, and the second end of the first connection section is connected to the second conductive wire section. An angle between the first conductive wire section and the first connection section can be in a range from about 90 degrees to about 180 degrees. |
| US08867223B2 |
System and method for a high retention module interface
A device includes a substrate, a first antenna connection, and a first retention mechanism. The substrate has a top surface and a bottom surface. The first antenna connection is mounted directly to the top surface of the substrate, and is configured to connect with a first antenna. The first retention mechanism is connected at a first location of the bottom surface of the substrate to provide support for the substrate at the first antenna connection when the first antenna connection is connected to the first antenna. The first location of the first retention mechanism is selected to be directly below the first antenna connection. |
| US08867222B2 |
Electric control device
An electric control device includes: an accommodation element (10) having an opening and a bottom; a cover element (20) for covering the opening of the accommodation element (10) so that accommodation space (15) is formed between the cover element (20) and the accommodation element (10); a hook (11) integrated with the accommodation element (10) for swaging the cover element (20); and a control element (30) formed in the accommodation space (15), wherein an electric element (32-35) is arranged on a substrate (31) so that the control element (30) is prepared. The substrate (31) includes a notch concavity (311) on a periphery of the substrate (31) so as to face the hook (11). |
| US08867221B2 |
Lid opening and closing device and storage apparatus
A lid opening and closing device includes a first supporting shaft, a guide surface, a second supporting shaft, an opening and closing key supported by the second supporting shaft, an arm member and a lever member, wherein when an insert is not present in a box, a lid is suspended from the first supporting shaft and covers the box and enters a closed state, and when the insert is inserted into the box through an opening, the insert causes the opening and closing key to swing in an insertion direction, an end of an arm member rises along the guide surface in synchronization with the swinging of the opening and closing key, the risen arm member lifts an end of the lever member, and the lid, to which the lever member is secured, swings around the first supporting shaft and enters an open state. |
| US08867216B2 |
Slot design for flexible and expandable system architecture
An apparatus includes a printed circuit board including a connector footprint comprising a first footprint portion operative to receive a first connector portion and a second footprint portion operative to receive a second connector portion. The first footprint portion is compliant with a first communications link type and the first and second footprint portions are jointly compliant with a second communications link type. The printed circuit board includes first conductive traces coupled to the first footprint portion and a first device footprint. The first conductive traces are selectively configurable according to a selected one of the first and second communications link types. The printed circuit board includes a second conductive traces coupled to the second footprint portion and the first device footprint. In at least one embodiment of the apparatus, the first communications link type is AC-coupled and the second communications link type is DC-coupled. |
| US08867215B2 |
Memory cards and electronic machines
Provided is a memory card. The memory card includes interconnection terminals for electric connection with an external electronic machine. The interconnection terminals may be spaced from the front side of the memory card by a distance greater than the lengths of the interconnection terminals. Alternatively, the memory card may include other interconnection terminals between its front side and the former interconnection terminals. The former and latter interconnection terminals may be used for electric connection with different kinds of electronic machines. |
| US08867214B2 |
Modular server design for use in reconfigurable server shelf
A modular computing system includes two or more electrical modules. The electrical modules may each include a module chassis having shelf mounting portions for sliding the electrical module into a slot of a rack. The electrical modules may couple with one another to form module assemblies that can be slid into one or more slots in a rack. |
| US08867210B2 |
Cooling apparatus for an electrical substrate
A cooling apparatus is disclosed. The cooling apparatus comprises a first outer portion comprising a fluid inlet and a first exterior cooling surface. A first fluid-diverting structure is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet. A second outer portion comprises a fluid outlet and a second exterior cooling surface. A second fluid-diverting structure is in fluid communication with the fluid outlet. An electrical substrate is coupled to at least one of the first and second exterior cooling surfaces. An intermediate portion is in a facing relationship with the first and second outer portions. The intermediate portion defines an aperture for transferring a fluid between a first cavity and a second cavity. The first cavity is defined between the first outer portion and the intermediate portion. The second cavity is defined between the second outer portion and the intermediate portion. The fluid absorbs heat from the electrical substrate. |
| US08867208B2 |
Electronic device
A notebook computer 1 is provided with: a casing 20a in which electronic components including a CPU are accommodated; and a heat-dissipating unit 30 that includes a heat-dissipating component 37 having a plurality of fins 37a to which heat is transferred from the CPU, and a fan 31 for supplying air to the heat-dissipating component 37, and, in the heat dissipating unit 30, heat exchange between heat transferred from the CPU to the heat-dissipating component 37, and air supplied from the fan 31, is performed to release heated air to the exterior of the casing 20a. A communicating path 36 is formed, between an air outlet 32b of the fan 31, and an inflow surface 37b of the heat-dissipating component 37, for communicating therebetween, and a dust removal path 38 is formed in the communicating path 36 so as to communicate with the exterior of the casing 20a. |
| US08867206B2 |
Telecommunication cabinet with airflow ducting
A telecommunications cabinet in which active equipment can be mounted. The cabinet including an airflow ducting arrangement located in the interior region of the cabinet. The airflow ducting arrangement accommodating thermal cooling of active equipment having internal side-to-side air cooling arrangements. |
| US08867205B2 |
Fluid cooling system and associated fitting assembly for electronic component
A fluid cooling system and associated fitting assembly for an electronic component such as a multi-processor computer offer easy and reliable connect and disconnect operations while doing so in a minimum amount of available space without damaging associated components of an electronic device, computer or cooling system. One exemplary fitting assembly includes a manifold mount with a port that is in fluid communication with a manifold tube. A fitting is sized and configured to mate with the port and is in fluid communication with associated cooling tubes of a cold plate. A latch is pivotally mounted to the manifold mount for movement to and between a first position in which the latch secures the fitting to the manifold mount and a second position in which the fitting is capable of being disconnected from the manifold mount. |
| US08867204B1 |
Datacenter with angled hot aisle venting
A datacenter or server farm having servers mounted to blow air at an angle in a hot aisle. The angled air flow can provide a cyclonal effect in the hot aisle, enhancing heat convention in the hot aisle. |
| US08867203B2 |
Locking device, electronic device, and locking method
A locking device includes a first slide part having a first lock part and configured to be movable, a second slide part having a second lock part and configured to support the first slide part and be movable independently from the first slide part, and a lock arm part configured to be movable in a direction intersecting with the first slide part and the second slide part and engage with the first lock part and the second lock part at a locking position to prevent the first slide part and the second slide part from moving. |
| US08867191B2 |
Capacitor and method of making same
A capacitor having a dielectric consisting of a glass layer with an alkali metal oxide content of at most 2 wt % and a thickness of at most 50 μm is provided. The capacitor includes at least two metal layers which are separated by the glass layer. The glass layer is preferably produced by a down-draw method or by an overflow down-draw fusion method. |
| US08867190B2 |
Multilayer ceramic electronic component having an average surface roughness to provide adhesion strength between a dielectric layer and inner electrode and fabrication method thereof
There is provided a multilayer ceramic electronic component, including: a ceramic main body including a dielectric layer; and inner electrodes disposed to face each other within the ceramic main body, with the dielectric layer interposed therebetween, wherein, when an average thickness of the dielectric layer is td and an average thickness of the inner electrodes is te, 0.1 μm≦te≦0.5 μm and (td+te)/te≦2.5 are satisfied, and when an average surface roughness on a virtual surface roughness center line of the inner electrode is Ra and an average roughness of ten points of the inner electrode is Rz, 5 nm≦Ra≦30 nm, 150 nm≦Rz≦td/2, and 8≦Rz/Ra≦20 are satisfied. The multilayer ceramic electronic component has excellent reliability by improving adhesion strength between the dielectric layer and the inner electrodes and withstand voltage characteristics. |
| US08867189B2 |
Systems and methods for a thin film capacitor having a composite high-K thin film stack
Systems and methods are provided for fabricating a thin film capacitor involving depositing an electrode layer of conductive material on top of a substrate material, depositing a first layer of ferroelectric material on top of the substrate material using a metal organic deposition or chemical solution deposition process, depositing a second layer of ferroelectric material on top of the first layer using a high temperature sputter process and depositing a metal interconnect layer to provide electric connections to layers of the capacitor. |
| US08867185B2 |
Method and device for protection zone selection in a multiple busbar arrangement
Method of protection zone selection in a multiple busbar arrangement, the multiple busbar arrangement including busbar zones and bays connectable to the busbar zones, which bays include measurement transformers. The method includes the steps of: receiving first connection data including information of an operational status of measurement transformer to busbar zone connections; determining all pairs of connected busbar zone to busbar zone connections based on the first connection data; comparing data representing pairs of busbar zone to busbar zone connections, based on the comparing; assigning each pair of busbar zones which has a busbar zone in common with at least another pair of busbar zone to busbar zone connection to a respective protection zone; and defining any busbar zone that is not connected to any other busbar zone as a protection zone. The present invention also relates to a computer program product and a device for carrying out the method. |
| US08867183B2 |
ESD protection techniques
Some embodiments relate to an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device to protect a circuit that is electrically connected to first and second circuit nodes from an ESD event. The ESD protection device includes a first electrical path extending between the first and second circuit nodes and including first and second ESD detection elements arranged thereon. The ESD protection device also includes first and second voltage bias elements having respective inputs electrically connected to respective outputs of the first and second ESD detection elements. A second electrical path extends between the first and second circuit nodes and is in parallel with the first electrical path. The second electrical path includes a voltage controlled shunt network having at least two control terminals electrically connected to respective outputs of the first and second voltage bias elements. Other embodiments are also disclosed. |
| US08867182B2 |
Signal-powered integrated circuit with ESD protection
The invention provides a signal-powered integrated circuit (IC). The IC comprises an integrated circuit die including a ground node, a supply node, and a first terminal for receiving a digital data signal having data content and a predetermined energy. A receive buffer formed on the integrated circuit die is connected to the first terminal and capable of receiving the data content associated with the digital data signal. A rectifier is also formed on the integrated circuit die. The rectifier includes a first diode connected between the first terminal and the ground node and a second diode connected between the first terminal and the supply node. The rectifier is configured to rectify the digital data signal and pass at least a portion of the digital data signal's predetermined energy to the supply node. Each of the first and second diodes is capable of withstanding an ESD impulse. |
| US08867176B1 |
Corrosion protection utilizing a milled, top spin valve GMR sensor
A corrosion-resistant magnetic sensor and a method for making the corrosion-resistant magnetic sensor. The magnetic sensor includes a first layer that is a pinned layer, the first layer having a first edge. The magnetic sensor also includes a second layer that can be a non-magnetic metal layer, the second layer having a second edge corresponding to the first edge, wherein the second layer is adjacent the first layer. The magnetic sensor also has a third layer that can be a free layer, the third layer having a third edge which projects outwardly relative to the first edge and the second edge. |
| US08867175B1 |
Magnetic shield base lamination
A magnetic element may generally be configured as a read head with at least a magnetic stack that contacts at least one magnetic shield. The magnetic shield can be positioned on top of a base lamination and have at least a predetermined anisotropy and magnetic coercivity corresponding to the base lamination. |
| US08867172B2 |
ABS design for uniform touch-down and back-off in DFH applications
A DFH (Dynamic Flying Height) type slider ABS design has significantly improved DFH efficiency and back-off efficiency as well as uniform touchdown detectability. This is the result of decoupling the local pressure variations at the read/write head that result from skew angle variations across a disk, from local stiffness due to ABS protrusion caused by heater activation. The decoupling, which allows the heater activation stiffness to be carefully tuned, is a result of the effects of airflow channeled by a wide down-track channel onto a narrow down-track channel formed in an extended finger of the central pad of the slider. Airflow impinges on the finger channel in a manner that eliminates variations in air pressure at the central pad due to variations in skew angle. |
| US08867169B2 |
Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording having a main pole and a shield
A magnetic head includes a magnetic structure incorporating a write shield. The magnetic structure is formed to include a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer stacked on the first magnetic layer, and a seed layer. The first magnetic layer has a front end face located in the medium facing surface and a top surface. The second magnetic layer has a front end face located in the medium facing surface and a bottom surface. The top surface of the first magnetic layer includes a first region including an end located in the medium facing surface and a second region farther from the medium facing surface than the first region. The seed layer is not present on the first region of the top surface of the first magnetic layer but is present on the second region. |
| US08867167B2 |
Tapered pole heads for magnetic media
A system comprises a first tapered core configured for positioning adjacent a first surface of a magnetic medium, and a second tapered core configured for positioning adjacent a second surface of the magnetic medium, opposite the first tapered core along a travel direction of the magnetic medium. Each of the first and second tapered cores has a transverse width defined with respect to the magnetic medium, where the transverse width decreases from a first end of the tapered core to a second end of the tapered core, the second end forming a pole face adjacent the magnetic medium. |
| US08867165B2 |
Spindle motor and disk drive apparatus
A spindle motor includes a stationary portion defined by a base portion, a stator core arranged on the side of an upper surface of the base portion, and a coil attached to the stator core. A rotating portion includes a magnet arranged on a radially inner side of the stator core, a first supporting surface which is in contact with a lower surface of a disk, and a disk supporting portion arranged on a radially outer side than the magnet. The stator core includes a ring-shaped core back, and a plurality of teeth. The disk supporting portion is positioned radially outward from a radially inner end portion of the teeth and radially inward from the coil. The radially inner end portion of the teeth, the disk supporting portion, and the coil overlap in the radial direction. |
| US08867164B2 |
Magnetic storage device with humidity control device incorporating a differentially permeable membrane
Approaches for desiccant device within an enclosure protecting sensitive electronic equipment. Electronic equipment, such as a hard-disk drive (HDD), may comprise a desiccant device that possesses a water vapor permeability rate that matches or is substantially similar to the water vapor permeability rate of the enclosure. In this way, desiccant devices may prevent the desiccant material enclosed within from releasing large amounts of humidity into the interior of the electronic equipment. The desiccant device may be constructed using a laminate material that comprises an interior facing material and an exterior facing material. The exterior facing material permits water to diffuse faster therethrough than the interior facing material. |
| US08867163B2 |
Head rotator assembly for tape drive
A head rotator assembly for positioning a head of a tape drive relative to a storage tape that moves over the head comprises a head supporter and a supporter mover assembly. The head supporter is coupled to and supports the head. The supporter mover assembly includes a first actuator that indirectly rotates a portion of the head supporter about an axis to move the head in an azimuth direction relative to the storage tape as the storage tape moves over the head. The supporter mover assembly can further include a first lever. The first actuator moves the first lever to rotate the portion of the head supporter so that the head moves in the azimuth direction relative to the storage tape. |
| US08867162B2 |
Magnetic disk device and demodulation position correcting method
According to one embodiment, a magnetic head, a magnetic disk and a magnetic recording controller are provided. The magnetic disk has a burst pattern recorded thereon for determining a position of the magnetic head on a track based on a reading result by the magnetic head. The magnetic recording controller corrects a demodulation position of the magnetic head based on an offset correction value subject to fluctuation of the burst pattern. |
| US08867161B2 |
Shingled magnetic recording with variable track spacing
Apparatus and method for writing data to a data storage medium using shingled magnetic recording (SMR). In accordance with some embodiments, a transducer is positioned adjacent a recording medium. The transducer is used to write data to the medium in the form of partially overlapping tracks grouped together into bands so that a first track and a last track in a selected band are wider than remaining tracks in the selected band. |
| US08867159B1 |
Method and read module for adjusting a frequency at which a converter samples a read signal based on movement of center of a rotating storage medium
A read module includes a clock that generates a clock signal. The clock signal oscillates at a frequency. A converter receives a read signal and samples the read signal based on the clock signal. The read signal includes first data read from a rotating storage medium. The estimation module, subsequent to a center of the rotating storage medium moving from a first location to a second location, estimates an offset distance or an offset angle. The offset distance is between the first location and the second location. The offset angle is between a first line and a second line. The first line extends between a location of the first data on the rotating storage medium and the second location. The second line extends between the first location and the second location. The adjustment module adjusts the frequency of the clock signal based on the offset distance or the offset angle. |
| US08867150B2 |
Image pickup lens
To provide an image pickup lens with a five-lens configuration in which aberrations are corrected favorably despite its compactness. An image pickup lens 10 includes a first lens L1 having a positive refractive power and having a convex face directed to an object side, a second lens L2 of a meniscus shape having a negative refractive power and having a concave face directed to an image side, a third lens L3 having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens L4 having a positive refractive power and having a convex face directed to the image side, and a fifth lens L5 having a negative refractive power and having a concave face directed to the image side, in this order from the object side. Here, the focal length of the fifth lens, the focal length of the entire system of the image pickup lens, and an air separation on an optical axis between the fourth lens and the fifth lens satisfy predetermined conditions. |
| US08867149B2 |
Photographing lens assembly
A photographing lens assembly 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, a fifth lens element and a sixth lens element. The positive first lens element has a convex object-side surface. The second and the third lens elements have refractive power. The fourth lens element has positive refractive power. The negative fifth lens element has a convex object-side surface, a concave image-side surface, and at least one inflection point on at least one surface thereof, wherein the surfaces of the fifth lens element are aspheric. The negative sixth lens element has a concave image-side surface and at least one inflection point on at least one surface thereof, wherein the surfaces of the sixth lens element are aspheric. The photographing lens assembly has a total of six lens elements with refractive power. |
| US08867147B2 |
Imaging lens, optical apparatus equipped therewith and method for manufacturing imaging lens
An imaging lens SL installed in a single-lens reflex digital camera includes, in order from an object side, a first lens group G1, and a second lens group G2 having positive refractive power. The first lens group G1 includes, in order from the object side, a first lens component L11 having a negative meniscus shape with a convex surface facing the object side, a second lens component L12 having a negative meniscus shape with a convex surface facing the object side, and a third lens component L13. The third lens component L13 includes a double concave lens to the most object side. The imaging lens SL includes at least six lens components or more, thereby providing a sufficiently fast imaging lens having excellent optical performance, which is a large aperture, single-focal-length, wide-angle lens having an aspherical surface. |
| US08867144B2 |
Inner focusing telephotographing zoom lens
The present invention is directed to providing a large aperture telephotographing zoom lens that employs an inner-focusing system to enable quick focusing and avoid a great aberration when the zoom lens renders the close object in focus. The zoom lens comprises at least five groups of lens pieces arranged in series, namely, the foremost or first lens group of positive refractivity positioned the closest to the object, the succeeding second lens group of negative refractivity, the third lens group of negative refractivity, the fourth lens group of positive refractivity, and the rearmost or fifth lens group of positive refractivity. During varying the magnification for zooming in a transition from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, all the lens pieces of the second, third, and fourth lens groups are moved toward the image plane, and the third lens group alone is displaced for focusing. |
| US08867141B2 |
Lens with multi-concave meniscus wall
The present invention relates generally to a liquid meniscus lens with a meniscus wall. The meniscus lens may include an arcuate front curve and back curve lens. Some specific embodiments include a liquid meniscus lens with a meniscus wall essentially in the shape of multiple segments of a torus concave from the optical axis. Embodiments may also include a lens of suitable size and shape for inclusion in a contact lens. |
| US08867137B2 |
Head-up display device
A head-up display device includes an indicator configured to emit a display light, a lower casing to which the indicator is mounted, an upper casing which is mounted to an upper portion of the lower casing, a pair of support portions which are provided on the lower casing and extend toward the upper casing, guide grooves which are formed on the support portions at opposite sides thereof, and a reflective mirror which is inserted and mounted to the lower casing toward a bottom surface of the lower casing while both lateral edges of the reflective mirror are engaged with the guide grooves, to reflect the display light emitted from the indicator and guide the reflected display light to a windshield of a vehicle. |
| US08867136B2 |
Floating image display device
A floating image display device includes an object, and a light reflecting optical member for reflecting displayed light from the object to a viewer. The light reflecting optical member comprises a structure in which micro mirror units each having first and second light reflecting sides are arranged in matrix. The light reflecting optical member reflects the displayed light by the first and second light reflecting sides at two times to form a mirror image. The light reflecting optical member comprises a first assembly and a second assembly. Each of the first and second assemblies is constructed by arranging a plurality of longitudinal members each having one light reflecting side such that all of the light reflecting sides are oriented in a same direction. The first assembly and the second assembly are laminated onto each other with the light reflecting sides of the first assembly and the light reflecting surfaces of the second assembly intersecting with each other. The light reflecting sides of the first assembly constitute the first light reflecting sides of the respective micro mirror units, and the light reflecting sides of the second assembly constitute the second light reflecting sides of the respective micro mirror units. |
| US08867135B2 |
Non-attenuating light collimating articles for graphic arts
Various systems and methods are provided for non-attenuating light collimating articles. In one embodiment, among others, a phototool comprises a substrate; and a microstructured surface disposed on a first surface of the substrate, the microstructured surface comprising a plurality of light collimating articles. |
| US08867130B1 |
Polarization device for vacuum ultraviolet or shorter wavelengths
A highly efficient polarization device for use in the VUV or shorter wavelength is provided. The polarization device may include a dispersive element capable of splitting an incident un-polarized beam of light into two beams of orthogonal linear polarization through introduction of an angular deviation. The polarization device may also include a focusing element capable of focusing at least a portion of one of the linearly polarized beams to a small region. Said polarization device may also incorporate a spatial aperture through which most of one of the beam passes, but through which most of the other does not. |
| US08867129B2 |
Sighting telescope
A sighting telescope has two image planes situated between an objective and an ocular. A first such plane is situated closer to the objective and a second image plane is closer to the ocular. A reversal system is situated between the first and second image planes containing reversing lens elements. The reversing lens elements for a first and for a second adjustment distance can be adjusted by an adjustment means in a manner that the image in the second image plane shall be parallax-free between the target image and the target mark. |
| US08867127B2 |
Device and method for the adjusted mounting of a microscope stage to a microscope stand
