| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08107887B2 |
Narrowband system and method for defining narrowband wideband channels in unused wideband channels
A narrowband communication system (100) includes a base station (102) and a plurality of subscriber units (104). The base station assigns one or more wideband channels to be measured to each subscriber unit (606). The subscriber units tune to their assigned wideband channels and perform narrowband measurements, then report the results to the base station (612). The base station then analyzes the measurement results (614) and selects available wideband channels to be divided into narrowband channels for use by the narrowband system. |
| US08107883B2 |
Apparatus and method for interference avoidance in mixed device-to-device and cellular environment
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a method is disclosed that comprises collecting a set of neighbor cellular user equipment (UE) interferences from at least one neighbor cellular UE at a device-to-device (D2D) UE at least in part based on a decoded first uplink radio resource management (RRM) message and computing a first set of average neighbor UE interferences based on the set of collected neighbor cellular UE interferences. The method also comprises predicting at least one interference scenario at least in part based on the first set of average neighbor cellular UE interferences and a decoded second uplink RRM message. The method also comprises selecting a resource for data transmission to a pairing D2D UE at least in part based on the first set of average neighbor cellular UE interferences, and transmitting data over the selected resource to the pairing D2D UE. |
| US08107878B2 |
Methods and apparatus for user-selectable programmable housing skin sensors for user mode optimization and control
An embodiment relates generally to a method of operating a device. The method includes providing for a plurality of sensors, where each sensor is configured to sense and transmit data values associated with an interaction with the device by a user. A subset of the sensors of the plurality of sensors is associated with a respective facing on a housing of the device. The method also includes operating the plurality of sensors to detect the interaction with the device by the user and receiving sensor data associated with the interaction from the plurality of sensors. The method further includes determining a user mode of the device based on the sensor data associated with the interaction. |
| US08107876B2 |
Method and system for selectively broadcasting media
A method and apparatus for broadcasting media events, the method including the steps of providing a sequence of media events in a first server, the sequence of media events including at least one media event of a first type and a plurality of media events of a second type; playing the sequence from the first server to a content distribution network (CDN) server prior to a predetermined broadcast time; and storing at the CDN server at least a part of the sequence received from the first server. The method may further include the steps of inserting, at the first server, markers indicating where targeted media events are to be played in the sequence of media events and inserting, at the CDN server, targeted media events supplied by a third server in response to a request to provide media events targeted to information associated with at least one user. |
| US08107875B2 |
Placement of gateways near service beams
A method and system are presented for operating a multibeam satellite system involving positioning a plurality of service beams associated with a plurality of service beam coverage areas and positioning a feeder beam associated with a feeder beam coverage area. The feeder beam coverage area is at a proximity to at least one service beam coverage area. The feeder beam coverage area includes at least one gateway. Each of the plurality of service beam coverage areas uses a color. The at least near service beam coverage area uses at least one color from the plurality of colors. The feeder beam uses at least one color, excluding the at least one color used by the at least one near service beam coverage area. |
| US08107873B2 |
Image forming apparatus conveying sheets based on previously conveyed sheets
One embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus in which registration rollers are arranged immediately before an electrostatic latent bearing member and, after a carried paper is caused to temporarily stop by the registration rollers, carrying of the paper recommences with a timing enabling a leading edge of image information visualized on the electrostatic latent bearing member and a leading edge of the paper that has been stopped by the registration rollers to correspond, wherein, at a time of successive printing of multiple sheets, a carrying recommencement timing of an immediately subsequent paper is determined using information of a carrying recommencement timing of an immediately preceding carried paper. |
| US08107871B2 |
Apparatuses useful for printing and methods of treating marking material on media
Apparatuses useful for printing and methods of treating marking material on media are provided. An exemplary embodiment of the apparatuses includes a first member including a first outer surface; and a roll including a second outer surface forming a nip with the first outer surface. The second outer surface includes an inner portion having first and second axially-spaced edges, a roughened first high-friction surface axially outward from the first edge and a roughened second high-friction surface axially outward from the second edge. The first and second high-friction surfaces extend circumferentially around the roll and have a higher roughness than the inner portion. The inner portion and the first and second high-friction surfaces contact the first outer surface at the nip, and the first and second high-friction surfaces lie outside of a media path through the nip. |
| US08107868B2 |
Image fixing device containing a heat generating unit arranged at an end portion of a heater and an apparatus having the same
An aspect of the invention provides a fixing device that comprises: an endless fixing belt; a first rotating body arranged at an inner side of the fixing belt; and a heater arranged to face an inner surface of the fixing belt and configured to heat the fixing belt and to suspend the fixing belt in a tensioned state together with the first rotating body, the heater comprising: a heat generating unit arranged at an end portion of the heater on a downstream side in a direction of travel of the fixing belt and configured to heat the fixing belt; and a support including metal and configured to support the heat generating unit. |
| US08107864B2 |
Separating member, fixing device, and image forming apparatus
A fixing device includes a fixing roller and a pressing roller that are in pressure contact with each other. A separating plate is placed opposite to the fixing roller with a certain gap in between them. Positioning portions are installed on the separating plate to be in contact with width-direction ends of the fixing roller for determining the gap. The positioning portions are arranged such that edges of contact portions of the positioning portions on the width-direction center side in contact with the fixing unit are positioned outside an image area and inside a paper-passing area for a recording medium of a maximum passing-capable size. |
| US08107862B2 |
Image forming device having developer vibration element
An image forming apparatus includes a developer containing casing, a developer transport body, transport electrodes, and a developer vibrating section. The developer containing casing is a box-like member in which a developer is contained. The developer transport body has a developer transport surface, and is disposed within the developer containing casing. The plurality of transport electrodes are provided along the developer transport surface. These transport electrodes are configured such that they can transport the developer in a predetermined developer transport direction on the developer transport surface upon application of traveling-wave voltages. The developer vibrating section is configured to be able to vibrate the developer which is to be transported on the developer transport surface. |
| US08107861B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming method capable of automatically collecting developer from development device
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a development device, a developer collection device, a detector, and a controller. The image carrier carries a latent image. The development device develops the latent image into a toner image, and includes a developer carrier opposing the image carrier and carrying a developer. The developer collection device collects the developer from the development device when the development device is driven. The detector detects a state in which the developer carrier does not carry the developer. The controller starts driving the image carrier, starts driving the development device to cause the developer collection device to start collecting the developer, and stops driving the image carrier when the detector detects the state in which the developer carrier does not carry the developer, to collect the developer from the development device. |
| US08107858B2 |
Discharger and process cartridge
A discharger is provided, which can eliminate charge from a surface of a photoconductor. The discharger includes: a light source; a light guide member; a cover which covers the light guide member to expose at least an opposed surface of the light guide member to the photoconductor; and an adhesive tape which uses nonwoven fabric as a substrate, which is disposed between the light guide member and the cover so that the opposed surface of the light guide member is disposed between the tape and the photoconductor, and which bonds the light guide member and the cover to each other. |
| US08107855B2 |
Image forming device having detachable developing device unit
An image forming device includes a main casing, a photosensitive drum unit and a developing device unit. The photosensitive drum unit includes a plurality of photosensitive drums juxtaposed in a first direction orthogonal to an axis of each photosensitive drum. The developing device unit includes a plurality of developing devices disposed in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of photosensitive drums and a supporting member. Each developing device includes a developing roller having a shaft extending in a second direction parallel to the axis of each photosensitive drum. The supporting member supports the developing devices to be movable between a first position for supplying toner to corresponding photosensitive drums and a second position retracted from the first position. The developing device unit is detachable from the main casing by moving the developing devices to the second position and drawing the supporting member. |
| US08107854B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus in which an exposing unit is mounted on a cover unit for improved space utilization. The image forming apparatus includes a body, a plurality of developing units arranged in the body along vertical direction of the body, a cover unit that opens or closes a side of the body an exposing unit provided at the cover unit so as to move in association with the closing or opening movement of the cover unit. The image forming apparatus may also include an engagement member to limit the movement of the exposing unit and a shutter unit to selectively open an optical path of the exposing unit upon closure of the cover unit. |
| US08107851B2 |
Image forming apparatus provided with image reading unit
An image forming apparatus has a wide first main body, a narrow second main body below the first main body, and a cover on at least on one side of the second main body. The cover includes first and second walls. The first wall connects a side edge of the first main body and a lower side edge of the second main body. The second wall is a substantially inverted triangle that extends obliquely from the front edge of the first wall. |
| US08107849B2 |
Image forming apparatus
A compact image forming apparatus is provided in which stains on the back of a transfer material can be prevented. In particular, in a marginless print mode in which a toner image can be formed to the edge of a transfer material, a large amount of toner adheres to a transfer-material bearing member. The image forming apparatus includes a collecting member that can temporarily collect the toner adhering to the transfer-material bearing member. The toner that is temporarily collected by the collecting member is transferred to an intermediate transfer member and is cleaned by a cleaning unit. |
| US08107846B2 |
Image forming apparatus and control method thereof
An image forming apparatus having a normal mode and a standby mode includes an image forming unit to form an image, a switching unit which selectively allows power to be supplied to the image forming unit, a controller to control the switching unit based on a phase signal of the power, a power cut-off unit which cuts off the power to the image forming unit in the standby mode, and a phase detector which is connected to both ends of the power cut-off unit, detects a phase of the power via different phase detection routes according to whether being in the normal mode or in the standby mode, and outputs the phase signal of the power so that a power consumption of the image forming apparatus does not exceed a predetermined value in the standby mode. |
| US08107844B2 |
Methods and systems for image forming apparatus control and setting
The subject innovation relates to an image forming apparatus that includes a control panel capable of displaying a menu screen, and enabling users to set a plurality of image forming conditions. Furthermore, an image forming unit can execute image forming processing according to the conditions set via the control panel. A first control unit can be configured to control a reader and writer to write setting information into a storage medium, and to read the setting information stored in the storage medium. In, addition, a second control unit can be configured to control content of the menu screen in accordance with the setting information read from the storage medium when the control panel is operated to set an image forming condition, and to display setting items for condition setting on the menu screen in a predetermined order. |
| US08107843B2 |
Digital fuser using micro hotplate technology
In accordance with the invention, there are printing apparatuses and methods of marking and forming an image. The printing apparatus can include one or more digital heating elements disposed in a fuser subsystem, the digital heating element can include an array of hotplates, wherein each hotplate of the array of hotplates can be thermally isolated and can be individually addressable, wherein each hotplate can be configured to attain a temperature up to approximately 200° C. from approximately 20° C. in a time frame of milliseconds. |
| US08107841B2 |
Image forming apparatus and control method therefor
An image forming apparatus capable of suppressing occurrences of image defects and maintaining the image density constant while improving the development ability. The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum on which an electrostatic latent image is carried, a developing sleeve on which developer is carried, an AC high-voltage drive circuit, an AC transformer, a DC high-voltage circuit, a p-p voltage detection circuit, and a CPU. The p-p voltage detection circuit converts a peak-to-peak voltage across a capacitor into a DC voltage which is taken out as a capacity detection signal. Based on the capacity detection signal output from the p-p voltage detection circuit, the CPU changes an image formation condition, e.g., a set value of a developing bias voltage. |
| US08107835B2 |
Abnormality detecting method and image processing method for image processor
An abnormality detecting method and an image processing method for an image processor is provided. The image processor can easily detect an abnormal rotation of a photosensitive drum without having a special detecting means but using an existing sensor, and keeps image data until a normal toner image is transferred and fine printing is carried out. The image processor forms a toner image corresponding to image data on a plurality of photosensitive drums, and detects the position of the toner image at a given part on a transfer object, to which given part the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum is transferred, to detect a rotation failure of the photosensitive drum. When a rotation failure is detected, the image processor keeps input image data without deleting even after the end of image formation. |
| US08107826B2 |
Methods and apparatus for optical transmission of digital signals
A method of communicating digital information over a dispersive optical channel includes encoding the digital information into a plurality of data blocks, each of which includes a number of bits of the information. A time-varying electrical signal is generated which corresponds with each of said data blocks. The time-varying electrical signal is applied to an optical transmitter (122) to generate an optical signal which includes an asymmetrically amplitude limited transmitted signal modulated onto an optical carrier. The optical signal is then transmitted over the dispersive optical channel (106). At a receiving apparatus (104) the optical signal is detected to produce an electrical signal which corresponds with the asymmetrically amplitude limited transmitted signal. A frequency domain equalization of the electrical signal mitigates the effect of dispersion of the optical channel (106) on the transmitted optical signal, and the equalized signal is decoded to recover the encoded data blocks and the corresponding transmitted digital information. The method enables bipolar signals to be transmitted over a dispersive unipolar optical channel, and reduces or eliminates the need to apply a high optical bias level at the transmitter, thereby improving optical power efficiency and enabling output power levels to be maintained below applicable safe levels, while simultaneously enabling the effects of channel dispersion to be substantially mitigated. |
| US08107823B2 |
Optical transmission module
In an optical transmission module having a communication module which is freely movable in a case, when a tensile force is generated on an optical cable after connection of an optical transmission module, optical coupling surface and an optical axis center follow each other and thus stable optical transmission can be constantly performed. |
| US08107821B2 |
Systems and methods for Ethernet extension and demarcation
The present invention provides Ethernet extension and demarcation functionality through a Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) pluggable transceiver in a customer or remote device. The pluggable transceiver is configured to frame an Ethernet client signal and to provide OAM&P functionality, such as with G.709 framing. The pluggable transceiver operates within existing multi-source agreement (MSA) specifications. Accordingly, the pluggable transceiver can operate in any customer device compliant to the MSA specifications. Additionally, the framing and OAM&P functionality are transparent to the customer device, but instead utilized by a service provider for demarcation functionality, eliminating the requirements for external demarcation equipment and for external transponders. |
| US08107820B2 |
Systems and methods for the integration of framing, OAM&P, and forward error correction in SFP optical transceiver devices
The present invention provides systems and methods for integrated framing functionality; optical layer operations, administration, maintenance, and provisioning (OAM&P); forward error correction (FEC); data encapsulation; and performance enhancement support in SFP optical transceiver modules. An SFP pluggable transceiver is configured to frame a client signal and to provide OAM&P functionality, such as with G.709 framing. The SFP pluggable transceiver operates within existing multi-source agreement (MSA) specifications for SFP. Accordingly, the pluggable transceiver can operate in any customer device compliant to the MSA specifications. |
| US08107815B2 |
System and method for communicating wireless data utilizing a passive optical network
In one embodiment, a method for providing wireless communications utilizing a passive optical network (PON) is disclosed. The method includes receiving, at a PON, downstream packets from a base station destined for a mobile station, and transmitting the downstream packets to wireless transceivers associated with PON. The method also includes receiving, at the first wireless transceiver communicatively coupled to a first optical network terminal (ONT), the downstream packets from the first ONT and transmitting a first wireless signal comprising the downstream packets to a first cell. The method also includes receiving, at a second wireless transceiver communicatively coupled to a second ONT, the downstream packets from the second ONT and transmitting a second wireless signal comprising the downstream packets to a second cell. |
| US08107811B1 |
Image capture device
An image capture device includes a front shell, a circuit board, an image sensor, an elastic sheet, and threaded fasteners. The front shell includes a rear surface. The front shell defines three first threaded holes in the rear surface. The circuit board is positioned on the rear surface and defines at least three second threaded holes. The second threaded holes are aligned with the first threaded holes. The image sensor is positioned on the circuit board. The elastic sheet is positioned on the rear surface and covers the circuit board. The elastic sheet includes a number of elastic arms. The elastic arms protrude towards the circuit board and resisting against the circuit board. The threaded fasteners correspondingly pass through and engage with the first threaded holes and the second threaded holes to secure the circuit board to the rear surface. The threaded fasteners are capable of adjusting the circuit board. |
| US08107807B2 |
Lighting device, image pickup apparatus and portable terminal unit
A lighting device including a substrate, and at least three light emitting elements mounted on the substrate, each having an upper light emitting surface in rectangular shape and side light emitting surfaces in rectangular shape. The light emitting elements are positioned to surround a light-gathering region where the light emitting elements are not located, and one of the side light emitting surfaces of each light emitting element is directed to face approximately a central portion of the light-gathering region. |
| US08107805B2 |
Photographing control device and method, as well as program
An image is obtained using a photographing unit including an optical system provided with an aperture and focus adjusting mechanism. Two or more types of subjects are detected from the image. When the two or more types of subjects are detected from the image, one priority subject is determined among the two or more types of subjects. The aperture and the optical system are adjusted so that the priority subject is focused and the subject other than the priority subject is within a depth of field of the photographing unit. |
| US08107804B2 |
Energy accummulator system
An energy accumulator system for accumulating heat from a heat source for subsequent supply to a heat demand, comprises an energy accumulator having a storage material in a heat-exchange relation with the heat source so as to store heat produced by the heat source. A controller is connected to the energy accumulator to obtain temperature data with respect to the storage material, and to the heat source so as to selectively actuate the heat source. An energy level calculator is associated with the controller to determine a storage capacity in the energy accumulator as a function of temperature data of the storage material. An operation identifier determines when to store energy in the energy accumulator as a function of the storage capacity and of condition data pertaining to the heat source. The controller actuates the energy accumulator and the heat source to store heat in the energy accumulator. |
| US08107795B2 |
Multimedia visual progress indication system
A multimedia visual progress indication system that provides a cache bar that is overlaid onto the program material or displayed on a dedicated display. A cache bar indicates the length of a recording session or the length of stored program material and expands to the right when material is being recorded. Index and/or bookmark indicators are displayed next to the cache bar. A position indicator moves within the cache bar and tells the user visually where his current position is within the program material. Numeric time or counter mark of the current position is displayed in the vicinity of the cache bar. The trick play bar and its associated components are displayed for a predetermined time period. |
| US08107790B2 |
Digital broadcasting system and data processing method
A digital broadcasting system and a method of processing data are disclosed, which are robust to error when mobile service data are transmitted. To this end, additional encoding is performed for the mobile service data, whereby it is possible to strongly cope with fast channel change while giving robustness to the mobile service data. |
| US08107789B2 |
Playback apparatus that reads data replacing data recorded on recording medium from another recording medium and plays back read data, playback method, and non-transitory recording medium
The present invention is the playback apparatus 400 for (i) mounting thereon the BD-ROM 200 in which a plurality of data groups and an application program that refers to each of the data groups are stored and (ii) playing back each of the data groups by executing the application program. The playback apparatus 400 comprises: the playback processing unit 412 operable to control the execution of the application program; the network IF unit 419 operable to obtain, from an external server including therein one or more alternative data groups, an alternative data group to replace part of the data groups; and the HDD unit 418 that stores therein correspondence information showing a correspondence between a storage location where on an internal recording medium the alternative data group is stored and a storage location where on the external recording medium the part of the data groups to be replaced. Here, at a time when the application program in execution reads a data group being referred to, the playback processing unit 412 (i) judges based on the correspondence information whether an alternative data group for replacing the data group being referred to exists on the internal recording medium, and (ii) specifies, as a data retrieve destination, a storage location of the alternative data group indicated by the correspondence information when the judgment is affirmative. |
| US08107787B2 |
Recording and reproducing device and recording and reproducing method
A recording and reproducing device including sound collecting means for collecting external sound, and outputting sound information corresponding to a result of sound collection, photographing means for photographing an outside, and outputting image information corresponding to a result of photographing, recording means for converting the sound information to files in message units and recording the files on a predetermined recording medium, and recording the image information on the recording medium in association with a corresponding file of sound information in response to a predetermined first external operation, display means for displaying images based on image information associated with respective files of sound information, and reproducing means for reproducing a file of sound information associated with an image selected by a predetermined second external operation among the images displayed by the display means. The recording means sets, for each file of sound information, one of images based on image information associated with the file as a representative image of the file. |
| US08107786B2 |
Systems and methods to modify playout or playback
Systems and methods to modify playout or playback include a first and second approach to respond to a trick mode request (e.g., fast forward, rewind). First, a trick mode request may be responded to by associating primary content to secondary content and playing out the secondary content on a receiving device, the secondary content not being derived from the primary content. Second, a trick mode request may be responded to by associating primary content to secondary content and playing out the secondary content on a receiving device, the secondary content being derived from the primary content but played at a normal speed for the secondary content. |
| US08107785B2 |
Drop access location method and system for horizontal cabling in multi-dwelling unit applications
A drop access location system and method, where the system includes a duct containing one or more communications lines, where the duct is mountable to a generally flat surface. The system also includes a drop access box including a base and a removable cover having a low impact profile and or decorative appearance. A mounting section of the base is configured to fit over an outer shape of the duct and overhang therefrom. Slack storage is provided and includes one or more guides to route an accessed communications line to a coupling and to store excess amounts of the accessed communications line. The coupling device mounting area is configured to receive a coupling, adapter, or splice that connects the accessed communications line to a drop cable. The drop access location system and method can be utilized for horizontal cabling in multi-dwelling unit (MDU), multi-tenant unit (MTU) and other building applications. A system for installing the drop access location system is also provided. |
| US08107783B2 |
Stretcher fiber and module
A stretcher fiber includes a core region, inner trench region, ring region, outer trench region, and outer cladding region. The core region has a radius r1, a refractive index n1, and a positive effective refractive index Δn1 with respect to an outer cladding region having an outer radius r0 and a refractive index n0, where Δn0 is equal to n1−n0. The inner trench region surrounds the core region and has an outer radius r2, a refractive index n2 less than n0, and a negative effective refractive index Δn2 equal to n2−n0. The ring region surrounds the trench region and has an outer radius r3, a refractive index n3 greater than n0, and a positive effective refractive index Δn3 equal to n3−n0. The outer trench region surrounds the ring region and has an outer radius r4, a refractive index n4 less than n0, and a negative effective refractive index Δn4 equal to n4−n0. The outer cladding region surrounds the outer trench region. The values of r0, r1, r2, r3, r4, Δn1, Δn2, Δn3, and Δn4 cause the fiber to have a negative dispersion and to have a relative dispersion slope greater than 0.005 nm− at a specific wavelength within a selected operating wavelength band. Additionally, the stretcher may be used in combination with a second fiber to match the dispersion and RDS of a selected grating compressor. |
| US08107782B2 |
Microstructuring optical wave guide devices with femtosecond optical pulses
The present invention is directed to the creation of optical waveguiding devices from standard optical fibers by the creation of zones of permanently altered refractive index characteristics therein. A high intensity femtosecond laser beam is focused at a predetermined target region in the fiber so as to soften the glass material at the target region. After aligning the focal region with the target region in the fiber there will be relative movement between the focal region and the fiber, which has the effect of sweeping the focal region across the fiber in a predetermined path, so as to create a secondary waveguide path. A portion of the light traveling along the core is removed from the core along the secondary waveguide path such that the device can be utilized as an attenuator, an optical tap, or a polarimeter. |
| US08107781B2 |
Fiber optic cable
A fiber optic cable assembly includes an optical fiber, a strength layer surrounding the optical fiber and an outer jacket surrounding the strength layer. The outer jacket includes a base material having a Shore D Hardness of at least 85 and liquid crystal polymer embedded in the base material. The liquid crystal polymer constitutes less than 2% of the outer jacket by weight. |
| US08107776B2 |
Optical interconnect device and method for manufacturing the same
An optical interconnect device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, an optical waveguide, an electrical wiring and a switching device. The first substrate has an electrical wiring circuit, an electrical-optical converter for converting an electrical signal to an optical signal, and a light emitting device for emitting a light. The second substrate has an electrical wiring circuit, an optical-electrical converter for converting the optical signal to the electrical signal, and a light receiving device for receiving the light from the light emitted device. The optical waveguide optically connects the light emitting and light receiving devices. The electrical wiring electrically connects the electrical wiring circuits of the first and second substrates. The switching device determines a fast signal of data to be transmitted via the optical substrate and a slow signal of data to be transmitted via the electrical wiring. |
| US08107773B2 |
Video signal processing apparatus and video signal processing method
A video-signal processor includes: a first correlation detector obtaining a correlation value of every symmetric pair of pixels positioned in point-symmetry around an interpolation pixel on an interpolation line interpolated between two real lines; a second correlation detector obtaining a correlation value of every pair of pixels for the symmetric pair of pixels and parallel pair(s) of pixels positioned in a direction parallel to a direction of the symmetric pair of pixels; a correlation-direction deciding unit deciding one of a correlation direction based on the correlation value from the first correlation detector and that based on the correlation value from the second correlation detector as a correlation direction which is a direction of the pair of pixels used for generating the interpolation pixel; and an interpolation pixel generator generating a pixel signal of the interpolation pixel using a pair of pixels based on decision result of the correlation-direction deciding unit. |
| US08107772B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image reading apparatus, image processing method, and recording medium
Disclosed is an image processing apparatus including a tone converting section to convert a tone level of a target pixel in multi-level image data based on a threshold value of the tone level so that the number of tone levels is reduced; a resolution converting section to output a pixel block according to the tone level, to generate image data with higher resolution; and an error diffusing section to diffuse an error; and wherein when the converted tone level is a predetermined value or lower, the resolution converting section refers to an output sequence category of a black pixel in a pixel block of a surrounding pixel, selects an output sequence pattern belonging to an output sequence category which allows a black pixel in a pixel block of the target pixel and the surrounding pixel to be concentrated, and outputs a pixel block corresponding to the selected pattern. |
| US08107771B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
Disclosed herein is an image-processing apparatus. The apparatus includes: a taken-image acquisition section configured to acquire a taken image; and a to-be-processed area setting section configured to carry out an analysis on a taken image acquired by the taken-image acquisition section and configured to use the pixel area of a photographed-subject image of a specific type in the taken image as a to-be-processed area of an image conversion process in accordance with the size of the photographed-subject image if a result of the analysis indicates that the photographed-subject image exists in the taken image. The apparatus further includes an image conversion section configured to carry out the image conversion process on the photographed-subject image with the pixel area thereof used as the to-be-processed area in order to generate a post-conversion image obtained as a result of the image conversion process. |
| US08107770B2 |
Microscope system and method
A microscope system and method is described for determining a position of an area of an object within the complete object, wherein the image of the area of the object is contained within a field of view of a microscope. Image data representing a low magnification image of the complete object is available for use in the method, and may be acquired using a low magnification image data source such as a scanner. The method comprises acquiring high magnification image data representing an image of the field of view of the microscope, typically from a digital camera attached to the microscope; processing the high magnification image data to reduce the resolution thereof; comparing the processed high magnification image data with portions of the low magnification image data, and, determining said position based on the results of said comparison. In a preferred embodiment, the method is implemented in the form of a computer program running on a workstation, which displays, on a display screen the field of view image, and the image of the complete object, in which the position of the area of the object in field of view is highlighted. |
| US08107767B2 |
Data transform apparatus and control method thereof
A data transform apparatus transforms four integer data D0-D3 into one DC coefficient Y0 and three AC coefficients Y1-Y3 as lossless-Hadamard transform coefficients. A first calculation unit group adds date D0 to respective data D1 to D3. A first shifter shifts data D0 1 bit to the left. A second calculation unit group subtracts three data calculated by the first calculation unit group from output of the shifter. A second shifter halves a calculation result of the second calculation unit group by shifting the subtraction result 1 bit to the right, and executes round processing for truncating a fractional part of the halved data. A sign inverter inverts the sign of output from the second shifter, and outputs it as DC coefficient. A third calculation unit group subtracts output from the sign inverter from output of the first calculation unit group, and outputs these data as AC coefficients. |
| US08107764B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and image processing program
In order to accurately remove an unnecessary periodic noise component from an image, a reconstruction unit generates a reconstructed image without a periodic noise component by fitting to a face region detected in an image by a face detection unit a mathematical model generated according a method of AAM using a plurality of sample images representing human faces without a periodic noise component. The periodic noise component is extracted by a difference between the face region and the reconstructed image, and a frequency of the noise component is determined. The noise component of the determined frequency is then removed from the image. |
| US08107761B2 |
Method for determining boundary strength
A method for determining the boundary strengths of edges in a block-based digitally encoded image is disclosed. The method includes setting the boundary strength of two adjacent blocks in an Inter macroblock to a first strength value if any one of the two adjacent blocks contains non-zero prediction residual in the encoding data and setting the boundary strength thereof to a second strength value if the two adjacent blocks are located in the same motion compensation block. An edge with boundary strength equal to the second strength value will be skipped in a deblocking process. |
| US08107754B2 |
Systems and methods for randomly accessing compressed images
An embodiment of a method for encoding a source image comprising multiple data units, performed by an image encoding unit, comprises the following steps. A quantized DC coefficient and multiple AC coefficients of a data unit are generated. A value at the (0,0) element of the first data unit is determined according to the quantized DC coefficient. A variable length coding (VLC) stream of the data unit is generated by encoding the determined value and the AC coefficients. An encoded bitstream comprising a restart mark followed by the VLC stream of the data unit is generated. An offset pointing to the beginning of the restart mark of the encoded bitstream is stored in a random access table. A compression image comprising the encoded bitstream and the random access table is generated. |
| US08107753B2 |
Prediction-based image processing
A pixel block (300) is compressed by sub-sampling at least a portion of the pixels (310) into subblocks (320, 330). Predictions are determined for the property values of these subblocks (320, 330) by calculating a variance measure based on property values of neighboring pixels (310)/subblocks (320, 330) in two prediction directions in the block (300) relative to a current subblock (320, 330). If the variance is below a threshold, the prediction is calculated based on neighboring property values in both directions. If the measure exceeds the threshold, the neighboring property values in only one of the two predictions directions are used for calculating the prediction. A guiding bit (450) descriptive of the selected direction is also provided. A prediction error is calculated based on the property value and the calculated prediction. The compressed block (400) comprises an encoded representation (460) of the prediction error and any guiding bit (470). |
| US08107751B2 |
DPCM with adaptive range and PCM escape mode
The embodiments of the present invention provide for methods, devices, and systems adapted to perform adaptive quantization processes. The adaptive quantization processes of the present invention are adapted to provide one or more adaptive quantization modes based on one or more previous pixels and their associated coding modes. The output of an adaptive quantization process may include coded data and a coding mode, indicating whether the coded data is pulse code modulation (PCM) data or differential pulse code modulation (DPCM) data. |
| US08107750B2 |
Method of generating motion vectors of images of a video sequence
A digital image processing system and method for removing motion effects from images of a video sequence, and generating corresponding motion compensated images. |
| US08107749B2 |
Apparatus, method, and medium for encoding/decoding of color image and video using inter-color-component prediction according to coding modes
A color image and video encoding and/or decoding apparatus, method, and medium using inter-color-component prediction in accordance with an encoding mode are provided. The encoding apparatus for encoding an original image including at least two color image components, includes: a residue generation unit, if the encoding mode is inter mode, generating a temporal residue by obtaining the difference of a current image and a prediction image obtained by estimating a motion in units of blocks between the current image and a previous image of each color component; a residue color prediction unit encoding the temporal residue of the residue generation unit, by performing residue inter-color-component prediction; an intra color prediction unit, if the encoding mode is intra mode, encoding the original image by performing inter-color-component prediction of the original image; and an entropy encoding unit generating a bitstream by entropy encoding the result value of the residue color prediction unit or the intra color prediction unit. According to the apparatus, method, and medium, a color image or video data can be directly compressed effectively without a conventional color transform process. Furthermore, by using the correlation of image components, redundant information between color components varying with respect to the encoding mode is removed so that the encoding efficiency can be enhanced. |
| US08107747B2 |
Codevector trainers and real-time compressor for multi-dimensional data
The present invention relates to a real-time wideband compressor for multi-dimensional data. The compressor comprises a plurality of compression engines for simultaneously compressing a plurality of data subsets of a set of input data vectors and providing compressed data thereof using one of SAMVQ or HSOCVQ data compression. Each compression engine comprises an along spectral vectors codevector trainer as well as an across spectral bands codevector trainer. The compression engines are programmable to perform either along spectral vectors codevector training or across spectral bands codevector training in combination with one of the SAMVQ or HSOCVQ techniques without changing hardware. The compressor further comprises a network switch for partitioning the set of input data vectors into the plurality of data subsets, for providing each of the plurality of data subsets to one of the plurality of compression engines, and for transmitting the compressed data. The real-time wideband compressor is highly advantageous in, for example, space applications by programmable enabling performance of different techniques of codevector training as well as different techniques of VQ. Furthermore, after the compression process is started the compression process is performed autonomously without external communication. |
| US08107745B2 |
Image processing device
An image processing device and method decodes encoded image data, and converts a resolution of the decoded image data. The encoded image data is formed by encoding image data partitioned into blocks, each block including a plurality of pixels aligned in a matrix shape having horizontal rows and vertical columns. The image processing device includes a decoding section that decodes and outputs the decoded image data on a block-by-block basis, a block buffer section that temporarily stores, on a basis of the blocks, the decoded image data output, a horizontal resolution conversion section that converts the resolution of the decoded image data in the horizontal direction, a line buffer section that temporarily stores, on a basis of the vertical columns, the horizontal-resolution-converted image data, and a vertical resolution conversion section that converts the resolution of the horizontal-resolution-converted image data in the vertical direction. |
| US08107744B2 |
Picture buffering for prediction references and display
The invention relates to an encoder for forming an encoded picture stream. The pictures are defined as reference pictures or non-reference pictures, and information relating to decoding order and output order of a picture is defined for pictures of the picture stream. The encoder is arranged to form to the bitstream an indication of such a number of pictures arranged to be buffered in decoding order that is sufficient to recover the output order of pictures. The invention also relates to a signal, hypothetical encoder, decoder, hypothetical decoder, electronic device, system, software program and a storage medium. |
| US08107740B2 |
Apparatus and method for efficient indexing and querying of images in security systems and other systems
A method includes receiving one or more query images and identifying multiple features associated with an object or an activity using the one or more query images. The method also includes accessing a sparse representation index using the identified features. The sparse representation index includes a multi-dimensional polytope having multiple vertices, and the features identify a point in the polytope. The method further includes identifying multiple vertices in the sparse representation index that are associated with the identified point and providing one or more images associated with the identified vertices. In addition, the method includes identifying one or more clusters of features associated with the identified vertices and providing one or more additional images associated with the one or more identified clusters. The one or more clusters may be identified using a clustering index identifying the clusters and features of training images associated with the clusters. |
| US08107734B2 |
Image processing apparatus, and method for performing document matching using extracted feature points of connected image components
Pixels of a binary image obtained by binarizing an image are scanned in a predetermined direction, labels are assigned to the pixels according to binarization information about the respective pixels, information about the assigned labels is stored sequentially for each of a plurality of lines along the predetermined direction, information about coordinate values in the binary image of pixels assigned the same label is stored, a determination is made as to whether or not, in a current line among the plurality of lines, there is a pixel assigned the same label as a label assigned to a pixel contained in a line which was scanned immediately before the current line, when a determination is made that there is no pixel assigned the same label, a feature point in a connected component formed by connecting together pixels specified by the coordinate values is calculated based on the stored information about the coordinate values, a feature vector representing a feature of the image is calculated based on the calculated feature point, and a similarity to reference image is determined based on the calculated feature vector. |
| US08107730B2 |
Imaging system sag correction method and apparatus
An apparatus for use with a single modality imaging system configured to generate uncorrected imaging data of a patient, the single modality imaging system includes two gamma cameras and a patient stretcher disposed between the two gamma cameras, the apparatus for compensating for downward stretcher deflection at the extended end of the patient stretcher that occurs during stretcher extension. The apparatus includes a single sag sensor for sensing the downward deflection of the patient stretcher, a subtracting device configured to generate a sag correction factors based on a baseline stretcher height and an input received from the sag sensor, and a compensator configured to modify at least a portion of the uncorrected imaging data to compensate for sag using the using the sag correction factor to generate a unified image. |
| US08107726B2 |
System and method for class-specific object segmentation of image data
