| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US07949752B2 |
Network system extensible by users
In one aspect, a network system includes a user interface which allows a user to interact with the network system. An agent server is coupled to the user interface. The agent server manages the operation of the network system. Furthermore, the agent server in conjunction with the user interface is operable to create or modify an agent in response to interaction by the user. In another aspect, a network system includes an agent server which manages the operation of the network system. An agent is operable to utilize a service within the network system. A service wrapper, associated with the service, cooperates with the agent server to mediate interaction between the service and the agent. |
| US07949749B2 |
Method and system for controlling and auditing content/service systems
An improved interactive network system is provided that allows the Network Operator to control the transfer of information to and from the network end users, the system preferably using triggers or markers embedded within the programming broadcast to users via the network. As a consequence of this system, the Network Operator is able to efficiently garner revenues from third parties transacting business over the network and to control the look and feel of programming offered to network users. Additionally the system can be used as a means of limiting network access, filtering programming, providing on-screen graphics or audible signals for particular programming types or providers, bookmarking programming, profiling network users, targeting advertising, and simplifying network transactions. |
| US07949747B1 |
Method and system of communication in a wireless water treatment system
A method of communication within a network of a water treatment system is disclosed. The water treatment system includes a plurality of devices. The devices including at least one AC powered device. The method comprising the steps of continually checking, by a first AC powered device, the network for broadcasts by other devices, detecting, by the first AC powered device, a broadcast by another device, establishing, by the first AC powered device, a logical connection with the other device, receiving, by the first AC powered device, any request by the other device for data, the request including the identification of a data element, and the address of the device which relates to the data element, and receiving, by the first AC powered device, any data offered by the other device, the data including the identification of a data element, the data element value, and the identification of the device which originated the data element value. |
| US07949745B2 |
Dynamic activity model of network services
An activity model is generated at a computer. The activity model may be generated by monitoring incoming and outgoing data in the computer. The collected data is analyzed to form a graph that describes and predicts what output is generated in response to received input. Later, a window of input and output data is collected from the computer. This collected window of data is used to query the activity model. The graph in the activity model is then used to give the probability that the collected window of data was collected from the computer used to generate the activity model. A high probability indicates that the computer is performing normally, while a low probability indicates that the computer may behaving erratically and there may be a problem with the computer. |
| US07949743B2 |
Search system, management server, mobile communication device, search method, and program
When a mobile terminal device detects the existence of the feature information of an article whose position is requested to be searched, it notifies an article management server of the detected position information and the time information together with the feature information of the article, and the article management server notifies a terminal device of the position information of the target estimated based on the detected position information, the time information and the feature information of the target and causes the terminal device to output the information. With this operation, when an article and the like are searched, they can be effectively searched even if they are not provided with a wireless tag, and thus a probability of discovery can be enhanced. |
| US07949740B2 |
Methods and systems for prioritized servicing or maintenance of networked printers
Methods and systems are presented for prioritizing service or maintenance of networked printers based on affinities between printers and users determined from job tracking data so that printers shared by large numbers of users or high volume printers used by only one or a few users can be serviced or maintained before other printers to provide overall printer support while mitigating user disruption due to unavailable printers. |
| US07949738B2 |
Graphical interface for generating and previewing a rule
A computer-readable medium containing therein instructions that, when executed, generate on a display device a graphical user interface (GUI) for creating or revising a rule that contains a condition and an action to be taken when the condition is satisfied. The GUI includes a rule-editing area along with first and second user-selectable elements. The rule-editing area is configured to accept user input to create or revise the condition of the rule upon user selection of the first element. The rule-editing area is also configured to accept user input to create or revise the action of the rule upon user selection of the second element. The GUI further includes a rule-preview area that is configured to provide a display of a user-understandable representation of both the condition and the action. |
| US07949737B2 |
Method and apparatus for grouping nodes based on connection characteristics
Techniques for correlating different results of role grouping includes receiving two sets of grouping of nodes on a network, grouping of the nodes according to connection characteristics of the nodes in the groups, each of the sets having associated identifications and correlating associated identifications of one set with those of the other set so that the two groups have the same identifications, if the member hosts of each set of groups have nearly identical connection habits. |
| US07949736B2 |
Centralization configuration of data processing systems
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for configuring a remote data processing system. A configuration is identified for the remote data processing system to form an identified configuration. The hardware for the remote data processing system is configured. An installation application is sent to the remote data processing system across a communications link after the hardware in the remote data processing system has been configured, wherein the installation application executes on the remote data processing system to configure the remote data processing system. Installation files are sent across the communications link to the installation application executing on the remote data processing system. The installation program uses the installation files to configure install a set of operating systems, install applications, and configure software on the remote data processing system. |
| US07949734B1 |
Method and apparatus for re-generating configuration commands of a network device using an object-based approach
A method is disclosed for re-generating a configuration command of a network device. A method includes receiving a request to re-generate a configuration command previously issued to a network device, wherein the configuration command has one or more parameters; retrieving a template and a pattern associated with the configuration command, wherein the template represents a syntax for the configuration command, wherein the pattern represents a storage location for the configuration command; based on the pattern, retrieving from an object database all objects containing values for all the particular parameters from the storage location specified by the pattern; and creating a re-generated configuration command by substituting the values of the retrieved objects into the template. |
| US07949731B2 |
Communication apparatus, communication control method, and program for reading communication control information for removable storage media
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus, communication control method and program adapted for carrying out wireless LAN communications without imposing a troublesome feeling upon the user. A television receiver carries out communications with another apparatus through a predetermined network. Meanwhile, the television receiver, when inserted by a memory card 13 in its card slot 10, reads wireless LAN information out of the memory card 13 and sets the wireless LAN information to the television receiver. The present invention is applicable to a television receiver or the like having a wireless LAN function, for example. |
| US07949728B2 |
System, method, and computer program product for managing and analyzing intellectual property (IP) related transactions
A system, method, and computer program product for processing data are described herein. The system maintains first databases of patents, and second databases of non-patent information of interest to a corporate entity. The system also maintains one or more groups. Each of the groups comprises any number of the patents from the first databases. The system, upon receiving appropriate operator commands, automatically processes the patents in one of the groups in conjunction with non-patent information from the second databases. Accordingly, the system performs patent-centric and group-oriented processing of data. A group can also include any number of non-patent documents. The groups may be product based, person based, corporate entity based, or user-defined. Other types of groups are also covered, such as temporary groups. The processing automatically performed by the system relates to (but is not limited to) patent mapping, document mapping, patent citation (both forward and backward), patent aging, patent bracketing/clustering (both forward and backward), inventor patent count, inventor employment information, patent claim tree analysis, and finance. Other functions and capabilities are also covered, including the ability to utilize hyperbolic trees to visualize data generated by the system, method, and computer program product, and to track, analyze, and report on information related to intellectual property (IP) transactions, including license and related agreements. |
| US07949719B2 |
Multimedia message transfer
A method for multi-media message transfer transmits a message to multiple recipients. The method includes receiving a message addressed to multiple recipients. The method also includes determining an indication of a state of each recipient. The method also includes transmitting an acknowledgement. The acknowledgment includes at least one message identifying at least one recipient and the associated state of the at least one recipient. |
| US07949717B2 |
Method, system and computer program for correcting e-mail messages with missing receivers
A solution is proposed for exchanging messages (such as e-mails) among a plurality of data processing entities, such as client computers (105). A corresponding method starts with the step of sending (403-412) an original message from a sender entity to a set of original receiver entities; the original message includes an original information content and an indication of the original receiver entities. The method continues by sending (415-424) a correction message from the sender entity at least partially to the original receiver entities and completely to a set of missing receiver entities being missing in the original message; the correction message includes the original information content and an indication of the original receiver entities and the missing receiver entities. The original message for each original receiver entity is then corrected (427-496) according to the correction message. |
| US07949716B2 |
Correlation and analysis of entity attributes
Methods and systems for operation upon one or more data processors for assigning a reputation to a messaging entity by analyzing the attributes of the entity, correlating the attributes with known attributes to define relationships between entities sharing attributes, and attributing a portion of the reputation of one related entity to the reputation of the other related entity. |
| US07949714B1 |
System and method for targeting advertisements or other information using user geographical information
A request for information items may include content information associated with one or more electronic messages and geographical information associated with the requesting user. A set of information items is identified based on the user geographical information and the message content of the one or more electronic messages. In some embodiments, at least one of the information items is identified based on both on the user geographical information and the message content. In some embodiments, if the user geographical information is different from the user's default geographical information, at least one of the information items is identified based on the user geographical information, but not the message content. A subset of the identified information items may be selected in accordance with a scoring or ranking function. The selected information items are transferred to the requesting client and displayed concurrently with (e.g., next to) the electronic messages. |
| US07949712B2 |
High availability presence engine for instant messaging
Systems for a high availability presence engine for instant messaging service comprise a plurality of presence engines for receiving presence information on users and a global table engine accessible to the plurality of presence engines. The global table engine includes user presence information and receives presence changes from the plurality of presence engines. A plurality of local tables are accessible to the plurality of presence engines and the global table engine. The plurality of local tables are configured such that each of the plurality of local tables is associated with at least one of the plurality of presence engines, and is configured to receive presence change information from the global table engine. Other systems and methods are also provided. |
| US07949703B2 |
Group admission system and server and client therefor
Disclosed is a group admission system having a client and a server that belongs to a closed group within which contents are available. The client determines whether it is permissible to request to join the group to be a member device thereof based on the number of groups that the client is in and the maximum number of groups that the client is permitted to be in. If permissible, the client transmits a registration request to the server with information unique to the client. The server determines whether to permit the client to join the group by registering with the server based on the number of member devices registered with the server and the maximum number of member devices registerable with the server. If it is permitted, the server registers the unique information, and transmits group identification information to the client. The client receives and stores the group identification information. |
| US07949702B2 |
Method and apparatus for synchronizing cookies across multiple client machines
In accordance with the invention, cookies are automatically synchronized across multiple client machines on a network. A user registers all of the client machines for which he desires cookie synchronization under a single account with a cookie synchronization server. Each of the client machines is equipped with software that monitors all changes made to cookies at that machine and sends notifications of the changes to the cookie synchronization server. The cookie synchronization server stores the cookie change information in a log and sends it out to the other client machine in the account, which then update their cookies accordingly. |
| US07949699B1 |
Implementation of decimation filter in integrated circuit device using ram-based data storage
A programmable integrated circuit device such as a programmable logic device can be configured as a finite impulse response (FIR) filter capable of operating in decimation mode. The device includes at least one user-configurable random access memory block, and that user-configurable random access memory is configured as coefficient memories and data sample memories. The memories are large enough to hold up to all of the coefficients of the filter and a plurality of data samples at one time. Because the data samples and coefficients need not be shifted through the filter at the programmable logic device clock rate, overclocking of the filter is not necessary. The filter can run at a clock rate which is the same as the input data rate, while taking advantage of the available random access memory to mimic a shift register. |
| US07949695B2 |
Two's complement circuit
A operator is located between two converters that convert data between floating-point format and a predetermined format. The operator operates on predetermined format data, which consists of the same sign bit, the same exponent, and the two's complement of the mantissa of the corresponding floating-point data. When the operator is an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), the number of operations for a given calculation can be reduced. |
| US07949690B2 |
Project structure
A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to define a project in a computer graphics program. A project file is defined with general information regarding the project. A folder structure for the project is defined where one or more project drawing files are organized into various folders by drawing file type. A companion file for each project drawing file is defined with information to link each project drawing file to the project. |
| US07949689B2 |
Media indexing beacon and capture device
A system and method for indexing media files includes capturing a subject in a media file with a media capture device. The media capture device also receives index information from a media indexing beacon, wherein the index information is related to the subject in the media file. The system and method associates the index information with the media file. The media file may then be provided to a media storage device containing other media files having index information associated therewith, whereupon the media files are searchable based on the index information and pertinent media files may be retrieved. |
| US07949686B2 |
Method and apparatus for scalable transport processing fulfillment system
A scalable fulfillment system is presented that supports business processes, manages the transport and processing of business-related messages or documents between a business entity and clients, such as customers, vendors, and business partners, and generally supports business document processing. The system intelligently manages the transportation of files from clients, through processing of files, to generating responses that return to the clients. To accommodate a heterogeneous interfacing and processing with different clients in a central system, a file normalization technique is used that captures a common meta-data format from the numerous heterogeneous file types used by numerous clients. The meta-data files, also referred to as messages, contain links to their associated data files and are processed separately. Once the messages are entered into the system, an intelligent queue scheduler (IQS) is used to schedule the processing of messages across a scalable resource of processing engines based on normalized file meta-data parameters. |
| US07949682B2 |
Method for providing a flat view of a hierarchical namespace without requiring unique leaf names
A set of flat identifiers are received, and a locality of reference cue determined. A cache is searched to locate an association including the combination of the set of flat identifiers and the locality of reference cue. If such an association is found in the cache, the hierarchical object(s) associated with that combination are used first in attempting to map the set of flat identifiers onto a hierarchical namespace. |
| US07949679B2 |
Efficient storage for finite state machines
A method of operating a storage of a finite state machine includes organizing information concerning an operation of the machine in a payload-transition matrix, in which a given number of columns of the matrix reflect features of a state of the machine and other columns describe valid transitions between the states of the machine depending on input characters, and compressing the payload-transition matrix in a row-displaced format. |
| US07949670B2 |
Language neutral text verification
A resource string associated with output text is identified. A regular expression pattern is generated from the resource string. The regular expression pattern is matched to the output text. A verification result based on the matching of the regular expression pattern to the output text is provided. |
| US07949669B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for self-targeted content delivery
Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided for self-targeted content delivery are provided. Content objects can be delivered to a user and indications from the user to mark any content object can be received thereby generating standard data structures to be placed into a central data store. At a later time, on various other systems, a content guide may be provided to the user showing the content related to the standard data structures placed in the central store. The user may mark digital content as it is encountered via television, internet, mobile devices, automobile terminals, public terminals, kiosks, or otherwise. Standardized data structures can allow the marking to operate across platforms, operating systems, hardware, and delivery modes. Content guides created from data structures associated with marked content can allow the marked content to be recalled and accessed from any of various other systems at a later time. |
| US07949668B2 |
Common point authoring system for the complex sharing of hierarchically authored data objects in a distribution chain
The Common Point Authoring system functions to provide Livestock Informational Objects via the use of a centralized repository of uniquely identified, immutable Livestock Informational Objects. This system automates the authoring, maintenance, and distribution of the Livestock Informational Objects by using an Internet-based paradigm and a centralized repository of uniquely-identified, immutable Data Elements. The Common Point Authoring system provides a set of software modules that the manufacturers can use to author, maintain, and distribute Livestock Informational Objects and their customers, as Members of the system of Livestock Informational Objects, can use to retrieve, maintain, and distribute the Livestock Informational Objects. The system's interconnectivity allows for the use of an Internet-based paradigm for the purchase and sale among Members of the system of Livestock Informational Objects as commodities, and for reducing the burden costs among Members of compliance with government regulations. |
| US07949667B2 |
Information processing apparatus, method, and program
An information processing apparatus which may include acquisition means for acquiring meta-data of a content; morphological analyzing means for performing morphological analysis on text information included in the meta-data of the content; comparison means for comparing a morphological analysis result of the morphological analyzing means and a plurality of list patterns of predetermined performer names; and when there is a list pattern of predetermined performer names having matched at least one part or more out of the morphological analysis result on the basis of the comparison result of the comparison means, first extraction means for extracting a performer name with the list pattern of the matched predetermined performer name. |
| US07949665B1 |
Rapidly traversing disc volumes during file content examination
Methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for rapidly traversing movable storage media during file content examination for malicious computer code. An embodiment of the inventive method comprises the steps of: accessing an enumerated list of electronic files (220) stored on a movable storage medium (420); identifying at least one batch of electronic files (320) stored on the movable storage medium (420); associating each electronic file stored on the movable storage medium (420) within the batch of electronic files with a physical file location on the movable storage medium (310); creating a sorted list electronic files by the file's physical location on the movable storage medium (330); and examining the identified batch of electronic files on the movable storage medium (420) according to the sorted list (340). |
| US07949663B1 |
Enhanced project predictor
A computer implemented system for project prediction is provided. The system includes a data manager to obtain historical project data. The system also includes an analyzer to analyze the historical project data and an analysis cycle time to generate models for a proposed project cycle time. Additionally, the system includes a user interface to select one model for the proposed project cycle time, wherein the selected model includes linear sub-models corresponding to a historical data range, and apply proposed project data and analysis cycle time to one linear sub-model corresponding to a proposed data range to predict the proposed project cycle time. Furthermore, the system captures proposed project data and obtains additional project data to update the selected model. The models provide for the accurate prediction of cycle times, or project costs, in an enterprise development environment. |
| US07949662B2 |
De-duplication of data in a data processing system
In a data processing system, a method includes deleting a particular copy of a data item when at least one other copy of the data item is available. The presence of another copy of the data item is determined, at least in part, based on an identifier for the data item, the identifier having been computed using all of the data in the data item and only the data in the data item, wherein two identical data items in the data processing system will have identical identifiers. The particular copy of the data item may be deleted if another copy of the data is determined to be present on another processor in the system or on the same processor. The identifier of the data item is computed using a function such as a message digest or hash function which may be: MD4, MD5, or SHA. |
| US07949659B2 |
Recommendation system with multiple integrated recommenders
A recommendations system is provided in various embodiments for selecting items to recommend to a user. The system includes a recommendation engine with a plurality of recommenders, and each recommender identifies a different type of reason for recommending items. In one embodiment, each recommender retrieves item preference data and generates candidate recommendations responsive to a subset of that data. The recommenders also score the candidate recommendations. In certain embodiments, a normalization engine normalizes the scores of the candidate recommendations provided by each recommender. A candidate selector selects at least a portion of the candidate recommendations based on the normalized scores to provide as recommendations to the user. The candidate selector also outputs the recommendations with associated reasons for recommending the items. |
| US07949658B2 |
Rich client search experience
Computer-readable media, systems, and methods for enabling a rich client search experience. In embodiments, a description is received from a data store. The description includes fields of information existing on the data store that are capable of being searched. A user interface is built based on the description and the user interface provides a user with a mechanism for searching the data store. And the user interface is presented to the user. The description is definable by the data store using a data-driven extension, allowing the data store to express schema and query capability information to a client and allowing the client to dynamically customize the user interface based upon the schema and query capability information expressed by the data store. |
| US07949654B2 |
Supporting unified querying over autonomous unstructured and structured databases
Methods, systems and computer products perform cost estimate to determine an efficient approach to answer a query according to one of several unified query plans. One unified query plan involves querying an unstructured database, referencing a unified index, and probing a structured database based on matches discovered in the unified index. The results of the unstructured database query are used to lookup entries in a unified index associated with the structured database. Then the structured database is probed by querying only the subset of the structured database gleaned from the unstructured database query. |
| US07949652B2 |
Filtering query results using model entity limitations
A method, system, and article of manufacture to process database queries are disclosed. One embodiment comprises receiving an abstract query against a database having a multiplicity of data records. The abstract query identifies a model entity that defines a focus of the abstract query. The method further comprises receiving a limitation request configured to restrict a result set for the abstract query. The limitation request specifies a limitation on data records that are returned for one or more instances of the underlying model entity. From the abstract query, an executable query capable of being executed by a query engine is generated. The executable query is modified on the basis of the limitation request. The modified executable query is executed against the database to obtain the result set, whereby the result set is restricted as requested by the limitation request. |
| US07949651B2 |
Disambiguating residential listing search results
A directory assistance system includes a directory database and a search engine. The search engine is configured to search the directory database for a first set of residential listings based on at least one first search term. A second search term is received that is related to a cohabitant of the listing to be found. At least one search result is selected that satisfies the second search term. |
| US07949647B2 |
Navigation assistance for search engines
Search assistance is provided to users that submit search queries to search engines. In one implementation, a partial search query input by a user to a search engine is received. The partial search query is predicted to be a navigational query. A web address is selected based on the predicted navigational query. A search assistance list that includes the selected web address is generated. The search assistance list is displayed to the user in response to the received partial search query. In another implementation, a plurality of suggested search queries is determined for the received partial search query. A suggested search query of the plurality of suggested search queries having a highest relevance to the user is determined. A search assistance list is generated and displayed to the user. The suggested search query having the highest relevance to the user is prominently displayed in the search assistance list. |
| US07949646B1 |
Method and apparatus for building sales tools by mining data from websites
A website mining tool is disclosed that extracts information from, for example, a company's website and presents the extracted information in a graphical user interface (GUI). In one embodiment, web pages from a website are stored in, for example, computer memory and a structure of the web pages is identified. A plurality of blocks of information is then extracted as a function of this structure and a category is assigned to each block of information. The elements in the blocks of information are then displayed, for example to a salesperson, as a function of these categories. In another embodiment, Document Object Modeling parsing is used to identify the structure of the web pages. In yet another embodiment, a support vector machine is used to categorize each block of information. |
| US07949640B2 |
Referential integrity, consistency, and completeness loading of databases
A method is provided for loading data from a source database to a target database that includes at least one table. Prior to loading the data from the source database into the target database, at least one referential integrity constraint and/or at least one consistency requirement regarding the data is automatically identified. A subset of the data that satisfies the at least one referential integrity constraint and/or consistency requirement is then automatically identified. The identified subset of the data is then loaded into the target database as a unit of work. |
| US07949637B1 |
Storage management for fine grained tiered storage with thin provisioning
A system for managing data includes providing at least one logical device having a table of information that maps sections of the logical device to sections of at least two storage areas. Characteristics of data associated with a one section of the logical device may be evaluated. The section of the data may moved between the at least two storage areas from a first location to a second location according to a policy and based on the characteristics of the data. A copy of the data may be retained in the first location and a list maintained that indentifies the copy of the data in the first location. The system provides for garbage collection processing for memory management. |
| US07949630B1 |
Storage of data addresses with hashes in backup systems
Seek operations required to perform restore processes at an HFS server are reduced by storing storage addresses of data associated with hash values included in recipes with the recipes. In a typical embodiment, an HFS server receives a recipe for entry into a hash file system and performs a reference check on the recipe to avoid data corruption. This includes using hash values of the associated data to lookup storage addresses for the associated data in corresponding index stripes. The identified storage addresses can be appended to/stored with the recipe when the recipe is stored by the HFS server. Later during a restore process, retrieval of the recipe also retrieves the storage addresses without having to look up the storage addresses in the corresponding index stripes. Consequently, seek operations during restore can be cut in half and the speed of performing the restore can be doubled. |
| US07949622B2 |
System and method for generating a classifier model for classifying web content
Generally, the present invention provides a method and computerized system for generating a classifier model, wherein the classifier model is operative to classify web content. The method and computerized system includes a first step of defining a plurality of predictive performance measures based on a leave one out (LOO) cross validation in terms of selectable model parameters. Exemplary predictive performance measures includes smoothened predictive measures such as F-measure, weighted error rate measure, area under curve measure, by way of example. The method and computerized system further includes deriving efficient analytical expressions for predictive performance measures to compute the LOO predictive performance and their derivatives. The next step is thereupon selecting a classifier model based on the LOO predictive performance. |
| US07949612B2 |
Method and load input device for optimizing log truck productivity
A method of optimizing log truck productivity utilizing technology allowing the entry of log truck orders from the field. The present invention generally seeks to improve productivity by (1) minimizing the distances log trucks drive with empty loads and (2) improving coordination between groups of log truck drivers and groups of log loaders to allow for more efficient cross-servicing between the parties. Using the load input device, a loader operator in the field enters a “load ticket” that specifies a mill destination, a desired pickup time for the truck to arrive at the logging site and a desired trailer configuration type. This order is transmitted to a server where it is a received into a centralized application or server. A computer running optimization software can match the load with available trucks or trucks about to become available. |
| US07949611B1 |
Controlling access to profile information in a social network
Systems and methods for controlling access to relationship information in a social network are described. One described method comprises receiving a request from an observer for relationship information indicating at least a first relationship between a target in a social network and a second entity in the social network, identifying at least a first privacy rule for the first relationship, and outputting at least part of the relationship information to the observer if the first privacy rule is satisfied. |
| US07949609B2 |
System for secure online selling, buying and bill pay in an electronic commerce setting
A method and system for biometric-secure online selling, buying and bill paying in electronic commerce and retail point-of-sale settings that also simplifies the checkout process and eliminates fraudulent transactions. The system relies on an exchange service provider (ESP) that hosts multiple servers: one implementing a web portal for secure online banking, auctions and other exchange opportunities, another being a biometric fingerprint device authenticating database, and yet another being a transaction traffic manager. Participating banks and supporting institutions distribute and activate Secure Individual Identity Devices (SIIDs) to registered users, each SIID being a portable biometric activated identification device that locally stores a fraction of the enrolled users fingerprint (minutia) along with an encrypted code that is used to verify and authenticate the user, eliminating the use of personal or financial information for this purpose. The SiiD becomes the user's own personal key for completing secure online transactions. The user simply plugs their SiiD into any USB-equipped device and scans their own fingerprint for each transaction. The encrypted codes are authenticated in the ESP database and the transaction is processed to the appropriate financial institutions. |
| US07949599B1 |
System and method for providing workup trading
A trading system matches a passive order to buy or sell an item at a price with an aggressive order to hit or lift the item at that price. A workup is initiated during which other parties can submit additional orders at the passive order price. A further order may be submitted during workup with a better price. If the amount at the better price equals or exceeds a threshold value and it can be traded at the better price, the workup is terminated and a new workup initiated at the better price. |
| US07949596B2 |
Diverse options order types in an electronic guaranteed entitlement environment
An enhanced system and method for handling, matching and executing a diverse group of limit-priced orders in an electronic options environment is disclosed. Most of the order types disclosed are automatically repriced and reposted as the NBBO changes to increase their execution opportunities. Market maker entitlements are integrated with the order processing, so that the market maker is guaranteed an allocation of the trade if the market maker is at the NBBO when an order priced at or better than the NBBO is received. Once posted to the order book, the displayed price of an order may be eligible for preferential execution in a market maker entitlement process, regardless of whether the displayed price is original or has been automatically repriced. |
| US07949595B2 |
Computer-implemented systems and methods for resource allocation
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. |
| US07949594B2 |
Systems and methods for participant controlled communications regarding financial accounts
Systems and methods for directing communications related to financial accounts. Some embodiments include systems that access account information maintained in relation to an account group. One or more communication rules are received from a user, applied to the account information, and communications are formed based on the application of the communication rules. Various methods provide for receiving communication rules, and applying the communication rules to account information to provide one or more communication outputs. |
| US07949591B2 |
System and method for selecting securities for an investment portfolio
Methods and systems for selecting and weighting securities for an actively managed exchange-traded fund. An initial selection of stocks includes domestic or international stocks, which are selected based at least in part on market capitalization. Each stock is scored using a plurality of growth and value factors to generate one or more growth scores and one or more value scores. A selection score is determined for each stock, and the stocks are ranked according to selection scores. A predetermined amount of stocks are eliminated from the stock portfolio based on selection score ranking, and the remaining stocks are split into a plurality of sub-groups. A stock portfolio is generated by weighting the remaining stocks according to the sub-groups they are in, with each stock being equally weighted within its sub-group. An exchange-traded fund is offered to consumers based on the stock portfolio. |
| US07949589B2 |
System and method for evaluating and managing participatory real estate investments and transactions
An automated System and method for evaluating real estate Candidate Transactions for participatory funding by Investment Criteria based Managed Investment Funds; and, then managing the funded Candidate Transactions from purchase and/or construction to completion and/or sale. Complex, secured, real estate based participatory funding transactions, are evaluated, funded and transacted from initiation to completion, by utilization of a method employing an automated system to effectively evaluate the advisability of investing in evaluated and ranked Candidate Transactions which meet Investor Criteria. A system administrator sets system policy for a system transaction manager to move content and protocol to/from indexed users over a communication link to evaluate candidate transactions from real estate investors, fund accepted candidate transactions, oversee improvements, and execute exit strategies. Accepted Candidate transactions are funded and moved in a seamless interface by an automated systems manager that employs vendors, interfaces with consultants and directs all aspects of a real estate based transaction from funding through completion. |
| US07949585B2 |
Method and system for providing risk tranches in an investment product
A method and system for investing in an investment fund by at least one investor are provided. The method includes defining at least two tranches of the investment fund, each tranche associated with a tranche risk profile. The method includes, for each investor, receiving an investment amount in each tranche. The method includes calculating a profit/loss for each investor based on the investment amounts, the tranche risk profiles and a performance of the investment fund. |
| US07949581B2 |
Method of determining an obsolescence rate of a technology
Methods for constructing an estimated depreciated schedule for a patent are disclosed. The steps for constructing this schedule may include: (1) determining a first function which approximately describes the rate of initial increase in expected forward patent citations over time; (2) determining a second function which approximately describes the rate of eventual decay in expected forward patent citations over time; and (3) constructing an estimated depreciation schedule using a calculated decay coefficient derived from said second function. |
| US07949579B2 |
System and method for associating financial transaction data with a user's project data
This invention relates to an expense reporting system for viewing and manipulating a user's financial transaction data and a method for associating financial transaction data with a user's project data. The system includes a user's financial transaction data hosted in a data storage unit, addressable on a network, and accessible by a remote user on a user interface unit having a user input means and a display; and an expense reporting module having a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows a user to define project category data and associate representations of the user's financial data with the user-defined project category data. |
| US07949578B2 |
Sales force automation and method
A salesforce automation system which integrates computerized, intelligent automated salesperson support for multiple phases of the sales process. Various subsystems may be provided to facilitate the sales process which may include pre-sales lead generation, maximize time spent with the customer, effectively manage an order, ensure customer satisfaction and retain the customer for future sales. Also provided to support the phases of the sales process are additional tools, integrated in the system. The additional tools may include self management subsystems, sales management subsystems and training subsystems. |
| US07949577B1 |
Commission management system
A computer system and method for managing commissions, including: a storage device containing a database having commission data and a periodic extract of sales transactions stored therein; a user interface for inputting the commission data into the database and viewing the commission data stored in the database; and a processor for calculating commissions for sales representatives and agents associated with a business enterprise based on the commission data, and forwarding the calculated commissions to a payroll department within the business enterprise; wherein the processor executes: a first software module for retrieving billing, inventory, corporate, and affiliated sales information for the sales representatives, and for calculating the commissions based on a predetermined rules set; and a second software module for retrieving billing and affiliated sales information for the agents, and for calculating the commissions based on the terms of a contract between the agent and the business enterprise. |
| US07949575B1 |
Account related task processing
A system for periodic and real-time processing of accounts. The system operates in a bulk mode and an error mode. A bulk component concurrently processes a set of eligible accounts with a set of dependent tasks, and a removal component removes one or more accounts from the eligible accounts if an error is associated therewith. In bulk mode, each task fetches only the required set of accounts/subscriptions/payment instruments for processing. In error mode (retry/reprocess mode), if an account encounters an error for a task in the bulk mode, the account drops is removed from bulk mode and becomes ineligible for fetching in any future bulk-mode task processing. Error-mode processing tests and processes all tasks sequentially for an errored account until the account state is in par with the accounts being processed by bulk mode. Then the account is removed from error mode processing and is picked up appropriately by bulk-mode processing. |
| US07949570B2 |
Computerized article customization system and method for use thereof
The present invention is a method for soliciting orders for customized apparel. The apparel can be appendage apparel, such as footwear, gloves, or head gear, or non-appendage apparel such as jackets. The present method includes providing an order form accessible through at least one computer by one or more users. The present method further includes providing one or more possible design parameters, requesting the user to customize the apparel by entering at least one of the parameters on the order form. The user submits the order form through the computer and receives apparel according to the order form. The parameters may include size, material, model, style, color, material treatment, or personalization. |
| US07949563B2 |
System and method for collection of advertising usage information
A system comprises users disposed in various locations within a region, each user associated with an advertisement of an associated web property, each advertisement for enabling visitors to navigate to the associated web property; pods distributed within the region, each user being associated with at least one pod located more proximate to the user than another pod and that stores account information on the advertisement associated with the user; an advertisement channel for receiving a content request from a visitor, for obtaining an advertisement of a web property based on the content request, and for presenting the advertisement to the visitor in response to the content request; and a tag-based tracking mechanism for collecting visitor events if the visitor navigates to the web property and for forwarding visitor data based on the visitor events to the pod associated with the user that is associated with the advertisement. |
| US07949554B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for calendar-based coverage monitoring
Methods, systems, and computer program products for calendar-based coverage monitoring are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method includes receiving a coverage rule defining multiple covering entities for performing an activity for a covered entity and at least one period of time during which the multiple covering entities is to perform the activity. Individual calendars for the multiple covering entities are monitored and a change in one of the calendars is detected. It is then determined whether the change causes the coverage rule to be violated, and in response to determining that the change causes the coverage rule to be violated, a notification indicating violation of the coverage rule is generated. |