A device and method for adjusting mounting of a microscope stage (14), to which an objective (38) is mounted, to a microscope stand (12), including at least one first connecting element (56) arranged on the microscope stand (12), at least one second connecting element (62) arranged on the microscope stage (14) for mounting the microscope stage (14) to the microscope stand (12), at least one first mating part (76) arranged on the microscope stand (12), at least one positioning base (66) supporting a second mating part (74), wherein the positioning base (66) adjusts the platform (16) on the microscope stand (12) and is mounted movably in a plane of adjustment that is parallel to the platform (16) with the mating parts (74, 76) being engaged, and at least one locking device (80) for locking the positioning base (66) to the platform (16). |
| US08867124B2 |
Relay station and method for adjusting output optical signals of the relay station
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a relay station and a method for adjusting output optical signals of the relay station. The relay station includes: a detection control unit, an output light stabilization unit, a reply stabilization unit, an adjustable gain amplification unit, and a pump light output unit. The method for adjusting output the optical signals of the relay station includes: adjusting a drive current which drives generation of pump light; adjusting a pilot tone modulation depth of an Alternating Current (AC) signal on which a replay signal is modulated; and finally, outputting a stable output optical signal through disturbed pump light. Adjusting the output optical signals and the pilot tone modulation depth of the AC signal on which the replay signal is modulated, the reply signals are stably output, thereby achieving the purpose of fixing the pilot tone modulation depth. |
| US08867120B2 |
Reflective display device
A method of manufacturing a reflective display device comprises depositing an electro-optical ink on a substrate, the electro-optical ink comprising a plurality of microencapsulated electro-optical fluid shells dispersed in a polymer pre-cursor. The electro-optical ink is cured to provide an electro-optical layer in which the shells are maintained in a polymer matrix having at least two-phases. At least one of the phases in the polymer matrix has a refractive index differing from the shells. At least one electrode is provided in contact with the electro-optical layer to, in use, control the state of the electro-optical layer. |
| US08867119B2 |
Heat resistive particles for particle-based displays and fabrication methods thereof
A heat resistive particle for a particle-based display and a fabrication method thereof are provided. The heat resistive particle includes a near infrared absorption resistive additive mixed with a polymer resin, having a relative absorption ratio at a near infrared light wavelength range of at least less than 50% based on the maximal absorptivity at a visible light wavelength range. The method includes mixing a near infrared absorption resistive additive with a polymer resin to form a plurality of heat resistive particles by a chemical synthesis or a pulverization method. Further, a switchable particle-based display is provided, having a plurality of display units, wherein each display unit includes one or more cells. A plurality of particles is filled into the one or more cells of each display unit, wherein at least a part of the particles includes the heat resistive particles. |
| US08867118B2 |
Lens module with infrared absorbing filter
A lens module includes an infrared absorbing filter. The infrared absorbing filter includes an electrochromic substrate. The electrochromic substrate changes from colorlessness to blue when a preset voltage is applied on the electrochromic substrate. The electrochromic substrate is configured for absorbing the infrared constituent of incoming light rays when the color is changed to blue. |
| US08867115B2 |
Control of array of two-dimensional imaging elements in light modulating displays
Light emitting elements in an illumination unit of a display may be blanked during updates of pixels of a spatial light modulator (SLM). Updates of pixels in different segments of the SLM may be coordinated with blanking of corresponding segments of the illumination unit. Updating of segments of a light source (30A-30D) may be coordinated so that not all segments are updated in each frame (34A-37D) of a video. |
| US08867113B2 |
Laser processing device and laser processing method
A laser processing device includes a laser light source, a spatial light modulator, a control section, and a condensing optical system. The spatial light modulator, presents a hologram for modulating the phase of the laser light in each of a plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed pixels, and outputs the phase-modulated laser light. The control section causes a part of the phase-modulated laser light (incident light) to be condensed at a condensing position in a processing region as a laser light (contribution light) having a constant energy not less than a predetermined threshold X. The control section causes a laser light (unnecessary light) other than the contribution light condensed to the condensing position existing in the processing region to be dispersed and condensed at a condensing position existing in a non-processing region as a plurality of laser lights (non-contribution lights) having an energy less than the predetermined threshold. |
| US08867110B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes: a housing accommodating an image forming unit and includes a side wall and an opening to feed the sheet from an outside to the image forming unit; a feeding tray moving between a holding position and an accommodation position; a guide provided at the feeding tray, the guide being configured to abut against the sheet which is held on the feeding tray from a rear end side of the sheet in a feeding direction along with the sheet is fed to the image forming unit and define a holding position of the sheet when the feeding tray is arranged at the holding position and the sheet is placed on the feeding tray; and a recess part formed on the sidewall of the housing and configured to accommodate the guide therein when the feeding tray is arranged at the accommodation position. |
| US08867105B2 |
Original reading apparatus with variable gain amplification
An original reading apparatus including: a light source configured to illuminate an original; a line image sensor configured to convert light reflected from the original into an analog output signal; an AD converter configured to convert the analog output signal output from the line image sensor into a digital output signal; a control device configured to control the line image sensor and the AD converter; and a variable gain amplifier provided inside the line image sensor, for adjusting a signal range of the analog output signal. |
| US08867103B2 |
Image processing apparatus capable of transmitting image data using any one of a plurality of communication protocols
A control method for controlling an image processing apparatus capable of transmitting image data using any one of a plurality of communication protocols includes holding, in a holding unit, management information for managing a destination of image data to be transmitted and a communication protocol associated with the destination, displaying one or more destination candidates according to a character string entered by a user and the management information held in the holding unit, determining, in a case where a destination is selected from the one or more displayed destination candidates, a communication protocol associated with the selected destination according to the management information held in the holding unit, and transmitting the image data to the selected destination via the determined communication protocol. |
| US08867101B2 |
Photoengraving consumable material remote administration method
Provided is a consumable platemaking material remote administration method which is capable of remotely administrating a consumable platemaking material in each processing device in a fully-automatic platemaking system through a communication network. The consumable platemaking material remote administration method for a processing system for fully-automatic photogravure platemaking includes: providing a central control unit to be connected to the each processing device through a communication line, for receiving status information of a consumable platemaking material in the each processing device; and receiving the status information from the central control unit through a communication network by an external receiving device to remotely administrating the consumable platemaking material. |
| US08867096B2 |
Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and document management system capable of executing color correction
The image forming apparatus includes: a log obtaining unit configured to obtain a print log which is an execution history of a print job; a color utilization ratio obtaining unit configured to obtain a color utilization ratio which is a ratio of chromatic color material utilization when past print jobs were executed from the print log obtained by the log obtaining unit; a determination unit configured to determine to perform mixed color correction and single color correction when the color utilization ratio obtained by the color utilization ratio obtaining unit is equal to or larger than a threshold value and to perform the single color correction without performing the mixed color correction when the color utilization ratio is smaller than the threshold value; and a correction unit configured to perform the correction determined by the determination unit. |
| US08867089B2 |
Recording material transporting device and image forming apparatus
A recording material transporting device includes a transport path along which a recording material is transported, a first transporting unit that includes a first rotating member and a second rotating member being arranged apart from each other in a direction crossing the transport path, the first transporting unit correcting skew of the recording material by rotating the first rotating member and the second rotating member in a different speed, and a second transporting unit that includes a third rotating member and a fourth rotating member being arranged apart from each other in the crossing direction, the second transporting unit correcting skew of the recording material by rotating the third rotating member and the fourth rotating member in a different speed, wherein the third rotating member and the fourth rotating member are arranged between the first rotating member and the second rotating member. |
| US08867087B2 |
Printing apparatus, printing system, and printing control method for printing a watermark on a receipt along with print data sent from a host apparatus
A printing apparatus in which data representing a watermark is stored, printing system, and a printing control method that permits the watermark to be printed on a receipt superimposed with print data received from a host apparatus including a watermark printing avoidance control unit for avoiding printing the watermark on the print area of the receipt identified for printing specific print data contained in the received print data from the host apparatus. |
| US08867085B2 |
Printing device and method for controlling synchronizing of an output of each color image data from a plurality of buffer memories
A printing device includes a plurality of storage units into which image data is written, a control unit which has storage space information indicating a same storage space as a storage space of each of the plurality of storage units and manages address information to perform a writing and reading of image data with respect to the plurality of storage units on the basis of the storage space information, a plurality of data managing units which are provided correspondingly to the plurality of storage units and perform the writing and the reading of the image data with respect to the plurality of storage units on the basis of the address information, and a printing unit which prints the image data read from the plurality of storage units on a same page. |
| US08867082B2 |
Transmitting apparatus
A transmitting apparatus includes a touch panel, a broadcast direction receiving part, a broadcast job executing part, a broadcast job display controlling part, a gesture detecting part and a broadcast job execution controlling part. The broadcast job display controlling part controls, when the broadcast direction receiving part receives an operation input directing execution of a broadcast, the touch panel to display identifying information of a transmission job and a job identifier indicating a communication state of the transmission job for every transmission jobs. The broadcast job execution controlling part controls, when a gesture area detected by the gesture detecting part is corresponding to a display area of a given job identifier among the job identifiers, the broadcast job executing part to not execute the transmission job not yet transmitted among the transmission jobs corresponding to the job identifiers. |
| US08867079B2 |
Method and apparatus for communicating user information using body area network
There is provided an information processing apparatus including: a body area network communication part that performs communication with a terminal apparatus carried by a user, using a user's human body as a communication channel; a display and operating part having a display part that displays a screen and having, on the display part, an electrode for body area network communication, the screen receiving an operation performed by the user; and a control part that displays on the display part an operation key for allowing information stored in the terminal apparatus to be obtained by the body area network communication, when it is determined at the time of the user touching the electrode that communication between the body area network communication part and the terminal apparatus can be performed. |
| US08867074B2 |
Image forming apparatus, firmware updating method, and program using confirmation time and application time
A confirmation time at which confirmation processing for confirming whether firmware applicable to an image forming apparatus is managed by a delivery server and an application time at which the firmware is applied to the image forming apparatus are set in advance by an operation unit of the image forming apparatus, and an update control unit performs the confirmation processing at an actual confirmation time which is acquired by shifting the confirmation time, and if firmware applicable to the image forming apparatus is managed by the delivery server, the firmware is downloaded from the delivery server, and the firmware is stored in a storage device, and the update control unit applies the stored firmware to the image forming apparatus at the application time. |
| US08867073B2 |
Server apparatus, network system, job processing method, and storage medium
A server apparatus to manage a service processing apparatus which, based on a job requested from an information processing apparatus, cooperatively processes the job. The generation unit generates, based on cooperation service information stored in the storage unit, cooperation processing information including location information about a service processing apparatus to which the information processing apparatus is to make a cooperation service request, session information indicating a cooperation process, and order information indicating a progress state of a service process. The instruction unit transmits the generated cooperation processing information to the information processing apparatus, and instruct the information processing apparatus about a process. The acquisition unit acquires from the information processing apparatus response information corresponding to the cooperation processing information. The instruction unit specifies a process to be processed next based on the response information acquired by the acquisition unit, and instructs the information processing apparatus about the specified process. |
| US08867071B2 |
Printer for requiring terminal device to supply target data and terminal device for supplying target data in response to requirement from printer
A printer may supply print instruction screen data to a terminal device. The terminal device may supply selection information to the printer in a case where an instruction button in the print instruction screen is selected by a user. The printer may make, in a case where the selection information is obtained from the terminal device, a requirement requiring the terminal device to supply target data of a print target. The terminal device may supply the target data in accordance with the requirement. The printer may print an image represented by the target data. |
| US08867070B2 |
Printer with anonymous printer registration in a cloud-based print service
A printer may include a registration requester configured to receive an initiation request from a user to initiate a registration of the printer, and further configured to send a registration request to a cloud print service over a network. The printer may include a claim facilitator configured to receive a registration response from the cloud print service over the network, the registration response including a claim code, and further configured to provide, using printer functionality, the claim code to the user. The printer also may include an authentication manager configured to request an authentication credential issued by the cloud print service in response to a matching of the printer with a user account of the user within the cloud print service, the matching based on a receipt of the claim code from the user at the cloud print service, and further configured to receive and store the authentication credential at the printer. |
| US08867068B2 |
Information processing apparatus that obtains contents from web server and displays same on display unit, control method for information processing apparatus, and storage medium
An information processing apparatus that, when contents are obtained from a reliable Web server set in advance, hides an address bar so as to make effective use of a display region of an operation unit in displaying the contents. Contents corresponding to a designated address are obtained from a Web server. The obtained contents are analyzed and displayed on a display unit. The designated address is displayed on the display unit. Obtainment control is provided such that when the designated address is a specific address, obtainment of contents is permitted, and when the designated address is not the specific address, obtainment of contents is inhibited. When contents are displayed while the obtainment control is being carried out, an address is hidden, and when contents are displayed while the obtainment control is not being carried out, an address is displayed. |
| US08867066B2 |
Print processing apparatus and control method
A print processing apparatus comprises the image processing unit including a plurality of image processing sections that correspond respectively to the plurality of kinds of image processes; a generation unit configured to generate a preview image based on a result of processing by the image processing unit; a display unit configured to display the preview image generated by the generation unit; a use-situation identification unit configured to identify a use situation of the image processing sections; and a selection unit configured to select a preview method from among a plurality of preview methods for generating the preview image, according to the use situation identified by the use-situation identification unit, the selected preview method using an image processing section that is available in the identified use situation of the image processing section. |
| US08867063B2 |
Information processing device, method and record medium for implementing status monitor
An information processing device, configured to be capable of shifting from a first state (normal operating state) to a second state (power-saving state) and returning from the second state to the first state, comprises: a first detection unit which detects the return of the information processing device from the second state to the first state; a first transmission unit which transmits a start signal (for requesting an image formation device to start supplying status information indicating status of the image formation device) to the image formation device when the return to the first state is detected by the first detection unit; an acquisition unit which acquires the status information from the image formation device receiving the start signal; and a monitor processing unit which executes processing for monitoring the status of the image formation device on a display unit based on the status information acquired by the acquisition unit. |
| US08867062B2 |
System, method and computer program for enabling signings and dedications on a remote basis
A system, method and computer program for enabling signings/dedications on a remote basis is provided. A first computer at a first location is associated with an individual from whom a signature or dedication is required. A second computer at a location where the signing or dedication is required is linked to the first computer so as to provide a two-way audiovisual communication system. The second computer is operate e to receive input from one or more individuals regarding their request for a signature and/or dedication, and to communicate the request to the first computer. The first computer is operable to permit the individual associated with the first computer to review the request, and based on such request provide a signature and/or personalized dedication as an input to an input device connected to the first computer. The first computer transmits the signature and/or personalized dedication from the first computer to the second computer. The second computer is >@5r0+5 to receiving the signature and/or personalized dedication, and provide the signature and/or personalized dedication to a plotting apparatus device connected to the second computer. The plotting apparatus device is >@5r0+5 to apply the signature and/or personalized dedication introduced to the plotting apparatus device to an article, substantially in the handwriting of the individual associated with the first computer, based on the operation of the plotting apparatus device. A computer program for enabling the functions described is also provided. A related method is also disclosed. |
| US08867057B2 |
Print control apparatus, method thereof, and medium storing a program, that control a print processing based on number of sheets required by a print job
This invention relates to a printing system configured to output printing media having undergone print processing by a print apparatus to a plurality of destinations including a specific destination which has a structure allowing an operator to take out the printing media. In the system, output of printing media to the specific destination is restricted while the operator takes out the printing medium outputted to the specific destination, and in case that the number of printing media necessary for a job processed by the print apparatus is smaller than a predetermined number, the system is controlled not to output to the specific destination a printed material formed from printing media smaller in number than the predetermined number. This invention can achieve efficient printing by controlling not to stop the print operation of the system as much as possible. |
| US08867056B2 |
Image forming apparatus and methods of forming images
An image forming apparatus includes an accommodating unit configured to accommodate a recording medium; an image forming unit for forming an image on the recording medium in response to a print job; a reservation unit for designating a portion of the recording medium as a reserved amount and selectively prohibiting use of the reserved amount by the image forming unit; a determining unit for determining whether the print job is a reserved print job or a non-reserved print job; and a authorizing unit for permitting the image forming unit to use the reserved amount for the reserved print job. The reservation unit prohibits use of the reserved amount for the non-reserved print job. |
| US08867054B2 |
File of multiple print driver output files for pull-printing on multiple devices
Methods and systems receive a request to print an item into a computerized device, and automatically create print driver output files. Such methods and systems also automatically combine the print driver output files into a multiple page description language (multi-PDL) file for the item and store the multi-PDL file in a non-volatile computer storage medium. This multi-PDL file allows the decision on which of the page description languages or other formats are needed to be delayed to a time when it is clear what device, method or system will be using the output files. Subsequently, the methods and systems receive an instruction to print the item into a printing device. In response, such methods and systems automatically retrieve the multi-PDL file from the non-volatile computer storage medium using the printing device, and automatically select one of the driver output files from the print driver output files in the multi-PDL file. |
| US08867051B2 |
Printing system, image forming apparatus, print data managing method thereof, and program
An image forming apparatus that stores print data transmits identification information for identifying itself to another image forming apparatus that includes a notification image forming apparatus is storing print data. When printing print data, the image forming apparatus requests a list of image forming apparatuses in which print data is stored from the another image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus requests a list of print data from image forming apparatuses corresponding to the received. |
| US08867049B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image reading apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a first read device configured to read a first surface of an original document in a main scanning direction and to produce a first band data. The image forming apparatus further includes a second read device configured to read a second surface of the original document in the main scanning direction and to produce a second band data during the reading of the first surface by the first read device. The image forming apparatus still further includes an image data processor configured to produce printing band data by combining the first band data with the second band data, during the reading of at least one of the first surface and the second surface. Moreover, the image forming apparatus includes a printing device configured to start printing an image of the printing band data produced by the image data processor on a printing sheet, during the reading of at least one of the first surface and the second surface. |
| US08867048B2 |
Delayed review of scanned documents using unique identification marking on scanned documents
A method and system include a computerized device operatively connected to a multi-function printing device. The multi-function printing device has a scanner, a media path, a printer, etc. The scanner scans a plurality of sheets of media to produce scanned images. The computerized device automatically stores the scanned images, and the media path automatically feeds the sheets of media from the scanner to the printer after the scanner scans the sheets of media. The printer automatically prints unique identification markings on the sheets of media after the scanner scans the sheets of media, such that each of the sheets of media has a different identification marking printed thereon by the printer. The computerized device automatically adds data representing each unique identification marking to each corresponding scanned image stored within the computerized device. When error images (e.g., ones of the sheets of media that were not scanned properly by the scanner) are identified, the computerized device automatically outputs the data representing each the unique identification marking for each of the error images, allowing a user to locate the sheet of media associated with the error image, to permit the improperly scanned sheets to be rescanned. |
| US08867045B2 |
Triggering light grid and method for determining the position of containers
A triggering light grid and a method for registering the position of containers and/or for checking their alignment on a conveyance path. Due to the fact that a plurality of light barriers provided at different height levels with respect to the conveyance path and having light sources that can be activated separately of one another and a shared housing are provided, as is a triggering unit for the generation of control signals on the basis of output signals of the light barriers, different container types can be registered by reprogramming the triggering light grid without mechanical adjustment of the same. |
| US08867039B2 |
Methods and apparatus to obtain suspended particle information
Example methods and apparatus for obtaining suspended particle information are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes emitting light from a light source, dividing the light source into a first path and a second path, and directing the first path to a first container comprising a plurality of particles in a suspension material. The example method also includes directing the second path to a second container containing a suspension material devoid of particles, retrieving a first transmission value of the first path through the first container, and retrieving a second transmission value of the second path through the second container. The example method further includes directing the first and second paths to the second and first containers, respectively, retrieving a third transmission value of the first path a through the second container, retrieving a fourth transmission value of the second path through the first container, and calculating a ratio of the first and second transmission values to the third and fourth transmission values to determine an indication of transmissivity for a given wavelength. |