Systems and methods for processing an image to determine whether segments of the image belong to an object class are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving digitized data representing an image, the image data comprising a plurality of pixels, segmenting the pixel data into segments at a plurality of scale levels, determining feature vectors of the segments at the plurality of scale levels, the feature vectors comprising one or more measures of visual perception of the segments, determining one or more similarities, each similarity determined by comparing two or more feature vectors, determining, for each of a first subset of the segments, a first measure of probability that the segments is a member of an object class, determining probability factors based on the determined first measures of probability and similarity factors based on the determined similarities, and performing factor graph analysis to determine a second measure of probability for each of a second subset of the segments based on the probability factors and similarity factors. |
| US08107725B2 |
Image processor and image processing method
An image processor according to the present invention is configured to generate a plurality of multiresolution images of different resolutions from an input image (S16), to set a correlation evaluation function for each multiresolution image, calculate a correlation value between the correlation evaluation function and each pixel in the multiresolution image, and extract a position of a local region on the basis of the correlation value (S18), and to set a size of the local region according to the resolution of the multiresolution image (S22), and to detect an object in the local region. This enables extraction of the local region at an appropriate position and in an appropriate range for a characteristic portion of the input image. For this reason, a target range is appropriately limited and detection of the object is quickly carried out without deterioration of accuracy. |
| US08107724B2 |
Method and system for predictive scaling of colour mapped images
A method for scaling an original color mapped image are disclosed. The method performs steps of: transforming the original color map into the scaled color map based on the original color map and the original image independently of the scaled image; scaling the original image into the scaled image; for each pixel of the scaled image: determining a set of contributing pixels in the original image, which define a color of the pixel; determining the color of the pixel based on colors of the contributing pixels and geometric proximity of the pixel to the contributing pixels; establishing correspondence between the color of the pixel and a color in the scaled color map; and determining a corresponding color map index thereof; and setting the determined color map index in the scaled pixel map. A corresponding system for scaling digital images is also provided. |
| US08107723B2 |
Measurement of three-dimensional motion characteristics
A system for measurement of three-dimensional motion of an object is provided. The system includes a light projection means adapted for projecting, for distinct time intervals, light of at least two different colors with a cross-sectional pattern of fringe lines onto a surface of the object and also includes image acquisition means for capturing an image of the object during an exposure time, wherein the distinct time intervals are within the duration of the exposure time. The system further includes image processing means adapted for processing the image to obtain a different depth map for each color based on a projected pattern of fringe lines on the object as viewed from the position of the image acquisition means, to determine corresponding points on the depth maps of each color, and to determine a three-dimensional motion characteristic of the object based on the positions of corresponding points on the depth maps. |
| US08107722B2 |
System and method for automatic stereo measurement of a point of interest in a scene
A system for performing a three dimensional stereo measurement that uses a sensor for obtaining a sensor image of a scene, and a database for providing first and second reference images of the scene that are a stereo pair of images. At least one processing system is responsive to an output of the sensor and in communication with the database. The processing system registers the sensor image with the first reference image, and also selects a point of interest from one of the sensor image and the first reference image. The processing system performs a stereo point measurement from the selected point of interest and the first reference image to determine a point in the second reference image that represents a stereo mate of the selected point in the first reference image. |
| US08107721B2 |
Method and system for determining poses of semi-specular objects
A camera acquires a set of coded images and a set of flash images of a semi-specular object. The coded images are acquired while scanning the object with a laser beam pattern, and the flash images are acquired while illuminating the object with a set of light sources at different locations near the camera, there being one flash image for each light source. 3D coordinates of points on the surface of the object are determined from the set of coded images, and 2D silhouettes of the object are determined from shadows cast in the set of flash images. Surface normals are obtained for the 3D points from photometric stereo on the set of flash images. The 3D coordinates, 2D silhouettes and surface normals are compared with a known 3D model of the object to determine the pose of the object. |
| US08107720B2 |
Detection system for detecting appearances of many electronic elements and methods of using the same
A detection system for detecting appearances of many electronic elements includes a rotary module, a feeding module and a detection module. The rotary module has a base structure and a hollow transparent rotary structure disposed on the base structure. The feeding module is disposed beside one side of the hollow transparent rotary structure in order to sequentially guide the electronic elements to the top surface of the hollow transparent rotary structure. The detection module has a plurality of detection units sequentially disposed around the hollow transparent rotary structure. Each detection unit is composed of an image-sensing element for sensing the electronic elements, an image-capturing element for capturing surface images of the electronic elements and a classifying element for classifying the electronic elements. |
| US08107719B2 |
Machine vision system for three-dimensional metrology and inspection in the semiconductor industry
The system 10 of the preferred embodiment includes a structural subsystem 20 to provide both a stable platform and vibration isolation, a camera subsystem 30 to capture the image of a moving object when the object moves into a viewing area, a lighting subsystem 50 to illuminate a moving object, and a controller to selectively activate the lighting subsystem 50 to allow observation of the reflectance of complex objects under different conditions. The system 10 has been specifically designed for illuminating and capturing the image of a moving object, such as the connecting terminals (e.g., leads, ball grids, and pads) of packaged electronic components in a manufacturing facility. The system 10 may, however, be used to illuminate and capture the image of any suitable moving or non-moving object. |
| US08107718B2 |
Method, system, and apparatus for use in locating a structure in an integrated circuit
A method, system, and apparatus use in locating a structure in an integrated circuit are provided. Electrical activities are induced in the IC for producing respective unique electromagnetic radiation patterns that collectively contain information on the location of the structure. The electromagnetic radiation patterns are detected, and an area of interest for locating the structure is determined from correlations in the electromagnetic radiation patterns. Once the area of interest is identified a user can more easily locate the structure on the integrated circuit by focusing on the area of interest. |
| US08107717B2 |
Defect inspection method and apparatus
Arrangements for inspecting a specimen on which plural patterns are formed; capturing a first image of a first area; capturing a second image of a second area in which patterns which are essentially the same with the patterns formed in the first area; creating data relating to corresponding pixels of the first and second images, for each pixel; determining a threshold for each pixel for detecting defects directly in accordance with the first and second images; and detecting defects on the specimen by processing the first and second images by using the threshold for each pixel and information of a scattered diagram of brightness of the first and second images, wherein the threshold is determined by using information of brightness of a local region of at least one of the first and second images, with the local region including an aimed pixel and peripheral pixels of the aimed pixel. |
| US08107714B2 |
Methods for detecting and tagging scene changes
Methods for determining a difference between a reference scene and a test scene are provided. An automated process calculates a power of the reference scene and a power of the test scene. The difference between the power of the reference scene and the test scene determines whether there is a variance between the reference scene and the test scene. Variance can be reported to allow further evaluation of the test scene. For example, if the difference exceeds a threshold, the automated process may provide the test scene to a human inspector for further evaluation. Alternatively, the test scene may be provided to a computer for further evaluation. |
| US08107712B2 |
Method and testing device for testing valuable documents
A method as well as a respective checking apparatus for checking a document of value (1), with which the document of value (1) at least in a partial area is illuminated with an intensity (IB) and at different measuring places (2) the intensity (IT) of the light transmitted through the partial area of the document of value (1) and the intensity (IR) of the light reflected by the partial area of the document of value (1) is captured. For eliminating the impact of thickness fluctuations within the document of value and an at the same time simple checking it is provided that the intensities (IT, IR) of the transmitted and reflected light are captured separately, that for each of the different measuring places (2) the sum (IT+IR) of the intensities (IT, IR) of the transmitted and reflected light is calculated, and that the sum (IT+IR) is compared to a predetermined standard value (IS). |
| US08107711B2 |
User interface method and system for management and control of automated image processing in high content screening or high throughput screening
A user interface method and system for controlling automated image processing operations of HCS and/or HTS systems includes a graphical interface to enable user designation of an image naming convention, image sources and destinations, image processing channels, processing parameter values, and processing spatial designations. |
| US08107706B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program, and electronic apparatus
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a program, and an electronic apparatus that are capable of detecting a movement of a hand of the user with ease.A light-emitting apparatus 23 irradiates the user with light having a first wavelength and light having a second wavelength. A binarization section 42 acquires a first image and a second image, the first image being obtained by receiving reflected light of the light having the first wavelength with which the user is irradiated, the second image being obtained by receiving reflected light of the light having the second wavelength with which the user is irradiated. A binarization section 42 or shape extraction section 46 extracts an object area in which an object is displayed, from a skin display area in a display image including the skin display area in which a skin of the user is displayed, based on the first and second images. The shape extraction section 46 detects a change in relative distance from the irradiation means to the object in accordance with a change in luminance values of pixels constituting the object area. The present invention is applicable to a computer that extracts a shape of a portion of a body of the user from, for example, a captured image obtained by capturing an image of the user. |
| US08107705B2 |
Systems and methods for minimizing aberrating effects in imaging systems
A biometric optical recognition system includes optics, including a wavefront coding mask, for imaging a wavefront of object to be recognized to an intermediate image, and a detector for detecting the intermediate image. A modulation transfer function detected by the detector contains no zeros such that subsequent task based image processing recognizes the object. A biometric recognition system includes optics for imaging a wavefront of an object to be recognized to a first intermediate image, and a detector for detecting the first intermediate image. The optics include a phase changing element configured for modifying the wavefront such that a modulation transfer function characterizing detection of the first intermediate image contains no zeros such that subsequent task based image processing recognizes the object. In an optical imaging system that includes a solid state detector, a phase-modifying element reduces reflected power from electromagnetic energy incident upon the detector without introducing aberrations. |
| US08107702B2 |
Process and system for automatically recognising preneoplastic abnormalities in anatomical structures, and corresponding computer program
A process for the automatic recognition of abnormalities in anatomical structures is described together with a processing system and a computer program for implementing the aforesaid process, comprising the operations of: acquiring (10) a plurality of two-dimensional images of at least one portion of a patient's body capable of forming a three-dimensional representation of at least one anatomical structure under observation, segmenting (20) a region of interest in the said three-dimensional representation which potentially contains anomalies, selecting (30, 40) volume image elements (voxels) from the segmented region which are likely to form a part of abnormalities in the anatomical structure represented, on the basis of predetermined morphological parameters, agglomerating (60) the said voxels into analysis units on the basis of the distribution of the spatial density of the voxels selected, and classifying (70) the said analysis units as elements suspected of being parts of abnormalities or as elements which are not part of abnormalities. |
| US08107700B2 |
System and method for efficient workflow in reading medical image data
A system provides methods to significantly improve the efficiency of reading medical image data. The workflow panel provides a grouping of tasks for reviewing and comparing medical images. Tablets are created for each task, consolidating the tools and associated hanging protocols to efficiently perform the actions for that task. The 3D navigation point keeps the current spatial focus point within the field of view as the user transitions between series, orientations, hanging protocols, and zoom levels. The spatial zoom method provides consistent zooming of series with varying fields of view and spatial resolution. Having the ability to overlay the parametric map on any series, regardless of its orientation or field of view, allows the user to correlate the parametric map with features on the non-temporal series. Integrating all of these methods with the workflow panel allows users to quickly step through the tasks in a workflow with minimal user actions. |
| US08107698B2 |
Image processing apparatus and computer program product
An image processing apparatus includes an organ determination unit that determines a type of observation target which appears in a target image among a sequence of observation images, an imaging distance estimation unit that estimates an imaging distance at a time of image pickup of the observation image, an abnormal region detection unit that detects an abnormal region, which is a specific region, from the target image using an abnormality detection parameter, and an image processing control unit that sets as the abnormality detection parameter, a parameter value corresponding to a result of determination by the organ determination unit, and causes the abnormal region detection unit to detect an abnormal region using the abnormality detection parameter. |
| US08107695B2 |
Methods and systems for assessing patient movement in diagnostic imaging
Methods and systems for automatically detecting gross patient motion using a diagnostic medical imaging system are provided. The method provides for acquiring a plurality of frames of image data, positioning a first time window and a second time window over overlapping frames of image data, calculating a statistical correlation value based on the first time window and the second time window, and comparing a first derivative of the statistical correlation value to a threshold value to determine patient motion. |
| US08107694B2 |
Method of tracking speckle displacement between two images
In a first preferred embodiment, the invention includes a method of tracking displacements between ultrasound images by calculating a coarse displacement estimate, and calculating a fine displacement estimate using images and coarse displacement estimate. In a second preferred embodiment, the invention includes a method of calculating a coarse displacement estimate from images by reducing the resolution of the images, correlating the reduced resolution images, and calculating the location of the peak of the correlation function. In a third preferred embodiment, the invention includes a method of calculating a finer displacement estimate from images by using a coarse displacement estimate with correlation processing of the images and calculating the location of the peak value of the correlation function. |
| US08107693B2 |
Artificial intelligence system for genetic analysis
The present invention provides a complete artificial intelligence system for the acquisition and analysis of nucleic acid array hybridization information. The system includes a central data processing facility and one or more user facilities, linked by encrypted connections. Each user facility may include an optical scanning system to collect hybridization signals from a nucleic acid array, an image processing system to convert the optical data into a set of hybridization parameters, a connection to a data network, and a user interface to display, manipulate, search, and analyze hybridization information. This system reads data from a nucleic acid microarray, analyzes test results, evaluates patient risk for various ailments, and recommends methods of treatment. The automated artificial intelligence system is a real time, dynamic decision making tool that can be used in conjunction with a clinical analysis system, and with the information obtained in a research and development environment. |
| US08107691B2 |
Image mapping to provide visual geographic path
Provided is a computer system and method for mapping a visual path. The method includes receiving one or more images included in a predefined area; receiving one or more parameters associated with the image; and integrating the images and parameters into a map of the predefined area to enable mapping the visual path through the predefined area in response to one or more input path parameters. |
| US08107690B2 |
Similarity analyzing device, image display device, image display program storage medium, and image display method
A similarity analyzing device includes: an image acquisition section which acquires picked-up images with which image pick-up dates and/or times are associated; and an image registration section which registers a face image showing a picked-up face and with which an image pick-up date and/or time is associated. The device further includes: a degree of similarity calculation section which detects a face in each of picked-up images acquired by the image acquisition section and calculates the degree of similarity between the detected face and the face in the face image registered in the image registration section; and a degree of similarity reduction section in which the larger the difference between the image pick-up date and/or time associated with the picked-up image and that associated with the face image is, the more the degree of similarity of the face calculated by the degree of similarity calculation section is reduced. |
| US08107689B2 |
Apparatus, method and computer program for processing information
An information processing apparatus for generating a database indicating mapping between characters and the characters' face images, includes a list generating unit for generating a list of characters, appearing in a video content, based on metadata of the video content, a detecting unit for detecting a character's face image from the video content, a model generating unit for generating a feature quantity model indicating a feature of the detected character's face image and a mapping unit for mapping the feature quantity model generated based on the video content to a character contained in the character list. |
| US08107688B2 |
Gaze detection apparatus and the method of the same
An image input unit, a feature point detection unit configured to extract at least four image feature points including a feature point of a pupil and which do not exist on an identical plane from an input image, a three-dimensional face model storage unit configured to store shape information of a three-dimensional face model and at least coordinates of reference feature points on the three-dimensional face model corresponding to the feature points extracted by the feature point detection unit, a converting unit configured to convert a coordinate of the feature point of the pupil onto surface of the three-dimensional face model on the basis of the correspondence between the extracted feature points and the reference feature points, and a gaze estimating unit configured to estimate the gaze direction from the converted coordinate of the pupil are provided. |
| US08107687B2 |
System and method for tracking motion of an object image
A system, method and computer readable medium are disclosed for tracking motion of an object image, comprising receiving an input image; correlating the input image with a reference image by computing differences between the input image and the reference image; generating a motion vector for a subimage of the input image using a subimage metric surface; and outputting a tracking assessment of object image motion based on the motion vector. |
| US08107685B2 |
Displacement sensor having a display data output
A method of displaying sensed displacement is such as to collect single dimension light distribution data using a single dimensional imaging device; transmit the light distribution data to a processor; and display the light distribution data as a line bright wave form on a display using software implemented by the processor. |
| US08107681B2 |
Setup for constructing a weed map
The present invention relates to a setup (100) for constructing a weed map. The setup (100) comprises an image recording unit (110; 110′) having a video camera (112) and a relief-tracking laser camera (114), an image processing and evaluating unit (120), a data storage unit (130) connected to the latter, as well as a weed database (135). The setup (100) also comprises a light source (160), a position detection unit (150) equipped with a location finding element (152) and a location refining element (154) for determining the spatial coordinates supplied by the former more accurately. The image recording unit (110; 110′), the position detection unit (150) and the light source (160) are all in data communication connection with the image processing and evaluating unit (120). Furthermore, the image processing and evaluating unit (120) is provided with one or more controlling outputs (122, 124), wherein one of the outputs (124) is capable of establishing a data communication connection with the control unit (190) of a separate weeding apparatus. |
| US08107679B2 |
Horse position information analyzing and displaying method
The purpose of the present invention is, in a horse race or a motorboat race, to display the progress of the race (trail) of each horse, by obtaining analysis data of a plural number of patrol images provided around the race course, by acquiring position information of each horse at the moment and by tracking the specific horse through judging similarity between consecutive pictures of said patrol image. The position information analyzing and displaying method for each horse or boat or the like of the present invention, for continuously captured race images, identifies each horse or boat or the like by similarity analysis and tracks continuously the trail of each horse or boat or the like in said racing images, and also analyzes said position information of each horse or boat or the like by using the positional relationship with the fixed position information in said images, in order to display the trail of each horse or boat or the like. A template of which size matches the image size of each horse or boat is used for said identification, and each horse or boat or the like is identified within said template. Here, said template is hexagonal and the size of said template is variable according to the size of each horse or boat on the picture. |
| US08107678B2 |
Detection of abandoned and removed objects in a video stream
A method for processing a time-ordered sequence of video frames. The method is implemented by execution of program code on a processor of a computer system. Each frame includes a two-dimensional array of pixels and a frame-dependent color intensity at each pixel. A current frame and at least one frame occurring prior to the current frame in the sequence are analyzed via a background subtraction on the at least one frame to determine a background image and a static region mask associated with a static region. The background subtraction determines an existence of a static object relating to the static region. A status of the static object is determined, the status being either that the static object is an abandoned object or that the static object is a removed object. The determined status is stored in a data storage medium of the computer system. |
| US08107672B2 |
Makeup simulation system, makeup simulator, makeup simulation method, and makeup simulation program
According to the present invention, a makeup simulation system applying makeup to a video having an image of the face of a user captured thereon is characterized by image capturing means for capturing the image of the face of the user and outputting the video, control means for receiving the video output from the image capturing means, performing image processing on the video, and outputting the video; and display means for displaying the video output from the control means, wherein the control means includes face recognition means for recognizing the face of the user from the video based on predetermined tracking points; and makeup processing means for applying a predetermined makeup on the face of the user included in the video based on the tracking points and outputting the video to the display means. |
| US08107670B2 |
Scanning images for pornography
A computer system scans image files for pornographic image content by pre-filtering image files to detect the presence in copyright data fields of stored items of copyright information deemed to indicate that the image file is one of acceptable or unacceptable. On detecting such items of copyright information, a signal is output indicating that the image file does or does not contain pornographic image content without the need to analyse the image content of the image file. |
| US08107660B2 |
Hearing aid
A hearing aid includes: a sound collection unit configured to collect a surrounding sound; a sound output unit configured to output a sound; and a main body having a shape that can be attached to an ear. The main body includes: a hearing aid processing unit configured to perform hearing aid processing for the surrounding sound collected by the sound collection unit; an attaching determination unit configured to determine whether the main body is attached to the ear based on the surrounding sound; a specific sound generation unit configured to generate a predetermined signal; and a selection unit configured to select one of the sound subjected to the hearing aid processing by the hearing aid processing unit and the sound generated by the specific sound generation unit based on a determination result of the attaching determination unit and to output the selected sound to the sound output unit. |
| US08107659B2 |
Control arrangement for hearing aids or for control units coupled to hearing aids
In a control arrangement for hearing aids or for control units coupled to hearing aids, a strain gauge is mechanically coupled to an elastically deformable or displaceable portion of the hearing aid or of the control unit coupled thereto and undergoes an elastic deformation under the influence of an actuating force input by a user, whereby the strain gauge undergoes a variation of one of its electrical values which variation is detected by a controller which provides a control signal which serves for switching between different operation modes of the hearing aid or of the control unit coupled to the hearing aid. |
| US08107658B2 |
Hearing instrument with parameter resetting and corresponding method
Hearing instruments and in particular hearing aids whose signal processing can be adjusted by the user are to be returned to a defined, individual state in a more convenient manner. For this purpose it is provided that at least one individual, current parameter value for ongoing operation of the hearing instrument is automatically stored in a first memory device. The at least one individual, current parameter value can also be stored manually or automatically in a second memory device. If the user wishes to revert to an earlier setting, he can manually reset the at least one parameter of the hearing instrument to the parameter value stored in the second memory device by actuating a button. |
| US08107656B2 |
Level-dependent noise reduction
A method for noise reduction in a hearing aid device is described, with a signal, which comprises a useful and an interference signal part, being processed in the hearing aid device and with the interference signal part being reduced to the benefit of the useful signal part and with the reduction of the interference signal part being carried out as a function of the input level of the signal, with the interference signal part being more heavily attenuated with a high input level than with a low input level. |
| US08107653B2 |
Garment with built-in audio source wiring
An audio source device may be used with a garment such as a hooded garment by passing the audio wires into a channel in the hood and having them exit the hood inside hollow lanyards with earbuds at the ends. A means to fix the wires and the lanyards to each other inside the hood is shown; and a means is shown to prevent lateral movement inside the hood. |
| US08107652B2 |
Controlled leakage omnidirectional electret condenser microphone element
An omnidirectional electret condenser microphone element with improved low frequency background ambient acoustical noise rejection is provided. The omnidirectional electret condenser microphone element includes a plurality of passageways in acoustic series that couple at least one acoustic aperture of the microphone element to an acoustic cavity formed within the microphone element. At least one of said plurality of passageways is of a predefined size that is determined to provide the desired response roll-off within a predefined frequency range. In at least one preferred configuration, the roll-off resulting from the plurality of passageways is greater than 2.0 dB between 300 and 100 Hz. In at least one alternate preferred configuration, the roll-off resulting from the plurality of passageways is greater than 3.0 dB between 300 and 100 Hz. |
| US08107651B2 |
Speaker structure
A speaker structure including a single electret vibrating film structure, a single metal electrode with a plurality of holes and a frame supporting member is provided. In an example, the electret vibrating film structure is formed by an electret film layer, an ultra-thin metal thin film electrode and an isolation layer stacked together, in which the ultra-thin metal thin film electrode is located between the electret film layer and the isolation layer. In another example, the electret vibrating film structure is formed by the electret film layer and a conductive electrode layer having oxide conductive materials. The frame supporting member is located between the electret vibrating film structure and the metal electrode for forming a space for the vibration of the electret vibrating film structure, so as to generate sounds. |
| US08107647B2 |
Ring transducers for sonic, ultrasonic hearing
A ring transducer comprising an outer metal ring and an inner ceramic ring provides a device for the conduction of ultrasonic signals directly in the ear canal, thereby providing an efficient means for the conduction of such signals. In an alternate embodiment, stacks of piezoelectric film, optionally shaped into a ring, may be used for placement in the ear or outside the ear, such as on the ends of eyeglasses. |
| US08107643B2 |
Apparatus and method of automatically compensating an audio volume in response to channel change
An apparatus and method of automatically compensating audio volume in response to a channel change. The method includes generating a gain value to adjust a level of an input audio signal by comparing an average level of the input audio signal with a predetermined input/output level curve, adjusting an audio volume of the input audio signal by applying the generated gain value to the level of the input audio signal, and adjusting a dynamic range of the audio signal having the adjusted audio volume. |
| US08107641B2 |
Communication system and control method therefor, program, and storage medium
A communication system has a communication controller for multiplexing and transmitting a power supply voltage and an audio signal to be played back by a plurality of channels, and a plurality of communication adapters which start in response to reception of the multiplexed/transmitted power supply voltage, and play back the audio signal using a playback device. The communication controller includes an audio data modulation circuit configured to modulate audio data by shifting, based on a first modulation ratio, a modulation carrier clock for modulating the audio data and a data transmission rate for transmitting the audio data in order to set a command transmission frequency bandwidth, and a command data modulation circuit configured to modulate command data by shifting, based on a second modulation ratio, a modulation carrier clock for modulating the command data and a data transmission rate for transmitting the command data in the command transmission frequency bandwidth. |
| US08107638B2 |
Semi-insert hearing protector having a helmholtz-type resonator
A semi-insert hearing protector includes a thin-walled enclosure sized substantially to that of the outer ear of a wearer, the enclosure being made from a rigid or semi-rigid material and secured to the head of said wearer by means of an adjustable headband. A short tube extends from the enclosure for communication with the ear canal, the short tube being made from a rigid or semi-rigid material and including a flexible cuff disposed over the tube made from a resilient material. The enclosure contains sound absorbing material configured to vary the frequency characteristic of sound attenuation by the semi-insert. |
| US08107618B2 |
Method and system for providing DC power on local telephone lines
A system for providing DC power on local telephone lines, such as telephone lines in a building or office, for powering devices and circuitry associated with communications over those telephone lines, as well as other functions. Desired voltage and power levels are supplied over local telephone lines by separating the DC power component from the central office or private branch exchange with a DC blocking filter while passing all AC telephony signals. A distinct DC power is then imposed over the telephone line for powering both the telephony service as well as other loads. Conventional telephone off-hook detection is simulated for compatibility with the central office or private branch exchange. The functions required may be integrated, partially or fully within a telephone outlet. |
| US08107616B2 |
Acoustic echo canceller
An acoustic echo cancellation device (1) for canceling an echo in a microphone signal (z) in response to a far-end signal (x) comprises: an adaptive filter unit (10) arranged for filtering the far-end signal (x) so as to produce an echo cancellation signal (y), —a combination unit (12) arranged for combining the echo cancellation signal (y) with the microphone signal (z) so as to produce a residual signal (r), and a post-processor unit (13) arranged for substantially removing any remaining echoes from the residual signal. In accordance with the invention, the device further comprises: —a near-end pitch estimation unit (18) arranged for estimating the pitch of any near-end signal (s) contained in the microphone signal (z) and for controlling the post-processor unit (13) in dependence of the estimated pitch such that harmonics of the estimated pitch may be substantially preserved. The control unit may further be arranged for controlling the post-processor unit (13) in dependence of the estimated pitch of the residual signal in addition to the estimated pitch of the residual signal. |
| US08107611B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for automatically displaying customized call center operating statistics based on user profile information
The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer readable media for automatically displaying customized call center operating statistics based on user profile information. According to one aspect, a method for automatically displaying customized call center operating statistics based on user profile information is provided. The method includes receiving user profile information associated with a user, wherein the user profile information uniquely identifies the user seeking access to customized call center operating statistics. Customized call center operating statistics to be displayed are automatically determined based on the user profile information. The customized call center operating statistics are then displayed to the user. |
| US08107607B2 |
Integrated chat client with receiving party choice
Phone systems for an integrated chat client service are provided. A representative phone system includes a call processing system operable to check a chat server for accessibility of a calling party chat client associated with a calling party and coupled to the internet, the call processing system being further operable to prompt a called party to select to talk or chat. Methods to connect telephone calls and answer telephone calls are also provided. |
| US08107605B2 |
Memory aid for persons having memory loss
A simplified computer device is provided and may be used by persons having memory loss to connect via a network, such as the Internet, to one or more other computer devices. The simplified computer device is operable to obtain image, text and/or audio files from the other computer device for displaying on a display screen or for playing on an audio player, as the case may be, of the simplified computer devices to assist the persons with memory loss in recalling the identity and/or other information about their family members, friends, caregivers, and other acquaintances. Using a limited set of buttons on the simplified computer devices, the persons having memory loss can automatically link to one or more predetermined other computer devices and retrieve the image files and associated text and audio files. A local input module is coupleable to the simplified computer device and is usable for entry of images, text, and/or audio directly into the memory of the associated simplified computer devices for storage therein and/or for transmission to other devices of the network. |
| US08107603B2 |
Contact number encapsulation system
A contact number encapsulation system is disclosed that is operable to consolidate a plurality of contact numbers associated with a given user into a single contact number. The system includes a call processing application that uses information contained in a SIP message header to determine a list of contact numbers to call. The SIP message header contains a call destination indication that is used by the call processing application to retrieve the list of contact numbers. The list of contact numbers is user defined and may be updated or modified by an account holder at any given time. Once the list of contact numbers is obtained, a simultaneous call module is used to simultaneously call each number contained in the list. As such, the account holder only needs to provide the primary contact number to individuals desiring to reach him/her instead of various numbers that are associated with various locations the account holder may be located. |
| US08107599B2 |
Methods and apparatus for the composition and communication of digital composition coded multisensory messages (DCC MSMS)
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for composing and communicating Digital Composition Coded Multisensory Messages (DCC MSMs). The present invention also relates to the design, composition, creation, and communication of the multisensory messages. Multisensory messages, while rich in content and meaning, are to be composable from a great variety of platforms, from cell phones to mainframes. |
| US08107597B2 |
Messaging advise in presence-aware networks
A presence aware communications system, comprising a messaging system configured to perform at least one of the following operations: (a) provide a subscriber's communication device with information regarding an incoming contact during a messaging session between the subscriber's communication device and the messaging system; (b) provide the subscriber's communication device with a text message containing information regarding one or more messages when a notification is received that the subscriber's communication device is available; (c) provide the subscriber's communication device with a text message relating to a voice message from a different first party received by the messaging system; (d) in response to the subscriber's communication device requesting a connection with at least one of an inputted telephone number and address, provide the subscriber's communication device with a notification respecting at least one eligible message from a second party associated with the at least one of an inputted telephone number and address; (e) while a contact between the subscriber and a different third party is in progress, provide the subscriber's communication device with information respecting the at least one eligible message from the third party; (f) transform an audio messaging session between the messaging system and the communication device of a contacting party into a graphical user interface-based audio session; and (g) transform the audio messaging session into a session having a video channel or both audio and video channels. |
| US08107594B2 |
Security system with call management functionality
A security system with call management functionality is disclosed and includes a security controller having at least one first interface to at least one user identification device and a second interface to a call management controller. The security controller also includes logic to determine a security status of a user based on identification information received from the at least one user identification device and to communicate the security status of the user to the call management controller, where the call management controller enables, disables, or modifies a communication service based on the security status of the user. |
| US08107591B2 |
X-ray tube with a catching device for backscattered electrons, and operating method therefor
An x-ray tube has a cathode and a anode, and a catching device that captures backscattered electrons from the anode in the operating state of the x-ray tube. The catching device minimizes unwanted energy generation by the backscattered electrons in the catching device and the anode while maintaining a high quality of the focus by the catching device being electrically insulated with respect to the anode and the cathode and being placed at an electrical potential having a value between the value of the electrical potential of the anode and the value of the electrical potential of the cathode, and the amount of the difference between the potential of the catching device and the potential of the anode is in the range from 1% to 40% of the amount of the difference between the potential of the cathode and the potential of the anode. |
| US08107590B2 |
Portable radiographic imaging apparatus and radiographic image management apparatus
There is provided a portable radiographic imaging apparatus including: an image output unit which detects a radiation which penetrates an object to be imaged and is irradiated on a surface to be irradiated of a casing, and outputs data of a radiographic image which represents a distribution of an amount of irradiated radiation; a first storage unit which stores the data of the radiographic image output from the image output unit; a display unit which displays an image; and a display control unit which allows the display unit to display a previously captured radiographic image which is associated with a current imaging, before the object to be imaged is imaged. |
| US08107586B2 |
Shift register and display device including the same
A shift register comprises stages connected to each other, in which each stage generates an output signal in response to any one of clock signals and an output from each of two different stages. Each clock signal has a duty ratio of less than 50% and a different phase from each of the other clock signals. A display device includes pixels, signal lines, and first and second shift registers each having stages connected to each other and generating output signals to signal lines. Each stage includes a set terminal, a reset terminal, a clock terminal, and first and second output terminals. |
| US08107585B2 |
Fuel rod for a nuclear reactor
The nuclear reactor comprises a lower stopper sealingly fixed to a lower end of a tubular casing of the pencil that comprises a part which is internal to the casing successively comprising a first cylindrical section having a diameter which is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the tubular casing; a second cylindrical section whose diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular casing and a third cylindrical section whose inner diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular casing and greater than the diameter of the second cylindrical section such that 1-2 tenths of a millimetre radial play is created in the gas passable between the outer surface of the third section and the inner surface of the casing. |
| US08107584B2 |
Apparatuses and methods for damping nuclear reactor components
Example embodiment damping devices may include a housing capturing a piston. The housing may be filled and/or able to be filled with a damping fluid compatible with the nuclear reactor coolant, so that a leak from the housing or coolant passing into the housing does not damage the reactor or example embodiment devices. Example embodiments may further include one or more springs that provide an elastic force opposing movement between the piston and housing. A shaft of the piston and an end of the housing may be connected to two nuclear reactor components with relative motion or vibration to be damped. Example methods may use example embodiment damping devices to reduce and/or prevent relative motion and vibration among components of a nuclear reactor. |
| US08107581B2 |
Method for frequency compensation in timing recovery
A method of digitally controlling a timing recovery loop to control jitter and reduce word-length in a recovered clock is provided. A timing error detector provides an output identifying the error sign. First and second randomizing digital attenuators provide first and second estimates of the phase error in a timing signal. A controller receives the first estimate and provides a signal to an NCO. An output from the NCO provides feedback to the error detector to complete a first order feedback loop, providing a first estimate phase error compensation. An integrator receives the second estimate and provides an output estimate for frequency offset of the timing signal that is received by the controller and the sign and magnitude of the integrated phase error are calibrated to provide a frequency offset. The controller determines a number of additional updates to the NCO required to minimize jitter and reduce word-length. |
| US08107579B2 |
Configurable baseband in a GPS receiver
Clock compensation for GPS receivers. A receiver in accordance with the present invention comprises a Radio Frequency (RF) portion, and a baseband portion, coupled to the RF portion, wherein the baseband portion comprises a crystal, an oscillator, coupled to the crystal, wherein the oscillator generates a clock signal based on a signal received from the crystal, a counter, coupled to the oscillator via the clock signal, a comparator, coupled to the counter, a controller, at least one logic gate, coupled to the comparator and the controller, and a combiner, coupled to the at least one logic gate, the controller, and the counter and producing an accurate clock signal therefrom. |
| US08107577B2 |
Communication protocol method and apparatus for a single wire device
The present invention is a noise tolerant communication protocol device and method where a clock signal input triggers an internal delay clock in an integrated circuit. Data is presented to an input pin and sampled prior to the next external clock pulse based on the internal delay clock. A data pulse value is distinguished by input signal voltage level and not by pulse length. Sampling of data bits is deferred until a signal level is most likely stable, thereby avoiding sampling during periods around edges of changing data values. Therefore, error detection and correction circuitry is not required. A time reference pulse, produced by a bus master, is measured by the protocol device to determine a data transmission rate by the master. The timing of sampling of input signaling from the master is determined by the protocol device from measurement of the time reference pulse magnitude. |
| US08107576B2 |
Synchronization method and related apparatus of an OFDM digital communication system