| US07949553B1 |
Method and system for a selection optimization process
Systems and methods are described which optimize a business process through adaptive learning. Incoming customers are profiled and based on the customer's profile, a corresponding set of actions may be generated. From this set of actions, an algorithm is used to select a discrete action which is then presented to the customer. The customer's response to the presented action may in turn be used to forecast future customer responses and update the selection algorithm. These methods and systems allow attainment of a specific objective through progressive optimization of a business process. |
| US07949552B2 |
Systems and methods for context drilling in workforce optimization
The systems and methods described herein provide a drill through engine that facilitates integration of solutions for performing workforce management, quality monitoring, e-learning, performance management, and analytics functionality. The drill through engine facilitates combining quality monitoring/call recording with performance management and e-learning functionality as a unified integrated solution. The combination can be delivered through a single platform and enables users to gain more insight and make smarter decisions faster about sales, service, and overall operations. This takes customer center tools beyond the traditional “suite” approach to a true single workforce optimization platform. |
| US07949551B2 |
Processing of compensation scopes in workflow management systems
The current invention relates to a technology for processing of compensation scopes comprised within atomic scopes of a process model by a Workflow Management System or a computer system with comparable functionality (WFMS). The method comprises a step of checking whether the atomic scope of the process instance of that process model has been aborted abnormally. If this is the case, in a further step it is analyzed if in the process model the compensation scope has been associated with a specific atomic scope behavior specification, defining a specific abort handling for the compensation scope in the particular case that the compensation scope is comprised within an atomic scope and the atomic scope has been aborted. In a final step the compensation scope is processed according to the specific atomic scope behavior specification. |
| US07949549B1 |
System and method for selling intangible property
A method comprises analyzing the psychology of a typical consumer and defining first key stages wherein customers drop out and second key stages wherein sales could be maximized. |
| US07949543B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for promoting healthcare information technologies to card members
The disclosed methods, systems, and computer-program products allow a credit or charge card issuer to promote healthcare information technology (HIT) products to physician card members that are affiliated with a healthcare organization, such as a preferred-provider organization (PPO). In an embodiment, the PPO endorses at least one HIT product, such as an electronic medical record (EMR), and the PPO identifies the endorsed HIT product to a transactional card provider. The transactional card provider then identifies at least one supplier of the endorsed HIT product and negotiates a discount on the endorsed HIT product when purchased from identified HIT supplier using a financial transaction instrument issued by the transactional card provider. The financial transaction instrument may be provided to the physician card member, who may purchase the endorsed HIT product from the identified supplier at the negotiated discount. |
| US07949542B2 |
System, method and computer program product for graphically illustrating entities and generating a text-based report therefrom
A computer-implemented method for graphically illustrating an entity and generating a text-based report therefrom includes providing a visual base representation of an entity. The base representation includes a plurality of elements at least one of which is modifiable, where the elements are each associated with a plurality of attributes. A visual diagram of a particular entity is built based upon the base representation of the entity. In this regard, at least one visual element is added to the base representation, where the added visual elements are modifiable. Accordingly, the diagram includes the elements of the base representation and the elements added to the base representation. After determining attributes associated with the added elements, a text-based report is generated from the diagram, where the report is generated based upon the elements of the diagram and the associated attributes, and where the report is automatically generated from the diagram without user input. |
| US07949540B2 |
Dual metering method for indicating the contents of mail
A method that enables the USPS to be aware of the contents of mail and the identity of the party who licensed the postal meter that paid for the mailing. The foregoing is accomplished by placing human readable postal meter indicia on the mail that contains information that uniquely identifies the mail and the licensee of the meter in addition to incorporating a radio frequency identification tag on the mail that identifies the contents of the mail and the information that uniquely identifies the mail. Additional security will be obtained by knowing the identity of the mailer and the contents of the mailing. The radio frequency tags may be remotely read, enabling the USPS to be aware of the contents of the mail permitting different content mail to be handled differently. |
| US07949537B2 |
Method for automated sentence planning in a task classification system
The invention relates to a method for sentence planning (120) in a task classification system that interacts with a user. The method may include recognizing symbols in the user's input communication and determining whether the user's input communication can be understood. If the user's communication can be understood, understanding data may be generated (220). The method may further include generating communicative goals (3010) based on the recognized symbols and understanding data. The generated communicative goals (3010) may be related to information needed to be obtained form the user. The method may also include automatically planning one or more sentences (3020) based on the generated communicative goals and outputting at least one of the sentence plans to the user (3080). |
| US07949523B2 |
Apparatus, method, and computer program product for processing voice in speech
A speech processing apparatus includes a rule storing unit that stores therein a rule that correlates one another causes of errors in speech recognition, responding methods each of which is used when an error has occurred during the speech recognition, and responding users each of whom is one of a plurality of users and serving as a target of a response; a detecting unit that detects a cause of an error that has occurred during the recognition of the speech; a method selecting unit that selects one of the responding methods that is correlated with the detected cause of the error from the rule storing unit; a user selecting unit that selects one of the responding users that is correlated with the detected cause of the error from the rule storing unit; and an executing unit that executes the response by the selected responding method to the selected responding user. |
| US07949519B2 |
Information communication apparatus, transmission apparatus and receiving apparatus
The acoustic signal transmission method is based on generating a synthesized sound electrical signal by electrically synthesizing an audible sound signal and another signal different than the audible sound signal at the sending side, and transmitting the synthesized sound electrical signal, and extracting the another signal different than the audible sound signal from the synthesized sound electrical signal at the receiving side. Here, generation of the synthesized sound electrical signal is made by using a data hiding technique, for example. Accordingly, the acoustic signal represented by the synthesized sound electrical signal can be heard by human ears in the same way as the audible sound signal, and the synthesized another signal cannot be detected by human ears. Here, the synthesized sound electrical signal can be transmitted as a sound wave in air space, as electrical signal through a transmission line or as radio signals such as infrared and electromagnetic waves. |
| US07949517B2 |
Dialogue system with logical evaluation for language identification in speech recognition
A method and device are provided for classifying at least two languages in an automatic dialogue system, which processes digitized speech input. At least one speech recognition method and at least one language identification method are used on the digitized speech input in order, by logical evaluation of the results of the method, to identify the language of the speech input. |
| US07949511B2 |
System and method for tunneling and slicing based BMC decomposition
A system and method for bounded model checking of computer programs includes providing a program having at least one reachable property node. The program is decomposed for bounded model checking (BMC) into subproblems by creating a tunnel based on disjunctive control paths through the program. A reduced BMC sub-problem obtained using BMC unrolling, while using path constraints imposed by the at least one tunnel. For the reachable property node, determining a quantifier-free formula (QFP) in a decidable subset of first order logic. Satisfiability of the QFP is checked, independently and individually, to determine whether the QFP is satisfiable for the subproblem. The decomposing is continued until the a BMC bound is reached. |
| US07949504B2 |
System and method for optimizing block diagram models
A method includes in a system determining a constraint for constraining operation of a portion of a block diagram model, determining if the portion of the block diagram model violates the constraint, and providing a user information based on the violating of the first constraint. |
| US07949499B2 |
Filtering techniques to remove noise from a periodic signal and Irms calculations
A signal filtering technique is designed to remove the effects of a periodic, low-frequency noise signal from a signal of interest. A signal waveform is sampled at different points of a number of consecutive periodic noise signal cycles and the collected samples are averaged to produce a corrected signal. The number of consecutive cycles in which samples are taken and averaged is inversely related to the signal amplitude such that as the signal level decreases, the number of cycles examined increases. The technique is particularly applicable to periodic signals associated with the output of Hall effect sensors in an electrical metrology environment. Improved RMS calculations are obtained for filtering low-frequency random noise from Hall sensors by averaging samples at different points of a signal cycle to create a composite desired signal cycle to facilitate other signal calculations. In a given electricity utility meter incorporating solid state circuitry, such metrology RMS calculations may be implemented in a metrology section of solid state devices provided on printed circuit boards, such as utilizing programmable integrated circuit components. By varying the number of cycles summed, the algorithm will adapt to amplitude changes more quickly. By using time averaged samples to filter random noise from the periodic signal of interest, the overall requirements for complex filtering is reduced. Instead, the technique relies on buffering and averaging synchronized samples for a given number of line cycles, so that by increasing the buffer size, larger numbers of line cycles can be accumulated and the filter cut-off frequency reduced. |
| US07949496B2 |
Analysis system
An apparatus for analyzing the condition of a machine having a rotating shaft, comprising: at least one input for receiving measurement data from a sensor for surveying a measuring point of the machine, the measurement data being dependent on rotation of the shaft; a data processor for processing condition data dependent on the measurement data; the data processor performing a plurality of condition monitoring functions (F1, F2 Fn). At least one of the plurality of condition monitoring functions (F1, F2 Fn) is a restricted function having a disabled state and an enabled state; the disabled state prohibiting complete execution of the condition monitoring function, and the enabled sate allowing execution. The apparatus allows a limited amount of use of the at least one restricted condition monitoring function; and at least one of the plurality of condition monitoring functions (F1, F2, Fn) is an unrestricted function. |
| US07949493B2 |
Energy efficient achievement of integrated circuit performance goals
A system and method for meeting performance goals in an electronic system in an energy efficient manner. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise operating an electrical circuit at a current level of performance and a current level of energy efficiency by providing the electrical circuit with electrical power characterized by a current set of power characteristics (e.g., utilizing a power control module). The current level of performance may be determined (e.g., by a performance monitor) and compared to a desired level of performance (e.g., by the power control module). If the current level of performance is higher than the desired level of performance, then the electrical circuit may be operated at a next (e.g., lower) level of performance and a next (e.g., higher) level of energy efficiency by providing the electrical circuit with electrical power characterized by a next set of power characteristics. |
| US07949481B2 |
Self-orienting embedded in-situ flux system
A fluid flux measurement system that includes a heated element fluid flow sensor that is capable of being repositioned relative to a mean fluid flux direction is disclosed. The repositioning may be performed by a motor interconnected to the heated element fluid flow sensor. The heated element fluid flow sensor may be positioned proximate to the measurement region of a sonic anemometer and may be operable to be repositioned relative to the sonic anemometer. The heated element fluid flow sensor may be a three-dimensional hot-film constant temperature anemometer. The fluid flux system may be operable to measure small-scale turbulent fluxes in uncontrolled environments such as remotely located atmospheric monitoring stations. The heated element fluid flow sensor may be calibrated in-situ with data collected by the sonic anemometer. |
| US07949480B2 |
Method for determining an interaction between an electromagnetic radiation and a material
The exemplary embodiments of the method, system, software arrangement and computer-accessible medium according to the present invention facilitates an analysis of interactions between nonlinear absorbing materials and an incident electromagnetic wave based on material properties and characteristics of the incident beam of the electromagnetic energy. Using the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to determine laser beam propagation in a variety of multiphoton absorbing materials. Energy levels associated with such materials, which may be associated with various electron absorption and/or relaxation phenomena, may be added to and/or removed from the analysis. Incident laser beams can vary from continuous wave to attoseconds in duration and a numerical solution can be obtained that is radially and/or temporally dependent. Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention can also be used to determine certain contributions of individual electronic energy levels within the materials to the total 15 absorption. |
| US07949476B2 |
Method for estimating molecule concentrations in a sampling and equipment therefor
A method for estimating molecule concentrations in a sample, the method including: obtaining a signal generated by a sample analyzing apparatus, the signal including at least one spectrum, the spectrum including peaks representative of the molecule concentrations in the sample and being expressed as a function of at least one variable; obtaining an analytical modeling of the signal with a modeling function, wherein the modeling function is based on the molecule concentrations and factors including gain factors of the equipment and description factors of the peaks; selecting uncertain factors in the factors; determining a priori probability distributions for the uncertain factors and the molecule concentrations; establishing, with the modeling function and the signal, posteriori probability distributions for the molecule concentrations and the uncertain factors; and estimating, with a processing module, the molecule concentrations and the uncertain factors from a parameter inferred from the posteriori probability distributions. |
| US07949464B2 |
Method of operating a navigation system to provide parking availability information
A method of operating a navigation system includes obtaining a destination location and identifying a parking facility proximate said destination location. The method further includes transmitting a parking message including a determined parking availability. The determined parking availability is based on historic parking availability information and real time parking availability data. The parking message may include an identification code of said parking facility. |
| US07949457B2 |
Control apparatus for internal combustion engine
A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, includes: a crankshaft; a crank angle detection unit; a generator; and a control unit to which alternating voltage signals are input, that ascertains ignition timings based on crank signals, performs ignition control so as to spark the internal combustion engine at the ignition timings, performs polarity determination processing in which the control unit determines a polarity of the alternating voltage signal each predetermined cycle and determines a current polarity determination result, and performs reverse rotation detection processing in which the control unit obtains the current polarity determination result each time the crank signal is detected so that the control unit ascertains a polarity cycle of the alternating voltage signals and in which the control unit determines that the crankshaft is in reverse rotation and stops the ignition control. |
| US07949453B2 |
Control method for clutch arrangement
A method controlling a clutch arrangement that serves, in a powertrain of a motor vehicle, for the transmission of a torque from an input element to an output element. Starting from an activated state of the clutch arrangement, a respective estimated torque value is calculated in repeating calculation cycles. A torque build-up value is calculated in dependence on at least one speed difference value. A torque reduction value is calculated in dependence on at least the last calculated estimated torque value. The estimated torque value is re-calculated on the basis of the last calculated estimated torque value by up integration of the calculated torque build-up value and down integration of the calculated torque reduction value. The recalculated estimated torque value is compared with a torque threshold value. The clutch arrangement is deactivated when the recalculated estimated torque value is below the torque threshold value. |
| US07949451B2 |
Driving force control device of vehicle
A powertrain manager executes a program including the steps of: reading an instruction gear ratio kgear(1) for transmission control; calculating an actual gear ratio kgear(2); determining that failure of an automatic transmission has occurred on a low gear side if relation of kgear(1)<{kgear(2)/α} or kgear(1)<{kgear(2)−β} is satisfied; and substituting larger one of kgear(1) and kgear(2) into a gear ratio for operation. |
| US07949446B2 |
Body-roll restraining system for vehicle
A body-roll restraining system with high utility equipped with active stabilizer devices on a front-wheel side and a rear-wheel side of the vehicle and configured to generate roll restraining forces whose directions are opposite to each other, and maybe configured such that the roll restraining forces are changeable owing to an operation of an actuator, The system having a road-surface-unevenness-dependent-roll restraining control. The above-indicated road-surface-unevenness-dependent-roll restraining control is executable in addition to a control which was conducted in conventional stabilizer devices to restrain the roll that arises from turning of the vehicle, and thus the ride comfort of the vehicle is enhanced. |
| US07949445B2 |
Suspension control device, vehicle comprising said device, production and associated program
A device for controlling the suspension of the body shell of a motor vehicle performs calculation of a relative modal body shell speed in relation to the mid-plane of the wheels, and calculation of the set modal stress of the damper as a function of the relative modal body shell speed in relation to the mid-plane of the wheels. The control value includes a determined shock absorption principle from among a plurality of different shock absorption principles that impose the force of the damper as a function of its travel speed. |
| US07949444B2 |
Aviation field service report natural language processing
An aircraft service information handling system comprises an input module operable to collect field service narrative data. A natural language data extraction module extracts problem data and related solution data from the narrative data, and a database module populates an aircraft service information database with the extracted problem data and the related extracted solution data. The database module further searches the database for populated problem data, and retrieves the related populated solution data. |
| US07949436B2 |
Method and apparatus for automatically detecting and correcting misalignment of a semiconductor chip
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that automatically detects and corrects a misalignment of a semiconductor chip. During operation, the system uses a position-detection mechanism integrated with the chip to determine the misalignment of the chip from a desired alignment for the chip. Next, the system uses an actuation mechanism integrated with the chip to automatically correct the misalignment, thereby improving performance and reliability of the chip. |
| US07949431B2 |
Fitting device for adjusting state of clogging caused in fit
A fitting device for fitting a fitting workpiece, which is held by a robot, to a workpiece to be fitted by force control, comprises: a force detecting portion for detecting a force and moment acting on a control point of the fitting workpiece; a judging portion for judging whether or not clogging is caused between the fitting workpiece and the workpiece to be fitted at the time of fitting; and a changing portion for changing a position of the control point according to a distance by which the fitting workpiece enters the workpiece to be fitted and for pressing the fitting workpiece against the workpiece to be fitted in a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction so as to adjust a posture of the fitting workpiece on the basis of the control point that has been changed, in the case where it is judged by the judging portion that clogging is caused. Due to the foregoing, posture of the fitting workpiece can be appropriately adjusted in a short period of time so that the fitting workpiece can be fitted into the workpiece to be fitted. |
| US07949429B2 |
Plural actuator system and control method thereof
A command signal generated by a command generation part is commonly used among a plurality of comparator circuits. On the other hand, a threshold at each comparator circuit is configured to be able to be set individually in accordance with external setting, and thus a drive start timing of each element constituting an actuator array can be set flexibly. |
| US07949424B2 |
Virtual code for delivery to the nearest building of organizations having multiple buildings
A method that enables the post to deliver mail addressed to a recipient nearest location virtual address to be delivery directly to the recipient's nearest designated location or facility to the place the mail was posted. Mail addressed to the nearest location virtual address (mapping to a street address or post office box) would be captured by the post during the post's sortation process and routed to the nearest location or facility to the place the mail was posted. This enables the recipient to receive their mail more quickly since the amount of delivery time is reduced. |
| US07949413B2 |
Operator interface terminal for correlating data points to time points
An operator interface terminal receives individual data points from a machine at individual time points. The operator interface terminal correlates the individual data points to the individual time points as the data points are received. The operator interface terminal transfers the data points correlated to the time points to a central information system. The operator interface terminal receives a control instruction from an operator. The operator interface terminal processes the control instruction to transfer a control signal to the machine, wherein the control signal drives the machine to operate based on the control instruction. |
| US07949408B2 |
System and method for electrically probing and providing medical electrical stimulation
A system for providing medical electrical stimulation including a lead assembly and a cannula. The lead assembly includes a lead body and a needle tip. The lead body has a distal section and a proximal section. The needle tip is formed of an electrically conductive material and is connected to the distal section of the lead body. The lead body is slidably disposed within a cannula lumen, with a distal end of the cannula being selectively connected to an abutment surface of the needle tip such that the needle tip extends distal the cannula to define a needle probe. With this construction, the lead assembly can be delivered to a desired implantation site via manipulation of the cannula and/or energization of the needle tip, and the cannula can be removed from the lead body without requiring movement of the needle tip. |
| US07949406B2 |
Low frequency medical device, method therefor, program and recording medium
Quantity and time for medical operation are measured after starting the medical operation (step S1). Parameters in a parameter protection mode and parameters in a standard mode are compared so as to determine whether or not contents in the parameters coincide and whether or not five minutes passes (step S2). If five minutes do not pass, it is detected whether or not a power supply switch is turned off (step S4). If it is not turned off, the operation returns to the step S1 so as to determine whether or not the power supply is turned off within five minutes in steps S3 and S4 while measuring the quantity and the time for the medical operation. If five minutes passes without turning off the power supply, data for the quantity and the time for the medical operation are loaded in a memory (step S5). After that, the operation is completed. |
| US07949404B2 |
Communications network for distributed sensing and therapy in biomedical applications
An implantable medical device system is provided with multiple medical devices implanted in a patient's body and a wireless mesh communication network providing multiple communication pathways between the multiple medical devices. A communication pathway between a first and a second implanted device of the multiple medical devices can comprise one or more of the other implanted multiple medical devices. |
| US07949403B2 |
Electrical stimulation device and method for the treatment of neurological disorders
An electrical stimulation system and method for the treatment of neurological disorders is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the electrical stimulation system includes channels of electrodes positioned in electrical contact with tissue of a neuromuscular target body region of a patient to provide pattered neuromuscular stimulation to the patient's musculature. In addition, at least one electrode from a channel is positioned in electrical contact with a tissue of the motor control region of the brain. A series of patterned electrical pulses are then applied to the patient through the channels to provide peripheral neuromuscular stimulation, and a direct current is applied transcranially to the brain. Various exemplary embodiments of the invention are disclosed. |
| US07949394B2 |
Using implanted sensors for feedback control of implanted medical devices
A system and method for administering a therapeutic treatment to the heart includes a pressure sensor positioned in the pulmonary artery, an implantable medical device located remotely from the sensor, and communication means for communicating pressure data from the pressure sensor to the implantable medical device. The system includes a control module operatively coupled to the implantable medical device. The control module is adapted for comparing the pulmonary arterial pressure data to a pre-programmed value, adjusting an operating parameter of the implantable medical device based on the relationship of the pulmonary arterial pressure to the pre-programmed value, and repeating this process until the relationship between the pulmonary arterial pressure data and the pre-programmed value is such that no adjustment is necessary. |
| US07949392B2 |
System and method for monitoring or treating nervous system disorders
A medical device system that includes a brain monitoring element, cardiac monitoring element and a processor. The processor is configured to receive a brain signal from the brain monitoring element and a cardiac signal from the cardiac monitoring element. The processor is further configured to compare the brain signal to the cardiac signal. A method of comparing a brain signal to a cardiac signal is also provided. |
| US07949384B2 |
Method to correct magnetic field/phase variations in proton resonance frequency shift thermometry in magnetic resonance imaging
PRF shift MRI data is acquired. The PRF shift MRI data may include signals affected by both a desired PRF shift and an undesired PRF shift. Thus, example systems and methods describe manipulating the PRF shift MRI data to make it substantially free of the effects of the undesired PRF shift, which facilitates displaying certain MRI images based on the desired PRF shift. |
| US07949380B2 |
Oximeter sensor with digital memory encoding sensor data
Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods that relate to a sensor with memory. Specifically, one embodiment includes a sensor, comprising a light emitting element configured to emit light, a light detecting element configured to detect the light, and a memory storing data corresponding to algorithms used by an oximeter monitor, the memory providing access to the oximeter monitor to read the data. |
| US07949378B2 |
Rotatable connecting mechanism for a portable electronic device
A rotatable connecting mechanism (100) includes a cover (10), a base (30), a toothed element (20) and an elastic element (24). The cover is rotatably mounted on the base. The toothed element is configured on a surface of the cover facing the base and includes a plurality of slots (224) defined thereon. The elastic element having an engaging portion (2422) formed thereon and configured on a surface of the base facing the cover. The engaging portion rotatably engages with the slots of the toothed element. |
| US07949374B2 |
Personal communications systems
A hands-free device for a mobile communications device, and method thereof, includes a user-operable input means and means for detecting user operation of the user-operable input means. The hands-free device is head-mounted and has at least one of a speaker and a microphone. A memory stores data. Means for causing a communications device coupled with the hands free device are included, to establish a communication connection indicated by data stored in the memory in response to detection of user operation of the user-operable input means, wherein the data includes at least one of a number and an address to be called. A user may store in the memory of the hands-free device the data indicating the predetermined communications connection to be established. The memory may be programmable by the user such that the data indicating the predetermined communications connection to be established can be changed in use by the user. |
| US07949370B1 |
Scanner for a mobile device
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for a scanning device for use with a mobile device are described herein. The scanning device may include an image capture module to capture surface images of a medium to be scanned and a positioning module to determine positioning information based at least in part on navigational images and the captured surface images. A mobile device may include one or more features of the scanning device including the image capture module and the positioning module. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
| US07949366B2 |
Diversity receiver system with interference cancellation and methods for use therewith
A diversity receiver includes a first radio frequency (RF) receiver section receives a first inbound RF signal over a range of frequencies and generates a first amplified RF signal, wherein the first inbound RF signal includes a desired RF signal component and an undesired signal component. A second RF receiver section receives a second inbound RF signal over the range of frequencies and generates a second amplified RF signal, wherein the second inbound RF signal includes the desired signal component and the undesired signal component. A first RF cancellation module generates a desired RF signal from the desired RF signal component while attenuating the undesired signal component, based on the first amplified RF signal and the second amplified RF signal. |
| US07949365B2 |
Systems and methods of RF power transmission, modulation, and amplification, including architectural embodiments of same
Methods and systems for vector combining power amplification are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a plurality of signals are individually amplified, then summed to form a desired time-varying complex envelope signal. Phase and/or frequency characteristics of one or more of the signals are controlled to provide the desired phase, frequency, and/or amplitude characteristics of the desired time-varying complex envelope signal. In another embodiment, a time-varying complex envelope signal is decomposed into a plurality of constant envelope constituent signals. The constituent signals are amplified equally or substantially equally, and then summed to construct an amplified version of the original time-varying envelope signal. Embodiments also perform frequency up-conversion. |
| US07949363B2 |
Methods and systems for efficient conveyance of bandclass information in wireless networks
Systems and methods are presented for efficiently conveying bandclass information between switching modules in a wireless communications system to facilitate call delivery or call origination. A compact bandclass information field is provided in inter-system paging and other non-handoff messages, in which each of a plurality of field bits indicates whether a particular bandclass is supported by a given mobile communications unit, thereby providing bandclass support information in an efficient manner to a recipient switching module. |
| US07949361B2 |
Terminal unit with easily detachable panel
In a terminal unit including a main body and a flexible panel coupled to a main body, the main body including a first engaging section having a guide rim. The flexible panel is mounted to the main body by using the first engaging section. The panel includes a first claw which is engaged with the first engaging section. The first claw has a guide face which extends to slantingly intersect the guide rim of the first engaging section. |
| US07949360B2 |
Method and apparatus for adaptively allocating transmission power for beam-forming combined with OSTBCs in a distributed wireless communication system
An apparatus that adaptively allocates transmission power for beam-forming combined with orthogonal space time block codes in a distributed wireless communication system, the apparatus including: sub-arrays for beam-forming, which are geographically distributed and each of which includes a plurality of distributed antennas placed in random groups. A central processing unit provides predetermined combinable power allocation schemes according to subsets in a plurality of the sub-arrays, identifying performances of the schemes by using information on large-scale fading of each of the sub-arrays fed back from a receiving party, setting a subset having best performance as an optimal subset according to the identified performances, and performing power allocation according thereto. |
| US07949357B2 |
Method and apparatus to select collaborating users in spectrum sensing
In a first time interval TI a first frequency band FB is pseudorandomly selected from a designated spectrum, and a first analysis result is determined by sensing the first FB during the first TI and then transmitted. In a second TI a second FB is pseudorandomly selected from the designated spectrum, and a second analysis result is determined by sensing the second FB during the second TI and then transmitted. Where multiple devices do this the entire spectrum is sensed, each band by a subset of devices that changes at each TI, and so any unused or underutilized spectrum is searched by the collaborative spectrum sensing, which avoids propagation problems such as fading. Also, a central node can assure various collaborating users report different FBs in different TIs such that the subset of reporting users changes for at least one of the bands in each subsequent reporting TI. Sensing and communication can be performed in different portions of the same network defined transmission time interval. |
| US07949356B2 |
Clock synchronization over a shared medium
Communicating among stations in a network includes providing repeated beacon transmissions from at least some of the stations including a first station. The first station is assigned to a first level. Any stations that can reliably receive transmissions from the first station are assigned to a second level. Any stations not assigned to any of the preceding levels that can reliably receive transmissions from the preceding level are assigned to each of one or more higher levels. Timing information at each station in a given level is synchronized according to transmissions received from at least one station in the preceding level. |
| US07949354B2 |
Method and apparatus for sharing transport channel for node serving plural cells with multimedia broadcast/multicast
A radio access network (11) facilitates transmission of a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service to plural user equipment units served by a radio base station. A radio network controller node (26) includes in a first message (70) of a Common Transport Channel Setup procedure an indication that sharing of a common transport bearer (60) involved in a session of the Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service is allowed. A radio base station (28) makes a determination whether to share the common transport bearer (60) among user equipment units (30) situated in plural cells (C) served by the radio base station (28). If the determination is positive, the radio base station (28) includes in a second message (80) of the Common Transport Channel Setup procedure an identification of an already-established channel to be used as the shared common transport bearer. The radio network controller (26) then uses the already-established channel as the shared common transport bearer for transmitting Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service user data to user equipment units (30) situated in plural cells served by the radio base station. |
| US07949350B2 |
Mobile communication system for providing area information together with control information
To provide a mobile communication system which can distribute area information from a radio Node to a mobile terminal in a unit of cell. A mobile communication system comprising: a radio Node having a plurality of cells; host apparatus connected to the radio Node so as to be able to communicate information with the radio Node; and a mobile terminal receiving information distributed from the radio Node, wherein area information different for each cell is distributed from the radio Node to the mobile terminals 40 existing in the cell included in the radio Node, the area information is transmitted, together with control information including type information added according to a content of the area information, from the host apparatus to the radio Node, and the cell to be distributed with the information is determined based on the type information. |
| US07949347B1 |
Using landline telephone RF sniffers to provide Z-coordinate and in-building location of mobile telephones
A cellular telephone or other wireless mobile user equipment (UE) can be located with greater than cell precision by monitoring for transmitted radio signals at landline telephone sites, such as offices in a building. At each site, a telephone instrument device not only performs functions characteristic of a conventional desktop or landline telephone instrument, but also detects radio signals emitted by any nearby UE. Any detected signals are transmitted from the landline telephone site to a central monitoring location. The central monitoring location receives some or all of the transmitted signal information as well as information identifying the landline telephone site at which radio signals emitted by a UE have been detected, such as a landline telephone number. The telephone number is then used to determine the location of the landline telephone site. |
| US07949342B2 |
Radio resource management in wireless local area networks
A method for radio resource management (RRM) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) having an access point and a station begins by obtaining a first group of parameters from a current traffic channel. Measurements from all available channels are taken for a second group of parameters. The radio resources of the WLAN are autonomously managed by selectively invoking at least one RRM algorithm that uses at least one parameter. A RRM algorithm may be invoked based upon results produced by a previously executed RRM algorithm, whereby RRM algorithms may be continuously invoked such that the radio resources are autonomously managed. |
| US07949341B2 |
Method and system for mobile receiver antenna architecture for world band cellular and broadcasting services
A method for an antenna architecture that handles World band cellular and broadcast channels may be provided. The method may comprise receiving at a first radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) integrated within a mobile terminal, first signals via a first antenna, where the first signals comprise signals within at least one of a 2100 MHz band and a 1900 MHz band. The method may further comprise receiving at a second RFIC integrated within the mobile terminal, second signals via the first antenna, where the second signals comprise signals within at least one of a 1900 MHz band, a 1800 MHz band, a 900 MHz band and a 850 MHz band. Additionally, third signals may be received via the first antenna at a third RFIC integrated within the mobile terminal, where the third signals comprise signals within a VHF/UHF broadcast band. |
| US07949338B2 |
System for managing a communication system
A system for managing a communication system is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a network management system having a network configuration element that identifies for each of a plurality of wireless base terminals (WBTs) a resultant communication path to a mobile telephone switching office (MTSO) according to a plurality of performance characteristics and a delay injected into at least one of a plurality of alternative communication paths connecting combinations of the WBTs to the MTSO. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US07949336B2 |
Access control in a cellular system
Controlling use of a mobile network element is disclosed. An indication is received that a mobile station associated with a mobile network is attempting to access the mobile network via a base transceiver station that (1) the mobile station is not authorized to use and (2) is located within a geographic area from which the mobile station is authorized to access the mobile network. The mobile station is prevented from accessing the mobile network via the base transceiver station. |
| US07949335B2 |
Multi-modal portable communications gateway
A multi-modal portable communications gateway for operation in an airport environment is disclosed. The multi-modal portable communications gateway may include a communication interface, a controller that controls the operation of the multi-modal portable communications gateway, a controller panel that includes a user interface to enable a user to interact with the multi-modal portable communications gateway, a WiFi antenna that enables reception and transmission of WiFi signals, a cellular antenna that enables reception and transmission of cellular signals, a power supply unit that enables power to be provided to the multi-modal portable communications gateway, wherein the controller signals the power supply unit to shut down based on one or more safety indication, a communication router that receives data from systems in the airport environment through the communication interface, and transmits the data to at least one predetermined location outside an aircraft upon receiving a signal from the controller, and one or more charging port that enables external electronic devices to be connected to the multi-modal portable communications gateway, wherein the power supply unit enables power to be provided to charge batteries of the external devices. |
| US07949331B1 |
Voicemail system with calling party identification
A voicemail header is modified to provide caller ID information in connection with the delivery of voice mail. The header may include an audible alert signal as is used in call waiting to alert a caller ID box in the customer's premises that caller ID information follows. The caller ID information is then delivered as FSK signaling information for display on the caller ID display. |
| US07949330B2 |
System and method for providing weather warnings and alerts
A method is provided for providing weather data to a vehicle comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a broadcast signal containing weather data referenced to a plurality of cells arranged in a grid corresponding to a geographic map; (b) determining the present location, speed, and direction of the vehicle; (c) calculating a geographic region for which the weather data will affect the vehicle user based upon the current location, speed, and direction of the vehicle; (d) filtering the weather data to yield filtered data comprising at least one of the plurality of cells correlated to the previously calculated geographic region; and (e) formatting the filtered data for display to vehicle occupants. |
| US07949327B2 |
Method and apparatus for reception of long range signals in bluetooth
The invention of a method and an apparatus for reception of long transmission range Bluetooth signals impaired by multipath are disclosed. The new reception method and apparatus proposed allows to increase the transmission range for data transmission in Bluetooth. The invention proposes the use of a new FDE adapted to SC transmission without a GI or CP. The proposed FDE very successfully mitigates ISI while being very implementation-friendly. |
| US07949326B2 |
Apparatus and method for extending the coverage area of a licensed wireless communication system using an unlicensed wireless communication system
A system includes a network controller to communicate with a telecommunications network. The network controller is coupled to one or more unlicensed wireless base stations serving one or more unlicensed wireless access areas. Each unlicensed wireless access area is mapped to one or more licensed wireless access areas. The system includes a mobile station to communicate with the telecommunications network using a licensed wireless communication channel serviced by the telecommunications network in a licensed wireless access area, and an unlicensed wireless communication channel in an unlicensed wireless access area. The mobile station is associated with a licensed wireless network identifier and a licensed wireless location identifier when the mobile station is in the licensed wireless access area and is associated with an unlicensed wireless network identifier and an unlicensed wireless location identifier when the mobile station is in the unlicensed wireless access area. |
| US07949323B1 |
Local oscillator leakage counterbalancing in a receiver
The present invention provides a local oscillator (LO) leakage controller for use with a receiver. In one embodiment, the LO leakage controller includes a comparison unit configured to process an LO leakage error signal from the receiver to provide a leakage cancellation signal. Additionally, the LO leakage controller also includes a leakage counterbalance unit coupled to the comparison unit and configured to adapt the leakage cancellation signal to the receiver to counterbalance LO leakage in the receiver. |
| US07949322B2 |
Frequency selective amplifier with wide-band impedance and noise matching