| US08867038B2 |
Integrated analytical system and method
An analytical assembly within a unified device structure for integration into an analytical system. The analytical assembly is scalable and includes a plurality of analytical devices, each of which includes a reaction cell, an optical sensor, and at least one optical element positioned in optical communication with both the reaction cell and the sensor and which delivers optical signals from the cell to the sensor. Additional elements are optionally integrated into the analytical assembly. Methods for forming and operating the analytical system are also disclosed. |
| US08867037B2 |
Apparatus and method for detecting glycol
A method and apparatus are provided for detecting contaminants, such as ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol, in various materials, including household products, and medicines. The contaminants can be detected using enzyme assays that produce measurable changes in light absorption and/or light fluorescence. |
| US08867036B2 |
Laser light deflection amount detecting apparatus, displacement measuring apparatus, method for manufacturing mold for molding optical element, and optical element
A laser light deflection amount detecting apparatus detects an amount of deflection of laser light and includes a laser light source, a first polarizing beam splitter that splits the laser light emitted by the laser light source, an optical system that rotates at least one of linearly polarized components around an optical axis orthogonally and that acquires a combined light of the linearly polarized components at least one of which is rotated, a light blocking member, a second polarizing beam splitter, and two light receiving elements that measure an amount of light of the polarized components resulting from the splitting by the second polarizing beam splitter. |
| US08867035B2 |
Particle detector and method for producing such a detector
The invention relates to a particle detector including a substrate (10, 30, 40) made of a semiconductor material, in which at least one through-cavity (11, 31, 41) is formed, defined by an input section (110) and an output section (111), wherein the input section thereof is to be connected to an airflow source, said substrate supporting: an optical means including at least one laser source (12, 32, 42), and at least one waveguide (13, 33, 43) connected to said at least one laser source and leading into the vicinity of the output section of said cavity; and photodetector means (14, 34, 44) located near the output section of said cavity and offset relative to the optical axis of the optical means. |
| US08867033B2 |
Spectrometer
A spectroscopic system including a light source adapted to provide a beam of illumination; an optical system adapted to provide the beam of illumination to a sample and receive a spectroscopy signal from the sample and direct the spectroscopy signal to at least one single channel detector is provided. The optical system comprises an adjustable dispersing element for directing one or more spectral features of the spectroscopy signal to the at least one single channel detector. A calibration detector is adapted to determine a set point of the adjustable dispersing element; and a source synchronization component is adapted to synchronize an operation of the light source and the at least one single channel detector. A method of calibrating a dispersing element of a spectrometer is also provided. |
| US08867029B2 |
Systems for and methods of facilitating focusing an optical scanner
Systems and methods for facilitating focusing of an image scanner, such as a confocal microscope, are disclosed. Measurement of optical characteristics in certain areas of a test sample are compared to stored or baseline optical characteristic profiles to determine an appropriate correction to properly focus the scanner. In one aspect, the method includes obtaining a dynamic profile at a current detection region of a test sample and associating the dynamic profile to a profile selected from a set of stored baseline profiles. Each of the stored baseline profiles is associated with a correction. |
| US08867028B2 |
System and/or method for measuring waveguide modes
Subject matter disclosed herein relates to measuring modes of a waveguide. |
| US08867020B2 |
Metrology method and apparatus, and device manufacturing method
Methods are disclosed for measuring target structures formed by a lithographic process on a substrate. A grating or other structure within the target is smaller than an illumination spot and field of view of a measurement optical system. The position of an image of the component structure varies between measurements, and a first type of correction is applied to reduce the influence on the measured intensities, caused by differences in the optical path to and from different positions. A plurality of structures may be imaged simultaneously within the field of view of the optical system, and each corrected for its respective position. The measurements may comprise first and second images of the same target under different modes of illumination and/or imaging, for example in a dark field metrology application. A second type of correction may be applied to reduce the influence of asymmetry between the first and second modes of illumination or imaging, for example to permit a more accurate overly measurement in a semiconductor device manufacturing process. |
| US08867019B2 |
Projection optical system, exposure apparatus, exposure method, display manufacturing method, mask, and mask manufacturing method
An exposure apparatus of the present invention is an exposure apparatus for, while moving a first object M and a second object P along a scanning direction, performing projection exposure on the second object, which has a first projection optical system PL10 for forming an enlargement image of a portion on the first object in a first region being a partial region on the second object, and a second projection optical system PL11 for forming an enlargement image of a different portion from the portion on the first object in a second region different from the partial region on the second object, and which also has a first stage MST holding the first object and making at least one of the portion and the different portion of the first object movable along the non-scanning direction, wherein the first region and the second region are arranged at a predetermined interval along the non-scanning direction intersecting with the scanning direction. |
| US08867018B2 |
Method and system for improved overlay correction
A method for improving alignment in a photolithography machine is provided. The method comprises identifying first empirical alignment data that has been determined from use of a target photomask within at least one non-target tool, and identifying second empirical alignment data that has been determined from use of a non-target photomask within a target tool. The method continues by identifying third empirical alignment data that has been determined from use of a non-target photomask within at least one non-target tool, and calculating from the first, second, and third empirical alignment data a predicted alignment data for the target photomask with the target tool. The method then proceeds by aligning the target photomask within the target tool using the predicted alignment data, exposing a pattern from the target photomask onto the wafer in the target tool, and further processing the exposed wafer. |
| US08867016B2 |
Wavelength selective switch
Methods, systems, and apparatus, for optical switching. In one aspect, a wavelength selective switch includes one or more optical input ports; one or more optical output ports; a first optical wavelength dispersion element configured to separate the plurality of wavelength channels of the input optical beam; a second optical wavelength dispersion element configured to combine two or more separate optical beams each having one or more different wavelengths, into a combined beam having the plurality of wavelength channels; a polarization modulator array configured to independently change a polarization orientation of an optical beam passing through; optical components for directing optical beams corresponding to respective wavelength channels to different polarizing modulation cells; and a polarization beam splitter configured to route received optical beams to particular output paths according to polarization orientation. |
| US08867010B2 |
Display panel and method for producing the same
A display panel has a plurality of gate terminals that are formed of a gate metal layer and a plurality of source terminals that are formed of a source metal layer, disposed alternately as seen in a plane. From each of the source terminals an intermediate region and a terminal region are provided with inorganic insulating film such that a source terminal lead formed of the source metal layer is covered therewith. The intermediate region is provided with organic insulating film such that the inorganic insulating film is covered therewith. The inorganic insulating film is smaller in thickness in the terminal region than in the intermediate region. The inorganic insulating film has an opening in the terminal region to expose at least a portion of a surface of the source terminal. |
| US08867005B2 |
Display element and display device
A display element having high response property, wide viewing angle property, and high contrast property, and exhibiting a wide driving temperature range and excellent durability and reliability. Between two facing substrates (1, 2), a cholesteric liquid crystal layer (3) made of a liquid crystal material exhibiting a cholesteric phase whose spontaneous twist pitch is shorter than a wavelength of visible light is provided. Facing planes of the substrates (1, 2) are provided with alignment films (8, 9) for aligning liquid crystal molecules near the interface of the substrate in a specific direction. Furthermore, the planes are provided with electrodes (4, 5) for applying an electric field on the cholesteric liquid crystal layer (3) in a direction substantially parallel to a plane of each substrate. The cholesteric liquid crystal layer (3) exhibits optical isotropy in the direction parallel to the plane of each substrate when no voltage is applied. Display is performed by applying an electric field on the cholesteric liquid crystal layer (3) so as to exhibit optical anisotropy in the direction parallel to the plane of each substrate. |
| US08867001B2 |
Patterned retardation film comprising relief-like stripe structures and sub micron grooves
A patterned retardation film including a base substrate, a patterned resin layer and a liquid crystal layer is provided. The patterned resin layer having plurality of first areas and a plurality of second areas is disposed on the base substrate. The combination of the first and second areas is a grating-like stripe structure. The patterned resin layer includes an aligning micron structure. The aligning micron structure includes a plurality of first sub micron grooves and a plurality of second sub micron grooves respectively located in the first areas and the second areas. The liquid crystal layer is disposed on the patterned resin layer and aligned with the aligning micron structure. The liquid crystal layer disposed above the first areas provides a first phase retardation. The liquid crystal layer disposed above the second areas provides a second phase retardation. |
| US08867000B2 |
Transflective type liquid crystal display device substrate, color filter substrate, and liquid crystal display device
The invention minimizes a disclination of a transflective type liquid crystal display device. The device includes a transparent substrate, a black matrix dividing rectangular pixels, a transparent electroconductive film, a resin layer having a concave region at an each pixel center, and a cell gap adjusting layer formed partially above the resin layer and forming convex regions above the black matrix. The pixels are formed symmetrically to a center and have a transmission region and a reflection region in an order that from a position near the center. In the transmission region, the resin layer is laminated above the transparent electroconductive film. In the reflection region, the resin layer and the cell gap adjusting layer are laminated above the transparent electroconductive film. |
| US08866998B2 |
Display substrate and method of manufacturing the same
A display substrate includes a metal pattern, a first insulation layer pattern and a second insulation layer pattern. The metal pattern is on a base substrate. The first insulation pattern is on the metal pattern and includes one of a silicon nitride (SiNx) and a silicon oxide (SiOx). The second insulation pattern is on the first insulation pattern and includes a remaining one of the silicon nitride (SiNx) and the silicon oxide (SiOx). |
| US08866994B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A backlight device includes a frame with a first opening having a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, a planar light source which is disposed in the first opening of the frame, a plurality of optical sheet groups which are disposed on the planar light source and include a first optical sheet group and a second optical sheet group, and an adhesive layer which has a second opening formed along the first, second, third, and fourth sides of the frame. The first optical sheet group is fixed to the frame via the adhesive layer at the second, third, and fourth sides of the frame, and the second optical sheet group is fixed to the frame at the first side of the frame and is not fixed to the frame at the second, the third, and fourth sides of the frame. |
| US08866990B2 |
Display and frame structure thereof
A display and a frame structure thereof are disclosed. The frame structure includes a first sidewall, at least one first convex, and at least one second convex. The first sidewall includes at least one first wall section and at least one second wall section. The first wall section and the second wall section are closely distributed along an extension direction of the first sidewall. The at least one first convex protrudes on a part of an inner surface of the first wall section. The at least one second convex protrudes on a part of an inner surface of the second wall section. A protruding position of the first convex is closer to a wall foot of the first sidewall than a protruding position of the second convex. |
| US08866988B2 |
Frame for LCD device and LCD device
The invention relates to the field of LCDs, and more particularly to a frame for an LCD device and an LCD device comprising the frame. The frame for an LCD device includes an extrusion made of plastic material, and the extrusion forms the rims of the frame after being bent. The frame for an LCD device of the invention is made of plastic material and comprises an extrusion made of plastic material. The extrusion forms the rims of the frame after being bent. By using the characteristics that the shape of the cross section of the extrusion is fixed, but the length is not limited basically, the extrusions is cut into corresponding length after determining the size of the frame, and then the rims of the frame are partially or totally formed by bending the extrusion. The extrusions with the cross sections of the same shape can be made into frames of any size. Because the sharing performance of extrusion dies is improved, and the number of special purpose dies is reduced, thus the cost of frames is further reduced, and then the development cycle of LCD devices is shortened. |
| US08866985B2 |
Display panel and repair method thereof
A flat display panel and a related repairing method are provided. The flat display panel includes multiple horizontal repair lines parallel to scan lines and multiple vertical repair lines parallel to data lines. The vertical repair lines are disposed on one side of the data lines one to one, and the horizontal repair lines are disposed on one side of the scan lines one to one. When one of the data lines or one of the scan lines is broken, an electrical route formed by a use of the vertical repair lines or the horizontal repair lines detours the broken scan line or data line, so as to deliver signal to pixel electrode normally. |
| US08866977B2 |
Projector
When axes are projected to a reference surface perpendicular in the thickness direction of a liquid crystal layer, a rotational angle φ0 of an alignment axis of a liquid crystal layer from a reference direction on the reference surface, a rotational angle φ1 of a transmission axis of an incident-side polarizing plate from the reference direction, a rotational angle φ2 of a transmission axis of a wire grid element from the reference direction, and a rotational angle φ3 of a transmission axis of an exit-side polarizing plate from the reference direction satisfy all the equations below: 44°≦φ0-φ2<45° or 45°<φ0-φ2≦45° f1≦φ1≦f2, where f1=0.191×φ22+0.986×φ2−14.435 and f2=0.191×φ22+0.986×φ2+14.435, and g1≦φ3−90°≦g2, where g1=0.064×φ23+0.841×φ22+1.525×φ2−1.46 and g2=0.064×φ23−0.841×φ22+1.525×φ2+1.46. |
| US08866971B2 |
Method, apparatus and machine-readable medium for apportioning video processing between a video source device and a video sink device
To apportion desired video processing between a video source device and a video sink device, at one of the devices, and based upon an indication of video processing algorithms of which the other device is capable and an indication of video processing algorithms of which the one device is capable, a set of video processing algorithms for achieving desired video processing is identified. The identified set of video processing algorithms is classified into a first subset of algorithms for performance by the other device and a second subset of algorithms for performance by the one device. At least one command for causing the other device to effect the first subset of video processing algorithms is sent. The one device may be configured to effect the second subset of algorithms. |
| US08866970B1 |
Method for real-time processing of a video sequence on mobile terminals
A method for embedding an image in a video sequence for a mobile terminal. Preferably, the mobile terminal is a tablet or smartphone. The method comprises the steps of choosing an image to be embedded, reading the video sequence, displaying a frame, and determining the presence of an embedding zone in the frame. The embedding zone having been previously identified or deduced according to a predefined algorithm. The method further comprises the step of applying a deformation to the image to be embedded such that the image to be embedded coincides with the form of the embedding zone. The image combining the frame and the image to be embedded is displayed/disposed in place of the embedding zone. |
| US08866967B2 |
Method and apparatus for motion adaptive deinterlacing
A deinterlacing method and apparatus for converting an interlaced format into a progressive format are provided. The deinterlacing method includes receiving a plurality of interlaced video fields; extracting a previous video field having a same field identifier as a currently input video field from the interlaced video fields; detecting motion by comparing the extracted previous video field with the currently input video field; and interpolating the currently input video field according to a result of detecting the motion. The apparatus includes an input unit; a first field memory; a second field memory; a motion detection unit which detects motion by comparing a previous video field stored in the first field memory with the currently input video field; and a temporal interpolation unit which, if motion is detected, performs temporal interpolation with respect to the currently input video field using only the previous video field stored in the second field memory. |
| US08866952B2 |
Dust removing device and image pickup apparatus
A dust removing device generates vibrations at least at a wavelength λ in a vibrating member by applying alternating voltages to a first piezoelectric element and a second piezoelectric element, respectively. The first piezoelectric element is provided on a first surface of the vibrating member that is on a side having a target surface. The second piezoelectric element is provided on a second surface of the vibrating member that is opposite the first surface. When the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element are projected in a direction that is normal to the target surface, a distance dL1 between a vibration generating end of the first piezoelectric element and a vibration generating end of the second piezoelectric element is expressed in the form dL1>0, where dL1≠nλ/2 and n is a positive integer. |
| US08866951B2 |
Super-resolution imaging systems
Electronic devices may include super-resolution imaging systems for capturing multiple relatively low-resolution images and combining the captured images to form a high-resolution image. The imaging system may include image sensors configured to capture information above the Nyquist frequency of the image sensor by providing each image sensor pixel in an array of image sensor pixels with structures for reducing the size of the clear pixel aperture below the size of the image sensor pixel. The structures may be configured to pass light that is incident on a central region of the image sensor pixel to a photo-sensitive element through a color filter element and to reject light that is incident on a surrounding edge region. The structures may include a microlens configured to reject light that is incident on the edge region or a combination of a microlens and masking structures. Masking structures may be absorbing, reflecting, or interfering structures. |
| US08866949B2 |
Optical element module and manufacturing method thereof, electronic element module and manufacturing method thereof, and electronic information device
An optical element module according to the present invention is provided, in which: a plurality of optical elements are housed within a light shielding holder; a metal light shielding plate is interposed at least between respective planarized surfaces of a spacer section of an upper optical element and a spacer section of a lower optical element; the light shielding plate includes an opening formed at a position corresponding to an optical surface of the optical element; and the light shielding plate includes a cut section, which is formed by cutting a part of a peripheral edge of the light shielding plate. |
| US08866946B2 |
Data processor, solid-state imaging device, imaging device, and electronic apparatus
A data processor including: a reference signal generator configured to generate a reference signal, which is used to convert a level of an analog processing signal into digital data, that gradually varies to enhance an amplitude of the processing signal; a comparator configured to compare the processing signal with the reference signal generated by the reference signal generator; and a count period controller configured to perform a real number count operation of performing a count process during a period from a time point when the reference signal has a predetermined initial value to a time point when the processing signal is equal to the reference signal or a complement number count operation of performing a count process during a period from a time point when the processing signal is equal to the reference signal to a time point when the reference signal reaches a predetermined final value, on the basis of the comparison result of the comparator, wherein, the count period controller independently controls the real number count operation and the complement number count operation of the counter on the basis of a predetermined criterion. |
| US08866939B2 |
Black level adjustment control device and solid-state imaging device
According to one embodiment, there is provided an analog gain range determining unit that determines a range to which an analog gain setting an amplification factor of a pixel signal read from a pixel belongs, a clamp parameter control condition setting unit that sets a control condition of a clamp parameter setting the black level based on a result of the determination by the analog gain range determining unit, and a clamp parameter control unit that controls the clamp parameter based on the control condition set by the clamp parameter control condition setting unit. |
| US08866936B2 |
Systems and methods for training an active random field for real-time image denoising
An Active Random Field is presented, in which a Markov Random Field (MRF) or a Conditional Random Field (CRF) is trained together with a fast inference algorithm using pairs of input and desired output and a benchmark error measure. |
| US08866934B2 |
Image pickup apparatus capable of deleting video effect superimposed on moving image, method of controlling the apparatus, and moving image-recording apparatus, as well as storage medium
An image pickup apparatus capable of deleting a video effect superimposed on a moving image, in timing desired by a user. A system controller of a video camera as the image pickup apparatus performs control such that a moving image taken by an image pickup section and a title superimposed on the moving image are recorded together in a storage medium. When a specific shooting condition has changed during taking of the moving image by the image pickup section, the system controller performs control to inhibit recording of the display item in the storage medium. |
| US08866933B2 |
Imaging device
An imaging device is provided that is configured to perform continuous shooting and includes an imaging unit, a memory, an imaging control unit and a grouping determination unit. The imaging unit is configured to capture an image of a subject. The memory is configured to store continuous shooting control information indicating a value of a control parameter related to continuous shooting. The imaging control unit is configured to cause the imaging unit to perform continuous shooting in accordance with the stored continuous shooting control information. The grouping determination unit is configured to determine, based on the stored continuous shooting control information, whether a series of image information are to be grouped together. The series of image information is obtained in one continuous shooting. |
| US08866931B2 |
Apparatus and method for image recognition of facial areas in photographic images from a digital camera
Disclosed is an apparatus for photographing an image using a digital camera capable of providing a preview image, including: an image sensor for capturing an image of a subject; a first image signal processor for processing at least one captured image as a sequent image in order to display the captured image as a preview image on a display window and detecting a face area from the captured image; a buffer for storing the image including at least one detected face area; a capture button for capturing a still image during outputting the sequent image as the preview image on the display window; a second image signal processor for processing the captured still image using the capture button; a controller for controlling to store the captured still image and information related on the face area detected from the first image signal processor prior to the input of the capture button; and a memory for storing the processed still image together with the information related on the detected face area. |
| US08866922B2 |
Image processing apparatus and control method thereof
After a plurality of differently exposed images are obtained, and tone levels of the plurality of images are adjusted, image elements corresponding to changes of objects are detected based on pixel value differences between the plurality of images. Then, the numbers of blown-out highlight and shadow-detail loss image elements in the image elements corresponding to the changes of the objects are counted for the plurality of images. Then, an image in which the total of the numbers of image elements is smallest is selected. Furthermore, image elements corresponding to the changes of the objects in the selected image are used as those corresponding to image elements corresponding to the changes of the objects in an HDR image to be generated. |
| US08866921B2 |
Devices and methods involving enhanced resolution image capture
Devices and methods involving enhanced resolution image capture are provided. A representative electronic device includes: an image capture sensor having a plurality of pixels, the image capture sensor being operative to acquire a frame of image information by converting light incident upon the pixels during an exposure duration into electrical signals; and an image capture system selectively operative in a first image capture mode and a second image capture mode; in the first image capture mode, the image capture system outputs an image corresponding to a single frame of image information acquired during a single exposure duration; and in the second image capture mode, the image capture system outputs an enhanced image corresponding to frames of image information acquired during multiple exposure durations such that the enhanced image exhibits a higher resolution than a resolution exhibited by the acquired image associated with the first mode. |
| US08866919B2 |
Shake correction module, camera module comprising the same, and method of manufacturing the camera module
A shake correction module, a camera module including the same, and a method of manufacturing the camera module are provided. The shake correction module includes: a hinge member which supports rotation movement of an optical module based on each of at least two axes at least by using an elastic characteristic of the hinge member, wherein the optical module comprises an image sensor; a base member to which the hinge member is installed; and a driving motor which rotates the hinge member based on the each of the at least two axes with respect to the base member, in order to manufacture a structure for supporting two-axes rotation of the optical module to be simple and reliable with a low manufacturing cost. |
