Document | Document Title |
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US07945965B2 |
Sensor for observations in liquid environments and observation apparatus for use in liquid environments
The sensor has the self-detecting probe including a body portion, an elongated belt-like flexible substrate, connecting members, a resinous portion, and external contacts formed at the ends of the flexible substrate brought out of liquid. The probe further includes a cantilever whose base end is supported to the body portion, a strain resistive element whose resistance value varies according to the amount of displacement of the cantilever, and interconnects electrically connected with the strain resistive element. A probe tip is formed at the front end of the cantilever. The flexible substrate has an interconnect pattern sandwiched between two insulating sheets. The flexible substrate supports the body portion while the cantilever protrudes outwardly. At least one end of the flexible substrate is brought out of liquid. The connecting members connect the interconnects with the interconnect pattern. The interconnects, connecting members, and the portions of the connecting members electrically connected with the interconnect pattern are coated with the resinous portion. |
US07945963B2 |
Information memory apparatus using probe
A first thermal buffer layer and a second thermal buffer layer are arranged between a recording medium and an actuator structure. The heat conductivity of the first thermal buffer layer is set low and the heat conductivity of the second thermal buffer layer is set high. Most of the heat generated from a coil wiring of the actuator structure is blocked by the first thermal buffer layer, and heat leaked from the first thermal buffer layer is diffused by the second thermal buffer layer. Temperature distribution on the recording medium is made uniform, and thus, a configuration wherein the recording medium and the actuator structure are placed one over another can be provided, information reading accuracy or information recording stability can be improved and the sizes of an information storage device can be reduced. |
US07945946B2 |
Attribute level access control
A method and apparatus for applying access control instructions to attributes. A request is received for permission to perform an operation on an attribute associated with an access control instruction. The access control instruction specifies an allowed type of channel for the operation. If a secure channel has been established with the requester, the permission to perform the action is granted. |
US07945944B2 |
System and method for authenticating and configuring computing devices
A system and method for authenticating a host on a network enables the host to update IP configuration and internal configuration of a storage controller connected to the network. The host has an algorithm to decrypt a security key supplied by the storage controller. The host broadcasts a discovery command which includes an IP address of the host and a service requested by the host. The discovery command conforms to a proprietary discovery command protocol. In response to the discovery command, the host receives a response from a storage controller which is able to provide the requested service. The response includes a WWN, IP configuration and a security key of the storage controller, and conforms to the discovery command protocol. Next, the host decrypts the security key received from the storage controller using the decryption algorithm, and sends an updated IP configuration to the storage controller along with the security key for authentication. Next, the host exchanges other keys with the storage controller using IKE and IPSec. Afterwards, the host sends an updated internal configuration to the storage controller. |
US07945942B2 |
System and methods for exchanging user interface data in a multi-user system
A centralized process is provided for elevating portions of an application running under a user account to administrator privilege. A service security identifier is temporarily associated with the user and the portions of the application to be elevated to administrator privileges. The service security identifier is registered in the access control list to be accessed by the operating system. The centralized process may be used in the activation of software products. |
US07945936B2 |
Multicasting system, client device, upper router controller, method of displaying content and computer program
A multicasting system includes a delivery server for multicasting a content via at least one upper router and a plurality of lower routers, a plurality of client devices for playing the content multicast by the delivery server and an upper router controller, a content retrieving unit, and a content playing unit. The client device includes an individual storage unit, a content retrieving unit, a content playing unit, a switch time addition unit, and a display controller. The delivery server includes a content delivery unit for delivering each content to the client device. The upper router controller includes a session information retrieving unit, a book scheduling unit, and a schedule information notifier. |
US07945934B2 |
Portable media device and method for presenting viewing content during travel
A portable media device for use in cooperation with passenger entertainment systems installed in vehicles, such as automobiles and aircraft, and methods for manufacturing and using same. The portable media device is configured to communicate with one or more content sources, which provide viewing content and which may be proximate to, and/or remote from, the portable media device. Preferably being configured to wirelessly communicate with the content sources, the portable media device can select content from any available content source and can download and present the selected content in any conventional manner. The selected content can be streamed to the portable media device for contemporaneous presentation and/or stored by the portable media device for viewing at any time, including after disembarking the vehicle once travel is completed. As desired, the portable media device likewise can be configured to transmit appropriate upload content to the content sources. |
US07945931B2 |
Broadcastings service system using mobile communication terminal
A system capable of receiving a television signal and telephone signal on a mobile communication terminal. In particular, the system is capable of displaying each television broadcast on a monitor of the mobile communication terminal by receiving the video and audio signal, decoding it, and outputting it to the monitor of the mobile communication terminal. In addition, the system can transmit an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data corresponding to a subscriber request and a selected broadcasting program in real time. |
US07945926B2 |
Enhanced custom content television
The present invention includes a system and method for combining television broadcast programming content with customized or personalized information and educational or entertainment content. The system includes a set-top box capable of receiving data transmissions and locally rendering video animation for display with, instead of and/or synchronized with television broadcast programs in a way that the television viewer sees a coherent seamless merging of the television program content and supplemental content sources in an indistinguishable format. Preferably, the viewer may interact in real-time with the enhanced television programming to provide a higher level of engagement and customization potential. |
US07945925B2 |
Copy protection
An apparatus for copy protection in a cable broadcast receiver and method thereof, by which digital broadcast contents can be protected from being copied. |
US07945923B2 |
Disc device
The invention provides a disc device capable of offering good SATA interface performance by optimizing the placement of the SATA connector relative to the control board, solving problems concerning noise or unnecessary radiation.A driver IC and DSP for executing main processing concerning disc recording or reproduction processing are installed in a main printed circuit board. A SATA connector having a power supply terminal and signal terminal is fixed to the main printed circuit board. The SATA connector is placed on the board opposite the DSP. Patterns each connecting the power supply terminal to the driver IC and connecting the signal terminal and DSP are formed on the board. The SATA connector and DSP are placed on the driver IC side relative to the central line of the board, the power supply terminal is placed on the driver IC side, and the signal terminal is placed on the DSP side. |
US07945919B2 |
Information processing apparatus and device controller driving/controlling method
According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a system memory, a device controller, a basic input/output system and a device driver. The device driver of the information processing apparatus forms its own data structure for communication control in the system memory separately from the basic input/output system, saves the address set in the register of the device controller when the device controller executes the communication with the various externally connected devices, sets an address for referring to the own data structure in the register of the device controller in order to make the device controller communicate with the various externally connected devices, and resets the saved address in the register of the device controller after the communication is completed. |
US07945918B2 |
Generalized WBEM/CIM indication provider simulation engine
A simulator of WBEM/CIM indication providers conforming to the CIM Indication Provider object specification simulates both the CIM indication provider and the means to drive the associated CIM events. The simulator comprises three functionally unique pieces: one or more CIM indication provider drivers, one or more CIM event trigger drivers, and a control application. This modularization creates flexibility in configuring the simulator to stress test different aspects of an operating system's underlying support for CIM indications. Modularization also makes the simulator design operating system independent. Provision is made in the simulation for generation of additional CIM events as background activity on the operating system. |
US07945917B2 |
Monitoring method, monitoring system, system program and recording medium having program recorded thereon
A screen image for monitoring the usage state of a client computer is acquired, the acquired screen image is efficiently stored, and the stored screen image can be easily searched.A draw command is acquired by a driverware (22) when a screen image is generated in a client computer (2), and text data is extracted from the draw command. The extracted text data are associated with the draw command and stored in a database (13) of the server (3). The database (13) is searched using a keyword, and the screen image is reproduced from an associated draw command. |
US07945916B1 |
Shared persistent objects
A system and method are disclosed for an interactive multimedia file (iMF), running on an interactive multimedia runtime (iMR), to store an object onto a computer, the method comprising creating a local instance of the object, storing the local instance into a memory location on the computer, monitoring changes to one or more data slots of the local instance, assigning a version identifier to the local instance, synchronizing the local instance with a main instance of the object, and interfacing the one or more data slots of the local instance with said iMF during execution. |
US07945915B1 |
Efficient operating system interposition mechanism
Methods and systems for efficiently interpreting operating system service requests on the same register or vector of a processor or CPU where the operating system service requests are initiated from native and non-native applications are provided. More particularly, a switching layer can enable processing of the operating system service requests by routing control of a particular request to an appropriate kernel subsystem or module based on the type of operating system service being requested and the type of application initiating the request. Additionally, the performance impact of the switching layer for native applications is overcome by dynamically reprogramming the processor or CPU on every change of active process so that only foreign applications are subject to the processing requirements of the switching layer. |
US07945913B2 |
Method, system and computer program product for optimizing allocation of resources on partitions of a data processing system
The inventive method includes creating a first virtual central processing unit (CPU) and a second virtual CPU, where at least one of the set of the first virtual CPU and the second virtual CPU spans across a first physical processing unit and a second physical processing unit. One or more resources from the first and second virtual CPUs are allocated to a first partition and a second partition. Whether one or more processes running on the first partition can utilize additional resources is determined. One or more resources from the first virtual CPU and resources from the second virtual CPU are reallocated to the first partition, where at least one of the resources was previously allocated to the second partition. |
US07945909B2 |
Initiating recovery of an executing task using historical information and task information
Systems and techniques to manage tasks in a data processing environment. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes monitoring a task in a data processing environment and, using an instance of a distributed application, assessing when to initiate recovery of the monitored task based on an expected execution time derived using the task's associated class and historical execution times. In another implementation, the technique includes forecasting an execution time of a task in a data processing environment using a class of the task and historical task execution times as input into a statistical analysis tool comprising multiple interconnected processing elements and servicing the task based on the forecast execution time. |
US07945905B2 |
Quality inspector tool
A data processing system, method, and instructions executable on a computer inspect the quality of software code. A summary report is generated that summarizes aspects of the current status of a software project. The summary report may include which portions of code have been written, which have been edited to predetermined standards, and which remain to be written. Errors in the code may be identified. Warnings associated with portions of the code may be generated, as well as suggested changes to the code. For comparison, the suggested code changes may be displayed along side of the corresponding portions of the pre-existing code that the suggested code is intended to replace. Hard coded values may be automatically identified. Text elements corresponding to each hard coded value may be automatically created. Subsequently, each hard coded value may be automatically replaced by the corresponding text element. Revisions to pre-existing code may be inspected. |
US07945904B2 |
Embedding expression in XML literals
An architecture that extends conventional computer programming languages that compile into an instance of an extensible markup language (XML) document object model (DOM) to provide support for XML literals in the underlying programming language. This architecture facilitates a convenient short cut by replacing the complex explicit construction required by conventional systems to create an instance of a DOM with a concise XML literal for which conventional compilers can translate into the appropriate code. The architecture allows these XML literals to be embedded with expressions, statement blocks or namespaces to further enrich the power and versatility. In accordance therewith, context information describing the position and data types that an XML DOM can accept can be provided to the programmer via, for example, an integrated development environment. Additionally, the architecture supports escaping XML identifiers, a reification mechanism, and a conversion mechanism to convert between collections and singletons. |
US07945894B2 |
Implementing a design flow for a programmable hardware element coupled to a processor
System and method for implementing a design flow for a programmable hardware element (PHE) coupled to a processor. A graphical program (GP) that specifies performance criteria is received. The GP is mapped for deployment, with a first portion targeted for execution by the processor, and a second portion targeted for implementation in the PHE. A determination is made as to whether the graphical program meets the performance criteria. If not, the GP is remapped for deployment, including identifying and specifying the sub-portion for implementation in the PHE, thereby moving the sub-portion from the first portion to the second portion, and/or identifying and specifying the sub-portion for execution on the processor, thereby moving the sub-portion from the second portion to the first portion. The determining and remapping are repeated until the performance criteria are met. The first and second portions are deployed to the processor and the PHE, respectively. |
US07945891B2 |
Time business process validations within data context
Validating executable data for interactions among a plurality of process artifacts at design time. A data context is created to include the plurality of process artifacts. The data context carries interaction rules among the plurality of process artifacts. The executable data from a data source is associated with the plurality of process artifacts in the created data context. A subset of the interaction rules is selected corresponding to at least one of the plurality of process artifacts. The associated executable data is validated when the associated executable data is in accordance with the selected subset of the interaction rules. |
US07945890B2 |
Registry for electronic design automation of integrated circuits
A method for registering constraints for EDA (Electronic Design Automation) of an IC (Integrated circuit) includes: associating a constraint with values for constraint identification that identify the constraint in an IC design; associating the constraint with values for constraint relationships that relate the constraint to at least one EDA application; saving the constraint identification values and the constraint relationship values in a constraint registry element; and providing an interface to a user for accessing values of the constraint registry element. |
US07945889B2 |
System and method for designing a voltage regulator module
A computer-implemented method for designing a voltage regulator module (VRM) is disclosed. The method includes receiving design parameters and a component data for each component and storing the design parameters and the component data for each component into a component selection table, calculating a work efficiency of the VRM, and storing the work efficiency into a power computation table. The method further includes simulating a derating of each component according to a corresponding rated stress of each component if the work efficiency is greater than or equal to a predetermined work efficiency, calculating a stress ratio of each component, and storing the stress ratio into a component derating table. The component selection table, the power computation table and the component derating table are stored to form a desired VRM model if the stress ratio of each component meets a corresponding derating specification. |
US07945885B2 |
Power managers for an integrated circuit
A system for an integrated circuit comprising a plurality of power islands includes a first power manager and a second power manager. The first power manager manages a first power consumption for the integrated circuit based on needs and operation of the integrated circuit. The second power manager communicates with the first power manager and manages a second power consumption for one of the power islands. |
US07945883B2 |
Apparatus, and computer program for implementing vertically coupled noise control through a mesh plane in an electronic package design
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for implementing vertically coupled noise control through a mesh plane in an electronic package design. Electronic package physical design data are received. Instances of vertically coupled noise in the electronic package physical design data are identified. The identified instances of vertically coupled noise are quantified. Then the electronic package physical design data are modified to limit the vertically coupled noise. |
US07945882B2 |
Asynchronous circuit logical verification method, logical verification apparatus, and computer readable storage medium
A verification method for verifying an asynchronous circuit includes producing a netlist based on circuit information at a register transfer level, extracting delay information and an asynchronous circuit section in which circuits operating with different clock signals are coupled to each other from the netlist, processing the delay information to extend a malfunction generating period in the asynchronous circuit section, and executing verification of the asynchronous circuit based on the delay information having been processed. |
US07945881B2 |
Method of reducing crosstalk induced noise in circuitry designs
A method of reducing crosstalk induced noise in a physical circuit wiring design constructs a spatial vector for each interconnect wire segment in the physical circuit wiring design. The method compares the spatial vectors of said physical circuit wiring design and identifies any of the spatial vectors that are parallel to each other and have opposite directions. The method may identify all drivers and receivers in the physical circuit wiring design, and trace each interconnect line, starting with its driver, to determine a routed length from the driver to each segment break point of the interconnect line. The method may construct the spatial vector by defining an origin in the physical circuit wiring design. The method determines a starting point and an ending point of the spatial vector with respect to the origin. The starting point of the spatial vector is the break point of the interconnect wire segment closer to the driver. The ending point of the spatial vector is the break point of the interconnect wire segment farther from the driver. The method may define a Cartesian coordinate system with respect to the origin. The Cartesian coordinate system may be orthogonal with the interconnect wire segments of the physical circuit wiring design. The method may define one or more geometry windows in the physical circuit wiring design and compare the spatial vectors in each geometry window. |
US07945878B2 |
Rules and directives for validating correct data used in the design of semiconductor products
A method to validate data used in a design of a semiconductor product currently in a partially fabricated state is disclosed. The partially fabricated state having a plurality of layers up to and including a first conductive layer. The method generally includes the steps of (A) adding a second conductive layer from a user specification to an application set, the application set having a plurality of resources that define the semiconductor product, (B) validating a new resource in the user specification against the resources in the application set, (C) adding the new resource to the application set upon passing the validating and (D) propagating the new resource throughout a description of the semiconductor product, the description being stored in a computer-readable medium. |
US07945874B2 |
Method for designing driver
A method for designing a driver including matching stages having transistors matched to each other is disclosed, including interpreting an offset caused by a mismatched characteristic difference of a plurality of transistors using a current change in a matching stage. A size of the transistors may be determined using the results of interpreting of the offset, and the size may be adjusted until a simulated yield of the driver obtained by a simulation using measured matching information and the determined size of the transistors approximates a targeted yield. The resulting determined size may be used to fabricate the driver, to obtain a test yield of the manufactured driver. If the test yield is not the targeted yield, the measured matching information may be adjusted until the adjusted yield of the driver obtained by the simulation approximates the test yield. Therefore, the offset of the driver may be minimized, making it possible to improve output characteristics of the driver, optimize the area, improve the yield, reduce the frequency of revisions in the development of the chip, and/or shorten the period of the chip design. |
US07945872B2 |
Verifying an IC layout in individual regions and combining results
When performing rule checking locally within any given region of a layout of an integrated circuit, certain data is generated to be checked globally, regardless of boundaries (hereinafter “to-be-globally-checked” data). The to-be-globally-checked data, resulting from execution of a given rule in each region of the IC layout, is merged across all regions, and the same rule (i.e. the given rule) is executed globally on the merged data. When an entire runset has been executed in all regions individually, and also executed globally on the merged data, the results thereof are all merged together to yield a final result of a complete execution of the entire runset over the entire IC layout. In some embodiments, certain additional data that could not be rule checked due to the presence of boundaries of adjacent regions is propagated between successive rules in each region. |
US07945871B2 |
Integrated OPC verification tool
An integrated verification and manufacturability tool provides more efficient verification of integrated device designs than verification using several different verification components. The integrated verification and manufacturability includes a hierarchical database to store shared design data accessed by multiple verification components (e.g., layout versus schematic, design rule check, optical process correction, phase shift mask assignment and OPC verification and machine language conversion). The hierarchical database includes representations of one or more additional, or intermediate layer structures that are created and used by the verification components for operations performed on the design being verified. Use of a single hierarchical database having shared data for access and use by multiple verification components streamlines the verification process, which provides an improved verification tool. |
US07945866B2 |
Methods, systems and computer program products for displaying video content with aging
Methods of displaying video content include obtaining a video content record to be displayed and determining an associated aging characteristic associated with the video content record. A current age is determined for the obtained video content record and a modified video content record is generated for display based on the determined aging characteristic and the determined current age of the obtained video content record. The obtained video content record may be an animation, which may include audio data. The obtained video content record may also be a still image. |
US07945864B2 |
Operation assisting apparatus and operation assisting method
An operation assisting apparatus includes: an option-function distance storage unit that stores a semantic distance between each of the options displayed on a menu screen and each of functions positioned at an end in the hierarchical structure; an operation history storage unit that stores the operation history of the options sequentially selected by the user; an estimation unit that estimates, based on a semantic distance between a selection option selected by the user and each of the functions, and a semantic distance between an unselected selection option that has been selectable but not selected and each of the functions, a degree of probability that the function is the function desired by the user; and an operational assistance determination unit that determines, based on the result of the estimation, a detail of an output such that functions with higher probability will be presented with higher precedence in selectability. |
US07945862B2 |
Social network site including contact-based recommendation functionality
Particular embodiments of the present invention are related to a social network site with enhanced user interaction functionality. In particular implementations, a method includes accessing a list of contacts that are connected to an owner of a personal page of a social network; identifying one or more contact pairs from the list, wherein the contacts in each contact pair are not connected to each other; computing an affinity score for each identified contact pair; randomly selecting one or more of the contact pairs based on corresponding affinity scores; providing a friend connector user interface module to the owner of the personal page, wherein the friend connector user interface prompts the owner to invite the contacts of the selected contact pair to establish a connection association relative to the social network; and conditionally transmitting an invitation to the contacts of the contact pair based on one or more actions of the owner relative to the friend connector interface. |
US07945860B2 |
Systems and methods for managing conversations between information technology resources
A system for managing a conversation includes one or more interfaces configured to provide management information about the conversation to a manager. The interface can be configured to provide information regarding a resource such as a Web service that contains the conversation. Information regarding the conversation that may be made available to the manager includes the number of failed messages processed by the conversation; the number of successful messages processed by the conversation; the total number of messages processed by the conversation; the number of other resources participating in the conversation; the identity of other resources participating in the conversation; an identifier of the conversation; the last message received; the last fault message received; and an identifier of the resource that contains the conversation. |
US07945849B2 |
Identifying appropriate client-side script references
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for identifying appropriate client-side script references. Embodiments of the invention facilitate tailoring a list of script references to send to a Web browser based on a list of script references included in a server page. Referenced scripts sent to a Web browser can differ from referenced scripts included in the server page. Script references sent to a Web browser can refer to scripts optimized for the execution environment of the Web browser and to scripts stored at preferred script sources. Further, duplicate script references are removed prior to sending a list of script references to the Web browser. Since script lists sent to Web browsers are tailored for execution environment and duplicates are removed, scripts can be loaded and processed more effectively at Web browsers. |
US07945845B2 |
Maximum likelihood decoding via mixed-integer adaptive linear programming
A method and system decode a sequence of symbols received via a channel to a codeword of an error-correcting code. Log-likelihood ratios are determined from a sequence of symbols received via a channel. A set of constraints is initialized according to the log-likelihood ratios. An adaptive linear programming decoder is applied to the set of constraints and the log- likelihood ratios according to an error-correcting code to produce an estimate of the codeword and an updated set of constraints. If the estimate of the codeword is a non-integer pseudo codeword, further update the set of updated constraints with a set of integer constraints if the estimate of the codeword is the non-integer pseudo codeword, and proceeding with the applying step, and otherwise producing the estimate of the codeword as the final codeword. |
US07945840B2 |
Memory array error correction apparatus, systems, and methods
Various embodiments include apparatus, methods, and systems that operate to extend the processes of reading, modifying, and writing data stored in or being provided to a memory array without interrupting a continual stream of data to be written into the memory array. Embodiments may include an apparatus comprising a memory array, and an error code module coupled to the memory array with a data buffer having a plurality of data burst registers operable to receive a plurality of data bursts to be written to the memory array on a corresponding plurality of consecutive clock cycles. The error code module is operable to perform a read/modify/write process on each of the plurality of data bursts within a time period no longer than a period of two consecutive cycles of the plurality of consecutive clock cycles. |
US07945839B2 |
Set-cyclic comparison method for low-density parity-check decoder
The present invention discloses a set-cyclic comparison method for an LDPC (Low-Density Parity-Check) decoder, which applies to a CNU (Check Node Unit) or a VNU (Variable Node Unit). In the systematized method of the present invention, all the input elements are initialized to obtain a matrix. Based on the symmetry of the matrix and the similarity between the rows of the matrix are sequentially formed different sets respectively corresponding to the horizontally-continuous elements having the maximum iteration number in the horizontal and vertical directions, the symmetric non-continuous non-boundary elements, and the boundary elements plus the end-around neighboring elements in the same row. The present invention applies to any input number. Via the large intersection between the compared sets, the present invention can effectively reduce the number of comparison calculations and greatly promote the performance of an LDPC decoder. |
US07945838B2 |
Parity check decoder architecture
A method and systems for reducing the complexity of a parity checker are described herein. In at least some preferred embodiments, a parity-check decoder includes column store units and one or more alignment units, which are coupled to the column store units. The column store units outnumber the alignments units. |
US07945837B2 |
Optical recording medium, apparatus and method of recording/reproducing data thereon/therefrom, and computer-readable recording medium storing program to perform the method
A recording medium on which a recording/reproducing unit block is recorded, an apparatus to record and/or reproduce data on/from the recording medium, and a method of recording/reproducing the data on/from the recording medium. The recording/reproducing unit block comprises invalid data used in disc certification, and an identifier to indicate that the invalid data is included in the recording/reproducing unit block, the invalid data being used during the disc certification on a portion of the recording medium or the entire recording medium. |
US07945835B2 |
Method and apparatus for efficiently retransmitting data in wireless network environment
A method and apparatus for efficiently retransmitting data in a wireless network environment are provided. The method includes transmitting a block comprising one or more data frames to a terminal, receiving an acknowledgement of receipt of the block from the terminal, and retransmitting a block comprising data frames that have not yet been received by the terminal to the terminal by referencing the acknowledgement of receipt. Accordingly, it is possible to enhance overall throughput by reducing receipt acknowledgement time during a data retransmission operation. |
US07945831B2 |
Gating TDO from plural JTAG circuits
Various apparatuses, methods and systems for dual JTAG controllers with shared pins disclosed herein. For example, some embodiments provide a boundary scan apparatus having a first boundary scan circuit with a first plurality of control inputs, a second boundary scan circuit with a second plurality of control inputs, and a plurality of boundary scan control signals connected to the first plurality of control inputs on the first boundary scan circuit and to the second plurality of control inputs on the second boundary scan circuit. At least two of the plurality of boundary scan control signals are connected between the first boundary scan circuit and the second boundary scan circuit in a crossover fashion. |
US07945825B2 |
Recovery while programming non-volatile memory (NVM)
Disclosed are methods and circuits for performing recovery associated with programming of non-volatile memory (NVM) array cells. According to embodiments, there are provided methods and circuits for programming NVM cells, including: (1) erasing NVM array cells; (2) loading an SRAM with user data; (3) if programming is successful, then flipping bits in the SRAM; and (4) if programming is not successful, reading data back from the array to the SRAM. |
US07945824B2 |
Processor-memory unit for use in system-in-package and system-in-module devices
An apparatus and method for a processor-memory unit for use in system-in-package (SiP) and system-in-package (SiP) integrated circuit devices. The apparatus includes a processing module, a memory module and a programmable system module. The programmable system module is configured to function as an interface between the memory module and the processing module, or as an interface between the memory module and a testing device. The invention facilitates integration and testing of processor-memory units including functional components having different communication protocols. |
US07945821B2 |
Time lag measuring device, distance measuring apparatus and distance measuring method
In measuring a certain time lag between generations of two pulse signals, a time lag measuring device prevents errors in measurement results even with an error in two reference signals for measuring the time lag. The device measures a time lag between a start signal M1 and a stop signal M2 and includes a reference signal generating section 41 generating two reference signals S1, S2 having a phase difference π/2, and an amplitude detecting section 42 detects amplitudes A11, A12 and A21, A22 of the reference signals S1, S2 at generation timings for the start signal M1 and the stop signal M2, a phase difference detecting section 43 calculating a phase _ of the reference signals S according to each set of the amplitudes (A11, A12) and (A21, A22), and a correcting section 46 correcting the calculated phase using correction data for error correction in the reference signals S1, S2. |
US07945820B2 |
Method and apparatus for elimination of faults of a data processing system
A method for fault handling of a data processing unit is disclosed. The method includes automatic acquisition of input information and/or output information of a user at at least one user interface of the data processing unit; automatic detection of a fault message that indicates a fault of the data processing unit; transmission of the acquired fault message together with the input information and/or the output information to a fault handling center; and evaluation of the transmitted fault message in the fault handling center. |
US07945818B2 |
Method and apparatus for converting multichannel messages into a single-channel safe message
A method and an apparatus are disclosed for the coupling of a safety-critical process from a safe environment to an environment that is not safe or to an environment that is safe but has fewer processing channels. To this end, provision is made of a method which processes a data record that is relevant to the safety-critical process to form a respective safe protocol using at least two redundant processing channels in accordance with identical laws, and forms a common safe protocol taking into account at least two redundant safe coupling protocols. When writing at least elements of the common safety-based protocol using a processing channel with write authorization, another processing channel is used to check whether these elements are identical to one another. Access to a common buffer register for the purpose of storing these elements is enabled only when they are identical to one another. |
US07945816B1 |
Comprehensive end-to-end storage area network (SAN) application transport service
Disclosed is a method and system for transmitting data on a data channel from a source to a destination. The data channel has a plurality of wavelength channels and a throughput. The system and method include a storage application for multicasting data on each of the plurality of wavelength channels, a storage protocol extension device using buffer credits to adjust the throughput during the multicasting, and an application optimization device for managing data channel latency to achieve asymmetric mirroring behavior at the same time as the multicasting. |
US07945815B2 |
System and method for managing memory errors in an information handling system
A method for handling memory defects during the POST phase and memory calibration in single processor and multiprocessor information handling systems is disclosed whereby information regarding the location of a known memory defect is utilized to optimize the performance of an information handling system. Memory defects within system memory are identified and replaced during operation with error free memory space. |
US07945810B2 |
Virtual disk drive system and method
A disk drive system and method capable of dynamically allocating data is provided. The disk drive system may include a RAID subsystem having a pool of storage, for example a page pool of storage that maintains a free list of RAIDs, or a matrix of disk storage blocks that maintain a null list of RAIDs, and a disk manager having at least one disk storage system controller. The RAID subsystem and disk manager dynamically allocate data across the pool of storage and a plurality of disk drives based on RAID-to-disk mapping. The RAID subsystem and disk manager determine whether additional disk drives are required, and a notification is sent if the additional disk drives are required. Dynamic data allocation and data progression allow a user to acquire a disk drive later in time when it is needed. Dynamic data allocation also allows efficient data storage of snapshots/point-in-time copies of virtual volume pool of storage, instant data replay and data instant fusion for data backup, recovery etc., remote data storage, and data progression, etc. |
US07945806B2 |
Data processing apparatus and method for controlling a transfer of payload data over a communication channel
A data processing apparatus has initiator circuitry for initiating a transfer of payload data in a first clock cycle, and recipient circuitry for receiving the payload data in a later clock cycle. A communication channel carries the payload data along with associated transfer control information. Timing of receipt of the payload data by the recipient circuitry is controlled by the transfer control information. Timing easing circuitry located within the communication channel temporarily buffers the transfer control information before outputting it to the recipient circuitry. The timing easing circuitry is responsive to a specified timing easing value to determine a time for which the transfer control information is temporarily buffered. The number of clock cycles that elapses between the first clock cycle and the later clock cycle depends on the specified timing easing value. This enables a multi-cycle path to be provided to transfer the payload data. |
US07945804B2 |
Methods and systems for digitally controlled multi-frequency clocking of multi-core processors
A method and system for digitally controlled multi-frequency clocking are provided. The method includes receiving a system reference oscillator clock frequency at a microprocessor including multiple cores. The system reference oscillator clock frequency provides a reference frequency to a local oscillator. The local oscillator supplies a core clock frequency to at least one of the cores. The method further includes adjusting the local oscillator to output the core clock frequency at a frequency greater than the system reference oscillator clock frequency as a function of digital frequency characteristic data associated with the core or cores. The method supports extendibility to larger systems and may support enhanced power management through frequency adjustments at the core level. |
US07945803B2 |
Clock generation for multiple clock domains
This disclosure relates to generating clock signals that drive data passing circuitry for various clock domains. Each individual clock domain can adjust its operating frequency from one generated by a central clock to an appropriate frequency. By using embodiments of the invention, clock crossing circuitry between domains need not run at the highest clock frequency of the entire circuit, but rather the clock crossing circuitry need only operate at the highest frequency of the two domains sharing data. |
US07945802B2 |
Modifying time progression rates in a virtual universe
Described herein are processes and devices that intentionally modify time progression rates in a virtual universe. One of the devices described is a temporal variation device. The temporal variation device can determine an area, in a virtual universe, in which time progresses at a specific time progression rate. The temporal variation device can modify the time progression rate to be faster or slower in the area. By modifying the time progression rate in the area, rates at which action occur also change in a way that is correlated to the change in the time progression rate. The temporal variation device can maintain areas beyond the borders of the area at a time progression rate that is not modified. Therefore, the temporal variation device can create a relative time dilation between the determined area and other areas in the virtual universe outside of the determined area. |
US07945796B2 |
System for controlling power supplies to an external apparatus via a connector based on user setting information
According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes: an information processing apparatus main body receiving a supply of power from power supplies disposed at outside or inside; one or a plurality of connection connector(s) constituted to be able to attach/detach an external apparatus, and having at least one signal terminal transmitting/receiving signals between the information processing apparatus main body and the external apparatus and at least one power terminal supplying the power from the power supplies to the external apparatus; a power supply state changing portion having a switch provided between the power supply and the power terminal, and capable of changing the switch to either one of a connection state or a non-connection state; and a power supply state control portion having user setting information set by a user concerning a control method of the power supply state changing portion, and performing a control to change the switch to either one of the connection state or the non-connection state in accordance with the user setting information at a non-operation time of the information processing apparatus main body. |
US07945791B2 |
Protected storage of a datum in an integrated circuit
A method for protecting at least one first datum to be stored in an integrated circuit, including, upon storage of the first datum, performing a combination with at least one second physical datum coming from at least one network of physical parameters, and only storing the result of this combination, and in read mode, extracting the stored result and using the second physical datum to restore the first datum. |
US07945788B2 |
Removable drive with data encryption
A removable drive such as a USB drive or key is provided for connecting to computer devices to provide secure and portable data storage. The drive includes a drive manager adapted to be run by an operating system of the computer device. The drive manager receives a password, generates a random key based on the password, encrypts a user-selected data file in memory of the computer device using the key, and stores the encrypted file in the memory of the removable drive. The drive manager performs the encryption of the data file without corresponding encryption applications being previously loaded on the computer system. The drive manager may include an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) cryptography algorithm. The drive manager generates a user interface that allows a user to enter passwords, select files for encryption and decryption, and create folders for storing the encrypted files on the removable drive. |
US07945785B2 |
Security of data over a network
A method for securing data transmitted over a network to an image display device. In one embodiment, the method may include identifying at least one image display device on the network, selecting the at least one image display device for transmission of data, activating a data protection process to generate locked data and transmitting the locked data to the image display device. The method may further include receiving a key to unlock the locked data such that the data is available to the image display device. |
US07945782B2 |
Method and apparatus for digitally signing electronic mail that originates from a browser
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for digitally signing electronic mail that originates from a browser. The system operates by first receiving a message from a browser at a mail server. The mail server formats the message and returns the formatted message to the browser so that the browser can sign the message. The mail server then receives the signature for the formatted message from the browser and encapsulates the formatted message and the signature into a secure message. Next, the mail server forwards the secure message to the intended recipients for the message. |