A synchronization method and related apparatus of an OFDM digital communication system are disclosed for determining a position of a synchronization byte in a received signal. The method includes extracting a transmission parameter signal (TPS) from the received signal, determining a symbol number and a frame number corresponding to a symbol according to the TPS, and determining the position of the synchronization byte according to the frame number and the symbol number. |
| US08107574B2 |
Filter tuning circuit for wireless communication system
A filter tuning circuit for a wireless communication system is provided. A filter tuning circuit includes a comparator and a counter which control a transconvertance value of a differential transconverter to tune a filter. |
| US08107573B2 |
Method and apparatus for baseline wander compensation in Ethernet application
An embodiment of the proposed invention is primarily applied to compensate the BLW in communication systems using THPs in their transmitters, especially suitable for the 10GBase-T Ethernet application. The present apparatus includes an additional decision device (slicer) used to generate DC offset information (error signal) and an extra modulus unit after our BLW compensator to reconvert compensated symbols to correct 16-PAM signals. In addition, the estimated error signals in our method are generated from the difference between the input of the BLW compensator and the output of the decision device. These error signals are then weighted to alleviate the impact of erroneous DC offset information on the performance of the BLW compensator. Therefore, a more direct and accurate DC offset information can be derived to improve the inaccurate BLW estimation in previous works. |
| US08107565B2 |
Automatic gain control (AGC) for OFDM-based transmission in a wireless communication network
Techniques for performing automatic gain control (AGC) at a receiver are described. The receiver may receive an OFDM-based symbol composed of a cyclic prefix and a useful portion. The receiver may scale the OFDM-based symbol with an initial receiver gain, adjust the initial receiver gain based on the cyclic prefix, apply the adjusted receiver gain prior to the useful portion, and process the useful portion to recover at least one signal sent by at least one transmitter. The receiver may select the initial receiver gain, e.g., based on a predicted received power level for the at least one transmitter, a pattern of different receiver gains, etc. The receiver may apply the initial receiver gain at the start of the OFDM-based symbol. The receiver may measure the power of a set of samples in the cyclic prefix and may adjust the receiver gain based on the measured power and a target power. |
| US08107562B2 |
Combining soft decisions in a weather band radio
According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided to enable weather band radio signals to be received and processed using a digital signal processor (DSP). The DSP can include functionality to implement both frequency modulation (FM) demodulation and weather band data demodulation, i.e., specific area encoding (SAME) demodulation. In one such embodiment, soft decision samples of a SAME message can be combined, and based on a combined result, a hard decision unit can generate a bit value of weather band data. |
| US08107558B2 |
Electronic circuitry and method for determination of amplitudes of received signals
A method and a calculating circuit for generating an output signal representing an actual amplitude of a received digitized signal having a magnitude of the actual amplitude equal or greater than a value of a saturation level of a dynamic range of a receiver. For the determination of the actual amplitude, firstly, a predetermined time interval is selected. Then, a total number of samples of the received digitized signal within the predetermined time interval is calculated. Further, a number of samples of the received digitized signal within the predetermined time interval with the amplitude equal to the saturation level is calculated. Thereafter, a ratio between the number of the samples with the amplitude value equal to the saturation level and the total number of the samples is calculated. For calculation of the magnitude of the actual amplitude a predetermined relationship between the magnitude of the amplitude and the ratio is applied and the output signal representing the actual amplitude is provided. |
| US08107553B2 |
Crest factor reduction in multicarrier transmission schemes
A multicarrier transmission system uses a set of carriers spaced apart in frequency with a number of bits being assigned to each carrier. A transmitter has a mapper which maps a data signal to a parallel set of constellation values. A frequency domain-to-time domain transform stage converts the set of modulated carriers to a time-domain signal. A peak detector detects when the time-domain signal exceeds a predetermined criterion. A constellation modifier modifies the constellation value of at least one of the carriers to reduce the crest factor of the transmitted signal. A carrier is selected for modifying on the basis of a number of bits allocated to that carrier. The constellation modifier can select an alternative constellation value by an iterative method or by calculation. The constellation modifier can operate entirely in the time-domain. |
| US08107552B2 |
System and method of wireless communication of uncompressed video having a fast fourier transform-based channel interleaver
A system and a method of using fast Fourier transform (FFT) based tone interleaver for OFDM are disclosed. One embodiment of the system includes an OFDM transmitter, which includes an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) subsystem. The IFFT subsystem includes a bit-reversal (or quarternary-digit reversal depending on implementation) module followed by a butterfly operator. The bit-reversal (or quarternary-digit reversal) module output is connected to the butterfly operator input. The OFDM transmitter further includes a tone interleaver having an input and an output. The symbol interleaver output is connected to the bit reversal (or quarternary-digit reversal) module input. The tone interleaver is configured to rearrange the input symbol sequence such that the symbol sequence input to the tone interleaver input is the same as the symbol sequence input to the butterfly operator input. |
| US08107548B2 |
Digital broadcast transmitting/receiving system having an improved receiving performance and signal processing method thereof
A digital broadcast transmitting/receiving system and a signal processing method thereof that can improve the receiving performance of the system. A digital broadcast transmitter has a randomizer to randomize an input data stream which has null bytes being inserted at a specified position, a multiplexer to output a data stream formed by inserting specified known data into the position of the null bytes of the randomized data stream, an encoder to encode the data stream outputted from the multiplexer, and a modulator/RF-converter to modulate the encoded data, RF-convert the modulated data and transmit the RF-converted data. The receiving performance of the digital broadcast transmitting/receiving system can be improved even in a multi-path channel by detecting the known data from the received signal and using the known data in synchronization and equalization in a digital broadcast receiver. |
| US08107544B2 |
Method and apparatus for feedback in closed loop transmitting
A method an apparatus is described for providing feedback for closed-loop transmitting with multiple transmit and receive antennas. The method includes a first step 900 of providing a codebook containing sets of weightings for each data stream of the multiple transmit antennas with each set identified by an index known to a transmitter and a receiver. The same codebook is utilized for any number of data streams up to the number of transmit antennas. A next step 902 includes measuring a composite channel between the transmitter and receiver. A next step 904 includes determining at least one performance metric for each set of weightings in the codebook. A next step 906 includes selecting preferred weightings for each data stream in response to the performance metrics. A next step 908 includes feeding back an index of the preferred weightings to the transmitter for use in subsequent transmissions. |
| US08107542B1 |
Soft decoding of coded bit-streams
A wireless system may transmit multiple bit streams representing the same information but with the coded bits being transmitted with different repeat transmission factors. The receiver may derive appropriate combining metrics to optimize decoder performance, while eliminating complicated multiplication operations. The receiver may utilize different soft combining metrics for different bit-to-symbols mappings and types of channels, e.g., additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and Rayleigh fading channels. |
| US08107540B2 |
Image complexity computation in packet based video broadcast systems
A method to determine real time image complexity in video streaming, IPTV and broadcast applications using a statistical model representing channel bandwidth variation and image complexity that considers scene content changes. Available channel bandwidth is distributed unevenly among multiple video streams in proportion to bandwidth variation and image complexity of the broadcast video stream. The distribution of available channel bandwidth is determined based upon an image complexity factor of each video stream as determined from probability matrices considering bandwidth variations and image complexity. |
| US08107533B2 |
Moving picture coding method, and moving picture decoding method
According to the present invention, a moving picture coding apparatus (70) for performing inter-picture predictive coding for pictures constituting a moving picture is provided with a coding unit (103) for performing predictive error coding for image data; a decoding unit (105) for performing predictive error decoding for an output from the coding unit (103); a reference picture memory (117) for holding output data from the decoding unit (105); and a motion vector detection unit (108) for detecting motion vectors on the basis of the decoded image data stored in the memory. When coding a B picture as a target picture, information indicating whether or not the target picture should be used as a reference picture when coding another picture is added as header information. Therefore, in a decoding apparatus for decoding a bit stream Bs outputted from the moving picture coding apparatus (70), management of a memory for holding the reference picture can be facilitated on the basis of the header information. |
| US08107532B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating/evaluating in a picture signal encoding/decoding one or more prediction information items
Advanced Video Coding uses intra prediction for 4*4 pixel blocks whereby reconstructed samples from adjacent pixel blocks are used to predict a current block. Nine different intra prediction modes are available in AVC. In order to save bits for signalling the prediction modes, a flag and a 3-bit parameter are used. If this flag is set the most probable prediction mode, which is calculated from previous predictions, is used by the encoder and the decoder to reconstruct the actual prediction mode. If the flag is cleared, the 3-bit parameter is sent to select the prediction mode independently. According to the invention, the flag is applied more frequently, based on a prediction error threshold, instead of applying the optimum prediction mode for a current pixel block. |
| US08107529B2 |
Coding device, coding method, program of coding method, and recording medium recorded with program of coding method
A coding device makes a GOP setting to input image data, and applies a coding process to the input image data on a macroblock basis successively by intra and inter prediction to output coded data. The device includes an orthogonal transform section; a quantization section; a coding section; and a rate control section. The rate control section includes an activity detection section; and a prediction residual detection section. The rate control section calculates, in pictures configuring a GOP, a target code amount of any picture that has not yet been subjected to the coding process, another target code amount for a macroblock of any of the pictures relating to the coding process from the target code amount of the picture not yet subjected to the coding process, and the quantization scale of the quantization section in which a generated code amount serves as the target code amount. |
| US08107525B1 |
Variable bit rate video CODEC using adaptive tracking for video conferencing
The present invention is directed to a video communication system capable of providing adaptive compression of video image data. In particular, data regarding the range of possible motions and the respective probabilities of such motion within a scene are collected, and a compression algorithm appropriate to motions having high associated probabilities selected. In response to a change in the motions and associated probabilities within a scene, a new compression algorithm can be selected. The bit rate of data transmitted by a system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will therefore vary, depending on the content of an imaged scene and based on the compression algorithm applied in order to compress image data while maintaining appropriate detail. |
| US08107522B2 |
Methods and apparatus for determining receiver filter coefficients for a plurality of phases
Methods and apparatus are provided for determining receiver filter coefficients for a plurality of phases. One or more coefficients for a receiver filter are determined by determining a first coefficient for a first phase of a data eye; and determining a second coefficient for a second phase of the data eye. The receiver filter may be, for example, a decision-feedback equalizer. The first and second coefficients may be determined by performing an LMS adaptation of decision-feedback equalization coefficients. In another embodiment, the first and second coefficients may be determined by obtaining eye opening metrics from a data eye monitor corresponding to each of the respective first phase and the second phase; and determining the respective first and second coefficients based on the eye opening metrics. The first and second phases can correspond to odd and even phases. |
| US08107520B2 |
Wireless communication apparatus having equalizer
Receiving a transmission line estimation sequence, a wireless communication apparatus generates a transmission line characteristic estimation value for each of a plurality of sub-carriers and smoothes the transmission line characteristic estimation value of a target sub-carrier to be processed and the transmission line characteristic estimation value of its adjacent sub-carrier. The apparatus includes a determination unit for determining whether or not the adjacent sub-carrier, is a null sub-carrier and a smoothing unit for smoothing the transmission line characteristic estimation value of the target sub-carrier by excluding the transmission line characteristic estimation value of the adjacent sub-carrier determined as a null carrier by the determination unit. |
| US08107519B2 |
Equalizer, equalization method, program and receiving device
An equalizer includes: a replica generation means for generating a replica of a multipath component by applying an adaptive filter to a received signal; a removal means for generating a multipath-component removed signal from which the multipath component has been removed by subtracting the replica from the received signal; a correlation value calculation means for calculating a correlation value between the received signal and the replica; a power value calculation means for calculating a power value of the replica; a determination means for determining whether the replica is the replica of the multipath component based on the correlation value and the power value; and a selection means for outputting the multipath-component removed signal when it is determined that the replica is the replica of the multipath component, and outputting the received signal when it is determined that the replica is not the replica of the multipath component. |
| US08107517B2 |
Average-tap energy based thresholding for channel estimation in multi antenna systems
Techniques to facilitate estimating the frequency response of a wireless channel in an OFDM system are provided. The method and systems allow for combining signal information across multiple communication channels at one or more channel tap delays in order to determine appropriate taps for channel information. |
| US08107513B2 |
Differential detection unit for the zigbee 802.15.4 standard
In one embodiment, a detection unit includes a sequence providing unit to provide a third group of derived sequences. The sequence providing unit has a counting unit and multiplexers connected to the counting unit. Fixed values are applied at the inputs of the multiplexers and the sequence providing unit provides the derived sequences of the third group at the outputs of the multiplexers. The third group for each first pseudo noise (PN) sequence has a derived sequence assigned to the first PN sequence. The detection unit includes a correlation unit, which is connected to the sequence providing unit and formed to calculate correlation results by correlating the differentially demodulated signal with each derived sequence of the third group. The detection unit includes an evaluation unit, which is connected to the correlation unit and is formed to derive the values of the data symbols by evaluating the correlation results. |
| US08107509B2 |
Monolithic folded F-P cavity and semiconductor laser using the same
This invention relates to a monolithic folded F-P cavity used for semiconductor laser, which is composed of a monolithic optical element. The monolithic optical element is made of the material having low propagation loss for a certain spectrum range. Light entering through an input/output coupling surface of the monolithic optical element is reflected several times between the input/output coupling surface and at least two high reflection surfaces within the monolithic optical element, and then at least one part of the light exits through the input/output coupling surface along the path which is collinear with the incident light but in an opposite direction. By means of integrating reflecting and coupling parts of the folded F-P cavity within a single monolithic optical material, this invention greatly improves the reliability of the F-P cavity, and has other advantages, such as insensitive to outside interferences, smaller size, simpler structure and easy usage. A semiconductor laser using the monolithic folded F-P cavity is also provided. |
| US08107508B2 |
External cavity laser light source
Provided is an external cavity laser light source. The light source includes a substrate, an optical waveguide, and a current blocking layer. The optical waveguide includes a passive waveguide layer, a lower clad layer, an active layer, and an upper clad layer that are sequentially stacked on the substrate and is divided into regions including a linear active waveguide region, a bent active waveguide region, a tapered waveguide region, and a window region. The current blocking layer was formed an outside of the active layer to reduce leakage current. The linear and bent active waveguide regions have a buried heterostructure (BH), and the tapered waveguide region and the window region have a buried ridge stripe (BRS) structure. The passive waveguide layer a width substantially equal to a maximal width of the tapered waveguide region at least in the bent active waveguide region, the tapered waveguide region, and the window region. |
| US08107505B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating information signal to be recorded
A compressively-encoding-resultant video signal resulting from compressively encoding a video signal, a first compressively-encoding-resultant audio signal resulting from compressively encoding a first audio signal having a synchronized relation with the video signal, a reference clock information signal relating to synchronization between the compressively-encoding-resultant video signal and the first compressively-encoding-resultant audio signal, and an indication timing information signal designating an indication timing of the video signal are multiplexed to get an AV multiplexing-resultant signal. A second audio signal is compressively encoded to get a second compressively-encoding-resultant audio signal. A sound-production-timing information signal is added to the second compressively-encoding-resultant audio signal to get a substitution playback audio signal. During playback, the substitution playback audio signal can be reproduced instead of the first audio signal while being synchronous with the video signal. The sound-production-timing information signal responds to the reference clock information signal, and relates to synchronization with the video signal. |
| US08107504B2 |
Synchronising serial data signals
A method and apparatus for synchronising a serial data signal to a reference clock signal, the data signal comprising frames of equal length each comprising a known frame alignment word (FAW) and a payload, the frame alignment word being in a consistent position within each frame, the method comprising: storing the signal in a FIFO wander buffer as it is received in order to compensate for any wander that may occur; outputting the data signal stored in the FIFO wander buffer synchronised to the reference clock signal; searching for at least a portion of the frame alignment word in the data signal as it is received; and when it is determined that the frame alignment word has been found, realigning the data signal within the wander buffer. The step of realigning the data may comprise replacing at least a portion of the data signal in the wander buffer with a locally-held copy of at least a portion of the frame alignment word. The method may be used in any synchronous serial data stream, such as SDH or SONET. |
| US08107501B2 |
Synchronizing portions of a database with different databases on different nodes of a network
Techniques are disclosed for synchronizing a database related to a first node in a network with multiple nodes. Each node includes a database different from a database on a different node. An inquiry control message is sent to each node in a candidate set of one or more nodes on the network, which are different from the first node. In response to the inquiry control message, the first node receives a first set of one or more messages from a particular node different from the first node. The first set indicates a portion from the database of the particular node. The portion is relevant for the first node. A particular portion of a first database for the first node is derived from the first set of messages. The particular portion is less than all of the first database. These techniques allow the first node to derive its full database from multiple adjacent nodes. |
| US08107497B2 |
Auto bandwidth negotiation, reroute and advertisement
A bandwidth negotiation system including a first network, a plurality of end user devices in communication with the network, a multiplexing unit communicatively coupled to the network, a second network, and an analyzing unit in communication with a second network. In addition, one of the plurality of end user devices is configured to send a data message to the multiplexing unit via the first network, and the analyzing unit is configured to receive the data message from the multiplexing unit via the second network and to extract a first identifier and a second identifier from the data message. |
| US08107496B2 |
System and method for roaming between wireless networks
Systems and methods for roaming between a mobile node and at least one serving node connected to a network are disclosed. The present application provides a method for roaming between. In the system and method, a first communication is established between the mobile node and one of the serving nodes through a control server, when an Ethernet transceiver is used by the mobile node. Ethernet is used for communications between the mobile node and the control server, and a wireless communication technology for communications between the control server and the serving node. The control server also translates communications between Ethernet and the wireless communication technology. In the system and method, a second communication is established between the mobile node and one of the serving nodes with the wireless communication technology, when a wireless communication technology transceiver is used by the mobile node. |
| US08107495B2 |
Integrating access to audio messages and instant messaging with VOIP
A system, method, and apparatus are directed towards providing integrated access to call information to an end-user using any of a variety of client applications, including an Instant Messaging (IM), a web-browser, and/or a VOIP client. An end-user may employ any of the above client applications to establish a communication session and enable an integrated access display for use in managing such call information as audio messages, call histories, and instant messaging conversations. The integrated access display may be managed through an intelligent integration client that may reside on a client device, such as a personal computer, a mobile device, a VOIP phone, and the like. Through the intelligent integration client, the end-user may search, retrieve, and/or view the call information. For example, using the VOIP phone, the end-user may search for and access a stored audio message, such as a voice mail message, or the like. |
| US08107494B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating virtual clock signals
The invention includes a method and apparatus for generating virtual clock signals for differing hierarchies in a communication system conveying data frames of differing hierarchies. Specifically, a method according to one embodiment of the invention includes receiving data frames of a first hierarchy, receiving at least one input clock signal, and generating a virtual clock signal using the at least one input clock signal and a clock enable signal. The clock enable signal is generated using at least one of a data rate ratio and a clock rate ratio. The virtual clock signal is adapted for converting at least a portion of the data frames of the first hierarchy to data frames of a second hierarchy. The frequency of the virtual clock signal is determined by applying the clock enable signal to a common clock signal. |
| US08107491B2 |
System and method for providing communication between intelligent electronic devices via an open channel
An intelligent electronic device is configured to receive and generate data formatted in accordance with Distributed Network Protocol 3.0 (DNP 3.0) through an Ethernet TCP/IP medium. The intelligent electronic metering device for communicating over a network via an open channel includes an adapter to coupled the electronic metering device to the network and to receive a message in a protocol of the network, wherein the adapter formats the message in a serial protocol; and a processor to receive the message from the adapter, generate a response to the message and transmit the response to the adapter, wherein the adapter formats the response in the protocol of the network and transmits the response over the network via an open channel. |
| US08107488B2 |
Passive optical network and ultrawide band adapter
A system includes a passive cable splitter and an ultra wideband adapter located at a customer premises. The passive cable splitter receives a video signal and a modulated ultra wideband data signal from a remotely-located ultra wideband adapter via a first cable. The video signal and the modulated ultra wideband data signal are output to a set-top box device via a second cable. The ultra wideband adapter located at the customer premises includes a combined signal interface to receive the video signal and the modulated ultra wideband data signal via a third cable. A demodulator extracts a data signal from the modulated ultra wideband data signal to generate a computer readable data signal. The computer readable data signal is output to a computing device via a data connection interface. |
| US08107485B2 |
Network component, method for the operation of such a network component, and automation system with such a network component
A network component including three ports as well as a method for the operation thereof is provided. The ports are exclusively allocated to individual hierarchical levels of a topology of an automation system, in which the network component is operated along with an optional plurality of additional network components, such that telegrams sent in the automation system are efficiently forwarded, particularly on the basis of designators assigned to the network component as an alias. The designators are assigned in an especially recursive process. |
| US08107482B2 |
Multipath discovery in switched ethernet networks
A network switch device receives a communication packet having a source MAC address s and a destination MAC address d at a switch port p. Then, the network switch device determines whether a valid routing table entry (s, p) exists, there by indicating that the source MAC address s is reachable via a switch port p. The network switch device further determines for the destination MAC address d whether there is at least one switch port q for which a valid routing table entry (d, q) exists, there by indicating that d is reachable via a switch port q. When the routing table entries (s, p) and (d, q) exist, the network switch device routes the communication packet to the switch port q. |
| US08107480B2 |
Method, arrangement, node and article for enhancing delivery capacity in a telecommunications network by transcoding traffic into requested quality of service (QoS)
Methods and apparatuses to enhance delivery capacity for traffic in a communication network are disclosed. Traffic is received to a Delivery Function with originally coded Quality of Services (QoS). A specification of requested QoS is received to the Delivery Function. The originally coded QoS is established to be higher than the requested QoS. The received traffic is transcoded into requested QoS. Optionally, the traffic is buffered with originally coded QoS and at request, the buffered traffic is retrieved. |
| US08107479B2 |
Method and system for telephony and high-speed data access on a broadband access network
A system and method for providing telephony and high-speed data access over a broadband access network, comprising a network interface unit (NIU) coupled to a backup local exchange carrier (LEC) line, the broadband access network coupled to the NIU, an intermediate point-of-presence (IPOP) coupled to the broadband access network, and at least one external access network coupled to the IPOP. The system also provides for a fail-safe mode in which the NIU supports the LEC line for lifeline services. |
| US08107478B2 |
Wireless communication device, communication system, communication control method, and program
A wireless communication device includes: a control unit configured to control communication data; and memory configured to store communication data; wherein the control unit performs processing of setting a re-order buffer corresponding to a source address, for storing received data in increments of source address in the memory, storing received packets from a single data source in the re-order buffer corresponding to a source address, and arraying the packet order following sequence numbers set to the received packets. |
| US08107477B2 |
Cell or frame assembly method and apparatus optimizing the moving of data
In a network node, a method and apparatus assemble fixed cell length cells resulting from the segmenting of variable length frames into cells. A finite state machine fetches frame data moves frame data and control block data to the cell and outputs cell data. A counter points to the frame. A multiplexer selects the correct data to form the cell. The finite state machine builds cells corresponding to a frame using a cell pattern applied to these cells using two constraints. The first constraint is a 64 unit cell size with a 6 unit cell header and 10 unit frame header; the second constraint is that the insert and overlay field have to be even. The method replaces a field by a definite value when a frame is modified during the segmenting processing, when a new field is inserted in the frame or when frames are packed into one cell. |
| US08107472B1 |
Network single entry point for subscriber management
A gateway may be used as a common entry point for a network. Subscribers may request network services through the gateway. The gateway may identify management entities that are appropriate for a particular subscriber's request by contacting a network information collector (NIC). The NIC may include one or more, possibly distributed, resolver components and information collection agents. The resolvers are responsible for the resolution process, which may be based on a resolution process that specifies resolution functions that are required to identify the management entities. The information collection agents may be customizable software agents that collect state information from other elements in the network. |
| US08107471B2 |
Communication system, server, control apparatus and communication apparatus
Disclosed herewith is a communication system, which can solve the following conventional problem that if packets exchanged between a terminal and an HA are encapsulated with use of the mobile IPv6 protocol, the PDSN cannot identify any IP flows in the mobile IPv6 tunnel. Consequently, there is no QoS usable appropriately to the services in the EV-D0 RAN. To solve such a problem, the PCRF notifies the HA of the filter information used to specify each IP flow and the flow label assigned to each IP flow. The HA then sets the flow label in the outer IPv6 header of the packet matching with the filter information and transfers the packet to the object unit. The PDSN then refers to the flow label set in the outer IPv6 header to identify the object IP flow in the mobile IPv6 tunnel. Consequently, a proper QoS can be usable for the services respectively in the EV-D0 RAN. |
| US08107469B2 |
Enabling routing of data on a network based on a portion of data accessed from a non-network enabled device
A system and method for enabling routing of data on a network based on a portion of data accessed from a non-network enabled device is disclosed. The technology includes a method for enabling routing of data on a network based on a portion of data accessed from a non-network enabled device. The method includes detecting a non-network enabled device locally coupled to a first computer system, the first computer system coupled to the network. The method further includes enabling routing of data through the non-network enabled device to a second computer system coupled to the network by using the first computer system as a communication interface between the non-network enabled device and the second computer system wherein the second computer system is automatically identified based on recognizing a portion of the data as a routing destination. |
| US08107464B2 |
Enterprise mobile network for providing cellular wireless service using licensed radio frequency spectrum and supporting multiple-device ring for incoming calls
One embodiment is directed to an enterprise mobile network for providing wireless service within a coverage area associated with an enterprise using licensed radio frequency spectrum. The enterprise mobile network is configured to have local subscribers thereof. At least one local subscriber has assigned thereto a local mobile phone number and one or more other numbers (such as a PBX extension number, a public mobile phone number, and a Unified Communications end point). The enterprise mobile network is configured so that the local mobile phone number and one or more of the other numbers ring in response to incoming calls made to the local mobile phone number or the other numbers. |
| US08107460B1 |
System and method for IP telephony paging
An IP-telephony system including one or more nodes coupled to a session controller. Each node includes a service gateway coupled to one or more terminals. A first terminal conveys a start page request initiating a page activity between itself and one or more terminating terminals. The session controller receives the start page request and in response, conveys first control signals to one or more service gateways, each first control signal containing information identifying which of the terminals associated with a service gateway is a terminating terminal. In response to the first control signal, each service gateway conveys second control signals to its associated terminating terminals. The first terminal conveys a media packet to the first service gateway during a page activity. The first service gateway forwards the media packet to one or more designated terminating terminals. |
| US08107458B1 |
Power-based networking path allocation
A method for routing network traffic in a data network having a plurality of network switches, the method including identifying network traffic to be routed in the data network, evaluating multiple options for allocating at least one data path in the data network to handle the identified network traffic, selecting one option from the multiple options for data-path allocation based on at least one predetermined policy, and controlling the plurality of network switches based on the selected option. |
| US08107457B2 |
Multi-access terminal with capability for simultaneous connectivity to multiple communication channels
An apparatus is disclosed for permitting a mobile terminal having multiple, heterogeneous network connections (e.g., multiple wired or wireless transceivers of various types) to set up and maintain virtual connections over multiple networks to either the same or to multiple destinations. The mobile terminal can “load-share” traffic, i.e., it can distribute segments of traffic over a full set of heterogeneous networks, significantly improving the reliability and availability of communications. In a first embodiment, a mobile terminal is configured with multiple radio frequency (RF) transceivers. Operating system software is provided for dynamically establishing and maintaining traffic flow for user applications over multiple communications paths, and for automatically adapting to variations in the networking environment, application traffic flow requirements, end user preferences, or mobility. In a second embodiment, a software-defined radio is used to implement the physical layer protocols for each desired network, eliminating the need for multiple transceivers. |
| US08107455B2 |
Method for transmitting data in multiple antenna system
A method of sending data in a multiple antenna system according to an aspect of the present invention includes performing precoding on received symbols based on a second codebook generated from a first codebook for a plurality of transmission antennas and sending the precoded symbols. The second codebook is a codebook for transmission antennas which are a multiple of an integer of the plurality of transmission antennas, and a precoding matrix included in the second codebook is generated by a combination of precoding matrices included in the first codebook. |
| US08107454B2 |
Device for setting of a service zone in a mobile communication network, method and system for providing zone-based service using the device, and mobile communication unit
Provided are a device for setting a service zone for a predetermined zone-based service provided by a mobile communication system for at least one mobile communication unit to which a mobile communication service is provided by the mobile communication system, the device comprising a local area wireless communication unit, wherein the local area wireless communication unit performs local area wireless communication with the mobile communication unit and the device sets a range in which the local area wireless communication is available as the service zone of the mobile communication unit, a method and a system for providing a zone-based service using the device, and a mobile communication unit for providing the zone-based service. |
| US08107453B2 |
Mobile communication control method, mobile terminal, and access router
A technology is disclosed that provides a mobile communication control method, a mobile terminal, and an access router that allow communication to be continued after a handover without newly establishing all protocol states from the beginning. The technology includes a step at which a mobile node 100 transmits a sustain request message to an access router via any of a plurality of interfaces. The access router holds communication environment information related to communication performed via a first access router 200 and configured to expire after an elapse of a predetermined amount of time. The sustain request message stops the communication environment information from expiring after the elapse of the predetermined amount of time. The technology also includes a step at which the access router that has received the sustain request message resets the elapsing predetermined amount of time until expiration based on the sustain request message. The technology also includes a step at which the second access router 201 establishes a communication environment for a communication by the mobile node performed via the second access router itself based on the sustained communication environment information. |
| US08107452B1 |
Customizing a browsing experience on a mobile communications device
Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, methods, and computer storage media for customizing a user agent profile for a mobile communications device. The mobile communications device communicates a request for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (http) compatible data to a gateway device. The capabilities of the mobile communications device are identified to create an options page. The options page includes selectable options associated with an identified selection of the capabilities of the mobile communications device. A selection of the selectable options of the options page are selected to identify one or more preferences of a user of the mobile communications device. A user agent profile is created based, in part, on the selection of the selectable options of the options page. Based on the user agent profile, the requested data compatible with http is converted to correspond with the preferences indicated by the user agent profile. |
| US08107447B2 |
Method and apparatus for handling control PDUs during re-establishment of transmitting sides in wireless communications systems
A wireless communications system has a communications device, which has an RLC entity having a transmitting side and a receiving side. When re-establishing the transmitting side, to handle control PDUs, only the transmitting side in the RLC entity of the communications device is re-established, a first control PDU corresponding to the transmitting side is discarded, and a second control PDU corresponding to the receiving side is retained and not discarded. |
| US08107446B2 |
Wireless RFID networking systems and methods
Embodiments of the present invention include a wireless access point that acquires and processes radio frequency identification (RFID) information. The wireless access point may be coupled to a network of RFID readers over a wireless network. The RFID readers may read a plurality of RFID tags and transmit information to one or more readers. The readers may, in turn, transmit the RFID information to a wireless access point. The wireless access point may include a middleware layer for performing a variety of RFID data processing functions. In one embodiment, the wireless RFID reader network may be used to improve positioning of readers and tags, and may include a GPS system or position assisted GPS system at the reader and/or tag level. |
| US08107445B2 |
Method for constructing RACH preamble and method for transmitting RACH signal
A wireless communication system is disclosed. A method for constructing a RACH preamble according to a cell radius of a base station (BS) irrespective of a guard time (GT) and a method for allocating the RACH preamble are disclosed. A method for constructing a preamble of a random access channel (RACH) includes acquiring time-length information of a predetermined cyclic prefix (CP) for each cell radius of a base station (BS), acquiring sequence time-length information of a single sequence or a repeated sequence, and constructing the preamble using the predetermined CP time-length information and the sequence time-length information, irrespective of a time length of a guard time (GT). |
| US08107444B2 |
Arrangement and method for channel mapping in a wireless communication system
An arrangement and method for channel mapping in a UTRA TDD HSDPA wireless communication system by applying interleaving functions in first (530) and second (540) interleaving means to a bit sequence to produce symbols for mapping to physical channels, the first and second interleaving means being arranged to map symbols from respectively systematic and parity bits in a predetermined scheme, e.g., mapping symbols in a forward direction when a channel has an even index number, and in a reverse direction when a channel has an odd index number. The symbols may comprise bit-pairs, each of a systematic bit and parity bit.Systematic bits are preferably mapped to high reliability bit positions in TDD HSDPA, achieving a performance gain of between 0.2 dB and 0.5 dB. The forwards/reverse mapping allows a degree of interleaving that improves system performance in fading channels or channels disturbed by short time period noise or interference. |
| US08107443B2 |
Method of performing cell search for a wireless communications system
Performing cell search in a wireless communications system includes receiving a preamble signal, match filtering the preamble signal with a pseudo noise sequence to form a filtered preamble signal of a plurality of filtered preamble signals, choosing a largest filtered preamble signal from the plurality of filtered preamble signals, and determining an estimated pseudo noise sequence index and an estimated integer part frequency offset according to the largest filtered preamble signal. |
| US08107437B2 |
Access stratum manager
A multi-mode mobile communication device may include a processing device, a memory sub-system, a communication sub-system operable to communicate with the plurality of wireless access networks, and a protocol stack stored in the memory sub-system and executed by the processing device. The protocol stack may include a first access stratum, a second access stratum, a non-access stratum and an access stratum manager. The first access stratum may communicate with a first wireless access network via the communication sub-system. The second access stratum may communicate with a second wireless access network via the communication sub-system. The non-access stratum may communicate with a core network. The access stratum manager may interface the non-access stratum with the first and second access strata, and may be operable to activate the first access stratum to establish a communication link with the core network over the first wireless access network. The access stratum manager may be further operable to maintain the communication link between the non-access stratum and the core network while transferring the communication link from the first access stratum to the second access stratum. |
| US08107431B2 |
Master station in communications system and access control method
A communication band is divided into: a beacon period in which every master station transmits a beacon packet in competition with one another; a guaranteed-band period (e.g., a TDMA period or an FDMA period) in which only a specific permitted station is allowed access; and a CSMA period in which every station is allowed access in competition with one another. Plural master stations exchange information of a communication band used in the guaranteed-band period with each other, and based on the respective information, a communication band available to the master station's own communications system in the guaranteed-band period is calculated. |
| US08107430B1 |
Intelligent traffic channel assignment message transmission
Disclosed herein is a method for selecting one or more capsules in which to include a traffic channel assignment message. The method may involve: (a) receiving a request from an access terminal to engage in a communication session; (b) making a determination as to whether or not the communication session is of a type that is designated for priority service; and (c) using the determination of whether or not the requested communication session is of a type that is designated for priority service as a basis for selecting one or more capsules in which to include the traffic channel assignment message. According to an exemplary embodiment, for priority communications, the TCA message is sent in all sectors identified in a route update message from the access terminal, and for non-priority communication sessions, control channel occupancy and pilot-signal strength to select sectors for the TCA message. |
| US08107429B2 |
System and method for protecting payload information in radio transmission
System and method for improving the protecting radio channels in transmission, according to which the payload information of the signal to be transmitted is divided into a plurality of data portions of smaller size which are then grouped into packets and the packets are labeled based on a criterion from among a plurality of criteria, said criterion being indicative of a level of priority associated to said packets. The packets are subsequently radio transmitted in accordance with their level of priority indicated by their associated label. |
| US08107426B2 |
Method and apparatus for allocating and signaling ACK/NACK resources in a wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for allocating and signaling ACK/NACK resources in a wireless communication system are provided, in which a Node B determines to use ACK/NACK resources within a predetermined fixed-size first resource group for ACK/NACK transmission for non-persistently scheduled data channels, the ACK/NACK resources being implicitly mapped to SCCHs carrying scheduling information about the non-persistently scheduled data channels, and allocates ACK/NACK resources within a predetermined flexible-size second resource group for ACK/NACK transmission for persistently scheduled data channels and transmits resource indication information explicitly indicating the allocated ACK/NACK resources to at least one UE. |
| US08107418B2 |
Mobile communication system, mobile station apparatus, base station apparatus, mobile communication method, program and recording medium