| US08866918B2 |
Optical image stabilisation
A camera apparatus capable of providing optical image stabilization comprises: a support structure; a camera unit comprising an image sensor and a lens system; a suspension system comprising a plurality of flexure elements supporting the camera unit on the support structure in a manner allowing the camera unit to tilt; and a plurality of SMA actuators. A sensor arrangement, whose output is used as the basis for generating drive signals, is mounted on the camera unit. A control circuit generates drive signals for the SMA actuators, by deriving closed-loop control signals representative of a desired degree of variation in the power of the drive signals from the output signals of the sensor arrangement without dependence on any measurement of the resistance of the SMA actuators, and generating the drive signals with powers that varies from a set-point power in correspondence with the closed-loop control signal. |
| US08866914B2 |
Pattern position detection method, pattern position detection system, and image quality adjustment technique using the method and system
Provided is a pattern position detection method that allows detecting positions of patterns used for alignment with high accuracy. According to the pattern position detection method of the present invention, patterns are displayed on a liquid crystal panel (2) and captured by a camera (3). A black image is displayed on the liquid crystal panel (2) and captured by the camera (3) using a shutter speed or an f-number used when capturing the patterns. Based on a difference between a captured image of the patterns and a captured image of the black image, positions of images of the patterns on an imaging surface of the camera (3) are detected. |
| US08866911B1 |
Digital signage device capable of entering diagnostic display mode
Certain aspects of the disclosure direct to a digital signage device capable of entering a diagnostic display mode. In certain embodiments, a signage device includes a display device and a signage controller in communication with the display device. The display device is configured to display media content in a display mode and display diagnostic information in a diagnostic mode. The signage controller includes a processor and a non-volatile memory storing computer executable codes. When executed at the processor, the codes are configured to display the media content on the display device in the display mode, switch from the display mode to the diagnostic mode in response to a diagnostic input command, and display the diagnostic information on the display device in the diagnostic mode. In certain embodiments, the diagnostic information includes system information and content operational and deployment information. |
| US08866910B1 |
Unusual event detection in wide-angle video (based on moving object trajectories)
Object images captured by a wide-angle camera are distorted due to the optical effects of the wide-angle lens. The disclosed innovations allow an automatic analysis on the corrected image distinguishing normal movement from an unusual event movement. The analysis is based on Markov Modeling on moving object trajectories and motion angles. |
| US08866909B2 |
Device and method for the surveillance of an aircraft
The device comprises an intrusion detection module (6), an image acquisition module (14), an energy management module (13) and an autonomous power source (9), the said detection module (6) being designed to furnish a detection signal having a first predetermined state when an intrusion is detected and a second predetermined state otherwise, and the said management module (13) being designed to make the said device change over from a waiting mode to a working mode by activating the supply of the image acquisition module (14) by the said autonomous power source (9) when the said signal changes over from the second state to the first state.The method includes a step consisting in furnishing the detection signal and, when the detection signal changes over from the second state to the first predetermined state, a step consisting in making the said device change over from the waiting mode to the working mode and a step consisting in achieving image acquisition. |
| US08866902B2 |
Correction information calculating device, image processing apparatus, image display system, and image correcting method
A correction information calculating device calculates correction information representing correspondence relationship between a position of a pixel in an image projected onto a projection surface by projectors including an image forming element and a position of a pixel of the image forming element. The correction information calculating device includes a supply unit that supplies first and second measurement image data representing a first and second measurement pattern including a plurality of characteristic diagrams that define characteristic points to a first and second projector that projects an image onto a first and second projection area on the projection surface and a calculation unit that calculates the correction information by comparing positions of the plurality of characteristic points in a photographed pattern acquired by photographing the first and second measurement patterns. |
| US08866894B2 |
Method for real-time visualization of caries condition
A method for displaying live video of a tooth identifies a tooth tissue region in a viewable image frame obtained from a video stream and processes pixel data within the tooth tissue region to identify a suspected caries site. Intensity values for pixels that correspond to the suspected caries site are modified and a highlighted viewable image frame is formed as a combination of the modified intensity values corresponding to the suspected caries site and other pixel values in the viewable image frame. The highlighted viewable image frame is displayed in video form. |
| US08866892B2 |
Display apparatus and controlling methods thereof
A display apparatus is provided. The display apparatus includes a display unit which outputs a plurality of content views using a plurality of image frames; an interface unit which is connected with a glasses apparatus according to a predetermined communication standard; a synchronization signal generator which generates a synchronization signal that synchronizes one of the plurality of content views with the glasses apparatus; and a controller which, when a glasses apparatus is connected, controls the display apparatus to synchronize the one of the plurality of content views with the glasses. |
| US08866891B2 |
Method for the non-destructive inspection of a mechanical part
An automatic method of non-destructive inspection of a mechanical part by comparing images of the surface of the part with reference images recorded in a database, by a digital image acquisition device including an image sensor, a lighting source, and a mechanism for moving the image sensor and the lighting source relative to the mechanical part. |
| US08866888B2 |
3D positioning apparatus and method
A 3D positioning apparatus is used for an object that includes feature points and a reference point. The object undergoes movement from a first to a second position. The 3D positioning apparatus includes: an image sensor for capturing images of the object; and a processor for calculating, based on the captured images, initial coordinates of each feature point when the object is in the first position, initial coordinates of the reference point, final coordinates of the reference point when the object is in the second position, and final coordinates of each feature point. The processor calculates 3D translational information of the feature points using the initial and final coordinates of the reference point, and 3D rotational information of the feature points using the initial and final coordinates of each feature point. A 3D positioning method is also disclosed. |
| US08866876B2 |
Color correction for multiple video objects in telepresence applications
A method comprising rendering a video display signal comprising combining local illumination video objects from different sources into each frame of a plurality of frames, wherein the local illumination video objects are video objects on which chromatic adaptation was performed using an illumination reference common to all video objects. An apparatus comprising a processor configured to render a video display signal comprising combining local illumination video objects from different sources into each frame of a plurality of frames, wherein the local illumination video objects are video objects on which chromatic adaptation was performed using an illumination reference common to all video objects. |
| US08866870B1 |
Methods, apparatus, and systems for controlling from a first location a laser at a second location
A method, apparatus, and system for controlling from a first location a laser at a second location are disclosed. Laser orientation data is determined at a first location. The laser orientation data is communicated to the second location. Video data is received from the second location that includes imagery of a laser beam emitted by a laser, and the imagery is presented on a display at the first location. |
| US08866867B2 |
Method and apparatus for video recording in video calls
The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for recording videos in a video call. The method includes: determining a key voice input end of the video call and acquiring an image of the key voice input end; storing audio data of the video call; synthesizing the acquired image and audio, and then writing the synthesized image and audio into a recorded video file. The present invention solves the defect that the existing video call methods can not record flexibly by determining a source of a key voice, acquiring an image corresponding to the key voice, and synthesizing the image and a recorded audio, so that the sound and the image in the recorded video can be displayed correspondingly, and since only the image of the key voice input end in the call is displayed, the image in the recorded video is clearer. |
| US08866865B2 |
Image forming apparatus and turn-on time correction method
An image forming apparatus includes a light source that emits light beams for scanning a photoconductive element and for image forming of image data, a storage unit that stores a correction amount of a turn-on time of the light source associated with a preset turn-on pattern of the light beams, an acquiring unit that compares a pattern of the image data with the turn-on pattern, so as to acquire the correction amount corresponding to the pattern of the image data which is associated with the turn-on pattern, from the storage unit; and a light source controller that controls turn-on of the light source by a turn-on time corrected with acquired correction amount. |
| US08866860B2 |
Screen display device, screen display control method, screen display control program, and information terminal device
A screen display device includes a screen display unit having a first screen, and a screen display unit having a second screen; a record analysis unit that generates history information based on user sight line information showing a user's sight line; a switchover control information storage unit that stores switchover control information including a sight line movement condition and a time condition, and control information; and a screen display control unit that refers to the switchover control information storage unit. The screen display control unit compares the history information with the sight line movement condition and the time condition. The screen display control unit performs control of switching display content and energization control content of each of the first and second screens based on the control information in a case of the history information satisfying the sight line movement condition and the time condition. |
| US08866858B2 |
Electro-optical device, driving method of electro-optical device, control circuit of electro-optical device, and electronic apparatus
An electro-optical device includes a control unit that controls a display unit having a plurality of pixels. The control unit performs a differential driving operation of performing an operation of erasing a first image component which is a part of a display image in a first display state and an operation of displaying a second image component which is a part of a display image in a second display state by selectively driving the pixels having different gray scales in the first display state and the second display state when the display unit is changed from the first display state to the second display state. The operation of erasing the first image component includes an extended erasing operation of driving a first pixel group which includes the pixels constituting the first image component and the pixels being adjacent to the first image component and surrounding the first image component. |
| US08866857B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling white balance of laser display system
The present invention relates to device and method for adjusting white balance in a laser display system, which enables to adjust white balance taking an optical characteristic of a laser beam into account. The device for adjusting white balance in a laser display system, having red, green, and blue laser beam sources, includes a temperature sensing unit for sensing the present temperatures of the laser beam sources, a detecting unit for measuring laser beam output intensity of the laser beam sources, a storing unit for storing reference values on allowable current ranges at different temperatures and laser beam output intensity at different temperatures, an adjusting value generating unit for comparing a measured value of the laser beam output intensity obtained from the detecting unit to the reference values obtained from the storing unit, to generate an adjusting value, a laser beam source driving unit for adjusting the laser beam output intensity of a relevant laser beam source according to a current value within the allowable current range or the adjusting value generated thus, and a control unit for searching the storing unit for the allowable current range corresponding to the present temperature sensed thus, or the reference value corresponding to the laser beam output intensity measured thus to control the adjusting value generating unit and the laser beam source driving unit. |
| US08866855B2 |
Electronic device, method of displaying display item, and search processing method
An acquisition unit acquires a content image corresponding to content. A content image display unit arranges a plurality of content images side by side in a display screen image, and a related information display unit displays information related to an arranged content image. A first reception unit acquires a first moving instruction for the content images arranged side by side, and a second reception unit acquires a second moving instruction for the content images arranged side by side. The content image display unit moves the content images according to a moving instruction acquired by the first reception unit or the second reception unit. A related information display unit displays different types of related information when the first reception unit acquires the first moving instruction and when the second reception unit acquires the second moving instruction. |
| US08866853B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method and medium for storing information processing program
An apparatus includes a processor that executes a process including detecting a position of an object with respect to a screen of a display, determining whether a distance from the object to the screen is between a first value and a second value smaller than the first value on a basis of the position, displaying a first image on the screen when the distance is determined to be between the first value and the second value, the first image being an enlarged image of an area corresponding to the position, determining whether the distance is equal to or less than the second value on a basis of the position and displaying a second image when the distance is determined to be equal to or less than the second value, the second image being displayed on the screen when the distance decreases to be the second value. |
| US08866850B1 |
Interface for applying a photogrammetry algorithm to user-supplied photographic images
Embodiments relate to selecting textures for a user-supplied photographic image in image-based three-dimensional modeling. In a first embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes a method for inputting a user-supplied photographic image that uses a photogrammetry algorithm to adjust a plurality of camera parameters for the user-supplied photographic image. In the method, a user-supplied photographic image inputted by a user is received. A set of geographic characteristics inputted by the user that correspond to a geographic location of a camera that took the user-supplied photographic image is received. A plurality of camera parameters that correspond to the geographic location of the camera that took the user-supplied photographic image is determined. The user-supplied photographic image to be texture mapped to the three-dimensional model is enabled. |
| US08866846B2 |
Apparatus and method for playing musical instrument using augmented reality technique in mobile terminal
An apparatus and a method related to an application of a mobile terminal using an augmented reality technique capture an image of a musical instrument directly drawn/sketched by a user to recognize the particular relevant musical instrument, and provide an effect of playing the musical instrument on the recognized image as if a real instrument were being played. The apparatus preferably includes an image recognizer and a sound source processor. The image recognizer recognizes a musical instrument on an image through a camera. The sound source processor outputs the recognized musical instrument on the image on a display unit to use the same for a play, and matches the musical instrument play on the image to a musical instrument play output on the display unit. |
| US08866833B2 |
System, method, and computer program product for providing a dynamic display refresh
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for a dynamic display refresh. In use, a state of a display device is identified in which an entirety of an image frame is currently displayed by the display device. In response to the identification of the state, it is determined whether an entirety of a next image frame to be displayed has been rendered to memory. The next image frame is transmitted to the display device for display thereof, when it is determined that the entirety of the next image frame to be displayed has been rendered to the memory. Further, a refresh of the display device is delayed, when it is determined that the entirety of the next image frame to be displayed has not been rendered to the memory. |
| US08866829B2 |
Integrated circuit device and electronic equipment
An integrated circuit device includes: a first pad to an ith pad connected to a first memory pad to an ith memory pad of a memory stacked in the integrated circuit device; a jth pad to a kth pad connected to a jth memory pad to a kth (1 |
| US08866828B2 |
Enabling display commands from an electronic device to an integrated display on a computer system
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that drives an integrated display on a computer system from an electronic device. The system includes a circuit, a processor, and an application executing on the processor. The circuit may receive a display command sent from the electronic device to the computer system. The application may obtain the display command from a memory on the computer system and process the display command to control a capability of the integrated display. |
| US08866825B2 |
Multiple display frame rendering method and apparatus
An apparatus includes a plurality of image processing circuits. Each image processing circuit generates an image frame corresponding to a single large surface. The first image processing circuit provides a portion of the generated image frame for a first display or plurality of displays and provides a remaining portion of the image frame to the remaining image processing circuits. The next image processing circuits provides the remaining portion of the image frame for the next plurality of displays. |
| US08866822B2 |
Alternate source for controlling an animation
Techniques and tools described herein provide effective ways to program a property of a target object to vary depending on a source. For example, for a key frame animation for a property of a target UI element, an alternate time source is set to a property of a source UI element. When the target UI element is rendered at runtime, the animation changes the target value depending on the value of the property of the source UI element. Features of UI elements and animations can be specified in markup language. The alternate time source can be specified through a call to a programming interface. Animations for multiple target UI elements can have the same source, in which case different parameters for the respective animations can be used to adjust source values in different ways. |
| US08866821B2 |
Depth map movement tracking via optical flow and velocity prediction
Techniques for efficiently tracking points on a depth map using an optical flow are disclosed. In order to optimize the use of optical flow, isolated regions of the depth map may be tracked. The sampling regions may comprise a 3-dimensional box (width, height and depth). Each region may be “colored” as a function of depth information to generate a “zebra” pattern as a function of depth data for each sample. The disclosed techniques may provide for handling optical flow tracking when occlusion occurs by utilizing a weighting process for application of optical flow vs. velocity prediction to stabilize tracking. |
| US08866820B2 |
Outline font compression method and outline font decompression method
A difference of coordinate values stored adjacent to each other is compressed by means of a statistical coding system when reading out outline font data storing coordinate values necessary for drawing a contour of a character in order of drawing the contour in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction and also a category of a line connecting a pair of coordinates simultaneously, followed by compressing the coordinate values of the outline font data. A value of a result of subtracting “A−1” from a difference of coordinate values is determined to be a difference value of coordinates if the difference of coordinate value is equal to or greater than a certain value A, and a code expressing the difference value of “0” is added in front of the codes of difference values that are smaller than the value A in the case of a category of line connecting adjacent coordinates to each other being a straight line. |
| US08866818B2 |
Composing shapes and data series in geometries
A renderable geometry the may be populated with shapes and data series. The geometry defines a set of dimensions to be applied to the shapes. The geometry further defines and enforces a construction of the shapes around the set of dimensions, and applies the data series to the plurality of shapes against at least one of the set of dimensions. The formulate of the geometry may be recursively performed. For instance, the geometry may be provided as a shape in a set of shapes provided to yet another geometry with another data series. The data series might be reversibly applied to one of the dimensions, allowing for complex geometries to be created with data represented in very flexibly ways. |
| US08866817B2 |
Computer-aided parallelizing of computation graphs
An approach to automatically specifying, or assisting with the specification of, a parallel computation graph involves determining data processing characteristics of the linking elements that couple data processing elements of the graph. The characteristics of the linking elements are determined according to the characteristics of the upstream and/or downstream data processing elements associated with the linking element, for example, to enable computation by the parallel computation graph that is equivalent to computation of an associated serial graph. |
| US08866812B2 |
Apparatus and method for processing three dimensional image on multi-layer display
An apparatus and method of processing three-dimensional (3D) images on a multi-layer display may generate virtual depth information based on original depth information, and display 3D images having various depth values using the generated virtual depth information. Also, the apparatus and method may appropriately provide color information to each of a plurality of display layers, thereby preventing an original image from being damaged. |
| US08866810B2 |
Mobile terminal and display controlling method thereof
A mobile terminal and display controlling method thereof are provided. The present invention includes determining a polyhedral shape to correspond to a number of display target objects, designating the number of display target objects to facets of a polyhedron having the determined polyhedral shape, displaying the polyhedron having the determined polyhedral shape in a three-dimensional rotational position, and displaying the number of display target objects on the designated facets of the polyhedron. |
| US08866808B2 |
Method for driving display panel
A method for driving a display panel is provided. The method includes the following steps. Firstly, providing a first scan signal to turn on a plurality of first sub-pixels within the ith pixel row of the display panel during a Nth frame period, so as to make the first sub-pixels respectively receive a corresponding first data signal. Next, providing a second scan signal to turn on a plurality of second sub-pixels within the ith pixel row of the display panel during the Nth frame period, so as to make the second sub-pixels respectively receive a corresponding second data signal. The amplitude of the first scan signal is different from the amplitude of the second scan signal, and N and i are positive integers. |
| US08866803B2 |
Image display device displaying image by applying laser light
A scanning position of laser light applied to a projection plane is detected, and based on the detected scanning position, a synchronization signal is generated to designate a scan timing. A correction region detection portion detects whether or not a part corresponding to a prescribe region of an image on the projection plane is scanned by laser light, based on the generated synchronization signal. When the part corresponding to the prescribed region is scanned, a correction amount derivation portion corrects a gradation signal based on the difference between the detected quantity of laser light and a prescribed quantity of light to be output from the laser for displaying the image in the prescribed region. |
| US08866802B2 |
Pixel circuit and display device
A display device which realizes a multi-gradation constant display with low power consumption is provided. A pixel circuit 2 includes an internal node N1 holding a pixel data voltage applied to a display element part 21, a first switch circuit 22 transferring the pixel data voltage supplied from a data signal line SL to the internal node N1 through a series circuit of first and second transistor elements T1 and T2, a second switch circuit 23 including a third transistor element T3 connecting a middle node N2, at which the first and second transistor elements T1 and T2 are connected, with a voltage supply line VSL, and a control circuit 24 including a series circuit of a fourth transistor element T4 and a first capacitive element C1, holding the pixel data voltage held in the internal node N1 at one end of the first capacitive element C1 through the fourth transistor element T4, and controlling on/off of the third transistor element T3 by a boost voltage applied to the other end of the first capacitive element C1. |
| US08866801B2 |
Device with automatic de-skew capability
The present invention discloses a device with an automatic de-skew capability, comprising a data signal delay module, a plurality of data registers, and a delay data signal selection module. The present device outputs an optimal delay data signal and a clock signal to a source driver to drive a display panel. |
| US08866799B2 |
Method of driving display panel and display apparatus for performing the same
A display apparatus includes a display panel, a plurality of gate lines driving circuit parts, a plurality of data lines driving circuit parts and a timing control part. The display panel includes a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines. The gate lines driving circuit parts output gate signals to the gate lines. The data lines driving circuit parts output data signals to the data lines. The timing control part applies a dummy gate signal to at least one dummy gate line, controls a latch sequence of image data and an output sequence of the gate lines driving circuit parts in a reverse sequence, in response to an inverted-mounting mode selection signal for displaying an inverted mount image to the display panel. Because signal lines can be shortened, heat generated by the display apparatus may be decreased and image quality of the display apparatus may be improved. |
| US08866797B2 |
Display device with position detecting function and electronic apparatus