US07945777B2 |
Identification information protection method in WLAN inter-working
By introducing a hierarchical encryption scheme and the use of asymmetric cryptography, the critical information in message exchanges is concealed from unauthorized entities. This helps greatly in preventing man-in-the-middle attacks faced by inter-working. In addition, access control is conducted by introducing a network structure having a rule interpreter that is capable of mapping general rules to WLAN specific commands. It obviates the needs for mobile user's home network to understand information about every WLAN it is inter-worked with. A common interface independent of WLAN technologies could be used by the home network for all the WLANs. The above conception provides a solution to the problems of the protection of user identification information and access control in the inter-working of WLAN. |
US07945774B2 |
Efficient security for mashups
The present invention provides a method that facilitates secure cross domain mashups in an efficient fashion. The invention allows a first entity, the Masher, to establish at a second entity, the User, a secure mashup by obtaining information from, or taking actions at, a third entity, the Mashee, by using a novel twist to the SSL protocol. The invention is further extended to secure a hub and widget architecture, which allows one Masher to establish at a User, communication with several Mashees. Mutual authentication of all entities, key distribution for authentication, privacy and code verification and dynamic authorization based on the certificate information are provided by the invention. |
US07945771B1 |
System and method for a software application to determine if the storage device and the operating system is an internal drive or an external drive
Software program or application can determine if the storage device it was launched from is connected to the host computer system on an internal bus or an external bus. The ability of a software application to determine from where it and the operating system was launched allows it to perform a plurality of actions based on the launch location such as limiting the functionality of an application depending on its launch location. If a software company does not want its software to be installed or executed from an external drive or executed on multiple computers then it can limit the users ability to moved the software from one computer to another on a portable drive connected through a USB or IEEE-1394 port. |
US07945770B2 |
Information processing apparatus and method for executing plug and play processing via a predetermined communication medium
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus capable of executing plug and play processing for starting up one installation processing operation upon acquiring one device identification information item. The information processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit for acquiring at least one device identification information item including a plurality of configuration information items corresponding to each of a plurality of logical interfaces in response to connection of a peripheral device. The information processing apparatus further includes an installation control unit for controlling execution of installation of a plurality of device drivers corresponding to the plurality of logical interfaces, respectively, by the use of the plurality of configuration information items included in the at least one device identification information item when the acquisition unit acquires the at least one device identification information item from the peripheral device. |
US07945769B2 |
Single system board with automatic feature selection based on installed configuration selection unit
Disclosed is a method and circuit board assembly for automatically configuring a circuit board assembly based on installed configuration selection unit. The method comprises reading a feature detection input signal representing a machine model from the installed configuration selection unit; enabling the feature selected by the installed configuration selection unit; reading a machine type number; and determining whether the machine model represented by the feature detection input signal matches the machine type number. |
US07945766B2 |
Conditional execution of floating point store instruction by simultaneously reading condition code and store data from multi-port register file
A processor capable of executing conditional store instructions without being limited by the number of condition codes is provided. Condition data is stored in floating-point registers, and an operation unit executes a conditional floating-point store instruction of determining whether to store, in cache, store data. |
US07945764B2 |
Processing unit incorporating multirate execution unit
A multirate execution unit is capable of being operated in a plurality of modes, with the execution unit being capable of clocked at multiple different rates relative to a multithreaded issue unit such that, in applications where maximum performance is desired, the execution unit can be clocked at a rate that is faster than the clock rate for the multithreaded issue unit, and in applications where a lower power profile is desired, the execution unit can be throttled back to a slower rate to reduce the power consumption of the execution unit. When the execution unit is clocked at a faster rate than the multithreaded issue unit, the issue unit is permitted to issue more instructions per cycle than when the execution unit is throttled to the slower rate to increase overall instruction throughput. |
US07945753B2 |
Computer system, management method and storage network system
A computer system wherein, when a state of the primary host computer is in an active state, a data sent from the primary host computer to the first storage system is copied through a first copy route which includes a route from the first storage system to the second storage system and a route from the second storage system to the third storage system, wherein, if a failure occurs in the primary host computer and a state of the second host computer is to be in an active state, a data sent from the secondary host computer to the second storage system is copied through a second copy route which includes a route from the second storage system to the first storage system and a route from the first storage system to the third storage system. |
US07945749B2 |
Data mirroring method
A copy source device includes bit map acquisition and bit map merge functions. In accordance with bit-map management information in which a bit map indicating the presence of written data is rounded, the bit map acquisition and bit map merger acquires required bit map from a copy destination device, and merges the acquired bit map to a corresponding bit map of the copy source device. The copy destination device includes bit-map management information updater. The bit-map management information updater updates bit-map management information indicating a write operation when the write operation has been performed during a copy suspend mode. During a copy resume mode, the copy source device requests the copy destination device to transfer the bit-map management information, and in response, the copy destination device transfers the bit-map management information. |
US07945748B2 |
Data migration and copying in a storage system with dynamically expansible volumes
When migrating data stored in a storage region assigned to a volume to another storage region, the connection status of the host computer and volume is confirmed. When the host computer and volume are connected, the maximum capacity of the volume requested by the host computer is reserved so that it is exclusively secured in another storage region to which data is to be migrated, and when the host computer and volume are not connected, the current capacity of the volume is reserved so that it is exclusively secured in another storage region. |
US07945746B2 |
Memory sharing of time and frequency de-interleaver for ISDB-T receivers
Time and frequency de-interleaving of interleaved data in an Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting Terrestrial (ISDB-T) receiver includes exactly one random access memory (RAM) buffer in the ISDB-T receiver that performs both time and frequency de-interleaving of the interleaved data and a buffer address calculation module for generating buffer address in the buffer. The system performs memory sharing of the time and frequency de-interleaver for ISDB-T receivers and reduces the memory size required for performing de-interleaving in an ISDB-T receiver and combines the frequency and time de-interleaver buffers into one RAM thereby reducing the memory size. |
US07945743B2 |
Dynamic storage based on performance throttling
A system and method for dynamic storage based on performance throttling. The method comprises providing an array of storage devices coupled to a computing device. The method comprises determining a status of a system condition, such as ambient temperature. The method comprises throttling the operating speed of one or more storage devices in the array based on the status of the system condition. The method comprises determining relative frequency of access to data to be stored by the computing device in the array of storage devices. The method comprises optimizing storage of data by the computing device in the array of storage devices based at least in part on 1) relative frequency of access to data and 2) which of the one or more storage devices are throttled. |
US07945742B2 |
Electronic device, recording control method and recording medium
To provide a technology for stopping recording in an improper state by detecting whether an electronic device is in the process of being carried or not, and so on. Data signals that have been broadcast are received, the data signals are recorded on a storage unit at preset time, a state related to the recording of the data signals is detected, the data signals are recorded, and the recording of the data signals is stopped corresponding to a result of the detection. |
US07945741B2 |
Reservation required transactions
A computer readable medium is provided embodying instructions executable by a processor to perform a method for performing a transaction including a transaction head and a transaction tail, the method includes executing the transaction head, including executing at least one memory reserve instruction to reserve a transactional memory location that are accessed in the transaction and executing the transaction tail, wherein the transaction cannot be aborted due to a data race on that transactional memory location while executing the transaction tail, wherein data of memory write operations to the transactional memory location is committed without being buffered. |
US07945731B2 |
Method for reading data with storage system, data managing system for storage system and storage system
Provided is a database management system obtains storage mapping information which associates addresses in a plurality of physical disk drives within the storage system and addresses in logical disk drives including these physical disk drives, to create queues individually for each of the plurality of physical disk drives. The database management system receives a plurality of read requests which request to read data out of the physical disk drives via the logical disk drives provided by the storage system, sorts the read requests by their destination, and accumulates the read requests in the respective queues associated with the request destination physical disk drives. The database management system reallocates the accumulated read requests into an order that shortens the data read time in each physical disk drive, and then issues the read requests to the storage system. |
US07945723B2 |
Apparatus and method of managing mapping table of non-volatile memory
An apparatus and method for managing a mapping table of a non-volatile memory are provided. The apparatus includes a non-volatile memory having memory cells, each of which stores data bits in a plurality of pages included in a block according to a plurality of states, each of which has at least two bits, an operating time measuring unit measuring a write operation time on each of the plurality of pages included in the block, and a mapping table generating unit dividing the pages into a plurality of groups according to the measured write operation time and generating a mapping table by using the divided groups. |
US07945722B2 |
Routing data units between different address domains
Methods for routing data units and PCI Express switches are disclosed. A plurality of devices may be coupled to a corresponding plurality of physical interfaces, each physical interface having a respective configurable status and a respective address domain, wherein in a first status the interface is transparent, and in a second status the interface is non-transparent. The status of each of the plurality of physical interfaces may be set as transparent or non-transparent. Data units may be switched between the physical interfaces using mapped address input/output, switching data units including masking the address domain for the interfaces configured as non-transparent. |
US07945721B1 |
Flexible control and/or status register configuration
A register access request for control and/or status operations from a link is detected using a hardware mechanism and is forwarded to a software-controlled entity for access to a virtual register for control and/or status operations. The software-controlled entity can provide virtual registers in memory associated with the software-controlled entity. The hardware mechanism can form part of an interconnect device and the software-controlled entity is external to the interconnect device. |
US07945717B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing USB pass through connectivity
Methods, systems, and devices for facilitating pass-through USB connectivity are provided. A computing device engages with an accessory device such that the computing device connects to a corresponding USB engine in the accessory device. A signal corresponding to an engagement of an external device to the accessory device is detected and a determination of whether to disconnect the computing device from the corresponding USB engine is made as a function of a set of logic operations upon detecting the signal. A USB connection between the computing device and the external device is established as a function of the set of logic operations such that the USB connection is only established if the computing device has been disconnected from the accessory device. |
US07945716B2 |
Serial buffer supporting virtual queue to physical memory mapping
A serial buffer having a plurality of virtual queues, which can be allocated to include various combinations of on-chip dual-port memory blocks, on-chip internal memory blocks and/or off-chip external memory blocks. The virtual queues are allocated and accessed in response to configuration bits and size bits stored on the serial buffer. Relatively large external memory blocks can be allocated to virtual queues used for data intensive operations, while relatively small and fast dual-port memory blocks can advantageously be allocated to virtual queues used for passing command and status information. The serial buffer provides an efficient and flexible manner for utilizing available memory, which not only minimizes the access latency but also provides a large amount of buffer space to meet different application needs. |
US07945713B2 |
Apparatus and method for creating device association/control information for realistic media representation
Provided is an apparatus and method for creating device association/control information for realistic media representation. The device includes a media analyzer, a device information creator, a device parameter creator, a device attribute database, a device control information creator, and a device control stream creator. The media analyzer analyzes media to determine control values and control times for control parameters of respective devices to be associated for media reproduction. The device information creator creates device information by searching peripheral devices connected to a media reproduction device. The device parameter creator creates device parameter information by extracting controllable factors for the respective devices. The device attribute database stores the device information and the device parameter information. The device control information creator creates device control information including control values and control times for the respective device parameters. The device control stream creator creates a device control stream by converting the device control information into a stream-format binary code in the order of reproduction. Herein, one or more devices are associated according to the contents of the media. The apparatus and method can provide the optimal media representation effect by controlling peripheral devices suitably for an available environment by creating a signal for controlling the peripheral devices according to the media contents. |
US07945704B2 |
Smart card set protocol optimization
A method of facilitating communications between a computer device and a smart card reader having an associated smart card, the computer device including a smart card resource manager and a smart card reader service, the smart card reader service acting as a relay for commands between the smart card resource manager and the smart card reader, the method comprising: receiving from the smart card resource manager a first command for setting a protocol for communications with the smart card; and responding, prior to receiving a reply from the smart card to the first command, to the smart card resource manager with a message indicating that the smart card has successfully received the first command. |
US07945698B2 |
System and method for partial data compression and data transfer
The present invention provides a system and method for data transfer. The system may include a client having software adapted to display data; a storage; and client data. Further, the system may include a server having compressor data and information regarding data file types that have been partially compressed by the compressor data. In the system, the client may be operably coupled to the server for data and file transfer purposes. |
US07945697B2 |
System and method for offering a fixed internet protocol address to a client device
A method for offering a fixed Internet protocol (IP) address to a client device is provided. The method includes recording a client device ID and an IP address assigned to the client device by a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server. The method further includes sending a renewing request periodically to the DHCP server to renew the IP address in response to the determination that the client device is not powered on. Furthermore, the method includes sending an offering message comprising the client device ID and the IP address to the client device until the client device accepts the offering message in response to the determination that the client device is powered on. |
US07945691B2 |
Data conveyance management
Data conveyance management may be facilitated by a process performed at a data distribution device. The data distribution device may determine whether a message has been received indicating that data conveyance rules are to be modified and, if the message has been received, identify a rule template associated with the data conveyance rules, the identified rule template including at least one parameter. The data distribution device may also send a message specifying a user interface corresponding to the rule template and the parameter, determine whether a message including a specification of the parameter has been received, and, if the message has been received, create a rule by binding the template with the specified parameter. |
US07945681B2 |
Clipboard data modifications system and method for controlling remote communications
A first computer remotely controls, using a remote control application over a network (such as a WAN), a remote session on a second computer over a first network. The disclosed method (as implemented in a first application in the first computer) involves identifying clipboard data (associated with a copy, cut or paste operation) shared between a first and second computer during the remote session, temporarily storing the shared clipboard data, modifying, (via the first application in a unidirectional manner) the clipboard data associated with said environment, wherein the modified clipboard data is extracted by an interceptor associated with the second computer. The second computer, based on a look-up of clipboard values, executes a pre-defined action affecting the remote session, wherein the pre-defined action is different than the copy, cut, or paste operation. After executing the pre-defined action, the clipboard data is restored from the computer storage. |
US07945680B2 |
Method and apparatus for peer to peer link establishment over a network
A method and apparatus for linking to a Peer-to-Peer (“P2P”) network for VOIP communications. An intermediary peer creates a map to link peers together in the P2P network. A series of messages are generated to open the ports of one peer to be accessible to other peers on the P2P network. Peers are then enabled to communicate directly with other peers. Steward peers can assume the functionality of the intermediary peer. |
US07945676B2 |
Processing requests transmitted using a first communication protocol directed to an application that uses a second communication protocol
Provided are a method, system, and program for processing requests transmitted using a first communication directed to an application that uses a second communication protocol. A request is received from a client over a network in a first communication protocol. A determination is made as to whether the request includes an identifier of an application indicated in a data structure. A socket is processed that enables communication between the application identified by the identifier in response to determining that the identifier included in the request is indicated in the data structure. The socket is provided to the application associated with the requested resource to enable the application to communicate with the client over the network using a second communication protocol. |
US07945672B2 |
Unicast/multicast architecture
A system and method for providing content to users including a multicast sub-system providing content to multiple users and a unicast sub-system providing content to individual users. The multicast sub-system being operative to push to each of a plurality of user communities, content relating to the community and the unicast sub-system being operative to provide on demand to a user, content which has not been previously pushed to the user. |
US07945666B2 |
Method, system and storage medium for establishing compatibility between IPsec and dynamic routing
A method, system and storage medium wherein reachability information is exchanged over IPsec tunnels by means of a dynamic routing protocol, but instead of incorporating it into the normal routing table, it is incorporated into the IPsec data structures SPD and SAD by performing a set of steps.1 Thereby, disadvantages of prior art efforts to establish compatibility between IPsec and dynamic routing, for instance IIPtran (RFC 3884), are overcome in that compatibility is established without modifying the processing of datagrams by IPsec.2 This may be implemented by extending the routing daemon so that it supports inserting or removing entries in the SPD and SAD using the PF KEY API.3 Further embodiments feature cryptographically signing and filtering advertised reachability information, redistribution of reachability information between the dynamic routing in the base network and the overlay network, a new routing protocol tailored specifically to IPsec and load sharing over multiple IPsec tunnels.41 [0043-0054]2 [0009-0023]3 [0064-0068]4 [0055-0059], [0061-0063], [0069-0079] and [0080-0081] |
US07945663B2 |
Systems, methods, and computer program products for adaptively adjusting a registration interval of an endpoint
Methods, systems, and computer program products for adaptively adjusting a registration interval of an endpoint are provided. In an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein, a method of adaptively adjusting a registration interval of an endpoint comprises determining a registration interval for an endpoint associated with a binding defined at a network address translation device. The method also comprises determining a stability of the binding based on a message received from the endpoint. Further, the method comprises adjusting the registration interval for the endpoint based on the determined stability of the binding. A message can be sent to the endpoint for indicating the adjusted registration interval. |
US07945660B2 |
Time slicing web based advertisements
A system and method are disclosed for rotating an advertisement on a single page or screen. The advertisement may be rotated when the user is active on the page or screen. In addition, the advertisement that replaces the original ad may be based on the user's activity, or may be based on the content displayed in the page or screen. This system and method may increase advertising inventory that is displayed on a page or screen by displaying advertisements for a set time interval, which results in increased flexibility for sellers and buyers of online advertising. |
US07945656B1 |
Method for determining round trip times for devices with ICMP echo disable
A method and apparatus for determining reachability of a device connected to a computer network by receiving from a requesting device at least one ICMP echo request, the at least one ICMP echo request having a destination address associated with a non-echoing device; in response to the received ICMP echo request, sending a ping to the non-echoing device; receiving from the non-echoing device a reply to the sent ping; issuing from a routing device a subsequent at least one ICMP echo request to the non-echoing device and determining that no response is received to the issued at least one ICMP echo request; receiving at least one subsequent ICMP echo request from a requesting device, the at least one subsequent having a destination address associated with the non-echoing device; and in response to the received reply to the additional ping, sending a proxy ICMP echo reply to the requesting device. |
US07945654B2 |
Agile network protocol for secure communications using secure domain names
A secure domain name service for a computer network is disclosed that includes a portal connected to a computer network, such as the Internet, and a domain name database connected to the computer network through the portal. The portal authenticates a query for a secure computer network address, and the domain name database stores secure computer network addresses for the computer network. Each secure computer network address is based on a non-standard top-level domain name, such as .scom, .sorg, .snet, .snet, .sedu, .smil and .sint. |
US07945650B1 |
Identifying modular chassis composition by using network physical topology information
A method and apparatus for identifying internal occupants of a communications system apparatus with an Ethernet backplane and at least one internal occupant. The method comprising: verifying that a system switch processor (“SSP”) has been assigned an IP address; requesting a discovery protocol data package from the SSP; determining whether the package corresponds to at least one internal occupant; and if the package corresponds to the internal occupant, then discovering occupant information corresponding to the internal occupant. The apparatus comprising means for verifying that a system switch processor (“SSP”) has been assigned an IP address; means for requesting a discovery protocol data package from the SSP; means for determining whether the package corresponds to at least one internal occupant; and if the package corresponds to the internal occupant, then means for discovering occupant information corresponding to the internal occupant. |
US07945648B2 |
Methods and systems for dynamically configuring a network component to reroute media streams
A method for dynamically configuring a network component to reroute media streams is disclosed. The method includes receiving a request for content from a first network connected component and determining a type of media service needed for at least a portion of the content. Moreover, the method includes configuring a network data relaying component to forward at least a portion of the content from a second network connected component to a third network connected component. |
US07945647B2 |
Method and system for creating a virtual network path
In general, the invention relates to a method for creating a virtual network path. The method includes instantiating a number of virtual network interface cards (VNICs) on a number of virtual machines, where each virtual machines is located in one of the computers, each of the computers is connected using a chassis interconnect, and the computers share a physical network interface. The method further includes populating a virtual switching table associated with the VNICs and implementing the virtual network path using the virtual switching table. The virtual network path includes a first virtual wire between a first VNIC and a second VNIC, wherein the first VNIC is located in a first computer and wherein the second VNIC is located in a second computer selected from the plurality of computers. |
US07945646B2 |
Distinguishable display of searched network devices with a physical address or a network address
In a network device management method, a first packet to search for network devices is generated and broadcasted on the network. In addition, a second packet to search for network devices is generated and broadcasted on the network. A comparison is made between a network device that replies to the first packet and a network device that replies to the second packet, and it is determined based on the comparison whether predetermined information has been set for the network device, and the determination results are displayed. |
US07945645B2 |
Method and system for accessing web pages based on playback of recordings
Entertainment content complementary to a musical recording is delivered to a user's computer by a computer network link. The user employs a browser to access the computer network. A plug-in for the browser is able to control an audio CD or other device for playing the musical recording. A script stored on the remote computer accessed over the network is downloaded. The script synchronizes the delivery of the complementary entertainment content with the play of the musical recording. |
US07945644B2 |
Dynamic initialization method and system of location server
A dynamic server initialization system and method includes a second location server requesting a first location server for a registration to a multicast group associated with a replication group, when the second location server is added to the replication group. The replication group comprises at least one location server. The status update messages received from a predetermined service server are transferred to the second location server, when the registration to the multicast group is completed. The second location server requests the first location server for a message dump when a predetermined reference time elapses. Subsequently, the status update messages which are maintained in a predetermined message pool of the first location server are dumped to the second location server according to the message dump request. |
US07945633B2 |
Sorting electronic messages using attributes of the sender address
Systems and methods for sorting electronic messages using attributes of senders or of sender addresses. An electronic messaging server sorts electronic messages using attributes associated with the senders or sender addresses of the electronic messages. The sender addresses and associated attributes are stored in an accept list. A sorting module uses the accept list to sort the electronic messages into various folders. The sorting module can also access other data sources, such as a contact list, to assist in sorting the electronic messages. The attributes can be determined independently of the user or can be set directly by the user. The attributes can also identify a status of a sender such as whether the sender is authorized, unauthorized, or unconfirmed. |
US07945630B2 |
Method and system for verifying a recipient of a communication
A method and system for communicating a message in an electronic messaging environment is provided. A method employed by the system may include generating a personalized communication model related to a user, determining the validity of a token associated with an intended recipient of the message based on information in the personalized communication model, extracting entities from the message, determining whether the entities extracted match the intended recipient, and indicating to the user whether the token is valid and whether the entities match the intended recipient. The tokens correspond to email addresses, phone numbers, and addresses associated with intended recipients. The personalized communication model includes the names and tokens associated with those individuals with whom the user communicates. The personalized communication model is seeded with information including social, spatial, temporal and logical information related to the user. The personalized communication model is generated by a network processor. |
US07945627B1 |
Layout-based electronic communication filtering systems and methods
In some embodiments, a layout-based electronic communication classification (e.g. spam filtering) method includes generating a layout vector characterizing a layout of a message, assigning the message to a selected cluster according to a hyperspace distance between the layout vector and a central vector of the selected cluster, and classifying the message (e.g. labeling as spam or non-spam) according to the selected cluster. The layout vector is a message representation characterizing a set of relative positions of metaword substructures of the message, as well as metaword substructure counts. Examples of metaword substructures include MIME parts and text lines. For example, a layout vector may have a first component having scalar axes defined by numerical layout feature counts (e.g. numbers of lines, blank lines, links, email addresses), and a second vector component including a line-structure list and a formatting part (e.g. MIME part) list. |
US07945626B2 |
Method, system, apparatus, and computer program product for determining a physical location of a sensor
A method that determines a physical location of an unknown position device (UPD) in a communication network including a plurality of known position devices (KDPs), in which a message transmitted by the UPD is received by plural KDPs. The method includes measuring a signal quality of each received message received by the plural KDPs from the UPD, and computing the likely physical location of the UPD based on the physical location of the plural KPDs receiving the message from the UPD and the respective signal quality measured at each KPD. |
US07945621B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for recording and viewing a collaboration session
In one embodiment, the systems and methods attend a collaboration session; detect content shared during the collaboration session; automatically record the content and a time stamp corresponding to the content; and play at least a portion of the content during the collaboration session. |
US07945618B2 |
Peer-to-peer service designer
A peer-to-peer communication system, including a service manager for managing peer-to-peer services, a zone manager for managing zones, each zone including at least one peer-to-peer service and a window display layout therefor, and a privacy manager for restricting access to a zone, to a select group of users. A method is also described and claimed. |
US07945612B2 |
Aggregating user presence across multiple endpoints
A presence aggregation system provides a presence server that allows users to publish information regarding their availability with the presence server. The presence server maintains a record of each user's published information. When an endpoint publishes information regarding a user's availability at that endpoint with the presence server, the presence server provides all of the user's published information, including the information just published, to each of the user's endpoints, including the endpoint which published the information. This allows each of the user's endpoints to generate an aggregated availability of the user. The presence server may also provide all of the user's published information, including the information just published, to each of the subscribing users' endpoints. This allows the subscribing users to also generate a view of the user's aggregated availability. |
US07945606B2 |
Method and apparatus for evaluating a time varying signal
A method for evaluating a received signal varying over an interval includes: (a) obtaining a data sample and a sample time; (b) determining whether the sample exceeds a previous exceeded extremum of the signal; (c) if the sample does not exceed an exceeded extremum, storing the sample; (d) if the sample exceeds the an exceeded extremum, in no particular order: (1) extracting and storing cycle information involving the exceeded extremum; and (2) replacing an earliest exceeded extremum with the sample; (e) outputting first selected data from a storage unit; (f) determining whether the interval has completed; (g) if the interval has not completed, repeating steps (a) through (f); (h) if the interval has completed, checking whether an output buffer is empty; (i) if the buffer is not empty, outputting second selected data from the buffer; j) if the buffer is empty, terminating the method. |
US07945594B2 |
Using status models with inhibiting status values in a computer system
Actions are controlled actions in a computer-based process by a status schema model defined at design-time, stored in a computer-readable medium and including a precondition identifying how a status affects whether an action is to be allowed to be performed at runtime by a data object node instance having the status. A status schema instance is created for a particular data object node instance being used in a computer-based process. The status schema instance corresponds to the status schema model and includes a status variable having an inhibiting status value. Conditioned upon a determination that the data object node instance includes a value for a status variable that corresponds to the inhibiting status value of the status variable of the status schema model, actions are prohibited to be performed by the data object node instance other than an action with an explicit precondition from the inhibiting status value. |
US07945588B2 |
Image forming apparatus controlling use of medium inserted thereinto
When a user logs in to an MFP and inserts a medium, a serial number of the medium is stored in a device information database in correspondence with user information of the user, and a descramble key, e.g., a hash code of the serial number is registered in the user information. When the medium is removed from the MFP which is still logged in, the registration is deleted. When the MFP into which the medium is still inserted is logged out, no registration is deleted. When the user logs in to the MFP into which the medium is already inserted, the MFP determines whether a descramble key is registered in user information of the user. When a second user logs in to an MFP from which a first user had logged out while forgetting to remove a medium, the MFP prohibits the second user from accessing the medium because no descramble key is registered in user information of the second user. |
US07945587B2 |
Random allocation of media storage units
Described is a technology by which storage space in the form of allocation units (e.g., clusters of a storage volume) are intentionally allocated so as to likely be non-contiguous for a file's data. For example, random selection of each of the allocation units will likely provide non-contiguous allocation units; on solid state storage media, such a random distribution of a file's data does not significantly affect access times. In one aspect, a file system driver randomly allocates the allocation units, and records the allocation units in association with the file, e.g., in a master file table or similar database. Non-contiguous (e.g., random) allocation may be on demand as storage space is needed, and/or may be performed in anticipation of needing storage space for satisfying a later request. Once the storage space is no longer mapped to a file, reconstructing that file's data in forensic analysis is more difficult. |
US07945586B1 |
Methods and apparatus to protect data
A computer-implemented method for providing protection for a data file is disclosed. The method includes employing allowable location information to control access to information of the data file, wherein the allowable location information is associated with the data file The information in the data file is inaccessible if a location of a computer employed to access the data file is not within an allowable geographic area defined by the allowable location information. |
US07945580B2 |
Document retrieval using a printed form
A method of retrieving a document from a database of hierarchical electronic document versions is disclosed. Each document version is associated with a unique document instance. In the method a search form is printed. The search form includes a search instruction input field relating to at least one parameter of a search to be carried out within the database and a plurality of coded data tags. Each coded data tag encodes a location of that coded data tag on the search form. The coded data tags are sensed by a sensing device as the sensing device is used to handwrite at least one search term on the search form. Data representing the parameter and the at least one search term is generated, with the data representing the at least one search term being generated from the locations of the coded data tags. Next, a search is carried out within the database based on the at least one search term and parameter in order to identify document versions. A results form is printed, with the results form containing data representing the document versions identified in the search and coded data tags. By sensing one or more coded data tags on the results form, the document version associated with the coded data tag sensed on the results form is retrieved and printed. |
US07945577B2 |
System and method for adaptive database caching
A local database cache enabling persistent, adaptive caching of either full or partial content of a remote database is provided. Content of tables comprising a local cache database is defined on per-table basis. A table is either: defined declaratively and populated in advance of query execution, or is determined dynamically and asynchronously populated on-demand during query execution. Based on a user input query originally issued against a remote DBMS and referential cache constraints between tables in a local database cache, a Janus query plan, comprising local, remote, and probe query portions is determined. A probe query portion of a Janus query plan is executed to determine whether up-to-date results can be delivered by the execution of a local query portion against a local database cache, or whether it is necessary to retrieve results from a remote database by executing a remote query portion of Janus query plan. |
US07945574B2 |
Reproducing apparatus, reproducing method, and reproducing program
Disclosed herein is a reproducing apparatus including: a reproduction unit configured to reproduce content data linked to a first item being selected; a selection unit configured to select a second item in response to a request to select the second item, the request being input by a user operating an operation input unit; a determination unit configured to determine whether there exists content data linked to the second item; and a reproduction control unit configured to control reproduction of content data. |
US07945573B1 |
Dynamic transcoding to stitch streaming digital content
Computer implemented methods and systems are provided for dynamic transcoding to stitch streaming digital content. A selection of a content file is received from a mobile device. An advertisement content file is identified for the selected content file. Attributes of the selected content file are determined. Attributes of the advertisement content file are determined. The advertisement content file and the selected content file are converted so that the attributes of the advertisement content file and the attributes of the selected content file match. The selected content file is stitched with the advertisement content file to produce streaming digital content. The streaming digital content is provided to the mobile device. |
US07945560B2 |
Technique for removing subquery in group by—having clauses using window functions
Methods for transforming a query to remove redundant subqueries in HAVING clauses are provided. The methods provided transform queries that contain subqueries in HAVING clauses with tables and join conditions and filter conditions equal to tables, join conditions and filter conditions in outer query to queries that eliminate the original subquery and retain the original outer query with a single inline view using window functions. Whether this transformation can be performed depends on which tables and join and filter conditions are in the outer query and the subquery. The transformation eliminates duplicative table accesses and join operations from queries. |
US07945558B2 |
Query optimizer with join cardinality estimation which mitigates the effects of skew
One embodiment relates to a computer-implemented method to estimate a cardinality of a database query. Single table cardinalities are determined after application of selection predicates. In addition, pair-wise join selectivities are estimated without assuming independence between selection and join predicates. Said pair-wise join selectivities are multiplied with said single table cardinalities after application of the selection predicates. Another embodiment relates to a computer apparatus including a cardinality estimator. The cardinality estimator includes computer-readable instructions configured to (a) determine single table cardinalities after application of selection predicates from the database query, (b) estimate pair-wise join selectivities without assuming independence between the selection predicates and join predicates of the database query, and (c) multiply said pair-wise join selectivities with said single table cardinalities after application of the selection predicates. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed. |
US07945556B1 |
Web log filtering
Computer implemented methods and systems are provided for web log filtering. A uniform resource locator (URL) is identified for a resource requested by an identified device. The URL is stored unless the URL has at a reference to an advertisement or an extension that matches any of a list of extensions specified for storage exclusion. The stored URL is categorized based on either the stored URL or an included domain name, depending on whether the included domain name matches any of the list of domain names that are associated with multiple categories. A count is incremented in a web log category associated with the identified device based on the categorized stored URL. |
US07945554B2 |
Systems and methods for providing enhanced job searching
Methods and systems of providing a job search to a jobseeker are disclosed. Based on previously stored user preferences, job listings can be presented to users. User preferences can be gathered through previous search requests, resume keywords, jobseeker applies to job listings, jobseekers viewing job listings, etc. The search request can include search criteria. As such, preference data related to the jobseeker is identified based on jobseeker online behavior. In one embodiment, a set of jobs listings having associated metadata that match the search criteria is identified. A subset of job listings that match the preference data is identified. The subset of job listings is a subset of the set of job listings. At least the subset of job listings can be provided to the jobseeker. In another embodiment, a set of job listings having associated metadata that match the search criteria and the jobseeker preferences is identified and provided to the jobseeker. |
US07945548B2 |
Method for sourcing replacement parts
A method of sourcing a piece of equipment or a replacement part includes preparing a part request record, providing a part source database, searching part source records in the database according to one or more search parameters associated with the part, part requestor or part source, creating a prospective part source list, and prioritizing the part source list by one or more indexing fields, to identify sources predicted to have the part at the best combination of quality, price, and other similar factors. A method of updating the indexing fields is also disclosed. |
US07945543B2 |
Method and system for deferred maintenance of database indexes