A mobile communication system that is a wireless communication system using the AMC scheme and does not require any transmission/reception of control signals between a base station apparatus and a mobile station apparatus during controlling of the transmission/reception of the mobile station apparatus. In this mobile communication system, the mobile station apparatus measures reception quality of a downlink signal transmitted by the base station apparatus, and uses an uplink control channel to transmit, to the base station apparatus, downlink signal quality information (CQI) corresponding to the measured reception quality. The base station apparatus receives the downlink signal quality information CQI to control the data transmission to the mobile station apparatus. The base station apparatus judges whether the downlink signal quality information CQI transmitted by the mobile station apparatus is present, and controls, based on the result of this judgment, the downlink signal to be transmitted to the mobile station apparatus. |
| US08107415B2 |
Method and system for transferring time division multiplexing service data
The present invention discloses a method and system for transferring TDM services in GPON, the method includes the steps of: in the case of performing the GPON ranging process, buffering the uplink TDM service data received by an optical signal transceiver in an Input Buffer, reading out and transferring the uplink TDM service data buffered in an Output Buffer. The present invention eliminates the possible interruption of TDM services during the GPON ranging process by buffering the uplink services at the OLT and ONU/ONT side and relevant processes, and therefore realizes the TDM service transmission without any loss during the GPON system ranging process. |
| US08107414B2 |
Method and communication device for expanded coverage in a mesh network
An apparatus and method (200) are disclosed for expanded coverage in a mesh network (100). A communication device (140) incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a controller (302) managing operation of a transceiver (320) in communication with the mesh and programmed to acquire (202) a network identification from a mesh node (120), transmit (204) the network identification and appear as another mesh node to clients, and forward traffic from wireless clients to the mesh node. The communication device can operate (206) as a node in the mesh using the network identification and operate (208) as an independent router using a separate wireless router identifier. In another embodiment, the controller can be programmed to detect a network identification of an access point within a coverage area of a communication device (120), transmit a join message, and transmit authenticating information and security associations. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08107405B2 |
Radio communication terminal
A radio communication terminal according to the present invention comprises: a call request transmitter configured to transmit a call request for a destination terminal to a call control server; an input information acquisition unit configured to acquire inputted information; a message creation unit configured to create a message for the destination terminal on the basis of the information acquired by the input information acquisition unit; a starting unit configured to start the message creation unit during a period from when the call request transmitter transmits the call request until the communication path is set; and a message transmitter configured to transmit the message created by the message creation unit to the destination terminal. |
| US08107401B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing a virtual assistant to a communication participant
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for providing a virtual assistant to at least one party of a communication. The virtual assistant is injected into the communication, for example, by a VXML engine. The operation of the virtual assistant is controlled by one or more software modules that are obtained from a proxy node. The software modules allow commands received from or destined for the party to be interpreted. The virtual assistant may optionally be customized based on a selection of the one or more supported external applications. The proxy node provides at least one method for the party that allows the party to access functionality provided by at least one external application. The proxy node interprets signals from the virtual assistant; converts the signals from the virtual assistant into commands for the external application; and converts one or more of commands, messages and data from the external application into signals understood by the virtual assistant. |
| US08107400B2 |
Secure localization for 802.11 networks with fine granularity
A system and method that uses wireless-capable desktop computers in a vicinity such as to enable one to securely determine the location of an untrusted user with office level granularity. |
| US08107398B2 |
Methods, devices and systems with improved zone merge operation by caching prior merge operation results
Methods, devices and systems for improved zone merge operations are disclosed. Two connected switches are arbitrated as an initiator and a receiver. The merge operation is initiated only by the initiator on an initiator/receiver inter-switch link. The initiator may initiate a merge request and the receiver may perform the computation of the difference between the old and the new zone. Either the whole configuration or only the differences are communicated between the switches. The merges may be done on a connected switch basis, not on a connected port basis. Only the principle ports in the principle inter-switch-link perform the merge operation. All the remaining ports, i.e. the non-principle ports, adopt the merge result of the principle ports. The zone information may also be cached on each switch such that merge calculations need not be performed again when a merge operation with the same configuration occurs in the future. |
| US08107396B1 |
Host tracking in a layer 2 IP ethernet network
A method and an apparatus to detect end host machines in a layer 2 Ethernet network are provided. The knowledge of the detected hosts may then be utilized by various security applications operating on layer 2 devices at the access and the distribution layers of the network for host session monitoring. Hosts that are no longer connected or do not respond to a layer 2 query may have their access privileges revoked. |
| US08107393B2 |
Method and apparatus for estimating a signal-to-interference ratio
A method and apparatus for estimating a signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) are disclosed. A received signal includes signal energy on multiple basis functions. Desired signal energy in the received signal is transformed onto a first basis function with constant polarity. The desired signal energy is estimated by coherently averaging signal energy on the first basis function. A noise power is estimated by averaging signal energy on each basis function other than the first basis function and accumulating the averaged signal energy from the basis function other than the first basis function and scaling the accumulated signal energy to account for a noise estimate from the first basis function. An SIR is estimated by dividing the desired signal energy by the noise power. |
| US08107392B2 |
Method and apparatus for packet aggregation in power line communication network
A method and apparatus for packet aggregation in a power line communication network (PLC) are provided. The method of aggregating packets includes: by performing a PLC channel estimation, determining whether or not a channel condition is good; if the channel condition is good, determining whether or not the data desired to be transmitted is suitable for packet aggregation according to the type of data; and if the channel condition is good and the data desired to be transmitted is suitable for the packet aggregation, aggregating packets of the data desired to be transmitted. Since a decision on whether or not to aggregate packets is determined according to a channel condition at a physical level and the type of data at an application level, packet aggregation can be performed in appropriate response to the frequently changing condition of a channel and the characteristic of the data desired to be transmitted. |
| US08107390B2 |
Apparatus and method for deterministic latency-controlled communications in process control systems
A method includes obtaining a data message having data associated with a process system and mapping the data message to one of multiple classifications. The method also includes wirelessly transmitting the data message, where a Quality of Service (QoS) associated with the transmission is based on the mapping. Mapping the data message could include identifying a type associated with the data message and mapping the data message based on the identified type. The type may include a publish message type, an alert message type, or a management message type. The publish message type could be mapped to an Unsolicited Grant Service (UGS) class, the alert message type could be mapped to a real-time Polling Service (rtPS) class, and the management message type could be mapped to a Best Effort (BE) or non-real-time Polling Service (nrtPS) class. A WiMAX standard could be used to transmit the message, and a WiMAX or WiFi standard could be used to obtain the message. |
| US08107389B2 |
Conditional procedure handling in a wireless communication system
The present invention relates to communicating between a network and a mobile terminal in a wireless communication system. The invention includes receiving a first message from the network for processing a first procedure, and receiving a second message from the network for processing a second procedure, wherein execution of the second procedure is dependent on an outcome of the first procedure. |
| US08107388B2 |
Route tracing program configured to detect particular network element making type of service modification
One or more network elements that modify type of service values in a network are detected by sending route tracing messages having increasing time-to-live values and a designated type of service value from a first network element to a second network element. Type of service values are monitored in respective time exceeded messages received from respective network elements on a given network path between the first network element and the second network element responsive to the route tracing messages. At least a particular one of the network elements on the given network path that has made a modification in type of service value relative to the designated type of service value is identified, based on the monitored type of service values in the respective time exceeded messages. |
| US08107381B2 |
Method of performing ethernet gateway switch trouble diagnostics
A service provider unit automatically diagnoses problems in an Ethernet network that are associated with layers 1, 2, and/or 3 and determines whether there is a problem associated with an Ethernet gateway switch EGS. Further diagnostics can be performed to determine the layer, type, and/or location of the problem(s) based on whether there is a problem with the EGS. The diagnostic process followed depends on the types of problem(s) in the network. Once the problems have been diagnosed, an operator can be notified of the location and/or type of problem. |
| US08107379B2 |
Dynamic TE-LSP priority and preemption
A technique dynamically assigns priorities to traffic engineering (TE) label switched paths (LSPs) from a head-end node of a computer network. The novel technique increases the ability to place TE-LSPs that would be otherwise blocked by bandwidth fragmentation. Specifically, a head-end node allocates a range of priority values for groups of possible TE-LSP configurations, such as, e.g., groups by type and/or size of the possible TE-LSPs. When requesting a TE-LSP, the head-end node attempts to establish the TE-LSP by dynamically increasing a priority value of the TE-LSP within the corresponding range of priority values until adequate resources are available, at which time the head-end node may establish the TE-LSP. Upon expiration of a configurable timer, the head-end node dynamically decreases the priority value of the established TE-LSP within the corresponding range of priority values and determines whether the established TE-LSP can lower its priority yet still obtain adequate resources along a path with an acceptable cost. If so, the head-end node may reestablish the TE-LSP at the lower priority value. |
| US08107377B2 |
Reordering packets
There are disclosed processes and apparatus for reordering packets. The system includes a plurality of source processors that transmit the packets to a destination processor via multiple communication fabrics. The source processors and the destination processor are synchronized together. Time stamp logic at each source processor operates to include a time stamp parameter with each of the packets transmitted from the source processors. The system also includes a plurality of memory queues located at the destination processor. An enqueue processor operates to store a memory pointer and an associated time stamp parameter for each of the packets received at the destination processor in a selected memory queue. A dequeue processor determines a selected memory pointer associated with a selected time stamp parameter and operates to process the selected memory pointer to access a selected packet for output in a reordered packet stream. |
| US08107375B1 |
Bandwidth projection for customer bandwidth usage
A method of operating a bandwidth projection system is disclosed, wherein the method comprises determining an initial shared bandwidth projection for an access node having an initial bandwidth capacity, generating a plurality of guaranteed bandwidth projections for the access node, determining an aggregate bandwidth projection comprising the plurality of guaranteed bandwidth projections and the initial shared bandwidth projection, and processing the aggregate bandwidth projection to determine if the aggregate bandwidth projection exceeds the initial bandwidth capacity of the access node. |
| US08107373B2 |
Method, device and system for realizing QoS guarantee in a MPLS network
A method for realizing QoS guarantee in a MPLS network, a method for establishing a QoS data path, a method for terminating QoS data transmission, an edge router for a MPLS network and a MPLS network for realizing QoS guarantee are provided. The method for realizing QoS guarantee in a MPLS network includes: creating individual QoS resource list in each edge router to record resource state corresponding to a path; the each edge router assigning resources to a user terminal which makes a request based on the QoS resource list and updating the QoS resource list. |
| US08107372B1 |
Collision compensation in a scheduling system
A system schedules traffic flows on an output port using a circular memory structure. The circular memory structure may be a rate wheel that includes a group of sequentially arranged slots. The rate wheel schedules the traffic flows in select ones of the slots based on traffic shaping parameters assigned to the flows. The rate wheel compensates for collisions between multiple flows that occur in the slots by subsequently skipping empty slots. |
| US08107365B2 |
Interim PHY solution for LPI compatibility with legacy devices
In one embodiment, a modified local PHY is adapted to couple a legacy host device to link partner implementing Energy Efficient Ethernet. The modified local PHY includes a buffer and if the legacy host transmits data when the modified local PHY is in a Low Power Idle (LPI) state then the data is stored in the buffer and transmission is paused until the modified local PHY transitions from the LPI state to an active state. |
| US08107362B2 |
Multi-ring resilient packet ring add/drop device
A Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) add/drop device to connect multiple rings, e.g. SDH/SONET rings, wavelength or fibers, to a single switch or router device is disclosed. The add/drop device according to the invention comprises two multiplexing framer devices and an Add/Drop Multiplexor-Media Access Control (ADM-MAC) device. Each of the multiplexing framer devices combine at least two RPR data signals having an input data rate into a single data stream having an output data rate being higher than the input data rate for transmission on a shared medium or vice versa. The ADM-MAC device interfaces the two multiplexing framer devices and the switch or router device. |
| US08107356B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting/receiving a signal in an FFH-OFDM communication system
Provided is an apparatus for signal transmission in a Fast Frequency Hopping-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (FFH-OFDM) communication system which divides all of the available frequency bands into a plurality of sub-carrier bands and includes a plurality of sub-channels each including at least one sub-carrier band. The apparatus includes: a Fast Frequency Hopping (FFH) unit for allocating input data to a number of selected sub-carriers from among the plurality of sub-carriers and for performing fast frequency hopping in accordance with a fast frequency hopping pattern to generate FFH signals, wherein one or more pieces of data comprise the input data and each of the one or more pieces of data is allocated to one of the selected sub-carriers; a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) unit for performing FFT on FFH signals; a controller for inserting null data into remaining sub-carriers, the remaining sub-carriers comprising sub-carriers other than the selected sub-carriers; a first Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) unit for performing IFFT on both the selected sub-carriers comprising the input data and the remaining sub-carriers comprising the inserted null data to generate first IFFT signals; and a transmitter for transmitting the first IFFT signals. |
| US08107351B2 |
Laminated half-wave plate, optical pickup device, polarization converter, and projection display apparatus
A laminated half-wave plate includes: first and second wave plates having optical axes intersecting each other, wherein when phase differences of the first and second wave plates with respect to a wavelength λ are represented by Γ1 and Γ2, in-plane bearing angles formed by a polarization plane of a linearly-polarized beam incident on the laminated half-wave plate and the optical axes of the first and second wave plates are represented by θ1 and θ2, an angle formed by the polarization directions of the linearly-polarized beams incident on and emitted from the laminated half-wave plate is represented by φ, and an optical axis adjustment amount is represented by a, the following expressions are satisfied: Γ1=180°+n×360°; Γ2=180°+n×360° (where n in Γ1 and Γ2 is a non-negative integer); θ1=φ/4+a; and θ2=3φ/4−a. |
| US08107350B2 |
Optical information recording/reproducing apparatus and objective lens for the same
An objective lens including: a first region to respectively converge first and second light beams onto recording surfaces of first and second optical discs; and a second region located outside of the first region and configured to converge the first light beam onto the recording surface of the first optical disc and not to converge the second light beam onto the recording surface of each of the first and second optical discs, and wherein the first region is divided into a plurality of refractive surface zones concentrically formed about an optical axis and has a first step, a diffraction order at which a diffraction efficiency is maximized for each of the first and second light beams passing through the first step in the first region is a first order, and the objective lens satisfies a condition: 0.80<((Sout−Sd)/Sout)2/ηin<1.45 (1). |
| US08107349B2 |
Optical head device and optical recording and reading system
An optical head device (optical head) for a multi-layered optical recording medium has a focus control mechanism that makes use of astigmatism. The focus control mechanism has a sensor lens that includes a cylindrical lens. The focus control mechanism causes a light beam having passed through the sensor lens to have astigmatism, thereby being focused linearly in the Y direction on a front focal line located closer to the sensor lens and focused linearly in the X direction at a rear focal line located farther therefrom. The optical head also includes a photodetector which is disposed between the front focal line and the rear focal line to detect a focal position from the shape of a light beam. At the position of the front focal line, a shield plate with a window portion is disposed. The window portion has a size so as to allow the focal line to pass therethrough and shield stray light reflected from an unfocused recording layer. |
| US08107347B2 |
Optical disk apparatus, optical pickup, preformatted signal generation method and program
There is provided an optical disk apparatus causing a hologram device to diffract a reflected light beam and causes each of reflected light beams of primary light in a longitudinal direction to generate received light signals by receiving the reflected light beams through receiving regions of a receiving unit before a preformatted signal being generated by a signal processing unit based on the received light signals. Therefore, the preformatted signal that excludes an influence of a stray light pattern by an interlayer stray light beam from a plurality of recording layers can be generated. |
| US08107345B2 |
Optical disk device and optical disk discriminating method
An optical disk discriminating method and an optical disk device which can detect reflected rays for making discrimination among kinds of optical disks with high accuracies. By switching a plurality of lasers and moving a spherical aberration corrector while moving an objective lens to cause it to approach or keep away from an optical disk, rays reflected light from the optical disk can be detected with high accuracies. Discrimination among the kinds of a plurality of optical disks can be made on the basis of signals generated from the detected reflected rays. This ensures that the kind of an optical disk can be determined through one operation of sweeping. |
| US08107344B2 |
Phase masks for use in holographic data storage
A spatial light modulator (SLM) having a phase mask that is provided as an internal component thereof. The phase mask can be provided as a multilevel surface of relatively higher index of refraction material on an inner surface of a transmissive cover window or as a separate transmissive window between the cover window and the pixels of the SLM. If the phase mask is to be used with a liquid crystal SLM, then it may be desirable to planarize the surface of the cover window contacting the liquid crystal by providing a layer of relatively lower index of refraction material adjacent the multilevel surface. The phase mask can also be provided on the transmissive cover window by patterned ion deposition, exposing patterned light to a photopolymeric material, or in some other suitable fashion. Arranging for the pixel electrodes to be at one of multiple levels rather than lying in an exactly planar relationship can also effectively create the phase mask. |
| US08107339B2 |
Method of evaluating reproduce signal and optical disc drive
A highly efficient and reliable reproduced signal evaluation method and an optical disc drive using that method in which assuming that the number of 2T's appearing successively in a predetermined evaluation bitstream is i, the evaluation bitstream is divided into a main bitstream (5+2i) long and sub bitstreams at the ends of the main bitstream. The check process to determine whether a predetermined evaluation bitstream is included in the binarized bitstreams is replaced with a main bitstream agreement check. This can prevent an increase in the circuit size. At the same time, by separately summing up for each main bitstream the calculated results of Euclidean distance between the reproduced signal and the target signal corresponding to the evaluation bitstream, the size of an evaluation summing circuit can be reduced. |
| US08107336B2 |
Write once optical disc, and method and apparatus for recovering disc management information from the write once optical disc
A write once optical recording medium and a method and apparatus for storing and recovering defect management information to and from the write once optical recording medium are provided. The recording medium includes at least one recording layer, and a data area on the recording layer. The data area includes at least one spare area and a user data area. The spare area contains at least one replacement cluster, each of the replacement clusters storing therein address information of a corresponding defective cluster. |
| US08107329B1 |
Optical storage system having differential phase detector
A differential phase detector for an optical storage system is set forth. The differential phase detector includes a photodetector circuit arranged to detect light deviations associated with radial errors in the optical storage system. A non-linear equalizer is in communication with the photodetector circuit. The output of the non-linear equalizer is in communication with signal processing circuitry. The signal processing circuitry uses the equalized signals to generate one or more radial error signals. |
| US08107322B2 |
Device and method for attenuating an anti-resonant circuit
A device for the attenuation of an anti-resonant circuit which has a first capacitor and a secondary inductance. A signal is able to be coupled into the anti-resonant circuit via a primary inductance. An attenuator is connected in parallel to a switching device and to the secondary inductance and/or the primary inductanace. |
| US08107321B2 |
Joint position-pitch estimation of acoustic sources for their tracking and separation
The invention relates to a method for localizing and tracking acoustic sources (101) in a multi-source environment, comprising the steps of recording audio-signals (103) of at least one acoustic source (101) with at least two recording means (104, 105), creating a two- or multi-channel recording signal, partitioning said recording signal into frames of predefined length (N), calculating for each frame a cross-correlation function as a function of discrete time-lag values (τ) for channel pairs (106, 107) of the recording signal, evaluating the cross-correlation function by calculating a sampling function depending on a pitch parameter (f0) and at least one spatial parameter (φ0), the sampling function assigning a value to every point of a multidimensional space being spanned by the pitch-parameter and the spatial parameters, and identifying peaks in said multidimensional space with respective acoustic sources in the multi-source environment. |
| US08107319B2 |
Acoustic fluid height monitoring using dynamic surface perturbations
A method of determining the volume or height of fluid in a reservoir is provided. A first burst of focused acoustic energy is used to raise temporarily a protuberance on a free surface of the fluid. A second burst of acoustic energy is directed to the free surface of the fluid. Echoes from the second burst of acoustic energy are detected. The detected echoes are employed to compute the height of the fluid. |
| US08107318B2 |
Sonar scanner
Detecting an object using sound waves includes outputting a sound wave from a transducer, receiving an echo after outputting the sound wave, obtaining a threshold value based on the echo and plural other echoes that are within a predetermined range of the echo, and determining if the echo is a result of the sound wave based on the threshold value. |
| US08107317B2 |
Technique and system for performing a cross well survey
A technique includes providing a source in a first well and a seismic receiver in a second well to detect a seismic event that is caused by the source. The technique includes referencing clocks in the source and receiver to a common reference time frame and determining a time in the reference time frame at which the seismic source generates the seismic event. |
| US08107316B2 |
Controlled source imbalance apparatus, systems, and methods
In some embodiments, an apparatus and a system, as well as a method and an article, may include exciting a plurality of signal source pairs having a substantially equal and non-zero acoustic signature amplitude difference in a frequency domain to provide acoustic signal data, and acquiring the acoustic signal data along a selected azimuth. The plurality of signal source pairs may comprise acoustic bender plates, perhaps included in the outer wall of a downhole tool. |
| US08107311B2 |
Software programmable multiple function integrated circuit module
An electrically programmable multiple selectable function integrated circuit module has a plurality of optionally selectable function circuits, which receive and manipulate a plurality of input data signals. The outputs of the plurality of optionally selectable function circuits are either interconnected to each other or connected to a plurality of output connectors to transmit manipulated output data signals to external circuitry. The electrically programmable multiple selectable function integrated circuit module has at least one configuration connector, which may be multiplexed with input control and timing signals, connected to a function configuration circuit to receive electrical configuration signals indicating the activation of a program mode and which of the optionally selectable function circuits are to be elected to manipulate the input data signals. The function configuration circuit is connected to the optionally selectable function circuits to selectively elect, which of the optionally selectable function circuits are to is manipulate the input data signals. The electrically programmable multiple selectable function integrated circuit module optionally has common function circuit connected to common function connectors and the plurality of optionally selectable function circuits to manipulate common data signals, and transmit common output data signals to the selectable function circuits. |
| US08107310B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and method for operating the same
A semiconductor memory device includes a bank having a plurality of mats, an address counting unit configured to receive an auto-refresh command consecutively applied at predetermined intervals corresponding to a number of the mats, and sequentially count an internal address in response to the auto-refresh command, and an address transferring unit configured to enable the plurality of mats in response to the auto-refresh command, and transfer the internal address to the plurality of mats at predetermined time intervals. |
| US08107306B2 |
Storage devices with soft processing
A storage device includes a storage array having a group of storage elements. Each storage element can written to a discrete set of physical states. A read circuit selects one or more storage elements and generates, for each selected storage element, an analog signal representative of the physical state of the selected storage element. A signal processing circuit processes the analog signal to generate a plurality of outputs, with each output representing a degree of an association of the selected storage element with a different subset of one or more of the discrete set of physical states. |
| US08107304B2 |
Distributed write data drivers for burst access memories
An address strobe latches a first address. A burst cycle increments the address internally with additional address strobes. A new memory address is only required at the beginning of each burst access. Read/Write commands are issued once per burst access eliminating toggling Read/Write control line at cycle frequency. Control line transition terminates access and initializes another burst access. Write cycle times are maximized thereby allowing increases in burst mode operating frequencies. Logic near sense amplifiers control write-data drivers thereby providing maximum write times without crossing current during I/O line equilibration. By gating global write-enable signals with global equilibrate signals locally at sense amps, local write-cycle control signals are provided and valid for essentially the entire cycle time minus an I/O line equilibration period in burst access memory. For nonburst mode, write begins following end of equilibration cycle to provide maximum write time without interfering with subsequent access-cycle address setup time. |
| US08107303B2 |
Semiconductor RAM device with writing voltage higher than withstand voltage of select transistor
A semiconductor device is provided, which includes a transistor, a memory element, a first control circuit and a second control circuit. A gate of the transistor is electrically connected to the first control circuit through a first word line, one of a source and a drain of the transistor is electrically connected to the second control circuit through a bit line, the other of the source and the drain of the transistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the memory element, and a second terminal of the memory element is electrically connected to the first control circuit through a second word line. |
| US08107302B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit device for controlling a sense amplifier
A semiconductor IC device includes a command decoder that provides internal read and internal write command signals in response to external command signals, and a delay control unit that is connected with the command decoder and provides an internal read command delay signal by controlling an activation timing of the internal read command signal in response to a test mode signal in a read mode. |
| US08107301B2 |
Memory controller
A memory controller for writing data in a first semiconductor memory including a plurality of memory cells having series-connected current paths and charge storage layers includes a host interface which configured to be receivable of first data from a host apparatus, a second semiconductor memory which temporarily holds second data, and an arithmetic unit which generates the second data in accordance with the state of the first semiconductor memory, temporarily holds the second data in the second semiconductor memory, and writes the first and second data in the first semiconductor memory. When writing the second data, the arithmetic unit does not select a word line adjacent to a select gate line, and selects a word line not adjacent to the select gate line. |
| US08107299B2 |
Semiconductor memory and method and system for actuating semiconductor memory
A semiconductor memory includes a memory cell having a cell transistor and a selection transistor, a control gate line coupled to a gate electrode of the cell transistor, a selection gate line coupled to a gate electrode of the selection transistor, a selection gate driver configured to apply a voltage to the selection gate line, a switch circuit configured to couple the control gate line to the selection gate line, and a level converting unit coupled to the control gate line and a voltage line and configured to convert a voltage of the control gate line into a voltage of the voltage line. |
| US08107296B2 |
Mitigation of data corruption from back pattern and program disturb in a non-volatile memory device
In one of the disclosed embodiments, a write algorithm is used to remove errors due to back pattern effects, cell-to-cell capacitive coupling, and program disturb in memory cells. Original data to be programmed is adjusted prior to an initial programming operation of the memory cells. The original data is then programmed into the memory cells in another programming operation. In an alternate embodiment, a read adjustment weight data value is associated with each series string of memory cells. The weight data value is used to compensate data read during an initial word line read. The weight data value is updated after each read and read adjustment such that the adjusted weight data value is used on the subsequent read operations. |
| US08107294B2 |
Read mode for flash memory
A method for reading a nonvolatile memory array including an array of memory cells, each memory cell including a substrate, a control gate, a charge storage element, a source region and a drain region, includes receiving, at an address register, a read command including an address for a memory cell in the array of memory cells and an indication regarding whether the read command is a full page read command or a partial page read command. A starting address for a page including the received address is identified, wherein the page includes multiple rows of memory cells in the array of memory cells. The address register is reset to the starting address for the page. It is determined whether all memory cells in the page are non-programmed. Data indicative of a non-programmed state of the page is output if it is determined that all memory cells in the page are non-programmed. |
| US08107292B2 |
Three dimensional stacked nonvolatile semiconductor memory
In a three dimensional stacked nonvolatile semiconductor memory according to the present invention, a first block has a selected first cell unit including a memory cell to be read and a non-selected second cell unit not including a memory cell to be read. A read potential or a transfer potential higher than the read potential is applied to the word line in the first block in a state that a ground potential is applied to a channel of a memory cell existing nearer to the bit line side than a memory cell in the second cell unit to which the read potential is applied, after which all the memory cells in the second cell unit are cut off from the bit line, the bit line is set to a precharge potential, and read is performed to the a memory cell to be read in the first cell unit. |
| US08107286B2 |
Three-dimensional nonvolatile semiconductor memory device for curbing a leak current and method of data read therein
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises: a memory cell array having a plurality of memory strings each having a plurality of memory cells connected in series; and a control circuit configured to execute a read operation for reading data from the memory cells included in a selected memory string from among the plurality of memory strings. During the read operation, the control circuit is configured to apply a first voltage to a gate of at least one of the memory cells in a non-selected memory string not subject to the read operation, and apply a second voltage lower than the first voltage to a gate of another of the memory cells in the non-selected memory string not subject to the read operation. |
| US08107284B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device using a variable resistive element
A nonvolatile memory device includes a plurality of memory banks, each including a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells, write global bit lines shared by the plurality of memory banks, read global bit lines shared by the plurality of memory banks, and a dummy global bit line arranged between the write global bit lines and the read global bit lines, wherein the dummy global bit line is configured and operable to reduce noise affecting a write bit line involved in a write operation or noise affecting a read global bit line involved in a read operation. |
| US08107283B2 |
Method for setting PCRAM devices
Memory devices and methods for operating such devices are described herein. A method as described herein includes applying a bias arrangement to a memory cell to change the resistance state from a higher resistance state to a lower resistance state. The bias arrangement comprises a first voltage pulse and a second voltage pulse across the phase change memory element, the second voltage pulse having a voltage polarity different from that of the first voltage pulse. |
| US08107279B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit and manufacturing method therefor
High manufacturing yield is realized and variations in threshold voltage of each MOS transistor in a CMOS.SRAM is compensated. Body bias voltages are applied to wells for MOS transistors of each SRAM memory cell in any active mode of an information holding operation, a write operation and a read operation of an SRAM. The threshold voltages of PMOS and NMOS transistors of the SRAM are first measured. Control information is respectively programmed into control memories according to the results of determination. The levels of the body bias voltages are adjusted based on the programs so that variations in the threshold voltages of the MOS transistors of the CMOS.SRAM are controlled to a predetermined error span. A body bias voltage corresponding to a reverse body bias or an extremely shallow forward body bias is applied to a substrate for the MOS transistors with an operating voltage applied to the source of each MOS transistor. |
| US08107274B2 |
Variable and reversible resistive element, non-volatile memory device and methods for operating and manufacturing the non-volatile memory device
A variable and reversible resistive element includes a transition metal oxide layer, a bottom electrode and at least one conductive plug module. The bottom electrode is disposed under the transition metal oxide layer. The conductive plug module is disposed on the transition metal oxide layer. The conductive plug module includes a metal plug and a barrier layer. The conductive plug is electrically connected with the transition metal oxide layer. The barrier layer surrounds the metal plug, wherein the transition metal oxide layer is made by reacting a portion of a dielectric layer being directly below the metal plug and a portion of the barrier layer contacting the portion of the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer is formed on the bottom electrode. Moreover, a non-volatile memory device and methods for operating and manufacturing the same is disclosed in specification. |
| US08107272B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, and writing method, reading method and erasing method of nonvolatile semiconductor memory device
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device including a memory cell including a resistance memory element which changes from a low resistance state into a high resistance state by application of a voltage which is higher than a reset voltage and lower than a set voltage and changes from the high resistance state into the low resistance state by application of a voltage higher than the set voltage; a first transistor including a first source/drain diffused layer, and having one end of the first source/drain diffused layer coupled to one end of the resistance memory element; and a second transistor including a second source/drain diffused layer, and having one end of the second source/drain diffused layer coupled to said one end of the resistance memory element and the other end of the second source/drain diffused layer coupled to the other end of the resistance memory element. |
| US08107269B2 |
Power converter
An apparatus to convert a direct current to an alternating current includes a power module disposed between an input terminal of the direct current and output terminal of the alternating current, the power module comprising an on/off switch element, a first smoothing condenser connected in parallel with the power module, a second smoothing condenser connected in parallel with the power module, the second smoothing condenser comprising an electrostatic capacity less than the first smoothing condenser, a first wiring connecting the power module and the first smoothing condenser, and a second wiring connecting the power module and the second smoothing condenser, the second wiring comprising an inductance greater than the first wiring. |
| US08107268B2 |
Passive lossless snubber cell for a power converter
A passive lossless snubber cell for a switched-mode power converter comprises an energy absorbing circuit and an energy resetting circuit coupled to said energy absorbing circuit. The energy absorbing circuit is arranged to release energy stored in a snubber capacitor of the energy absorbing circuit to a storage capacitor of the energy resetting circuit through a resonant pathway of the snubber cell in response to a first switching action of a power converter transistor switch. The energy resetting circuit is arranged to release the energy stored therein to a part of a circuit of the power converter in response to a second switching action of the power converter transistor switch, the second switching action being a successive action to the first switching action. The passive lossless snubber cell has several advantages over existing snubbering techniques. First, it provides zero-current-switching (ZCS) and zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) conditions for turning on and off, respectively, the switch over a wide load range. Second, it does not introduce extra voltage stress on the switch. Third, by taking the ripple current through the switch into account, the peak switch current during the snubber resonance period is designed to be less than the designed switch current without the snubber. Hence, the proposed snubber does not introduce extra current stress on the switch. |
| US08107265B2 |
Current balanced push-pull inverter circuit with regeneration snubber circuit and voltage boost section
This inverter circuit includes two switching elements which are turned alternately ON and OFF, and a first primary winding connected in series between these switching elements, and also includes an output transformer having a secondary winding for obtaining an output voltage. This inverter circuit also includes a first voltage source and a second voltage source. The first voltage source applies a voltage to the first switching element via the first primary winding. And the second voltage source applies a voltage to the second switching element via the second primary winding. This inverter circuit also includes a regeneration snubber circuit for regenerating charge accumulated in a snubber capacitor. The regeneration snubber circuit includes a regeneration circuit including a voltage boost section which converts the primary side voltage of the output transformer to a predetermined voltage, which it outputs. |
| US08107260B2 |
EMI shielding and environmental seal device
An EMI shield for a movable component such as an antenna of an electronic device includes a microfiber ring of densely packed microfibers extending from an EMI shielding housing across the space defined by an opening in the housing for the movable component. Multiple microfiber rings can be used separated by spacers, and an environmental shield can be included. |
| US08107258B2 |
Storage card lock and portable electronic device using the same
A storage card lock is used in a portable electronic device including a body, a battery, and a storage card. The body includes a battery bay and a storage card bay disposed thereon adjacent to each other. The storage card lock is detachably mounted on the body and includes an elastic lock piece. The elastic lock piece is partially accommodated within the battery bay and impelled by the battery to fix the storage card within the storage card bay. |
| US08107257B2 |
Electronic assembly retaining system
An electronic assembly retaining system provides a secure mount for an electronic assembly, such as an avionics assembly, while being lockable and releasable via manual rotation of a single retainer stem that may be positioned in a readily-accessible location. The retainer stem may include threaded shaft and a detent system to resist inadvertent rotation of the stem. The system includes a housing that at least partially encloses the electronic assembly and which includes a receiving element for receiving a distal end portion of the retainer stem, which is movable between engaging and disengaging positions. |
| US08107255B2 |
Circuit device and method of manufacturing the same
Provided is a circuit device that allows a plurality of circuit boards, which are stacked each other and arranged in a case member, to be sealed with a resin effectively, and a method of manufacturing the same. In a hybrid integrated circuit device, a first circuit board is overlaid with the second circuit board and both of the boards are fitted into the case member. A first circuit element is arranged on the upper surface of the first circuit board and a second circuit element is arranged on the upper surface of the second circuit board. Furthermore, an opening is provided in a side wall part of the case member, and an internal space of the case member communicates with the outside through this opening. Accordingly, in the resin sealing step, a sealing resin can be injected into the internal space of the case member from the outside through this opening. |
| US08107253B2 |
Printed circuit board
A printed circuit board includes a chip capacitor having electrodes and a metal film formed on one or more of the electrodes, an accommodating layer accommodating the chip capacitor inside the accommodating layer, a connection layer formed over the accommodating layer and having a via hole opening extending to the metal film, and a first via hole structure formed in the via hole opening of the connection layer and connected to the metal film on the one or more of the electrodes of the chip capacitor. |
| US08107252B2 |
Mounting structure of electronic component and method of manufacturing electronic component
A mounting structure includes: an electronic component including: a functional element having a predetermined function; a first resin protrusion section having a surface covered by a covering film including a conductive section electrically connected to the functional element; and a second resin protrusion section that is disposed inside an area surrounded by the first resin protrusion section, and has adhesiveness at least on a surface of the second resin protrusion section, and a base member having a connection electrode and adapted to mount the electronic component. In the structure, the second resin protrusion section mounts the electronic component on the base member in a condition in which the conductive section of the covering film has conductive contact with the connection electrode due to elastic deformation of the first resin protrusion section. |
| US08107251B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device includes a wiring board, a connector, a case, and a sealing member. The connector includes a housing and a plurality of terminals held by the housing and arranged in a longitudinal direction of the housing. The case has an opening for exposing a part of the connector. An inner space of the case is a waterproof space due to the sealing member. The sealing member includes a parallel part approximately parallel to a surface of the wiring board and an inclined part extending in a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing of the connector. |