A display device with a position detecting function includes: an optical position detecting device which includes a position detecting light source for alternately emitting position detecting infrared light having a light amount attenuated along a predetermined direction and position detecting infrared light having a light amount attenuated along a reverse direction of the predetermined direction, and a light receiving element for receiving the position detecting infrared light reflected by a target object inside a detection region, and which detects a position of the target object on the basis of a light amount detection result of the light receiving element; and an image creating device which includes an image display region of an electric optical panel in a region overlapped with the detection region, wherein the light receiving element is constituted by a semiconductor element formed on the electric optical panel. |
| US08866786B2 |
Navigating applications using side-mounted touchpad
In one embodiment, a method includes detecting a touch event on a side-mounted touchpad of a computing device during display of a current user interface of an application executing on the computing device. The application includes a navigation hierarchy with a home user-interface layer, multiple sub user-interface layers, and multiple user-interface branches. The method includes determining a particular sub user-interface layer and user-interface branch that the current user interface corresponds to and determining a type of the touch event. When the type of the touch event is a forward touch event and there is a next sub user-interface layer in the particular user-interface branch of the current user interface, the method navigates to the next user-interface layer in the particular user-interface branch of the current user interface. |
| US08866783B2 |
Display device, method for driving same, and electronic apparatus
A display device includes: a display element for displaying an image on a screen; and driving means for driving the display element so that a scan mode for carrying out scanning and a pause mode for pausing the scanning are alternately repeated. The driving means drives, by transmitting a pause and drive control signal to the display element, the display element so that scanning of a single frame is carried out by going through the scan mode twice and the pause mode twice. During the pause mode, the driving means outputs, to a touch panel, a detection command signal which commands that detection be carried out. |
| US08866781B2 |
Contactless gesture-based control method and apparatus
A contactless gesture-based control method and apparatus are provided. The method includes: obtaining gestures/movements of a user; obtaining control instructions corresponding to the gestures/movements according to pre-stored mapping relationships; and executing the control instructions, where the gestures/movements include: an index finger draws a circle, and remaining four fingers clench into a fist; or, five fingers clench together and a palm moves in a direction where a device is; or, a thumb, the index finger, and a middle finger extend naturally, the remaining two fingers clench together, and the index finger moves freely; or, the thumb, the index finger, and the middle finger extend naturally, the remaining two fingers clench together, and the thumb moves up and down; or the thumb, the index finger, and the middle finger extend naturally, the remaining two fingers clench together, and the middle finger moves up and down. |
| US08866777B2 |
Device, method, and storage medium storing program
According to an aspect, a device includes: a communication unit, a touch screen display, and a controller. The communication unit acquires information through communication service. The touch screen display displays a screen for setting an image in individual information registered in address book data. When a predetermined gesture is detected during display of the screen, the controller acquires an image to be associated with the individual information through communication service registered in the individual information. |
| US08866774B2 |
Low power touch screen overlays for providing tactile feedback
Tactile feedback for touch screens is provided by an overlay structure disposed on the top surface of the touch screen. This overlay structure can be in either of two states. In the first state (non-typing), the overlay structure has a uniform top surface. In the second state (typing), the overlay structure top surface has localized regions of increased vertical elevation to provide tactile feedback for typing. The overlay structure is configured to be switched between these two states by actuator(s) disposed to provide mechanical force(s) in lateral direction(s) to the overlay structure. Preferably, the actuator is a latching actuator (e.g., magnetic solenoid) that does not consume power to hold the overlay structure in either of its states. Thus, power is only consumed to switch the state of the overlay structure. |
| US08866772B2 |
Information processing terminal and method, program, and recording medium
There is provided an information processing terminal including: an input unit for receiving an input of a gesture; a recognition unit for recognizing the gesture input to the input unit; and a display unit for displaying gestures enterable on a screen to which the gesture has been input as correction candidates if the input gesture is unrecognizable. |
| US08866771B2 |
Multi-touch multi-user gestures on a multi-touch display
A multi-touch, multi-user gesture (MMG) controller aggregates gestures from multiple users of a large multi-touch display to allow the multiple users to perform a coordinated action on the multi-touch display. The MMG controller allows one or more users to initiate a multi-touch, multi-user gesture (MMG) session and determines the users that will participate in the MMG session. The MMG controller then aggregates input gestures from multiple users into a MMG to coordinate the effort of multiple users of a multi-touch, multi-user display or touch screen. Applications on a supported computer can use these MMGs to act upon elements on the display such as cropping or adding elements to a group. |
| US08866763B2 |
Hardware buttons activated based on focus
Methods and devices for providing one or more control buttons in connection with a multiple screen device are provided. More particularly, the screen of a multiple screen device having a current focus is identified, and one or more control buttons are provided as part of or in association with the identified screen. When a change in focus from a previously identified screen to a different screen is detected, the presentation of the one or more control buttons can also change. In particular, control buttons are presented as part of a screen having the current focus, while control buttons are not provided on or in association with a screen that does not have the current focus. |
| US08866761B2 |
Operation display device and operation display method
An operation display device includes: a display unit that displays an image; a touch panel that is mounted on the display unit; a detecting unit that detects a pressed position on the touch panel and detects a pressing force against the touch panel; and an execution control unit.The execution control unit, if the pressing force is more than a predetermined threshold, executes a first function that is predetermined in accordance with the pressed position and, if the pressing force is equal to or less than the threshold, executes a second function that is predetermined in accordance with the pressed position. |
| US08866759B2 |
Display device with touch panel and spacer
The display device with a touch panel according to the present invention has high reliability and is a display device with a touch panel having a display panel and a touch panel placed on the front surface of the display panel, wherein the display panel has a first substrate and a second substrate provided so as to be layered on the first substrate, the first substrate has a non-overlapping region that does not overlap the second substrate, and the touch panel is a liquid crystal display device with a touch panel secured on the second substrate, the touch panel has an overlapping region that overlaps the non-overlapping region of the first substrate, and a spacer is secured to the touch panel between the non-overlapping region of the first substrate and the overlapping region of the touch panel. |
| US08866757B2 |
Coated light-turning feature with auxiliary structure
This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for a front illumination device with metalized light-turning features. In one aspect, an illumination device includes a light guide having light-turning features that include recesses formed on the light guide and that extend down into the light guide. The recesses may be coated with a material where the material also forms an auxiliary structure outside of the recesses on the light guide. The auxiliary structure may be conductive and may form, for example, an electrode. |
| US08866756B2 |
Touch screen panel
A touch screen panel that that is less susceptible to malfunction by static electricity. The touch screen panel includes: a transparent substrate; sensing cells formed on the transparent substrate, comprising: first sensing cells connected in a first direction; and second sensing cells connected in a second direction intersecting with the first direction; and connecting patterns formed on the transparent substrate, comprising: first connecting patterns connecting the first sensing cells in the first direction, and second connecting patterns connecting the second sensing cells in the second direction; wherein the sensing cells include prominences extending toward adjacent ones of the sensing cells. |
| US08866746B2 |
Handheld electronic device and associated method providing disambiguation of an ambiguous object during editing and selectively providing prediction of future characters
A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software and prediction software. During editing of an object, the object can be ambiguous, and the system provides one or more disambiguated interpretations of the ambiguous object. In some circumstances, the system can additionally provide one or more completions, i.e., predictions of future characters. However, in other circumstances the outputting of completions of an ambiguous object can be suppressed in order to avoid distracting the user and to provide more meaningful results to the user. |
| US08866745B1 |
System and method for providing a touch input interface for information computing and control devices
A system and method for providing a touch input interface for information, computing and control devices. In accordance with an embodiment, the systems and methods described herein, in a high level conceptual embodiment, can be used to provide interface devices and methods that naturally and organically present a preview of the action that will take place, if and only if the element (or elements) of the interface that is (are) currently indicated, is (are) definitely commanded by further confirmation. Otherwise the state of the device will be maintained, and the display will be restored to its previous state if no such action is taken, and/or if the indication is removed or changed. In most embodiments, the feedback is to be presented in a natural way that does not distract, such as in the line of sight. |
| US08866744B2 |
Keyboard having touch input device
A keyboard having a touch input device includes a keyboard body and a touch input device. The touch input device is disposed on the keyboard body and is used in a digital input mode. The touch input device has a touch pad and a pattern layer. The pattern layer is bonded to a surface of the touch pad, and has a plurality of key indication areas. Each key indication area is corresponding to a key used in the digital input mode, for being recognized and selected by a user. In addition, through a switching module disposed on the keyboard, the digital input mode can be switched to a cursor control mode, a gesture control mode, or a handwriting input mode, thereby achieving a wide range of applications. |
| US08866743B2 |
Navigational tool with drag-based tactile feedback on a handheld wireless communication device
A wireless handheld communication device features a rotational navigation tool assembly such as a trackball or a thumbwheel. The rotational navigation tool assembly provides a user with tactile feedback corresponding to motion of a selection or position indicator on the device display. The tactile feedback is electromagnetically induced and may, for example, be considered an electromagnetic detent. |
| US08866740B2 |
System and method for gesture based control system
The system provides a gestural interface to various visually presented elements, presented on a display screen or screens. A gestural vocabulary includes ‘instantaneous’ commands, in which forming one or both hands into the appropriate ‘pose’ results in an immediate, one-time action; and ‘spatial’ commands, in which the operator either refers directly to elements on the screen by way of literal ‘pointing’ gestures or performs navigational maneuvers by way of relative or “offset” gestures. The system contemplates the ability to identify the users hands in the form of a glove or gloves with certain indicia provided thereon, or any suitable means for providing recognizable indicia on a user's hands or body parts. A system of cameras can detect the position, orientation, and movement of the user's hands and translate that information into executable commands. |
| US08866737B2 |
Input device and image display apparatus
An input device including: an operation device including: a flexible base member; a first detector configured to detect that the base member is being bent; and a second detector configured to detect that the base member is being nipped; and an output section connected to the first detector and the second detector, the output section being configured to output a first signal when the first detector has detected that the base member is being bent and configured to output a second signal when the second detector has detected that the base member is being nipped. |
| US08866736B2 |
Gaze detection apparatus and method
A gaze detection apparatus is disclosed. The gaze detection apparatus includes: a gaze detection section that detects gaze of a target person; a display section that includes a display screen for displaying an image; a gaze position determination section that determines, based on a result of detection by the gaze detection section, whether or not the display screen lies in the gaze of the target person; and a first display control section that displays a first detection result image at an intersection point between the gaze of the target person and the display screen when the first gaze position determination section determines that the display screen lies in the gaze of the target person. |
| US08866733B2 |
Sequential addressing of displays
A display device includes a row driver configured to provide a row voltage, and a row electrode connected to the row driver. A column driver is configured to provide a column voltage to a column electrode. Further, a common driver is configured to provide a common electrode that includes a negative level. In addition, a controller is configured to switch the common electrode between at least two levels when all rows have a non-select level of the row voltage. The controller may be further configured to switch the common electrode at a substantially same time and with a substantially same voltage swing as a storage voltage of a storage capacitor. |
| US08866732B2 |
Display panel and display apparatus having the same
A display panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, an electrophoretic layer, and a shielding electrode. The first substrate includes a first base substrate and pixel electrodes disposed on the first base substrate. The second substrate includes a second base substrate and a common electrode disposed on the second base substrate to face the pixel electrodes. The electrophoretic layer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate to display a gray-scale image. The shielding electrode is disposed between the pixel electrodes and faces the common electrode with the electrophoretic layer interposed between the shielding electrode and the common electrode to receive a voltage corresponding to a black gray-scale. |
| US08866731B2 |
E-paper display control of classified content based on e-paper conformation
A system for one or more portions of one or more regions of an electronic paper assembly having one or more display layers includes, but is not limited to: obtaining and one or more multi-layer display control modules configured to direct control of display of one or more portions of one or more display layers of the electronic paper assembly regarding display of second information having one or more classifications in response to the first information associated with one or more changes in the one or more conformations of the one or more portions of the one or more regions of the electronic paper assembly. In addition to the foregoing, other related method/system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure. |
| US08866730B2 |
Connector and a display apparatus having the same
A display apparatus including: a backlight unit generating a light; a display panel receiving the light to display an image; a backlight driving circuit receiving a driving power and a control signal from an external system to drive the backlight unit; a display panel control circuit receiving a driving signal and an image signal from the external system to control the display panel; and a connector electrically connecting the external system to the backlight driving circuit and the display panel control circuit, wherein the driving power, the control signal, the driving signal and the image signal are transmitted through the connector. |
| US08866728B2 |
Liquid crystal display
The liquid crystal panel displays a video in a display area by modulating light from the backlight including a plurality of light sources. The luminance value calculator calculates light source luminance values of the light sources based on an input video signal including signal values of pixels. The luminance distribution calculator calculates luminance distribution of light in illumination areas obtained by tentatively dividing the display area if the light sources emit light according to the light source luminance values. The representative value calculator calculates, based on the input video signal, a representative luminance value in each of divided areas obtained by dividing the display area. The signal corrector corrects the input video signal based on the luminance distribution according to a difference between a maximum value of the representative luminance values and an average value of the representative luminance values. |
| US08866726B2 |
Backlight assembly
A backlight assembly includes a light source unit, at least one block driving unit, a controller unit and a noise removing circuit. The light source unit includes a plurality of dimming blocks generating light. The block driving unit drives the dimming blocks. The controller unit controls the block driving unit. The noise removing circuit is connected to the block driving unit and the controller unit to prevent noise from being applied to a reset terminal of the block driving unit. |
| US08866725B2 |
Liquid crystal display device viewable in dim ambient light
An object is to provide a liquid crystal display device in which image display can be recognized even in an environment where light is dim around the liquid crystal display device. Another object is to provide a liquid crystal display device capable of image display in both modes of a reflective mode in which external light is used as a light source and a transmissive mode in which a backlight is used. One pixel is provided with a pixel electrode having both of a region where light incident through a liquid crystal layer is reflected and a region having a light-transmitting property, so that image display can be performed in both modes of a reflective mode in which external light is used as a light source and a transmissive mode in which a backlight is used. |
| US08866724B2 |
Shift register, liquid crystal display device having the shift register and method of driving scan lines using the same
In a bi-directional shift register and a liquid crystal display device having the bi-directional shift register, the shift register further includes a dummy stage for resetting a last stage. The dummy stage is reset by a control signal of the last stage or by the output signal of the dummy stage. Therefore, power consumption and layout area may be reduced. The shift register includes a plurality of stages and two dummy stages, and two selection signals for selecting shift direction is applied to each of the stages. |
| US08866720B2 |
Memory device and display device equipped with memory device
A memory device is provided which includes a memory circuit that allows a circuit which carries out a refresh operation to suitably carry out an original operation of the circuit even if an off-leakage current occurs in a transfer element used in a transfer section. A memory cell includes a switching circuit, a first retaining section, a transfer section, a second retaining section, a first control section, and a voltage supply, and the first control section is controlled to be in (i) a state in which the first control section carries out a first operation in which the first control section is in an active state or a non-active state and (ii) a state in which the first control section carries out a second operation. |
| US08866719B2 |
Memory device and liquid crystal display device equipped with memory device
A transistor (N1) has a gate terminal connected to a word line (Xi(1)) and a first conduction terminal connected to a bit line (Yj). A transistor (N2) has a gate terminal connected to the word line (Xi(2)) and a first conduction terminal connected to a node (PIX). A transistor (N3) has a gate terminal connected to a node (MRY) and a first conduction terminal connected to the word line (Xi(2)). A transistor (N4) has a gate terminal connected to the word line (Xi(3)), a first conduction terminal connected to a second conduction terminal of the transistor (N3), and a second conduction terminal connected to the node (PIX). Capacitors (Ca1), (Cb1), (Cap1) are formed between the node (PIX) and a reference electric potential wire (RL1), between the node (MRY) and the reference electric potential wire (RL1), and between the first conduction terminal of the transistor (N3) and the node (MRY), respectively. |
| US08866711B2 |
Driving method including refreshing a pixel memory and liquid crystal display device utilizing the same
A liquid crystal display device and a driving method thereof capable of reducing flicker are provided. During a predetermined time period, two continuous inversion operations to pixel voltages and common voltages are repeatedly performed with a timing interval in which the liquid crystal component does not react to changes. After the predetermined time period, the pixel voltages and common voltages are performed by a single inversion operation such that they are phase inverted. Then, the pixel voltages and common voltages are repeatedly performed during the predetermined period by two continuous inversion operations with the timing interval in which the liquid crystal component does not react to changes. |
| US08866709B2 |
Projection display apparatus and projection display method
Display an image by adjusting upper limit of brightness of the image projection light. Here, determine the target value, according to analysis result of the image data, for the detected brightness of the image projection light, and adjust the upper limit of brightness of the image projection light to cause the detected brightness to approach the target value. |
| US08866702B1 |
Use of optical display system as a visual indicator for a wearable computing device
Methods and systems for use of an optical display system as an indicator of a wearable computing device are provided. In one example, a method includes receiving, by the wearable computing device, information for display by an optical display system coupled to the wearable computing device. The method includes in response, making a determination of whether the wearable computing device is in use. The method also includes based on the determination, causing a light source coupled to the wearable computing device to modulate an illumination of the optical display system. |
| US08866698B2 |
Multi-display handheld device and supporting system
Bi-stable display technology and refresh display technology are integrated into a single device, which manages the use of these technologies to achieve power savings while providing a rich set of display functionalities that support interaction with content in a synergistic manner. Power saving functionality facilitates conservation of battery operating life, and flexible display functionalities enable access, display, and interaction with content in various ways. |
| US08866697B2 |
Display device and mobile device including display device
A display device includes a timing controller for generating a plurality of gate signals and a plurality of data signals associated with at least one image; and a plurality of display panels controlled by the timing controller for receiving the corresponding gate signals and data signals from the timing controller. |
| US08866696B2 |
Antenna with integrated RF module
An antenna assembly includes an antenna housing, an antenna located within the housing, a radio frequency (RF) module located within the housing and connected to the antenna, and a cable assembly operably associated with the module. The module includes a radio frequency device, such as a transmitter, receiver or transceiver, electrically connected to the antenna. The cable assembly includes electrical wires for providing external power to the module and conducting processed signals between the module and external circuitry. The proximal nature of the antenna and RF module reduces or eliminates induced power losses between the antenna and module, resulting in a very effective power transfer ratio. Resulting processed signals between external and internal processing circuitry can be conducted over relatively long lengths without appreciable signal loss. |
| US08866693B2 |
Radio-communication antenna device
An antenna device comprises an antenna board, wherein an antenna pattern is formed in or on a front surface of a dielectric layer, a ground layer is formed in or on a rear surface of the dielectric layer, and a feed pin is inserted into a thickness of the antenna board through the ground layer and the dielectric layer. The diameter of the antenna pattern is set to one half of the wavelength of an RF signal passed through the antenna pattern, and a length of one side of the dielectric plate is set shorter than the wavelength. A metallic plate is coupled to the ground layer with a plurality of metallic spacers interposed therebetween, whereby the metallic plate is electrically connected to the ground layer. |
| US08866692B2 |
Electronic device with isolated antennas
Antennas for electronic devices are provided. First and second antennas may be mounted within an electronic device. Free-space coupling between the first and second antennas may give rise to interference. The first and second antennas may be coupled to a global ground. The global ground may be formed using a conductive member in the electronic device such as a conductive frame member. Signals that pass between the antennas through the global ground may serve as canceling signals that reduce the magnitude of free-space interference signals and thereby improve antenna isolation. The antennas may be coupled to the global ground using electrical paths or through near-field electromagnetic coupling. Coupling efficiency to the global ground may be enhanced by configuring the conductive traces of one or both of the antennas to form a resonant circuit. |
| US08866691B2 |
Multimode antenna structure
A multimode antenna structure is provided for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals in a communications device. The communications device includes circuitry for processing signals communicated to and from the antenna structure. The antenna structure includes a plurality of antenna ports for coupling to the circuitry; a plurality of antenna elements, each operatively coupled to a different one of the antenna ports; and a plurality of connecting elements. The connecting elements each electrically connect neighboring antenna elements such that the antenna elements and the connecting elements are arranged about the periphery of the antenna structure and form a single radiating structure. Electrical currents on one antenna element flow to connected neighboring antenna elements and generally bypass the antenna ports coupled to the neighboring antenna elements such that an antenna mode excited by one antenna port is generally electrically isolated from a mode excited by another antenna port at a given desired signal frequency range, and the antenna structure generates diverse antenna patterns. |
| US08866689B2 |
Multi-band antenna and methods for long term evolution wireless system
A multiband dipole antenna solution suitable for use in various wireless device applications, and methods of tuning and utilizing the same. In one embodiment, the antenna is adapted for use in long term evolution (LTE or LTE-A) radio devices. In one implementation, the antenna comprises (i) two planar directly fed radiating elements operating in a lower frequency band and disposed on two opposing sides of a dielectric structure, and (ii) two electromagnetically coupled radiating elements operating in an upper frequency band also disposed on the opposing sides of the dielectric structure. An additional pair of electromagnetically coupled radiator elements is utilized to achieve wider antenna operating bandwidth. |