Rectifying discrepancies between a table, from which a segment of data has been removed, and an index for the table may be deferred. Each entry in the index is sequentially analyzed to remove entries therefrom referring to any removed segment referenced in the starting location list. During this process, if a segment newly removed from the table is detected, then analysis of the index entries continues and an indicator is set that another segment has been removed. Analysis of the entries continues in a looping fashion until each entry has been assessed to determine if it makes a reference to any of the removed segments. If a query is received before rectification is complete then the query is amended by establishing search boundaries based so that the query does not produce any entries in the index referring to removed segments. |
US07945537B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for disaster recovery planning
Formulating an integrated disaster recovery (DR) plan based upon a plurality of DR requirements for an application by receiving a first set of inputs identifying one or more entity types for which the plan is to be formulated, such as an enterprise, one or more sites of the enterprise, the application, or a particular data type for the application. At least one data container representing a subset of data for an application is identified. A second set of inputs is received identifying at least one disaster type for which the plan is to be formulated. A third set of inputs is received identifying a DR requirement for the application as a category of DR Quality of Service (QoS) class to be applied to the disaster type. A composition model is generated specifying one or more respective DR QoS parameters as a function of a corresponding set of one or more QoS parameters representative of a replication technology solution. The replication technology solution encompasses a plurality of storage stack levels. A solution template library is generated for mapping the application to each of a plurality of candidate replication technology solutions. The template library is used to select a DR plan in the form of a replication technology solution for the application. |
US07945531B2 |
Interfaces for a productivity suite application and a hosted user interface
User interfaces are defined by metadata for use with productivity suite applications in a wrapped window, a task pain, or some other suitable representation. Data can be bound to a data source in a one-way format such that changes from the data source propagate to property fields in the UI form. Data can also be bound to a data source in a two-way format such that changes from the property field of the UI propagate back to the data source. The data source can be a local cache such as for synchronization between a productivity suite application and a line of business (LOB) application (e.g., CRM applications). A rendering engine is arranged to process the UI and data bindings such that custom event handlers are defined in a code behind assembly format. Productivity suite items are accessible from the code behind assembly through a series of item interfaces. |
US07945529B2 |
Apparatus and method for performing table comparisons
A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to analyze sort options associated with an input table and a comparison table. It is determined whether a consistent sort can be performed by a first database associated with the input table and a second database associated with the comparison table. A first sort operation is performed on the input table at the first database and a second sort operation is performed on the comparison table at the second database when a consistent sort can be achieved. Sort operations on the input table and the comparison table are executed at a common sort engine when a consistent sort cannot be performed by the first database and the second database. |
US07945528B2 |
Method and device for high performance regular expression pattern matching
Disclosed herein is an improved architecture for regular expression pattern matching. Improvements to pattern matching deterministic finite automatons (DFAs) that are described by the inventors include a pipelining strategy that pushes state-dependent feedback to a final pipeline stage to thereby enhance parallelism and throughput, augmented state transitions that track whether a transition is indicative of a pattern match occurring thereby reducing the number of necessary states for the DFA, augmented state transition that track whether a transition is indicative of a restart to the matching process, compression of the DFA's transition table, alphabet encoding for input symbols to equivalence class identifiers, the use of an indirection table to allow for optimized transition table memory, and enhanced scalability to facilitate the ability of the improved DFA to process multiple input symbols per cycle. |
US07945527B2 |
Methods and systems for interpreting text using intelligent glossaries
A computer implemented method and systems used to create and interpret a set of formal glossaries which refer one to the other and are intended to define precisely the terminology of a field of endeavor. Such glossaries are known as intelligent, in the sense that they allow machines to make deductions, with interaction of human actors. Once a word is defined in an intelligent glossary, all the logical consequences of the use of that word in a formal and well-formed sentence are computable. The process includes a question and answer mechanism, which applies the definitions contained in the intelligent glossaries to a given formal sentence. The methods may be applied in the development of knowledge management methods and tools that are based on semantics; for example: modeling of essential knowledge in the field based on the relevant semantics; and computer-aided human-reasoning. |
US07945525B2 |
Methods for obtaining improved text similarity measures which replace similar characters with a string pattern representation by using a semantic data tree
The embodiments of the invention provide methods for obtaining improved text similarity measures. More specifically, a method of measuring similarity between at least two electronic documents begins by identifying similar terms between the electronic documents. This includes basing similarity between the similar terms on patterns, wherein the patterns can include word patterns, letter patterns, numeric patterns, and/or alphanumeric patterns. The identifying of the similar terms also includes identifying multiple pattern types between the electronic documents. Moreover, the basing of the similarity on patterns identifies terms within the electronic documents that are within a category of a hierarchy. Specifically, the identifying of the terms reviews a hierarchical data tree, wherein nodes of the tree represent terms within the electronic documents. Lower nodes of the tree have specific terms; and, wherein higher nodes of the tree have general terms. |
US07945523B2 |
Method and computer program for analyzing variables using pruning, influencing a combustion process in a combustion chamber, using a trainable statistical model
The invention relates to sensitivity analysis of variables influencing a combustion process. A trainable, statistical model is trained in such a way that it describes the combustion process in the combustion chamber. The trained statistical model is used to determine the influence of the variables on said combustion process in the combustion chamber. |
US07945521B2 |
Process and architecture for structuring facilities revenue bond financings
A process and architecture may be implemented to structure bond financing or refinancing for facilities construction and/or renovation to improve economic and business terms for involved or interested parties, including for education institutions, healthcare companies and/or energy production entities. |
US07945520B2 |
System and method for secure and/or interactive dissemination of information
An interactive information dissemination system includes a media server (210) for receiving a plurality of media elements and storing the media elements in a database. A sender client (200) enables a first user to identify message data, a recipient identifier, and a media element from the database of media elements. A recipient client (202) presents the media element to a second user associated with the recipient identifier. The recipient client (202) further presents the message data to the second user when the second user performs a predetermined action, such as submitting authentication information or requesting the message data, to receive the message data. The message data may be secured by requiring sender and recipient authentication, and by encoding the data using a private encoding key and data package identifier managed by a main server (206) and a key server (208). |
US07945513B2 |
Method and system for providing minimum contract values in an annuity with lifetime benefit payments
A data processing method determines a contract value of a deferred annuity product during the accumulation phase. The method includes receiving by a computer a request for a withdrawal during the accumulation phase, the amount of the withdrawal being no more than a lifetime benefit payment amount, determining by the computer whether the contract value, after deduction of withdrawal is below a minimum contract value, and if the contract value would be below the minimum contract value, providing an output signal by the computer that. The contract value is not reduced below the minimum contract value. |
US07945508B2 |
System and method for prioritized data delivery in an electronic trading environment
A system and method for prioritized data delivery in an electronic trading environment are described herein. According to one example embodiment, by prioritizing the messages associated with a tradeable object, the bandwidth and system resource usage may be optimally reduced, and any loss of priority content in the messages sent between the network device and the client device may be reduced. An example method includes associating different priority levels with messages comprising market data. Messages containing market information related to the inside market may be associated to a higher priority level. Whereas messages containing market information relating to the quantities at prices outside the inside market may be associated with a lower priority level. Based on the priority level associated with a message, a network device may send the message directly to the client device or store the message in a data structure until a pre-defined condition is satisfied. |
US07945504B1 |
Secure image bidding system
Secure image bidding system process for financial transactions, including structured investment products, escrows and interest rate swaps. Some embodiments provide a secure image bidding system and process for image-based bid transmissions where each of a plurality of bids received by the system is encrypted and held in a digital “Vault” until the specified end of the bid period, at which time a package containing the encrypted bids, a log of server activity, and a digital checksum of the original bid file is sent via electronic mail to the bid broker and other participants. A second electronic mail message is sent to the bid broker and other participants containing the decryption key. During the bid process, no party has access to the bid information and there is no human interaction in the receipt, conversion to image, encryption, storage or conveyance of compiled information. |
US07945503B2 |
On-line auction interface
A method for conducting a fantasy sports auction for a plurality of players utilizing a plurality of pre-recorded multimedia clips is disclosed. The method includes initiating an auction session including a plurality of participating team bidders, selectively displaying data associated with an individual player during the auction session, and displaying a starting bid for the individual player on the user interface. A series of progressively higher bid levels associated with the player is displayed and the participating bidders are prompted to make bids by playing at least one of the multimedia clips. Bids are received from the participating bidders and visual representations are provided for each bid on the user interface. A winning bidder is determined based on the receipt of a bid associated with the highest bid level displayed. |
US07945502B2 |
Online trading and dynamic routing of electric power among electric service providers
A method and system for trading electric power on a spot market and dynamically matches bids and asks and routes the electric power in accordance with the matches to effect the settled trades. A control node is arranged for receiving bids and asks via a wide area network. The control node is also connected to a transmission system and a central control of the transmission system to dynamically switch the transmission system to effect the matched bids and asks. |
US07945501B2 |
System and method for constraining depletion amount in a defined time frame
Embodiments disclosed herein provide price protection on commodity purchases in which a consumer can select, accept, or otherwise agree to a depletion constraint on the consumption of the commodity thus purchased. Based on the agreed depletion constraint, a provider may adjust terms and/or the price of the price protection. In some embodiments, the depletion constraint can be time-based, quantity-based, value-based, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the depletion constraint can be linear. In some embodiments, a consumer may be required to purchase a certain amount of the commodity during a specified time frame. In some embodiments, the provider of the price protection may receive a payment from the consumer when the retail price of the commodity at the time of the purchase is below a specified floor price. In some embodiments, the commodity is motor fuel. |
US07945499B2 |
Method and system for providing a fixed rate annuity with a lock-in interest rate feature
A data processing method and system administers a deferred annuity contract during the accumulation phase of a contract term. The system stores an account value and a guaranteed rate of interest on the account value. The system may credit an interest rate which is reset periodically (reset rate). The system is configured for changing from the reset rate to the guaranteed rate, when the reset rate falls below the guaranteed rate. |
US07945498B2 |
Method for facilitating chemical supplier transactions
A business-to-business transaction clearinghouse integrates the traditional point-to-point business supply chain at the clearinghouse. The clearinghouse provides cost effective access to a wide variety of members and includes value-added services. Members of the clearinghouse can include trading members, members that help the trading members ship their products, and banking members. The clearinghouse facilitates business among the trading members by providing a single point of contact for all transactions. The clearinghouse can be specific to an industry, such as the chemical industry. Multiple industry specific clearinghouses may form a network clearinghouses to effectively create one larger and more general business-to-business electronic commerce community. |
US07945497B2 |
System and method for utilizing interrelated computerized predictive models
The invention relates to a system for handling insurance requests, such as new coverage applications, renewal applications, and insurance quote requests. The system includes at least two computerized predictive models whose outputs each serve as inputs to the other. A business logic module is included in the system to process insurance requests with the predictive models to determine one or more sets of recommended policy parameters for the user and to output the determination to the user via a user interface. In various embodiments, the predictive models also output workflow components (such as underwriting workflow components) and price components (such as premium prices) corresponding to output suggested sets of coverage parameters. |
US07945489B2 |
Flexible cost and revenue allocation for service orders
A method and system handles cost and revenue allocation for service orders. For a service order, there is allowed to be created planned rules for allocation of costs to one or more service providers and for allocation of expected revenues to be received from one or more service receivers, which are forwarded in electronic form, if created, to a cost accounting system. After receipt of a confirmation that the service order has been executed wherein the confirmation includes information about costs actually incurred in executing the service order, there is allowed the creation of revised or newly created rules for allocation of the incurred costs to the one or more service providers and for the allocation of the revenues to be received from the one or more service receivers, which are forwarded in electronic form, if created or revised, to the cost accounting system. |
US07945488B2 |
Drilling collaboration infrastructure
Methods and systems facilitate collaboration between users at an oil well site and users at a remote location. Multiple types of oil well data are collected at the oil well site to form aggregated data. The aggregated data is stored in a data aggregation server at the oil well site. Users at the oil well site and users at the remote location are allowed to access the aggregated data on the data aggregation server using a standard data format. |
US07945485B2 |
Service for providing item recommendations
A service is disclosed for enabling web sites and other entities to provide behavior-based content to end users. The service can be implemented as a web service that is remotely accessible over the Internet. Web sites use the web service's interface to report events descriptive of item-related actions performed by end users (e.g., item views, item purchases, searches for items, etc.). The web service analyzes the reported event data on an aggregated basis to detect various types of associations, including associations between particular search queries and items. The detected associations are recorded in site-specific datasets, and are made available to the corresponding sites via the service's interface. |
US07945472B2 |
Business management tool
The present invention includes a business management tool that is configured to receive and process both first and second data sources for planning, performance and forecasting purposes. The business management tool of the present invention is further configured to utilize essential data including key performance indicators. The foregoing data sets are inputting into an integrated planning, performance and forecasting methodology that integrates historical data and forecasting data to form a closed loop system for managing a business. Lastly, the business management tool of the present invention is adapted to advise managers of those conditions and variables that subject the business to the most risk with regard to revenue planning and forecasting. |
US07945468B1 |
Notification of employees via pass code accessed web pages
Disclosed is an Internet-based database system and method (ASP), that enables school districts and temporary employment agencies to automate the dispatching (24/7) of pre-qualified substitute/temporary personnel to specified school/work site locations for specific absent employees/job openings. The system includes a profile database of permanent and substitute (temporary) employees, positions, skills, working dates/shifts, rates of pay, work sites, lesson plans/comments, reasons for absence and corresponding budget codes. Approved substitute/temporary employees may access the database using a multi-level access and secure logon code through their Internet-based browser device. The software filters job/position information to match specific job openings to the skills, qualifications (certification), preferences and availability of the substitute/temporary employee/s. As job openings (absences) are entered into the system by employees, the school district or employment agency, job details are immediately available through Internet “distributed technology” to all appropriate substitute/temporary employees through their web browser device. |
US07945465B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing workflow
A workflow process management application (WPMA) for a specific organization is created via a web application that can be implemented using a web server front end and a database back end. An administrator user operates the application by using a built-in administrative function to create objects such as users, groups, departments, locations, acuities, activities, and skills. The administrator or another suitable user can then use a built-in defining function to finalize objects and create instances of the objects corresponding to the organization. Appropriate users can use the plan function to allocate specific users to specific departments to ensure that all activities are assigned an appropriate amount of workers having the appropriate skills. When (or after) the work is performed the actual workflow data can be electronically gathered (if possible), or manually entered. Reports can then be generated to show differences between the planned workflow and the actual workflow. |
US07945463B2 |
Apparatus and methods for providing queue messaging over a network
Systems and methods are described for processing queue data and for providing queue messaging over a network. An illustrative queuing system includes a first queue configured to hold resource requests from a plurality of users, and program code stored in computer readable memory configured to determine or estimate whether a resource requested by a first resource request submitted by a first requester will be available when the first resource request will be serviced, and to transmit a message over a network to the first requester indicating that the requested resource will not be available when the queued request is serviced if it is estimated or determined that the requested resource will not be available when the first request is serviced. |
US07945460B2 |
Compensated electronic consults
The present invention relates to a system and method for providing health care information to health care providers and for obtaining information pertaining to the practice of a health care provider by providing incentives for provision of such information. |
US07945452B2 |
User interface improvements for medical devices
A method and apparatus is disclosed for operating a medical device with a screen having an improved graphical user interface, which selectively reallocates screen display for both single and multi-channel pumps. Channel indicators associate operation information with a specific delivery channel. Patient or drug order verification is facilitated with a rendering of the patient or the entire drug order/label on the screen. Decimal numbers are presented in vertically offset decimal format. A dual function button cancels the current operation and, after a delay, clears entered parameters. An area sensitive scrollbar cycles through information at various speeds. Screen brightness is adjusted based on an ambient light detector. A screen saver mode activates based on several operating conditions. The screen is incorporated in a removable user interface. |
US07945450B2 |
Method for monitoring radiology machines, operators and examinations
The method of creating at least one standard protocol or pattern about the operator, the patient, the examination and/or the machine being used. Monitoring, creating and recording data about at least one of them during the actual performance of the examination. Next, compare this data to a standard protocol to produce certain results or findings about either the revenues and expenses surrounding the exam, the operators performance and skill levels during the exam, the productivity of the machine and operator, etc. Networking the data from more then one machine to a central computer and performing various analyzes, computations and/or calculations on the data from the various machines. The results will provide individual as well as combined totals for all of the machines in a department that download data to the computer. |
US07945448B2 |
Perception-aware low-power audio decoder for portable devices
A method of decoding audio data representing an audio clip, said method comprising the steps of selecting one of a predetermined number of frequency bands; decoding a portion of the audio data representing said audio clip according to the selected frequency band, wherein a remaining portion of the audio data representing said audio clip is discarded; and converting the decoded portion of audio data into sample data representing the decoded audio data. |
US07945446B2 |
Sound processing apparatus and method, and program therefor
Spectrum envelope of an input sound is detected. In the meantime, a converting spectrum is acquired which is a frequency spectrum of a converting sound comprising a plurality of sounds, such as unison sounds. Output spectrum is generated by imparting the detected spectrum envelope of the input sound to the acquired converting spectrum. Sound signal is synthesized on the basis of the generated output spectrum. Further, a pitch of the input sound may be detected, and frequencies of peaks in the acquired converting spectrum may be varied in accordance with the detected pitch of the input sound. In this manner, the output spectrum can have the pitch and spectrum envelope of the input sound and spectrum frequency components of the converting sound comprising a plurality of sounds, and thus, unison sounds can be readily generated with simple arrangements. |
US07945436B2 |
Pass-through and emulation in a virtual machine environment
A virtual device emulated in software and included in a virtual machine is provided in a virtualized computer system. The virtual device includes an emulation mode and a pass through mode. The emulation mode is used for a first plurality of device operations. The pass through mode is used for a second plurality of device operations. The virtual device is configured to communicate with a physical device and each of the second plurality of device operations are configured to be handled by the physical device. The virtual device also includes a switching logic to switch between the emulation mode and the pass through mode based on a device operation to be performed by the virtual machine of the virtual device. |
US07945434B2 |
Non-intrusive event capturing for event processing analysis
A system and a method for capturing, storing and replaying data describing application of an event-based process to an event are described. As an event processing engine processes an input event, specified data is captured by a store monitor included in the event processing engine. Hence, while the event processing engine processes an input event, data describing the event processing is contemporaneously captured without affecting processing of the input event. The captured data is then stored for later access and can be used later simulate or analyze the event processing. In one embodiment, the stored data is also classified or grouped based on one or more grouping criteria (e.g., event type, timestamp) to simplify later access to the data. |
US07945433B2 |
Hardware simulation accelerator design and method that exploits a parallel structure of user models to support a larger user model size
A system and method for design verification and, more particularly, a hardware simulation accelerator design and method that exploits a parallel structure of user models to support a large user model size. The method includes a computer including N number of logic evaluation units (LEUs) that share a common pool of instruction memory (IM). The computer infrastructure is operable to: partition a number of parallel operations in a netlist; and send a same instruction stream of the partitioned number of parallel operations to N number of LEUs from a single IM. The system is a hardware simulation accelerator having a computer infrastructure operable to provide a stream of instructions to multiple LEUs from a single IM. The multiple LEUs are clustered together with multiple IMs such that each LEU is configured to use instructions from any of the multiple IMs thereby allowing a same instruction stream to drive the multiple LEUs. |
US07945428B2 |
Multi-gain adaptive linear processing and gated digital system for use in flow cytometry
Disclosed is an electronic processing system for a flow cytometer that uses a processing chip that processes data in a parallel architecture on a sample by sample basis and provides for high throughput of data. In addition, multi-gain linear amplifiers are used which are matched using feedback circuits to provide accurate data and high resolution data having high dynamic range. |
US07945425B2 |
In-flight detection of wing flap free wheeling skew
A method for detecting freewheeling skew failures in the wing flaps of an aircraft includes measuring the outputs of flap skew sensors when the aircraft is in flight (IF) and the flaps are extended to a selected position, and when the aircraft is next on the ground (OG) and the flaps are extended to the selected position. The respective differences between the IF and OG outputs of symmetrical pairs of the flap skew sensors are computed, and then the respective difference between the computed IF output difference and the computed OG output difference of each symmetrical pair of the sensors is computed. The computed IF and OG difference of each symmetrical pair of the sensors is then compared with each of predetermined maximum and minimum threshold value to determine whether a freewheeling skew failure exists in any of the flaps of the aircraft. |
US07945424B2 |
Disk drive emulator and method of use thereof
A disk drive emulator for testing a test slot of a disk drive testing system includes an emulator housing, a testing circuit housed in the emulator housing, and an interface connector disposed on the emulator housing and in electrical communication with the testing circuit. The disk drive emulator includes at least one sensor in electrical communication with the testing circuit. The at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor, a vibration sensor, and a humidity sensor. The testing circuit is configured to test power delivery of the test slot to the disk drive emulator, monitor the at least one sensor, and monitor connector resistance between the test slot and the disk drive emulator. |
US07945423B2 |
Method and system for evaluating the efficiency of an air conditioning apparatus
The applicant describes a system and methods of calculating the overall operating efficiency of an air conditioning chiller that evaluates efficiency of the component parts of the chiller and generates an overall efficiency based on these component efficiency values. If the overall chiller efficiency is less than the maximum attainable chiller efficiency, the cost of the inefficiency is calculated and presented to the user. Recommendations for corrective action to restore maximum chiller efficiency are identified and presented to the user. The system also adjusts the efficiency calculations as appropriate to account for actual compressor current load conditions. |
US07945421B2 |
Method of detecting a reference zone arranged on the periphery of a toothed disk fastened to a rotary component, with a view to determining the angular position of said rotary component
A method of detecting a reference zone formed on the periphery of a toothed disk integral with a rotary part, for determining the angular position of the rotary part. According to this detection method, when a reference zone is expected and at the time of the detection of a tooth (n) at a time tn, there is defined a time window [tmin, tmax] of duration depending on the time period Tn separating the detection of the tooth (n) and the detection of the preceding tooth (n−1), and the reference zone is considered present in the absence of detection of a tooth (n+1) during the time window [tmin, tmax]. Moreover, the duration of each time window [tmin, tmax], calculated from a measured time period Tn, is adjusted by modulating that duration by a correction parameter equal to ΔT=Tn−Tn−1. |
US07945420B2 |
Absolute position measurement apparatus
An absolute position measurement apparatus includes an output unit, a phase computing unit, a regression computing unit, a phase difference computing unit, an origin position computing unit, and an absolute position calculating unit. The output unit outputs first signals and superimposed signals formed by superimposing second signals on the first signals. The first signals relate to a position of an object to be measured and the first and second signals have a different cycle. The phase computing unit calculates the phase of the first and second signals. The regression computing unit calculates a regression coefficient of the phase of the first signals. The phase difference computing unit calculates a phase difference between phases of the first and second signals. The origin position computing unit determines an origin position of the object to be measured. The absolute position calculating unit calculates an absolute position of the object to be measured. |
US07945419B2 |
Electronic measurement of off-center run-out and reel-hub mismatch
In a method of electronically measuring reel off-center run-out and reel hub mismatch, tape speed data related to a tape coupled with an operating drive reel is electronically measured. The tape speed data is correlated with drive reel rotation angles. The correlated tape speed data is translated to drive reel hub radii variations with respect to the drive reel rotation angles. The drive reel hub radii variations comprise an operational measure of reel off-center run-out and reel hub mismatch of the drive reel. |
US07945418B2 |
Stream based stimulus definition and delivery via interworking
An approach is provided to manage test transactors that interface with components of a hardware design. A first set of transactors is launched with the first set of transactors sending stimuli to various components that correspond to the first set of transactors. A manager receives signals when transactors of the first set have completed at which point a second set of transactors is identified that are dependent upon the first set transactors that completed. The second set of transactors is launched by the manager. The manager further facilitates transmission of data used by the various transactors. Transactors generate and provide stimuli to various components included in a hardware design, such as a System-on-a-Chip (SoC). Results from the hardware design are passed to the transactors which, in turn, pass the results back to the manager. In this manner, results from one transactor may be made available as input to another transactor. |
US07945417B2 |
Method of digital extraction for accurate failure diagnosis
A method for testing VLSI circuits comprises a two-pass diagnostic method for testing a circuit wherein a first pass comprises a conventional test flow wherein an ATPG tool generates a set of test patterns and identifies possible faulty nets within the circuit. A second pass focuses on a designated critical subset of the circuit extracted using a method for extracting a subset for failure diagnosis of the tested circuit. A second pass utilizes an extraction algorithm which extracts one or more critical subsets of the circuit in order to obtain more accurate failure diagnosis. |
US07945413B2 |
Voltage-sensed system and method for anti-islanding protection of grid-connected inverters
A method is provided for preventing islanding of a power source connected to an electric AC grid via an interface. The method senses an output voltage waveform of the interface, controls an output current waveform of the interface to track a reference current waveform having a mathematical relationship with the sensed output voltage waveform, and discontinues the output current waveform when the output voltage waveform is sensed to be outside a predetermined waveform range. |
US07945404B2 |
Clock jitter measurement circuit and integrated circuit having the same
Provided is a measurement circuit for measuring a jitter of a clock signal. Delay elements delay the clock signal into delayed clock signal. Latches latch the delayed clock signals to indicate whether transition edges of the clock signal is within a window value which is corresponding to delays of the delay elements. Based on the latch result from the latches, a finite state machine generates control signals for controlling the delay elements. If the latch result indicates that the transition edges of the clock signal is not within the window value, the control signals adjust the delays of the delay elements and the window value. The jitter of the clock signal is measured based on the delays of the delay elements and the window value. |
US07945398B2 |
Reflow process evaluation device and reflow process evaluation method
A reflow process evaluation device includes, a stress calculation part for calculating an average principal stress acting on a joint portion, wherein a principal stress occurs when a chip and a substrate are joined by solder with a reflow method and a rupture occurrence ratio computation part for computing an occurrence ratio at which the joint portion ruptures based on a relational expression between the occurrence ratio and the average principal stress acting on the joint portion and the average principal stress calculated by the stress calculation part. |
US07945394B2 |
Detecting incomplete fill of biosensors
A method of detecting incomplete filling of an electrochemical biosensor by collecting a series of electrical current values when a constant electrical potential is applied across the working and counter electrodes during a preliminary burn period. The slope of a line determined by linear regression based on the series of current values is used to determine whether or not the biosensor is incompletely filled. If the line has a positive slope, the biosensor is reported to be under filled. If the slope is not positive, the correlation coefficient of the current values is used as a supplemental test to indicate whether or not the biosensor is incompletely filled. |
US07945386B2 |
Rerouting in vehicle navigation systems
A navigation device includes a processor, a map information storage medium storing map information, a position determining module configured to determine a current location, a velocity and direction of travel of a vehicle, and determine whether the current position indicates a deviation from an original route to a final destination. Further included is a routing module configured to determine an original route from a starting position to a destination, and at least one reroute from the current location to the destination, wherein the reroute includes a restoration route from the current location to at least one intermediate point on the original route and then continuing to the destination. Based upon an estimated cost of the restoration route plus a predetermined actual cost of the route from the intermediate point to the final destination, the routing module is further configured to estimate a reroute cost, and select a reroute based upon the estimated reroute cost. |
US07945384B2 |
Navigation apparatus and position detection method
A navigation apparatus includes: a main unit to be attached to a mobile object through a base section, the main unit detecting a current position of the mobile object based on positioning information; a section that calculates acceleration applied to the mobile object based on the mobile object's speed; an acceleration sensor that observes acceleration applied to the main unit; a section that calculates an attachment inclination of the acceleration sensor with respect to the mobile object; a section that estimates, while the positioning information is not being supplied, a speed and position of the mobile object; a section that detects whether the main unit is mounted on the base section; and a section that forces the above section to stop estimating the speed when the main unit is not mounted on the base section. |
US07945383B2 |
Route determination method and apparatus for navigation system
A navigation system is able to find an optimum route to a destination even when a large non-digitized area exists between a starting point to the destination. The navigation system produces processing points based on a particular shape and size of the large non-digitized area and determines whether such processing points should be used for route search operations. When it is determined that the route search operation is effective, the navigation system performs A* algorithm search operations with respect to the start point, processing points and the destination and detects an optimum route to detour the large non-digitized area. |
US07945382B2 |
Navigation apparatus and method
A navigation apparatus and method increase the upper limit for the number of times map data may be written into a portable storage medium. A CPU reads an initial radius and an additional radius increment from a ROM and repeatedly adds the additional radius increment to the initial radius to obtain, with each addition, a new calculated radius centered on coordinates of a central geographic point of a map data extracting-region. The map data for each secondary grid unit within the map data extracting-region is sequentially read out from a CD-ROM. Then, when the map data within the incrementally enlarged map data extracting-region exceeds the maximum storage capacity of the SD memory card, the CPU deducts the last added increment of radius from the calculated radius to obtain a map region to be stored. The CPU sequentially reads out from the CD-ROM the map data for each grid unit within the map region to be stored and sequentially writes the grid units of map data into the SD memory card. |
US07945374B2 |
Method and apparatus for characterizing fuel injector performance to reduce variability in fuel injection
A method for equalizing fuel injector flows among a plurality of fuel injectors in an internal combustion engine including the steps of a) characterizing the electrical and/or mechanical performance of each fuel injector; b) imprinting characterization data on each fuel injector; c) reading the imprinted data into a control computer, preferably at the time of engine assembly or sub-assembly; and d) using the characterization data in an algorithm to adjust at least one electrical parameter such as hold current, peak current, and boost time for each fuel injector in an assembled engine during each fuel injection cycle. |
US07945370B2 |
Configuring an engine control module
Method and systems are provided for configuring operations of an engine control module. In one implementation, a method is provided. According to the method, configuration parameters defining an operational range of an engine are received. Furthermore, data specifying performance requirements of the engine is received from the engine control module. The method determines whether the configuration parameters meet the performance requirements. |
US07945369B2 |
Adaptive cruise control system
An adaptive cruise control system and a method for controlling the velocity of a host motor vehicle. An object detecting device is capable of simultaneously detecting several target objects. A separate control order is generated for each detected target object for influencing engine controls and brake controls of the host vehicle to control the velocity of the host vehicle. Control orders generated for several simultaneously detected target objects are then compared and the most restrictive control order among these is selected. At least one control signal based on the selected control order is then sent to at least one of the engine controls and the brake controls of the host vehicle to control the velocity of the host vehicle in accordance with the selected control order. |
US07945368B2 |
Method of adjusting an automatic parking brake
A method of actuating an automatic parking brake for a vehicle, comprising a spring device, designed to absorb the actuating forces, situated in the actuating mechanism of a brake device. This method comprises at least the following steps: application of a preload to the spring device to a value situated in part IV of the operating characteristic, and adjustment of this preload to a level corresponding at least to a minimum braking force required for the vehicle. |
US07945366B2 |
Motor vehicle transmission control for operating a motor vehicle transmission
In a control for a motor vehicle transmission having a clutch and means for establishing and/or releasing an engagement of a toothing or of jaws of the motor vehicle transmission including a control unit for actuating the clutch for transmitting a torque to a first component of the toothing, the control unit being adapted, for the purpose of releasing a tooth-on-tooth position of the toothing, to briefly provide a control signal for adjusting the clutch to a desired clutch position (KS) in order to generate a torque pulse, the control unit determining a reaction of the motor vehicle transmission in response to the control signal from the control unit and adapting the desired clutch position (KS) as a function of the reaction. |
US07945364B2 |
Service for improving haulage efficiency
A process of enabling and providing a service for improving haulage efficiency in a haulage system includes identifying a customer who may benefit from the service. Haulage vehicles of a fleet of haulage vehicles are equipped with a system for monitoring haulage parameters of the haulage vehicles. Equipment for gathering data on the monitored haulage parameters and for gathering information on haulage vehicle location along haul roads is provided. Target haulage parameters which result in desired haulage system performance are determined. The data is analyzed and deviations of actual haulage system performance from desired haulage system performance are determined. |
US07945360B2 |
Cost reduction system and method for flight data recording
A method and system for acquiring aircraft parameters that includes sampling an aircraft parameter during a first sampling period, recording the full value of the aircraft parameter sampled during the first sampling period, then sampling the aircraft parameter during a fixed number of subsequent consecutive sampling periods, and recording the change between the value of the aircraft parameter sampled in the subsequent sampling periods and the value of the aircraft parameter sampled in the prior sampling period. A method and system for constructing a data stream that includes merging a voluntary data stream and the mandatory parameters and storing the merged data stream in a flight data recorder while maintaining the certification of the flight data recorder. |
US07945359B2 |
Telematics based vehicle maintenance client notification
The present invention provides a method for providing vehicle maintenance client notification within a telematics equipped mobile vehicle that includes monitoring the mobile vehicle for vehicle system maintenance information, determining an oil-life value based on the vehicle system maintenance information, determining when the oil-life value exceeds at least one oil-life threshold level, sending the vehicle system maintenance information to a call center responsive to the oil-life threshold level determination, and generating a service reminder, at the call center, based on the received vehicle system maintenance information. The step of determining when the oil-life value exceeds the oil-life threshold level may include comparing the determined oil-life value with the at least one oil-life threshold level, determining at least one oil-life threshold level that is exceeded by the oil-life value, and initiating a vehicle data upload based on the at least one exceeded oil-life threshold level. |
US07945350B2 |
Wind turbine acoustic emission control system and method
A system and method for controlling noise generated from a wind turbine is disclosed. The method includes selectively adjusting the angle of pitch of the blade in response to an amount of noise generated being above a predetermined amount and maintaining the amount of noise generated at or below the predetermined amount of noise. |
US07945349B2 |
Method and a system for facilitating calibration of an off-line programmed robot cell
The present invention relates to a method and a system for facilitating calibration of a robot cell including one or more objects (8) and an industrial robot (1,2,3) performing work in connection to the objects, wherein the robot cell is programmed by means of an off-line programming tool including a graphical component for generating 2D or 3D graphics based on graphical models of the objects. The system comprises a computer unit (10) located at the off-line programming site and configured to store a sequence of calibration points for each of the objects, and to generate a sequence of images (4) including graphical representations of the objects to be calibrated and the calibration points in relation to the objects, and to transfer the images to the robot, and that the robot is configured to display said sequence of images to a robot operator during calibration of the robot cell so that for each calibration point a view including the present calibration point and the object to be calibrated is displayed to the robot operator. |
US07945346B2 |
Module identification method and system for path connectivity in modular systems