| US08107247B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device includes a base, a button module with a button movably received in the base from a lateral side of the base, a sliding block slidably mounted in the base, and an elastic positioning member. The sliding block defines a first securing slot and a second securing slot. The elastic positioning member is capable of engaging in the first securing slot to restrict the sliding block in a first position where the button module is received in the base, and is capable of engaging in the second securing slot to restrict the sliding block in a second position where the button module extends out of the base. |
| US08107243B2 |
Portable multi-device power supply, battery charger, and docking system
A multiple electronic device power supply, battery charger, and USB docking system has a plurality of power ports for charging/powering electronic devices and a plurality of USB ports for coupling peripheral devices to a computer or large electronic device. Electronic devices which may be charged using the present invention can require current from less than 500 mA to approximately 6 A. Voltage setting resistors in specialized adapters serve to set the voltage needed for individual devices in order to manage current and voltage distribution throughout the present invention, particularly when large and mid-sized electronic devices are connected to the present multiple device charger and docking system. Default settings set the voltage output at 24 volts if not otherwise directed. |
| US08107242B2 |
Electrical equipment unit
A substrate includes a pair of surfaces opposing to each other in a direction. First electronic components are provided on one surface. Second electronic components lower than a maximum value of the height of the first electronic components in a direction are provided on the other surface. Insulating resin includes a covering part adhering and covering the second electronic components and the other surface, and side surface part extending from the periphery of the substrate to a side of the second electronic components along the direction. A lid covers the first electronic components from an opposite side of the substrate, and is fixed to the side surface part from the opposite side of the substrate. |
| US08107240B2 |
Electronic gaming machine interface system
An electronic gaming machine interface system including a first circuit board, a bracket coupled to the first circuit board, a fan coupled to the bracket and disposed over the first circuit board, a second circuit board coupled to the bracket, a first cable coupled between a connector of the first circuit board and a connector of the second circuit board; and a second cable coupled between a connector of the first circuit board and a connector of the second circuit board. |
| US08107239B2 |
Electronic apparatus and cooling fan
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus is provided with a housing, a circuit board in the housing, fan blades configured to rotate and blow air in a centrifugal direction, and a casing which contains the fan blades. The casing includes an exhaust port and a cut portion which opens in a centrifugal direction different from a direction in which the exhaust port opens, from a perspective of a rotation center of the fan blades, and into which a part of the circuit board is inserted. |
| US08107238B2 |
Ducted exhaust equipment enclosure
An electronic equipment enclosure includes a frame structure at least partially enclosed by a plurality of panels defining a compartment in which one or more electronic components are mounted and an exhaust air duct that is adapted to segregate hot air being exhausted from the compartment from cool air entering the compartment, thereby improving thermal management of the enclosure. The exhaust duct includes a lower duct section extending upward from the top panel of the compartment and an upper duct section telescoping upward from an upper end of the lower duct section. Each duct section includes four panels connected together by hinged corner fittings such that the section is collapsible. The upper duct section includes an outwardly flared portion. |
| US08107237B2 |
Electronic device with latching assembly
An electronic device includes a first cover, a second cover, and a latching assembly. The first cover includes a first surface and a second surface including a baffle. The latching assembly includes a sliding member mounted on the first surface, a hook member mounted on the second surface and secured to the sliding member, a bracket secured to the hook member, an elastic member resisting the bracket and the baffle, and a latching member protruding from the second cover. The latching member defines a latching hole. The latching member resists the latching block to cause the bracket to move towards the baffle and the elastic member to be contracted. When the bracket moves until the latching block aligns with the latching hole, the elastic member rebounds to push the latching block to be received in the latching hole, thus the second cover is secured to the first cover. |
| US08107236B2 |
Locking base for anti-theft lock
A locking base for Anti-theft lock includes a socket, a locking member and two sliding portions. The socket is disposed in a main body and extends a portion out of the main body. The locking member has a locking hole, and the locking member can extend out of the portion of the socket. The two sliding portions are disposed on the socket and the locking member respectively. The two sliding portions are matched structurally to make the socket and locking member slide correspondingly. |
| US08107230B2 |
Display device and case for the same
A display device includes a panel assembly on which an image is formed, a cover member which comprises a front portion having a display window exposing at least a portion of a front side of the panel assembly and a side portion which is bent from the front portion, the cover member having one or more joining regions where a pair of end portions engage with and are joined to each other, the cover member comprising a first joining part and a second joining part which are formed at the pair of end portions, respectively, wherein at least one of the first joining part and the second joining part include a region stepped from a surface of the cover member, and at least a portion of the first joining part and the second joining part overlap each other, and an accommodating member which accommodates the panel assembly and is joined to the cover member. |
| US08107227B2 |
Cover mechanism and electronic device using same
A cover mechanism for an electronic device includes a protective cover and a resisting member. The protective cover includes a cover portion, and an arm portion. The arm portion allows the protective cover to rotate relative to the electronic device. The resisting member is attached to the electronic device, and prevents the arm portion from separating from the electronic device. |
| US08107226B2 |
Transfer switch with easily removable weatherproof door and hood
Disclosed herein is a transfer switch having an easily removable weatherproof door and hood, allowing a user to optionally mount the switch on the interior or exterior of a structure. The weatherproof door and hood work together to protect the transfer switch from exposure to rain and other unwanted substances that would otherwise harm the components within the switch if mounted on the exterior of a structure. Removable fasteners corresponding to pre-drilled holes in the main compartment of the switch are used to secure the door and hood to the main compartment of the switch, permitting a user to easily remove them if the switch is to be mounted on the interior of a structure. |
| US08107225B2 |
Adjustable scalable rack power system and method
Systems and method for installing computer equipment and power distribution equipment in facilities is provided. In one aspect, the present invention provides a power distribution rack, and uninterruptible power supply rack and a plurality of equipment racks. A plurality of power cables are run from the power distribution rack to each of the plurality of equipment racks using power cable tracks located on the roofs of the equipment racks. |
| US08107218B2 |
Capacitors
Some embodiments include methods of forming capacitors. A metal oxide mixture may be formed over a first capacitor electrode. The metal oxide mixture may have a continuous concentration gradient of a second component relative to a first component. The continuous concentration gradient may correspond to a decreasing concentration of the second component as a distance from the first capacitor electrode increases. The first component may be selected from the group consisting of zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide and mixtures thereof; and the second component may be selected from the group consisting of niobium oxide, titanium oxide, strontium oxide and mixtures thereof. A second capacitor electrode may be formed over the first capacitor electrode. Some embodiments include capacitors that contain at least one metal oxide mixture having a continuous concentration gradient of the above-described second component relative to the above-described first component. |
| US08107213B2 |
Systems and methods for immobilization using pulse series
A cartridge for a system that uses a stimulus signal for immobilizing a human or animal target includes a propellant and a projectile propelled away from about the cartridge by the propellant. The projectile includes a power supply, a waveform generator, and several electrodes. The waveform generator is powered by the power supply. The waveform generator includes a processor. The electrodes complete a stimulus delivery circuit to conduct a current through the target. The waveform generator generates the current to include a first series of pulses and a second series of pulses. The second series begins after the first series is completed. The first series has a first pulse repetition rate determined by the processor. Each pulse of the first series has a first pulse width of from about 10 to about 1000 microseconds. Each pulse of the first series delivers through the target a first charge per pulse of from about 50 to about 500 microcoulombs. The second series has a second pulse repetition rate determined by the processor to be less than the first pulse repetition rate. Each pulse of the second series delivers through the target a charge greater than a minimum charge per pulse. A product of the second pulse repetition rate and the minimum charge per pulse is greater than 250. |
| US08107208B2 |
Insulated surge suppression circuit
A potted electrical circuit is enclosed within a housing and has a first and second fiberglass layer that is laid upon a top surface of the potted electrical circuit. A lid of the housing seals the electrical circuit there within and an opening formed in a side wall allows circuitry wiring to extend there from out. The first fiberglass layer is a woven layer while the second fiberglass layer is a padding-like layer. Circuitry wiring pushes through the woven first fiberglass layer before extending out through the opening in the housing. The first fiberglass layer is tucked in and around the electrical circuit and adheres to the inside of the housing by attaching to the potting material while it hardens. In a preferred embodiment, the electrical circuit in combination with the insulation material is used within a transient voltage surge suppression device. |
| US08107206B2 |
Surge arrester
A surge arrester for medium and high voltages includes a length adjustment device and pivot unit. |
| US08107205B2 |
Current differential relay
An output unit outputs a trip current based on current amount data obtained by sampling a current amount at a first end of a power line at a predetermined timing and current amount data received from a device at a second end of the power line. A clock generating unit generates a clock to be used as a reference for the predetermined timing. A receiving unit receives a GPS signal and extracts a time synchronization signal from the GPS signal. A correction-signal generating unit generates a correction signal for synchronizing the clock with the time synchronization signal. A correcting unit corrects the clock with the correction signal. |
| US08107203B2 |
Electrostatic discharge protection device
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an electrostatic discharge protection circuit used for a semiconductor device including a first power supply terminal, a second power supply terminal, and an input/output terminal, includes: a thyristor passing a surge current from the input/output terminal to the second power supply terminal; and a bipolar transistor passing a surge current from the first power supply terminal to the input/output terminal. |
| US08107199B2 |
Ramp to park read/write head and hard disk drive including the same
A ramp to park a read/write head includes a fixed portion fixed to a base member of the hard disk drive, and a supporting portion to contact and support the tip-tab of the suspension assembly and includes an inclined rail surface and a horizontal rail surface which extend in a moving direction of the tip-tab, wherein a rail boundary between the inclined rail surface and the horizontal rail surface is inclined with respect to a lengthwise axis of the tip-tab. The rail boundary can be a straight line inclined at an angle with respect to the lengthwise axis of the tip-tab, or can be curved toward the horizontal rail surface or the inclined rail surface. |
| US08107191B2 |
Perpendicular magnetic recording head having a coil enclosing a sub-yoke
A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head is provided which records data in a PMR medium. The PMR head includes a main pole having an end portion disposed on an air bearing surface (ABS) opposed to the PMR medium and the other end portion; a return yoke spaced apart from the main pole; a sub-yoke starting from the other end portion of the main pole and extending away from the PMR medium, so as to magnetically connect the main pole with the return yoke; and a coil disposed to encircle the sub-yoke. |
| US08107184B2 |
Operation control apparatus, operation control method, operation control program controlling operation of magnetic disc device
For an apparatus determining whether or not an HDD is started by barometric pressure information or the like, there are provided a navigation apparatus, an operation control device, an operation control method, and an operation control program, that enable shortening of a time from a power-on to starting-up of the HDD.The present application is the operation control device which controls the operation of the HDD by giving an instruction to the HDD to control the operation of the HDD, the operation control device including: a recording means for recording a previous closing information indicative of whether or not the operation of the operation control device normally ends by a previous power-off and an operation control means for giving an instruction of starting the operation to the HDD in a case where the operation has been normally ended at a time of starting the operation control device by the power-on. |
| US08107182B2 |
Systems and methods for accessing read channel registers using commands on data lines
A system and method for providing an interface an interface between a read channel and a disk controller. The interface includes a plurality of differential pair signal lines operable to communicate data and control signals between the read channel and the hard disk controller. The data and control signal lines communicate operations for transferring data between the disk controller and the read channel. |
| US08107181B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for measuring magnetoresistive head resistance
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for measuring magnetoresistive head assembly resistance. A measurement module measures a reference voltage across a reference resistance while applying a reference current to the reference resistance. In addition, the measurement module measures a test voltage across a first biasing resistor, a MR head assembly, and a second biasing resistor connected in series while applying the reference current to the first biasing resistor, the MR head assembly, and the second biasing resistor. A computation module calculates the MR head assembly resistance from the reference voltage, the test voltage, the reference resistance, and the resistances of the first and second biasing resistors. |
| US08107180B2 |
Hard-disk drive and control method for magnetic recording on a patterned medium of the hard-disk drive
A hard-disk drive. The hard-disk drive includes a magnetic-recording disk including tracks on which a plurality of patterned bit-cells that are isolated magnetically are aligned at predetermined alignment pitches. The hard-disk drive includes a magnetic-recording head which is configured to follow tracks, and to write and to read data. The hard-disk drive includes a signal-processing unit which is configured to generate a recording signal based on a write-clock signal with cycles corresponding to alignment pitches of patterned bit-cells, and to output a recording signal. The hard-disk drive includes a phase-detecting unit which is configured to detect a phase of the write-clock signal when the magnetic-recording head reaches an end point of a predetermined range. The hard disk drive includes a determination-processing unit which is configured to determine success of data writing based on a difference between an expected value and a detected value of the phase of the write-clock signal. |
| US08107178B2 |
Storage apparatus, method of detecting failure in head of storage apparatus, and storage medium storing failure detection program
According to one embodiment, a storage apparatus includes: a read section that receives a predetermined electrical parameter to read out data from a recording medium; a characteristic detection section that detects a plurality of characteristic values corresponding to a plurality of different predetermined electrical parameters received by the read section, respectively, the characteristic values being predetermined indicators of the read section, respectively; a characteristic relation acquisition section that acquires a slope of a characteristic value versus a predetermined electrical parameter from the predetermined electrical parameters and the characteristic values; and a determination section that determines presence/absence of failure in the read section based on the slope acquired by the characteristic relation acquisition section. |
| US08107177B2 |
Electrical interconnect system with integrated transmission- line compensation components
Impedance compensation features are used along the transmission-line path between a transmitter/driver/source and the receiver/transducer to compensate for the impedance discontinuities or mismatches (for example, those caused by physical interconnection features) and/or to improve the frequency response of the signal transfer along the transmission line. The impedance compensation features are non-uniformities with impedance characteristics selected to compensate for the target impedance discontinuities. The compensation features can be non-uniformities (geometric structures designed to have specific impedance characteristics) in the electrically conductive traces that are integrated in the interconnect transmission line between the transmitter/driver/source and the receiver/transducer. The effective impedance level of the transmission line can be lowered or raised using the compensation features. |
| US08107176B2 |
Lens drive device
A lens drive device may include a support body, a movable body having a lens, a magnetic drive mechanism having a coil mounted on the movable body and a magnet mounted on the support body for magnetically driving the movable body in a lens optical axis direction, two spring pieces which are connected between the movable body and the support body for supporting the movable body and which is used as a power supply member to the coil, and two binding pins which are provided in the movable body and around which coil ends of winding start and winding end of the coil are wound. Portions of the coil ends which are wound around the binding pins are electrically connected with the spring pieces. |
| US08107175B2 |
Wide-angle lens, optical apparatus, and method for manufacturing wide-angle lens
A wide-angle lens WL including, in order from an object: a first lens L1 which is a negative meniscus lens having a convex surface facing the object; a second lens L2 which is a positive lens; a third lens L3 which is a negative lens; a fourth lens L4 which is a positive lens; and a fifth lens L5 which is a positive lens, wherein the condition of 0.2 |
| US08107173B2 |
Catadioptric optical system for scatterometry
A catadioptric optical system having a high numerical aperture operates in a wide spectral range. The catadioptric system includes a correcting plate and an optical system. The correcting plate conditions electromagnetic radiation to correct at least one aberration. The optical system reflects a first portion of the conditioned electromagnetic radiation, refracts a second portion of the conditioned electromagnetic radiation, and focuses the reflected first portion of the conditioned electromagnetic radiation onto a target portion of a substrate. The first portion of the electromagnetic radiation is not refracted by an optical element, allowing the catadioptric optical system to operate in a broad spectral range. |
| US08107172B2 |
Single-lens optical system
A single-lens optical system including a stop and a lens sequentially arranged from an object side, and reducing distortion by controlling a distance between the stop and the lens. |
| US08107170B2 |
Objective optical system
An objective optical system includes, in sequence from the object side, a first group having positive refractive power and including a plano-convex lens with the convex surface facing the image side; a second group having positive refractive power and including a lens whose extreme-object-side lens surface is convex facing the object side; a third group having negative refractive power and including a lens whose extreme-image-side lens surface is concave facing the image side; a fourth group having positive refractive power and including a lens disposed on the extreme object side, whose image-side lens surface is convex facing the image side and a lens disposed on the extreme image side, whose object-side lens surface is convex facing the object side; and a fifth group having positive refractive power and including a combined lens by joining a convex lens and a concave lens, the joined surface having negative refractive power. |
| US08107167B2 |
Spatial-dispersion-free spectral combining of pulsed high peak power fiber laser beams
A beam combining system suitable of pulsed fiber laser applications is able to produce non-spatial-dispersive beams using an highly efficient filter, such as a multilayer dielectric filter, in transmission and reflection configurations. The techniques therefore can overcome constraints on laser line-width and beam width and allow for more stable systems for high peak power pulsed laser energy, such as may be used in extreme ultraviolet lithography and other applications. |
| US08107166B2 |
Cabinet projection screen with automatic cover-lifting function
A cabinet projection screen with an automatic cover-lifting function is provided, which includes a cabinet body (1). A cover-lifting mechanism (2) is disposed on the cabinet body (1). The cover-lifting mechanism (2) includes a cover plate (21), a transmission rod (22), and a cover-plate drive motor (23). The cover-plate drive motor (23) drives the cover plate (21) to open or close through the transmission rod (22). An elevator screen (3) is disposed inside the cabinet body (1). The elevator screen (3) is aligned with an opening (24) on the cabinet corresponding to the cover plate (21) when the cover plate (21) is opened. The cabinet projection screen can be used as a normal office desk or cabinet when not used for projection, and can also be used as a projection screen when necessary, so that a multi-functional office desk or cabinet is obtained. |
| US08107164B2 |
Window system and light guiding film therein
The present invention relates to a light guiding film including a film base and at least one microstructure. The microstructure is disposed on a side of the film base, and comprises a first surface and a second surface. A first inclination angle is between the first surface and a reference plane, the reference plane is perpendicular with the film base, and a second inclination angle is between the second surface and the reference plane. The total energy of the output light beams with the output angles from 85 to 120 degrees is more than 40% of the total energy of the output light beams with the output angles from 0 to 180 degrees. Therefore, the light guiding film can guide the incident light beams into a room near horizontally and avoid glare. |
| US08107163B2 |
Projection optical system and projection image display apparatus
A projection optical system for magnifying an image on a primary imaging plane onto a secondary imaging plane includes a first optical system for forming an intermediate image and a second optical system including a concave reflecting surface disposed between the intermediate image and the secondary plane. The first optical system includes first and second groups respectively having negative and positive power, an aperture, and a third group having positive power from the intermediate image. The surfaces of the first and second optical systems have rotational symmetry about a light axis. A ray traveling from the center of the primary plane to the center of the secondary plane intersects the light axis, is reflected off the reflecting surface, intersects the light axis again, and reaches the secondary plane. The following conditions are satisfied: 0.5<φ1/φ2<3, 1 |
| US08107160B2 |
Light output control apparatus
A light output control apparatus, includes: an excitation light source that outputs excitation light; an excitation light guiding unit that guides the excitation light to an optical amplifying medium for transmitting a signal light; and a loss causing unit that includes an optical transmission medium located between the excitation light source and the excitation light guiding unit, and changes a radius of curvature of the optical transmission medium. |
| US08107159B2 |
Electrophoretic display
An electronic device includes a first substrate made of thin plastic sheet; a second substrate made of thin plastic sheet opposing the first substrate; a chamber formed between portions of the first and second substrates; and a sealing structure configured to seal the chamber at the interface between the first and second substrates, wherein the sealing structure surrounds the chamber and comprises a recess formed in one of the substrates and a protrusion formed on the other of the substrates, the protrusion engaging the recess. |
| US08107158B2 |
Fluorescent imaging device and fluorescent image acquiring method
A fluorescent imaging device includes an irradiation section that irradiates an object to be examined with excitation light and reference light, an image pickup section that picks up a fluorescence image based on the excitation light and a reflected light image based on the reference light, a comparison section that compares relative intensity between the fluorescent image generated from the fluorescence image and the reflected light image generated from the reflected light image, and a selection section that selectively outputs one of the reflected light image and the fluorescent image based on the comparison result. |
| US08107157B2 |
Micromirror unit and method of making the same
A method is provided for making a micromirror unit which includes a frame, a mirror forming base, and bridges connecting the frame to the mirror forming base. The method includes the following steps. First, a first mask pattern is formed on a substrate for masking portions of the substrate which are processed into the frame and the mirror forming base. Then, a second mask pattern is formed on the substrate for masking portions of the substrate which are processed into the bridges. Then, the substrate is subjected to a first etching process with the first and the second mask patterns present as masking means. Then, the second mask pattern is removed selectively. Then, the substrate is subjected to a second etching process with the first mask pattern present as masking means. Finally, the first mask pattern is removed. |
| US08107156B2 |
Digital binary MEMS wavefront control
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a new type of phase screen, i.e., an opto-electronic device that can convert a distorted incoming optical wavefront into a plane wave or, conversely, transform a plane wave into a prescribed varying output wavefront. The basic concept involves novel binary all-digital MEMS interferometer configurations that can be used to create controlled and arbitrary optical wavefront using only 0,1 amplitude changes followed by differential propagation distances to convert these amplitude variations into controllable and/or continuous phase variations. Clustered pixel notions, such as Floyd-Steinberg, Stucki or other algorithms useful in digital half-tone printing, are simultaneously employed to create controllable grey-level variations as well as continuous phase variations. Desired grey-levels can be obtained wherein each pixel is formed by, e.g., a 3×3 or 5×5 cluster of mirrors. Both the filling-in of the outputs of the binary mirror (0,1) and the grey-levels are accomplished simply by spatial averaging over a short propagation distance. |
| US08107155B2 |
System and method for reducing visual artifacts in displays
Embodiments include systems and methods for reducing visible artifacts such as Moiré, or interference, patterns, in displays. One embodiment includes a display device comprising a plurality of light modulators and a plurality of illumination elements configured to direct light to the light modulators. The directed light of the plurality of illumination elements collectively defines an nonuniformly varying pattern of light. |
| US08107154B2 |
Optical modulator and optical signal generation apparatus
An optical modulator includes, a first polarization separation and combination portion, a second polarization separation and combination portion, a first polarization plane-maintaining optical fiber, a second polarization plane-maintaining optical fiber, a third polarization plane-maintaining optical fiber of which a first end is coupled with the second input and output terminal of the second polarization separation and combination portion, the third polarization plane-maintaining optical fiber including a first optical coupler, to which control light that is linearly polarized light is input, a fourth polarization plane-maintaining optical fiber of which a first end is coupled with the third input and output terminal of the second polarization separation and combination portion; and a first polarization plane conversion portion that optically communicates with a second end of the third polarization plane-maintaining optical fiber and a second end of the fourth polarization plane-maintaining optical fiber. |
| US08107153B2 |
Flexible electrochromic devices, electrodes therefor, and methods of manufacture
An electrochromic fiber or fabric is disclosed. The fiber or fabric includes a flexible, electrically conductive fiber, and a layer comprising an electrochromic material disposed on and surrounding the flexible, electrically conductive fiber. In one embodiment, the fiber or fabric is both flexible and elastic. The fibers and fabrics are of particular utility in electrochromic devices, particularly those which form or are a part of garments. |
| US08107150B2 |
Photochromic diarylethene containing coordination compounds and the production thereof
Diarylethene-containing ligands and their coordination compounds are described. The ligands display photochromism with UV excitation, while the coordination compounds display photochromism with both excitation in the UV region and excitation into lower energy absorption bands characteristic of the coordination compounds, through which the excitation wavelengths for the photocyclization can be extended from λ≦340 nm to wavelengths beyond 470 nm. Switching of the luminescence properties of the compounds has also been achieved through photochromic reactions. |
| US08107149B2 |
Negative index material-based modulators and methods for fabricating the same
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to external, electronically controllable, negative index material-based modulators. In one aspect, an external modulator comprises a negative index material in electronic communication with an electronic signal source. The negative index material receives an electronic signal encoding data from the electronic signal source and an unmodulated carrier wave from an electromagnetic radiation source. Magnitude variations in the electronic signal produce corresponding effective refractive index changes in the negative index material encoding the data in the amplitude and/or phase of the carrier wave to produce an electromagnetic signal. |
| US08107148B2 |
Curvature correction device, optical scanning unit, and image forming apparatus
A curvature correction device used in an optical scanning unit includes a holder and a pushing unit. The optical scanning unit includes a light beam emitter to emit a light beam, a deflection unit to deflect the light beam in a main scanning direction, and a reflection mirror to reflect the light beam. In at least one embodiment, the curvature correction device includes a holder and a pushing unit. The holder holds the reflection mirror in a state in which the reflection mirror is forcibly bent in a first direction. The pushing unit pushes the reflection mirror held by the holder to bend the reflection mirror in a second direction opposite the first direction. The curvature correction device corrects the curvature of the main scanning line by adjusting an amount at which the pushing unit pushes the reflection mirror. The holder has a stiffness larger than the reflection mirror. |
| US08107147B2 |
Two-mirror scanning system
A scanning beam projection system includes a two-mirror scanning system. One mirror scans in one direction, and a second mirror scans in a second direction. A fast scan mirror receives a modulated light beam from a fold mirror and directs the modulated light beam to a slow can mirror. The fold mirror may be formed on an output optic or may be formed on a common substrate with the slow scan mirror. |
| US08107146B2 |
Three-dimensional space scanner
A Three Dimensional (3D) space scanner can obtain spatial data by scanning a mobile object not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction using a mirror that is driven to rotate as well as to tilt. |
| US08107144B2 |
Method and device for manufacturing a hologram recording medium containing multiple objects that are reproduced when observed from different positions
A method and a device for manufacturing a hologram recording medium that has an arrangement by which different original images are reproduced when observed from different positions. The method includes preparing a plurality of original images, setting a predetermined recording plane, setting a predetermined reference light, setting a plurality of observation regions, computing an interference fringe pattern, and forming the interference fringe pattern on a physical medium. When computing an interference fringe pattern, computations of only the light components of each original image which would reach the respective observation region are performed. |
| US08107139B2 |
Color adjusting apparatus and method for light source
Color adjusting apparatus and method for a light source. A reflector of a required color is added to a light source of a scan module, a plating film of the required color is formed on a lens, or the lens is dyed with the required color. Or alternatively, the color of the light source is directly changed into the required color. As a result, the inconsistent intensities for the light in the primary color, red, green and blue output from the charge-coupled device caused by different brightness of the light source, different wavelength transmission of the lens, and different light sensitivity of the charge-coupled device is improved. |
| US08107137B2 |
4-line CCD sensor and image input apparatus using the same
A 4-line CCD sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention has a monochromic reading line sensor section and a color reading line sensor section. This 4-line CCD sensor is characterized in that amplification factors for amplifiers 1 to 4 are set so that the amplitude of an output signal from the monochromic reading line sensor section is the same as that of each output signal from the color reading line sensor section. This 4-line CCD sensor is characterized in that the amplification factors for the amplifiers 1 to 4 are set so that the amplitude of each output signal from the color reading line sensor section is smaller than that of an output signal from the monochromic reading line sensor section. |
| US08107135B2 |
Motorized document scanner
A document scanner, such as a check scanner, is disclosed. The document scanner includes a document bed having a document positioning surface, the document positioning surface arranged to receive a document placed thereon. The document scanner further includes a scanning module slidably movable across the document positioning surface, the scanning module including one or more data capture devices arranged to contact a document during a scanning process. The document scanner also includes a motor operatively connected to the scanning module, the motor configured to move the scanning module across the document positioning surface during the scanning process. |
| US08107129B2 |
Methods and apparatus for embedding and detecting digital watermarks in a text document
Disclosed are a method and apparatus for embedding or detecting watermarks in a text, which belong to the field of document protection. The method and apparatus overlay an additional layer of shade in a document for recording a large amount of information from watermarks. The shade comprises the dots arranged under certain rules. Shifts of the dots record each bit string within the watermark. According to the method and apparatus, a large amount of information can be embedded and the watermarks embedded in the shade are dispersed together with the document which can be digitized by a scanner for being detected. |
| US08107127B2 |
Image forming apparatus, image forming method
An image forming apparatus has a calibration mode in which a calibration image is formed on a print medium to correct image forming conditions. The image forming apparatus detects print medium information to determine, on the basis of the print medium information, whether the print medium is a sheet recommended as a print medium for use in the calibration mode. The image forming apparatus sets calibration conditions corresponding to the determined recommended sheet. The image forming apparatus corrects the image forming conditions on the basis of the set calibration conditions. |
| US08107118B2 |
Print control apparatus that controls printing device performing printing using print sheet having tab
Upon printing on a tab, a printer driver presents a screen for setting index information of a tab sheet, and receives designation of a position where an index is to be added and an item to be added to the index. Further, it receives designation of the number of letters, letter size, or the number of lines as a threshold value for determining whether the title information input to be printed on the tab should be converted into an index or not. When the input title information exceeds the threshold value, the printer driver controls such that one or more alphanumeric characters are printed on a tab, instead of the title information, and such that the input title information is printed on an index sheet together with the alphanumeric character(s) of the corresponding tab sheet. |
| US08107110B2 |
Computer system for printing a page and generating interactive elements
A computer system for printing a page at a printer. The computer system is configured to: (i) receive a visual description for the page, the visual description describing a graphic impression for printing; (ii) identify a URI text string in the visual description; (iii) generate a corresponding input description for the visual description, the input description describing a URI corresponding to the URI text string and a spatial extent of the URI text string on the page; and (iv) archive the visual description and the corresponding input description. |
| US08107107B2 |
Facsimile apparatus, facsimile communication method, and facsimile communication system for preventing erroneous transmission
A facsimile apparatus is provided, which can access a latest database associating facsimile numbers and destination names. The apparatus includes a storage unit for storing a destination table in which button information such as one-touch dial buttons, facsimile numbers, and destination names are associated, an input unit for accepting an instruction for one-touch facsimile transmission, a facsimile number acquisition unit for identifying a destination name associated with the transmission instruction by referring to the destination table and searching the database using the destination name as a search key to acquire a facsimile number associated therewith, and a transmission unit for determining whether the acquired facsimile number agrees with a facsimile number associated with a one-touch dial button accepted by the input unit and executing facsimile transmission only when the numbers agree. |
| US08107104B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a receiving unit for receiving image information including first user information; a detection unit for detecting the first user information from the image information; an input unit for inputting second user information and a process; a comparison unit for comparing the first user information with the second user information; and a control unit for limiting an input through the input unit when the comparison unit determines that the first user information is different from the second user information. |
| US08107101B2 |
Apparatus and method for evaluating RFID programming
The present disclosure relates to a printing system or method for evaluating the programming of an identifier, such as an RFID tag. The method may be implemented in a printing device which is capable of programming an identifier and reading data from the identifier and comparing such information to evaluate the programming operation. |
| US08107099B2 |
Watermarking
A watermark is provided for use with images or image portions, such as saturated text. The watermark is provided as a modulation to the optical density of a public image or image portion wherein both modulated and unmodulated portions of the public image or image portion have an optical density that is beyond a threshold optical density beyond which the human visual system has a low sensitivity to optical density variations. Alternatively, the modulation is made at such a low amplitude as to be difficult to perceive by the human visual system. The modulation may be applied via an overprinting operation. Alternatively the modulation may be applied to image data prior to printing. |
| US08107094B2 |
Image formation controls in an image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus is described. The image forming apparatus may be for printing sheets on the basis of a print instruction, including: a printable sheet number storage unit storing the number of printable sheets in association with each of predetermined limit units; a determination unit determining whether or not there is a print instruction exceeding the number of printable sheets for a first limit unit; and a printing authorization unit authorizing execution of printing utilizing the number of printable sheets for a second limit unit stored in the printable sheet number storage unit when the determination unit determines that there is a print instruction exceeding the number of printable sheets for the first limit unit. |
| US08107093B2 |
Using geometry bounds to enable scale printing of virtual paper onto physical paper when using a printer with a differing printable area
A computer-implemented graphics program that correctly adapts images being printed to the physical capabilities of a printer. A published virtual paper is scaled to a physical paper, taking into account the virtual paper's size, geometry bounds for an image from the virtual paper being printed, balanced geometry bounds calculated from the geometry bounds, the physical paper's size and a printable area of the physical paper, so that the image being printed fits within a printable area of the physical paper. |
| US08107074B2 |
Analytical method for optical measurement
An electric field spatially-regularly arranged is applied to particles movably dispersed in a medium to migrate particles. The resulting density distribution of the particles generates a diffraction grating. In the annihilation process of the diffraction grating through the stop or modulation of the application of the electric field, intensity of diffracted light from the diffraction grating is measured to obtain the size of particles. In the above measurement method, the square root or natural logarithm of the measured value of the diffracted light intensity is used for the analysis to evaluate with high convergence the dispersiveness of the particle size with using the least squares method even in the case of particles of dispersive diameter or the case where particles to be measured include particles of different sizes. |
| US08107073B2 |
Diffraction order sorting filter for optical metrology
A zoned order sorting filter for a spectrometer in a semiconductor metrology system is disclosed with reduced light dispersion at the zone joints. The order sorting filter comprises optically-transparent layers deposited underneath, or on top of thin-film filter stacks of the order sorting filter zones, wherein the thicknesses of the optically-transparent layers are adjusted such that the total optical lengths traversed by light at a zone joint are substantially equal in zones adjacent the zone joint. A method for wavelength to detector array pixel location calibration of spectrometers is also disclosed, capable of accurately representing the highly localized nonlinearities of the calibration curve in the vicinity of zone joints of an order sorting filter. |
| US08107065B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting defects
A method and apparatus for detecting defects are provided for detecting harmful defects or foreign matter with high sensitivity on an object to be inspected with a transparent film, such as an oxide film, by reducing noise due to a circuit pattern. The apparatus for detecting defects includes a stage part on which a substrate specimen is put and which is arbitrarily movable in each of the X-Y-Z-θ directions, an illumination system for irradiating the circuit pattern with light from an inclined direction, and an image-forming optical system for forming an image of an irradiated detection area on a detector from the upward and oblique directions. With this arrangement, diffracted light and scattered light caused on the circuit pattern through the illumination by the illumination system is collected. Furthermore, a spatial filter is provided on a Fourier transform surface for blocking the diffracted light from a linear part of the circuit pattern. The scattered and reflected light received by the detector from the specimen is converted into an electrical signal. The converted electrical signal of one chip is compared with that of the other adjacent chip. If these signals are not identical to each other, the foreign matter is determined to exist on the specimen in detection. |
| US08107061B2 |
Acoustic measurement device and acoustic measurement method
In a schlieren optical system, a laser beam is passed through the jet flow and the ambient around the jet flow, and a high speed sampling is performed using a high speed photo sensor while displacing measurement points. The value obtained by sampling represents a result of the optical path caused curved by a density gradient generated in an arc-shape from the center of the jet flow. The value is subjected to a high speed discrete Fourier transform and decomposed into frequency components which constitute the noise. Thereafter, Abel inversion is performed on data belonging to a particular frequency to obtain a density gradient in the radial direction from the center of the jet flow. The obtained density gradient is visualized in a graph display, so that the position of the sound source and the state of the jet flow can be accurately grasped. |
| US08107057B2 |
Passive imaging system equipped with a range finder
The invention relates to a range finding method for a target by means of a pulsed laser (4) and a device for detecting pulses backscattered by the target, which comprises a step for emitting pulses with a repetition frequency f. The detection device comprises an array of photodiodes (21) associated with integrators (22′). The method comprises steps for roughly then finely locating the target, the rough locating step comprising the following substeps: integration of a backscattered pulse, over a time window of duration F and offset by an offset Off between the instant of emission of the pulse and that of the start of said integration, with Off<1/f and F<1/f, as long as the signal is less than a first threshold, the integration steps are reiterated with a new offset Off incremented by approximately F relative to the preceding offset Off, on completion of these iterations, the target being roughly located within a distance range corresponding to the time window of duration F and offset by the offset Off designated Offg, the fine locating step is implemented, which comprises the following sub steps: integration of a backscattered pulse over a time window of duration F′ and offset by an offset Offf equal to Offg, the integration steps are reiterated with a new offset Offf of the time window incremented by an offset d relative to the preceding offset Offf, with d |
| US08107054B2 |
Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus
The disclosure relates to a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, as well as related components, methods and articles made by the methods. The microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes an illumination system and a projection objective. The illumination system can illuminate a mask arranged in an object plane of the projection objective. The mask can have structures which are to be imaged. The method can include illuminating a pupil plane of the illumination system with light. The method can also include modifying, in a plane of the projection objective, the phase, amplitude and/or polarization of the light passing through that plane. The modification can be effected for at least two diffraction orders in mutually different ways. A mask-induced loss in image contrast obtained in the imaging of the structures can be reduced compared to a method without the modification. |