| US08866688B2 |
Dual-polarized radiation element and planar oscillator thereof
A planar oscillator is provided includes an oscillator portion formed by four oscillator arms, the four oscillator arms defining two orthogonal half-wave oscillators, each oscillator arm being of a square and these oscillator arms being arranged in a square configuration, each oscillator arm having a feeding terminal defined at a corner thereof facing another oscillator arm; a connective portion connected among these oscillator arms so that these arms are connected with each other; and a medium base plate for printing the oscillator portion and connective portion thereon. In addition, a plurality of through holes is defined in the medium base plate. The antenna made according to the invention is simple and compact in construction and good in performance. In addition, the antenna is easy to be manufactured and assembled. Moreover, the antenna of the invention benefits from wide bandwidth, high gain and cross polarization ratio, and excellent isolation. |
| US08866687B2 |
Modular feed network
A modular feed network is provided with a segment base provided with a feed aperture, a corner cavity at each corner and a tap cavity at a mid-section of each of two opposite sides. A segment top is provided with a plurality of output ports. The segment top is dimensioned to seat upon the segment base to form a segment pair. the segment base provided with a plurality of waveguides between cavities of the segment base. The modular feed network is configurable via a range of feed, bypass and/or power divider taps seated in the apertures and/or cavities to form a waveguide network of varied numbers of output ports by routing across one or more of the segment tops. For example, the modular feed network may comprise 1, 4 or 16 of the segment bases retained side to side. |
| US08866685B2 |
Omnidirectional multi-band antennas
Disclosed herein are various exemplary embodiments of omnidirectional multi-band antennas. In an exemplary embodiment, an antenna includes upper and lower portions. The upper portion includes one or more radiating elements, one or more tapering features for impedance matching, and one or more slots configured to enable multi-band operation of the antenna. The lower portion includes one or more radiating elements and one or more slots. |
| US08866673B2 |
System and method for providing indoor navigation and special local base service application for malls stores shopping centers and buildings utilize RF beacons
The system and method described herein could guide people around urban environments indoor and outdoor, provide a direct content according to the user preference/profile and navigation guidance to the content integrated into a special local base services application benefit mall store or building facility area. The content and navigation will display on the existing cellular phone as mobile application. |
| US08866670B2 |
Hybrid positioning using synchronous and asynchronous techniques
Methods and apparatuses for a mobile station to obtain a position fix using synchronous hybrid positioning and asynchronous hybrid positioning techniques are described. In one embodiment, a wireless communication apparatus may transmit a request to a mobile station for fine time assistance (FTA) corresponding to a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The apparatus may be configured to receive the FTA, first timing measurements from one or more base stations, and second timing measurements from the GNSS. The apparatus may identify whether the FTA was received from the mobile station. If it is determined that the FTA was received, then the apparatus may establish a position fix for the mobile station using a synchronous hybrid positioning technique relating the timing measurements to a time scale associated with a system frame number (SFN). If not, then the apparatus may establish the position fix using an asynchronous hybrid positioning technique. |
| US08866669B2 |
GPS pre-acquisition for geotagging digital photos
A handheld electronic device, such as a GPS-enabled wireless communications device with an embedded camera, a GPS-enabled camera-phone or a GPS-enabled digital camera, determines whether ephemeris data needs to be obtained for geotagging digital photos taken with the device. By monitoring user activity with respect to the camera, such as activation of the camera, the device can begin pre-acquisition of a GPS position fix by obtaining needed ephemeris data before the photograph is actually taken. This GPS pre-acquisition improves the likelihood that a position fix (GPS lock) is achieved by the time the photo is taken (to enable immediate geotagging). Alternatively, the photo can be geotagged retroactively by appending the current location to the metadata tag associated with the digital photo. An optional acquisition status indicator can be displayed on a user interface of the device to indicate that a position fix is being obtained. |
| US08866662B1 |
Sequential analog/digital conversion and multiplication
An embodiment of an apparatus for performing sequential analog/digital conversion and multiplication generates upon completing the conversion a digital output indicative of an analog input and a digital product equivalent to the product formed by multiplying a digital operand with the digital output indicative of the input. The apparatus is configured to exploit parallelism per conversion iteration such that the time per iteration can be substantially determined by the conversion processing. During each iteration, a converter processes the analog input to determine the manner in which to refine the digital output while a multiplier combines the operand with a previous partial result to generate a speculative partial result and a weighted previous partial result. According to the determination, the converter refines the digital output while the multiplier selects as a partial result output the speculative partial result or the weighted previous partial result. Additional embodiments are shown and described. |
| US08866660B2 |
Data adaptive analog to digital converter
A system and method for mitigating Analog to Digital (A/D) clipping is disclosed. The mean and variance of analog input data are tracked and the bits of A/D are dynamically reassigned to keep the input signal within their range. The quantization levels of A/D are dynamically re-mapped to avoid changes in sensitivity of sensor system. The method is based on random walk statistic and keeps the sensitivity of the sensor system constant. Also the system and method provides a way to mitigate A/D clipping that avoids changing the sensitivity by dynamically re-mapping the quantization levels of the A/D, keeping the sensitivity of the system constant. |
| US08866657B2 |
Apparatus and method for converting analog signal to digital signal
An apparatus of a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) is provided. The apparatus includes a logic circuit for performing a logical operation based on a combination of bit values b0 through bN-1 of a digital code, and a plurality of switches for controlling an output state of a plurality of current cells based on an output of the logical operation, wherein the plurality of the current cells respectively output currents under a control of respective ones of the plurality of switches. |
| US08866656B2 |
Hybrid digital-to-analog converter and method thereof
Hybrid digital-to-analog converter and method thereof are provided. The hybrid digital-to-analog converter (DAC) includes a data processor, at least one first type DAC, at least one second type DAC, and an output circuit. The data processor processes an input digital signal to output at least one of first and second digital signals which are related to a higher bit portion and a lower bit portion of the input digital signal, respectively. If the data processor outputs the first digital signal to the first type DAC, the first type DAC converts the first digital signal. The at least one second type DAC receives and converts the second digital signal outputted from the data processor. The output circuit receives at least one output signal of the first and the second type DACs to output an output analog signal. |
| US08866648B2 |
Through metal communication system
The through metal communication system sends messages by tapping on metal barriers, such as pipelines, bulkheads, and the like. A robotic element attaches itself to a metal barrier, wall, pipe, and the like. A piezoelectric tapping device is attached to the robotic element and can tap an encoded message onto the metal. The robot preferably includes a piezoelectric actuator, a microcontroller to convert text/information to Morse code, and a power source for the actuator. The messages are retrieved and interpreted by a remote transducer connected to a computer or microcontroller. |
| US08866645B2 |
Method and apparatus for compression of generalized sensor data
Methods and apparatus for compression of generalized sensor data are described. One example method for use in compression of generalized sensor data at a first location for transmission to a second location includes analyzing the sensor data to identify high interest data and low interest data, and compressing the high interest data with a lossless compression algorithm. |
| US08866638B2 |
Acquisition of travel- and vehicle-related data
Data acquisition from a sampling of vehicle sensors includes identifying a vehicle population density for a defined region, calculating a proportional representation ratio from the vehicle population density, and transmitting a request for data over a network. The request includes the response criteria configured with the proportional representation ratio. The data acquisition also includes receiving the data from vehicles that are located in the defined region and that fall within the proportional representation ratio, and which meet the response criteria. |
| US08866636B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing traffic information service using a mobile communication system
A method and apparatus for providing a traffic information service using a mobile communication terminal are provided. A method of a mobile communication terminal for a traffic information service is provided. The method includes constructing a cluster with at least one neighboring Mobile Station (MS), receiving traffic information from the at least one neighboring MS comprised in the cluster, measuring traffic information using location information of the MS, and transmitting a traffic information message comprising the collected traffic information to a traffic information provision server. |
| US08866632B2 |
Method for communicating with logging tools
A method of communication from the surface with to the downhole logging tool string is disclosed. The method includes movement of the drill pipe string up or down at the surface to create coded signature signals by the downhole logging tool string and send those signature signals to a processor in the downhole logging tool string that has been preprogramed to recognize the signature signals. |
| US08866629B2 |
Built-in automated electrostatic discharge monitor for computing units
A method, computer program product, and computer system for monitoring for electrostatic discharge (ESD) events. An ESD monitor for potential of electrostatic discharge events in a sensed area through a plurality of ESD sensors coupled to the ESD monitor. The monitor senses for a charge level which could cause ESD event and entry of an operator into a sensed area. If an ESD event is detected, issue an ESD event alert to the operator and recording data to a tangible storage device; determine environmental factors at time and date of the ESD event; compare the ESD event and associated environmental factors to other ESD events with associated environmental factors; and determine if a correlation exists between the ESD event and associated environmental factors and the other ESD events with associated environmental factors. |
| US08866625B2 |
System and method for the aggregation and communicating of process metadata of heterogeneous production process chains
A system and a method for aggregating and transmitting process metadata of a heterogeneous production system, the production system including a plurality of process devices to manufacture a product, the method comprising the steps of sending a user request from a communication device to a central unit, generating a metadata profile based on the user request at the central unit, accessing at least one of the plurality of the process devices of the process via an aggregation module of the central unit by using standardized control signals that were generated upon a user request, the aggregation module having access to the process devices, locating and authenticating the manufactured product in the process by the aggregation module based on authentication data; capturing process-specific data specific to the manufactured and authenticated product from the process at the aggregation module based on standardized control signals; transmitting the process-specific data from the aggregation module to the central unit, and generating the process metadata at the central unit. |
| US08866624B2 |
Conductor-less detection system for an absorbent article
Signaling systems are disclosed that indicate a change in an absorbent article, such as the presence of a body fluid. The various different signaling systems disclosed do not include any conductive elements contained on the interior of the article as were required in the past. Instead, the changes are monitored from the outer cover of the article. In one aspect, for instance, a signaling device is provided for sensing and indicating the presence of a body exudate in an absorbent article, the device including a housing and a capacitive sensor disposed within the housing, the capacitive sensor adapted to sense a change in capacitance due to an insult to the absorbent article. The signaling device can include an attachment mechanism for removably attaching the housing to the absorbent article. |
| US08866623B2 |
Alert interactive system
The present invention provides an alert interactive system designed to serve as an alertness tool to ensure that a person, such as an aircraft pilot, a car or truck driver, a soldier or sailor on watch, or a security professional, remains alert. The alert interactive system provides instructions and time for the person to enter a code, and provides an alert to that person and others when the code is not entered timely and correctly. The present invention indicates when the person is not alert, and may be taking a nap, may be fully asleep, or unconsciousness. |
| US08866622B2 |
System and method for preventing drowsiness
A system and a method for preventing drowsiness are provided. The system for preventing drowsiness calculates brainwaves of a user by receiving a signal around a head of a user without contact, detects a state of the user based on the calculated brainwaves, and performs a necessary function according to the detected state of the user. Thus, convenience is increased when measuring the brainwaves of the driver using the contactless electrodes. |
| US08866617B2 |
Plastic cap with IC tag and method of attaching IC tag to the cap
A plastic cap with IC tag storing product information provided on the upper surface of a top plate. The top plate is formed by an annular flange and a recessed portion 37, the recessed portion, including a side wall continuous to the inner circumferential edge of the annular flange and a bottom continuous to the lower end of the side wall. The tag 10 is attached to the annular flange to cover the recessed portion. A gap between the tag and the bottom is maintained to such a degree that the transmission and reception of signals to and from the tag are not interrupted when the back surface of the bottom comes in contact with water. |
| US08866615B2 |
Method and apparatus for tracking objects and people
An object locating, identifying, tracking, and surveillance system, denoted the Assets Locating, Tracking, and Surveillance System (ALTSS), is provided for managing physical objects and evidence in environments such as police departments, law offices, and the Courts. ALTSS employs radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, computer programming and database applications, networking technologies, and hardware elements. ALTSS may locate and track physical evidence, merchandise, information carriers like files, folders or individual pieces of paper, and people, under certain conditions, in near-real time. It may be configured as part of a local area network, a wide area network, or the Internet. ALTSS may employ exemplary components such as RFID transponders, scanners, strategically located antennas and computers to facilitate tracking of objects and people as needed. Any number of users having access privileges and connected to the network may access ALTSS directly or remotely via the Internet to locate and track evidence or objects. |
| US08866606B1 |
Systems and methods for automated personal emergency responses
A subscriber device for use in an automated personal emergency response system implemented as a conference bridge on a remote computing network. The device, intended to be worn as a pendant, wristband or in another wearable configuration, includes a color high-resolution display for signaling a user of the subscriber device with notifications, arrows for directional guidance, and/or other status messages. The device also includes microphones and speakers for enabling a teleconference between a user of the subscriber device in need of assistance and parties joined to the teleconference via the automated personal emergency response system. The user of the subscriber device may initiate the call for assistance and teleconference via a press of a single button on the device; alternatively, accelerometers in the device may detect a fall and automatically initiate the call. The device can receive medical telemetry and provide it to conference participants and perform home automation tasks. |
| US08866602B2 |
Systems and methods for mapping message contents to virtual physical properties for vibrotactile messaging
Systems and methods for mapping message contents to virtual physical properties for vibrotactile messaging are disclosed. For example, one disclosed method includes the steps of receiving a sensor signal from a sensor, the sensor configured to detect an interaction with a messaging device, determining a virtual physical property of a virtual message object based at least in part on the sensor signal, determining a haptic effect based at least in part on the virtual physical parameter; and generating a haptic signal configured to cause an actuator to output the haptic effect. |
| US08866601B2 |
Overdrive voltage for an actuator to generate haptic effects
A system in which haptic effects are generated using an actuator receives a frequency response for the actuator at a standard voltage and generates a lookup table for an overdrive voltage based on the frequency response. The system then receives a haptic signal for the haptic effect and extracts one or more frequencies for the haptic signal. The system then determines the corresponding overdrive voltage from the lookup table for each of the frequencies and, for each of the frequencies, applies the corresponding overdrive voltage to the actuator. The overdrive voltage is greater than or equal to the standard voltage. |
| US08866600B2 |
Electronic apparatus with haptic feedback and method for providing haptic feedback
An electronic apparatus with haptic feedback and a method for providing haptic feedback are provided. The method includes the following steps. An actuation unit is provided to generate haptic feedback. In response to at least a haptic command, a control value is dynamically generated to control the actuation unit to generate haptic feedback, wherein dynamic range compression is applied to dynamically generate the control value so as to control the magnitude of haptic feedback to be substantially within a vibration range. |
| US08866599B2 |
Method of activating a supplemental visual warning signal based on frequency emitted from a generator of a primary audible warning signal
A system and method for signaling users including a control device electrically connected to a transceiver. The transceiver has a specified frequency. A first mobile signal device being activated by a first user and electrically communicating with a first transmitter having a selectable signal frequency. The first transmitter electrically communicates with the transceiver using the specified frequency. A second signal device includes a second receiver for receiving an activation signal from the transceiver. The second receiver electrically communicates with the transceiver using the specified frequency. The second signal device is activated by the activation of the first mobile signal device using the transceiver for alerting other persons. |
| US08866595B1 |
Ticket-based RFID loss-prevention system
In RFID systems employed for loss prevention, an item supplier or an ingress reader writes an ownership code associated with an organization or facility into a tag, indicating that an item to which the tag is attached is associated with the facility and not foreign. At checkout or point-of-sale an authorization reader or mobile device writes a computed code and/or a ticket into the tag indicating that the tagged item is allowed to leave the facility. At point-of-exit an exit reader determines if the tagged item is allowed to leave the facility by verifying the ownership code and the code or ticket. The loss-prevention system may issue an alert or sound an alarm if a facility-associated item is leaving the facility without a proper code or ticket indicating that the item is approved to leave. |
| US08866592B2 |
Method for detecting and communicating with RFID memory devices
This invention relates to a system of communicating with a radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder microchip (IC) for the purpose of accessing pre-programmed data. Such system involves direct electrical contact between the system reading the data from the memory in the transponder IC and the IC itself via two mechanical contact points. This system provides an interface with a transponder IC in order to energize the IC. Once the presence of the transponder IC is detected, the host system can read or write to and process preprogrammed data stored in the IC. |
| US08866589B2 |
Programmable communicator
A programmable communicator device is disclosed having a wireless communications circuit, including an antenna, configured to receive a transmission, and an identity module having a unique identifier. The programmable communicator further includes a processing module including program code configured to determine if the transmission is from an authenticated caller by determining whether a received transmission contains the unique identifier, and memory configured to store telephone numbers or IP addresses received in transmissions from an authenticated caller. |
| US08866585B2 |
Method for challenge response authentication between a reading device and a transponder using contactless data transmission
A method and system for challenge-response authentication are provided. Challenge data are transferred within an anti-collision loop from a reading device to a transponder by means of one or more commands of an anti-collision method, with the one or more commands serving to determine transponder identification data. In the one or more commands respective challenge data are contained in a data field that is used for specifying transponder identification data, wherein it is indicated to the transponder by a parameter value in the at least one of the one or more commands that the data field of the one or more commands contains challenge data instead of transponder date. The transponder recognizes with the help of the parameter value that in the received one or more commands challenge data are contained. The transponder processes the transferred challenge data based on the challenge response authentication. |
| US08866584B2 |
Control device, control system, control method and storage medium
To provide a control system capable of avoiding communication with an unintended external device when a number of external devices exist outside the device. A control system includes a control device 200 that controls at least one function, and at least one external device 900-1 to 900-n (n is an arbitrary integer) existing outside the control device 200. Further, the control device 200 counts a number of reception signals received from the external device 900-1 to 900-n and suspends communication with the external device 900-1 to 900-n according to the counted number of reception signals. |
| US08866583B2 |
Garage door system and method
A universal system and method for controlling existing garage doors via existing garage door openers. The system includes a module operable both manually and automatically to control the existing garage door, Wifi communication circuitry to receive instructions wirelessly from a remote, circuitry for automatic and remote control of the garage door and circuitry for pushing garage door status information. |
| US08866582B2 |
Outdoor fluorescent lighting fixtures and related systems and methods
A system for mounting an outdoor fluorescent lamp lighting fixture to a pole includes a compression sleeve configured to receive and tighten around the pole, a pivot base fixed to the compression sleeve, a mount configured for securing to the fluorescent lamp lighting fixture and for pivotally coupling to the pivot base, where the mount includes multiple adjustment points configured to allow the mount to be fixed at varying angles relative to the pivot base. |
| US08866579B2 |
Laminated inductor
A laminated inductor offers higher magnetic permeability, high inductance, low resistance and high rated current, while also supporting downsizing of device, by using a soft magnetic alloy as the magnetic material. Provided is a laminated inductor, comprising: an internal conductor forming area and a top cover area and a bottom cover area formed in a manner sandwiching the internal conductor forming area from above and below, wherein the internal conductor forming area has a magnetic material part formed by soft magnetic alloy particles, and internal conductors buried in the magnetic material part, and at least one of the top cover area and bottom cover area is formed by soft magnetic alloy particles exhibiting a two-peak particle size distribution curve (based on count). |
| US08866577B2 |
Coil component
The present invention provides a coil component which is possible to be thinner with less leakage flux toward upward and downward directions, and to sustain a good insulation. The coil component comprises a core including two opposing parts mutually opposing, two side legs mutually connect both ends of the two opposing parts, and a middle leg placed between the two side legs and mutually connect central parts of the two opposing parts, a primary coil, which goes around outer circumference of the middle leg, and a secondary coil, which goes around outer circumference of the primary coil, wherein; a distance between outer perimeter edge of the primary coil and inner perimeter edge of the secondary coil varies along circumferential direction. |
| US08866573B2 |
Magnetic attachment device
A magnetic attachment device comprises a pad, the pad including a base, a backing plate mounting a plurality of magnets, and a top plate. The base is connected to the backing plate and the top plate is connected to the backing plate, the top plate being connected to the backing plate by fasteners, and the pad further comprises flexible sealant situated in a void formed between surfaces of the base and/or the magnets and/or the backing plate. |
| US08866572B2 |
Special random magnetization apparatus and process for thin sheet magnetic sheets and rolls
A magnetization apparatus and process for producing thin magnetized sheets and rolls. It has permanent magnet pieces oriented and magnetized perpendicular to the other components of soft pole piece surfaces. This orientation permits the adjustably controlled field strength of the magnetic field produced. By varying the number of pole pieces and the corresponding permanent magnets the magnetic coupling and magnetic field strength varies. This field variance shifts the aligned poles into a “random orientation”. Therefor the alignment of like poles on the consecutive sheets is avoided and the sheets can lay flat and not be repelled by aligned poles. |
| US08866569B2 |
Pry plate tripping circuit breaker
A pry plate tripping circuit breaker includes a housing, an operation mechanism, a lock catch, a tripping mechanism, a movable contact, an immovable contact, an arc extinguish chamber and a bimetallic strip. The lock catch includes a lock portion to cooperate with the operation mechanism and an action portion to cooperate with the tripping mechanism. The trigging mechanism includes a pry plate unit and a drive unit to drive the pry plate unit. The drive unit includes a conductive plate electrically connected with the bimetallic strip and an electromagnetic induction member on the conductive plate. The pry plate unit includes a pry plate. One end of the pry plate is provided with an armature, and another end of the pry plate corresponds to the action portion of the lock catch. The pry plate is provided with an elastic member. |
| US08866564B2 |
Orthomode transducer device