A configurable self-identifying workpiece transport system is described for moving an associated workpiece relative to a plurality of associated workpiece functional units selectively performing operations on the associated workpiece. The transport system includes a plurality of transport modules and a control unit. The plurality of transport modules are disposed in selected positions relative to the associated workpiece functional units, and each of the plurality of transport modules stores identification data and functionality data specific to the transport module. The control unit includes an automatic identification system in communication with each of the plurality of transport modules for retrieving the identification data and the functionality data from each of the plurality of transport modules and generating an itinerary for moving the associated workpiece relative to the workpiece functional units. Each of the plurality of transport modules includes a local communication circuit adapted to selectively communicate with adjacent transport modules. In one embodiment, the control unit is distributed among the plurality of transport modules and in another embodiment, a global system bus is provided by a central control unit for communicating with each of the plurality of transport modules through the global bus. The local communication circuit includes photo optic devices and the global system bus uses a two wire interface. |
US07945345B2 |
Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus
A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a first program on a controller and a second program on an interface board between the controller and controlled devices. Both of the programs update their own counters and exchange their counter values with each other, serving as bi-directional software watchdog timers (WDT). If a counter value of the first program on the controller sent to the second program on the interface board is determined to be abnormal by the second program, the second program on the interface board sends commands to the controlled devices to terminate output so that the apparatus is navigated to a safe mode. The first program similarly monitors the counter values of the second program for anomalies. This bi-directional software WDT can be implemented as add-on to software programs that already exist in the controller and the interface board, therefore, this implementation does not incur extra cost of hardware of the apparatus. |
US07945343B2 |
Method of making an article of footwear
A method of making an article of footwear is disclosed. The method includes the steps of designing an article of footwear via a website, converting a footwear representation into a set of two-dimensional portions, printing the two dimensional portions onto a sheet material, cutting and assembling the two dimensional portions into a finalized article of footwear. The method further includes a step of shipping the article of footwear to a pre-designated shipping address. |
US07945342B2 |
Audio processing apparatus for automatic gain control
The present invention provides an audio processing apparatus for automatically controlling gain. The audio processing apparatus includes an audio signal source and a sound reproduction device. The sound reproduction device attaches to the audio signal source, which includes a storage unit for storing a default gain value and a gain index table. The gain index table lists genre types with a genre gain value of each of the genre types. After receiving a play command signal, the audio signal source fetches an audio file to be played, reads a genre type of the audio file from a tag thereof, and processing the audio file to generate audio signals. The audio signal source further reads a genre gain value of the genre type from the gain index table, amplifies the audio signals by the genre gain value, and sends the amplified audio signals to the sound reproduction device to reproduce corresponding sounds. |
US07945339B2 |
Non-periodic control communications in wireless and other process control systems
Disclosed is a controller having a processor and a control module adapted for periodic execution by the processor and configured to be responsive to a process variable to generate a control signal for a process. An iteration of the periodic execution of the control module involves implementation of a routine configured to generate a representation of a process response to the control signal. The routine is further configured to maintain the representation over multiple iterations of the periodic execution of the control module and until an update of the process variable is available. In some cases, the update of the process variable is made available via wireless transmission of the process signal. In those and other cases, the controller may be included within a process control system having a field device to transmit the process signal indicative of the process variable non-periodically based on whether the process variable has changed by more than a predetermined threshold. In some embodiments, the field device also transmits the process signal if a refresh time has been exceeded since a last transmission. |
US07945338B2 |
Automation human machine interface having virtual graphic controls
Within an industrial automation environment, a human-machine interface (HMI) is provided comprising a HMI computer, a display electrically coupled with the computer, and a controller wirelessly coupled with the computer. The controller is configured to detect motion of the controller, and wirelessly transmit motion data related to the motion of the controller to the HMI computer. The HMI computer is configured to receive industrial automation data, wirelessly receive motion data from the controller, process the motion data into control data, and select a first set of industrial automation data for display in response to the control data. |
US07945337B2 |
High impedance and low polarization electrode
An insulative housing formed about a distal end of a medical electrical lead body includes a cavity and a port; an ionically conductive medium fills the cavity and is in intimate contact with an electrode surface contained within the cavity. When a current is delivered to the electrode surface contained within the cavity, a first current density generated at the electrode surface is smaller than a second current density generated out from the port of the insulative housing; thus, the port forms a high impedance and low polarization tissue-stimulating electrode. |
US07945336B2 |
Probe with multiple arms and system for deep electrical neurostimulation comprising such a probe
Probe (1) for deep electrical neurostimulation, and more specifically for deep brain electrostimulation, comprising: a tubular body (10) of biocompatible material with a lateral wall (11) defining a lumen (12) and a closed anterior end (13), said tubular body (11) can be introduced for at least a part of its length inside a patient's body for reaching a region to be stimulated; wherein it also comprises: a plurality of electrically insulating arms (32) each bearing at least one electrode (40) and being able to pass from a first position in which they are housed inside of said tubular body (11) to a second position in which they project radially from this latter and inversely; and means (20 and 50) for making said arms (32) pass from said first position to said second position and inversely. |
US07945335B2 |
Remotely RF powered conformable thermal applicators
Embodiments of the present invention are generally related to apparatus and methodology of thermal applicators in cancer therapy. In particular, the present embodiments are directed to a technique called “nanoparticle ferromagnetic resonance heating,” where ferromagnetic resonance heating in addition to an RF hyperthermia treatment is used to cause cell apoptosis and necrosis. An apparatus for carrying out a ferromagnetic resonance heating treatment of a tumor, comprises a volume concentration of super paramagnetic particles contained within the interior of the tumor, the concentration ranging from about 0.1 to about 1 percent; a magnetic field source configured to deliver a gradient DC magnetic field to the region of the tumor; and an energy source configured to deliver to the tumor an RF field at a frequency ranging from about 100 to 200 MHz. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the super paramagnetic particles are selected from the group consisting of maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) based compounds, and yttrium iron garnet (Y3Fe5O12) based compounds. |
US07945333B2 |
Programmer for biostimulator system
A biostimulator system comprises one or more implantable devices and an external programmer configured for communicating with the implantable device or devices via bidirectional communication pathways comprising a receiving pathway that decodes information encoded on stimulation pulses generated by ones of the implantable device or devices and conducted through body tissue to the external programmer. |
US07945329B2 |
Multi-channel connector for brain stimulation system
An implantable connector used with a neurological device and a lead extension includes a male connector having a plurality of electrical contacts axially arranged along the connector, insulated from each other. The connector also includes a female connector having one or more channels axially disposed therein and a plurality of conductors axially arranged on the female connector. The plurality of conductors are electrically insulated from each other, and at least one indexing element is disposed adjacent one or more of the channels. The indexing element allows the male connector to be received into the one or more channels in a defined orientation relative to the channel, thereby forming at least two electrical connections along two or more axial positions. Often the neurological device is a brain stimulating and recording lead. The male and female connectors are often fastened together with a screw or by twist-locking the two members together. |
US07945327B2 |
Systems and methods for monitoring and managing power consumption of an implantable medical device
In one embodiment, an external programming device is operable to determine and graphically display power consumption of an implantable medical device (“IMD”). In accordance with this particular embodiment, the external programming device includes a graphical user interface display and a communication interface operable to receive information from an IMD. In this embodiment, the external programming device is operable to receive IMD parameter settings and/or battery parameter values from the IMD, calculate a power consumption rate for the IMD, and then display the power consumption on the graphical user interface display using a graphical visual indicator. |
US07945326B1 |
Tissue characterization using intracardiac impedances with an implantable lead system
An implantable system acquires intracardiac impedance with an implantable lead system. In one implementation, the system generates frequency-rich, low energy, multi-phasic waveforms that provide a net-zero charge and a net-zero voltage. When applied to bodily tissues, current pulses or voltage pulses having the multi-phasic waveform provide increased specificity and sensitivity in probing tissue. The effects of the applied pulses are sensed as a corresponding waveform. The waveforms of the applied and sensed pulses can be integrated to obtain corresponding area values that represent the current and voltage across a spectrum of frequencies. These areas can be compared to obtain a reliable impedance value for the tissue. Frequency response, phase delay, and response to modulated pulse width can also be measured to determine a relative capacitance of the tissue, indicative of infarcted tissue, blood to tissue ratio, degree of edema, and other physiological parameters. |
US07945322B2 |
Tank filters placed in series with the lead wires or circuits of active medical devices to enhance MRI compatibility
A TANK filter is provided for a lead wire of an active medical device (AMD). The TANK filter includes a capacitor in parallel with an inductor. The parallel capacitor and inductor are placed in series with the lead wire of the AMD, wherein values of capacitance and inductance are selected such that the TANK filter is resonant at a selected frequency. The Q of the inductor may be relatively maximized and the Q of the capacitor may be relatively minimized to reduce the overall Q of the TANK filter to attenuate current flow through the lead wire along a range of selected frequencies. In a preferred form, the TANK filter is integrated into a TIP and/or RING electrode for an active implantable medical device. |
US07945310B2 |
Surgical instrument path computation and display for endoluminal surgery
An endoscopic surgical navigation system comprises a path correlation module that can compute the path taken by an endoscope scope or other medical instrument during an endoscopic medical procedure and various related attributes and parameters, and can compute and display a correlation between two paths. |
US07945306B2 |
Method for generating an image exposure of the heart requiring a preparation
A method for generation of an image exposure of the heart of an examination subject with an imaging medical examination apparatus in particular a magnetic resonance apparatus, the image exposure requiring preparation includes the steps of: preparation of the heart in a heart position that is relevant for the image acquisition and determination of the associated heart position, determination of at least one current heart position in the further course of the heart cycle, comparison of the determined current heart position with the heart position relevant for the image acquisition, and given correlation of the current heart position and the heart position relevant for the image acquisition, starting the image acquisition through a control device of the imaging medical examination apparatus. |
US07945305B2 |
Adaptive acquisition and reconstruction of dynamic MR images
A method for acquiring MR data from a beating heart during subject respiration includes a prescan phase in which a respiratory compensation table and a k-space sampling schedule are produced. The k-space sampling table is produced using a spatio-temporal model of the beating heart and time sequential sampling theory. During the subsequent scan an imaging pulse sequence which is prospectively compensated for respiratory motion is used to acquire k-space data from the subject. The imaging pulse sequence is repeated to play out the phase encodings in the order listed in the k-space sampling schedule. |
US07945299B2 |
Multiple torsion spring and semi-automatic sliding device using the same
Disclosed are a multiple torsion spring employed in a sliding-type portable communication terminal and a semi-automatic sliding device employing the same. The multiple torsion spring is a spring employed in a semi-automatic sliding device for a sliding-type portable communication terminal, wherein the spring comprises opposite ends and at least two coil spring sections. The spring is formed in a zigzag shape. |
US07945298B2 |
Wireless terminal
A wireless terminal able to suppress deterioration of antenna characteristics due to opening/closing of the terminal, that is, a wireless terminal comprising a first housing and a second housing having inside them circuit boards on which ground conductive layers are formed, a connection member for connecting ends of the first housing and second housing with each other so that they can be open or closed, a built-in antenna arranged in one housing between the first housing and second housing and at the end on an opposite side to the connection member, and a ground conductive member for electrically connecting ground conductive layers of the circuit boards arranged in the first housing and second housing to each other, constituted so that a portion of the connection member includes a conductive member, and the ground conductive member is brought into contact with the conductive member. |
US07945297B2 |
Headsets and headset power management
The invention relates to an energy saving headset that comprises a power management unit operable to reduce the power consumption of the headset when a user is not present. The power management unit uses capacitive sensing to detect the presence of the user. Capacitive sensing is advantageous since it provides a flexible and reliable sensor that can accurately detect the presence or absence of a user either by detecting user proximity or user contact. Moreover, in various embodiments, the sensitivity of a capacitive sensor may be adjusted to account for user movement or changes in environmental conditions, such as, for example, the presence of water, or sweat, on the headset to further improve sensing reliability. The invention further relates to headsets using user presence signals based on capacitive sensing to control other functions of the headset or to control external devices to which the headset is connected, either wirelessly or by wires. |
US07945294B2 |
Apparatus and method for providing hands-free operation of a device
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for providing hands-free operation of a device. A hands-free adapter is provided that communicates with a device and a headset. The hands-free adapter allows a user to use voice commands so that the user does not have to handle the device. The hands-free adapter receives voice commands from the headset and translates the voice commands to commands recognized by the device. The hands-free adapter also monitors the device to detect device events and provides notice of the events to the user via the headset. |
US07945291B2 |
Computer system providing selective wireless network enablement
A computer system is provided with an antenna which disables inappropriate wireless communications when a communication controller is inconsistently connected with the antenna. The computer having a diversity antenna connected to a detachable wireless LAN card containing a controller for providing wireless communication is mounted in a mini PCI slot, comprising a switch device for recognizing the identification information (ID) of the wireless LAN card to be mounted by BIOS executed on a CPU, in which the connection between the diversity antenna and the wireless LAN card is maintained in an off state (default) as an initial state in which the wireless LAN card is mounted, and the connection is enabled based on the identification information recognized by the BIOS. |
US07945290B2 |
Distributed architecure wireless RF modem
The present invention provides for a wireless radio frequency (“RF”) modem that plugs into a host computer and shares a central processing unit and memory with the host computer, wherein principal modem functions are distributed between the modem and the host computer. In one embodiment, the modem performs RF conversion, and the host computer performs baseband processing and protocol stack control. In another embodiment, the modem performs RF conversion and baseband processing, and the host computer performs protocol stack control. |
US07945282B2 |
Preamble transmission method for wireless communication system
A preamble transmission method for a wireless communication system is provided for improving the probability of successful transmission and reducing unnecessary retransmission power consumption. The preamble transmission method of the present invention calculates an initial transmission power; transmits a preamble with the initial transmission power through a random access channel; if an acknowledgement is received in response to the preamble, starts transmission of data; and if no acknowledgement is received in response to the preamble—calculates a retransmission power, and retransmits the preamble with the retransmission power. |
US07945278B2 |
Communication method, communication system, and communication terminal
A one-to-multitude group communication method and group communication system enabling a user of each communication terminal to predict transmission permission and a communication terminal used in this one-to-multitude group communication system, where when a communication terminal requests the transmission permission from a communication management system, the information concerning communication terminals waiting for transmission permission in the communication system is provided from the communication management system to all communication terminals and this information is displayed on a display part of each communication terminal. Due to this, each communication terminal can determine communication terminals waiting for the transmission permission in the communication system, therefore, even if transmission is not permitted at a point of time when it issues the request, it can predict how long it must wait for obtaining the transmission permission. |
US07945277B2 |
Use of media timestamp to indicate delays in push-to-talk over cellular group calls
A method to indicate delays in a push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) group call may include offsetting a timestamp in a data stream being transmitted to a late listener to indicate a delay from when the data stream was transmitted to a first listener. The data stream includes data convertible to speech. The method may also include transmitting the data stream including the offset timestamp to the late listener. |
US07945275B2 |
Sessions in a communication system
A method in a communications system for handling responses to messages includes a step of sending a message from a first party to a second party. A response to the message is sent, with the response including at least one parameter in breach of a policy for a communication between the first party and the second party. A network controller detects that the response includes at least one parameter breaching the policy. The at least one parameter is modified to be consistent with the policy. |
US07945270B2 |
Estimating a location of a mobile device
The approximate location of a directed cell of a cellular network is calculated based on locations in the vicinity of which mobile devices were able to detect the directed cell. A mobile device is able to estimate its own location from the approximate locations of one or more directed cells that it can identify. This estimated location of the mobile device may be used to seed its GPS receiver. |
US07945262B2 |
Global location registers in roaming cellular telephony
A global location register (GLR) provides a proxy for visitor location registers to the home location registers to avoid updating of the external network with location update notifications upon transfer of a roaming user between visitor location registers. The standard GLR is extended by being configured with multiple addresses, has a soft shutdown procedure, has a blacklist mechanism, a searching facility for finding lost roaming users, and has a mechanism for overcoming ambiguities in local identification numbers assigned by visitor location registers. |
US07945261B1 |
Systems and methods for provisioning and synchronizing wireless subscriber data
Systems and methods for provisioning and synchronizing subscriber data are provided. Subscriber data is provisioned in two home location registers, each located in a different wireless network. When the subscriber registers in one of the wireless networks, the subscriber data is obtained from the local home location register. One of the two home location registers is designated as the owning home location register. Updates of subscriber data are performed with the owning home location register, which then updates the other home location register. |
US07945256B1 |
Communication device
A communication device, such as a mobile phone, which implements a voice communication mode, a digital mirror mode, and a remote controlling mode, wherein the image retrieved from the camera is displayed in an inverted manner when the digital mirror mode is implemented, and a specific device, which is a device different from the communication device, is remotely controlled by the communication device in a wireless fashion when the remote controlling mode is implemented. |
US07945248B2 |
Mobile communications device employing multiple data storage locations for electronic messages
A computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions thereon for execution by a processor of a mobile communication device (116) comprises a code segment (216) for message processing, which may include a code segment for rule comparison, a code segment for message routing and a code segment for default message handling. The message processing code segment (216) processes an incoming message received via a data service network (400). The message processing code segment (216) subsequently compares a portion of each incoming message to at least one criterion contained in at least one message routing rule having a message database object (418, 420) associated with it, stores each incoming message meeting each criterion for a message routing rule in the message database object (418, 420) associated with that message routing rule, and stores all messages not routed to a message database object (418, 420) according to a message routing rule into a default message database object (422). |
US07945243B2 |
Mobile communication terminal for protecting private contents and method for controlling the same
A mobile terminal for use in a Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) system. A mobile equipment (ME) for use in the GSM system includes a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card and a Mobile Terminal (MT). The SIM card stores International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) information used for subscriber authentication and private information. The MT stores the IMSI and private information of a user, and contains a controller, which reads IMSI information from the SIM card when the SIM card is inserted into the MT, and denies access to the stored private information when the read IMSI information of the inserted SIM card is different from the stored IMSI information. |
US07945241B2 |
Charging for roaming users in IMS networks
Communication networks and methods are disclosed for sharing charging information between a home IMS network and a visited IMS network. If a signaling message for a session is received in the visited IMS network, the visited IMS network assigns a visited charging identifier (e.g., ICID), and shares the visited charging identifier with the home IMS network through signaling messages. Similarly, the home IMS network assigns a home charging identifier, and shares the home charging identifier with the visited IMS network through signaling messages. When CDRs are generated in the home IMS network and the visited IMS network, the networks include the home charging identifier and the visited charging identifier in the CDRs so that billing systems may more easily correlate the CDRs from the different IMS networks. |
US07945235B2 |
Network-based subscriber calling restrictions
Methods and systems are provided that enable communication with a wireless device. In one such method, a communication event that is intended for a wireless device is detected and a user account associated with the wireless device is identified. Information associated with the user account is identified and a determination is made as to whether the information permits the communication event to occur. If the determination is that the information does not permit the communication event to occur, the communication event is terminated. If the determination is that the information permits the communication event to occur, the communication event is enabled. |
US07945234B2 |
Low duty cycle half-duplex mode operation with communication device
Operating a communication device in a half-duplex mode using only overhead channels; and substantially free running a timing reference obtained during reception to allow a timing reference value to drift during transmission. |
US07945231B2 |
Semiconductor device for an ultra wideband standard for ultra-high-frequency communication, and method for producing the same
A semiconductor device for an ultra-wideband standard for ultra-high-frequency communication includes an ultra-wideband semiconductor chip and a multilayer circuit substrate with at least one lower metal layer and one upper metal layer, in which an ultra-wideband circuit with passive devices is arranged. The lower metal layer has external contact pads on which external contacts are arranged, via which the semiconductor device can be surface-mounted on a circuit board. In addition, the semiconductor device has an antenna which is operatively coupled to the ultra-wideband semiconductor chip via the circuit on the circuit substrate and is arranged above the semiconductor chip and the circuit substrate. |
US07945219B2 |
Frequency modulation circuit, transmitter, and communication apparatus
A bandpass type delta sigma modulation section 15 performs delta sigma modulation on an inputted modulation signal such that quantization noise is reduced in a frequency band which requires low noise. An LPF 16 removes a noise component in a high frequency region from the signal on which the delta sigma modulation has been performed. A frequency modulation circuit 1 reduces noise in the frequency band which requires low noise with the bandpass type delta sigma modulation section 15 and the LPF 16, and reduces noise in the vicinity of a direct current component DC with a feedback comparison section 11 and a loop filter 12. |
US07945217B2 |
Multi-mode baseband-IF converter
A configurable frequency conversion device includes an up-converter, which is arranged to convert an input transmit signal to an interim transmit signal at an intermediate transmit frequency and to convert the interim transmit signal to an output transmit signal at an output frequency. A down-converter is arranged to convert an input receive signal at an input frequency to an interim receive signal at an intermediate receive frequency and to convert the interim receive signal to an output receive signal. Local Oscillator (LO) generation circuitry is arranged to generate multiple LO signals having respective LO frequencies and is coupled to drive the up- and down-converter with the LO signals, and is externally configurable to modify one or more of the LO frequencies so as to modify any of the output frequency, the input frequency, and a separation between the output and input frequencies without changing the intermediate receive and transmit frequencies. |
US07945216B2 |
Single chip wireless transceiver operable to perform voice, data and radio frequency (RF) processing
A single chip wireless transceiver operable to perform voice, data and radio frequency (RF) processing is provided. This processing may be divided between various processing modules. This single chip includes a processing module having an ARM microprocessor and a digital signal processor (DSP), an RF section, and an interface module. The processing module converts an outbound voice signal into an outbound voice symbol stream, converts an inbound voice symbol stream into an inbound voice signal, converts outbound data into an outbound data symbol stream, and converts an inbound data symbol stream into inbound data. These functions may be divided between the ARM microprocessor and DSP, where the DSP supports physically layer type applications and the ARM microprocessor supports higher layer applications. Further bifurcation may be based on voice applications, data applications, and/or RF control. The RF section converts an inbound RF voice signal into the inbound voice symbol stream, converts the outbound voice symbol stream into an outbound RF voice signal, converts an inbound RF data signal into the inbound data symbol stream, and converts the outbound data symbol stream into an outbound RF data signal. The interface module provides coupling between the processing module, the RF section, and with off-chip circuits. |
US07945213B2 |
Transient RF detector and recorder
A portable device for detecting a radio frequency transmission of electromagnetic radiation includes a housing; a controller situated within the housing; memory communicatively connected to the controller; an antenna connected to the controller and configured to receive the radio frequency transmission; and an audio-generating component connected to the controller. The radio frequency transmission of the electromagnetic radiation is harmful to an electrical device and is from a transient electromagnetic device (TED) threat source. The controller is operative for sensing magnitude, duration, and/or repetition of the radio frequency transmission; identifying a class of the radio frequency transmission based on one of the magnitude, duration, and repetition associated with the radio frequency transmission; and causing the audio-generating component to output tones to provide aural discrimination of an identified class of the radio frequency transmission received by the portable device. The identified class is a transient electromagnetic pulse signal from the TED source. |
US07945209B2 |
Blocking of communication channels
A system may include a scanning module that is arranged and configured to scan communication channels for channel interference, a channel assessor module that is arranged and configured to determine a type of channel interference present on one or more of the communication channels, and a blocking module that is arranged and configured to selectively block one or more of the communication channels based on the type of channel interference. |
US07945208B2 |
Radio frequency integrated circuit
Embodiments of an RFIC and methods for same and mobile terminals can internally reduce an input voltage to provide a prescribed voltage to a radio frequency transceiver. Embodiments of an RFIC can have a high efficiency and/or a low noise. In one embodiment, a device can include a PMIC and an RFIC. The RFIC can include an RF transceiver to carry out an RF transmission and an RF reception, a DC-DC converter to lower a voltage provided by the PMIC, and an LDO regulator to regulate the lowered voltage to a fixed voltage used by the RF transceiver. |
US07945206B2 |
Data packet transmission scheduling in a mobile communication system
A communication device has a first transceiver that operates in a first communication system in the presence of a second transceiver that operates in a second communication system that is unrelated to the first communication system. A scheduler of packets for transmission by the first transceiver uses information about when the second communication system will be transmitting a signal that will interfere with reception by the first transceiver, and schedules data for which re-transmission is not essential in those time slots in which an implicit NACK is expected due to the second transceiver's operation. |
US07945200B2 |
Systems and methods for remanufacturing imaging components
Systems and methods of remanufacturing an imaging cartridge include providing the imaging cartridge comprising a developer material supplying roller, a developer roller, a developer blade which regulates a layer of thickness of the developer material on the outer surface of the developer roller, the developer blade held in a first position to exert a first pressure on the outer surface of the developer roller, providing a replacement developer material having a set of characteristics, and adjusting the position of the developer blade to a second position to exert a second pressure on the outer surface of the developer roller, the second position of the developer blade selected to function with the replacement developer material having the set of characteristics. |
US07945198B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus comprising same
In a fixing device in which fixing defects can be suppressed and which can be reduced in size, and an image forming apparatus comprising the fixing device, setting is performed such that the surface temperature of an outer peripheral belt surface serving as a non-heated belt surface of a fixing belt is substantially equal at a heating region inlet at the upstream end of a heating region and a heating region outlet at the downstream end of the heating region such that the temperature difference between the surface temperature of the outer peripheral belt surface at the heating region inlet and the surface temperature of the outer peripheral belt surface at the heating region outlet is no more than 5 [° C.]. |
US07945197B2 |
Image forming apparatus with cushioning to mitigate internal impact
The image forming apparatus has: a unit including a transfer medium that circularly moves; an image forming section provided along a circulation direction of the transfer medium; a movement mechanism that moves the unit in a direction substantially perpendicular to a moving direction of the transfer medium, and enables the unit to move in a first direction so as to bring the unit into contact with the image forming apparatus and in a second direction so as to move the unit apart from the image forming apparatus; and a cushioning component for applying a load in directions opposite to moving directions of the unit when the unit is moved in the first and second directions, respectively, thereby to relax impact caused by motion of the unit. |
US07945195B2 |
Developing device having developer regulating member, and image forming apparatus using developing device
A developer regulating member capable of stably regulating the thickness of a developer even when used for a long time, while preventing the increase in the production cost, a developing device having the developer regulating member, an image forming apparatus having the developing device, a process cartridge, and a method of producing the developer regulating member. The average crystal particle diameter D [μm] of a plate-like member provided in a layer-thinning blade which functions as the developer regulating member and which abuts against a developing roller functioning as a developer carrier, and the curvature radius R [μm] of a bent portion satisfy the relationship of D≦60.53×R×10−3−12.61. |
US07945191B2 |
Image forming apparatus having external-additive removal unit that includes a conductive blade
An image forming apparatus includes: an image holder; a charging unit that charges the image holder; a latent image forming unit; a developing unit that forms a toner image; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the image holder onto a recording medium; a toner-particle removal unit that removes toner particles remaining on the surface of the image holder after the transfer of the toner image by the transfer unit; and an external-additive removal unit that includes a conductive blade disposed to contact the surface of the image holder and removes, after the transfer of the toner image by the transfer unit, external additive remaining on the surface of the image holder using the conductive blade while applying a voltage to the surface of the image holder via the conductive blade. |
US07945190B2 |
Cleanerless image forming apparatus
A cleanerless image forming apparatus removes and collects transfer residual toner for reuse by performing cleaning simultaneously with developing. The image forming apparatus includes first and second toner charging members configured to apply an electrical charge having the same polarity as a toner normal charging polarity to the transfer residual toner, and a discharging member that is configured to discharge a drum and is disposed between the first and second toner charging members. |
US07945189B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming method
An image forming apparatus and an image forming method are provided that realize both the use of a decolorizing toner and a non-decolorizing toner and miniaturization of the apparatus. An image forming apparatus employing an intermediate transfer system includes: a primary transfer belt that carries a transferred toner image; a decolorizing toner process unit that is a process unit configured to form a toner image with a decolorizing toner and transfer the decolorizing toner image to the primary transfer belt; a non-decolorizing toner process unit that is a process unit arranged downstream from the decolorizing toner process unit in a traveling direction of the toner image on the primary transfer belt and configured to form a toner image with a non-decolorizing toner and transfer the non-decolorizing toner image to the primary transfer belt; and a secondary transfer roller that is arranged downstream from the non-decolorizing toner process unit in the traveling direction of the toner image on the primary transfer belt and transfers the toner image on the primary transfer belt to a sheet. |
US07945188B2 |
Image forming apparatus with a cleaning operation to improve image quality
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging member, a toner image forming device for forming an image on the image bearing member, and an intermediary transfer member for carrying a toner image. A cleaning member removes toner remaining on the image bearing member, a speed switching device selectively set a speed of the recording material, and an intermediary transfer member speed switching device switches a rotational speed of the intermediary transfer member after the toner image is transferred. A charging control device render off a DC voltage applied to the charging member after transfer of the toner image and while the intermediary transfer member is carrying the toner image. A charging member cleaning control devices permits, when a signal for starting image formation is inputted, a cleaning operation for discharging toner deposited on the charging member to the image bearing member before starting the image formation. |
US07945184B2 |
Process cartridge with member for electrical connection to image-forming device
A cartridge is detachably mountable in an image-forming device, the image-forming device having a power supply supplying a bias. The cartridge includes: a bias-receiving member; a casing; and a terminal member. The bias-receiving member is configured to receive a bias supplied from a power supply provided in the image-forming device. The casing is configured to accommodate the bias-receiving member. The casing has an opening formed therein. The terminal member is detachably mounted in the opening formed in the casing and exposed outside the casing via the opening to electrically connect the power supply to the bias-receiving member. The terminal member includes: a return-restricting part restricting the terminal member from returning into the casing; a projection-restricting part that restricts the terminal member from further protruding out of the casing; and a contact part that is positioned outside the casing and that is electrically connected to the power supply. |
US07945182B2 |
Systems and methods for controlling cleaning devices in image forming apparatus
Systems and methods are provided for controlling cleaning devices in image forming apparatus electrostatic image forming apparatus. Such systems may include a charge receptor, movable in a process direction, defining a main surface. A toner application device applies toner to the charge receptor, and is configured to place a lubrication stripe including the toner on a portion of the main surface of the charge receptor at a selected time. An influence of a pre-clean corotron on the charge receptor is modified, during the designated rotations of the charge receptor, while the portion of the surface on which the lubrication stripe is formed, or will be formed, is passing the pre-clean corotron. The lubrication stripe is delivered to a secondary cleaning device including a blade engaging with the photoreceptor surface to lubricate the blade. |
US07945179B2 |
Driving method for light-emitting elements
A light-emitting device includes: a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light in response to driving signals; a control unit that adjusts the timings at which the driving signals are supplied to a plurality of blocks each composed of one or more light-emitting elements to generate control signals for indicating the timings at which the driving signals are supplied for every block; and a plurality of driving units that are provided for the blocks and supply the driving signals to the light-emitting elements belonging to the corresponding blocks on the basis of the control signals. |
US07945171B2 |
Optical pulse time spreader and optical code division multiplexing transmission device
A phase control arrangement has a structure in which a Superstructured fiber Bragg Grating (SSFBG) 40 has fifteen unit Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) arranged in series in a waveguide direction. The SSFBG 40 is fixed to the core of an optical fiber 36 that includes a core 34 and cladding 32. The difference Δn between the maximum and minimum of the effective refractive index of the optical fiber is 6.2×10−5. The phase difference of Bragg reflected light from two unit diffraction gratings that adjoin one another from front to back and provide equal code values is given by 2πM+(π/2), where M is an integer. Further, the phase difference of the Bragg reflected light from two unit diffraction gratings that adjoin one another from front to back and provide different code values is given by 2πM+(2N+1)π+(π/2) where M and N are integers. The ratio P/W between the peak value P and the subpeak value W of the autocorrelation waveform, and the ratio P/C between the peak value P of the autocorrelation waveform and the maximum peak value C of the cross correlation waveform are both large. |
US07945165B2 |
Optical signal synchronizer
One embodiment of the invention provides an optical signal synchronizer having a plurality of optical channel synchronizers. Each optical channel synchronizer receives a respective input wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) signal and processes it to produce a corresponding output WDM signal, in which optical data packets corresponding to different carrier wavelengths are synchronized to each other regardless of the presence or absence of such synchronization in the input WDM signal. The optical signal synchronizer further has an optical multiplex synchronizer that receives the output WDM signals from the optical channel synchronizers and synchronizes them to each other and to an external reference clock without demultiplexing any of them into individual WDM components. |
US07945163B2 |
Station-side apparatus of wavelength multiplexing PON system, wavelength and network address allotting method and program thereof
To achieve a station-side apparatus of a wavelength multiplexing PON system, which is capable of saving the wavelength resource through automatically carrying out allotment of the wavelength and the network address to reduce the complicated work for the setting, and through dynamically allotting the wavelength without fixing it in advance. It is a station-side apparatus (OLT) of a wavelength multiplexing PON system that comprises a plurality of in-home apparatuses (ONUs). The station-side apparatus is connected to the in-home apparatuses via transmission paths including an optical multiplexing distributor, and executes allotment of the wavelength in response to wavelength allotment requests from the in-home apparatuses. The station-side apparatus comprises a wavelength/network address allotting device that is provided with a DHCP server in advance, which dynamically allots wavelength and network address to the in-home apparatus in response to the wavelength allotment request from the in-home apparatus. |
US07945160B2 |
Method and system of monitoring a data transmission link, particularly an optical, bidirectional data transmission link
Systems and methods for monitoring a data transmission link, especially an optical, bidirectional data transmission link, in which a digital transmit signal is transmitted on a first transmission path from a local end of the data transmission link toward a remote end of the data transmission link. A portion of the power of the transmit signal sent at the local end is transmitted, delayed by a non-zero delay time on a second transmission path as a control signal toward the remote end of the data transmission link. Both signals are received at the remote end and are tested for the presence of events of a predetermined type. A conclusion can be reached on the quality of the transmission link as a function of a time correlation and frequency of the appearance of events in the received transmit signal and in the received control signal. |
US07945159B2 |
Diagnostic method and diagnostic chip for determining the bandwidth of optical fibers
The present invention provides a method for determining the bandwidths of optical fibers, wherein the method provides the coupling of light with a first optical power and a first modulation frequency into an optical fiber, as well as measuring a first signal level as a function of the optical power of the light of the first modulation frequency, coupling light with the second optical power and a second modulation frequency into the optical fiber, measuring a second signal level as a function of the optical power of the light of the second modulation frequency, and determining the bandwidths of the optical fibers as a function of the first and second coupled optical [power and/or] the measured first and second signal levels while using a predetermined specification that describes the frequency-dependent attenuation response of the optical fiber, wherein the first and the second modulation frequencies have essentially the same value. |
US07945151B2 |
Focus control method and unit determining in-focus lens position based on read times of the autofocus areas and focus lens position and time
A focus control method is provided that performs focus control by sensing a plurality of images of an object while moving a position of a focusing lens and determining in-focus positions in auto focusing areas located at a plurality of positions. The focus control method calculates an in-focus position of the focusing lens based on the focusing lens position at the time of reading an image signal of each of the auto focusing areas and a degree of focused state of each of the auto focusing area that is based on the image signal of each of the auto focusing areas. |
US07945147B2 |
Image pick up unit