| US08107052B2 |
Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method
An exposure apparatus is configured to expose a substrate to light while the substrate is scanned. The apparatus comprises a stage configured to hold the substrate and to move, a measuring device configured to measure a position of a surface of the substrate held by the stage, a controller configured to define an arrangement of measurement points with respect to each of a plurality of shot regions arranged along a straight line, and to cause the measuring device to sequentially measure positions of the surface with respect to the defined measurement points in the plurality of shot regions while causing the stage to move to scan the substrate along the straight line. The controller is configured to define the arrangement such that the plurality of shot regions have the arrangement in common with each other. |
| US08107049B2 |
Liquid crystal panel substrate, liquid crystal panel, and electronic device and projection display device using the same
In a liquid crystal substrate in which a matrix of reflecting electrodes is formed on a substrate, a transistor is formed corresponding to each reflective electrode and a voltage is applied to the reflective electrode through the transistor. A silicon oxide film having a thickness of 500 to 2,000 angstroms is used as the passivation film and the thickness is set to a value in response to the wavelength of the incident light to maintain a substantially constant reflectance. |
| US08107047B2 |
Liquid crystal display apparatus
A liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus includes a first panel, a second panel, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second panels. The first panel includes a first transparent substrate having a pixel area, a thin film transistor disposed at the pixel area so as to output a pixel voltage, a first color filter disposed at the pixel area, the first color filter having a first edge, a second color filter disposed adjacent to the first color filter and having a second edge, the first edge and the second edge being overlapped to provide an overlapped area between the first color filter and the second color filter, a spacer disposed on the overlapped area between the first color filter and the adjacent second color filter, and a pixel electrode disposed on the first color filter so as to receive the pixel voltage. The spacer has a same material as one of the first color filter and the second color filter. The second panel includes a second transparent substrate and a common electrode disposed on the second transparent substrate. |
| US08107046B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and method of driving the same
A liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates facing and spaced apart from each other; a gate line on an inner surface of the first substrate; a data line crossing the gate line to define a plurality of first sub-pixel regions for displaying color, and a second sub-pixel region for adjusting a viewing angle; a thin film transistor connected to the data line and the gate line; a plurality of first pixel electrodes in each of the plurality of first sub-pixel regions; a plurality of first common electrodes alternating with the plurality of first pixel electrodes in each of the plurality of first sub-pixel regions; a second pixel electrode in the second sub-pixel region; a second common electrode in the second sub-pixel region, the second common electrode facing the second pixel electrode; and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates, wherein a first common voltage is applied to the plurality of first common electrodes, and a second common voltage different from the first common voltage is applied to the second common electrode. |
| US08107044B2 |
Liquid crystal display apparatus
A liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus includes a first substrate including a switching element and a pixel electrode, the pixel electrode electrically connected to the switching element, and a second substrate disposed over the first substrate, the second substrate including a common electrode having a first slit and a second slit, wherein the first slit divides a unit pixel area into a plurality of domains, and the second slit partially overlaps the pixel electrode and is disposed to correspond to a boundary area of adjacent unit pixel areas. |
| US08107043B2 |
Liquid crystal panel having ARC-shaped domain-dividing protrusions and slits
A liquid crystal panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer sealed between the first substrate and the second substrate including a plurality of liquid crystal molecules. The first substrate includes a plurality of first region-dividing structures; the second substrate includes a plurality of second region-dividing structures. The first substrate, the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer form a plurality of pixel elements, each of the pixel elements is divided into a plurality of regions by the first region-dividing structures and the second region-dividing structures, and the liquid crystal molecules have gradually and continuously changed alignments in at least one of the regions. |
| US08107042B2 |
Integrated O film comprising a negative biaxial film and a positive O film for improving the viewing angle of a TN-LCD
Disclosed herein are an integrated O film for improving a viewing angle of a TN-LCD, and a polarizer plate and TN-LCD including the same. Also disclosed herein are a compensation film which is capable of improving a contrast characteristic at a front side and an inclination angle and minimizing a color variation according to a viewing angle in a dark state, and a polarizer plate and TN-LCD including the same. The integrated O film includes a transversely-stretched negative biaxial (B) film and a positive O film laminated on the transversely-stretched negative B film. |
| US08107041B2 |
LCD apparatus and method for enhancing luminance efficiency thereof with a backlight module generating an elliptically polarized light
An LCD apparatus includes a first polarizer, a half-wavelength retardation plate, a liquid crystal unit and a second polarizer. The LCD apparatus further has a backlight module for generating first polarized light. The first polarizer is disposed downstream of the backlight module, and the first polarizer has a transmission axis. The half-wavelength retardation plate is disposed between the backlight module and the first polarizer. Second polarized light parallel to the transmission axis is generated from the first polarized light passing through the half-wavelength retardation plate. The second polarizer is disposed downstream of the first polarizer. The liquid crystal unit is disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer, and the second polarized light emits out of the LCD apparatus through the first polarizer, the liquid crystal unit and the second polarizer. |
| US08107037B2 |
Display device and fabrication method thereof
A display device and its fabrication method are disclosed. According to one aspect, the method for fabricating a display device includes forming a first element unit including a first reflector layer, a light emitting part and a common electrode on a lower substrate, and forming a second element unit including a floating electrode, a photocurrent layer and a signal electrode on the first element unit. A third element unit is formed on the lower substrate. The third element unit includes a second reflector layer connected with the floating electrode and also a second light emitting part and a second floating electrode disposed on the second reflector layer. |
| US08107032B2 |
Active matrix substrate and display device having the same
In one embodiment of the present invention, a display device is enabled to make the display impulse and to improve the charging characteristics of pixel capacities while suppressing the complexity of a drive circuit or the like and the increase in the operating frequency. In an active matrix substrate of a liquid crystal display device, each pixel electrode is connected through a pixel TFT with a source line and through a discharging TFT with a holding capacity line. For one frame period, a liquid crystal capacity, as established by the pixel electrode corresponding to each display line and a common electrode, is charged, when the pixel TFT is turned ON by a pixel scanning signal on a pixel gate line, and is then discharged when the discharging TFT is turned ON by a discharging scanning signal on a discharging gate line. The source line is subjected to a 2-H dot inverse drive but to a charge share for every horizontal periods. |
| US08107028B2 |
Display device having improved step coverage for thin film transistors
A display device having a plurality of thin film transistors having a semiconductor layer comprising an i-type semiconductor and an impurity doped semiconductor laminated over a first insulating film, a first electrode formed over the semiconductor layer, and a second electrode formed by a part of a corresponding one of the plurality of data lines. In a cross section of an end portion of the first electrode in a direction of a length of a channel of the plurality of thin film transistors, the impurity doped semiconductor is configured to extend a minimum distance of 0.2 μm beyond the first electrode in the direction of a length of a channel of the plurality of thin film transistors in order to prevent overhanging of the first electrode beyond the impurity doped semiconductor in the direction of a length of a channel of the plurality of thin film transistors. |
| US08107027B2 |
Liquid crystal display
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display that includes a substrate, gate lines formed on the substrate, storage electrode lines extending in the same direction as the gate lines, and data lines intersecting the gate lines. Pixel electrodes can be connected to the thin film transistors and can be arranged in a matrix. The pixel electrodes can include a first edge parallel to the gate lines and a second edge with a second length shorter than a first length of the first edge. The second edge can be parallel to the data lines. When a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode are disposed on two sides of a storage electrode line, one of the first edge of the first pixel electrode and the first edge of the second pixel electrode may overlap the storage electrode line. |
| US08107025B2 |
Display unit having illuminator and liquid crystal layer capable of forming intermediate layer
A display device includes a liquid crystal layer having opposing principal faces; a plurality of electrodes; and an illuminator for emitting light toward one of the principal faces of the liquid crystal layer. When a predetermined voltage is applied, the liquid crystal layer forms an intermediate layer containing liquid crystal molecules which are oriented in a different direction from that of the liquid crystal molecules in an anchoring layer, and causes linearly-polarized light which has been transmitted through the anchoring layer to be refracted toward the one principal face in or near the intermediate layer. White is displayed while no voltage is applied across the liquid crystal layer, and black displaying is conducted while a voltage is applied across the liquid crystal layer. |
| US08107020B2 |
Color-based microdevice of liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) microdisplay
The invention pertains to an improved LCOS microdevice that eliminates colored lights required generally in a prior art system. According to one aspect of the present invention, the LCOS structure uses color filters directly in the LCOS chip. Depending on the number of colors being used, the color filters are arranged repeatedly according to a predefined pattern across an entire LCOS chip to coincide with pixels in the microdevice. When a white light is focused onto the LCOS microdevice, it reflects a color image that is then magnified and projected onto a display screen. |
| US08107013B2 |
Frequency demodulator for recovering SECAM chrominance signal and method thereof
An apparatus for recovering a chrominance signal from a sequential color with memory (SECAM) composite video baseband signal (CVBS), and more particularly, to a frequency demodulator and method of recovering a SECAM chrominance signal which can utilize both a real number portion and an imaginary number portion, and generate a frequency-demodulated chrominance signal using an arctangent approximation, and thereby can simplify a circuit configuration of a frequency demodulator to perform a fixed-point calculation is provided. A frequency demodulator for recovering a chrominance signal, the frequency demodulator comprises a phase differentiator generating a phase difference component between neighboring samples from an input signal and a phase estimator calculating a phase difference between the neighboring samples by using an arctangent approximation, based on the generated phase difference component, wherein the frequency demodulator generates a frequency-demodulated chrominance signal and the phase difference corresponds to the chrominance signal. |
| US08107010B2 |
Windows management in a television environment
Media content is received in a windows management application. The media content is from a set of content including zero or more television signal content and zero or more application content. The media content is incorporated into a television signal containing a window configuration. The television signal is then sent from the windows management application to a television where it is displayed. |
| US08107008B2 |
Method and system of automatically correcting a sampling clock in a digital video system
A method and system of automatically correcting a sampling clock in a digital video system are disclosed. Sampling clocks with different phases are generated and subjected in turn to analog-to-digital conversion (ADC). A difference of at least a pair of neighboring data out of the ADC with respect to each phase is determined. A maximum difference is determined, and the sampling clock with the phase corresponding to the maximum difference is thus generated. |
| US08107001B2 |
Image forming optical system and electronic image pickup apparatus using the same
An image forming optical system includes in order from an object side to an image surface, a first lens group having a positive refracting power, a second lens group having a negative refracting power, and a third lens group having a positive refracting power. At the time of zooming from a wide angle end to a telephoto end, a distance between the first lens group and the second lens group increases, and a distance between the second lens group and the third lens group decreases. The first lens group has a cemented lens which includes a first lens element E1, a second lens element E2, and a third lens element E3. In the cemented lens, the first lens element E1 is cemented to a surface on one side of the second lens element E2, and the third lens element E3 is cemented to another surface of the second lens element E2. The first lens element E1 is a negative lens, and the second lens element E2 is a positive lens. The image forming optical system satisfies predetermined conditional expressions. |
| US08107000B2 |
Image pickup apparatus and semiconductor circuit element
The present invention includes: a plurality of lens portions, each having at least one lens; a plurality of image pickup regions which are provided to correspond to the lens portions, respectively, and each of which has a light receiving surface substantially perpendicular to a direction of an optical axis of the corresponding lens portion; an image pickup signal input portion 133 which receives image pickup signals generated by the image pickup regions; a transfer range determining portion 144 which determines a transfer range of the image pickup signals transferred from the image pickup regions to the image pickup signal input portion 133; an image pickup region driving portion 132 which drives the image pickup regions such that the image pickup signals corresponding to the transfer range determined by the transfer range determining portion 144 are transferred to the image pickup signal input portion 133; and a parallax calculating portion 142 which calculates a parallax based on the image pickup signals transferred to the image pickup signal input portion 133, and the transfer range determining portion 144 switches between a first operating mode in which the image pickup signals generated by at least two image pickup regions of the plurality of image pickup regions are determined as the transfer range and a second operating mode in which the image pickup signals different from those of the first operating mode are determined as the transfer range. |
| US08106999B2 |
Focus adjustment apparatus, method, and program
A focus adjustment apparatus including a face detector for detecting a person's face included in an image obtained by photographing, an eye detector for detecting an eye of the person included in the image, an evaluation value calculator for calculating an evaluation value representing the depth of field at the position of the detected face, and a focus adjuster for selectively performing the following based on the evaluation value: (a) performing focus adjustment to bring at least the detected face into focus, and (b) causing the eye detector to detect an eye of the person and performing focus adjustment to bring the detected eye into focus. |
| US08106998B2 |
Image pickup apparatus and focusing condition displaying method
In an image pickup apparatus of the present invention, an image of an object is picked up and an image signal representing the object is continuously captured so that a through-the-lens image is displayed based on the captured image signal, and then a display area for displaying focusing information is composited into the through-the-lens image of a displaying device. In addition, based on the captured image signal, an automatic focus adjustment is performed to maximize the contrast of the object, and the result of the focus adjustment is detected. Based on the detected focusing condition, focusing information which is composited into the display area is changed. The focusing information includes at least focusing information of an unfocused condition and focusing information of a focused condition. This enables information that a desired area of an object became focused to be displayed to a user in a manner easy to understand. |
| US08106997B2 |
Image pickup apparatus
In an image pickup apparatus, a light receiving unit produces a first signal at a first timing and a second signal at a second timing later than the first timing. First and second parameters for detecting a scene change are acquired based on the first and second signals, respectively. The presence or the absence of a scene change is determined based on both the parameters. The apparatus further includes a selecting unit configured to select a focusing target AF area from among a plurality of AF areas, and a focusing control unit configured to execute focusing control by using focusing information with respect to the AF area selected by the selecting unit. When the determining unit determines that the scene change is not present, the selecting unit selects the AF area having been selected at the first timing, as the focusing target AF area, at the second timing continuously. |
| US08106996B2 |
Image pickup apparatus
An image pickup apparatus includes a face detector configured to provide a face detection process based on image data obtained from an image pickup optical system that includes a focus lens configured to provide a focus control, a focus lens position extractor configured to extract a focus lens position at which the face detector has actually provided a successful face detection process from among focus lens positions set as a candidate position for the focus lens to be arranged when the face detector provides the face detection process, a focus control range setting part configured to set a focus control range in a focus range that contains the focus lens position extracted by the focus lens position extractor, and an autofocus controller configured to provide autofocus control in the focus control range set by the focus control range setting part. |
| US08106995B2 |
Image-taking method and apparatus
There is provided an image-taking method and apparatus capable of quickly taking an image in which a human face is in focus. When an instruction to take an image is input, multiple images are taken with different focus positions. A human face in each of the images is detected, an area enclosing a detected human face is set as a focus evaluation area, and a focus evaluation value is calculated. Once focus evaluation values for all the images taken have been calculated, the image with the highest focus evaluation value among the images is chosen and recorded. Thus, an image in which the human face is in focus can be readily taken without having to perform cumbersome operations such as an image choosing operation. |
| US08106994B2 |
Image pickup apparatus having a microlens array
An image pickup apparatus includes: an image pickup lens section; an image pickup device obtaining image pickup data on the basis of light detected; a microlens array section arranged on a focal plane of the image pickup lens section, and including a plurality of microlenses, each of the microlenses being provided corresponding to a plurality of image pickup pixels of the image pickup device; and a light-condensing section configured of a plurality of light-condensing elements, each of the light-condensing elements condensing light entering into each of the image pickup pixels of the image pickup device, wherein on the image pickup device, in a pixel region corresponding to each microlens, the pitch between the light-condensing elements is smaller than the pixel size, and in a boundary region between pixel regions corresponding to microlenses, respectively, the pitch between the light-condensing elements is larger than the pixel size. |
| US08106991B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
There is provided an image processing apparatus including: a display screen displaying a first image included in a continuously taken image group, a friction position detector detecting a friction position on the display screen rubbed by a user, and an image synthesizing unit synthesizing a pixel area of the first image corresponding to the friction position, and a pixel area of a second image included in the image group, wherein the image synthesizing unit switches the second image to be synthesized with the first image so as to increase an imaging time difference between the first image and the second image along with an increase in the amount of friction rubbed by the user. |
| US08106990B2 |
Imaging device with output processing module
In response to a power-on of a main switch, a composite image comprising a menu image including multiple command icons for device settings, and a source image from a currently set image input source as a background image, is displayed on an internal monitor of an imaging device. The user can thus select desired command icons for device settings among the multiple command icons in the menu image, while visually checking the background source image. Only the source image without the menu image is displayed on an external display device, which is used for a presentation given to the audience. This arrangement desirably improves the usability of the imaging device, while preventing the display of the menu image on the external display device from damaging the effect of the presentation given to the audience. |
| US08106986B2 |
Image sensor, data output method, image pickup device, and camera
An image sensor includes: a pixel array block configured to get image data by photoelectrically converting light; a register group configured to store information associated with processing of the image sensor; and a parallel interface configured to output the image data to outside in parallel output; wherein the parallel interface further outputs a register value group stored in the register group to outside when the image data is not being outputted to outside. |
| US08106982B2 |
Logarithmic image sensor with improved dynamic range
An image sensor for an electronic imaging device includes an array of pixel detectors. Each pixel detector includes a photosensor (2) that is constructed and arranged to detect incident light and provide a signal that represents a time integral of the detected light intensity. A signal generator device (4) is constructed and arranged to generate a reference signal that varies according to a predetermined function. A comparator (6) has a first input (18) connected to receive the photosensor signal, a second input (20) connected to receive the reference signal, and an output (22) for providing a capture signal. The comparator (6) is constructed and arranged to generate a capture signal at a time determined by comparing the photosensor signal and the reference signal. A read out device (10) is constructed and arranged to capture a read out signal upon receiving the capture signal. The read out signal represents a logarithm of the integrated detected light intensity. |
| US08106971B2 |
Apparatus and method for estimating signal-dependent noise in a camera module
A method and apparatus for estimating signal-dependent noise in a camera module are provided, in which an image is decomposed into high frequency components and low frequency components, a variance of noise in the image is estimated using the low frequency components, noise is eliminated from the high frequency components using the estimated noise variance, and the image is recovered using the noise-eliminated high frequency components and the low frequency components. |
| US08106967B2 |
Image pickup device
In this image pickup device, a system controller uses pattern matching to detect regions where patterns match between images based on multiple sets of image data. Subsequently, the system controller conducts alignment based on the regions that are matched by pattern matching with respect to the multiple sets of image data that are generated by multiple imagings in a exposure time shorter than a normal exposure time while the imaging view field changes. Furthermore, the system controller adds the respective sets of image data after alignment, and generates image data corresponding to a view field that is wider than the imaging view field of a CCD. According to this image pickup device, motion blur can be reduced. |
| US08106962B2 |
Image correction apparatus, image correction method and storage medium for image correction program
An image correction apparatus comprises an image capture unit configured to capture image data, a separator unit configured to separate the image data into luminance data and color-difference data, a conversion unit configured to convert the color-difference data into a set of amplitude values in a spatial frequency domain, a light-source state detector configured to detect a light-source state when the image capture unit captures the image data, a correction unit configured to correct the set of amplitude values based on the light-source state so that a predetermined amplitude value is decreased, an inverse-conversion unit configured to inversely convert the set of the amplitude values which is corrected by the correction unit to produce corrected color-difference data, and a corrected image generator configured to generate corrected image data from the corrected color-difference data and the luminance data. |
| US08106960B2 |
Image processing system and method thereof
An image processing system includes a receiving unit and an image processing unit, where the image processing unit includes a plurality of line buffers. The receiving unit is utilized for receiving a rectangular image. The image processing unit is coupled to the receiving unit, and is utilized for receiving at least a portion of the rectangular image transmitted from the receiving unit, where the first image processing unit receives the portion in a line-based manner, and a length of each line is equivalent to a length of a short side of the rectangular image. In particular, each line buffer of the image processing unit is utilized for storing pixel data of one line of the rectangular image. |
| US08106958B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method and image capturing apparatus
An evaluation value for a pixel in an eye region in an image is computed, which is increased with increase in the redness of the pixel and with decrease in the luminance of the pixel. Furthermore, a color saturation value for the pixel included in the eye region is corrected with the use of a luminance value for a surrounding region around an eye and the evaluation value. In this case, the color saturation value is corrected such that the amount of correction is smaller in a case in which the luminance value is smaller even with the same evaluation value, thereby achieving improvement in the correction factor of and prevention of false corrections of a redeye region with a low color saturation and a low luminance. |
| US08106957B2 |
Image signal processing apparatus, and image signal processing method
An image signal generated by a CCD image sensor is processed by the block-generating section 28 provided in an image-signal processing section 25. A class tap and a prediction tap are thereby extracted. The class tap is output to an ADRC process section 29, and the prediction tap is output to an adaptation process section 31. The ADRC process section 29 performs an ADRC process on the input image signal, generating characteristic data. A classification process section 30 generates a class code corresponding to the characteristic data thus generated and supplies the same to an adaptation process section 31. The adaptation process section 31 reads, from a coefficient memory 32, the set of prediction coefficients which corresponds to the class code. The set of prediction coefficients and the prediction tap are applied, thereby generating all color signals, i.e., R, G and B signals, at the positions of the pixels which are to be processed. |
| US08106956B2 |
Digital camera devices and methods for implementing digital zoom in digital camera devices and corresponding program products
An digital camera device is disclosed having a digital zoom function in order to form an output image, which device includes a sensor and optics to produce an primary image, a display in which the primary image is arranged to be cropped in connection with the digital zoom function in order to form the said output image, user interface means to set one or more settings relating to the digital zoom function and a image processor which is arranged to put a size for the said output image based on the cropping of the primary image at least in part of an digital zoom range. In the user interface is arranged to be set as the said setting one or more size limit for the said output image and based on the one or more size limit and the size of the cropped primary image, the image processor is arranged to perform scaling operations for the cropped primary image at least in part of the digital zoom range defined by the said one or more size limit. In addition the invention also relates to corresponding methods and program products. |
| US08106950B2 |
Digital camera
A digital camera includes: an image-capturing unit that captures an image of a photographic subject, and outputs the captured image; a shake amount detection unit that detects a shake amount of the digital camera; a shake correction actuation unit that is actuated for enabling a shake correction function; and a control unit that, when the shake correction actuation unit is actuated, enables an operation of a first shake correction function that sets image capture conditions of the image-capturing unit to image capture conditions in which emphasis is placed upon high sensitivity, and an operation of a second shake correction function that performs shake correction processing by performing image processing upon the image captured by the image-capturing unit, and moreover controls, based upon the shake amount detected by the shake amount detection unit, whether or not the second shake correction function, whose operation has been enabled, can be applied to the image. |
| US08106946B2 |
Circuitry testing method and circuitry testing device
A circuitry testing method, comprising: providing a circuit board needing testing; applying a potential (160) to the circuit board needing testing so that the circuit board works and operating elements of the circuit board needing testing emit infrared rays; testing an intensity of radiation of the infrared rays using an infrared sensor (110); converting the radiation intensity to RGB (red, green, blue) data signals in order to form a diagnostic infrared image, using a processor (130); providing a standard infrared image; comparing the diagnostic infrared image with the standard infrared image; and determining whether the circuit board is defective according to the comparison. |
| US08106945B2 |
Intelligent fishing tackle
An intelligent fishing tackle comprises a fishing line, a sinker module, a microprocessor system module and a hook module, in which the sinker module is connected on the fishing line and includes a camera module used for capturing a underwater image, the microprocessor system module judges a fishing object according to the underwater image and determines whether a control signal is generated, and the hook module is connected on the fishing line and switched to a fishing processing state according to the control signal. Whether to capture the fishing object can be judged directly under the water or the water image is transmitted to the shore for a rodster to decide whether to capture the fishing object. |
| US08106941B2 |
Stereoscopic display apparatus
The present invention discloses a stereoscopic display apparatus comprising a first and a second image displayer, an aspherical reflection mirror, a beamsplitter and a housing. The first and the second image displayer are used for projecting a first and a second image light respectively. The aspherical reflection mirror is used for refracting the image light and for changing a polarity of the image light. The beamsplitter, disposed between the image generator and the aspherical reflection mirror, is used for deflecting a proceeding route of the image light based on the polarity of the optical signal. The housing has at least one opening for an operator to inspect a first image and a second image through. |
| US08106940B2 |
Stereoscopic image display apparatus and stereoscopic image producing method
A stereoscopic image display apparatus includes a two-dimensional display device having a display surface formed of a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form, and an optical plate which is provided in front of the display surface of the two-dimensional display device, which includes a plurality of lenses arranged so as to be respectively associated with elemental images each including a plurality of pixels, and which controls light rays illuminated from the pixels. When at least two and less than three elemental images are illuminated in one parallax direction in the case where a position of a part or whole of a stereoscopic image is located on a side nearer a viewer than a position indicating a near-side limit value Zno or on a side farther from the viewer than a position indicating a far-side limit value Zfo, the two-dimensional display device displays black in an elemental image of one parallax in elemental images of every two parallaxes. |
| US08106939B2 |
Image processing method, image processing device and image display apparatus employing the image processing device
An image processing method is provided. The method includes a process carried out by a pair of imagers to extract a parallax caused by a distance to an object of photographing as a positional shift between mutually corresponding pixels included in said imagers or between mutually corresponding image blocks included in the imagers as blocks conforming to the mutually corresponding pixels. The parallax is assigned to image data as a distance coefficient found on the basis of the positional shift between the mutually corresponding pixels or the mutually corresponding image blocks in the imagers. |
| US08106938B2 |
Arrangement for realizing a three-dimensional representation
The invention relates to arrangements and methods for spatially displaying images of a scene or object, in which several viewers can get a spatial impression without the use of aids. Arrangements according to the invention comprise an image display device and at least one filter array with a great number of filter elements; characteristically, it is not in all rows (j) and columns (i) that partial image information from different views is alternatingly displayed by the pixels of the image display device in such a way that, from at least two monocular viewing positions, exclusively or almost exclusively partial image information from a single view is visible to one of the viewer's eyes, and that, from a great number of viewing positions, essentially bits of partial image information from different views are visible monocularly to both eyes of the viewer, and that the viewer has a spatial view of the scene or object displayed. |
| US08106937B2 |
Optical device
Stereoscopic device including an image directing assembly, an image differentiator and an image detector, the image directing assembly having a first light inlet for receiving a first image and a second light inlet for receiving a second image, the first light inlet being spaced apart from the second light inlet, the image differentiator differentiating between the first image and the second image, wherein the image directing assembly directs the first image to the image detector via a common path, and wherein the image directing assembly directs the second image to the image detector via the common path. |
| US08106935B2 |
Optical scanning apparatus and image forming apparatus including same
An optical scanning apparatus includes a light source configured to emit a light beam which scans an object to be scanned, a light source retainer configured to retain the light source, a holder including an engaging portion and configured to detachably hold the light source retainer in an optical axis direction of the light source, and a first biasing member configured to bias the light source retainer engaging the engaging portion against the engaging portion in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction, so that the light source retainer is pressed against the engaging portion. A contact position of the light source retainer and the first biasing member in the optical axis direction is within an engaging area where the engaging portion and the light source retainer engage in the optical axis direction. |
| US08106933B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a frame that has a first side frame and a second side frame facing each other, a platen which is rotatably supported by the first side frame and the second side frame, a head to move in first or second directions to press against or separate from the platen, a head supporting member connected to the head to support the head, and an adjusting member to pivotally support opposite ends of the head supporting member, wherein one of the two ends is fixed to the first side frame, and the other of the two ends is movably coupled to the second side frame so as to be able to move relative to the fixed end in the first and second directions. |
| US08106929B2 |
Peak intensity level control device, self light-emitting display device, electronic device, peak intensity level control method, and computer program
A peak intensity level control device that controls a peak intensity level in a self light-emitting display module of an active matrix driving type is disclosed. The device includes: an average picture value calculation section that calculates an average picture value of display data to be supplied to the self light-emitting display module; a driving condition control section that controls, at a time of performing intensity-up driving with respect to the peak intensity level, a driving condition of the self light-emitting display module so as to be able to derive the peak intensity level suited for the average picture value; and a gamma change section that applies, at the time of performing the intensity-up driving with respect to the peak intensity level, a gamma change to the display data so as not to increase power consumption compared with driving with the peak intensity level of a standard value. |
| US08106928B2 |
Method of displaying image in image display device using sequential driving method
An image display method of improving brightness of an output image in an image display device using a sequential driving method and a plurality of single-color light sources. The image display method includes extracting a white color component from the primary color image signals, calculating a period to display the white color component, converting the primary color image signals into shortened primary color image signals and a white color image signal based on the period to display the white color component, and driving the single-color light sources together during a period to display the white color image signal and sequentially driving the single-color light sources during a period to display the shortened primary color image signals. The brightness of output images is improved by displaying the white color image signal by simultaneously driving the single-color light sources based on a ratio of a lowest gradient to a highest gradient of the primary color signals. |
| US08106925B2 |
System to compose pictorial/video image contents with a face image designated by the user
A system for composing pictorial/video image contents where the Face Image which the User designates (FIU) is reflected is disclosed. The system provides a series of pictorial/video image composing pipe line for changing the face of a specific source character that appears in pictorial/video image contents to a FIU pattern and guides a video related company (for example, a producer, a distributor, a sales agency (provider), etc.) to establish a base infra for producing/manufacturing/marketing a video on demand (VOD) content that reflects individual desire of a user so that it can satisfy user needs in changing the face image of a specific character appearing in pictorial/video image contents into the face image of a favorite person (or the user designates, for example, his/her own face image, the face image of his/her acquaintance, the face image of a specific celebrity, the face image of a specific politician, and so on). |
| US08106917B2 |
Method and system for mosaic mode display of video
Methods and systems for mosaic mode display of video are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include generating video data for a plurality of video windows using a single video feeder module comprising a single video scaler and a single video capture module. The video data for the video windows may be generated in a single frame time. Register DMA may be used to transfer register update data (RUD) to a plurality of registers to configure video processing for generating video data for a video window. The plurality of RUDs may be generated in response to a single interrupt to a processor, and may be configured as a linked list or stored sequentially in memory. The configuring may occur prior to generating video data for the corresponding video window. Video processing for a subsequent video window may be configured automatically after generating video data for the present video window. |
| US08106915B2 |
Display control circuit and display device
A display control circuit capable of performing arbitration with the use of a simple configuration. The display control circuit exchanges, with a plurality of masters, attribute information defining conditions for displaying video on a display, and includes a memory for storing the attribute information, a plurality of channels associated with the respective masters for accepting, from the masters, access requests to access the memory, and an arbitration controller configured by hardware. The arbitration controller arbitrates the access requests accepted via the respective channels and permits a selected one of the access requests to access the memory. |
| US08106909B2 |
Common key frame caching for a remote user interface
Common key frames are provided to a client during initialization to provide more efficient remoting of user interface graphical information. By storing the common key frames at the client, the common key frames may be loaded quicker and more efficiently at the client without having to resend graphical information for each common key frame each time a common key frame is used to provide a new frame. Differences between a selected common key frame and the new frame are encoded as delta commands. A payload containing a common key frame command, which identifies a common key frame at the client, and delta commands which encode differences between the selected common key frame and new frame is sent to the client. The client receives the payload, sets a cached common key frame as the current frame, applies the delta commands to the selected common key frame, and renders the new frame. |
| US08106903B2 |
System and method for visually representing a project using graphic elements
An element template system allowing users to define a named set of element symbology properties to be associated with a graphic element is provided. When the element template is active, it sets the active drawing settings to match the template and associates newly created elements with the active template. Once elements are associated with an element template, the template can be used for checking for compliance with a graphics standards for that project. The element templates technology can be used to update elements and existing files to match a specific set of template properties. The element templates defining a particular graphic element are stored in the same design file as that graphic element so that when the graphic element design file is transported the element templates are also transported with the file, thereby eliminating a need to be coupled to a database or other form of external data. |
| US08106898B2 |
Method and apparatus for compensation for skew in video signals
A system for compensating for skew in a color video signal transmitted by a cable having multiple conductors is described. A test pulse signal (e.g. a 2 MHz signal) is inserted into the color components (e.g. RGB) of the video signal during time periods in each frame when the RGB video signals are inactive, such as within 300 μs after the V sync signal. After transmission over the cable, the RGB components with the inserted test signal are delayed relative to each other using a delay line in cooperation with a control circuit. The delay line generates detect signals by detecting relative delays of the test signal pulses inserted in the RGB components. The control circuit controls the amount of delay in the delay line based on the detect signals, so that the RGB components in the video signal outputted by the delay line are synchronized. |
| US08106897B2 |
Display drive control device and electric device including display device
In a system including a color liquid crystal panel, a liquid crystal display drive control device for driving the panel, and a microprocessor, the display drive control device of the invention lightens the burden imposed on a microprocessor as well as reduces the power consumption of the system. In the liquid crystal display drive control device that incorporates a memory for storing image data displayed on a color liquid crystal panel, reads out the image data sequentially from the memory, generates image signals of the three primary colors for each pixels of the color liquid crystal panel, and outputs the image signals from external output terminals, the display drive control device includes a transparency arithmetic circuit that applies a calculation processing to two image data read out from the built-in memory and generates data for a transparent display, supplies display data generated by the transparency arithmetic circuit to a driver, and makes the driver generate and output drive signals to the liquid crystal panel. |
| US08106896B2 |
Picture quality controlling method and flat panel display using the same
A picture quality controlling method including determining a charge characteristic compensation data of a link sub-pixel electrically connected to a defect sub-pixel and a normal sub-pixel, judging a first and second display surfaces different in brightness from each other, determining a first compensation data which compensates a brightness of the first display surface, modulating the test data using the first compensation data, determining a second compensation data that corrects a brightness of a bordering part inclusive of a part of the first display surface and a part of the second display surface between the first and second display surfaces, adding the first and second compensation data, storing the charge characteristic compensation data and the added compensation data at a memory; adjusting a video data to be displayed in the link sub-pixel using the charge characteristic compensation data, and adjusting video data to be displayed in the first display surface and the bordering part using the added compensation data. |
| US08106894B2 |
Projector
A projector capable of projecting a gray-level image for adjusting a color wheel delay includes a housing, a light source installed in the housing, a color wheel, an image modulator, a control circuit, and a scalar. The color wheel separates the light from the light source into color light. The image modulator modulates the color light from the color wheel and projects the color light to form an image on a screen. The control circuit connected to the image modulator controls the image modulator to operate synchronously with the color wheel. The scalar connected to the image modulator generates a gray-level image signal. The image modulator modulates the color light and forms a gray-level image on the screen by receiving the gray-level image signal from the scalar. The control circuit adjusts the image modulator to operate synchronously with the color wheel according to the gray-level image signal. |
| US08106893B2 |
Sensing apparatus and method, and program therefor
Human contact/non-contact is detected speedily and accurately. A measurement section measures capacitance of each of sites to which a plurality of electrodes are connected where a human body touches, a comparison section compares the capacitance with a threshold value for each contacting electrode, and a control section determines whether a human body has come in contact based on the comparison result. A reference value calculation section calculates a reference value serving as electrode-specific reference capacitance based on the measurement results corresponding to the plurality of electrodes cumulatively stored in a storage section, a difference calculation section calculates an absolute difference value between the electrode-specific reference capacitance and a plurality of measurement results, and a threshold value adjustment section adjusts the threshold value by subtracting from the electrode-specific threshold value a value of the sum of the calculated absolute difference value for each of the electrodes other than the absolute difference value of each of the electrodes. The present invention can be applied to a touch sensor. |