This disclosure is directed to a frequency-selective low noise amplifier (LNA) with wide-band impedance and noise matching. The LNAS may include a closed loop circuit that supports wideband input matching. For example, the closed loop circuit may be configure to impedance match an input signal and provide a low noise figure. In addition, the LNA may include an open loop circuit that amplifies the input signal and provides a high output impedance. The open loop circuit may further include a selectivity filter that filters out frequencies outside a desired frequency band. The LNA may drive a tunable band-pass filter via the open loop circuit. |
| US07949309B2 |
Antenna system for use within a wireless communication device
An antenna system includes an antenna, a transmission line, an inductor module, a tunable capacitor module, and control logic. The transmission line is coupled to the antenna and to the inductor module. The tunable capacitor module is coupled to the transmission line in accordance with a capacitance control signal to provide a desired capacitance such that inductance of the inductor module and the desired capacitance tunes the antenna system. The control logic is coupled to generate the capacitance control signal based on the operational parameters. |
| US07949308B2 |
Tuneable filter
A radio receiver comprising: a frequency shifter for receiving a radio frequency signal including a wanted signal in a first frequency band and an interferer in a second frequency band overlapping the first frequency band, and for frequency shifting the radio frequency signal to form a frequency shifted signal, in which the first frequency band is shifted to a third frequency band below radio frequency and the second frequency band is shifted to a fourth frequency band; and a filter for receiving the frequency shifted signal and for attenuating the fourth frequency band relative to the parts of the third frequency band that do not include the fourth frequency band, wherein the filter is dynamically tuneable. |
| US07949304B2 |
Interference cancellation and receive diversity for single-valued modulation receivers
A combined SAIC receiver and a multiple-antenna, receive diversity receiver are employed to reduce interference in a wireless system. The real and imaginary parts of the de-rotated signal for each receive path associated with an antenna are separately filtered and a combined output signal of all receive paths is generated. The weighting coefficients are adjusted based on an error signal produced by comparing the combined output signal with a reference signal. The weighting coefficients are initially set based on an MMSE/LS type of signal processing criteria, where the reference signal is the Training Sequence Code (TSC). Subsequent adjustment/tracking can be accomplished by using known tracking algorithms, e.g. LMS or RLS, or the coefficients can be re-computed using MMSE/LS processing. The reference signal for tracking may be a combination of the TSC and estimated data symbols provided by an equalizer. |
| US07949302B2 |
Method and system for dynamic carrier selection
A dynamic carrier selection method and system permit units operating on a first carrier to change to a second carrier when performance of the first carrier becomes unacceptable. Carrier quality measurements are taken in which carrier quality is a function of interference and multi-path fading and carrier-signal strength. The carriers are ranked according to measured quality in a carrier candidate list. The carrier candidate list is used to permit units to determine which carrier they should switch to when the carrier there currently operating on is determined to have unacceptable performance. Carrier measurements are retaken in response to a carrier change by unit or a predetermined time period having elapsed. |
| US07949298B2 |
Teaching material having identification unit and teaching-material communication system
The present invention provides a teaching material having an identification unit and a teaching-material communication system. The teaching material having the identification unit comprises at least one learning unit and at least one identification unit. The teaching-material communication system comprises at least one transmitting end system and at least one receiving end system. The transmitting end system comprises an input module and a transmission module. The receiving end system comprises a receiving module, a second identification process module, and a second communication module. By the at least one transmitting end system and the at least one receiving end system of the teaching-material communication system, at least one transmitter and at least one receiver can communicate with the learning unit of the teaching material having the identification unit. |
| US07949297B2 |
Method and system for mobile receiver antenna architecture for handling various digital video broadcast channels
A method for an antenna architecture for handling various Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) channels may be provided. The method may comprise receiving, at a first circuit, a first signal within a 850 MHz band, a 1900 MHz band and/or a 2100 MHz band, wherein the first circuit is integrated within the mobile terminal and is operably coupled to a first antenna and/or a second antenna. Second signals within the 850 MHz band, the 1900 MHz band and/or the 2100 MHz band may be received at a second circuit, wherein the second circuit is integrated within the mobile terminal and is operably coupled to the first antenna. A video broadcast signal may be received at a third circuit, wherein the third circuit is integrated within the mobile terminal and is operably coupled to a third antenna. |
| US07949289B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming adjustment method
Multiple photoconductive drums on which images with different color components are formed respectively are rotated using individual motors, multiple adjustment images are formed at a predetermined interval along the cycle length of one rotation of each photoconductive drum, the reference phases for the rotation of the respective photoconductive drums are determined based on the maximum portions of the divergences between the predetermined interval and the detection interval of each adjustment image, and the individual motors are controlled so that the respective reference phases determined are aligned. The image forming region corresponding to the cycle length of one rotation of the photoconductive drum is divided into four or more even-numbered regions, the divergence amount of each region is calculated, and the maximum portions of the divergences are determined based on the difference between the divergence amounts of the divided regions being away from each other by a half cycle length. |
| US07949286B2 |
Development cartridge and electrophotographic image forming apparatus using the same
A development cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using the same are provided. The development cartridge includes a reception unit including at least one auger. A toner supply unit is disposed on the reception unit and connects a toner cartridge with the reception unit. A transfer means transfers the toner supplied from the toner cartridge to the reception unit. The transfer means engages the at least one auger, and includes a plurality of main wings arranged radially about a rotation axis. |
| US07949285B2 |
Image forming apparatus and power transmission device thereof
An image forming apparatus and a power transmission device capable of intermittently transmitting power reliably to a plurality of driven bodies from a driving source with a small number of clutches. The power transmission device includes a cam part which rotates by receiving power of the driving source, a clutch device which intermittently transmits the power to the cam part to determine a stop position of the cam part, a first power transmission unit which transmits the power to any one of the plurality of driven bodies according to the stop position of the cam part, and a second power transmission unit which transmits the power to the other driven bodies of the plurality of driven bodies according to the stop position of the cam part. The cam part includes a rotating disc and a plurality of press members which are provided on one surface of the rotating disc to press the first power transmission unit and the second power transmission unit according to the stop position of the rotating disc. |
| US07949273B2 |
Fixing device, fixing device temperature control method and image forming apparatus
A fixing device has a heating roller and a pressurizing belt which convey the a recording material in mutual contact while fixing a toner on the recording material, a heater which heats the heating roller, a noncontact first thermister which detects a surface temperature of the heating roller in a position located apart from a surface of the heating roller, a pressurizing unit which is placed inside the pressurizing belt, a second thermister which detects a temperature of the pressurizing unit; and a control section which adjusts the surface temperature of the heating roller by controlling the heater on the basis of a detection temperature of the first thermister and a detection temperature of the second thermister. Thus, fixing device is capable of suppressing a temperature difference generated in noncontact temperature detecting sections and obtaining a stable fixed image performance. |
| US07949271B2 |
Image forming apparatus using a controller configured to control a developing bias to be applied to developer bearing member based on a input waveform bias and an output waveform bias
A development device configured to develop an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member by applying a developing bias in a development operation includes a developer bearing member configured to bear a developer, a bias applying unit configured to apply an input waveform bias including an alternating component to the developer bearing member, a bias detection unit configured to detect information concerning an output waveform bias generated on the developer bearing member when the bias applying unit applies the input waveform bias to the developer bearing member, and a controller configured to execute a mode for controlling the developing bias to be applied to the developer bearing member based on the input waveform bias and the output waveform bias. |
| US07949270B2 |
Development method and image forming apparatus
In an embodiment in which an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of a photoreceptor is developed with a toner by applying an oscillating bias voltage in which a development-side electrical potential and an opposite development-side electrical potential alternate with each other, between a development sleeve of a development roller and the photoreceptor, the development-side electrical potential is applied in two stages, and, in the two-staged development-side electrical potential, the absolute value of a first electrical potential V1 that is initially applied is larger than the absolute value of a second electrical potential V2 that is subsequently applied. |
| US07949266B2 |
Image forming apparatus with function of toner supply amount control
An image forming apparatus transfers a toner image, which has been formed onto an image carrying member, to a printing medium. The image forming apparatus includes a sub-scan distance measuring part configured to measure a distance along a sub-scan direction from a predetermined position on the printing medium to a position at which the toner image is transferred to the printing medium; and a toner supplying amount control part configured to control, according to the distance measured by the sub-scan distance measuring part, a toner supplying amount used when the toner image is formed onto the image carrying member. |
| US07949262B2 |
Space diversity receiver for optical communications
An optical beam combiner is provided, which allows efficient collection of light for various applications: non-line of sight and free-space optical communications, remote sensing, optical imaging and others. A multitude of transverse scattered optical beam portions is captured by the multi-aperture array positioned perpendicular to the beam projection direction. These beam portions are combined first into a single optical waveguide with modulating the beam portions phase and coupling ratio of directional couplers in the optical beam combiner tuned to maximize the final output power. A portion of the output beam is used for the power detection and forming a feedback signal for the phases and coupling ratios adjustment. The data is recovered from the received optical beam using coherent detection. |
| US07949260B2 |
Evaluation and adjustment method of optical receiver and optical communication system
An evaluation method of an optical receiver of an optical communication system, including a DPSK (Differential Phase Shift Keying) signal modulated by a specific data series, a delay interferometer for performing delay detection on the DPSK signal, an optical receiver for receiving each of two optical outputs of the delay interferometer and outputting a difference signal, and a spectrum analyzer for measuring a spectrum of an output electrical signal of the optical receiver, comprising monitoring a specific frequency component of the spectrum analyzer and detecting a delay difference and a deviation in optical reception level between the two outputs of the delay interferometer and the optical receiver. |
| US07949259B2 |
Visible light communication system and method therefor
In a visible light communication system, a transmission device includes a data modulation section which assigns 1-bit information to each of visible lights of RGB, and modulates transmission data into 3-bit modulation data. An LED light emission section transmits a multiplexed visible light signal, in which the RGB visible lights are multiplexed in accordance with the modulation data. |
| US07949257B2 |
System and method for tunable chromatic dispersion compensation
One embodiment sets forth a technique for measuring chromatic dispersion using reference signals within the operational range of amplifiers used to refresh data signals. One red/blue laser pair in the transmission node is used for measuring dispersion and chromatic dispersion compensation is added at each line node in the system. Since reference and data signals propagate through each amplifier, the reference signals used to measure chromatic dispersion receive the same dispersion compensation (and will have the same residual dispersion) as the data signals. Therefore, any residual dispersion in the data signals will manifest itself in downstream dispersion measurements and, thus, can be corrected. The tunable dispersion compensator in each line node may be set to compensate for the measured dispersion, thereby compensating for both the chromatic dispersion of the link connecting the current node to the prior node and any uncorrected residual dispersion from prior nodes. |
| US07949254B1 |
Security message filtering using OCDMA encoding
To achieve secure optical communications, a messaging encoding scheme is utilized in which optical communication signals are encoded based upon a known unique code. This encoding methodology allows for the broad transmission across an optical network which will include intended destination. Only the intended destination or destinations will include the necessary unique codes to allow recognition and decoding of the optically encoded message. By providing security in this optical encoding manner, the need for additional message overhead and/or additional systems is thus avoided, thereby providing efficient communication in a secure manner. |
| US07949253B2 |
Filter frame and camera filter unit
In a camera filter unit having a small longitudinal width, the camera filter unit (1) comprises a filter frame (2) having a cylindrical component (2a) and a filter-holding ring (3), and an optical filter (4). The optical filter (4) is fixed to an internal side of the filter-holding ring (3) in a state of being held from the front and the rear between a protuberance (31) formed in the filter-holding ring (3) and a crimp (33a). The filter-holding ring (3) is fixed to the internal side of the cylindrical component (2a) by a ring-side male thread (32) being screwed into a female thread (22) of the filter frame (2). The filter-holding ring (3) for holding the optical filter (4) is disposed concentrically between the cylindrical component (2a) and the optical filter (4), and the longitudinal dimension of the filter frame (2) can therefore be made smaller than when the member for holding the optical filter is mounted to the cylindrical component (2a) in a state of being aligned with the optical filter (4) in the axial direction. |
| US07949243B2 |
Optical apparatus
An optical apparatus includes an anti-shake lens L3 shifting with respect to an optical axis AXL of an optical system, a movable lens L4 moving along the optical axis, a light intensity controlling member 5 controlling light intensity, first and second actuators including magnets 33a and 33b and coils 34a and 34b, respectively, which shifts the anti-shake lens to directions different from each other, a third actuator including a magnet 63 and a coil 54 which moves the movable lens, a fourth actuator 51 which operates the light intensity controlling member, and a barrel member 7 which contains the anti-shake lens, the movable lens, the light intensity controlling member, and the first to the fourth actuators. The first to the fourth actuators are disposed inside the barrel member so as not to overlap with one another when viewed in an optical axis direction. |
| US07949241B2 |
Anamorphic focal array
An imaging system includes an offset focal array including a plurality of photosensitive elements disposed at different focal lengths from at least one lens to output an image simulating an orthogonal view of an oblique coverage area. In further embodiments, the photosensitive elements are arranged in layers positioned substantially equal to the focal lengths of one or more focusing lenses. |
| US07949238B2 |
Heating element for appliance
An improved construction for a heating element for an appliance is disclosed. A coiled resistance wire extending coaxially along the length of an elongate sheath is surrounded by an electrically insulating, high thermally conductive material that fills the sheath around the wire. The resistance wire is secured to a terminal pin at a connection comprising a connection insert that is securely affixed to the terminal pin, intermediate the terminal pin and resistance wire. The resistance wire is then able to be welded to the connector to provide a superior mechanical connection between a terminal pin and the resistance wire, even though the terminal pin is made from copper. The disclosed construction, therefore, provides good electrical and thermal conductivity and resists the tendency to separate during manufacture. |
| US07949233B2 |
Method and device for controlling a heat-dissipating fan for an electronic component
A method for controlling a heat-dissipating fan for an electronic component includes the steps of: detecting a temperature of the electronic component, and outputting a first control signal corresponding to the temperature thus detected; receiving a load current of the electronic component, and converting the load current into a second control signal; and controlling a rotating speed of the heat-dissipating fan with reference to the first control signal and the second control signal. A device employing the method includes a current detecting module adapted for detecting a load current, a temperature control circuit adapted for detecting a temperature, and a logic circuit unit coupled to the current detecting module and the temperature control circuit and controlling a rotating speed of a heat-dissipating fan. |
| US07949228B2 |
Information storage medium and information recording/playback system
There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data. |
| US07949220B2 |
Hybrid optical/electrical mixed circuit board
The present invention provides a hybrid optical/electrical circuit board in which an optical waveguide prepared by an exposing and developing step is combined with an electric circuit, wherein a printed wiring board containing an inorganic filler and a light absorber is used, and it has an optical waveguide core pattern having a high resolution and makes it possible to raise a density of optical wiring. |
| US07949218B2 |
Waveguide for heat assisted magnetic recording
An apparatus includes a slider mounted on an arm, a first waveguide including a first core guiding layer, a second waveguide mounted on the slider and including a second core guiding layer having a thickness smaller than the thickness of the first core guiding layer, and a coupler for coupling light from the first core guiding layer to the second core guiding layer. |
| US07949215B2 |
Apparatus for side fire fiber lasers
A fiber laser having at least one pair of reflectors coupled to an optical fiber, the at least one pair of reflectors defining an optical cavity between the at least one pair of reflectors and being configured to reflect light within the optical cavity. At least one light pump is coupled to the optical fiber and configured to provide pump light into the optical cavity, and at least one medium is positioned within the optical cavity and configured to generate signal light from the pump light in the optical cavity. Further, at least one grating positioned within the optical cavity and configured to couple the signal light out of the optical cavity. |
| US07949214B2 |
Substrate guided relay with pupil expanding input coupler
An optical substrate guided relay (300) includes an optical substrate (302) having at least one major face (411), an output coupler (303) coupled to a major face (411,412), and an input coupler (301) coupled to a major face (411,412). The input coupler (301) is configured to reflect, via internal layers (414), portions of received light to the optical substrate 302. The input coupler (301) includes either one or more internal layers (414) or a contoured face (1040) with surfaces configured as reflectors that expand the received light and direct it into the optical substrate (302). The output coupler (303) expands a pupil of light in one direction and directs the expanded light away from the optical substrate guided relay. |
| US07949213B2 |
Light illumination of displays with front light guide and coupling elements
In various embodiments described herein, a display device includes a front illumination apparatus that comprises a first light guide disposed forward of an array of display elements, such as an array of interferometric modulators, to distribute light across the array of display elements. The light guide panel is edge illuminated by a light source positioned behind the array display elements. The light from such a light source is coupled to a second light guide disposed behind the array of display elements and positioned laterally with respect to the light source. The light in the second light guide is coupled into the first light guide using a small optical coupling element such as a turning mirror. In some embodiments the second light guide may comprise the backplate of the display device. |
| US07949208B2 |
Monitor system, monitor device, search method, and search program
A search method is provided so that video data transmitted from an image-pickup unit of a monitor terminal is accumulated, meta data transmitted from a meta-data-generation unit of the monitor terminal is accumulated, search criteria are stored in advance, where the search criteria are used for extracting desired data from the video data and/or the meta data, the search criteria stored in advance are displayed, and meta data and/or video data satisfying a predetermined search criterion is extracted when the predetermined search criterion is selected from among the displayed search criteria, and the extracted meta data and/or the extracted video data is displayed. |
| US07949205B2 |
Image processing unit with fall-back
An image processing unit for computing a sequence of output images on basis of a sequence of input images, comprises: a motion estimation unit for computing a motion vector field on basis of the input images; a quality measurement unit for computing a value of a quality measure for the motion vector field; an interpolation unit for computing the output images by means of interpolation of pixel values of the input images, on basis of the motion vector field; and control means to control the interpolation unit on basis of the quality measure. The quality measurement unit is arranged to compute the value of the quality measure on basis of a maximum difference between neighboring motion vectors. If the value of the quality measure is lower than a predetermined threshold, then a motion compensated interpolation is performed, else a non-motion compensated interpolation is performed. |
| US07949203B2 |
Geospatial modeling system providing void inpainting based upon selectable inpainting functions and related methods
A geospatial modeling system may include a geospatial model data storage device and a processor. The processor may cooperate with the geospatial model data storage device for selecting and transforming a reference sample of a geospatial model frequency domain data set into a corresponding reference sample geospatial model spatial domain data set, and inpainting data into at least one void of the geospatial model frequency domain data set based upon an initial selected inpainting function from among a plurality of different inpainting functions. The processor may further select and transform a test sample of the inpainted geospatial model frequency domain data set into a corresponding test sample geospatial model spatial domain data set, and compare the reference sample geospatial model spatial domain data set and the test sample geospatial model spatial domain data set to determine whether to repeat the inpainting using a different inpainting function from among the plurality thereof. |
| US07949202B2 |
Image processing system, projector, and image processing method
A projector including: a sensing section which senses an area including at least a part of a projection image projected onto a projection target area to generate sensing information; a projection target area information generation section which generates projection target area information based on the sensing information; a projection area information generation section which generates projection area information based on the sensing information; an image distortion correction section which corrects distortion of the projection image and generates correction information indicating a degree of the correction; a display area information generation section which generates display area information based on the projection area information and the correction information; and an environmental influence reduction section which performs processing of reducing environmental influence based on the sensing information and the display area information. |
| US07949201B2 |
Image correction processing system and image correction processing method
An image processing system includes a local area selecting section configured to select a local area as at least one correction target from an input image, the local area including at least one pixel; a correction amount calculating section configured to calculate a gradation correction amount for the local area as the correction target; and a local gradation correcting section configured to perform a gradation correction to correct a gradation value of the local area based on the gradation correction amount to generate an image with a local gradation correction. Also, the correction amount calculating section includes a peripheral area gradation value calculating section configured to calculate a gradation value of a peripheral area of the local area; and a local area correction amount converting section configured to calculate the gradation correction amount by using the calculated gradation value of the peripheral area. |
| US07949197B2 |
Method of and system for image processing and computer program
In an image processing method for carrying out an image quality correction for correcting an image quality on each of a plurality of images in an image group to obtain corrected images, an image processing method includes the steps of carrying out a temporary image quality correction for correcting an image quality on each images in the image group to obtain a temporarily corrected image. A characteristic value representing an image quality for each temporarily corrected image is calculated and a target characteristic value is calculated so that dispersion of each characteristic value to the target characteristic value is minimized on the basis of the characteristic value of each temporarily corrected image. A correction value of each of the plurality of images in the image group which corrects the characteristic value thereof to the target characteristic value is obtained, and the image is corrected with the correction value. |
| US07949195B2 |
Per block breakpoint determining for hybrid variable length coding
A method, and apparatus, and logic encoded in one or more computer-readable tangible medium to carry out a method. The method is to code an ordered sequence of quantized transform coefficients of a block of image data using a hybrid coding method that includes determining a breakpoint location in the sequence between a low frequency region and a high frequency region; coding the low-frequency region using a selected low-frequency variable length coding method; coding the high-frequency region using a selected high-frequency variable length coding method; and coding the location of the breakpoint. The breakpoint location is determined as a function of the sequence such that different sequences can have different breakpoints. |
| US07949194B2 |
Method and apparatus for motion estimation
A method for motion estimation and the apparatus thereof are provided. The method for motion estimation uses multi-resolution hierarchial search and allows splitting the optimal block mode at the level of the lowest resolution. The method also allows further splitting of blocks during local refinement at levels of higher resolutions. |
| US07949192B2 |
Techniques for converting analog medical video to digital objects
Techniques for converting analog medical video data to digital objects include receiving a digital video signal. The signal is produced by converting an analog video signal from playing a legacy analog medical video medium on an appropriate analog video player. Without human intervention, a first portion of a video frame of the digital video signal is determined where characters are imaged onto the analog medical video by the legacy system. The first portion of the video frame is processed in a video optical character recognition process to generate first character data. Non-video descriptive data associated with the analog medical video data is determined based on the first character data. Digital video data based on the digital video signal is stored in association with the non-video descriptive data. These techniques allow one or more extensive analog medical video libraries to be converted quickly and at low cost in human labor. |
| US07949190B2 |
Real-time nighttime vehicle detection and recognition system based on computer vision
The present invention relates to a real-time nighttime vehicle detection and identification system comprises an illuminant object image segmentation device 1, an illuminant object classifying device 2, a vehicle lighting object identification device 3, a vehicle position determining device 4 and a vehicle tracking device 5. Under various circumstances of road lighting during nighttime, the system can efficiently and accurately demarcate and identify the lamps of oncoming and preceding vehicles and accurately provides the driver with auxiliary information needed to analyze the traffic conditions in front of the vehicle during the conditions met on the road at that time. |
| US07949187B2 |
Character string recognition method and device
A character string recognition method for recognizing a character string may include a first step in which a first projection data of image data are calculated in a direction of the character string and a second step in which a position of the character string is detected on the basis of the first projection data. In the first step, the image data are divided into a plurality of segments in the direction of the character string and projection in the segment is calculated. The method may further include a third step in which a second projection data in the segment are calculated on the basis of the position of the character string and a fourth step in which a position where the second projection data exceeds a threshold value is detected as a boundary position of a character, and the threshold value may be changed according to pixel number between both ends of the character string. |
| US07949186B2 |
Pyramid match kernel and related techniques
A method for classifying or comparing objects includes detecting points of interest within two objects, computing feature descriptors at said points of interest, forming a multi-resolution histogram over feature descriptors for each object and computing a weighted intersection of multi-resolution histogram for each object. An alternative embodiment includes a method for matching objects by defining a plurality of bins for multi-resolution histograms having various levels and a plurality of cluster groups, each group having a center, for each point of interest, calculating a bin index, a bin count and a maximal distance to the bin center and providing a path vector indicative of the bins chosen at each level. Still another embodiment includes a method for matching objects comprising creating a set of feature vectors for each object of interest, mapping each set of feature vectors to a single high-dimensional vector to create an embedding vector and encoding each embedding vector with a binary hash string. |
| US07949184B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer readable medium and computer data signal for processing image
An image processing apparatus includes: a unit producing a histogram in a color space from an input image; a unit extracting a plurality of peak colors having a local maximum frequency of appearance of a color value in the histogram; a unit determining whether to unify the extracted plurality of peak colors, based on a feature amount of the extracted plurality of peak colors, and selecting a peak color as a representative color when the extracted plurality of peak colors are unified, the feature amount being a lightness difference among the extracted plurality of peak colors and directions of vectors in the color space, the vectors each showing a shortest distance from one of the extracted plurality of peak colors to a line segment connecting between a reference color and a dark color; and a unit replacing a color of each pixel in the input image by the representative color. |
| US07949177B2 |
Bi-directional magnetic character reader
A manually operated document scanner and methods of operation and use are disclosed. The document scanner includes a document bed having a document positioning surface. The document scanner also includes a scanner module slidably attached to the document bed. The scanner module has a magnetic character reader, a first magnet placed along a leading edge of the magnetic character reader in a first direction of travel of the scanner module, and a second magnet placed along a leading edge of the magnetic character reader in a second direction of travel of the scanner module opposite to the first direction of travel. |
| US07949176B2 |
Systems for mobile image capture and processing of documents
The present invention relates to automated document processing and more particularly, to methods and systems for document image capture and processing using mobile devices. In accordance with various embodiments, methods and systems for document image capture on a mobile communication device are provided such that the image is optimized and enhanced for data extraction from the document as depicted. These methods and systems may comprise capturing an image of a document using a mobile communication device; transmitting the image to a server; and processing the image to create a bi-tonal image of the document for data extraction. Additionally, these methods and systems may comprise capturing a first image of a document using the mobile communication device; automatically detecting the document within the image; geometrically correcting the image; binarizing the image; correcting the orientation of the image; correcting the size of the image; and outputting the resulting image of the document. |
| US07949174B2 |
System and method for calibrating an X-ray detector
A method and system are provided for generating high and low-frequency components for the pixels of a detector array. The method includes the act of generating a gain map image comprised of gain coefficients for one or more pixels of a detector array. A frequency-based transform is applied to the gain map image to generate a high-frequency component and a low-frequency component of the gain map coefficients for each pixel. The high and low-frequency components may be differentially applied in the processing of images. |
| US07949171B2 |
System and method for tracing rib posterior in chest CT volumes
A method for tracing, rib posteriors includes providing an incomplete rib tracing comprising a digitized 3-dimensional representation of a rib and a digital image from which said rib tracing was extracted, initializing, a tracing direction for a remainder of said rib, detecting a plurality of ridge points in a sub-volume of said digital image about said initial tracing direction, and deforming a closed curve in a plane perpendicular to said tracing direction until a rib-edge contour is obtained, using said ridge points as constraints. |
| US07949170B2 |
Image processing method, image processing device, computer aided detection, and method for filtering along the time axis
An image processing method comprises: an inputting step of inputting image data which is obtained by imaging a subject for a predetermined period of time with a medical imaging apparatus and is arranged in time series; an extracting along the time axis step of extracting pixels which satisfy a predetermined condition along the time axis from all the pixels arranged in time series for each pixel coordinate position with respect to each pixel in the image data; and a constructing step of constructing a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image based on the pixels extracted along the time axis in the extracting along the time axis step. |
| US07949168B2 |
Data management in a linear-array-based microscope slide scanner
Systems and methods for processing, storing, and viewing extremely large imagery data rapidly produced by a linear-array-based microscope slide scanner are provided. The system receives, processes, and stores imagery data produced by the linear scanner as a series of overlapping image stripes and combines the data into a seamless and contiguous baseline image. The baseline image is logically mapped into a plurality of regions that are individually addressed to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the baseline image. The system enables dynamic imagery data compression while scanning and capturing new image stripes that eliminates the overhead associated with storing uncompressed image stripes. The system also creates intermediate level images, thereby organizing the baseline image into a variable level pyramid structure referred to as a virtual slide. The system facilitates the use of virtual slides in applications such as telemedicine, telepathology, microscopy education, and analysis of high value specimens like tissue arrays. |
| US07949166B2 |
Diagnosis support system
A region of interest is set by region of interest setting means in each of medical images obtained in chronological order. Similar case search means searches for a case information set including a case image having a region of similar pictorial characteristics to each of the regions of interest. When the corresponding case information set has been extracted through the search, case information display means displays test result information sets including not only the case images of similar pictorial characteristics but also all case images, test purposes, findings, and the like in the case information sets in chronological order of tests. |
| US07949162B2 |
System and method for solid component evaluation in mixed ground glass nodules
A method for segmenting a solid component (SC) in a ground glass nodule (GGN) includes providing a digitized image that includes a segmented GGN, the image comprising a plurality of intensities corresponding to a 3-dimensional grid of points, computing an intensity threshold that distinguishes a high intensity solid component of the GGN from a low intensity non-solid component, and applying the intensity threshold to identify a SC of the GGN and to identify regions of interest around the GGN, detecting whether or not a region of interest is a vessel, calculating a model for a detected vessel based on a radius and orientation of the vessel, and removing from the GGN segmentation all points that belong to both the model and the SC inside the GGN, and verifying whether a structure resulting from excluding the points qualifies as an SC. |
| US07949161B2 |
Microscope system and method for synthesizing microscopic images
An obtainment unit obtains microscopic images in a time series obtained by picking up images of a specimen as a motion image and also obtains microscope information that is information correlated with each of the microscopic images and the information that indicates an observation state of the microscope when the microscopic image has been picked up. An image synthesis unit synthesizes individual microscopic images constituting the motion image based on position information which is included in the microscope information and which indicate positions of the specimen when the microscopic image has been picked up, thereby synthesizing a wider view image than the microscopic image. |
| US07949159B2 |
Solid-state imaging device, imaging method and imaging system
A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate, a light receiving portion, and a spacer. The solid-state imaging device photoelectrically converts light incident from an object to be imaged upon a light incidence surface in the light receiving portion provided in the semiconductor substrate, thereby acquiring an image of the object to be imaged based on a magnitude of an electric charge generated through the photoelectric conversion. On a part of the light incidence surface, the spacer is provided. The spacer prevents the object to be imaged from contacting the light incidence surface. |
| US07949156B2 |
Biometric remediation of datasets
A method for analyzing a dataset comprising biographic data and biometric data is disclosed. In one step, a biographic record is read that is normally meant for unique description of an individual. A biometric associated with the biographic record is also read. The biometric is correlated with a plurality of biometrics associated with other biographic records. The uniqueness of the biometric is assessed with respect to the plurality of biometrics, for example, to find duplicate biographic records with biometric matching. |
| US07949152B2 |
Driver assistance system for vehicle
A driver assistance system for a vehicle includes an imaging device having a field of view forward of a vehicle and an image processor operable to process image data captured by the imaging device. The vehicle includes a control system operable at least in part to control the speed of the vehicle. The control system may reduce the speed of the vehicle responsive at least in part to a detection of a curve in the road ahead of the vehicle via processing by the image processor of image data captured by the imaging device. The control system may control the speed of the vehicle to a reduced speed for traveling around the detected curve in the road, and may increase the speed of the vehicle to above the reduced speed when the vehicle is traveling along a straighter section of road after the curve in the road. |
| US07949149B2 |
Deriving or calculating identifying data from video signals
The present invention relates generally to processing video signals. One claim recites a system for processing a video signal. The system includes: an analyzer comprising an electronic processor programmed for analyzing a video signal to derive or calculate identifying data from data representing picture elements of the video signal or from data representing audible audio portions accompanying the video signal; a communications module to communicate the identifying data to electronic memory or to a remote repository to obtain advertizing information therefrom; and a controller comprising an electronic processor programmed for controlling rendering of the advertizing information in a manner such that the advertizing information is synchronized with at least a portion of the video signal when rendered. Of course, other combinations and claims are provided too. |
| US07949148B2 |
Object processing employing movement
Directional albedo of a particular article, such as an identity card, is measured and stored. When the article is later presented, it can be confirmed to be the same particular article by re-measuring the albedo function, and checking for correspondence against the earlier-stored data. The re-measuring can be performed through us of a handheld optical device, such as a camera-equipped cell phone. The albedo function can serve as random key data in a variety of cryptographic applications. The function can be changed during the life of the article. A variety of other features are also detailed. |
| US07949146B2 |
Boundary layer regulator for extended range acoustical transducers
An improved method and device for controlling cone breakup (divisional modes) in extended range, cone diaphragm type electromechanical acoustical transducers for reproducing an acoustical signal from a corresponding electrical signal is provided. The transducer assembly includes a low mass cone shaped diaphragm, a voice coil former of 30 mm or less in diameter, and a shaped device no wider than the diameter of the voice coil former and extending into the inner volume of the cone but no taller than the height of the outside edge of the cone. This shaped device defines the shape and volume of a small mass of air within the boundary layer of air where molecular adhesion of air molecules to the cone diaphragm surface becomes a significant variable in the performance of the extended range transducer. |
| US07949145B2 |
Method of manufacturing an individually shaped hearing device or hearing aid
The present invention provides a method of providing input parameters for the fitting process of individually shaped or customized hearing devices by storing geometry data during the manufacturing process into data storage and selectively reading out data from this data storage during the manufacturing and/or fitting process of the hearing device. To improve the quality and to reduce the time required for the fitting process, all the data available from the manufacturing process, e.g. the geometry data, may be used during the final fitting process at the dispenser's office. |
| US07949144B2 |
Method for monitoring a hearing device and hearing device with self-monitoring function
There is provided a method for monitoring a hearing device having an electroacoustic output transducer worn at a user's ear or in a user's ear canal, the method includes the steps of measuring the electrical impedance of the output transducer; analyzing the measured electrical impedance of the output transducer in order to evaluate the status of the output transducer and/or of an acoustical system cooperating with the output transducer; and outputting a status signal representative of the status of the output transducer and/or of the acoustical system cooperating with the output transducer. |
| US07949142B2 |
Silicon condenser microphone having additional back chamber and sound hole in PCB
A silicon condenser microphone has an additional back chamber and a sound hole in a PCB. The microphone includes a case for blocking an external sound; a substrate including a chamber case, a MEMS chip having an additional back chamber formed by the chamber case, an ASIC chip for operating the MEMS chip, a conductive pattern for a bonding to the case, and a sound hole for passing the external sound. A fixing means fixes the case to the substrate and an adhesive is applied to an entirety of a bonding surface of the case and the substrate fixed by the fixing means. When the sound hole is formed through the PCB instead of the case, the mounting space for a microphone is reduced. The chamber case forms the additional back chamber under the MEMS chip and is employed to increase back chamber space to improve sensitivity and reduce noise. |
| US07949141B2 |
Processing audio signals with head related transfer function filters and a reverberator
A method, an apparatus, and a software product to process a plurality of input audio signals. The apparatus accepts a plurality of input signals and includes a multi-input, multi-output reverberator arranged to generate a set of output signals including delayed reverberation components simulating the reverberations a listener is likely to hear in a listening environment. The apparatus further includes a multi-input, two-output filter accepting the outputs of the reverberator and the plurality of input terminals, providing outputs for the left and right ears, and configured to implement a set of head related transfer functions corresponding to a listening environment and a set of directions of a listener in the listening environment. The apparatus is such that a listener listening to the outputs through headphones has the sensation of listening to the plurality of input audio signals as if they are emanating from a plurality of loudspeakers spatially located in the listening environment at a corresponding plurality of directions. |