An image pick up unit includes an optical member, a holding member holding the optical member and movable in an axial direction of an optical axis of the optical member, a driving member rotatable about the optical axis, a cam mechanism configured to convert rotation of the driving member about the optical axis to movement of the holding member in the axial direction of the optical axis, a coil provided in the driving member and movable together with the driving member, and a magnetic field generation portion provided along a rotating direction of the coil and configured to generate a magnetic field to interact with a current flowing in the coil to drive the coil in the rotating direction. |
US07945136B2 |
Mounting of fiber optic cable assemblies within fiber optic shelf assemblies
Fiber optic shelf assemblies and furcation mounting structures for securing a plurality of furcation bodies of respective fiber optic cable assembles within the fiber optic shelf are disclosed. In one embodiment, the fiber optic shelf has a one-to-one correspondence between a plurality of respective modules and the respective fiber optic cable assemblies. Additionally, the fiber optic shelf assemblies and furcation mounting structures disclosed advantageously allow the mounting of a relatively large number of furcation bodies within the fiber optic shelf assembly for supporting relatively large fiber optic connections per 1U rack space. |
US07945132B2 |
Laser and photodetector coupled by planar waveguides
An optical apparatus comprises: a waveguide substrate; three planar optical waveguides formed on the substrate, each comprising a transmission core and cladding; a laser positioned to launch its optical output to propagate along the first waveguide; a photodetector positioned to receive an optical signal propagating along the second waveguide; and a lateral splitter core formed on the substrate for (i) transferring a first fraction of laser optical output propagating along the first waveguide to the second waveguide, and (ii) transferring a second fraction of the laser optical output propagating along the first waveguide to the third waveguide. |
US07945131B1 |
System having optical amplifier incorporated into stacked optical devices
An optical system includes optical devices that each has functional sides between lateral sides. The functional sides include a top side and a bottom side. A first one of the devices has an optical amplifier, a first waveguide, and a first port. A second one of the devices has a second port optically aligned with a second waveguide. The second device is positioned over one of the functional sides of the first device. The optical amplifier is optically positioned between the first waveguide and the first port such that a light signal from the first waveguide enters the amplifier and travels through the amplifier. The first port is configured to receive the light signal from the optical amplifier and change the direction that the light signal is traveling such that the light signal exits the first device traveling in a direction that is toward the second device. The second port is configured to receive the light signal after the light signal exits the first device and to change a direction that the light signal is traveling such that the light signal enters the second waveguide. |
US07945130B2 |
Mode scrambling apparatus for multimode fiber
Apparatus and methods for scrambling optical modes in multimode fibers to achieve uniform light distribution in guided multi-mode light for various applications. |
US07945129B2 |
Hybrid optical switch apparatus
The invention relates to a hybrid optical switch, which is composed of a silicon micro-mirror-array and a mini-actuator array mainly. The invention which combines microelectromechanical systems technology and traditional precision machining technology, possesses the advantages of low cost, high accuracy, high fabrication yield, low actuation voltage, low power consumption, self-aligned micro-mirrors, and easy fiber alignment. |
US07945124B2 |
Information storage medium storing graphic data and apparatus and method of processing the graphic data
An information storage medium including graphic data and presentation information, and an apparatus and method of processing the graphic data are provided. The information storage medium includes the graphic data, page composition information which defines page composition of the graphic data, and the presentation information indicating when graphic screen data, which is composed with reference to the page composition information of the graphic data, is output to a display screen. Therefore, a graphic object is reusable in graphic data processing, and accordingly, a time taken to process the graphic data is reducible and memory area may be saved. |
US07945122B2 |
Method, system, and program product for processing an electronic document
The invention provides a method, system, and program product for processing an electronic document. In one embodiment, the invention includes determining a procedure applicable to the electronic document; defining at least one step of the procedure; in the case that the at least one step includes a plurality of steps, determining an order of the plurality of steps; determining whether the at least one step applies to the electronic document; applying an algorithm for carrying out the at least one step; applying a completion algorithm; determining whether the procedure includes an additional step for which an algorithm has not been applied; and in the case that the procedure includes an additional step for which an algorithm has not been applied: determining whether the additional step applies to the electronic document; applying an algorithm for carrying out the additional step; and applying a completion algorithm. |
US07945117B2 |
Methods and systems for registration of images
A method for registering images, for example medical images, includes acquiring a first image. A second image is acquired. A deformation field for registering the second image to the first image is calculated. The deformation field includes a sum of a plurality of weighted distortion vectors each of which has a substantially Gaussian distribution. The calculated deformation field is applied to the second image to register it to the first image. |
US07945116B2 |
Computer-assisted image cropping for book scans
Methods and systems for cropping images of book pages are disclosed according to one embodiment of the invention. A method may include identifying reference images and receiving cropping rectangles for the reference images. These cropping rectangles associated with reference images may then be used to generate cropping rectangles for images of book pages between the reference images. The cropping rectangles may be generated based on a linear interpolation of the cropping rectangles associated with the reference images and the number of pages between images. The method may also display one or more images of book pages with the associated one or more cropping rectangles superimposed thereon. A user may then have the opportunity to make adjustments to the position and/or size of the cropping rectangles. |
US07945114B2 |
Image transform method for obtaining expanded image data, image processing apparatus and image display device therefore
It is an object of the present invention to output a clear, expanded image wherein step-shapes or chain-shapes of oblique lines are reduced, distortion is eliminated and no constituent lines of fonts or graphics are missing. An image transform method, for transforming original input image data into image data expanded by a ratio represented by a rational number or an integer, comprises: a vertical and horizontal interpolation unit, for reducing correlation in the vertical and horizontal directions of interpolated image data linearly expanded from an original image data input unit, and for generating first expanded image data; an oblique interpolation unit, for performing linear interpolation, based on correlation with a target pixel constituting the original image data and neighboring pixels arranged in oblique directions, using the neighboring pixels to generate second expanded image data; and a final result generator for employing the first expanded image data and the second expanded image data to generate a final image. |
US07945113B2 |
Enhancement of image data based on plural image parameters
A technology is provided whereby correction may be carried out appropriately for both a person's face and other portions of an image, when performing color correction for image data of a photographic image in which a person appears. A process such as the following is carried out during color correction of image data of a photographic image. First, the image data of the photographic image is analyzed, and a first region which is part of the photographic image and in which a person's face is present is determined. Then, on the basis of the portion corresponding to the first region of the image data, a first parameter relating to color is calculated. On the basis of part of the image data corresponding to a second region which is part of the photographic image but different from the first region, a second parameter relating to color is calculated. The color tone of the data is then corrected on the basis of the first and second parameters. |
US07945109B2 |
Image processing based on object information
A CPU divides an image into plural regions and for each of the regions, generates a histogram and calculates an average brightness Y ave. The CPU determines a focus location on the image by using focus location information, sets a region at the determined location as an emphasis region, and sets the average brightness Y ave of the emphasis region as a brightness criterion Y std. The CPU uses the brightness criterion Y std to determine non-usable regions. By using the regions not excluded as non-usable regions, the CPU calculates an image quality adjustment average brightness Y′ ave, i.e. the average brightness of the entire image, with a weighting W in accordance with the locations of the regions reflected thereto, and executes a bright value correction by using the calculated image quality adjustment average brightness Y′ ave. |
US07945107B2 |
System and method for providing gradient preservation for image processing
The present invention provides gradient preservation of an input image. A method of providing gradient preservation of an input image, comprises the steps of: computing gradient fields of the input image; computing gradient fields of a remapped image, wherein the remapped image is the input image remapped; comparing a gradient of the remapped image to a predefined range of acceptable values, wherein the acceptable values depend on the input gradient; changing values of the gradient of the remapped image if the values of the gradient of the remapped image are not within the predefined range of acceptable values depending on the input gradient, resulting in x and y components of a modified gradient; and reconstructing the input image using the x and y components of the modified gradient. |
US07945104B2 |
System and method for encoding and decoding using texture replacement
The invention provides devices and methods that process images. The invention processes a received signal representing information of texture and information of an image, which has the texture removed from at least one region. The image information is encoded to obtain encoded information of the image. An output signal is generated representing the texture information and the encoded image information. In another embodiment, the invention synthesizes texture based on the received texture information, decodes received image information, which is encoded, to obtain a decoded image, and then maps the synthesized texture onto the decoded image. |
US07945103B2 |
Method and apparatus for decoding compressed and encoded digital images
Presented is a method for decoding-decompressing a compressed-encoded digital data sequence relating to at least one initial digital image. The method includes receiving the digital data sequence having compressed-encoded data groups separated from one another by at least one restart marker and each one including a respective set of encoded data structures. The method calculates a representative value of the number of encoded data structures being between a first restart marker and a subsequent second restart marker signaling, respectively, the start of a first data group to be decoded and the start of a second data group. The method then extracts from the first data group the encoded data structures, and detects the presence of at least one error, if the number of the encoded data structures extracted is different from the calculated value. |
US07945096B2 |
Apparatus for discriminating the types of recording material and an apparatus for forming image
The present invention provides an apparatus for discriminating the type of recording material. The apparatus comprises a component irradiating a piece of recording material with light, a sensor picking up an image of the recording material surface by receiving light reflecting off the recording material, a component converting the picked-up image into image data having a plurality of pixels arranged in a predetermined direction and a calculation component integrating the respective density difference values between a first pixel and a second pixel of the plurality of pixels. The apparatus discriminates the type of recording material based on the integrated value of the density values calculated by the calculation component. Furthermore, the present invention provides an apparatus for setting image formation requirements of an image formation component based on the integrated value of the respective density difference values between a first pixel and a second pixel of pixels. |
US07945095B2 |
Line segment detector and line segment detecting method
A line segment detector comprises a vertical line detecting part, a horizontal line detecting part, a left-to-right downward slanting line detecting part, a left-to-right upward slanting line detecting part, and a line-segment detecting/synthesizing section that calculates OR operation of output values from the vertical line detecting part, the horizontal line detecting part, the left-to-right downward slanting line detecting part, and the left-to-right upward slanting line detecting part. The line segment detector further comprises a re-determining unit comprising a second line-segment detecting part that sets a window to the detection result near the target pixel, counts the number of pixels whose detection result is determined as the line segment in the set window, determines, when the counted value is not smaller than a predetermined threshold value, that the pixel is a line segment. |
US07945094B2 |
Method for chromatic adaptation of images
A method for a chromatic adaptation transformation of images using temperature and tint space comprises the steps of: acquiring a red, green, blue (RGB) image using a camera (11); providing neutral RGB values for camera specific, and at least one of a selected highlight and shadow values, to produce a 3D lookup transformation table (21); calibrating the RGB image by applying the 3D lookup transformation table to produce a calibrated RGB image (22); calculating a Von Kries transform from specific temperature and tint values (14); and applying a chromatic adaptation to the calibrated RGB image using the Von Kries transform to produce a modified RGB image chromatically adapted (15), while maintaining neutral RGB values for highlight and shadow regions. |
US07945091B2 |
Image processor correcting color misregistration, image processing program, image processing method, and electronic camera
An image processor captures image data which include at least correction object color components and reference color components and has one kind of color component per pixel. The image processor acquires or detects information about positional shifts of the correction object color components and corrects positional shifts of correction object color components. In this correction, image structures lost from correction object color components are compensated for by image structures extracted from reference color components. |
US07945090B2 |
Colour detection
Monochrome images are detecting by analysing the skew of the statistical distribution of color difference values of pixels. A skew parameter is derived from an upper percentile, a lower percentile and a median value of the statistical distribution of color difference values and color is detected when the said skew parameter exceeds a threshold. |
US07945086B2 |
Tungsten plug deposition quality evaluation method by EBACE technology
A first embodiment of the invention relates to a method for evaluating the quality of structures on an integrated circuit wafer. Test structures formed on either on the integrated or on a test wafer are exposed to an electron beam and an electron-beam activated chemical etch. The electron-beam activated etching gas or vapor etches the test structures, which are analyzed after etching to determine a measure of quality of the test structures. The measure of quality may be used in a statistical process control to adjust the parameters used to form device structures on the integrated circuit wafer. The test structures are formed on an integrated circuit wafer having two or more die. Each die has one or more integrated circuit structures. The test structures are formed on scribe lines between two or more adjacent die. Each test structure may correspond in dimensions and/or composition to one or more of the integrated circuit structures. |
US07945079B2 |
Motion correction of PET images using navigator data acquired with an MRI system
A method for correcting subject motion in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging includes acquiring navigator signals from the subject with a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system. The navigator signals are used to determine subject motion during a PET scan relative to a reference position and corrective values therefrom. Sinogram data acquired during the PET scan can then be corrected using the corrective values. PET images are then reconstructed from the corrected sinogram data. |
US07945077B2 |
Hyperspectral microscope for in vivo imaging of microstructures and cells in tissues
An optical hyperspectral/multimodal imaging method and apparatus is utilized to provide high signal sensitivity for implementation of various optical imaging approaches. Such a system utilizes long working distance microscope objectives so as to enable off-axis illumination of predetermined tissue thereby allowing for excitation at any optical wavelength, simplifies design, reduces required optical elements, significantly reduces spectral noise from the optical elements and allows for fast image acquisition enabling high quality imaging in-vivo. Such a technology provides a means of detecting disease at the single cell level such as cancer, precancer, ischemic, traumatic or other type of injury, infection, or other diseases or conditions causing alterations in cells and tissue micro structures. |
US07945074B2 |
System for iris detection tracking and recognition at a distance
A stand-off range or at-a-distance iris detection and tracking for iris recognition having a head/face/eye locator, a zoom-in iris capture mechanism and an iris recognition module. The system may obtain iris information of a subject with or without his or her knowledge or cooperation. This information may be sufficient for identification of the subject, verification of identity and/or storage in a database. |
US07945065B2 |
Method for deploying hearing instrument fitting software, and hearing instrument adapted therefor
A method for deploying hearing instrument fitting software wherein the fitting software comprises executable fitting program code (13) configured to process fitting program data (12,14) on a programmable data processor (11), comprises the steps of reading fitting program definition data (3) from data storage means provided in the hearing instrument (1), determining, from the fitting program definition data (3), at least part of least one of the fitting program data (12,14) and the fitting program code (13). The hearing instrument itself comprises the information defining the fitting software —be it the complete fitting software or an update or change to a fitting software residing in an external device. |
US07945064B2 |
Intrabody communication with ultrasound
A hearing system has a first device and a second device. The first device acoustically couples to skin of a user of the hearing system and includes a sensor to detect acoustic signals. The second device includes a hearing stimulator arrangement to stimulate hearing of the user in response to the acoustic signals detected with the first device. The first device and second device are each operable to bidirectionally communicate through an ultrasonic communication link comprising at least a portion of the body of the user. |
US07945060B2 |
Parameter display method and program therefor, and parameter setting apparatus
Once an automatic setting instruction, such as a scene recall instruction, is given for instructing that a parameter to be set via an operator member should be automatically set to a given target value, automatic setting processing, such as scene recall processing, is performed to cause the current value of the parameter, to be set via the operator member, to gradually vary toward the given target value. During that time, the given target value and the current value of the parameter to be set via the operator member are displayed on a display device simultaneously or alternately. During the automatic setting processing, the target value can be changed as desired by a user, and, as the target value is changed, the changed or new target value is displayed on the displayed device. |
US07945058B2 |
Noise reduction system
A noise reduction system is used in a BTSC system to reduce noise of an audio signal. The noise reduction system has an audio spectral compressing unit that has a filter and a memory in the approach of the digital processing. The filter is arranged to filter an input signal according to a transfer function, a variable d, and several parameters b0/a0, a0/b0, b1/b0 and a1/a0. The memory is arranged to store the parameters. |
US07945057B2 |
Procedure and device for linearizing the characteristic curve of a vibration signal transducer such as a microphone
A procedure and device for linearizing the characteristic curve of a vibration signal transducer such as a microphone that includes collecting signals, transmitting the signals, extracting information from the signals, dephasing such information by 180 degrees compared to the initial signals and taking the algebraic sum of the initial signals and dephased information. |
US07945055B2 |
Filter smoothing in multi-channel audio encoding and/or decoding
A first signal representation of one or more of the multiple channels is encoded in a first encoding process, and a second signal representation of one or more of the multiple channels is encoded in a second, filter-based encoding process. Filter smoothing can be used to reduce the effects of coding artifacts. However, conventional filter smoothing generally leads to a rather large performance reduction and is therefore not widely used. It has been recognized that coding artifacts are perceived as more annoying than temporary reduction in stereo width, and that they are especially annoying when the coding filter provides a poor estimate of the target signal; the poorer the estimate, the more disturbing artifacts. Therefore, signal-adaptive filter smoothing is introduced in the second encoding process or a corresponding decoding process. |
US07945054B2 |
Method and apparatus to reproduce wide mono sound
A wide mono sound reproducing method and apparatus to widen mono sound by using 2 channel speakers. The method include separating an input mono sound signal into a plurality of decorrelated signals, generating virtual sound sources by localizing each of the separated signals at virtual locations asymmetrical about a center of a front side of a listening point by applying different head related transfer functions to the separated signals, and canceling crosstalk of the generated virtual sound sources. |
US07945053B2 |
Methods and apparatus for a keying mechanism for end-to-end service control protection
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for a keying mechanism for end-to-end service control protection within wireless networks. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
US07945049B2 |
Stream cipher using multiplication over a finite field of even characteristic
A first bit sequence is generated using a first pseudorandom bit source. A second bit sequence is generated using a second pseudorandom bit source. A third bit sequence is generated by multiplying the first bit sequence with the second bit sequence over a finite field of even characteristic, modulo a fixed primitive polynomial. A message is received. The third bit sequence is commingled with the message to conceal contents of the message. |
US07945040B2 |
Integrated disparate intelligent peripherals
Integrating services provided by intelligent peripherals in a communications network, includes interacting, by a first intelligent peripheral of a first type, with a second intelligent peripheral of a second type which interacts with the first intelligent peripheral of the first type according to a script based on information received from a remote requesting party. The remote requesting party interacts, over the communications network, with the second intelligent peripheral of the second type according to the script. The first intelligent peripheral of the first type and the second intelligent peripheral of the second type are different from each other. |
US07945036B1 |
Provisioning a phone without involving an administrator
A phone is provisioned automatically when a user couples the phone to a network, with minimal (or preferably zero) involvement on part of an administrator to activate the phone. In several embodiments of the invention, when the user couples the phone to a network, a computer associated with the network automatically checks to see if the phone was previously provisioned. If not previously provisioned, the computer automatically records the existence of the phone in a memory of a telephone exchange that is to thereafter provide service to the phone. At this stage a phone number is not yet associated with the phone. In some embodiments, the just-described acts, namely checking and recording of existence are performed without any involvement on part of the administrator. The telephone exchange provides basic service to the new phone as soon as it detects existence of the phone (in its memory). Thereafter, in certain embodiments, the user uses that particular phone to identify himself/herself (and/or an extension number) and in response the computer stores the extension number in the telephone exchange's memory, thereby to enable the phone to receive calls at that extension number. Such automatic provisioning eliminates the need for an administrator to provision the phone. |
US07945026B2 |
Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) E911 metro street address guide (MSAG) validation
An overlay list of MSAG-valid addresses is created for use in lieu of (or in addition to) the lat/lon or postal address which otherwise would go with an E911 VoIP 911 call. This overlays the nation with a series of MSAG-addressed polygons, with center points identified in those polygons, and MSAG-valid addresses provided to the PSAPs for those centers, preferably along with the original latitude/longitude coordinates. |
US07945024B2 |
Method for reducing X-ray tube power de-rating during dynamic focal spot deflection
Methods are provided through which X-ray tube power de-rating can be reduced during dynamic focal spot deflection. In one embodiment, a method comprising generating an electron beam, focusing the electron beam to a first position on an anode, defocusing the electron beam on the anode and refocusing the electron beam at a second position on the anode. In another embodiment, a method comprising generating an electron beam, focusing the electron beam to a first position on an anode, inhibiting the electron beam and refocusing the electron beam at a second position on the anode. In another embodiment, a method comprising generating an electron beam, focusing the electron beam to a first position on an anode, steering the electron beam away from a nominal focal spot radius on the anode and refocusing the electron beam at a second position on the anode. |
US07945021B2 |
Multi-mode cone beam CT radiotherapy simulator and treatment machine with a flat panel imager
A multi-mode cone beam computed tomography radiotherapy simulator and treatment machine is disclosed. The radiotherapy simulator and treatment machine both include a rotatable gantry on which is positioned a cone-beam radiation source and a flat panel imager. The flat panel imager captures x-ray image data to generate cone-beam CT volumetric images used to generate a therapy patient position setup and a treatment plan. |
US07945015B2 |
X-ray imaging apparatus and control method thereof
An X-ray imaging apparatus includes a multi X-ray generating unit in which multiple X-ray foci are disposed in two-dimensional form at a predetermined pitch in a first direction, and a slit unit having multiple slit members each disposed opposite to its respective X-ray focus. Each slit member has multiple slits arranged in the first direction, and each of the slits forms a slice-formed X-ray beam whose lengthwise direction is a second direction that is different from the first direction. The two-dimensional detection unit detects the X-ray intensity of the formed X-ray beams at the detection surface. The X-ray imaging apparatus executes X-ray imaging at multiple positions while moving the multi X-ray generating unit and the slit unit in the first direction by the amount of the predetermined pitch, while keeping the relative positional relationship therebetween, and reconstructs an X-ray image based on the obtained X-ray intensity. |
US07945014B2 |
X-ray system and method for tomosynthetic scanning
In an x-ray system and a method for tomosynthetic scanning of a subject, x-ray radiation is emitted from two x-ray sources that are panned along a line relative to the subject during a tomosynthetic scan. The two x-ray sources are located next to each other along the line, and each emit an x-ray beam. X-rays from the two parallel beams attenuated by the subject are detected by a two-dimensional x-ray detector, that is substantially stationary during the tomosynthetic scan. |
US07945013B2 |
X-ray CT apparatus
An X-ray CT apparatus acquires a scanogram of an object to be examined, generates an ellipse model having an X-ray attenuation coefficient equivalent to that of water and approximated to a tomographic image of the obtained imaged portion from the feature quantity of the projection value profile, determines whether or not the generated elliptic model is adequate as a model of the imaged portion from another feature quantity with respect to the projection value profile, generates a corrected elliptic model according to yet another feature quantity with respect to the projection value profile if the elliptic model is determined to be inadequate, and controls the modulation of the tube current in an X-ray source so that a predetermined target SD value is maintained in any scanning position when a tomographic image is reconstructed according to X-rays transmitted through the object by using the elliptic model or the corrected elliptic model. |
US07945011B2 |
Enhanced steam dump (bypass) control system
The present invention relates to a method of controlling a nuclear reactor during a transient period. The method includes actuating the steam dump system in response to a temperature error signal and a power mismatch signal. |
US07945004B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting a frequency band and mode of operation
A method and apparatus for detecting a frequency band and mode of operation using recursive sampling and narrowing down is disclosed. The method comprises sampling (215) by a multi-mode wireless communication device, a broad operational frequency spectrum at a first sampling rate to produce a first set of discrete signal samples. Then, the wireless communication device compares (230, 240) at least one of the energy graphs of the first set of discrete signal samples with at least one protocol-specific signature to confirm (245), if an approximate match is found. When one or more approximate matches are found, the wireless communication device narrows down (250) the broad frequency spectrum to a reduced set of frequency band(s) that correspond to the matched protocol-specific signature(s). Then the steps of sampling (215), comparing (230, 240), confirming (245), and narrowing down (250) are recursively followed till a frequency band and mode of operation is confirmed. |
US07945001B2 |
Apparatus and method for receiving data in a wireless communication system using bit interleaving, symbol interleaving and symbol mapping
An apparatus and method are provided for receiving data generated by sequentially performing bit interleaving, symbol interleaving and symbol mapping in a wireless communication system. A fast Fourier transform (FFT) processor receives in-phase/quadrature phase (I/Q) data of a radio channel generated by sequentially performing bit interleaving, symbol interleaving and symbol mapping, and performs an FFT process for the I/Q data. A symbol deinterleaver performs a process for symbol deinterleaving the FFT I/Q data and reference values to be used for symbol demapping of the I/Q data and outputs the symbol-deinterleaved I/Q data and reference values. A symbol demapper performs a process for symbol demapping the symbol-deinterleaved I/Q data according to the reference values. A bit deinterleaver performs a process for bit deinterleaving the symbol-demapped data. A demultiplexer demultiplexes the bit-deinterleaved data. |
US07944995B2 |
Variable bandwidth receiver
A variable bandwidth receiver uses allocated bandwidth more efficiently and ensures that blocking signals do not overload receiver components. The receiver includes multiple branches for receiving a first bandwidth signal. Each receiver branch has a filter for passing signals in a frequency band corresponding to a second bandwidth less that the first bandwidth and an analog-to-digital converter for converting the baseband signal into a digital signal. A controller digitally combines the digital signals from two or more of the receiver branches to produce a received signal having a bandwidth substantially wider than the first bandwidth. Because combining is done after analog-to-digital conversion in the digital domain, the controller can combine the digital signals from two or more of the receiver branches having adjacent corresponding frequency bands without the normal guard band separating them. |
US07944991B2 |
Constrained clipping for peak-to-average power ratio (crest factor) reduction in multicarrier transmission systems
Disclosed is a constrained clipping technique for reducing the peak-to-average power ratio (PAR) or crest factor of a multicarrier communications signal. This is a transmitter-side processing technique that does not impose any modification at the receiver. Constrained clipping achieves PAR reduction while simultaneously satisfying spectral mask and error vector magnitude (EVM) constraints that are specified by most modern communications standards. The constrained clipping technique includes two independent processing units, one to satisfy an in-band EVM constraint and the other to satisfy an out-of-band spectral constraint. Achievable PAR reduction results vary depending on a particular standard's requirements, but by using constrained clipping on a QPSK WiMax signal with 256 subcarriers, for example, a 4.5 dB PAR reduction at the 10−2 complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF) level can be obtained. |
US07944985B2 |
MIMO transmitter and receiver for supporting downlink communication of single channel codewords
The downlink (DL) communication of single channel codewords is supported by providing a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmitter and receiver. The transmitter includes NT transmit antennas for transmitting spatial streams to a receiver having NR receive antennas, a precoder and a space-time or space-frequency matrix construction unit in communication with the precoder and the transmit antennas. The space-time or space-frequency matrix construction unit constructs a matrix that defines a threaded algebraic space-time (TAST) codeword based on a number of virtual antennas, NV, and the number of transmit antennas, NT. The transmitter operates in an open loop mode when no feedback information from the receiver is available, a semi-open loop mode when channel rank information is available, and a closed loop mode when channel state information (CSI) is available. The receiver is configured to provide feedback to the transmitter on a per received spatial stream basis |
US07944984B1 |
I/Q calibration in the presence of phase offset
An I/Q calibration system for a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) mode transceiver includes a signal generator that generates reference in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) signals. An I/Q mismatch compensation module generates compensated I and Q signals based on the reference I and Q signals and amplitude and phase correction signals. An I/Q mismatch calibration module generates the amplitude and phase correction signals. A phase stepper module varies a phase of the reference I and Q signals based on the amplitude and phase correction signals. |
US07944981B2 |
Data transmission in a frequency division multiple access communication system
When a UE (102) determines that non-control data needs to be transmitted, the UE will receive a grant that comprises information identifying a resource block (RB) for transmissions by the UE. If the UE determines that the RB is also used for transmitting control data, it will know to transmit only over the portion of the RB used for non-control data transmissions. Rate matching will then be performed on the non-control data that needs to be transmitted and the non-control data will be transmitted only over a portion of the RB. The second portion of the RB will be used for normal control data transmissions by other UEs. |
US07944980B2 |
Apparatus, and associated method, for communicating a data block in a multi carrier modulation communication scheme
Apparatus, and an associated method, for sending a data block in an OFDM, or other MCM, communication system with reduced PAPR is provided. The data block is combined with a random scrambling sequence. An IDFT operation is performed upon the combined sequence, and its PAPR, peak-to-average power ratio, is calculated. The PAPR is compared against a threshold. If the PAPR is smaller than a threshold, the transformed, combination sequence is transmitted. Otherwise, a different scrambling sequence, if available, is used to form a new combination sequence, and the process iterates until either a PAPR smaller than the threshold is obtained, or a pre-defined maximum number of iterations is reached. If the maximum number of iterations is reached and no combination sequence is created that leads to an acceptable PAPR, then the transformed, combination sequence that exhibits the smallest PAPR level is selected for transmission. |
US07944978B2 |
High bandwidth data transport system
Preparing data for transmission includes determining bit loading per frequency bin based on channel estimation data to create a data symbol, performing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on the interleaved data symbol array, mapping FFT data output sub-channel to a frequency bin to provide frequency mapped data, and performing an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) on the frequency mapped data to provide IFFT frequency mapped data suitable for transmission using one-dimensional amplitude modulated ultra wideband impulses representing the IFFT frequency mapped data. To recover the data a reverse process is used. |
US07944975B2 |
Inter-frame prediction method in video coding, video encoder, video decoding method, and video decoder
An inter-frame prediction method in video coding, a video encoder using the same, a bitstream structure, a video decoding method, and a video decoder are provided. The inter-frame prediction method in video encoding includes estimating a motion vector between a current block in an input frame and a reference block in a reference frame corresponding to the current block and a filtering mode defining a spatial effect to be applied to at least one of the current block and the reference block, and interceding the input frame according to the estimated motion vector and the filtering mode. |
US07944974B2 |
Processing or compressing n-dimensional signals with warped wavelet packets and bandelets
A method and apparatus for processing or compressing an n-dimensional digital signal by constructing a sparse representation which takes advantage of the signal geometrical regularity. The invention comprises a warped wavelet packet transform which performs a cascade of warped subband filtering along warping grids of sampling points adapted to the signal geometry. It also comprises a bandeletisation which decorrelates the warped wavelet packet coefficients to produce a sparse representation. An inverse warped wavelet packet transform and an inverse bandeletisation reconstruct a signal from its bandelet representation. The invention comprises a compression system which quantizes and codes the bandelet representation, a decompression system, a restoration system which enhances a signal by filtering its bandelet representation, and a feature vector extraction system for pattern recognition applications of a bandelet representation. |
US07944971B1 |
Encoding video
Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for encoding a video signal that is formed by a series of successive images. Each image includes several sections, and each section has a set of image values. To encode a particular section of a particular image, the method initially partitions the particular section into several sub-sections. For each of at least two particular sub-sections, the method then computes a statistical parameter regarding the image values of the particular sub-section. The method compares the computed statistical parameters, and based on the comparison, selects an encoding technique from a set of encoding techniques to encode the particular section. In some embodiments, the set of encoding schemes includes a first scheme that encodes the selected section without reference to any other section of any other image, and a second scheme that encodes the selected section by reference to at least one other section. |
US07944968B2 |
Method for specification of quantized coefficient limit
An apparatus including a transformation circuit and a scaling/quantization circuit. The transformation circuit may be configured to generate one or more transform coefficients in response to a video stream and one or more first control signals. The transformation circuit may be further configured to limit transform coefficients for residual 4×4 blocks to a 16-bit value when the video stream comprises 8-bit video data. The scaling/quantization circuit may be configured to generate one or more quantization coefficients in response to the one or more transform coefficients and one or more second control signals. |
US07944967B2 |
Technique for addressing frame loss in a video stream
A technique for addressing frame loss in a video system includes a number of steps. Initially, a first video stream and a second video stream are received. The first and second video streams each include related video information having a plurality of video frames. At least one of the first and second video streams is buffered and lost or corrupted video frames associated with the first video stream are replaced with uncorrupted video frames from the second video stream. |
US07944966B2 |
Video decoding method and corresponding decoder
The invention relates to a method of decoding a video bitstream including base layer and enhancement layer coded video signals, the method comprising the steps of decoding the base layer and enhancement layer coded video signals to produce decoded base layer frames and decoded enhancement layer frames, and displaying the decoded base layer frames either alone or with the decoded enhancement layer frames. According to the invention, each poor quality frame of the base layer to be displayed is replaced by an frame obtained either by means of an interpolation between the two frames of the enhancement layer preceding and following the poor quality frame of the base layer or by only one of these two frames, for example the temporally closest one. |
US07944965B2 |
Transform domain based distortion cost estimation
Transform based distortion cost estimation, which may be used to calculate a rate distortion cost associated with a mode for encoding a macroblock, is described. In one embodiment of the invention, a distortion value for a particular mode is estimated within the transform domain, which allows for the elimination of both inverse transformation and inverse motion functions in this calculation. A spatial domain residual of an encoding mode is estimated by identifying a difference, within the transform domain, between a motion compensated prediction residual of a macroblock and its corresponding reconstructed signal. The estimated spatial domain residual may then be used in distortion matrix computations to estimate a distortion level, within the transform domain, for an encoding mode. |
US07944963B2 |
Method and apparatus for jitter compensation in receiver circuits using nonlinear dynamic phase shifting technique based on bit history pattern
The present invention provides a simple, easy to implement method and apparatus to reduce jitter in a channel and expand the eye width and eye height of the eye pattern of the signal. The method and apparatus of the present invention reduces jitter specific to a channel in a high speed interface. The present invention utilizes a phasing shifting mechanism based on history of the incoming bits at the receiver. The input bits from the channel are shifted in time before getting to the receiver. This approach significantly reduces Intersymbol Interference (ISI) and deterministic jitter, thus opening up the eye width and eye height for a given interface. |
US07944952B2 |
Asynchronous data pipe for automatically managing asynchronous data transfers between an application and a bus structure
An asynchronous data pipe (ADP) automatically generates transactions necessary to complete asynchronous data transfer operations for an application over a bus structure. The ADP includes a register file which is programmed and initiated by the application. The register file includes the bus speed, transaction label, transaction code, destination node identifier, destination offset address, length of each data packet, packet counter, packet counter bump field, control field and a status field. During a data transfer operation, the ADP generates the transactions necessary to complete the operation over the appropriate range of addresses, using the information in the register file as a template. The ADP increments the value in the destination offset address field for each transaction according to the length of each data packet, unless the incrementing feature has been disabled and the transactions are to take place at a fixed address. The packet counter represents the number of transactions remaining to be generated. The packet counter value is decremented after each packet of data is transferred. The application can increment the packet counter value by writing to the packet counter bump field. A multiplexer is included within a system having multiple ADPs for multiplexing the information from the ADPs onto the bus structure. A demultiplexer is included within a system having multiple ADPs for routing information from the bus structure to the appropriate ADP. |
US07944951B2 |
Broadbrand switched multiplexer
A broadband switched multiplexer comprising an input broadband demultiplexer (2) comprising a broadband input port (4) for receiving an input broadband signal and at least one output port (5) having a passband; an output broadband multiplexer (3) comprising at least two input ports (6) and a broadband output port (7), each input port having a different passband, each input port passband overlapping a different portion of the demultiplexer output port passband; the demultiplexer output port being in electrical communication with the multiplexer input ports by signal paths (8), each signal path having a switch (13) for opening and closing the path therein. |
US07944950B2 |
Mobile communication system, communication control method, and base station and mobile station to be employed in the same
In the communication system performing transmission with generating the vacant period in the slotted mode during data transmission in order to perform various process, such as different frequency carrier quality measurement or so forth, the control signal for maintaining a communication quality is inserted even in the vacant period. Therefor, a link quality may not be degraded even if the vacant period is long. Namely, when the pilot signal is used as the control signal, even in the vacant period, measurement of the link quality of the forward link with the pilot signal is performed in the mobile station to report the result of measurement to the base station. Therefore, transmission power control of the forward link can be performed according to the report in the base station. Therefore, degradation of the forward link can be eliminated. |
US07944947B2 |
Providing address information for reaching a wireless terminal