| US08106891B2 |
Multi-point touch-sensitive device
A touch-sensitive device includes a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer. The first conductive layer has at least a first edge and a second edge. The second edge is substantially parallel to the first edge and there is a voltage drop across the first conductive layer between the first edge and the second edge when a power supply is coupled to the first edge and the second edge. The second conductive layer is separated from the first conductive layer by a spacer layer. The second conductive layer includes multiple electrically isolated conductive regions. When a plurality of the conductive regions are in contact with the first conductive layer simultaneously, each of the plurality of the conductive regions generates an output signal and the magnitude of the output signal depends at least in part upon the conductive region's position relative to the first and second edges. |
| US08106889B2 |
Touch-screen display device and method thereof
A touch-screen display device includes a display panel, a touch panel, and an adhesive member. The display panel has a peripheral area surrounding an effective area. The touch panel is separated from and faces the display panel. The adhesive member has an adhesive part disposed along the peripheral area and an airing portion disposed along a portion of the peripheral area. The adhesive part adheres the touch panel and the display panel together. The airing portion blocks a particle from entering into a space between the touch panel and the display panel, and inflows and outflows air from the exterior to the space. Therefore, the touch panel and the display panel are coupled by the adhesive member having an airing portion formed thereon, so that a display error may be prevented. |
| US08106888B2 |
Vibration sensing touch input device
The present invention provides a touch sensitive input device that uses vibrations due to touch impacts and/or frictional movement of a touch implement across a surface to determine information related to the touch, such as touch position. The present invention also provides for detecting lift-off events in such vibration sensing input devices. Lift-off detection can be accomplished by monitoring for a signal that indicates a sustained touch on the touch plate, and correlating a change in such a signal with a lift-off event. Signals indicating a sustained touch can include low frequency rumbles coupled into the touch plate via the touch implement, touch plate bending under the force of a sustained touch, and touch plate displacement under the force of a sustained touch. |
| US08106885B2 |
Input mechanism for handheld electronic communication device
A handheld electronic communication device features an optically based user input device and navigation tool. In one embodiment, the optically based user input device features a translucent domed lens and a light source to illuminate a user's finger as the user slides his finger over the domed lens. In another embodiment, the optically based user input device features a translucent ball that the user rotates. In both embodiments, optical means are used to measure movement of the user's finger and translate that movement into a navigational command to the handheld electronic communication device. The optically based user input device is further configured such that an entry command is entered by depressing the optically based user input device. |
| US08106882B2 |
Hand-worn interface device
A Hand-Worn Ambidextrous Interface Device for use with interfacing with a computer or similar device includes in some preferred embodiments a Housing, an Angled Face, a plurality of Switches and a Removable Three-Axis Joystick. In some preferred embodiments the Removable Three-Axis Joystick may control the cursor on the monitor or screen of the computer or related device to which it is communicating. |
| US08106880B2 |
Sharing a video display between telephony and computing devices
An apparatus and method are disclosed that enable the sharing, between a telephone and a computer, of input peripherals such as a keyboard and mouse and of output peripherals such as a video display. Historically, a telephone and a computer have possessed different interfaces with their user and with peripheral devices. Therefore, except where the telephone functionality is in the form of a softphone implemented on a computer, the telephone in the prior art is often incapable of sharing certain peripherals with a physically-adjacent computer. The telephone device of the illustrative embodiment enables sharing between the telephone and a computer, in contrast to sharing peripherals between computers in the prior art. The telephone device is able to determine which user inputs from a shared keyboard or mouse are intended for which data-processing device (i.e., the telephone device itself or the computer), and to transmit displayable signals from both the telephone device and computer to a shared video display device. |
| US08106872B2 |
Image display system and method
An image display system includes a white-light source, a green-light source and a plurality of pixels. The white-light source generates white light during a frame time, and the green-light source generates green light during the frame time. Each pixel has a red sub-pixel, a blue sub-pixel and a white sub-pixel. |
| US08106864B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
An LCD device is disclosed.The LCD device includes dual gate transistors provided to an output portion for outputting a gate voltage. As such, the charge/discharge time of the output portion is reduced so the response time of liquid crystal is improved. |
| US08106859B2 |
Light emitting device, area light source apparatus and image display apparatus
Disclosed herein is a light emitting device, including: a light emitting diode; an sealing resin member having an arrangement face and configured to seal the light emitting diode; and a lens disposed on the arrangement face of the sealing resin member and formed so as to have a circular shape as viewed in the direction of an optical axis of light emitted from the light emitting diode, the lens having a concave portion formed at a central portion in such a manner as to be concave toward the sealing resin member. |
| US08106851B2 |
Variable metamaterial apparatus
Artificial materials, such as metamaterials, include adjustable properties. In some approaches the properties are adjustable according to active feedback of interaction with electromagnetic waves. |
| US08106848B2 |
Programmable antenna with programmable impedance matching and methods for use therewith
A programmable antenna includes a fixed antenna element and a programmable antenna element that is tunable in response to at least one antenna control signal, wherein tuning the programmable antenna element changes an impedance of the antenna. A programmable impedance matching network is tunable in response in response to at least one matching network control signal to adjust for the changes in the impedance of the antenna. |
| US08106846B2 |
Compact circular polarized antenna
According to one embodiment, an antenna comprises a plurality of elongated side radiating elements having longitudinal axes oriented at angles of between about 10 and about 80 degrees from a line perpendicular to an imaginary base plane extending across ends of the side radiating elements. In another embodiment, an antenna comprises a plurality of elongated side radiating elements each lying along a unique side plane and having longitudinal axes oriented at angles of between about 10 and about 80 degrees from a line perpendicular to an imaginary base plane extending across ends of the side radiating elements and a plurality of top radiating elements each electrically coupled to an associated one of the side radiating elements and lying along a top plane. Of course, many other systems and antennas according to other embodiments are included in the invention. |
| US08106843B2 |
Integral high frequency communication apparatus
An integral high frequency communication apparatus comprises a case, a waveguide apparatus having an extension portion, and a transceiver module having two waveguide openings. The transceiver module having two waveguide openings is retained in the case. The case has an opening through which the extension portion extends outside of the case. The integral high frequency communication apparatus can receive and transmit high frequency signals by the extension portion. |
| US08106841B2 |
Antenna structure
An antenna structure consists of a substrate, a radiation element, a signal feeding element, and a grounding element. The radiation element includes a first radiator and a second radiator coupled to the first radiator, wherein the first radiator is identical to the second radiator. The signal feeding element is coupled to a joint of the first radiator and the second radiator, wherein the first radiator and the second radiator are symmetrically disposed in the left and right sides of the signal feeding element to permute an array. The grounding element includes a first grounding sub-element and a second grounding sub-element, wherein the first grounding sub-element is coupled between the first radiator and the substrate and the second grounding sub-element is coupled between the second radiator and the substrate. The first grounding sub-element is identical to the second grounding sub-element. |
| US08106838B2 |
Mobile wireless communications device having diversity antenna system and related methods
A mobile wireless communications device has a portable handheld housing. A circuit board is carried by the portable handheld housing. RP circuitry is carried by the circuit board. A diversity antenna and main antenna are carried by the portable handheld housing and coupled to the RF circuitry and operative together. The RF circuitry tunes the diversity antenna into a diversity communications frequency band to achieve a diversity mode of operation with the main antenna and tunes the diversity antenna into a non-diversity communications frequency band when cross-coupling has occurred from the diversity antenna to the main antenna when operating in the diversity communications frequency band. A switch is carried by the portable handheld housing and connected to the RF circuitry and coupled between the diversity and main antennae and disconnects the diversity antenna when operating in the non-diversity band to prevent cross-coupling from the diversity antenna to the main antenna. |
| US08106827B2 |
Adaptive array control device, method and program, and adaptive array processing device, method and program
An adaptive array control device is described. The adaptive array control device includes a first array processing section and a second array processing section in which phase responses are almost opposite with respect to a target signal and a signal incoming from another direction. The adaptive array control device further includes a control signal generation section, and a control section. The control signal generation section calculates a control signal using output signals of the first array processing section and the second array processing section. The control section controls speed and accuracy of parameter adjustment in adaptive array processing using the control signal. An adaptive array controlling method, and a computer readable recording medium storing an adaptive array controlling program are also described. |
| US08106822B2 |
System and method for GNSS position aided signal acquisition
A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) device, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) device, uses satellite orbital position information from almanac and/or ephemeris data to change a search parameter, such as reducing the number of analyzed frequency bins or setting signal strength threshold, so that satellite signal acquisition times are reduced. An exemplary embodiment estimates an orbital position for at least one GNSS satellite based upon at least one of almanac data and ephemeris data, detects a signal emitted from the at least one GNSS satellite, and based upon the estimated orbital position information for the at least one GNSS satellite that is determined from the almanac data and the ephemeris data, adjusts at least one parameter used in the analysis of the detected signal. |
| US08106819B1 |
Optimizing performance of multiple location based service applications that are running either alone or simultaneously on a wireless device
Requests for location fix for a mobile device are received from one or more Location Based Service (LBS) applications. The received requests are queued in a First In First Out (FIFO) queue in the mobile device. Based on information in a first request out of the FIFO queue, the mobile device runs a location engine in a first fix mode to obtain a fix on the location of the mobile device for a response to the first request. While the location engine is running to obtain the fix for the response to the first request, the mobile device analyzes information in a second request in the FIFO queue, to determine a second fix mode for response to the second request. Based on a comparison of the second fix mode to the first fix mode, the mobile device may change the information in the second request to correspond to the first fix mode, before output of the second request from the FIFO queue to the location engine. |
| US08106818B2 |
Positioning system and positioning method
It is an object of the present invention to perform positioning at the proper positioning time and positioning precision in response to a requirement with respect to positioning. A positioning server 10 comprises a first positioning component 12 that performs positioning of a cellular terminal 20 by a hybrid algorithm 1, in which indoor/outdoor determination is performed on the basis of reception state information indicating the reception state at the cellular terminal 20, and in which an end condition is determined on the basis of the result of the indoor/outdoor determination; and a second positioning component 13 that performs positioning of the cellular terminal 20 by a hybrid algorithm 2, in which the approximate position of the cellular terminal 20 is calculated on the basis of reception state information indicating the reception state at the cellular terminal 20, and in which whether or not to end the positioning of the cellular terminal 20 is decided on the basis of the precision of the approximated position. |
| US08106815B2 |
System for positioning a terrestrial user
Disclosed is a system for positioning a terrestrial user. The system includes navigation satellites placed in medium altitude orbits, management satellites placed in high orbits, able to manage the navigation satellites and communicate with the Earth. The management satellites can include a set of at least three management satellites each placed in a high orbit, having a plane that is inclined with respect to the plane of the terrestrial equator and cuts the equator along a diametral straight intersection line with respect to the Earth. Two external diametral straight intersection lines can form an angle of longitude of at least 90 degrees. |
| US08106811B2 |
Antijam protected GPS-based measurement of roll rate and roll angle of spinning platforms
A system and method for determining the roll rate and roll angle of a spinning platform in a jamming environment, by suppressing the interference signals from the received GPS signals and using the measured phase and amplitude differences between the GPS satellite signals received on two or more antennas. The measured signal differences and the navigation solution from a GPS receiver are processed in a roll filter to obtain the desired information. Data from non-GPS measurement sources is optionally provided to update the navigation solution. Although of wide applicability, the invention is uniquely suited to the measurement of roll rates and roll angles of fast spinning platforms with small baselines in the presence of jamming, and where the antennas are separated from each other by distances that are a fraction of the GPS signal wavelength. |
| US08106809B2 |
Sigma-delta converters and methods for analog-to-digital conversion
A switched capacitor sigma-delta modulator or another analog-to-digital converter (ADC) uses chopper stabilization. Chopping clock transitions are performed during non-active periods of the sampling clock phases, reducing disturbance of the circuit caused by chopping and increasing the time available for settling of the circuit given a particular sampling frequency. An asynchronous state machine may govern sampling and chopping clock transitions. In embodiments, inactive transition of a first sampling clock causes inactive transition of a second chopping clock, which in turn causes active transition of a first chopping clock. The next inactive transition of the first sampling clock causes inactive transition of the first chopping clock, which causes an active transition of the second chopping clock. |
| US08106805B2 |
Self-calibrating pipeline ADC and method thereof
An inter-stage gain of a conversion stage of a pipeline ADC is calibrated by imposing a perturbation to a sub-ADC within the conversion stage and adjusting a gain factor in a closed loop manner so as to make a conversion output substantially independent of the perturbation. |
| US08106803B2 |
Discharge digital-to-analog converter
A digital-to-analog conversion circuit operates by selectively discharging members of a plurality of capacitors. Charging of the capacitors occurs during a reset period while digital-to-analog conversion occurs as the capacitors are discharged. Those capacitors that are discharged are selected from the plurality of capacitors based on a digital input. The analog output includes the charge discharged from the capacitors. The capacitors are optionally divided into separate capacitor banks. |
| US08106802B2 |
Opto-electronic analog-to-digital converter
In one embodiment, an opto-electronic analog-to-digital converter is provided that includes: an optical comb generator for generating a plurality of optical comb lines; a tunable optical filter adapted to select a portion of the optical comb lines responsive to an analog signal being digitized; a diffractive media for spatially mapping the selected optical comb lines and an array of photodetectors for detecting the spatially mapped optical comb lines. |
| US08106801B2 |
Methods and apparatus for built in self test of analog-to-digital convertors
An apparatus configured for built in self test (BiST) of analog-to-digital convertors (ADCs) is described. The apparatus includes an ADC to be tested. The apparatus includes a ramp generator. The ramp generator provides a voltage ramp to the ADC. The apparatus further includes feedback circuitry for the ramp generator. The feedback circuitry maintains a constant ramp slope for the ramp generator. The apparatus includes an interval counter. The interval counter provides a timing reference. |
| US08106795B2 |
Mobile device
A mobile device comprises a pointing device 11 for receiving an input of a moving direction from a user, an acceleration detection unit 14 for detecting an acceleration caused by a fluctuation, and a correction unit 16 for correcting the moving direction vector inputted from the pointing device 11 by subtracting a vector on the acceleration detected by the acceleration detection unit 14 from a vector as inputted from the pointing device 11 on the moving direction. The mobile device can be ensured in mobility, even in case an abrupt fluctuation occurs at an inputting work during a movement using a transit system accompanied by fluctuations, while preventing any erroneous operation. |
| US08106792B2 |
Program and method for adaptive mobile ad-hoc wireless communication
A method of controlling a wireless communication device that is installed in a moving vehicle. The method comprises receiving roadway topology information and vehicle traffic pattern information, receiving vehicle and wireless communication device performance information from a plurality of other moving vehicles, determining current position information for the moving vehicle; determining a first set of metrics for a performance of the wireless communication device installed in the moving vehicle, estimating at least one second metric related to the performance of the wireless communication device or an ad-hoc network which includes each wireless communication device and changing an operation or routing parameter for the wireless communication device based upon the estimation. The second metric is based upon at least a sub-set of the first set of metrics, the received information and the determined current position information for the moving vehicle. |
| US08106789B2 |
Electronic apparatus with active posture control function
An electronic apparatus with an active posture control function includes a body assembly, an accelerometer, a driving device and a controller. The body assembly includes a first body and a second body pivotally connected to the first body. The accelerometer mounted on the body assembly senses acceleration of the body assembly to output an acceleration signal. The driving device mounted on the body assembly drives at least one of the first body and the second body. The controller, mounted on the body assembly and electrically connected to the accelerometer and the driving device, receives the acceleration signal, judges whether the acceleration signal is higher than a predetermined level, and controls the driving device to adjust an included angle between the first body and the second body when the acceleration signal is higher than the predetermined level. |
| US08106785B2 |
Smoke detector
To enable an air velocity of sampling air to be precisely measured, a smoke detector (S) includes: a smoke detection part (22) connected to a sampling pipe (11); a fan (12) that sucks sampling air (SA) into the sampling pipe; and an air velocity sensor (15) that measures an air velocity of the sampling air within the sampling pipe. The air velocity sensor (15) is disposed at a primary side of the fan (12), and a straightening vane (25) is disposed between the air velocity sensor (15) and a suction port (12a) of the fan (12). |
| US08106783B2 |
Input apparatus, remote controller and operating device for vehicle
An input apparatus for a vehicle includes: an operation element operable by an occupant of the vehicle; a biological information acquisition element acquiring biological information of the occupant; an unawakened state detection element detecting an unawakened state of the occupant based on the biological information, wherein the unawakened state is defined by a predetermined state different from an awakened state; and an operation disabling element disabling an operation input from the operation element when the unawakened state detection element detects the unawakened state. |
| US08106775B2 |
Checkout system, checkout system control program, and checkout system control method
A checkout system performs checkout of articles. The checkout system includes an LCD touch screen 11 for specifying a second article different from a first article having data on the article registered as first article data, a barcode scanner 12 for recognizing a presented article which is the first article presented, and a control unit 314 that determines whether the presented article specified as the second article by the LCD touch screen 11 is not the second article. |
| US08106773B2 |
System and method of identifying products enclosed in electrostatic discharge protective packaging
A system and method of identifying objects packaged in electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection packaging is disclosed. The system includes an ESD protection package and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. The RFID tag is affixed to the object prior to being inserted into the ESD protection packaging. A RFID interrogation device having a transmitter, an antenna and a receiver is used to interrogate the RFID tag and output the identification data to a display or to a computer. The method includes affixing an RFID tag to an object prior to placement in the ESD protection packaging, providing a RFID interrogation device including an antenna in proximity to the packaged object, and reading the data stored by the RFID tag for identifying the object. |
| US08106772B2 |
Tether cord and sensor alarms
Methods, systems and other embodiments associated with protecting merchandise items are presented. A method of protecting merchandise items includes displaying merchandise items at a consumer display so that the merchandise items can be handled by a consumer. A detection is made if one merchandise items has been moved beyond a predetermined authorized distance from the consumer display. The method determines if an authorized key is detected within a predetermined key distance from the consumer display. An alarm is then generated when one of merchandise items has been moved beyond a predetermined authorized distance and an authorized key is not detected within a predetermined key distance. |
| US08106770B2 |
Metal detector with improved magnetic soil response cancellation
A method for detecting a target in a soil, including the step of generating a transmit signal, the transmit signal including at least three different frequency components, a relatively high frequency component, a relatively medium frequency component and a relatively low frequency component; and processing a receive signal, the processing including selecting coefficients for, in effect, linearly combining the relatively high frequency components, the relatively low frequency components and the relatively medium frequency components of the receive signal to produce an indicator output signal, the indicator output signal including a signal indicative of the presence of the target in the soil, and wherein the coefficients are selected such that the indicator output signal is approximately independent of log-linear frequency-dependent resistive signal components and log-uniform resistive signal components from the soil. |
| US08106765B1 |
Electrical power source connection with fault safeguards
Means for connecting a local electrical power source to the wiring of a building wiring. A branch circuit monitor module can be installed as part of a branch circuit that includes a circuit breaker and a power receptacle and having safe operating ranges for current and voltage carried by the branch circuit. The branch circuit monitor module can measure data representative of one or more of voltage, current, and current flow direction in the branch circuit between the circuit breaker and the power receptacle and outputs the data. A communications and control module can receive the data and in response presents control commands to a local power source, the control commands causing the local power source to modify its power output such that the branch circuit stays within the safe operating ranges. Related systems, apparatus, methods, and/or articles are also described. |
| US08106762B2 |
Electrical apparatus with an alarm system
An electrical apparatus with an alarm includes an electrical device and an alarm system, the electrical device and the alarm system being both connected to an external power supply. The alarm system includes a wireless communication circuit and a control module. The control module is connected between the external power supply and the wireless communication circuit. The control module controls the wireless communication circuit to send an alarm notification when the electrical device is disconnected from the external power supply. |
| US08106761B2 |
Apparatus, method and computer program product for providing a perceivable physical indication of service availability
An apparatus, method and computer program product are provided for directing a device to emit a perceivable physical indication (e.g., noise, light, vibration, smell, etc.), in order to indicate to a user that the device provides a particular service of interest to the user. A user may request a list of the instances of a service (e.g., printer service, audio service, display service, etc.) available within a certain area. Upon receipt of the list of instances of a particular service, the user may select respective instances one by one such that the device on which each instance is executed emits a perceivable physical indication. This physical indication enables the user to determine where the device is located and how it is situated, information which the user can use to determine which device, or instance of the service, he or she should select. |
| US08106760B2 |
Turn signals generated during operation of vehicle hazard warning lights
Vehicle 4-way emergency flasher circuits are modified by circuit branches which enable flashing selected pairs of emergency lamps at a higher frequency or in other discernible different ways. These selected lamps become visible and recognizable as right or left turn signals while the 4-way flasher circuit is operating. |
| US08106759B2 |
System and method for controlling early low fuel warning based on driver status
A system and method is provided for controlling the operation of notifying drivers of the fluid level. Primary and secondary keys are adapted to be associated to primary and secondary drivers. A key ignition device is positioned on the primary and secondary keys and generate driver status signals. A fluid level sensing device is operable to generate a fluid level signal indicative of the fluid level. A controller is coupled to the fluid level sensing device and the key ignition device. The controller determines whether the driver of the vehicle is the primary or secondary driver in response to the driver status signals. The controller notifies the primary or secondary driver of the fluid level in response to the fluid level signal. The controller selectively controls the operation of notifying the primary or the secondary driver based on whether the driver is the primary or secondary driver. |
| US08106757B2 |
System and process to validate inspection data
Techniques are disclosed for validating that an operator has moved a portable device sufficiently close to an inspection point to enable the operator to perform an inspection. A first exemplary technique employs a first portable device that includes a sensor for detecting the inspection point, a speaker, and stored audible prompts to facilitate the inspection, but no display on which visual prompts for facilitating the inspection can be provided. An alternative second exemplary technique employs a second portable device having a sensor for detecting the inspection point, and a wireless transmitter. This second portable device generates and immediately transmits a signal to a remote receiver indicating that the operator has moved the portable device sufficiently close to the inspection point to enable the operator to perform the inspection. Accordingly, the second portable device need not include a memory for storing the signal. |
| US08106756B2 |
Adaptive interface providing apparatus and method
An adaptive interface providing apparatus and method of setting an individual degree of attention for a specific driver based on an average degree of attention are provided. The adaptive interface providing apparatus includes a statistics database unit which analyze a predetermined statistical population, extracts a context feature including an average degree of attention required when a driving operation, a state of a car, or an external environment changes, a degree of attention required for interface manipulation when a driver manipulates interfaces of a car, and a similarity between the functions of the interfaces using at least one of a sensor, an RFID, and a GPS and stores and manages the context feature; an adjusting unit which senses a change in at least one of the driving operation, the state of a car, and the external environment using at least one of the sensor, the RFID, and the GPS and adjusts an individual degree of attention based on the extracted context feature and the average degree of attention according to the sensed change; and a safety determining unit which determines whether or not a sum of the individual degree of attention and the degree of attention required for interface manipulation when the driver manipulates the interfaces is larger than a predetermined threshold degree of safety attention required for safe driving. |
| US08106752B2 |
Multi sensor detection, stall to stop and lock disabling system
A multi sensor detection and disabling lock system includes detector cases for holding interchangeable detectors that sample for chemical, biological and radiological compounds, agents and elements, with each detector case disposed in or upon the monitored product whereupon light alarm indicators (color coded) on the detector case light up when a specific compound or agent is detected whereupon the detector case transmits detection information to a monitoring computer terminal and transmits a signal to a lock disabler engaged to the product to lock or disable the product's lock thereby preventing untrained, unauthorized and unequipped individual's from gaining access and entry to the product, and also preventing further contamination of the area. An authorized individual resets the detection system, and the system's power source is electrical, battery or computer generated. In addition, the detection system can be interconnected to surveillance towers scanning detector cases disposed at seaport docks, freight depots and rail terminals for monitoring containers being prepared for shipment or sitting on docks for long periods of time. |
| US08106749B2 |
Touchless control of a control device
A method and a system are provided for controlling a controller without physically touching the controller. A hand or other object interacts with a field surrounding the controller, altering the field. A change in characteristic of the altered field causes a corresponding movement of the controller that, in turn, corresponds to an amount of change in a parameter of a target device being controlled by the controller. The parameter of the target device is controlled by the controller while a user has no physical contact with the controller. |
| US08106748B2 |
Remote-controlled motion apparatus with acceleration self-sense and remote control apparatus therefor
A remote-controlled motion apparatus is controlled by a remote control apparatus. The remote control apparatus transmits a target motion signal by radio. The remote-controlled motion apparatus includes a communication module, an acceleration sensing module, a processing module and a driving module. The communication module receives the target motion signal from the remote control apparatus. The acceleration sensing module senses an acceleration of the remote-controlled motion apparatus to output an acceleration sensing signal. The processing module is coupled with the acceleration sensing module and the communication module, and processes the acceleration sensing signal and the target motion signal to output a driving control signal. The driving module is coupled with the processing module to receive the driving control signal, and adjusts the driving of the remote-controlled motion apparatus according to the driving control signal. |
| US08106747B2 |
Vehicle security systems and methods including RFID enabled computer with occupant identification and safety system
Vehicle occupant identification and safety systems and methods include an RFID equipped vehicle having a computer system for controlling operating functions of the vehicle, an RFID emitter for use by a passenger of the vehicle, and processing logic associated with the computer system for determining when a vehicle operator has discontinued vehicle operation and for detecting a signal from the passenger RFID emitter so that the computer system may be activated to send a distress signal when the passenger has remained in the vehicle after a predetermined time from when the operator discontinued operation of the vehicle. |
| US08106746B2 |
Method, apparatus, and system for selecting and locating objects having radio frequency identification (RFID) tags
A carrier structure has a plurality of cells. A corresponding plurality of objects having data carriers, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, is placed in each cell. Each cell has an indicator associated therewith and is defined by walls that substantially prevent waves (such as RF waves) from propagating between cells. A control module is coupled to the carrier structure and is operative to selectively activate individual ones of the indicators. An automatic data collection device (such as an RFID reader) interrogates the data carriers of the objects placed in the cells, and the data carriers can provide response signals to the data collection device. The control module also monitors the response signals using an antenna present in each cell. If the data collection device selects a particular one of the responsive data carriers, the data collection device provides a notification signal to the control module to notify the control module of the selection. The control module then identifies and selects the cell of an object of interest having the selected data carrier affixed thereon, and initiates activation of the indicator associated with the selected cell, thereby identifying the location of the object of interest. |
| US08106743B2 |
Electronic apparatus, remote controller and remote control system
An electronic apparatus is remotely controlled based on a remote control signal transmitted from a remote controller using radio wave. The electronic apparatus contains a communication module that receives the remote control signal transmitted from the remote controller and an electronic apparatus main body that performs predetermined processing based on the remote control signal from the remote controller. The remote control signal is received by the communication module. The communication module has an intermittent operation mode in which the communication module operates intermittently when the electronic apparatus main body shifts to a standby state thereof. The period of off time of the communication module in the intermittent operation mode thereof is shorter than a period of transmission time of the remote controller for transmitting a power-on signal that causes the electronic apparatus main body to shift the standby state thereof to a normal state thereof. |
| US08106741B2 |
Method and apparatus for flexible temperature sensor having coiled element
One example of the present subject matter includes a first elongate section having a first flexible conductor enveloped by a first jacket; a second elongate section having a second flexible conductor enveloped by a second jacket; and an sensor section having an elongate flexible tubular shape, the sensor section housing a resistance temperature detector element which is at least partially coiled and which is resistance welded to the first flexible conductor at a first weld and to the second flexible conductor at a second weld; wherein the sensor section at least partially envelops and overlaps the first elongate section and the second elongate section, with a first band crimping the sensor section to the first elongate section, and a second band crimping the sensor section to the second elongate section, and with the first and second welds disposed between the first and second bands. |
| US08106740B2 |
Resistance thermometer
A resistance thermometer, composed of a plurality of components, at least comprising: at least one substrate, which is composed essentially of a material, whose thermal coefficient of expansion is essentially greater than 10.5 ppm/K; at least one resistive element, which is arranged on the substrate; and at least one electrically insulating, separating layer, which is arranged essentially between the resistive element and the substrate. The invention includes that the effective thermal coefficient of expansion TCEeff is greater than or equal to the thermal coefficient of expansion of the bulk metal of the resistive element. |
| US08106738B2 |
Ballast for multiple lamps and method of manufacturing the same
Disclosed herein is a ballast for multiple lamps and a method of manufacturing the ballast. A first coil is wound around a bobbin which has a partition formed in the center portion of an inner space thereof. An insulating sheet is stacked on the first coil, and a second coil is wound around the insulating sheet. Two paired core elements are vertically coupled to each other to form each core. Ends of the core elements disposed outside the bobbin are connected, and ends of the core elements disposed inside the bobbin are spaced apart from each other by the thickness of the bobbin partition, to form a path for magnetic flux. |
| US08106736B2 |
Solenoidal magnets having supported outer coils
In a solenoidal electromagnet arrangement for a magnetic resonance imaging system, annular inner coils and annular end coils are provided, all concentrically aligned about an axis, the end coils being placed at axial extremities, axially outside of the inner coils. A pair of annular outer coils are provided concentrically aligned about the axis. An arrangement is provided retaining the pair of outer coils against an axial force urging the outer coils away from one another. The arrangement comprises strap elements which extend around a radially inner surface, a radially outer surface and an axially outer surface of each outer coil in certain circumferential locations. Each strap element on one of the outer coils is linked to a corresponding strap element on the other outer coil of the pair by a tensile member. |
| US08106733B2 |
Switch and recording medium
A switch has a detection portion that contains a magnetic-field-sensing element and an attraction member. The attraction member generates a magnetically attracting force. The detection portion generates a switching signal based on an output of the magnetic-field-sensing element. |
| US08106730B2 |
Microswitching device and method of manufacturing the same
A microswitching device includes a base, a fixed portion joined to the base, a movable portion extending along the base and having a fixed end fixed to the fixed portion, a movable contact electrode film provided on a side of the movable portion opposite the base, a pair of fixed contact electrodes joined to the fixed portion and having a region opposing the movable contact electrode film, a movable driving electrode film provided on a side of the movable portion opposite the base, and a fixed driving electrode having a region opposing the movable driving electrode film. The movable driving electrode film is thinner than the movable contact electrode film. The fixed driving electrode is joined to the fixed portion joined to the base. |
| US08106726B2 |
Elastic surface wave device comprising dummy electrodes
A surface acoustic wave device includes a pair of reflectors and an interdigital transducer having a cross electrode having a interdigitated portion and a dummy portion and a dummy electrode. The dummy electrode has a length different from the length of the dummy portion of the cross electrode arranged adjacent to the dummy electrode. |
| US08106721B2 |
Multilayer complementary-conducting-strip transmission line structure with plural interlaced signal lines and mesh ground planes
A multilayer complementary-conducting-strip transmission line (CCS TL) structure is disclosed herein. The multilayer CCS TL structure includes a substrate, and n signal transmission lines being parallel and interlacing with n-1 mesh ground plane(s), therein a plurality of inter-media-dielectric (IMD) layers are correspondingly stacked with among the n signal transmission lines and the n-1 mesh ground plane(s) to form a stack structure on the substrate, therein n≧2 and n is a natural number. Whereby, a multilayer CCS TL with independent of each layer and complete effect on signal shield is formed to provide more flexible for circuit design, reduce the circuit area and also diminish the transmission loss. |
| US08106720B2 |
Polar modulation apparatus and method with common-mode control
The present invention relates to a polar modulation apparatus and method, in which a polar-modulated signal is generated based on separately processed phase modulation (PM) and amplitude modulation (AM) components of an input signal. An amplified polar modulated output signal is generated in accordance with the phase modulation and amplitude modulation components by using a differential power amplifier circuitry and supplying an amplified phase modulation component to a differential input of the differential power amplifier circuitry. A bias input of the differential power amplifier circuitry is controlled based on the amplitude modulation component, so as to modulate a common-mode current of the differential power amplifier circuitry. Thereby, a new concept of a polar modulator with static DC-DC converter and power and/or efficiency and/or linearity controlled output power amplifier can be achieved. |
| US08106717B2 |
Quantum gate method and apparatus
A method includes causing a common-resonator mode resonating with a transition between |2>i and |3>i that are coupled to each other by a transition having a homogenous broadening ΔEhomo greater than an energy difference between |0>i and |1>i, an energy difference between |2>i and |3>i being greater than ΔEhomo, transferring states of m quantum bits represented by |0>k and |1>k to |4>k and |5>k, respectively, when a quantum-bit-gate operation using the common-resonator mode is executed between the quantum bits represented by m physical systems k, |E(|u>k)−E(|v>k)|>ΔEhomo, u, vε{2, 3, 4, 5}, u≠v, executing adiabatic passage between the physical systems k, using light that resonates with a transition between |3>k and |4>k and a transition between |3>k and |5>k, executing the quantum-bit-gate operation between the quantum bits, and transferring, to |0>k and |1>k, the states represented by |4>k and |5>k, respectively. |
| US08106714B2 |
Adjustable capacitor, digitally controlled oscillator, and all-digital phase locked loop
An adjustable capacitor is provided including a capacitor unit including a plurality of capacitor groups aligned in a matrix format and a switch unit to adjust capacitance by connecting the plurality of capacitor groups in parallel according to a selection signal of a column and row of the matrix. Accordingly, the adjustable capacitor may be realized of a small size but with a high capacitance change rate. |
| US08106711B2 |
Stacked pre-driver amplifier
A stacked pre-driver stage and a power amplifier including the stacked pre-driver stage are described. The stacked pre-driver stage comprises stacked pre-drivers arranged in series between a supply voltage and a reference voltage. Each pre-driver includes a pre-driving amplifier, together with MOS transistors. Each pre-driver is subject, in operation, to a voltage difference which is inferior to a maximum allowed use voltage of the MOS transistors with a largely reduced voltage drop across the regulator included in the power amplifier. |
| US08106709B2 |
Pre and post filter automatic gain control with bounded pre-filter gain control
An electronic circuit includes a first variable gain amplifier for amplifying a signal at an input to provide a first amplified signal; a filter receiving the first amplified signal to provide a filtered signal; a second variable gain amplifier for receiving and amplifying the filtered signal; a second gain control bock, to provide at least one gain control signal derived from the filtered signal, one of the at least one gain control signal to control the gain of the second variable gain amplifier; and a bounding block for receiving one of the at least one gain control signal from the second gain control block, and for generating therefrom a bounded gain control signal to control gain of the first variable gain amplifier. |
| US08106706B2 |
DC biasing circuit for a metal oxide semiconductor transistor
A method for biasing a MOS transistor includes AC coupling an input signal from an amplifier stage to a gate of the MOS transistor. The method includes connecting a pair of diodes in an opposing parallel configuration to a bias transistor and a current source. Further, the method includes generating a DC bias voltage through the bias transistor and the current source. The method also includes clamping the voltage at drain of the bias transistor to a fixed voltage by a clamping circuit. Further, the method includes coupling the DC bias voltage to the gate of the MOS transistor through the pair of diodes. |
| US08106702B2 |
Dynamic enabling pump for power control
A voltage generation system that can dynamically calibrate a time period for enabling the system includes: a voltage generation circuit, for providing an output voltage; an oscillator, coupled to the voltage generation circuit, for driving the voltage generation circuit to generate the output voltage at a specific frequency according to an enable signal; a limiter, coupled to the oscillator and the output voltage fed back from the voltage generation circuit, for generating the enable signal to the oscillator according to the output voltage; and an enable controller, coupled to the limiter, the oscillator, the voltage generation circuit and the enable signal generated by the limiter, for enabling the limiter, the oscillator and the voltage generation circuit according to an estimated time between enable signals, wherein the estimated time is dynamically calibrated. |
| US08106701B1 |
Level shifter with shoot-through current isolation
A level shifter circuit suitable for high voltage applications with shoot-through current isolation is presented. The level shifter receives a first enable signal and receives an input voltage at a first node and supplies an output voltage at a second node. The circuit provides the output voltage from the input voltage in response to the first enable signal being asserted and sets the output node to a low voltage value when the first enable signal is de-asserted. The level shifting circuit includes a depletion type NMOS transistor, having a gate connected to the output node, and a PMOS transistor, having a gate connected to the first enable signal. It also includes a first resistive element that is distinct from the NMOS and PMOS transistors. The NMOS transistor, the PMOS transistor and the first resistive elements are connected in series between the first and second nodes, with the NMOS transistor being connected to the first node. The level shifter further includes a discharge circuit connected to the second node and to receive a second enable signal. The second enable signal is asserted when the first enable signal is de-asserted and is asserted when the first enable signal is de-asserted, and the discharge circuit connects the second node to the low voltage value when the second enable signal is asserted and isolates the second node from ground when the second enable signal is de-asserted. |