| US07949139B2 |
Technique for subwoofer distance measurement
The present invention automatically corrects for subwoofer or other speaker crossover settings or other parameters by providing an adjustable factor passed upon not only pulse location, but on pulse width. In FIG. 2, as the low-pass frequency of the subwoofer is decreased, either by the crossover setting or the physical design of the subwoofer, the impulse response is shifted to the right and the width of the impulse increases. By relating the adjustment factor to the width of the impulse, the accuracy of the computed distance is greatly increased. The relation may be found doing a simple polynomial curve fitting to empirical data from several subwoofers at various crossover settings and distances, storing that data, and then measuring pulse location and width of the actual subwoofer during the setup routine, and adjusting the distance (delay) calculations accordingly. |
| US07949138B2 |
Secure instant messaging
Secure instant messaging is described. In an embodiment, a messaging device encrypts a challenge identifier to generate an encrypted challenge message, and communicates the encrypted challenge message via a peer-to-peer communication link to a recipient messaging device. The recipient messaging device decrypts the encrypted challenge message and encrypts the challenge identifier as a return challenge identifier to generate an encrypted challenge return. The messaging device receives the encrypted challenge return from the recipient messaging device, decrypts the encrypted challenge return, and verifies that the return challenge identifier matches the challenge identifier to establish that communications are secure when communicated via the peer-to-peer communication link and, optionally, to establish control policies pertaining to a communication received at the recipient messaging device. |
| US07949137B2 |
Virtual disk management methods
Virtual disks management methods and systems. First, a file space is set and a first password is set. A first device code is acquired. The file space is encrypted according to the first password and the first device code to obtain an encrypted file. Thereafter, a designation of the encrypted file is received. A second password is received, and a second device code is acquired. It is determined whether the second password conforms to the first password, and whether the second device code conforms to the first device code. If so, the encrypted file is mounted as a virtual disk. |
| US07949136B2 |
Security circuit having an electrical fuse ROM
A security circuit includes an electrical fuse read only memory (ROM) including a plurality of electrical fuse units. The electrical fuse units are arranged to correspond to bit values of an initial security key before the electrical fuse ROM is programmed. |
| US07949135B2 |
Key distribution in systems for selective access to information
A combination of stateless and state-full techniques enable reduced overall key management messages. A set of encryption keys is created based on a stateless subset cover scheme, where each user is associated with a leaf in the subset cover scheme. A state key and a corresponding state representing a subset of users that have the state key and a subset of users that do not have the state key is established, and a subset cover based on information representative of the established state is determined. Finally, a group key management message can be determined at least partly based on the calculated subset cover. The introduced state opens up for efficient subset cover calculation, reducing the size of the key management message. |
| US07949132B2 |
Modular architecture to unify the playback of DVD technologies
The present disclosure relates to parsing encrypted content and sending the encrypted content to appropriate stacks of components. Encrypted video content is sent to a video stack and encrypted audio content is sent to an audio stack. Components in either stack may or may not be able to decrypt the encrypted content. A common interface is provided to the components to pass encrypted content and encryption content with one another. Components not able to perform decryption pass on the encrypted content to succeeding components in the stack until a component capable of decrypting the encrypted content receives the encrypted content. Control from a hardware lawyer in a stack may be sent back through the stack using a secure link established by the common interfaces used by the components. |
| US07949127B2 |
Headset
A headset (1. 10. 30) e.g. for use in connection with wireless communication. The housing may be constructed as two shells (2, 3) which may be opened and closed so that all mechanical parts may be concealed on the housing when the headset (1, 10, 30) is not in use. The shells (2, 3) may be interconnected by means of a hinge (7, 8) which has an axis disposed in the same plane as the surface of the shells. Alternatively, the shells may be arranged such that the axis is disposed in a perpendicular plane. The headset (1, 10, 30) has all mechanical and electrical parts are well protected when the headset is not used. |
| US07949120B2 |
Information processing system in which information expressing a current time point is transmitted from one computer to another for use in calculating an amount of delay in transferring data between the computers
In a system in which a first computer transmits data to a second computer, the first computer transmits data conveying time information to the second computer, with the information expressing a first time point that occurs prior to commencement of the transmission and, following reception of the time information, the second computer compares the first time point information with a current time point, to thereby obtain a communication delay amount that includes a delay in transmitting data from the first to the second computer. |
| US07949119B2 |
Telephone exchange system
According to one embodiment, a telephone exchange system includes a first telephone exchange apparatus, a second telephone exchange apparatus which is connected to the first telephone exchange apparatus via a first communication network, a computer apparatus which establishes a communication link with the first telephone exchange apparatus via the first communication network and executes a part of function regarding exchange processing by the first and the second telephone exchange apparatuses, a second communication network which connects among a plurality of telephone terminals and the first and the second telephone exchange apparatuses, a communicator which connects a telephone terminal of a request source to the first telephone exchange apparatus via the second communication network, and a controller which executes the service based on a communication result by the communicator. |
| US07949118B1 |
Methods and apparatus for processing a session
A system records a session on a medium, and differentiates the content of the session into a plurality of sub content sessions. The system indexes the plurality of sub content sessions associated with the session, and allows retrieval of at least one of the plurality of sub content session based on the indexing. The system provides a review of the session. |
| US07949117B2 |
Heterogeneous video conferencing
Some embodiments provide an architecture for establishing a multi-participant conference. This architecture has one participant's computer in the conference act as a central content distributor for the conference. The central distributor receives data (e.g., video and/or audio streams) from the computer of each other participant, and distributes the received data to the computers of all participants. In some embodiments, the central distributor receives A/V data from the computers of the other participants. From such received data, the central distributor of some embodiments generates composite data (e.g., composite image data and/or composite audio data) that the central distributor distributes back to the participants. The central distributor in some embodiments can implement a heterogeneous audio/video conference. In such a conference, different participants can participate in the conference differently. For instance, different participants might use different audio or video codecs. Moreover, in some embodiments, one participant might participate in only the audio aspect of the conference, while another participant might participate in both audio and video aspects of the conference. |
| US07949116B2 |
Primary data stream communication
A method for communicating one or more primary data streams between a plurality of attendees connected to a communications network includes steps of communicating a plurality of data streams from each of the attendees to all others of the attendees, and of designating at least one of the streams from one of the attendees as primary. The primary stream is identified using a primary selection command. |
| US07949115B2 |
Providing a service framework at an endpoint
A method for providing telephony features at an endpoint includes accessing a service framework at an endpoint. The service framework is operable to provide one or more telephony features. Feature logic associated with a first telephony feature is accessed. The feature logic specifies a plurality of actions for implementing the first telephony feature. The first telephony feature is registered to receive an intercept upon the occurrence of an event. The occurrence of the event for which the first telephony feature is registered is identified. The event initiates a transition from a first state to a second state. The feature logic associated with the first telephony feature is loaded to provide the first telephony feature. |
| US07949112B2 |
Caller identification billing
A method for attributing costs for a telephone call in an SS7 network. Information associated with the telephone call is captured and retained when the telephone call is provided to a call recipient by a second carrier that is a UNE-P lessee of a first carrier. The captured information is stored when including a CNAM query. The CNAM query is associated with the second carrier and reflected in an updated record containing the total volume of CNAM queries handled by the first carrier for the second carrier. |
| US07949109B2 |
System and method of controlling sound in a multi-media communication application
A computing device and computer-readable medium storing instructions for controlling a computing device to customize a voice in a multi-media message created by a sender for a recipient, the multi-media message comprising a text message from the sender to be delivered by an animated entity. The instructions comprise receiving from the sender inserted voice emoticons, which may be repeated, into the text message associated with parameters of a voice used by an animated entity to deliver the text message; and transmitting the text message such that a recipient device can deliver the multi-media message at a variable level associated with a number of times a respective voice emoticon is repeated. |
| US07949106B2 |
Asynchronous event handling for video streams in interactive voice response systems
A method and apparatus are disclosed for enabling an interactive voice response (IVR) system to deliver a video stream to a telecommunications terminal and handle events related to the video stream. In particular, the illustrative embodiment overcomes two disadvantages of the prior art. First, the illustrative embodiment enables events to be generated and caught by a script of an IVR system at any time during a call. Second, the illustrative embodiment enables events to be handled in parallel with the execution of a script of the IVR system, thereby enabling the performing of actions response to a stream-related event without halting or interfering with other tasks of the IVR script. |
| US07949102B2 |
Multiple focal spot X-ray tube with multiple electron beam manipulating units
A multiple focal spot X-ray tube (100) comprising an electron source (105), which is adapted to generate an electron beam (106), an anode (110), which is arranged within the electron beam (106) and which comprises a first focal spot portion (120) and a second focal spot portion (130), whereby the second focal spot portion (130) is spatially separated from the first focal spot portion (120). The X-ray tube (100) further comprises a first electron beam manipulation unit (125), which is adapted to interact with the electron beam (106), when the electron beam (106) impinges onto the first focal spot portion (120), and a second electron beam manipulation unit (135), which is adapted to interact with the electron beam (106), when the electron beam (106) impinges onto the second focal spot portion (130). By assigning one electron beam manipulation unit (125, 135) to each of the focal spot portions (120, 130), a precise focusing of the X-ray beam can be realized individually for each focal spot of the X-ray tube (100). Preferably, the first and the second focal spot portions have a distance along the axis of a rotating anode. |
| US07949101B2 |
X-ray scanners and X-ray sources therefor
The present invention is directed toward an X-ray scanner that has an electron source and an anode. The anode has a target surface with a series of material areas spaced along it in a scanning direction. The material areas are formed from different materials. The electron source is arranged to direct electrons at a series of target areas of the target surface, in a predetermined order, so as to generate X-ray beams having different energy spectra. |
| US07949099B2 |
Compact high voltage X-ray source system and method for X-ray inspection applications
An x-ray system is disclosed that includes a bipolar x-ray tube. The bipolar x-ray tube includes two insulators that are separated by an intermediate electrode in an embodiment, wherein each insulator forms a portion of an outer wall of a vacuum envelope of the bipolar x-ray tube surrounding at least a portion of a path of an electron beam within the vacuum envelope. In further embodiments, the bipolar x-ray tube includes a first electrode at a positive high voltage potential with respect to a reference potential, a second electrode at a negative high voltage potential with respect to the reference potential, and an x-ray transmissive window that is at the positive high voltage potential. |
| US07949093B2 |
X-ray fluorescence spectrometer
An X-ray fluorescence spectrometer for measuring the concentration of sulfur contained in a sample (S), by irradiating the sample (S) with primary X-rays from an X-ray tube (11), monochromating fluorescent X-rays emitted from the sample (S) with a spectroscopic device, and detecting monochromated fluorescent X-rays with an X-ray detector. The spectrometer includes the X-ray tube (11) having a target with an element including chromium, an X-ray filter (13) disposed on a path of travel of X-rays between the X-ray tube (11) and the sample (S) and having a predetermined transmittance for Cr—Kα line from the X-ray tube (11) and made of a material which is an element of which absorption edges do not exist between energies of S—Kα line and Cr—Kα line, and a proportional counter (18) having a detector gas containing a neon gas or a helium gas. |
| US07949092B2 |
Device and method for performing X-ray analysis
The invention relates to a device for performing X-ray analysis. Device 1 comprises an X-ray tube 2 and at least one capillary lens 4 for focusing the X-rays in a micro-region at a location 5 for a sample for analysis. Device 1 further comprises a detector 6 for detecting X-ray fluorescence from the sample. Device 1 further comprises at least one energy-dependent filter 3 placed between the X-ray tube 2 and the capillary lens 4. The filter 3 is adapted to substantially block X-rays with an energy which is lower than a predetermined threshold value. |
| US07949086B2 |
Shift register
A shift register includes a plurality of register units cascade-connected with each other. Each register unit includes a pull-up circuit, a pull-up driving circuit, a pull-down circuit, and a pull-down driving circuit. The pull-up circuit coupled to a first clock signal is used for providing an output signal. The pull-up driving circuit turns on in response to a driving pulse from a previous register unit and a second clock signal, and turns off in response to a third clock signal. The pull-down driving circuit which is coupled to an input node of the pull-down circuit, turns on in response to a first clock signal, and turns off in response to a the first clock signal or output of the pull-up driving circuit. |
| US07949082B2 |
Phase lock loop and method for coded waveforms
A system and method is disclosed for maintaining synchronization in a communication system in which a signal is sent from a transmitter to a receiver which includes a phase lock loop. The receiver compares the output of a Viterbi decoder with the output of a quick decision circuit. The Viterbi decoder, which incorporates traceback, determines the minimum aggregate Euclidean distance for multiple symbols. The quick decision circuit determines the minimum Euclidean distance for a single symbol without decoding the symbol. If the difference in the output signals of the Viterbi decoder and the quick decision circuit is greater than a predetermined threshold, the phase error signal in the phase lock loop is prevented from updating the phase lock loop filter. A synchronization loss detector may also be used to prevent the phase error signal from updating the phase lock loop filter if synchronization loss is detected. |
| US07949080B2 |
Phase adjusting function evaluating method, transmission margin measuring method, information processing apparatus and computer readable information recording medium
A phase amount added to a clock signal or a plurality of data signals for adjusting a phase relationship therebetween in a reception apparatus is changed, and, a result of the phase adjusting operation is stored when the phase amount added to the clock signal or the plurality of data signals is changed. |
| US07949077B2 |
Response probability calculating device and method, and base station control device and communication system using the same
There is provided a response probability calculating method for use in a communication system in which a response probability is sent from a communication network to a plurality of terminals, and the terminals report terminal information to the communication network according to the response probability, including a step of selecting a first calculation formula for monotonously increasing the response probability or a second calculation formula for calculating the response probability using the response probability sent at the previous time and the previous number of responses in accordance with the number of responses from the terminals, and a step of calculating the response probability in accordance with the selected calculation formula. |
| US07949071B2 |
Signal processing system and information storage medium
According to one embodiment, a first encoder encodes main information, a second encoder encodes sub-information, a first modulator modulates a carrier based on an output of the first encoder, a duplicating module duplicates an output of the second encoder to generate encoded sub-information units, and a second modulator amplitude-modulates an output of the first modulator based on the encoded sub-information units. The second modulator amplitude-modulates with σ/(μ×(2N)1/2) being 0.4 or less, wherein a noise power of a transmission path or a storage medium is σ2, a number of the encoded sub-information units is N, signal levels after amplitude modulation, which correspond to bit 1 and bit 0 of the encoded sub-information units, are A and B, and a level difference A−B is μ. |
| US07949067B2 |
Individual interleaving of data streams for MIMO transmission
The present invention, generally speaking, provides interleavers and methods of interleaving that satisfy the need for backward compatibility while effectively addressing competing design objectives. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, data is transmitted using a number of transmit antennas greater than an expected number of receive antennas. At least one pair of transmit antennas is formed (ant1, ant_N), and multiple second data streams (311, 312) are formed from a first data stream, successive bits in said first data stream being assigned to different ones of said second data streams. Block interleaving (313, 314) of multiple respective ones of said second data streams is individually performed. During successive transmission intervals, the pair of transmit antennas is used to transmit a pair of data symbols taken from different ones of said second data streams, followed by an equivalent transformed pair of data symbols. |
| US07949065B2 |
Radio transmission with variable length of guard interval
Information, in particular OFDM-symbols, is transmitted via radio from an emitting unit to a receiving unit. At least one first symbol has a first total length, which includes a first time section during which first user data is transmitted and a second time section during which cyclic repetitions of the first user data are transmitted. Also, at least one second symbol has the first total length which includes a third time section, having a length different than the first time section, during which second user data is transmitted, and a fourth time section, having a length different than the second time section, during which cyclic repetitions of the second user data is transmitted. |
| US07949064B2 |
Codebook and pre-coder selection for closed-loop mimo
A method of transmitting a communication signal (FIG. 1) is disclosed. The method includes receiving a data signal (102). The method further includes receiving a codeword index (pre-coder selection) from a remote transceiver. A codeword is selected from a Householder matrix based codebook in response to the index. The data signal is precoded (104) in response to the selected codeword. The precoded data signal is transmitted (100) to the remote transceiver. |
| US07949061B2 |
Scattered pilot pattern and channel estimation method for MIMO-OFDM systems
Methods and apparatus are provided for inserting data symbols and pilot symbols in an OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) transmission resource utilizing frequency hopping patterns for the data symbols and/or the pilot symbols. Data symbols and pilot symbols are allocated for down link (base station to mobile station) and up link (mobile station to bases station) transmission resources in a two-dimensional time-frequency pattern. For each antenna of a MIMO-OFDM (multiple input multiple output OFDM) communication system, pilot symbols are inserted in a scattered pattern in time-frequency and data symbols are inserted in an identical frequency-hopping pattern in time-frequency as that of other antennas. |
| US07949059B2 |
Peak-to-average-power reduction of OFDM signals
A method of processing an Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplex (OFDM) signal having a plurality of data carriers and a plurality of unused carriers is disclosed. The method comprises transforming an original frequency-domain OFDM signal into a time domain signal and simulating the effect of a non-linear amplifier on the time-domain signal to provide a potentially distorted time domain signal. The potentially distorted time domain signal is transformed into a potentially distorted frequency domain signal and at least some of any values of the data carriers in the potentially distorted frequency domain signal are restored with corresponding values from the original frequency domain signal. At least some of the unused carriers in the at least partially restored frequency domain signal are scaled with a scaling factor. The scaled frequency domain signal is transformed into a temporary time domain signal and the temporary time domain signal is analysed for the presence of a peak or near zero amplitude value that would lead to distortion by said amplifier. If the signal includes such a peak or near zero value, the scaling, transforming and analysing are repeated with an increased scaling factor. |
| US07949058B2 |
Radio receiving apparatus and radio receiving method
A radio receiver apparatus and a radio transmitter apparatus wherein the energy loss caused by addition of GI is suppressed, while the reception quality is improved. A signal having been subjected to an IFFT process is repetitively transmitted N times with a length of one OFDM symbol interval. At a receiver apparatus receiving the transmitted signals, a leading data extracting part (207) extracts, from the leading data portions of the direct waves of the received signals, portions that are not interfered with by temporally adjacent data. A combing part (209) combines the received signals in such a manner that align the rear end of each repetitively transmitted data portion except the leading data portion with the rear end of the leading data portion extracted by the leading data extracting part (207). The combined signal is then subjected to an FFT process in an FFT part (210). |
| US07949055B2 |
Communication system in digital television
A VSB communication system or transmitter for processing supplemental data packets with MPEG-II data packets includes a VSB supplemental data processor and a VSB transmission system. The VSB supplemental data processor includes a Reed-Solomon coder for coding the supplemental data to be transmitted, a null sequence inserter for inserting a null sequence to an interleaved supplemental data for generating a predefined sequence, a header inserter for inserting an MPEG header to the supplemental data having the null sequence inserted therein, a multiplexer for multiplexing an MPEG data coded with the supplemental data having the MPEG header added thereto in a preset multiplexing ratio and units. The output of the multiplexer is provided to an 8T-VSB transmission system for modulating a data field from the multiplexer and transmitting the modulated data field to a VSB reception system. |
| US07949053B2 |
Method and assembly for video encoding, the video encoding including texture analysis and texture synthesis, and corresponding computer program and corresponding computer-readable storage medium
The invention relates to a method and assembly for video coding comprising a texture analysis, texture synthesis, corresponding computer program and a computer-readable recording medium. Said invention can be used, in particular for reducing a data rate during a video data transmission. An analysis of video scene texture by an encoder is performed in such a way that synthesized texture areas are determined. The video scene coding is carried out with the aid of data for said synthesized texture areas. Information on the texture of said areas, metadata used for describing the determined areas and the synthesized texture are generated. Coded data and metadata are evaluated by a decoder in such a way that the video scenes are reconstructed by synthetically generated textures by means of evaluation of metadata for determined areas. |
| US07949051B2 |
Mosquito noise detection and reduction
A system and method for detecting and reducing mosquito noise are disclosed. Areas within a frame with mosquito noise are detected by calculating the variance of the luminance blocks in a macroblock, determining the minimum variance of the macroblock luminance blocks, and comparing the minimum variance to a mosquito noise threshold. If the minimum variance is greater than the mosquito noise threshold, then the macroblock is considered a high activity macroblock and the corresponding macroblock bit in the frame bitmap is set. If the minimum variance is less than or equal to the mosquito noise threshold, then the macroblock is considered a low activity macroblock, and the corresponding macroblock bit in the frame bit map is cleared. If the current macroblock bit is set in the corresponding frame bitmap or if at least one of its adjacent eight macroblock bits is set in the corresponding frame bitmap, then the current macroblock requires mosquito noise reduction. Mosquito noise in the current macroblock is reduced by reducing the original bit rate quantizer scale to achieve the target of reducing the mosquito noise. |
| US07949050B2 |
Method and system for semantically segmenting scenes of a video sequence
A shot-based video content analysis method and system is described for providing automatic recognition of logical story units (LSUs). The method employs vector quantization (VQ) to represent the visual content of a shot, following which a shot clustering algorithm is employed together with automatic determination of merging and splitting events. The method provides an automated way of performing the time-consuming and laborious process of organising and indexing increasingly large video databases such that they can be easily browsed and searched using natural query structures. |
| US07949049B2 |
Memory efficient 3-D wavelet transform for video coding without boundary effects
A video coding system and method utilizes a 3-D wavelet transform that is memory efficient and reduces boundary effect across frame boundaries. The transform employs a lifting-based scheme and buffers wavelet coefficients at intermediate lifting steps towards the end of one GOP (group of pictures) until intermediate coefficients from the beginning of the next GOP are available. The wavelet transform scheme does not physically break the video sequence into GOPs, but processes the sequence without intermission. In this manner, the system simulates an infinite wavelet transformation across frame boundaries and the boundary effect is significantly reduced or essentially eliminated. Moreover, the buffering is very small and the scheme can be used to implement other decomposition structures. The wavelet transform scheme provides superb video playback quality with little or no boundary effects. |
| US07949048B2 |
Video encoding/decoding method and apparatus
A video encoding apparatus comprises a frame memory/predictive image generator having a first predictive mode for generating a predictive image signal by selecting a combination from among a plurality combinations of a reference image number and a plurality of predictive parameters, and a second predictive mode for generating a predictive image signal according to a predictive parameter computed based on reference image numbers of reference images and an image-to-image distance, and a variable-length encoder to select one of the first and second prediction modes by the number of reference images, and encode orthogonal transformation coefficient information concerning a predictive error signal of a predictive image signal with respect to input video signal, mode information indicating an encoding mode, motion vector information and combination of selected reference image number with predictive parameter index information indicating combination of selected reference image information. |
| US07949041B2 |
Methods and circuits for asymmetric distribution of channel equalization between devices
A transceiver architecture supports high-speed communication over a signal lane that extends between a high-performance integrated circuit (IC) and one or more relatively low-performance ICs employing less sophisticated transmitters and receivers. The architecture compensates for performance asymmetry between ICs communicating over a bidirectional lane by instantiating relatively complex transmit and receive equalization circuitry on the higher-performance side of the lane. Both the transmit and receive equalization filter coefficients in the higher-performance IC may be adaptively updated based upon the signal response at the receiver of the higher-performance IC. |
| US07949040B2 |
Reception quality measuring apparatus and reception quality measuring method
A reception quality measuring apparatus of the present invention comprises a first sub-carrier averaging unit for averaging and outputting a channel gain after equalization estimated on the basis of the pilot signal over a sub-carrier, a first power calculation unit for calculating the power of a signal output from the first sub-carrier averaging unit and outputting the same as signal power, a pilot replica generator for generating and outputting a pilot signal replica with respect to a zero-timing signal component based on the zero-timing signal component when a signal x(n) in the time domain after equalization corresponding to the equalized signal is n=0, and also based on a previously set pilot code characteristic, a subtractor for subtracting the pilot signal replica output from the pilot replica generator from the equalized signal and outputting the result as an interference signal, a second power calculation unit for calculating and outputting the power of the interference signal output from the subtractor, a second sub-carrier averaging unit for averaging the power output from the second power calculation unit over the sub-carrier and outputting the result as interference power, and a divider for dividing the signal power output from the first power calculation unit by the interference power output from the second sub-carrier averaging unit to calculate a reception quality after equalization. |
| US07949035B2 |
GPS signal acquisition system and method
A Global Position System signal acquiring system and method is provided in this invention. Pluralities of counters are set, each corresponding to a code bin and a frequency bin of the signal. Subsequently, the signal corresponding to the counters is repeatedly received in a unit of time and the counters are accordingly updated for a pre-determined iteration. At last, a maximum value among the counters is found to acquire the signal corresponding to the counter having the maximum value. |
| US07949027B2 |
Semiconductor laser device
A semiconductor laser device includes: an n-type cladding layer; a p-type cladding layer; and an optical waveguide portion disposed between the n-type and p-type cladding layers and including spaced-apart active layers. The optical waveguide portion permits lasing in a crystal growth direction of the active layers in at least three modes, including the fundamental mode and two higher order modes. The number of active layers is equal to or greater than the number of extreme points of the electric field of a particular one of the higher order modes. At least one of the active layers is disposed near each extreme point of the electric field of the particular higher order mode, within the optical waveguide portion. |
| US07949026B2 |
Group III nitride semiconductor laser
A group III nitride semiconductor laser is provided that has a good optical confinement property and includes an InGaN well layer having good crystal quality.An active layer 19 is provided between a first optical guiding layer 21 and a second optical guiding layer 23. The active layer 19 can include well layers 27a, 27b, and 27c and further includes at least one first barrier layer 29a provided between the well layers. The first and second optical guiding layers 21 and 23 respectively include first and second InGaN regions 21a and 23a smaller than the band gap E29 of the first barrier layer 29a, and hence the average refractive index nGUIDE of the first and second optical guiding layers 21 and 23 can be made larger than the refractive index n29 of the first barrier layer 29a. Thus, good optical confinement is achieved. The band gap E29 of the first barrier layer 29a is larger than the band gaps E21 and E23 of the first and second InGaN regions 21a and 23a. |
| US07949023B2 |
Semiconductor laser apparatus
A semiconductor laser apparatus of the present invention includes: a semiconductor laser chip 1 having an electrode 11 formed on a surface of the semiconductor laser chip 1; a heat sink 3 for the semiconductor laser chip 1; a submount 2 disposed between the semiconductor laser chip 1 and the heat sink 3 and bonded to the semiconductor laser chip 1 and the heat sink 3; and recessed marks 13 formed on the surface of the semiconductor laser chip 1 by partially removing the electrode 11, wherein the semiconductor laser chip 1 is longer in the resonator direction than in a direction orthogonal to the resonator direction, and the recessed marks 13 are disposed within a predetermined distance from each of the front and rear end faces of the semiconductor laser chip. |
| US07949022B2 |
Diode pumping of a laser gain medium
An integrated, low profile, high power laser light emission device is disclosed. The integrated laser light emission device provides uniform heat dissipation, as well as uniform pumping of the laser gain medium without the need for a pumping cavity. The laser system includes a pump diode array that can be mounted directly to a laser gain medium without intervening correcting optics hardware. Heat generated by the laser light emission device is cooled by a single cooling system. In the laser device, a pump diode array is preferably a Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) array. VCSEL arrays are mounted on the laser gain crystal by a metal cavity frame or metal stilts. The slightly elevated mounting of the VCSEL's enables increased cooling and maximizing the quantity of VCSEL's on the laser gain medium in order to achieve highly efficient and high power laser light output. |
| US07949021B2 |
Light source apparatus
The present invention relates to a light source apparatus having a structure to enable a short pulse optical output with high pulse energy or a high pulse peak equivalent to that of a Q switch laser light source. The light source apparatus comprises a seed light source, a pre-stage optical amplifier, a subsequent-stage optical amplifier, and a control section. After the pulse light outputted from the seed light source is amplified by the pre-stage optical amplifier, the pulse light is amplified further by the subsequent-stage optical amplifier. In the subsequent-stage optical amplifier, a ring-type resonator is constituted by an optical coupler, an optical coupler, an optical amplification waveguide, an optical isolator, an optical coupler, an optical waveguide, a lens, a Q switch, a lens, and an optical waveguide that are disposed sequentially on the propagation path of the pulse light. The control section controls a Q switch such that the resonator loss of the resonator in the subsequent-stage optical amplifier is minimal with the timing at which the pulse light is inputted to the subsequent-stage optical amplifier. |
| US07949017B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating high power visible and near-visible laser light
A multimode-fiber Raman laser includes a pump source configured to provide optical radiation centered at a pump wavelength and characterized by a spectral bandwidth greater than 100 MHz and an oscillator resonant at an emission wavelength greater than the pump wavelength. The oscillator includes an input coupler optically aligned with the pump source and a multimode optical fiber optically coupled to the input coupler. The multimode optical fiber includes an input section having a fiber Bragg grating, an intracavity section of a predetermined length optically coupled to the input section, and an output section having a fiber Bragg grating. The oscillator also includes an output coupler optically coupled to the multimode optical fiber and configured to provide a laser output at the emission wavelength. |
| US07949014B2 |
Apparatus and method of encoding and decoding audio signal
In one embodiment, at least first and second channels in a frame of the audio signal are independently subdivided into blocks if the first and second channels are not correlated with each other. The first and second channels are corresponding subdivided into blocks such that the lengths of the blocks into which the second channel is subdivided correspond to the lengths of the blocks into which the first channel is subdivided if the first and second channels are correlated with each other. First information may be generated to indicate the subdivision of the channel into the blocks and the first information is generated commonly for first and second channels when the channels are correlated, and the first information is generated respectively for each of first and second channels when the channels are not correlated. |
| US07948999B2 |
Signaling completion of a message transfer from an origin compute node to a target compute node
Signaling completion of a message transfer from an origin node to a target node includes: sending, by an origin DMA engine, an RTS message, the RTS message specifying an application message for transfer to the target node from the origin node; receiving, by the origin DMA engine, a remote get message containing a data descriptor for the message and a completion notification descriptor, the completion notification descriptor specifying a local direct put transfer operation for transferring data locally on the origin node; inserting, by the origin DMA engine in an injection FIFO buffer, the data descriptor followed by the completion notification descriptor; transferring, by the origin DMA engine to the target node, the message in dependence upon the data descriptor; and notifying, by the origin DMA engine, the application that transfer of the message is complete in dependence upon the completion notification descriptor. |
| US07948998B2 |
Vehicle-mounted LAN system, electronic control unit, relay connection unit, and vehicle-mounted LAN communication means
A vehicle-mounted Local Area Network (LAN) system includes vehicle-mounted LANs in each of which an electronic control unit is connected to a communication line to send and receive messages. The LAN system also includes a relay connection unit that relays the messages between the vehicle-mounted LANs. Each electronic control unit has a reception port for transmitting a reception confirmation signal to the relay connection unit in response to a received message. The relay connection unit has a relay management device that determines, based on the presence or absence of the reception confirmation signal responsive to the message relayed to each of the vehicle-mounted LANs, whether or not a relay is required, and that then updates relay processing information stored in a storage device. |
| US07948994B2 |
Method and apparatus for routing and forwarding between virtual routers within a single network element
A method and apparatus for routing and forwarding between virtual routers is described. A method in a single network element comprises peering a first virtual router to a second virtual router, wherein the first and second virtual routers have separate address spaces and separate routing tables, distributing a set of one or more routes from the first virtual router to the second virtual router, wherein a first of the set of routes identifies the first virtual router as a next hop of the first route, said first route including a destination, and downloading to a set of one or more forwarding tables, the destination and the next hop. |
| US07948989B2 |
Methods and systems for enhancing local repair in robust header compression
Methods and systems to enhance local repair in robust header compression (RoHC) decompressors (110, 114), which may improve network transmission efficiency and quality. One method uses lower layer information to enhance local repair at the decompressor (110, 114). Another method uses a user datagram protocol (UDP) checksum to enhance local repair at the decompressor (110, 114). |
| US07948981B1 |
Methods and apparatus for representing audio data
An audio storage architecture allows an audio management application to manipulate and recombine segments of a musical piece such that the resulting finished composition includes parts (segments) from the decomposed piece, typically a song, adjustable for length by selectively replicating particular parts and combining with other parts such that the finished composition provides a similar audio experience in the predetermined duration. The architecture defines the parts with part variations of independent length, identified as performing a function of starting, middle, (looping) or ending parts. Each of the parts provides a musical segment that is integratable with other parts in a seamless manner that avoids audible artifacts (e.g. “pops” and “crackles”) common with conventional mechanical switching and mixing. Each of the parts further includes attributes indicative of the manner in which the part may be ordered, whether the part may be replicated or “looped” and modifiers affecting melody and harmony of the rendered finished composition piece. |
| US07948980B2 |
Succinct representation of static packet classifiers
A computer-implemented method of classifying packets of data transmitted over a data communications network includes providing a memory-storable packet classifier rule defined by a plurality of filters, each filter uniquely corresponding to a one of a plurality of actions to be taken in transmitting the data packets over the data communications network; and classifying a data packet according to the packet classifier rule by generating at least one supernode trie subject to a predetermined constraint for reducing accesses to a memory in which the packet classifier rule is stored. A system including a combination of hardware and software modules is provided for carrying out the method. A computer-readable storage medium is also provided for storing a computer program for carrying out the method. |
| US07948978B1 |
Packet processing in a communication network element with stacked applications
A communication network element receives a user packet in a packet flow for a user and stores the user packet in a memory. The network element retrieves the user packet from the memory, processes the user packet with a first service function, and stores the user packet in the memory. The network element transfers a memory pointer for the user packet to a second service function. The network element retrieves the user packet from the memory based on the memory pointer, processes the user packet with the second service function, and stores the user packet in the memory. The network element transfers the user packet. |
| US07948973B2 |
Session initiation protocol (SIP) message incorporating a multi-purpose internet mail extension (MIME) media type for describing the content and format of information included in the SIP message
A system and method for processing a plurality of requests for multi-media services received at a call control element (CCE) defined on the system from a plurality of IP-communication devices. The system includes at least one Network Routing Element (NRE), a Service Broker (SB), a media sever, a plurality of application servers (ASs) and a plurality of border elements, all of which are coupled to the CCE. The CCE is adapted to receive requests for multi-media services and to generate subsequent requests for the multi-media services, which are communicated to the SB for processing. The subsequent requests can each include a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message including a message identifier portion having at least a first predetermined information field and a second predetermined information field. The message identifier portion of the SIP message declares the content and format of the SIP message to a recipient device defined on the system. |
| US07948972B2 |
System and method for providing an integrated communications manager
A system and method for providing an integrated communications manager that enables change in a number of voice communication channels and/or data communication channels is provided. Generally, an integrated communication manager (hereafter, “device”) contains at least two interfaces, where each interface is capable of receiving data and/or voice. A memory is located within the device, having software stored therein. A processor is also located within the device, and configured by the memory to: allow a user of the device to designate a number of data communication channels to be accommodated by the device; allow the user of the device to designate a number of voice communication channels to be accommodated by the device; and allow the user to personally change the designation of the number of data communication channels and voice communication channels in accordance with present needs. |
| US07948962B2 |
Cellular communication system, apparatus and method for management of backhaul resources
A communication network element comprises traffic scheduler logic capable of scheduling transmission of a first category of queued traffic across a backhaul interface in accordance with a rate control value. The communication network element further comprises traffic manager logic capable of scheduling transmission of a second category of queued traffic across the backhaul interface in accordance with a determined backhaul bandwidth allocation, the backhaul bandwidth allocation being based on a determination of available bandwidth across the backhaul interface not required for scheduled first category traffic. |
| US07948960B2 |
Radio transmission device
To obtain maximum throughput in accordance with characteristics of a propagation path, a radio transmission device having a plurality of transmitting antennas (18a, 18b) for transmitting a transmission signal in units of sub-carriers by performing spatial multiplexing or without performing spatial multiplexing is provided that includes a sub-carrier modulation part 11 modulating the input transmission signal for each sub-carrier, a transmission signal allocation part 13 allocating the transmission signal modulated for each of the sub-carriers to each of the transmitting antennas, and a transmission control part 12 that determines a multiplexing number for performing spatial multiplexing for each sub-carrier based on information received from another radio communication device as an opposite party, and outputs the determined multiplexing number to the sub-carrier modulation part and the transmission signal allocation part. |
| US07948959B2 |
Linear precoding for time division duplex system