The present invention is an orthomode transducer (OMT) device that allows for dual polarized dual frequency band antenna feed systems. The OMT device includes a waveguide structure having a first end and a second end such that the first end defines a port for receiving signals. The waveguide structure includes an outer wall defining a waveguide chamber therein and the outer wall includes a first cylindrical section proximate the first end. The waveguide structure also includes a second cylindrical section proximate the second end and a region therebetween. At least one longitudinal groove is introduced proximate the second end and extends towards the first end of the waveguide structure. The OMT device further includes at least one waveguide coupled to the outer wall of the waveguide chamber which is in signal communication with the waveguide chamber through an opening in the region of the outer wall. |
| US08866558B2 |
Integrated standing-wave voltage controlled oscillator with dual-mode coplanar waveguide resonator
A standing wave oscillator includes a cross-coupled differential transistor pair having a pair of input terminals and a pair of output terminals; and a resonant circuit coupled to the input terminals of the cross-coupled differential transistor pair. The resonant circuit includes: a capacitance between the input terminals of the cross-coupled differential transistor pair; and a differential dual-mode coplanar waveguide (CPW) having opposite differential ends thereof connected to respective input terminals of the cross-coupled differential transistor pair. CPW ground lines of the differential dual-mode coplanar waveguide each have a first end thereof connected to the first supply voltage and have a second end thereof floating or unterminated. |
| US08866556B2 |
Phase shift phase locked loop
A phase shift phase locked loop (PSPLL) are described. The phase shift PLL includes a PLL and a phase adjusting circuit coupled to the inputs of the PLL. The phase adjusting circuit has a first input, a first output, a second input, a third input, and a second output. The first output and the second output are coupled to a first input and a second input of the PLL, respectively. The second input of the phase adjusting circuit receives a feedback signal and the third input of the phase adjusting circuit receives a control signal. The phase adjusting circuit receives a reference signal and sends a first output signal and a second output signal based on the reference signal to the PLL to adjust a phase of an output signal of the PLL in an increment less than a time period of the output signal of the PLL. |
| US08866555B2 |
Power amplifier with variable output impedance
A power amplifier circuit, comprising: an amplifier for receiving an input signal to be amplified; a power input for coupling the amplifier to a power supply; and a transformer for providing the amplified signal from the amplifier to a load, comprising a primary inductor and a secondary inductor. The power amplifier circuit is characterized by: a first capacitor coupled in parallel with the primary inductor; and a second capacitor coupled in parallel with the secondary inductor; wherein at least one of the first and second capacitors has a variable capacitance. |
| US08866549B2 |
Method of power amplifier calibration
The exemplary embodiments include methods, computer readable media, and devices for calibrating a non-linear power detector of a radio frequency device based upon measurements of the non-linear power detector output and the associated power amplifier output level, and a set of data points that characterize a nominal non-linear power detector. The set of data points that characterize the nominal non-linear power detector is stored in a calibration system memory as nominal power detector output data. The measured non-linear power detector outputs, power amplifier output levels, and the nominal power detector output data is used to determine a power detector error function that characterizes the difference between the response of the non-linear power detector and the nominal non-linear power detector. The power detector error function and the nominal power detector output data are used to develop a calibrated power detector output data set that is stored in the non-linear power detector. |
| US08866548B2 |
High speed power supply system
A power supply system includes a high-speed power supply providing a first output, operating in conjunction with an externally supplied DC source or low frequency power supply which provides a second output. A frequency blocking power combiner circuit combines the first and second outputs to generate a third output in order to drive a load, while providing frequency-selective isolation between the first and second outputs. A feedback circuit coupled to the combined, third output compares this combined, third output with a predetermined control signal and generates a control signal for controlling the high-speed power supply, based on a difference between the third output and the predetermined control signal. The feedback circuit does not control the DC source or the low frequency power supply, but controls only the high-speed power supply. |
| US08866544B2 |
Class D pulse width modulator with dual feedback
This document discusses, among other things, a modulator including a first integrator configured to receive an input signal and a first feedback signal from an output stage, a second integrator configured to receive an output of the first integrator and a second feedback signal, and a comparator configured to be coupled to a regulated supply voltage, to receive an output of the second integrator and a modulation signal, and to provide a pulse width modulated representation of the input signal. The output stage is configured to be coupled to an unregulated supply voltage, and the second feedback signal can include a representation of an output of the comparator configured to reduce artifacts in the pulse width modulated representation of the input signal induced by changes in an amplitude of the unregulated supply voltage. |
| US08866543B2 |
Integrated circuit having stack structure
Provided is an integrated circuit (IC) having a stacked structure. The IC includes: a first IC having a power input terminal to which a power supply voltage is applied; and a second IC having a power input terminal connected to a ground terminal of the first IC, having a central node formed as the power input terminal of the second IC and the ground terminal of the first IC are connected to each other and to which a voltage is applied, and having a ground terminal connected to a ground source, wherein the power supply voltage is divided into first and second voltages that are respectively applied to the first and second ICs. |
| US08866542B1 |
Low frequency filter for biomedical applications
The low frequency filter for biomedical applications scales down the pole frequency while accomplishing a 5-bit reduction in the cut off frequency. This is made possible through adding a passive resistor in the forward path of the op-amp-based integrator, introducing a difference term of the pole frequency. Moreover, the filter topology is modified to avoid changing the quality factor. An exemplary second-order low pass filter is designed and simulated. Simulation results show that the pole frequency is scaled down from 1.43 MHz to 4.97 kHz, while maintaining tuning of 30% around the nominal value by controlling only one resistor. |
| US08866541B2 |
Distortion cancellation in analog circuits
Embodiments of the present invention may provide an improved apparatus and method for reducing distortion in analog circuits. A circuit in accordance with the present invention may include a main path comprising an analog circuit with an input impedance, a source impedance representing the impedance of an input network driving the analog circuit, and a cancellation path. The cancellation path may be in parallel to the main path and may generate a cancelling non-linear current to substantially cancel a non-linear current drawn to the input impedance, resulting in a decrease of non-liner current flowing through the source impedance. |
| US08866536B1 |
Process monitoring circuit and method
A process monitoring circuit may be used to determine appropriate voltage for integrated circuits including a non-volatile memory. The process monitoring circuit includes a bandgap reference, a clock generator, a negative bias circuit, a temperature insensitive oscillator, a low dropout voltage regulator, a counter, a comparison circuit, and a charge. The process monitoring circuit may also include a pulse width generator. The process monitoring circuit is able to determine the process corner of which a monitored circuit belongs to and generate an output voltage according to the process corner of the monitored circuit. |
| US08866531B2 |
Broadband analog radio-frequency integrator
Broadband analog radio-frequency devices can be used to create building blocks for scalable analog signal processors that operate over bandwidths of 50 MHz to 20 GHz or more. Example devices include integrators (transconductors), digitally controlled attenuators, buffers, and scalable summers implemented using deep sub-micron CMOS technology. Because the devices are implemented in CMOS, the ratio of trace/component size to signal wavelength is about the same as that of low-frequency devices implemented in printed circuit boards. Combining this scaling with high gain/high bandwidth enables implementation of feedback and programmability for broadband analog signal processing. |
| US08866528B2 |
Dual flip-flop circuit
A dual flip-flop circuit combines two or more flip-flip sub-circuits into a single circuit. The flip-flop circuit comprises a first flip-flop sub-circuit and a second flip-flop sub-circuit. The first flip-flop sub-circuit comprises a first storage sub-circuit configured to store a first selected input signal and transfer the first selected input signal to a first output signal when a buffered clock signal transitions between two different logic levels and a dock driver configured to receive a clock input signal, generate an inverted clock signal, and generate the buffered clock signal. The second flip-flop sub-circuit is coupled to the clock driver and configured to receive the inverted clock signal and the buffered clock signal. The second flip-flop sub-circuit comprises a second storage sub-circuit configured to store a second selected input signal and transfer the second selected input signal to a second output signal when the buffered clock signal transitions. |
| US08866527B1 |
Integrated circuits with hold time avoidance circuitry
Integrated circuits with logic circuitry are provided. The logic circuitry may be organized into logic regions. Each logic region may include a multiplexer, a flip-flop, a logic circuit, etc. The flip-flop may have an input that is connected to an output of the multiplexer. The multiplexer may have a first input connected to an output of the flip-flop in an adjacent logic region. The multiplexer may have a second input connected to the logic circuit. The logic regions may be connected in a chain. The flip-flops may be controlled by first and second control signals. The second control signal may be a delayed version of the first control signal. The multiplexer may be controlled by the second control signal. The flip-flops may include master and slave latches. The master latch is controlled by the first control signal while the slave latch is controlled by the first and second control signals. |
| US08866524B2 |
Semiconductor device having output circuit and operating method thereof
A semiconductor device includes a plurality of driving units configured to drive an output node based on an input signal and be on/off controlled based on driving force control codes, respectively, a slew rate control signal generation block configured to generate a slew rate control signal based on the driving force control codes, and a plurality of signal delay units configured to delay the input signal by respectively different delay amounts, transfer resultant signals to the plurality of driving units, and be respectively controlled in their delay amounts based on the slew rate control signal. |
| US08866523B2 |
Method and associated apparatus for clock-data edge alignment
An edge alignment apparatus includes: a signal source, for generating a first and a second square wave signals; a phase delay circuit, for receiving the first and the second square wave signals to generate a delayed first and a delayed second square wave signals; a data circuit, for generating a third square wave signal according to the delayed second square wave signal; and a phase calibrating circuit, for receiving the third square wave signal and the delayed first squared wave signal to generate at least one phase tuning signal to the phase delay circuit for tuning a phase difference between the delayed first and the delayed second square wave signals, such that a signal edge of the third square wave signal aligns with that of the first square wave signal. The first, second and third square wave signals have a same frequency. |
| US08866519B1 |
System and method for reducing spectral pollution in a signal
A system and a method for modulating an input signal are provided. The system includes a fractional-N phase locked loop (PLL) for frequency multiplying the input signal by a multiplication factor to generate an output signal. The fractional-N PLL includes an input signal path and a feedback signal path. The system includes a controllable delay line for inserting a linearizing tone into the input signal path or the feedback signal path of the fractional-N PLL. |
| US08866518B2 |
Power tracking circuit and semiconductor apparatus including the same
A semiconductor device having a power tracking circuit configured for activating a power tracking signal for a period corresponding to a period during which an external voltage retains a level lower than a level of a low power mode reference voltage if the external voltage retains the level lower than the level of the low power mode reference voltage for at least a preselected time. |
| US08866517B2 |
Power system data acquisition systems
A system comprising an interface configured to condition a signal associated with a power system; a clock module configured to generate a synchronization signal; and a module coupled to the interface and configured to digitize the signal from the interface; filter the digitized signal; and generate a time-shifted, digitized signal in response to the filtering and the synchronization signal. |
| US08866516B2 |
Gate drive circuit
A gate drive circuit includes: an input port for receiving a control signal; an output port; a capacitor connected to the output port; a modulation unit which generates (i) a first modulated signal indicating timing of a first logical value of the control signal and (ii) a second modulated signal indicating timing of at least a second logical value of the control signal; a first electromagnetic resonance coupler which wirelessly transmits the first modulated signal; a second electromagnetic resonance coupler which wirelessly transmits the second modulated signal; a first rectifier circuit which generates a first demodulated signal by demodulating the first modulated signal, and outputs the first demodulated signal to the output port; and a second rectifier circuit which generates a second demodulated signal by demodulating the second modulated signal, and outputs the second demodulated signal to the output port. |
| US08866508B2 |
System and method for calibrating chips in a 3D chip stack architecture
A system and method is disclosed for adaptively adjusting a driving strength of a signal between a first and second chip in a 3D architecture/stack. This may be used to adaptively calibrate a chip in a 3D architecture/stack. The system may include a transmission circuit on one chip and a receiver circuit on another chip. Alternatively, the system may include a transmission and receiver circuit on just one chip. |
| US08866505B2 |
Measurement apparatus
A measurement apparatus for surface analysis carried out in a gaseous environment such as air comprises a measurement device capable of measuring a contact potential difference between a probe and a surface, and a light source that triggers photoelectric emission from a sample. The apparatus may operate in “dual” photoemission and contact potential difference (CPD) measurement modes. |
| US08866504B2 |
Determining local voltage in an electronic system
A system for measuring a test voltage level (Vx) in a location within a chip is presented. The system includes an on-chip measurement device with an on-chip comparator and an on-chip storage. The on-chip comparator is configured for comparing the test voltage (Vx) to be measured to a reference voltage (Vref), while the on-chip storage is configured for storing the result of this comparison. The system also includes external (off-chip) equipment for generating the reference voltage (Vref), for generating probe signals for probing the state of the storage and for retrieving the state of said on-chip storage. |
| US08866503B2 |
Wafer chuck inclination correcting method and probe apparatus
A method for correcting inclination of a wafer chuck includes obtaining in advance a correction amount for each of the semiconductor chips which corrects the inclination of the wafer chuck in the case of applying a contact load to at least each one of the semiconductor chips and storing each of the correction amounts in a data storage unit; calculating a total correction amount for correcting the inclination of the wafer chuck by calculating the correction amount of each of the semiconductor chips bringing into contact with the probes when the semiconductor wafer comes into electrical contact with the probes and adding the calculated correction amounts; and correcting the inclination of the wafer chuck based on the total correction amount. |
| US08866500B2 |
Multi-functional capacitance sensing circuit with a current conveyor
An apparatus for and a method of sensing capacitance of one or more sensor elements in multiple capacitance sensing modes, including a self-capacitance sensing mode and a mutual capacitance sensing mode. |
| US08866498B2 |
Surface charge reduction technique for capacitive sensors
A differential capacitive transducer system is disclosed that includes first and second capacitive cores and a chopping system. The first core a first input coupled to a first capacitor, a second input coupled to a second capacitor, and a first output. The second core includes a third input coupled to a third capacitor, a fourth input coupled to a fourth capacitor, and a second output. The chopping system has first and fourth inputs coupled to positive signals, and second and third inputs coupled to negative signals. As the chopping system switches between high and low states, it couples the core inputs to different polarity signals reducing charge buildup. The different polarity signals can have substantially same magnitudes. Chopper clock and main clock frequencies can be selected to provide substantially zero average voltages at the core inputs. The system can include an integrator circuit and differential summing circuits. |
| US08866497B2 |
Apparatus and method for determining a touch input
A capacitive sensor for detecting a stimulus. The capacitive sensor includes an electrode and a processing unit electrically coupled to the electrode and configured to determine the presence of a stimulus based on the rate of change of the electrode capacitance. A substrate is positioned adjacent the electrode, wherein the stimulus corresponds to the placement of an object against the substrate. The processing unit is operative to determine a time rate of change based on successive measurements of the electrode capacitance. In addition, the processing unit is operative to determine the presence of a stimulus in response to the time rate of change being less than a reference value. |
| US08866496B2 |
Device for the measurement of coating thicknesses by means of microwaves
A device for measurement of a thickness of a coating applied to a substrate includes a transmitter/receiver module configured to transmit and receive microwave radiation; a computing unit; and a probe having a flange and an inner and an outer conductor, wherein the outer conductor coaxially surrounds the inner conductor, and wherein the inner conductor includes at least one thickened section. |
| US08866487B2 |
Directional fault sectionalizing system
A directional fault sectionalizing system that utilizes one phase voltage measurement and three phase current measurements to determine the directionality of high impedance faults on a three phase electric power circuit. This eliminates the need for two of the three voltage measuring devices at each monitoring station conventionally required to determine fault directionality, which makes it economical to install at a greater number of distribution tap points. The system is particularly useful for commonly used three-way tap points along distribution lines where three phase voltage measurement is not readily available. The system is capable of identifying faults under challenging circumstances, such faults occurring on unbalanced three phase power lines and faults occurring on tapped line segments where the currents are relatively small compared to the currents flowing in the main line segments. |
| US08866484B2 |
Method for testing the functionality of the electromagnetic tripping of a switch, in particular of a circuitbreaker for low voltages
A method is disclosed for testing the functionality of the electromagnetic tripping of a switch, in particular of a circuit breaker for low voltages, which has switching contacts which are opened with the aid of a tripping shaft, which is held prestressed by a switching mechanism and is unlatched by a tripping magnet which for this purpose has a winding through which a current is sent for tripping. In order to test the functionality with relatively little effort, it is proposed in at least one embodiment that the winding is connected as an inductance in a resonant circuit, the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit is detected, and the functionality of the tripping magnet is assessed on the basis of the detected resonant frequency. |
| US08866483B2 |
Method and apparatus with high resolution electrode configuration for imaging in oil-based muds
Various disclosed resistivity imaging tools and methods provide a high-resolution electrode configuration for imaging in oil-based imaging in oil-based muds. Some tool embodiments have a sensing surface that comprises: a measurement electrode, a focus electrode surrounding the measurement electrode, and a return electrode surrounding the focus electrode. The sensing surface can be provided on an extendable sensor pad or on the wall-contacting portion of a stabilizer. Some method embodiments include measuring the measurement electrode current while driving a voltage signal between the measurement electrode and the return electrode. The voltage signal may simultaneously or sequentially provide energy at different frequencies. The resistivity measurements are combined with tool position and orientation measurements to form a borehole wall image. Robust and reliable performance is expected in the hostile conditions often experienced by logging while drilling (LWD) tools, coupled with the ability to make micro-resistivity measurements with a resolution approaching that of electrode-grid tool designs. |
| US08866480B2 |
Inductively powered electric component of an MRI apparatus
The invention relates to a nuclear magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising: a main magnet (122) adapted for generating a main magnetic field; at least one radio frequency receiver coil unit (144) for acquiring magnetic resonance signals in a receiver coil radio frequency band (202) from an examined object (124); means (140) for inductively (wirelessly) supplying electric power to an electric component of the apparatus, wherein the electric component is adapted to be powered by inductively supplied electric power, wherein the power transfer frequency (200) and the higher-harmonics (206) of the power transfer frequency (200) for inductively supplying the electric power are located outside the receiver coil radio frequency band (202). |
| US08866477B2 |
Magnetic resonance method and system for phase correction of magnetic resonance signals originating in mixed tissue
In a magnetic resonance (MR) system and method to separate an MR system-dependent phase influence from a subject-dependent phase influence in phase values of an MR phase image data set of an examination subject, to which two different tissue types with different resonance frequencies make a signal contribution, the system-dependent phase influence is determined by selecting a contour around a region shown in the MR phase image data set, calculating the system-dependent phase influence in this region with the assumption that the spatial curve of the background phase corresponds to a harmonic or quasi-harmonic function, and subtracting the system-dependent phase influence from the acquired phase image data set to determine the subject-dependent phase influence. |
| US08866474B2 |
Magnetic sensor device
A magnetic sensor device for generating a logic output in accordance with a magnetic field intensity applied to a magnetoelectric conversion element includes: a comparator for inputting amplified output signals of the magnetoelectric conversion element, and outputting a comparison result; and a logic circuit for performing arithmetic processing on an output signal of the comparator. Only when the logic output is changed by a change in the magnetic field intensity, the logic circuit performs successive matching determination of logic outputs a plurality of times. Thus, the variation in determination for detection or canceling of a magnetic field intensity, which is caused by noise generated from respective constituent elements included in the magnetic sensor device and external noise, may be reduced while suppressing electric power consumption. |
| US08866472B2 |
Device for detection of at least one defect in a concave or convex structure
A device for detection of at least one defect in a concave or convex structure including an emitting part and a receiving part, in which the emitting part includes at least one current layer that makes it possible to create currents oriented approximately along a same direction as the defects whose influence is to be minimized and the receiving part includes at least one magnetic field receiver, added on or etched on a flexible support. |
| US08866468B2 |
DF/dT trigger system and method
A dF/dT trigger system and method includes instantaneously triggering on a frequency deviation of a data signal, which can be associated with an SSC signal. After receiving a signal at an input terminal of a test and measurement instrument, the signal is low-pass filtered and transmitted to trigger circuitry. When a frequency deviation rate in the filtered signal exceeds or crosses one or more thresholds, a trigger event is produced. Also disclosed is a test and measurement instrument including an input terminal to receive the signal, input circuitry to receive and process the signal, and dF/dT trigger circuitry configured to receive the signal and produce a trigger event when a frequency deviation in the signal exceeds or crosses one or more thresholds. |
| US08866464B2 |
Systems and methods for real time current sense for a switching converter
Systems and methods for regulating a switching converter are disclosed. One embodiment of the present invention relates to a power supply system that includes a switching converter that provides an output voltage by alternately turning on and off a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor both coupled to an output inductor through a switching node. The switching converter includes a drive circuit that regulates the output voltage based on a feedback signal. The power supply system also includes a simulated output generator that generates and provides the drive circuit with a simulated inductor waveform as the feedback signal based on a low-side output waveform of the low-side transistor measured at the switching node during off-times of the switching converter. |
| US08866462B2 |
Minimum energy point tracking buck converter
This invention involves with a low power IC (Integrated Circuit) with high energy efficiency. This invention describes a Buck converter that can track the minimum energy point of the load. It works by estimating input energy of every sensing period, taking advantage of energy consumption curve of IC in sub-threshold. Energy estimation is implemented with counting conducted pulses, while maintaining constant input energy of each pulse by regulating output voltage and ON time with digital control circuit. With digital control circuit, minimum energy point can be tracked with a lookup table stored inside. Most of this invention's control circuit is digital, with benefits of low power consumption and small chip area. |
| US08866461B2 |
Power circuit
According to one embodiment, there is provided a power circuit including a DC/DC converter, an A/D converter, a control unit, a determining unit, and a conversion timing adjusting unit. The determining unit determines whether a transition timing of the conversion candidate timing signal overlaps a transition timing of the first switching signal or a transition timing of the second switching signal. The conversion timing adjusting unit adjusts the conversion candidate timing signal so that the transition timing of the conversion candidate timing signal does not overlap the transition timing of the first switching signal and the transition timing of the second switching signal when the transition timing of the conversion candidate timing signal overlaps the transition timing of the first switching signal or the transition timing of the second switching signal to thereby generate the conversion timing signal. |
| US08866460B2 |
Dynamic dropout control of a power supply