| US08106694B2 |
DLL circuit
A delay locked loop (DLL) circuit includes a clock input buffer that generates a reference clock signal by buffering an external clock signal and outputs the reference clock signal by correcting a duty cycle of the reference clock signal in response to a duty cycle control signal. The DLL circuit also includes a timing compensation unit configured that generates a compensation reference clock signal by compensating for a toggle timing of the reference clock signal that is changed during the duty cycle correction operation in response to a timing control signal. The DLL circuit further includes and a duty cycle control unit that generates the duty cycle control signal and the timing control signal by detecting the duty cycle of the reference clock signal. |
| US08106688B2 |
Power-on-reset circuit with brown-out reset for multiple power supplies
A power-on reset circuit includes a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit include a first NMOS transistor having a gate controlled by a low voltage supply VDD_L, a resistor connected between the source of the first NMOS transistor and a voltage supply VSS that is lower than VDD_L, and one or more diodes serially connected between a high voltage supply VDD_H and the drain of the first NMOS transistor. The second circuit includes a first PMOS transistor having a source connected to VDD_L, a second PMOS transistor having a source connected to the drain of first PMOS transistor, a second NMOS transistor connected between the drain of the second PMOS transistor and VSS, and an inverter configured to output a signal in response to the power on of the high voltage supply VDD_H and the low voltage supply VDD_L. |
| US08106686B2 |
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit includes an input terminal for applying an input signal, a further input terminal for applying a further input signal having a level differing from the level of the initial input signal, an output terminal for providing an output signal, a switching unit having a controllable switch, which is arranged between the input terminal and the output terminal, and a further switching unit, which is arranged between the further input terminal and the output terminal. The integrated circuit is operated in a first and subsequent second operating state. The controllable switch of the switching unit is controlled to be conductive in the first and second operating state. In the first operating state, the output signal is provided in dependence on the level of the input signal, and in the second operating state in dependence on the level of the second input signal. |
| US08106682B2 |
Permutable switching network with enhanced interconnectivity for multicasting signals
In one embodiment, the integrated circuit has a L-level permutable switching network (L-PSN) comprising L levels of intermediate conductors. The integrated circuit can be used in electronic devices, such as switching networks, routers, and programmable logic circuits, etc. |
| US08106681B2 |
Semiconductor device, and programming method and programming system therefor
In a method of programming a differential programming semiconductor device, first identification data corresponding to first program data is outputted from an ID register of a program circuit in the device to a host. The first program data is programmed in a plurality of interconnections. The first program data is read from a storage unit based on the first identification data. Write data is generated based on the first program data and a second program data, which is to be newly programmed in the plurality of interconnections. The write data is transferred from the host to the device. The write data is written in the plurality of interconnections by the program circuit so as to program the second program data in the plurality of interconnections. |
| US08106679B2 |
Data processing system
The present invention provides an architecture code 20 including object circuit information 23 for mapping an object circuit that is at least part of a circuit for executing an application onto part of a logic circuit where circuits can be dynamically reconfigured, interface circuit information 24 for mapping an interface circuit in contact with the object circuit onto the logic circuit, and boundary condition 26 to be realized in the interface circuit. A data processing system in the present invention includes a load unit obtaining an architecture code 20, a mapping unit for mapping the object circuit and the interface circuit in contact with the object circuit onto the logic circuit region according to the object circuit information 23 and the interface circuit information 24 of the architecture code, and a behavior control unit for controlling the interface circuit according to the boundary condition 26 of the architecture code. |
| US08106678B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuits with power reduction mechanism
A semiconductor device including first and second power lines, and first and second circuit blocks coupled between the power lines. A first switching element is inserted between the first circuit block and at least one of the power lines and a second switching element is inserted between the second circuit block and at least one of the power lines. The first switching element is rendered conductive to allow the first circuit block to receive the power voltage through the first and second power lines while the second switching element is rendered nonconductive to prevent the second circuit block from receiving the power voltage through the first and second power lines, so that a leakage current flowing through the second circuit is suppressed. |
| US08106676B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a signal generating circuit that generates an impedance adjustment command signal which indicates at least one of initiation and termination of an impedance adjustment. The semiconductor device outputs an output signal in synchronism with the impedance adjustment command signal. |
| US08106673B2 |
Probe for high frequency signal transmission
A probe for high frequency signal transmission includes a metal pin, and a metal line spacedly arranged on and electrically insulated from the metal pin and electrically connected to grounding potential so as to maintain the characteristic impedance of the probe upon transmitting high frequency signal. The maximum diameter of the probe is substantially equal to or smaller than two times of the diameter of the metal pin. Under this circumstance, a big amount of probes can be installed in a probe card for probing a big amount of electronic devices, so that a wafer-level electronic test can be achieved efficiently and rapidly. |
| US08106672B2 |
Substrate inspection apparatus
According to one embodiment, a substrate inspection apparatus includes a probe socket, a probe pin, and an adaptor. The probe socket is fixed to an inspection jig on which a substrate is provided, one end of the probe socket being connected to a processor. The probe pin is attached to the other end portion of the probe socket, includes a tip shape conforming to an inspection point of the substrate with which the probe pin is in contact, and including at least one of a projection and a groove designed to specify the tip shape on a side on which the probe pin is attached to the probe socket. The adaptor is attached to the other end portion of the probe socket, and including a through hole formed in conformity with the shape of the side on which the probe pin is attached to the probe socket. |
| US08106671B2 |
Socketless integrated circuit contact connector
A socketless integrated circuit (IC) contact connector is provided with an electrically conductive support post. An electrically conductive spring has a first end connected to the post, and a second end. An electrically conductive first wire has a first end connected to the spring second end, and a second end. An electrically conductive loop with a loop neck is connected to the first wire second end. Typically, the loop is formed in the first wire second end. The spring and loop work in cooperation to engage an IC contact. |
| US08106669B2 |
High current precision resistance measurement system
A resistance testing apparatus makes use of a modular design for cascaded, parallel, bipolar current sources to obviate the need for electromechanical or pneumatic switching systems. |
| US08106668B2 |
Proximity detector and proximity detecting method
A proximity detector detects the approach of an object based on a stray capacitance. A differential electrode has an apparent stray capacitance that varies in response to an approaching object. An individual capacitance detector detects an individual stray capacitance of the differential electrode based on a stray capacitance of the differential electrode obtained by repeatedly charging and discharging the differential electrode in opposite phases and based on a stray capacitance of the differential electrode obtained by repeatedly charging and discharging the differential electrode in the same phase. A proximity calculator detects the approach of the object based on the detected individual stray capacitance. |
| US08106667B2 |
Insulation measurement apparatus
An insulation measurement apparatus includes a path including a first resistor, a capacitor electrically floated from a ground, and a second resistor between a positive to a negative electrode side of a power supply, a first switching element between the power supply positive electrode side and the capacitor, a second switching element between the capacitor and the power supply negative electrode side, a detection section detecting a charge voltage on the capacitor and determining a power supply insulation state, and a voltage setting section executing a power supply voltage measurement mode controlling the first and second switching elements to charge the capacitor for a predetermined time period, and an insulation voltage measurement mode charging a terminal of a positive or negative electrode side of the capacitor via a resistor between the power supply positive or negative electrode and the ground for a predetermined time period. |
| US08106662B2 |
Sensor product for electric field sensing
A sensor product web for electric field sensing. The sensor includes a substrate, sequential electrically conductive areas on a surface of the substrate, conductors, an output connected to the electrically conductive areas by one of the conductors, and a via extending through the substrate, forming an electrically conductive path connecting the electrically conductive areas to the output by the conductor on a reverse surface of the substrate. |
| US08106661B2 |
Battery apparatus for controlling plural batteries and control method of plural batteries
Lower order control devices control plural battery cells configuring plural battery modules. An input terminal of the low order control device in the highest potential, an output terminal of the low order control device in the lowest potential, and a high order control device are connected by isolating units, photocouplers. Diodes which prevent a discharge current of the battery cells in the battery modules are disposed between the output terminal of the low order control device and the battery cells in the battery module on the low potential side. Terminals related to input/output of a signal are electrically connected without isolating among the plural low order control devices. |
| US08106657B2 |
Apparatus for high-resolution NMR spectroscopy and/or imaging with an improved filling factor and RF field amplitude
The present invention concerns an apparatus (1′) for NMR spectroscopy and/or NMR imaging of a sample. The apparatus comprises a static probe comprising an outer coil for excitation of nuclei of the sample by generating an incident radio frequency field at the Larmor frequency of the nuclei, and for reception of a return radio frequency field emitted by the sample, and a sensitive inner coil (6a′) which is mounted closely around or in contact with the sample container and which is wirelessly coupled to the outer coil by an electromagnetic radio frequency field. The sensitive inner coil is embedded in an inner spinning rotor (2) which is rotatively mounted inside the static probe and which is integral with the sample container, so that the filling factor and the radio frequency field amplitude in the sensitive coil are maximized. |
| US08106654B2 |
Magnetic sensor integrated circuit device and method
An sensor includes a substrate with a magnetic field sensor mounted on the substrate. The magnetic field sensor has a first surface defining a plane. A magnetic flux conducting member has a second surface that is not parallel to the first surface. A non-magnetic member is situated between the magnetic field sensor and the magnetic flux conducting member. |
| US08106653B2 |
Optical-magnetic Kerr effect waveform testing
System and methods are provided for optical-magnetic Kerr effect signal analysis. In one aspect, a test fixture is supplied having parallel conductive lines, with an input of a first line adjacent a resistively loaded output of a second line and a resistively loaded output of the first line adjacent an input of the second line. An optically transparent test region is interposed between the conductive lines, and a metallic reflector underlies the test region. A signal reference is supplied to the input of the first line and a signal under test is supplied to the input of the second line. A light beam having a first angle of polarization is focused through the test region onto the reflector. The intensity of the reflected light is measured and the similarity between the signal under test and the reference signal can be determined in response to the measured light intensity. |
| US08106651B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for determining thickness of a conductive layer
Methods and apparatuses for calibrating eddy current sensors. A calibration curve is formed relating thickness of a conductive layer in a magnetic field to a value measured by the eddy current sensors or a value derived from such measurement, such as argument of impedance. The calibration curve may be an analytic function having infinite number terms, such as trigonometric, hyperbolic, and logarithmic, or a continuous plurality of functions, such as lines. High accuracy allows the omission of optical sensors, and use of eddy current sensors for endpoint detection, transition call detection, and closed loop control in which a process parameter is changed based on the measured magnetic flux density change in one or more processing zones. |
| US08106648B2 |
Non-contact rotational angle detecting sensor
There is provided a non-contact rotational detecting sensor comprising a ring-shaped permanent magnet which rotates integrally with a detection object of a rotational angle and of which a magnetic pole changes along the circumferential direction, a ring-shaped inside magnetic flux collecting yoke for surrounding an outer peripheral surface of the ring-shaped permanent magnet in a constant gap, a ring-shaped outside magnetic flux collecting yoke for surrounding an outer peripheral surface of the ring-shaped inside magnetic flux collecting yoke in a constant gap, and a hole IC arranged in a gap formed in the ring-shaped inside magnetic flux collecting yoke, wherein an axial height of the ring-shaped inside magnetic flux collecting yoke is changed along a circumferential direction of the ring-shaped inside magnetic flux collecting yoke. |
| US08106645B2 |
Power saving system for household electric appliance
A power saving system for a household electric appliance includes a signal processing unit, a step down network having an adjustable impedance for stepping down an input voltage, and an impedance control switch electrically connected with the step down network and configured for controlling the impedance of the step down network. The signal processing unit is electrically connected to impedance control switch and configured to monitor the working condition of the household electric appliance, calculate the current demanded by the household electric appliance at a next moment, and transmit a signal to the impedance control switch so as to control the impedance control switch to adjust the impedance of the step down network according to the calculation. |
| US08106641B2 |
System and method for providing stable control for power systems
System and method for providing stable control for power systems. According to an embodiment, the present invention provides an apparatus for providing one or more control signals for a power system. The apparatus includes an input terminal for receiving an electrical energy, which can be characterized by a first input voltage. The apparatus includes a control component that is configured to generate a first control signal based on at least information associated with the first input voltage. The apparatus additionally includes an output terminal for sending the first control signal. Moreover, the apparatus includes a timing component that is coupled to the control component. The control component is configured to process at least information associated with a first value of the first input voltage at a first time and a first reference voltage and to generate a second control signal. |
| US08106637B2 |
Programmable floating gate reference
A system includes a controllable voltage generator to generate a power supply voltage. The system also includes a system controller to determine a voltage level associated with the power supply voltage, and prompt the controllable voltage generator to generate the power supply voltage. The system includes a floating gate reference device to generate an absolute voltage reference based, at least in part, on the voltage level associated with the power supply voltage. The system can also include analog circuitry to perform one or more electrical operations responsive to the absolute voltage reference from the floating gate reference device. |
| US08106634B2 |
Switching power supply and portable device
A switching power supply includes a switching element connected to a power supply voltage and performs ON and OFF operation; a control circuit; a coil; a capacitor connected to the coil and performs a rectifying operation with the coil; an oscillator to output an oscillator signal to the control circuit; a first comparator for comparing a current detection voltage which transforms a detection current flowing through the coil into a voltage, and the feedback voltage according to a difference of a voltage according to an output voltage with a reference voltage; and a second comparator for comparing a deep threshold voltage set as a value higher than the current detection voltage and is lower than the power supply voltage, with the feedback voltage. A Deep Simple Light Load Mode control is introduced to improve efficiency in a light or no-load area in addition to PWM mode in a heavy loading. |
| US08106630B2 |
Method and system for operating a portable electronic device in a power-limited manner
Improved techniques to manage operation of a portable electronic device having a substantially depleted battery when power is available from an external, power-limited source are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, the substantially depleted battery can be initially charged while a power-intensive operation is delayed. Once the battery has adequate charge to assist the external, power-limited source in powering the portable electronic device, the power-intensive operation can be performed. In this manner, power consumption of a portable electronic device can be managed so that reliable operation is achieved without exceeding limits on power being drawn from an external, power-limited source. |
| US08106622B2 |
Control system for multiphase rotary machines
A control system aims at converting, via a switching circuit, a direct current voltage into an alternating current voltage to be applied to multiphase windings of a multiphase rotary machine to thereby control rotation of the multiphase rotary machine. In the control system, a command voltage determiner determines a command voltage value for an alternating current voltage to be applied to the multiphase windings based on a zero crossing of a line-to-line current and a zero crossing of the amount of change in the line-to-line current. A driving unit drives the switching circuit on and off based on the determined command voltage value to thereby modulate the direct current voltage to the alternating current voltage to be applied to the multiphase windings. |
| US08106614B2 |
Mirror adjustment mechanism, wing mirror unit and method
An electric motor circuit for controlling an electric motor of a mirror adjustment mechanism includes a switch-off circuit that is provided with a current sensor for measuring the electrical supply current and, depending thereon, generating a voltage. In an embodiment, a current branch is configured to be rendered conductive in response to the generated voltage; an electronic switch is configured to interrupt the supply current as a result of the current branch being rendered conductive. The current branch may be configured to form a first branch of a current mirror which is out of balance and is dimensioned such that the first branch does not carry current under normal operating conditions of the motor, and a second branch is conductive. In an embodiment, upon the occurrence of a supply current that is greater than a predetermined critical level, the first branch is also rendered conductive. |
| US08106611B2 |
Switching regulation circuit and dual-winding motor apparatus
A switching regulation circuit for a dual-winding motor apparatus is provided. The switching regulation circuit comprises a gate-controlled device and a driving circuit. When one of the two windings generates an induced voltage signal greater than a threshold value, the driving circuit generates an output signal for turning on the gate-controlled transistor. Thereby, a parasitic diode of the gate-controlled device will not be turned on and damage the entire circuit. |
| US08106610B2 |
Heat dissipation device and fan module thereof
A heat dissipation device has a main controller and a fan module having a motor coil, a connection interface, a PWM driving circuit and a fan monitor chip. The connection interface has a control pin, an error report pin, a power supply pin and a ground pin. The control pin receiving a control signal. The PWM driving circuit adjusts current magnitude and current direction of the motor coil to drive the fan module. The fan monitor chip is connected to the connection interface and the PWM driving circuit, receives the control signal, generates and sends PWM signals to the PWM driving circuit according to the control signal and sends an acknowledgement signal via the control pin after receiving the control signal. The main controller can check if the control signal is correctly received based on the acknowledge signal. |
| US08106608B2 |
Lighting system
A lighting system includes a power source, a switch, a time detecting circuit, a controlling circuit, a driving circuit and an LED lamp electrically connected together. The time detecting circuit could detect switching times and periods of the switch at an “on” and “off” positions, thereby producing corresponding signals to the driving circuit to lighten the LED lamp with different brightness levels. |
| US08106605B2 |
Backlight control circuit
An exemplary backlight control circuit includes a pulse width modulation integrated circuit (PWM IC) having a power input terminal, a power source capable of outputting an operation voltage, and a switching circuit connected between the power source and the PWM IC to control if the operation voltage is provided to the power input terminal. |
| US08106604B2 |
LED driver with dynamic power management
A light emitting diode (LED) system implements a LED driver to drive a set of one or more LED strings. The LED driver includes a voltage source to provide an adjustable output voltage to a head end of each LED string of the set for a first duration and a second duration following the first duration. The LED driver further includes a feedback controller to control the voltage source to adjust the output voltage for the second duration based on a digital code value generated from a minimum tail voltage of one or more tail voltages of the set at a sample point of the first duration. The LED driver further includes a power controller to temporarily enable one or more components of the feedback controller for a sample period of the first duration, the sample period comprising the sample point. |
| US08106594B2 |
Semiconductor device and electronic apparatus using the same
A semiconductor device with high function, multifunction and high added value. The semiconductor device includes a PLL circuit that is provided over a substrate and outputs a signal with a correct frequency. By providing such a PLL circuit over the substrate, a semiconductor device with high function, multifunction and high added value can be achieved. |
| US08106585B2 |
Manufacturing method of high-pressure discharge lamp, high-pressure discharge lamp, lamp unit using high-pressure discharge lamp, and image display apparatus using high-pressure discharge lamp
A manufacturing method of a high-pressure mercury lamp includes an electric field application step in which an electric field is applied to at least a light emission part (4) with the high-pressure mercury lamp being kept at a high temperature. This can reduce impurities such as hydrogen and alkali metals in a discharge space (8) and glass forming the light emission part (4). As a consequence, blackening and devitrification of the high-pressure mercury lamp while the lamp is lit can be reduced. |
| US08106584B2 |
Light emitting device and illumination apparatus
A light emitting device includes a base on which a wiring conductor is formed from the top surface to the bottom surface or the side face; a light emitting chip mounted on the top surface of the base and electrically connected with the wiring conductor; a first light transmitting member which covers the light emitting chip; a second light transmitting member provided above the first light transmitting member to cover the first light transmitting member, the second light transmitting member being formed of a light transmitting material containing fluorescent materials for converting in wavelength the light emitted from the light emitting chip; and a third light transmitting member provided between the first and second light transmitting members, wherein the refractive index n1 of the first light transmitting member, the refractive index n2 of the second light transmitting member and the refractive index n3 of the third light transmitting member satisfy the relation: n3 |
| US08106583B2 |
Organic light emitting display apparatus
Provided is an organic light emitting display apparatus in which process efficiency and contrast are increased. The organic light emitting display apparatus includes a substrate, a display unit that is formed on the substrate and includes an organic light emitting device, an encapsulation layer that is formed on the display unit so as to encapsulate the display unit, a color filter layer that is formed on the encapsulation layer, a protection layer that is formed on the color filter layer, and a black matrix that is formed on the protection layer. The black matrix is aligned not to overlap the color filter layer. |
| US08106579B2 |
Semiconductor light emitting device
A semiconductor light emitting device includes: a semiconductor light emitting element; a first phosphor which absorbs light emitted from the semiconductor light emitting element and emits first wavelength-converted light; and a second phosphor which absorbs light emitted from the semiconductor light emitting element and emits second wavelength-converted light. The first phosphor has a first excitation spectrum region where excitation intensity increases with increasing wavelength around a peak wavelength of the semiconductor light emitting element. The second phosphor has a second excitation spectrum region where excitation intensity is flat or decreases with respect to increasing wavelength around the peak wavelength of the semiconductor light emitting element. |
| US08106578B2 |
Highly transmissive electroluminescent lamp having a light emissive layer composition incorporating phosphor nano-particles and dielectric nano-particles
We disclose a highly transmissive electroluminescent lamp, where the lamp has a front electrode electrically connected to a first clear conductive layer of PDOT or functionally similar material, a phosphor layer and a dielectric layer. The phosphor layer contains nano-particles of phosphor, where the nano-particles have a size less than about 100 nm. The dielectric layer contains nano-particles of a dielectric, where these nano-particles having a size less than about 100 nm. There is a second clear conductive layer of PDOT, and a back electrode electrically connected to the second clear conductive layer, for energizing the lamp. In other embodiments, the particles in the phosphor layer may have sizes larger than 100 nm, while still achieving the effect of substantial transparency of the lamp. |
| US08106577B2 |
Organic EL device and electronic apparatus
An organic EL device includes light-reflective electrodes; light-transmissive electrodes; organic EL layers that are respectively provided between the light-reflective electrodes and the light-transmissive electrodes to emit a plurality of color light components, the organic EL layer emitting a different color light component in each pixel; and transflective layers that are selectively provide in predetermined color pixels to reflect or transmit light emitted from the organic EL layers, respectively, each transflective layer being opposite to the light-reflective electrode with the organic EL layer interposed therebetween. |
| US08106572B2 |
Spark plug and process for producing the spark plug
A spark plug in which an ignition portion of a ground electrode formed through joining of a noble metal chip to the ground electrode has high durability, and a method of manufacturing the spark plug. |
| US08106571B2 |
Capped lamp/reflector unit
A capped lamp/reflector unit (1) comprising a lamp vessel (2) arranged inside a reflector (3) and a lamp cap (4) fixed to the reflector. Electrical contacts (17) are provided substantially opposite to each other on an outer surface (24) of the lamp cap. The lamp cap comprises a first (25) and a second mating and engaging part (26), preferably identical to each other. The mating parts, when assembled, cannot move relative to each other and preferably are held together by the electrical contacts (17), which for this purpose are formed as spring clamps (39). The reflector is provided with a metal sheet cladding (22) on an outer surface (23) of the reflector. Furthermore, a transparent plate (34) is provided to close the light emission window (21) of the reflector. Thus, an easily replaceable, simple and safe capped lamp/reflector unit is obtained. |
| US08106566B2 |
Piezoelectric component with outer contacting, having gas-phase deposition, method for manufacturing component and use of component
A piezoelectric component with at least one fully active piezoelement has electrode layers and interposed piezoelectric layers guided to a lateral edge of the piezoelement and contacted there. An insulating layer applied for electric contacting has an electric through-plating. An electrically conductive gas-phase deposition layer is applied directly to the electrode layer guided up to the lateral surface of the piezoelement by way of deposition from the gas phase in order to improve electric contacting. An external electrode is applied to the gas-phase deposition layer. In the case of several superposed stacked piezoelements (piezoactuator in multi-layer design), the external electrode functions as a collector electrode which connects the electrode layers to each other. The structure enables secure contacting of the electrode layers. A fully active piezoceramic multi-layer actuator with the described contacting may be used in automobile technology for activating fuel-injection valves. |
| US08106563B2 |
Polyphasic multi-coil electric device
A polyphasic multi-coil generator includes a driveshaft, at least first and second rotors rigidly mounted on the driveshaft so as to simultaneously synchronously rotate with rotation of the driveshaft, and at least one stator sandwiched between the first and second rotors. The stator has an aperture through which the driveshaft is rotatably journalled. A stator array on the stator has an equally circumferentially spaced-apart array of electrically conductive coils mounted to the stator in a first angular orientation about the driveshaft. The rotors and the stator lie in substantially parallel planes. The first and second rotors have, respectively, first and second rotor arrays. |
| US08106558B2 |
Three-phase magneto generator and transport apparatus
A plurality of permanent magnets are provided at a rotor at equal angular intervals. A plurality of magneto coils are provided at a stator at unequal angular intervals. The number of the plurality of magneto coils is not a multiple of three. The plurality of magneto coils include U-phase magneto coils, V-phase magneto coils and W-phase magneto coils. The U-phase magneto coils are arranged and connected such that phases of currents passing through the U-phase magneto coils are equal. The V-phase magneto coils are arranged and connected such that phases of currents passing through the V-phase magneto coils are equal. The W-phase magneto coils are arranged and connected such that phases of currents passing through the W-phase magneto coils are equal. |
| US08106556B2 |
Emergency rolling bearing that is insensitive to axial load
The emergency rolling bearing for a rotary machine having magnetic bearings includes at least first and second bearing members with radial clearance of value εr/2 that is of the order of half the mean radial air gap εr of the magnetic bearings being arranged between each of the bearing members and the rotor, and axial clearances εa are provided on either side of the set of bearing members between said set and first and second axial abutment elements secured to the rotor. The first bearing member is mounted directly in a first intermediate support element coaxial with a stator element. The second bearing member is mounted in a second intermediate support element likewise coaxial with the stator element. The intermediate support elements present a plane of contact in a radial plane perpendicular to the axis of the bearing and they are united by a resilient pre-stressed element acting in the axial direction and allowing the intermediate support elements and the bearing members to expand or move apart in the axial direction. Damper means acting in the radial direction are interposed between the intermediate support elements and the stator element. |
| US08106554B2 |
Blower motor assembly for vehicle
Disclosed herein is a blower motor assembly for a vehicle. The blower motor assembly comprises an armature assembly, a motor body, a magnet, an upper case, and a lower case. The armature assembly comprises a rotatable armature shaft with an armature. The motor body is an open cylinder that houses the armature assembly. The magnet is installed between the motor body and the armature assembly. The upper case has a through-hole which permits the armature shaft to projects outward through. The lower case is coupled to the upper case. The motor body is installed in an internal space defined by the coupled upper and lower cases. The motor body is fixed in a correspondingly-shaped hollow portion defined by a wall of a motor body fixing portion formed in the lower case. The magnet is fixed to a magnet fixing portion formed in the lower case. |
| US08106550B2 |
Polyphase alternating-current motor and electric power steering apparatus
In a motor that includes bus bars each of which has an intermediate electrical path portion, end electrical path portions, and a main electrical path portion, the width of a portion of the intermediate electrical path portion at which the multiple end electrical path portions are formed between the main electrical path portion and an end portion of the intermediate electrical path portion is decreased from the portion at which the main electrical path portion is formed toward the end portion of the intermediate electrical path portion in such a manner that the width is decreased immediately after each intervening end electrical path portion by a unit width “w” that is equal to the width of the end electrical path portion. Thus, it is possible to prevent the current density in the intermediate electrical path portion from being excessive so that the current density is maintained substantially constant, and to attain lighter bus bars, and, consequently, to attain a lighter motor. |
| US08106548B2 |
Electric motor device
The electric motor device is provided. The electric motor device includes: a first drive member that has a plurality of permanent magnets; a second drive member that has a plurality of electromagnetic coils; and a clearance controller that shifts at least either one of the first drive member and the second drive member, thereby changing a size of a clearance formed between the first drive member and the second drive member. |
| US08106547B2 |
Rotary electric machine for vehicles
A rotary electric machine for vehicles is provided, which includes a rotor, a stator disposed opposed to the rotor, a frame made of aluminum and supporting the rotor and the stator, and a rectifier secured to an outer end face of the frame and having low-loss elements as rectifying elements. A heat insulator is disposed between the rectifier and the frame. With this configuration, deterioration can be prevented in the overall cooling properties, while at the same time the cooling properties of the rectifier can be enhanced. |
| US08106545B2 |
Linear actuator unit
Provided is a linear actuator unit that includes: a guide shaft formed of a magnetic body that is formed into a tubular shape while having a hollow portion therein, and has one linear opening portion formed thereon along an axial direction thereof; a slide member capable of reciprocating motion freely along the guide shaft; a magnet rod supported at both ends thereof in the hollow portion of the guide shaft; a forcer arranged on a periphery of the magnet rod in the hollow portion of the guide shaft, constitutes a linear motor together with the magnet rod, and is joined to the slide member while interposing the opening portion of the guide shaft therebetween; and a rod correction plate that is formed of a magnetic body, and juts out from the slide member forward and backward in a movement direction thereof so as to close the opening portion of the guide shaft. |
| US08106542B2 |
Variable power source and related power supply method
A power source includes a plurality of cells, a positive output, a negative output, a number of positive switches, a number of negative switches, and a number of serializing switches. Each of the cells includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode. Each of the positive switches is for connecting a corresponding positive electrode to the positive output. Each of the negative switches is for connecting a corresponding negative electrode to the negative output. Each of the serializing switches is for connecting a positive electrode of a corresponding cell to a negative electrode of an adjacent cell. |
| US08106539B2 |
Wireless energy transfer for refrigerator application
Described herein are improved configurations for a refrigerator with wireless power transfer that includes an enclosure member comprising a non-metallic material, a source comprising at least one high-Q source magnetic resonator coupled to a power source and generating an oscillating magnetic field, wherein the source is integrated into the enclosure member of the refrigerator. |
| US08106531B2 |
Multi-output switching regulator and control method therefor
The present invention discloses a multi-output switching regulator, comprising: a single-input-multiple-output voltage converter converting an input voltage to a first output voltage at a first node and a second output voltage at a second node; an input capacitor connected with the input voltage at an input node; a first output capacitor having two ends, one of which is connected with the first node; and a second output capacitor having two ends, one of which is connected with the second node; wherein the other end of the first output capacitor is connected to ground, the input node or the second node, and the other end of the second output capacitor is connected to ground, the input node or the first node. |
| US08106529B2 |
Farm implements with capacitor for peak electric loads
A farm implement towed or pushed by a vehicle includes at least one electrically actuated device mounted for operation and a high capacitance capacitor connected in circuit with the device and with a source of electricity on the vehicle. Electric power is supplied from the vehicle to the implement at a nominal rate to charge the capacitor and/or operate the device. The capacitor is selectively discharged to either supplement the electric power supplied by the vehicle to the device or to completely power the device such that the device is provided with electric power for operation at a peak rate exceeding the nominal rate electric power is supplied from the vehicle to the capacitor and/or the device. |
| US08106527B1 |
Hydraulic power generator
The rotor shaft of an electrical power generator, placed in a wind or water current whereby the kinetic energy causes the rotor shaft to rotate, turns a hydraulic pump generating a hydraulic pressure. The hydraulic pressure is directed to a hydraulic generator motor coupled to an electrical generator. The hydraulic pressure causes the hydraulic motor to turn which spins the generator generating electricity which is transferred to an electric grid for distribution. The generator can be distantly located from the rotors and rotor shaft, for example, on the ground adjacent to the support tower supporting the rotors and rotor shaft. |
| US08106526B2 |
Power converter for use with wind generator
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a turbine to generate mechanical energy from kinetic energy, a generator coupled to the turbine to receive the mechanical energy and to output multiple isolated supply powers, and multiple power stages each coupled to the generator. Each of the power stages may receive at least one of the isolated supply powers. |
| US08106525B2 |
Wind energy installation with an autonomous energy supply for a blade adjustment device
A wind energy installation is provided with a generator driven by a rotor with adjustable rotor blades to produce electrical energy, with a pitch adjustment device to adjust the blades, which pitch adjustment device includes an emergency circuit with an energy store to actuate a blade actuating motor. A shunt branch is provided with a current-balancing device in parallel with the energy store, the current balancing device configured to control the current shunt branch depending on a feedback current from the blade actuating motor. A current balancing circuit is provided with which the feedback current occurring in the overrunning state is dissipated in controlled fashion via a shunt branch and therefore the electrical energy store is protected from a damaging feedback current. This prevents a damaging rise in the voltage of the electrical energy store and a rise in the motor speed of the blade actuating motor during overrunning operation. |
| US08106523B2 |
Liquid resin composition, semi-conductor device, and process of fabricating the same
A liquid resin composition for use as a sealing resin which reduces wear on a dicing blade or grinder employed for signularization or grinding. The liquid resin composition includes hollow and/or porous particles as a filler, and is adapted in use to be applied on a substrate constituting a semi-conductor device or electronic part. |
| US08106511B2 |
Reduced-stress through-chip feature and method of making the same
A feature is inscribed in a major surface of a microelectronic workpiece having a material property expressed as a reference coefficient value. The feature includes a first material having a first coefficient value for the material property and a second material having a second coefficient value for the material property. The first coefficient value is different from the reference coefficient value different from the first coefficient value and the second coefficient value is different from the first coefficient value. The first and second materials behave as an aggregate having an aggregate coefficient value for the material property between the first coefficient value and the reference coefficient value. |
| US08106506B2 |
Electronic component
An electronic component has an element body, and a plurality of external electrodes formed on one principal face of the element body. Each external electrode has a first electrode layer joined to the one principal face of the element body, and a second electrode layer joined as laid on an inside region inside an edge of the first electrode layer. An apical surface of the second electrode layer is planar. A joint portion in the second electrode layer to the first electrode layer is rounded. |
| US08106505B2 |
Assembly including plural through wafer vias, method of cooling the assembly and method of fabricating the assembly
An assembly includes a chip including an integrated circuit, a casing including an integrated circuit and having an upper portion formed on a side of the chip and lower portion formed on another side of the chip, plural through-wafer vias (TWVs) for electrically connecting the integrated circuit of the chip and the integrated circuit of the casing, and a card connected to the casing for electrically connecting the casing to a system board. |
| US08106501B2 |
Semiconductor die package including low stress configuration
A semiconductor die package. The semiconductor die package comprises a semiconductor die and a molded clip structure comprising a clip structure and a first molding material covering at least a portion of the clip structure. The first molding material exposes an outer surface of the clip structure. The clip structure is electrically coupled to the semiconductor die. The semiconductor die package further comprises a leadframe structure comprising a die attach pad and a plurality of leads extending from the die attach pad. The semiconductor die is on the die attach pad of the leadframe structure. A second molding material covers at least a portion of the semiconductor die and the leadframe structure. The semiconductor die package also includes a heat slug and a thermally conductive material coupling the heat slug to the exposed surface of the clip structure. |
| US08106499B2 |
Integrated circuit packaging system with a dual substrate package and method of manufacture thereof
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing a base substrate having a base conductive material on opposite sides of the base substrate; connecting an internal interconnect having a substantially spherical shape on the base substrate; forming a top substrate having a top conductive material on opposite sides of the top substrate with an upper component thereon facing the base substrate; and attaching the top substrate on the internal interconnect. |
| US08106498B2 |
Integrated circuit packaging system with a dual board-on-chip structure and method of manufacture thereof
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing a first board-on-chip-structure having a first integrated circuit die mounted over a substrate and the substrate having a substrate cavity; mounting a second board-on-chip-structure over the first board-on-chip-structure, the second board-on-chip-structure having a second integrated circuit die mounted under an interposer and the interposer having an interposer cavity; connecting the first board-on-chip-structure to the second board-on-chip-structure with an internal interconnect; and encapsulating the first board-on-chip-structure, the second board-on-chip-structure, and the internal interconnect with an encapsulation. |
| US08106494B2 |
Leadframe for leadless package, structure and manufacturing method using the same
A leadframe employed by a leadless package comprises a plurality of package units and an adhesive tape. Each of the package units has a die pad with a plurality of openings and a plurality of pins disposed in the plurality of openings. The adhesive tape is adhered to the surfaces of the plurality of package units and fixes the die pad and the plurality of pins. |
| US08106489B1 |
Integrated circuit package and packaging method
A package and packaging method are provided that enable packaging of larger dies and/or smaller packages. Generally, the method includes steps of: (i) reducing a thickness of a portion of a top surface of leads of a leadframe extending into a package being formed; (ii) mounting a die to a paddle of the leadframe, the die extending past an edge of the paddle into a space created by reducing the thickness of the leads; and (iii) encapsulating the die and leadframe, including the reduced portion of the leads, in a molding compound. In one embodiment, the leads are reduced by half-etching the portion of the top surface. Preferably, the method further includes wire bonding pads on the die to etched portions of the leads to electrically couple the die to the leads. Alternatively, wire bonding is between the pads and non-etched portions of the leads. Other embodiments are also disclosed. |
| US08106484B2 |
Silicon substrate for package
In a silicon substrate for a package, a through electrode is provided with which a through hole passing through from a bottom surface of a cavity for accommodating a chip of an electronic device to a back surface of the substrate is filled. An end part of the through electrode in the bottom surface side of the cavity has a connection part to a wiring that forms an electric circuit including the chip of the electronic device. The silicon substrate for a package is characterized in that (1) a thin film wiring is included as the wiring and the connection part is reinforced by a conductor connected to the thin film wiring and/or (2) a wire bonding part is included as the wiring and the connection part is formed by wire bonding the end part of the through electrode in the bottom surface side of the cavity. |
| US08106483B2 |
Wafer with improved intrinsic gettering ability
An integrated circuit with improved intrinsic gettering ability is described, having a bulk micro-defect (BMD) density of 3.85×105-3.38×109/cm3 through first and second annealing steps. The first annealing step is performed at a first temperature in an atmosphere containing at least one of oxygen gas and nitrogen gas. The second annealing step is performed at a second temperature higher than the first temperature in the atmosphere. |