The invention relates to a method of providing address information for reaching a wireless terminal, the wireless terminal being connected to a first wireless communication network, a varying public address being dynamically allocated to the wireless terminal, and the wireless terminal being reachable from outside of the first wireless communication network by means of the varying public address. The method comprises dynamically notifying substantially directly at least one other communicating party of a current public address of the wireless terminal. |
US07944944B2 |
Abnormal case handling for acknowledged mode transmission and unacknowledged mode transmission
Whenever the Receiver of this invention receives an AMD PDU or a UMD PDU with its “Length Indicator” having an invalid or a reserved value, the Receiver discards such a PDU and treats it as never received. The Receiver may report its receiving status accordingly if a report is required. This invention avoids invoking unnecessary RLC reset procedures and reduces the chance of losing HFN synchronization during AM or UM data transmissions. |
US07944931B2 |
Balanced bandwidth utilization
A memory subsystem includes Data Store 0 and Data Store 1. Each data store is partitioned into N buffers, N>1. An increment of memory is formed by a buffer pair, with each buffer of the buffer pair being in a different data store. Two buffer pair formats are used in forming memory increments. A first format selects a first buffer from Data Store 0 and a second buffer from Data Store 1, while a second format selects a first buffer from Data Store 1 and a second buffer from Data Store 0. A controller selects a buffer pair for storing data based upon the configuration of data in a delivery mechanism, such as switch cell. |
US07944923B2 |
Method and system for classifying network traffic
A system includes a physical NIC associated with the computer and including receive rings for storing network traffic addressed to the VNIC, where the receive rings include a local receive ring for storing local traffic and a forwarding receive ring for storing forwarding traffic. The physical NIC further includes a hardware classifier configured to register a local Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the VNIC in a lookup table, receive a packet including a destination IP address, classify the packet as local traffic or forwarding traffic using the lookup table, and store the packet in the local receive ring or the forwarding receive ring based on the type. The VNIC is configured to retrieve the packet from the receive ring, and process the packet in a type-specific manner based on the receive ring where the packet was stored, where the type-specific manner is different for local traffic and forwarding traffic. |
US07944922B2 |
Media distribution in a wireless network
In a network environment such as a wireless packet network, a source node transmits a data stream, e.g., a stream of media packets to a plurality of sink nodes, including the source node transmitting a first data stream of unicast packets addressed to at least a first one of the sink nodes, while other ones of said sink nodes receive while in promiscuous mode traffic on the network including the data stream. Individual ones of the other sink nodes, upon ascertaining that there are packets of the stream that were not received, transmit a re-transmission request to the source node so that the source node can take corrective action, and so all the sink nodes can receive the data stream, even though sent as unicast addressed to fewer than all the sink nodes. |
US07944918B2 |
Dynamic building of VLAN interfaces based on subscriber information strings
Techniques are described that allow a network device, such as a router, to dynamically build VLAN interfaces based on subscriber information strings included within packets. In particular, the network device comprises an interface controller and a forwarding controller, where the forwarding controller receives the packet over an Ethernet port and forwards the received packet to the interface controller. The packet includes both Ethernet tagging information and a subscriber information string. The interface controller comprises an Ethernet module that dynamically builds a primary virtual local area network (VLAN) sub-interface (PVS) based on the Ethernet tagging information. The Ethernet module also dynamically builds a subscriber VLAN sub-interface (SVS) based on the subscriber information string. The SVS allows the network device to distinguish between subscribers residing on the same VLAN, and, therefore, to provide subscriber specific services. |
US07944917B2 |
Host device interfacing with a point of deployment (POD) and a method of processing broadcast data
A host device interfacing with a point of deployment (POD) and a method of processing a broadcasting data are disclosed. An IP physical interface unit receives a frame including an internet protocol (IP) packet carrying broadcast data through a network modem. A Routing Engine transforms the frame to an IP packet and routs the IP packet based on a destination information included in the frame. And a Multiplexer generates an IP MPEG packet by appending a Packet Header carrying identification information to the IP packet, multiplexes the IP MPEG packet and forwards the multiplexed IP packet to the POD. |
US07944912B2 |
IP telephone system and calling method
An IP telephone number query system includes a terminal, a Web server, and an ENUM server. The terminal displays a call recipient profile hypertext markup language (html) that is assigned a HTML document file name. The Web server includes a phonebook searcher that has a plurality of call recipient profile htmls, and returns a selected call recipient profile html in response to a request from the terminal. The ENUM server has a database, a query issuer and a reversed query issuer. The database stores a plurality of NAPTR resource records in association with an ENUM domain name, each NAPTR resource record containing a URI that at least includes a telephone number and a HTML document file name. The query issuer searches the database in response to a query by an ENUM domain name and returns a NAPTR resource record corresponding to the ENUM domain name. The reversed query issuer searches the database in response to a query by a URI of a HTML document file name and returns a URI of a telephone number corresponding to the ENUM domain name having the URI of the HTML document file name. |
US07944911B2 |
Network device
A first telephone, which is connected to a network device, can be prevented from becoming communicable with a second telephone, which is connected to the network device over a public network, when the second telephone and a third telephone, which is an Internet telephone, are communicable with each other and a device operating voltage for operating the network device is no longer supplied. |
US07944910B2 |
Ink cartridges and systems having such ink cartridges
An ink cartridge includes a case, an ink supply portion, an air intake portion, and at least one resilient member. The ink supply portion is positioned at a front face of the case, and the ink supply portion is configured to dispense ink from an interior of an ink chamber to an exterior of the ink chamber. The air intake portion is configured to draw air into the ink chamber. The at least one resilient member has a first portion positioned at the front face of the case and a second portion which is positioned a predetermined distance away from the front face of the case in a predetermined direction away from the ink chamber. The resilient member extends from the front face of the case further than the ink supply portion in the predetermined direction. |
US07944909B2 |
System, method and apparatus for supporting E911 emergency services in a data communications network
A system, method and apparatus for supporting enhanced 911 (E911) emergency services, in a data communications network that includes Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephones. A network system includes a host network communicatively coupled to an E911 database management system, a network access device, and a VoIP telephone communicatively coupled to an input port of the network access device. The network access device is adapted to assign a physical location identifier to an input port, to authenticate the VoIP telephone, wherein the authentication includes receiving a unique device identifier from the VoIP telephone, and to transmit the location identifier and the unique device identifier to the E911 database management system. The E911 database management system is permitted to store the physical location identifier in association with the unique device identifier. |
US07944908B2 |
Method for setting output bit rate for video data transmission in a WiBro system
A method for setting an output bit rate for video data transmission in a WiBro system in which an uplink state value for a predetermined unit time is calculated to determine an uplink network state of the predetermined unit time. An average of uplink state values for a predetermined number of unit times is calculated, and a video encoding bit rate is increased if the average of the uplink state values is larger than a predetermined first threshold. However, the video encoding bit rate is decreased if the average of the uplink state values is less than a predetermined second threshold. |
US07944902B2 |
End-point aware resource reservation protocol proxy
A method performed by a first network device may include receiving a request for a resource from an end-point device and acknowledging the request for the resource to the end-point device. The method may also include receiving a resource coordination message from a second network device and transmitting a return resource coordination message to the second network device. |
US07944900B2 |
Base station modulator/demodulator and send/receive method
A base station, in a mobile communication network, includes a receive component to receive, from a higher rank station in the network, a particular data unit that includes multiple data units multiplexed together; a master processor to determine that the first portion of the particular data unit is destined for the base station and that the second portion of the particular data unit is not destined for the base station, and discard the second portion of the particular data unit; and a slave processor to determine that the second portion of the particular data unit is destined for the other base station and that the first portion of the particular data unit is not destined for the other base station, and send the second portion of the particular data unit to the other base station. |
US07944897B2 |
Method and system for addressing channel access unfairness in IEEE 802.11n wireless networks
A method and system for communication in an IEEE 802.11n WLAN including L-stations and HT-stations, wherein a signaling field such as a small legacy format frame is appended at the end of a L-SIG TXOP Protection sequence in order to terminate the EIFS procedure at L-stations. This increases the probability for L-stations to obtain access to a shared communication channel relative to HT-stations. |
US07944896B1 |
Method to identify voice over packet device capability and use it to make appropriate calls with other client devices
A system provides push-to-talk (PTT) or similar communication service via a radio access network providing wireless mobile packet data communications for mobile stations. A server distributes packets of digitized audio received from a broadcasting mobile station to one or more client devices of other parties. The called client device(s), however, may not all have the same communications capabilities as the broadcasting mobile station. Signaling procedures are adapted to inform the broadcasting station of the capabilities of the other client device(s). This enables the broadcasting mobile station to configure its transmissions of digitized audio through the network for compatibility with the capabilities of the other client device(s). Proper configuration avoids loss of data at the destination, particularly at the start of a PTT transmission, due to transmission in a form or configuration that may be incompatible with one or more of the receiving stations. |
US07944892B2 |
Time coordinated base station and antenna array for integer cycle and impulse modulation systems
An improved antenna and coordination arrangement for use at a base station that will eliminate over the air collisions while doubling the effective data rate of each base station in a network is disclosed. The result will be large area networks which all share exactly the same radio spectrum without mutual interference and little effort required to expand a single base station system to a grid of cooperative base stations forming a coverage area of ubiquitous coverage and multiplied data capacity. Specifically, this disclosure describes an improved antenna arrangement and synchronization system for use when multiple radio base stations, each using a deterministic over the air MAC layer, are located within overlapping coverage areas. |
US07944879B2 |
Resource allocating apparatus and method in multihop relay wireless communication system
An apparatus and a method for mitigating interference of a neighbor cell in a multihop relay wireless communication system are provided. The method includes constituting a subframe for a link affected by interference of a neighbor cell over a first frequency band of the frame, and constituting a subframe for a link causing interference to a neighbor cell over a second frequency band of the frame. Therefore, the interference between the neighbor cells can be reduced and the amount of the resources allocated to the links can be freely adjusted. |
US07944878B2 |
Filtering in bandwidth sharing ad hoc networks
Systems and methods for filtering in bandwidth sharing ad hoc networks. A method includes maintaining at least one filtering parameter associated with formation of a bandwidth sharing ad hoc network. The method further includes preventing data transfer across the bandwidth sharing ad hoc network when a parameter of a request to establish the bandwidth sharing ad hoc network corresponds to the at least one filtering parameter. |
US07944876B2 |
Time slot interchange switch with bit error rate testing
In accordance with the invention, time slot interchange switches (“TSIS”) with bit error rate testing are described. The bit error rate testing includes creating a channel of data appropriate for bit error rate testing and monitoring the bit error rate testing on that channel. |
US07944869B2 |
Resource allocation and outage control for renewable energy WLAN infrastructure mesh node
A mesh node of an infrastructure wireless local area network ‘WLAN’ is coupled to a battery which is coupled to a device that is able to harness energy from a source of renewable energy. Energy management of the mesh node includes conducting simulations of a system comprising the mesh node, the device, and the battery in its current state of charge, determining an admissible load for the mesh node from the simulations, and withholding communication services by the mesh node for one or more periods of time a cumulative duration of which is related to power consumption of the mesh node when handling the admissible load. The simulations involve meteorological data related to the source of renewable energy in the vicinity of the mesh node. |
US07944868B2 |
Method and system for dynamic power management in wireless local area networks
A method and system for improving spatial reuse in a wireless local area network (WLAN) by per-client dynamic power management. Each access point of the WLAN associates each of its clients with a minimum power level. A central controller of the WLAN generates a schedule for transmission at different power levels, and each access point varies its transmission power level based on the schedule. An access point transmits data packets, at the scheduled transmission power level, to clients associated with a minimum power level that is less than the scheduled power level. |
US07944867B2 |
Communication device and communication method
A control unit controls setting of an operating mode. A timer determines a transmission period of a beacon for notifying presence of a network. A beacon transmitting unit transmits a beacon based on the transmission period. When the control unit instructs to switch from a normal operation mode to a power-saving operation mode, the timer sets a transmission period of the beacon to be longer than a transmission period in the normal operation mode. |
US07944866B2 |
Method and apparatus for offsetting a packet format table
A wireless communication infrastructure entity transmits an offset to a packet format table to a wireless terminal. The wireless terminal uses the received offset to determine the transmission characteristics for packets received from the wireless communication infrastructure entity. |
US07944860B2 |
Preventing loss of network traffic due to inconsistent configurations within the network
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving at a processor at a node, notification of an error in a VLAN to topology mapping at the node, receiving a multi-destination packet from the VLAN in the VLAN to topology mapping, the multi-destination packet including a tree identifier associated with one of the topologies, and transmitting the multi-destination packet to all forwarding ports at the node in an unpruned tree corresponding to the tree identifier contained in the multi-destination packet. An apparatus is also disclosed. |
US07944851B2 |
Method for packet communication using training packets
Messages transmitted between a receiver and a transmitter are used to maximize a communication data rate. In particular, a multicarrier modulation system uses messages that are sent from the receiver to the transmitter to exchange one or more sets of optimized communication parameters. The transmitter then stores these communication parameters and when transmitting to that particular receiver, the transmitter utilizes the stored parameters in an effort to maximize the data rate to that receiver. Likewise, when the receiver receives packets from that particular transmitter, the receiver can utilize the stored communication parameters for reception. |
US07944849B2 |
Transmission path quality measuring device, communication system, quality measurement method, and quality measuring program
A communication quality measuring device includes: a quality measuring unit that measures the communication quality of a transmission path, based on data being transmitted through the transmission path; an observation time calculating unit that calculates a time interval for securing an observation time for the quality measuring unit; and a measurement triggering unit that causes the quality measuring unit to start measurement at the time interval calculated by the observation time calculating unit. The observation time is the time required for maintaining predetermined measurement accuracy in the communication quality measured by the quality measuring unit. |
US07944847B2 |
Voting comparator method, apparatus, and system using a limited number of digital signal processor modules to process a larger number of analog audio streams without affecting the quality of the voted audio stream
A method and apparatus for selecting a preferred signal from homogenous streams of a subscriber call in an analog or mixed mode wireless communication network. The method and apparatus have particular significance to un-decoded analog radio packets which require digital signal processing to decode at least their signaling information. The method allocates at least one stream with the best signal qualities to real-time full-decoding in a DSP, and allocates lower quality streams to non-real time burst decoding in the same or another DSP. As signaling quality changes in the homogenous streams, the full-decoding can be re-allocated to a now higher quality stream. Burst decoding lower quality streams allows for more efficient use of DSP processing power and allows more streams to be processed without significant affect on audio content or quality. |
US07944846B1 |
DVMRP border router for reverse path forwarding validation with external sources
Described is a method for statically or dynamically enabling a DVMRP router in a DVMRP domain to perform a reverse path forwarding check for an external source. A route report is generated for each known external source and injected into the DVMRP domain. Each route report includes routing information for a respective one of the known external sources. In one embodiment, the route report is generated for each network listed in a unicast routing table maintained on a DVMRP multicast border router and each route report includes unicast routing information for each of the networks and an indicator designating that the routing information is derived from unicast routing information. In another embodiment, if it is determined that routing information for an external source of multicast traffic received at a DVMRP border router is not available, the route report is generated at that time and includes a predetermined metric value. |
US07944844B2 |
Methods and apparatus to monitor network layer functionalities
Example methods and apparatus to monitor network layer functionalities are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a first probe packet at an input of a first server, the first probe packet being received from a router, the first probe packet being generated and transmitted from a second server that is one-hop away from the first server in a network, determining if the first server is a final destination of the first probe packet, and if the first server is not the final destination of the first probe packet, generating a second probe packet and transmitting the second probe packet to the router for transmission toward the final destination. |
US07944833B2 |
End-to-end QoS interoperation apparatus and method in heterogeneous network environment
An end-to-end quality-of-service (QoS) interoperation apparatus and method in a heterogeneous network environment are provided. A Next Steps In Signaling (NSIS) Application Programming Interface (NAPI) block handles an NSIS API at the request of an upper layer. An NSIS entity handles an NSIS protocol stack at the request of the NAPI block. An Internet Protocol Bearer Service (IP BS) manager manages an IP BS. A translation block translates parameters of a 3GPP_CLASS object and a UMTS QoS class predefined in an NSIS message according to a predetermined mapping configuration. A memory stores a software application including a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System Bearer Service (UMTS BS) manager for managing a UMTS BS. A processor combined with the memory, controls the software application. |
US07944827B2 |
Content-aware dynamic network resource allocation
Network resources allocated for particular application traffic are aware of the characteristics of L4+ content to be transmitted. One embodiment of the invention realizes network resource allocation in terms of three intelligent modules, gateway, provisioning and classification. A gateway module exerts network control functions in response to application requests for network resources. The network control functions include traffic path setup, bandwidth allocation and so on. Characteristics of the content are also specified in the received application network resource requests. Under request of the gateway module, a provisioning module allocates network resources such as bandwidth in optical networks and edge devices as well. An optical network resource allocation leads to a provisioning optical route. Under request of the gateway module, a classification module differentiates applications traffic according to content specifications, and thus creates and applies content-aware rule data for edge devices to forward content-specified traffic towards respective provisioning optical routes. |
US07944826B2 |
Method and system for service application and service application control agent
A service application method and system, and a service application control agent (SACA) for reducing the delay of service application are provided. The method includes the following steps. An SACA receives service application information sent from a customer premises equipment (CPE). The SACA queries for Quality of Service (QoS) parameters corresponding to the service according to the service application information. Resource authorization and reservation request information containing the QoS parameters is sent to a resource and admission control unit. The resource and admission control unit verifies the request information to be authorized and admitted, and delivers a control strategy to a transport unit after the verification is passed. A service application system and an SACA are also provided correspondingly. |
US07944822B1 |
System and method for identifying network applications
Embodiments of the invention provide a framework for traffic classification that bridges the gap between the packet content inspection and the flow-based behavioral analysis techniques. In particular, IP packets and/or IP flows are used as an input, network nodes are associated to specific network applications by leveraging information gathered from the web, and packet-level and/or flow-level signatures are extracted in an off-line fashion using clustering and signature extraction algorithms. The signatures learned are systematically exported to a traffic classifier that uses the newly available signatures to classify applications on-the-fly. |
US07944819B2 |
System and method for transmission and acknowledgment of blocks of data frames in distributed wireless networks
The present application describes a system and method for transmitting and acknowledging a block of frames in a wireless network. According to an embodiment, a source device sends multiple frames in a block to a recipient device and requests the recipient device to send a single block acknowledgement frame. After receiving multiple frames, the recipient device sends a single block acknowledgement frame to the source device indicating which frames were received and which frames need to be retransmitted, as well as how much payload and how many frames may be transmitted in the next block by the source device. |
US07944814B2 |
Switching between secured media devices
A system, method and apparatus for communication is provided which includes maintaining a primary and a secondary network media devices at substantially similar encryption state, wherein the secondary network media device is a redundant network media device. Similar encryption state may be maintained by copying reception and transmission switchover parameters from the primary network media device to the redundant network media device, at least once per 2X packets, and preferably every 213 packets that are either transmitted by, or received at, the primary network media device. The redundant network media device may receive packets by utilizing copied reception switchover parameters and transmit packets by estimating transmission switchover parameters based on copied transmission switchover parameters. The reception and transmission switchover parameters may be associated with Secure Real-time Transport Protocol or with PacketCable protocol. A communication system is also provided, which utilizes the communication method. The communication system may include several primary network media devices and a central network device to which switchover parameters may be copied from each primary network media device, and from which switchover parameters associated with a failing primary network media device may be copied to the redundant network media device. |
US07944813B1 |
Method and system for establishing a connection between network elements
A method and system for establishing or handling a connection between a first and a second network element connected to different networks such as GPRS/UMTS and IP-based networks. The connection is established by at least one third network element such as a SGSN or GGSN arranged in one of the networks. The third network element is adapted to send, when receiving information on an establishment of a connection, a request to a fourth network element which may be a Call State Control Function (CSCF), a Policy Control Function (PCF), or a Call Processing Server (CPS). The request requests permission for establishing a requested type of connection, or requests a check of a connection parameter, and specifies the first and/or second network element and/or the connection or connection type to be established. The fourth network element returns a response specifying a permission for establishing a connection or connection type, or specifying a connection parameter. |
US07944807B2 |
System and method for implementing a single-wire serial protocol
Methods and apparatus for a single-wire serial communication system are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes defining a predetermined short pulse as data to be transmitted and a predetermined long pulse as a data separator for the data to provide serial communication for a data stream. |
US07944803B2 |
Tone arm assembly
A tone arm assembly for use with a rotatable turntable. The tone arm assembly includes a tone arm body supported adjacent to the rotating turntable being horizontally pivotable about a vertically extending axis. A tone arm tube is provided having a longitudinal axis and a first end and a second end, the first end extending within and being supported by the tone arm body and the second end terminating at a shell for releaseably supporting a pick up cartridge. A counterweight is included which is translatable along a horizontal path parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tone arm tube between a first position and a second position, the first position being closest to the shell and a second position being farthest from the shell to adjust contact pressure between a stylus maintained by the pick up cartridge and a record supported by the rotatable turntable. At least a portion of the counterweight is capable of extending fore and aft of the vertically extending axis when the counterweight is positioned on its horizontal path between its first and second positions. |
US07944802B2 |
Super-resolution optical recording medium and method for recording information on super-resolution optical recording medium
A super-resolution optical recording medium has at least a recording layer and a super resolution layer on a substrate. In the recording layer, a minimum recording mark is formed with spaces within a beam spot of a laser beam in recording. The minimum recording mark has a size of a resolution limit of a reproduction optical system or less, and can be reproduced by the reproduction optical system due to the existence of the super solution layer. The minimum recording mark in an AFM image takes the shape of a convex arc on a leading edge thereof and the shape of a concave arc on a trailing edge thereof (the AFM image is a plan view which can be observed on a surface when the light transmission layer is removed), and spaces have the similar shape to these. |
US07944801B2 |
Information recording and/or reproducing apparatus having two photodetectors to control the light intensity of two light sources with different wavelengths
An apparatus for effecting at least one of recording and reproducing information. A first light source has a light intensity and emits a light beam having an emission wavelength. A second light source has another light intensity and emits a light beam having an emission wavelength different from that of the first light source. An optical system guides a light beam emitted from the first light source to a recording medium and guides a light beam reflected from the recording medium to a first photodetector, which generates an output. Another optical system guides a light beam emitted from the second light source to the recording medium and guides another light beam reflected from the recording medium to the second photodetector. A separating optical element guides the light beam emitted from the first light source to the second photodetector, which generates an output. A control circuit receives the output generated by the second photodetector, and controls the light intensity of the first light source based on the output of the second photodetector. |
US07944800B2 |
Optical recording head, optical recording head manufacturing method and recording/reproducing device
Provided is a highly reliable optical recording head which has a small fluctuation of a quantity of light applied on a recording medium due to temperature. The optical recording head is provided with a light guide section for guiding light applied from a light source, a slider relatively moving to the recording medium, and a light transmitting section, which is arranged on the slider, transmits the light outputted from the light guide section and outputs the light toward the recording medium. The optical recording head is further provided with an adhesive layer, which is sandwiched between the light transmitting section and the light guide section and fixes the positions of the light transmitting section and the light guide section, and an elastic cohesive layer, which is sandwiched between the portions other than the light transmitting section of the slider and the light guide section. |
US07944799B2 |
Optical information apparatus with gap control system
An optical information apparatus according to the present invention includes: an optical system that includes a solid immersion lens (SIL) 11 and that produces near-field light to be incident on an optical disc 10; a first actuator for displacing the SIL 11; a second actuator 29 for varying the distance between the optical disc 10 and the first actuator 12 by moving the first actuator 12; a gap detecting section 18 for outputting a gap signal 19 representing the magnitude of the gap 17 between the SIL 11 and the optical disc 10; and a gap control system for controlling the first actuator 12 in response to the gap signal 19 such that the gap is maintained at a predetermined setting. The gap control system works so as to control the second actuator 29 in accordance with a signal representing the magnitude of displacement of the SIL 11 caused by the first actuator 12. |
US07944798B2 |
Objective lens unit, optical pickup, and optical information device having ultraviolet-transmissive lens holder
An objective lens unit according to the present invention includes a first objective lens 41; and a first lens holder 2 for supporting the first objective lens 41. The first lens holder 2 is formed of a material which transmits ultraviolet. Preferably, the first lens holder 2 includes a through-hole, having first and second openings 2a and 2b, through which light incident on the first objective lens 41 passes, and an opening limiting section 3 provided along a circumferential direction of the through-hole and projecting toward a central axis of the through-hole. The first objective lens 41 is supported so as to block the first opening 2b. The opening limiting section 3 guides light incident thereon from the second opening 2a in a direction away from an optical axis of the first objective lens. |
US07944795B2 |
Holographic recording medium and encoding/decoding method thereof
A holographic recoding medium is provided, having holographic pages. Each page has reference mark (RM) placement areas at fixed locations for placing RM patterns. The reference marks are used to calibrate data images of data areas each of which is enclosed by at least three RM regions. Hidden information of the medium is stored by an specific encoded pattern based on existence, types and arrangements of the RM marks. |
US07944794B2 |
Optical disc apparatus, information recording method, and information reproduction method
An optical disc apparatus that records recording marks in a plurality of mark layers by irradiating predetermined light onto a disc-like volume type recording medium on the basis of information to be recorded is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a first focus position adjusting means for adjusting the position of a focus on which a first light beam focuses within the volume type recording medium, in the direction of an optical axis of the first light beam; a second focus position adjusting means for adjusting the position of a focus on which a second light beam focuses within the volume type recording medium, in the direction of an optical axis of the second light beam; a focus control means for controlling the first focus position adjusting means and the second focus position adjusting means; and a recording control means for forming the recording marks at the positions of respective focuses. |
US07944792B2 |
Information recording medium, data structure, and recording apparatus
A video object (26) contains a cell (31) which can be appropriately read and reproduced and a dummy cell (32) which cannot be appropriately read or reproduced. Video title set information (21) contains a plurality of program chains (40) containing a real program chain not specifying the dummy cell (32) and a virtual program chain specifying the dummy cell (32). |
US07944789B2 |
Recording medium playback device and method thereof
When playback of a recording medium, which stores content data that is only allowed to be played back for a limited number of times, is forcibly terminated due to a scratch on the recording medium, the playback of the content data residing at a subsequent location that follows a location having the scratch is performed without the number of playbacks being counted, and without a particular operation such as skip. Upon the playback after the forced termination, an address of an optical disk at which the playback was performed at the time of the forced termination is stored in a RAM unit. The address stored in the RAM unit is read out, and the content data residing at a subsequent address that follows the read address in terms of a predetermined number of addresses is played back. When data residing at the subsequent address that follows the read address cannot be read, the playback is repeated for a predetermined number of times for other addresses that follow the previous address at intervals in terms of the predetermined number of the addresses. |
US07944785B2 |
Optical disc recording/reproducing apparatus and focus-servo method thereof
A focus-servo control method of an optical disc recording/reproducing apparatus, for recording or reproducing information onto/from an optical disc having a track with a land and a groove, which are formed in a spiral manner on an information recording surface thereof, the optical disc recording/reproducing apparatus including an objective lens, the method comprising steps of: moving an optical spot from the land to the groove or from the groove to the land through a L/G exchange portion therebetween and moving a position of the objective lens from a land position to a groove position by gradually changing a focus offset value for the land to a focus offset value for the groove from a position located before the L/G exchange portion, when the optical spot moves from the land to the groove. |
US07944784B2 |
Land/groove track and pickup head movement direction detection
A detector is scanned across an optical storage medium having groove tracks and land tracks, each track having a wobble structure, to detect light reflected from the optical storage medium. A wobble signal and a tracking error signal are generated based on an output of the detector, and the wobble signal is sampled according to the tracking error signal. A determination about whether the detector is at the groove track or the land track is made based on the tracking error signal and a comparison of sampled values of the wobble signal. |
US07944782B2 |
90°-bent metallic waveguide having tapered c-shaped aperture, method of fabricating the waveguide, light delivery module including the waveguide, and heat assisted magnetic recording head having the waveguide
A metallic wave guide and a light delivery module are provided. The metallic waveguide includes a metal body formed of a conductive metal and having an aperture formed therethrough, the aperture having input and output ends. The aperture has a bent portion for changing a light traveling direction between the input and output ends, and a tapered portion between the bent portion and the output end. The tapered portion has a width that is gradually reduced toward the output end, and the aperture is formed in a C-shape by a ridge formed on an inner surface of the metal body. |
US07944781B2 |
Flexible waveguide with adjustable index of refraction
A flexible waveguide with an adjustable index of refraction. The core layer and/or the cladding layer of a flexible waveguide may include a plurality of nanoparticles having a different index of refraction than the core layer and/or cladding layer. The plurality of nanoparticles may have an index of refraction that is greater than or less than an index of refraction of either the core layer or the cladding layer in order that the overall effective index of refraction of either the core layer or the cladding layer can be adjusted. |
US07944779B2 |
Multifunction time display device
A multifunction time display device includes a main body, a first element, a second element, and an indication element. The main body includes a casing, and the casing possesses a transparent portion. The first element moves inside the casing as time goes by. The second element is removably attached to any position of the transparent portion of the casing. The indication element is triggered when the first element moves to overlap the second element. |
US07944776B2 |
Engine and technique for generating an acoustic signal
An embodiment of a device for generating an acoustic signal in a fluid includes an engine operable to repeat a thermodynamic process to vibrate a membrane of the engine to generate an acoustic signal having more than one period. The thermodynamic process includes heating mass inside a chamber of an engine to generate pressure inside the chamber; in response to generating the pressure, moving in a first direction a portion of a membrane of the engine; removing mass from inside the chamber to decrease the pressure inside the chamber; and in response to decreasing the pressure inside the chamber, moving the membrane portion in a second direction. Because the engine repeats the thermodynamic process, the engine may generate and sustain an acoustic signal for a significant amount of time. |
US07944775B2 |
Adaptive array control device, method and program, and adaptive array processing device, method and program
[Object] By enabling accurate coefficient update, a high-quality array processing output which is less influenced by frequency characteristics and incoming directions of input signals control can be acquired, irrespective of the frequency characteristics and incoming direction of the input signals. [Achieving Means] Identification information of a target signal and interference by amplitude is corrected according to identification information of the target signal and the interference by phase, and with use of the correction result, identification of the target signal and the interference is performed. More specifically, an identification information generation section according to phase, a correction signal generation section, and a correction section are provided. |
US07944769B1 |
System for power-on detection
A system for detecting power-on of a circuit block within an integrated circuit (IC). The system can include a latch including a latch output and an inverted latch output. The latch can be coupled to, and powered by, a power supply providing power to the circuit block within the IC. The system further can include an exclusive OR circuit. The exclusive OR circuit can include an input stage coupled to the latch output and the inverted latch output. The exclusive OR circuit generates an output signal indicating whether the circuit block is in a power-on state. |
US07944767B2 |
Semiconductor device and data processing system
Control information needed for executing data transmission/reception through a data terminal is received via its own control terminal in a first operation mode, and the control information is received by using the own control terminal and also a control terminal of at least one of the other ports in a second operation mode. |
US07944762B2 |
Non-volatile memory control
Methods and apparatus for use in a memory system having a non-volatile memory and a controller for limiting the number of non-volatile memory arrays from a plurality of available arrays accessed at one time are useful in the control of concurrent access of memory arrays. One method includes implementing a pipelining sequence for transferring data to and from the non-volatile memory arrays and limiting the number of active arrays operating at one time. The controller is configured to wait for the at least one of the arrays to complete before initiating a transfer to and from a further array. |
US07944759B2 |
Semiconductor memory device including floating body transistor
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells having a transistor with a floating body, a source line driver configured to control the source lines to select the memory cells in response to an address signal, a source line voltage generation unit configured to generate a source line target voltage, receive an source line output voltage from the source line driver, compare the level of the source line output voltage with the level of the source line target voltage, generate a source line voltage of which the level is adaptively varied according to a temperature, and a sense amplifier configured to sense a difference in current flowing through the bit lines in response to data read from a selected memory cell, amplify the difference to a level having high output driving capability and output the amplified current. |
US07944753B2 |
Electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) cell and methods for forming and reading the same
In a method of reading data in an EEPROM cell, a bit line voltage for reading is applied to the EEPROM cell including a memory transistor and a selection transistor. A first voltage is applied to a sense line of the memory transistor. A second voltage greater than the first voltage is applied to a word line of the selection transistor. A current passing through the EEPROM cell is compared with a predetermined reference current to read the data stored in the EEPROM cell. An on-cell current of the EEPROM cell may be increased in an erased state and the data in the cell may be readily discriminated. |
US07944752B2 |
Method for programming a flash memory device
A method for programming a flash memory device includes applying a program bias to a memory cell of a plurality of memory cells within a memory cell string. Each memory cell string comprises a source select line, a plurality of memory cells and a drain select line. A first pass bias is applied to at least one of the memory cells in a source select line direction relative to the memory cell to which the program bias has been applied. A second pass bias is applied to the memory cells in a drain select line direction relative the memory cell(s) to which the first pass bias has been applied. |
US07944749B2 |
Method of low voltage programming of non-volatile memory cells
A low voltage method of programming a selected non-volatile memory cell in a memory array having a gate node coupled to a wordline WL(n) and a drain node connected to a selected bitline by injecting hot carriers from a drain region of an injecting memory cell having a gate node coupled to a next neighbor wordline WL(n−1) into a floating gate of the selected non-volatile memory cell on the wordline WL(n). |
US07944747B2 |
Flash memory device and method for programming flash memory device having leakage bit lines
Provided is a method for programming a flash memory device. The method includes receiving writing data, detecting leakage bit lines of the flash memory device, and updating the received writing data in order for data corresponding to the leakage bit lines to be modified as program-inhibit data. A programming operation is performed on the flash memory device after updating the writing data. |
US07944744B2 |
Estimating values related to discharge of charge-storing memory cells
One or more groups of charge-storing memory cells are selected from a plurality of regular charge-storing memory cells of a storage device. The selected memory cells are initialized with initial binary data, by charging them with corresponding amounts of electric charge, or the selected memory cells are simply used as is containing user data. Then, while the selected memory cells undergo a self discharge process, collective changes in the binary states of the selected memory cells are used to estimate discharge-determining conditions such as elapsed time, wear rate or wear level of the memory cells. The adverse effects of the erratic behavior of individual charge-storing memory cells on such estimations is mitigated by using a large group of charge-storing memory cells, and the effect of temperature on the aforesaid estimations is reduced by using two or more large groups of charge-storing memory cells. |
US07944743B2 |
Methods of making a semiconductor memory device
One-transistor (1T) capacitor-less DRAM cells each include a MOS transistor having a bias gate layer that separates a floating body region from a base substrate. The MOS transistor functions as a storage device, eliminating the need of the storage capacitor. Logic “1” is written to and stored in the storage device by causing majority carriers (holes in an NMOS transistor) to accumulate and be held in the floating body region next to the bias gate layer, and is erased by removing the majority carriers from where they are held. |
US07944730B2 |
Write method with voltage line tuning