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate generating and/or utilizing explicit and implicit feedback related to a forward link channel for linear precoding in a time division duplex (TDD) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system. Implicit feedback may be provided by estimating a reverse link channel, which may be substantially similar to at least a portion of the forward link channel (e.g., based upon reciprocity). Moreover, explicit feedback may be yielded by quantizing at least part of an estimate of the forward link channel (e.g., utilizing vector and/or scalar quantization). |
| US07948958B2 |
Coordinating uplink control channel gating with channel quality indicator reporting
The specification and drawings present a new method, system, apparatus and software product for coordinating gating of an uplink (UL) control channel, e.g., a dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH), with UL reporting in regard to a downlink channel using, e.g., high speed uplink packet access (HSDPA) channel quality indicator (CQI) reporting. |
| US07948950B2 |
Apparatus, and an associated method, for preserving communication service quality levels during hand-off of communications in a radio communication system
A mobile station is configured to transmit a sequence of data packets over a wireless network. The station includes a data sequence expander. The expander receives an indication of a pending hand-off for the mobile station from a first network access point to a second network access point and estimates an amount of time prior to occurrence of the hand-off. The expander inserts a number of delay packets into the sequence of data packets in response to receiving the indication of the pending hand-off. The number of delay packets is determined based on the estimated amount of time prior to the occurrence of the hand-off such that the insertion of the delay packets into the sequence of data packets will cause a delay that corresponds to the amount of time prior to occurrence of the hand-off. |
| US07948946B2 |
Method for providing multicast service according to handoff of source node in mobile internet protocol communication system
Disclosed is a method for providing a multicast service when an MN performs handoff from a first AR to a second AR in a mobile IP communication system including the first AR and second AR. The MN is a source node for providing the multicast service to a number of receivers and currently performs communication with the first AR. The second AR is different from the first AR. The method includes the steps of sending a request for information for fast handoff to the first AR at the MN, notifying the MN at the first AR whether the second AR can provide the multicast service in response to the fast handoff information request, notifying the first AR at the MN that the second AR must transmit subsequently-occurring multicast service data after the MN is notified whether the second AR can provide the multicast service, notifying the second AR of handoff initiation of the MN at the first AR when the MN is notified that the second AR must transmit subsequently-occurring multicast service data, notifying the first AR of handoff initiation notification acknowledgement at the second AR after the second AR is notified of the handoff initiation, and notifying the receivers at the first AR that the MN has performed handoff from the first AR to the second AR when the first AR is notified of the handoff initiation notification acknowledgement so that the receivers are controlled to rejoin a multicast tree to be provided with the multicast service. |
| US07948945B2 |
Method and apparatus for improved message delivery for higher priority nodes or messages in an industrial wireless network
A method includes communicating, during a first time slot, with a first wireless node in a wireless network. The method also includes determining that the communication with the first wireless node requires additional time beyond the first time slot. The method further includes identifying a priority associated with the first wireless node and a priority associated with a second wireless node in the wireless network, where the second wireless node is associated with a second time slot. In addition, the method includes communicating, during the second time slot, with the first wireless node when the priority associated with the first wireless node exceeds the priority associated with the second wireless node. The method may also include identifying routes through the wireless network for data associated with the first wireless node and data associated with the second wireless node. The routes may be based on the priorities of the wireless nodes. |
| US07948936B2 |
Quality-of-service (QoS)-aware scheduling for uplink transmission on dedicated channels
The invention relates to a method for scheduling in a mobile communication system where data of priority flows is transmitted by mobile terminals via dedicated uplink channels to a base station. Each mobile terminal transmits at least data of one priority flow via one of the dedicated uplink channels. Moreover, the invention relates to a base station for scheduling priority flows transmitted by mobile terminals via dedicated uplink channels to the base station. Further, a mobile terminal transmitting at least data of one priority flow via a dedicated uplink channel to a base station is provided. In order to optimize base station controlled-scheduling functions in a mobile communication system the invention proposes to provide the scheduling base station with QoS requirements of individual priority flows transmitted via an uplink dedicated channel and to adapt the mobile terminals to indicate the priority flows of which data is to be transmitted to the base stations for scheduling. |
| US07948927B2 |
Packet relay method and home agent
The present invention is to reduce consumption of band resources and delay in communication as a whole. A functional configuration of a home agent according to the present invention will be described as follows. A Mobile IP protocol process portion 902 has a function of receiving/transmitting a registration request message/registration acknowledgement message about movement of a mobile host. An explicit multicast packet process portion 903 has a function of analyzing receivers' addresses written in an explicit multicast type packet, and a function for changing the packet. In addition, the explicit multicast packet process portion 903 has a function of transferring an explicit multicast packet when the packet to be transferred is not encapsulated with an IP header addressed to CoA of a mobile host in packet transfer to a packet-undelivered host. A Mobile IP packet transfer portion 904 has a function of encapsulating an explicit multicast type packet with an IP header addressed to CoA of a mobile host and transferring the encapsulated packet to the mobile host. |
| US07948925B2 |
Communication device and communication method
A communication device has a first communication section that supports a first communication mode having a low communication rate and a second communication section that supports a second communication mode having a higher communication rate than the first communication mode. The communication device includes a packet generation section and a communication control section. The packet generation section generates a first portion containing authentication information used for connection authentication for the second communication mode and a second portion other than the first portion. The communication control section performs control to cause the first communication section to transmit the first portion and to cause the second communication section to transmit the second portion after the connection authentication succeeds using the authentication information contained in the first portion. |
| US07948923B2 |
Method and apparatus for delivering IPP2T (IP-push-to-talk) wireless LAN mobile radio service
A wireless subscriber terminal (ST) for use with IP push-to-talk (PP2T) service using a wireless local area network (WLAN) operating in a plurality of modes, including a mobile terminal having an ability to communicate over the air to a wireless Access Point (AP), the mobile terminal further programmable to use conventional WLAN protocols, and a method for operating the wireless terminal are described. |
| US07948920B2 |
Trunking with port aggregation for fabric ports in a fibre channel fabric and attached devices
Trunking with port aggregation for fabric ports in a Fiber Channel (FC) fabric and attached devices is described. In some examples, a method of establishing a connection between a node and the FC fabric includes: negotiating a first link between a first trunking node port in the node with a first trunking fabric port in the FC fabric; creating a trunking port channel with the first link as a first member, the trunking port channel supporting a plurality of virtual fabrics; logging in a logical interface for each of the plurality of virtual fabrics to the FC fabric over the trunking port channel; negotiating a second link between a second trunking node port in the node and a second trunking fabric port in the FC fabric; and adding the second link to the trunking port channel as a second member aggregated with the first member. |
| US07948913B1 |
Communicating data in various modes using header-compression algorithms
A channel capacity indication, indicating the capacity of a feedback channel and a channel quality indication, indicating the quality of a feedback channel are received. A mode of operation of the header-compression algorithm is selected, based on the received indications. Data is then communicated according to the selected mode of operation of the header-compression algorithm. |
| US07948912B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit with test mode
A semiconductor integrated circuit is provided which includes: A signal input terminals which include control input pads, A being an integer greater than or equal to 2; an internal circuit; a clock signal input terminal to which a clock signal is input; and an input signal control block which, in a test mode, separates time-division multiplexed data having a multiplicity of X, the time-division multiplexed data being input from A/X signal input terminals among the A signal input terminals, into individual data in accordance with the clock signal, and outputs the separated individual data to the internal circuit, X being an integer greater than or equal to 2. |
| US07948907B2 |
Selective network switching in a wireless broadcast network
The disclosure is directed to a mobile communication device that may receive wireless broadcast signals from a number of different base stations or transmitters. As the location of the device moves relative to the transmitters, one transmitter will likely be identified as the transmitter broadcast the strongest, or highest quality, signal. When that determination is made, the user of the mobile device is presented the opportunity to switch to receiving that transmitters signal. Based on the user's reply, the device may remain with the current transmitter, even though it does not have the strongest signal, or the device may be configured to acquire and start receiving the new transmitter's signal. The measuring of the quality of a transmitter's signal may be based on a composite score that combines a number of individual measurements made over a predetermined period of time. |
| US07948904B1 |
Error detection for data frames
A method for detecting data frame mode mismatch errors may include receiving a data frame that includes an overhead byte. It may be determined whether a value associated with the overhead byte indicates that a transmitting device operating mode matches a receiving device operating mode. In an additional implementation, it may be determined whether a value associated with the overhead byte indicates that a transmitting device output port matches a receiving device input port. An alarm may be generated when it is determined that the value associated with the overhead byte indicates that either the transmitting device operating mode does not match the receiving device operating mode or the transmitting device output port does not match the receiving device input port. |
| US07948902B1 |
Method of generating packets without repetition in verification of a device
In the present method for use in verification of a device, a plurality of injection flags are provided, each of which is associated with one of a plurality of packet classes. Each injection flag may be of a first or a second state. Next, a packet is generated. If the injection flag of the packet class of the generated packet is in the second state, it is indicated that a packet of that packet class has already been generated, and the device is not tested. If the injection flag of the packet class of the generated packet is in the first state, the device is tested and the injection flag of the packet class of the generated packet is set to the second state. The process is repeated, the running of subsequent tests being determined by the state of the injection flag of the packet class of the generated packet. |
| US07948899B2 |
Method and apparatus for communications traffic engineering
This invention provides for a technique for selectively off-loading traffic from congested sub-regions of a network to more lightly-loaded regions by making use of Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS). For each network element, an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) routing is employed to provide re-routing and to identify congested links caused by re-routed trunks for each single failure. The re-routed traffic is then analyzed and alternate Label Switched Paths (LSPs) are identified for such traffic trunks so that the traffic is directed to the alternate LSPs during the single failure event. |
| US07948898B2 |
Method and system to efficiently manage a network connection to connect a client and a resource
This document discusses, among other things, an example system and methods for connecting a client and a resource. Example embodiments may include receiving a request from a client computer, for a connection to a generically named resource that is associated with multiple resources. In response to the request, example embodiments may further include detecting whether one of the multiple resources is overloaded and determining a number of static connections reserved for the client computer. A static or dynamic connection may be assigned to the resource or a further one of the multiple resources based on the generic resource name, the load on the resource and the number of static connections reserved for the client computer. |
| US07948893B2 |
Mobile communication system, base station device and method of estimating number of uplink packet retransmissions thereof
This invention provides a mobile communication system wherein a base station device receives a MAC (Medium Access Control)-e PDU (Protocol Data Unit) from a mobile terminal using a HARQ (Hybrid Acknowledge Request) system, the base station device including: a modulating/demodulating portion that estimates the number of processes used by the mobile terminal using a TBES (Total E-DCH Buffer Status) of an E-DPCH [E-DCH (Enhanced CHannel) Dedicated Physical CHannel]. |
| US07948890B2 |
System and method for providing a communication channel
Communication devices and methods are proposed for providing communication channel. In one example, devices and methods are capable of reaching one or more terminals that are not in a public network. In addition, depending on the network or the networks that the terminals are located, some examples may be capable of establishing a less indirect or a direct communication channel between two terminals after they communicate through an intermediate system. In another example, a triggering packet may be sent to provide a binding at an interface of a private network, such as an NAT, thereby reducing or eliminating communication through a relay server. |
| US07948888B2 |
Network device and method for operating network device
A network device including at least one rate-limited-queue and multiple timer modules, the network device being operable to receive and/or transmit data flows from and/or to a communication network. Each data flow includes multiple data packets. The network device being further operable to limit the predetermined transmission rate of the respective data flow dependent on whether a data congestion in the communication network has been indicated, in such a way, that in case of an indicated congested communication network a respective timer module is associated to each of the data flows and/or each group of data flows, whereas the data packets of the respective data flows and/or group of data flows are buffered in the rate-limited-queue. Each data packet in the rate-limited-queue is transmitted with a limited transmission rate predetermined by the respectively associated timer module when the data packet is at the head of the rate-limited-queue. |
| US07948887B2 |
Network bandwidth measurement
Technologies for measuring a data throughput rate of a link typically use for transferring media catalogs and media between a media provider and an UPnP Control Point. |
| US07948885B1 |
Link bundle co-routed VCAT via RSVP message bundling
Multiple RSVP messages are used to separately signal components of co-routed VCAT to enable the separate components to be implemented on different physical fibers of a link bundle. To enable the PATH messages to be handled as a group, the multiple PATH messages are grouped together and sent out in a RSVP bundle message. When a RSVP bundle message containing multiple PATH messages is received at a network element, such as an ENNI, where the route for the PATH messages needs to be expanded, the route is expanded collectively rather than individually. Specifically, the route will first be expanded and this expanded route will be inserted into each individual PATH message. The modified PATH messages with the expanded route will then be passed through the RSVP finite state machine one at a time to enable resources to be reserved for the connections of the VCAT. Thus, a single LSP may be created for each channel, and the channels may be co-routed even where route expansion is required. |
| US07948882B2 |
Dual leaky bucket flow control method and system
A method for scheduling a network resource comprises adding tokens to first and second accumulators at first and second fill rates, respectively. A number of tokens corresponding to a size of a packet is subtracted from the first accumulator and a highest priority is assigned to a queue with which the packet is associated, if a number of tokens in the first accumulator is greater than zero. The number of tokens is subtracted from the second accumulator, and a default priority assigned to the queue, if the number of tokens in the first accumulator is less than zero and a number of tokens in the second accumulator is greater than zero. The network resource is assigned for transmission of the packet from the queue using a schedule that is based on the priority assigned to the queue. The packet is transmitted using the assigned network resource. |
| US07948881B2 |
Distributed bandwidth allocation for resilient packet ring networks
Methods and apparatus provide for allocating bandwidth in a resilient packet ring (RPR), including: determining a relationship between an arrival rate A(n) as a function of a fairness rate Fk(n) of a kth node of the RPR over time; computing an estimate of a slope -M of the relationship A(Fk(n)) at time n; and computing a next fairness rate Fk(n+1) of the kth node as a function of the slope M at time n+1. |
| US07948880B2 |
Adaptive dynamic thresholding mechanism for link level flow control scheme
A flow control sender includes an ingress port with one or more Class Groups (CG) defined including a shared buffer pool, a shared counter per ingress port per CG tracking an amount of the shared buffer pool utilized by each CG, an ingress port utilization counter per ingress port tracking an amount of the shared buffer pool utilized by the ingress port, and a controller computing a dynamic threshold for each CG, comparing the dynamic threshold of each CG with the ingress port utilization counter, and determining a particular CG experiencing congestion when the ingress port utilization counter is greater than the dynamic threshold for the particular CG. A flow control receiver ceases transmission of data packets to the particular CG experiencing congestion and allows transmission of the data packets corresponding to other CGs. |
| US07948877B2 |
Systems and methods for packet forward control
Systems and methods for packet forward control. The system comprises a plurality of ports and a processing module configured to receive a packet. The processing module comprises a resource management module and a forward control module. The resource management module detects whether congestion occurs on at least one specific port among the ports. The forward control module determines whether the specific port comprises a predetermined port within the ports, and if so, forwards the packet to at least one of the ports excepting the predetermined port. |
| US07948875B2 |
IP exchange quality testing system and method
A method for measuring a quality of an IP network of a member of a trading exchange includes finding a penultimate hop corresponding to each IP network IP network prefix in a set of IP network IP network prefixes of a member, determining a quality score for the each IP network IP network prefix based on tests performed at the penultimate hop, and creating a matrix for the member including the determined quality for the each IP network IP network prefix. The quality is used to facilitate matching the offers of the buyers and sellers. |
| US07948872B2 |
Backplane interface adapter with error control and redundant fabric
A backplane interface adapter with error control and redundant fabric for a high-performance network switch. The error control may be provided by an administrative module that includes a level monitor, a stripe synchronization error detector, a flow controller, and a control character presence tracker. The redundant fabric transceiver of the backplane interface adapter improves the adapter's ability to properly and consistently receive narrow input cells carrying packets of data and output wide striped cells to a switching fabric. |
| US07948870B1 |
Dynamic renegotiation of graceful restart time to avoid double-failure traffic loss
Techniques are described for reducing the impact of failure of a primary and a secondary routing control unit within a network device, i.e., a double-failure of the network device. For example, a network device, such as a router, initially establishes a routing communication session between a primary routing control unit of the router and a neighboring router. The initial routing communication session has a first restart time in the event of a session failure. The router reestablishes the routing communication session with a secondary routing control unit upon failure of the primary routing control unit. The reestablished routing communication session has a second restart time that is less than first restart time. Upon recovery of the failed routing control unit, the secondary routing control unit renegotiates the restart time associated with the session to an increased value with the neighboring routers to which the reduced restart time was initially advertised. |
| US07948866B2 |
Low complexity design of primary synchronization sequence for OFDMA
The present disclosure provides a base station transmitter, a user equipment receiver and methods of operating a base station transmitter and a user equipment receiver. In one embodiment, the base station transmitter is for use with a cellular communication system and includes a scheduling unit configured to provide a primary synchronization sequence that is distinguishable from other primary synchronization sequences employed by adjacent base station transmitters located in contiguous communication cells, wherein a primary synchronization sequence structure is based on a reduced computational complexity for identification of the primary synchronization sequence in a user equipment receiver. Additionally, the base station transmitter also includes a transmit unit configured to transmit a primary synchronization signal corresponding to the primary synchronization sequence. |
| US07948863B2 |
Pilot pattern design for a STTD scheme in an OFDM system
A transmitting device for transmitting data and pilot symbols in an OFDM transmission system having transmission antennas. The device includes symbol generating means for generating data and pilot symbols, means for transmitting the data and pilot symbols using subcarriers of the OFDM system. The symbol generating means generates a first and second type pilot symbol, the second having an inverted value of the first so that a first pilot symbol pattern to be transmitted by using one of said plurality of transmission antennas has a different pattern in the frequency and time dimension from a second pilot symbol pattern to be transmitted by using another transmission antenna. First and second pilot symbols are comprised in respective first and second pilot symbol patterns, where at least some of the first and second pilot symbols have the same time allocation and being alternately identical and inverted to each other. |
| US07948857B2 |
Optical pickup apparatus, objective optical element and optical information recording reproducing apparatus
An optical pickup apparatus according to the present invention includes: a first light source for emitting a first light flux; a second light source for emitting a second light flux; a third light source for emitting-a third light flux; and an objective optical element. The objective optical element has an optical surface including at least two areas provided with optical path difference providing structures. The objective optical element converges the first to third light fluxes each passing through the predetermined areas on the objective optical element onto respective information recording surfaces of the first to third optical disks. The optical pickup apparatus provides a wavelength dependency of a spherical aberration so as to correct a change in a spherical aberration due to a refractive index change with a temperature change of the objective optical element. |
| US07948856B2 |
Manufacturing method of an objective lens for an optical pickup apparatus and the optical pickup apparatus
A method of manufacturing an optical pickup apparatus, comprising steps of selecting one type objective lens from plural types of objective lenses different in specification of respective optical path difference providing structures in accordance with an oscillation wavelength of a laser light source; and assembling the selected type objective lens and the laser light source into the apparatus. |
| US07948848B2 |
Reproduction data recording methods
A reproduction data recording method for an optical storage medium. The method comprises storing additional data to a first temporary region of a memory device; reading the first recorded data from the optical storage medium and storing the first recorded data to the first temporary region; reading a data segment of the second recorded data from the optical storage medium and storing the data segment to a second temporary region of the memory device; reading the first recorded data from the first temporary region and the data segment from the second temporary region, and decoding the first recorded data and the data segment to confirm accuracy of the first recorded data; reading the first recorded data and the additional data from the first temporary region, and encoding the first recorded data and the additional data to generate encoded data; and writing the encoded data to the optical storage medium. |
| US07948841B2 |
Diffraction grating, optical pickup device and optical disc apparatus
A pickup device splits and detects a light beam reflected from a disc with the use of a grating. The grating has first to six areas, wherein the first area and the second area, the third area and the fifth area, and the fourth area and the sixth area are arranged in point symmetry with respect to the center of the grating, respectively. The first area is interposed between the fourth area and the fifth area and the second area is interposed between the third area and the sixth area. Further, the centers of the first area and the second area are arranged to be spaced by a distance d in a direction perpendicular to the displacement direction of the optical pickup device. Even though the center of an optical disc is not located on a straight line in the displacement direction of the optical pickup device, objective lens can obtain a stable servo signal. |
| US07948837B2 |
TE signal polarity determining system and related method thereof
A TE signal polarity determining method, includes: (a) obtaining a wobble related signal, an RF related signal, a TE signal and an accessing direction; and (b) determining if an original polarity of a TE signal should be changed or not according to phases of the RF related signal, the wobble related signal and/or the accessing direction. |
| US07948835B2 |
Optical disc device, method for activating optical disc device, and control circuit
An optical disc device includes: a light source; a condensing system including a solid immersion lens for emitting light from the light source onto an optical disc; a gap control circuit for setting a distance between the solid immersion lens and the optical disc to a constant value; a CPU for adjusting a condensing position of emission light from the solid immersion lens with respect to an information recording/reproducing surface of the optical disc by moving a concave lens in a direction of an optical axis; and a focus control circuit for setting the condensing position on the information recording/reproducing surface, while following plane displacement of the information recording/reproducing surface, using a focus error signal. The CPU is operable to correct coma aberration in focus position adjustment by moving the concave lens in a direction perpendicularly intersecting with the optical axis. |
| US07948832B1 |
Time zone determination
A computer-implemented method of determining a time zone for a computing device is disclosed. The method includes identifying a first time offset for the device at a first instant in time, identifying a second time offset for the device at a second instant in time, and determining a time zone for the device using the first and second offsets. |
| US07948830B2 |
Electronic device and display control method
In an electronic device that includes a first display unit (28) and a second display unit (29) that differs from the first display unit (28) in at least a type, a driving method to perform a display control, and a mode of driving to perform the display control, and that displays a plurality of functions using the first display unit (28) and the second display unit (29), a change request to change from a display in a normal mode (11) to a function mode (13) is acquired, and only a display mode of the second display unit (29) is changed, when the change request is made, to a preparation mode (12) without changing a display mode of the first display unit (28) that is in the normal mode (11) when the display modes of the first display unit (28) and the second display unit (29) are to be changed based on the acquired change request. |
| US07948829B2 |
Locator system and method including node and target acquisition
The present disclosure relates to a method and system for finding and physically altering underground targets. Multiple nodes are dispersed into the ground and determine their spatial orientation using seismic waves, and then operate as an array to locate and properly time kinetic pulses to focus seismic waves on the target. |
| US07948826B2 |
Limited radon transformations for removal of noise from seismic data
Methods of processing seismic data to remove unwanted noise from meaningful reflection signals are provided for. The methods comprise the steps of assembling seismic data into common geometry gathers in an offset-time domain without correcting the data for normal moveout. The amplitude data are then transformed from the offset-time domain to the time-slowness domain using a limited Radon transformation. That is, the Radon transformation is applied within defined slowness limits pmin and pmax, where pmin is a predetermined minimum slowness and pmax is a predetermined maximum slowness. A corrective filter is then applied to the transformed data enhance the primary reflection signal content of the data and to eliminate unwanted noise events. After filtering, the enhanced signal content is inverse transformed from the time-slowness domain back to the offset-time domain using an inverse Radon transformation. |
| US07948821B2 |
Reduced signal interface memory device, system, and method
A memory has a serial interface. The serial interface is programmable to either use separate dedicated input and output pads, or to use one bidirectional pad. When one bidirectional pad is used, the interface signal count is reduced by one. |
| US07948819B2 |
Integrated circuit having a memory with process-voltage-temperature control
Certain embodiments of the inventions provide an integrated circuit (IC) having a processor operatively coupled to a PVT (process-voltage-temperature) source and an adjustable memory. The processor receives from the source an input characterizing the present PVT condition and generates a command for the memory based on that input. In response to the command, the memory adjusts its internal circuit structure, clock speed, and/or operating voltage(s) to optimize its performance for the present PVT condition. Advantageously, the ability to adjust the memory so that it can maintain its functionality and deliver an acceptable level of performance under unfavorable PVT conditions provides additional flexibility in choosing circuit design options, which can produce area savings and/or increase the yield of acceptable ICs during manufacture. |
| US07948818B1 |
Memory repair system and method
An integrated circuit (IC) comprises a memory module that stores at least one of data and code. A memory repair database stores data relating to defective memory addresses. A memory control module detects defective memory locations in the memory module, locates redundant memory elements in the memory module, and stores information that associates memory addresses of the defective memory locations with the redundant memory elements in the memory repair database. Storing said information includes electrically altering at least one of a plurality of electrical fuses. A redundant memory decoder module receives the information and physically remaps the memory addresses to the redundant memory locations. |
| US07948817B2 |
Advanced memory device having reduced power and improved performance
A memory device including a memory array storing data, a variable delay controller, a passive variable delay circuit and an output driver. The variable delay controller periodically receives delay commands from a first source external to the memory device during operation of the memory device, and outputs delay instruction bits responsive to the received delay commands. The passive variable delay circuit receives a clock from a second source external to the memory device, receives the delay instruction bits from the variable delay controller, generates a delayed clock having a time relation to the received clock as determined by the delay instruction bits, and outputting the delayed clock. The output driver receives the data from the memory array and the delayed clock, and outputs the data at a time responsive to the delayed clock. |
| US07948816B2 |
Accessing data within a memory formed of memory banks
A memory is disclosed that comprises: an input for receiving an input signal and an output for outputting data; a plurality of data storage cells for storing individual units of data; said plurality of data storage cells being arranged in an array; a plurality of said arrays; each of said arrays comprising detecting circuitry for detecting and outputting stored data in response to a control signal received at said detecting circuitry; delay circuitry for providing a delay to said control signal sent to said detecting circuitry of at least some of said plurality of arrays, said delay provided to said control signal being longer for at least one array located closer to an input and output of said memory than it is to at least one array located further from an input and output of said memory. |
| US07948812B2 |
Memory systems and methods for dynamically phase adjusting a write strobe and data to account for receive-clock drift
A memory system includes a memory controller that writes data to and reads data from a memory device. A write data strobe accompanying the write data indicates to the memory device when the write data is valid, whereas a read strobe accompanying data from the memory device indicates to the memory controller when the read data is valid. The memory controller adaptively controls the phase of the write strobe to compensate for timing drift at the memory device. The memory controller uses the read strobe as a measure of the drift. |
| US07948808B2 |
Data output circuit for semiconductor memory device
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory, and more specifically, to a data output circuit capable of differentiating global data lines in accordance to an operation mode to output them to a data input/output pin. The present invention includes: a multiplexer selecting any one of a plurality of global input/output lines which can receive variable data bandwidth directed by control signals and which can output data carried on the selected global input/output line, and a controller generating the control signals in accordance to operation mode signals corresponding to a data bandwidth and address signals provided for selecting data and providing them to the multiplexer. Thereby, the present invention can realize an improved data read speed by reducing the loading of the global input/output line. |
| US07948807B2 |
Semiconductor memory device having a current consumption reduction in a data write path
The present invention describes a semiconductor memory device that can reduce current consumption occurring in a data write path. The semiconductor memory device includes a write path over which any one of general data and representative data corresponding to a particular mode is transferred in correspondence with a prescribed pad. A routing controller allows the representative data to be routed over a transfer path corresponding to any other pads in the particular mode and prevents the general data from being routed over the transfer path in modes other than the particular mode. The semiconductor memory device can reduce current consumption caused by unnecessary toggling of the data through utilization of the routing controller. |
| US07948806B2 |
Device with precharge/homogenize circuit
A device with a precharge/homogenize circuit. One embodiment provides at least one switching element is acting as a homogenizer, and at least one switching element is acting as a precharger. The diffusion region of the switching element acting as a homogenizer is separated from the diffusion region of the switching element acting as a precharger. |
| US07948805B2 |
Method of programming a multi level cell
A method of programming a multi level cell in a non-volatile memory device includes: performing a program operation on main cells and indicator cells; performing a first verifying operation on the main cells and the indicator cells based on a first verifying voltage; performing repeatedly the program operation and the first verifying operation until a threshold voltage of a first cell of the indicator cells is higher than the first verifying voltage; and performing a second verifying operation on the main cells and the indicator cells based on a second verifying voltage when the threshold voltage of the first cell is higher than the first verifying voltage. |
| US07948803B2 |
Non-volatile memory device and a programmable voltage reference for a non-volatile memory device
A non-volatile memory device includes a voltage reference generator comprising a programmable voltage reference for generating a voltage signal having a programmable voltage level. In an embodiment, the programmable voltage reference provides the voltage signals for a wordline driver and/or a bitline current generator of the non-volatile memory device. The programmable voltage reference may comprise a Digital-to-Analog converter coupled between first and second supply voltages. A programmable current reference is also disclosed. |
| US07948801B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device with expanded trimming operations
A nonvolatile memory device includes a trimming cell array storing trimming data for a plurality of operating modes, a trimming cell sense amplifier sensing the trimming data and a trimming cell latch storing the sensed trimming data. A plurality of trimming circuits performs trimming operations in response to a trimming control signals derived from trimming data. A single temporary trimming control logic unit receives externally provided control data and controls operation of a single summation circuit. The summation circuit controls the operation of the trimming circuits by respectively and selectively varying the trimming control signal provided to each one of the plurality of trimming circuits in response to the externally provided control data. |
| US07948800B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and driving method for the same
The semiconductor memory device includes: a first well of a first conductivity type, a second well of the first conductivity type and a third well of a second conductivity type formed in a substrate: a diffusion bit line extending in a row direction and a word line extending in a column direction both formed in the second well; a plurality of semiconductor memory elements arranged in a matrix, each connected with the diffusion bit line and the word line; a selection transistor formed in the first well for applying a voltage to the diffusion bit line; and a forward diode formed of a diffusion layer of the first conductivity type formed in the third well and the third well. The diffusion bit line, the forward diode and the source of the selection transistor are electrically connected with one another. |
| US07948799B2 |
Structure and method of sub-gate NAND memory with bandgap engineered SONOS devices
A bandgap engineered SONOS device structure for design with various AND architectures. The BE-SONOS device structure comprises a spacer oxide disposed between a control gate overlaying an oxide-nitride-oxide-nitride-oxide stack and a sub-gate overlaying a gate oxide. In one example, a BE-SONOS sub-gate-AND array architecture has multiple strings of SONONOS devices with sub-gate lines and diffusion bit lines. In another example, a BE-SONOS sub-gate-AND architecture has multiple strings of SONONOS devices with sub-gate lines, relying on the sub-gate lines that create inversions to substitute for the diffusion bit lines. |
| US07948792B1 |
Memory and techniques for using same
There are provided methods and devices for providing overdrive voltages to address lines to help prevent leakage current in semiconductor memories, such as configuration memories used with programmable logic devices. Specifically, for example, there is provided a memory that includes an array of memory cells. Each memory cell includes a retainer circuit. An access transistor is coupled to the retainer circuit. An overdrive voltage level may be applied to the access transistor. |
| US07948789B2 |
Resistance variable element, nonvolatile switching element, and resistance variable memory apparatus
A resistance variable element comprises a first electrode (2), a second electrode (4), and a resistance variable layer (3) which is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the resistance variable layer comprises material including TaOX (1.6≦X≦2.2), an electric resistance between the first electrode and the second electrode is lowered by application of a first voltage pulse having a first voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the electric resistance between the first electrode and the second electrode is increased by application of a second voltage pulse having a second voltage of the same polarity as the first voltage, between the first electrode and the second electrode. |
| US07948782B2 |
Content addressable memory reference clock
A memory system includes a content addressable memory (CAM) including a plurality of match lines, each match line having a plurality of memory cells coupled thereto. The system also includes a match detector coupled to the CAM and a reference match line having a plurality of reference memory cells coupled thereto, the reference memory cells being of the same type and the memory cells. The system also includes a match line sensor coupled to the reference match line and the match detector that determines a characteristic of the reference match line and provides a timing signal to the match detector based on the characteristic. |
| US07948780B2 |
Semiconductor device for switching power supply control, startup circuit, and startup method for switching power supply device
A semiconductor device for switching power supply control limits the startup current supplied from a high-voltage input terminal, and prevents heat generation and combustion in case of an anomaly. A high-voltage input terminal is connected to the main winding of a transformer, and is supplied with a startup voltage upon input of a power supply to the switching power supply device. A power supply terminal is connected to a capacitor, and outputs a startup current to charge the capacitor after input of the power supply input. A startup circuit is connected between the high-voltage input terminal and the power supply terminal, and charges the capacitor while increasing the startup current with magnitude proportional to the voltage value of the power supply terminal, and after startup, turns off the startup current and supplies the power supply voltage only from the auxiliary winding of the transformer. |
| US07948779B2 |
Converter with reduced harmonic waves
Converter and method for controlling a converter with power semiconductor switches, having a filter (1) which is connected to the power semiconductor switches and having a drive circuit (4) which is connected to the power semiconductor switches for the purpose of modulation, wherein, as a result of the modulation, a fundamental at a fundamental frequency (fGS) is generated in a passband (P) of the filter (1), modulation products are generated in a first frequency band (FB1), in a second frequency band (FB2) and in an intermediate frequency band (ZFB) which is formed between the first frequency band (FB1) and the second frequency band (FB2), the modulation products in the intermediate frequency band (ZFB) are reduced in comparison with the modulation products in the first frequency band (FB1) and the modulation products in the second frequency band (FB2); and the intermediate frequency band (ZFB) is generated, in a resonant range (R) of a resonant frequency (fres) of the filter (1), between the passband (P) and an attenuation range (D) of the filter (1). A converter having an output-side sinusoidal filter whose dimensions have been reduced is thus obtained. |
| US07948775B2 |
Duty-cycle-controlled half-bridge resonant converter
A half-bridge resonant converter including a half-bridge switching circuit, a resonant circuit and a rectifier circuit is provided. The half-bridge switching circuit is controlled by two control signals for alternatively coupling two terminals of a DC power source to an input of a resonant circuit. The control signals have the same frequency and duty cycle, and one of the control signals is delayed a period by the other one, in which the frequency of the control signals is constant and the duty cycle of the control signals is variable according to a load. The rectifier circuit generates an output voltage across the load from an output of the resonant circuit. Therefore, the resonant converter of the present invention has the advantage of constant frequency operating and at least one of the two switches operated in ZVS. |
| US07948773B2 |
Electromagnetic interference shielding device
An electromagnetic interference shielding device includes a printed circuit board, a metal member and an elastic member. The elastic member includes a first resisting portion which contacts the printed circuit board and a second resisting portion which contacts the metal member, and the second resisting portion is saw-toothed, and is capable of piercing an oxidized layer of the metal member. Thus, the elastic member keeps contacting the metal member maximally no matter the metal member is oxidized or not, and reduces the electromagnetic interference effectively. |
| US07948768B2 |
Tape circuit substrate with reduced size of base film
A tape circuit substrate includes a base film with first wiring and second wiring disposed on the base film. The first wiring extends into a chip mount portion through a first side and bends within the chip mount portion toward a second side. The second wiring extends into the chip mount portion through a third side and bends within the chip mount portion toward the second side. The first, second, and third sides are different sides of the chip mount portion. Thus, size and in turn cost of the base film are minimized by arranging wirings within the chip mount portion for further miniaturization of electronic devices, such as a display panel assembly, using the tape circuit substrate. |
| US07948767B2 |
Integrated circuit packaging structure and method of making the same