A power supply uses a power converter to generate a regulated voltage by referencing to a first DC voltage, a low dropout (LDO) regulator to generate an output voltage from the regulated voltage by referencing to a second DC voltage, and a reference voltage generator to dynamically adjust the first DC voltage according to the input voltage and the control voltage of the output transistor of the LDO regulator. The dropout voltage of the LDO regulator can be minimized to maintain the high efficiency of the power supply at different loading or selected output voltages. |
| US08866458B2 |
Integrated high-voltage power supply start-up circuit
An integrated start-up circuit for a power supply includes a converter, which in one implementation can be a buck converter. The buck converter includes a gate driver configured to drive a power switch, where the power switch is coupled across a DC bus node and a switching node of the buck converter. The power switch is configured to provide a start-up voltage to the buck converter from the DC bus node during start-up of the buck converter. The buck converter includes a bootstrap switch coupled across the gate driver and a Vcc node and a Schottky diode coupled across the bootstrap switch and the switching node, where the start-up voltage is provided at the Vcc node through the bootstrap switch. |
| US08866456B2 |
Method of forming a power supply controller and structure therefor
In one embodiment, a method of forming a power supply controller may include configuring the power supply controller to control a pass transistor to form an output current responsively to a control signal and independently of the value of the output voltage until the control signal is less than a deviation from a desired value of the output voltage. |
| US08866455B2 |
Power factor correction circuit
There is provided a power factor correction circuit including: a main switching unit including a first main switch and a second main switch performing a switching operation to regulate a phase difference between a current and a voltage of input power, respectively; a main inductor unit including a first main inductor and a second main inductor accumulating or discharging energy according to a switching operation of each of the first main switch and the second main switch; a snubber switching unit including a first snubber switch and a second snubber switch providing zero-voltage turn-on conditions to the first main switch and the second main switch, respectively; and a controller controlling a switching operation of the main switching unit and the snubber switching unit. |
| US08866450B2 |
Electronic device and method for DC-DC conversion
An electronic device for DC-DC conversion including a feedback loop coupled at one side to the inductor for measuring a current through the inductor with a series of an auxiliary capacitor and an auxiliary resistor, a transconductance stage coupled to the auxiliary capacitor for generating a current proportional to a voltage drop across the auxiliary capacitor, wherein the electronic device further includes a ramp resistor coupled to the output of the transconductance stage for generating a ramp voltage across the ramp resistor and a comparator receiving at a first input the ramp voltage, wherein the output of the comparator is coupled to a gate driving stage for driving a power transistor coupled with a control gate to the gate driving stage and with a channel to a switching node of the electronic device. |
| US08866447B2 |
Uninterruptible power supply having efficient power conversion
An uninterruptible power supply having efficiency power conversion has an AC to DC power conversion circuit, a battery power conversion circuit and a control circuit. The AC to DC power conversion circuit is parallelly connected to the battery power conversion circuit to convert the AC power of an AC mains into a DC power and supply the DC power to a load. When the AC mains stably supplies power, the control circuit controls to activate the AC to DC power conversion circuit and supply power to the load through the AC to DC power conversion circuit only. As there is only one power conversion between the AC mains and the load, the power conversion efficiency can be enhanced. |
| US08866445B2 |
Fault-tolerant power supply
In some embodiments, a power supply system includes two power modules each configured to be electrically coupled to a set of battery cells. The set of battery cells produces a first voltage when in a first operational state, and a second voltage when in a second operational state. The second voltage is less than the first voltage. The first power module is configured to provide a third voltage to a load device that is substantially equal to the first voltage, when the set of battery cells is in the first operational state. The second power module is configured to provide a fourth voltage to the load device that is substantially equal to the first voltage, when the set of battery cells is in the second operational state. |
| US08866438B2 |
System and method for providing reactive power using electric car battery
Provided are a system and a method for providing reactive power using an electric car battery, and more particularly, a system and a method for providing reactive power to a micro-grid using a bidirectional charger that is an electric car battery and an electric car charging device. |
| US08866437B2 |
Electric-powered vehicle
A power receiving port includes an inlet, a pullout hole for a pullout type cord, and a selector switch. Inlet is connectable with a charging cable provided outside a vehicle. Pullout type cord is pulled out from pullout hole so as to be connectable to a socket of a power source outside the vehicle. In power receiving port, pullout hole is provided at a position where a distance between the pullout hole and a joint openably combining a lid with power receiving port is more than a distance between the inlet and the joint. Selector switch is to select whether to use inlet or pullout type cord by a user. |
| US08866436B2 |
Street light mounted network-controlled charge transfer device for electric vehicles
A network-controlled charge transfer device for transferring charge between a local power grid and an electric vehicle is mounted to a street light. The charge transfer device includes the following: an electrical receptacle to receive an electrical connector for connection to the electric vehicle; an electric power line that couples the power grid to the electrical receptacle through a wiring box; a control device to switch the receptacle on and off; a current measuring device to measure current flowing through the electric power line; and a controller to operate the control device and to monitor output from the current measuring device. |
| US08866432B2 |
Motor control device and image forming apparatus
A motor control device comprises: a motor control unit that controls a motor; and a signal output unit that outputs a signal according to rotation of the motor, wherein the motor control unit controls the motor based on an output signal of the signal output unit so that a driven object driven by the motor is displaced to a target stop position. The motor control unit is configured to function as: a first control unit that estimates a upper current limit and controls the motor according to the upper current limit; a second control unit that controls motor according to an operated amount of at least one of the motor or the driven object; a switching unit that switches between the first control unit and the second control unit; a first calculating unit that calculates an amount necessary for stop; and a second calculating unit. |
| US08866426B2 |
Integrated circuit for controlling an electric motor
An integrated circuit for controlling an electric motor, which has a primary component with a coil and a permanently magnetic secondary component cooperatively connected via an air gap to the primary component, has a semiconductor substrate in which are integrated a microcontroller and/or a pre-amplifier for controlling the coil of the electric motor. For detecting the position of the permanently magnetic secondary component, at least two magnetic field sensors with their measurement axes aligned crosswise relative to each other are integrated in the semiconductor substrate. |
| US08866421B2 |
Motor drive controller and control method
A motor drive controller to drive a motor, based on multiple sensors that generates multiple sensor signals corresponding to different positions of the rotor; including a first phase detector to compare a respective one of the multiple sensor signals with a paired sensor signal from the same sensor to detect phases of the rotor, and output a first phase information signal representing a first detected phase; a phase divider to divide the phases, detected by the first phase detector into multiple predetermined phase intervals; a signal selector to select one of the respective multiple sensor signals from the multiple sensors in the multiple predetermined phase interval; and a second phase detector to detect whether the signal selected by the signal selector reaches a predetermined threshold level corresponding to a predetermined phase of the rotor, and output a second phase information signal representing a second detected phase. |
| US08866418B2 |
Dual pinion drive system
A system and method are disclosed for controlling electrical machines including a controller component which receives a first signal providing a measured parameter of the electrical machine and a second signal providing a reference parameter of the electrical machine, using the first and second signals being used to produce a first control signal. A first filter component receives the first signal from the electrical machine and uses the first signal to produce a second control signal. A second filter component receives a third signal which relates to a reference parameter of a second electrical machine and uses the third signal to produce a third control signal. The system and second control signals are used to produce a first output control signal for provision to the first electrical machine, and the first and third control signals are used produce a second output control signal for provision to the second electrical machine. |
| US08866417B2 |
Light emitting device for AC power operation
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclose a light-emitting device including a first power source connection terminal and a second power source connection terminal, the first and second power source connection terminals configured to be connected to an external power source, and a plurality of light emitting cell arrays, each of the plurality of light emitting cell arrays being connected in parallel to one another between the first and the second power source connection terminals, each of the plurality of light emitting cell arrays comprising serially connected light emitting cells. Each of the light emitting cells includes a first conductivity-type semiconductor layer, a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an active layer disposed between the first conductivity-type semiconductor layer and the second conductivity-type semiconductor layer, and an electrode pad disposed on the second conductivity-type semiconductor layer. |
| US08866411B2 |
Current control discharge lamp system and method for controlling current of discharge lamp
A discharge lamp system includes a discharge lamp, a power source, a converter, a lamp state signal detection module and a controller. The power source provides a DC power. The converter converts the DC power into a current required by the discharge lamp. The lamp state signal detection module receives a lamp state signal and outputs a lamp state detection signal. The controller processes the lamp state detection signal and a given synchronization signal to generate an average lamp current signal and a pulse current signal, and then processes the average lamp current signal and the pulse current signal to generate a control signal. The controller performs current control of the discharge lamp through the converter according to the control signal. Furthermore, a method for controlling a discharge lamp is also disclosed herein. |
| US08866400B2 |
Plasma supply device
A plasma supply device generates an output power greater than 500 W at an essentially constant basic frequency greater than 3 MHz and powers a plasma process to which is supplied the generated output power, and from which reflected power is returned to the plasma supply device. The plasma supply device includes at least one inverter connected to a DC power supply, which inverter has at least one switching element, and an output network, wherein the at least one output network includes at least one inductance that has at least one magnetic field strengthening element that is a Perminvar ferrite. |
| US08866399B2 |
Method for controlling high intensity discharge lamp and supply system for high intensity discharge lamp
Methods and apparatus for controlling a high intensity discharge lamp and a power supply system for the high intensity discharge lamp are disclosed. The system relates to a method for controlling high intensity discharge lamp comprising supplying a signal of variable frequency and constant filling factor from a switches cascade to a ballast circuit and the lamp, said ballast circuit having at least one condenser and at least one inductance. The method uses the signal of periodically fluctuating frequency and constant filling factor of 50%, supplied from the electronic switches cascade of the half-bridge type, connected with the ballast circuit and the lamp, where the ballast circuit includes at least first condenser, the lamp and includes first inductance and second condenser forming a resonant circuit. A supply system for high intensity discharge lamp is also disclosed. |
| US08866398B2 |
Circuits and methods for driving light sources
A controller for controlling a power converter includes a signal generator and a driver. The power converter receives an input voltage and provides an output voltage to power a load. The signal generator receives a sense signal indicating a current flowing through the power converter, receives a detection signal indicating whether the power converter operates in a predetermined state, and generates a square wave signal according to the sense signal and the detection signal. The square wave signal has a first voltage level proportional to a peak level of the current when the power converter operates in the predetermined state; otherwise, the square wave signal has a second voltage level. The driver generates a driving signal based on the square wave signal to control a current flowing through the load. |
| US08866396B2 |
Light tube and power supply circuit
A light tube for illumination by a power supply circuit includes a bulb portion and at least one end cap disposed on the bulb portion. A plurality of light emitting diodes is disposed inside the bulb portion for illuminating in response to electrical current to be received from the power supply circuit. The light emitting diodes are arranged in spaced-apart groupings. |
| US08866394B2 |
Drive circuit for realizing accurate constant current of multiple LEDs
A drive circuit for realizing accurate constant current of multiple LEDs is disclosed. The drive circuit comprises a high-frequency impulse Alternating Current (AC) power carrying N circuit units with same structure. Each of the circuit unit comprises a rectifier filter circuit, a blocking capacitor C1 and two LED loads. The rectifier filter circuit comprises two independent half-wave rectifier circuits, and two filter capacitors. Each of the two half-wave rectifier circuits comprises two diodes connected in series to supply power for the corresponding LED load. The filter capacitor is connected in parallel with the two ends of an LED load respectively, and the blocking capacitor C1 is connected in series with the input end of the rectifier filter circuit. The circuit also comprises N−1 equalizing transformers, each of which connects in series between two adjacent circuit units. A drive circuit for constant output current of multiple LEDs with high efficient, low cost and great flow equalization is provided in the embodiment of the invention. When the differential voltage of the two LED loads is large, high efficiency can also be achieved. |
| US08866392B2 |
Two-level LED security light with motion sensor
A two-level LED security light with a motion sensor. At night, the LED is turned on for a low level illumination. When the motion sensor detects any intrusion, the LED is switched from the low level illumination to a high level illumination for a short duration time. After the short duration time, the LED security light returns to the low level illumination for saving energy. The LED security light includes a power supply unit, a light sensing control unit, a motion sensing unit, a loading and power control unit, and a lighting-emitting unit. The lighting-emitting unit includes one or a plurality of LEDs which may be turned-on or turned-off according to the sensing results from the light sensing control unit. When the motion sensing unit detects an intrusion, the illumination of the LED security light can be immediately turned on to the high level to scare away the intruder. |
| US08866386B2 |
Direction indication lamp control device, direction indication device and wire disconnection detection method of the direction indication device
A direction indication lamp control device includes: a current control element including an end which outputs a drive current having a magnitude corresponding to amplitude of a pulse signal; a current clamp unit which limits the drive current to a current upper limit value; a voltage clamp unit which limits a reference voltage to a voltage upper limit value; and a wire disconnection detection unit which outputs a wire disconnection detection signal in a case where the drive current corresponding to the pulse wave of the pulse signal is equal to or less than a wire disconnection detection value, or in a case where the reference voltage is equal to the voltage upper limit value. The current upper limit value is smaller than the drive current flowing through a direction indication lamp when the reference voltage is the voltage upper limit value. |
| US08866385B2 |
Self-ballasted lamp and lighting fixture
A self-ballasted lamp includes a base body, a light source unit attached to one side of the base body, a lens attached to the light source unit, a cap provided on the other side of the base body and a lighting circuit arranged in the space provided by the base body and the cap. The light source unit includes a light source constituted by semiconductor light emitting elements. The lens has a lens body facing the light source and an attachment leg for attaching the lens body to the light source unit. A claw portion to be secured to the light source unit can be provided on the attachment leg. |
| US08866381B2 |
Display module
A display module includes a display panel, a window and an optical clear adhesive (OCA) film. The display panel has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The window has a first surface facing the first surface of the display panel, and a second surface opposite to the first surface of the window. The OCA film attaches the display panel to the window. The OCA film includes a rear attaching portion attached to the second surface of the display panel. Thus, the rear attaching portion of the OCA film surrounds the second surface of the display panel so that a gap between the first glass substrate and the second glass substrate of the display panel is not be widened. |
| US08866377B2 |
Long lifetime phosphorescent organic light emitting device (OLED) structures
An organic light emitting device is provided having an emissive layer with an internal interface. The concentration of a second phosphorescent material in a second organic layer is different from the concentration of a first phosphorescent material in a first organic layer, creating the interface. The materials in the first and second organic layers may be the same or different. In addition to this interface within the emissive layer, the device has one or more features designed to mitigate failure mechanisms which may be associated with electrons or excitons passing from the cathode through the emissive layer to damage organic layers on the anode side of the emissive layer. In addition, devices are provided having an interface within the emissive layer as described above, and a lower energy emissive material on at least one side of the interface. |
| US08866375B2 |
Light emitting diode component
A light-emitting diode component includes a primary source, a conversion layer forming a secondary source configured for absorbing the primary radiation at least in part and emitting a secondary radiation, an encapsulation layer, situated between the primary and secondary sources. The light-emitting diode component also includes a reflection layer (i) situated between the encapsulation layer and the conversion layer and having a face in contact with the encapsulation layer so as to form an interface with the encapsulation layer, the reflection layer (i) and the encapsulation layer being configured so that the interface allows the primary radiation originating from the primary source to pass and reflects the secondary radiation toward the outside of the light emitting diode. |
| US08866373B2 |
Light emitting device and display device having the same
A display device includes a display panel and a light emitting device to supply light to the display panel. The light emitting device includes a light emitting element emitting a first light and a fluorescent layer receiving the first light, transmitting a portion of the first light, converting a remaining portion of the first light to a second light having a wavelength range different from the first light, and emitting the second light. The second light emitted by the fluorescent layer has a full width at half maximum equal to or larger than 110 nanometers (nm) and a light emission spectrum having a peak wavelength within a wavelength range of about 530 nm to about 560 nm. The second light has a light emission intensity corresponding to 10 to 30 percent of a peak light emission intensity of the first light. |
| US08866372B2 |
Phosphor system for improved efficacy lighting sources
Mercury vapor discharge fluorescent lamps are provided. The lamp can include a lamp envelope enclosing a discharge space and having an inner surface. First and second electrodes can be positioned on the lamp, such as on opposite ends of the lamp envelope. An ionizable medium that includes mercury and an inert gas can be within said lamp envelope. A phosphor layer can be on the inner surface of the lamp envelope. The phosphor layer generally includes a phosphor blend of a calcium halophosphor, a blue phosphor having an emission peak at about 440 nm to about 490 nm, a blue-green phosphor having an emission peak at about 475 nm to about 530 nm, and a red phosphor having an emission peak at about 600 nm to about 650 nm. |
| US08866369B2 |
Spark plug having improved ground electrode orientation and method of forming
A spark plug (20) for being threaded into a cylinder head (28) includes a shell (24) with threads (26) disposed at a predetermined angled relative to the ground electrode (34). The position of the threads (26) relative to the ground electrode (34) places the ground electrode (34) in a predetermined position in the combustion chamber (22) and relative to components of the engine, thus allowing the ground electrode (34) to provide a robust and reliable ignition. The threads (26) are formed by a thread forming apparatus (102) that includes an orientation tool (38) to position the ground electrode (34) relative to a thread forming apparatus (102), allowing the thread forming apparatus (102) to form the threads (26) at the desired angle (α). |
| US08866368B2 |
LED light bulb
An LED light bulb includes a bulb housing, at least two heat sinks, an LED chip connected on each of the heat sinks, a circuit board driving the LED chip to work, a bulb base, and a bulb cap. The inner sides of the heat sinks encircle into an air cavity. Each heat sink has a first opening. The bulb base has a second opening. The first opening is exposed in the second opening to communicate with the air cavity. The top end of the bulb housing has a third opening to communicate with the air cavity. The air cavity forms up-and-down circulating convection air via the three openings. |
| US08866356B2 |
Motor
A motor includes a motor section and an amplifier section. The motor section and the amplifier section are electrically and mechanically connected with each other via a wire connection base using a screw. A pitch diameter for a plurality of electrical connection parts of the wire connection base with the motor section disposed on a circumference whose center is at a shaft center of the rotating shaft is set to be smaller than a pitch diameter for a plurality of electrical and mechanical connection parts with the amplifier section. The amplifier section includes a plurality of circuit substrates disposed in a layered form in a direction perpendicular to the rotating shaft, and the plurality of circuit substrates are electrically and mechanically screw-fastened to the plurality of electrical and mechanical connection parts of the wire connection base with the amplifier section via a conductive spacer. |
| US08866355B2 |
Switched reluctance motor
Disclosed herein is a switched reluctance motor including: a rotor part including a rotor core having a shaft fixedly coupled to the center thereof and a plurality of rotor poles formed to be protruded from the rotor core; a stator part having the rotor part rotatably received therein and a plurality of stator salient poles formed to be protruded from the stator yoke; a balancing part selectively coupled to an upper portion or a lower portion of the rotor part and having a plurality of sensing grooves formed in an outer peripheral surface thereof; a motor housing provided with an opening part through which the shaft penetrates; and a position detecting unit disposed between the rotor part and the stator part and coupled to an inner portion of the motor housing. |
| US08866351B2 |
Cooling arrangement for an electric machine
The electric machine includes a stator. The stator includes stacked lamination plates. The lamination plates form at least two lamination packages. The electric machine includes a first cooling circulation with a first cooling fluid. The stator of the electric machine includes a second cooling circulation with a second cooling fluid. A heat exchanger is part of the second cooling circulation and is arranged to connect the first cooling circulation and the second cooling circulation. Thus heat is transferred from the first cooling fluid to the second cooling fluid. A spacer element is arranged between the two lamination packages. The spacer element is prepared to set a predetermined distance between the lamination packages, thus the first cooling fluid is allowed to flow between the lamination packages. The heat exchanger arrangement is an integral or at least partly integrated part of the spacer elements. |
| US08866350B2 |
Electro-magnetic engine with pivoting piston head
An electromagnetic engine including a plurality of pistons and a plurality of corresponding electromagnets. The pistons are each connected to a crankshaft and fabricated of a ferrous material. The electromagnets are spaced from the pistons in alignment therewith. An electrical power source is provided to power the electromagnets, and a control assembly is provided to control the sequence of energizing the electromagnets, so that by energizing the electromagnets, the pistons will be pulled toward the electromagnets in response to a timely applied electromagnetic field. The force imparted on the piston is transmitted by the rod to the crankshaft, which provides power via an output shaft for desired uses. |
| US08866349B2 |
Solenoid
A solenoid includes a stationary member, a movable member being movable relative to the stationary member and spring disposed between the stationary member and the movable member. The stationary member includes a housing with an end wall and a side wall, a first permanent magnet attached to the end wall, a second permanent magnet attached to the side wall and a magnetic flux concentrator configured to concentrate a magnetic field generated by the second permanent magnet with a magnetic field generated by the first permanent magnet. The movable member includes a head inserted into the housing. The head is made of magnetically conductive material. The stationary member further includes a coil surrounding the head of the movable member. When the coil receives a pulse current, the movable member is driven from an extended/retracted position to a retracted/extended position. |
| US08866333B2 |
Power control system and vehicle power control device
A power control system includes a vehicle having a first battery and a second battery separate from the first battery; a power converter provided at a building, the power converter converting power charged in the first battery and supplying the converted power to electrical equipment; a first connection line connecting the first battery and the power converter and supplying the power from the first battery to the power converter; and a second connection line connecting the second battery and the power converter and supplying control power to activate the power converter from the second battery to the power converter. |
| US08866327B2 |
Device for the utilisation of wave energy and a method
The invention relates to a device for the utilization of wave energy, with an increased efficiency. Thereto, the device according to the invention comprises a Darrieus rotor having at least two Darrieus rotor blades, wherein the Darrieus rotor has a solidity σD, and a Wells rotor having at least two Wells rotor blades, wherein the Wells rotor has a solidity σW, wherein the Darrieus rotor and the Wells rotor are rotatable about a common axis of rotation A, and σW is larger than or equal to σD. The invention also relates to a method for harnessing wave energy. |