A method of writing to a resistive sense memory unit includes applying a first voltage across a resistive sense memory cell and a semiconductor transistor to write a first data state to the resistive sense memory cell. The first voltage forms a first write current for a first time duration through the resistive sense memory cell in a first direction. Then the method includes applying a second voltage across the resistive sense memory cell and the transistor to write a second data state to the resistive sense memory cell. The second voltage forms a second write current for a second duration through the resistive sense memory cell in a second direction. The second direction opposes the first direction, the first voltage has a different value than the second voltage, and the first duration is substantially the same as the second duration. |
US07944729B2 |
Simultaneously writing multiple addressable blocks of user data to a resistive sense memory cell array
Method and apparatus are disclosed for storing data to non-volatile resistive sense memory (RSM) memory cells of a semiconductor memory array, including but not limited to resistive random access memory (RRAM) and spin-torque transfer random access memory (STTRAM or STRAM) cells. In accordance with various embodiments, a plurality of addressable data blocks from a host device are stored in a buffer. At least a portion of each of the addressable data blocks are serially transferred to a separate register of a plurality of registers. The transferred portions of said addressable data blocks are thereafter simultaneously transferred from the registers to selected RSM cells of the array. |
US07944727B2 |
Mask programmable anti-fuse architecture
A memory array having both mask programmable and one-time programmable memory cells connected to the wordlines and the bitlines. All memory cells of the memory array are configured as one-time programmable memory cells. Any number of these one-time programmable memory cells are convertible into mask programmable memory cells through mask programming, such as diffusion mask programming or contact/via mask programming. Manufacturing of such a hybrid memory array is simplified because both types of memory cells are constructed of the same materials, therefore only one common set of manufacturing process steps is required. Inadvertent user programming of the mask programmable memory cells is inhibited by a programming lock circuit. |
US07944719B2 |
Voltage multiplier with improved power efficiency and apparatus provided with such voltage multiplier
A voltage multiplier comprising a chain of multiplier stages, each multiplier stage (STGj) comprising first and second inputs (IPIj, IP2j) and first and second outputs (OPIj, 0P2j), which first and second outputs of a multiplier stage is coupled to respective first and second inputs of another multiplier stage, each multiplier stage (STGj) comprising a series diode arrangement of two diodes (DIj, D2j) coupled, in the same current conducting direction, between the first input (IPIj) and the first output (OPIj). Each multiplier stage (STGj) further comprises a first capacitor (CIj) coupled between the first input (IPIj) and the first output (OPIj), and a second capacitor (C2j) coupled between the second input (IP2j) and the second output (0P2j). Each multiplier stage (STGj) further comprises equalizing means (VLSj; C2j, C3j, C4j), preferably capacitors (Csj), for equalizing the current distributions, as a function of time, of the currents (Ij) through the diodes (DIj, D2j). |
US07944717B2 |
Power converter apparatus and power converter apparatus control method
A converter section converts a three-phase ac input voltage into a dc voltage, and an inverter section converts the dc voltage converted by the converter section into a prescribed three-phase ac output voltage. The converter section converts the three-phase ac input voltage into the dc voltage on the basis of trapezoidal waveform voltage instruction signals from a trapezoidal waveform voltage instruction signal generating part and a carrier signal from a carrier signal generating part. The inverter section converts the dc voltage converted by the converter section 1 into a prescribed three-phase ac output voltage on the basis of an inverter section instruction signal corrected by an instruction signal correcting part. The trapezoidal waveform voltage instruction signal generating part generates sloped regions of the trapezoidal waveform voltage instruction signals by using a prescribed table. |
US07944716B2 |
Control of a resonant converter
The invention deals with the control of a resonant LLC converter by use of control parameters. The primary current flowing in the resonant tank and a voltage at a predetermined point in the resonant tank are monitored and control parameters are set for a high side conduction interval and control parameters are set for a low side conduction interval, the control parameters for the two conduction intervals being: a peak current of the interval and a predetermined voltage of the interval. The resonant converter comprises series-arranged controllable switches to be connected to the supply source. The resonant converter is operated by setting up criteria for turning off a switch in accordance with criteria including the four control parameters. |
US07944715B2 |
Controller for use in a resonant direct current/direct current converter
A controller is adapted for controlling a switch of a resonant direct current/direct current converter, and includes: a pulse width modulation controlling unit for detecting an output voltage of the resonant direct current/direct current converter, and for generating a pulse width modulation signal according to the output voltage detected thereby; a fixed frequency signal generating unit for generating a fixed frequency signal; and a logic synthesizing unit for synthesizing the pulse width modulation signal and the fixed frequency signal so as to generate a driving signal that is adapted to drive the switch of the resonant direct current/direct current converter. |
US07944710B2 |
Termination apparatus and method for planar components on printed circuit boards
The disclosure involves the efficient termination of a winding PCB of a planar inductive component to a main PCB, using relatively little space and providing a low-resistance connection. The disclosed methods are especially suitable for planar structures where several winding PCBs, and/or winding PCBs and a main PCB, are all enclosed by the magnetic path components. The methods allow for a winding PCB to simply rest on the main PCB, or other winding PCBs, without any clearance. The disclosure employs mating sets of conductive annular rings with an optional interlocking terminal pin that allows two PCBs to be fixedly coupled together, while preserving a minimum distance between the solder-mask layers of the two PCBs in order to prevent the formation of unwanted electrical connections between the two PCBs. Solder is used to ensure effective coupling in each assembly of mating annular rings and optional terminal pin. |
US07944704B2 |
Terminal module with integrated functions
The invention relates to a terminal module (1) with integrated functions, comprising a housing (2), at least one terminal strip (14-16) for connecting wire strands, and at least one circuit board (20) which is disposed in the housing (2) and on which functional elements are arranged that are electrically placed between contacts of the terminal strip or strips (14-16). Switching elements (21), by means of which conductor paths between the contacts can be modified, are positioned on the circuit board (20). |
US07944699B2 |
Server rack blanking panel and system
The present invention provides a system that allows for a single panel of the invention to be easily modified, preferably without the use of tools, to fit on a server rack, where the single panel is so modified as to cover the desired amount of open space on a server rack as a single piece, where the panel is preferably fire-rated, and where the modified panel may be easily installed onto the server rack to as to cover any open space thereon, and prevents the circular flow of warm air output from entering the cooler air input of the servers housed on the server rack. |
US07944698B2 |
Mounting a heat sink in thermal contact with an electronic component
A heat transfer apparatus comprises a load frame having load springs and an open region that exposes an electronic component. The load frame is mounted to a printed circuit board on which the electronic component is mounted. A heat sink assembly is disposed on the load frame and has a main body in thermal contact with the electronic component through a thermally conductive material. The heat sink assembly has load arms for engaging the load springs. A load plate extends between the load arms and has an actuation element operative to displace the main body relative to the load plate and thereby resiliently deform the load springs and produce a load force that compresses the thermally conductive material to achieve a desired thermal interface gap between the main body and the electronic component. Non-influencing fasteners secure the heat sink to the load frame and maintain the desired thermal interface gap. |
US07944688B2 |
Heat dissipating structure including a position-adjusting unit
A heat dissipating structure for a heat source includes a position-adjusting unit, a first heat dissipating element, a second heat dissipating element and a first heat conducting element. The position-adjusting unit has an elastic element. The first heat dissipating element is connected with the position-adjusting unit. The second heat dissipating element contacts with the heat source. One end of the first heat conducting element contacts with the first heat dissipating element, and the other end of the first heat conducting element contacts with the second heat dissipating element. The position-adjusting unit adjusts the position of the first heat dissipating element relative to the second heat dissipating element by the elastic element. |
US07944686B2 |
Disk device
In a disk device, a case includes a base frame and a top panel, which are made of thin metal plates. In the top panel, a corrugated section is formed to increase its rigidity. The corrugated section has peaks and valleys that are alternately arranged. The peaks and valleys extend in a direction orthogonal to a disk loading direction to the vicinity of both side ends of the top panel. |
US07944684B2 |
Notebook computer with document holding function
A notebook computer that has a document holding function includes an upper cover and a base. The upper cover includes a screen and an image pickup device. The base includes a keyboard and a touchpad. A touchpad chassis is disposed under the touchpad and connected with a bottom surface of the touchpad. A fixing recess is formed in an edge surface of the touchpad chassis for holding the document. A rotatable frame is disposed under the touchpad for overturning the touchpad chassis. As such, a shooting angle is defined between the image pickup device and the document held in the fixing recess. |
US07944680B2 |
High-voltage switchgear
A metal-encapsulated, gas-insulated high-voltage switchgear assembly includes a three-phase encapsulated busbar housing, at least one busbar disposed in the housing, and at least three single-phase-encapsulated circuit breakers disposed horizontally. The assembly further includes a busbar splitting module having at least one three-phase connecting flange configured to connect to the busbar housing and at least three single-phase connecting flanges pointing downward configured to connect to the at least three single-phase-encapsulated circuit breakers and an outgoer splitting module having at least one three-phase flange and at least three single-phase flanges pointing downward and configured to connect the at least three single-phase-encapsulated circuit breakers to a three-phase-encapsulated outgoer housing. |
US07944677B2 |
Electrostatic chuck
An electrostatic chuck includes a dielectric board having an upper surface on which a plurality of projections for supporting a substrate on top surfaces and recesses surrounding the projections are formed, an electrode formed inside the dielectric board, and an external power supply which applies a voltage to the electrode. The dielectric board includes a conductor film formed on at least the top surface of each projection, and has a three-dimensional structure which causes the conductor film to generate a Johnson-Rahbeck force between the substrate and conductor film when a voltage is applied to the electrode. |
US07944676B2 |
Systems and methods for collecting use of force information
An apparatus records a use of force. The apparatus includes a weapon that initiates application of the force against a target, being a person or animal, to stop undesired behavior by the target. The apparatus further includes a processing circuit that provides, after an operation of the weapon, indicia of a prompt. The prompt elicits a spoken reply from an operator of the apparatus. The reply describes the use of force, and records indicia of the reply received from a provided input device. A method of operation of an electronic weapon includes applying a force wherein applying comprises passing a current through tissue of a target to produce contractions in skeletal muscles of the target to impede locomotion by the target; and recording a description of the application, the description in accordance with operator input. |
US07944674B2 |
Barrier piercing electrode
An electrode is provided that is adapted to both pierce a barrier and providing an over-air discharge of electrical energy. In this regard, an over air discharge of electrical energy may be provided to an opposing side of a barrier. In one arrangement, the electrode includes a tapered point, which may be a hardened material, to facilitate piercing a barrier. In a further arrangement, the electrode incorporates an insulative shaft. In this arrangement, the insulative shaft electrically isolates a conductor of the electrode from a conductive barrier. Accordingly, the electrode may be utilized to pierce metallic enclosures and provide an electrical discharge for the purpose of altering the operation of electronic device within such enclosures. |
US07944670B2 |
Surge protection circuit for passing DC and RF signals
A surge protection circuit may include a tuned circuit board with traces designed to provide a surge protected and RF isolated DC path while propagating RF signals through the PCB dielectric with microstrip lines. The surge protection circuit utilizes high impedance RF decoupling devices such as quarterwave traces or inductors which isolate the multistage DC protection scheme which may include a gas discharge tube, serial surge impeding devices such as inductors and/or resistors, a decoupled air/spark gap device and a Zener diode junction. |
US07944669B2 |
Electric fence energizer lightning protection
A lightning protection circuit for electric fence energizers used with electric fencing systems is provided. The circuit includes a protective combination having at least two electrical components connected in series. The protective combination allows induced voltage from lightning strikes to be effectively spread across a first of the electrical components and a switch of the fence energizer, so as to limit peak levels of current drawn to a second of the electrical components. |
US07944663B2 |
Over-current protection circuit
An over-current protection circuit for use with a constant voltage circuit that converts an input voltage to a predetermined output voltage and that outputs the predetermined output voltage. The over-current protection circuit includes an output current detecting circuit configured to output an output current detecting voltage proportional to an output current outputted from the constant voltage circuit; an output current control circuit configured to control the output current outputted from the constant voltage circuit according to the output current detecting voltage outputted from the output current detecting circuit; an output voltage detecting circuit configured to output at least an output voltage detecting voltage according to the output voltage of the constant voltage circuit; and a conversion rate altering circuit configured to alter a conversion rate of the output current to the output current detecting voltage of the output current detecting circuit according to the output voltage detecting voltage outputted from the output voltage detecting circuit. |
US07944661B2 |
Protection circuit, flat display device using the same, and method for driving flat display device using the same
A protection circuit which is capable of preventing a faulty operation resulting from an abnormal control signal a method for operating the same, a flat display device using the same, and a method for driving the flat display device using the same are disclosed. The protection circuit includes a reference voltage output circuit for outputting a first reference voltage corresponding to a minimum allowable voltage of a control signal and a second reference voltage corresponding to a maximum allowable voltage of the control signal, and a comparison circuit, comparing a level of the control signal with the first reference voltage and second reference voltage and supplying a output control voltage corresponding to the control signal representing the a high-logic state to the controller when the level of the control signal has a value between the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage. |
US07944659B2 |
ESD protection circuit for high speed signaling including a switch
An ESD protection circuit for a switch coupled to high-speed signaling pins of an integrated circuit includes a first string of clamping elements and a second string of clamping elements. The first string of clamping elements has a collective capacitance less than the capacitance of a single clamping element. The first string of clamping elements is operably coupled to the drain and source of the transistor and conducts when a first polarity ESD voltage is applied to the high-speed pins. The second string of clamping elements has a collective capacitance less than the capacitance of one clamping element. The second string of clamping elements is operably coupled to the drain and source of the transistor and conducts when a second polarity ESD voltage is applied to the high speed signaling pins. |
US07944658B2 |
Integrated circuit and assembly therewith
An integrated circuit suitable for use at high frequencies and comprising a first capacitor having an input and an output, as well as a ground connection, wherein the capacitor is ESD-protected through an resistor between the capacitor output and the ground connection, which resistor has a resistance value that is sufficiently high so as to prevent any substantial influence on RF performance of the ground connection. |
US07944657B2 |
Electrostatic discharge protection circuit
An electrostatic protection circuit includes a first impurity region, a second impurity region, a first electrode, a third impurity region, a fourth impurity region, a second electrode, a fifth impurity region, a sixth impurity region, a third electrode, a gate insulating film, and a fourth electrode. |
US07944656B2 |
Level conversion circuit and semiconductor integrated circuit device employing the level conversion circuit
In a level conversion circuit mounted in an integrated circuit device using a plurality of high- and low-voltage power supplies, the input to the differential inputs are provided. In a level-down circuit, MOS transistors that are not supplied with 3.3 V between the gate and drain and between the gate and source use a thin oxide layer. In a level-up circuit, a logic operation function is provided. |
US07944655B2 |
Electrostatic discharge protection circuit employing a micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) structure
An ESD protection circuit for protecting a host circuit coupled to a signal pad from an ESD event occurring at the signal pad includes at least one MEMS switch which is electrically connected to the signal pad. The MEMS switch includes a first contact structure adapted for connection to the signal pad, and a second contact structure adapted for connection to a voltage supply source. The first and second contact structures are coupled together during the ESD event for shunting an ESD current from the signal pad to the voltage supply source. The first and second contact structures are electrically isolated from one another in the absence of the ESD event. At least one of the first and second contact structures includes a passivation layer for reducing contact adhesion between the first and second contact structures. |
US07944651B2 |
CPP-type magnetoresistive effect head and method of manufacturing the same
Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent a reduction in the bias magnetic field of a current perpendicular to the plane-type (CPP-type) magnetoresistive effect head, thus suppressing a reduction in read output. According to one embodiment, a CPP-type magnetoresistive effect film is formed on top of a lower magnetic shield. A refill insulation film and a magnetic domain control layer are formed on both sides of an intermediate layer and a free layer of the CPP-type magnetoresistive effect film. A side wall protection film is formed on a side wall of the refill insulation film and on top of the free layer so as to define the height of the magnetic domain control layer. To increase the film thickness of the magnetic domain control layer, the magnetic domain control layer and the refill insulation film are higher than the top surface of the free layer. A magnetic shield underlayer film is formed on the top surfaces of the free layer, the magnetic domain control layer and the refill insulation film and an upper magnetic shield layer is formed on the magnetic shield underlayer film. |
US07944649B2 |
Magnetically preloaded anti-rotation guide for a transducer
A transducer positioning apparatus is provided that supports a read/write head on a data storage machine and biases the head against rotation. The transducer positioning apparatus may comprise a base that includes a linear drive motor and a support frame to which the read/write head is secured. The support frame is reciprocally driven by the linear drive motor relative to the base. A magnetic coupling is provided between the base and the support frame that resists movement of the frame other than the reciprocal movement of the support frame relative to the base. A method is also disclosed for magnetically biasing a movable head of a transducer against rotation. |
US07944648B2 |
Head slider and storage medium driving device
According to one embodiment, a head slider, includes: a slider body; an insulating nonmagnetic film configured to be laminated on an air outflow side end face of the slider body; a magnetoresistive effect film configured to be buried in the nonmagnetic film; first and second wiring patterns configured to be buried in the nonmagnetic film and connected to the magnetoresistive effect film; a third wiring pattern configured to be buried in the nonmagnetic film and connected to the first and second wiring pattern in parallel to the magnetoresistive effect film; and a switch element configured to be buried in the nonmagnetic film and change conductivity of the third wiring pattern between conduction and non-conduction. |
US07944646B2 |
Magnetic disk drive
In a patterned perpendicular magnetic recording medium, embodiments of the present invention provide a magnetic head in which magnetic field to be applied to adjacent tracks can be suppressed and a recording device equipped with the magnetic head. In one embodiment of the present invention, a sum of a width Pw of a main pole of a magnetic head and distances between right and left magnetic substances on a width-directional side of tracks and the main pole, so-called widths of side gap lengths s_g1—1 and s_g1—2 is, in a magnetic recording medium having a soft-magnetic underlayer, made to be not more than a sum of a width w_land of a convexity or land of the soft-magnetic underlayer and widths w_groove—1 and w_groove—2 of concavities or grooves adjacent to the land on both its sides. |
US07944645B2 |
Lubricated limiter for fluid dynamic bearing motor
A component for restricting relative movement of a rotor and a shaft is disclosed. A motor may include a shaft and a rotor, where the rotor is disposed for relative rotation with respect to said shaft. A component is operable to restrict relative movement of the rotor and the shaft, where the component includes a first surface operable to receive a fluid. |
US07944642B2 |
Hard disk drive protection system and method
A hard disk drive protection system comprises a sensor configured to detect an impending shock event and a hard drive protection module configured to determine whether to issue a fast park command for a hard disk drive in response to detecting the impending shock event based on a permissible quantity of fast park cycles for the hard disk drive. |
US07944641B2 |
Overshoot duration range selection in a hard disk drive
A hard disk drive that stores data on a disk. An overshoot duration is used to write data onto the disk. The value of the overshoot duration is a function of the data rate, which can vary for different areas of the disk. For example, the data rate can be higher at an outer diameter of the disk than at an inner disk diameter. The overshoot duration can therefore be different when writing data at the outer diameter than the duration used to write data at the inner diameter. The data rate can be determined by analyzing a preamble of the data written onto the disk. |
US07944640B2 |
Bulk eraser including at least three magnets configured for erasing recorded information
A bulk eraser for erasing recorded information on a magnetic-recording disk. The bulk eraser includes at least three magnets and a structure magnetically coupled with the at least three magnets to produce magnetic-flux density in a gap. The gap has a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, such that a first magnet and a second magnet are disposed with opposing end poles across the first portion. The at least three magnets and the structure are configured to produce a magnetic-flux density in the second portion sufficient to erase recorded information from a portion of at least one magnetic-recording disk in a disk-stack when a hard-disk drive is inserted into the second portion. In addition, the at least three magnets and the structure are configured to direct the magnetic-flux density in a substantially radial direction of the portion of the magnetic-recording disk in the second portion. |
US07944638B1 |
Method and apparatus for scheduling spiral interrupts for self-servo write
A method for dynamic spiral ISR scheduling determines a dynamic delay with spiral to spiral spacing information of a disk, so as to ensure that the sum of a primary ISR time and a secondary ISR time does not exceed the wedge to wedge time. The ISR time may be scheduled to start after a delay for the sum of a static delay and the dynamic delay from an edge. A system for dynamic spiral ISR scheduling uses a dynamic delay determining unit to determine a dynamic delay, and an ISR scheduling unit to schedule the start of a secondary spiral set ISR based on a sum of the dynamic delay and a static delay. |
US07944635B2 |
Lens barrel and image pickup apparatus
A lens barrel includes a shooting optical system contained in a barrel and operable to lead a subject image to an image sensor, a back focus adjustment lens group constituting a part of the shooting optical system and operable to be fixed immovably after the position of the back focus adjustment lens group is adjusted in an optical axis direction of the shooting optical system, and a back focus adjustment mechanism operable to adjust the position of the back focus adjustment lens group in the optical axis direction. |
US07944634B2 |
Support structure for light quantity control unit of lens barrel
A support structure for a light quantity control unit of a lens barrel includes a holding frame which holds a light quantity control member; front and rear support members positioned in front and behind the holding frame, respectively; a front guide pin and a front pin support hole formed on one and the other of the holding frame and the front support member, the front guide pin being slidably inserted into the front pin support hole; and a rear guide pin and a rear pin support hole formed on one and the other of the holding frame and the rear support member, the rear guide pin being slidably inserted into the rear pin support hole. The holding frame is supported by the front and rear guide pins and the front and rear pin support holes to be movable between the front and rear support members. |
US07944632B2 |
Lens module and camera module having same
An exemplary lens module includes a barrel and a plurality of deformable lenses received in the barrel. The barrel includes an inner wall. The inner wall has a plurality of circular retaining portions. The plurality of deformable lenses is deformed and retained in the plurality of circular retaining portions. Diameters of the lenses are greater than an inner diameter of the barrel. The lenses each has a curved surface. |
US07944628B2 |
Optical element unit
An optical element unit is provided comprising an optical element group for projecting light along an optical axis of the optical element group and a housing having an inner housing part partly defining a first space and a light passageway between the inner housing part and a second space. The inner housing part receives the optical element group. The optical element group comprises an ultimate optical element located in the region of the light passageway. A load-relieving device is provided adjacent to the ultimate optical element, the load relieving device partly defining the first space and the second space and at least partly relieving the ultimate optical element from loads resulting from pressure differences between the first space. |
US07944626B2 |
Wide angle lens module and vehicle vision system
A wide angle lens module includes a first lens and a second lens with negative refracting power, a third lens and a fourth lens with positive refracting power, a fifth lens with negative refracting power, a sixth lens with positive refracting power, and a seventh lens with negative refracting power. The first lens, the second lens, the third lens, the fourth lens, the fifth lens, the sixth lens, and the seventh lens are assembled in order from an object side to an image side. |
US07944622B2 |
Zoom lens and image pickup apparatus equipped with same
A zoom lens is composed, in order from the object side thereof, of a front side lens unit having a negative refracting power at the wide angle end and a rear side lens unit having a positive refracting power at the wide angle end. The front side lens unit includes a first lens unit located closest to the object side and having a positive refracting power and a second lens unit located on the image side of the first lens unit and having a negative refracting power. The distance between the first lens unit and the second lens unit is larger at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end. The rear side lens unit includes a third lens unit located closer to the object side at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end and having a positive refracting power, the distance between the third lens unit and the second lens unit being smaller at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end. The third lens unit satisfies the following condition: 0.01 |
US07944621B2 |
Zoom lens system and a projector with the zoom lens system
A zoom lens system comprising, arranged sequentially from the enlarging side to the reducing side, a first lens group having a negative refractive power as a whole, a second lens group having a positive refractive power as a whole and a third lens group having a positive refractive power as a whole. The third group is fixed during the zooming. The first lens group moves along an optical axis from the enlarging side to the reducing side during zooming from the wide angle end to the intermediate area. The first lens group also moves along the optical axis from the reducing side to the enlarging side during zooming from the intermediate area to the telephoto end. The second lens group moves along the optical axis from the reducing side to the enlarging side during zooming from the wide angle end to the telephoto end. Thus, the zooming operation of the whole lens system is achieved. |
US07944613B2 |
Optical module having three or more optically transparent layers
A light dispersion filter is composed of three or more optically transparent layers each having a value equal to the value of the product of the refractive index and thickness of the optically transparent layer and transmitted light, and a plurality of partially reflective layers arranged alternately with the optically transparent layers and having predetermined reflectivities. Alternatively, a light dispersion filter has a plurality of etalon resonators which are arranged in series such that the value of the product of the refractive index of air and the interval of the etalon resonators is equal to the value of the product of the refractive index and thickness of the optically transparent layers. |
US07944612B2 |
Illumination systems
Described are illumination systems whereby light spectra from multiple LEDs of various colors can be combined and polarized with minimal components, while substantially reducing the losses for the combining and polarizing. The described systems and methods use polarizing beam splitters (PBSs) with retarder stack filters to combine color and split polarization for mixed light beams in one step, and to ultimately align the polarizations of the several colored light beams. |
US07944611B1 |
High zoom ratio optical sighting device
An optical sighting device having a compound zoom system preferably includes two or more lens erector assemblies that are each adjustable to modify the optical power of the optical sighting device. A prism erector assembly may also be included. An odd number of erector assemblies preferably creates a viewable image that has the same orientation as the real object being viewed through the optical sighting device. |
US07944609B2 |
3-D optical microscope
A 3-D optical microscope, a method of turning a conventional optical microscope into a 3-D optical microscope, and a method of creating a 3-D image on an optical microscope are described. The 3-D optical microscope includes a processor, at least one objective lens, an optical sensor capable of acquiring an image of a sample, a mechanism for adjusting focus position of the sample relative to the objective lens, and a mechanism for illuminating the sample and for projecting a pattern onto and removing the pattern from the focal plane of the objective lens. The 3-D image creation method includes taking two sets of images, one with and another without the presence of the projected pattern, and using a software algorithm to analyze the two image sets to generating a 3-D image of the sample. The 3-D image creation method enables reliable and accurate 3-D imaging on almost any sample regardless of its image contrast. |
US07944605B2 |
Color display apparatus
A color display apparatus includes a color changeover unit for changing over colors of an illumination light or a projection light, and a control circuit for applying a video signal for generating a control signal for controlling a spatial light modulator, wherein the control circuit further applying the video signal for generating a control signal during a transition period when the illumination and/or the projection light are projected with a first color coexisting with a second color as the color changeover unit changing over the colors of the illumination light or projection light from the first color to the second color. |
US07944603B2 |
Microelectromechanical device and method utilizing a porous surface
A microelectromechanical device (MEMS) utilizing a porous electrode surface for reducing stiction is disclosed. In one embodiment, a microelectromechanical device is an interferometric modulator that includes a transparent electrode having a first surface; and a movable reflective electrode with a second surface facing the first surface. The movable reflective electrode is movable between a relaxed and actuated (collapsed) position. An aluminum layer is provided on either the first or second surface. The aluminum layer is then anodized to provide an aluminum oxide layer which has a porous surface. The porous surface, in the actuated position, decreases contact area between the electrodes, thus reducing stiction. |
US07944602B2 |
Systems and methods using interferometric optical modulators and diffusers
Various embodiments include interferometric optical modulators comprising a substrate layer having a thickness between about 0.1 mm to about 0.45 mm thick and a method for manufacturing the same. The interferometric modulator can be integrated together with a diffuser in a display device. The thin substrate permits use of a thicker diffuser. The thinner substrate may increase resolution and reduce overall thickness of the interferometric modulator. The thicker diffuser may provide increased diffusion and durability. |
US07944600B2 |
Mirror device with an anti-stiction layer
A micromirror device includes an elastic hinge for supporting a mirror on a substrate, and an address electrode for deflecting the mirror. The device further includes a protective layer and an oriented monolayer laid to cover a stopper also functioning as an address electrode provided below the mirror and between the mirror and the substrate. |
US07944599B2 |
Electromechanical device with optical function separated from mechanical and electrical function
A microelectromechanical (MEMS) device includes a substrate, a movable element over the substrate, and an actuation electrode above the movable element. The movable element includes a deformable layer and a reflective element. The deformable layer is spaced from the reflective element. |
US07944598B2 |
Speckle mitigation in laser scanner projector systems
Laser scanner projection systems that reduce the appearance of speckle in a scanned laser image are provided. The laser projection system includes a visible light source having at least one laser, a scanning element and a system controller. The system controller is programmed to generate a scanned laser image. The system further includes a first lens that focuses a scanned output beam onto an intermediate image and a second lens that projects the intermediate image onto a projection surface. A periodic phase mask having a period that is approximately equal to or greater than the beam waist diameter of the scanned output beam is positioned at the intermediate laser image. The period of the periodic phase mask is such that the projection of the scanned output beam jumps progressively from pixel to pixel, thereby reducing speckle contrast in the scanned laser image. |
US07944597B2 |
Electrochromic materials and electrochromic devices using the same
Disclosed herein are novel electrochromic materials. The electrochromic materials are viologens into which an imidazole derivative is asymmetrically introduced. The electrochromic materials can be used in a variety of electrochromic displays, including electrochromic windows and smart windows. Also disclosed herein are electrochromic devices that use the electrochromic materials. |
US07944595B2 |
Color processing method and apparatus
The dark part of the gamut includes switching regions from light color materials to dark color materials, thus preferable results of colors of these regions cannot be obtained by color prediction based on interpolation. Hence, patches of grid points for dividing an input color space are printed on a medium, and the colorimetry results of the patches are obtained. Patches of some of the grid points and an additional point between these grid points are printed on a medium of the same type as the medium, and the colorimetry results of the patches are obtained. The colorimetric value of the additional point is interpolated based on those of grid points around the additional point in the first colorimetry using, as weights, the distances on the color space between the colorimetric value of the additional point and those of the grid points around the additional point in the second colorimetry. |
US07944594B2 |
Image processing device and an image processing method for curbing the amount of color material consumed and suppressing a deterioration in image quality
An image forming device that carries out color reproduction using plural of color materials having: a setting unit setting a color material curbing mode that curbs an amount of color material; and a color information inputting unit that inputs input color information. The image forming device further has a converting unit that, when the color material curbing mode is set by the setting unit, converts the input color information inputted by the color information inputting unit into output color information in a color material curbing region, on the basis of correspondence relationships that are set in advance such that a region that is color-reproducible by the image forming device is kept within the color material curbing region that is narrowed such that an amount of the color material is curbed. |
US07944593B2 |
Method and apparatus for efficient processing of color conversion
The management of color presented at end point devices such as a display or printer is based on the implementation of a Color Management Resource (herein also CMR). A CMR is an architected resource stored accessibly to a print server or other processor that is used to carry all of the color management information required to render a print file, document, page, or data object. The invention here described is particularly focused on a color conversion type of CMR and defines a new type here called a Link Color Conversion CMR. In particular, a unique descriptor is tied to each input and output color conversion rule. A linked color conversion rule, created by combining the input and output color conversion, is created. The linked color conversion structure contains three parts—the descriptor of the input color conversion rule, the descriptor of the output color conversion rule, and the combined color conversion rule. By comparing the descriptors, it is possible to very rapidly identify a previously-existing linked color conversion that combines the input and output conversions. |
US07944590B2 |
Box for image reading apparatus, image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus
A box for an image reading apparatus, the box comprising a box body and a reinforcing member, the box body comprising a rectangular frame and a base plate fixed to the rectangular frame, and the reinforcing member being attached to the box body. The reinforcing member has a downwardly drawn area, upwardly drawn areas which are adjacent to the downwardly drawn area on front side and rear side for placing a reading block without interfering with the movement of an original document scanning unit and a cutout portion for disposing at least an image processing unit formed from the downwardly drawn area to end-of-scan side in the subscanning direction of the box body. An image reading apparatus having reduced thickness is provided by employing this box. An image forming apparatus in which height position of the image reading apparatus is set to such a height position that allows easy operation is provided. |
US07944588B2 |
Image correction processing apparatus, image correction processing method, program, and storage medium
An image correction process that suppresses image deterioration in a printed image is provided. An image correction processing apparatus includes an area setting unit which sets an area comprising a plurality of pixels including an interest pixel, a first correction strength setting unit which adaptively sets a first correction strength for at least the interest pixel in the area based on the number of changes and the changing amount, a first correction unit which executes image correction for a pixel, for which the first correction strength is set, by the first correction strength, a second correction strength setting unit which adaptively sets a second correction strength for at least the interest pixel in the area based on the number of changes and the changing amount, and a second correction unit which executes image correction for a pixel, for which the first correction strength is set, by the second correction strength. |
US07944585B2 |
Color information encoding in monochrome printing
An image processing system including a processor configured to analyze a color image to determine a set of target colors and a database including factor profiles associated with a set of stored colors. The image processing system further includes a printer controller that assigns the factor profiles to the target colors according to a color space proximity of the target colors with the stored colors. The factor profiles represent a combination of factors including a gray level and a screen angle. |
US07944580B2 |
Handheld printer
A handheld printer that provides an appropriate application of ink to a print medium without a bulky and complex mechanical system for positioning a print head with respect to the print medium. A handheld printer according to the present teachings includes a navigation subsystem that tracks a motion of the handheld printer with respect to a printing surface and a print head controller that causes a print head to fire ink drops onto the printing surface in response to the motion and in response to an image contained in an image buffer. |
US07944578B2 |
Album provision system and method
An album provision system is provided to prevent an album from being copied before it has not been charged for creating the album when the album is provided to a user. The album provision system includes: an image acquiring section for acquiring an image; an album creating section for creating an album by the acquired image; a film applying section for applying a viewing protection film to prevent the image from being viewed on the image laid out in the album; a film presence determining section for determining whether the viewing protection film is still applied on the image laid out in the album returned from the user when the album on which the viewing protection film is applied is provided to the user and then the album is returned from the user; and a charging section for charging the user when the film presence determining section determines that the viewing protection film is not applied on the image. |
US07944577B2 |
Output controller for mobile and pervasive digital content output
Pervasive output capability is provided so that an information apparatus can pervasively output digital content to an output device regardless of the processing power, display screen size and memory space of the information apparatus. This allows small mobile devices with limited display, processing power, and memory to be able to output a digital document (e.g., PDF, HTML, PowerPoint etc) in its full original richness, without resorting to downsizing, truncating, reducing, clipping or otherwise altering the original document. A data output service method for rendering at an output device output content managed from an information apparatus may include obtaining by wireless communication from the information apparatus at least part of a document object relating to the output content, obtaining at least part of an output device object with one or more attributes relating to the output device, and providing the document object and the output device object to a server application operated on a server that is distinct from the information apparatus and the output device, and generating with the server application output data relating to the output device. The output data may then be provided to the output device for rendering the output content as the data output service. |
US07944573B2 |
Methods and apparatus for authenticating facsimile transmissions to electronic storage destinations
A method transmitting a facsimile or scanned image to an electronic destination address includes receiving the facsimile or scanned image including a digitized instruction page including an optical representation of the electronic destination address, wherein the digitized instruction page is encoded in a first format, determining the electronic destination address from the optical representation of the electronic destination address, wherein the electronic destination address need not be known prior to receiving the facsimile or scanned image, converting the digitized instruction page to a second format, determining additional service provider data, and transmitting the additional service provider data and the digitized representation of the instruction page encoded in the second format to the electronic destination address. |
US07944572B2 |
Protocol allowing a document management system to communicate inter-attribute constraints to its clients
A system facilitates communication between a control component and a plurality of processing components. One or more processing components performs one or more tasks, each processing component has at least one attribute associated therewith. One or more attribute banks are associated with each of the one or more processing components, wherein each attribute bank stores the at least one attribute. A control component initiates the one or more tasks for each processing component. A universal driver facilitates communication between the one or more processing components and the control component. The driver includes an interrogation component that queries the one or more processing components to receive the at least one attribute associated with each processing component. A constraint evaluator determines combinations of attributes that are supported and unsupported for each of the one or more processing components. An attribute filter categorizes each attribute combination based at least in part on whether it is supported or unsupported. |
US07944559B2 |
Airborne hyperspectral imaging system