The invention provides an integrated circuit packaging and method of making the same. The integrated circuit packaging includes a substrate, a semiconductor die, a heat-dissipating module, and a protection layer. The substrate has an inner circuit formed on a first surface, and an outer circuit formed on a second surface and electrically connected to the inner circuit. The semiconductor die is mounted on the first surface of the substrate such that the plurality of bond pads contact the inner circuit. The heat-dissipating module includes a heat-conducting device, and the heat-conducting device, via a flat end surface thereof, contacts and bonds with a back surface of the semiconductor die. The protection layer contacts a portion of the first surface of the substrate and a portion of the heat-conducting device, such that the semiconductor die is encapsulated therebetween. |
| US07948766B2 |
Method of making printed wiring board with enhanced structural integrity
A method is for making a structural printed wiring board panel that includes a multilayer printed wiring board having opposing, outer faces and interlayer interconnects that route RF, power and control signals. Connection areas are formed in or on at least on one face for connecting the interlayer interconnects and any electrical components. A metallic face sheet is secured onto at least one outer face, adding structural rigidity to the multilayer printed wiring board. A metallic face sheet can have apertures positioned to allow access to connection areas. RF components can be carried by a face sheet and operatively connected to connection areas. Antenna elements can be positioned on the same or an opposing face sheet and operatively connected to RF components to form a phased array printed wiring board (PWB) panel. |
| US07948762B2 |
Wiring system with integrated electronics
Wiring system which comprises: a flexible printed circuit board (1) with a surface (2) in turn comprising one or more electrical circuits formed by conductive strips (4) and a plurality of electronic components (5) connected to said conductive strips (4) and with at least one extension or branch (6) extending directly from said surface (2) and also comprising conductive strips (7); characterized in that it further comprised: at least one flexible flat cable (8) joined to said at least one extension or branch (6), such that an electrical connection is formed between said flexible flat cable (8) and said extension or branch (6). A vehicle door which internally comprises this wiring system. |
| US07948761B2 |
Display device
The present invention provides a technique which can decrease the number of folding times of a flexible printed circuit board in a display device having the structure which can fold the flexible printed circuit board in a compact form by folding the flexible printed circuit board plural times. The display device includes a display panel having substrates, and a flexible printed circuit board having one end thereof fixed to a peripheral portion of a first side of the substrate, wherein the flexible printed circuit board forms an I/F portion on which a plurality of input terminals is formed in the inside thereof in a state that the flexible printed circuit board is developed. |
| US07948760B2 |
Transmission/reception optical module
A transmission/reception optical module has an optical transmission subassembly 182, an optical reception subassembly 183, and a circuit board 1 wherein the circuit board 1 is formed into one member by a rigid/flexible substrate. Circuit board main bodies 2a, 2b, and an optical reception subassembly fixation region 4 are formed by rigid regions 5A, 5b, and 5P. An area provided between the circuit board main body 2a and the optical reception subassembly 4 is composed of a flexible region 6P. A part of the circuit board main body 2 is composed of a flexible region 6. |
| US07948759B2 |
Installation assembly for hard disk drive
An installation assembly for installing a number of hard disk drives includes a bracket and a number of holders. Each holder is used for holding a hard disk drive. Each holder is slidably mounted to the bracket. |
| US07948757B2 |
Multi-fluid cooling of an electronic device
A method of fabricating a multi-fluid cooling system is provided for removing heat from one or more electronic devices. The cooling system includes a multi-fluid manifold structure with at least one first fluid inlet orifice and at least one second fluid inlet orifice for concurrently, separately injecting a first fluid and a second fluid onto a surface to be cooled when the cooling system is employed to cool one or more electronic devices, wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are immiscible, and the first fluid has a lower boiling point temperature than the second fluid. When the cooling system is employed to cool one or more electronic devices and the first fluid boils, evolving first fluid vapor condenses in situ by direct contact with the second fluid of higher boiling point temperature. |
| US07948753B2 |
Portable electronic device
A portable electronic device includes a main body and a handle. The main body defines two receiving cavities therein. An anti-rotation groove is defined in a sidewall of each receiving cavity. The handle includes a holding portion and two support portions extending from opposite ends of the holding portion. A latch protrusion is formed on each support portion. The latch protrusions are substantially cylindrical and two flat resisting surfaces are formed on each latch protrusion. Each latch protrusion is movably received in one corresponding receiving cavity and able to slide from the corresponding receiving cavity into the corresponding anti-rotation groove so that the resisting surfaces of the latch protrusions resist sidewalls of the anti-rotation grooves, such that the handle supports the main body. |
| US07948752B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device has a first cabinet and a second cabinet. The second cabinet has a locking module including a hook, an operation member and a linking mechanism. The hook is formed at a position near a top end of the second cabinet around the center in the lateral direction in opened state, and is engaged with the first cabinet to lock the second cabinet in the closed state. The operation member disengages the hook from the first cabinet in response to operation. The linking mechanism links the operation to movement of disengaging the hook. The second cabinet further has a board mounted with a camera module having an image taking lens and an imaging device and a signal processing circuit for the camera module. The board is disposed at such a position that a portion in which the signal processing circuit is mounted overlaps with the linking mechanism. |
| US07948750B2 |
Portable electronic device incorporating extendable thermal module
An electronic device includes a chassis, an electronic component, a heat sink having a base and a thermal module. The chassis includes a bottom plate and a side plate surrounding the bottom plate. A cutout is defined in the side plate. The electronic component is arranged on the bottom plate and faces the cutout of the side plate. The base of the heat sink is arranged on the electronic component, and the thermal module is arranged on the base of the heat sink. The thermal module is assembled onto the base by extending through the cutout and can be taken out of the chassis through the cutout. The thermal module and the heat sink together dissipate heat generated by the electronic component when the thermal module is inserted into the chassis. |
| US07948742B2 |
Planar display device
A planar display device whose display panel main body can be easily separated from a chassis member upon disposal without preparing large equipment and a special tool. In the planar display device wherein the PDP panel main body (1) and the chassis member (2) are adhered by a two-sided tape (3), a wire (4) is previously incorporated for separating the PDP panel main body (1) from the chassis member (2) by cutting and peeling the double-sided tape. |
| US07948736B2 |
Balance transformer and backlight apparatus
The invention provides a balance transformer and a backlight apparatus using the same. The balance transformer comprises a first main coil, a second main coil, a first induction coil, and a conductor. The first main coil has a first contact point and a second contact point, and the second main coil has a third contact point and a fourth contact point. The first induction coil is corresponding to the first main coil and the second main coil. The conductor is then series connected to the first contact point and the fourth contact point. Accordingly, the balance transformer drives the backlight apparatus to light and balances the currents of a plurality of light units of the backlight apparatus. |
| US07948735B2 |
Electrostatic chuck and method for manufacturing the same
The electrostatic chuck includes a base including an aluminum nitride-containing member; a dielectric layer formed on the base including a member having a volume resistivity of at least 1×1015 Ω·cm at a temperature range of about 25° C. to about 300° C. and including 2 to 5% by mass of yttrium oxide, 2 to 5% by mass of ytterbium oxide, and a balance of aluminum nitride based on the total mass of the dielectric layer; and an electrode embedded under the dielectric layer so as to be positioned between the dielectric layer and the base, configured to generate an electrostatic absorption force. |
| US07948732B2 |
Electrostatic discharge protection device and an electronic device thereof
An electrostatic discharge protection device is used to protect a component from electrostatic discharge in an electronic device. The electrostatic discharge protection device comprises a metal shell, a ground conductor, and a conductive material. The metal shell is used to cover the component. The ground conductor is used to directly connect the metal shell and a first grounded end. The conductive material is used to connect the ground conductor and a second grounded end in order to achieve double grounded effect. |
| US07948730B2 |
Fast turn-off and fast turn-on of an inductive load and usage in vehicle application
A fast turn-off and fast turn-on circuit (10) providing at least one power source (12, 20), at least one switching device (14, 22), a coil (16), and at least a first voltage control device (18). The at least one switching device (14, 22) is connected to the at least one power source (12, 20) for selectively connecting the at least one power source (12, 20) to portions of the circuit (10). An electrical current from at least one power source (12, 20) charges the coil (16) and creates an electromagnetic field when the at least one switching device (14, 22) is in a closed position and connects the at least one power source (12, 20) with the coil (16). The first voltage control device (18) limits a voltage in the circuit (10) when the electromagnetic field decays. |
| US07948728B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for inspecting the same
A semiconductor device of the present invention includes: a power input terminal; an internal power supply circuit that converts a voltage supplied from the outside to the power input terminal into a predetermined voltage; an analog circuit connected to an output side of the internal power supply circuit; an internal power output terminal connected to the output side of the internal power supply circuit; a logic circuit power input terminal; a logic circuit connected to the logic circuit power input terminal; and interterminal wiring connecting the internal power output terminal to the logic circuit power input terminal. The internal power supply circuit has a configuration of supplying power to the analog circuit and the logic circuit, and in a package assembly (finished product), a resting current in the logic circuit can be inspected without being influence by a consumption current in the analog circuit. |
| US07948725B2 |
Composite integrated semiconductor device
A composite integrated semiconductor device. In one embodiment, an input surge/noise absorbing circuit absorbs surge from an input signal, an attenuating circuit attenuates the input signal, and an electrical signal converting circuit converts the input signal to an output signal. The input surge/noise absorbing circuit, the attenuating circuit, and the electrical signal converting circuit together form a unit, and a plurality of these units are arranged in parallel in one semiconductor substrate to form the composite integrated semiconductor device, resulting in a reduction in the number of discrete components mounted on a printed circuit board. |
| US07948724B2 |
Current transformer support bracket and circuit interrupter including the same
A bracket is provided for supporting a current transformer on a printed circuit board including a first aperture and a second aperture. The bracket includes a base portion including first and second ends, the base portion extending therebetween; a first mounting portion extending laterally from the first end of the base portion to an end of the first mounting portion, the first mounting portion being structured to be coupled with the first aperture in the printed circuit board; and a second mounting portion extending laterally from the second end of the base portion to an end of the second mounting portion, the second mounting portion being structured to be coupled with the second aperture in the printed circuit board. The end of the first mounting portion forms a first tab and the end of the second mounting portion forms a second tab, which are structured to extend through and be coupled with the first and second apertures, respectively. |
| US07948719B2 |
Solid state circuit protection system that works with arc fault circuit interrupter
An electric circuit includes a load, a solid state device, and a control for opening the circuit such that current will not flow through the solid state device, and for facilitating flow of current to bypass said solid state device and provide a current path to an arc fault circuit interrupter. A bypass includes a normally opened switch which is closed to provide current to the arc fault circuit interrupter. |
| US07948717B2 |
Magneto-resistance effect element, magnetic head, magnetic recording/reproducing device and magnetic memory
A magneto-resistance effect element includes a first magnetic layer of which a magnetization direction is fixed; a second magnetic layer of which a magnetization direction is fixed; an intermediate layer which is provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer; and a pair of electrodes for flowing a current perpendicular to a film surface of the resultant laminated body comprised of the first magnetic layer, the second magnetic layer and the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer includes insulating portions and metallic portions containing at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Cr and the metallic portions are contacted with the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. |
| US07948713B2 |
Magnetic head slider using giant magnetostrictive material
A magnetic head slider includes at least one thin-film magnetic head formed on a trailing surface of the magnetic head slider, and an ABS to be faced a magnetic disk in operation. At least a part of the ABS is made of a giant magnetostrictive material. |
| US07948712B2 |
Dual thickness carbon overcoat
A transducer carrying structure includes a first portion carrying the transducer, a second portion spaced from the transducer, and a spacing control actuation system operable to adjust a position of the first portion of the transducer carrying structure. An overcoat is provided on a surface of the transducer carrying structure. The overcoat has a first thickness in the first region of the transducer carrying structure and a second thickness in the second region of the transducer carrying structure, the second thickness being greater than the first thickness. This configuration provides increased wear robustness to the transducer carrying structure without causing the transducer to be excessively spaced from a medium during operation of the transducer. |
| US07948710B2 |
Heat-assisted thin-film magnetic head and heat-assisted magnetic recording method
In a heat-assisted magnetic recording, a thin-film magnetic head, which can form stable recording bits pattern having steep magnetization transition regions without using a near-field light generating element, is provided. The head is formed on an element forming surface of a substrate, and has a waveguide for leading a light for heat-assist to a magnetic medium and a write element formed on a trailing side of the waveguide and having a magnetic pole for applying a write field to the medium. Here, a write field profile, which is an intensity distribution of the write field from the pole along a track in a recoding layer of the medium, has a projecting region on a leading side. Further, an anisotropy field profile, which is a distribution of an anisotropy field when the anisotropy field is reduced by irradiating the light on a part of the recoding layer, traverses the projecting region. |
| US07948706B2 |
Apparatus and method to adjust the orientation of a read head to correct for dynamic skew
A method to adjust the orientation of a read head comprising a first read element and a second read element, wherein the first read element and the second read element are separated by a distance, wherein the method moves a sequential information storage medium adjacent to the read head, determines a skew angle for the sequential information storage medium with respect to the read head using the first read element and the second read element, and encodes that skew angle in a computer readable medium. |
| US07948703B1 |
Adaptive target optimization methods and systems for noise whitening based viterbi detectors
Apparatuses and methods are provided for adaptively updating a target for a recording channel, such as a magnetic recording channel. In some embodiments, a read channel apparatus is provided which includes data path modules and adaptive path modules. The data path modules estimate user information from a recording channel, and the adaptive path modules adaptively update the target taps of the recording channel. The adaptive path modules may use a linearly constrained least-mean square (LC-LMS) algorithm to determine the amount and direction of each tap update, where the linear constraint may be a maximum phase or a mixed phase constraint. The adaptive path modules may operate independently of and be decoupled from the data path modules. |
| US07948702B2 |
Systems and methods for controlling data equalization
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for performing data equalization. For example, various embodiments of the present invention provide data equalization circuits that include an equalization circuit and a transition adjustment circuit. The equalization circuit receives a series of at least two original data bits and replaces at least one of the two original data bits with an equalization pattern including two or more equalization bits. The original data bits correspond to an original data clock, and the two or more equalization bits correspond to an equalization data clock. The transition adjustment circuit is operable to modify an occurrence of a transition from one logic state to another logic state within the equalization pattern on a sub-equalization data clock basis. |
| US07948701B2 |
Servo patterns for self-assembled island arrays
Servo patterns and associated methods of fabricating servo patterns are described. For patterned storage media, data sectors and servo sectors may be patterned using self-assembly. In one embodiment, self-assembly is used to form a first array of islands and a second array of islands in servo sectors that are track-wise offset. A servo writing process is then performed to write a desired servo pattern in the arrays, such as for burst fields, synchronization fields, etc. |
| US07948699B2 |
Systems and methods for equalizer optimization in a storage access retry
Various embodiments of the present invention provide data processing circuits that include a multiplexer, a memory buffer, a data processing circuit, and a channel setting modification circuit. A first input of the multiplexer receives an input data set and a second input of the multiplexer receives a buffered data set. The multiplexer provides either the input data set or the buffered data set as a multiplexer output based upon a select signal. The memory buffer receives the multiplexer output and provides the buffered data set. Operation of the data processing circuit is at least in part governed by channel settings. The data processing circuit receives the multiplexer output and performs a data detection process. The select signal is asserted to select the buffered data set when the data detection process fails, and is asserted to select the input data set when the data detection process succeeds. The channel setting modification circuit is operable to modify the channel settings when the data detection process fails. |
| US07948693B2 |
Aperture apparatus and lens module having same
An exemplary aperture apparatus includes a transparent substrate, a number of EAP sheets supported by the substrate and spaced apart from each other, a first electrode, a second electrode and an aperture sheet. Each of the EAP members includes a fixed first end and an opposite second end movable relative to the substrate. The first electrode and the second electrode contact the first surface at the first end of each of the EAP members. The aperture sheet is made of black rubber and is positioned on the second surface of the EAP members. The second ends of the EAP members are fixed to inner wall of the aperture sheet. The EAP members are deformable in response to a voltage applied between the first and second electrodes so as to vary the size of the aperture. |
| US07948692B2 |
Photographing optical lens assembly
This invention provides a photographing optical lens assembly including, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element with positive refractive power; a second lens element with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface, the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric; and a third lens element with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface, a concave image-side surface and at least one inflection point formed on the third lens element, the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric. The first lens element may be a bi-convex lens element or a convex-concave meniscus lens element. When the first lens element is a bi-convex lens element, the refractive power thereof may be significantly enhanced to shorten the total track length of the optical system. When the first lens element is a meniscus lens element, the astigmatism of the optical system may be better corrected. Such an arrangement of optical elements can effectively correct the aberrations of the optical system, improving image quality and enabling the optical lens assembly to maintain a compact form. |
| US07948680B2 |
Spectral beam combination using broad bandwidth lasers
The present invention provides systems and methods for spectral beam combination by applying a spatial chirp to each of a plurality of input beamlets using a respective plurality of dispersive elements and combining the spatially-chirped beamlets into a single collimated output beam using a dispersive element configured to remove the spatial chirp. In an embodiment, each dispersive element is a grating combined with a lens that is confocal to the grating and also confocal to a Fourier plane upon which a transverse distribution of beam spectral components is produced. A final lens-grating pair includes a lens and a grating, where the lens is confocal to the grating and also confocal to the Fourier plane. |
| US07948678B1 |
Four-region catadioptric tile
This invention presents a four-region catadioptric tile. The four-region catadioptric tile includes a first surface, a second surface, and a filler material layer between the first and second surfaces. The four regions includes a first region wherein the first surface is convex and the second surface is convex, a second region wherein the first surface is convex and the second surface is concave, a third region wherein the first surface is concave and the second surface is convex, and a third region wherein the first surface is concave and the second surface is concave. The surface morphology of each of the four-region catadioptric tiles can be repeated across an entire tessellated projection screen or an angularly dependent retroreflector. |
| US07948676B2 |
Automated cassette and slide handling system for an automatic microscope
An automated cassette and slide handling system is disclosed which organizes microscope slides in cassettes, automatically and sequentially removes individual slides from their respective cassettes, positioned each slide under the microscope as provided by the protocol, and after examination returns the slide to its proper cassette. |
| US07948668B2 |
Scanning mirror control having least mean square tone adder
A scanning beam projection system includes a scanning mirror having a fast-scan axis and a slow-scan axis. Movement on the slow-scan axis is controlled by a slow-scan scanning mirror control system. The control system receives position information describing angular displacement of the mirror. An outer loop of the control system includes least mean square (LMS) tone adders that determine harmonically related signals that when combined produce a scanning mirror drive signal. An inner loop of the control system compensates for a scanning mirror resonant vibration mode at a frequency within the frequency band occupied by the harmonically related signals. |
| US07948666B2 |
Method and apparatus for setting correction value
At the time of setting a correction value for a certain density (subject density), a higher side density that is higher than the certain density and a lower side density that is lower than the certain density to be referenced according to the measured value of a region printed at the certain density are arbitrarily specified, and a correction value for the certain density is set by using at least one of a measured value of the density of a region printed at the arbitrarily specified higher side density and a measured value of the density of a region printed at the arbitrarily specified lower side density. |
| US07948664B2 |
Image processing method, image processing apparatus, document reading apparatus, image forming apparatus, computer program and recording medium
A similarity calculation process section registers the largest number of votes of the image of the first document, the index representing the document, and the category of the document into a category table. For the images of the documents being successively read after the document being read first, the similarity calculation process section determines the similarity of the documents based on the result of the voting inputted from a vote process section. When the similarity is lower than a threshold value, determining that the images are not similar to the image of the document registered in the category table, the similarity calculation process section registers the indices representing the documents, the largest numbers of votes of the documents and new categories into the category table, and outputs the result of the determination (classification signal). |
| US07948661B2 |
Image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus including the image reading apparatus
An image reading apparatus and an image forming apparatus including the image reading apparatus. The image reading apparatus includes a photoelectric converter to convert incident light into an analog image signal, a drive unit to drive the photoelectric converter by a frequency modulated clock signal, an overlapping circuit to overlap an anti-phase analog signal to the analog image signal fluctuating according to the frequency modulated clock signal with a same amount of fluctuation as that of the analog image signal, and an analog digital converter to convert the overlapped analog image signal into a digital output. |
| US07948658B2 |
Tone reproduction curve linearization
A marking device is controlled to mark a media sheet with halftone dots selected from a set of image halftone dot representations. The marking device is controlled to mark a monitored surface with halftone dots selected from a set of control halftone dot representations to form test patches of different nominal marking densities. Measured marking densities are acquired using a density sensor for the test patches marked on the monitored surface. The set of control halftone dot representations is updated based on the measured marking densities and the nominal marking densities. |
| US07948655B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, image processing program, and storage medium
There is disclosed an image processing apparatus which applies an adjusting process to an image that includes a pixel to be processed. The image processing apparatus extracts an image area with a predetermined size including the pixel to be processed. The apparatus calculates a variation associated with the pixel to be processed from signal values of pixels included in the image area. The apparatus calculates a variation time count in the image area from the signal values of the pixels included in the image area. The apparatus calculates adjusting levels Fz1, Fz2, and Fe from the variation time count and the variation using a definition unit which defines correspondence among the variation time count, the variation, and the adjusting levels, and applies an adjusting process to a signal value of the pixel to be processed by the calculated adjusting levels. Note that the definition unit defines the correspondence so that the adjusting levels Fz1, Fz2, and Fe progressively change in accordance with different variation time counts or different variations. |
| US07948651B2 |
Non-sequential transfer of PDF data for PDF direct printing
In a PDF direct printing method, an intelligent parser is provided on the client computer to parse out and transfer to the printer blocks of PDF data in an order in which the data will be used by the PDF rendering process of the printer. The directory information block of the PDF file is transferred first, and the printer can start the rendering process soon after the directory information block is received, before the entire PDF file is transferred to the printer. The blocks of PDF data are stored on the printer, and the memory locations of the blocks of data stored on the printer are recorded in a memory allocation database. The PDF rendering process of the printer accesses the memory allocation database to obtain the memory location of the block of PDF data it will need next for rendering, and retrieves that block of data for processing. |
| US07948650B2 |
Printer-plotter
A printer-plotter includes a guide rail, a first head, a second head, a driving device, a first connecting mechanism and a second connecting mechanism. The guide rail extends in a longitudinal direction. The first head is supported by the guide rail and movable along the longitudinal direction. The second head is supported by the guide rail and movable independently of the first head along the longitudinal direction. The driving device includes a driving force transmitting member and a driving mechanism configured to move the driving force transmitting member. The first connecting mechanism is configured to detachably connect the first head to the driving force transmitting member. The second connecting mechanism is configured to detachably connect the second head to the driving force transmitting member. |
| US07948648B2 |
Image-sensing pen with retractable cartridge and force sensor
An electronic pen for interacting with a substrate having coded data disposed thereon. The pen comprises: an image sensor for sensing the coded data when the pen is used to interact with the surface; a cartridge having a nib for contacting the surface; a retraction mechanism for slidably moving the cartridge between a retracted position and an extended position; a force sensor cooperating with the retraction mechanism; and a processor configured to generate indicating data indicative of the interaction with the substrate. The image sensor is configured to sense the coded data only when the force sensor detects that the nib is in contact with the substrate. |
| US07948645B2 |
Information processing apparatus, control method thereof, and program thereof
An information processing apparatus according to this invention acquires function restriction information used to restrict the use of functions of an image processing apparatus. The apparatus acquires job log data of a job which is processed using the functions of the image processing apparatus. The apparatus changes the acquired function restriction information. The apparatus calculates a cost incurred upon using the functions of the image processing apparatus within a designated period, based on unit price information indicating the unit prices of the resources consumed upon using the functions of the image processing apparatus, the job log data, and the changed function restriction information. The apparatus outputs the calculation result. |
| US07948643B2 |
Information processing apparatus, method for enhancing print function, computer-readable program for enhancing print function, printer, print method, and print system
An effective environment can be freely constructed in which multifunctional processing equivalent to high performance multifunction peripherals can be executed easily at low cost, by utilizing the print function of a printer driver as well as by selectively utilizing the functions of peripheral devices. In a print system environment where a print job can be issued to a printer 150 through a printer driver 203, the printer driver 203 communicates with predetermined peripheral devices thereby to search them for information of a peripheral device that can execute a substitute function processing, and updates the display of a print setting screen of the printer driver so as to allow utilization of a predetermined substitute function, in accordance with the retrieved substitute function information. |
| US07948639B2 |
Phase-shifting interferometry in the presence of vibration
A phase-shifting interferometry (PSI) method and corresponding system including: (i) recording an interferogram for each phase in a sequence of phases between test light reflected from a test surface and reference light reflected from a reference surface, the test and reference light being derived from a common source, each interferogram corresponding to an intensity pattern produced by interfering the reflected test light with the reflected reference light, the interferograms defining an interferometry signal for each of different transverse locations of a cavity defined by the test and reference surfaces, each interferometry signal including a series of intensity values corresponding to the sequence of phases, with the difference between each pair of phases in the sequence defining a corresponding phase shift increment; (ii) calculating an initial phase map for the cavity based on at least some of the recorded interferograms; (iii) calculating an estimate for each of at least some of the phase shift increments based on the initial phase map and at least some of the recorded interferograms; and (iv) calculating an improved phase map based on the calculated estimates for the phase shift increments and at least some of the recorded interferograms. |
| US07948635B2 |
Method for determining positions of structures on a substrate
A system for determining positions of structures on a substrate is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of stations enclosed by a housing. At least one of the stations inside the housing is designed to be movable. The housing is provided with a filter fan unit generating an air flow in the housing. Air-directing elements are provided in the housing so that an invariable flow may be achieved irrespective of the at least one movable station. |
| US07948630B2 |
Auto focus of a workpiece using two or more focus parameters
Provided is a method for focusing a workpiece in the Z-axis for optical metrology. The auto focusing subsystem includes a focus detector having a tilt angle, a capture range, and a plurality of sensors. A processor coupled to the focus detector is configured to utilize the plurality of focus signals measured using the focus detector to determine two or more focus parameters. The two or more focus parameters and calibration data are used to determine an initial position of the workpiece and to generate instructions to move the workpiece to a best focus position. |
| US07948627B2 |
Photoelectric smoke detector
A photoelectric smoke detector may detect presence of smoke by utilizing a light emitting element and a light receiving element whose optical axes intersect with each other. The photoelectric smoke detector may include a casing for storing the light emitting element and the light receiving element. Inlet and outlet ports may be respectively provided in one and the other sides of the casing, the inlet and outlet ports bringing air flow into the casing. Rectifying light blocking means may be provided contiguously with each of the inlet and outlet ports, the rectifying light blocking means preventing entry of disturbance light into an interior space and forming a flow line of smoke extending from one or the other inlet and outlet port to the other or the one inlet and outlet port such that the flow line passes through a detection area by the light emitting element and the light receiving element. |
| US07948624B2 |
Photocatalysis testing device
A photocatalysis testing device includes a reaction chamber, a light source, and a spectrophotometer. Reactants including a methylene blue (MB) solution and a photocatalyst can be added to the reaction chamber and illuminated by the light source. Color vanishing rate of the MB solution can be measured by the spectrophotometer. Further, the photocatalysis testing device also includes a light-tight chamber and a temperature stabilizer. The reaction chamber and the light source are received in the light-tight chamber to avoid ambient light effecting on the photocatalysis test. The spectrophotometer is positioned outside the light-tight chamber and optically coupled to the reaction chamber. The temperature stabilizer is configured for stabilizing temperature of the MB solution. |
| US07948620B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing spectroscopy downhole with a wellbore
An analysis system, tool, and method for performing downhole fluid analysis, such as within a wellbore. The analysis system, tool, and method provide for a tool including a spectroscope for use in downhole fluid analysis which utilizes an adaptive optical element such as a Micro Mirror Array (MMA) and two distinct light channels and detectors to provide real-time scaling or normalization. |
| US07948614B2 |
Optical-fiber-characteristic measuring device and optical-fiber-characteristic measuring method
A measurement precision is improved and a measurement range is extended by efficiently suppressing a noise level of integrated unnecessary components from non-correlation positions. Measuring means 33 detects the Brillouin gain of a probe light output from a measurement-target optical fiber FUT while sweeping a frequency difference between the pump light and the probe light, and measures the distribution of strains of the measurement-target optical fiber FUT. An optical intensity modulator 4 performs intensity modulation on output light in synchronization with frequency modulation performed on a light source 1. Accordingly, the spectrum distribution with respect to the frequency of light from the light source 1 can be adjusted arbitrarily, and a noise spectrum shape generated at a position other than a correlation peak position and spreading over a frequency axis can be adjusted, and the peak frequency of a Lorentz spectrum generated at the correlation peak position can be measured precisely. Moreover, a measurement range dm can be extended. |
| US07948609B2 |
Lithographic apparatus, stage system and stage control method
In an embodiment, a lithographic apparatus includes a stage system including a movable stage, and a stage control system to control a position of the stage in response to a setpoint signal. The stage control system includes a feedback control loop to control the position in a feedback manner, the feedback control loop having a setpoint input, and an acceleration feedforward to generate a feedforward signal to be forwardly fed into the feedback control loop. The feedforward signal is derived from the setpoint signal. The stage control system is arranged to modify the position setpoint signal into a modified position setpoint signal, the setpoint input of the feedback control loop to receive the modified position setpoint signal, the modified position setpoint signal to take account of a non rigid body behavior of the stage. |
| US07948606B2 |
Moving beam with respect to diffractive optics in order to reduce interference patterns
A system and method are used to form incoherent beams from at least a partially coherent beam, such that interference or speckle patterns are substantially eliminated. A rotating optical element directs the partially coherent beam to reflect from an angular distribution changing element to form an incoherent beam. The partially coherent beam can be directed at varying angles or positions onto the angular distribution changing element through rotation of the rotating optical element. The angles can vary as a function of time. |
| US07948604B2 |
Exposure apparatus and method for producing device
An exposure apparatus, wherein exposure is carried out while filling a space between a projection optical system and a substrate with a liquid, enables to suppress deterioration of a pattern image caused by any bubble in the liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a liquid supply unite 1 which fills at least a part of the space between the projection optical system and the substrate with a liquid 50, and exposes the substrate by projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate via the projection optical system. The liquid supply unite 1 includes a degassing unit 21 which suppresses the generation of the bubble in the liquid 50. |
| US07948597B2 |
Liquid crystal display panel for liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display panel having improved optical transmissivity and viewing angle includes a first substrate, a second substrate and a liquid crystal layer. The first substrate includes a first base substrate, a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines, and a pixel electrode. The gate lines and the data lines are disposed on the first base substrate and cross each other. The pixel electrode includes a first pixel electrode part and a second pixel electrode part disposed on the first base substrate and inclined in a different direction from each other with respect to the gate lines. The second substrate includes a second base substrate and a common electrode disposed on the second base substrate and alternately positioned with the pixel electrode. |
| US07948595B2 |
Liquid crystal display panel
The invention discloses a liquid crystal display panel, comprising pixel electrodes, common electrode lines, data lines and scanning lines, wherein at least two of the scanning lines are electrically connected to each other. The liquid crystal display panel has a plurality of conductive sections are disposed above at least part of each of the scanning lines other than said at least two scanning lines and electrically connected to the common electrode lines. The liquid crystal display panel of the invention can use Dot Inversion Driving with low power consumption. Meanwhile, the invention improves consistency of the RC delays on the individual scanning lines, decreases the difference among the RC delays of scanning signals on all of the scanning lines, and thereby achieves uniformity of a display frame on the liquid crystal display panel. |
| US07948587B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
Reflective electrodes having unevenness are formed on a resin layer of a TFT substrate. A coating-type ITO film having a film thickness of 0.5 μm to 1 μm which constitute a pixel electrode is applied to the reflective electrode. A surface of the coating-type ITO film is leveled. A capacitive insulation film is formed on the pixel electrode, and a comb-teeth-shaped common electrode is formed on the capacitive insulation film. When a voltage is applied between the common electrode and the pixel electrode, liquid crystal is controlled by a leaked electric field. Since the common electrode is formed in a planar plane, a thickness of a liquid crystal layer can be made uniform. |
| US07948585B2 |
Inkjet ink for color filter, color filter, methods of producing them, and liquid crystal display device using them
An inkjet ink for color filter having fine pigment particles formed with a size in the order of nanometer dispersed in a medium containing a polymerizable monomer and/or a polymerizable oligomer, a color filter using the ink, methods of producing them, and a liquid crystal display device using them. |
| US07948573B2 |
Back-light assembly and liquid crystal display including the same
A back-light assembly capable of preventing light leakage and a liquid crystal display including the same. The back-light assembly includes a lamp emitting light, a lamp holder comprising a reflecting part into which the lamp is inserted and an absorbing part, wherein the absorbing part absorbs the light, and the reflecting part reflects the light, a side member comprising a through hole, the lamp being inserted into the through hole, and a bottom chassis comprising a bottom surface and side surfaces, the side surfaces extending from the bottom surface. |
| US07948572B2 |
Hollow mold for receiving liquid crystal panel and diffuser plate and liquid crystal display including hollow mold
Provided are a hollow mold for receiving a liquid crystal panel and a diffuser plate, the hollow mold capable of automating an assembling process of a liquid crystal display (LCD) and fixing a reflective sheet, and an LCD including the hollow mold. The hollow mold includes an outer side surface; a top surface; an inner side surface comprising a first step which is formed in a stepped shape, defines an upper receiving space and performs a supporting function, a second step which defines a lower receiving space and performs the supporting function, and an inclined surface which slopes downward from the second step; and a bottom surface. |
| US07948571B2 |
Semiconductor device having thin film transistor with particular drain electrode structure
A first insulating thin film having a large dielectric constant such as a silicon nitride film is formed so as to cover a source line and a metal wiring that is in the same layer as the source line. A second insulating film that is high in flatness is formed on the first insulating film. An opening is formed in the second insulating film by etching the second insulating film, to selectively expose the first insulating film. A conductive film to serve as a light-interruptive film is formed on the second insulating film and in the opening, whereby an auxiliary capacitor of the pixel is formed between the conductive film and the metal wiring with first the insulating film serving as a dielectric. The effective aperture ratio can be increased by forming the auxiliary capacitor in a selected region where the influences of alignment disorder of liquid crystal molecules, i.e., disclination, are large. |
| US07948570B2 |
Thin film transistor array substrate and manufacturing method thereof
A thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate for a liquid crystal display comprises a gate line and a data line formed in a display region, a gate connecting line and a data connecting line formed in a PAD region, and a TFT formed at an intersection between the gate line and the data line. The TFT comprises a gate electrode on a base substrate, a gate insulating layer on the gate electrode, a semiconductor layer on the gate insulating layer, a doped semiconductor layer on the semiconductor layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode that are on the doped semiconductor layer, and a TFT channel is defined in the semiconductor layer between the source electrode and the drain electrode. The array substrate further comprises a passivation layer that is formed on the source electrode and the drain electrode and a pixel electrode, a portion of which is formed under the drain electrode and connected with the drain electrode. |
| US07948569B2 |
Active matrix type display device
An electro-optical device comprising a display drive system with the display timing related to the unit time t for writing-in a picture element and to the time F for writing-in one picture is disclosed. In the device, a gradated display corresponding to the ratio of the division can be obtained by time-sharing the signal during a write-in of time t without changing the time F. |
| US07948561B2 |
Video playback apparatus and method for controlling the same
The video playback apparatus includes: a video data processor for simultaneously and asynchronously reproducing a main-video stream and a sub-video stream, and controlling position- and size-information of a corresponding display window; and a video output controller, if one of the main- and sub-video streams reproduced by the video data processor is completely reproduced earlier than the other one, which controls the video data processor to enlarge a display window of the remaining video stream to an entire screen size. |
| US07948559B2 |
Method and apparatus for lipsync measurement and correction
A method and apparatus for synchronizing audio and video portions of a media program signal is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of detecting an audio event in the audio portion of the media program signal, measuring the timing interval from the audio event to a subsequent video synchronization pulse in the video portion of the media program signal, and storing the timing interval in a third portion of the media program signal. The apparatus comprises a voice detector for detecting an audio event in the audio portion of the media program signal, a timer for measuring the timing interval from the audio event to a subsequent video synchronization pulse in the video portion of the media program signal, and a processor for storing the timing interval in a third portion of the media program signal. |