A hyperspectral imaging system has fore-optics including primary, secondary and tertiary fore-optics mirrors, and an imaging spectrometer including primary, secondary and tertiary spectrometer mirrors. Light from a distant object is collected by the primary fore-optics mirror, and the tertiary fore-optics mirror forms an intermediate object image at an entrance side of a spectrometer slit. The spectrometer mirrors are configured so that light from an exit side of the slit is diffracted by a grating on the secondary mirror, and an image representing spectral and spatial components of the object is formed by the tertiary spectrometer mirror on a focal plane array. The surface of each mirror of the fore-optics and the spectrometer has an associated axis of symmetry. The mirrors are aligned so that their associated axes coincide to define a common system axis, thus making the imaging system easier to assemble and align in relation to prior systems. |
US07944557B2 |
Method and apparatus for radiation encoding an analysis
Method and apparatus for analyzing radiation using analyzers and encoders employing the spatial modulation of radiation dispersed by wavelength or imaged along a line. |
US07944551B2 |
Systems and methods for a wavelet transform viewer
Techniques for the display of a signal with a wavelet transform of that signal in a wavelet transform viewer are disclosed, according to embodiments. According to embodiments, the wavelet transform viewer can display a plot of physiological signals such as a photoplethysmograph (PPG) signal. A portion of the plot of the signal can be selected. A wavelet transform the selected portion of the signal can be calculated and a wavelet plot of the tranformed signal can be displayed simultaneously with that signal. A plot of the selected portion of the signal can also be simultaneously displayed with both the plot of the signal and the wavelet plot. |
US07944549B2 |
Optical screen, systems and methods for producing and operating same
There is provided a system for forming an optical screen, including a continuous wave or pulsed laser transmitter for transmitting a beam of radiation at a predetermined wavelength and forming a planar or curved surface to be traversed by a moving object, at least one receiver including an array of detectors for receiving reflected or scattered beam radiation from the object and directing it towards the detectors for producing a signal, and a detection logic receiving the signal and determining parameters selected from the group of spatial position, velocity and direction of propulsion of them moving object. A method for detecting a moving object is also provided. |
US07944544B2 |
Liquid crystal device having a diffraction function layer that includes a flat portion and a non-flat portion with a grid disposed in the non-flat portion
An optical element includes a diffraction function layer for diffracting at least a part of incident light and a grid disposed on a first surface of the diffraction function layer and including a plurality of wires. The first surface includes a plurality of first areas and a plurality of second areas. The first areas and the second areas are different from each other in a height from a second surface of the diffraction function layer as a surface opposite to the first surface. Steps are provided on boundaries between the first areas and the second areas. |
US07944541B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and method of manufacturing the same
In accordance with a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device including, in a picture element, a first sub-picture-element region where a threshold voltage of the transmittance-applied voltage characteristic is Vth1 and a second sub-picture-element region where a threshold voltage of the transmittance-applied voltage characteristic is Vth2, liquid crystal, which polymerizable components are added to, is filled into the space between a first and a second substrates; thereafter, a voltage V1 slightly higher than the threshold voltage Vth1 is applied to a liquid crystal layer, and is held for a certain length of time; subsequently, a voltage V2 slightly higher than the threshold voltage Vth2 is applied to the liquid crystal layer, and is held for a certain length of time; additionally, a voltage V3 higher than a white-displaying voltage which is applied while the liquid crystal display device is in actual use is applied to the liquid crystal layer, and is held for a certain length of time; then, the polymerizable components are polymerized by irradiation of ultraviolet light; and thus polymers are formed in the liquid crystal layer. |
US07944539B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
An LCD device provides enhanced display quality. An insulating layer is formed on a first substrate. The insulating layer covers the contact portion of a switching device in which the switching device is electrically connected to a transparent electrode and has an opening for exposing a portion of the transparent electrode. A reflection electrode is electrically connected to the transparent electrode through the opening. The insulation layer covers a first portion of a driving circuit formed on the first substrate. A sealant is interposed between the first and second substrate to engage the first and second substrate and to cover a second portion of the driving circuit. Therefore, the driver circuit may operate normally, and the distortion of the signal outputted from the driver circuit may be prevented. |
US07944533B2 |
Multi-domain liquid crystal display
The present invention achieves the multi-domain configuration by providing an insulation film region at least one location in each pixel on one substrate of a pair of substrates of an active matrix multi-domain vertically aligned liquid crystal display for differentiating electrical potential to be applied to a certain zone of the liquid crystal from that to the liquid crystal at the other area when a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal, thereby causing different electrical potential gradients in at least two directions. |
US07944524B2 |
Display apparatus with particular light control and light reflecting
The present invention is directed to the provision of a high-contrast display apparatus. The display apparatus of the present invention includes a light source, a display section having an electro-optical conversion device for transmitting or scattering light introduced from the light source, light control means for reflecting the light introduced from the light source at a prescribed reflection angle, and a light reflecting member for causing the light reflected by the light control means and transmitted through the electro-optical conversion device to be reflected outside the field of view of a viewer who is viewing the display section straight on. |
US07944519B2 |
Liquid crystal display module
A liquid crystal display (LCD) module includes a bottom case; a reflector on the bottom case; a plurality of lamps on the reflector; a driving voltage supply portion supplying driving voltages to the lamps and coupled with the bottom case using a screw; a side supporter crossing and covering one end portions of the lamps and including a protrusion facing a head of the screw, wherein a distance between the protrusion and the screw is less than a height of the screw; a plurality of optical sheets on the side supporter; a liquid crystal panel on the optical sheets; a main supporter surrounding the optical sheets and the liquid crystal panel; and a top case covering a peripheral region of the liquid crystal panel. |
US07944517B2 |
Computer having liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel having a display area, a light source joined with the liquid crystal panel, a first frame coupled to a surface of the light unit and sides of the liquid crystal panel, a second frame coupled to edges of the liquid crystal panel and sides of the first support frame, an outer casing, and a fastening part joining together the first support frame, the second support frame, and the outer casing through the sides of the first support frame, the second support frame, and the outer casing. |
US07944514B2 |
Display device and manufacturing method thereof
The present invention allows decreasing the uneven image quality in a liquid crystal display device. The display device in accordance with the present invention includes plural scan signal lines, plural video signal lines, plural TFTs placed in a matrix structure, and plural pixel electrodes, when the width of the scan signal line in a region to place one TFT is different from the width of the scan signal line in a region to place another TFT which is different from the one TFT, the channel width and the channel length of the one TFT is almost equal to the channel width and the channel length of the another TFT, and the surface area of the region overlapping the source electrode with the scan signal line of the one TFT when viewing in plan view is almost equal to the surface area of the region overlapping the source electrode with the scan signal line of the another TFT when viewing in plan view. |
US07944511B2 |
Front-end module and television set
A front-end module for receiving analog and digital broadcast signals is provided. The front-end module includes frequency conversion means, digital satellite demodulation means, intermediate frequency conversion means, analog demodulation means, digital terrestrial demodulation means, filtering means, and a grounding arrangement common to a digital and an analog circuit sections. |
US07944507B2 |
Video processing apparatus and video processing method
A video processing apparatus includes: a reception module configured to selectively receive signals; a signal processing module configured to perform signal processing on a signal received by the reception module; a video processor configured to process the signal performed with the signal processing to output a video signal for displaying an image contained in the signal; and a control module configured to control the reception module, the signal processing module, and the video processor, wherein the control module includes: a storing module configured to store pieces of video size information being set for respective categories; and a video size switching module configured to switch the video size based on the pieces of video size information stored in the storing module. |
US07944506B2 |
Caption presentation method and apparatus using same
A caption presentation method and an apparatus using the method, by which caption and information related to the caption can be provided together in a broadcast receiver or in an image reproducer that displays the caption in a closed caption method. The method includes detecting subject information from a caption signal; obtaining visual information with respect to the caption, based on the detected caption subject information; and displaying the visual information and the caption signal together. |
US07944503B1 |
Interlaced-to-progressive video processing
An edge direction vector determination, which can be used for video interlaced-to-progressive conversion by motion-adaptive interpolation, has a coarse edge vector determination over a large search window followed by a fine edge vector determination over a small window plus confidence level assessment for field interpolation. |
US07944502B2 |
Pipelining techniques for deinterlacing video information
Pipelining techniques to deinterlace video information are described. An apparatus may comprise deinterlacing logic to convert interlaced video data into deinterlaced video data using multiple processing pipelines. Each pipeline may process the interlaced video data in macroblocks. Each macroblock may comprise a set of working pixels from a current macroblock and supplemental pixels from a previous macroblock. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
US07944501B2 |
Image sensing apparatus and image sensing apparatus control method
An image sensing apparatus has a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix-like layout and containing photoelectric conversion devices reads signals in units of one line or a plurality of lines and is provide with an image sensing device 14 adapted to read a signal from a given block area. The apparatus has a flash read mode that, during flash operation, adjusts parameters relating to the readout of the image sensing device 14 so as to produce the same exposure period for all the plurality of lines that comprise a predetermined block area of the image sensing device 14, thus enabling accurate quantity of light detection even when performing strobe photography at high shutter speeds. |
US07944499B2 |
Single lens reflex type electronic imaging apparatus
There is disclosed an electronic imaging apparatus capable of selecting a first observation mode in which a subject image is observed using an optical finder and a second observation mode in which the subject image is acquired as image data from an image pickup device and is displayed in a monitor. In this electronic imaging apparatus, subject information (e.g., a person position) recognized based on the image data from the image pickup device in the second observation mode is succeeded even in the first observation mode, and shooting conditions can be set based on the subject information even in the first observation mode. |
US07944495B2 |
Solid-state image pickup element including a thinning method to discharge unnecessary image data
In a case where a thinning operation is implemented at the point when signal charges are read out from each of pixels to thin out pixel information by lines (row), the thinning may be performed only in the vertical direction, but not in the horizontal direction. In an all-pixel-read-out type CCD image pickup element, a discharge controlling section is provided in each of VH transfer stage sections transferring signal charges from vertical CCDs to a horizontal CCD, and where a thinning mode is selected, among those signal charges transferred from a plurality of the vertical CCDs, those of a given set of columns are stopped and discharged at the respective discharge controlling sections, and those of the rest of columns are transferred to the horizontal CCD, and at the same time, those of a given set of lines (rows) are stopped and discharged for all columns, thereby performing the thinning operation over the pixel information in both the vertical and horizontal directions at the VH transfer stage. |
US07944494B2 |
Solid-state image pickup apparatus driven at a frequency adaptive to photographic sensitivity
A digital camera feeds information input on an operation panel to a system controller. The system controller generates a control signal in accordance with optical sensitivity selected and feeds it to a timing signal generator. The timing signal generator includes a signal generator, which generates a timing signal whose frequency matches with the control signal. While a solid-image image sensor is driven by the timing signal, the frequency of a horizontal transfer signal is made lower than the usual frequency in accordance with the sensitivity selected. This prevents the number of electrons from noticeably decreasing during horizontal transfer to thereby enhance transfer efficiency for a single stage of transfer. |
US07944484B2 |
Self-contained wireless camera device, wireless camera system and method
A self-contained wireless camera (10) and a wireless camera system (25) having such a device and a base station (20). Video processing circuitry (200, 210) of the camera device receives video signals from a camera (130) and provides processed video signals. A radio receiver (101) receives processed video signals from the base station or another camera device. Images from the camera or the base station are displayed in a selected manner on a display or monitor (140). The base station device (20) receives processed video signals, stores them and retransmits them. A command signal is received by the radio receiver to modify operation in such a manner as to control bandwidth usage. Wireless camera devices can adjust their operation to accommodate other wireless camera devices. Different transport protocol modules 230 and 240 can be selected according to the application that the user selects for operation. |
US07944483B2 |
Apparatus, method and program for photography
A plurality of images are obtained in photography according to a plurality of photography methods, and photography result scores are calculated for the respective images. Judgment is made as to whether a highest score among the scores calculated for the respective images is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value. If a result of the judgment is affirmative, the image having the highest score is recorded in a recording medium. If the result of the judgment is negative, the images are displayed on display means to receive selection of a desired one of the images. The selected image is recorded in the recording medium. |
US07944480B2 |
Method for the transfer of data flow of digital images and digital detection unit
A data stream of full digital images having a first predetermined number of picture elements is transferred via an interface to an image recording unit. The image recording unit stores digital images with a second number of picture elements, which is lower than a first. The full digital images generated with the first number of picture elements are divided into two part digital images, each having a number of picture elements used for storing image information. The image information stored in the two part images together contains the total information content of the original full image. A part image of a full digital image is associated with a first data stream and another part image is associated with a second data stream. The data streams are transferred via the interface to the image recording unit and are stored separately from one another. |
US07944477B1 |
Using a portion of differential signal line to provide an embedded common mode filter
In order to provide filtering of clock noise from an integrated circuit at least one differential signal line connected to the integrated circuit is provided with an embedded common mode filter. The common mode filter can be provided in the form of a hollowed out portion of an impedance reference plane. |
US07944476B2 |
Image processing device, image processing system, computer control method, and information storage medium
To enable a prompt switching operation by a user. An image processing device connected to an image capturing section has a process execution section for executing any of a plurality of processes, obtains area specification data for specifying an area where the user is shown in the image, based on a difference between the images sequentially captured by the image capturing section images, and switches a process to be carried out by the process execution section, depending on the position of an edge of the area specified by the area specification data obtained. |
US07944475B2 |
Image processing system using motion vectors and predetermined ratio
An image processing apparatus and method is disclosed that is applied for image stabilization. The method comprises the following steps of: At least two images are captured by the image capture module. A sharpest image and a sharper image are selected from the at least two images. At least a motion vector is generated between the sharpest image and the sharper image. The sharpest image is combined with the sharper image based on the motion vector and a combination ratio so as to generate a combined image. |
US07944469B2 |
System and method for using self-learning rules to enable adaptive security monitoring
Rules “learn” what is typical or expected for a certain attribute of device data for a given location, premises, time period, etc. Using a rule for a standard deviation the variance between newly collected data and the data stored in a fact table is either ignored or an alert (or some action) is generated. Data in the fact table is sampled for a specific time, or time period. Newly collected data may be used to update the fact table or discarded. |
US07944463B2 |
Light scanning apparatus, image forming apparatus equipped with such light scanning apparatus, and control method or image forming method for such image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus, includes: a latent image carrier whose surface includes an effective image region spanning across a predetermined width in a main scanning direction and is driven in a sub scanning direction approximately orthogonal to the main scanning direction; a latent image former which has a light source and a deflection mirror oscillating, and deflects a light beam from the light source using the deflection mirror so as to scan the effective image region with the deflected light beam; and a scanning mode controller which switches selectively between a single-side scanning mode and a double-side scanning mode, the single-side scanning mode being a mode in which the light beam is scanned only in a first direction included in the main scanning direction, the double-side scanning mode being a mode in which the light beam is scanned in both the first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein a condition to form latent images on the latent image carrier in the single-side scanning mode is different from a condition to form latent images on the latent image carrier in the double-side scanning mode. |
US07944461B2 |
Heating device, erasing device, information recording and erasing device, and transfer device
A heating device capable of evenly heating a thermal recording medium without increasing the cost of the device is disclosed. The heating device evenly heats the recording surface of a thermally-reversible recording card by conducting the heat energy transferred from a heat generating member by way of a heating member, made of aluminum having high heat conductivity and high heat capacity characteristics. By this feature, it becomes possible to accurately erase the information recorded on the recording card and to use an inexpensive heat generating member as the heat generating member. |
US07944460B2 |
Device and method for marking a cassette for laboratory samples
A device (1) suitable for marking a laboratory sample cassette (2) has a platen (6) with an aperture (7) and a cassette (2) is positioned so that a marking surface (3) of the cassette is aligned with the aperture (7). The device (1) also has a plurality of wires (9) with each wire (9) connected to a solenoid (11). An end (10) of each of the wires (9) is heated by a ceramic guide (12a) and selected ones of the heated wires (9) are oscillated once in a first direction (25) by their respective solenoids (11) to and from the aperture (7) to mark the marking surface (3). All the wires are then moved in a second direction transversely relative to the first direction (25) and selected wires are then oscillated once to mark the marking surface (3). This process is repeated until the required marking of the cassette marking surface (3) is completed. |
US07944458B2 |
Digital-analog converter, data driver, and flat panel display device using the same
A digital-analog converter (DAC) including: a gray scale generator for generating gray scale voltages corresponding to digital data input through charge sharing between a plurality of data lines and a plurality of dummy data lines; a switching signal generator for providing operation control signals for a plurality of switches of the gray scale generator; and a reference voltage generator for generating reference voltages and for providing the reference voltages to the gray scale generator. According to the present invention, the digital-analog converter uses capacitance components existing in the respective data lines and the dummy data lines as a sampling capacitor and a holding capacitor to generate desired gray scale voltages through charge sharing between the data lines and the dummy data lines, thereby reducing area and power consumption over an existing R-string type of DAC. |
US07944457B2 |
Image display method
An image display method adapted for a digital display apparatus is provided. The image display method includes the steps of: first, detecting a maximum average picture level of each picture displayed by the digital display apparatus; judging whether the maximum average picture level is larger than a reference value; determining a displaying mode of each picture according to the judgment. The image display method is adapted for improving the displaying quality of a digital display apparatus. |
US07944454B2 |
System and method for user monitoring interface of 3-D video streams from multiple cameras
Embodiments of the present invention introduce a user navigation interface that allows a user to monitor/navigate video streams captured from multiple cameras. It integrates video streams from multiple cameras with the semantic layout into a 3-D immersive environment and renders the video streams in multiple displays on a user navigation interface. It conveys the spatial distribution of the cameras as well as their fields of view and allows a user to navigate freely or switch among preset views. This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention. Other features, aspects, and objects of the invention can be obtained from a review of the specification, the figures, and the claims. |
US07944451B2 |
Providing pixels from an update buffer
A method comprises storing pixel data in a frame buffer, retrieving the pixel data from the frame buffer and processing at least one pixel value of the pixel data to generate an output pixel bit stream. The method further comprises storing pixel values in a first update buffer. The pixel values are derived from the output pixel bit stream. The method also comprises providing the pixel values from the first update buffer across a network to a remote graphics system. |
US07944450B2 |
Computing system having a hybrid CPU/GPU fusion-type graphics processing pipeline (GPPL) architecture
A computing system capable of parallelizing the operation of multiple graphics processing units (GPUs) supported on a hybrid CPU/GPU fusion-architecture chip and/or on an external graphics card, and employing a multi-mode parallel graphics rendering subsystem having software and hardware implemented components. The computing system includes (i) CPU memory space for storing one or more graphics-based applications, (ii) one or more CPUs for executing the graphics-based applications, (iii) a multi-mode parallel graphics rendering subsystem supporting multiple modes of parallel operation, (iv) a plurality of graphic processing pipelines (GPPLs), implemented using the GPUs, and (vi) an automatic mode control module. During the run-time of the graphics-based application, the automatic mode control module automatically controls the mode of parallel operation of the multi-mode parallel graphics rendering subsystem so that the GPUs are driven in a parallelized manner. |
US07944442B2 |
Graphics system employing shape buffer
The system includes a shape buffer manager configured to store coverage data in the shape buffer. The coverage data indicates whether each mask pixel is a covered pixel or an uncovered pixel. A mask pixel is a covered pixel when a shape to be rendered on a screen covers the mask pixel such that one or more coverage criteria is satisfied and is an uncovered pixel when the shape does not cover the mask pixel such that the one or more coverage criteria are satisfied. A bounds primitive rasterizer is configured to rasterize a bounds primitive that bounds the shape. The bounds primitive is rasterized into primitive pixels that each corresponds to one of the mask pixels. A pixel screener is configured to employ the coverage data from the shape buffer to screen the primitive pixels into retained pixels and discarded pixels. The retained pixels each corresponds to a mask pixel that the coverage data indicates is a covered pixel and the discarded pixels each correspond to a mask pixels that the coverage data indicates is an uncovered pixel. The system also includes an attribute generator configured to generate pixel attributes for the retained primitive pixels and also configured not to generate pixel attributes for the discarded primitive pixels. |
US07944437B2 |
Information processing apparatus and touch pad control method
According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a main body, a touch pad which is provided on the main body, a determination unit which determines whether an external pointing device is connected to the main body, and a control unit which controls the touch pad in one of a first mode for making the touch pad function as a pointing device and a second mode in which in response to tapping of one of a plurality of virtual buttons disposed on a surface of the touch pad, a function which is assigned to the tapped virtual button is activated, the control unit controlling the touch pad in the second mode if the external pointing device is connected to the main body. |
US07944436B2 |
Protective layer for use in computing devices with touch-sensitive surfaces
A computing device is disclosed comprising a touch-sensitive surface, a housing structure, and a protective layer. The touch-sensitive surface receives touch as input, and a housing structure has a tip segment that overlays the touch-sensitive surface. This tip segment of the housing structure is positioned to form a gap over the touch-sensitive surface. The protective layer is positioned to contact the tip segment of the housing structure and the touch-sensitive surface so as to form an obstruction in the gap against intrusions, such as debris buildup, for example. |
US07944426B2 |
Display device and driving circuit for capacitance load thereof
A driving circuit and display device reducing waste of a bias current of an amplifier and conserving power. The driving circuit includes a driving signal supply mechanism, an amplifier mechanism and a control mechanism. The supply mechanism supplies a driving signal having a target voltage represented during periodic update. The amplifier mechanism has an amplifier part, a current-adjustable constant current source and a switch part. The driving signal is input to the amplifier part, which generates an output to a capacitance load according to the driving signal. The current source supplies and regulates a passing rate of the bias current to the amplifier part. The switch part performs ON/OFF control to the current output to the current source. The control mechanism detects a difference between the previous and present values of the target voltage to change a current value of the current source. |
US07944425B2 |
Liquid crystal display element and method of driving the element
The invention relates to a liquid crystal display element displaying an image using a liquid crystal layer having memory characteristics and a method of driving the element. A liquid crystal display element capable of suppressing the generation of an afterimage attributable to image sticking is provided along with a method of driving the same. The liquid crystal display element includes a display section having memory characteristics including a cholesteric liquid crystal layer and displaying an image when a voltage is applied to the cholesteric liquid crystal layer, the section being capable of keeping the image displayed without electric power, a driving condition storing section for storing a plurality of different driving conditions including a voltage and an application period of the voltage, and a control section determining a display period for which a presently displayed image has been displayed on the display section when the displayed image is rewritten into a new image, acquiring a driving condition according to the display period from the driving condition storing section, and causing the display section to display the new image based on the acquired driving condition. |
US07944422B2 |
Liquid crystal display meter apparatus
The present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display (LCD) meter apparatus having a small influence of a residual image of a pointer. The LCD meter apparatus for displaying a dial plate and a pointer includes a moving-speed calculating device for calculating the moving-speed of the pointer; and an image density changing device for reducing the image density of the pointer responding to the moving-speed of the pointer calculated with the moving-speed calculating device. The image density of the pointer becomes thinner as the moving speed of the pointer becomes faster so that an erasing time of the image becomes shorter or a residual image remains shorter. Both residual and latest images are displayed thinly, the plurality of the images including the residual images do not give a noticeable appearance so that the LCD meter apparatus provides a clear view. |
US07944420B2 |
Light emitting diode driver providing current and power control
As apparatus for controlling operating parameters for a light emitting diode (LED). A driver receives an input voltage from a voltage source and a control signal. The driver provides a driver output current to the LED based on the control signal. The LED has an LED voltage as a function of the driver output current and has an LED power as a function of said LED voltage and said driver output current. A controller determines the LED voltage and produces the control signal provided to the driver as a function of the LED voltage. The control signal corresponds to a constant driver output current when the LED voltage is less than a predetermined voltage value. The control signal corresponds to a varying driver output current for substantially maintaining the LED power at a constant predetermined power value web the LED voltage is greater than the predetermined voltage value. |
US07944418B2 |
Data driving circuits capable of displaying images with uniform brightness and driving methods of organic light emitting displays using the same
A data driving circuit for a light emitting display may include a gamma voltage generator that generates gradation voltages, a current sink that receives a predetermined current from a pixel via a data line during a first partial period of one complete period for driving the pixel, a voltage generator that generates an incrementally increasing compare voltage during the first partial period, a comparator that compares a compensation voltage generated based on the predetermined current with the compare voltage and generates a logic signal based on a result of the compare, an adjusting unit that generates compensation data based on the logic signal, and a digital-analog converter that generates a composite data using the compensation data and externally supplied data and selects, as a data signal for the pixel, one of the plurality of gradation voltages based on a bit value of the composite data. |
US07944417B2 |
Display device and method of displaying image
A display device includes a controller detecting a black line, in which all light emitting diodes in one line are non-luminescence, counting a number of times (S) that display data indicating the black line is sent to the display panel in serial, halting a scanning operation to the display data indicating the black line, applying the time period for halting the scanning operation to another time period for displaying display data, which are next to the display data indicating the black line and which is not the display data indicating the black line, whereby the another time period for displaying display data is set to “S+1” times longer than a stipulated time period, and sending a control signal to a column driver, which controls the column driver to set a drive current or voltage applied from a power source to a 1/(S+1) of the stipulated value for the “S+1” time period. |
US07944416B2 |
Image display apparatus and method for driving the same
An image display apparatus includes a plurality of pixels. Each pixel includes a light emitting device; a drive transistor that has a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode. One of the source and drain electrodes are electrically connected to one end of the light emitting device. Each pixel also includes a first switching transistor that electrically connects the gate electrode and the one electrode according to a scan signal, and a capacitor that has first and second electrodes. The first electrode is electrically connected to the gate electrode. The apparatus also includes a data line connected to the second electrode; a data line drive circuit that supplies a brightness potential and a reference potential for the brightness potential to the data line. |
US07944413B2 |
Organic EL display
An organic EL display includes plural pixels, each including a drive control element, an organic EL element and an output control switch. The drive control element includes a control terminal, a first terminal connected to a first power supply terminal, and a second terminal outputting a current with a magnitude corresponding to a voltage between the control terminal and the first terminal. The organic EL element includes a first electrode, a second electrode connected to a second power supply terminal, and an active layer interposed between the first and second electrodes. The output control switch is connected between the second terminal and the first electrode. In a part of the pixels, a conductive path electrically connecting the first electrode to the first power supply terminal is broken at a portion which connects the output control switch to the first electrode. |
US07944410B2 |
Multi-line addressing methods and apparatus
This invention relates to methods and apparatus for driving electroluminescent, in particular organic light emitting diodes (OLED) displays using multi-line addressing (MLA) techniques. Embodiments of the invention are particularly suitable for use with so-called passive matrix OLED displays. A current generator for an electroluminescent display driver, the current generator including; a first, reference current input to receive a reference current; a second, ratioed current input to receive a ratioed current; a first ratio control input to receive a first control signal input; a controllable current mirror having a control input coupled to the first ratio control input, a current input coupled to the reference current input, and an output coupled to the ratioed current input; the current generator being configured such that a signal and the control input controls a ratio of the ratioed current to the reference current. |
US07944409B2 |
Plasma display apparatus and method of driving the same
A plasma display apparatus and a method of driving the same are disclosed. The plasma display apparatus includes a plasma display panel in which a plurality of scan electrodes, sustain electrodes, and address electrodes are formed on substrates to form a discharge cell and electrode driving parts for driving the scan electrodes, the sustain electrodes, and the address electrodes. The plurality of scan electrodes are divided into a plurality of scan electrode groups and the driving parts are controlled such that a voltage different from a scan bias voltage is applied for a predetermined time in the address period of one or more scan electrode groups among the plurality of scan electrode groups. |
US07944402B2 |
Dipole antenna capable of supporting multi-band communications
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a dipole antenna capable of supporting multi-band communications, includes a first portion of the antenna in a folded structure, a second portion of the antenna that includes a first coupling pad and a second coupling pad physically separated by a distance, and a current path along the first portion of the antenna and the second portion of the antenna, wherein a first portion of the current path that includes the first coupling pad and the second coupling pad is configured to introduce a slow wave effect if electric current flows through the first portion of the current path. |
US07944398B2 |
Integrated circuit having a low efficiency antenna
An integrated circuit (IC) includes an RF transceiver, a die, a package substrate, an antenna element, and a transmission line circuit. The die supports the RF transceiver and the package substrate supports the die. The antenna element has a length less than approximately one-tenth of a wavelength or greater than one-and-one-half times the wavelength for a frequency band of approximately 55 GHz to 64 GHz. The transmission line circuit coupling the RF transceiver to the antenna element. |
US07944387B2 |
ADC with low-power sampling
An apparatus for analog-to-digital conversion using successive approximation is provided, which is adapted to be supplied with a single ended supply voltage. The device includes: a first analog-to-digital conversion stage including a first set of capacitors coupled with a side at a common node and adapted to sample an input voltage and to be coupled to either a first reference voltage level or a second reference voltage level, at least one capacitor of the first set of capacitors being adapted to be left floating, a control stage being adapted to connect the at least one floating capacitor to the first reference voltage level or the second reference voltage level in response to an analog-to-digital conversion decision made by a second analog-to-digital conversion stage. The first analog-to-digital conversion stage is operable to couple the common node to a supply voltage level, in particular ground, during analog-to-digital conversion. |
US07944380B2 |
Wireless local area network device supporting enhanced call functions
A wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiving integrated circuit services voice communications in a WLAN with at least one other wireless device and includes a WLAN interface, a transcoder, and a switch box. The WLAN interface wirelessly communicates with at least one wireless device to receive inbound packetized audio data from the at least one wireless device and to transmit outbound packetized audio data to the at least one wireless device. The transcoder receives the inbound packetized audio data and converts the inbound packetized audio data to inbound Pulse Code Modulated (PCM) WLAN audio data. The WLAN interface also receives outbound PCM WLAN audio data and converts the outbound PCM WLAN audio data to the outbound packetized audio data. The switch box operably couples between the transcoder and a PCM bus, to which an audio COder/DECoder (CODEC) couples. A speaker and a microphone coupled to the audio CODEC. The switch box enables the wireless transceiving integrated circuit to perform call conferencing operations, call forwarding operations, call hold operations, call muting operations, and call waiting operations. |
US07944374B1 |
Pseudo-orthogonal code generator
A pseudo-orthogonal code generator is provided. The pseudo-orthogonal code generator simplifies overall configuration and provides a more efficient operating speed by implementing a pseudo-orthogonal code generator using combined circuits instead of using a read only memory (ROM) circuit. The pseudo-orthogonal code generator reduces its overall size by reducing gate area. |
US07944365B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatuses for stray voltage detection
Systems, methods, and apparatuses may be provided for stray voltage detection. The systems, methods and apparatuses may include providing a first antenna at a first location relative to a monitored equipment or structure, where the first antenna may be operative to detect a first electric field strength at the first location, providing a second antenna at a second location relative to the monitored equipment or structure, where the second antenna may be operative to detect a second electric field strength at the second location, and detecting a stray voltage based at least in part upon the detected first electric field strength and the second electric field strength. |
US07944362B2 |
Method of detecting a visibility interference phenomenon for a vehicle
A method of detecting a visibility interference phenomenon for a motor vehicle. The method includes the steps of: determining a region of interest (ROI) in an acquired image (I) of the environment (E) of the vehicle (V); determining a grey-level curve (CL) from the region of interest (ROI); calculating at least one tangent (TG) from at least one point of interest (PT) in the grey-level curve (CL); and determining a directing coefficient (CF) from the tangent (TG). |
US07944359B2 |
Method and apparatus for a wireless tether system
Users are located to determine if the user is within, or has departed from, at least one bounded area established about a geographic location. The bounded area may be defined by setting one or more distance boundaries from the geographic location. A base station may monitor the location of a mobile device in proximity of the user. If the mobile device departs from a bounded area, a message containing information configured to be understandable and convey meaning to the user and/or a third-party is sent to the mobile device and/or the third-party. For example, the message may be configured to communicate to the user and/or third-party information pertaining to the departure from the bounded area, location information, navigation directions, instructions, etc. The message sent may include text and/or other symbols. |
US07944357B2 |
Method and system for a grass roots intelligence program
A system for gathering and assessing intelligence information comprises a credibility filter configured to assign a credibility value to intelligence information sent from a user. A data warehouse is coupled to the credibility filter and the data warehouse is configured to store intelligence information from the user. A predictive query engine is coupled to the data warehouse. The predictive query engine is configured to query the data warehouse to determine potential threat data. The predictive query engine is also configured to store the potential threat data in the data warehouse. An alert poller is also coupled to the data warehouse. The alert poller is configured to receive the potential threat data and compare the potential threat data to one or more comparison factors pre-selected by the user. |
US07944355B2 |
Security techniques in the RFID framework
The subject invention provides a system and/or a method that facilitates employing a security technique to an RFID network. An interface can receive role-based authorization data related to an operating system. A security component can enhance security to at least one of a manipulation of a process and a utilization of a device within the RFID network based at least in part upon role-based authorization data. |
US07944354B2 |
System and method for shopping cart security
A system for securing purchased items, includes: an enclosure for holding items selected by a user; a personal shopping system (PSS) further comprised of an input/output device, a scanner, software, and security features for securing the items selected by the user and placed in the enclosure; wherein the PSS is in electrical signal communication with a server; wherein the PSS is mechanically attached to the enclosure; wherein the user identifies themselves to the PSS; wherein the security features activate one of a series of visual indicators and alarms in response to various states and relationships between the enclosure, the items, and the user; and wherein the intensity, level, and duration of the series of visual indicators and alarms varies in response to the various states and relationships between the enclosure, the items, and the user. |
US07944352B2 |
Remote sensing and communication system
A remote sensing system and method for instrumenting the entries to manhole enclosures, in order to provide a platform and means for sensing environmental parameters within and around the enclosures and wirelessly transmitting those parameters to a distant site. The system comprises a housing with sensor for monitoring environmental parameter in the vicinity of the manhole. A microcontroller in the housing sends the parameters to a radio module, which transmits the parameters to a communication device for alerting a user that a manhole has been tampered with. |
US07944350B2 |
Method and system for providing tracking services to locate an asset
The present invention is directed to a method of asset location. Location data is received from a cellular transmitter associated with a selected asset, which location data includes data representative of a cellular receiver with which direct communication with the cellular transmitter is made. The location data is then communicated to a tracking service system, which tracking service system includes a database representative of geographic locations associated with a plurality of cellular receivers. The database is then queried with received location data so as to generate geographic tracking data associated with a location of the cellular receiver, the geographic tracking data including display data adapted to generate a map image including a representative of a location of the selected asset. The geographic tracking data is then communicated to an associated security agency so as to allow for viewing of an image generated in accordance with the display data and at least one of tracking and interception of the selected asset. |
US07944344B2 |
Unified control device for bicycle accessory
A control device, either installed on a bicycle or carried by a user, communicates with the accessories via radio signals. The control device radiates control signals via its radio transceiver and the control signals are received by the radio transceivers of the accessories. Each accessory has a unique identification code which is encapsulated in the radio control signals so that the individual lamp or lock could be turned on and off or locked and unlocked. On the other hand, accessories such as speed sensor and body sensor could radiates their collected information to the control device which in turn calculates and displays readings such as the speed of the bicycle and the heart beat rate of the rider, etc. |