| US07948557B2 |
Apparatus and method for generating a control signal for a film event system
An apparatus for generating a control signal for a film event system is described for synchronizing film events with an image reproduction, wherein a film comprises film information applied in a time sequence, and the apparatus comprises a means for storing the film information, wherein a time scale is associated to the stored film information, a means for receiving a section read from the film, a means for comparing the read section to the stored film information and a means for determining the control signal based on the comparison and the time scale. |
| US07948553B2 |
Digital camera having sequential shooting mode
A digital camera comprises a CCD for subjecting subject light flux incident from a photographing lens to photoelectric conversion and outputting subject image signals, a movable mirror section, arranged in the imaging light path of the CCD, for reflecting some of the subject light flux and transmitting the remainder, a range finder/photosensor for receiving subject light flux reflected by the movable mirror member and carrying out ranging integration, and an optical system drive mechanism for carrying out focal point adjustment of the photographing lens based on output of the range finder/photosensor. In a sequential shooting mode for sequentially acquiring images using the CCD, during the imaging operation by the CCD ranging integration by the range finder/photosensor 217 is carried out using subject light flux that has been reflected by the movable mirror member. |
| US07948551B2 |
Field sequential color camera system
A filed sequential color camera system includes a color camera, and an illumination unit. The color camera includes a separation optical system to separate an optical image of a subject incident from a lens in two directions; two solid-state imaging devices to convert into electric signals the respective optical images separated in the two directions; an electronic shutter control device to apply sequential exposure control to the two solid-state imaging devices within a time corresponding to a ½ frame for each one frame and at a non-overlapping interval; and a light-emitting sync signal output device to produce a light-emitting sync signal in sync with the sequential exposure control by the electronic shutter control device. The illumination unit receives the light-emitting sync signal from the color camera to emit multicolor light having different wavelength ranges in sync with exposure control of the solid-state imaging devices and in a sequential switch mode. |
| US07948547B2 |
Apparatus and method for capturing and viewing images
A dual sided viewing panel and a method of capturing and displaying images, is disclosed. The dual sided viewing panel includes a first viewing panel and a second viewing panel. The first and second viewing panels are controllable by a control device to capture an image and display an image. The first and second viewing panels are positioned in an aligned back to back relationship to each other. In a method, a first image is captured by the first viewing panel and a second image is captured by the second viewing panel. The first captured image is displayed on the second viewing panel and the second captured image is displayed on the first viewing panel. The viewing direction of the first viewing panel is opposed to the viewing direction of the second viewing panel. |
| US07948545B2 |
Photoelectric conversion layer stack type solid-state imaging device
A solid-state imaging device as defined herein, in which each of the signal reading circuits for reading the detection signals of the first-color pixels includes three transistors which are a reset transistor, a row selection transistor, and an output transistor; and each of the signal reading circuits for reading the detection signals of the second-color pixels and each of the signal reading circuits for reading the detection signals of the third-color pixels include four transistors which are a read transistor, a reset transistor, a row selection transistor, and an output transistor. |
| US07948544B2 |
CMOS image sensor
Disclosed herein is a CMOS image sensor for improving an image quality by removing an offset noise occurred in a path difference. The CMOS image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of a first pixel and a second pixel; a first analog data bus and a second analog data bus for transferring a first pixel data and a second pixel data, each generated from the first pixel and the second pixel; a first analog signal processing unit and a second analog signal processing unit, each for amplifying an inputted pixel data to extract a pure pixel data; and a swapping unit for swapping the first pixel data and the second pixel data to thereby delivery each of first and second swapped pixel data into each of the first and the second analog signal processing unit. |
| US07948542B2 |
Fast-settling line driver design for high resolution video IR and visible imagers
A fast-settling line driver circuit capable of high-speed operation. The line driver is particularly well-suited for operation in a high-resolution imaging system. The line driver circuit comprises a signal amplifier that is configured in a negative feedback loop and connected to a bus line through a switch network. The switch network is disposed inside the feedback loop while the line driver is transmitting a signal onto the bus line. This configuration reduces the settling time of the line driver by substantially eliminating the effect of the switch resistance on the RC time constant. The line driver also comprises offset cancellation and presettle circuits that improve the integrity of the output signal and reduce the power consumption of the system. |
| US07948540B2 |
Photoelectric conversion device with isolation switches arranged between signal lines and amplifiers
A photoelectric conversion device prevents a pseudo signal caused by the parasitic capacitance of a transfer switch from being input to an amplifier. A photoelectric conversion device (50) includes a pixel (10) which outputs a signal to a signal line (107), an amplifier which amplifies the signal supplied via the signal line (107), and an isolation switch (121) inserted between a signal line (108) and the input node of the amplifier. The pixel (10) includes a photodiode, a floating diffusion (FD), a transfer switch which transfers the charge of the photodiode to the FD, and an amplification transistor which outputs a signal to a signal line (109) in accordance with the potential of the FD. The isolation switch (121) is turned off at least in a period when a transfer pulse for controlling the transfer switch of the pixel (10) transits. |
| US07948534B2 |
Charge-coupled device image sensor with vertical binning of same-color pixels
A CCD image sensor comprises photosensitive elements arranged in rows and columns, vertical CCDs each having vertical shift elements associated with respective ones of the photosensitive elements of a corresponding one of the columns, and a horizontal CCD comprising horizontal shift elements. The image sensor further comprises a transition region arranged between the vertical CCDs and the horizontal CCD. The transition region is configured to separate each of a plurality of signal channels provided by respective ones of the vertical CCDs into first and second parallel signal channels and to controllably direct selected ones of the parallel signal channels to the horizontal shift elements of the horizontal CCD in accordance with a designated readout sequence. |
| US07948533B2 |
Solid state image sensor device having signal noise reduction circuitry
A solid-state image sensor includes a pixel array unit including a plurality of pixels arranged in the form of an array, column signal lines adapted to transmit pixel signals output from pixels in respective columns, a noise adding unit adapted to add temporally constant and two-dimensional spatially random noise to the pixel signals transmitted via the column signal lines, and an analog-to-digital converter adapted to convert a signal level and a reference level of each pixel signal including the noise added thereto by the noise adding unit. |
| US07948532B2 |
Solid-state image-pickup device signal processing apparatus with signal compensation circuit
A solid-state image-pickup device signal processing apparatus includes a solid-state image-pickup device, an amplifier for amplifying an output signal of the solid-state image-pickup device, an A/D conversion circuit for converting an analog output signal of the amplifier to a digital signal, a digital correlated double sampling circuit for removing noises, and a device for supplying an optional-value direct current signal to a video signal portion of a digital output signal of the A/D conversion circuit. The digital correlated double sampling circuit subtracts a field-through portion of the digital output signal from the video signal portion including the optional-value direct current signal added thereto so that the optional-value direct current signal remains after subtracting the field-through portion from the video signal portion including the optional-value direct current signal when the solid-state image-pickup device image-picks up a dark space. |
| US07948528B2 |
Gain calculating device
A more preferable WB gain is calculated during strobe illuminated photography. When a WB gain for an image captured through strobe illuminated photography is calculated, the degree of contribution of strobe light is first estimated. When the degree of contribution is estimated, the image is first divided into a plurality of blocks, and typical brightness values and typical color values of the respective blocks are determined (S23). Subsequently, the highest-brightness block among the blocks analogous to the color of strobe light is identified as a strobe color block (S26). When there is a strobe color block, the degree of contribution of strobe light is estimated on the basis of the position of the strobe color block, a difference between the brightness of the strobe color block and the brightnesses of other blocks, and the like (S32 to S48). Meanwhile, when there is no strobe color block, the degree of contribution is estimated on the basis of the position of the highest-brightness block having the highest typical brightness value among the plurality of blocks (S28, S30). |
| US07948526B2 |
Imaging apparatus, imaging method and program thereof
In a digital camera 1, when a lagged-timing is recorded (Yes at Step S9), from the frame image picked up when the shutter is fully depressed, a frame image picked up at a timing equivalent to the lagged-timing is displayed (Step S10). When the cross-shaped key is operated before the SET key is operated, the displayed frame image is changed based on the operation (Step S12 and Step S13). Next, when the SET key is operated, the displayed frame image is recorded. In addition, a lag between the timing at which the recorded frame image is picked up and the timing at which the frame image picked up when the shutter is fully depressed is picked up is recorded (Step S15). |
| US07948522B2 |
Method for processing film images extracted from a film recording beam path of a moving image camera
A method for processing film images which are extracted from a recording beam path of a moving image camera and which are converted into digital assist signals by an optoelectronic transducer arranged in an assist beam path of the moving image camera is provided. Said assist beam path being interrupted periodically depending on the image recording frequency of the moving image camera, which digital assist signals are output to a processing unit with an image frequency matching the image recording frequency of the moving image camera or with an assist image frequency, to which processing unit recording, control and/or status signals of the moving image camera or of devices connected to the moving image camera are fed as metadata. The processing unit contains image conditioning functions and/or image analysis functions. |
| US07948519B2 |
Intelligent light source with synchronization with a digital camera
An intelligent light source for use with the test of a digital camera module provides a plurality of shapes of light. A fast light pulse is created with turn-on and turn-off transitions less than or equal to one microsecond. Other waveform shapes comprise a ramp and a sinusoid, and all shapes can be made to occur once or repetitively. The magnitude of the light has a range from 0.01 LUX to 1000 LUX, and the ramp has a ramp time that has a range from microseconds to 100 ms. The light comprises of a plurality of colors created by serial connected strings of LED devices, where the LED devices in a string emit the same color. The light emanating from the light source is calibrated using a photo diode and the control of a tester by adjusting offset voltages of a DAC controlling a current through the LED strings. |
| US07948518B1 |
Video signal communication system for mobile objects on a race track
The present invention provides a ground based video pick-up system for transmitting video signals produced on a moving object to one of a number of receivers at a fixed position and selecting the desired signal from the most appropriate one of those receivers. |
| US07948515B1 |
Mini 3-D camera rig
A dual-camera 3-D rig has a support, a first camera with a first lens mounted to the support in a stationary position, a structural member with a curve affixed to the support adjustable over a range of positions to cause the curve to rotate relative to the axis of the structural member, and a second camera with a second lens slidably mounted to the structural member so it is free to move along the curve to vary interaxial spacing between the two cameras while the convergence distance between the two cameras is varied by adjustment of the curved structural member over a range of positions. Pinhole lenses are used and a mirror is positioned along an axis of the first lens in a position such that a reflected image of a first camera entrance pupil is at the height and longitudinal position of the second camera entrance pupil. |
| US07948514B2 |
Image processing apparatus, method and computer program for generating normal information, and viewpoint-converted image generating apparatus
High-precision normal information on the surface of a subject is generated by capturing an image of the subject. A normal information generating device captures the image of the subject and thereby passively generates normal information on the surface of the subject. The normal information generating device includes: a stereo polarization image capturing section for receiving a plurality of polarized light beams of different polarization directions at different viewpoint positions and obtaining a plurality of polarization images of different viewpoint positions; and a normal information generating section for estimating a normal direction vector of the subject based on the plurality of polarization images of different viewpoint positions. |
| US07948508B2 |
Image forming apparatus having first and second frames with multiple stages of movement
An image recording apparatus includes an image forming section, a first frame for supporting the imager forming section, a second frame for supporting the first frame loosely, and a supporting section disposed on an apparatus body for supporting the second frame in a rotatable manner, wherein the first frame moves in association with a rotation of the second frame. |
| US07948503B2 |
Techniques for 3-D elastic spatial registration of multiple modes of measuring a body
Techniques for registration of multiple measurement modes of a body include receiving first and second data from different modes. Each includes measured values with coordinate values. For two mechanically aligned modes, any nonrigid registration is performed. For some modes, the nonrigid registration includes a coarse transformation and multiple fine scale transformations. The coarse transformation maximizes a coarse similarity measure. The second data is subdivided into contiguous subregions. Fine transformations are determined between the subregions and corresponding portions of the first data to maximize a fine similarity measure. Subdividing and determining fine transformations repeats until stop conditions are satisfied. Transformations between the last divided subregions are interpolated. Any of the fine similarity measure, a search region, interpolation method, sub-division location, and the use of rigid or non-rigid fine transformations are adaptive to properties of the first or second data so that the registration is automatic without human intervention. |
| US07948501B2 |
Display control apparatus and method under plural different color spaces
A display control apparatus displays image data expressed under a plurality of different color spaces. A discriminating section discriminates color space information on image data to be displayed. A gain switching section switches between gains in accordance with a result of the discrimination and sets a gain adapted for the image data to be displayed. An amplifying section amplifies an image signal, generated based on the image data and relating to at least a color difference, in accordance with the gain set by the gain switching section. |
| US07948497B2 |
Chipset and related method of processing graphic signals
A chipset is electrically connected with an external graphic module, which generates a first graphic signal and outputs it to the chipset. The chipset includes an internal graphic module and a control module. The internal graphic module generates a second graphic signal, and the control module receives the first graphic signal and the second graphic signal. The control module divides the first graphic signal into at least two first graphic sub-signals and divides the second graphic signal into at least two second graphic sub-signals, respectively. When under a first output mode, the control module simultaneously outputs one of the first graphic sub-signals and one of the second graphic sub-signals. |
| US07948495B1 |
Linking texture headers and texture samplers
Systems and methods used for binding texture state stored in independent structures may be used by more than one graphics applications programming interface (API). A texture header portion of the texture state defines texture data characteristics and is stored in a first structure. A texture sampler portion of the texture state specifies texture processing attributes and is stored in a second structure. A single unified structure is emulated for use by APIs that store the texture state in a single structure. Therefore, a graphics processor may support more than one graphics API for processing texture data. |
| US07948490B2 |
Hardware-accelerated computation of radiance transfer coefficients in computer graphics
A hardware-accelerated process of computing radiance transfer coefficients (such as for use in image rendering based on precomputed radiance transfer (PRT) techniques) is re-ordered as compared to previously known PRT precomputations to iterate over a sampling of directions about an object. The hardware-accelerated process uses a set of textures representing positions and normals for a sampling of points over a modeled object. In iterating over the directions, the process computes the depth of the object in a shadow buffer, then computes a texture of the radiance contribution based on the normal and position textures and depth from the shadow buffer. The resulting radiance contribution textures of the iterated directions are accumulated to produce a texture representing the radiance transfer coefficients of the sampled positions. This enables the process to avoid reduction operations, ray tracing and slow read-back path limitations of graphical processing units. |
| US07948489B1 |
Minimizing tessellation of surfaces
A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium are disclosed for minimizing tessellation of surfaces. A first plurality of polygons may be generated, wherein the first plurality of polygons are adjacent to a plurality of boundaries of a surface. Each of the first plurality of polygons comprises at least one outside edge approximating a straight line within a first flatness tolerance. A second plurality of polygons may be generated, wherein the second plurality of polygons are on the interior of the surface. Each of the second plurality of polygons comprises a plurality of inside edges approximating the straight line within a second flatness tolerance. The first flatness tolerance may be smaller than the second flatness tolerance. |
| US07948487B2 |
Occlusion culling method and rendering processing apparatus
A rendering processing apparatus is provided which performs occlusion culling for excluding from rendering targets a hidden object behind another object as seen from a point of view, when given a plurality of objects. An object input unit stores a plurality of objects in an object storing unit. An internal volume generating unit generates an internal volume which is included in a target object. A reduced Z-buffer updating unit updates a reduced Z-buffer based on the internal volume. An external volume generating unit generates an external volume which includes the target object subject to culling test. A culling determination unit consults the reduced Z-buffer and performs a Z culling test on the target object based on the external volume. |
| US07948481B2 |
Devices, systems and methods of capturing and displaying appearances
Some demonstrative embodiments of the invention include systems, devices and/or methods enabling appearance comparison. The system, according to some demonstrative embodiments, may include at least one interactive imaging and display station. The station may include, for example, a mirror-display device capable of selectably operating in either or both a mirror mode or a display mode; an imaging device to capture one or more appearances appearing in a filed of view in front of the mirror-display device; and/or an image control unit to select the mode of operation of the mirror-display device according to a user command. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US07948477B2 |
PET-based touchpad
A space-efficient substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel can be created by forming columns made of a substantially transparent conductive material on one side of a first substantially transparent substrate, forming rows made of the substantially transparent conductive material on one side of a second substantially transparent substrate, adhering the two substrates together with a substantially transparent adhesive, bringing column connections down to the second substrate using vias, and routing both the column and row connections to a single connection area on the second substrate. In addition, in some embodiments some of the row connections can be routed to a second connection area on the second substrate to minimize the size of the sensor panel. |
| US07948472B2 |
Personal computer mouse
A scroll function is performed by a horizontally rotating disk-shaped or ring-shaped scroll plate. when the peripheral portion is pressed down, the scroll plate is inclined such that the pressure portion becomes the lowest level and it is possible to assign a fixed function at a position to be pressed down. A left click button is provided in the middle of the scroll plate. |
| US07948468B2 |
Systems and methods for driving multiple solid-state light sources
The present disclosure may relate generally to controlling multiple light sources and to systems and methods for reducing inefficiencies and interference in a light emitting diode (LED)-based backlighting systems for LCD televisions. |
| US07948467B2 |
Gate driver structure of TFT-LCD display
A gate driver structure of TFT-LCD display, comprising: a plurality of first level shifters, each input terminal of which being connected with an input signal; a plurality of output buffers with a plurality of output terminals, each input terminal of the output buffers being connected with each output terminal of the first level shifters; a second level shifter, the input terminal of which being connected with a low voltage signal and the first output terminal of which being connected with a plurality of first level shifters. In addition, the connecting wires between each output terminal of the plurality of first level shifters and each input terminal of the plurality of output buffers are in parallel with a pair of first MOS and second MOS daisy-chained together. The gate of each first MOS is connected with the output terminal of output buffer of the previous cell, and the gate of each second MOS is connected with the second output terminal of the second level shifter. |
| US07948460B2 |
Liquid crystal display apparatus
A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a display unit, a drive rod, and an adjusting module. The display unit is for displaying information. The drive rod is connected to the display unit for moving along with the display unit. The adjusting module is connected to the drive rod, for rotating the drive rod. |
| US07948453B2 |
Signal line driving circuit and light emitting device
Variations occur in the characteristics of transistors. The present invention is a signal-line drive circuit comprising first and second current source circuits corresponding to respective plurality of signal lines, a shift register, and n (n is a natural number of one or more) video-signal constant current source s, wherein each of the first and second current source circuits has a capacitance means and a supply means. The capacitance means held in one of the first and second source circuits converts a current including a current supplied from each of the n video-signal constant current source s to voltage in response to a sampling pulse supplied from the shift register and a latch pulse supplied from the exterior; and the supply means held in the other supplies a current responsive to the converted voltage. The values of the currents supplied from the n video-signal constant current source s are set to a proportion of 20:21: . . . :2n. |
| US07948451B2 |
Interactive method of presenting information in an image
An interactive method of presenting information in an image to a user, who carries a head-mounted display device that presents an image of the surroundings. The user's head position and direction are established in relation to the surroundings and a calculating device establishes, based on this, which part of the surroundings is positioned in front of the user's head. Furthermore, the calculating device establishes where in a chain of information the user is positioned and, based on this, presents information in the form of a virtual image which is mixed with the real image. A central part of the image is then defined and fields and/or objects outside this area are shown in a non-disturbing way until the user's gaze has left the central part. The user informs the calculating device that he/she has received the information and, respectively, performed the current operations by looking at the fields/objects. |
| US07948449B2 |
Display control program executed in game machine
In a game machine, image display not giving the player a feeling of oddness or disadvantage during game progress even if a non-display at a physical distance is present between different display screen areas. The game machine executes program for controlling image display of first and second display screens on both sides of a non-display area. To move an object from the first to the second display screen and display it there. The movement angle and movement speed are calculated at the display coordinate position of the object displayed on the first display screen, and the movement distance which the object moves through the non-display area from the movement angle is determined. Further, a preset additional distance corresponding to the object to the movement distance is added to use it as a virtual movement distance. The object on the second display screen is displayed when the time required for the object to move the virtual movement distance has elapsed. |
| US07948447B2 |
Mobile display
A mobile, multi-room display environment. The display environment has a first room, the first room having a first set of sensory cues, and a second room, the second room having a second set of sensory cues substantially different from the first set of sensory cues. The first and second rooms are designed for temporary use and can be easily disassembled for transport from one location to another. |
| US07948445B2 |
Wideband antenna and clothing and articles using the same
Provided are a first planar radiating element and second planar radiating element that have at least one side. At least the first or second radiating element has a strip-shaped element. A first side of the first radiating element and a second side of the second radiating element are so disposed as to be parallel to each other, face each other and be shifted slightly in a parallel direction. The strip-shaped element is so disposed as to be connected to any side other than the first and second sides of the first and second radiating elements, run parallel to the first and second sides, and not go beyond tips positioned at the outermost points of the first and second sides. |
| US07948444B2 |
Method and system of communications for high data rate transmission
In a method and system for configuring an antenna for line of sight (LOS) communication procedures are implemented for providing low error rates at moderate transmission power. The antenna is configured for a particular communications distance over line of sight links providing multiple-input multiple-output communication links, including radio links and optical wireless communications links. |
| US07948442B2 |
Radio wave receiving converter and satellite broadcast receiving antenna device
A radio wave receiving converter includes a main body portion including a first waveguide having a male thread on an outer circumference of the first waveguide, a feedhorn including a second waveguide having a female thread on an inner circumference of the second waveguide, a ring-shaped member including a circumferential wall portion and an annular step portion such that a groove portion where a portion near a tip of the second waveguide is inserted between the ring-shaped member and the outer circumference of the first waveguide is formed, and a sealing agent injected into a groove portion “b”. By this configuration, there is provided a radio wave receiving converter that has a simple structure of a connecting portion, has improved productivity of the components and assemblability of the finished components, and can achieve a reduction in size and weight. |
| US07948441B2 |
Low profile antenna
In one embodiment, a low profile antenna according to the present invention comprises a balanced transmission line, electronic circuitry, and a parasitic element. The electronic circuitry is coupled to an interconnecting end of the transmission line and operable to direct electromagnetic energy through the transmission line to a terminating end. The parasitic element has a surface that is disposed at a predetermined distance from the terminating end and normal to the central axis such that the surface of the parasitic element covers an opening formed by the terminating end. |
| US07948440B1 |
Horizontally-polarized omni-directional antenna
Example embodiments for antennas that can transceive signals in horizontally-polarized omni-directional manners are described. In an example embodiment, an antenna includes a tube forming a slot and a supporting structure on which one or more transmission lines and at least one ground are disposed. In another example embodiment, an antenna includes a horizontally-polarized antenna assembly including at least one slot aperture antenna and a vertically-polarized antenna part. |
| US07948439B2 |
Tracking of autonomous systems
A system includes first and second transmitters attachable to first and second vehicles. The transmitters can each transmit successive signals at predetermined time intervals. Tracking stations at different locations are configured to receive the signals transmitted by at least one of the first and second transmitters, distinguish signals transmitted by the first transmitter from signals transmitted by the second transmitter, and determine from the transmitted signals respective position information for at least one of the first and second transmitters. Each of the tracking stations is further configured to be in signal communication with at least one other of the tracking stations. The system further includes at least one processing device in signal communication with at least one of the tracking stations. The processing device is configured to determine from the position information a location of the first vehicle relative to a location of the second vehicle. |
| US07948426B2 |
Detection and location of radio frequency weapons from high altitude glider system
A method and system for detecting and locating RF weapons being used against aircraft. Large geographic regions may be defended by equipping a constellation of high-altitude airborne platforms with RF detectors, GPS receivers and a communications unit. The communications unit downlinks data indicating an RF weapon pulse and associated time and location data. From this data, a ground station performs a time difference of arrival (TDOA) location fix of the RF weapon. |
| US07948425B2 |
Expandable signal calibration target
A high frequency signal calibration target deployable in outer space includes an expandable and electrically conductive symmetric structure. The structure may mechanically expand from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration. Scatter of high frequency signal off of a substantially symmetric signal calibration target may be measured to accurately calibrate systems using high frequency signals. |
| US07948423B2 |
Continuous synchronization for multiple ADCs
A system, apparatus and method for continuous synchronization of multiple ADC circuits is described. The ADC circuits can be arranged in a master-slave configuration within the system so that the converter clock is subdivided into slower speeds for the data output clock or for the control of de-multiplexing the outputs onto a wider bus, while maintaining ADC-to-ADC synchronization resilient to perturbations from noise and other upset sources. The configuration of the ADCs in the master-slave configuration can be varied according to overall system requirements in any one of a sequential configuration, a parallel configuration or a tree type of configuration, as well as others. Digital and/or analog timing adjustments can be made to each of the ADC circuits. The master clocking signals can be generated by a master clock generator circuit, which is either internally implemented in an ADC circuit, or externally implemented as a separate master clock generator circuit. |
| US07948421B2 |
Frequency counter based analog-to-digital converter
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is provided. The ADC includes a variable oscillator, a frequency divider, a clock circuit, and a counter. The variable oscillator is coupled to a sensor and configured to generate an oscillating signal based on a measurement generated by the sensor. The frequency divider is coupled to the variable oscillator and configured to divide a frequency of the oscillating signal. The clock circuit is configured to generate a clock signal at a defined frequency. The counter is coupled to the frequency divider and to the clock and is configured to generate a bit stream representative of a first number of periods of the clock signal during a second number of periods of the divided oscillating signal. |
| US07948420B1 |
Eliminating the use of anti-aliasing filters in digital relays by oversampling
A digital relay and concomitant method comprising employing an analog-to-digital converter, and via control logic providing oversampled output of the converter to determine likely digital values corresponding to the output, and wherein the control logic substantially eliminates aliasing resulting from waveform transients in input to the converter, and wherein no anti-aliasing filter is employed providing the input. Also, a digital relay and concomitant method comprising employing an analog-to-digital converter, and via control logic providing oversampled output of the converter to determine via Fourier transform likely digital values corresponding to the output, and wherein the control logic substantially eliminates aliasing resulting from waveform transients in input to the converter. |
| US07948418B2 |
Digital-to-analog conversion circuit and column driver including the same
A digital-to-analog conversion circuit includes a digital-to-analog converter and a buffer amplifier. The digital-to-analog converter receives upper bits of digital data and a plurality of analog voltages and is configured to output two adjacent analog voltages of the plurality of analog voltages based on the upper bits. The buffer amplifier includes two input terminals. One of the input terminals receives one of the two adjacent analog voltages and the other input terminal receives the other adjacent analog voltage. The buffer amplifier is configured to generate a current offset by controlling a current flowing into each of the two input terminals based on lower bits of the digital bits. |
| US07948416B2 |
Digital to analog converter spur cancellation
A device includes an upsampling digital-analog converter (DAC) and logic to add a DC offset to a signal input to the DAC, the logic adapted to set the DC signal to cancel a DAC output spur. |
| US07948412B2 |
Delta-sigma modulator
The present invention provides a continuous-time delta-sigma modulator which is configured with an SC (SCR) feedback DA (103) for improving tolerance to jitter for a clock signal and operates stably by maintaining a certain feedback amount without being influenced by a change in a production process thereof or an operating temperature condition thereof. By adjusting a reference voltage Vref that determines an output voltage of the SC feedback DA (103), it is possible to feed back a certain amount of charge from the SC feedback DA (103) to a loop filter (101). Thereby, operation of the delta-sigma modulator is stabilized. |
| US07948411B2 |
Track and hold amplifiers and analog to digital converters
A track and hold amplifier is provided. The track and hold amplifier includes an input node receiving an analog signal, a buffer coupled between a first node and an output node, a first switch coupled between the input node and the first node, a plurality of switching circuits and a voltage generating unit. Each of the switching circuits includes a capacitor coupled between the first node and a second node. The voltage generating unit selectively provides a common signal or a reference signal to the capacitors of the switching circuits, wherein the reference signal is independent from the analog signal. |
| US07948409B2 |
Automatic power control system for optical disc drive and method thereof
A method for calibrating an initial driving signal for driving an optical pick-up head of an optical disk drive is provided. On one embodiment, said optical disk drive is utilized for reading or writing data on an optical disk, the optical disk comprises a plurality of auto power control areas (APC areas) and a plurality of data areas, and the APC areas and the data areas are interleaved in between. First, in the APC areas, an initial driving signal is used to drive the optical pick-up head to emit laserbeam. A detected level of the laserbeam is then obtained. An update initial driving signal is then calibrated according to the detected level and a target level. |
| US07948408B2 |
Entropy decoding methods and apparatus using most probable and least probable signal cases
Methods and apparatus for entropy decoding are disclosed. Compressed input data representing one or more signals is loaded into one or more registers. A first candidate value for a most probable signal case is prepared from the input data. A second candidate value for a least probable signal case is prepared from the input data. A final signal value for the one or more signals is selected from the first and second candidate values and an output bin value is generated based on the final signal value. A processor readable medium having embodied therein processor readable instructions for implementing the method for entropy decoding is also disclosed. In addition, a method of avoiding a branch instruction in an electronic processing algorithm is disclosed. |
| US07948403B2 |
Apparatus and method for aligning an aircraft
An apparatus for aligning an aircraft with an area on the ground is provided. The apparatus includes an aircraft having an on-board landing system, the on-board landing system configured to record an image of an area on the ground. The apparatus also includes a location marker on the area of the ground, and a stored image showing at least a portion of the area of the recorded image. The on-board landing system is configured to obtain information from the location marker and use the information to align the recorded image with the stored image. |
| US07948402B2 |
Virtual host isolation and detection of embedded operational flight program (OFP) capabilities
The present invention relates to an object oriented architecture that includes a plurality of host aircraft interface objects that enable a plurality of different host aircraft or variants to be attached or interfaced to an associated store, such as a targeting pod or a weapon system. The union of all aircraft hosts and variants are packaged and maintained as one executable capable of adapting to the predetermined suite of identified hosts and host variants. At least one or more interface objects provide a virtual translation layer which is dynamically determined and allocated during instantiation. Auto detection of the host aircraft/host aircraft variant provides the specific interface protocol by which the store can process and provide status via a predetermined signal format. |
| US07948401B2 |
Emergency transmission monitoring and reporting
A method, apparatus and system for monitoring an emergency frequency at a ground station for detection of an emergency signal and, upon detecting an emergency signal, determining whether the emergency signal represents an emergency event. If an emergency event is detected, the emergency event is reported. Determining whether the emergency signal represents an emergency event may include testing validity of the emergency signal to eliminate false positives. Reporting the emergency event may include sending an emergency event message to a remote server. The emergency event message may include time information and signal strength information associated with the detected emergency event and location information associated with the ground station. |
| US07948400B2 |
Predictive models of road reliability for traffic sensor configuration and routing
Methods for decision making about sensor location/configuration for traffic sensing and routing are described. Construction of predictive models via machine learning that infer variance of road speeds, in general or for specific contexts (e.g., rush hours for a traffic system) occurs. The predictive models for road reliability are built from libraries of data about sensed variances and road segments. The datasets include information for road segments monitored by fixed sensors/moving probes, road segment properties, geometric relationships among road segments, and proximal resources. Road segments are labeled by the sensed variance seen in traffic speeds over similar contexts. A model is created that can apply estimates of the variance of the traffic speed for a segment, including non-sensed segments via generalization to non-sensed road segments. Methods are described for employing the predictive models of variance, along with demand and propagation models, to make decisions about configuration of sensors. |
| US07948396B2 |
RF meter reading system
A meter reading system of the present invention enables transmission of data between utility meter endpoints and readers. In a first embodiment, the endpoint provides a short message providing its identification to the reader and immediately enters a listen mode. If the reader hears the short message, it can immediately respond and request additional information from the endpoint. If the reader does not hear the short message or does not request additional information during the endpoints listening period, the endpoint enters a sleep mode until its next transmission time. In another embodiment, the endpoint transmits an SCM via AM communication to the reader. The reader can then request additional information and the endpoint can respond with the information via two-way FM communication. In another embodiment, the endpoint is capable of transmitting interval data to the reader via either AM or FM communication. |
| US07948394B2 |
Control device for controlling the hue of light emitted from a light source
The invention relates to a control device (1) for controlling the hue (H) of light (L) emitted by a light source (2). The control device comprises a hue selection surface (20) capable of displaying one or more hues available for said light of said light source and interaction detection means (21) for detecting interaction between said hue selection surface and a user of said control device in selecting said hue for said light of said light source. The control device (1) allows the user to select the desired hue for the light source simply by interacting with the hue selection surface that displays the available hues. Consequently, the control device can be operated easily and intuitively. |
| US07948392B2 |
Display monitoring systems
A consumer electronic device (CED) having a display and including at least one light sensor for recalibrating the display at intervals, wherein the display and the at least one light sensor are mounted within different parts of a unitary housing such that when the CED is not in use the light sensor is able to monitor light from the display. Preferably, the different parts of the unitary housing comprise two hinged parts, one mounting the display, the other at least a light sensing portion of the sensor. |
| US07948386B2 |
Electronic rodent repeller that mimics a chattering sound of a distressed rodent
A rodent repeller having an audio signal generator configured to generate a chattering sound that mimics a distressed rodent. The audio signal generator produces a variable sound frequency to generate the chattering sound of distressed rodents. |
| US07948383B2 |
RFID tag assembly and method of managing a race
A race management system which includes an RFID tag located between an inner and outer layer and is removably secured to a participant's bib through a mounting film. The inner layer is secured to a second inner layer having at least one fold line and an adhesive portion outward of the at least one fold line. The RFID tag is secured around a portion of the participant's shoe and is activated by at least one antenna to transmit identification data encoded on the tag. The encoded data corresponds to indicia printed on the bib and allows automatic collection of running times. |
| US07948378B2 |
Tamperproof non-contact switch
A non-defeatable magnetically actuatable switch device is shown and described for restricting access to industrial controls. The non-contact switch device employs one or more non-contact access switches, and an access key removably disposed in close proximity to each access switch. Removal or installation of an access key alters the electrical state of a corresponding access switch. A connected control unit determines a mode of operation, or grants permissions, based on the combination of access keys that are present or absent from the device. A lockable or sealable cover is provided over the access keys to limit unauthorized access. A tamper detection switch is also provided for the sole purpose of identifying foreign magnetic sources in the vicinity of the access switches to ensure that the device is non-defeatable. Furthermore, all access and tamper detection switches are magnetically actuatable and thus provide a completely contact-free means of securing and restricting access to sensitive controls and parameters. |
| US07948373B2 |
Method for reducing power consumption of sensors
A method for reducing power consumption of sensors (2) within a sensor network (1), wherein a central controller (3) calculates a transmission schedule for said sensors (2) on the basis of a correlation between sensor data transmitted from said sensors (2) to the central controller (3). |
| US07948372B1 |
Method and apparatus for concealing sensors in urban and industrial environments
The present invention provides a method of monitoring the position of a vehicle, vessel, rail car, barge, tanker truck that is loaded with bulk or hazardous material. A G.P.S unit is set to send a signal to a radio transmitter if the unit moves beyond a maximum permissible distance (for example, 50 feet or more). An oxygen sensor can be used to send a signal to a radio transmitter if oxygen levels fall below a selected minimum concentration. The radio transmitter can send the message to a tugboat crew, police department, fire department, company headquarters, civil defense office or other personnel if either of the unit has moved beyond the selected maximum travel distance or if oxygen levels fall below a minimum concentration. In addition to the radio transmission of oxygen concentration data and/or G.P.S position data, visible or audible alarms can be used such as strobe light, horn or the like. Also disclosed is a system for concealment of chemical and/or biological sensors in a building for urban or industrial environments. |
| US07948369B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing dynamic multi-stage signal amplification in a medical device
Methods and apparatus for providing multi-stage signal amplification in a medical telemetry system are provided. |
| US07948366B2 |
Car speed alarm system
A car speed alarm system is installed in a vehicle and has a modulation module and a demodulation module. The modulation module sends a car speed signal to cars behind when the car is decelerating. The cars behind use their demodulation module to read the transmitted car speed signal and notify their drivers, so that the drivers know how and when to reduce their speeds. |
| US07948364B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining identifiable tire position location in a tire pressure monitoring system
A method for identifying tire location including the steps of transmitting a low frequency signal at different power levels and receiving radio frequency identification signals. Tire identification and location based on low frequency power level for two tire transmitters is determined. Radio frequency signals from two different tire transmitters are received and tire identification and location are determined based on radio frequency signal strength. |
| US07948363B2 |
Method and system for radio-frequency signal coupling to medium tension power lines with auto-tuning device
In one aspect, the present invention comprises a method for tuning a power line communication inductive signal coupling device comprising a coupler and a plurality of capacitors, the method comprising: passing a carrier frequency signal through the coupler; sensing an amplitude of the signal; and switching the capacitors until the amplitude of the signal reaches a maximum. In various embodiments: (a) the signal is transmitted by a second transmitter, and the method further comprises switching to a first transmitter for data transmission; (b) the signal is received by a receiver after passing through the coupler; and (c) the capacitors are switched by a relay controller receiving commands from a microprocessor. |
| US07948362B2 |
Implantable medical transceiver device
An implantable medical device having a transceiver for transmitting/receiving wirelessly transmitted data, which is turned off or switched into an energy-saving rest state between individual data transmissions via the transceiver and having a waking unit which is implemented to switch the transceiver by a waking signal from its turned-off state or its rest state into its fully operational state, the waking unit having a low-power receiver and a waking control unit of which the low-power receiver is implemented to monitor multiple predefined frequency ranges in such a way that in case of a transmission of sufficient signal strength in one of the frequency ranges, it generates an output signal and outputs it to the waking control unit and of which the waking control unit is implemented to analyze output signals of the low-power receiver and output a waking signal to the transceiver which switches it on or to fully operational. |
| US07948348B2 |
Cross-core transformer
Core structures that may be used in transformers to improve the number of turns-ratios available. The core structures may include at least three outer legs and a center leg. In operation windings of the transformer may be wrapped around the center leg (e.g., using a bobbin) a fractional number of times, such that the turns-ratio of the transformer may be more finely selected without increasing the number of turns required. Additionally, the outer legs may have different cross-sectional areas, such that even more fractional turns-ratios are available. |
| US07948345B2 |
Transformer and transformer device
A transformer that is capable of setting any characteristics of a detection voltage of a detection winding and accurately detecting an output voltage includes a bobbin, a magnetic core, a first input winding, an output winding, a second input winding, and a detection winding. The bobbin is tubular and includes a plurality of winding regions located at its outer portion. The magnetic core is inserted in the bobbin. The first input winding is wound in a first winding region. The output winding is wound in a second winding region adjacent to the first winding region. The second input winding is wound in a third winding region adjacent to the second winding region. The detection winding is wound in the vicinity of the first input winding. The first input winding and the second input winding have different numbers of turns and are connected in series in the same winding direction. |
| US07948344B2 |
Bobbin for coil, coil winding, and coil component
A coil bobbin has a cylindrical portion around which a coil winding is wound. The coil winding is comprised of coil members of an end-defined ring shape, the coil members have indentations indented outwardly in part of their inner periphery, and circumferential positions of the indentations are coincident with those of the indentations. Claws and flanges protruding outwardly are integrally provided at both ends of the cylindrical portion, and the cylindrical portion is inserted into openings of the coil members so that the claws pass through the indentations. In a state in which the claws are located out of the coil member, the cylindrical portion is rotated whereby the coil winding is interposed between the claws and the flanges. |
| US07948340B2 |
Three-phase multi-winding device
A three-phase, multi-winding includes a core, the core including a hub and an outer shell around a perimeter of the hub. wherein the hub and the outer shell are in a fixed position with respect to each other. The core also includes multiple slots. In addition to the core, the multi-winding device includes a primary winding positioned in at least two of the slots; and multiple spatially distributed secondary windings, wherein at least one of the secondary windings is positioned proximate the primary winding in at least one of the two slots. |
| US07948339B2 |
Electromagnetic drive unit and an electromechanical switching device
An electromechanical switching device, especially a contactor or a multifunctional device including a contactor, includes at least one stationary contact piece, at least one movable contact piece movable to and from the at least one stationary contact piece for opening or closing a current path and an electromagnetic drive unit including a yoke and a coil and a movable armature. In at least one embodiment, the electromagnetic drive unit is adapted to displace the movable contact piece in response to a voltage applied to the coil. The at least one movable contact piece and the at least one stationary contact piece are adapted to limit movement of the armature after activation of the electromagnetic drive unit. |
| US07948338B2 |
Electromagnetic switch equipped with built-in electronic control circuit
An electromagnetic switch is provided which is equipped with a built-in electronic control circuit working to control energization of an exciting coil. The electronic control circuit is disposed within a chamber defined by a magnetic plate to be separate from a contact chamber. In other words, the electronic control circuit is disposed between the magnetic plate and the exciting coil, thereby avoiding the adhesion of conductive dusts, as arising from the wear of contacts, to the surface of the electronic control circuit. This results in decreases in electric insulation and short-circuit of the electronic control circuit and also eliminates the need for additional special parts to electrically insulate and shield the electronic control circuit, thus permitting the electromagnetic switch to be reduced in size and produced at a decreased const. |
| US07948336B2 |
Mold cased circuit breaker
A mold cased circuit breaker is disclosed that enables a user to easily discern an actually connected state between stationary contactors and movable contactors and forcibly separates a connection therebetween if there arises electrical fault, wherein the circuit breaker comprises: a first isolation link hinged at a lower end thereof to a shaft unit and selectively engaged at an upper end thereof with a lateral surface of a lever; a second isolation link centrally formed with an oblong hole for accommodating a guide pin protruded on a side plate and linked at one end thereof to an upper end of the first isolation link; and an isolation lever adjacently positioned at one end thereof to the other end of the second isolation link, and so positioned at the other end thereof as to selectively engage with a nail, and rotatably mounted at the side plate to rotate the nail by way of operation of the second isolation link. |
| US07948335B2 |
Coaxial waveguide microstructure having conductive and insulation materials defining voids therein
Provided are coaxial waveguide microstructures. The microstructures include a substrate and a coaxial waveguide disposed above the substrate. The coaxial waveguide includes: a center conductor; an outer conductor including one or more walls, spaced apart from and disposed around the center conductor; one or more dielectric support members for supporting the center conductor in contact with the center conductor and enclosed within the outer conductor; and a core volume between the center conductor and the outer conductor, wherein the core volume is under vacuum or in a gas state. Also provided are methods of forming coaxial waveguide microstructures by a sequential build process and hermetic packages which include a coaxial waveguide microstructure. |
| US07948323B2 |
Linear transimpedance amplifier with wide dynamic range for high rate applications
Various amplifier configurations having increased bandwidth, linearity, dynamic range, and less distortion are shown and disclosed. To increase bandwidth in a transimpedance amplifier, a replica circuit is created to replicate a degeneration resistance, or the resistance or value that relates to a feedback resistance. From the replica circuit, the replicated values are mirrored and processed to control a FET switch which modifies a degeneration resistance. The FET switch control signal is related to the feedback resistance and modifies the degeneration resistance to thereby maintain the product of the feedback resistance and the degeneration resistance as a constant. In another embodiment, a second switch controlled by an automatic gain control signal is established between a first stage amplifier and a second stage amplifier to improve dynamic range and bandwidth without degrading other amplifier specifications. |
| US07948315B2 |
Low noise binary-coded gain amplifier and method for time-gain compensation in medical ultrasound imaging
A low noise variable gain amplifier and method for processing received signals in an ultrasound medical imaging system is disclosed. Unlike solutions known from the prior art, the signals are amplified by a binary-coded gain amplifier having its amplification factor progressively increased during the penetration of the transmitted pulse into a patient's body. This allows enhancing both the system dynamic range and Signal to Noise Ratio. |
| US07948314B2 |
Tunable linear operational transconductance amplifier
A tunable, linear operational transconductance amplifier includes a differential voltage to current conversion unit adapted to generate first and second output signals at respective first and second output nodes responsive to first and second differential input signals. A first current amplification unit is adapted to generate a third output signal responsive to the first output signal and first and second control signals. A second current amplification unit is adapted to generate a fourth output signal responsive to the second output signal and the first and second control signals. |
| US07948313B2 |
Class D amplifier circuit
A class D amplifier circuit includes a signal generation section that generates a first pulse width modulation signal and a second pulse width modulation signal based on an input signal. When a level of the input signal is zero, the signal generation section generates: the first pulse width modulation signal having a repeated first wide-width pulse signal portion, which has a wide width and a repeated first narrow-width pulse signal portion, which has a narrow width which is narrower than the wide width of the first wide-width pulse signal; and the second pulse width modulation signal having a repeated second narrow-width pulse signal portion, which has a narrow width and a repeated second wide-width pulse signal portion, which has a wide width which is wider than the narrow width of the second narrow-width pulse signal portion. A rising point in time of the second narrow-width pulse signal portion occurs after a rising point in time of the first wide-width pulse signal portion and a falling point in time of the second narrow-width pulse signal portion occurs before a falling point in time of the first wide-width pulse signal portion. A rising point in time of the first narrow-width pulse signal portion occurs after a rising point in time of the second wide-width pulse signal portion and a falling point in time of the first narrow-width pulse signal portion occurs before a falling point in time of the second wide-width pulse signal portion. |
| US07948310B2 |
System and a method for signal processing
A system for processing an input signal, the system including: (a) a hardware memory module configured to store a lookup table; and (b) a signal processing module, configured to process the input signal to provide a second signal, and to transmit the second signal to a power amplifier that is characterized by non-linearity and which is adapted to amplify the second signal to provide an amplified signal; wherein the signal processing module is configured to process the input signal in response to at least one filtering parameter to provide the second signal so as to at least partly compensate for the non-linearity of the amplifier; wherein the at least one filtering parameter is retrieved from the lookup table using a first, a second, and a third lookup table indexes, wherein the first index is responsive to a magnitude of the input signal at a first moment, the second index is responsive to a magnitude of the input signal at a second moment, and the third index is responsive to phases of the input signal at the first and the second moments. |
| US07948309B2 |
DC-offset cancelled programmable gain array for low-voltage wireless LAN system and method using the same
An amplifier circuit includes a transconductance amplifier at an input side of the amplifier circuit, a transimpedance amplifier connected to an output of the transconductance amplifier, and a voltage amplifier connected to an output of the transimpedance amplifier. The transconductance amplifier and the transimpedance amplifier form a low-impedance node at an interface thereof. A feedback circuit is connected between an output of the voltage amplifier and the low-impedance node between the transconductance amplifier and the transimpedance amplifier. The transconductance amplifier, the transimpedance amplifier, and the voltage amplifier form a main amplifier stage. The feedback circuit senses an imbalance in an output of the main amplifier stage, whereby a correction signal is integrated and negatively fed back to the low-impedance node between the transconductance amplifier and the transimpedance amplifier. |
| US07948306B2 |
Active power filter method and apparatus
This disclosure provides active power filter methods and apparatus to control the PF, harmonics and/or ripple current associated with powering electrical devices. According to one exemplary aspect, an active power filter is configured to measure the momentary ac line output current, measure the momentary ac line input current and switch an energy buffer to provide additional current to the ac line output or draw current from the ac line input to control the PF associated with the device. |
| US07948300B2 |
Negative supply voltage generating circuit and semiconductor integrated circuit having the same
A negative supply voltage generating circuit includes a pulse generating circuit and a charge pump. The pulse generating circuit generates a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal in response to a clock signal. The first and second pulse signals have pulse widths different from each other. The charge pump generates a negative supply voltage by performing a charge pumping operation in response to the first and second pulse signals, and has a time interval between a switch-on time duration for charging a flying capacitor and a switch-on time duration for transmitting charges to an output capacitor. |
| US07948297B1 |
Circuits and methods to minimize thermally generated offset voltages
A circuit to minimize thermally generated offset voltages includes a differential pair of transistors having a first transistor and a second transistor and coupled to a current source, a differential input having a first input coupled to the first transistor and having a second input coupled to the second transistor, a pair of bypass transistors having a first bypass transistor and a second bypass transistor, the first bypass transistor coupled in parallel with the first transistor and the second bypass transistor coupled in parallel with the second transistor, wherein the pair of bypass transistors is coupled to the current source, and control circuitry coupled to the pair of bypass transistors for controlling current through the pair of bypass transistors. |
| US07948288B2 |
Digital delay locked loop circuit
A phase determination section determines the quantity of first fixed delay elements for delaying a clock signal by one cycle and generates a selection signal indicating the determination result. A phase adjustment section determines, based on the selection signal, the quantity of second fixed delay elements for delaying an input signal and generates the output signal by delaying the input signal by a certain phase amount. The phase adjustment section includes a variable delay unit which generates, based on the selection signal, a variable delay time allowing the delay time of the output signal to be adjusted in steps of ½n the delay time of one of the second fixed delay elements. |
| US07948286B2 |
Bandwidth control apparatus for phase lock loop and method thereof
A loop bandwidth control apparatus applied to a phase locked loop (PLL) includes a first loop filter module, a second loop filter module, a control module, a first switching module, and a second switching module. The first filter module and the second loop filter module output a first voltage and a second voltage, respectively. The second loop filter module has a bandwidth different from that of the first loop filter module. According to one of the first voltage and the second voltage, the control module generates a bandwidth control signal. According to the bandwidth control signal, the first switching module forms a path between a charge pump and one of the first loop filter module and the second loop filter module, and the second switching module forms a path between a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and one of the first loop filter module and the second loop filter module. |
| US07948284B2 |
Power-on reset circuit
Provided is a power-on reset circuit suitable for a semiconductor device that operates at a low supply voltage. When a supply voltage (VDD) becomes higher than a first output circuit reversal threshold voltage (Vz) after a reset signal is output, a first control circuit (51) operates so that the reset signal is not output. With an appropriate circuit design in which the first output circuit reversal threshold voltage (Vz) is low, the output and stop of the reset signal is enabled at the low supply voltage (VDD). |
| US07948282B2 |
Triangular-wave generating circuit, and inverter, light emitting device and liquid crystal television using the circuit
A first comparator compares an output voltage Vout appearing at a capacitor with a maximum threshold voltage Vmax. A second comparator compares the output voltage Vout with a minimum threshold voltage Vmin. An edge detection circuit detects an edge of a synchronization signal SYNC having approximately ½ of frequency of the output voltage Vout and outputs an edge detection signal SE. A charge-discharge control unit refers to the first and the second comparison signal, and sets the charge-discharge circuit to a discharging state when the output voltage Vout becomes higher than the maximum threshold voltage Vmax and sets the charge-discharge circuit to a charging state when the output voltage Vout becomes lower than the minimum threshold voltage Vmin. When the edge signal SE becomes the predetermined level, the charge-discharge control unit switches the charging state and the discharging state of the charge-discharge circuit. |
| US07948280B2 |
Controller including a sawtooth generator and method of operating the same
A sawtooth generator adapted to produce a sawtooth voltage, a method of operating the same, and a power converter employing the sawtooth generator and method. In one embodiment, the sawtooth generator includes a current source, coupled to a clock with a clock frequency, configured to produce a reference current proportional to the clock frequency. The sawtooth generator also includes an active network including a switch and a capacitor coupled to the current source and configured to provide a sawtooth voltage with a waveform slope produced across the capacitor substantially proportional to the reference current. |
| US07948276B2 |
Gate driver circuit, switch assembly and switch system
It is presented a gate driver circuit for driving an electric switch, the switch being arranged to control a main current using a gate signal. The gate driver circuit comprises: a non-linear capacitor means having a lower capacitance when an applied voltage is under a threshold voltage and a higher capacitance when an applied voltage is over the threshold voltage, wherein the non-linear capacitor is arranged to be connected between a high voltage connection point of the switch and a connection point for the gate signal; a current change rate sensor, the current change rate sensor being configured to detect changes in a main current of the electric switch and to control a gate signal of the electric switch depending on the current change; a gate buffer; and at least one current source, arranged to drive the gate buffer. The current change rate sensor is connected to control the current source to thereby control the gate signal of the electric switch. |
| US07948274B2 |
Frequency generation circuitry and method
A method includes generating a plurality of reference phases of a reference signal and selecting a sub-phase from each of the plurality of reference phases to form a set of selected sub-phases. In the method selecting operates in response to synchronized outputs of a multi-phase phase accumulator that operates synchronously in accordance with one of the sub-phases of the set of sub-phases, and where the outputs of the multi-phase phase accumulator may be synchronized using at least one additional sub-phase. |
| US07948273B2 |
Soft-start device
A soft-start device including a current source, a first transistor, and a second transistor is described. The first transistor is coupled to the current source, and an amount of current conducted by the first transistor is determined according to a voltage. The second transistor is also coupled to the current source, and an amount of current conducted by the second transistor is determined according to a fixed bias. An initial voltage value of the voltage is smaller than a voltage value of the fixed bias. However, after a soft start, the voltage value of the first voltage is increased gradually to be larger than the voltage value of the fixed bias, such that the soft start may be implemented smoothly. |
| US07948271B1 |
Molecular wire crossbar logic (MWCL)
A programmable logic array (PLA) comprising a two-dimensional array of a plurality of nanometer-scale switches is provided. Each switch comprises a pair of crossed wires which form a junction where one wire crosses another and at least one connector species connecting the pair of crossed wires in the junction. The connector species comprises a bi-stable molecule. A plurality of switches is configurable as an AND gate and a plurality of switches is configurable as an OR gate. |
| US07948270B1 |
System and method for level translation in serial data interface
The serial interface operable, for example, to facilitate high speed differential data transfer between integrated circuits provides level shifting of an incoming data signal using a switched capacitor technique which level shifts the common mode voltage with minimal attenuation and minimal reduction of bandwidths. The serial interface also includes a DC offset correction loop of the input data receiver path. The level shifting circuit operates by sensing the incoming common mode voltage of a differential data signal with a resistor divider and sampling the difference between the measured input common mode voltage and desired input differential voltages generated by a differential DAC in the DC offset correction loop on two small capacitors. The small capacitors are switched across larger in-signal-path capacitors cyclically, so that over time a charge will build up to give the desired level shift to shift the common mode voltage of the incoming signal to the level tolerable by low voltage high speed transistors in the receiving integrated circuit. |
| US07948265B1 |
Circuits for replicating self-timed logic
Circuits for implementing logic replication in self-timed integrated circuits are provided. An exemplary circuit includes first and second copies of a replicated circuit, an input circuit, an output circuit, and a pipelined routing path. The first and second copies each have a self-timed input and a self-timed output. The input circuit provides a self-timed input signal alternately to the self-timed inputs of the first and second copies. The output circuit receives the self-timed output from the first copy and the self-timed output from the second copy, and outputs a selected one of the self-timed outputs based on a value of a self-timed select signal. The pipelined routing path routes the self-timed select signal from the input circuit to the output circuit. The number of pipeline stages in the pipelined routing path can be different from, e.g., less than, the number of stages in both the first and second copies. |
| US07948255B2 |
Test handler
A test handler is disclosed. The test handler includes first to third transfers for transferring a user tray, and first to third horizontal movement units suitable for respectively moving the first to third transfers in the horizontal direction. The first to third horizontal movement units are independently operated such that each of the first to third transfers can perform independently horizontal movements. Each of the first to third transfers performs based on its previously allocated function, thereby enhancing test process speed for devices. |
| US07948252B2 |
Multilayered probe card
A method of designing and manufacturing a probe card assembly includes prefabricating one or more elements of the probe card assembly to one or more predefined designs. Thereafter, design data regarding a newly designed semiconductor device is received along with data describing the tester and testing algorithms to be used to test the semiconductor device. Using the received data, one or more of the prefabricated elements is selected. Again using the received data, one or more of the selected prefabricated elements is customized. The probe card assembly is then built using the selected and customized elements. |
| US07948249B2 |
Semiconductor chip having a crack test circuit and method of testing a crack of a semiconductor chip using the same
A semiconductor chip includes a line structure arranged along a peripheral region of the semiconductor chip region in order to inspect a crack, a first pad and second pad arranged on different end portions of the line structure, a second pad arranged on another end portion of the line structure, an inspection device activated during a crack test mode to electrically connect the first pad, the line structure and the second pad. The inspection device may include a first switching circuit connected between the first pad and the line structure, the first switching circuit being deactivated during a normal operation mode and being activated a crack test mode; and a second switching circuit connected between the second pad and the line structure, the second switching circuit being deactivated during the normal operation mode and being activated during the crack test mode. |
| US07948248B1 |
Cable length correction
A transmission line impedance compensation method includes the step of providing a measurement device that is adapted to source a test signal having a frequency to a device under test and to determine a corresponding impedance of the device under test using an auto-balanced bridge technique. A first transmission line, a second transmission line, a third transmission line, and a fourth transmission line are connected to said measurement device. An end of the first transmission line is connected to an end of second transmission line. An end of third transmission line is connected to an end of fourth transmission line. A combined phase delay of the connected first and second transmission lines, and a combined phase delay of the connected third and fourth transmission lines, are measured by the measuring device. The device under test is connected to the first transmission line, the second transmission line, the third transmission line, and the fourth transmission line after measuring the phase delays. The corresponding impedance of the device under test is determined based on both of the phase delays. |
| US07948244B2 |
Capacitive sensors including gain and active-filtered sampling stages
Embodiments of capacitive sensors (500, 600) and methods for reducing noise in capacitive sensors are provided. Embodiments of capacitive sensors include a gain stage (510, 610), a capacitive sensor output, and an active filtered-sampling stage (550, 650). The an active filtered-sampling stage includes a first resistive element (555, 655) coupled to the gain stage output, a second resistive element (565, 670) coupled to the capacitive sensor output, a node (560, 660) between the first and second resistive elements, and a switch (575, 675) selectively coupling the first node to an integrator circuit (550, 650), where the integrator circuit is coupled to the capacitive sensor output. |
| US07948243B2 |
Testable integrated circuit, system in package and test instruction set
An integrated circuit die includes first and second test data inputs, a test data output, and a test arrangement for testing the integrated circuit die. The test arrangement includes a multiplexer coupled to the first and second test data inputs, a further multiplexer coupled to the test data output, a plurality of shift registers including an instruction register, each of the shift registers being coupled between the multiplexer and the further multiplexer, and a controller for controlling the multiplexers in response to the instruction register. Such a test arrangement facilitates JTAG compliant testing of a system in package (SiP) by providing a direct connection between the SiP test data input pin and the second test data input of the IC die, and the SiP test data output pin and the test data output of the IC die, thus facilitating the bypassing of other test arrangements in the SiP. |
| US07948241B2 |
Fault direction determination
The invention concerns a method and computer program product for determining the direction of fault in an electrical power system as well as to a fault handling device. In the fault handling device the voltage at a measurement node of the power system is measured, the phase (φPF) of this voltage (VPF) before a fault is stored, the phase (φF) of this voltage (VF) at the end of a time interval (TI) following directly after a detected fault is determined, a phase offset (φO) is determined as the difference between the phase (φPF) of the measured voltage (VPF) before the fault and the phase (φF) of the measured voltage (VF) at the end of the time interval (TI) and the phase (φF) of the measured voltage (VF) after the detection of the fault is adjusted with the phase offset (φO). Thereafter the adjusted measured voltage is used in determining the direction of fault in relation to the measurement node. |
| US07948240B2 |
Abnormality diagnosing apparatus for a glow plug
An abnormality diagnosing apparatus for a glow plug 8 provided in an engine 1. The glow plug 8 is energized by power supply from a battery 7 during a glow period from starting of the engine 1 to completion of engine starting. First, on the basis that power output edf from an alternator 12, which is driven to charge the battery 7, is within an appropriate range and that the variation Δedf of the power output edf at the end of the glow period is not more than a reference value a, it is determined if there is a possibility of an abnormality in the glow plug 8. After the determination, the plug 8 is energized temporarily. Then, on the basis that the power output edf is within a modified appropriate range, which has a greater upper limit than the previous appropriate range and that the variation Δedf while the plug 8 is energized is not more than the reference value a, it is determined that the an abnormality actually occurred. Accordingly, failure of determination of the presence of an abnormality due to deterioration of the battery 7 is prevented when an abnormally has actually occurred. |
| US07948239B1 |
Method for controlling a depth of an induction field
In one aspect of the present invention, an induction resistivity tool includes an induction transmitter and an induction receiver located along the length of the tool. The transmitter is located adjacent at least one induction bucking coils of the tool. When activated the bucking coils are configured to direct a field transmitted by the induction transmitter away from the tool at an angle from the central axis of the tool. |
| US07948234B2 |
Magnetic sensor and method for producing the same
A magnetoresistive element includes, in plan view, an element section and an extension region extending from an end portion of the element section; and an insulation layer is formed on the element section and the extension region. A contact hole having a recessed shape, penetrating through the insulation layer, and extending at least to the extension region is formed; an electrode pad is formed in the contact hole; a surface of the electrode pad is exposed to outside; and the electrode pad is electrically connected to the extension region. The element section and the extension region are integrally formed so as to have an identical layer configuration employing a magnetoresistive effect in which electrical resistance varies in response to external magnetic fields. |
| US07948231B2 |
Rotation detecting apparatus having magnetic sensor array and bearing provided with same
A rotation detecting apparatus capable of increasing the angle detecting precision without being affected by an offset signal resulting from a stress in a silicon chip. The rotation detecting apparatus includes a magnetic sensor array and a magnet rotatable in face-to-face relation with the magnetic sensor array. The magnetic sensor array includes a plurality of groups of sensor elements, each group including four sensor elements. The four sensor elements of each combined sensor element group are so arranged as to be oriented vertically and horizontally in four directions and connected parallel to each other. |
| US07948227B2 |
Electrical circuit diagnostic tool
Diagnosing electrical circuit faults can be accomplished with a variety of tools. Voltmeters are frequently used to measure voltage to determine whether a short is present, but are not well-suited for finding intermittent faults caused by corroded connectors or excessive voltage drop under operating loads. Measuring a static voltage without load using a voltmeter can yield misleading results. A diagnostic tool that is simple to use and that yields a definitive result is preferred in certain applications such as automotive electrical system diagnosis due to the varying skill level of technicians and the variation in field conditions in automotive shops. A simple, inexpensive diagnostic tool that can be used with minimal or no training allows rapid diagnosis of circuit faults that result from a the inability of a measured circuit to supply a minimum current at a minimum voltage. |
| US07948226B2 |
Traceable fiber optic jumpers
An optical fiber jumper cable includes a single tracing conductor for tracing the jumper cable through a fiber cross-connect facility such as a central office. An electrical locating tone is impressed on the conductor so that the conductor radiates an electromagnetic field along the length of the fiber jumper cable. A locating tone detector is used to trace the fiber jumper cable along its length by monitoring a presence-indicating signal emitted by the locating tone detector. |
| US07948225B2 |
Phase identification systems and methods
A system and method for determining the relative phase between current-carrying conductors. A reference unit samples and digitizes a voltage waveform at a reference location and transmits the digitized voltage waveform. A field sampling unit is placed on or directly adjacent a field conductor at a field location and transmits a signal representative of the voltage waveform of the field conductor. A field unit receives and digitizes the waveform received from the field sampling unit, receives the digitized voltage waveform from the reference unit, and compares the digitized field waveform and the digitized reference waveform. Also provided are methods for commissioning the phase identification system and calibrating the reference unit. |
| US07948224B2 |
Feedback controller having multiple feedback paths
A feedback controller comprises first and second feedback circuits. The first feedback circuit is connected between an input node and an output node and has an error node. The first feedback circuit comprising a feedback amplifier for comparing a feedback signal to a reference signal and providing an error signal, and a comparator for comparing the error signal to a second reference signal and providing an output signal. The second feedback circuit is connected between the input node and the error node and comprises a current source coupled to the error node and a controller coupled to the input node for controlling the current source in response to a value of the feedback signal being above or below a threshold value. |
| US07948222B2 |
Asymmetric topology to boost low load efficiency in multi-phase switch-mode power conversion
Techniques for performing DC to DC power conversion in switch-mode converter circuits include combinations of dynamic switch shedding, phase shedding, symmetric phase circuit topologies, and asymmetric phase circuit topologies. In at least one embodiment of the invention, a method of operating a power converter circuit includes operating a first phase switch circuit portion using a first number of switch devices when the power converter circuit is configured in a first mode of operation. The first number is greater than zero. The method includes operating the first phase switch circuit portion using the first number of switch devices when the power converter circuit is configured in a second mode of operation. The method includes operating a second phase switch circuit portion using a second number of switch devices when the power converter circuit is configured in the second mode of operation. The second number is greater than the first number. |
| US07948220B2 |
Method and apparatus to reduce dynamic Rdson in a power switching circuit having a III-nitride device
A method of preventing the Rdson of a III-V Nitride power switching circuit from varying over time. The method includes biasing the switch to a pre-bias voltage level just below turn ON when the switch is OFF, wherein traps are discharged when the switch is biased to the pre-bias voltage level just below turn ON and the varying of the Rdson over time due to traps is reduced. The method can be employed in DC-DC converter circuits having III-V Nitride control and synchronous switches connected at a switching node. |
| US07948219B2 |
Control circuit of synchronous rectification type power supply unit, synchronous rectification type power supply unit and control method thereof
The control circuit comprises: a detecting portion COMP1 for detecting a status transition of a first signal FR at the connecting point P which changes at a constant cycle corresponding to current flowing through the antiparallel diode D when the main switch device FET is turned OFF; and a phase difference adjusting portion 30, 40 for adjusting the phase difference by adjusting the output timing of the second signal FP corresponding to a phase difference between the phase of the first signal FR detected by the detecting portion COMP1 and the phase of the second signal FP generated based on the first signal of one cycle before and the rectification switch device FET2 is turned ON corresponding to the second signal FP whose output timing is adjusted by the phase difference adjusting portion 30, 40. |
| US07948218B2 |
Voltage regulator for magnetogenerators with configurable connection of the phase windings
The voltage regulator receives power in A.C. from a permanent magnet voltage generator, having phase windings with a configurable connection, to supply power in D.C. to a battery. The voltage regulator comprises a plurality of semi-bridge rectifiers connected between the terminals of the phase windings of the voltage generator, and a battery power supply terminal; it also comprises a control circuit designed to change over the connection of the phase windings between two different configurations, for example star and delta, in relation to the charging voltage of the battery upon exceeding a threshold value of the phase frequency of the voltage generator. |
| US07948217B2 |
Distributed generation system and power system stabilizing method
A distributed generation system that can suppress a voltage fluctuation caused by a distributed generation by an apparatus of a small power capacity in the distributed generation itself and stabilize the power system voltage without inserting interharmonic voltage or current into the power system and without interference among a plurality of distributed generations. Parameter α(t) varying with time is estimated based on fluctuating component ΔP of the active power P generated by the distributed generation and the voltage fluctuating component ΔV attributable to the distributed generation developed at the point of connection between the distributed generation and power system. The distributed generation produces reactive power Q=−αP or Q=−αΔP, to thereby suppresses only the voltage fluctuation of the power system attributable to the distributed generation. |
| US07948212B2 |
Battery pack and charging method
In a battery pack with battery charger, a circuit derives a relatively low constant current from the charge current of the battery charger, and this relatively low constant current is used to charge the battery pack when temperature is below a threshold. Otherwise, the charge current from the battery charger is used, at least up to a high temperature threshold. |
| US07948208B2 |
Power source, charging system, and inductive receiver for mobile devices
A power source, charging system, and inductive receiver for mobile devices. A pad or similar base unit comprises a primary, which creates a magnetic field by applying an alternating current to a winding, coil, or any type of current carrying wire. A receiver comprises a means for receiving the energy from the alternating magnetic field and transferring it to a mobile or other device. The receiver can also comprise electronic components or logic to set the voltage and current to the appropriate levels required by the mobile device, or to communicate information or data to and from the pad. The system may also incorporate efficiency measures that improve the efficiency of power transfer between the charger and receiver. |
| US07948206B2 |
Assembly comprising a three-phase machine and a frequency converter
Disclosed is an assembly encompassing a three-phase machine and a frequency converter. Said assembly has the following characteristics: the three-phase machine comprises a stator and a rotor; at least the three circuits of the stator and/or the rotor can be operated in an insulated manner relative to each other for the three phases of the rotary current while being connectable to one separate terminal point of the frequency converter, respectively, so as to be insulated relative to each other; and the frequency converter is embodied with a D.C. link having a grounded neutral in such a way that a voltage or current which is symmetric regarding the potential to ground can be output at any moment between the two associated terminal points of each circuit. |
| US07948205B2 |
Multi-phase AC motor driving device
A multi-phase AC motor driving device in which occurrence of failure is not erroneously determined is provided. In a multi-phase AC motor driving device including an inverter circuit; current detecting resistances Ru, Rv, and Rw, respectively arranged on lower arm of the respective phase of the inverter circuit, for detecting phase current of the motor; and a control portion and a PWM circuit for controlling ON/OFF operation of switching devices of the inverter circuit, the determination on the occurrence of failure based on the current values detected by the current detecting resistances is not made if the ON-duty ratios of the switching devices on the upper arms of the inverter circuit are not smaller than a predetermined value. |
| US07948204B2 |
Sensorless speed detection of a PM brushless motor with phase terminals shorted
According to one disclosed embodiment, a gate driver circuit for sensorless speed detection and driving a switching stage includes high side and low side switches series connected across a DC bus and having a switching node between the series switches, the gate driver having a bootstrap power supply for powering a high side driver driving the high side switch of the switching stage and a low side driver power supply, and further includes a comparator circuit to periodically compare the voltage between the bootstrap and low side driver power supplies with a threshold and to output a first signal, wherein the first signal indicates current sign and frequency. |
| US07948203B2 |
Device for the control of a smooth starting or ending of a three phase current motor, so-called soft starter
An arrangement for the control of a soft starting or stopping of a three phase current motors (1), a so-called soft starter, is furnished for starting of heavy mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic drives. In order to obtain a space savings with individual or multiple installation and to obtain a better accessibility during servicing, at least one switch cell (3) is formed in a switching cabinet (2), wherein the switch cell (3) comprises at least a three phase power block (4), and the power electronic (5) as well as contactors (6, 18) and is as a unit towards the front easily demountable or inversely incorporatable and is arranged without attachment at the rear or side wall (8) of the switch cabinet (2). In addition, it is furnished that in contrast a separating switch (9) attached at the switch cabinet wall (2) with a collection rail connection (10) by way of a pluggable contact coupling (10a) is connectable upon shifting inside and disengageable upon pulling out. |
| US07948201B2 |
Induction motor control device
An induction motor control device includes an inverter circuit for driving an induction motor by outputting a command voltage, a current detector for detecting an output current, a magnetic flux estimation observer for generating an estimated magnetic flux, an estimated current, and a phase command for the motor using the command voltage and the output current, a primary angular speed estimator for estimating a primary angular speed using the estimated magnetic flux, a slip compensator for calculating a slip angular frequency using the output current, a first angular speed estimator for estimating a first angular speed using the primary angular speed and the output current, a second angular speed estimator for estimating a second angular speed using the output current, the estimated magnetic flux, and the estimated current, and a resistance estimator for estimating a secondary resistance value of the motor using the first and second angular speeds. |
| US07948199B2 |
Single-ended gain stage and disk drive
An electrical apparatus comprising an amplifier having a first input, a second input, and an output. The apparatus further comprises a first electrical path coupled to the first input and having a first resistance and a first electrical path coupled to the second input and having a second resistance. The apparatus further comprises a second electrical path coupled to the second input and having a third resistance and a second electrical path, comprising an electrically-controllable resistance, coupled between the output and the first input. Further, the apparatus comprises circuitry for controlling the electrically-controllable resistance for adjusting a ratio between the electrically-controllable resistance and the third resistance to approximate a ratio between the first resistance and the second resistance. |
| US07948194B2 |
Waveform current monitor using RDSon of low-side bridge FET
An apparatus for monitoring current for a motor drive including at least high-side and low-side switching transistors includes a driver circuit for driving a gate of the low-side switching transistor. First circuitry measures a drain to source voltage across the low-side switching transistor and generates a voltage output responsive thereto. Second circuitry has a first state of operation that samples the voltage output of the first circuitry when the low-side switching transistor is turned on and has a second state of operation to sample the voltage output of the first circuitry when the low-side switching transistor is turned off. The second circuitry further generates a monitored output current responsive to the sampled voltage output. |